The March 2013
Red Hook StarªRevue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
Beyond closure votes, LICH Supporters Rally On by Kimberly Gail Price
D
espite last week’s unanimous vote by the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate to shut down Long Island College Hospital (LICH) and liquidate their assets to pay down a significant portion of their own debt, hospital workers remain resilient and determined. SUNY doesn’t have the power to close the hospital; only the Department of Health (DOH) has the authority to close a public medical facility. LICH’s existence lies squarely on the state’s shoulders. Until then, hospital employees maintain they will continue operating the hospital as usual. “LICH IS OPEN FOR CARE,” they proclaim at rallies, forums and candlelit vigils - even in the offices of DOH. Julie Semente, a registered nurse for the past 30 years in LICH’s ICU, says: “SUNY’s actions over the past 2 months have stunned everyone. Lying about LICH real estate not being a factor in the closure decision while railroading through the process illegally was bad enough. Now shutting the community out of the process by holding a public hearing for LICH in Westchester is just making Downstate appear even less credible. But the community’s anger is going to fall on top of Governor Cuomo. All of the SUNY Trustees except for the student representative, are the governors appointees. From Red Hook to Brooklyn Heights to Dumbo, people won’t forget that their only hospital was closed and their lives were put at risk while under Cuomo’s watch.” In 2012, LICH served more than 100,000 patients, admitted over 58,000 people to through the emergency room and delivered 2,000 babies. Sixty-six of their physicians in thirty-five specialties were ranked among the best in the nation. Services in pulmonary (lung), nephrology (liver), neurology (nervous system), and neurosurgery (brain surgery) are ranked among the top in the nation. LICH provides emergency, primary and mental health care for a wide-ranging number of citizens from all socio-economic levels. They are also a designated stroke, cardiac angioplasty and neurological and neurosurgical center.
PJ Hanley’s hung in there until St. Patrick’s Day. This photo was taken just before the last last call on March 17th. Some call Hanley’s Brooklyn oldest bar. It has been in business since 1874, but is now in bankruptcy court. (photo by Kimberly Gail Price)
LICH began in 1858 as a medical school and a hospital. LICH started having rela-
Inside:
Fairway’ re-opening
Special Section “Brooklyn is growing in leaps and bounds. We need to keep this hospital open for care,” says LICH kidney dialysis RN Maribel Agosto. photo: New York State Nurses Association
tively small annual deficits around the mid 1990’s. The Board of LICH opted to take on an outside partner to maximize their cost efficiency, according to Toomas M. Sorra, MD and President of Concerned Physicians of LICH. They eventually merged with Continuum Health Partners in 1998.
begins page 9
LICH had never faced closure before being “plundered by Continuum,” she said. But in 2008, Continuum sold off approximately $50 million worth of properties for real estate development. After a decade of mismanagement from 1998-2008, Continuum sent warning notices to the employees of LICH, planning to discontinue women and children’s services as well as dental services. DOH refused to allow it because the services were vital to the surrounding communities. “Nothing has changed since then, except that the population of the community we serve has exploded. If LICH was too vital in 2008 to shut down even just a few services, it’s even more vital now,” wrote Semente. Continuum then filed formal complaints in 2008 with the State Health Department to terminate their partnership with LICH. Continuum was also aligned with St Vincent’s in Manhattan when their doors were permanently shuttered. St Vincent’s was over $1 billion in debt and they were forced to close in 2010. (continued on page 5)
The Red Hook Star-Revue 101 Union Street Brooklyn, NY 11231
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The
Red Hook StarªRevue
March 2013
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Happenings
Volume 4 No. 4
Saturday, March 23 The Brooklyn Arts Exchange presents the Progress Awards. Cocktails hour 7:30, Awards Program 8:15. Special guest appearance by noted cabaret performer Molly Pope. Tickets range from $35 - $125. 421 Fifth Avenue, at 7th Street (718) 832-0018
Table of Contents Community Calendar......... 2 Fairway...................9-16 Happenings ...................... 2 Art review.................. 17 Newsbriefs......................... 4 Spoof/Crossword.. 18,19 Elizabeth Bergin................. 8 Classifieds................. 23
Tuesday March 26
Brooklyn’s own Doll Parts is a Dolly Parton cover band, of all things. Made up of young but seasoned musicians with a background in not only country and western, but hip hop as well, Doll Parts is rapidly setting new trends in popular bar music. They are appearing at 9:30 pm at another place growing in popularity, The Way Station, a friendly bar with an intimate side room with a stage. 683 Washington Avenue, at Bergen Street in Prospect Heights.
Staff Kimberly G. Price.......................................Editor/Publisher George Fiala.......................................... Graphics/Publisher
Thursday, March 28
Date Night at the Jalopy Theater. Jalopy has been offering a special dating package every Thursday night. Dinner for two and a show are offered for just $45. This Thursday’s show features Dawn Landes, a Kentucky Born country singer who sings the kinds of songs that Gram Parson’s might have, as she compares the ups and downs of romance to the rigours of bull riding. Dinner at 7 pm, show starts 8:30 pm. Jalopy 315 Columbia St, (718) 395-3214
Brian Clancy....................................................Theater/Arts Vince Musacchia..................................................Cartoons Eric Ruff............................................................... Calendar Alliyah Leocadi .........................................................Intern
Contributors
Friday March 29
Mary Anne Massaro, Mary Ann Pietanza,
Good Friday Processionals, Visitation Church begins at 10:45 am at Visitation Church steps, 98 Richards Street; Sacred Heart/St. Stephens beigins at 7 pm on the church steps at Hicks and Summit Sts. See page 22 of this issue for further details
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Tuesday, March 30
The famous unsanctioned fixed bike race, the Red Hook Crit, returns to the Cruise Terminal at Red Hook’s Pier 11. Men’s and woman’s foot racing begins at 7 pm, the actual bike race at 9 pm. It’ll be all over by 10 as that’s when the prizes are awarded. 72 Bowne Street
Ongoing
Star-Revue Community Calendar
During March and April the Brooklyn Museum will be having many programs available for kids, teens and adults of all ages. Some of these programs include a performance by jazz vocalist Antoinette Montague and the Brooklyn-based indie composers Charly & Marguax, A panel discussion about women artist and the body along with a variety of art-making classes and workshops. The BM is located at 200 Eastern Parkway. For more info call (718) 638-5000
The
Community Board 6: All meetings at 6:30 pm
Red Hook StarªRevue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Thur Mar 28 Landmarks/Land Use Committee Meeting, LICH, 330 Hicks Street (6 pm) Mon Apr 1 Environmental Protection/Permits & Licenses, P.S. 32 Samuel Mills Sprole, 317 Hoyt Street, Auditorium
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March 2013
The $1 million proposal in your community by Alliyah Leocardio and Kimberly Gail Price 10:00 am - 4:30 pm Independence Towers Senior Center 114 Taylor St 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Council Member Levin’s District Office Saturday, April 6: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Greenpoint Public Library 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Wyckoff Gardens 2 66 Wyckoff Street 10:00 am - 5:00 pm El Puente Community Cen-
ter 80 Clymer Street 10:00 am - 6:00 pm People’s Firehouse Sunday, April 7: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm Independence Towers Senior Center 114 Taylor St 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Wyckoff Gardens Community Center 280 Wyckoff Street 10:00 am - 6:00 pm People’s Firehouse
One idea of many being considered This was the scene at Brad Lander’s Expo at the Park Slope Library, March 21.
H
ave you always wanted to have a voice in how public funds are spend in your community? This is your chance. Participatory Budgeting - now in its second year in New York allows residents within specific districts to decide how $1 million in government funds will be spent. In many diverse neighborhoods throughout New York City residents have been working since September to present projects ideas that were submitted by the community. In August and September, district committee members held meetings to organize the process where they made decisions about how to market, recruited volunteers and organized information through smaller groups. The district committees then chose volunteers to form budget delegate groups.
Voting in April In October and November, the district committees also facilitated assemblies throughout the district. Residents came out to offer suggestions on projects they would like to see in their neighborhoods. The budget delegates then evaluate each idea and evolve it into a plan by determining how much time and money the project will take. In the spring, each district holds one or more expos to showcase the projects for residents who will vote on them in the first week of April. Every resident 16 and older can vote on projects they want the $1 million to be used for. But even though your local Council members are in charge of this but they are not a part of the process. The volunteers from their districts organize, facilitate and decided on the whole thing. PBP began in 2005 at the world Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In 2009, Politicians in Chicago tested the process within their districts. Two years later in 2011, four local councilmembers in New York opted in for their districts, including Brad Lander of District 39. Last year, more than 3,000 residents voted in District 39. The top seven projects were chosen including renovating the dysfunctional bathrooms in PS 241. In 2012, four more councilmembers chose the process, as did the original four for a second year in a row. “Thanks to four more Councilmember’s who are willing to try something new, over one million New Yorkers will be deciding how to spend city funds on projects in their comminutes” Lander said.
Levin joins Lander Stephen Levin, District 33, is one of the new councilmembers to get involved this
Red Hook Star-Revue
year. “After seeing the success of participatory budgeting in neighboring districts, I’m proud to join my colleagues in utilizing the participatory budgeting process this year,” he said. This month, Lander and Levin’s districts, along with the other six districts citywide, are hosting their expos. The expos will showcase all of the projects that will be on the ballot in April. The community will also be able to ask questions about each project and decide how they think the money should be spend. PBP non-profit organization is also seeking part time interns for the summer of 2013. They have up to three internship positions available which will focus on policy, design and communication. Each of this internship will also include administrative and operations work. For more work on this internship, visit www.participatorybudgeting.org and the PBNYC website at pbnyc.org. Each District will be holding expos throughout the month of March
Expo Dates and Locations
District 33 (Stephen Levin): Sunday, March 23 @ 2-5 pm City Tech Atrium at CUNY, 300 Jay Street
When reconstruction is complete, Van Brunt Street will return to being a two-way street and Hamilton Avenue North will be one-way, port-bound. One of the proposed Participatory Budgeting projects in our area revisions the corner, creating a community oasis. The envisioned Hamilton/Van Brunt community Plaza will: • Increase safety by narrowing the pedestrian crossing distance • Reduce confusion for drivers • Create a green art space and garden • Provide seating areas • Absorb storm water • Maximize parking for local businesses • Include an internet hot spot This project could be another opportunity to beautify Red Hook. With Councilman Brad Lander’s designated Participatory Budgeting dollars, we can make a difference in the community. But we need your votes. If you are a resident living in District 39, vote for this project at one of the local voting center the first week in April. If this project receives the most votes, this eyesore will one day be a lovely spot for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. For more information on this project and other projects in District 39, visit www.pbnyc.org
Voting Dates and Locations District 39~ Tuesday, April 2: 7:30 am-8 pm Councilmember Lander’s District office, 456 5th Avenue, 3 Floor Wednesday, April 3: 7:30 am-8 pm Councilmember Lander’s District office, 456 5th Avenue, 3 Floor Thursday, April 4: 7:30 am-8 pm Councilmember Lander’s District office, 456 5th Avenue, 3 Floor Saturday, April 6: 10 am-7 pm Kings Bay Y at Windsor Terrace 1224 Prospect Avenue (@ Vanderbilt) 10 am-7 pm Carroll Gardens Library 396 Clinton Street (@ Union) 10 am-7 pm Old Stone House 336 3rd Street Sunday, April 7: 10 am-5 pm Beth Jacob Day Care Center 1364 46th Street 10 am-5 pm Park Slope Armory YWCA 361 15th Street 10 am-5 pm Carroll Park House (Carroll and Smith Street) District 33~ Monday, April 1: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Council Member Levin’s District Office 410 Atlantic Ave 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm People’s Firehouse 113 Berry St. Tuesday, April 2: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Levin’s District Office 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm People’s Firehouse Wednesday, April 3: 7:45 am - 9:30 am P.S. 34 , 131 Norman Ave 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Levin’s District Office 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm People’s Firehouse Thursday, April 4: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Levin’s District Office 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm People’s Firehouse Friday, March April 5: 7:30 am - 9:30 am P.S. 31 75 Meserole Ave 7:45 am - 9:45 am P.S. 8 37 Hicks St 8:00 am - 10:00 am M.S. 8 105 Johnson Street, 8:00 am - 10:00 am P.S. 38 450 Pacific St
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March, 2013 Page 3
Star-Revue
hours of time annually to making Brooklyn playgrounds and parks cleaner, more colorful and more engaging public spaces. Community groups and volunteers spoke about positive changes in the parks they work in.
News Briefs
Brooklyn Museum events Smith & 9th Street to re-open
After many long months of waiting Red Hook’s only train station to be reopened, MTA has finally set a date. The transit authority announced on Thursday, March 21 that the station is scheduled to resume service on April 22, 2013. The station had previously been under partial renovation for years and was fully shut down in July 2011. MTA projected that it would take 9 months to complete the project. In 2012, MTA reposted signs delaying the reopening. Originally the station would reopen in the spring, then in the summer, and finally in December. After almost two years, the work is about complete. The station that MTA boasts is the highest in the world now houses a 14 foot tall mosaic, closed circuit security cameras, new lighting and an enclosed escalator leading up to the station. The most recent sign postings indicate the renovation cost around $32.3 million.
G Line under review
MTA has announced they will be conducting a full line review of the G train. The decision was made shortly after state senators Daniel Squadron and Martin Dillan sent letter urging the MTA to undertake the project. The senators along with straphangers felt this is a necessary step to improve service. The review is scheduled to be completed by June 2013.
