red hook star revue, june 2014

SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

The Red Hook StarªRevue

JUNE 2014 FREE

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

(continued on page 3)

FEDS AUCTION SUMMIT STREET DRUG BUILDINGby George Fiala

Creating a cultural sanctuary in Red Hookby Micah B. Rubin

The Pioneer Works Center for Arts and Innova-tionstrives to build a thriving, inclusive commu-nity. Through classes, artist residency, workshops, lectures, exhibitions and other initiatives, Pioneer

Works has created an incubator for creative exploration in the heart of Red Hook.

In mid April, Pioneer Works hosted its first annual Hack Red Hook workshop. The “hackathon” brought together nearly 100 students, artists, developers and tech junkies – including the Red Hook Initiative’s Digital Stewards who provided lo-gistical support – for 24 hours of learning and self exploration through technology.

With the goal of creating apps to improve Red Hook resi-dent’s lives, hackathon participants unveiled 12 apps. Of note: a community bulletin board for residents to share neigh-borhood information (especially in emergencies); an app that tracks street conditions and a low-cost DIY security system that alerts users if someone breaks into their property.

For Pioneer Works, technology and science are as much a part of the arts as the more traditional mediums of paint and sculpture.

Every year, Pioneer Works offers year-long residencies to emerging artists, scientists and innovators. They receive a workspace and access to Pioneer Works 3-D printer, record-ing studio, physics lab, metal shop, wood shop, digital and film darkroom, and a soon-to-be added observatory.

On a recent Monday a steady stream of curiosity seekers were seen walk-ing in and out of 41 Summit Street, a nondescript warehouse building next to the Chase. A bright red sign had gone up that morning announcing a public inspection of the property. A friendly young woman, who turned out to be an employee of the federal government, stood by the door welcoming people in and handing everyone a flyer.

“SEIZED” the flyer proclaimed in bold, black letters. It advertised a public auc-tion for this building and two others in Gowanus that were confiscated by the government in 1992 after the former owner of the properties was convicted on narcotics and other charges.

41 Summit Street is across from the Red Hook Container Port. It was home to Blue Chip Coffee. Blue Chip was a cof-

fee wholesaler that roasted and sold cof-fee to restaurants and stores back in the 1980’s.

Someone who didn’t know the coffee business or Red Hook history would have no idea what they were looking at inside the warehouse. A large black coffee roaster and two large bean grind-ers faced the visitors as they walked in. Enormous metal ductwork lay on the floor. They were once used venting the smoke from the roasting machine. A dusty forklift sat forlornly in a corner. Assorted machinery lay hidden in the darkness of the back room. 20 year-old coffee beans still filled up one of the grinders. This place was shut in a hurry.

Sealed for two decades, this was a walk into Red Hook’s past. There was a sec-ond floor, and we were invited up. All

(continued on page 10) Noted artist Dustin Yellin is the brainchild behind the impressive Pioneer Works.

LICH GoneStory page 12

Red Hook Star-Revue www.RedHookStar.com June, 2014



@RedHookStar www.facebook.com/redhookstarrevue

member



JUNE 2014 VOLUME 5 NO. 7

Table of ContentsLICH Update ..................... 5 Coffey Park Renov .... 11Particip. Budgeting............ 7 Micah on Art ............. 12Editorial ........................... 8 Coastal Protection .... 16Politics .............................. 9 Healthy Tracey ......... 17

STAFF

Kimberly G. Price ......................................Editor/Publisher

George Fiala ......................................... Graphics/Publisher

Keith J. Klein ........................................................ Reporter

Vince Musacchia .................................................Cartoons

ContributorsJenny Belin, Stefanie Deji

Mary Ann Pietanza, Tracey ConnellMicah Rubin, Graham McCulloch

Happenings FRIDAY JUNE 6Romeo and Juliet - opening nightShakespeare’s tragic tale of “death-marked” love in a world of social upheaval and rebellion ripped from international headlines. Falconworks Artists Group’s Romeo and Juliet will feature Red Hook youth, communi-ty members, and a support network of theater artists in a production that explores the notion of “two houses, both alike in dignity” whose “ancient grudge” leads to tragic loss. 202 Coffey Street. 6/6, 6/7, 6/12, 6/13, 6/14 @ 8pm 6/8, 6/14, 6/15 @ 3pm

SATURDAY JUNE 14Visitation Church CarnivalA day of fun. Games and Prizes and Music. Fundraising for the church, 98 Visitation Place, 11 am - 6 pm

A Day of Doo WopHosted by the Knights of Columbus. Dancing, Buffet Dinner, Beer, Wine (21+ to drink), Soda, Raffles, Hula Hoop Contest, Theme Costumes En-couraged. $35 per person. Cabrini Hall, Sacred Hearts & St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church, Summit and Hicks Street 7 pm

SATURDAY JUNE 21BQE Steeple Flea MarketBargains, Food Trucks Local Vendors, Antiques, Vintage Items, art and more. Parish Fundraiser. Sacred Hearts & St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church, Summit and Hicks Street 7 10 am - 4 pm

JULY 5 - 7THE RED HOOK FESTDance Theatre Etcetera presents the 21st annual Red Hook FestRed Hook: Face to Face, Live Music & Dance on the Beautiful Brooklyn Waterfront. FREE and open to the public The 21st Annual Red Hook Fest features world-class music, dance, and fun activities for all ages like free kayak rides in New York Harbor (c/o the Red Hook Boaters), face-painting, a Red Hook trivia contest, and more. Scroll down for full details on this year’s festivities.THURS JUNE 5 BBQ/Dance Party (6pm-8pm)FRI JUNE 6 Youth Kick-Off Event (5:30pm-7pm)SAT JUNE 7 Mainstage Performances (12pm-7pm)

Page 2 Red Hook Star-Revue

June 2010

Red Hook History

A Monthly Feature of the Red Hook Star-Revue: Knowing our past is vital to knowing our future

Old South Brooklynites don’t forget

easy. To some, Columbia Street

may seem like a fairly bleak thor-

oughfare with a few nice businesses

and a lot of charmless, recent-vin-

tage, red-brick architecture (right).

But to them, it’s where they spent

the Saturday nights of their youth.

From 1900 to 1960 or so, Columbia

Street was what Court and Smith

Streets are today—the place you

bought your goods, ate out, saw

customers, or Sonny and Nancy’s

corner shop on Union, and you’ll

see old black-and-whites of the

bustling strip

in its heyday. (The

same pictures, actually.) One no-

table feature of the street back then

was a huge, standing street clock.

It was on the east side of Columbia

between President and Union. It

was well-known enough that people

would use is as a meeting place,

they way they do the information

booth in Grand Central.

It was removed sometime in the

‘70s. It may not have disappeared

altogether, however. As one old-

timer said to me, “Somebody’s got

that clock somewhere.”

movies, met friends, had fun. Push-

carts lined Union Street between

Hicks and Columbia. There were

shoe stores, movie houses, lun-

cheonettes. Absolutely nothing of

it is left today. The death of the

docks, neglect and a big dig which

caused many buildings to collapse

utterly erased the street as a life

force. But it didn’t erase memories.

Go in Two Fifteen, the newish

Italian chowhouse with the oldish

“Columbia Street Nostalgia: ‘Meet Me at the the Clock’”

by Brooks of Sheffield of Lost City, http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com

Opposite South Brooklyn is Governor’s island, between which and the

shore is Buttermilk channel, about a quarter of a mile wide, in early

times fordable by cattle, but now navigable for the largest vessels. The

portion of land between Buttermilk channel and Gowanus bay is known

as Red Hook point. Brooklyn is for the most part considerably elevated

above tide water. The S. and E. borders are occupied by a broad range

of low hills; a large portion of the S. part of the city is lo

w and level.

Along the East river S. of Fulton street is an irregular bluff, 70 ft. above

the level of the sea, known as Brooklyn Heights. It is thickly built upon,

and affords a magnificent view of the city and bay of New York. The

city embraces several districts stil

l locally known by the names which

they bore when they were distinct municipalities. Brooklyn proper

includes the older portion of the city S. of Wallabout bay, and the part of

this lying S. of Atlantic avenue is known as South Brooklyn. Williams-

burgh includes the thickly settled portions N. of Wallabout bay.

The photos to the left and just below are generously contributed by President

Street author Nino Pantano. They depict two Columbia Street shops owned

by his father, Santo Pantano. His first shop is on the left and it borders a

movie theater where if you look closely you will see that the Phantom is th

e

featured film. The street clock described above was located right in front of

the Florsheim Shoe store pictured below. The photo at the lower right depicts

Red Hook History Begins and Ends With Water

June 2010

Presorted

Standard Rate

US Postage

PAID

Brooklyn, NY

Permit 84

The Red Hook Star-Revue

Serving the Brooklyn Communities of Red Hook, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill Ju

ne 2010

Introducing a New Community Voice

Thank you for taking the time to pick up this, your new monthly commu-

nity newspaper. One of our goals is to serve as a vehicle to bind together the

many disparate voices that make up our cherished Brooklyn neighborhoods.

With an eye to the future grounded in the rich history of our past, we are

open to contributions from those who make up our reading audience. If there

is a neighborhood concern you wish us to explore, or if you are interested in

making a direct contribution as a writer or photographer, please feel free to

contact co-publisher George Fiala at 101 Union Street, or better yet email

[email protected].

Our other goal is to provide an inexpensive way for our local merchants to

spread the word about their offerings to the interested public. Co-publisher

Frank Galeano will help plan an effective campaign and can be reached at

917-365-8295, or in-person at 104 Union Street.

First Block of Union Street Host to Music & Fun

Last month saw two events that unexpectedly brought the sounds of music to Union

Street between Van Brunt and Columbia. First, the corner gallery WORK hosted an

opening replete with the requisite white wine as well as a young rock and roll band

who set up on the corner and filled the air with raucus, enjoyable sounds. A few weeks

later, their neighbor Scooter Bottega held an end-of-block party for their neighbors and

scooter friends. Refreshments, including delicious pork sandwiches were served and two

bands performed.

