The
Red Hook StarRevue
OCTOBER 2016
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
Miracle on Mill Street by Noah Phillips
H
urricane Sandy design. “Everybody. We rebadly affected ally take pride the Red Hook in developing Houses, worsen- some of the most vibrant ing the already uncomfort- urban centers the able living conditions for Red around world, and so Hook’s 6,217 New York City why shouldn’t Housing Authority (NYCHA) we do that in residents. Sandy and its as- our own backyard for an sociated floods destroyed area that really boilers, damaged roofs be- needs it?” yond repair, and compro- The Real mised playgrounds, lighting, Challenge Hurricane Sanunderground conduits, fenc- dy hit NYCHA developments ing, and sidewalks. A new paradigm
Four years after the storm, a process is underway not only to repair the damage, but to improve Red Hook’s NYCHA development overall. NYCHA has received $3.2 billion from the federal government, mostly the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to repair the damage from Hurricane Sandy. Of this money, almost $440 million will be used for Red Hook Houses East and West. The architects working on the design for the recovery effort are Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), a Manhattan-based firm that has worked on projects ranging from New York’s Museum of Modern Art to the World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC to the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea. “Everybody here is very excited about the project,” says Jill Lerner, KPF’s principal for the Red Hook Houses
in every borough except Staten Island.
FEMA upgrades will modernize and upgrade NYCHA living. (Artist rendering courtesy KPF Associates)
“The storm’s surge impacted 10 percent of NYCHA’s developments, knocking out power to more than 400 buildings and leaving 386 buildings without heat and hot water,” according to the NYCHA website. “With FEMA funding agreements in place and finalized in Fall 2015, extensive repairs to more than 30 developments can move from planning and design to construction and completion.” A few years after the storm, KPF undertook a large research study on the many different aspects of NYCHA’s building portfolio. “Our firm has been very interested in the challenges facing the NYCHA campuses,” says Jill Lerner “so we did some research that informed their Next Gen NYCHA program, and became familiar with the Urban design opportuni-
HARVEST FEST AT RED HOOK FARM OCT. 29
THEN GO TO THE BARNACLE PARADE!!! Red Hook Star-Revue
ties, and with NYCHA and the NYCHA portfolio.”
housing projects keep pace with the rest of the neighborhood.
When the FEMA grant was approved, KPF considered submitting propos-
“I think one of the really interesting thing about this project is to have NYCHA be part of that development of the neighborhood from a social and an economic point of view so it’s not just the main streets [such as Van Brunt Street] that are developing,” says Ratliff. “The FEMA funding helps NYCHA join that trend rather than being this unfunded animal that misses out.”
"We felt this would be something that we could really build on, leveraging the FEMA dollars to make a better and more resilient community.” als for three of the Sandy-impacted NYCHA sites. “We decided that Red Hook was where we felt we could make the biggest contribution,” says Lerner. “Red Hook’s a really interesting changing community. The Houses have a very interesting footprint architecturally, two parts that were built in different times, and the campus has architectural integrity. In addition it has a beautiful tree canopy, and it has a lot of landscape potential. We felt this would be something that we could really build on, leveraging the FEMA dollars to make a better and more resilient community.” Devin Ratliff is KPF’s project manager for the Red Hook Houses. Ratliff, a Brooklyn resident, joined KPF in 1999, and as project manager works with the designers and NYCHA to “make sure we’re ticking all the boxes” on the programmatic and technical portions of the project. One aspect of the Red Hook project that appeals to him is the opportunity to help Red Hook’s public
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One critical aspect of working with NYCHA means engaging residents to share information and get feedback. But getting residents to meetings has always been a challenge for NYCHA. “We need some clarity, some transparency,” says Wally Bazemore, a longtime Red Hook Houses resident. Tenants are “completely out of the loop, they don’t know what these guys walking around with these white helmets and reflectors are doing.” Bazemore says that while NYCHA could do more to reach out to residents in advance of meetings, such as publicizing events online and at local non-profits, much of the responsibility for poor attendance is that of tenants themselves. “I think they’re more concerned about the day-to-day things they have to do to get by, I guess they feel like they’re powerless, they can’t do any damn thing anyway,” says Bazemore. “When you have a community where only 12% vote, what do you expect?” Yet despite the limitations of outreach, (continued on page)
October 2016, Page 1
Community Telephone Numbers: Red Hook Councilman Carlos Menchaca ................. 718 439-9012 Red Hook Assemblyman Felix Ortiz ..........................718-492-6334 Red Hook 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 Community 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 Brownstone Republicans ..info@brownstonerepublicanclub.com NYCHA Satellite Police Precinct, 80 Dwight Street 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
Happenings, etc. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
NYCHA Red Hook “Sandy Recovery Update” Community meeting at Joseph Miccio Community Center 110 West 9th Street, Red Hook Residents of Red Hook: Don't miss this presentation regarding the Sandy Recovery Program at Red Hook East & West! We want to update you on what we've been working on and what's coming up next. 6-8 pm
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
Catch one of the biggest upcoming stars in roots music Kaia Kater comes for a performance at Roots n' Ruckus on a great 5-band bill! There's no cover; starts at 9pm. 153 Columbia Street
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6
Friends of the Red Hook Library monthly meeting at 6:30 pm. The Friends will be planning the upcoming Mascarade Ball on October 29. Meetings are held the 1st Thursday of the month at the Red Hook Library. 7 Wolcott Street
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11 Red Hook West Tenant Association Meeting, 6:30 pm, 428 Columbia Street, Room 1A, don't leave without your box dinner!
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 Red Hook Integrated Flood Protection System (IFPS) Public Meeting #3 (Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency flyer attached) Please join us for a presentation on the findings of the integrated flood protection system study on reducing the risk of coastal flooding in Red Hook. Come share your local insight and concerns as we discuss potential locations and heights of an integrated flood protection system. P.S. 15 Patrick F. Daly 71 Sullivan St, 6:30 pm
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
Help The Good Fork celebrate the release of their Cookbook and their 10th anniversary extravaganza at Pioneer Works from 6:30-11 pm. There will be food, live music and tattoos! Please RSVP to goodforkcookbook@gmail.com. 159 Pioneer Street
Christian
River Of God Christian Center
110 Wolcott Street, 646-226-6135, Secretary, Sister Roslyn Chatman. Sunday - Family Worship 11:00 - 1:00 pm Scripture, read in English and Spanish Wednesday - At The Gate 12:00 noon, Prayer 7:00 - 7:30 pm, Bible Studies 7:00 - 8:00 pm, Thursday Prayer 7:30 - 8:30pm, Friday Youth ABLAZED Ministries 6:00 - 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 5:00 pm English; Sunday 10:00 am Spanish, 12:30 pm English. Community Prayer on Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00 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 11:00 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 @ 10:00 am Communion every First Sunday stretchingfar.webs.com stretchingfar@aol.com
St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29
The 13th Annual Red Hook Harvest Festival from 11 am-4 pm. Celebrating community, youth empowerment, and a bountiful harvest with food, music, games, contests, animals and fall fun on the farm. Between BASIS and IKEA. The 4th Annual Barnacle Parade at 2 pm. Dress yourself up, drag a friend out, and march through the streets of Red Hook as a welcome barnacle to Red Hook’s Annual commemoration of the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. Same route as last year.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Join Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club as they celebrate their 5th birthday as a chartered member of Rotary International. Guests will enjoy an open bar and live jazz hour from 6:30-7:30 pm. Dinner will be served at 8 pm, followed by recognition of the honorees. The evening will conclude with birthday festivities, including cake and a champagne toast.
467 Court Street, (718) 625-2270 Rectory Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 am - noon, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm, Friday 9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Masses: Saturday 5:30 pm, Sunday 10:00 am, Monday - Thursday 9:30 am.
Saint Paul and Saint Agnes Parish
Church Office 234 Congress Street (718) 624-3425 Hours: M - F 830am-12 St. Agnes Church Office 433 Sackett Street, 718-625-1717 Hours: M-F 1pm-430pm Email: stpaulstagnes@gmail.com St. Agnes: Saturday 5pm Vigil Mass Sunday 9 am (English), 11:30am (Spanish) St. Paul’s: Saturday 5pm Vigil Mass Sunday 8 am & 9:30am (English); 11am (Spanish) Monday & Tuesday 8:30am (St. Paul’s) Wednesday & Thursday 8:30am (St. Agnes) Saturday 8am (St. Paul’s)
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 9:00 am - 5:00 am, Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm, Sunday Masses at 8:00 am, 10:00 am, and 11:45 am (Italian/ English) Weekday Masses during winter months at 8:30 am and 12:00 noon Confessions: Saturday at 4:45 pm and by appointment. Baptisms every third Sunday at 1:00 pm.
The
481 Van Brunt Street, 8A, Brooklyn, NY 11231
FOR EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING OR EMPLOYMENT INQUIRIES, email: info@redhookstar.com, or call (718) 624-5568
St. Paul’s Carroll Street
199 Carroll Street Parish Office: 718-625-4126 Sunday Mass at 10 am Weekday Morning Prayer - Mon.-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, 6:00 PM Shabbat services, 9:15 AM Sunday Services 9:00 AM
The Star-Revue is published by Kimberly G. Price & George Fiala
Kimberly Gail Price, Senior Editor Noah Phillips, Junior Editor, Advertising Manager Nathan Weiser, Emily Kluver, Staff Reporters Halley Bondy, Feature Writer Laura Eng, Religion George Fiala, making-it-happen guy Contributors: Mary Ann Pietanza, Diana McClure
Congregation B’nai Avraham/Chabad of Brooklyn Heights
The Red Hook Star-Revue is published monthly. Founded June 2010 by George Fiala & Frank Galeano
If your religious institution isn’t listed here, let us know by emailing info@redhookstar.com Thanks! Page 2 Red Hook Star-Revue
Red Hook StarRevue
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October 2016
(continued from pr
Using Sandy money to make a better Red Hook Houses (continued from page 1)
Ratliff feels that KPF’s design has gained a lot from tenant feedback. “We’ve been to a bunch of community meetings, I think three or four over the course of the design phase of the project,” he says. “And we’ve tried really hard to listen to the things that people care about, and engage the community with the process rather than just impose it.” KPF has altered several aspects of their design from neighborhood feedback. An early design would have necessitated moving the community garden – that changed based on community feedback. Plans to relocate the senior center were also canceled due to community concerns about inconvenience. “A lot of the planning certainly had a lot of community input,” says Ratliff. “We don’t want anyone to be surprised.”
