Star revue, 2nd july issue, 2014 by George Fiala

The

Red Hook StarªRevue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

2ND JULY ISSUE, 2014

A Red Hook monument goes silent forever photos and text by Micah B. Rubin

or 60 years, the ruckus of machines and tools rang though Golten Marine’s machine shop at 160 Van Brunt.

A hive of mechanics and workers toiled for long hours as they rebuilt engines and drive systems of ships and tankers stranded throughout the world. Even when it was quiet, an air compressor’s hiss rang through the workshop. On July 3, Goltens went silent, the building sold to LIVWRK, a developer with plans to convert the industrial space into office and creative spaces.

second home.

the guys would stay together at the shop.

Edik Fishman, a jack-of-all trade with 17 years of Goltens experience was decommissioning the machine shop’s electrical system. While he slowly climbed the studded, grease-caked stairs to the light-soaked second floor, the 70year old with a grey stubbly beard and smears of grease on his cheeks paused to impart words of advice.

“Friday nights was poker night,” said Sandro Morelli, 66, who originally worked on the night shift. “We would wash up, have sandwiches and play poker until the morning. Just a friendly game to stay together with the people you were working with. Those [nights] I miss,” he said.

For the employees of Goltens - many of whom spent their careers covered in the building’s grease and grime – the closing hurts. Not because on April 4th, they lost their jobs. Not because they lost their income. Because they lost their family.

“Have more than one child. Who does my son have after I am gone?” he lamented. “He is alone.”

Since then, the same guys who spent years mending and repairing damaged ship parts have been dismantling their

On some nights, when 2nd shift would finish, rather than head home to their families or to the neighborhood bars,

Like losing a family member For the employees of Goltens, shuttering the facility is like losing a family member.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

For 48 years, Sandro worked for Goltens, He started in 1966 at Noro Incorporated, a non union shop in New Jersey. His job moved to the company’s unionized Red Hook facility on Van Brunt in 1968, where he worked until retiring in as the Machine Shop Supervisor in January 2014 but temporarily brought out of retirement to help close down the shop. Sandro remembers his first day on the

job like it was yesterday. “When I first came here and walked through that door at 9:30 in the morning, everybody in the place spoke a foreign language. We thought Brooklyn was part of America, but we came over here and we couldn’t understand a damn thing. That’s how it started,” he joked. Even today the few remaining workers cleaning up the space maintain that internationality. The General Manager’s originally Croatian, the Service Engineer from Spain, Business Development Manager from India, other workers are from Ukraine and South America. “Most of our work force was from other countries,” said Shari Umland, the Human Resource manager who worked for Goltens for 25 years and from time to time brought her son to work with her. (please turn to page 3)

Happenings, etc. SATURDAY, JULY 12

Celebrating Red Hook is a day-long trade show/arts festival taking place behind the outdoor IKEA parking lot. A chance to see the kinds of businesses that reside behind the walls in Red Hook. A chance to hear music and dance that thrive in the neighborhood. All day event topped off with IKEA’S fireworks show beginning at dusk. This annual event is a joint production of IKEA and the Red Hook Star-Revue. Stage sponsored by Fairway, Security courtesy Andy Frain Services. Urban Meadow Planting and Art Project for Kids 10 am - noon Planting in and then painting pots provided to us by Urban Meadow. Be prepared to get messy. Urban Meadow, President at Van Brunt St. Presented by Extreme Kids & Crew. Common Dances presented by Cora Dance. A collection of short works performed in common spaces throughout Red Hook, Brooklyn. Each work will take place in spaces where dance is not commonly seen, among people who generally lack access to live performance. Participants range in age from 8 to mid-60s,including hip hop dancers from Red Hook to professional dancers of Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance to Cora’s performing youth company, in work that deals with universal themes such as love, loss, forgiveness, loneliness, all in small packages.

SATURDAY, JULY 26

Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition presents the opening day of COLOR, National Juried Art Show, thru August 17th, with a reception featuring really cool things. 2 pm - 6 pm, 499 Van Brunt Street across from Fairway. Not to miss! Untitled-3 1

11/20/2013 11:38:35 AM

Help Wanted at the Red Hook Star-Revue Reporters needed for news and arts coverage in Red Hook and her environs. Enthusiasm more important than experience. Learn on the job. Full and part-time positions available. Call us

718 624-5568

or email: info@redhookstar.com

Red Hook StarªRevue The Red Hook StarªRevue

The

SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

In just two short years we have grown from a novelty Table of Contents Take Back Gowanus........... 4 Politics......................... 9 to an institution. Long Term Disaster Plan... 5 Pete Morales.............. 10

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Sacred Geometry and the Architecture of Well-being The Six-Sided Force Lecture Series with Ron Breland Ron’s experiments with alternative hive design for over forty years have convinced him that it’ s necessary to put the “art” back into the “art of beekeeping.” An examination into the relationship between hive structure and the bee organism Ron will discuss the use of alternative hive designs to reduce environmental stresses on bees. His own dodecahedron shaped hives are patterned after the sacred geometry of Pythagoras and the “Endless Columns” of Brancusi. A fascinating topic for artists, designers and beekeepers alike. Pioneer Works 159 Pioneer Street 7pm

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Holler & Slackjaw presents Bluegrass Music. Holler & SlackJaw celebrate New York City’s waters with a  mix of traditional, new and original bluegrass songs.Songs about events that occurred on these waters or events that affect them. Multi-layered harmonies are supported by bluegrass instrumentation. Rob Meador, Ian Stell and Doug Pierson. 290 Conover Street, Red Hook Pier 44 2-5 pm

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Artist Reception for Viktor Valášek Artist reception for Recycled Vol.II NYC by our artist in residence, Czech artist, Viktor Valášek in our Red Hook Studio in Brooklyn NY. The reception will exhibit Valášek’s work from his project Recycled Vol.II – NYC, an exercise in reusing, remaking or recycling unwanted canvases from donators. These canvases are the basis of his new work in which Valášek incorporates the donors themselves by either painting their portraits on top or using their likeliness in other ways that could only be specified once met in person. DE-CONSTRUKT [projekts] Studio in Red Hook 41 Seabring Street, 3rd Floor 6-9pm

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Mahmoud Ahmed at ISSUE Project Room & Pioneer Works Summer Concert Series A verified legend of African pop music, Mahmoud Ahmed led the wave of Ethiopian music’s ‘golden age’ in the 60s-70s with his notoriously energetic combination of traditional Amharic music with soul, jazz & funk. His multi-octave voice made him household name in Ethiopia, and a star since nearly the moment he started recording, though this pioneering artist is still relatively obscure in North America. ISSUE and Pioneer Works Center for Art and Innovation are pleased to present Mahmoud Ahmed live in Red Hook, Brooklyn—his first New York performance since 2008. Additional supporting acts will be announced soon for this indoor/outdoor event, which opens our summer concert series in collaboration with Pioneer Works. 159 Pioneer Street 3-8pm

2012

Interns

Thank you Brooklyn! Clarissa Sauter, Harrison M. Neuhaus

101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 Kimberly@redhookstar.com

www.star-revue.com

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July, 2014

After 60 years, Golten Marine sells out to developers Golten. Their first shop was on Carroll Street. The company grew and eventually bought the 100,000 square foot Red Hook building in 1945. As business grew, Goltens expanded and now operates in 25 cities in 15 countries and remains a family owned and operated company focusing on marine repairs, maintenance, reconditioning and engineering components. “Goltens is a family business. Its roots are in Brooklyn,” said Roy Strand, the Vice President of Goltens Americas and Goltens Europe, and the grandson of the company’s founder. “We’ve been in Brooklyn almost 75 years, but when we looked at the economics and the longterm viability of where we were doing business, we decided it was time to consolidate our operations. It was a tough decision.”

mark six-feet high on the wall. A garage full of reconditioned parts was underwater as were all of their machines. Luckily they were able to salvage and repair most of the storm-damaged parts and machines and continue using the space. In the past few years, the shop caught the film and music industry’s attention. An episode of The Americans was filmed there, as was a Duncan Sheik video, and the movies: Analyze That and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close were both shot there. Sandro was an extra in both movies.

“If the old man [Sigurd Golten] knew this was going on, he would be turning over in his grave right now,” Sandro said. “But what are you going to do?” In the United States, Goltens has facilities in Miami and is relocating much of the machinery to a workshop being built in Houston. Lathes, drilling machines, drills, babbit machines, even a 40- foot long grinding machine were packed up and sent to repair shops throughout the world: Rotterdam, Oslo, Singapore, Vietnam, Miami, Houston.

