Red Hook Star-Revue, September 2018 by George Fiala

The

Red Hook Starï&#x201A;ªRevue

SEPTEMBER 2018

PHOTO: LUIGI NOVI

FREE

inside: Tourist Map, Events, Directory and the complete SEPTEMBER ISSUE

september

INVASION OF THE ROLLING DUTCHMEN

see page 11

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Atlantic Antic Preview pages 24-28

Red Hook Star-Revue

Jan Bell on the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival page 19

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PS 676 is on the way up with Priscilla Figueroa page 30

September 2018, Page 3

Red Hook StarRevue

481 Van Brunt Street, 8A Brooklyn, NY 11231

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Community Calendar

SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER

(718) 624-5568 www.star-revue.com

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C E R: Nathan Weiser Erin DeGregorio C: Laura Eng, Religion Emily Kluver, Features Steve Farber@gmail.com Mary Ann Pietanza, Sofia Baluyut, Tina Portelli Ed Littleford, Brian Abate FOR EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING OR EMPLOYMENT INQUIRIES, email george@redhookstar.com. The Red Hook Star-Revue is published monthly. Founded June 2010.

Community Telephone Numbers:

Red Hook Councilman Carlos Menchaca (718) 439-9012 Red Hook Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (718) 492-6334 State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery (718) 643-6140 Gowanus Councilman Brad Lander (718) 499-1090 Park Slope Councilman Steve Levin (718) 875-5200 CB6 District Manager Michael Racioppo (718) 643-3027 76th Police Precinct, 191 Union Street Main phone (718) 834-3211 Community Affairs (718) 834-3207 Traffic Safety (718) 834-3226 Eileen Dugan Senior Center, 380 Court Street (718) 596-1956 Miccio Center, 110 East 9th Street (718) 243-1528 Red Hook East Dev. Office, 62 Mill St (718) 852-6771 Red Hook West Dev. Office, 55 Dwight St. (718) 522-3880

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For For more more listings, listings, check check out out our our online community calendar at online community calendar at www.star-revue.com/ www.star-revue.com/calendar calendar

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NYCHA Satellite Police Precinct, 80 Dwight St. Main Phone (718) 265-7300 Community Affairs (718) 265-7313 Domestic Violence (718) 265-7310 Youth Officer (718) 265-7314 Red Hook NCOs Damien Clarke – Damien.Clarke@nypd.org; (929) 287-7155 Jonathan Rueda – Jonathan.Rueda@nypd. org – 917-941-2185

Page Page 24 Red Red Hook Hook Star-Revue Star-Revue

www.star-revue.com www.star-revue.com

September September 2018 2018

culture

“ T aste of Red H ook” on September 2 4 .

Min Jin Lee Jennifer Egan, Kevin Young) this event could only happen in New York. The fun begins with a dance party at Pioneer Works Sept 10, 7-11pm. Children’s Day is Sept 15 at MetroTech Commons. Sept 16 sees their flagship event around Borough Hall where over 250 large and small publishers present their wares. For schedules and full list of writers, visit brooklynbookfestival.org.

SEPT. 8 440 Gallery showcases “And Now I See” by Brooklyn-artist Leigh Blanchard. These experiments in digital photography use an AI app to cull images from archives, then amplify with hand drawings. Through Oct 7. Opening: Sept 8, 5-7pm. 440 6th Ave. (718) 4993844 SEPT 9 - OCT 23 For creative writers, “Cast Off!” at Jalopy Theater offers unique workshops to jump start work for amateurs and professionals. Lead by AWA Affiliate, Leslie Fierro, workshops are based on a sliding scale, $50 for one workshop to $200 for six classes. 315 Columbia St. Sundays (with some exceptions), 11am-1pm. (718) 395-3214 SEPT 10-17 New York’s largest book fair takes place in (you guessed it) Brooklyn, but with dozens of “bookend” events in every borough. With over 300 authors (Martin Amis,

SEPT 8-23 Red Hook Labs launches “Soft Criminal,” an international collection on the African diaspora. United by a mythic narrative, the exhibit includes photographer Kristin-Lee Moolman (South African), designer Ibrahim Kamara (SierraLeonean) and designer Gareth Wrighton (British).” Through Sept 23. Opening: Sept 8, 7-10pm. 133 Imlay St. (718) 797-1103 SEPT 13-23 Around Brooklyn Bridge Park, Photoville exhibits more than 600 artists in 90 outdoor exhibitions. There are also tutorials for all ages,

panels, artistic lectures. Highlights include “Attacks on Press Freedom in Mexico”; “Future Imagemakers Speak Out”; and conversations between Taslima Akhter, Robin Benson, Miranda Barnes, and Stella Johnson. In its 7th year, the public (including dogs) are welcome. Opening gala: Sept 12, 6-9pm, tickets start at $80. (718) 801-8099

Sept 26 Seven comedians come together at Littlefield to celebrate the glorious ridiculousness that is the Real Housewives of New York (RHONY). “The Boat Ride from Hell: a RHONY Live-Read” reenacts a trip taken by a group of rich, vainglorious women to Cartagena. Their boat in paradise had severe engine trouble, and the women freak out in hilarious fashion. Comedians Ziwe Fudmudoh and Liza Treyger lead the debauchery. 635 Sackett St. 8pm. (877) 435-9849 *If unspecified, all quotes from respective press releases and company websites.

SEPT 16-21 St. Paul Community Baptist Church hosts several productions of “Eradicating Slavery’s Legacy” reckoning with the Middle Passage. In its 24th year, the event annually attracts more than 3,000 people. Sept 16, 6pm; Sept 17, 7pm; Sept 20, 7pm; Sept 21, 7pm. 859 Hendrix Street. (718) 257-1300

R ed H ook L abs lau nc hes “ S of t C ri mi nal S ept. 8 .

PHOTO COURTESY OF RED HOOK LABS

PHOTO COURTESY OF TASTE OF RED HOOK

Star  Revue calendar SEPTEMBER

turing unique travel experiences, home decor, high-end beauty, fashion and fine art.” 260 Conover Street. 6-9pm. (718) 858-6782

Sept 24 “Taste of Red Hook” is a fundraiser for the Red Hook Initiative, which manages research and resources to empower students. More than 50 restaurants will be present. “Take in miraculous views of the New York City waterfront and bid in a 70+ item silent auction fea-

Irreversible Entanglements Quartet Bene’s Record Shop 9/29

4TH ANNUAL BROOKLYN AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL

September 20–23, 2018 in DUMBO, Red Hook, & Brooklyn Bridge Park Sixty FREE concerts spanning the range of Americana music including Folk, Country Blues, Old Time, Bluegrass and Jazz. The Red Hook Star-Revue is the media sponsor for this event! Read all about it on page 18!

Bene’s Record Shop 360 V an Brunt St. 7 1 8 -8 5 5 -0 3 6 0 All Sh ows 8 : 3 0 pm Sept 13

William R ob ertson ’ s O pen Mic B rin g y our in strum en t, B rin g y our v oice! All Ag es Welcom e Sept 22

icro in do al� ore J oh n Dierk er - Ten or Sax / B ass C larin et Marc Miller - g uitar Will R edm an - drum s Lon � e free a explorers fro al� ore s ip up the coast to rin us the a s Sept 27

William Mic

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Sept 29

Lester t Louis cello J aim ie B ran ch Trio ai ie ranch* tru pet Luk e Stewart - b ass Mik e Pride - Drum s I rrev ersib le En tan g lem en ts uartet Philly Aq uiles Nav arro - trum pet K eir Neurin g er - alto sax Luk e Stewart - b ass

Red Hook Star-Revue

Tch eser H olm es - drum s Mara K ay e, 8 : 3 0 pm

Sept 23***

Sunny’s Bar 253 Conov er Street

yrone o�on Louis ille p ***As part of the roo lyn A ericana Fes� al

Sept 08

Sept 25

B lueg rass/ F olk & C oun try J am , 9 pm B rin g y our ax e! Sept 11

Sept 27

Sept 12

Aq uarium

Sm ok ey ’ s R oun d U p Th e F our O ’ C lock F lowers te ie fro t Lou ohn Pina on�

Sept 15

Sept 18

R ob ‘ B ob b y H awk ’ H ech t Trio, 9 pm Sept 19

yan co� and the ind uds

Sept 22

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B lueg rass/ F olk & C oun try J am , 9 pm

Sept 29

B lueg rass/ F olk & C oun try J am , 9 pm Max J oh n son , 5 pm a lue rass assist ex trodin aire!

Superfine

126 F ront St.,D umbo Th e H ag g ard K in g s, 1 2 - 3 pm

Sept 20

te ie fro Th e Woes

te ie fro t Lou �llhouse erenade

Sept 09

Sm ok ey ’ s R oun d U p

Sept 21

Sept 9

Sept 30

B lueg rass/ F olk & C oun try J am , 9 pm

As part of the roo lyn A ericana usic Fes� al uper ne lue rass runch p 315 Columbia Street

Solarium

Sept 28

Sept 13

Sept 23

Jalopy Theatre

Sept 26

Sm ok ey ’ s R oun d U p

C olin B rown , 9 pm

Sept 14

C olin B rown , 9 pm

Miss Soph ie Lee ( New rleans p

Sept 16

Ex ceedin g ly G i ht p F olk Slow J am H awk e, 3 : 3 0 -

ood Son g ld� e and with H ilary 6 pm

Sept 12, 29, 26

R oots n ’ R uck us Sept 13

B rook ly n R ag a Massiv e ee ly G est an and o in a lal a a er

Sept 13

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635 Sacke� Street

Sept 14

Sept 10, 17, 24

Plan et B ody

u�er oy with o Aparna an d Maev e, G uest H ost Mich elle B uteau Sept 11

Sept 15

Tin der Liv e! with Lan e More

C om edy C en tral Stan dup featurin yan ec Hannah Dick in son , Tom Th ak k ar, C h ris o�on atasha ayn lat arie Faus�n an Lara Sept 12

Literary Death Match at roo lyn oo s Fes� al ordan lepper hris�ne Nan g le, J en n b ak er, H osted b y Adrian Todd Z un ig a

Sept 22

B e C ute B rook ly n Sept 25

We B ee Spellin g , H osted b y Alex G reer an d Ah ri F in dlin g Sept 26

Here for ra a Presents he oat ide fro Hell a R H O NY Liv e- R ead” Sept 27

2 0 1 8 Miss Sub way s Pag ean t

Sept 16

H an k William s 9 5 th B irth day C eleb ratoin , 8 pm Sept 18. 25

O pen Mic, 9 pm Sept 20

Th e Av alan ch es, 1 2 - 3 pm ur�s p I an F ish er, 7 pm

B rook ly n Am erican Music Fes� al penin i ht Gala featurin olie Holland an Z an es an d oth ers 8 pm

Sept 21 and Sept 22

Sept 27

As part of the roo lyn A ericana usic Fes� al

Littlefield

PHOTO COURTESY OF IEQ

clubs & stuff

B rook ly n R ag a Massiv e Week ly : Stev e G orn & Miles hrew ury p a a er

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September 2018, Page 35

e c

Fo o a

Gary’s spirit figure out that we should never eat this chicken again.” After research we came to find out this pretty much was the ass of a chicken. It was prepared quite wonderfully but the texture and taste just was not suiting either one of us. Gary and I both did music. We both worked at the Bait and Tackle on and off. We bumped heads a little bit here and there. He had a much bigger head than mine, so I tried not to do that too often. As I said, the bike was a great cruiser. It took me all over. I am pretty sure it was a Saturday night that I went out to my fishing spot. It was a really hot day. It was one of those days where long after the sun goes down the concrete and surrounding structures still radiate the heat from the day. I put my lines out, fished through the night, and around 2 am, when I could still feel the heat coming off the concrete, I suddenly felt a coldness come over the whole area. I mean it was a type of coldness where there was not any forecast of cold front or storm, but it was the kind of cold that had the ability to suck the remaining heat out of the concrete and my surrounding structure. It was quite odd. I had never seen anything quite it. I packed up my gear. I don’t think I caught anything that night. I went out to my bike was and began to load up my gear. I looked down and noticed the rear tire was flat. It was the same tire that was flat when I got the bike from Gary. I mean I rode that bike for a good year without any flat tires. I had a lot of gear, so I mounted what I could up on the bike, strapped the rest of it over my shoulder and headed home. I had a scare once before with the free spirit. I saw some bunker as I was riding along and stopped home without locking her up. When I came out she was gone. I said, “this is not good.” I searched and searched. I did not want to let Gary know. Two weeks later I was walking by a pizza place here in the neighborhood and I noticed that there she was with a pizza rack on the front. I said, “oh my goodness, oh my goodness.” I went inside and spoke to the owner. What happened was that someone showed up for a pizza order without money and traded my bike for the pizza. I said, “That is my bike, that is my bike.” The pizza guy said, “what do you mean?” I said, “it got taken about two weeks ago in front of my

“ “Well at least it only cost us $4 to figure out that we should never eat this chicken again.”

Page 6 Red Hook Star-Revue

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

“W

here is your bike Robbie?” I heard a very recognizable, somewhat Americanized, across the pond, accent. It was my good friend Gary. I told him that my bicycle got jacked about a week before, from in front of my house. Gary reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. “Here, take this one,” he said, pointing to a bike chained up outside of the Ling Gee Chinese restaurant. “That one doesn’t really suit me anymore, I am just getting myself a new one.” I said, “Wow, Gary, that is amazing. Are you sure?” “One of the tires might need a little air but other than that she is a good rider,” answered Gary. We parted ways. I went across the street and unlocked the bike. The bike was a free spirit. It was a mid 1970s beach cruiser style bike. with a teal color. The rear tire was flat, so I pushed her home. I put some air in the tire, went inside for a bit, came back out and the tire was fine. She was a three speed and a good cruiser. I rode that bike for at least a year, to all of my fishing spots around the neighborhood. It was a great bike. I saw Gary a few times throughout that year. It was always a good feeling when he saw me riding the bike. I liked the fact that it would make him feel like he did a good deed, because most certainly he did. I remember one-night, Gary came into Bait and Tackle, and we were both hungry. We were short on funds, so we looked over at the Chinese menu, and we saw a cheap item, chicharrones de pollo. Neither one of us knew what chicharonnes de pollo was, but we went ahead and pulled the trigger on it. We figured with our limited funds we would save some drinking money and get a good little meal out of it. Gary and I, we both pretty much would eat anything. If I didn’t finish it, Gary most certainly would. The dish arrived and it was a good amount of food for a late afternoon snack. We both dug in and took bites, and then something changed. I looked at Gary and Gary looked at me. It was almost like there was a contest to see who would not spit it out first. I choked mine down and so did he. We put our chopsticks down and scratched our heads and really were not quite sure what we had just consumed. Gary looked at me and said, “Well at least it only cost us $4 to

by Robbie Giordano

house. It is my bike. My good friend Gary gave it to me. What are we going to do? He said, “I don’t know?” Right at that moment in time I look out the window as I was trying to collect myself and not lose it and I see Gary. I said, “You know Gary, he gave me the bike, let me go get him.” Immediately there was a termination of the squabbling over how the bike got to him. He said, “OK, let me take the basket off, give me a few days, and then come and get it.” It was a close call and I am glad that it turned out the way it did. I get home in the cold and unload my gear and I go to sleep. The next early afternoon, which kind of is morning to me, I woke up. I had a telephone call and it was a friend of mine. “Gary passed away early in the morning,” he said. I could not believe it. It was a big shock to me obviously and everybody else. My immediate thought went to his children. That Monday evening, I rode the free spirit to Bait and Tackle. I posted her up right there in the front. I made a little altar, if you will, and people placed flowers and candles. It was all very surreal. I had started a job at The Verona, which was on the corner of Verona and Van Brunt Street, a few months prior. It must have been about two or three weeks after Gary passed that I went into work one night and noticed that a bike. The bike was called the Gary Fisher Mamba. It was alongside the building by the fence

