Star revue july 2013

The JULY 2013

Red Hook StarªRevue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

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SUNY SPITS IN THE FACE OF NY STATE SUPREME COURT AS IT CONTINUES IT’S SHUTDOWN OF LICH

by Kimberly Gail Price “They are not taking anymore ambulances at the emergency room at LICH. If that’s the case, that’s a violation – that’s a clear violation of my order,” Kings County Supreme Judge Johnny Lee Baynes commented during the June 19 court hearing for a lawsuit filed against the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center (SUNY) and the NY Department of Health (DOH). “That is shameful - on the day they are coming to see the judge. Does it get any worse than that?”

“A dire situation is developing at LICH […] We have almost daily resignations.”

Julie Semente, a LICH registered nurse and NYSNA member, wrote, “I can tell you first hand that NO NURSES are fleeing LICH […] The emergency room manager did leave. However, there is a qualified candidate ready and willing to take the job, but Downstate won’t fill the position. It serves their purpose to leave it empty.

“There is no ‘exodus’ of physicians either. SUNY Downstate is trying to give the impression that these doctors left LICH of their own choice when in fact SUNY Downstate forced the interns and residents out of LICH in defiance of a court order, and without implementing a plan to replace them with other qualified professionals to continue services.”

Since that time, SUNY continues to do everything in their power to halt all services at Long Island College Hospital (LICH), despite multiple court orders.

After setting an initial date of July 15 for the contempt hearing, Judge Baynes set a conference date for the following Monday, June 24 to ensure that SUNY did not discontinued ambulatory services at LICH. The hospital was to be restaffed and running as it had been the day he originally issued the temporary restraining order (TRO) on February 20, 2013.

By 9 pm Thursday night, Brooklyn Hospital, Lutheran Medical Center and Methodist hospital were cracking under the weight. According to the admissions department at Brooklyn Hospital, all ER rooms were full and one or two patients were waiting on stretchers outside of every room. Patients at Lutheran Medical Center reportedly had 8-9 hour wait times. The ER staffs were describing the conditions as “total chaos,” disorganized,” and “overcrowded.”

One ambulance picked up a 60 year old male in critical condition in Coney Island who needed a bed in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The patient was transported to Richmond County

Some of the empty beds that litter the hallways of LICH since SUNY has closed the hospital to new admissions.

Hospital in Staten Island because every available ICU bed in Brooklyn was filled – except LICH.

to take ICU and emergency patients across bridges and through tunnels into Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens.

Downstate’s claims untrue

Several Brooklyn hospitals requested temporary diversions because their patient loads were too large. But 911 services refused to grant the diversions because all of the hospitals were under the same duress. In less than 24 hours, the LICH diversion had created crises at nearly every Brooklyn hospital.

SUNY claims the move to divert ambulatory services and discontinue admissions at LICH was due to inadequate staffing. DOH requires one nurse for every two ICU patients. While ambulances were overcrowding other Brooklyn hospitals, seven ICU nurses and two resident doctors were working at LICH with only ten ICU patients. The fifteen bed unit could have taken up to four more patients. But because of the diversion, ambulances were forced

The Red Hook Star-Revue 101 Union Street Brooklyn, NY 11231

Contrary to the court’s order, SUNY not only diverted ambulatory services, but also discontinued all admissions to the hospital effective at 6 am Thursday morning. Walk-ins to the emergency room (ER) would be treated and stabilized. If patients needed to be admitted, they would be transported to other nearby hospitals. According to a letter released from SUNY on June 20, “The diversion is indefinite.”

DOH confirmed what doctors and nurses have been saying all along. They reported back to the Kings County Supreme Court that LICH is staffed up to appropriate levels and should resume all services. They have been assessing staffing levels on a daily basis since June 19. LICH continues to be fully staffed – with the exception of the residents SUNY pulled back to their downstate campus late last week. In fact, the ICU unit was staffed with five nurses for only three patients.

In addition, SUNY also began transferring patients out of LICH. In another letter also dated June 20 from George Caralis, Interim Chief Executive Officer from SUNY, stated, “Effective immediately, patients will be transferred out of the critical care units (ICU/CCU) and for the foreseeable future, no further patients will be admitted to those units.”

Critical Care patients were being transported as far away as New York Presbyterian at Columbia University – nearly 15 miles away. The first patient was relocated Thursday afternoon.

SUNY released a public statement to the public on Thursday, June 20 citing,

That same Thursday, James Karkenny, acting COO of LICH and representative from Pitts Management, tried to give ICU nurses and award they had won in March for exemplary care – the same day SUNY told the nursing staff, “we’re emptying the place out.”

The Vice President of the nursing staff warned him that his timing was inappropriate.

ICU nurses described Karkenny’s presence as being “like an abusive husband” and “belligerent.” Nurses were forced to have their picture taken with the banner. One nurse was in tears. Karkenny told them to “remove yourself if you can’t understand that you are employees first and union members [NYSNA] last.”

The ICU charge nurse eventually told Karkenny to leave, saying, “Take your plaque. Take your coffee and donuts, and get out.”

This was not the first year LICH nurses had won this award. ICU nurses told stories about a fancy dinner wearing corsages, and the pride they felt in earning the recognition. A banner and plaque were awarded for the nurses to proudly display. But this year’s award was an insult to injury.

By Saturday evening, only three patients remained in ICU, while CCU had completely been dissolved. The (continued on page 3)

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The

Red Hook StarªRevue

JUNE 2013

SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Happenings

VOLUME 4 NO. 8

WEDNESDAY JULY 3

7pm Staten Island Yankees vs Brooklyn Cyclones followed by a special patriotic firework. MCU Park 1904 Surf Ave. (718) 449-8497

Table of Contents Happenings....................... 2 Letters......................... 8 Miccio Center scare........... 4 Red Hook Urban Farm.10 New Flood Maps................ 5 Lions Club................. 14 Newsbriefs......................... 6 Julie Taymor.............. 15

THURS JULY 4

5pm all United States Veterans & their families are invited to watch the Macy’s fireworks at Pier 1. Brooklyn Bridge Park 334 Furmam Street (718) 802-0603 9:25pm Come on down to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to view Macy’s annual fireworks display, but get their early as the DOT is expecting about 70-80,000 people.

9:25pm Come on down to the Empire-Fulton State Park in Dumbo. You will be able to get a view of 4th of July fireworks. Brooklyn Bridge Park 334 Furmam St (718) 802-0603 9:25pm Head on over to Valentino Pier where you will also get a nice view of Macy’s annual fireworks display near the South Street Seaport.

At the end of Coffey Street 10 pm Head over to Red Hook Bait & Tackle to hear New Orleans’ King James and the Special Men “deliver some of the world’s finest, oldschool, rhythm and blues this side of the 1950’s.” Get there before the show to enjoy some fish fry, courtesy of Fort Defiance. 320 Van Brunt Street.

STAFF Kimberly G. Price.......................................Editor/Publisher George Fiala.......................................... Graphics/Publisher Brian Clancy....................................................Theater/Arts Vince Musacchia..................................................Cartoons Alliyah Leocadio........................................................Intern

Contributors

Jenny Belin, Mary Anne Massaro, Mary Ann Pietanza, Aleks Gilbert, Stacey Nieves, Leslie Ware Camille Daniels

JULY 1-6

Member @RedHookStar

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718.624.5568 - Editorial & Advertising 917.652.9128 News Tips 101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 editor@redhookstar.com

Bring your dirty clothes to Bridgestone Cleaners, where “guests who bring in three garments for dry cleaning services will receive their fourth garment free,” so long as the fourth is of equal or lesser value. 175 Court Street

JULY 4-7

3-10pm Head over to Red Hook’s new BBQ spot, RES, otherwise open Saturdays only. 372 Columbia Street.

SATURDAY, JULY 6

Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum presents Michael Hill’s Blues Mob at 5 pm, Frankie Rose, music of the ‘80s at 7 pm and hiphop group Brown Bag at 9 pm. Additional entertainment includes Native American dances, artist talk with Valerie Hegarty, film shorts and the Hungry March Band. Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway.

MONDAY, JULY 8 Freebird Books presents the Books Beneath the Bridge series with James Gulliver Hancock. Mr. Hancock has written All the Buildings in New York (That I’ve Drawn So Far,) which consists of illustrations that he drew of NYC buildings. The talk will be at the Granite Prospect in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Prospect is at the northern end of the park, Pier 1. The talk begins at 7 pm.

SATURDAY, JULY 13

Contra Dance at the Waterfront Museum. Beginners workshop at 7:30 pm, dancing for all at 8 pm. $15, $12 students. Pier 44, close to Fairway Market.

Page 2 Red Hook Star-Revue

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July 2013

With many forces conspiring against them, LICH staff soldiers on (continued from page 1)

5th floor CCU unit’s door had been padlocked. Six nurses in ICU were capable of taking care of twelve patients. CCU nurses were moved down to help out in the ER. Over the weekend, LICH’s emergency room remained busy. Walk-ins came from other hospitals via taxi, buses or on foot to avoid the outrageous wait times at other hospitals. One woman said she waited in an ER for 36 hours without being seen before going to LICH. Five cardiac patients that came to LICH’s ER all had to be transferred out. One was sent to Queens, and his family had to track him down.

Saturday was also the last day resident doctors were still in place. One resident expressed concern about beginning her third year in a new hospital.

Others seemed distressed about being transferred back to the SUNY campuses and worried about the effectiveness of their training.

Monday afternoon, Judge Baynes held a conference with SUNY, LICH and DOH lawyers. The meeting was closed to community resident, nurses, doctors and media. However, LICH lawyers met with multiple media outlets after the conference with concerned optimism. Judge Baynes insisted SUNY remove the diversion immediately and begin readmitting patients at LICH. He gave SUNY a noon deadline the following day, Tuesday, to report back that services had been fully restored.

By this time, the residents had already been relocated and SUNY expressed concern of doctor shortages. SUNY would need to have physician’s assistants (PAs), intensivists and nurse practioners (NPs) in place before they could fully reopen the doors of LICH. They anticipated this would take until Thursday, Friday, or even as late as Monday, July 1.

SUNY released a statement prolonging the ambulatory diversion, continuation of patient transfer and no longer scheduling elective major surgeries. Admissions, the memo said, would be allowed only through the admitting office, not the ER. The statement also said that “Obstetrical patients will no longer be admitted to LICH.” The following day, Dr. Comrie, OBGYN Chief of Staff at LICH, received an email from David Wlody, Downstate’s Anesthesiology Chief of Staff.

“Due to significant decrease in delivery volume, (three deliveries in the last 72 hours), effective tomorrow June 27, the anesthesiology department will no longer assign an anesthesiologist to provide 24 hour dedicated care.”

After closing the unit and refusing admission to patients, SUNY then turned the tables and blamed lack of patients for the unit closure.

Another memo from George Caralis, Interim Chief Executive Officer, stated all inpatient admissions to “require review and authorization by the Chief

Red Hook Star-Revue

reschedule elsewhere.

Dr. Niki Hurt has been hired as an intensivist. According to Dr. Leonard Navarro, head doctor of LICH’s ICU unit, Dr. Hurt is “perfectly capable” of overseeing the entire ICU department along with the fully staffed unit. However, patients are still being transferred out on a daily basis – most being sent to SUNY. One patient required a surgery that LICH is capable of performing and always has, but SUNY is not. He was sent to Lennox Hill in Manhattan for the procedure.

The Cardiac Care Unit was the first to be padlocked on SUNY Downstate’s orders.

Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Lucchesi.

No patients will be admitted unless approved by the Chief Medical Officer.”

To date, not one patient has been “approved” or admitted by Lucchesi.

Tuesday night, CCU was still closed.

ICU had only three patients remaining with six nurses and one doctor on the unit. Walk-ins continued to keep the ER busy with more than 60 patients a day.

