The
Red Hook StarªRevue
SEPTEMBER 2013
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
A WILD AUGUST FOR LONG ISLAND COLLEGE HOSPITAL by Kimberly G. Price and George Fiala
A
mong a sea of rumors asserting the closure of Long Island College Hospital (LICH), the Red Hook StarRevue has kept an up-to-date online chronology of the latest event. The following outline details the court rulings and events through the end of August. New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), Concerned Physicians of LICH, Patients of LICH, SEIU/1199 and community activists continue to hold rallies, vigils and press conferences almost daily to keep the hospital open. LICH currently is still open, though some services have not been resumed. The Emergency Room is still treating walk-ins and a few patients are being admitted. There are signs that State
University of New York Downstate Medical Center (SUNY) is beginning to comply with court orders, but in some cases they remain defiant in both Judge Baynes’ and Judge Demarest’s rulings.
August 8, 2013
• SUNY appeared before the Supreme Court of NYS Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department to dismiss “appeals from the two orders” Judge Baynes issued in April and July “to stay all proceedings” pending hearing and determination of the appeals.” • The court “ORDERED that this motion is denied.”
August 10, 2013
• Patients of LICH received closure
Sunny’s reopens with a weekend bash to remember
At a special August 20th news conference in front of NYSNA headquarters in Manhattan, Jill Furillo announces the completed unexpected decision of Judge Demarest forfeiting SUNY’s ownership of Long Island College Hospital. (Fiala photo)
letters from SUNY. A reader sent an excerpt: “FYI. Got a letter in mail from SUNY, informing me that, ‘We have lost key medical & other support staff at our LICH area clinics. To continue your clinical care, we are moving clinic services to our UHB campus. Our LICH are clinics will close on September 9, except OBGYN, which will close October 31.”
August 16, 2013
• Judge Johnny L. Baynes ended a week of contempt of court hearings by holding his decision in abeyance as all the parties are “engaged in ongoing good faith negotiations and hope to resolve the matter to
their satisfaction,” according to the court papers. • Judge Baynes also ruled that SUNY and the Department of Health must: fully restore staff and services; resuming surgeries; remove armed guards; return or repair medical equipment seized since July 19; allow “medical judgments and decisions” to be made by physicians; issue a formal “retraction letter” to patients countermanding the “closure” letters sent out August 9; and a court appointed ombudsman to oversee operations. SUNY Downstate responds: • “We will comply with the Court’s order to maintain the status quo as of July 19th, 4 pm as we continue to work toward a settlement to resolve all the issues. As always, patient health and safety will remain our most important concern. SUNY is committed to the critical work of preserving Brooklyn’s only medical school and moving forward with UHB restructuring, as outlined in the sustainability plan.”
August 17, 2013
See story page 19
The Star-Revue has received information from a LICH worker: Brad Lander joyfully reacts to the August 16th court order. (Fiala photo)
• “Things here are the same as Friday. People are still out on administrative leave….SUNY still doing what (continued on page 3)
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September 2013
LICH TIMELINE (continued from page 1)
they want. • “They transferred patients to other hospitals this weekend, instead of admitting them. Some testing areas are closed.”
August 19, 2013
• We hear about some movement at LICH. Some who were put on administrative leave are returning to work tomorrow. The ICU is open, and other departments are getting ready to reopen. Four patients were admitted from the ER over the weekend despite COO Michael Lucchesi’s best efforts to discourage that. • de Blasio holds a rally in Manhattan along with Susan Sarandon, Cynthia Nixon and Harry Belafonte.
August 20, 2013
• Judge Demarest rules that SUNY is to vacate the LICH, return all assets belonging to them and turns operations back over to Continuum. • “Upon review and scrutiny of the information recently made public about SUNY Downstate’s financial condition and its treatment of LICH, as well as the documents originally filed with this Court in support of LICH’s petition to transfer its assets to SUNY, I have determined that I have a legal and moral responsibility to correct my earlier error and hereby render the following decision sua sponte.” • Judge Demarest also notes that losses ascribed to LICH were false. • SUNY Downstate spokesperson Robert Bellafiore releases a statement calling SUNY an LICH both “victims” of “daunting realities” of Brooklyn healthcare “landscape.” He also notes that SUNY has “poured millions” into LICH to make up for “decades of financial losses” that were absorbed by taxpayers when SUNY took over. • Continuum releases a statement declining to resume operations at LICH.
August 21, 2013
• SUNY released a statement to the press noting that they would not appeal Judge Demarest’s ruling because, “If there is an intent to challenge this Court’s determination, it is appropriate to move for reconsideration prior to seeking appellate review so that a full record can be developed at a hearing,” the court order mandated. A full record means everything. • There are STILL outside security guards patrolling the campus, but noticeably less then yesterday. We detect guarded optimism among the staff. • Employees are walking around with copies of yesterday’s court order in their hands. The Operating Room is scheduled to re-open Friday, August 23. The waiting room in the ER was bereft of patients, although
Red Hook Star-Revue
admittance was fully staffed - just waiting for walk-ins.
August 22, 2013
• The parties meet in Justice Demarest’s chambers to figure out the next step - who will operate the hospital, etc. SUNY still has the possibility of contempt of court action against them, plus a DA investigation.
August 23, 2013
• Today’s song for SUNY Downstate: John Hiatt’s “Shredding The Document.” A large shredding truck was spotted outside of the main entrance on Amity Street, causing speculation as to what exactly SUNY is destroying one day after Judge Demarest reversed her decision.
Public Advocate and mayoral front-runner Bill de Blasio leads a cheer among LICH supporters. His involvement has been crucial to LICH’s staying open. (Fiala photo)
• NYSNA endorses Public Advocate Bill de Blasio for Mayor. The endorsement marks the first for NYC Mayoral primaries. The Board of Directors vote unanimously for de Blasio.
August 27, 2013
• The first evidence of SUNY’s compliance with Judge Baynes’ court order is posted in the lobby of the ER. • The Concerned Physicians are very much involved in discussions about the future of LICH - and that there will be some announcements after Labor Day.
Minister of LICH information Jeff Strabone enjoys a little victory along with President of the Cobble Hill Association Roy Sloane. (Fiala photo)
• We also hear that there is local interest in pursuing criminal charges against SUNY Downstate for their mishandling of their LICH asset. • At the hospital today we noticed a much smaller presence of guards. Business at the coffee shop is still way down.
August 28, 2013
• NYSNA endorses Levin at LICH • NYSNA has supplied two candidates for ombudsman to Judge Demarest, who will probably decide on them by the end of the week. They would administer the hospital, pay all the bills and operate the hospital during the transition to a new operator. There are ample funds which SUNY is required to give back to LICH on September 6th. • SUNY is granted an extension for vacating the hospital until September 3, 2013.
NYSNA chief Jill Furillo endorsing Stephen Levin for re-election in his City Council Race. (Price photo)
PS 15 holds Stewardship Day
August 30, 2013
• De Blasio files a motion as Public Advocate to be at the table in all future LICH negotiations. SUNY is still not to be trusted.
For frequent updates on LICH and other breaking news, find us on Facebook, (Red Hook Star-Revue); follow us on Twitter (@ redhookstar); or visit our blog (www.redhookstar.wordpress. com)
On August 16th, volunteers including students and teachers at PS 15 gardened and replaced trees which died from the salty waters of Sandy. (Fiala photo)
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September 2013 Page 3
The
Red Hook StarªRevue
SEPTEMBER 2013 SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
VOLUME 4 NO. 9
Table of Contents
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Happenings....................... 2 Fine Fair....................... 7 Endorsements................... 8 Sara Gonzalez............ 12 Carl McCall...................... 10 Carlos Menchaca....... 13 Newsbriefs......................... 6 Sunny’s...................... 19
Rocky Sullivan’s is hosting a Q & A with Carlos Menchaca from 5-7 pm. Rocky’s is located at 34 Van Dyke Street. Food Karma Projects presents their Fourth Annual Pig Island, showcasing the vest of NYS local farmers, chefs, brewers and vintners at Six Point Brewery at IKEA in Red Hook. Tickets start at $65 and include all day beverage and food.
STAFF Kimberly G. Price.......................................Editor/Publisher
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
George Fiala.......................................... Graphics/Publisher
Atelier Roquette is hosting an open house from 6:30-8:30 pm in their new space. They are located at 63 Commerce Street.
Daniel M. Cooper.......................................Associate Editor
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Vince Musacchia..................................................Cartoons
An opening Reception for Amor Fati will be held at Pioneer Works from 4-7 pm. The group exhibition, curated by Anna Erikson and Wills Baker, will be on display from September 11-29. Pioneer Works is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 12-6 pm and is located at 159 Pioneer Street.
Contributors
Jenny Belin, Mary Ann Pietanza, Stacey Nieves, Leslie Ware Camille Daniels
Carroll Gardens Association is holding its Fifth Annual Columbia Waterfront Fall Festival from 12-6 pm. The festival runs from Degraw to Union Streets on Columbia Street. Visitation Church is having a carnival at 11 am to raise money to fix their basement, laundry room and St. Mary’s Hall, all damaged by Hurricane Sandy. For more info call (718) 624-1572.
Member @RedHookStar
Happenings
www.facebook.com/ redhookstarrevue
718.624.5568 - Editorial & Advertising 917.652.9128 News Tips 101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 editor@redhookstar.com
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
The Waterfront Museum is honoring The O’Connell Organization and George and Alison Tocci for supporting the museum with a Pirate’s Ball from 6:30-10 pm. Reserve tickets for this special evening at www. barge100.com
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Star-Revue Community Calendar
Cora Dance’s Grand Opening Weekend Block Party begins at 8 pm through midnight. Performances from 8-10 pm will be held at Cora Dance (201 Richards Street, Buzzer 15) and Red Hook Tabernacle Church, followed by a dance party at Rocky Sullivan’s (34 Van Dyke Street). Tickets are $20 or pay what you can.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
The 39th Annual Atlantic Antic returns to Brooklyn at noon. The mile long event runs from 4th Avenue to Hicks street on Atlantic Avenue.
COMMUNITY BOARD 6: ALL MEETINGS AT 6:30 PM
ONGOING
Prospect Park Residence , 1 Prospect Park West
Behind Closed Doors: Art in Spanish American Home, 1492-1898 will be on display at the Brooklyn Museum from September 20, 2013- January 12, 2014. Brooklyn Museum is located at 200 Eastern Parkway.
