The
Winner: Best Small Circulation Publication
Red Hook StarRevue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
DECEMBER 2017
FREE
ALMOST A YEAR OF TRUMP AND WE’RE mostly STILL ok! NO stock market crash NO nuclear war NO mass deportations NO civil war
yet... SO LET’S PARTY WHILE WE STILL CAN! HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE STAR-REVUE!!!!!
LOCAL BROADCASTER ENTANGLED IN HARASSMENT STORY
J
by George Fiala
ohn Hockenberry, acclaimed award winning journalist, war correspondent and host of WNYC radio’s Takeaway until earlier this year, is one of a growing number of celebrities who have found their careers ended due to unacceptable behavior.
MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Some of you may remember an online publication called DNAinfo. It was shut down last month by its owner, a hedge fund millionaire who had many millions of dollars to invest in community journalism in this city. This owner had many hundreds of dollars to invest in a local community newspaper in South Brooklyn at around the same time that dnaInfo began. We are not going anywhere, in case anyone was wondering. In his letter to his readers, the owner stated that DNAinfo was a business, and a business is supposed to make money, and they didn’t, so he closed it, quite abruptly, actually. It was my opinion that a publisher who took his business seriously, and could afford the investment, would have hired a larger business staff to monetize his editorial investment. I heard an editor say that didn’t seem to be the case. Probably he had his fun and got tired of it.
Hockenberry was accused of being a creep and worse in a NY Magazine article by writer Suki Kim, and will no doubt become a permanent part of the history of what hopefully will be the end of sexual harassment in the US workplace.
program when reporting on the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
Hockenberry is a resident of the Red Hook, living in a three bedroom loft with his wife and five children.
He has been a supporter of local non-profit organizations, including Pioneer Works and Cora Dance.
Hockenberry hosted a Cora Dance fundraiser in his loft back in 2013. (Star-Revue file photo)
If I had more money to invest, I would hire a good sales staff to sell advertising that supports all free media in the US. The business is out there - a good publication develops a reputation that provides a good framing for businesses to attach their message to. However, whether I can develop a business staff or not, we love putting out this paper, which in addition to giving the neighborhood a voice, provides an excellent learning opportunity for journalists beginning a career. Wishing you a great holiday season and as always, thanks for reading! George Fiala, publisher
He spoke of this community on his
Table of Contents Happenings ............................................2 Superfund Update..................................9 The Old Days.........................................3 Foxy and Winston ...............................14 Columbia Street History......................15 Chicko ..................................................16 Red Hook Star-Revue
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Christmas in Red Hook
Graduation at RHI
pages 10 & 11
page 6 December 2017, Page 1
The
Red Hook StarRevue
481 Van Brunt Street, 8A Brooklyn, NY 11231
Dec. Happenings
(718) 624-5568
E & P: George Fiala R: Nathan Weiser Alex Rodriguez Ramaa Reddy Raghavan C: Halley Bondy, Arts Laura Eng, Religion Emily Kluver, Features Matt Caprioli, Arts Mary Ann Pietanza Sofia Baluyut Adrian Bacolo Tina Portelli FOR EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING OR EMPLOYMENT INQUIRIES, email info@redhookstar.com. The Red Hook Star-Revue is published monthly. Founded June 2010.
Community Telephone Numbers:
Red Hook Councilman Carlos Menchaca (718) 439-9012 Red Hook Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (718) 492-6334 State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery (718) 643-6140 Gowanus Councilman Brad Lander (718) 499-1090 Park Slope Councilman Steve Levin (718) 875-5200 CB6 District Manager Craig Hammerman (718) 643-3027 76th Police Precinct, 191 Union Street Main phone (718) 834-3211 Community Affairs (718) 834-3207 Traffic Safety (718) 834-3226 Eileen Dugan Senior Center, 380 Court Street (718) 596-1956 Miccio Center, 110 East 9th Street (718) 243-1528 Red Hook East Dev. Office, 62 Mill St (718) 852-6771
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The FAD Market Holiday Maker Series will happen with 45 different designers. They will Sat. show handmade art, jewelry, apparel, bath and body care, tableware and home furnishings. This Holiday Maker Series will begin at 7 am and end at 11 pm, and will take place at the Invisible Dog Art Center, 51 Bergen Street (also the 10th) E-Waste Recycling Event: Park Slope, hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center.They accept working and non-working: Computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, cables, TVs (all sizes), VCR & DVD players, Phones, audio/visual equipment, Video games, Cell phones. Loca�on: P.S. 321, 7th Avenue between 1st & 2nd Street
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Community Board 6 will be having an execu�ve commi�ee mee�ng where they will review their commi�ee responses to Mon. the District Needs Statement por�on of the Department of City Planning’s Needs Statement and Budget Requests process. The mee�ng will take place at CB6 (250 Bal�c Street) from 6:30 to 9:30 pm
12 Tue.
The Red Hook West Tenant Association monthly mee�ng hosted by Lillie Marshall. 428 Columbia Street tenant office room 1-C from 6:30 un�l 9 pm.
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Community Board 6 will be having their general board mee�ng from 6:30 un�l 7:30 pm at Old First Reformed Wed. Church (729 Carroll Street) and will be streamed in real �me at h�ps://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=JIjN2Th07gg
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Off the Hook: Original Plays by Red Hook Kids will be a free performance. For more informa�on call 718-395-3218. Make Fri. reserva�ons at o�hehook.eventbrite.com. This will take place at Visita�on of Blessed Virgin Mary Church (98 Richards Street) and go from 7 un�l 9 pm. Rock and Roll at the new Rocky Sullivan’s, featuring George’s Lounge.. Music by local bands Union and Neil Holstein’s Gravity Dogs. Music starts around 8 pm. 46 Beard Street
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Off the Hook: Original Plays by Red Hook Kids will happen again in the a�ernoon at Sat 3 pm. They will present three more funny, moving, raw and original plays. Come see the world through the eyes of Orion Crossman, Osmary Bri�o and Odalys Perez. The show will take place at Visita�on Church again (98 Richards Street), and you can make reserva�ons at o�hehook.eventbrite.com.
For more listings, check out our online community calendar at www.star-revue.com/calendar
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Fashion, Art & Design (FAD) will have their first holiday ar�sanal food gi� market. Food Sat and kitchen products will be showcased. There will be 40 independent makers that will showcase a selec�on of ar�sanal food offerings including charcuterie, condiments, maple syrup, chocolate and baked goods. This gi� market will take place at Invisible Dog Art Center (51 Bergen Street) from 11 am un�l 7 pm. This holiday market will happen again on Sunday.
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CENOTAPHIC: Kenya (Robinson) – Ar�st Kenya (Robinson) will use performance as a tool for inquiry, Sun. ques�oning the life cycle of white male heteronorma�ve supremacy. This contempla�on is at the centerpiece of CENOTAPHIC – a jazz funeral of the #WHITEMANINMYPOCKET. A procession beginning at Red Hook Houses and culmina�ng with a eulogy and repast at Pioneer Works seeks answers. This Pioneer Works event will take place from 4 - 7 pm and will begin at Columbia Street between Bush Street and Mill Street and end at Pioneer Works (159 Pioneer Street).
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CB6 Holiday Get-Together. This will be an evening of revelry with board and commi�ee members as they celebrate Mon. the holiday season. The holiday party will go from 6:30 un�l 9 pm at Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club (514 Union Street). There will be a cash bar and food available to purchase. RSVP here: h�ps://www.eventbrite.com/e/brooklyn-cb6-holidayget-together-�ckets-40850765740
21
Community Board 6 Transporta�on & Public Safety Commi�ee mee�ng. They will Thur. give an update from the NYC Department of Transporta�on on proposed changes to 4th Avenue. The loca�on is s�ll to be determined.
ONGOING
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email happenings@ redhookstar.com to list your event.
The Red Hook Library will have free children’s art classes every week during December. Classes occur for ages 4-7 from 3:15 un�l 4:15 pm on Tuesdays, ages 8-12 from 4:15 un�l 5:15 on Tuesdays and for ages 10-17 from 3:30 un�l 4:30 on Wednesdays. The gym, theater, weight room and computers will be available for ages 13 and up at the Miccio Community Center (110 West 9th Street). This is a program sponsored by Good Shepherd Services (718-243-1528), and it will go from 10 am to 5 pm. This will happen every Saturday of the month.
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
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December 2017
NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY, by TINA PORTELLI
F
Court Street now and then
our stores and sixty years ago, we had good local stores. We still do! In these times of rapid change and major chains; it is a comfort to walk to the shopping area of my neighborhood, Court Street, and see some of my favorites still doing business as usual. I have lived here over fifty years, and these four stores remain intact, with little interior or exterior changes. In each case, the businesses are still run by members of the original families. These remnants of my past are comforting, as new stores take root in our ever-growing neighborhood, but with some only lasting months.
D’Amicos
Frank D’Amico, once operating as our local grocer, has changed with the times, not only to survive, but to prosper. The walls are no longer lined with shelves of canned goods and macaroni, but instead coffee urns are mounted, positioned above barrels of flavored and international coffees. The musky odor has been transformed to blended bean aromas. Frank has turned his plain old grocery store into a gourmet coffee bar. And, you can still get a sandwich or cold cuts. His reputation for good service and quality goods has enabled him to keep his long time address, while keeping up with the current trends. I remember being twelve, walking into his store with a short shopping list from my mother. I’d stand there and say, “I’m Chris’ daughter from Tompkins Place” and hand him the list. Of course he knew who I was. The list included Pall Mall cigarettes, which at that time you could sell to minors. I still remember the price — 26¢ a pack. After handing the list to Frank, I’d wait while he sliced the cold cuts and packed the order in a brown paper bag. He’d use his pencil to scribble the prices of each item on the bag, and total the amount. This was before bar codes and scanners.
Court Pastry
flowers, my prom corsage, and the infamous wedding order. I had ordered a dozen long stem white roses to be carried Miss America style, instead of the traditional Italian bridal bouquet. What I got was long stem, almost dead yellowish roses flanked by green limp ferns. Not a good way to start a marriage, which lasted little longer than the roses. But, I can’t complain because in every other situation where I’ve needed Sal to send flowers, he has always done a great job. He didn’t charge me FTD prices and his “designer techniques” shine. His storefront has been renovated, since his death and a new business has taken it’s place. But the photo of his mother hangs on in my memory— wearing her gardener’s apron and 1930’s shoes.
Racuglia
And lastly, not really a store, but a last stop, is our funeral home, even though it has also passed away and is no longer there. Racuglia was one of my favorites because of the director. His reputation in the neighborhood was carved in stone. You could have called on him anytime, 24 hours a day, and he would be at your door in moments. As a child I remember thinking, “When does this man sleep, and where — in an unused casket? He’s too quick to change from pajamas to suit in such a short time. And when he arrives, he will sit in your kitchen, solemnly, over an espresso discussing your needs; money is never mentioned, contracts don’t exist. A handshake and his arm around your shoulder seals the deal. You know everything will be ok. Just leave it to him.