SBA further extends deadline
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) has extended their deadline for physical damage to March 29, 2013. All people that are still struggling from the hurricane still have time to apply for
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federal assistance. Additionally the SBA has relocated from The American Legion in Broad Channel to the Community Church of the Nazarene, 1414 Central Avenue in Far Rockaway on March 1st. Business hours are Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm, Saturdays 9 am-3 pm. For more info call 1 (800) 659-2955 or (800) 877-8339 for the hearing impaired. Brooklyn Recovery Fund grants repairs The Brooklyn Recovery Fund announced the recipient organizations are receiving more than $1.3 million to support physicals improvements to homes and businesses located in Brooklyn’s coastal communities most severely affected by Sandy. The grants range from $120,000 to $225,000 and will be given to the communities of Red Hook, Coney Island, Canrise, Gerritsen Beach and Sheepshead Bay.
Carroll Gardens library offerings
The Brooklyn Public Library Carroll Gardens Branch is having a event Tuesday March 19. Meet photographer Thomas Rupolo, writer Joan Marans Dim and artist Antonio Masi as they share their visions of our Bridges and South Brooklyn. This event is free and light refreshments will be served. Signed books also will be available for purchase. This event is located at the Carroll Gardens Library Auditorium 396 Clinton Street (Corner of Clinton and Union). For more info call (718) 596-6972
Park volunteers honored
Partnerships for Park hosted a special event on Wednesday, March 13,recognizing over 150 volunteers and community groups who contribute over 97,000
The Brooklyn Musuem will be showcasing several new exhibits and events in the coming months. The Brooklyn Museum is proud to announce that the third exhibition in the second season of Raw/Cooked will be on view from April 12- July 7. The showcase will show the work of Williamsburg artist Michael Ballou. The Final exhibition of the second season of Raw/Cooked will presented work of Caitlin Cherry, selected by Joo. The first major exhibition of Behind Closed Doors: Art in the Spanish American Home, 1492-1898 will debut at the Brooklyn Museum September 20, 2013 and will be on display through January 12, 2014. This exhibit will be the first major event in the United States that will explore the private lives, power struggles and collecting practices of Spain’s new elite world. From there it will travel to three other venues that will be announced at later dates.
The flushing tunnel work that has long closed Degraw Street between Hicks and Columbia seems to conclusion as half of it was finally reopened to traffic recently.
spaces of Sea Cliffs: walrus, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters and penguins; and a fully re-modeled Aquatheater with a new sea lion demonstration. In addition, educational programs at the facility will resume on a limited basis.
212 Members of Congress File a DOMA Case before U.S. The museum will also host jazz vocalSupreme Court ist, Antoinette Montague and Brooklyn based indie composers Charly and Marguax, a variety of art making classes and workshops and their monthly Target First Saturdays. Brooklyn Museum is located at 200 Eastern Parkway.
Aquarium Reopens
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has announced they will partially reopen the hurricane damaged aquarium in late spring of 2013. The exhibits that will be reopening will include Glover’s Reef; exhibits in the Main Hall: Coral Triangle of Figi, Great Lakes of East Africa, and the Flooded Forest of the Amazon; outdoor
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In Washington this month, 212 members of Congress filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Section 3 defines marriage for the purpose of federal law as “only a legal union between one man and women,” excluding same-sex couples from all marriage based federal responsibilities and rights. A total of 172 members of the House and 40 members of the Senate – including LGBT Equality Caucus group signed the brief. These 212 members are participating because they believe that the Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional.
March 2013
Inside the LICH time line The state awarded SUNY Downstate a $40 million grant in October 2010 to acquire and operate LICH, making the hospital a secondary campus for SUNY.
president of Verras Health Care International, a hospital consulting firm.
In an October 14, 2010 press release from former Governor David A. Paterson, he said, “One of our main health care goals is to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to high quality care in their communities. The HEAL [Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers] grant is an important investment in the future of healthcare in Brooklyn and will allow SUNY Downstate to create another campus to better serve local residents and continue to train the next generation of physicians.”
January 17 - NYS Comptroller, Thomas D. Napoli released an audit showing the fiscal crisis of all of SUNY Downstate including LICH. “The Hospital [SUNY] is facing potential insolvency within a matter of months... experiencing cash deficiencies of approximately $3 million every week.” January 17 - SUNY Chancellor, Nancy L. Zimpher issued a press release regarding the audit. “Many of the Comptroller’s findings none of which we dispute of consider to be a surprise - are issues already remedied or currently being addressed at Downstate. SUNY System Administration has recruited a strong new leadership team at Downstate that is developing a comprehensive, fiscally responsible plan to ensure medical education and quality healthcare continues for the people of Brooklyn.” February 1 - Carl McCall responded to a letter sent by elected officials on January 24, 2013. He provided a list of reasons for the fiscal crisis, including, “the complexities of the State system that limits expeditious decision making and action by SUNY hospitals, including procurement, contracts, capital projects, and state employment rules. “ “The Chancellor and the State University Board of Trustees have requested that the newly appointed leadership team at Downstate provide recommen-
In October 2010, John C. LaRosa, then President of SUNY Downstate said, “This agreement will also strengthen Downstate’s education and training mission, and preserve Downstate’s standing as the hub of medical education in Brooklyn. Equally important, critically needed healthcare services in Brooklyn will be safeguarded.” On May 29, 2011, SUNY purchased 18 separate LICH properties for$205,350,000. In June 2012, LaRosa, who had been president of the hospital for 13 years, unexpectedly resigned, right around the time that SUNY’s fiscal year ended and the Comptroller began their annual audit. LaRosa was replaced by Dr. John Williams who was formerly the
The following timeline summarizes major LICH developments since that time:
dations for immediate action to mitigate losses, one of which was the possible cessation of operating LICH as a full service inpatient hospital.” February 7 - SUNY held a Board of Trustees meeting at the College of Optometry in Manhattan The meeting was announced on February 4, only 3 days prior. Those wishing to speak had to first register for a time slot as well as announce the subject of their comments by Wednesday February 6 at noon and were allotted 3 minutes each. February 7 - Crain’s published an article entitled, “Downstate Wants New Hospital” “SUNY Downstate executives want to build a brand-new hospital to replace crumbling University Hospital, funded by the proceeds of selling Long Island College Hospital.” “The brazen scheme is highly speculative, given that it requires both state approval of LICH’s closure as well as the state’s blessing of a new hospital.” “ The new hospital would be privatized.” February 8 - Board of Trustees of SUNY Downstate voted unanimously to close LICH February 8 - Jeff Strabone, former president of the Cobble Hill Association (CHA), proposed to change the zoning at LICH. February 14 - Less than one week after the vote, unions, neighborhood assemblies elected officials and supporters held a rally that was attended by hundreds at
the Kane Street Synagogue February 18 - CHA met with Councilman Brad Lander to discuss zoning changes. February 20 - New York State Nurses Association, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, Concerned Physicians of LICH, LLC and Kathleen Campbell Petitioners filed a lawsuit against SUNY and their trustees. Kings County Supreme Court Justice, Judge Betsy Barros issues a temporary restraining order preventing SUNY from implementing their February 8th decision or communicating such intent to DOH February 25 - Lander, Markowitz and other elected officials request that the Department of City extend the Cobble Hill Historic District’s 50 foot height limit to LICH, as proposed by CHA, “in order to prevent out-of-context development.” February 28 - The Brooklyn Heights Association sent a letter to Governor Cuomo stating, “Let’s be clear, the Berger Work Group, appointed by Health Commissioner Shah, did not recommend closing LICH. On the contrary, when it issued its report on Brooklyn health care in 2011, it advised Downstate to consider consolidating all Downstate inpatient services at LICH. February 28 - The Brooklyn Paper published an article entitled “LICH-EROO! State wanted to save hospital before killing it.” “ The university told the state comptroller that the deal was better than it looked on paper because Long Island College (continued on page 20)
We are across from Coffey Park (718) 923-9880
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March, 2013 Page 5
EDITORIAL:
EPA Plan not good for Red Hook
L
ater this year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be making a decision about where to dump tons of toxic sludge from the Gowanus Canal. The key word here is toxic.
Several meetings were scheduled to explain the process. The EPA is asking our community to vote yes or no to a plan that would expand the shore line and bring semi-toxic materials to the neighborhood. And for a few more short weeks, we have a chance to voice our concerns. According to their recommendation, all of the sludge would be dewatered in the area. After the sludge is dewatered, it then must undergo detoxification and then disposed of. The most toxic sludge would then be shipped out of the area for detoxification and disposal. The least toxic third would be dealt with locally. The effects for Red Hook is spelled out in one sentence of their 34 page report: Option G—On-site stabilization of lesser contaminated sediments and placement in on-site CDF—would be evaluated based upon community acceptance and the approval of NYSDEC and other appropriate governmental regulatory authorities. To our knowledge there has been very little - if any - acceptance. We heard the EPA say that they only want good things for us. They are here to help save our ecosystems which is why they work for this benevolent government agency in the first place. When we asked what good their plan would do for the Red Hooker, Mr. Tsiamos thought for a second before responded that they are enabling us to be able to fish again. We guess he must think we’re a bunch of ignorant Huckleberry Finn types, walking around with our stuff danglin’ in a sack at the end of a pole, completely happy with a li’l restin’ time neath a tree between fishin’ and dranken. For years Red Hook was a forgotten neighborhood in Brooklyn. Crime and drugs proliferated. Industry receded. NYCHA stopped policing here. The 76th concentrated their efforts on the surrounding white neighborhoods. Trolleys were replaced with double fare buses. Port Authority allowed the waterfront to disintegrate into dilapidated empty buildings. The piers rotted away. Park funding was cut to next to nothing.
Quadrozzi, Jr. He has said that the sludge would be beneficial for the local economy in at least two ways. By deepening the terminal’s pier, larger ships could be berthed. Secondly by giving him extra land onto which he plans to build an “ecofriendly” 21st century co-generation facility. This is a waste burning facility that would create electricity which he would sell back to Con Edison. Truck traffic just became the smallest of our concerns. Imagine the conditions of living in the vicinity of an enormous garbage pyre. Think paper mill. Or even better, a sulfur plant. When asked in public hearing show this plan would benefit anyone but John Quadrozzi, the response is always that it would save $37 million in costs by having the sludge stay in the area. The cost of invoking this dirty plan is not taxpayer money, but is billed to the parties responsible for the pollution. Why should we save the offenders $37 million in exchange for leaving contaminated sludge so close to our recreational facilities? Although the material will be treated, not all of the toxicity can be completely removed. There will still be potential hazards in the dredgings. The EPA maintains that the plan is perfectly safe. But has the EPA ever used this specific model in the past, and what affect did it have on that community? During all of our research, the Star-Revue has found no similar project to compare this one with. If this is their first round model, how can they guarantee with 100% certainty this is not harmful? The simple answer is that they cannot. We would be at the mercy of time to determine our fate. Logic suggests that agreeing to this hideous plan - potentially infecting our neighborhood - would be a terrible mistake. The Environmental Protection Agency, in name suggests something that we require. Protection. As a community, we need to make them aware that we need their protection from this outrageous notion. Protect our health. Protect our community. Protect our children and all of Red Hook’s future generations. We suggest that our readers respond to the EPA by signaling their disapproval for this plan. Sign the petition located online at http://notoxicredhook.com/.
Decades later, we have taken great strides to overcome the past. Meanwhile, the EPA seems to have struck a deal with a private operator who purchased the ill-fated Eastern Grain Terminal building for a song.
There are currently no alternatives on the table. As a community of activists - the little people who step up and take on the giants with an air of courage and confidence - we need a different proposal.
A detoxification facility would be built here, and the supposedly safe sludge would be added to the Red Hook shoreline. This extra land would be created on the property of Gowanus Bay Terminal (GBX) - a cement company owned by John
Red Hookers will not be victims of a convenient plan. Red Hook will not be anyone’s dumping grounds. We don’t want decades of filth and toxicity in our community. It’s time to start this conversation.
Letters to the Editor
(send yours to editor@redhookstar.com)
Saying Farewell To A Red Hook Mascot
There is something about seeing a familiar face in your old neighborhood that gives you a warm feeling. This story is not about a man, but man’s best friend. Pete Waldman or “Pete, The Balloon Man” as known to all was always seen out and about with his best friend “Shadow.” Shadow has been a part of the Red Hook community for over 10 years. Pete rescued him when he was only 3 years old. Shadow was severely injured and abandoned on Conover Street when Pete found him. Pete spent days nursing him back to health. From then on, they developed a very special bond. There wasn’t a time when you did not see one without the other.
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Pete and Shadow were regulars in the VFW post, Sonny’s Bar, The Ice House and many other neighborhood establishments. Everyone knew and loved Shadow and he grew to become a mascot of the Red Hook community. And Shadow’s love extended outside of Red Hook, traveling with Pete on his balloon making adventures to places like Florida and Minnesota. Until three years ago when getting around began to take its toll on Shadow, he retired in Pete’s hometown in Minnesota. We got word that Shadow passed away on Friday March 15, 2013. It was a sad day for all us in Red Hook who had come to know and love Shadow. And she will be missed by all. We will always think of her as our friend and mascot.