Sep 19
Brooklyn Heights Players present Horton Foote’s Dividing the Estate September 6-22. Tickets are $20. For reservations, call (718) 237-2752.
Sep 11
General Board Meeting
Transportation/Public Safety & Executive
Cobble Hill Community Meeting Room , 250 Baltic Street
SAVE THE DATE
OTHER MEETINGS & EVENTS Sunday, September 8, 2013, 2:00 PM-Sacred Heart & Saint Stephen’s R.C. Church’s “Our Lady of Sorrows Procession”. Starts at Hicks Street and Summit and serpentines through the streets of Carroll Gardens
Dance Theatre Etcetera presents Dance on the Greenway on Saturday October 12 in the Erie Basin Park at IKEA. Shows begin at 1 and 4 pm. A Taste of Red Hook returns to Pioneer Works on October 22 from 6-9 pm. Pioneer Works is located at 159 Pioneer Street.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 76th Precinct Community Council Meeting, 7:30 pm, 191 Union Street Saturday, September 14, 2013, 12:00-6:00 PM-Columbia Street Fair on Columbia Street, from Degraw Street, between Union Street and on Union Street, between Columbia Street and Hicks Street. Sunday, September 15, 2013, 11:00 AM-5:00 PM-PBBS Unity Showcase Festival at Prospect Park at the Bartel Pritchard Circle entrance at PPW & 15th Street. Thursday, September 24, 2013, Gowanus CAG Meeting, TBA Sunday, September 29, 2013, 9:30 AM-”Tunnel to Towers” Memorial Run through the Hugh Carey (Brooklyn Battery) Tunnel.
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September 2013
Pave Academy dismisses a beloved dean by Stacey Nieves
T
hey pointed him out, but they needn’t have. It was clear he was the man they were all here for. He greeted each parent by name, often stopping to ask a few questions about how a sick relative or troublesome child was doing. He stooped to high-five happy children and consol those who were feeling ill. From the way he was smiling, you’d never guess that this was Dean Kesete Thompkins’ last week at a job he clearly loved.
Rachel added.
Across the street, in the punishing sunlight, PAVE Academy Charter School’s principal and executive director made separate, quiet paths through the crowd. They listened politely to complaints, worries, and fears, offering business cards and private meetings. Some parents were meeting Spencer Robertson, the executive director and founder, for the first time. Principal Jeremy Abarno seemed better-known, but both served as the unsmiling targets of the parents’ ire.
“My grandson was crying when I told him he was leaving,” said another.
It was 8 o’clock on a Monday morning, July 15th, but the parents gathered across the street from PAVE Academy weren’t there to drop their children off at school. They were protesting the firing of Thompkins, the dean of students, arguing that the dismissal was unjustified and that they had been unfairly kept in the dark about the decision. According to Rachel Rios, a parent who played a large role in organizing the rally, 80% of the more than 200 students who attend PAVE come from the Red Hook Houses. The eastern portion of the massive housing development sits directly across the street from the school’s clean, attractive new building, forming a redbrick backdrop for the colorful protest. Many of the rally’s attendees supported the school throughout its strained collocation with P.S. 15 and move to its own home at 732 Henry Street in April of this year. They have no complaints about the uniforms, long school days, and high expectations—evident even in the school’s name, an acronym for its core values of perseverance, achievement, vibrance, and excellent character. The charter school’s freedom from the format of traditional public schools has enabled it to build a unique environment in which many say their children have flourished. But another effect of that freedom, and one of the greatest benefits of charter schools according to their supporters, is flexibility in hiring and firing. Unlike in traditional public schools, a teacher or dean who is dismissed from a charter school does not remain on the payroll until he or she finds a new position. Due to low rates of union membership, little stands in the way of administrators who wish to remove an ineffective employee. But, according to attendees of Monday’s rally, and its continuation on Wednesday, Thompkins was far from ineffective. “He called all 20 parents,” from a school trip in Washington, Rachel said, “to tell them their kids were okay.” Her daughter, who is in the second grade at PAVE, often misbehaves in school, but talking to the dean “calms her down,”
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“It’s not just a job for him. It’s not just a paycheck,” said Sheena Cook, another attendee of the rallies. “When we had Hurricane Sandy, he reached out to every one of us. He was willing to go out to Bay Ridge to take my son to school because we were being evacuated.” “He goes above and beyond for the kids. He walks them home. He’s even taken our kids to after-school programs,” one protester said.
As the dean of students and faculty, Thompkins’ responsibilities vary. “If a student has a bathroom incident, I make sure they’re changed,” he said, “but if a parent has a problem with a teacher, I handle that too.” He is also “responsible for discipline, communication with parents, and transportation,” and serves as a chaperone on field trips. He sums himself up as a “jack of all trades.”
The Pave Academy moved into their new building at 71 Sullivan St. this year.
after this year.” “As you all know he has been an advocate for your children and has been a great member of the PAVE team,” Abarno wrote in the notice, “We deep-
Thompkins also hasn’t told the parents why he is being dismissed, but that is because even he “isn’t 100% sure why,” he said. “The line is they’re moving forward, and I’m moving on,” he declared.
But the dean doesn’t limit himself to even such a broad spectrum of tasks. “I try to go above and beyond the school,” he said. “There is no walking into PAVE and walking out. There is Red Hook the community.” For some parents of PAVE students, Thompkins—who has worked at the school for two and a half years—has become an important part of that community. One protester’s daughter is his goddaughter. He calls another’s mother “mom.” “I think of you all as family,” he told a group of parents. Despite this closeness, the dean decided not to tell the parents about his dismissal, leaving them to find out through word of mouth only a week and a half before the end of the school year. Initially claiming he found out a month before Monday’s rally, he eventually admitted he had known for “a lot longer than that.” “I never told anyone because it’s not about me, it’s about the kids,” he explained. “I don’t need the spotlight. If this goes on for more than a week, it takes away from the kids.” Thompkins also hasn’t told the parents why he is being dismissed, but that is because even he “isn’t 100% sure why,” he said. “The line is they’re moving forward, and I’m moving on,” he declared. A letter sent home to parents on the day of the first rally also failed to adequately explain the dean’s dismissal. The departures of a few other teachers are justified in the letter. One is “moving out of state,” another will be “a founding teacher at a brand new charter school.” But Thompkins is simply “moving on
ly appreciate his work for the school.” Abarno declined to explain the decision to an inquiring parent, saying he couldn’t discuss “professional matters.” When contacted for this article, the principal deferred to Robertson, who ignored repeated requests for comment. Parents speculated that Thompkins’ contract had expired, but noted that other employees have remained at the school for longer than the dean’s two and a half years. Even aside from the reasoning behind the dismissal, it also remains unclear exactly who made the decision. According to Rachel, Robertson told her that the school’s board had decided to fire the dean. But board member Wally Bazemore claims that the board was informed of the decision only after it had already been made. One PAVE parent—grandparent, actually—tried to put that decision in the hands of the parents. Edith Hough started a petition to prevent the school from dismissing Thompkins because, as she writes in the petition, “he relates well with the children and has proven to be an asset to the school in many ways.” “He greets every child with a handshake coming off of the bus,” said Edith, whose grandchild is a kindergartener at PAVE. “I feel safe not walking my child to school.”
news agencies and government offices, only to be told their cause wasn’t important enough. A representative for Sara Gonzalez was expected all day Monday, but never arrived. On Wednesday, Rachel called Channel 7 to remind them of a call she had made earlier, only to be curtly told, “We’re not coming.” “Shows how much they care,” Rachel said after hanging up. Karen Broughton, a representative for Assemblyperson Felix Ortiz, was the only government spokesperson to appear at the rallies. She made a copy of Edith’s petition to give to Ortiz, and told protesters that the politician was working on discovering the cause of the dean’s dismissal. By Wednesday, Robertson was informing parents that they could expect to meet Thompkins’ replacement at orientation in September. Some parents remained undaunted. “We’re going to continue in September,” Edith said, “but this time we’re going to have the media and we’re going to email the congress people, because it’ll be election time then.” Others were more hesitant. “I’m wondering if September is too late,” said another parent, Danielle. “By September the other dean might be taking over. I’m hoping this works now, but it’s crunch time.” Bazemore encouraged parents to view the attempt to prevent Thompkins’ firing as a learning experience. “This is what parents are supposed to do. Exercise your rights,” he told the protesters. “Parents need to be at the board meetings.” “They need more parents on the PAB,” another parent added, referring to PAVE’s Parent Advisory Board, of which she was once a member. “It’s been the same five parents.” Thompkins is keeping his “options open” for September, he said. But he’s willing to admit that his time at PAVE might be over:
She collected 78 signatures, but only about 30 of those who signed showed up to protest on Monday. Even fewer stuck around for Wednesday’s rally.
“If you listen to the parents, what they’re talking about is their kids, whose hands are their kids going to be in. It’s not about me anymore.”
Those 48 parents weren’t the only noshows at the rallies. Rachel and the other parents also reached out to several
“I’m not really sure what I’m going to do next,” he added. “I’ll move forward, that’s all I can do.”
