Last week marked the 100th anniversary of one of the worst industrial accidents in US history: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The fire, exacerbated by cramped working conditions and locked fire exits, led to the death of 146 workers who leapt to their deaths to escape the flames. Most who died were young women, recent immigrants to our country searching for the American Dream. It took this type of tragedy for factory reform. Alfred E. Smith became a champion for workplace safety and regulation and unions were formed.
To honor the event, there was a rally last Friday on the Lower East Side in NYC. Artist Louise Millmann, dressed in period clothing, walked in the parade, stunning the onlookers who believed they had seen a ghost. Millmann described the experience as quite emotional, a poignant reminder of the sensless loss of life and the continuted need for safe workplaces everywhere.
Dear Governor, I voted for you, but I didn't vote for this. I know teachers have become the new villians in the fiscal crisis all around the country, but I thought you were better than that. Why did I allow myself to think that you would see public education as an essential ingredient in fostering the American Dream? Or that you would value programs that keep kids off the streets and engaged in school? Perhaps you didn't realize the toll this would take on local school districts, many of which already face tough choices between offering AP Courses or world languages, computers or sports. Long Island prides itself on its schools and has the highest rate of high school graduates who go on to secondary education. We send a greater percentage of tax revenue to Albany, but get back less. Our reward? An 11% cut in state aid coupled with a tax cap that will cripple school districts. Schools in low wealth areas who rely more heavily on state aid, will cut more programs, and that student who may have found his way out of poverty, inspired by an art class or a science club, will never have that chance. He will never know what opportunities he will have missed. Now multiply that by the many children your policy will impact, and you can see why so many people turned out at last night's rally at Hofstra University. Concerned parents, grandparents, educators, and community members showed up to say that our children deserve better. Investing in our future will yield better results. If you need dollars and cents to justify your budget, think about this. For every year of education a child receives, for every enriching experience, she will in turn get a better job and become a more productive (and taxpaying) member of society. I know you are going to tell me that we all need to 'tighten the belt', but this type of class warfare, balancing budgets on the most vulnerable members of society, is dangerous business. As it stands, we Long Islanders have local control over our districts. Your proposal of a tax cap, without mandate relief denies us this right. School boards, superintendents, the community-- don't they have a say in setting their own budgets? Sincerely, Nadine Bouler
This in from Musicworks founder Jesse Neuman who is in Ecuador right now. Hey all Just wanted to drop a line and let you know that all is well here at the equator. Some hilights: 12 hours of travel (how do you say "flight delayed" in Spanish? 13 hours of sleep the following night (human again) basically I'm living alone in the 75% finished palace amidst the Pachacama property (all of the houses in Ecuador are 75% finished and 100% of them will not be finished. However, I'm enjoying the bare bulbs, mattress on the floor, and 6 rooms of non-furnitured echo for my trumpet playing) gave some private lessons in my kitchen to Clarita, Maria Jose, and Fernando. It's so great to see how much they have improved since last year. my trombone class wound up improvising to a shuffled ipod, including: The Neptunes, Duke Ellington, Broken Social Scene, and Lucinda Williams. well done my long lost student Julian has returned from Colombia! $1.60 lunches including soup, chicken, rice, and drink. yum. gave Lassie, the ancient german shepherd a bath (too many flies). she did not enjoy it. felt great to donate books, instruments, funds, etc. There is such a need here...
3 Backyards was a thought-provoking analysis of three characters who are teetering on the edge of life-changing events. A cinematic version an Eric Fischl painting, behind the banal suburban facade lurks an undercurrent of depression, turmoil, and danger. It was great fun to go to a movie with so many members of the cast and crew on hand. Louise Millmann, who plays the role of 'the teacher', sat behind me in the back row with her bag of popcorn and two good friends. In front of me was her mother Rose and brother Chris. As for her performance, it was not lost on me that Louise is more theatrical in her real-life performace as a photography teacher than she is in portraying on on the big screen. After the enlightening Q & A session which followed the movie, Louise headed over to deliver homemade Irish Soda Bread to her longtime friend and star of the film, Edie Falco, who gave Louise a hearty embrace and me, a friendly handshake. But alas, my new camera, a spiffy Canon known for its great low lighting shots, leaves me with an 'atmospheric' shot of the two. Let's just say I won't be joining the ranks of the paparazzi anytime soon.