Re: NYCHA editorial
If it affects you, you are already speaking out. If you are a neighbor and it doesn’t affect your housing, get to know your neighbors and speak out with them. All our voices make a collective spirit...Martine Bisagni
LICH
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the wellwritten article about LICH. You mentioned very important points that other papers will not - especially the mismanagement. Your article made it clear & hit the nail on the head - LICH is not dying - its being killed to pay SUNY
debts in East Flatbush & elsewhere. The communities that LICH serves should not have to pay with their lives for years of SUNY & Downstate financial mismanagement. Unfortunately, the governor and the mayor and even mayoral candidates like Quinn have been silent in this fight. The silence of The mayor & the candidates is troubling because this is not just a LICH issue. This is a city issue because all the other hospitals in Brooklyn will be strained past their limits if LICH is closed. How can city hall be silent? One wonders if their silence is because many of the communities that use LICH are under-privileged communities of color? Don’t those patients matter? LICH is still open for care & we’re trying hard to keep it that way. Thank you for an excellent informative article. Julie, RN from LICH
Sludge
Regarding last [issue’s] article about Gowanus sludge: What part is the most not contaminated? The whole f---ing thing is contaminated, hence a superfund cleanup. None of the sludge can be deemed less contaminated than the rest of it, or was the writer thinking Gowanus sludge comes in grades like eggs , grade A sludge, grade B, or super jumbo sludge? I am awaiting to see samples perhaps at Whole Foods. - Tom Fagan
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Editor’s note: Varying levels of contamination in the Gowanus Canal was determined by the EPA, not reporters. The Star-Revue used various reports, studies and presentations from the EPA over the past two years. In addition, the varying degrees of contamination refer to the soil levels beneath the waters, not the actual water. While the water flows freely within the canal, the different layers of contaminated sediment remain mostly stagnant.
Laugh out loud
Dear Editor, I saw your response to the NYT article. First of all, your “too many commas in the headline” made me laugh out loud (and by that I mean literally, not just in a lazy lol sort of way, because I refuse to use that acronym... if it can even be labeled as such). Secondly, a resounding “bravo!” for your words. I have friends in Red Hook. I sincerely love your community and I know - even from way over here in Los Angeles - that you are very much “there” and rebuilding with vim and vigor. Stacy Conde
Happy subsciber
Thank you for keeping me on your mailing list; the paper is essential, informative and a great resource. Keep up the great work. - Felix Palacios, NY City Council
March 2013
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March, 2013 Page 7
Elizabeth Burgin - a mysterious Revolutionary War heroine by Mary Ann Pietnaza
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istorically, there is little known about the personal life of Elizabeth Burgin. For those of us interested in her acts of heroism, we don’t know, for instance, when she was born or when she died. We don’t even know where she was born, (though some claim it was New York), when she was married, or if she was widowed. What is known about Elizabeth Burgin
A typical whale boat probably much like the one used to transport Burgin from Long Island to Philadelphia
is that she lived during the American Revolution on the shores of Brooklyn’s largely rural terrain perched above New York Harbor overlooking Wallabout Bay, (present day Brooklyn Navy Yard vicinity.) What is also known is that she was a mother of several children. We know that she was empathetic to the cause of feeding and comforting the hundreds of American revolutionary soldiers who were held captive aboard British prison ships moored in Wallabout Bay during their occupancy of New York in 1779. We also know that she helped to free 200 of those soldiers, but we haven’t a clue how. Elizabeth Burgin was every bit a mystery, as she was a heroine. Some believe she came to be part of the infamous Culper Ring - a spy network - by way of General George Washington. Burgin
purposely found herself in the company of an associated American officer. This officer doled out instructions for her to help the American soldiers escape right under the noses of the British soldiers, accomplishing what some historians might deem the “first major great raid in U.S. History.” Some believe perhaps her frequent, nurturing visits to the soldiers caught the attention of this same, particularly ambitious American officer. He sensed her certain ability to carry out a precise escape plan that he had already devised while spying on the British - a plan that would not work without her. The plan mainly sought to release captive officers. It happened over an extended period of time and eventually came to the attention of General Washington and Benjamin Tallmadge - the head of
- that the plan could have indeed been part of a planned intelligence operation. Another letter from General Washington to Tallmadge was intercepted by the British, who used their own intelligence to discover the anonymously mentioned American officer, George Higday, as Washington’s subject matter. The British captured Higday on Long Island. His wife, fearful that he would be hung, revealed Elizabeth Burgin’s role as an accomplice to freeing the American prisoners. This fact is mentioned in one of Burgin’s letters. The British were outraged that a woman had indeed managed to dupe the British guards so blatantly and were dumbfounded that they had not thought to count the prisoners as a means of security. They immediately put a bounty on Elizabeth Burgin’s head of 200 pounds. This staggering amount - to save face, no doubt - was the equivalent of a soldier’s salary for twenty years!
So begins the story of Elizabeth Burgin’s plight as a captive herself. The events that surround her captivity lead us to discover that her heroic acts of bravery continue as we piece together the circumstances that brought her into history’s small spotlight. With only the clothing on her back, leaving even her The route of Culper Ring, the American small children behind, she fled. For a spy network organized by Major Tallmadge under the orders of General George Wash- month’s time, she took cover farther east on Long Island with the support of ington in 1778 “friends.” In one letter, she mentions the Culper Ring. that eventually a “William Sheriddon These are theories, but there is some came to Long Island in a whale boat evidence linked to Elizabeth Burgin’s and I made my escape with him, we bedirect contact with General George ing chased by two boats half way to the Washington. Letters written between Sound then got to New England.” She the two suggest - without actually saying chose Philadelphia as her escape-to des-
An illustrated depiction of an unidentified female spy during the Revolutionary War
tination. Once in Philadelphia, her focus switched to recovering her children as well as finding a means to support herself within the onset of poverty-stricken conditions. She appealed to the Board of War for help. Through her letters to General Washington, it was revealed that he was clearly distraught over her “disturbing circumstances” as a refugee. She asked for a flag of a truce to return to New York to retrieve her children; her request was granted with great honor. But after arriving in Elizabeth Town, (now known as Elizabeth, New Jersey), and waiting four weeks for the arrival of her children, she resigned to leaving all of their belongings behind to be sold and donated to the American cause. She was then awarded a lifetime pension from Congress in recognition of her Revolutionary efforts. It is believed that she lived out the rest of her life mysteriously - in Philadelphia.
Help Wanted at the Red Hook Star-Revue Reporters needed for news coverage in Red Hook and her environs. Enthusiasm more important than experience. Learn on the job. Full and part-time positions available. Call Kimberly Gail Price
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March 2013
Re-Opening Day by George Fiala
T
he anticipation began Tuesday, February 5 on Fairway’s twitter feed. The beloved Red Hook gourmet supermarket would reopen on March 1st. Foodies from Red Hook and beyond greatly missed their Fairway after the store was gutted by Hurricane Sandy floodwaters. The re-opening of Fairway would bring more normalcy back to their lives. Local stores were excited as well. The Red Hook Lobster Pound moved up their own reopening a month to join Fairway. The Red Hook Winery also reopened March 1st with a day-long wine tasting. Kevin’s, the Van Brunt seafood restaurant, was able to open the weekend prior to and prepared a special sign that Fairway customers would see on their trip up Van Brunt. Politicians jumped on the bandwagon as well. Our mayor, borough president and US Senator joined others in the celebration that took place in front of Fairway, Friday morning. A makeshift stage was erected facing the parking lot. Festoons of green and yellow balloons tadorned the freshly painted parking spaces. Seven rows of folding chairs were set up in front of the stage to accommodate VIP’s. Behind the chairs, mass media set up a long, wooden platform for filming and photography. Fairway suppliers were given tables at the far end of the lot to set up demonstrations of products and provide free samples. A large crowd gathered to join the festivities. Hardy shoppers formed a line behind green shopping carts, awaiting the magic hour of 11 am when Fairway would finally open their doors for business.
I think Marty Markowitz is getting ferklempt!” He explained how his office helped Fairway reopen as fast as humanly possible. The city helped both financially and in cutting bureaucracy. He noted the reopenings of the Lobster Pound and Red Hook Winery and suggested everyone go out later for some lobster and wine. He closed his speech with perhaps the most truthful statement of the day, saying “Sandy’s silver lining was seeing neigh-
building was flooded. His own store held five feet of water. The total devastation left his with “tears in my eyes.” He was determined to rebuild Fairway as well as helping all of Red Hook. He reiterated Fairway’s helping hand, including the donation of 6,000 Thanksgiving turkeys. He thanked all those who helped Red Hook Fairway get back on its feet, including the politicians. He also earned a laugh when he said that he could have sat between
“Sandy’s silver lining was seeing neighbors helping neighbors lending a hand to those in need and coming together for the common good.” - Mayor Bloomberg
bors helping neighbors, lending a hand to those in need and coming together for the common good.” Howie Glickberg, grandson of the founder and until recently Fairway’s CEO, spoke next. First, he unwrapped a large package and gave it to the Mayor. It was a painting of Bloomberg made by Floyd, a Fairway employee. Bloomberg accepted the austere portrait graciously, but without mentioning where he would hang it. Glickberg also handed Bloomberg a Fairway bag full of onion bagels, lox, and a schmear of cream cheese - which the Mayor seemed to accept a bit more eagerly.
Marty Markowitz and Bloomberg on the dais, or next to Miss America. He looked straight at the mayor and said, “and I chose you two.” To which Bloomberg quipped “I was thinking you were smart until then,” and everybody laughed again. Before giving up the stage to lifelong Brooklynite, Senator Charles Schumer, Glickberg held up a ReStore Red Hook T-Shirt. The shirts were being sold inside Fairway, with all proceeds going to the fund that aids local businesses. In addition to helping ReStore Red Hook with TShirt sales, Fairway was taking donations at the cash registers, matching the 100% of donations up to $20,000. Schumer, who
Charles Santoro, Fairway’s chairman, spoke first. He set down the themes for the day. He reassured all that Fairway’s highest priority was always to reopen the store. No employees were ever laid off; they were all given jobs at other locations as well as transportation to and from work. He thanked the Red Hook community for their support and mentioned that the Red Hook store hosts over a million customers each year. He talked of Fairway’s continuing support of the Red Hook community. He said that the day’s celebration was not only about Fairway, but of the whole community’s ongoing recovery from Sandy’s devastation. Mayor Bloomberg spoke next. He proclaimed it “a great day for Red Hook. Fairway is open, Miss America is here,
Red Hook Star-Revue
Fairway’s secret The gourmet selection at supermarket prices is a big part of what has made Fairway a popular and expanding grocery chain. Fairway began as a fruit stand in 1933. It grew through the years and by the 1970’s, grandson Howie, together with two partners, started turning the original small Manhattan market store into the monster shopping bazaar it is today. One of the differences between Fairway and most other supermarkets is that Fairway does not charge their suppliers for shelf space. This is a big reason for their varied selection - as small brands can compete for shelf space as equals with the giant corporate brands. People appreciate that they can find a craft maker of organic yogurt seated right next to Dannon. The love fest continued with Borough President Marty Markowitz. After a shout-out to a deputy mayor, CB6’s Craig Hammerman, Miss America, Greg O’Connell and many others, Markowitz returned to applauding Fairway. He told how his wife Jamie comes to Fairway once a week and shops for “non-fat yogurts, fruits, veggies, fresh fish and coffee beans.” He continued saying, “and while she’s occupied, I slip away and walk straight to the appetizing, prepared food counter, cafe, coffee, bagel, bialy, danishand wait for my wife to finish shopping.” The crowd’s desire to enter Fairway was growing, but there were still a few more speakers. Their speeches were brief. Ken Adams spoke for Governor Cuomo, David Meade, executive Director of Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC) spoke about Fairway’s great employee policies, mentioning that many of Fairway’s workers live in Red Hook. Howie then introduced two local businessmen well known to StarRevue readers.
Day begins with music The Brooklyn Sym-phony, a quintet that once played at Ebbets Field, provided the warm-up music. At 9 am, Danny Glickberg, great grandson of Fairway’s founder Nathan Glickberg, walked to the podium to welcome the gathering and introduce the PS 15 choir. The choir led the crowd in the National Anthem, which was followed by a little less than one hour of speeches.
aisles feature foods reflecting this diversity of tastes. It is a supermarket and a gourmet shop, all at the same time.
Smaller businesses represented
Glickberg then recounted Fairway’s history in Red Hook. He was introduced to the building by Greg O’Connell, Sr., who told him “we have a wonderful building for you; we want you to open up a food store.” Glickberg described seeing the “dilapidated “ building, accepted the offer, saying “we had a vision.” He called the opening of Fairway in 2006 a “rejuvenation of Red Hook.” He continued, “Red Hook at that time was run-down. We helped bring Red Hook back up. When we moved in, the neighborhood now had a place to buy good food, all of the local businesses had an anchor, and we created foot traffic.” Next, he described Sandy. He spoke about driving through Red Hook the day after. Red Hook was without electricity. Every
might be starting to look a bit like the late Mayor Koch, reiterated what a great day it was. He said “it’s a great day for the Schumer family, cause our own personal supermarket is open again!” Running through all the reasons he loves Fairway, he emphasized the cheese selection. “The first day, we were all here at the original 2006 opening, and I knew Fairway was special because they were featuring cheese from yak milk from Mongolia! Can you imagine... in Brooklyn!” One of Schumer’s favorite themes is diversity. He pointed out that one of the great things about Red Hook was the wide variety of ethnicities and economic classes that get to mingle. He pointed out how the Fairway was a great example of this. He pointed out how the Fairway
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The first was Ron Kyle. Ron and his wife Mary live in Red Hook and own Dry Dock Wine + Spirits. He spoke of ReStore Red Hook, formed after the storm to help local businesses reopen. Most businesses in the area took tens of thousands of dollars in losses, he said. Many of them have received no financial help except the grants that ReStore Red Hook has been able to provide. ReStore Red Hook has raised almost half a million dollars, money that has been shared among their fifty members. St. John Frizell, owner of Fort Defiance, followed. “I have to admit that there were a few days in the beginning, when I didn’t know whether I was going to be able to reopen. But then the volunteers showed up. First a handful, and then a dozen, and then hundreds of them, walking the (continued on page 11)
March, 2013 Page 9
Around Town by Jared Grabow and Kimberly Gail Price
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unxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow a few weeks ago, and many hibernating New Yorkers are cursing him under their fogged breath for not making good on his promise for an early spring. But you wouldn’t have known it in Red Hook the first weekend in March. Streets were full of locals and shoppers who figured shadows or no, it was a good weekend to get out on the town.
swept through. Despite their reopening, business remained very slow. But all of that changed once Fairway cut the cer-
Dry Dock had to open an outpost as their shop suffered extensive damage.
emonious ribbon.