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September 2013 Page 5
Star-Revue
Fourth Avenue redesign approved
News Briefs
CARROLL GARDENS ASSOCIATION, INC. - 5TH ANNUAL COLUMBIA WATERFRONT FALL FESTIVAL Festival scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 14th 2013 from 12pm to 6pm on Columbia Street from Degraw to Union and on Union Street from Columbia to Hicks BROOKLYN, N.Y., (August 7, 2013) – Carroll Gardens Association, Inc. (CGA) is pleased to announce that its Fifth Annual Columbia Waterfront Fall Festival scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 14, 2013 from 12pm to 6pm on Columbia Street from Degraw to Union and from Columbia to Hicks on Union Street. The Fall Festival is a familyfriendly, annual festival held in Brooklyn’s Columbia Street Waterfront District. For the past five years, we’ve showcased the best of what this community has to offer and we welcome visitors to join us in one of the most awaited events in the Columbia Street Waterfront District. Admission is always free to this event and attendees enjoy a day of fun with food, children’s activities, entertainment, shopping, and more. “We want the community near and far to come out and support our local vendors, see what is happening on Columbia Street and support CGA’s programs and development” said Michael Brown, local Columbia Street Waterfront District resident and CGA board member. If you live or work in the area, come meet the community. For those visiting from other areas of the city, let this be one of many trips to the neighborhood. If you are a merchant, business, or non-profit organization in the area and would like to participate in the event, please email info@carrollgardensassociation.com.
by Stacey Nieves
Come see the premier family-style comedy pirate act in America, aboard the historic Waterfront Museum Showboat Barge on Sunday August 4, 2013 at 1 pm at Red Hook Pier 44 at the foot of Conover Street across from the Fairway Supermarket. PIRATE SCHOOL! is a swashbuckling one-man family vaudeville show created and performed by veteran New York physical comedian and actor David Engel. PIRATE SCHOOL! has enthralled thousands of families for over 15 years with it’s mischievous blend of clown theater, adept magic, zany musical score and boisterous full-audience participation. During PIRATE SCHOOL! Billy Bones teaches youngsters how to be good pirates with lessons on how to stand, talk, sing and laugh like Buccaneers; cannons boom, skulls talk, cutlasses drop and pets run amok. PIRATE SCHOOL! aims to satisfy children’s universal curiosity about the briny Buccaneers of yore while subtly boosting their self-esteem and prompting them to be more empathetic, responsible and courageous. See more at: http://www.mypirateschool.com. For tickets call (877) 238-5596 or go to http://www.smarttix.com and search pirate. Advance tickets: Adults $13, Children under 10 years $10. Tickets at the door (when available) Adults $15, Children under 10 years $12. The Waterfront Museum is housed aboard a covered all-wood barge listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Free Open Boat Tours for families Thursdays 4-8pm and Saturdays 1-5pm. Groups any day by appointment. For more info visit www.waterfrontmuseum.org or call 718 624-4719.
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
718 624-5568
or email: editor@redhookstar.com
P
ark Slope’s community board endorsed, with minor conditions, a Department of Transportation (DOT) plan to redesign a 1.4 milesegment of Fourth Avenue at a July 10th meeting, even though the board had previously rejected a similar plan. At the meeting, residents of the dangerous thoroughfare spoke in favor of the proposal, but residents of nearby streets expressed concern that some of the changes would push more cars onto residential roads not designed for heavy traffic. In the first portion of a double meeting held at the 78th precinct, the Transportation and Public Safety Committee of Community Board 6 listened to the DOT make arguments that they had left largely unaltered since they had been previously looked over and voted unanimously in favor of. After a brief discussion, the full board put an end to the four-hour meeting by reversing their June 12th decision with a 21 to 3 vote, with two abstentions, in favor of the modified plan. Both approvals were conditional, requesting that the DOT return to the community board one year after the implementation of the plan to present the results, and that the department inform the board if it decides to make changes to the plan. In a small concession to the proposal’s opponents, the board also recommended that the proposed leftturn bans be reviewed with particular attention to traffic increases on adjacent streets before they are implemented. Because the community board’s role is merely advisory, however, it cannot force the DOT to rethink its plan. The new plan cuts down the number of left turn bans from eight to six, maintaining northbound left turns at Degraw and Butler Streets while eliminating southbound lefts at Dean, Third, Ninth and 14th Streets and northbound lefts at Eighth and 13th Streets. It also reduces the northbound stretch of Fourth Avenue to be changed from three lanes to two by two blocks so that they bans begin at Carroll street rather than Union street. The remaining two driving lanes and single parking lane will be widened, as will pedestrian medians—by way of painted extensions—at intersections where left turns are banned. The DOT plans to implement the changes during the summer. Several residents of Fourth Avenue, including many representatives from the Forth on Fourth Committee of the Park Slope Civic Council, praised the plan during the public hearing before the
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vote. Michael Cairl, president of the Park Slope council, called the redesign “a step in the right direction,” adding that he was speaking for himself rather than as a representative of the council. One Carroll Gardens resident brought his 12-year-old daughter, Lily, to the front of the room so that the community board could “meet someone who could benefit from this plan.” After much prodding from her father, Lily told the story of how she and a friend were once stranded on the median while cars rushed past, a “really scary” experience. Opponents of the plan who spoke at the meeting expressed concern that by banning left turns at certain streets, the redesign would force drivers to turn onto more residential corridors, many of which have schools on them. Several of the proposal’s detractors wore pieces of blue paper that read “SBLT@3” pinned to their shirts, indicating their hope that the DOT would decide to retain southbound left turns at Third Street. One such opponent, a longtime resident of Fifth Street, encouraged the DOT to consider the safety of pedestrians on streets nearby Fourth Avenue in addition to those on the larger street. Reading from a prepared statement, he warned that traffic spillover onto adjacent streets like Fifth would be “an unintentional but unwise consequence” of the redesign. Another Fifth Street resident criticized the DOT for deciding to “move the problem” rather than solve it, claiming that the plan would “create a new danger for pedestrians several blocks away.” She submitted a petition bearing 150 signatures from Fifth Street residents who opposed the project. Also among the plan’s opponents were several residents of Tenth Street, who feared that the turn ban at Ninth would push traffic from a commercial street to a residential one.
Not such a big problem Project manager Jesse Mintz-Roth attempted to assuage such concerns, pointing out that the DOT is “not projecting spillover onto alternate avenues.” He estimated that the traffic increase on adjacent streets would “never be more than a few more cars per hour” and claimed that the project “would not make a big change on Fifth Street.” The department is presumably hoping that the redesign will make a big change on Fourth Avenue. According to the DOT’s presentation, on the 28-block stretch targeted by the plan, one fatality and 52 severe injuries were suffered between 2007 and 2011.
September 2013
Fine Fare to reopen soon by Camille Daniels
S
ince two weeks after super storm Sandy devastated coastal communities, Fine Fare foods has had its doors closed. But in the next couple of months they’re promising a new return with some of the old store mixed in with new products, a new interior, and likely a new distributor. Open and serving Red Hook for some seven years, owner Damien Castillo said that the store had built a strong customer base in the neighborhood and sold to “between 500 and 600 customers a day.” Its customers were among the only reliable things in the store. Flood insurance and consistent distribution to Brooklyn proved difficult to secure before the storm and so Castillo hopes that his return will be as much a reinvention as a return to a good thing. Its in the same location and from the outside not much has changed. But as the glare on the door gives way to views of the new interior, memories of water damaged shelves and spoiled food, rusted metal and mold are quickly forgotten. Fast forward to August 2013 and it is hard to imagine that this is the same store that was once left damaged by the hurricane. After Sandy hit the store all that remained were water-stained shelves and spoiled food. Rusted steel, metal, and mold are but forgotten memories of damaged Fine Fare. There is only one way to describe the renovated store and that is impressive. The first thing to grab any shopper’s attention may simply be the modern de-
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cor. The colors of orange, red, brown and black should cause any shopper to feel right at home. Despite the store’s success, it had some issues before Sandy visited, such as its appearance. “Well before the storm, it needed a revamp, it was time. So Sandy took care of it, we had no choice,” Castillo said.
Hard Decisions While they managed to keep the store open for nearly two weeks after Sandy, Castillo and his team finally realized it was best to close until things could be figured out. But how does someone survive for so long without their main source of income? For Castillo, the answer was family and friends who supported him in any way that they could. “By the grace of God, it has been a challenging struggle. Friends and family have helped me somewhat. I’ve maxed out credit cards,” Castillo said. Castillo spent $600,000 renovating the store on his own. Utica First Insurance Company refused to provide flood insurance for the store becase of its location in a flood-risk zone. So without insurance or money from FEMA, for Castillo and his family has been difficult. The store still lacks coverage for floods. As last year’s holiday season approached, Castillo and his team got to work revamping the store. “Everything had to be demolished,” Castillo said. The reconstruction started in February. The construction not only changed the
Fine Fare serves shoppers from the Red Hook Houses. This photo was taken early last year, before Sandy shut it down (photo by George Fiala)
appearance of the store, but also enhanced its ability to serve its customers. “The store is going to be much bigger to provide more variety in the store,” said Castillo in a Star-Revue interview. Fine Fare should reopen in the next few weeks. They are now putting the finishing touches on the store, which includes new flooring that Castillo hopes will be able to handle the next major storm. He is also slowly restocking the store’s five aisles, while attempting to maintain the proper balance of low prices and quality products. Both Key Food and Food
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Town each made bids for the store. Those wondering if familiar employees will be back in the store will have to wait until opening. “Some that may not be working, I’ll hire. Whoever is a good employee, I’ll hire back,” Castillo said. He wants to make sure his final decision will meet both his own needs and those of the community. “I want to make sure I get the best, because the better service I get the better I can serve the community,” Castillo said.
September 2013 Page 7
Op Ed by Skip Roseboro
Star-Revue
Political Endorsements
What are our leaders up to?
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By Skip Roseboro, community advocate
n July 18th, and against court order, SUNY attempted to deal Long Island College Hospital the final death blow by suddenly swooping down & trying to close off every part of the hospital that they could. This Gestapo tactic suggest that fear of the truth being found out (LICH was solvent) and the chance of losing the windfall profit of attempting to sell LICH off, were likely their motivating factors. Earlier this year SUNY had admitted to lying about LICH’s viability. Despite this, SUNY has repeatedly removed programs and equipment from LICH against court orders not to. Our highest ranking city and state officials have chosen not to protect us from this ongoing assault on our healthcare system while their strange and deafening silence hasn’t approached even “lip service” on the issue. The half billion dollar question may be its own answer. Why is our Mayor so concerned with our smoking, sodas and a million new trees but so notably silent about LICH and the 15 hospitals lost during his 11 year tenure? Aren’t hospitals related to our health? Governor Cuomo has repeatedly been asked to help with LICH and other hospitals – is it his former involvement with the main person attempting to destroy LICH that keeps him from responding and that keeps him so silent on such an important issue to millions? Attorney General Schneiderman, you have been magnificent on so many other issues, why so silent on this one where court orders are repeatedly being ignored? Not your jurisdiction? Still could comment. And Judge J.L. Baynes whose decisions against SUNY are so well appreciated but because his orders provided no serious consequences to SUNY, he effectively relegates himself to the same level as a mother in a supermarket who keeps saying “Stop!, Don’t!, Quit!”, while her young son destroys aisle after aisle. In fact, the lack of serious enforcement has allowed SUNY to continue to unlawfully dismantle LICH while we think that it’s being protected. Without the incentive of huge fines and jail time added to his orders, SUNY will continue to disrespect the Judge and his rulings to the detriment and ultimate demise of this sustainable hospital. The danger from the inactivity of those with the ability to halt the needless and greed driven destruction of LICH, is already manifesting itself in 30 minute ambulance arrivals and 1-9 additional hrs. of waiting time in the emergency rooms of bordering hospitals. “Brooklyn Hospital’s” emergency room, overwhelmed by LICH area emergencies, is now itself diverting ambulances that LICH is capable of handling except for the unwarranted interference of SUNY. This concocted dismantling of LICH is already having a domino effect across Brooklyn healthcare and will eventually spread to other Boros, yet every official who could stop it is totally silent. To borrow from an old-timer I met some yrs. ago, “The sound of their combined outrage wouldn’t rise to that of a mouse pissing on cotton.”… Hardly a picture that denotes leadership – or even respect for the people of this city.
