The
Red Hook StarªRevue
SEPTEMBER 2017
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
THESE PEOPLE ALL WANT TO BE YOUR NEXT CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE Democratic Primary is September 12
Flip to the centerfold to read all about them!
(photos by Anna Ekros)
DON’T MISS RED HOOK’S MUSIC FEST! O n Saturday, September 16, at 12 noon, the Star-Revue will up a stage under the crane at IKEA’s Erie Basin Park (in back of the parking lot) and present a full day of homegrown Brooklyn music. Admission is free, and there will be food, beer and vendors, plus a green park making a fun day for all!
Mike Cobb & The Crevulators play eclecticamericana, aka ECLECTICANA! Based out of Brooklyn, NY they perform regularly in the boroughs finer honky tonks. They are influenced by all that is Americana and more: bluegrass, blues, country, rockabilly, rock n’ roll, surf, garage, tejano, psych, punk, ska, etc. More specifically Hank, Cash, Elvis, Chuck, Bo, Everlys, Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who, Hendrix, Dylan, Band, Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Los Lobos, Gourds, too many to list... For more info, go to: https:// soundcloud.com/mscjr
Lizzie & The Makers
pel greats like Mavis Staples, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Shirley Caesar. Lizzie is a born musician. From age 4 she was trained as a classical pianist and has taken vocal lessons from the renowned Don Lawrence. Her Dad was a constant on the 60’s rock scene, acting
Southernborn and Brooklynbased – with a few places in between – Mary-Elaine Jenkins has an everevolving sound that leans heavily on the blues, as well as Americana, rock, soul, and folk, specializing in the spooky/sultry. She is currently recording her first fulllength record. You can hear her on SoundCloud.com/ mary-elaine-jenkins or live in Brooklyn!
g n i t a r b e l e C 2017
A staple of the NYC music scene, Lizzie Edwards seems to have played with everyone! From fronting the Avant-guard jazz ensemble, “Jumping Salty” (with Morgan Kraft, Wes and Madison Rast), to sharing the stage with James Carter and Delmar Brown, she brings nothing but fierce talent. With influences ranging from Paul Butterfield to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lizzie has been a guest at many NYC all-star jams at the Bitter End, and has brought the house down as the lead singer of her side project “Lizzie and the Sinners” (with Charles Roth, Jahn Xavier, Chris Schultz, and Tom Shad) covering gos-
as sideman for Chuck Berry and touring with Martha and The Vandellas and the Dave Clark Five. Her grandmother a classical harpsichordist and her grandfather an opera singer, a love and ability for all music truly courses through her veins. With Lizzie and the Makers, she has rocked up and down the East Coast. Belting out original, soulful blues/rock tunes evoking The Black Crowes, Bonnie Raitt and a hint of Led Zeppelin (for good measure), as well as an obscure jazz tune here and there.
Table of Contents Happenings.............................................2 Neighborhood Profile.............................7 Religious News.....................................4,5 Red Hook Labs.....................................18 Obituary..................................................5 Know Your Neighbor.............................10 Red Hook Star-Revue
Mary-Elaine Jenkins
www.star-revue.com
Johnny Pinhook & the Tobaccoaires b r i n g you the dirtiest deep cuts and classiest hits in the history of both country and western music. Featuring Emma DeCorsey (vocals), Jeff Mensch (lead guitar), Turner Stough (bass),
Americana Fest page 21
Eric Kuby (drums), and rotating special guests.
Robert Barnes, leader of BERST, brings his jazz quintet to Celebrating Red Hook for the fourth time. His originals sound like you’ve heard them before, only because in the right world they would have been heard around the world. His crew of professional players also do justice to songs by Bill Withers and the Four Tops.
Union is a band born at 101 Union Street, o n c e home of the Star-Revue’s popular Thursday night music jam, well remembered by many. Singer Stan Kosakowski shares guitar duties (continued on page 15)
Park dedicated in Carroll Gardens page 7 September 2017, Page 1
The
Red Hook StarªRevue
481 Van Brunt Street, 8A Brooklyn, NY 11231
Sept. Happenings
(718) 624-5568
email happenings@ redhookstar.com to list your event. For more listings, check out our online community calendar at www.star-revue.com/calendar
www.star-revue.com
George Fiala R: Nathan Weiser Michael Cobb S B C: Halley Bondy, Arts Laura Eng, Religion Emily Kluver, Matt Caprioli Mary Ann Pietanza Sarah Matusek Kimberly Gail Price, Publisher 2012-2017
FOR EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING OR EMPLOYMENT INQUIRIES, email info@redhookstar.com. The Red Hook Star-Revue is published monthly. Founded June 2010.
Community Telephone Numbers:
Red Hook Councilman Carlos Menchaca (718) 439-9012 Red Hook Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (718) 492-6334 State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery (718) 643-6140 Gowanus Councilman Brad Lander (718) 499-1090 Park Slope Councilman Steve Levin (718) 875-5200 CB6 District Manager Craig Hammerman (718) 643-3027 76th Police Precinct, 191 Union Street Main phone (718) 834-3211 Community Affairs (718) 834-3207 Traffic Safety (718) 834-3226 Eileen Dugan Senior Center, 380 Court Street (718) 596-1956 Miccio Center, 110 East 9th Street (718) 243-1528
12
The Red Hook Library (7 Wolco� Street) will have free one-on-one computer training from 4 to 5 p.m. during drop in computer Tue. lab. You will be able to learn basic computer skills or get more advanced training from the library’s technology experts. ProjectArt will have art class for kids 8-12 at the Red Hook Library. The ProjectArt community is dedicated to bringing the arts to as many children as it can in a �me when access to arts educa�on is increasingly limited. Class for ages 4-7 will be from 3:15-4:15 throughout the year. The Red Hook West Tenant Association will have their monthly mee�ng hosted by Lillie Marshall. The mee�ng will be at 428 Columbia Street tenant office room 1-C from 6:30 - 9 p.m.
13 Wed.
Crochet club will take place at the Red Hook Library (7 Wolco� Street) from 1 to 3 p.m. You will be able to crochet and chat with fellow fiber-arts lovers.
16
The Red Hook Community Farm (3-49 Halleck St.) will have their weekly free cooking demonstration from 10 am to Sat. 3 pm. These demonstra�ons will happen through November 18, and each week a different fruit or vegetable will be chosen and prepared. Red Hook VFW Old Timers Day - Noon - 6, 325 Van Brunt Street. $25, all you can eat and drink. Celebrating Red Hook will happen again this year behind IKEA from noon un�l 10 p.m. This will be a full day of homegrown Brooklyn music. Admission is free. There will be food, beer and vendors.
17
Pioneer Works (159 Pioneer Street) will be hos�ng wilderness exploration on Sun. Governors Island from noon un�l 3 p.m. Par�cipants will meet at Pioneer Works at noon and cross the Channel by ferry before being led through rarely visited wilderness of Governor’s Island. The walk will end at Nolan Park #17, where NYC Audubon has its residency. The price is $50, which includes the ferry �cket. The class will involve walking through wilderness so appropriate clothing is recommended.
20
Pioneer Works (159 Pioneer Street) will be having Wed. an evening with the Tallest Man on Earth and Music. Kris�an Matsson is a singer-songwriter from Dalarna, Sweden who performs under the stage name The Tallest Man on Earth. She has released four full length albums and headlined tours. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the price is $40.
21
The Red Hook Library will have Library Lanes Thurs. Virtual Bowling from 11 to 12 p.m. This is a virtual bowling compe��on. You will be able to play against people at other branches of the Brooklyn Public Library or beat you own best score.
26
The 11th annual Taste of Red Hook will happen at the Liberty Warehouse, 260 Tue. Conover Street from 6 to 9 pm. The event will bring together 50 award-winning restaurants, breweries, wineries and dis�lleries for one night. This is Red Hook Ini�a�ve’s primary fundraiser of the year. All proceeds benefit RHI. There will be a silent auc�on, an opportunity to meet RHI youth and a raffle to win the ul�mate TESLA experience.
ONGOING
P:
Tuesday, September 26 The Gowanus Community Advisory Group will be having a mee�ng from 6:30 to 9 pm. They will be mee�ng at St. Mary’s Residence at 41 First Street. Tuesday, September 26
The Red Hook Community Jus�ce Center is having the Red Hook peacemaking program orientation from 5 to 7 pm. They are recrui�ng new peacemakers. For more informa�on, please email peacemakingRH@gmail.com or call (718) 923-8287. Come to join Peacemaking to learn how to be�er resolve conflict in your family and community. Thursday, September 28
Red Hook Library (7 Wolco� Street) will be having Adult Art Therapy from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. You will be able to unwind and let your crea�vity flow. September 12-14 Red Hook Ini�a�ve (767 Hicks Street) will be offering GED classes that will start in late September. To enroll in these classes you need to a�end an orienta�on session at 10 am on September 12, 13 or 14. For more informa�on or to sign up contact Brian Mendes at BMendes@fi�have.org
20
The Red Hook East Tenant Association returns from their summer break with a Wed. mee�ng at 167 Bush Street 1B from 6:30 – 9 pm.
Red Hook East Dev. Office, 62 Mill St (718) 852-6771 Red Hook West Dev. Office, 55 Dwight St. (718) 522-3880 NYCHA Satellite Police Precinct, 80 Dwight St. Main Phone (718) 265-7300 Community Affairs (718) 265-7313 Domestic Violence (718) 265-7310 Youth Officer (718) 265-7314 Auxiliary/Law Enforcement Coordinator (718) 265-7378 Detective Squad (718) 265-7327
Page 2 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017
g n i t a r b e Cel 2017 with her friend from their Port Authority days, Tommy Ramirez. George Fiala and John Badiali, who form the rhythm section, are happy to help Stan’s songs come alive. Singer/Songwriter Andi Rae Healy has been a mainstay on New York City’s indie-country scene for nearly a decade. Her debut album, I Guess I am a Sinner—featuring contributions from artists as diverse as pop princess, Cyndi Lauper and indie darling, Jill Sobule—was released in 2006 and earned rave reviews for its deep melodicism, lush production, and its brutally honest and painfully heartfelt lyrics.
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, BB King, Muddy Waters, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, James Brown, and so many others...
Glen Morrow’s Cry for Help
Brooklyn-based
In the ensuing years, Andi Rae has performed across the country, been a finalist at World Cafe Live’s Philly Rising Showcase, played shows for the Honky Tonk Angels and Brooklyn Country, as well as hosting and organizing annual Earth Day shows and fundraisers to support the environmental causes that she cares so deeply about. In 2012, Andi Rae launched a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising over $12,000 to record her long-anticipated follow up: a hard-driving, boot-stomping effort (featuring live-in-the-studio performances by her crack band, the Back River Bullies) with hints of 90s rock and classic country entitled If You Want to Be My Man, which after three years of painstaking work, was released on September 18, 2015.
Gravity Dogs
VFW to hold annual
Call Morrow a local legend, and he’d probably demur: he’s a modest guy, and he prefers to let his songs do the talking. But in Hoboken – a town that has always celebrated idiosyncratic rock musicians – people know better. Morrow has been central to musical movements in the Mile Square City for more than three decades, both as a songwriter and performer and as the head honcho of Bar/None Records, an imprint that has always flown the flag for courageous artists. He was one of the first musicians to play at Maxwell’s, the epicenter of the scene for decades, and when Maxwell’s closed its doors in 2013, it was Morrow onstage with his old bands the Individuals and “a” to bring the curtain down.
