A major part of the EPA’s plan to clean up the Gowanus Canal is the prevention of future contamination. In addition to chemical toxins that have leached into the canal as a byproduct of the 19th century gas plants that abutted the canal, organic poisons from sewage overflows continue to contaminate. Overflows happen during rain events when the sewers become […]
Author: gbrook@pipeline.com
Red Hook History: When the Pointers & the Creekers divided Red Hook, by Connor Eugene Gaudet
During much of the 19th century, most of Red Hook east of Dwight Street was basically underwater. Even while they built up the criss-crossing grid of streets, the lots between graded roads were dominated by marshes and tidal pools. To fill it in, the owner, William Beard, leased it out to “carters,” who would pick up people’s garbage and the […]
Free Neighborhood Services
Frank McCrea from the NYC Department of Aging is at the Miccio Center every Monday from 10 – 2 pm. He will help you solve any problem you may have dealing with any NYC agency, such as child welfare, support groups, benefits, etc. Free CPR Training Class at the Red Hook Public Library Help Save A Life, Learn CPR. Join […]
Red Hook Containerport gains important government support, by George Fiala
Due to the dogged efforts of Michael Stamatis, President and CEO of the Red Hook Container Terminal, and the lobbying efforts of the International Longshoreman Association, Local 1814, Brooklyn’s working waterfront has been given a dramatic new lease on life. Federal funds will now pay for a new barge service which begins on June 30th. This means that a large container ship can drop their […]
Religious News, by Laura Eng
Wave of Vandalism Hits Local Churches Several local churches were hit with unrelated acts of vandalism in recent weeks. On the evening of June 8, before the start of a weeklong novena, a man attacked the statue of St. Michael the Archangel inside Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church on Summit and Hicks Streets. Father Cletus Forson, Parochial Vicar at SHSS, had […]
Will a 9 story nursing home become Pioneer Work’s future neighbor? by George Fiala
Much of Red Hook first learned of a plan to locate a large, for-profit nursing home facility behind Van Brunt Street, adjacent to Pioneerworks, at the monthly Red Hook Civic Association meeting on June 24. The property, which was purchased by the nursing home operator back in 2003, has been rented out on a month-to-month basis to an ironworker and […]
Forest City Ratner comes to Red Hook for some good publicity, by George Fiala
Rebuilding Together, a large national non-profit organization founded in 1999, came to Red Hook after Hurricane Sandy and set up shop at 285 Van Brunt Street, taking over the office abandoned by Max Pollack Insurance. They have stayed, making it their NYC headquarters. Their mission, as stated on their 990 tax form, is to “bring volunteers and communities together to […]
Red Hook is King at week long SummerFest, by George Fiala
Red Hook was just treated to almost six nights of world class entertainment courtesy of City Park’s SummerStage. The word almost is used because the opening show, scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, was rained out at the last minute. Those that did show up at the soccer field in front of the Red Hook Rec Center did get to see […]
Barr Brothers stun Red Hook SummerStage, by George Fiala
It is not too often, for me at least, that I am unexpectedly blown away by a band I’ve never heard of. The Barr Brothers, who opened for the Felice Brothers at the free SummerStage Concert in Red Hook Park last Thursday, fall into that rare and cherished category. At first I thought that I had stumbled onto a band […]
Mark Shames on politics and zoning
I welcome it when people ask me to explain myself on issues or the votes I take at the community board. You don’t even have to beg my pardon. I am acutely aware that my neighbors in “Brownstone Brooklyn” are basically content with things remaining as they are. If you look at the projects approved for City Council participatory budgeting, […]