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Rerouting the LIRR

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TimesLedger Newspapers

Out with the old and in with the new.

Patrick Nowakowski resigned from his role as Long Island Rail Road president last week after transit advocates, MTA board members and commuters called on MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota for a shake-up at the beleaguered rail line.

Nowakowski had been the LIRR president for four years, during which many of his decisions were questioned and a state report claimed commuter service had sunk to its lowest performance rate in nearly two decades.

With up to 9.2 million riders frequently inconvenienced, the regional economy sustained about a $75 million loss in productivity throughout the year in 2017 with an on-time performance of 91.4 percent, which had not been seen since 1999, according to the March report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office.

Although 2017 saw the worst performance in 18 years, January 2018 was the worst month for the LIRR in 22 years. Blizzards and exceedingly cold temperatures shrank the already suffering on-time performance down to 83.9 percent. Nowakowski’s LIRR also had a reputation of failing to communicate with the riders when it came to delays and cancellations.

It wasn’t all bad, though, and could’ve been worse. The transit agency, under Nowakowski’s guidance was well-prepared for the feared Summer of Hell last year. He also made a move to improve the transit situation at Belmont, where there had been dangerous crowding and hours of delays near the racetrack. But it ultimately wasn’t enough to stay the course or save his job.

Now it’s up to new LIRR President Phillip Eng to turn things around at the nation’s largest commuter railroad. And it’s not going to be easy.

In addition to fighting the ongoing battle of late trains and cancellations, Eng will also be responsible for ensuring the completion of several construction projects and major repairs, including the East Side Access project to link the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal.

Queens lawmakers have also been pushing for the implementation of a Freedom Ticket plan, which would potentially reduce the cost and time burdens faced by southeast Queens transit users who commute to Manhattan.

Eng has been with the MTA since March 2017, when he was appointed the chief operating officer and was responsible for leading major initiatives across all of the MTA’s agencies. He has an extensive transit background dating back to 1983 when he started his career at the state Department of Transportation.

It seems he has the experience to make a difference. Time will tell if he’s up to the task, but one thing is clear: He must do a better job than his predecessor. The LIRR’s performance is trending downward and it’s up to Eng to buck the trend.

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Source: Times Ledger

ICE agents arrest 40 in Queens as part of six-day operation

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal teams arrested nearly 200 people in New York City — including 40 in Queens — during a six-day sweep the agency called “Operation Keep Safe.”

A 56-year-old Haitian national was picked up in East Elmhurst, having been convicted on charges of second-degree manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and possession of a weapon, according to ICE, and a 57-year-old Jamaican man was arrested in Jamaica who had been convicted on charges of first-degree sexual abuse, but was on a conditional discharge when ICE agents arrested him.

On Tuesday, ICE announced that the sweeps were carried out on the streets of Queens and the rest of the city because “efforts by local NYC politicians have shielded removable criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and created another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect.”

ICE went on to explain that in years past, most of these individuals would have been turned over to ICE by local authorities upon their release from jail based on ICE detainers but those are no longer honored in sanctuary cities, including New York City.

“ICE continues to face significant obstacles with policies created by local officials which hinder cooperation between ICE and law enforcement. Yet, with the tireless efforts of the men and women of ICE, this operation was a great success,” New York Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations Thomas R. Decker said. “The fact is that a so-called ‘sanctuary city’ does not only provide refuge to those who are here against immigration law, but also provides protections for criminal aliens who prey on the people in their own communities by committing crimes at all levels. ICE is committed to enforcing the immigration laws set forth by Congress with integrity, despite the push-back and rhetoric within the city they serve.”

City Hall dismissed ICE’s premise, insisting that public safety and security is not being sacrificed and New York City has reached record-low levels of crime and has the highest number of immigrant residents in the last century. When Mayor Bill de Blasio came to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona in November, 2014, to sign laws that dramatically reduced the city’s cooperation with ICE deportations, he explained it was federal immigration crackdowns, especially mass deportations, that undermined public safety.

“Our city is not served when New Yorkers with strong ties in the community are afraid to engage in law enforcement because they fear deportation,” de Blasio said.

The city does voluntarily cooperate with requests from federal immigration enforcement when provided with proper documentation and an individual has been convicted of a serious or violent felony within the last five years, or is on the terrorist watch list.”