For Mayor the Star-Revue endorses Bill de Blasio. We like Bill for a couple of reasons. Bill de Blasio has been a friend to the neighborhood of Red Hook, as well as all of Brooklyn as a whole. He is from the neighborhood, having represented the 39th District as City Councilman until his election as Public Advocate in 2009. His replacement, Brad Lander, is his friend and supporter, and that means much to us. During his tenure as Public Advocate, he has fought for our hospital as well as the entire Brooklyn healthcare system. Bill represents the working class. His focus extends into the outer boroughs just as much as Manhattan. We believe as mayor, Bill will fight for middle and lowerclass rights and slow down an overdeveloped real estate market where other reasonable services are needed more than high dollar condos. For City Council in the 38th District, the Star-Revue endorses Sara Gonzalez. Sara Gonzalez, a longtime community Sunset Park community activist, came out of nowhere to win a seat in 2002. Now running for her third and last term, she faces an earnest and young Carlos Menchaca. Carlos came to the neighborhood’s attention during last year’s hurricane. He was sent to Red Hook as an outreach worker for Christine Quinn. He impressed many with the dedication he put to this task, which went over and above his official duties, spending long hours in the dark Red Hook Houses helping. While we believe that Carlos has a bright future as a public servant, we think that Sara’s experience and seniority in the City Council is reason enough to bring her back for a third term. We hope that the campaign experience will energize her in the fight to mitigate the negative effects of gentrification that we will surely be facing over the next four years.
Carlos Menchaca and Sara Gonzalez state their case on pages 12 and 13
Op Ed: The Community Safety Act
• A moratorium on all hospital closings until we can come up with an acceptable plan.
Council Members Jumaane D. Williams, co-vice chair of the Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, and Brad Lander, co-chair of the Council’s Progressive Caucus, released the following statement following the City Council’s vote overriding Mayor Bloomberg’s veto of the Community Safety Act (Intros. 1079 and 1080), making the historic package law. The Community Safety Act is a package of legislation that will advance police accountability and improve the relationships between the NYPD and the communities it serves.
• Have SUNY return programs, personnel and equipment to LICH immediately in order to stabilize it and remove pressure on surrounding hospitals.
“Today marks a monumental civil rights victory for New
Right now we only need these 3 things from you:
• Have SUNY release the financial records that prove that LICH was and can again be a viable health facility.
Carroll Street extended to fence by George Fiala
Yorkers. With the establishment of an enforceable ban on bias-based policing practices and independent oversight of the NYPD, New Yorkers now know that police officers will now ‘serve and protect’ all New York City residents, regardless of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. This historic legislation not only reaffirms the constitutional rights of people of more color, but enables police officers to focus on effective crime prevention measures that ensure community safety. “The mandate to end the abuse of the stop-and-frisk program came from New Yorkers of all backgrounds. From Brooklyn to the Bronx, New Yorkers were vocal in their desire for a Police Department that is proactive and effective in its crime fighting tactics, while rejecting an ineffective quota system of racial profiling. “Today, the City Council listened to the voices of reason and passed legally sound and responsible legislation that respects the 4th and 14th Amendment Rights of city residents, while providing the necessary oversight to establish better policing practices.
After many years of construction, it seems that the reconstruction of Van Brunt Street in the Columbia Street Waterfront District is nearing completion. We were struck by the cutaway shown above that extends Carroll Street into what is currently a dead end. The other side of the fence is the Red Hook Containerport. We are not sure what this portends for the future plans of the containerport, and we are not sure how the Greenway Initiatiave bicycle path plans to traverse this concrete barrier.
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“We’d like to thank Speaker Christine Quinn, our City Council colleagues, and most of all to the diverse coalition of New Yorkers who worked tirelessly to pass the Community Safety Act. We look forward to continuing working for a safer and more equitable and just New York for all.”
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September 2013
Tragedy at Centre Mall By Tiphany Hamm, Alexis Robinson and Kimberly Gail Price
reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder. According to the East Houses Tenant Association President Dorothy Shields, she had threatened to commit suicide in the past. This was not the first time Ms. Bobbi faced her death. On January 28, 2007, she was involved in an altercation at the Hell’s Angels clubhouse on East 3rd Street in lower Manhattan. She entered the notoriously violent biker club and introduced herself as “Barbarella.” It was her 52nd birthday.
Roberta Shalaby (photo courtesy Duffy Funeral Home)
O
n July 20, a resident of the Red Hook Houses East fatally jumped off of the roof of her building.
At 5:19 pm on Saturday, Roberta Shalaby went to the roof of 39 Centre Mall and took the final leap. She landed face up and was taken to Methodist Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 5:49 pm. Shalaby, known to many as Ms. Bobbi,
From Coffey Park to the nearest hospital - what if LICH closes? How long will it take? by Alexis Robinson
O
n August 6 at 5 pm, teams of nurses and community supporters traveled by bus and car from Coffey Park in the heart of Red Hook. They were all racing to nearby hospitals to determine travel times. Long Island College Hospital (LICH) serves a great number of residents in Red Hook, an already medically underserved population. If LICH closes, the nearest hospitals are Methodist Hospital in Park Slope and Brooklyn Hospital in Fort Greene. In situations where minutes matter, concerned parties wanted to know how much longer patients would be forced to travel without LICH. The rules were simple. First, all traffic laws were to be strictly followed. Secondly, teams must tweet their progress every 3-5 minutes. One car headed to LICH, Red Hook’s closest hospital. A second car drove to Methodist. Two commuters took buses to Methodist, the second closest hospital to Red Hook. The third car went to Brooklyn Hospital. From the corner of Richards and Verona Streets in Red Hook, LICH is 1.61 miles away. Methodist Hospital is 2.25 miles away. Brooklyn Hospital is 3.33 miles. Councilman Brad Lander announced the four teams. At exactly 5 pm, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio waved the green flag, and the teams were off.
Red Hook Star-Revue
Ms. Bobbi engaged in verbal exchanges that led to her being punched in the face until she collapsed. A witness called 911 after hearing Ms. Bobbi crying, “Oh my god, oh my god! Help me! Help me!” When police arrived in full riot gear, they blocked off the street. According to other news sources brought helicopters, a canine unit, positioned snipers and a search warrant. They arrested one of the selfproclaimed “Harley-riding hell raisers,” Richard West, but he was later released without being arrested. Ms Bobbi had been beaten into a coma. Her daughter, Michelle Caruso, told media she was in and out of conscious-
ness. She also had numerous facial fractures and bruising. She was taken to Bellevue Medical Center in critical condition. The following morning she underwent surgery to relieve pressure on her brain and was listed in stable condition. She fully recovered, but had no recollection of the attack. Residents remember Ms. Bobbi as a friendly neighbor who loved her family very much. She always had something nice to say. She was also involved in community events and could often be found in Coffey Park painting faces. Ms. Bobbi is survived by daughter Michelle, a son and one grandson. Joseph G. Duffy Funeral Home performed ceremonies on August 3, 2013 and Ms. Bobbi was laid to rest in Pinelawn Memorial Park. Loved ones set up a small memorial to pay tribute to her life on Lorraine Street. The top photo is a makeshift memorial to Ms. Bobbi, below is the entrance to 39 Centre Maill, part of Red Hook East .(photos by Tiphany Hamm)
I rode with Team Brooklyn Hospital. Driving to Brooklyn Hospital was definitely a journey. New York Nurses State Association (NYSNA) member, Eric Smith and community activist, Susan Raboy represented our team. They tweeted about traffic jams at both Dean Street and “Lafayette traffic at fort [sic] Greene.” Team LICH arrived first in 19 minutes after encountering heavy traffic on Hicks Street. Their route was disputed and another unofficial team began after the start time, but arrived at the LICH emergency room (ER) in 14 minutes. There were no people waiting in the ER and zero wait time for patients, even though LICH is still accepting walk-ins. When we arrived at Brooklyn Hospital 24 minutes later, 19 people were waiting in the ER and 6 people waiting in ER pediatrics. There were five ambulances stationed outside the hospital. Although Brooklyn Hospital is the farthest from Red Hook, our team upset the Team Methodist, who were stuck in traffic in Park Slope. NYSNA tweeted, “Upset team is the Brooklyn Hospital team. But huge wait in the ER.” Team Methodist arrived in 30 minutes, despite being closer to Red Hook than Brooklyn Hospital. The team stayed neck to neck with Team LICH, but later fell significantly behind in Park Slope traffic. Parking also greatly affected their time. Numerous tweets spoke their frustrations. “More red lights 7th Avenue and 9th st;” “Sidewalk closed in front of Methodist Hospital. Hard to find ER entrance;” “Trying to figure out where the Methodist ER entrance is and where one parks.”
The author’s view from the back seat.
In addition, Methodist’s ER had more than 150 patients when they normally had an average of 60 patients before diversions from LICH and Interfaith. “Every room filled. Patients on gurneys in halls,” Team Methodist reported. When they asked how long the wait was they were told to “look around.” Bus-bound Team Methodist arrived only three minutes after their car-bound counterpart in 33 minutes. They sprinted to the B61 from Red Hook to Park Slope, barely catching the bus. Otherwise they would have had to wait an additional 15 minutes for the next one. Once there, they reported the same results as the car team. They tweeted, “Add hours to our 33 minute arrival time,” and “So sad that this will be option.”