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with a heavy chain but a lock that was not locked. I thought that somebody must have left this bike here and forgot to lock it. I worked my shift. I went out and was going to lock up the bar, the Royal Wine Bar. I thought I can’t leave this here. What should I do? I placed a note where the bike was saying that I have your bike safe and secure. It is here at the Verona. I left my number and said to call me, I only live a few blocks away, and I will make sure that you get it. I did this for two weeks and nobody called. The few people that I spoke to knew nothing. Eventually I took the bike home, I put some air in the tires, fixed it up a little bit, let the free spirit take a rest, and I began to ride it around the neighborhood. Mind you this was a Gary Fisher Mamba from 1996. At that point in time it was one of the premier custom frame mountain bikes that were made. It had a nice shock on the front. It was a steel horse. I was quite perplexed that the bike was there and that no one knew how it got there. A lot of things crossed my mind. Once again, outside of Bait and Tackle, my good friend Gloria said, “that is Gary’s bike.” I said, “What do you mean?” He gave me the free spirit, this bike was left outside the Verona unchained a couple of weeks ago. She said, “Here look (pulls out her phone), I got dragged from that bike.” I guess she was riding the bike continued on nex page

September 2018

Build A Block meeting talks local policing

here were 14 people at this meeting and three police officers besides the Neighborhood Coordination Officers who hosted the meeting. Jerry Armer, the president of the community council, Melissa Ortiz from Congresswoman Velazquez’s office, a teacher from South Brooklyn Community High School and a student at Columbia University focusing on Red Hook were at the meeting, which was held in the Red Hook Library last month. IKEA The officers brought up how large IKEA is. They brought this to everyone’s attention because they have seen instances where people would look at things in the store and then have their cell phone or other valuables stolen while it was unattended. Officer Jovin said that they have been in IKEA many times handing out flyers and observed people not being aware of their belongings. He does not want people to have to use their find my iPhone app and have their phone be in the Bronx or Staten Island. Officer Class brought up the issue of TLC Taxi drivers who are outside of IKEA without proper documentation and without TLC plates. These people ask customers or other people at IKEA for a ride and Class advised not getting into these cars. “We try to tell people to be careful who you get in a car with,” Officer Class said. “Be aware of the car you are getting into and make sure it has proper documentation. The cars without documentation might charge you one price but when you get tin the care it might be another price.” She suggested taking a Lyft or Uber instead because then you will know what the price is going to be. NYPD VS. COMMUNITY Melissa Ortiz, who is the community and housing coordinator in Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez’s Southwest Brooklyn office, asked how the NCOs are trying to eliminate the stigma of the NYPD versus the community. She wanted to know what the precinct is doing to enhance the relations between the community and the police officers.

Gary

continued from previous page

one night on the bike and had fallen off. She showed me the picture and most certainly it was the bike that Gary had bought used to replace the free spirit prior to him giving me the free spirit. She goes, “yeah, Gary had it stolen a few months before he passed somewhere in Cobble Hill. I said, “what do you mean?” She goes, “Yeah, the bike was stolen from Gary.” I explained to her that it was left outside of the Verona about a week or so after he had passed unlocked on the fence where I had just

Red Hook Star-Revue

Officer Class said that they have been working together and that if an event is hosted for the neighborhood they come and introduce themselves. She added that they try to be part of the community that they serve. “If there is a play going on we go,” Officer Class said. “If there is an event at a school we go. We try to be one with the community.” Officer Jovin brought up the partnership they have with the Red Hook Community Justice Center, which involves them having relationships with children in the community. “It’s a program called Bridging the Gap where youth from the area come to the Justice Center who have not had a positive relationship with police,” Officer Jovin said. “We show them that the police are not there to hurt anyone and are not there to criminalize anyone. We are trying to help everyone.” Through this program, when the officers see kids at events kids will call them by their first names and greet them, which the officers enjoy. According to Jovin, this relationship limits tension where the kids are comfortable talking to the police about what is going on in their life. Officer Class added that the kids will ask why they haven’t come back when they see them after doing an event at the Justice Center. Ortiz also brought to the officers’ attention a luncheon that is organized around the city for grandparents who are taking care of their grandchildren and basically providing for them. She was wondering if the 76th precinct was involved in this and thought it would be significant if this program could be brought to Red Hook. Officer Class said they could bring it up with the Justice Center and try to collaborate with them on bringing this event to Red Hook. CONTACTING POLICE Officer Jovin brought up the issue of 311 and best ways to use this resource. Calling 311 allows someone to be anonymous, and possibly save retaliation, but that is not recommended because that method will not get the issue solved as fast. “With the 311 system, even if you started working about four months prior. It’s funny, I had a little feeling that somehow that bike was connected to Gary. Come on, Gary Fisher, how it got where it was, you tell me it is anybody’s guess, but it is what it is. Gary and I, we would always look out for each other. He gave me a bike in life, and he gave me a bike in after life. That is all I have to really say about that. People can believe whatever they want, who am I to say. The free spirit, I gifted it on to somebody who really need a good ride. The Gary Fisher Mamba, I still have, and I’m going to recondition that bike as soon as I can.

Officer Jovin and Officer Class talk community issues have an ongoing situation like if someone had been parking on the driveway where you don’t want to have retaliation that anonymous system is going to the actual sector cars and they do not have an actual contact person to say I can verify this and give a proper summons,” Jovin said. “If it is anonymous it does not allow us to help. It pushes back the situation.” Submitting anonymously will limit what they can do because there will be no way that they can verify the issue. The officers suggest leaving contact information if you want something resolved. They will then contact you and nothing will be disclosed. They will then be able to investigate the situation further. They recommend that if someone has a situation that they really want fixed to complain numerous times because sometimes issues will take some time to be fixed. Officer Class urged people to email or text her or Officer Jovin privately in order to get a fast response. They left their cards for people to take and they said people should feel free to contact them at any time of the day. There is an option of scheduling a time to meet with them. Contacting them directly will resolve the situation quicker since calling 311 will go through the patrol officer and then if nobody is there they will have to verify information. BICYCLES Officer Class advised people to always lock their bikes. She suggested that when people come back home to make sure the bike is locked with a chain or not visible at all. She also suggested registering the bike with the precinct to improve the chance that it gets returned if stolen. “With bicycles, you can register them, all bicycles have serial numbers on them,” Officer Class said. “You can give the serial number to the department and we will have it on record. If a laptop or bike is stolen the number will help return it to you.” “If you have your phone registered with the precinct and that person gets arrested the phone could come right back to you,” Officer Jovin said. There was a question from a resident about the many delivery motor-

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PHOTO BY NATHAN WEISER

by Nathan Weiser

ized bikes that she has seen going really fast on the sidewalk. She wanted to know if there was a way they could go much slower than they are going. She added that she has seen so many of those speeding delivery bikes and was even with her grandkids once when one of the motorized bikes zoomed by. “We have stopped them,” Officer Class said. “The issue with that is that many of the delivery people come and go and many don’t speak English, so we advise the manager who can advise the delivery person. We have stopped people, and it is hard on us when we can’t tell them the violation they are making.” Officer Jovin added that they have spoken to the restaurants to inform them that that their delivery vehicles should not zoom on the sidewalks. PARK RULES Officer Jovin said that Coffey Park closes at ten, and that all events, including barbecues need to be finished by then. A parent who hosts a lot of events in Coffey Park had two points to bring up and his first one was complimenting the NCOs. He said that his group is in Coffey Park doing events from end of June through August doing community cookouts. He said he has seen the NCOs doing real community policing. This neighborhood organizer also observed that the work the police has done has helped his people and that they trust the police. He said that from his experience the NCOs are doing a really good job. This parent also wanted to know if there is a clergy Taskforce in the 76th precinct. He wanted to know if there is a database of clergy since he was aware that in other neighborhoods they gather once a month to see how to best serve their neighborhood. Officer Class brought up the Precinct meetings, which happen the first Wednesday of the month, as a good option since many community members will come to these meetings. She thought that would be the best option for collaborating with different clergy and community members since people from Red Hook but also Gowanus and Carroll Gardens.

September 2018, Page 7

Parks Blocks Apart Show Opposite Sides of Red Hook Valentino Park and Coffey Park showed off two different sides of Red Hook on a typical summer day. Couples were eating lunch together, lounging in the grass, collecting seashells, and admiring the view of the New York skyline in Valentino Park. In Coffey Park, kids were playing basketball, while others rushed through to get from one side of the street to the other. There was a really calm vibe at Valentino Park, despite some pesky mosquitos. While I was relaxing and watching the tide come in, one of the couples walked by. I asked why they came here and they responded by saying they liked the view and the area.

by Brian Abate

Another woman told me that she had moved out of Red Hook but liked to come back to the park because her dad took her there when she was younger. When I’m having a bad day I like to come here,” she said. “It calms me down and reminds me of home. Not too many people have discovered it yet, which is nice.” There was a cool breeze by the water and lots of shade from trees and surrounding buildings. I could see why people would like to sit and stay for a while on hot summer afternoons. A few blocks away, people were

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Top left to right: Basketball at Coffey Park and , feeling the breeze at Valentino.Left and below left: Having lunch near lovely flowers at Coffey Park. Below: A beachy experience atValentino Park. Photos by Brian Abate

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September 2018

Parks Blocks Apart Show Opposite Sides of Red Hook continued from previous page

Watching ferries go by is a relaxing attraction at Valentino Park. Photo by Brian Abate rushing through Coffey Park. I asked one man why and he said that the fastest way for him to get back to work after his lunch break was through the park. Most of the people that stuck around in the park had dogs with them. One lady said she took her German Shepherd there to get him some exercise and liked to play fetch with him in the open grassy area of the park. There were also a lot of kids in the park playing basketball. It was pretty empty so the few people that were sitting on benches would pause and look up to watch the kids play before going

back to whatever they were doing. The park did provide a nice view, with colorful flowers but wasn’t near the water and the areas in the sun felt hotter than Valentino Park, which would make it tough to stay there for long on hot days without a spot in the shade. It’s convenient that the parks are only a few blocks apart. It’s easy to go from playing basketball at Coffey Park to relaxing and cooling off by the water at Valentino Park. Both parks have plenty of perks, and which one people end going to just depends on how those people want to spend their day.

SUPERHEROES CELEBRATES OUR LOCAL ARTISTS. When they’re not giving away ad space in the Red Hook Star-Revue to local artists, SuperHeroes New York is busy saving the world from boring advertising: as an international, digitally-native agency with offices in Amsterdam,New York, and Singapore. Over the past 8 years they’ve built an enviable reputa- Left: Work submitted by Jaimie Walker, featured tion for creating innova- in the August issue. Right: Liberty Train by Kenneth E. Parris III, in the September issue. tive, smart,and distinctive campaigns for brand dio if you would like to see more artpartners such as LG, Dubai Tourism, work by Jamie Walker. Canon USA, MTV, Asahi, Converse, Through mixed media paintings, ASUS,and Coca-Cola. graphite drawings, and object-oriThe Brooklyn Poster Project was ented installations, Kenneth E. Parris born out of SuperHeroes’ belief in III’s workexplores interpersonal relathe power of creative expression, tionships and the human condition coming to life as an open-call contest to consider how one’s actions affect that features the work of our talented the surrounding Brooklyn residents on the back cover human landscape. With a multiof the Red Hook Star-Revue for two disciplinary approach and focus on consecutive months. Throughout the research and process, layers of improcess, artists submitted to the projage, paint,type, and canvas become a ect website and the team at Supertactile representation of questioning Heroes New York carefully selected how we relate to and form systems of the final pieces of art that would take belief -social, political, and/or relithe spot in each issue. The July issue gious. Visit parris3.com or follow him of the Red Hook Star Revue featured on Instagram at @KennethParris3 to an initial call-to-action poster by Sucheck out more of his artwork. perHeroes. The backcover of the AuAll the submitted works will be gust issue showcased work by Jaimie available to view online at brooklynWalker, and September’s issue feaposterproject.com within the next tures Kenneth E. Parris III. few weeks. In addition, a short-term A Dumbo artist for over 20 years, gallery showing will take place on Jaimie Walker’s paintings start from September 13th and 14th at Peninthe ground up and, like the East River sula Gallery in Red hook, exhibiting a itself,the images ebb and flow from select collection of works submitted. one to another and soon you are The opening party for the gallery will wading in a story of your own choostake place on September 13th from ing. Her canvases employ gouache, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, while the gallery charcoal, acrylic, chalk, conte craywill be open for viewing on the 14th. on, and ink as her work investigates Keep an eye on brooklynposterthe world aroundher. Check out jaiproject.com for more details on miewalkerstudio.com or follow her date, time, and location. on Instagram at @jaimiewalkerstu-

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Page 10 Red Hook Star-Revue

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September 2018

PHOTO BY GEORGE FIALA

Bicycling Dutchmen rediscover their New Amsterdam roots by Erin DeGregorio As many locals know, Red Hook’s roots go all the way back to being settled by Dutch colonists in 1636. What many locals don’t know is that nearly 400 years later the neighborhood continues to have a connection with its Dutch heritage – through bicycles. Rolling Orange Bikes (ROB), a Dutch bicycle shop that opened on 269 Baltic Street in 2010, began to offer bike rentals and guided tours through Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island in 2012. Currently there are 12 tour guides on board: nine Dutch-speaking and three English-speaking. Marije Tolsma-Groen, editor-in-chief of Added Value magazine, is one of the Dutch-speaking tour guides. She says that she loves being in touch with her Dutch heritage and being on her bike during the excursions. “As a Dutchee living in New York I’m finding out about New York history and am able to tell a story and also how that partly connects to the Dutch heritage that we obviously have in the city,” Tolsma-Groen says. “I enjoy being with people, having a fun time [and] giving people a fun afternoon.” Shelly Mossey, a born-and-raised New Yorker, current Red Hook resident and licensed New York City sightseeing guide, currently manages the business. Mossey has cycled through the streets of New York as a bike messenger, a bike shop owner and a cargo biker his whole life. Mossey has also led groups of family and friends on trips to Martha’s Vineyard, Central Park and the Staten Island beaches. In 2013, he became the first English-speaking tour guide at ROB. “I got a lot of flak,” he says with a laugh. “But I always hoped my group was having as much fun as I was because it’s really fun taking a group around New York.”

Red Hook Star-Revue

Our visitors are amazed to see the Dutch names of our streets. Van Brunt, Dikeman and Van Dyke are all names of Dutch streets. Some of the buildings remind them of Amsterdam Shelly Mossey (photo by Micah B. Rubin)

Mossey says the Red Hook portion of the tour is hugely popular. “Our visitors are amazed to see the Dutch names of our streets. Van Brunt, Dikeman and Van Dyke are all names of Dutch streets. Some of the buildings remind them of Amsterdam.” Rolling Bikes has experienced one wedding proposal and at least five couples celebrating their 50 year wedding anniversaries. After about a year and a half of giving tours, Mossey approached the owners and asked if he could become a partner, as he had rerouted some of their established tours. Rather than solely focus on the historical aspects that connected New York to its Dutch settlers, he also incorporated stops to betterknown locations and hidden gems on his tours for visitors to also see. “[The Dutch] want to get out on their bikes and ride like a New Yorker in the New York crazy, to go be a part of New York and not be looking from the outside in,” he said. “My goal is to make them feel like they live here, like any New York City cyclist.”

