Panoramic Scene 1: 117th And Malcolm X Blvd To Mr. Wright's Class

I had to how to do panoramas in order to make good on #27 in the now Top 30:
"27. Making quicktime VR movies ( a relatively easy and low tech, low cost, low data task) with kids to show off their communities." I used to use QuickTime VR for OS9, in OSX I'm using VR Worx. Above is a screen shot of the 117th Pan which in the Panoramic Scene links to Mr. Wright's 6th Grade Class. The hot spot is approximately where the room is located. The hot spot back to 117th Street is also in approximately the correct spot. Here is the link to the movie.Below is a screen shot of Mr. Wright's room

Max Speaks Part 2

Max talks about his life after World War 2, about how he met his first wife, along with other progressive folks of that pre-McCarthy era (Belafonte, Poitier) at a social club (Young Progressives) on the LES, Henry's Restraurant on Avenue B, Christadora House and his experiences at the famous Robeson concert in Peekskill in 1949. I'm off now to bet on Max's horse here's part 2 of my conversation with Max

Max Speaks Part 1

It's been a while since I've done a podcast/slideshow. Max talks of his mother Ida's pushcart on Monroe Street, his schooling at the Rabbi Jacob School, his late brother Milton, Seward Park High School, public bathhouses, moving to Jefferson Street and later the Red Hook Projects, his World War II basic training in Atlantic City and his service in the PTO (Burma). The restaurant's muzak is in the background as well as Miguel chiming in.
here's part1 of my conversation with Max

In Memoriam: Jim Garst, Local Hero

Jim Garst's memorial service was yesterday. It was quite a turnout. Well over 200 people of all walks of life crowded the community room of Columbus Park Towers' Cooperative on the Upper West Side to hear Borough President Scott Stringer, Assemblymen Jim Brennan and Pete Grannis, Council Member Gale Brewer and activist legend David McReynolds speak of Jim's quiet, but heroic accomplishments in saving affordable housing in NYC . Cousin Jerry Breslaw, Paddy Quick and Ed Yaker of the Amalgamated Coops also spoke eloquently. Michael McKee and Lee Chong were the event hosts and there were a host of folks providing some spirited musical interludes, including a rousing Solidarity Forever finale led by Ray Korona, Gil Skillman and David Laibman. I substituted Utah Phillips' version for this slide show of the event
Solidarity Forever
(Tune: John Brown's Body) (by Ralph Chaplin, January 1915 )(9th edition, 1916)
When the Union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run,
There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun.
Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one?
But the Union makes us strong.
• Solidarity forever!
Solidarity forever!
Solidarity forever!
For the Union makes us strong.
Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite
Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?
Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?
For the Union makes us strong.
• [chorus]
It is we who plowed the prairies; built the cities where they trade;
Dug the mines and built the workshops; endless miles of railroad laid.
Now we stand outcast and starving, 'midst the wonders we have made;
But the Union makes us strong.
• [chorus]
All the world that's owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone.
We have laid the wide foundations; built it skyward stone by stone.
It is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own,
While the Union makes us strong.
• [chorus]
They have taken untold millions that they never toiled to earn,
But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel can turn.
We can break their haughty power; gain our freedom when we learn
That the Union makes us strong.
• [chorus]
In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold;
Greater than the might of armies, magnified a thousand-fold.
We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old.
For the Union makes us strong.
• [chorus]

Children's Museum Of The American Indian

This goes into the category of "You can live in New York your whole life and still discover amazing places you have never seen." I went along with the fourth graders to this museum on Monday and was really pleasantly surprised. It seems like these two guys, Norman and Tommy, run this tried and true program on a shoestring-yet it really connects with the kids. No fancy multimedia and laser lights, just two guys who know how to talk and relate to children. This is from their site: http://www.cmna.us/School_Programs.htm
"A special interactive program based on audience participation has been developed for school groups visiting the Museum.  The program reinforces the social studies curriculum of the schools and makes learning about the American Indian an exciting educational experience. Each year the Children's Museum emphasizes a different geographic area of Native American culture.  Past programs have included shows on the Eskimo as well as the Eastern Woodland, Southwest, and Plains Indians.  This year's program is about the Indians of the Northwest Coast and is presented in three parts: an artifact demonstration, a puppet show, and an Indian workshop." Norm reminded me a little of John Nagy who used to do a television show on how to draw about 100 years ago. I liked his politics as well.
PS. While there I noticed a nice group of 4th graders and teachers from Brooklyn. (BTW, Pacheco's and Rizzo's 4th graders rock too).
Enquiring minds like to know, so I asked where they were from. They were from PS 13 in Region 5. Synchronicity! I asked, "So is Kathleen Cashin as good as the Times' article stated, or is that just a lot of hype. "No, she's great and very down to earth. She's often in our school"
Now mind you, I've been in Region's 9 and 10 for the last 3 years in several schools. I've seen a Regional Superintendent once and that was only because my principal at the time hounded him into coming to see our school's learning fair. A neighborhood friend of mine spotted that same superintendent at a gym at 9:00 AM on a school day. Working out hard for that $175,000. Maybe he was recruiting.
Here's a slide show of part of the going's on at the museum.The soundtrack comes from the cute puppet show that was done

