The Bowery Mission resource card

As temps. drop to extreme lows this weekend, encourage anyone you see on the streets to seek safe, warm shelter! pic.twitter.com/TOe9MUnz5n

— The Bowery Mission (@BoweryMission) February 12, 2016

Per The Bowery Mission website:

Sometimes it's hard to know how to help. But when you hand a resource card to a homeless neighbor, you show that you care and want that person to have second chance at life.

Print out these resource cards to give away to the homeless you encounter on the streets. Invite them to come to The Bowery Mission to get help. Click here to open a pdf file with four resource cards to print.

Former residents talk about landlord Maria Hrynenko: 'it was clear she wanted to get rid of anyone with a rent-regulated apartment'

[Photo via @mesh_mellow]

The New York Times speaks with several of the former residents who lived in buildings destroyed in the deadly gas explosion last March 26.

On Thursday, the DA charged landlord Maria Hrynenko and her son, Michael Hrynenko Jr., with involuntary manslaughter ... as well as contractor Dilber Kukic and an unlicensed plumber, Athanasios Ioannidis. (A fifth person, Andrew Trombettas, faces charges for supplying his license to Ioannidis.)

According to the article, Maria Hrynenko was not popular among her tenants.

An excerpt:

Some of those tenants, now scattered across the city and country, were encouraged by the thought of their former landlord in handcuffs.

But many also rued the years spent while, they say, Ms. Hrynenko harassed them in her greedy pursuit of higher rents. Prosecutors cited her greed as the driving force behind the explosion.

“I was actually shocked charges were brought at all, and that it happened so quickly,” said Kim-Nora Moses, a tenant who said she had studied building codes and needled inspectors for years about the exhaust system. “But I always felt like she won, because she blew the place up. She said a lot of mean and hurtful things to people; it was clear she wanted to get rid of anyone with a rent-regulated apartment.”

According to the Post, before Thursday's press conference, Hrynenko said "I’m a good person" to reporters as authorities brought her into the DA's office.

All five people that the NYPD arrested pleaded not guilty.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

Just in time for Valentine's Day — BLOODWRESTLING

Via the EVG inbox...this is happening tomorrow (Saturday!) night...

BLOODWRESTLING: Valentine's Eve Mas-Sicker with GLOB!
Celebrate and skewer VD Day with GLOB! Live lady warriors, (and lads!) with ridiculous vendettas, who wrestle in fake blood to punk rock! Sports satire, gore galore, mucha lucha gone mas sicker! A show for all of you Heartbreakers & Hellions, in a fantastic, underground L.E.S. theater and performance space w/Full Bar and Art Lounge.

Doors at 9:30 pm, Showtime 10 pm With live music from: DOLPHINS DON'T LOVE and LEA aka ESCAPE ARTIST. Late night Happy Hour after the show.

COW Theater
21 Clinton St. (btwn Stanton & Houston)
$10 (Cash only or use free Square Cash app.)
Sat. 2/13, Door Opens: 9:30 pm
Find more details at the Facebook events page here

The look of love

Here's Seattle supergroup Childbirth with the recently released video for "Breast Coast (Hangin’ Out)," 95 seconds of gleefully sarcastic power pop...

Reader report: The result of this morning's fire behind 105 Avenue B

There was a report of a fire this morning at 105 Avenue B just south of East Seventh Street.

A neighbor with knowledge of the situation shared this:

This morning’s fire in the rear of 105 Avenue B was apparently started when a lit cigarette was dropped from a window into the trash and igniting it. The basement access was locked and no super was present, so firefighters used the ladder to scale to the roof and down the rear of the building to the fire.

The fire was severe enough that it melted the main TWC feed for that section of the block. Residents of several adjacent buildings will be without Internet, TV or phone until TWC can address the problem.

Photo this morning via @af

[Updated] Reader report: Mayor de Blasio to speak outside building where undocumented worker died on East 8th Street

[Photo from Dec. 24]

On Dec. 24, a partial building collapse at 356 E. Eighth St. between Avenue C and Avenue D led to the death of a worker, as we first reported here.

As far as we know, no other media outlet covered this tragedy. According to a reader, Alberto Pomboza, an undocumented worker from Ecuador, died after he fell from the third to the first floor in the townhouse undergoing a gut renovation.

An EVG reader who lives on the block reports that the NYPD is clearing the street ahead of an appearance this morning by the Mayor who will apparently address what happened here...

Updated 2:20 p.m.


[Photo via @zmack]

The Mayor was on the scene this morning to announce this new enforcement sweep... via the Mayor's office...

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler today announced that they will quadruple the penalties for serious construction-safety lapses, conduct a wave of more than 1,500 enforcement sweeps, and require new supervision at construction sites citywide to protect workers and the public amid the record building boom.

