Where to Worship: The Battle Continues

By Harrison Golden

For 17 years, members of the Village Church met every Sunday morning inside P.S. 3 at 490 Hudson Street.

"P.S. 3 provided us with such a strong place for our community to worship," said Pam, a longtime church member who requested to only give her first name. "The people inside were very friendly and gave us plenty of room to conduct services every week.”

But two weeks ago, when the New York City Department of Education began a citywide ban on religious services held in public schools, the Presbyterian church of 50 parishioners was forced to find a new location. And while the Village Church has since relocated to the Greenwich House on Barrow Street, members continue to express disappointment in the board’s decision.

"I think the department’s action against us and all the small churches is pure discrimination," Reverend Sam Andreades, the church’s head pastor, said. "It is a slap in the face to free religious practice."

The city's ban marks the culmination of a 16-year battle that began with a challenge by the Bronx Household of Faith to a Department of Education policy that prevented the use of school property for religious services or instruction.

After the department initially denied the Bronx-based church’s request to use the school as a gathering place, the church sued the school district for ignoring their First Amendment rights. Although the lawsuit proved unsuccessful, a federal court issued a ruled in 2002 that the Department of Education could not refuse to review rental space applications from religious organizations.

Representatives from the Department of Education refused to answer questions regarding their sudden decision to override the ruling.

Both the State Senate and Assembly have drafted a bill aimed at allowing the churches to continue operating from the school buildings.

“These churches provide more than religious freedom,” Michael Whyland, spokesman for Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, said in a phone interview. “They unite people with similar goals and ideas. That is a simple human want and nothing that the city should take away.”

Steve Wilson, a church member who helped Andreades find the new location, remains hopeful that the congregation will continue to prosper in the years to come. But he understands that other churches are not so lucky.

"The way the public schools are just kicking these communities out to the curb is sickening," Wilson said. “So many of our fellow small churches are still looking for a new place to call home.”

Students On Food Stamps: Why it's on the Rise

         

                                                                      theinquisitr.com 

New York City resident Eric, 23, was standing in the line at Whole Foods buying a selection of treats from the deli aisle. Eric often shops at Whole Foods and to everyone else around him, he looks like a normal buyer. He walks to the teller and slips her an EBT dollar. Most college students cannot afford to buy from Whole Foods, yet Eric can through his Food Stamp and EBT income.

It’s no doubt that Eric is young, but according to him he got the idea to go on food stamps from peers. “I know about 7-10 other kids in the US and Canada that are on some sort of government aid, but that's just a rough estimate,” said Eric.  “I think I may actually have more friends on Food Stamps than that.” With a relatively easy process to apply, according to Eric, he signed up and started receiving aid the next day.  “I receive roughly $200 a month[in New York State Food Stamps] , which helps me pay for the majority of my essential groceries and often times meals from the Whole Foods salad bar and deli's that accept EBT,” said Eric.

Eric’s not the only one who has been benefiting. According to calculations released on last March by city officials, food stamps and tax aid kept many from slipping under the poverty line during the recession. The center said that the poverty rate would have been three percentage points higher without this federal aid.

In fact, because the government did not cut food aid, the city expanded their percentage rate, for people on food stamps, by 39 percent.   Dr. Levitan, featured in a report done by the New York Times last March said that the reason for such an increase was ‘”to bring in more people who are not the traditional welfare population, but are more the working poor.”’  Eric is not considered the working poor and his age certainly does not fit the norm for food stamps.  However, his kind is not as unlikely as one might think.

According to the NYC Food Bank Hunger Safety Net 2007 report, 57 percent of recipients for Emergency Food Programs are working-age adults (18-64). Approximately 4% of EFP participants are ages 18-29. This information is alarming, especially since the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity said that “The likelihood that someone will be poor falls dramatically as his or her level of education rises” in the CEO Poverty Measure 2005-2009 report.

The impact of going on food stamps at such a young age can be dramatic. “Tax aid and food stamps may be helping but they [young people using government aid] still need services such as therapy,” said Dr. Suzzane Feinstein, Ph.D, working in midtown Manhattan in Behavioral Health services.  “Transitioning into work and leaning off the government can be very taxing.”