Dominic Rama, long-time Golten’s employee reminisces about the old days. (continued from page 1)

The decrease in the number of ships docking in New York coupled with newer and bigger vessels that require less maintenance meant less work for Goltens’ mechanics. In response, the company slowly trimmed their workforce down to 20 employees; the number let go on April 4.

An international enterprise Not all of Goltens’ business came from the New York Harbor. The company routinely sends crews throughout the world to repair ships. Juan Cadabel, originally from Spain, is one of the Service Engineers with experience working on fishing boats, container ships, passenger ships, tankers and routinely travels to repair vessels. He knows how

Goltens back in 2010, with all their machines still intact.

market but they “come in the morning and leave in the evening and [there] is no time to do anything,” Ivo said. “An owner will not repair the ship in New York. They will repair the ships in the Far East where it is much cheaper.”

Ivo Sisic ponders the end of an era.

But not Sandro’s toolbox. For a mechanic, tools are the key to his livelihood, prosperity, and for Sandro, a window into the past. His toolbox was full of gifts. Tools from retired Goltens employees given to him as “something to remember me by,” he said. “A few of them I took home. A socket wrench just to remind me of the people I was associated with for so many wonderful years.”

Today, the space is empty, a few odds and ends scattered around waiting to be tossed out. A piece of paper from 2002 lists the employees and their seniority. Signs nailed to the grease-stained brick walls promote workplace safety. The machines are all gone.

Like any family, the crew at Goltens had its share of tribulations. Taped to

“If the old man [Sigurd Golten] knew this was going on, he would be turning over in his grave right now,” Repairs cost a fraction of the price in places like Singapore and China, where Goltens also operates, Ivo said. “We were only surviving on emergency repair. If the ship cannot leave, we can repair it. That’s how we survived through the years,” Ivo said. “It’s a sad commentary on the maritime industry. It has struggled for the last 30 years. Goltens was always a bedrock of the industry. With Goltens gone, it leaves an empty space in the New York Harbor and in the United States,” said Dean Couphos, the Operations Manager (#2 at the Red Hook facility) with 35 years of ship repair experience including 8 years at Goltens.

“It’s sad because this is where they tough working on ships can be. “Four started. This is where they made their days I [worked with] no sleep,” he said. money to get to where they are now,” Sandro said. “This is my record. Day and night.” Ships still need repairs but in today’s Began on Carroll Street Goltens was founded in 1940 by Sigurd

Red Hook Star-Revue

Everything left over was scrapped, thrown out or sold at auction.

the back of a door in the upstairs office are photos of downtown Manhattan taken on 9/11, moments after the towers were attacked.

“Now it’s like a cave. We had so much machinery here. [At one time] we were running 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. It was always noisy from hammering, machining. Now it is like a ghost,” Ivo said. “I can’t believe I’m not going to be here anymore,” said Shari, the employee of 25 years. “You go through the phases of: you’re upset, you’re mad. Now I’m done. I’m happy. Change is good, but the thought of change is scary. Everything changes, but we had a good run.”

“On the roof we had such a beautiful view of the Twin Towers,” Shari said. “I was sitting at my desk, listening to the radio when one of the planes hit. I went out onto the roof with a colleague. We saw the buildings just falling. There were military [soldiers] outside in gas masks. It was snowing from all the debris from the buildings coming down. It was surreal,” she said. The shop stayed closed for the rest of the week, but when it reopened Shari, like all New Yorkers, proved her resilience and went back to the roof. “I couldn’t believe the buildings were not there,” she said. Hurricane Sandy also took a toll on Goltens. “We took a beating with the storm,” Sandro said as he pointed to a

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Edik Fishman takes a last walk upstairs.

2nd July Issue 2014, Page 3

TAKE BACK GOWANUS challenges Brad Lander’s “Shared Values”

by Harrison Neuhaus

n Wednesday evening, July 9, Gowanus business owners and local residents arrived mere steps from the pollution-ridden Canal to attend “Take Back Gowanus.” The meeting was called in reaction to City Council Member Brad Lander’s “Bridging Gowanus” series. Though he claimed that his goal was to find a “shared vision” for the future of the industrial neighborhood, Lander’s community meetings were met with frustration and skepticism from a number of locals. Among these locals was Joseph Alexiou, who rented the 501 Union Street space to call a meeting of his own in response. Alexiou interrupted the June 25th Bridging Gowanus meeting, arguing that the process and the language used by the Pratt facilitators was biased and misleading. Lander’s sessions had split up attendees into groups that could not communicate with each other, and many people found that the conversations were steered towards a residential upzoning plan. Some attendees described the meetings as “rigged.” Doors opened at 7pm, and the audience grew until the meeting was called to order at 7:30. With almost 100 people in the space normally used for weddings, Alexiou spoke first. He stated his appreciation for Lander’s efforts and made it clear that he agreed with the goal of identifying the neighborhood’s shared values. However, he spoke out against the process of Lander’s meetings, insisting that his own would follow “democratic and transparent” proceedings. Gowanus currently faces a turning point as established entities fight to preserve their place in a neighborhood ripe for residential development. The Gowa-

Joseph Alexiou and Sean Gannet lead the July 9th meeting at 501 Union St.

nus Canal is crucial to this defining moment. Declared a Superfund site in 2010, the Federal government has completed an action plan to finally clean the canal. With the EPA plan set, Gowanus is quickly becoming a battleground for competing interests between locals and developers. Following a presentation on the history of the canal and the timeline of cleanup by EPA Superfund representative Natalie Loney, Sean Gannet took over. Gannet, who organized the TEDxGowanus talks about the Gowanus area, was the facilitator for the evening. He explained that the night would consist of three parts: one in which people could come up and voice their ideas for the neighborhood’s future, a second in which these points would be discussed and debated, and a third in which these ideas could be distilled and summarized. With that, people began lining up to speak. (continued on page 12)

Community Telephone Numbers: Red Hook Councilman Menchaca..........................718 439-9012 Gowanus Councilman Lander...............................718 499-1090 Park Slope Councilman Levin................................718 875-5200 CB6 District Manager Hammerman ......................718 643-3027 76th Police Precinct, 191 Union Street Main phone .....................................................718-834-3211 Community Affairs............................................718 834-3207 Traffic Safety.....................................................718 834-3226 Eileen Dugan Senior Center, 380 Court Street........718 596-1956 Miccio Community Center, 110 East 9th Street........718 243-1528 Red Hook East Dev. Office, 62 Mill St....................718 852-6771 Red Hook West Dev. Office, 55 Dwight St..............718 522-3880 NYCHA Satellite Police Precinct, 80 Dwight Street Main Phone....................................................(718) 265-7300 Community Affairs...........................................(718) 265-7313 Domestic Violence...........................................(718) 265-7310 Youth Officer...................................................(718) 265-7314 Auxiliary/Law Enforcement Explorer Coordinator .(718) 265-7378 Detective Squad...............................................(718) 265-7327 Lillie Marshall and Phaedra Thomas at an EPA outreach meeting at PS 15.

Page 4 Red Hook Star-Revue

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2nd July Issue, 2014

RED HOOK COALITION FINALIZES LONG-TERM COMMUNITY RECOVERY PLAN by Harrison Neuhaus

n the evening of Monday, June 23, roughly 30 Red Hook residents, community organizers, and politicians met at the Miccio Center to discuss progress on the Long-Term Community Recovery Plan. This project, funded by the Red Hook Coalition, has the goal of of producing a localized strategy to be put into place for the first 72 hours of a disaster. The impetus, of course, comes from the resilience mantra that was pervasive following Sandy.

mitment, and participation,” to ensure a plan that would leave Red Hook “built to last.” Noël picked up off of Velazquez’s comments, explaining that the EMMP will

At every phase of the Sandy-modeled scenario, each group announced what actions they would take, including: communication and coordination; logistics; utilities; public safety; medical assistance; food; and shelter. Afterwards, the groups stayed divided to work out further details and suggest more actions for their support functions.

