Hidden Meanings and Symbolism in Kubrick’s The Shining

Room 237, Movie Review

Although this particular event was not well attended, the Lake Placid Center for the Arts “shined” once again in presenting diverse entertainment options for film, theatre, and art fans.

You probably won’t understand the title of Room 237 unless you are a diehard fan of the Stanley Kubrick film The Shining. In fact, I believe that name was detrimental to the success of the documentary, since no one except diehard Kubrick and The Shining fans would understand the title. Therefore, there was a very select group of patrons at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on May 20th to see the film. I don’t consider myself to be in the “superfan” category, although I do appreciate the film and consider it both a film classic and one of my favorite movies. I had been reading about the documentary for months, since it was featured at the New York Film Festival this past fall. So when the documentary appeared on the sign of the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, I knew I had to attend.

Room 237 was a film festival entry that intrigued many. Here was a film that took all the interpretations of  The Shining and presented them to the public. It’s not surprising that the film has been dissected over the years considering the cult status surrounding Kubrick’s film and his entire oeuvre of movies in general.

For those of you who haven’t seen The Shining, it is based on a book by Stephen King and reinterpreted for the screen by film savant Stanley Kubrick, who discarded some of the source material in favor of bringing a new, more distorted version of the story onto the silver screen. The gist remains the same: former alcoholic Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accepts a job as winter caretaker in a remote mountain resort called the Overlook, bringing his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and clairvoyant son Danny (Danny Lloyd) to the hotel. It soon becomes apparent that the hotel is possessed by the spirits of yesterday who are intent on claiming Danny’s power, “the Shining”, to continue their reign over the hotel. In the meantime, they possess Jack and turn him into a madman who tries to kill his family (as the caretaker before him did) before being outsmarted by Danny and becoming yet another of the hotel’s victims. Perhaps the most famous scene associated with this film is when Jack Nicholson swings an ax into the bathroom door, bellowing, “Here’s Johnny!!” as he peers inside, terrifying Wendy and giving a whole new meaning to Johnny Carson’s signature sign on.

In the book, Jack Torrance was a somewhat sympathetic character that actually died in the hotel instead of in the circuitous maze on the grounds. He tells Danny that the ghosts are overpowering him and apologizes for what they are making him do. Dick Halloran (Scatman Crothers) doesn’t die either, and the book ends on a hopeful note, with Wendy and Danny moving down South with Halloran to live peacefully after their ordeal at the Overlook. Kubrick strips away any sympathetic characteristics from Jack and makes him cruel and barely sane from the very beginning. Wendy is almost cartoonish in her fluctuations between the hopeful, chirpy wife and terror stricken survivor, who takes to running around the hotel with a knife to defend herself from Jack. It’s not a cheerful movie by any means, and is unsettling from the very first panoramic view of the Colorado Mountains to the chilling final shot, where Jack is seen in an old photograph dated July 4th, 1921. He had been there all along.

There are a whole host of conspiracy theories and ideas surrounding The Shining and it seems everyone sees what they want to see when viewing the classic. A great story can hold a different meaning and display altered symbolism for each person who watches it, and The Shining is no exception.

So what are the theories presented in the film? They run the gamut from outrageous to potentially possible, and we’re left to our own devices to figure out which one makes the most sense to us. The imagery of the Indian style furnishings inside the hotel, as well as the fact that the hotel was built on a Native American burial ground are two of the biggest indications, according to one researcher, that Kubrick was alluding to the Native American genocide perpetrated by the white men upon their arrival to the New World. One man insists that the film was referring subtly to the Holocaust, citing the presence of the German typewriter that Jack was using to type his book. Another thinks that Kubrick made the film as atonement for helping the US Government stage the Apollo moon landing. One of the symbols is the sweater Danny is wearing, as well as the number of the room (237), which was altered by Kubrick from 217 (as in the novel) to 237. Supposedly the letters on the key ring are anagrams of “moon” and “room”, to represent the soundstage where Kubrick supposedly helped stage the moon landing. Yet another fan uses the playing of the movie forward and backward superimposed over each other to interpret hidden meanings that otherwise would not be visible. This is a film about the symbolism, hidden meanings, and conspiracies, and it’s akin to a film studies class focusing extensively on one movie. One thing that ties all the contributors together, however, is their reverence for Stanley Kubrick. A man with a 200 IQ, the interview subjects all believe that Kubrick was a man with a fastidious attention to detail that never put anything in his films that didn’t have a hidden subtext. This is what leads several Shining theorists to analyze the film obsessively, trying to find what Kubrick was really trying to say with this film. Room 237 is a compilation of all of these theories presented side by side, allowing the viewer to consider each one.