And then there was my Florist, Gloria’s. Salvatore “the Son” who had adorned me in flowers since childhood. My Holy Communion bouquet, my Confirmation corsage, graduation
Red Hook Star-Revue
of red carnations, which would be delivered across the street to the Funeral Home, to Vinny’s. If you happen to be a gambler, Sal could whip together a carnation slot machine or deck of cards. If you were the musical type, he could probably do a guitar, or just about anything you’d want. He will customize tributes to suit your needs. For me, I’d would have liked my friends to honor me with a giant flower pen, made up of white roses.
Four stores, four stops, one street. You go to D’Amico’s for fresh brewed coffee, Court Pastry for delicious dessert, then you’d die happily. Your friends would go to Sal the Florist, they will order you the traditional giant “broken heart” shape flower piece made
So what made these four establishments so special to me? We had history.
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With the recipes of Father, Son and Grandson, the taste of the pastry has never changed. The cannoli remains my favorite. People who have moved from Cobble Hill to suburban neighborhoods still make the trip to Brooklyn, as no one makes cake like them.
Gloria Flower Shoppe
Except for the increasing number of “Appreciation letters and plaques” hanging on his wall and the electronic stair chair he installed for the elderly, not much had changed in the many years he was there. The scary “life size” paint chipped saints and the paisley dark red rug, and tissue boxes sit on every table in the place. He still wore that black suit, drove that black car. When we met on the street, he would always ask, “How’s Papa John?”
Considered a family member by all who use his services, his establishment was the last time for many residents of this neighborhood. The grey brick building sits on that lonesome corner and beckoned new arrivals.
Court Pastry has always had long lines. Especially on holidays — Easter being the longest. Relationships had time to start or end in the time it could take waiting for your number to be called for service.
On a wall to the left, above the pie case, hang old photos of the store. The bakers are in their white powdery aprons. Little has changed—a new storefront, prices—that’s it.
Frank D’Amico, in a photo from many years ago. (courtesy of the Brooklyn Phoenix archives at Brooklyn College)
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No job too big or too small
Toilets, Boilers, Heating, Faucets, Hot Water Heaters, Pool Heaters.
B & D HEATING 218 29th Street 718 625-1396
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December 2017, Page 3
RELIGIOUS NEWS BY LAURA ENG laura.eng59@aol.com.
Hannah Senesh School Honors WWII Namesake
H
annah Senesh Community Day School, located in Carroll Gardens, is a private school, grades K-8, with 220 students and a teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1-8. The school exemplifies a rich Jewish tradition and a strong commitment to community. When the school was founded by a group of parents back in 1995 it had just fourteen students and was housed at Temple Beth Elohim with an agreement that the school would carry the temple’s name. Three years later, the school moved and needed a new name. The parents and administration looked for an inspirational female historical figure to name the school after. Hannah Senesh (or Szenes), was the person who came to mind.
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, Wednesday- At The Gate 12 noon, Prayer 7-7:30 pm, Bible Studies 7-8 pm, Thursday Prayer 7:30-8:30 pm, Fri. Youth ABLAZED Ministries 6- 7:30 pm, Senior Pastor, Donald Gray
Visitation Church
98 Richards Street, (718) 624-1572. Office open Mon-Thurs. 9 am- 3 pm. Sat. Mass at 5 pm English; Sun. 10 am Spanish, 12:30 pm English. Community Prayer on Tuesday and Thursday at 8 pm. Call to arrange for Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation and Weddings.
New Brown Memorial Baptist
609 Clinton Street, 718 624 4780 Pastor A.R Jamal. Sun. School at 9:30 am. Sun. Worship at 11 am. Bible Study-Wed. at 7:30 pm. Communion every first Sunday
Redemption Church Red Hook
767 Hicks Street (Red Hook Initiative), (347) 4703523, RedemptionRedHook@gmail.com Pastor Edwin Pacheco Sunday Service at 10:30 am, Children’s Bible Study provided.
RH Ministries
72 Van Dyke Street (Corner of Richards Street), 718-624-3093, rhministries@bgtintl.com, Senior Pastor: Rev. David W. Anderson, Rev. Dr. Linda D. Anderson Sunday Worship Service at 11:00 am, Mid-week prayer on Wednesday at 7:30 pm, Pantry every Saturday at 9:30 am
St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church
157 Montague St., Brooklyn Heights. Phone: 718875-6960, office@stannholytrinity.org, Fr. John Denaro, Rector. Sunday Worship-Early Church at 9:30 am, Sunday School and Playgroup at 10:15 am and Holy Eucharist at 11:15 am, Weekday Worship on Wednesdays at 6 pm.
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 Sun. @ 10 am Communion every First Sun. stretchingfar.webs.com stretchingfar@aol.com
Page 4 Red Hook Star-Revue
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, Fri. 9 am- 12 noon. Masses: Sat. 4 pm, Sun. 10 am, Monday- Thursday, 9:30 am.
Saint Paul 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. Sat. Vigil Mass 5:30 pm, Sun. 7:45 am, 11 am (Spanish). St. Agnes, 433 Sackett St. Sat. Vigil Mass 4 pm (English), Sun. 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.; Wed. 8:30 am St Agnes.
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary- Saint Stephen RCC
125 Summit Street at Hicks Street, (718) 5967750, info@sacredhearts-ststephen.com Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am- 5 pm, Fri. 9 am3 pm, Sat. 9 am- 1 pm Sat. Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm, Sun. Masses at 8 am, 10 am, and noon (Italian/ English) Weekday Masses Mon. at 12 noon and Tue. thru Sat. at 8:30 am. Confessions: Sat. at 4:45 pm and by appointment. Baptisms every third Sun. 1 pm.
St. Paul’s Carroll St (Episcopal)
199 Carroll Street, 718-625-4126, info@stpaulscarrollst.org, www.stpaulscarrollst.org, Sun. Mass at 11:00 am, Weekly Morning Prayer Mon.-Thurs. at 7:30 am, Weekday Mass on Fri. at 9:00 am, Church open for prayer on Sat. from 2-4 pm. Holy Days as announced.
Jewish Kane Street Synagogue
236 Kane Street, 718 875-1550 http://kanestreet. org/ Fri. night services, 6 PM Shabbat services, 9:15 AM Sun. 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, info@ cmsbklyn.org, www.cmsbklyn.org, Rabbi Hanniel Levenson Fri. services at 6:30 pm, Sat. worship at 10:00 am with Kiddush at 11:30 and Bible Study at 11:45. All are welcome.
Hannah Senesh was born in 1921 in Budapest, Hungary. With the rise of anti-semitism in Europe, Hannah embraced Zionism at an early age. In 1939, just after graduating high school, she emigrated to Palestine. She studied agriculture and joined a kibbutz. Daughter of a journalist, Senesh spent her years in Palestine writing in her diary and penning poems and plays. While hoping to establish an Israeli homeland, Senesh was concerned about the Jews she left behind. She volunteered as a paratrooper with the British Air Force in 1943. After parachuting into Yugoslavia and crossing the border into Hungary, she was captured and tortured. Despite the torture, she refused to divulge secret transmitter codes. She continued to write in her diary until her death. Senesh was executed by firing squad at the age of 23 on November 7th, 1944. Her diary was brought to Israel after the war, and she became a national hero. In June 2007, the school moved to its current home, a 22,000 square foot facility complete with gym, science lab, library, rooftop playground, and art room. The school’s curriculum includes a full secular studies program, in addition to immersive Hebrew and Judaic studies programs. Programs are tailored to accommodate children who may or may not already be proficient in Hebrew. Graduates go on to attend private secular and religious high schools as well as New York City public high schools. Inspired by the life of its namesake, the mission of Hannah Senesh Community Day School is to seek meaning, build community and learn joyfully. The school also practices the following values, rooted in Jewish teachings: kindness, openness, re-
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Students honor Hannah Senesh at “tekes” (photo courtesy Hannah Senesh Community Day School)
sponsibility, perseverance, and journey. Annette Powers, speaking for the school, say that they try to impart on their students “a sense of responsibility for the world.” Says Powers, “Social action or social justice is a big part of the school.” Each grade is assigned a year-long, age-appropriate social action theme, partnering with local organizations. One grade may focus on gardening while another may work at a soup kitchen or visit the sick at the Cobble Hill Health Center. “Throughout a child’s experience at the school, they learn about different outlets and partners in the community,” says Powers. “It is [our] hope that students will continue that type of community engagement and social justice outreach well into adulthood.” On November 7th, the students of Hannah Senesh Community Day School marked the date of Senesh’s death with its annual “tekes” or school-wide assembly. Each grade encircles the school’s gymnasium and presents a program “to learn, remember and be inspired by” the extraordinary Senesh. Shelley Fogelson, Lower School Director, explains that the program is representative of Hannah Senesh’s life, “not so much the suffering at the end of but more the bravery.” Head of School Nicole Nash pointed out that Senesh was a believer that each individual person could make a difference in the world and noted, “Each day I see all of you living that same value.” The kindergarteners then began the ceremony by singing the school anthem, “Eli, Eli” and were soon joined in song by the rest of the student body. “Eli, Eli” is based on Senesh’s famous poem, “Walking to Caesarea,” which was set to music by Israeli composer David Zehavi. The poem begins with the words, “Eli, Eli” meaning “my God, my God” and in it, Senesh beseeches God that “the sand and the sea, the rush of the water, the crash of (continued on next page)
December 2017
the heavens, the prayer of the heart” may never end. Each grade presented their own tribute to Senesh. One young student recounted that Senesh “was a true hero because she not only thought about the lives of others but acted on those thoughts.” Another student noted, “Our school is probably named after her because she offered countless good qualities that are amazing for a school environment, like bravery, loyalty, and kindness.” Yet another student reflected that the school was named for Senesh “not because of her mission but because of her heart.” The ceremony concluded with a rendition of the Israeli National Anthem, “Hatikvah” (“The Hope”).
Christmas Eve - Family and Children’s Mass at 4:30 pm, Christmas Caroling at 11:15 followed by Midnight Mass. Christmas Day - Mass at 11 am.
St. Agnes/ St. Paul’s Parish Hoyt & Sackett Streets/234 Congress Street Food Drive - Please bring nonperishable food items which will be shared with C.H.I.P.S and Saint Mother Teresa’s Sisters who minister to the needs of mothers and their babies.
collection basket.
St. Ann and The Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 157 Montague Street New Faith Formation Series: “We Are Pilgrims” on Sunday, December 17 from 10:15 am - 12:45 pm (Pilgrimage in the Gospels). Christmas Eve - Family Service at 4 pm with Christmas Pageant and Holy Eucharist, Community Carol Sing at 9 pm and Festival Eucharist of Christmas with special music at 9:30 pm.