Rosemary Boeglin, spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, said, “New York City will work with federal partners in the interest of public safety, but not to be an arm of immigration enforcement.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

Meenakshi Srinivasan resigns as head of Landmarks Preservation Commission, agency confirms

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Meenakshi Srinivasan, the head of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, will be resigning following recent city-wide backlash over a proposed rule change within the agency to remove public input from decisions regarding approval of work on designated property, the LPC confirmed Thursday afternoon.

The LPC has yet to officially announce her resignation, but said it is preparing a statement.

Community boards, advocacy groups and Council Speaker Corey Johnson joined the effort to pressure the LPC to reverse its course on a rule change that went along with others designed to “increase transparency.”

Community Board 11 voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to oppose new rules at its April meeting, joining others such as the Municipal Art Society, Historic District Council, The City Club, the New York Landmarks Conservancy and others.

Johnson issued a letter to Srinivasan praising their efforts to bring changes to comply with other potential needs, such as barrier-free access, energy codes, and resiliency mandates, but asking the city agency to back down from the this particular rule change.

“The participation of the public adds value to our civic processes and, in the case of LPC, ensures that the commission’s determinations are based upon the best possible information,” Johnson said in the letter. “Contrary to the stated goals of the Statement of Basis and Purpose, the Proposed Rules will not increase transparency, but rather will reduce it. Under the Proposed Rules, there is no provision for any kind of public review of these delegated determinations.”

Srinivasan was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014 and oversees the city organization, which protects 36,000 architecturally, historically, and culturally important sites.

This is a breaking story and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

‘Wicked Frozen’ pokes fun at theater classics

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By Merle Exit

TimesLedger Newspapers

Have you ever heard of a mash-up? It’s when a producer puts the vocals to a popular song on top of the beat and melody of another.

“Wicked Frozen” is kind of like that.

That’s the title of what Write Act Repertory Producing Artistic Director John Lant describes as “the untold parody musical of some magic ice witch princesses and other stuff like that.” In other words, it’s a satire dedicated to the Broadway shows “Wicked” and “Frozen.”

“Wicked Frozen” follows a character known as Adele Dazeem (John Travolta might be familiar with her) and her teacher Kristen Chenobell (a portmanteau of “Frozen” and “Wicked” stars Kristen Bell and Kristen Chenoweth), who become trapped in a Boston classroom during an unexpected blizzard as Adele sets off on a journey through a magical land known as Scandinorfindelle.

Directed and choreographed by Zoe Farmingdale, the cast of 11 features Kathleen Armenti, Lily Davis, Allison Frasca, Wills Jacobs, Tyler Joseph, Vanessa Magula, Jake McKenna, Chris Evan Simpson, Natalie Sullivan, Bethany Nicole Taylor, and Meagan Wells. Two of the actors have taken up residency in Queens.

Sullivan, originally from Omaha, Neb., has lived in Astoria for the past five and a half years.

“Whenever I visited New York, prior to moving here, I would stay with one of my best friends who lived in Queens. Once I stepped off the N train for the first time, I knew I had found my home,” she said. “When I finally made the move to New York, I didn’t look at any other borough. Queens just felt right. In addition to all of the wonderful family-owned businesses and restaurants, Astoria has a real community feeling that I’ve not found anywhere else in the city.”

Sullivan, who has been with the show since February, portrays featured ensemble characters including a zany student named Hildegard Von Schwargenstarm and is “also a swing for some of the other female roles”

Sullivan is a New York based singer, actor, and improviser. Prior to moving to New York, she worked as a touring actor/director with the Missoula Children’s Theatre. Her most recent New York credits include many humorous takes on recent pop culture, including “Star Wars: The Farce Awakens,” “Unauthorized! The Musical’s The Hungry Hungry Games,” “A Bad Dream on Elm Avenue,” and “Ghostblasters.”

She’s also a seasoned musical improviser and sketch comedian.

“In addition to ‘Wicked Frozen,’ I currently perform every Tuesday night at the Magnet Theater with musical improv house team Pyros,” Sullivan said.

Wells is another new Astorian who originally hails from Madison, Wis., where she graduated with a degree in musical theatre. She’s been living in “the same cute little house for the entire five years I’ve lived in New York” and considers the move to be “really lucky.”

“One of my friends from college who had recently moved to New York was moving out of her place in Astoria to go live with her boyfriend,” Wells said. “She gave me a tour of the place via Skype and I fell in love with it right away. A few weeks later, I packed up everything I could fit in a car with my dad, who moved me across the country.”

