Manhattan borough president says graffiti
vandalism might cost city millions to clean
BY TODD MAISEL
Manhattan Borough
President Gale Brewer
said on July 9 that
graffi ti vandalism to some of the
buildings surrounding the current
#OccupyCityHall sleep-in might
cost the city millions to remove
when the demonstrations subside.
The vandalism has many
privately blaming the mayor for
allowing the damage to occur
and for continuing to allow the
demonstrators to remain at the
site – many of whom are now just
homeless who have settled at City
Hall where there is free food and
makeshift shelters.
Police had been given the
order to have a “soft touch” with
protesters during the numerous
marches but were eventually able
to bring looting and vandalism of
stores under control, especially in
SOHO where many stores were
burglarized and heavily damaged.
However, that same approach
seemed to apply to #Occupy-
CityHall who’s ground has been
decorated with paintings and
The Surrogates Court Building on Chambers Street was hit by graffiti vandals.
slogans for the black lives matter
movement, along with other
movements seeking free rent,
advocacy for homelessness, school
overhaul and anti-police slogans.
Those slogans were taken
across the street where many
buildings were hit by graffi ti.
Some of those include the Municipal
Building, the Department
of Education housed in the former
Tweed Courthouse and the gothic
Surrogate Court Building.
Brewer said that while the
granite might be able to be
cleaned, she said the marble
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
portions of the buildings would
be much more diffi cult because of
the paint seeped into the materials
causing more permanent damage
that might be very expensive to
repair.
Brewer also said she realized
the crowd was much different
from the start – a large number
of homeless had taken refuge
there, requiring a different kind
of response from mental health
professionals and homeless outreach
offi cials.
One US Marshal guarding
the Federal Courthouse nearby,
expressed pride that their building
wasn’t touched. As for the
other buildings, “don’t even get
me started.”
Most elected offi cials haven’t
even been there, Brooklyn
Borough President Eric Adams
vowed to “take a look.” Council
Speaker Corey Johnson had no
comment on it and most council
members have not been there as
the Council has not met in a live
session.
One ranking police offi cer,
joined by other top cops said,
“when the mayor tells us to go,
we will go in. But for now, we are
just waiting for the word.”
The mayor’s offi ce did not
respond for comment on the damage
to the buildings or indicate
when the city might clean out the
area.
West Village, Morningside Catholic schools
won’t reopen in June
BY ALEX MITCHELL AND
ROBERT POZARYCKI
Financial struggles brought
on by the coronavirus pandemic
will keep more than
a dozen Catholic schools across
New York City closed for good,
including two in Manhattan.
The Archdiocese of New York
announced Thursday the permanent
closure of 20 Catholic
schools downstate — six being in
the Bronx, three on Staten Island,
two in Manhattan, and others in
surrounding suburbs.
Likewise, the Diocese of
Brooklyn and Queens also announced
on July 9 the demise of
six Catholic academies in both
boroughs.
The affected Manhattan
schools are Corpus Christi School
in Morningside Heights and Our
Lady of Pompeii School in the
West Village.
Our Lady of Pompeii had 130
students from pre-kindergarten
through the eighth grade. It was
founded in 1930 by the Missionaries
of St. Charles and the Apostles
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Corpus Christi, meanwhile,
served 175 students in the same
grade levels. They had been
educating children in the Harlem
and Morningside Heights areas
for more than a century.
Throughout the archdiocese,
it is expected that 2,500 students
and 350 staff will be impacted by
the closures.
The Archdiocese of New York
cited that many families were unable
to pay current tuition due to
COVID related unemployment,
leading to “a signifi cantly low
rate of re-registration for the fall.”
Some blame was cast on
months of cancelled masses and
fundraising which went to scholarships
as being a critical blow to
the schools’ permanent closure.
“Too many have lost parents
and grandparents to this insidious
virus, and now thousands will not
see their beloved school again,”
said Cardinal Timothy Dolan,
Archbishop of New York.
“Given the devastation of this
pandemic, I’m grateful more
schools didn’t meet this fate, and
that Catholic schools nearby are
ready to welcome all the kids,”
Dolan added.
Meanwhile, Superintendent
of Schools for the archdiocese,
Michael J. Deegan is fearful that
this is only the beginning of larger
school closures to come.
“If more assistance is not
forthcoming in the longed for
The doors of Our Lady of Pompeii School in the West Village
will remain permanently closed, according to the Archdiocese
of New York.
HEROES Act now before Congress,
I am afraid even more
might close. This is a very sad
PHOTO VIA TWITTER/@OLP_SCHOOL_NYC
day for everyone in the extended
Catholic school community,” he
said.
14 July 16, 2020 Schneps Media