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Of all the people you could have chosen to write a profile about, why Jane?

-Azaria Charles

1.  Isn’t it kind of “luxury” to live all life and just at 60 realize (Fonda) that she can be her own person? Based what you made this assumption?

2. Did the image of Fonda in your mind change while writing this article? How long it took you to write it?

3. I felt sad after I finished reading the article on Fonda. There are raw, tender emotions in it:  specifically the part where you say that she only got acknowledged in her movies; no applause as a human being. Being actress is her reward and price, don’t you think?

Hilton:

This semester I am taking an english class focused on New York writing and writers.  How has living in New York affected your writing?  Would you say that the diversity of the city has helped you understand and articulate other viewpoints?

The article we read on Jane Fonda by Hilton Als was a great read filled with wonderful detail.  I would ask Als how he got all of those details from so many different situations over such a long period of time. Was he actually there for all of them?  This article read like new journalism to me and I would be curious as to how he got details like what Fonda was drinking at her kids wedding, what her husband said in his speech, etc.

The Department of Education made yet another list of New York City public schools, excluding Staten Island, to be phased out and closed, due to low graduation rates and overall bad grade. In early January, a proposal was made public that 15 public schools would begin to be phased out, and 2 schools would be closed by summer. The DOE was expected to add more school to the list before voting on the proposal.

Michael R. Bloomberg’s administration has been well known for approving the closing and replacing of public schools, since he took office in 2002. As Mayor, Bloomberg plays a big part in the educational system, as he has the responsibility to appoint 8 members of the Panel for Education Policy, which consists of 13 members and the Chancellor.

On March 11, 2013, an educational public meeting was held at Brooklyn Technical High School, where parents and student voiced their opinion of the proposal. When all was said and done, the panels votes were counted and all 8 of Michael Bloomberg’s appointed members rejected the proposal to close and phase out New York City public schools.

For this conflict proposal, there are a few voices I look to hear from.

First, I wanted to interview a community board member in the district of one of the schools on the list to be phased out or closed down. By interviewing him, I seek to get more information on the standings of the community and why they felt the proposal needed to be denied.

Second, I would like to interview a parent whose child is currently in one of the schools, to get a personal view of the situation.

And last, if possible, I would like to speak to one of the Panel for Education policy members, and get his stance on the proposal and why he may have voted the way he did.

Everyone knows that Manhattan is a jungle of skyscrapers. Little is known about their relationships with the tiny buildings, that are dwarfed next to them. They are small but own valuable rights,  called transferrable development rights or air-rights which can be sold. Those in the know, such as real estate developers, are rushing to buy them so they can build  supertowers and make lots of money by selling apartments higher up with unobstructed views. So – the air is for sale and not even the sky is the limit.

Many blocks in Midtown East are still filled with smaller dwellings, such as 5-floor walk-ups. Among them is a 19th century beaux-art style town house near 2 Avenue on E. 34th Street, a New York landmark, serving as a cultural club – called Estonian House. Unique in its tinyness and ownership, it took for years to sell its air-rights, mostly due to  strong oppositon from the older generation of American Estonians. The board of th ehosue allowed the sale last year but it was a complicated matter. I am going to study what are the benefits, downsides and the future of the house.

Sources:

-President of the Estonian House, Dr. Toomas Sorra, promised to give me the contacts, including Robert Shapiro, a broker from the City Center Real Estate, who mitigated the deal for the Estonian House.

– I am looking for shareholders in the Estonian community who were against or pro to give up the rights to developers.

-I am planning to interview residents or business owners in the neighborhood

– owners next to the Estonian House are building something new, maybe they were the buyers of the air-rights.

-attend CB meeting

Factiva search outcome:

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/03/01/city-unveils-details-of-midtown-east-rezoning-proposal/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+trdnews+%28The+Real+Deal+-+New+York+Real+Estate+News%29

http://global.factiva.com.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/ha/default.aspx

http://global.factiva.com.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/ha/default.aspx

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/02/28/flux-is-essential-to-midtown-east-advocacy-group-claims/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+trdnews+%28The+Real+Deal+-+New+York+Real+Estate+News%29

http://global.factiva.com.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/ha/default.aspx

Fitzgerald Pub, located on east Third Avenue is the ultimate “it” place for Baruch students. The pub gives a feeling of warmth in its cozy stools and tables. It’s a chilly Friday evening; students are all gathered in groups of two or more and fills the whole pub with chitchats. Two old men are attending the bar and serving the students. Many people are waiting on the bartenders to take their orders and the bartenders are working really fast making drinks. Students go and leave in groups throughout the night and once in a blue moon an old man is spotted drinking and sitting alone on a stool.