Saturday, March 13, 2010
A Sunny Alternative to This Morning in Tompkins Square Park
Friday, March 12, 2010
Lucy Has Returned From Poland and Her Bar on Avenue A is Again Open for Business
Ray's Recently Uncovered Front Window , From the Inside
Thursday, March 11, 2010
On 9th Street
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Ray's Front Window Uncovered ...
Decades have passed since the upper portion of Ray's front window last saw the light of Day .
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
5:53 A.M. Tuesday Morning : Ray Sweeps the Sidewalk and Jimmy Makes Repairs ...
Early Tuesday morning Jimmy was out front of Ray's candy store removing some of the lighted signs above Ray's front windows . Jimmy was making space available up front for some new air conditioners that Ray wanted to install above his front window .These air conditioners would take the place of the older inefficient units that he has been using for the last 15 years .From Jimmy , who is himself short on cash these days , there would be no bill . Jimmy was , like so many others , just helping out .
Inside Ray's early this Tuesday morning a tall man with a shaved head was eating ice cream . The more than slightly inebriated man handed Ray a $20 bill and asked how much . Ray started to give his customer change but the man protested , "no that's for you . How much do I owe you?" . Ray took the tip and then took payment for the ice cream and gave the guy his change .
The Daily News delivery man walked in with a stack of newspapers . Ray said to him , "I took your advice ". The delivery man was puzzled . Then ray expanded on this statement and told the delivery man about his big night . Ray had asked the delivery man the night before what he should say while standing before all the people that would be at the coming night's benefit . The delivery man had told him to say something about how he was one with those in attendance and that he loved them all .
The night before the benefit for him , Ray had expressed to us that he was very apprehensive about having to stand up before a crowd of people and say something.What would he say ? Ray had no reason to be concerned . Everything was easy . He felt right at home standing before all his friends .
This morning ,7 hours after he had left the benefit , Ray went on and on about how amazed he was by all the people that were in attendance at his benefit and by all the folks who are helping him these days .Ray told us of some folks that he met at the benefit who had been reading about Ray on this blog . These folks who live in Virginia decided to come to his benefit in New York city to help save Ray's .
Ray also expressed his amazement with all the cameras pointed at him and all the reporters that wanted to interview him .Ray told us this morning that there are even more that want to interview him later .
It seems that Monday night was the best and easiest of times for Ray .
Monday, March 08, 2010
Be There With Ray Tonight at 7:30 , Monday March 8th at The Theater For the New City
One Arm Larry and FDNY Visit Ray's Candy Store ...
Saturday night One Arm Larry and 2 truck loads of firefighters visited Ray's . The firemen were polite and paid their bill . Larry was sloshed and never intended to pay his bill .
Larry ,who the night before while passed out on the avenue A sidewalk had lost his plastic prosthetic arm to some wilding youths , was hungry . He stumbled ,snotty running nose and all , into Ray's candy store hoping for free food . One Arm Larry knew the rules of the game .
As always Ray told Larry to go to the front window . At the front window ,outside the store , away from Ray's customers he would give Larry a free hot dog . Larry went to Ray's front window . Larry got his dog and he ate it . He was still hungry though and wanted more .
Larry made a second attempt to enter Ray's little store hoping to continue the game of free hot dogs . Ray, not in a good mood , would have nothing to do with such an attempt to intimidate and free load . Ray moved from behind the counter to the front and went for Larry .Ray now stood before Larry .Ray pushed Larry towards the door .Larry was too drunk to understand that there was not going to be anymore free anything for him at Ray's . Larry resisted and then got a little angry . A scuffle was in process .
Larry even with only one arm is considerably stronger and more capable of harming Ray than Ray is capable of harming Larry .Ray shoved Larry backwards . Ray then grappled with Larry . Ray had had it ; he was angry and would not tolerate Larry anywhere near his store . Ray pushed Larry backwards again .The situation was now dangerous for Ray . We with the help of 2 other neighborhood regulars broke the grapple , pushing Ray and Larry apart. Larry was taken aside and told that Ray wasn't in a good mood and that he should leave .
Larry did leave but then shortly returned and passed out in the doorway next to Ray's candy store . Such occurrences as this are all in a day's work for Ray . Operating a business such as Ray's right on avenue A next to Tompkins Square Park involves more than just preparing and selling a product . Some of the locals add an extra dimension to the ordinary course of daily business .
During all this chaos the volunteer members of the delivery team behind the counter , though likely surprised by Ray's deliberate courageous action , kept their heads and continued with their assigned tasks . The team didn't do quite as much business though as last week . The team says that it will again deliver Ray's products next Saturday .We finally got a picture of one of the delivery team on the move , delivering ...
Berliners Howard and Elizabeth Visit Ray and His Candy Store Friday Night
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