Wells plays the part of Miss Chenobell, who she describes as “a young actress-turned-earth science teacher at a Boston elementary school who is so pumped to hold her first after-school drama club… but then only one student shows up: Adele Dazeem, who begins to share with me the play she has “written” and the story begins.”

The show is a long-term labor of love for Wells.

“I’m lucky to say I’ve been cast in every version of ‘Wicked Frozen’ since its very first incarnation at the 2014 West Village Musical Theatre Festival, where I played Glindanna. It’s been an incredible journey,” Wells said.

Wicked Frozen is currently playing 7:30 p.m. on Sunday evenings at St. Luke’s Theatre — located at 308 W. 46 St. — through July 22.

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Source: Times Ledger

Bayside Little League kicks off new baseball season

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

The Bayside Little League parade drew families out to the sidewalks of Bell Boulevard Saturday to kick off the new season with elected officials and businesses sponsoring teams from around northeast Queens.

City Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) was looking forward to the season coaching the St. Andrew Avelino team, which was set to play its first game later that day. His son plays for the team.

“You know spring is here when you’re doing the Bayside Little League parade up Bell Boulevard,” Vallone said, explaining how his office takes part in sponsoring teams and securing permits for the event. “Probably the most important thing is we got $2 million for brand new fields at the Crocheron Fields, so we’re pushing for Parks to get that into Design and Construction.”

Little Leaguers began their march at 11 a.m. from 43rd Avenue, where officers from the 111th Precinct ceremoniously set aside wooden barriers blocking traffic onto Bell. Led by a marching band, along with Vallone and state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside), children accompanied by parents made their way to 35th Avenue where they continued east to Crocheron Park. U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) was also in attendance.

“It is always fun to march in the Bayside Little League Parade,” Braunstein said. “As a former player myself, I remember the anticipation of starting a new season. I want to thank Bob Reid, the 111th Precinct, and all of the volunteers who work to keep this tradition going.”

Players carried banners bearing their sponsors, prominent businesses in the community and one for state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside).

Reid, the commissioner of Bayside Little League, was eager to speak about the boys who joined the parade to play their first game of the season and the crowd turnout.

“I’m very excited about this year, we have a lot of young Little Leaguers,” Reid said as he voiced concern that children were not getting involved in sports like generations past. “A lot of kids just don’t come out to play sports. Lots of kids stay in the house and play video games. Throughout youth baseball the numbers of players have been dropping over a number of years. We need parents to push them out there to play sports.”

Reid has enthusiastically been a part of the Bayside charter for over 30 years, first getting involved in 1986 before becoming commissioner in 1991.

Bayside Little League has been in the community since 1953 and has 27 teams.

Reid will be honored with the New York State Liberty Medal in July, a recommendation that came from Avella.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

Flight from LaGuardia Airport turns deadly due to blown engine

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

A Southwest Airlines flight from LaGuardia Airport to Dallas turned deadly Tuesday when a blown jet engine shattered a window that left a woman hanging halfway outside a twin-engine Boeing 737.

Jennifer Riordan, 43, a mother of two from Albuquerque, N.M., was pulled back into the aircraft by fellow passengers but she succumbed to her injuries as Southwest Flight 1380 was forced to make an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport. Seven of the flight’s 149 passengers were injured during the chain of events that was set off by “metal fatigue” in the jet’s engine, according to federal investigators.

“It’s very unusual and so we’re taking this event extremely seriously,” National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said. “This should not happen, and we want to find out why it happened.”

A preliminary investigation showed a fan blade broke off and a ring designed to keep it inside the engine failed. The investigation was expected to take 12 to 15 months. Riordan, a bank executive with Wells Fargo, became the first person to die from an in-flight accident on a U.S. airliner since 2009, when 49 people on board and a person on the ground were killed when a Continental Express plane crashed outside of Buffalo, N.Y.

The pilot of the Southwest plane, Tammie Jo Shults, 56, is being hailed as a hero for safely landing the stricken jet. In addition to being one of the first female fighter jet pilots in the U.S. military, Shults was the first woman to fly an F/A-18 Hornet for the Navy.

Meanwhile, the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced Wednesday that it is banning doors-off tourism helicopter flights from operating out of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport after five passenger died aboard a chopper that crashed into the East River near Astoria in March.

