Month: May 2019

Sykes Gang Swarms – Police Respond

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by Stephen Ames Berry

Herkimer gang head Stanley Sykes
Stanley Sykes in full cry.

Sykes’ gang head Stanley Sykes returned briefly to his old Herkimer drug and child trafficking lair this week. It was seemingly for a harmless picnic and a cheery fire with his gang members at 341 Eureka Avenue—341 anchors one end of Herkimer’s historic drug and child trafficking lot the Sykes gang used to control. They don’t appear to be trafficking out 341 anymore—some are barracked there, courtesy of the gang’s longtime landlord, Herkimer’s Jay Smith.

The Heinous Stanley Sykes Gang

The Sykes gang’s heinous, not harmless: they traffic drugs and kids and coordinate poison gas spraying campaigns against neighbors they want gone and whose houses they covet. We’ve overheard them pimping out their own kids. Stanley’s been gone a year, relocating after being highlighted in our widely-viewed Herkimer child trafficking series.

Sykes gang member Utica
5/26/19 Sykes gang member. probably from Utica, at 332 Pleasant Avenue fire circle. Not happy about our surveillance camera.

The gang’s Wednesday social event was a venue to harass us and assert dominance over the tenants in the lot’s other two houses, 332 and 334 Pleasant Avenue. The gang appears to now only fully control 341 Eureka Avenue. 

Herkimer Sykes gang member Harvey Bass with vandalized fence slat.
Junior Sykes gang member Harvey triumphantly waves kindling stick harvested from our fence. His grandfather Stanley’s red Honda SUV is to his right.

The Sykes gang took over 332 Pleasant Avenue’s massive beloved fire bowl for the occasion and gathered kindling from behind 334 Pleasant. No one was going to deny them permission. They had two of their weaponized kids vandalize our fence on camera as Stanley Sykes serenaded us with the mighty horn of his signature red Honda SUV, parked as close to our yard as he could get without knocking down our fence.

Stanley himself left just after sunset, leaving some of his crew that had come with him gathered about the fire bowl with a mix of gang and non-gang locals.

Then the police came. A lot of them:

Herkimer police respond to gang presence
5/26/19 Herkimer and State Police respond to gang presence at Jay Smith’s 332 Pleasant Avenue.

 

Video Timeline:
0:01-0:10 Stanley Sykes arrives at 341 Eureka Ave.
0:11-0:38 Carrie Ann Bass’s son Harvey, Stanley’s grandson (long hair), and Stanley’s putative son Eric harvest our fence for kindling.
0:39-0:54 Harvey gleefully waves his trophy for all to see.
0:55-1:09 Stanley contributes to fire. Seems jubilant.
0:10-1:35 Gang members frolic as they build fire at 332 Pleasant.
1:36 -1:43 Stanley Sykes leaves. (Possibly relocated back to Utica where from which he now operates.)
1:44-2:00 Mix of gang and non-gang members at fire behind 332 Pleasant.
2:01-2:12 Herkimer police officer seemingly warning that open fires are illegal in Herkimer. We are a small, close-set and highly-flammable village. Typically, violators are required to bank and their douse fire.
2:13-2:24 Same officer, different cameras.
2:32-2:43 Officer gone. Did someone say something they weren’t supposed to?
2:44-258 Lots of cops have appeared. Questions being asked. Seems to be a person of interest.
2:59-3:09 Police leave via 341 Eureka
3:10-3:35 Police return. Arrest made.
3:54-End Midnight debriefing among locals at 332 Pleasant Avenue.

 

Herkimer Village Highly Flammable

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by Stephen Ames Berry

A reminder as we enter nicer weather – Herkimer Village is highly flammable.

Some of Herkimer landlord Jay Smith’s tenants hosted this event the night of 5/17-5/18. It’s behind 332 Pleasant Avenue. 332’s one of the three anchor properties surrounding Herkimer’s historic drug and child trafficking lot. All are Smith’s properties.

Things began reasonably enough in the early evening. But as the hours wore on, the crowd grew, the music soared, the booze flowed and the sparks flew high. To be fair to the folks who live at 332, they got the lot of them to kill the music, then took their kids in. Most places that would have signaled the end of the evening. But no. People I recognized were soon outnumbered by people I didn’t, and still they came.

What began with five or so folks with some kids grew to more than dozen adults, gathered about a blazing fire bowl the size of the mother ship. Sparks soared high. The police appeared shortly after 1 am, shut down the festivities and ordered the fire doused. (A large federal surveillance drone was also in attendance.)

332 Pleasant Ave Herkimer gang members flee cops
5/18/19 “The guilty flee where no man pursues.” Party goers skedaddle as Herkimer police approach. (Jay Smith’s 332 Pleasant Avenue, Herkimer.)

Jay Smith's 332 Pleasant Avenue Herkimer police shut down fire5/18/19 “Herkimer police shut down the festivities and ordered the fire doused.” The crowd is much smaller than it was a few seconds ago.

Herkimer Village A Tinderbox

Herkimer Village is a tinderbox of close-set very old houses. In January, we were all tragically reminded of how  deadly this can be when three small children died in a fast moving house fire just a few blocks away.

3 children killed in Herkimer fire
1/11/19 Three small children died in a fast-moving Herkimer blaze.

Herkimer does not allow open fires of any sort within 100 feet of any house, vehicle or structure. Period. (A grill is not a cover—it’s a grill.) The Herkimer police these days are quick to respond to reports of open fires and large crowds. Call them. The neighbor’s being ticked at you is better than you and yours going up in flames.

Herkimer Fire Law,  Section 1-14(B)

Camp fires and fires used solely for recreation purposes [are permitted[ when such fires are located at least one hundred (100) feet from any dwelling, structure, or vehicle and are properly controlled and supervised by the Herkimer Fire Department.

 

AMAZON tiny homes sellout!

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Tiny home/cabin for under $8000 including delivery sells out on Amazon

by Linda Kaidan

Affordable housing shortage drives soaring tiny home sales

“Over Half of Urban Renter Households Experience Some Form of Housing Insecurity.” It’s possible that Amazon’s May 2019 sellout of the DIY Allwood Garden House may be a result of this perilous state of US housing deficits.

Amazon’s new low-cost tiny home immediate sellout

This May Amazon posted a $7,250 DIY guest cabin/home that most anyone can  build in 8 hours. All available supplies were immediately sold out. When 2 people share such a space each would have a one time rent just under $303 a month for the first year and no rent thereafter.  Though initial reviews indicated that purchasers were critical of the product, they illustrated the strength of demand.

Great lack of affordable housing likely factor

The amazing popularity indicates the desire many people have to own their own home in a time when housing is not affordable for 50% of the population. Such a tiny property can lead to economic freedom from the rent treadmill. It also ensures housing security in a time when so many are homeless.

New off the shelf market will spark business opportunities

Food for thought about the living small market in general ties into real estate, cooperative housing and products supporting multi-use spaces in home construction and renovation. People need affordable homes. When they live tiny, they pay less for housing and use less energy.

Rewards for homeowners, investors and affordable housing seekers

If you are a homeowner think about adding this inexpensive space to your backyard for guests or as a workshop. If you are an investor, think about how you can make it easy for individuals to finance tiny home living.

Amazon shows us that it’s possible to live better for less and that profitable home products can fuel an industry that has great positive impact on how we live. It’s important to think of the tiny home as a place to begin. It’s a springboard for new ideas and learning from experience.

Think about how you can participate in this new housing trend that contributes to affordable living, green energy and many new related industries.