Leveraging the FEMA Funding
FEMA is not paying for many of the improvements residents have been clamoring for for years, such as mold abatement or fixing the elevators and plumbing. The scope of KPF’s project is limited to Sandy-related repairs and preparing for future storms. But the architects do have some ambitious plans they hope will increase tenants’ quality of everyday life. “I think there continues to be some frustration in the community that we can’t get inside and renovate the apartments, but FEMA doesn’t fund it,” says Ratliff, who has attended all of KPF’s community meetings. “So one of the things that we really made a strong effort to do was to make sure that everything funded by FEMA that is part of the project benefits the residents of NYCHA on a day-to-day basis.” The two most significant components of KPF’s design are the two district power plants, which will provide steam for the Houses and power during an outage, and the “lily pads,” which will elevate the areas between buildings above flood level and demarcate community space. “I think the lily pads were really a eureka moment,” says Ratliff. “Right now you have these buildings that are sort of dropped onto the site and a forest of ramps and stairs that lead up to the entries.” He noted that, like a lot of public housing projects, the existing design creates a sense of isolation, or “no man’s land,” at the buildings’ entrances. “There’s all of this infrastructure to move you from the ground up to the entrance, but no real place to gather. There’s no front stoop as there is on a brownstone block, there’s no courtyard. There aren’t really benches, and there’s no threshold that defines when you move from the center mall, the primary walking path that cuts across the site, into the realm of the front court of the building,” continues Ratliff. “And without that line, the space tends to feel like it bleeds out.” In addition, KPF is trying to keep water out of the lobbies, improve accessibility for handicapped and aging resi-
Red Hook Star-Revue
dents, rebuild the playgrounds, and replant trees dying from salt infiltration. They think the lily pads will help with all of these problems. “We’re taking the entire landscape between two buildings and raising it up,” says Ratliff. “We think that that could lead to a really great social space for those residents, and they could become a smaller unit of a larger community.” Red Hook Houses East and West will each have a dedicated boiler plant, as well as a network of utility pods to distribute steam and electric to each building. All will be above flood level. One boiler plant will be on the southern border of Coffey Park, currently a parking lot. The plant will be a sloped structure with plants growing along the top and a sheltered space for pedestrians underneath. KPF hopes that, in addition to housing a boiler and electrical plant, the structure will serve as a gateway to the park. The other plant, which will be located at the intersection of Ninth and Clinton Streets, will house retail commercial space on the bottom floor. Will the boilers be noisy? Ratliff expects them to be better than the pre-storm boilers, and far better than the temporary boilers NYCHA has used since. “What we’re designing meets all codes and environmental regulations,” he said. “Generally speaking we’ll have thick concrete walls around the boilers, and so we would expect them to be quieter, and less emittive, than what’s existing.” The utility pods that distribute the power and steam generated by the plants will also perform double duty – several will be elevated enough that community space can be provided underneath. There will be one pod for every two buildings. Ratliff thinks KPF is meeting the residents’ needs. “It’s a really great opportunity to help restore NYCHA to part of its founding principles of providing great housing for the economically disadvantaged folks in the city.”
The Timeline
KPF estimates that the design for the project will be completed within the first few months of 2017. Once the design is finalized, the bidding process and construction will probably take around three years. “NYCHA expects to complete design by the end of 2016, and anticipates starting major construction in Spring 2017,” writes NYCHA spokesperson Zodet Negron. “NYCHA has already begun some preliminary construction with demolition of damaged boilers, renovation of first floor apartments damaged by the storm, replacement of electrical conduits, as well as the reconstruction of the Red Hook Senior Center.” During the procurement and construction phases, the process will be overseen by the construction manager, the LiRo Group.
our [community] meetings, they follow along, they respond,” says Ratliff. Once construction starts, “they’re the ones that are having a direct impact on the residents. So there is a shift in who takes the lead. If people are complaining about noise, the construction manager can actually address the problem.” Many residents do have concerns about the impact construction may have on their quality of life. Wally Bazemore, for instance, is worried about the health effects of construction. “It all depends on what type of construction they’re going to be doing and what kind of chemicals they’re going to be using,” says Bazemore. “This is a community where respiratory diseases run rampant. Children have asthma. So [it will be a problem] if some of the construction is not controlled and some of the residents are not warned that they’ve got to keep their windows closed between this hour and that hour because some of the residue that might float in their apartment.”
play in the grass sometimes,” says Bazemore. “There has to be a safe zone while they’re doing some of this construction. I haven’t heard the plan on that yet.” That’s partially because there is no plan on that yet. “This is such a big site, we have yet to see any drawings from construction manager as to how he plans to implement the work logistically, which areas he’s going to work on first, things like that, and that’s critical.” says Lerner. “I think NYCHA would be well-served to have regular meetings throughout construction to keep people abreast of what’s going on.” Lerner says that while the health impact should be minimized by use of low-hazard materials and techniques which meet high environmental standards, “construction is inherently a noisy, dusty, disruptive process with a lot of vibration at certain times.”
Lerner hopes that LiRo will proactively seek residents’ feedback in the same Besides the effects of dust and chemi- way KDF has. cals, Bazemore is concerned about the “This is a vocal community and I hope safety of children living in the NYCHA we will work together for the best exdevelopment. perience possible,” says Lerner “The kids are out here playing, they
NYCHA to Offer Pre-Apprenticeship Training for Residents
NYCHA residents have repeatedly called for hiring local tenants as part of any recovery effort. The Housing Authority will provide pre-apprenticeship training for NYCHA residents in Sandy-affected areas. “Pre-apprenticeship programs teach basic construction safety and the skills necessary to become an apprentice in a union,” says NYCHA. “Graduates from these programs receive help getting placed into a union apprenticeship, which provides them with a pathway to union construction jobs. NYCHA expects to recruit and place up to 100 residents in Sandy construction jobs through the selected pre-apprenticeship programs.” While the P-ATP slots will not necessarily go to Red Hook’s NYCHA tenants, the program is directed toward Sandy-affected communities. According to NYCHA spokesperson Zodet Negron, the program provider must have a good track record of placing its P-ATP graduates into a union. “Once a resident is in the union they will have access to work on construction projects throughout New York City,” writes Negron. “NYCHA has built relationships with the unions so that if residents want to work on NYCHA Sandy contracts they will have the ability to and will be given preference.” “As new contracts are signed, contractors provide NYCHA with a hiring plan that shows how many new jobs are expected to be created, and how they plan to engage NYCHA residents,” writes Negron.
“The construction manager attends
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October 2016, Page 3
RED HOOK
INTEGRATED FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEM (IFPS)
RELIGIOUS NEWS BY LAURA ENG laura.eng59@aol.com.
PUBLIC MEETING #3 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2016 6:30 PM, Doors open at 6 PM
Bethel Baptist Church talks police
P.S. 15 PATRICK F. DALY, 71 SULLIVAN ST, RED HOOK CHILDCARE, SPANISH TRANSLATION, AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED.
P.S. 15 is wheelchair accessible. To request other accommodations, please contact Rachel Finkelstein at RFinkelstein@cityhall.nyc.gov or 212-676-3150 at least 72 hours in advance.
Please join us for a presentation on the findings of the integrated flood protection system study on reducing the risk of coastal flooding in Red Hook. Come share your local insight and concerns as we discuss potential locations and heights of an integrated flood protection system. The Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, with support from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, will host the third public meeting for the Red Hook Integrated Flood Protection System (IFPS) Feasibility Study.
