77TH YEAR, NO. 3,944
THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017
50 CENTS
Bogus ‘No Parking’ Signs at LICH Site Tick Off Cobble Hill Residents TWO SECTIONS
SEE PAGE 3
Officers of the Month: OFFICERS ROBERT FAIVRE (LEFT) AND MAUREEN STEFENELLI RECEIVED THE HONORARY OFFICER OF THE MONTH AWARD AT last week’s 84th Precinct Community Council meeting for saving a woman from jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. The officers are pictured with 84th Precinct Heights Press photo by Paul Frangipane Commander Capt. Roberto Melendez (center). See page 6.
U.S. Jehovah’s Witnesses Fear for Safety of Russian Followers After Court Bans Religion SEE PAGE 2
U.S. Jehovah’s Witnesses Fear for Safety of Russian Followers After Court Bans Religion By Mary Frost
Brooklyn Heights Press
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Are Jehovah Witnesses in Russia Safe? At this point, it’s still too early to tell about the safety of followers in Russia, Warren said, “but we do believe there is a real threat. We really fear actual extremist activity against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.” According to Human Rights Watch, members who continue to be involved with the organization or their activities in Russia could face criminal prosecution and punishment ranging from fines of $5,343 to $10,687 to a maximum of six to 10 years in prison. Witnesses worldwide are writing letters to Russian officials expressing their concern, he said. “Hundreds of thousands of letters — if not millions — will be arriving for Russian officials.” Trouble for the Witnesses in Russia has been building for some time. Within the past year, Russian authorities blocked imports of their religious literature and Russian-language Bibles and banned the Witnesses’ official website, jw.org. Experts call the move part of President Vladimir Putin’s strategy to cement ties between the government and the Russian Orthodox denomination and warn that other religious groups may also be threatened. “The Supreme Court’s ruling to shut down the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia is a terrible blow to freedom of religion and association in Russia,” said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia are now given the heartrending choice of either abandoning their faith or facing punishment for practicing it.”
Photo courtesy of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
On Thursday, April 20, Russia’s Supreme Court banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses as an “extremist” group, ordering them to liquidate their national headquarters and local offices and turn over all of their property. The ruling affects more than 170,000 members of the religious organization living in Russia. Over the past century, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been an integral part of Brooklyn Heights, which was, until recently, the home of its world headquarters. The organization is currently selling the last of its properties in Brooklyn as it relocates to Warwick, in upstate New York. Robert Warren, a spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, told the Brooklyn Heights Press on Friday that the organization is “very disappointed” with the Russian court ruling, especially at the charge of extremism. The decision “is an enormous step backward for Russia’s progress in a modern society,” Warren said. He called the ruling a “misapplication” of the law on extremism, and said the organization would be appealing the ruling within 30 days. “Everyone knows that Jehovah’s Witnesses are not extremists. Everything the government asked we complied with,” he said. “They should be trying to find people who plant bombs on subways and do violent things. These are not Jehovah’s Witnesses. Nothing in our religion contributes to such actions. “We feel everyone has the right to have the opportunity to hear more about the Bible. We feel Russian citizens should have that right,” Warren said. He also called Russia’s hostility to Witnesses’ prohibition against blood transfusions “a reach.”
“To say that Jehovah’s Witnesses seeking medical treatment … is an extremist activity is an absurd assertion. Jehovah’s Witnesses seek the highest quality medical services — that’s not a threat,” he said.
Judge Yuriy Grigoryevich Ivanenko of the Russian Supreme Court banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses last Thursday, setting off fears of further prosecution.
Bogus ‘No Parking’ Signs at LICH Site Tick Off Cobble Hill Residents By Mary Frost
Brooklyn Heights Press
Cobble Hill residents have finally had their suspicions confirmed: poorly displayed “no parking” and “no standing” signs that appeared on Henry Street between Amity and Pacific streets in January were illegal, put up by a contractor for Fortis Property Group, which is developing the former Long Island College Hospital (LICH). After piling up tickets for months, skeptical residents turned to the Cobble Hill Association, which contacted local officials and the Department of Transportation (DOT). After an inspection by DOT on April 3, the signs, erected by Scala Contracting Company, were removed. Now, however, furious car owners want their money back. The Cobble Hill Association (CHA) was told by Fortis “that DOT has granted this and put up the signs,” said Amy Breedlove, the association’s president. (See end of story for an updated comment from Fortis.) “The CHA is outraged that community members and visitors can be ticketed repeatedly for illegal signage,” she said. “We do not appreciate the flagrant disregard for the law and also the extreme disrespect for our community.”
Residents say they got ticketed even when they weren’t close to the fraudulent signs. “I was parked on the north end of the block, in front of the sitting park, in a legal spot,” Dorothy Siegel told the Brooklyn Heights Press. “The ‘temporary’ sign, such as it was, was placed on the face of the scaffolding on the south end of the block.” Another resident, who asked to remain unnamed, said in a letter to DOT, “The confusion is further facilitated when temp signs go up in after construction work has been going on for months, signs are in very poor, bent, damaged condition, and almost hidden from view.” It took a village to get the signs removed, CHA says. “Continuous follow-up by the CHA with support from state Sen. Daniel Squadron and Councilmember Brad Lander's office finally got the DOT to send out an inspector and the barricades and ‘no parking’ and ‘no standing’ signs were found to be illegally erected,” Breedlove said. Now that a Notice of Violation has been sent to Scala, “The CHA will be contacting Scala and Fortis for retribution to our community members who received erroneous parking tickets — not to mention the loss of parking due to these illegal actions,” she said.
“Yet again, developers at the LICH site added insult to injury by taking up community parking spots without appropriate approval, according to DOT,” Squadron told the Heights Press. “I'll continue working with CHA and colleagues to ensure tickets are reversed or addressed, and to hold the developers at the site accountable.” “We will continue to work together to ensure wrongfully issued tickets are dismissed — and to prevent further trespasses by the developer in our community,” Councilmember Lander said. Keith Bray, DOT’s Brooklyn Borough Commissioner, has issued a letter to residents who were illegally ticketed that might help them in court. It reads in part, “DOT has determined that temporary construction no parking signage was incorrectly installed at this location.” But it’s up to the court to determine whether it will take the illegality into consideration. A Fortis spokesperson told the Heights Press Friday evening, ““It is our understanding that the signs were placed by the Department of Transportation and we are currently looking into this matter. If it is ultimately determined that the signs were illegally placed by our contractor, we will of course reimburse anyone who received a parking ticket.”
Signs like this one, erected by a contractor for Fortis Property Group at a former Long Island College Hospital (LICH) site in Cobble Hill, are bogus, and residents are furious about all their unnecessary parking tickets. Photo courtesy of a contributor
Cobble Hill Tree Fund to Hold Annual Sale By John Alexander
Brooklyn Heights Press
You know that spring has finally arrived when you stroll down the charming streets of Cobble Hill and see the cherry blossoms in full bloom along with fragrant dogwoods and sweet magnolia trees. Another sure sign of spring is the arrival of the annual Cobble Hill Tree Fund Plant Sale, this year scheduled for Saturday, May 6, at the corner of Congress and Clinton streets from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Cobble Hill Tree Fund’s roots reach back to 1960, when Clinton Street resident George Polimeros encouraged neighbors in the community to join his tree-planting campaign. He would go door-to-door, asking residents if they would like a tree planted on the sidewalk outside their house. Today, 15 volunteer members including co-chairs Georgia Willett and Tom Synnott oversee the fund. The Cobble Hill Tree Fund is dedicated to planting trees, providing education on tree care and the on-going beautification of the community. It is a charitable trust, whose mission is to plant and maintain neighborhood street trees. The group helps raise funds through individual donations to the Cobble Hill Association through their annual plant sale. “It’s a wonderful community event every spring,” Willett said. “Our neighbors and friends come out to support our work and purchase plants for their apartments, houses and tree beds.” Visitors will find a wide array of plants to choose from, including perennials, geraniums and herbs. There are also other activities including a plant identification game in the park for kids. Attendees will receive a free Tshirt with a $75 purchase, while supplies last. “The Cobble Hill Tree Fund is celebrating 35 years of its annual plant sale to raise money for planting street trees,” said Synnott. Since its creation in 1981, it has been responsible for planting more than 200 trees. It has also raised thousands of dollars for planting and maintenance. Thanks in part to its efforts, the 26-block area of Cobble Hill now has an average of 30 trees per block. In addition to the annual plant sale, the fund also sponsors a tree-chipping event in January that allows Cobble Hill residents the opportunity to dispose of their Christmas trees by turning them into mulch. In 2004, the organization received a certificate of appreciation from the Parks Department for its work in preserving the urban forest by sponsoring an annual Christmas Tree Mulchfest. The money raised from the plant sale goes toward tree plantings and tree care. The rain date for the sale is Sunday, May 7.
A banner promotes the Cobble Hill Tree Fund Plant Sale during last year’s event.
Photo courtesy of the Cobble Hill Tree Fund
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Thursday, April 27, 2017 • Brooklyn Heights Press • 3
Curmudgeon Still Resents Assaults on the Unique Vista of Brooklyn Heights
The conception and development of Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) has been nothing short of transformational, inspirational and international in impact. But the park development, through the initial stages, has been tough on historic Brooklyn Heights. Most residents of Brooklyn Heights treasure the uniqueness of their community and recognize the priceless value of their historic status and 19th century scale. They will have no trouble questioning or opposing the efficacy of nearby development if it threatens the streetscapes that are so unique in the Heights. But others choose to remain passive, with an attitude that echoes the popular Doris Day song from the 1950s: “Que sera, sera ... whatever will be, will be.” A few others seem to feel Brooklyn Heights may be TOO precious. They will say that BBP should be able to get away with excessive development and any crowd-pleasing programs, some of which can bring on a carnival or flash-mob atmosphere that is hard to control once created. These are conditions that hit quaint Brooklyn Heights particularly hard, especially because neighboring Downtown Brooklyn possesses a unique transportation asset: nearly all major subway lines converge here. When large pedestrian crowds move to and from BBP events, parts of Brooklyn Heights have suffered. This columnist does not have the answers to inevitable growth issues that sometimes pop the seams of comfortable neighborhood enclosures. But it is important that people everywhere who treasure cities acknowledge the total uniqueness of Brooklyn Heights. This uniqueness goes far beyond the rules and regulations of passionately based landmark laws, or the bureaucrats who oversee them. This uniqueness is ancient. Brooklyn Heights sits on a bluff that was formed in the Ice Age. The view plane overlooking New York Harbor is not simply some idea that a well-meaning citizen thought about pushing into law. It is a classic vista worthy of National Park status. Therefore, it was a travesty beyond the concerns of any local individual or group when a developer was allowed by park overseers to build extra floors onto Gorilla House, AKA the Pierhouse. It is indeed ironic that the extra projected income allotted to park maintenance by the enhanced Pierhouse complex should render unneccesary the extra heft of the ambitious high-rise project at Pier 6. Still being thrashed out in court, the Pier 6 issue may be settled like a cooling bowl of alphabet soup, as the judge has asked the Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA) and BBP to “work it out.” (If you mix those initials you can almost hear a stuttering voice trying to say, “Be Happy” … B-B-B-HAP-) But back to that historic bluff. As the bluff rolls down to sea level at the northern and southern ends of Brooklyn Heights, there are two busy man-made trade routes to the waterfront: Old Fulton Street on the north and Atlantic Avenue on the south. These boundaries, added to the man-made civic center parks by Borough Hall and Cadman Plaza Memorial to the east, along with Brooklyn Bridge access, form clearly delineated barriers that should be respected and treasured for what they are: examples of the village or small-town frameworks that pervade New York City.
