Bystanders: When to Intervene

NEW YORK, NY-- Ana Morris, an SVA student was assaulted September 7^th at 11:30 am at the west 59^th street station because she was not able to assist man with directions.

“I was listening to my headphones, when I saw this guy ask people for directions.” Ana says, assuming that she might be next. “When I couldn’t tell him how to get to Canal Street he ridiculed me for not knowing so I put my headphones back on, which made him more upset.” The increase in his temper prompted Ana to walk away. “Upon my first step he immediately started kicking me in the shins.” When the man attempted to prod Ana towards the tracks, another woman finally intervened. “I’m glad I only walked away with a bruise, but honestly feel that someone could have intervened earlier.”

Not all platforms are equipped with MTA Officers, and payphones can be problematic, thus we depend a great deal on the passengers around us. “What goes on inside is personal, I cannot tell you how we distribute officers to platforms.” Says an MTA Officer on the phone. As far as his advice, he stated that ‘The only thing I can tell you is walk away, go into the next subway car, or even leave the platform.” MTA Officer Monroe, stationed at the West 4^th Street platform encourages passengers to “Call it no matter what, verbal or physical as long as it is making you or the victim uncomfortable.”

From 2008 to 2009 the MTA has experienced a 20% decline in overall subway crime rates. The numbers of felony assaults on the subway have dropped by 30 incidents. [1] The MTA has done a number of things to improve this, such as installing more surveillance and conducting on the spot training for subway crime.

Though subway crime is declining, New Yorkers still feel jaded to public acts of criminal offense. “I once saw a guy slap his girlfriend around.” States NYU student Miranda Hill “And while I was stunned, when I asked the people around me to call the police, they said: What do you want me to do?”

Such scenarios can be applied to the bystander effect, an effect, which claims that the more populated a place, is, the less likely a person will intervene in the midst of a crime.[2] The bystander effect holds relevance in metropolitan areas such as New York, where crime is abundant and taking action seems useless. There is however hope for the elimination the effect, as 911 can be dialed without service, and the MTA is currently making deals with cell phone companies, so passengers can even make phone calls in transit. [3] Such accomplishments, will serve as necessary protective actions, in order to avoid harassment or assault when riding the subway.

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[1] http://mta.info/mta/compliance/pdf/2009%20Annual%20Report%20Narrative.pdfhttp://mta.info/mta/compliance/pdf/2009%20Annual%20Report%20Narrative.pdf

[2] http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/a/bystandereffect.htm

[3] http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/07/26/2010-07-26_a_hard_cell_but_mtas_finally_sold.html

San Gennaro Feast Maintains Tradition

Little Italy, NY - The production head, Mort Berkowitz, of this year’s 84th annual San Gennaro Feast declares that due to the loyal vendors and restaurants this feast continues to be traditional, regardless of vendors noticing a more international crowd.


When asked if this street fair is growing to be more diverse, Mort Berkowitz responds: “It is the same event, with ninety five percent of the same exhibitors year to year and probably half are Italian.” He disagrees with the idea that the festival is evolving to become less Italian, recalling that it has been this way since he was a kid. When further questioned on the topic of diversity, he states: “No, no, same people, people have had their stands here for seventy years. They’re family.”

Many vendors on the streets confirmed that they have been attending this Feast for decades, but noted that the crowd is a mixture of ethnicities. Peter Tratoni, the owner of Pete’s Original Zeppoli, reflects on how the festival has changed in the thirty five years he has been involved the production: “A lot. It is more universal, there are many nationalities, every nationality is here. It is an Italian festival, but yet it is not because every one joins in, years ago it was just Italians.” Josaphine Caso, who has been attending San Gennaro for over fifty years, has a similar observation: “Not the same- but every nationality works well with the feast, what I am going to say? We got to get along with everybody, and its good for the business around here.”

It is good for business, especially since 1995 when La Costa Nostra, the organized crime group which previously controlled this festival, was taken to court for extortion and businesses have been able manage their own proceeds. Soon after that incident Mayor Giuliani wrote in, Freeing the Economy from Organized Crime and Restoring Open, Competitive Markets, “The City is asked to issue a permit for this festival each year. We suspended permits to the feast and only restored them after the organizers agreed to a City-appointed monitor, to insure the integrity of their operation.” For the past twelve years Mort and Ray Productions, the company owned by Mort Berkowitz, has been supervising this event and guaranteeing that it remains honest. In this time they have also raised nearly 2 million dollars for Catholic Education. This street fair is unquestionably clean now, as Mr. Berkowitz ensures, “I don’t think I’m part of any Jewish mafia. Nobody has every intimidated me, or said a word to me. So have no clue who any of these people are, and we are just as clean as any other event in the city.” His staff member sitting next to him agrees telling me as an aside that he has not seen so much as a physical argument in the four years he has been working this event.

The San Gennaro Feast is a safe all ages festival these days. As Ed Ferington, a police officer, commented on the crowd: “Very mundane, calm, the young, the old, it’s a mixture.” Mort Berkowitz witnesses the same, “everything, everybody, families until seven and after seven I think we get more couples… or people looking to become couples.”

