Have you ever visited a beautiful place in New York? Well, there is one beautiful place that not everyone gets to see unless you are a student at Brooklyn College. This place is the Brooklyn College Lily Pond.
Created in 1935, even though its wintery white and covered with snow in the winter, the pond is stunning in the spring and summer times. The benches are filled with students who are reading a book, hanging with friends, or just watching the pond and relaxing before a class.
“What I love most about the lily pond is how beautiful and calming it is,” Nahida Mazile, 21, sophmore, said. “It’s a very romantic spot on campus.”
According to Brooklyn College’s virtual campus tour website, the lily pond is a place that everyone loves to be at. “It’s beautiful in any season, but most of all in late April and May, when the cherry trees blossom,” the website mentions.
AREAC (Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center) is the facility that takes care of the lily pond. AREAC is located on the first floor of New Ingersoll. The researchers in there study aquatic organisms and the environments they inhabit, according to their website. They also have a separate lab for growing freshwater organisms and doing experiments on them. Martin P. Schreibman, founding director of AREAC, and Robert Dickie, laboratory manager, both said that the lily pond is a “dynamic ecosystem, even though it is relatively small in size.” According to Brooklyn College’s Office of Facilities website, the pond is filled with Japanese goldfish.
If you have a friend who goes to Brooklyn College, ask him or her to get you in so you can experience the lovely, serene feeling sitting on a bench next to the lily pond. Take plenty of pictures!
Map of the Freeway Dog Park, located on arfarfrockaway.org
Dogs parks are a huge part of New York City. There are over 100 of them in the five boroughs alone. Owners take their dogs there to socialize and hopefully get a little exercise. Do you know the biggest dog park in NYC? Nobody does, but there is one dog park that could definitely be the biggest doggies park there is: The Freeway Dog Park!
The Freeway Dog Park is located in Rockaway Beach, NY. According to Zina Skachinsky, the executive director for two years of the Allied Rockaway Foundation for Animal Recreation and Fitness (ARF-ARF), Freeway Dog Park is the biggest dog park in Queens.
“There has been no official survey, but the initial estimation of the map puts Freeway Dog Park at a little over 2.25 acres. That is not an exact guestimation,” Zina said. “The only other park near that size is the Hillside Dog Park in Brooklyn. It only states two plus acres on the website. So Freeway Dog Park is definitely the largest in Queens if not in the entire city of New York.”
ARF-ARF started in 2006 when a group of dog owners from Rockaway started looking for a place to put a dog park. However, the group was faced with a lot of opposition from the locations they suggested, such as Shore Front Parkway. Finally, they were given one section of Freeway Park, which is located along Rockaway Freeway and Beach Channel Drive. Even though the park was “underutilized mostly because it had a reputation of illicit activity,” the group figured it would be the perfect location since the park is surrounded by trains (it forms a triangle) and the residents wouldn’t hear all the barking.
This is when some of the community members formed ARF-ARF and started to look after the park. In 2008, the core member of the group left for personal reasons and there was talk about turning the park into a Transfer Station. A few group members stepped in and said they would take over the group and care for the park.
“Now the park is filled with regulars and the whole community has been built around it,” Zina said. “Even though it has a long way to go in terms of amenities, the people who go to the park feel they are safer because they know the people in their neighborhood. They are surrounding themselves with familiar faces.”
If you go to the website, there are tons of photos of the dogs who frequently visit the dog park with their owners. There are also many tabs such as the calendar of events, a virtual tour of the park, news and email. On Saturday, May 21 of this year, Freeway Dog Park has its 5th anniversary celebration of “My Bark Day” which is the Parks Department Partnership for Parks Day. There were about 100 people in attendance and there were just as many dogs there as people.
“Just about everyone knew each other,” Zina said. “It’s truly a rare site to see in New York City. That’s one of the many great things that I believe dog parks can do: bring people together and form a community in a huge place like New York City where nobody knows each other.”
Some people oppose dog parks, even though this is hard to believe since there are so many and they are so popular among many dog owners.These people say that loose dog packs form and there might be conflict in the park deciding which dog gets which position, or the owners might not be paying attention to their dogs which creates potential danger, and also the dog might not be socialized enough to be around so many other dogs. There is also concern that dog parks that are too big might create dominant behavior. Zina says the main problem is overcrowding.
