Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Williamsburg Loses One of its Own
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
This afternoon I received some disheartening news which I feel compelled to pass along. Gina Risica, one of the brains behind Red Gate Garden is not longer with us. The details are scant but apparently she has not been feeling well recently and for this reason had been seeking medical attention. She was found by her significant other New Year’s Eve. No cause of death is known at this time.
I did not know Gina well, but I am very grateful for the love she lavished on Red Gate Garden. I am not the only one either. Miss Mousey Brown opines:
…She has been the mother to Red gate for 10 years. It was her baby and it brought her great comfort and beauty in life that was certainly not all sunshine and roses.
She and I got along so well because of our shared leeriness of humanity, and we shared a bond over the little plants.
Beautifully put. May you rest in piece, Gina. You will be missed.
UPDATE, January 3, 2010: You can see some of Gina/Jeanne’s art work (painting was another passion of hers) by clicking here.
Miss Heather
Photo Credits: Miss Mousey Brown
LAST GASP: From The New York Shitty Inbox
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Bloglodytes, Culture War, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
(Or: A Case of Mistaken Identity)
A few thoughts:
- For someone who wants his/her park “back” stating he/she is a new resident to Williamsburg is rather audacious. If for no other reason because McCarren Park is technically in Greenpoint. That’s right: 11222.
- I am neither the head mistress of Red Gate Garden nor a hair dresser. However, my hair dresser— whom this person seems to have confused me with— is both!
- Not being a hair dresser is probably one of the worst career decisions I have ever made.
- But given the “tone” of this person’s missive it would appear that a mere hair dresser (and long time resident of Greenburg/Williamspoint) should not have a say about what is going on in her proverbial “backyard”. And that a garden that has been in existence for over 10 years should be removed because a new Williamsburg resident wants his/her “park” back.
- Nonetheless, I have brought “Iwantmyparkback’s” missive to the head mistress of Red Gate Garden’s (AKA: my hairdresser— the woman mistaken for being Miss Heather.) attention.
Here’s her response:
Greetings Miss Heather,
Although it was disheartening to read the email that you forwarded to me sent to NewYorkShitty about Red Gate Garden; thank you for letting me read it. I am flattered that someone might think that I am you. I think that you contribute a valuable point of view to so much of north Brooklyn, and beyond. Whether it be candid photography or frank opines on local stuff; you say it as you see it.
I, personally, don’t feel that I need to agree or disagree with your opinions. If I didn’t want to see it I wouldn’t look at it. I appreciate that you have brought something to my attention that might concern, interest, or enlighten me.
I would like to respond personally to the sender of the email, and I did email via that address. I don’t think that it will ever make it to them, since I don’t think it is a “real” address. “I want my park back” as an email address from a new resident along McCarren Park is confounding. Back from whom or what? From McCarren 10 years ago? 5? The email address and content implies that this individual wants their park back from what they perceive as a misuse of public space, and that the garden is an eyesore and trash dump. I can only defend that with photographs that show that it is not an eyesore or a trash dump.
That the garden is somehow exclusive or selective in its ability or willingness to engage a greater number of volunteers is erroneous. That Red Gate needs more volunteers is a fact. Red Gate (aka Nick’s Garden) has actively promoted and tried to solicit more volunteers. No one that has shown interest in helping has ever been discouraged or excluded. That there is only a small group that are active in the garden is a fact. That 2% of the people that come by or email and then follow through with getting involved, is also a fact. Instead of taking shame in that, we actually commend each other for hanging in there, and working hard to contribute to something as wonderful and beautiful as a community garden. An oasis in the middle of what has been our only big open public space to do so, for so many years.
Aesthetically the garden could use some improvements. The fence is ugly to many regardless of what is inside the gate. I could only hope that more people would want to get involved in helping to sustain and elevate the garden to its full potential, instead of ridiculing it. It belongs to all of us. Anyone that wants to partake in all the joy, back-breaking labor, planning, purveying, and tender care that is needed to sustain it is so very welcome to come and join us.
Lastly, I wanted to add that I am also one of those annoying tax paying citizens. I work hard. I pay my taxes. I have provided two service industry establishments to Williamsburg over the past 14 years that have paid revenue taxes on a multiple of millions in sales. I feel the pain that most of us do. I am involved in my neighborhood, and try to help better it wherever I can. I do not write a blog. I am not Miss Heather. If you have some constructive ways to improve things or wish to be a volunteer in the community garden, please contact us at Red Gate Garden via twitter. Since your email makes reference to my business at a hair salon, and some of my past contributions to NewYorkShitty’s photo posts are attributed to Miss Mousey Brown’s photo stream; I wanted to clear up any confusion.