Noël Kepler, managing partner of Emergency Management Methodology Partners (EMMP) is the Red Hook Coalition’s hired hand. Her firm specializes in creating these plans. Before diving into a simulation exercise, Noël summarized the progress of the past meetings: volunteers in emergencies would organize support groups with specific tasks depending on the situation. The tasks would emphasize communication between the groups and providing both information and relief services for the residents, by the residents. Noël introduced Readiness Day. While details have still to be worked out, on September 13th the Red Hook Coalition will hold a disaster simulation. Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez was present in a show of support and electioneering. She emphasized the necessity of a “response from the ground up” in disastrous events, and expressed her “gratitude for all the effort, energy, com-

cane Nydia,” going through the stages of weather advisory to evacuation, and 72 hours following. The idea is that for the first 3 days, little organized government assistance is available. She insisted that there be “no FEMA jokes tonight.”

Assemblyman Felix Ortiz praises the process. (photos by Fiala)

remain in Red Hook for two months to present the plan to local residents. The official document will be about 25 pages - condensed to 4 pages of practical information - and then into a “map” of the plan. This would be a single laminated page for residents to refer to, featuring “useful and legible” symbols created by local design group, Thread Collective. The group was organized to prep a walkthrough of the plan. Attendees were divided into six groups representing “support functions” in an emergency. With animated leadership, Noël dictated a scenario of what she dubbed “Hurri-

The room became alive with discussion at each table as people voiced their ideas. Proposals included reserving stocks of generators and gas tanks for the stockpile, organizing church bell alerts, and ensuring a supply of low-tech equipment like bullhorns and banners.

unteers would have a list of residents who had signed up for these emergency welfare checks, Félix explained the necessity of treating this information as sensitive personal records. The event ran smoothly all the way through to the end, thanks in great part to Noël’s enthusiasm. As the meeting wrapped up with questions and comments, Noël handled each question as it came up. She explained that organizational concerns like the welfare check lists and involvement of new schools were already under consideration, but admired the people’s thorough attention. With a final reminder to keep posted for

Velazquez spoke up about her work bringing in donations from food companies like Goya and Jetro. Assemblyman Félix Ortiz was also present. “What you’re doing is remarkable,” he said to the attendees, adding that their work “is important because you went through it.” Ortiz also joined the practical conversation, suggesting that the group contact certified Red Cross volunteers in the area. He also chimed in on the issue of public safety and welfare checks. While group addressed how to ensure that vol-

Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez chatting with Martha Bowers of Dance Theatre Etcetera

details on the September 13 Readiness Day, the meeting drew to a close. She praised the people’s work. “We have built our plan and we have said our piece,” she concluded, before adding that, “in 15 years I have never seen a community come together like this.”

Another Town Meeting discusses Sandy recovery shortfalls

n the evening of Wednesday, June 25, city officials and Red Hook locals met in P.S. 15 for a meeting on Hurricane Sandy recovery progress. Sponsored by City Councilman Carlos Menchaca, the meeting was called mainly to inform citizens about the status of programs like Build it Back, and the city’s investments in future disaster prevention. The school’s gym was filled with representatives from the NYC Housing Authority, the Office of Resiliency and Recovery, the 5th Avenue Commission, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, COJO Flatbush, South Brooklyn Legal Services, and especially the Build it Back program. A long table was set up with six computers and six Build it Back advocates, ready and waiting to offer residents on-the-spot support. At the front, the stage was being set with projectors and microphones while neighborhood residents filed into the auditorium seats. Frustration has been the main sentiment in Red Hook since the storm, due to mainly to disorganized response and relief efforts from the city. Officials have felt this, and tried to use the meeting to address this unhappy situation. The theme of the night was progress and reassurance of the city’s commitment to the neighborhood. Though he arrived late and had to leave early to approve a new budget, councilman Carlos Mencha-

Red Hook Star-Revue

by Harrison Neuhaus ca delivered a message of optimism to the crowd. “[Build it Back] had been failing us,” he said, “[but] as we engage, beautiful things are going to happen.” Appealing to Red Hook’s unique nature, Menchaca acknowledged that the neighborhood is different from Coney Island, Staten Island, and Rockaway; and as such, the community must get involved to make it work for them. Urging local feedback once more before he left, the councilman left the meeting with a plea: “Don’t stop connecting with us.” As representatives from several city departments took turns presenting, each offered new means of improving the recovery process. Bill Goldstein, advisor of recovery and resiliency to Mayor de Blasio, spoke first. Goldstein proudly announced that the Mayor has made the recovery process a priority; he has assured 500 construction starts and 500 reimbursement checks to be completed by Labor Day. Amy Peterson, head of Build it Back, also made an appearance. Build it Back has been a very troubled project since its inception, and Peterson was the first to recognize that. New York City’s answer to the major damage from Hurricane Sandy was meant to offer millions of dollars of assistance to families and businesses reconstructing their homes in the aftermath of the disaster. Five pathways were made available for victims: repair,

repair and elevation, reconstruction, reimbursement, or acquisition. However, a combination of factors including poor public communication, confusing qualification guidelines, and changing leadership neutralized the efforts of the program until recently. Amy explained that of the thousands of residents who Dan Wiley and John McGettrick question Dan sustained hurricane damage Zarrilli, director of the new Office of Recovery and in Red Hook and Gowanus, Resiliency. only 121 had actually applied promised the appointment of borough to the program. Of those, only eight had directors to oversee progress more localselected their assistance option. ly, as well as efforts at simplifying public But Amy remained optimistic, promising access to Build it Back information and new measures aimed at expediting and a new web portal allowing applicants to simplifying the Build it Back process. She track their status in real time. On issue explained that the Department of Hous- of rebuilding she advocated raising building and Urban Development (HUD) ings, skimming over new construction would be eliminating priority levels, guidelines for base flood elevation, and meaning that regardless of an applicant’s explaining the option to work with a city income level they would receive their contractor or enlisting a private business. assistance in the same amount of time In the end her presentation felt rushed, as anyone else. The program would also but Amy made herself available after the provide relief from water bills for those presentation to address residents’ queswith uninhabitable homes. The problem tions and concerns. remains, however, that the cutoff date for Dan Zarrilli was arguably the most improgram registration is long gone, having portant guest of the night. As Director passed in October 2013. of the Office of Recovery and Resiliency, Though she spoke quickly, Amy also Zarrilli plays an active role in nearly all touched on two of the most significant facets of post-Sandy recovery. Worktopics for in the post-Sandy discussion: ing with his own office, the Office of communication and resiliency. She (continued on page 6)

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2nd July Issue 2014, Page 5

See all Red Hook has to offer at all day art and artisan event this Saturday

aturday July 12th promises to be a day of fun and celebration at Red Hook’s Erie Basin. The Red Hook Star-Revue, South Brooklyn’s community newspaper, in collaboration with IKEA and Fairway Markets present “Celebrating Red Hook.” The day will feature over thirty local Red Hook businesses showing off their work. In addition, there will be a stage where a full day of music and dance will be presented. Finally, at dusk, IKEA’s annual fireworks display will dazzle the Brooklyn waterfront once again. “The idea for Celebrating Red Hook occurred to me when I was covering an Open House Red Hook event for the paper,” says George Fiala, founder of the Star-Revue. “I was amazed at the variety of businesses occupying the 18th century warehouses that ring Red Hook.” The stage program, sponsored by Fairway, begins at noon. Scheduled to appear are Cora Dance, performing their current show “Common Dances”; Tyquan Carter, a local rapper who produced a movie about living through Hurricane Sandy; and rock, country and jazz groups including: The Paisley Fields, Running Thoughts, The Other

Side, Union and the Chocolate Cuckoo Clocks. All performers live or work in the Red Hook area. Participating merchants and institutions include NY Water Taxi, the Carroll Gardens Association, Red Hook Initiative, Fleisher’s Pasture-Raised Meats, Leicht German Kitchen Center, Casa Kids, Art & Anvil Liberty, Fairway, Pitt Cooking Display, Red Hook Winery, and Nat Sherman tobacconists, who operate a pop up store in Red Hook every summer. There will be plenty of sampling as well as items for sale. IKEA has been a great community partner in Red Hook since opening in 2006, and is donating Erie Basin Park for this event. The stage, sponsored by Fairway will be under the large crane in back of the outdoor parking lot, next to NY Water Taxi. Security is donated by Andy Frain Services. Sound and stage by Mingo Tull. For more information contact George Fiala or Kimberly Gail Price at 718 6245568. The Star-Revue’s website is www. star-revue.com. IKEA of course will be open during the event for furniture shopping and of course their famous Swedish meatballs!