On Wednesday, DOH announced that they were continuing to allow the diversion, but were slowly lifting it in a controlled way until the residents had been fully replaced.

On Thursday, June 27, Judge William Thompson, Sr. was appointed to oversee hospital operations at LICH. Judge Baynes appointed Thompson to ensure compliance with his court order to restore services and restaff the hospital as they were on February 20, 2013. There has also been talk of the residency program being restored under Thompson’s authority.

Thompson is a retired Appellate Court Judge, and has also served in the New York State Senate and the New York City Council.

Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice, Carolyn E. Demarest ordered SUNY to account for all LICH property, assets and funding they have received since taking over then hospital in May 2011. The Court approved the merger under the condition that SUNY would continue to operate LICH “as a hospital.”

The financial records are being called for because of the “acknowledgement by SUNY Downstate of its intent to close LICH,” as well as SUNY’s “continuous efforts to close LICH in spite of injunctive relief prohibiting such closure.”

Other area hospitals are still reporting overflowing emergency rooms because of the ongoing diversion from LICH. According to one emergency room employee, “Even SUNY is complaining.”

In the meantime, SUNY has closed multiple more units in the hospital each day. One nurse commented it would be easier to list the floors that are still open. On Friday, June 28, three more units – Arrhythmia, the Coronary Catheter and EP units were shut down.

Patients that were scheduled for procedures within those departments had to

By Monday, ambulatory services are supposed to be restored and LICH able to admit patients. Monday will also be Judge Thompson’s first day on site.

However, SUNY spent most of the

weekend closing floors, transferring patients, polishing the floors and repainting.

The Star-Revue received a letter from a LICH nurse who wished to be unnamed. In the letter, the nurse describes the current conditions of the hospital.

“Unfortunately SUNY Downstate rolls full steam ahead with no regard for judges or special masters. There’s maybe 60 patients in a hospital that had averaged about 240 every year for about 2 years. We are sitting in empty units 12 hours a day, but the nurses are coming to work every day.

“Only the DOH can close a hospital.

They have found no deficiencies to warrant closure. They sent an affidavit to the judge stating that the ambulance (continued on page 13)

Proposed bill would mandate sale of LICH properties

by Kimberly Gail Price On June 4, 2013, State Senator Eric the purpose of the trustees to “provide Adams prodded the State University ambulatory health care to low and of New York Downstate Medical Cen- moderate income residents, the elter (SUNY) about their submitted derly, frail and disabled persons of the Sustainability Plan. In our last issue, county of Kings. the Star-Revue reported that Adams Section 813.2 explains how the trust “hammered” SUNY about their plans will be funded. “The trust shall be for Long Island College Hospital funded from all monies derived from (LICH). He pointed asked if SUNY the sale or conveyance of Long Island would be able to “keep the lights” on College Hospital as described in this at LICH. When SUNY did not assure article.” him that they would, he reminded Section 814 reiterates the funding “in them that LICH must be maintained an amount equal to the proceeds deas a full service hospital, not just – in rived from the sale of assets of Long his words – a “healthcare service.”

Island College and the Downstate at However, one week later on June 11, LICH Holding Company.” Eighteen 2013, Adams, along with Senator LICH buildings are listed as assets to Kevin Parker, introduced Bill S5741- be sold - including the Pollack, Oth2013 - known as the “Brooklyn Health mer and Fuller Pavillions, which make Trust Act” - into legislation. The bill, up the main hospital building. “read twice and ordered printed,” was Section 818 allots $1 million “for a introduced to the Health Committee study of the health needs of the resito establish the Brooklyn Health Trust dents of the County of Kings and preand Health Commission with funds pare a plan to address such needs, in from the real estate sale of LICH. part, by the trust.”

The legislation falls under Public Section 818.2 reads simply, “This act Health Law as “an act to amend the shall take effect immediately.” public health law.” The bill defines According to sources, the bill was initself as, “A trust to be known as the troduced but never discussed among ‘Brooklyn Health Trust’ is hereby crethe committee, who met twice after ated under the jurisdiction of the deits inception. The bill was never sent partment and its existence shall comto the State Assembly, where it would mence with the appointment of the also have been voted on before being members of the board as provided in put into action. When the legislative this article.” session ended, the bill was effectively The Brooklyn Borough President dead. would serve as the chair of the board However, the question still remains and would appoint: three “resident as to why Senator Adams fought so medical professionals” from Brook- strongly for the continued operations lyn, one medical school member; two at LICH as a full service hospital just Brooklyn members from “resident one week before introducing this piece business;” two members from non- of legislation. Perhaps as the potential profit organizations; and two com- future Brooklyn Borough President, munity representatives. The mayor he is looking after the health and welwould appoint five people “among the fare of SUNY. However, if this is a general hospitals” in Brooklyn based means to appease SUNY, it will surely on “their knowledge and background” compromise his standings with the or their “experience and knowledge in communities that would be so greatly the field of ambulatory health care.” affected by the “proceeds from the sale Section 813.1 of the article defines of LICH surplus assets.”

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July 2013 Page 3

Needless angst over the future of the Miccio Center

by George Fiala

T

he New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) caused fear and worry throughout NYC Public Housing by announcing that all NYCHA run community centers would be shuttered and their employees fired.

The June 12th announcement blamed sequestration - the freezing of the Federal budget - as the immediate cause of these and other cuts. NYCHA claimed a shortfall of $205 million.

Questioned about the threatened closing, Lillie Marshall, President of the Red Hook West Tenants Association, said “NYCHA will blame anyone but themselves.” Asked for a quote, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez issued the following: “This is just one example of the real life effects sequestration will have on our communities. Congress must come together and work to ensure valuable services like these are preserved.”

Longtime Red Hook leader Wally Bazemore was already planning to lead protests at City Hall and Washington.

On June 24th, Councilwoman Sara

Mayoral debate takes on Sandy related issues

by Stacy Nieves

S

everal mayoral candidates criticized the present mayor’s handling of Hurricane Sandy and advanced their own proposals for recovering from the storm at a forum held at Shorefront Y on June 27. Though several candidates attended the forum, the frontrunners in the crowded mayoral race were noticeably absent.

Mayor Bloomberg served as the punching bag of the evening, with each candidate finding at least one flaw in his post-Sandy response or his recently announced disaster-preparedness proposals. The candidates appeared individually and were given five minutes to introduce themselves and their proposals before moving on to a question-and-answer. Questions - some submitted by audience members - probed into each candidate’s proposals to serve the needs of communities where the impact of Sandy still lingers, in a building that has hosted food distribution programs and disaster relief services for Coney Island residents.

Democratic candidates Erick J. Salgado, John C. Liu, Sal Albanese, and Bill de Blasio attended the forum, which was moderated by Matthew Schuerman and Katie Honan. George T. McDonald and John A. Catsimatidis were the Republican candidates in attendance.

Also present were Anthony Gronowicz, the Green Party candidate, and Adolfo Carrión Jr., a former Democrat running under the Independence Party. Frontrunners Christine C. Quinn, Anthony Weiner, and Bill Thompson were all absent, as was Joe Lhota.

“I was there,” Liu, the city comptroller, said, reflecting a theme stressed by every candidate: that they were in the hardest-hit areas as soon as the worst of the hurricane had abated, aiding in every way they could.

“We’ve been here since the day after

Page 4 Red Hook Star-Revue

“Lillie Marshall, President of the Red Hook West Tenants Association, said ‘NYCHA will blame anyone but themselves.’ ” Gonzalez, who serves on the Finance Committee, made the following announcement: “I am pleased to report that our beloved Miccio Center and a newly renovated Senior Center will remain as fixtures serving our community. Despite the Congressional Sequestration, I have managed to save Red Hook from the full brunt of the tremendous hardships created by these devastating cuts. “ In the end, the City Council was able to restore $58 million to the NYCHA budget using city funds; NYCHA, after alarming housing leaders throughout the city, rescinded the previously announced cuts. As reported in the June 29th NY Daily News, Greg Floyd, president of Teamsters Local 237, which represents 8,000 NYCHA workers, blasted the authority for spreading fear.

the storm started,” said McDonald, describing how volunteers from his nonprofit dedicated to helping the homeless find work, the Doe Fund, were among the first responders.

Red Hook Houses forgotten De Blasio, the New York City public advocate, recounted visiting the Red Hook Houses and claimed that the housing development—which languished in darkness for more than a month after the storm—was “forgotten” by the city government.

Liu made a similar point, saying that “the body count was still rising in Red Hook and the Rockaways” while lower Manhattan residents who had already regained electricity began to complain about the lack of cell phone service.

(Editor’s note: Red Hook experienced a 100% survival rate) For all their criticism of the mayor’s response to Hurricane Sandy, most of the mayoral hopefuls offered praise for the proposals made in his Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR) report.

The highest praise came from Carrión, the former Bronx Borough President, who said that the report “has moved us aggressively in the right direction.” The “coastal line protection portion of the plan” would be his highest priority, he said.

Liu called some of the proposals “more aspirational as opposed to realistic,” but expressed support for Bloomberg’s plans to strengthen the power grid, improve transportation, and erect sea walls.

Catsimatidis, billionaire owner of the Gristedes grocery chain, and De Blasio, expressed support for the mayor’s more organic proposals. Catsimatidis called a new Battery Park City-like neighborhood on the lower east side “a great idea.” De Blasio cited wet land and dune restoration as among his preferred SIRR proposals.

“We need affordable housing in the city,” said Albanese, a former City Councilmember, one of multiple can-

The Miccio Center, 110 West 9th Street, serves as a community and recreational center for residents of the Red Hook Houses, as well as community organizations in the area. Both the EPA and CB 6 hold public meetings at Miccio. The Lion’s Club celebrated it’s 20th Anniversary at Miccio just recently, and

Miccio has hosted EPA Superfund meetings this year and last. The 2011 trolley studies were also held at Miccio.

Gowanus GBX held an informational meeting there earlier this year.

NYCHA meetings with tenants are also held regularly at Miccio, as was a recent joint meeting of the Red Hook East and West Tenant Associations.

After Sandy, Miccio was utilized as a distribution facility for relief materials.

didates to proclaim an intention to increase the amount of affordable housing. Salgado, a minister, proposed a tax incentive to encourage the construction of affordable housing rather than luxury apartments.

Some of the mayoral hopefuls ran into trouble when asked how long it would take them to ensure the city was completely protected from storms. Salgado’s contention that it would take ten years to make the Rockaways safe drew shouts from the crowd. One woman cried out,“What will we do tomorrow?”

“Everybody is saying we should get it done by next year, but it doesn’t always happen like that,” Catsimatidis said, but he later clarified that protection measures “should be a priority.”

Few ideas on flood insurance

The center also served as an important distribution point for donated goods during last year’s hurricane. It recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation, and mothballing it would be a huge detriment to the Red Hook youth as well as local organizations.

RHI’s Young Adult Program began in December 2012. It helps those in the final stage of the RHI “empowerment pipeline” by providing them with 8-10 week paid job-training programs, from which participants gain valuable skills and experience, and the possibility of permanent employment.

Thus far, over 100 young adults have been enrolled in the program. 52 have been offered jobs upon completing their 8 weeks of training. IKEA, the program’s most active partner, has taken on sixteen young adults, seven of whom now work there full-time.

Jessica Colon, of the Community Justice Center, then spoke of how the neighborhood has improved since the Justice Center opened its doors in 2000.

Many candidates decried FEMA’s slow dispersal of funds and the rising costs of flood insurance, but few offered concrete plans to rectify these situations.

There were no murders last year in the area and no reported gunshots since November, incredible for a neighborhood once considered among the worst in the city.

The federal government “can’t expect people who are already struggling to deal with vast new insurance costs,” De Blasio said, adding that it needs to “find some way to lighten that burden.”

