Ouch! We constantly hear about cutting and slashing in Albany, though it usually involves the budget. But state Senator Brad Hoylman, above, recently had a frightening accident where he severely cut his ring finger and pinkie. Hoylman told us it happened several weeks ago when he was up at the state Legislature and was gripping a glass water pitcher. It slipped from his hand, and he went to catch it, but missed, and it violently shattered. He underwent two-and-a-half hours of delicate emergency surgery to repair severed tendons, arteries and nerves in his fingers. He’s still healing, which is why there’s a protective covering on his left hand, which is luckily not his dominant one. His daughter, Silvia, has thoughtfully decorated his hand guard with “Frozen” and “Sleeping Beauty” stickers. “She’s in her princess phase,” Hoylman explained, adding, “She says she wants a dad with two hands.” As if the whole ordeal wasn’t enough, Hoylman also “lost” his wedding ring — which had been on his slashed ring finger — while under anesthesia at Albany Medical Center. Oh well…thankfully, they saved his fingers. Rings can always be replaced.
Farmhouse alarm: Villagers are up in arms over news that the historic little 1800s farmhouse, at the corner of Greenwich and Charles Sts., has been put up for sale for $20 million as a “development site.” A real estate listing for the quirky building, which is owned by Suri Bieler, was posted by ERG Property Advisors, and has sparked widespread panic. The Daily News reported on Tuesday that a developer could use the 5,000-square-foot site to build “a three-story luxury mansion or even a slimline condo tower,” which could be worth $30 million. However, the site is in the Greenwich Village Historic District — so, as the News said, “the design could not get too crazy…as the city would have to sign off on any plan.” The farmhouse actually was up on E. 71st St. until 1967, when, to avoid demolition by the Archdiocese for senior housing, it was moved down to the Village. Andrew Berman, director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said, “They don’t have a permit. They haven’t even applied for a permit,” adding that the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission would likely not consider this site a “blank slate,” contrary to the realtor’s claims. Should the building be sold to a developer, though, Berman assured that G.V.S.H.P. “will be mobilizing very, very strongly” against any effort to demolish it and develop the site.
“Know when to hold ’em…”:After recently losing the election for Community Board 3 chairperson to Gigi Li, Chad Marlow was off to Vegas for still more excitement, where he tried his hand in the World Series of Poker. “I was out of the event in about three-and-a-half hours,” he told us afterward. “I started strong but lost to some very unlucky cards. I then entered a poker tournament at the Mirage Hotel and won! I guess the saying is true: If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again!” Hmm, could that also mean another run for C.B. 3 chairperson is in the offing? By the way, a former C.B. 3 chairperson we know was also a gambler, and even named one of his East Village establishments after a legendary Old West card sharp. Any guesses…Doc?
Heide, heide, whoa! His article about the swinging ’60s Village scene in our recent Gay Pride special section (“The way we were: Lenny’s Hideaway to Stonewall”) is earning Robert Heide rave reviews. Heide tells us he’s received a number of congratulatory e-mails and calls, including from no less than Terrence McNally, John Guare, Edward Albee and the Actors Studio, to name just a few. Heide also distributed our June 26 issue containing his article at the St. Luke’s Church in the Field Evensong and Supper on Gay Pride Sunday. Hallelujah to that!
They’ll BNB back: Tenant super-activist Michael McKee confirmed that there was, indeed, no “negotiated bill” at the end of the legislative session to loosen illegal-hotel regulations, and make things easier for Airbnb to, well, take over every single last apartment in New York City. “We dodged a bullet. But they will not give up,” he warned of the “home-sharing” juggernaut.
Wealth of health info: For those wanting to learn more about the Lenox Hill HealthPlex, at 12th St. and Seventh Ave., and the changing face of healthcare today, key personnel from the new facility will speak at a Community Board 2 joint committee meeting on Tues., July 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the L.G.B.T. Community Center, at 208 W. 13th St.
Volatile situation: Tenants at 105 and 107 E. 10th St. are fuming. All 40 of them haven’t had gas since July 3, when, due to reportedly illegal construction across the street, workers hit a gas line.