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Sandy recovery topic of community meeting at PS 15 (continued from page 5)

Long-Term Planning and Sustainability (OLTPS) and acting as city liaison to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), he is responsible for both rebuilding the damaged areas of the city and preparing it for future disasters. Zarrilli’s presentation focused on the future instead of dwelling in the past: he addressed several different strategies for making the city more resilient in the long term. Zarrilli also addressed the implications of climate change on the rebuilding plans, taking into account the very real prospects of future weather patterns. Storms like Sandy will become more frequent as climate change continues, and Zarrilli claims that by 2050 sea levels will rise between 1-2 feet. For communities like Red Hook, such drastic changes would spell huge problems even beyond the scope of Sandy’s damage. “Sandy showed us our vulnerability,” he explained. But that gives us the opportunity to “build resilience into everything we do.” The Office of Recovery and Resiliency has drafted multiple lines of defense against future disasters. Among these are plans to strengthen coastlines, upgrade buildings, create protections around infrastructure and services, and to ultimately make affected neighborhoods safer and more vibrant. According to Dan, the city currently has 257 initiatives in the works, which he says “is good progress, but it’s still early.” As a tangible example, Zarrilli claims that Con Edison will be adopting information and projections on climate change for their power grids, meaning that they should be able to handle storm damage better. The centerpiece of the neighborhood defense is the proposed Integrated Flood Protection System, about which there has been some confusion. Zarrilli described a combination of temporary and permanent solutions, including improved drainage systems and deployable water walls. The advantage to these smaller piecemeal protections is that Red Hook waterfronts will remain open and unhindered until the arrival of a storm, at which point these walls can be deployed as a first line of defense. Such designs

are to be made in collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers. Zarrilli’s main goal as of now is to secure funds for these protections and to expedite the approval process through both FEMA and New York State. As he promised several times, “the city is absolutely committed to this project,” and Zarrilli seems intent on keeping that promise. Last to take the stage was NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) Vice-President for Disaster Recovery, Mike Rosen. Rather than deliver excuses, Rosen made a point of sympathizing with Red Hook residents as he explained the state of recovery. According to the NYCHA rep, Sandy affected over 700 buildings, including 35 developments with significant damage. NYCHA remains in negotiations with FEMA, which is why they have only managed temporary repairs as they await their funding. Rosen estimates that the recovery twice exceeds NYCHA’s entire 5-year capital plan. In short, his department is just as frustrated as the residents. Temporary repairs are the most pressing issue as NYCHA continues waiting for federal funding, and boilers have been the subject of much debate. Rosen admitted that the oil-burning boilers that many NYCHA buildings have been using since Sandy were less than ideal: they are expensive, noisy, high in pollution, older, and harder to maintain. But there was positive news, too, amidst the commiseration: Rosen announced that they would be replacing these older machines with gas boilers instead. Rather than renting them, NYCHA would be purchasing these boilers at favorable rates, enough that each development would get two mobile boilers to ensure proper heating even if one is under maintenance. Though permanent work remains subject to federal funding, Rosen took the optimistic stance: “We can leverage this disaster to make our buildings better than they were before Sandy.” Though both the department and the neighborhood will continue playing the waiting game with federal money, improvements are already being designed. New permanent boilers will be elevated and placed outside of basements; heat distributors will be replaced; crawl spaces and entrances will be waterproofed; exterior lighting will be upgraded; solar-powered emergency lighting systems will be installed; and local developments will have backup power generators for the first time in NYC public housing history. The official presentations ended on this positive note, and attendees were encouraged to speak with the representatives stationed around the auditorium. Build it Back desks were filled with Red Hook citizens seeking guidance on their applications, while the presenters stuck around to answer questions. Not everyone was impressed, however. Sheryl Braxton, one of the local attendees, was still skeptical. “People don’t know what to expect here,” she said, after expressing her disillusionment with the city’s efforts. If there are so few results, she questions, “Why are we having all these meetings?” But Dan Zarrilli remained optimistic. Echoing his earlier statements, he insists that the city is making a “meaningful commitment” to the neighborhood, and is dedicated to finishing both rebuilding and creating future protections. Only time will tell the success of these efforts, and until then Red Hook continues a slow, but hopeful recovery.

Page 6 Red Hook Star-Revue

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2nd July Issue, 2014

New Brown Baptist celebrates Sister Ingram’s Centennial by George Fiala

irginia Ingram’s 100th birthday was celebrated on June 28th at the Red Hook church she helped found over fifty years ago. The New Brown Memorial Baptist Church, a block from the Clinton Street post office, was filled with family members from all over the country, and well wishers including Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz. Deaconess Ingram was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. She grew up helping her father riding horses and chopping wood, as one speaker mentioned during the hour-long program. She came to New York in 1930, and worked in the garment district. She married in 1946 and came to the Red Hook Houses in 1951. Their first apartment was at 811 Hicks. It was there that she met Andrew McBride. She became part of a group that started the church. Before they acquired a building, they held services in their apartments. The service was emceed by Lillie Marshall, President of the Red Hook West Tenant’s Association. “This is my church,” she confided to the Star-Revue. She introduced a slew of speakers who sang the praises of Deaconess Ingram, who sat in a wheelchair next to the front row, listening attentively and smiling throughout most of the afternoon. A number of speakers spoke of Ms. Ingram’s persistent optimism and of the great influence she has had in their lives. When the new pastor, Reverend Jamal, first took his position at the church, he went to visit Ms. Ingram at a nearby nursing home. He thought he was being solicitous when he told her that he

came to see a beautiful woman. “Pull my stroller over there and I’ll show you where one is!” was her spirited reply. Following Lillie’s introduction and a few speeches at the podium, four members of the church choir led the congregation in a spirited gospel song - complete with claps and the accompaniment of the church organist. “Hallelujah!” they called out. After this, one of the younger men sitting in the church came up to speak. Deaconess McBride was his Godmother. He spoke of spending much time in her apartment at 811 Hicks, 5D, learning at her feet. He then reminded the congregation of the continuing battle for voting rights, which started fifty years ago in Jackson, Mississippi, and unfortunately continues on today. He mentioned Fannie Lou Hamer, who was beaten in prison while working for voting rights. McBride said that unfortunately, not much has changed, as he referenced the building of a new neighborhood school not meant for the neighborhood kids. He called Red Hook a feeding ground for the prison system. On a more positive note, he spoke of the music classes he runs at the church every Thursday. He said that the classes are open for everyone. The conservancy classes are $5 for children living in the Houses, $150 for everyone else. “One hundred fifty dollars is the going rate everywhere else,” he said. He said that music teaches a child the discipline which they can then apply to algebra and the other subjects. “Bitterness is not the appropriate re-

Deaconess Virginia Ingram was born in 1914.

sponse to evil,” McBride said. He continued “I have never heard Miss Ingram say one word of bitterness - only love.” After this stirring speech, Nydia Velazquez, obviously highly impressed, stopped McBride, saying that if there was anything she could help with, just ask. McBride is the son of the Church founder, Andrew McBride, a NY Times bestselling author of The Color of Water, and a friend and writing partner of Spike Lee. The church in Red Hook Summer was based upon New Brown Baptist. Congresswoman Velazquez recited a history of Virginia Ingram’s life. “I come here to honor you,” she said, looking directly at Sister Ingram. “Because of the work you have done with the church you have made Red Hook a bet-

ter place.” She presented the Deaconess with a letter signed by President Obama and his wife, celebrating her centennial. Other speakers gushed at the podium. A colorfully dressed Barbara Bethea sang a beautiful song. Reverend Jamal had the congregation recite Psalm 111, which includes the verse “the Lord is gracious and full of compassion,” noting that the verse fit Sister McBride perfectly. Following the ceremony, everyone made their way to the church basement, where a scrumptious buffet luncheon awaited them. Following two helpings of fried and baked chicken, collard greens, sweet potatoes (made by Miss Marshall), mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and a fresh peach cobbler, this reporter had to go home and take a nap.

“Bitterness is not the appropriate response to evil,” McBride said. “I have never heard Miss Ingram say one word of bitterness - only love.”