Furthermore, in light of the Justice Center’s success, the city is “drastically changing the way it deals with kids,” said Cologne, referring to New York State’s Adolescent Diversion Program (ADP).

Carrión, in a brief interview after his appearance, said that he would team up with mayors of other prominent coastal cities to pressure the government to make flood insurance more affordable.

ADP takes sixteen and seventeen-yearolds who would otherwise be treated like adults after being found guilty of a crime, and seeks a more age-appropriate recompense, such as community service.

“We’re going to need Congress to reform the National Flood Insurance Program to ensure people can protect properly,” he said, adding that the program “has to be modernized.”

James Vogel, of the office of New York State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, was in attendence. He said, “You’re being too modest. One of the things that you guys should know is that the center is being seen as a national template.”

CB6 meets at RHI

by Aleks Gilbert The CB6 Committee on youth, human services, and education held a meeting at the Red Hook Initiative (RHI) Wednesday, June 26. RHI and the Community Justice Center gave presentations about the success of their programs within the community.

www.RedHookStar.com

Indeed, Colon added, because Red Hook’s Justice Center is a “perfect case study,” has been the subject of multiple studies. On the revival of a neighborhood, “you can say, ‘oh, it got better because it’s completely gentrified. It’s way different than when I grew up.’ but you can’t say that for Red Hook, because the same people live here.”

July 2013

Understanding FEMA’s new flood maps

by Stacie Nieves

T

he Federal Emergency Management Agency released new maps on its website this month, revealing more New Yorkers are at risk of flood than previously thought. The maps add to the accumulating pile of confusing and often frightening information Red Hook residents have to contemplate as they recover from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy and decide how best to gird against future floods.

tural means to lessen the vulnerability of coastal communities.

The new maps, called preliminary work maps, show that 70,000 buildings in New York City, including many in Red Hook, will have to be elevated by several feet, or their owners will face higher flood insurance costs. About 400,000 New Yorkers are shown to be living in the 100-year floodplain, meaning they face a 1% chance of flood each year, compared to just 218,000 people and 36,000 buildings identified as facing that risk in FEMA’s previous maps.

Shiffman insists, “We can stop the water.” To accomplish this, he identifies two alternatives to FEMA’s standard prescription to elevate the building: dry-proofing, which prevents water from entering a building, and wet-proofing, which permits water to pass through causing minimal damage.

Red Hook in high hazard zone Most of Red Hook is within the AE zone, the second-most hazardous out of FEMA’s four lettered zones, meaning that the area is within the floodplain but waves would not be expected to top three feet. But the neighborhood is bordered by a VE zone, the most dangerous category, which indicates that the water adjoining Red Hook may rise to waves above three feet in the event of a flood.

The maps, which incorporate information from a study FEMA began before

On July 31 and August 1, the program will host a workshop entitled “Coastal Community Resilience for Residents,” to be given by the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center from the University of Hawaii. The Center will discuss the roles of community leaders and residents during and after a disaster. The time and location have not yet been determined.

While acknowledging that dry-proofing is “not an option for every home,” Shiffman suggests his solutions are more realistic for Red Hook than FEMA’s.

“There are a lot of idiosyncrasies in Red Hook that FEMA’s not aware of,” he says, pointing to the area’s mixed-use buildings as one such relatively unique feature.

Shiffman and the other participants in Pratt’s program aren’t the only people striving to come up with solutions suited to the particular needs of Red Hook.

The Red Hook Flood Mitigation Google group manages a website that features an events calendar, a small directory of contacts, and a resource center, all stocked with information about the issues and options facing residents as they recover from the hurricane. According to members, the group was formed by residents concerned by the lack of information and guidance available in the aftermath of the storm. They hope the site will eventually serve as a medium to dialogue with and request information from city planners.

Bloomberg predicts worse One man claims to have found the solution to some of Red Hook’s woes— Pratt’s Ron Schiffman, speaking recently at the Miccio Center. (photo by George Fiala) Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He presented his plan to protect New York from Hurricane Sandy, replace the previously future floods, hurricanes, and other natreleased Advisory Base Flood Elevaural disasters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard tion information as the best available on June 11. Calling the fight against cliflood-risk data. But the latest maps are mate change “a battle that may well denot the final product. They are merely fine our future for generations to come,” an update on FEMA’s progress toward Bloomberg estimated that “by middeveloping Flood Insurance Rate Maps century up to one-quarter of all of New (FIRMs), due to be released in 2015.

York City’s land area, where 800,000 The maps are also historical, meaning residents live today, will be in the floodthat they represent the situation as it is plain.” That is about twice the number now, but do not attempt to anticipate of people identified as at risk in FEMA’s future events - such as rising sea levels. new maps.

“FEMA flood maps are a reflection of Slides accompanying the mayor’s speech the reality people have to adjust to,” portrayed a city armored against rising says Ron Shiffman, a professor at Pratt sea levels and extreme weather by sand Institute’s School of Architecture and dunes, surge barriers, and levees. The the co-founder of the Pratt Center for proposals, which are detailed in a 438Community Development. Pratt’s Propage report called “A Stronger, More grams for Sustainable Planning and Resilient New York,” are the result of Development is hosting several studios, months of effort by the Special Initiative classes, and open workshops this sumfor Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR) mer dedicated to Recovery Adaptation and the latest product of PlaNYC. The Mitigation and Planning (RAMP). Stuambitious plan will extend far beyond dents, faculty, and experts will attempt the conclusion of the mayor’s term in to discover architectural and infrastrucoffice, and cost at least $20 billion.

Red Hook Star-Revue

Flooding in Red Hook first occurs at the foot of Van Brunt Street. This was the scene last year the day after Hurricane Sandy hit. (Star-Revue photo)

In the Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront—an area that includes Red Hook, Gowanus, DUMBO, Sunset Park, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Long Island City—the report warns of the potential dangers of storm surge - a major cause of damage during Hurricane Sandy - brought about by sea level rise and increased precipitation. Acknowledging the unique complications posed by Red Hook, the plan calls for an international competition to design an “integrated flood protection system,” which could include temporary or permanent changes, for the area. It also prescribes better transportation for the neighborhood, by creating “a new connection between Red Hook and the rest of Brooklyn at Mill Street” and shortening the bus trip between the Red Hook Houses and the subway.

City wants quick action According to the plan, the City hopes to create a $1.2 billion incentive program to encourage owners of buildings within the floodplain to “make resiliency investments” in their homes and businesses, provided it can gather the necessary funds. The money would be distributed among the boroughs in proportion to the amount of flood-vulnerable buildings within them, with some funds reserved for 1-to-3 family homes and affordable housing developments.

Flood insurance a major issue The report calls on FEMA to produce maps faster and with more oversight, and to ensure that more people are aware of the dangers the maps illustrate.

To assist in the achievement of the latter goal, the City plans to launch its own campaign, through social media and ads on the subway and radio, to educate New Yorkers about the importance of having flood insurance.

Likely hoping to counteract the rise in flood insurance premiums that many people—especially those newly placed in the floodplain—will eventually face as a result of the maps, the plan proposes several methods of bending FEMA policy to better suit New York City residents. The City plans to collaborate with FEMA in the production of specific flood-protection standards

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and certifications for urban buildings. It will also push the agency to offer higher deductibles for residential policies, develop “a system of insurance premium credits” to reward property owners who take action to reduce their flood risk, and to recognize mixed-use buildings as a distinct category.

FEMA currently classifies any building with less than 75% residential occupancy as non-residential, qualifying it for flood-proofing certification without elevating if it takes other approved flood-proofing measures. The plan contemplates joining FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS), which offers incentives for communities to do more to mitigate their flood risk than is required of them by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Joining the CRS program might reduce flood premiums, but it would also require the City to more effectively police building code violations.

Bloomberg’s plan eschews subsidizing any flood insurance policies. The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act, passed by Congress last year, eliminated subsidies on new federal flood insurance policies and instituted a system to phase out subsidies on existing policies. Subsidies to be removed include those on policies for businesses, second homes, and properties that have suffered severe repetitive loss. The rates of these policies will rise by 25% each year until they accurately reflect the properties’ flood risk.

According to the SIRR report, “the impact of Biggert-Waters will be particularly severe for policyholders in New York who live in buildings constructed before the City first adopted FEMA’s FIRMs in 1983 and who, therefore, were entitled to heavily subsidized premiums.” These and other policyholders placed in a higher flood risk zone by FEMA’s 2015 FIRMs than in past maps will see their premiums rise as their subsidies are phased out over a five-year period. This means that for many in Red Hook and beyond, the full extent of flood insurance costs will not be seen until 2020.

July 2013 Page 5

Star-Revue

Melo rules Red Hook for a day

News Briefs

Local chain donates

IKEA announced on June 11th that it will be donating a large amount of home furnishings - beds, dining room sets and sofas - to the Tunnel To Towers Foundation. The Tunnel to Towers was set up after 9/11 to raise funds for the families of fallen firefighters of the 9/11 tragedy. They hold a race each year through the Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center area. This year they initiated a special fund for Sandy victims, including providing new housing in Staten Island.

Hot Spots!

Time Warner Cable announced that Wi-Fi hotspots are now available for Time Warner subscribers in Coffey Park. In addition, free access for all will be available during July 12 - 16 as part of their promotion of the MLB All-Star game, which this year is being held in NYC at Citi Field.

Squadron urges fairer pot law

Daniel Squadron, member of the NY State Senate from our area, has announced that he is urging the passage of a marijuana reform bill. He notes in Brooklyn ten blacks are arrested for marijuana possession for each arrest of a white person. The law would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, adjusting it from a misdemeanor to a violation - reforming the statute and the inconsistent way it is enforced. The State Assembly has already passed the legislation, with the support of the governor.

No touch fireworks

The 76th Precinct reminds readers that fireworks are illegal and possession of fireworks will lead to arrest. They also remind Red Hookers that the Macy’s fireworks will not be able to be seen from Brooklyn, as once again they are taking place along the Hudson river.

Gelber out, Clarke in

Marilyn Gelber, outgoing head of the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF), has written a public letter on the occasion of her retirement. “We created the Brooklyn Community Foundation to bring focus, clarity, and old-fashioned common sense to charitable giving in Brooklyn. We wanted to ensure that the borough’s character, hewed by the great civic builders and patrons of another age, and burnished by generations of new and striving Americans, continues to hold promise and opportunity for all who live here.”

The Foundation has been a supporter of both ReStore Red Hook and the recently completed Red Hook Summit.

BCF recently announced a replacement for Gelber. Cecelia Clarke, who lives in Fort Greene, will take over in September. Clarke was most recently Founder and Executive Director of the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, an awardwinning educational organization for low-income young women. She has also managed government fundraising at the Brooklyn Museum.

Hot lobsters

A website called the Daily Meal recently ranked the best food trucks in the country. Topping the list was the Red Hook Lobster Truck. In addition to a truck, the Lobster Truck operates a storefront on Van Brunt Street.

Lander happy with watchdog

Brad Lander applauds recent legislation that will impact on the police department. One bill creates an Inspector General of the NYPD, and another strengthens the NYC’s ban on bias-based profiling. Mayor Bloomberg’s response to the bill was a controversial statement to the effect that stop-andfrisk unfairly targets white people. He pledges to veto both bills, however the

Red Hook superhero created

Carmelo Anthony was in Red Hook on June 27th to help dedicate a newly refurbished basketball court at the Red Hook East Houses. His foundation, together with JP Morgan, provided the funding for the renovation. Anthony spent his early childhood in the Houses, before moving with his family to Baltimore. Currently a star with the NY Knicks, Anthony led the NBA in scoring last year.

“This is a wonderful gift for our kids, who can feel good about playing in a nicely refinished court,” said Red Hook East Resident Association President Dorothy Shields, who spoke at the dedication, which was also attended by NYCHA head John Rhea. vetoes are expected to be overridden by the City Council.

