Reflections on the 5th year anniversary of the closing of Our Lady Queen of Angels Roman Catholic Church in El Barrio

Hermanas y hermanos,

So here we are, five years later. It is an anniversary of an event that is not a rebellion but as an act of faithfulness, faithfulness to our community gathered under the title of Our Lady Queen of Angels. It is indeed this faithfulness that has upheld us throughout these five years, where we have grown into a real community, where we support and uphold each other, as we struggle to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

Today’s readings give us some very important insights into Jesus, insights that we can indeed read in reference to our situation as a sidewalk church, ignored by the institutional church but not because of that are we less church than others in our neighborhood that meet inside a building and are led by a priest. Because the Bishop is not willing to meet with us and re-open our church we are NO less Catholic than the Bishop or than our neighbors who are members of different parishes in El Barrio.

In today’s readings Jesus meets and deals with a leper, condemned to live outside the community, the same situation in which we find ourselves. Becoming a leper was not of his own doing, he did not become a leper on purpose. Celebrating our community worship service on the sidewalk is not of our doing, we did not choose to have our church closed and to have our community scattered.

The first reading makes clear how much the community rejected and had nothing to do with lepers. Jesus is very different from the way others treated the lepers. He could have cured the leper from afar; but that is not how Jesus was. He draws near and touches the leper knowing that in doing so he himself would become impure. In touching him Jesus goes over to the side of the leper; Jesus becomes himself an outcast, which is what it means that he became impure. Jesus risks impurity, which means condemnation by his community, for the sake of bringing into the community the leper. At the beginning of the story the leper is outside the community and Jesus’ is part of the community. Once the leper shows himself to the priest and is certified to be clean, then he is again part of the community and Jesus, who has now become unclean by touching him, is outside the community until he undergoes rituals of purification.

We are outside the institutional church not of our own choosing. But it is indeed of their own choosing that the Bishop and other church officials refuse to extend a hand and touch us as Jesus did with the leper so we can once again celebrate being in communion with our friends and neighbors in El Barrio.

But in their refusal to extend a hand and touch us, the institutional church hurts itself as much or more than it hurts us. We have learned to be a community of faith as we meet every Sunday and do our very best to worship in the Catholic tradition even without a priest. We are just a few, but, by the grace of God, we are a blessed community, a blessed few who struggle to be faithful to each other. We do it, as St. Paul says in the epistle, for the glory of God, in imitation of Jesus. We seek no benefit. We seek only to be faithful to the Gospel of our brother Jesus Christ. But what does the institutional church of New York gain by excluding us? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Instead it diminished itself, it hurts itself, it refuses to follow the example of Jesus in today’s Gospel.

In these 5 years of trouble for us, for we face much trouble in our attempts to continue to be a community of faith, what have we done? We have done and do week after week what the psalm says, we turn to the Lord and the Lord fills us with the joy of salvation. The joy of salvation comes to us not from the Bishop of New York and other church officials who have abandoned this community of faith. The joy of our salvation comes to us from the Lord Jesus Christ who we know is in our midst Sunday after Sunday for he did promise that “where 2 or 3 are gathered in his name, there I will be.” We are made whole and healed anew every Sunday by the Jesus who healed the leper. That is the joy of our salvation. That is what anchors us as the sidewalk church of Our Lady Queen of Angels.

Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz
Professor of Theology, Drew University

Park Advocates Uneasy over $7 Million Tennis Center Expansion Plan

Park Advocates Uneasy over $7 Million Tennis Center Expansion Plan

SLA to East Harlem: You’ll Drink to That!

In an outrageous display of disregard for the concerns of neighborhood parents, educators, and homeowners, the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) recently approved a liquor license to Mimi Fisher, a shop owner whose husband, Shane Doyle, has a history of selling alcohol to minors.

Located on the corner of East 116th Street and Pleasant Avenue - and near several schools and a convent - the East River Wine and Liquor Discount store has caused great consternation among community residents who continue to demand that the establishment be closed.