A rendering of the two-tower development at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The towers can be seen above, center and at left. Rendering courtesy of ODA-RAL Development Services-Oliver’s Realty Group Indeed, those “villages” in all five boroughs are what make New York City so liveable and viable. Cobble Hill, sister “hood” and historic district circumscribed by commercial strips and the notorious “trench” along Hicks Street, suffers a massive high-rise rim shot akin to what the Heights faces to the east. Thanks to historic district lines, the primary character of the neighborhood will survive. But assaulted? Yes. Along the Brooklyn Waterfront, from Greenpoint at Newtown Creek to the north, through Williamsburg and DUMBO heading south, past Bay Ridge and on to Sheepshead Bay and Gravesend, Brooklyn’s waterfront villages claim pride in their uniqueness. But who can doubt that Coney Island is a difficult place to live amid the untrammeled development of the past and essential business imperative to attract transient crowds? And who can doubt that Brooklyn Heights, with its own stable and multi-generational constituency and its aversion to outof-scale development, has been shaken by the growing pains of Downtown and BBP? Doubters outside Brooklyn Heights may well ask, “Who cares? You are a small constituency, no longer as influential as you were when development was moribund Downtown …” It is a valid point. But readers should remember this fact: there would be no DUMBO or BBP today if it were not for “meddling” Brooklyn Heights preservationists. In the 1970s, led by the famous Otis Pearsall, these preserva-
A view of the Pierhouse at street level in the park. 4 • Brooklyn Heights Press • Thursday, April 27, 2017
tionists ventured outside the Heights’ historic district lines to save the Empire Stores Warehouses, using their clout to create a Fulton Ferry Historic District and prevent the city’s plan for a major meat-packing district on the waterfront under Brooklyn Bridge. The public records back up those assertions. And they show for all the world to see that preservationists from Brooklyn Heights laid the groundwork for the waterfront renaissance cherished by so many today. For those who find discomfort in the fighting that has taken place over elements of BBP, remember that our universally loved landmark, the Brooklyn Bridge, was not built without bitter political battles, unprovable graft and corruption scandals, as well as attempts to compromise the original vision. Furthermore, in May 1883, in the first few days of public crossings after the official opening, there was still public apprehension that such a huge structure, towering above all other New York buildings, could not stand for long. In the first week of opening, a pedestrian panic that the bridge was falling left 12 people crushed to death. No fatalities have been reported yet in BBP, but there have definitely been some gun-toting troublemakers near the basketball courts. Brooklyn Heights may yet find a single voice to defend against development assaults on its streetscape, while supporting the best elements of the most exciting park in the world.
Heights Press photo by Mary Frost
This full color poster, printed on high quality stock and suitable for framing (24x36) is available for $17. Can be mailed directly in protective mailing tube. Call Katrina, 718-643-9099x103 (kat@brooklyneagle.com) Thursday, April 27, 2017 • Brooklyn Heights Press • 5
84th Precinct Requests Security Cameras for BBP By Paul Frangipane
Special to Brooklyn Heights Press
Heights Press photo by Paul Frangipane
Every year Brooklyn Bridge Park continues to expand and every year crowds get larger and larger. As a result, the 84th Precinct of the NYPD has to constantly adapt its techniques to police the park. Already this year, large crowds gathered at Pier 2 have led to fights, forcing the NYPD to close that section of the park down on April 11. As a result, Capt. Roberto Melendez has requested security cameras for the park, he said at the 84th Precinct Community Council meeting at Borough Hall last Tuesday. Capt. Melendez said that, in addition to requests for security cameras, he will also put additional officers in the park this year and will continue to assess how to properly monitor the area in the future. “What happened Tuesday was the first day of 80-degree weather, first day of spring. You had some basketball clinics going on, a lot of people came down,” said Melendez, who took over command of the 84th Precinct in February. A woman was allegedly assaulted after a fight began on the pier that can accommodate up to 800 people, according to Melendez. Since the incident, he has identified all areas of the park that require increased surveillance and has requested NYPD cameras and a crime prevention tent on Pier 2. In addition, the precinct will increase the number of cops to about three sergeants and 24 officers a day with seven-day coverage and additional help from surrounding precincts when necessary, including a counterterrorism unit to protect the new Brooklyn ferry. “Are we going to have less crime than last year?” Melendez asked. “We’re going to try.” Acting president of the Community Council Tony Ibelli was also given an honorary NYPD vest for his service. He stepped up to the position of president after former President Leslie Lewis died on Oct. 13, 2016. “I really appreciate it,” Ibelli said while emblazoned with the bright blue vest. “I also appreciate our officers. Men and women … they’re just like you and I, they get up every
Capt. Roberto Melendez (left) honored 84th Precinct Community Council President Tony Ibelli with an NYPD vest. day, they have a job to go to. The only difference is they’re willing to lay their life on the line to save your behind. And they’re not here to kiss it, they’re here to protect and serve it.”
Officers of the Month The Officer of the Month honors for April were awarded to Robert Faivre of the 84th Precinct and Maureen Stefenelli of the 76th Precinct for saving a woman from jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. When Faivre was driving home from work on March 17, he noticed a woman driving across lanes of traffic to reach the side of the bridge and get out of her vehicle. Faivre approached the woman and struggled to stop her after she told him she was going to jump.
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Stefenelli drove by and saw the two struggling before pulling over and helping Faivre recover the woman onto the roadside. “These officers not only went above and beyond … they saved a life, but they put themselves in danger of incoming traffic, so I wanted to commend them for a great job,” Melendez said. In a room displaying 11 seals of Brooklyn, Faivre and Stefenelli held their awards with smiles in front of fellow police officers and residents of the city. “I just want to say on behalf of the borough president, we appreciate the service that you do to this community in helping to make it safer and easier for the residents that live here,” Nan Blackshear, community affairs director for the borough president, said to the recipients. “We
commend you, we applaud you.”
Crime Report There has been an increase in robberies and grand larcenies this month. According to Melendez, the robberies start as shoplifting incidents where security guards approach the alleged thieves, resulting in fights and eventually robberies. “In reality, it is a shoplifting gone bad,” Melendez said. When Melendez became captain of the 84th Precinct two months ago, there was a burglary problem that has since been decreasing due to policing tactics. “I’m happy to say that we saw a decrease for the last two months,” he said. “We’ve seen a steady decrease in burglaries.”
Landmarked Carriage House Will Get a Fix-Up Landmarks Preservation Commission Approves Demolition of 276 Hicks St.’s Eye-Catching Skylight By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Heights Press
Rendering by Bouratoglou Architect PC via the Landmarks Preservation Commission
Say sayonara to this skylight. The new owners of a Brooklyn Heights Historic District carriage house plan to tear down a distinctive skylight that has topped their home at 276 Hicks St. for many decades. On Tuesday, April 25, the city Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) gave Philip Kearns and Grace Elizabeth Ray permission to do so. The skylight demolition is the prelude to the construction of a rooftop addition on the carriage house and renovation of the property’s facade, which the LPC voted to approve after a public hearing at the preservation agency’s Lower Manhattan headquarters. Removing the skylight, which is visible from the Hicks Street sidewalk, “adds unity to the streetscape,” LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said before the vote. That’s because the carriage house next door at 278 Hicks St. looks like 276 Hicks St.’s twin, except for the presence of the skylight. Commissioner Jeanne Lutfy said the design of 276 Hicks St.’s rooftop addition, which was drawn up by Bouratoglou Architect PC, is “very sensitive” to the surrounding area. The picturesque sights on the block where the house is located include Engine Company 224’s Renaissance Revival-style firehouse. It’s at 274 Hicks St., right next door to the carriage house that’s going to be renovated. The block runs between Joralemon and State streets. In testimony during the public hearing, Patrick Waldo of the Historic Districts Council and Christabel Gough of the Society for the Architecture of the City recommended that the skylight be repaired, not demolished. According to city Finance Department records, the new owners, Kearns and Ray, bought 276 Hicks St. for $4.32 million this past November. The carriage house, which was built in 1903, is in much need of a fix-up, the couple’s architect noted during the hearing. “It is in sad shape,” architect Jill Bouratoglou said.
ABOVE: This rendering shows the rooftop addition that the new owners of 276 Hicks St. plan to build.
The skylight is going to be torn off the carriage house at right, which is 276 Hicks St., and replaced with a rooftop addition. Heights Press photo by Lore Croghan
Bark Avenue Adopt-A-Thon in Carroll Park
That’s 276 Hicks St. at left. The building at right is Engine Company 224’s firehouse. Heights Press photo by Lore Croghan
The Bark Avenue Adopt-A-Thon — a fun, free educational event — will take place in Carroll Park in Carroll Gardens (on Court Street between Carroll and President streets), on Sunday, April 30 from 1 to 5 p.m. This year's theme will be “vintage travel” and it promises to be a delightful day as pets are happily welcomed into loving family homes. Attendees can bond with their newfound canine companions and take pictures with them in free photo booths. They can also participate in a workshop on animal communication with Christine Argo, or watch their four-legged friends play on a dog agility course. There will also be lots of fabulous free activities for all attendees. Animal shelter pets will be available from Animal Care Centers of NYC, ASPCA,
Second Chance Rescue NYC, Sugar Mutts Rescue, Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue and Ready for Rescue There will be children's activities, including face paining by Sharon Enslow, “Sowing Seed Necklaces” by Grow NYC, “Draw for Paws” by Pet Portrait’s Keith Duquette and “Decorate Your Dog” by a Fair Shake for Youth. Activities for people and dogs include an agility course and dog training by Dogboy Inc. and a “Fur Salon” by Animal Loving Care. Pet goodies will be available from Love Thy Pet and Evermore Pet Food. And Ask the Vet offers holistic alternatives and advice for the vet set. Attendees will also enjoy a 30-minute “How To” workshop by Christine Agro. The Bark-A-Thon is sponsored by Douglas Elliman.
