While campaigning for the mayoral race in 2013, Mayor de Blasio made frequent stops in and around Red Hook. He made lots of campaign promises to these neighborhoods, including better transportation for Red Hookers. The promise that put him on the map – the promise that took him from last place to first among candidates – was the promise to […]
Editorials
Notes and Things, by George Fiala
De Blasio’s Connector Mayor de Blasio began the next phase of his reelection campaign last month. Amidst great fanfare, he introduced the Brooklyn-Queens Connector. Back in 2006, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez allocated $300,000 of federal monies for a feasibility study for a smaller version of it that would connect Red Hook with Jay Street, Borough Hall. The result of that study, […]
There is a new private school in Red Hook, by Mary Staub
Sitting between Red Hook Park and the Brooklyn Community Farm and just steps from IKEA and the Red Hook Houses, BASIS Independent School opened its doors in Red Hook last September on the corner of Columbia and Bay Streets. BASIS, a K-12 private school, is run by a corporation that operates charter schools in the Midwest. When plans for […]
Reporters Notebook – CB6 and the Oxford Nursing Home Saga, by George Fiala
A week has gone by and I still can’t figure out what happened at the December General Board meeting of Community Board 6. The week prior, the board’s Land Use committee met at PS 27, in Red Hook, in close proximity to the Red Hook East Houses, to discuss the possibility of approving an 8 story nursing home by Conover Street […]
Editorial: Wasting time & money
In the five years that we have been publishing the Star-Revue, we have been to countless meetings where beleaguered public housing tenants have pointed out, complained, and begged to have their living conditions improved. From mold, to poor lighting, to cracks in walls, to broken refrigerators and rotting kitchen cabinets, broken mailboxes and front door locks, we’ve heard it all. […]
Op Ed: Watching neighborhoods transform, by George Fiala
Last month I had a chance to see the corporate mind working. I was invited to take part in a weeklong public relations event held by BASF, the world’s largest chemical company. At their NYC event held as part of their 150th birthday celebration, they decided to focus on Red Hook as a city of tomorrow. BASF is very excited […]
Editorial: Is Move NY all it is cracked up to be? by George Fiala
The Transportation Committee of CB 6 tonight approved a motion to support the Move NY program that “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz, former traffic commissioner who now runs a profitable traffic consulting business, has been touting for the past couple of years. This program is a redo of Mayor Bloomberg’s unsuccessful plan to institute tolls on the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro bridges, […]
Editorial: Breaking the chains of corporate interests
Speaking truth to power can involve a personal sacrifice. Getting into a position where power will listen is a big achievement. It takes courage to risk that position if the truth is not what the powers that be desire. Carlos Menchaca, our City Councilman, did just that the other week. He used the power vested in his position to refuse […]
Editorial: A good time for Red Hook
Councilman Carlos Menchaca, Commanding Officer Justin Lenz, and Water Taxi founder Tom Fox are three important assets that Red Hookers are lucky to have. Menchaca is finishing his freshman year in the City Council. The Star-Revue has watched him grow in the office as he learns on the job. There are no classes in how to be a councilman. What […]
Editorial: Elephants in the room
Over the past year, Red Hook has seen its share of controversial land-use proposals. Some of these notable controversies include: BASIS International School, a private primary school; Spacworks’ proposal to utilize half of the Red Hook Library for studio space; Urban House Recovery, an upscale detox facility; and a multitude of issues involving Valentino and Coffey Parks. Now, Red Hook […]