The Red Hook StarªRevue July 1 - 15 2012 SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FREE DECISION SOON ON GOWANUS SLUDGE by Matt Graber and Abby Savitch-Lew n important decision for the materials that Quadrozzi would also like future of Red Hook will be an- to convert - if given the Gowanus waste Anounced this September - the on which he could permanently moor decision about what to do with the the ship - into a stationary museum 600,000 cubic yards of toxic sludge that comparable to the Intrepid. will be dredged up from the bottom of Quadrozzi and his associate, Phaedra the Gowanus Canal over the course of Thomas, would like to see a lot more the next several years. maritime industry on GBX property, The EPA has been weighing several sets most of which is underwater. And this of options for how to treat and dispose of is partly where the Gowanus sludge the sludge. And while residents will nat- comes into play. If selected as a site for urally object to the idea of their neigh- remediation and disposal of the waste, borhood being selected as a disposal site, Quadrozzi proposes to fill in much of some key players in both the public and his offshore property. This would allow private sectors are lobbying for it. bulkheads to be moved into deeper wa- One of these players is John Quadrozzi ter, thus allowing larger vessels to dock. Ray Hall, co-founder of Red Hook Rise, One benefit that Hall hopes to see Jr., the owner and operator of Gowanus An opportunity for revitalizing was hesitant at first, but says that the come from increased maritime opera- Bay Terminal (GBX). Quadrozzi cur- the waterfront? more he learned about it, the better it tions would be a job-training institute rently uses the property to store cement Expanding maritime operations is a sounded. Hall was also impressed by - part of a potential EPA package- and for his company, NYCEMCO, which popular idea in Red Hook. Unlike high Thomas’ outreach to the community, employment opportunities for formerly his late father, John Quadrozzi Sr., pur- rise condominiums, it offers the prom- encouraging residents to take part in incarcerated persons. Hall was involved chased in the mid-1980s. He also leases ise of quality jobs and job training, and envisioning the future of the Red Hook in negotiations with Fairway when space to a variety of tenants, including possibly waterfront access for the pub- waterfront. the supermarket was being developed, 30 transportation companies who ben- lic. Several local business owners and “When you’re building something big which led Fairway to adopt the practice efit from easy access to the BQE-Gowa- community leaders have written letters it’s important to talk to people,” he said. through a city program that incentiv- nus Exchange, and companies special- to the EPA in support of selecting GBX “They’ve done a great job of not exclud- izes the hiring through tax credits. izing in aggregate materials like Benson as a disposal site. ing anybody.” (continued on page 6) Scrap Metal and the lumber company LV Fine Wood. GBX recently filled the last unoccupied vacancy for maritime operations, signing a six-year lease to New Feature: Vane Brothers, a tug and barge com- pany that transports oil from the nearby Mollie Dash Interviews a Red Hook artist Hess station to offshore vessels. The terminal’s most recognizable struc- ed Hook is a neighborhood filled with artists, with ture, the Columbia Street Grain Elevator, everyone from sculptors and painters to writers, was built in 1922 to store large amounts musicians, film makers and dancers sharing space of grain transported within the Barge Ca- R nal system. But neither the grain eleva- in this tiny corner of Brooklyn. Many of the creators live tor nor the barge system lived up to ex- here, some rent studio space and others show their work in pectations. By the mid-1960’s, the grain terminal was deactivated. As it turns out, one of the many gallery venues. Wanting to dig beneath the cement has a similar consistency to grain, surface of Red Hook’s art scene, this is the first in a series of and Quadrozzi has his eye on the elevator interviews conducted with the people who help make this as a potential cement silo, if he can raise enough money to convert it. place unique. Next to the grain elevator floats the For my first interview I chose Jenna Weber, who owns Gallery Brook- M/V Loujaine, a massive ship built in lyn on Van Brunt Street. Jenna had been our intern at Everbrite 1966 for the transportation of aggregate Jenna Weber, owner of Gallery Brooklyn (continued on page 3) Also in This Issue: Movement On to bring Location back with Ang Local B77 bus & George Graduations page 5 pages 13,14 pages 6,7 The Red Hook StarªRevue Happenings July 1 - 15 2012 SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOLUME 3 NO. 13 Around Our Town Table of Contents THURSDAY JULY 5 Happenings....................... 