Bikelyn and ROB works with two agencies that only deal with bookings from the Netherlands. Mossey says that he often gets reservations a year in advance, resulting in being booked solid for two weeks usually in October and at the end of April/ beginning of May. He finds that the Dutch, who primarily make up his customer base, ride like professionals, as they enjoy cycling and are very proud of their bike culture back home. There are 60 bikes on-site, with an average range of 30 to 40 bikes going out per day, according to Mossey. Though many Dutch tourists take trips between Brooklyn and Manhattan, local residents also hop onto the orange Batavus bikes and further explore the boroughs they call ‘home.’ Bikelyn and Rolling Orange Bikes Tours offers 3-hour-long, 5-hourlong and all-day tours with set stops and destinations. But individuals and groups can also request bike tours with custom routes to suit their specific interests or to explore other parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan that are not usually visited.

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Mossey recommends taking the 5-hour-long Brooklyn/Manhattan tour that is offered 11 am to 4 pm on the weekends (Fridays-Sundays, April 1 to October 31) and is available in both English and Dutch. Riders bike from Park Slope to Red Hook to Brooklyn Bridge Park, before going over the Manhattan Bridge into Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo and Greenwich Village. They also ride through the West Village to the High Line, enter the Hudson River Greenway and return to Brooklyn via Battery Park City, Tribeca and the Brooklyn Bridge. “We don’t get the most people on that tour, but it’s our favorite because you really get to see the city as somebody from the city. You’re on the inside, looking out, because you get to see all the spots that would take you three days on sightseeing buses; on a bike it’s a snap,” he said, snapping his fingers. For more information, contact Shelly Mossey at info@rollingorangebikes.com or 347-554-4162. To make a reservation, visit rollingorangebikes.rezdy.com.

September 2018, Page 11

Repeat break-ins exasperate fearful NYCHA residents

Ennis Playground Construction

by Brian Abate

Repeated break-ins have left residents at 95 Centre Mall frightened and frustrated. “I’ve lived here for 18 years,” said Dawn, a resident of the building. “It was always quiet and there were never any problems here. This began happening this year and it’s frightening.” Just weeks ago, Dawn was awakened by the sound of a man breaking in outside her door at 5 am, and Rachel Erazo, another resident, says the same man broke a window on the third floor. This has happened approximately six times so far this year, according to Erazo. She believes the man who has broken in has mental health issues. “I feel bad because of what he’s going through but it’s not right,” said Erazo, who says she has tried to contact housing, Carlos Menchaca, and the police, but a long term solution hasn’t been reached. “I’ve always felt safe here, even if I get home late,” said Erazo. “Everyone looks out for each other and the police have helped too. I always say hello to them and in general I feel very safe,

which is why this issue has been so frustrating.” She feels that adding in security cameras, would help deter anyone who considered breaking in and provide evidence if someone did. “I’ve called housing and [Carlos] Menchaca about [adding in security cameras] three or four times, but they haven’t responded yet,” said Erazo.

Ennis playground is kind of a vest pocket park around the corner from a city waste facility on 12th Street. It is across the street from a big motorcycle shop that occasionally holds events in the park. It is also a vital park for the area kids. The playground has received $3 million in funding from Mayor de Blasio, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Council Member Brad Lander for new improvements. A community input meeting was held in January 2016 to kick off the design process. Construction is expected to be completed by summer of 2019. “Thanks to funding from our local elected officials, Ennis Playground will have features for park-goers of all ages, including swings, a multipurpose synthetic turf and so much more,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver at a recent groundbreaking. The new playground will activate previously unused areas of the space with a multipurpose synthetic turf field which will be able to accommodate free play, sports, picnics and other neighborhood gatherings – all specifically requested by members of the community. The field

will serve as a storm water retention system for onsite capture that will reduce the load on the sewer system. There will be also be play equipment and swings for tots and children, a dynamic spray shower, reconstructed sports courts and improved entrances and lighting. A small shaded seating area will separate the play area from the turf field. The new field will be surrounded by a paved path that can double as a walking path for exercise and a passive viewing area with the addition of benches.

Taste of Red Hook will return on September 25

Anthony Chiarito, who handles communications for Menchaca, denies having received any calls regarding this issue. He also said now that Taste of Red Hook, which is a funthey have heard about it, they’ll work draiser for the Red Hook Initiative, to resolve the problem, and encourwill return for its 12th year on Tuesaged anyone with information to call day, September 25, from 6-9 pm. their district office or the police. Taste of Red Hook will feature According to Erazo, the negligent signature dishes and drinks from handling of the break-ins fits in with a award-winning establishments inbroader pattern. cluding local institutions like But“I’ve had some issues with mold, termilk Channel, Sixpoint Brewery, which is especially bad for me be- Hometown Bar-B-Que, Court Street cause I have asthma,” said Erazo. Grocers and newcomers like Mad“In the short-term they clean up the cap Café, Rita and Popina. The event moldy areas, but still haven’t fixed the includes a silent auction featurleaky pipes which are causing it in the ing travel, wellness, crafts, culinary first place.” items and experiences including the “Ultimate Tesla Experience,” allow-

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ing a winner to take home a Model S for 24 hours. “We’re proud to mark the 12th anniversary of Taste of Red Hook,” said Jill Eisenhard, founding executive director of Red Hook Initiative. “The event represents the best of our community, and brings together neighbors, small business owners, public housing residents, elected officials and local supporters to create more opportunities for Red Hook’s youth. We are grateful for the support of the community, which has helped this vibrant event grow with each passing year.”

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September 2018

South West Brooklyn Fall Festival incubates new businesses

he South West Brooklyn Fall Festival is the Columbia Waterfront District’s annual street fair. It focuses around Union and Columbia Streets, and is scheduled for Saturday September 15, from noon to 5 pm. “I have noticed growth the last couple of years,” Ben Fuller Googgins, programming and planning director of the fair’s sponsor, the Carroll Garden’s Association (CGA). “I would say between 60 and 75 participants and that includes musicians, community organizations and vendors. I don’t know the exact breakdown among all of those, but I would say it is in that range.” The event is the one major community event of the year in the part of the neighborhood that it is in. A major reason that they do this festival is that

it is the one time that they mix businesses, musicians, food vendors and community groups. “Also, making space for local businesses that do not have a storefront or are starting up and wanting to expand,” Fuller Googins said. “This is not a fundraiser for us, we make it as accessible as possible for groups to participate. All the registration fees are just used to cover the costs. The city takes a fee also.” In Fuller Googins’s few years at CGA he has noticed that organizations are now reaching out to them wanting to participate, which he is pleased to see. They have been able to grow this festival by going door to door to various businesses to get the word out, and for the businesses who

Red Hook Star-Revue

don’t have a storefront the organizers have felt that social media has helped connect with those people. There are a few local food businesses who do not have storefronts that will be at the festival. One of them is Monsoon Sweets, owned by Roopa Kalyanaraman Marcello, who lives in Carroll Gardens and heard about the event because she lives three blocks away. Monsoon Sweets is a custom cake and desert studio that specializes in flavors of South Asia. Another local business who will be at the festival is Jest Green, which is run by Vander Carter. Jest Green is NYC’s first eco modern street vendor and his signature products include seasonal, locally sourced greens, homemade thirst-quenching juices, tasty snacks and globally inspired flavors. There are also many local traditional restaurants that will have booths with food at the festival for attendees to enjoy. Fuller Googins thinks it is nice that restaurants with storefronts will participate. “We will have Mazzat, an Egyptian place on the corner of Sackett and Columbia Street,” Fuller Googins said. “We will have Calexico, they have a storefront on Union. Also, the House of Pizza and Calzone (132 Union Street) (among others).” The organizers found that musical groups have reached out to them wanting to perform, and this year one such musician, who is from Red Hook, goes by the name Happs. His real name is Tyquan Carter and he performs hip hop music. “It’s good to have actual musicians from the neighborhood,” Fuller Googins added. “I am excited, slowly but surely Red Hook is being represented. Pioneer Works has come the last few years.” CGA really wants to give local businesses who operate out of their home and are just starting out a space to connect with others in the neighborhood. Whereas some festivals will reflect businesses of many different areas, CGA really wants this festival to reflect the communities they are a part of in terms of the artists, musicians and food vendors that are represented.

New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca (District 38), who is the chair of the Council’s task force overseeing the Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX), issued the following statement on August 30 regarding the newest streetcar plan released by the Economic Development Corporation (EDC): “It has taken two years of conceptual design and planning for us to reach a point that we essentially started at – the City wants to build a streetcar to connect the waterfront between parts of Queens and Brooklyn, but it still doesn’t know how it is going to pay for it, and it still has not fully explained the public interest that is being served.” “I want to stress that the financing problem is connected to the public interest problem. It would be easier to understand the need to pay for such a large infrastructure project if it was also clear what transportation needs the project was addressing.” “But the EDC has not established convincingly enough why the streetcar is necessary. We know private property owners and other major waterfront developments in North Brooklyn will benefit from the street car. The question is whether the public will, or if it will just displace lots of people and businesses who had no need for the street car to begin with.” “We must not forget that the BQX proposal was made by private interests who see an opportunity to benefit

Carlos Menchaca their investments along the proposed route. Besides EDC taking up the cause, no other relevant entity – such as the City Department of Transportation (DOT) or MTA – has weighed in on the economic or environmental impact of this project.” “I want to reiterate my promise to the residents of my district – as both their Council Member and as chair of the task force charged with overseeing this project – that in thinking through the consequences of this proposal, I will be laser focused on whether the project is meeting a real transportation need, not simply whether it is in the interests of private business owners.”

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RED HOOK STAR-REVUE FILE PHOTO

Menchaca has BQX doubts

Star  Revue arts R E B M E T P E S Artist Annie Nicholson on turning grief into art Photos and story Matt Caprioli

f you see a woman walking around in a shimmering gold dress, it’s probably the English graphic designer Fandangoe Kid (Annie Nicholson). We caught up with Nicholson after her trip to Coney Island, which, in her words, “is so weird I fucking love it.” She’s in Red Hook for a residency at De-Construkt on 41 Seabring Street through August 14. Nicholson’s posters of positive messages are on De-Construckt’s exterior walls, as well as the walls of Open Source Gowanus (234 Butler St ). Fandangoe Kid, who lives and volunteers in East London, places a premium on accessibility. “I want to appeal to people who

may usually walk past a gallery. I want those who don’t feel like they have a place in the gallery to access my work.” From a working-class background, Fandangoe Kid continues to look at class disparities and art’s role in widening or closing those gaps. As a graphic design student at London College of Communication, the works of Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Tracey Emin broke her assumptions of art’s limitations. “I kept thinking, fuck ya, you can make work out of your innermost workings,” Fandangoe Kid said. “It all was incredibly bold.” Posters appeal to Fandangoe Kid for their loud proclamations of self. Like her influences, all of her work draws upon her deepest emotional realities.

ART BY FANDANGOE KID

“(As an artist) you need to make work that can be accessed on a broad level without being vacuous,” Fandangoe Kid added. “It has to have the anecdotal thread of whatever your life history was.” Tragedy struck Nicholson in 2011, when almost all of her family passed in New York. She processed the trauma by

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F andangoe K id ( Annie N icholson) “ Y ou can make w ork out of your innermost w orkings” turning to art and encouraging others to realize that “beautiful things can happen on a micro level within macro level of trauma.” Of the following years after her family’s passing, she said, “If you survive that you’re absolutely forced to face yourself. You have to work really hard to understand yourself and live with happiness at the other side. Creating and making art has become an immense source of life for me.”

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About the process of applying posters with positive messages to the exterior walls of Open Source, Nicholson said, “with this project, it’s so personal, there’s a feeling of shedding layers. I regained some of the years I lost back then.” Check out Fandangoe Kid’s work at 41 Seabring St (De-Construkt), Corner of Bergen, and 4th Ave, 234 Butler St (Open Source Gowanus)

September 2018, Page 15

Star  Revue

PHOTO BY ALEX NATHANSON

art SEPTEMBER

Solar Empowerment Pioneer Works holds workshop to educate artists on science of solar panels By Diehl Edwards

ccomplished multimedia artist, A/V engineer, curator, and educator, Alex Nathanson, led an interactive workshop at Pioneer Works on the use of solar power in art projects on one hot yet stormy Saturday in August. Most attendants had little to no experience working with solar panels, but were curious just how their projects could benefit from the technology. A sound technician wanted to see how solar power could run his amplifiers. One designer aimed to make solar powered light fixtures. One artist planned to create an outdoor art installation. The solar panels themselves were odds and ends sourced from large scale manufacturers. They worked with bags of fragments, odd-shaped and brittle dark blue chips of solar panels that didn’t make the cut for satellite use. The panels were made of silicone, a common photovoltaic material, the substance that is conducive for turning visible light into direct current energy (or DC, as Nathanson explained). Nathanson covered the ins and outs of the science of capturing and transmitting solar energy as the workshop began. Those principles were important to understand, he explained, although not

necessary to unpack entirely in order to work with solar panels.

“ In an introductory exercise, the workshop put together a smallscale solar electric system. They used multi-meters and solder to attach and connect the panels to the motors.

“Solar power is inherently political,” Nathanson says, “In many instances it’s a political statement in and of itself...”

Solar art has held a long appeal. Solar has been applied in many settings, from cost-saving uses by large institutions such as schools, to trendy installations by large corporations, to charged political statements.

“Solar power is inherently political,” Nathanson says, “In many instances it’s a political statement in and of itself. I would definitely stress that in the current atmosphere of climate change denial and federal inaction any investigation or use of alternative energy is political.” Nathanson was the first to call

Snapshot of the Saturday w orkshop. Photo by Diehl Edwards”

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September 2018

“ 6 V Solar Mosaic: Refugees W elcome” by Alex N athanson out sensationalized solar projects that didn’t necessarily live up to their self-promoted hype. Although he didn’t name names, he recognized that because of common misinterpretations about the science and technology surrounding solar energy, some patrons often have skewed expectations of what they’ll get. The problem is that the explosion of the solar market hasn’t had an accompanying boost in knowledge about the materials. It has been Nathanson’s project to lead these educational seminars to correct that. The reality of solar technology is that it is as variable as the weather and just as precarious. “It doesn’t always work out,” he said, “but in the context of a work of art, that’s might just be part of it. Sometimes, that’s how life is.” As far as life imitating art, the day turned out to be an ironic example; it rained steadily though the afternoon. At one point a thunderclap filled the room, a reminder of other natural energy sources humans have wanted to harness (a la Benjamin Franklin and his fabled key on a kite). Yet, despite the cloud cover, Alex was able to get one of his palm-sized prototypes, a three-paneled sculpture with an electric noise maker, to emit its ringing sound. One of the participants pulled a bright LED flashlight from her bag and that too was able to power the small interactive sculpture. The sun, Nathanson explained, was not the only light source that could activate solar panels, although it was the best one. Any light could be used, and with

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the implementation of auxiliary tools such as mirrors, the energy source could be amplified. One thing that attracted attendees to the workshop was the potential of making art that could move, make sound, or light up without having to be plugged into the city’s electrical grid. Solar energy raises the question of what is power, where is it coming from, and what it can be. Environmental damage and international war contribute much of the electrical energy that powers the country. To be able to draw power directly from the sun detaches a work of art from implication of being a contributor to the very issues it may be a statement against. By the end of the class, 12 students had assembled their own moving or ringing sculpture, and added a valuable tool to their skillset. As the rain let up, the smaller creations only requiring a single volt to power were able to be run by holding them up to the window and the overcast sky behind it. The larger ones, including a USB charger, would have to wait for brighter days, but those, of course, were just around the corner. Check out pioneerworks.org/ classes for a full list of classes offered at Pioneer Works, including Alex Nathanson’s Solar Power Art Class

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September 2018, Page 17

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September 2018

Star  Revue

music Jan Bell dreams SEPTEMBER Americana How the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival Found Home on the Brooklyn Waterfront Story and photos by Steve Farber (stevefarber@gmail.com)

t’s 91 degrees on a weekday afternoon and Jan Bell is settling into the darkest, coolest corner of Olympia Bar on Jay Street, letting her bag slide onto the bench. Her shoulder length hair is braided into pigtails and tucked under a trucker cap. She’s also perched a pair of wood trimmed sunglasses over her glasses, which she pulls off easily, the way some people pop a loosey behind their ear or sport mismatched socks, although Bell prefers a pair of natty cowboy boots. “I’m thirsty,” she says in a wry, polite voice, “are you thirsty?” Earlier, she’d been out and about scouting Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 3, a magnificent site with Manhattan as backdrop and the newest venue added to the seven others already in play for this year’s Brooklyn Americana Music Festival.

