Gloria Chung

Good Morning, East Village.

Closing arguments continue in the case of the two East Village officers accused of rape.  Yesterday, defense attorney for the second officer, Franklin Mata, accused of acting as a “lookout” for his partner, again made the case that no forensic evidence had been supplied that link either man to the rape and attempted to persuade the jury that the plaintiff charged the two men in order to prompt a multi-million dollar settlement from the city. The prosecution is scheduled to begin its closing arguments today.

And problems have escalated for Ray’s Candy Store.  Yesterday, after failing a health inspection, the 37-year-old Avenue A  cornerstone is once again facing possible closure. 

Despite being ordered to temporarily shut down until a follow-up inspection can be made, the 78-year-old owner, Ray Alvarez, has chosen o keep his store open.  He is caught in a catch-22: risk a fine for every day he fails to comply with the order by remaining open or close and possibly fall short on the rent, again. The embattled candy store has been struggling to stay afloat financially for more than a year now, inspiring numerous community support and fundraising efforts throughout the neighborhood.

In other news, the helmsman at EV Grieve sat down for a candid Q&A with the Village Voice’s Fork in the Road Blog to share his views on the present state of gentrification, food tourism, and liquor licensing in the neighborhood.