My biggest criticisms of the movie are the organization, the run time, and the production value. The theories are all jumbled together, which is less effective than grouping them by their individual theory. Then we would have been able to hear all the evidence at once, instead of a chaotic mass of voices jumping from talking point to talking point. One minute we’re hearing that The Shining is simply a metaphor for the Holocaust, the next we have leaped inexplicably into the topic of the sexual imagery inherent in some of The Shining’s scenes (and not just the infamous Room 237 scene). This allows the viewer to sort between which theories they consider to be outrageous and which could be true. However, the viewpoints shift quickly enough that the viewer might become confused. The documentary uses scenes from other Kubrick films such as Eyes Wide Shut, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and A Clockwork Orange, sometimes not in the context of the discussion. For the more casual observer, both this and the quick shifts between theories were disorienting.

And then there was the run time. The documentary was 1 hour and 40 minutes, and although I was interested throughout the film, I did notice repetition in the theories, and at times it seemed like the various narrators were saying the same thing and making the same points over and over again. Nearly halfway through the film I could see fellow moviegoers eyes glaze over as someone explained something again for the umpteenth time, occasionally with the same visuals. Some of the segments (such as one contributor leading us through the scene where Jack meets his new boss in the Overlook lobby to point out continuity errors) ran a little long in my opinion. This is the point where several people in the audience took their restroom breaks.

Lastly, the production value was a bit lacking. Although the visuals were well done, the audio levels were inconsistent. Some of the interviewee’s audio had an almost fuzzy quality to the background noise, and the sound quality was always different depending on who was talking. In one instance, one of the contributors interrupted his discussion because who we assume is his child was screaming the background and he had to slam the door shut before continuing. As other reviewers commented, couldn’t he have at least edited that part out of this final interview? I understand that documentaries are supposed to be realistic and “true to life” in some cases, but I think improving the audio would have kept our interest focused on the material rather than on the fluctuating audio quality.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. As a former film studies major, I love nothing more than dissecting the “hidden meaning” of films. In Room 237, the film theorist and Shining fan will find more than enough theories and viewpoints for interpreting the film, and even with it’s flaws, it’s well worth a look.

For more information on Room 237 including other screenings, visit www.room237movie.com.

–Christie Sausa is a Contributor to The Free George. Photos Courtesy of Warner Brothers.

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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Art in The Public Eye Kicks off their Third Thursday Art Walks

Numerous Receptions for Local Artists throughout Glens Falls

This month’s Third Thursday Art Walk in Glens Falls (the first one of the season) will feature a variety of unique artworks, with a very special show at Samantha’s Café at 11 Broad Street, featuring works by local schoolchildren.

Organized by art teacher Amanda Murphy of the Abraham Wing School in Glens Falls, 37 selected works will be on display at Samantha’s during the Art Walk. The works are from different art classes by students of various ages from the school’s art clubs.

One group work is a unique reproduction of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, where each student was given one “section” of the painting to replicate in oil pastel and then had fun putting all the “puzzle pieces” together. According to Ms. Murphy “I am especially proud of this work since the students really came together to collaborate on this masterpiece.” The remaining works in the exhibit are from students in grades K-6, and are projects from their regular art classes. “Each class in the building has at least one student included in the show,” adds Ms. Murphy, who personally selected the pieces. She adds that the criteria for inclusion in the show involved a completion of the project as well as a visual understanding of lesson or ideas presented.

The students will be on hand during the art walk with Abe Wing Artist buttons, so that they can be recognized and answer any questions about their work.

Also, this month’s featured artist is Trina Quandt, whose work will be on display at Elevation Pilates, located at 19 Ridge Street. Quandt creates otherworldly sculptures out of mixed media materials such as masking tape, plastic grocery bags, wax, markers and plastic wrap and plastic tubing.

