Here you will see photos taken in the continental U.S.A.  I have named the page
New York City since it's my place of residence.

I came to New York City in 1969 to attend St. Francis College in Brooklyn.  For a
while, I  stayed with Lillian and her family on Bartlet Street in Brooklyn.  From there,
I moved to Canarsie to live with Titi Paca.  I lived in Canarsie until I graduated from
college in 1973.   I am grateful to my aunt for allowing me to stay at her house while
I went to college.

During my years at St. Francis, I worked at the Dr. White Community Center on
Gold Street.  The center was used as an afternoon school program for children in
the area.  We also taught adults how to read or improve their reading skills.  
There was also a college bound program for high school students.   
The Center was run by Catholic Charities and there were a few nuns working
and living at the center.   The second floor of the center was the residence.

I can tell you a few interesting stories about  Canarsie but I won't.   I lived there
in the early 70s and sadly enough things that happened to me there are still
happening in other places to other individuals.

In the latter part of 1973, I moved from Brooklyn to upper Manhattan.  
I lived on Broadway Terrace and 193rd Street.  That didn't last long.  
Both Broadway Terrace and 193rd Street are sloped.   One day I walked out the
building where I lived, looked out and noticed that the street appeared to be wet.  
I stepped onto the sidewalk and slid half way down the street.   Eventually, I hit a
parked car where I braced myself.   What I thought was water on the ground
was actually ice.  I quickly learned how to walk in the middle of the street, where
the cars had already melted the ice or compacted the snow.  The other problem in
the area was that to get to the subway I had to climb a hill.   It was no fun getting
to and from the subway when it snowed.  

In early 1974, I moved to 58th Avenue in Elmhurst, Queens.  That was
great since I was able to walk to work.    (At the time, I was working at the Social
Security Administration.  In 1989, SSA moved to Jamaica which then required
that I take the subway to get to and from work.)  I lived on 58th Avenue with my
brother and younger sister.  Eventually, I moved to 60th Avenue and lived there
with a friend until 1980.  In 1980, I moved to Horace Harding Expressway, where
I still reside.  Though 58th and 60th Avenues are close by, the area I now live in
is part of Corona.  Junction Boulevard separates Elmhurst  from Corona.  The
Long Island Expressway (L.I.E.) separates Corona from Rego Park.

The area I now live in, though it has its own set of problems, is relatively speaking
nice and convenient.  There are many malls and stores close by.  I am in
walking distance to buses and subway stations.   A major highway, the Long
Island Expressway, is close by and from that one can connect to other
highways.  The Midtown Tunnel (used to get into Manhattan) is not far away.  
The only thing lacking in the neighborhood is a movie theater.  For that, one has
to go to Forest Hills, Jamaica or Manhattan, which is just a subway or car ride away.

Not too far away is the Arthur Ashe Tennis Stadium (where the US Open is
played yearly), Shea Stadium (Mets),  Flushing Meadows Corona Park (which
was home to the World's Fair in 1939 and 1964), and La Guardia Airport.  
A few minutes by car is J.F.K. Airport.  From the terrace of my apartment,
I can see Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Shea Stadium and the Arthur Ashe
Stadium.  From every window in my apartment, I can see the L.I.E.   
I have become accustomed to the noise made by the 24 hour traffic.
03/16/06, 05/24/20
New York City

On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental
Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made
of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a
blue field, representing a new Constellation."

Between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design
and arrangement of the flag and allowed for additional stars and stripes to be added to
reflect the admission of each new state.

Today the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white.  
The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars represent the 50 states of the
Union.  The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor,
White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance
and Justice.

A modern version of a Revolutionary War flag, today's New York State
flag displays the State Coat of Arms, adopted in 1778, and centered
on a dark blue field.

The shield depicts a cloudless sky with a rising sun behind three
mountains, the highlands of the Hudson River.

A three masted, square rigged ship and a Hudson River sloop
navigate towards each other on the Hudson River representing
commerce. The river is bordered by a grassy shore fringed with
shrubs. Beneath the shield on a white ribbon is the State Motto,
"Excelsior (Ever Upward)," signifying a reach for ever higher
goals. Above the shield, the crest shows a Bald Eagle, wings
spread, perched atop a globe depicting the northern
Atlantic Ocean. The eagle faces right, a good omen.

On one side of the shield stands "Justice," her hair decorated
with pearls. She is blindfolded and carries a sword in one hand
and a scale in the other hand. These symbols represent the
impartiality and fairness of justice required to meet out
punishment and reward. Justice is clothed in gold with a blue
belt edged with red. A loose red robe hangs from her.  

Opposite Justice, stands "Liberty," holding a pole topped
with the Phrygian cap. These caps were given to Roman
slaves when emancipated and adopted by French Revolutionists
as symbols of Liberty. A crown is at her left foot, thrown there to
symbolize the failed control of the British Monarchy. Liberty is
clothed in blue and wearing red sandals. Like Justice, a red robe
hangs from her shoulder and her unbound hair is decorated
with pearls.

Description: A flag combining the colors orange, white and blue arranged
in perpendicular bars of equal dimensions (the blue being nearest to the
flagstaff) with the standard design of the seal of the city in blue upon the
middle, or white bar, bearing the number 1625, which colors shall be the
same as those of the flag of the United Netherlands in use in the year
sixteen hundred twenty-five.

The City Seal:
Arms: Upon a shield, saltire wise, the sails of a windmill. Between the
sails, in chief a beaver, in base a beaver, and on each flank a flour barrel.

Supporters: Dexter, a sailor, his right arm bent, and holding in his right
hand a plummet; his left arm bent, his left hand resting on the top of the
shield; above his right shoulder, a cross-staff. Sinister, an Indian of
Manhattan, his right arm bent, his right hand resting on top of the shield,
his left hand holding the upper end of a bow, the lower end of which
rests on the ground. Shield and supporters rest upon a horizontal laurel
branch.

Date: Beneath the horizontal laurel branch the date 1625, being the year
of the establishment of New Amsterdam.

Crest: An American eagle with wings displayed, upon a hemisphere.

Legend: Upon a ribbon encircling the lower half of the design the words
"Sigillum Civitatis Novi Eboraci," meaning Seal of the City of New York.

The whole is encircled by a laurel wreath. The City Clerk is the custodian
of the City Seal.
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