The passengers were trapped inside the submerged helicopter because of the heavy duty harnesses they were wearing for safety as they took photos. Only the pilot, who was not wearing a harness, escaped with minor injuries.

“It is our hope that by officially banning doors-off helicopter flights out of New York City, we will help improve air safety within the five boroughs,” NYCEDC President James Patchett said. “We are thankful for the leadership and advocacy of the City Council on this important issue.”

The ban came ahead of a City Council hearing on a bill that would require the NYCEDC to regulate helicopter flights to reduce noise, improve air quality and ensure public safety.

“By calling for today’s hearing of the Committee on Economic Development, we were hopeful that immediate positive safety changes would occur for helicopter aviation in the city,” City Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside), the chairman of the NYC Economic Development Committee, said. “This agreement is very welcomed news and takes a huge step in the right direction.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

Bayside’s 111th Precinct celebrates official launch of neighborhood policing

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Residents within the 111th Precinct will now be able to text or email an officer assigned to their area after the full launch of the much-awaited Neighborhood Policing Program.

The initiative, which has seen success in other parts of the city, boosts the northeast Queens precinct’s staff by 11 officers assigned to four different sectors of the command to forge a better bond with the communities they take care of.

NYPD Assistant Chief Rodney Harrison and leaders from the 111th introduced the program and its officers to members of the community with a catered event at Queensborough Community College last week.

“We’ve had Neighborhood Policing since 2015,” Harrison said. “We have it in 63 precincts throughout the city, and murders are down 13 percent, shooting incidents are down 20 percent, crimes as a whole are down 5 percent. Ladies and gentleman, it is working.”

Officers in the program will have no set schedule, working on days that see the most demand for their assistance, Harrison told attendees at the meeting.

Neighborhood Coordination Officer Sgt. Joseph Saviano will be supervising the program and said the offices of the 111th have already undergone a series of changes to make the program more interoperable with other divisions that work within the precinct, including Community Affairs.

“When I first got promoted in 2011, I went to the Community Affairs guys and said ‘I wish there was a Community Affairs sergeant,’ because Community Affairs are always go-to guys,” Saviano said. “They know everybody in the community, they know what’s going on and they’re always there to go over and help out.”

Saviano said in the two weeks since the soft roll-out of the program, two NCOs were able to respond to an assault and arrested multiple individuals.

Many of the officers in the Neighborhood Policing Program were already with the 111th and were chosen by the precinct’s new commanding officer, Capt. John Hall, who helped develop the program during a stint at 1 Police Plaza.

“Anybody who’s watched the crime statistics knows that year after year crime is at historic lows and that next year you can push it down even further,” state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) said, turning his attention to Hall. “We also appreciate that you’re not just resting on your laurels, but continuing to innovate and coming up with new programs and trying to make things even safer.”

NCOs go through a special two-week criminal investigation course, followed by other specialized information-gathering and community outreach courses as well as a mediation course.

“This is a safe community… But we know as a community that the police can always be closer and we know that things can always be made better,” City Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens) said.

Harrison said the program was started as a means of mending fences with communities after negative policies such as “stop and frisk” as well as controversial incidents where deadly force had been employed had fractured the relationship between residents and peace officers.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

Oakland Gardens man charged with possession of illegal firearms: DA

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

An Oakland Gardens man shocked the city after he was charged with possession of a massive collection of over 65 illegal firearms, consisting primarily of assault rifles, and up to 50,000 rounds of ammunition, which he admitted to police his intent to sell, according to the criminal complaint.

On Sunday, NYPD officers from the 81st Precinct, who first developed information on the suspected cache, executed a search warrant on the home of Ronald Drabman, 60, who lives at 58-08 208th St. and later found even more illegal ammunition in his truck, the complaint said.

Drabman was not licensed to own guns and was not a licensed dealer, Brown said, after Drabman was charged with over 100 counts of criminal possession of a weapon, criminal sale of a firearm and criminal possession of stolen property.

“The defendant is accused of using his home as a warehouse for illegal firearms — along with tens of thousands of rounds of live ammunition,” Brown said. “This stockpile of weapons poses a great risk to the residents of Queens. It is extremely disturbing to find such an arsenal of firearms in a residential community. The defendant now faces a lengthy term of incarceration for this obsession with weapons.”

Brown said Drabman faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Among the weapons were variations of the AR-15 assault rifle; AK-47s; semi-automatic M1 Garands, which were carried by American troops in World War II; high-velocity handguns such as .357 and .44 magnums; and shotguns of different varieties, according to the criminal complaint.

