PortSide-seeks-free-storefront-for-April-2012
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Can you find PortSide NewYork a space that we could use for an office for one month? We would also like to use this to sell off a collection of maritime artifacts, part of our fundraising endeavors. We cannot do that from the port where we are not accessible on a walk-up basis.
For owners/brokers of vacant storefronts: it is easier to rent a space that is in use (that's why there are so many pop-up cultural centers). Having PortSide in a space attract a lot of visitors, blog buzz, good press, and good kharma! We always return any space cleaner than we found it. It would be a office for 3-4 people and visiting volunteers. If you have a space or lead on a space, please email us at portsidenewyork(at)gmail.com or call 917-414-0565.
We are looking for a temporary office because tightened Port Authority
security regs (as of 2/13) are severely blocking
volunteers trying to help us at a time we really need help (see our petition here) Our office is on the historic ship MARY A. WHALEN in a Port Authority containerport where Homeland Security TWIC cards are needed to enter.
As of 2/13, our Director Carolina Salguero is the only
PortSide person who can escort guests without TWIC cards to the tanker MARY A. WHALEN. Other PortSide
holders of TWIC cards no longer
have escort priveledges (including our Shipwork Volunteer
Coordinator).
This is a new Port Authority rule. TWIC cards cost about $135, a federal background check
and about 2 weeks to get, so we cannot get TWICs for all visitors or
volunteers.
So... this means that if Carolina Salguero is out of the office on PortSide
business (visiting a potential pier, attending a meeting or conference) all the
volunteers offering to help during our crisis
have to get out of the office. Last week,
Carolina was out of the office almost four days on business.
If Carolina is here, it means
that her day is interrupted by biking back and forth six blocks to the gate to get
volunteers or visitors coming for appointments.
Carolina can't leave a non-TWIC
card holder alone on the boat (even though there are other TWIC card holders in
the office), so if we have a guest coming after the first one, she has to take
the 1st guest out with her to collect the 2nd guest, etc.
In short, if PortSide had a
publicly accessible office right now it would help HUGELY. We don't need phone
lines. We run the office on cellphones. We need electricity to power computers
and internet access.
If you have a space or lead on a space, please email us at portsidenewyork(at)gmail.com or call 917-414-0565.