How we commance Franklin

1. Where: I took this photo at the Franklin institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2. Who and Why: Benjamin Franklin, one of the signers of the US constitution and a scientist is being honored here.  He is being honored because he lived in Philadelphia and was a representative of Pennsylvania when he was part of the Constitutional Convention.  This statue is in the Franklin Institute, a science museum in Philadelphia to honor Franklin for all the scientific advancements he made and for his general love of science and gaining knowledge.
3. Reflection: It reminded me a lot of the Lincoln memorial in Washington, D.C., just a smaller version and of course it honors someone else.  It’s the first thing you see when you enter the museum and is the only thing in this room. I was there with some friends and when we walked in and saw it at first I said “Remember on the show The Office they had a guy dressed as  Ben Franklin came in, and they brought up how he cheated on his wife a lot?”  I don’t know why this was my first thought what it was.  But it was true fact that he did cheat on his wife Deborah Read, and side fact they were married by common-law marriage not a ceremony.  Anyway thinking about how he was in his family made me wonder if someone really deserves a commemoration like this.  However, Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers and deserves the honor that comes with that.  If it wasn’t for him and his philosophies we wouldn’t have the freedoms we get here.  This was pretty much the conversation I had with my friends at the Institute.  By the way we enjoyed the Franklin Institute and recommend you take a trip as well, if you go to Philadelphia.

1. Sister Mary Patrick McCarthy Way

I took this photograph in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York located on 94th street and Sister Mary Patrick McCarthy Way / 35th avenue. Walking by this street every once in a while gives  me a chance to reminisce great memories due to the fact that I was raised here for 18 years and that I went to Blessed Sacrament School which is now called P.S 280. I moved to Rego Park , Queens this year which is 30 minute commute by train to get to Jackson Heights. However, when I do come visit my old neighborhood, Jackson Heights, to visit my family or friends, I always walk down by this street.  On November 18, Council member, Daniel Dromm, who represents Jackson Heights, revealed the street co-naming of Sister Mary Patrick McCarthy. It was passed by the New York City Council and signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on October 2, 2012. This former nun and school principal is being commemorated for helping out immigrants, senior citizens, the homeless and of her commitment to Catholic faith and values.  Sister, Mary Patrick McCarthy had a long struggle and unfortunately died of breast cancer in 2002. It is now 2015 and she is still being honored for the many good deeds she has done to the Jackson Heights community. Every time someone will walk down this street, they will remember her for the good person she was inside and out. Rest in peace Sister Mary Patrick McCarthy.

http://www.qgazette.com/news/2012-11-28/Features/Dromm_CoNames_Sister_Mary_Patrick_McCarthy_Way.html

Sign Keeps Principal’s Memory Alive

2. Biggie Smalls: Comandante Biggie mural

I took this photograph on the corner of Fulton Street and South Portland Avenue in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn.  This mural was painted by street artist, Cern One. In this mural, Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls is being commemorated. It shows Biggie Smalls signature pose and underneath in capital letters Comandante (in spanish) Biggie which means Commanding Biggie. It combines Biggie Smalls with a meaning of the South American revolutionary Che Guevara. Biggie Smalls was one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. Unfortunately, on March 7, 1997, Wallace was killed by in a drive in shooting in Los Angeles, California and was only 24 years old at the time.  Right now he would have been 43 years old if he were still alive at this moment. Overall, I think Cern One did a very beautiful mural of him. When everyone walks by Fulton Steet and South Portland Avenue, hip hop fans will remember him for the great legend he was. Rest in peace Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls.

https://brooklynlovebuilding.wordpress.com/%C2%A1comandante-biggie/

http://www.biography.com/people/biggie-smalls-20866735

3. 9/11 Memorial Pool

I took this photograph in World Trade Center site located at 180 Greenwich Street . This memorial pool commemorates all the citizens names inscribed that died on the September 11 attacks. It is a reminder of the attacks, giving everybody to visit a place to honor, grieve,  and to remember forever. Some of the names I saw on the pool were Francisco Eugio Bourdier, Juan Ortega Campos, Randall L. Drake, Hernando Rafael Salas, Alejandro Castano, Sebastian Gorki, Joni Cesta, Francis Joseph, and many more.  I remember on September 11, 2001 I was with my kindergarten class sitting and having to go home early. When my dad picked me up from school he took my home and told me something terrible had happened. Being five years old at the time I did not really understand. Now I am 19 years old and I understand what truly happened. It is heartbreaking, that a lot of lives were lost that day not knowing this incident would have occurred. May all these individuals rest in peace.

