Feb 16 - 29, 2012
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The Red Hook Star-Revue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Jackie Jackson takes the Star-Revue on a walking tour of the Red Hook Houses
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by Matt Graber
e meet in the sun-flooded front lobby of the Red Hook Initiative. The community center, located on Hicks and West 9th Streets, has a sleek, newly renovated sheen not commonly found in this part of the neighborhood. For decades, residents have delineated Red Hook into two distinct sections: the “Back,” representing the area nearest the waterfront and typified by Van Brunt Street; and the more densely populated “Front,” encompassing the huge complex of World War IIera buildings that makes up Brooklyn’s largest public housing development, the Red Hook Houses.
lived in the West Houses for ten years. We stay on the subject for well over an hour, drinking coffee as each woman takes her turn to tell another story. “I’ve got chunks of plaster hanging from my wall,” Jackson says. “There was a water bubble that showed up on the wall in my kitchen, it looked like an alien.”
Jackie Jackson has lived in the Front since she was born, in 1953, and seems to know just about everyone and have a beat on virtually every issue affecting the community. Back on Van Brunt Street, another boutique pops up; another millionaire buys up an old warehouse; more people take an interest in this quaint waterfront enclave. Meanwhile, the old buildings in the Front continue to fall apart, and the resources needed for repair are nowhere to be found in the Housing Authority’s tight bank account.
Jackson speaks of a man in a nearby unit who says that he has to hold an um-
On this chilly but sunny Friday afternoon, Jackson has agreed to show me around a little bit, take me to some of the local institutions that serve to create a network of support for people in the Houses, and to discuss some of the challenges that residents face on a daily basis.
A never-ending back-log of repairs “This whole development needs an overhaul,” Jackson says as we sit on couches in the lobby, joined by another long-time resident of the Front, Elsie Felder, and Henrietta Perkins, who has
“I’ve lived here for the past 10 years,” Perkins says. “My mother since 1953. She says that back then, when you called they came. Now they take six months. And you go to complain to the manager, and he complains to the supervisor, and then they go to court, and Judge Calabrese tells them they have to get it done, and then it doesn’t happen.”
“ ‘What they need to do, Jackson says, “is start transferring people to other developments temporarily so that they can renovate this whole complex.’ ” brella every time he sits on the toilet. Perkins says that she had heard about it and thought it was funny until the same thing happened to her. Felder says that the gas has been turned off in her apartment for over a week to allow for some repairs in the pipes. The whole of the F Line and the G Line which make up 27 units are without gas. She describes her frustration at opening her door to someone from management staff, who was going door to door and handing out hot plates. One of the more noticeable visual fea-
Jackie Jackson (left) and Elsie Felder talking to the Star-Revue in the lobby of the Red Hook Initiative (photo by Matt Graber).
tures of the Houses are the blue scaffolding structures that hug the sides of nearly every building. The scaffolds have been up for years with little or no actual work being done. And every day they are up, Jackson points out, the company that the Housing Authority rents the scaffolding from receives payment. “What they need to do, Jackson says, “is start transferring people to other developments temporarily so that they can renovate this whole complex.”
Head Start is a godsend
The four of us walk up West 9th Street, past an old pastry factory recently converted into condominiums, toward the PAL Miccio Day Care Center. “It’s really a blessing that they’ve remained here,” says Jackson about the Head Start program that operates out of the building. The federally-funded program provides all-day pre-school services for families living in the Houses. As we walk through the gold and maroon front entrance we are greeted by Family Assistant Breena Acosta, who shows us around the premises. The hallways are
surprisingly quiet. When Acosta opens the door to one of the classrooms the silence is explained: we have arrived at nap time. The program currently has 57 children occupying three classrooms, a working kitchen with a cook, and a long waiting list. Acosta says that because of budget cuts, the school has limited space and can only take so many kids. Before entering the program, prospective families are visited at home by Head Start staff in order to “get a better understanding of the child.” Acosta stresses the importance of “strong communication between the parent and the teacher.” Most of the teachers in the program started out as Head Start parents and then got their certification to work at the school. Like Marie Pearson, whose kids are just getting up from nap time when we enter the classroom. “It’s about teaching the whole child,” she says as her students take turns placing their colorful plastic cots in a neat stack. “Not just how to add and spell,” (continued on page 5)
Also In This Issue:
Incident at Fine Fair, page 7
Red Hook Crossword, page 16
Kimberly and George hang out, page 15
‘Stop and Frisk’ hits minorities disproportionally
76th Precinct silent on controversional police procedure by Curtis Skinner
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ed Hook police have remained silent on the “Stop, Question and Frisk” policy as complaints of NYPD abuse mount citywide and bitterness grows in the Red Hook Houses. Despite numerous attempts, neither Police Captain John Lewis nor the Community Affairs Department at the 76th Precinct offered comment on growing criticism of stop and frisk, citing that NYPD protocol prohibits them from “disclosing information on police procedure.”
Stop and frisk a daily occurence in Red Hook Over 5,000 stop and frisks were recorded in 2010 for the Red Hook precinct alone, according to police crime data, which figures to over a dozen stops a day. The policy went unmentioned at the precinct’s community meeting this month, with complaints of illegal Uturns, speeding and ordinance issues dominating much of the half-hour meeting. It was unclear how many were Red Hook Housing residents. Some in the neighborhood, even at the Red Hook Houses—a hot spot for stop and frisks, according to residents—see no problem with the policy. “I’m not even upset about it,” remarked a middleaged Hispanic man outside the Houses. He said he has been stopped more times than he can count, but that it’s a small price to pay for security. “As long as my family makes it home safe, it’s okay.” The Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (the NYPD agency that responds to public and media inquiry) has yet to respond to a Freedom of Information Law request sent last month for current statistics. But the 2010 data show the number of stop and frisks in New York City being in excess of 600,000—with nearly 9 out of every 10 stopped being Black or Hispanic. Similarly, over 90 percent of instances where force was used were against the same groups, according to research published by the New York Civil Liberties Union. These statistics have sparked waves of criticism from the politicians and activists of late. Police Reform Organizing Project, a progressive justice reform group based in Manhattan, invited those who had been stopped to a filming of personal stories earlier this month.
‘ “I’m not even upset about it,” remarked a middle-aged Hispanic man outside the Houses. He said he has been stopped more times than he can count, but that it’s a small price to pay for security.’
on—even if suspicion is based only on “furtive movements” or specific “clothing.” Data from that year show, however, that weapons were found in only 1 percent of stops.
Huge increase in marijuana arrests Critics have cited that the policy instead targets young men of color for minor— though arrestable—drug offenses, as marijuana arrests have skyrocketed since the bill was signed. This despite the fact that whites are the largest marijuana users by race, according to a survey by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
One of Red Hook’s Greatest Mergers by Mary Ann Massaro
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like to allow the thought of love to linger for a bit in the month of February. February brings with it not only heartshaped boxes of chocolates and cards but tales of romances both old and new. This is yet another love story that comes out of Red Hook. It is the story of two families that merged together through love and still stands today growing stronger with each year that passes.
The Rodriguez family and the Della Porte family
Cubi and Peggy met when they were teenagers in Red Hook. Cubi lived on Dikeman Street and Peggy grew up on Coffey Street. They were introduced to each other by a neighbor. And as they grew up together, their love for each other also grew. They saw good times and bad times. They saw Cubi go off to serve his country and return. And then one day they decided to make this merger official and got married, having their wedding celebration in Peggy’s father’s pub which we all knew as “Gabe’s” bar. Today you can still find Peggy and Cubi in South Brooklyn happily married after 36 years. They have two wonderful grown kids, Elizabeth their daughter and Jason their son. And I can say that this marriage brought together Peggy’s family of eight members and Cubi’s family of 10 members, all of whom are just as close today as they were on that beautiful wedding day. I feel honored to know these people who still carry the oldschool values with them in their everyday lives. And so you see, even though there were no major banks or financial corporations in our little town of Red Hook, there were great, successful mergers that took place. And the merger of the Rodriguez family and the Della Porte family was one of them! Mary Ann Massaro grew up in Red Hook living through some of its more difficult times. She now is a psychiatric nurse at LICH
Neither Mayor Michael Bloomberg nor Police Commissioner Ray Kelly show signs of flinching on the policy, and the NYPD remains unapologetic. “Police stops comport proportionately with violent crime and save lives, most of young minority men who are disproportionately the victims of murder and other violent crime,” Chief NYPD spokesperson, Paul Browne was quoted as saying late last year. As it is, 62 percent of New Yorkers approve of Commissioner Kelly’s performance and the NYPD overall, according to a recent poll by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
Second class citizens
Speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, and other council members—like Juumane Williams from Flatbush, Brooklyn—have railed against the NYPD for the practice. And Brooklyn Senator Eric Adams sponsored a bill in the New York State Senate last year that would create an independent committee to investigate NYPD abuses of stop and frisk—among other policies. It was referred to the finance committee in January of this year, but has slim chance of passage in the Republican-controlled legislature. Former Governor David Paterson signed the “Stop, Question and Frisk” bill in 2010 to curtail gun violence in the city.
Satisfaction was appreciably lower among Blacks and Latinos, however. Tenant Association President Lillie Marshall of the Red Hook West Houses offered a less favorable opinion. “It’s disgusting,” said Marshall in a recent phone interview. “I talk to these officers in [tenant association] meetings and they feel it’s their right. But it’s wrong.” And the overwhelming majority of residents from the Red Hook Houses interviewed echoed the sentiment, saying that the policy needs to end. “Stop and frisk is a joke,” said an older ex-convict on parole, who refused to give his name out of fear of police retribution. He said that in personal stop and frisk encounters, police would approach him and immediately require him to put his hands on the wall, even if just talking to friends and family, or standing outside his apartment. “It’s disrespectful. It’s embarrassing. And it’s degrading. If they would respect us, and not treat us like second-class citizens, there wouldn’t be a problem.”
Police are authorized to stop any individual they suspect might have a weap-
For more on Stop and Frisk see the column by Reg Flowers this issue on page 6
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Skinny’s Daughter
Welcome to YOUR community newspaper!
The Red Hook Star-Revue The News of South Brooklyn Volume 3 No. 4, February 16-29, 2012
Founded in 2010 by Frank Galeano and George Fiala
Staff Reporters............................ Elizabeth Graham, Matt Graber, Curtis Skinner Staff Photographer ............................................................... Elizabeth Graham Cartoonists .................................................... Vince Musacchia, Harold Shapiro Historian.....................................................................................John Burkard Contributors .....................Mary Anne Massaro, Danette Vigilante, Robert Geelan ............................................Reg Flowers, Michael Racioppo, Mary Ann Pietanza Calendar Editor ................................................................................ Eric Ruff Restaurant Critic .......................................................................... Erik Penney Co-Publisher and Editor......................................................... Kimberly G. Price Co-Publisher and Graphics ........................................................... George Fiala The Red Hook Star-Revue is published twice a month by Red Hook Publishing
We need letters to the editor as well as press advisories which can be mailed to:
Red Hook Star-Revue, 101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
718 624-5568 - news tip line 917-652-9128 or emailed to editor@redhookstar.com
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www.redhookstar.com February 16-29, 2012
February 16-29, 2012
Red Hook Star-Revue Page 3
News From the Street written and collected by the Star-Revue editorial staff
Carroll Gardens Library presents Patrick Taylor
February 29, Leap Day, is a rare date which occurs just once every four years. Rarer still is a Brooklyn appearance by New York Times bestselling author Patrick Taylor, (the “Irish Country” series), – but that’s exactly what is scheduled for Wednesday, February 29 at 7 p.m. when the author visits the Carroll Gardens branch of the Brooklyn Public Library for a discussion and signing of his novels. It will be the author’s exclusive New York appearance. “We are so excited that Patrick Taylor will be visiting not only the library, but Brooklyn for this event,” says Friends of the Carroll Gardens Library secretary and event organizer, Diane Saarinen. “We can only hope our ‘little village’ of Carroll Gardens is half as interesting as the Ballybucklebo that Taylor depicts in his colorful novels.” Taylor, author of the bestselling An Irish Country Village, A Dublin Student Doctor and more, is also looking forward to the February 29 event: “Although I have visited New York often, I am re-
ally looking forward to my first visit to Brooklyn–even if Ebbets Field is gone and the Trolley Dodgers who hired Jackie Robinson in 1947 have long been in LA,” the author says. “And where better to go than a library in a borough that has 58 branches of its Public Library system? I hope what I have to say will be interesting and entertaining.” Seating is limited and those who wish to attend this exciting event must register for tickets at http://patricktaylorinbrooklyn.eventbrite.com/ A donation of $10 per person at the door is suggested. Signed books will be available for purchase.
Columbia Street post office scheduled to close After reporting a $5.1 billion loss for the last fiscal year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is cutting down on Contract Post Offices (CPUs) which are localized “substations” that offer an alternative to waiting in line at the nearest Post Office location. These local businesses provide the same services as the post office for the most part, ex-
Avanzino & Moreno, P.C. 26 Court Street, Suite 205, Brooklyn, NY 11242
718 802-1616 jkvanzino.com
In the pursuit of justice, the attorneys of Avanzino & Moreno, P.C., meticulously prepare their cases for litigation. Clients can expect absolute trust, outstanding performance and total commitment, willingness and ability to go the distance. The firm’s bilingual attorneys have handled a variety of negligence, medical malpractice and complex litigation cases throughout New York City and upstate New York, achieving numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for their clients. Avanzino & Moreno, P.C. has also had the privilege to be trial counsel to some of the largest plaintiffs’ firms in New York.
Star-Revue Ads Work You are reading... so are your neighbors call 718 624-5568 to place yours.