Some universities are now opening services up for those students who are on food stamps or government aid.  “We have support groups and individual therapy sessions for those using food stamps,” said Claire Davis, Psychologist at NYU Health Center. “It’s not as uncommon as you may think. About 3% of our students are using food stamps.”

The number of students on food stamps at NYU may be directly correlated with the extra government help during the recession. According to a New York Times article released last March a number of factors drove the government to provide this extra aid. A 20 percent increase in the cost of rent from 2005 to 2008 was one of the biggest impacts on the poverty rate. Without food stamp benefits increased, the Center for Economic Opportunity calculated that the poverty rate would have been six percentage points higher in 2011.

Experts seem to agree with the report’s outcome. Sociological expert Dr. Dave Haines, graduate of Yale and sociologist working with Hunter College, Yale and Harvard, said “Basically, from my understanding of the recent report on food stamps and tax aid, we have made strides in the correct direction.” It seems as though most people are getting through this recession in ease. Eric is able to buy most of what he needs on his government aid plan, he said “my ‘paycheck’ [New York State Unemployment Insurance] is still pretty small, but it does allow me afford most of the essentials that aren't covered by my food stamps including public transportation, bills, and entertainment.”

The Center for Economic Opportunity reported that in the Current Population Survey, the official U.S. poverty rate now stands at 14.3 percent. This report, titled “Policy Affects Poverty” was brought on by Mayor Bloomberg in his effort to receive more valid, modern information regarding poverty in New York City. This information is crucial because the government’s official criteria regarding poverty dates back to half a century ago.

For the country, this could mean a lower poverty rate in the future. For Eric, this means he can continue to live securely. He never wants return to his old way where he often “lived off of anything that was cheap - so a lot of $1 pizza slices, $2 falafel sandwiches, $1 dumplings, macaroni and cheese; college kid stuff.”

Narcotics in New York: Heroin Highs & Help

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From Broadway to Broken: A Mission in New York

After climbing a flight of stairs and hanging his coat up, Joe Little looked around his small office. Bags of donated and unsorted linens took up the space of one corner and the phone rang in the background. “You see the ultimate good and the ultimate sorrow,” he said, referring to his experience at the New York City Rescue Mission. 

Joe Little, Public Relations Manager

Little has been the Public Relations manager at the New York City Rescue Mission since 2003. The first of its kind, the Mission was founded in 1872 by Jerry and Maria McAuley. The model has since been replicated by hundreds of other rescue missions across the country. According to the Mission’s website, the organization works to provide spiritual hope, food, clothing, and shelter to those in crisis.

Goals remain the same today as they did at the time of its original founding. “We’re feeding the hungry, resting the weary, and encouraging the hopeless,” Little said. The New York City Rescue Mission preceded the federal welfare program.  

The facility has 100 beds for overnight guests who are offered meals, clean clothing, a shower, and spiritual guidance. Long term residents have access to career development services, an opportunity to prepare and complete their GED, as well as job skills training. 29 beds are reserved for those in the long term Residential Recovery Program.  

The long term recovery program typically lasts about eight to ten months, but depends on the overall response of the group. While not specifically directed toward one problem, those in residential recovery go through 12 step program to work on a variety of issues. Most often, Little said, those in the program are struggling with drug and alcohol related problems. “It is a place to wrestle with yourself, with what you have done to others, with God, with the past, present, and future,” Little said.

(dnainfo.com)

Little described the program as a place to openly admit your problems. It is about taking the next step toward positive change and renewal.

As a result, there are stories of success as well as stories of those who have fallen back into their vices.  

“Pete. He graduated from the program,” Little said. “But heroine is what it is. Too often I will see him on the subway, begging. It almost makes me weep.”

Another participant in the program, Bob H., is considered a success story. Little described Bob H. as a rare case. He was able to reunite with his spouse, his children, and get back onto his feet. Little said Bob H.’s case is seen as an incredible triumph. “Like being lifted up out of the impossible,” he said, referring to addiction and poverty.

Each year, approximately 100 men enter the recovery program. A graduation service follows the completion of each cycle. Little claims effectiveness of the program is good, although it is difficult to definitively measure a success rate because of the varying circumstances and outcomes.