No kids OK

Recent legislation sponsored by Daniel Squadron and Sheldon Silver, and cosponsored by Joan Millman, which will make Mitchell-Lama housing developments more accessible to the middle class, passed the State Senate on June 18th. It allows families without children to qualify for subsidized housing that is part of the Mitchell Lama program.

“Middle class families need access to affordable housing. That’s precisely why the Mitchell-Lama program was created,” said Senator Squadron.

Gonzalez endorsements

Councilmember Sara Gonzalez, running for a third term to represent Red Hook and Sunset Park, was endorsed by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). “Councilwoman Gonzalez is a product of southwest Brooklyn’s neighborhood public school and has been a strong, consistent voice for teachers, students and their classrooms,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “Sara has brought tremendous resources to her community for education. We enthusiastically support her for re-election.”

Additional endorsements for Gonzalez include the Transportation Workers Union Local 100, Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association Local 831, the Uniformed Fire Officer’s Association, The Detectives Endowment Association, the Organization of Staff Analysts, the Mason Tenders District Council, and Communication Workers of America, Local 1180.

More IKEA charity

On Thursday, June 20, Lisa Ling, Life Improvement Project Ambassador, joined IKEA in presenting a $50,000 donation to Save the Children. Ling also unveiled an IKEA makeover of a Brooklyn Family Head Start/Early Learn location. The children’s facility is supported by Save the Children and was damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

A new comic book featuring Red Hook has been published by local artist Dean Haspiel.

Entitled “The Red Hook,” the magazine feature a scarlet-costumed superhero who is a former boxer and street thief who accidentally falls into the business of saving lives. The story is set in Red Hook and includes recognizable local landmarks. “The Red Hook” is expected to go on sale early next year. Haspiel hopes to eventually turn it into a series.”

Page 6 Red Hook Star-Revue

Last fall, IKEA launched the third year of the “Life Improvement Project to offer their customers inspirations and suggestions to help them make positive impacts on their homes and lives. They also committed $50,000 to Save the Children’s

www.RedHookStar.com

U.S. based education programs.

IKEA also provided new furnishings and solutions to equip the Family Head Start/Early Learn facility.

Ling, an acclaimed journalist and television host commented, “As a new mom myself, I’m happy IKEA is able to help children at this Sandy-affected facility and also kids all around the country.”

Summit Feeds and Plans

Under the auspices of the Red Hook Coalition, a “Red Hook Summit” was held last month at PioneerWorks, 159 Pioneer Street, to begin planning “a compelling but doable practical vision for Red Hook,” according to a press release sent to the Star-Revue. The release went on to say that approximately 100 individuals were brought together at a Friday night dinner and Saturday session to “get to know each other and share stories,” Local press and politicians were not invited in order that the participants be able to share their ideas “without scrutiny,” according to one anonymous participant. Attendees were left with “positive energy,” according to another.

The event, which included catered meals by Kevin’s, Hometown and F&M Bagels, and was led by a paid consultant from Atlanta, was funded by the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF). Following Hurricane Sandy, BCF awarded a $100,000 grant to the Red Hook community. Eighty-thousand dollars was allocated to ReStore Red Hook , with the remaining going to fund this event. ReStore Red Hook was founded as a notfor-profit corporation with the goal of providing local businesses with grants.

Following a series of exercises, the group came up with the following two ideas: “the provision of more activities, programs, training and meaningful opportunities for area youth,” and “interest in developing a community cultural/education space with Visitation Church’s Lyceum being a point of interest,” according to the release.

For more information, contact Good Shepherd Services Red Hook Community Organizer Reginald Flowers at (646) 385-6118.

July 2013

PS 15 library built with help from angels

by Elizabeth Kelly

O

n October 29, 2012, the basement of Red Hook’s P.S. 15 became engulfed in between 5 to 7 feet of water, not only destroying hundreds of books, but also ruining high hopes for a fully functioning library inside the school. That is until parents, teachers, residents, and various organizations came together and decided they weren’t going to let a little thing like Hurricane Sandy stop them from having the library that the students of P.S.15 deserve.

Believe it or not, for the past 15 years

Caitlin Cassaro and PTA president cut the ribbon of the new library May 30.

or so, a plan of action for a new library inside P.S.15 was supposed to take place. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, it never happened. However, during the weeks and months leading

Drive for more hours at Red Hook library, by Aleks Gilbert

“Working residents have virtually no access to the Red Hook Library, which is open after 6 pm only one weekday, and closed on weekends. If you work, and get back to the Hook by 6, you can use the library for one hour per week.

One hour isn’t enough!”

This is from a petition on change.org, started by Red Hooker Anna Mockler.

It is addressed to Jason Douglas, Regional Manager at the Brooklyn Public Library. It is unlikely that her request for Saturday and evening hours will be fulfilled.

Every year since 2008, the Bloomberg administration has proposed an enormous reduction in public library funding. This year, the city’s libraries faced a 35% cut, “the largest … NYC libraries have ever faced,” said Queens Library president Tom Galante.

up to Hurricane Sandy, the idea of finally having an up-to-date library where students could read, study, do homework, use the internet, or simply come to unwind after a day in the classroom, started to look like it was becoming less of a dream and more of a reality - until of course the worst storm to ever hit the East Coast of the United States came to town and turned this soon to be reality into a full on nightmare.

Almost immediately after Sandy took place, P.S.15 proved that they were a school of survivors. So survive they did.

With the help of The Library Committee, The Facilities Team, The Friends of P.S.15 Committee, the teachers, the parents, and the Red Hook community, on May 17, 2013, a new library finally opened its doors.

“The library was a long haul as far as effort”, said Principle Ms. Peggy Wyns-Madison. “People really stood by us and helped us make it through the years.” That meant everyone involved doing their part, and they did it well. From choosing the best color scheme for the library, writing letters to the Chancellor, contacting resources, choosing the right textures for the flooring, or just simply having much needed patience, everyone involved made sure that the library had everything it should have, right down to the last details.

The library at P.S.15 is more than just an ordinary library. This library has a sense of individuality and personality.

That is because that among the many shelves there are collections of books in honor of those individuals who have made great contributions to ensure the main open—from 44 hours a week to 22 hours a week.

Visitors to the libraries’ websites were prompted to show their support by signing a petition to retain current levels of funding. Last Thursday, those who did received an email, saying, “Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn and the City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2014 City budget, and for the first time in years, the City’s three library systems did not lose any funding.”

Local branches will “continue to operate at current levels of service.” That the Red Hook library’s hours will most likely remain as they are, disappointing Mockler and those who signed her petition. Nonetheless, NYPL president Tony Marx is optimistic:

“Cutting the library budget is as bad as burning books,” says Red Hooker, Robert Guddahl. “Worse, because you’re not only displacing access to information, but you’re causing unemployment.”

“Looking towards the future, we hope that this year’s budget success signals the end of a pattern of annual cuts to libraries. With your continued support, and the continued support of elected officials who restored our funding this year, we hope not only to avoid future cuts, but to see our budget increase so we can do even more for our patrons.”

Testifying in front of the City Council’s Committee on Libraries, Galante said that citywide, those cuts would result in the layoff of almost 1,500 employees, the closure of 66 libraries and a drastic decrease in the hours of those that re-

Judging from the comments on the change.org petition, it would seem that Guddahl speaks for the community when he says “the only thing I could hold against the library is limited hours.”

Red Hook Star-Revue

The opening of the new library at PS 15 was celebrated with speeches by the principal and Marilyn Gelber of the Brooklyn Community Fund. Here visitors talk amongst the stacks after the ceremonies that were held in the school courtyard. (Fiala photo)

success of the library.

One of those collections is in honor of former Superintendent of District 15 Carmen Farina. Carmen Farina is not only responsible for many enrichment programs at P.S.15, but she also inspired many people to donate money to the school so they can purchase books.

A collection in was also set up in honor of City Council staffer Hope Reichbach.

At an early age, Hope began inspiring Brooklyn with her humanitarianism.

Unfortunately, Hope passed away far too soon. Her memory will always live on forever inside the library at P.S.15.

Another collection was put in place for Dr. Steven Weisberg. Dr. Weisberg was a practicing dentist in the community of Red Hook who, through his

kindness and selflessness, made more than 50% of the donations to help fund the P.S.15 library.

“When you go in there and you see that there are collections in names in honor of people, that’s the heart and soul of this school,” said Carmen Farina. “Every time a child takes a book off those shelves, they’ll remember.”

One thing is certain. Everyone involved with this library is thrilled with its outcome and the effect it will indefinitely have on the student’s futures successes.

Principle Peggy Wyns-Madison couldn’t be more proud. “So grateful that the day has come where we can open up the doors and let the children and the teachers in to a beautiful library that’s full of new explorations to journey through,” she said.

Gowanus CAG welcomes new facilitator, by George Fiala

Douglas J. Sarno was picked to be the new paid facilitator of the Gowanus CAG. The CAG is an advisory group made up of representatives from community organizations and community leaders with an interest in the Gowanus Canal EPA cleanup. He was introduced at the general meeting in June.

At that meeting, held June 25 at the offices of the Fifth Avenue Committee, the drop-dead date for the Record Of Decision (ROD) was given as September 30, by Natalie Loney of the EPA. The ROD is the final template for the cleanup, after an EPA reading of community and business input received during their public comment period, which ended last April.

Loney announced that the EPA has received between 850-900 public comments, including lengthy ones from the City of New York and National Grid.

At a previous meeting she had mentioned receiving 1400 comments.

Daniel Wiley, representing Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, mentioned a conversation he had with a representative of the Army Corps of Engineers who was interested in future flood prevention.

He was invited to meet members of the CAG. Loney reminded CAG members that the EPA’s job is solely remediation

www.RedHookStar.com

Doug Sarno leads his first Gowanus CAG session. (photo courtesy Paul Basile)

of the toxicity, not flood prevention, so neither she nor the facilitator, who is paid by the EPA, can take part in flood prevention meetings. She did say that the CAG is perfectly welcome to address these issues on their own.

People at the meeting were complaining of the smells coming from the Canal following recent heavy rains. Wiley pointed out that a pump which was installed to aerate the water of the Canal, helping to prevent these odors, has been out since Sandy. He promised to remind city officials that pump repairs can be paid for out of emergency Federal funds.

The various CAG committees discussed their doings, after which all were given the summer off - the next general meeting to be held in September.

July 2013 Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

(send yours to editor@redhookstar.com)

Times not worried about Revue Dear Ms. Price - I read your open letter to the New York Times regarding an article written about Red Hook in your March 2013 issue. It began with your annoyance of the use of so many “commas” in the headline which you felt were incorrect. Your comments continued throughout your letter to criticize the author’s article based on his assessment of Red Hook’s current status postSandy. It was more of an attack than it was a difference of opinion intelligently noted by a colleague in the field of journalism. Aside from your intended territorial protection, I felt the message it was trying to convey to your readers was lost because the stronger message conveyed was one of juvenile retaliation.

My question to you would be this: Do you think the reporters at the New York Times are now shivering in their boots over the tongue lashing you gave to one of their colleagues? Another would be this: Do you think your newspaper stands to gain the respect of readers when the editor is acting more like an armchair editor than that of a hardworking first-time editor who can keep a business head in any situation? I would also question whether you think the credentials of the writers and the editors of the New York Times are less than those of the Red Hook Star- Revue? I doubt they cannot put a comma in its proper place. If I’m correct, they just won four Pulitzer Prizes.