If there is but one good byproduct of the unfortunate closing of the Union Street bus

stops, it is that a larger block festival may be possible in the future, perhaps joined by

new neighbor Select Mail, who at 101 Union is resurrecting the old Star puppet theater

in a modest way with a performing arts area planned as part of it’s ground floor.

The following is a description of the gallery space at the end of Union Street taken from their

web site: WORK is a former mechanic’s garage turned gallery and project space on the Red

Hook waterfront specializing in the exhibition of emerging artists working across all mediums.

Since January 2007, WORK and our artists have exchanged and imparted ideas democrati-

cally, seeking to utilize the space in the dissolution of barriers. In a time and place where

many are searching for more, bigger and more expansive, WORK is committed to bringing

important matters of culture into close circles, for critical discussion and reflection.

Work is at 65 Union Street, Scooter Bottega is right next door.

The Red Hook Star-Revue

104 Union Street

Brooklyn, NY 11231



101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 718 624-5568 [email protected] www.RedHookStar.com

Page 20 Red Hook Star-Revue

www.RedHookStar.com

May 16 - 31, 2012

Southern Trucking undefeated after two weeks

of the Red Hook Youth Baseball season

by Viviana Gordon

A wet and gray Saturday, May

5th marked the official first

games of the Red Hook

Youth Baseball season. Both

games were hard-fought but in the end,

Hynes’ Heroes defeated the Defenders

and Southern Trucking triumphed over

Gibbs’ Brooklyn Youth Association

Royals, both with a score of 6-2.

The second week saw three games: a dou-

bleheader played between Hynes’ Heroes

and BYA. BYA swept the doubleheader,

by 10-0 and 14-9 scores. Southern Truck-

ing won the other game against the De-

fenders also by a 10-0 score.

Immediately following the first week’s

Red Hook StarªRevue

ers swept the competition with winners

in all three categories.

The skills workshop was led by former

professional ballplayers and current

coaching staff of The SAYO Grays

Baseball League, Richie Palacios, Ian

Younge, Darren Johnson and Darryl

Tiebout. The coaches, most of whom

have Red Hook roots, provided instruc-

tion in baseball technique and game

strategy, while imparting their philoso-

phy about the importance of education

in the life of a ballplayer.

The SAYO (Student Athlete Youth

Organization) Grays is a not-for-profit

501(c)3 organization with teams for

youth ages 13-18. The SAYO Grays

are guided by the mission that edu-

cation and athletics can provide the

stronghold to success in life. The Red

Hook Youth Baseball League and The

SAYO Grays have formed a partnership

this season to ensure that the younger

players will have the opportunity to

continue playing competitive baseball

in an organization that stresses good

citizenship in addition to good funda-

mental baseball skills.

The SAYO Grays have a proven track

record that includes 31 of their alumni

enrolling in college with athletic schol-

arships to play baseball over the past

two years.

games, the young ballplayers put aside

their differences and came together for

a baseball skills competition and work-

shop. The skills competition was led

by Liborio Hernández of the Sabatina

League and included events in base run-

ning, pitching and batting. The Defend-

LEAGUE STANDINGS

Place Team

W L

1. Southern Trucking ....................2-0

2. BYA Royals ...............................2-1

3. Hynes Heroes ............................1-2

4. Defenders .................................0-2

MAY 5TH RESULTSHynes’ Heroes 6, Defenders 2

Southern Trucking 6, BYA 2 MAY 12TH RESULTSSouthern Trucking 10, Defenders 0,

BYA 10, Southern Trucking 10 (game 1)

BYA 14 , Hynes Heroes 9, (game 2)

Week 3 Saturday, May 19

9 AM Hynes @ Southern Trucking Field #1

9 AM BYA @ Defenders

Field #9

11 AM Defenders @ BYA

Field #9

Week 4 Saturday, May 26

No Games! Memorial Day Weekend

Week 5 Saturday, June 2

9 AM BYA @ Defenders

Field #1

9 AM Hynes’ @ Southern Trucking Field #9

11 AM Southern Trucking @ Hynes’ Field #9


9 AM Southern Trucking @ BYA Field #1

9 AM Defenders @ Hynes’ Field #9

11 AM Hynes’ @ Defenders Field #9


9 AM Hynes’ @ BYA

Field #1

9 AM Southern Trucking @ Defenders Field #9

11 AM Defenders @ Southern Trucking Field #9

Week 8 Wednesday, June 20

6 PM BYA @ Southern Trucking Field #9

FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS

Saturday, June 23

9 AM 3rd Place @ 2nd Place Field #1

9 AM 4th Place @ 1st Place Field #9

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (BEST OF 3)

Game #1 Wednesday, June 27

6 PM Lowest Seed @ Highest Seed Field #9

Game #2 Saturday, June 30

9 AM Highest Seed @ Lowest Seed Field #9

Game #3 (if necessary) Saturday, June 30

11 AM Lowest Seed @ Highest Seed

Third Place Game

9 AM Two losing teams from June 23 Field #1

Trophy Ceremony will take place on Field #9 immediately

following the Championship Game on June 30th

LEAGUE SCHEDULE

Also in This Issue:(continued on page 5)



MAY 16 - 31, 2012 FREE

The Blue Pencil Lunar Revue


Interview with the new police chiefpage 3

Red Hook Immersion brings the crowds!page 8

Spoofs page 10new original crossword puzzle page 11PLUS LOTS MORE!

Father Claudio Antecini stands atop a shaking foldout table at

the church entrance, pulling down on a jammed bolt lock which he can barely reach even with the assisted el-evation of the table. The bolt is being stubborn, and this is making it hard to open the old wooden door out onto the front steps on Verona Street. Fi-nally a younger member of Koinonia John the Baptist - the evangelical group from Italy that has lived in and run the church since 2010 - approach-es with a push broom. With practiced finesse, he hooks the broom head to the top of the bolt and pulls down on the handle, and the door swings open. “Beautiful!” Father Claudio cheers as he leaps down from the table. The Pastor, who in December was

ordained for a six-year term at the church, cannot be taller than five-foot-eight, and on this early May morning like any other, he is modestly dressed in black slacks and a beige v-neck sweater and clunky black shoes. His most distinctive feature is the pur-ple birthmark along his left jaw, which almost resembles his native country and which must have played some part in the formation of his sense of humor.

On the church steps, a contractor is measuring the height of the landing at the top step down to the ground. He shakes his head. “The ADA [Ameri-can Disabilities Act] says that I have to build one foot of ramp for every inch of height,” he informs the Pastor. “You’re looking at fifty inches, so fifty feet of ramp. It would have to be a zigzag con-struction that would take up this whole front area, and it would be at a cost.” Father Claudio stands rubbing his chin for several seconds. “This is a problem,” he says, in his grainy, me-lodic accent. An ambitious planFather Claudio is familiar with ob-

stacles and seemingly unsolvable problems. Take Visitation Church as an example. When he and his fel-low Koinonia members arrived from Italy, brought in by Bishop DiMar-

Father Claudio revives Visitation Churchby Matt Graber

zio at the Roman Catholic Diocese of

Brooklyn as a last ditch effort, a Hail

Mary, if you will (I can’t help it), the

church was presumed even within the

administration to be in its final days.

“There existed a general sense that

there were few resources to work with,”

says Robert Choiniere, Director of Pas-

toral Planning at the Diocese. “You felt

like whoever came in would be coming

to oversee the church’s decline.” Rumors floated among parishioners that

the Gothic structure would soon be

converted into luxury condominiums.

This sentiment of impending doom was

backed by convincing evidence. Mainly

that by the end of 2010, the church

debt had reached almost $150,000, plus

a $100,000 annual deficit, in addition

to deterioration of its physical structure

from water damage and general neglect.

The parish had been shrinking more or

less steadily since the closing of Visita-

tion School and the boarding up of the

Lyceum (Visitation Hall) in the 1970s.When Father Claudio submitted

his strategic plan, “Christ Jesus Our

Hope,” to the Bishop early in 2011,

Last Saturday saw an onslaught of visitors to Red Hook taking part in Brooklyn

Based’s Red Hook Immersion. We made sure they all picked up the right paper.

On May 8th, the Red Hook Communi-

ty Justice Center hosted its 3rd Annual

Youth Summer Internships and Jobs

Fair at the NYCHA Joseph A. Miccio

Center. Representatives from a variety

of organizations offering job training

and youth development programs sta-

tioned themselves at tables around the

perimeter of the gymnasium to answer

questions and hand out flyers. Among these organizations were the

Crown Heights Community Mediation

Center, offering the Youth Organizing

to Save Our Streets (YO S.O.S.) pro-

gram, designed to empower youths to

tackle problems such as gun violence in

their communities; Groundswell offers

75-100 seats in the Summer Leadership

Institute, which organizes young people

into mural teams that design and paint

murals in their communities; and the

National Association of Securities Pro-

fessionals New York offers the Financial

and Scholastic Training (FAST) Track

Program, a “rigorous nine-month pro-

gram that exposes talented women and

minority high school students to the fi-

nancial services industry.” A rep from the NYC Department of

Youth and Community Development

was present with applications for the

Summer Youth Employment Program

(SYEP), which “offers work experience,

Justice Center sponsors youth fairby Matt Graber

Father Claudio Antecini has made tough

choices since assuming the role of admin-

istrator in 2010 (Graber photo)

In just two short years we have grown from a novelty

to an institution.

Thank you Brooklyn!

Red Hook prom returns!

For the second year in a row, Cora Dance held a 1980’s prom at the South Brooklyn High School. The event, complete with the coronation of a Prom Queen (this year’s winner was Reg Flowers), was a culinary and dancing success, and raised a nice some of money for our noted communitiy dance program. Led by Shannon Hummel (in the red dress above), Cora will be peforming next season at the Brooklyn Acad-emy of Music. This year’s Prom was catered by Van Brunt Street’s Hope and Anchor.