For summaries of previous meetings and to learn more about the IFPS: EDC.NYC/RHIFPS
A
community evening with the purpose of “starting a conversation for community and police to understand one another and learn to work together to create a better world for generations to come” was held at Bethel Baptist Church in Boerum Hill on the evening of Friday, September 23rd. The program entitled “Staying Alive” was sponsored by Bethel’s Youth Ministry and co-chaired by Natasha Campbell and Jeffrey Primus, Jr. The evening began with a welcome by Mr. Primus and an invocation by Pastor C. Ramónt Morris during which all clergy members present were asked to join him as he prayed over the approximately 100 people assembled in the church’s sanctuary. As the site of Eric Garner’s funeral in July 2014, Bethel Baptist Church has experienced its share of anguish in the past few years. Reverend Morris stated that the topic has been on the table for a while at Bethel and that police shootings (citing recent incidents in Tulsa and Charlotte) seem to have a “reoccurring nature,” prompting the need to have a “healthy, heartfelt discussion” so that the community and the police department can come to understand each other’s concerns. He stressed that the discussion must be carried out “decently and in order” and asked attendees to keep in mind that “Bethel” translates to “House of God.” The moderator of the evening, Assistant Chief Kim Royster, the first African American Female Assistant Chief of the NYPD and a member of Bethel Baptist Church, began her remarks with the statement, “Out of tragedy comes conversation and out of conversation comes education.” She then introduced an eclectic group of panelists which included NYPD officers, community activists, and a youth representative. Each panelist provided some background, after which they were presented with questions by Chief Royster and the audience before breaking out into smaller discussion groups. The candid questions and answers covered topics from strained police/community relations to gun violence and gun buy-back programs to community policing to how to root out the bad in the community at large as well as in the police department. Panelist Hawk Newsome, an attorney and founder of Black Lives Matter New York spoke of a need for good cops, interaction with the police and building bridges and stated he is not “anti-cop” but rather “anti-bad cop.” Mr. Newsome said cops covering up for bad cops is not acceptable and falsifying police reports should be a felony punishable by jail time. On the “flip side,” Mr. Newsome said with regard to cleaning up crime in the community, residents also “need to start telling.” He
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Asst. Chief Kim Royster introducing "Staying Alive" panel
explained that criminal higher-ups are protected usually by “the low man on the totem pole” who is afraid to snitch. Detective Dion Gaspard of the NYPD Internal Affairs Department responded to Mr. Newsome’s comments by saying that while the “blue wall of silence” definitely still exists, it is getting shorter. He also agreed that people who know about guns in their community need to tell and urged parents to check their children’s social media accounts where kids might be bragging about guns and other possibly criminal activity. Many of the police officers present weighed in on the reason they became cops and the type of community policing they engage in. Police Officer Malachi McKenith who also happens to be a Pentecostal minister and grew up amidst gang activity, thinks the problem with community policing is that most police officers don’t know what is going on in the community they are serving nor do they take the time to find out. His form of community policing involves really “putting your hands in the pot” - getting involved with the community, getting to know the kids and their parents and asking the “right questions.” He further explained that cops need to have the respect of the community and that includes the respect of parents of the young people who are involved in criminal activity. He plantively stated “you don’t know what fear is” when responding to some calls and related how they often escalate into needlessly heated situations. Community Leader Tracey Pinkard, a longtime resident of Gowanus Houses and the Parent Coordinator at the Brooklyn Collaborative School, stated frankly that the conversation needs to go deeper, that “coming clean is a dirty business” and “in order for the police and the community to have reconciliation, wrong needs to be acknowledged by the Police Department” for whatever damage has been done to the community. She feels only after that point will activities such as cadet programs and NYPD/youth basketball games be effective. Ms. Pinkard also asked about the accountability of the NRA regarding gun violence. Despite being wounded and oppressed, Ms. Pinkard insisted (continued on page 5)
October 2016
Religion
(continued from previous page)
“there is a lot of good in this community” and “the residents of Gowanus Houses are important.” Co-chairperson Natasha Campbell, Bethel’s Youth Minister as well as the Executive Director of the Summit Academy Charter School in Red Hook, felt the program was an very effective start of a dialogue between the community and the NYPD with attendees still posing questions when the evening was drawing to a close. Ms. Campbell said she was “probably most proud that members of the community were able to express candid concerns in a humanistic, respectful way.” It is her hope that the conversation will continue to work toward a goal of impacting a collaborative change with an even more diverse panel - all but one of the NYPD representatives were African American - in a community setting perhaps outside of the church sometime in the future.
Muslims Celebrate Eid Al-Adha Eid Al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, was celebrated on September 12th and marks Ibrahim’s (or Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his son as commanded by God. Ibrahim’s son who is not named in the Koran but is thought to be Ishmail, thankfully is spared when God sends the angel Jibra’il (Gabriel) to intervene, saying the sacrifice had already been accepted. Ibrahim’s willingness to make the supreme sacrifice and submit to God’s will is celebrated each year by Muslims worldwide. I recently spoke with Omar Ali, proprietor of Cobble Hill Variety and Mailing Center, who explained the typical observances of the day. He told me that his family began the holiday with morning prayers at the mosque, followed by a trip to the butcher to buy a freshly slaughtered lamb which is symbolic of the sacrifice that the holiday commemorates. He said that the day also included visiting relatives and giving gifts or money envelopes to the children of his family. Mr. Ali further explained that it’s important to “dress sharp” for the holiday and so the children usually wear new outfits. Both Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr which will be celebrated on June 25, 2017, have been added to the NYC Department of Education calendar for the 2016-2017 school year. Happenings/Upcoming Events Youth Pilgrimage to the Holy Doors of St. James Cathedral - Sponsored by the Youth Ministry of St. Agnes/St. Paul, Visitation and SHSS on Saturday, October 15. Procession starts at 3 pm in front of SHSS Church and concludes with Mass at SHSS at 5:30 pm. For information, call Laura at 718-596-7750. Assumption BVM/St. Boniface Parish Arise Together in Christ - a program of spiritual renewal will begin meeting in October for six consecutive weekly sessions. All are welcome! For information, visit www.brooklynoratory.org. Congregation Mount Sinai 250 Cadman Plaza West Prayer and Mysticism Class on Saturdays from 9 -10 am, for those interested in the Jewish mystical tradition (Kabbalah). Immediately before Satur-
Red Hook Star-Revue
day Shabbat services.
River of God Christian Center 110 Wolcott Street Women’s Retreat on November 4-6, will include a trip to the Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA. Save the date! Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church Summit & Hicks Street Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 2 at 1:45 pm in ecumenical collaboration with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at St. Paul’s Church. Youth Mass on Saturday October 15 at 5:30 pm. Sponsored by the Youth Ministry of St. Agnes/St. Paul, Visitation and SHSS parishes. Memories of a Brooklyn Kid - A thoroughly entertaining collection of poems, essays and all sorts of excerpts by one of our own native sons, Vito Gentile, on Sunday, November 6 from 2 -4 pm. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. For more information, call 917-863-3405. 150th Anniversary Gala on November 13, 2016, 4 pm cocktails, 5 pm dinner at El Caribe Country Club. Cost is $135 per person. For information e-mail 150@SacredHearts-StStephen.com. St. Agnes Church Sackett & Hoyt Streets Religious Education late registration for grades 1 to 8 will take place any Sunday during class time from 10:1511:30 at St. Agnes Hall. Adult Religious Education - For adults who are interested in being baptized, receiving communion or being confirmed, please call 718-625-1717, leave your name, phone number and email address and you will be notified when classes are to begin. Sounds on Sackett second season begins on Sunday, October 16 at 4pm with a performance by Metropolitan Opera soprano, Olga Makarina. Tickets are $20 for adults, children 12 and under are free. Tickets are available at the door and in advance. Season passes are $75 if purchased on or before October 16 and are available at both St. Paul and St. Agnes parish offices. Visit us on our website soundsonsackett.com Monthly community fundraising lunch on Sunday, October 16 from 1:30-3 at St. Agnes Hall. Tickets are $7 and are on sale now. This month’s theme is “Halloween.” Grand 50/50 raffle! All are welcome! St. Mary Star of the Sea Church 467 Court Street Annual Blessing of Our Pets in honor of St. Francis of Assisi - Please join us on Tuesday, October 4 at 7:30 pm in front of our Church. Pets and their human companions, of all faiths, are welcome! St. Paul’s Catholic Church 234 Congress Street The Youth Ministry of St. Paul/St. Agnes invites everyone for movie night featuring “Mother Teresa” on Saturday, October 1 at 6:30 pm in St. Paul Hall. Free admittance and snacks! Young Adult Group - Are you a young adult between 21-39 and feel misunderstood and alone? Well, you are not alone. Come and join our young adult group. For more information please call the rectory 718-625-1717 or email stpaulandstagnes@gmail.com
Religious education - see information under St. Agnes listing.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 199 Carroll Street Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 2 at 1:45, in ecumenical collaboration with SHSS Church. “Thanksgiving for all creation is voiced by all.” Supper for Charity on Friday, October 21. St. Paul’s 28th Annual Auction and Dinner on Saturday November 5 at 5 pm. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by calling 718-625-4126. Visitation BVM Church 98 Richards Street The Rough Dozen, an a capella concert, on Saturday, October 1 at 7 pm. Come
join us for an evening of love, laughter and good old-fashioned a capella. For information, call 718-624-1572. Visitation Youth Ministry presents Movie Night featuring “Greater Glory” on Saturday, October 8 following the 5 pm Mass. All are welcome! Healing Mass on Wednesday, October 12 at 7 pm in Spanish and on Friday, October 28 at 7 pm in English. Liberation & Healing Congress - October 28-30. Beginning on Friday at 7 pm with a Healing Mass, from 9 am - 5 pm on Saturday, and from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday, concluding with a Healing Mass. Tickets are $30 for entire weekend and $20 for one day. For more information, call Sr. Frauke at 917-515-4225.
Brooklyn Rotary to honor Buddy Scotto
T
he Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club’s Annual Gala on November 3 will not only pay tribute to six distinguished honorees from the borough, but will also celebrate their 5th birthday as a chartered member of Rotary International. This year’s honorees were chosen by the Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club (BBRC) for their involvement and betterment for their communities. They have exemplified Rotary’s motto, “Service above self.” Buddy Scotto of Carroll Gardens will be among those honored. His advocacy for his community dates back to the 1960s and continues to the present day. Buddy is a first generation ItalianAmerican whose family has been in the funeral business since the 1920s. He got a funeral license in 1955, and incorporated Scotto Funeral Home in 1957. Buddy is a veteran of the United States Army. He served for 13 years, fought in the Korean War, and retired as a Captain. In 1964, Buddy founded the Carroll Gardens Association (CGA) to plant trees, get landmark designation, and clean up the Gowanus Canal. In the future, CGA would also take on the role of advocating, building and managing senior and affordable housing. Buddy still sits on their board of directors. Buddy was also one of the earliest advocates for cleaning up the Gowanus Canal – nearly 40 years before it was designated by the EPA as a Superfund site. In 1967, he secured $17 million from Congress to restore the flushing tunnel. He also secured another $458 million from the federal government in 1976 to build the Red Hook sewer treatment plant, which reduced sewage drainage into the canal. Buddy was also a founding member of Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND) originally to protest the Vietnam War. The club has emerged as a voice for local participation in annual elections on the city, state and federal level. Other honorees include Dawn Diaz, Terrence Lyght, Mary Avanzino, Rick Miranda, and Elizabeth Yeampierre.
www.star-revue.com
Buddy Scotto feted by Ben Fuller-Googins and the rest of the Carroll Gardens Association on the occasion of Buddy's 88th birthday last month.
Chartered in 2011, BBRC contributed to numerous projects in local communities as well as international programs. They have sponsored two Gift of Life children who were brought to New York for life saving heart operations. They support CHIPS, a shelter for young and expectant mothers, with guidance and motivational speakers. Other projects BBRC is involved in are Toys for Tots, Cell Phones for Soldiers, coat drives, and food pantry drives. BBRC sends 10th graders to RYLA, a Rotary leadership training camp. BBRC helps children from low income families are given the opportunity to attend sleep-away camp during an experience of a lifetime with the Camp Brooklyn Scholarship Program. The annual gala raises funds to support these ongoing activities throughout the year. The evening begins with a cocktail hour and live jazz, a three course dinner, a silent auction, and presentation of the honorees.