Page 4 Red Hook Star-Revue
cept for P.O. Boxes and money orders. For the last 17 years, Rita Farone has been running her own office on Columbia Street, next to Sokol Brothers Furniture Co., which also closed for business recently. Farone now has until March 31st to close up shop. She is currently circulating a petition around the neighborhood, hoping to get enough signatures to make a real statement to the American Postal Workers Union. The loss of Farone’s shop would make the closest post office for residents in the Columbia Waterfront District the one on Clinton and Bush Streets. In a letter to the Postmaster General, Craig Hammerman of Community Board 6 wrote: “There is no clear rationale or justification for the decision to terminate services at this particular location. For that reason I felt compelled to write to you to request your reconsideration of this decision.” Residents that wish to help Rita Farone keep her contract post office (and her job) are encouraged to write to the Postmaster General:
Congratulations Department!
The Star-Revue would like to congratulate Damien Nesbit, of Dog Day Cyclery, and his wife, Yelena, on the birth of their first child. Bella Mercedes Nesbit was born on the morning of February 3, 2012. She weighed 5 pounds and 12 ounces and was 19 inches long. Proud Grampa, Bill Nesbit gushed about the new addition to his son’s family, saying that both Mommy and baby girl Bella were both doing well.
Pat Donahoe 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW Washington DC 20260-0010
Customs meeting held in Washington
A meeting between high level politicians and the US Customs and Homeland Security Department was held in Washington on Friday, February 3rd. Informed sources indicate that the meeting went ‘very well’ and there are indications that the decision to close their operation at the Red Hook Container Terminal, which would force containers to be shipped over to Staten Island for inspection would be overturned permanently. The facility was scheduled to close January 6th, but after political pressure a 90 day stay was issued at the last minute. Fears that this decision would jeopardize the future of the terminal, not to mention the increased truck traffic over to Staten Island, with trucks carrying possible ‘dirty boxes’ of suspect cargo have caused the federal government to rethink their decision, which was reached without consulting with the politicians or important members of the trade.
Through the basement A woman told police that a burglar snuck into her Clinton Street apartment through an unlocked basement door between 9:30 and 10:15 a.m. and stole a digital camera worth $150, a flip video camera worth $100 and $80 in cash. Fist fighting while driving In the heat of argument while driving on the Gowanus Expressway at 2:15 p.m., a young couple got into a fistfight, forcing the driver, a 34-year-old male, to pull over at the Hamilton Avenue exit and park on Center Street. His girlfriend, 30, was arrested for assault. Don’t warm up the car A driver with Columbia Street Car Service had his Blue Ford Windstar Passenger Van stolen at 12:30 a.m., after he left the car to warm up with the key in the ignition and the windows down.
Criminal Activities written and collected by the staff
Yet another Blackberry heist Cops are looking for a teenager who they say threatened to stab a woman on Court Street if she didn’t hand over her cell phone. The 24-year-old victim said she was walking on Court Street between Nelson and Luquer streets at 6:10 p.m. when a teenage girl approached her from behind, flashed a silver knife and said “Give me your phone or I’ll cut you.” The victim gave up her Blackberry, worth about $50, and the robber fled. She is described as black, about 16 years old, 5’8”, 200 pounds, with short brown hair and wearing jeans and a purple waist-length jacket.
Columbia Street shooting A 41-year-old male was shot repeatedly outside the Houses at 450 Columbia Street, at approximately 3:15 a.m. Police at the 76th Precinct say that the nature of the shooting is still unknown, and that the victim is in Methodist Hospital where he is expected to recover. Carroll Gardens mugging A 34-year-old female was robbed at gunpoint at 9:30 p.m. at the corner of Henry Street and 3rd Place. Two unknown perpetrators, both males, about 16-years-old, approached the victim from behind with a black firearm, saying “Give me everything.” The thugs made off with a $400 Lim handbag, a checkbook, $100 cash, three credit cards and a NYS driver’s licence.
February 16-29, 2012
The Red Hook Houses need some not-so-small repairs soon (continued from page 1)
she continues, “but also how to walk and talk and sit, how to behave. Every day stuff that they need to know. Our children are our future, so we are just trying to make sure they have a strong foundation.” In a similar fashion to the way things are done at P.S. 15 Patrick Daly School, Head Start takes in children with special needs and integrates them with the rest of the students. Speech therapists and occupational therapists regularly visit and work with children on-site. “If you have ten special needs kids and ten non-special needs kids in a classroom, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart if you walked into the room,” says Acosta. “And that’s how it should be.”
er things. “When the kids get here, it’s homework first,” says Lewis. The center has a certified teacher on board who tutors the kids in reading, and dinner is provided at around 5 p.m.
Walking past the construction site of what will become the home of PAVE Academy on Henry and Mill Streets.
The center caters to residents of the Houses, but its doors are open to anyone. There are currently 120 registered members with about 90 people coming to use the center every day. Lewis wears his position as Center Director humbly, quick to point out that his staff of six people does most of the work. Places like the Miccio Center are particularly meaningful to Lewis, who says that he grew up in a tough part of Coney Island and watched many of his peers fall through the cracks. He says it was having his local community center to go to after school that helped keep him out of trouble. “Places like this saved my life,” he says.
Tyrone Lewis, the Center Director at the Center Director at the PAL Miccio Center.
Our tour ends at a table in Hope and Anchor, where an endearingly grouchy waiter serves up burgers and fries. The diner is between rushes in the late afternoon, quiet and peaceful, and the four of us enjoy a well-deserved late lunch. We covered a lot of ground, visiting some of the communities most vital assets: its local institutions. “I think the neighborhood is coming up,” Jackson says. “As far as the development goes, it’s in critical condition. But we’ve got some pretty good people here.”
Wine Park, located in Red Hook East Houses (photos on this page by Matt Graber).
Miccio Center benefiting from Obama stimulus money Next store, at the PAL Miccio Center, Tyrone Lewis shows us some of the renovations being made to the building, which provides after school programs for kids and evening programs for adults. The center is in a transitional phase after being taken over by the Housing Authority in April 2010, Lewis explains. The funding for the renovation, which includes new coats of paint and a fresh layer of polyurethane on the basketball court floor, comes from President Obama’s Capital Improvement Program. The center has programs in volleyball, aerobics, karate, computer programing, and dance, among oth-
Phoenix Beverage discusses their new role at the piers at COWNA meeting
the Red Hook Container Terminal, (RHCT), would continue to be a working facility. Although the decision from Customs to remain in Red Hook has not been officially determined, he was emphatic that they soon would.
by Kimberly Gail Price
Phoenix made a presentation discussing their history as well as their intended future in the port. Though their lease is only for one year, there are discussions underway to extend it. Phoenix is committed to remaining in this location as stevedore, but “concrete commitments” were few and far between. Brayman pointed out that this is the only port east of the Hudson River, and it must continue to serve the New England market.
O
n Thursday February 9, 2012, the Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association, (COWNA), hosted a meeting to discuss the viability and recent changes of the Red Hook port. The meeting took place at the Post Graduate Center on Columbia Street and was well attended. Interested neighbors joined local politicians, Phoenix Beverage and other local agencies such as Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Corporation, (SBIDC). Dan Squadron, Brad Lander, Robert Gottheim, who was present for Jerry Nadler, and Dan Wiley, Representing Nydia Velazquez. Greg Brayman brought along other executives from Phoenix Beverages. Lou Pernice, President of the International Longshoreman’s Association was also in attendance, as was David Meade from SBIDC. EDC made no appearance. Gottheim started the meeting at approximately 6:44 p.m., ensuring that
February 16-29, 2012
Attendees asked relevant questions and Brayman gave knowledgeable and scientific answers to their questions. Topics of concern included extra trucks on the streets, pollutants, shore power and labor issues. Without referencing notes, Brayman answered all of their questions. He stated all trucker drivers were Phoenix employees but could not say whether or not the other drivers in the port are misclassified. He encouraged support for the State Misclassification Bill and the Federal Clean Ports Bill, as did
Phoenix Beverage has taken over stevedoring duties at Red Hook piers 7 - 12.
Landers and Gottheim. He promised to work toward improving drivers’ adherence of staying off of the local streets and to add addition signage at the Hamilton Avenue gate. Phoenix is also working towards replacing 70 trucks with CNG conversion trucks over the next five years. Eight CNG trucks have already been delivered and they would meet the deadline. Shore power was determined to be impractical and could not be implemented because Con Edison has concluded that not enough power is available in the area. However, Phoenix co-generates power
for their facility and on-site generation is a possibility for the rest of the port. Brayman claimed that most jobs with his company were well paying, all of the drivers were union and there were low level jobs at the recycling facility. However, the Waterfront Commission are the only ones who can hire, not ILA or the Teamsters. Last fall, Phoenix replaced American Stevedoring, Inc. They are responsible for operating RHCT through Port Authority. The meeting was held to discuss “building and maintaining a good relationship between the port and its neighbors.”
Red Hook Star-Revue Page 5
Reg Flowers
Occupy the Hook Throwing Stones at Broken Windows
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n March of 1982, Atlantic Magazine published an article called “Broken Windows: The police and neighborhood safety.” In this article George L. Kelling and James Q. Wilson explain how signs of decay in neighborhoods that go untended lead to further breakdown in the community. The idea is that, regardless of neighborhood demographics, if a building has a broken window that goes unrepaired, soon all of its windows will be broken. The abandoned property, with its weeds and peeling paint, is a kind Reg Flowers of urban signaling that says “no one cares here” and that eventually becomes the attitude of those who live in, work in or otherwise have cause to frequent the area. The theory has become the golden rule in urban policing. It has become the justification for a zero-tolerance approach to law enforcement, out of which has grown a heavy reliance on the controversial Stop and Frisk tactic. This approach is part of a community policing strategy to combat low-level disorder, sending a message to the more serious criminals. It makes sense actually, when reasonably applied. It only becomes questionable when the procedure used by officers to maintain order violates the constitutional rights of the innocent citizens that the police are meant to protect. The Stop & Frisk procedure as it is being used has become such a broken window signaling a lack of care and oversight in the NYPD. Last year, over 600,000 individuals were stopped by the NYPD. A stop is when a person is detained by an officer “by means of physical force or by show of authority.” It is a procedure that is only intended to be used when there is “reasonable suspicion” that an individual has committed a crime or is about to commit a crime. An officer’s “sixth sense” is not considered reasonable, but a study for Center for Constitutional Rights that looked at police records indicates that some members of the NYPD disagree. The study showed that in more than half of all stops the reason given by the officer did not meet the requirements for “reasonable suspicion.” The use of Stop and Frisk in each of those cases was an illegal abuse of the police officer’s authority. That’s over 300,000 instances where NYPD officers violated the constitution. To get back to broken windows, whether you look at it as poor policing or as out and out police misconduct, there has been a breakdown of order in the NYPD. What starts as the perceived minor offense—infringing on a few hundred thousand people’s rights—becomes full-fledged criminal activity as seen in the recent sting operation were five NYPD officers were arrested for smuggling $1 million in guns, cigarettes and slot machines. In one month these officers helped to transport 20 weapons from New Jersey to New York, further diminishing the 1.25% weapons seizure rate. The gun that one officer confiscates through the needless harassment of innocent civilians is put back on the street by another. Our police departments might benefit greatly spending time sweating their own “small stuff.” The most unfortunate part of all this twisted logic is that the real issue is public safety and quality of life. If Stop & Frisk creates an atmosphere of hatred and distrust towards the police, as evidence has shown it does in those communities that are disproportionately targeted, then it is a failure in those communities that represent over 50% of New Yorkers. Also unfortunate is that this zero-tolerance policing makes a metaphor of what is a very real problem in high-crime neighborhoods. There are many buildings that have been left untended, creating urban blight. Communities should be empowered so that vacant properties are kept in good repair. There could be more incentives to fill these vacancies with people in desperate need of homes, as opposed to throwing families onto the street. It seems the most logical solution to this broken window syndrome would be, simply, fixing the broken windows.
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Opinion:
Art of The Sale by Michael Racioppo
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egendary ad man William Bernbach said that persuading people, which is what ads do in order to sell products, is “not a science, but an art.” Politics is the art of persuasion and selling. Failing at this art can be costly to a politician, and especially a president, regardless of how much a policy benefits the country. The way rival products will always want to take the others market share, an opposition party will always want control of the White House. This opposition will, at any cost, attempt to persuade the nation that a president is wrong for the nation. This will be done regardless of facts, and is even more common in an election year. For that reason, a president who cannot persuade, or sell policy the way the gecko does for Geico, risks great policy becoming a legislative lemon. This is what has happened in the year prior to, and in the two years following President Obama’s unpopular (40% approval in the latest Rasmussen poll) health care reform becoming law. This does not have to be, and more importantly, should not be the case. Unlike lemons such as Crystal Pepsi or the Ford Pinto, President Obama’s bill has many great features and there is still to time to sell it to the American people. Most people know about features of the bill, such as insurance companies not being able to deny coverage due to a “preexisting condition,” or young adults being able to stay on their parents health care coverage until they are 26. But there are also features people don’t really consider, such as the end to life time or annual caps on treatment and the end to rescissions. This means that if you are so unfortunate as to have an expensive illness, the only problem is the illness and not a concern that it will cost too much, or that an insurer will pull the rug out from under you. With congress known more for its inaction than its action and the senate in particular requiring a super majority of 60% to pass anything, these sorts of accomplishments should be a great thing for a president to trumpet when up for reelection. But as it stands now it won’t be. At the State of the Union, President Obama only dedicated 44 of 6,817 words to health care reform. That shows an accomplishment that every Democratic president since Harry Truman wanted will be avoided, and the reason is the Republican party’s misinformation campaign and the president’s inability to sell the bill. Obama can’t make Republicans stop calling the bill things like a “government takeover” or say that there are hidden “death panels” for the less productive or elderly. He can, however, explain to the American people why the benefits I referred to, and many others, are just that: benefits. He should not sell it as deficit reduction. Firstly, because people like deficit reduction as an idea but not as a reality. When people are sick they are not worrying about the costs, and if they are, they don’t want to be. They want to know they are getting all the help they can. Obama’s plan does that. But if people don’t know that, it won’t matter. When Republicans yell that Obama has taken over health care, mention the security workers will now have. What I mean is that President Obama and his allies should dispute such absurd claims by highlighting how the bill actually benefits the capitalist system Republicans love so much. Talk about how a potential entrepreneur doesn’t have to stay at a job because he’ll lose health care. The entrepreneur can now start a business and know that he and anyone he hires for him will be insured. This lets a start-up compete against the larger firms who have always been able to offer greater health benefits. This becomes a highway to the American Dream. Not the Armageddon that Republican Party Chair Michael Steel predicted the day it was signed into law. Freedom to change jobs, try new things, become your own boss and still be able to go to the doctor without going bankrupt. This will sell. If more Americans see health care reform this way, they will line up to vote for Obama like it was Black Friday and Ipad’s were selling for 20 bucks. If not, his reelection campaign risks ending amongst products such as the Carter Administration, who lost the reelection bid in 1980 and brought us Ronald Reagan’s top seller, ‘Trickle Down Economics.’ Michael Racioppo teaches political science at Brooklyn College.