Blast from the past!

Conover Street looked as it might have in the 1920’s recently as Home Box Office filmed a scene of their series Broadway Empire in Sunny’s Bar. The bar itself was given a one-day makeover to look even older than it does. The cobble stones fit right in.


furniture was long gone, but in plain view was a floor safe sitting inside of a much larger wall safe, such as one would find in a bank. Both safes had been drilled open. One can imagine huge stashes of cash, drugs and guns that might have been inside at one time.

Blue Chip Coffee operated from 1984 to 1991 at this location and the two warehouses on Sackett Street over in Gowanus. Neighborhood old timers remember the smell of roasting coffee. A resident of nearby President Street told this reporter about one day in 1991 when he returned home from work to find Summit Street cordoned off with yellow police tape. That was the day that the man some dubbed Tony Cof-fee and his associates were caught and charged under the RICO racketeering

Summit Street building once housed a flourishing cocaine business(continued from page 1)

statute.

Contemporary court documents de-scribed the illegal activities:

“As a result of the investigation, a grand jury indicted seventeen individuals... in a multi-count indictment charging of-fenses committed from 1984 until July 23, 1991. The government presented extensive evidence at trial in support of the charges. In summary, the indictment charged that XXXX and the other defen-dants assisted narcotics dealers in their efforts to import drugs into the United States through the Brooklyn waterfront. The drug owners would contact XXXX who, in turn, would use his influence and access to information to locate the drugs and remove them from the pier in

c i r c u m -vent ion of United S t a t e s Customs r e g u l a -t i o n s g o v e r n -ing in-spection of im-p o r t e d g o o d s . The in-dictment also al-l e g e d that the

defendants purloined cargo from the wa-terfront and then sold the goods on the black market. The government’s case

consisted of approximately forty wit-nesses, including three cooperating wit-nesses, and extensive recorded conver-sations obtained through over one year’s electronic surveillance of the office.”

The government worker at the door ex-plained that as far as she knew, the prop-erty had been seized over ten years ago (actually it was about 20). Some were wondering why the government had waited so long to dispose of the property. They wrote it off to the slow and plod-ding government. Truth was that Tony Coffee, serving ten life sentences in a Pennsylvania prison, lost his final appeal for the retun of the property only a year

ago. He had filed suit every few years in a vain attempt to annul the seizure.

A federal judge wrote: “The frequency of his motions coupled with the length of his sentence portended a barrage of base-less filings to be endured by the Court without intermission and in perpetuity.”That decision, issued April 4, 2013 was the end of the line and the Feds were finally able to unload these properties.

41 Summit Street was auctioned off for $1.3 million. This is surely a great deal more than it would have fetched back in the 1990’s as real estate is the new Red Hook gold.

Captain Justin C. Lenz led the monthly 76th Commu-nity Precinct meeting at 191 Union Street on Tuesday,

May 6. Community affairs and crime prevention officers were also present. Representatives from the local assem-blymen’s office, Red Hook Responders, Visitation Church, and the District At-torney’s (DA) office were also in atten-dance.

Sergeant Ruthven Goddard was recog-nized as the Officer of the Month for his quick thinking and heroic actions. A man identified as Isabello Negron, age 45, stabbed a man during a domestic dispute and was wielding two butcher’s knives when Goddard arrived on the scene at 426 Columbia Street. After a two-hour standoff with the hostage ne-gotiation team and his sister, Negron surrendered to police.

During the incident, Goddard isolated and contained the armed suspect after learning he had fled the crime scene. Goddard was honored for his role in the successful apprehension without the use of deadly force.

Lenz read off the latest crime stats. Four burglaries in one week were reported on Degraw Street, two of which occurred

in the same building. Reported inci-dents of grand larceny were less than the previous month. Vehicular and pe-destrian accidents were way down, with no fatalities within the past 15 months.

Lenz addressed bicycle safety. The num-ber of cyclists multiplies as the weather improves, and public education is be-coming increasingly important.

Responding to a question about new Van Brunt Street markings in Red Hook, Lenz explained that the “official” bike lane is on Conover Street. Van Brunt is a shared road, and many are misunderstanding the DOT signs.

Officer Carl Brady warned residents about Green Dot Card scams. Green Dot Cards are a reloadable debit card that can be purchased at over 50,000 lo-cations nationwide. The scam involves someone calling and demanding mon-ey, or else the victim will be arrested, or taxes will be audited, or a utility - such as phone service - will be cut off.

Federal law prohibits debtors from using threats, intimidation or harassment to collect money; a person cannot be jailed because of a debt.

The Green Dot Cards are not linked to any bank account. The money is on the card. Once the number on the card

has been given, scammers can bleed the card dry, with no chance of detection.

People using these cards should never give their numbers out to anyone.

NYPD is also warning consumers against purchasing any kind of gift card that has an exposed number. These cards can also be used without the pur-chaser’s permission. Perps are copying the numbers and waiting for the card to be bought, and then using the money on the card themselves.

FireworksNext Lenz spoke of the 4th of July fire-works. This year they are returning to the East River, giving Red Hook one of the best views in the city. The 76th is already making plans to ensure safety during the event, as hordes of onlookers are expect-ed to descend upon the community.

Following presentations, Captain Lenz opened up the floor for comments. One enraged Carroll Gardens resident com-plained about alleged drug activity near her house in Carroll Gardens. She said that she’s been filing complaints for ten years. “I want those jackasses gone,” she said.

After the meeting, Lenz and other offi-cers sat down with the complainant and assured her there would be a proper in-vestigation, including the involvement

of the Brooklyn South Narcotic. Lenz himself is a former narcotics detective.

Robert Berrios expressed concerns re-garding vehicles making illegal turns near the Red Hook Library on the cor-ner of Dwight and Lorraine Streets. Officers recommended Berrios bring up these topics to the DOT as well as Community Board 6 (CB6).

A representative from the Red Hook Responders reported that the “Friday Night Lights” program has been a suc-

Captain Lenz a straight shooter at monthly precinct meetingby Keith Klein


A heavy room safe contained a floor safe.

This now barren room was probably the business office.

The roaster lies in the foreground, two large coffee bean grinders are alongside the left wall. (photos by George Fiala)


Lillie Marshall and Phaedra Thomas at an EPA outreach meeting at PS 15.

Community Calendar

CB 6 - ALL MEETINGS AT 6:30 PMMay 29 Youth/Human Services/Education

Shining a Light on Postpartum Depression: The Role of Programs, Policy and Public Health 10 to 20% percent of new mothers in the United States suffer from Postpartum Depression (PPD), one of a group of perinatal mood disorders which also includes postpartum anxiety, and in the most severe cases, postpartum psychosis. PPD includes a wide range of emotional, psychological, and physiological reactions to childbirth. The stamina of the new mother is challenged and her ability to func-tion, care for, and bond with her new born child is impaired. How can New York City and State ensure that mothers and their families have access to resources and treatment for this debilitating and sometimes life threatening condition? Join PPD service providers, specialist, and elected officials for a chance to discuss this important issue – and devise solutions to ad-dress it. Congregation Beth Elohim, 7-9 pm, 271 Garfield Place.

OTHER EVENTS:Tuesday May 27, 6:30-9 pm: Gowanus CAG meeting, St. Mary Star of the Sea, 41 1st StreetWed May 28, 7-9:00pm: Red Hook Civic Association, PS 15 Audito-rium. All are invited to hear a set program and add what you like to the conversation.Every Friday from 5 pm - 9 pm: Youth Basketball Instruction at the Mic-cio Center, 110 West 9th Street.

FOR UPDATED LISTINGS GO TO www.redhookstar.com

Beginning at noon on Saturday, July 12, visitors will be treated with a sampling of all things Red Hook. In the back parking lot of IKEA’s outside parking lot, The Star-Revue will host Celebrate Red Hook with an exhibition of Red Hook businesses and institu-tions.

In addition, the extreme talent of Red Hook based artisans and performers will be fea-tured on the big stage under the crane. Local musicians will be performing all day, with guest appearances from other community based performances like Cora Dance.

IKEA will finish out the day with their annual fireworks display.

Two summers ago, Open House NY led a tour into Red Hook studio spaces. Partakers in-cluded fine artists, Kerry Quaid and Yeon Ji Yoo from the BeeHive in 7C, Brooklyn Wa-terfront Art Coalition, Red Hook Winery, Pier Glass/Scanlan Glass, and dozens more.

This year, the Star-Revue is bringing many of those artists out of their spaces all at one place for a grand sampling of Red Hook craftsmanship.

Space is still available for anyone who wants to join. There is no fee for participation; the only requirement is to supply your own table. For more information, email [email protected], or call (718) 624-5568

SHOWING OFF RED HOOK JULY 12 AT IKEA


As reported in the May Star-Revue, Coffey Park was closed this April for the next year to undergo a

renovation. The closing was somewhat controversial, as few in Red Hook had any advance warning of this project, no one from the community was asked for input into the project.

Since the details of the project was an-nounced, many Red Hookers have ob-jected to the planned replacement of the paving stones with asphalt. These stones match the paving stones that are around the Red Hook Pool. They can be found in many other NYC parks. Evidently, they were more affordable in the past, or perhaps more to the point, when the city devoted more funding to the Parks Department - and to capital expenditures in general.

The other shock was to the participants of the annual Red Hook Old Tim-ers Day, and Family Day - two events held each August in Coffey Park. At a CB6 Parks Committee meeting held in April, Parks representative Marty Mahr was asked why the parks renova-tion could not proceed in two phases, so that at least half the park was open at all times. Mahr gave that suggestion short shrift, saying it would cost way too much money.