Valerie Chisholm, events coordinator, was tending bar when we stopped by. She was wearing a cheery, upbeat attitude and her normal bright smile. She claims there has been a “noticeable difference” since the reopening and that Brooklyn Crab is “back on the map.”
Fairway’s re-opening certainBaked ly provided a helpful push. Matt Evans was working behind the coffee bar over at Baked. He chatted The ribbon cutting ceremony with us while preparing our coffee, takemceed by Mayor Bloomberg ing great concern for the fussiness of the editor’s detailed requests. He talked and Miss America kicked of about how Baked was very lucky after the New Year for the retailer. the storm and lost very little inventory. They were able to reopen immediately, The Lobster Pound and Red giving those without power and heat a warm place to sit and have a hot cut of Hook Winery also re-opened java. March 1st. And many other Baked is pretty well-known in the neighborhood and has retained its regulocal businesses felt the surge lars. But Matt said of the crowds too. The Star-Revue took a stroll around Van Brunt. We wanted to speak with the employees manning the field, those at the forefront of the action. Despite their long days, employees and owners alike filled up in on the highly anticipated opening weekend of Fairway. Brooklyn Crab
Brooklyn Crab was back in business very shortly after Hurricane Sandy
they have definitely had “a lift” in business, and that they were “super busy” over the weekend. “We have a ton of regulars, Baked happily welcomed but we’re back Fairway. also seeing a lot of new faces too,” he added. As for the neighborhood, Matt says, “Everyone is back in business. There’s a feeling like we’re going to get back there. The last three days have been wild!” Baked donated $1 of every cookie sold over the weekend to ReStore Red Hook.
Dry Dock Wine + Spirit
Red Hook’s coffeehouse, Baked, opened soon after the storm as they luckily avoided the floodwaters.
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Over at Dry Dock Wine + Spirit, Amanda Johnson was clerking. As with so many other local businesses, Dry Dock Wine + Spirit suffered greatly from the swell of Sandy. They relocated what they could salvage into an
unused storefront until their permanent location could be renovated. They were able to reopen as soon as the power in their temporary store was turned on. Amanda talked about the initial weekend of Fairway’s grand re-opening - and the differences she saw in business. Friday and Saturday were “pretty crazy,” she said. “There are definitely more people walking around. I miss the quiet a little bit, but I guess it’s good for business.” She also mentioned that Fort Defiance down the block had completely run out of desserts that first Friday, another big sign that businesses were booming all around. She also told us a little about Dry Dock’s plans to move back into their permanent space. They are expecting the move in the next few weeks, hopefully by the end of March.
Hope & Anchor
Like Baked, Hope & Anchor had very little damage and were able to reopen quickly in the aftermath of Sandy. Their basement was flooded and they needed repairs, but they were Fairway shopping bags able to keep once again make their downthe Vanprocess. Brunt. their doors openway during Tina Cocadiz was serving tables and tending bar when we arrived. She said that brunch on Saturday and Sunday were “quite busy,” and that Sunday brunch seemed to be the busier of the two days. She also said that the evenings were fairly busy as well, but “we tend to be fairly busy on weekends nights anyway.” She told us that Hope & Anchor brought in extra staff in anticipation of the weekend.
Red Hook Volunteers
Brooklyn Crab, across from Fairway, suffered during the supermakets closure
cruit and organize more volunteers, display local artists’ work and set out lavish displays of birthday cake. Mike Elders’s one birthday request was to have a cake. Twelve different desserts showed up at their new office. They kindly sent an enormous box of leftover desserts with us. Over the weekend, they had 75-80 volunteers, as opposed to their normal 25. They are still helping with mold remediation throughout the neighborhood. Students from Millbrook School, an upstate boarding school, were helping them collect food and hand out flyers.
Red Hook Lobster Pound
Lobster Pound is among the many that suffered massive damage during the flood. During their renovation process, they still managed to maintain their position at the well-known Brooklyn Flea throughout the winter. They also reopened the same day as Fairway, pushing their intended opening up by almost four weeks to take advantage of the extra foot traffic. Mayor Bloomberg was their first customer when they were finally able to reopen their doors Friday morning. On Sunday night, Mac Walton and Danny Lewis were cleaning up after a long, busy day. The two employees concurred that business was fairly busy. “We had a rockin’ weekend,” Mac said. He also said that business seemed busier this year than it was at the same time last year. Mac is one of only three employees that works for the Lobster Pound post-Hurricane Sandy.
Red Hook Volunteers, an organization formed as a result of Hurricane Sandy, culminated as a result of local need. The original members were on site before the winds died down. After occupying several storefronts up and down Red Hook’s Hope and Anchor, on the same block as Baked, only suffered a flooded main drag, they basement, and has been feeding Red Hook since soon after the flood. have finally been able to inhabit a per- Red Hook Winery manent home at 360 Van Brunt Street. Red Hook Winery also reopened their They are just settling in to the space doors for the first time on March 1st. where they have already begun to re-
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March 2013
Around Town and sample their selections with accompanying cheese and bread. They have also set up a small shrine to the Red Hook community, emphasizing the strength and character of the neighborhood throughout the rebuilding process. Pictures, hand-written notes and cutouts are pinned up as a reminder to visitors, as well as the owners of the amazing feats they have overcome.
Red Hook Volunteers, at 360 Van Brunt, was giving out dessert.
They suffered not only massive damages to their building, but also lost about half of their inventory. When more than five feet of water entered their space, the wooden casks of wine floated off of their racks and taking in salt water into their aged product. While the space could be renovated, the ruined product could not be replaced.
Chris Snyder of Red Hook Winery with .....
Owner, Chris Snyder is thrilled to be reopened, and would have never thought about moving anywhere else. He and Sandra Nicholas, tasting room manager, spoke about coming back to life. Their warehouse has been completely renovated, and they have restocked a good number of barrels. Sandra said that Fairway’s reopening is crucial to their success. “It’s really common for people to stop by to pick up a bottle or
Chris Nicolson, the winery’s head wine maker also gave us a special tour. Hundreds of barrels lie in waiting for the proper aging. Metal equipment glimmered with cleanness and the concrete floors were immaculate. Chris mentioned that there was still much work and recovery to be done, but from all appearances, the Red Hook Winery looks brand new. In preparation for the next storm, the majority of product will be moved offsite. Everything else will be taken upstairs to higher ground. But for now – with the worst behind them – they are ecstatic to be back in business.
they were pleased with his reaction and work “He was great, actually,” Caroline said. “He asked what improvements we would like and he gave them to us - including this new floor.” The restaurant’s charm has been en-
Hot Wood Arts
Megan Suttles, artist and curator, and her husband Mike Beck, musician, opened Hot Wood Arts behind Fairway at 481 Van Brunt last summer. Despite the Kevins was able to create a beautiful room as they close proximity to rebuilt from the storm. the water, their space took on hanced by wainscoting, more tables absolutely no water. “We were and a brand new counter as well. Beso lucky,” Megan said. “We just fore the storm, the old counter was went around the neighborhood inherited from the former deli owners asking how we could help.” and took up a good portion of the resThe art studio rents out very affordable space for artists to work in. Visitors can watch the artists work through glass doors. The two also hold benefits and exhibitions in the space. They have had few visitors thus far, but are optimistic that they will begin to see more people as the weather changes and they spread the word.
Megan and Mike are currently working with Pratt students who lost their entire portfolios in the recent fire by offering them studio space to rebuild their collection.
Kevin’s
Kevin and Caroline Parker, owners of upscale seafood restaurant, Kevin’s, were also devastated by Sandy. But in the aftermath, they took the opportunity not just to rebuild but also to improve upon Ron Kyle, who spoke at Fairway’s re-opening, presides their space. They reopened over a busy cash register at Dry Dock Wines + Spirits. the weekend before Fairway’s two of wine on their way home.” grand celebration. Red Hook Winery also held a wine tast- They could not reopen until landlord ing Friday, inviting people to come in finished repairs on the storefront. But
Red Hook Star-Revue
The Red Hook Winery scheduled a wine tasting the day Fairway reopened.
taurant. After the storm, the counter had to be replaced. They replaced the old, bulky one with a smaller one that takes up about half the space of the old
one. The new counter is pushed further toward the back of the restaurant near the kitchen, allowing more room for seating. On Friday, March 1st, Kevin was in a good mood and had plenty of sandwiches and soup to dish out. Caroline was surprised by amount of Fairway customers that stopped by for brunch. “We assumed they would simply eat in the Fairway café, but we were pleasantly surprised by the afternoon business generated by drivers to and from Fairway, making us a habit,” she said. Kevin noted they had missed some items they purchased from Fairway, like smoked salmon, smoked chorizo, but especially the fresh squeezed orange juice. The flurry of activity provided a stark juxtaposition to the “ghost town” reference some ill-advised, out of touch NY Times reporter recently made. But anybody with an inside perspective knew that Red Hook was alive and would be ready when the foot traffic returned. By all accounts – even without any love from the groundhog – Red Hook certainly still has its mojo.
Fairway re-opens with a celebration (continued from page 9)
streets of Red Hook in their muddy boots and work gloves, looking for some place just to dig in and get dirty. And it was their energy and their spirit that got us through those dark, early days. “ He went on to praise Red Hook Initiative who helped coordinate so many of those volunteers. He thanked Fairway on behalf of ReStore Red Hook, for realizing that the recovery efforts are not over yet. He urged every one to keep coming back to Red Hook, “the greatest little town in the biggest city of America.” The finale of the ceremony was presided over by Mallory Hagan - the newly crowned Miss America. She first introduced the Brooklyn School of Inquiry, who sang and danced in their green Fairway hats. The multitude of speakers - all wielding scissors simultaneously cut the ribbon. The huge throng of shoppers swept through the front doors. Fairway, their employees and customers were finally back home, and the resto fo the day was business as usual. A lot of usual business!
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March 2013
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March 2013
History by George Fiala
F
airway’s re-opening ceremony was a love fest. Politicians, businessmen and even Miss America came together to speak with admiration about the specialty supermarket that opened in Red Hook in 2006. Bagel and lox mentions were interspersed with kudos about jobs and economic development, while hundreds of shoppers eagerly waited to enter a supermarket closed since Hurricane Sandy. The building they stood in front of, bearing the address of 480-500 Van Brunt, has stood in silent watch of Red Hook’s vicissitudes for the past 140 years. This building, called at various times NY Stores, Van Brunt Stores, Red Hook Stores, and now Fairway, was built in 1869 when Red Hook was a bustling seaport community. The opening of the Erie Canal brought large amounts of cargo - especially grain - from the midwest to the NY Harbor. Entrepreneurs took advantage of Red Hook’s expanse of the waterfront as well as the proximity to Manhattan. They built the Erie and Atlantic Basins, along with acres of warehouses and grain elevators. Red Hook was changed from a sleepy Dutch agricultural community into one of Brooklyn’s fastest growing neighborhoods.
Boomtown Red Hook The Civil War greatly expanded Red Hook’s importance. Shipping to New York became essential, creating spillover that was brought to Red Hook. Barges started bringing cotton, hemp, jute, indigo, leather, fruits, tobacco, vegetables, cocoa beans and coffee and manufactured goods in addition to grain. Manhattan ports were
overcrowded, and their warehousing efficiency was never as great as Red Hook’s. Manhattan’s waterfront was mostly publicly owned; while Brooklyn’s were mostly private. Private ownership restricted public access but also meant the piers were better maintained. Owners built their warehouses close to the dock, lowering the cost of transportation to storage facilities. Lower costs drove more business into the hands of Red Hook’s privately owned waterfront. In 1869, William Beard, the Irish immigrant who built the Erie Basin, erected the 5-story building at the foot of Van Brunt that originally was Red Hook Stores and now houses Fairway. “Stores” refers to the term storehousing, another term for warehousing. The storehouse was built close to the bulkhead, allowing goods to be offloaded from the ships and readied for quick transport into the building. According Harold Seybert, one-time partner in Fairway, the building “had donkeys on the top floor that were whipped and pulled to work the pulley system that brought up the 100-pound bags of coffee.” The cast iron shutters that are still carefully preserved protected the goods inside from frequent storms coming off the sea. The steady building of warehousing facilities far outpaced those of Manhattan and New Jersey. Cargo shipped by rail to New Jersey started being sent over to Red Hook on barges. Over time, however, the need for warehousing diminished. What was once Red Hook’s great advantage became a disadvantage by the early 20th century because advances in transportation made it possible to bypass warehouses. Red Hook slowly declined from its position as a shipping and manufacturing hub.