The moving “tekes” and the school’s social action activities are clear testament that Hannah Senesh’s indomitable spirit and short but remarkable life continue to inspire the students and larger community of the school that proudly bears her name.
Upcoming Events
Congregation Mount Sinai 250 Cadman Plaza West Family Hanukkah Celebration on Sunday, December 17 at 10 am with buffet breakfast, menorah lighting, latkes, dreidels, crafts, music by the CMS Hebrew School students and celebration of Rabbi Potasnik’s birthday. Everyone leaves with a special gift; please bring an unwrapped toy for the Brooklyn Development Center. Suggested donation of $18 for adults and $10 for children under 16. Hanukkah Toy Drive through December 19 - Bring new unwrapped gifts to CMS. Afternoon Film Festival featuring “Orchestra of Exiles” on Wednesday, December 20 at 3:30 pm. Kane Street Synagogue 236 Kane Street Bialy Rock Music Class for Infants and Toddlers - Ora Fruchter and Ketchup the puppet are back on Fridays at 1010:45 am through December 22 (not including holidays). Children with parents and caregivers sing, dance, play instruments and learn Jewish songs in English and Hebrew. $25. Rabbivalerie@gmail.com Adult Education: Open Beit Midrash on Tuesday evenings with dinner from 6:45-7:30 and classes, lectures, demonstrations from 7:30 - 9:00. Cost is $40 per three-week course, or a Beit Midrash subscription for the year for $180. December’s course is “The Bible and The Greeks: Three Parallel Stories” with Dr. Raymond Scheindlin on December 5, 12 and 19, 2017 For general information, contact Joy Fallek at BeitMidrash@kanestreet.org. Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church Summit & Hicks Street Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Friday, December 8. Masses are at 8:30 am, 12 noon, and 7 pm. Christmas Star Steeple Lighting on Saturday, December 9 following the 5:30 Mass. Christmas Decorating Party will take place at the church on Saturday, December 23. All are welcome!
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Visitation BVM Church 78 Richards Street Blood Pressure Screening and Health Information Bi-Lingual Presentation by NYC Langone Brooklyn on Sunday, December 3 at 11:30 am in basement area. Breakfast With Santa on Saturday, December 9 from 9 - 11:30 am. Admission is $5 per child/adult. One adult per family must be present. Call 718-624-1572 for reservations. Healing Mass on Wednesday, December 13 at 7 pm in Spanish and on Friday, December 29 at 7 pm in English. Christmas Eve Mass at 10 pm and Christmas Day Mass at 11 am featuring the new Visitation Children’s Choir. Mobile Soup Kitchen on Tuesdays from 1 pm - 2:30 pm and Fridays from 10 am - 12 noon (except first Fridays of the month).
The Star-Revue is still Catholic Charities Giving Tree - New, unwrapped toys and gift card may be placed by the Blessed Mother’s altar and will be shared with those in need. Baby Gifts - New baby items for babies and their mothers living with Saint Mother Teresa Sisters at Our Lady of Victory parish may be placed by the Blessed Mother’s altar. Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a holy day of obligation. Vigil Mass on Thursday, December 7 at 7:30 pm at St. Paul with Eucharistic Adoration and confessions heard in English, Spanish and French beginning at 6:30. Mass on Friday, December 8 at 10:30 am at St. Agnes and at 12:00 noon at St. Paul. Annual Tree Lighting and Children Christmas Party on Saturday, December 16 after the 5:30 Mass at St. Paul with games, crafts, gifts, cookies, hot cocoa and much more! Pictures with Santa available for $5.00.
St. Mary Star of the Sea Church 467 Court Street Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Friday, December 8, Mass at 7 am and 9:30 am. 3rd Annual Family Christmas SingAlong and Children’s Nativity on Sunday, December 17 at 2 pm. 166th Annual Christmas Midnight Mass on Sunday, December 24. Family Mass on Christmas Day is at 10 am. All are welcome!
To apply please email George@redhookstar.com
All-inclusive packages start at only $39 per person
Christmas Day - 10:30 am at St. Agnes and 12 noon at St. Paul.
Honor a Special Person - If you would like to memorialize a missalette in memory of a loved one, honor someone or some event, please put their name spelled clearly in an envelope with your memorial or honorarium intention plus $10 per cover and a label with their name will placed on a missalette. Envelopes may be delivered to the rectory or dropped in the
Could be an interesting career opportunity.
WHY BOOK THE SAME OLD COMPANY HOLIDAY PARTY???
Christmas Eve - Family Mass at St. Agnes at 4 pm and Midnight Mass at St. Paul.
Young at Heart - Every Wednesday at 1 pm in St. Agnes Hall.
to sell ads.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 199 Carroll Street St. Paul’s 29th Annual Auction on Saturday, December 2. Tickets on sale after Mass. Great auction items, excellent food and fellowship!
Advent Potluck Christmas Party on Sunday December 17 from 1:30-5:30 pm in St. Agnes Hall. Bring a dish or dessert to share. Everyone is welcome!
NY Cares Annual Coat Drive - Please drop off warm winter coats at collection boxes at the entrance of both churches to donate to a New Yorker in need. Donation receipts are available during office hours Monday-Friday 9 am - 1 pm at St. Paul and 2 - 5 pm at St. Agnes. Spread the word!
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A PARTY AT SHIPWRECKED IS AN ADVENTURE 18 HOLES OF THEATRICAL MINI GOLF YOUR VERY OWN PRIVATE EVENT ROOM FOOD - BEER - WINE 80’S ARCADE GAMES
CALL US NOW TO BOOK YOUR DATE 718-852-4653 www.shipwreckednyc.com
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December 2017, Page 5
FEMA money used to help Red Hookers gain construction skills by Nathan Weiser
O
n Monday, November 6, the NYCHA Office of Recovery and Resilience hosted a graduation ceremony at Red Hook Initiative (RHI) for the inaugural class of the Pathways to Apprenticeship program sponsored by NYCHA’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program. This four-week program was designed for Superstorm Sandy-impacted residents included 23 graduates of all ages and was mainly geared for careers in the construction field. Joy Sinderbrand, vice president for NYCHA’s Recovery and Resilience Department, said that FEMA funding of $3 billion in 33 developments in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens after Hurricane Sandy will provide many construction jobs. “A critical part of that investment is making sure that NYCHA residents are at the front of the line whenever there is a new job at one of the sites,” Sinderbrand told the graduates, which brought a round of applause. NYCHA worked with congressional leadership and more specifically Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez’s office to provide $1.4 million for the Pathways to Apprenticeship program. Sinderbrand said that “there have been 370 new jobs in this city program that have gone to low income New Yorkers and of those 227 have been to NYCHA residents.” Course enrollees received a stipend of $250 each week as well as a MetroCard for transportation, a helmet, work boots and assorted other equipment. Graduates also received OSHA 10 and Scaffold Safety certification.
NYCHA had partners in setting up this four-week training program. Sinderbrand thanked Stronger Together and Red Hook Initiative for their recruiting efforts to recruit students for the program. “Getting careers in construction is critical,” Sinderbrand said. “If you want to work in construction, it takes some amount of dedication.” It means getting up early, being out in bad weather and going to work in places that maybe are not comfortable. The organizers of this program want to make sure that they not only bring and
recruit people in the door but also get them placements once they finish the program. According to Sinderbrand, the organizations that run these training programs have relationships with unions to help connect the graduates with opportunities. “They still have to interview and get accepted but the relationships are there,” Sinderbrand said. The program ended in the beginning of November and had the graduates were mostly from Red Hook and Gowanus. Alex Rodriguez was one of the graduates from Gowanus, and he gave a wellreceived speech about his experiences. “What I picked up on is self-development and getting an idea of how everything works—like different job structures, trades, and hierarchy and why things happen the way they do.” He found out about Pathways to Apprenticeship at RHI from his brother, who is on the 5th Avenue Committee. As Rodriguez explains it, his brother brought him along to tag along. He ended up applying and was accepted into the program. Rodriguez has plans for what he wants to do later “I am seeking to be accepted into the IB23 electricians’ union,” Rodriguez said. “I am trying to do something that really interests me as opposed to selling light fixtures. I want to get into solar energy. I want it to be about human interests, that way it is more than just me.” The next Pathways to Apprenticeship class will be in Gowanus, starting this month. Sinderbrand was happy with the results in Red Hook. She is hopeful that the participants will take full advantage of the program. “It has been awesome to see this happen,” she said. “In the past, people were talking about having a job in construction at a development, but then that project would go away.” “It is not just about today,” Sinderbrand told the graduates. “It is not just about this job, which will last for just so long. It is about working a long time. There is always construction work in NYC whether you are an electrician, plumber, or a carpenter there will be work for you to do. After Sinderbrand finished addressing the graduates. before the diplomas were awarded, Melissa Ortiz from Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez’s office gave some words of advice.
Alex Rodriguez delivers a message to his fellow graduates. (photo by Weiser)
Page 6 Red Hook Star-Revue
She wanted everyone to know that something that is important besides just getting a job and their work in this program is
Graduates of the program proudly hold up their certificates. (photo by Weiser)
what they can do for their community. She encouraged the participants to volunteer in their off time with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, and helping to build homes for other families as well as other projects. She suggested going to places that have had natural disasters recently like Mexico and Puerto Rico. “Carpenters and construction workers such as yourself are so readily needed right now in so many areas of devastation,” Ortiz said. “If you have opportunity to do that they will pay for your flight to go. If you want, you can call our office and sign to volunteer. I encourage you to give back the same way you were given an opportunity.” Ortiz told the women graduates that there is a sisterhood organization associated with the carpenter’s association. She added that her office has information on the sisterhood organization. Assemblyman Felix Ortiz was not able to make the graduation, but Karen Broughton, his community liaison, also addressed the graduates before they received their diplomas. Broughton, who grew up in Red Hook and is a Red Hook resident, remarked that she was happy to see women and men of all ages and creeds. “I just want to say congratulations, and I hope that from this opportunity it builds a bright future for you,” Broughton said. “I wish you all the best and may you at some point, if you have the opportunity, train someone else that can walk in your footsteps.
Park Avenue,” Broughton added, about the major construction project that has begun at the Red Hook Houses. Rodriguez, who was the first person to receive his diploma from Sinderbrand, addressed the graduates and officials in attendance with a prepared speech. He started off by thanking the three instructors, Ms. Bravo, Mr. Banks and Mr. Towns. He thanked the program for giving the individuals a chance and said that Pathways to Apprenticeship is changing lives and giving many opportunities through training. Rodriguez then went onto address his classmates directly with words of wisdom in addition to wishing them luck in the future. “To my classmates, my brothers, my sisters, my community members, allow me to congratulate you guys,” Rodriguez said. “This may seem like the end, but I have to remind you that this is just the beginning.” “I know the golden rule in construction is to return home the same way you showed up, but today I want you guys to go home a little different,” Rodriguez added. “I want you guys to leave here more focused, more confident and more optimistic. Take this opportunity and run with it. I know that’s what I plan on doing.” He wants the graduates to fully invest and commit themselves if they join any of the three unions. It’s important to put forth the necessary work and mastering the trades that they learn and use.
