GETTING ACQUAINTED, OCTOBER 23, 2013 in the Rockaways

The Rockaways, Action Center, 57th Sreet&Beach Channel – Photo Daniel Latorre

Flat gray sky. Flat gray water. Carpool stops briefly to look out over Broad Channel where a small, family-run marina used to be; the docks have not been rebuilt. Onto the Rockaways where we camp at Veggie Island, an organic market / juice bar central to both the peninsula and to Wildfire community organizers—three of whom happened by while we were there! Our morning of serendipitous introductions paired well with an afternoon fully scheduled at community centers around town.

Meeting with the Action Center’s founders – Photo Daniel Latorre

We met with folks at the Action Center, YANA and the Rockaways Youth Task Force before dashing to Floyd Bennett Field to attend a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC] meeting where the public officially voiced their opposition to the impending Rockaway Pipeline.

The Action Center’s lobby – Photo Carolyn Louth

ACTIVISTS, OCTOBER 26, 2013, From Union Square to The Rockaways 

Anti-fracking demo on Union Square echoing the current Rockaways pipeline threat – Photo Carolyn Louth

Crisp, sunshiny Saturday. Ideal for being outside, whether putting up a sculpture or putting up a fight… In Union Square, we made our way through the swarming farmers’ market—a fitting backdrop for the rally we were attending as the issue at hand is an extensive natural gas network that threatens the very farmland supplying NYC’s markets and restaurants.

Playful props such as a “pipeline”tunnel for kids to wriggle through further engaged the crowd. On to the Rockaway Hip Hop Community Garden for the unveiling of Sea Song, a 16ft sculpture assembled from salvaged materials and a symbol of community collaboration. Those affected by Hurricane Sandy also paid tribute with live music performances, spoken word and by creating the “Resiliency Flags” now strung colorfully from the freshly installed artwork.

Raising Resiliency flags in the Rockaways – Photo Carolyn Louth