Northattan

How to live the good life, the freegan way.

Word Up, a community-run pop-up bookstore that has served Washington Heights for nearly six months, has spent most of its short life running on borrowed time. The store’s most recent shutdown date was Nov. 30, but nearly a week after that deadline, it’s still open. For how long, though, is a question of great uncertainty.

Browsing the bookshelves at Word Up bookstore. Photo by Tania Rashid/Northattan.

Word Up opened last June 17 as a one-month novelty — a rare bookstore for the neighborhood and a venue for evening poetry slams and other performances. The building’s landlord, Vantage Residential, a New York realty company, initially renewed its agreement with community organizers to keep the store open, rent-free, through November. As that deadline approached and passed, organizers opened new negotiations, asking Vantage to let them keep operating through December, and into next year.

“So many people have asked for it to continue,” said Veronica Liu, an editor for Seven Stories Press and the driving force behind the bookshop deal. “We have a whole set of daily volunteers. Everyone has been happy to do something because they are just so happy that this place is bringing people together in a way that we haven’t been able to.”

The sign outside the store on 176th Street in Washington Heights reads “pharmacy,” but on the inside, wooden shelves are stacked to the ceiling with used books. Writings by local authors in both Spanish and English are displayed in the window.

While the store’s used books draw some shoppers, it’s the performances — ranging from spoken word poetry to live music -– that attract a broad audience of supporters, said Liu.

According to the Word Up website, about 300 events were organized since the store’s inception. Among the most popular events are the open mic nights every Wednesday and Friday, when dozens of local artists line up to share their poetry about politics, social issues, or even their love of Word Up.

But it’s not certain whether Vantage, the landlord for the building, will continue offering the space rent-free to the community. Some of the store’s volunteers speculate that current negotiations may center on a new agreement that involves paying rent for the storefront. But volunteers asked not to be quoted by name, and Vantage did not respond to requests to comment on the negotiations.

Others in the community believe that Vantage wants to sell the space. Katarina Rivera, a regular at the weekly open mic, said closing the store would be a loss for the neighborhood. “This space is bringing something nobody else is bringing, especially with the space for self expression, and inspiration, not just through books, but the performances, and events,” she said.

For now the store remains open daily. But its future remains in limbo.

Jose Pimentel, accused of plotting to bomb New York City, in court. Photo by Jefferson Siegel/AP

While downtown officials revealed more details today about the investigation that led to Saturday’s arrest of a Dominican Northattan resident on terrorism charges, uptowners worried about how the arrest might affect two of the city’s large minority populations: Dominicans and Muslims.

“I’m his mother, how do you think I’m feeling right now?” sobbed Carmen Sosa, the distressed mother of Jose Pimentel, whom police have charged with plotting to bomb city post offices and police stations, as well as soldiers returning from war.

Sosa was addressing the media circus camped in front of her son’s apartment in Hamilton Heights early Monday morning. “I would like to apologize to the city,” said Sosa.  “I love New York, I’ve been here, since 1987. I’m very disappointed with what my son’s doing. I did not raise my son that way.

Pimentel, originally from Dominican Republic, is a naturalized U.S. citizen who recently converted to Islam, according to police. Officials in Northattan today praised the police investigation that led to his arrest. Among them was State Senator Adriano Espaillat, who commended the actions of the New York Police Department for “their swift and rapid response” to Pimentel’s alleged bombing plans that threatened the lives of city residents.

Ebenzer Smith, district manager of Community Board 12, joined in the praise, suggesting that the Pimentel case might help the community overcome some of its longstanding hostility toward police.

“We need to be vigilant in our neighborhood and work with the police department and give them any tips,” said Smith. “Not only terrorist but any criminal action cannot be tolerated in this community.”

Police allege that Pimentel planned to build bombs that can be easily made at home, with simple ingredients such as powder, Christmas lights and flashlights. The powder was made from scraped material off of match heads and used Christmas lights as the detonator. Pimentel bought the ingredients from a Home Depot on Exterior Street in the Bronx according to The New York Times.  Amelia Belucci, an employee at the store, said today that the allegations against Pimentel made her nervous.

“Nothing in the world is safe,” said Belucci. “What happened on 9/11 can happen anywhere. He’s not there in his head. Maybe he wants to hurt somebody,” she said.

Simon Islam, a software engineer who just moved to New York from Texas, lives a floor below Pimentel’s uncle’s apartment on 137^th Street in Hamilton Heights.  According to police, Pimentel was living with his uncle at the time of his arrest.

“We always saw him in the corner smoking all the time, like maybe late nights, at 1 or 2 in the morning,” said Islam, who – like police – described Pimentel as a loner. “He’s always standing and smoking,” he said.

Pimentel’s mother said that after his conversion to Islam, her son worshipped at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, the city’s largest mosque at 96^th Street and Third Avenue.

The imam there, Omar S. Abu Namous, worried today that Pimentel’s actions could raise a new wave of  “Islamophobia.”

“People don’t understand Islam,” said Namous. “We should not judge a person from their religion. You could be anything: Religion is one thing, and your character is another thing,“ he said.

Simon Islam, a fellow Muslim, said he also worried that the allegations against Pimentel could hurt Muslims.

“Islam is not about all of this. Definitely not,” he said. “Nowhere is Islam telling people to go do jihad on people who are innocent and not involved with anything.”

