The
Red Hook StarRevue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
OCTOBER 2017
NYCHA Construction Begins Five Years After Sandy
Special
FIVE YEARS AGO issue
by Nathan Weiser
The
Red Hook StarªRevue
THROUGH NOV. 15, 2012
“I
t is a great day for this community,” Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez said at the groundbreaking for the construction of Red Hook East and West. “Here we are in a path to recovery. In that sense, we have to make sure the rebuilding we do is one that is built to last.” The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), along with elected officials, came to Red Hook last month for a ceremony signifying the start of the much anticipated roof roof replacements for Red Hook East and West buildings. This will be the first stage of a massive project funded by FEMA, to improve conditions at NYCHA, which comes five years after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the neighborhood.
On the morning of September 5, NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye along with 7th District Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz for Assembly District 51 and Red Hook Councilman Carlos Menchaca “broke ground” on the roof of 791 Hicks Street of a $63 million roof construction proj-
ect. Red Hook East Tenant Association President Frances Brown and Red Hook West Tenant Association President Lilly Marshall also made their way up to the roof.
“Today we are moving closer to repairing that damage {from Sandy} by building back stronger with storm resilient technology so that NYCHA residents will be safer in future storms,” Olatoye said in front of 791 Hicks Street. The FEMA funded work will also include new heating and electrical systems, landscaping and other work to better protect the Houses against future hurricanes.
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AR RARE MASTERPIECE ed Hook is not the only devastated community. Millions felt the storm, thousands are still feeling it. For us, here, in south Brooklyn we are community. A community of neighbors, friends and survivors. A community of heroes.
In lower Manhattan, shadows filled the darkened night streets, as people isolated themselves. In Breezy Point, Queens, people were forced to abandon their homes that were destroyed by fire. In Coney Island, looters created disruption
with their aggression and self-serving purposes. All over Brooklyn, police lie in wait at gas stations to prevent violence and riots. But not in Red Hook.
Red Hook created something else instead; something unique. Something the entire nation has taken notice of: community. Red Hook is being defined as “one of the hardest hit areas of the city,” by Reuters, Democracy Now! and CNN News. But we are also being defined by our efforts to stand together as community and support each other. Red Hook Initiative was first to organize. Fort Defiance, Home/made and Brooklyn Crab have all held barbecues to feed the community, despite their own losses. The circle of support continues to grow, as new headquarters for information pop up along Van Brunt. We became the source of our own needs from within. We have organized, rallied and supported each other. When there has been need, we have found a way to
fill it. And when devastation seemed to have knocked us down, we still found the strength to rebuild.
Up to this point, we have had very little government assistance. But our people have not gone hungry. Our buildings and streets remain dark, but our hearts and hopes are still lit. We may have been hit and damaged by Hurricane Sandy, but minute by minute we are gaining fortitude. Before the National Guard showed up before FEMA, NYCHA Con Edison or the Red Cross got here - we started rebuilding. Not one at a time, but as one. And as this masterpiece of a community gets to its feet and takes those first harrowing steps forward, the eyes of the world are watching in awe. There is much to be said about the human spirit of this community. No one has sat idly by, waiting for rescue. We have taken care of our own. And we will continue to do so. We are neighbors of a community that can be envied in every
corner of the world. We stand united in power, compassion and inspiration. We have found our greatest strength in a moment of great weakness.
We will rise above the ashes. We will rebuild. We will survive and grow stronger because we understand that two hands can do little, but multiple hands serving the same purpose will define and refine us. Thank you for illustrating what it means to be a community. Thank you for exemplifying the true model of human spirit. Thank you for giving me hope and setting the example for the kind of world I want to live in. Red Hook, you have stood for your neighbors, and they have stood for you. The healing process will be long and difficult. But every day, healing is happening. Day by day, we mend our homes and businesses. And along the way, we are weaving a beautiful tapestry that generations will remember and look upon as something of magnificence. —Kimberly Gail Price
Looking back on the day that changed us from a “sleepy community” to a “well-known sleepy community.”
Table of Contents Happenings ............................................2 John Heyer...........................................18 Religious News....................................4,5 Sandy Plus 5 ................................... 9-16 Student wins Curtis Prize ...................20 Coffee with Jo Anne ..............................6 Red Hook Star-Revue
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
RED HOOK
The plan is to replace all 28 roofs of the Red Hook Houses by the end of 2019. Replacing the roofs will benefit more than 6,000 residents who will see fewer leaks and a better quality of life than with the existing roofs that they have. “The people of Red Hook deserve better and I am glad that the administration recognizes that it is about time to move forward in everything that needs to be done in Red Hook,” Ortiz said.
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Pray for Puerto Rico
Ickes gets makeover
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The
Red Hook StarªRevue
481 Van Brunt Street, 8A Brooklyn, NY 11231
Oct. Happenings
(718) 624-5568
email happenings@ redhookstar.com to list your event. For more listings, check out our online community calendar at www.star-revue.com/calendar
www.star-revue.com
Publisher: George Fiala Reporters: Nathan Weiser Michael Cobb Sofia Baluyut Contributors: Halley Bondy, Arts Laura Eng, Religion Emily Kluver, Matt Caprioli Mary Ann Pietanza Steve Farber Kimberly Gail Price, Publisher 2012-2017
FOR EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING OR EMPLOYMENT INQUIRIES, email info@redhookstar.com. The Red Hook Star-Revue is published monthly. Founded June 2010.
Community Telephone Numbers:
Red Hook Councilman Carlos Menchaca (718) 439-9012 Red Hook Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (718) 492-6334 State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery (718) 643-6140 Gowanus Councilman Brad Lander (718) 499-1090 Park Slope Councilman Steve Levin (718) 875-5200 CB6 District Manager Craig Hammerman (718) 643-3027 76th Police Precinct, 191 Union Street Main phone (718) 834-3211 Community Affairs (718) 834-3207 Traffic Safety (718) 834-3226 Eileen Dugan Senior Center, 380 Court Street (718) 596-1956 Miccio Center, 110 East 9th Street (718) 243-1528 Red Hook East Dev. Office, 62 Mill St (718) 852-6771 Red Hook West Dev. Office, 55 Dwight St. (718) 522-3880
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Hot Wood Arts (481 Van Brunt 9B) First Wednesday’s figure drawing Wed. session. The figure drawing session goes, 7 – 10 pm $10.
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Virtual Bowling, 11 to 12 pm This is a virtual bowling competition. You Thur. will be able to play against people at other branches of the Brooklyn Public Library or beat you own best score. Library, 7 Wolcott St. The Red Hook Peacemaking Program is recruiting new peacemakers.o rientation from 5-7 at the Justice Center, Visitation Pl. peacemakingrh@gmail.com or call 718923-8287.
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Poetry expo, 4 – 7 pm The expo is presented by Day Dream Alston and Saadia Austin. This Sat. expo will include an open mic, free refreshments and giveaways. RHI, 767 Hicks. RHDSEP (Red Hook Diabetes Support & Education Program) meeting in the library 1-3 PM (also Oct. 26)
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The Red Hook West Tenant Association monthly meeting hosted by Tues. Lillie Marshall. 428 Columbia Street tenant office room 1-C, 6:30-9 pm
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ProjectArt. You will be able to explore, create and express yourself Tues. through visual art. To participate you must be able to attend all classes. Red Hook Library. 3:30 - 4:30 pm.
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Neighborhood Safety Meeting at the Red Hook Library, 6-8 pm Tues. The Neighborhood Coordination Officers invite you to stay informed and share concerns. Light refreshments will be served.
Street), in conjunction with NYU Langone Health – Cobble Hill. The flu shots are for ages 18 and older. To register for an appointment, please call 718-246-4889 or email simonj@nyassembly.gov The Red Hook East Tenant Association monthly meeting at 167 Bush Street 1B, 6:30 – 9 pm.
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“Stepping Out Against Domestic Violence” Join for a peace walk around the community to spread Thur. awareness about Domestic Violence, in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Be sure to wear purple 3:30 pm Justice Center. .
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Remember When is a singing duo consisting of Sal and Joe, two professional musicians who mix rock & Sat. roll, mo town, swing, Frank Sinatra and Perry Como’s famous hits. The suggested donation is $20 or pay what you can. Visitation Church (98 Richards Street), 7-8:30 pm
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RED HOOK HARVEST FESTIVAL 2017 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 11 am - 4 pm at THE RED HOOK COMMUNITY FARM FOOD | DJS | GAMES | CONTESTS | AND MORE! PSA1 presents a pumpkin painting party in partnership with the Justice Center. There will be treats, face painting and games. The pumpkin TUE. painting party will go, 3-6 pm at the Red Hook Community Justice Center, 88 Visitation Place
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Gowanus Community Advisory Group St. Mary’s Residence at 41 First St. 6:30-9 pm.
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Resume help. Meet with trained staff to get assistance with editing, Wed. advice on layout and presentation, tips for job search. Red Hook Library 11 am - 1 pm. Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon will be offering free flu vaccines Tues. in her district office (341 Smith
Sun.
The Cobble Hill Halloween Parade will take place in Cobble Hill Park, TUE. 4 – 6 pm
NYCHA Satellite Police Precinct, 80 Dwight St. Main Phone (718) 265-7300 Community Affairs (718) 265-7313 Domestic Violence (718) 265-7310 Youth Officer (718) 265-7314 Auxiliary/Law Enforcement Coordinator (718) 265-7378 Detective Squad (718) 265-7327
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October October2017 2017
NEWS BRIEFS Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club wants your blood.
Rotary Club is hosting a blood drive on Sunday, Oct 15, from 9 am to 2:30 pm at Congregation B’nai Avraham, 117 Remsen Street, in Brooklyn Heights. A halloween goody-bag will be provided for each blood donor. Rotary Club members will be dressed up as vampires to attract the attention of passersby to stop in and give a pint. “Each pint collected can help up to three patients get well, and, best case scenario, save a life,” says club president Mark Dana This is one of many service projects the club has hosted to improve the lives of local Brooklynites. They mentor homeless single mothers, giving help with resume writing, job interviewing skills, dressing for success and nutritious cooking. They sponsor international exchange students, send local youth to leadership training camp, and empower local high school and college kids to organize and fund their own service projects. “Business networking is a big part of Rotary as well,” according to previous club president Lizzette Muniz. For more information or to contact them, visit www.BrooklynBridgeRotaryClub.org.
Friends of Firefighters Gala
Van Brunt Street’s Friends of Firefighters is hosting its 10th Annual Gala on Tuesday evening October 24th at Pioneer Works.
MOLESI CELEBRATE WITH A COURT STREET BLOCK PARTY and no outdoor music. Allen Glatter, a member of the block association and a resident since 1993, provided the Star-Revue with a statement representing the views of his neighbors and himself: “On behalf of the Beard Street Block Association we are disappointed that the SLA chose to award a license to 158 Beard Street in spite of fierce opposition from the neighborhood. We are grateful for the support we received from both Felix Ortiz’ and Carlos Menchaca’s offices, in particular Karen Broughton and David Estrada respectively. Additionally, we feel let down and mislead by CB6. Under the specter of allegations of a conflict of interest by one of its own members, CB6 pressured members of the Beard Street Block Association to make concessions and accept stipulations that virtually paved the way for the SLA to give its approval. Having a fourth bar in a one block radius of Beard Street with limited public transportation options will undoubtedly exacerbate an already dire situation in terms of traffic congestion, littering and noise, further creating a de facto entertainment destination with little or no regard for residents. Having such a dense concentration of bars given Red Hook’s unique geography and limited accessibility is not in the best interests of the community, far from it.
