Haverstraw: The Right Direction

Back in October 2008, after looking around the Internet I found a number of YouTube Video’s tagged Haverstraw that had obvious gang connotations. Kinda like a map  for bangers, with Hershey’s and Broad Street and 501 cars and handguns. Not that there weren’t other vids from North Rockland but back in early 2008 there was very little out there and they had little cultural value. During the summer that year, a new video hit the Tube called R.I.P. Haverstraw. Not just 20 minutes of the Dominican parade, but a 5 minute docudrama of Haverstraw. Well produced, using pictures of 19th century Haverstraw, the video purported to have killed the Haverstraw of old, and in replaced it with the lawless, gang banging drug bazaar of now. I got a little agitated, and wrote a couple of blogs about what I felt was a lack of positive content on the Web about Haverstraw. At the same time, I came across an excellent video produced by Ken Karlewicz. The video Haverstraw Documentary Photography By Kids became an instant classic in my eyes.

Now, nearly 18 months later, YouTube videos have become ubiquitous. A simple search of Haverstraw will bring a flood of content. Interviews with the Mayor, fires, and parades as well as the Little League, stupid pet tricks, and all the Real Estate brokers. I guess for now I can relax, having done my small part to help clean up Haverstraw’s face on YouTube, and seeing Kens excellent work float to the very top of the Google search page, right where it belongs. I guess we must be heading in the Right Direction.