Red Hook Star-Revue

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2nd July Issue 2014, Page 7

EDITORIAL:

What’s our Bill of health, de Blasio?

he Red Hook Star-Revue invites Mayor Bill de Blasio to a community forum to tell us in person how he has saved healthcare in South Brooklyn. This newspaper began publishing in 2010. By that time, Brad Lander had already succeeded de Blasio in the city council. We did not get to know him as councilman. We did finally meet de Blasio on a hot day last summer, spotting his small entourage walking up Hicks Street to join a LICH rally. Frequent rallies were being organized by the nurse’s union in

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

(send yours to editor@redhookstar.com)

Last issue we published a letter that was sent around by Mary from Dry Dock Wines & Spirits. Her letter elicited this response from Carolina Salguera of Portside. Dear Mary, Sorry for my delay in responding. I was out of NYS and then came the 4th of July weekend. Thanks for caring enough for Red Hook to write the email and to come to so many meetings. I’ve heard you at several Red Hook Sandy meetings say similar things to what you wrote in your 6/20 email “we’ve heard this all before… what’s the point of this meeting… until I get money for my damages… there is no point to [whatever is going on here]. I understand your frustration. The official recovery system was terrible in many ways. However, I disagree with your conclusion that meetings I know you to have criticized are all the same and all pointless. I refer to: 1. The NY Rising resiliency open house weekend at 351 2. The recent meeting convened by Scott Stringer at PS 15 3. The 6/25 meeting Jorge Muniz announced, which prompted you to write the 6/20 email to which I am responding I want to explain why I say that in an effort to help identify steps and tools to solutions and to help prevent the hopelessness that can result from thinking there is no solution, or from thinking that there is no integrity to any process or any of the players. I feel the need to say that I and PortSide do have Sandy damages, and we have faced and are facing the recovery bureaucracy. I mention that so you know we have faced the challenges too - with our real estate challenges on top of our Sandy damages. As of our last FEMA “project worksheet” a few weeks ago, our tab is up to $300,000+. More on PortSide’s Sandy damages and paperchase at the bottom for those who want to know. I think it is important to differentiate between meetings (and services) that are about recovery (damages) and resil-

Page 8 Red Hook Star-Revue

their fight with SUNY Downstate. We became friendly with him, his spokesperson Wiley Norvell, and his assistant, Emma Wolfe. Attending LICH rallies became part of his campaign strategy, and we followed him through his arrest, his vigil at 97 Amity and his leadership at many pro-LICH demonstrations. The future mayor said all of the right things, until at one point he stopped using the word “hospital”, and starting talking about saving “healthcare.” Those paying attention noticed the subtle shift, but kept hoping that the hospital would be saved.

iency (prevention). 1 - Above, NY Rising, was about resiliency/prevention. That process was not about remuneration for your damages or anyone else’s. That meeting pertained to money coming to Red Hook and how to spend it ($3MM guaranteed and more likely); and once the $200MM comprehensive flood prevention plan was announced by Cuomo and Biden, that NY Rising process was also about informing and influencing how that $200MM would be spent. Would you like a community-informed comprehensive flood prevention plan? Or is a meeting about that pointless? To my mind, such a meeting is important. That’s why I donated my time to be a NY Rising committee member for 8 months and why I had PortSide staff help me research and write documents, blogposts and webpages for the community. 2 - Regarding the Stringer meeting, I think it is important to differentiate between targets. First rule of war, know your enemy and don’t shoot your allies. When you waved at all the officials at the front of the room during the Scott Stringer meeting and blasted them for a year and a half of failures, that was shooting the wrong team. Those were the newly elected and appointed people, installed to fix the errors of the last administration. 3 - The 6/25 meeting I did not attend because I was away, but it looks like it was offering info/services of use to some people (though maybe not you), regardless of whether the Build it Back process was improving (and I sure hope it is) The useful info/services I refer to are: • Foreclosure prevention counseling; • Legal and financial resources for homeowners and renters • Temporary Disaster Assistance; • Resiliency and Coastal Protection Updates for Red Hook & NYC Red Hook has to get serious about the last item. A lot of Sandy damage could have been prevented, and I hope people don’t get caught to flat footed again. I think anger in public meetings has its place, but I think it is better as one of the last arrows in the quiver to use. Anger up front, and that was Stringer

With the court cases now played out, resulting in LICH’s demise, we did not need to be reminded of the mayor’s failure. Last week we were not only reminded, but jarred. A letter arrived in everyone’s mailbox telling us of the great job the mayor has done saving healthcare. A bit of research revealed that the mailing was executed by a mayoral advocacy group. Local Assembly candidate Pete Sikora writes in Crain’s NY: “LICH was indeed mismanaged and very poorly marketed, yet better management, marketing and some collab& Co’s first Red Hook meeting, can alienate the folks who can help. It can also drive away people within the community who are not comfortable with that style. It also can tear apart the social fabric within the neighborhood itself, which is a big reason I think anger should be used judiciously. To affirm another MO, negotiating and building relationships is a good way to get solutions, which I will explain with a PortSide Sandy recovery anecdote. This afternoon I had 3 calls with 2 people about our FEMA recovery funds for Sandy damages, and had such a great experience with them. Our NYS OEM contact said the following about the FEMA guy who wrote our “project worksheet.” She said “he so loves what you do, he is very willing to

orative cost-cutting with doctors and unions would have saved the institution. Instead, people have already died as a result of the closure and over a thousand jobs are lost. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and SUNY were determined to sell the property to real estate developers. Sadly, greed—not the public interest—appears to have won the day.” Please Mr. de Blasio – come back to our neighborhood to tell us in person what a great job you have done saving our hospital. You can pick the time and place.

help you with information on the trailer refurbishers. I talked to him about that.” He’s just called offering info. Backstory: We have 4 Sandy-damaged 53’ trailers (such as in a tractor trailer truck) we have to get out of Atlantic Basin parking lot by week of 7/28, after getting rid of the marine hardware collection in three. We have no experience dealing with trailer disposal and were not given much time to work this out. The FEMA team estimated costs on trailer disposal as part of their job, and they are willing to tell us how the “trailer refurbishing” industry works and even refer us to some vendors in order to help us figure out how to get rid of the things. Yes, I just got friendly customer service from FEMA, likely help beyond their normal job description. - Carolina Salguera

Tish James on NYCHA Downsizing

n an effort to keep housing in New York within the financial reach of most middle class New Yorkers, Mayor de Blasio has promised to preserve and create 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next ten years. In July 2013, the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) began to “downsize” tenants living in government-supported apartments deemed too large for that particular household’s “basic needs.” This change was due in part to $35 million in federal Section 8 cuts to the City. Un- Leticia James is NYC’s fortunately, HPD’s current strategies to implement Public Advocate. downsizing has, in certain circumstances, made life more difficult for seniors, people with disabilities and other vulnerable New Yorkers. To be clear, I do not believe that the concept of downsizing is inherently unjust or unreasonable. In the face of the cuts to Section 8 funding experienced by the City, I understand that the alternative could be reducing subsidies or eliminating them entirely for some tenants. But I believe we need to do better. Other local leaders, including Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, are raising questions about the “transparency, basic fairness and a perceived lack of uniformity” in the way that HPD’s downsizing process is being carried out. Complaints of unfair treatment have resonated so much that affected tenants have recently formed the Housing Coalition Against Downsizing. Its ranks include many former Mitchell-Lama program tenants who only became eligible for Section 8 when their buildings began to charge market rate rent. According to a recent Daily News article, 42% of these tenants are disabled and one-third are senior citizens. It is important to recognize that disabled tenants have a right to request a reasonable accommodation from the downsizing policy. But based on the information my office has received from impacted residents, many disabled tenants are not aware that they have a choice. I believe that at a minimum, HPD ought to work with targeted tenants to determine if they qualify for any exemptions. As things stand now, elderly and disabled tenants are given only 15 days to document proof for being exempted from downsizing. And if these tenants cannot demonstrate that they meet the exemption criteria, they are often forced to pack their bags and move out in a (continued on next page

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2nd July Issue, 2014

News from the Independent Neighborhood Democrats by Mark Shames, President

That Crazy World of Politics T

he Independent Neighborhood Democrats do not typically meet during the summer months, so it will in one sense be quiet until September. However, individual members will be actively promoting their candidates by door knocking, hosting meet and greets and fundraisers.

by George Fiala

Race to replace Millman heats up

Jo Anne Simon has been waiting patiently in the wings to replace Assemblywoman Joan Millman. In May, Millman rather unexpectedly announced her retirement from the Assembly. The Simon endorsements came in as expected - Nydia Velazquez, Central Brookyn Democrats, Scott Stringer, Carlos Menchaca, Lambda Independent Democrats - all the usuals. However, it has become far less than a shoo-in. Walking into 104 1st Place in Carroll Gardens, to the endorsement meeting of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats, Simon’s home club, members were greeted at the door by Pete Sikora. Sikora, who had been involved in the LICH fight was obviously working the race behind the scene.

jor local politicians, including Daniel Squadron, Brad Lander and Steve Levin. They all came out for Pete’s official announcement which took place 8:30 in the morning on June 30th, outside the Nevins Street subway station on Smith Street. Mary Frost was there that morning, and wrote it up in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Her article contained a telling quote from an obviously frustrated Simon. She was “dismayed that Brad would support a paid lobbyist with such limited involvement within our district and the organizations that are its lifeblood over my proven record of community activism, leadership and reform.”