Equally distressed today were many Dominicans, who make up the majority in Washington Heights, and who wonder if now they will be objects of suspicion, as Muslims were after the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington.

While there was no real evidence of an anti-Dominican backlash, there was plenty of bewilderment among the Dominicans of Washington Heights.

“I never heard of a Dominican bomber before,” said 15-year-old Ariel Sanchez.

“That guy is crazy,” said Johnny de Jesus. “I don’t think any Hispanic does something like that.”

Pimentel is being held without bail, and his lawyer was not available for comment.

Ydanis Rodriguez at a press conference on Wednesday. Photo by Tania Rashid/Northattan.

A day after he was arrested as part of the city’s crackdown on Occupy Wall Street, City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez demanded that New York City authorities investigate police treatment of the protesters who were cleared from Zuccotti Park early Tuesday.

Rodriguez, who represents Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill, was among some 200 people arrested as the Occupy Wall Street camp was dismantled by police, on the order of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He was released Tuesday evening but did not speak in detail about his detention until a press conference on the steps of City Hall Wednesday.

Rodriguez, sporting minor scratches above his eyes, told media and dozens of supporters who assembled for the press conference that he had been pushed to the ground by a police officer and beaten in the head with a baton just before his arrest.

While acknowledging that police need to “guarantee order in the city,” Rodriguez said police were heavy-handed in their treatment of protesters Tuesday morning.

“What happened yesterday morning didn’t have to happen,” he said. “I think participating in civil disobedience is the right of the citizens.”

Rodriguez said he went to Zuccotti Park at 1 a.m. Tuesday, after a text message alerted him that police had begun an operation to clear the park. He said that when he arrived, he saw police punching some protesters in the stomach. Protester Rhadames Rivera said he watched Rodriguez ask a police officer to act with restraint.

“Why did they run this operation like a military? This is not acceptable,” Rodriguez told the crowd outside of City Hall, in calling for an investigation of how police treated him and the protesters who were evicted from the park.

When Rodriguez himself was grabbed by police and pushed to the ground, he said he identified himself as a City Council member. Rodriguez said police ignored him and threw him in a van, where he was held for two hours before his transfer to One Police Plaza. He was one of only two city officials arrested, along with protesters who have occupied the park for three months.

Rodriguez said that despite requests he was not allowed to see a lawyer for 12 hours. “I didn’t want to be treated different, I just wanted to be treated with the rights that I know that I have,” he said, noting that though he and many others arrested were released before the end of Tuesday, some remained in police custody on Wednesday.

Rodriguez has been a strong supporter of the Occupy Wall Street protest. Last week he and other Northattan officials led union members, activists and other residents on an 11-mile march from Washington Heights to Zuccotti Park to express solidarity with the protesters. At his press conference, he called on supporters to rally behind a “Day of Action” march on Thursday, to help show that, despite the raid on Zuccotti Park, the OWS movement is still alive.

A coalition of community organizations, elected officials and labor unions plans to lead hundreds of Uptown residents from Washington Heights to Zuccotti Park on Monday.

This is the first time communities of color from Northern Manhattan have organized to join the Occupy Wall Street movement. The march is expected to include elected officials, community activists and members from the black and Hispanic community, and is intended to show solidarity from diverse communities around New York with the Occupy Wall Street protesters in Zuccotti Park.

David Segal, press secretary for City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who is backing the march, said it’s inaccurate to portray the Occupy Wall Street movement to be predominantly white. “It’s important to let the rest of the city to know that people of color are in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement,” he said.

Organizers from the Occupy Wall Street protest attended a press conference announcing the march on Thursday morning in front of an abandoned building on 182nd Street and St. Nicholas. Tyler Combelic, a spokesman for Occupy Wall Street, said it was important to recognize the needs and concerns of the New York City neighborhoods that have been hardest hit by the recession. “I’m marching all 11 miles,” he said.

United New York, a nonprofit that helps the working class find jobs, is one sponsor of the demonstration. “The march is a way for people of color to lend their voices to the movement and express their dissatisfaction with the lack of jobs,” said Cara Noel, who works with United New York. “It’s an opportunity for them to take care of their families.” Noel said her team has been tweeting, passing out fliers and working with partner organizations to spread the word on the walk. “I’m expecting it to be very organized and to make a statement,” she said.

Among the groups participating and expecting to march are the Transport Workers Union, Alianza Dominicana, the Service Employees International Union, and The Northern Manhattan Improvement Coalition. New York State Senator Adriano Espaillat and Councilman Member Rodriguez plan to lead the walk.

The march, called “End to End for 99%,” is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. Monday at 181^st Street and St. Nicholas, work its way South through Harlem, and end at Zuccotti Park about 3 hours later. Segal said it is one of the few times that Harlem and Washington Heights has united in a movement.

Because there is no permit for the march, staff from different community organizations will work as marshals to help guide demonstrators.

Emmanuel Abreu, a resident of Inwood who expects to participate, said he thought the march would start small. “Two people will know, more and more people will join in and by the time we reach Harlem there should be more people.”

The march will end with a final rally in solidarity with Uptown residents and members of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

This article was updated on 11/04/2010  to correct that David Segal said that it was an inaccurate portrayal of the Occupy Wall Street movement as mostly white, not that it was a betrayal.

No Parking bills itself as Washington Heights’ premier gay club. Wednesdays to Sundays, a mixed crowd flocks here to join the party.

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