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Robinson’s team included Eric Smith from NYSNA and Susan Raboy, patient activist.
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September 2013 Page 9
H. Carl McCall’s long transition from the streets of New York to SUNY’s Ivory Tower by George Fiala with Kimberly Gail Price
A
s State Senator, H. Carl McCall led a community protest against the threatened closing of Harlem’s Sydenham Hospital. The 1976 protest was necessary, as he said at the time, because “the community would not allow the policy of ‘municipal shrinkage’ to shrink our community.”
the Negro drive for equal rights. Others believe that the program is designed merely to ‘cool’ tempers in the Negro community, especially in the summer, rather than to promote real change and genuine opportunity.”
Today, McCall, as Chairman of the SUNY Board of Trustees, is leading a nasty battle to shutter Long Island College Hospital (LICH), ignoring court orders, community protests and the wishes of most local politicians. New patients are refused admission; existing ones have been coerced into leaving. Dozens of uniformed guards - many armed - have been stationed at the peaceful facility, intimidating the staff. One-time allies such as Nydia Velazquez and Leticia James are stunned by this turnaround of McCall - a man they once considered a friend.
In 1968, he was named Deputy Administrator of the city’s Human Resources Administration (HRA). There, McCall was faced with the problem of funding. As Vietnam spending began taking up more and more of the Federal treasury, state grants were cut. McCall had to
McCall was already being described by the Times as a “prominent Negro spokesman on poverty and attainment.”
to being a good financial investment, it cemented McCall’s relationship with the city’s black political leaders, which included David Dinkins, Charles Rangel, Basil Patterson and Percy Sutton. McCall became a rising star, both in the black community as well as the general public because he was appealing to a broad spectrum of peoples. He was wellspoken and handsome, cutting a polished figure to voters. In 1974, he ran against Harlem’s State Senator, Sydney von Luther. Luther, a self-described gadfly, once challenged a fellow senator to a duel. McCall had the strong backing of his friend, Borough
In 1966, Mayor Lindsay appointed McCall to head NYC’s Council Against Poverty. An initiative inspired by Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty, this position gave McCall his first city-wide platform. McCall penned a New York Times piece in November 1967. He wrote, “From the beginning there has been a debate within the Negro community over the value of the antipoverty program. Many Negroes see the program as a response to the civil rights drive of the early sixties. They watch as former civil rights workers find employment in it, and as civil rights groups are funded to operate projects. They suspect that the basic purpose of the program is to dampen
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The hospital ended up closing in 1980, leaving Harlem with just one facility. Mayor Ed Koch, reminiscing about Sydenham years later, said “I think we saved $9 million a year. Was it worth it? Was it worth all the heartache and the picketing and the screaming and the wounded feelings? The answer is no, it was not.” Being a Democrat in the traditionally Republican State Senate is not the best place to advance one’s career. Just as he left Boston for New York, McCall began looking for his next opportunity. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter picked McCall to be a delegate at the United Nations. The Times reported that McCall: “has been viewed as a moderating force in the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus here. But he has reportedly alienated many of his minority-group colleagues by what some of them privately say is ambition and arrogance. Those familiar with his thinking said Senator McCall had decided that his political possibilities were limited from his spot in the Senate minority and that he had decided it was time to seek a platform elsewhere.”
Humble beginnings Herman Carl McCall was born in 1935 into Roxbury, a once segregated Boston neighborhood. His father was a railroad worker who left the family after losing his job. McCall credits his success to his mother, who stressed education, and to the local church, where he met future senator Edward Brooke. Brooke told the young McCall that he would help him get into Dartmouth College, and he did. After college, McCall studied in the seminary and became an ordained minister. After a brief spell teaching high school in Boston, he decided that New York offered greater opportunities. A job offer with the NY Mission Society took him to Brooklyn, where he did community organizing and social work. One of his early successes was integrating a construction project at central Brooklyn’s Downstate Medical Center. The local clergy were concerned that there were no black or Latino employees. After some unsuccessful picketing, McCall, as he tells it, decided to try civil disobedience. He led a group of 200 who were arrested for blocking the entrance to the site. The large protest made the cover of the NY Times, and the next day Governor Rockefeller met with the group to work out a solution.
do exactly what he fought against at Sydenham. The Red Hook community has already been declared underserved medically while LICH remains open. If the closure plan is successful, Red Hook becomes even more underserved, as do the communities of Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill and the Columbia Waterfront District. McCall is now sitting on the opposite side of the fence.
fight for city and state money to make up the difference. Lamenting priorities, he said, “Such fund juggling is no way of doing business, I know. I am sure that’s not the way the Defense Department, for instance, works. But it’s that way with the war against poverty.” He left HRA in November 1968. He kept his fingers in politics as co-director of the Citizens Voter Registration Campaign. He worked to seek change in voter registration laws, making it easier for the poor to register to vote. By 1970, he was already thinking about statewide office, but deferred a race for Lieutenant Governor to his Harlem friend Basil Patterson.
Publishing venture In 1971, McCall, along with Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and others, purchased the Amsterdam News, NY’s leading African-American newspaper. He presided over the editorial board. He joined with many of the same people to start Inner City Broadcasting, which bought two city radio stations, including WBLS. In addition
President Sutton, and won the seat. Describing the campaign, a NY Times reporter questioned his affluent lifestyle - a co-op on Riverside Drive and a house on Martha’s Vineyard. He rallied for the underserved lower class, yet had exemplified the existence of wealth. McCall’s response was to say that some voters on the West Side “think I should run around in dungarees to show people how well I relate to the community.”
Sydenham battle McCall was instrumental in forming a coalition to save Sydenham Hospital. Sydenham, a city hospital, operated at a deficit, but was considered essential for the underserved area. McCall led a well publicized march through Harlem decrying the city’s plan. He organized a 5,000 man march and led a campaign to keep it open. He viewed this as a racial issue, saying that the black community was “picked out to be destroyed because it was believed to be powerless.” Now, McCall sits at the head of the SUNY Board of Trustees and aims to
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In 1982, McCall ran for Lieutenant Governor as Mario Cuomo’s running mate, but lost in the primary to Alfred Del Bello, Ed Koch’s running mate. Cuomo won his election and appointed McCall as NYS Human Rights Commissioner. He held that position until 1985, when he resigned to take a private sector job with Citibank. His job was to lobby politicians on behalf of the bank. During those years that Citibank was aggressively expanding the boundaries of banking and needed banking regulations to follow suit. McCall stayed at Citibank for six years, adding valuable business experience to his resume. McCall was supportive of Governor Mario Cuomo. Cuomo, in turn wanted McCall as Lieutenant Governor in 1990. Cuomo won, but McCall did not. In 1991, Mayor Dinkins named his long-time friend President of the Board of Education. It was a controversial time for the Board as the school system was dealing with condom distribution, AIDS and other social issues. The board was often split with McCall having to mediate - often in vain. In the spring of 1993, State Comptroller Ned Regan announced that he was leaving the job, and McCall was chosen to fill out the term. He became the first African-American to occupy statewide office. The Times wrote that McCall (continued on next page)
September 2013
McCall (continued from previous page)
“has always enjoyed strong support among moderate and liberal whites and Hispanic people. He drew on that support in beating out a white liberal, Carol Bellamy, as Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin’s choice for comptroller.” The 1994 gubernatorial race became
McCall with his wife Dr. Joyce Brown at a social function in 2005.
a choice between a fourth term for Cuomo and a little known Peekskill politician, George Pataki, whose main strength was Cuomo›s growing unpopularity. During the same race, McCall ran against Republican conservative Herb London for City Comptroller. His campaign was masterminded by future Obama advisor David Axelrod. McCall ran attack ads against London, emphasizing his positions against abortion and for guns - although neither had anything to do with being comptroller, a position of auditing and investing state funds. London, in turn, attempted to misconstrue McCall as anti-Semitic. The NY Times condemned London’s tactics and endorsed McCall. This time, Cuomo lost but McCall won. He became the first African-American to win a statewide election. His visibility grew statewide and he began to be seen as a potential governor.
because Gov. George E. Pataki, who controls the board, wanted to dissuade her husband, the state’s highest-ranking Democrat, from campaigning vigorously in last month’s election and drawing a strong black turnout that could help Democratic candidates. Dr. Brown herself repeats another theory making the rounds: that Mr. Pataki did not want Mr. McCall running against him for governor.” In a front page Village Voice article a few years later, it was revealed that the Brown spent $529,000 of public and grant money redecorating their FIT living quarters - a 4200 square foot penthouse. Free housing is a perk for all SUNY presidents. The renovation - which included a $4,500 refrigerator and $20,000 worth of rugs - was justified by Brown as necessary for entertainment of potential donors. It is also an indication of the lifestyle the McCalls were comfortable with. In addition to this new home, they owned condos on Central Park West as well as a million dollar estate in Duchess County, which McCall bought partly to have his own tennis court. McCall had even more palatial quarters in mind, though. It was clear that a run for governor was next. A January 24, 2000 article in the Times posits McCall’s entry into the 2002 primary as a sure thing. It noted that his only possible competitor in the primary would be Mario’s son, Andrew. Much to the dismay of McCall’s political friends in the black community, Andrew Cuomo decided to run. Blessed with the Cuomo name, eight years in Washington working for Bill Clinton, and a Kennedy wife, Cuomo raised a lot of money. The Times noted that Cuomo’s style was not just to take the money from his donors: “They want to be wanted for their ideas, their thoughts. Most politicians don’t give that. Andrew does.’’
