1310 Avenue R. - My First Rooftop

I would be remiss if I were to let this month pass without mentioning 1310 Avenue R. in Brooklyn. I lived there from 1961 until 1972 when I left home for the last time. There are so many memories tangled up with that building, and all 70 families that lived there, that I wouldn't even know where to begin.

There were John and Katy Bucholtz, he was an ex-Nazi who served as the superintendent of the building; then across the hall from us were the Gold’s, two elderly German Jews who had escaped Nazi Germany and were the kindest of neighbors. They were friends with John and Katy, all vestiges of the war behind them. There were also the Ross family, who were Orthodox Jews; and the Roth’s, Mr. Roth was a detective Sergeant; and there was also the Cuban family who arrived in the fall of 1962 from Miami, where they had fled to from Castro. The father was a banker, which may have something to do with the family’s success in getting out. They had 2 kids, John and Robert. Later they moved to the 6^th floor. These are just 4 of the 11 families who lived on our floor.

The rest of the building was composed of mainly Jewish families; some large, some small. There was also a single "efficiency" apartment on each floor. Mr. Ginsburg, a curmudgeonly older man, occupied the apartment next door to my family. He was a typewriter repairman with ear problems. He was also a pain in the ass, calling the police with a noise complaint at every possible excuse. I swear he once called the cops because he heard no noise coming from our apartment and thought it was "odd".

The building also boasted 2 apartments on the ground floor which had their own private entrances. These were located at the 2 front corners of the building. I never knew the family who occupied the East 13th Street side, but the East 14th Street "garden apartment"; as they were called; was occupied by a dentist named Marvin Cohen.

The building also had a doorman and a janitor; though the various doormen only lasted for the first 7 years. There was a string of them, my favorite being the last one, Larry. He was about 100 if he was a day, and the residents were always worried about him. He would sit on the lobby sofa and struggle to get up and open the door. Most of the time, the residents would motion through the glass for Larry to sit down, as no one wanted to be responsible for his sudden, though overdue, demise.

Each year around the holidays the lobby would be decorated with a Christmas tree and lights. There was also a Happy Chanukah banner displayed across the wall to wall mirror which faced the doors from the street. The garden area outside was also decorated with colored lights and there were candles in the window of the rock garden inside the lobby. I used to water those plants for 25 cents a day. I also used to round up the newspapers from the garbage room on each floor. You were not supposed to put them down the incinerator chute because they made black smoke and the building’s owner could be fined. The papers I gathered were set aside and sold by the janitor to the "paper pulp" guy and I would get a "share" of the money.

There was an underground parking garage with a "secure" locking system. If you waited long enough each night you could hear the cars screeching up the ramp and out into the street when they were being stolen. Nothing is more attractive to a car thief than a safe well lit environment in which to work. This was especially true on rainy or cold nights.

But, the crowning glory to this building; at least to the 7 year old who lived there; was the roof. From the very first days we lived there i was drawn to it. It began innocently enough, with my taking the stairs to the top. I just wanted to see where they went. Up and up I climbed; my 7 year old legs pumping hard and fast as I rounded the turn between each floor; nearer to the top with each step.

When I got there I was rewarded with the greatest gift of all; a sign which said "Do Not Enter." Now, I don't know who the genius was that came up with the idea of a sign to keep a 7 year old off of the roof, but I wasn't buying it. Not for one moment. There was a whole world to be discovered beyond that door, and no sign was going to keep me out. Besides, I reasoned that if caught up there, I could always say I couldn't read.

At any rate the roof became my secret place to go. I would head up there with my 6 transistor radio, trying to get stations from as far away as possible. It turned out that I had better luck at night downstairs in my bed. During the day the sun's rays heated up the ionosphere and made it harder to pick up those stations. But on a cold clear night I could get Canada, and even West Virginia. I had a whole collection of postcards from those stations acknowledging the letters I used to send to each one, letting them know how far their signal had traveled.

