Sentinel

5/3

Stephen continues to work on our communications, developing brochures, psoters and a banner for our busy upcoming May events.

Martin and I can see what the right plan could be, but one piece remains elusive. All we can do is hold our breath.

I open uo the balcony for the Ethel musicians. All day long their  sounds come down into my office, dance around through my head. They like it here. Look forward to coming back.

Cara come sin to tell me how happy she is. Martin and Soli  have welcomed her into their flamenco and ballet classes. Soli has discovered the depth of Cara’s Martha Graham training. Cara can see herself teaching again, especially if she could teach to her own music. She’s been learning a lot from her work with Lynn. She can imagine a whole new project of teaching dance to people who are blind. It’s the braille of the body, she tells me. And then, I finally realized that dancers make love with the music...

Two visitors walk in, just to look around. We like the outside better than the inside, they tell Danielle. Well, all right, then. 

RL comes in to share his research on options regarding involuntary committal of persons with mental illness. Shortly I will join him at his office, just to review where we now stand. 

Linda from the neighborhood comes in for the first time in many years. Wants to know how we’ve been since landmarking. Well, it’s been three years....I say. She shares how shameful she felt the Community Board hearings were. The decision already made. No openness to our position at all. The rancor. Accusations. Misrepresentations.Yes, that was hard, I say, but we’re trying to move forward. They promised they would help, I said. With a few exceptions, it’s been nothing. When people told me, well they got what they wanted, who should they help? I didn’t want to believe it. But now....

Hugo’s still up for direct action. I wonder why I hesitate. Three years, and still waiting for promise to be fulfilled. 

I stop at the Gate on my way back from the Lower Eastside. The National Movement Against Sweatshops is having a party celebrating international worker’s day. Growing out of the "the haynarkert Square riots in Chicago, spreading around the world. Now celebrated everywhere but here. 

I join Martin and his family watchign te Knicks finish off the Celtics in round one. Tell him how moving it was for me to see Chinese, Mexicans and Dominicns and Afircan-Americans celebrating together in the NMASS office on the ower East Side, or loaisai, as the latinos say. And now they’re helping who are taking at and stand in Chinatown against gentrification through pushing the long term residents out. Part of Mayor Bloomberg’s drive to creating a luxury city.

Late at night, when I’m rready to leave, heading up Amsterdam, I find Anna  keeping watch. So I came out, waiting for the midnigt run. But then I saw lights on in the church and thought I’d better check it out. But it’s you, OK.

Tonight she is my sentinel..