It was a highly contested campaign, and much of the money that McCall had set aside for the November race was spent for the September primary. Although Cuomo was reluctant to badmouth his The NY Times reported in 1996: fellow Democrat, he instead enlisted “People in both major parties say that others. Leftwing professor Cornel West, Mr. McCall would make a formidable speaking at a Cuomo event, announced: candidate. As the only elected ‘’I think Carl McCall is a decent man, Democrat on the state level since the he is a good man. But he is a timid and Republicans took the two other top hesitant man. We need an aggressive offices in 1994, he has tried to use the progressive.’’ Comptroller’s platform to cast himself Pay-to-play scandal as a fiscal moderate who can be trusted Cuomo did attack McCall for engaging with taxpayer money.” in the “pay-to-play” system of politics. After testing the waters for the 1998 McCall was responsible for investing governorship, McCall decided instead the state’s pension money. This is monto remain Comptroller. In an election ey taken out of pay to be used for the notable for the election of Charles retirement checks of state workers. The Schumer to the US Senate, McCall state invests this money seeking high returns to make sure that there will be won re-election, as did Pataki. enough to pay the pensions. Typically, Fashion Institute McCall’s wife, Dr. Joyce Brown, was pension money is invested in real essoon afterwards appointed president of tate, corporate and government bonds, Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Tech- US and foreign stock markets, world nology (FIT), a position she still holds currencies, and “investments in comtoday. FIT is one of SUNY’s 64 state- panies not publicly traded [including] investments in new companies, catwide campuses. egorized as venture capital, established At the time, some questioned the ap- companies seeking capital for expanpointment. The Times wrote, “While sion, categorized as corporate finance, no one questions her qualifications, special situations funds that invest in there has been speculation in political, specific industries, such as energy and fashion and academic circles that the power, or follow other strategies.” appointment was approved by the State University Board of Trustees in part This puts the comptroller in constant
Red Hook Star-Revue
Carl McCall goes way back with Mayor David Dinkins when Dinkins was one of the Harlem “Gang of Four” politicians. Here they take in a US Open at Flushing Meadows. Both are avid tennis players.
contact with private firms seeking business from the pension fund. Cuomo attacked McCall “daily” according to the Times, for accepting campaign contributions from companies he favored with investments. By the beginning of September, Cuomo saw he couldn’t win. Rather than take the loss, he withdrew before the election. McCall did not join Bill Clinton and an uncomfortable Charles Rangel at the announcement. Asked about a role for Cuomo during the campaign against Pataki, a bitter McCall said: “He’s joining 700 other prominent Democrats in the state who have endorsed me.” Outspent by Pataki, with third party candidate Tom Golisano taking away upstate Democratic votes, McCall lost the November election by a wide margin. The only counties he captured in the whole state were in NYC. Following his defeat, McCall turned his full attention to making money. In 2001, according to tax returns released by the McCall campaign, he and his wife jointly earned $472,000, with Mrs. McCall earning two thirds of it. McCall joined the boards of various private corporations. He was named Vice Chairman at Healthpoint, a private equity company invested in the health industry. He resigned after the company became involved in some scandalous activity involving corrupt Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
if he runs against David [Patterson], he’s not going to run against David because he’s black; he’s going to run against David because he thinks he can win.” By October, McCall was not only endorsing Cuomo, but campaigning for him as well. This was after Cuomo shocked McCall by naming his investment company in a corruption scandal. As far back as 2002, Cuomo was talking about taking on “pay to play” - a term for political kickbacks. In May 2006, the Attorney General’s office published a list of 100 unregistered firms that served as unregistered intermediaries between the Comptroller’s office and investment firms. This scandal, involving financial firms using political consultants and lobbyists - instead of licensed brokers to win pension fund business, ended up sending Comptroller Alan Hevesi and political advisor Hank Morris to jail. McCalls firm had accepted a $48,000 fee for steering a client to the Comptroller’s office. While named, Convent Capital was never prosecuted. Soon afterwards, McCall went public with his newfound lack of bitterness. In the 2010 governor’s race, Republican opponent Carl Paladino said, “Andrew Cuomo should be prosecuting Carl McCall, not accepting his endorsement. Carl McCall and his firm, Convent
He next started his own investment company, Convent Capital. This company also became tarnished as a result of a Cuomo investigation, which may have drawn the two together. The black political establishment felt burned by Cuomo’s opposition to McCall in the 2002 race for governor. McCall remained bitter. In 2006, Cuomo ran for Attorney General. Asked about the race, McCall said, “If [Cuomo] has any prominent African-American support, I haven’t seen any sign of it. Many people I talk to are not positive about his campaign for attorney general.”He also added, “I know I couldn’t support him.” However, McCall’s position changed in 2009. It was obvious by then that Cuomo was going to run for governor, and McCall had a change of heart. “People have misread what happened in 2002, and they have tried to make it appear like that was some kind of racial assault,” McCall said in an interview. “Andrew Cuomo ran against me because he thought he could win. I think
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Former foes Andrew Cuomo, David Patterson and Carl McCall are together at a ribbon cutting event in Albany.
Capital, took a sizeable fee for securing state pension funds without being registered with the SEC as a broker. Andrew Cuomo prosecuted Ray Harding and Hank Morris for doing the exact same thing. Why not McCall?” Paladino, a Tea Party favorite, said lots of other things, including that he was going to clean up Albany with a baseball bat. And again, about the Cuomo/ McCall relationship, “These two career politicians don’t even like one another, (continued on page 15)
September 2013 Page 11
From the candidate:
I bring a solid record, not promises by Sara Gonzalez
I
warmly thank the Red Hook Star Revue – the true Journal of Record for Red Hook, for granting me this opportunity to address the residents of Village of Red Hook.
As you might know, I have lived in the District since I was a year old. Four generations of my family live here. I began volunteering for my community when I was just 14 years old – and never stopped. I have served on the Boards of twenty local organizations, founding and leading several of them. I was elected the first Latina Chair of Community Board Seven and when a sudden vacancy occurred for the Council seat, the community came to me and asked me to run. At first, I refused but they convinced me that as a Council Member, I could accomplish even more for my community. And I have achieved tremendous gains for District 38 since taking office. I am greatly encouraged when my colleagues in government approach me and say, “You know Sara, you’ve really put Red Hook and Sunset Park on the map – both politically and in terms of funding.” And indeed, I have delivered more for District 38 than all my predecessors combined! The endorsements I have received reflect my solid record of achievements – not promises or the word of others. I have restored parks throughout the District including Coffey Park, the Red Hook Ball Fields, and Valentino Pier. I fought for shore power at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Those efforts and my proven commitment to open spaces and the environment earned me the endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters. I have been heralded as The Champion of Adult Literacy. I have delivered $500,000,000 in educational resources to our local schools, saved thousands of day care and after-school slots in District 38 and that is why I earned the endorsement of the United Federation of Teachers. When the Red Hook Food Vendors’ very existence was threatened with extinction, I battled with the Department of Parks, the Department of Health and the Economic Development Corporation so that today, we can still enjoy their unique fare and every one of the Vendors have endorsed me and offered their support. I have been working to improve the climate for small businesses and entrepreneurs in my District and throughout New York. I have a strong track record of helping small businesses succeed and create jobs Small businesses are the lifeblood of immigrant communities, and the city must do more to help them. Every day, I speak with small business owners in my community who are struggling with tickets and fees from the City. I am readying legislation to reduce these burdens, and give them greater access to grants, tax credits and loans. And that is why I have earned the endorsement of the Small Business Coalition and UFCW Local 1500. In restoring our parks, I have made accessibility a key determining factor in the plans I have approved. Now people with disabilities can fully enjoy our parks and children with disabilities can get the playtime they deserve. I have been a leader in the fight for accessible taxis and that is why I have earned the endorsement of the 504 Democratic Club – the nation’s first and largest advocating for disability rights. I have fought to restore the B37, add additional buses to the B61, extend the B57 into Red Hook, bring ferry service to Red Hook and Sunset Park (by the way, I was pleased to announce recently that the weekend ferry service to and from Red Hook will be extended beyond Labor Day!) and generally have focused on improving our transit options and that is why I have earned the endorsement of TWU Local 100. I could go on about the hundreds of endorsements I’ve received from other organizations, elected officials and community leaders. But the endorsement I really care about – is yours! With your support, I will become the most senior member of the New York City Council. This will mean I will accept a greater leadership position in the hierarchy of the Council. And that will mean I will be able to deliver even more resources for affordable housing, our dedicated community organizations, our schools, parks, day care centers, senior centers, libraries, cultural groups and more. Seniority counts. I remember my first year in the Council – my entire discretionary budget was $20,000. This year alone I have delivered over $7 million dollars in funding to our District. I can relate to being a small child, a young married woman, a mother and a grandmother living in this District. I have been working on behalf of the community since I was a teenager. I hope I have earned your support and I urge you to get out and vote on Tuesday, September 10th. Thank you. Your friend forver,
Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.RedHookStar.com
September 2013
From the candidate:
Why I want to be your Councilman by Carlos Menchaca
I
’m running for City Council in the 38th district which includes our very own Red Hook. As a resident of this neighborhood, it’s time we elect a visible and vocal leader who will fight for every member of our community. I want to be your next Councilman.
Our district is currently facing some of the most pressing issues in Brooklyn. Schools: According to the 2010 census, 26.6 % of the population in Brooklyn is under the age of 19. Youth in our community need to know that we are invested in their future. Yet, just this year in Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed budget there was a $60 million cut to after school programs and another $77 million to child care services. I come from an immigrant family, and it was in Head Start that I learned to speak English for the first time. Like so many of the families in our community, my family depended on government programs to succeed. As a product of the public education system, I want to ensure that the Pre-K and After School Programs in our district are fully funded ensuring our children’s success. There are special needs students in our community schools that also deserve the mandated funding. Jobs: I helped support my family from a young age, learning the value of keeping a good paying job. Our city is looking to new hi-tech industries who want to come to Red Hook and Sunset Park. These companies must also invest in our residents, especially our young adults, by training them with new skills, providing good salaries and hiring locally. Our vibrant not-for-profits and small businesses continue to launch new initiatives that bring real world job training experience to young adults in our community. As Council Member, I want to support and enhance these kinds of initiatives. Housing (NYCHA and other low-income options): Everyday our local rents are going up. I grew up in public housing, and I know that affordable housing is shrinking when our communities need it the most. Our neighbors are currently faced with the dilemma of moving out of Brooklyn because they just can’t afford to live here anymore. They are being pushed out and we can’t let that happen. I will fight to make sure that NYCHA doesn’t allow the next mayor to sell our apartments or our open space to luxury developers. Instead we need to receive the necessary improvements that residents need and require, on a timely basis. Environment: Our waterfront is so precious, we deserve more access to it. We can do this in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and that helps meet the needs of our residents and our industrial businesses. I oppose any burying of toxic waste in Red Hook which was recently proposed by the EPA Gowanus Super Fund Initiative. Have you noticed the pavement odor during nights and weekends? Or heard the helicopters idling directly above us? These are just some of the issues needing vigilance from the City Council. Just and Fair Policing: The current NYPD practice of Stop-and-Frisk has created an environment where communities of color are being unfairly targeted. Specifically young African-American and Latino men are being targeted at a higher rate than any other group. That is why I support the Community Safety Act, and I will never waver in advocating against any profiling based on someone’s race, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, sexual orientation and gender identity. I will fight to ensure that the NYPD works with the community to combat crime and keep our community safe. Ten months after the Storm: I was inspired to run after organizing a community/volunteer led Sandy relief effort in Red Hook. The many miracles and hard work we are still enduring today will carry my commitment to ensure that the city execute a plan for rebuilding Red Hook and prepare us for the next natural disaster. We need to replace housing that we lost and build new affordable units for our community that are disaster resilient. Red Hook will always have a champion during a natural disaster, you can count on that. It is for this reason that Congress members Nydia Velazquez and Hakeem Jeffries, the Working Families Party, the Central Labor Council and various unions representing health care workers, musicians, doormen, cleaners, staff at our CUNY schools and a variety of other industries, strongly support me and know that I have the ability to fight for you. I promise to you nothing but the same commitment and energy I promised my mom as I helped her raise my siblings under extreme hardship. I will never stop fighting for you—and I will never let you down. I hope to see you at the polls on Tuesday, September 10th! Juntos en la lucha!