Thursday, April 27, 2017 • Brooklyn Heights Press • 7
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BROOKLYN E AGLE WEEKLY MAGAZINE
SEE PAGE 11
A Special Section of EBrooklyn Media Publications
Eagle photo by Arthur De Gaeta
Iconic Coney Island Restaurant Hosts Milestone Family Reunion
Brooklyn Theorist, Novelist Publishes New Book of Essays tionary psychology. Hustvedt teases out the relationship between Brooklyn Eagle In Siri Hustvedt’s latest work, “A Woman Looking at Men the mental and the physical realms, revealing what lies beyond Looking at Women,” published by Simon and Schuster, she has the mind/body argument — desire, belief and the imagination. In the final section, “What Are We? Lectures on the Human compiled a series of her essays on “art, sex and the mind.” Condition,” Hustvedt draws upon research in Armed with passionate curiosity, a sense of sociology, neurobiology, history, genetics, humor and unparalleled insights from many statistics, psychology, and psychiatry in order disciplines, Hustvedt has collected her most to demonstrate a trenchant analysis of suicide, penetrating writings into this eloquent trilogy. a powerful reading of Søren Kierkegaard, and Vast in expertise, this collection bridges the penetrating reflections on the mysteries of gap between the arts and sciences, mind and hysteria, synesthesia, memory and space and body, madness and sanity and our perceptions the philosophical dilemmas of fiction. and innate beliefs about the world. There has been much talk about building a Divided into three parts, the first section, beautiful bridge across the chasm that sepa“A Woman Looking at Men Looking at rates the sciences and the humanities. At the Women,” examines particular artworks but moment, we have only a wobbly walkway, also human perception itself, investigating but Hustvedt is encouraged by the travelers the biases that affect how we judge art, litermaking their way across it in both ature, and the world in general. Among the directions. “A Woman Looking at Men legendary figures considered are Pablo Looking At Women” is an insightful account Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Jeff Koons, of the journeys back and forth, and there is no Louise Bourgeois, Anselm Kiefer, Susan guide for the journey quite like Siri Hustvedt. Sontag, Robert Mapplethorpe, the Guerrilla Hustvedt moved to New York City in 1978 Girls and Karl Ove Knausgaard. to earn a Ph.D in English literature from The second part, “The Delusions of Columbia University. She is a lecturer in psyCertainty,” is about the age-old mind/body chiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College of problem that has haunted Western philosophy Cornell University. She is the author of six novsince the ancient Greeks. Hustvedt approachels, three collections of essays and a work of es dualism by way of a feminist perspective, Jacket Design by Christopher Lin nonfiction. Her work has been translated into and exposes how this unresolved dynamic has shaped and often distorted contemporary thought in neuro- more than thirty languages. She lives with her husband Paul Auster science, psychiatry, genetics, artificial intelligence and evolu- (author of “The Brooklyn Follies” and “Sunset Park”) in Brooklyn.
Author Siri Hustvedt
Photo by Marion Ettlinger
New Novel Examines Coming of Age in Irishtown, Brooklyn Brooklyn Eagle In 1916, Ireland — fighting for its independence — erupts with the Easter Rising. The fate of Liam Garrity’s father, an Irish rebel, is unknown, which leaves his mother and two sisters vulnerable on the family farm as British troops swarm, seeking reprisals. Garrity must organize their departure to New York immediately. In Brooklyn, Garrity is adopted by Dinny Meehan, leader of a longshoremen gang based in an “Irishtown” saloon under the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. Meehan vows to help Garrity and his family. But just as Ireland struggles for independence, Garrity faces great obstacles in his own coming of age on the violent Brooklyn waterfront. World War I, the Spanish Influenza, the temperance movement, the rise of Italian organized crime, police, unions and shipping and dock companies all target the Brooklyn Irish gang and threaten Garrity’s chances at bringing his family to New York. When “Wild Bill” Lovett, one of the gang’s dock bosses vies to take over, both Meehan and Garrity face a fight for survival in New York City’s brawling streets mirroring Ireland’s own fledgling independence movement. Eamon Loingsigh has long held a great fascination for the history of Irish-Americans in Brooklyn. Reminiscent of “Gangs of New York” and “Brooklyn” but uniquely Loingsigh, “Exile on Bridge Street” tells the compelling story of the American-Irish struggle and reveals the forgotten world of old Irishtown. Journalist and novelist Loingsigh has long held a great fascination for the history of Irish-Americans in New York City. His family emigrated from Ireland in the late 19th century, and his grandfather and great-grandfather ran a longshoreman’s saloon on Hudson Street in Manhattan from 1906 to the late 1970s. Loingsigh studied journalism at University of South Florida. Published by Three Rooms Press, Loingsigh’s first novel, “Light of the Diddicoy” precedes “Exile on Bridge Street,” volume two of his Auld Irishtown Trilogy. Eamon has also written a novella and the poetry collection “Love and Maladies,” in addition to numerous articles on Irish-American history. He lives in Jersey City, N.J.
Eamon Loingsigh Cover designed by KG Design International
We Can Expand Your Reach To New Customers EXPONENTIALLY Using Images and Social Media Along Call Today! With Our Popular Websites and Blogs 718-422-7400 2 • Brooklyn Eagle • Thursday, April 27, 2017
Photo by Alex Resto
Thursday, April 27, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle • 3
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ay Ridge News
‘Fight Back Bay Ridge’ Leaders Hope Town Hall Is Springboard
The town hall’s organizers opened the floor to questions from the audience. By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Eagle
Leaders of a grass-roots organization formed in the wake of Donald Trump’s election said they are hoping that a town hall they held on April 19 that drew hundreds of people can serve as a springboard to more political activity by those looking to resist the president’s aggressive agenda. Fight Back Bay Ridge, founded by the mother and daughter team of Sally and Mallory McMahon, held a town hall at the Bay Ridge Manor at 476 76th St. that featured a panel of experts on housing, immigration, health care, education and the environment taking questions from the audience. More than 200 people packed the Manor’s main ballroom for the meeting. “I am very encouraged by this,” Fight Back Bay Ridge mem-
ber Rebecca Goldberg told the Brooklyn Eagle on April 21. Goldberg and Sally McMahon served as the moderators at the town hall. “I think we gave people an outlet for hope,” said Goldberg, who added that the group’s leaders are hoping that the town hall could serve as a springboard for more residents to become involved in local politics. The panelists included Jennifer Durkin, a partner in Durkin & Puri, LLP; Rachel Fee, executive director of the New York Housing Conference; Ally Hack, a board member of The Association of Muslim-American Lawyers; Mark Hannay, director of Metro New York Healthcare; Danielle CastaldiMicca, director of governmental and political affairs for the National Institute for Reproductive Health; Kit Kennedy, director of the Energy and Transportation Program at the Natural
Fight Back Bay Ridge invited experts on several subjects, including housing, education and health care, to speak at the town hall. 4 • Brooklyn Eagle • Thursday, April 27, 2017
Photos by Teri Brennan
Resources Defense Council; Tori Lyon, CEO of The Jericho Project; Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, advocacy director of New York State Alliance for Quality Education; and Andrea Shapiro, program coordinator for the Metropolitan Council on Housing. The audience members were active and engaged, Goldberg said. While the town hall was originally planned as a protest against U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-C-Southwest BrooklynStaten Island) for his refusal to hold an in-person town hall in Brooklyn, and despite the fact that the organizers placed an empty chair on the dais to represent the absent lawmaker, the event did not have an angry tone to it, according to Goldberg. “There was a lot of positive energy in the room. We really wanted it to be positive and we wanted it to be a forum for conversation,” she told the Eagle. Fight Back Bay Ridge invited Donovan to come and speak but he declined the invitation, according to the congressman’s office. Mallory McMahon told the Eagle in a recent interview that holding a town hall and engaging constituents in person is part of a congress member’s job and that if Donovan refused to hold one, “then we’ll do his job for him.” Trump’s immigration ban, his failed effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and his successful effort to get conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch confirmed to the Supreme Court are all sources of deep concern to many people in Donovan’s congressional district, she said. Patrick Ryan, Donovan’s spokesman, said the invitation was declined because Donovan questioned the organizers’ motivation. “Their goal is to create a media and fundraising spectacle instead of engaging in substantive conversations,” Ryan told the Eagle. “The fact is, Congressman Donovan has and will continue to meet with every single person who requests a meeting. He’s met with the founders and members of Fight Back Bay Ridge, as well as other progressive Brooklyn and Staten Island organizations. He’s hosting conference calls that go out to 50,000 households,” Ryan said. “We were really hoping Donovan would join us, especially since we were coming off the AHCA,” Goldberg said, referring to Donovan’s opposition to the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the Republican-led bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The bill never came up for a vote because it was pulled by House Speaker Paul Ryan when it became clear it did not have enough votes to pass. Fight Back Bay Ridge opposed the AHCA, putting the group on the same side as Donovan on the issue.
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rooklyn Heights News
The Watchtower has deactivated a tunnel connecting 124 Columbia Heights (the building at left) and 107 Columbia Heights (the building in the center of above picture).
