Ye ar ! h ur Si xt O Sheepshead Bay • Brighton Beach • Marine Park • Manhattan Beach • Coney Island • Flatlands • Gerritsen Beach • Mill Basin • Bergen Beach
Vol. 6 No. 5, Oct. 1 - 15, 2009
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• Cuts on the Q • ‘Ain’t G onna Giv e Up’ • Luck o ’ the Irish at KeySp • Healing an arts • A wet m oon • First-ra te dange r • Festiva l of Booth s
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Publisher’s Notebook
Member of the New York Press Association
David J. Glenn
Learning from history Usually, when politicians speak at dinners or make announcements during photo ops, their statements are hardly inspiring or memorable. But amid the congratulatory platitudes and awful fish puns of Mayor Bloomberg’s address at the launch of the aquarium’s “Sea Change,” he made an important point: While many cry “Cut! Cut!” during this economic crisis, Bloomberg said the multi-million dollar project was important especially now. “We’re not going to make the same mistakes of the 1970s,” when the city severely cut back on cultural and enrichment programs during a similar crisis, he said. “It took decades to recover from that.” The mayor, for one, is indeed learning from history. Aquariums, museums, libraries, live theaters, and the like (notice, Mr. Borough President, that we didn’t include in-
Suzanne H. Glenn Editor
Writers Olga Privman Christina Pisano Lara Mondrus I. Friedin Michael Schlager Amadeo Constanzo Eric Lima Heeyen Park
Patrick Hickey Jr. Sports Editor
Contributors Kerry Donelli Jacqueline Donelli Matt Lassen Dale Neseman
David J. Glenn Publisher
trusive rock-concert amphitheaters) are vital to any large city, but are particularly essential in the unique city of New York. This is not only because of the dollars that flow into the city from New Yorkers and tourists who patronize these venues. It’s also because these are the essence of a world-city like New York. Take away these things, and what do you have? A collection of glass, brick and concrete without a soul. Of course, this is not to say that maintaining cultural and educational institutions will solve all the critical problems of the city -- housing, health care, crime, unemployment (although these projects do create many jobs). But the worst thing to do during financial hard times, is to focus solely on the material, and forget all the higher pursuits of mind and spirit.
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Thanks for the info I just wanted to compliment Bay Currents for presenting factual, unbiased profiles of the candidates who were in the Democratic primary for mayor, public advocate, and comptroller. I didn’t know very much about any of them, and it’s always very difficult to find out anything about candidates other than what they, or their opponents, say. Robert J. Mill Basin
For a peaceful tomorrow The tenth anniversary of 9/11 is on the horizon. How can we honor our loved ones in a way that engages our energies and allows our hearts to speak, our voices to be heard? We’ve moved through the years putting one foot in front of the other, by being focused on major tangible goals: - Outspoken opposition to the bombing of Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq - Gathering of groups from all over the world brought together - as we were - by the loss of family to the forces of violence
- Creating and maintaining an international network of such groups - Connecting to individuals and groups dedicated to nonviolence in Afghanistan and Iraq - Meeting with administration and military officials to explain our opposition to extraordinary military tribunals - And even meeting with the president to explain why we support the closure of the prisons and torture sites that violated our nation’s ideals and brought shame to our nation’s honor. Here is where dreaming comes in, your dreaming of how we might prepare now for 2011, when we and the world will mark the tenth year since the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Please join the discussion. Share your vision of how September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows can bring our message of peace with true justice to the world, in the name of all those we lost on that terrible day. Send an email to: pt-dreaming10@lists.peacefultomorrows.org, or contact Anne Mulderry (ammulderry@yahoo. com) to join a discussion list. Let us seek inspiration together. Surely, with our minds and hearts joined, we can dream of and carry to fulfillment - a fitting way to honor them. Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
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MTA cuts cause ‘unnecessary inconvenience’ By ERIC LIMA lima@baycurrents.net
If you catch the B or Q train at the Brighton Beach station or at the Voorhies Avenue entrance of the Sheepshead Bay station between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., you should leave a little earlier.
T
he Metropolitan Transit Authority has eliminated parttime “Station Customer Assistantsâ€? who work outside the second transit-station customer booths of the stations. This is an “unnecessary inconvenienceâ€? for the handicapped, the elderly, people with strollers or heavy bags and non-native English speakers, and could even put them in danger, an MTA worker told Bay Currents.  The customer assistants help the elderly get their senior discounts without having to walk a distance of almost three blocks to the Sheepshead Bay entrance. They also help customers use the Metrocard machine if` they’re having trouble; many people don’t know, for example, that the machine only gives back a maximum of $6 in change. Customer Agents also help maintain card machines, call repairmen when the machines break down, and help prevent crime and vandalism. For all of these reasons, subway employees and the Straphangers Campaign -- an arm of the New York Public Interest Group working to improve subway conditions -- feel that cutting Customer Service Agents is wasteful and unnecessary. MTA officials say the cuts were due to the financial crisis. “The elimination of the station customer assistance program, created as a pilot program in 2004, is an unfortunate result of tough economic times,â€? said MTA spokeswoman Deirdre Parker. Several MTA employees, who wished to remain anonymous, told Bay Currents that customers will now face an array of problems: • They will have to walk longer distances for service in cold weather, or cross dangerous streets and boulevards. The walk from the unmanned Voorhies Av-
• •
•
enue entrance to the 24-hour booth on Sheepshead Bay Avenue is about the distance of three long blocks. “Imagine this for a handicapped person in a wheelchair or someone with a stroller‌in the middle of winter,â€? said one employee. The Metrocard machine on Voorhies Avenue breaks down almost daily, and there will be no one around to help customers. Even worse, at some unmanned subway stations vandals will damage the machines so riders cannot purchase Metrocards and will have no choice but to pay the vandals to illegally swipe them in with an unlimited card. Another reason people damage Metrocard machines is that they lose money and don’t know how to get the money back. Some people purchasing Metro-
cards can’t read English, or they have trouble seeing the fine print at the bottom of the screen that states only a maximum of $6 change can be returned. A common occurrence is customers inserting a $100 bill for a 14-day unlimited card that costs $51.50; the machine only gives them back $6, causing them to lose more than $40. They must then go to a booth for a form to get their money back, but sometimes agents run out of forms.  • Customer Service Agents prevent fare evasion, and easily save the MTA the same or more money it takes to pay their salaries, the MTA employees say.  Gene Russianoff, an attorney and spokesman for the Straphangers who has been monitoring subway performance for more than 20 years, says the MTA has the money but doesn’t want to spend it on clerks. He also says MTA officials are trying to avoid negative press by calling the elimination of clerks “non service cuts,â€? which Russianoff said was Orwellian double-speak. “This is no way to treat their customers,â€? he said. We’re all a captive audience because they know at the MTA that people have no choice to get to work or school, or the doctor, but to take the train.â€? John Bowles, 85, likes the Voorhies Avenue entrance because his family can park and wait to pick him up, especially when he arrives with suitcases. “It’s so much easier to be dropped off here because of the parking. On the other side the parked buses are taking up the entire street,â€?   he said.            Bowles added that the Customer Agent would let him in so he wouldn’t have to walk all the way around to get his senior voucher, because the card machine doesn’t give the half-fare senior discount. MTA employees and consumer advocacy groups agree the elimination of part-time Customer Service Agents may turn out to be more costly to the MTA then just keeping them on. “I’ve already been to one or two of the locations where there is nobody from NYC transit, and the low turnstiles are just sitting there,â€? Russianoff said. “I hope it won’t result in higher crime [rates], but I’m very worried about it “For many people, it is a very difficult choice.â€?
