{"id":79645,"date":"2020-06-09T06:31:27","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T10:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/?p=79645"},"modified":"2020-06-10T06:03:30","modified_gmt":"2020-06-10T10:03:30","slug":"kindness-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2020\/06\/09\/kindness-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Kindness Matters\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was 1963 when Owego resident and Trustee Charles Plater was born and moved to Rochdale Village, a 120-acre co-op in southeastern Queens that was built on the site of a horseracing track. During that time there were also protests and racial tensions growing nationwide, a parallel to what is happening in America today. <\/span><\/p>\n

But for Plater, the move to Rochdale Village sheltered him a bit from what was going on in the world. Plater grew up in a community where the color of his skin didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

The co-op, which was described as an \u201cexperiment,\u201d was promoted as a model of racial harmony in the midst of civil rights protests nationwide. According to Plater, the residents that lived in the village were of all races; it was very diverse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up like that in the sixties,\u201d said Plater in an interview last week, adding, \u201cI didn\u2019t\u2019 know it, but it was an experiment; an attempt in desegregation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The village, he described, had an elementary, junior high and high school, and even had its own power so they weren\u2019t affected by the New York City blackouts. <\/span><\/p>\n

The village\u2019s residents were also shielded from the crime spree by renowned serial killer David Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam, which took place in the 70s. <\/span><\/p>\n

Because they had all of the amenities needed, there was no need for public transportation. The village had five large buildings at that time that were 13 stories tall. To this date, Plater\u2019s parents reside in the village.<\/p>\n

Plater recalled a group he belonged to from the late seventies and into the eighties known as the \u201cRainbow Roller Rockers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u2018Kindness<\/a>

Charles Plater is pictured, on the far right, with the Rainbow Roller Rockers. Provided photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe were the original skaters,\u201d said Plater, adding, \u201cWe were a mixed group of kids that were just having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the outside of the village, there were riots happening over injustices, and soon Reverend Al Sharpton came on the scene as a civil rights activist.<\/p>\n

But again, Plater had little to no exposure to what was happening, and didn\u2019t really see what racism could be until he married and moved to Brooklyn, and where he worked as a subway conductor. <\/span><\/p>\n

He also recalled going into a Woolworth\u2019s store, circa 1968. He was still a child, but he could smell the restaurant when he walked into the department store, even though they were not allowed to sit down to eat. He also remembers people looking at him and his mom as they walked in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they were looking at me because I was cute,\u201d said Plater, adding, \u201cIn hindsight, I see it now. I wasn\u2019t taught hatred, I wasn\u2019t among it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1997, Plater moved to Binghamton and eventually married again in 2000 to a woman named Sherry, from Newark Valley.<\/p>\n

Plater worked in Endicott for a while, and would eventually move to Owego in 2000.<\/p>\n

At first, Plater noted, he was being stereotyped. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was one of few people of color, so they thought I was selling drugs,\u201d said Plater. But soon, he added, he became known as \u201cthe guy that works.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plater held various jobs after his arrival in the Southern Tier to include working at Owego Free Academy, where he taught special education. This is also where he met the late, and former Mayor, Ed Arrington. He said they would pass each other on occasion and would give each other a \u201chead nod,\u201d being two of the small handful of people of color in the area at that time.<\/p>\n

Plater also worked for several hotels to include the Hampton Inn, where he went from being a houseman to becoming manager. After that he went to Vestal where he worked for Homewood Suites and then Candlewood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wanted me for my personality and my hospitality,\u201d said Plater. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\u2018Kindness<\/a>

Pictured is Owego resident and Village Trustee Charles Plater, and his wife Sherry. Provided photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

But he wanted to be closer to home, so Plater went back to the Holiday Express and Treadway, and then got a job with Lockheed Martin in Owego. During this time he also ran for Village Trustee, a position he earned in 2017. He also drove Uber, a job cut short when the pandemic hit. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now, and as a trustee, he also serves as police commissioner on the board; a position he takes on whole-heartedly. <\/span><\/p>\n

Life was good for Charles Plater. He cautioned, however, to be careful what you wish for in life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember thinking, I wish there was something else going on other than the pandemic,\u201d said Plater. \u201cAnd then there it was, racial tension.\u201d<\/p>\n

His take on what is happening, nationwide, is that all lives matter. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowever,\u201d he added, \u201cwhat\u2019s right is right, and what\u2019s wrong is wrong,\u201d speaking of the violence that is accompanying what was intended to be peaceful demonstrations and protest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen night falls they have professional looters,\u201d said Plater. \u201cThey\u2019re like pirates, they go where conflict is underway and find opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that not all police are bad, and that right now many are scared. \u201cThe media is the one that blows it up,\u201d he added of the violence, protesting, looting, and riots.<\/p>\n

Ironically, he noted, the peaceful protesters probably watched the violence themselves from their own TV at home later in the night. <\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Plater is the house that all of the neighborhood kids go to. \u201cI\u2019m that guy, the safe guy,\u201d he added while describing Owego and his home as a slice of heaven. He and his wife have two sons, Jonte, 13, and Damien, 18.<\/p>\n

His philosophy, \u201cPeople will treat you they way you treat them; so always treat people with kindness. We need it today.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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