I’ve just completed my first impressions photo essay of Maspeth. It contains five images, but it’s only a start. In the near future, expect to see abandoned train tracks, yard statues, storefront posters, and other local curiosities.
The businesses of Maspeth have a reputation, built on ethics and community involvement. They hope this can help them survive the current economic crisis.
“We give back to the community. We’re not here to make money, but also enhance the lives of the residents,” said Thomas K. Rudzewick, the senior vice president of the Maspeth Federal Savings.
In spite of the growing unease about the economy, the feeling in Maspeth remains positive, even among the bankers and realtors who bear the brunt and blame for the nation’s financial woes.
The recent plummet of stocks has resulted in the collapse of the banking superpowers Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the insurance staple AIG. Yet the local bank appears to chug along smoothly. (more…)
Donna Lieberman (left) and Jessica Colton (speaking) defend the voting rights of Maria Perez
Most ex-convicts in New York can vote, but they are not aware of it and neither are many election officials. A coalition of advocacy groups headed by the New York Civil Liberties Union responded Wednesday with a statewide campaign to defend the voting rights of citizens with prior criminal convictions.
“There is a mistaken belief that those with criminal records permanently lose their right to vote,” said NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman. “Thousands of New Yorkers are either unnecessarily forfeiting or being denied their rights. Either way, it’s a problem for us as a democracy.” (more…)
How “hyper-local” can blogging get? I’ve just settled into my new home in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Queens, and on my block, there is a curious street that sticks out of the grid. It also defies local naming conventions.
The other Park Avenue: No Doormen Here
As a follow-up, I shall interview the residents of this block. I wonder if they have trouble receiving pizza deliveries.
At a press conference this week, Zhao Chunluan, director-general of Beijing Disabled Persons’ Federation, said: “People with disabilities of course have undergone great development.”
The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first turn of a wheelchair. Hopefully, the progress is more than cosmetic, but a long-lasting effort for China’s disabled citizens.
The United Nations has launched an initiative to have the marshlands of southern Iraq listed as a world heritage site.
Natural sites that affected local ethnology and history are also being given international attention. It’s good to see that humanity as a whole is becoming a more sensitive, towards other people, nature, and the history that affects us all.
And this concludes my first public blog post.