OLD TIMER’S DAY
V
eterans of Foreign Wars Post 7765 is holding its annual fundraiser/ Old Timers Day on Saturday September 16 from noon - 6 pm. The VFW is open to all on that day.
For $25, attendees get roast beef, baked ziti, burgers, hot dogs, desserts, and unlimited tap beer as well as enjoy a live DJ jamming all day in the yard. The Post has received donations and raffle prizes from Fort Defiance, Walk in hair salon, New York Print and Graphics, D’Amico Coffee, Rocky Sullivan’s, Baked, Brooklyn Crab, Bait & Tackle, Home Depot, and many more local businesses. “A nice thank you to all who started giving, it’s all appreciated,” says Post Commander Mickey Chirieleison. The post is still accepting gift baskets, services, and cards. All are warmly invited. Address: 325 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231 Phone: (718) 624-9313
That show – plus a thorough re-reading of music critic Robert Palmer’s Deep Blues and a thorough engagement with classic records – inspired Morrow’s latest album. “After the show at Maxwell’s, I felt like I had a clean slate from which to write,” says Morrow. “A portal I hadn’t been able to access for a long time reopened in my brain. Thanks to a longoverdue trip to Memphis, I found myself going back to school to really dig into everything that informed the music I liked over the years.” Celebrating Red Hook is honored to feature this legendary talent.
Mad Matador
The Gravity Dogs began as a group of former musicians getting together to let off steam at work. After a dynamic debut performance at the legendary Kenny’s Castaways in NYC’s Greenwich Village, the group became the centerpiece for establishing a nonprofit supporting Veterans. What followed were sold out shows at both the Mercury Lounge, Irving Plaza, as well as many others. Following some personnel changes the music moved from hard rock to a more polished groove based performance. Influences include Miles Davis, Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Elmore James, Skip James,
Red Hook Star-Revue
Closing the show is Mad Matador, who describes themselves as “Loud and Sexy American Rock n Roll from NYC.” They are fronted by Red Hook’s own Andrew Amendola, and have created a huge following at their shows at Rocky Sullivan’s. The festival is dedicated to the late George Kornienko, the heart and soul of Red Hook’s community watering hole.
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 3
RELIGIOUS NEWS BY LAURA ENG laura.eng59@aol.com.
Mass for Solidarity and Peace at St. James
B
ishop Nicholas DiMarzio was the main celebrant at a Diocesan Mass for Solidarity and Peace at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James on Jay Street on the evening of Thursday, August 24. The main intentions of the Mass were to pray for those who were injured and killed in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier that month, the healing of our nation, and those who have allowed the seeds of hatred to grow in their hearts. Concelebrating the Mass with the bishop were close to two dozen auxiliary bishops and priests, including Reverend Alonzo Cox, Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns, Coordinator of Ministry for African American Catholics, and Pastor of St. Martin De Porres Parish.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES Christian River Of God Christian Center
110 Wolcott Street, 646-226-6135, Secretary, Sister Roslyn Chatman. Sunday- Family Worship 11 - 1 pm Scripture, read in English and Spanish Wednesday- At The Gate 12 noon, Prayer 7 - 7:30 pm, Bible Studies 7 - 8 pm, Thursday Prayer 7:30- 8:30 pm, Friday Youth ABLAZED Ministries 6 7:30pm, Senior Pastor, Donald Gray
Visitation Church
98 Richards Street , (718) 624-1572. Office open Mon-Thursday 9 am- 3 pm. Saturday Mass at 5 pm English; Sunday 10 am Spanish, 12:30 pm English. Community Prayer on Tuesday and Thursday at 8 pm. Baptisms are held every other month. Please call to arrange for Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation and Weddings.
New Brown Memorial Baptist Church
609 Clinton Street, 718 624 4780 Pastor A.R Jamal. Sunday School at 9:30 am. Sunday Worship at 11 am. Bible Study-Wednesday at 7:30pm. Communion every first Sunday
Stretching Far and Wide Global Ministry, Inc.
382 Hamilton Avenue, Studio B 1-800-948-9042 Archbishop Dr. Barbara Jackman, Overseer Rev. Dr. Dwayne Barnes, Pastor Services are held every Sunday @ 10 am Communion every First Sunday stretchingfar.webs.com stretchingfar@aol.com
St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish
467 Court Street, (718) 625-2270 Rectory Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am- 11:30 am, 1 pm-4 pm, Friday 9 am- 12 noon. Masses: Saturday 4 pm, Sunday 10 am, Monday- Thursday, 9:30 am.
Saint Paul and Saint Agnes Parish
Church Office 433 Sackett St (718) 625-1717 Hours: M-F 2 PM-5 PM. E mail: stpaulandstagnes@ gmail.com. Saint Paul, 190 Court Street- church open daily for prayer and meditation 7 am- 8 PM. Saturday Vigil Mass 5:30 PM (English), Sunday 7:45 am (English), 11 am (Spanish). St. Agnes, 433 Sackett Street Saturday Vigil Mass 4 PM (English), Sunday 9:15 am (English), 11 am (French), 12:30 PM (Spanish). M-T-TH-F-S 8:30 am St Paul’s Chapel 234 Congress St.; Wednesday 8:30 AM St Agnes.
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary- Saint Stephen Roman Catholic Church
125 Summit Street at Hicks Street, (718) 596-7750, info@sacredhearts-ststephen.com Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am- 5 am, Friday 9 am- 3 pm, Saturday 9 am- 1 pm Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm, Sunday Masses at 8 am, 10 am, and noon (Italian/English) Weekday Masses during winter months at 8:30 am and 12 noon Confessions: Saturday at 4:45 pm and by appointment. Baptisms every third Sunday at 1 pm.
St. Paul’s Carroll Street
199 Carroll Street Parish Office: 718-625-4126 Sunday Mass at 10 am Weekday Morning PrayerMon.-Thurs. at 7:30 am Weekday masses as announced Holy Days as announced \Church open for prayer Tues. 6-8pm & Sat. 2-4pm http://stpaulscarrollst.weebly.com/
Jewish Kane Street Synagogue
236 Kane Street, 718 875-1550 http://kanestreet.org/ Friday night services, 6 PM Shabbat services, 9:15 AM Sunday Services 9 AM
Congregation B’nai Avraham/Chabad of Brooklyn Heights
117 Remsen St., 718 596 4840 x18 www.bnaiavraham.com, www.heightschabad.com Morning Services: Sunday: 8:45am Monday- Friday: 7:45am Holidays (during the week): 8:45am Saturday: 9:45am Evening Services: Sunday: Shabbat candle lighting time Monday- Thursday: 9 pm Friday: Winter: 5 minutes before Shabbat candle lighting time Summer:
Congregation Mount Sinai
250 Cadman Plaza West, (718) 875-9124, Rabbi Seth Wax Friday services at 6:30 pm; Saturday Prayer and Mysticism Class at 9 am, services at 10 am followed by kiddish lunch. All are welcome.
Page 4 Red Hook Star-Revue
Deacon Leroy Branch, lay deacon of St. Paul/St. Agnes Parish in Cobble Hill, proclaimed the gospel, which was the reading of the Beatitudes, the eight blessings from the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of St. Matthew. Deacon Branch also read the Prayer of the Faithful. The most powerful moments were delivered by Bishop DiMarzio in an inspiriting homily during which he first called for prayers for the victims of domestic terrorism in Charlottesville as well as recent victims of international terrorism in Barcelona. The bishop referred to the first reading from the Book of Daniel in which Daniel interprets a dream for the King of Babylon about an idol with feet made of clay and iron. Bishop DiMarzio remarked that we in the United States also have feet of clay and stated, “We should not tolerate monuments of people who were racist or who were trying to destroy our democracy... We in the United States have our own particular original sin; it’s called racism.” The bishop went on to say, “Racism remains the preeminent sin not only of our nation but also of our church... Just as the Babylonian Empire fell, we, too, as a nation will fail to reach our potential if we do not address this pervasive fault.” Bishop DiMarzio said he was inspired by the mother and father of Heather Heyer, the young woman who was killed in Charlottesville. The bishop said that Heyer’s parents offered forgiveness because of their faith in God. He stressed that “[forgiveness] does not mean we should condone nor that we should not correct those who somehow have wandered away from the truth.” The Bishop cited two Catholics in particular for further inspiration: St. Peter Claver and Monsignor Bernard Quinn.
www.star-revue.com
St. Peter Claver was a 17th Century Jesuit priest who labored on the docks of Cartagena, Colombia, baptizing and ministering to thousands of slaves, alleviating their pain and suffering. Msgr. Quinn, who in 1922 established the first church for black Catholics in Brooklyn, appropriately named for St. Peter Claver, is currently under consideration for sainthood. Msgr. Quinn bravely faced down racism both within and outside the Church. When he built the diocese’s first orphanage for black children in Wading River, Long Island in 1928, the Ku Klux Klan burned it down. He had the orphanage rebuilt and the KKK once again burned it down in the same year. Msgr. Quinn built the orphanage a third time, in concrete and brick, and it still stands and is now known as the Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York. In the face of racism and death threats, Msgr. Quinn’s vow to his parishioners was “I would willingly shed to the last drop my life’s blood for the least among you.” While Msgr. Quinn was not able to, nor will we be able to, eradicate racist thinking, Bishop DiMarzio advised that “we must do whatever is possible to make sure that racism is not ‘part and parcel’ of our own thinking and our own church.” Bishop DiMarzio called for radical change and then announced that he will be establishing a Diocesan Commission for Social Justice, named for Msgr. Quinn, to deal with social and religious problems that racism presents and to “eliminate racism as much as we can from our own midst.” The bishop went on to speak against (continued on next page)
September 2017
Religion
(continued from previous page)
xenophobia and violence against immigrants and encouraged all those gathered to become the peacemakers and put into practice the revolutionary teachings of Jesus, including those presented in the Beatitudes. “As Christians,” he advised, “we must accompany every marginalized person, condemn no one, and pray for the conversion of sinners.” The bishop concluded that the work to fight racism “is not easy work but together we will strive to make a difference.” The end of Bishop DiMarzio’s homily was met with resounding applause. The Mass concluded with Father Alonzo Cox thanking Bishop DiMarzio for his inspiring words and asking people to pray for peace and go out and bring people closer to the heart of Christ. Father Cox also thanked the Sister Thea Bowman Diocesan Gospel Choir of Rockville Center for raising their voices to the heavens. The choir contributed an uplifting, plaintive, and profoundly spiritual musical message throughout the Mass.
HAPPENINGS/UPCOMING EVENTS Eid al-Adha (The Feast of the Sacrifice) will be celebrated on Saturday, September 2 in the U.S. The Muslim holiday commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God. Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) marking the Hebrew Year 5778 begins at sundown on September 20. The two-day holiday will conclude at sundown on September 22. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and holiest day of the year in Judaism, begins at sundown on September 29. Ending the Death Penalty - The Catholic Mobilizing Network invites all people of faith and goodwill to sign the National Catholic Pledge to End the Death Penalty. Go to catholicsmobilizing.org to find out more.