Shep Nachas

Nachas generally refers to getting satisfaction or pleasure from someone or something. When you shep nachas, you take pride in something.
Example: Two elderly men are sitting on a park bench. One says to the other, "My daughter has been married five times: to a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a plumber and a professor." The second one nods and replies, "Oy. So much nachas from one girl!"
I missed last Wednesday with Melissa's first graders. Little did I know they had planned a surprise birthday party for me. I got these great cards this week. Best present I could have gotten.
Best "huchmas"
Mr. David
You don't know me because Im new and Im a nice boy. Happy birthday
Mr. David
Thak you for cumeing to the rocks star class and Happy Brtday to
I love you you are rilly nice and yore cusin is nice to
here's a slide show with the cards

George Gershwin And PS 20

In Williamsburgh for dinner tonight and I scored a reviewer's copy ($3!) of this new Gershwin biography at a local bookstore. It provided just about all of the family's and George's addresses. Also some information about George's time at PS 20. With the addresses and information about the different spellings of the name I was able to locate the census records. More to come on that along with photos of some of still standing buildings that Gershwin lived in. Here's a pdf of a few pages on George's early life. Also, from July of 2005 a repost of some slide shows with pictures from the display cases that used to be in the lobby of PS 20. These cases were a treasure of school and LES history. They were removed last year when the veteran principal of 26 years, Dr. Golubchick, retired. Supposedly they were deemed unsafe by the new administration. What a loss!
Here are those slide shows:this one that contained old news clippings and another that had historical photos.

Here's a review of this new bio by Howard Pollack
"Gershwin buffs, run, don't walk to get this book. Pollack has written the definitive study of both "The Life" and "The Work," as per his two fat sections. Pollack's book is, for one, the first Gershwin bio that takes advantage of the discovery of mountains of original orchestra parts for Golden Age musical theatre scores in a Secaucus warehouse in the early eighties. As such, Pollack analyzes Gershwin's theatre scores closely just as classical music scholars can attend to Mozart or Haydn's works.
In addition, some Gershwin bios have been written by people focused on pulling him down, devoted to revealing him as an undereducated, boorish parvenu (i.e. the ones by Charles Schwartz and Joan Peyser). Pollack's sleuthing and interviews conclusively demonstrate that these evaluations were incorrect: Gershwin pursued serious musical training throughout his life, it shows in his work, and socially, he was a beloved, charming person who was deeply mourned at his death."

PS 15 History

In my "archives" I have a digitized copy of a special edition of the 1896 NYTribune which focused on New York Schools. The image above is part of a story on PS15. This links to a pdf file with the remainder of that article (seems like principal Beers was quite a guy) and some additional information on local school history from a 1963 local news article by George Freedman. At one time I thought YIP Harburg went to PS15, but I later found he went to the old PS64 on 9th Street instead. However, according to Freedman, PS15 alumni include Rabbi Stephen Wise, merchant Joseph Bloomingdale and Panama Canal architect, George Goethals! Here's the slide show on local school history including some archival images of PS 15 I think I should pass this on to the Principal of PS 15

Heave Aweigh, Santy Ano 4

Here's my first karaoke slide show from over 4 years ago-now youtubed
I dropped the youtube version. It just doesn't synch the words and music properly. Here's the slideshow version

Heave Aweigh, Santy Ano 2

This was my favorite song from my lone camping experience at University Settlement Camp in Beacon, NY (1960?)
From Boston Town we're bound away,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
Around Cape Horn to Frisco Bay,
We're bound for Californi-o.
So Heave her up and away we'll go,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
Heave her up and away we'll go,
We're bound for Californi-o.

She's a fast clipper ship and a bully crew,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
A down-east Yankee for her captain, too.
We're bound for Californi-o.
So Heave her up and away we'll go,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
Heave her up and away we'll go,
We're bound for Californi-o.

Back in the days of Forty-nine,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
Those were the days of the good old times,
Way out in Californi-o.
So Heave her up and away we'll go,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
Heave her up and away we'll go,
We're bound for Californi-o.

When I leave ship I'll settle down
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano
I'll marry a girl named Sally Brown
Way out in Californi-o
So Heave her up and away we'll go,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
Heave her up and away we'll go,
We're bound for Californi-o.

There's plenty of gold, so I've been told,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
Plenty of gold so I've been told
Way out in Californi-o
So Heave her up and away we'll go,
Heave aweigh (Heave aweigh!) Santy Ano.
Heave her up and away we'll go,
We're bound for Californi-o.