The Red Hook Star-Revue Salutes Red Hook Youth! We are now accepting ongoing artwork submissions to be published in the paper.
Please submit your drawing, painting or any other creation to: The Red Hook Star-Revue 101 Union Street Brooklyn, NY 11231
Ages 5-17 only. All artwork will be returned upon request. For more information, call (718) 624-5568 and ask for Kimberly or George. You may also email info@redhookstar.com
February 16-29, 2012
Group from Occupy Red Hook confronts Fine Fare Supermarket over alleged bad practices
O
ne evening in late-January, Edward Concepcion, the general manager at Fine Fair Supermarkets, noticed some suspicious behavior in his fresh produce section. Standing by the fruit and vegetable bins was a woman, whom he did not recognize as a regular customer, taking pictures of the merchandise. The photographer was Henrietta Perkins, a resident of the Red Hook Houses and frequent attendee at Occupy Red Hook meetings, which take place weekly in the basement of Added Value on Wolcott Street. “I told her that if she didn’t leave, I would call the cops,” says Concepcion, whose cousin owns the supermarket located on Lorraine Street. The group has focused its attention in recent meetings on what they say are “potential code violations” at the store. Despite a recent inspection by the Department of Agriculture and Markets that found conditions at the store to be up to par, the Occupy group insists that refrigerators are kept at inadequate temperatures, that food bins are filthy and that meats are put on display past their expiration dates.
A tense situation When Perkins returned a few weeks later with three others to take more pictures, Concepcion did not bother to
February 16-29, 2012
by Matt Graber
confront them. He called 911 and the cops met the four activists at the door. Much of what followed was caught on camera by Tucker Sabath, who complained afterward of being “manhandled” by one of the officers and threatened by another. In the video, Sabath and Perkins are standing by the store exit. Sabath has his blackberry playbook pointed face level at two male officers, who tell him that he cannot leave until the captain arrives. He repeatedly demands an explanation, and one officer is heard saying “-before I get messed up and hit this guy.” “You’re going to hit me? Why would you do that?” Sabath says.
Fine Fare Supermarket off Lorraine Street serves primarily the population of the Red Hook Houses (photo by George Fiala).
“Why would I not do that?” the officer responds.
the lack of access to healthy food in low income areas.
A few minutes later Sabath tries to approach one of the cops, who is talking to Concepcion by the meat section, and the female officer pushes him back. Sabath maintains that the 18-minute video clearly documents “unprofessional” behavior on the part of the cops.
The supermarket caters primarily to people living in the Red Hook Houses, “including many senior citizens who are less mobile and can’t travel very far for groceries” wrote Reg Flowers in an email to the Star-Revue the night after the incident. “It is important that the store which is most affordable and convenient to people in public housing provide safe and healthy food. In spite of threats of police harassment, the Red Hook occupiers will continue working to see the entire community
For Occupy, a bigger issue The local activists who have chosen to focus their energies on this local family-owned and -operated supermarket view the establishment as a symbol of a broader social problem –
can eat well.” On Perkins’ request, the Division of Food Safety and Inspection, (Department of Agriculture and Markets), conducted an investigation on December 1st, 2011 and found that the meats at Fine Fair were being kept at the appropriate temperatures of 40-42 degrees Fahrenheit. The Division’s report also states that “no spoiled meats were noted at the time of inspection.” The report clearly did not put matters to rest. In his email, Flowers wrote that before the cops arrived, the activists had photographed items “past the ‘sell-by’ (continued on page 14)
Red Hook Star-Revue Page 7
Curtis Skinner
On Politics
Success Academy Cobble Hill gets sued:
Advocates for Justice, a public interest legal group, is representing 15 Brooklyn parents in a suit against the highly controversial Success Academy Cobble Hill. The suit alleges that the move from districts 13 and 14—needier neighborhoods for which the city initially approved the school—to the cozier Cobble Hill in district 15 is illegal under the New York State Charter School Act. Advocates for Justice has sued the Department of Education four times in the past year and threatened to sue on yet another occasion. Two of the suits were rejected because the State Education Department was not listed as a defendant. Another—is pending trial. Local pols Chris Owens—who, for full disclosure is working on the suit—Joan Simone and Joan Millman all support the litigation. City Councilmember Steve Levin and Daniel Squadron have expressed their disapproval in the past, but have not openly commented on the lawsuit.
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Thus far in the 2012 legislative session, Brooklyn Assemblywoman Joan Millman has sponsored 15 bills, 11 of which focus exclusively on senior welfare. Topics range from SCRIE—a program that protects the elderly from rent increases that she has actively supported for some time—to meal assistance, dental care and abuse reporting in nursing facilities. And while it isn’t surprising that she would be focusing on senior issues as she currently serves as the chair on the Assembly’s committee on aging, only 25 percent of her district is 50 years or older. “She is the chair of the aging committee so that’s really been her focus,” said Anne Strahle, Millman’s chief of staff. “Last year she was the chair of the election committee. It really depends on what she is assigned to.”
P.S. 8 Expansion approved:
The K-5 Brooklyn Heights public school, P.S. 8, has been approved to expand into a middle school by the Department of Education. The school will be colocated at George Westinghouse High School which is currently at 76 percent capacity, according to Councilmember Steve Levin’s press spokesperson. “P.S. 8 has seen incredible success in recent years, transforming from an underperforming school to a popular—and now over-capacity—elementary school option for District 13 families,” read a testimony for State Senator Daniel Squadron. There are some parents of Westinghouse High School students that aren’t particularly thrilled about the co-location but by most accounts the community support for the campus is overwhelming. “It’s something that the community needs and this is something that we can make work,” said Benjamin Petok, Councilmember Levin’s press spokesperson.
Future of PortSide and the Mary A. Whalen Uncertain
Carolina Salguera aboard the Mary Whelan (photo by Stefan Pielow).
A
public meeting discussing the future of PortSide has been scheduled by founder Carolina Salguera for Monday, February 27, 2012 at the Long Island College Hospital from 6:30-8:30 pm, with further discussion afterwards at nearby Montero’s bar. Vital to the future of this floating museum is accessibility, and berthed at its current location with the Red Hook Container Terminal. Port Authority and Homeland Security rules preclude the possibility of creating events for any sort of crowd, not to mention school buses full of children out on a field trip. This accessibility problem has hindered the non-profit in both their fundraising and event planning, and if a new situation is not at least promised by April 30th, Salguera has made the painful decision to close shop which among other things might lead to the demise of the Mary A. Whelan, a historic pre-World War II oil tanker.
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Originally, PortSide was promised a home in nearby Atlantic basin by the NYC Economic Development Corporation. This location is more amenable for tourism and events because it is close to the cruise terminal. However, a lease was not obtained and the Mary Whelan has remained berthed at the Container Terminal. Salguera promises increased events that would be a boost to the Red Hook community if only she a better home. She remains committed to Red Hook and at this public meeting. It is hoped a solution can be found. There are potential sites that Salguera has identified which will be discussed at the meeting.
February 16-29, 2012
Focus on our schools:
I
PS 15 uses art as a way for their youth to transcend their environment By Elizabeth Graham
nside the PS 15 gym, young shoppers crowded around tables, haggling over prices, arguing with vendors and plunking down bills in exchange for colorful handmade trinkets.
choosing items to buy.
new treasures.
Students even waged ad campaigns with signs drawn in marker dangling from competing tables. One offered “very beautiful things” while another proclaimed “It’s for charity.”
The event was coordinated by Marquis Studios, a DUMBObased non-profit arts organization which partners with PS 15.
The Red Hook school’s third and fourth-graders were participating in an African marketplace, which transformed the gym into a hive of activity as students took turns playing the roles of customer and retailer. The jewelry, birdhouses, scarves, t-shirts, bookmarks and journals for sale were all made by students, who hawked their wares when they were behind the tables, but sought the best deals when they were
Bookmarks and birdhouses In the middle of the crowd, fourth-grader Derick Barker showed off the necklace made from rolls of colorful paper that he had just bought, while Jama Bellahcene made her way from table to table. The third-grader spent two days making bookmarks, journals and birdhouses to sell, and she was excited to see her friends buying the things she had made.
Kids purchased items by exchanging cash for marketplace dollars, four of which were worth $1 in real money, but the whirlwind of buying and selling didn’t last long. In less than an hour, the merchandise was sold out, and students headed back to PS 15’s African Marketplace was held on their classrooms Monday the 13th of February. with their piles of
The marketplace was designed to give kids a peek into the business world while challenging their creativity, David Marquis, executive director of Marquis Studios, said. “It’s really important that young people grow up under- Red Hook’s PS 15 Patrick Daly School occupies a block between standing what a real business Richards and Van Brunt on Sullivan Street is. Too much on TV and in the to bring the outside world into The arts are “in the fiber of movies makes it look like evRed Hook. We felt the best way the school,” Leonard said, erybody’s a millionaire with no to do that was through the arts,” adding that the diversity of effort,” he said. Denise Leonard, the school’s the student body demands a The event was also an exercise leadership team chair, said. creative approach to learnin generosity. Half of the monThis year, the school is part- ing. “I think that’s why we ey raised from the marketplace nering with the Metropolitan value the arts – they reach the will go to an African charity Opera, which sends a singer or children in different ways.” that Marquis Studios supports, musician to spend time with The influx of art galleries and while students get to vote on each class, teaching them singhow the other half is spent for ing and composing techniques. specialty stores into the neighborhood has had an effect on their school. The lessons clearly had an im- students as well. For years, the pre-K through pact on at least one class, which fifth-grade school has part- performed a libretto during a “Now we use Red Hook as a renered with a number of arts recent competition to create source,” Alev Dervish, who has organizations in an effort to cheers for the New York Giants. taught English to students at the bring a colorful curriculum to Other partnerships offer expo- school for 15 years, said. “I’ve seen a neighborhood that often felt sure to ballroom and cultural it sustained and grow. Now the cut off from the rest of the city. dance, musical instruments, for- kids can go to the gallery across “We felt the isolation of the eign languages and the impor- the street, and visit with shop community and the lack of tance of healthy eating to the owners who are artistic. Now it’s not just a walk to the pier.” transportation, and we tried school’s nearly 400 students.
We are across from Coffey Park (718) 923-9880
February 16-29, 2012
Red Hook Star-Revue Page 9
Journalism that’s ahead of The Times US Customs Decision Threatens our Working Port. NY Times reports the same story over a week later...
January 16, 2012
January 25, 2012
Published Twice Monthly and Available throughout Red Hook, The Columbia Waterfront District, Carroll Gardens and Gowanus. 101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 Kimberly@redhookstar.com Page 10 Red Hook Star-Revue
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The Beatles made us feel American by Mary Anne Pietanza
I
‘Bright are the stars that shine Dark is the sky I know this love of mine Will never die And I love her’
’ll never forget those lyrics as they drifted from the car stereo, their soft melody caressing our ears as my sister, friends and I rode in the back seat of Janie Zeena’s Impala one night in July of 1964. Our lips were mouthing the romantic words and we were swaying in easy side-to-side motion as we all sang along, even Janie’s mother, Anne. It was a warm summer night. We were going to the Dairy Queen on Court Street for ice cream, but we weren’t thinking about ice cream, we were dreaming of our new heart“Beatle mania” did not bypass Red Hook. We were swept away with the rest of the world. On the evening of their first appearance, Feb. 7, 1964, my friends and I were all glued to our black and white console television sets in our respective apartments (there was no social activity on Sunday nights or any night for that matter) as we waited anxiously for the Beatles to be announced on the Ed
er for him. He was cutting fruit for his evening snack when he questioned my mother about the unusual commotion, “Ma, che cosa?” Translation: “What the heck is going on?” My mother explained to him in Italian who the Beatles were. His face took on a disapproving grimace, he let out a long, drawn out sigh and sucked his teeth. Then he mumbled something in Italian that was equivalent to saying we “all had fresh heads.” (An expression meaning there are more serious things in life to be concerned with and in this case, it was... the Beatles?) The moment they appeared and all the screaming frenzy erupted on TV, we had pretty much decided who “our Beatle” was. Each was up for grabs. (Who liked Paul? Who liked Ringo?)