BBRC’s Annual Gala and 5th Birthday Party will be held on November 3 at Dyker Beach Golf Club (1036 86th Street, Brooklyn) from 6:30-10:30 pm. To purchase tickets, place journal ads, sponsor or for more information, visit www. BrooklynBridgeRotaryClub. org/annual-gala-event October 2016, Page 5
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featured local businesses
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Is your business looking for a unique way to reach a diverse, involved community? We are South Brooklyn's hometown newspaper, with a dedicated local readership. Whether you’re a new business looking to introduce yourself to the neighborhood or an old favorite, the Star-Revue is the place to be seen. For information and rates, please contact Noah Phillips at noah@redhookstar.com or call our office at (718) 624-5568.
Page 6 Red Hook Star-Revue
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October 2016
Superfund Cleanup moves into next phase by Nicole Rothwell
D
ebris removal from the Gowanus Canal will begin at the end of October the EPA announced at the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group meeting this past Tuesday.
Initially, the removal of urban waste items – such as tires, shopping carts and potentially a few mystery items – was expected to begin this past August. However, at Tuesday’s meeting, Natalie Loney, the EPA’s Community Involvement Coordinator for the Gowanus Canal Superfund site, announced that this clean-up process will begin next month at the 4th Street turning basin. The delay is a result of contracting issues with the City of New York and National Grid. Several members of the Community Advisory Board Group (CAG) expressed concern that the timeline may be pushed back once again and that the imminent winter weather may impact the removal. “There have been delays every step of the way,” said Marlene Donnelly of Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus. In response, the EPA reconfirmed their commitment to expedite the Gowanus Canal’s clean up. Moreover,
O
for archeological review and sediment and canal water for offsite disposal. Site staging construction work commenced September 22 and is currently underway. The debris removal construction contractor is planning to move barges and other heavy equipment into the Fourth Street Basin by the end of October. The community is advised that mobilization of special equipment to monitor and support this debris removal effort may begin by mid-October so they will likely see some activity along the banks of Turning Basin 4 in the coming weeks."
The first actual work in the Gowanus Canal cleanup will take place this month at the Fourth Street Turning Basin. Whole Foods is to the right. (photo by Fiala)
the EPA is not concerned over the weather. “This is not dependent on weather. So we are not waiting until next year to begin,” said Loney. National Grid responded to a query on the delay by saying "Twenty-eight parties, including National Grid, are responsible for the design of the Gowanus Canal remedy. The debris removal pilot study is being conducted in parallel with the ongoing design work so it does not affect the overall
schedule. Additional time for the pilot study has been needed to finalize the complex technical approaches and work scopes with each contractor to ensure that the work is completed safely and that any potential community impacts are carefully monitored and controlled. The site staging contractor was contracted in August and began developing plans to prepare a neighboring land-side property to manage debris
Although the EPA expects the detritus removal process to be of minimal disturbance to the community, Loney told the Red Hook Star Revue over email that, “there may be odors associated with the debris removal, however EPA will be monitoring air quality to ensure the safety of the workers and the larger Gowanus community.” Loney said they do not expect there to be hazardous odors. This pre-removal of urban debris is required before the dredging of the turning basin can begin. The dredging process will remove up to 10 feet off the top of the canal. Dredging is anticipated to start in June 2017.
Mystery Junk in the Gowanus
f all of the mystery items scheduled for extraction from the Gowanus canal at the end October, perhaps the most interesting piece comes in the form of a sunken ship at the fourth street turning basin, beside the Gowanus Whole Foods. Locals may recognize the boat, which pokes out from the canal’s dark waters when water levels are low, along with the remnants of a floating art piece that became caught in the ship’s wreckage in the summer of 2015. The boat’s history, unknown to the average passerby, is extensive. The 63-foot vessel, most recently known as the S.S. Gay, is said to have met its watery grave in July of 2009, but dating back to 1943, the boat first set out to sea as a crash boat for the U.S. navy, rescuing the crews of downed military planes during both World War II and the Korean War. Decommissioned sometime around 1963, the Point O’Woods Association modified the boat for use as a ferry from the south shore of Long Island to Fire Island. In 1976, the ship, now known as Point O’Woods V, played a role in the evacuation of people from the island prior to the arrival of Hurricane Bell. Then, in 1989, the vessel relocated to Westchester creek in the Bronx for use as a houseboat, named Kokkomokko. In 2003, the boat’s residents abandoned it after ice damaged the ship.
Red Hook Star-Revue
by Emily Kluver
Sold for $1 in 2005 to a group of Brooklyn artists, the boat soon became home to the Empty Vessel Project (EVP), a floating meeting place and performance hall moored in the Gowanus canal, just north of the Carroll Street Bridge. The project hosted a range of events from 2005 to 2006, ranging from antiglobalization documentary screenings to poetry readings by tour bus guides. However, due to the number of parties hosted on the boat, which often spilled into neighboring parking lots, disputes with landlords, eventual involvement by the Coast Guard and intervention by city officials, the group was evicted three times in less than a year. Homeless and in desperate need of finances, the EVP was forced to put the boat up for sale.
Rechristened SS Gay
Beginning in 2006, the boat’s final owners aimed to make the old vessel a “queer and trans-friendly” artistic community, referring to the vessel as the S.S. Gay. Duke Riley, Brooklyn artist whose works have appeared locally through places such as the Brooklyn Museum, Proteus Gowaus and Gowanus Ballroom, depicted the ship sinking in a print work called “The Scuttling of the S.S. Gay.” Of the boat and its crew, Riley wrote, “The SS Gay rekindles my faith that all soul hasn’t been stripped from the city. If Walt Whitman were alive he’d still be revising Leaves of
Riley's 2009 pencil lithograph is described on Artspace: Interweaving historical narrative, stylized line work and illustrative maps, the prints of artist and tattooist Duke Riley re-imagine various places, events and time periods into meticulously graphic compositions. Riley’s work is particularly focused on the cultural significance of transportation and communication—the mythology of trains, boats and carrier pigeons have all been at the forefront of his pieces. Exploring forgotten frontiers, naturalism, and historical obscurities, Riley “connects past and present, drawing attention to unresolved issues.” This Intaglio print work, The Scuttling of the S.S. Gay, depicts the S.S. Gay, a refurbished WWII-era rescue boat that has served as the headquarters for a queer art collective, in the Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn.
Grass to include them.” By 2008, despite fundraising attempts, maintenance became too much of a financial load for the artistic community. The boat was once again put up for sale, but no buyer was ever found. The boat, rumored to have sunk after being set on fire at a party, has been sitting at the bottom of Gowanus canal since 2009.
www.star-revue.com
Alas, no historic value,
An extensive report by Archaeology & Historic Resource Services found that the sunken ship, in its current state, has no archeological value as a crash boat, ferry, or shipwreck. After 73 years at sea, the S.S. Gay will emerge from the water as just another one of those mysterious pieces of junk getting cleaned out of the Gowanus canal.
October 2016, Page 7
Mike Drop: MACRO & MICRO
B
LETTERS: Tree defacing
by Michael Racioppo
efore I say anything else, I want to say congrats to Senator Montgomery for her victory in the September 13th primary election.
miss those concerns due the breach of proper decorum by some of the opponents. The strongest Citi Bike proponents are then able to comfortably dismiss the concerns of all opponents as unreasoned and unreasonable.
I am confident that she’ll continue to do a great job and if the Democrats should surprisingly take control of the State Senate she’ll get even more accomplished.
As someone who was subject to the yelling (I’m the to the left of CB 6 Chairman Sayar Lonial), it’s easy to slip into that mindset but it would be wrong. Even while supporting Citi Bike, I understand that parking and transportation in NYC is serious business.
I also must congratulate Bobby Carroll on his win in the primary for the 44th Assembly District seat, replacing the retiring Jim Brennan. No matter where you are reading this from, or indeed your ideological bent, make sure to vote for the only one of the two candidates for president who doesn’t threaten to bring on the apocalypse - Hillary Clinton. A 3rd party vote in these circumstances recklessly temps that fate will not rise up and bite us all with a Trump victory. If, like me, you are nervous about the possibility of a Trump presidency and want to help out in a state that is less blue and where there is more of a contest contact me at Racioppomike@yahoo.com or on twitter @mike_racc. I’ll help you get to a phone bank and even how to travel to, and help out, in a swing state such as Pennsylvania. Switching back to micro, there has been a lot of attention paid to the September meeting of Brooklyn Community Board 6 and the frustrations, sometimes inappropriately expressed, of people upset by the recent installation of Citi Bike stations. People are upset about the loss of parking throughout the district. This is certainly the closest a CB meeting has gotten to “viral” in my time. The police actually were called in order to restore order. You can see what happened by checking out the video on the Gothamist web page (google Gothamist, CB 6) Some dismiss the frustrations expressed in this video. It’s easy to dis-
Page 8 Red Hook Star-Revue
I should note that the turnout for a recent meeting at the Carroll Gardens library focused on improving, and preventing proposed cuts to the F train was encouraging. Attendees included Councilman Brad Lander, Assemblywoman JoAnne Simon, and State Senator Daniel Squadron. To be clear, I support increased density, but only if it is done to insure a substantial number truly affordable apartments and, partially for that reason, I support measures to give New Yorkers as many transportation options as possible. For instance I am also very excited for citywide ferry service and will take a serious look at BQX. At the Community Board I voted in favor of Citi bike expansion, and I have donated money to transportation pacs, and I would do so again. That doesn’t mean that some of the locations for Citibikes can’t be tweaked or that going forward there shouldn’t be more engagement from DOT. It also means, even as someone who currently has as a car, that the existence of more alternatives transportation options encourages less auto ownership and fewer cars to park. Maybe I’m being naïve but perhaps with citibike around one day soon I’ll be able to drive down Smith Street without it taking 5 to 10 minutes to advance a single block. Michael Racioppo is executive director of the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation and the Vice Chairman of Community Board 6.