To learn more about Trina and her artwork, check out a recent interview with her produced by Snarky Aardvark Films. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

In addition to the receptions at Samantha’s and Elevation Pilates, there will be numerous receptions for the following artists during the Art Walk, including:

-Patrick Sullivan at The Glen at Hiland Meadows in Queensbury
-Bernice Mennis at Wallworks Gallery in Glens Falls
-Katherine Patterson and music with The Skirts at 6 Pine Street Gallery
-Caitlin Stedman at the Rock Hill Bakehouse Café
-Christopher Phelps and live performance from local band William Hale at Coffee Planet
-The NCAC Board Members’ Show at the 2nd Floor Gallery at City Hall
-Paintings by Kate Boyle and music with Mark Rabin at UnCorked in Glens Falls
-Inspiring Hands, Heart & Mind: The Arts & Crafts of the Adirondack Folk School at the Crandall Public Library
and Live Fashion Illustrations by Rhianna Hogan-Cerro of Sketch Design Lounge at MinkyMink

For more information out this month’s Third Thursday Art Walk, visit http://artinthepubliceye.com or contact Liz Wilcox at 518-744-7471.

–By The Free George Staff. Photo Courtesy of Amanda Murphy.

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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Future Plans for the Glens Falls Co-Op to be Discussed at Crandall Library

Glens Falls Food Co-Op General Meeting

If you’ve heard of the Glens Falls Co-Op, and have been interested but never had the time to get involved or understand what really goes on, now is your chance.

The Glens Falls Food Co-Op will be hosting a discussion for coop members and interested non-members on Monday, May 13, 2013 from 7-8pm at the Community Room at the Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls. The meeting will focus primarily on the state of operations at the Moreau store location, as well as future plans for the coop.

Founded in 2011, the Glens Falls Food Co-op sells mostly organic and locally grown food, the co-op already has a solid group of core members and currently offers four membership levels, each including a financial commitment, a required number of volunteer hours, a 10 to 20%, discount and a re-usable shopping bag. The co-op is similar to a farmer’s market, except that it’s open all week, and provides plenty of amazing local and organic products and fresh produce, with the intention of connecting quality food from area farms to coop members.

As it cannot be stressed enough the importance of local food is better for consumers and for the environment. Having local food reduces travel and distribution time, especially when the majority of farms in the area are eco-friendly and utilize organically sound farming techniques…plus it helps bring money to the community!

This meeting is free and open to the public. The Glens Falls Food Co-Op is not-for-profit, member-owned and organized under NYS cooperative corporations law and operates out of the Rockhill Bakehouse on Route 9 in Moreau (about a mile north of Exit 17N of the Northway).

For more information, contact Ben Lapham at 518-791-7082.

–By The Free George Staff.

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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High Octane at The Little Theater on the Farm

Little Theater on the Farm presents an evening of Bluegrass

From the West Virginia Panhandle comes that hard-driving ‘no holds barred’ bluegrass music courtesy of Marv Ashby and the High Octane band. Marv will be joined by some of West Virginia’s finest entertainers delivering a quality and fast moving show which emphasizes both traditional and contemporary bluegrass genres.

High Octane features Marv’s aggressive flatpicking style and straight-ahead vocal arrangements. ‘Beardie’ powers the low end with percussive doghouse bass and brings to the show unique ‘Beardie Tunes’ featuring traditional bluegrass vocal styling. Robbie Benzing rolls through the tunes with spot-on First Generation bluegrass drive and enthusiasm, while Alby ‘Bugsy’ Lopez delivers downhome bluegrass punch from his edgy mandolin prowess and straight-up vocal offerings.

Area favorites, The Bluebillies, will open for High Octane starting at 7pm on Saturday, May 11. The Little Theater is located at 27 Plum Road, in Fort Edward.

There is an $8 suggested donation ($5for seniors and students). For more information visit: www.littletheater27.org

–By The Free George Staff.

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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Over 50 Breweries at this Year’s Brewfest

Preview of the 2013 Glens Falls Brewfest

Ya like beer? Who doesn’t? So, if you just happen to find yourself in Glens Falls on Saturday, May 4th, you should check out the 4th Annual Glens Falls Brewfest at The Queensbury Hotel, with over 50 breweries from the region, across the country and around the globe.