Congregation Mount Sinai 250 Cadman Plaza West Under the Bridge - Monthly community Shabbat celebration at BridgeView Lawn, Pier 1, Brookyn Bridge Park on Friday, September 8 at 6:30 pm. Challah and grape juice will be provided. All are welcome! High Holy Days - For information and to reserve your place, email bobkahancms@gmail.com. Kane Street Synagogue 236 Kane Street High Holy Days - For information, visit http://kanestreet.org/religious-life/ high-holidays. Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral 113 Remsen Street Passion & Purpose for Marriage Seminar on September 8 from 7-10:45 pm. Discover the key ingredients to a healthy and happy marriage; featuring Dr. Allen Hunt and musical guest George Lower. Tickets are $25 and may be ordered online at DynamicCatholic.com or by calling 859-9807900. Open to all peoples of good faith.
Red Hook Star-Revue
Mohammad passes
Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church Summit & Hicks Street Feast of Madonna D’Addolorata, patroness of Mola Di Bari, honoring Mary, the Mother of Jesus under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows on Sunday, September 10 with procession beginning at 4 pm. Annual Yard Party on Sunday, September 17 in the church courtyard. All are welcome and are asked to bring a covered dish. Faith Formation/CCD resumes on September 17; registration for children has begun. For information, please call Nancy Arkin at 718-5967750.
by Nathan Weiser
St. Agnes/ St. Paul’s Parish Hoyt & Sackett Streets CCD will resume on September 17. Registration for new participants will take place on September 6 and 7 from 7 - 8:30 pm, September 10 after the 9:15 am Mass until 11:30, September 13 and 14 from 7 - 8:30 pm, September 16 after the 4 pm Mass. Registration fee is $100 for one child and $125 for more than one child in an immediate family. Night of Chances on Saturday, October 21, 2017- A fun-filled and exciting fundraising event, with plenty of chances to WIN for everybody including raffles, horse races, gift baskets, door prizes, a Grand 50/50, and MORE! Entrance fee will be $10 which includes a door prize chance. All proceeds go to our churches. Monetary donations to purchase prizes are welcome. Call 718-625-1717 for more information.
Eugene “Mohammad” Mack passed away on August 10, 2017. Mack was originally from South Carolina and came from a family of landowners. “This a big loss,” said his friend Wally Bazemore. “He was a great family man. He was a tremendous neighbor. He was on tenant patrol for years. It took a lot just to sit out there and practically guard the building.” According to Bazemore, who had known Mack for about 30 years, he passed away rapidly. “I know he was having complications,” Bazemore said. “I went to the hospital and he had tubes everywhere.” Bazemore first met Mack in the 1980s when they both would go to tenant association meetings. Mack was Muslim and Bazemore was Muslim back then. They would commiserate together about things that were not happening in Red Hook. They would always point out NYCHA’s incompetence and things in the community that they felt were neglected.
St. Mary Star of the Sea Church 467 Court Street Registration for CCD grades 1 - 4 is almost over. Please register your child as soon as possible. Forms available in Church, on our website @ www. stmarystarbrooklyn.com or at the rectory! CCD begins on September 17.
“He would call the police when necessary regarding his building,” Baze-
St. Paul’s Catholic Church 234 Congress Street See St. Agnes listings.
more added. “If he saw something, he would say something. He was not the type of person who would look the other way.” Mack worked on keeping the area outside of his building safe and orderly and would call elected officials when something needed to be brought to their attention. Bazemore thinks that he lived in 135 Richards Street. “He was always at meetings pointing out issues,” Bazemore said. “Mohammad would call Dan Wiley (Nydia Velazquez’s community liaison) all the time in reference to drug dealing or lack of services. He was a watchdog for the building.” Mack could often be seen walking around with his yellow and blue tenant patrol button if he was on duty or off duty. . Bazemore would see him with the button at meetings, out on the street and out at Methodist Hospital. Bazemore thinks that they should have buried him with that button. “He wore it so often and he was one of the most diligent tenant patrol tenant patrol participants on the west side.”
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Carroll and Clinton Streets Celebrating Father Peter Cullen’s 30 Years of Service to St. Paul’s Church on Sunday, September 10: Prayer service at 9:30 am at St. Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church on Summit and Hick’s Streets (original site of original of St. Paul’s), Low Mass with music at St. Paul’s at 10 am, and celebration in Parish Hall at 11:15 am. Visitation BVM Church 98 Richards Street Gran Retiro De Sanación De Familias (Great Health Retreat for Families) on September 2 from 8 am - 8 pm. Philip Retreat on September 15, 16 and 17. $50. Friday from 6 - 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9 am - 6 pm. Ask the Medical Professional - Blood pressure screening, questions answered about medications, diabetes, nutrition, etc. Every first and third Sunday starting on September 17 from 11 am - 1 pm in the church vestibule. Healing Mass on Wednesday, September 20 at 7 pm in Spanish.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 5
Red Hookers return for Old Timer’s Day by Nathan Weiser
T
he 32nd annual Red Hook Old Timers’ Day (RHOTD) weekend took place August 11-13. The main event took place in Coffey Park on Sunday where many enjoyed a beautiful day with old school music and barbecuing. Red Hookers of the past and present got together and reminisced about old times. DJ Leslie G, a pioneering DJ from Red Hook, entertained the crowd with old school rap. The 76th precinct estimated a crowd of 500, who mostly huddled together in the middle close to where the loud music was playing from the “hurricane” sound system. Virginia, who is 67 years old, spoke to this reporter of past celebrations. She remembers when Coffey Park was packed with a few thousand people, and people would camp out the night before to get a good spot. She also recalled when they used to have a “hustle” dance contest. Ayda, who has known Virginia for decades, also said she enjoys coming to Old Timers’ Day every year. She said many people have moved, and then they come back. “It is a pleasure to see them and to see that they are still alive,” Ayda said. Virginia remembers going to Coffey Park often when she was a kid growing up in the Houses. “I had to go through Coffey Park to go to Visitation Church on Sundays,” Virginia said. “This was a very Catholic community. On Sundays, we used to see all the children come out in their Sunday best. The little boys with their suits, the little girls with their can can dresses with big hats all came down, hundreds of them, because this is a community of children. On the month of communion all the girls would come out in their white dresses.” “There used to be a lot of diversity and a lot of bands,” she continued. “We used to have live bands come. It’s now just a DJ. Back then it was absolutely beautiful. There was food for sale everywhere.” “I think it changed because you got to realize that people get older, people moved further away and people died,” Virginia said. “I am born and raised here and have been seeing this since I was a little girl.”
Virginia remembers the park being so crowded that people could not actually see the grass in the park. Virginia has also seen the population of Red Hook change very much over the years. In order for her parents to live in the houses they had to be married and have a job. When my parents came in the late ‘40s my father was a working man. This was a working community.” “I went to PS 27 with Irish and Italian people. I was the little Puerto Rican girl surrounded by Irish and Italian people and a few Jewish people.” A person with a different point of view was DJ Leslie G. He was one of the pioneers of rap music in Red Hook. He enlisted in the army in 1986 for 12
“It is always a tremendous crowd,” Leslie G said. “Not only the people that used to live
the city still come back. It is a great time.” Like Virginia and Braxton, he remembers how times have changed at Coffey Park. “Right here is nothing like what it used to be back in the day,” Anthony G said. “This whole place used to be so crowded. Nobody back then was doing what we were doing.” Cheryl Braxton, who has lived in Red Hook her whole life, remembers having double dutch, skelly and many more fun and games at Old Timers’ Day when she was younger. She remembers barbecuing in front of the buildings and having parades during Memorial Day and Labor Day. Braxton thinks that the changes in Red Hook are due to the funds and the freedom that they used to have. “We had a lot more freedom and we had a lot more fun,” Braxton said. “Right now you don’t have that support. There were no drugs. Even when you left people were cooking on the outside on the grass.”
Virginia enjoys what she has access to in Red Hook and likes all of the green space and culture. “Red Hook is a beautiful community, don’t get me wrong,” Virginia said. We are surrounded by beautiful parks. We have beautiful museums and discover Red Hook. It is a beautiful community.”
here and come from different states like Colorado, Texas and Georgia, but the people that were born and raised here that moved into the city still come back. It is a great time.”
years and then wound up in Savannah, Georgia. “That is where I have been living for the last 20 years,” Leslie G said. But every year I come back here. Even when I was in the army I come back here to be part of this. Every year it gets bigger and bigger.” He went on to talk about how much he enjoys the crowd and how many different places they come from to be part of Red Hook Old Timers’ Day. “It is always a tremendous crowd,” Leslie G said. “Not only the people that used to live here and come from different states like Colorado, Texas and Georgia, but the people that were born and raised here that moved into
(continued on next page)
Page 6 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017
Carroll Gardens dedicates a new park by Nathan Weiser
O
n Tuesday, August 15, NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Marty Maher, along with elected officials, celebrated the official beginning of construction of the new St. Mary’s Park. The Carroll Garden’s park had been closed since 2009 because of MTA work on the subway track above. “Parks are here to celebrate, and the community has a lot to celebrate with the start of this project,” Maher said at the ceremony. “About a year from now, they will have a lot to celebrate with the end of this project.” The park is located at the intersection of Smith, Huntington, Nelson and Luquer Streets, and it borders the neighborhoods of Red Hook, Gowanus and Carroll Gardens. Brad Lander, who represents Carroll Gardens and Gowanus on the City Council, said that many kids who have grown up recently in the area have not been able to utilize this playground.
MTA said they would allocate money to fix the park—but that didn’t come to fruition. “We learned that fixing it up again meant allocating $850,000, except the cost of renovating most of the playground in a compelling way turned out to be about triple that,” Lander said. This playground space is named for the nearby St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church on Court Street. In the process of building this renovated new park, Lander’s office worked with the Parks Department, the community board and the Borough President to get the money to build both parks with the community’s interest in mind.
