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June 13 - 19, 2013
ediToRial
leTTeRs To The ediToR
Fighting future Sandys
Lucky no one’s been killed
If you go all the way back to 1900, three of the 10 worst storms to hit the Battery occurred after 2009. That’s one of the more staggering things revealed in the Bloomberg administration’s comprehensive analysis of the growing threats from climate change. The most memorable — and overwhelmingly the largest of the 10 storms — of course, was Superstorm Sandy, which devastated chunks of Lower Manhattan as well as other parts of the region. In southern Manhattan, defined as south of 42nd St., 73 percent more buildings are now in the flood plain, representing 10,000 more homes, even though the flood zone has not expanded significantly in Manhattan. The 430-page report, “A Stronger More Resilient New York,” by Mayor Bloomberg and his team, is full of short-, medium- and long-term solutions to better protect the city. The need is obvious. We are pleased that the $20 billion plan is bolder than we and many others were expecting, given that Bloomberg had been so dismissive of harbor and river surge barriers. He is now proposing a few and is open to studying others. That debate with the public, scientists and politicians needs to continue. We are far from consensus on that issue, but even if there was agreement, we’d still be a long way from building this protection. That is why the shorter-term solutions, like movable barriers along Lower Manhattan’s vulnerable East Side, are important. Also critical is the level of attention paid to protecting utilities, hospitals and communication networks. One reason Sandy hit Downtown so hard was because it was high tide here, but the city has also looked at protecting critical areas that made out fine — most notably our food supply, which comes in large part from Hunt’s Point. The mayor has set up ambitious yet achievable goals for 2013 before he leaves office and he has given his successor a good framework to build on and change, where needed. The dialogue with the mayoral contenders on this issue should begin now. We do have some concern about the amount of communication so far between the city, state and some of the other critical players, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Having watched the many years of delays redeveloping the World Trade Center, we know all too well the perils of competing jurisdictions and egos. The subways and transportation network are critical and there needs to be more coordination. Lastly, the idea to build another Battery Park City in the East River, the so-called “Seaport City,” is very long-term, and we can already imagine the scoffing to come. But we hope the idea gets a chance to breathe because it is worth exploring. We recognize the potential downsides — overdeveloping the waterfront, forever marring historic South St. Seaport by taking it away from the water — but these are not impossible obstacles to overcome. While Battery Park City made out well after the storm, the Seaport and the rest of the East Side is clearly vulnerable. The plan would not only provide protection, but it would also add desperately needed park space. It’s something for us and our future leaders to consider. In the meantime, let’s do what we can now to protect our lives, our homes and our livelihoods.
To The Editor: Re “ ‘Wild Man of Soho’ is causing mayhem, fearful locals warn” (news article, June 6): I know Richard personally and they got his size wrong. He is 6 feet 5 inches and slightly over 300 pounds and extremely strong. I’m surprised he hasn’t killed anyone yet. Luis Jimenez
There ought to be a law To The Editor: Re “ ‘Wild Man of Soho’ is causing mayhem, fearful locals warn” (news article, June 6): Sounds like a Larry Hogue, Upper West Side in the ’80s / ’90s type situation. He landed at Creedmoor. I personally witnessed Hogue physically assaulting people three times, and terrorizing people countless other times. Where do New York State’s mental hygiene laws stand on this these days? What’s the answer? The laws are being used to relieve vulnerable seniors like Mike Quashie, once renowned as the Limbo King — a former Villager now in a nursing home in the Bronx — of their assets, under court order, patronage style, rather than to address the mentally ill. Patrick Shields
Sorry state of the gardens To The Editor: Re “Garden hero — or partier amid the plants? Or both?” (news article, June 6): For two decades I have fought passionately to save and safeguard the precious community gardens of our fair city. Indeed, Ron Kuby defended me when I was arrested (with activist Fran Luck) for interrupting Giuliani’s second inaugural speech in 1997, two days after Giuliani bulldozed the Chico Mendez Mural Garden. All too often I hear people express negative opinions of the gardens. They see many gardens that are locked with no open hours posted. They see gardens with only one member. They have gone to gardens and been discouraged or prohibited from joining. They find an ossified and abusive power structure — as is the case at Dias y Flores. Though some people are derisive of my efforts to ensure fairness and transparency in gardens, I am proud to have the nickname “Bylaws Jeff.” Without bylaws and rules the gardens quickly become “Lord of the Flies.” The clichéd pablum that Ron Kuby and Everett Hill spout
that the “gardens are for children,” is hyper-hypocritical, given that it is my friends and I who always color the Easter eggs and help the children tend the fire. We started Bring Your Own Puppet Day. We opened the gate on Halloween in the blackout after Hurricane Sandy. The people the board kicked out didn’t break the rules. But the board did and continues to do so. All plots are supposed to be “turned by June 1” or they revert back to the membership. Board member Claude Kilgore’s plot and Ron Kuby’s partner Marilyn Vasta’s plot are two weeks delinquent. Fran McGorty repeatedly interrupts people at meetings, counting out loud how many seconds they have left and demanding there be “No whispering.” Julie Friesner interrogates would-be members and told someone to “Go to hell” at a meeting. Everett Hill recently allowed a member to miss the “mandatory annual meeting,” do her hours during another member’s slotted time and host an event without the required advance notice — a triple play of rule breaking. These are the people GreenThumb is allowing to ruin the garden. Deputy Director Roland Chouloute has chosen to cast a blind eye. Thank you to The Villager for shedding light on this ugly situation. P.S. The bulldozers are still circling…. . Jeffrey Cyphers Wright
From one ‘Howl’ to another To The Editor: Re “Garden hero — or partier amid the plants? Or both?” (news article, June 6): Allen Ginsberg, who figured strongly in Jeffrey Wright’s poetry training, would be proud of Wright’s howling. A little howling once a month is welcome. It wakes and shakes us out of complacency. This is a great article. But also at issue, however, is that the gardens are meant for the community, not just for the next-door real estate holders. Why is it that creative efforts are so often subsumed by private interests? The reason the board took such action against Wright had little to do with drinking or wild parties. They never suggested the simple solution — enforcing the rules on these issues. The real reason is that Wright proposed term limits for board members and this scared them. One posted on her Facebook wall, “Come to the meeting or else you-know-who could take over the garden.” I’m paraphrasing here, but this is the crux of the controversy. It’s about public versus private. To avoid conflict of interest, the board cannot consist of nextdoor-neighbor property owners. Lori Ortiz
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