“ Last year Pier 3 was still under construction so a nearby pocket among landscaped boulders was

picket lines sang “We Shall Not Be Moved” during the miners’ strike of 1984. When she moved to nearby Nottinghamshire, Bell promptly set about putting on theatre shows about Robin Hood set in the woods featuring recorder music because she’d just learned how to play it. She laughs at the memory of herself, ever the performer and organizer, “Since the age of five I was that kid, putting on plays.” Bell moved to New York and quickly connected with the arts scene cross pollinating the East Village and Dumbo. By 1998, she and Tanya Rynd of Superfine had just come back to Dumbo from a great American road trip having dreamed up a show along the way which they staged for friends: The Urban Cowgirl Cabaret. Superfine was feeding hungry iron workers and locals out of the kitchen at Between the Bridges, but what they really needed was music. “I found this whole scene, the Superfine scene in the back kitchen and these iron workers in the front, it’s kind of like the summation of my whole life, of

“I found this whole scene, the Superfine scene in the back kitchen and these iron workers in the front, it’s kind of like the summation of my whole life...” the venue. “It’s amazing how quaint it was. When we were first there, it was basically a rock grotto.” The Brooklyn Park Conservancy counted well over a thousand visitors in two days last year in that little grotto, a far cry from the festival’s beginnings playing out of the bed of a 1964 pickup parked in front of the Between the Bridges Pub at 63 York.

Born in the heart of England’s coal mining country, Bell grew up in a world where music was a fact of life. Everyone learned to read music in school, everyone sang in church and everyone on the

Red Hook Star-Revue

Jan Bell, organizer of the Brooklyn Americana Music

my family and artists and women’s community, you know, my working-class family.” In addition to performing, Bell started organizing shows and what began out of the back of Laura Taylor’s truck has spread to over 50 free concerts on stages at 68 Jay Street Bar, Dumbo Archway and Women’s Dumbo Archway, Superfine, Burl’s Poetry Shop, Powerhouse Arena, Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 3, Jalopy Theatre and Sunny’s Bar. On Sept 20, Jalopy Theatre is hosting the opening night gala with Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton, Dan Zanes & Claudia

Eliaza, Wild Ponies, and Giri & Uma Peters, with Miss Sophie Lee getting the night started. Powerhouse and Burl’s will feature more intimate sets Queen Esther, who recently played Kennedy Center will be at Powerhouse, while Burl’s sets will be staged in the round. Tyrone Cotton will be bringing his music to Sunny’s Bar not long after recruiting the Louisville Symphony as his personal backup band.

music revival, of Americana music all along the waterfront, from Dumbo to Red Hook” Bell says. “Music is a great migration, songs travelled across the ocean with people, and came up from the earth” once they’d planted roots in American soil. “I want (the festival) to be free, to be fun, for people to meet and make friends, and have a few good libations.”

Twelve years old and already picking banjo for six years, Little Nora Brown will be taking over Pier 3 on Saturday, followed by Sabine McCalla up from New Orleans, before Red Hook’s own Sasha’mani Francois and his band City Billies close the night with the Manhattan skyline glittering behind them. On Sunday the 23rd, Bell will play Pier 3 with her trio the Maybelles. For the first time, the festival will feature a Women’s Stage at the Dumbo Archway venue, starting on Saturday 9/22 at 2pm and running well into the evening. The festival wraps on Sunday with an official afterparty at Superfine, with music starting at noon and playing late into the night. “There’s a nucleus of the folk

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Star  Revue theater SEPTEMBER By Jaclyn Green-Stock

own by the Brooklyn Bridge Park, located in the basement of an old Gothic Revival Chapel built in 1876, is Brooklyn’s oldest self-sustaining community theater. Now in its 63rd season, The Heights Players upcoming season of nine productions is a study in variety. Featuring two musicals, three comedy-dramas, and four dramas, the community theater’s season spans from its opening with Oliver! on September 7 to its closing May 19th, with Rent as the tentative last musical (rights pending). Embracing the full spectrum of possibilities for community theater, The Heights Players’ season includes Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, A Christmas Carol, and Stop Kiss, a play originated at The Public Theater about

A Community theater Prepares An epicenter for community and art, The Heights Players’ launches into its fall season the before and after of a violent assault on two women who share a kiss on the street. Rounding out the season, The Heights Players will also stage Detective Story, The Nance, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, and Harvey. The Heights Players functions as a place for all to get involved in the different aspects of producing community theater. Actor Valerie O’Hara has performed in a variety of The Heights Players’ productions, but pitched in for other roles for the company. As a House Manager, usher, and concessions staff member she’s seen the importance of The Heights Players’ emphasis on local involvement. “I could see the real sense of community…I wanted to be part of it.” She credits the dedicated volunteers who are always looking to

2 0 1 7 production of G eorge M. Photo by George Kunzel provide quality, affordable entertainment as the reason that the Heights Players have been selfsustaining for so many years. “I was impressed with the quality of the production: the acting, the scenery, the costumes; the way a large musical was staged in this venue, with an audience on three sides of the playing space.” Housed in a former gym, the space now functions as a full-time home for The Heights Players. The unique setting presents its own set of challenges. As a theater in the round with seating on three sides of the stage, there is limited room for sets and access to the stage. Ed Healy, President of The Heights Players and a member for over 50 years, is directing Detective Story this season. Addressing the unusual format, Healy said, “Sometimes we do shows without big elaborate sets. We do a lot with lighting.” At their location since 1962, The Heights Players also shares a home with the Brooklyn Community Nursery School and the Roosa School of Music. A true community endeavor, The Heights Players has a robust history of local involvement, including bringing theater to the underserved and receiving commendations for their special performances for the homeless. Colleen Dewhurst, once known as the Queen of OffBroadway, honored The Heights Players in 1991, commemorating their work with The Partnership for the Homeless. The Heights Players past involvement with nursing homes, The Hale House in Manhattan, and street fairs like Atlantic Antic illustrates the breadth of their commitment to the making true community theater. Devoted to creating access for children to the arts, The Heights Players also have two weekends of children’s theater performances every year. At six dollars a ticket, Corrine Contrino, Member at Large, notes the weekends are opportunities for children and their families to come to see the

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current production. The theater stages each production as a Thursday night fundraiser for local community organizations. Schools, political groups, and nonprofits, including the Coalition for the Homeless, have held fundraisers before the show and then attended the performance, for a nominal fee to cover costs. Taking local involvement seriously, Contrino notes, “The theater is a place for people to gather and become a community.” A member of The Heights Players community for 18 years, Contrino began as an audience member before becoming a volunteer and then a stage manager. As a member of the Board of Directors she has seen the possibilities of community theater to engage new audiences in the arts. Her goal for this year? Seeing how many people The Heights Players can impress. “I’m looking forward to new subscribers and the old subscribers… it just feels like a fresh start every time. We really do quality theater every year and I get hopeful that more and more people will see it,” Contrino says. The upcoming season includes children’s performance, director’s workshops, and an annual gala, in addition to the nine productions. While some members have been involved for many years, The Heights Players welcome new volunteers and members. Contrino says, “We constantly get emails from people who stage managed in college and who would love to get back into theater…We’re never a closed group…We’re always looking for new ideas and new people who are willing to work.” Emphasizing a guiding ethos of The Heights Players, O’Hara agrees: “I think we have a good variety of plays coming up this season, and I’m looking forward to enjoying all of them from either side of the footlights.”

September 2018

Star  Revue PICKS SEPTEMBER

Dan Z anes performs N ight T rain 5 7 . Left to right: Y uriana Sobrino, Claudia E liaza and Dan Z anes. Photo by Teresa Wood

Dan Zanes’s Sensory FriendlY Folk Opera By Matt Caprioli

After founding The Del Fuegos in 1984 to moderate commercial success (Rolling Stone hailed them the best band of 1984) Grammy-award winner Dan Zanes turned to children’s music in the mid-90s after the birth of his daughter. He then started playing for neighborhood kids. Once a tape of his circulated around the neighborhood, he realized there was more satisfaction making music for families, not just adults. Forming Dan Zanes and Friends in 2000, he hedged his money on making children’s music. It was a smart bet. Zanes has been dubbed “The crown prince of contemporary kid’s music” by People. His music’s been featured on Sesame Street, Disney, and Nickelodeon; his collaborations include Philip Glass, Sheryl Crow, Lou Reed, and Bob Weir. Dan Zanes and Friends received a Grammy for Best Musical Album for Children in 2007. Zanes’s newest album, “Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Folk Opera” comes to Brooklyn Music Academy (BAM) on Sept 20 as part of the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival. Zanes will be joined by jazz vocalist Claudia Eliaza and comic percussionist Yuriana Sobrino. Eliaza (whom Zanes married at the New York courthouse earlier this year) continues to work in music therapy since receiving a degree in the subject from Berklee College of Music. The Kennedy Center commissioned Zanes last year to write music that would vibe well with all children, including those with autism spectrum and learning developments. At each performance, light and movement are modulated accordingly. This of course follows the spirit of the Americana festival: inclusivity, community, and a good time had by all. All ways of responding to music are welcome. The opening track (and personal favorite) “Songs are Everywhere” says that songs can be picked up from anywhere: a park, a laundromat, the sidewalk. Things literally take off with the title track “Night Train 57” as a picnic table gains the gift of flight; it flies higher and higher as the tracks rolls on.

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Throughout, the album delivers sweet textures and clever arrangements: it widens accessibility without losing sophistication as it travels “to the moon and the stars.” Ending with the twinned “The Darkest Night” then “Bright Morning Song,” it’s a beautiful album that’s sure to leave you with a smile.

many brownstone reds. The DUMBO based scarf was taken at night, and carries a swirling view of the skyline. For the Red Hook scarf, you’ll see a fine composition of gentle blues and placid greys. Vansadia said the video behind the pattern was taken around Red Hook Dock, just behind Fairway.

Sept 20 8pm. 30 Lafayette Ave (718) 636-4100

Everything’s printed on silk, making for quite the gift. At 100-125 dollars a scarf, you’re paying for the memory and the rare opportunity of having the city threaded through what you wear. For the time being, Vansadia doesn’t plan for a Red Hook 2.0 scarf, which means for now, there is one and only one Red Hook Scarf.

The one and onlY Red Hook scarf By Matt Caprioli Namrata Vansadia has spent her entire adult life in Brooklyn. As a graduate school at Pratt winded down, she was getting dizzy at the speed of change around Brooklyn. To capture pieces of the Brooklyn she loved, she decided to make scarves that could carry aspects of the city in their very fabric. “Everything was changing around me so quickly, literally and visually changing. This was my way of archiving a lot of things that I think are very special about Brooklyn.” In late 2013, along with her partner, Sanksshep Mahendra, (whom she met at Pratt) the two co-founded Brooklyn Block, a unique scarf company that currently offers just 11 products. Here’s what makes their scarves so eye-catching: Mahendra takes a video of a neighborhood that strikes a chord with them. They break down the audiovisuals to raw code, then run it through an app of their own devising. The output is an array of block colors reminiscent of the neighborhood footage. Vansadia then prints the patterns on silk scarfs. When they ship it out, the package comes with a Polaroid of the specific location.

You can find Brooklyn Block products at MoMA design store (Manhattan, or if you’re in Tokyo and feeling homesick), or thebrooklynblock.com

Sweet selections from Red Hook Winery By Shayna Goodman Located on Pier 41, Red Hook Winery is the first urban winery to source their grapes exclusively from New York state. How good is New York wine? In the crowded tasting rooms on the North Fork, it can be difficult to sip discerningly over the noise of drunken day partyers. But in the cerebral quiet of Red Hook Winery, you might be surprised to find how unique and complex Brooklyn-made wine can be.

When Brooklyn-native Mark Snyder founded Red Hook Winery in 2008, history was on his mind: the tasting room, decorated haphazardly with second-hand furniture, looks out onto the water and the Statue of Liberty. Snyder created the winery as homage to the Italian immigrants who settled in Brooklyn and made wine in their basements. In the era of mass immigrations from southern Europe, the building was a storage facility for imported products such as cotton and cocoa. Snyder also happens to be the former sound technician for Peter Frampton and Billy Joel. He brings an artistic approach to the industry that pairs well with the neighborhood. Grapes are sourced from the salty terroir of the North Fork of Long Island and the Finger Lakes upstate. The latter produces wines that have thrived in Germany and Austria. Red Hook’s wines include traditional varietals as well as unusual blends such as “St. Agnes”, a full-flavored mix of Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay. Or “League of the Storm” and “Pebbles on the Shore,” two different blends of Cabernet Franc & Merlot. These wines are surprising, the names in conversation with the history of Brooklyn and the facility. On a recent Thursday afternoon, the tasting room was full of restaurateurs and neighborhood locals, enjoying the sea breeze coming in through the open doors. There were strollers parked by the tables, baguettes and hunks of local cheese. The sommelier, Sophie Huberdeau, explained that on weekends the scene includes a few (tasteful) bachelorette parties and a handful of tourists. But on a whole, she explained, “it’s usually peaceful”—less of wine bar, more of an educational center, where Brooklynites can take classes, do a tasting and take tours of the facility complete with samplings of new wines, straight from the barrel.