Jehovah’s Witnesses Start Closing Their B’klyn Heights Tunnels Underground Passageways Connect Prime Watchtower Properties By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Eagle
The Watchtower, which has sold off many of its Brooklyn Heights properties, is starting to shut down the tunnels that connect them. Last week, the Jehovah’s Witnesses deactivated one of the tunnels that connect their big Brooklyn Heights residential buildings by filling it with concrete. The Watchtower’s pedestrian passageways form an underground network extending from 124 Columbia Heights, which overlooks the Promenade, to The Towers, a former hotel on the corner of Clark and Willow streets. The Watchtower closed off part of this underground network on Monday, April 17. Andrew Porter, who has lived in Brooklyn Heights since 1968, saw a truck outside 124 Columbia Heights pouring concrete into the tunnel “through a raised access hatch” that day, he told the Brooklyn Eagle. The concrete-filled tunnel stretches between 124 Columbia Heights and 107 Columbia Heights, which is a gated 11story residential property with a landscaped courtyard. City Department of Transportation permits indicate that both a concrete truck and “cellular concrete” pumping equipment were needed for the tunnel deactivation. Cellular concrete, which is also called Foamcrete, is a lightweight cement-based material with lots of gas bubbles in it. According to the Transportation Department permits, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York was in charge of the job. This makes sense — although the Jehovah’s Witnesses sold 124 Columbia Heights last year. According to a 2009 revocable consent agreement between the Department of Transportation and the Watchtower, the religious organization is responsible for deactivating the tunnel and paying for the work.
INSET: The building at left is 124 Columbia Heights, which the Watchtower sold last year to Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola. Photos courtesy of Jehovah’s Witnesses
The tunnel connecting 124 Columbia Heights and 107 Columbia Heights was built in 1959, the consent agreement indicates.
What’s Up With the Other Tunnels? The Watchtower tunnels have been a perennial source of fas-
cination to people who aren’t Jehovah’s Witnesses. The tunnels enabled the religious organization’s workers to carry food and laundry between different buildings without having to step outdoors, a 1990 Philadelphia Inquirer story says. Also, workers used them to move “various commodities that we need to keep the buildings in good maintenance and good repair,” Robert Alexander, a spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, told NY1 in 2006. Alexander also told NY1 at that time that the existence of the tunnels is “a great benefit to our neighbors living in Brooklyn Heights because then it leaves more of the sidewalks and streets
free and clear for them to use.” The Eagle has asked the Watchtower when its other tunnels will be deactivated. We will publish an online update at brooklyneagle.com if we receive an informative response. The tunnels’ locations are pinpointed in consent agreements between the group and the Transportation Department and the city Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. • One tunnel runs beneath Orange Street and connects 107 Columbia Heights and 97 Columbia Heights. Eleven-story 97 Columbia Heights is currently up for sale. This residential building was constructed on the site of the Hotel Margaret, which was destroyed by a fire in 1980 while developer Ian Bruce Eichner was converting it into a co-op building. By the way, because of a 1988 restrictive covenant signed by the Watchtower, if the religious group sells 97 Columbia Heights or 107 Columbia Heights, it will be responsible for rebuilding an Orange Street sewer line that was removed during the construction of the tunnel between the two buildings. • Another tunnel runs beneath Columbia Heights between Viola’s building, 124 Columbia Heights, and 119 Columbia Heights, a residential building the Watchtower finished constructing in 1970. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have not put 119 Columbia Heights onto the sale market. • Yet another tunnel runs beneath Willow Street and connects 119 Columbia Heights and The Towers, a former hotel whose address is 21 Clark St. The Clark Street building, which has distinctive Venetianstyle towers on its four corners, is up for sale.
Watchtower Properties Sold To Jared Kushner and Vincent Viola The Watchtower, which had a major presence in Brooklyn Heights for more than a century, has been selling off its local real estate because it relocated its world headquarters to Warwick in upstate New York. The religious organization has sold numerous Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO properties to the Kushner Cos., which Jared Kushner headed until he stepped aside to serve as senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump. Continued on page 10 Thursday, April 27, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle • 5
Our World In Pictures TURKEY — Remembering the Fallen: People sleep overnight in the open as they wait for the Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula on Tuesday morning. The cove is the site of the World War I landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps on April 25, 1915. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields and honored thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign on the 102nd anniversary of the ill-fated British-led AP Photo/Emrah Gurel invasion.
NEW JERSEY — Community Tears Down 600-year-old Tree: Rob Gilles is seen from inside the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church as he works on a large oak tree on Monday. The white oak tree that has watched over the community and a church for hundreds of years had its final bow Monday as crews began its removal. Residents fondly remembered the go-to spot for formal photos, the landmark for drivAP Photo/Seth Wenig ing directions and the remarkable piece of natural history.
6 • Brooklyn Eagle • Thursday, April 27, 2017
Our World In Pictures GERMANY — Trump Visits Memorial: Ivanka Trump, center, is surrounded by police and security as she visits the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin on Tuesday. Her trip to Germany was her first international outing as a White House adviser. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber
VENEZUELA — Demonstrations Against Maduro Continue: An anti-government protester stands in front of a burning barricade on a highway in Caracas on Monday. Thousands of protesters shut down the capital city’s main highway to express their disgust with President Nicolas Maduro's socialist administration. Protesters in least a dozen other cities also staged sitins as the protest movement entered its fourth week. AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos
Thursday, April 27, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle • 7
8 • Brooklyn Eagle • Thursday, April 27, 2017
B
rooklyn Heights News
Jehovah’s Witnesses Start Closing Their B’klyn Heights Tunnels Continued from page 5 Kushner Cos. and its investment partners paid $340 million for the Watchtower’s Brooklyn Heights headquarters complex at 25-30 Columbia Heights — which has an iconic red neon sign Corrections & Amplifications In the Thursday, April 20, 2017 article of the Brooklyn Eagle titled “BAM Hosts the Alan Gala,” Karen Brooks Hopkins was incorrectly referred to as Katie Clark. It was Brooks Hopkins, not Clark, who worked with Alan Fishman when BAM was awarded the 2013 National Medal of Arts by former President Barack Obama. The newspaper regrets this error.
10 • Brooklyn Eagle • Thursday, April 27, 2017
that says “Watchtower” on it. In DUMBO, Kushner Cos. and its investment partners paid $345 million for 85 Jay St., a parking lot with about 1 million square feet of development rights. And the company and its investment partners paid $375 million for a complex with former Bible-printing plants on Prospect, Adams, Sands and Pearl streets that it has turned into a techie-friendly office campus called DUMBO Heights. As for 124 Columbia Heights, a 10-story, 152,000-square-foot residential building, the purchaser was billionaire Vincent Viola. He paid $105 million through Eastern Division LLC, city Finance Department records show. His wife, Teresa Viola, is the president of that LLC, the records indicate.
Vincent Viola owns the Florida Panthers hockey team and is a West Point grad. He was President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Army, but withdrew from consideration for the position in February because it would have been hard to separate himself from his businesses. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have lined up a buyer for the property at the other end of the cement-filled tunnel, 107 Columbia Heights. In February, Clipper Realty Inc. announced it had agreed to buy the 161-unit residential building for $87.5 million. The head of the publicly traded company is David Bistricer. In 2012, another company Bistricer heads, Clipper Equity, and the Chetrit Group purchased another prime Brooklyn Heights property, the Hotel Bossert, from the Watchtower for $81 million.
Generations of Russo and Mastellone family members gather at Gargiulo’s Restaurant for a reunion.
Eagle photos by Arthur De Gaeta
Iconic Coney Island Restaurant Hosts Family Reunion Gargiulo’s Owners Gather for Milestone Celebration By John Alexander Brooklyn Eagle
Brooklyn’s famous Gargiulo’s Restaurant at 2911 West 15th St., Coney Island, celebrated a milestone on Sunday, April 23, as generations of family members — children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins — traveled from all across the country to Coney Island for the gathering. Gargiulo’s, one of New York’s oldest restaurants, was established in 1907 by the Gargiulo family. It was originally operated by Gus Gargiulo, who was later joined by his brother Louis and sisters Tessie and Angelina, along with other family members. Throughout the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, the Gargiulo’s Grand Ballroom hosted numerous weddings and other social functions. But the story actually begins earlier, between 1879 and 1906, when husband and wife Aniello Mastellone and Teresa Esposito of Meta and Piano di Sorrento, Italy had 14 children, 13 of whom lived to adulthood. Ten of those children migrated to Coney Island in 1900. Their descendants comprised the majority of attendees at Sunday’s reunion. Two Mastellone sisters, Assunta and Rachele, married two Aiello brothers and Frank Mastellone married an Aiello sister. “My greatgrandparents were Frank Mastellone and Maria Aiello,” explained Al Jacobsen. “They are most well-known for owning an Italian deli in Bensonhurst on 18th Avenue and 86th Street.” The Aiello side of the family is famous in its own right. According to Jacobsen, one of the Aiello siblings that immigrated to the U.S. was Rose Aiello. She married a man named Joseph Pollio, aka Guiseppe Pollio. The story goes that in 1899 they started a cheese business in Brooklyn called Pollio Cheese. However, because of the outbreak of the polio disease, it was ultimately changed to Polly-O. The company was bought by Kraft Foods in 1986. And then it became a tale of two families as the Russos married into the Mastellone family. In fact, two Russo brothers married Mastellone women. Victor married Teresa Mastellone and Giacomo (Nino) married Teresa’s first cousin Teresa “Tina” Aiello in 1956. “At Nino and Tina’s wedding, Nino introduced his younger brother Victor Russo to Tina’s first cousin Theresa Mastellone, daughter of Michele [Mike] Mastellone and co-owner of Mastellone Brother’s Salumeria on Union Street,” explained Rachael Russo. In June 1965, the Russo brothers (Michael, Victor and Nino) acquired the restaurant from the Gargiulo family. The Russo family, like the Gargiulo family, came from Sorrento, Italy and chose to keep the Gargiulo name.
Victor and Teresa Mastellone had five children, Louis, Rachael, Mike, Nino and Anthony Russo, who currently run the business. Nino, is named after his uncle. Teresa Masters, a first cousin of the two Teresas on the Mastellone side, is among the first-born generation in America. Masters, who traveled from her home in California to attend the reunion, recalled, “I made a trip last June to visit every first cousin I could. Two have since died, including the mother of the Gargiulo’s owners.” “It was such a memorable event. Cousins got to meet cousins that they’d only heard stories about,” said Joni Mac Lellan Staiano, a Russo cousin. “Sixty-five people turned out and a great time was had by all.” “I spend so much time studying my deceased ancestors that it is easy to overlook the extended family still very much alive today,” Jacobsen added. “The reunion provided such an amazing opportunity to connect with these special loved ones. “I met [my] cousin [who was the] priest that married my parents almost 40 years ago, I met first cousins of my grandmother who knew her as ‘Tessie’ and I learned that there were two fellow students I went to high school with in Rockland County that were actually my third cousins. What a fantastic day this was!”