We knew imJohn, Ringo, Paul and George back in the day. mediately which Sullivan Show. It seems trivial now, but Beatle we fell in love with on sight. As back then, it was a larger-than-life oc- they sang, my father made it clear to us casion and the most exciting thing that that he found their long hair to be a “rehappened to us in Red Hook by far. We bellious act of defiance,” calling them were finally a real part of American cul- “disgraziati” (disgraceful) and “deliture. We were no longer isolated from quenti minorili” (juvenile delinquents.) the world, or our own borough. Differ- My sister and I kept our near-exploding feelings to ourselves until we met ences among friends were forgotten, up with our friends the next day after strife between neighbors were put aside. school when we excitedly raced in our A unity encircled us from surrounding school uniforms to the record shop on neighborhoods. We all came together. Clinton Street, and bought the 45 rpm I was 10, my sister 12, my brother 15, single, “She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, but it was my sister and I who were Yeah!” Since Janie Zeena was the cool drawn to the television set that night as kid on the block and her house was the we sat on the floor to get as close as pos- place where all the kids could hang out, sible to the screen. My mother, forever it was there that we were able to play young at heart - despite her house dress our record on her state-of-the-art Vicand curlers - got caught up in the ex- trola, something none of us possessed. citement, too, as she waited in anticipa- Janie’s parents owned the gas station tion with us. My father was sitting at the on the corner of our block on Hamilton kitchen table silently watching us with Avenue. They were considered the rich suspicion. It was a Sunday like any oth- family. They had all the latest luxuries:
February 16-29, 2012
‘Across the Universe” a 2007 love story with a Beatles soundtrack, used Red Hook for some of it’s backdrops and provided Mary Anne and her friends with a strange circularity (photo courtesy of Revolution Studios).
a car, a color television, all the trendy fashions. Janie’s parents, Anne and Bill, were an extremely handsome couple. They were Greek with earthy olive skin and lustrous black hair, both of whom were very sexy to say the least. She was exotic. He was, well, delicious. They were hip, liberal and lots of fun! Anne Zeena was the fashion guru and we all admired the way she wore her tight fitting skirts and tank tops with her hair swept up in a French twist with long bangs wisping across her forehead. She had the biggest, roundest brown eyes I had ever seen and she enhanced them with her bold fake lashes and eyeliner. The Zeenas were only too happy to let us kids go to town in their parlor and play the Beatles’ records over and over again as we all assumed “our Beatle’s” position and pretended we had guitars and drums and sang our hearts out with their songs. Janie’s mother would come upstairs and join us as we sang and she would sway and snap her fingers to the beat. She was so awesome.
An incredible time in history What was unique about our “jamming” was the unbelievable harmony we had as a group. There was no fighting or nitpicking about the choice of Beatles we were “playing.” We sometimes swapped each other’s Beatle and then swapped back to our own, eventually all having a turn as lead singer. It was all in fun, and an incredible time in history that I don’t think could ever be duplicated with another singing sensation. I can’t say it was a daily ritual, but it was many afternoons a week that we jammed, and with each new record release, it was more and more fun as our sessions grew longer and longer, too.
Beginning of the end But good things always come to an end and it was no different for us when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened that same year in November and the Zeenas decided that they wanted a home in suburbia. They were among the first to leave our block for Staten Island. And
once they left, truthfully, it felt like the beginning of the end because things were never the same after that. I have many fond memories of Janie and the good times we had “playing” the Beatles. I know for my sister and me it was the one true time in our childhood that we felt American as opposed to Italian. Not in a bad way, though. It was kind of cool to be in our parents’ home amongst the cultural ways of our mother and father, living life as they would in Italy - their romance language passionately lingering about us, listening to opera every Sunday morning - then escaping down the street to enter a whole new world of Beatle-mania, getting sewn into the fabric of iconic America. We had the best of both worlds, really. For a short time, anyway. I saw Janie Zeena again many years later in the late seventies while working on the floor of the stock exchange. One of the traders there happened to mention her name to me. We contacted each other and met for lunch where we relived our childhood with the best stories, among them, the Beatles’ jam sessions. We caught up on family matters and compared our lives “post Red Hook,” and we swore to keep in contact from then on. But, we never did. Long ago the Beatles brought us together in Red Hook. They touched our lives and gave us a sense of belonging, despite our solitude as a neighborhood. Coincidentally, they did the same for us many years later. It was not in the colossal fashion of 1964, of course, but it was rewarding just the same. A Red Hook friend and I went to see Across the Universe. The movie, a love story set to a compilation of Beatles’ music, revealed scenes on the Red Hook waterfront, behind the Beard Street Warehouse on Van Brunt Street where a mutual friend of ours still docks his boat. In the dark theatre, we shouted simultaneously, “Look, it’s Red Hook!” It was a total surprise and we felt an immediate sense of pride that this little corner of our once defamed world was worthy of being a cutting-edge scene in this spectacular cinematic tribute to the Beatles in 2007. I mean, really, who would have guessed?
Red Hook Star-Revue Page 11
Remembering Red Hook Drinking Establishments - part one
The Days of Free Lunch on Van Brunt Street by JJ Burkard
H
ow many remember the little boy story? It went like this: Boy: “Is my Fodder in there?” Barkeep: “Get away from the screen door before you get hoit!” Patron at end of bar: “Ah! Give the kid some pretzels” And so it went on a daily basis, a ritual. But why did the kid seek his father at the local pub back in those days? Simply because that is where he would expect to be found, trying to avoid going home to his wife of 35 years and explain why he was not hired at the shape-up that morning. Why did he have to spend some of the rent money to satisfy his unquenchable thirst after walking all over the piers in search of work on the docks? Finally, the lad’s father could hide no longer. Try as his cronies may, it was just impossible to conceal his huge hulking body behind the free lunch counter where he spent most of his time, (but not his money). The lad’s eagle eyes knew just where to look, and when he spotted his Dad, he let out a yelp and ran straight into his arms. Red Hook pubs in those days, 1880’s and beyond, were famous for feeding their customers. The lunch consisted of stale bread, mustard, ketchup, pickles, and a few slabs of liverwurst, though it was hard to distinguish the liverwurst from the stale bread. But this did not discourage those hearty appetites at the Shaft Alley as it was called, located at Hamilton Avenue and Imlay Street. The Shaft Alley continued to serve free lunch at the lunch counter up until the end of WW II, when the Bat-
tery Tunnel work was finally completed and, in the name of progress, workmen began to tear down and rebuild the entire area. Many pubs in the neighborhood tried to copy the Shaft Alley with free lunch, but the cost proved too much when groups of workers from other docks would flock to these generous pubs and consume much more than they were supposed to. Later, experienced owners cut down on the free lunch by serving cheddar cheese and crackers only, and even then they had to watch the patrons like hawks. There was a pub outside the neighborhood at the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge that served the most delicious Wisconsin cheddar cheese out of a large crock. Myself and five other hungry guys found this to be a beer drinker’s treasure and quickly began raiding Hitchcock’s famous pub on Park Row every evening after work. After about two weeks, we were no longer allowed in the place; we were effectively barred from the premise. So we returned to the friendlier taverns back in Brooklyn, Or more accurately Red Hook. I never did find out where Hitchcock’s stocked up on their cheddar... While Shaft Alley was the northern most location for Red Hooks pubs, on the opposite end of the spectrum you would find on the extreme southern end of Red Hook Point, Sunny’s Bar. Now Sunny’s did not close down; in fact they’re still serving brew and have been since it first opened. Originally a family called Hoppe’s were the proprietors, and the current owneroperators are related to the first family that began taking care of the shipyard
workers from Atlantic Basin, a shipyard that was in business during WWII. Later they even catered to the U.S. Coast Guard before that government service moved to Governor’s Island and made it their largest base ever. Today, the Coast Guard has vacated the Island and now maintains their largest base An street scene from the old days in Red Hook (photo courin a new and recently tesy of http://www.pardonmeforasking). finished modern facila weekend. One could always experience ity in Alaska. Sunny’s however is still on an argument or two, (sometimes at the Conover Street after all these years, and a same time), which inevitably spilled out visit any Friday or Saturday night can find into Hamilton Avenue and Court Street a lively time with none other than the in a real old fashioned donnybrook. What congenial barkeep, Sunny himself behind started out as one side against the other, the stick serving up the delights to a hapbecame a free-for- all. There were some py evening crowd. Most of the reasonwho merely jumped into the fray just to ably priced thirst quenchers are bottled; aimlessly get in a few punches without the sticks mentioned are now just relics knowing who they were hitting, and they of Red Hook’s Golden Age of pubs past. did not care why. I had a brother who But the weekend music is a sought after used to pal out at 13 Corners with his attraction by the customers who travel friends. He used to call it fun, God Bless from many parts of the city to our village him, may his soul rest in peace. Somehow of Red Hook to enjoy. though, when I was preparing for a date Beginning on the farthest eastern point any given Sunday afternoon and looking was the infamous 13 Corners Café. There for my new topcoat, I did not like his idea were not really thirteen corners at all. of fun so much when I discovered my coat The most anyone could count was eleven, he borrowed the night before, laying on and that was stretching it somewhat. No the closet floor with blood stains to be one could determine exactly who did own found in every place imaginable. No sir, the premises. But if you liked lots of ex- not my idea of fun at all… citement, that was the place to visit on
Continues next issue!
Brooklyn Historic Railway Corporation is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting rail transit and rail transit history in Brooklyn and the New York City area. BHRA will be offering annual memberships later in 2012, but currently is accepting donations. BHRA is a registered non profit organization. All contributions to BHRA are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Since 1982, BHRA has been offering tours of the historic Atlantic Avenue Tunnel, the world’s oldest subway, as listed in the Guiness Book of World Records and the National Register of Historic Places. BHRA also has three decades of experience in working light rail/trolley technology and has been trying to bring trolleys back to Brooklyn since the early 1980’s. Around 1994, BHRA was solicited and retained by the City of New York to build and operate a trolley line from Red Hook to downtown Brooklyn. The beginning of our line can still be seen on the beautiful waterfront promenade behind Fairway. Apparently, BHRA was too far ahead of its time. After we completed a section of our line in Red Hook streets, for reasons unknown, our tracks were ripped from the street and our equipment carted away. THE TIME IS NOW Although we are the “historic” railway association, light rail and trolleys are now the FUTURE in over a dozen American cities and a staple of urban transport in virtually every European city. They are efficient, environmentally friendly and stimulate economic development
Check out our website and join the ride into the future.
BHRA, A Local Brooklyn and Red Hook Company. Brooklyn Historic Railway Corporation www.Brooklynrail.net
Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue
rdiamond @brooklynrail.net
February 16-29, 2012
Enrollment now open for the 15th annual season of the Red Hook Youth Baseball League
T
he Red Hook Youth Baseball League is recruiting for the Spring Season! All boys and girls ages 10-12 are welcome. Players must be 10 years old by April 1, 2012 and cannot turn 13 until March 1, 2012 or later. To sign-up, come to the Red Hook Community Justice Center Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 9:30 AM-4:45 PM or Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM or sign up at the Lorraine Street ballfields during pre-season practice. Pre-Season practice will be held on Saturday, March 17th, 24th and 31st at the Lorraine Street ballfields around the corner from the Red Hook Recreation Center (155 Bay Street). The deadline to register is March 31. Opening Day ceremonies will be held on April 14th at 9:00 AM and Trophy Day celebrations will be held June 29th immediately following the championship game. Thanks to generous donations from Councilwoman Sara M. Gonzalez, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, and other team sponsors, there is no registration fee to play. The uniform fee is $10 plus two hours of volunteer service on April 7th with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to help beautify the fields before the start of the season. The Red Hook Youth Baseball League is
a unique collaboration between the Red Hook Community Justice Center, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, local businesses, and community volunteers. The League was founded in 1996 by AmeriCorps volunteers and staff members from the Red Hook Community Justice Center as an effort to bring organized sports to youth in the neighborhood. Despite Red Hook’s abundance of ballfields, there hadn’t been organized baseball in Red Hook for 18 years before the founding of this League. Every year since then, on any given Saturday in the springtime, more than 150 boys and girls, dozens of community volunteers and parents fill the baseball diamonds and stands. The Red Hook Youth Baseball League is still about more than balls and strikes; everyone involved works to instill in the young ballplayers the highest standards of sportsmanship, leadership and respect. The philosophy of the league is to provide Red Hook youth with structured, competitive baseball, while at the same time encouraging their continued success in school and supporting them to become contributing members of the community. The Red Hook Youth Baseball League acknowledges Commissioner of the League, Mr. Pete Morales, for his leadership and dedication to the youth of
The Red Hook Youth Baseball League accepts all players and there is no registration fee involved thanks to generous local donors.
Red Hook. The League would not be possible without the support of its generous sponsors, including Councilwoman Sara M. Gonzalez, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, The Southern Trucking Co., The Brazen Head, Mr. Romles Gibbs, Mr. Brett Taylor, Ms. Phoebe Washburn, Smart Tax, the O’Connell Organization, and other supporters. For more information about the League, how to sign-up or to make a tax-deductible donation, contact Viviana Gor-
don at 718-923-8274 or VGORDON@ courts.state.ny.us.
The Red Hook Star-Revue is looking for someone to cover local sports in Red Hook. If you think that might be you, give George or Kimberly a call at (718) 624-5568 or email sports@redhookstar.com.