Most Red Hook residents value and nurture our trees. However, as you walk around the neighborhood you see numerous dead trees painted in garish colors. We fear that this disturbing trend will spread - particularly in fall and winter to struggling young trees that are merely dormant. Please forward the addresses where you see a “painted tree” and any of your ideas on how to encourage replacement rather than vandalism for our neighborhood trees. - Rosemary McGettrick
Smaller mayor
De Blasio abandoned LICH when he realized he could make big money from developers who wanted to buy and demolish the site to build luxury housing. He really has gotten into PAY TO PLAY. This happened even before the rezoning proposal passed in the City Council - a proposal that will encourage overdevelopment all over the city. Well, people are waking up.
Thank you for a great article on Red Hook's Alexandros Washburn! - Stephen Kondaks, Richard Street
These proposals are being shot down by the communities and their council members all over the city. Basically they don’t want these preposterously large hi rise buildings — with a few “affordable” units as a sop — going up in low density neighborhoods and they fear the impact they will have — higher density, higher rents, so called gentrification, overburdening of the schools, hospitals, parking, transportations, etc., — all the negative results of de Blasio’s master plan. His arrogance is unbelievable, his unpopularity growing every day. He gives a bad name to progressive politics. Let’s hope he will be a one term mayor. - Ellen Grove, Brooklyn
SHORTS:
much ahead of it.
Great article!
It would be really terrific to see a drawing of how a Polder would look, off-shore of Red Hook. It would be so good to see an elevation and cross-section, so the community could indeed get behind this. I hope that, if indeed the IFPS gets constructed, that a Polder could be built next, as a first line of defense.
Formula E at the Cruise Terminal
Red Hookers read about a new development at the Cruise Terminal by reading it in the NY Times one morning. Formula E refers to highly specialized race cars that seat only one driver. These cars reach speeds of 180 mph. Formula E races take place all over the world, including China and Mexico. Evidently Brooklyn was chosen for the views of Manhattan one gets in Red Hook. We noticed that certain Red Hook Facebookers seemed to blame our local City Councilman for not keeping the community in the loop. This didn't sound like the Carlos Menchaca that we recently gave a community award to so we emailed his office to get the actual facts of the matter. It turns out they were kind of surprised, along with the rest of us. David Estrada, the able chief-of-staff, let us know that they were informed by EDC ahead of the fact, but not
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He writes: "Well, they seemed perfectly willing to keep giving us more info. So I’m not mad at EDC just peeved that they consider it something to announce first and consult after. " He went on: "This seems very driven by mayor’s office and they often invite us to press events just hours before they happen." "I got a briefing one day before the press event. In coordination with CB 6 and the borough president's office we declined to provide quotes or attend. "From my personal point of view I want the Atlantic basin to retain the cruise port but activate as multimodal transportation, and multi-use community benefit space. So who is to say if electric formula cars are good or bad? Likely OK if they don’t just exploit the ‘hood."
Senior Center
The much delayed opening of the new Red Hook Senior Center is delayed again, at least until December. We are told that the new setback is the deteriorated condition of the floors.
October 2016
News from Carroll Garden's Molesi Club by Mary Ann Pientanza
W
henever I get an e-mail from Vito Parente, president of the Van Westerhout Molesi Cultural Club on Court Street, informing me of an event he is going to hold at the club, I know it will not just be contagiously congenial, it is sure to be a big success as well. Saturday, September 10, 2016 was bore that out. The members of the newly associated Molese and Carinisi Club (from Bensonhurst), teamed up to raise money for the victims of Amatrice, the town and epicenter of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Italy on August 24, 2016. Approximately 300 people died and the town has been reduced to rubble, but remarkably, the clock tower in the town’s piazza (square) remained intact. Survivors, a good 4,000 of them, now find themselves homeless and are living in tents and temporary shelters as they try to retrieve possessions and belongings and think about re-building their town and homes. The members, friends and families of the two Italian-American cultural societies were intent on raising funds for the homeless victims, but were concerned about how those funds would reach Amatrice’s families. Instead of donating to an organization where only a portion of the donation may reach the victims, Vito Parente made arrangements to wire the raised funds directly to the Mayor of Amatrice, with the help of the Mayor of Mola. Tony Troia, president of the Carini Club pointed out that they wanted to make sure that those sleeping in the tents and shelters had direct access to the funds without any administrative interference that may hold up distribution. With the usual backdrop of soccer airing on RAI-UNO on their flat screen TV, members and guests enjoyed trays of pork chops, grilled whole salmon, salad, wine, beer, fruit and a special treat of coffee-flavored cannoli cream pastries which were prepared by seven of the members. And an incredible $7,000 was raised in all. The Carini Club itself donated $1,000 in addition to what its members contributed.
Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
October 2016, Page 9
Celebrating
Red Hook
The Star-Revue held its third Celebrating Red Hook Celebration on September 17 at Erie Basin Park - IKEA’s pleasant backyard. The weather gods smiled on us that day and people from all over came to see much of what makes Red Hook the community we love. In addition to a full day of music under the crane, we presented an afternoon of acoustic music on a second stage generously donated by Mister ArtSee. The music provides entertainment, and many of the bands were home-grown, but in addition, a field full of local businesses came to show what they do here in Red Hook. Among the vendors who set up tables and booths were
NY Printing and Graphics, She-Weld, Mazzat, Sixpoint, Tynisha Cruz, the Red Hook Art Project (RHAP), Visitation Church, Dolce Brooklyn, Fort Defiance, All About the Glory, John McGill, the Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club, Friends of the Red Hook Library, Red Hook Winery, and the Red Hook Diabetes Support & Education Program.
We couldn’t have done it without the co-operation of IKEA, who generously gave us their park for the third year in a row. In addition, our sponsors made it possible with their financial contributions which paid for the stage and sound system, toilets, security and a host of other expenses that go into producing this kind of large-scale event.
Our lead sponsor this year was King & Sullivan, who are building the Red Hook TownHomes on the block opposite from PS 15. Additional sponsors were The Patty Larocco Team, Investors Bank, WABC News 7, New York Water Taxi, Fairway Market, Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, and Ridgewood Savings Bank. You can see for yourself from these photos the good times that were had. We will be back bigger and better next year on September 16, 2017, and we expect to see you there!
Celebrating all that makes our community unique and dynamic Page 10 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
October 2016
Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
October 2016, Page 11
The
Red Hook StarRevue
BARS!
There are so many to choose from. In this day and age, so modern in many respects yet so arcane in others, the familiar sight of a long countertop placed before a shelf of bright gleaming shiny multicolored mysterious profane delicious bottles of warmth and good cheer is a comfort and a joy. Whether you are drinking alone, looking to mingle, or already have one or two friends of your very own, Red Hook and its environs has the saloon, cocktail lounge, dive, drinking hole, cantina, or sports bar for you.
BAR DIRECTORY
RED HOOK
BAIT & TACKLE
Quiet cash-only cocktail lounge. Mon-Sat, noon-3 am; Sun noon - midnight. 718-852-4888. 228 Van Brunt Street.
Sunnys
You won’t find any food at this crusty establishment, but you will find a lot of taxidermied animals. 3pm-4am M-F, 1pm4am Sat & Sun. (718) 451-4665. 320 Van Brunt St. LIVE MUSIC 9PM MONDAYS
Botanica
Fancy cocktails and rare beers - from the folks who brought you Widow Jane distillery next door. Mon. closed; Tue, Wed 3-10 pm; Thu, Fri 3 pm -12 am; Sat 12 pm - 2 am; Sun noon-11 pm. (347) 225-0147. 220 Conover St.
When you drink at Sunny’s you’re drinking history - this bar has been around for over 100 years. LIVE MUSIC Thu, Fri, & Sat nights. Mon closed; Tue 4 pm-2 am; Wed-Fri 4 pm-4 am; Sat 10 am–4 am; Sun, 10 am–midnight (718) 625-8211. 253 Conover St.
Verona Lounge
A new, low-key, family owned place. Excellent tapas, mixed drinks, and wine (of course). Mon-Tue closed; Wed-Thur 3 pm-midnight; Fri-Sat 3 pm-3 am; Sun 3 pm -9 pm. (929) 3376014. 253 Van Brunt St.
ROCKY SULLIVAN'S
outdoor patio & karaoke. Sun-Thur 4 pm-2 am; Fri-Sat 4 pm-4 am. (917) 733-1054. 200 Columbia St.
The Hop Shop
Extensive beer list with a friendly atmosphere. Mon, closed; Tue-Thur, 5 pm-midnight; Fri 5 pm-2 am; Sat, noon - 2 am; Sun noon-midnight. (718) 852-2184. 121 Columbia St.
Jalopy Tavern & Theater
Half solid bar with tasty drinks and food, half kickass venue and music school. Live music almost every night. Mon-Thur 4pm-2am; F,ri 4 pm-4 am; Sat noon-4 am; Sun 11ammidnight. (718) 395-3214. 317 Columbia St.
Mazzat
A wholesome, warm, friendly Mediterranean restaurant with tapas and full bar. Noon-10pm daily. (718) 8521652. 208 Columbia St.
Phil’s Crummy Corner
Lively sports bar with fresh, authentic Puerto Rican food. Mon, closed; Tue, Wed & Sun, noon-2 am; Thur-Sat noon-4 am. (718) 246-1252. 323 Columbia St.
Fort Defiance
DJ
Ice House
Neighborhood atmosphere with full kitchen and full bar. Weekly trivia, Irish classes, and live music most nights, including jam sessions. (718) 246-8050. 34 Van Dyke St.
Bar Tano
COLUMBIA WATERFRONT
Halyards
$810 for 6 months $1440 for one year
Lowlands Bar
call Noah (718) 624-5568
Cocktails and food in the heart of Van Brunt. Mon, Wed-Fri, 10 am-midnight; Sat, Sun 9 am-midnight; Tue 10 am-3 pm. (347) 453-6672. 365 Van Brunt St. Cozy laid-back tavern with punk music, decent bar food and a back patio. Noon-4 am daily. (718) 222-1865. 318 Van Brunt St.