4. Adam Yauch Park

I took this photograph in 27 State Street in Brooklyn. Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys founding member, is being commemorated by having a park named after him. This park used to be called State Street  Park to Palmetto Playground but since  Adam Yauch, passed away in April 2012, they changed it to Adam Yauch Park. Adam Yauch grew up playing at this playground and it is fascinating to have his own name in a park where he fulfilled so many memories in. Besides founding the Beastie Boys withAdam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horovitz and Mike ‘Mike D’ Diamond, he also formed the Milarepa Fund that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and developed the film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories. Everytime someone will go to this playground they will remember Adam Yauch for the great artist, musician, film maker and activist he was. Rest in Peace Adam Yauch.

http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/adam-yauch-park

5. Joey Ramone Place

I took this photograph in Bowery and East Second Street. On November 30, 2003, New York City councils Alan Jay Gerson and Margarita Lopez officially named Joey Ramone Place in honor of this punk rock legend who was lead vocalist of the band, The Ramones.  Joey Ramone passed away on April 15, 2001 with his long battle of cancer. This street is a reminder of Joey’s  Ramone’s devotedness and love for the East Village and how much he pushed young bands to live their dream as he did with The Ramones. It has been said that this street sign has been stolen various times, making it the most stolen street sign in all of New York City. Each time it was stolen, it was replaced at a higher spot. As of right now it is currently sitting about 20 feet above street level. May Joey Ramone rest in peace and his memory live forever.

http://www.joeyramone.com/2013/12/10/j-r-place/

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/10-years-ago-joey-ramone-gets-a-street-named-after-him-in-nyc/

Chico

The subject of death was never one that intrigued me until I took the Estates, Wills and Trusts course taught by Professor Mary Sue Donsky at The New York City College of Technology.  Aside from learning about wills and intestacy law, this course afforded me the opportunity to learn and appreciate the diverse ways individuals cope with death.

After the death of a loved one, there are those who go into deep depressions from which they never recover from.  There are also those who accept the passing of a loved one, or significant figure in their lives, with dignity.  However, there are those who are thankful for the pleasure of knowing the people whom they have lost and celebrate the admired figure or loved one in their lives.   These grateful individuals show their appreciation for their deceased loved ones in varied ways which include keeping the ashes of their dearly departed in an urn or some other container while others have the remains of their loved ones made into jewelry.  Still, others merely save personal property of the decedent for a keepsake.

In the East Village of Manhattan, Antonio “Chico” Garcia, memorializes the dead with his style of art work called “graffiti.”  Graffiti, which by definition means to “deface or scribble”, burst upon the scene of New York City in the mid 1970’s.  Back then, graffiti was considered vandalism and one could get either arrested or fined if caught writing “graffiti gangster.”  This explains why at its inception, graffiti was mostly found underground on the cars and tunnels of the MTA subway system.

I interviewed Chico and learned that he was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on August 18, 1963, Chico’s family migrated to New York’s then Lower East Side when he was five years old.  Having grown up in the absence of a father figure for the majority of his childhood, Chico grew up on the streets of the Lower East Side when graffiti was on the rise.  Chico got his start at age fifteen on the numbers 1, 2 and 3 trains where he would “tag out” or spray paint his name in bubble letters using silver acrylic spray paint that he would “borrow” from local hardware stores. As an adolescent, one of Chico’s main influences was Ms. Hodges, a teacher of the Madison Prep School for troubled teens.  Madison Prep was a satellite program of the former Junior High School Twenty Two, located on Houston Street at the corner of Columbia Street (just off of the F.D.R. Drive) in lower Manhattan.  It was in this program that through Ms. Hodges Chico learned to hone his skills as an artist.  Under the tutelage of his teacher, Chico learned to appreciate the fact that he had a gift that would help to beautify the community.  Thus, making a contribution to society became Chico’s primary goal in life.  After graduating from junior high school, Chico went on to attend the New York Board of Education’s High School for Art and Design and then briefly attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