At a recent Old Timers Committee meeting, members were divided as to whether the event should take place at T Park or at the stadium. Old Tim-ers Day began at T Park over twenty years ago. They will be holding another meeting soon to decide - Robert Berrios and Henrietta Perkins have been pub-licizing the meetings with flyers in the neighborhood.

To add insult to injury, Red Hookers have had to gaze upon a fenced off park for over six weeks in which no notica-ble renovation activity has taken place. The park is gated, the grass and weeds are not being tended and are overgrown.

No further explanation in the form of signage has been forthcoming. This was promised at the Parks meeting. Rumors have started floating around that a pool is going in. Undoubtedly more rumors will develop until the facts are plainly written out. All that is being done for the $2.3 million budget is tearing up the stones, leveling the paths and pav-ing over the paths with black asphalt. In addition, trees will be given more room for their roots, and new benches, chairs and barbecue pits will be added. There will be some work around the flagpole as well. All the work will be done by a private contractor from Queens.

In a recent Daily News article, CB 6 District Manager Craig Hammerman describes the park as functioning “on many levels as a town square - a cen-tral, open civic space where Red Hook comes together.”

In a recent email exchange between Hammerman and some interested Red Hookers, Hammerman defends the Park Department, explaining:

“The contractor has a year to complete the project, whether they do it all in

the first 6 months, the last 6 months, steadily over the 12-month period, etc. As long as they get it done within the allotted time. Some City capital project contracts have early incentive clauses, some have late penalty clauses, and some don’t have either; honestly, I do not know whether this particular con-tract has either in place.”

Hammerman continues:

“I understand how upsetting it can be to not ‘see’ work occurring, but that doesn’t mean nothing is being done. It is more likely that the contractor is do-ing the necessary preconstruction work - which may or may not take place on site, it may involve ordering the ma-terials necessary to do the job, or may only involve visits to the site, or some combination thereof - but don’t let the fact that there isn’t torn up pavement, large piles of materials on site, and big equipment parked nearby in any way detract from the fact that the project

has officially started. The year-long timeclock has begun. The contractor could be there tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, to begin vis-ible work. The meter is running.” Hammerman concludes: “It may seem logical that if the contractor is not working, that the community should have access to the site. But once a con-tractor assumes site control from the City, there are immediate liability issues that arise. The public would not be pro-tected and may not be safe on an active construction site, even if there appears to be no evidence of activity. To ensure that the public is kept safe, the site has

email is [email protected].

Most of the funding for this renovation came from the City Council. Carlos Menchaca is our local council mem-ber, and he says that he is responsive to voices from our community. His dis-trict office is located in Sunset Park, at 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The office number is 718 439-9012. His email address is [email protected].

Coffey Park renovation not yet begun, fenced off to publicby George Fiala

There is still time to tell

them what you think.

Parks Dept (718) 965-8900

Menchaca: (718) 439-90123

to be deemed safe before the public can have access to it again.”

As work has not yet commenced, there is still time to give the Parks Depart-ment and our political leaders opinions about all of this. Readers may contact the Parks Department with their opin-ions. Their main number is (718) 965-8900. Ask for Capital Projects of for Chris Yandoli, Outreach Coordinator, 718 965-9882 or 917 272 8453. His

In recent summers, Coffey Park has been host to Old Timer’s Day, Night Out Against Crime, and Family Day. At least some of those events will have to be moved this year while the park is closed for renovation.

The Old Timer’s Committee met outside the park on May 10th to plan this years event.


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Help Wanted at the Red Hook Star-Revue

Reporters needed for news and arts coverage in Red Hook and her environs. Enthusiasm more important than experience. Learn on the job.

Full and part-time positions available.

Call us

718 624-5568or email:

[email protected]

Don’t be a fool - advertise in the Star-Revue!

Red Hook West officers sworn in

In a ceremony at 428 Columbia Street, the new slate of officers of the Red Hook West Tenants Association was sworn in by a NYCHA official. The new officers include President: Lillie Marshall; Vice President: Anthony Johnson, and Danelle Johnson. Photo by Michael Eaddy

Carroll Garden’s Association honors Brooklyn Greenway and Red Hook Initiatives as well as Victoria Hagman of Realty Collective

In addition to the honorees, guests at the annual fundraising dinner included Brooklyn DA Kenneth Thompson, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, President Cynthia Gonzalez and Councilmembers Carlos Menchaca and Brad Lander. The gala affair was held March 1st at Court Street’s Marco Polo restaurant. (photo by George Fiala)

You Are Invited!

RHAP Students’ Art FairSunday, June 8, 3 to 6 pm


Help Wanted at the Star-Revue

Reporters needed for news coverage

in Red Hook and her environs. Enthusiasm more important than experience. Learn on the job. Advertising

positions also available.

We also accept submissions from the

community on topics of local interest.

Call Kimberly Gail Price

718 624-5568or email:

[email protected]

Councilmember Carlos Menchaca held his trium-phant party celebrating the results of his first Participa-

tory Budgeting Project (PBP) program at the Red Hook Library. The party was on a weeknight, as the library is current-ly closed every Saturday and Sunday.

Among the PB bestowments is money to resuscitate the library’s community garden. This will be a wonderful ame-nity, however not have on the week-ends. The Red Hook library at 7 Wol-cott Street is one of 19 in the borough that is closed from Friday evening until Monday morning.

The Brooklyn library system consists of 58 branches, including outposts in Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights and a branch near the Barclay’s Center. All of these neighboring librar-ies are open at least one day over the weekend. Bushwick, Canarsie, Coney

A campaign led by Pioneer Street resident Adam Armstrong has resulted in Red Hook’s Cruise

Terminal becoming the first East Coast port to invest in what is called “Shore Power.”

Cruise ships need electricity to power their lights, cooling and refrigeration systems. While docked, they keep their

Red Hook library needs weekend hoursby George Fiala

Island and Midwood are among the branches without weekend hours.

According to the Manhattan Library System, library funding has been cut six of the past 11 years. The Brooklyn system, with its 58 branches, is the fifth largest in the country. However, as the number of residents continue to in-crease, public spending for the system is decreasing.

The Red Hook Library, at 7 Wolcott Street, suffered $750,000 damage from Sandy. It reopened April 2013 fully re-stored, with all books replaced. There are eight computers, four for adults and four for children. Use is limited to thirty minute sessions as there are often peo-ple waiting to use them, especially after 3 pm on school days.

Sandra Sutton, Red Hook library su-pervisor, says that students would fill the library on the weekends, if only it was open. Library hours are controlled

by funding which comes from the city, and funding has been cut six out of the previous eleven years. The budget is prepared by the Mayor, and passed by the City Council. Menchaca is our local council member, and he says that he is

responsive to voices from the communi-ty. His district office is located in Sunset Park, at 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The office number is 718 439-9012. His email is [email protected].

Shore Power a year awayby George Fiala

engines idling for electricity, burning diesel fuel which keeps the engines running. Armstrong objected to these exhausts, and in 2011, a group of local politicians were successful in getting the Port Authority, other city agencies, and the Carnival Cruises to invest upwards of $20 million for the shore power proj-ect.

With this new process, the ships that are docked will be refitted to allow them to plug into the electric grid. All the ships utilities will function using this lo-cal electricity, supplied by Con Ed, and will no longer need to keep the engines idling.

The photo above, taken on Ferris Street, shows progress made to date installing the Shore Power system. Cement has been laid for a platform and equipment installed.

Two representatives from the Port Au-

thority attended CB6’s Waterfront Committee meeting on May 19, and stated that the project is halfway com-plete. The said that the below-ground infrastructure is in, and that the above

ground infrastructure will be completed by next spring.

In the meantime, activity at the Cruise Terminal is at its lowest since its open-ing in 2006, with only 17 shore days

This is what they have built so far on Ferris Street by the Cruise Terminal. It is sched-uled to be operational by next spring.

Local pols hold press conference de-manding shore power in January 2011.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

(send yours to [email protected])

VIEWPOINT:

Government should provide affordable housing, not luxury real estate developers

by George Fiala

OUR PARK

This is a reminder to our readers that Coffey Park has been shut for the year for renovation. This picture, taken May 20, is what one will encounter in case they wish to use the park this spring or summer. Coffey Park was fenced off in the middle of April and is not sched-uled to reopen until April 2015. So far it is six weeks that no workers have shown up to work on the park.Read more about the park on page 5 of this issue.

Doesn’t like our house adYou are the ones who makes yourselves fools with that ridiculous likeness of George Bush next to the word fool. Why don’t you use the likeness of the current president next to the words: Liar, Pho-ny, Hypocrite, Narcissist, Community Organizer in Chief and Worst President in American History.

Whatever your views, its in extremely poor taste and a dopey attempt to get a cheap laugh. Cut the crap. - JTS 4151

Loved the May issue! My daughter lives in Red Hook and my wife and I visit often from Virginia. I al-ways get a copy of your Red Hook Star-Revue newspaper to read. The May 2014 issue was very good.

I read with interest the Lime Shortage affects pie man piece. I know that Steve Tarpin of Steve’s Key Lime Pies is be-loved in Brooklyn. Even with his recent (two weeks ago) shipment of limes, I am sure he needs as many as he can get.

My thought was...wouldn’t it be won-derful if his loyal customers and other Brooklynites brought him one (1) lime as a donation. Wow! Talk about Red Hook Strong or Brooklyn Strong. A loyal reader - Tom Bland

Bill Appel retiresAfter 27 years (22 on the board of di-rectors) and the last five as Executive Director I will be leaving the Gowanus Canal Community Development Cor-poration effective June 5th, 2014.For many of you this is not a goodbye! I will remain fully committed to this great Brooklyn community with special emphasis on affordable housing devel-opment and education. However, the time has come to spend more time with family, especially our three grandsons.

