The memorial on Gerritsen Avenue, for Frank Solivan, 26, who lost his life in a motorcycle crash on May 25th, has grown tremendously. It now has a wood chip base, more Balloons, more candles, more Flowers, and white rocks in the formation of RIP.
On a personal note, Wednesday night around 11:00pm there was a large gathering on Gerritsen Avenue to morn Frank Solivan. With the large gathering and the recent comment on this post, it sparked me to follow-up with another picture of the memorial, but at night. A lot of time and care went into putting together the memorial and it deserved a little attention. Later that night around 12:00am the crowd had dissipated and I walked over to the memorial site, and there was a young man sitting on the curb, we exchanged glances, I took a couple of shots to establish lighting, when the man asked me, what I was doing, I replied, taking pictures for a local paper, he replied “the local paper doesn’t give a @#$%â€, I replied of course they care.†he then walked emotionally charged up to the soccer fields. That was where the dissipated crowd went. Seeing the crowd, obviously upset at the loss of their loved one, I walked away and reconsidered my timing. However, as I pulled away in my car two young men were standing in the middle of Gerritsen Avenue trying to block my car from moving with their bodies, and another 4 on the curb walking to where I was parked.
If you’re going to place a memorial in a neighborhood, which in your opinion “doesn’t give a @#$%” maybe you should reconsider chasing off someone who respects you, your situation, and what you have done. Since the neighborhood obviously does care…it’s going to stay there and be respected. Gerritsen Beach as a community cares
Ironically, when I initially drove by around 11pm a motorcycle sped past me in the median at the same spot where they were assembled. All that situation needed was a car making a U-turn or someone pulling out of a block.
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Gerritsen beach does care what happens to each and everyone. I respect the family,friends of the late Frankie Sulivan and the beautiful memorial site that they created. I nor anyone else has a problem with them coming every day and night to the site. But the racing of the bikes and the burnouts from the bikes and cars and wheelies need to stop. We had one horrendous accident and we don’t need another tragedy. It’s bad enough that two families are going to have to live with this as well as other people for the rest of there lives . Let’s not destroy anymore lives.
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At 10pm this evening I drove past on my way home from work and there was a mob of people out there. There were a line of double parked cars from Everette to almost Florence. There were people standing in the street and cars making U turns. I slowed down and looked and was told by a female voice to “just keep F@#$!%*! going.” This sistuation is going to get a lot worse and some one else is going to get hurt. Something needs to be done.
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As a resident of Gerritsen Beach I too feel that the accident which happened on the corner of Everette & Gerritsen Aves was a very tragic accident but at the same time very avoidable.
I feel sorry for the family Frank Solivan after all they will be missing their loved one forever & how anyone can stand there & acuse the entire community of not caring is outlandish.
No one’s saying their not welcome but please respect our community as we respect your loss & need for a memorial to remember your loved one & friend Frank Solivan
I can understand their efforts in building a memorial site where Frank was last seen alive but it isn’t their right to just build their memorial garden at will there but an honor that should be respected by all of his friends & family who come to honor his memory
Respect is not something that anyone has a got given right to but it is something that is earned & I find the crowd that comes to visit the memorial extremely disruptive & disrespectful to all of the people of this community & has not shown us one shred of respect in return with their actions.
If our children were hanging on this Ave. in the same capacity as this crowd is, they would be told to move on, given a disorderly conduct ticket or worse – arrested.
I have personally witnessed on too many occasions Motorcycles racing up & down Gerritsen Ave on the Zebra strips, Cars making U-Turns & Cars Speeding with R.I.P. Frankie on the rear window.
I think if these people want to honor Frankie’s Memory they should do so respectably & peacefully.
These people are going to either kill someone from this community or someone from this community is going to kill another one of their friends or family & still nothing will be gained or learned from Frankie’s Passing.
Everyday prior to this accident the Police Dept. would drive around this community to look & see who they could catch speeding on the Ave. ( Yeah I see them with their Radar Cameras early in the morning ) & who they can give parking tickets to & which one of the kids they can harass on their dirt bike, quad, or whatever
And these days they, when called just pull up & tell them to knock it off & they say ok officer, the cops pull away & they go right back to what they were doing uninterrupted.
When the people of this community finally get the Police to do something about this I fear the only one who will suffer from our complaints & pleas for help will be the people of the community because we will be the ones targeted by the 61 pct. because historically that’s just how it always turns out.
At one time Joe Foy used to ride his bike or walk around taking pictures of the kids on their dirt bikes, quads & the cars speeding on the Ave & was asking the kids to identify the people that were operating
the vehicles in question so he could pass the information to the 61 St pct.
