The
Red Hook StarªRevue
APRIL 2015
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
Star-Revue wins two awards in state-wide newspaper competition
F
or one weekend a year the 177 members of the New York State Press Association (NYPA) get together in Saratoga Springs to hone their craft and compete in its Better Newspaper Contest. NYPA is like a chamber of commerce for the newspaper industry. They provide editorial and sales services, Publisher Kimberly G. Price as well as lobbying and continuing education. holding the first place award given to us by the They provide scholarPress Association.
ships for journalism students, as well as a fund to pay summer interns in newspaper positions throughout the state.
ner, which take place in the huge dining hall at the Gideon Putnam Hotel, where many of the attendees stayed.
The convention features two full days of seminars covering all aspects of the community newspaper. These include editorial, advertising, design, the internet and social media, and special event planning.
The featured speaker at the Saturday luncheon was Ted Jackson, staff photographer of the New Orleans Times Picayune, who held the audience of newsroom professionals spellbound with his gripping stories about their Katrina coverage.
The awards, covering all these areas, are given during lunch and din-
The three local women who perished in the Triangle Fire by Mary Ann Pietanza
O
n March 25, 1911, perched between the scholarly and tony worlds of New York University and the “Ladies Mile,” along Broadway’s impressive mansions, the most chilling and gruesome fire of its kind broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. It was a fire with such sickening proportion, not even the skilled firefighters of the New York City Fire Dept. had been trained for or prepared to witness. A fire whose victims were so torched and mutilatyear old Laura ed, that the emotionally overwhelmed crews 17 Brunnetio lived at needed to switch shifts every hour. 160 Columbia Street Confronted with the reality of a locked stairway door and a nonoperating elevator, young female sewing operators desperately clawed their way into only two possible means of escape, an elevator that was designed to hold ten people at a time, and an outdoor fire escape that was narrowly passable from a door that opened in instead of out, which in their panic, the women, clamoring to flee the blaze behind them, were inadvertently pushing against. Both proved futile. Both were fatal.
MESSAGE FROM MENCHACA
FIRST PLACE The Red Hook Star-Revue, Brooklyn Micah B. Rubin “The photos here told great stories. Wonderful closeups of both machines and people doing the very kind of work that is the fabric of America. A great piece and set of pictures for Labor Day. Capturing the grit of these workers combined with the crisp, close-up photos made this the clear-cut choice.”
Best Column HONORABLE MENTION The Red Hook StarRevue, Brooklyn Mark Shames “I was impressed to learn that this columnist does not have a journalism background. His writing style and ability to discuss politics at a lay level without dummying down the subject matter is impressive.”
Working Red Hook was the title of the award winning Labor Day photo feature by Micah B.
Rubin. The stunning photos can be seen online at http://www.star-revue.com/red-hookwork-micah-b-rubin/
- Turn to Page 14 -
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
The Star-Revue, founded in 2010, joined NYPA in 2012. We have won awards in each of the prior two years - this is the first time that our photographs have been recognized. We honor the hard work of our contributers Micah B. Rubin and Mark Shames.
Best Picture Story
Plus our annual April Fools Spoof Section - pages 9-12 The
Blue Pencil Lunar Revue
PAGE 13 Red Hook Star-Revue
www.star-revue.com
April 2015, Page 1
The
Red Hook StarªRevue proudly introduces our new website
www.Star-Revue.com For Editorial, Advertising and Help Wanted Inquiries, email info@redhookstar.com, or call 718 624-5568
Happenings, etc. THURSDAY, APRIL 2
Film screening of Sample: Not for Sale presented by Names You Can Trust and Wax Poetics at Pioneer Works. DJ set at 8 pm; screening at 9:30 pm. 159 Pioneer Street
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
Brooklyn Museum’s Target First Saturday from 5-11 pm featuring handson art, music, films and free admission. 200 Eastern Parkway
The Star-Revue is published by Kimberly G. Price & George Fiala 481 Van Brunt Street, 8A
THURSDAY, APRIL 9
The Kentler Flatfiles travel to Peninsula Art Space from 7-10 pm. The 21 artists included lived and worked in Red Hook in the 90’s, paving the way for the now flourishing art community. 352 Van Brunt Street
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
PS 15 PTA IS CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOL! PS 15 PATRICK F. DALY MAGNET SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
**VENDORS WANTED**
**FOOD VENDORS WANTED**
Please come out join the
ON SATURDAY MAY 2ND, 2015 10 AM TO 5 PM (RAIN DATE MAY 9TH)
at the large playground.
Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy 17th Eileen C. Dugan Memorial 5K at 9 am. Scenic 3.1 mile race starts and begins at Pier 6 at Atlantic Avenue. Info and registration at BrooklynBridgePark.org $40 Annual Woody Guthrie Brooklyn Hoot at Jalopy 7-9:30 pm at Jalopy. A round-robin style songfest will feature six New York area performers honoring the legendary performer. $10. 315 Columbia Street
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
Application’s can be requested at: EMAIL: ps15pta2015@gmail.com Or 718-330-9280 ext #1251
Carroll Gardens Association Free Legal Clinic for small businesses and non-profits. Pro-bono attorneys and Brooklyn Law School students will provide consultations on entity formation, licenses and permits, contracts and leases, and intellectual property. 201 Columbia St. 6-8 pm
SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH
All monies will go directly to support PTA sponsored school programs at PS 15.
Celebrate Earth Day with RHI & partners. Help clean up Red Hook or simply enjoy free food, performances & fun activities! Neighborhood Cleanup 12-2 pm, Afterparty 2-5 pm Red Hook Public Library 7 Wolcott St.
PLEASE SUBMIT ALL APPLICATIONS BY MARCH 31
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
ONGOING
CATHOLIC Visitation Church 98 Richards St, (718) 624-1572. Office open Mon-Thursday 9 am - 3 pm. Saturday mass 5 pm; Spanish mass at 7 pm. Sunday 10 am English, 12:30 pm Spanish. Community Prayer Tuesday and Thursday, 8 pm. Youth Group Meetings on Friday, 4:30 - 6 pm. Baptisms are held every other month. Please call to arranged for baptisms, communions and weddings. We will visit the sick upon notification. Saint Paul and Saint Agnes Parish St. Paul’s Church - Rectory & Church Office 234 Congress Street (718) 624-3425 Hours: M - F 830am-12 St. Agnes Church Office 433 Sackett Street, 718-625-1717 Hours: M-F 1pm-430pm Email:stpaulstagnes@gmail.com St. Agnes: Saturday 5pm Vigil Mass Sunday 9 am (English), 11:30am (Spanish) St. Paul’s: Saturday 5pm Vigil Mass Sunday 8 am & 9:30am (English); 11am (Spanish) Monday & Tuesday 8:30am (St. Paul’s) Wednesday & Thursday 8:30am (St. Agnes) Saturday 8am (St. Paul’s) http://stpaulstagnes.org/ Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Saint Stephen Roman Catholic Church 125 Summit Street at Hicks Street info@sacredhearts-ststephen.com Saturday Vigil Mass 5:30pm Sunday Masses: 10am & 11:45am (Italian/English) Weekdays Masses: Tuesday Through Saturday 8:30am Confessions: Saturdays 4:45pm and by appointment. Baptisms: Every Third Sunday At 1pm. Please call the rectory one month before to make arrangements. Sick Calls: Please call the rectory to arrange for the sacrament of anointing whenever anyone is seriously ill. Marriages: Please call the rectory at least 6 months ahead for an appointment with a priest http://www.sacredhearts-ststephen.com St. Paul’s Carroll Street 199 Carroll Street Parish Office: 718-625-4126 Sunday Mass at 10 am Weekday Morning Prayer - Mon.-Thurs. at 7:30 am Weekday masses as announced Holy Days as announced (please see the Calendar) Church open for prayer Tues. 6-8pm & Sat. 2-4pm http://stpaulscarrollst.weebly.com/
Jewish
Kane Street Synagogue 236 Kane Street, (near Tompkins Place) 718 875-1550 http://kanestreet.org/ August 29 30, Shabbat Shoftim Candle Lighting 7:14 PM Shabbat ends 8:17 PM Friday night services, 6:00 PM Shabbat morning services, 9:15 AM Sunday Morning Services 9:00 AM Congregation B’nai Avraham/Chabad of Brooklyn Heights 117 Remsen St., 718 596 4840 x18 www.bnaiavraham.com, www.heightschabad.com Morning Services: Sunday: 8:45am Monday - Friday: 7:45am Holidays (during the week): 8:45am Saturday: 9:45am Evening Services: Sunday: Shabbat candle lighting time Monday - Thursday: 9:00pm Friday: Winter: 5 minutes before Shabbat candle lighting time Summer: 7:30pm Saturday: Shabbat candle lighting time
Page 2 Red Hook Star-Revue
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
PS 15 PTA SPRING FLEA
If your religious institution isn’t listed here, let us know by emailing info@redhookstar.com Thanks!
Kentler International Drawing Space Meet the Artists reception for 100 Works on Paper from 6-8 pm. 353 Van Brunt Street Local favorites UNION return to the Rocky Sullivan’s bandstage. 9 pm, 34 Van Dyke Street, FREE
Brooklyn Museum presents Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks from April 3-August 23. Suggested donation $16 for adults; $10 seniors and students. 200 Eastern Parkway Spring Break Open Play at Extreme Kids & Crew from 10 am-2 pm April 7-9. RSVP to rsvp@ExtremeKidsandCrew.com PS 15 77 Sullivan St. Artwork Inspired by Working with the Homeless by Engaging Artists at Hot Wood Gallery Arts through April 19, weekends 1-6 pm. 481 Van Brunt #9B (2nd Floor) Some content provided by The Red Hook HUB - a public communications system which, provides a platform for residents and stakeholders to share and gather community information. Visit redhookhub.org and the Red Hook Public Library Board to submit information or check for upcoming events.