This Friday at Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, NY, 3 Backyards featuring Northport's own Edie Falco and Louise Millmann, opens to a sold out crowd. Winner of many awards around the globe, it's the story of three people from the same suburban town during the course of a seemingly typical autumn day. Behind the placid exterior, each character experiences a personal journey that takes them to unknown territory. Director Eric Mendelsohn will be on hand to discuss the film.
One of the most important elements of American freedom is the ability to reach out to our representatives in governement. Last week, Olivia and Jackson had a follow-up visit to Washington DC to see how things have changes since they were there in July. During both trips, they spoke to their congressman, Steve Israel (D-NY), a strong proponent of environmental stewardship and alternative energy, both essential to the economic growth and heathly habitat of Long Island. And by working the steps of the Capitol, they were also able to offer their support of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Act, a propsal to protect important habitat along the path of migration for many important birds who travel from South America through Central America to North America, and back again. Due to deforestation, pollution, and climate change, their population numbers are decreasing at an alarming rate. Birds like the wood thrush and the red knot could become extinct in our generation. As the Indian proverb goes, we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Wouldn't it be a crime to leave them without songbirds?
As yet another natural disaster rips apart a different region of the globe, it gives us pause to reflect on our fragile existance. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic ash, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, blizzards-- the past year is evidence that few are left unscathed by Nature's wrath. Add on man-made disasters-- radiation leaks, oil spills, water contamination-- and it becomes clear that our ecology needs to be a top priority if we are to survive. Our prayers this morning are with the Japanese people. May we all find ways to help them recover.
It was My Life In France that did it-- it made me a Julia Child fan. Sure I had grown up with her show on PBS, but then it was the background noise of my childhood. Her memoirs changed that. Transported to Julia Child's apartment in 1940s Paris, I experienced the lushness of the landscape and the cuisine, discovering them through Child's words. Though I'm not one for recipes myself, Child's fastidious and scientific approach to showing Americans how to create French meals revealed a woman whose intelligence and sophistication I grew to admire. And she did it all with a palpable joy and a glass of wine. So it was with great anticipation that I went to see her kitchen at the Smithsonian. Despite the crowds and the plexiglass, it was a welcoming and intimate kitchen, functional and friendly. It surprised me. While kitchens today are grand marble affairs with center islands and subzero refrigerators, Child's pans on peg boards, knives exposed, cupboards without doors offer insight into her process. I easily envisioned her flowing from one workspace to another, reaching for a spatula, turning on the mixer. Her bookshelf, another marvel, offered even more insight. I've frequently considered the topic of bookshelves, so I relished the chance to see what was here. Audubon's field guilde, Bullfinch's' Mythology, well-worn cookbooks intermingled with an unfussy, unpretentious, utilitarian air. I wanted to plop down at the kitchen table and flip through them while Julia whipped up a simple meal for us. I emerged from my fantasy satisfied, wonderfully transported and surprisingly refreshed, not unlike a great dining experience.
Hello, modern age. Blogging for nearly 600 entries, running Olivia's Save the Gulf page, and working on Bouler Architecture's web page, I felt pretty tech-forward. But today's flowers are tomorrow's compost, and technology moves swiftly. Olivia now has her own official website thanks to the massive assistance by Jesse Neuman, who, in addition to playing jazz trumpet and teaching in Central America, can whip out a site in mere hours. No longer will I have to send pages of links to folks-- it's all there! But wait, there's more. After resisting the Twitter trend, my students have convinced me that Olivia needs to start tweeting. Hey, if BirdgirlLiv wants to tweet, and folks want to read it, it seems like a natural development. That is, of course, until the next new thing.
Today's guest blog is by Krista Peterson, a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida who is an aspiring writer with a passion for the health and safety of our community and environment.