To make sure builders cannot profit by skirting safety rules, the City is raising the penalties for serious safety lapses from $2,400 to $10,000, and the penalty for lacking a construction superintendent will increase from $5,000 to a maximum of $25,000. Construction has surged more than 300 percent since 2009, contributing more jobs and more housing to New York City, but leading to an increase in preventable construction-related injuries and fatalities.

Updated 5:10 p.m.

DNAinfo has a piece on the city's inspection blitz here.

They also have more details about the worker who died here.

The worker, 33-year-old Luis Alberto Pomboza, was working on the renovation of 356 East 8th St. when he fell from the third to first floor, according to records from the Department of Buildings.

Pomboza — an undocumented Ecuadorian immigrant and father of five — was transported to Bellevue Hospital in serious condition with trauma to the head and face but later died of his injuries, according to the NYPD and Medical Examiner’s Office.

Updated 8 p.m.

Gothamist has a report here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Reader report: Partial building collapse on East 8th Street; unconfirmed report of a fatality

RIP John Farris

[Photo of John Farris by EVG from 2010]

John Farris, a writer, poet and longtime resident of the Lower East Side, died in his East Third Street apartment of an apparent heart attack on Jan. 22. He was 75.

The Villager this week has a lengthy feature obituary on Farris:

With his sharp wit and abrasive personality, Farris was for decades an integral part of the Downtown literary and jazz scenes. He performed at a wide range of venues, reading wry, lyrical poems and densely crafted prose that both celebrated and satirized the people of the Lower East Side. He insisted that you listen to him — whether you wanted to or not.

From 2008, here's a video featuring stories by Farris ... set to an original score and composition by Jumaani Smith with photos by Marlis Momber ...



Here's B. Kold, writing in Sensitive Skin:

John was a friend to many, and took us young’uns under his wing back when he was running open mikes at the Neither/Nor Gallery. I’ll never forget the time he took four or five of us kids over to Sweet Basil to see Sun Ra and the Arkestra. We’d only known John a couple of years, and he was telling us all sorts of bullshit stories about all the famous jazz men he knew and was friends with, and we were taking it all in with a big grain of salt.

After the (amazing) show, every damned member of Sun Ra’s band came over to our table, going “Farris! What’s up? Where you been, man! C’mon out and party with us!” and Farris was like, “Nah, I’m gonna hang with these guys.” I never felt so cool in my whole life. There were a lot of moments like that with John.

Sensitive Skin compiled a handful of readings from Farris, which you can find here.

Using graffiti to attract buyers for the million-dollar condos along Avenue A

[The future northwest corner of Avenue A and 11th Street]

Earlier this month, details emerged about developer Douglas Steiner's incoming residential building (rendering above) along Avenue A between East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

For instance, condos in the 82-unit building — officially 438 E. 12th St. — will start at $1.1 million for a 1-bedroom home. And the building amenities include a 50-foot-long pool, a spa, a gym, a library, a playroom, parking and a landscaped courtyard and rooftop gardens.

There's also a teaser site where potential buyers can learn more info about the project.

The development's marketing team also decided to go the graffiti route in advertising the official website along the plywood on Avenue A...



So...

Edgy?
Hip?
Cool?
Clueless?
Laughable?
All the above?

Thanks to EVG reader Gail George for the photo!

Previously on EV Grieve:
New residential complex at former Mary Help of Christians lot may include rooftop swimming pool

Meet your new neighbor on Avenue A

Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

The 'senseless shocking self-destruction' of Mary Help of Christians

Residences rising from the former Mary Help of Christians lot will now be market-rate condos

Ongoing construction at condoplex on Avenue A enters the swimming pool phase

Report: Developer Douglas Steiner lands $130 million loan for EV condo construction

Douglas Steiner's church-replacing condos emerge from the pit; plus new renderings

Rumors: Ethiopian to give way to high-end Japanese on East 3rd Street

The Meskel Ethiopian Restaurant closed late last summer on East Third Street near Avenue B... the closure was supposed to be temporary, for building renovations. However, as far as we know, the restaurant never reopened.

Now a tipster writes in:

The Ethiopian place that closed on East Third has new owners now who plan to make the space into "a high-end Japanese-food restaurant specializing in tempura" but "not a sushi place."

Vegan pizzeria 00 + Co. is now open on 2nd Avenue

00 + Co., the vegan pizzeria and wine bar, made its debut last night at 65 Second Ave. between East Third Street and East Fourth Street... in the former Winebar space. (Raymond Azzi, who owned Winebar, is a partner in 00 + Co. with chef Matthew Kenney.)

Here's a look at the menu...


[Click to go big]

Nick Solares at Eater has photos of the interior here. Gothamist has a preview here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Raw food celebrity chef Matthew Kenney bringing vegan pizza to 2nd Avenue (31 comments)

In the cold, cold night

East 11th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C by @georgygirlnyc

Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

[Memorials for the victims on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street]

CBS 2 reports that "officials are set to make a major announcement" this morning regarding the deadly Second Avenue explosion from last March 26.