The invention of shipping containers also played a roll in Red Hook decline. Instead of physically loading and unloading large sacks of goods by hand, the standardization of shipping containers, as well as their stackability, enabled large quantities of cargo to be loaded and unloaded by one person operating a crane. Each container was packed for a specific purchase. Offloaded and stacked, they were then hitched to trucks and driven directly to the customer. Less demand for storage erased a large portion of Red Hook commerce. Large new container terminals sporting the oversized cranes were built in the New Jersey ports closer to the interstate highway. Red Hook’s business left for Jersey.
BQE a further setback The building of the Brooklyn Queens and Gowanus Expressways added to Red Hook’s problems. Movement in and out of Red Hook became more difficult by the barriers these highways created. Red Hook was referred to as a forgotten neighborhood. People from surrounding areas stopped coming to Red Hook. Those we remained found that commuting in and out of the area became increasingly difficult. Red Hook emerged as a home to the burgeoning crack cocaine trade in the 1970’s and 80’s, and crime skyrocketed. The city was not completely unaware of the situation. Since many of the jobs lost were union jobs, there was strong political pressure to save them. In the early 1970’s the city - at the urging of the local branch of the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) - considered a plan to build a new containerport. By 1975, the plans had scared many Red Hook residents into selling their buildings at distressed prices. They were concerned that the city would condemn the buildings to make room for the containerport. The containerport was never built, but the losses remained. All of these factors contributed to a major population decline. Red Hook’s population , 21,000 in 1950, fell to 10,800 by 1990. Gangs and drug use flourished, especially in the public housing. Life Magazine wrote up the Red Hook Houses as an example of crack killing a neighborhood. In 1992, the beloved principal at PS 15, Patrick Daly, was killed by a stray bullet during a gang and drug related incident. Many point to 1992 as a watershed year. Local real estate developer, Greg O’Connell, Sr. purchased the Beard Street Piers and other waterfront properties from the Port Authority and started bringing them back to life. This was also the year that the local community board, Community Board 6 (CB6) started work on a report, called 197A, a guidline for the revival of Red Hook.
Pictured with Greg O’Connell Sr., are Carol Lattmann, Louise Wadsworth, Paul Kroehnke and Will Wadsworth. They came from upstate NY and Massachusetts with Mr. O’Connell to help with Sandy relief after the storm. (Star-Revue photo)
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NYC revised its City Charter in 1989. The charter defines the exact role and functions of city government. One of the changes
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John McGettrick
gave local governments the power to prepare comprehensive community planning reports to be approved by the City Council. Once approved, these reports would serve as a guideline for city agencies in their community dealings. CB6 was one of the first community boards to utilize this new power and hundreds of meetings over the next two years preparing this report. The 197-a report, named after the law that gave CB6 this planning power, was called “Red Hook, A Plan for Community Regeneration.” It was finished in 1994, and approved with changes by the City Council in 1996. The reports objectives were stated as follows: 1. Promote opportunities for the redevelopment of Red Hook’s main asset - its people - including improved housing, social services and youth services, and the expansion of the residential community 2. Support the preservation and expansion of industrial maritime activity where it is currently solidly positioned in the northwest and southeast sections of Red Hook 3. Promote employment and business opportunities for local residents 4. Promote new residential development in the context of an economically, socially and physically integrated community 5. Guide future development in a way that minimizes conflicts between industrial and residental communities 6. Strengthen, support and expand the burgeoning arts community 7. Improve access to, egress from, and circulation within Red Hook by public transportation 8. Strengthen existing retail commercial areas 9. Revitalize and create public access to the waterfront, one of Red Hook’s major assets Another major goal was to bring Red Hook’s population back to its 1950 level of more than 20,000 residents. More people would increase economic activity from within, creating stable new jobs and business opportunities. To achieve this goal, affordable housing was needed. The building at 480-500 Van Brunt was singled out in the report as a prime area for new housing. The warehouse had become city property in 1980 after the owners fell behind in taxes. Half of it was rented out to Wally Shapiro, who still conducted a warehous(continued on next page)
March 2013
History
Red Hook Industrialist William Beard
ing business; the other half was vacant. CB6’s report indicated that city renovation could create 150 affordable apartments. The Planning Commission ultimately struck this section out of the report. They felt that renovation would be too costly. Local leaders, including John McGettrick, Lou Sones and Florence Neal took up the cause of residential use. Neal, an artist, had bought a building at 351 Van Brunt, which she and her husband renovated and opened as the Kentler International Drawing Space. Greg O’Connell Sr. had a different idea. O’Connell was a visionary who began purchasing Red Hook properties when nobody else wanted them. He recalls the days of cyclone fences and packs of roving dogs. In 1992, he purchased 28 acres of the waterfront from Port Authority for around $500,000. There were no other bidders for these run-down properties. The purchase included the Beard Street Piers. Rather than demolishing the dilapidated buildings, he slowly restored the Civil War era warehouses and rented them to small businesses that needed affordable large spaces. His vision was a balanced growth of the community by maintaining its mixed use zoning in which residential and commercial activities exist side by side. He believed that a decent place to by food was crucial for community regeneration. O’Connell explained the genesis of Fairway in a 2005 interview: “About 15 or 16 years ago, one of Fairway’s principals was importing olive oil for his store, and he rented warehousing space here at one of my buildings. The product was so good and so well accepted, that he looked to expand into other related lines. When I bought the Beard Street Warehouse, he was one of the first tenants, and he doubled the space. Later, when I became interested in [the building now being developed for Fairway], I was looking for a business that I thought would be good for the community. And if you walk around Red Hook, you’ll find that the supermarkets here are generally expensive, poor quality and not so clean.
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Also, I learned that one of the best businesses to put into an inner city is a supermarket, because it employs locally. So here we had a Fairway, which at the time had just opened up in Harlem, where it employed hundreds locally. The community in Harlem loved it, and it had quality products and pricing. I thought that it was a perfect match. I spoke to them, and we managed to make a deal.”
ence - mounted a fiery speech about the future of Red Hook. He vowed to block the approvals needed to build Fairway and instead push for housing and waterfront access.
O’Connell’s idea was stongly opposed by those who had signed on to the original idea of housing. A large supermarket was thought to be out of place in the neighborhood. Another fear was the potential traffic a busy store like Fairway would bring to Red Hook’s sleepy streets. McGettrick and Sones, both housing advocates, were joined in their opposition by Red Hook’s City Councilman Angel Rodriguez, the seat now held by Sara Gonzalez.
The explanation behind Rodriguez’s flipped vote erupted in scandal. He was caught attempting to extort O’Connell in exchange for his vote. He approached the ex-detective and demanded over a million and half dollars in cash and real estate considerations. O’Connell went to city authorities who brought in the FBI. O’Connell was fitted with a recording device and taped Rodriguez demanding money. Rodriguez was disgraced, resigned from office, and was eventually sentenced to 52 months in jail.
In the meantime, McGettrick, head of the Red Hook Civic Association, and Sones, who led Groups Against Garbage Sites (GAGS), were both active in the fight against waste transfer stations placed in Red Hook.
When the time came for that City Council vote, however, Rodriguez shocked the community - especially McGettrick - by turning around and voting in favor of Fairway.
There were still other fights ahead. McGettrick, Sones and the Beard Street Association filed a lawsuit that sought a scaled-down version of A waste transfer “When the time came for Fairway. station is a place The lawsuit added exwhere garbage that City Council vote, pense and time, but was is collected beeventually shot down. fore shipment however, Rodriguez Construction began to its final deswith the blessing of tination. City shocked the community - many, including Craig garbage is often Hammerman, CB6 Displaced on barges especially McGettrick - by trict Manager. He was and shipped to turning around and voting in quoted in the NY Times landfills in other saying, “Residents have states, such as favor of Fairway.” noted a significant lack Pennsylvania. of services and goods Any community in the community. We with access to the water is a prime can- would welcome healthy competition for didate - which Red Hook certainly is. food at discount prices.” While acknowlHowever, Brooklyn Heights also quali- edging potential traffic problems, he addfies based on that reasoning. However, ed “as long as there is a benefit, more peogovernment rarely tries to place garbage ple are inclined to see a positive tradeoff.” facilities in wealthy neighborhoods. In adFinally on May 17th, 2006, Fairway dition to the stench and noxious gases asopened with a ribbon cutting ceremony sociated with these dumping sites, garbage in front of the store. Senator Chuck truck traffic adds even more discomfort to Schumer and Borough President Marty the situation. They are generally placed in Markowitz attended. Fairway proved to poorer neighborhoods where opposition be a huge hit, earning kudos for bringing might be smaller. Red Hook had 20 simitheir merchandising to Brooklyn, hiring lar facilities, at that point; the city wanted locals and creating public to add another one. access to the waterIn 1998, the Giuliani administration front with views of proposed a waste transfer station for the the Statue of Libersouthwest part of the Hook. The Civic ty and Red Hook’s Association and GAGS , along with ac- famous sunsets. tivists like Wally Bazemore and Pete MoMcGettrick’s fear rales, mounted a furious campaign against of the traffic proved it, and the plan was defeated. warranted when a The neighborhood celebrated the victory fatal accident ocwith a party at David Sharps’ Waterfront curred six weeks Museum, the historic barge that is now later. At the bedocked across from the Fairway build- ginning of July, a ing. Speeches were made; drinks were woman was hit on consumed. According to a contemporary Sullivan Street by article in NY Magazine, Councilman a van that had just Rodriguez - with O’Connell in the audi- left the Fairway
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parking lot. Before Fairway’s opening, the only traffic light on Van Brunt from Fairway to Hamilton Avenue was one that had been recently installed by the Cruise Terminal. The Department of Transportation (DOT) had not thought to upgrade traffic safety in advance of the new store. Neighborhood activism finally shamed DOT into installing multiple signals and traffic calming to slow down speeding shoppers. Traffic calming refers to delayed stoplights. Above Fairway, O’Connell built 45 market rate apartments, which are fully rented. He also donated space to non-profits, including Martha Bower’s Dance Theatre, Etc. Antique trolley cars were displayed behind the store next to a dining area where shoppers could enjoy lunches while viewing the Statue of Liberty. Over 300 union jobs were created. Many local stores have come to depend on the extra business that Fairway brought to Red Hook. Lou Sones, once a foe, now says “I changed my mind after seeing the amount of people and interest it brought into the community.” However, there is still no love lost between McGettrick and O’Connell. McGettrick still talks about broken promises, and O’Connell remembers the fights. But it can be argued that without either of them, Red Hook would not have come as far as it has since those dark days of the 1980’s. Wally Bazemore calls the foes, “two titans swinging at each other. It’s a waste of energy. They are both an asset to the community.” Craig Hammerman calls them both winners. The building once called the Red Hook Stores began life as a storehouse for goods arriving on sailing ships and cargo laden barges. It is once again a storehouse stocked with ample supplies of exotic products unimaginable in 1869. The same space that was once used to store products is now a merchant for these goods.
March, 2013 Page 15
History Before 1898, Brooklyn was it’s own city, with its own daily newspapers. The Brooklyn Eagle began publishing in 1852. The following two articles, originally published in the 1870’s, offer much flavor and insight into Red Hook’s history.