As we all appreciated Joe’s efforts to help make GB a better place to live & improve the quality of life around here Joe’s time & efforts are better put to use else where these days.
It has become common knowledge that there are numerous stores on Gerritsen Ave that have surveillance cameras that take excellent quality pictures Day & Night.
I say before the unruly crowd that gathers around Frank Solivan’s memorial has some sort of conflict with the residents of this community – be it from the bar or just someone passing by to just admire their memorial garden being told to just move on.
These surveillance cameras can also offer the same information to the 61 St pct to help them put a stop to this communities harassment before someone else is faced with legal & financial inconveniences due to conflicts between the memorial crowd & the residents.
There are other memorial sites on the Ave they are modest at best & are not over powering.
They tend to blend in & over the years have not been desecrated by anyone kids, adults or visitors from out of this community alike.
I do not see the need for this congregation to feel that this community does not care & that we are going to destroy what they have built. As I do feel it is a bit much & it should be toned down some.
It has become the center of all attraction these day’s & has drawn more attention to it than any other memorial built for loved ones who were born or just grew up right here in Gerritsen Beach.
This is the beginning of a new season & I would like to see everyone get along & doing it safely.
I have read the other comments and I’d like to hear from others what their opinions are & how they feel we can put an end to this before it get’s worse
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This kid just died a week ago. It will dilute as the days go by. It’s the summer. Thier pain is fresh. Does it mean they should be discrespcetful?- Of course not. I think by the begining of next week, the gathering of kids will be ghost. Throughout the history of young adults 18-30 that have been unfortunatly killed down here, there has allways been a gathering, wether it be up the park, the point, the ave. And if the past is any indication, the anger and hurt these kids feel will subside with sorrow and they will all return home.
There is so much else positive going on in the part of Brooklyn. Anyone notice all the american flags on the poles up the ave.?-
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Although I did not know Frankie for a long period of time I knew him long enough to see that he was a very kind young man who would always help a friend in need. My condolences to his family and friends.
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Frankie you missed so much and I cant contol the tears falling from my eyes. All I do is keep thinking of you. I love you very, very much. Rest in peace baby! People need to bak the f*ck up with unnecessary comments. People like you arent worth life. An innocent man passed away and family and friends will do what they feel they want to do. Frankie I love you. R.I.P
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i miss you soo damn much its killing me inside i cant sleep ..i close my eyes and i just see you….you are here with me in my heart till we meet again
love ya
rip
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I’m sorry baby, I just found out what happened to you. I LOVE YOU with all my heart and i always will. The 3 years we were together were the best 3 years of my life. but I know in my heart that one dat we will be together again.
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Today is June 12 and it has been only 2 weeks since my brother’s passing. It feels just like yesterday that he came up to my job to pick me up on his motorcycle to give me a ride home. He has always been careful. Now out of all people to demand respect or to give respect was him. For all the people whom say that our group of friends and family were disrespectful to the community of Gerritsen Avenue. I beg to differ. I was there for each gathering. Yes we made noise and Yes we did it because we were grieving. Not everyone grieves in the same manner. Not once do I recall ever saying or doing anything that was out of context. People who threw beer bottles at the memorial whom disrespected him and us have no compassion , no remorse, NO RESPECTTTTT!!!!! I would like to say thank you to the decent people on Gerritsen Ave. whom try to keep the candles lit on a daily bases. I, as the sister of Francisco Solivan will never forget him as a brother , a friend, even as a son for having the chance to watch him grow up to be the man he is.
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Frankie, baby i love u so much, u will always be in my heart, im thinking about u all the time… u were a great friend, we will never forget u. like now i remember how we used to chill, u gave me , my first ride on the bike, itt was awsome.. i told u that i feel save with u, i never rided with anyone else just u , cuz u were da best rider, u will always be in our hearts. omg thursday before da night that happed.. we were dancing omg i remember it like it just happed, when i was sick u asked if i need some medication, or if i want some soup.. u wreally cared about everyone of us, neva done anythin wrong, always helped, always spoke the truth. i got our pictures in my room.. i think about u everyday , kiss ur picture before i go to sleep and look at it when i waik up..
u were the best Love u 4eva, and i know ur watching after of all us, we’ll be with u in another life. Rest In Pease Frankie!!!
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frankie i miss you soo damn much..all i do is cry and think of you i cant take no more i feel there is no reason to live anymore ..and to everyone who has nothing but nasty things to say about him ..yous are all heartless people ..and obviously didnt know him at all cause if you did you would know he had a heart of gold …
rip baby
till we meet again
i know you are watching over all of us right now
love ya
miss ya
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