The club was filled to capacity, and at the end of a long, contentious meeting, Sikora ended up winning the club’s endorsement by a couple of votes.

If nothing else, Brad is blessed with a silver tongue. His apt comeback, also reported by Frost, was “If what lobbying means is somebody who’s lobbied to keep kids safe from lead poisoning, to protect the environment, to fight income inequality, and for progressive issues, that’s the kind of lobbying I want to support.”

Sikora also won the endorsement of the Working Family Party (WFP), home of progressive Democrats. Topping even that is the support of a crew of our ma-

This will be a fun race to watch, and will for sure provide some good summer entertainment. The primary is scheduled for September 9th.

Paige Bellenbaum, Brad Lander, Daniel Squadron and Steve Levin all line up to work for the tall Pete Sikora. (photo by George Fiala)

For a sensible downsizing policy (continued from previous page hurry. Not surprisingly, this policy invites unnecessary anxiety and bureaucratic error-making for a population that deserves to be treated with greater thought and care. In the short run, there should be a moratorium on downsizing to allow for more appropriate procedures to be developed. Second, the downsizing program should be made entirely voluntary. As an incentive for seniors to downsize, HPD and nonprofits ought to offer money and other assistance to help make moving less burdensome. It would be a shame if one of the unintended consequences of downsizing would be to force seniors, the disabled and other vulnerable New Yorkers to abandon their homes, neighbors, and local services to which they’ve become attached over the years. The City must exercise great caution when implementing housing policies that require people to sever long-standing ties to their communities. We must at all costs provide similar housing in the same neighborhood wherever possible. Finally, downsizing must be evaluated as part of an overall strategy to make the city a suitable place to grow old. According to a recent report by the Department of City Planning, New York’s population aged 65 and over is expected to increase by 175,000, or 17.5 percent, between 2010 and 2020, and by an additional 187,000, or 15.9 percent, between 2020 and 2030. Given cuts to programs like Mitchell-Lama, and recent assaults on rent control and stabilization, the City must create fair and appropriate policies that protect New Yorkers, not harm them.

Red Hook Star-Revue

Petitioning has ended and petitions have either been submitted or are in the process of being bound into volumes for submission to the board of elections. It is not unknown, but it is rare in these parts for there to be challenges to remove individuals from the ballot. It is generally thought that such a challenge will put the highly prized New York Times endorsement in jeopardy. It is still anticipated that Pete Sikora, IND’s candidate for the Assembly in the 52nd Assembly District, will be on the ballot opposed by two others, as will our judicial candidate Diana Szuchet. We still believe that it is possible that Paige Bellenbaum, our candidate for District Leader, will be unopposed. In our only other contested race, for the seat that Borough President Adams vacated, Jesse Hamilton, who has also been endorsed by the Borough President, has announced that he has submitted 8,000 petition signatures.

Sunday fundraiser at Gowanus shuffleboard palace I will be attending a joint fundraiser for Paige and Pete at the Royal Palms shuffleboard center at 514 Union Street on Sunday July 13th starting at 6:30. Pete is running in a highly competitive race and needs enough money to get his message out while Paige, as a newcomer to politics, still has to introduce herself to the wider community. This lull in our activities provides an opportunity to reflect on the successes and disappoints that we have faced as a community. Our greatest disappointment is the prospect of the loss of Long Island College Hospital as a full service facility. The speed with which Downstate reversed itself on its plans led many of us to believe that it was not acting in good faith with our community from the outset.

Cuomo bears the blame for LICH demise Though I still feel obligated to support IND’s endorsed candidate for Governor, Andrew Cuomo, I place the responsibility for the closing squarely at his feet; he after all appoints the entire SUNY board. I have yet to be convinced that LICH had to close, even as I tried to remain open to persuasion. Since I am most likely to need a health care facility in an emergency for a heart attack or stroke, the remaining services are not of primary importance to me and that perhaps colors my feelings. We, at IND, were certainly aware of the work that Pete Sikora did leading Parents for LICH when we gave him our endorsement. We, at our annual dinner, acknowledged Jim Walden for his tireless efforts first as Public Advocate de Blasio’s and then as the community’s counsel advocating for the continuation of full services at LICH.. What is now promised is far better than the shutdown that we originally faced and the concerted effort by our local and city officials may be credited for the retention of some meaningful services that will at least be overseen by a top quality institution.

Some victories There are, however, things for us to cheer. Through the hard work of Paige Bellenbaum and Steve Miller, and the membership of the Coalition for Carroll Gardens, a notorious landlord together with an operator of homeless shelters have been thwarted in their attempt to house 170 homeless men in a 10 unit building in Carroll Gardens. Also in an historic first the EPA has included a requirement for a reduction in combined sewer overflows as part of its Record of Decision with regard to the Gowanus Canal Superfund remediation.

Beware the redistricting wolf On the political reform front things remain either in doubt or bleak. There remains some renewed hope for campaign finance reform in the next session. Unfortunately our best hope with regard to redistricting isn’t progress but to avoid embedding the worst of the current system in our state constitution. We ought to defeat the proposed constitutional amendment with regard to redistricting this November. What reform elements called for was non-partisan redistricting. What the proposed constitutional amendment calls for is “bipartisan” redistricting. This allows the two main parties to continue to conspire to choose their voters rather than the voters being empowered to choose their representatives. If for some reason this system isn’t enough to protect our incumbents, they have written the amendment so that they may reject the “bipartisan’ proposal and do things as they have always done in the past. The proposed redistricting amendment is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

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2nd July Issue 2014, Page 9

The Star-Revue speaks to Pete Morales

“B

ack when I was a kid Red Hook was an area of recreation. We had a lot of parks, and we always had the water... As kids we were always very active on the docks. Lots of swimming, and just hanging out down there. It use to be more like a beach so that we could just walk right up to the water. It was something all the kids did. When we weren't swimming we had a lot of other things to do too. We had a couple of theaters nearby. There was the Pioneer Theatre down on Pioneer Street, and the Happy Hour Theatre over on Columbia Street. If I remember correctly, a flick would cost you about 25 cents back then. There was also the Community Center over near where the Red Hook Houses are now. They had something for everybody; they had CYO programs there, and everything was open to the public free of charge. I remember they had a lot of after school classes for the kids. Wood shop classes and carpentry classes for the boys, and cooking classes for the girls. Then there was Visitation Hall over on Verona Street that hosted dances with music and basketball games, stuff like that. In Red Hook, as a kid, you could always keep busy back then.

Page 10 Red Hook Star-Revue

interview by Amanda Decker If you got hungry you went to Defonte's for a sandwich, which, believe it or not, cost only about 15 cents back then. The kids would go find where the dock or factory workers were eating their Defonte's sandwiches and bottle of beer for lunch. We would wait for them to finish and then take their beer bottles once they were gone so we could go cash them in for pocket money. I remember, besides being a place of recreation, Red Hook was quite the industrial town back then. The docks were always bustling, and between those and the factories there was plenty of work for whoever needed it. As a kid you could always find some work to do after school, to have money for the movies or whatever. One of my biggest memories is of playing stick ball in the streets. There were no computers or video games back then of course so the streets were always filled with kids. It seemed like there was always a game going on outside. There were a lot of kids in the neighborhood. We used to play “block against block”. Those were the teams back then. Your block against mine. Some parts of Red Hook were mostly Italian back then, but where I lived it was mixed. But if you could play good ball you could play with everybody.”

Pete Morales standing with Pat Sones at this year’s opening of the Red Hook Little league. Pete has been instrumental over the years in organizing local sports.

