Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) officials recently announced that there is no need to commit an “offensive foul” to own a piece of NYC history.
To celebrate the New York Knicks recent championship victory, and to remind New Yorkers to put trash in its proper place, on Friday, July 24, DSNY presented commemorative blue-and-orange, Knicks-themed litter baskets to five lucky winners selected at random, and a Kingsbridge Heights Knicks fan was among them.
“The celebration of our championship team continues,” said DSNY Commissioner Gregory Anderson. “We saw during last month’s ticker tape parade some strong enthusiasm for these commemorative baskets. Today, we remind New Yorkers that you don’t have to make a mess on our sidewalks or steal public property to own a piece of history. And we remind all New Yorkers that littering is an offensive foul, and putting trash in a litter basket is a slam dunk.”
Alfonso Bravo of Kingsbridge Heights, a Bronx native and longtime Knicks fan, said he was at the edge of his seat for the entire series, every single game. “It’s been a crazy journey!” Bravo said. “A lot of people came together even if they weren’t Knicks fans. My neighbor roots for [the] Golden State. All of New York City was rooting for the Knicks during the finals.”
Bravo went on to say that winning a 30-pound litter basket carries a lot of meaning. “The basket is a symbol of what this run meant to me,” he said. “I work for CUNY BMCC [The City University of New York Borough of Manhattan Community College], and it’s something I can definitely share with my students. Anything is possible as long as you have hope and perseverance, as long as you work hard. I’m definitely not going to use it to put garbage in. It’s going to be something to remember this victory. It could be something I use in my job, something that has more meaning.”
As a father of three young boys, Bravo said he encourages them to keep their city clean. “I take my kids to soccer games at Riverbank,” he said. “I see people picking up garbage, and I’m planting that seed early with the little ones. If you see something you can easily pick up, and there’s a garbage can close by, pick it up rather than letting it fly away and become part of the clutter that’s impacting the drainage. Parts of the city get flooded because of that. Something as simple as picking up garbage goes a long way.”
Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
The other four lucky winners represent neighborhoods across the remaining boroughs:
Originally from Chicago, Daniel LeVert of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn has lived in New York City for four years and says the Knicks championship run made it an especially exciting time to be in New York City. “Being in the city at this time is awesome,” he said. “It was cool to be out with the crowds during the finals.”
A fan of iconic NYC memorabilia, LeVert had his eye on a miniature DSNY trash can for sale online. “When this came along, I thought I might as well give it a shot,” he said. “It’s a cool collectible. I’ve been needing an addition to hold my recycling in my apartment, potentially I’ll use it for that. I love eclectic items and interior design, and this is a really unique piece.”
In his years living in Brooklyn, LeVert said he has come to appreciate the employees of the City’s Sanitation department, saying he thinks they are doing great work. “It’s such a critically important job,” he said adding that it’s underappreciated and that workers work all hours of the day. “Recently, I was out going somewhere at 2 a.m., and there were guys out picking up the trash,” he said. “Those are the New Yorkers you have to thank the most.”
Originally from Los Angeles, Mia Manantan of East Harlem moved to the New York City area when the ’99 Knicks were in the playoffs. “I’m a big fan of the Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson era,” she said. “To see them make a run toward the championship again; they really united the city this year. It was electric! Everywhere I went since April, it was all about the Knicks. People from all walks of life. It was great to be a part of it.”
Regarding her new litter basket, Manantan said, “I’m just going to keep it in my home as a conversation piece for people to ask about. Should I put basketballs in it? Should I make art from it? I’m very excited to have it. It’s iconic; something I never would have thought about owning. It’s a nice piece for the house to tell a story years from now, to talk about this time in New York when all of this was happening.”
She also counts herself a fan of DSNY. “There’s a lot of respect for the folks who go into making this a cleaner place, a more livable place, Manantan said. “There’s always something going on in the city, and it’s reassuring to know we have a good agency to clean it all up.”
Originally from The Bronx, Gabriela Manzanares of Long Island City in Queens grew up watching Knicks games with her family. She now lives in Long Island City, and looks forward to welcoming her new litter basket into her home there. “I’ve already picked out the spot: front and center in my living room,” she said. “It’s going to be there when you open the door, for everyone to see and be jealous of.”
For Manzanares, owning a litter basket is also a reminder of the importance of maintaining a clean city. “I have thought recently about how the city has changed in terms of cleanliness,” she said. “Growing up in The Bronx, there was a lot of litter back then. I think the Department of Sanitation has done a great job in recent years; there is a lot less litter than there used to be.”
Manzanares said her brother Kevin accepted the basket on his sister’s behalf. When he learned she had won, she said Kevin kept refreshing his email to see if he had won too. She said Kevin is jealous and hopes perhaps his sister will let him have the basket on weekends.
Gina Simas of Dongan Hills on Staten Island entered the drawing on behalf of her husband, Scott, who joined DSNY on Friday to accept the basket. According to DSNY, Scott is a lifelong Staten Islander whose father used to take him to Knicks games during the era of Marvin Webster, Bill Cartwright, and Scott’s favorite, Campy Russell.
“She thought it would be cool for me to have a Knicks-themed basket around,” Scott said of his wife’s entry into the drawing. “I think I’ll put it out in the backyard when we have parties.”
A retired mail carrier, Scott said he appreciates the work of those who keep New York City clean. “I understand the tough job Sanitation workers have working in every type of weather,” he said. “I always try to get out there and give them a bottle of water. I understand what you guys go through with the heat and cold, it’s nothing new to me. I do appreciate it.”
Angie Baez lost her job after she was recorded allegedly stealing one of the commemorative bins off a Manhattan street following the recent Knicks tickertape parade, dumping its contents on the street as she did so. She is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law. Baez later returned the bin.
DSNY said the baskets presented on Friday are full-sized baskets the department uses on the streets: roughly 28 inches tall with a diameter at the top of 21.5 inches. They said they weigh around 30 pounds. They said for the more than 125,000 entrants who were not selected, Only NY sells the 15-inch-tall kitchen wastebaskets, painted in the same color scheme, as well as 4.25-inch-tall commemorative pen holders.
Read more of our recent Knicks coverage here, here, here and here.
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