Hometown Bar-B-Que
Barbeque joint with rustic aesthetic and live music on weekends. Fri-Sat, noon - midnight; Sun noon-10 pm; Mon closed; Tue-Thur noon-11pm. (347) 294-4644. 454 Van Brunt St.
Hope & Anchor
Brooklyn-style diner with karaoke Fri & Sat from 9 pm-1:30 am. Mon-Wed 11:30 am-11 pm; Thur-Fri 11:30 am 1:00 am; Sun 9 am-10 pm. (718) 2370276. 347 Van Brunt St.
Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue
Seaborne
B61
A friendly bar with wide-open windows, sidewalk seating, and Alma Restaurant upstairs. Mon-Fri 4 pm- 4 am; Fri 5:30-11 pm; Sat 2 pm-4 am, Sun 1 pm-4 am. (718) 643-5400. 187 Columbia St.
40 Knots
Cheap drinks, $1 pool table, juke box
www.star-revue.com
RESTAURANT & BAR
GOWANUS
Cozy Italian bar & bistro with full menu. Mon-Thur 11am–midnight; Fri 11 am–1 am; Sat 10am-1am; Sun 10 am-midnight. (718) 499-3400. 457 3rd Ave. Games, cocktails, craft & classic beers, pub food. Mon-Thur 4 pm-2 am; Fri 4 pm-4 am; Sat 2 pm-4 am; Sun noon-2 am. (347) 532-8787. 406 3rd Ave. Local dive with a large back patio and paninis. Mon-Thurs 5 pm-4 am; Fri 1 pm-4 am; Sat 10 am-4 am; Sun 1 pm-4 am. (347) 463-9458. 543 3rd Ave.
YOUR AD HERE!!
noah@redhookstar.com
October 2016
ON HEALTH Diabetes in Children Is a Chronic – But Treatable – Disease
F
or those people living with diabetes, every day requires around-the-clock monitoring and management. So says Jason A. Klein, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist who heads the Pediatric Diabetes Program at NYU Lutheran and who also works collaboratively with colleagues at the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital of New York at NYU Langone Medical Center. “In order to successfully manage blood sugar levels, those living with diabetes must perform fingerstick checks, keep records, monitor food intake, keep up their physical activity, and calculate medication doses based on past trends. Needless to say, day to day monitoring can become tedious and at times exhausting for patients, and so it is important that they stay motivated,” the diabetes specialist adds. This daily monitoring can be a particular challenge for young people who also have to be attentive to when and what they eat and drink, as well as their activities at home, in school or while hanging out with friends. Even a minor ailment like a cold may require changes in the medical regimen because of the the effect inflammation has on the blood sugar. But diabetes is not the “death sentence” that Dr. Klein says many of his patients and their families seem to believe. “Although there is no cure at this time, treatment options have significantly improved over the years,” assures Dr. Klein. “With insulin pens, pumps, and modern devices that allow more precise and continuous day and night monitoring of blood sugar levels, we can make small adjustments in the dosage of insulin to prevent sugar levels from rising or dropping too fast. Excellent glucose control gives patients and their families peace of mind.” The routine followed by people with diabetes is all too familiar to Dr. Klein. At age 14, he was diagnosed with monogenic diabetes, a rare form of the disease caused by a faulty gene. The care he received as a teenager, coupled with his desire to help young people with a similar condition, inspired him to study medicine at SUNY Downstate and to follow in the footsteps of his own doctor, Pavel Fort, who became his mentor through seven years of training including a fellowship in endocrinology at the Cohen Children’s Medical Center/North Shore-LIJ Health System. To help allay fears, Dr. Klein does not hesitate to share his story with patients and their families. A mother once told him “but you look normal,” as if a person with diabetes should look a particular way.
Red Hook Star-Revue
“There are many misperceptions of diabetes. One of the most common misunderstandings is that people get diabetes solely from eating too much and gaining excessive weight. While type 2 diabetes – most common in adults but certainly present in children and adolescents – does develop due to weight gain, it is also genetically based. And though we always promote healthy lifestyles, the much more common diabetes in the pediatric age range – type 1 diabetes – does not develop secondary to poor eating habits; it is an autoimmune disease that prevents the body’s normal production of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that is responsible for regulating the blood sugar levels of the body,” explains Dr. Klein. “Regardless of the type of diabetes a patient may have, education of the patient and the family is extremely important. We treat the whole family not just the person who has the diagnosis of diabetes because it affects everyone in the family.” Kidney problems, blindness, amputations and cardiovascular disease are among the most serious and most widely known long-term complications of diabetes. And given the prevalence of the condition, Dr. Klein says that when patients are given a diagnosis of diabetes, many families can only picture unfortunate outcomes for their kids.
NYU Lutheran Names Cancer Surgeon to Lead New Outreach Program
L
ooking to advance its scope of cancer care and create further synergies between cancer-related subspecialties, NYU Lutheran recently named Ioannis “Yanni” Hatzaras, MD, MPH, FACS, to direct its Surgical Oncology Outreach Program. Hatzaras, who officially joined NYU Lutheran on September 1, has been a member of the faculty in the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan since 2013. He is bringing his talents and expertise in gastrointestinal cancers, sarcomas and melanoma to help NYU Lutheran better serve the increasing number of patients turning to the Sunset Park hospital for cancer care. This latest leadership appointment was announced jointly by H. Leon Pachter MD, FACS, The George David Stewart professor and chair of the Department of Surgery, and Kenneth M. Rifkind, MD, chief of surgery at NYU Lutheran. “In a very short time, Hatzaras has proven to be an extremely gifted surgical oncologist,” Pachter says. “In addition, he has shown to be a leader in building strong, working partnerships with other cancerfocused clinicians. He is the ideal person to advance NYU Lutheran’s surgical oncology outreach program to the next level of excellence.”
“We begin with listening to what the families and patients know about diabetes, since many of their fears are based in old or incorrect information,” Dr. Klein says. “With good blood sugar control and use of modern treatments and technologies, patients today do not have to have overly rigid lifestyles in order to life long, healthy lives free of complications.”
A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Hatzaras holds the academic title of assistant professor of surgery at NYU School of Medicine, and served as an attending surgeon at Bellevue Hospital Center for three years prior to his appointment at NYU Lutheran.
At his office in the NYU Lutheran Family Health Center at 5610 Second Avenue, Dr. Klein makes clear to patients and their families about the need for a healthy diet, avoidance of sugary drinks, and a good amount of physical activity or exercise. “Moderation is key,” he says. Some signs that a child may have high blood sugar include increased thirst and frequent urination.
Hatzaras brings a wide range of clinical and research experience in surgical oncology to the Brooklyn campus of NYU Langone. He is board certified in complex general surgical oncology and specializes in surgery for cancer of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract -- from esophageal cancer to stomach, liver, pancreatic, stomach, bile duct, gallbladder and colorectal cancer, as well as melanoma and other soft tissue cancers.
For patients who already have diabetes, Dr. Klein directs kids to get involved in their treatment and continues to motivate them when they become adolescents. He focuses on engaging patients in their own diabetes management, developing good habits and awareness in order to prevent complications. For more information about diabetes or to make an appointment with Dr. Klein at NYU Lutheran Family Health Center, please call (718) 630-7942.
He has particular expertise in the Whipple procedure -- a complicated pancreatic cancer operation to remove parts of the pancreas, the small intestine and the gallbladder and to reattach the remaining organs in order to restore digestive function. At NYU Lutheran, Hatzaras will work with medical and radiation oncologists to manage the multidisciplinary care for patients with cancer. "The oncology team
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Ioannis “Yanni” Hatzaras
will work together to determine the best treatment strategy and tailor a management plan for each individual patient,» says Hatzaras. Inquisitive and curious about everything science-related from an early age, Hatzaras began his professional path in medicine and research at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Medicine in Greece. While still a medical student, he spent a rotation in GI oncology research at the Institut Jules Bordet, a major cancer center affiliated with the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium. In 2003, Hatzaras came to the United States to do research in the Department of Surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, which preceded his internship in general surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, CT. He completed his residency training at Ohio State University (OSU) Medical Center, where he also conducted research at the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute at OSU’s Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus. Hatzaras also earned a master’s degree in public health in the clinical investigation track from OSU. He subsequently trained in surgical oncology and hepatobiliary surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Hatzaras is the co-author of more than 50 research papers in peerreviewed journals and three book chapters, and has given several scientific presentations and lectures nationally and internationally. In addition to Greek and English, Hatzaras also is fluent in French. He will be seeing patients at 6th Avenue Surgery, 7517 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209 and at NYU Lutheran Medical Arts Pavilion, 8714 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn. For an appointment, call 718-630-5777.
October 2016, Page 13
ON HEALTH OCTOBER EVENTS CALENDAR 2016
Events and Support Groups Sponsored by New York Methodist Hospital New York Methodist Hospital offers a free breastfeeding support group for new mothers. This group meets weekly on Tuesdays from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Breastfeeding Support Groupfocuses on providing encouragement and information for mothers and their newborns, from birth to three months old. A certified lactation consultant leads the group. The meetings take place in the Hospital’s Wesley House, Rooms 3KC, 501 Sixth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn. No registration is necessary. For more information please call 718.780.5078. New York Methodist Hospital and the Carolyne E. Czap and Eugene Czap Alzheimer’s Program offers support groups for caretakers of patients, and for patients themselves, experiencing cognitive deficits and/or memory loss. The Alzheimer’s Disease Care 4 Caretakers group will meet on Monday, October 10, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Hospital›s Wesley House, Room 5E, located at 501 Sixth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn. Call 718.246.8590 to register for any Alzheimer›s Program support
group (required). New York Methodist Hospital offers a free Stroke Support Group for patients who have experienced a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and their family members. Each month, the group will feature a guest lecturer who specializes in stroke care and management. This month join Grace Sandoval, CCC-SLP, for a presentation on Changes in Speech/Language and Cognition After Stroke on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Hospital's Buckley Conference Room 820, located at 506 Sixth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn. For more information and to register, please call 718.780.3777. New York Methodist Hospital hosts a free support group for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The Parkinson’s Disease Support Group will take place on Thursday, October 19, 2016, from 2:30p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Hospital›s Executive Dining Room located at 506 Sixth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn. For more information and to register for any Parkinson›s disease groups or classes (required), please call 646.704.1792. New York Methodist Hospital’s Department of Pastoral Care offers
a bereavement support group for people who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one. The Bereavement Support Groupmeets for 8 sessions on Wednesdays, beginning on October 19, 2016, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Buckley 8, Conference Room 820, located at 506 Sixth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn. Call 718.780.3396 to register (required). In collaboration with Heights and Hills, New York Methodist Hospital offers a support group, led by a licensed social worker, for family members and friends caring for an older adult. The Caregivers Support Group will meet on Wednesday, October 26, 2016, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Hospital’s Wesley House, Room
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Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue
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6A, 501 Sixth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn. For more information and to register (required) please call 718.780.5367.