Friends of Firefighters is a not-forprofit organization founded in response to 9/11 and dedicated to providing mental health and wellness services to FDNY firefighters and their families. These services are provided free of charge and by a team of professional staff sensitive to, and knowledgeable about, the unique needs of firefighters and their families.
As neighbors and friends we remain committed to using all tools available to us to ensure that Red Hook remains the kind of place we want to live and raise our families, in spite of these recent, perhaps unavoidable changes.
In keeping with the firehouse culture, food is prepared and served by firefighters. The FDNY Pipes and Drums will play in addition to the Russo Brothers, a firefighter brother rock -n-roll duo. Celebrity appearance by Steve Buscemi (who was a firefighter before becoming an actor).
Justice Center takes show on the road
Beard Street compromise
As expected, the State Liquor Authority granted a license for a brew-put at Beard Street between Van Brunt and Conover Streets at a hearing in Queens, the last week of September. Residents of the block objected to yet another destination type establishment in a small area that already includes Hometown, Brooklyn Crab and Sunny’s bar. However, there was nothing illegal in the request of Keg & Lantern Brewing Company, who already operate a popular pub in Greenpoint and they were granted a license to sell alcohol. Compromises with the community, who attended the hearing along with a representative from the city council, included an 11 pm closing time; front doors and windows closed at all times; no outside milling around; no pub crawls; no outside promoters;
Red Hook Star-Revue
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fter years of celebrating their yearly summer get-together in parks at various locations in Brooklyn and Staten Island, Vito Parente, President of the Van Westerhout Cittadini Molesi Cultural Sport & Social Club, known simply as the Mola Club to members, decided to take it home this year and initiated the first ever Molese Club Block Party.
by Mary Ann Pietanza
Last June, members and volunteers took to the enormous task of assembling tents and grills and setting the stage for night time musical entertainment on 4th Place and Court Street - corner of the L to R Allegrino Sale; Vito Parente, President; Hon. Molese Club - which Judge Michael Pesce; and Pino Rocco Deserio, Lifetime was officially desig- President Award recipient. nated Citizens of Mola Since he became President in 2014, di Bari Way in 2011. Old and young Vito’s steadfast goal to give back members alike feel that Vito Parente to the community as he phases in is the kind of natural leader whose younger generations for the club’s enthusiasm and purpose-driven vicontinued legacy, has often included sion doesn’t require much delegacharity events that raised funds for tion among them. “They are all too various causes. Raffle profits from willing to work with him, alongside the block party in the amount of $500 of him and because of him”, believes was donated to Miracle Ear, an Italian Bruno Codispoti, a lawyer for the based and owned franchise hearing Italian American Federation who aid company. In the past, donations looks forward to working with Vito in were given for life-saving heart opthe future. erations for children, Amatrice (continued on page 5)
Still SLA’s criteria for decisions are precisely limited so many of the valid arguments about infrastructure, etc. weren’t germane.”
The Red Hook Justice Center announces that their Bridging the Gap Series: Youth, Community and Police is going on the road. As the Center explains: “Throughout the last year we have had such a success with the series in our community, Red Hook. It is our goal to now expand far and wide across the five boroughs, in effort to reach as many audiences as possible.” The first stop on their journey this Fall is Sunset Park, home to the 72nd Precinct whose officers have already participated in Gap events, and over 100,000 residents. The Center continues: “The neighborhood is full of ethnic diversity and culture and we want to be able to expose these residents to our initiative. It is our hope to develop more positive relationships between the local police and the community within Sunset Park.” The first event will be on Thursday, October 26th at 4:30 pm in the Gymnasium of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 526 59th Street Brooklyn, NY 11220.
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October 2017, Page 3
RELIGIOUS NEWS BY LAURA ENG laura.eng59@aol.com.
Father Cullen Retires from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
F
ather Peter Cullen has retired after 30 years as Rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Fr. Cullen’s retirement is coinciding with the parish’s 150th anniversary year at their current location.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES Christian River Of God Christian Center
110 Wolcott Street, 646-226-6135, Secretary, Sister Roslyn Chatman. Sunday- Family Worship 11 - 1 pm Scripture, read in English and Spanish Wednesday- At The Gate 12 noon, Prayer 7 - 7:30 pm, Bible Studies 7 - 8 pm, Thursday Prayer 7:30- 8:30 pm, Friday Youth ABLAZED Ministries 6 7:30pm, Senior Pastor, Donald Gray
Visitation Church
98 Richards Street , (718) 624-1572. Office open Mon-Thursday 9 am- 3 pm. Saturday Mass at 5 pm English; Sunday 10 am Spanish, 12:30 pm English. Community Prayer on Tuesday and Thursday at 8 pm. Baptisms are held every other month. Please call to arrange for Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation and Weddings.
New Brown Memorial Baptist Church
609 Clinton Street, 718 624 4780 Pastor A.R Jamal. Sunday School at 9:30 am. Sunday Worship at 11 am. Bible Study-Wednesday at 7:30pm. Communion every first Sunday
Stretching Far and Wide Global Ministry, Inc.
382 Hamilton Avenue, Studio B 1-800-948-9042 Archbishop Dr. Barbara Jackman, Overseer Rev. Dr. Dwayne Barnes, Pastor Services are held every Sunday @ 10 am Communion every First Sunday stretchingfar.webs.com stretchingfar@aol.com
St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish
467 Court Street, (718) 625-2270 Rectory Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am- 11:30 am, 1 pm-4 pm, Friday 9 am- 12 noon. Masses: Saturday 4 pm, Sunday 10 am, Monday- Thursday, 9:30 am.
Saint Paul and Saint Agnes Parish
Church Office 433 Sackett St (718) 625-1717 Hours: M-F 2 PM-5 PM. E mail: stpaulandstagnes@ gmail.com. Saint Paul, 190 Court Street- church open daily for prayer and meditation 7 am- 8 PM. Saturday Vigil Mass 5:30 PM (English), Sunday 7:45 am (English), 11 am (Spanish). St. Agnes, 433 Sackett Street Saturday Vigil Mass 4 PM (English), Sunday 9:15 am (English), 11 am (French), 12:30 PM (Spanish). M-T-TH-F-S 8:30 am St Paul’s Chapel 234 Congress St.; Wednesday 8:30 AM St Agnes.
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary- Saint Stephen Roman Catholic Church
125 Summit Street at Hicks Street, (718) 596-7750, info@sacredhearts-ststephen.com Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am- 5 am, Friday 9 am- 3 pm, Saturday 9 am- 1 pm Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm, Sunday Masses at 8 am, 10 am, and noon (Italian/English) Weekday Masses during winter months at 8:30 am and 12 noon Confessions: Saturday at 4:45 pm and by appointment. Baptisms every third Sunday at 1 pm.
St. Paul’s Carroll Street
199 Carroll Street Parish Office: 718-625-4126 Sunday Mass at 10 am Weekday Morning PrayerMon.-Thurs. at 7:30 am Weekday masses as announced Holy Days as announced \Church open for prayer Tues. 6-8pm & Sat. 2-4pm http://stpaulscarrollst.weebly.com/
Jewish Kane Street Synagogue
236 Kane Street, 718 875-1550 http://kanestreet.org/ Friday night services, 6 PM Shabbat services, 9:15 AM Sunday Services 9 AM
Congregation B’nai Avraham/Chabad of Brooklyn Heights
117 Remsen St., 718 596 4840 x18 www.bnaiavraham.com, www.heightschabad.com Morning Services: Sunday: 8:45am Monday- Friday: 7:45am Holidays (during the week): 8:45am Saturday: 9:45am Evening Services: Sunday: Shabbat candle lighting time Monday- Thursday: 9 pm Friday: Winter: 5 minutes before Shabbat candle lighting time Summer:
Congregation Mount Sinai
250 Cadman Plaza West, (718) 875-9124, Rabbi Seth Wax Friday services at 6:30 pm; Saturday Prayer and Mysticism Class at 9 am, services at 10 am followed by kiddish lunch. All are welcome.
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Rob Snyder, a member of the St. Paul family for over 35 years noted that it was “typical of the much beProcession to St. Paul’s (photo by Drew Helstosky) loved and somewhat selfeffacing priest” to choose A Low Mass with Hymns was followed the kick-off of the 150th anniversary by a special coffee hour reception in year as the day of his retirement. “He the Parish Hall. would prefer that the attention be on A “blessing tree” marked the occathe church and community rather sion and on its leaves, parishioners than on himself,” he added. wrote notes and poems to Fr. Cul19th century move len, expressing just how significant In 1866, St. Paul’s sold their old church he has been in their lives and the building near Carroll and Hicks lives of their families. The wardens of Streets to the Catholic Church. That the church also presented Fr. Cullen site eventually became St. Stephen’s with two gifts on behalf of the parChurch. The congregation of St. Paul’s ish: an intricately painted icon of the then moved to the corner of Clinton Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus and and Carroll Streets. a framed photograph by Sam Kessler On Sunday, September 10th, as Fr. of the “Agnus Dei” (the Lamb of God) Cullen prepared to celebrate his last that can be seen high on the east wall Mass as Rector of St. Paul’s, the day be- of the church. gan with an outdoor prayer service at Long-time parishioner Drew Hels9:30 am in the courtyard between Sa- tosky said that the day was bittersweet, cred Heart/St. Stephen’s Church and referring to Father Cullen as his “pasits rectory. tor, shepherd and friend... a man who Led by Fr. Cullen, all those gathered renewed their baptismal vows and offered prayers for the church, the community, and the world. A procession then followed to St. Paul’s with the singing of Psalm 118, “Confitemini Domino” (Thanks to the Lord), with the response “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his mercy endures forever.” Upon arrival at the Cornerstone and West Doors of St. Paul’s, Fr. Cullen made a public announcement that his tenure as rector would be ending that day. He then knelt and prayed for God’s continued protection and blessing of his flock as they, in turn, prayed for him. Before entering the church, Fr. Cullen returned the keys of St. Paul’s to the wardens of the church who then opened the West Doors, leading in the congregation. As the organist played Philip Glass’s Metamorphosis II, Fr. Cullen greeted each person at the door with a handshake or a hug. Parishioners, both current and former, from as far away as Washington State, neighbors, and friends turned out in such great number to be a part of Fr. Cullen’s last Mass and hear him preach one more sermon at St. Paul’s that ushers were forced to scramble to bring in extra chairs.
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inspires you just by his presence” and has given “selflessly and lovingly and patiently to anyone in his path.” He went on to say that Father Cullen’s “leadership has made our church a place where strangers became family.” Joan Bredthauer, parishioner and choir member, said that she will miss Fr. Cullen’s sermons. Cullen has relocated to Florida to spend time with his 98-year-old father. His replacement has not yet been announced. The Red Hook StarRevue joins the parish of St. Paul in wishing continued blessings and all the best to Father Cullen.