According to reports, Doyle had recently been involved in managing the business despite having his own liquor license revoked and after being banned by the SLA from even entering the shop. (He is no longer listed as manager.)

Despite evidence introduced by local homeowners that the liquor store violates the “200-foot rule” intended to keep such establishments a “safe” distance from local schools and churches, the SLA has refused to reconsider its own contrary measurements. In spite of the setback, residents and representatives of Community Board 11 remain vigilant and determined to force the issue.

Myself and other activists are calling on state legislators to take charge, encouraging them to begin by revisiting the rule that allows such close proximity to schools and churches and introduce legislation extending the ban to as much as 500 feet.

We believe that the SLA should also be mandated to develop a more stringent conflict-of-interest policy for applicants and their relatives and to develop a broader public review process to prevent this kind of situation from happening again. We should be granted the opportunity to review liquor license applications online in order to research ownership patterns.

Communities should be empowered to assert their rights and to enforce the rule of law in the absence of others doing so. East Harlem does not need another liquor store; certainly not one surrounded by schools, churches, convents and brownstones! We deserve healthier options, not predatory businesses such as these.

Related News

The State Liquor Authority's Harlem office was raided in 2009 after a year-long criminal probe of corruption and bribery in the granting of restaurant and bar licenses. Though drastic reforms were promised, two years later the state agency now faces an even bigger scandal.

Recently, New York State Senator Carl Kruger was charged with taking bribes in exchange for helping expand the business hours of establishments serving alcohol and pushing bills on behalf of liquor stores and beer distributors. (Kruger is joined by former East River Plaza lobbyist Richard Lipsky and six other defendants in a broader federal bribery and racketeering case.)

For more information see:

• East Harlem Liquor Store Illegally Converted From Funeral Parlor


• East Harlem Officials Want Liquor Store Near School Closed


• Harlem Liquor Store Owner's Husband Sold Alcohol to Minors, Officials Say

Landmark Corn Exchange Bank Building to Be Developed. Preserved? Not So Much.

On March 23rd, The New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) issued a Request for Expressions of Interest to develop the historic Corn Exchange Bank Building, located on the northwest corner of 125th Street and Park Avenue in East Harlem.

Built in 1889 and acquired by the Corn Exchange Bank in 1913, the once grand symbol of Queen Anne and Romanesque-Revival style architecture was acquired by the City in the late 1970s.

Though the six-story building was designated a landmark in 1993, the City never saw fit to maintain the property and in 2003 sold it to local developer Ethel Bates.

After purchasing the greatly deteriorated building, Bates was unable to raise the necessary funds needed to realize her dream of developing a nonprofit culinary institute that would both serve and employ the Harlem community.

Though she sought to develop partnerships with other investors, Bates instead became embroiled in legal battles with developers who she said attempted to usurp her interests in the property. (She is now involved in a similar preservation / redevelopment campaign involving the 125th Street Victoria Theatre in Central Harlem.)

Bates was then regularly subjected to steep fines and the threat of repossession for numerous safety violations that resulted in several structural collapses (additional to those that occurred under the City's possession). She often contested the charges, arguing that the city – through its benign neglect – was to blame for the hazard and that it should therefore be responsible for securing the structure and preserving the landmark facade.

When the City threatened to demolish the top floors in 2009, Bates and local preservationists led an unsuccessful campaign against the bulldozing and the building was then brought down to from six stories to two.

The case of the Corn Exchange Bank building is a classic example of the City's carrot-and-stick approach to local planning and development and its overzealous bulldozing of neighborhood landmarks.

Rather than repossession (and, ultimately, sale to the high-bidder), neighborhood developers with insufficient resources should be supported rather than left to fend for themselves and get trapped in the maze of bureaucracy that always follows the City's deceptive approach to "community-based" economic development projects.

It is incumbent on EDC to ensure that what's left of the once-magnificent landmark be preserved and provide the necessary resources for community participation in its redevelopment.