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Getting down to work
Fresh veggies
Teachers and administrators help their young charges at P.S. 206 in Sheepshead Bay as they start a new school year.
Open-air produce markets along Avenue U in Marine Park and other parts of southern Brooklyn have been bustling with early autumn shoppers
BAY CURRENTS PHOTO
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Growing old in Brooklyn A Bay Currents Media and PeopleSales Group special supplement and guide
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Page 5
COVER STORY
Aquarium set for a ‘sea change’ By DAVID J. GLENN
Also at the dinner, Cynthia Reich was honored for her fundraising for the aquarium. With tongue firmly in cheek, Reich presented an “Ode to Me,” which actually was just the opposite – she thanked and praised WSC and city officials and the staff at the aquarium for making the project possible. The New York Aquarium, open all year ’round, is the oldest continuously operating aquarium in the United States. Some 750,000 people visit every year. It is also an officially designated Coastal Education Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For ticket and other information on the aquarium, call 718-265-FISH or visit the website at www.nyaquarium.com.
publisher@baycurrents.net
Promising to “jump start the rebirth of Coney Island,” the Wildlife Conservation Society announced a “Sea Change” at the New York Aquarium with the help of a multi-million-dollar private-public partnership.
T
he project, including a new shark exhibit, a revamped Aquatheater, and an expanded marine conservation program, will “anchor the New York Aquarium in the renaissance of Coney Island,” Dr. Steve Sanderson, president and CEO of the WCS, said at an elegant dinner under a tent on the aquarium grounds on a cool Sept. 17 evening.
The goal is to “make this the most attractive venue in the city,” said Jon Dohlin, aquarium director. Mayor Michael Bloomberg – sprinkling his remarks with groan-inducing fish puns like “We care a halibut this project” – said the initiative was important particularly during an economic crisis. “We’re not going to make the same mistakes of the 1970s,” when a cash-strapped city severely cut back on cultural and enrichment programs. “It took decades to recover from that,” he said. Tourism, Bloomberg said, brings billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs into New York City; enhancing the aquarium as a tourist destination would be a huge part of the industry, he said. The project, beginning with an investment of $100 million, is a partnership among the Wildlife Conservation Society, New York City, and the Borough of Brooklyn, along with about 40 percent support from private donors. Officials said future costs would be determined as the project moves forward. Plans include:
•
• • • •
An Ocean Wonders exhibit – highlighted by a new exhibit increasing the shark population to more than 30 from the current eight – and expanded indoor space for year-‘round programs. A “completely new” Conservation Hall, showcasing several aquatic habitats under protection by WCS; A “re-imagined” Aquatheater A new Aquarium exterior along the boardwalk and Surf Avenue, connecting the Aquarium with the ocean; An expanded marine conservation program, protecting marine life locally, in New York Harbor, and around the world.
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October 1 15, 2009
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Marine Park wetlands are ‘nursery of our seas’ ter in the creek. Winter visitors include scaup (a species of diving ducks), ruddy duck, mute swan, Canada geese, and common loon. Broad expanses of fertile salt marsh, meadows adorned with wildflowers, sandy dunes held in place by beach plants, and jungle-like thickets of shrubs and vines dominate the landscape of the Marine Park marshland. Myrtle warblers, grasshopper sparrows, cotton-tailed rabbits, ring-necked pheasants, horseshoe crabs, and oyster toadfish are a small sampling of the animals that inhabit these plant communities and live in or around Gerritsen Creek. The marsh doesn’t only provide health and home for marine and fowl species, it offers protection to the neighboring human inhabitants as well. Jamaica Bay’s wetlands mitigate flooding and provide shoreline erosion control for homes and businesses. The neighborhoods surrounding Jamaica Bay are home to more than a half-million New Yorkers, and the marshes serve as coastline buffers from waves, tides, winds, and floods, and can help reduce coastline erosion and property damage from storms. They are the ecosystem’s kidneys, filtering out pollutants in the water, capable of transforming large quantities of organic pollutants, suspended solids, and metals from runoff and wastewater effluent into organic matter. More than simply providing a respite from urban life, the wetlands preserve and protect this place we call home. By CHRISTINA PISANO pisano@baycurrents.net
The waters which flank the inlets of Marine Park and Gerritsen Beach and stretch into the Rockaways may often go unnoticed amid the cars whizzing by and in the rush of daily life. Yet these waters are a home for an array of plant and animal species you wouldn’t expect to find in Brooklyn – a bit of aquatic aesthetic for the populated city.
B
ut urban pollution has taken a toll on Jamaica Bay, one of the most abundant and productive coastal ecosystems in the northeastern United States and the largest tidal wetland complex in the New York metropolitan area. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection developed a plan to restore and maintain the water quality and ecological integrity of Jamaica Bay; most recently, a portion of Jamaica Bay, the Marine Park Salt Marsh, was named a Forever Wild Preserve. “This is the estuary – a sort of nursery of our seas,” Barry Sullivan, superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area, said in a radio interview. “All the fish, the crabs, the clams, all of the species that we as humans are dependent upon need these protective estuaries to breathe. Without them, without marshes like this to help stabilize these estuaries we would be losing those species and that’s why its protection is so critical.” Created from glacial till left behind during the last ice age and shaped by erosion and wave action, the open water and wetlands Visit us at: www.BayCurrents.net
portion of Jamaica Bay is about eight miles long, four miles wide and covers 26,645 acres. Most of Marine Park’s 798 acres consist of salt marshes and uplands into the Gerritsen Creek, the westernmost inlet of Jamaica Bay. Enclosed by the Rockaway Peninsula and protected from the Atlantic Ocean, the region currently hosts some 325 species of birds, 50 species of butterflies, and 100 species of finfish. A favorite stop for migratory waterfowl, the area is an integral part of the larger, regional ecosystem. Reports compiled by the Gateway National Recreation Area detail that nearly 20 percent of North America’s species of birds visit the bay every year as they follow the Eastern Flyway migration route to their breeding grounds further north. Saltwater marshes serve as nursery, feeding, and spawning sites and a refuge from predators for finfish and shellfish. The edges of the marshes are used by transient and resident fish and crustaceans, while the interior portions provide an important food sources for adult fish. Endangered and threatened species such as peregrine falcons, piping plovers, and the Atlantic Ridley sea turtle live in or visit the bay, along with more than 325 kinds of waterfowl and shorebirds. The Northern Harrier, marsh hen and other birds also are common. Tall, leggy herons and the white snowy egrets wait patiently along the tidal creeks for small fish to swim by to become their lunch. Even the majestic bald eagle has become much more common in recent years and can often be seen perched at the marsh’s edge, or dining on a fish. From June through August, clapper rails can be heard calling throughout the marsh. In winter, freshwater and marine waterfowl find shel-
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SENIOR CURRENTS
Eating smart Eating intelligently is important for everyone at any age, but it’s particularly essential for seniors. What was the last fresh fruit or vegetable you ate? If you cannot remember, maybe you are not getting enough of them. Fruits and vegetables have many important vitamins that are different from other foods you eat, such as vitamins A and C and Folic Acid. Fresh fruits and vegetables have the added benefit of fiber that can help you guard against constipation. If a chewing problem is the reason you eat few fruits and vegetables, try softer choices like ripe bananas, baked winter squash, sliced peaches and steamed veg-
etables. When choosing canned or frozen vegetables and fruits, look for ones without a lot of sauces or salt. Choose canned fruits and vegetables that are either low sodium or in their own juices or water. Drink Plenty of Fluids You need at least eight 8-ounce glasses of beverages per day. Try to get at least 3 to 4 of these from water and the rest can come from other beverages. Try to limit beverages that are high in caffeine. Drinking liquids at mealtimes can make chewing and swallowing easier. Also, getting enough fluid helps reduce your chances of constipation.