Upcoming Events
Kane Street Synagogue 236 Kane Street Bialy Rock Music Class for Infants and Toddlers - Ora Fruchter and Ketchup the puppet are back on Fridays mornings through December 22. Children with parents and caregivers sing, dance, play instruments and learn Jewish songs in English and Hebrew. $25 for drop-ins and discounts for six or twelve-class plans. Contact Rabbivalerie@gmail.com for more information. (continued on next page)
October 2017
Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church Summit & Hicks Street Our Lady of Fatima Presentation on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2:30-4:30 pm, in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions and inspired by Our Lady’s peace plan for humanity. Our Lady of the Rosary - Bishop Antonio Stagliano of Noto, Sicily will be celebrating Mass on Sunday, October 8 at 12 noon. Health and Blood Pressure Clinic sponsored by NYU Langone on Sunday, October 8 and 22 and November 5 and 12. Flu Clinic will be held on November 5 from 11 am-1 pm. To receive the flu vaccine, you must be 18 years of age and have your medical card available. In the back of church, near the statue of St. Rocco. St. Agnes/ St. Paul’s Parish Hoyt & Sackett Streets Hurricane Maria Relief - Collecting critically needed items including bottled water, diapers (adult and baby), nonperishable baby food and dry baby formula, batteries, nonperishable canned and dry foods, canned and dry pet food. All items must be new, unopened and cannot contain any liquids other than the bottled water (no wet wipes). The items will be delivered to families directly affected by the storm. Donations will be accepted from 9-1 pm at St. Paul and from 2-5 pm at St. Agnes and on weekends you may place donations by the altar at each church. Eucharistic Adoration - Take some time out of your busy schedule to spend an hour with the Lord. Many blessings and graces are waiting for you! Every first Saturday of the month, noon till 1 pm; alternating churches starting Saturday October 7 at St. Agnes. Family Movie Night featuring “Beauty and the Beast” on Saturday, October 7 after the 5:30 pm mass in the courtyard at St. Paul. FREE admission, FREE popcorn. In case of rain movie will be in St. Paul’s Hall. Night of Chances on Saturday, October 21, 2017 - A fun-filled and exciting fundraising event, with plenty of chances to WIN for everybody including raffles, horse races, gift baskets, a Grand 50/50, and MORE! Entrance fee is $10 which includes a door prize chance. All proceeds go to our churches. 718-625-1717. Atlantic City Here We Come! - Young @ Heart is sponsoring a fundraising trip to the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City on Tuesday October 24. Tickets are $35 with $25 rebate plus $5 food voucher. Bus picks up at 9 am at St. Agnes and 9:15 at St. Paul Please call the rectory or Jeannie at 718-9155991 to save a seat! St. Mary Star of the Sea Church 467 Court Street Blessing of the Animals - Wednesday, October 4th for the blessing of our pets in honor of St. Francis of Assisi at 7:30 pm in front of Church. St. Ann and The Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 157 Montague Street First Sunday Sandwich-Making and Welcome Table on October 1, November 3 and December 3 after Early
Red Hook Star-Revue
Church, from 10:15 to 11:00 am for sandwich-making for those in need at The Gathering Place in East Brooklyn, a drop-in center for the homeless and working poor. And then, immediately following the 11:15 am Holy Eucharist, we’ll welcome one and all to a community meal for the parish family and our hungry neighbors! Volunteers needed to set up, serve, provide beverages and dessert, and clean up. A sign up sheet will be available at coffee hour. Thank you! New Heights Gala Fundraiser on Saturday, October 21, from 6 - 9 pm. To benefit our church and to celebrate our neighbors, support our mission, and preserve our historic buildings. Ticket purchases at the $500, $250, and $100 levels or a donation can be made at newheightsgala2017.bpt. me or by check payable to “St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church,” which can be placed in the Sunday collection plate or sent to the parish office at 157 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. All are welcome to “New Heights” regardless of ability to pay, but you must register to attend. For information, call 718-875-6960. New Faith Formation Series: “We Are Pilgrims” on Sundays from 10:15 am 12:45 pm on October 22 (Pilgrimage in the Old Testament), November 12 (St. Paul as Pilgrim) and December 17 (Pilgrimage in the Gospels).
Visitation BVM Church 98 Richards Street Flu Vaccine distribution on Sunday, October 15 from 11 am - 1 pm. Provided by Duane Reade. To register, call the rectory at 718-624-1572. Rock & Roll Concert featuring “Remember When” on Saturday, October 21 from 7 - 8:30 pm. Suggested donation $20 or pay what you can. Light refreshments to follow. Ask the Medical Professional - Blood pressure screening, questions answered about medications, diabetes, nutrition, etc. Every first and third Sunday starting on September 17 from 11 am - 1 pm in the church vestibule. Healing Mass on Wednesday, October 25 at 7:00 pm in Spanish. Mobile Soup Kitchen on Tuesdays from 1 pm - 2:30 pm and Fridays from 10 am - 12 noon (except first Fridays of the month).
The Star-Revue is looking for people to sell ads and write stories. These are paid positions, and it helps if you love community. To apply please email George@redhookstar.com
Block Party
(continued from page 3) earthquake victims, Eden Autism and even a struggling couple’s electric bill. Many believe Vito has brought the club to a new level in its redefined mission. In addition to children’s activities, musical entertainment and the myriad food of Molese fish cuisine and American fare, a special dedication was given to long-time member and many-a-time president, Mr. Pino Rocco Deserio. Co-members Allegrino Sale, Hon. Judge Michael Pesce, Vito Parente and City Councilman Vincent Gentile honored Pino Deserio with a Lifetime President Award and City Council Citation.
and its maritime marina and shipyards as he sadly, almost instantly, longed for his home of beauty back in Mola. He said the club made all the difference for him. That it wasn’t just a place to be. It became a way of life and he doubted that he could have achieved everything he has in America if not for their support and camaraderie. “What you give to the club, you get back so much more. Thank you,” he said repeatedly, “thank you for honoring me on 4th Place - Citizens of Mola di Bari Way...... my second home in the greatest country in the world!”
Aside from his past presidencies—his active-member status and presence in the club has continued to show his dedication and commitment to his Molese culture with guidance and leadership and his valuable role of mentor to the many young men who are finding the club a place of inclusion, purpose and friendship. “He is a true inspiration,” said Vito Parente. Deserio said that he joined the Club on 4th Place, met his beautiful wife there, had two beautiful children, and bought his home on, and to this day, still lives on 4th place. As immigrants, he mentioned, they came to a better place, but with a hard price to pay, leaving behind friends and family. He had no idea what life held for him in 1970 on a cold January day when his ship slowly cruised by Red Hook
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No job too big or too small
Toilets, Boilers, Heating, Faucets, Hot Water Heaters, Pool Heaters.
B & D HEATING 218 29th Street 718 625-1396
October 2017, Page 5
Jo Anne Simon meets her public by Nathan Weiser
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the holidays and then it starts getting darker. And then it would get too cold to sit on the stoop.”
ssemblywoman Jo Anne Simon hosted her first Java with Jo Anne on September 27 from 5 until about 6:30 p.m. Simon held her coffee clatch at the Bond Café, familiar Boerum Hill territory for Jo Anne. About a dozen denizens made an appearance. Some people came late and some left early but everyone was interested and had something to offer. Simon said that she was impressed with the turnout that she had. “There is nothing formal about this, as you can tell,” Simon said. “This is an opportunity for people to come and chat to talk about issues they are concerned about or things they have questions about.” Later that night Simon went to Hillary Clinton’s book signing in Fort Greene. Assemblymember Brian Cavanaugh joined the group. He is the controversial Democratic nominee for Dan Squadron’s Senate district. This is not the first open meeting with the community that Simon has done. “I did the assemble on the stoop thing,” Simon said. “The problem with assembling on the stoop is that if you do it in the evening, I am in Albany through the end of June, and then who wants to stay on the stoop in the summer. And then in September you have scheduling because you have
She thought it was a good idea but tough to schedule logistically. One issue brought up was putting in a stop sign at the intersection of Adams and Tillary Streets. The woman who brought this issue up wants people to get off their bicycles. A concern of another community member was the increase in homeless people on the streets. She wishes that there were more services to take care of the homeless. The same individual also brought up the proposed major development on State Street. Alloy is the developer of this project. Simon said she does not know what or when specifically the development will happen. She is aware that there is an effort to continue the conversation with the developer. “There are a significant number of issues,” Simon said. “Some of them are where do they put loading docks. Where do they put entry to underground parking? There are things they can’t do on Flatbush and things they should not do on State. There are a lot of design challenges.” It was brought up by someone at the meeting that hideous structures are destroying the integrity of the neighborhood. Simon wanted everyone to
A small crowd of constituents show up at Bond and Pacific Street to discuss community issues with their NYS Assembly representative, as well as to share some good coffee. (photo by Nathan Weiser).
be aware that there is an eight-story limit for buildings on Atlantic Avenue.
tank on adjacent land that they would acquire using eminent domain.
Another community member was worried about the outdoor swimming pool at Thomas Greene Park. The issue is how long the pool will have to close while the land is remediated.
An issue was brought up about the change in the traffic pattern on 3rd Avenue and Atlantic going in to Flatbush. There is gridlock all the way into the middle of Atlantic Avenue. The community member and Simon went back and forth to try to figure out a solution.
“I have not heard any news about that,” Simon said. “It is a complicated maneuver and everything revolves around where they are going to put a sewage retention tanks.” The EPA has demanded that the city build sewage retention tanks so that less raw sewage will be pumped into the Gowanus Canal during rainstorms. The city has decided to put the
This is a dangerous intersection and a stop light was requested since there is a lane for cars only turning right. It was brought up that people speed fast around the corner and there is a 10-second leeway before the traffic light changes when people are walk-
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Call 888-722-4040 • TTY 800-662-1220 or visit www.GuildNetNY.org GN_ad_2017_9.74x7.5_RehhHookStar.indd 1
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October 2017
Red Hook’s Ortiz sisters pray for their Caribbean relatives by Steve Farber
Z
per wire analog phone lines were still functioning and might be answered if you called.
ulma Ortiz watched helplessly as Hurricane Maria, a slow moving Category 5 storm, churned on her television across the Caribbean toward the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico.
“I was supposed to go to Puerto Rico, we were going to fly. But I felt the Lord telling me not to go. I thought, this doesn’t feel right… so we cancelled.”
A 40 plus year resident of Red Hook, she, along with her sisters and the rest of the Puerto Rican diaspora, could do little else but send text messages into the ether and pray. Maria was the strongest hurricane to target Puerto Rico in anyone’s lifetime, almost 90 years. Cell towers were already going down. One million residents had yet to regain electrical power lost only two weeks earlier when Hurricane Irma sheared the coastline where the majority of the commonwealth’s power generators were installed decades ago. Local supermarkets had been stripped bare of batteries, water and canned goods. As Maria made landfall, a radar tucked into the mountains near San Juan designed to withstand wind speeds of over 130 mph abruptly stopped working. Days later it was found demolished, pieces of the eastern Caribbean’s most important storm warning system scattered for miles around. “We should have breakfast before we
Back at home, Puerto Rican channel WAPA TV was broadcasting images of water sluicing from a failing dam at Lake Guajataca on the island’s north coast, critically damaged by Maria.