Summertime was a time of daily visits to the "roof". I used to go up there just for the view. You could see Manhattan to the north, including the Twin Towers. To the south and slightly west was Coney Island, including the Parachute Jump. Directly south it was hard to see much because there were so many other buildings in the line of sight. But this became my haven for many years, a place I could go to when I had no place to go.

As I got older the roof became even more important to me. It was a place to go with friends, outside of the sphere of my parents influence. Hell, they never went up there! And even later, after my Mom had passed away and I was grown, I still went up there. I even grew some pot plants on top of the elevator shaft, one story closer to the sun, and the superintendent’s wife; in all her innocence; watered them for me.

I suppose you are wondering why I am writing about this building, and the roof. Well, I file my daily blogs by year, month and date. So, all this month; every day this month; I have filed my blogs under 13-10-and the day of the month. For example, today will be filed under 13-10-30. And, each day this month I have thought about writing of the roof at 1310 Avenue R. Today, with only one day left to go before it becomes another unrealized thought, I have.

WTC Museum - Cash Cow

The World Trade Center Museum has been hijacked. Not physically. Financially. The City of New York, along with the Port Authority have both resisted the efforts of many American’s; including the families of the victims; to have the Museum taken over by the National Park Service. You have to wonder why since they have been complaining about the cost of operating it since before it even opened.

Last week the WTC Museum Commission asked for the okay to charge $24 for admission to the hallowed grounds where terrorists struck in 2001. So, I began to look into who the people were on the Commission itself. It’s a long list, many of whom are nothing more than political donors. I called and asked to speak with someone about the museum and the admission price. I was transferred to a Mr. Quido. I am not making that up. I am also still waiting on that return call.

I happened to voice my concerns to a friend of mine in New York and the very next day he ran across the following Letter to the Editor in a paper called “The Chief”, a paper which caters to Civil Service Employees in NYC.  The letter speaks volumes, and summarizes my concerns so well that I am posting it here. 

Decide for yourself what you think is right. Personally, I think that when you realize the game of extortion being played out by the Commission you will agree that the Museum needs to be taken over by the National Park Service, just like the USS Arizona in Hawaii.

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To The Editor:

In the latest example of money-grubbing by the excessively high-salaried management of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, it now appears they are demanding a handout from NY City and State for millions of dollars to satisfy their bloated salaries and fiscal mismanagement.

According to the Wall Street Journal ("9/11 Memorial to Seek Funds From  New York's Mayor," 1/15/14), the memorial and museum foundation (which is chaired by Michael Bloomberg) is asking Mayor de Blasio and the city to pay for nearly a third of its bloated budget.

We agree with Mayor de Blasio's spokesperson, Marti Adams, that the Federal Government must play a "central role" in funding. However, instead of a handout, we insist that the well-respected  National Park Service take over the complete control of the 9/11 memorial and museum and bring the professionalism and fiscal constraints that this out-of-control situation at Ground Zero so desperately needs.

In addition, it appears legislation is yet again being prepared for introduction in the U.S. Senate to provide Federal funding for the memorial and museum. This comes on the heels of a failed attempt in 2011 by the memorial foundation to "allow" for the Department of the Interior (National Park Service) to accept a "gift" of the property of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in return for a $20 million annual stipend.

Many 9/11 families continue to oppose a bailout plan- they do not feel the Federal Government should pay for an enormously-expensive memorial and museum in which the Federal Government- as well as the families of the victims- had virtually no role in the nearly one billion dollar design and planning.

We therefore petition Senators Charles Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand, Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo, to support fiscal responsibility and patriotism, and advocate for a bill in which the National Park Service can assume complete control and operation of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero.

This is the least that the victims of 9/11, their grieving families, and the American public deserve.