Community Telephone Numbers: Red Hook Councilman Carlos Menchaca.................. 718 439-9012 Red Hook Assemblyman Felix Ortiz...........................718-492-6334 Red Hook State Senator Velmanette Montgomery.718-643-6140 Gowanus Councilman Brad Lander............................ 718 499-1090 Park Slope Councilman Steve Levin........................... 718 875-5200 CB6 District Manager Craig Hammerman ............... 718 643-3027 76th Police Precinct, 191 Union Street Main phone ..................................................................718-834-3211 Community Affairs...................................................... 718 834-3207 Traffic Safety................................................................ 718 834-3226 Eileen Dugan Senior Center, 380 Court Street........ 718 596-1956 Miccio Community Center, 110 East 9th Street...... 718 243-1528 Red Hook East Dev. Office, 62 Mill St......................... 718 852-6771 Red Hook West Dev. Office, 55 Dwight St................. 718 522-3880 Brownstone Republicans...info@brownstonerepublicanclub.com NYCHA Satellite Police Precinct, 80 Dwight Street Main Phone................................................................ (718) 265-7300 Community Affairs.................................................... (718) 265-7313 Domestic Violence.................................................... (718) 265-7310
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April 2015
It’s PB voting time again! by George Fiala
PB Voting Schedule - open to all residents 14 and older
City Councilman Carlos Menchaca announcing last year’s Participatory Budgeting winners at the Red Hook library on Wolcott Street. (photo by Price)
R
ed Hook’s Participatory Budgeting (PB) program enters its second year, the first full one under Councilman Carlos Menchaca. As was done last year, $2 million from the Councilman’s discretionary budget is side aside for community projects, to be voted on by residents aged 14 and up. The council district includes Sunset Park and parts of other Brooklyn communities, but Red Hook is guaranteed a certain number of projects. Among the winners last year was a community garden behind the Red Hook Library, which is supposed to
Red Hook Star-Revue
be ready by next year. Following is a list of this year’s Red Hook projects: 1 - $500,000 for Grounds and Play Area Upgrade, between 466 and 450 Columbia Street. 2 - $50,000 for Red Hook Library Multimedia Room - installation of a smart board and projector, computers, surround sound speakers and audio equipment 3 - $200,000 for Red Hook Wi-Fi - installation of 50 WIFI devices on the rooftops of the Red Hook Houses in order to increase the coverage of free internet service
Miccio Center
Apr. 13 - 17
3 pm - 8 pm
Red Hook Initiative
Apr. 13 - 17
3 pm - 8 pm
Red Hook Library
April 14 - 15
3 pm - 6 pm
Red Hook Library
April 18
3 pm - 6 pm
Red Hook Rec Center - to be announced. 4 - $1,165,000 for School Technology - Improving access to technology for nine schools throughout the council district. These schools are PS 1, MS. 88, PS 676, PS 94, PS 105, PS 310, PS 169, PS 69 and the New Voices Middle School. 5 - $200,000 for PS 15 Bathroom renovations. The full renovation of the bathrooms at PS 15 to maintain hygiene at the school. Red Hook is only a small part of Council District 38, and there are additional projects for Sunset Park and Windsor
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Terrace. A good turnout in Red Hook will ensure that we will receive our fair share of the PB budget. Last year the district had a heavy turnout, especially in the Chinatown section of Sunset Park. This year’s voting will be staggered from April 11 - April 18. In order to have a say in having any or all of these projects be considered, you must vote. There is no requirement for voting except for living in the district and being 14 or over. There are multiple polling sites in the neighborhood - as the idea is to get as many people as possible to get in on this democratic process.
April 2015, Page 3
Ridgewood Saving Bank presents business workshop
PHARMACY NOW OPEN!
by George Fiala
O
n Wednesday, March 11, Ridgewood Savings Bank held a free Small Business financial workshop at their branch at 244 Court Street. A small, but engaged crowd listened to their small business specialist, Mark Stazzone, speak about the importance of setting up business plans. He had tips on handling payroll and other things vital to any small business, whether new or long-standing.
GARDEN APOTHECARY
Carroll Gardens’ neighborhood pharmacy. All your family’s needs under one roof n Papyrus Greeting cards n Solgar / Windmill vitamins n Kids toys including Melissa & Doug n Paddywax / Votivo candles n Mustela / Medela products n Professional haircare products n Burt’s Bees / Ahava products n And much much more
525 COURT STREET (between W. 9th & Garnet)
718 858-8299
Email: gardenapothecary11231@gmail.com
FREE DELIVERY Open 7 Days a Week
Often just one idea makes any educational experience well worth the cost of money or time, and there were many to choose from. The bank was kept open for the class, which ended Mark Stazzone offers free business tips at around 7 pm. a class offered at the Ridgewood Savings Among the nuggets that the enter- Bank. (photo by George Fiala) taning Stazzone imparted was a NYS Stazzone stressed the importance of website where you can check to make watching all kinds of costs - the cost sure that your business corporation of accepting credit cards being one of is still listed as active: http://www. them. Different banks and merchant dos.ny.gov/corps/bus_entity_search. processing services offer different html. rates, something well worth checking Stazzone said that the bank had start- once in a while. ed checking their business accounts (NY Savings banks are now allowed to accept commercial accounts), and found that almost 5% had their corporations listed as “inactive.” This can happen if the NYS corporate taxes are not filed every year. One customer was listed as inactive because they had missed one year in 20. The bank notified the customers, who can then take care of the problem. It can be a problem because without the protection of the corporate veil, the officers can be held personally liable for accidents and other mishaps that can happen at work.
Stazzone made a handout available from the US Small Business Administration explaining different business loan programs. He also prepared a flyer of valuable business resources. One was NY State’s Science and Industry Library, located at 188 Madison Avenue, which offers free ongoing classes for business owners. After the presentation, the bank offered a generous buffet of Italian finger foods, including some delicious prosciutto ham and sopressata. Ridgewood Savings Bank is located at 244 Court Street and their phone is (718) 923-0300.
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ADVERTISING SPECIALIST Send a 6 x 9 postcard or 8.5 x 11 flyer to everyone in the neighborhood! The prices below include graphics, printing, and postage - in other words, everything. Cards are printed on both sides in full color. They will be delivered by the Post Office to every address in the area you select. A-Red Hook Van Brunt Corridor - includes the blocks alongside Van Brunt and Richard Streets, plus parts of Red Hook West Houses. Your card is sent to 2,429 households B-Red Hook Full Mailing - includes all of Red Hook from Hamilton to the water, all of the front and all of the back. Your card is sent to 5,235 households. C-Columbia Waterfront District - These are the people living west of the BQE, from Kane to Hamilton. Your card reaches 1,587 households in this growing area. D-Carroll Gardens West - this is Carroll Gardens from Court Street over to Hicks - a total of 5,562 high income households. E-Carroll Gardens Full - All of Carroll Gardens from Hicks over to the Gowanus Canal - includes all of Carroll Gardens West and more for a total of 8,552 households. OUR LOW PRICES: A - Red Hook - Van Brunt Corridor: ............. $ 950 B - Red Hook - complete...............................$1,575 C - Columbia Waterfront ................................ $ 750 D - Carroll Gardens West ..............................$1,975 E - Carroll Gardens Full ................................$2,650 The above prices includes everything - graphics, printing, postage and mailing. You have your choice of size: 6 1/2 by 11 or 8 1/2 by 11. All cards are delivered by the United States Post Office.
Page 4 Red Hook Star-Revue
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We also publish the area’s local newspaper!
Advertisers get a 10% discount on mailing, and mailers qualify for a 10% discount on advertising. We distribute 8,000 copies monthly.
718 624-5568 481 Van Brunt Street, 8A george@selectmail.com
www.selectmail.com www.redhookstar.com
April 2015
Red Hook West hears from politicos, Justice Center and PSA 1
L
by George Fiala
illie Marshall’s monthly Red is a satellite office at 80 Dwight Street, Hook West Tenants Association whose men are responsible for patrols meeting takes place on the sec- in Red Hook and Gowanus. Just like ond Tuesday of each month, at 428 the 76th Precinct, PSA 1 hosts monthly Columbia Street, room 1C. The meet- Community Council meetings. These ings cover a host of events of interest meetings take place at 2860 West 23rd to Red Hook Houses residents, and Ms. Street in Coney Island, and are held the Marshall always presents a number of third Thursday of each month. speakers, who may include represen- Sandy Serrano, representing the tatives from local politicians, NYCHA, Red Hook Initiative, spoke next. She the Justice stressed the availCenter, and “Ms. Marshall began by assuring ability of after-school the police. and employment
March’s meet- everyone that enhanced NYPD programs for miding was no dle school and high patrols, which were successexception. On school students. e v e r y o n e ’s These programs inful last summer in keeping the clude a City Counseat was a flyer advertising neighborhood peaceful, would be cil initiative called Ms. Marshall’s Stronger Together, as Mother’s Day continued this summer, with 18 well as GED and colextravaganza. lege prep programs. For the sec- officers patrolling the grounds.” For more informaond year in a tion simply walk row, the TA over to their office at will host a the corner of Hicks party for mothers. The event will take and West 9th Streets. place Saturday, May 9th, at the Mic- Next up was Julian Morales. He is the cio Center from 7 pm until midnight. community organizer for Councilman Admission is $7, with all proceeds go- Menchaca. He reminded everyone ing to a fund to support Back to School that Participatory Budgeting voting Supplies and Family Day. is scheduled to take place during the Another flyer publicized the Justice Center’s Peacemaking program. Graduates of the program become qualified to mediate cases brought to the Center. Training sessions take place throughout April. For information email Coleta at cwalker1@nycourts. gov or call (718) 923-8293.
week of April 11 - 19. There will be popup locations at the Rec Center, RHI, the library and the Miccio Center. As of press time, announced times are as follows: Miccio Center , Apr. 13 - 17, 3
A third flyer promoted the NYCHA Summer Youth Employment Program for residents between the ages of 14 and 24. The application deadline is April 10th. Applications are accepted online at www.nyc.gov/. dycd or call 1-800-246-4646. Sandy Serrano updates tenants on RHI programs. After approving the February (photo by Fiala) minutes, Ms. Marshall began by aspm - 8 pm; Red Hook Initiative, Apr. 13 suring everyone that enhanced NYPD - 17, 3 pm - 8 pm Red Hook Library; patrols, which were successful last April 14 - 15, 3 pm - 6 pm Red Hook Lisummer in keeping the neighborhood brary; April 18, 3 pm - 6 pm Red Hook peaceful,would be continued this sumRec Center - to be announced. mer, with 18 officers patrolling the grounds. Joseph Scacco, from the PSA 1 Participatory Budgeting devotes a porCommunity Affairs department, spoke tion of the City Council budget to be voted on by the public. Red Hook projnext. ects this year include enhancements A heated discussion ensued about the to local public schools and the library. state of the surveillance camera set up The specific proposals will be on disto deter crime. There were complaints play at the polling sites. Anyone age 14 about non-functioning cameras, there and up is eligible to vote - all you have not being enough cameras, and the fact to show is proof of your address. that often there was nobody assigned to monitor them. Officer Scacco fielded Josh Levin from the City Comptroller’s all the questions, in many cases stating came up to address the audience. He that these were not all police problems mentioned an April 1 date for the re- that NYCHA itself is responsible for opening of Coffee Park, a remark that the maintenance of the cameras, and was met with snickers of disbelief. The that continual money shortages were Comptroller audits city agencies and handles pension fund investments. It in the end responsible. was suggested that the office look into Ms. Marshall informed us that NYCHA the Parks Department. has received money specifically for improving the camera situation. Red The next meeting of the Red Hook West Hook will benefit from the extra funds. Tenants Association will be on Tuesday, April 14th. Yearly dues of $3 allows PSA 1, the division of the police departone to vote in the TA elections, as well ment responsible for housing patrols, is as running for office. headquartered in Coney Island. There
Red Hook Star-Revue
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April 2015, Page 5
Good Friday features day and night processions
Sacred Hearts, St. Stephens processions winds through the streets of Carroll Gardens starting at 7 pm. (photos by Price)
VISITATION CHURCH, 98 RICHARDS ST
Visitation Church’s Stations of the Cross Procession begins at 11:00 am at the church
HOLY WEEK SERVICES:
The Forty Hours of Continuous Prayer March 30th 3 pm Monday through Wednesday April 1st 7 am Holy Thursday April 2nd 7 pm: Washing of the Feet 10 pm-6 am: Awake with Jesus in Gethsemane Good Friday April 3rd 11 am-2 pm: Way of the Cross 2 pm-3 pm : Presentation of the Holy Shroud 3 pm: Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion 7 pm: The Last 7 Words
Holy Saturday April 4th 6 pm: Jesus descends in the netherworld to set the prisoners free. Prayer of liberation 8 pm: Easter Vigil Easter Sunday April 5 10 am: Celebration in Spanish 12:30 pm: English Celebration
7:30 pm Mass with Foot Washing, Procession to the Altar of Repose, Stripping of the Altar, and Vigil Friday April 3 – Good Friday 12:00 noon Good Friday Liturgy 5:30 pm Stations of the Cross for children Saturday April 4 – Holy Saturday (Easter Eve) 7:30 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter with the Liturgies of Light, Lessons, Holy Baptism, and The Holy Eucharist -Easter Communion
ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 199 CARROLL STREET
Sunday April 5 - Easter Day 11:00 a.m. The Solemn Mass of Easter Day
Thursday April 2 – Maundy Thursday 7:30 am Morning Prayer
SACRED HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY - ST. STEPHEN RC CHURCH, 125 SUMMIT ST, Holy Thursday 8:00 pm Mass, 9:45 pm Adoration Good Friday 3 pm Service, 7 pm Procession & 9 pm Service in Italian Holy Saturday 11 am Church Decorating Event 8 pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 10 am and 11:45 am Mass
May 15 Pirate’s Ball to raise funds for Waterfront Museum repairs
T
he Lehigh Valley Barge #79, home to the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn, will be towed upstream near Albany this summer for necessary inspection and repairs. But before the Barge #79 heads upriver for dry dock, the Museum will be throwing the 2nd annual PIRATE BALL to help finance the expedition and repairs. Shortly after Hurricane Sandy, the US Coast Guard came knocking. They are requiring the 101-year-old vessel to be dry docked— floated into a basin where the water is pumped out to enable a check for any deterioration and allow for repairs. The 70 hours round-trip up the Hudson River to Waterford, NY will cost $21,000 for towing. In 2002, the last time the all-wood barge was sent for repairs, she underwent 100 days of repairs. Her hull was replaced and sheathed in a high performance plastic. This plastic was tightly fitted in a bed of tar to prevent shipworms – a voracious wood-eating bivalve – from consuming this historic water-
Page 6 Red Hook Star-Revue
craft. Based on the barge’s dry interior bilge, this sheathing appears to have worked. However, only a full out-of-the-water inspection will tell for sure. BARGE100, the Waterfront Museum’s dynamic support group, is planning the 2nd Annual PIRATE BALL on May 15 to ensure Red Hook’s beloved barge prospers for another 100 years. The BALL will feature live music, dazzling local food, a live auction, and cocktails at sunset before a resplendent Lady Liberty. Many attendees will be decked out in their swashbuckling best costumes. Once the repairs are made and the barge is given the Coast Guard’s “allclear,” Barge #79 will cruise home to continue her mission as a unique floating theater and classroom by presenting a year-round lineup of free and low-cost educational and cultural activities at her homeport in Red Hook, Brooklyn. On her way home, from September 11-13, the Waterfront Museum will participate at the Tugboat Round-
Up, an annual festival of tugs and other boats at the crossroads of the Erie and Champlain Canals. The Museum will then complete her return voyage home, where she will reopen to the public in Red Hook in the fall
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of 2015. PIRATE BALL tickets and more information are available at www. barge100.org or at the Waterfront Museum. Call (718) 624-4719 for more information.
