Celebrating Community
A very long time ago I tried to keep my marriage going with counseling. The main effect of that was to make me stop talking to her during the week, saving it all up for the weekly session. I’m not saying this was a good thing, what I am saying is that this monthly column reminds me of it in […]
I‘ve often written that Red Hook needs an organization that represents the viewpoints of everyone in our pretty unique community. An institution that presents our views to the rest of the world, including those outside entities looking to change things here, including real estate developers, government agencies and large corporations. Also a place where our local politicos can come and […]
February’s CB6 Land Use committee was host to a couple of presentation by designers of two small park areas that are part of the Gowanus rezoning. The first presentation for a park that will be on part of the Pig Beach property was made by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates who are the designers of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, a much […]
The new beautiful people who love to equate social justice with unconstrained real estate development love to say that everybody could get a great place to live whereever they want if only developers were allowed to build anyplace they wanted to, as tall as they like. If you don’t believe me, go to the website of the supposed non-profit, Open […]
After the revelation last month about a provocative letter sent by some Gowanus Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG) to EPA heads, some thought that the next monthly meeting would be filled with fireworks (see our last issue). However, Chief Engineer Christos Tsiamis, who has been providing updates to the project almost every month for the past dozen years, diffused all […]
My current brain first came into existence in the 1950’s, after the two world wars and the Great Depression—right in the middle of the Cold War. Growing up through the Bay of Pigs and Vietnam, we were all taught that the Soviet Union was the big enemy, making the threat of nuclear disaster always lurking. I never really met any […]
Editors Note: Star-Revue publisher George Fiala has been an at-large member of this group, the CAG, since 2012. If it was just about cleaning the canal, there would be no problems. But even before the Gowanus Canal was declared a Superfund, back in 2010, there was conflict between the real estate community, Gowanus residents and the local politicians that look […]
Red Hook’s PS 676 kicked off Thanksgiving week with a community potluck that was enjoyed by students and parents after school on Tuesday, November 22. Celebrants met in the cafeteria and got to choose from turkey, chicken, rice, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, Mac and cheese, rolls, fruit, packaged cookies from an Italian bakery, cake with vanilla icing, donuts, cupcakes and […]
Last month I wrote about an idea I have about the future of this part of Brooklyn, concerned mostly with land use. I think it was kind of complicated, so let me say it again but with a little more clarity. The idea is to to balance the needs and desires of real estate developers, commercial shop owners, apartment dwellers […]
I still remember being intrigued by a news report the week before Sandy saying that the late season hurricane could also incorporate a snowstorm. They called it a Frankenstorm, and coming the week before Halloween, it was mildly intriguing. But like with most impending weather disasters, you kind of go on with your normal life at the same time paying […]