Nino Pantano is an 81-year-old lifelong South Brooklyn resident and a man of many passions, accomplishments and interests. He has lived much of his life in and near the Columbia Waterfront District, where his father, Sam Pantano, owned Pantano’s Shoes at 215 Columbia Street. Nino’s grandfather gave Sam the shoe store as a wedding gift during the depression. In those […]
Author: gbrook@pipeline.com
Peacemakers take on computer literacy, by Nathan Weiser
On January 20, military-trained computer expert Juan Torres shared his expertise with members of the Justice Center’s young adult peacemaking program. The class, which will recur two more times, was aimed at helping attendees make money in a constructive way. Wally Bazemore gave Torres the idea of coming to the Justice Center. “Initially he wanted me to be a Big […]
Bishop Neil Tiedemann returns home, by Laura Eng
Bishop Neil Tiedemann, C.P., Brooklyn native and former pastor of Visitation BVM Church, has returned to the Diocese of Brooklyn. Following his term as pastor of Visitation from 1998 to 2005, Father Tiedemann was ordained a bishop in 2008 and named Bishop of Mandeville in Jamaica, W.I. by Pope Benedict XVI. Bishop Tiedemann resided in Mandeville until last year when […]
Nydia Velazquez fights Trumpism, by George Fiala
Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez has been busier than usual during this first month of this Trump administration. On February 19, as the Republicans in Congress began hashing out a replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), she hosted a media event at Manhattan’s Gouverneur Hospital. Velazquez was joined by fellow legislators Hakeem Jeffries, Joe Crowley, Jerry Nadler and Jo Ann Simon. […]
Santander Bank discovers Red Hook, by Nathan Weiser
On January 24, Santander Bank, which has a branch at 498 Columbia Street, held a home-buyers workshop in the basement of the River of God Christian Center, at 110 Wolcott Street. Leon Gelzer, Santander’s Mortgage Development Officer, served as host. Branch Manager Christian Jarama also showed up to meet his neighbors. “We want you to come in and become a […]
Reader Valentines
In celebration of this special love day – here are the love messages submitted by our readers: Happy Valentine v you bring me soo much joy in my life you share apart of my heart that you dont even know happy valentine day my hubby my friend love you forever We love you Carroll gardens for what you made […]
Valentine’s Special: Local couples on life and love, by Emily Kluver
We have heard the statistics—a shocking 50% of marriages end in divorce (though recent numbers suggest the statistic is falling). We see it in our own lives. On television. It has become commonplace to turn on a sitcom and watch as men and women complain about their long-time spouses, panic about their impending marriages, or get tangled up in messy […]
Supreme Court Justice enchants St. Francis students, by George Fiala
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s visit to St. Francis College on February 2 provided some much needed reassurance that indeed there still are grown-ups in some of our important seats of power. Sotomayor appeared in a packed fourth floor gym composed mostly of students. The occasion was the annual Thomas J. Volpe Lecture, and the connection was Sparkle Sooknanan, St. […]
MIKE DROP: Originalism steals time, by Mike Racoppo
With the incessant swirl of insanity expressed through “alternative facts,” it’s hard to maintain focus before the next horror of the Trump regime reveals itself. Wasn’t it just the other day we were asking if the President was being blackmailed by a Russian sex tape? Ah, simpler times they were. Even given the wide range of things people can focus […]
Hugs in a time of Trump, by George Fiala
As the unreal nature of a Trump presidency coalesced into the reality of an inauguration, many in Red Hook began to really understand the meaning of the phrase “misery loves company.” Some traveled to Washington or to Manhattan to take part in the women’s demonstration. Demonstrations end, but the misery remains, and with that in mind, local businesswoman and community […]