This is Harlem

From 1975, a TV report by Geraldo on Harlem.

A place where most everyone has heard of but where most outsiders have never been. Every urban problem that plagues this country is represented here and you can find it all within a few blocks of this rooftop. Broken families, rampant street crime, the worst housing this side of Calcutta, alcoholism, street gangs, and the worst plague of them all drug addiction. Come with us as we take a look at the streets of Harlem.

Good Night America: Season: 2, #13 Episode; Air Date: January 23rd, 1975

Does Your Water Taste Weird?

It’s likely you’re noticing NYC tap water tasting differently this week: As of Monday, the Department of Environmental Protection increased water coming from reservoirs in Westchester and Putnam counties, and different systems mean the potential for different tastes, officials told NBC News. The change in water systems is part of a plan to repair leaks in the Delaware aqueduct, and the system is shut down until March 19, according to the DEP.

25th Precinct Meeting – Wednesday, March 15th, 6:00 PM

Kioka Jackson, the 25th Precinct Community Council president writes:

Good Morning All,

Happy belated International Women’s Day to all the amazing women in our community.  I hope you spent yesterday celebrating your awesomeness. 

It is my hope that everyone is doing well.  I just wanted to remind you all that our next 25th Precinct Council meeting is coming up.  

As promised, I invited a few guests to help discuss our concerns.  We have NYPD Chief Chell and Chief Obe joining us for this meeting.  

As a reminder, please use the link below to send in your concerns.  We will be using the information in the link to prep our guests so that they are aware of what information to be equipped with.  

All questions and concerns will be read and we apologize in advance that everyone may not get to speak publicly but if you send us your concerns we will do our best to address them.  

We ask that – if it is something that you expressed in a previous meeting that we make room for questions on new concerns.  I promise you that notes were taken and we are doing our best to address everything.  For instance we have submitted to CB11 and the Manhattan Borough President’s office Camera requests, Lighting etc…..  We got you!!! Trust me! 

https://forms.gle/dFzDHbWrwhhEJM4x5

Because of the large number of people we are asking elected officials and CBOs to send their flyers to me so that we can include them on the PowerPoint.  You must let us know in advance that you would like to make an announcement so that we can include you on the agenda.  

We are looking forward to having a working conversation and sharing our voices about the needs of our community.

See you guys there.  

Lead

Ancient Greek stone architecture with its bleached symmetry and powerful ornamentation often looks as though it’s survived for more than 2,000 years simply through force of presence. A closer look, however, at the stones that make up classic Greek architecture reveals curious channels and depressions inside the centers of the stones that were carved to make up columns.

As the Smithsonian Magazine notes:

When the current restoration [of the Parthenon] began in 1975, backed by $23 million from the Greek government, the project’s directors believed they could finish in ten years. But unforeseen problems arose as soon as workers started disassembling the temples. For example, the ancient Greek builders had secured the marble blocks together with iron clamps fitted in carefully carved grooves. They then poured molten lead over the joints to cushion them from seismic shocks and protect the clamps from corrosion. But when a Greek architect, Nikolas Balanos, launched an enthusiastic campaign of restorations in 1898, he installed crude iron clamps, indiscriminately fastening one block to another and neglecting to add the lead coating. Rain soon began to play havoc with the new clamps, swelling the iron and cracking the marble. Less than a century later, it wasclear that parts of the Parthenon were in imminent danger of collapse.

The use of lead to hold iron in stone persisted in Harlem through the early 20th Century. The former All Saints Church at 129th and Madison is surrounded by a substantial iron fence – mostly to protect pedestrians from falling into the moat-like window well that permits sunlight to enter the basement level of the building.

A close look at the fence (embedded in limestone kerbs) shows that the builders of All Saints understood the peril of embedding iron in stone. (The danger is mostly in the process of oxidization, or rusting, which swells larger than the original iron with pressures that can split the stone while simultaneously rotting the iron.)

In the image above and below you can see the grey/white lead (think of the paint color – now not made because of its toxicity – lead white, which was made from oxidized lead…) around the iron fence vertical – which is itself rusting, but not splitting the soft limestone in which it is placed.

Today, quality contemporary construction embeds a non-ferrous vertical rod (typically aluminum) in the ground/support and then joins the ferrous fence (steel, now, not iron) which remains susceptible to rusting over the decades, to the aluminum post.

The example, below, shows the Choir Academy school’s fence, steel attached to embedded aluminum.

70’s Nostalgia

Classic TV commercials from the 70’s

Join Your Community Board Meetings

CB10 and CB11 Human Services and Public Safety committees meet on a monthly basis and regularly cover topics related to #FairShare4Harlem. Join to share your voice

Meetings next week:

CB10 Health + Human Services, Mon. Jan. 17 @ 6:30
CB10 Public Safety, Tuesday, Wed. Jan. 19 @ 6:30

Upcoming meetings:

CB11 Human Services, Mon. Feb. 7 @ 6:00
CB11 Public Safety + Transportation, Tues. Feb. 8 @ 6:30Find your Community Board. Have events to add? Email us.