Mark Snyder founder of Red H ook W inery

The vivacity of each neighborhood comes out in the scarf: Times Square has swatches of bright yellow; Brooklyn Heights

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What the Pharmacist Saw

Innovative photography at BWAC Queens-raised artist James Venuti is a pharmacist by day and a photographer by all other hours. His sprawling image of the Flatiron Building “Turn to the Right” is on display at Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC), the 25,000 square foot warehouse that continues to be a remarkable incubator of emerging and well-established artists. “Turn to the Right” is part of his compelling series Living Frames, photos of iconic NYC landmarks where each photograph interacts with the respective frame that Venuti has cut and/or painted. There’s two layers of “living” here: the sense (and reality) that these landmark images are in constant flux, and the discursive ping-pong between frame and image. “Turn to the Right,” required more than the usual amount of

outcast of africa By Briana Murphy She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore Set in Western Liberia, She Would Be King (out Sept 11) begins with the promising premise of a black girl born with red hair and soon cast out from her community. Children taunt her by yelling “witch!”, and at first you may think what bored punks until it’s apparent they have a point, as this story revolves around a protagonist who cannot die. In her debut novel, Wayétu Moore, a lecturer in Africana Studies at John Jay College, manages to pull off a narrator that seems impossible: the wind. This isn’t a spoiler as you find out all about it in a pleasing twist toward the end of the first chapter. Such a choice allows her to brush along several continents and gain intimate knowledge of dozens of characters. It’s impressive that Moore can sustain the contrivance for so long. It’s a wise and affecting move that, for all its oddity, really works. Moore’s sympathy lies with outcasts. She seems heavily

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At 14, Venuti worked in a local pharmacy in Queens. It turned to a CVS four years later, and Venuti found himself as a pharmacy manager for the next 12 years; he taught himself woodworking in his spare time. After a 2012 trip through Europe where he took over 6,000 photos with a point-and-shoot camera, Venuti returned home with refreshed eyes and the urge to capture the thousands of marvels he saw around New York. “Walking around the city I really wondered how I could incorporate frames and photography. I wanted to come up with one of a kind pieces.” Since Jan 2016, Venuti has made more 60 pieces for Living Frames. Each takes about 100 hours of work. Venuti sees the carved frames as paramount importance to the image. Professionally, Venuti is unusual compared to many artists with MFAs. He has no formal schooling in painting or photography, and where most artists will listen to music when they work, Venuti plays re-runs of “Frasier” as he

influenced by Toni Morrison (they share an alma mater, Howard University) and in particular The Bluest Eye (one character, Cholly, shares the same name as the father in of Morrison’s debut novel). Gbessa (pronounced “bessa”) experiences intense personal rejection which, like Pecola in The Bluest Eye, requires intense self-numbing. But unlike Morrison’s debut, the awkward sentences here keep the characters at a distance. Too often, it seems that the author is observing the characters rather than getting under their skin. It lacks the taut energy of the British-Nigerian writer Helen Oyeyemi’s stories, which also employ magical realist elements, or the swift storytelling mastery of Ghanaian-American Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, which also intertwined stories from Africa and America. There are some lovely phrases: “The sun took pleasure in having her all to itself, digging its impression in to her pigment, making her skin the color of twilight” and “There was Lake Piso, displaying seventy reflections of a full moon, each ripple a different translation.” But these rewards are far too few to justify the incredible patience this first work demands. They’re also

paints in Commack, Long Island, where he currently practices. His favorite episode is “The Innkeepers,” where the two brothers attempt to revitalize the four-star restaurant of their youth. Now upgraded to a Nikon TSL, Venuti continues to shoot around the city. Against the reproduction of photography, these works are sui generis. With a cinematic flourish, Venuti captures the glowing energy and light of New York’s most prominent landmarks. These well-known images could easily fall victim to a dentist’s office; what keeps them startling and complex is Venuti’s clear devotion to detail.

In conjoining a cast of mediums, Living Frames remains inviting and complex at once. Most pieces are instantly recognizable, but some require a step back. When people ask him what’s going on along the edges of “Turn to the Right,” Venuti will explain the perimeter is a reworking of the Flatiron Building. “They’ll stand back and see the whole thing. Then they get what’s happening.” Venuti will be at Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit on Labor Day weekend and on Sept 8-9.

The light he captures can’t be mimicked in Photoshop. Rather, it’s produced through trial and error. For “Lost Dock,” a panorama of the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, Venuti shot from the site more than 30 times before he finally caught the right light. “TURN TO THE RIGHT,” BY JAMES VENUTI

Star Revue REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 

surgical precision, Venuti said. “Carving street lines is a nightmare. If I’m off 1/16th of an inch it all has to be scraped. Leaves and vines are easier. If I mess those up it’s fine. Leaves can have their own shape.”

“Sometimes you’re lucky with one shot. You see it in your head in a certain way and everything works out. But sometimes you’re not lucky, and so many things come into play, you have to keep going to get to what you want to see.”

complicated by clumsily sentences like “she thought heavily” and “upon opening the door...” (then, just pages later, “upon entering the cave…”). People are always approached or recognized or stimulated. Nearly every character at some point snaps. Gbessa is, according to the wind narrator, shrouded in “otherness.” These academic concerns dis-

Starting from the perspective of Charlotte, a slave on struggling plantation owned by a wicked man. The windy narrator doesn’t distract from the characters and seamlessly presents their perspectives. The most moving scenes are when she (the wind/Gbessa) comforts the downtrodden—a tortured slave, a lover—and conveys the impressions of a community to which she is simultaneously on their skin of and perpetually removed from: “Everybody’s business was a small part of my own.” The accumulation of subplots ultimately becomes cliched and slackens; the plotlines don’t cohere. The pacing is slow and the images fog. Unless you’re in the market for forced emotion, She Would Be God is unlikely to elicit the sort of awe of Colson Whitehead’s plantations scenes in The Underground Railroad.

tract from the lifeblood of this novel. The dialogue is accompanied by so many qualifiers as to prove distracting. Moore strikes a more realistic tone in the section “June Dey.”

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She Would Be King will appeal to people interested in Liberia, but there’s better art out there. Unlike Homegoing, which dealt with similar themes or Helen Oyeymi’s work, which present so many powerful fairytales, this debut work is unlikely to resonate with the uninitiated. But with enough patience (and an anthropologist’s assiduousness), She Would Be King can be rewarding.

September 2018

Sneak Peek Preview:

THE 44TH ANNUAL ATLANTIC ANTIC FESTIVAL by Erin DeGregorio

Look out For Dumpling Mama Dumpling aficionados will also be excited to learn that Chef One Foods – a Brooklyn company specializing in off-beat globally inspired dumplings, rolls, and dim-sum – will host their 15th Annual Dumpling Eating Contest on the Atlantic Avenue Main Stage. “This truly is a contest I’d like to go to every year,” says Molly Schuyler, a competitive eater who set a new overall record last year by eating 119 dumplings. “I love the food, and the organizers are amazing. The whole event is just fun.” The contest will take place on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Streets from 2 – 4 pm, and is free for all to watch on the sidelines. It will feature 48 professional and amateur eaters in male and female divisions, all competing to devour the most locally made dumplings in

This year’s Atlantic Antic : vendors of international foods and unique merchandise local merchants

500 100 12

stages for live music

two minutes. Each contestant will begin the competition with 40 whole Chicken and Napa Cabbage dumplings in front of them, and additional dumplings will be provided if the first 40 are finished. Should the

contest end in a tie, there will be another one-minute-eat-off to determine a winner. Winners in each category will receive a $2,000 first place prize, a $1,000 second place,

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PHOTO COURTESY OFATLANTIC ANTIC

Mark your calendars, Brooklynites, for the 44th Annual Atlantic Antic Festival on Sunday, September 23! While some details are still under wraps, the Red Hook Star-Revue has an exclusive sneak peak to Atlantic Antic: Brooklyn’s oldest and largest street festival. Festivalgoers will have the opportunity to try new types of food, enjoy live performances, go shopping and — most importantly — have fun. According to the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC), this year’s Atlantic Antic will feature international delicacies and unique merchandise from about 500 vendors and 100 local merchants, 12 stages for live music, workout classes and demos, and a Kids’ Zone – an entire city block dedicated to family-friendly fun. The Kids’ Zone will have bounce houses, pony rides and different vendors that are geared toward kids’ activities, games and clothing.

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September 2018

PHOTO COURTESY OFATLANTIC ANTIC

ATLANTIC ANTIC SNEAK PEEK CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE or a $500 third place, according to Dash Ni of TMI Trading’s sales & marketing team. Schuyler has won first-place in this specific competition for the last five years – challengers can register for the eating competition online at chefonefoods.com. There is a $20 fee to enter, and participating contestants will receive a t-shirt. Spectators will also have the opportunity to buy hot, fresh dumplings and frozen, packaged dumplings at Chef One’s festival tent from noon to 6 pm. Ni says the flavors they plan to have on the menu this year are Chicken and Napa Cabbage, Kung Pao Chicken, Thai Chicken, Vegetable, and Shrimp. She also says all proceeds from their contest and tent sales will be donated to Food Bank For New York City. According to Ni, Dumpling Mama will be walking around and available for photos with kids and adults the whole day. She also says to be on the lookout for more Snapchat filters and Instagram hashtags, like #LetsDoDumplings, this year. “Last year it was a kind of vintage look,” Ni explains. “This year we’re hoping to go with a pop-art theme, more cartoonish and just full of fun.” The 44th Annual Atlantic Antic Festival will be held from 12 - 6 pm on September 23, rain or shine. It

will span 10 blocks through four neighborhoods on Atlantic Avenue, between 4th Avenue and Hicks Street. For more information, visit the festival’s official website at http://atlanticave. org/atlantic-antic/ .

Join The Brazen Head September 23rd For the 44TH Atlantic Antic! 228 Atlantic Ave. Near Court St. (718) 488-0430 12 PM - 4AM

D 6 SALUTES THE 44TH ATLANTI R A O B Y T I C ANTI UN C! COMM

Community Board 6 is back with monthly meetings every second Wednesday of the month. Our September Board Meeting will be held: September 12th 6:30p.m. at P.S. 32.

Map of Community Board 6

Please check our website Brooklyncb6.org for more info. Red Hook Star-Revue

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September 2018, Page 25

Atlantic Avenue

THE SHOPPING, SWEETS & EATS EDITION Story and photos by Erin DeGregorio

easts & Bottles, located at 151 Atlantic Avenue (between Henry and Clinton Streets), is a Brooklyn Heights restaurant whose heart is its rotisserie. Their kitchen features an open view of the rotisserie where patrons can watch their meals slowly cook in front of the roasted flames. Alexander LaPratt, Brooklyn’s only Master Sommelier and a partner at Beasts & Bottles, says his two partners, Leslie Affre and Laurent Kalkotour, hail from Provence France and that roasted chicken was a staple for their Sunday family dinners.

“We were selling a lot of roasted chicken for two at [our first restaurant] Atrium DUMBO and we said, ‘You know what? People really enjoy this type of cooking, we should do something that is a bit more wholesome and savory,’” he

explains. “So we saw the opportunity when [previous space occupier/Italian restaurant] Red Gravy was looking to move on, and we decided to create a rotisserie, which is upscale but not pretentious for the neighborhood.” Since opening on Atlantic Avenue two years ago, LaPratt says their most popular dish is the Truffled Chicken for Two, which is roasted chicken thighs and legs baked into a truffle pot pie with fingerling potatoes, carrots, celery and a cream sauce. Though known for its chicken and duck dishes, Beasts & Bottles is also one of the only two restaurants in Brooklyn to have won the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2017. Their wine list, curated by LaPratt, is extensive but has a focus on Champagne, Beaujolais and the Rhone Valley. It is open for dinner Sundays through Thursdays (5:30-10 pm), and Fridays and Saturdays (5:3011 pm). Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm. Happy hour is held Mondays through Fridays, 5:30-7 pm. It also offers vegetarian options.

ADVERTISE IN RED HOOK’S OFFICIAL ATLANTIC ANTIC SOUVENIR GUIDE! Thousands of copies given away at the Antic! Email LizGalvin78@gmail.com or text 917-652-9128

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eg is a locally made, women run independent clothing line that offers versatile, urban looks that fit into women’s everyday lives. Its Boerum Hill location (358 Atlantic Avenue, between Hoyt and Bond Streets) sells high-end dresses, jumpsuits, tops, bottoms and more for those who want to elevate their wardrobes. “Through creative personal styling and tailoring of each look, our goal is to make every customer feel her best self and have fun in the process,” owner Megan Kinney says on the line’s official website.

rick-walled, classic French bistro Chez Moi (135 Atlantic Avenue, between Henry and Clinton Streets) opened in Brooklyn Heights in April 2012. Owner Patricia Ageheim says the steak frites, escargot and mussels, inspired by different regions of France, are the most popular items on the menu. And, if you still have room for dessert, crème brûlée and profiteroles are sure to hit the spot. Downstairs from Chez Moi is craft cocktail bar Le Boudoir, which opened three years ago and was inspired by and styled after Marie Antoinette’s boudoir in Versailles. Their bar selection includes offers 25 kinds of absinthe and more than 100 spirits, as well as unique cocktails crafted by mixologist Franky Marshall. Ageheim has told this publication that they will be launching a new cocktail during Labor Day weekend - one with cannabidiol. “The CBD Cocktail’s going to be

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a reduced blueberry. Most likely the guests can choose their own liquor - whether they want vodka or tequila - and it will be sprinkled

with a green tea powder,” Ageheim says. “We’re always looking for something new and fun, and this is the latest.” Chez Moi is open Mondays through Thursdays (4 pm-12 am), Fridays (12 pm-1 am), Saturdays (10 am-1 am) and Sundays (10 am-12 am). Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. Oysters are $1 during the week, 4-7 pm. Le Boudoir is open Sundays through Thursdays (6 pm-1 am), and Fridays and Saturdays (6 pm-4 am).

September 2018

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f you have a sweet tooth, make sure Betty’s Bakery (448 Atlantic Avenue, between Bond and Nevins Streets) is on your “must visit” list. While the bakery is most well known for its red velvet cupcakes and its retro versions of Hostess’ Twinkie and Drake’s Ring Ding, it also serves an assortment of freshly baked seasonal pies, cakes and cookies. All baked goods are made from scratch and prepared on-site. Though closed on Mondays, it is open Tuesdays through Saturdays (9 am-7 pm) and Sundays (11 am-5 pm).

t. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe (533 Atlantic Avenue, between 3rd and 4th Avenues) is the best place to enjoy a cold beer in Boerum Hill. The shoppe has 16 rotating taps of craft beer and an extensive variety of 200+ bottles and cans that are available to-go or tostay. Plus they offer paninis and warm pretzels that go hand-in-hand with the beer of your choice. It is open Mondays through Wednesdays (2-11 pm), Thursdays and Fridays (2 pm-1 am), Saturdays (12 pm-1 am) and Sundays (12 pm-11 pm).

The go-to spot for Cajun favorites is The Gumbo Bros. (224 Atlantic Avenue, between Court Street and Boerum Place), which opened in December 2016 in Cobble Hill. Menu items include - but are not limited to - cups and bowls of gumbo and po’ boys, served on Leidenheimer bread that is shipped fresh from New Orleans. It is open Sundays through Thursdays (11:30 am-9 pm), and Fridays and Saturdays (11:30 am-10 pm).

xecutive Chef Allen Dabagh combines American and Middle Eastern cooking styles at Boutros (185 Atlantic Avenue, between Clinton and Court Streets) through classical and modernist techniques. The restaurant features communal tables and shareable dishes, which resembles Dabagh’s own family reunions. Dabagh explains that the name ‘Boutros’ is his father’s birth name and that his father goes by Pierre, which is the French translation of his name. He notes that his father

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has been supporting him all along since he became a professional chef 10 years ago. “The support from [my father] and his dedication to hard work and family is what makes me want to create a family with the community around Boutros,” Debagh says. He also says Boutros’ most popular dishes are bulgur fried rice that has a Soujouk (Armenian beef sausage) and is seasoned with a pomegranate soy sauce, and the pork chop, which is spiced with

an Aleppo Spice blend that ties in Middle Eastern flavor with a nontraditional cut of meat found in Middle Eastern cooking. Patrons can also enjoy cocktails and wines at the concrete bar, which also features a moss wall behind it. The bar and restaurant, which opened in November 2016, were personally designed by Dabagh. “I wanted to create an atmosphere that was warm, but also rustic and industrial that highlighted the old Brooklyn features that we discovered in the space,” Dabagh

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explains. “The mosaic tile floor is original from the 1940’s [that] we preserved, [and] the brick is original as well that was just brushed up to keep its integrity and natural beauty.” Boutros is open Mondays through Thursdays (bar: 5:30-11:30 pm, kitchen: 5:30-10:30 pm), Fridays and Saturdays (bar: 5:30 pm-1 am, kitchen: 5:30-11:30 pm) and Sundays (bar: 5-11:30 pm, kitchen: 5:30-10 pm). Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 3:30 pm.

