Man Dies After Being Pushed Onto Train Tracks

TALLAHASSEE, FL. - Monday, a 58-year-old man was killed after being pushed onto a subway track in Midtown Manhattan.

Bystanders said the victim, Ki-Suck Han, was approached by another man in the subway who seemed to have mental problems. Witnesses say the man started an altercation with Mr. Han and then pushed him onto the tracks. As Mr. Han struggled to climb off the tracks, he was then struck by the train. The suspect, according to pictures, is a black man in his mid-20s.

New York Subway, Urban75.org

Police Chief, Paul J. Browne said, “At least one witness felt that the aggressor was emotionally disturbed.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first time New Yorkers have seen a tragedy such as this one. Apparently every few years there has been a case where an incident such as this has occurred. Although all the incidents did not end in death, they are all equally dangerous situations. 

“ I've actually seen someone get accidentally pushed onto the tracks before,” said Wayne Lite, a citizen of New York and a frequent train rider.    

Some New Yorkers want to know, why no one bothered to help this man?

A freelance photographer that was present at the scene, moments before Mr. Han was struck, was able to take pictures right before he was killed. 

The photographer, R. Umar said he had nothing to do with his pictures being published.

Al Roker, television weatherman, said on NBC’s Today Show, “Somebody’s taking that picture. Why aren’t they helping this guy up?”

Abbas claims that he was not trying to take pictures of Mr. Han; he was actually flashing his camera so that he could signal the train to stop.

“I’m being unfairly beaten up in the press,” said Abbas.

The police took a suspect into custody on Tuesday for a line up, so that witnesses can verify that was the man they saw. Police say the suspect is a peddler originally from Africa who has been arrested before on minor charges. 

Street vendors who knew the suspect said he used to help them out from time to time moving and packing up there merchandise for about $5. 

The suspects name has not been released as yet.

 

By Tineisha Sulker
With contributions from The New York Times
Photo, Urban75.org
Video, Hot Leak News

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New Yorkers Come Through In Numbers

TALLAHASSEE, FL. - Sometimes New Yorkers may be perceived as not so kind people but, that didn’t seem the case on Sunday. Hundreds of New Yorkers raced to the areas hit the hardest by hurricane Sandy to volunteer and help those that were affected by the super storm.

Toting everything from batteries, toilet paper, blankets, and food, volunteers flocked to the various relief centers.

“It feels like we all had the same impulse: This is my city and I want to do something to help it,” said Esther Pan Sloan, of Roosevelt Island. “It’s just such a huge disaster and you know there are so many people in need.”

Hurricane Sandy Volunteers, The Kitchn.com

With so many people wanting to help, the shelters soon became overwhelmed with bundles of supplies. Some shelters had to begin turning away some donations. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg suggested they begin to donate money instead.

“At this point these centers have more than they can really realistically distribute,” said the mayor. “If we need more, we can certainly put out another call for help, but what would be the most helpful is donations to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York, and then we’ll be able to use that money to help people get back on their feet.”

There are many different organizations such as New York Cares that have volunteers going to the different neighborhoods to inform residents about the various locations where they can receive help.

“It was amazing to see so many people wanting to help those in need,” said Samantha Sylvester, a resident in Brooklyn, New York. “It’s sad to say but, you don’t really see that too often here.”

Adding to the list of volunteers, some major corporations such as Walmart, PepsiCo, and a pizza company also offered assistance. They delivered food and drinks among other necessities to parts of the storm struck areas.

 Roy Niederhoffer, a hedge fund manager from the Upper West Side said, “I really don’t think it’s the government’s job to take care of all of this. I wanted to see if it was possible for individuals to rally the way they used to. You know, in the 19^th century when we had natural disasters there was no FEMA, but people still sent money and food to help.”

Volunteers continue to offer their help by driving to resident’s homes to offer food and supplies. As the traffic became too overwhelming the police had to start blocking cars unless volunteers were heading straight to the relief centers that were still accepting donations.

By Tineisha Sulker

With contributions from The New York Times

Photo, The Kitchn.com

Video, FEMA

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No One Wants To Leave: Overcrowded New York Schools

TALLAHASSEE, FL. – Have you ever heard of a school where no one wants to leave? Well that is the case with Public School 321 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The Education Department in New York is planning to down size the zone in which P.S. 321 falls because the school has become overcrowded. That means if students don’t fall into the new zoning plan they will have to relocate. The new plan could be decided on in the next few weeks and if approved it will be effective for the next school year.

“Parents want their child to go there because it has a good reputation,” said Maxine Robinson, a teacher at Trey Whitfield private school in Brooklyn, New York. “The parents feel that it’s unfair, but unfortunately that’s how the system works.”

Over Crowded New York Classroom, Class Size Matters.org

The Education Department’s plan is to build another school so the overcrowding won’t have to be an issue. But, some parents initially moved to the area just so their child would be in the zone for this particular school.

“They’re safe,” said Leslie Uretsky, a parent of two students who are being zoned out of P.S. 321. “My daughters would be an experiment.”