I regularly read the Red Hook Star with other local papers in addition to the Times. Some time ago, I read your bio and learned that your work experience is not in journalism. Rather, it is in acting. I realize that may explain some of the inconsistent writing or approaches that I have seen in your paper. I have never, for instance, seen a professional newspaper point out people’s misgivings as writers as often as you have done in your paper. Was it really necessary, for example, to announce to your readers that the profound and sorrowful young inmate’s open letter to the Star was edited for “grammatical errors?” (He’s pouring out his heart and soul, and you decide it’s the perfect time to let the world know he can’t write.) I’m sure there could have been a better way of wording that bit of information, or, better yet, not mention it at all. Also, you wrote when you were interviewed for a job at the Star-Revue and were asked to review an article for one of the staff writers, you pointed out that the piece was “long and redundant,” among other things. Do you think at that point in time that you were exercising good leadership skills as the new editor? Or do you think it primarily pumped your ego?

As an editor, passing judgment on your own staff’s writing abilities to the public, lessens the credibility of your paper, is a poor choice of constructive critism, and does nothing to boost employee morale.

in a non-headline context, it would read: The community, returning to life, asks, “Where is everybody?” When the phrase, “returning to life” is removed, the sentence still makes sense and is the indicator that is correct.

There are plenty of errors I have picked up on in your columns that repeat themselves constantly, especially when it comes to punctuation. I have often seen sentences void of punctuation where it is necessary for clarity or proper usage, and I have seen overuse of simple sentences that creates a rote style of writing. I have also seen many misspelled words in your headlines and columns that could be “marked” inexcusable. But to err is human. There has to be a respectable margin of error that can be managed diplomatically without one’s ego getting in the way. Otherwise, professionalism goes by the wayside. Remember, anyone can claim to be a scholar, but being a gentleman is the key to winning people over – in any gender.

Eliminating your first comment in your letter, which set an immature tone, would have served you better as a professional. Who’s going to take your paper seriously if you keep patting yourself on your own back? If you want your publication to stand out as a first-class publication, you sometimes have to learn from your competitors how that is accomplished. As it stands, the paper seems to be a red carpet for the editors, with pictures and articles about personal experiences that often have nothing to do with Red Hook.

Being overly confident and thoughtless in your new role as an editor can work against you. You’re an open book in your field where any potential employers in your future have access to your published work. It’s possible that you may wish to work at the Times or another recognized paper one day. Your careless comments may be the proof they need to pass you over. Think about it. - W.F. Butkivits P.S. As far as your disagreement with the way the New York Times’ reporter represented Red Hook, I can only say that each reporters will report his or her interpretation of coverage as it is seen through the experience of others. I’m sure those residents weren’t lying to him. He cannot report a different view than yours just because you don’t like his findings or those of some Red Hook residents who have had helpless experiences. There are many sides to a story.

They may feel the reporter was listening to theirs.

The Star-Revue received a letter from Myriam Ortiz Davila in Orlando, Florida.

Following are excerpts from her letter.

I have a sister named Eva Ortiz Davila who has had a lot of loss in her life.

We were raised in Red Hook, Brooklyn. She still lives in Red Hook. Ever since the storm, she has been from house to house because her landlord does not want to fix the building she lived in for 17 years and has never missed a rent payment. She is losing hope.

I am writing to you not about her problem with the landlord, but [because] she had one of the worst loses any mother could have. You see on July 23, 1988, (25 years ago) she lost her only son. She lost her son in the ninth month of pregnancy; he was stillborn. This was the worst hurt of her life.

She had two daughters at the time that needed her. So you see, she had to deal with raising two daughters and deal with the pain of losing her son. I love my sister with all my heart and soul.

During her pain, she wrote [a] poem for her son. I want to do something special for her, to let her know not to give up HOPE. I want to let her know that her baby boy is her ANGEL, if she just believes!

Please understand that this world we live in today, it is all about bad news.

We sometimes lose ourselves in it. I want to let her know that I have not forgotten her pain or her baby boy. I would love to surprise her with the poem she wrote to her baby boy in your newspaper.

For Eva Ortiz Davila, we are privileged to print your poem in our paper.

FOOTPRINTS UPON MY HEART For her son, Mario Jose Davila III

By Eva Ortiz Davila You left Footprints Upon My Heart, knowing me briefly then having to part.

You left your Handprints Upon My Soul, caressing, loving me then having to go.

Yesterday was but a Dream, unchangeable and gone.

You were born without a cry, you were Stillborn, I wanted to die.

As I held you, I silently screamed, “Wake me up someone, for this is a dream.”

There was so much to show you and to share, I want you to know I LOVED YOU, I REALLY CARED. I see the world today through different eyes, I laugh more often but occasionally I still do Cry. I appreciate a bird in flight, a flower in full bloom, I can smile now at a Newborn and even hear a Lullaby tune.

I have learned again to live, laugh and smile, but I will Never Forget My Beautiful Stillborn Child.

Could work at Times?

Dear Lady Price - Great story, “The Vultures after LICH.” Simply put, wolves and coyotes in dark suits. The Othmer Endowment Fund, Donald and Mildred Othmer are saying in heaven, “Den of thieves that we left in charge.”

God help us.

Footprints Upon My Heart, Handprints Upon My Soul, they are here to stay Forever and NEVER LET GO.

Good research. You might be the next Gretchen Morgenson of the NY Times.

“Education 101 is the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty” – Mark Twain - God Bless, Brother B

In my own professional opinion as a businessman – since you raised the point – the reporter’s multiple “commas” are correct. The headline used an appositive phrase which requires punctuation – the comma. If you put the headline

Page 8 Red Hook Star-Revue

www.RedHookStar.com

July 2013

CitiBike missing in South Brooklyn

C

itiBike is the new bike share system that allows riders to take a bike for a 30 minutes – or 45 minutes for annual members - before be required to return the bike. However, not all neighborhoods have access to the CitiBike program – including Red Hook and Carroll Gardens. Both have large biking communities. In addition, the bikes could have provided another reliable form of transport for the isolated community of Red Hook, where there is still great need for alternatives to city buses.

CitiBike was announced by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in September of 2011. In May of 2012, DOT and NYC Bike Share announced Citibank as the title sponsor for the project. CitiBike was expect to launch last year, but they were experiencing difficulties with their computer operating system and pushed back the start date. Before the May 26, 2013 launch the DOT decided to have a test run in selected areas over the city.

Red Hook a cyclist community Most people thought that Red Hook would have been a prime location because of transportation inadequacies.

However the neighborhood wasn’t one of DOT’s chosen place. Even after Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez fought to have a test run in the community, DOT didn’t agree with her. After the CitiBike program launch, it seem that there have been many problems. Even Mayor Bloomberg foresaw issues before the system even began.

Ten months ago - when CitiBike system was suppose to be up and running - Mayor Bloomberg announced that it would be delayed. “The software doesn’t work. Duh,” he said on his weekly radio show. “Until it works, we’re not going to put it out until it does work. “ Once the program started only annual members were allowed to use the bike share program before all weekly and daily passes were available. An annual membership fee costs $95 plus tax to have access for 45 minutes without additional credit card charges. If a rider does not redock a bicycle within 45 minutes then another $2.50 is charged.

After 75 minutes an additional $9 is charged. For each half hour beyond that, another $9 will be charged to the credit card the annual membership the membership was purchased with.

One week later, all weekly and 24 hour passes were available to the public. Weeklies and dailies are allowed to ride bikes for 30 minutes before being charged additional fees. After the first 30 minutes the card will be charged an extra $4. After 90 minutes, another charge of $12 will be tacked on. Every additional 30 minutes $13 more will be applied. In addition, CitiBike also puts a $101 hold on the account that is released 24-48 hours after the expiration of the pass Reporters from WNYC did their own test survey to see how well CitiBike was functioning. WNYC Date News Team revealed in one week that an average of 35 stations – more than 10% of the pro-

Red Hook Star-Revue

by Alliyah Monae Leocadio gram - “had no activity for four hours or more during the day time” among 330 stations city-wide. They excluded rain days and only counted the “in service” stations between 8 am and 8 pm, showing that they appeared to be unused for long stretches, suggesting the stations may have been inoperable.

DOT Commissioner Janette SadikKhan recently released a statement saying that more than 25,000 new annual members have signed up since launching the system. The release also said that over more than 32,000 daily and weekly passes were used within the first two weeks.

At the Henry/Atlantic Street station, CitiBiker, Rhonda Tamznam commented on her experience. “I have imagined that the system will expand and that they’re not having it many locations, but I hope that they will expand it in more parts of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan.”

Tamznam expressed some of her concerns as well. “I have had issues with docking and taking bikes out of the system. I would also be on hold for long periods of time for about 15-20 minutes” She also noted that the program is brand new and that they probably weren’t expecting so many people to take advantage of the program. But she is understanding of the long periods of wait time.

Even on the CitiBike FaceBook page many people have commented about issues and how they feel about the new system. Matt Galek, an annual member, who has been waiting for almost a month wrote, “Been waiting a week for my key since May 30th. No huge worries, but would be nice if annual members could have a free week pass to compensate for the wait.”

Another member named of Charles Yoo said, “You have 15,000 keys active.

10,000 supposedly in the mail? 10,000 additional end of next week? I signed up June 1 and my number is outside of just under 35,000. So the two week turnaround is now looking to be one month?”

Yoo then writes, “A free week pass would be a great gesture to make up for the backlog. The interest and demand is high than you expected. We get that.

Should do something to make good, instead of just written/verbal promises.

Many of the comments express how users feel and what they think the DOT should do to fix these problems.

There are no docking stations in Carroll Gardens or Red Hook, making the Atlantic/Henry Street station the closest to these two neighborhoods. From that location, the ride to Fairway on Van Brunt is approximately 9 minutes. To get back to the docking station is another 9 minutes – or 18 minutes roundtrip.

For daily or weekly members, the time remaining to shop is 12 minutes, unless they are willing to get hit with an overcharge fee. Annual members would have 27 minutes.

Essentially, without docking stations in Red Hook or Carroll Gardens, DOT has not only excluded the neighborhoods, but has restricted access to them as well.

Talk of expanding the program is hopeful for these areas, but DOT has yet to indicate specific sites for future docks.

Without them, Red Hook and Carroll Gardens will most likely not benefit from the program.

b) the system is functioning properly; and c) time does not expire. CitiBike has a hotline (1-855-BIKE-311) for bikers who experience difficulties redocking. However, they do not provide time extensions if a r5ider cannot simply find a dock.

In addition, if there aren’t any spaces available at the docks riders must find another station with empty spaces to redock.

If a docking station’s computer system is inoperable, more time must be spent traveling to another docking location in the hopes that a) empty docks are available;

CitiBike may be a great way for many New Yorkers to get around the city.

But there are problems with the system.

DOT should consider transportation issues as well as plans to add more stations to communities where people can best benefit from the program.

On Thursday, June 27, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and New York City Bike Share released a statistical report card of Citi Bike’s first month of operation: • Number of trips (as of 5 p.m. June 26): 528,991 • Number of trips in the last seven days: 200,823 • Total annual, weekly and daily subscriptions purchased: 113,692 • Estimated miles traveled to date: 1.28 million - the equivalent of 50 trips around the Earth • Estimated number of calories burned since launch (assumes an average of 40 calories per mile biked): 50 million calories, the equivalent of 91,000 Big Macs or nearly 52,000 entire pints of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream • Average number of rides on each of the 6,000 Citi Bikes: 88

Protect Your Property

by Camille Daniels

At the 76th Precinct meeting in March the “Spot It to Secure It” program was created. The purpose of the program is to keep the neighborhoods of South Brooklyn safe.

Officers who walk the streets are observing cars and homes to check for anything that may be overtly exposed. This may be a laptop in the front seat of a car or a cell phone left on the dashboard. It can also be something as simple as leaving a front door ajar.

Since introducing the world to the iPod classic and other product, Apple not only revolutionized how people listened to music, they also made consumers a target for robbery and theft. For the people of the 76th Precinct, the issue of robbery and theft becomes a problem if the object is left in plain sight.

Instead of just letting the residents of these neighborhoods continue to be in danger, officers decided to find a way to help by taking action.