Ethel Bates' quirky and brilliant vision can and should be honored and realized. With proper support to local stakeholders, the area can be transformed back into the vibrant commercial square that the Corn Exchange Bank building once exemplified those many years ago.

For more information, see:

• NYCEDC Seeks Developer For Corn Exchange Building in East Harlem


• Landmarked Corn Exchange Bank Building Could be Redeveloped


• Landmark Corn Exchange Building slated for redevelopment


• NYCEDC: Request for Expressions of Interest Issued for Corn Exchange Bank Building

East Harlem Deserves Safe Streets Too!

I live in East Harlem – a community surrounded by three bridges and a highway – which suffers the highest rates of asthma, diabetes and obesity in the city.

I love bicycling and I make it a point, whenever possible, to ride my bike - or at least walk to any destination. I especially enjoy bicycling in Central Park, on Randall’s Island, and all along Manhattan's waterfront pathways.

But, it’s extremely difficult and often frightening to brave the streets of East Harlem when forced to deal with speeding cars, express buses and delivery trucks barreling though the neighborhood, and speeding through red lights with little regard for bicyclists or pedestrians.

I’m here today to ask the City not to renege on its promise to provide bike lines and much-needed pedestrian safety improvements in East Harlem.

City officials came up to our neighborhood last spring and presented a wonderful plan to improve our walkways and streets with a much-needed bike lane on Second Avenue and other safety improvements that would have benefited so many seniors, students, and physically challenged local residents.

When the plan was suddenly cut short, the City never bothered to tell us why. We had to learn about the decision to exclude our community by reading about it in a newspaper. There has been no effort to meet with local residents or explain their decision to end improvements at 34th Street.

I'd like to know why East Harlem is again being neglected.

Is it too much to ask for a simple painted bike lane on Second Avenue? Or, at least some repairs to the unprotected and horribly pot-marked bike “lane” that we do have on First Avenue?

Why do all these wonderful improvements have to begin from the inside out? Most midtown traffic flows in from Upper Manhattan and that’s where these borough improvements should begin.

We deserve safe streets too.

Statement by Marina Ortiz at City Hall Press Conference convened by Transportation Alternatives, Wednesday, November 10, 2010.

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El Barrio también merece calles seguras
Marina Ortiz / Reside en El Barrio
El Diario-La Prensa, 13 Noviembre, 2010

Yo vivo en El Barrio —una comunidad rodeada por tres puentes y una carretera y que padece de las tasas más altas de asma, diabetes y obesidad en toda la ciudad.

Me encanta montar en bicicleta y me acostumbro a hacerlo siempre que pueda, o por lo menos caminar a cualquier destino. Me gusta especialmente montar en bicicleta por el Parque Central, por la Isla Randall y por todos los senderos del malecón de Manhattan.

Sin embargo es extremadamente difícil y muchas veces da miedo, salir a las calles de El Barrio cuando una se ve obligada a lidiar con carros que andan a toda velocidad, buses de línea rápida y camionetas de reparto que andan volando por el vecindario, pasando semáforos en rojo sin importarles los ciclistas ni los peatones.

Yo pido a la ciudad que no se olvide de su promesa de proveer carriles para bicicletas, además de las tan necesitadas mejoras de seguridad para peatones en El Barrio.

Funcionarios de Nueva York vinieron a nuestro barrio la primavera pasada y nos presentaron un plan maravilloso para mejorar las aceras y calles con un carril para bicicletas, que es muy necesitado en la 2ª Avenida y otras mejoras que habrían beneficiado a muchos estudiantes y residentes discapacitados.

Cuando el plan fue cancelado de repente, la ciudad nunca se dio el gusto de decirnos por qué. Tuvimos que enterarnos de la decisión de excluir nuestra comunidad a través de la prensa. No ha habido ningún esfuerzo para reunirse con residentes del barrio ni explicar la decisión de dejar los mejores en la calle 34.

Pero a mi me gustaría saber por qué, otra vez, se desatiende a El Barrio. ¿Será que es mucho pedir que se pinte un simple carril para bicicletas en la 2ª Avenida? ¿O que por lo menos se arregle el "carril" para bicicletas desprotegido y horriblemente lleno de huecos que sí tenemos en la 1ª Avenida?