Meredith Chesney
If there is a lesson to be learned here it is this: before you send a nasty missive to someone from a bogus email address (which I am tracing, by the way) at the very least do enough fact-checking to ensure your insults are (somewhat) salient/relevant. Nice try, troll. Or as Nelson put it best.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Keeping Cool
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
This scene hails from Red Gate (AKA: Nick’s) Garden* and comes courtesy of Miss Mousey Brown.
Miss Heather
*On a related note it would appear this community garden has been scrubbed from the latest OasisNYC map.
2001-2005
2010
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Defend Greenthumb Gardens!
Filed under: 10002, 10003, 10009, 10012, 11101, 11104, 11201, 11205, 11206, 11211, 11215, 11216, 11217, 11221, 11222, 11231, 11237, 11372
This item comes from a fellow flower lover in north Brooklyn. She writes:
The agreement between the City of NY and the NY State Attorney General that has been protecting community gardens for the past 8 years is set to expire in September.
The City of NY recently published Proposed Rules for community gardens under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development.
The AG’s agreement referred to itself as a “protocol for preservation and development of GreenThumb gardens” — some community gardens were given up for development, some were “subject to development” and 198 community gardens were “offered to the Parks Department or land trusts for preservation as community gardens or open space.”
The word “preservation” appears nowhere in the proposed rules. In a nutshell, the rules essentially make new NYC community gardens not owned by land trusts or Parks subject to development after a review process.
This is a sea change for community gardeners. Though the city has said they do not intend to develop community garden sites, this is little consolation for gardeners who fear the protections that allowed their community gardens to thrive for the past 8 years are being stripped away.
Green Guerillas has been supporting the untiring efforts of the NYC Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC) as they have negotiated with the city, mobilized community gardeners, and made a strong case for why community gardens can and should be preserved.
Green Guerillas also mailed out 550 copies of the rules to community garden groups across the city and co-sponsored with NYCCGC an information session to help community gardeners understand the issues so they can mobilize support in their neighborhoods.
We could make an emotional appeal for why you should voice your support for preserving community gardens, but we would not do a better job than the New York Times – read their editorial HERE.
What can you do?
…Attend the upcoming public hearing: The city will be holding a public hearing on August 10th at 11 AM at the Chelsea Recreation Center at 430 W. 25th Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues) – closest trains are the C, E at 23rd Street or A at 34th Street. (To testify, you must notify Associate Counsel, Ms. Laura LaVelle at the Arsenal via telephone at (212) 360-1335 or e-mail at laura.lavelle@parks.nyc.gov by August 9, 2010.)
View and comment on the rules on the City of NY website HERE.
If you prefer to put pen (or ink cartridge) to paper, submit comments to General Counsel, Mr. Alessandro G. Olivieri, Department of Parks and Recreation, The Arsenal, Central Park, 830 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10065.
Call 311 and tell them you would like to comment on the Proposed Park Rules as published in The City Record.
As arduous and boring as this legalese is you should read it. Especially this passage:
Given tour Parks Person (and “Open Space Advocate”) has seemingly seen fit to obstruct Nick’s Garden/Red Gate Garden’s Greenthumb paperwork it makes one wonder who she’s serving. Is it the people using said parks? I think not.
The dead tree that graces the beginning of this post is a testament to her folly. It was one of the many trees planted by the Boy Scouts of America last April at her behest and due to neglect (no watering) and poor placement (being pissed on by humans and canines) died. They since have been removed. I suppose our “Parks Person” finds “carpet-bagging” concerts and fund-raisers more compelling? I can’t blame her. She has no public administration or horticultural knowledge at all. She formerly hails from Wall Street. It”s all about the money.
Which is, I can assure you, what this revision of the Greenthumb rules is about. Cashing in.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Harvest
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Six years after being planted the cherry tree at Red Gate Garden is bearing fruit! The above photograph documenting this most auspicious event comes courtesy of Miss Mousey Brown.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Hanging On The Telephone
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Vomit, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Lest the sporadic postage of late has not been an indication, yours truly has been sick. REALLY SICK. First it was a cold. Then it was lingering congestion in my nose. This affliction lasted until I ate some enchiladas from San Loco in Williamsburg. Those bad boys made yours truly vomit with such gale force it made Hurricane Katrina look (or at least feel) quaint.
This came to pass not just once, but TWICE. After the second time the Mister asked me what I thought about the new bathmat/rug arrangement he had created in the bathroom. He prides himself on being handy that way. Believe it or not, I did notice his handiwork (and for the record it is quite nice: white flowers on a pretty carnation pink background), it’s kind of hard not to when you are hunched over a toilet holding onto a towel rack for dear life. A white knuckle ride through a sunshine smile.
I assured the Mister that I thought his creation was quite nice (and thanked him) I shuffled off to bed. I slept for four hours. When I later awakened I noticed something quite remarkable: my congestion was GONE! Apparently rancid, half-digested enchiladas expelled from my proboscis were able to do what Tylenol PM and a lot of bed rest couldn’t: allow me to breathe in an unobstructed manner. If the National Institute of Health didn’t have more pressing matters to attend to I would strongly recommend they look into this.
