Stephen Rex Brown Four fire trucks were on the scene.

It was a busy morning for firefighters in the East Village.

After an earlier incident involving shaken-up students on a school bus, four fire trucks responded to a defective oil burner inside of a building near 14th Street and First Avenue, according to a Fire Department spokesman.

The trucks were on the scene for about 15 minutes, beginning at around 9:30 a.m. Fortunately, firefighters didn’t face a long drive back to the station house: the garage for Engine Company 5 was directly across the street. —Stephen Rex Brown

Michael Natale

Vivienne Gucwa

Good morning, East Village.

We begin this morning with a reminder that tonight at 6, residents will gather for a vigil for 35 Cooper Square. The photo above depicts workmen demolishing the building earlier this week; the photo at right was taken earlier this year. EV Grieve has more photos of what’s left of the historic building.

Yesterday, the Rent Guidelines Board voted on a series of proposals affecting rent increases. The board backed plans that could increase rent for some tenants by as much as 6.75 percent. The Indypendent has the tally, but overall, rent hikes are on the horizon.

And there’s another event concerning possible development tonight: Community Board 3 will meet to discuss the fate of the Essex Street Market.

And in other neighborhood news, Bowery Boogie shined a light on one woman’s mission to catalogue the city’s neon signs before they become replaced by more energy efficient versions. For Kirsten Hively — who concludes her letters to fans of her project by signing “neonistically yours” — this characteristic brand of advertising is worthy of it’s own digital museum. She’s currently raising funds to create a free iPhone app that provides pictures and locations of the city’s glowing ads.

And finally, Off the Grid has some street scenes from yesteryear. Take a tour of the neighborhood via some music videos from the 1980’s.

Twelve people sustained minor injuries this morning when a school bus struck a speed bump on 12th Street near Third Avenue jostling the passengers, the authorities said. None of the injuries appeared to be serious and no one was transported to the hospital, the authorities said. The Local has reporters on the scene and will provide more information as it becomes available.—Kenan Christiansen

The police have released these images of a suspect in a purse-snatching at an apartment building on FDR Drive earlier this month.

This morning, we told you that investigators are looking for the suspect in a purse-snatching at 819 FDR Drive.

Here are more photographs of the suspect that were released by the authorities.

The police said that the suspect is in his early 30’s and was last seen May 15 leaving the apartment building where the mugging occurred. —The Local

Michael Natale

Good morning, East Village.

The jury in the rape trial involving two East Village police officers has asked to review the plaintiff’s testimony about four visits that prosecutors said the officers made to her apartment on the night of the incident. DNAinfo reports that since May 18, the jury has requested several pieces of evidence to assist in their deliberations, including transcripts from a tape-recorded phone call and a special meeting arranged by the district attorney’s office.

East Village police are on the lookout for a man accused of mugging a 60-year-old home health aide worker earlier this month in her apartment building on FDR Drive. The authorities told The Local’s Stephen Rex Brown that this man followed the woman into the elevator and wrestled the purse off her neck. DNAinfo is on the story, too.

And finally, Ray’s Candy Store can’t stay out of the lens.  EV Grieve reports that the film crew of “How to Make it in America” used the Avenue A storefront as a backdrop for filming yesterday. Didn’t know it was one of Bryan Greenberg’s favorite places.

Stephen Rex Brown Damaso Vigo takes a defiant puff.

As you probably heard, smoking is now banned in city parks and beaches. The Local stopped by Tompkins Square Park to see if East Village smokers were following the letter of the law.

The first thing we saw upon entering the park at St. Marks Place? That’s right, a smoking scofflaw.

“You can’t even smoke in the park? Then where you going to smoke?” said Damaso Vigo, in between puffs of a Tiparillo Mild cigar. “It’s a stupid thing.”

The new law was hailed by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as an important measure to protect locals’ lungs.

“The science is clear: prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke, whether you’re indoors or out, hurts your health,” the mayor said in a statement. “Today, we’re doing something about it.”

But even some non-smokers in Tompkins Square Park were uneasy with the nix on nicotine in parks.
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Stephen Rex Brown Ray Alvarez, the owner of Ray’s Candy Store.