There were also submachine guns in the mix with a .45 caliber Thompson, or “Tommy Gun,” as well as an Israeli-made Uzi.

One weapon was recovered with a round in the chamber, the complaint said.

Another one of the weapons recovered was a homemade firearm known as a zip gun.

“I thank the Police Department for its swift response to a seriously dangerous situation,” City Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens) said. “Queens residents are surely safer following the seizure of this large and potentially deadly cache of weapons.”

When cops executed a second warrant on the 1989 Ford pickup owned by Drabman, 40,000 rounds were found in different containers.

“I was trying to move it, I was trying to sell the ammunition,” Drabman told police, according to the criminal complaint.

NYPD Chief of Intelligence Thomas Galati claimed at a Monday news conference that the gun bust was unlike any uncovered in the department’s history, according to reports.

“This is one person that possessed all of these weapons, and like I said, an unprecedented amount of ammunition,” Galati said. “If you look at some of these weapons, there are high-power assault rifles, large magazines for them, plus a lot of handguns as well.”

On top of all this, the serial number on one of the .38 caliber revolvers indicated the weapon was stolen, according to the complaint, and $15,805 in cash was found in a Ziploc bag in the defendant’s home.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

Veterans get housing area of their own at Rikers Island

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The city Department of Correction has opened the first housing area exclusively for military veterans at its Rikers Island prison complex, and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced city jails will house inmates according to their gender identity as a safe housing option for transgender prisoners.

The Veterans Unit will be housed at the Anna M. Kross Center and will offer those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces a series of enrichment programs tailor-made to their history of service such as work with correction officers and counselors who share military service as well as collaboration with the city’s Department of Veterans Services and other veterans groups.

The ultimate goal is to offer a comprehensive re-entry plan designed around their shared experiences of serving the United States.

“The department is proud to recognize veterans in our custody with this special unit,” Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann said. “There are individuals who served our country and deserve a housing area dedicated to their specific needs as they move forward with their lives. DOC will provide opportunities for these servicemen and make sure they receive respect and dedicated assistance.”

The occupants will consist of self-reported veterans who are interested in joining the unit. The city’s Department of Veterans Services will confirm prior military experience and once moved into the unit, participants will undergo an orientation and complete a questionnaire in order to develop a targeted programming and re-entry plan.

“Veterans share a unique bond that serves as a foundation for what can be a transformational social support network,” Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Loree Sutton, a medical doctor and retired brigadier general. “We look forward to working together on this historic endeavor.”

On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the DOC will house inmates consistent with their gender identity in a Transgender Housing Unit it will maintain with the city Commission on Human Rights. The DOC will continue to conduct individualized risk assessments of inmates when assigning safe and gender-affirming housing options to provide for the health and safety of inmates and DOC staff.

“It’s the city’s responsibility to protect the rights and safety of all New Yorkers, and that means protecting transgender individuals in the city jails as well,” de Blasio said. “New York City is one of the first major cities to commit to taking this step, and it’s crucial to ensuring all of our facilities are welcoming and safe for all New Yorkers, no matter their gender identity.”

In 2012, 40 percent of transgender prisoners were sexually abused compared to 4 percent of prisoners in general, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.

“No one should feel unsafe for being who they are,” NYC Commission on Human Rights Chair and Commissioner Carmelyn Malalis said. “Housing incarcerated individuals consistent with their gender identity is not only about dignity and respect but an important recognition of the unique challenges and vulnerabilities transgender and non-conforming individuals face in correction facilities nationwide.”

Many U.S. cities and states force transgender and gender non-conforming inmates into solitary confinement or house inmates according to their gender assigned at birth, putting them at higher risk for physical and sexual violence, according to City Hall.

“Housing detainees consistent with their gender identity acknowledges their basic humanity and is the right thing to do,” City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said. “This development marks a big step forward for human rights in our city. It is my hope that this progressive reform will serve as a model for cities across the nation who seek to make similar policy advancements. While we still have much to do in order to make our jails places of rehabilitation, I am pleased we are moving in the right direction.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

Meet the ‘Hidden Figures’ of the fashion industry

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By Lenore Skenazy

TimesLedger Newspapers

“Who are you wearing?”