Reporter’s Notebook:
The Joy of a NY Sports Fan By Michael Racioppo
On the evening of December 11th, the New York Giants trailed the Dallas Cowboys by 12 points with less than five minutes to play. As I sat with my Eli Manning jersey draped over my shoulder all I could think about was whether I could fight the masochistic urge of watching my beloved Giants play the Washington Redskins the following week. Any thoughts of beating the cowboys or making the playoffs had left my mind and, I thought, as I am sure fellow giants fans did, the realm of the possible. But in the next five minutes, Giants Quarterback Eli Manning led two touchdown drives and freak athlete Jason Pierre Paul blocked a game-tying field goal for the Giants to win 37-34. Like Michael Corleone in Godfather 3, they had “pulled me back in.” I was hooked. After a hiccup against the lowly Redskins the Giants went on a run for the ages which, as we all know, ended with a Super Bowl victory. But, with a few minutes left in Super Bowl XLVI it seemed like the Cinderella run was going to end. The Giants trailed in the fourth quarter and didn’t take the lead until there was only 57 seconds left on the clock. Even then the game came down to the final play. On that play, Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady attempted a Hail Mary pass into the end zone. It was knocked down by Giants defenders and the Giants won the Super Bowl 21 to 17. In the week following the Super Bowl, I got my hands on every article I could read and watched every highlight I saw. It felt like I had done something. It was as if the game against the Cowboys was somehow my own near death experience and the Super Bowl was a revival of biblical proportions. Of course it wasn’t. Even though I kept with my tradition of watching with the same group during a winning streak I had nothing to do with it. But the feeling a fan has when their team wins are real and it is why sports is the best entertainment. The outcome, unlike books or films, is undetermined. It
makes the tension feel real but it’s not. It’s like a war with no victims. The rush is real, the consequences are not. It’s great. Go Big Blue!
February 16-29, 2012
Red Hook Star-Revue Page 13
Letters:
(send yours to letters@redhookstar.com)
Mistaken Identity Dear Red Hook Star Revue, In your recent edition dated February 1-15, in News From the Street, “Carey Monserrate Remembered,” you say: “A man who introduced himself simply as Wilson broke down during a description of how Carey had helped pull him out of a personal crisis.” That is not so. I am Wilson, Red Hook resident and long-time friend of Carey. I did speak several times that night, but the man you’re describing here is a bearded fellow named Pete. I’d appreciate it if you could print a correction. Thanks and best regards, Wilson Kello Editors Note: We were there and we apologize. It was a touching evening and we still mourn the loss. Letter from Ossining February 5, 2012 Since the age of pre-historic hunters and gathers, communities basically consist of a group of people whose common goal is for the greater good of the whole. Through evolution, community’s definition expanded with time, but the basic fundamental ideology, (the greater good for all), remains the same. A society loses its identity when its basic principle ceases to prevail. Each individual has a duty to perform in order to keep the community alive. My premise for this deduction reflects
the main objective of the editor and staff at the Red Hook Star-Revue. Hunting for all or any, indiscretion, conduct from our elected officials, seeking and gathering vital information is for the greater good of our community. Investigating news and getting the information out to the population takes tremendous amounts of energy, time and financial resources; therefore, I salute you and your staff and to all the unsung heroes for keeping the struggle alive and our voices heard. In the Volume 3, No. 1, January 1st edition on page 11, the Red Hook StarRevue highlights the “Progress in The Hook”. Although the staff at the Red Hook Star-Revue takes no credit for the positive changes made in our communities, one cannot deny the fact that without their collected reporting and diligence on these matters, these changes would probably have remained unresolved. To brother Reg Flowers and all his supporters, Red Hook may be the road less travelled, but let it be known that we the people of Red Hook pave the way as an example to others of how the old residents and the new residents can come together collectively regardless of race or ethnicity for one common goal. Might I further mention that Occupy Wall Street ain’t got nothing on Occupy Red Hook. Unlike Occupy Wall Street, we the people of Red Hook village refuse to allow corporate America to invade our community and deplete our financial resources without taking a conducive stand. May you and your supporters stay strong in your struggle
and continue the good fight. Despite my own faults, I myself am proud to say that Red Hook is my home and upon my release will take my place, fall in line amongst the ranks of others and do all I can for the greater good for all in the community. Your Brother in Arms, David K. Middleton Editor’s Note: David K. Middleton first wrote to us in January 2012. He is currently incarcerated in Sing-Sing where he has earned a degree and is working towards His second. He is eligible for parole in 2016.
Heartwarming I read your article about your son two times over dinner last night and have saved it to re-read and show to others. I salute you for the courage, love, dedication and wisdom you demonstrated in loving your son during that evolutionary trajectory and that you exhibited in writing that article (what an example to the world). Again, I’m sorry for your loss, but I thank you for the gift you have given us all in writing that story. best, Carolina Salguero, Founder + Director, PortSide NewYork Uplifting Noted Downtown Brooklyn Tabernacle Church Pays Tribute to Red Hook Resident is refreshing and uplifting. The message is reaching us in Chesapeake, VA. Friends are reacting with authentic discussions as hope replaces denial. The transparency of this Life Journey reveals what acceptance and the love of people can do to bring healing to years of misery. The willingness to reach out and touch hurting lives, as this church
group practiced their faith, brings a challenge to our culture. The sharing of this true experience can mentor the path. This is truly a gift of hope. Victory over vices with family forgiveness is how God works. To be a father whose heart could listen with wisdom and discernment, inspite of the intelluctual facts of the relationship history, is inspiring and challenging to all parents. - Jane Reuter
Incident at Fine Fair (continued from page 7 date, but also made note of refrigeration units that were not at the temperature required by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which is a public health hazard.”
Fine Fare says they care “I don’t know who these people are; I don’t know what they want,” Concepcion says, standing in the spot where activists had been detained by the police a week before. His cousin, Damien Castillo, opened up the supermarket seven years ago. Both men say that the community has always been good to them, and that there have been minimal problems. “The community responds well to me,” Castillo says. “I have no idea about any of this. I mean sometimes we will have problems but over the years everyone knows me and no one gives me a hard time. I’m part of the community. It’s like a marriage. We both have to work together. Come tell me what’s wrong and how to fix it and I’ll do it.”
In the Nabe.... by Vince Musacchia
Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue
February 16-29, 2012
Scene: George:
In search of one final article to put the finishing touch on this issue of the Red Hook Star-Revue, Kimberly and I set off last Saturday to check out the scene at Bait and Tackle, Van Brunt’s often lively bar opened by Barry O’Meara back in 2004. We had checked the back page calendar and saw that a band called the Flanks was scheduled to start at 9 p.m. Bait and Tackle’s web page called the band “Feel good, sing along, dirty country folk.”
Kimberly:
I didn’t want to go. After all, it was Saturday. Another long week. I had already worked my forty hours long before Wednesday was even over. But I said I would. So I went.
When we walked in, Bait and Tackle was so full that the only place we could sit was way in the back, stuck between the pinball machine and the bathroom. Which was alright as we absorbed our first round. No seats at the bar. No seats at a table. I was tired; did I really have to stand? Salvation came in a back row chair where I did not have to be involved. One hour was promised; I started the timer.
The band had already started when we arrived, and for a while it sounded like they were singing a bunch of Irish drinking songs, maybe a bit sloppy at times, and only a slight bit dirty, but for sure they were having fun. I watched. I listened. Maybe this was not my thing. “I’ll just sit back and let the music fill my head, with eyes closed till time expires,” I told myself. Drink in hand, head tilted against the back wall and my most sullen expression, I felt my foot start tapping. “Cheers, George; this is fine. Thanks for getting
Kimberly & George check out The Flanks at Van Brunt’s Bait and Tackle
me out of the office, I guess.”
After a while we decided that playing wallflower was only good for a while and so we sauntered over to the bar close to the stage to listen and take a few photos. My lousy mood was soon betrayed by my lower extremities and I was aware of myself rising out of the blues. The music was catchy, working its way into my bones; I had to take a step closer to investigate. Ms. Pac Man table. An overhanging sign that read “Douche bag.” Somewhere in the band someone was strumming a banjo and a light angelic voice shattered my stubbornness.
The good timeyness of the band was contagious. The bar crowd, (who in the past has been known to talk over the band), really started getting into the music, applauded just about every song and was even relatively quiet during the songs, although nothing like the reverent scene often found at Jalopy. Approaching the stage, a little nearer to the bar. Four rough neck boys clad in flannels crowded onto a tiny stage surrounded by the vocal sweetheart, while the drummer was beating upstage them all. I was still only observing, not letting myself be “Flanked” in. The first set ended and the bar crowd turned to butterflies, all seeking social interaction. Likewise, my cocoon melted away and slightly before my hour drew to a close, I fluttered into the scene.
On the front stage were guitarists, harmonica players, fiddlers, singers and up a bit was a drummer who also played mandolin and piano when called upon. After a while the songs included country tunes that sometimes were reminiscent of Jerry Jeff Walker in the 1970’s, other times perhaps Bandish.
While George enjoyed the good natured drinking songs played by The Flanks, Kimberly loved the angelic singing of Margaret Mitchell.
A band member, the sound guy and a local Red Hooker enveloped me into a conversation. Before I could protest, I was being shown scars, trading war stories and listening to an enormous array of bar banter.
frantically for a piece of the evening to take home with me. CD’s were refreshingly affordable, only $5 each. After the show, we stuck around for a while talking with the band and listening to the stories. Kimberly seemed most taken with the female member of the band, Margaret Mitchell. While she introduced herself, I took my leave again to grab another round next door, hoping to make my exit and re-entrance unnoticed.
We asked the band whether the crowd was composed of friends, and they pointed to a couple tables in the back housing their friends, but no, the front room was just the regular B&T Saturday night scene enjoying the night. The band weary and the crowd thinSet number two started and I no longer craved my seat of obscurity. Meanwhile, George was nowhere to be found. A fiddle crooned, a bass voice bellowed and the patrons refocused their attention. My drink was refreshed, dancers stepped up and George reappeared wearing a bashful and crooked grin.
While I ducked out next door at the Ice House for a few betweenset drinks and caught the end of a tight Knicks game that they ended up winning, Kimberly enjoyed some banter with members of the band and the bar staff. I spent the rest of the show away from my corner seat dancing, laughing and wondering where George kept running off to. I was fascinated watching The Flanks trade off instruments and engage the entire space with their lack of room on stage.
ning. I once again found myself looking around for George. I was shocked to realize my one hour time limit had stretched to three. And then, finally, George’s elusiveness revealed itself: apparently he is a Knicks fan. With less than a minute left, the Knicks were down. After missing a free-throw, Lin hit the second one and the Knicks were up to stay. The Knicks had won the game everybody went back to drinking. I went back to Kimberly at Bait and Tackle. The Flanks, not native to Brooklyn, but now currently all residing here, are contributing to the music scene in Red Hook. Although this was their first time performing at Bait and Tackle, I have a feeling we may be seeing them here again soon as well as future shows at Jalopy.
We were told that this was their first time at Bait and Tackle, who are expanding their musical schedule. The Flanks will be playing at Jalopy along with Alex Battles and the Whiskey Rebellion on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day.
It turned out that not many of the tunes were familiar because most were written by the Flanks, who have been a band for almost ten years. We bought a CD to investigate further. We were told that this was their first I walked away with a souvenir, a lighttime at Bait and Tackle, which is ex- ened attitude and a few new friends. This was a satisfying evening, even for panding its musical schedule.
Kimberly listens to Rob the sound guy spin his tales outside Bait and Tackle as Gabriella, on the right takes it all in (photos by George Fiala).
February 16-29, 2012
As the guitars were being laid to rest and the fiddle banjo and harmonica made their disappearing act, I sought
the most sullen of us all.
George and Kimberly publish the Red Hook Star-Revue Red Hook Star-Revue Page 15
Art:
Women are viewed in different ways at new Kentler exhibit photos and story by Elizabeth Graham
W
ith paper, pen, marker and pencil, the portraits hanging on the walls of Kentler International Drawing Space capture beauty, power and humor in the female form. There are earnest, introspective faces drawn with sweeping curves, representations of female roles throughout history and cartoonish figures expressing a range of emotions. The gallery’s current exhibit, “The Influential Female,” seeks to explore women’s role in history and art, and is a collection of work by ten artists whose
that it just highlights how women are viewed in different ways.” The show includes artists from Brooklyn and across the country, whose works on paper were selected and curated by Randall Harris of Figureworks, a Williamsburg gallery. Brooklyn artist Meridith NcNeal’s dramatic ink drawings of headless figures wearing colonial-era gowns mix beauty with a certain uneasiness, while the women’s eyes peering out from Arlene Morris’s paper panels evoke a sense of mystery. A series titled “The Back of my Head” is a look at the artist’s varied hairstyles, and a video titled “Laughing Women” shows guffawing cartoon mouths while women laugh in the background. The same artist created small images of women with white, staring eyes using marker and magazine photos pasted onto paper plates. Alongside the string of paper plate portraits, a series of cartoonish sketches line the wall, with titles like “Cramping Woman,” “A Woman With Long Hair,” and “Meeting in a Garbage Can.”
Kentler International Drawing Space director Florence Neal.
“Her There From Here,” a dramatic portrait of a pensive woman with long flowing hair blowing back to form a spiral at the end, is one of three graphite drawings that Sunset Park artist Clarity Haynes has hanging in the show.
different takes on the theme range from classic portraits to simple collages to sketches on paper plates. “The strength and resilience of women I think is beautifully represented here by these artists,” Florence Neal, the gallery’s director, said. “It’s important in
“The spiral of hair gives an idea of some kind of magic or ritual to the everyday,” Haynes said. She also incorporated everyday magic and the hint of ritual into “The Healing,” which shows an older woman standing behind a young woman with her arms wrapped protectively
You’ll Get Hooked!
