Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Rat Invasion

Published
by
jsoderquist
on May 12, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

One of the biggest disadvantages of living in the city is the invasion of rats. You have all seen them, they are in the parks, on the streets, in the garbage and in your back yard.  Estimates of how many rats there are in the city varies, many say that New York City has one rat per person, for a total of about 8 million, other information suggest that there are 100 million rats living in New York City.  

When I first moved to the East Village, five years ago I used to see them sporadically, but very rarely outside my building. Today, the number of rats that I see outside of my building on a daily basis is close to five. Five, they are having a party every day after dark. They push garbage cans over, rip open garbage bags, in successful attempts to feed themselves and their families on leftover Chinese and chicken.

The reason could be many, I guess, but the increase of rats started when the parking lot next door was sold to developers and contractors started building a residential building. In addition, Mama Trini was told to stop looking after the garbage. Mama Trini has lived in the building since the 80’s and for as long as I have been in the building she has been making sure that residents placed their garbage and recycle in the right cans, made sure food was not spilling out from the garbage and that the area stayed relatively clean.

Sofia Douglas said” I have made several calls to 311 and reported this.”  Douglas has a dog and is worried that he could be bitten or accidentally poison by rat poison.  

Interior Design, Not important For The ER.

Published
by
jsoderquist
on May 12, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Even with your eyes closed, you could guess where you are, the smell gives it away. The smell of illness, distress and injury tells you that you’re at the Emergency Room. The ER at Beth Israel to be specific. Once you open your eyes, you see the washout colors of green, brown, grey, and beige, colors of depression and disease on floors, walls, chairs, sheets and curtains.

I absolutely a hundred percent understand and agree that the ER main focus should be on saving lives and making patients feel better for the moment and not on the interior design of their place. But don’t you think that the depressing colors are adding to the distress that the patients already are feeling? A splash of yellow or blue color could perhaps calm and make patients feel better. Maybe even let children come in paint the walls with their drawings.

Sprouting Stands

Published
by
mstmaurice
on May 12, 2008
in Forest Hills, Queens and Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Nuts 4 NutsTwo years ago, 71st Continental Ave., between Queens Boulevard and Austin Street, was busy with fast-walking shoppers and commuters who encountered no obstacles on the sidewalk other than each other. In the past year, however, commercial stands have been sprouting up and down the sidewalk, changing the atmosphere from a bustling suburb shopping area to a Manhattan-like street.

The first to come was the fruit stand, whose workers relayed so that they were open for business 24 hours a day. Soon to follow was the Gyro stand, with its mouth-watering aroma that fills the street day and night, the “Nuts 4 Nuts” cart that occasionally shows up, and the perfume table available on the sunny days. What’s amazing about some of these stands, however, is that they manage to be open at all hours of the day and night.

On a Thursday evening, around 11:30 p.m. last year, I met a student from Turkey, who was studying micro-engineering at Columbia University. He had a full scholarship, he said, but money from the fruit stand job helped him pay for rent.

A Sunday morning at 3:30, a couple of weeks ago, Cida, an Egyptian immigrant, was working at the gyro stand. When I passed by again around 8:30, he was still there. ”I do the 9 to 9 shift on Sundays,” he explained.

And everytime I walk to the train station in the wee hours of the morning, someone is sitting by the fruits, and someone is sleeping in the gyro stand. Do they rent out a piece of sidewalk from the city? Is staying there all night really profitable? It is worth a look…

Swap and Save

Published
by
vstrachan
on May 12, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Woodbridge is finding ways to turn garbage into gold–1.8 million dollars to be exact.  Mayor John E. McCormac recently announced plans to share services in trash collection and disposal with the Borough of Carteret.  This is three year deal in which the Woodbridge Department of Public works will provide 12 sanitation employees and four trash trucks to dispose of Carteret’s trash on Monday and Tuesday. In return, Carteret’s Mayor Daniel J. Reiman will arrange for its public works employees to pick up Trash in Woodbridge. This plan will allow the township to increase resources by combining public services. The deal will add 1.8 Million dollars to the Woodbridge Treasury and save Carteret taxpayers $300,000. “I don’t see the difference. Garbage gets picked up regardless. But saving 1.8 million dollars. That’s good budgeting,” says Bertram, a Woodbridge resident.

I also did not detect a difference.  I leave for school in the mornings around the same time the garbage truck turns the corner onto my block. I did not see anything new, but can also appreciate more money being added to the town. For more info Click Here.   

New Young Faces

Published
by
vstrachan
on May 12, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

The children come out to play. They ride bikes. They play tag. They bring a sense of vitality to the Woodbridge neighborhood consisting primarily of senior citizens. These children seem to have come out of nowhere, but now that they have arrived it is easy to see that the demographics of my community may be changing. I have noticed an increase in the amount of children in the neighborhood. It may be because of the warmer weather.  But when I first moved to the neighborhhod there were not many young people. Most of the residents appeared to be retired with children who most likely had grown up and moved away. Now on my way home from school I see more young people out on the streets. This suggests that older residents may be moving out and being replaced by younger residents with young children. This of course, pertains to my block only. In any case, Woodbridge has made efforts to provide educational events and recreational activities for its young people with, “Youth Month”. It is a two-month “celebration” consisting of several events including an opportunity for young writers to read their compositions at the Barron Arts center and a Woodbridge Idol talent competition. For more information Click Here

 

Sleep Well in Brooklyn.

