[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]
The latest headlines
Possibility of criminal charges in New York City building collapse growing (ABC News)
Months before East Village blast, utility found gas line was tapped in dangerous way (The New York Times)
Investigators question whether cause of East Village explosion is criminal (WABC-7)
East Village explosion underscores city's infrastructure woes (Crain's)
Heartless visitors snap selfies at East Village blast site (New York Post)
Donations and Services
• The Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC continues to collect donations to help address the needs of residents displaced by the explosion. Find the website here with more details.
• A parishioner from Church of the Nativity, Mildred Guy, lost her home in the fire. Today, Nativity will be collecting clothes, sheets and funds for displaced victims from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Donations will be going to the Red Cross. The Church is at 44 Second Ave. between East Second Street and East Third Street.
• Theater for the New City on First Avenue is offering FREE clothing from their costume collection ("costume" street wear) to its neighbors displaced by the explosion. They have coats, jackets and other clothing. Call 212-254-1109 to make an appointment.
• From 5-8 p.m. today, Professor Thom's is hosting a fundraiser for their Second Avenue neighbors. Per a Professor Thom's manager: "100 percent of all donations collected will go directly to helping our neighbors who have been affected by this."
The Loft at Professor Thom's (219 2nd Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street) A $25 donation gets a bracelet for $1 well drinks & domestic beer, $2 wine and imported beer.
• EVG reader Sierra writes in to say:
We have an apartment on 9th Street and Avenue C. We can easily live in half of it as it's currently two apartments not yet combined. Our home is furnished and completely private. A single person or couple would be best for the size of the space. We can offer a two-week stay, just ask for proof of address.
Email her here
• EVG reader Gojira also has an extra room for a displaced resident. "I have a large, unused room in my apartment, free to a displaced single or couple, but you must be okay with cats. Email me here. I can host for a month. Proof of address required."
• A displaced resident named Alex left this comment on a previous post:
Hello! I live at E 41 7th, and we are displaced and awaiting news. If anyone is interested in volunteering anything, you can contact the Red Cross...or take things to 169 Avenue B. They already have lots of things. But as a displaced person who will most likely be in long term shelter for a while, a few things that needed (and got elsewhere! Yay!), but others may need are: ear plugs and eye masks (for sleeping in shared housing), slippers, pajamas, mittens/gloves/hates/scarves (I had a coat, but didn't need gloves on Thursday when I left, but needed them today). New underwear & simple socks. Laundry detergent, even small containers of it, shower caps, bathrobes, travel things, small individual instant coffee things, simple cups/mugs, plates & cutlery (I'm in shelter and got food, but don't have a cup for coffee).
• Manhattan Mini Storage is offer free storage for displaced residents. Details here
11 comments:
Now that the NY Post has weighed in on the selfie photo, I know I was right to think it was no big deal. These women are blocks away from the site -- they're posing in front of fire trucks. People need to have some perspective.
OK, if this is the only way to do it, I copy Sierra. I have a large, unused room in my apartment, free to a displaced single or couple, but you must be okay with cats. Email me here:
oultrejordain1@aol.com
I can host for a month, proof of address required.
There was just a report on ABC news this morning, and the reporter said residential tenants of the building had been told an hour or so before the explosion that if they smelled any gas they shouldn't call 911 or ConEd, they should call the landlord. This is horrifying. I hope everyone knows that if you smell gas anywhere in or near a building, you should call 911 or ConEd immediately--not your landlord, not your super, not your plumber.
"Asked about the selfie by The Post, Jeanie called it 'satire.' 'My heart goes out to the people of New York, and this satire post was in poor taste,' she insisted. 'My intention was to point out how many people post selfies in inappropriate times and it backfired.'”
I'm honestly stunned she would dare try out the "it was satire" defense. This is so clueless and oblivious to reality that my normally unlimited capacity for dismissive sarcasm isn't up to the task.
Is it best to make a donation to the Red Cross and ask it be used for the East Villagers affected by this disaster, or is it best to donate items? Any thoughts on this? I would love to hear if there is a way to connect directly with people who need help and meet up with them and go to Kmart or where to stock them up with socks and underwear and protein bars and blankets and whatever else they might need to get by.
It's unlikely that, if someone smelled gas, they didn't call 911 or ConEd. Just because someone tells you to do something stupid doesn't mean you do.
To 11:35 a.m.: According to all the reports I have read, no one called ConEd or 911 to report the smell of gas. The restaurant owner has said in an interview with the Times that he taken a lot of flack for that. It may very well be that no one upstairs smelled the gas. And a lot of people wouldn't call if their super or someone else associated with their building said they were working on fixing the problem.
I am giving up an apartment in Mineola, L.I. on the 31st of March. It has some furnishings that might be useful for any of the families that have lost all or been displaced, including a new single bed, some bedding, old but good TV and microwave, dishes and kitchen stuff, lamps, etc. These are old but useful things. Problem is, we'd need to get a crew of a few lifters, van and driver out there before the 31st. This isn't up for grabs for anybody, but specifically for those who were damaged by the fire. Please contact me: helaine@clayworkspottery.com with any useful thoughts or the ability to organize an expedition to get these things donated. Thanks
Yeah it was "satire". How? Try you thought it was cool to take a smiling selfie with the gas explosion in the background and got called out, bitch.
Hey, the Post (the biggest race baiters on the East Coast) thinks it's okay then it's okay pssshhh.
The only people who need "perspective" are these heartless, thoughtless assholettes and you 9:12am.
They posted selfies and smiled during a tragedy which has taken one life, might've taken another, and rendered dozens if not hundreds of people homeless, okay? But you can defend them all you want. They're not gonna !@#$ 9:12am
If coned has to sign off on or authorize contractors' work, then how would they have been able to illegally tap the gas from the adjacent building for the apartments above sushi park without coned knowing? so scary that these scam artists can put so many lives as risk.
@March 29th @ 11:04am: I'm not sure what's "best," but please consider the Mayor's Fund, where you can earmark your donation specifically for "East Village Building Collapse" - see details here:
https://www.nyc.gov/html/fund/html/donate/donate.shtml
Other links to Mayor's Fund are on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/nycmayorsfund
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