April 2015
Ballfields to be closed again for lead remediation by George FIala
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ed Hook softballers will remember that the 2014 season was delayed because of lead remediation performed on ballfields 1 through 4, alongside Hicks and Bay Streets. There may be a similar disruption this year as the EPA is investigating fields 5 through 8, between Hicks and Henry. This is a result of soil sampling that was performed by the EPA last October around the ball fields and the Red Hook Houses. Analysis of the samples showed elevated levels of lead exist in many locations, and at many different soil depths. The lead levels were highest at the ballfields, as the EPA determined that additional sampling at the Houses was not necessary “at this time.” The lead contamination has been traced to metal companies that operated in the neighborhood before the Red Hook Houses, and the ballfields, were built. Columbia Smelting and Refining Works operated during the 1920’s and 1930’s at the corner of Hicks and Lorraine. Real old timers might remember that they manufactured brass and bronze ingots, solder, die-cast metal and other products. During it’s operation, the surrounding area was mostly undeveloped. However, by 1940 it was surrounded by the new housing, and torn down,
SIDEBAR: RED HOOK BOA
Map showing the location of ballfields 5 -8 as well as the location of Columbia Smelting. (map courtesy EPA)
replaced by the ballfields. The EPA found most of the contamination at levels below one inch, which means that at least for now, the ballgames should go on. However, they are conducting additional testing, and in late spring will decide whether a full scale cleanup will be necessary. They do suggest that after playing ball, shoes should be removed to avoid tracking dirt into the house. They also discourage any digging or disturbing of soil, and to make sure you wash your hands after visiting the fields. For more information, EPA spokesperson Natalie Loney is available at (212) 637-3639 to answer questions.
The Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC) recently issued a request for proposals putting together a Red Hook Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) report. The BOA is a statewide program in which money is granted for the preparation of studies that can be used to future industrial and commercial developers in areas that have historical problems with industrial pollution and contamination. In conjunction with the BOA, the Department of City Planning issued a comprehensive Brownfield Analysis report specifically for Red Hook. The report, issued last September, outlines potential contamination areas, including the companies that operated on those sites. It is complete with history and maps of Red Hook. The report is available online at http://www.nyc.gov/html/oer/ downloads/pdf/Red%20Hook%20-%20Brooklyn.pdf. As with most City Planning reports, it is meant to assist community based groups interested in local planning and economic development. It also explains the BOA process. It’s goals are summarized as follows: ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS Environmental contamination is prevalent in areas with current and historic industrial activity. Further, in waterfront neighborhoods like Red Hook, it is also common that fill materials used to make marsh-land suitable for industry contribute to widespread contamination. Industrial uses related to shipping, processing of petroleum products, chemical compounding, and manufacturing pose a risk of contamination. This contamination may be a deterrent to investment as it can be costly and time consuming to remediate. This study identifies 14 strategic sites located throughout the Study Area that highlight environmental issues and, in turn, provide a basis for the community planning process.
EVERGREEN LIQUOR STORE INC. 718 643-0739 196 Columbia Street, between Sackett & Degraw evergreenliquor@yahoo.com
Mon. - Thurs. 11 am - 10:30 pm; Fri & Sat. 11 am - 11:30 pm; Sun. 1 pm - 9 pm
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April 2015, Page 7
EDITORIAL:
Is Move NY all it is cracked up to be?
Mark’s
Corner I
recently attended a presentation by representatives of Move NY that took place before the Brooklyn Community Board 6 transportation committee on March 19. Move NY is an umbrella organization fronted by transportation expert Sam Schwartz that is promoting a plan to toll the East River Bridges. This iteration of the “congestion pricing” plan first presented in the Bloomberg administration seems to have the cautious consideration of the Mayor and Governor. It is designed to pick up more political support than was the case with the Bloomberg plan. To pick up such support, it has become less a congestion pricing plan, and more of a blatant revenue raising mechanism, albeit with the stated intention of using the proceeds for well-intentioned purposes. I am always put off by a juggernaut, such as Move NY, that uses slick advertising to label itself as “grassroots” and laces its plan name with fell good words like “fair” and “reinvestment”. If I oppose this plan, does that make me an unfair elitist for disinvestment? I also note that there are many who call for increased funding for such things as libraries, parks, affordable housing and schools but insist that such funding come exclusively out of general revenues. They vehemently oppose public private partnerships that provide such public benefits. By and large they tend to be the same folks who support of this regressive taxation plan for the funding of public transit. I could site numerous examples, but don’t look to embarrass any particular group or person. Without the changes that I allude to below, I oppose the implementation of this plan. Unfortunately, I don’t believe such changes will be forthcoming. If such changes were made and in the absence of the plausible prospect of a progressive plan to better fund public transportation, I would then supporting such a revised plan. “User fees” are generally less distasteful then other regressive forms of taxation. Particularly when they are instituted in a measured way, and if they also encourage behavior that has a public benefit. With those caveats user fees are a justifiable way to raise money. In this instance, I accept the premise that the user fee applies to all transportation rather than just to the repair and maintenance of a specific bridge with adjoining roadway that is being tolled. Gas taxes dedicated to road repair and to some degree carbon taxes which account for external costs come to mind as fees that account for costs and provide a societal benefit. User fees also appeal to more conserva-
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BY MARK SHAMES tive elements in society because you can claim that they aren’t a tax at all. However, such regressive tax increases ought to be coupled with tax relief for those with lower incomes. In this plan there is no such relief. I have not seen a breakdown of how much drivers pay toward the use of roads and straphangers pay for the use of mass transit but there is general agreement that mass transit use has additional societal benefits that would suggest that there need not be an equivalency between the distribution of subsidies for mass transit and road repair . Unfortunately, the givebacks in this plan are not targeted to people who need tax relief. They are targeted geographically, perhaps cleverly or perhaps cynically, with a view
“If I oppose this plan, does that make me an unfair elitist for disinvestment?” toward gaining additional political support. One of the pitches for this plan is that the current tolling system is an “unfair regressive tolling system”. If this plan succeeds we will replace the current system with a broader, yet still inherently regressive, tolling system that adds to the pain and then spreads it around some more. If fares are to be decreased on a number of bridges and tunnels that are farther from the Central Business District, then such decreases ought to be accompanied by the return of the income based commuter tax. This is preferable to a toll zone along 60th Street. Since we are seeking “fairness” I asked, at the meeting, if the Staten Island ferry would become part of the metro-card system. It will not. There will still be a free ride for our tourists and those not transferring to trains or buses. Additionally, when you leave the City to go upstate without ever entering the “Central Business District”, you must still pay the additional toll. This is revenue enhancement without a congestion pricing aspect and it would only be exacerbated. If real congestion pricing, in the form of time of day pricing, were to be instituted, this unintended and to my mind negative consequence would only become worse. Perhaps the State could give a tax credit to those who merely pass by the Central Business District. This would have the benefit of making time of day pricing more palatable. There is a mechanism in this plan to insure that mass transit and highway (continued on page 13)
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he Transportation Committee of CB 6 approved a motion to support the Move NY program that “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz, former traffic commissioner who now runs a profitable traffic consulting business, has been touting for the past couple of years. This program is a redo of Mayor Bloomberg’s unsuccessful plan to institute tolls on the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro bridges, and charge congestion pricing fees for driving in Manhattan. Bloomberg’s 2008 plan failed because the NYS Legislature, who has jurisdiction over the MTA, chose not to act on it, in part because of opposition from Sheldon Silver. This new plan reworks Bloomberg’s plan with some sweeteners added. To attract support from legislators from Brooklyn and Queens, Schwartz proposes lowering of tolls on bridges going to the Rockaways and from Queens to the Bronx (Triboro, Whitestone and Throgs Neck). In addition, he has figures showing that the plan would raise $1.5 billion dollars a year, and he pledges that the money will go directly to the MTA, addressing their shortfall in needed capital funds.
The presentation is further gilded by stressing that the MTA funds would go towards improving the subway system. It is true that over 50% of the planned capital expenses would go to the transit system, but additional funds would be used for commuter railways as well as bridge infrastructure. The Move NY plan claims to raise $6 billion in four years, which will help their announced $15 billion gap in their most recent four year capital funding plan. Another sales pitch is the prospect of less truck traffic in downtown Brooklyn. Since the Verrazano Bridge and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels are tolled only one way, it is claimed that much of the city’s truck traffic is composed of trucks coming into the city using the Verrazano and leaving using the tunnels, thus avoiding tolls. It is not mentioned that there are incom-
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ing tolls on the Bayonne, Goethals, and Outerbridge Crossing, which a truck would have to pay to get to the Verrazano. Their answer to the obvious question - wouldn’t it be easier to reinstitute two way tolling, rather than spending $760 million to initiate and administer the new tolls over the currently free bridges - is that the one way
“Despite Move NY’s insistence that their figures have been checked by people in the bond industry, we feel that this proposal merits additional fact checking before being given blind support.” tolling was mandated by the Federal government. The the one way tolling was federal legislation instituted in 1986 to ease congestion in the preEZ pass days. Removal of this restriction is something that Congressman Jerry Nadler has been fighting for. The Move NY position is that it is not worth fighting the Feds (or the Port Authority), so they do not address it. The CB 6 presentation, as well as a recent Town Hall at the Atlantic Avenue YWCA given by Schwartz, was a fast paced slideshow full of rapid fire sales pitches. It is summarized on their website in a way that is designed to be appealing to the local progressive crowd - better mass transit, better environment, the bulk of the cost borne by rich Manhattanites. However, not all agree with this plan. The Queens Chronicle published a story presenting some opposing opinions: “State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and Assemblyman David Weprin (DFresh Meadows) said at a press conference in Long Island City last Friday that Move NY’s vision to make up (continued on page 13
April 2015
The
Blue Pencil Lunar Revue A spoof publication of the Red Hook Star-Revue, no information below is meant to be true or offensive.