“I love the guys in the program,” Little said, explaining that he acts as a type of brother or uncle to those in the program, whose ages typically vary. “They are making themselves vulnerable and transparent.” Little said the atmosphere at the Mission allows the men to be less guarded, which provides opportunity for great conversation.  

This atmosphere is evident especially during lunch time. Residents clamored into the cafeteria and lined up for a hot meal that had been blessed in prayer just moments before. Seated at the table, a counselor also said that this open environment plays no small role in why he works at the mission. “It’s the results,” he said humbly.

While lunch is provided only to residents, the Mission serves breakfast and dinner to anyone in need. Because of the current state of the economy, need has been increasing. Although the Mission is predominantly a men’s shelter, no one is turned away.

(dnainfo.com)

Eighty percent of the Mission’s funding comes from individual donations. In 2011 alone, these donations have helped to provide thousands of meals, articles of clothing, counseling and medical clinic hours, as well as a means for lodging.

“We welcome everyone,” said Executive Director James VarnHagen. VarnHagen said that the Mission hosts a variety of Christian denominations to use their chapel and conduct services.

Building a relationship with God is an important aspect in the Mission’s goals. Chapel services are available to anyone at the Mission. 

“We wash you on the outside,” Little said, “while God washes you on the inside.”

New York City Rescue Mission is located at 90 Lafayette Street. Call 212-226-6214 or visit www.nycrescue.org to learn more or get involved.
 
 

New York Herald (April 27, 1869)

Conviction for Murder: The Case of Henry Welcome of Vermont

New York Herald, April 27, 1869

Long ROADS Ahead In School Co-Location Battle

By Harrison Golden

BRONX -- Inside 1010 Reverend James Polite Avenue, students share one cafeteria, one gymnasium, and one computer lab. They walk the same hallways in between their class periods, and they walk through the same doors at the beginning and end of the day. But soon, there will be three separate high schools calling this address home.

The organization Reinventing Options for Adolescents Who Deserve Success, or ROADS, plans to operate a charter school, ROADS II, inside the facility. The site currently houses both Schomburg Satellite Academy and Bronx Regional High School. The move is scheduled for this fall.

“The ROADS team brings the best of high quality school reforms to charter schooling and New York,” Susan Miller Barker, Interim Executive Director of the SUNY Charter Schools Institute, wrote in a statement. “I commend the hard work they have done in bringing these proposals to fruition.”

The school hopes to serve as a “second chance” facility for roughly 150 students, all between ages 15 and 17. Many will come from foster care facilities, homeless shelters, and juvenile courts. Students will receive 215 days of instruction per year. Classes will begin each day at 8am and end at 6pm.

But these programs will come at a cost for the two schools already in the building. If the city’s educational oversight panel approves the plan, Schomburg would lose roughly two-fifths of its classrooms, while Bronx Regional would give up approximately a quarter of its current space. Teachers working there fear that the repositioning will interfere with students and their classes.

“I do not see this ending well,” said Dirk Peters, a English teacher at Schomberg. “Students will be fighting for space and, most of all, for educational opportunities. The community needs to speak out”

The New York City Department of Education, who placed ROADS II into its prospective location, insists that the building will not exceed its “target capacity” of 1,622 students. As of September, the location holds roughly 1,080 students. James Foreman, Jr., a law professor at Georgetown University and a proposed member of the ROADS board of trustees, does not believe these changes will obstruct enrollment or scheduling at the institutions.

“The charter will work with the already existing schools to examine the best way to meet our educational model,” Foreman wrote in an e-mail.

ROADS is no stranger to co-location. Its first school, ROADS I, opened in Brooklyn in September 2011 and currently shares a building with Aspirations Diploma Plus High School.

According to the Department of Education, over 40 percent of the city’s K-12 schools share space. While nearly 54,000 students attend charter schools citywide, roughly two-thirds of them do so in a co-located facility.

“Public education is the last bastion of space where poor, working-class students can get a chance to learn,” said Marissa Torres, a 5^th grade teacher at P.S. 261 in Brooklyn, which is located near Success Charter School.

City educators, school administrators, and parents will participate in a citywide public hearing on the plan scheduled for March 12. Angelique Ramirez, whose son attends Bronx Regional, plans to attend.

“Even if there is some room to be flexible with the rooms now, it can’t stay like this forever,” said Ramirez.