Native Plant Garden to be revitalized by Local Students

Beginning in early September 2010, botanist Marielle Anzelone and a group of local college students from Eugene Lang have been working in the Union Square native plant garden to revitalize the space after a loss in interest and funding for the project earlier this year.

In concept the garden is meant to provide inspiration for local homeowners and gardeners to plant there own native species instead of the more commonly planted “introduced” species. Furthermore, “it is a place where we can educate the community about the types of beautiful flora that are possible in Manhattan and preferable to introduced species which are often invasive,” said Anzelone. Native plants offer a variety of advantages to introduced plants. Because native plants have been adapting to the weather and environment of Manhattan for hundreds of years, once established they require less water and effort than many introduced plants. Another reason that native plants are preferable is that they trap water within the soil more effectively creating a richer and more diverse plant space. Finally, wildlife such as native birds and insects are often highly dependent on a particular species of native plant to survive and so growing native plants encourages native animals to flourish here in Manhattan as well.

Originally started by Anzelone as an educational environment within Union Square the garden has suffered greatly this past year due to lack of funding and the intense weather. The project is a non-profit initiative funded predominantly by the Open Space Institute Inc. with the help of other private and public donations. In 2008 the Hudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research awarded the garden its first grant. Since then funding for the project has declined and Anzelone herself has put in considerable time and money just to keep the garden alive. Now however, with the help of several Eugene Lang students, the garden is being revamped and will hopefully be in good condition to endure the winter by the time the weather begins to change.

Much of the work that needs to be done is actually removing some of the native plants that are taking over the garden. Because it is meant to be an educational garden, many of the plants will need to be replanted and other will need to be kept under control to preserve the diversity of the garden. Furthermore, labels for the different species as well as branches and logs to keep the walkway clearly marked need to be put in. “One of the greatest difficulties with this garden is that it is a public space and so people will actually come in and dig up our plants so they can sell them,” said Eric Thomann another leader of the garden revitalization who specializes in urban horticulture. On top of this, many farmer’s marker vendors store items such as weights for their tents in the garden, which kills smaller plants and generally harms the flora.

Even with all the challenges ahead there is clearly a valiant effort being made to keep this garden alive. Students meet weekly to work in the garden and some are even going in on their spare time to keep the garden healthy. Under the supervision of Marielle Anzelone and Eric Thomann it seems highly possible that this native plant garden will stay in existence and help continue to educate the public about the wildlife heritage of this great city.

Sources:

http://nycnativeplantgarden.wordpress.com/

http://www.drosera-x.com/initiatives/native-plant-display-garden-at-union-square-park/

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/native-plants-nyc-460509

NYC: Safest City in the U.S.

New York, NY- On September 13, 2010 the FBI released Annual Crime Report naming New York City the safest big city in the United States.

On September 13, 2010 the FBI released the Annual Crime Report for the United States. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly were happy to announce that New York City was listed as the safest big city, of over 100,000 people. Out of 266 big cities it came in 248^th. The report indicated that crime in the New York City area has decreased from 2009 by a total of 5.1%, something that was not anticipated due to the budget cuts in the state. The crime stats also states that robbery has gone down 16.2%, motor vehicle theft down 14%, and murders down 9.9%, a whole 2.7% more than the worldwide average of 7.2%. However, the report providing each of the communities with a comforting sense of safety is not done according to neighborhood but according to the reported crime averages in the whole city.

The statistics for the 6^th Precinct, located at 233 West 10^th street are in keeping with the FBI’s report stating that crime in this area is down 3.57%. The 5^th Precinct at 19 Elizabeth Street is in keeping as well reporting that crime in this particular area is down 11.5% and the 7^th Precinct, at 504 Grand Street has the same results with crime decreased 4.56%. All of these indications that the FBI’s reporting is in fact accurate for neighborhoods as well. “I have noticed more police cars patrolling the neighborhood or out on foot recently, more than I have seen in the past years” said John Roth a local Greenwich Village resident for over 17 years. “Normally in the busier areas or larger subway stops ill see police occasionally looking around checking things out, but lately there has been a bigger presence of authority even in areas not as busy or crowded, and I personally think that is a very good thing” he continued “New York City went through a rough patch, after 9/11 many people I know moved to suburban areas outside the city to feel safer. Now were the safest city in the US, and all those folks who moved are looking to come back! I’m glad I stuck it out.”

During a press conference held just after the report was released Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “The men and women of the NYPD have found new ways to further drive down crime, even when faced with tough economic times and the threat of terrorism. We will continue doing everything possible to keep making the safest big city in the country even safer.” Continuing to praise New York’s police and celebrate the newly crowned safest city, head Police Commissioner Raymond Kelley added, “The data reflects in no small measure the dedication and hard work of New York City Police officers, and the Mayor’s commitment to keeping New Yorkers safe, year after year.” Crime has not only proven on average to have gone down throughout New York City, but the statistics stand strong according to neighborhoods as well.

However even with this recent release of good news, the dedicated Police department of New York City will have to do everything they can to keep the crime rates down.

*Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly were not available for comment when this article went to press.

