Shhhh!by Mike Fitelson Shhhh! During United Nations week when the world descends on lower Manhattan, Northern Manhattan also received a special visit from a foreign dignitary. Between a tour of Julliard School and a reception hosted by Michelle Obama at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the First Lady of Japan, Miyuki Hatoyama, sped north a hundred or so blocks to spend an hour at Isabella Geriatric Center on Audubon Avenue and W. 190th Street.
During her Sep. 23 visit, Hatayama, whose husband Yukio took office as prime minister the previous week, met privately with Isabella President and CEO Mark Kator, visited the apartment of resident Tomoko Hanway and toured the nursing home floor before greeting about 50 Isabella residents and guests. When Hatoyama stepped into the Larson Library the Isabella House chorus serenaded her with the Japanese folk song “Sakura Sakura,” which means cherry blossoms. After brief remarks by several VIPs, and a gift exchange, she led the singing of an encore performance of the song before taking her gracious leave, after shaking hands with most of the guests, including many of the center’s 35 Japanese-American residents. The unlikely and hastily arranged visit with Secret Service oversight was initiated by the Japanese American Association which has a 15-year relationship with the Washington Heights geriatric center. Over that span there have been exchange programs between the staff at Isabella and at eldercare programs in Japan. The visit was particularly poignant to the first lady because her 90-year-old mother is in a nursing home in Japan. Shhhh!On Sep. 25, Inwood resident Brian Lehrer celebrated the 25th anniversary of his show on WNYC Radio. Local blogger and Manhattan Times contributor Carla Zanoni (“The Streets Where We Live”) found an interview with him the same day on the Gothamist Web site where, after covering a wide range of topics, he was asked what the city’s best cheap eat was. “La Nueva Espana, 207th St. in Inwood. Rotisserie chicken, with Dominican sides,” was his response. You can tune into the Brian Lehrer Show weekdays at 10 a.m. on 93.9 FM or online. Shhhh!Astronomy lovers and insomniacs in Northern Manhattan have a unique opportunity to come together on Oct. 9. The Inwood Astronomy Project will head to its usual spot in Inwood Hill Park’s Dyckman ball fields at 3 a.m. to peer into the sky. Afterwards, however, the group has convinced the Indian Road Café to open its doors to host a 6:30 a.m. live broadcast of NASA’s latest experiment. The LCROSS spacecraft will slam into the face of the moon that day, sending a plume of dust into space. An orbiter zipping around the lifeless planetoid will scan for water in the dust, but bleary eyed space lovers will have their eyes peeled for the fireworks. Shhhh!The never-ending question of what new businesses the Lower Heights most needs was posed to a panel of representatives from the commercial real estate industry during a Washington Heights and Inwood Chamber of Commerce meeting last month. The panelists – Brad Cohen of Ripco, Mary Carlisle Gambill of Vantage Properties and Robert Shapiro of Massey-Knakal Realty – offered a potpourri of quality dry cleaners, top notch produce markets and welcoming cafes. But for a really unique take on what would float Northern Manhattanites’ boat (pun SO intended) would be a ferry stop on the Hudson River at Dyckman Street. It’s an idea that has been bandied about over the years, but could land on the drawing table again as the city seeks to expand ferry service, after a first phase that saw new waterways created between Rockaway, Queens, the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan to service Wall Street. But, sometimes I know I sound like a broken record, Northern Manhattan seems to have been overlooked as the working plans have no ferry stops north of 125th Street in Manhattan, although there are proposed Bronx stops at Riverdale, Fordham, Roberto Clemente State Park and Yankee Stadium. Would you love to have the option of catching a ferry downtown? Can you imagine how an increase of tourists coming north could be a boon for local cultural stops and businesses? Let your voice be heard. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has called a town hall meeting on expanded ferry service for Mon., Oct. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hunter School of Social Work, 129 E. 79th Street in Manhattan. To RSVP or share your thoughts, email
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or call 212-788-9221.
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