She then spoke of the importance that the FEMA money will be in Red Hook, starting with the Pathways program.
Rodriguez then told everyone that they were all given a chance when many have not been.
She then referenced the upcoming construction that will take place at the Houses.
“What other people read about in the New York Times, we experience firsthand,” Rodriguez told the graduates and the officials. “I think we can all agree that the system is broken. It’s people like us who usually receive the short end of the stick. Starting today, none of us can say we were not given the chance.
“I have seen how clean it was years ago and what it looked like and their design is going to bring it back to what a neighborhood should look like, whether it is a NYCHA development or
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Dance performance follows Community Thanksgiving by Matt Caprioli
B
raving an icy wind, over a hundred parents and children traveled to PS 15 on November 14th to celebrate “Red Hook Move It!” a mini-dance festival featuring three creative dance troupes from around New York. Children ran around with yellow balloons that often entangled with the adult heads roaming above them. It was a joyous environment, even though “stop running!” seemed to be the motto of the evening.
groups and wore red and white, with a Woman Woman stylized star on her torso. After the show, kindergartners ran up to her to feel her dress, and teenagers asked for a picture. She made the dress herself and maintains a line of Bombasa skirts for sale at bombacaribbeanskirts.com.
Director, Joya Powell, won the the 2016 Outstanding Emerging Choreographer Bessie Award. According to its website, MOFTP is dedicated to “unearthing historic and present sociocultural issues and addressing them through the healing elements of dance.”
“Our slogan is making because that’s exactly Tucker said after the “The dancer becomes when they interact.”
One dancer, Tyrone Bevans, 26, talked about nerves before performing. “You’re never completely ready, but ultimately I’m more excited to perform.”
the drum talk what we do,” performance. the drummer
Dance Theatre Etcetera (DTE) organized the event at PS 15, the Patrick F. Daly Magnet School of the Arts, which focuses on an arts education for pre-K to 5th graders. PS 15 is part of a vibrant, and self-propulsive community where past students help current ones. Alexandria Anderson, who is 18, volunteered as an usher, and has been involved with the school for eight years as a Peer Assistant.
Tucker started BDC with two other dancers she frequently auditioned with. Since 2008, it’s grown from three to 30 members and expanded from the Bronx to performances around New York. BDC continues to incorporate Puerto Ricans with Colombian, Peruvian, and Virgin Islands heritage, and offers more classes to celebrate and teach the unique culture that each member brings.
After dinner, Bombazo Dance Company (BDC) took the stage. BDC showcases Afro Puerto Rican Bomba with contemporary dance. Men in white shirts beat goatskin drums. Women in red dresses danced. They were led by founder and director Milteri Tucker.
“Bringing Bomba to Red Hook was an honor,” Tucker said. “That’s what bombasa means, community, and that’s what we’re interested in building.”
Tucker stood in the middle of the two
Movement of the People (MOFTP) was next to perform. The Harlembased troupe features Afro-Haitian inspired dances. It’s a growing and accomplished group whose Artistic
Bevans, along with two other dancers, wielded a suitcase in a lyrical performance while a violin played. One innovative program, It’s Showtime, gives street performers an outlet to shop their wares during the winter months. It’s a production of Dancing in the Streets, a city backed organization founded in 1984 and operating from the South Bronx. Jester “Flexx” Estephane contributed the music and choreography for this enthralling street performance on stage. Estephane, who enjoys the nickname “Flexx” after the street dancing style, started ballroom dancing at 15, and then started dancing two years later. At 6’2, he’s on the tall side, which can be challenging performing on the subway, “but I think of it as a challenge. How can I utilize my
Milteri Tucker.
body to do things people don’t think I can do.” Estephane, like It’s Showtime, incorporates a large range of styles. Estephane wheeled off a dozen styles he enjoys, including popping, gliding, bboying and krumping. As he said, “I’m always looking to add to my palate.” The evening began with a community Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by Good Shepherd Services and it’s Beacon Community Center.
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Page 8 Red Hook Star-Revue
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December 2017
Velazquez gives Superfund update
A
s a Downtown Brooklyn native, the Gowanus canal has been a smelly monumental landmark since my childhood. Prior to being assigned to cover a recent town hall meeting concerning the canal, I hadn’t the slightest idea of what was taking place just two blocks away from my home. So I looked it up. I found that the Gowanus had, within the past decade, been named one of the nation’s most contaminated bodies of water. Mercury, lead, copper, and other hard to pronounce contaminants are found at high levels in the sediments under the canal. How did it reach such a point? To get a full understanding, the story starts back all the way to the 1800’s. It was common practice in those times for the gas plants, chemical plants, and oil mills, which operated along the canal, to dump their waste directly into the canal. Add to that carefree practice the current day overflow from the sewer system, which funnels waste from homes into the canal during rainstorms, and the Gowanus Canal was officially added to the EPA’s Superfund list in 2010. The Canal has a total cleanup cost of $506 million, and the first wave of remediation is expected to begin by 2020. Test dredging is already taking place. That can be seen from the Whole Foods parking lot. On November 16, a town hall was held in the community room in the housing development in which I live. In other words, the story was close to home. Flyers advertising the event appeared on walls throughout NYCHA’s Wykcoff Gardens the day before. The meeting was held in the community room. The attendance was surprisingly high, the gymnasium full, with a layer of spectators across the walls, and many curious residents popping in periodically to see what the fuss was about.
Things to read
by Alex Rodriguez
ed sediments. •
A conceptual layout of the six layer capping treatment
•
Complete timeline and diagram of the Redemption Target Areas (RTA)
US Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, arriving fresh from her battles in Washington, began with words of inspiration. “I was a bit naive 17 years ago.” She told of getting a call from Mayor Bloomberg, requesting her not to move forward with the Superfund project, because “it would bring property values down.” She then explained how years ago it quickly become evident “the level of pollution required more than a bunch of heavy equipment and engineers, it required the power of the US Environmental Protection Agency”. Velazquez went on to reassure the community that they will not be forgotten about when it comes to the work being done in their own backyard. Employment will be made directly available to local tenants via the Superfund Job Training Initiative. “One of my priorities has been ensuring this is a community driven process,” she said, and then firmly added “we will hold all elected officials and agencies accountable.” Before leaving to assist with Puerto Rico hurricane relief in Sunset Park, she addressed concerns about the 2018 federal budget. Trump’s plan would cut $330 million out of the $1.1 billion EPA budget. “No one should be concerned about funding,” she said, explaining the much of the cleanup cost comes from the polluters, not the EPA, money which is already committed. Natalie Loney, the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, followed up after Velazquez to bring everyone up to speed.
There were a half a dozen colorful handouts illustrating and communicating important pieces of information. Alongside a mission statement, clear illustrations, and bullet points such as:
When it came time to educating of the canal basics and the timetable, the well informed audience was able to occasionally finish some of Loney’s sentences.
•
The crash course history lesson on the Gowanus Creek dated back to Colonial times. The 1.8 mile stretch was referred to by Natalie as “one of most traveled bodies of water.”
Removing and capping 307,000 cubic yards of highly contaminat-
Nydia Velazquez addresses the packed Town Hall meeting. (photo by Rodriguez)
tional Grid, who inherited the PRP title along with the land they purchased from Brooklyn Union Gas in the 1990s.
six layer conceptual layout of capping was deemed “very successful” by Walter Mugdan, “and is working perfectly, and exactly as planned.”
The city is also on the hook as a PRP, as it is the city that continues to dump waste into the canal. An eight million gallon retention tank will be built to reduce what are called CSO’s.
The meeting was capped of with a Q&A session, where local business owners, and residents used the microphone to voice their concerns.
One option for placement of the head end tank had been under the pool at Double D park. The pool has to be shut for a number of years for remediation anyway, as the EPA found a toxic pool of mayonnaise underneath. The city decided against putting a tank in the park, instead opting to place it across the street, closer to the water. A combination of warehouses, offices and parking lots, adjacent to the canal, are now in risk of having their property abruptly taken by the city, by the means of eminent domain. Next up after Loney was Superfund Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. He began by referring to the Gowanus Canal Superfund project as an “unbelievably complex project,” due to the many low bridges and old bulkheads. Mugdan implied a learn-as-theygo philosophy, stating, “the lessons learned will be applied during the different segments.” The cleanup is divided into four segments beginning at the upper part of the canal near Douglass Street & Bond Street, and ends at the mouth of the canal just past Hamilton Ave Bridge. A dredging and capping pilot study has begun on the section of the canal just below Third Avenue and Third street, near Whole Foods. The pilot
One of the business owners who would be forced out by the city, by the placement of the retention tank asked what will happen to his nearly half century old business, his tenants, employees, and their families. Although Mugdan admitted he is “no expert in this area,” he reassured the business owner, Sal, that the city will be obliged to pay fair market value for the property and their businesses. Local residents had concerns having to do more with their health. One resident from Warren Street Houses, explained the screen on her window has been filled with an alarming amount of a dust, accompanied by a strong odor. In reply, Mugdan referenced the five monitors around the Fourth Street basin which constantly assess contamination levels. He then reassured the community that they will be made aware if any conditions in the surrounding areas reach alarming levels. Community residents were not 100% content with Mugdan’s reply. The Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) organized the Town Hall. They hold monthly meetings that are open to the public, and the next will will take place January 23, 2018. Just google Gowanus CAG for more information.
As a by product of convenience, the canal now has an overwhelming amount of built up coal tar contamination, referred to as the infamous “black mayonnaise”. That mayonnaise can be found anywhere from ten to one hundred feet deep inside of the canal. Natalie explained “the contamination is so concentrated in some parts of the canal, that is has migrated into the original sediments at the canal’s very bottom.”
Posters were hung up all over Wyckoff Gardens announcing the event. (photo by Rodriguez)
Red Hook Star-Revue
The companies paying when discussing Superfund sites are referred to as Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP). The most commonly referenced PRP, at the Gowanus Canal site is the Na-
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Fun around the holidays There are so many fun things to do in and around Red Hook this December. Here’s a roundup of the events we’re looking forward to this month. Hopefully you’ll become as excited (and slightly overwhelmed) as the rest of us.
ater Ballet choreographer Keith Michael is offering a free production of Tchaikovsky’s classic “The Nutcracker” full of Art Nouveau spectacle at Brookfield Place. The Dec. 1 performance is at 7pm; Dec. 2 has performances at 1pm and 7pm. Be sure to get there an hour early, as seats fill up fast. Call 212417-2414 for more information. If you’re looking to oo-and-aww at a tree lighting, you’re in luck as there are several tree lightings around Brooklyn. The first Tuesday of the month will see the 28th annual lighting of the borough’s largest tree in Downtown Brooklyn. From 4 to 6:30pm, you can expect Santa Claus, reindeer and the Brooklyn Ballet. Some light, complimentary refreshments will also be provided by 1 Hotel, Korilla BBQ, Starbucks, and La Défense. If you can’t make that event, there’s another tree lighting and toy drive, the 11th Annual Southwest Brooklyn Tree-Lighting, in Carroll Gardens on Dec. 8 from 6 to 8pm.