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October 1 15, 2009
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Final of a three-part series
BAY CURRENTS ADVERTORIAL
Preventing falls By Ben Weinstock PT President, Weinstock Physical Therapy, PC (718) 891-0780
In our two previous articles, we discussed the medical causes of falls, and how to make your home environment fall-proof. In this installment we will discuss how falls are evaluated in the physical therapy setting, and what exercises can be prescribed to decrease one’s chance of falling.
I
t is important to note that “one size does not fit all” with fall-prevention exercises. Group exercise classes that claim to “cover it all” generally provide an overall fitness routine but do not individualize exercises. Fall-prevention programs need to be tailored to each person’s musculoskeletal and neurological needs; this is determined with a thorough physical therapy evaluation. The main points of the evaluation include: • The taking of a detailed medical history; • Evaluation of one’s muscle strength, especially in the lower extremities; • Evaluation of one’s muscle flexibility; • Evaluation of one’s posture; • Evaluation of one’s sensation; Specific balance tests. These tests are progressively harder in difficulty, For example, timing how
long it takes for one to stand up from a chair; standing with the feet together for tens seconds; standing with one foot in front of the other (“tandem standing”) for ten seconds; standing on one leg for ten seconds. If one cannot assume the position, the test is failed at that level. Muscle strengthening exercises are implemented for specific muscle weaknesses. For example, loss of strength of the dorsiflexors (the muscles in the front of the ankle) can be accomplished by standing (with support, if necessary) and rocking back onto the heels. Weakness of the dorsiflexors is highly correlated with falls in the elderly. Progressive strengthening exercises help one to stabilize. Muscle flexibility is usually lost in the hips, knees and ankles. Muscle tightness creates restrictions of movement, which is crucial for being able to quickly right oneself if there is something that triggers a loss of balance (such as tripping over a small step). Specific stretching exercises for tight muscles, done on a regular basis, can not only improve flexibility, but can also help one to maintain it. Forward head and forward trunk posture are significant findings as they predispose one to falling, simply because the top of the body is tipped forward. It does not take much of a disturbance for one to fall is the head and trunk are already in front of the hips and legs; people with obvious forward head and trunk leans are three times more likely to
fall. Postural exercises cannot restore one’s posture completely, but any margin of improvement will lessen the likelihood of falling. A loss of sensation can occur with certain diseases (such as diabetes) but can also decrease due to inactivity. The good news is that nerve receptors (specialized nerve endings that carry balance-related information to the brain) can be at least partially restored in most cases with weight-bearing exercises that include sensory stimulation.
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October 1 15, 2009
Page 9
Everything (except the beer) was Irish at KeySpan By ERIC LIMA lima@baycurrents.net
The 28th annual Great Irish Fair took place on Sept.18 and 19 amid a sea of green, white, orange, and black as the colors of the Irish flag adorned everyone and everything in the KeySpan Park parking lot in Coney Island.
F
airgoers wore green cowboy and fedora hats, even big green velvet pimp hats adorned the heads of the festival goers, not to mention the Balmoral caps that go with the kilts. Green, white and orange boas and beads also bombarded the scene, and then there was the crowd who wore their NY Jet jerseys, seemingly psyched up for the new football season. The late-summer weather certainly cooperated. It was cool and dry, complete with clean, fresh breezes from the beach. Perhaps that was why the fair had its highest attendance on record – 20,000. This was the third year the Fair was held at KeySpan Park, as well as the third year it was organized by the Irish American Building Society Charities, Inc. “This year we want to make it a children and family friendly event, that’s why we have magic shows, face painting, an assortment of rides and local high schools and other grassroots community organizations participating,� said Chris Hannan, vice-chairman of the Great Irish Fair and a member of The Building Society Charities. And family-friendly it was. In front of a black stage with the American flag on one side and the Irish flag on the other, and the backdrop of the clear blue ocean sky, children and families skip-danced the Irish jig to the sounds of bagpipes, accordions, fiddles, and other traditional Irish instruments. A mass was celebrated each morning before the Fair. Rev. Dennis Farrell, from Garrison Resurrection Church performed Sunday morning’s service.
“I’ve been coming here since I don’t know when, to visit my many, many friends,� the reverend said. A few of the children’s rides were an inflatable bounce house, a bungee jumping machine, and a large inflatable double slide. “The kids love the slide! Me, I would prefer to be listening to music and enjoying a cold beer,� said Bob Quane, who just moved to Brooklyn from Europe last year. He says he’s Italian and Irish, with the “QU� in “Quane� of Irish genealogy. He proudly showed his ring – it had two hands clasping a heart, with a queen’s crown on it. He said it was a traditional Celtic wedding ring called a Claddagh Ring. “The crown stands for loyalty, the hands for friendship and the heart for love,� he said. The only thing Quane didn’t like about the Irish Fair, was not enough Irish beer. “Where’s all the Guinness, Smith-
wicks and Harp beer? All I see is Bud and Bud Lite,â€? Quane said, clearly disappointed. Anonymous sources say that because of Guinness’ thickness, a pint of the draft can take up to three minutes to pour – it’s why it may not be too popular at festivals that get long lines. However, there were plenty of other Irish delicacies, like the Irish Banger sausage subs, and corned beef served by Buckley’s Restaurant from Marine Park, the same great corned beef and cabbage they serve every Saint Patrick’s Day. Broadway even showed up to support its Irish heritage. Jim Norton and Sara Ford (some say it was actually her understudy Jean) performed the songs, “How are Things in Glocca Morra?â€? and “Look to the Rainbow,â€? from the Broadway musical Finian’s Rainbow. Sunday the festival winded down with a non-stop, two hour show by Celtic Cross. Besides performing their accordion- and fiddle-rich Irish folk originals from their CD, “Shores of Americaâ€? -- which was voted best Irish CD for 2008 by the Irish Voice newspaper of New York -- the band performed several pop covers including Alicia Keys’ hit “No One,â€? the Who’s “Squeezeboxâ€? and the 1970s hit, “Play that Funky Music Whiteboyâ€? Celtic Cross’ performance was so energetic -- bringing people to the dance floor in front of the stage dancing continuously -- that by the time the Bronx’s very own Jameson’s Revenge came on to perform songs from their upcoming album, “Straight from the Bottle,â€? all that the crowd had strength enough to do was maybe “pass the bottle.â€? “You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy the Great Irish Fair, just like you don’t have to be Italian to enjoy the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy,â€? Chris Hannan said. And, it’s all for a good cause. All the proceeds will be donated to support the Catholic Schools of the BrooklynQueens Diocese. The only thing missing from all the Gaelic frolicking were the lush green landscapes of the Irish countryside -which makes one think: Perhaps the fair should return to the grassy Steeplechase Park where it was held three years ago‌ !!" # $ % & '()
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Show offers artistic healing at Coney Island Hospital By LARA MONDRUS mondrus@baycurrents.net