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2nd July Issue, 2014

Mother Cabrini Park receives belated blessing by George Fiala

arroll Garden’s Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen’s Church celebrated this year’s Feast of the Sacred Heart by transporting their evening mass over the highway to Mother Cabrini Park. Passersby were treated to a procession of altar boys and girls, church officials, musicians, choir members and neighborhood churchgoers who created a makeshift altar in front of the colorful plastic slides at the President Street kiddy playground.

vacant lot, an eyesore full of junk and weeds.

The playground sits on the former building of the Sacred Hearts Parish. This parish was set up by the Roman Catholic Church in 1885 to care for the burgeoning Italian immigrant population. Mother Cabrini was sent here, and with the other sisters, created a school for the children of the immigrants. The school served the neighborhood for many years. Unfortunately, the mid 1970’s sewer project that undermined many homes on Columbia Street also affected President Street. The building had to be demolished. For many years it remained a

According to Balsamo, Mother Cabrini Park was meant to be blessed many years ago, but 9/11 and other events - including bad weather - put it off until this year.

Local residents including Carmine Balsamo agitated for a city park, and through the efforts of Councilman Stephen DiBrienza, a park was designated for the site in 1992. Carmine says that he was told there was not enough money to extend the park to Van Brunt, hence the small kids park. That part now comprises the Urban Meadow, a community garden staffed by volunteers.

The service was led by Father Massie. Looking around at the verdant setting, he called the Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen community a parish with “chutzpah.” The setting was in fact lovely for the service. It was a beautiful early summer evening, cooled by a breeze from the nearby waterfront. In addition to the brightly colored children’s playthings, the park

Part of the procession from Sacred Hearts/St. Stevens to Mother Cabrini Park.

Father Massie of St. Stevens obviously relishing his sermon in the park. (Fiala photos)

is full of lush trees, bushes and flowers. The park is flanked on three sides by local homes, with the Urban Meadow to the west. Father Massie spoke in front of a stylized drawing of Christ. It was drown with a red heart in the middle of his chest. He spoke of Christ as a “lover, but not in a schmalzy way - in a loving way.” He looked around and said that if Mother Cabrini were here this evening, she would have liked this. “It’s true,” nodded a churchgoer, nestled in one of the plastic chairs set up for the service. At the end of the service, Massie said that going outdoors for a service was

something they should do every year. “Perhaps at Carroll Park next time,” he said. The crowd shouted out in unison “No, here - right here.”

Carmine Balsamo provided us with this photo of the old church right before it was torn down.

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2nd July Issue 2014, Page 11

Neighborhood meeting looks for alternatives to “Bridging Gowanus” (continued from page 5)

The proposals occupied the intersection of key points regarding the area’s future: zoning and rezoning, ecological cleanup, neighborhood infrastructure, and maintenance of the mixed-use commercialresidential environment. Zoning and rezoning concerns were mostly inspired by residential development plans currently underway. Developers including Lightstone are seeking to tap into this prime real estate and gentrify it with luxury housing. Lightstone’s 700 unit project, already under construction, will tower above neighboring buildings and is designed to include a waterfront promenade on the promised clean waterway. Ultimately in this new Gowanus, everything hinges on the Canal – both in its practical uses and desirability. One proposal was made to require a community liaison that would force developers to comply with local rules, funded by the developers but occupying an independent position. Another sought to limit building heights, and others advocated for limits on new residential units in the neighborhood. One resident, going by the name “Reich,” sporting a red Mohawk and a spiked leather jacket proposed to leave the canal as it is and refocus attention on maintenance of the neighborhood. Parallel and tangential proposals followed, including ensuring public access to the future waterfront, promoting small business manufacturing with the help of an viable waterway, requiring developer-paid infrastructure improvements to accommodate new residents. Proposals often conflicted, as some sup-

ported further restoration of wetlands around the canal while others advocated bringing in more local business wherever possible. Gannet maintained order throughout this first portion of the night. He tried his best to curb ideas to single-sentence length so that Alexiou could write them down in real time on a projector screen behind the stage. Transitioning to the discussion and debate portion proved less organized.

Organized disorder Gannet and Alexiou opened the floor to each proposal in order, aiming for a debate-style discourse of rebuttals and defenses. While there was such discourse, it rarely ever stayed fully on topic. The issues facing Gowanus are all interconnected, so audience members found it difficult to focus on each singular objective. Inevitably, discussions about one topic would slowly morph into a new issue, and the hosts did all they could to allow voices to be heard while also addressing ideas point by point. The conversation, though lively, was filled with much debate about the details as proposals were more closely examined. Almost all could agree on improving infrastructure and promoting local manufacturing, but the practical specifics of such broad concepts proved contentious. Though the process was certainly democratic, it was far from ideal. The frustration of the hosts was palpable. Tensions rose and tempers eventually flared between audience members and the hosts themselves. As Gannet and Alexiou struggled to keep on topic, at-

A recent boatride on the Gowanus illustrates the possibilities once the sludge is gone.

tendees began to turn on them. One woman claimed that the two had been “bullying” and stifling a speaker who had gone on a tangent. Reich spoke up questioning Joseph’s own motives. Anne Gaudet, another resident, went so far as to say that the meeting had not accomplished much more than “Bridging Gowanus,” and felt that the efforts of the evening were “redundant.” She objected that the best and most practical way to effect change is to go through the established routes, i.e. local representatives. The meeting continued on, nonetheless, as audience members began filtering out. Although it was scheduled to end at 9pm, the most vocal attendees were all still present by 9:45, at which

point the topic switched to whether or not the meeting should proceed. It was ultimately decided to postpone further debate until the next meeting, between two and three weeks away, but Alexiou assured that he would be sending out all his notes to allow for online discussion. By 10 pm “Take Back Gowanus” had ended on a bittersweet note. The first meeting had failed its goal of fully establishing the “shared values” that many had criticized “Bridging Gowanus” for fabricating. However, it had distinguished itself as a forum for a diverse array of voices. In the end, it could be said that a frustrating lesson was learned that night: consensus is hard to come by, and true democratic consensus is a long process even if it is worthwhile.

This month’s painting by Tashawn Davis

Tashawn Davis is a student at the Red Hook Arts Project, corner of Richards and Wolcott. He is 16 years old.

Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue

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2nd July Issue, 2014

Red Hook Star-Revue

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2nd July Issue 2014, Page 13

Looking at our mixed up Red Hook past with today’s eyes by Mary Ann Pietanza

was sitting in my car on the top of the Gowanus Expressway trying to decide how I was going to make it on time for an appointment I had in the city. There was already a halfhour back up and it had already taken me an hour and a half to get to the Gowanus from my origination point. The sun was still strong and I grimly considered my options. I was too far over to get into the left lane to get to the entrance of the Battery Tunnel which was backed up as well, and the radio announcer was predicting more delays along the BQE and Brooklyn Bridge. Huge sigh. I turned and looked at the lone “R” of the old “E.J. TRUM” sign of its heyday next to the steeple of Visitation Church when suddenly a thought came to me. Why not catch the Water Taxi to Wall Street from Ikea? “Brilliant,” I thought out loud. I could leave my car in the parking lot, which was low on gas, and jump on the Water Taxi which would leave me a few mere blocks from my destination! Forty minutes later I was docking at the Wall Street Pier - I had just made the taxi and sat cooly and gratefully for the remainder of my trip. Things like this never cease to amaze me. This would never have been an option in Red Hook in my youth. But I couldn’t analyze the evolution of it all, I was just happy for its convenience at a time when I needed it most. On my ride back, from the murky waters of the Buttermilk Channel, I was lucky to catch the sky as dusk cast its palette of orange, purple and blue colors across Red Hook.

