The Red Hook Houses

told by Gene Bray

Continued from Last Month

That evening the elevator was spotless. Damn. I was wondering what it was gonna look like. So the elevator is cleaned every 3 days or so.

Unless the janitor is this one lazy mother….Whoops.

So yeah, if the common areas are a little trashy, deal with it punk. I’m gettin ghetto.

People think the P.Js are dangerous. I know I did. I was practicing self defense moves. But I’ve never had a problem, thank God. I don’t wanna hurt anybody. My last fight I won decisively.

Alright, it was in the 4th grade. I never hear gunshots. I never see gangs. I’ve seen 5 fights in 22 years. Three of them were girls. They go for the hair.

ly while the weather is nice this summer. While we were there, folks were working to trim the branches of a large tree. One of the key factors in determining if the space is appropriate is making sure there aren’t any safety issues with the tree. The plan is to consult with an arborist.

“The church is here to help and I’m here to help,” said Gray. “The next step is getting some details about things that would work for the library. Let’s put it together and see if it’s workable. We know we have to reach the community and we are always looking for new ideas. We want this to be a place where people from the community can have good, clean, family fun.”

The next step is for leaders from the Red Hook Civic Association to put together a one-page report.

The group discussed the importance of having the temporary location for the library be in the neighborhood.

“It’s so important for kids to have a space where they can go and research and learn once they have an idea,” Razuri said. “There are families who don’t have easy access to the internet and they have to rely on libraries. It makes a huge difference for them.”

“What would be nice about having the library here, is it puts it right in the community,” Kovacs said. “It would truly be a community library.”

Civic Association meets at the Rec Center

by Brian Abate

Despite the dog days of summer, an engaged crowd of 23 showed up for the Civic Association Meeting on July 17 at the Red Hook Recreation Center.

A vote was held on whether or not to

I paid $1300 per month when I was working. Out of $2,600 net. If someone was living with me who worked where I did, we would have paid $2,600 a month. Some couples pay $4000 a month. It’s not a bunch of people on welfare. Everybody’s workin’.

The mood is relaxed and happy.. And it’s not just The Red Hook Houses. I spent 18 years working in the projects of Brownsville, East New York, and Bed Stuy. It’s the same. Things have changed. The old days are gone. Are you a white guy? Take a stroll through the PJ lanes and loosen up your walk. It’s gonna take a while if you’re like most white guys. Nobody’s gonna bother you.

I love the basketball courts in the summer. Young guys slashing explosive moves to the hoop. Although in the last few years there are a lot more 3 point shots. Which rarely go in. But there’s still a lotta mean muggin, cussing, and power posing. You can do all of that stuff too.

Right in your living room. It’s great for building self esteem.

Sunday morning in The Projects. My favorite time. You see people dressed up for church. The senior citizens look the best. Some have on clothes that are 20, 30, maybe even 50 years old. They’re have an August meeting, and the majority voted against it. Another vote was held regarding when the next meeting should take place and it was decided that the next meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 6.

Matias Kalwill came up with a strategy to address issues that are important to the attendees. Once a specific issue is raised, there will be a research phase, followed by compiling a one-page input sheet to “try to build consensus around the topic.” After that, there will be a report on the issue.

Progress has also been made in regard to some of the key issues that the committees are focusing on. Dave Lutz provided an update on the Services Committee and said that after a call to 311, “additional trash cans are being returned to Van Brunt St.”

Additionally, a fact sheet was put together regarding the possibility of a bus route that would go directly from Red Hook to Manhattan.

“We know this is something that’s been talked about for a long time and we’re pushing for busses from Red Hook to Manhattan,” said Emmitt Mendoza-Gaspar, chief of staff for Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes.

The Infrastructure Committee continues to focus on safe streets, air quality, and E-warehouses. One of the key issues they’re looking at is the cruise ships that come to Red Hook and whether or not ships like the Queen Mary are plugging in and using shore power or if they are spewing fumes into the neighborhood. immaculate. Their Church Clothes. Never worn anywhere else. Classic. Conservative. And never out of style. Church folks are always so polite. It’s comforting.

Fellas, church is a great place to meet women. They have morals. They’re loyal and trustworthy. And from the ones I’ve known, when the sun goes down, they all had the devil in them too. Sunday mornings always lift my spirit. On Thanksgiving and Christmas the hallways smell heavenly. Now I know on those days hallways everywhere do. But in The Projects it’s just a little better. More sweet potatoes in the ovens. And you know somebody is cookin’ a ham.

A lotta people think The Projects are full of rats and roaches. I’ve been there 22 years and never saw a rat or a mouse. Roaches, yeah. But when I see roaches; they see Combat. [ if they can see that is ]

Now if you’re white and you get invited to a black party? That’s a great honor, so show some respect. If they say it starts at 9, then show on time.

Like 10:30 or 11.

The best thing I’ve learned living here….Be polite and keep it movin’. Now that I’m 68, people young and

“Regarding MSC Cruises, we’ve become used to seeing people on the cruises end up stuck in Red Hook, and we never should’ve had a ship that big here,” said Council Member Alexa Aviles.

Kristen Rouse, deputy director for Congress Member Dan Goldman also provided an update on the Red Hook Library, which is closed for renovations, saying “We’ve been communicating with New York Public Library [NYPL.] Their website now has a link for events planned in Red Hook.” old wait an extra beat or two, patiently holding the door with a smile.

Upcoming events in August include a knitting group, improv camp for kids, story time with Crystal, teen tech support, and Spanish as a second language. Unfortunately, the Carroll Gardens Library, which is the second closest one to Red Hook, closed for renovations on July 21. The library is expected to be closed for 18-24 months. Before the meeting concluded, attendees had the opportunity to bring up new business. One of the topics raised was the return of spotted lanternflies, an invasive species that threatens agriculture here in NYC. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), adult spotted lanternflies begin to appear in July.

One attendee mentioned the possibility of introducing praying mantises into the neighborhood because they eat spotted lanternflies. As of now, nothing so drastic is planned.

The next meeting is scheduled for September 6, at the Rec Center, 6 pm.

But I knew I was accepted about 2 years in. Looking out my window on a March morning, I saw royal blue skies and golden sunshine. I left out in just a sweatshirt. A black woman in the lane scolded me

“Where’s your jacket?

Then she looked around, and with a mischievous look in her eye, leaned close, and whispered

“You think you’re white?”