“We wanted to be proactive rather than reactive,” Captain Schiff of the 76th precinct and founder of Spot It to Secure It said.

Captain Schiff explained that the program was created based on the major crimes going on in the area and reported to the precinct, especially grand larceny

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and larceny.

He believes that the main reason why the program has been so successful so far is because of his team’s approach. Their solution is to think like the criminals they catch.

Life sometimes can be very hectic and can cause people to forget to be careful with their property.

“They’ve got their kids and they’re tired. They’re more concerned about [their kids] than their personal property,” Detective Marrone said.

The program serves as an extra pair of eyes and encourages everyone to be more vigilant. “[It’s a] gentle or friendly reminder. Try to help yourself and your community by not becoming a victim,” Schiff said.

The program has received praise by the CB 6 and communities have created similar programs around the country. “[We’ve] gotten positive feedback,” Detective Marrone said. In these rough economic times it almost seems natural that there would be a spike in crime.

However, because of the program burglaries have dropped 35% from last year.

Protecting the communities increases the peace. “It’s good to know someone on the right side [of the law] is looking out for them,” Marrone said.

July 2013 Page 9

Bob Diamond is one persistent fellow

Green Dry Cleaners in Cobble Hill

by Aleks Gilbert “Brooklyn’s foremost green cleaner” hasn’t always been green. “There was only one way to dry clean in 1983,” said Ken Kinzer, the founder of Bridgestone Cleaners. “That was using the most hazardous chemical perchloroethylene.”

Ken, a Brooklyn native, founded Bridgestone in 1983, after being approached by a landlord who wanted to gentrify Cobble Hill. “When you’re a landlord and you want to attract people,” said Ken, “you need basic services. You need a grocery, a bodega, you need a laundromat.”

Several years later, however, he was subjected to the flipside of gentrification—his rent skyrocketed and the landlord decided he’d rather have a bank as a tenant.

Ken had to move Bridgestone from its original location on Court Street. But he couldn’t move his dry cleaning machine with it; perchloroethylene is so toxic that New York State regulations require that it be disposed of as if it were radioactive waste.

“I thought, ‘I’m never going to have this happen to me again,’ not be able to remove the machine.” Ken abandoned perchloroethylene and began using wet clean technology—“machinery that actually simulates hand washing,” according to Ken—and non-hazardous chemicals. A few years later, Bridgestone became a GreenEarth Affiliate.

GreenEarth is a company based in Kansas City that has patented an eponymous solvent, GreenEarth, “which is basically liquefied sand,” said Ken. For an annual licensing fee, affiliates are allowed to use GreenEarth. According to Ken, “it’s so safe the federal government is not even regulating it now.”

The Green Cleaners Council, which rates laundromats based on their wetcleaning capabilities, recycling programs, and the degree to which they exceed regulatory requirements, has awarded Bridgestone four—of a possible

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by Stacie Nieves f one man has his way, Red Hook may soon look a lot more like San Francisco or New Orleans. The president of a non-profit dedicated to bringing trolley service to Brooklyn claims that the upcoming change in city administration gives him good reason to hope his goals will soon be realized.

Bob Diamond, president of the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association, calls his past troubles with the Department of Transportation (DOT) “water under the dam.” He and his new partners, the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation (GCCDC) and Inside one of the trolley’s parked by the Gowanus Bay Terminal (GBX), Fairway. (Star-Revue file photo) are “hoping whoever becomes mayor would integrate trolley service” into entire cost of establishment, Diamond Red Hook’s lagging public transporta- recommends New York follow the extion system. ample set by Portland, Oregon. The city “Optimistically, with a new mayor advanced the money to pay for a trolthat wants to do this,” Diamond says, ley, and then recouped its investment “things should be ready to roll from through sales tax brought in by the inthree years after the new mayor takes creased economic activity around the office.” line.

Diamond sees plenty of reason to get As for the yearly operating costs of the the trolleys rolling as soon as possible. trolley, which Diamond estimates at “The B61 doesn’t count as viable tran- $2-3 million a year, he points to Kansit,” he says. “Red Hook needs twenty- sas City, Missouri for another lesson. four hour transportation on a reliable Voters there created a “transit improvebasis” to “reintegrate” it into the rest ment district,” in which sales and real of Brooklyn. estate taxes were raised slightly to cover The trolley line that Diamond envi- the costs of operating the trolley, meansions would originate in a loop around ing riders could take it for free. the Court Street-Borough Hall subway According to DOT spokesperson Nick station, run down Boerum Place then Mosquera, the department is currently through the Atlantic Avenue tunnel. pursuing alternatives to trolley service It would then travel down Columbia that it considers more promising, “such Street to Richards Street and pass the as enhanced bus service to the area and IKEA and the Red Hook Houses via better pedestrian access from the Red Beard, Columbia, Bay, and Clinton Hook Houses to the Smith/9th Street Streets. The track would follow West subway station.”

9th Street to the line’s conclusion, a Should Diamond’s attempt to bring loop around the Smith-Ninth Street streetcars to Red Hook fail, it certainly subway station. wouldn’t be the first time. His transit “We went and priced out every single crusade has gone on for decades, reachnail, inch of track, and stitch of wire,” ing a high point in 1999 when Diamond Diamond says, and determined that it got as far as laying down tracks in Red would cost $50 million to establish the Hook, and a low point in 2011 when trolley service, “including new street- he sued the city for $160 million for cars built in the U.S.” abandoning those tracks and plans for But according to Craig Hammerman, more as a result of the feasibility study’s district manager at Community Board findings. As to the status of that suit, 6, that money just “wasn’t there” when Diamond says he has “reserved the right DOT “did a full vetting of light rail” to file an appeal or amended complaint against the City in the near future, just in 2011. to be sure Bloomberg and his adminisThe Brooklyn Streetcar Feasibility Study, tration are long gone by the time [the] paid for by a grant secured by Reprelawsuit times itself out.” sentative Nydia Velazquez, found that the trolley service would cost $176 mil- As Diamond knows well, his tenacity lion and be used by only 1,822 riders a has a strong historical backing. In the day. DOT also noted that Red Hook’s 1930s, a vast trolley system served to narrow streets would impede streetcars. connect Brooklyn to Queens, while the subway system connected those borBut before would-be trolley establishers oughs to Manhattan. By the late 1940s, could even think about “whose streets the streetcars had been inadequately reit would run down and whether or placed by buses thanks to the efforts of not they would be happy about that,” car, tire, and gasoline companies.

Hammerman says the “first hurdle” is If Diamond is looking for a mayor willsecuring the funding. ing to make trolley history repeat itself, Diamond calls the study’s conclusion he may want to consider casting his vote “an error.” He says that the trolley line for Christine Quinn, the speaker of the would cost “$20 million a mile, not $60 New York City Council. According to million as claimed in the study.” He the speaker, her immigrant grandfather plans to acquire that money through held several jobs as he worked his way federal grants. up the city’s economic ladder. One of Should the grants fail to cover the them was driving a trolley.

I Bridgestone’s 175 Court Street store.

five—“leaves.” Bridgestone has also received the Seal of Approval Award of Excellence from the Clothing Care Council for the seventh consecutive year.

Bridgestone is also active in the community. This year, they partnered with Operation PROM, an organization that helps collect prom formal wear for less fortunate students.

“Originally they called us to just ask if they could use our stores as drop off points for people to donate gowns,” said Ken, “and then we thought to ourselves, ‘well hell, that’s easy, why don’t we just suggest that we’d like to clean them?’”

Ken’s son, Zach—the general manager at Bridgestone—added, “they basically dropped off like 40 or 50 gowns and we had them for a couple of weeks, we got them all cleaned up the best we could.”

“We’re looking forward to really working with them next year - and getting the word out earlier,” said Ken. “I would say even sending out emails to all of our customers to ask them to contribute to it also. It’s a good cause.”

On environmentalism, Ken says, “we have the technology today. We have the wherewithal, and that’s just in this business. I couldn’t use something non hazardous in 1983. It didn’t exist. Today, people have choices. Some people like to be stuck in what they’ve been doing for years. Me, I love trying new things; I love staying relevant, I love keeping my business abreast of today’s world.”

We have been serving Brooklyn Businesses since 1988.

Our clients include:

St. Ann’s Warehouse, Eastern Athletic Club, Al Vann, BWAC & St. Francis College Services Offered: • Lettershop • Political Mailings • Non-Profit Fundraising Letters • Postcards • Brochures & Newsletters • First Class & Bulk

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July 2013

BumbleBee graduates pre-schoolers

B

umblBeesRus celebrated itsfirst graduation on Lorraine Street last month.

Lauryn Williams receives a Student/ Teacher award. (photos by Fiala)

BumbleBees is a childcare center which opened at 76 Lorraine Street in the spring of 2012. Their first pre-school graduation was held June 19. The graduates will be going on to kindergarten. BumbleBee has programs for infants, toddlers and pre-school.

Ten young pre-schoolers dressed up in golden caps and gowns received their first diplomas and awards. Certificates were given out for things like being the best teacher’s helper, the best friend, having the best laugh. The children accepted the awards graciously as their friends and family watched.

The program included singing and performances by the graduates, a video, and of course the pledge of allegiance.

BumbleBeesR Us is a state-of-the art childcare center, and has been well received in the community.

Congratulations to South Brooklyn HS graduates On Wednesday, June 26, 2013, St. Francis College welcomed nearly 50 graduates and their families to celebrate the graduation ceremony. Good Shepherds Services and the New York City Department of Education prepared the presentation and refreshments.

TYQUAN’S HOOK SCREENS AT ROCKY SULLIVAN’S Tyquan Carter, local rapper and filmmaker, hosted a benefit screening of his documentary on Hurricane Sandy on Friday, June 21. Donations went to replaced equipment damaged and destroyed as his ground floor Van Brunt Street apartment flooded during the storm.

Carroll Gardens dog run to be remodelled

Several members of the Carroll Gardens Dog Group met with NY Parks Department, Community Board 6 and Councilman Brad Lander to review the proposal and provide input. The project is in its final design phase and is unlikely to significant modifications.

Dimattina Dog Park was originally built in 2001 with grant money from Councilman Steve DiBrienza. The original surface has crumbled twice since and has had to be replaced both times. Currently the park is in “deplorable condition,” according to James Adrias, a member of the Carroll Gardens Dog Group. “For this reason, we approached Councilmember Lander for assistance,” he said.

The film depicts the unfolding storm, and its effects on Tyquan, his family and the Red Hook community, - through his eyes. Local activist Reg Flowers is interviewed in the movie, as are friends and family. The video was shot and edited by Carter, who also contributes an original soundtrack.

Tyquan recently performed at the Red Hook Fest, under the auspices of Dance Theatre Etctera, who also produced the video. Tyquan also has plans to enter the short film in film festivals throughout the country.

The

The project is expected to take approximately five months to complete.

Tyquan Carter is flanked by his sister Diane and DTE’s Martha Bowers.

Red Hook StarªRevue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

New Birth

Michael and Tara joyfully welcome their son, Michael Hazard McCourt, born May 22nd, weighing 8 lbs. 14 oz.

Dog owners will soon have a newly renovated park for man’s best friend to play in. Dimattina Dog Park on Hicks Street between Hamilton Avenue and Rapeleye Street will be remodeled later this year, with construction beginning no later than September.

The improvements include a new crushed gravel surface, security lighting, ornamental plantings and drinking fountains with dog bowls. An extension is also being added for smaller dogs adjacent to the existing run. There will be separate entrances for large and small dogs.

Red Hook Star-Revue

Baby Hazard: May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face.

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July 2013 Page 11

Six years in the making, the Red Hook Urban Farm is growing and thriving

O

n June 18, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chairman John B. Rhea launched the Red Hook Urban Farm, a 1-acre urban agriculture installation and the first-ever large-scale community farm on NYCHA property.