The announcement is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Manhattan’s District Attorney's office. There are no other details about the announcement.

Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Ismael Locón Yac died during the explosion that leveled three buildings at 117-123 Second Ave.

To date, the city has yet to file charges against anyone in connection with the explosion. The Post reported last April that investigators have "six prime suspects" — landlord Maria Hrynenko, her son Michael Jr., contractor Dilber Kukic as well as an unidentified subcontractor and two workers.

We'll update this post as soon as officials release more information.

Updated 9:50 a.m.

NBC 4 reports that five people are facing criminal charges in connection with the gas explosion.

Updated 10:26 a.m.

The Post reports the following:

Landlord Maria Hrynenko, her son Michael Jr., and Bronx contractor Dilber Kukic ... were among the suspects brought by authorities to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office ...

“I’m a good person,” Hrynenko uttered to reporters as authorities brought her in.

Updated 11:19 a.m.



DA Cyrus Vance Jr. is announcing the charges... Among them: 2nd degree manslaughter for the Hrynenkos and Kukic — carries a maximum penalty of up to 15 years.

DA Vance announces manslaughter + other charges in EV Explosion investigation. Watch live – https://t.co/zs0Tbcejtf pic.twitter.com/0Zq8ACYGPK

— Cyrus Vance, Jr. (@ManhattanDA) February 11, 2016

Updated 11:27 a.m.

Highly dangerous + illegal gas setup at 121 Second Avenue: pic.twitter.com/7GJw91gX44

— Cyrus Vance, Jr. (@ManhattanDA) February 11, 2016

Updated 11:30 a.m.

Here is part of the official release from the DA's office:

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark G. Peters, and New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro today announced the indictment of MARIA HRYNENKO, 56, MICHAEL HRYNENKO, 30, ATHANASIOS IOANNIDIS, 59, DILBER KUKIC, 40, and ANDREW TROMBETTAS, 57, in connection with a deadly gas explosion that occurred at 121 Second Avenue on March 26, 2015. The defendants are charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Criminally Negligent Homicide, Assault in the Second Degree, and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, among other charges.

Defendant Information:

MARIA HRYNENKO, D.O.B. 11/26/1959

Charged:

-Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 counts
-Criminally Negligent Homicide, a class E felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
-Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

MICHAEL HRYNENKO, D.O.B. 11/30/1985

Charged:

-Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count
-Criminally Negligent Homicide, a class E felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
-Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

ATHANASIOS “JERRY” IOANNIDIS, D.O.B. 6/15/1956

Charged:

-Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 counts
-Criminally Negligent Homicide, a class E felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
-Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count
-Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 2 counts

DILBER KUKIC, D.O.B. 6/9/1975

Charged:

-Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count
-Criminally Negligent Homicide, a class E felony, 2 counts
-Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
-Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

ANDREW TROMBETTAS, D.O.B. 11/18/1958

Charged:

-Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony, 2 counts

Updated 11:31 a.m.

Councilwoman Rosie Mendez responds to the arrests:

"As we're approaching the anniversary of this tragic event I want to thank and congratulate Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance for his continuing investigation that has led to the arrest of these five individuals. The events from last year are still very much with us in the East Village. Everyday we walk by and see empty space where three buildings stood; three buildings that were part of a historic district. Everyday my businesses struggle to recover from the street closures that resulted in financial losses last year.

And everyday, the people of the East Village have been waiting for justice. Today we are one step closer. Maria Hrynenko has told reporters that she's a good person. Apparently this good person's reckless actions led to the death of two young men, led to the homelessness of dozens of families and businesses, and led to the loss of their worldly possessions. Her actions and those of four others were criminal. I look forward to the commencement of the trial and I hope this sends a strong message to other landlords and contractors that you will be held accountable for your actions."

Updated 1:45 p.m.

Here's some coverage from The New York Times:

Mr. Vance outlined a scheme as contemptible as it was craven, involving a crooked contractor, an unscrupulous plumber, a greedy landlord and her son — all so eager to get tenants into newly renovated apartments with the average rent running $6,000 per month that they were willing to cast aside any concern for safety.

Even in the last moments before the explosion, two of the defendants are accused of running out of the building without warning any of the residents or patrons inside a ground-floor restaurant or even calling 911.

“The individuals involved in the East Village gas explosion showed a blatant and callous disregard for human life,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in an unusually blunt statement.

Updated 6 p.m.

Aside from the two fatalities, Vance said that at least 13 people suffered serious injuries in the blast A 21-year-old student here visiting from Berkeley during spring break lost an eye and fractured his larynx. Two firefighters also suffered serious injuries.

Updated 10 p.m.

A few more details from different sources... ABC News reported that all of the defendants pleaded not guilty today. And DNAinfo wrote that all of the defendants, except Trombettas, were held on a $1 million bail each.

Updated 2/12

The Post today...