Since 2010, the Glens Falls Brewfest has contributed over $70,000 to community non‐profits. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Adirondack Theatre Festival (ATF), a professional summer theatre which produces new and contemporary plays and musicals and The Feeder Canal Alliance, which helps to preserve, promote and maintain the Feeder Canal which provides water from the Hudson River to the Champlain Canal.

This year’s participants will include: Adirondack Pub & Brewery, Anchor Brewing, Angry Orchard, Blue Moon, Boulder Beer, Brewery Ommegang, Brooklyn Brewery, Brown’s, Captain Lawrence, City Steam, Cooper’s Cave Ale Company, Davidson Brothers Brewing Company, Dundee Ales & Lagers, Duvel, Founders, Goose Island, Harpoon Brewery, Ithaca Beer Company, Kona Brewing Company, Lake Placid Craft Brewing Co., Leinenkugals Summer Shandy, Long Trail Brewing Co., Magic Hat Brewing, McKenzie’s, Narragansett, Old Burnside, Old Saratoga Brewing Co, Otter Creek Brewery, Palm Brewery, Peak Organic, Pyramid, Quimera, Red Hook Ale Brewery, Samuel Adams, Saranac Brewery, Shock Top, Sierra Nevada, Southhampton Publik House, Spaten, Steadfast, Switchback Brewing Company, Tenth and Blake, The Shed, Widmer Brothers, Wolaver’s Organic Ales, and Woodchuck Draft Cider.

The festival will also feature live music from Cabin 3 and other local bands. Plus, for the second year, there will be a special
 cask beer room filled with rare beers that you definitely should give a try.

If you’re travelling from out of town, the Queensbury Hotel is offering a Brewfest Escape Package, where you can get a room at the Hotel for two and two tickets to the Brewfest for just $160 (including taxes). Contact the Queensbury Hotel for more information at Queensburyhotel.com or 800‐554‐4526.

Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. The festival will be open from 4-8pm.

Tickets include beer tastings, a souvenir tasting glass and complementary food from area restaurants including Talk of the Town, Dickey’s Pit BBQ, Sans Souci, Poopie’s and many others. Designated driver tickets are available at the door for $10 and will be offered complementary food tastings, water and soda.

Tickets are also available in person at both Cooper’s Cave Ale Company and Davidson Brothers Brewery & Restaurant (184 Glen Street, 518‐743‐9026). Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.glensfallsbrewfest.org.

–By The Free George Staff

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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Otherworldly Animation by The Quay Brothers

Preview of Selections from Phantom Museums at EMPAC

Identical twins Stephen and Timothy Quay (or the Quay Brothers) are highly renowned for their animated films that combine puppetry and meticulously detailed handmade sets. Inspired by the films of Czech animators Jan Švankmajer and Jiří Barta, the Quay Brothers have created a unique cinematic style that appears otherworldly, combining visual, literary, musical, and philosophical influences with a singular sensibility. Their puppets are primarily constructed out of doll parts as well as a variety of organic and inorganic substances.

This Thursday, April 18, 2013, at 7:30pm, EMPAC in Troy will be screening a selection of short films from the Quay Brothers’ 30-year career, entitled Phantom Museums.

Originally from Philadelphia, the brothers have been based in London since the late 1960s, where they attended the Royal College of Art. Their work has been deeply influential in the field of puppet film. After moving to London, they made their first short animated films: Der der Loop Loop and Il Duetto (both 1971) and Palace in Flames (1972). Their most famous film, Street of Crocodiles (1986), is a 21-minute animation based on a short novel by Bruno Schulz.

The work of the Quay Brothers has also appeared in advertising and music videos, most notably their remarkable use of claymation and stop motion animation for Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” music video. The Quay Brothers received the 1998 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design for their work on the play The Chairs. Presently, the Quay Brothers are both professors of animated film at the European Graduate School in Switzerland.

The schedule for Phantom Museums is as follows:

Street of Crocodiles  (1986) – 20:32 min.
The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer (1984) – 14:12 min.
Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies (1987) – 14:29 min.
The Comb (From the Museum of Sleep) (1990) – 18:04 min.
Still Nacht IV (1994) – 3:56 min.
In Absentia (2000) – 19:17 min.

Tickets for this screening are $6. The program runs for 90 minutes.

