Day: August 13, 2024

Feature Story, History, Tenant Leader

Remembering a Red Hook activist, by Brian Abate

Family, friends, neighbors, and appreciative members of the Red Hook community gathered to celebrate Nancy Kearse Gooding at a barbecue on Coffey St on July 20. Last December the corner of Visitation Place and Van Brunt was renamed after her. Kearse Gooding was a force in Red Hook starting in the 1970’s. She ran an organization that helped local people […]

Feature Story, Library

When a community comes together, by Brian Abate

One of the projects that the now defunct Red Hook Civic Association worked hard on last year was a location for a temporary library to replace the Wolcott Street library which was pretty much demolished in order to update it. A frustration for those in Red Hook was that the next closest library is in Carroll Gardens and is also […]

Land Use, Local Issues - Red Hook, News, Real Estate, Waterfront

Our position on the future of the shoreline, by George Fiala

UPDATE: The introductory webinar was held on August 12. As predicted below, it was an undemocratic neighborhood meeting. We were told that over 400 people were online, but there was no further information as to who they were, what they looked like, or whether they had anything to say. It was the kind of ZOOM meant for a one-way conversation, […]

Environment, News

How safe is that Columbia Street concrete plant, anyway? by Oscar Fock

In our July issue we wrote about the concrete recycling plant that temporarily occupies part of the Columbia Street Waterfront District docks. At the time, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) told us that they “take all the necessary steps to mitigate dust and keep the public safe.” That is important because crystalline silica, a compound present in concrete, poses […]

Arts

Music: Wiggly Air, by Kurt Gottschalk

A dozen summer songs. I don’t know why London’s Los Bitchos are waiting until the end of August to release the perfect summer soundtrack, but there’ll still be a good three weeks left to fill with their new Talkie Talkie (CD, LP and download out August 30 from City Slang), and more if you allow for the changing seasons of […]

Arts

Nothing But Vibes, by George Grella

The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD (6th edition), introduces vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson by pointing out that if he “were a saxophonist, trumpeter, or pianist, he would be regarded as a major figure in modern jazz.” That’s no exaggeration, Hutcherson (who died in 2016) was one of the greatest of all jazz musicians of the post-1959 era. He was an […]

Arts

Books: Review of “Desperately Seeking Something,” by Susan Seidelman Review by Michael Quinn

The genesis for many of director Susan Seidelman’s movies starts with scribbled notes on subway rides, capturing the essence of strangers who fascinate her. After observing people’s behavior, sketching their outfits and jotting down their words, she tucks these notes in a drawer, waiting for the right moment to use them. Out of this jumble, she crafts many fine films. […]