Les Neidich: Bandit Catcher
Marathon Bandits, Bibs, Rabbits and Tears
by Elbert Chu
Les Neidich hunts bandits. He guards the New York City Marathon finish line like a hawk hunting prey among the stream of 47,000 marathoners.
Neidich, 67, is one of 31 bandit catchers. They stare at race bibs in the last stretch along the marathon route and look for unregistered runners. The fervent volunteer group’s ranks rise and fall depending on the year, ejecting interlopers — even children— with clinical precision. This year, the crew caught roughly 400-500 bandits.
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Fresh Farm Network Weathers the Storm
Dihiana Lassard and her daughters at the first annual Corbin Hill Road Farm visit, Sep. 10, 2011
Words and Images by Elbert Chu
Dihiana Lassard lives and works near one of the world’s largest food distribution centers. But the army veteran and single mom could not afford quality vegetables in her own neighborhood.
Then, Lassard’s co-worker told her about the Corbin Hill Road Farm share. Not only did Lassard quickly join for a share of vegetables, she helped with weekly distribution and became an unpaid “Ambassador” to invite others. Now, in addition to low prices, ambassador Lassard can also say the farm network has proven storm resilient. And if all goes as planned, Lassard might own a piece of Catskill farmland one day.
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Escape from Rikers
Herbert Anthony Carrol was missing. The last time his family saw him was Thanksgiving. The Carrols gather every month for updates, they keep a family journal and a newsletter. Tony’s dad served over 20 years with NYPD and Tony’s mom was a social worker. Three siblings looked up to Herbert, the eldest who they call Tony.
Tony was a cool big brother. Saturday mornings, he’d liberate the TV from their parents’ bedroom so the kids could watch cartoons together. After high school, Tony enlisted in the Army. He became a Special Forces Green Beret.
His siblings listened in rapt attention about Tony overcoming the fear of jumping out of planes. Tony, big and strong in a green US Army uniform.
“Even when he was away, he made sure his friends were taking care of us,” remembers Charlene, Tony’s younger sister. And now, all they could think about was taking care of Tony. More →
A Wonderful life
On bad days he eats ice cream. Today, a pint of Breyer’s strawberry ice cream. Joe Ardizzone digs-in with his plastic spoon while driving home from work. He’s a security guard in a nursing home. He drives an unabashedly boxy blue-topped white Mercury Grand Marquis circa 1980s. Rolling through the traffic light, he passes the brand new Citi Field Met’s stadium with its collection of cheerful advertising signs and a neon Pepsi-Cola looming over Joe’s neighborhood.
Making the turn onto 126th street, he slows the Grand Marquis to a creeping roll. This is where the pavement ends. Joe maneuvers his unwieldy car, vainly trying to avoid ditches. The recent June rain storms camouflage the deeper potholes, filling them with murky sludge. More →
Just Saving Lives
He saves lives. Twice slammed by cars. Once slammed down a flight of stairs. Dave Reeve has served New York as a FDNY Emergency Medical Services medic for 17 years. His life is dedicated to rushing medical aid to suffering people. Even romance came via the EMS. Deborah sat behind Dave in EMS academy teasing him about his southern accent. Being the gracious southern gentleman, he married Deborah.
Together they saved lives until Deborah lost her life to a respiratory disease that is linked to asbestos in the angry debris that choked the World Trade area following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. More →
My land is your land.
He’s a healer needing healing. Jeff Jerome studied nursing until his school collapsed. In the months after the earthquake, Jeff poured himself into the children around him. His own mother died when he was still a child, so he understands the desire for tender care. But Jeff’s just a volunteer at a makeshift medical clinic scrapped together in a half-condemned police station. So the only food he gets is when he’s working — which is a good thing, because he swamped from sunrise to sunset.