1. http://www.fbi.gov/publications.htm

2. http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/home/home.shtml

Chair of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) consumer products division announces her retirement amidst recent drug recalls

Chair of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) consumer products division announces her retirement amidst recent drug recalls

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - Colleen Goggins, aged 56, announced on Thursday, 16 September that she will leave her position as Chairman of the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Group on 1 March 2011, following a thirty year career at the company.

Her retirement signals a new search for leadership in the Consumer Group, following several recalls in the last year, one of which resulted in J&J allegedly paying subcontractor WIS to repurchase 135 million bottles of some of their staple medicines including Tylenol, Infant Tylenol, Children’s Motrin, Children’s Benadryl, and others. Goggins, who oversees the division which produces and distributes these brands, testified this spring in front of a Congressional committee which is investigating J&J’s actions during the recall and its reasons for not instituting a formal, national announcement of the defective products.

An email correspondence from an executive at WIS dated 30 June 2009 shows him as saying, “We are exploring another similar but potentially larger recall for July involving Children’s Tylenol.” The same email correspondence which was addressed to an executive at J&J/McNeil subsidiary -- the sector of the Consumer Group which was responsible for the drugs’ production -- goes on to say that this new recall “would make our Motrin project look small.” A public announcement regarding the recall was released by the company 10 months later on 30 April 2010.

“The danger behind not announcing a formal recall is that it doesn’t alert consumers to the fact there is something wrong with the drugs that are on the market,” says Jeff Horowitz, a spokesperson for The Consumer Advocacy Group. “Instead of taking responsibility and admitting their mistakes, J&J tried to protect themselves through surreptitious measures with little care for the integrity of the drugs or its consumers’ trust in the company.”

No adverse health effects caused by the recalled drugs have been reported.

Regardless, as Chariman of the Consumer Group, Goggins received the majority of criticism. “Colleen did not know about the ‘soft market withdrawal’ until after the fact,” claims an executive at J&J who works closely with Goggins and requested not to be identified in this article. “However, with such a high level in the company comes high accountability.

“Every measure taken was done in accordance with the FDA’s suggestions. Due to the media attention, J&J is being investigated for an action which it was originally told to take.”

The congressional investigation into J&J’s actions is scheduled to continue with a hearing in Washington on 30 September. Along with Goggins, Bill Weldon, CEO of Johnson & Johnson Corporate, has been invited to testify as a witness. Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will lead the hearing which has been called “to examine the circumstances surrounding Johnson & Johnson’s recall” and the "phantom recall" of particular Motrin products, according to the Congressional invitation.

Goggins has worked at Johnson & Johnson since 1981. In the company's announcement of her retirement, Weldon thanked her for her “dedication and extraordinary service” to the company. He also commended her for her initiative to “formulate and implement the remediation plan regarding the quality issues at McNeil.”

Ms. Goggins could not be reached for comment.

LES, Party's Over.

New York, NY: On September 16, Community Board 3 of the Lower East Side and East Village met with residents to discuss the filthy streets, nonstop noise, and disruptive behavior among the intoxicated in these lively neighborhoods.

This ongoing debate is fueled by a growing concern that the Lower East Side has become oversaturated with establishments that serve alcohol. In fact, the 10003 area code has 115 liquor licenses per resident, the second highest in the nation. One of the many propositions of Community Board 3 is to create a policy aimed at restricting the distribution of new liquor licenses in residential areas.

The policy will demand that no liquor license be issued in areas with “persistent and numerous complaints regarding increased noise as well as increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic”. The policymakers want to work with the New York State Liquor Authority to deny new licenses in areas “where the existing number of operating licensed establishments within five hundred feet exceeds three, and where the increasingly deleterious effects of existing licensed nighttime businesses on the quality of life of New York State residents living within those areas.” Despite these measures, this policy has done near nothing to stop the late-night partying downtown.

“My block used to be a quiet place, but now it has been completely demolished and rebuilt by the New York nightlife ‘scene’,” said S. Verrochio, East Village resident of 34 years. “On the weekends, I can hear people screaming at all hours of the night, and let me tell you, if I find a pile of vomit on my stoop for the billionth time I will go crazy.”

However, there was only one attendee at the Community Board 3 meeting that had not lived in the neighborhood for more than 30 years. So perhaps this is an issue of age? The Lower East Side has seen a lot of changes over the last few decades. What was once a haven of cheap rents for working class New Yorkers has now become a 20-something playground for young and trendy Manhattanites. In fact, close to 40 percent of all residents in the neighborhood are under the age of 30, and 90 percent do not have children. Without a doubt, these demographics play a part in shaping the landscape for the plethora of after-hour rendezvous.

“I love living in this neighborhood”, says Andrea Miller, a junior studying at NYU. “As for the heaps of bars and clubs, it doesn’t bother me. I pay a thousand dollars a month for a reason… I want to be where the action is!”

A regional survey conducted by the New York City Department of Heath and Mental Hygiene agrees that downtown needs to clean its act up. The survey concluded that 28 percent of residents in the East Village admitted to binge drinking, the highest percentage in all of New York, and that residents in the Lower East Side were 35 percent more likely to binge drink as opposed to the rest of the city.

“I guess it just comes with the territory… literally,” said Miller.