In the early 1980’s graffiti had become a recognized art form.  So, Chico first debuted his work in 1982 at the La Mamma Art Gallery at First Avenue and First Street in Manhattan.  This exhibition included another graffiti artist of Chico’s generation by the name of Score who like Chico, rose up in the art world through graffiti art and computer graphics.  Similar to classics like Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso, Score and Chico are considered the “classics” of the graffiti art world.

These days, Chico resides in Florida and frequently commutes to New York for work, as he is often commissioned to do murals memorializing the dead.  These commissions often come from the families and friends of local decedents.  Additionally, Chico is commissioned to commemorate the passing of more prominent figures such as Salsa artist, Celia Cruz and religious leader Pope John Paul II.  There are even memorials of murder victims that Chico has created.  These specific types of murals are done with a special passion by Chico since these particular murals of the dead are a cry for justice from the decedents, whose lives were stolen from them, to the police and politicians of this country.  Among these murals memorializing murder victims are the deceased Tex-Mexican artist Selena who was shot and killed by the president of her fan club.  Other such memorials of murder victims include murals of Nixmary Brown, the seven year old child who was abused and murdered by her mother and step father in January of 2006.  Also included in this gallery of murder victims are murals of Keith, V.R. and Lilal, local young men who are no more than casualties of the Lower East Side.  There is even a mural honoring the victims of the September 11, 2001 World Trade disaster.

At age 52, Chico continues to work all over the United States and Europe.  He works commercially and his work is very well received.  However, he is still the same person with the same goals of beautifying the community and making positive social contributions. Painting murals honoring the dead is his way of helping the community get through a time of mourning and great sorrow.

All of the photographs below can be found on Chico’s website, www.chicoartnyc.com and are used with the artists’s permission.

To your right is the image of Nixmary Brown, the seven      year old who was abused and beaten to death by her mother and stepfather. This is one of Chico’s more passionate works since the entire community cried out for justice over the murder of Nixmary. Personally speaking, the murder of this child should did not have happen. Nixmary’s murder was a result of the incompetence of child welfare services. This mural was done on 6th Street at Avenue C in the lower east side.

Pope John Paul II. A prominent figure within the Catholic community of the Lower East Side. I’m not a religious person in my own right, however, I respect the Catholic community of the Lower East Side. This mural was located on 10th Street off of Avenue D.

To the right is a mural honoring the Cuban Salsa songstress Celia Cruz who in my opinion was one of the pioneers of latino music. Celia was a remarkable person who spread joy to her people with her music. This mural is located on 10th Street between Avenues D and C.

Local boy Keith was cremated and his ashes are kept on his family’s mantel along with other keepsake items. The mural is painted directly on the wall of the family apartment over the mantel while Keith’s ashes are kept in the urn next to his photograph. Keith was of Taino indian decent, the circumstances surrounding his death are unknown, he was known as the “quiet” kid of the neighborhood.
Memorial located in the Lower East Side residence of the decedent’s family. The family requested that their address not be disclosed.

On the side wall of the Deli at 11th Street and Avenue C in Manhattan, socio-political artist, Gil Scott-Heron (self named “bluesologist”).

Above is a memorial dedicated to Nelson, the local and lovable neighborhood tough guy. Nelson was reminiscent of Fonzi, the Happy Days television series character. Nelson died in a motorcycle accident in 2012, it was a big loss to the community. This mural is located at Avenue B and 9th Street on the Lower East Side.

Above and below are memorials to V.R. and Lilal, deceased sons of local residents of the Lower East Side. These murals were commissioned by friends and family of the decedents.
These murals take the place of tombstones. The families of the deceased commemorate their loved ones in the graffiti art form fashion.
These memorials are located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the vicinity of the homes of the decedents. Family request that their address not be disclosed.