Evelyn’s Café will open at 6:30pm with a full menu of meals, snacks, and beverages as well as a selection of wines. Parking is available in the Rensselaer parking lot on College Avenue.

More information can be found on the EMPAC website: empac.rpi.edu. For more information call the EMPAC Box Office at 518-276-3921.

–By The Free George Staff. Photo from the Quay Brothers’ Street of Crocodiles (1986).

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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Warren County Named after American Revolutionary War Hero

The Legacy of General Joseph Warren

Warren County is the prominent tourist area where people that want to get a feel of the Adirondack State Park visit surrounding towns like Lake George, Diamond Point, Lake Luzerne, Gore Mountain, Queensbury and Glens Falls. An interesting fact that most don’t know is that the county is named after General Joseph Warren, an American Revolutionary War hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Although Warren never ventured in the region nor did he have any connection or family ties to the Adirondacks, he served in the American Revolution for the state of Massachusetts as Major General. Because he died so early on in the war, June 17, 1775, people didn’t want his memory to be forgotten as a distinguished doctor and, more importantly, as a patriot. When the Revolutionary War was over, towns, counties, streets and organizations were named after General Joseph Warren.

“A fiery, vehement, daring spirit was this Joseph Warren, who was a doctor thirteen years, a major-general three days, and a soldier three hours,” wrote James Parton in the article “The Men Behind the American Revolution: General Joseph Warren.”

Born in Roxbury, Massachusetts on June 11, 1741, Warren grew-up and lived on a farm with his family. His father raised produce and vegetables for the Boston market; but a tragedy occurred in October during apple-picking season when Warren was just 14 years old. His father stood on a ladder, gathering apples from a tall tree and fell. He died instantly from a broken neck. That same year, Warren entered Harvard College, “a vigorous, handsome lad of fourteen,” Parton wrote, “noted even then for his spirit, courage and resolution.”

He graduated five years later and taught at Roxbury Grammar School as head master before he was admitted to practice and pursued his medical studies as a doctor in Boston. Warren would have advanced in his profession even more rapidly if it weren’t for the Stamp Act that had been passed, which eventually led to the rebellion that caused the colonies to break free from England.

A Boston Tory doctor summed up Warren’s character according to Parton by saying,” If Warren were not a Whig, he might soon be independent and ride in his chariot.”

Ride on his chariot he did when the colonies joined forces and stood united against England. Warren wrote The Suffolk Resolves, a document which stated the concerns of the colonists, explaining how though they might be loyal to the king, if he took away their rights, their loyalty would dissipate. The document went on to say that the people would take up arms if need be to defend themselves.

“Along with these proclamations, Warren declared that all illegal laws and taxes should be ignored by patriotic Americans,” the Forest Hills Educational Trust website states.

Warren was the first American to proclaim our independence as a country from England. The Suffolk Resolves were sent to King George III while Dr. Warren organized Massachusetts as the leader of the movement and set America on its long and arduous road to freedom. He organized men to keep watch on British army activity in Boston.

As history reveals, the Continental Army was formed, led by George Washington forcing the British to flee Boston.

“Wherever the danger was greatest there was Warren, now a soldier joining in the fight, now a surgeon binding up wounds, now a citizen cheering on his fellows,” Parton wrote. “From this day he made up his mind to perform his part in the coming contest as a soldier, not as a physician, nor in any civil capacity; and accordingly on the fourteenth of June, 1775, the Massachusetts legislature elected him ‘second Major General of the Massachusetts army.’”

Paul Revere, a good friend of Warren, went to the site where he died in order to find his body and the bodies of others who died. Revere led the search and identified Warren’s remains, verified by two false teeth that were wired to his mouth.

Warren’s body was sent to Boston with full honors, buried in the Minot family tomb in the old Granary Burial Ground in 1776.

–Diana Denner is a Contributor to The Free George.