This morning, we told you that Ray’s Candy Store is open for business again after the Avenue A mainstay failed a health inspection last week and was forced to close for five days.

The Local paid a visit to Ray’s this morning and spoke with the owner and namesake, Ray Alvarez, who described how he and some friends worked late into the night to clean the shop so that it could eventually pass muster.

“I only slept three hours a night,” said Mr. Alvarez, who’s 78. “We swept, mopped, and patched over 200 holes. I had two exterminators come last week.”

Health inspectors first visited Mr. Alvarez’s eatery between Seventh Street and St. Marks Place last Monday, and cited the shop for contaminated food, evidence of mice in food preparation areas, and improper storage areas.

The inspector told Mr. Alvarez to close his business, but — concerned about the financial ramifications of closing —he remained open and was slapped with a $2,000 fine on a return visit the same day.

“Too many fines,” Mr. Alvarez said. “The inspectors ran out of paper, and my pen ran out of ink from signing my name so much.”
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Stephen Rex Brown.

The Local is pleased to welcome Stephen Rex Brown, who today begins work as the blog’s senior correspondent.

Mr. Brown recently worked as the editor of the hyperlocal news site, Fort Greene Patch. In 2010, he worked for The Brooklyn Paper and won “Reporter of the Year” from the Suburban Newspapers of America.

He taught journalism in Monterey, Calif. to high school students for National Geographic Student Expeditions. As a graduate of NYU Journalism’s Global and Joint Program Studies, he holds a joint master of arts degree in Journalism and Latin American Studies. His work has appeared in The Brooklyn Eagle and The Times and he has held an internship with The Daily Beast.

In addition to reporting for The Local, Mr. Brown will also serve on the faculty of NYU Journalism.

“We’re delighted to have Stephen on board,” said Richard G. Jones, editor of The Local. “He’s a dynamic young talent with a solid grounding in hyperlocal journalism and an appreciation of the innumerable storytelling opportunities in the East Village. Our readers will benefit from his reporting in the field and our students will benefit from his work in the classroom.”

Follow Mr. Brown on Twitter: @LEVStephen.

Heather Holland

Good morning, East Village.

So the rapture didn’t happen.  On Saturday, the only thing to descend on the East Village was a massive flock of dancers.  Out of the ordinary, perhaps, and measurably more welcome than pestilence and stinking sores, but still, it was not what Harold Camping had envisioned when he spoke of the Earth’s assured destruction on May 21, 2011. Some people are now wondering where the old radio minister is?  Chief among them, Robert Fitzpatrick, the man who plunked down $140,000 — his life savings — to finance the doomsday ad campaign.  But most are simply turning their attention elsewhere.  Even the Mars Bar has a new sign!

The allergy season is flaring up and blurring the lines between pets and their owners. According to The Post, one in five pets may be suffering from some form of allergy, and with the pollen season in full swing, some East Village pups are now taking human antihistamines for the doggie form of hay fever.

As for the human-caused air irritants, EV Grieve is up on the latest extension of smoking bans to city parks. Starting today, if you light up in Tompkins Square Park you might have to cough up $50.

The Daily News has a special multimedia report today that was prepared by the students of NYU Journalism. The report finds that residents of East Village and Lower East Side public housing developments are complaining about the damaging effects of mold and other hazards found inside their apartments. According to the report, out of 106,000 orders for repair, only 9,000 have been scheduled for 2012.

And good news for Ray’s Candy Store, which finally reopened last Friday. Last week, the owner, 78-year-old Ray Alvarez, had been fighting to pass a series of follow-up inspections, after racking up 53 points in health code violations that had earned his shop a forced closure sign on Monday. Neither More Nor Less captured Mr. Alvarez doing one last bit of cleaning before reopening to the public.

Phillip Kalantzis Cope

If you see the phrase “East Village” after a byline at The Local, it means that the article is the work of one of our community contributors. These are people who live or work in the neighborhood, or have strong ties to it, and are willing to report on local news, talk about their interests and passions, or just inform and entertain us about aspects of East Village life. The Local is always looking for writers to join the party. Most of the articles we publish are around 500 to 600 words, but we are also on the lookout for brief, focused telegrams from the street.