I have been mulling over Mayor de Blasio’s affordable housing plan. The idea is to make private de-velopers supply 80,000 affordable

units in exchange for the right to build higher and denser than existing zoning would allow. This is another example of government contracting to private busi-ness tasks formerly done by the city.

Capitalism is built around the concept of incentives. The incentive guiding real estate developers is to maximize profit. If a company can make more money by erecting a taller building - even after ac-counting for a certain number of subsi-dized units - they will do so. Otherwise it wouldn’t be worth their while.

Money will be spent to create high quality units for the luxury purchasers, while the subsized apartments will be made as cheaply as allowed. There is already controversy regarding separate entrances for the ‘lower classes’ with exclusion of building amenities such as gyms or rooftop decks.

The NY Times in a recent article on

this subject states: “Mayor Bill de Blasio was elected on a platform that derided income inequality and the dwindling availability of affordable housing. His “tale of two cities” theme appears to also exist within buildings.”

There can be another way. I have been reading the diaries of David Lilienthal. Lilienthal, the first chair of the Atomic Energy Commission, led the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for thirteen years. The TVA is a government corpo-ration and a survivor of the New Deal. Lilienthal fought to keep it a regional entity, not taking orders or accepting patronage jobs from Washington.

The TVA provided electricity for un-derserved areas, but it had a greater pur-pose as well - basically, the economic wellbeing of the areas it served. It has been model for economic development in lesser developed areas of the entire world - a decentralized government en-tity operating profitably and providing public service and modernization at the same time.

Instead of having private developers be responsible for providing what is in ef-fect public housing - essentially bribing them to do so - why not have the city do the job, as it used to?

I am no real estate expert. But I would say that it is a mistake to depend on the private sector for this. The city has the power of zoning and makes land use decisions. The city also has a huge staff of municipal planners and building experts. There is no reason why govern-ment service should not also be quality service.

Government is not often given credit for its abilities. Web sites run by NYC have become increasingly useful and easier to use. Formerly hard-to-get in-formation is now easily available. I pay my parking tickets with a click - and I’ve never had a problem.

Instead of exchanging variances for apartments, why not tax the variances and use the money to buy land around the city onto which to build city owned affordable housing. I don’t mean clus-

ters of buildings segregating low in-come residents, but buildings scattered throughout the city.

I would guess that not having to pay for land, and not having to pay taxes - and working in cooperation with its own building department - a way could be found to create and operate quality buildings with say, 70% low and middle income tenants, and 30% market rate, at a modest profit.

The city already has architects on the payroll. They have well established re-lations with the building trade unions. All it has to do is create a new depart-ment where enthusiastic young college graduates led by smart and seasoned public servants can operate can create a new public housing paradigm, one not bound by politics. The goal would be not to maximize short term profits. Instead, they would be working towards a city where all classes of people have the abil-ity to live comfortably, and to achieve their potential, creating a social fabric that indeed emphasizes social justice.

New local cartoonistTashawn Davis is a

student at the Red Hook Arts Project, corner of Richards and Wolcott. He will be exhibiting

along with many other talented local youth at

the RHAP Students’ Art Fair Sunday, June 8, 3

to 6 pm. He offers this cartoon to

Star-Revue readers as an example of his talent.


That Crazy World of Politicsby George Fiala

News from the Independent Neighborhood Democrats

by Mark Shames, President

At IND we are extremely happy for Assemblyperson Joan Mill-man. She is reenergized at the prospect of joining the de Blasio administration, where she will be doing special proj-

ects at the Department of Aging. The people of the 52nd Assembly District were fortunate to have someone always on their side that understood the issues, consulted with her constituents, attended their events and who maintained an exemplary attendance record in the legislature.

IND’s last major event under the leadership of our Assemblyperson was our 42nd Annual Dinner. Word has filtered back to me that it received nearly unanimous positive reviews. It was held at the rooftop at Fornino’s at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Fornino’s provided us with the lower level for our cocktail hour and the roof-top for our buffet dinner. Unlike most events that I have attended the food was supposedly really good. I didn’t get a chance to eat so this is hearsay but reliable hearsay nonetheless. We had some brief shout outs from Comptroller Stringer, Congresswoman Velas-quez, and Councilmen Levin and Lander. Joan Millman, State Sen-ator Squadron, and District Leader Simon gave out our first three awards. Our Executive Board Chair, Karen Johnson with a host of other old friends presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Buddy Scotto.

Just before the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Mayor and his wife Chirlane McCray dropped by to say hello and mingle with an appreciative crowd.

Our dinner honorees were James Walden, Esq. who is leading the litigation to keep LICH open as a full service hospital, Regina Myers, who spearheads the effort to complete Brooklyn Bridge Park, Alex-andria Sica, executive director of the DUMBO BID, and co-founder of IND, Buddy Scotto who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. I had the honor of writing Buddy’s biographical sketch for our jour-nal.

The departure of Assemblyperson Millman does create a void and there are likely to be a number of candidates eager to fill that void. The field is still in formation with only one candidate currently de-clared. As the Chinese say, concerning unsettled times, we at IND and the other area political clubs are living in interesting times. We are waiting to see what other openings may arise as a result of Joan’s departure?

IND is unlikely to endorse a candidate for the Assembly seat on May 22nd and it is yet to be determined whether the other scheduled endorsements will go forward but this issue goes to print before the meeting goes forward. You will have to find out online or in the next issue.

Joan MillmanLongtime Assemblywoman Joan Mill-man, a fixture in South Brooklyn even before her election to statewide office in 1997, surprised just about everyone last week when she announced that she would not run for re-election this fall. Instead, she will be joining the de Bla-sio administration with a position in the Department of Aging.

We first knew of Joan back in 1991 when she ran for the City Council. She had been district leader, and was a well known educator and an advisor to Carol Bellamy and Martin Connor.

In that race she received the endorse-ment of the NY Times as well as the City Council president. However, as we remember it, her leading opponent, Ken Fisher, received the backing of a Hasidic sect in Williamsburg - giving Fisher enough votes to win, despite Millman receiving more votes in Brook-lyn Heights and Cobble Hill. This was a special election due to the retirement from the Council of Abe Gerges.

We heard then that the deal with the Rabbi was made by Harold Fisher, Ken’s dad. Harold Fisher, onetime MTA chief, was an advisor to Mayors Koch and Dinkins and a force in Brooklyn machine politics.

Ken Fisher ended up leaving elected office with a surprising loss to Marty Markowitz. He continued his law prac-tice and has been representing SUNY Downstate in their yearlong battle with our community over the future of the Long Island College Hospital. Fisher has represented many powerful real estate developerss. In its 1991 Millman en-dorsement, the Times wrote: “Kenneth Fisher is a bright lawyer and talented campaigner. But there’s something unsettling about his plan to continue representing clients rather than serving the Council full time, as Ms. Millman would. His family’s law firm already has long, intimate ties to the regular Brook-lyn Democratic organization.”

Joan Millman gained elected office in another special election. This was in 1997, following the sudden death of the beloved Eileen Dugan.

In a controversial race involving Ralph Perfetto and Steve DiBrienza, two names from the past, Millman man-aged the primary nomination and easily beat her Republican challenger and has served in the Assembly ever since.

She is a fixture at local events and is known for her support of Brooklyn Bridge Park, including its controver-sial real estate aspects. She has worked closely with fellow politicians Brad Lander and Daniel Squadron. Her of-fice on Court Street has been a training

ground for many up and coming staff-ers, including Josh Levin, who is now Community Liaison for city comptroller Scott Stringer.

What was surprising was the unexpect-ed nature of her announcement to not run. A product of IND, she was a promi-nent guest at their annual fundraiser the week before, and did not mention her plans to anyone.

The current front runner is Jo Anne Simon. Simon is the 52nd AD District Leader. A lawyer, for many years she headed the Boerum Hill Association. In 2004 she was encouraged by Millman to run for District Leader, and has served in that position since.

She shares with Millman the distinc-tion of losing a City Council race. She came in second in 2009 to Steve Levin, who coincidently, won with the support of an important faction of Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg.

Carlos MenchacaThe news around the Menchaca office this month is their upcoming move to a new office on 4th Avenue near 45th Street. Up until now they have been operating from Sara Gonzalez’s old dis-trict office on 56th Street. In addition, they are saying that they are looking for a satellite office in Red Hook as well.

The Southwest Brooklyn Industrial De-velopment Corporation is a Sunset Park based organization with a satellite office on Van Brunt Street. The Star-Revue has rarely found that office open lately, perhaps deskspace there would be the perfect spot for Carlos.

Menchaca also took time out from his busy City Hall schedule to travel to the west coast. The trip was occasioned by his delivery of the commencement ad-dress at his alma mater, the Jesuit Uni-versity of San Franciso.

Joan poses with her favorite Red Hook paper at the Columbia Street Fair a few years ago.

Buddy Scotto with his sister Theresa, his daughter Debra, Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane at the recent IND dinner. Buddy was honored with a lifetime achievement award.


“People come in here and all the sudden they have a whole new sense of what is possible,” says Dustin Yellin, the artist who founded Pioneer Works and serves as its director. Yellin discovered Red Hook in the 1990s and also lives and works in the neighborhood. “[Pioneer Works] has been a dream for a very long time, almost 20 years,” Yellin says.

Pioneer Works began in 2011 when Yellin purchased the Pioneer Iron Works building. Originally built in 1866 (and later rebuilt after a fire in 1881), the building served as an iron-works factory until the end of World War I. It was a defunct storage facility, one of the parcels owned by Time Mov-ing, when Yellin purchased it. Convert-ing the space took time and energy, but the result is a cathedral to the arts with 40-foot ceilings, cascades of light with exposed bricks and beams.

“The architecture of the space is an in-credible lens for the energy of the peo-ple in the space,” Yellin says. “It creates a natural sense of community and [is] so inspiring. You almost feel like you’re in some sort of holy place.”