New York Methodist Hospital offers a free diabetes support group. The group is facilitated by a certified diabetes educator and is open to people living with diabetes, as well as those who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Join the Diabetes Support Group for a discussion on the topic of Managing Anxiety and Stress on Thursday, October 27, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Hospital’s Buckley 8, Conference Room 820, located at 506 Sixth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn. For more information please call 718.246.8603.
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225 Atlantic Ave. Between Court St. & Boerum Place
October 2016
Red Hook gains a delicious home-grown shop by Halley Bondy
L
ike many Red Hook residents, Kristina Frantz and Pierre Alexandre noticed that the neighborhood needed an ice cream joint. But it was Italian gelato that inspired the married couple to take the plunge, quit their jobs in media, and open up a shop on Van Brunt Street. “We love Red Hook and we wanted to do something in the community,” Frantz says. “There are a lot of baked goods already in the neighborhood, so we were interested in offering something different. Real gelato is hard to come by.” Launched in July, Dolce Brooklyn serves up delicious handmade gelato and sorbet in flavors ranging from chocolate to amarena cherry, to forthcoming flavors like spiced pumpkin pie and, yes, gorgonzola. You can buy a cup, cone, or hand-packed pints. Dolce Brooklyn also serves espresso drinks, including a scrumptious gelato/espresso combo called affogato. Soon, gelato cakes – called semifreddo - will be on the menu, as well as brioche gelato sandwiches and flights for gelato taste tests. “We only have 12 flavors at a time,” Frantz says. “But people start to complain if we remove the basics, so some of them are more consistent than others. Everyone loves chocolate. But interestingly, strawberry basil sorbet has been the summer favorite for kids, and mint cucumber lemonade is
a Red Hook favorite.” Business has been relatively steady since Dolce Brooklyn’s quiet summer launch, and the gelato itself tastes divine (my favorite flavor is Tahitian vanilla, made from real Tahitian beans – heaven!). Everything down to the hazelnut butter is handmade by Frantz and locally sourced from places like Hudson Valley and Raaka Chocolate on Sebring Street.
Trip to Italy the inspiration
Frantz was inspired by gelato when she took a trip to Italy with her daughter. The frozen dessert has less fat and more powerful flavors than ice cream (among other preparative differences), and if made well, it’s a delight on the senses. Frantz decided to take gelateria classes in North Carolina. She completed her training by moving to Bologna for a year to learn the true Italian method. She had been in product development and media consulting for years, while Pierre Alexandre was a journalist and head of a production company. Both of them decided they wanted something new. “I was ready to take on another challenge. I wanted to be an entrepreneur,” Alexandre said. “Kristina had the idea for gelato and she does the cooking, and I do a lot of the managing on the business side of things. It’s hard. Sometimes we wonder why we got into this – but when customers taste the gelato and say ‘wowww!’ then we remember: this is why we do it!”
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The couple – with two daughters – moved to Red Hook four years ago. Originally, they wanted to open Dolce Brooklyn in their storefront home on Van Brunt Street. Due to zoning issues, however, they opened the business at 305 Van Brunt Street, formerly home to Brooklyn Slate Company.
First things first
One day, Dolce Brooklyn might open a second location or operate in wholesale. But first thing’s first: they’re solidifying their identity, introducing new flavors and products, and spreading the word the best that they can. So far the business has had a few disadvantages: it’s been operating with very little signage (a big sign is coming, Alexandre says), and massive residential construction on Van Brunt and King has unfortunately obscured the store from Van Brunt pedestrians.
we need to make a presence!”
Dolce Brooklyn is located at 305 Van Brunt Street, and is open 2 But once you try their gelato, you pm – 10 pm Sundays, Wedneswon’t be able to forget it. days and Thursdays; 2pm – “Pierre wants to conquer the world 11pm Fridays; and 12pm-11pm with gelato,” Frantz joked. “But first, Saturdays.
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October 2016, Page 15
Red Hook artist Amy Helfand designs rugs made in Nepal by Halley Bondy
M
ost people don’t usually think of rugs as works of art. In fact, rugs are often an afterthought in interior design, purchased only to get dirty. For a long time, Red Hook artist Amy Helfand didn’t think much about rugs either. While studying at the Art Institute in Chicago decades ago, she was completely disinterested in the fiber world in favor of photography and sculpture.
“Back then, I wasn’t doing anything fiber-related,” she recalls. “There was this whole debate surrounding ‘art versus craft’ back in the 70s, and I wanted nothing to do with it. It wasn’t my problem. It’s kind of ironic thinking about it now: textiles are all I think about.” Now, Helfand is an established rug artist (there’s really no perfect word for what she does) designing original handwoven carpets for customers everywhere. Turns out, a lot of people really, really do care about rugs after all – and perhaps more people should. Helfand creates rug designs based on
King Street resident Amy Helfand
her original artwork and clients’ custom needs. She sends her designs to craftspeople in Nepal who handweave the rugs using high altitude Tibetan sheep wool and Chinese silk. In ad-
dition to being steeped in an ancient tradition, the rugs have high lanolin content, which means they’re more stain-resistant and durable than average store-bought rugs. Plus, they’re a feast for the eyes. Much of Helfand’s original design work is lyrical, asymmetrical, and nature-based. However, she just launched a new collection of rugs called Be Good Do Good, which is a bit of a departure featuring patterns and more traditional elements. She sells her work in showrooms, but most of the time, Helfand handles custom jobs. “Very rarely does someone order a rug as-seen,” she said. “I usually work on commission. People have specific colors, sizes, and needs – they want a more open design process.” After studying art in Chicago, Helfand and her husband moved to Red Hook in 1996. They would raise three boys while working as artists in the area. “Red Hook was still pretty desolate back then, but we were used to living on the fringes in Chicago,” she said. “It was one of the more inexpensive places where we could buy a home and have studio space. Not anymore, of course!” Helfand’s rug journey began in 2004 while showcasing her collage art at the Wave Hill gallery in the Bronx. The show took place in a room with a fireplace, inspiring Helfand to incorporate an original rug for the first time. After studying the process and getting her first rug made in Nepal, she was hooked. She launched her one-woman rug business from her Red Hook home on King Street in 2005, gaining clientele throughout New York and beyond. From time to time she visits her con-
One of Amy's rugs featuring her design hand-woven into a rug. (courtesy Helfand)
tacts in Nepal, a country that thrives in part on its carpet export. Helfand is
"After studying the process and getting her first rug made in Nepal, she was hooked." also a member of GoodWeave, a nonprofit dedicated to creating market demand for child labor-free rugs. “One of my favorite parts of the job is my collaboration with people from Nepal,” she said. “Life is quite difficult there – there are often rolling blackouts. It’s important to pay re-
spects to them.” It’s easy to get a custom Amy Helfand rug: the process can be done via phone and e-mail. However, it’s not cheap. Her official rate is $125 per square foot with a trade discount for interior designers, architects, and more. In the future, she’s hoping to provide more affordable creations like flatweave rugs. “To me it’s about having things with have integrity in your home,” she said. “There’s so much integrity in these rugs. They’ll last forever. And when you open it, it has so much soul. You can feel it.” Visit amyhelfand.com or call Amy at 347-351-9577 to learn more.
Rocky Sullivan's to move to legendary Red Hook spot by George Fiala
F
or the past month or two regular patrons of Rocky Sullivan's, the cherished watering hole at the corner of Dwight and Van Dyke, might have noticed the absence of everyone's favorite bartender on many of his shifts. That's because George Kornienko has been spending a lot of time trying to get the bar moved up the street - into the former premises of Lillie's - a great dive bar with a red curtained stage that closed back in 2007. Rumors swirled earlier this year that Rocky's neighbor and landlord, Six Point Brewery, told George and his co-partners that they planned to open a tasting room as soon as Rocky's lease expired. Well, it's official. Rocky's last day of business at the current location will be October 25, and George and com-
Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue
pany are working overtime to see that the new Rocky's will be ready soon afterwards. Except for a few failed attempts at restaurants, Lillie's has lain dormant since it's close. At one time, the lease was held by Grimaldi's Pizza, but they never made an attempt to open. There is a lot of work to get the location into shape - an upstairs neighbor once left her bathtub running while talking on the phone, and caused a lots of flood damage to the bar and kitchen area. Of course, someone else named Sandy did more damage back in 2012. Once open, the new Rocky's promises to be bigger and better than even - a larger kitchen creates an opportunity for an expanded menu. For now, Rocky's remains open and Long-time Red Hooker's may remember what it looked like from the front window of Lillie's before IKEA came to town. bustling until the 25th.