Chief Jim Riches

FDNY (retired)

Chairman, 9/11 Parents and Families of Firefighters and WTC Victims

Brooklyn's Wall Of Remembrance

It figures - I just got back from a quick visit to New York, including my old neighborhood of Kings Highway, and had no idea that there was a monument in Brooklyn honoring the heroes of 9/11. And it was only about a mile away in Coney Island!

It's a 30 x 12 foot granite wall at MCU Stadium, which is located on the site of the old Steeplechase Park, which closed in 1964, when I was almost 10 years old. The old Cyclone roller coaster, Wonder Wheel and Parachute Jump are all still standing and visable from the stadium's left and right fields. It is the current home of the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team, an affiliate of the New York Mets and a member of the New York - Penn League. The stadium holds 7,500 people at capacity.

The monument, located on the outside wall to the stadium, depicts the faces of the 416 First Responders who gave their all on that day. I hadn't even heard of the Wall of Remembrance until I spoke with my favorite Aunt Gloria today. She hasn't seen it yet either, so I don't feel too left out. The following information is from the website Memorials in Brooklyn for Families. Their URL is as follows;

http://www.achildgrows.com/2011/09/07/911-memorials-in-nyc-for-families/

And here is the paragraph from the site which describes the memorial, which is located on Surf Avenue;

Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance

The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance, located in Coney Island, pays tribute to the firefighters, port authority officers, New York City and New York State police officers, fire patrol, first responders and a K-9 rescue dog from Brooklyn who perished on 9/11. Created by Brooklyn-born and raised Sol Moglen, images are laser-engraved on a granite wall that also includes bronze carvings of the heroes. On September 8th, The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance is also sponsoring the Witness to Tragedy and Recovery with Pace University, which will include a panel of photographers, videographers, psychologists and other scholars who will analyze the effects and lessons of news images on the public. Details: MCU Park-, 1904 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224-2410.

Apparently there are several memorials in Brooklyn, one is located at the old Staten Island Ferry pier on 69th Street. Many Brooklynites gathered there on the morning of September 11th, 2001, watching the tragedy unfold. Even some of the street signs have been changed to reflect the names of some of the victims who lived in the various neighborhoods. There are several more memorials in Brooklyn, all overshadowed by the National memorial at Ground Zero, but these local remembrances are somehow more personal, and emblematic, of the events of that day. It wasn't just a building that went down, it was a piece of everyone in all 5 boroughs, and the entire nation as well. Here is a list of the other monuments in Brooklyn;

Memorial in Coney Island
Memorial in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Firehouse Memorial in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Liberty Oaks 9/11 Memorial at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
FDNY Memorial in Downtown Brooklyn

These memorials are open 7 days a week, and unlike the one at Ground Zero, require no advance tickets or reservations. The only thing you need to bring is your heart.

"Man On Wire" with Philippe Petit

So much has been written about the World Trade Center since 9/11. And all of it, has been sad, or negative, focused on the tragedy that occurred there that day. So, what a delight it is to watch a film that celebrates one of the most fascinating moments in the World Trade Center's History. The moment in which she became part of advant garde art through the daring of French "event" artist Philippe Petit.

I watched the WTC being built, along with my friends. We would take the subway and go to Manhattan, watching as the ground was broken and the towers began to rise. We were there for the Vietnam Protests, when the Carpenters came down into the crowd, swinging hammers while the police stood by with their backs turned. So, I have a lot of memories tied up in that building prior to 9/11.

On August 9, 1974 I was working at H and A Foods on Kings Highway in Brooklyn. The radio was on, as always. An announcement was made concerning a man "walking" a wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center. At that moment, Harry, one of the owners of H and A Foods, came running downstairs from his office, screaming about what he had just seen/heard on TV.

This film deals with every aspect of that day. From the moment Philippe Petit read of the plans to build the World Trade Center, he dreamt of walking a wire between the two towers. The film contains footage of a young Philippe Petit learning to walk the tightrope with his girlfiend. He goes on to walk the towers between the bridge in Sydney Harbor, as well as walking between two towers in England. When he reads that the top floors of the World Trade Center have finally been completed, he goes to New York to plan his feat of artistry.