Pioneer Works hasn’t only set up a cre-ative environment, but also seeks to de-mystify the creation process itself, says Dave Sheinkopf, Pioneer Works’ Direc-tor of Education.

Rotating exhibitionsIn their main space, Pioneer Works hosts rotating exhibitions. “If you go to a show at a museum, you see art but don’t see [the creative] process. [Pio-neer Works] is very much a museum of process. Not only do you get to see art that’s finished, but you get to see how it’s made, “ Yellin says.

This includes visiting the studios of the art and science residents, and also through participating in the classes. “Classes are priced a lot less then other classes in the city. We want to set our-selves apart by making them really ac-cessible,” Sheinkopf says.Pioneer Works began offering classes two years ago and now has nearly 30 instructors and an ever-growing cur-riculum. Have a great idea for a class? They are always open to new class ideas, Sheinkopf says.“There are so many people taking the classes,” Yellin says. “We really have a better turnout then we ever imagined.”Interested in making your own miso (think Japanese soup)? Sign up for “Miso: Preparation, Fermentation and Health” ($40) a class about everything miso: history, heath benefits, the fer-mentation process and how to make it yourself.Maybe you’re a shutterbug? Take the “Bobble Cap Tintypes” ($85) workshop and learn to make your own tintype – think sepia-toned photos from the old west printed on metal - the first wide-spread photographic process. For example, Pioneer Works also of-fers multiple classes on leatherwork-ing. Learn to make a hand-made bag in “Crafting a Hand-Stitched Leather

Bag” ($885) or the secrets of master Eu-ropean leather workers in “Traditional European Leatherwork & Handstitch-ing” ($155).

Many classes discussing technology are also offered at Pioneer Works. “Tech-nology is lost to most people … by learning the process of something, you can pursue it on your own and – in the case of technology - have a lot more power over your world,” Sheinkopf says.

Like hacking a DSLR to unlock hidden features. In “Hack Your Canon SLR” ($70) instructors will teach students to enable “magical” features on your cam-era using a simple and free firmware up-date.

“Electronic Voices” ($35) explores the phenomenon of sound and current and historical recording techniques. Students also recreate experiments conducted by early recording pioneers through building a makeshift phono-graph and a MacGyver-styled speaker out of a post-it note, a wire and a mag-net.

Looking for love? “The Science of Ro-mantic Relationships” ($25) explores how the originally radical idea people should marry for love hasn’t quite worked out as expected. With only a third of marriages happy and enduring, the class discusses the emerging science of why love can be so tough and what science says about a successful quest for love.

And these are only shortlist of available classes.

Right now, Pioneer Works is develop-ing long-term classes that will last be-tween 6 and 8 weeks and a gap-year program for post high school and pre-college students.

“There are so many kids who get out of high school and don’t have an idea of what they’re doing yet. I think this [program] would help give them some focus and expose them to the incredible people that could mentor them before college,” Yellin says.

In continuing with its multidisciplinary leanings, Pioneer Works is develop-ing a publishing arm. It currently pub-lishes Intercourse, a biannual magazine discussing art, science and culture and published its first book “Settlements” in 2013.

Pop up restaurants to comeIn addition to the rotating exhibits, Pi-oneer Works hosts concerts and lectures and this summer, pop up restaurants will set up shop in their 20,000 square foot garden and sculpture park.

Yellin is excited about all the great things happening at Pioneer Works and especially the effects the collaborations and classes are having on the commu-nity. “They have a whole new sense of what is possible,” he says.

Pioneer Works is located at 159 Pio-neer Street (between Imlay and Conover Streets). (718) 5967-3001 Hours: Wed. – Sun., 12 pm-6 pm when exhibits are up or events happening, otherwise by appoint-

ment.

Creating a cultural sanctuary in Red Hook

Our friend Jenny, who exhibits locally at the Brooklyn Collective, 212 Columbia Street, sends us this and writes: “The image is a flower portrait! It is an ink and water-color painting on paper, inspired by the Grape Hyacinth bouquet, that a friend gave to me at a recent art opening that I had in Prospect Heights.”

Jenny belin’s Art

(continued from page 1)

Pioneer Works, outside and in.

Red Hook Star-Revue www.RedHookStar.com June, 2014 Untitled-3 1 11/20/2013 11:38:35 AM

I think for the most part, we were all pretty poor growing up as im-migrant families in Red Hook. While we were rich in culinary and nutritional abundance be-

cause we grew and made mostly every-thing ourselves, we still wore hand-me-downs, walked our shoes down to their soles, and never went on vacations. It was an obvious time of economic strife and we never gave into anything frivo-lous or unnecessary, but there were oc-casions, though, when our financial budgets overrode our poverty status to afford some important luxuries - name-ly, weddings and Catholic religious events such as Baptisms, Confirmations and Communions.

It seemed all costs were spared to rec-ognize and secure these treasured times in our family history. We had those old black and white touched-up photos of our parents and relatives of generations past as proof that those traditions were not just a religious milestone in life, but the opportunity to record our sac-raments in lavish-styled photographs. We absolutely had to look our finest for

these occasions - our parents oftentimes dressed to the nines themselves - and in the case of our First Holy Communion, it was like having a red-carpet event for us as kids, especially for the girls.

And I’m not kidding when I say it was like a red-carpet event. We went shopping along Fifth Avenue or Ful-ton Street looking for the perfect dress and all the accessories - laced trimmed socks, white Mary-Janes, tiara and veil, white-laced gloves, knitted shawls in case it was cool, and a stylish little white pocketbook to hold our beautiful new rosaries and prayer books. Even undergarments had to be new. In tra-ditional sixties style, the dresses were usually knee-length with balloon skirts. And needless to say......everything was white.

The photo shootThe excitement started almost im-mediately from the point of shopping, and escalated as it got closer to the day of dressing for the photo studio shots. We started by going to the “beauty par-lor” first, a place where we were accus-tomed to escorting our mothers to get their hair “set” or permed (“permanent” was the popular word of the era.). My mother, in particular, loved the down-town scene and so her favorite beauty parlor was John Charles’ on Fulton Street. There, our hair was washed, set in curlers, put under the (chair) dryer, and then styled (without a blow dryer) with precision of waves that made us feel like actresses. This was all topped with a quarter of a can of hair spray. The adult “beauticians” fussed over us

and sent us off with a hair net to wear overnight to keep the new “hair do” in place. We felt like little starlets. Then we went home and got into full costume for our photo shoot. There were prob-ably a dozen photo studios in all of old Red Hook, but for us, there were two that were local on Columbia St., Na-toli’s and Palmisano’s. (I got it on good sources that they were competitors who had their own followings of the neigh-borhood families.) Which is, no doubt, true, though I wouldn’t have remem-bered that since I thought only one ex-isted - Palmisano’s, and which is why I was shocked to hear when I posted the question on the neighborhood group page, that Natoli’s was right across the street. I just always remembered that Palmisano’s was located on Columbia Street next to the old Packer’s Super-market near Carroll or Summit Street and was where all of our family portraits were taken. Natoli’s was by Sokol’s Fur-niture Store. In any event, our red-carpet line up started here as many young girls were primped up, donning their beautiful new

dresses for on lookers to see as we formed a line waiting outside of the studio for

our por-traits. We sized up each other’s dresses, and blushed as n e i g h b o r s and strang-ers alike commented on our beau-ty. Inside the studio, we were set up on leath-er benches or kneeled before the statue of Jesus who was posed o f f e r i n g us our first host, a cha-pel scene of sorts in the back-

ground. The photographers combed, re-combed and made sure not a hair was out of place for our photos. And for my sister and me, it was the first time that our mother allowed us to wear a little “rouge” (blush) and lipstick for our photographs. The boys all wore their little blue suits and shiny black shoes, but part of the required attire were these huge white bows that served as, or may-be were, neckties. For some, those bows looked bigger than the boys wearing

them. Their hair was also cut short, parted on the side, and impec-cably groomed.

The next day, the day of the Sacrament of First Holy Commu-nion, continued our red-carpet-like affair. We showed up early at church and formed lines outside as we waited for our proces-sion to begin, looking and feeling like little brides.

One could just imagine how many little boys and girls were there when considering that one class alone had anywhere between 50 and 70 students in it! After we received our sacrament, we lingered outside to socialize and take pictures with the priests or nuns, and our fami-lies.

The Polaroid camera was recent at that time and so we were able to get instant pictures, as well. Afterward, we went back home to have our usual Sun-day lunch, removing all of our com-munion garb, only to dress up again later when our parents proudly strolled the neighborhood with us, bouquet in hand, as they stopped to visit friends and neighbors. We were on display, sort of like our very own debutante pa-rade. But it was also as if, instead of everyone coming to a party for us, we went to them. Some neighbors stood

Growing up poor but rich - remembering our Red Hook communions

by Mary Ann Pietanza

“We were set up on leather benches or kneeled before the

statue of Jesus who was posed offering us our first host, a

chapel scene of sorts in the background.”

outside with us and talked and compli-mented our loveliness, offering gifts of money, while others invited us inside where we were served espresso or brown coffee with Italian cookies or candy, also offering gifts of money. I oftentimes as-sumed since our apartments weren’t big enough for parties, that our ceremonial walks took its place. Yet, some have said that this was a common occurrence in Italy and that the immigrants were just following their usual custom.

When I think of the difference between my children’s Communion ceremonies and mine, I often wish the passage of time didn’t take away the sanctity of those old fashioned values that we hold

My sister, Catherine Pietanza, circa 1960

Andrew Pietanza, my brother, circa 1958


CB6 Board Meeting long and sometimes tedious, by Keith J. Klein

At the start of the Community Board 6 (CB6) General Board meeting on May 14, Youth Recognition Awards were presented. Chairman Daniel Kummer then called the meeting to order.

The minutes from the previous month’s meeting were approved, and it was not-ed that Elizabeth Shipley resigned as Secretary.

