My mom is a proud Army veteran. My limited understanding of her enlistment is that Mom wanted to see the world, so she joined the military. She was sent from her home in North Dakota to Fort Gordon in Georgia, where her peers played “Hey Jude” repeatedly; it’s where, how, and why she met my … Continue reading Mom’s Friend Mary
I just hope people realize that in a way taking care of their neighbors is taking care of themselves. I don't think that's going to happen, but we'll see.
Today is the 110th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. It was one of the deadliest events in the city's history, falling behind the September 11 attacks, the sinking of the General Slocum, and the 1876 Brooklyn Theatre fire. (Removing disease and weather from consideration, of course.) 146 people died. 123 were women and … Continue reading The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
I'm not going to say I was a prophet—I didn't see Corona coming. But as it was getting closer, and especially that night that I found out, I said, "Guys, I think this is way bigger than we imagined," and no one believed me.
This pollution of violence is clouding the air and I’m looking at my life and it’s ramped up. Even my awareness of it had ramped up at that moment.
Or: A list of sites in NYC to re-name, post-haste. Christopher Columbus Day is typically honored in New York City with a parade uptown and, mystifyingly, a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. This year, due to COVID restrictions, the parade is digital. It was still broadcast on TV. Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated today as well, … Continue reading A Short List of All the Stuff Named After Christopher Columbus
Before it all started, I was able to load up on library books. Thanks to Annie! I had six or eight library books. That was luck.
Three court officers perished on September 11, 2001 while rescuing victims during the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. Twenty Manhattan court officers rushed to Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. Today two court officers are honored with corners in front of a New York County courthouse, while the third has a NYC Parks greenspace … Continue reading September 11th’s Three Court Officers: Captain William Thompson, Sergeant Thomas Jurgens, and Sergeant Mitchel Wallace
Labor Day brings a festive atmosphere to Crown Heights. In preparation for the West Indian American Day Parade, which marches up Eastern Parkway on Labor Day, the sidewalks fill preemptively with smokers. Neighbors share jerk chicken, escovitch fish, corn, and hard dow. In the days before the parade women line the sidewalk in their carnival … Continue reading Remembering Damon S. Allen This Labor Day
New York City's first memorial to 9/11 is The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance, in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Located on the side of MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, the wall is comprised of three granite walls with laser-engraved portraits of 346 Firefighters, 37 Port Authority Officers, 23 NYC Police Officers, three NYS Officers, one … Continue reading The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance
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