With some trusted friends, and lax security, he is able to get all of the gear up to the 104th floor of both towers. Now the wire must be sent over from one tower to the other. This is no small feat, especially while working under the cover of darkness with security patrols making the rounds!

The distance between the corners of the two towers was about 300 feet, but getting the cable across would take a cross bow in the dead of night to send the wire over. After loosing hold of the cable and then having to haul it back up by hand, Mr. Petit then waited for the day to dawn and the streets below to be filled with people before stepping out on his wire. This link captures some of the aerial footage taken by a traffic reporter.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAVj2IVC9ko

When all was said and done, Philippe had crossed the wire 8 times, each time coming close to being grabbed by officers who were waiting at both ends. He would laugh, turn around and dance out to the middle again, sometimes even laying himself down on the wire. He swears that he could both "hear and feel" the crowd below, although he knows that this is not possible, merely a perception, a by product of the adreneline rush that came of his feat.

In all, Philippe Petit was on that wire for about 45 minutes, creating a living work of art, that, while fleeting and ethereal, is real enough to still be thrilling today. This is the way I prefer to remember the World Trade Center. As the work of art that it was.

This film captures all of the excitement that was New York in the 1970's. It also captures the thrill of Philippe Petit. Eventually he comes off the wire, is arrested and taken to Beekman Hospital for a pyschiatric evaluation. He is found to be sane, charged with Trespassing, fined $25 and ordered to give a children's performance in the park for his crime.

This film will take some of the sting out of 9/11 if you let it. When we had it, we had it good. When Philippe Petit did what he did, he did it for all of us. Until I saw this film I never really understood "living art." Watch this film at night before going to sleep - it will affect your whole outlook the next day. That's what this film did for me.

The Mosque Controversy

I don't mind Churches who claim that I will be damned to hell, or fire and brimstone, half as much as the Mosques that want to kill me, now, here on earth, in this lifetime. Yes, there are some mighty militant passages in the Bible that condemn you to Hell, both here on earth, as well as in the afterlife. But to compare the threats of not believing in the God of Abraham, or Jesus, to the blatant, and mandatory killing of people who do not agree with Islam, and Allah, highlights a complete lack of knowledge concerning either religous text.

The Western Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, call for obedience to God and offer many examples of God's retribution. But nowhere are we, as human beings, given permission to kill for God. (The only exception of which I am aware is written in Deuteronomy when the Jews enter Caanan.) That so many have mispresented the words contained in the Bible, thus bringing about the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust etc., may speak volumes about Man, but not about the God they worship. Take all of the passages in the Bible that command us to obey Him and look at what the consequences are. They are largely in our hearts and minds, as we generally know when we are doing wrong. The comparison of the Holy Bible to the Koran is like comparing an apple to an orange.

Read the passages below and try to find a counterpart in our Western religions to these edicts. I have not found one yet that instructs you to slay someone in furtherance of God's will. If this were a street gang they would be charged with hate speech. In addition, should they attempt to act out the Prophets commands they would be charged with hate crimes. While everyone seems concerned about Freedom OF Religion, I am more concerned , after reading these passages, about Freedom FROM Religion. Here are some choice gems from the Koran, read them and then decide how close you want that Mosque to your own house.

Qur'an:4:78 "Wherever you are, death will find you, even if you are in towers strong and high! So what is wrong with these people, that they fail to understand these simple words?"

Qur'an:9:88 "The Messenger and those who believe with him, strive hard and fight with their wealth and lives in Allah's Cause."

Qur'an:9:5 "Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war."

Qur'an:9:29 "Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission."

Qur'an:8:39 "Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah."

Qur'an:8:39 "So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world)."

Ishaq:324 "He said, 'Fight them so that there is no more rebellion, and religion, all of it, is for Allah only. Allah must have no rivals.'"