You don’t need to be a professional journalist. We’ll provide help in getting your copy into shape if you need it. Interested? For more details, e-mail Kim Davis, The Local’s associate editor (kimdavis@thelocaleastvillage.com). Add your voice to the choir.

Vivienne Gucwa

Good morning, East Village.

It’s official: with the demolition order on file, we can finally say that it’s the beginning of the end for Mars Bar. Its destruction has been long anticipated, and it’s unclear exactly how many days the iconic dive bar has left before it becomes part of the permanent foundation for 12-story apartment complex. Ultimately though, the end may turn out to be more of a hiatus. As DNAinfo notes, after two years Mars Bar will get the chance to reopen in the same place at quadruple the square footage.

The EV Grieve just sent out invitations for the funeral of 35 Cooper Square, scheduled May 25. The event will no doubt serve as a bit of closure for preservationists after the long fight to save the historic building ended in defeat.

And finally, The Times recently had a rummage through the eclectic collection of trinkets, odds and ends, and bric-a-brac at Archangel Antiques. The Ninth Street shop carries a stock of over 1 million buttons dating back to the 1860’s and proves that at least half the fun of collecting antiques is the type of people that you meet.

Gloria Chung

Good morning, East Village.

Around 3 p.m. yesterday, in the midst of the downpour a cyclist was struck by a white van while moving between Broadway and East Houston. The accident, also involving a truck, resulted in three injuries, none of which the authorities believed were life-threatening. The police secured the scene until emergency responders could arrive. The injured were transferred to local hospitals.

New rules by the Parks Department will limit the number of art vendors in Union Square, along with three other city parks. A temporary restraining order to block the rules was lifted last Tuesday by a Manhattan appellate court. According to DNAinfo, the number of art vendors in the Union Square will be reduced to 18. Enforcement starts on Monday.

And there’s more news about Ray’s. According to Neither More Nor Less, health inspectors revisited Ray’s Candy Store yesterday and, despite all his efforts to clean up, the inspectors were still able to locate mouse droppings. Earlier in the day, the store’s owner, Ray Alvarez, went to court to address his fines for the citations he had been issued over the last couple of days. EV Grieve posted a listing of area bars and restaurants that received flawless inspections from the Department of Health — something for Ray to aspire to. Yesterday he was hoping to open his doors. Looks like we’ll all have to be a bit more patient.

Tim Schreier

Good morning, East Village.

The third round of closing arguments in the East Village rape trial brought the character accusations full-circle.  According to DNAinfo’s ongoing reports, Assistant District Attorney Coleen Balbert accused defendants Kenneth Moreno, 43, and Franklin Mata, 29, of acting more like sexual predators than officers of the law, labeling the pair two of “New York City’s worst.”  As evidence, the prosecution cited that on the night of the incident the defendants lied to their supervisors about the number of trips they made to the plaintiff’s apartment, placed a phony 911 call to in order to have more time with her, and later falsified patrol logs to cover their tracks.  With closing arguments over, the jury will deliberate.

In other news, the now defunct SuperDive’s reputation for booze-fueled after hours seems to have stood in the way of plans to resurrect the space as an art-concept restaurant.  DNAinfo reports that the Community Board 3 liquor license committee voted 5 to 1 against a proposal to revamp the building, with one member suggesting they had taken a lesson from the former occupant: “It would be lunacy” to allow another establishment on that premises to serve alcohol until 4a.m..

EV Grieve posted a “frictional” account of one resident’s encounter with his post-midnight nemesis.  It’s a tale of interrupted sleep, turned late-night vigilantism in: man vs. party bus.

And finally, in late-breaking celebrity news, James Franco was spotted among the latest batch of NYU graduates on Monday.  Gothamist admits to being slightly confused this had not happened already.  But considering all the schools Mr. Franco has attended, is attending, or plans to teach at in the future, a little confusion is understandable.

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. 