A little time for nostalgia

After docking, I couldn’t help riding around the old neighborhood. I was, as I made my way toward Luquer St, feeling nostalgic, as I so often feel when I am in Red Hook. It’s a feeling of oneness, or being home. It’s funny how when we were here as teenagers, we couldn’t wait to get out. Now that we’ve been away, we can’t wait to come back, sort of. We hated everything about Red Hook’s demise and wanted terribly to disassociate ourselves from it. As young girls I remember my friends and I couldn’t wait until we were old enough to leave. Each one of us handled it in different ways:; some got married right away, some luckily moved with their families, and some just stayed and learned to drive and explore life outside of Red Hook, while keeping a low profile about living there. If someone were to ask me if I grew up in Red Hook, I would have to say geographically, yes. But I never felt like those of us who grew up on Luquer Street (between Columbia & Hicks) were real Red Hookers. We were neither a part of the “back” whose waterfront exposure and close-knit community sustained itself in and around Visitation Church, or Carroll Gardens whose disconnect from us became apparent in its distinct separation from us as “the other side,” or the “shady side.” If one were to ask how different life was for us on Luquer Street, we might draw a very different picture than that of our Red Hook and Carroll Gardens’ neighbors. For starters, the mass exodus of the white flight affected us severely. Besides the

Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue

Like the time we absolutely had to see the premiere of The Godfather in Bay Ridge, or when we went to Rockefeller Center and Liberty Island. One time we walked to Prospect Park and got lost. We roamed around the park for several hours until we could find our way back to 9th Street. It was dark by the time we got Taken on Luquer Street with the old Dead Man’s Curve section home, and we were of the BQE in the background. L to R. Cecilia, Mary Ann and swiftly punished for Maria. Early 1970s our deceit. This only made future escapades more difficult. I was filled in on the current going ons Our neighbors surrounding us on the of the block. We couldn’t help but comother hand, although forced to endure pare the current hipster life on Luquer some restrictions, too, were attending Street to our life back then. Mainly, the proms and parties, having block parties huge sense of comfort and freedom they and living a life much different than we experience here. Like before, there’s were. two worlds on this block - the hipsters Looking back in the rear view mirror and, as one friend of ours says, “the leftof our teenage life on Luquer Street, overs.” crossed with a mixture of a crime- We looked at some pictures of our youth, ridden neighborhood and the Italian limited in quantity now due to our disAmerican coping of it, we were denied combobulated lives of having moved our true coming of around the New York area, not really age. Instead, we knowing where all of our old pictures “We knew we weren’t living a normal teenage were busy creating were at this point. But it was enough to life, especially when hookers worked our our own emotional get us thinking again, of those days. support system and Those days when we hated Red Hook, street, drug dealers passed through on a social outlets, how- but loved each other for being there regular basis and police cars were an almost ever lame and bor- for each other. When we knew we had ing, believing that a great neighborhood - on the other permanent fixture on our corner.” our friendship was side - but we were denied full access to our only way out it. How we cheated fate so many times were and who we had crushes on. We and the only way to cope with our own when we crossed the highway, and made sat for hours on hot summer nights on form of prison. We made it through our it to the other side unharmed, or alive. our stoops. We talked of our hopes and teen years as inmates of our block, rely- It was a true love hate relationship we dreams and how differently we would ing on each other’s strengths, maturity, had with Luquer Street and Red Hook. raise our kids, compared to the way we philosophies, ideologies and, thank- We simultaneously laughed joyfully fully, sense of humor, making up for life at memories, and complained of othwere being raised. We mourned over lost friends and the skills within limited borders and experi- ers, feeling a deep sense of melancholy changes on our block which had be- ences....our way. wishing there were some way to change come dismal and an embarrassing place We bonded tightly and felt we were the past.. My mind kept thinking A to live. We knew we weren’t living a destined to be friends forever, which we Tale of Two Cities.....”It was the best normal teenage life, especially when were, which we are still. But back then, of times, it was the worst of times”... ?it hookers worked our street, drug dealers one by one, as we made our way into the was the spring of hope and the winter passed through on a regular basis and work force on Wall Street, and eventu- of despair?... “it was the epoch of belief, police cars were an almost permanent ally met our husbands, the group began and the epoch of incredulity....” It was fixture on our corner. All good reasons to shrink from four, to three, to two..... not the French Revolution or the Reign for our parents to keep us so strict and then one. of Terror in Charles Dickens’ mind, it deprive us of some healthy socialization. That evening I went to visit two of was describing, for me, Red Hook in the There were no parties for sure, outings those friends who, by events thrust upon late sixties and early seventies, - a time were infrequent and our focus became them, came back to Red Hook. We sat of trepidation and loss. But for us it was school and talking to each other. Our on the stoop, immediately feeling com- also the fiercest of times, and the scarishort time after school before dark, we fortable with the act of just sitting and, est of times, it was the beginning of the were allowed to walk to Dairy Queen as they used to say in Brooklyn, (pardon end and the start of a new beginning. on Court Street. On errands to Union my French) “shooting the shit.” Street on weekends (after crossing the highway to get there safely- I know, oxymoron) we would stop by Ferdinando’s for panelli and eat them on the way home....together. As we neared driving age, we sometimes got permission to venture out of the neighborhood more, to walk to Brooklyn Heights or catch a bus to Sheepshead’s Bay. Sometimes we didn’t get their permission - like when criminal events were on the rise in the newspaper or stories were circulating about them from relatives in the area. At those times we “snuck out” by devising a plan to get us where we so desperately wanted to go, greatly depending on our street smarts and numbers as a You could consider this an after picture of the three of us in the snow. It’s the only one we have of the four of us presently. You could tell we’re not of the “selfie” generation. huge form of our protection. This photo is of L to R....Mary Ann, her sister Cathy. Cecilia and her sister Maria. maritime job losses we suffered as a whole neighborhood, the Verrazano Bridge (completed in 1964) took many of our friend’s families to greener pastures. Being the lone block that we were, isolated and remote, we suffered the greater loss of neighbors since there were so few of us on the block to begin with. In our pre-teens we watched as a sizeable group of us girls dwindled down to just about four (from only two families). We clung to each other for friendship, protection and survival. We all went to different schools, but on the block we were a little Italian nucleus of magnet buddies. We had strict parents and our whereabouts were closely monitored by them as the changing demographics of our block instilled fear and suspicions of our new neighbors, just as we had instilled fear and suspicions two generations before that when we embarked upon a predominantly Irish Red Hook, and were subject to name calling, abuse and prejudice of our “dago” race. We went everywhere together; we ran errands for our parents and grandparents, we sun bathed on one of our rooftops that were high enough above the other homes on the block to provide peace and privacy. We spoke of what life held in store for us, what our fears

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2nd July Issue, 2014

Investors Bank sponsors fund-raising trek by Clarissa Sauter

Jenny belin’s Art

Noam Katz and his father Mark honored by Friendship Circle in front of the bank.

n event conceived in a Jerusalem pizza parlor three years ago made its way to Red Hook on Tuesday. Four cyclists who will bike across the country to raise money for children were given encouraging words, a Jewish Prayer book and American flag from last year’s trip at Investors Bank on 431 Court Street. A senior Vice President of the bank, Marc Katz, was also presented with an award from Rabbi Bentzion Groner, founder of Friendship Circle International. The bank is a major sponsor of Bike 4 Friendship, a 3,100 mile bike ride to raise funds for Friendship Circle, an organization that facilitates friendships between teen volunteers and children with special needs. Their journey will begin July 6 in San Diego, with local supporters accompanying them for that portion of their trip. The cyclists will make pit stops at some of the 92 Friendship Circle centers in the U.S. for food and accommodations each night on their way to New York, where they’ll arrive seven weeks later.

friendships, something not often discussed in conversations about the children’s lives. “We’re strictly about friendship,” said Rabbi Groner.

Friendship Circle International is a humanitarian organization that pairs teenagers and special needs children to provide them with meaningful

To find more information about Bike 4 Learning and Friendship Circle, see www.bike4friendship.org or www. friendshipcircle.com.

Bicyclist Yitzy Smith said that in preparation for the arduous journey he’s been staying hydrated, eating a good diet, and has logged over 300 miles. Last year 17-year-old Noam Katz, son of Marc Katz, biked in the annual event and raised $18,000. The event raised $200,000 in total. “It’s a crazy experience, riding through time zones,” said Noam, adding that the natural elements were what made the ride so difficult. The route crosses the one hundred and ten degree deserts of New Mexico, the swampy Mississippi river and the rough Appalachian mountains. That didn’t deter any of the bicyclists, though.

Our friend Jenny, who exhibits locally at the Brooklyn Collective, 212 Columbia Street, sends us this and tells us “Here is a portrait of Yoko Ono.....Such an innovate, creative and smart woman. She is an inspiration to me as an artist. Jenny’s website is www.jennybelin.com

“I’m super excited,” said cyclist Nissi Andrusier. He explained that, like many other bikers involved, his main motives in riding on the 85-mile-aday route were to experience America’s diversity and fund Friendship Circle’s great cause.

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No job too big or too small

Toilets, Boilers, Heating, Faucets, Hot Water Heaters,

Pool Heaters.

B & D HEATING 507 Court Street 718 625-1396 2nd July Issue 2014, Page 15

Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue

www.RedHookStar.com

2nd July Issue, 2014