On October 29th 2012, Superstorm Sandy decimated the neighborhood, with over 6,000 residents losing power for 3 weeks. There was catastrophic flooding everywhere. The financial destruction caused by Sandy has only been surpassed on a per capita basis by that of Hurricane Katrina. While the forces of Mother Nature can’t be controlled, it does not mean people shouldn’t plan for future […]
Month: September 2014
Columbia Street shakes with party on Pier 9, by George Fiala
Residents of the Columbia Waterfront District were invaded by the booming disco sounds of a dance party coming from Pier 9 on Friday evening, Sept 12. Normally a part of the working waterfront, the Port Authority has recently starting renting out space to music promoters. Tonight’s event was billed as Absolut Night. A press release issued by the vodka company […]
Artisan to Entrepreneur graduates speak, by George Fiala
On September 8th, ten local business owners gathered at Atelier Roquette for a graduation ceremony. They were all members of what all agreed was a tremendous learning experience. For many, it was an emotional experience as well, as they got to know their fellow merchants even better, as well as understanding what made them tick, and how they could further […]
Red Hook Volunteers in a fix, by Diehl Edwards
The Red Hook Volunteers (RHV) have played a crucial role in the recovery efforts since Sandy. The group originated as committed individuals who came to Red Hook to help after the storm. They helped coordinate the flood of volunteers who came from all over to help. But nearly two years after, the Volunteers are fighting to keep their doors open. […]
Reporters Notebook – Primary Day 2014, by George Fiala
Covering elections is a bit like covering the Super Bowl. There is a whole lot of build-up, starting with who will be running, petition filing, endorsement seeking and finally campaigning. Inevitably the big day arrives. All the election planning is done and executed, and now all one can do is wait for the results. Today I covered the Assembly race […]
EPA deal with Lightstone up for public comment
The EPA issued a press release today announcing a potential deal with the Lightstone Group regarding remediation of toxic poisons. Lightstone has agreed to spend approximately $20 million to cleanup the land that they will be building on. EPA has the authority to name Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP’s) who then must pay for a Superfund Cleanup. In the case of […]
Primary Day Endorsements
On September 9th the polls will open at 6 am. Hopefully everyone will be able to figure out where to go and vote. There is a very handy voting booth locator online. It is at http://nyc.pollsitelocator.com. We just checked and it seems to be correct. That’s the easy part. A bit harder is making the right choice. Summertime is a […]
Candidates speak
In our current issue, we asked each candidate running for State Assembly (both the 51st and 52nd districts) to submit around 500 words explaining their positions to the public and why they would make a good elected official. The primary is tomorrow – we urge all to go and vote and here is what everyone said (plus the introduction that […]
Pete Sikora receives NYSNA endorsement
As the race to succeed Joan Millman winds down to its ultimate conclusion next Tuesday, Pete Sikora received an endorsement from the union that worked hardest in the battle to save Long Island College Hospital. The New York State Nurses Union (NYSNA), whose Executive Director Jill Furillo spent a lot of time and resources in fighting SUNY Downstate, is still […]
Parks apologizes for hasty fencing at Valentino Pier, by George Fiala
Red Hook park lovers were fuming last week when, without warning, fencing was put up around Valentino Pier park. It turns out that the Parks Department had planned some minor renovations that would close some parts of the park for about a month. Many residents, still upset at the cavalier attitude in which the Coffey Park renovation was handled, couldn’t […]