Today: Middle Collegiate Church hosts their 3rd annual Children's Multicultural Book Fair

Via the EVG inbox...

Today (Nov. 17), Middle Collegiate Church hosts their third annual Children's Multicultural Book Fair from 1 - 3:30 p.m. More than 70 titles of books for children and youth (grades 0 - 8) that engage the diverse cultures of our city across faith, ethnicity, race, gender, and identity will be available for purchase.

Authors Isreba Wheeler ("I Love My Hoodie") and Chana Ginelle Ewing ("An ABC of Equality") will be reading and signing their books and a reader from the Islamic Center at NYU, Arif Choudhury, will read "The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family".

There will be stations for children and youth to engage in art, movement, card making, and raffle prizes. Titles will also be available from Archie Bongiovanni, Hena Khan, bell hooks, Jamia Wilson, Jacqueline Woodson and numerous others. This is a free event.

Middle Collegiate Church is on Second Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. Entrance to the event is at 50 E. Seventh St.

Report: Man attacked for his iPhone on 5th Street dies from his injuries

A Staten Island man who was beaten during a robbery on Oct. 20 on Fifth Street has died from his injuries. Police are reportedly treating the attack as a homicide.

Giovanni Destafano, 27, was jumped outside the Lower East Side II Houses at 632 E. Fifth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C around 10 p.m.

Here are details via SILive:

Upon arrival, officers saw that Destefano had swelling, bruising and lacerations to his head and around his mouth. EMS responded to the location and transported him to Bellevue, police said.

The police investigation determined that Destefano was approached from behind in front of the location by an unknown individual.

The suspect proceeded to punch Destefano several times in the head and face, causing the victim’s injuries, police said.

The culprit then allegedly stole the victim’s iPhone 7 from a pocket of his pants.

A former neighbor of Destafano's described him as "a very good dad." Destafano had two children.

No arrests have been made. (And I haven't seen any information to date about a possible suspect.)

Last day for the Butch Judy's pop up at Performance Space 122

Butch Judy's wraps up its six-week residency today outside Performance Space 122 on First Avenue at Ninth Street.

Owners Katie Zanin and Cassidy Gardner are behind this Brooklyn-based Queer-owned bar concept serving a variety of beer and wine (and French fries).

They'll be open this afternoon though 9 p.m. or so. (There's also an app release party for @lex.app from 5-9.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Butch Judy's pops up behind Performance Space 122 on 1st Avenue

Your chance to tell a story with the 8 Ball Community

The 8 Ball Community, a volunteer-run art and media collective, has moved into the East Village.

Tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 16), they're taking part in The Creative Time Summit X with an installation called "People's Newsroom." The installation is open to the public, no prior registration needed. Here's a rundown via the EVG inbox...

Calling all East Village & Downtown NYC neighbors, street vendors, gardeners, activists, poets, writers, organizers, performers, artists, librarians, food cart vendors, informal antique collectors, thrift shop owners, workers, psychics, dojo & theater managers, etc., to come thru and tell a story of their own choosing at "People's Newsroom," a one-off new show produced by 8 Ball TV as part of Creative Time Summit X.

-Where: 8 Ball HQ, 59 E. 4th St. (between Second Avenue and the Bowery), 7th Floor, buzzer 14
-When: Saturday Nov. 16, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

No prep needed. Just bring your story, as intimate or universal as you wish, vent-off, advertise your craft or small business, deliver a PSA, read a poem, share a recipe, give us a micro oral history piece, tell us about your community garden or how your neighborhood changed.

Surf and turf

Jayomi, described as "Seattle’s friendliest indie surf rock quartet," recently released their debut record. The video here is for the track "Tropical Wasteland."

Guilty verdicts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial

The owner of a New York building and 2 others were found guilty in a 2015 gas explosion that killed 2 people and leveled half of an East Village block https://t.co/QpOEYfohlx

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 15, 2019

Per the Times:

After more than two months of testimony, a jury in Supreme Court in Manhattan on Friday found [Maria] Hrynenko, a general contractor and an unlicensed plumber guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses when they installed an illegal gas line, causing the explosion.

Sentencing takes place on Jan. 10.

We will post much more on this case in the days ahead.

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'

RIP Nicholas Figueroa

RIP Moises Ismael Locón Yac

A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Jury selection starts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion that killed 2 men

Day 1 recap of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial; opening statements and emotional testimony from Nicholas Figueroa's father

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.

Noted

Hope the driver doesn't crash the party.

Vanity plate pic on Seventh Street via Dave on 7th.

Previously

Groundbreaking today on 14-story affordable housing project on 2nd Street

A 14-story affordable housing complex is in the works for the long-vacant, city-owned parcel on Second Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

This morning, various officials — Asian Americans for Equality and City Councilmember Carlina Rivera will join Enterprise Community Partners and the Low Income Investment Fund — for the official groundbreaking on the project.

Construction equipment had recently arrived in the space — the address is officially 302 E. Second St. — directly to the west of the luxury development the Adele.

Per the media advisory:

The 14-story tower will include 45 rental apartments affordable to low and middle-income New Yorkers. The development is a rare fully affordable development in the East Village where years of gentrification have made housing increasingly expensive. 302 East 2nd Street is part of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Neighborhood Construction Program, which activates vacant city-owned land for affordable housing development.

And the rendering...


[Leroy Street Studio]

The approved permits on file with the city shows that the building will include about 1,000 square feet for a community facility.

In the past year, the city has also announced fixed-income housing for 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St. as well as 351 E. 10th St. just east of Avenue B.

Renovations knock Blockheads out of commission for a few weeks on 3rd Avenue

Blockheads, the San Francisco-style Mexican restaurant, closed the other day for renovations here at 60 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street.



The signage for patrons notes "repairs" in the coming weeks while the Blockheads Instagram describes this in a post from yesterday as a renovation. So it does appear to be more of a closed for renovations as opposed to a "closed for renovations."

The big burrito specialists, from the folks who launched Benny's Burritos, have four locations in NYC and one in White Plains. They opened here in July 2015 ... taking over the space from — drumroll — Unidentified Flying Chickens!

The 4th retail space in the former Chase space on Avenue A has a new tenant

Signage went up Tuesday for Supreme Martial Arts here at 20 Avenue A at Second Street.

With this, the former Chase branch that the landlord divided into four retails spaces is filled up...



There's the Omega Salad Bar & Deli (now under new management!), Halo Spa and Alphabet Pizza.

All serviceable businesses ... and much less glammy than what had been envisioned for the address. In early 2016, the broker — one of many — for 20 Avenue A showed the potential here for more-upscale wine-bar and retail tenant action...


[Click to go big]


[Ditto]

Chase vacated this storefront in November 2015.

Thursday's parting shot

Tenacious defense! Photo at the Tompkins Square Park dog run today by Derek Berg...