But I digress.
If there is a lesson to be learned here it is this: there’s an upshot to almost anything— or at least it can always be worse. Which brings me to the following from the Williamsburg Greenpoint News + Arts, a paper I would like to mention that yours truly usually enjoys reading. In addition, Genia Gould is a very nice lady. In other words, I do not relish what I am about to write— but I am going to write it anyway.
I do not know if any of you, dear readers, have read this tome— but you should. Not because this piece is particularly informative (for the most part it isn’t— although the Friends of Barge Park, AKA: Greenpoint Playground and Dupont Street Playground, were interested to learn their park is being “under-utilized”— but I’ll go into that later). Rather, it is a textbook example of the kind of “puff piece” which invariably seems to follow the Parks Department— especially in North Brooklyn— getting negative press. And negative press they did indeed receive.
What happened at the Red Gate (AKA: Nick’s) Garden* is nothing short of a fiasco. I would even go so far as to say that under ordinary circumstances someone would get fired for this level malfeasance/incompetence/arrogance. But this is no ordinary situation: we are talking about the Parks Department. ANYHOO…
As you probably imagine this article was the source of some discussion on the (unofficial) CB1 Yahoo Group. Yours truly even said her piece:
Speaking as someone who lives pretty close to the Greenpoint/Dupont Street Playground I can personally attest that I have never seen Ms. Thayer there. I have, however, seen a fair number of families with children patronizing it. Perhaps by “under-utilized” she means not garnering her sufficient column space in the local papers or catering to the newer, more affluent influx which is obviously her bread and butter?
Let’s face facts: this park has been waiting for bathrooms, a basic human necessity, for years. I do not see this changing in the foreseeable future either. Toilets do not net hagiographic articles in the WGNA or make for nice photo opportunities (they should). Concerts, artists’ performances and the like do.
What’s more, what does event planning have to do with improving our community’s parks?
Anyone one with an iota of common sense would know that before you throw concerts, open skate parks and all that fun stuff you get down to basics. e.g.; repairing/upgrading the existing infrastructure and performing basic maintenance. This is something she seemingly does not grasp or simply does not care about. When you (for example) have events at McCarren Park or open a skate park (and in so doing increase its usership) you will have more people using its lavatories (which are deplorable), garbage cans, etc. What we have in place currently is inadequate. Why else would I find urine-filled bottles every time I walk by this “public” space? This is not only disgusting, it is easily preventable. Yet nothing is being done? Why?
I also feel compelled to point out that a great many of the concerts Ms. Thayer is so proud of organizing draw patrons who reside outside of north Brooklyn. While this is not in and of itself a bad thing, the fact of the matter is a number of these people do not have the sense of attachment/commitment to the community (or basic common courtesy) a resident does. They drink, they break, they leave. We, the residents, are the ones who are left to cope with the noise, trash, vomitus, etc. This not only makes one feel like he or she is a mere bystander/stranger in his or her own community (one which has been seemingly rendered into a tourist attraction), but it begs the question as to whom our parks belong? If the incident at Red Gate is any indication, the answer would be “not us”.
Laura writes: Is that payback for disagreeing with your eviction of the Red Gate Garden?
Yes, it is. Did you know that Ms Thayer was kind enough to insinuate herself into the process of getting Nick’s/the Red Gate Garden’s paperwork up-to-date? This was initially promised to be an easy process process per the initial point person at Green Thumb. Not anymore. Now we have to bargain with the very person who tried to shut down this LEGITIMATE community garden in order to keep it. This is ridiculous.
Lastly, suggesting in any way that Ms. Thayer is an expert on Newtown Creek is an insult to the many dedicated people who have made cleaning up this body water their mission for DECADES.
I have read this WGNA tome. I have reread twice over. I felt compelled to do so because quite frankly I could not believe what I was reading. This is not an article. No attempt has been made whatsoever at a fair and balanced recitation of the facts. It is propaganda and the sad fact is someone will read this and believe it. This is most assuredly why it was published.
This article, just like the concerts, ribbon cuttings and so forth are window dressing. The conditions at our parks in the meantime have not improved. If anything their increased “utilization” have placed a greater burden on their already tenuous infrastructure. No amount column space is going to change this.
We need to get back to basics. While concerts and the like are nice, they should not receive attention at the expense of the very basic and in some cases urgent maintenance concerns our parks have. If this is something Ms. Thayer is unable and/or unwilling to acknowledge then we need to get a new Parks person. One who will spend less time mugging for the camera and more time fixing our community’s parks. It really is that simple.