Michelle Rick

Good morning East Village,

Last week, lawyers began making their closing arguments in the case against two East Village police officers on trial for rape, burglary, and official misconduct. The Times reported that on Friday Kenneth Moreno’s lawyer called on the jury to acquit his client, citing a lack of physical evidence. Closing arguments are set to resume today in the Manhattan Supreme Court.

Also, a search for missing 14-year-old Queens resident, Chetsea Williams, has spread to the East Village. Yesterday, the EV Grieve spotted these flyers, posted in Tompkins Square Park. The girl’s mother told The Local this morning that her daughter has not been seen since going to school on Friday and that local authorities are involved in the search. If you have any information, please contact the numbers listed on the flyer.

In happier news, changes on the restaurant scene mean much is afoot for local flavor.  Last week, Ssam Bar reopened the space at its adjunct, previously Momofuku Milk Bar, and posted a fresh menu, headlining their new duck-featured lunches.  Japanese burgers have immigrated to Second Street.  And while the Acme Bar & Grill fell into the hands of new owners, Luke’s Lobsters threw in with the food truck trend, christening their new portable food counter the “Nauti.”

Violet the red-tailed hawk feeding her hatchling this morning. Click the image above to view live pictures from the Hawk Cam.

On Thursday, we told you about a plan by animal rescue workers to capture and treat Violet, the red-tailed hawk nesting high above Washington Square Park, whose leg is badly swollen by a metal wildlife band. After several hours of deliberations, workers decided against a rescue attempt — Violet is doing well enough, they said, and the risks of intervening, for both Violet and her recently hatched baby hawk, were too great. Visit The City Room blog of The Times for more updates.—The Local

Tim Schreier

Good morning, East Village.

And welcome to the weekend. It might shape up to be a rainy and cloudy one, but it’s here. Brave the weather and wander a bit south for the second weekend of the Hester Street Fair. Bowery Boogie has a list of the vendors and a take on the saga of one pickle-seller’s return.

If you didn’t catch it last night the neighborhood seemed rather supportive of the city Landmarks Preservation Commission’s plans to create historic districts in the East Village. There were a few reservations, but lots of thumbs-ups from preservationist groups and longtime Village residents.

And for an artsy (and studied) take on the cultural obsession with preservation, you can wander over to the New Museum for a new exhibit on how we build and maintain and remember. If you make it over, Gothamist has some helpful tips for how to behave. Don’t point!

Happy Friday.

Grace Maalouf Kate Daly, executive director of New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, speaks earlier tonight at an informational meeting about two new proposed historic districts in the East Village.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission presented its plans tonight for creating a historic district in the neighborhood and heard from several community groups who voiced their support for the measure and also suggested extending the districts.

The presentation, which occurred during an informational meeting at the BRC Senior Services Center hosted by Community Board 3, is one of the first in a series of steps that would mean property owners in the designated areas would need commission approval before making changes to their buildings.

Kate Daly, executive director of the commission, said she has been meeting and will continue to meet with individual property owners whose buildings will fall into the designated districts, and stressed that Thursday’s meeting was merely to “get the word out to the larger community.”

She added that the commission is “very eager to move forward” in the designation process, and that the two historic districts proposed are just the beginning for the Lower East Side.
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Michael NataleThe roof of 35 Cooper Square as it was being dismantled by workers Wednesday afternoon.

Good morning, East Village.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and like the rest of our neighbors, we’ve still got our binoculars focused on 35 Cooper Square, where the roof is starting to come down. We’ll keep an eye out for more changes, as usual. We’ll also be covering tonight’s Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing, so stay tuned to see how more changes in the area might play with building owners and preservationists.

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, the rescue of a red-tailed hawk nesting on the 12th floor of an NYU building is scheduled for today. Wildlife experts who have been monitoring the bird, Violet, may try to treat her swollen leg and release her into the wild.

Over at EV Grieve, there’s a roundup of restaurant news, plus a few more changes on the menu for the neighborhood’s eateries: new delis, new names, new faces up for hire. Here at the Local, we pointed out that today is the last day of pizza parlor Enzo’s. Head out for a slice to say your goodbyes, and enjoy the weather before the rain hits this weekend. Happy Thursday.