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From The New York Shitty Inbox: Holy Shit
Filed under: 11222, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Per a tipster, an auto accident came to pass on the BQE this morning which resulted in a vehicle being jettisoned of said roadway and onto McGuinness Boulevard. Fortuitously enough, no one was killed.
UPDATE, 12:58 p.m.: Here’s a brief synopsis of what happened courtesy of the New York Post. The New York Daily News’s (less gore-mongering) take can be seen here. Apparently the vehicle struck was manned by an police officer. Yikes!
UPDATE, 5:05 p.m.: Here are some more photos from the scene courtesy of Robin Hagert. (Thanks!)
UPDATE, 10:20 p.m.: Here’s what the head of our Precinct, Deputy Inspector Hurson, has to say
Heather, the accident today was very seriousness, an off duty Police Officer on his way home from work was driving the car that fell of the highway, we at first thought he was not going to survive. However he is now in stable condition. Both drivers passed a sobriety test. The driver of the other vehicle was arrested for driving with a suspended license.
I agree: this is serious. Hence, why I am very happy to learn this officer is in stable condition— and am very grateful for Mr. Hurson taking the time to contact me and tender an update. Thanks!
Photo Credits: the photo gracing the beginning of this post comes courtesy of Holly Ludvigsen.
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Booty
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Street Art
From McGuinness Boulevard.
Missing On McGuinness Boulevard: Thatcher
I stumbled this missive at McGuinness Boulevard and Eagle Street while on “manhole patrol” this morning. If anyone has seen Thatcher (who is purportedly “feisty as hell”) please contact her person at the above-listed telephone number. Thanks!
Manhole Patrol: 11/14/2011
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Criminal Activity, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Long Island City, Long Island City Queens, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
While my site has been eerily quiet on the subject the past few days I can assure you, gentle readers, I have been keeping a vigilant watch over our community’s plundered manholes access covers. Without further ado, here are a few more!
McGuinness Boulevard, between Greenpoint Avenue and Calyer Street, East Side
I appear to have missed these two the first time around. For those of you keeping count, this make twelve such missing covers on McGuinness Boulevard.
Marcy Avenue at Hope Street, 11211
Representing Williamsburg, we have this specimen which hails a mere hop-skip from the entrance to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway! And getting back to unfinished business…
49 Noble Street (between West and Franklin Street)
On November 10, 2011 “A” wrote:
Noble btwn Franklin and West, not sure if you got this one already. another one down the block filled with water but my photo didn’t come out!
Duly noted! What’s more I felt a fit of artistic inspiration just down the block. More specifically: I decided to put the “man” back in manhole!
In closing, I’d like to note that this phenomenon (the commandeering of public property for sale as scrap) has not gone unnoticed by a colleague of mine in Queens. In fact, today he authored a blog post of his own on the subject. Give it a read!
Spotted On McGuinness Boulevard: Stop The Speedway
Today as I was strolling past the scene of our latest traffic-related fatality, Calyer Street at McGuinness Boulevard, I stumbled upon this item. Intrigued, I checked out the url listed on this sticker upon arriving home. I would strongly advise each and every one of my fellow Greenpointers to do the same.
There you will find the above online petitions and a number of statistics which are quite disturbing. For example: in the course of 8 hours 150 red light violations were observed and 114 failures to yield to pedestrians were observed. Check it out.
New York Shitty Day Ender: Live From The 94th Precinct Community Council Meeting
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Criminal Activity, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
This evening’s meeting— the last one for 2011— was short and sweet. However, there were items of (sadly, distressing) interest. Without further ado, here we go!
Part I: Marie introduces herself, calls the meeting to order, minutes from the previous meeting are read, etc.
Part II: Deputy Inspector Hurson gives a rundown of the month’s “activity”. Regrettably, the Cooper Park Houses receive a great deal of attention.
- D.I. Hurson notes that this year has been, overall, a very good one. Still there are problems. Primarily around/in the Cooper Park Houses.
- Two shootings have come to pass. One was perpetrated by a 15 year old youth; the other arose from a domestic situation and came to pass at 20 Debevoise Street. After 1 1/2 hours of negotiation, he gave himself up to the police.
- The party responsible for robbery at knife point at the Graham Avenue stop of the L train has been apprehended and is likely to have been responsible for a number of similar crimes in the area. The “perp” is a 60 year old male who hails from the Cooper Park Houses.
- The DWI fatality on Meserole Avenue is recounted. D.I. Hurson informs us that the pedestrian hit at Calyer Street and McGuinness Boulevard later died as a result of his injuries. The person responsible for the latter was caught thanks to surveillance cameras and a Mercedes Benz hood ornament found at the scene.
- Deputy Inspector Hurson notes traffic issues, namely those involving Kent Avenue and bicycle lanes have come to his attention. He notes that at North 6th Street alone there have been four accidents. This amongst the worst to be found in our fair city. As a result, the Department of Transportation is conducting a study with the 94th’s full cooperation.
- Club enforcement: a “social club” selling alcoholic beverages which was operating out of a private residence on Lombardy Street has been shut down.
- Both Halloween and the New York City Marathon came to pass peaceably.