Gift shopping
Galleries, stand-up, &
For the first three weekends of December, Industry City in Greenwood is hosting the Renegade Craft Fair, a nationally travelling indie art fair. From 11am to 6pm, you can find unique holiday gifts at any of the holiday pop up stores operated by local artists.
performances
For each weekend of December, also keep an eye out for FAD Market, a mobile market venturing through Brooklyn that features fashion, art, and design products from nearly 200 artists. Dec 9th and 10th, FAD will be at the Invisible Dog (51 Bergen Street) with over 40 artists selling their wares
Recurring & families welcome
Did you know the NYC Ferry from Ikea is free on the weekend? A ferry ride promises to be a fun excursion for dates and family; you’ll catch great views of the Statue of Liberty and get a sense of the water wrapping around the community. You may also be so lucky to find a performance piece happening around you, like Katherine Behar’s “Maritime Messaging,” which took place last month to commemorate the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. On December 15 and 16, from 7 to 9 pm, The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church hosts “Off the Hook,” a performance of three original plays by Red Hook kids and teens. The event is free, but RSVPs online at Eventbrite are encouraged. For more information, call (718) 395-3218. If you don’t mind a trip to Lower Manhattan, New York The-
Page 10 Red Hook Star-Revue
Across the street from Fairway, Hot Wood Arts (481 Van Brunt Street, 9B) will have their First Wednesday figure drawing class on Dec. 6 from 7 to 10pm. Each session is $10 and all experience levels are welcome. In Gowanus, 440 Gallery will hold a reception for the 13th annual “Small Works Show” on Dec. 7. With over 60 artists represented, it regularly delivers as a memorable show. If you’re looking for laughs, check out “Twisted Lipstick” on Dec. 14 at Sir D’s Lounge (837 Union Street). Seven female comics (with headliner Kerry Coddett) serve up some laughs from 8 to 10pm. Littlefield also serves up reliable comedy with “Tinder Live!” (Dec. 16 at 8pm) and the more family-friendly “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (Dec. 16 and Dec. 17 at 1pm, 3pm). For some post-Christmas cheers, you can also check out “A Gay Show For All People Holiday Spectacular” Dec. 28 at 8pm, featuring Cole Escola, Matt Rogers, and Bowen Yang. Dec. 17 will see the conclusion of Kenya (Robinson) and Doreen Garner’s notable installation and performance piece “White Man on a Pedestal.” Hosted at Pioneer Works, “Cenotaphic,” a performance piece by Robinson, begins at 4pm. Billed as a “jazz funeral,” the works aims to celebrate the death of white supremacy. The procession begins at the Red Hook Houses (between Mill and Bush Street) and culminates at Pioneer Works (159 Pioneer Street).
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December 2017
holiday services
Our Area Churches Celebrate Christmas by Laura Eng
It’s that time of year and with Advent beginning on Sunday, December 3rd, our neighborhood churches have a variety of events scheduled to celebrate the Christmas season.
In lieu of collecting toys and gifts for the needy this Christmas season, St. Mary Star of the Sea parish will be accepting monetary gifts to help the children of Puerto Rico. Cash donations or checks made payable to Caritas de Puerto Rico (the Catholic Charities affiliate in Puerto Rico) may be given until December 11th which is when St. Mary’s pastor, Father Chris Cashman will be forwarding the funds to Caritas de Puerto Rico, giving the organization enough time to purchase gifts for the children who have lost so much as a result of the devastation of Hurricane Maria. On a celebratory note, St. Mary’s will be holding their 3rd Annual Family In the holiday spirit of giving, sharing and community generos- Christmas Sing-Along and Children’s Nativity on Sunday, Deity, Redemption Church Red Hook led by Pastor Edwin Pacheco cember 17 at 2 pm in the church. The children of the parish inkicked off the holidays with a Coat Giveaway at Coffee Park on cluding those who attend CCD classes will be in costume and will December 2nd giving the community the opportunity to donate reenact the nativity. new or used coats and others in need the chance to receive those coats. The Parish of St. Paul/St. Agnes has many activities taking place during Advent including a food drive, collection of baby gifts and Red Hook’s own Visitation Church will be hosting Breakfast With a Catholic Charities Giving Tree asking parishioners to donate Santa on Saturday, December 9th from 9 to 11:30 am. All are new, unwrapped toys and gift cards for those in need. There will welcome but each family attending must have at least one adult also be an Annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Children’s Christmas Party on Saturday, December 16th following the 5:30 Mass at present. St. Paul’s Church with Santa in attendance! And on the following day, Sunday, December 17th, all are welcome to bring a dish or Also on December 9th, the star on the steeple of Sacred Hearts of dessert to share at the Advent Potluck Christmas Party at St. AgJesus and Mary/St. Stephen Church will be lit with much fanfare nes Hall from 1:30 - 5:30 pm. following the 5:30 Mass. The annual ceremony will include music from a brass ensemble, caroling, scripture readings and a countdown to the lighting. Refreshments will be served inside after- Whatever you do to celebrate, we hope you are able to take part in ward. SHSS will also be having a Breakfast with Santa on Decem- some of these activities and that you will find some peace in the ber 16th at 11:00 am and all parishioners and friends are welcome holiday season. to the Church Decorating Party on Saturday, December 23rd.
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December 2017
MENCHACA ON NYCHA’S LEAD PROBLEM (This story was original published in City and State magazine) Council member Carlos Menchaca weighed in on the recent revelations regarding the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) failure in performing critical lead safety inspections. Last month, it was revealed, following a Department of Investigation (DOI) report, that NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye lied about lead poisoning inspections in approximately 55,000 potentially dangerous apartments. Olatoye is accused by investigators of submitting false paperwork on the inspections and putting thousands of kids at risk by blowing off mandatory inspections. Menchaca weighed in on the lack of oversight at the authority at a New York City Council Public Housing hearing on Tuesday regarding the report. Menchaca decried the lack of accountability and stated a two prong approach in repairing the authority’s leadership practices including property management methods and thorough resident services. “NYCHA as an agency must be held accountable for its failure to control dangerous conditions in New York City’s public housing. NYCHA employees and leadership must be held personally accountable for their actions. Failure to conduct proper lead
inspections is unacceptable. Lying and falsifying records about lead inspections is criminal,” said Menchaca. “Years of insufficient funding for NYCHA property maintenance and capital projects account for many parts of NYCHA’s chronic failures. But further investment in a broken and dysfunctional system is foolish. We share truly challenging building management and maintenance circumstances on NYCHA properties. But do not forget, this is also a matter of trust and respect. No one denies NYCHA buildings are aging, and in need of investment and repairs. We do have an opportunity, but we need the political will to act on this and all the other urgent NYCHA issues that have waited far too long for resolution,” added Menchaca.
NYC PARKS ANNOUNCES CITY’S FIRST-EVER GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING RESILIENT COASTAL PARKS Following City’s preliminary release of guidelines for resilient NYC facilities, NYC Parks’ guidelines focus on how coastal parks can respond to climate change NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP announced the release of Design and Planning for Flood Resiliency: Guidelines for NYC Parks, the agency’s first comprehensive set of guidelines for developing coastally resilient parks. Drawing on NYC Parks’
decades of experience with waterfront park planning and design – including recent lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene – the Guidelines provide tools and information for planners, designers, builders, property owners, and academics to make well-informed decisions when designing, renovating, building, or studying waterfront parks. The Guidelines are available for download at nyc.gov/parks.
suggest that where appropriate and feasible, waterfront parks should: Bolster urban ecosystems
Adapt edges for sea level rise Aid in community scale coastal resiliency As a toolkit, the Guidelines offer guidance specific to parks and public spaces, including:
“Communities shouldn’t have to choose between vibrant parks and a resilient coastline. As the newly reconstructed Rockaway Boardwalk illustrates, the best coastal parks and public spaces are built for recreation and resilience,” said Commissioner Silver. “The Guidelines give specific guidance for creating thriving public spaces that defend against flooding and erosion.”
Checklists that outline special considerations for waterfront park planning and design processes;
“The city’s parks play a critical role in defending our coastline against rising sea levels,” said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery & Resiliency. “I congratulate Parks on delivering these innovative guidelines to ensure we protect and create value for communities around the city, and for their continued collaboration in creating a city that is more resilient in the face of threats from climate change.”
The Guidelines expand and complement the preliminary Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines (released by the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency in April 2017), which for the first time established citywide guidance on incorporating projected impacts from climate change into the planning, engineering, construction, and renovation of City facilities.
The Guidelines encourage planning and designing waterfront parks for “the norm, not the storm,” building for every day uses on a resilient foundation. The Guidelines also
Definitions of the different types of waterfront parks, and establishment of best practices for each; Species of plants, types of materials, and design details best suited for coastal conditions;
Building on New York City’s national leadership on climate action, the Guidelines are the first of their kind to comprehensively address multiple climate risks across NYC Parks’ capital program, the largest in the country.