The Ortiz sisters, Wilma, Diana and Zulma
think of that,” Denise Ortiz, Zulma’s sister, said while speaking about Puerto Rico’s road to recovery. A teacher, she stood in a polka dot dress at the front of Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church after a Sunday morning Mass for children. Not destroyed
square located on the island’s southwestern interior. She had yet to reach anyone on the island since the hurricane had struck, but word had trickled out via the social networking application WhatsApp, that San German had somehow not been destroyed by Maria.
Her family hails from San German, a beautiful town with a double main
By Sunday, it became apparent that in some places, old fashioned cop-
Wilma, the third Ortiz sister in Red Hook, could not shake the images from her mind. Their niece and her three children live in Isabela, a town only 16 miles downstream. Constructed in 1929, the dam holds back 11 billion gallons of water. Over 70,000 residents of three towns had been ordered to evacuate. “The doors are going to break because it can’t hold that amount of water,” said Wilma. She reached a hand to her sister. “Pray, pray and pray. That’s what we’re going to do.” Zulma offered goodbyes as she and Wilma turned to head over to Red Hook Initiative, where donations are being accepted. “I still have faith,” she said.
76th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Grudzinski retires after 28 years of service
Littleford Detective 2nd Grade Paul Grudzinski was honored at the Oct. 4 Community Council meeting at the 76th Precinct. He will be retiring at the end of the month and a host of political and community leaders came to wish him
well in his retirement and thank him for his many years of service. Pictured above include new Commanding Officer Megan O’Malley, Jerry Armer, Karen Broughton and Detective Grudzinski.
EVERGREEN LIQUOR STORE INC. 718 643-0739 196 Columbia Street, between Sackett & Degraw evergreenliquor@yahoo.com
Mon. - Thurs. 11 am - 10:30 pm; Fri & Sat. 11 am - 11:30 pm; Sun. 1 pm - 9 pm
Red Hook Star-Revue
Ted Littleford has been an illustrator and cartoonist for the Baltimore Sun. See more of his work at www.tedlittleford.com.
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October 2017, Page 7
A young man’s idea becomes reality as Ickes Park project gets funded by Eric Adams by George Fiala
C
hiko Texidor, a young man with a business card, explained it to me. I had wondered why a skateboard park will be built all the way over by the Tesla showroom, rather than someplace in the middle of Red Hook. “I walk past this park on my way to Brooklyn Bridge Park,” Texidor, a Facilitator at the Red Hook Initiative, said. He goes there to play basketball on Pier 2. “Every time I walked by this park, it was either empty or a few guys were throwing a football around.” At the time he was involved with Carlos Menchaca’s Participatory Budgeting program (PB), and wanted to include a park as a PB project. But Menchaca told him that more money was needed than would be available under PB, and suggested involving the Borough President’s capital funds instead.
sevelt’s long serving head of the Department of Interior, Harold L. Ickes, was part of the construction of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. The Battery Tunnel, now named after former governor Hugh Carey, was completed in 1950, and the park opened a few years later. It is probably the area’s least utilized park, except for the handball courts. BMX parks are very modern and will no doubt attract a ton of skateboarders and bikers. As Councilmember Menchaca told the audience, the project is a testament to youth becoming involved in the political process, as Texidor and his friends took the bull by the horns and made this all happen.
Councilmember Menchaca looks on as Chiko Texidor and his friends from RHI acknowledge the receipt of $1 million to refurbish Ickes Park. (Fiala photo)
The park also serves Carroll Gardens and the Columbia Waterfront District.
Texidor and his friends organized a petition drive, and Borough President Adams has designated $1 million towards the renovation of Harold Ickes Park. According to Adams’ press office, the renovation will include a “BMX bike and skate park along with a multipurpose play area.” Ickes Park, named after Franklin Roo-
The Tesla building is across from the park.
T:9.75”
A BMX park in Ontario, Canada.
Introducing
newyork-presbyterian
brooklyn methodist hospital. We’re bringing the people of Brooklyn the type of care that comes from being part of NewYork-Presbyterian. We’ve expanded our services and added more world-class specialists from Weill Cornell Medicine. They join the skilled doctors already here serving the community. Learn more at nyp.org/brooklyn T:7.5”
Page 8 Red Hook Star-Revue
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October 2017
SANDY PLUS 5
Red Hook residents reflect on
SANDY
5 years on by Ramaa Reddy Raghavan
Hurricane Sandy, the mega storm that hit New York City on October 29, 2012, was one of the costliest storms in U.S. history at the time, just behind Hurricane Katrina. Its 29 foot waves and storm surges caused extensive coastal flooding and $19 billion in damages. Red Hook is one of 10 communities that was hit hardest and in this issue, on Sandy’s five-year-anniversary, we tell some some of the stories of those who survived and remain.
community has helped us recover and rebuild. Many friends and supporters expressly bought wines from previous vintages and this fed into my recovery,” said Snyder. Snyder received a National Grid grant; a low interest loan from the city with a matching grant; and took out additional loans to help rebuild machinery and pay employee salaries. He countered the disaster by prioritizing needs and compromising solutions. For instance, when his wine press costing $80,000 was destroyed, he made do with renting or borrowing one. In the event of a future flood, Snyder is prepared, as he now has a contingency plan in place that will reduce his damage. For example, he has made arrangements to forklift barrels on barrel racks to alternate locations and has made plans to move all machinery to the second floor. But he is clear about not moving from Pier 41. “I love Red Hook, the community, the neighbors and the neighborhood. We started our business in a place that is susceptible to storms, so we need to be smart. But if Sandy comes again and I am destroyed—then I am an idiot.”
vation of the 1866 building. Gabriel Florenz, Pioneer Work’s director, described Sandy as the “apocalypse coming.” “The water was coming in so fast, it was hard to navigate. We went upstairs and watched a soup of art mixing in with lettuce and kitchen supplies. Luckily our boilers were built high so they were protected, but all our electricals were destroyed. We had propane heaters to keep us warm,” said Florenz. Pioneer Works had flood insurance but Florenz said it was a long battle with insurance companies to get paid. Looking towards the future, Florenz views the space as a design puzzle to build a space that protects against floods. He never expected five feet of water but says there are ways to design around that like they do in Venice, Italy. “In 2018, through the program RISE (Roof Integrated Solar Energy) Pioneer will get solar panels on its roof, so we will have back-up battery generators. Next time, hopefully, this will be a space that provides the community with electricity, water and support.”
“It bought a lot of attention to the neighborhood—first negative, but then matured into resilience and made us hone our game to survive a catastrophic event.”
BEA BYRD:
Addabbo
Red Hook Winery
This year, the Red Hook Winery is proud to be celebrating its 10th vintage year on Pier 41. Mark Snyder, owner, says that although he is proud of his winery, he is still recovering from Sandy damages which totaled over two million dollars. “We lost wine, but the support of the
Red Hook Star-Revue
GABE FLORENZ:
Pioneer Works
Hurricane Sandy hit Pioneer Works, a performance and exhibition space, at a bad time —just after a major reno-
“I love Red Hook. People come here because its quaint. The cobblestones, waterfront and quiet evenings are attractive to people,” said Byrd. Byrd said that Red Hook’s strong community is what defined its resilience. “People shared heaters, those who had electricity ran extension cords to others who did not. Volunteers came on bicycles to bag up garbage, serve food and distribute blankets. There was even a tanker of gas bought in to help us!” said Byrd. Addabbo, which offers residents a variety of health and social services, received three feet of water during Sandy, destroying equipment like exam tables, refrigerators, medical lights, and cabinetry. All through the destruction, the staff pulled together to offer medical services, even with minimal light.
Snyder says he is grateful to Sandy as it was an important business and life lesson.
MARK SNYDER:
Next time, hopefully, this will be a space that provides the community with electricity, water and support.”
Beatrice Byrd, 75, is a board member of the Addabbo Health Center on Richards Street, and has been living in the Red Hook houses for over 50 years. She has seen Red Hook transition from a locale of drugs, crime and shanties to a million dollar neighborhood that includes a Van Brunt Street corridor marked with notable restaurants and bars.
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Sandy Fogg, Addabbo’s CEO, said the center had flood insurance and did receive some payment from FEMA as well as a resiliency award from DASNY (Dormitory Authority of the State of New York) which make them now eligible for a generator. Today, Addabbo is back better than before, said Byrd, and procedures to minimize another Sandy have been instituted. “Its like the Phoenix rising - exam rooms and elevators have been reconfigured to provide more space and safety from water damage; the building has been built to electric code; and now all medical records are electronic.”
October 2017, Page 9
Congresswoman Nydia VelĂĄzquez
Dear Neighbors, As Red Hook looks back five years after Sandy, I’m reminded of the generous spirit our community and city exhibited during those dark days. Residents of Red Hook came together, lending one another a helping hand and caring for our most vulnerable neighbors. It is my hope that we carry those values forward, not only during disasters, but every day, by looking out for one another, helping those in need and staying active in our communities.
Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Nydia Velazquez
Page 10 Red Hook Star-Revue
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October 2017
“It took a year to get
around a theme: the first year’s being a giant generator, followed by a garbage truck and last year’s Noah’s Ark.
business back and I just paid back all my loans. We
“Then I met Carlos Menchaca, New York City Council member, who was very helpful in getting food, blankets, heaters and clothing to the community,” said Smith.
are now, finally, after five CHARLES FLICKINGER:
Flickinger Glassworks
Charles Flickinger, originally from the Midwest, has been in the glass bending business for 29 years. His shop, also on Pier 41, received four-andhalf feet of water during Sandy and destroyed much of his machinery. “It was a total disaster. We moved computers up so we saved some machinery, but my damages exceeded a quarter of a million. It was challenging, but we did what needed to be done that day—like sending machinery to be fixed, re-ordering fire bricks, doing payroll on Friday, and making coffee in the morning,” said Flickinger, matter-of-factly. He received a National Grid grant for $25,000, and he also put up some text and pictures on a GoFundMe cloud sourcing site which raised $62,000 from family and friends. The money helped pay his staff to stay and clean up. A lot of his machinery has been rebuilt and he is better prepared if there is another disaster. “A lot of our blowers that run the machines are now five-feet in the air and we have a generator and head lamps. I am not worried about another storm as I am prepared and I will not leave Red Hook, as I like it here. Maybe if the rent was higher I would move, but not for a storm!”
years, Sandy debt free!”
Although resources were provided, Smith is still disgruntled about the buildings upkeep.
said St. John, cheerfully.” inventory worth $75,000. The damages were so severe that the bar had to be shut for a month, which cost an additional $100,000 in lost revenue. St. John raised money to fix things by getting a $25,000 loan from the Empire Development Group, and a $25,000 private loan. But a large source of money, namely $30,000, came from friends and customers living within a five-mile radius who bought Fort Defiance gift certificates at twice its face value. Aid also came from the United States Bar Tenders Guild. They replaced not just St. John’s equipment but also equipment of other bars in the neighborhood. “Now we are back to pre-Sandy inventory levels. It took a year to get business back and I just paid back all my loans. We are now, finally after five years, Sandy debt free!” said St. John, cheerfully. But looking into the future, St. John says he is unprepared and would suffer similar consequences as his landlord is unwilling to make major fixes. “I would like to move mechanicals like breaker boards, water heaters and compressors to the first floor and use the basement only for storage. But I don’t have the capital or real estate to do that. What I have is a better pump system to get water out of the basement in the future!”