“Many of the runs in New York do not have separate sections for small dogs and large dogs to play so they are all in the same place and stepping all over each other,” Zina says. “The more crowded they are, the more tension and excitement there is and that’s the nice thing about having the size and space that we do. The dogs aren’t on top of each other. They have someplace to go. Smaller dog parks don’t have that luxury.”
Freeway Dog Park has a small part that is sectioned off for time outs or for small dogs who want to get away from larger dogs. Just because Freeway is a large dog park, doesn’t mean there are more problems there then smaller dog parks. “Size is not a disadvantage,” Zina said. “Small parks have the same complaints as large parks do. Responsibility lies with the individual owner.”
Also, only 86 dog bites out of around 4000 bites that happened this year were off-leash in a park. “That’s a pretty good ratio,” Zina said. Most of the dog bites happen on a leash or in the home. So this shows that dogs are not hurting each other in dog parks.
ARF-ARF provides a healthy resource to foster the fitness and social growth of dogs and their owners, according to Zina. The Freeway Dog Park satisfies the needs of dog owners and non-dog owners alike. ARF-ARF “acts as a Stuart of this park, developing it and improving it as a beautiful, well-maintained space open for all dog lovers and their friends who are willing to uphold the parks rules and regulations.” The organization also educates people on how to care for their pets and be responsible pet owners. Furthermore, they hold community events and their own events in the dog park which include “low-cost services and resources to people who may not have access to them otherwise.”
“Well-socialized, exercised dogs are well-behaved dogs and in turn creating a pleasant outdoor experience for everyone in the community,” Zina says.
Just like other parks, The Rockaway Freeway Dog Park has some improvements that ARF-ARF wants to make happen. Here are some items that are on the “wish list” besides water and lighting:
1. Install separate entrance in the small dog area while slightly increasing it. Also separate entrances on the west end and separate section used for agility, workshops and other activities (when it is not being used, it will be used as a separate time-out).
2. Install more benches (so people have more places to sit and enjoy the park and watching their dogs play). This is also good for those dogs who are getting bullied or chased. The benches provide a way to break up the tension and excitement. Ultimately, it would enhance user experience.
3. Install waste stations with hand sanitizer and poop bags with own separate waste containers.
It looks like there are going to be some good things coming up for the Freeway Dog Park, as well as for the dog owners and their dogs who go there to enjoy a wonderful experience, including socializing and exercising.
Watch the showcase (below) that I did on the Freeway Dog Park. And remember, don’t be afraid to show your dog the hottest place located on a small peninsula called the Rockaways: The Rockaway Freeway Dog Park!
Dogs parks are a huge part of New York City. There are over 100 of them in the five boroughs alone. Owners take their dogs there to socialize and hopefully get a little exercise. Do you know the biggest dog park in NYC? Nobody does, but there is one dog park that could definitely be the biggest doggies park there is: The Freeway Dog Park!
The Freeway Dog Park is located in Rockaway Beach, NY. According to Zina, the executive director of the Allied Rockaway Foundation for Animal Recreation and Fitness (ARF-ARF), Freeway Dog Park might be the biggest dog park in NYC. It’s estimated to be 2.25 acres.
“We are still looking into getting a more accurate measurement, but we have not seen as big a dog park in Queens,” Zina said. “The only other official dog park in New York City that is close to that size is Hillside Dog Park in Brooklyn, so we are one of if not the biggest in all of NYC.”
If you go to the website, there are tons of photos of the dogs who frequently visit the dog park with their owners. There are also many tabs such as the calendar of events, a virtual tour of the park, news and email.
The website explains the functions of the dog park and why the organization is. According to the website, “We are an organization with a focus in serving the common needs of the very large number of dogs and their loving companions in Rockaway, NY,” It further reads. “Our ultimate goal is to become an invaluable resource for all the pet owners in the Rockaway and to continue to work for more leashed and off leash recreation for dogs and their owners and to make people (including non dog owners) aware that social dogs who receive plenty of exercise are well-behaved dogs.”
Awareness is key for Freeway Dog Park. Many people don’t even know that the space is for dogs. It’s located directly on the Rockaway Freeway, so why do many people continue miss it? It could be location and people usually don’t pay attention to their surroundings. Or maybe they just don’t care because they don’t have dogs. Whatever the reason is, this dog park needs to be known. The owners are friendly and can help other newcomers to understand the other dogs and how they act. It’s like they have their own little community. Everybody basically knows everybody.