Parks presents new Valentino Pier plan by Overand Dunwith
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n late March, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation unveiled their new plan for Valentino Park, which will incorporate the $2 million dollars allotted for a comfort station that was highly disputed in the community in 2014. In a 8,455 page document, Parks details every miniscule detail of the additions to the Red Hook Waterfront Park, complete with complex renditions, graphs and charts, and timelines. The multipurpose plan is estimated to cost in the billions of dollars, and is expected to eat up the entirety of the city’s budget for the next 3 decades. “It’s a bold, expensive plan,” explained Red Hook’s Mayor, Aristotle Des Moines. “We lobbied for more attention and dollars to be poured into this underserved community. We think this bold - and did I say expensive? - plan will provide both.” With the expanse of the park into the surrounding waterfront areas, the site will be sure to grab attention and grab year-round tourism into the neighborhood. Touted with the tag line, “the attraction that Coney Island wishes it could be,” the envisioned plan will be visible from Williamsburg, and possible outer space with the correct equipment. Valentino Park’s biggest need is restroom facilities. In addition to being a place for visitors and residents to relieve themselves, the exotic comfort station will also include a 35 lane bowling alley built from repurposed Shake Shack tables. An arcade will feature 25 classic games, as well as 15 new creations the NYS Assembly has been trade marking over the last four years. These new additions include Whack-A-Constituent, Battlezone: On the Campaign Trail, and Star Tsars: The Next Age of Politics. The Parks planning did not stop there. They have contracted a permanent new home for the last remaining Seventh Wonder of the World to be displayed throughout the Valentino Park and among Estate Four’s newly acquired property at 202 Coffey Street. A 15 story building has been approved, pending rezoning restrictions. The building will house NYC’s first casino, topped with 11 floors of luxury condos. Medical equipment, such as stethoscopes and defibrillators, will be stored in the basement to give the appearance of healthcare options. The “clinic” will be dubbed Little Incinerator Closer to
Red Hook Star-Revue
One portion of the artist rendering for the new Coffey Park. Additional drawings depict similar oddities. (courtesy Parks Dept.)
Home (LICH), and will be used to give people a false sense of security that their basic needs have been addressed. Parks has commissioned a deal with New York Helicopters to install a launching pad at the end of Valentino Pier. With the addition of a Red Hook site, fanatics of the delightful and musical noise the copters create will find even more enjoyable dins to celebrate. RedHook NoiseCopters a Facebook advocacy group for the helicopter tours, was elated when the report was released. “This is exactly what we want Red Hook to be known for! Constant hovering of distracting and melodious aircraft to enhance the staunchy silence of an otherwise peaceful neighborhood,” they posted. Another hefty project the city is incorporating is a 631 foot Ferris Wheel with a price tag of $230,000,000.01 “If Staten Island (SI) gets one, Brooklyn should have one too,” said a Parks Department rep. “Why not stash it in Red Hook, just to have a place to put it?”
Wheel at Coney Island. “We do not recognize that monstrosity as it is not even on Parks land!” he decried. The attraction will be among the largest in the world. In stiff competition with the wheel being built in Staten Island, designers chose to build it exactly 1 foot taller and charge one more penny than SI. Architects noted in their drafts that “We must ensure that Staten Island never gets to be the biggest or best at anything.” A hot air balloon launching site is also being considered for the area. “We see it as a necessity for the community, and we’re doing our best to address the needs of the community,” Des Moines told the Blue Pencil in an exclusive interview. “But we have a strict budget that demands we make tough decisions [on what to include or exclude.]” In an effort to engage the community of Red Hook, Parks allowed for a suggestions and commenting pe-
At a recent press conference, the rep, who wishes to remain anonymous - despite the public appearance - was pressed on the matter that Brooklyn already has a Ferris
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riod before the report was finalized. Suggestions included a pedestrian walkway, bike racks and a modest boathouse for the Red Hook Boaters. In a statement, Parks Department disqualified most of these ideas, calling them “modest,” and “the small thinking of simpletons who think they know what they need in their neighborhood.” The entire renovation of the park is expected to take 4 years, but the Parks Department has projected a timeline of 20 minutes on an unspecified day in “early, mid, or late April, maybe all three” when the site will be “inconveniently closed to the public.” The Parks Department is aligning their schedule with the community’s “to ensure total disruption of as many public events as possible.” To support this plan, send a thank you note to the NYC Parks and Recreation Department. There is no course of action to oppose this plan.
Project Timeline April 2015, Page 9
3D printer finds a Red Hook home
THE WATERFRONT MUSEUM IS GEARING UP LITERALLY - FOR HER SECOND ANNUAL PIRATE’S BALL. NO, REALLY, LITERALLY.
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ed Hook’s first 3D printer is on its way to the neighborhood, according to Mark Saunders, co-owner of New York Printing & Graphics (NYPG). The innovative technology has been difficult to acquire though. NYPG says they’ve been on a waiting list longer than FEMA’s grant program, and have experienced supply shortages and significant delays over the past 14 months. “First they said the printer would be delivered in January,” Mark said. “Then they said it might be as late as February. Every time we call, they tell us it will be a little longer, a little longer. It would be easier to estimate when it will be delivered if they would tell us in a language we understand. How am I supposed to know what ‘srpanj’ means?!?”
Editor’s note: Srpanji means July. When word of the printer spread throughout the borough, orders began pouring in. The company has a three month waiting list of their own. “People don’t seem to care how long it takes for their products to be printed,” said Susan Saunders, co-owner of NYPG. “We do quotes all day long, and for once, customers aren’t questioning our prices.” Susan says she’s done quotes for a variety of projects. “I’ve done quotes for a variety of projects,” she said. “People are really excited about this new technology. One of the most popular ideas is 3D printed Jell-Oh shots.” Other ideas include monopoly money, ice cubes, duct tape, tea leaves and prosthetic boogers. One concerned citizen has submitted plans for a $65 bathroom for Valentino Pier. “One way or another we’re gonna thwart that evil Parks Department plan!” the stubborn patron insisted. George Fiala, publisher of our snotty competitor - better known as the Red Hook Star-Revue - even has hopes of repurposing compost into a 3D news source capable of reading itself aloud. Editor, Kimberly G. Price also mentioned something about audiovideo possibilities, but the Blue Pencil wasn’t really interested in listen-
he 100 year old barge will be outfitted with a number of new apparatuses to help her next voyage, and it’s probably not what one might expect.
This $4 million printer can print standalone stripes all day long.
ing to her blather. Mark and Susan have their own projects planned. They will begin with printing stripes. “Stripes are a really difficult thing to get right with a 2D printer,” Mark says. “It takes a lot of patience, time, and trial and error. If we want to keep up with the big boys, we’ve got to keep up with the latest new things.” With innovative stripe design, they plan to take their local small business into the global market. Once the idea catches on, they’ll be venturing out into paisley. Two dimensional printers lay down ink one color layer at a time. The 3D printer uses polymers and other materials to lay down one textured layer at a time until the product is complete. The more creative the building material, the more creative the product can be. The Saunders have contracted with Steve’s Key Lime Pie to provide the material that fuels the printer, which means that nearly all of their finished products will be edible. With perhaps the exception of the pineapple-banana hairspray which will be infused with toxic chemicals. Red Hook Winery has also partnered with NYPG to provide wine to lubricate the gears and mechanisms inside the machine. “When you shove that many pies down into the printer, things start to get a little sticky,” Mark explained. “The natural antioxidants in the wine break down the sugars. Plus, the fumes make the work experience more pleasant than normal plastic polymers.” The winery is hoping to use some of the runoff to create a brand new key lime flavored wine that should be available by the summer of 2016, depending on which July the machine arrives in.
The Lehigh Valley #79, Shelley, as she was known to her contemporaries, is trading in her sea legs for land travel this fall. “I’m tired of the icy cold waters of the New York Harbor,” she justified. “I want to see things I can’t get to by boat!” In the most adventurous fashion, her owner, David Sharps - who may have read The Giving Tree one time too many ¬- is providing the luxurious transformation of his boat into a vessel fit for interstate travel. “If the boat ain’t happy, ain’t nobody on the boat happy,” Sharps confesses. “Shelley does have the power to make life miserable for all of us aboard. Besides, how many chances am I really going to have to ride down Splash Mountain at Disney World with her?” Accommodations for the trip won’t come cheap, and Sharp is hoping to raise most of it at this year’s Pirate’s Ball. The rest, he says, he’ll hopefully be able to “wing it and cash in big in the City of Lights, [Las Vegas.]” Total costs are estimated at around $700,000. The 2nd Annual Pirate’s Ball will be held on the evening of May 15 at beginning at 6:30 pm and lasting well into the night when the final guest passes out. Premium tickets range from $100,000 to $250,000. Late night cocktail hour tickets are $5 or pay-what-you-can. The organization’s dynamic support group, Barge 100 has arranged a slew of interesting activities for the night’s festivities to allure guests into the extravagant ticket pricing. The first highly anticipated of the night is the Captain’s scouring guests’ wallets for booty. All proceeds will benefit Shelley’s road trip. At 9 pm, the All-You-Can-Drink Rum Fest allows competitors to drink until they are sated. The first passenger to pass out will win a free permanent marker face tattoo. During late night cocktail hour beginning at precisely 12:12 am, all guests still standing will be invited to participate in the Pin the Eye Patch on the Angry Crocodiles. Waivers for bodily injury will be available and must be signed by all participants. Guests can color their own treasure maps that lead directly to where the colorer is standing. The winner will get to take his artwork home. Everyone else must immediately surrender theirs into the silent auction for further scrutiny. Because the event is expected to be an outrageous success, only seven premium tickets will be sold. Only thirty-five cocktail hour tickets will be available for purchase. These tickets specify mandatory participation in Pin
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the Eye Patch on the Angry Crocodiles. To purchase premium tickets, visit www.barge100.org. For late night tickets, camping will be permitted outside of the barge only 6 days prior to the event, and will not be tolerated more than 3 days after the event. These tickets will be on sale immediately following the completion of the permanent marker tattoo. The day after her Pirate’s Ball, Shelley, the Barge will immediately begin transitioning into her new land adaptation. Her first installation will be eighteen rims that are 24.5 inches in diameter, making her safe for crosscountry traveling along the country’s fastest interstates. Holy Land Auto Repair in Gowanus has agreed to fit her with head- and taillights, and rearview mirrors. While parasailing in South Carolina, Shelley will need a custom-sized parachute capable of carrying her massive tonnage across the coast. Sharps will stay on land to photograph the historic event. The barge will then travel to Florida where she will indulge in three days of seasickness on the state’s iconic themed roller-coasters at Walt Disney World and Busch Gardens. “If those thrill her, we may make an extra stop at Six Flags in Atlanta [Georgia],” Sharps said. In order to not cause controversy in Alabama or Mississippi, Sharps has made flight arrangements for Shelley. He ordered flight apparatus, detachable wings and landing gear from eBay, which he intends to install himself. The vessel will also be outfitted with skiing gear for a trip to the Rockies, cleats for the swamps of Louisiana, and undercarriage runners for sledding in Alaska’s Iditarod. Shelley will also need climbing gear for the Pacific Coast mountain ranges. Sharps anticipates needing harnesses, machine cam stops, at least one monster sling, and climbing rope. But pulling the barge up from the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Arizona my require additional support. Sharps also intends to invest in yodeling lessons for Shelley, square dancing honky-tonk nights out in Tennessee, and a stock of Kentucky bourbon. “It’s my favorite!” Shelly squealed with excitement. “It’s a dangerous combination when I’m sitting in salt water all of the time. But now that I’ll be dry docked, it won’t hurt hardly at all. Yippee for Kentucky!” In California, Sharps has 15,000 gallons of sunscreen on hold to bathe Shelley in. “I think she’s going to like the beaches there, even if she doesn’t want to get her rudders wet. She’ll really love soaking up the sun.” To contribute to Shelly’s Fantastic Land Voyage or participate in the 2015 Pirate’s Ball, tickets and more information are available at www.barge100. org or at the Waterfront Museum. Call (718) 624-4719 for more information.