September 2018, Page 27

Atlantic Avenue F THE SHOPPING, SWEETS & EATS EDITION

amily-owned business Acorn (323 Atlantic Avenue, between Smith and Hoyt Streets) carries handcrafted toys that promote creativity and openended play. It has been selling internationally designed and crafted wooden toys, Waldorf dolls, select furniture and mobiles, as well as unique clothing and artwork by New York designers and artists, since 2004. Popular wooden toys available for purchase in store and online include rocking horses, puzzles and blocks.

By Erin DeGregorio continued from previous page

“I really like the wooden alphabet blocks in different languages,” says manager Anna Rogovoy, who has been at Acorn for the last three years. “We have dozens of languages, and it’s always exciting to me when people come in and request a language that maybe I haven’t sold before or don’t sell as often. Someone asked for Swahili last week, and that was fun.”

unu Chocolates, whose flagship store is located at 529 Atlantic Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Avenues), is a paradise for chocolate lovers. They use a single origin Cocoa bean derived from a Trintario and Criollo hybrid, which comes from a sustainable and family-run farm in eastern Colombia, according to their official website. Plus, production happens on-site, which

allows customers to watch Nunu chocolatiers make the chocolates by hand. Individuals can purchase boxes of assorted chocolates to take home or to present as a gift. Be sure to try their frozen hot chocolate while the weather is still warm. It is open Mondays through Fridays (8 am-9 pm), Saturdays (9 am-9 pm) and Sundays (10 am-7 pm).

Though the toy store often gets associated with only selling products intended for infants, Rogovoy says that’s not the case. “Sometimes people assume that we’re a baby store, but we have more and more items that are great for older kids,” she adds. “And at least once a week an adult buys something for themself here.”

umbo, which has been in Boerum Hill for the last 17 years, moved to a new location this summer - right next door to its original storefront. While it currently carries handcrafted home decorations, children’s toys and baby accessories, the store (now located at 495 Atlantic Avenue, between Nevins Street and 3rd Avenue) also offers readings and classes geared toward young moms, babies, children and families. Owner Karen Zebulon says that - since the move - she would now like to focus a little less on the retail and more on the classes. “I’ll be doing rotating art exhibitions in this new space that I didn’t do before, every month or

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every six weeks,” she adds, hoping to have them ready during the fall. In addition to the already offered baby development classes, infant/child CPR classes and Spanish music classes, Zebulon intends to add adult yoga and Pilates classes in the new creative space.

September 2018

Fresh food abounds in the hood Red Hook residents have multiple ways of getting fresh vegetables every week on Wednesday afternoons outside of the Miccio Center as well as on Saturdays at the Red Hook Community Farm. Story and photos by Nathan Weiser

here is an a la carte option where people can pay for individual vegetables, a CSA option where people can pay for season and get an assortment of vegetables each week and then soon there will be an option for NYCHA residents or people with paying with SNAP benefits to get a reduced price on vegetables. The farm stand currently takes place every Wednesday from 4 pm to 8 pm in front of the Miccio and Senior Center and then from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturdays from 10 am until 3 pm at the Red Hook Community Farm. The urban farmers have been selling fresh vegetables since 2007 at the Farm (560 Columbia Street) since 2007 but only started selling in front of the Miccio at the end of July. “We thought we should get the farm produce into the neighborhood more instead of trying to get the neighborhood to come to us,” the executive director Saara Nafici said next to the vegetable stand. “That is why we wanted to have this stand here on Wednesdays. We are thinking people are walking through here, people are going to the Miccio and the Senior Center, so hopefully we are closer to where there are more people walking anyway and get more foot traffic.” On one side of the stand on the side walk in front of the Miccio is the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share program where people pay in advance for the season.

Red Hook Star-Revue

“It is a program that a lot of farms use where a group of people in the beginning of the season pay for a part of the harvest,” Nafici said. “That way farmers can have some income already to keep them afoot for the season and so those people are investors in the farm. The people have prepaid and every week they get a portion of the harvest.” They also have an a la carte option where people can come and purchase the vegetables and various produce that they want. The vegetables that they sell are seasonal, but as for the ones that were there in the middle of August, the greens were $2 a bunch, the tomatoes were $3 a pint, the big zucchinis were two for $5 and the cucumbers were $2 a pound. They make deals with people to get the produce out that they bring over by van from the Red Hook Community Farm to the area in front of the Miccio and Senior Center. Most of the greens are $2 a bunch, the tomatoes are $3 a pint, the big zucchinis are two for $5, the cucumbers are $2 a pound. We make a lot of deals with people and try to get the produce out. They have a van that they use to bring all the vegetables over from the farm. The Red Hook Community Farm, which has been in existence since

2001, will soon be having a new $5 bag initiative to get discounted food to community members. “The promotion for NYCHA residents and people who have SNAP benefits is special promotion that we haven’t started yet,” Nafici added. “It is a big generous bag of vegetables. We have done a pilot of that. We wanted to give this a good month of practice before we started. It’s like a small share of the CSA.” The $5 bag will include some greens, a couple pounds of the fleshy produce and herbs. It will be a value of about $15 or $20. They are still figuring out the staffing and timing of the promotion for NYCA residents as they are a little short staffed now. The Saturday farm stand at the Red Hook Community Farm typically averages about 80 to 100 people and Nafici wasn’t sure how many people will typically come outside of the Miccio. The only thing that they sell that they don’t grow themselves are the eggs and the tree fruits like apricots and peaches. When they were at the Miccio location in the middle of August, since it was the temperature was hot, they were selling tomatoes for the first time and were going to start egg-

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plants and peppers in a week or two. Earlier in the season they had more lettuce and root vegetables as the weather was cooler. The workers at the Red Hook Community Farm have done some surveys and they have found that the majority of people who come live inside of Red Hook. “There is not a ton of foot traffic over there, it is not right in the houses or where people live, so it is not people coming from outside of the neighborhood,” Nafici said. “There have been different times where we have gathered surveys and had people write their zip codes and it is by and large 99 percent from Red Hook.” Red Hook Community Farm has a small staff and this summer they have hired 23 young people from Red Hook to work on the farm. A few of the young people are from Sunset Park, and there are many different skills that they teach to the youth during the summer. “It is a youth development program and they are learning actual market horticultural and agricultural skills, so, seeding, watering and harvesting,” Nafici said. “But the larger mission is to have these skills be translatable into whatever career path they want to take. There is communication, teamwork and problem solving involved.” Another component of the summer for the young people the understanding of where food comes from and the larger food justice movement.

September 2018, Page 29

PS 676 is on the way up Priscilla Figueroa, who is a native Brooklynite who grew up in Carroll Gardens, is the new principal of PS 676 and she has done a lot to change and improve the school in her short time in charge so far. She was previously the assistant principal of PS 88 in Park Slope. She started covering for the existing principa,l who went on maternity leave last October. “I was here October, November and December covering for the principal and in December the principal was removed,” Figueroa said. “I continued my role but was not appointed until the end of the year. The previous principal was removed in December. This is my first official year as principal.” When she started in her role last October it was a different place than it is now. According to Figueroa, the school and the staff members was an unhappy place and the students had difficult with basic skills. “Playing in the schoolyard was something they didn’t know how to do. Students were not communicating effectively with each other. Safety agents were being threatened by parents, it was out of the ordinary and absurd.” Figueroa has made changes by reached out to get help. She has hired new including a parent coordinator, community associates, librarian and counselor. They have all been vital in boosting the school, writing grant proposals, and building important partnerships. One new partner is the YMCA. This partnership will begin at the end of September and they will provide the school community with sports programs at their two nearby facilities. The Y is allowing parents to bring their children to the 9th St and armory locations in Park Slope for swimming and different activities. “I think it is important that they have somewhere to go after school, so they can play sports in a competitive and recreational way,” Figueroa said

Page 30 Red Hook Star-Revue

in her office. “We will have a more robust sports program.” She also said that connected to the YMCA partnership that they will be able to build Lego robotics and attempt STEM workshops and competitions. There will be a concentration on health and wellness this year because the principal believes that the school and the external community can benefit from this. She pointed out that on the side of Red Hook where PS 676 is located there is not a lot of healthy eating. “We want to make sure we promote healthy eating and exercise because a healthy body provides the opportunity for a healthy mind,” Figueroa said. Two other sports partnerships are CHAMPS, for after school programs, and the Rising New York Road Runners, providing running programs for the students during the day and after school. On the arts side, 676 is now associated with the Learning Education Arts Program (LEAP), offering art, theater and music programs. LEAP will assist 676 to develop a comprehensive theater program. PS 676 will get exposure to Muttigrees: North Shore Animal League. They will work alongside the teachers at the school to provide an opportunity for children to build awareness in terms of how to deal with animals. The principal thinks this will be therapeutic and will help with their mental health program. There are a few other ways North Shore Animal League, will benefit the PreK through fifth graders. “It also builds awareness because children have to understand that sometimes, the way you take care of an animal is similar to the way you should take care of yourself,” Figueroa added.Connecting with their health and wellness program, PS 676 will be partnering with NY Food Bank: Cook Shop. This will provide an opportunity for children to learn how to eat healthy, how to budget, shop and cook. This partnership will provide children an opportunity to think through what they can do to cook at home while eating healthy. Another partnership will be with NYPD Operation Safe Child, as well as Vision Zero. Figueroa thinks this is an important one because she wants the children and parents to understand safety measures. NYPD Safe Child allows parents to get a card with bio information that identifies their child and that child can carry it with them to ensure they are registered with the NYPD.

After an incident last year with a child crossing the street near the school, the school met with Leroy Branch, the former CB 6 assistant and now Department of Transportation Community Liaison, which resulted in speed bumps soon to be installed near the school. Council member Carlos Menchaca is an advocate and Figueroa has been working closely with him. The school

by Nathan Weiser in the building that has helped decide on core values that the children need, which are respect, empathy, integrity, curiosity and resiliency. The new curriculum that the school has adopted while Figueroa has been principal is one that is developed by the UN. The principal pointed out that there are global issues like diversity and equity and the best way to begin addressing this is to develop advocates of change within the school. “To develop advocates of change you have to tap into your youth,” Figueroa said. “You have to figure out a way to develop leaders within your community.”

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MS 88

“To develop advocates of change you have to tap into your youth,” Figueroa said. “You have to figure out a way to develop leaders within your community.” has recently won a grant for a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) lab and it also been awarded a grant for a new multimedia space. Construction for these two new spaces will is slated to begin later this year. The principal envisions that videos or documentaries will be shown in the new multimedia space. The new parent coordinator, Marie Hueston, is facilitating monthly activities for parents like a movie or game night. For movie night, there will be comfortable seating and this will be a way to connect with the community and give children an opportunity to do something with their parents on a Friday night. Menchaca has helped PS 676 connect with an Education for Sharing, which provides a comprehensive curriculum that aligns with the schools core values. There is a team of people

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Figueroa’s mentor is Ailene Mitchell, who is now the principal of MS 88. When Figueroa first started working at the school it was a low performing one and enrollment was low, which is similar to the situation she first encountered at 676. MS 88 is now a high performing school. When she began at MS 88 it was hard to get parents involved but through her time there a comprehensive PTA program was developed, and she hopes to do the same thing at 676.

Future of 676

She is trying to change the stigma that the community has had about not trusting the school, and Figueroa believes that the community will soon welcome what the school has to offer and have a desire be a a part of the school. “They will see the school is changing,” Figueroa said. “We are providing resources for children in the community that they need and that will help increase proficiency and engagement and a love for school and will foster a love for reading. We want to build leaders in society. We want children that will want to achieve their goals. I can’t give up.” Figueroa’s goal in the next few weeks is to extend enrollment all the way up to 200 kids and then add as many as possible after that. She wants to show the community that this is a school that can provide resources to learn, achieve proficiency and will be a school that will improve on their reading and math levels. Proving that the school will be a welcome place for any kind of student is that all their classes will be general ed classes that will provide special ed services for students (K-5). There will be two teachers in every class that will co-teach to meet the needs of every child.

September 2018

Guest Editorial: Private Interest vs. Public Good, by Carlos Menchaca Many in Red Hook take pride in our independent way of living. We don’t need giant high rise skyscrapers filled with asset retainers for wealthy people, and we don’t need a stupid streetcar jamming our narrow streets. We are happy the way things are, thank you. We are lucky to have a councilman who gets this, and stands ready to protect us against those two interloping things. Of all the city politicians, he stands almost alone in speaking out against the BQX project. This despite the political toll it takes being against a City Hall idea (actually the idea is from Jed Walentas, who sold the idea to the mayor’s office—who said yes for an as-yet unknown reason). The words below are from a press release issued by his office in response to the latest BQX pronouncement. We couldn’t have said these things

better ourselves, so here you go.

t has taken two years of conceptual design and planning for us to reach a point that we essentially started at – the City wants to build a streetcar to connect the waterfront between parts of Queens and Brooklyn, but it still doesn’t know how it’s going to pay for it, and it still hasn’t fully explained the public interest that is being served. “I want to stress that the financing problem is connected to the public interest problem. It would be easier to understand the need to pay for such a large infrastructure project if it was also clear what transportation needs the project was addressing. “But EDC has not established convincingly enough why the streetcar is necessary. We know private property owners and other major waterfront developments in North Brooklyn will benefit from the street car. The question is whether the public

will, or if it will just displace lots of people and businesses who had no need of the street car to begin with. “We must not forget that the BQX proposal was made by private interests who see an opportunity to benefit their investments along the proposed route. Besides EDC taking up the cause, no other relevant entity – such as the City DOT or MTA – has weighed in on the economic or environmental impact of this project. “To be fair, those studies are promised and forthcoming. But they are needed for us to make an informed decision about whether we want to invest another $3 billion into a major transportation project after already investing millions into a Ferry system to connect Queens to Brooklyn. “I want to reiterate my promise to the residents of my district – as both their Council Member and as chair of the task force charged with overseeing this project – that in thinking

“I look forward to reading EDC’s latest report in depth beyond the presentation of their key findings that were presented to my staff only yesterday.”

“We must not forget that the BQX proposal was made by private interests who see an opportunity to beneﬁt their investments along the proposed route.

Letters

I think you will enjoy your visit to The Copper Pot if you haven’t already ! Cheers ! - Veronica Vanaria

Wonderful Stuff!

If you see coloring your hair as a sign of whiteness, then you will see anything as whiteness. No one I know has ever said ‘I want to dye my hair so I can be seen as more white’. There are as many reason that people dye their hair as there are people dying their hair. I know some women who dye their hair blonde because it make their skin look darker (more tan). Some black women dye their hair blonde because it is ‘different’ or to be noticed. Similar to people dying their hair blue or magenta. Not because the want to see as more ‘blue’. there is a tremendous amount of racism and hatred in the world, but to suggest that women for the most part dye their hair to be more white is simply not true. One last thing, the major of black women that I know that have dyed their hair blonde as some point in their life are the strongest, more confident and proud black women I know. — Bobby Ettinger

Thank you for your wonderful service by publishing the best neighborhood newspaper !

