Yesterday, I noticed that the flyers about the missing plaque honoring David Fontana are the only flyers on Seventh Avenue that haven’t been removed by the ‘committee to rid Park Slope of flyers.’
I papered Seventh Avenue last Friday with flyers about the Brooklyn Reading Works reading this Thursday September 22 — few of those flyers are still up. My son also put flyers up around the nabe about the Teens for New Orleans Benefit on Saturday, September 24. He says that most of those were taken down, too.
But the blue flyers offering a reward for the return of the plaque, no questions asked, were stilll up. I saw quite a few of them this afternoon. And while I’m annoyed that my flyers are gone, I am relieved that the flyers about Dave’s plaque are still there.
On Tuesday, there was a front page article in the New York Daily News about the stolen plaque — a story that appeared in OTBKB last Thursday and Friday. It was weird to see that familiar picture of Dave on the cover of the News; it’s the image on his wake card – a wallet-sized, laminated card Marian Fontana had made for those who attended Dave’s wake at The Montauk Club – something I truly treasure.
There it was on the front page of the News with the story of the plaque, which said simply said: "In memory of Firefighter Dave Fontana,
1-0/17/63 – 9/11/01. Beloved husband, father, neighbor, artist, hero."
According to the Daily News, sometime between 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 12, the plaque disappeared from its spot under the tree.
"I’d like to believe that people aren’t that cruel, and that it was
just a stupid prank," Marian Fontana told the News. "Why anyone would want to take something like that is beyond my comprehension."
I couldn’t agree more. The story has really gathered momentum in the last few days. I received a polite e-mail from a reporter for the City Section of the New York Times. It was a little confusing but nice just the same:
"I’m e-mailing mostly to reverse (and apologize for the disturbance of) an earlier call. I’d been going to do something for the Times’s City Section about the missing plaque–but this was before my editors and I realized there was already some press coverage. (The City Section, being a weekly, tends to steer clear of things covered in the dailies, esp. early in the week). So my earlier messages, left at the two numbers listed on the flyer, are unfortunately moot. (Though I would still like to have done a story.) I wanted to apologize, and to say I really hope you get hold of the plaque.
The News reported that Marian visited the plaque on the fourth anniversary of 9/11 just over a week ago. She went to a ceremony with the families at Squad 1 and then went to the meadow in Prospect Park where Dave proposed to her. Afterwards, she went over to Fourth Street to check on their old apartment and see the tree with the plaque.
"Just put it back where it belongs," Marian said.
It really is the strangest thing that someone would steal a memorial plaque. I just can’t figure out why anyone would do it. But I agree with Marian: put it back where it belongs.
I hope those blue flyers with their offer of a reward for the safe return of the plaque stay where they are. Enough has been ripped off lately – let those flyers fly. And maybe they’ll help to restore the plaque to its rightful place. For Dave and Marian. For her neighbors on Fourth Street. For people of Park Slope.
Put it back where it belongs!
I would just like to say that in my building one of the major people who wants to rid park slope of flyers lives in my building. He makes it his mission to walk around the neighborhood and tear down flyers. I live in a coop and do not want to cause waves but it does bother me that this person does this. I understand both arguments above but most of all I do not think ordinary citizens should be policing society, I find that slippery slope much more dangerous then the one mentioned above. I find the mission of policing others or someone doing other people’s job because they feel it is not being done properly is a very dangerous slippery slope.
Why not just let people use grafitti to advertise for local events, as long
it’s for a good cause. Do you not see the weakness of your argument? If you
want to advertise legally, then go ahead, put up a poster on the bulletin
board in Key Food or Ozzie’s, ask a local business if they will allow you to
use their window, or best of all, use your own website to showcase the
event. Placing signs, posters, or stickers on public property without
permission is against the law and it’s these kind of quality-of-life crimes
that lead to the deterioration of the neighborhood. I don’t see how papering
the neighborhood with flyers is any less offensive than arranging a block
party and then not cleaning up.
I hope the plaque is returned soon.
As for ‘the committee to rid Park Slope of flyers’: We’re a country without much public space and aside from the internet (which isn’t free, and isn’t seen by everyone), very little public air time/space. If they’re not offensive, why not let the flyers fly?