Buddy Scotto, who has been called the “Mayor of Carroll Gardens,” with Brooklyn Parks Community residents, organized by Commissioner Marty Maher. (photo by Weiser) Paige Bellenbaum and other neighborhood leaders, were integral in “It was important to the community nounced when it is anticipated to be working with the Parks Department to have a hands-on role in helping finished. to design the plans for the park. Ma- to design both of the playgrounds,” Lander connected the building of “Both of these sites had a playground her stressed how important it was Lander added. Lander remarked that this park to the overall growth of on them, but most of the kids that that the community’s input went into young kids, older kids, and seniors the Gowanus area. “We are thinking grew up in this neighborhood in re- this park and how this park can be a wanted places to sit and places to about the future of Gowanus and how play. The reconstruction of the play- we grow,” Lander said. “We are right cent years don’t have any recollec- real improvement for the area. tion of that,” Lander said. “That was “Any park or playground or courts ground will include brand new ADA across from the public site where caused by the MTA, who did the re- or sitting area is a huge community accessible play equipment for tod- Buddy Scotto has been working for construction of the Culver L, and they asset,” Maher said. “That is why our dlers as well as young and older chil- many years to put up vibrant mixed had to demolish the playgrounds that commissioner and our council mem- dren. In addition, there will be a new use space with affordable housing insafety surface with spray showers, net stead of it being a big vacant lot.” existed on this site.” ber feels it so important to engage the climbers, new tables and chairs, perAccording to Lander, at the time the community in design.” Lander added that they are building meable pavers to manage storm watowards a new mixed use community ters, and planting beds. that will have more jobs and housing, The park that the ribbon cutting took and that will also include principles place in is set to open in the spring of sustainability. of 2018. Other speakers at the event Instead of having chain link fences were New York State assemblymemand asphalt, as was common in the ber Jo Anne Simon, CB6 chair of the 1950s when St. Mary’s Park was origienvironmental protection commitnally built, this new park will be a tee Mark Shames, and Andrea Parker, lot more modern and aesthetically who is the executive director of the pleasing. Gowanus Canal Conservancy. According to the Parks CommisAcross Nelson Street is an additional sioner, there will be more trees in site that will be developed separately the park, more color in the park and that was not part of the ribbon cutthere will be safe surfaces. There will ting. Lander, along with the Borough also not be “prison looking” fences. President, were able to secure $1.35 million for construction of that site which will include a skating area, a multi-use synthetic turf field, adult fitness equipment, and basketball courts, and a walking track. ConMark Shames, Brad Lander, Jo Ann Simon, Marty Maher and Michael Racioppo pose struction is slated to begin in the fall for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the new St. Mary’s Playground. (photos by Nathan for the adjacent site and it wasn’t anWeiser)
The Star-Revue is looking for people to sell ads and write stories.
EVERGREEN LIQUOR STORE INC. 718 643-0739 196 Columbia Street, between Sackett & Degraw evergreenliquor@yahoo.com
These are paid positions, and it helps if you love community. To apply please email George@redhookstar.com
No job too big or too small
Toilets, Boilers, Heating, Faucets, Hot Water Heaters, Pool Heaters.
B & D HEATING 218 29th Street 718 625-1396
Mon. - Thurs. 11 am - 10:30 pm; Fri & Sat. 11 am - 11:30 pm; Sun. 1 pm - 9 pm
Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 7
Red Hook has a new martial arts facility by Nathan Weiser
K
ids and adults interested in martial arts, and more specifically Chung Do Kwan Taekwando, are now in luck: Mission Martial Arts opened a new 2,600 square foot facility on 356 Van Brunt St. in June. Mission Martial Arts has had a location at 517 Henry Street for 11 years and the owners thought that Red Hook really needed a place for people of all ages to learn and practice Tae Kwan Do. Claudine Missale, the owner of the Red Hook location, grew up in Carroll Gardens and also spent a lot of time in Red Hook. Missale brings 25 years of training and over 10 years of professional instruction for children of all ages (2.514+) from the main location on Henry Street. She has a reputation for well rounded, accessible instruction, personal attention and a positive learning environment. “We noticed there was nothing around here for children to do,” Missale said. “We felt the need. Most of the kids that I speak to in this neighborhood say that they have done karate at one point but that they were tired of going all the way to Park Slope or even to Carroll Gardens.” The studio specializes in non-contact martial arts. The biggest age group that they teach is 7-13 year olds, but they also extend to having classes and instruction for toddlers and adults. “Right around the nine or ten-yearold age range we have the most kids because they have been practicing since they were four with us or have gotten interested because they are finally old enough to see the Marvel movies, and superheroes are on everyone’s mind now,” Missale said. According the Beth Machlan, her daughter Lucy has been working with Missale for seven years. Lucy started with Mission Martial Arts in 3rd grade and she is now 15. She is even helping to teach those new to martial arts. “When she started it was three times a week and then as high school and other stuff intervened it is more like two times a week and then special events on the side,” Machlan said. “Lucy is a black belt. She is a first degree black belt and she will be going for her second degree black belt this year.” Each time she advances to a new belt Machlan feels like there is a sense of achievement unique to this activity. “It such a different type of achievement from other types of sports that I think are focused on winning games,” Machlan said.. There is this sense of personal progress with tae kwon do that I think is really valuable, but at the same time it is not completely individual because there is that emphasis on family and guidance.” Missale hopes that this location benefits Red Hook’s kids and their parents by providing a welcoming positive atmosphere for her sessions as well as for other organizations.
Page 8 Red Hook Star-Revue
A popular activity for children at the Henry Street location of Mission Martial Arts has been birthday parties and Missale anticipates that to continue on Van Brunt Street as well. “Starting in September, we are going to be doing Wonder Woman birthday parties,” Missale said. “Baked is going to be providing cupcakes and we are going to try to do some sword fighting outside and kind of make it like a Maquera.” Two specialized birthday parties at Mission Martial Arts are Star Wars themed ones where kids will learn how to use the force, and super hero themed parties kids where will focus on martial arts and doing takedowns. Mission is interested in introducing kids to martial arts through the birthday parties that they host. “Whatever the kids are interested in, if it helps us introduce them and their friends and families to martial arts then we are all about it,” Missale said.
Self defense
Missale strongly believes that self defense is incredibly good and has many varied benefits for those that participate. “Not just for possibly having to defend yourself on the street if need be but to get that foundation of dedication, hard work and a feeling of accomplishment in ways that has nothing to do with protecting your body from an aggressor,” Missale said. Lucy is someone who has benefited greatly thanks to the support and guidance from Claudine. “Claudine is such a positive role model,” Machlan said. “I think it is so great to have somebody you know who is not a teacher and not a parent but who has just been such a strong influence on her. Just helping her growing up to have a sense of ownership over her body and what she can accomplish and just representing strength to her and the importance of exercise and daily practice.” Missale and Lucy have meditated together over they years in addition to working on self defense techniques to go along with the process of gaining the various belts. Machlan believes that Lucy’s experience at Mission has been an important part of her development as a young person. Missale went on to add even more reasons that she has seen martial arts benefit young people and has even noticed that siblings have come away with a better relationship. “Martial arts are so good for your education, for your health, for communication and to better relationships with your family at home,” Missale said at the new studio. “You almost have no choice in a martial arts environment to become a more supportive and compassionate person. We have seen twins come through the door and they have had a tense relationship, but over their journey through martial arts you see they become better
Claudine Missale, owner of the new Red Hook location
communicators.” Class at Mission Martial Arts is typically sticks to a similar structure and towards the end students are left with something new that they don’t usually do. They do a warm up routine, their traditional basics and then they work on form and sparring. They typically work on two different types of sparring. Mission Martial Arts finishes off the last quarter of class with something that is unique and that the kids will enjoy. “We save the last quarter of class to work on some bag work or to work on something aerial or something that the kids would find cool,” Missale said. “It is something that will leave them feeling like they accomplished a new task, or something that they don’t do every single day.” According to the director of the new location, older kids often act as a mentor or leader for the younger students, and Lucy has done exactly that for the younger kids over the years. Machlan described her daughter as someone who has taught classes and helped those students not as far along as she is. “The whole system they have is very family oriented in that they are always expecting the kids who move up to become role models and to guide the younger kids,” Machlan said. “I’m hoping at some point Lucy will be the same sort of role model to younger girls in the program that Claudine has been to her all this time.” Missale believes that September is a great time to join Mission Martial Arts. They opened in June at a time when it is slow for kids because many are out of town for sleep away camp or other activities and parents wouldn’t want to sign their kids up for something they can only utilize once or twice a week.
in September they have all of this after school free time, so we see a lot of kids all week in September.” They were prepared for this slow period and are ready to be busier with kids as well as adults come September. “Parents are reluctant to sign their kid up for something that they are going to use once or twice and pay an entire month’s tuition, which is understandable,” Missale said. “I would be the same way.” The style of martial arts that they teach at Mission Martial Arts is noncontact. Missale feels that this method is conducive to being a more compassionate person. The kids as well as adults perform techniques that can be deadly and she doesn’t want the kids to take these techniques outside the studio and use them for any purpose. The techniques can positively affect the body, mind and spirit, according to Missale. “You become a more compassionate person because you are training to not use these techniques over learning how to be punched in the face,” Missale said. “I am really uncertain as to why anyone would want to train themselves to be punched in the face.” Missale is happy and excited to be one of the only female owners of a martial arts studio around and hopes to be someone that young women can look up to.. The only other female owner of a martial arts facility that she knows owns a location at DeGraw or Union and 3rd Avenue. “Hopefully this inspires more women to get into these fields that might be intimidating for them because it is so male dominated,” Missale said. “Hopefully I can be a good role model for that as well.”
“September is very packed because people are starting a new school year so they are getting into registration,” MIssale said. “It really isn’t until October that other sports start. Soccer doesn’t usually start until October, so
www.star-revue.com
September 2017
RHI IS HIRING! For more than fifteen years, Red Hook Initiative (RHI) has nurtured young people in Red Hook to be inspired, resilient and healthy, and to envision themselves as co-creators of their lives, community and society. Dozens of participants in RHI programs have returned to RHI as staff, and have jump-started careers in youth development from there. We recently expanded our facility to increase our reach among youth in middle school through age 24, as well as our community building programs. This summer, RHI is growing. We’re looking for Red Hook residents with solid experience in communications, education, and counselling. Visit www.rhicenter.org to look at our openings and let us know why your passion for youth development might make you a good fit. • • • • • •
Academic Advisors - support academic success with goal-setting and 1:1 tutoring. • Academic Advisors - support academic success with goalCase Manager - help young adults set and achieve education and employment goals.setting and 1:1 tutoring. College Retention Specialist – help youth prepare for and succeed in college. • Case Manager - help young adults set and achieve Communications Assistant, Red Hook WIFI – generate web and social educamedia content that engages Red Hook residents in our wireless network as a critical resource. tion and employment goals. Director of Development – ensure RHI’s financial sustainability by working to • College Retention Specialist help youth prepare for and secure long-term funding from individual,–corporate and institutional donors. Reproductive Educator - train high-school Peer Health Educators to succeedHealth in college. disseminate sexual health information and increase access to resources.
•
Communications Assistant, Red Hook WIFI – generate web and social media content that engages Red Hook residents in our wireless network as a critical resource.
•
Director of Development – ensure RHI’s financial sustainability by working to secure long-term funding from individual, corporate and institutional donors.
•
Reproductive Health Educator - train high-school Peer Health Educators to disseminate sexual health information and increase access to resources.
T:9.75”
Introducing
newyork-presbyterian
brooklyn methodist hospital. We’re bringing the people of Brooklyn the type of care that comes from being part of NewYork-Presbyterian. We’ve expanded our services and added more world-class specialists from Weill Cornell Medicine. They join the skilled doctors already here serving the community. Learn more at nyp.org/brooklyn T:7.5”
Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 9
Know Your Neighbor Day by Viviana Gordon
T
wo months ago, Marissa Williams, a second year AmeriCorps member who works with the Justice Center’s Housing Resource Center, was the recipient of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice’s Office to Prevent Gun Violence’s “Safe in the City Grant.” She was one of the first people to win and was awarded $1,000 to support her idea for a “Know Your Neighbor Day” in Red Hook. A lifelong neighborhood resident, she proposed a community cookout that would bring everyone outside and together. With some recent crime in the community, and elderly residents in particular feeling fearful, she wanted to recapture the sense that neighbors know and look out for one another. One day in late August Friday, she delivered on that vision.