Ramirez also plans on following the upcoming educational oversight panel vote on the proposal, set for March 21.

“The schools have to come up with permanent solutions and plans eventually,” she added. “This might solve some things, but it won’t be the end.“

New York's Finest

google: Mike Lupica Daily News

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/nyregion/new-york-police-commissioner-defends-monitoring-of-muslims.html?ref=nyregion

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/nyregion/nypd-muslim-monitoring-and-a-climate-of-fear.html?ref=nyregion

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/new-york-post-cartoon-depicts-muslims-as-terrorists-nypd-surveillance-necssary_n_1304101.html

http://fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/exclusive-stopped-frisked-and-speaking-out/

The New York Herald

March 23, 1905

http://julesverne.ca/images/imgjvobit/newyorkherald_1905march25_page.jpg

Harper's Weekly
June 14, 1862
"The Steamer Planter and her Captor"


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/336612025_7d6c4665c3_o.jpg

Monday, December 19th 1864

Here's a front page of The New York Herald from Dec. 19th 1864 illustrating (what I think is) General Sherman's union base in Confederate territory. Two things I noticed here that are different from two years before is that the price doubled (from two to four cents!) and it no longer says "morning edition" on the header.

New York Herald - December 17 1861

New York Daily Tribune 1866

Page 4 for Friday, April 20, 1866
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1866-04-20/ed-1/seq-4/;mode=full

The Riverside Church

(www.riversidechurchny.org)

Located on the Upper West Side on Riverside Drive at 120th Street, the Riverside Church overlooks the Hudson River. It is in District 9. Many from across the country have visited and worshiped in the church, which is known for its progressive ministry.

In close proximity to the church are Barnard College and Union Theological Seminary, as well as Columbia University.

 

Sakura Park is also close by. 

Students and families are most commonly seen around the area, which is quiet and home to many parks and open spaces. Tennis courts are available for use along the Hudson River. 

  

 Once inside the church, monuments and documents are on display. The church went through many changes and during its early years. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. led the church in its early stages as a layman.

 

 This statue is located in the narthex of the church. It is an angel holding a cathedral, representing the temporal church. The two windows behind it depict events, miracles, and parables in the life of Christ. 

Through the narthex is the nave, or sanctuary. The nave is a true tribute to the church's founders, architects, and artists. Elaborate sculpture and stained glass characterize the nave. Stories and parables are told through this architecture and art.

In addition to the narthex and nave, the chancel, Christ chapel, Gethsemane chapel, and carillon are also within the church.

 

 Riverside Church also has a number of ministries, which are open to all visitors and members.

 According to a pamphlet about the church, Riverside has historically been a "prophetic Christian voice in America on many issues including racism, sexism, homophobia, universal health care, immigration reform, pacifism, nuclear disarmament, apartheid in South Africa, and the death penalty among many others."

Pictured above is the food pantry. Clothing service and showers are also available to the homeless. Riverside also offers a library and theater.

 

According to a stalwart member of Riverside Church, Diana Solomon-Glover, the programs at the church come out of mission. The church is congregational, meaning the congregation votes to make important decisions. Although, Solomon-Glover said the church has undergone some administrative toil over the past three years, as many have been disturbed by the current senior minister. 

Solomon-Glover has been a member at Riverside since 1990. "I was drawn because of the inclusivity," she said, noting the church's progressive goals. The church is open and affirming and welcomes all races, nationalities, and those who identify as LGBTQ.

Solomon-Glover is a semi-professional singer. "The choir at Riverside is a very big part of my musical life," she said, explaining that the music program at Riverside adds to the ministry. In addition to the choir, Solomon-Glover is occasionally involved in social service programs at Riverside and said that the church is very social justice oriented. She talked about the food pantry that is available to those in need. 

"It is not always the easiest place to be, though," she added, noting that the church is currently going through a transition. "It is still finding its place in this world. The world is not the same as it was 20 years ago."

Solomon-Glover does believe the church helps to characterize the area, "It certainly helps to define the neighborhood," she said.

The Bronx Zoo: Endangered Species and Dora The Explorer

The Bronx Zoo’s presence can be felt the moment you step off the subway at the East Tremont Ave, West Farm Square station.  Pictured road signs with cartoon animals, street vendors selling every color cotton candy and wide-eyed giddy children lining up to buy balloons line the three-block-walk from the subway. Bold yellow writing against a jungle themed backdrop welcomes visitors inside the Asia Entrance.