Littlefield

through the consequences of this proposal, I will be laser focused on whether the project is meeting a real transportation need, not simply whether it is in the interests of private business owners.

I wanted to share with you my wonderful experience at The Copper Pot, the the former beloved Hope & Anchor. What a joy to see the lovely Hope & Anchor crew & wonderful Brandi one of the owners. My brunch of corned beef & hash with scrambled eggs was the best ever ! Not to mention a kick ass Bloody Mary. Everything on the brunch menu was a favorite making it hard to choose. The space design is simple & tasteful. The bar was made from the 175 year old floor planks from the former Hope & Anchor, keeping the beautiful Red Hook soul & spirit alive. And I being a native Red Hooker can’t tell you how moved & happy I was being told that little tidbit.

Proud Black Blondes

(Editor’s note) The above is written in response to “At Pioneer Works, “Stamped” by Claudia Rankine and John Lucas looks at blondness,” in our August issue.

The Star-Revue is always looking for contributors We could also use one more advertising salesperson Email George@Redhookstar.com Thanks! RedHook HookStar-Revue Star-Revue Red

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September 2018, Page 31 5

RELIGIOUS NEWS BY LAURA ENG laura.eng59@aol.com.

A Beloved Sister Retires A

Religious Services Christian

River Of God Christian Center

110 Wolcott Street, 646-226-6135, Secretary, Sister Roslyn Chatman. Sunday- Family Worship 11- 1 pm Scripture, Wednesday- At The Gate 12 noon, Prayer 7-7:30 pm, Bible Studies 7-8 pm, Thursday Prayer 7:30-8:30 pm, Fri. Youth ABLAZED Ministries 6- 7:30 pm, Senior Pastor, Donald Gray

Visitation Church

98 Richards Street, (718) 624-1572. Ofﬁce open Mon-Thurs. 9 am- 3 pm. Sat. Mass at 5 pm English; Sun. 10 am Spanish, 12:30 pm English. Community Prayer on Tuesday and Thursday at 8 pm. Call to arrange for Baptisms, First Communion, Conﬁrmation and Weddings.

New Brown Memorial Baptist

609 Clinton Street, 718 624 4780 Pastor A.R Jamal. Sun. School at 9:30 am. Sun. Worship at 11 am. Bible Study-Wed. at 7:30 pm. Communion every ﬁrst Sunday

Redemption Church Red Hook

767 Hicks Street (Red Hook Initiative), (347) 470-3523, RedemptionRedHook@gmail.com Pastor Edwin Pacheco Sunday Service at 10:30 am, Children’s Bible Study provided.

RH Ministries

72 Van Dyke Street (Corner of Richards Street), 718-624-3093, rhministries@bgtintl.com, Senior Pastor: Rev. David W. Anderson, Rev. Dr. Linda D. Anderson Sunday Worship Service at 11:00 am, Mid-week prayer on Wednesday at 7:30 pm, Pantry every Saturday at 9:30 am

St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church 157 Montague St., Brooklyn Heights. Phone: 718-875-6960, ofﬁce@stannholytrinity. org, Fr. John Denaro, Rector. Sunday Worship-Early Church at 9:30 am, Sunday School and Playgroup at 10:15 am and Holy Eucharist at 11:15 am, Weekday Worship on Wednesdays at 6 pm.

Stretching Far and Wide Global Ministry, Inc.

382 Hamilton Avenue, Studio B 1-800-948-9042 Archbishop Dr. Barbara Jackman, Overseer Rev. Dr. Dwayne Barnes, Pastor Services are held every Sun. @ 10 am Communion every First Sun. stretchingfar.webs.com stretchingfar@aol.com

St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish

467 Court Street, (718) 625-2270 Rectory Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am- 11:30 am, 1 pm-4 pm, Fri. 9 am- 12 noon. Masses: Sat. 4 pm, Sun. 10 am, Monday- Thursday, 9:30 am.

Saint Paul Saint Agnes Parish

Church Ofﬁce 433 Sackett St (718) 6251717 Hours: M-F 2 PM-5 PM. E mail: stpaulandstagnes@gmail.com. Saint Paul, 190 Court Street- church open daily for prayer and meditation 7 am- 8 pm. Sat. Vigil Mass 5:30 pm, Sun. 7:45 am, 11 am (Spanish). St. Agnes, 433 Sackett St. Sat. Vigil Mass 4 pm (English), Sun. 9:15 am (English), 11 am (French), 12:30 PM (Spanish). M-T-TH-F-S 8:30 am St Paul’s Chapel 234 Congress St.; Wed. 8:30 am St Agnes.

Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary- Saint Stephen RCC

125 Summit Street at Hicks Street, (718) 596-7750, info@sacredhearts-ststephen. com Ofﬁce Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am- 5 pm, Fri. 9 am- 3 pm, Sat. 9 am- 1 pm Sat. Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm, Sun. Masses at 8 am, 10 am, and noon (Italian/English) Weekday Masses Mon. at 12 noon and Tue. thru Sat. at 8:30 am. Confessions: Sat. at 4:45 pm and by appointment. Baptisms every third Sun. 1 pm.

St. Paul’s Carroll St (Episcopal)

199 Carroll Street, 718-625-4126, info@stpaulscarrollst.org, www.stpaulscarrollst.org, Sun. Mass at 11:00 am, Weekly Morning Prayer Mon.-Thurs. at 7:30 am, Weekday Mass on Fri. at 9:00 am, Church open for prayer on Sat. from 2-4 pm. Holy Days as announced.

Jewish Kane Street Synagogue

236 Kane Street, 718 875-1550 http://kanestreet.org/ Fri. night services, 6 PM Shabbat services, 9:15 AM Sun. Services 9 AM

Congregation B’nai Avraham/ Chabad of Brooklyn Heights

117 Remsen St., 718 596 4840 x18 www.bnaiavraham.com, www.heightschabad.com Morning Services: Sunday: 8:45am Monday- Friday: 7:45am Holidays (during the week): 8:45am Saturday: 9:45am Evening Services: Sunday: Shabbat candle lighting time Monday- Thursday: 9 pm Friday: Winter: 5 minutes before Shabbat candle lighting time Summer:

Congregation Mount Sinai

250 Cadman Plaza West, 718-875-9124, info@ cmsbklyn.org, www.cmsbklyn.org, Rabbi Hanniel Levenson Fri. services at 6:30 pm, Sat.

fter 77 years in religious service, Sister Marie Innocentia Lipari of the Parish of St. Paul and St. Agnes is retiring at the age of 96. Father Joseph Nugent, pastor, calls the much beloved Sr. Innocentia’s retirement a “big loss” to the parish. Born Madeline Lipari and baptized Maria Magdalena in 1922, she was raised on First Place in Carroll Gardens with her five sisters and two brothers by loving parents who had immigrated from Sicily and Naples. Her family worshipped at St. Stephen’s Church long before its merger with Sacred Hearts Parish. Young Madeline often went to daily Mass at St. Stephen’s before going to school at P.S. 142. St. Stephen’s pastor at the time, Father Edward Lodge Curran, was particularly inspiring in that he often walked with the children of the parish, known as the Children of Mary, preaching the gospel of the day out on the streets of the neighborhood. She was also influenced by Sr. Amadeus, a caring nun from the community she would eventually join, who asked Madeline for her help with a summer school program. Madeline, however, was sickly as a child and suffered from diphtheria, missing an entire year of school. Before saying yes to Sr. Amadeus, she had to convince her mother that she was well enough for the job. Another influence in her early years was Mother Cabrini, to whom Madeline was strongly devoted; instead of going to the movies with her friends, she would often make the long journey on the subway to upper Manhattan to the Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. By the time she was seventeen, Madeline already had the calling and decided to enter the convent. But her older sister, Margaret, had chosen the same vocation at the same time. Thanks to the advice of her spiritual advisor and fellow parishioner, John Jay Gorman, Madeline waited one year and entered the Community of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity (MSBT) in Philadelphia in 1941. She made her first profession in March 1943 and took her final vows in March 1946, thus becoming Sister Marie Innocentia of the Child Jesus, MSBT. A certified social worker, Sr. Innocentia immediately embarked on an illustrious and versatile vocational career in missionary social work, with assignments in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Alabama, and then back to her native Brooklyn, to St. Peter/Our Lady of Pilar Parish in Cobble Hill in the late 1950s. St. Peter/Our Lady of Pilar eventually merged with St. Paul’s

Parish which ultimately merged with St. Agnes Church. Her duties included ministering to Latino parishioners; teaching First Communion and Confirmation classes (as well as religious instruction classes to teenagers); home visiting; assisting with housing programs, agency referrals for unmarried mothers, drug users, and welfare recipients; and assisting the parish priests. Additionally, Sr. served as parish liaison to the Community Poverty Program, was involved in the administration of the CYO Youth Jobs Corps, St. Vincent de Paul Society funds, and the Summertime Poverty Program for parish children. She also coordinated ESL classes with the Board of Education, tutorial work for newcomers, emergency assistance to the needy, and a ministry of prayer at Cobble Hill Nursing Home. During summer months, Sr. would chaperone dozens of neighborhood children to Coney Island to the amazement of straphangers. (She proudly notes that she never lost a single child.) In recent years, Sr. was well known for her annual novenas to St. Anthony of Padua, which spanned thirteen weeks culminating on his feast day on June 13th. On Sunday, August 12th, a liturgy and potluck reception were held in St. Paul’s Hall to honor Sr. Innocentia. Regarding her retirement, Sr. said to those gathered, “I have to walk with God, and you will be with me in that walking.” In reaction to the many parishioners and neighbors crowding around, wishing her well and trying to convey what she means to them, Sr. marveled, “Look at how they love me!” At the reception, Deacon Leroy Branch declared that Sr. Innocentia is “the epitome of service, for the clergy and for everyone else,” and credited her with his becoming a lay deacon. He recalled arriving late for weekly Mass at St. Paul’s when he was growing up and trying to sit discreetly in the back. Sr. would immediately move him up to the front, better to keep a closer eye on him. Deacon Leroy went on to say that Sr. helped everyone, even in surrounding parishes and neighborhoods, and that his best memory of her was that “no matter what your family needed, whatever it was, food or clothes,” Sr. had an uncanny way of finding out what it was and she would invariably hand a bag to you with the simple instruction of “Bring this to mother.” Indeed, as soon as items were donated, Sr. would find the person(s) most in need to receive them. (continued on next page)

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September 2018

Religion (continued from previous page)

ward to it with “a good heart.” And so on the Feast of the Assumption, on August 15th, after a final morning blessing, Sr. moved to the MSBT Motherhouse where her only job will be to pray. There’s no doubt that she will be up to the task.

With the consent of her order’s superior, Sr. has had the privilege to live independently for decades in a studio apartment right next door to St. Paul’s rectory. Living by herself for those many years, she sometimes encountered loneliness: “In my loneliness,” she poignantly noted, “every time I put the key in the door, I found Jesus waiting there. Without God’s presence, I wouldn’t have been able to make it.” Recently Sr. was called to return to her order’s Motherhouse in Philadelphia where she will be cared for by her fellow sisters. Sr. Innocentia was less than enthusiastic of the idea of moving from the place where she had done “all her good works” but according to her dear, devoted friend, Joan Melone, she is now looking for-

I was so happy to sit down with Sr. and so moved to be in her presence. In speaking with her and discovering the scope of her vocation, I couldn’t help being reminded of Mother Cabrini. This neighborhood was so blessed to have had Mother Cabrini to help the early Italian immigrants, and we were also blessed to have had another wonderfully devoted sister to follow that very same path.

Happenings/Upcoming Events

Big Hat Prayer Breakfast fundraiser for missions on September 22.

Jewish High Holidays: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins on sunset on Sunday, September 9 and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, September 11. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins at sunset on September 18 and ends at nightfall on September 19.

Bible Museum Trip on October 13. Cost is $115.

Congregation Mount Sinai 250 Cadman Plaza West I.S.A.I.A.H., Integrative Sacred Arts in a Hebrew School includes traditional elements of Hebrew school plus meditation, yoga, art, and music. Featuring special family programs such as, Shabbat experiences, Friday night family services, holiday celebrations, and Mitzvah days. For more information, call 718-875-9124 or email admin@cmsbklyn.org. Tot Shabbat for ages 0 - 5 on select Saturdays from 11 am - 12 noon. Immerse your child and yourself in Jewish and Israeli culture with song, story times, movement, play and holiday celebrations. Free of charge with kiddush lunch afterward. For more information, call 718-875-9124 or email admin@cmsbklyn.org. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Pilgrimage on Saturday, October 6. For information, contact adnypilgrimage.eventbrite.com or email pilgrimage@ archny.org. Kane Street Synagogue 236 Kane Street Hebrew School Registration - For information, contact Hebrew School Director Rabbi Valerie Lieber at RabbiVal@kanestreet.org. Kane Street Kids Preschool Program - For information, contact Preschool Director Rivka Seeman at ksk@kanestreet.org River of God Christian Center 110 Wolcott Street

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At the end of our conversation, Sr. said, “I did okay.” Well, Sr. Innocentia, you did a lot better than okay, and I am sure that the thousands of people who benefitted from your lifetime of doing the Lord’s work can attest to that. They, as well as I, are better to have known you.

Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church Summit & Hicks Street Flu vaccines on Sunday, September 9 from 11 am to 1 pm. Feast of Our Lady of Sorrow on Sunday, September 9 with procession from 4-8 pm, fireworks at 8 pm in front of the church and Mass at 8:15 pm with Bishop Chappetto. If you are interested in participating, email info@sacredhearts-ststephen. com. Children’s Faith Formation - For information on registering your child for CCD or volunteering as a catechist, contact Nancy Arkin at 718-596-7750. Annual Block Party/Parish BBQ on Sunday, September 16 after the noon Mass. All are welcome! Animal Care Centers Cat and Dog Adoption Event on Sunday September 3 from 10 am - 2 pm. For more info, visit nycacc.org/events. St. Agnes/ St. Paul’s Parish Hoyt & Sackett Streets/234 Congress Street Annual Parish BBQ on Saturday, September 8 in St. Paul Courtyard at 12 noon. Mass will be celebrated in the courtyard at 4:30 (there will be no 4 pm or 5:30 Masses that day). We’re asking all to help out. Please fill out the donation form and return it to the office or in the collection basket. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Sunday September 9 at St. Agnes, we will celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the crowning during the 12:30 Mass dedicated to her. A free lunch will follow; all are welcome.