ABOVE: Cousins Joni Mac Lellan Staiano and Nino Russo. INSET: Teresa Masters (left) embraces first cousin Annie Mastellone-Diburno. BELOW: Mastellone-Russo family members celebrate at the Gargiulo’s reunion.
Thursday, April 27, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle • 11
NEW YORK — Worker Adjusts Clocks: A pedestrian passes a maintenance worker adjusting the world clocks at the Tourneau TimeMachine store in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
Only in Brooklyn: 5th Annual Hot Sauce Expo Lands in Greenpoint THOUSANDS OF BROOKLYNITES ATTENDED THE ANNUAL HOT SAUCE EXPO THIS PAST WEEKEND IN GREENPOINT. ENTERING ITS FIFTH YEAR, THE FESTIVAL SHOWCASED THE world's best and spiciest creations from well-known brands like Tabasco to lesser-known homemade sauces. Festivalgoers were able to sample complimentary hot sauces placed on crackers and chips. More daring guests took shots of the fiery red liquid. Shown: Queens Resident Sergio Golamez and his dogs Renzo and Yeyushi won first place in the Chihuahua Beauty Pageant at the festival. See brooklyneagle.com for the full story and more photos. Eagle photo by Andy Katz 12 • Brooklyn Eagle • Thursday, April 27, 2017
A Special Section of BROOKLYN EAGLE Publications
April 27-May 3, 2017
History Lives Here, in Flatlands
WELCOME TO FLATLANDS, A HISTORIC SOUTHern Brooklyn neighborhood with a distinctive mix of housing that’s old and new — and inbetween. The landmarked Dutch Colonial house at 1128 E. 34th St. (inset), which was constructed in the 1790s, is about as old as it gets in our borough. The fine Victorian home at 3903 Avenue I (above) dates back to the 1890s. Read all about the neighborhood’s homes in EYE ON REAL ESTATE, pages 9-12INB. INBrooklyn photos by Lore Croghan
Former Lumber Yard Now A World-Class Beer Hall Kings Beer Hall Is Edgy, International Like Brooklyn Is Today By John Alexander INBrooklyn
Fans have long beaten a path from Barclays Center to visit the Kings Beer Hall (KBH) at 84 Saint Marks Place in Park Slope, the best-hidden international beer hall in Brooklyn! KBH’s location was originally a family-run lumber yard that was converted into a German beer hall in 2012. At the time, it only carried German beers. Eventually it transformed into an international beer hall with a rustic feel and soaring ceilings, carrying over 30 rotating beers from around the world. Some of the most beers they serve are Krombacher Pilsner, Ballast Point Sculpin, Founders All Day IPA and Schofferhoffer. According to KBH owner Marquis Williams, “KBH is international and edgy, just as Brooklyn is today. Thus, we now carry great drinks and food from all around the world.” The name Kings Beer Hall derives from its location in Kings County and the large, king-sized theme of the place. Williams believes that it is his duty as a small business owner to support local groups and organizations such as the Park Slope Parents Association and the Park Slope United Soccer League. “With its 4,000-square-foot space in Downtown Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, KBH is the perfect spot for dining,
drinking, playing and hanging out with friends, lovers, neighbors and strangers,” said Williams. “Customers are encouraged to mix and mingle in the large open space or seated at the wooden picnic tables. Unlike many other NYC spots, we can quickly accommodate parties of 20, 30 or 50 people. And we can accommodate much larger groups with advanced notice and planning.” Additionally, the hall has games and activities that foster interaction with others. For the small intimate groups, it has board games like Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, Sequence, or Uno, to name a few. For the larger socializing groups, it has Trivia Night, Giant Jenga, Bubble Hockey and Beer Pong and it is always adding more games and events. And KBH is kid-friendly during the day, because it knows that many of its patrons have families and want to spend time with them while enjoying good food, drinks and fun. When asked about some interesting anecdotes from the bar, or any famous people who have frequented KBH, Williams said, “I could tell you about some of these events … but then I’d have to wipe out your memory.” Continued on page 3INB
Kings Beer Hall owner Marquis Williams celebrates Oktoberfest. Photo courtesy of Kings Beer Hall
2INB • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of April 27-May 3, 2017
Kings Beer Hall offers 30 rotating beers on tap from around the world. Continued from page 2INB However, he did let slip that large groups love using KBH as a home base or meeting spot. During the NCAA basketball tournaments at Barclays, which is located four short blocks away, KBH hosted alumni fans of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Notre Dame and other teams who brought their entire marching bands and pep squads with them, because they knew that KBH could accommodate them. Besides only being four blocks away from Barclays, KBH is also the largest space in the area. You’re sure to run into other Islanders fans or Streisand concertgoers. According to Williams, “We create a fun energy at KBH before events, as the buzz and excitement of seeing a show builds. With quick and delicious food options, plenty of space to hang out and a great happy hour, where else would you want to be?” Williams was born in Texas but has lived all over the country
Photos courtesy of Kings Beer Hall
and in Europe (Rotterdam and Prague). However, he has called Brooklyn home since 1998. He has worked at big companies and small but has always had a love of beer. So when the opportunity came, he decided to focus on building and growing a place that serves great beer, drinks and food, with a fun environment that everyone could enjoy. According to Williams, “Out-of-town friends come to visit me in New York and say, ‘Wow! You have such a small apartment and you can’t fit anyone in your living room.’ My response is, ‘In your part of the world, you invite people to your home and into your living room for a social event. Well in NYC, the entire city is my living room. So, what theme would you like for our social event tonight?’ We want Kings Beer Hall to be the living room for our patrons.”
INSET: Enjoy some delicious wings at Kings Beer Hall.
Week of April 27-May 3, 2017 • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 3INB
Brooklyn Brewery Co-Founder Picked Up Brewing in Middle East
In this Feb. 24, 2017, image from video, Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Steve Hindy inspects brewing equipment inside the brewery. Brooklyn Brewery is now one of the country’s biggest craft breweries, but Hindy remembers when he had to convince a small Brooklyn club to carry his beer. Robert Frost/VERITE via AP Associated Press Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Steve Hindy picked up his interest in home brewing from an unusual source: American diplomats in Saudi Arabia, where Islamic law prohibits alcoholic drinks. “These guys all made their own beer at home, so I was fascinated by home brewing,” says Hindy, who spent time in the Middle East as a reporter during the late 1970s and early ‘80s. Once back in the U.S., Hindy started making beer at home and eventually decided Brooklyn would be an ideal place to start a microbrewery. Today, Brooklyn Brewery is one of the 10 largest craft brewers in the country and a top exporter. Hindy recently spoke to The Associated Press about the struggles of starting a brewery. Below are the highlights of the interview, edited for length and clarity. Q: What is the size of the U.S. beer market? A: There are now more than 5,000 breweries in America. When I started in 1988, there were fewer than 50, so it’s quite amazing the way craft beer has revolutionized the American beer industry. Q: What were you thinking when you quit your job and decided to dedicate yourself to brewing? A: I always had a conceit that I could succeed in business. I had no real resume to justify that, but when I was a kid, I won a lot of contests selling things. That was pretty much my resume for starting a brewery in Brooklyn. Amazingly, it resonated with a lot of people. We ended up raising a half-million dollars from colleagues and friends. Q: How did you view the big three beer makers, the competition and your place in the market? A: When we started in 1988, imported beer was 2 percent of the U.S. market. We thought that was the niche that we were competing with. We were not trying to go head-to-head with Anheuser-Busch, or Coors, or Miller. We were competing with the imported beers. There was a bar in Brooklyn, a little club called Lauterbach’s, and they had Budweiser. One day, I convinced George Lauterbach to give me one of the taps. So we took down the Budweiser tap handle, our first Budweiser tap handle. But that lasted for about three days. I went back, and my tap handle was gone and Budweiser was
back. I said, George, what the heck? He said, they just came in and offered me an amazing deal. I learned a lesson there. You may challenge the big guys, but don’t expect it’s going to be easy. Q: How meaningful has the story arc been for this industry and for you personally? A: Originally, we were aiming for that 2 percent for the market, which was imported beer in 1988, but amazingly, 30 years later, imports are now 15 percent of the U.S. market. Craft beer like Brooklyn is about 15 percent. So the market has changed incredibly, and now more expensive beer is more than 30 percent of the U.S. market. It’s really not an exaggeration to call it a revolution. Q: What does it tell you about what you guys set out to do? A: I think we are part of a kind of radical change in taste in America. I think that’s true in coffee. It’s true in cheese. It’s true in all kinds of consumer categories that Americans are looking for something a little more special from the food they eat and the beverages they drink, and craft beer has been a big part of that. Q: The trajectory of Brooklyn, it’s sort of intertwined in your story. A: A lot of people questioned our naming the beer Brooklyn, including lifelong Brooklyn people who were real fans of Brooklyn. It just seemed the image of Brooklyn in the mid-1980s was not good. It was kind of a symbol of urban decay and crime, but there was something happening here when I came to Brooklyn in 1984. There were a lot of artists in the neighborhood where we eventually located the brewery, and there were some cool bars opening up, and it seemed to me that there was something happening, and it was important for us to be part of it. We were committed to Brooklyn, and over the years, Brooklyn has just flowered. This interview was conducted by The Associated Press in collaboration with the mobile video storytellers at VERITE.
INSET: Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Steve Hindy poses inside his brewery. Robert Frost/VERITE via AP
4INB • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of April 27-May 3, 2017
GREAT PHOTOS FROM AROUND THE CITY — AND AROUND THE WORLD — APPEAR EVERY BUSINESS DAY IN THE BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE.