Marissa Williams’s idea comes to life.
The event brought out neighbors young and old, community organizations, police, and even NYCHA staff. A delicious spread of home cooked food, music, raffle prizes, a resource fair, custom coloring books, and human bingo game kept the crowd lively, mingling and enjoying a perfect summer evening together.
A new community tradition begins (photos by George Fiala)
New Development in Red Hook COFFEY STREET NEAR RICHARDS
-
TWO BEDROOM RENTALS
WASHER/DRYER HOOK UP, NEW STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES, SPLIT AC UNITS, DISHWASHER , BALCONY, OUTDOOR YARD SPACE, ELEVATOR LIFT FOR THE DISABLED, PARKING
HL DYNASTY REAL ESTATE H. Lopes, President
Page 10 Red Hook Star-Revue
197 COLUMBIA STREET BROOKLYN, NY 11231 718 834-8675 WWW.HLDYNASTYRE.COM www.star-revue.com
September 2017
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, photos and reporting by Anna Ekros
An August morning by a small round table at the The Black Flamingo on Van Brunt Street, the café suggested by my interviewee. I am early to the meeting with the incumbent City Council member Carlos Menchaca, who is looking to be reelected for City Council in the primaries on September 12. I have a moment to go over my questions regarding the effects of participatory budgeting and changes in zoning laws I scribbled down in my notebook a few days prior to the interview.
“I need everyone behind me” Carlos arrives wearing a fitted light grey jacket. His hair is neatly trimmed as if coming straight from the barber. After speaking to his campaign manager who is having his breakfast in a corner of the coffee shop, he purchases a large cup of tea and something that will remain in the brown paper-to-gobag throughout the meeting.
“There are all these forces, and as a City Council member it is my job to hold them together,” says Menchaca. “The importance of understanding civic engagement is enormous. I need everyone behind me. Youth, immigrant communities, everyone, in order to reshape agencies the way they want them to be. Only if the people in the community have trust in me and talk to me I am capable of doing something. In areas like Sunset Park and Red Hook there are many separate groups where this trust has to be won.” Thinking about the race against the other candidates he says, “For me this election is more of a reflection upon the support that I had and have. It is about questions: have I reshaped agencies in the way you wanted me to? May I continue?”
Shaping our surroundings For Menchaca, education is the most important aspect of his job. Education not only for children but for the community, so that they can participate in the shaping of their surroundings. Participatory budgeting, a process where community members can choose how to spend part of the public budget, has been an important part of
Red Hook Star-Revue
“Participatory budgeting is preparing us for what we are seeing today—lies and alternative facts from officials. Through this process the community does not have to wait for me to be engaged. They can propose themselves. That gives people a sense of legacy, and the tangible results give real hope,” says Menchaca.
gain and finding opportunities to use it. That is why education is important, so that the public can confront the politicians. We cannot give people passes. A lie cannot be accepted because the one speaking is the candidate you always voted for. We need new people in the Senate and the Assembly. An educated population feels that they deserve to speak straight to their politicians and on the local level that is something within our immediate reach. You can cry or laugh with your elected official, invite them to meetings or events. If it can’t happen here it can’t happen anywhere.”
We have a voice Menchaca has a similar approach to zoning and new development in the area. “We need to realize that the community has power. We have a voice. My role is to invite people to the table so that they can learn how the process works, growing their expertise through workshops with experts. Knowledge is the only way to take ownership over Red Hook,” he says. “We want development, but development for the community. We want better transportation, we want more affordable housing. We need to decide how we want the development to take shape. The community should invite people to build with us.”
Looking at The Red Hook Houses in a holistic way When the question of NYCHA and the Red Hook Houses is brought into the conversation, Menchaca turns his eyes toward the window. As if tired of promising what so many have promised before him and knowing he will not be taken on his words, he says, “I have advocated for new roofs, I have facilitated a public hearing concerning mold. I have pushed for legislation to look at the Red Hook Houses in a holistic way. Half a billion dollars is on its way to repair the roofs and take care of the mold. The first contracts will be out in a few months and we are working to get the construction companies to hire locally. The Red Hook Houses will be a construction site very soon.”
For the public to confront us We continue speaking of politics on a federal level.
Carlos Menchaca
We start talking about Red Hook’s different interest groups: from the artist community around Van Brunt Street consisting of people who bought their houses 20 years ago, to the residents of the Red Hook Houses and the companies buying buildings on the waterfront.
that work over the past four years. At the same time as having their voices heard the community, it is also about learning about the process from writing a proposal to that the changes are being made.
“There is a pervasive attitude of disseminating bad information for one’s
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 11
ELECTION 2017 Clockwise from top left
SARA GONZALEZ CHRIS MAIO CARLOS MENCHACA CARMEN HULBERT FELIX ORTIZ
PHOTOS BY ANNA EKROS Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017
Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 13
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, photos and reporting by Anna Ekros
Friday afternoon. After an email thread back and forth I am meeting Felix Ortiz at a coffee shop in Red Hook. He enters into the busy room with a staff member behind him. The three of us sit down in the back of the café. My questions lie unanswered for a good fifteen minutes while I listen to stories from Ortiz’s career and his thoughts about the incumbent city council. My coffee cup is almost empty as I interrupt the stream of words from the opposite side of the table. But How? I ask, How are you going to empower people?
A full time legislator “Well since I know government from inside out, I know how to enhance the people in the district.” I keep looking at Ortiz so that he will answer my question.
A clear understanding Ortiz was elected into the New York State Assembly in 1994 and since then he has always won reelection. In what way will the long term work of a legislator translate to the more direct contact with constituents as a city council member? How will you balance the long term and short term planning for the district? “I am honored to have been elected eleven times, and this will be my strength as a city council member. I have a lifelong experience of leadership, a good relationship with the mayor, and a clear understanding for the budget and zoning since I worked for both agencies. With my insight I will not have a problem finding balance.”
It’s all about relationships A city council member has many things on the agenda and has to prioritize. I ask what issues would be most important to Ortiz if he’s elected in September. “The first one is to hold agencies accountable and the second is to keep people involved in decision making. When a constituent needs help I will have my staff talk to the agency. There will be a timetable and then my staff will follow up. The agency will act because they know me. No one wants to
Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue
Seven different languages
Getting people involved
Another question of the diverse District 38 is immigration. How will the needs of the large immigrant population be met if Ortiz becomes city council member in 2017?
And what is the recipe for getting people involved? “Simply by facilitating meetings. Problems are solved block by block. That is how to empower people. The representatives from each block can then meet and discuss the problems. I will open my office for these meetings, as I have before.”
Address the need of the community
“The staff in my office speak seven different languages. It is important for me that everyone in the district feel comfortable coming into the office and asking us for help. I also have pro bono lawyers in the office in order to assist with the legal issues particular to immigration. Constituent services is the core of my mission, many people have my own private cellphone number. I am a public servant and I belong to you, that is what I want my message to be.”
The future of the waterfront is as much of a concern for Sunset Park as it is for Red Hook. I ask Ortiz what the area around the waterfront represents to him. “There are a few things I want the waterfront to remain,” says Ortiz. “We need to keep open space available and accessible to the community. We need to preserve a natural fauna. The waterfront should be be recreational. We need to answer the question — how can we build affordable housing in connection to the waterfront. I want to have a proactive rather than reactive relationship to developers. We need to address the need of the community.” I interrupt to ask how he defines “a reactive relationship.” “For example when a developer wants to build a nursing home that the community is in need of, being reactive is saying yes.”
Would have welcomed the nursing home
felix ortiz
“I will do what I am doing, I am a full time legislator. I work eighteen hours a day seven days a week. My office is open nine to five every day. Anyone in District 38 can step in and we will help them.”
be humiliated by Felix Ortiz. Politics is all about relationships.”
Ortiz is referring to the plan of building a nursing home on Conover Street that the city council rejected in 2016. This was an example of needs of the community being met when developing the waterfront, according to Ortiz. With the clarity of hindsight he says he would have voted for the nursing home to be built. “I would have welcomed the nursing home. Apartments would have opened up in The Red Hook Houses and jobs would have been created in the neighborhood. I would have voted yes.”
www.star-revue.com
September 2017
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, photos and reporting by Anna Ekros
I walk up 58th Street from the R line stop on 59th in Sunset Park. I am looking for a campaign office that is rather hidden from the street. The door to Sara Gonzalez’s headquarters is locked. I ring the doorbell and is met by a staff member. After a few minutes Gonzalez enters wearing bright red lipstick. She greets me and starts by telling me about her accomplishments over the years when she was a city council member. “I am a good negotiator and leader and a people person. I am good at listening and comprehending.” Is it hard sometimes to have to negotiate as much as the position of a council member entails? “Well I have learned over the years how to meet people half way.”
I am an approved leader
Most of the flyers and press you have generated for this election is written in past tense. How come? “I want to show that I am an approved leader” But where is the focus for you right now, what is the future? “This district need to open its doors for people from any culture. Education needs to be provided about the process of becoming a citizen. We should give people hope, not attorneys. We should give them the path to become citizens.” How would you accomplish that?
There is only so much time Speaking of developing responsibly, many residents in The Red Hook Houses fear displacement due to the increasing gentrification of Red Hook. What can you do for them as a city council member to improve their living conditions? “I would like to sit in the committee and through that push for improvements.” You would like to, but will you sit in that committee if you are elected in September? “Well you know there are so many committees and only so much time. I would like to.”
I want to touch peoples lives
sara gonzalez
Gonzales was a city council member for District 38 between 2002 and 2013. I ask her a number of questions back to back in order to get answers about her plans for the future.
to be able to embrace them. We need to work in a transparent way and encourage to develop responsibly.”
You have already had the position as a city council member. Why do you want to be elected again? “I don’t think the community based organizations are being funded enough and I want to change that. And then there are personal reasons. I want my grandchildren to see that I did something. I want to touch peoples lives, it heals me. And I am passionate about the district. People come to me asking for help.” She pauses. Looks at all the papers and photographs on her desk. “You don’t just get elected to this position. You work your entire life to be elected.”
“Community based organizations are needed and we need to fund them well.” I continue the ping-pong match of questions and answers. And how will you educate people? “First through educating myself. Then find the right information to distribute and the right experts to teach the community.”
Open to the future The waterfront and zoning laws are topics on everyone’s mind. The area was planned and re-planned many times over the years when you were in office. What do you think is important to remember? “Well first of all we need to be open to the future. The waterfront should include recreation and provide revitalization and jobs for the community but at the same time we can’t push the developers out. We need to sit down with them and be clear that our community is important, that we need them to work together with us for us
Red Hook Star-Revue
Note to readers: Despite repeated requests to his campaign, Delvis Valdes was not available for an interview www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 15
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, photos and reporting by Anna Ekros Red Hook on a morning in August. I am biking down Van Brunt Street heading toward the coffee shop Baked, a “good place for people in Red Hook,” according to my email correspondence with Carmen Hulbert, whom I am about to meet. Inside the coffee shop, the air conditioner above the door removes every sign of summer. I sit down on a taped leather cushion by the window to reread my questions. Hulbert enters the room a few minutes before the appointed time wearing a cobalt blue shirt patterned with bright white flowers. She purchases a cup of coffee and makes her way to the table with the paper cup in one hand and her purse in the other.
