Thursday, July 1, 2010

Eich responds

From the Daily News:

Author Jeffrey Kroessler posted the critical comments online in response to a recent Daily News article in which Eichenbaum said he'd rather be an educator than fight to landmark buildings.

"Sadly, Mr. Eichenbaum is poised to continue the ineffective pattern set by his predecessors," Kroessler wrote on the blog of the Historic Districts Council.

Eichenbaum responded in a statement that he has a "more inclusive" approach to the job than Kroessler, adding that he wants to emphasize Queens' ethnic diversity and environmental issues.

Some chalked up Kroessler's harsh words to sour grapes over losing out on the post.

But the Internet ire highlights a debate on what role the unpaid borough historian should play in protecting structures in danger of renovations or destruction.

Some preservationists, including Simeon Bankoff of the Historic Districts Council, said Eichenbaum's words do not mesh with the attitude they hoped for from Borough Hall.

On the other hand, Manhattan Borough Historian Michael Miscione noted that Eichenbaum is wise not to be entangled in time-consuming landmarking efforts.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well then we'll just have to go around the loser!

With an attitude like his,
Eich is gonna' have zero cred in the community.

Too bad, he could've been so much more.

georgetheatheist said...

"Eich is gonna' have cred in the community."

The Borough Historian has "cred"? Stanley Cogan had cred?

Anonymous said...

Stanley could have had cred.
It's all what you make of it.
Don't be a doofus George.
Passionate preservationist with borough historian status could go a long way.

Anonymous said...

Come on this is Queens.

Everyone will line up behind Jack because they are so good at following orders and so ready at being polite.

Then if anyone like Jeff complains, they can turn on him and ignore him as they retreat into their fanstasy world of ethnicity and underground railroads and ethnicity and diverse/vibrant blah blah and ethincity and ...

and wonder why a once grand place piece by piece turns into a slum.

Anonymous said...

So, are any of the Landmarked Districts in Manhattan going to take Mr Miscone to task and come to Queen's assitance telling him he is wrong?


hahahahahahahaha
hohohohohohohoho
hehehehehehehehe

Anonymous said...

The Borough Historian has "cred"? Stanley Cogan had cred?
----

You betcha. He took DEP money, dug a hole, found a rock, and called it Arbitration Rock, and kids from all around can see it at Ondy House.

Ah, still waiting for the evidence.....

Anonymous said...

Pleeeeze!

There is NO preservation movement in Queens that's worth a gram of powder to blow it to hell!

And why is that?

Because of all the wannabees like Kroessler, Eichenbaum, most "hysterical" societies and advocate groups who are afraid of their own shadows!

Or is it rather than they're ALL afraid to lose their funding or cache within their own myopic ranks?

Get some back bone and grow a pair all of you ersatz panty-waist "preservationists"!

Queens looks the way it does because you all should have screamed out in protest over the scanty list of landmarks we have.

NO....instead you were busy browning your noses, on your knees, at our various elected officials asses!

Thank you QHS for being the follower instead of being a real leader!

Ann E Chapman said...

I
Never thought

Much
Of the
Scandal this
Could become
Or
What it would entail

Anonymous said...

If it weren't for zero cred, he'd have no cred!

Oh wait!!!!!

Kevin Walsh said...

Jack's a l-l-l-l- liberal!

www.forgotten-ny.com

Anne H. Ehrlich said...

Eichenbaum responded in a statement that he has a "more inclusive" approach to the job than Kroessler, adding that he wants to emphasize Queens' ethnic diversity and environmental issues.

Really? You think you can have diversity and protect the environment at the same time?

Babs said...

And what can't you?

Babs said...

And why can't we?

Anne H. Ehrlich said...

And why can't we?

No, you first, I insist.

Tell me how can we allow MASSIVE immigration from all corners of the globe into the U.S., maintain "diversity", AND protect the environment AT the same time?

This I gotta hear!

Babs said...

I do NOT understand the connection between "massive immigration" and the environment.

Explain THAT, and then I will be able to respond. What the heck does one have to do with the other?

We use more natural resources because of the influx of more people - which should prompt conservation efforts even more.

Anonymous said...

"Jack's a l-l-l-l- liberal!"

most smart people are.

Queens Crapper said...

You think this guy is smart? ROFLMAO!!!

georgetheatheist said...

Liberals smart? I dunno.

The true genius, the übersmart is the Objectivist.

www.aynrand.org

Anonymous said...

Jeffy had a hissyfit on the HDC blog http://hdc.org/blog/
Not surprising considering his elitist attitude which may garner him massive "cred" with Bankoff and Co. but certainly not with the many homeowners who have become museum curators thanks to him.

-----------------------------

No, I am NOT the Borough Historian
Written by Historic Districts Council on June 22nd, 2010
No, I am NOT the Borough Historian.

By Jeffrey A. Kroessler

I applied to be the borough historian of Queens because I thought, oddly enough, that the post should be held by an urban historian. After all, I earned a Ph.D. in urban history, and my dissertation was a history of Queens. I authored the article on the borough in the Encyclopedia of New York State, and rewrote and updated the entry for the second edition of the Encyclopedia of New York City, as well as dozens of other entries about Queens. I wrote the centennial history of the Queens Borough Public Library and co-authored Historic Preservation in Queens. I’ve written quite a bit about Robert Moses and his parks and highways, and my latest book, The Greater New York Sports Chronology, naturally features quite a bit about Queens.

But no, I want to make clear that I am NOT the borough historian.

---------------

Is Jeffy going to hold his breath and turn blue just to get his way?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Eichenbaum:
Please note your role is not the borough environmentalist or the borough ethnic diversity expert, but the borough HISTORIAN.

Babs said...

Good read - thanks for the link.

georgetheatheist said...

You're welcome.

Anonymous said...

Jeffy has it tough playing second fiddle to his wife. She will always have more titles, awards and accolades than him. Ouch!