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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A Public Arrest in Northampton Questions Police Brutality

Police Brutality and Racial Profiling in Northampton

Northampton considers itself a bastion of freedom. It is the “Happy Valley” land of peaceful people. This is because it is a liberal city where people of all orientations are for the most part treated with kindness as long as they act with kindness. It is a city that prides itself (sometimes smugly) on its acceptance for people of all religions, racial orientations, sexual orientations, etc. But how much of that ethical configuration is based on reality and how much of it will peel away when held to the light of intense scrutiny? It is a question surely worth asking as sometimes this place feels as if it participates in more talking than listening and more styling than reflection. Now is the time to ask that question, coming on the heels of Jonas Correia’s arrest, which occurred outside of local bar Tully O’Reilly’s. The incident was video-taped by a Northampton local and posted on YouTube, (it appears at the end of this article) creating a raging debate that revolves around two questions:

1) Did the officer who pinned the twenty-six year old male to the ground react excessively to his counterpart and 2) Was the action taken against him the result of a racist ideology that is pervasive within the Northampton Police Department?

I will not claim to know the answer to either question, but what I do know is that the role of technology in this case is integral to the reason that we are even debating these questions. Police departments are not required to video record their arrest procedures, and maintain sole possession over the rights to the footage that they do capture. Also, they have the ability to turn on and off the recording devices whenever they please. This leads to an unfair advantage on the behalf of the police department, which is at the crux of the issues within the justice system; how does one argue his innocence when he has no proof to present to a jury other than his testimonial, whose credibility is tarnished by the very fact of the citizen’s arrest? This lack of an evidential safeguard is why some citizens fear the police, and why most police officers detest being filmed as it strips them of their main power: anonymity of action. Around these two realities sways the issue of how to manage a system that has two sides (enraged citizens and hard-pressed police) in disagreement.

On one hand, it is lucky for Mr. Correia that he was not the only one employing a cell phone as a video recording device. And ironically, on the other hand, it was probably his filming of the police scene that prompted his being pinned, pepper-sprayed, and arrested. After all, the police had not arrived to deal with him, but instead to help remove another man who police allege refused to leave the bar after punching a bar employee in the neck. Mr. Correia was simply filming the interaction that took place on the sidewalk outside of the bar. In the video posted online, it appears as if the man was simply standing there before being seized upon, whereas the police claim that they grabbed his arm to stop him from swinging it, and then that he resisted, and that only then did they arrest him. In the police department’s guidelines, officers are allowed to react to a “perceived threat” and subdue it, which leaves much gray area regarding what consists of a threat. In this case, the police claim that the individual took a “fighting stance,” and that this was what led them to react as they did.

But the crowd that surrounded the scene as it occurred was large. I was driving a taxicab as it happened, coasting back and forth as discretely as I could along Pearl Street. As you can hear in the video, there are many complaints from observers, including from the camera-woman herself who claims herself an attorney, and maintains that the sidewalk is public space in response to the bouncers request that she move away. One of the main chants is from a black female on the sidelines who shouts: “You are so racist!” First of all, police do have the right to order people off of a sidewalk if it is interfering with the scene of a crime, but funnily enough the bouncer did not know this and so he left the videotaping female alone. And second of all, it is very easy and also understandable for a black viewer to view the scene with empathic outrage, fuelled by what happened to Rodney King, and countless images of police brutality against African Americans. It is what I would call a knee-jerk reaction for her and others to assume that what might have been excessive force was the product of racist ideals. I say this with the twinge in my gut that reeks of naiveté, as I am a white male, but hey: that is how I feel.

And there is a specific reason that I feel this way. It is because a very similar thing happened to me two years ago at the very same bar, a place whose security is riddled with a cowboy’s mentality for aggression, and with whom the police receive first report. At that time, I was ordered to leave based on a trespassing warrant against me from the week before; at the time I was feisty and far from sober, but the trespassing warrant from the week previous hadn’t ever been given to me so I did not know it even existed. I had been kicked out the week before for having crossed through the door that separates Tully O’Reilly’s from The Elevens, something that at the time I didn’t know was illegal, something which would only have required them telling me so, something which hadn’t required them hoisting me up and carrying me to the front door where I was ejected from the premises like a sadly embarrassed rag doll. The next week when I returned the bartender noticed me as the man who had been ejected the week before, and she had called the police. They had asked me to step outside, and when they told me that I couldn’t be there I said in a regrettably huffy voice, “Fine, I’ll leave then.” As soon as I walked away, they slammed me to the ground, handcuffed me, and pepper-sprayed me. I was carried away to a police car, screaming, “Does anyone see this?!” But it was a Monday night and there was a scant crowd on the sidewalk as it was still relatively early. No one had filmed it. I was not given publicity for it, other than an article that read: “Local Boy Causes Fracas” along its headline.