Brooklyn Eagle, July 23, 1872 Page 2
The Shore Line Docks, Pies and Warehouses
From the Delaplaine House to Atlantic Dock Brooklyn’s Mammoth Wharves and Storehouses - Repositories of Wealth What was Seen on a Tour of Observation
W
hen Robert Fulton started the first steam ferryboat, the Nassau, plying between New York and Brooklyn, a little more than fifty years ago, and the entire water front if this city showed only half a dozen insignificant docks - had any person then said that in fifty years there would be docks, piers and warehouses along the whole length of the shore from Gowanus Bay to Hunter’s Point, about twelve miles, and that millions upon millions of dollars’ worth of merchandise would be stored where there was only waste land, such person would have been looked upon as insane. But such a state of things has come to pass, a n d Brooklyn can now b o a s t of having more wealth stored in the warehouses on its shore line, than any other city in the United States has. New York has more docks than any other city, but it has had the send the great bulk of the wealth brought to its port to the city to be stored. The increase of the value of property on the water front, and the construction of large piers and warehouses have been exceedingly rapid. Then changes in a dozen years in this respect have been astonishing, even to Young Americans. The natural advantages of Brooklyn for shipping and storage purposes, attract commercial men to it more and more every year. One line of ocean steamers already runs from here; another is soon to follow, and there is prospect of others still in the future. What is needed for the accommodation of more ocean steamers is longer piers on the river front, between Red Hook and the Navy Yard. There are ample pier and dock facilities in connection with the great warehouses of this city, but not enough long piers available for ocean steamers between the points named. ... But it is more especially the purpose of this article, and of others to follow it, to show how great is the dock and warehousing business of this city; and, with this object in view, a reporter of the Eagle has made a tour of obser-
Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue
vation from Gowanus Bay to Hunter’s Point. The present article embraces the result of these observations. The Delaplaine House is taken as a landmark. It is situated on a hill at the southern extremity of Gowanus Bay, where the shore makes in from the general line that is observed from the Narrows up to this point. Just below this house is the first dock, and on it and the adjoining land are the Phenix Chemical Works... On Hamilton avenue near Third avenue, with a large frontage on the water, are the works of the South Brooklyn Saw Mill Company. Here logs are hauled in on one side, and in a short time turned out planks on the other. Between this point and the Gowanus Canal a large amount of filling in has been done, but as yet no buildings have been erected. On the strip of land between Gowanus Canal and Court street, great improvements have been made in a few years. This Knickerbocker Ice Company have here three good sized frame buildings, and are contemplating the erecting of a large ice house where a reserve supply can be stored to meet the increased demand caused by extreme warm weather. There are several extensive stone yards, a foundry, and other improvements where a few years was only swamp land. West of Court street, and occupying the low, swampy land from the Bay to Hamilton avenue and away round more than a mile to Van Brunt street, near where it is intersected by Elizabeth street, are above five hundred shanties, of all sorts and sizes. They are huddled together in groups, in many places close to pools of foul, stagnant water, and in others, closer to the shore, where the kindly tide cleanses in some degree their surroundings. Some of the shanties are built on plies driven in the dirty black mud. In and around these miserable hovels are to be seen poor, worn-looking women, dirty, ragged children, and occasionally a lazy pig or roving goat. The smell from the neighborhood is very offensive, and, were it not for the breeze which generally prevails, would be unendurable. The wonder is not that the people die in great numbers in the locality when epidemics prevail, but that they can live there at all. They are greatly to be pitied if poverty compels them to live in such places, and the person who would lift them up out of their present way of living would be doing a good work for the cause of humanity. The same locality will afford excellent sites for factories and warehouses when filled in. Mr. Beard, the principal owner, being asked why the work of filling in had not been commenced, replied, “Material for filling it would cost considerable now; in a few years it can be procured for nothing. “ After passing this swamp land, the first thing met of importance is the dry docks, for there are two of them. They are owned by a company, of which G. H. Bradbury is president, and J.P. Robinson and Wm. Beard prominent members. The property of the company embraces twenty-six acres, and comprises an extensive water front, with twenty-eight fee of water in the channel. The docks are built of timber, and are each 485 feet
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long. A vessel is floated in, the gate or entrance port, consisting of a floating caisson, is then closed, the water pumped out of the dock and the vessel is left in the dock, where it can be repaired. The docks are the largest in the world, and there is no vessel which they cannot accommodate, except the Great eastern. the longest vessel ever docked here was one of the White Star line of steamers, which was 475 feet long, being within ten feet of the extreme length of the dock. The last vessel in the dock was the Great Western, which is 375 feet long. There is not being doing now at these docks, as the vessels generally, particularly steamers, are in the midst of the busy season, and do not lay up for repairs unless obliged to; beside, they are not as subject to damage at this time of the year as during the more severe weather. Near the dry docks there is a large storehouse, where goods are stored from vessels undergoing repairs. .. Turning from Elizabeth to Van Brunt street, and going down the latter to its terminus, large warehouses and extensive docks are to be seen on both sides of the street. That on the east side the warehouse of Woodruff, Robinson and Bear, where Mr. Beard, familiarly known as “Billy Beard,” is found, and from him considerable information is obtained.... On the dock at the foot of Van Brunt street there is a yard for storing railroad iron, 400 feet long and 150 feet wide, in which there are stored 100,000 rails at the present time. A large grain elevator is now being built upon the dock, about midway of the warehouse, by Mr. L.E. Mansfield, for Mr. Beard. It is 90 feet high, and 32 feet square. From the top a magnificent view can be had of New York, Brooklyn, Jersey shore and the bay. The elevator will be finished in about one month, in time for the Fall trade. It will be capable of transferring five thousand bushels of grain per hour each way, and at the same time weighing and cleaning it. Its total cost will be about $25,000. At these docks there is 28 feet of water, being more than sufficient for the largest vessels. As to the value of the property and the amount of business done, it is impossible to get any definite statement from the owners, but both are immense and would have to be reckoned by millions of dollars. William Beard has done more to improve property along the shore than any other man. He is a “selfmade” man and decidedly “original.” He w as born in Ireland about sixty-eight years ago, came to this country when a young man, and commenced to earn his living as a laborer. He first dug cellars, and, having made enough money to buy a horse and cart, took contracts for digging. He gradually increased his capital and business until he became one of the largest contactors in the city. For some years past docks and warehouses have constituted his specialty. He first bought land around Red Hook Point about thirty years ago. In 1849 he purchased 150 acres, from Conover Street to
Mompje’s Hook, for less than $30,000, and has since added as much more land in the same locality to his possessions. It is a plan of his to build docks and warehouses from the foot of Van Brunt street to the foot of Court street.
March 2013
600 Highwayman an experience at Invisible Dog by Brian Clancy
T
he converted factory space known as the Invisible Dog Art Center in Boerum Hill provided the setting for 600 Highwaymen’s latest performance piece “The Record.” The center - renowned for its staging of performance and visual art since 2009 - takes its name from its former incarnation as a belt and jewelry factory where the Invisible Dog novelty toy was reputedly invented. Evidently even when this was a place of industry rather than art, it was also a place of creation. On entering the space, there was certainly an eerie feeling of a former life to the building. This was my first time at the center or to a show by the performing company, 600 Highwaymen. I had read a brief synopsis of the show, but still had very little idea what to expect. I ventured across the space to the empty seating area. I sat and watched other patrons file in and hang their coats before joining me on the benches. What was going to unfold beneath the white canvas suspended from the ceiling? Finally, the blinds were raised at the front of the space allowing passers by on the street a view directly into the space, while simultaneously providing a reflective image of us, the collective audience in the window pane. Both of these factors put the audience into the show making us acutely aware of the subjectivity of who was actually being observed. The piece began with a lone performer walking into the middle of the space and performing abstract movements. After a few moments, he was joined by another performer executing her own separate, yet somehow connected movements. The soundtrack of a nearby cello and a recording of different sounds seemed at first to deliberately jar me as this new piece was being birthed and then mellowed with time. More and more performers began to occupy the space and I
The Record is a performance piece by the group 600 Highway. (photo by Maria Baranova)
began to settle into the experience, allowing it just to be with highly specific choreographed movements. The piece is aptly titled “The Record.”
“As I sat there in the space and as I walked home that night I felt just a little bit more connected with my fellow man and the world around me.” It basically serves as a portrait of 35 individuals simply being themselves in a moment in time, running for just under an hour. It could be described as an essay on life told through the microcosm of this performance in which we, the
audience, are as much a part of as the performers. Essentially we were observing people as individuals and their relationship with others in the world around them. It could have been any 35 people, it could have been 35 of the people seated in the audience or even 35 of the people exiting the nearby subway station who stopped to peer through the front window to see what was going on. My favorite moment happened when a young girl turned and smiled at a young schoolboy with crooked collar and askew tie. Having quite possibly never noticed one another until this exact moment, they connected. He either kinesthetically sensed her warmth or correctly interrupted the audience reaction to this moment and spontaneously smiled back. The piece created many spontaneous organic moments like this, which is the essence of great theatre. Speaking with artistic director, Abigail Browde, I learned that “The Record” was conceived from an original idea from her co-artistic director, Michael Silverstone. An experiment brought together 35 individuals to create a living document. After the performance, I spoke with one of the performers to get an idea of what the experience of performing in “The Record” was like. Yael Shavitt, a native of Israel and recent graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts found working on this piece to be invigorating. “It was very different to any other rehearsal process I had ever done. It really was exhilarating.” Yael has acted in numerous theatrical productions in both Manhattan and Brooklyn over the last year and isn’t easily fazed. But this experience of venturing into the unknown took her out of her comfort zone. “It wasn’t until right before the first performance that I realized how scary it was that I had never rehearsed with any of these performers.” Yael believes any experience that takes her out of her comfort zone helps her
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grow as an artist. “Once I was on stage I realized I was both a performer and a viewer as I had never seen any of the other performers before. While maintaining my focus, I took in as much as I could. That really gave me a feeling of total immersion in the performance, that I was somehow connected with other performers.” Indeed, that feeling of being connected is essentially what I took from the piece as a viewer. As I sat there in the space and as I walked home that night I felt just a little bit more connected with my fellow man and the world around me. 600 Highwaymen is an award-winning theater company under the artistic direction of Browde and Silverstone. They are dedicated to creating a body of original, immersive productions that reimagine the live theatrical experience for an audience. The Invisible Dog Arts Center at 51 Bergen Street hosts events which include visual art exhibits; dance, theater, and music performances; film screenings; literary arts and poetry readings; lectures and community events. Upcoming events at Invisible Dog FRIDAY MARCH 22 – 7.30PM – READING – Writers from the Bennington College MFA Program and Beyond converge. Featuring acclaimed novelist Alice Mattison, Liz Arnold, Jeremy Oldfield, T. Glen Coughlin, Willa Carroll, Amy Herrick, Jackie Corley, Julia Lichtblau Alice Mattison, Brooklyn native and Bennington faculty member, has written six novels and five story collections. FRIDAY MARCH 29 – 8pm – MUSIC – MATE is a series, curated and organized by Richard Garet, dedicated to sound and moving image presentations that are derived from ideas, processes, material, and media experimentation. This series attempts to present from within a large spectrum of today’s experimentalists, the work of artists that are vigorously contributing to our cultural landscape.
March, 2013 Page 17
The
Blue Pencil Lunar Revue A spoof publication of the Red Hook Star-Revue, no information below is meant to be true or offensive.
Huge blizzard dusts Brooklyn, heavy machinery brought in
S
econd weekend in March proved to be a hellish one as a monstrous blizzard named Professor Telescopis incapacitated the entire city. Blankets of white madness cloaked buildings, cars and everything else in his path with total mayhem. Meteorologists estimate that nearly one-third of an inch of snow fell dramatically upon most of NYC. Residents braced for the soft, fluffy horror with massive shopping sprees for canned goods, toilet seats and classic Monopoly boards that still contain the tiny model iron. “You don’t know how valuable that little guy’s gonna be one day,” a local resident commented. “I don’t wanna still be looking for it in 20 years on some futuristic E-bay site. Better to just have it now.”
Sales clerks at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Dollar General said plain white toilet seats were on backorder indefinitely as sales preceding the storm skyrocketed. It could be as long as ten months before homeowners and renters alike will be able to find the replacement porcelain. And don’t even ask about a colorful, decorative kind. Local business owner, Sashie Menokin claimed to have shut down her bustling xylophone business at closing time Saturday night and wasn’t able to re-open until the following morning at the start of regular business hours. The damage to her business was so extensive that not one sale was made between 2 and 5 am on her website. “I think maybe people were too frightened to even log on to the internet,” she lamented. “I don’t blame them; it was a scary time.” As for the actual avalanche, the affects are enormous. Flower pots and tree guards were completely covered. Traffic cones had dustings all over their bases. Bus stops were barely visible through the blinding snowfall. Many automobiles were declared
Page 18 Red Hook Star-Revue
by Glock N. Shpeel
committed to not taking advantage of our communters [sic].”
totaled from the massive clumps of snow falling consistently on their aluminum structures. Some mocked Professor Telescopis, defying his fury by building statues and strangely shaped androgynous men out of the powdery vileness. Several sandcastle-like snow structures liked the sidewalks of Van Brunt. Other simply defied the blizzard’s consequences by leaving mocking foot prints. Mayor Michael Bloomberg expects it will take several hours for all of the snow and ice to melt. Temperatures are not supposed to rise above 45 until at least noon, delaying all Sunday morning activities indefinitely. Many residents will be forced indoors until the havoc erases itself. Or even worse they may have to brave the great coldness if circumstances require it. Local politicians are demanding that people only take this chance in life or death circumstances. The MTA stopped buses and trains on the streets and tracks exactly where
they were as soon as they heard the prediction of Telescopics. Anonymous sources claim that just because the storm has passed and the snow has melted, does not mean this will be an easy or quick recovery. “It’s just another unnecessary set-back that we didn’t see coming,” the source said. “It will probably take many months, if not years for us to get our s--t together. The least expensive way for us to handle the damage will be to charge extra fare. Single ride tickets may increase to $15. But we are fully
Dry cleaners and launderers reported great swarms of people coming to collect their blankets and coats in preparation for the storm. “We didn’t even clean most of them,” Shirley Asdfghjkl told us. “Nobody seemed to care cause they were just so darn cold. They basically just paid us and took their stuff back. But that didn’t shock me too much. I knew how awful this mess was gonna be.” In lieu of an early spring prediction by Punxsutawney Phil, many see this
If we all had guns, we could’ve scared away the storm with bullets. I bet this never would have happened if Professor Telescopis knew we were armed.
Georgia Buttleski
This is exactly the type of thing that happens when we rename our tunnels and bridges. Nothing but bad stuff has happened to the community since the Battery Tunnel was renamed the Hugh Carey something or other. It is just silly. I’m sure Duracell doesn’t appreciate the name-change anymore than I do.
Jimmy Thoothound
We should teach our children manners. This has nothing to do with the snowstorm, but I think that this is a good time to start talking about it. At least when we talked about snow, we could be polite.
Mary Poiuytre
as a major setback. Boilers had to be turned back on. Hats, gloves and scarves were dug out of the bottom of drawers after being sworn off for the season. Every clearance item of Macy’s Winter Closeout has been marked back up to full price.
I agree with Mary. We could use this time while we are incapacitated in our homes, businesses or stuck on this damn MTA bus to have meaningful talks with our kids. Why not take advantage of the time, instead of wasting it?
The one – and probably only nice thing that the storm may have produce was the appearance of the Gowanus Canal. For a few hours, it was shiny and sparkly. Carroll Gardens resident, Eloise Mc Finkerfie said, “For a few minutes, it almost looked clean. It was kinda pretty.”
