Column from the Publisher: Some things on my mind

People want to know
I’ve been covering Red Hook since 2010 and I don’t really understand why nobody, neither community leaders from the back or front, nor elected officials, stepped up to hold a public forum about NYCHA privatization, or PACT.

Our reporting indicates that many who live in Red Hook West have no idea about the consequences of what we have been reporting on since last year – namely that PACT, which is coming here has proved unsuccessful elsewhere.

I remember lots of community meetings held by our city, state and even federal electeds, community board, Civic Association, even DOT and other city agencies to discuss various important topics.

Councilman Carlos Menchaca held periodic updates about resiliency, the senior center, a Valentino Pier bathroom, even the big pile of dirt that Thor Equities left for about a year before they finally rented to Amazon. Nydia Velazquez held countless meetings on resiliency and recovery in the aftermath of Hurrican Sandy. CB 6 came to the neighborhood to discuss homeless shelters, rehab facilities and the location of the ferry.

But for such an important topic as the future of Red Hook Housing, when I and others ask Aviles and Mitaynes to hold a town hall with representatives from both NYCHA and anti-PACT orgs, simply to answer questions, the response is that they are not hearing from NYCHA residents so they can’t interfere.

The tenants who know anything at all are the dozen or so that attend Karen’s monthly TA meetings.

In the old days, when Lillie Marshall ran things in Red Hook West, the monthly meetings were open to anybody, including me. Not only was I welcomed and our reporting on the meetings appreciated, she always had a nice plate of food for me and others who otherwise might have have had to skip dinner.

Karen Blondel’s election in 2021 put an end to all of that—her meetings were “by invitation only” as I was told. My polite reporter Nathan was kicked out.

I was told directly by a politician that the people requesting a forum so people could ask questions were “outsiders” as if that was a bad thing. This is just what Blondel says and does, except when she picks a public relations team to help run her meetings, or will decide what outside company will be chosen to run the development – those are no doubt outsiders.

How are residents supposed to make a decision about something they know little about? All that is asked for is information.

We win awards
The Star-Revue is a member of the New York State Press Association, a trade organization for community newspapers that was founded in 1853. Every year they run a Better Newspaper Contest, and over the years we have frequently won awards. This year we won two — one for Spot News Coverage, which was my article about the warehouse fire at 481 Van Brunt Street, where we used to be a tenant. The other was for Eric Newstrom’s outstanding News Coverage of the ongoing Brooklyn Marine Terminal fiasco.

Finally
Come to the next meeting of the Red Hook Waterfront Association