I hope that in revealing that embarrassing story about myself that I have added to context of evidence that would support higher surveillance of police activity. When I hear the shouts of Jonas Correia as he says: “I didn’t do anything!” I am reminded of my own sobering moment with the police. I am not one who wants to blame all police officers for this encounter or label them as a racist group; that is too easy. I am one who thinks that it is dangerous to give one group of armed individuals the absolute autonomy to operate as they individually see fit. I am one who knows that unchecked power is dangerous because it can engender bad behavior of all types: racist, sexist, ageist, and so on. Again, that is my opinion, and it is formed on actual experience with police abuse, but of course go ahead and form your own by watching the video tape yourself, which attempts to capture an issue too complicated for one single arrest to summarize.

You can click below to watch the video of Jonas Correia’s arrest:

Click here to view the embedded video.

–Ezra Prior is a Contributor to The Free George. Photos courtesy of YouTube.

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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Cambridge Hosts the 2013 Tour of the Battenkill

A 62 Mile Bike Tour through Washington County

This year’s 9th Annual Tour of the Battenkill Valley bicycle race is slated to traverse through Cambridge on April 12-14, 2013.

Approximately 3,500 racers are expected from throughout the country in the nation’s largest single-day pro/amateur bicycle race, which is also expected to bring in close to 50,000 spectators.

The Battenkill Tour allows for cyclists to compete in 25 categories, based on age and level of experience. With a course lasting a total of 62 miles, riders can expect to travel on both dirt and paved roads throughout the area, as well as through covered bridges, farms, and numerous rural villages throughout Southern Washington County.

While the tour starts in Cambridge, it passes through the outskirts of Salem, down through Greenwich and back to Cambridge; this is the first year that the tour will start and finish in Cambridge.

Riders can experience many challenging climbs, with a total climbing of nearly 5,000 feet, as well as a maximum gradient of 18%.

There will also be 124-mile bicycle race for professional cyclists starting on April 13 at 2pm.

This year’s tour will also feature a Gran Fondo event during the weekend, limited to the first 1,000 registrants. The race is open to the general public, and follows the same 65 mile / 105 km course. The Gran Fondo will feature various timed segments, including 10 dirt road sections and some challenging climbs.

Online registration for the Tour is already closed, but, space permitting, race day registration is still available.

For more information, contact Dieter Drake at 518-275-6185 or visit www.tourofthebattenkill.com for more details.

–By The Free George Staff

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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The Inside Scoop on the Felting Process

Leiko Uchiyama’s My Felting Journey at Samantha’s in Glens Falls

Samantha’s Cafe and Catering in Glens Falls will host a lecture and presentation by Japanese fiber artist Leiko Uchiyama, entitled My Felting Journey, at 7pm on Wednesday, April 17, 2013.

Uchiyama has developed an international following for the exquisite hand felted garments she creates in her signature “Matsuba” or “Pine needles” felt technique; inspired by pine needles spread on snow in her homeland of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan.

Uchiyama’s fascinating journey has taken her around the world where she has worked as a sheep shearer, author, fiber artist and teacher. “The process of creation is central to what I am,” she says. “As time passes, my felt creates the path I’ve been passing through.”

Via her website, Uchiyama states that she primarily uses wool to make her felt. “Everything is done by hand. Water and friction make the wool fibre merge to become one. Materials are raw fleece or washed and combed wool. I dye it and sometimes I felt it with other fibre, such as silk and cotton, or with fabric.”

Uchiyama has studied, taught and exhibited extensively throughout Asia, Europe, Australia, South America, the UK and the USA.  She currently resides in County Carlow, Ireland.  More of Uchiyama’s work can be seen at www.leikofelt.com.

Leiko Uchiyama’s lecture and presentation is organized by Luckystone Feltworks Studio, and sponsored by Lake George Arts Project and Art in The Public Eye, with support from Ray Supply, Inc.

There is a $5 Suggested Donation for the event. For more information visit samanthascatering.com or call 518.792.5839

–By The Free George Staff

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

SHARE THE GEORGE!