Saturday, August 29, 2009
Woman Publicly Protests, Alleges Police Brutality
A summer night with an early autumn chill. Across the street near the MacDonough Monument a woman holds up handmade protest signs accented with tiny blue lights. She is excitedly talking with someone. Why is she so upset? Why such heat on a cool pleasant evening?
To get answers, ask questions.
I approach the woman, asking if is OK to photograph her. She agrees. I ask her why she is demonstrating. As I take still images and video, she explains she’s angry with an officer of the Plattsburgh Police Department for using excessive force when arresting her son.
The woman – who says her name is Andrea Provost – is emotional while making her claims. She states that a week ago, August 21st, at around 7 PM her son was arrested on a bridge. I ask which bridge. She gestures with a protest sign towards the Saranac River, indicating the footbridge that runs parallel to the railroad trestle.
Her son, Dustin Provost, she explains, was arrested for failure to pay child support. While she doesn’t condone all of her son’s actions, she said because she was Dustin’s mother, only she had the right “to kick his ass,” not the cops.
Andrea Provost wears a black t-shirt with a logo that is a variation on the “Got Milk?” promotion. It reads: “Got Guilt?” Two pairs of handcuffs hang from her right wrist.
One of her signs has a bootprint drawn on it. She claims that her son had a bootprint on his face for two days from the police overreacting. She adds that the police backed off when they noticed witnesses to their brutality. She asks that anyone who witnessed the incident to please come forward.
Some young people stop, listen to her for a while. They remain quiet, no comments or questions. I wonder how they regard the police and this woman’s allegations.
Andrea Provost won’t mention the name of the officer who she says hurt her son. She alleges that certain police officers had threatened her son, saying if they had a reason to get him, they would beat him up.
She sketches the outline of a cover-up. The arrest wasn’t mentioned in the Press-Republican. WPTZ-TV Channel 5 didn’t cover the incident because its anchorwoman, Stephanie Gorin, is married to the police chief. (Not the first time I heard this issue raised, the potential conflict of interest.) She also angrily claimed that the police prevented the hospital from taking photographs to document her son’s bruises, but x-rays were taken of his fractured wrists.
Like I said, heat on a cool evening.
So I asked questions, got some answers, and ended up with more questions. What really happened? I only got one part of the story, one POV. Maybe the Plattsburgh PD will respond and maybe the local mainstream media will look into it.
In the meantime, Andrea Provost stands out there with her unflattering protest signs that say “CITY POLICE YOU MAKE ME VOMIT” and “CITY POLICE: LET’S TALK; FACE TO FOOTPRINT.”
Freedom of speech in action. And a public relations problem.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Close, But Not Close Enough
If I only had a different camera with me, a DSLR with a fast telephoto zoom…
But all I had was my widget compact camera and so I have to make do with these images.
At least they give enough detail to help me ID the bird – almost. I’ve narrowed it down to a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker - maybe.
The other evening I was walking along when I heard short sharp chirps right next to me. A small tree laden with red berries stood between the sidewalk and the street. While audibly obvious, the source of the noise was visually shy, hiding within the tree’s leafy branches.
Suddenly something flew out, darting to the next red berry tree down the sidewalk. It looked like a woodpecker; time to take out the camera.
It was cloudy, not that much light, and zooming out my compact camera’s lens really slows it down (to f5.6 for you photo-techies). That meant a slow shutter, a real problem with handholding. So I had to zoom back, a smaller image, but even that was a trade off because to enlarge the image made the noise/unsharpness even more pronounced, as you can plainly see.
I had the ISO set to 100 and if I had the time I would’ve tried upping it to 400. But chasing this quick bird from tree to tree didn’t give me that opportunity. When he was hanging low on a trunk, he would dart around, playing peekaboo.
Besides visually, I’ve tried online to aurally ID him, playing back recordings, but the Hairy and Downy sound alike. Does anyone out know what species he is?
But all I had was my widget compact camera and so I have to make do with these images.
At least they give enough detail to help me ID the bird – almost. I’ve narrowed it down to a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker - maybe.
The other evening I was walking along when I heard short sharp chirps right next to me. A small tree laden with red berries stood between the sidewalk and the street. While audibly obvious, the source of the noise was visually shy, hiding within the tree’s leafy branches.
Suddenly something flew out, darting to the next red berry tree down the sidewalk. It looked like a woodpecker; time to take out the camera.
It was cloudy, not that much light, and zooming out my compact camera’s lens really slows it down (to f5.6 for you photo-techies). That meant a slow shutter, a real problem with handholding. So I had to zoom back, a smaller image, but even that was a trade off because to enlarge the image made the noise/unsharpness even more pronounced, as you can plainly see.
I had the ISO set to 100 and if I had the time I would’ve tried upping it to 400. But chasing this quick bird from tree to tree didn’t give me that opportunity. When he was hanging low on a trunk, he would dart around, playing peekaboo.
