Mark your calendars, Greenpointers. On Wednesday, September 16th at 6 pm (Polish Slavic Center 176 Java Street) there will be a Town Hall meeting about the crime-related issues plaguing our neighborhood.
All the major players will be there, including Councilman Steve Levin, State Assemblyman Joe Lentol, Senator Martin Dilan, and three new VIP’s to the crew: The 94th precinct’s new Police Captain, Clay Street Homeless Shelter Operator & the new interim Parks administrator.
Sadly many of us know crime has been a major theme in Greenpoint over the past several months. The situation in North Greenpoint, particularly on Clay Street and the surrounding areas, have become downright dangerous. In the span of less than six months, there have been muggings, assaults, sexual harassment, blatant drug-dealing and worse.
For a refresher on the reported crimes just take a peek at these headlines since July:
The controversial BRC homeless shelter at 400 McGuiness Blvd/149 Clay Street
Yesterday morning I received an email with the words WATCH OUT in big bold letters. Sitting in my inbox, like a sack of rotting onions, was a link to a New York Post article with this headline: Sex Offenders’ relocation to Greenpoint Infuriates Residents.
I blinked a couple times and continued reading as my shock and horror mounted with each sentence.
“More than a dozen sex offenders were living in a Manhattan shelter prompted city officials to react—but all they did was move most of them to residential Greenpoint, sources said on Wednesday…The rapists, pedophiles, and other convicted sex criminals had been bunked up near schools and playgrounds at the Bellevue Men’s Shelter on East 30th Street in Kips Bay. They included serial sex offender, Rodney Stove, who was busted for a Manhattan bar rape…”
With Thanksgiving Day practically upon us, our lives are consumed with thoughts of tasty morsels like the crispy skin on that 10lb turkey, or the savoring the sweet smell of pumpkin pie gently wafting out of the oven. The day before Thanksgiving Day is one of the busiest times of the year, and whether we’re at home slaving over the stove, or stuck at the airport, almost all of us are all getting ready to celebrate and give thanks. Yet, not all of us are so fortunate. Homelessness in the city has risen to epic proportions (24,000 being children!) and there are many people who don’t have much to thank for this holiday season. One such person was a homeless man whose body was discovered in McGolrick Park two weeks ago.
This past Sunday, Rev. Amy Kienzle held a brief service of remembrance for the homeless man at Mc Golrick Park’s pavilion. While his death was preventable, it hits home because he died right in our own back yard. So tomorrow, as we sit around the table with our family and friends squabbling over the drumstick, we should remember our less fortunate neighbors and give thanks for the basics: food on our plate and the roof over our heads. As we’ve seen, some Greenpointers this Thanksgiving Day might not have it so lucky.
Isn’t it nice to sit around and stuff your face? This is every American’s God-given right on Thanksgiving! Sadly some people don’t eat anything today – including many people in Greenpoint.
So let’s keep ALL of our neighbors full and plump this Thanksgiving, too. That’s what it’s all about, right? Sharing and caring…
If you make one click on your computer today – consider making a donation in ANY amount – $5, $10 to Greenpoint Soup Kitchen, a local non-profit that feeds the hungry not just on Thanksgiving but every week of the year!
No Light No Lycra, the weekly dancing in the dark party at Lutheran Church of the Messiah (129 Russell St) is having a special group show benefit on December 14th, 2013 to benefit Common Ground, a homeless outreach program. Tickets are only $7! (in advance), $10 at the door.
100% of ticket sales will be donated!
BANDS
Luke Temple (of Here We Go Magic)
Jo Schornikow (of Phosphoresent)
Woodsman
Laura & Greg
Single Ben
Eastern Midwestern
& DJ Pumpkin Patch
Food pantries at Saint Cecilia Church, Saint Vincent DePaul Society, Mount Carmel Church and Church of the Ascension, all located in Williamsburg and Greenpoint will receive all collected items.
Last year I sat in a community meeting at Greenpoint Church on Milton St and listened to neighbors argue for and against the 10 bed homeless respite that had opened in the basement after Hurricane Sandy hit and the weather was getting down to freezing temperatures.
After the controversy it created, the church decided to shut it down and it moved to Ascension Church a few block north. But the respite did not reopen this winter season. Continue reading →
We all know how crafty Greenpointers are, well, now we have a new 1500 square foot classroom in the Pencil Factory studios that will be teaching classes beginning in October. (BB)
What’s young, bearded and likes to ride bikes in Greenpoint? Hipsters? Try Afghan Vets. (Brokelyn)
Steve Levin won by a landslide, but he may not win the hearts of Greenpointers when it comes to bringing TV show tourists to our “calm, humble” neighborhood. (Greenpoint Gazette)
Recent reports from real estate insiders now say the difference in cost of an apartment in Greenpoint versus downtown Manhattan is only $300. (NY DailyNews)
And you thought that our neighbors to the south already had enough bars, over 100 Williamsburg businesses are applying for liquor licenses this month alone. (DNA Info)
This article made possible by a donation to our Writer’s Fund by Anonymous.
Internet trends come and go and if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss out on some interesting social science that happens right before your eyes. If we had this amazing communication tool one hundred years ago, those 20 year art movements like Cubism, Futurism and Constructivism would have happened much faster. Every few weeks, I will try to break down the micro-trends and world wide fads that sometimes make surfing the net more fun than interacting with actual people.
Photo-taking trends come and go on the Internet. There was Horsemanning, Owling and eventually, the longer lived Planking, but that was last year. This year comes a whole new breed of micro-trends, often coming from the original land of absurdity, Japan, such as Dragonballing: schoolgirls have been staging fake energy sphere attacks (known as the “Kamehameha“) made popular in the manga and anime series, Dragon Ball.
Quidditching
And also a photo trend that features teens appearing to play Quidditch, a fictional sport from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter universe played on broomsticks.
Vadering
And finally, originating from this side of the Pacific: Vadering, where users appear to show an individual using Darth Vader’s signature Force Choke to raise another person off the ground.
Waspy Vodka
But speaking of Japan, some other choice nuggets to be found this week includes making wasp shouchuu, an alcohol like Vodka with fermented giant wasps. The whole process takes three years and it’s maker says that its properties create “beautiful skin, recovery from fatigue, and the prevention of ‘lifestyle disease'”. Uh huh. And have we mentioned Japan’s love for Ray Charles in animatronic form? Continue reading →
Sorry for this last minute update (I was in Florida for 2 weeks!), but tonight Thursday, 1/24 at 7pm at Greenpoint Reformed Church (136 Milton St) there will be an open forum, the first of many, to discuss the recently opened homeless respite at the church. All are welcome but I spoke to Pastor Ann and she wants to keep the meeting as constructive and positive.
So put down your pitch forks and bring you manners, people! See you there!
And if you miss it, don’t worry there will be more.