Signora della Casa: Conversazione, an ink drawing by Brooklyn artist Meridith McNeal
around her shoulders. To create a portrait of her partner, Kate, Haynes purposely “used a bunch of tropes that have been used in art history to portray men.” In the drawing, Kate wears a fedora, collared shirt, sweater, jacket and pants, with her hand tucked into the breast of her shirt in the way wealthy and famous men have traditionally been shown in portraits. Haynes is in the midst of exploring conventions in portraiture that have long been used to express people’s background and social status and “using them in a contemporary way.” Seeing her drawings hanging alongside work done by others who are pushing the same boundaries is an inspiration, she said. “You don’t often have the opportunity to see other
by Beth Dunn
You’ll Get Hooked!
A marker sketch by Kiyomitsu Saito.
people’s work who are interested in the same things.” The exhibit will run until March 25. For more, visit www.kentlergallery.org.
by Beth Dunn Down 2. Big supermarket 3. _________ Pier 5. One of the streets bordering Coffey Park 7. One of the streets bordering Coffey Park 9. Red Hook _______ Pound 10. The Sixpoint Brewery is on this street 11. They’ve made sandwiches since 1922 13. The 11231 Post Office is on this street 16. One of the streets bordering Coffey Park 19. 1989 film, “ ____ ____ to Brooklyn” 20. Noted canal 21. This became I-278 in 1958 22. You can furnish your apartment here 24. Urban ______; park at President and Van Brunt Streets 26. Rapper Busta 27. One of the streets bordering Coffey Park 29. Floating museum; _______ Valley
Across 1. “The Fort That Saved America”
14. Harlan Ellison’s 1957 gang memoir, “___ of the City”
25. Red Hook ____ _____ (You’re reading it right now!)
32. 1991 film, “_______ Out of Brooklyn”
4. Brooklyn-_______ Tunnel 6. New York ____ Company; built the “twins” on Imlay Street
15. Arthur Miller’s “A View From the ______”
27. Bob who wants to bring trolleys to Red Hook
17. Place where the Red Hook Justice Center is
28. Native American trail Red Hook ____
18. New York Water ____ 21. Channel between Red Hook and Governor’s Island
30. “______ on the Docks,” 1953 film starring James Darren
We will publish a list of readers who answer the puzzle correctly. Send your entry to the Red Hook Star-Revue, 101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
23. Columbia Street __________ District
31. Steve’s Authentic ___ ____ Pies
8. Knick forward Anthony 12. Queen ____ 2; she sails from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
Page 16 Red Hook Star-Revue
33. WWE wrestler
Answers in March 1st issue
February 16-29, 2012
Dining: I
had heard some very positive buzz surrounding Battersby in the weeks leading up to my first visit, but I must confess to some skepticism when I arrived. Maybe I’m suffering from Brooklyn-style restaurant fatigue. It seems like nearly every restaurant I’ve been to and written about lately is of a similar fashion. Exposed brick walls? Check. Dangly Edison light bulbs? Check. Antique tin ceiling? Check. Old-timey cocktail list? Check. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was all becoming too formulaic, and whether a late-comer to this form would ever be able to differentiate itself amongst the slew of these same kinds of places that have sprung up in Brooklyn over the last few years. Well, the answer, it turns out, is a resounding yes. Great food can turn nearly every other characteristic of a
Smith Street’s Battersby, transcending preconceptions, hits all the right buttons by Erik Penney
studio apartments in Manhattan. It’s impossibly tiny, which makes sitting at the back end of the bar so that you can watch the delicate, close-quarters interplay between the chefs so interesting. Plates are set down, hot saute pans come off the stove, one chef twirls to avoid the other and without missing a beat the food hits the plate with great care, is sauced and finished and soon after in front of you. The restaurant’s small size allows for the kitchen not to get overwhelmed, and each time I was there the temperature, timing and cadence of each course of each meal was pitch-perfect. For a new restaurant, this is a noteworthy achievement. Our meals always started with a basket of warm, ciabbatta-like flatbread with a dish of ricotta. As simple as one could get, but perfectly executed and delicious,
“There is a dish of kimchi, made in-house, on top of which sits a log of braised pork belly. The whole pig, we were informed, arrived earlier that same day for in-house butchery.”
restaurant into a bit player, and though the atmosphere at Battersby might not seem much different from many other casual American bistros, the menu is more refined and creative than most and can be occasionally spectacular. This, of course, should have come as absolutely no surprise had I known in advance the provenance of the two chefs who opened Battersby. Joseph Ogrodnick was sous-chef at both Gramercy Tavern and John-Georges Vongerichten’s The Mark, and Walker Stern is former chef de cuisine at The Vanderbilt, which we reviewed in mid-January. They’ve also worked together at Alain Ducasse’s Essex House, and both are CIA (Culinary Institute of America) grads, so there is considerable reason to believe that the food that gets pushed out of the kitchen here could be something special. It should be noted, too, that these two chefs are actually in the kitchen, on the line, every night, which in the restaurant world is a rare find, and which gives you an idea of how seriously they take their new restaurant.
Timing is just right in a small space Battersby is small. I counted nine tables plus a generously sized bar in the middle that ends just before an open kitchen in the back, though this kitchen might only be recognizable as a kitchen to those of us who remember our first
Battersy’s homemade bread with ricotta spread begins every meal.
February 16-29, 2012
and it took real restraint not to spoil the entire rest of the meal by devouring it all with reckless abandon. The bread is toasty and the ricotta fresh and creamy, a perfect meal-starter, and in the brief seconds in between bites we noticed that just about everyone in the room had a plate of greens in front of them that turned out to be a crispy fried kale salad. Not to be left out we ordered one and were reassured by our server that it was one of her favorites. The kale is deepfried to a papery crispness and lightly dressed with chilies and a lemongrass perfume. It’s delicious, addicting, and almost refreshing in its lightness. This is a first-class way to enjoy kale, and the thoughtful, measured flavoring speaks to the chefs’ considerable dexterity with their ingredients. It is through the prism of this first dish that you can see all the classical training they have had.
No gummy bears here Polenta soup comes somewhat deconstructed, with a pile of tiny Maine shrimp sitting atop a mound of aromatic sofrito. The dish gets finished in front of you, as warm, creamy polenta-flavored stock is poured over. A nice visual touch, and table-side service like this gives any dish more gravity, though I suspect this method contributes to the overall effectiveness of the dish as well. The shrimp are small and could easily turn into gummy bears if they were to sit in the soup all night. Keeping all the components separate until service allows the shrimp (which have been ever so lightly cooked before the dish comes to you) to maintain a wonderfully soft texture. The flavors are excellent here, and the natural sweetness of both the shrimp and the soup balance magically with the earthy aromas of the vegetables, but what makes this dish superlative is the execution, the way that
the chefs handled the shrimp, which could have so easily have been ruined. There is a dish of kimchi, made in-house, on top of which sits a log of braised pork belly. The whole pig, we were informed, arrived earlier that same day for in-house butchery. This is a lay-up, an easy crowdpleaser and it works in every way. This is sweet and sour, fat and acid, salt and spice, and you could really put braised pork belly on just about anything and you’d get a positive reaction from me. But the truth is that the kimchi is quite good on its own, though somewhat less arrestingly flavored than some I’ve had, Bartender Matthew Walters mixing a Bloody Revival, made less bracing. It was with Gin Cointreau, Cocchi Americano, blood orange and pleasant, though, and Herbsaint Rinse. (photos on this page by Elizabeth Graham) was a perfect match for the belly’s soft, fatty sweetness. any of its peers. Chefs Stern and OgrodThe chefs were relentless. Veal sweet- nick’s classical training and experience breads came a la Meuniére - dredged in comes through here and you can sense flour then sautéed in butter and lemon the different level of skill these guys – and served next to long hearts of Ro- are operating with, but nothing is done maine lettuce which have been lightly gratuitously. The elements in each dish dressed in the Caesar style. An incon- have a role to play and were chosen as gruous marriage of two classic ingredi- such, and combine with great flair and ents, each delicious individually, that effectiveness. Their food is delicious, interesting and both recognizable and work exceptionally well together, the surprising at the same time. They’ve tang and crunch of the Romaine and set the bar very high, and I am eager dressing cutting into the sweetbreads’ to return as the seasons and their menu buttery pan-sauce. changes to see how they adapt. There Fresh cavatelli pasta comes perfectly al dente with shreds of duck confit, shiitake mushrooms and olives, again a masterful combination of salt, fat, sweet and earthy, the pasta providing a blank canvas for all these flavors. There is a Berkshire pork loin, grilled and served atop braised granny Smith apples and cabbage, sauced with a grainy mustard emulsion. The pommes puree are rich, smooth, buttery potatoes accented with generous lumps of oxtail which have been braised to absolute textural submission, flavors enhanced with a sherry vinegar reduction and crispy shallots. This might be the perfect winter dish: A-level comfort food.
is also a five-course chef’s tasting menu available, and given how well they’ve done by me thus far, allowing myself to submit to their collective whims might be the best choice I could make in the future. Battersby 255 Smith Street (between Douglass St. and Degraw St) www.battersbybrooklyn.com Recommended dishes: Kale salad, polenta soup, kimchi with braised pork belly, pommes puree with oxtail
Red Hook: Battersby touched several of my erog- the new brunch capital? Anything but boring
enous zones. My preconceptions regarding the décor ended up being wholly unfounded. My jaded self thought it would be boring, or typical, or uninspired, and they turned out to be none of those things and, in fact, Battersby performed better than almost any restaurant I’ve been to in the last year. The food is more sophisticated, the ingredients more thoughtfully chosen, the final execution and final preparation more carefully attended to than just about
Among restaurants now serving weekend brunch are Casa Di Compagna, Mazzat and Caselnova on Columbia Street, Lilla’s on Union and The Good Fork on Van Brunt. Except for Lilla’s, this is a new development and as the warmer weather hits it is possible that brunchers from all over will descend upon our neighborhood as word gets out.
Red Hook Star-Revue Page 17
Star-Revue Restaurant Guide Red Hook
BAKED 359 Van Brunt St., (718)222-0345. THE BROOKLYN ICE HOUSE 318 Van Brunt St., (718) 222-1865. Botanica 220 Conover St (at Coffey St), (347) 225-0147. DEFONTE’S SANDWICH SHOP 379 Columbia St., (718) 855-6982. DIEGO’S RESTAURANT 116 Sullivan St., (718) 625-1616. F&M BAGELS 383 Van Brunt St., (718) 855-2623. FORT DEFIANCE 365 Van Brunt St., (347) 453-6672. THE GOOD FORK 391 Van Brunt St., (718) 643-6636. HOME/MADE 293 Van Brunt St., (347) 223-4135. HOPE & ANCHOR 347 Van Brunt St., (718) 237-0276.
JAKE’S BAR-B-QUE RESTAURANT 189 Columbia St., (718) 522-4531.
Fall Cafe, 307 Smith Street, (718) 4030230
Palmyra, 316 Court street, 718-7971110
KOTOBUKI BISTRO 192 Columbia St., (718) 246-7980.
Five Guys, 266 Court St., 347-799-2902
Red Rose Restaurant, 315 Smith Street, (718) 625-0963
LILLA CAFE 126 Union St., (718) 8555700. MAZZAT 208 Columbia St., (718) 8521652. PETITE CREVETTE 144 Union St., (718) 855-2632. Sugar Lounge, 147 Columbia Street, 718 643-2880 TEEDA THAI CUISINE 218 Columbia St., (718) 643-2737.
Carroll Gardens/ Cobble Hill Abilene, 442 Court Street, 718-5226900,
Fragole, 394 Court Street, (718) 6227133 Francesco’s Restaurant, 531 Henry Street, (718) 834-0863 Frank’s Luncheonette, Smith Street, (718) 875-5449
Seersucker Restaurant, 329 Smith Street, (718) 422-0444
Ghang, 229 Court Street, 718-875-1369
Smith & Vine, 268 Smith Street (718) 243-2864
Gowanus Yacht Club, 323 Smith Street, (718) 246-132,Closed til spring Hana cafe, 235 Smith Street, (718) 643-1963 Le Petite Cafe, 502 Court street, 718596-7060 Ling Ling Young, 508 Henry Street, (718) 260-9095 Marco Polo Ristorante, 345 Court Street, 718 852-5015
IKEA One Beard St., (718) 246-4532. John & Franks, 367 Columbia Street, (718) 797-4467
Bar Bruno, 520 Henry St., 347-7630850,
KEVIN’S 277 Van Brunt St., (718) 5968335.
Bagels by the park, 323 Smith Street, (718) 246-1321
MARK’S PIZZA 326 Van Brunt St., (718) 624-0690.
Bar great harry, 280 Smith Street (718) 222-1103
New Lin’s Garden Restaurant 590 Clinton Street, (718) 399-1166
Bombay Dream, 257 Smith Street (718) 237-6490
Oaxaca Tacos, 251 Smith Street (718) 222-1122
RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND 284 Van Brunt St., (646) 326-7650.
Brooklyn Bread Cafe, 436 Court Street (718) 403-0234
Osaca Restaurant, 272 Court Street (718) 643-0055
ROCKY SULLIVAN’S 34 Van Dyke St., (718) 246-8050.