Red Hook Star-Revue
www.RedHookStar.com
September 2013 Page 13
Red Hook celebrates Night Out Against Crime at Coffey Park by Tiphany Hamm
This year’s National Night Out Against Crime Event came together as a day of crime-fighting awareness and activities to strengthen and spread information about what kinds of things can be done in our communities to fight crime. The event drew crowds from the top and bottom of Red Hook, business owners and residents, people came from the neighborhood and beyond to see what was happening. The event was a great way too engage the community by bringing them together to experience different means for fighting crime in our own neighborhoods. National Night Out Against Crime is an event that takes its name from its originating non-profit organization, which raises awareness about the various ways that police are working to address crime and for ways for citizens to get involved in protecting their own neighborhoods. Founded in 1984, National Night Out Against Crime exists across the country, in Canada, and on American military bases all over the world. The National Night Out Against crime event is held the first Tuesday of August - except in Texas where it is held the first Tuesday of October – and, according to the event’s website, over 37 Million people participate in this event every year.
munities a number of great ways too fight crime by opening up their role as community members by becoming educators. Officers talked with a lot of people that attended the event and also gave out flyers on ways people can protect themselves from being a victim of a crime as well giving out information on programs and resources for victims of domestic violence. The precinct’s hope is that being involved in events like the National Night Out Against Crime that their interactions with the community will become easier as the two groups see each other in various roles. The night of activities came to a close just before sunset and everyone pitched in to clean up. After a day of group activities, even this mundane task seemed to bring the community together to help cleanup their park land. Everyone worked together on the day of National Night Out and this event proved too be another successful year of the community being together too help fight crime, be more comfortable with the NYPD, and to have youth aware of the valuable resources the have in the community.
The Red Hook Community Justice Center sponsored this year’s event here and is a regular character in fighting crime in the area. The Justice Center gave out books on crime prevention, playing host to musicians and giving out applications for the Red Hook Youth Court. They also managed to squeeze a little MCing in to keep things orderly (Disclosure: this article was written by a senior member of the Red Hook Youth Court). The activities play a double role exemplifying the goals of the Justice Center —reading and making music--that they encourage as a way to help youth disengage from criminal activities. The Justice Center also keeps teens occupied by showing them what consequences exist for teens who offend against the law and by having them help other teens with their deviations. These activities educate teens about the court system by having them conduct mock hearings, practicing the roles of a courtroom, and have encouraged teens to take new interest in learning about the law. The Red Hook Community Justice Center show the community how they fight crime and how they will continue to fight crime in the community. Boricua College was also another business that attended the event in Red Hook. This was a valuable resource that was very helpful too the community throughout the day.
Just about everybody who is anybody in Red Hook came out to last month’s Night Out Against Crime. Seen in these photos are Father Claudio, the Justice Center volunteers with the police, 76th Precinct CO Schiff, the Browns, Frances Brown, Jerry Armer, Jay McKnight, Brad Lander, John McGettrick, Earl “Ice” Hall, Kimberly G. Price, Anthony Watson, Lillie Marshall, Robert Berrios, and Khadijah James.
Founded in 1974, Boricua College sees their role in crime prevention as a longterm investment in education, career development, and by providing a goal for students to look forward to in lieu of what may become them on the streets. The 76th precinct showed the com-
Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.RedHookStar.com
September 2013
McCall
Associated Consulting Group
(continued from page 15)
but they’ll scratch each other’s back in order to maintain power and line their pockets.” Cuomo became governor in 2010 and immediately named Carl McCall, Nydia Velazquez and Felix Rohatyn to lead his transition team, saying in a press release, “Each of them brings to the transition a wealth of knowledge and a deep understanding of the challenges facing the State of New York. Lieutenant Governor-Elect Duffy and I look forward to working with them to ensure that we attract the best and brightest talent to the Cuomo Administration.” In November 2011, Cuomo also appointed McCall Chair of SUNY’s Board of Trustees, replacing Carl Hayden. Hayden and McCall were both appointed to the board by Eliot Spitzer in 2007. Once the announcement was made, Hayden resigned from the Board of Trustees. In his resignation letter to Cuomo, he said “My personal experience convinces me that it is rarely a good idea for a former chair to hang around.” Hayden’s resignation was effective December 31, 2011and left the board before his term was complete. McCall also took a leading position with The Committee to Save New York. This is a well financed group of business executives created to promote Cuomo›s legislative platform. Ostensibly promoting economic opportunities, they have been criticized for mostly promoting corporate interests - especially lower tax rates. In effect, they are the largest lobbying group in the state.
Representing In the public portion of SUNY board meetings, Carl McCall remains vibrant and involved. At an age when many are retired, he is in full control, completely aware of the implications of the board›s decisions mean for LICH. He maintains that this is the only way to save SUNY Downstate Medical Center. When acquiring LICH in 2011, SUNY promised a better run hospital. They claimed the medical school was at risk without more clinical opportunity for their students. They were also aware of LICH’s financial status, vowing to continue to operate the facility as a fullservice hospital. After ignoring the 2011 Berger Report to consolidate services into LICH and not to expand bed capacity and ambulatory service at University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB), SUNY – under McCall’s leadership – has pillaged assets, ended a well-respected residency program and taken drastic measure to destroy LICH – against court orders. McCall has almost been successful in doing Streetprotested to LICHThe whatUnion he so strongly the City doing to Harlem’s Sydenham Hospital in 1976.
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if he could recall any single df df df df df Members include the Partnership for Services Offered: moment of reconciliation New York City, the Real Estate Board • Lettershop of New York and the Business Council Mailings between the two of them. of New York State. The board members 718 624-5568 george@RedHookStar.com • • Political Non-Profit Fundraising Brooklyn, NY 11231 of the committee and its partnered or101 Union Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 “I’m not sure,” he said. “You Letters ganizations include Wall Street CEO’s 718 624-5568 • Postcards like Vikram Pandit of Citigroup, Lloyd www.selectmail.com know, there wasn’t any air • Brochures & Newsletters Blankfein of Goldman Sachs and Jamie george@selectmail.com • First Class & Bulk Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, and real esto clear. I mean, we had an tate moguls like Rob Speyer of Tishman Speyer. election, and I won.” The Times reported: “Mr. Cuomo, in his remarks announcing Mr. McCall’s appointment, made only the most financial duress, as the Comptroller’s SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER oblique reference to their onetime audits have shown for the last several rivalry, noting that he had known Mr. years. While SUNY’s heavy-handed acMcCall for many years and had been tions may be an easy fix for their budget, “on both sides of the table” with him.” turning LICH into a vacant property
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The article continued, “Asked how his relationship with Mr. Cuomo had improved since they opposed each other in a campaign, Mr. McCall struck a playful tone, turning to the governor and asking, ‘Did you change, or did I change?’ ” “Both,” Mr. Cuomo replied. “I try to change every day.” “The governor and I were never apart,” Mr. McCall added. “We were opponents, and that always happens. We’re both good Democrats.” Mr. McCall was then asked if he could recall any single moment of reconciliation between the two of them. “I’m not sure,” he said. “You know, there wasn›t any air to clear. I mean, we had an election, and I won.”
Red Hook Star-Revue
Red Hook StarªRevue
will be disastrous for Brooklyn’s healthcare system. It has been a long path that has transformed Carl McCall from a community organizer to a corporate operator. Leading the fight to save Sydenham Hospital, he was on the side of an underserved Harlem community that needed the help of government to keep a cherished and valuable healthcare facility alive. Thirty-six years later, he leads a statesanctioned push to treat a cherished hospital as a piece of soulless property, worth only its real estate value. From Sydenham to LICH, personal ambition, power and wealth seem to have trumped the public service career that once motivated Reverend H. Carl McCall.
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Fairway hosts a Fireman’s Cook-Off by Alexis Robinson and Tiphany Hamm
J
uly 31st was a gorgeous midsummer day for a community Barbecue in Red Hook. The third annual Firefighters’ Food Face-off, sponsored by Fairway, hosted four local Engines and Ladders. Firefighters donned aprons and wielded cooking utensils while preparing and grilling food donated by Fairway.
A day meant for giving back to the community, firefighters and their families enjoyed food, music and fun. The four chosen teams were Red Hook’s Happy Hookers, (Engine 279, Ladder 131); The Red Hook Raiders, (Engine 202, Ladder 101); Brooklyn Heights Fire Under the Bridge, ( Engine 205, Ladder 118); and Brooklyn Heights on Hicks Street, (Engine 224). The grilling throw-down started at noon as each team competed for bragging rights and a $500 Fairway gift card. The winning firehouse also earned 25% of Fairway’s sales on “Shopping Night” for a charity of their choice. Susan O’Sullivan from Park Slope said “I’m having the best time! I can’t believe what a turn out it became too be! This is a great public relations. Who doesn’t love the FDNY!” She added that her favorite part was watching her husband, a member of Engine 205, cook. “There’s nothing better than a meal bringing the community together,” she said. A panel of judges determined the winners by sampling burgers, ribs and chicken. Borough President, Marty Markowhiz was the head judge. Other judges included Monica Byrne, chef and owner of home/made and Roquette Catering in Red Hook; Publisher and Senior Editor of the Star-Revue, Kimberly G. Price; Laura Smith, radio host for 106.7 LITE FM and Sirius Satellite Radio; Neil Casey, food writer for the Gothamist; and Steve Jenkins of Fairway better known as their “cheese monger.” The food was precisely and meticulously prepared for the judges. Round one brought fourth four uniquely prepared hamburgers. The one stipulation to this category was the inclusion of lemon zest. Each team found a unique way to incorporate it into the burgers. Round two harvested four unique platters of chicken. Teams had the option of serving either chicken of vegetable skewers. Every team chose chicken. But still each dish was extremely unique, from grilled chicken topped with mango salsa to drumsticks coated in a sticky sweet cinnamon barbecue glaze. These ribs were so big, it was said they came from a dinosaur.