Spending Saturday cooking and cleaning “When I got my pension I knew more about the occupied areas in Israel than I knew about the neighborhood I live in,” Hulbert says, referring to her work for the Associated Press as a journalist. “For many years I knew this area as a resident only, not as a politician. I think that is to my benefit,” she continues. “I know what it is like to live and raise kids in this neighborhood as a single mother. I know what it is like to work six days a week and spend the Saturdays cooking and cleaning, but I also know a lot about the world through my job. Life does not always turn out the way you thought it would, but you do what you have to do. I think it will help me now, as a politician. I understand the people in our community, since I am one of them.”
Wednesday afternoon. Chris Miao walks into the coffee shop where he has “been meaning to try the coffee,” the Black Flamingo on Van Brunt Street. “These days are long for me,” he says before ordering. Understandable. New in politics, Miao is running a campaign and his business at the same time as teaching at CUNY Queens College. I start off asking lighter questions about favorite color and season. Blue and Red, for sport teams and traditional Chinese luck. Fall. For perfectly balanced weather. A fun night out in District 38 would be spent at Karaoke bar 100. A Tuesday morning coffee is usually picked up at one of the Chinese bakeries on 8th avenue. We are enjoying agreeing with each other, and I decide to plunge in. “As a councilman what will your top priorities be?” I ask. “First of all, people need to know what city council can do for them. I spend a lot of time during this campaign on 8th
Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue
No longer the land of equality
done it. We need a councilperson who can achieve these things, not in four years, but now.”
Hulbert came to the U.S. in 1982 after being a reporter at Panamericana TV in Lima, Peru. She remembers having her stories censored, and that her arrival in America, a country that back then was standing up for freedom of speech and the right to express ideas without fear of government retaliation, was a relief. But still her work required restrictions.
Another question concerning most residents in the district is the development of the waterfront.
“Politics is the love of my life, but as a journalist I had to remain neutral. I got my pension in 2014 and saw my chance to reveal myself as a socialist,” says Hulbert. “If you are morally responsible, you have to be a socialist.” “We need to extend Medicaid and Medicare and we should have free public education. Why are we treated like animals? The land of immigrants should be the land of equality and upward mobility. That is no longer the case.”
Stop Having Two Red Hooks One of the burning questions for Hulbert is the maintenance of the Red Hook Houses. “We have to stop having two Red Hooks, how can we accept this inequality? People with a low income deserve to live under good conditions,” she says, having witnessed mold and leaks in multiple apartments in the area. However, a city council member does not have direct access to make these changes. Hulbert responds with a sigh; “If there was a political will to change the Red Hook Houses we would have
avenue explaining what a city council member is. Secondly I want to inform small minority owned businesses of their rights and possibilities. Thirdly I would educate the immigrant community of what is within their reach. Fear of authorities prevents that part of the population from taking part of what they have the right to. Basically my job would be to push for what the district wants. Of course there are issues where residents don’t agree, but then my responsibility as a council member would be to open for that discussion.”
More affordable housing “Owning a law firm focusing on real estate transactional work you must have insight into city planning. What do you think is the positive and negative aspects of new development by
Red Hook residents in fear
The condominiums on 160 Imlay Street are now for sale to prices unimaginable for most or the long term residents of the area. The building has been developed by the company Est4te Four, which bought two other buildings along the Red Hook waterfront. “We are creating an atmosphere for people with a high income,” argues Hulbert. “The residents in the Red Hook Houses are in fear of being displaced. Homeowners no longer recognize their own neighborhood. Fifty percent of all new development should be dedicated to affordable, low income housing.”
Richards Street no longer a street For the same reason Hulbert is questioning the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX), a streetcar system being planned by the city of New York, passing through Red Hook. “Richards Street will no longer be a street if we build the BQX. The residents I have spoken to want more buses on the B61 line, and more trains on the R line for the residents in Sunset park. There is no need to spend millions of dollars on a new system. We should make the transportation system that we have work properly instead,” says Hulbert. “Buses are not sexy but electric street-
cars are. The BQX is just a way to make the waterfront more attractive for rich developers.”
Red Hook has a strong community Hulbert worked as a union representative at the Associated Press for many years. I ask her how those experiences affect her way of looking at the responsibilities of a City Council member. “Union thinking is almost a mythical way of thinking. It is solidarity. Children and elders always come first. That is what I want for us,” says Hulbert. “Community based childcare. Decent living conditions. Access to transportation, jobs and healthcare. If I win the election I will have one office in Sunset Park and one in Red Hook and split my time between them. I can’t do this on my own though, and I say this because nobody likes to be fooled. Red Hook has a strong community. We have won before and we have to remember that. It doesn’t matter if I believe in justice. The community has to believe in it, and we have to work together toward the same goal.”
the waterfront?” “Well, we need the marina to alleviate stress on the roadways. I don’t know about you, but every time I drive on the BQE I find myself in a traffic jam, stuck between two trucks. Closing terminals also means losing jobs in the area. And we need more affordable housing which is not what usually is being planned when developers are proposing. On the other hand, I could say that we are going to fight developers off, but that is not realistic. The city council needs to work with the Department of Building and create new regulations benefitting the community.
Focus on the after school programs “The overcrowded schools in Sunset Park is a problem that the incumbent city council member often mentions.
www.star-revue.com
Education for adults seems to be on your mind, the necessity of informing the neighborhood. What about the kids?” “Many immigrant parents work hard to try to make ends meet. The children have nowhere to go after school when their parents are still at work. I would like to focus on the after school programs, they need more funding in order to keep the kids safe and off the streets.” (continued on page 22)
September 2017
TWO STARS
NEIGHBORHOOD PORTRAIT:
DAN AL-MATEEN
A childhood of baseball stadiums and music venues left Maddan with more than the average lifetime’s worth of stories—from his adventures on the road to his memories of the city he grew up in.
by Emily Kluver
D
an Al-Mateen or “Maddan” sat with a bulging binder full of papers, newspaper clippings, and photographs spread out across the bar at Rocky Sullivan’s. As he started to talk, he flipped carefully through the pages, forming a patchwork image of the lives that his parents have led and touching on the various events and circumstances that had formed so much of his own upbringing.
In recent years, Maddan has become something of a historian. But he’s more than that: As a musician, Maddan has become a local fixture, not just
say and he is not wasting any time.
LIFE IN NEW YORK
Growing up, Maddan spent his early years living on the top floor of 70 State Street. He recalled a happy life in Brooklyn Heights, a neighborhood he described as having been a melting pot of people from places like Puerto Rico and Italy. He spent days playing with his siblings and the other neighborhood children just like anyone else. However, as the son of a major league baseball player and a talented singer, Maddan’s life experience has been more colorful than the average person can boast. His father, Dan Bankhead, was the first black pitcher invited to join a Major League Baseball (MLB) team in 1947. Maddan explained that his father joined at the same time as Jackie Robinson, the famous second baseman largely said to be the first black player in the MLB. Dan spent 5 years with the Dodgers before moving on to play in the Mexican leagues until 1966.
Dan’s mother, the singer Linda Bankhead
in Rocky Sullivan’s, but all over Red Hook and the greater New York area. Though he worked in sales for many years, he identifies more with his music as a singer and a keyboardist. Maddan plays everywhere, from local bars to parks and subways, to the streets of New York, where the “Sing for Hope” pianos are dispersed each summer. He loves not only the music but the act of performance, and he especially loves involving kids with his songs. “I play anything but crap, I mean rap,” he joked, letting out a gravelly laugh, which seemed characteristic of his personality. It quickly became obvious that Maddan does not linger too long on any one topic. Everything he says is spoken without pause or restraint, opinions flying wildly. This self-defined “old angry hippie” has a whole lot to
Red Hook Star-Revue
Though he didn’t know it back then, race would become an important part of Maddan’s life, tied as he is to the important strides made by his father. But while Maddan said that he recognizes the racism of the previous generation, he admitted that growing up, racism just wasn’t an meaningful part of his life. “My two parents were brave and courageous,” Maddan emphasized. “Racism was all over, but I didn’t see it. You didn’t see it until you left. The world is f—ed up out there.” But despite the best efforts of his parents, their lives were heavily impacted by race. Notably, Maddan recalled that his father, a pitcher, had maintained that his fear of hitting white players prevented him from reaching his full potential.
But Dan was not the only star in the family. Maddan’s mother, Linda Bankhead, was a “Billie Holiday-type singer” for some of the big bands of the swing era, though he acknowledged that his mother wouldn’t like that description. She wasn’t a Holiday fan.
Smiling, he recalled that Ebbets Field was an experience for the senses. “They wore wool uniforms back in the day. You’d walk into the stadium and it was all bright and you could smell the wool and old cheap booze and tobacco,” he said, lingering on the memory only for a moment. Maddan can hardly get out one story without starting in on the next. During Dan’s “Dodger days,” Maddan recalled that it was not uncommon for his family to go visit Jackie Robinson and family at their Crown Heights residence. Other times, they were living on the road in places like Kansas City, where he visited his Grandmother. “My grandma carried a gun on her leg and a hatchet. She would say, ‘I’m gonna cut off your legs if you don’t behave.’” Maddan laughed, momentarily lost in the memory. “Good times, those were good times.” While his father was away playing for foreign teams, Linda Bankhead kept things together back in Brooklyn. She took it upon herself to raise her children surrounded by culture, taking them along with her to music clubs and museums alike. “Mom was really good at exposing us kids to things,” Maddan commented. “The library was my home, the book was your world.” In addition to working hard to provide her children with a good education, Linda started a group out of her basement to teach kids music, singing, and dancing. She gathered local artists and creative types to help with instruction, calling the organization Teen Down. His life was star-studded right from the
start. Maddan and his brother once got in trouble for playing around with the set equipment of a popular British rock band. Which band, you might ask? None other than The Beatles. “This is a city of actors, performers,” he said with a sort of pride. In this city of performers, Maddan has mixed with some of the best and the brightest. As a child, he sat on the lap of award-winning singer Donna Washington at the Round Table Club. He saw famed R&B duo Sam and Dave play at his first disco in Manhattan. His family associated with the Crosbys (the Bing Crosbys) at parties in Brooklyn Heights. He has spent time hanging out with the stars like the New York Dolls, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Ian at famous clubs like the Elbow Room, CBGBs, and Webster Hall. “My mom was a musician and that’s the path I followed. That’s what I love doing.” he explained before moving on without pause.
“My two parents were brave and courageous,” Maddan emphasized. “Racism was all over, but I didn’t see it. You didn’t see it until you left.” REFLECTIONS
Today, Maddan spends his days trying to figure out what happened to the wonderful world of his early years. He looks back to a time before cell phones and before fat-free food, a time when neighbors looked out for each other. “The hippie era was an awesome time. We shared things—food, music…” he said with longing. “[Back then] you would sit down and try to fix things in your own neighborhood.” Though not exactly sure what went wrong, Maddan has a lot of thoughts on what we could do better, from protesting the MTA or “May Take All Night,” as he not-so-affectionately calls it, paying equally across gender and race, and reducing public reliance on technology. “I pray for blackouts,” he exclaimed dramatically, looking up and throwing his hands in the air with great animation. “During the last one, people were talking to each other again. It was awesome.” In the end, he explained, it’s simple. “It comes down to people. You gotta get back to people. You gotta know who your neighbors are.”