Not surprisingly, I have yet to receive a rebuttal. I doubt I will: what I have stated is true. In other words, there is nothing to rebut. However, I would like to make it known that two people thanked me for writing this tome. Another Parks Department/OSA dissident who aired his/her views on this public forum was not so lucky. He/she received a phone call at 7:00 a.m. this morning from our parks poobah herself. Anonymous writes:
Seven am phone call from stephanie t(hayer— Ed Note). Feel free to post that she apparently has free time to harass citizens for expressing their opinion in an open forum! (W/o my name)…
Ms. Thayer is quoted in the above-mentioned WGNA piece as saying:
…As a resident of the community I push that much harder to green North Brooklyn for my friends and neighbors.
I for one would like to take a moment to applaud Ms. Thayer’s dedication to her “friends and neighbors”. It takes an incredibly committed individual to call someone at 7:00 a.m. on a Monday morning— or in the wee hours of the night (READ: 12:30 – 1:00 a.m.). Yes, Ms. Thayer has done just this on at least one occasion. Probably more.
If any of you, dear readers, have been reached out and touched by our Parks person/OSA Executive Director off-hours and/or have any other interesting interactions with this individual I would very much like to hear from you. Please post your anecdotes/tips via comments or send them via email to:
missheather (at) thatgreenpointblog (dot) com
All emails/tips will remain anonymous unless you indicate otherwise. Don’t let Ms. Thayer (or her backers) intimidate you: SPEAK UP!
In closing, I regret to inform everyone that my anonymous tipster did not answer the phone this fateful morning: Ms. Thayer’s missive went to voice mail and was summarily deleted. I can only imagine what was so important so as to motivate Ms. Thayer to call this person, who she presumed to be her friend and neighbor, at such an ungodly hour. Had the shoe been placed on the other proverbial foot, I doubt Ms. Thayer would have been as charitable. In some circles phone calls in the wee hours of the morning (save in the case of emergencies, e.g.: someone dying or going to the hospital) are considered to be harassment.
Miss Heather
*For those of you who are wondering, the much-talked about trees the Boy Scouts of America planted are not faring very well. They appear to be dying due to lack of proper watering and being inundated with dog urine. In addition, the Parks Department’s removal of the fence at Red Gate managed to kill a number of plants in said garden. You can see a handful of pictures by clicking here.
Photo Credits: Trashy Phone image comes courtesy of kiminnyc
Quicklink: More Ado About Nick’s Garden
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Remember the brouhaha about the Red Gate (AKA: Nick’s) Garden’s fence being torn down April 24th so as to provide access to the Boy Scouts? Well, here is the next chapter. New York Shitty analysis:
- The “reasoning” employed by our parks person is downright Orwellian. Methinks the appropriate term is “doublespeak”.
- A New York City parks employee (one who is reputedly very eager to generate more income by expanding the existing tennis courts at McCarren Park at the expense of kickball courts and basketball hoops, I’ll add) tossing around the word “privatization” is akin to the proverbial pot calling the kettle black.
- One party insists she sent emails and made phone calls. The other is claiming nothing of the sort happened. Someone is not telling the truth.
Read it and weep. Pay attention to the comments. They’re rather illuminating.
Miss Heather
P.S.: Here’s the “leaked” email. And my rebuttal.
BREAKING: A McCarren Park Land Grab?
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Culture War, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
I have received no less than two emails about this in ten minutes. M writes:
Stephanie Thayer’s “crew” is taking down the fence around what she refers to as the renegade garden on the corner of Bayard and Lorimer this second. It has been there for over 10 years. It is beautiful. This is not right. Is there ANYTHING that you can think of for us to do?
Here’s another item Katherine Naplatarski was thoughtful enough to forward to me:
hey all,
just at the park. if anyone’s around today, sat., go talk to folks at red something-or-other garden in mcC at corner of bayard and lorimer- gina, walid. they should be there most of the day. steph ordered their fence taken down today by parks and for the boy scouts to plant in garden.
they have been there for 12 years and are really upset and angry.
that’s the short of it. they would appreciate help and the word spread.
I’m not against the Boy Scouts having a garden. But this is ridiculous— and begs a lot of questions:
- How did this get approved?
- Why weren’t the people behind this park notified?
- Why did the Parks Department elect to remove this fence on a Saturday?
- Why did the Parks Department elect to remove this fence when they knew a great many people— community activists foremost among them— would be attending the Visitor’s Center Opening at the Newtown Creek Waste Treatment Facility?
All in all, I think this stinks. BIG TIME. If you agree please call the peeps behind this garden: Gina at (646) 266-9526 or Walid at (212) 464-8096 and voice your support.
Thanks!
Miss Heather
UPDATE, April 25, 2010: I have been told the boy scouts were planting in this area for one day (as opposed to permanently). While I certainly do not object to this it still does not answer the question as to how this came pass without anyone seemingly knowing about it. I did and do find this very troubling.