April 2015
Coffey Park reopening delayed due to old Dutch man looking for herring
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by Melvin Cowznofsky
he re-opening of Coffey Park was delayed for at least six months due to an unusual finding that occurred during renovation. The park, Red Hook’s largest, was fenced off in April 2014 for a project that involved a repaving of the paths and improvement of the barbecue and flagpole areas. The community was told at the time to expect the park to be closed for one year. The first aspect of the project involved the removal of the paving stones, that formerly served as the surface of the park paths. Over the years, they had broken and became unlevel due to tree roots and soil shifting. At least that was the original determination. As the stones were taken out, a different scenario appeared before the contractors hired by the Parks Department to do the job. Not just different, but horrifying. What was revealed to be under the paving stones were not tree roots at all - but the soles of ancient Dutch wooden shoes. And there was more to be found underneath the Dutch shoes! History students will remember that New York was originally called Niew Amsterdam. This was because the original European settlers were not British at all... but Dutch. They came not only to settle in Manhattan, but Brooklyn as well. The common story is that Red Hook was so named because it is shaped like a hook, but the real story is that it was named Roode Hoek. Hoek, in Dutch, means point. The shape of Red Hook was different in those days, as all the land was not yet filled in. Back then the area of Coffey Park was a point that stuck into the harbor.
The Blue Pencil Lunar-Revue has recently learned that on August 17, 2014, a worker called his foreman at TBO Sitescapes, the Queens contractor doing the job. He explained exactly what he saw, and the foreman immediately placed a call to Brooklyn Parks Commissioner, Kevin Jeffrey. Listening intently, Jeffrey immediately donned some appropriate clothing and hustled off to the park, cancelling his appointment with a designer of luxury outdoor bathrooms. What the worker saw when he removed the paving stones was utterly shocking. All along the pathways, he saw antique Dutch wooden shoes, clogging upside down along the path. They were actually moving amidst the dirt, causing the paving stones to buckle in some locations, and to bulge out in others. When he attempted to pull out one of the shoes from the earth, he heard a blood wrenching scream! Foreman, Joseph Skidlioski soon arrived. He tugged on the shoe and heard the same scream. Quickly as-
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Park Rangers were summoned to Coffey Park in order to safely investigate the strange apparition who was apparently living under the paving stones for at least four centuries. (daguerrotype by Keith Richards)
sessing the situation, he made a 911 call. The nearby Red Hook Raiders, Engine Company 101 arrived right away, followed shortly afterwards by a Methodist Hospital ambulance. Under cover of darkness, the firemen gingerly dug up the shoes and to the astonishment of all, brought up a gnarled old man. They sat him down on a nearby park bench, and the paramedics quickly went to work. Amazingly enough the old man slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He dusted himself off and seemed amazed at what he saw men with short hair, boots and red and white uniforms. “Hawring, hawreeng,” he started saying, very slowly. The men around him were shocked to hear actual words - although they didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
was done at Coffey Park.
hustled off of a plane at JFK and driv“Heirin - gowannee, gowanee heer- en to Methodist. ien,” kept coming out of the old man’s After a quick briefing, she went in to withered mouth, day after day. see the old man. Finally, a young intern got the bright idea to call in someone who spoke Dutch. After all, the man was wearing wooden shoes when found. The NYPD Emergency Services Unit was contacted, and they sent in a detective with experience at dealing with international problems. Two days later, Jasmin Pfeifer, a PhD researcher at the Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication at the University of Amsterdam was
A crowd gathered in the hallway waiting to see what she could discover. After twenty minutes she came out and asked whether there was a creek somewhere near the park. “A creek called Gowanus,” she said. It turned out that the old Dutch man, who somehow survived four centuries under Coffey Park, was lost trying to stock the Gowanus Creek (now Canal), with herring, a Dutch specialty.
Public Notice
“Hawring - gowanee. Gewanee heiring,” he repeated over and over. The paramedics strapped him to a stretcher and took him to a private room at Methodist. The whole thing was kept hush hush - until now. The old Dutch man was slowly nursed back to health. He developed an appetite. It was soon discovered that he especially craved oysters, pheasant and turkey meat. Anthropologists and other scientists were brought to the hospital to try and figure out who this man was. Top doctors were called in to try and figure out what kind of human could survive life under paving stones. No answers were found, and no work
From now on, only red bagels will be sold in Red Hook. RED HOOK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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April 2015, Page 11
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ClassiFied Ads HELP WANTED
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FOR SALE
Grapes. Fairway. 498-500 Van Brunt Street. Shake Shack bowling alley tables. We have plenty to SPARE if they STRIKE your fancy. Buy 3, get a free TURKEY. $300/each. Email BowlingLingo@redhookstar.com Rustic ornamental knee pads. Should not be worn in combat, but very shiny. $35 OBO. Email OhPretty!ImpulseBuy@redhookstar.com Left over Christmas candy. As is. Some may have been nibbled on or have dental impressions. If interested, email RatInfestedBrooklynite@redhookstar.com Labels. Description: H1412P24026C*-O. Minimum purchase is 1 label. No addition information is currently or ever will be available. Call (718) 624-5568 to place orders.
party booths. Email
egation!
Ear wax. Mine keeps growing back, and I reckon I ought to be able to make a living off of it. Call (718) 624-5568. Ask for George.
We all need to wash our hands after using the bathroom. But here, at the Blue Pencil Revue, the paper towels we use to dry our hands is actually the other side of the toilet paper we used to wipe our bottoms. How is that for eco-friendly?!?
Noodle golf balls, an original Red Hook creation. Wow your golfing friends with these trick balls that explode into a noodle-y mess during tee-off. Balls are cooked to perfection to ensure noodles will stick to every surface they hit, including your opponents eyeglasses. $425/dozen. Email Ramen@redhookstar.com to place orders.
ANNOUNCEMENTS What exactly is a boy?
Word problem: I have ten fingers. One has a splinter in it. How many legs do I have left? Brown may not be a color. After all, it does rhyme with frown - and drown - and I don’t think Crayola should emphasize that. My mom got a cell phone. My sister is teaching her how to text. I think my sister hates me. Buffalo, Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo! What does rhyme with “hug me”?!? Bug me...? Mug me...? Oh, I get it! Slug me! Email other ideas to RobinThicke-BlurredLines@redhookstar.com Name. Business. 1234 Main Street, City, State, Zip. (XXX) XXX-XXXX. www.website.com Every problem comes back to me! What did I do to get us here?!? Job responsibilities break down. I’ll do everything. You sit there and look pretty. Now that’s effective del-
Home Improvement
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Classes now being offered on the 3 Layered Method as it applies to nachos, dressing for winter, and much, much more. Suggestions for layered topics accepted. Call (718) 624-5568 to register. Find out what you should bring to the table, based on which table you are going to. Sign up for our all-tables discussed round-table bonanza. Email TableTables@ redhookstar.com Closing the Gap on being a better YOU! Learn how to boil water, write a sentence, and stretch rubber bands. Free consultations. To apply, email your Social Security number to XXX-XX-XXXX@redhookstar.com Team building workshops. Experience building as a group. Activities include creating mosaics out of dog food, collective coloring, separating brown M&Ms from the others, and demolishing a green room. Email VanHalen@redhookstar.com for more details.
Real Estate
Broken down shack, terrible Red Hook location, near polluted canal, hole in the roof, 3 stories, unused for decades, zone M 2-1, $4 million, Shyster R.E. (718 )624-5568
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Thirteenth floor apartment at 135 Mill Street, ceiling leaks, mold in walls and floorboards, some days the hot water is boiling, other days it is freezing. Open ended sublet, $2475 per month with six months security. Call NYCHA rental office. Space available for bed mat on cobble hill street. Red Hook Lane, no utilities, $675 per month. JM Realty Luxury Condo in giant moldy building. Views of the Red Hook Ballfields and the Gowanus Canal. Fixup promised. Best Offer. (718 )624-5568 Basement space in exchange for pulled pork chef. Long hours work, sleep possible after 4 am. Affordable Housing for qualified tenants. Must have a large amount of money for ‘fixture fee.’ Red Hook Lofty Services, check NYC Building Dept for contact info.
Personals
Looking for people to write Facebook Postings about. You know who I am. Send 3 page letter about yourself and SASE to your Red Hook friend c/o Twitter. Fishing buddy wanted. Male or female OK. Must be able to scale and debone. (718 )624-5568 Looking for someone with transportation so I can see shows at Jalopy. Must be gas powered vehicle, as its too cold to bicycle over. This winter may never end. Cobble Hill resident looking for Red Hook buddy for laughs and irresponsible larks. Tired of expensive Smith Street restaurants, will split DeFonte’s sandwiches - your choice (718 )624-5568 To the person from Williamsburg who laughed at me at Sunny’s - go back where you came from. You know who you are. (718 )624-5568
Home Improvement
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Tongue Depressors. Or popsicle sticks. You buy, you can decide what they are. $4/dozen. Email Doctor@ redhookstar.com
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Cheese sandals. Available in all sizes; color varieties include white, yellow, bleu and marbled. Choose from varieties such as Aged Parmesan Wedges, Form Fitting Brie Slip-Ons, Elegant Roquefort Dressies, and Creamy Havarti Flip Flops. Perfectly suitable to be eaten after the summer season. Email TasteBudsDeserveOptions@redhookstar.com Free copies of the Red Hook Star-Revue. Limited to quantity of 10,000. Email Publisher@redhookstar.com White Glove Magazine...the perfect subscription for preschoolers. Teach them at an early age never to leave fingerprints on coffee tables, windows or Cadillacs. 250 stickers in every issue. One free pair of Toddlers First White Gloves included with every 12 mos. subscription. Email Sterile@RedHookStar.com to sign up. All of your health care and beauty needs sold at half price out of a basement in a sketchy area. Guaranteed to beat market prices by 50%. Email the password “Smelly Feet” to ShopLifters@redhookstar.com for directions. Edible flavored confetti. Really, it’s just grape leaves that I cut up into really small pieces, but I think they’re still safe to eat. Makes a wonderful party decoration. $75/pound. Email AmbitiousPrepChef@redhookstar. com For sale: Classes and individual counseling on how to make your very own edible grape leaf confetti. Includes multiple step-by-step demonstrations. $150 for 17 week session. Email AmbitiousPrepChef@ redhookstar.com Limited 1988 Dodge Caravan. Limited meaning, I have a limited number of them (1, actually), and also limited in its ability to run. It would make a great planting pot though. $1,300 OBO. Email LemonFactory@redhookstar.com Outdoor shower installations. Share your cleanliness with the world, as you scrub yourself with pride as all your neighbors to watch. Free consultations will discuss appropriate location possibilities including, but not limited to fire escapes, bodega entrances, and
Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue
We will train your infant child to professionally paint your home or apartment. No child too young. Our students learn quickly and do not drip or stripe. They will work for milk and cookies, and an occasional Happy Meal.
