Celebrating Community
Seated at a table in the middle of a large room, John “Chicko” Texidor’s small frame was exaggerated by the empty space around him. With a flat affect, he patiently detailed a complicated history of personal development. Though he is now a fellow at the Red Hook Initiative (RHI), a Red Hook nonprofit group focused on youth development, the 20-year-old […]
Hurricane Sandy, the mega storm that hit New York City on October 29, 2012, was one of the costliest storms in U.S. history at the time, just behind Hurricane Katrina. Its 29 foot waves and storm surges caused extensive coastal flooding and $19 billion in damages. Red Hook is one of 10 communities that was hit hardest and in this […]
Eugene “Mohammad” Mack passed away on August 10, 2017. Mack was originally from South Carolina and came from a family of landowners. “This a big loss,” said his friend Wally Bazemore. “He was a great family man. He was a tremendous neighbor. He was on tenant patrol for years. It took a lot just to sit out there and practically […]
PAVE will be hosting back-to-school nights for their families throughout August. Dates are as follows: Wednesday, August 23rd, Middle school back-to-school night 5:30-6:30; Thursday, August 24th, elementary school back-to-school night 5:30-6:30 PS 58 parents should also make note that registration for Carroll Kids aftercare and after school enrichment programs will begin August 1. Register at ps58.org. Brooklyn Acting Lab houses […]
I’m hungry, but I dutifully wait for lunch. Because lunch is at Defonte’s. I spend the morning writing at the Star-Revue’s warehouse office, pretending coffee is enough. The hours slouch by. When I can’t take any more typing, I bolt out the door and head down Van Brunt Street. Armed with a notebook and cash, I try my best to […]
This obituary was originally published in the July 2017 print edition. After almost a century of living in Red Hook, Rose Valenti (née Yodice) passed away on June 5, 2017 at the age of 98. Rose was born on February 1, 1919 at 343 Van Brunt St. Rose was one of seven children with three sisters (Millie, Anne, and Fannie) […]
On June 1, aboard the NYC Ferry’s early-morning maiden voyage on the South Brooklyn route, Jim Tampakis felt inspired. “Look at the water,” he instructed a friend. “No traffic. There’s no boat traffic at all.” It being 7 a.m. rush hour, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway was likely bumper-to-bumper. The subway a series of overstuffed cars upset by delays. But here on […]
The return of summer weather brings children back onto soccer field and playgrounds. In the sunshine, the children at Carroll Park wait excitedly for Peter Waldman, known to many as Balloon Pete. Pete spends time in the park most afternoons, creating colorful latex animals and toys for the children that play there. In fact, he’s become “pretty darn famous with […]
UPDATE June 6, 2017: The liquor license applicant’s 500 foot rule hearing has been rescheduled to Thursday, June 29 at 11 am. The public hearing will be held on the fourth floor of 317 Lenox Avenue in Manhattan. The stretch of Beard Street that runs between Van Brunt and Conover is home to multiple families with children. Since Sandy, new […]
The cranes at the foot of Union Street may become history by next year. The Red Hook Container Terminal (RHCT), which was built in the 1980s to handle bulk shipping, finishes its lease in 2018 and may be turned over by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PA) to the hands of real estate developers. “We’re at […]