District Manager, Craig Hammerman discussed various items including the potential industrial business improve-ment district in Gowanus, DOT issues regarding the resurfacing of Bond Street and the near completion of the recon-struction on Columbia Street below Degraw.

Also brought up were the recent de-velopments of Diverter Park, the sec-tion of open space on the west side of Columbia St. between Kane and De-graw. Plans include new vegetation and plantings, park benches, bike racks and other amenities found in green spaces.

Hammerman neglected to mention the efforts of the Brookyn Greenway Ini-tiative (BGI) to ensure the land would divert to a park area once the Degraw Street construction was completed and the land no longer needed as a construc-tion staging area. This particular strip of land is owned by the city, as opposed to the rest of the area west of Columbia and Van Brunt which is Port Authority property.

Previously, DOT acquired this parcel to divert trucks traveling between the piers west of the site, hence the new parks name. The future park will be one of a series of parks along BGI’s pathway, an off-street bicycle route connecting neighborhoods to four major parks, in-cluding Brooklyn Bridge Park and over a dozen local open spaces along Brook-lyn’s waterfront.

Political reportsReports from politicians came next. Jim Brennan from Park Slope spoke about some of his local initiatives. Kai Feder from the Borough President’s office spoke of renewable energy and men-tioned Red Hook’s IBZ zone.

Lee Wellington, speaking for council-man Carlos Menchaca plugged their municipal ID program as well as prog-ress from the Red Hook Coalition.

Brad Lander himself gave an update on the the Prospect Park Residence situa-tion. Over 100 seniors are facing evic-tion as the intends to close. The seniors were given only 90 days notice. A suit has been filed to prevent the pending eviction.

A LICH update mentioned the prob-lems of Brooklyn Health Partners, the failed winner of the recent court man-

dated RFP process.

Dan Wiley, from Nydia Velazquez’s office, spoke of Congresswoman’s ef-forts in seeing that funds from Housing and Urban Development came to Red Hook.

The Environmental Protection/Permits & Licenses Committee reviewed side-walk café permits renewals for Zaytoon’s of Smith Street, El Pollito of 5th Ave., Abilene and Marco Polo of Court St. Permits were approved for the establish-ments.

The Landmarks and Land Use Com-mittee brought up cases including 321 Clinton Street where front windows are proposed to be changed and solar panels added to the roof. It was also pro-posed that 132 Kane St., at the corner of Cheever St, a site of a former antique store be converted from one to two tax lots. The property owner also wants to add a bulkhead for an additional room or roof deck. Approvals were condition-al and it was stated that the new build was “too large” and “not like neighbor-ing structures.”

Building encroachmentAt 158 Dikeman St. between Ferris and Conover in Red Hook, a mixed use property was reviewed. Specifically

- the fact that the owner is trying to ac-quire 17 feet from the city as the current structure encroaches a tiny bit of city property. The current owner has spent over $100,000 in legal fees to facili-tate their proposal, thus far, as demap-ping and other legal machinations are involved. The previous tenants hadn’t bothered to legitimatize the mistakes of their architect, who had renovated the structure in the early 1990’s. CB ap-proval, which was granted, is just one of many steps before the matter can be considered closed.

When the floor was opened up for gen-eral comments, a young couple living near the highway brought up noise and vibration issues emanating from the BQE. They claimed the rough winter caused potholes to become large ditches making life nearby miserable as peace and quiet have become lost commodi-ties. They are anxious for a repaving of the BQE, and wanted local leaders to be aware of the issue.

This young couple is having trouble sleep-ing due to the unending noise and vibra-tions from the BQE, adjacent to their Co-lumbia Waterfront District apartment.

Craig Hammerman, Daniel Kummert and Lou Sones preside over the Borough Hall meeting of Community Board 6. (photo by George Fiala)

Curtain closes on Long Island College Hospital

by Kimberly Gail Price

On February 8, 2013, SUNY Downstate Medical Center voted unanimously to shut down Long Island College

Hospital, triggering a nearly fifteen month battle for a land grab.

On Thursday, May 22, 2014 at 7:30 pm, the majority of staff was being cleared out of the once vibrant hospital.

After many months in the court of Su-preme Court Justice Johnny Lee Baynes, the deal all came to a climax earlier that day when Peebles successfully ne-gotiated the deal with Downstate that would allow a “full-service” emergency department and an urgent care center that will include primary, specialty and diagnostic services.

A true full-service emergency room (ER) relies on other specialties to pro-vide follow up care. Free standing ERs do not offer other critical care services necessary to save lives. For example, a patient suffering a heart attack would only have access to stabilization, possi-bly a minor operation if absolutely nec-essary, before being transported to an-other hospital miles and minutes away.

Nurses, doctors and EMTs have said on numerous occasions that any time a critically impaired patient is transferred, the risk of death is greatly increased dur-ing the trip to the next facility. Now, for LICH, all patients in need of additional services must be sent elsewhere.

Being transferred to another hospital is not simply a matter of the nearest hos-pital. The chosen facility must have an available bed and adequate staffing levels. If the nearest hospital is over-whelmed with patients - as Brooklyn Hospital, New York Methodist, and Lu-theran were last summer when ambu-lances were diverted - the patient would have to be transported to the nearest available hospital.

Last year, ICU patients at LICH were being transferred and far away as Staten Island and Queens because there were no available hospital beds throughout the entire borough of Brooklyn. As the population of Brooklyn continues to rise, the problem will become even more exacerbated.

LICH previously had 16 operating rooms. After a deal with Peebles is reached, there will be none. ICU will be discontinued. Obstetrics and pediat-rics will no longer exist at the facility.

Numerous other services will be discon-tinued as well.

If Peebles cannot reach a deal with SUNY Downstate by June 6, they will be disqualified. Fortis would then be eli-gible to negotiate an agreement. Fortis also would only be offering a standalone emergency room.

Under the newest settlement, an in-dependent Community Health Assess-ment must be completed. If the assess-ment finds needs of the community not being met, Peebles has agreed to pro-vide those services if they can afford to do so. With the real estate deal raking in millions for the real estate corpora-tion, logically Peebles should be able to afford to do so.

If the assessment finds that a full service hospital is needed in the area, the pos-sibility that LICH will be revived still exists. But many believe now that the hospital is shut down, reopening will not be a feasible option.

The health assessment should begin in the near future and will take at least 2-3 months. However a tentative date for the process to begin has not yet been determined.

At the present time, ambulatory ser-vices are scheduled to resume July 15. Peebles has suggested that this date may be changed at some point.

All non-ER hospital staffers were told they would be escorted out of the LICH buildings at 11:59 pm Thursday night. Fearing a large media presence, SUNY Downstate told employees arriving for their 7:30 pm shift that they could leave any time before midnight because all patients had been transferred out of the hospital earlier in the afternoon.

Jim Walden, lead attorney for LICH called the settlement “a bitter, sweet day.”

After the final decision had been hand-ed down, the atmosphere in the hospi-tal was somber. Colleagues embraced, exchanged phone numbers, and took pictures of their final moments at the institution they had worked so hard to preserve.

While the outcome of whose iron fist the keys to LICH will end up in is still undecided, the overall fate of the 155 year old hospital is bleak. Without one more last minute miracle, the fight for LICH is finally over.

It was a bittersweet last day for LICH’s ICU nursing staff. (Photo by Price)


HEALTHY BY TRACEY

101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 718 624-5568 [email protected] www.RedHookStar.com

Memorial Day is a special occasion for every American. It is a day to honor those who have paid the ultimate price to ensure our

freedom. It’s an opportunity for us to stop and give thanks to the men and women who have died protect-ing that freedom.

For me, it’s very humbling to live in America because both my parents are immigrants.

Here’s my short story: My grandmother came here solo on a boat and stayed with her sister in America. Mean-while, my dad, two uncles and my grandfather stayed in Italy. My Grandma looked for work and a place to raise her family. Two years later my Dad and the rest of the family came over by boat. I remember my Dad telling me the story. “Grandma had booked us on the Andrea Doria, but at the last minute Grandpa changed his mind and we sailed on the Christopher Columbus instead.” The Andrea Doria sank.

Today, I’m so thankful that my Grandma decided (against my Grandfather’s wishes) to come to Amer-ica and start a beautiful life for her family. I’m forev-er grateful. I’m also grateful and proud of my Uuncle for his service in the US military for many years.

On my maternal side, my mom came to America in the mid 60s from Glasgow, Scotland. Her sister, Margaret was already here. I remember mom telling me the story about visiting America. “ was on the phone with your aunt and she told me to come and see America…try it out for 6 months.” That was almost 50 years ago! I feel so honored and privileged to be in America and to have my parents’ rich history.

Memorial Day also reminds me of the unofficial start of summer. It means barbecues, mingling with friends, picnics and outdoor activities.

It also means having a lot of opportunities to indulge in not-so-healthy-but-just-one-more-bite barbe-cue treats. If you’re looking to enjoy your weekend fes-tivities and keep them guilt free, this article is for you.

Healthy Tip #1: EAT A HEALTHY SNACK BEFORE YOU GO

I used to be guilty of not eating before a party; by the time I arrived, I was starving. I would eat the first thing I saw, and it was usually unhealthy. Now, I snack on a piece of fruit and some almonds before I go. This way, I am not devouring the whole table of summer treats.

Healthy Tip #2 BRING SOMETHING YOU LOVE TO EAT

AND WANT TO SHAREI like to share my favorite, healthy, yummy recipe for Guacamole: • 2 ripe avocados,

• a jar of organic salsa, • half a lime/lemon• a handful of fresh cilantro. Mash the avocado into a bowl with a fork, add the salsa and mix. Squeeze the lime/lemon over the mixture and sprinkle with fresh ci-lantro. Forget the chips and bring fresh cut veggies for dipping instead.

Healthy Tip #3 DON’T HAVE AN ALL OR NOTHING MENTALITY:

Don’t go completely overboard during the weekend and say you’ll start over come Tues-day but don’t completely deprive yourself of something you want. Everything in moderation.