Our World in Pictures: A GIRAFFE FAMILY IS DINING ON STRAW CAKE ON A SUNNY WARM Spring day, on Thursday, March 30, 2017 at the zoo in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. AP Photo/Martin Meissner
Week of April 27-May 3, 2017 • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 5INB
6INB • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of April 27-May 3, 2017
New Free Platform Provides Tools, Connections for Small Biz to Succeed
hoto courtesy of CatchSmart
Check out the headlines lately and you’ll see a lot of talk about the need to keep jobs local. But the odds are usually stacked against small business, with limited budgets and time. Entrepreneur Madara Melne decided to take action and build a platform called CatchSmart that provides the resources needed by indie makers and retailers to better compete with big business. “With the right information and IT support, we can level the playing field a bit and give small business owners a bigger voice in the market,” she said. CatchSmart is a social network for independent makers and retailers to connect, develop business relationships and promote goods to customers interested in shopping local. Melne said, “It was created to give a leg up to small businesses who often lack the infrastructure, manpower and resources to expand their business.” The new platform launched on March 1. Melne chose Brooklyn as the launch market because of its thriving entrepreneurial scene. She added, “CatchSmart exists purely to benefit the future of this community, driving regional development and powering economic growth.” The site works as an online cooperative, with the goal of bringing similar competitive advantages to indie businesses currently available only to global companies. It offers an easy-to-use platform for smaller business owners to discover each other, grow faster, better control the production process and avoid waste and overproduction. CatchSmart believes that by offering a robust network and tools to small business owners, each person has a better chance of achieving their dreams while also driving the local economy. Makers and retailers can join at www.catchsmart.com/makersand-retailers. CatchSmart offers businesses tools to help them run smarter and more productively. These tools include a social impact score and access to local market data and trends, leading to more informed decisions. Members also have access to the CatchSmart quality QR code system, lowering costs and minimizing the difficulties that come with pricing, inventory and shelf placement. By linking local retailers and makers on one user-friendly site, CatchSmart aims to empower the local economy and minimize waste through overproduction. Consumers can also use the site or the app to discover the origin of their purchases and rate retailers. Encouraging people to shop locally makes a social impact by
boosting the local economy and helping the community. The site has created an interactive game that demonstrates how to make this impact.
“CatchSmart imagines a world where small businesses can compete with big businesses,” Melne said. — Information from CatchSmart
Week of April 27-May 3 2017 • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 7INB
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(See answers on page 19.)
HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every colmn, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: You must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column, or 3x3 box.
See answers on page 19.
8INB • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of April 27-May 3, 2017
Meet the Belle of Avenue I in Flatlands
Meet the Belle of Avenue I, as we call this eye-catching Flatlands home.
INBrooklyn photos by Lore Croghan
Fourteen-Room Victorian House Overlooks Amersfort Park By Lore Croghan INBrooklyn
Old houses need love and care. If they’re lucky, they wind up with owners who are willing to give them these things. Artists need work spaces with lots of natural light. If they’re lucky, they wind up with houses that are able to give them these things. Such is the case with Steve and Pat Yamin and their picturesque 14-room Victorian house, which has a turret and three porches — or four, actually, when you count a small rooftop space that’s referred to as a widow’s porch. “We can have our professions and we don’t get in each other’s way,” said Pat Yamin. She’s a quilter who has written seven books about her craft. She cofounded a guild called Empire Quilters that now has 500 members. Use the name of her business, “Come Quilt With Me,” when you look online for examples of quilting templates she has designed. Steve Yamin is a printmaker with a master of fine arts degree from Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute. Use the name “Steven Yamin” when you look online for examples of his prints. Their house at 3903 Avenue I in Flatlands was built in 1896, the year William McKinley was elected President.
The married couple bought it in 1979 for $49,500. Cobi and Lura Brothers were the sellers, city Finance Department records indicate. Pat Yamin, who at that time worked for New York State as a vocational counselor, knew Lura Brothers because she also worked for New York State. Prior to their Flatlands house purchase, the Yamins had lived for more than a decade in a five-room railroad flat above a Chinese laundry and a candy store at 180 DeKalb Ave. in Fort Greene. That may sound big as apartments go. But his art studio and her quilting room took up so much space that they slept on a pullout couch.
This House Is A Jealous Mistress But back to 3903 Avenue I. As befits an old Victorian house, it is occasionally visited by ghosts, Pat Yamin said — very polite ghosts. “I’ve heard them a couple times, going up the attic stairs,” she explained. Continued on page 10INB
INSET: This graceful stained-glass window is one of many at 3903 Avenue I.
Week of April 27-May 3, 2017 • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 9INB
Meet the Belle of Avenue I in Flatlands Continued from page 9INB The house is an eye-catcher, in a prominent location on the corner of East 39th Street across from Amersfort Park. The Yamins gave us a tour of their home. We got a good look inside its high-ceilinged, graciously proportioned rooms. Original details abound, including stained-glass windows, elaborate woodwork, decorative brass doorknobs and a gigantic bathtub with claw feet. There are three gas fireplaces. Sunlight streams through tall windows. Even the garage is charming. Its interior walls and ceiling are made of chestnut wood. As recently as the 1960s, it was used as a horse stable. The house’s serene interiors give no hint of the messes the couple had to deal with when they first relocated to Flatlands. There was a rotting picket fence that had to be removed. The garage roof had a hole in it. The weekend they moved into their house, the back porch steps collapsed. Making those repairs launched them into an unceasing cycle of home-improvement chores. Every season, there’s a new to-do list: “Lots of caulking. Lots of painting. Lots of scraping,” said Steve Yamin, who by the way is the president of the Nieuw Amersfort Civic Association. Keeping the house in good shape eats up his time and attention. “The house is his mistress — so I named her Sophie,” Pat Yamin said. In addition to that jesting nickname, the couple also call their home Hubbard House. That’s because Pat Yamin pored over old property records at Brooklyn Borough Hall and discovered that members of the Hubbard family built it and were its original owners. After doing genealogical research at the Brooklyn Historical
Society, she thinks they were descendants of James Hubbard. He emigrated from Langham, England in the 1600s and came to Gravesend with Lady Deborah Moody, who was a proponent of religious freedom. Over the years, some of the Hubbards married into Dutch immigrant families who lived in the area. The name Hubbard House also refers to a DutchAmerican farmhouse at 2138 McDonald Ave. in Gravesend that was built in the 1830s by Nelly Johnson Hubbard and was probably initially occupied by her and her son Samuel Hubbard. That house was designated as a city landmark in 2009.
Unsolicited Purchase Offers The Yamins are frequently approached by folks who inquire about buying 3903 Avenue I — which sits on a 90-foot-by90-foot lot — or purchasing its side yard as a development site. Some people just want to know if there are rooms available for rent. Three years ago, the couple considered an offer from a man who planned to tear down Hubbard House and construct a six-unit multifamily building with onsite parking. The idea of selling the house was tempting to the Yamins, who at that time were thinking about buying an unusual home in the town of Somers in northern Westchester County — a converted barn with a silo. His offer didn’t pan out, though. Reflecting on the sale that didn’t happen, Pat Yamin said the demolition of 3903 Avenue I would have been “a terrible thing.” Even after four decades, the house still has surprises to offer the Yamins. Recently their son, Jared, was removing wallpaper on the third floor — and uncovered a fresco. The lovely painting depicts a ship called the Mist heading towards a lighthouse.
ABOVE: Here’s a glimpse of Steve Yamin’s art studio in his Flatlands house. INSET: Steve and Pat Yamin are the long-time owners of this 14-room Victorian house at 3903 Avenue I. BELOW: This sunny spot for reading and reflection is in the master bedroom of 3903 Avenue I. INBrooklyn photos by Lore Croghan
10INB • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of April 27-May 3, 2017
‘Futurama’ and Fine Dutch Farmhouses in Flatlands
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Welcome to Flatlands, a mix of new and old housing — including this landmarked Dutch Colonial house at 1128 E. 34th St. INBrooklyn photos by Lore Croghan By Lore Croghan INBrooklyn
Flatlands is full of surprises. What other Brooklyn neighborhood’s got Dutch farmhouses from the 1700s, an area called Futurama — and houseboats in a marina behind a shopping mall? The neighborhood has its own special mix of new and old housing, having been one of the six towns the Dutch settled in the 1600s in what became Brooklyn. At the outset, Flatlands was called Nieuw Amersfoort and encompassed more terrain than it does today. After that early start, Flatlands remained mostly farmland until the 1830s, says that indispensable book, “The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn,” edited by Kenneth T. Jackson and John B. Manbeck. Development didn’t really rev up until the
20th century. On a recent spring day, we headed off for a look at Flatlands. We wound up spending two days there, because there’s a lot to see. We consulted a map in “The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn” to figure out the neighborhood’s boundaries, which we’re mentioning because various people define them in various ways. But everyone does agree that Flatlands is bordered by Marine Park, East Flatbush and Mill Basin. There’s no subway service in Flatlands, and lots of residents have cars. This neighborhood is one of the few places where we wish we had one — because it would be fun to roll up to the drive-thru Starbucks at 1927 Flatbush Ave., on the corner of Kings Highway. Continued on page 12INB
This semi-attached home with its fine landscaping is located on the corner of East 59th Street and Avenue K in the section of Flatlands known as Futurama. Week of April 27-May 3, 2017 • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 11INB
‘Futurama’ and Fine Dutch Farmhouses in Flatlands
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These houses — the kind of houses that float — are in a marina behind Kings Plaza Shopping Center at the edge of Flatlands. INBrooklyn photo by Lore Croghan Continued from page 11INB
The Joost Van Nuyse House, AKA the Van Nuyse-Coe House
Dutch Colonial farmhouses are treasures wherever you find them. And this one’s a beauty. It stands at 1128 E. 34th St., in a yard with a white picket fence. As soon as you glimpse its steep roof with a swoop at the bottom, you suspect the white cottage with blue shutters was built long ago. The construction dates, in case you’re wondering, are 1793-1794. Preservationists call it the Joost Van Nuyse House — he’s the man who was probably responsible for building it. It’s also called the Van Nuyse-Coe House as a nod to Ditmas Coe, who rented it beginning in 1852. It was designated as a city landmark in 1969 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city Landmarks Preservation Commission’s designation report about it enumerates its virtues by saying that it is “an excellent example of a late 18th century Dutch Colonial farmhouse, that it has superb proportions and fine details, that it has architectural distinction, representing the best tradition of its period and that it is in an extremely good state of preservation.” A story on the New-York Historical Society’s website by Joseph Ditta says the house, originally located on Flatbush Avenue, was purchased in the 1920s by Amersfort Nursery and moved to its East 34th Street location. Ditta, by the way, was a tireless campaigner for the landmark designation of the Colonial-era Gravesend property popularly known as Lady
Moody’s House, which finally happened last year after a wait of a half-century. The Joost Van Nuyse House’s owners are David Katzman and Antoinette Byam, city Finance Department records indicate. There’s another landmarked Dutch Colonial farmhouse in Flatlands — the Stoothoff-Baxter-Kouwenhoven House at 1640 E. 48th St. See brooklyneagle.com for a look at photos we took three years ago of this historic house, which belongs to Ken Friedlander.