Of all the Bay area has to offer, art galleries are not among them. Until now. The Brooklyn Streetcar Artists’ Group has opened an exhibit of original artwork in an unlikely venue – Coney Island Hospital. Adorning the second floor of the hospital are 49 pieces of diverse art from 22 artists, most of them from Brooklyn. A particular magnet for attention on Opening Night was “Wedding,” by Joseph Manutti. The oil painting depicts a body of a woman in a burgundy red dress with golden-yellow tones as hands embraced by a paler hand, the paleness possibly representing the unknown, the new life that one starts after marriage. The picture is powerful and its deep colors make it a clearly stand out. Another piece that attracted attendees was a painting positioned near Manutti’s, also with deep and rich captivating colors by Audrey Anastasi, co-director of the Tabla Rasa Gallery in Sunset Park. More pieces that drew crowds included one from Joe Cook, who painted a Brooklyn street with brush strokes reminiscent of legendary artist Vincent Van Gogh’s brush strokes, creating the feeling that the trees and leaves were moving. Watercolor paintings by Anthony Marra, showing scenes of nature in a peaceful, relaxed light, vividly belies the impaired vision of the artist. Marra said he chose to paint something he remembered from his childhood. Many visitors at the opening gathered around a set of etchings by Jai Seok Kang that successfully showed the intensity of emotions and facial expressions. Also on display were several diverse photographs that captured the personality and beauty of their subjects. One was a photo of a tall stack of succulent pancakes with blueberries, by Victoria Lapin. There were photographs highlighting Brooklyn and New York – close-ups of the glamorous participants of the annual Labor Day parade along Eastern Parkway, by Gerard Barbot, and detailed photographs of flowers from the New York Botanic Garden, by Steve Kompel. Coney Island, of course, wasn’t forgotten. “Nathan’s Famous” by Bill Storoniak, is a lively photo so bright and vivid, there’s no guarantee it won’t induce hunger just from looking at it. There’s also “Astroland,” by Deborah Matlack, showing all the food shops in shades of reds and blue. There’s more – “Brooklyn Bridge” and “Washington Mews” from Harriet Piltch, who masters the realistic two-dimensional style, bring what she paints to life. Takeshi Yamada – well-known in Coney for carrying around a stuffed “sea rabbit” that he fashioned from are-yousure-you-want-to-know-what? – displays his “Time is Money,” with sharp colors that are executed immaculately. Also featured are mother-son duo Beryl Brenner and Mi-
Bill Storoniak; Nathan’s Famous (photo)
chael Brenner. Beryl has a unique series of pieces she made consisting of fused glass and paper and mixed media. Michael has two paintings – a portrait of a fellow artist, and a painting of his hand enlarged with imaginative colors and vibrant brush strokes, creating a fiery glow. “We’d like to have our own art center in Coney Island, to have a gallery space to display art, classroom space, and an auditorium and a studio for performing arts,” said Arthur Melnick, executive director of the Brooklyn Streetcar Artists’ Group. Melnick co-founded the Brooklyn City Streetcar Company in late 2001. The non-profit organization was originally created to bring pollution-free transportation to Brooklyn in the form of historic trolleys. In 2008, the organization decided to also start a dedicated artists group. “Manhattan has hundreds of art studios, why can’t we?” Councilman Domenic Recchia Jr., chairman of the council’s Cultural Arts Committee, said at the opening. “I know how important it is to support local artists, and Coney Island is a vibrant community with a rich history. This artwork will create an atmosphere of warmth and healing for the people who come here.” “It’s an unexpected pleasure,” Associate Executive Director of Coney Island Hospital James Saunders, executive direc-
Beryl Brenner; At the Party
Joseph Cook; Brooklyn Street 9th Avenue
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tor of the hospital, told bay Currents in an earlier interview. “Hospitals are places of healing and nurturing, and it is October 1 15, 2009
Victoria Lapin; Stack of Pancakes
only fitting that we nurture local artists and their works within this healing space,” Arthur Wagner, the hospital’s senior vice president, said in a press release. The exhibit also creates an art world of its own for oceanfront Brooklyn. “This begins the art world’s invasion of southern Brooklyn,” Melnick said. “There are so many languages spoken here but there is one language that is uniting everyone, and that language is art,” said Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny.
The exhibit on the hospital’s second floor, down the hall from the cafeteria, runs through Nov. 27, weekdays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. After that, a new set of original works will be put on display. Page 11
SPORTS CURRENTS
Q & A with Aviators Coach Rob Miller Part 2 sports@baycurrents.net
After wrapping up a successful playing career – which included a season with the Brooklyn Aces where he scored 23 points in 22 games and served as assistant coach and team captain – Rob Miller is ready to take the New York Aviators of North Eastern Professional Hockey League to the ice. Here is the final of our two-part exclusive interview: Q: Since you said this is going to be a local team, do you feel like you’re going to have a tougher time fielding good players when compared to the teams in the hockey bed New England?
Miller: I think there are players from all over these areas that have played college hockey and pro. I think the level of play is going to be highly comparable to last season, possibly even better, who knows. I think the bigger thing is that all the local guys all the teams are going to have other jobs. It’s not going to be like a kid coming down here just to play hockey who will survive on 250 bucks a week. You’ll be able to get an upper echelon guy who can supplement his income by having a real job. He’s going to be able to play and this is going to be something I know a lot of guys I’ve spoken to are interested in doing. I’m going to have to plan practices around work schedules and things like that.
Q: So is the talent pool going to be older than last year?
Miller: Yes, but then there are some guys that I’ve spoken to already that are right out of college and they live in Long Island or Queens and they’d like to stay around. Those guys are 22 to 23 and then there’s another bunch of guys that are 26 and 27. There’s going to be a mix.
Q: As of right now, is there any affiliation between the league and the NHL?
Miller: No, not that I know of.
Q: You think it’s important stepping stone for the integrity of the league?
Miller: As a former player, is it a big deal for me? No. Just because you have NHL slapped on your website doesn’t mean you’re making any more money. It does though for the fan base. It’s always a plus. In the Brooklyn area, though I don’t think it’s a big problem because I know they love professional sports and if there’s a team, they’ll come.
BAY CURRENTS PHOTO / Patrick Hickey Jr.
By PATRICK HICKEY Jr.
Q: There was problems last season with attendance in Aviator, especially during the extremely cold winter months, how is the organization going to make sure that doesn’t happen again?
Miller: We will be reaching out to more fans and tickets will be less expensive than last year, so that will help. All of us here at Aviator really want to get this thing going and we want to get involved in the community more and have school night and things like that.
Q: You’ve got to be under a lot of pressure, putting a team together in just two months, how are you handling it?
Rob Miller
Miller: Not too bad actually. There’s a lot of local guys around and I think we’re going to be alright. I know we’re go-
ing to have a solid team and for the league’s purposes, I think this is going to be a very cohesive league. I’m not worried. It would be bad if I said I was worried, but I’m not.