UPDATE, April 26, 2010; 11:30 p.m.: Here is an email from Miss Mousey Brown (who shot the above photographs) which was sent to David Rivel, the Director of the City Parks Organization, various Parks Department Officials, and many, many more:
My point of view on The Red Gate Garden is fairly clear. If you refer to my flickr set of photos and description of what happened this past weekend one can see that I do have a bias towards the situation; and my reaction was of a regular neighbor, friend, and infrequent contributer to the garden. I have given them plants. They have given me plants. I allow them to come and wash up, or use the bathroom facilities at my business on the corner. I pick a few weeds, and ask plenty of questions about plants.
My business, Mousey Brown Salon ( est. in 1997 on Bedford Avenue), moved to the corner of Bayard and Lorimer st.
6 years ago, come June. I see everything that happens on that corner from about 9 am until as late as 11p, seven days a week. I know that the NYDS street sweeping truck, actually cleaned Lorimer’s gutter for the first time in a year last week.
I have seen the NYPD herd middle school children that want to hang out, and be teenagers being teenagers (some, but not all, of them extremely troublesome/dangerous); swiftly off the block, or onto city buses. It’s not the school’s job to worry about a kid from the school setting the tail light of one of my clients new car on fire. The fist fights are not anyone’s job to breakup. I am known to offer first aid or call 911, but that is about it. The Skateboard Park folks, that I am so happy to see having fun and getting exercise, have twice referred to me as the Band Aid Lady. Clearly, I have a bias to this corner of McCarren Park. It is from one that cares about it. I care about it’s safety. I care about it’s beauty, cleanliness, and usage.If, I had a dime for every public urination, a dollar for every noxious charcoal barbecuing (not legal btw), a nickel for every time I let a stranger use our bathroom (including all the concerts when the gates didn’t open until 7, and concert goers started showing up at 3)… well, I could have enough cash to pitch in to help preserve Red Gate Garden from the parks department.
There seems to be some concern that the garden is exclusionary. The wind fence that is in place to protect all the small closely planted flowers, vines, bushes, and trees from careless foot traffic. Even the Green Dome garden in the center of McCarren Park, which is absolutely viable as an award winning community garden within a city park, is locked at times. Why? Because there are three types of people. People that are careful and respect all things. People that make careless mistakes and have had a lapse in their sense of respecting their surroundings. And the people that do not care about any consequence to anything. It is why we have doors, and gates, and locks.That a few people have taken it upon themselves to sustain, cultivate, and protect a very small slice of a public park should be commended. If you have felt not welcome to engage in the garden, then I am sorry that you have felt excluded. That has been in no way the intent of it’s caretakers. In the 12 years that Gina and Walid have been the “gatekeepers” to the garden, not but a handful of us have shown interest in partaking in it. Sometimes a note complimenting the flowers, offering help is left on the fence. None has returned any call back to them to accept their offer to help. I am so angry of any suggestion that this is in any way a private garden. That is so far from the reality. Honestly, if you really know McCarren Park, how long do you think that the little plants coming up would survive, if there were no fence around it ?
If I were smart, I would leave it alone right there. I suppose I am not, because I want to know why the hell a person from the parks department thinks it’s okay to rip down the fence without notice. The same person that had a comm comm with their other employer, the tuesday before to discuss all the new ideas for McCarren Park. It is a dirty, illogical, and inconsiderate way to meet one’s needs. If, I had ever heard at a cb1 meeting, from an OSA (or any other civic group) comm comm , or even through the grapevine, that the garden was an “issue” then this wouldn’t be happening. It is.
My last incoming email on the topic from a reporter, suggested that according to his source with admin in McCarren Park, is that this is all just a misunderstanding on behalf of Parks Dept and the garden.
I’ll say it is. How awkward. The upside is that is an opportunity for the community to express their feelings about it. Involved parties are fully aware that changes are on the horizon. I am thinking there will be lots more tenders to this small public oasis, and an appreciation of what it represents.
Oh yeah, it would appear this park was protected by a written agreement with the state and the city (NOTE: hit “control +” or “Apple +” to magnify). Whoops.
H
Photo Credits: Miss Mousey Brown. You can see her full demolition set by clicking here.
Spotted On Nassau Avenue: Graffiti…
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, NYPD, Stuff The Makes Heather Sad
The things one finds when walking around this community. I went to the McGolrick Farmers Market to buy ingredient for calabacitas. When walking home I saw this. Once again let us reference what constitutes graffiti:
S 145.60 Making graffiti. 1. For purposes of this section, the term "graffiti" shall mean the etching, painting, covering, drawing upon or otherwise placing of a mark upon public or private property with intent to damage such property. 2. No person shall make graffiti of any type on any building, public or private, or any other property real or personal owned by any person, firm or corporation or any public agency or instrumentality, without the express permission of the owner or operator of said property.
I think it is safe to say we have hate speech here too, but I will let the authorities make that call. To this end I have created this handy map.