Buddy’s Burrito & Taco Bar, 260 Court Street, 718-488-8695,
P J Hanleys, 520 Court St, 718- 834-8223
Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie, 204 Van Dyke St, (718) 852-6018
Buttermilk channel, 524 Court Street (718) 852-8490
Columbia Waterfront District
Mama Maria’s Restaurant, 307 Court Street, (718) 246-2601 Mezcals Restaurant, 522 Court Street, 718-783-3276 Natures Grill, 138 Court street, 718852,5100, Nine-D, 462 Court Street, 718-488-8998,
Palo Cortado, 449 Court St, 718407-0047 Prime Meats, 465 Court Street, 718254-0327 or 0345,
South Brooklyn Pizza, 451 Court Street, 718 852-6018 Stinky Brooklyn, 261 Smith Street, 718 522-7425 Sweet Melissa, 276 Court Street, (718) 855-3410 Vinny’s of Carroll Gardens, 295 Smith Street, 718 875-5600 Vinny’s Pizzeria, 455 Court Street, 718 596-9342 Vino y Tapas, 520 Court Street, 718407-0047 Vinzee’s, 412 Court Street, 718 855 1401 Zaytoons, 283 Smith Street, 718 875-1880
Gowanus Michael and Pings, 437 Third Avenue, (718) 788-0017
We, at the Red Hook Star-Revue are working very hard to keep our restaurant guide up-to-date. If your restaurant is not listed or is listed incorrectly, please contact us at Kimberly@Redhookstar.com
Chestnut, 271 Smith St., (718) 2430049 cobble grill, 212 Degraw Street, (718) 422-0099
ALMA 187 Columbia St., (718) 643-5400. Bagel Boy Cafe 75 Hamilton Ave next to Chase, (718) 855-0500. CALEXICO CARNE ASADA Union St., (718) 488-8226.
Casa Rosa, 384 Court Street, 718-7971907
Savoia, 277 Smith Street, 718-797-2727
365
Angry Wades, 222 Smith Street, (718) 488-7253
Sunny’s Bar in Red HOok, 253 Conover Street, (718) 625-8211
Sals Pizza, 305 Court Street, (718) 852-6890
122
Casa Di Campagna 117 Columbia Street (718) 237-4300. CASELNOVA 214 Columbia St., (718) 522-7500. FERNANDO’S FOCACCERIA RESTAURANT 151 Union St., (718)855-1545. HOUSE OF PIZZA & CALZONES 132 Union St., (718) 624-9107.
Cobble Hill Coffee Shop, 314 Court Street, (718) 852-1162 Cody’s Ale House Grill, 154 Court Street, 718-852,6115 Crave, 570 Henry Street, (718) 643-0361 Cubana Cafe, 272 Smith Street (718) 718-858-3980 Downtown Bar & Grill, 160 Court street, 718-625-2835 Em Thai Kitchen, 278 Smith Street, (718) 834-0511 Enotica on Court, 347 Court Street, (718) 243-1000 F Line Bagels, 476 Smith Street (718) 422-0001
Now Open Mondays 5-10:30!
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Page 18 Red Hook Star-Revue
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February 16-29, 2012
Star-Revue Classifieds Help Wanted
Freelance Writers: The Red Hook Star-Revue is looking for freelance writers for both the arts and news sections. We want to buttress our news as well as local theater and arts coverage. Email Kimberly@ redhookstar.com Outside Salesperson: The Red Hook Star-Revue seeks an ambitious person who likes to walk, talk and make friends in the neighborhood to sell display advertising. Commission to start - work around your hours, no pressure. Call 718 624-5568 and speak to Kimberly or George.
Neighborhood Services Classes/Workshops
Glass Art of Brooklyn www.ernestporcelli.com 718596-4353 Glass Fusing Workshop every Wednesday Evening 7 -9 Beginners to Advanced Students welcome. Maximum 6 students per class. Classes are ongoing. Monthly fee $175, includes most materials, and firings.
Laundry Service
DELVAN DROP-OFF SERVICE
Real Estate - Apts. $3500 / 1br - 1000ft² - Top Floor Duplex, Mezzanine and Private Front Terrace! Pets Welcome! Building just two years old, green construction; nothing else like it around.Apartment is 1000 sf, has a duplex sleeping/office area, Manhattan views, and 20 x 15 front terrace. It is a combination of polished concrete floors that are heated, maple cabinetry with white marble countertop, bamboo surrounds, glass and brick trims. Top floor, quiet and tranquil, this is the Columbia Waterfront!! This is No Fee, By Owner; just $20 credit check per person applies.One year lease available, must provide income and financials, must have goodcredit. Pet friendly building! Brokers welcome. Available March/April. Call for appointment. 917-578-1991. Debbie Buscarello, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, Coldwell Banker Reliable,7428 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11209 (917) 578-1991 The Red Hook Star-Revue now publishes twice a month - classified advertising is one of the best and least expensive ways to get your message across. Special yearly contracts available for service businesses such as plumbers, electricians for as little as $500 annually. Email Kimberly at kimberly@redhookstar.com or call 718 624-5568
289 Columbia St. (at Summit) 718 797-1600 • Laundry, Dry Cleaning & Alterations • Laundry done same day!! • Regular Dry Cleaning in 2 days!! FREE Pick-up and Delivery www.delvandropoff.com
Movers
COOL HAND MOVERS Friendly local guys that can relocate your life, or just shlep your new couch from Ikea. We’ll show up on time, in a truck or van if necessary, and basically kick ass -- you might even have a good time! Call for a free estimate at (917) 584-0334 or email at coolhandmovers@gmail.com Customer reviews on YELP.COM
New HeigHts CoNstruCtioN LLC
NYC Licence # 1191201
is growing! We now publish twice a month.
Free Estimates
siding • Windows • Roofing • Fences • Kitchens • Painting • Baths • Basements • Decks • Doors • Awnings • Patio Enclosures • Brick Pointing • Concrete Stucco Visit our online showroom www.newheightsConstructionny.com
Ask about our Window Specials!
This means that we have openings for writers and advertising salespeople. Experience is not as important as enthusiasm and love for your neighborhood, Send inquiries to:
Deborah Buscarello Licensed RE Salesperson REALTOR©
George@RedHookStar.com & we’ll get back to you!
(917) 578-1911 CELL (718) 921-3100 OFFICE (347) 710-3453 EFAX dbuscarello@aol.com
Licensed Electrical Contractors Commercial • Residential • Industrial Free Estimates
Violations Removed All Types of Wiring Emergency Service EMERGENCY SERVICE 137 King Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 Fax: (718) 935-0887
Vito Liotine (718) 625-1995 (718) 625-0867 aliotine@aol.com
StarRevue Ads Work
800-525-5102 718-767-0044
RELIABLE
Each Office is Independently Owned & Operated.
7428 5th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11209
www.cbreliable.com
R & R Realty No job too big or too small
Toilets, Boilers, Heating, Faucets, Hot Water Heaters, Pool Heaters.
B & D Heating 507 Court Street 718 625-1396
February 16-29, 2012
R&R Realty – The Brooklyn Advantage
When looking for Brooklyn commercial or residential real estate, you need expert advice. Brooklyn has become New York’s art hub – home to musicians, artists and a host of emerging galleries. R&R has over 25 years specialized experience in the ever-growing and exciting landscape of Brooklyn. Whether you are seeking the best fit to house your business or looking to live in the next New York hotspot, R&R Realty is there with the answers you need. R&R can also handle all of your building management needs. Property Management of Commercial/Residential Rentals Music/Art Studio Spaces
386 Third Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215 Phone: (718) 858-5555 Fax: (718) 858-5838 Website: www.2rrealty.com
Red Hook Star-Revue Page 19
Things To Do Feb 16 - 29 If you have an event you would like listed in the Red Hook Star-Revue calendar, please email redhookstarcalendar@ gmail.com.
CHILDREN
Bethel Baptist Day Care Center 242 Hoyt St. (718) 834-9292 ACD funded Early Childhood Education Programs, Family Services, and Day Care Services for the Gowanus Community. Call for more info. Kentler International Drawing Space —353 Van Brunt St. (718) 875-2098, kentlergallery.org Sat. 2/19 Drawing Together - FREE Weekend Art Workshops for Families. Every 1st & 3rd Sat. Please register in advance @ sallie@kentlergallery.org
CHURCH/ SYNAGOGUE
Kane St. Synagogue 236 Kane St. (718) 875-1530 kanestreet.org Torah Study every 2nd Shabbat of the Month 11am-Noon
Jam (Advanced & limited to 15 players) $35. Prema Yoga 236 Carroll St. #1F Brooklyn 11231 premayoganyc.com Check Website for full schedule and special programs Yoga Classes 201 Richards St. #15 www.tessamwright.com /yoga. Join Tessa with morning yoga for every one! Hatha style style for all levels. Mondays @10am. Suggested donation - $10. YWCA Brooklyn 30 3rd Ave (btw Atlantic Ave + State St.) (718) 488-1624 ywcabklyn.org Thurs. 2/16 6:30pm Screening: More Than A Month by Shukree Hassan Tilghman. A tonguein-cheek journey through America on a campaign to end Black History Month. Presented @ LIU Kumble Theater Flatbush, Dekalb/Willoughby. FREE Tue. 2/21 6-7:30pm The Art of Self Promotion Wkshp. Meeting Rm. 1. Thurs. 6-7pm
Greenland. The Greenland photography of Rena Bass Forman and the Greenland drawings of Zaria Forman. A climate change awareness exhibition held in conjunction with Al Gore’s “The Climate Project.” Sunny’s Bar 253 Conover St. (btw Beard + Reed St) (718) 625-8211 sunnysredhook.com Through Sat 3/3 Control Burn: Home Page Series #2. Gloria Deitcher, Artist, gloriahomepage.weebly. com The second in a series of digigraphic images pivotal to the artist’s life featuring the destruction of an old barn. The Urban Divers Enviromedia Mobile (347) 224-5828 EnviroMediaMobile. UDEC@gmail.com/www.urbandivers. org All Feb. The Afro-American Seafarer Living History Exhibit: A celebration of Black History Month in a state of the art living history display that encompasses nautical re-enactors, nautical artifacts
St. Stephen’s R.C. 108 Carroll St. (718) 596-7750 delvecchiorc.com & brooklyncatholic.blogspot.com Every Wed. 6:30pm Choir rehearsal, if interested contact jlake@delvechiorc.com or evelyntroester@gmx.net Visitation of Our Blessed Virgin Mary R.C. 98 Richards @Verona (718) 6241572 Every Thurs. 6pm Choir Practice w/ Emiliana In-Home Blessings and Masses, by appointment. Languages available: English, Spanish, Italian, German. Contact Lori Burkhard at (917) 971-5522
CLASSES/ WORKSHOPS
Brooklyn General—128 Union St. (718) 237-7753 brooklyngeneral.com Classes and Workshops for all things Sewing. Call or contact their website for more info. Carroll Gardens Association 201 Columbia St (718) 243-9301 carrollgardensassociation.com Mon. 2/27 5:30-7:30pm FREE Computer Training Classes. Cora Dance 201 Richards St. #15 (btw Coffey St./Van Dyke St.) (718) 858-2520 coradance.org New Adult Classes. Every Sun. 5:30 - 6:45pm Restorative Yoga w/Jolene Festa, (child care available); Every Monday 10-11am Yoga w/Tessa Wright; 6:30-7:45pm Yoga w/Jolene Festa, (childcare available); Every Tues 5-6:30 pm Company Class, (rotating teachers); Every Sat. 10:30-11:30 Zumba w/Sarah Folland. Classes are paywhat-you-can. (Suggested donation: $10 per class, $15 per class w/child care.) Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center 540 President St. (btw 3rd + 4th Ave.) (347) 422-0337 ger-nis.com Wed. 2/15, 6:308:30pm Fresh & Fast Weeknight Meals Stir Fry Wed. $50; Sat. 2/18, 11am2pm French Pastries $65; 4-7pm Fresh Sausage Making; Sun. 2/19, 4-7pm Sunday Night Italian; Tues. 2/21, 6:309pm Seasonal Knife Skills $85; Thurs. 2/23, 6:30-9pm An Everlasting Meal w/ Tamar Adler: How to Catch Your Tail $75; Sat. 2/25, 4-7pm Duck 101 $65; Sun. 2/26, 6:30-8pm Make Your Own Take Out: Vietnamese Pho & Bubble Tea $65; Tues. 2/28, 6:30-9pm Hoe To Make Gnocchi Like An Italian Grandmother $65; Wed. 2/29. 6-9pm The Winter Herbal Kitchen $55. Jalopy School of Music 315 Columbia St. (btw Hamilton Ave + Woodhull St.) (718) 395-3214 jalopy.biz Feb - Mar. class schedules Mon. 2/6-3/26 7pm Country Harmony Singing I; 8pm Country Harmony II; 7pm Banjo III Fingerpicking. Tues 2/7-3/27 7pm Mandolin I; 7pm Banjo I; 8pm Banjo II; 7pm Ensemble 1 Class; 8pm Ensemble 1 Class. Wed 2/83/28 Exploring Your Voice; 7pm Fiddle III; 7pm Banjo I; 8pm Banjo III - Clawhammer 8pm Guitar III; 8pm Clogging Class Thurs 2/9-3/29; 7pm Mandolin II; 7pm Fiddle I; 8pm Fiddle II; 8pm Nuts & Bolts Music Theory; Fri 2/10-3/30 7pm Ukelele I; 8pm Ukelele II. Sat 2/11-3/31 1pm Guitar I; 2pm Guitar II; 3pm Finger Style Guitar I; 4pm Guitar Finger Style II; 5pm Guitar Finger Style III. $225 for 8 weeks. $275 w/intrument rental. Register for 2 classes for $50 discount. Call to confirm. Sat. 2/18 4pm, Banjo Stylings of Uncle Dave Macon Part 2 (Duet) w/ guest instructor Tom Legenhausen, $45; Sat. 2/25 2pm Round Peak Fiddle Style Wrkshp w/Pat Conte $25. Sun. 2/25 2pm Country Vocal/Instrumental Workshop &
Page 20 Red Hook Star-Revue
Gloria Deitcher, a native of Montreal, has been living in Red Hook for the past 34 years. She has studied swith Leon Golub, Michael Andre, and Robert Blackburn. Her work at Rutgers stimulated an interest in new technologies and she added video, performance and, finally, digital imaging. After losing her husband to cancer in 1999, Deitcher’s vision turned inward and her exploration of self resulted in the beginnings of the Home Page series. Her show at Sunny’s Backroom Gallery is the second in her Homepage Series of which she says, “I have begun to re-examine the blurring of public and private spaces through new technologies with my Home Page Series. These scanned prints and altered photographs are built around emails to myself and drawings done over these texts. I remain fascinated by the idea of turning an ephemeral and highly personal moment into a more permanent, public work.” Deitcher’s images are evocative and vivid, drawing one into the passion of her journey. With her words drizzled, inset, or meandering beneath the pictures, she leads you through the world of post-digital feminism with panache and audacity. The exhibit runs until March 3rd. (Sunny’s Backroom Gallery is located at 253 Conover Street between Beard and Reed Streets. Visit their website at sunnysredhook.com for more information.)