The regulation in New York was that if a student had already been enrolled into a certain school they can remain there until they graduate. This rule still applied if the student moved out of the school zone after they enrolled. That rule will no longer stand if the plan goes through.

“Switching schools disrupts education,” said Carrie Marlin, a planning official at the Education Department. “We think all students deserve continuity.”

Some parents, who live in the zone, blame the over-population of students on those parents that move into the area long enough to enroll their child, then leave. Although that may have been the case for some parents, it’s not for all.

“It was not our intention to zip in and zip out,” said Stefan Fredrick, who moved from an apartment near Park Slope to another apartment in the zone, so their daughter could attend P.S. 321. “It cost a fortune,” he said, “and to spend that and having mice running around wasn’t great.”

Elizabeth Phillips, the principal of the school said that some parents lie about their addresses to get their child in, but the school does its best to weed those parents out. While that alone won’t solve the issue of over-population, it’s still a step that has to be taken. After all, some people just can’t afford to stay in the area where the great schools are.

“You can’t really fault a parent for trying to get their kid the best situation they can,” said Katie Keating a P.S. 321 parent.

By Tineisha Sulker

With contributions from The New York Times

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Goodbye Brownstones

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Brownstones are one of the most attractive attention grabbers in New York City. Unfortunately the ones that are built now will be the last of its kind. The Portland Brownstone Quarries owned by geologist Michael Meehan, has closed its doors. The last of its supplies should be depleted by the end of the month. The stone is being replaced with a type of cement because of durability. Some preservationists are making an effort to savor a piece of what is left.

George Heckel who works with stone fabricators in New Jersey said, “We’re all scrambling to grab that stone.”

Old House Journal

Although there are many people who are sad to say goodbye to the beautiful brownstones, that’s not the case for everyone. One man wasn’t so thrilled about the stones to begin with.

Timothy Lynch, executive director of the New York City Buildings Department’s forensic unit, said, “I remember a quote saying it was the worst stone ever quarried.”

Brownstones first arrived in New York around the 19^th century. They were actually single family houses that eventually were converted into apartments. The stone which comes from near the Connecticut River was easy to manipulate, because of its soft texture. That was actually a part of the problem because the stone was prone to cracking and flaking.

Andrew S. Dolkart, director of the historic preservation program at Columbia University, said, “By the 19^th century, people were already complaining about this.”

There are other quarries around the world that produce brownstone but experts say they just do not add up to the stone that originated in Portland. Most of the Portland brownstone was used to create majestic and historic buildings in New York.

Andre Dawson, a student at Florida A&M University who is also a proud resident of Harlem New York, said, “Brownstones are the essence of Harlem. If you lived in one, it was something you were proud to have.”                                                                                    

After almost 20 years Mr. Meehan, owner of the quarry, has put his land up for sale. He plans to keep some of the stones for himself. During his retirement he plans to keep building little things like bird baths, benches and so on, just for fun, but he is not looking to make a profit.  

By Tineisha Sulker

With contributions from New York Times, EllinInTurkey.com

Photo, Old House Journal

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Not The End Of The World

There are a high percentage of young mothers in America. The question is …why? Has it become acceptable in this society to be unmarried and have children at a young age?

Some say that young mothers that have children do not strive economically. They have difficulty with budgeting and having to change their mind set to start thinking about themselves plus one.

 It’s not motherhood that makes a woman suffer; it has a lot to do with keeping their priorities in order. Most low income mothers are able to receive much help from government assistance, so the burden of motherhood is not a major struggle.

ChaKiara Tucker, 24, is a mother of a beautiful baby boy. She says that motherhood has been difficult but she still is able to manage.

“I’ve learned to appreciate and not take advantage of what help I do receive for my baby,” said Tucker, “but it’s still hard because I’m learning that a child is very expensive and not all government assistence are very helpful."

Author and economist Melissa Schettini Kearney of the University of Maryland believes that young mothers who have uneducated mothers are more likely to have children than those who have mothers that are educated. That may not always be the case.

“My mom and dad did go to school but she had her first child when she was 16,” said Tucker, “she is a FAMU graduate just like I will be soon .”

Most parents in this generation don’t have “the talk” with their children so most times they are uneducated about what to do. That definitely plays a part in the percentage of young mothers.

Early motherhood is not the end of the world it definitely can have its benefits.

“Being a young mom is hard but, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world,” said Tucker, “I love my baby boy and I enjoy learning new things with him and watching him grow.”

When the time is right

     It seems like in today’s society more teens and those in their early twenties are having children. That makes for younger grandparents as well. With various types of assistance from the government, it somewhat makes it easier on those who aren’t financially stable to take care and raise a child. The question is: who influences these young people? Who do they have to look up to? What happened to waiting until marriage or even when the time is right? Respectfully some young parents do make their child their first priority and do their best to raise them. Although having a child is a blessing, children still deserve to be raised in stable conditions. But it still goes to show, things happen for a reason and a blessing is a blessing no matter what form it comes in. Young parents learn sacrifice early.

Moments in Time