Monday morning......

a long wait since my last post---three days of work at Friends, and the "long march" on Saturday. Wednesday was kind of weird. I happened to be around west 14th street and was about to get into the subway at 8th avenue when I got a text: could I be at Friends in 35 minutes. Luckily, I was not on the upper west side-so it was very possible. A hectic ride on the L across town; I made it in plenty of time, but still---a quick change. One coverage-then preparation for the next two days. 

  Thursday, two classes at Friends, a session after that and then a memorial for Heather, a young woman who passed away a few weeks ago. Heather was a regular at South fourth, which is how I know her---for a long time she dated one of the bartenders there. In the years that I was there she was always friendly, said hello--we usually then went our separate ways. I am not sure what the rest of her life was like---in a way, she was kind of an enigma to me---I spent a little bit of time with her at the final party for the bar. She was only in her late thirties---very very sad. About 20 people there, all south fourth verterans; it was nice to see them all again. Afterwards, rather then go back on the L, took the 62 bus into Long Island City (still more luxury building) and stopped at the Greek Diner near the 7 train for a much needed cheese danish and coffee. (What this has to do with Heather's memorial I am not sure) Then returned home.

  Friday-a hectic day at Friends with many encounters with middle schoolers (we will leave it at that)

  Saturday the much planned for and awaited anti-gentrfication march through Brooklyn. Very meaningful---glad that I went. First stop was outside Housing Court where on speaker told us that much help is needed---many tenants at a disadvantage while the landlords try to use illegal means to evict them. The march continued into Fort Greene---on Myrtle Avenue, across the street from the NYCHA projects I was stunned to see three luxury doorman buildings--I guess they will just never end. A speaker got up and told us about the city's plan to "reform" the north side of the park---the park facing the projects. She made it clear this was a racist move---motivated by the man who financed the luxury projects being a major contributor to the Mayor. She was very forceful--a group of citizens is fighting the city in court to prevent this. Sitting on the steps facing the speaker---all by myself---I felt a tremendous sadness about what is going on.The intense building in Brooklyn to me represents a juggernaut of power, that the real estate industry just uses at will. These luxury buildings are being built far south of Fort Greene; many are being built in the Flatbush area, an area where millenials are moving in and mostly people of color are being harassed. It is not the milennial fault, they are caught in the crossfire of the gentrification problem===they can not afford Park Slope or the luxury buildings of downtown Brooklyn so they have to find space in Flatbush or Bushwick. And of course, the landlords want them.. All these ideas flattened me--as we continued the march---east on Myrtle until Broadway.  A few blocks before I felt really tired, so I left the march, jumped on the bus coming up Marcus Garvey Boulevard and took it to Fulton Street where I waited in the park for the march to meet me. When it arrived, it had picked up a good number of protesters from Bushwick---they were very spirited. The march had one more segment to go---about 6 blocks east to Broadway Junction, but I decided to leave it then--I explained to one of my friends that I was really tired---they understood and I left before the group had taken off.

  Returned to Gotham market--my central point now in Brooklyn- and had some food. Returned home tired. 
 Yesterday, a quiet day, nothing unusual--ended up at La Flaca.

  No BAN meeting today---one session, evening not worked out will report soon.