TREVOR BUDD:
The Ice House
Trevor Budd hails from Australia and opened the Ice House in 2008 after spending many years in New York City. “I chose Red Hook because it’s a decent place, up and coming, off-thebeaten path and not too expensive,” said Budd. His Sandy damages amounted to $30,000. Like Fort Defiance, his basement was water-logged—destroying all his bottled beers, three to four refrigerators, an ice machine and a freezer. He was able to salvage the furniture but not the machinery. For rebuilding, he received $6,000 from Restore Red Hook and the SBA gave him a low interest loan. He was able to fully open up their kitchen (known for pulled pork sandwiches) two weeks later, but with the aid of candles and ice they did not skip a beat at serving beers at the bar. Both the Ice House and it’s neighbor, Bait and Tackle, were open the night after Sandy.
ST. JOHN FRIZELL:
Fort Defiance
Since 2009, Fort Defiance has served bespoke cocktails in a neighborly setting without having to get all dressedup. This popular hang-out was devastated during Sandy, incurring basement flooding that destroyed machinery and
Red Hook Star-Revue
St. John has been instrumental in coordinating the Barnacle Parade, an annual parade that’s held on October 29, to commemorate but not solemnize Hurricane Sandy. It’s a fun event where friends and families gather
“Just last Saturday the sixth floor was flooded due to a pipe burst and my dining area got flooded. Money is allocated but the building has deteriorated. There is asbestos in the building and in December the gas was turned off for two months. They are concerned about the outside but not the inside of the building.” Next time there is a Sandy-like hurricane, Smith says she will move out of Red Hook and not return, eventhough she loves Red Hook’s closeknit atmosphere. “This development is falling apart and people are getting frustrated as they have to wait two years or six months to get anything repaired. I was diligent in bringing Carlos in. But in three to four years I said to Carlos ‘you have failed this community.” Editor’s note—see front page story re Red Hook Houses for an update.
He too said that he would suffer the same consequences should Sandy reoccur, but he is grateful for all the help he received from volunteers.
Despite these issues, St. John will not move his bar to another location as he says Fort Defiance is so much a part of the neighborhood. “About 10 years ago, bars in New York were speakeasy style, a style that intimidated some as it was too fancy and contrived. Fort Defiance is my attempt to make cocktails less intimidating and serve in a welcoming, lowkey and comfortable atmosphere. I opened Fort Defiance as there was no place to take my mom for a glass of Chardonnay.”
apartment because her building lost heat, water and electricity. But many, who were not as fortunate as Smith, had to remain. Smith is indignant about the lack of post Sandy leadership, which lasted until Occupy Sandy came out .
JOHN GORDEN GAULD:
Artist
JUNE CLARK SMITH:
Resident
June Smith, 58, has been living in the NYCHA houses for the past 34 years. During Sandy, her neighbors from the first floor came up to her fourth floor apartment as the water kept raising. Smith soon relocated to her mother’s
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John Gorden Gauld, 40, came to Red Hook after being pushed out of pricier neighborhoods like Williamsburg and the Columbia Street Waterfront District. He was attracted to Red Hook by its arts community—namely woodworkers, carpenters, fabricators and metal workers—who all came seeking Red Hook’s industrial space. Gauld was living in a first floor apartment near Fairway when Sandy hit. He was in the midst of creating dioramas for Bergdorf Goodman’s holiday windows. (continued on page 14)
October 2017, Page 11
Originally published November 2012 in The
Red Hook StarRevue
Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue Page 10 Red Hook Star-Revue
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October 2017 Nov. 1 - 15, 2012
Red Hook Star-Revue Nov. 1 - 15, 2012
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October 2017, Page 13 Red Hook Star-Revue Page 11
Red Hook residents reflect
Neighborhood tales
O
(continued from page 11)
“I was working on this deadline when the water started lapping on my door front. Strangely the power was still on, but there were hurricane style winds and it was scary so I shut the circuit breakers and waded into the street. I was waist deep in water,” said Gauld. He stayed at a friend’s that night and managed to finish his project using a borrowed generator that operated with gas that he siphoned from his car. His dioramas survived but his art materials and mini-appliances like blender, toaster, electric kettle, refrigerator, and air-conditioner was destroyed, costing him $92,000. His space became unlivable and he had to move out for renovation. Fortunately, Pioneer Works offered him studio space for four months, but he had no place to live. Gauld says he was essentially homeless for few months, at the mercy of friends and even spent nights outdoors in a sleeping bag in 20 degree weather. He received Sandy artist residencies in Vermont and the South of France which allayed his living situation for awhile, but after two years of instability, Gauld returned to Red Hook to find new developments and escalating rents. At that time he contemplated moving to Beacon, NY., but he says living in proximity to New York city is vital for an artist, as it affords access to other artists and enhances visibility. He finally found his current live/work space on Sullivan Street leased to him by the O’Connell Organization. Since Sandy, Gauld has recouped a small fraction of the money lost. After spending two harrowing weeks filing paperwork and tracking people, he got $10,000 from FEMA, and he received small grants from arts organizations like the New York Foundation of the Arts, Joan Mitchell and the Pollack-Krasner foundation. “As an artist all your money goes to rent. It took me til a year ago to replace the toaster I lost and I am barely done replacing things. Sandy was one of the hardest times of my life.” Gauld has now lived in Red Hook for 10 years and hopes to be here forever because it’s removed from the city, and from Williamsburg.
“After two years of instability, Gauld returned to Red Hook to find new developments and escalating rents.” Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue
MARTHA BOWERS: Red Hook Coalition
by Steve Farber
n October 29, 2012, Genesis Annuziata was only 4 years old. Her mother, Octayvia Robinson and Genny’s father were hunkered down in their Verona Street apartment when the police came knocking to warn them of the storm. “We should evacuate,” Octavia recalled thinking, but by 7 pm it was already too late and by 9 pm, dialing 911 got a recording that said, “You’ve been warned there are no responders available.”
Following Sandy, Martha Bowers, Executive Director of Dance Theater Etcetera, found herself in the epicenter of a disaster. She is one of the founding members of the Red Hook Coalition and described its formation and achievements.
One door down the street their neighbor, Alex Pimienta, was making something for dinner when the lights flicked off, like a switch had been thrown. He knew that the storm was coming, but like many Red Hook residents had decided to stay.
“We were working closely with Carlos Menchaca as he was designated to Red Hook. Carlos was using our offices as we had power. Since the Brooklyn community had funds to distribute for relief efforts, five non-profits in Red Hook—Dance Theater Etcetera, Falconworks Artists Group, Added Value Farms, Red Hook Initiative, and Red Hook Volunteers - formed the Red Hook Coalition that served as a conduit for foundations to channel in money,” said Bowers.
He looked out his back window and saw a fluid mass shimmering in the dark, where there had been a courtyard only minutes before. Verona Street is more than 10 city blocks from Fairway at the end of Van Brunt Street where the waters of Upper New York Bay begin, but only 400 feet east from the Atlantic Basin and Buttermilk Channel behind it. When Alex went downstairs to open the front door, the Buttermilk Channel splashed up and over his ankles.
The coalition fund was used to help Red Hook businesses and to organize a two-day Red Hook Community Summit to identify the needs of the community. The consensus was to create more programming for youth and young adults.
As has been widely reported, Sandy arrived in Red Hook strengthened with an unprecedented set of meteorological circumstances that maximized the anguish and physical damage.
The coalition consequently funded the Digital Boot Camp, a pre-professional film making program where students choose a Red Hook client and create a promotional video. The program, which began in 2013, is a four week summer internship for 30 young adults selected from South Brooklyn Community High School, the Red Hook Initiative Stewards program, and Dance Theater Etcetera. Another achievement of the Red Hook Coalition was to create a Red Hook local disaster relief plan to aid in case of another Sandy-like hurricane. Since city responders are slow to show up at a disaster site, Bowers says this plan outlines people and sites that have agreed to be mobilized during an emergency.
Full moon. High tide. Spring tide. Storm tide. Storm surge. Northwesterly winds. 75 mph sustained winds. 80 mph gusts. 1000 miles wide. And by the time it made landfall in New Jersey, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm. The vast majority of Red Hook’s over 10,000 residents were rendered without electricity, heat or water by 8 pm. Any crevice led to every basement. Groundwater swelled up through the layers of silt and sand and the remnants of Carroll Garden’s Bergen Hill that the neighborhood is built on. The isolation of this place, the seaside Shangri-la past the BQE, all the reasons to want to be here were the reasons Sandy was hard.
Motorworks
“We did a trial run through it in 2014 to see which Red Hook sites would provide what in an emergency. Copies of this plan are in my office.
Carlos Dos Santos had poured his life savings into starting Brooklyn Motorworks at its original Verona Street location, across from Visitation Church. He lived in the shop.
After this was done the the Red Hook Coalition was dissolved.”
“When I saw the water pooled at the Battery Tunnel, I knew we were
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“He looked out his back window and saw a fluid mass shimmering in the dark, where there had been a courtyard only minutes before.” screwed,” Carlos says. “I lost everything, all my equipment, 67 bikes…” A meticulous, charismatic man rarely at a loss for words, five years later, Carlos pauses and looks across the clear September sky and shakes his head. He packed what little he had left and promptly moved across from Steve’s Key Lime at 175 Van Dyke Street. He has rebuilt his shop even leaner, with his loyal customer base. He still lives in his shop so he’s always on call. Despite filing over 40 applications, Carlos has yet to receive any federal disaster relief funds.
Matty
Red Hook musician and shore enthusiast Matty McDermott had been tracking the surf reports October 28th. “They had been calling for swells of thirteen and a half feet over high tide,” he said. “These guys study this stuff, it’s a science. It’s real.” “The rain wasn’t bad, the winds weren’t terrible. It was going to be the storm surge.” Hours later Matty was watching the transformers explode like percussive fireworks along Van Brunt Street, the only light over a neighborhood of glimmering canals.
There were exceptions.
Bordered by Coffey Park to the south, the Monarch Luggage Factory building became a castle moated by Verona, Delevan and Dwight Streets, with flooded cars moored to underwater curbs. However, the building maintained power. Former Red Hook resident Brianna O’Laughlin remembered neighbors dangling outdoor extension cords so that passers by might charge their phones. Michael Buscemi, a Red Hooker for 4 years at that point, quickly decided to leave his door keys outside for any neighbor to come by and take (continued on next page)
October 2017
The venue for the opening event is now at the Red Hook library from 6-8 pm on October 26 th. The installation is still to be confirmed.