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HEALTH CURRENTS
Second-hand smoke is first-rate danger there is twice as much tar and nicotine in side-stream smoke compared to main-stream smoke, as well as three times as much of a compound called 3-4 Benzopyrine, which is suspected to be a cancer causing agent. There is also 10 times as much carbon monoxide that robs the blood of oxygen and 50 times as much ammonia in second-hand smoke. In addition, there is more cadmium in side-stream smoke than in main-stream. Cadmium is now under investigation as one of the agents in cigarette smoke that damages the air sacs of the lungs and causes emphysema. Once cadmium gets into your lungs, it stays there. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas contained in tobacco smoke. When you inhale carbon monoxide, it destroys oxygen molecules in your red blood cells. As the amount of carbon monoxide increases in your blood, the cells of the blood become starved for oxygen. One study shows that after only 30 minutes in a smoke-filled room,
It’s getting more difficult for smokers to find places where they can legally light up, especially in Brooklyn and the rest of New York City. There’s even some musing about limiting smoking in public parks and beaches.
the carbon monoxide level in a nonsmoker’s blood increases along with blood pressure and heart beat. Exposure to second-hand smoke causes increased risk for asthma and bronchitis, and new studies indicate heart disease as well. Another interesting discovery is that the human body actually attracts tobacco smoke. Burning tobacco smoke creates a high electrical potential. The smoke in a room gravitates and clings to people in much the same way as iron filings are drawn to a magnet. Chemicals in tobacco smoke, called aldehydes and ketones, supply the penetrating smell while the tars hold them to your skin and your clothes. But the smoker is not sensitive to the smell because of the destructive effects on the inner lining of his or her nose. For more information on the effects of second-hand smoke and how you can advocate against it, contact the American Cancer Society, 800-ACS-2345 (or 866-228-4327 for TTY)
POETRY CURRENTS
Anti-Ode to a Cigarette
S
mokers – and especially tobacco companies – like to cry about interference with personal behavior. After all, if someone wants to slowly kill himself by ingesting smoke, shouldn’t he have the right? Well, no – because unless he’s puffing away all by himself in a cave, his drawn-out suicide will directly affect others. “Secondhand smoke” is not just a catch phrase, it’s a serious danger. Here’s why: Every time someone lights a cigarette, pipe, or cigar, tobacco smoke enters the air from two sources: • “Side-stream smoke” goes directly into
the air from the burning end • “Main-stream smoke” occurs when a smoker pulls through the mouthpiece, inhales, and then exhales into the air. A cigarette smoker inhales and exhales smoke eight or nine times for a total of about 24 seconds, but the cigarette burns for 12 minutes and pollutes the air continuously. Some smokers can keep cigars and pipes burning for even longer than 12 minutes. The surprising fact is that side-stream smoke has higher concentrations of noxious compounds than the main-stream smoke inhaled by the smoker. Some studies show
You disgusting, dirty cigarette How can you continually be liked by smokers? You are as filthy as unfiltered, dirty water You are toxic to people’s minds and bodies You are an unacceptable, dangerous and sickly thing You have dangerous, addictive substances –nicotine, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia Foolish people careless about their health puff you You cause the death of innocent lives Oh, how much I hate you! Why are you in people’s lives? You take away the breath of someone every single day You are a murderer
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‘It won’t be forgotten’ By CRHRISTINA PISANO pisano@baycurrents.net
The overcast clouds on September 11, 2009 were hardly reminiscent of the crisp, blue skies of September 11, 2001, when terrorists rammed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and into the Pentagon. Rather, the day started with rain to mix with the tears for those lost, for the remembrance of a tragedy that, as the years pass, gets pushed further back into history.
First Responders, and family members still struggling with their losses, with plaques, The Flag of Honor and Flag of Heroes, and a book Portraits containing the names of all the victims of 9/11 with synopses of their lives. The Committee continues to let them know that they are remembered for all they’ve been through. “They need to know that we appreciate what they do every day because they are still putting themselves in harm’s way for us,” said Gray. Committee Member Mary Dwyer is one of the many who lost a loved one to the tragedy of 9/11. Her older sister, Lucy Fishman, did not make it out from the 105th Floor of the south tower on that Tuesday morning. To her, Mary annually dedicates Tom Chelston’s “Since September” in her memory. This year’s memorial welcomed Chelston’s presence when he
came to sing and provide CDs for the firefighters and police officers in attendance. The Bill Brown Park Memorial, Gray said, has become the people’s memorial. A 9/11 survivor came to speak this year, for the first and only time in eight years, of her harrowing experience and pain. “It’s amazing to think that just a group of regular people can make such a difference,” said Gray. The 9/11 Memorial Committee is truly responsible for difference, even if a small part, and for preserving a memory and truth that becomes hazy in passing years. Though we move on with life, the anger and frustration, the sadness of loss and devastation can not be ignored. Or else, we risk losing that which stands to unite and fuel the light which keeps us moving forward. “First responders and volunteers from the rescue and recovery effort are being diagnosed with horrible illnesses every day,” Gray said. “People who survived are suffering from PTSD and families were ripped apart. I think as long as people who remember the Trade Center – and that day in general – are alive, it won’t be easily forgotten.”
B
y 6:30 p.m., the rains had ceased – timed perfectly to begin the annual memorial at Bill Brown Park on Bedford Avenue, a tradition set eight years ago by the 9/11 Memorial Committee. Bay area resident Ray Fiore recounted that he pulled his car into Bill Brown Park following the attacks on September 11, 2001. Encouraged, he said, by the spirit of God, he began to paint on the cracked walls of the handball court a memorial in honor of those lost. People steadily passing through as he worked gave more names to add to the wall. Justin Errante, a 9/11 Memorial Committee member, had pulled into the park with his car to provide light so Ray could continue painting through the night. “For a few months after that, on the 11th of each month, people gathered with Ray at the wall to listen to music, sing and remember. After a few months, very few people came,” said Tina Gray, a member of the 9/11 Memorial Committee. “As the first anniversary approached, a group of us decided we couldn’t let it die, so we created the Brooklyn/Bedford Park 9/11 Memorial Committee.” In the wake of that day’s devastation, the nation has found itself preoccupied in the passing years by the loss of jobs and wages. But the 9/11 Memorial Committee has not stopped honoring local fire fighters, the 61st Precinct, EMS 43, the
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Page 15
Name that place! ACROSS 1. Capital of Germany (6) 4. Flows through Rome (5) 8. Capital of Nigeria (5) 10. Egyptian desert (5) 11. Birthplace of Napoleon (7) 12. Australian town, ___ Springs (5) 13. Colorado state capital (6) 15. Previous name of Ho Chi Minh City (6) 19. Egyptian capital (5) 21. South American country (7) 23. Japanese city (5) 24. Capital of Ghana (5) 25. Balearic holiday isle (5) 26. Sea between Greece and Turkey (6
DOWN 2. Swiss peak (5) 3. Capital of the Bahamas (6) 4. Polynesian country (5) 5. Chinese city (7) 6. Major French river (5) 7. Site of 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake ___ (6) 9. Flows through Paris (5) 14. Capital of Kenya (7) 16. Island in the Netherlands Antilles (5) 17. Scandinavian country (6) 18. Carson City is the state capital (6) 19. Italian holiday isle (5) 20. City in Nebraska (5) 22. Capital of Bangladesh (5)
Each Bay Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.
Pragmatic name Any student at John Dewey High School (50 Ave. X) who gets “pragmatism� wrong on a vocabulary test should be ashamed. Psychologist and educator John Dewey (1859-1952) was among the founders of pragmatism, the uniquely American philosophy emphasizing practicality.
by Matt Lassen
Page 16
October 1 15, 2009
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‘All aboard’ to fight cancer The Tamaqua Marina at 84 Ebony Court
Give It a Twirl! All schools are welcomed! Free baton classes for children ages 4-17 are held every Tuesday at 6p.m. throughout the school year at Our Lady of Perpetual Help gym at Notre Dame Hall, 552-59th Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues. The school also is looking for twirler and dance instructors; contact Cecilia Fedyn 718-376-1620, e-mail: cpakruda@aol.com.
in Gerritsen Beach is helping out the Avon 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer by offering an “All Aboard” luau from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 to raise money for the fight against breast cancer. The event is to include a Chinese auction of marine products, as well as music by Susan Bach, Double Play, and Daddy Rocker (who is profiled in this issue of Bay Currents). For more information call 718-646-9212. Contact: Josh Golin (339.970.4240; jgolin@ jbcc.harvard.edu)
Flea market Vendors offer an array of new and used items at the Neptune Avenue Flea market from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays at the Outdoor Flea Market, West 8th Street at Neptune Avenue (behind McDonald’s). Call 718-907-3478 for more information.