Here's the slide show I put together with images of some of the boats built at lower east side shipyards

Lower East Side Archaeology

Hidden away in the clouded window displays of the 9th Precinct on Ave D on East 8th Street is an informative exhibit (done by the Seaport Museum) on the archaeological results that stemmed from the precinct's recent construction. I did my best to record it digitally. It's a shame this isn't available for the public and as time goes on the sunlight will fade it into obscurity. Here's the slide show I put together from those photos.

Lost In The Bronx: Talie V

After I picked up Talie I mapped out in my mind a travel itinerary. We would head over to the University Heights area to locate the house on Loring Place that my adopted Aunt Florence (my mother's best friend) lived in. I had just remembered that street name when inadvertently being lost by it two weeks ago in a detour I took to avoid Thanksgiving traffic upstate. Then we would go to Riverdale to a nice diner for lunch. The only thing was the usually reliable "map in my head" wasn't working. I'm not too familiar with the Bronx. The picture has my meanderings. The red has the first part of the trip. We never made it to Riverdale. The green has my dumb return trip by parkway instead of the streets. Talie played a gentler version of my father in his criticism of my driving. While lost I pulled over and had Talie call my Aunt Lilly. This is what happens when you get old. Here's a slide show of the whole experience.

Most Holy Trinity Church History 2

Here's a slide show made up of many of the historic photos from Most Holy Trinity's site. The last one was taken in 1916 when Betty Smith was a 20 year old parishioner. Now the congregation is mostly Hispanic

School Plaque History Redux

From August of 2005:
A couple of views of PS 177. Last year I met Gin Gee Moy, the former principal of The Meyer London School (PS 2 on Henry Street). Not too long after I graduated PS177 in 1960 the building was torn down and replaced by PS 2. There had also been an older PS 2 before on Henry Street. Mr. Sol Press had replaced Mr. Gregor at 177 in 1959 as principal and went to PS 2 with the 177 faculty. Gin Gee became part of that faculty and worked with Mr. Press. She also knew many of my old teachers. I just about remember them alin order from K-6 : Mrs Horowitz, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Lizzio, Mrs. Peck, Mrs. Apat, Mrs. Feuer, Mrs. Decker and Mrs. Jonas. Mrs. Jonas went out on pregnancy leave in the 6th Grade and we had some weird subs: Mrs. Fels, who said she was related to the Fels-Naptha family and Mrs. Lebergott. BTW Gin Gee looks a whole lot better than I do. She also told me that Mrs. Lizzio is still alive and in her 90's. I think 177 was the Roger Bacon school.
a repeat of a slide show of some LES school plaques done also in August of 2005

Pickle Power

I was on the LES last week helping set up a class visit by some 2nd graders to see the thepickleguys at work. While there both the owner, Alan Kaufman and I, were interviewed by Columbia Journalism students. Afterwards I went to the Seward Park Library. I was curious to see if they had any archival material on food vendors on the lower east side. I came up with some gems. Part of this slide show is made up of a 1973 NYTimes' article about Guss' Pickles.
The last two slides come from a newly published book I got, "Life On The Lower East Side, the Photographs of Rebecca Lepkoff." They are of unidentified LES pickle merchants from the 1940's. Alan Kaufman told me that the photo of the guy with the pipe is his pickle mentor, Natie Hollander, who is still alive!

Big City Bright Lights On Avenue A

There have been underwhelming inquiries as to whether pseudo-intellectual attempted to be pseudo hip by going to a cool bar to hear Ryan Sullivan's kid sister perform last week. The answer is yes. Big City Bright Lights was terrific:
"Big City Bright Lights comes at you with a country twang straight from New York City. Lead vocalist and architect of BCBL - Lindsay Sullivans voice is reminiscent of classic Americana, but specifically Loretta Lynn. In the summer of 2005, THE BIG CITY BRIGHT LIGHTS were born.BCBL is songstress & keyboard player Lindsay Sullivan (formerly of mason dixon), Guitarist Brendan Boehning (Kinetic), Drummer Tim Collins (Michael Leviton among others), Bassist Dan Loomis and Vocalist Ellie Everdell (Legitime). This pop-rock-country-soul-explosion is working day and night to produce songs for your listening pleasure so check 'em out. You wont be disappointed." They will be on the LES at Mo Pitkin's on Ave A and 2nd Street on November 7th. Here's a bit of an audio sample combining Ryan's offer of, "Another beer," with a taste of Big City's hypnotic tune "Wish You Everything." I mixed it with pics from Union Hall, which features a bocce court no less and scenes from Mo Pitkins! BTW, Ryan's dad was there-A great guy and a proud papa. The two of us were at least 25 years older than the next oldest person.