Tales, continued a hot shower or just hang out in the warmth. His block on Dikeman Street between Conover and Ferris had lost power like everyone else—but for only one night. The Good Fork co-founder Ben Schneider had parked his old Toyota pickup on Van Brunt between Wolcott and Dikeman Streets. It remained high and dry, marooned on a point of Red Hook’s archipelago of above-sea-level peaks. Geoff and Lynette Wiley of Jalopy Tavern were unaffected by the storm and did all they could to facilitate Red Hook’s recovery. They organized sheetrock and bleach donations, and served as a communication hub to the rest of the country using their social network assets. That attracted a truck full of donated generators that drove to Red Hook from Massachusetts. Red Hook Initiative, at Hicks and 9th street, retained power throughout and was also a hub of community activities during the weeks and months that followed. Barry O’Meara’s Bait and Tackle was another de facto base of operations. Every day for two months, Red Hookers and volunteers arrived early to plan which homes to work on for the day, then returned by sundown coated in grime for a beer in the cold and dark before heading home to sleep in the dark and cold. On a recent afternoon Barry was behind the bar, the walls and tin ceiling festooned with animals who’d long ago met the business end of a bullet. “Most of it was a blur, opening in the morning so everyone would have a place to go, figuring out what to do, just surviving for seven weeks.” “People would drop off an empty gas can with their name and some money taped to the side and somebody would say, ‘I’ll drive to Pennsylvania,’ and the next day they’d come back and drop it off full.” A regular came in and surprised him with a gift, wrapped by hand in brown paper. Five years after Sandy struck Red Hook, after rebuilding the bar back to where it was before the storm, Barry has announced that he is closing the Bait and Tackle. After a small protest, he unwrapped the package. It was a framed print of a fish. “One of the pinnacles of this neighborhood was that time. But it was the beginning of the end.”
Mapmaker
“Someone has to document this,” Coffey street resident Jim McMahon said to himself after speaking with a
Red Hook Star-Revue
native Floridian who had grown up with a granular knowledge of hurricane preparedness. A professional map maker, he was inspired by Dr. John Snow, who traced the 1854 London cholera epidemic’s source back to the city’s wells, by interviewing residents block by block. When the surge arrived, Jim was coming back from Valentino Pier, which he watched fill with water. The flooding then stopped at Ferris Street. “At the time, most people had no idea what the terrain was like out here,” Jim says, highlighting the above-sealevel blocks between Ferris, Conover, Dikeman and Van Dyke as the most likely site where Fort Defiance once stood against invaders. It held against Sandy as well. After two weeks of talking to neighbors and local business owners, gathering data from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the Port Authority and others, Jim completed a map of Sandy’s storm surge as it happened in Red Hook, which he dedicated to once and future residents. “When they do the computer models of flooding, those maps aren’t usually accurate because they don’t take into account the gradations of streets. So many things are done from too far. Here, you can plot out things. And if you can tell the story of what happens here, you have the opportunity to learn.”
Crying inside
October 30th, the waters had receded and Cleo, a doe eyed, long legged, white and gray pitbull mix, was tugging her owner, Sasha’mani Francois out of the Monarch Luggage Factory for her morning walk. In fair weather Cleo runs fast enough to haul Sasha down the street on a skateboard. This morning, she stepped gingerly around the sidewalks, now slick with spilled fuel and flecked with coagulating viscous matter wretched up by the sewers. “On Van Brunt, cars were turned upside down,” Sasha remembers. “Cleo didn’t express her emotions, but I know she was crying.”
Helping
A few days ago, Michael Buscemi ignored a cup of coffee getting cold on the table in front of him. “For two months, as bad as everything was,” he said quietly, then started again. “I would hate to see it happen, but being that it did happen, it was very fulfilling. To see people help people, to see how everyone was, it was just amazing.”
The government view by Ramaa Reddy Raghavan
C
ongresswoman Nydia Velazquez and Senator Chuck Schumer, both of whom local residents, made sure to both view and help Red Hook in its recovery. As head of the Small Business Committee in the House of Representatives, Velazquez was able to facilitate SBA funding for local businesses. And she also made sure that the public housing developments in her district received their fair share of FEMA funding, which Schumer and his fellow Democrats were able to provide out of almost $60 billion in federal funds allocated for Sandy recovery. As Velazquez was busy coordinating rescue efforts for Puerto Rico, she was only able to respond to questions by email. Here are her responses: What were the challenges after Hurricane Sandy? After Sandy, Red Hook faced manifold challenges. Red Hook is a peninsula that used to be wetland and much of it is built on landfill, so there had already been flooding before Sandy and periodic issues after heavy rains. Many businesses and residents’ buildings were flooded, knocking out power, heat and hot water across Red Hook for weeks. I recall NYCHA facilities flooding and having to pump out basements where electrical switch gear and boilers were located, only to fill back up with the high water table seeping back in. In addition, we had many of our most vulnerable residents in public housing who were trapped in dark buildings without elevator service or running water. Local residents, volunteers from surrounding areas and community based organizations banded together to help their neighbors who were confronting these challenges. Has business recovered? And have residences been fixed? While we’ve made progress, there’s still work to do. Just recently, I joined NYCHA to announce the kicking off of a federally-funded project to replace roofs on all 28 residential buildings at Red Hook Houses, benefitting more than 6,000 residents. Likewise, while many of our businesses recovered, others continue to be plagued by economic damages. In the weeks after Sandy hit, I was proud to bring a Small Business Administration Business Recovery Center to Red Hook, helping many area business owners secure emergency capital that kept their doors open and, importantly, employees on payroll.
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Nydia speaks at a community meeting at Visitation Church just a few days after Sandy. (photo by George Fiala)
How much money did you get from FEMA and other agencies? There were multiple sources of money for recovery, but, for South Brooklyn, we secured $537 million. Also, for the neighborhood-wide Integrated Flood Protection System, there is a $100 million federal commitment through the City and State - $50 million in FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and $50 million in HUD Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recover funds as the local match. And, there are other grants and loans to individuals and businesses through FEMA and SBA. More needs to be allocated for more robust flood protection. What have you learned from this experience? There were a lot of lessons from Sandy. One immediate observation was the resiliency and generosity of the people of Red Hook, and New Yorkers from all five boroughs. It was inspiring to see neighbors coming together to help one another. Another lesson is that as, the planet continues to warm, we need to work at all levels of government to make buildings, neighborhoods and cities more resilient to extreme weather. This requires a series of interrelated strategies such as “soft” solutions like wetlands that help absorb and divert additional water and mitigate flooding damage. Other solutions need to happen at the building level. Small businesses, for example, can move critical machinery to higher floors, if available, preventing their destruction if there are floods. Overall impression of Red Hook? I am proud of Red Hook and all my friends and neighbors who live there. That’s always true, but it was especially the case in the way our community responded to Hurricane Sandy.
October 2017, Page 15
David Sharps: Waterfront Barge Museum by Ramaa Reddy Raghavan
D
avid is President of the Waterfront Museum, which is located in the Lehigh Valley Barge No. 79, built in 1914 and anchored at Pier 44, off Conover Street. The museum sponsors educational programs, circus acts and a sunset music series. Sharps says he came to Red Hook in 1994 as part of Greg O’Connell waterfront access plan to give the public a feeling of being by the bay, its wildlife, and to enjoy harbor vistas. The barge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only floating wooden covered barge of its kind, survived Hurricane Sandy like Noah’s Ark. “We rose above the old devil sea, which inundated our waterfront, and floated on top of the storm and settled back down with minor damages,” said Sharps. Sharps was aboard the barge with two volunteers, Dough Pierson and Kevin Mulkern, who helped keep it safe. If the barge had not been manned it would not have survived. “We slackened some lines and pulled ourselves over to Conover Street and continued to stay off the dock, however, the bottom of our boat chaffed
the the protective sheathing we had. When we did take the barge out of dry dock we found shipworm damage two planks needed to be replaced.” Since they were pretty unscathed and the rest of the town was inundated with an unconscionable amount of water, the barge lent its three pumps to help 10 families and businesses pump out water. Sharps says that the community has been fortunate to have not had another storm since Hurricane Sandy. “Leading up to Sandy we had two hurricanes, a tornado and an earthquake. Since then it seems the fury of mother nature has stayed away from this particular geographical area. This summer had one of the nicest weather I’ve experienced since 1985. Its hard to appreciate good weather due to global warming. When its warm in the winter, you wonder if it should be cold!”
Art W Global Presents WATERSHED RED HOOK
WATERSHED Red Hook, a large scale video installation by Brooklyn artist Anita Glesta will be projected in Red Hook, Brooklyn, October 26th, 2017. WATERSHED is a large-scale public art project that has been exhibited around the world. Its commanding presence is of symbolic importance to the neighborhood of Red Hook. This immersive projection’s venue will be announced shortly.
EVENT SCHEDULE
Opening Remarks at Red Hook Library October 26, 6-8 pm. There seem to be a lot of speakers to make these remarks. The list includes: Eric Adams Brooklyn Borough President; Anita Glesta, the artist; Karen Blondel working for the Fifth Avenue Committee; Carlos Menchaca, the Councilman; Carolina Salguero, of Portside; Alexander Washburn, professor and Van Brunt Street resident; and Andrea Sansom, Red Hook advocate. Round Table Discussion at Red Hook Library 7 Wolcott St. , Saturday, October 28th 1:30 - 4:30 pm Round Table Discussion: Commemorating the impact of Hurricane Sandy and preparing the community to face ecological change.
The Barnacle Parade The Barnacle Parade is an annual raucous event on the anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, celebrating Red Hook’s community in the face of adversary. It is put on by the people of Red Hook for the people of Red Hook. DIY Floats, homemade costumes, noise-makers and that unsinkable Red Hook spirit. This year they will be fundraising for Puerto Rico. As is customary, the parade will occur along the streets of Red Hook on the afternoon of October 29. Local bars and restaurants will no doubt celebrate on into the night. Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue
of Chief Urban Designer of the City of New York, Dept. of City Planning; Karen Blondel Fifth Ave Committee, T3 Turning the Tide Environmental Justice Community Organizer; Vlada Kenniff Director of Sustainability Programs N.Y.C.H.A Capitol Projects; Carolina Salguero Founder/Director, Portside, NY; Paul Mankiewicz Prof/ Director Gaia Institute, Pratt Institute; Jason E Smerdon Associate Research Professor, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory; Dana Kochnower Community Outreach ad Senior Policy Advisor for the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resilience; Judy Brodsky Chairpers son, New York Foundation for the Arts. The discussion will be moderated by Alexander Washburn who is an expert on dealing with ecological change. WATERSHED Red Hook is a conversation to benefit the community by offering a platform for the residents to express their thoughts, their fears, and their needs in the wake of flooding as we move together toward a more resilient future.
The panel consists of: Diana Reyna Deputy Brooklyn Borough President;
It also presents a new model of public art, viewed by thousands through its remarkable visuals in its setting, hopefully across the street from the Red Hook Ikea store.
Carlos Menchaca City Councilman District 38; Thaddeus Pawlowski Associate Urban Designer for the Office
The projection will also be shown at the Rood Gallery, 373 Van Brunt Street, for a week starting October 26.
Red Hook Real Estate Prices
Source: Miller Samuel/Douglas Elliman
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October 2017
Red Hook Star-Revue
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October 2017, Page 17
NEIGHBORHOOD PORTRAIT:
JOHN HEYER II
that have taken place in the old church. With the photos, he requested people bring their stories. The response was impressive and John’s understanding of the area expanded dramatically.