Don’t miss out on the showcase that I will create in the next few days! But for now, listen to my little one minute blurb on the Freeway Dog Park and how other people view parks like this one.
“The real problem for journalists is favor,” Wayne Barrett said in a student press conference at Brooklyn College last Thursday. “Editors want you to be a tough guy in the newsroom but they want you to be nice to the people so they can give you scoops.” He is talking about the people who journalists talk to get their information and essentially their stories, such as politicians and everyday people on the street. He adds, “You never know when the good story is going to get burned.”
“The worst journalism is a weather report,” Barrett said. “They have endless hours to talk about [a weather event]. They answer the questions who, what, when, and how but they never answer the question “Why?” Barrett tip toed about the point that climate change might not really be 20 years from now. He introduces the question of whether or not we are living in it now. “Are they not telling us?” Barrett asked the audience. He said that reporters have to ignore the data and are making a political statement that they are not saying what is really going on.
Barrett has been a prominent writer at the Village Voice for almost 40 years. He wrote five books, including two on Rudy Giuliani and one on Donald Trump.
“Trump is a business man whom the bank puts so much money into him that he can’t fail,” Barrett informs. When he wrote the book 20 years ago, Trump went bankrupt and he owned no more casinos. He wrote the book while Trump was in financial trouble.
“He had me arrested one time,” Barrett said. “I got arrested and was handcuffed to the wall night. I was Donald’s favorite reporter.”
Barrett also talked about the Independent Black Movement. This movement, which included Al Sharpton, took on the Brooklyn County Organization which was the most powerful county in the United States at the time. The movement ultimately took on corrupted black spokesmen. For a while, Sharpton was a FBI informant of the mob.
“Every county leader is going to jail,” Barrett said as the students laughed. He was referring to Vito Lopez, which is the county leader of Brooklyn. According to Barrett, he does not want to give any judgeship to Republicans.
Barrett makes a point the past is irrelevant to journalism today. “It is like we have no respect for the past and only can think in the present,” Barrett said. “To have history of Trump and history of Sharpton and to have them be so important now and not look at the past is intolerably bad journalism. Journalists today have less historical memory than the guy with the scissors back in the day.” He insinuates that we have all this technology but don’t use it in the most effective way.
Barrett expressed how Comcast and NBC merged and Sharpton is very involved in Comcast. He jokingly said that viewers will most likely see more of Sharpton on NBC. FCC approved the merge but one guy did not. His name was Commissioner Crops, according to Barrett. He spoke about investigative reporting and how it is “diminishing because of these conglomerates.”
“We are paid to tell the truth,” Barrett exclaimed. “We hang out with politicians who are paid not to tell the truth. They put a gloss on the truth. They are paid to avoid and dodge the truth.”
“The thrill of defaming truthfully got into my veins,” Barrett said on being an investigative journalist. “It’s a great life to have.”
Honey and another pit-bull at ARF-ARF Rockaway Dog Park
I would like my showcase to be about the ARF-ARF Freeway Dog park in Rockaway Beach, NY. I have been interested in the topics of dogs and their surroundings ever since I got Honey. Honey is my two-year old pit-bull. I first took her to the dog park around a year ago. She appeared to like it even though she is still shy and nervous around other dogs. I recently read up about behavior dogs should and should not display in dog parks and which parks are best for which dogs. I realized that Honey does not like dogs that are larger or taller than her; She sees them as a threat. This is an issue when I take her because I want her to have fun and I don’t want her to be in a dog fight.
Honey’s behavior made me want to read up about behavior like hers and other dogs in off-leash dog parks. I also read about the owners of the dogs and how they play a big part in how the dogs interact at the park. Some agree that dogs should be taken to the dog park and that the parks are beneficial because it is a lot of exercise for dogs and it maintains dog social skills. Others oppose dog parks. They say that loose dog packs form and there might be conflict in the park deciding which dog gets which position, or the owners might not be paying attention to their dogs which creates potential danger, and also the dog might not be socialized enough to be around so many other dogs. There is also concern that dog parks that are too big might create dominant behavior.