In other ways, Maddan saw little glimpses of racism. When he was young, the Dodgers and the Sons of David used to hang out together, he recalled, noting the bond formed between the teams as they were both ostracized. “Racism is bad, but it kept people together, kept people tight,” he smiled. “Everyone sat with everyone in the stadium.”
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 17
An Eye for Fashion at Red Hook Labs by Matt Caprioli
L
ocals know Red Hook Labs as a nexus for up-and-coming photographers from nearby schools and a gallery featuring trenchant work. This fall, Red Hook Labs (RHL) is also introducing its very first artist resident: Nigeria born and based Lakin Ogunbanwo. Ogunbanwo’s work, which infuses classical portraiture with contemporary fashion photography, has been published far and wide in outlets ranging from The New Yorker to Vogue Italia. As RHL writes in its press release, “his use of vibrant flat color and bold compositions form a more minimalist homage to the African studio photography popular in the 1960s and 70’s.” RHL worked with Ogunbanwo in their New African Photography exhibit last year. Impressed with his work, they approached Ogunbanwo to offer him their first residency. According to Art Advisor Antonella Wurmboeck, the residency is part of RHL’s effort to build stronger long-term relationships, according to. Future residencies are now open to submission. Ogunbanwo’s series Are We Good Enough depicts Nigerian men wearing hats of varying cuts and patterns,
Pioneer Works Artists Look to Tech for Answers Humans have always turned to technology for answers to one burning question: What the hell is happening? This ancient impulse continues at local art gallery and cultural center Pioneer Works, where technology residents Rosalie Yu and Katherine Behar are producing fascinating answers to these age-old questions with 3D printers, hydrophones, and performance. What machines reveal about intimacy Rosalie Yu created Embrace in Progress, a layered sculptural works that expands the expressive potential of 3D printing, to reckon with how intimacy works within Taiwanese culture. In a video for NYU’s Tisch School explaining her process, Yu shows a photograph taken with her father when she was leaving for the United States. While both are smiling, her father can only come in for a side-hug. Intimacy, under the strictures of Taiwanese culture, is subdued. In the U.S., Yu took part in a performance workshop that had her hug a peer for five straight minutes. Yu was overcome with the paradoxical sensation of being literally in the arms of
Page 18 Red Hook Star-Revue
as well as tilt and stance. The photos examine the nuances of “hat-power,” through which Nigerian men telegraph information about their tribe and status through the style placement of their headgear. “This series is a way of realising a silent message about patriarchy in Nigerian society,” Ogunbanwo said an interview with African fashion website Nataal. Along with exhibiting photographs from several projects, Ogunbanwo will offer commissioned photographs to the public on September 9 and 10. All proceeds will go to Red Hook Labs’ Education and Jobs Initiative, which pairs Red Hook teens with photographic know-how. Participating organizations include Summit Academy Charter School, South Brooklyn Community High School, Red Hook Initiative, and the Community Justice Center. Students can also take small photography 101 classes that can pave the way for internships and entry-level work in the arts. As Wurmboeck wrote in an email, “the goal is to create internships and job opportunities and to make a positive impact on the Red Hook community.” RHS is also announcing a new solo
someone else, but mentally remaining disparate bodies. The disjointed sensations made her wonder how can technology gives voice to this loss of physical contact. Yu, currently a creative technologist at Columbia’s Brown Institute for New Media, is obsessed with finding the expressive potentiality of emerging technologies. “I used this process to capture something that I didn’t know I was missing in life: the intangible quality of intimacy.” She focused on 3D printing and photogrammetry (the use of photographs to measure the distance between objects), where a 3D model is generated from pictures taken at many, many angles. As with those of 19th century photography, the subjects of a 3D scan have to remain immobile. To capture the dynamics of intimacy, Yu incorporated a depth scanner. She recruited classmates to pose for her. For five minutes, they slowly walked toward her for an embrace. With a lot more editing and nights spent in a computer lab, Yu then downloaded her mass of information to a 3D printer. The results are sinuous sculptures that capture the palpable yet ineffable path toward intimacy. Using hydrophones to hear the dead Just how does technology alter our thoughts? It’s a question Nietzsche was scratching his head over in the 1860s once the Hansen Writing Ball, an early typewriter, entered his world. Gifted with the ability to write at a faster speed than ever before, Nietzsche won-
exhibition by fashion photographer (and popular Instagrammer) Cass Bird. Her work is characterized by the complex and beautiful whimsy filling each shot. Her first exhibit at RHL, In Bed, features photos of family rearing in Brooklyn: her two children and partner hanging around in cold hallways, rolling around in the backyard and (naturally) in bed. Like Ogunbanwo, Cass has published in a slew of major outlets, including American and French Vogue, as well as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Her lens has cap-
dered how the technology affected his thinking. “Our writing tools are also working on our thoughts,” he wrote in one letter. It’s 2017 and we have a lot more writing tools, including Twitter, which asks use to condense and speed up our thinking, to possible (if not probable) detriment. Katherine Behar, a media artist and professor at Baruch College, works to slow people down enough for them to ask themselves just how technology influences our lives. As she highlighted in her lecture “Optimized, Not Optimistic,” without such questioning technology shapes us, rather than the other way around. “My intention is first to draw attention and awareness that this is happening,” Behar told the Star-Revue, “and second to, with that awareness, try to cultivate an imagination of how things might be different. What other kinds of lives may we lead with other kinds of technology and relationships to different objects?” At Pioneer Works Behar is expanding her piece Qui a Dit (“Who has spoken”), originally commissioned by Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami. Collaborating with media artist Silvia Ruzanka, Behar used “incompatible technologies” to evaluate the space and history of Vizcaya Museum, which overlooks Biscayne Bay and occupies the former winter mansion of Gilded-Age Industrialist James Deering.
tured everyone from Jay-Z to Andrew Garfield. Vogue’s Creative Digital Director Sally Singer described the exhibit as “a celebration of the world of Cass Bird, a world that is often semiclothed, goofy, unwashed, a tangle of attitudes, emotions, silly poses, sideways glances.” If you’re not opposed to laughter and the fuzzy warmth of a hug, the playful intimacy displayed here will definitely resonate. Red Hook Labs, (718) 797-1103
133
Imlay
St,
Vizcaya estates,” Behar said, “there are incredibly different sound worlds sometimes just yards apart. So it’s really interesting to experience this whole other world that we don’t hear with our own ears.” Behar and Ruzanka then layered the various “sound worlds” into one new composition. The next step was to make the purposefully misguided step of running the water composition through human speech recognition software. “I was getting, in a sense, the water to talk,” Behar said. “Of course there’s a lot of mistranslation on the way.” With the hidden sounds captured and impossible combinations complete, Behar then reviewed Vizcaya’s archives, which include every single telegram Deering ever sent from the estate. Behar then digitized the telegrams as source material; any words you do recognize in Qui a Dit come from James Deering himself. Qui a Dit is an amalgam of impossible conversations meant to provoke viewers into asking what has happened at the site, what could have been, and what kind of future we will allow technology to shape. “As participants in technology we have an opportunity to change technology,” Behar said. “Instead of this constant cycle of reaction, how about pausing long enough to respond to something in a measured, thoughtful and conscious way.”
Behar used a hydrophone that picked up underwater sound waves. While you can pick up sound waves by simply standing, Behar at times swam out to pick up different sounds. “Around
www.star-revue.com
September 2017
WOOD FIRED BRICK OVEN PIZZA 20 DRAFT BEERS - 8 TAP WINES (NEW) Happy Hour Monday - Friday 5 - 8pm Summer Hours: Opening at 5 pm Mon-Fri & 12 noon on Sat & Sun
We Deliver: or simply call us!
215 COLUMBIA ST. 347-689-4209
Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 19
Page 20 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017
Jan Bell grows a significant music festival in Dumbo and Red Hook by Nathan Weiser
T
aste of Brooklyn Americana Music Festival will take place September 22-24.
The first festival was in 2015. It has grown every year and this year will have 60 bands on seven different stages in Red Hook and DUMBO.
FESTIVAL PICKS
Jan Bell, founder of the fest, produced her first live music event in DUMBO on a pickup truck stage outside the Between the Bridges iron-worker bar in the summer of 1999. All of the bands performing fall under the category of Americana, which is a mixture of folk, country, blues and jazz. It is a little bit of everything. Bell feels like this festival helps to keep this kind of music from fading away. “Just because it is an old folk song it doesn’t have to be a museum piece,” said Bell The Brooklyn American Music Festival has a real connection to Red Hook because three of the seven locations, including the Opening Night Gala, will be in Red Hook—Jalopy, Sunny’s and Bait & Tackle. Bell sees an incredible music scene and community in Brooklyn. Many of the bands that played at the taste of festival and the main one in September are bands that she books year round that often perform in Red Hook and DUMBO. However, she deliberately scheduled bands to come from out of the region to perform at the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival. She is bringing in bands from outside NY. “At the festival this year I am bringing in bands from the Midwest,” Bell said. “I think it is really important that those of us here in Brooklyn to have conversations with people from Trump country. Bands from places such as St. Louis, New Orleans, Lawrence, Kansas and Ohio will perform. “I think one of the powers of the music community is to have the conversation,” Bell said. “I hope this helps us all get a conversation going or keep the conversation going because we can be a little likeminded here in our world sometimes.”
ANA EGGE is a walking divining rod. Some art-
ists are like that-blessed with the necessary internal guages to read situations, people…maybe even the future. -Kate X Messer, Austin Chronicle
Lucinda Williams once called her “a folk Nina Simone.” But Ana Egge is more country than that. Raised by hippies who grew wheat in North Dakota, the Brooklyn singer–songwriter crafts homespun hymns… to sing with your bare feet on the dashboard. Egge’s rootsy pedal–steel pop recalls singers like Shawn Colvin, but her sharply observed tales of the overlooked and underpaid feel utterly of the moment. -Melissa Maerz, Rolling Stone 6 pm Saturday Liberty View Lawn Stage in Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6
THE CHAPIN SISTERS, Lily & Abigail Chapin, are singing, songwriting sisters known for pristine harmonies and haunting melodies. They’ve been compared to sister-acts of old and Appalachian family groups, yet their original songs and arrangements have a contemporary feel. Their last album, A Date with the Everly Brothers, debuted at #2 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart, #2 on Amazon’s Folk chart, #14 on Billboard’s Heatseekers, and was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition with Scott Simon. They have toured the world on their own and as back-up singers, and after almost a decade living in Los Angeles, they currently reside in their childhood home of New York City. You can catch them around the city playing songs from their NEW album, Today’s Not Yesterday. 6pm Sunday Liberty View Stage in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Pier 6
She would like the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival to be her full-time job in the future and is working towards that. “This year I applied to the Brooklyn Arts Council for their additional sponsorship program and was lucky to be accepted,” Bell said. “They are going to help me apply to foundations for grants.” The Opening Night Gala will be at Jalopy on Thursday, September 21. Bands slated to perform are Annie Keating, The Aching Hearts, Tim Grimm Family Band, Truckstop Honeymoon, Everything Turned to Color. During the afternoon and going into nighttime eight different bands will take the stage under the archway on Friday. Dylan Charles and the Layton Sisters will perform at 2 pm, The Maybelles (Bell’s band) will follow at 3 pm, Dubl Handi will come next at 4 pm, Beth Bombara will began her set at 5 pm, Curtis J. Social will perform at 6 pm, Palomino Shakedown will take the stage at 7 pm, Pete Lanctot and the Stray Dogs will come next at 8 pm. The night will conclude with the Greg Humphreys Electric Trio entertaining the crowd at 9 pm At Red Hook Bait & Tackle, also on Friday, Paranoid Larry will begin their set at 9 pm and Joseph Huber will take the stage at 10 pm Also in Red Hook, at the historic Sunny’s Bar, Casey Neill will perform at 7 pm and the finale of the night will be a performance from Smokey’s Secret Family. There’s tons more - for a full schedule check out the website at bkamf.com
Red Hook Star-Revue
ABBY HOLLANDER is a singer, multi-instruTIM GRIMM AND THE FAMILY BAND Tim was supported both in the writing and production of the latest album ‘A Stranger in this time’ by his sons Jackson Grimm (guitars, banjo, octave mandolin, vocals) and Connor Grimm (bass), as well as his wife, Jan Lucas (harmonica, vocals) and it was a truly collaborative effort. Both sons have played and toured with Tim on and off for a few years, and his wife Jan has been touring with him since 2004, but this is the first time they have collaborated as writers, musicians, and producers in such a focused way. The result honors the folk tradition from which Tim comes, and pushes the boundaries of that tradition with drums and percussion.