He recalled that one photo depicted a couple getting married in the rectory, the priest’s residence, which seems rather unusual today. But in looking through the story, John discovered that in the past, weddings between Catholics and Protestants could not take place in the main building. It’s a simple story, but one that plays a role in rounding out the experience of people who have lived in Carroll Gardens over the years.
by Emily Kluver
I
n the home of John Heyer II, statues of religious figures can be found in every nook, old black and white photographs adorn the walls, and the backyard is filled with plants that hint at Italian heritage. There’s a fig tree and tomato plants, a statue of Mary surrounded by rose bushes. John picked ripe tomatoes and brought them to set on the kitchen island, which was created from an old ornate desk that John rescued from being thrown out from the Brooklyn Courthouse. Turning to a small black and white photograph on his dining room wall, John launched into full storytelling mode. The photograph shows a scene from Pete Panto’s funeral back in the 1940s. Panto, who led the movement to democratize the International Longshoremen’s Association, was allegedly murdered when the mafia felt threatened by his efforts. When he turned up dead in New Jersey, no one would touch Panto’s body, fearing the “powers that be.” Scotto Funeral home accepted the task. Intrigued by the funeral, John noted what a statement it made to parade the casket through the street in such a public manner. But to John, the photograph is about more than the funeral scene itself. He points out the old police uniform on the officers in the scene, the clothing people wore. “Look at the way the men take off their hats when the casket passes,” he directed, drawing attention the the hats held behind men’s backs. “Then as it passes, they put them back on.”
CREATING A LOCAL HISTORIAN
John is the legacy of Italian immigrants in South Brooklyn. He spent his earliest years in Red Hook, before moving to Carroll Gardens when he was 8 years-old. His family lived with close relatives in a brownstone that John’s grandfather’s grandparents had purchased many years prior. When John got married, he and his wife, Maria Heyer, continued living in the building until they were able to purchase and remodel their own home near Columbia Street. Like John, Maria Heyer moved to the neighborhood when she was 8 years
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old, the daughter of Italian immigrants. On the living room piano in their new house, John and Maria display wedding photographs of their family members going back generations. Walking over to the instrument, he pointed out his grandparents’ wedding portrait, his wife’s parents. Some of the photos were taken years after the marriage as wedding photos were not always customary in Italy. Considering their long history in the neighborhood, in Brooklyn, John and Maria feel pride in their home. “We’re so Brooklyn we had our reception under the Brooklyn Bridge,” John joked. “He proposed to me on the bridge, so it was fitting.” Maria added as she walked through the kitchen. John’s love of the local area and his history in Carroll Gardens has inspired him to become something of a local historian. “I’ve always had a love of history, especially local history,” John explained. “I guess you could say it’s fueled by my work with Sacred Hearts-St. Steven.”
“It’s like a puzzle,” John remarked. “You see pictures from 20 years ago, 60 years ago… You check the differences and see when different changes took place when and decide what to preserve.” John’s sense of local history has been further expanded in the funeral business. As a licensed funeral director, John spends a lot of his time speaking with families about their histories. “Being in the funeral business gives me another opportunity to hear stories,” he explained. “People bring in photos, they want to talk.”
HISTORY IN CARROLL GARDENS
For John, being connected to the Scotto family is a lesson in history in and of itself. Thinking of Buddy Scotto, a neighborhood man of over 80 years old with countless stories to share,
the rest remained in Brooklyn to either work in imports or to open wine stores. Not long after they began their work, prohibition struck. The Brooklyn Scottos decided that the next best thing to wine would have to be movies. The first brother opened a movie theater near Borough Hall, the next at Court Street and Butler, and the third at Court Street between 1st and 2nd Place. When prohibition ended, two of the Scotto brothers turned back to the wine industry, but the last brother had married the daughter of an undertaker. He decided to get into the funeral business and thus Scotto Funeral Home was born. Today, the first theater is long gone, the second has been converted into the present-day Cobble Hill Theater, and the third has become a CVS. “I like this story because it shows the way one family had an influence and a buildup in the neighborhood,” John noted. “Scotto Wine Cellar and Carroll Gardens Wines were the old Scotto businesses. Carroll Gardens Wine still has the T. Scotto on the registration.” But the Scottos aren’t the only interesting characters in the neighborhood. John can list off any number of infamous persons, lovely personalities, and important public figures. There was Joe Gallo, one of the first supposed mobsters with a public life, hanging out with actors and singers, Monsignor Delvecchio at SHSS kept the community together when people began fleeing to the suburbs, and Eileen Dugan, a local politician who made it her mission to clean up Smith Street. “There are still a lot of personalities,” he laughed. John spoke with fascination as he traced the neighborhood’s progression over time. “It’s important, knowing where you are, the history,” he said, with straightforward earnestness.
John started working in the Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen Church (SHSS) when he was 14 years old, answering phones while he did his homework. Though he didn’t know it at the time, this simple volunteer effort would morph into a major undertaking. After college, having graduated with a degree in Theology, John became the SHSS Pastoral Associate. “The church now takes up like 90% of my attention,” John laughed. In addition to work with SHSS, John co-owns Scotto Funeral Homes with Debra Scotto. The two bought the business from Debra’s parents recently, but John has worked in the funeral home since he was a teenager alongside his father, John Heyer Sr., who has worked at the funeral home for over 30 years. Through this work, John has cultivated his knowledge of the history of Carroll Gardens. He is always hearing stories from the parishioners about the church and the changes it has gone through over time. When the parish began planning renovations, John asked people for photographs of the church, any they could find, including photographs of the weddings
Buddy Scotto telling the story of Carroll Gardens to a new generation of kids playing by the Gowanus Canal. (photo by George Fiala)
John smiled and began recounting the story of the Buddy’s family. The Scotto family came to the United States from the small Italian island of Procida before 1920. The four Scotto brothers, entrepreneurs that they were, decided to get into the business they knew best—wine. So, one of the brothers moved to California to open a vineyard, while
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LOOKING FORWARD
Between his work at the church and in the funeral home, John is kept busy, but that does not even touch on his full-time job. He works with the Brooklyn Diocese as the Development Officer. And despite the demands of multiple jobs and raising a family, sitting with John, you feel as though he has all the time in the (continued on next page)
October 2017
Brooklyn Clay Tour Emily Kluver
I
n early September, people all over Brooklyn attended events during the first annual Brooklyn Clay Tour. The event spanned three days and included activities that highlighted ceramic artists across the borough, including art exhibits, sales, interactive work with clay, and artist demonstrations. Here’s a look at a few of the activities that highlighted our local artists and purveyors.
Clay Tours hub at Supersmith. (photos by Kluver)
spired by their favorite books. Halley approached a Cobble Hill bookstore, Books are Magic, about displaying the pieces on their shelves. The store, owned by famous author Emma Straub and her husband, Michael Fusco-Straub, displayed the exhibit during the tour and kept many of the pieces up through the month of September.
Drawn To Fire
Ceramists Demetria Chappo and Nicolas Newcomb demonstrated the art of outdoor pit firing at Pioneer Works, a culture center and art space on Pioneer Street. While most pottery is fired and hardened in electric kilns, some ceramic artists enjoy the unpredictable effects created by a real fire. During the demonstration, Chappo and Newcomb explained the way things like sawdust, salt, copper
Tour of the Tour
Supersmith is an old plumbing warehouse just off Van Brunt that has been converted into a workplace for artists and designers. The space acted as a hub during Brooklyn Clay Tours. hosting the event’s opening party. They additionally hosted a “tour of the tour,” displaying flyers for all the events and sample pieces to represent different exhibits.
My Favorite Book
Together, Isabel Halley and Michele Quan curated an exhibit in which ceramic artists designed pieces in-
HEYER (continued from previous page) world. A storyteller at heart, John goes into animated descriptions without rush or frenzy. “If I didn’t have the wife I had, I’d only be able to do one [of the three jobs],” he acknowledged, glancing over at his wife who was then sitting on the opposite end of the table, helping one of their daughters with her homework. “She’s always been supportive.” While John spends a lot of his time looking back on the past, that doesn’t mean he avoids thinking about the future. He looks at the neighborhood that his two daughters, Maria Teresa and Catherine, will grow up in. “In a city like New York, a cold city, it’s a big cosmopolitan place. To grow up in a neighborhood that feels like small town America is special,” John mused. “No matter who makes up the neighborhood, I think Carroll Gardens has that ability to always feel like small town America.” He credits this atmosphere to the many religious institutions in the area, the lack of densely populated apartment buildings, and the many purveyors on Court Street that make up the town center. “Being born and raised and growing up here allowed me to see the neighborhood’s change and evolution,” Heyer said. “The neighborhood means something to me.” The neighborhood is always evolving
Red Hook Star-Revue
Ceramic piece taken from the wood fire and decorated with horsehair and sugar
carbonate, horsehair, and sugar can effect the color of the clay and create effects during different stages of the firing process.
and John does not preach resistance to that change. “Carroll Gardens is a younger population now. Working with those families [in the funeral home], I hear their stories, too,” John explained. “Learning their stories becomes a part of the neighborhood.” Everywhere he looks, things are adjusting to meet the needs of a new community, but at the same time, there’s a lot left of the old. A few weeks ago, John had a meeting at Marco Polo. He sat in the window, and every few minutes someone came by to wave, say hello, or stop to “bust his chops.” The person he met commented on how he must know everyone in the neighborhood. Sometimes, he feels as though he does. “Life would be empty without relationships,” John posited. “My kids can have relationships with total strangers we meet in CB6 or at church. Being friends with your neighbors is very important… In Carroll Gardens you have community.”
“Being in the funeral business gives me another opportunity to hear stories,” he explained. “People bring in photos, they want to talk.” www.star-revue.com
October 2017, Page 19
Local student wins prestigious scholarship by Nathan Weiser
J
onathon Munez, a Red Hook native and student at South Brooklyn Community High School (SBCHS) traveled to South African this summer as a recipient of the Curtis Scholarship. The Curtis Scholarship, conceived and funded by Global Citizen Ambassador and Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis through the Vitalogy Foundation, is an annual award to mentor and support Curtis Scholars. There were five other Curtis Scholars selected out of the about 400 that applied. Munez was the top overall candidate, according David Arons, job and internship coordinator at SBCHS. In Arons’s letter of recommendation, he referred to Jonathan as the “glue guy” due to his ability to connect with a variety of people and keep morale high during school trips and group activities when faced with a difficult situation, according to the Global Citizens website. Munez had the option of writing an essay or making a video to apply for the scholarship. It turned out that he was the only applicant who made a video. “It was based on poverty in your community and how it affects you, and what the trip would do for you as a person,” Munez said. He dropped out of school after Sandy, and after a series of hardships came back to SBCHS, a public school on Conover Street that offers second chances to dropouts. He enjoyed his trip to South Africa.
“My favorite part was seeing the children over there from the townships because those are the poor areas we see on TV,” Munez said. “They are not upset, they are happy and they know about their culture and about their ancestors. The slum areas that people call it, they are still appreciative.” He was occupied with various activities from morning to night each of the 10 days of the trip. Munez thought it was amazing being able to see so many different places while in South Africa. A highlight was going on safari. “That was amazing,” Munez said. “You drive in the truck and get to see the animals. You can’t step out but you get to drive around and see the animals. The fact that they have so many of the rare animals in one secluded area that no one can come in—I loved that.” The Global Citizens group visited Capetown upon arriving in South Africa. They then went to Longa, which is a township area. After that they went to Johannesburg. When he returned to SBCHS this year, his focus in the classroom was better.