Part III: The Q & A Session begins.
- A resident of the apparently troubled intersection of North 3rd Street and Berry Street speaks about confronting a rather belligerent fellow urinating on his stoop. As some of may recall, this same behavior and location were brought up at last month’s meeting. The difference this time: apparently The Levee (whose previous incarnation was Kokies— a club which will live in Williamsburg infamy) is the culprit, not Radegast.
- The matter of food trucks, namely “Endless Summer”, is brought forth. The customers of said truck are dumping their refuse/half-eaten foodstuffs on the street and this has resulted resulted in an increased presence of rats. You get the idea. A member of our local Community Board’s Public Safety Committee, Tom Burrows, inquires about the one hour parking rule. He is told by D.I. Hurson that they have to feed the meter like everyone else.
Part IV: The Q & A Session concludes.
- The new tenant leader of the Cooper Park Houses introduces herself, commends D.I. Hurson for the work the 94th has been doing and states her utmost wish to meet the office assigned to police her community (because she has yet to see him/meet him). Tomorrow.
An equally brief New York Shitty analysis/Op. Ed.: As some of you might recall, earlier today yours truly met a very lovely young woman on the premises of the Cooper Houses. A very young kitten had walked up to her and instead of simply walking away she took her into her arms— and heart. Not being in the position to keep her, she allowed me— a total stranger promising this kitten would find a loving home— to take her. For this she, her sister and grandmother thanked me.
The real thanks should go out to Kaileigh— and her family. Thanks to them this kitten will have undoubtedly have a safe place to call home and grow into “cat-hood”. Why shouldn’t Kaileigh— a human, and a very sweet one at that— get the same? Just a thought.
Until next year, folks…
New York Shitty Street Seating du Jour: Recliner
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Street Furniture
From McGuinness Boulevard.
News You Can Use: The Man Hole Report
Filed under: 11222, Criminal Activity, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
As many of you have undoubtedly noticed, I have been quite intrigued about the disappearance of public property hereabouts lately. This is not mere idle curiosity either; when walking down the sidewalk I’d like to have some semblance of assurance that there is, in fact, something upon which to walk. I am not alone in harboring this sentiment. Jay (who forwarded me the photo to the left) writes (in an email charming entitled “another hole”):
Here’s another case of a missing metal plate on mcguinness near driggs. I’m sending another photo of a missing plaque in Father Studzinski Sq at the same intersection.
And sure enough, he did. But still, I could not get this image off my mind.
Exactly how many such covers have been commandeered so as to be “repurposed” by our local scrap metal establishments?
I asked to myself. Well, gentle readers, yesterday morning I found out! I walked from one end of McGuinness Boulevard to the other in search of plundered holes. And find them I did!
Upon heading out on my mission I bumped into my friend Chris at The G Spot. He too had noticed that these sidewalk/street covers have been disappearing at an alarming rate. So much so, he could not recall what they looked like anymore. I vowed to find out and, fortuitously enough, at the beginning of my survey (and at a location I will not disclose) I found one!
As you can see it reads “WSNY”. This means “Water State of New York”. In other words, it is state property. Or soon to be was. Now on with the show!
McGuinness Boulevard, west side, between Ash and Box Street
McGuinness Boulevard, west side, between Clay and Box Street
Some kind of canister has been used to close the hole. Resourceful!
McGuinness Boulevard, west side, between Dupont and Clay Street
Here a more customized solution has been found. As it would happen, I had the pleasure of meeting the chap responsible for this. He told me this is the second time he has had this plate stolen, he has called 311 to no avail (“they don’t care”) and he asserted quite stridently that he knew the man responsible for both thefts. He is allegedly a resident of the 3/4 house on Clay Street. Good times!
McGuinness Boulevard, west side, between Dupont and Eagle Street
Here we encounter our first (but hardly last) novel use of a traffic cone. Note how it has been pressed into service as a trash receptacle. Genius!
McGuinness Boulevard, west side, between Eagle and Freeman Street
Another block, another hole. Beginning to discern a pattern here?
McGuinness Boulevard, west side, between Huron and India Street
Someone has been very busy!
McGuinness Boulevard, east side, between India and Java Street
McGuinness Boulevard, west side, between Kent Street and Greenpoint Avenue
And then as I crossed Greenpoint Avenue the thievery stopped. I have a theory about this which I would like to posit here. Aside from proximity to the Greenpoint “Hotel” and 3/4 house, I observed that north of Greenpoint Avenue these plates were invariably to be found adjacent to fire hydrants. On the south side of Greenpoint Avenue this is not the case. Thus, I would posit that the reason the plates are intact “down south” is because they are not as easy to locate.
McGuinness Boulevard, west side, at Bayard Street
For the most part.
So how many missing covers did I find along our community’s solution to the Champs-Élysées, gentle readers? The grand total (including Jay’s find) comes out to ten. It should be noted that I later found three ones MIA in Williamsburg. In closing I will leave you with an interesting, if unrelated, discovery from my investigation (as spotted at Nassau Avenue).
It would appear that someone is a Jack Daniels fan.
NYS Flickr Pool
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