The model farm, located across from the Red Hook Library, will serve as a source of fresh produce for the community while also providing a center for education, job training, and community engagement for residents. Produce will be sold at farmers’ markets operated by the nonprofit group Added Value or donated to families in need, and revenue from sales will fund stipends for members of the Green City Force Clean Energy Corps who will maintain the project.

The Red Hook Urban Farm was installed by participants in the Center for Economic Opportunity’s (CEO) Work Progress Program, a component of the Young Men’s Initiative, which has resulted in 34 urban agriculture job placements to date.

Added Value’s Ian Marvy is flanked by PS 15 principal Peggy Wyns-Madison and teacher Julie Cavanaugh.

Gibbs was joined by Food Policy Coordinator Kim Kessler, Center for Economic Opportunity Executive Director Kristin Morse, and partners from Added Value and Green City Force.

“The Red Hook Urban Farm will provide residents with access to a healthy source of produce while also providing young people with a pathway to education and employment.” “Low-income communities tend to have limited access to the healthy food choices and nutrition education which can help their residents lead healthier lives,” said NYCHA Chairman Rhea.

“NYCHA has a long-standing greening tradition that supports our residents in creating and maintaining more than 600 community garden plots throughout the five boroughs,” said NYCHA Board Member Margarita López. “This is an opportunity for us to build upon this great tradition to develop a sustainable environment that will contribute to our residents’ health and the green collar economy.”

“Today is really the culmination of four years of important work developing a shared vision for the development of this beautiful Urban Farm here in Red Hook,” said Ian Marvy, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Added Value. “Now, every day as the children gathered here today walk with their family to and from school to their homes in this wonderful community they will share stories of what they planted and what they grew, and this experience and knowledge translates into conversations in the grocery store, increased visits to farmers markets and indeed families eating more health-promoting fresh foods.

Red Hook West Tenant Association president Lillian Marshall was given credit for having the foresight to allow the farm to happen.

Corbin Laedlein of Added Value prepared delicious salads for everyone. The salads were composed of lettuces harvested from the farm.

These women came to the ceremony to honor an old friend who was remembered at the ceremony.

“This is a special collaboration where NYCHA, Added Value and Green City Force bring complementary areas of expertise to bear to create opportunity and support sustainability and health for residents,” said Lisbeth Shepherd, Executive Director of Green City Force.

The Red Hook West Urban Farm has two primary missions: the growth and distribution of healthy foods and the education of local residents about healthy diets; and a green jobs training program for NYCHA youth who are out of school and unemployed. The six-month work readiness program, managed by the nonprofit organization Green City Force and supported by Added Value, will provide handson job skills training in the field of urban agriculture, as well as educational support and life skills development.

Waliek Juneol, honored at the event, was a member of the first Urban Farm Corps piloted with Added Value back in 2011. Waliek is a resident of Red Hook Houses.

He was recruited to Green City Force, gained job readiness skills and distinguished himself as an AmeriCorps member on the Green City Force team assigned to the Red Hook Community Farm, where he received a thorough introduction to urban agriculture and food and farm-based learning through Added Value’s trainings.

After graduation, Future Green Studio, an urban landscape design firm located around the corner from the farm, gave Waliek the chance to join a green roof build and from there hired him permanently. He has been working there for nearly two years.

A panoramic view of the one acre farm with the Red Hook Houses in the background.

Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue

The Urban Farm will be visited by local schoolchildren who will be taught about plants and farming. Eventually, the city hopes to have five of these farms on NYCHA properties.

This young man was told that indeed, he is holding just picked lettuce!

Educator and past TA President Bea Byrd was in the audience along with other notables.

Waliek Juneol, a Green City Force graduate and Red Hook resident, stands with Lillie Marshall and John Rhea. (photos on this page by George Fiala)

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July 2013

Red Hook East and West meet in joint TA meeting

by George Fiala

D

Dorothy Shields recognizes notables in the audience.

orothy Shields and Lillie Marshall presided over a rare joint meeting of the Red Hook East and West Tenants Association. The last meeting before the summer break took place at the Miccio Center on June 12.

to the facility programs, which are in The Bronx, Manhattan and Northern Brooklyn. Brian Bannister, outreach worker, left his number - 917 338-9254.

The Brooklyn office is at 790 Broadway, and their number is 718 302-2057.

The program included a presentation from Pratt Institute, where three professors including urban planner Ron Schiffman discussed the results of their work on planning for future Sandy-type events in Red Hook. Their power point presentation was unavailable, so instead they plastered the walls with illustrations from their research which included plans for interim housing and flood prevention.

Ian Marvy and Lee Trotman spoke about the new Urban Farm they are working on across from the library (see story on left).

Three graduates of a program called Strong Fathers, Stronger Families spoke of the benefits of their program. It helps find employment for fathers to find jobs and achieve economic stability so as to maintain the family unit and make a positive impact on the lives of their children. The service is free, and participants are even given free MetroCards to facilitate their transportation

The meeting seemed a success. Wally Bazemore stood up and made note of the fact that two present and one past TA president were in the same room together. He was referring to Miss Shields and Miss Marshall, current presidents of West and East, and Bea Byrd, sitting in the audience, who preceded Lillie as Red Hook West TA president. “I am happy to see all my East and West friends together in one room,” Bazemore said. “We are one Red Hook - let us join together more often!”

Refreshments were served after the meeting. As with many community organizations, meetings are not held over the summer.

Frances Brown, founder of Mothers Against Gangs listens to Miss Marshall.

Lillie Marshall with Ron Schiffman, of Pratt.

The joint meeting brought a nice turnout at the Miccio Center.

Pratt Professors Jeremy Carvalho and Deborah Gans speak as Miss Marshall

Lee Trotman from Green City Forest and Ian Marvy from Added Value talk about the Urban Farm.

Past President Bea Byrd and Wally Bazemore listen to the presentations.

LICH

permission or approval, and without regard for the needs/demands of the community, these services are already shut down.

cally closed. Only the walk-in ER and out-patient testing like the endoscopy lab (for things like colonoscopy) is being allowed. They have turned this 155 year old premiere medical teaching facility into a walk-in clinic practically overnight.

College Hospital ambulance teams that cruise LICH catchment neighborhoods.

(continued from page 3)

diversions should be lifted gradually.

SUNY refuses and continues to close down the rest of the hospital.

Hospital emptied of patients “In the meantime, [Thursday] the 8th floor (medical), 9th floor (psychiatry), 10th floor (surgery), 11th floor (neurosurgery and stroke unit), St51 (step down cardiac), and Labor/Delivery are all emptied out of patients. Obstetrical deliveries have been banned except for emergencies. But the nursing staff are all still there. For instance, ICU had 6 RNs on duty with 2 nursing aides and just 3 patients (2 of them being prepared for transfer to another hospital).

“Pediatrics and maternity are empty and no further admissions are allowed.

In 2008, when Continuum tried to close those units, the DOH refused to allow it, saying that the services were “vital” to the community. The pediatric and maternal population has exploded in the area since then. If those services were vital then, they are even more vital now. Yet, without the DOH

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“The cardiac unit is closed and has a padlock newly installed on the door. A PADLOCK! As a slap in the face to the chief of cardiology, a security camera was installed at the door of his office to keep an eye on him. They’re being installed all over the hospital too.

“The cardiac catheterization center, which had the best door-to-doctor times in the borough, is now closed except to in-house emergencies. Surgeries have been blocked too. The attending physicians cannot admit their patients, not through the emergency room and now not even through the admitting office.

“The attending physicians can’t work if they can’t admit their patients. So of course they will have to leave and go to another hospital to be able to take care of their patients - then SUNY Downstate claims there is a mass “exodus of doctors who have voluntarily left.”

“Armed university police are suddenly patrolling LICH. “The entire in-patient hospital is basi-

“They have not listened to the Supreme Court Judge ever. He ruled in February and they spit in his face with their defiance. They have not listened to the DOH either which said the ER diversion should be lifted. I don’t know what the esteemed Mr. Thompson is going to be able to do with them.”

More staff than patients Every day the picture changes a little bit as SUNY defies court orders, ignores directives from DOH and manipulates LICH closer and closer to closure. But the hospital staff is not deterred. They are all still there, outnumbering the patients almost two to one.

Julie Semente sent an email in April detailing the necessity of LICH for the surrounding communities: “Last week a 13 year old boy collapsed in his classroom. Quick action by his teacher and school nurse brought immediate attention by the Long Island

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“The child was in full cardiac arrest, was brought back to life by LICH paramedics after shocking his heart 4 times and administering emergency medications. The child was in the LICH emergency room within 2 minutes, where the cardiology doctors and nurses took over, started hypothermia treatment and rushed him up to the 5th floor cardiac angioplasty center for cardiac catheterization. Afterwards, the child was stabilized in the LICH Cardiac Critical Care Unit before being transferred to a Manhattan pediatric unit to recuperate.

“He is alive because LICH doctors, nurses, staff, patients and neighbors in the communities it serves have been fighting to keep LICH alive. If SUNY had not been prevented from closing LICH, this child would be dead.”

Without these vital services in our communities, lives will certainly be lost. Every single one of the units and medical services provided that day have been discontinued by SUNY’s ultimate determination to destroy LICH.

July 2013 Page 13

Red Hook Lion’s Club celebrates Twenty Years

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n Tuesday, June 18th, The Brooklyn Red Hook Lions Club celebrated their 20th year. Their Installation and Awards Ceremony was held at the Miccio Center and with special guest Sara Gonzalez, and Jim Vogel, representing Velmanette Montgomery.

The Lion’s Club is led by Jay and Andrea McKnight. The Lions’ motto is “We Serve.” Their mission is to foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation.

Jay E. McKnight was sworn is as President for 2013-2014, Lucy A. Jones as 1st VP, John McGettrick as 2nd VP, Morris Johnson as 3rd VP, Enid Anderson as Treasurer, Sylvia Cleary as Lion Tamer and Mariliyn Harris as Tail Twister.

Awards were given to Wally Bazemore, Lion’s Charter President in 1992-93; Lawrence Fishburne, Alicia Williams, Tiffany Harris, Anthony Smith, Sherry Smith-Mosely, Lucy A. Jones, Josephine Petrocino and Kristalyn Guerrero.

Paul Grudzinski from the 76th Precinct was also honored. The cutest recipient was Larry Fishburne’s young daughter Lailah, who received a special award for her voluntarism.

Sara Gonzalez spoke of the Lion’s club accomplishments.

Sara Gonzalez, City Councilmember, presented the Lions with a framed Proclamation from the City Council honoring them for 20 years of service and gave a short speech.

Sara Gonzalez flanked by the McKnights.

A special cake made for the occasion.

James Vogel hands out the awards given by the club.

Wally Bazemore is a charter member.

Next year’s members are sworn in.

Jay McKnight holds up the City Council Proclamation.

Michelle Williams, by Jenny Belin Made in Red Hook! This “Boudoir Portrait” of actress Michelle Williams was inspired by her stunning cover photograph for GQ Magazine in February, 2012. Posed as Marilyn Monroe, Ms. WIlliams wore a teasedout platinum wig and baby doll lingerie.

The GQ pictures were to promote her film performance in “My Week With Marilyn”, a role for which she won critical acclaim.

My appreciation of vintage Hollywood Glamour is always present in my work. Marilyn Monroe is a hero to me and I admire Michelle Williams as an artist as well. These two women both lived in Brooklyn during important periods of their careers.

This is an original painting on paper. For more information please see my website: www.jennybelin.com.

Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue

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July 2013

Director Julie Taymor honored at Brooklyn Museum

by Kimberly Gail Price

A

ward winning theater, opera and film director, Julie Taymor was honored on June 13 at the 2013 Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist First awards at the Brooklyn Museum.

Museum Trustee, Elizabeth A. Sackler hosted the event. The evening included a conversation between Taymor and feminist icon Gloria Steinem and the presentation of the award, followed by a cocktail reception.

silk through a circular opening to give it rippling water effects.