Local Pastor Speaks Out Against Scandal

onsignor Guy Massie, pastor of Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church, has spoken out vehemently against the latest scandal of the Catholic Church involving priests from various dioceses in Pennsylvania over the past seventy years abusing over 1,000 victims as disclosed by a grand jury report released last month. Both from the pulpit and in a written statement which was inserted in SHSS’s weekly bulletin, Msgr. Massie expressed his anger, disappointment and disgust over the scandal and the cover-up, saying “The clerical culture of placing bishops and priests in a special category of honor and accruing to them special treatment must end.” He urged parishioners to express

Monthly Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday, September 30 from 1:30-4 pm at St. Agnes Hall. Tickets on sale now for $7. R.C.I.A. : For adults interested in becoming Catholic, any adult who has not received Reconciliation, First Holy Communion or Confirmation, or any adult who is interested in learning more about their faith please call 718-624-3425 or 718624-1717 and leave your name and phone number. We will notify you before classes begin in September. Catechists Needed - Would you share your faith with our parish children, do you have an hour and a half on Sunday morning to share your faith with our children? Please call 718-624-3425 or 718-624-1717 for more details. Children’s Faith Formation - To prepare for our CCD program this fall all previously registered families will receive current registration forms in the mail. Forms must be completed and updated each year. Registration for ALL RETURNING and NEW students will take place in St. Agnes Parish Hall on Sunday, September 9 after 9:15 Mass until 11:30am, Monday, Sept. 10 from 6:30-8 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 11 from 6:30-8 pm, and Thursday, Sept. 13 from 6:30-8 pm. Our registration fee remains the same: $100.00 per child, $125.00 for 2 or more children in an immediate family. Classes begin Sunday, Sept. 16 after the 9:15 Mass. Night of Chances Fundraiser on Saturday, October 27, 2018. Raffles, horse races, gift baskets, door prizes, a Grand 50/50 and MORE! Entrance fee will be $10. Monetary donations to purchase prizes are welcome. St. Mary Star of the Sea Church467 Court Street Religious Education for grades 1-5 begins on Sunday, September 16.

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their outrage to church higher-ups including the current Papal Nuncio to the U.S., Archbishop Christophe Pierre. Msgr. also commented “We are not the first age to go through such problems.” He urges “all Catholics to live the faith with conviction. Do not separate yourself from the Eucharist, pray for our Bishops that they be open to the Word of God. Remember the Church is made up saints and sinners and sometimes the sinful group is noisy, disruptive and gets all the attention. There are many good priests and bishops who are striving to live the Gospel.” The parish has already held one open meeting to discuss this matter and there will be additional meetings scheduled in the near future.

Registration forms are available in church, at the rectory or on our website: www.stmarystarbrooklyn.com. The cost per child is $100 and $180 for two children in the same family. Class size is limited so please do not delay in registering your child. Please visit our website www.stmarystarbrooklyn.com and click on the first picture on our home page... that will take you to our latest bulletin with all current events. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Clinton & Carroll Streets Flea Market on Saturday, September 22 from 10 am - 3 pm. We will have a tables at the Carroll Park Fair and another in our church courtyard selling children’s clothing, books, toys, baked goods, beverages and light barbecue. Visitation BVM Church 98 Richards Street Healing Mass on Wednesday, September 19 at 7 pm in Spanish and Friday, September 28 at 7 pm in English. St. John Bread and Life Mobile Soup Kitchen on Tuesdays from 1 pm 2:30 pm and Fridays from 10 am - 12 noon (except first Fridays of the month). Flu vaccines on Sunday, October 21 from 11 am to 1 pm. Free Mammograms on Sunday, October 2 from 2-5 pm for NYC female residents aged 40 -79 years of age. No cost but insurance will be accepted. Mobile Care Clinic sponsored by American Italian Cancer Foundation. For appointment call 718-624-1572 or 1-877628-9090. Thumbs Up for Sister Máire Close - Please visit https://youtu.be/ cMADS_uVmCI and “like” the video about the making of Sr. Máire’s CD, “In The Current.”

September 2018, Page 33

Thrive Collective hosts Red Hook tournament By Nathan Weiser On a warm, August day, area teens got to compete in a basketball tournament at Bush Clinton (or T) Park. The Red Hook Rec Center partnered with City Life Thrive Sports for the Second Annual 3 on 3 tournament. Kids from Red Hook, Gowanus, Wyckoff and Park Slope and Parks Department Rec Centers in those neighborhoods came to the tournament. According to Damian Rosado, who helped organize the tournament, the two divisions were for ages 12-14 and ages 15-17. They were competitive games, as prizes and trophies were rewarded for the first and second place teams. Each of the half court games lasted 10 minutes or to 21 points. The kids chose their own team names, among them NFO, Pringles and Unity. Rosado does tournaments for kids all over the city – in places like the Amsterdam Houses in the Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen, Co-Op

City in the Bronx and Sunset Park and his organization focuses more than just sports. “City Life is youth outreach and Thrive Sports is under Thrive Collective, which brings art back to schools,” Rosado, who is the commissioner of sports at Thrive Sports, said. “We do murals. We have artists come and volunteer and work with kids. Now we are doing sports. I do skills and drills, and clinics and workouts.” In 2017, the tournaments organized by Thrive Sports as well as their skills and drills leagues served 2,500 children and teens citywide. Their network of community partners, student athletes and 100+ public schools provide the foundation for their movement. “There are 16 teams and 64 kids (four kids per team),” Rosado said. “They bring their own team, or some come alone, and we match them up, and the kids don’t pay anything. The championship team ended

up playing four games on their way to winning the tournament and some teams in the losers’ bracket ended up playing in seven or eight games. Local sponsored helped with uniforms and prizes. “Mo got the jerseys to be sponsored by Treasure Island Storage across this street,” Rosado added. “This is new this year. The trophies are sponsored by Thrive Sports.” A representative from TI Storage came to the tournament. Rosado and Mo, from the Parks Department, have been friends for a long time and grew up playing ball together. They worked together in

put on this event for the kids in Red Hook and the surrounding neighborhoods. According to Rosado, there were 100 kids last year, and the decrease in kids this year versus last year is because the event was on a weekend in 2017. Rosado was still pleased with the amount of kids who showed up this year. There was also a back to school festival at Bush Clinton Park that started at the other side of the park towards the end of the tournament. The girl scouts, the FDNY, AIKIDO of South Brooklyn and Street Soccer were all organizations that were represented.

The Healthy Geezer by Fred Cicetti Q. What kind of glasses should you get for low vision? All the current scientific evidence shows that geeLow vision is a significant reduction in visual function that can’t be corrected by regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery. Low vision can range from moderate impairment—such as tunnel vision or blind spots—to almost total blindness. One out of every 20 people has low vision. About 135 million people around the world suffer from this impairment. Irreversible vision loss is most common among people over age 65. However, losing vision is not just part of getting older. Some normal changes occur as we get older. These changes usually don’t lead to low vision. Low vision can be caused by diseases, disorders, and injuries that affect the eye. Many people with low vision have age-related macular degeneration, cataracts or glaucoma. Almost 45 percent of all cases of low vision are caused by age-related

Page 34 Red Hook Star-Revue

macular degeneration, which progressively destroys the central retina (macula) at the back of your eye. The retina is to your eye what film is to a camera.

A specialist in low vision is an optometrist or ophthalmologist who is trained to evaluate vision. This professional can prescribe visual devices and teach people how to use them.

If you think you may have low vision, consult an eyecare professional who can tell the difference between normal changes in the aging eye and those caused by disease.

Devices and rehabilitation programs can help you adapt to vision loss. They may help you maintain your lifestyle.

There are many signs that indicate possible vision loss. Under normal circumstances, do you have trouble recognizing faces of people you know? Is it difficult for you to read, sew, match the color of your clothes? Do lights seem dimmer than they used to?

These devices include: adjustable lighting; largeprint publications; magnifying devices; closedcircuit televisions; electronic reading machines; computer systems with voice-recognition; telescopes, and telephones, clocks, and watches with large numbers.

Vision changes like these could be early warning signs of eye disease. Usually, the earlier your problem is diagnosed, the better your chances are for successful treatment and maintaining your vision.

Rehabilitation programs offer a wide range of services such as low-vision evaluations and special training to use adaptive devices. They also offer guidance for making changes in your home as well as group support from others with low vision.All Rights Reserved © 2018 by Fred Cicetti

Regular eye exams should be part of your routine health care. However, if you think your vision has changed, you should see your eyecare professional as soon as possible.

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September 2018

The Brooklyn Poster Project

Kenneth E. Parris III

Along with saving the world from boring advertising, we at SuperHeroes Through mixed media paintings, graphite drawings and New York love supporting Brooklyn-based artists so we established the object-oriented installations, Parris’ work explores interBrooklyn Poster Project. For this, we gave away two back covers of this personal relationships and the human condition to consider paper to local artists. Last month featured Jaimie Walker and this how one’s actions affect the surrounding human landscape. With month Kenneth E. Parris III. We’d like to thank everyone who a multidisciplinary approach and focus on research and process, participated! layers of image, paint, type, and canvas become a tactile representation of questioning how we relate to and form systems of We weren’t able to give all our amazing submissions a back belief - social, political, and/or religious. cover, but we still want to show them off. In September, SuperHeroes will be holding a short-term gallery in Red Hook to exhibit a select collection of submissions. Date and time will This piece “Liberty Train” was created to counter policies of cruelty and be posted on brooklynposterproject.com shortly. exclusion issued by the Trump administration and draws inspiration from John Steinbeck and Emma Lazarus. If you would like to see more artwork by Kenneth E. Parris III, check out his website parris3.com or follow him on Instagram @kennethparris3

Page 36 Red Hook Star-Revue

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September 2018

Lillian and Becca at Baked

Baked

StarRevue

Baked, located on the corner of Van Brunt Street and Dikeman Street, takes pride in treating customers like family and getting to know regulars, say Lillian and Becca, who both work there. “You get to know what people are going to order and conversing a little is never a bad thing,” said Lillian, who discovered Baked after she moved to the neighborhood from Baltimore, a few months ago. “Salted caramel Twix bars and croissants are very popular,” she adds.

FOCUS

“I’m not originally from here either,” said Becca. “I moved from upstate a few months ago and my friend, who had been working here left, so I came along.”

Brooklyn Bread Cafe, located on Court between Second and Third Place, is known for their French toast bagels, says Bella, who’s been working there for over two years. “People are always amazed when we tell them there’s a French toast bagel,” Bella notes. “They always want to try one, and most people come back and get them again.” There are a few schools near the cafe, so Brooklyn Bread gets filled with parents, students, and teachers right before school starts or ends. Lots of these regulars grab a French toast bagel and a coffee in the morning. “Things are much less crazy during the summer but we still get some of the regulars and some new customers too,” said Bella. “If they want to try something else, I always recommend the Tuna Bella, which is made from imported tuna from Italy.”

Margaret Palca Bakes

Jermale, from Margaret Palca Bakes (Columbia between Degraw and Sackett) has met a lot of great people, and seen a lot of interesting things in his 20

Page 14 Red Hook Star-Revue

a B on

“Michael Cera came in here the other day,” said Lillian. “And the movie “Hearts Beat Loud” was filmed here.”

Brooklyn Bread

Jerma le Marga at re Bakes t Palca

! s e i r ke

There’s a bit of a routine with tourists on weekends, busy mornings, and regulars all week but there are always some surprises too.

“This place is awesome,” said Becca.

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Mazzola

Rosemarie, who has worked at Mazzola Bakery for eight years, says that the bakery, which is located on the corner of Union and Henry, has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. “I grew up in this neighborhood and this was my local store,” said Rosemarie. “I came here all the time, way before I started working here.” There haven’t been any big changes or renovations. The way the bakery looks now is the same way Rosemarie remembers it growing up. The food is the same too.

Both agreed that they enjoyed the friendly, easygoing vibe at Baked, especially later in the day, after the morning rush of Red Hookers waking up.

t Bella a ead lyn Br Brook

“It’s just a good place to hang out and the coffee is great,” said Castillo. “I’ve already gone through a ton of it!”

Court Street Pastry’s Lobstertail Photo by Alexander Thompson years at the bakery. He was working at a moving company on Coffey Street when he heard about Margaret Palca Bakes through his cousin. He got a job there and has stayed ever since. “I’d recommend the rugelach, the carrot cake here is really popular too,” said Jermale. “One of the funniest things is when all the customers show up before they’ve had their coffee,” said Jermale, laughing. “If we didn’t have coffee, everyone would be in a daze. That’s when I realized how important coffee was to some people.” In addition to those stories and getting to know regular customers, Jermale said that everyone on the staff is like family. “Everyone has a great time and there aren’t any problems because everyone’s chill,” said Jermale. “Whether it’s working in the front or singing Biggie songs in the back. The staff should have their own TV show.” He also said it’s nice to see an oldschool business thriving in the Columbia Waterfront District. He says that all the local businesses try to support each other. “A lot of people just don’t realize there are stores here, but there are some great ones in this neighborhood.”

Court Pastry

Court Pastry Shop, located on Court Street, between Douglass and Degraw, has been successful by sticking to the same recipes they’ve used for the past 70 years, according to Jessy and Stephanie, who both work there.

By Brian Abate It doesn’t take much time to develop chemistry with regular customers and coworkers at D’Amico Coffee (located on Court between Sackett and Degraw,) according to Barbara Castillo, who has worked there since July.

“We have been family owned since 1948, and not much has changed,” said Jessy. “There have been no major renovations or changes.” The inside of the bakery looks the same as it does in old pictures of the bakery, which are hung up around the shop’s walls.

After Castillo helped a regular with his order of coffee, he joked that it might as well have been his home because he spent so much time there. “Some of the customers were there so much they seemed like part of the furniture,” she says.

“I’ve been working here for about five years, but I’m from the neighborhood and I went here before working here,” said Stephanie.

“Everyone tells me they love how it smells in here, which makes them want to stay and sit,” said Castillo. That is because of the many types of freshly ground coffee D’Amico’s offers.

Since the recipes are the same, there are a lot of regular customers, and some have been going to Court Pastry Shop and ordering the same thing for years. “We’re really friendly with our customers, especially the regulars, that we see a lot,” said Stephanie. “We don’t try to draw people in with wild ideas. They come for the pastries!” Especially popular are old fashioned cannolis and biscotti. Around the holidays they bake traditional Italian favorites such as wheat pies. Their recipes have worked for 70 years, so there’s no reason to change them now.

September 2018

“The bread is amazing, especially the lard bread, and so are the cookies,” said Rosemarie. “Our bagels and cannoli are pretty popular too.” Rosemarie said she gets to all of the regular customers so she knows what they’re going to get as soon as they walk in. “This place isn’t like a regular coffee shop,” said Rosemarie. “Our customers are our family.” Right on cue, a couple of costumers who stopped in while we were speaking made sure to ask Rosemarie how she was doing. “This place is small with a big impact,” said Rosemarie.

D’Amicos

“After the hustle and bustle in the morning where everyone wants their beverage, things slow down a lot,” said Castillo. “Later in the day people just come in here with friends or their laptops and stay for a while.” D’Amico Coffee has also been family owned since 1948 and customers often stop by to talk to the owners. “There’s really good chemistry here with the staff and the regulars,” said Castillo. “We can joke around and it’s definitely not boring.” That chemistry has helped create an easygoing atmosphere for customers at the shop.

Red Hook Star-Revue

Rosemary at Mazzola

at Stephanie Pastry Court St.

Pasticceria Monteleone

Pasticceria Monteleone, located on Court between President and Union, is a family bakery that has become known for their decorative cakes. “This a family business,” said Rosemarie. Her father, who is originally from Sicily, Italy, bought the old school bakery in 2011. “We’re very friendly with our customers, especially because we have so many regulars, said Rosemarie. “We know most on a name-to-name basis.” While the cannoli and other pastries are very popular amongst regular customers, it’s Monteleone’s decorative cakes that draw in locals as well as people form outside of the neighborhood.

Barba ra D’Ami at co’s

“We’ve had people come in for all kinds of interesting cake orders, so far there have been ships, suitcases, ladybugs and many more,” according to Rosemarie. A few of their most creative cakes are displayed in photos on the bakery’s wall, and Rosemarie encouraged anyone interested in ordering a cake with a unique design to stop by.

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Monteleone’s makes custom cakes of all kinds!

September 2018, Page 23

theredhooksnackbar@gmail.com