Flatlands Reformed Church The first worshippers started attending church at this site in the 1660s. Flatlands Reformed Church at 3931 Kings Highway has a history that dates back to America’s beginnings as a nation. The landmarked Greek Revival-style building used by presentday congregants was constructed in 1848. It’s made of white clapboard with a tall spire and is set in a historic graveyard. The place looks like a Currier and Ives print of a 19th-century New England country church — if you block out the vehicular traffic on Kings Highway. The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s 1966 designation report about Flatlands Reformed Church says Pieter Claesen Wyckoff is buried beneath its pulpit. He founded the very first Flatlands Reformed Church in 1654. As preservation-minded Brooklynites know, his house — which is still standing today at 5816 Clarendon Road in East Flatbush — is the oldest building in New York state. See brooklyneagle.com for photos we recently took of Wyckoff House Museum AKA Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House, and numerous pix of Flatlands homes as well.
Floating Houses and ‘Futurama’ Out on the very edge of Flatlands, there’s a massive mall, Kings Plaza Shopping Center, owned by publicly traded Macerich Co. Behind the mall there’s an Instagram-worthy marina. Fittingly for an area with actual Dutch Colonial houses, a houseboat docked in the marina is shaped like a Dutch Colonial barn. Back on dry land, there’s a Flatlands mini-neighborhood called Futurama with houses that were built in the late 1950s and 1960. The handsome attached brick homes have a classic look now that a half-century has passed since their construction. Kenneth T. Jackson and John B. Manbeck’s map of Flatlands shows the boundaries of Futurama as Avenue J, Utica Avenue, Avenue L and Ralph Avenue. 12INB • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of April 27-May 3, 2017
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Calendar Events
April 27-May 3 Arts Robert Swain: Color as Color This is the New York artist’s third solo exhibition at Minus Space and it will feature a suite of new large-format color grid paintings. When: Wednesday through Saturday, through April 29, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Where: DUMBO/Minus Space (16 Main St., Suite A) Wildflower “Wildflower” will feature a series of new paintings and prints by Ashleigh, all of which include her latest body art series, subtitled “Virgin Skin.” Her pieces address the beauty and sisterhood among black and brown women (people) told with a retro futuristic tone. When: Sunday, April 30, 5-9 p.m. Where: Bedford Stuyvesant/Casablanca Cocktail Lounge (300 Malcolm X Blvd.) Dry Heat 2017 A video installation by Perry Bard and Richard Sullivan. When: Thursdays-Sundays through May 7th, 1 – 6 p.m. Where: Bushwick/STUDIO10 (56 Bogart Street) Do What I Want: The Experimental World of Arthur Russell Twenty-five years after Arthur Russell’s death, BAM Visual Art, Russell’s estate and Tom Lee (Russell’s partner) present a selection of materials belonging to the late composer, cellist and electronic music pioneer. This first-ever public exhibition features more than 150 pieces of original ephemera and reproductions, including a selection of Russell’s own notes, scores, photos, test pressings, show fliers and album covers alongside never-before-heard recordings from the artist’s personal working tapes. When: Daily, through May 14 Where: Fort Greene/BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building (30 Lafayette Ave.) Francesco Simeti: Swell Francesco Simeti presents “Swell,” a theatrical installation that explores human impact on the environment.
When: Thursday through Saturday, through May 27, 2-6 p.m. Where: Park Slope/Open Source Gallery (306 17th St.) Triad: Yevgueniya Baras, Mike Cloud And Zachary Wollard “Triad” brings together the work of Yevgueniya Baras, Mike Cloud and Zachary Wollard, all 2015-16 residents of the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program. In the painting practices of each, notions of iconography, history, language and material coalesce in startlingly personal ways, offering a refreshing take on discourses surrounding contemporary painting, community and inner worlds. When: Thursday through Saturday, through May 28, 1-6 p.m. Where: Fort Greene/FiveMyles (558 St. Johns Place) 27 Years in the Alps A series of new paintings by Peter Gergely in a solo exhibition. The landscapes of “27 Years in the Alps” are the result of 27 years of a love affair with the Alps of northern Italy. When: Thursday through Saturday, through June 2, 6-8:30 p.m. Where: Sunset Park/Tabla Rosa Gallery (224 48th St.) Kajahl: Obscure Origins This exhibition presents a focused survey of Kajahl’s portraits, which combine iconography from African, Asian, European and PreColumbian traditions. The fusion of these symbols results in the creation of enigmatic artworks that bring the forgotten past into the foreground and reanimate minor artifacts of history into transformative assemblages. When: Thursday through Saturday, through June 18, 12-5 p.m. Where: Clinton Hill/Tillou Fine Art (59 Cambridge Place)
and artistic values. When: Wednesday through Sunday, through July 23, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.) Where: Prospect Heights/Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway) Forged Worlds This outdoor photography exhibition showcases work by seven artists whose photographic practices revolve around the physical construction of fictional landscapes. Installed on a fence beneath the Manhattan Bridge, this photo installation invites viewers to take a closer look and perhaps allow themselves to be carried away — if even for a moment — in thoughts and lands so strange, yet so familiar, so close to home. When: Daily, through July 31, 2017 Where: DUMBO/Manhattan Bridge (Adams Street, Plymouth Street and Anchorage Place) Truman Capote’s Brooklyn: The Lost Photographs of David Attie In the spring of 1958, a young photographer named David Attie was led through the streets of Brooklyn Heights and to the Brooklyn waterfront by an unexpected guide: 33-year-old Truman Capote. The images Attie took that day were to illustrate Capote’s essay for Holiday magazine about his life in Brooklyn. Decades later, these largely unseen photographs are being exhibited for the first time. When: Wednesday through Sunday, through July 31, 12-5 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Heights/Brooklyn Historical Society (128 Pierrepont St.) Next Stop: Second Avenue Subway Tracing nearly 100 years of history, the New York Transit Museum’s newest exhibit explores how
the Second Avenue line fits into New York’s past, present and future transportation landscapes. When: Tuesday through Sunday, through Sept. 3, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday hours, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Where: Downtown Brooklyn/New York Transit Museum (Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street) Infinite Blue The works of art in “Infinite Blue” feature blue in all its variety — a fascinating strand of visual poetry running from ancient times to the present day. In cultures dating back thousands of years, blue — the color of the skies — has often been associated with the spiritual, but also signifies power, status and beauty. The spiritual and material aspects of blue combine to tell us stories about global history, cultural values, technological innovation and international commerce. When: Wednesday through Sunday, through Nov. 5, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Where: Prospect Heights/Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway)
Books & Readings
Book Launch: “Startup” by Doree Shafrir And Q&A with Isaac Fitzgerald A hugely entertaining, humorous and introspective debut set in the cutthroat world of New York tech startups. Join Power House Arena for a conversation between the author and Buzzfeed Books editor Isaac Fitzgerald. When: Thursday, April 27, 7 p.m. Continued on page 14INB
Multilocational See multilocational artworks by Natalia Nakazawa and Cecile Chong. Multilocational is defined as “of, pertaining to, or being present in more than one location.” It subtly plays on the words multicultural or multinational, or “of mixed ancestry or residence.” When: Fridays, through June 25, 3-6 p.m. Where: Park Slope/Old Stone House (336 Third St.) Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern This exhibit takes a new look at how the renowned modernist artist proclaimed her progressive, independent lifestyle through a selfcrafted public persona, including her clothing and the way she posed for the camera. The exhibition expands our understanding of O’Keeffe by focusing on her wardrobe, shown for the first time alongside key paintings and photographs. It confirms and explores her determination to be in charge of how the world understood her identity
Week of April 27-May 3, 2017 • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 13INB
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Image courtesy of the Brooklyn Historical Society
Continued from page 13INB Where: DUMBO/Power House Arena (28 Adams St.) Eat, Drink & Be Literary Join moderator Deborah Treisman and author Ben Lerner. Lerner is the author of three books of poetry (“The Lichtenberg Figures,” “Angle of Yaw” and “Mean Free Path”) and two novels (“Leaving the Atocha Station” and “10:04”). His latest book is the monograph “The Hatred of Poetry.” When: Tuesday, May 2, 6:30 p.m. Where: Fort Greene/BAMcafé Live (30 Lafayette Ave.) Book Signing — Ira Berkow Author Ira Berkow signs copies of his new book “It Happens Every Spring.” When: Wednesday, May 3, 7-9 p.m. Where: Bay Ridge/The BookMark Shoppe (8415 Third Ave.)
Educational Manna from Heaven Cooking Class Learn specialty cooking skills in the Bay Ridge Jewish Center’s brand-new kitchen. This month’s specialty is challah. Love food? Come meet other foodies who want to perfect their kitchen skills. The cost for members is $10, $12 non-members. When: Thursday, April 27, 7-9 p.m. Where: Bay Ridge/Bay Ridge Jewish Center (405 81st St.) Creative Writing Poetry Workshop NY Writers Coalition invites you to a three-part poetry workshop. Learn to write different styles of poetry, including haiku, rhyming poems, found poems and more. At the last session, participants can share their favorite work at a poetry reading. Writing prompts and other materials are provided — just bring yourself (Ages 7-11). When: Friday, April 28, 2:45 p.m. Where: Flatbush/Cortelyou Library (1305 Cortelyou Road) NYTM Train Operators Workshop Drop by the computer lab to take control of a New York City subway car and operate it over virtual miles of track, using some incredibly realistic software. Limited capacity. Suggested for ages 10 and up. When: Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
The Brooklyn Historical Society presents “If These Walls Could Talk” on Sunday, April 30. Where: Brooklyn Heights/New York Transit Museum (99 Schermerhorn St.) If These Walls Could Talk Elizabeth Call returns to the Brooklyn Historical Society for her immensely popular introduction to Brooklyn house research. In this intensive workshop, gain hands-on experience using archival images, records and documents to uncover the secret history of your Brooklyn home. When: Sunday, April 30, 2-4 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Heights/Brooklyn Historical Society (128 Pierrepont St.) Community Dance Class All ages and skill levels are welcome to join in a series of community dance classes taught by Ronald K. Brown and members of his company, Evidence, A Dance Company, which blends traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word, providing a unique view of human struggles, tragedies and triumphs. When: Monday, May 1, 6:30-8 p.m. Where: Fort Greene/BRIC House Ballroom (647 Fulton St.)