Above: General memorial to the victims of terrorism of the
September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center where
many residents of the Lower East Side were murdered and their
remains were never found. It helped many people to cope with
their loss when Chico did this memorial. This mural is located on
East 14th Street and Avenue A.

WHERE I TOOK THIS PHOTOGRAPH: THE TREVI FOUNTAIN, ROME ITALY, January 2015

Every tourist in Rome comes to the Trevi Fountain because it is breathtakingly beautiful and because a tradition says that if you toss a coin into the fountain, you are guaranteed to return to the Eternal City.

Pre-renovation  image from Wikipedia. Click for source

Last winter I returned to Rome and wandered over to the fountain to learn that there was to be no coin tossing into the Trevi’s waters.   The fountain (completed in 1762) was undergoing renovation – it  was dry and its gorgeous Baroque sculptures were covered in scaffolding.

On the upside, we tourists could walk a set of planks extending into the center of the fountain so that we could enjoy the remarkable sculptures up close.  It was a once in a lifetime bit of luck!

WHO WAS BEING COMMEMORATED:  ANITA EKBERG

To make the experience even more meaningful, suspended from the scaffolding was a huge banner commemorating the gorgeous Swedish-Italian actress, Anita Ekberg, who had died that week at age 83. During the 1950’s-60’s, Ekberg was known for her incredible beauty and glamorous life. She had roles in many films and she dated many famous men including Frank Sinatra.  She married twice but never had children.

MY REFLECTION

 Although the tribute was temporary, I loved that the Romans honored Anita Ekberg so quickly, with such a gorgeous, gigantic banner.  It was wonderfully perfect that Anita Eberg was commemorated at the Trevi Fountain because her most famous role was playing a stunning actress much like herself in a great Fellini film set in Rome, La Dolce Vita.  In one of the most iconic scenes in all of film history, Ekberg’s character “Sylvia” dances in the Fountain at night during the evening she spends with a super-sexy journalist played by Marcello Mastroianni.

Enjoy Anita’s frolic on Youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4kZjU7zGbU

The Flight 587 memorial is located on Beach 116^th Street in Belle Harbor, New York.  It was designed by Dominican artist Freddy Rodriguez.  This memorial is dedicated to the memory of those who perished in the crash of American Airlines flight 587.  The flight took off from JFK airport bound for the Dominican Republic when it suddenly crashed into the Rockaway Peninsula on November 12, 2001.  In total, 260 passengers and crew and 5 persons on the ground died.

This is a beautiful memorial for a great tragedy.  The Flight 587 Memorial was designed by Dominican artist, Freddy Rodriguez.  It was dedicated on November 12, 2006.  The names of those who perished in the crash are inscribed on the bricks.  There is an inscription over the door opening that reads, “Despues, yo quiero no mas que paz.”  The English translation is, “Afterwards, I want only peace.”

The 9/11 Tribute Park is located on the corner of Beach 116^th Street and Beach Channel Drive in Belle Harbor, Far Rockaway Peninsula, Queens.  The park and monuments is dedicated to the 70 residents of Rockaway Park, as well as the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001.

The gazebo was designed by artist Patrick Clark.  The roof of the gazebo is covered with stained glass which has the names inscribed names of 70 Rockaway Park residents that were killed on that day. The 343 memorial sculpture was designed by Russian sculptor Isabella Slobodov, and completed by Patrick Clark.

It was a sunny, clear day in spring when I visited the 9/11 Tribute Park.  There is a great view of lower Manhattan.  Sitting on one of the benches in the park, it is a very relaxing and calm place to be.  I thought of the anguish residents of Belle Harbor must have experienced to stand on this very site and witness the horrific tragedy that unfolded on September 11, 2001.  As I reflect about this memorial, I come away feeling how closely net this community was before this tragedy and how much stronger it became afterwards.