Tax Tips for Sole Propreitors. Meeting Rm. 1 Tues. 2/28 6-7pm Healthy Relationships Wrkshp. Meeting Rm. 1
COMEDY
Littlefield—622 Degraw St. littlefieldnyc.com. Every Mon 7:30pm Hot Tub w/ Kurt &Kristen $5-8 Please check website for weekly listings.
EXHIBITIONS
440 Gallery 440 6th Ave. (Park Slope) (718) 499-3844 440gallery.com Gallery hrs. - Thurs - Fri. 4-7pm, Sat - Sun. 11am - 7pm, or by appointment. Through 2/19 Imagined Light: The Paintings of Ellen Chuse. Thurs. 2/23 - Sun. 4/1. A Cup of Air: The Paintings of Karen Gibbons. Reception for the Artist Thurs 2/23, 6 9pm Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition 499 Van Brunt St. (718) 596-2506 bwac. org Spring of ‘12 “Wide Open 3” TBA Gallery Small New York---416 Van Brunt (347) 782-3729 smallnewyork. com Feb.15 Opening “Smalls: Fine 19th Century European and American Oils and Drawings”. Invisible Dog---51 Bergen Street theinvisibledog.org (347) 560-3641 Fri. 2/17 7:30pm Worktreue/G Douclas Barrett, (music/performance); Sat.2/18 7:30pm Melting Ground (cinema). Donations accepted. Kentler International Drawing Space—353 Van Brunt St. (718) 8752098, kentlergallery.org. - Through 3/25: The Influential Female, drawings inspired by Women in History. Look North Inuit Art Gallery—275 Conover Street, Suite 4E (347) 7213995, looknorthny.com. Polar Light:
& props, historic naval armament and costumes. Presented at various public institutions and buildings in Brooklyn. 1 Metrotech Cntr., Jay St. 2nd Fl. Current through Tues 2/28. Sun. 2/19 1-4pm @ The Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St. Please call or e-mail Urban Divers for a more detailed schedule.
FOOD/DRINK
Botta di Vino—357 Van Brunt St. (347) 689-3664 www.bottadirino.net. Friday night candle light blind tasting. “Discuss what you smell, taste and feel with your own palate. A group forum for wanna be wine geeks” Admission requires one purchase. Botanica—220 Conover St (at Coffey St) (347)-225-0147 Fine cocktails, specialty liquors & Cacao Prieto Chocolate. Tues. Film screenings; Wed. Board game night; Thurs. Poker night; Sat-Sun. Afternoon cocktails. Dry Dock Wine + Spirits---424 Van Brunt St. (718) 852-3625 drydockny.com Fri. 2/17 5:30-8:30pm Aviation Gin & Krogstad Aquavit. Sat. 2/18 4-7pm Take a Spanish Junket: Spanish Wines. Sun. 2/19 3-6pm Hooker’s Choice. Fri. 2/24 5:30-8:30pm From Poland w/Love: Woddka Vodka. Sun. 2/26 3-6pm Hooker’s Choice. Fri. 3/2 5:30-8:30pm Red, White & Green: Dressner Wine Collection. MikNik Lounge 200 Columbia St. (917) 770-1984 ‘Rebel! Rebel!’ (Gay Night) every First & Third Thurs. 9pm - 2am cheap beer, $6 well drinks, friendly crowd.
FUNDRAISERS/ PARTIES
Brooklyn Collective Gallery 212 Columbia St. (btw Union + Sackett) (718) 596-6231 brooklyncollective.com Thurs.
- Sun. 1-8pm. Over 40 artists currently on display.
MUSEUM
Micro Museum—123 Smith Street (718) 797-3116 micromuseum.com Above and Beyond, a three-year retrospective of the art of William and Kathleen Laziza, every Saturday from 12-7pm, refreshments from 5-7pm,. Admission by donation, suggested donation $2. Say you like Red-Hook Star Revue and get a free gift bag. The Waterfront Museum Lehigh Valley Barge, No.79, 290 Conover Street. (718) 624-4719 ext. 11 www.waterfrontmuseum.org Free boat tours & open hours all through the year. Thursdays 4 - 8 pm and Saturdays 1 - 5 pm.
MUSIC
Bait & Tackle 320 Van Brunt Street (718) 451-4665 redhookbaitandtackle. com Fri. 2/17 9pm Green Lotus Project. Sat., 2/18 Feral Foster & Will Gantrim. Sun. 2/19 9pm Lousy/Gas Comedy Hour: Four Different Acts. Fri. 2/24 9pm JP and the Gilberts. Sat. 2/25 9pm The Tough Cats/The Milkman’s Union. Sun. 2/26 3pm The Tin Roof Trio. Bargemusic Fulton Ferry Landing, 2 Old Fulton St. (718) 624-2083 bargemusic.org Thurs. 2/16 8pm The Masterworks Series. Meltzer: String Quartet (World Premier) Perf. Avalon String Quartet; Fri. 2/17 8pm Here & Now Series: Six composers. D. Kalhous, O. Vinokur, pianos; Sat. 2/18 8pm Masterworks Series. Tchaikovsky/Gershwin. O. Vinokur, piano; Sun. 2/19 3pm Masterworks Series. Beethoven/Ravel w/ Avalon String Quartet; Thurs. 2/23 8pm Here & Now Series. Yi, Cohen, & Jenkins performed by FLUX Quartet.; Fri. 2/24 8pm Here & Now Series: Barber, Schostakovich, Wyner performed by the Brooklyn Art Song Society; Sat. 2/25 8pm, Sun 2/26 3pm Masterworrks Series: Mozart, Mendelssohn, Beethoven. Unless otherwise noted, admission is $35, ($30 seniors, $15 student).
Bring your Axe & Your Favorite Beverage! The Star Theater Electric Jam 101 Union St. (btw Columbia & Van Brunt St.) (718) 624-5568 Every Thursday Night 8pm. Rock, Blues & Jazz Madness.Refreshments served and Donations Graciously Accepted. Full back line. Bring your Axe! Sunny’s Bar 253 Conover St. (btw Beard + Reed St.s) (718) 625-8211 sunnysredhook.com & Sunny’s Bar on facebook. Fridays and Saturdays, live local roots music. Every Sat. 10pm Bluegrass/Folk Country Jam. Union Hall---702 Union Street @5th Ave (718)638-4400 unionhallny.com Union Hall has music, film, and comedy 7 nights a week. Please check website.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Brooklyn Public Library - Carroll Gardens 396 Clinton St. @ Union St. (718) 596-6972 brooklynpubliclibrary.org/ locations/carroll-gardens. Knitting Club (all ages) Every Tues 4pm mezzanine. Memoir Writing (adult) Every Wed. 6pm. Chess Club (all ages) Play and improve your game. Bring your own clock. Every Wed 6:15 pm. Community Board 6 250 Baltic St. (718) 643-3027 brooklycb6.org Wed. 2/22 6:30pm Youth/Human Services/Education Committee Meeting @ Red Hook Initiative, 767 Hick St. Mon. 2/27 6:30 Public Safety/Environmental Protection/Permits/Licenses @ Prospect Park YWCA, 357 9th St. CoWNA (Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Asso.) cowna.blogspot.com Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBDIC) 241 41st St., 2nd fl. Brklyn. (718) 965-3100
READING & LITERARY EVENTS
The Gowanus Studio Space 166 7th Street (347) 948-5753 www.gowanusstudio.org TBA
The Bell House 149 7th St. (718) 6436510, thebellhouseny.com. The Bell House has a full calendar of music, comedy and film events. Please check website.
Brooklyn Public Library - Carroll Gardens 396 Clinton St. @ Union St. (718) 596-6972 brooklynpubliclibrary.org Wed. 2/29 6:30pm Irish Author Patrick Taylor will speak in the auditorium.
Hope & Anchor 347 Van Brunt St. (718) 237-0276 www.hopeandanchorpub. com Every Wed. 7pm, Jazz Jam. Every Thurs. through Sat. 9pm-1am Karaoke.
SCHOOLS
Issue Project Room 110 Livingston St. (718) 330-0313 issueprojectroom.org Fri. 2/17 8pm Ensemble Pamplemouse (performance/music) $12/$10 members. Thurs. 2/23 8pm Littoral: Flowers & Cream (poetry readings) FREE Fri. 2/24 8pm Drury plays Cage $15/$10 members. Sat. 2/25 8pm The Experimental Music Yearbook $12/$10 members. Wed. 2/29 7pm Mivos Quartet Benefit Concert for IPR. $30/$25 students/members. Jalopy Theatre and School of Music 315 Columbia St. (718) 395-3214 jalopy. biz Every Wed. 9pm Roots & Ruckus FREE. JTSM has an extensive calendar of live, eclectic roots music. Please go to website or call for more info. Also check CLASSES/WORKSHOP in this calendar. Montero’s Bar 73 Atlantic Ave. @ Hicks St. (718) 534-6399 monteros-bar@facebook.com Karaoke w/Andy & Amber every Fri. & Sat. 10pm. Every Wed. 8pm - Midnight. The raucous musical concoctions of The Red Hook Irregulars. All Acoustic. Guest Players invited. The Rock Shop—249 Fourth Ave. (btw President St. + Carroll St.) (718) 2305740 therockshopny.com Fri. 2/17 8pm Heldin, Black Black Black, Iron Tides $8 adv/$10 door. Sat. 1/18 10:30pm Hoots & Hellmouth $10 adv/$14 door. Mon 2/20 8pm Thieving Irons, Famous Winters. $8. Thurs. 2/23 7:30 pm Hamell On Trial, Franz Nicolay, Yoni Gordon $8 adv/$10dos. Fri. 2/24 7:30pm Gowanus (Record Release Party) $10 Mon. 2/27 8pm Thieving Irons, Sean Bones, Mesiko $10. Rocky Sullivan’s—34 Van Dyke St., (718) 246-8050 Every Mon, Tues, Wed 8pm Live Irish Music. Every Last Wed 8pm Readings By Authors. Every Thurs. 9pm Rocky’s World Famous Pub Quiz. Every Sat Live Rock ‘n Roll The Star Theater Acoustic Jam 101 Union St. (btw Columbia + Van Brunt St.) (718) 624-5568 Every Monday Night 8pm. C&W to Jazz (with a healthy dose of Blues in the middle). Full back line.
PS 15 71 Sullivan St. (btw Columbia + Van Brunt St.) (718)330-9280 schools. nyc.gov 1/20 (& every Fri.) 11am - noon Toddler Time Programs: 1 hr of playtime & storytelling.Open to everyone. Mon. 2/27, 9am Performance w/Cora Dance Co. to be followed by the African Marketplace Awards Ceremony. Summit Academy NY 27 Huntington St. (718) 875-1403 summitacademycharterschool.org 2/1 - 2/17 Sharing The Love ONLINE BENEFIT AUCTION Exotic vacations, dance classes, luxury dining and more biddingforgood.com/summitacademyny Proceeds go to support Summit’s groundbreaking programs and work.
THEATER
The Heights Players 26 Willow Place, heightsplayers.org (718) 237-2752 Fri. & Sat. 17-18 8pm, Sun. 02/19 2pm The Foreigner, a comedy, written by Larry Shue, Directed by Noel MacDuffie. $15 adults, $13 seniors & children. The Clockworks Puppet Theater 196 Columbia St (212) 614-0001 cosmicbicycle.com Mon. - Fri 2/20-24.10-11am KIDz Puppet Craft! Learn to build Puppets w/puppets and songs thrown in! Ages 3-6 yrs. Mon. 2/20 - Fri. 2/24 1-4pm Junior Puppet Master Workshops: A week long day camp for kids ages 7-15 yrs. culminating in a performance. Sat. & Sun. through 2/26 2pm, 4pm KIDz Matinee Series - A different show each week!
WALKING TOURS
A Tour grows in Brooklyn 1212 64th St.(212) 209-3370 brooklynwalkingtour. com A historical walking tour of Brownstone Brooklyn featuring the childhood home of Al Capone, the history of the Williamsburg Bank, and the Revolutionary War battle site The Old Stone House. Real Brooklyn Pizza Lunch included. Daily 10am-1pm, $40 Urban Oyster (347) 618-TOUR (8687) urbanoyster.com Every Sat. 2/4-2/25 Noon-3:30, Brewed in Brooklyn Tour (Williamsburg) Brewing, Bottling, & bootlegging in historic Williamsburg. Samples, pizza and fresh lager lunch included. $60
February 16-29, 2012