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Thinking gifts? think Foxy and Winston by Adrian Bacolo
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he answer doesn’t come to Jane Buck right away. The question—what was the best gift she ever received?—takes a few minutes to ponder, but then she makes up her mind. The present came from her brother; she was 18 years old. “I had a gerbil called Vinny,” she recalls. “I absolutely adore little critters.” Buck owns and operates the Foxy & Winston gift shop at 392 Van Brunt Street, and if you look around her store, this memory starts to make sense. Nestled in baskets, suspended from the ceiling, and sewn onto clothing are, indeed, lots of critters. Kittens, bunnies, mice, even rhinos and elephants—so much of the animal kingdom represented in such a tight space. But Buck’s inventory isn’t limited to felt merman and pink poodle-festooned bibs for children. For adults looking to find thoughtful gifts for friends and family this holiday season, Foxy & Winston has enough whimsy to go around. The store’s name even evokes some playfulness. “It’s my parents’ names: my mum’s nickname, and my dad’s real name,”
THE BK ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL In the last week of January, Kane Street Synagogue (236 Kane Street) will be hosting the 14th year of the Brooklyn Israel Film Festival. The festival opens Thursday, Jan. 25, to a documentary, “The Settlers,” which details the quotidian life and world views of Jewish settlers in the West Bank. “This courageous film asks tough questions about an issue that divides Jews within Israel and around the world,” the Film Festival said in a press release. Director Shimon Dotan combines black-white and colored footage, giving an in-depth survey of issues surrounding the settlement. The documentary also considers influence of evangelical support in the US and political comments from France. It interviews a range of settlers, including one saucy woman who, responding to why she doesn’t move, proclaims, “I want to be a bone in the government’s throat.” On Saturday, Jan. 27, the feature film will be “The Testament.” The Festival wrote that the film “juxtaposes a historical account of a brutal incident that may have
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says Buck, who is British. Opened in August 2009, Foxy & Winston progressed like much of Red Hook. During the first few years, the shop’s selection was sparse, made up of whatever Buck, an illustrator since university in England, could design and produce herself. Then customers began to demand more. “I ended up evolving partly out of being asked for stuff, and partly out of people coming in to see what’s new and me not being able to keep up,” she says. Today, Buck’s gift shop serves as a dual destination. For locals, there’s a revolving array of options for wedding, baby, housewarming, host/hostess, and romantic gestures. This includes jewelry, evocative oils and soaps (ocean and oakmoss, anyone?), delightful letterpress cards, varietal honeys, cast-iron hooks shaped like seahorses, woolen socks and more. For visitors to South Brooklyn, the shop serves as a souvenir stand of sorts. And while items are thematically tied to the nautical spirit of the area (think tugboats, whales, mermaids),
taken place during the Holocaust with a contemporary tale about Jewish identity.” Directed by Amichai Greenberg, the film follows an Orthodox Israeli historian uncovering a murder that many forces would rather keep secret and buried. The festival ends on Sunday, Jan. 28 with two films, both playing at 5:30pm. The adult-themed and critically acclaimed “A Quiet Heart,” by director Eitan Anner, follows the love affair between a Jewish woman who takes piano lessons with a priest with a keen sense of humor. After they fall for each other, her apparent sexual indiscretion puts her in a scarlet letter situation within her community. The family musical “Guavas,” follows a girl, Billi, moving through a quirky town populated with human-sized puppets, cute dogs, and outlandish quacks with highly questionable tastes in clothing. Full of protests and dancing, adults may be jealous that it’s only meant for children five to ten. All films are in Hebrew with English subtitles. $16 per movie or $36 for all three. Family night tickets available on Jan. 28. Tickets at kanestreet.org/ biff-tix or Kane Street Synagogue: 236 Kane Street. - Matt Caprioli
just don’t expect to see the neighborhood’s name anywhere.
the endangered list, buying the felt
“I get asked all the time,” says Buck. “I’d probably be a millionaire if I would just bite down and do that.” Need a Gift Idea? Ask Jane Buck, Foxy & Winston There’s nothing wrong with gifting someone a candle during the holidays. They provide light, warmth and soothing aromas. In fact, “nine times out 10 a candle works,” says Buck. The same could be said for a pair of wool socks. “It’s something [people] rarely buy for themselves—especially a fancy pair—but most people love a cozy pair of socks.” But what if you’re looking for something less every-day and more tis-theseason? Buck suggests felt mistletoe. “Somebody bought some for their dad who was in an old folks’ home— of course he was a hit with the ladies,” she says. “And she came back and bought another one for him to give someone else the next year.” With 20 species of actual mistletoe on
Jane Buck has some mistletoe for you. (photo by Bacolo)
version is not only good for the environment, it could also save your Secret Santa budget. “It’s under $20, so with tax it’s just the right amount to spend. It’s just a lovely thing.”
Littleford
Ted has been an illustrator and cartoonist for the Baltimore Sun. See more of his work at www.tedlittleford.com.
We remember Sue
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December 2017
Nobletree Coffee Bar and Roastery Opens in Red Hook photos and story by Ramaa Reddy Raghavan
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t Nobletree, the barista makes me a Cortado, a Spanish style coffee, that tastes something in-between a macchiato and a cappuccino. It’s rich and intense and is topped with frothy milk that is laced with beautiful latte art. This is my first Cortado. It’s served in a tiny glass and is the perfect midmorning drink that deserves some meditation on coffee and its evergrowing popularity in this city. Nobletree, a New York based coffee company, has just opened its headquarter coffee bar and roasting facility on Red Hook’s Van Brunt pier. The company has taken full advantage of its great location—its expansive views of the Statue of Liberty, sunfilled meeting room, along with a cozy fireplace furnished with a welcoming leather sofa, will seduce coffee lovers. The menu reflects a wide variety of coffees, espressos and cold brews that come from Brazil, Columbia, Kenya and Rwanda. Also available are an assortment of teas: green, black, oolong, and herbal. The barista showcases coffee mocktails that rotate every two weeks. He did not have one when I visited but I was told he makes a Red Hook Sun-
The beautiful Cortado
rise: a drink that combines cold brew, verjus, peaches, chardonnay grapes, and pomegranate. Nina Nathel, managing director, described her vision for Nobletree. “It’s a slow service bar where you can come in, take your time, and enjoy the coffee as opposed to going in and out like a transaction on your way to work. The point of this place is to really calm down, talk to baristas, and try a couple of things.”
milling and roasting under one brand. But we do buy coffee from other places to keep our profile rounded. Right now, we have coffee from Rwanda, Nicaragua and Guatemala,” explained Nathel. The company has opened two other coffee retail locations, one in the Oculus in lower Manhattan and the other at the DeKalb Market Hall in downtown Brooklyn. Currently, Nobletree operates only in New York, but the plan is to expand to other US cities and possibly internationally. Nobletree is owned by a Saudi Sheik who operates the company through a board that functions autonomously. His mission, Nathel said, is not only to roast excellent coffee but also to bring awareness about where the coffee is grown. Hanging above the fireplace is a framed picture of the Sheik at one of his Brazilian farms, flanked on either side by his farmers. According to Nathel, the term Nobletree comes from an Ethiopian coffee tree, that was originally in King Louis XIV’s greenhouse. Individuals heading to Brazil stole his trees, which were replanted in Brazil. Those trees are the descendents of all Arabica coffee grown in South America. Coffee is indigenous to Ethiopia and Africa, but today Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world. Behind the café is the roastery and production facility. The space is temperature controlled to protect sacks of Brazilian coffee stored alongside coffee from other parts of the world. Nobletree currently operates a small 22 kg. roaster and a larger 55 kg one into which coffee is loaded; blades rotate and spin the coffee in the hopper under high temperatures for 12 to 15 minutes. As it roasts the coffee changes color and becomes aromatic. “The sound it makes – ‘the first crack’ as we call it means the coffee is coming to a certain temperature and now one needs to monitor it. A screen shows what is happening in the roaster and each coffee has a profile on a computer program,” explained Nathel.
This is the education room where employees are trained and class will be given.
After the roast, the door is opened and the coffee is left to cool. It is then collected into a bin which is labelled and bagged. Nathel said that Nobletree does not store coffee on its shelves for more than two weeks, but added that coffee never really goes bad, it just absorbs its surrounding flavors. Nobletree sells it coffee under the brand Val café. The plant also contains a cold brew facility which is becoming a very popular item. On the tour I am offered a cold brew to sample. Called the Nitro, it has an effervescence, looks like a Guinness, and tastes smooth and clear. I am enjoying these samplings and have to pace myself as these coffees can be addicting. The quality control room, which is adjacent to the bar, is where coffee is sourced, judged, and certified by Clark Le Compte, director of coffee, and a Q grader who has been with Nobletree for about a year. Le Compete grinds batches of coffee and changes the aroma by adding water. Like a sommelier, Le Compte tastes about 12 to 30 cups of coffee a day and figures the parameters that will be used for roasting and eventually for public consumption.
Nathel, who took me on the tour, said that by the spring the space would offer community tours of the facility and a variety of educationsl programs. Nobletree gets its coffee from two of Brazilian farms that they bought— Santa Izabel and Monte Verde—in Brazil’s Sul de Minas region. These farms produce 500,000 lbs. of coffee per year on approximately 550 acres of land. In addition, they also own a Brazilian mill where coffee is processed and sold for export. According to Nathel, owning the farms is what distinguishes Nobletree from other coffee houses. “The point of the company was not just to be a coffee company but to be vertically integrated. That’s farming,
Red Hook Star-Revue
Finally, the room next door to the bar is the education room that will teach the public on how to make an espresso to bar standards. There will be classes on using espresso machines like the Marzocco and in January, Nathel said, training will be offered on the Slayer (another espresso machine)—more specifically on how to maintain, clean and fix it. The space will also be used to teach brewing classes, latte art, and have espresso throw-downs—a competition where baristas will be judged on different coffee processes. Before leaving the barista temps me yet again but this time with his take of my favorite drink, a Frappuccino, made with maple syrup, milk, espresso, and topped with coffee beans. I have gone beyond my daily coffee
“Its expansive views of the Statue of Liberty, sun-filled meeting room, along with a cozy fireplace furnished with a welcoming leather sofa, will seduce coffee lovers.”
Managing Director Nina Nathel
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December 2017, Page 15
NEIGHBORHOOD PORTRAIT:
“The flow was different, it was too fast. People walk fast, talk fast, act fast. In New York, life happens faster.”
ant March],” Chicko noted, “I was like, let’s go to to DC and march like they did for Climate Change.”
Chicko no longer fit in with his surroundings and all he could think of was returning to Florida.
When RHI decided to roll out a new fellowship program, Chicko was offered one of the available positions. As a fellow, young adults shadow office workers to build the skills necessary to succeed in their future careers. In Chicko’s case, he began shadowing Catherine McBride, the organization’s Director of Community Building.
“I tried to fail school to be sent back to Miami,” Chicko admitted. “I got in fights, I was suspended, I was arrested. My mom said, ‘You could keep doing bad, but you’re not going anywhere.’”
CHICKO: A YOUNG MAN CHANGED by Emily Kluver
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eated at a table in the middle of a large room, John “Chicko” Texidor’s small frame was exaggerated by the empty space around him. With a flat affect, he patiently detailed a complicated history of personal development. Though he is now a fellow at the Red Hook Initiative (RHI), a Red Hook nonprofit group focused on youth development, the 20 year-old man walked a long road to get to where he is today. Growing up in Miami, Chicko’s early life was full of upheaval. “The community I grew up in was pretty rough. There were a lot of drug-dealers, gangbangers, dropouts,” he trailed off as he fidgeted with his phone. With a mother in and out of the hospital and an absent father, Chicko depended on his older brother, Chris Texidor, to help him navigate the world he faced every day. Though he was only seven years older than Chicko, Chris dropped out of middle school to take care of his younger brother. In turn, Chris became a huge influence in Chicko’s life, motivating him to stay in school. “He’s rough I can tell you that. I didn’t have a dad in my life, so he was always getting tough on me, always getting on my ass,” Chicko said with a brief sheepish smile. “It was hard for him growing up. He grew up fast.” As Chicko grew up and Chris moved to North Carolina, the young man’s life grew increasingly complicated. Surrounded by people doing drugs and making a living off of identity theft, Chicko made a conscious effort to keep himself out of trouble. “I was encouraged by my two best friends. They stayed in school and did what they have to do,” Chicko recalled. “My whole family like smokes and does weed. I don’t smoke, I don’t
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”The concept of Participatory Budgeting gave Chicko the feeling of empowerment. The ability to help direct two million dollars towards community betterment really hit home for a young man who had grown up feeling he had no power to shape the world around him.” drink. I knew what it does and I hated it as a kid.” Though he largely kept himself out of trouble, Chicko and his mother found themselves living with friends and relatives, on the brink of homelessness. Without options, the two packed up and moved to New York.