Nannypainter Technical Pre-School 899 Columbia Street, Brooklyn NY www.star-revue.com
(718) 801-9001 April 2015
Editorial
(continued from previous page)
for adding tolls to free bridges by decreasing the prices on already tolled bridges would be a “house of cards,” where it could not be guaranteed tolls won’t later be raised to what they are now by future elected officials. “I’ve always felt it’s discriminatory to charge people to go from one borough to the other,” said Avella, who stood with Weprin and community leaders across the way from an entrance to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. “Once we have tolls on the East River bridges, they will be there forever.” Speakers also asserted that area small businesses that use delivery transport into Manhattan would be unfairly taxed. “This is a tax on the middle class and on small businesses and particularly on people that live in Brooklyn and Queens, because people that live on Brooklyn and Queens rely on these free bridges,” Weprin said. “This is literally a proposal for highway robbery.” The two officials said parts of their districts in Eastern Queens don’t have accessible buses or nearby subway stations, causing their constituents to rely on driving to Manhattan for a number of reasons. Weprin and Avella stressed other ways to make up the money: Weprin said he thinks there should be a commuter tax on people coming into the city from outside and Avella has championed the idea of legalized sports betting. Avella said both would raise millions of dollars without placing tolls on bridges. Move NY claims that tolling the four East River bridges would raise $1.6 billion a year in new revenue. The plan is to charge $8 per trip for those without an EZ Pass, and $5.33 for EZ
Pass users, as is the current fee at the Battery Tunnel. On its website , the NYC Department of Transportation presents figures for those bridge crossings. They say that in 2010, there were 488,000 crossings each workday. An average cost of $6 per crossing comes to about $2.9 million a day. There are 260 weekdays in a year, which adds up to $754 million per year. Making a generous assumption of half the weekday traffic on the weekends adds $150 million, bringing the total up to a bit over $900 million. This leaves a shortfall in their estimate of $700 million, on the bridge tolling alone. And these figures do not take into account holidays, and the possibility that less people would drive into the city if they would have to pay. Despite Move NY’s insistence that their figures have been checked by people in the bond industry, we feel that this proposal merits additional fact checking before being given blind support.
MESSAGE FROM MENCHACA
I
would like to invite you to our presentation on Sunday, April 12 at 2 pm at Sunset Park High School and discuss the work that we did together this past year and look at how we can move forward. Over the last year--in District 38--we have done things a little differently. Together, we have worked up the nerve to re-imagine the rules, the conviction to be honest about our needs, and the commitment to engage in the difficult conversations. We have taken the questions and concerns of local residents, and offered them a city-wide platform that has allowed us to produce landmark legislation, and change the lives of many New Yorkers, forever. IDNYC--the largest municipal identification program in the country--launched this year to much excitement. I had the privilege of helping shape the legislation, and to continue to provide the kind of oversight that ensures the program’s continued success. The demands on the program have been large, and while there continue to exist opportunities for improvement, IDNYC has unlocked possibilities for every cardholder. As the program moves into its later phases, I encourage every person to sign up for an appointment, engage with the card and take advantage of everything it offers. My office will continue to be a resource for those who require assistance in connecting to IDNYC. The legislative and policy victories of the last year have informed the local work we have done here in Red Hook and Sunset Park. We have sent a clear message to City agencies: we want to be a part. In Red Hook, at Valentino Pier, residents made history in the level of engagement they demanded. Immense opposition grew, ending the completion of a project that would, in essence, allocate over $2 million to the building of a comfort station. The community rejected the idea of this amenity, and mapped out their opposition in a number of meetings with my office and with the Parks Department. In the end, we were able to help facilitate what began as a toxic conversation into a plan that empowers the Red Hook community to have direct oversight over how the capital dollars will be spent. My office is working to finalize the community process right now. Finally, in the face of tremendous pressure, we stood up against the New York Economic Development Corporation (EDC) when they proposed development that failed to address the concerns of local residents, and that did not offer enough opportunities for meaningful community engagement. When we made that important and transformative decision, we were attacked. We did not fire back. Instead, we got to work and invited EDC to talk directly to the community. Our conversations with EDC about the future of development on the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal are progressing, and have allowed us the space to address many concerns of District 38 residents. Central to our discussions has been expressing a shared and steadfast commitment to the industrial waterfront in both Red Hook and Sunset Park. The key to long term commitment from our city, I believe, requires a relationship of trust that is established through the creation of new spaces and inviting new faces to the table, developing new leadership - especially our youngest members - and offering capacity building projects for our communities to be meaningfully engaged. My campaign for City Council started because I was on the ground after Sandy, a tragedy that affected all of us. What I felt then is what I feel today - that our community's health and prosperity relies on three basic tenants: protecting what is irreplaceable, restoring and improving those things that need attention, and making sure that all of us are heard when decisions are made regarding the future of our home. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you on April 12, at my State of The District address. "
Shames (continued from page 8)
repair funding levels will be maintained after the plan’s adoption, but it does not go far enough. Most of us would be loath to see an existing or yet another new authority shielding our legislature and executive from their responsibilities. To insure that the plan does what it claims to be doing it must include a sunset provision. This provision would
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reverse the entire process, in the event that the percentage (not dollar total) of other City and State subsidies to mass transit and roadways drop below preplan levels. Additionally, such a plan ought to relieve the MTA or other authorities of any jurisdiction over fare increases, in excess of increases pegged to core inflation. Let our elected officials stand front and center and vote for such increases, if increases should become necessary due to agency profligacy or mismanagement.
April 2015, Page 13
Thinking about the three neighborhood women who perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
(continued from page 1)
Francesca arrived in 1908, at the age of 13, just as I had when my good friends, Cecilia and Maria, arrived from Mola in 1966. Like Laura and Francesca did I’m sure, we met up with each other to walk to school or take the train to work together. We were clutching books and lunch money; they were likely toting thimbles and needles with perhaps some fresh baked bread, meat or fruit for lunch.
The fire escape, said to have unhitched under the weight of so many victims, also acted as a heat conductor causing many to leap, while others, hastily seeing no way out through the fire escape door that was being barraged, wildly jumped from a nearby window. The elevator, buckling under the weight of at least thirty people, crammed to the point where one woman actually fainted, but never fell, lost its operation when its cable finally snapped, never to rise again to rescue even one more seamstress from her frantic pleas of help. Desperate to save themselves, more women jumped to their deaths, cascading down the elevator shaft, or like fire rockets, falling at great speed to the sidewalks below. The fire broke out minutes before closing, lasted only 18 minutes and spanned three floors of workers - the 9th floor posing as the greatest death trap with its locked stairwell door. The elitist owners managed to escape from the top floor with their children and governess. As far as humanity goes, myself, and those of you who may be reading this, could only hope that they escaped with the conviction that the stairway door that they chose to lock daily to prevent workers from taking breaks or stealing some thread, would burn in their minds forever. One hundred and forty-six people perished in total - 123 of them were young women, nearly half teenagers; 23 of them were men; one girl practically a child. Most of them were immigrants from various countries - Russia, Poland, Italy. They mostly lived in Manhattan or the Bronx. Twelve of the victims came from Brooklyn. Three were from Red Hook. Laura Brunetti, 17 years of age, had been living in the United States for 16 years. She made a home with her family at 160 Columbia Street, located between Degraw and Kane Streets. It was determined from her injuries that she was one who jumped to her death. Her body was identified by one Libero Morello. Her mother became employed as an operator in a garment factory, as well, in 1910. Her 45 year-old father was a baker. She was the second oldest of six children. Not much else is known about her. But we know her home no longer exists. The Port Authority - Pier 7 takes the space that was once occupied by tenements along the waterfront side of Columbia Street from Degraw Street to Atlantic Avenue. Around the corner from Laura lived her very dear and close friend, 17
Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue
year-old Francesca Caputo, at 81 Degraw Street. Occupying the same Port Authority property, that building, which was between Van Brunt and Columbia, is also gone. We know that she had arrived in America in 1908, just four years before the fire. Records determined that she had jumped as well. The slim possibility does exist that Francesca could have some relation to the Caputo Bakery family owners on Court Street. The key word here is possibility. The owners of Caputo’s Bakery go back five generations, to 1904, the year that Vincenzo Caputo and his son, who came to America together around the turn of the century, opened their bakery in Red Hook.
Sicilian immigrant Just three blocks away is where Clotilde Terranova lived, at 104 President Street between Columbia and Hicks Streets. Her home is two doors down from a childhood friend of mine, Virginia Raiola. Clotilde arrived in America with her brother from Licata, (Agrigento) Sicily in 1909, just one year after Francesca arrived. She managed to find work at the Triangle Waist Company as a presser in the Finishing Department on the 10th floor. She was 22 years old and had planned to resign from the factory within the month to get married. Her death, it seems, may have been the most tragic. Everyone else who was working on the 10th floor managed to survive by taking a staircase to the roof, awaiting rescue. But when news of the fire below reached the 10th floor, Clotilde panicked. She started screaming incoherently and uncontrollably, stirring herself into such a tizzy that she hauled herself out from the 10th floor window, becoming one of the first fatalities. Co-workers witnessed her terror but
she acted so quickly that nobody could stop her. They mourned terribly for a life that should have never been lost. Her home still stands on President Street, a four-story brick structure, with a wrought iron front-door gate, which eerily conjures up images of mental entrapment just by the sheer association of her tragic demise. Did she live on the first floor? Was her fiancé the bearer of the grievous news that late spring evening? One can only imagine, as I did, as I was researching the lives of these lost Red Hook girls. I intuitively feel that despite the deplorable working conditions that became a stigma for garment factories during that time, that Francesco, Laura and Clotilde - dressed in their own fashionable shirtwaist blouses and long skirts with lace up shoes - were almost certain to feel that they were lucky to be working at the Triangle Waist Company at its exclusive location with large windows and high ceilings and an actual indoor bathroom. I equate them to my friends and I who felt privileged to be working on Wall Street in some of the most reputable brokerage firms and banks, shopping and dressing to the nines to complement our new working titles.