Healthy Tip #4 MAKE SMART CHOICES

If you are a meat eater, stick to leaner pieces of protein like grilled chicken breast. Limit the amount of alcohol you consume to 1-2 max, and drink lots of water. Stay away from the mayo laden foods like potato and maca-roni salad. Load up on fresh veggies and fruit for continuous energy. Don’t graze by the table. Take a plate, load it

up, eat it and go mingle. Healthy Tip #5

GET ACTIVE: The weather is usually beautiful for the long weekend. If there’s frisbee or other activity go-ing on at the BBQ, take advantage and have some fun.

Healthy Tip #6 DETOX AFTER THE LONG WEEKEND.

Most of us probably indulge during the Memo-rial Day weekend. The best way to get back on track is to detox with my 10 day Veggie Pledge. It will fill you up so there’s no deprivation at all. Plus you will feel refreshed and back on track after 10 days. It’s free, super easy and you can sign up for it at healthybytracey.com. Also, I will be taking part in the Carroll Street Fair on May 31st from 10 till 5, stop by and pick up a free positive affirmation card!

Have a great long weekend everyone!

Tracey is a Red Hook resident and graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She works with her clients to build and maintain healthy lifestyles. If you have comments or suggestions on a topic you would like addressed, email [email protected].

It’s Healthy Barbecue Season!


MONDAYS ARE NOW

MEATBALL MONDAYS!

Irish Traditional MusicSundays at 4, Tuesdays at 9

Tuesday Night is Irish Language NightBeginning Irish at 7Advanced at 8Taught by Brian Mallon

There’s always something good going on at Rocky’s of Red Hook!!

Rangers, Devils, Islanders

Best Place to watch the games!

Available for Private Parties

Shepherds Pie, Bangers and Mash and yummy Pizza

made in our kitchen

Along with IKEA, the Red Hook skyline is notable for the Grain Terminal Building. It was built by NY State in 1922 with the hope of maintaining the Erie Basin as an important

cog in the shipment of American wheat, but things didn’t quite work out. As written on the website Abandoned NYC:

Red Hook’s grain elevator is one of many similar structures built across the country in the 1920s, most notably in Buffalo, NY. Guided by practical concerns and the laws of na-ture, American engineers had arrived at a new style of architecture, making a lasting impression on European architects. In Toward an Architecture (1928), Le Corbusier called the American elevators “the first fruits of a new age.” Their influence can be traced through the Brutalist movement of the 50s and 60s, through which inexpensive, unadorned cement structures dominated post-war reconstruction in Europe.

The Grain Elevator was an engineering marvel, but never became a commercial success. The structure quickly became obsolete in the mid-20th century as grain trade in the Port of New York steadily declined from 90 million bushels a year in the 1930s to less than 2 million in the 1960s. Contractors grew to avoid the New York Harbor, where the cost of unloading grain came to three to four times the rate of competing ports in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, largely due to local union restrictions.

So with that in mind, we offer our Top Ten list for new uses of the Grain Terminal Building...

1. Luxury boxes for Red Hook Ballfield baseball games.

2. Secret signalling to UFO’s and other space vehicles.

3. Huge Screen for Red Hook Flix

4. Mold remediation instruction

5. Tourist attraction for listing on the Red Hook map

6. Site for MLB Home Run hitting contest - first ball over the building wins an orange and yellow cement truck.

7. Red Hook’s first line of defense against lightning bolts thrown by Zeus

8. Bald eagle nesting area

9. Giant roof farm, and... drum roll please...

10. Putting it on wheels for conversion to a swinging Red Hook flood gate.

A Star-Revue Top Ten ListLICH FACTOIDS BY PRICE

• SUNY Downstate Medical Center originated as a residency at LICH in 1969. Downstate has essentially murdered their parent by boarding up LICH.

• Governor Andrew Cuomo’s sister was dismissed as an intern in the radiology department of LICH many years ago.

• Brooklyn Hospital is a client of Sachs Consulting. Jeffery Sachs is Governor Cuomo’s closest friend; Brooklyn Hospital is the closest hospital to LICH.

• Peebles was ranked as the second bidder behind Brooklyn Health Partners (BHP) in the scoring process for bidders. After BHP was eliminated, Peebles was the next choice. Although Peebles was rated sixth under the technical criteria, they were ranked first under finan-cial criteria. Only Downstate scorers were allowed to vote on the fi-nancial criteria.

• If Peebles had not been ranked highest financially, they would not have been ranked second overall.

• Peebles also was the highest bidder for LICH. They refused to reveal their financial bid until all other bids were finalized to avoid being outbid. After all bids had been revealed, Peebles drove their bid up just beyond the second highest bidder.

• Despite the technical criteria of the settlement being written to en-courage a full-service hospital, one SUNY scorer graded all four full service hospital bids zero.

• For many years, Red Hook was designated as a federal health profes-sional shortage area. There are not enough health services or profes-sionals in the area to provide comprehensive care to the population.

• Although the designation is federal, New York State actually makes the decision based on the ration of medical professionals and popula-tion.

• Last year, just as the LICH battle was heating up, the designation for Red Hook was withdrawn.

• A Department of Health employee explained that the withdrawal was due to either more health professionals in the area or “the popu-lation has decreased - which I seriously doubt.”

• DOH was unable to provide any statistical evidence for the with-drawal; to the best of our knowledge, no new significant health care or professionals have become available within the immediate area.


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cess with the youth of the community. Every Friday night at the Miccio Center, young people ages 11-18 enjoy healthy competition by playing basketball with their peers. The program was designed by the DA’s office and is run by the Red Hook Community Justice Center and Good Shepherd Services as a safe alter-native to keep kids out of trouble.

Latoya Benjamin from the DA’s office reminded people that they can also report criminal activity directly to the District attorney’s office in addition to the local police precinct. She men-tioned that cyber-bullying remains an issue and should be reported to the DA.

A resident asked for Phil’s Crummy Bar on Columbia Street to be monitored on Friday and Saturday nights. The neigh-borhood bar, whose liquor license is up for renewal, has been causing a disrup-tion to neighbors, who say patrons are exiting the bar around 4 am, remaining in the street and allegedly engaging in drug usage. Video footage showing the disturbance has been passed along to the 76th Precinct.

The monthly precinct meetings are op-portunities for the community to learn about local updates directly from the precinct. They are also important ex-changes between the public and the police. The meetings are always open to the public and are generally held the first Tuesday of the month. The next meeting will be on June 3, at 7:30 pm at 191 Union Street.

For more information, members of the public can reach out to Community Af-fairs at (718) 834-3207.

Happy Anniversary Crocheters and Knittersby Harriet Libstag

On May 24 at the Carroll Gardens Li-brary, the first session of the Crocheters and Knitters group gathered in the li-brary auditorium. The group instructors were Roalie Wysokowski and myself. Rai Aziz was one of the participants who was a non crocheter, but an ardent student.

With Rosalie’s instruction, Rai learned very quickly and began producing many beautiful items. As her skills increased, and with her superb sense of color, she began crafting clothing for her daugh-ter Viva. The shrug Viva is wearing in the picture was made by Rai as was the afghan square vest. What a proud mo-ment for mother and daughter when her child donned the items.

Rai still attends the group on Tuesdays, from 3 pm to 5 pm. Participants arrive and leave according to their personal schedules. Ages range from ten years on up. All are invited to join this so-ciable group and learn to crochet and knit. Advanced instruction is also of-fered. For additional information please call the library at (718) 596-6972. The group will be celebrating its third anni-versary on May 27.

Goldman Sachs employees spent a day giving back to the community by plant-ing the newly completed Van Brunt Street segment of the Greenway with several thousand native shrubs, wild-flowers and grasses, all on company-paid time. This new landscape was designed by Nancy Seaton and Bryan Quinn of One Nature.

As part of Goldman Sachs’s Communi-ty TeamWorks program, the firm made a $2,000 contribution for supplies, ma-terials and tools for the planting day and insures that the work BGI does can con-tinue beyond this volunteer day. Com-munity TeamWorks is the firm’s volun-teer initiative that allows their people

Police meeting (continued from page 3)

Red Hook Volunteers seeks volunteersThey are in need of skilled volunteers, people skilled at construction type tasks including painting, drywall, mold re-moval etc.

Homeowners/tenants/businesses,are all eligible to apply, the sooner residents apply the better, the priority review deadline is 5pm Friday, May 30, 2014, those who apply by this date will be notified of their award status by Friday, June 6, 2014. Applications are available at the Red Hook Library and at the Vol-untters office at 360 Van Brunt Street.

Marvy out at Added ValueIan Marvy, founder of the world famous Added Value farm, has been terminated is Executive Director of Added Value, in a decision of the Board of Directors. An interim team is in place during this

period of transition. The Star-Revue was told that Marvy will remain part of the Added Value staff.

Red Hook Coalition meetingThe next public meeting of the EMMT’s Red Hook Recovery Plan, presented by the Red Hook Coalition, takes place on Thursday, May 29th at the Miccio Cen-ter, from 6 pm - 7:30 pm. No agenda had been presented to the Star-Revue by presstime.

There have been three public input meetings which have followed three committee meetings. At the last meet-ing it was announced that two addi-tional meetings would be scheduled of which this is the first.

The Red Hook Coalition is funding this program with a grant from American Red Cross and the Brooklyn Recovery Fund.

The Goldman Sachs volunteers enjoyed a tasty meal donated by Paul D’Agostino of the House of Pizza and Calzone.

Van Brunt Street greened by volunteers from Goldman Sachs

to take a day out of the office and spend it volunteering with local nonprofit or-ganizations.

red hook star revue, june 2014

Documents

heart of red hook

red hook history

red hook residents

red hook container port

red hookby micah

annual hack red hook

red hooks past

bright red sign