RED HOOK
In Miami, Chicko had grown up wearing baggy shorts and sporting an “old school thug look.” The kids around him played football and soccer. He had grown accustomed to the nice weather and low prices, a slow-paced lifestyle that was somehow easier, despite the constant fighting in school and the joblessness that seemed to plague everyone over the age of 18. “I called my brother to ask if I could go live with him, but he didn’t want me to come and mess things up for him,” the young man explained. Instead, Chicko and his mother had to move in with his grandmother, who had lived in Red Hook for 30 years. Like most teenagers uprooted from their lives, Chicko was not thrilled by the move. “At first, I tried to be excited about it, but I wasn’t happy at all. It was too cold, too different,” Chicko admitted.
Chicko had no choice but to try and adjust. It wasn’t easy, but he was surrounded by people telling him that he could do something with his life. “Even though I was failing, my teachers told me I could be something if I turned it around. That was my opportunity,” Chicko emphasized. “Here, even the people doing drugs push you to do more.” Chicko eventually listened, but it took some time and convincing. During his high school years, Chicko joined RHI at the insistence of a friend. He started out working as a teen chef, coming in just a few days a week. Then, with the support of RHI’s community organizer, Kiyana Slade, Chicko found himself involved in efforts to support community voting for Participatory Budgeting. “At first I didn’t like it. It felt like school,” he acknowledged. But this negative reaction was only temporary and before long, Chicko was inspired.
A NEW FOCUS
The concept of Participatory Budgeting gave Chicko the feeling of empowerment. The ability to help direct two million dollars towards community betterment really hit home for a young man who had grown up feeling he had no power to shape the world around him. “I saw it was real. I got into it,” he explained. Unfortunately, Chicko’s lack of enthusiasm for school had caught up with him and his teachers told him that he would be held back from graduating.
“She wants me to understand what it’s about,” Chicko began, explaining the ins and outs of his work in the program. “She’s having me communicate with this guy, Henry. He’s gonna tell me about how he first got started, why he’s a community organizer.” In addition to his work with RHI, Chicko has been taking classes on youth leadership. His work has inspired him to dream about joining an international group that works on community organizing around the world. “I love that I can make a change in the community,” Chicko smiled, “Finding a way to bring the community together, that feeling… If you work hard and try, something will happen.” Through his work, Chicko has had the opportunity to connect with local politicians, form networks, and see the effects his actions have made on his local community. All in all, he can’t help but be proud.
PERSONAL GROWTH
As he looked back on his time in Red Hook, Chicko commented on everything that had shifted, from his views on the neighborhood to his personal attitudes. “There was a change, my mindset and my attitude changed. In Miami, I was raised to be tough. Being around this community taught me to be more positive,” he mused. “I learned there’s a solution to every problem you have.”
Uninterested in returning school, Chicko prepared to join the ranks of the dropouts he’d observed his whole life. That is when RHI reached out with a plan.
In the future, Chicko would like to take what he’s learned and bring it back to the place where he grew up. “If it’s possible, I would like to make another RHI, maybe in Miami. If I could get something like this is Miami, that would be a game changer. I would change a lot of young lives,” he noted, wide-eyed and emphatic.
Chicko was offered a position as a facilitator working specifically on Participatory Budgeting, but this offer was contingent on him returning to finish high school.
Working at the community level has brought change to Chicko that he never foresaw, and this change has pleased no one more than his brother, Chris.
“I didn’t know what to say,” he recalled. “It was that kind of push that got me to graduate.”
Now on the brink of homelessness himself, Chris wants to hear about all of Chicko’s interviews, he gets excited when his younger brother succeeds and delights in his accomplishments.
Not only did Chicko graduate high school, in the spring of 2017, he threw himself into the participatory budgeting process and “helped make it a complete success,” getting the votes to fund Smart Tech equipment for Summit Academy. As his facilitator role ended, RHI kept him on. Chicko “became a voice for RHI,” speaking before crowds and in televised interviews. Over the summer, in an attempt to fight back against proposed budget cuts to Housing and Urban Development, Chicko suggested they organize a mass-protest. “I was the one who started [the Ten-
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“He feels bad, selfish. He says he should have helped more,” Chicko shrugged. “I’m not mad at him, I forgive him. ” Chicko has come a long way from the angry kid he was when he first showed up in Red Hook. “I’m a community changer, not just a kid,” he said, a hint of pride escaping his nonchalant demeanor. “I just hope to get more people to follow their path… to want to do more for their community.”
December 2017
NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL SLATED FOR RED HOOK by Nathan Weiner
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new intermediate school is on the horizon for Red Hook.
The Harbor High School on Governors Island is a pipeline into SUNY Maritime and linked to maritime careers. They have long desired a middle school to bring students to them. A proposed site near the Monarch Building is across from Coffey Park, and would be the only middle school in the neighborhood. The site is privately owned and contains a two-story industrial warehouse and a paved vacant lot. Tamar Smith, who some will remember as the longtime staffer for Assemblywoman Joan Millman, is now the community relations manager for the School Construction Authority (SCA). She briefed the community at a recent CB 6 meeting. The school has already been budgeted for. According to Smith, it will take about two to three years for construction and another year for the design. “We may be talking about four years altogether,” Smith said. “But it depends how it all goes and how long it takes to negotiate. We are hoping 2021 or 2022.” The process has to go through the city council after a public comment period ends on December 23. The SCA encourages individuals and organizations to send comments by email to sites@nycsca.org. You can also email Smith at tsmith5@nycsca. org. The SCA will consider every single comment or question in the process. The idea for this new school originally came from when Durst LLC and Tom Fox, the operator of the Water Taxi, had plans to develop the Atlantic Basin. Senator Velmanette Montgomery has been a long-time supporter.
ness Zone (IBZ), which she thinks is a real benefit. They work very hard to protect the IBZ. “I want to make sure that you understand that in doing so, we protect the businesses and protect what is a working waterfront,” Reyna said. “We have an opportunity to do this here to do this right from the beginning,” Reyna said in the auditorium. There was a question at the board meeting from a man who has business close to the site of the school about a concern for having too many school buses near the business’s trucks. District 15 Superintendent, Anita Skop, said that the school will not be served by school buses. Skop added that one the school gets closer to completion they will work with elected officials on making transportation better in the area, which will in turn benefit the whole community. “We want to see that kids have the opportunity to choose this school,” Skop said. “Clearly it is going to be an amazing facility. The thing that we have to remember is that the facility, as gorgeous as it is, is only as good as the wonderful teaching and curriculum that goes on in the building.” “It is about critical thinking and strong reading skills,” Skop said. “Children who are skilled in maritime should be skilled in every aspect. This doesn’t mean that this is just a vocational opportunity.” Karen Broughton and Felix Ortiz emphasized that there should have been better outreach so that more locals in the Red Hook Houses were aware of this meeting and a future school at this site.
Town Hall with the Mayor
In October, 2017, she met with community stakeholders and SCA president Lorraine Grillo when the site location was first disclosed.
On Thursday, December 14, Mayor Bill de Blasio will host a town hall with Council Member Carlos Menchaca for residents of the 38th Council District.
Montgomery had been looking for a way to better prepare applicants to the Maritime college.
The event is hosted in conjunction with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, U.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, State Senator Jesse Hamilton, and Assembly Member Felix Ortiz.
“They were not prepared for the rigorous admissions required of SUNY Maritime,” Montgomery said. “That meant we had to figure out how can we do a better job to make sure that our students get in.” The first step was the high school. A middle school continues that process.
The location is JHS 88, 544 Seventh Avenue in Windsor Terrace. The program begins at 8 pm. Space is limited.
Montgomery thanked Deputy BP Diana Reyna for her help. “The last step in our organized approach to this middle school was to finally met the head of the School Construction Authority,” Montgomery said. Reyna, the Deputy Borough President, spoke about how satisfied she is that this project is coming together. The Harbor School first started in her community of Bushwick and she was disappointed to see it leave but she sees benefits in the location and amenities at this school. She pointed out that the school location, across from Coffey Park and near the iconic yellow building with the R on top, is not in the Industrial Busi-
Red Hook Star-Revue
Angelia Lobifaro was crowned 2018 Miss Mola U.S. A. at the 43rd Annual Van Westerhout Molese Club Dinner Dance on October 1, 2017, in the presence of 250 guests and voting participants. Pictured left to right: Miss Mola U.S.A. 2017 Kristen Pendergast and the new Miss Mola U.S.A. 2018, Ms.Angelia Lobifaro.
