Showing posts with label Harlem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harlem. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Crumbling Infrastructure, Gas Explosions, Hospital Closings, and No Permanent NYC Buildings Department Head

At press conference, Consolidated Edison said that a report about a gas leak was made at 9:13 a.m. this morning, but others have been warning about city's crumbling infrastructure for far longer than that.

The explosion and collapse of two adjacent apartment buildings in Spanish Harlem raised fresh concerns that New York City government is not adequately dealing with the city's infrastructure problems.

Carmen Vargas-Rosa, a member of the Spanish Christian Church, which was destroyed by a gas explosion, spoke with CBS 2 New York news, saying that there had been a gas leak several months ago in one of the buildings that collapsed earlier today. It's not known why ConEdison did not detect other problems with the buildings after it inspected the previous repairs. A tenant in one of the collapsed buildings, Ruben Borrero told The New York Daily News that for a period of several months dating back to last fall, several tenants had sought help for reports about gas problems by calling the city's 311 help service, adding that once, just before last Christmas, firefighters responded to complaints. The report by The New York Daily News indicated that, "The tenants’ claims contradict Mayor de Blasio’s statement Wednesday that the 'only indication of danger' came 17 minutes before the explosion when a tenant next door called Con Ed about a gas smell." One of the buildings also had indications of structural cracks dating back to 2008, The New York Times reported, which raises questions about lax code enforcement by the city's Department of Buildings. Complicating the rescue and recovery efforts, a large sinkhole opened up in front of the collapsed buildings. Officials are trying to determine if a a water main break may have caused the sinkhole, The New York Times reported.

They mayor may not want to accept responsibility for the city's negligence in not fully inspecting the infrastructure and utilities around the collapsed buildings, but New Yorkers deserve that he do something about it. The history of previous gas problems at these buildings are examples of other problems with New York City's aging and deteriorating infrastructure. The bursting of water mains are a common occurrence in New York City, and who can forget the spectacular 2007 explosion of the steam pipe in Midtown.

As the city makes excuses for why it was O.K. for fire rescue and other first responders to arrive after the gas explosion in Spanish Harlem when there indications of impending danger, let's consider how the warning signs about the city's crumbling infrastructure have always existed. Thousands of miles of main gas lines in New York City are decades old, The Christian Science Monitor reported. WNYC reported that the gas main that runs near the buildings, which exploded and collapsed, is 127 years old. Last year, it was reported that a building was damaged by a partial collapse in Chinatown. The aging and collapse of city buildings comes on top of a report published today by Politicker, where the mayor was unapologetic for not having yet appointed a permanent head for a major city infrastructure agency.

Isn't it about time that the mayor got around to finally appointing a permanent commissioner to head the city's Department of Buildings ? After that, the de Blasio administration should complete an assessment of the city's crumbling infrastructure, map it against prior complaints, and prioritize the renewal of the city's basic physical and organizational structures, facilities, and utilities. And he should use this opportunity to make the city go green. Get rid of that dangerous Spectra natural gas pipeline running under the West Village.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Joseph Hayden Faces 7 Years

From The Amsterdam News :

The judge has set another date in the criminal case against 71-year-old community activist Joseph “Jazz” Hayden. Last week, a large group of supporters packed the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse demanding that District Attorney Cyrus Vance drop the charges against Hayden.

Hayden faces two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, stemming from a December 2011 incident when police found a pocketknife and a miniature replica baseball bat after searching his car.

Hayden alleges that the charges against him are a result of his filming police activities in the Harlem community. “I can unequivocally state that this stop and arrest were in retaliation for my work as a citizen reporter aggressively covering police-community relationships in the Harlem community,” said Hayden.

For the past four years, Hayden has implemented “Copwatch,” a program in which he and his team patrol the Harlem area and videotape police as they stop and frisk people. ...

Read more : Harlem activist could face up to seven years in prison

Watch as how Joseph "Jazz" Hayden has documented the questionable NYPD use of "stop and frisk" :

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Trayvon Martin March For Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact : Carlene Pinto : (212) 870-6854 or cpinto@theriversdiechurchny.org

RELIGIOUS LEADERS, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ORGANIZE
MARCH FOR JUSTICE ON FRIDAY NIGHT IN HARLEM

(New York, NY - April 12, 2012) —On Friday, April 13, 2012 at 5 p.m., the Mission & Social Justice Department of the Riverside Church of New York along with the Carry on Community Development Corporation of Convent Ave. Baptist Church will march for Justice through Harlem for Trayvon Martin and all the victims of racial profiling. The march is scheduled to begin at West 120th Street & Claremont Avenue and end at Convent Ave. & West 144th Street.

Event Date : Friday, April 13, 2012

Begin Time : 5 p.m.

Meeting Place : West 120th Street & Claremont Avenue

While our nation has awakened to the February 26th murder of Trayvon Martin, his case is but one example of a long-standing civil and human rights crisis that plagues our nation's history. This long-standing civil rights crisis has in this current period heightened the racism that institutionally cripples our society and our communities of color.

Trayvon Martin was killed in Sanford, Florida, by a Neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman who pursued, confronted, and shot the 17-year-old who was unarmed. After weeks of doubt, Zimmerman was finally charged with Second Degree Murder by a Special Prosecutor. Zimmerman is expected to assert an affirmative defense under a controversial Florida law known as "Stand Your Ground."

“We will march for justice for Trayvon Martin, march for all of the victims of racial profiling, and march for the lives lost to an unjust, racialized system. We will march to never forget the names of the lives lost” said The Reverend Emery Ailes from the Prison Ministry at Convent Ave. Baptist Church.

March organizers call on all community organizations and churches to join the march tomorrow with hooded sweatshirts and posters of support. New Yorkers are encouraged to lend your voice to those who have been silenced -- and to use mass media to spread the word! -- that Trayvon Martin, Ramarley Graham, Danroy Henry, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, and the numerous others that have lost their lives will never be forgotten.

The Riverside Church of New York along with the Carry on Community Development Corporation at Convent Ave. Baptist Church invite all members of the faith community as well as the Harlem and New York City communities to join the march as we continue to call attention to the injustices which affect all of us, our children, and our futures.

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