On it I have indicated the location as 144 Nassau Avenue. I did so because while technically on the premises of 146, specifically the burglar gate, the graffiti in question is located directly by the front door of 144.
To Protect & Serve
Also, his wife cannot speak for herself.
The nail which sticks out gets hammered down. — Japanese Proverb
He’s a hammer.
I define misogyny as social systems or environments where women face hostility and hatred because they’re women in a man’s world — a historical patriarchy.
I think most misogynistic behavior is about hostility towards women who violate patriarchal norms and expectations, who aren’t serving male interests in the ways they’re expected to. So there’s this sense that women are doing something wrong: that they’re morally objectionable or have a bad attitude or they’re abrasive or shrill or too pushy. But women only appear that way because we expect them to be otherwise, to be passive.
— Kate Manne, “What We Get Wrong About Misogyny”, VOX.com
S 145.60 Making graffiti.
- For purposes of this section, the term “graffiti” shall mean the etching, painting, covering, drawing upon or otherwise placing of a mark upon public or private property with intent to damage such property.
- No person shall make graffiti of any type on any building, public or private, or any other property real or personal owned by any person, firm or corporation or any public agency or instrumentality, without the express permission of the owner or operator of said property.
Making graffiti is a class A misdemeanor. — ypd.com
These are interesting times we live in.
We have a self-admitted pussy grabber as Commander in Chief of this country. Donald Trump garnered votes as a consequence of this admission. His glib, degrading remarks about women were not seen as an abomination. Quite to the contrary: they were “plus” as far as his electorate is concerned.
On a hyper-local level, we have had a Commanding Officer, Pete Rose, who not only felt compelled to differentiate stranger rapes from those committed by persons known to the victims as “abomination rapes”* but voiced lack of concern over an uptick sexual assaults in the precinct under his command. I am sure if victims of date rape were consulted, they would vehemently disagree with Mr Rose’s analysis. If anything, the betrayal of trust from a person considered to be a friend, or even an acquaintance, is even more horrifying. The word “abominable”, as Rose used it, is applicable. Just as I am sure any woman unfortunate enough to be one of the statistics he casually shrugged off would agree with me when I write that any sexual assault is one too many.
In any case a demonstration came to pass, Mr. Rose apologized, and he was later promoted. Whatever came of the woman’s case is anyone’s guess. As is often the case in such situations, the person who the narrative should be about, the victim, was sidelined. This was not an accident.
This is how it works.
The 94th has a new commanding officer now. Some view this as significant, positive change. I for one do not. It is simply a different face on the same problematic entity. In the last 2 – 3 weeks I have referred no less than two women to our elected officials due to inability/unwillingness of the 94th Precinct to ensure the safety of women and take crimes against their persons seriously. These crimes include:
1. enforcing an order of protection and
2. acting in a timely, proactive fashion when a woman has been assaulted.
The above-mentioned fellow, who has been served an order of protection, has violated this order repeatedly. No less than three days in a row, the most recent being Saturday, August 17th. The police were called. They showed up. He was not arrested Saturday night. I know this because had he been arrested, he would have been jailed at the 94th Precinct— which is where I was until 5:00 am Sunday morning.
Interested now, gentle readers? I bet you are!
In the first half of this post I have given a few examples of how the police, the 94th in particular, take a rather glib if annoyed attitude about serving women who are victims of crime. As the “logic” of misogyny goes, this makes sense. Women are not to ask for things, much less be a pain in the ass, even if the matter at hand is their own safety. This is viewed as being nuisance. She doth protest too much.
Conversely, exactly what happens if a woman behaves in a manner upholders of patriarchy— and the police most certainly are that— find undesirable? Having a “bad attitude”, being “abrasive” or “pushy” as Ms. Manne put it? I have experienced this firsthand and let me tell you, it is wretchedly comical. Wretched because what underlies it is just that. Comical because, well, because advertisements for sex toys are at the center of this, my, story.
Which brings me back to the images gracing the beginning of this post. Let’s look at a few of these again, shall we?
This is the construction fence located at the northeastern corner of Manhattan Avenue and Huron Street. On it we have a handwritten advertisement for a stoop sale and paste-up advertisements for sex toys. Now let’s reference, again, the NYS legal definition of graffiti:
- For purposes of this section, the term “graffiti” shall mean the etching, painting, covering, drawing upon or otherwise placing of a mark upon public or private property with intent to damage such property.
- No person shall make graffiti of any type on any building, public or private, or any other property real or personal owned by any person, firm or corporation or any public agency or instrumentality, without the express permission of the owner or operator of said property.
Both the stoop sale advertisement and sex toy ads were placed on the construction fence. It is reasonable to assume neither of the parties responsible asked the owner of said fence for permission to do this. The first definitely qualifies as being graffiti. It should be noted, I attended this stoop sale. I did not see the police take up the matter of their act of graffiti— which they could have done quite easily because they listed their address.