The third and final round consisted of ribs. From Fred Flintstone sized ribs to fall-off the bone baby backs, each team had a distinctive recipe to finish off the competition.
The Brooklyn Heights firehouse relished their first place victory.
Samantha came all the way from Long Island for the event. “It’s wonderful, patriotic, good support for the Firefighters. It’s a great interaction for the community. The singing was awesome and the Firefighter Food Face-Off was fun,” she said. The American Bombshells provided the entertainment while the judges finished their samplings. The trio, consisting of Ali Kat, KJ and Rayna have spent the past three years touring USO, fundraising and lifting the spirits of men and women across the globe who serve in the US military.
Marty spoons off some sauce while Monica investigates a burger.
One blond, one brunette and one red-head sang patriotic songs and thrilled the crowd with their angelic voices and hip swinging. The Bombshells also showed their own enthusiasm for the event. “It’s nice to have the community come together to put on something for firefighters. And since it’s a charity event as well, it’s like a double blessing. Brooklyn Heights Hicks Street ‘s grilling earned the most votes. Their charity of choice was the Firefighters Burn Center Foundation. Despite not placing fierst, Mike Biserta from Engine 279 said it was more about the event than the bragging rights. “I’m having a blast. A lot of people came out, and the community was together,” he said. The combination of amazing entertainment, delicious food and wonderful weather made everyone there a winner.
Judges Price, Markowitz and Byrne take their mission very seriously.
Monica Byrne and Marty Markowitz in a cute moment.
The eponymous American Bombshells provided top notch entertainment. They entertain American troops and sang a few from World War 2.
Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue
Judge Kimberly Gail Price with Fairways Jackie Donovan, who arranged the event.
The cookoff included burgers, ribs, and chicken. The burger recipe had to include lemon zest.
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September 2013
Mazzola’s bakery will appear on national TV by Camille Daniels
I
t’s not every day local establishments find their way into a national ad campaign, although admittedly not every mom-and-pop store is as well-known as Mazzola’s Bakery in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Mazzola’s Bakery has resided at 192 Union Street for over 80 years. The shop has been owned by two families. It was originally owned by the Mazzola’s family when it was first built. It is now owned by the Caravello family. The Caravello family brought the business in 1980. Josephine Messina, the daughter of Francesco Caravello, is now co-owner of the bakery with her two brothers Anthony and Frank and their father. She has worked at the shop since she was 13 years old starting out behind the counter as a server. Mazzola’s Bakery, located at Henry and Union Streets is a very quaint place. One way to describe the bakery is intimate. To the left upon entering the shop are a slew of ground beans of coffee. Some of the coffee beans are in jars and other in paper bags. To the right there is a cash register protected by glass. Next to the register are a variety of baked goods, from cookies to bread, surrounded by glass encasings. There are also freshly baked breads in the front window for any customer to see as he or she walks in. Also directly in alignment with the entrance/exit is a refrigerator full of fruit juices, teas and bottled waters. Hanging from the ceilings are lamps that reflect the days of the Great Depression. Outside, three benches are located around the shop for the customer who likes to have a chat while sipping on the well-known Mazola’s coffee or snacking on a sweet treat while catching up with friends or taking in the scenery of the neighborhood. Last month Mazzola’s received an unexpected offer to bring the experience of Madison Avenue - the Manhattan street on which several ad agencies are based
- to Brooklyn. They took it. A national commercial for the pain reliever Aleve was shot and filmed at the bakery. There’s a saying that goes “It pays to know people.” For the Mazzola’s bakery it wasn’t so much the case. In its case it was all by chance. One of the producers who spotted the bakery has a connection to the area. “The producer lived in the neighborhood,” Josephine said. Messina explained that the producer believed that the bakery fit the description for the next commercial. “ ‘Your bakery is exactly what we’re looking for’,” Josephine said, retelling what the producer told her. It never hurts to have a distinctive look to help stand out from the rest of the crowd. For the bakery, there was something about the back door that allowed it to shine like a star in the producer’s eye. “The producer liked the cellar door on the side because it reminded him of an old-fashioned bakery. So that’s why we were chosen for the commercial and it’s the look of the bakery---an old traditional New York bakery,” Josephine said. As a neighborhood staple, the shop has many customer supporters. People may come by all different times of the day to pick up a cup of coffee or to buy a loaf of the shop’s freshly baked bread. The shop is always in operation to bake bread whether it’s opened to serve its customers or not. However, when it is closed for business this doesn’t mean a hungry customer cannot stop by to buy a loaf of bread if that is their craving of choice. “We do have a back door--- a side door in the back ---that anybody in the middle of night wants a loaf of bread that they can come and buy it because the night people will come and serve them,” Josephine said. The shop is always open one way or another for loyal customers. This was prov-
A half block away from the 76th Precinct, Mazzola’s bakery will appear on a national spot for Aleve. (photo by Kimberly Gail Price).
en on June 19, the day of the shooting of the Aleve commercial. Even with the large crew working on the commercial, which took up an entire city block, Mazzola’s still found a way to serve their customers. Josephine explained that some customers were just glad the shop was still open despite the commotion. “ ‘We couldn’t live without our Mazzola’s coffee’,” Josephine remembers her grateful customers saying. The shooting only lasted for one day, but it was a long day that began early in the morning and lasted until the evening. It caused the Mazzola’s staff to get creative so that the commercial could be shot while they served their customers as if it were a regular day. “They started at six in the morning and they finished around eight-thirty at night. We worked around their schedule. Our morning wasn’t interrupted at all. They filmed outside in the morning. Right before lunch they filmed a scene in the store for an hour or so. That is when we closed down the store, but we still served the customers through the back and side doors. And then we went back
into the store when they filmed in the back,” Josephine said. Although the time length on the edited version of the commercial is unknown, the Aleve crew certainly took full advantage of their time. “They used the whole area of the bakery. They used the outside, the front, the store, the workstations in the back,” Messina said. For Messina, this has certainly been an enlightening experience. “It takes a lot to shoot something that is only 30 seconds,” Messina said. It is unclear if Mazzola’s will continue to grace television screens nationwide now that it has experienced a taste of Madison Avenue. Messina and her family hope that those who are unfamiliar with the bakery will come to know it for its baking, not the commercial. “For our bread, that’s really it,” Josephine said. The Aleve commercial featuring Mazzola’s bakery will start airing sometime this month.
Hours: Noon to 10:30 pm Tues. to Thurs. Noon to 11pm Friday. 4pm to 11pm Saturday & 4pm to 10:30pm Sunday.
Red Hook Star-Revue
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September 2013 Page 17
Changes in the Hook by George Fiala
Park Bagels
POSH TOMATO
BROOKLYN CRAB
Looks like they have the Tiki Bar type thing figured out. Next to the Chase Bank, Stefano and Sal Mannino took over this location earlier this summer. They operate a clean shop, you get your normal lunch fare with the extra benefit of a super strong AC in the back, and if it’s not so hot, a classy backyard. They love serving the dockworkers, who start coming in at 6 am. But don’t worry, they don’t close til 6 pm.
SUNNY’S
This is a pizza place that is quietly opening on Conover Street, down the block from Sunny’s. It is owned by three brothers, Morris, Solomon and Ike. They already have locations on Avenue U and Avenue M. Red Hook is new for them, but it looks like they have figured out that the market will go for thin and fancy. It kind of looks like a library from the outside, but inside it’s California chic.
DRY DOCK
KEMPTON BAGS
The kind of store you might find in East Hampton is now right here on Van Brunt. Taken before being bombarded by fans last Thursday, the back roomo looked gorgeous, a perfect complement to Sunny’s paintings and Tone’s playing. She sang her new song for me, a Brooklyn paradise.
From broke down to fancy
Botta Di Vino
Another Sandy recovery, Dry Dock Wines & Spirits had to move a few blocks down while their store was being repaired. Ananda is happy for things to be back to normal. Check out the new wallpaper in the front.
HOMETOWN
They got a new sign!
This building on Van Brunt, down and across the street from Baked, had been an eyesore for many years. It was finally sold last year, and it’s been turned back into a charmer. Wonder who will move in downstairs?
Page 18 Red Hook Star-Revue
Billy Durney has been feeding us for almost a year now, one might think that his new restaurant had been open for a while. In fact, it’s opening this month and will feature music, BBQ with sides, and a full complement of beverages. Think Texas.
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September 2013
Sunny is one so true
S
unny’s made a triumphant return on Sunny Balzano’s 79th birthday last Thursday. Closed since Sandy, and without the immediate resources to rebuild, the community banded together and put on benefits and fundraising campaigns to raise the money needed to repair the devastation suffered when the basement suddenly flooded (with Sunny’s partner Tone in it). The night was complete with music in the street, BBQ cooked by Hometown’s Billy Durney, and possibly everybody who has enjoyed Sunny’s over the past few years coming back for a drink or three. The event was so momentous, it was covered by most of the major news media. Sunny’s heartfelt speech was one of sincere appreciation for the help he has received from the Red Hook community. With the reopening of Sunny’s, for many the worst ravages of Sandy can finally start receding into memory.
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HOMETOWN BAR-B-QUE IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE RED HOOK COMMUNITY Join us as we open this September for some great live music, Beer, Bourbon & Bar-B-Que “The Hometown Team “
454 Van Brunt Street Check us for updates on Facebook at Hometown BBQ Page 20 Red Hook Star-Revue
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September 2013