                       

Once inside, visitors are surrounded by both the wild and the corporate.  Coca-Cola trucks are plotted throughout the grounds next to tribal sculptures and polar bears pens. And there’s more to do than just see the animals. The Total Experience ticket grants you access to Dora and Diego’s 4D adventure and the Bug Carousel.  The Zoo Store sells t-shirts, pencils, mugs and magnets amongst an enormity of merchandise.

               Despite its somewhat corporate feel, the zoo is actually part of the Wildlife Conservation Society and home to the organization’s headquarters.

According to its website, the WCS mission is to “save wildlife and wild places across the globe.”

   Since its foundation in 1895, the WCS has been worked to protect many species including the gorillas in Congo, tigers in India and wolves in the Yellowstone Rockies.   

The zoo is one of five New York City parks that are part of the Wildlife Conservation Society.  The others four are New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and Prospect Zoo.

Admission prices mirror the zoos double image as a moneymaking amusement park and a conservation society. General admission is $16 for adults and $12 for kids.  Rides and attractions cost up to $5 extra.  Wednesdays, however, are donation day.

Unlike other destinations around the city, there is no pressure applied to the visitors about their donation price.

               “Would you like to make a donation?” is all the woman asks at the ticket booth.

              

               The zoo is home to approximately 4,000 animals in including, lions, tigers, grizzly bears, monkeys and a herd of bison.

               The bison tell a special story of the Bronx Zoo, as the species were part of the WCS first success stories.  In 1907 they brought fifteen Bronx Zoo bison to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Preserve in Oklahoma to try and restore the herds to the Western Plains.

              

               “Ugly Buffalo” a young girl shouts as she stands by the cage.

The zoo is part of Bronx community district 6.  It is one of three major landmarks in the area with Fordham University and New York Botanical gardens located close by.  Fordham originally owned the land that is now the zoo and the botanical gardens but sold it for $1000 to the city of New York on the condition that it would be used as a zoo and gardens.

In 2,000 the population of district 6 was around 75,000 with almost two thirds of these on income support.   The area is made of 61% Hispanic and 26 African American.

This dynamic is well reflected in the staff at the zoo.  The two women in the admissions booth, the man handing out park maps and the man at the cash register at the store are Hispanic.

The 5 New York City Parks attract 4 million visitors each year and, according to the WCS, “help the city to educate millions of schoolchildren I conservation issues.”

Of the thousands of visitors at the zoo on Wednesday, February 22nd, the majority are children, excited and curios, but still with some lessons to learn about the animal kingdom. 

“Look daddy!” one girl shouts, pointing to a baboon leaning over a pile of rocks.  “The mommy baboon is sitting on her eggs!”

West Harlem Piers Park

West Harlem in perspective of New York City.                  nyc.gov

Map of West Harlem.                                             nyc.gov

 

General NYC park rules.

Left to right: View of the Hudson River, West Harlem Piers Park, Hudson River Greenway, Marginal Street, and bridge of Henry Hudson Parkway.

Scott Baird, 61, physicist frequently walks from Columbia to enjoy this park.

“It goes past the George Washington Bridge,” said Baird. “You can also walk all the way down to the Battery.”

View of pier, Hudson River, and New Jersey.

Bridge of Henry Hudson Parkway, West Harlem Piers Park, and New Jersey.

View of bridge and buildings.

James, an off-duty federal officer and a bicyclist resting on the park’s benches along with a fellow bicyclist described this area before the city built this park.

“No park. Dark. Garbages all over the place. A lot of bad people all around. You can see drug dealers everywhere,” said James.

 

George Washington, 62, retired visits the park for the second time.

      “The city was broke and they forgot about it, said Washington. “It’s just everything was just sitting. You have stray, you have a lot of homeless people that made camps and all that.”

Washington relaxing on pier's bench.

“There’s a drive along the East River but this [the Westside pier] is prettier. The landscape. City water. You’ve got New Jersey. More hills, ” said Washington.

A woman eating on the steps and a park sculpture on the left.

Mini lanes.