Boo at the Zoo Preparations are under way for “Boo at the Zoo” at the aquarium as well as the Prospect Park Zoo, promising surprises and festivities for visitors of all ages. “A-scarium” will be offered at the aquarium on weekends beginning Oct. 10 and running through Nov. 1. “Dress up the fam-
Senior Idol Chapter 5055 of the AARP offers its third annual Senior Idol singing contest at Xaverian High School, 7100 Shore Road at 8 p.m. Oct. 2. Call 718-833-0220 for more information. ily and join us for our annual Halloween celebration,” the ghouls and goblins of the aquarium encourage on the attraction’s website (www.nyaquarium.com). “Learn all about monsters of the deep while you enjoy games, prizes, and arts and crafts. Kids in costumes enter free with an accompanying adult.” At the zoo, a vampire, a mummy, and “The Swamp Thing” will populate the Haunted Barn, and Nettie the Wildlife Witch will elicit the support of snakes and lizards in her special “spooky show,” among other events and activities. For more information on the offerings of the aquarium and the Prospect Park Zoo, visit the Wildlife Conservation Society’s website at www.wcs.org.
‘You Gotta Believe’
You Gotta Believe, an adoption agency for older children, holds free information classes at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 2801 West 8th Street in Coney Island. Call 718-372-3003 for more information.
Guide a puppy Guiding Eyes for the Blind seeks volunteers to “open their hearts and homes” to train a puppy to be a guide dog. All training and veterinary expenses are covered by Guiding Eyes. Call 845-230-6406
Doggie Olympics The Brooklyn Canarsie Lions present “Doggie Olympics V from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at Marine Park. All proceeds go to Visions Camp for blind children and a local school project. call 917-846-1944 or 646-250-6232 for more information.
Kosher hot dog fest
Move over Nathan’s -- Brooklyn’s first kosher hot-dog eating contest is coming! Burger Boyz at 533 Kings Highway is set to hold the gastronomical gala at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. You don’t have to be Jewish, but it wouldn’t hurt,” said Burger Boyz spokesperson Bill Ades. Proceeds from the event will go to area food pantries, Ades said. Contestants, charged a $10 entry fee, will have just five minutes to wolf down the franks – less than half the 12 minutes allotted at the Nathan’s Fourth of July contest. First-place prize is $300; each of the first four runners-up gets a free meal for two at Burger Boyz. Registration will be capped at 50 contestants. For more information or to register, call 718-483-9360, visit the website at www.brooklynburgerboyz.com, or simply visit the restaurant on Kings Highway near Ocean Parkway.
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Homeless troupe offers high-caliber theater By OLGA PRIVMAN privman@baycurrents.net
A young man walks determinedly along a sadly dilapidated basement of a Bay Ridge church. His manner is undeniably cocky, and the sneer marring his handsome face only adds to the moment’s inherent intrigue. His golden hair nearly luminescent in the room’s artificial light, he almost bears the presence of an angel.
I
ronically, this vibrant lad is auditioning to play the devil in the Narrows Community Theater’s fall musical, “Damn Yankees.� In existence for nearly four decades, Narrows owes its humble beginnings to a myriad of holy buildings in the oceanfront neighborhood and – for quite a few years until 9/11 – the Fort Hamilton Army Base. “Actually, we played wherever we could get space. Our problem has always been a home,� said Mickey Sullivan, a member of the Narrows board since its inception. “Over the years, we have lost thousands and thousands of dollars in props. We had to leave them – we had no place to store them.� Constructing all their sets on site, the company-thatcould often had to leave their labor-of-love creations when forced to seek a new locale, building an ever-growing deficit in their collective budget. Presently renting space in Salem Lutheran Church, the folks at Narrows are arduously planning for their upcoming show – the last of the year – though they would gladly do more if finances allowed. “We could do at least four productions a year if we had a home,� Sullivan said and the remaining board members readily agreed; eager in their artistic pursuits. With scores attending their bi-seasonal auditions, those running the shows at Narrows certainly do not lack for talent. Aspiring actors even come from the bustling corners of
Brooklyn’s metropolitan sister, Manhattan, eagerly seeking a chance at the stage. In fact, nearly 40 such enthusiastic entertainers showed up on the first days of auditions, though only a select few will get the coveted roles. In the end, though, the neighborhood will be the true winner. “It truly gives an opportunity to the Bay Ridge community,� said board member Betty Kash. “A lot of people in Bay Ridge have never been to Broadway for a few reasons – one, of course, is the price of tickets.� As with most community theaters, the price of tickets is cheap: $20 general, and $15 for children, seniors, and students under 21. In 1972, however, Sullivan recalls that it was indeed the ticket prices that saved the show. Unable to pay the director, at the time, the respective members of Narrows were forced to sell tickets well in advance to cover the professional fee. In the end, they reigned triumphant and the proverbial show smoothly went on. They’ll be the first to attest, however, that they’ve come a long way since then, particularly due to the overwhelming flair for the dramatic shared by its respective counterparts. “We’re all volunteers, so we’re obviously doing this out of passion and love,� said Susan Huizinga, president of the Narrows board. In fact, only the directors, musical directors and musicians get paid. With plans to direct “Fame� at a middle school this year and having recently completed a run of “The Jungle Book� at a summer camp, Huizinga is only one among the many at Narrows who had a different focus in their professional career. With other board members employed in demanding occupations such as finance and counseling, it’s hard to imagine how they find the time for theatrical endeavors. “To me, there’s a thrill of performing,� said Ann C. Gubiotti, a board member who works in banking by day. “When you have a live audience there and they respond to what you’re doing, it is wonderful. It’s what really eggs you on.� Although never possessing any theatrical aspirations as a child, Gubiotti quickly discovered her acting chops as a performer, though her introduction to the art form was reluctant at best.
“I always liked to sing and friends called me a wimp for not wanting to audition,� Gubiotti said. “I came and auditioned for ‘Guys and Dolls.’ I was one of the ‘Save a Soul Mission’ dolls and I absolutely loved it.� Since then, she’s become a fully dedicated member of the Narrows family. The spirit of community stretches past the board, however. In 1971, Sullivan says, the company, unaware of the legal formalities of running a theater, had yet to establish their non-profit status, potentially leading to many legal woes. Attorney Andrew Sichenze helped Narrows’ three founding members – David Forsynth, Anthony Micari and James Moakler – incorporate free of charge. They have been happily producing since then. “One of the reasons we’ve been very successful is it’s not a clique,� said Sullivan. “In fact, we don’t even like each other,� replied Kash in jest, to the presence of warm, resounding laughter. While many theater companies provide preferential treatment to long-standing members, seniority – while treated with respect at Narrows – takes a back-seat to talent. In fact, the respective members of the theater troupe believe that the consistent influx of fresh blood allows their company to thrive. Now in preparation for “Damn Yankees,� scheduled to premiere on November sixth in St. Patrick’s Church, the atmosphere at the makeshift recital hall is hectic. “In this particular show, you need people who can do a lot,� said director Dawn Barry, whose introduction to Narrows came at its first performance – she played Bonnie in “Anything Goes.� A boisterous belter, Barry primarily looks for someone who can entertain, as this musical requires its protagonists to have quite a few abilities – Lola must be a triple threat, but everyone needs a fair dose of charisma, aside from the requisite talent. As the performers prepare for a show to seat nearly 200 audience members, one struggles to recall the sense of joy attached to musical theater in lieu of all the hard work. After all, the nature of the business is to entertain. “This is going to be fun,� Barry said. “We’re going to enjoy ourselves. I know it’s going to be hard work, but we’ve got a good group here.�
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STARS
IT'S IN THE
Moon may be slightly wet When Neil Armstrong first stepped on the surface of the moon, the image of his footprint broadcast around the world looked very much like an imprint in dry dust.