That’s a question Oscar contenders answer easily — their designers are sometimes as famous as they are. But it wasn’t always so. For instance, have you heard of Kiviette, or Zelda Wynn Valdez?

Neither had I. But then I got, “The Hidden History of American Fashion: Rediscovering 20th Century Women Designers,” edited by Nancy Deihl, director of the graduate program in Costume Studies at New York University. Each chapter focuses on a now-forgotten woman who, often behind the scenes, designed the clothing that changed the way America dressed.

Take, for instance, Staten Island’s own Kiviette. In her day, she went by that one name, like Beyoncé or Madonna. Born Yeda Kiviette in 1893, her career spanned the Jazz Age, two World Wars, and the rise of Hollywood. Her genius was to toggle between designing costumes for the stage and clothes for “real life.”

Over the years, her costumes were featured in 88 productions, including “Vanity Fair,” a 1919 vaudeville review that she produced herself to get more exposure. “A Dazzling Display of Frocks, Frills, and Fascinating Femininity” by a “New Genius Designer” declared … well … Kiviette herself in the ad she took out.

It worked. In fact, over time she became such a trendsetter that society women would go to plays featuring Kiviette costumes just to see what was chic and new. Then they’d tell their dressmakers: “Copy that!”

But as Dilia Lopez-Gydosh notes in her chapter on the designer, Kiviette was always evolving. And even as she was bringing theatrical design to everyday clothes, she also started bringing everyday clothes to theatrical design. Before Kiviette came along, almost all plays were an excuse to dazzle the crowd with sequins, feathers, and frippery, no matter what the play was about. It was Kiveitte who declared that “costumes must adhere to the time, place, and character of the play.” Enough with the feathers!

Besides, there were other, newer ways to get attention. Kiviette scandalized society by outfitting the chorus girls in a comedy about a country club in shorts. Shorts! Until then, shorts were considered proper only for tennis or the beach. Kiviette made them a “look.” Be grateful!

As successful as Kiviette was downtown, Zelda Wynn Valdes was uptown in Harlem. Wynn, Deihl writes, moved easily between costume design and high fashion, too, creating gowns for A-list celebrities including Josephine Baker, Mae West, Eartha Kitt, Ruby Dee, Gladys Knight, and Aretha Franklin.

Of course, no one starts out famous. Wynn was born in 1905 and grew up in small town in Pennsylvania. Her first job was in her uncle’s tailoring shop in White Plains. By the age of 30 she had her own dress shop there, advertising in The Amsterdam News as a “Colored Designer of Fashions for Men and Women.”

So busy was she with customers from the city that in 1948 she moved her shop to Harlem — 158th and Broadway. The neighborhood was bustling and so was her business, employing nine skilled seamstresses. It was that same year that Nat King Cole was getting married — a media event so enormous, writes Deihl, that it “momentarily seemed to suspend the barrier of racial segregation.”

Wynn made the dresses for everyone in the bridal party, including seven bridesmaids in ice-blue satin gowns so spectacular that even The New York Times, which rarely wrote about anything “uptown” back then, took note. As for The Amsterdam News, it reveled in the sheer gorgeousness of the event, noting that, “It made you feel very proud indeed, because it isn’t often that the folks downtown get the opportunity to see Harlemites in a smart, social light.”

One of Wynn’s earliest celebrity clients was Ella Fitzgerald. While Ella became a loyal customer, she did not come in for fittings, so, Wynn later told a reporter, “I’d just look at the papers and say, ‘Gee, she’s gotten larger,’” and adjust accordingly.

By then, Wynn had relocated her store to West 57th Street near Carnegie Hall, and named it “Chez Zelda.” Her super-tight gowns had made her — and some of her clients — even more famous, including the singer Joyce Bryant, whose dresses were so tight she reportedly could not sit down in them. But Wynn was making news on another front, too — civil rights. She was a co-founder of the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers. “NAFAD” mentored young African-America designers, provided scholarships, and held conferences in an effort to connect with the larger American fashion industry.

At age 65, Wynn began designing for the Dance Theatre of Harlem — a job she continued for almost 30 years. One initiative of hers: Dyeing the tights to match the skin tone of each dancer, “an aesthetic departure from the standard pale pink of ballet,” writes Deihl.

Talk about making a statement with fashion. And those are just two of firebrands in this book.

Wow.

Lenore Skenazy is president of Let Grow and author of “Has the World Gone Skenazy?”

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Source: Times Ledger