ARF-ARF stands for Allied Rockaway Foundation for Animal Recreation and Fitness and it’s Freeway Dog Park is estimated to be the biggest dog park in Queens. It might just be the biggest in all of NYC! The estimation of the size of the park is approximately 2.25 acres. I set up an interview with Zina from ARF-ARF and plan for her to be the center of my story, along with information from other organizations. It would be really interesting if ARF-ARF is the biggest dog park in Queens, let alone in NYC. I want to find out more information on how the owners feel about other owners, their dogs and the size of the park since the size is relevant to how dogs interact with each other. I also am going to include the advantages and disadvantages or dog parks in general and then break it down to the size of the park and why it’s good or bad.
There are about 75 million dogs owned in the United States, according to the ASPCA Pet Statistics. This means that about 63% of households have a pet running around with a toy in its mouth, craving for attention. But dogs are already getting attention. They’re not getting attention for their cute faces or pretty furs, or even their clothes or their walks; Their poop is the talk of the town. It’s not their fault though. They have to release. They’re similar to humans in that way. It’s natural. Those types of toxins can’t remain in their bodies. But companies have designed pooper-scoopers and poop bags to clean it all up (owners even use Stop-N-Shop bags), so why is it such a big deal?
In a most recent article on dog poop on CBS New York’s website, 1010 WINS talks about the “revealed poop” that has shown up in upper Manhattan as a result of the melting snow. The two upper Manhattan neighborhoods that are complaining about these conditions are Inwood and Washington Heights. The residents are sick of seeing “piles of dog feces that have overwhelmed sidewalks and streets”. According to the Department of Sanitation, Washington Heights had the most poop violations in Manhattan in 2010. Also, Inwood residents said there needs to be something done.In a November 2010 article on the New York Post website, upper Manhattan neighborhoods ranked “worst in the borough for dog droppings”.
There would be no complaints if owners picked up the poop when they walked their dogs in the first place. This is the main problem. It can be either laziness or just plain nastiness. You would think that the fines these owners know about would stop them from doing the crime, but it doesn’t seem to matter. There are fewer fines being given. That’s probably because officers can’t seem to catch the “poop criminals” in action, according to an article on the AM New York website.
Throw away the poop! Be responsible!
Let’s also consider these factors about the characteristics of dog poop and why it’s no good on the streets. Dog poop carries a lot of diseases, including heartworms, tapeworms, and corona, according to an article in DoodyCalls.com. Also, the poop doesn’t make good fertilizer and also is in the same category as oil and toxic chemicals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
There is good news in all of this though! For one, there is a dog poop campaign organized by Jay Shells, a NYC Street Artist. He hand painted “Clean Up After Your Dog” posters around New York City to hopefully change owner’s minds about the severity and advantages of cleaning the poop, according to LaughingSquid.com, a blog and web-hosting company.
Another good thing that comes out of all of this is the invention of the “Dog Poop-Powered Lantern”, according to a November 2010 article on The Village Voice Blogs’ website. An artist named Matthew Mazzotta has decided to put dog poop into good use! He converts dog poop into energy to light a lantern at the Cambridge dog park. These leaves other artists and scientists to run tests on dog poop to see what good use they can put the brown stuff to. What a great way to start off 2011!
Just remember: If your dog poops then bring out the scoops! If you don’t throw it away it might come back around someday. Avoid a fine and cover your behind. Don’t put it in a bag, just put it in a lantern!
Where is the help for CUNY students when they need it? Why doesn’t anyone understand the need for a stand against a further tuition hike?
These are just some of the questions that are probably running through student’s minds as they oppose the recent tuition hike for the Spring 2011 and Fall 2011 semesters for the City of the University of New York (CUNY) schools. According to the John Jay College’s newsroom website, on November 22, 2010 the CUNY Board of Trustees approved a 5% increase in tuition for Spring 2011. During the meeting, the Board also approved a 2% increase for the Fall 2011.
“These tuition increases are unfortunate but necessary for the University to continue to provide the high quality educational opportunity our students deserve,” said Chancellor Matthew Goldstein according to the newsroom website. He also proclaimed that “increases are necessary to stabilize college operations, protect new faculty hired over the last several years.” The site also provides a chart that shows CUNY schools being the most affordable school in all New York City.