Think about the environmental effects this storm will have! Where will all of the runoff go? Straight into your toilets and bathtubs! Who wants to uri-
Sam McGhee
Comments: I guess that stupid groundhog was having a bad hair day. He lied to the whole world, and I am mad at him. Snow does not equal spring. Early showers and pretty flowers is what spring is.
Sincerely, Michelle Hutchey
If we had a Republican president, this never would have happened. It is just another example of how our liberal thinking has failed us. Clearly, Mother Nature is conservative. Remember that next time you vote, people.
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Garrison Huckleberry
nate in contaminated water that used to be snow? This is an OUTRAGE!!!
Betty Maroon
March 2013
The Easter Bunny has already appeared in Carroll Gardens by Alliyah Leocardio
W
hat kid doesn’t love to come out and see their favorite TV character? On March 16, the little ones were able to do just that, as they got to spend the day with the Easter Bunny. Sacred Hearts-St. Stephens Church, located on Summit Street, hosted their annual Brunch with the Easter Bunny in Cabrini Hall.
those who were too timid to approach. When he hopped around the room, he carried jingling bells to announce his presence.
The event was catered. the menu included scrambled eggs, home fries, pancakes, French toast, fresh fruit and bagels, along with accompanying condiments, coffee, juice and milk. Plates were served with heaping portions of everything the diner requested.
While talking to local residents and kids, everyone was enjoy the event. In addition to brunch, kids were able to get their faces painted, have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny and have story time with him.
Multiple tables were set up with white plastic table cloths. Each table had jumbo size crayons and several optional pictures for the children to color. Around the room, children’s artwork was on display. ‘
For picture time, the bunny sat in an ornate chair surrounded by colorful flowers. Each child had a chance to sit on his lap and have his or her picture taken.
When I first arrived, I ran met Isabella & Gabriella, two little girls, who seem really excited to have a chance to meet the Easter Bunny. They were there with their mom, grandmother and greatgrandmother. Talk about generations!
The Easter Bunny was in good spirits, The brunch also included a raffle for giving welcoming hugs and waving to an Easter basket. Raffle tickets were $1
Answer to previous puzzle
The
each, and all proceeds went toward other events the church will be hosting later this year. The brunch has been going on for 10 years and is always a success. St. Stephen’s holds Not only did these kids get to pose with the Easter Bunny, but they had many events a hot breakfast, drew, had their faces painted, and got their picture in for children the Red Hook Star-Revue. (photo by Leocardio) throughout the year including a Halloween carnival After a delicious breakfast and an early and Brunch with Santa Claus. The fol- afternoon with the Easter Bunny, the lowing Sunday, March 17, St. Stephen’s event came to a close. The day was performed their annual blessing of the filled with excitement, joy and laughter. children during their 10 am mass with St. Stephen’s Easter Bunny had hosted another successful brunch. Bishop Chappetto.
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crossword
Star-Revue Puzzler #26 by George Fiala Across
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41. 42. 43. 45. 46. 47. 50.
Abominable snowman Rumplestiltskin did this Amusement park game, with ball Part of LGBT Not new Nintendo console Van Brunt and Columbia are examples (abbr).
March, 2013 Page 19
SUNY’s Conundrum
were significantly flawed.
c) Pursue legislation which will increase the flexibility of the organizaHospital’s prime Cobble Hill land could tion to support a more financially susbe worth as much as $500 million,” the tainable operation. article read. Phase 3 – Pursue a Brooklyn SoluState University spokesperson, Robert tion and Long-Term Sustainability for Bellafiore was quoted several times in the Downstate Medical Center article, saying, “The fact of the matter is that zero consideration has been given to Develop a plan for creating a Brooklyn hosthe real estate factor of it. It is so cart be- pital consortium, including significant affiliations and partnerships that will serve to fore the horse, it’s not even funny.” The stark juxtaposition of the two op- make Downstate Medical School the mediposing facts created a flurry of comments cal school for hospitals in Brooklyn. Explore among the readers. “Bob from Brooklyn” the potential of the consortium to develop a wrote, “If SUNY in fact valued LICH new hospital for central/northern Brooklyn property at $500 million AT THE TIME March 1 - One day after the previous OF ACQUISITION ... well, that sort of post, another Power Point Presentation belies SUNY’s recent assertion that the was posted entitled “SUNY Hospitals & value of LICH’s real estate was never A Healthier New York: Capital Briefing.” even considered.” Another commenter, Page 14 listed the outstanding debt of “allen” wrote, “bob [sic], you caught that their hospitals as of January 31, 2013: too? methinks they had an unintentional Upstate: $187,542,000 slip of the tongue.” Downstate: $191,329,000 Thursday, February 28 - A Power Point Stony Brook: $251,818,000 presentation was posted on the SUNY March 8 - Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Board of Trustees website entitled “A FuJohnny Lee Baynes extends the tempoture for Downstate Medical Center.” On rary restraining order against SUNY page 4 of this document, SUNY explains their three-stage plan March 12 - Nurses delivered almost 30 pounds of petitions to Dr. Nirav Shah, Phase 1 – Secure $150 million in StaCommissioner for the Department of bility Funds from New York State. Health. They turned the event into a ral$150 million is needed to keep the operaly, waiving their iconic signs and chanttion going and support mission critical items, ing their consistent message. “LICH IS while we work to fix many of the underlying OPEN FOR CARE!” problems that contribute to these losses. March 14 - Brooklyn Supreme Court Phase 2 – Restructure the Operation Judge Johnny Lee Baynes voided the February 8 vote because SUNY violated the for Sustainability Open Meetings Law. a) Proceed with the restructurMarch 14 - The Brooklyn Paper reports ing of the operation of Downstate Medithat SUNY did discuss LICH as real escal Center. tate. b) Cease inpatient operations at “State officials justified their controversial LICH. The operating losses are signifimove to make a public meeting private cant and assumptions for the acquisition, by confessing they were discussing the particularly related to patient volume, hospital’s $500-million property holdings (continued from page 5)
Page 20 Red Hook Star-Revue
in secret one day before announcing the plan to shutter LICH, according to legal documents.” “Among other topics, attendees of the closed-door meeting talked about ‘the proposed sale of LICH realty title,’ said one affidavit, filed by Lora Lefebvre, the university’s associate vice chancellor for health affairs. That is quite a reversal.” March 15 - State Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and State Senators Daniel Squadron and Velmanette Montgomery sent Cuomo a letter requesting the shutdown be halted until the Empire Development Corporation could conduct a study on the economic impact of the closing. March 19 - SUNY votes unanimously for a second time to close LICH The vote was held in Purchase, New York - nearly 40 miles away from the facility. LICH workers organized and bussed over 100 workers and community members to the hearing. Squadron released a statement saying, “SUNY again demonstrated a disturbing lack of transparency, holding its vote on the future of LICH in Westchester. But still we made our voices heard - for our community and for Brooklyn.” Squadron also noted that the location of the hearing was a “slap in the face to all those impacted.” In response to the accusation that the vote had been scheduled upstate to discourage supporters of LICH to attend, Board Chairman Carl McCall claimed the meeting had been scheduled months in advance. However, SUNY only knew five days prior to this second vote that they would have to reschedule the hearing and revote on the issue. March 20 - Caregivers held a candle light vigil and march through Brooklyn Heights after SUNY’s unanimous vote to close LICH, “to remind community that we are still here,” said Semente. March 21 - LICH employees receive
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WARN notices, or notices of termination, effective June 18, 2013 - exactly 90 days after the vote, the time limit mandated by the state before a proposed closure. The letters were postmarked on Wednesday, March 19, suggesting that they were already prepared to mail out the day of SUNY’s second vote to terminate LICH. March 21 - Caregivers met with senior community group in Gowanus and Red Hook to raise awareness. March 23 - Caregivers will participate at 12 pm meeting at Borough Hall that Marty Markowitz has called to address the issue. March 23 - Caregivers will attend the Civic Association meeting to raise awareness in the Red Hook community at PS 15 at 7 pm. March 28 - caregivers will hold a forum for the Red Hook community at 6:30 pm at PS 15.
For now, LICH as they say is still “open for care.” Hospital workers and community members are fighting side by side on a daily basis to keep it that way. Ironically, the very lives that LICH has saved time and again may be the same ones that save the existence of the hospital. “ We are not afraid of termination letters,” Semente says. “ We have confidence that the Department of Health will recognize its responsibility to the care of the community.” Downtown Brooklyn may face many unnecessary challenges with the loss of LICH. In a 2008 interview with the NY Times, Judy Stanton, former executive director of Brooklyn Heights Association states quite clearly the importance of LICH’s survival. “If your child was having an asthma attack, and you couldn’t rush to LICH where there are pediatric specialists to give the right dose, then yes, your child could die.”
March 2013
Star-Revue
Guide to area restaurants
Red Hook BAKED 359 Van Brunt St., (718)222-0345.
THE BROOKLYN ICE HOUSE 318 Van Brunt St., (718) 222-1865. Botanica 220 Conover St (at Coffey St), (347) 225-0147. DEFONTE’S SANDWICH SHOP 379 Columbia St., (718) 855-6982. F&M BAGELS 383 Van Brunt St., (718) 855-2623. FORT DEFIANCE 365 Van Brunt St., (347) 453-6672. THE GOOD FORK 391 Van Brunt St., (718) 643-6636. HOME/MADE 293 Van Brunt St., (347) 223-4135. HOPE & ANCHOR 347 Van Brunt St., (718) 237-0276. IKEA One Beard St., (718) 246-4532. MARK’S PIZZA 326 Van Brunt St., (718) 624-0690. New Lin’s Garden Restaurant 590 Clinton Street, (718) 399-1166 RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND 284 Van Brunt St., (646) 326-7650. ROCKY SULLIVAN’S 34 Van Dyke St., (718) 246-8050.
Ghang, 229 Court Street, 718-875-1369 Hana cafe, 235 Smith Street, (718) 6431963 Le Petite Cafe, 502 Court street, 718596-7060 Ling Ling Young, 508 Henry Street, (718) 260-9095 Marco Polo Ristorante, 345 Court Street, 718 852-5015 Mama Maria’s Restaurant, 307 Court Street, (718) 246-2601 Mezcals Restaurant, 522 Court Street, 718-783-3276
Natures Grill, 138 Court street, 718852,5100, Nine-D, 462 Court Street, 718-488-8998, Oaxaca Tacos, 251 Smith Street (718) 222-1122 Osaca Restaurant, 272 Court Street (718) 643-0055 P J Hanleys, 449 Court St, 718- 843-8223 Palo Cortado, 520 Court St, 718-4070047 Prime Meats, 465 Court Street, 718254-0327 or 0345, Palmyra, 316 Court street, 718-7971110 Red Rose Restaurant, 315 Smith Street, (718) 625-0963 Sals Pizza, 305 Court Street, (718) 852-6890 Sam’s Restaurant, 238 Court Street, 718-596-3458 Savoia, 277 Smith Street, 718-797-2727
South Brooklyn Pizza, 451 Court Street, 718 852-6018 Stinky Brooklyn, 261 Smith Street, 718 522-7425 Sweet Melissa, 276 Court Street, (718) 855-3410 Tripoli, 156 Atlantic Ave, 718 596-5800 Vinny’s of Carroll Gardens, 295 Smith Street, 718 875-5600 Vinny’s Pizzeria, 455 Court Street, 718 596-9342 Vino y Tapas, 520 Court Street, 718407-0047 Zaytoons, 283 Smith Street, 718 875-1880
Gowanus
Michael and Pings, 437 Third Avenue, (718) 788-0017 Cotta Bene Pizza, 291 3rd Ave, 718 722-7200 Littlenecks, 288 3rd Ave., (718) 522-1921
Columbia Waterfront ALMA 187 Columbia St., (718) 643-
5400. CALEXICO CARNE ASADA 122 Union St., (718) 488-8226. CASELNOVA 214 Columbia St., (718) 522-7500. FERNANDO’S FOCACCERIA RESTAURANT 151 Union St., (718)855-1545. HOUSE OF PIZZA & CALZONES 132 Union St., (718) 624-9107. JAKE’S BAR-B-QUE RESTAURANT 189 Columbia St., (718) 522-4531. MAZZAT 208 Columbia St., (718) 8521652. PETITE CREVETTE 144 Union St., (718) 855-2632. TEEDA THAI CUISINE 218 Columbia St., (718) 643-2737.