Qur'an:9:14 "Fight them and Allah will punish them by your hands, lay them low, and cover them with shame. He will help you over them."

Ishaq:300 "I am fighting in Allah's service. This is piety and a good deed. In Allah's war I do not fear as others should. For this fighting is righteous, true, and good."

Ishaq:587 "Our onslaught will not be a weak faltering affair. We shall fight as long as we live. We will fight until you turn to Islam, humbly seeking refuge. We will fight not caring whom we meet. We will fight whether we destroy ancient holdings or newly gotten gains. We have mutilated every opponent. We have driven them violently before us at the command of Allah and Islam. We will fight until our religion is established. And we will plunder them, for they must suffer disgrace."

Qur'an:8:65 "O Prophet, urge the faithful to fight. If there are twenty among you with determination they will vanquish two hundred; if there are a hundred then they will slaughter a thousand unbelievers, for the infidels are a people devoid of understanding."

Ishaq:326 "Prophet exhort the believers to fight. If there are twenty good fighters they will defeat two hundred for they are a senseless people. They do not fight with good intentions nor for truth."

Bukhari:V4B52N63 "A man whose face was covered with an iron mask came to the Prophet and said, 'Allah's Apostle! Shall I fight or embrace Islam first?' The Prophet said, 'Embrace Islam first and then fight.' So he embraced Islam, and was martyred. Allah's Apostle said, 'A Little work, but a great reward.'"

Bukhari:V4B53N386 "Our Prophet, the Messenger of our Lord, ordered us to fight you till you worship Allah alone or pay us the Jizyah tribute tax in submission. Our Prophet has informed us that our Lord says: 'Whoever amongst us is killed as a martyr shall go to Paradise to lead such a luxurious life as he has never seen, and whoever survives shall become your master.'"

Muslim:C34B20N4668 "The Messenger said: 'Anybody who equips a warrior going to fight in the Way of Allah is like one who actually fights. And anybody who looks after his family in his absence is also like one who actually fights."

Qur'an:9:38 "Believers, what is the matter with you, that when you are asked to go forth and fight in Allah's Cause you cling to the earth? Do you prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? Unless you go forth, He will afflict and punish you with a painful doom, and put others in your place."

Qur'an:9:123 "Fight the unbelievers around you, and let them find harshness in you."

Qur'an:8:72 "Those who accepted Islam and left their homes to fight in Allah's Cause with their possessions and persons, and those who gave (them) asylum, aid, and shelter, those who harbored them - these are allies of one another. You are not responsible for protecting those who embraced Islam but did not leave their homes [to fight] until they do so." [Another translation reads:] "You are only called to protect Muslims who fight."

Muslim:C9B1N31 "I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify to the fact that there is no god but Allah, and believe in me (that) I am the Messenger and in all that I have brought."

Qur'an:8:73 "The unbelieving infidels are allies. Unless you (Muslims) aid each other (fighting as one united block to make Allah's religion victorious), there will be confusion and mischief. Those who accepted Islam, left their homes to fight in Allah's Cause (al-Jihad), as well as those who give them asylum, shelter, and aid - these are (all) Believers: for them is pardon and bountiful provision (in Paradise)."

Tabari IX:69 "Arabs are the most noble people in lineage, the most prominent, and the best in deeds. We were the first to respond to the call of the Prophet. We are Allah's helpers and the viziers of His Messenger. We fight people until they believe in Allah. He who believes in Allah and His Messenger has protected his life and possessions from us. As for one who disbelieves, we will fight him forever in the Cause of Allah. Killing him is a small matter to us."

Qur'an:48:16 "Say (Muhammad) to the wandering desert Arabs who lagged behind: 'You shall be invited to fight against a people given to war with mighty prowess. You shall fight them until they surrender and submit. If you obey, Allah will grant you a reward, but if you turn back, as you did before, He will punish you with a grievous torture."