What exactly does “stabilize college operations” mean? Obviously, students didn’t want to hear what it meant. During the meeting, there were active protests going on right in the room according to a video found on YouTube.
In early February of this year, Governor Andrew Cuomo and the chancellors of New York’s public universities proposed that there needs to be a cut in CUNY and SUNY’s state budget, according to Syracuse.com, a social news and information website for New Yorkers. The budget cut will decrease financial aid given to students and also cut support to all the schools. The chancellors are also pushing for a new system that would include regular and frequent tuition increases. However, according to Columbia University’s website, the chancellors are raising tuition and also raising their salary.
The problem is so serious that six CUNY students are planning on filing a lawsuit against the Board of Trustees. Liberation, a newspaper “of the party for socialism and liberation” interviewed Frances Villar, one of the student activists apart of the lawsuit. Villar claims that “it is illegal to propose an increase outside the state budget.” She also says that CUNY is becoming more like private schools and since most of the students that attend CUNY schools are poor and working-class students, the burden falls on them and it will be difficult to go to school.
“The lawsuit is just a small step—one way to organize and show students that we are not powerless if we stick together,” Villar says in the Liberation interview. “We hope the lawsuit will be one step in empowering the hundreds of thousands of CUNY students to mobilize and defend what is ours.”
New York City Schools Chancellor Cathie Black seems like a magnet for controversy and angry parents and teachers. As if becoming the chancellor by NOT meeting the requirements and receiving a waiver from Education Commissioner David M. Steiner wasn’t enough controversy and doubt to start with, Black still finds a way to make more parents angry. In a meeting in January, Black suggested birth control to control the overcrowding in the schools located in lower Manhattan. She also referred to making tough decisions on trying to satisfy every neighborhood as making “Sophie choices”, a movie where a mother has to decide with her of children will live in a death camp.
Some articles reporting on this matter seemed to lean either on the negative side or the positive side of Black’s response to an audience comment that said these overcrowded schools might need to accommodate 1000 more students come 2015. Under the article on the New York Post website, some comments seem to reflect agreement with Black’s “kidding” solution for overcrowded schools. One even suggested that letting illegal immigrants get a free education also attributes to the overcrowding of New York public schools.
Black’s bad luck doesn’t end there. She seems like a clear advocate of closing down over 20 schools that are considered failing. In two Panel for Educational policy meetings that were held on February 1 and February 3 of this year, Black received boos and yelling from an angry crowd of parents and teachers. When she responded back in first meeting, she got criticism from both parents and members of the New York City Council. Basic Black, a book written by Black and published by Random Houses, Inc. in 2007, is considered an “essential guide for getting ahead at work and in life”. The advise in the book is based off Black’s own personal experiences that brought her to make tough decisions about her work and personal life. The description of the book indicates that it will lift up the readers spirits, is inspirational and motivating. Obviously, angry parents don’t care about what Black has written to bring motivation; they only care about the actions that Black puts forth for their children and the school system.
Black, I think you have your work cut out for you!
Hey guys,
I just realized something important about myself. I REALLY love to read. Ive been reading a lot ever since last year. I love to read all types of books, although now I am into reading fiction and fantasy about creatures like vampires and werewolves. LOL Yes I am obsessed with the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer. I read all four book more than two times. I think I can say I have a favorite; the very first book Twilight. The establishment of Bella and Edward’s relationship was epic and very emotional and sentimental. It felt like I was apart of their relationship and I was witness to something very important. More on Twilight later =]
I also just finished reading the last three of the six Vampire Academy novels. All are written by Richelle Mead. Even though I only read three out of six, I can just imagine the first three. But I didn’t really need to read them because the first book that I read (called Blood Promise) got me so into the series that I felt I didn’t have to read the first three. But I will soon (mark my words). Book reviews of all the books Ive read are coming up (including books by Nicholas Sparks. I love his books!) Also I will include the books that been mostly in the media (hence, media noodles) because there is a LOT of information out there from media sources. And I am here to put it all on one site!
I read all types of books, from fiction to fantasy to urban to reality fiction. So if you want an opinion from me on how a book was or if you want information on an upcoming book, look at this site and comment if you want (any trailers or more information on websites that I didn’t find and post myself).
Happy commenting and for me happy blogging!
-JESS
Novels for your Noodle 