mentalist, and award-winning songwriter originally from Woodstock, NY. In 2013 she formed her band in Brooklyn, NY to perform her original songs in a traditional bluegrass setting. Together with guitarist Jason Borisoff and banjo player Ellery Marshall, the band is a dynamic, collaborative experience rooted equally in the time-honored sounds of bluegrass and the 21st century city they call home. The band has been featured in numerous bluegrass festivals and publications, including as emerging artists at the 2015 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. Their self-titled debut album is now available for download on iTunes and Amazon, and on CD at any of their shows. 4 pm Saturday Lighthouse Stage in the Archway Plaza under the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo
The cd was recorded in the rolling hills of Monroe County, Indiana at Airtime Studios under the watchful eye and ear of long-time collaborator Dave Weber. The song are edgy and very topical, covering subjects such as pollution inequality and propaganda. 8pm Thursday Opening night Gala at the Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia Street
www.star-revue.com
September 2017, Page 21
CAMPAIGN TALK - CHRIS MIAO (continued from page 16
I would rather be truthful Three blocks away from the Black Flamingo and Van Brunt Street is the underfunded New York City Housing Authority controlled Red Hook Houses. “What would you as a council member have as an approach to the residents need of better maintenance?” “That is something that I would have no control over. Any candidate who is saying that they can fix those problems is not truthful. Someone will make promises every fourth year and nothing will happen. We can bring awareness to the situation. We can put pressure on the agency, but the city council has no direct influence. I like to promise only what I know I can do, which I suppose may not make me a popular politician, but I’d rather be truthful.” I ask a follow up question: How about pushing for a betterment of the library or a new grocery store in the area? “Well grocery stores are privately owned, I will not be able to open one. And I haven’t used a library in twenty years, I doubt that the residents would be helped by that. Libraries need computers not books, that is my opinion. We can better the area around the Red Hook Houses but I would not have any direct impact on the conditions as a city council member.”
A history of being a good negotiator As a business owner and as a lawyer certain personality traits is important to succeed. “What do you think is the most important personality traits to have as a city council member?” “To be personal and approachable. To learn what people want. To be able to negotiate. I’m not naïve, I know I will be stonewalled many times if I am elected. But I have a history of being a good negotiator.”
I want to help out With all the commitments you already have, why do you want to be a city council member? “It’s the city council and the mayor that has influence in the city. I grew up partially in Brooklyn, my apartment is in the area, and I know the district through my business over the years. I can identify with the people in the area and I want to help them out. As a council member I can listen, give realistic answers, and work for what is needed.”
Tanner Photo
Page 22 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
September 2017
Keeping an Italian tradition alive while it becomes newly mainstream by Mary Ann Pietanza
W
hen I was growing up in Red Hook, our family garden was an integral part of our life. Practically everyone in the neighborhood had one. It was pretty much the norm that if you were Italian, there was a garden of some sort in your backyard, side yard, front yard, or even on a piece of purchased property elsewhere. If there wasn’t a yard available, you might offer to do the gardening in another’s yard and split the produce. Even a stray public property somewhere may be found flourishing in the summer with tomatoes or beans, courtesy of an Italian who sought to make use of otherwise wasted soil. And widows or the elderly were guaranteed visits from neighbors bearing gifts of fruits and vegetables from their yards, so no one should, God forbid, go without eating something fresh from the ground. This is inherently who Italians are; creatures of producing, conserving, providing, and eating abundantly from the earth that was gifted to them. Someone I once met from the north of Italy said that he admired America, especially the money our country spends on medical research, something very much lacking in Italy. “But,” he said, “it is a terrible thing to be poor here. In Italy, you can be poor, but you will never starve.” This is a certainty, because if there is one thing that I have often relayed to my own children about growing up Italian in Red Hook, it was the reality that while we were poor, we ate like kings. All the produce we harvested was jarred and preserved to get us through the winter. Tomato sauce, roasted peppers, artichokes, pesto, beans, and even foraged mushrooms were mainstays of our winter dinners. And wherever there was a garden, there was usually a winemaker as well.
joyed and took pride in. This is the essence of the Italian gardener, but it is hardly the whole scope of their capabilities. For generation, Italian gardeners have passionately and with much finesse parlayed their farming and gardening skills from their homeland to the soils of American cities and suburbs, oftentimes bringing with them cuttings and seeds of the very vegetables and fruits indigenous to their hometowns, and growing them against all sorts of challenges.
Italian Garden Project
This is one of the many reasons why Mary Menitti, founder of The Italian Garden Project, has proposed documenting immigrant gardeners as an integral part of Italian American history. Her vision and project mission is to “celebrate the joy and wisdom inherent in the traditional Italian American vegetable gardens, preserving this heritage, and demonstrating its relevance for reconnecting to our food, our families, and the earth”
“it is a terrible thing to be poor here. In Italy, you can be poor, but you will never starve.” She has a five-year plan to document 100 gardeners across the country and plans to archive some of them in the Smithsonian Institute’s Archives of American Gardens, which will be available to researchers, educators and gardening enthusiasts now and in the future.
She is also developing two books: a children’s book about a grandfather’s love of his fig trees, and a coffee table book titled Food, Family, On our block alone, all the Mo- and the Earth: Reflections on the Itallese longshoreman—after put- ian American Vegetable Garden. The ting in serious hours of work on project has also incorporated an Heirthe docks—came home to tend to loom Seed and Fig Tree Collection. their gardens. Chances were our neighbors were all eating the same things, too. If the string beans were coming in, most of us were home devouring them with fresh cooked tomatoes and spaghetti. It was common to look out our backyard windows and see fathers and grandfathers working quietly and diligently as they thinned plants, tilled dirt, pinched and pruned leaves, seeded, grafted and staked their plants for ample growth.
Pittsburgh born and raised, Mary Menitti’s impression of Italian gardeners is that they are so old world, that they are almost cutting edge in today’s society. She wants to capture this immigrant, generational way of life in America that could eventually be lost if not passed down to younger generations. She believes bringing these gardeners to the fore, perhaps inspiring future generations to continue this legacy. Two years ago Mary started to expand her project’s search for gardeners in the New York area. I was privileged to meet her at a culinary event in Eataly in Manhattan where she was showing photo slides of Italian gardeners in Pittsburgh from the Molise (Abruzzo) region of Italy. She explained that the recipes cooking in her demonstration were derived from those very gardeners and their wives. Following the recommendations of both Vito Parente, president of the Molese Social Club on Court Street, and member Vito Pietanza, we were able to visit, document, photograph and archive seven Italian American gardens spanning Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island. I was welcomed into these very private and immigrants’ gardens as they happily guided us through their sustainable oasis
Many had even brought their tools from Italy. It was as common in the house to compost as it was to eat. And I never met an Italian who was intimidated by the aspect of growing anything. It was second nature; someNick Ranieri harvests lettuce for the East thing they intuitively understood, en- End
Red Hook Star-Revue
Michael Pesce preparing Nick’s vegetables for the South Brooklyn Gustatorial Society’s dinner. (photos by Mary Ann Pietanza)
One can’t help feeling that they know they’ve got it—what it takes to make the earth perform for them. But they never seem to question why Americans don’t. They are only too happy to share what they grow with us. Vito Gentile, Tony Troia and John Ranieri were among the seven who were selected to be documented in The Italian Garden Project website. Gentile,
www.star-revue.com
for instance, a jovial retired Red Hook longshoreman, has a flattering backyard where his grapevine is trained to accent and decorate the perimeters of his backyard, including a whimsical crowning along his free-standing garage—an excellent use of space. He has at least twelve dwarf fruit trees that live side-by-side on his beautifully-built home’s back and side yards that produce persimmons, peaches, apples, pears, chestnuts, apricots and figs. Threading their way in and around these trees and bushes are very lovely berry vines, providing vibrant color and aroma in addition to pounds of raspberries and blackberries. The vegetable garden is lush and full with the vegetables that he and his wife, Lina, enjoyed as children in Italy. The typical ciccoria (dandelion) that Mola is noted for as a healthy addition to cook with beans or add raw to salads, grows there. His fagoli (bean) pinti, a popular Molese string bean that is a slimmer and more tender version of a standard “string bean,” also grows there. I have to mention Vito’s absolute love of growing his Molese tomatoes (pomodoro apruni), an incredibly medium-sized, tasty tomato that is comparable to a compari tomato. In Mola, these tomatoes were well sought after because of their naturally salty flavor that came from the irrigation flow off the Adriatic sea. His wife Lina enjoys harvesting, cooking, and preserving everything Vito grows. She claims, “nature gives us what we need, it is up to us to take advantage of it.” For more information about the Italian Garden Project, please visit TheItalianGardenProject.com
September 2017, Page 23
Celebrating 2017 Saturday, Sept. 16 A day of music by the water remembering George Kornienko of Rocky Sullivan’s TEN Bands Food by Mazzat Red Hook chefs Beer by Rocky Sullivan’s
ERIE BASIN PARK behind the IKEA parking lot
Noon - 10 pm FREE Festival!
(IT’S ABOUT FUN, NOT FUNDRAISING)
Noon Mary Elaine Jenkins, folk & blues 1 pm Johnny Pinhook, country rock 2 pm Andi Rae Healy, country folk 3 pm Lizzie & The Makers, blues rock 4 pm BERST, jazz 5 pm Gravity Dogs, jazz 6 pm Glen Morrow’s Cry For Help 7 pm Union, country pop 8 pm Crevulators, alt country 9 pm Mad Matador, loud rock and William Robertson, songwriter
Presented by:
The Page 24 Red Hook Star-Revue
Red Hook StarªRevue www.star-revue.com
September 2017