Mario Ramirez

Good morning, East Village.

Hope your Memorial Weekend was something to remember.

As we start the week, Neither More Nor Less reminds readers that not every Memorial Day in the East Village passed as peacefully and offers a recollection of the 1991 Memorial Day riot in Tompkins Square Park.

The park closed for a year, following the incident, in order to undergo a $2.3 million renovation project. For a full account of the story, visit The Times’ archives.

In other news, the Bowery has been credited as the birthplace of the ice-cream sandwich. In a recent Q&A, The Times referred to the book “Of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making” by Jeri Quinzio, which maintains that the popular summer treat was first made available through pushcart vendors peddling along the Bowery. The sandwiches were first sold for 3 cents apiece, a price that was subsequently driven down to one penny by New Yorkers.  Go to the article for one paper’s intriguing description of how the sandwiches were made.

And finally, Neighborhoodr! captured mosaic artist Jim Powers making progress on his “Japanese tribute pole” on Second Avenue & St. Mark’s Place last Friday.  With Japan’s economy already suffering massive blows from Fukushima and TEPCO officials recently  admitting they see no end in sight for the reactor crisis, the country will continue to depend on international support.

This post has been changed to correct an error; an earlier version misstated the sequence of events leading up to the 1991 Memorial Day riot.