Carroll Gardens/ Cobble Hill
Abilene, 442 Court Street, 718-5226900, Bacchus, 409 Atlantic, (718) 852-1572 Bar Bruno, 520 Henry St., 347-7630850, Bagels by the park, 323 Smith Street, (718) 246-1321 Bar great harry, 280 Smith Street (718) 222-1103 Bombay Dream, 257 Smith Street (718) 237-6490 Bourgeois Pig, 387 Court Street, (718) 858-5483 Brooklyn Bread Cafe, 436 Court Street (718) 403-0234 Buddy’s Burrito & Taco Bar, 260 Court Street, 718-488-8695, Buttermilk channel, 524 Court Street (718) 852-8490 Casa Rosa, 384 Court Street, 718-7971907 Chestnut, 271 Smith St., (718) 2430049 cobble grill, 212 Degraw Street, (718) 422-0099 Cobble Hill Coffee Shop, 314 Court Street, (718) 852-1162 Cody’s Ale House Grill, 154 Court Street, 718-852,6115 Court Street Grocers, 485 Court Street, (718) 722-7229 Crave, 570 Henry Street, (718) 643-0361 Cubana Cafe, 272 Smith Street (718) 718-858-3980 Downtown Bar & Grill, 160 Court street, 718-625-2835 Dubuque, 548 Court Street, (718) 5963248 Em Thai Kitchen, 278 Smith Street, (718) 834-0511 Enotica on Court, 347 Court Street, (718) 243-1000 F Line Bagels, 476 Smith Street (718) 422-0001 Five Guys, 266 Court St., 347-799-2902 Fragole, 394 Court Street, (718) 6227133 Francesco’s Restaurant, 531 Henry Street, (718) 834-0863 Frank’s Luncheonette, 365 Smith Street, (718) 875-5449
Red Hook Star-Revue
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March, 2013 Page 21
Art & Community Calendar If you have an event you would like listed in the Red Hook Star-Revue calendar, please email event@redhookstar.com
Benefits
Mar 21 Dance Theatre Etcetera’s Benefit Party Thursday March 21, 2013, 6:00pm-9:00pm The Brooklyn Crab 24 Reed Street Brooklyn NY 11231
Children
Thru March 31 Classes focusing on self esteem, problem solving, socialization, conflict resolution, and free expression through art, music and creative movement. For children from Birth to 7 yrs Who’s on First 1st Place (Clinton/Henry) (718) 243-1432 Every Sat 10:30-11:30am Story Time with Carol & Friends for Ages 4-6 at the Carroll Gardens Library with Carol Tronha of the Cobble Hill Playschool Carroll Gardens Library 396 Clinton St (Corner of Clinton & Union) (718) 5966972 Every Tues 10am GoGo 1 Pre Crawlers & 11:30am GoGo 2 Creeping, Crawling &Pulling Up Element 518 Henry St (Union St) 2nd floor studio (718) 6436064 Every Wed Wed’s 6:15-7:45pm Carroll Gardens Library Chess Club. Improve your chess and learn from an expert chess player All-Ages welcome! Bring a Chess Clock for Blitz Class Carroll Gardens Library 396 Clinton St (Corner of Clinton & Union) (718) 596-6972 Every Mon 10:30am Babies and Books for Babies and Tots (infant-18 months) Books for babies, learn fun songs & Rhymes and meet other families in your neighborhood in this program - Meeting Room of the Library, Carroll Gardens Library 396 Clinton St (Corner of Clinton & Union St) (718) 596-6972 Every Fri 1-2:30pm Arts & Crafts - Get Crafty with Bobbie the Volunteer Recommend ages 2 & + Meeting Room Carroll Gardens Library 396 Clinton St (Corner of Clinton & Union St) (718) 596-6972
Church/ Synagogue
Every Thur 6pm Choir Practice w/ Emiliana; in home Blessings and Masses, by appointment. Languages available: English, Spanish, Italian, Germen. Contact Lori Burkhard (917) 971-5522 Visitation of Our Blessing Virgin Mary R.C. 98 Richards St @Verona
Class/Workshops
Every Mon 4-4:45pm Children’s aikido (ages 4-5) 5-6 pm Youth aikido (6-13) 6:30-8pm Adult aikido, Aikido of South Brooklyn 205 Columbia St (718) 6126334 Every Tue 7:15-8:15am Adult Aikido, 4-4:45pm Children Aikido (ages 4-5), 5:15-6:30pm open Mat, 7-8pm Adult Aikido, weapons, Aikido of South Brooklyn 205 Columbia St (718) 612-6334 Every Wed 6:30-8pm Adult Aikido, Aikido of South Brooklyn 205 Columbia St (718) 612-6334 Every Thurs 4-4:45 Children’s Aikido (ages 4-5), 5-6pm Youth Aikido (ages 6-13), 7-8pm Adult Aikido, Aikido of South Brooklyn 205 Columbia St (718) 612-6334 Every Fri 4-4:45pm Children’s Aikido (ages 4-5), 5-6pm (ages 6-13), 7-8pm Adult Aikido, Aikido of South Brooklyn 205 Columbia St (718) 612-6334 Every Sat 9-10:30am Youth Aikido (ages 6-13), 10:45-12:15pm Adult Aikido, Aikido of South Brooklyn 205 Columbia St (718) 612-6334 Every Wed Feb13-Apr5 Arts in Books for Adults Pre-Registration is Required Carroll Gardens Library 396 Clinton St (Corner of Clinton & Union) (718) 5966972 Every Mon 7am Everyday Athlete, 9am Everyday Athlete for babies Noon Mommy & Baby Bungee Everyday Athlete 136 Union St (718) 852-6300
Page 22 Red Hook Star-Revue
Every Tues 6:30am Everyday Athlete + Yoga Everyday Athlete 136 Union st (718) 852-6300 Every Wed 9am Everyday Athlete for Baby’s, Noon Mommy & Baby Bungee, 7pm Everyday Athlete + Metabolic Strength Everyday Athlete 136 Union St (718) 852-6300 Every Fri Everyday Athletes Beginners Everyday Athlete 136 Union St (718) 852-6300 Every Sat 9am Everyday Athletes open class Everyday Athlete 136 Union St (718) 852-6300 Every Thurs 7:15-5:15pm Yoga in Redhook $10 or pay what you can Cora Studio 201 Richards St (Coffey/Van Dyke St.) (718) 858-2520 Every Mon thru June 9 3:30-4:30pm Creative Movement with Courtney Ages 4-5, 4:45-5:45pm Modern II with Courtney Ages 9-13, 5:55-6:55 CYC (Cora Youth Company) Ages 9-18 Nadia & Guests (Invitation only), Cora Dance 201 Richards St (Coffey/ Van Brunt St (718) 858-2520 Every Tues thru Mar 26 11-11:45 am Dance Baby Dance! With Luisa ages 2-3.5, Discover Dance (Pre-Ballet, Tap, and Creative Movement combo) with Dana Ages 4-5 Cora Dance 201 Richards St (Coffey/ Van Brunt St) (718) 858 2520 Every Wed thru June 9 3:30-4:30pm Big Fun Dance (Modern Technique with Jazz/Hip hop with Sarah B. Ages 6-9, 4:45-5:45pm Hip Hop Ages 9+ Sarah B & Solomon Cora Studio 201 Richards St (Coffey/Van Dyke St) (718) 858-2520 Every Thurs thru June 9 3:30-4:30pm Ballet I with Courtney ages 6-9, 4:455:45pm Ballet II** with Courtney Ages 9+, 7:15-8:15pm Yoga Teen/Adult with Jolene Cora Studio 201 Richards St (Coffey/Van Dyke St) (718) 858-2520 Every Fri thru June 9 3-4pm The Works! (Drama, visual arts, music, story-telling and more!) Ages 5-8 Cora Studio 201 Richards St (Coffey/Van Dyke St) (718) 858-2520 Every Sat thru June 9 9:30-10:30am Zumba** Teen/Adults with Sarah F. Cora Studio 201 Richards St. (Coffey/Van Dyke St) (718) 858-2520 Every Sun thru April 7 5-7pm Sense Writing for writers of all levels $430 Jalopy Theatre and School of Music 315 Columbia St (718) 395-3214
Fri Mar 22 Noon Freetown Produce Festival- Three Day Pass $75, Freetown produce Festival Cooking Class with Black Pot Supper $20, Freetown Produce Festival- Friday day pass $30, 7pm Freetown produce festival dance class, bands & black pot supper-dubl Handi, Stephanie Jenkins, Kristen Andereassen, Rosie Newton, Chris Eldrige, Michaela Anne, Bailey Cooke and Erin Durant $15 Jalopy Theatre and School of Music 315 Columbia St (718) 395-3214 Fri Mar 22 41 Players 9 pm, Bait and Tackle, 320 Van Brunt St 718-451-4665 Sat Mar 23 The Strung Out String Band 9 pm, Bait and Tackle, 320 Van Brunt St 718-451-4665 Sat Mar 23 Noon Freetown Produce Festival $37.50, 7pm Freetown Saturday Night Bands and Blackpot supper-brain cloud and The Revelers Jalopy Theatre and School of Music 315 Columbia St (718) 395-3214 Every Monday 8-11pm The Star Theater Acoustic Jam 101 Union St (Columbia/Van Brunt St) (718) 624-5568 Every Thur 8pm The Star Theater Electric Jam Dim lights and loud music- join
your local neighbors and make some great music with us 101 Union St (Columbia/Van Brunt St) (718) 624-5568
Tastings
Fri March 22: cabernet sauvignon 5:308:30, free Chilean cab from a family owned winery in the Maipo Valley, that specialize in the production of red wines. Dry Dock & Wine & Spirits 424 Van Brunt St (718) 624-5921 Sat March 23: 4:00-7:00, free Distilled by 2 brothers in Catalunya this 100% pure vodka, is made from 100% grain, and is 100% headache free. Dry Dock Wine & Spirits 424 Van Brunt St (718) 624-5921
Walking Tours
Daily 10am-1pm A historical walking tour of Brownstones Brooklyn featuring the childhood home of Al Capone, the history of the Williamsburg Bank and the Revolutionary War battle site the Old Stone House, Real Brooklyn Pizza lunch included $40 A Tour Grows in Brooklyn 1212 64th St. (212) 209-3370
Camp (Advantages Package Required) Trainer: Nick, Body Elite, Body Elite & Fitness Center 348 Court Street (718) 935-0088 Every Tues 7:45pm TRX Strength Trainer: Nick, Body Elite & Fitness Center 348 Court Street (718) 935-0088 Every Wed 7am TRX Basic Robin & 7pm TRX Basic Robin, Body Elite & Fitness Center 348 Court Street (718) 935-0088 Every Thurs 7 am TRX Basic Robin & Rachel, Body Elite & Fitness Center 348 Court Street (718) 935-0088 Every Sat 9:45 am TRX Circuit Robin, Body Elite & Fitness Center 348 Court Street (718) 935-0088 Every Sun 11 am TRX Basic Robin & Rachel, Body Elite & Fitness Center 348 Court Street (718) 935-0088
Fitness/Body
Every Mon 6:30 am & 7pm TRX Boot
Annual Good Friday Celebrations Good Friday around these parts is always a great show. The two largest Catholic Churches - one in Red Hook and one in Carroll Gardens have a long history - and a long history of Good Friday processions. Sacred Heart and Saint Stephen’s Church, on Summit and Hicks Street, represents a merger of two local churches, both of which date back to the 1860’s. The current building was erected in 1875. Visitation Church, at Richards and Verona, dates back to the 1850’s. Their building is from 1896. Both are beautiful examples of Gothic architecture and are worth a visit just to see the history. The Good Friday Visitation processional precedes St. Stephen’s, so an intrepid sightseer can be part of both. It starts at 10:45 am at the church and for the next two hours winds through Red Hook, passing through the Justice Center parking lot, then towards Coffey Park and meanders around the Red Hook Houses. Anyone is welcome, and will follow Father Claudio as he speaks at each station. The historic Sacred Heart/St. Stephen processional is an elaborate affair that begins at the church steps at 7 pm. The statues of Christ and Mother Mary are carried through the streets of Carroll Gardens followed by women in black and everyone else. Both affairs are not to be missed, no matter what your religious persuasion. Good Friday is on the 29th of March this year.
Galleries
Sun Mar 17 4:40 pm Artist Talk: Jennifer Williams and Jason Varone 440 Gallery 440 6th Ave. (Park Slope) (718) 4993844 Thurs-Sun 1-8pm thru Aug 31st New Collections of Local Artists FREE Brooklyn Collective Gallery 212 Columbia St (Union/Sackett) (718) 596-6231 Polar Light: Greenland photography of Rebe Bass Fotrman and the Greenland drawings of Zaria Forman. A climate change awareness exhibition held in conjunction with Al Gore’s “The Climate Project” Look North Inuit Art Gallery 275 Conover St Suite 4E (347) 721-3995 Sat-Sun Mar 2-31st Joanie Turbek and Matt Rubby “Dream Team” Lorraine Gallery 183 Lorraine St (Clinton/ Court St) (347) 409-8957
Museums
Every Sat Sats 12-7pm Refreshments, 5-7pm Evenings, 5-10 pm Above and Beyond, a three-year retrospective of the art if William and Kathleen Lazia Micro Museum 123 Smith Street (718) 797-3116 Every Thurs (4-8pm) & Sun (1-5pm) Free Boat tour & open hours The Waterfront Museum Lehigh Valley Barge No. 79 290 Conover Street (718) 624-4719 ext 11
Music
Wed Mar 20 9pm Roots & Ruckus ft Feral Foster, Foghorn and more! Free Jalopy Theatre and School of Music 315 Columbia St (718) 395-3214 Thurs Mar 21 7pm Date Night at the Jalopy Tavern & Theatre $45, 9pm Jan Bell $10, 10pm Ana Egge$10 Jalopy Theatre and School of Music 315 Columbia St (718) 395-3214
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March 2013
Star-Revue Classifieds Help Wanted
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
JABUS BUILDING CORP.
Serving Red Hook for over 25 years
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Jim & Debbie Buscarello PHONE: (718) 852-5364 Fax: (347) 935-1263 www.jabusbuildingcorp.com jabusbuildingcorp@gmail.com HIC License #0883902 Trade Waste License #1135
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Toilets, Boilers, Heating, Faucets, Hot Water Heaters, Pool Heaters.
B & D Heating 507 Court Street 718 625-1396
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718 624-5568 www.RedHookStar.com March, 2013 Page 23
Page 24 Red Hook Star-Revue
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March 2013