B
ut now, 40 years later, scientists believe they have discovered water on the moon. Three space probes have found the chemical signature of water on the moon’s surface – not enough to sustain any Earth-like life, but potentially available for processing by a future colony on the moon to provide drinking water and even rocket fuel. But don’t expect Tranquility Base to host an aqua-park anytime soon. You would probably get only about a dropper-full of water out of two liters of moon soil, said University of Maryland astronomer Jessica Sunshine, one of the scientists who discovered the water. “It’s sort of just sticking on the surface,” she said. “We always think of the moon as dead, [but] this is sort of a dynamic process that’s going on.”
But, Sunshine stressed, the moon still is “drier than any desert we have here.” The chemical signs – wavelengths of light reflected by water molecules -- were spotted by unmanned probes flying by or orbiting the moon. Actually, the moon rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts did show traces of water, but scientists dismissed the findings as simply moisture from the Earth’s atmosphere. The question now is, Where did the water come from? There are three possibilities, said team leader Carle Pieters of Brown University. Asteroids or other space rocks crashing into the moon brought it, or the impact kicked up water from beneath the surface, or hydrogen atoms in the “solar wind” – particles of matter emitted from the sun – continually bind with oxygen in the moon dust to form water molecules. If solar wind is the cause, it could mean that Mercury, speeding asteroids, or other Solar System bodies without atmospheres could harbor small quantities of water, Sunshine said.
Bay area Jews join in the ‘Season of Rejoicing’ You will dwell in booths for seven days; all natives of Israel shall dwell in booths – Leviticus 23:42 The Festival of Sukkot begins on the 15th of Tishri, the fifth day after Yom Kippur, this year beginning at sundown Friday, Oct. 2. It is actually quite a dramatic transition – from the most solemn holiday on the Jewish calendar to one of the most joyous. In fact, the seven-day holiday is often called the Season of Rejoicing. On one level, Sukkot is a harvest festival, sometimes called the Festival of Ingathering. But more importantly, it commemorates the years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egyptian slavery, leading up to the receiv-
ing of the Torah. “Sukkoth” means “booths,” the mobile tents that the Jews used as homes for 40 years. A sukkah must have at least two and a half walls covered with a material that will not blow away in the wind. The roof of the sukkah must be made of material referred to as sekhakh (literally, covering) – something that grew from the ground and was cut off, such as tree branches, corn stalks, or bamboo reeds. It’s common practice to decorate the sukkah. Many families hang artwork drawn by the children on the walls. Many non-Jewish Americans comment that Sukkot reminds them of Thanksgiving. This may be more than just the proximity on the calendar – the pilgrims may very well have borrowed the idea from what they knew about Sukkot. On the first day, you will take for yourselves a fruit of a beautiful tree, palm branches, twigs of a braided tree and brook willows, and you will rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days -Leviticus 23:40 Integral to the celebration of Sukkoth is the blessing of the Four Species of plants: the esrog, or citron, a citrus fruit similar to a lemon native to Israel; the lulav, a palm branch (two willow branches (aravot) and three myrtle branches (hadassim). The six branches are bound together and referred to collectively as the lulav, because the palm branch is by far the largest part. The esrog is held separately. With these four species in hand, one recites a blessing and waves the species in all six directions of physical space – east, south, west, north, up and down – symbolizing the omnipresence of God.
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Answers to the Bay Crossword from page 16
October 1 15, 2009
Answers to the Bay Sudoku from page 16
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Canarsie songwriter ‘Ain’t Gonna Give Up’ By Heeyen Park park@baycurrents.net
At 44 years old, Tom Moran, with his husky vocals and intense guitar, reaches out to teens and young adults with the message, as described in his just released, self-published second album, that he “Ain’t Gonna Give Up.” “Do not be destructive. Teach society to make changes in the world,” he passionately tells his growing audience in one of his songs. A physical education teacher by day, Moran, of Canarsie, embarked on a second career as a singer and songwriter because “you got to be crazy and have a little touch on how to express yourself freely,” he said in a sit-down with Bay currents “ Music is life and love. It’s good stuff and a powerful thing. And I can spread my message in a song.” And what is that message? “Drinking and taking drugs is enough to ruin your life, and to lose the chance of achieving a goal,” he said. Moran, a single father of a nine-year-old, Jonathan, has gone through many challenges in his life – a difficult divorce, alcoholism, and other struggles -- but his music has helped him cope. He has loved music ever since he was a child, learning to play guitar from his big sister Kathy and Uncle Charlie without formal training. His mentor and father figure was the legendary Dr. John. Moran has practiced his guitar with a ra-
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dio in his hand on the Coney Island beach under a hot sun since he was 18 years old. In addition to Dr. John, he has been inspired by artists of the likes of John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Bobby Darin, and Johnny Cash. He was also 18 when he started to drink to escape, following the bad example of his alcoholic father. There were many times he wanted to commit suicide, but he got help, and realized he shouldn’t live his life that way. He was able to put the bottle down when he was 25, following a recovery program for which he is grateful. He went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Brooklyn College. “I know who I am today -- I have educated myself,” he said. When he’s not teaching, strumming his guitar, or composing music, Moran makes time to volunteer for people struggling with addiction. His first album, “Starting Over,” encourages young people to cleanse themselves of alcohol addiction. The album sold more than 12,000 copies, he said. Moran dedicated his current “Ain’t Gonna Give Up” to Jennifer, who “rejected me.” He credits an award-winning producer, Gary Bolton of Strawberry Skies Studios in South Carolina, with perfecting the album. His first single, “Just for Today,” can be heard on the Internet and on college radio. A clip of his songs and a video can be viewed on his website, www. DaddyRocker.com. Moran is looking forward to doing an Oct. 3 benefit performance in Gerritsen Beach as part of the Walk for Breast Cancer. Afterwards, “I am going to celebrate my son’s birthday!” he said.