¿Por qué todas estas mejoras maravillosas tendrán que comenzar de adentro para afuera? La mayoría del tránsito fluye hacia adentro desde el Alto Manhattan y es allí donde esas mejoras deben comenzar.

Nosotros merecemos calles seguras también.

East Harlem Preservation's 2nd Annual Fundraiser!

EHP NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT MORE THAN EVER!

Join us at our 2nd Annual Fundraiser, hosted by comedian Victor Cruz! Wednesday, November 3rd, from 6:30–8:30 PM, East Harlem Cafe (1651 Lexington Ave. / East 104th St.)

Help us continue our community service and ensure East Harlem Preservation's future as a permanent institution serving East Harlem. Come support our growth and celebrate our community's future! Your $25 contribution* entitles you to complimentary food, refreshments, and entertainment. Plus, lots of raffle prizes, including artworks and gift certificates to local establishments, and a special performance by poet/singer Carmen D. Lucca.

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Since 2005, East Harlem Preservation has helped promote and preserve the neighborhood's rich history, culture and diversity. Our website and monthly e-newsletter continue to provide a wealth of information on local news, programs and events. We are also committed to providing a free public forum for community-driven campaigns that address housing, health, and economic policies and practices that negatively impact our lives, and to advocate for the development of sound, neighborhood-based alternatives.

Help us continue this important work! Space is limited; please RSVP by email at: info@eastharlempreservation.org. If you cannot attend but wish to support our efforts, you may make a secure electronic contribution through the PayPal button on our website home page (write 2010 fundraiser in the comment section on the PayPal website).

Feel free to email us if you’d prefer to make an in-kind gift of one of the items on EHP’s technology “wish list” or to volunteer your skills and services.

We thank you in advance for your generosity and support and look forward to seeing you November 3rd.

Sincerely,

Marina Ortiz, Founder & President
East Harlem Preservation, Inc.

* Contributions to EHP are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. A copy of our latest annual report is available upon written request to East Harlem Preservation, 1622 Madison Avenue, #1B, New York, NY 10029, or may be obtained from the New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.

Parks Conservators Preserve City’s First Public Art Commission In East Harlem Park

Artist Jorge Luis Rodriguez will be on site during the restoration of his sculpture, Growth, the first public art commissioned in New York City through the Percent for Art program. (Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. @ Sylvan Place and East 120th Street, Manhattan)

Nestled midblock in East Harlem is a large, abstract red sculpture called Growth that perfectly captures the vitality of its bustling neighborhood. Growth was the first public work of art commissioned by the public, as part of the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for Art program. On its 25th anniversary, Growth will undergo a complete restoration, which will take place through Friday, June 25.

Jorge Rodriguez will be onsite to speak about his work. An active art educator, he has taught at the School of Visual Arts and Manhattan Community College. He has also worked with The Studio Museum in Harlem and El Museo del Barrio to develop art programs for all ages. Growth was his first large-scale public work. With Growth, the artist tried to capture the interaction between man and nature in an urban setting. Depicting the dynamism of the lively neighborhood, Rodriguez chose to portray a seedling morphing into a bird taking flight.

Conservators and apprentices of the Citywide Monuments Conservation Program are restoring Growth by stripping and treating the corroded portions of the base metal, priming and repainting it a new, bright red, as the artist had originally intended, allowing Rodriguez’ initial concept to finally come to fruition.

Growth and other monuments throughout New York City will get care throughout the summer by the Citywide Monuments Conservation Program. The program is a public/private partnership that was founded in 1997 and is funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and Donna Karan. CMCP has successfully worked to preserve New York’s cultural heritage and provides graduate-level preservation students with hands-on training with one of America’s foremost collections of public art.

Contact: Vickie Karp / Cristina DeLuca, (212) 360-1311 or Christine Djuric (onsite conservator) (917) 681-5683.