Long hours, low pay Garment workers back then worked long hours, had virtually no breaks, and were subject to pay deductions for errors. As secretaries or assistants in our time, my friends and I were similarly subject to making less pay than men, working overtime without pay and unduly fetching coffee for many of the men in our departments. But we never feared for our lives. We entered in and out of our buildings knowing required building and fire codes had our backs. I imagined Laura Brunetti being delighted to find a friend her age when
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As Roman Catholics, I imagine they stopped to say some prayers at Sacred Hearts on their way to work, as we did at Stephen’s. We took the F Train at Carroll Street to get to work on Wall Street. I imagine their commute was a little more involved. They could have taken the Union Street cable car to Prospect Park West or Flatbush Avenue and connected to one that traveled over the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row. A cable car at Duane Street shuttled them to Washington Square, home of the Triangle Waist Company. That evening they could have been planning to walk to Park Row along Broadway in celebration or anticipation of spring’s long-awaited arrival and the hint of glorious promises it held in the air for each of them. Thinking of these young girls whose learned trade made it possible for them to help support their families, I recall my immigrant friend Cecilia who worked at a garment factory on Sackett and Hicks Street, behind the mural where Mother Cabrini is now proudly displayed. When we were teenagers in high school, her sister and I would meet her every afternoon at four to “walk her home” from the factory. As young (continued on next page)
The three local woman who perished in the infamous 1911 blaze: Clotilde Terranova, age 17 104 President Street Francesca Caputo, age 21 81 Degraw Street Laura Brunetti, age 17 160 Columbia Street
All were Italian immigrants whose families settled in what is now called the Columbia Waterfront District
April 2015
Triangle Fire
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girls in Red Hook, the buddy system was a given. She was a seamstress at SMS Undergarments, just 15 years old when she started working there. In stark comparison, she raved about her working conditions - an eight- hour work day with a half hour lunch and two breaks. Her boss was a generous person, giving each seamstress a turkey for Thanksgiving. Overcrowding of seamstresses was a minimal issue; they were unionized and received proper overtime pay for their piecework. There were no locked doors. Thankfully, her conditions were decent, a tribute to those who died at the expense of unionizing and creating fair, safer working conditions that didn’t exist for Laura, Francesca or Clotilde. Despite the allure and reputation of their workplace, they still endured overcrowded conditions where aisles were abandoned to fit more sewing machines, and doors were locked to prevent theft and lingering, but created fire traps Oddly enough, when I asked Cecilia if fire drills were part of her work environment, she said no without hesitation. “Did they at least have several exits and make it a point to let workers know where those exits were in the event of a fire?” I asked. “No,” she said matter-of-fact. As far as she knew, there was only one way in and one way out. Red flag? I envisioned these young Sicilian immigrants living in my neighborhood having difficulty with the language. Laura, who was practically born here at the age of one, most likely knew the most English, but that could have been minimum at best. It was pretty common at that time for Italian families to keep their native tongue, especially living among their townspeople in segregated areas. Francesca and Clotilde who were not here as long as Laura, most certainly could have spoken no English at all. How much of a part did that play, I wondered, in Clotilde’s fight or flight response? I have trouble imagining their fates that day, mostly because it saddens me. It was a Saturday, a day that indicated the end of the work week for them. What plans were they making? Clotilde could have planned to be with her fiancé that night, probably at home under the watchful eyes of her parents, but I would like to think they were planning on finding a table at Ferdinando’s and splitting an arrancina (rice ball) or having some gelato. She was, no doubt, deep into wedding plans, feeling those butterflies with her wedding date fast approaching. I could see the girls eagerly running along Columbia Street to catch the streetcar in the wee hours of the morning that day, arm-in-arm, as Italians girls so often do, chatting breathlessly about everything and nothing in particular, holding their hats to prevent any springtime wind from blowing them off. There was no sunken bed of the BQE
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to cross over Hicks Street, but I’m sure the sounds of horses’ hooves dancing on cobble stones was an all too familiar ring to their ears as they commuted to work. It was pay day at the factory. They would have their coins safely in their purses by 4 p.m. and were probably more anxious to head home because of that. Their money was not their own, but there must have been a sense of pride that they were helping to sustain the household or saving it to send to family back in Sicily. It was Lent and only two weeks before Easter Sunday. Certainly the girls were planning on what to wear for the colorful holiday, bonnets most likely being the hottest topic as they watched high society women strolling along Broadway most days from their factory window. They were to arrive earlier that night than their usual late weekday night. They were most likely expected to join in the chores for dinner when they got home, helping their mothers, or other relatives, despite working and traveling all day. They may have been wishing they could sleep late on Sunday, but knew the cooking started early every Sunday. Mass would be in order. A gathering of family would have convened in the afternoon. But Francesca, Laura and Clotilde never made it home that night. I cringe at the thought of the gut-wrenching cries that must have consumed those family members when they learned of the girls’ deaths. The dreadful task of identifying them, laid out in boxes, lined up in rows, burned beyond recognition. They were buried almost immediately on Monday and Tuesday. Two in Holy Cross Cemetery, one in Calvary. I can’t imagine the heartache that the families bore, having to sit through Mass the following week, which would have been Palm Sunday, a day to recall Jesus’ triumph into Jerusalem, but his ultimate suffering and death. Too close to home. Italian immigrants have been known to move away from their tragedies swiftly in times of trouble. Though dying a little bit inside with each passing day, they moved on none-the-less for the survival of the family, oftentimes not speaking of the deceased, believing in some instances that a tragedy such as this was a curse for straying from their homeland. This could and may have easily sent them back home to Italy, leaving a void of memories behind in the neighborhood that once promised economic freedom. Creating a shrine with statues and candles or wearing black for the rest of their lives, serves as a reminder never to forget.
Author’s Note: While doing research for this article, I was torn between the impact this tragedy had for all the families and victims, and the greed of the benevolent-minded profiteers who not only got acquitted for this heinous crime, but who profited from insurance as a result. It was hard to focus on Red Hook, when all I could do was think about the two owners who escaped with their family, and the foremen who were carrying the keys to the locked doors. Despite the testimonies of dozens of survivors and eye-witnesses, it was determined that there was not enough evidence to prove that the owners had intentional-
The seamstresses at the Triangle factory, in somewhat happier days.
ly known that the doors were locked at the time of the fire, yet it was a known fact that only one exit was unlocked at the end of each day in order to file everyone through one stairway so that each worker could be inspected for any stolen items. What disturbed me more was the knowledge that the owners had literally set up shop again, not days or weeks later, just a few blocks away. I understand business is business, but where were the consciences? It was written that the workers of the Triangle Waist Co., were one of the first
“I can’t imagine the heartache that the families bore, having to sit through Mass the following week, which would have been Palm Sunday.” to spark a strike against unfair working conditions just a year and a half before the great fire, where it was followed by a walk-out of most of the industry workers. It was also written that while picketing, prostitutes were hired to harass the workers of the Triangle Waist Company, and eventually thugs were hired to cause fights. Picketers who fought back were arrested instead of the thugs. It goes on. The victims of the Triangle Waist Company are being thoroughly researched by the great efforts of Mr. Michael Hirsch. Most of what I learned about Laura, Francesca and Clotilde is from his tireless research of census records, certificates, newspaper accounts, eyewitness statements, testimonies and interviews with descendants of many of the victims. I suspect within a few years time, we will learn more about all the victims, including those from Red Hook. He is striving to get all the facts straight. As in many tragedies, initial reactions can become obscured, misrepresented or misinterpreted. This year marks the 104th Anniversary of this morbid event. For the sake of writing this article, I felt compelled to meet some of the people that helped me to locate information about Laura, Francesca, and Clotilde by attending the Commemoration at the site of the factory. I think the hardest thing for
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me to watch was the fire ladder being raised to the sixth floor, as far as the engine ladder could go back in 1911, causing even more victims to perish since they couldn’t reach the top of the ladder three floors below. Editors Note: A great advocate for labor and worker safetry during the first half of the 20th century was Frances Perkins. She served in the administrations of NY governors Al Smith and Franklin Roosevelt, and when Roosevelt became president she became Secretary of Labor for the entire length of his administration. In a speech commemorating the 100th anniversary of the fire, historian Christopher Breiseth noted: “Frances Perkins was having tea with friends at Margaret Morgan Norrie’s home on Washington Square on Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911. The clang of fire trucks interrupted their conversation and they hurried across the Square to discover the cause. They reached the Asch Building, site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, in time to see young women, many on fire, jumping to their deaths. 146 human beings perished. Perkins’s friend, Will Irwin, later remarked that “What Frances Perkins saw that day started her on her career.” The definitive historian of the Triangle Fire, David Von Drehle, concluded that Frances Perkins’s “experiences perfectly suited her to help redeem the tragedy of the Triangle fire. That she was there to see this tragedy with her own eyes, to be able to feel it viscerally, is one of history’s intriguing strokes of coincidence.” Perkins herself, subsequently FDR’s Secretary of Labor, the first female cabinet member and the prime architect of the major social legislation of the 1930’s, later observed that the New Deal began on March 25, 1911
Clotilde Terranova of President Street
April 2015, Page 15
Red Hook History: Leveling Carroll Gardens to fill in Red Hook - a 19th century project
I
occasionally fancy myself a runner, and for whatever reason, many years ago, I decided that 3rd Street is as good a route to run as any. So my bimonthly jogs take me from my Red Hook apartment, over the Hamilton Avenue footbridge, through Carroll Gardens and down 3rd to wherever I happen to be in Park Slope when I run out of steam and realize I still have to run back. On my way back home - between gasps for air - I am often struck by the beautiful, smooth sweeping slope of 3rd Street from Gowanus Canal up toward Smith. I think I’m particularly appreciative of this because (a) I am terribly out of shape and it’s a nice gradual incline and (b) I know the hill I’m about to run back up used to be much, much bigger. In the 1840s, the Brooklyn that we know today was just a glimmer in the eyes of aldermen and financiers rubbing their hands together saying “mwah ha ha haaaa” as they contemplated the millions of dollars they would soon be making on the backs of Irish and German immigrant laborers. The landscape at that time was more similar to what you see in Prospect Park or Greenwood Cemetery today - steep hills and deep valleys, occasioned by creeks and marshes,
Image from NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey Historical Map & Chart Collection
carved out during the last Ice Age by glaciers retreating back to their arctic homes. In order for Brooklyn to come of age as a city in the mid-19th century, the surface needed to be more level, the hills made more gradual, and marshes filled in. This process was called grading and it was of particular concern for the early property owners and developers of Red Hook. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, shipping commerce increased exponentially in New York. Soon Manhattan’s waterfront became a congested bottleneck, crowded with ships that sometimes had to wait for up to two weeks for a berth to become available for them to unload their cargo. The problem had less to do with insufficient dock facilities and more to do with a lack of conveniently positioned storehouses for the bulk goods that were now arriving from the midwest - mostly grain. Brooklyn was perfectly situated to take advantage of Manhattan’s dearth of space and create a convenient shipping and storage port that was no longer possible in New York City. In 1841,
Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue
by Connor Gaudet
Daniel Richards began construction on what would become the largest shipping and storage facility on the continent: The Atlantic Basin. However, in order to allow larger vessels to enter the basin at all tides, it was constructed far out into Buttermilk Channel, just beyond the marshes and islands of Red Hook. It actually took an act of the State Legislature to “officially” extend the coastline by several hundred feet so that he could do this. For many years, the construction site became an island at high tide and was accessible only by boat. This meant it would take a lot of grading in order to (a) complete the Basin, and (b) connect it to the mainland. If you have ever heard the name James S.T. Stranahan, it was likely in association with the construction of Prospect Park, for which he was instrumental in bringing about. His statue can still be found there, just inside the gates facing Grand Army Plaza. However, 20 years before Prospect Park opened, Stranahan was the primary shareholder of the Atlantic Dock Company and a major property owner in Brooklyn. In 1846 Stranahan owned a good portion of what would ultimately become known as Carroll Gardens, including a large mount of earth known as Bergen Hill. The chart to the left shows the Red Hook and Carroll Gardens sections of Brooklyn as they appeared in 1844, before the Basin was even completed. You can see the area between the Basin and Red Hook Point was still water with a depth of 2 feet, and the stippled cross-hatching all around the Basin indicates the area was dominated by marshes, subject to tidal flooding. Bergen Hill is to the Basin’s east: the light round spot with lines sweeping away from it. The hill peaked at the present location of Court Street and 2nd Place but was 60 feet taller than its present elevation, and probably had a much steeper grade.