Steady improvement
Arons believes that Munez has gone through a substantial turnaround since he began at SBCHS. “When he was here initially he was very quiet and not as effusive as he is now,” Arons added in an interview. “He is
Page 20 Red Hook Star-Revue Star-Revue
very open, charismatic, talkative and warm. He probably had that in him before but was in a new school and was not necessarily comfortable with everybody yet. Arons really began to see a transformation in his second year at SBCHS. “Last year, he just came out and started doing more things and engaging with more opportunities with me and with school a bit more,” Arons said. “This has completely changed him and he is a different person.” Munez’s goal is to get into an Ivy League school. “I feel like young adults from alternative schools have the grind and hustle that schools like Harvard, Howard and Stanford want,” Munez said. “It is just that we messed up in the regular high school but that doesn’t make a difference. We can change. Everyone can change.” His trip to South Africa has changed his life goals. Previously, his idea was to major in psychology, but now his thoughts have changed. Munez wants to help a bigger group of people. He wants to do more traveling and try to eliminate extreme poverty but he really feels that he wants to concentrate on education and he has thoughts on how the system can be changed. “I want to make sure that education is for all children and can get to all teenagers,” Munez emphasized. The way that we teach needs to be a new brighter way for kids in this modern day because we have been teaching the same thing for years.” He feels that textbooks are outdated and that there should be a new way of teaching so high school students don’t drop out and fall victim to their circumstances. He also puts some blame on technology era that we are in. “There are kids now who have iPhones and tables and it’s easy to get washing away into that, so education has to be the first priority,” Munez said. He credits the staff and the environment at Good Shepherd Services’s SBCHS with helping him develop as a student. This is in contrast from his previous school. “They showed me why it is hard for me to learn and then showed me why as a minority it is important for me to learn,” Munez said. “It is up to you to choose what you want to do because now you know the reasons why you do something bad. They gave me perspective to know that I am in control of my life and have decisions to make.” Munez has always been open to learning but really appreciates that the school figured out how he works best and that they combined to put a plan together that dealt specifically with his learning process. With the help of Arons, Munez has been able to get involved in various internship activities that have helped him advance and prosper. “One of the things I do with the intern-
Jonothan Munez in South Africa with another Curtis Scholar.
ship program is that I try to have my students work as volunteers on local events,” Arons said. “They are usually good experiences. It’s a one-day commitment and you see how people perform.
ten a lot out of being on the basketball team.
Last year, Munez volunteered at the Star-Revue’s Celebrating Red Hook. According to Arons, Munez loved doing it. The internship coordinator got great reviews about Munez.
“He has always been school first and then basketball later,” Munez said. “He will teach us how basketball has to do with life because the way we present ourselves—walk on the court, treat other teammates, treat people who we play against—makes a difference.”
Last spring and summer Munez got involved with the Beam Center, an after school and employment program that does experiential learning. “They learn a subject matter and build a curriculum of lessons and in the summer are placed in summer camps where they teach lessons to younger kids,” Arons added about Beam Center program. “This last year, I was recruiting for the Beam Center experience, he was very interested, I placed him there, and then from January to June he learned Aquatics City.” Aquatics was the theme chosen for this year. New York is an aquatic city, so they learned about water, sea life and conservation. Munez developed lesson plans based on the aforementioned topic to teach the 7-11 year old kids during summer camp, at PS 15 in Red Hook. Munez started this summer working at the camp and when he came back from South Africa he went back and finished the camp season. “The internship works as an after school or weekend activity,” Arons said. “It is a paid internship, so they can’t do it while they are in their school. That is a reason that this works as a graduation tool. It is a hook to keep these kids connected and they stay in school more and graduate more. Beam Center was impressed with Munez and has hired him to teach during the school year. He and another student will teach a few days a week. He will work on a service project and determine what initiative can help or benefit his community. Aside from his schoolwork and outside of school opportunities at SBCHS, where he is in his third year, he has got-
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His coach told him that basketball is not the main objective and that school comes first.
Munez compared the team to an office setting saying that one should treat their colleagues at work the right way. Munez enjoyed winning a championship his first year. He applied the hard work that the team put into winning a championship to his schoolwork. “For someone like Jonathan, it is almost like you add in some important piece into himself and then his selfesteem grows,” Arons said. “For him, it just grows in a somewhat linear fashion. You can see it in how he is, he has just grown very openly and reflectively and talks about it and his life outside of school does not get in the way. For most kids, their lives outside of school get in the way.” Another notable experience Munez has had while at SBCHS was Outward Bound. Outward Bound is an experience-based outdoor leadership program for youth and adults. He did this with 19 of his classmates in Fishkill, NY. This was an experience to remember for him since they were in the woods without access to technology. Being in the woods in the cold and dark for two weeks was a successful experience since he thought he might not succeed but then everything ended up going well. “We consider each other like family,” Munez said about the 20-person group. Upon returning, after the group was sitting among friends they hadn’t seen in a few weeks in the cafeteria, they slowly gravitated to the same table.
October 2017
The Star-Revue celebrates Red Hook with a music festival The Star-Revue produced it’s fourth annual Celebrating Red Hook festival on Saturday, September 16. The weather gods smiled and a steady stream of festival go-ers made their way to Erie Basin park in back of IKEA for the event which featured ten live bands and local food and merchandise vendors. The event was dedicated to the memory of George Kornienko, who was the heart and soul of Rocky Sullivan’s of Red Hook until his untimely passing earlier this year. Robert Moe, a music producer and longtime friend of George’s, spoke about what Kornienko meant to the community. Robert is pictured in the photo below and to the right. Two of the acts from that day will be making a return appearance to the neighborhood at Rocky Sullivans the evening of October 20—Andi Rae Healy and Mary Elaine Jenkins. The new Rocky’s is located at 46 Beard Street, directly Andi Rae Healy with a bully. (photos by George Fiala) across from the IKEA parking lot.
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October 2017, Page 21
A month of music showcasing New York’s diversity by Matt Caprioli
O
nly in New York would a Pulitzer-Prize winning musician and a Prince-like rapper of the surprisingly charming, “Put that pu**y on me,” perform in the same space.
Red Hook’s Pioneer Works continues to stir the pot of the city’s great diversity with their wide array of concerts in October. From underground hiphop to hallelujah choirs, Fado music and acid jazz, here’s an overview of the wide range of musicians coming to Pioneer Works this month. The “conductorless” group Shattered Glass performs classical works from Mozart and Bach to more contemporary pieces by Krzysztof Penderecki and Tarik O’Regan. An amorphous group of friends, Shattered Glass rotates the principle player for each track, ensuring a unique focus on each take. The album launch will feature live music by Caroline Shaw, whose enigmatic work made her the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Music, and Pascal Le Boeuf, whose influence stretches from progressive jazz to heavy metal. The Nigerien guitarist Mdou Moctar produces some soul-opening chords accompanied by a dreamy percussionist set. Moctar infuses traditional Tuareg music with Electric Lady Studios influences. Nodding to his psychedelic sensibility is the Brooklyn
based band, Drunk Foreigner Band. Their debut LP, “White Guy Disease” shows the Akha and Lam Lao styles that keyboardist Dave Kadden studied while living in Thailand and Laos. One of the bigger October acts, Esperanza Spalding, performs on the first friday of the month. A four time Grammy Award winner, Spalding has also deployed her sensual voice and delightfully original compositions at the Oscars and a Nobel Prize Ceremony. Hailing from Iquitos, Peru, the five brothers of Los Wember’s give a rare performance in New York. New Yorkbased quartet (and rambunctious live performers), Combo Chimbita, joins them with the powerhouse vocalist Carolina Oliveros and the infectious concoctions of three other first generation New Yorkers from Columbia. To kick off Halloween weekend, Pioneer Works has two fun-loving acts who have previously collaborated. Spank Rock (Naeem Juwan), one of the few musicians to be as great as his stage name, offers clever word-play and liberating musical cross-pollinations backed by serious talent. A “collective, electro-pop outfit” by way of Minneapolis, POLIÇA gives a synthesizer show-boat with by producer Ryan Olson and sinuous vocals by Channy Leaneagh.
Portuguese Fado singer Mariza appears at Pioneer Works on Halloween
Foreigner Band, 8 pm 10/6: Esperanza Spalding, 9 pm Pioneer Works schedule of musical 10/16: Los Wembler’s, El Combo Chimbita events for the month of October 10/3: Shattered Glass Album 10/27: Spank Rock, POLIÇA, Marijuana Deathsquads The month ends with the mesmeriz- Release, 7 pm ing Portuguese singer, Mariza, one of 10/5: Mdou Moctar, Drunken 10/31: Mariza, 7 pm the most popular Fado singers ever. Her minimal, acoustic set aims to mimic her beginnings of singing at Lisbon clubs.
New Development in Red Hook COFFEY STREET NEAR RICHARDS
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WASHER/DRYER HOOK UP, NEW STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES, SPLIT AC UNITS, DISHWASHER , BALCONY, OUTDOOR YARD SPACE, ELEVATOR LIFT FOR THE DISABLED, PARKING
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Red Hook gallery presents The Callas, an international exhibition
K
USTERA PROJECTS is delighted to present Strange Fruit, an exhibition by the Greek artistsLakis and Aris Ionas/ THE CALLAS. The show will run from October 14th through November 11th, with an opening reception and live performance on Saturday , October 14th from 6-8 pm. Based in Athens, Greece, brothers Lakis & Aris Ionas known as The Callas produce music, films, artworks, magazines, events, and art shows. Through a DIY aesthetic they fuse traditional Greek elements such as architecture, costumes, myths and embroidery with elements from the punk rock culture. For their show at Kustera Projects, they will exhibit a new series of embroideries set as a backdrop for their psychedelic live performance scheduled during the opening reception. Previous exhibitions include Documenta 14 (Athens - Kassel), Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Family Business (NYC), DESTE Foundation (Athens), Athens Biennial (Athens), Andreas Melas Gallery (Athens), Yinka Shonibare Space (London), The Breeder Gallery (Athens), and ATOPOS cvc (Athens), to name a few. In 2013, they completed their first feature film “Lustlands” (HAOS film) and in December 2016, premiered
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their new film “The Great Eastern” which was included in this year’s Documenta in Athens. They co-wrote the soundtrack of the film with Lee Ranaldo (of Sonic Youth) and are currently working with him on a new album “Trouble & Desire” (Dirty Water Records USA) and a live performance. Their latest two albums, “Am I Vertical?” and “Half Kiss, Half Pain”, were produced by Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Lydia Lunch, The Cramps).
“For their show at Kustera Projects, they will exhibit a new series of embroideries set as a backdrop for their psychedelic live performance scheduled during the opening reception.” The Callas have performed live in churches, galleries, flats, museums, boats, mountains, toilets, Liverpool Psyche Festival (Liverpool UK), The Great Escape Festival (Brighton, UK), Indigenes Festival (France), Reeperbahn Festival (Hamburg, DE) and with bands/artists such as Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Ty Segall and Grinderman. For the past 10 years, Lakis & Aris Io-
nas / The Callas have been publishing magazines for the Athenian (Greece) underground music/ art/ film scene such as Velvet Magazine and Lust Magazine. Their studio is one of the most active cultural spaces in Athens. Going by the nameVelvet Room, they organize art shows combined with music gigs and DJ sets involving some
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of the best new bands and artists in Athens today. KUSTERA PROJECTS is located at 57 Wolcott Street between Van Brunt and Richards Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY. For additional information and directions, www.kusteraprojects.com, email info@kusteraprojects.com or call 718-522-3811.
October 2017, Page 23
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October 2017