2 Restaurant Guide ...... 16 Cobble Hill Association presents their first performance of “Music in the Graduations ................... 6,7 Street Style ............... 17 Park” concert series. The Claremont Strings will be performing in Cob- Columns ........................... 8 Arts Calendar ............ 18 ble Hill Park at 7 pm. The free concert series is a neighborhood tradition Crossword ...................... 11 Classifieds ................ 19 of family-friendly music under the stars. The rain date for all concerts is On Location ............... 12,13 Sports ...................... 20 the following Friday when possible. STAFF Kimberly G. Price ......................................Editor/Publisher SATURDAY JULY 7 George Fiala ......................................... Graphics/Publisher Brooklyn Museum’s Target First Saturday celebrates the last weekend exhi- Matt Graber .............................................. Senior Reporter bition “Keith Haring: 1972-1982” with activities that bring to life the vibrant Abigail Savitch-Lew ............................................. Reporter New York art scene of the 1980s. Highlights include music, interactive Greg Algarin-Marquez ............................................Politics and hands-on art, gallery talks and dance. Four artists will also compete Vince Musacchia .................................................Cartoons in a live painting performance and Jim Hubbard will screen selections Eric Ruff .............................................................. Calendar from his recent documentary, United in Anger: A History of ACT UP. Erik Penney ..................................................... Restaurants Angelika Mitchell ...............................Advertising Manager Admission to the museum is free from 5-11 pm. Contributors THURSDAY JULY 12 John Burkard, Brian Clancey, Mollie Dash, Reg Flowers, Mary Red Hook Art Project invites the community to its art exhibit, fundraiser, Anne Massaro, Stef Morisi, Mary Ann Pietanza, and neighborhood party to be held at the Red Hook Initiative from 6 pm Michael Racioppo, Danette Vigilante, to 9 pm. The Red Hook Arts Project is a free art tutoring program for Red Hook youth with an interest in visual art, film, and music. The award- Member winning program gives free classes in drawing, painting, print-making, and sculpture on Saturdays at the Red Hook Initiative, 767 Hicks Street. www.facebook.com/ Cobble Hill Association @RedHookStar redhookstarrevue presents their second performance of “Music in the Park” concert series. Suzanne Sherman Propp and the Crustaceans 718.624.5568 - Editorial & Advertising 917.652.9128 News Tips will be performing in Cobble Hill Park at 7 pm. The free concert series 101 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 [email protected] is a neighborhood tradition of family-friendly music under the stars. The rain date for all concerts is the following Friday when possible. ONGOING The Brooklyn Museum is launching a borough wide initiative called, GO: a com- munity curated open studio project. The project invites artists to open their stu- dios to allow community members to visit and nominate artists for inclusion in an exhibition at the museum. Artists wishing to participate in the project can now LOW COST register at www.gobrooklynart.org throughout June. Red Hook Lions Club Flea Market opens June 16 in the Fine Fare Supermarket Parking lot from 10 am-4 pm every Saturday until August 11, (except Fourth of July weekend on the 7th.) For vendors, tables are available for $20 in advance Vaccine Clinic! and $25 same day. For more info, call (347) 272-0702 or (718) 834-0557 FREE RABIES VACCINE Greeway plan advances the project. “Once completed, the Gre- enway will not only expand recreational NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sa- opportunities, but also spur economic dik-Khan released the Brooklyn Wa- development.” Puppy Vaccine Package: ......................$55 terfront Greenway implementation Kitten Vaccine Package: .......................$55 plan for the on June 22. The document For more than a decade Brooklyn outlines the finalized route, remaining Greenway Initiative (BGI) worked Dog Vaccine Package: ..........................$80 phases and funding options for the 14 to make the greenway a reality be- mile pedestrian and bicycle path. fore DOT joined the process in 2009. Cat Vaccine Package: ...........................$90 “[That] NYC DOT has completed a More than five miles of greenway from comprehensive plan for its implemen- Dog Vaccine Package Plus: ................$135 Brooklyn Bridge Park and Williams- tation is huge news for all of Brooklyn’s burg and Columbia Streets have been waterfront communities,”