In 1846, Hamilton Avenue stretched all the way to the water. This is the Hamilton Ferry House, located just north of Atlantic Basin. (courtesy Whitman’s Brooklyn)
from walls of earth breaking away from the hill and crushing the laborers below. By 1853, the Atlantic Basin and what was then known as Red Hook were connected to the mainland. However, practically everything east of Richards Street was still under water and would remain so for a long time to come. In the 1859 print by John Bachmann depicting “New York City and Environs” at a bird’s-eye view through a kind of fish-eye lens, we see Brooklyn on the right hand side of the print. Sure enough, the Atlantic Basin is connected to the mainland. However, it seems to hang off of Brooklyn like an elephant’s trunk, dangling into Gowanus Bay. The rest of Red Hook as we know it today would be slowly filled in over the next 75 years. So next time you take a stroll along the Columbia Street waterfront, use the bike path on Imlay Street, or bring the kids to play in Carroll Park (Court and President Streets), remember that technically, you’re on Bergen Hill. And I will continue my breathless runs up and down 3rd Street, thankful for the fact that it really is no hill for a climber, at least compared to what it
once was.
Post script The Atlantic Basin’s success was immediately evident and was to be seen for decades to come, remaining one of the busiest points of the Port of New York well into the 20th century. Much of this success is often attributed to the private investors and land-owners who took the risk of building not only the Basin but the very land around it. During these years of success, its soaring profits stood in contrast to those of Manhattan’s waterfront, where, under municipal ownership, the gears of government were slow to respond to the needs of enterprise. During this period of economic and social development in Red Hook, the goals of these private investors were fairly well aligned with those of the public good - a vibrant commercial and industrial space providing thousands of jobs and enabling the growth of a thriving middle class economy. However, that does not always remain the case, and when a condo with waterfront views becomes more profitable than a warehouse with waterfront access, a little municipal oversight isn’t always a bad thing.
Connecting Atlantic Basin to the mainland using Bergen Hill Not long after taking charge of the project, Stranahan did what any person who owned property that needed to be raised in order to be developed right next to property that needed to be, well, razed in order to be developed would do: he used the one to fill in the other. In 1846, Stranahan hired laborers to begin cutting away at Bergen Hill in order to fill in the marshes and connect Red Hook to the rest of Brooklyn. Using pickaxe, shovel, and dynamite, the mostly Irish workforce would load cart after cart, and wheel them down to the shore line. It was in this way that all the land west of Hicks Street from Kane Street down to about Hamilton Avenue where it met the Basin was created. The work was very dangerous and oversight was often minimal. Between 1846 and 1853, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle printed frequent articles about injuries and deaths resulting
John Bachmann’s 1859 print “NYC and Environs.” Image from The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library.
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April 2015
ReStore Red Hook re-purposes itself as local businesses seek to thrive
by Kimberly Gail Price n the wake of Hurricane Sandy al video for ReStore. Most businesses Sunny’s Bar, said. group will hold onto. Another small late October 2012, monetary and shared his commitment. All but 3 busi- ReStore advocated for small businesses business group will emerge, bound by tangible donations poured into nesses in Red Hook recovered, preserv- with local, state and federal govern- the strange and vital bonds that only Red Hook. Leaders emerged to ing more than 300 local jobs. ment, as well as aid-based agencies. tragedy and healing together can cretake on the task of ensuring do- ReStore Red Hook quickly emerged They lobbied for ferry service in Red ate. “There’s something to be said about nations were appropriately distributed. help the commercial strip. Their origi- Hook to bring in more foot traffic. They completing something whose mission During the initial organization, few re- nal mission was to get doors open for also provided scholarships for a 10 is based on surviving a disaster and alized the long and monstrous recovery business. ReStore originated as a mon- week small business course for recov- starting something new that’s based on thriving,” Byrne said. that awaited. ey raising campaign to assist where gov- ering entrepreneurs. After two years of recovery work, fund- ernment aid was mostly absent. Other- ReStore also worked to raise spirits raising and advocacy for their commu- wise, “it was going to become very easy throughout the neighborhood. They nity, ReStore Red Hook has announced for small businesses to become invis- founded the Red Hook Holiday Pop-up that they have completed their mission ible,” Byrne said. Maker’s Market, created a holiday winwhich was to “reopen the doors of our According to their website, “ This fund dow contest, and printed their logo on community based businesses quickly was established by members of the t-shirts. Fundraisers became unique as possible and to reinvigorate and Re- community who feel that ReStoring events: a tattoo and art show that ofStore our extraordinary neighborhood,” Red Hook’s community-based busi- fered on-site tattoos; Authors’ staging as stated on their website. nesses is not simply important to the of “Defiance,” where high-profile writRed Hook was often cited in local and individuals businesses, but is crucial to ers read from works about Red Hook, national press for being a community the neighborhoods vitality as a whole. recovery and rebuilding; and encouragthat pulled together to take care of their We feel that our strength is in the syner- ing their members to bring awareness own. Neighbors took care of neigh- gistic relationships we enjoy as a com- to the cause by arranging their own funbors. Food establishments and eater- munity and that we are stronger and are draising campaigns with the backing of ies grilled on the streets feeding the all better served collectively rather than the organization. cold, hungry community with food that separately.” On March 11, ReStore held a gathering might have otherwise gone to waste. After weeks - and in many cases - of small business owners to proudly Communication channels opened months of shuttered doors, business- sing their swan song. At the Wednesday wide like flood gates. They were all in es slowly began to unbolt their rusty evening soirée, they announced the this together. hinges. The spring and early summer end of the recovery group, but the be“Small village on the cusp of the months of 2013 offered a renewal of ginning of something new - something Home/made’s Monica Byrne raises a toast to the closing of ReStore Red Hook and world. We’re very lucky to have amaz- hope for the neighborhood. not completely defined yet. the beginning of something new (photo by ing people in this small village,” Barry “We all fell in love with this neighbor There are pieces of the experience the George Fiala) O’Meara, owner of Bait and Tackle said. hood when we saw it and we opened “Our neighbors.” our businesses here because we wantOne such organization banded to- ed to be a part of it. We wanted to make gether to fight for funds, cut through an investment in it and spend our lives bureaucratic red tape, and lead the here as part of this community,” St John troops through stormy seas of insur- Frizell, owner of Fort Defiance, said. ance claims, grant applications, and But the small businesses were still sufFEMA regulations. ReStore Red Hook fering by the long drought of closure. emerged as the coalition of small busi- Costs were astronomical. Funds were ness within Red Hook that had suffered extremely difficult to acquire. Owners severe damages from the storm. faced mounting debt that would take Mere hours after the waters receded, years to pay off. Red Hook business owners were joining Volunteer efforts continued behind forces, comparing stories and strategiz- the scenes - cleaning out basements, ing a recovery. Monica Byrne, co-owner replacing structural damage, and reof Home/made said, “We realized by supplying ruined equipment. After talking to people, none of us were going completing their original mission to aid to be able to do it alone.” the submerged small businesses of Red Byrne moved to Red Hook thirteen Hook, their purpose transformed. Their years ago and recalls the days when efforts broadened to supporting the lonearly every store front along Van cal economy and the people building Brunt was boarded up. “We didn’t want lives in Red Hook. to go back again. We needed the whole “It’s very important to keep the street downtown to reopen,” she said. looking alive and keep the momentum “There’s no question for us that we’re going - and the vitality.” Karin Weiner, going to rebuild.” Ben Schneider, owner co-owner of Bait and Tackle, said. of The Good Fork, said in a promotion- Throughout the past 28 months since Sandy, ReStore worked not only to bring funds into the organization, but also to shine a spotlight on the needs of those businesses. They ran a 100% volunteer group that raised over $600,000 for 70 Red Hook businesses. “Every single penny we got went right back out,” 326 Van Brunt Street (bet. Pioneer & King) Open daily 10 am to 11 pm, Sundays 11 am - 10 pm. Free Delivery Available Byrne emphasized. (718)624-1628 Fax (718)624-2145 “As long as we have that All Credit Cards Accepted ($10 min) [support], I’m gonna be Fort Defiance’s St. Jean Frizell and Ron Kyle of Dry Dock here. We’re gonna be thank Fairway for their support of ReStore Red Hook during Fairway’s re-opening celebration in March 2013. (photo with each other.” Tone Johansen, co-owner of by Price)
I
EVERYBODY IN RED HOOK GOES TO
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April 2015, Page 17
Team Barn takes Sullivan Cup in a full day of street hockey
New Old Timer’s Committee holds Fish-Fry
The new committee in charge of the annual Red Hook Oldtimer’s Day, which takes place every August in Coffey Park, held a fundraiser on March 21, at the PAVE Academy. It was a rousing success, as they ran out of fish! Pictured below are volunteers, guests and Ray Hall with Spencer Robertson, PAVE’s Executive Director.
The 5th Annual Sullivan Cup Tourney took place on March 21, testing the mettle of some every day as well as once-a-year street hockey enthusiasts. Twelve teams took part in the round robin tournament, including the Fire and Police Departments, Rocky’s and Fort Hamilton. The winning team, who had to play 6 hard fought games in one day, was Team Barn, from “The Great State of New Jersey,” as characterized by Rocky’s George Kornienko. George, who played a tough right wing, tended bar the next day despite his fair share of bumps and bruises. Street hockey is similar to ice hockey, except it is played on pavement wearing sneakers. The Stanley Cup playoffs are probably more popular than the Super Bowl on the Rocky Sullivan screens.
Red Hook’s mini St. Patrick’s Day parade
Red Hook boasts one of the most authentic Irish bars in the city. Rocky Sullivan’s, at the corner of Dwight and Van Dyke, featured a full program of things Irish on March 15th, in celebration of the Irish holiday. A full day of Irish language, history and music was presented inside starting at 3 pm. At 7, the annual March for Language Rights, featuring Grand Marshal Aingeal de Brun, left the bar, walked to the water and back. A contingent of pipers led the march and all enjoyed curried yoghurt following the return to Rocky’s.
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April 2015
BumbleBeesRus celebrates three years on Lorraine Street BumbleBeesRUs, the brightly colored childcare facility at 76 Lorraine Street, celebrated its third anniversary in Red Hook last month with a humongous birthday cake enjoyed by students and teachers. The facility, which has an enrollment of local children aged six months to six years, has added two head start programs since its opening in 2012. In addition, they serve as the home for the popular Alex House Project, which helps single mothers, led by local resident Samora Coles.
Advertise in the Star-Revue for information call 718 624-5568 or email kimberly@redhookstar.com
Pictured above are Carmen McLean, Jessica Figuly, Mylesha Nurkitt and Melissa Johnson. They are all staff members at BumbleBeesRus. Carmen and Mylesha are both residents of the Red Hook Houses. (Photos by BumbleBees R Us and George Fiala)
Star-Revue Classifieds Home Improvement
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Junk Removal
Miss clutter and junk. All junks removed from homes, yards, offices,basements, garage and attics. Efficient is our goal. Tel. (718) 775 5925
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REAL ESTATE CLOSINGS Buy/Sell. Expd Attorney, Real Estate Broker, ESTATES/CRIMINAL MATTERS Richard H. Lovell, P.C., 10748 Cross Bay, Ozone Park, NY 718 835‐9300. www.LovellLawnewyork.com
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Red Hook Star-Revue
Faucets, Hot Water Heaters,
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Pool Heaters.
B & D HEATING 507 Court Street 718 625-1396 To place an ad in this section call 718 624-5568 or email info@redhookstar.com. Rates start at $30 per issue. April 2015, Page 19
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April 2015