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December 2017, Page 17
“White Man on a Pedestal” at Pioneer Works by Matt Caprioli
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ioneer Works planned White Man on a Pedestal over 18 months ago, yet its uncanny relevance today seems like a rapid-fire response to the latest headlines. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised: artists Doreen Garner and Kenya (Robinson) have tapped into an aspect of US history that has always existed, namely white patriarchy’s force over black female bodies. This is a remarkable collaborative exhibit that pointedly conveys a horrifying and pervasive reality without losing poise or hope for a future that learns from the past. White Man on a Pedestal is a show that requires your presence; pictures really don’t do justice to Garner’s 18 foot, blood-tinted polyurethane sculpture of J. Marion Sims, a 19th century doctor who’s dubbed “The Father of Gynecology” and experimented on enslaved black women without anesthesia. Garner dissects Sims and the actions that led him to becoming a white man on pedestal. (Sims has three statues in the US, including one on East 103rd Street bordering Central Park). Garner calls the sculpture “PONEROS,” which is Greek for harmful or evil one. Garner’s monument reconstitutes the memory of a man whose actions (like the system that fostered them) were nefarious. Garner made the bloodred statue from insulation foam and polyurethane. Covered in silicone, she then removed the outer layer to create a “skin” that she placed in a glass coffin lit by halogen lamps. On November 30, Garner will perform the vaginal fistula repair that Sims is best known for on the “corpse” of red skin. In Garner’s world, Sims receives the treatment he subjected black women to: he’s surgically mutilated without
consent; his name is forcibly given; and he’s operated on as if he can feel no pain. If you wonder what kind of tools Sims used, there’s 15 gynecological tools on loan from Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. The overview shows a Vaginal Speculum, or Sims’ Speculum, so named after its founder. The procedure still helps women with some post-birth issues today, but his methods were racially motivated -even when avoiding presentism, it’s difficult to see how his means were justified. Sims purchased a girl he logged in his notebook as Anarcha, who was 17 when he started experimenting on her. From 1845 to 1850, he performed over 30 operations on her without any Illustration of Dr. J. Marion Sims with Anarcha by Robert Thom. Anarcha was subjected to form of anesthesia; Sims gave an anes- 30 experimental surgeries. Pearson Museum, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine thetic ether to all of his white patients examines this “hierarchy of amputa- march, terracotta soliders reference.” since 1842. The exhibit pointedly tion” and quotes the good doctor that While Garner considers historical figasks why Sims has a statue in Central students should, “Hesitate much less ures in white supremacy, (Robinson) Park while there are no memorials to to remove a limb…, if he be slave, than looks at the imaginary (if it weren’t the women he experimented on. Acif he be a free man, and especially a so palpable) nuances of racism and cording to Sims’ records, their names white man.” white supremacy. Garner’s pieces were Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy; an To this horrifying slice of history, Garpossess a crimson red where (Robinincreasing number of historians and ner created “A Fifteen Year Old Girl son) paints everything with a milky artists have started to call them “The Who Would Never Dance Again; A white. Mothers of Gynecology.” White Man in Pursuit of the Pedes- (Robinson) created an arresting imOne of the more eerie aspects of Gartal.” As the leg rotates, you see jewels age with Twelve Thousand Maniner’s work is a foam leg splayed open in it; It’s grotesque in its beautiful and acs!, a two story wall that features on a metal surgery tray. The leg roanimalistic impulses. By pairing it in thousands of Dave Fowler figurines tates beneath show lights, creating a beautiful setting, Garner questions marching down it before landing in a the spectacle of a prized car in a show what cruelty lies beneath the figures giant pool of other Dave Fowler figuroom. we chose to celebrate. rines. Pioneer Works printed 12,000 The piece is a reaction to Harriet In this reevaluation of Sim’s legacy, of these five inch figurines. 10,000 line Washington’s book, Medical Apartthe most condemning evidence is the towering wall in a shout out to the heid (2007). W.H. Robert, Sims’ “Rack of those Ravaged and Uncon- Terracotta Army. As with Garner’s contemporary, told students that senting.” Steel pins and meat hooks sculptures, the piece looks beautiful slaves felt less pain and that doctors hold up “carcusses” made of insu- from afar, but with each step becomes shouldn’t hesitate to amputate collation foam of those experimented surreal, freaky, then (like the idea of ored patients. Washington examines on without consent. The hung body white supremacy) risible. one incident where Robert amputatparts are dotted with glass beads and At the end of the exhibit, you’ll be ed the leg of a 15 year old black girl for pearls, a hint that though desecrated surprised to see as altar, replete with a relatively minor injury. Washington these bodies haven’t lost their gleam plastic beads, gaudy table cloths, and of beauty. fake flowers. 2,000 other Dave Fowl“It’s so repulsive but also beguiling,” ers entangle together to make a tawcurator David Everitt Howe said, “be- dry web of hanging figurines. It feels cause it’s shimmering, made of pearls like a funeral, which is exactly what and beads.” Like all objects in this (Robinson) has in mind; this is an exhibit, the piece is nearly beautiful imagined space for the death of white until you travel closer and see what’s supremacy. always been there. With the piece If I Were King…,
Kenya (Robinson)
On Tuesday, November 14, Good Shepherd Services (GSS) hosted their 26th annual Thanksgiving dinner and celebration for hundreds of participants and their families from GSS’s programs across South Brooklyn. The celebration took place at PS 15 Patrick F. Daly School and featured student performances, raffles, and special recognition for New York State Senator Velmanette Montgomery. Pictured above are old friends Buddy Scotto, longtime community activist, and Sister Paulette LoMonaco, longtime Executive Director of the Good Shepherd Services in South Brooklyn.
Page 18 Red Hook Star-Revue
Since 2013, Kenya (Robinson) has kept a white figurine named Dave Fowler in her purse. To help her know the oppressor is with her, Howe said, though you could interpret it as (Robinson) pinching the figure of white supremacy to a tiny, laughable size. The figurine has a suit and briefcase, originally in color but whited out for this piece. He’s corporate mediocrity exposed, but also, as (Robinson) wrote about him in prior exhibits, “A talisman. A reminder of perception and how its power can be manipulated.” “[The exhibit] began as this idea of meat and bone,” Howe said. “Dave is this fetish object that repeats in material and form throughout the show; he’s here in this terrifying, military-
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(Robinson)’s cheeky vision made a human-sized Dave Fowler out of foam then covered him with astroturf. Lying supine and suspended a good 12 feet from the floor, this particular Dave Fowler appears swallowed by a golf course. As Howe explained, everything is arranged to celebrate the demise of white supremacy. There’s even a disco ball to celebrate Dave Fowler’s funeral in a performance scheduled for December 17th, after which the thousands of the little Dave Fowler’s will be buried around the city. Ultimately, White Man on a Pedestal asks what, once the notorious elements of our past are exposed and buried, will we build next?
December 2017
Still pushing for the trolley
T
he latest ploy by the real-estate lobbying group, Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector, took place in November at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The BQX plan is to have NYC pay for a sleek-looking modern streetcar service along the Brooklyn/Queens waterfront—a waterfront that is in danger of transforming from mixed use to luxury residential development. The BQX would serve this transformation in much the same way that the Brooklyn Bridge Park has paved the way for luxury condo development along the Brooklyn Heights harbor—piers that once harbored ships and industry. Appearing at the event was Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. He used Red Hook’s lack of subway service to make the case for the trolley— which actually would not provide transfers to the subway system. Supporting Adams were representatives of the local tenant associations as well as the Red Hook Initiative (RHI), who have been supporting the BQX since the mayor first announced the idea at a press conference at Pioneer Works. The Friends of the BQX is chaired by Jed Walentas, son of the founder of Two Trees, a real estate development company that is currently building over 2000 luxury apartments on the Williamsburg waterfront. Also on their board is Jill Eisenhard, Executive Director of RHI, who is the secretary, and Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director of the Fifth Avenue Committee, who serves as the Vice-Chair. A prototype BQX car was unveiled
by Nathan Weiser and Alex Rodriguez
after everyone gave their pumpedup remarks, endorsing the BQX to a house packed with supporters. According to the Friends of the BQX, the trolley would by NYC’s most significant transit project in decades. It would connect 400,000 residents and 300,000 workers between Sunset Park and Astoria to booming, yet isolated, employment hubs along the waterfront. The project would cost a minimum of $2.5 billion. An original study determined that adding bus service providing equal benefit would only cost $1 billion. This system would run on city streets for 14 miles along the shoreline. The speakers all pointed out reasons to support the project—a project that has not drawn the support of many community groups along the route, including Red Hook’s Civic Association as well as Sunset Park’s Uprose. “Things like curb level boarding will open up access for New Yorkers with any sort of mobility issue,” Ya-Ting Liu, the Executive Director said. Liu is paid just under $140,000 a year by the non-profit group, for an average 15 hour work-week, according to their latest tax filing. “It is going to have open gangways and much more room and carrying capacity so that we can move New Yorkers efficiently and get them to their appointments, their work, job interviews and school faster and in a reliable way,” Liu continued.
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“Today we’re providing New Yorkers with their first real taste of what the BQX would look like and feel like, and calling on the city to bring light rail service to areas long underserved by reliable mass transit,” Liu said. According to the Friends of the BQX group, the specific route is not known yet because they are waiting for the city to release a feasibility analysis. The route study area map has the trolley going through or close to Sunset Park, Gowanus, Red Hook, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, the Navy Yard, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Long Island City and Astoria.
Peter Quinones calls the BQX a pipe dream. (photos by Rodriguez)
“When the friends group rallied around this project we envisioned a system that would operate during peak rush hour and every five minutes another train would arrive at the station,” Liu added. “I think that because it is fixed rail, it really does give this mode a type of predictability and reliability that unfortunately we don’t have yet with local buses.”
A large group of people were brought to the public relations event to show support for the BQX. They surround Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. (photo by Weiser)
said. “This is on the right track. I fully support this concept.” Kiyana Slade and John Texidor, from Red Hook Initiative, were both at the prototype reveal and expressed interest in this transportation method. “I would say, like everybody said, it would lead to more access to transportation,” Slade said. “I still have a lot of questions about it also. I just think it would give us a lot more transportation. It will give us resources to get to other places. If it is going to run through the neighborhood, it will be a bit more beneficial. Texidor likes that it could help him get to school and that it is above ground as opposed to the subway. “That will be pretty cool to watch. I am going to go to LaGuardia next year so this will give me access to get to school faster. That’s a benefit, and a lot of kids from Red Hook go to LaGuardia.” The Star-Revue asked people in the neighborhood about the BQX and found a range of reactions. Peter Quinones, who lives in the Red Hook Houses, calls the project a pipe dream. “Bill de Blasio wants to hook up his real estate connects,” Quinones said. “I do not see it happening.” Maria Sanchez, who was interviewed in an office at the Miccio Community Center, is in favor of it but knows there will be a steep price. “I like the idea of it,” Sanchez said. “From the looks of it, someone is definitely going to have to pay.” Frank McCrea, who also works at the Miccio Center was in favor of the idea and thought the BQX could help his
commute. “It seems great,” McCrea said. “I can already see where I can park my car and plan my commute.” Will (declined to give his last name), who is a contractor working in the area, is skeptical and thinks this is a risky investment. “This looks expensive and whoever is funding it is going to want their investment back,” Will said. Yadu Kalia, who lives near the water in Red Hook, is in favor of this proposed project. “Red Hook is definitely crippled,” Kalia said. Local government policy things should be done to support housing and local businesses.” He thinks that gentrification will always be at play but that Red Hook needs more transportation. “Red Hook deserves more, the gentrification aspect will always be an issue,” Kalia added. “This is New York.” Stanley Morrison who lives in the Red Hook Houses said: “I’m just finding out and I’m impressed. Only thing is I don’t think I’ll be able to ride it because this means they’ll probably try to get rid of us.” Joanne W, another resident of the Houses, said “I don't know much about that train thing.” Danielle Butler and Carlos Rodriguez who were visiting Red Hook had a sobering view - one shared by many in NYC already displaced by what is considered progress. “It's nice but if it raises property values, then what's going to happen to us.”
Marc Jackson from the Mother Country
Red Hook resident Robert Berrios disagrees with the above analysis. He points out that the same traffic jam that can stop bus traffic will stop the trolley—as the track lies on the same roads that trucks and garbage vehicles travel over.
Stanley Morrison thinks it’s probably too nice for people like him.
Red Hook Star-Revue
Adams stated the reason for his support: “The concept is always the first seed that needs to be planted,” he
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