Steinem also prompted her about her involvement in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Taymor took the question gracefully, calling the show “tragic” because the full potential of the show never came to fruition. Without time to put humanity into it, the full story was never revealed, she said.

Steinem and Taymor also spoke about

Sackler first introduced Taymor’s work and achievements accompanied by a compiled video of the Broadway and film director’s varying work. Steinem’s contribution’s were also presented with Sackler saying, “If you’ve never hear of Gloria Steinem, you’re under the age of three or have been living under a rock.”

Steinem and Taymor were announced and brought out on stage. They sat comfortably in chairs onstage in front of a couple hundred guests. The conversation gave a personal glimpse into Taymor’s experience and lessons she has learned along the way.

The two discussed Taymor’s background and early career beginning in her childhood backyard. Taymor spoke about playing theater with her sister, thanking her parents for providing an artistic atmosphere to grow up in.

The conversation moved quickly to Taymor’s time in Bali, where art and theater is a part of the daily culture. She originally planned to spend four months in the Indian country, but stayed for years.

Taymor spoke about how she connected with Disney and created the famous costumes and set that she became world renowned for in The Lion King. Many of the concepts were based on doing more with less. For example, by leaving the actors’ faces exposed and having the animals mounted on top of their heads, she created a real sense of humanity. In creating the rivers, she talked about the concept of simply pulling a thin sheet of

Julie Taymor and Gloria Steinem have a conversation at the Sackler Center. (Price photo)

A humble Taymor receives her ‘Feminists First” award. (photo by Price)

their experiences of being women in their career fields. Both talked of struggling to get out of gender specifications to be not women, but people. Taymor used the analogy of a female horse jockey to narrow in on her point. Although the producers have always seen her as a female – and sometimes the lesser sex – “The horse doesn’t care if I’m a woman,” she said.

Following the conversation, Sackler presented a very humble Taymor with the Feminist First Award. The award was first inaugurated in 2012 for women

who were the first in their fields. Among the fifteen women to receive the award the first year were Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, Connie Chung and Susan Stroman. Taymor was honored because she was the first woman to win a Tony Award. In 1988, she received two Tonys for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Costumes for the Lion King. The musical has gone on to become Broadway’s highest grossing show of all time and is the fifth longest running show in Broadway history.

Taymor also earned five Tony nominations in 1996 for Juan Darién: A Carnival Mass. Her other theater credits include The Green Bird, Titus Andronicus, The Taming of the Shrew and Liberty’s Taken. She is currently working on a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which will premiere as the opening production in the Theatre for a New Audience at their new home in Downtown Brooklyn this fall.

Her feature films include, Titus; the Beatles inspired Across the Universe,

which was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture; and Frida, that won two Academy Awards.

Taymor has also directed five operas.

Oedipus Rex earned her the International Classical Music Award for best Operatic Production.

The conversation and awards presentation was followed by a cocktail reception with wine, champagne and hors d’oevres. Guests had the opportunity to mingle and talk with Taymor, Steinem and Sackler. The museum also remained open for guests to view the entire gallery.

The Sackler First Awards were conceived by Sackler. She is a public historian, arts activist, American Indian advocate and matron of the arts. She became a member of the Brooklyn Museum’s Board of Trustees in 2000. She is also a writer and lecturer and has received numerous awards for her work.

In 2006, ArtTable awarded her their Distinguished Service to the Visual Arts award. In 2012, the Jewish Women’s Archive honored her with their “Making Trouble/Making History” award.

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July 2013 Page 15

Greenway Initiative gala held at Red Hook’s Liberty Warehouse

T

he Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI) held their summer benefit in Red Hook this year, as community leaders, politicos and supporters gathered June 26th at Buzzy O’Keefe’s Liberty Warehouse.

The weather was perfect, including a rare double rainbow and, as advertised - a stunning sunset. One could get amply stuffed from the tasting tables which included seafood from Brooklyn Crab, Luke’s Lobster, Watty and Meg and Fairway; barbecued meats from Fletcher’s and Hometown; turkey and roast beef sandwiches from Mile End; and plenty of desserts from Steve’s Keylime Pies and Robicelli’s Cupcakes.

Gowanus’ Royal Palms brought a shuffleboard court, the Michael Arenella Quintet provided live music, and awards were given and speeches made by Sara Gonzalez, the O’Connell Organization and others.

Councilmember Sara Gonzalez and Friends of Firefighter’s Nancy Carbone pose with Greg O’Connell, Sr. inside Liberty Warehouse.

A silent auction occupied the front room of the spacious Liberty Warehouse, which helped raise money for BGI. The greenway, begun in 2004, is a new model for urban design that addresses open space and sustainable transportation priorities while bringing needed environmental services to the Brooklyn waterfront. BGI is advancing a vision for a green infrastructure backbone that will, over time, reduce the release of raw sewage into the East River. While their main goal is a bicycle path along the Brooklyn waterfront, they are also planning parks in partnership with NYC.

You will be hard pressed to find a nicer sunset.

The ubiquitous Dan Wiley representing Nydia Velazquez.

Columbia Waterfront District resident Stephen Abel with Royal Palms partner Jonathan Shnapp.

Sosie Hublitz, owner of Court Milton Puryear, Brian McCormick and Meg Fellereth are Street’s Watty & Meg’s, takes the heart and soul (and founders) of the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, whose office is on Columbia Street. a well deserved break.

Star-Revue publisher Kimberly G. Price and Chris Hrones from the DOT.

Greg O’Connell, Jr., gets ready to accept an award from the Greenway Initiative.

We are across from Coffey Park (718) 923-9880

As people were leaving the event (some headed to the afterparty at Brooklyn Crab) they were offered T-Shirts from Fairway. (photos by Kimberly G. Price & G. Fiala)

Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue

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July 2013

Josh Parker lectures on Red Hook’s past fires

by Kimberly Gail Price

The Smoke of the Flames could be noted from Lower Manhattan “The destructive force of a fire leaves a permanent trail of information. By using the archival information from various fires that occurred over the past two centuries, the development of the neighborhood will be reconstructed.”

Join Pioneer Works on July 14 for a unique lecture on the past fires of the Red Hook village. Josh Parker will be presenting a historical background based on research he “accidentally fell into” while working on his Masters at Hunter College.

The experimental piece is based on ideas from a group in France in the 1960s called Situationalists International. “It’s about just moving through a neighborhood and letting the geography tell you about the neighborhood, which led to a deeper project while doing historical research,” Parker said.

Fire and crime The Public Library has a collection called the Brooklyn Collection. He started going through all of their archives on Red Hook. The two themes that he found were fires and crime.

“Fires gave me an insight into geographical history of the rises and falls of different buildings, what industries existed in certain buildings at certain times. It just gave me a broader history of the neighborhood.”

He researched these fires from 1851, when the Brooklyn Eagle began, through the late 1980s. The main

The

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What is now the Fairway building was the scene of two massive fires over 100 years ago when it was a storehouse.

cause of many of these fires was from distilleries right next door to cotton warehouses all in wooden structures.

Parker uses film footage, old photos, maps and atlases to show how streets, names and designs in the neighborhood change. He takes the images and overlays them over the current day images. “For me it’s about using digital media to fold history onto the present and visualize it.”

Parker talked about one of the fires he researched that impressed him the most. An old Sugar refinery caught fire. The sugar burned so hot that it was an 8 to 9 alarm fire with the inside of the building reaching close to 2,000

degrees, melting even the bricks. It was a big fire because it could be seen from lower Manhattan. He quoted some of his research saying, “the smoke of the flames could be noted from lower Manhattan.”

Fairway building stored cotton He tells another story about another building that many Red Hookers are very familiar with. Fairway used to be a cotton factory. Twice lightening struck the building causing massive fires inside once in 1887 and again in 1902. The cotton was so densely packed into the building that the fires were left to burn after firefighters were unable to extinguish the flames.

“We often move through neighborhoods and we place our own knowledge or stories on things. Having that bit of insight helps enrich that experience, “ Parker said.

Pioneer Works is entering their second year of offering classes. Dave Sheinkopf is in charge of designing and choosing artists and classes. His work often involves the mix of science and art working together. “Art is a conversation between all different media,” he says.

The lecture is from 5-7 pm. Suggested donation is $5-10. Pioneer Works is located at 139 Pioneer Street.

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July 2013 Page 17

Red Hook firehouse celebrates centennial words and photos by Kimberly Gail Price

Cermonies were held at the Richards Street firehouse, home of the Happy Hookers. After food and music, the party moved to Rocky Sullivans, for more food and music.

O

n Wednesday, June 19, firefighters, former members and their families of Engine 279 Ladder 131 celebrated a century of service.

The day began with a special ceremony at their Red Hook location.

Many were honored. Stories of bravery and courage were recounted.

The Red Hook Raiders, as they are familiarly called, are located just beyond the Brooklyn side of the Battery Tunnel. They were the first to respond on 9/11 after the attack on the Twin Towers. All seven members of Ladder 101 were killed in rescue efforts. They are still celebrated among their fellow firefighters as the “Seven in Heaven.”

They were played vital roles during the aftermath of Hurricane Page 18 Red Hook Star-Revue

Sandy, lending helping hands whenever and wherever possible with recovery efforts.

Following the ceremony, Rocky Sullivan’s hosted the Raiders to an afternoon of music, hot food donated by Fairway, and plenty of sunshine. The entire block was blocked off for the occasion. Ice chests full of cold beverages lined the sidewalks. And uniformed firefighters enjoyed a day of celebration with their families, friends and colleagues.

The Star Revue had the opportunity to speak with a few of the firefighters.

Bob Thompson, a retired fireman told us, “So this here is the whole neighborhood. The whole neighborhood appreciates the fire department so they threw a party for them.”

Bill Kahaly said, “Today is the 100th anniversary of Ladder 131

and Engine 279, and I worked there for 10 years. Started there as a probationary firefighter and got to experience some really exciting times working in Red Hook.”

He spoke a little about the role firemen play. “Well, we are all here to help the community in many, many ways besides firefighting. We help them in ways with like many other emergencies. We hope they are proud of us and see us as friends. “ Harry has been working at the fire department since he was 24 in 1957 – 56 years. He said that a lot has changed since he started working there. “The trucks, the clothes they wear when they go out on a run. We never had a mask; they carry a mask on every run. The gear that they have is very protective. Ours was not so protective.”

When we asked if he was planning

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on retiring soon, he replied, “Not me. When I retire, it’ll be into the ground.”

Lieutenant Gerber chose Rocky Sullivan’s as the location. “It’s important to do stuff in the Red Hook community, especially after Sandy. You become a part of the neighborhood.

You know, it’s a rough neighborhood; there’s not too many places they can go if they have a problem.

But people know they can come to the firehouse, whatever their problem is.

Debbie Halper walked over and said, “He’s our youngest lieutenant!”

Gerber responded with a bemused smile, “I’m not the youngest lieutenant.”

Debbie quickly jumped in and said, “Then he’s the best looking lieutenant.”

July 2013

Over on Atlantic Avenue..

On June 18th, Goose Barnacle hosted a cocktail party in the theme of Sweet & Bitters Volume 2: Corner Store Entertaining. With home made Goya cans and paper flowers the window of this clothing store was decorated to resemble a New York bodega. Brooklyn Gin served their Tom Collin and “cracker jack” with cute food-themed Tattly tattoos as the prize.

Add local media to your marketing plan.

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Guests came to peruse the latest edition of Sweets & Bitters and Goose Barnacle’s fine sartorial goods.

Goose Barnacle is located at 91 Atlantic Avenue.

Sweets and Bitters is a Quarterly publication “offering a practical vision of the good life, printed as a series of themed minicookbooks.” It is published

by Brooklyn baker Heidi Kirshner.

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July 2013