Anthony “Tony” Keith Gwynn was born on May 9, 1960 in Long Beach, California.  He was recruited to play basketball at San Diego State University in 1977.  Tony eventually played both basketball and baseball at SDSU.  In 1981 he was drafted by both the San Diego Padres and San Diego Clippers.  He stuck with baseball and spent his entire career with the Padres, until his retirement in 2001.  He remained closely connected to SDSU becoming the head baseball coach.  Tony Gwynn, along with his wife, was very involved within the community around San Diego.  They established a foundation providing programs and services for underserved children in San Diego.

Tony Gwynn battled salivary gland cancer for many years.  He attributed his illness to the use of chewing tobacco throughout his baseball career.

He is survived by his wife, Alicia, son Anthony Jr., daughter, Anisha, mother, Vendella, and his siblings Charles and Chris.

Growing up in San Diego, Tony Gwynn was always a visible and active member in the community.  For me, more so than him being a talented athlete, I respected how he held himself while off the field.  When I went home to San Diego for a visit this past February, I noticed just how much of an impact Tony Gwynn had on the city. I spend some time walking through my alma mater San Diego State University and admired the baseball field and stadium named in his honor.

Just who was George E. Wibecan?  It’s a question I ask myself each time I see his portrait in the school’s auditorium.  I thought whoever he was; his contributions to the community must have been significant for a school to be named in his honor.  As my research on him began, I quickly realized that tracing Mr. Wibecan’s mark on Brooklyn history was not as simple as I thought.

Most of the biographical information about Mr. Wibecan was written in his obituary, published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Friday, July 19, 1912.  Mr. Wibecan, being of Danish and West Indian decent, was born in St. Croix.  At the age of thirty-two, he joined in holy matrimony to a woman sixteen years his junior.  He and his wife immigrated to the United States in 1863.  He and his wife had one child, George E. Wibecan Jr.

George E. Wibecan Sr. was actively in the fight against injustices and discrimination against Black people.  Mr. Wibecan was president of the H.H. Garnet Republican Club, served chairman of the Negro division of the Republican State Committee.  He was probably led into political activism due to incidents that he personally experienced.  According to his obituary, Mr. Wibecan was chased by a mob during the Draft riots in New York in 1864.  He was able to escape by hiding in a boat within the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  In addition to his work within the New York political scene, he had his own business in fruit trading, and served as a postal superintendent for the United States Postal Service.

George E. Wibecan died on July 18, 1912 in his home in Cypress Hills, NY.  He was a member of the Holy Name Society, in addition to other organization of the Catholic Church.  Not surprising,

My last thought about Mr. George E. Wibecan Sr. is that there is so much more to his story of activism and political influence still to be discovered.  From what I have read, George Wibecan was well connected and respected in the community and state because of his dedication to the cause of achieving equality for those being denied their lawful rights.

Maria Hernanez Park is located in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Maria Hernandez was a resident of Bushwick and outspoken neighborhood leader in the fight against drugs dealers on her street.  Maria was born and raised in Brooklyn.  She attended New York University and earned a degree in accounting. She worked as a bookkeeper for a medical management company in New Jersey.

Along with her husband, Maria Hernandez fought to rid their street of the drug dealers that were destroying it.  They approached the drug dealers directly and worked with the police for a solution.  Maria and her husband worked vigilantly to expose the problem of drugs in their neighborhood by organizing block parties, social, cultural, and athletic activities with the goal of educating and uniting her neighbors in the struggle to rid the streets of drug dealers.

Maria Hernandez, a wife, mother of three children, and community activist, was gunned down in her own home on August 8, 1989. Five bullets hit Mrs. Hernandez as shots were fired from outside through the window of her home.  William Figueroa, a 26-year old heroin dealer was arrested, and charged with her death.  Police believed that two other men were involved with the shooting.

People like Maria Hernandez, and her husband, are the unsung heroes of communities all over the country.  They typically don’t get the media attention or wide-range support as some public figures do.  However, they continue to fight for what causes they passionately believe in.  It’s unfortunate that Maria Hernandez’s life was taken before her fellow community members and law enforcement made the necessary changes to improve the neighborhood.  However, I don’t believe she died in vain.  The neighborhood is cleaner, and safer than it was in 1989, and I think Maria Hernandez would be pleased to see the families playing in the park dedicated in her memory.