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October 2015
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October 2016, Page 17
T-Park home to a new sports arena by Nathan Weiser
S
treet Soccer USA is an organization with locations around the country that aims to help give kids an outlet for physical activity. A new Street Soccer field was put in Bush Clinton Park in March with the backing of Councilman Carlos Menchaca. The field is similar to the size of a roller hockey rink with walls around the field. A new field for adults with advertisements was installed in July. The field was needed in the area because many fields in the Red Hook complex are closed due to lead contamination. Menchaca is also all about giving kids in Red Hook more of an outlet for sports and leadership and he felt this was a necessary addition to the neighborhood. “One of the things I get so much from parents and our youth is that we need more things to do in our community,” Menchaca said. “We need more positive things to do – activities, sports, leadership and education. That was something that I knew I needed to find and grow and support those opportunities in the neighborhood.” Menchaca was also drawn to Street Soccer because he has loved the sport since he was a child. He would play during recess in school and it’s just a part of his life. He even played a game on the Street Soccer field during the Unity in the Community event in July.
Menchaca had heard that they do cup series events in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York and other cities and found out that they have a really great model where they build leadership skills and confidence in young people. “I thought we need to bring this model here,” Menchaca said. Part of the goal is soccer skill development but the main objective is to build community around sports. Menchaca saw Street Soccer in action in Brooklyn’s first location and decided that this free program should be in Red Hook. “Before they even brought it to Red Hook, they had a field in Inez Barron’s district (East New York), so I went to go check it out,” Menchaca said. “I saw that they were really focused on kids playing well together. They did math problems on the field – developing triangles and learning about the hypotenuse and designing a new way of dealing with problems on the field that they can take home when stuck with an issue. According to Menchaca, they were taught how to think differently about how to attack problems. He was impressed by what he saw and decided that this was a important. He likes it since it’s about building community in young people. Once the fields closed in Red Hook, Menchaca was on a mission to cre-
Page 18 Red Hook Star-Revue
ate more space for kids play. He said that the parents were asking for after school and athletic programs. Once the area lost field space due to the Red Hook ball fields being closed due to lead remediation, Menchaca felt that something had to happen. “For me, I was on a mission to figure out how we activate space,” Menchaca said. We are still on a mission to figure out how we actually activate more places for kids to play as we get those fields cleaned up. That is a whole other part of the urgency to really deal with this issue. Bringing kids programming that’s effective through this non-profit program so that we can get more kids to play.” Councilman Menchaca first discussed bringing Street Soccer to Red Hook in the summer of 2014 and the field was installed in March. There were many conversations and meetings that happened, according to Adriana Garcia. In January of 2015 they visited various sites in Red Hook and came to the realization that Bush Clinton Park was the ideal spot since it is near the NYCHA Houses. They liked that location because it is very close to the kids that they wanted to target. They now have a field that’s more designed for youth and one designed for adults. In order to finalize the Street Soccer field, they had to go through the logistical procedures with the Parks Department to get the per-
Councilmember Menchaca (in the red jacket) helps open the Bush Clinton Street Soccer field back in April. (photo by George Fiala)
door to door and we are telling everybody about it.” They really want to spend time to get time making sure that they get to as many families as possible. Menchaca said that people in Red Hook really enjoy that they don’t have to leave the neighborhood to play soccer. With the addition of the Street Soccer field, the residents can “stay in Red Hook and enjoy quality programming.” Oliver Weiss, who was previously a Division One soccer coach for 14 years at schools like UNC – Chapel Hill and
“I saw that they were really focused on kids playing well together. They did math problems on the field – developing triangles and learning about the hypotenuse and designing a new way of dealing with problems on the field that they can take home" mit, according to Garcia. The funding for the field came through having to build the floor and the walls. The walls were paid for through discretionary money from the council from the Dept. of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). Menchaca ended up coming into advocate for Street Soccer to the speaker’s office on why she should fund this. The cost ended up being $300,000 from the speaker’s office and was then dispersed from DYCD, according to Garcia. Carlos ended up advocating for Street Soccer to get this funding over other organizations and it was his tireless work that made it possible for Red Hook to have this youth and leadership driven soccer activity. Menchaca said that the community has really taken to the Street Soccer field and more people are signing up here than in other locations. “We are getting record number of applications to join the program, which is a free program for our young kids,” Menchaca said. “It is an application and we have it in our office. We go
Virginia Tech, is now the national programs director for Street Soccer. “I have an educator slash coaching background and this has been a fantastic opportunity to engage in something more with sport for social change,” Weiss said. Staff is there from 10 am - 2 pm daily. “We try to capture as many kids as we can and entice them to come during the times that we are there,” Weiss said. “But it is really there for anybody. We like to see people take over the field and play.” The day is usually set up so that on each hour or when a new time slot starts a new specific group will use the field. One time slot is for Public School 15. Another time slot is for Good Shepherd Services. Another time slot is for the Miccio Center. Weiss said that there are various groups that have a need for programming and they try to provide it. “There is open play as well,” Weiss said. “On Friday’s, between 2 and 4, is open play. Our guys are there and anybody who shows up can get in-
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struction and see what we are going. It is very open to basically engage kids in sports and in this case on the soccer field with the staff that we have.” The coaches include college graduates, some who have played in college, some who like Weiss have been around the game for a long, long time coaching, some are beginning coaches and some are AmeriCorps folks. They have soccer coaches with many levels of experience that instruct the youth. There have been many more people using the Street Soccer facility in the summer than during the spring. Since the soccer fields are closed in the Red Hook park complex due to lead contamination, Street Soccer has gone into partnerships with local clubs that have been displaced. For instance, Buenavista Futbol Club, which is a Mexican based youth club in the area, we just schedule them in on Thursday’s and other days,” Weiss said. “They have a pretty good structure in place. They are small and have about 120 kids. But there is not enough room. This is an opportunity to use that facility and have a safe area to play on.” In regards to expanding programming beyond the current hours, Menchaca thinks that it might take more sponsors and funding but wants to make sure everyone who is interested can participate. “I want to be able to get as many kids signed up and if we have an issue where we need to expand the programming time because people are signing up we want to meet that need,” Menchaca said. “Also, to make sure that we always go back to them about when they need play time and bring in the resources necessary to achieve that wherever we can. Right now we only go until 2, but if we get more participation, my whole goal is that every kid should be able to play some sport somewhere in the neighborhood. It is integral in child development.”
October 2016
Civic Association holds a big September meeting by George Fiala
The Red Hook Civic Association drew a larger crowd and had a larger agenda than many of the earlier meetings this year. The September meeting was held in the PS 15 auditorium and president John McGettrick held sway over a number of local topics. He began with a tirade against city and state government as even more money has been slashed from the much vaunted Integrated Flood Protection Program. Originally slated as a $200 million project by the governor, it was cut in half (as reported first by the Star-Revue) earlier this year. When asked why, McGettrick was told that the $200 million was simply a typographical error. It now seems cut in half again, as the city has moved from the IFPS budget to it's flawed Build It Back program, which has run into huge cost overruns while many in flood areas are still out of their homes. "It's four years since Sandy, and we are still no closer to any sort of real flood protection," said McGettrick.
he feels that a balance will be struck and some stands removed as their usage is monitored.
Someone asked about the many new No Parking signs at many corners. It was explained that these 'daylight' corner signs help trucks making turns on our narrow streets. It was pointed out that NYC has a 55 foot limit on truck traffic that is never enforced, and these signs kind of legitimize the larger trucks. McGettrick point out that they also prevent smushed cars. The next subject was the new forprofit detox center being built on Van Brunt Street across from Dry Dock Wines and Spirits. Mary, co-owner of Dry Dock, felt that the owners snuck in their building without informing the community, leaving her to wonder what kind of neighbors they will end up being. McGettrick said that we were treated shabbily by the community board. The center's previous application a couple of years ago for a nearby location caused controversy at the board 196 Columbia Sackett & Degraw The conversation moved to Street, the new between and so this time they simply bypassed evergreenliquor@yahoo.com Citi Bike stands throughout the neigh- any community oversight and are Mon. - which Thurs. 11 am - 10:30 pm;been Fri & Sat.building 11 am - 11:30 pm; Sun. 1 pm pm borhood, some feel has it as-of-right. The- 9original overdone. McGettrick said he would filings for the new building were as a try to get someone from DOT to dis- hotel with large rooms - only recently cuss this at the October meeting, but was the real nature of the construc-
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tion divulged, and only because somebody happened to look at their website - www. thehookrc.com. McGettrick, as a way of introduction to the special guest, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, again announced his longterm desire for ferry service to Governors Island from the AtlanVelmanette Montgomery, fresh off a primary victory, was a tic Basin, something special guest along with Leon T. Gelzer, the new Sr. Mortgage that EDC is still con- Development Officer at Santander Bank. (photo by Fiala) sidering. mandatory for upcoming closings of Montgomery spoke of her desire to libraries in Sunset Park and Brooklyn see maritime uses of our waterfront Heights, and that she would look into maintained -as they are a great job it for Red Hook. generator. She has been supporting a Harbor Middle School as a feeder Finally, Andrea McKnight introduced school to Governor's Island public Leon T. Gelzer, newly stationed at the Harbor High School. She said that local Santander Bank. The bank is in such a school could be located either danger of violating the Community in Red Hook or Sunset Park. Reinvestment Bank - which mandates She urged everyone to vote for Hillary in the upcoming presidential election. She was asked about plans for an alternate library while the Red Hook Library is closed for repairs next year. She stated that such plans were made
local banks support the surrounding community - and his mandate is to make Santander a true Red Hook bank. He has already issued a $40,000 grant to the Red Hook Iniative for financial education, and he is looking
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LEON T. GELZER, Sr. Mortgage Development Officer NMLS#412561
Cordially Invites You To:
“COMMUNITY APPRECIATION DAY” Monday, October 24, 2016 9 am - 4 pm
Santander Bank
498 Columbia Street, Red Hook (at Lorraine Street)
• Learn more about our affordable mortgage products • Learn more about our personal consumer banking products • Come meet our investment and business partners • Come meet our friendly personal bankers who are eager to serve you • Come receive information regarding FREE mortgage preapprovals
We’d like to be your bank! LIGHT REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED
Leon Gelzer with NY State Senator Velmanette Montgomery at PS 15
Page 20 Red Hook Star-Revue
Private appointments available. Please email me at Leon.Gelzer@Santander.us or call me at 646-302-3761
www.star-revue.com
October 2016