Besides visually, I’ve tried online to aurally ID him, playing back recordings, but the Hairy and Downy sound alike. Does anyone out know what species he is?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Feather Flophouse
“Hey, buddy – kill that flash! It's nighttime!
Let us doze and defecate in peace.
Fly off!”
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Another Pigeon Hole
The Strand marquee isn’t the only spot where messy pigeons like to roost. Check out the dilapidated building on Miller Street across from the Municipal Lighting Department.
The ceiling to the wraparound porch has sagging boards, leaving gaps. Chicken coop wire has been put up to keep out the defecating doves but there are other gaps allowing entry.
It’s ironical that this deteriorating property is only a short walk from City Hall and the Press-Republican offices. Check out the article at the P-R website entitled “Lakeside hit with dozens of violations,” Aug. 10th. It describes a tour of Lakeside Apartments with the mayor, police chief, and a P-R reporter surveying the sorry state of the complex. During the tour “a large chunk of roof” fell off.
But why go all the way out to Lakeside and raise a big stink while ignoring a building just as bad in the downtown area? In this case maybe City Hall and the P-R believe in NIMBY when it comes to pointing attention at a building rotting away.
Hang around this Miller Street eyesore long enough and maybe you’ll see a chunk of it falling off.
The ceiling to the wraparound porch has sagging boards, leaving gaps. Chicken coop wire has been put up to keep out the defecating doves but there are other gaps allowing entry.
It’s ironical that this deteriorating property is only a short walk from City Hall and the Press-Republican offices. Check out the article at the P-R website entitled “Lakeside hit with dozens of violations,” Aug. 10th. It describes a tour of Lakeside Apartments with the mayor, police chief, and a P-R reporter surveying the sorry state of the complex. During the tour “a large chunk of roof” fell off.
But why go all the way out to Lakeside and raise a big stink while ignoring a building just as bad in the downtown area? In this case maybe City Hall and the P-R believe in NIMBY when it comes to pointing attention at a building rotting away.
Hang around this Miller Street eyesore long enough and maybe you’ll see a chunk of it falling off.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Stool Pigeons Still Rule The Roost
Apparently dumb defecating doves don’t take the hint.
As mentioned in a previous post, there was a problem with pigeons roosting inside the Strand marquee. Work was done, removing the signs and upper structure, leaving just the overhang.
But after all that effort, I noticed pigeon crap still underneath the marquee. Instead of carpet-bombing all over the sidewalk, the pattern was now in a rectangular shape, following the outer outline of the marquee.
Today I discovered why the problem has remained. The ceiling underneath was also removed, exposing metal brackets along the inside perimeter, perfect perches for the pigeons.
Now the mess is more concentrated, thanks to the brackets.
Solutions? Bend up the brackets or block them with wire mesh to prevent roosting. Or install those sharp metal spikes used on ledges to keep pigeons away.
And after that problem is fixed, hose down the sidewalk using some water and bleach with the vigorous application of a squeegee or a push broom with stiff bristles. Then take any tools used in the clean-up and drop them off at a hazmat disposal station.
As mentioned in a previous post, there was a problem with pigeons roosting inside the Strand marquee. Work was done, removing the signs and upper structure, leaving just the overhang.
But after all that effort, I noticed pigeon crap still underneath the marquee. Instead of carpet-bombing all over the sidewalk, the pattern was now in a rectangular shape, following the outer outline of the marquee.
Today I discovered why the problem has remained. The ceiling underneath was also removed, exposing metal brackets along the inside perimeter, perfect perches for the pigeons.
Now the mess is more concentrated, thanks to the brackets.
Solutions? Bend up the brackets or block them with wire mesh to prevent roosting. Or install those sharp metal spikes used on ledges to keep pigeons away.
And after that problem is fixed, hose down the sidewalk using some water and bleach with the vigorous application of a squeegee or a push broom with stiff bristles. Then take any tools used in the clean-up and drop them off at a hazmat disposal station.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Pigeon Mess At The Strand: UPDATE
As I mentioned before, there was a pigeon problem at the strand, the fouling birds roosting in the marquee. Instead of sealing off the marquee, it appears the decision was made remove all the signs, the upper structure, and leave the overhang.
I regret that I wasn’t around when they hauled away the old signs. Years ago when the marquee was being upgraded, one side was open and unless I’m mistaken there was another marquee hidden inside, a triangular-shaped one pointing out from the building.
Anyway, no more roosting pigeons to carpet-bomb the sidewalk.
I regret that I wasn’t around when they hauled away the old signs. Years ago when the marquee was being upgraded, one side was open and unless I’m mistaken there was another marquee hidden inside, a triangular-shaped one pointing out from the building.
Anyway, no more roosting pigeons to carpet-bomb the sidewalk.
A Small Suggestion
In my previous post I discussed how difficult it was to find the phone number for the mayor’s office at the City of Plattsburgh website. Not to just complain, let me offer a practical solution. Just make a tiny modification to the homepage:
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