The sex toy advertisements get a little murkier. They could qualify as graffiti. Personally, I think the DSNY’s “Posting and Graffiti” code** is more applicable (Can you tell I have lodged a lot of 311 complaints? I have!):
It is illegal for any person to paste, post, paint, print, nail, or attach or affix by any means whatsoever any handbill, poster, notice, sign, advertisement, sticker, or other printed material upon any curb, gutter, flagstone, tree, lamppost, awning post, telegraph pole, telephone pole, public utility pole, public garbage bin, bus shelter, bridge, elevated train structure, highway fence, barrel, box, parking meter, mailbox, traffic control device, traffic stanchion, traffic sign (including pole), tree box, tree pit protection device, bench, traffic barrier, city-owned grassy area adjacent to a street, hydrant, or other similar public item on any street. There is a rebuttable presumption that the person whose name, telephone number, or other identifying information appears on any handbill, poster, notice, sign, advertisement, sticker, or other printed material on any item or structure is in violation. Every handbill, poster, notice, sign, advertisement, sticker, or other printed material shall be deemed a separate violation. Anyone found to have violated this provision, in addition to any penalty imposed, shall also be responsible for the cost of the removal of the unauthorized postings.
Fine: $75–$200 (1st Offense); $150–$300 (2nd and Subsequent Offenses)
So the question becomes exactly what happens when something is written on something which should not, legally, be there in the first place? Something that is a response to and placed upon that illegal item? A snarky, feminist response to femvertising/capitalism at that? One which suggests that maybe David’s wife is, of her own agency, getting sexual gratification elsewhere (e.g.; the mailman)? Or that another woman, “Nikki’s”, claim that she has never wanted to masturbate so much until “Dame” came into her life is bullshit? Now add the alleged critic/author of this commentary is a woman. Me.
Answer: the police don’t like that and they will throw you in jail for it.
Arguably, to make their case, the fine fellows at the 94th are going to have to contact “Dame” and ask if this is their property. If they want to make the case for “graffiti”, this is what they have to do. If so, and presuming “Dame” says “yes”, that would tantamount to them (Dame) admitting they sanctioned placing an advert on this fence illegally (READ: without the permission of the owner of said fence).
Is vandalizing what constitutes vandalism a crime? If so, is it worth enforcing? That’s what’s at play here. These are also questions folks who get frustrated by slow response times and apathy from the police should field to the 94th and their elected officials.
I think it is safe to say the more pressing issue, for Officer Chen, his comrades and what they uphold, is attitude policing. Putting an intransigent woman in her place. (It didn’t work, in case you have not noticed.)
After I was taken to the 94th my husband promptly called Ron Kuby. Ron Kuby called the 94th twice. No one would speak to him. But trust me, word definitely got around the “office”. I could see this quite clearly from the fish tank I was placed in. They were talking and they were looking.
Given the timeline I was provided (later, obviously), it is quite clear my treatment changed tremendously because Kuby made those calls. An officer came in and told me he’d be processing my “paperwork” to get out as quickly as possible. He would check in on me to make sure I was “comfortable”. “Comfortable” In a jail. For an alleged crime which is, from a legal standpoint, highly dubious at best. He also joked that he wanted me to give Kuby his info lest he ever “got in trouble”. Later the same-said officer asked if I wanted softer toilet paper when I asked to use the bathroom. (I refused it, lest anyone is curious.)
All in all, I was at the 94th from 10:00 pm Saturday morning until 5:00 am Sunday morning. Around 4:00 I got a companion in the manner of a rather intoxicated, but highly affable, fellow. He was brought in because— after being ejected from a bar by a bouncer for vaping and calling the police himself— he lost his temper and hit the bar’s window, cracking it. He simply wanted his backpack. This was still inside with his paycheck in it. The bouncer wouldn’t let him get it— interestingly/amusingly, he got it back when he was arrested.
He was quite vocal and, to the police, I am guessing, uncooperative. He refused to take off his shoelaces and roll down the cuffs of his pants. My presence probably prevented his ass from getting beat. They’re not gonna do that in front of white lady, after all. If that was my “purpose” for being there, so be it. I am good with that. Also, he turned out to be a really nice, if incredibly depressed, guy.
After the officers left I pointed to the writing on the wall— literal writing on the wall, made with a marker— stating no one is allowed shoelaces and belts.
So you can’t Epstein yourself .
I explained to him. He laughed and after that we had a long and enjoyable chat. He stated he was an avowed Communist. (I’d say he’s more an Anarcho Syndicalist, for what it is worth.)
I told him I am feminist and in that capacity, knowing damned well I was being recorded, outlined the sordid history this precinct has in regards to treating women (including what I have written here). He found it disgusting— because it is. I hope whoever was watching/listening in enjoyed my TED talk too.