Qur'an:48:22 "If the unbelieving infidels fight against you, they will retreat. (Such has been) the practice (approved) of Allah in the past: no change will you find in the ways of Allah."

Qur'an:47:4 "When you clash with the unbelieving Infidels in battle (fighting Jihad in Allah's Cause), smite their necks until you overpower them, killing and wounding many of them. At length, when you have thoroughly subdued them, bind them firmly, making (them) captives. Thereafter either generosity or ransom (them based upon what benefits Islam) until the war lays down its burdens. Thus are you commanded by Allah to continue carrying out Jihad against the unbelieving infidels until they submit to Islam."

Tabari VI:138 "Those present at the oath of Aqabah had sworn an allegiance to Muhammad. It was a pledge of war against all men. Allah had permitted fighting."

Tabari VI:139 "Allah had given his Messenger permission to fight by revealing the verse 'And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah.'"

Qur'an:9:19 "Do you make the giving of drink to pilgrims, or the maintenance of the Mosque, equal to those who fight in the Cause of Allah? They are not comparable in the sight of Allah. Those who believe, and left their homes, striving with might, fighting in Allah's Cause with their goods and their lives, have the highest rank in the sight of Allah."

Ishaq:550 "The Muslims met them with their swords. They cut through many arms and skulls. Only confused cries and groans could be heard over our battle roars and snarling."

Ishaq:578 "Crushing the heads of the infidels and splitting their skulls with sharp swords, we continually thrust and cut at the enemy. Blood gushed from their deep wounds as the battle wore them down. We conquered bearing the Prophet's fluttering war banner. Our cavalry was submerged in rising dust, and our spears quivered, but by us the Prophet gained victory."

Tabari IX:25 "By Allah, I did not come to fight for nothing. I wanted a victory over Ta'if so that I might obtain a slave girl from them and make her pregnant."

Tabari IX:82 "The Messenger sent Khalid with an army of 400 to Harith [a South Arabian tribe] and ordered him to invite them to Islam for three days before he fought them. If they were to respond and submit, he was to teach them the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Prophet, and the requirements of Islam. If they should decline, then he was to fight them."

Ishaq:530 "Get out of his way, you infidel unbelievers. Every good thing goes with the Apostle. Lord, I believe in his word. We will fight you about its interpretations as we have fought you about its revelation with strokes that will remove heads from shoulders and make enemies of friends."

Muslim:C9B1N33 "The Prophet said: 'I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and they establish prostration prayer, and pay Zakat. If they do it, their blood and property are protected.'"

Muslim:C10B1N176 "Muhammad (may peace be upon him) sent us in a raiding party. We raided Huraqat in the morning. I caught hold of a man and he said: 'There is no god but Allah,' but I attacked him with a spear anyway. It once occurred to me that I should ask the Apostle about this. The Messenger said: 'Did he profess "There is no god but Allah," and even then you killed him?' I said: 'He made a profession out of the fear of the weapon I was threatening him with.' The Prophet said: 'Did you tear out his heart in order to find out whether it had professed truly or not?'"

Muslim:C53B20N4717 "The Prophet said: 'This religion will continue to exist, and a group of people from the Muslims will continue to fight for its protection until the Hour is established.'"

Qur'an:2:193 "Fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief) and religion is only for Allah. But if they cease/desist, let there be no hostility except against infidel disbelievers."

Ishaq:470 "We attacked them fully armed, swords in hand, cutting through heads and skulls."

Qur'an:4:74 "Let those who fight in Allah's Cause sell this world's life for the hereafter. To him who fights in Allah's Cause, whether he is slain or victorious, We shall give him a reward."

Qur'an:4:94 "Believers, when you go abroad to fight wars in Allah's Cause, investigate carefully, and say not to anyone who greets you: 'You are not a believer!' Coveting the chance profits of this life (so that you may despoil him). With Allah are plenteous spoils and booty."

Qur'an:4:104 "And do not relent in pursuing the enemy."