The EPA lists three goals of green building: improving efficiency in the use of energy, water, etc.; safeguarding the health and productivity of the building’s occupants; and decreasing waste and pollution generated by the structure. All three of these goals have distinct benefits to our daily lives as well as to the natural environment.
Improving Efficiency Many of us have heard this over and over, but it is worth repeating: energy efficiency is not just good for the earth; it’s good for the wallet. The fewer resources we use, the less we have to pay for them. Despite this common-sense principle, efficiency can sometimes be difficult to implement, particularly in more extreme climates where making the indoor air a more comfortable temperature takes more energy. The EPA estimates that 43-60% of an inhabited structure’s energy expenditure goes towards heating and cooling. Renewable sources of electricity like solar cells are ideal, but not suited to every building or budget. Instead, energy use can be reduced through the use of blown-in insulation and double-paned windows with high-efficiency glass to prevent the heated or cooled air from leaking out. Even steps as simple as applying caulk or weather-stripping to cracks and gaps around windows and doors is an application of green building principles.
Safeguarding Health Even if something is “natural,” it is not necessarily healthy or good for the environment. Asbestos, for example, is a naturally-occurring mineral found in deposits all over the world, but its use in construction materials is not considered environmentally friendly because of the danger it poses to public health. The mineral was once commonly used in nearly every structural component of an average building, since it added strength and heat-resistance, but we now know how dangerous asbestos is. When breathed into the lungs, it can cause health problems like lung scarring, asbestosis, or symptoms of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs. Sadly, mesothelioma life expectancy is poor, with only about 10% of patients surviving for five years after diagnosis. Asbestos has now been replaced with safer alternatives such as fiberglass, cellulose, or rock wool.
Decreasing Waste Finally, sustainable architecture is designed to reduce waste both in the construction and occupancy of the building. This may be accomplished by using renewable materials such as sustainable lumber or other plant matter or recycling other materials like stone or metal. Some construction projects can even reuse industrial byproducts like coal combustion waste, foundry sand, or demolition debris. Additional features allow the inhabitants to do things like reuse greywater for irrigation or other non-drinkable purposes.
When green architects put these principles into effect, they improve our quality of life along with the natural environment in ways we might not necessarily expect. For example, mesothelioma symptoms have even been diagnosed in dogs and cats, and just about any creature with lungs is at risk. As we reduce our use of natural resources and use them as efficiently and safely as possible, we will be able to work toward a more sustainable way of life for ourselves and future generations.
About a month ago, we were 'nation builders' but this week, we are under attack. With cuts in state aid to rising health care costs, it was hard for teachers not to fear the worst for their profession and for their students. But with the attacks on collective bargaining and seniority, it feels more like an attack on the middle class. I often call teaching a stepping stone career. Like many of my colleagues, I am the first in my family to have the chance to go to college and saw a stable, public service career educating others as part of my civic duty. Now public servants are villified. Though we only make up a small portion of the work force, we are now cast as the culprits in causing budget shortfalls. It made me terribly sad when a talented colleague of mine said she wouldn't advise people to go into the teaching profession these days. It made me sad on two levels. First, it was a sign to me how much these attacks were affecting those of us who have devoted our lives to this career, and it made me wonder about the loss of talented teachers in the future. I could go through the laundry list of things I've done as a teacher throughout my sixteen year career-- but I won't. Instead, I'll simply say that there have been times when I've had the chance to direct a young person's life in ways that are tangilble and intangible. Teaching's bottom line isn't like other industries, where the product can be quantified on spreadsheets. There isn't a 4th Q earnings report. Every year I try to help a hundred students move from point A to point B in their lives, made all the more challenging because each one of them has a different point A. To my colleagues across the country, we stand together as nation-builders, whether we are recognized as such or not.
Bouler Architecture: Eco-friendly waterfront homes with both passive and active energy saving systems, forward-thinking in both energy efficiency and aesthetics, commercial property retrofitting
Nadine Bouler is the creative team advisor of Bouler Pfluger Architects, PC.
With a degree in art and architecture history as well as a masters in English literature, Nadine Bouler is an educator in Jericho High School and an artist. Her artwork has been exhibited in Belgium, Brazil, Wales, and in shows in the United States.
