Last night was another sleepless night for me, I started thinking about the Chess Player Incident and our Inwood. As we all blame the police for ticketing these individuals, we all know they were doing there job. Sometimes they are pressured to do there “job”.We all know they have better things to than to ticket chess players.that are causing no problems. We also know that somebody must of called the precinct to complain. Probably at first the cops just ignored the call, but we have a few people in the neighborhood who need to have control. They need to have everything,everyone in there place even if it is harmless chess players.Maybe the person who needed to have control over the park situation was so obsessed that they kept calling the precinct till the cops could not ignore it anymore. They had to take action even if they didn’t want to. These people wear blinders to the big problems in our neighborhood. Those big problems in our neighborhood don’t bother them cause they are not as obvious.I am not necessarily defending the cops. I have had good incidents with cops and bad ones.

 A few of the people who have moved into Inwood think they know our Inwood but they don’t. I was told by one of the new people in the area that he moved into my neighborhood “to make it better”. My Inwood doesn’t need him and his wife to make it better.I did get into an argument with him,it wasn’t worth it. In his mind I was wrong. I recently saw the same guy on CBS news saying something against the chess players. We have problems  in Inwood so does every other area. No area is free of crime. It’s just some people want to sweep it under the “rug” pretend it does not exist.

 I don’t like getting looks from some of the new people like i don’t belong. I don’t like the us them mentality but that is what will happen.They don’t know our Inwood, Instead of trying to change it they should learn about Inwood. Respect the people who have been here for years. We should all respect each other.

When I moved into this neighborhood 31 years ago it was mostly Irish, I was very pregnant with my second child. My neighbors helped me clean my apt. (Back then you rented apartments as is. There was no “renovations” so that landlords could use that to raise rents.) They accepted me, I them. I raised my boys here. My son will raise my grandchild here.(if he can find a bigger apt that is affordable).I am here to stay,no one is chasing me out. I will leave Inwood when and if I want to.

 This week Inwood mourns the passing of Debbie

  I remember when I first met Deb, she and I were walking our dogs. At the time she had a dog I think whose name was Patches. I had Callhan. Patches and Callahan were senior citizens. We started talking about our dogs and we had talked ever since. I rescued another dog from the neighborhood, Tiger, my Callahan passed away soon after. Debbie was great and very sympathetic. Patches soon passed on. She said to me she would never get another dog.

A mutal friend of ours gave her a copy of the “Rainbow Bridge”

http://www.rainbowbridge.com/Poem.htm

she carried it around with her for a while. I think she might have put the poem on “Inwoof” when other people’s beloved pets passed on. Some time later I saw Debbie, she was walking Nick. I knew she could not be without a dog.

When my dog Tiger got sick I would talk to her.Tiger passed on. Now it was I who said I would never get another dog.She said I would eventually.

Nick would always bark at me when I approached Deb. Once I got close enough he would jump up on me and I would pet him while I talked to Deb.She loved Nick so much. I hope a home is found where he will get the love and pampering he got from Deb. I know Deb’s friend who is taking of Nick now will make sure of it.

The last time I saw Deb she was sitting on her building stoop with Nick. She was talking to someone so I just waved from across the street. She waved back. I regret not having walked over but I didn’t want to interrupt her conversation.

Debbie was important to the neighborhood.So well known to so many people, now but a memory in our minds and hearts.

I will miss Debbie, as many others will. Every time I pass her building. I will envision her sitting on her stoop with Nick by her side,waving..smiling.. talking  with friends,neighbors and acquaintances.

  Rest In Peace, Debbie You will be missed and Say Hello to Patches for me. 

Neighbor just informed me they were robbed on Friday, by a man claiming to be the buildings exterminator. He had a uniform. Usually when the exterminator comes to our building he only puts pesticides in the bathroom and kitchen. This guy told them that he had to do the bedrooms also cause of bed bugs. He went into the bedrooms, when he was done, told them not to enter rooms for 15 minutes because of the smell from pesticides. When they did enter rooms all their jewelry was gone. This happened on 204st between broadway and cooper st.