When the officer brought in my paperwork and read it aloud, that I was being charged with “graffiti”, my new friend roared with laughter. Among other things he shouted:
I hope you wrote Fuck Trump!
I told my new friend it was a pleasure to meet him, that I hoped he’d get his situation sorted out and we’d see each other around in the neighborhood. He returned the niceties. They were sincere too.
When I collected my stuff at the front desk I was amused to see my bag was folded in a manner so as to conceal its “graphic”. This:
I highlighted the “urine stream” with glass beads because I am crafty that way.
After exiting precinct I said, loudly, “What a fucking joke”. Because this was (and is) a fucking joke. I walked home, called my husband and checked my messages. That’s when I learned the “resolution” of the matter regarding the fellow with the order of protection. You see, as I was conversing with Officer Chen and his comrade, a neighbor of the woman whose Order of Protection was being violated called the police (as is her right). She was messaging me when all of this went down. And she messaged me after my phone was taken by the police. Sadly— but not surprisingly— it played out in a predictable fashion:
NOTE: the fellow in question is banned from the entirety of Greenpoint. For nine years, I believe. He has violated this order repeatedly. The woman’s husband has called this stuff in. More than once. The police didn’t seem to have a problem with it either. I will leave you to interpret what that means. But I digress.
After I got home I noticed the woman whose order of protection this is was curious as to what happened. Did he get taken into custody? She voiced this on an online forum. I told her exactly what was told to me (above). Answer: no.
I also checked my photos on my phone. That’s when I noticed the photos I had taken of the officers I interacted with had been deleted. I took photos because I wanted to have their faces/names. I gave the phone to my spouse. He found them in the “trash” and restored them. My attorney has been apprised of this. He is taking up the matter with the CO of the 94th Precinct.
It is worth noting when I proofed the letter my attorney is drafting to the CO I noticed he had misspelled the arresting officer’s name. I sent him a blow up of the guy’s badge. From the photo he/the 94th deleted from my phone. My attorney was very amused by this. Still, it tells you why they delete this stuff, yes? Had the name on that letter been misspelled, most likely the police would simply blow it off.
I cannot honestly say I had any “teachable moments” from this interaction with the 94th. No revelations here, gentle readers. I got into this because I am a woman with an attitude who needed “correcting”. The police are, above anything else, cudgels to enforce patriarchy.
And with patriarchy comes white supremacy. I avoided being sent “downtown” because I am a white woman who is connected. Nonetheless, I am still just a woman and as such I learned the sanctity of advertising— even of the illegal persuasion— is more important than my presumptive right to “talk back”. It’s also more important than enforcing orders of protection and the like, it would seem. We’re along for the ride, ladies.
All police enforcement is selective enforcement. The police cannot pursue each and every crime allegedly committed here. They do not have the resources to do so. More importantly, they do not have the desire to do so. So they pick and choose according to their own caprice. That’s why I went to jail. It is also why the fellow violating the order of protection did not. I will leave to you, gentle readers, to deduce out why.
Postscript:
I chose to dust off the blog and write about my experience. I have simplified the timeline and events in the interest of brevity. I was offered to be connected to the New York Post (!) regarding my story (with the sex toy adverts) by my attorney, Ron Kuby. It’s certainly funny. The thing is my story is simply part of a much bigger and more important phenomenon. This being what women here experience in their dealings with the police. And those stories ain’t funny.
If any feminist reporters/activists/writers want to provide those women a platform/ear I would be very happy to connect you. Also, as I hope I have made clear, my (relatively) privileged status prevented me from experiencing the nastier aspects of police “enforcement”. Most folks are not so lucky. I realize this isn’t much, but, if any of you want to talk I am all ears. I’m here to listen. Only cooperation is going to end this shit. We’re in this together. Seriously.
Lastly,
If the police are thinking this post as an admission of guilt on my part, the answer is No sir. We’ll be seeing each other in court! And I know the police do watch what is posted on the Internet.
For this reason I have taken the liberty of turning off the comments for this post. I am in no way obligated lend an ear to those who wish to abuse me. More importantly, perhaps, I am sparing the NYPD/94th Precinct (further) embarrassment. You see, no less than 12 years ago I got detained (courtesy of the Patriot Act) for taking photos of Santas. Yes, fucking Santa Claus. I blogged about it. And some brain genius using a computer with an IP address attached to the NYPD registered to comment so as to post antagonistic comments. You can’t make this shit up. Cheers!
*This actually made it into the excellent book written by Kate Manne, “The Logic Of Misogyny”. Page 198, via footnote.
**Also applicable is the concept of “abandoned property”. Abandoned property belongs to no one and everyone. The 94th loves to use “abandoned property” as a justification to remove bicycles affixed to street signs and such. This is really funny given the fact they are attached to said fixtures with locks suggests they belong to someone.
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