Family Fun Toddlers — Let’s Create Find the Picasso in your little one with this monthly arts-andcrafts experience for toddlers. Come to help build your toddler’s artistic talents while making new friends. When: Thursday, April 27, 3:30 p.m. Where: Bay Ridge/Bay Ridge Jewish Center (405 81st St.) Concert for El Dia De Los Niños with Bilingual Birdies Band Join the Bilingual Birdies Band for an interactive concert to celebrate El Dia De Los Niños. Children and parents will learn Spanish and French through music, movement, puppetry and games. The program will be conducted in English, French and Spanish. When: Friday, April 28, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Where: Carroll Gardens/Carroll Gardens Library (396 Clinton St.) Celebrate Día From the Moscow Circus to Brighton Beach Library, the thrilling Russian clown duo Arkasha & Natasha from Russia will perform fantastic feats of juggling and magic. When: Friday, April 28, 3:30 p.m. Where: Coney Island/Brighton Beach Library (16 Brighton First Road) Tot Shabbat Families with children ages 0-5, siblings and caregivers can enjoy a fun-filled introduction to Shabbat with songs, stories, instruments and dancing. Rabbi Dina Rosenberg will lead tots on a journey through Shabbat that will excite them and help form a Jewish community for families of young children. Tot Shabbat concludes with challah and grape juice. When: Friday, April 28, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Where: Bay Ridge/Bay Ridge Jewish Center (405 81st St.) Tenth Annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration Children and adults alike will enjoy live music, arts-and-crafts and street performers at this free community festival, where interactive family activities highlight the need to create a more sustainable future and care for the earth. When: Saturday, April 29, 3-6 p.m. Where: Flatbush/Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts (2100 Campus Road) Continued on page 15INB
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Image courtesy of Jalopy Theatre & School of Music
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Jalopy Theatre & School of Music presents “Containertopia” on April 28-30. Continued from page 14INB Little Scientists: Science Kits For Toddlers and Preschoolers Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities for toddlers and pre-schoolers. When: Saturday, April 29, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Where: Sunset Park/Sunset Park Library (5108 Fourth Ave.) Family Bowl Bring the whole family and get your bowl on. When: Saturday, April 29, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sunday, April 30, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Where: Williamsburg/Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave.) Spring Flea Market Come and find your Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and seasonal gifts from more than 50 vendors selling new and used items, collectibles, jewelry, crafts and more. Free Admission. Refreshments served. When: Sunday, April 30, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Where: Bay Ridge/Bay Ridge Jewish Center (405 81st St.)
Film New Voices in Black Cinema See “Quest” at 7 p.m. and “Steps” at 9:30 p.m. When: Thursday, April 27 Where: Fort Greene/BAM Rose Cinemas (30 Lafayette Ave.) Jiang Wen Rising BAMcinématek presents “Jiang Wen Rising,” a series dedicated to the work of the wild man of contemporary Chinese cinema, Jiang Wen. Jiang Wen is that rarest of talents: both a magnetic screen presence and a risk-taking auteur, whose films confront the last 100 years of Chinese history with subversive humor and a surplus of style. While he has moved between art house prizewinners and blockbuster spectacles, all his films share an offbeat sensibility, freewheeling visual style and ability to smuggle ingeniously veiled political critiques past state censors. When: Daily, May 3, through May 11 Where: Fort Greene/BAM Rose Cinemas (30 Lafayette Ave.) Leslie Thorton A full-career retrospective of American filmmaker and artist Leslie Thornton. When: Mondays, through May 8, Various times Where: Fort Greene/BAM Rose Cinemas (30 Lafayette Ave.)
Health Yoga for Toddlers Toddlers have a chance to explore the exciting world of yoga under the supervision of an experienced and expert instructor (Age Group: Birth to 5 years old). When: Thursday, April 27, 10:30-11 a.m. Where: Williamsburg/Leonard Library (81 Devoe St.) Shape Up NYC: Saturday Sweat This total-body workout increases muscle strength and endurance while keeping the heart rate up to burn calories and strengthen the cardio respiratory system. Continuous simple moves to great music make it fun. When: Saturday, April 29, 10-11 a.m. Where: Williamsburg/Williamsburg Library (240 Division Ave.) NYRR Open Runs Whether you’re a first time runner, a seasoned marathoner, or you prefer to walk, you’re welcome to come along. No need to register in advance; sign-in takes place on site. Open to all ages. Strollers and dogs on leashes welcome. When: Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Bridge Park/Pier 6
Theater/Music
2017 Brooklyn Folk Fest Celebrating folk music from near and far, the ninth annual Brooklyn Folk Festival showcases more than 40 musical acts as well as workshops, film screenings, dances and contests. See Brooklynfolkfest.com for schedule. When: Friday through Sunday, April 28-30 Where: Brooklyn Heights/St. Ann & The Holy Trinity Church (157 Montague St.) Containertopia This apartment has everything! Song. Dance. Jokes. Zoning laws. Environmental collapse. Housing crises. Existential crises. A game show. A therapy session. All this in less than 250 square feet. “Containertopia” is a 21st-century take on vaudeville that looks at the evershrinking living spaces to which New Yorkers submit themselves. When: Friday through Sunday, April 28-30, 8 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Heights/Jalopy Theatre & School of Music (315 Columbia St.) Continued from page 16INB
Week of April 27-May 3, 2017 • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 15INB
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MYBROOKLYNCALENDAR.COM Continued from page 15INB BAMcafé Lineup — Blak Emoji Downtown New York veteran Kelsey Warren crafts alt-rockinspired electropop with the help of bass/synth player Chris Gaskell, drummer Max Tholenaar-Maples and keyboardist Sylvana Joyce. After years as a rock guitarist and frontman, Warren brings a hard edge to catchy synthbeats, lending his airy vocals to tracks from Blak Emoji’s debut EP, “INTRO.” When: Saturday, April 29, 9 p.m. Where: Fort Greene/BAMcafé (30 Lafayette Ave.) Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale Adapted for the stage by Karen Abbott, featuring music and lyrics by S-Ankh Rasa. When a great African king desires a wife, only the most worthy maidens are invited to meet him. Both of Mufaro’s daughters are beautiful, but does either have the inner beauty of a potential queen? Told through African dance, drumming, narration and song, this story celebrates goodness, generosity and kindness of heart. Recommended for ages 5 and up. When: Saturday, April 29, 2-4 p.m. Where: Flatbush/Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts (2900 Campus Road) In the Heat of the Night Based on the novel by John Ball, adapted by Matt Pelfrey and directed by Joe Tantalo. Godlight Theatre Company presents its critically acclaimed production of “In the Heat of the Night,” adapted from the award-winning book that inspired the Oscarwinning film and Emmy-winning television series. When: Saturday, April 29, 8-10 p.m. Where: Manhattan Beach/On Stage at Kingsborough (2001 Oriental Blvd.) Golden Dragon Acrobats The Golden Dragons combine award-winning acrobatics, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques to present an unforgettable show of breathtaking skill and beauty. When: Sunday, April 30, 2-4 p.m. Where: Flatbush/Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts (2100 Campus Road) Swing Along Broadway Concert Does listening to Broadway tunes make you happy? Enjoy some of your favorite Broadway tunes at Regina Opera Company’s “Swing Along Broadway” concert. This two-hour program will feature show-stopping classic and contemporary Broadway and popular selections When: Sunday, April 30, 3 p.m. Where: Sunset Park/Our Lady of Perpetual Help (5902 Sixth Ave.) George Takei With a career spanning five decades, George Takei is known around the world for his founding role in the acclaimed television series “Star Trek,” in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. But Takei’s story goes where few stories have gone before. From his family’s wrongful imprisonment in an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II, to his rise as one of the country’s leading figures in the fight for social justice, LGBTQ rights and marriage equality,
“In the Heat of the Night” will be On Stage at Kingsborough on Saturday, April 29. Image courtesy of Kingsborough Takei remains a powerful voice on issues ranging from politics to pop culture, displaying uncanny eloquence and signature wit. When: Monday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. Where: Fort Greene/BAM Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave.) In a Pickle “In a Pickle” is inspired by Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” and includes an immersive adventure through music, dance and theater tailored for ages 2-5, with additional “relaxed” presentations for audiences with special needs. It takes audiences on a voyage of discovery through the landscape of Shakespeare’s imagination and the music of his language. When: Every day except Monday, through April 30 Where: Fort Greene/BAM Fisher (321 Ashland Place)
Tours Birding in Peace Before the gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads peaceful Sunday morning walking tours to discover the many birds that call Green-Wood Cemetery home. When: Sunday, April 30, 6:30-8 a.m. Where: Greenwood Heights/Green-Wood Cemetery (500 25th St.) Historic Trolley Tour Experience the most magnificent and historic 478 acres in New York City. Join expert tour guides to hear fascinating stories of Green-Wood Cemetery’s permanent residents, plus see breathtaking views of Manhattan, tread where George Washington and his troops fought the Battle of Brooklyn — and much more. When: Wednesday, May 3, 1-3 p.m. Where: Greenwood Heights/Green-Wood Cemetery (500 25th St.)
“Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale” will be performed on Saturday, April 29 at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. Image courtesy of the Brooklyn Center 16INB • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of April 27-May 3, 2017
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JOB ALERT WANTED: Tall, athletic person to wear huge bird costume at public events. (Don’t worry, no one will recognize you.) Actors welcome, flexible schedule, $20/hour.
Send your info to: applicants@brooklyneagle.com
Photographers & iPhone Users: Send me photos of large delivery trucks getting stuck where they should not be. Blocking traffic to unload, or blocked by illegally parked cars. $20 Starbucks gift card if we use your photo.
Send image to: samhowe@brooklyneagle.com
AIRLINE CAREERS
SUDOKU ANSWERS Continued from page 8
Start Here – Get trained as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM for free information: 866-296-7094.
Get the hands-on skills you need to get ahead. Get to TCI College. 13 flexible degree programs! Attend our Open House May 4. Classes start May 11.
CROSSWORD ANSWERS Continued from page 8
SPIRITUAL HEALING
READY FOR WORK TELL THE WORLD: Writers, bloggers, designers, photographers to tell your story once, or share news of your products and ideas on an ongoing basis. Let us know what you need. If we can help, we'll make a proposal customized to your needs.
Contact info @greatbridgeassociates.com
WANTED
Week of April 27-May 3, 2017 • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Brooklyn Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 19INB
20INB • INBROOKLYN — A Special Section of Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of April 27-May 3, 2017