October 1 15, 2009
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Twice the Advice
By Jacqueline Donelli and Kerry Donelli Dear Twins, After many years, I have finally found the woman of my dreams, and I want to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her. However... she is profoundly allergic to animals, and I have a 5-year-old German Shepherd that is like a child to me whom I also love with all my heart (animal lovers would understand), My fiancé can’t be anywhere near my dog. I don’t know what to do. Please don’t say get rid of the dog -- there has to be some arrangement whereby I can have both of them. Is that asking too much? -- In Love with Both
JACQUELINE SAYS: Dear Dog Lover As a dog owner myself, giving the dog away to a stranger isn’t going to happen. (I’m leaning towards you keeping the dog and getting rid of the fiancé as it is). You have a couple of choices here: Keep the dog in a separate part of the house, or outside when your fiancé is around, or give the dog to your parents, brother or sister, whom you see often enough. What else is there to do?
who loves animals should take the dog and then you can visit as often as you can….or hell, get a new fiancé. Dear Twins, I’m a 17-year-old female senior in high school, and I have a miserable home life. I love my mom, but after my dad passed away three years ago, we both were pretty lost because we loved him so much. But my mom met a man 18 months ago and married him a year ago, and he has made MY life horrible since he’s moved in. He screams at me for nothing, punishes me for nothing, won’t let me go out with my friends, and when I do, he makes my friends come in first and questions all of them about what we are doing and where we are going. And then he’ll only allow me out until 10 p.m. on weekends! It’s humiliating! When I speak to my mom about it, she just says to be patient, and that’s because she’s afraid of him. I hate this man! I’m seriously thinking of running away. He never talks to me, and he’d never listen to me. I can’t imagine why my mom married him. -- Forced Out
KERRY DONELLI:
KERRY SAYS: Dear lots of love Well, Jacqueline, I’m going on a leap here, but there may be a few more options. For one, can you train the dog not to go anywhere near your fiancé? If he remained by your side, or in another area of the house, would your fiancé suffer allergies? Can the dog sleep in another room? Can you fix up the basement or garage, making it comfortable for the dog and have the dog stay there when your fiancé is around, and then taking him out and about, spending as much time with you when she is not there? If she is too allergic for this, I have to agree with Jackie that a friend or family member
Dear May the Force Be With You This is what I think you should do. First, I’d have a sit down conversation with your mother. Tell her all your feelings, from A-Z, what your experience has been with her new husband. Then ask her opinion. In other words, does your mom see his behavior as being reasonable or irrational and mean and, moreover, does she feel your own behavior warrants this kind of discipline? Next, tell your step dad that you’d like to have a conversation over an important matter and when would be a good time? When you have his full attention express your feelings to him, just as you did with your mother, but remember to stay in control and not put
him on the defense by yelling and blaming. Ask him what problems he may be finding in your behavior. Once you‘re on the same page, ask if you can both respect each other boundaries, try being more patient and tolerant and more forgiving…to loosen up on the reigns to give you the benefit of the doubt and to trust you. In the end, though, you cannot control his behaviors; you can only control your reaction to his behaviors. As of now, your reactions do not serve you so learn that you might possibly have to accept his irrational behavior and, while he might disappoint you, you will not let it destroy you. Reminder the best part though, you are almost 18 and on your way to college…go far away!
JACQUELINE SAYS Dear Ousted The stress for you, your mom and your step father must be overwhelming. Your mother lost her husband. That alone is devastating. Although your step father will never fill you father’s shoes, your mother was lucky enough to fall in love with someone else. And it is hard to know his side of the story. Perhaps he feels closed out by you or unaccepted. Perhaps he feels you are rejecting him. I’m not there so all I know is what your letter says. I am certainly not negating your feelings of loss over your father. It is a terribly hard thing to have to go through for all involved. Nonetheless, I believe you should not be the victim of your mother’s insensitivity-- or so that is how it appears here. The fact that your stepfather is coming into your life and laying the ground rules at this stage of the game seems odd. Have you given him a reason for him doing so? Again, these things I do not know. I agree entirely with Kerry: If you want to be treated like an adult, my advice would be a sit-down talk with your mother and stepfather, separately, expressing in a sane, adult way your side of the story. And I really agree with Kerry on this: The good news is you’re almost 18, and can move out!
Famous namesake
It was a good try…
When you hear “Bowery Street,’ you likely immediately think of the famous (infamous?) street in Manhattan. But oceanfront Brooklyn has its own Bowery Street – right in Coney Island, near KeySpan Park off Surf Avenue. The street, originally called Ocean View Walk, was re-named in honor of Manhattan’s Bowery because of its lights and rowdiness.
Advocates of alternatives to automobiles might want to tip their hats to the street sign at Boynton Place (diagonally connecting Avenue X and West 7th Street). The small road honors an inventor, Moody Boynton (1840-1927), who tried valiantly to market his “bicycle” train – an early version of a monorail train reaching the then-unheard speed of 60 mph. The Boynton trains were test-run through Gravesend into Brighton, but Boynton couldn’t muster up enough money to fully market his cutting-edge invention.
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October 1 15, 2009
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OPINION
Your Money or Your Life!
A Few Notes •
The health industry’s efforts to confuse the public and discard real health care reform BY I. FRIEDIN opinion@baycurrents.net
“Your money or your life!” the thief demanded. Jack Benny, the comedian who made a career of extreme frugality, after a long pause replied, “I’m thinking!” invoking peels of laughter.
T
he absurdity of placing money over life! But this seems to be the thinking of many Americans today. Money and other issues are placed on a level equal to or above the physical well being; even the lives; of themselves and their families. Countless millions spent by the insurance companies and others in the health industry have served to confuse the issue to such an extent that people would actually choose money over life. These huge corporations would water down or eliminate any real health reform that would cut into their immense profits. This is the only country in the industrialized world that does not provide health coverage for its citizens. Whatever the faults in other systems; and no doubt, there are
many; they are still getting more bang for the buck; spending less and getting more. The emphasis in other countries is on health care as opposed to the health industry. Other issues are also combined to further confound the public. Immigration is an issue in itself but it’s been joined with health; people railing about how we’re giving something away to illegal immigrants. Although it’s been assured that illegals will not qualify, isn’t it bordering on total insanity to say that we should allow ourselves and our loved ones to go without needed coverage so those who don’t qualify can also be denied? This brings up another issue. We, as a society, seem to have lost the ability to feel for and work with our fellow citizens for common good. Individual problems seem to take precedence while those of others are marginalized, creating further confusion and fodder for those who would prevent a plan from being implemented. The concept of “divide and conquer” is an enormously successful tool for those who would prey on the public. The health industry has been literally getting away with murder in this country for too many years. Insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, private hospital corporations and others have made our health subordinate to raking in landfall profits.
Why are mind boggling amounts spent to fight against a reasonable plan if not to keep the money machine going? What is wrong with placing controls on profits by the health industry as they do in more enlightened nations? And how do we pay for proper health care? Why is it a sin in this country to tax the rich? Don’t we have things in reverse when working people carry all the burdens while the haves profiteer at our expense? If we had an equitable system of taxation the burden on the rest of us would be minimized. It was astounding how the American public was confused and manipulated when President Clinton attempted to advance health care. The ensuing chaos provided for rejection of reasonable discussion and the health industry was encouraged to be even more callous toward the public. It is beyond belief that people are so gullible to allow history to repeat itself, especially after we have seen how the industry since then has ever more shamelessly profiteered at the expense of our health and our wallets. So, the next time you’re confronted with “Your money or your life!” think about whether it’s really a choice. The answer is as obvious as it was when Jack Benny told the joke.
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While we’re on the subject of health care, why are seniors being denied a cost of living adjustment (COLA) when their health care costs are rising so dramatically? As the world leader and only super power, shouldn’t we be taking the lead on health and environmental issues? Our priorities always seem to lean toward power and wealth rather than the well being of people and our planet. When Michael Bloomberg reminds us that he’s not beholden to special interests he fails to note that he is the special interest! Did you notice that when seeking extension of term limits, the only one he consulted on equal terms was fellow billionaire Ron Lauder? Everyone else he seems to buy, bully or ignore. Have you noticed an increase in local traffic lately? Increasing steadily through the years, there seems to have been a larger than usual surge of cars on our streets after this Labor Day. The only Palin who ever made sense was Michael (former member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the zany British comedy troupe). -- I. Friedin
The views expressed on the Opinion page do not necessarily reflect those of the editors and management of Bay Currents
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