Published
by
abigail
on May 12, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

sleepys

The economy is at an all time low. The dollar is dweeby and milk costs more by the gallon then gasoline. What’s up? One would think in a desperate time like this people would be scared to open up their wallets let alone open up a business. Not in Greenpoint! New stores are going up left and right, but the most surprising store to open as of late is a Sleepy’s Mattress store.

Why is a Sleepy’s store so surprising you might ask? Well, when times are desperate people usually live with what they got.

“A bed would be nice, but my futon is fine for now”, James Potiez, a Brooklyn resident said peering into the new Sleepys store. “I have bills to pay and other things to buy for the time being, you know,” he smiled.

Potiez aside there must be people interested or Sleepy’s would not be setting up shop. The most apparent reason for a new bed, (Not including Bed Bugs), is new residents. People move and many times its an excuse to get a new bed. New apartment, new life, new bed…and so on. The opening of Sleepy’s in many ways means that Greenpoint is doing OK, despite the current recession.

The mattress store has a one year finance free plan that will also attract many people who otherwise wouldn’t be splurging on new springs. ( I should have told James about it.) The opening of Sleepy’s in Geenpoint is just one more example that New York is financially separated from the rest of the country.

Steeling Metal in Brooklyn

Published
by
skenney
on April 14, 2008
in Brooklyn, Graves End/Coney Island and Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

Yet another home is under construction in Gravesend on Avenue W between East 2nd and East 3rd Streets. On Saturday, there were no workers or penetrating screams of equipment. The building sat quietly waiting to be finished; perhaps quietly waiting to be broken into.

Tucked into a window was a yellow square of paper with a handwritten note reading, “Warning: we are not responsible if you get killed when steeling from us.” On the door is taped another message, “No Metal.” Whether an intentional playful pun, or poor spelling, referring to the apparant thievery as “steeling” is fitting.

“I know that metal can be sold, but it seems crazy to break into a building under construction just to get some,” said a local resident.

Well it may not be as crazy as it may seem. In the beginning of April, copper was trading for nearly $4 dollars a pound.

Metals theft is a problem accross the country. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. has recognized the problem and is working to combat and prevent incidents.

While metal seeking criminals remain active, felt-tip penned warnings of possible death will try to keep them at bay.

Starbucks: PS 11’s Lunch Stop

Published
by
T Vaughan
on April 7, 2008
in Chelsea, Manhattan and Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

starbucks

Ever tried to get a seat in Starbucks on Eighth Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Streets around noon during the work week? It’s almost impossible trying to compete with PS 11’s tween crowd out on their lunch break. The girls stroll in with pizza, Chinese food or other food items that are not on Starbucks’ menu. A few might get a coffee beverage but most just get water. Every now and then one girl might buy a pastry and take it back to her table where her friends haggle over who gets a bite. “It is quite a cafeteria scene,” said a female customer ordering a non-fat latte.

The baristas rush to serve their guests unfazed by the cloister of young girls. One staff member on his break even went over and sat for a chat with the girls before having to give up his seat to new arrivals, late in joining their friends.

But as soon as they were done with their meals they dispersed, just a suddenly as they had appeared as if they had never been.

         
 

It’s a…

Published
by
Sunil Ramsamooj
on April 7, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

In District 29 (Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens; parts of Maspeth, Richmond, Elmhurst) council member Melinda Katz has a plan underway. Become pregnant. She is successful now and has made front page news. Of course other council members have kids but the way Katz went about it has made some raise their eye brows.

Katz has used In vitro Fertilization to get pregnant, a process where the egg is fertilized outside the womb. Katz, 42 and single claims that she has tried many times before to get pregnant but failed. She comes from a family active in the city. Her late father, Maestro David Katz founded the Queens Symphony Orchestra and her late mother, Jeanne Dale Katz founded the Queens Center for Arts. Since 1994 Melinda Katz has been involved with New York politics.

Currently Katz is running for City Comptroller and has recently voted against Congestion Pricing. She is also very close to giving birth. Katz is 8 months pregnant. She only gained 10 lbs in the process and sports only a small bump, which is why she was able to keep it a secret for so long.

Time, Money and Congestion

Published
by
skenney
on April 1, 2008
in Brooklyn, Graves End/Coney Island and Uncategorized
. 2 Comments

photo courtesy of abcnews.comOn Monday night, the city council passed a measure urging the Albany legislators to vote for the approval of congestion pricing. This means the city will charge an eight dollar fee to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. Great, right? Who doesn’t want fewer cars in the city? They are noisy, polluting, and everywhere. It has been promised that the revenue collected will be used to improve the bus and subway system. If you live in the outer part of the outer boroughs and travel daily into Manhattan, it may not be so great. “Commuters in our city will be able to benefit immediately from mass transit improvements that you will see literally within months,” said Mayor Bloomberg at a news conference. I live between the Neptune Avenue and Avenue X stops on the “F” line. The ride itself takes 45 minutes, plus the walk to the train and from the train to my destination. The closest express train is too far away for the shorter ride to equal a shorter total trip. Short of adding an express train, improvements to the system will do little to change anything for residents who ride this line. Two hours of travel each day is exhausting. As a remedy I purchased a Vespa. Riding along the Belt Parkway into Manhattan, travel time is cut in half. However, the city has said there are no plans as of now to charge reduced fees for scooters or motorcycles. Now we wait to see if Albany will follow the city council’s lead. Eight dollars a day just to go to work or school or two hours or more of traveling? I imagine there will be many drivers asking themselves the same question, debating what is more important, time or money.

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