Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
The Word On The Street: All American
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, The Word On The Street
From Sutton Street.
Miss Heather
THIS SUNDAY: 6th Annual Memorial Ride & Walk
Filed under: Bronx, Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Manhattan, New York City, Queens, Staten Island
This item was brought to my attention by a lady named Leah. This upcoming Sunday, March 13, the folks behind ghostbikes.org will be conducting their 6th Annual Memorial Ride & Walk. Follows is a very general outline of their proposed schedule:
Queens: 12:00 p.m., northwest corner of Juniper Park, Juniper Blvd. N. & Lutheran Ave
Bronx: 1:15 p.m, E. Fordham Rd & Webster Ave (4 to Fordham Rd, B, D to Grand Concourse or MetroNorth to Fordham Road)
Staten Island: 1:30 p.m., Everything Goes Book Cafe, 208 Bay St between Victory and Hannah
Brooklyn: 1:40 p.m., Linton Park (1 block north of 2/3/4/5 to Van Siclen)
Manhattan: 3:00 p.m., Pelham Fritz Rec Center, Marcus Garvey Park, Mount Morris Park West (just west of 5th) at 122nd St
Convergence: 5:00 p.m., Brooklyn Borough Hall
I have been told a starting point in Greenpoint has been added: 1:00 p.m., on the steps of St Anthony’s, Greenpoint Avenue & Milton St (1/2 block from Greenpoint G stop). The rain/snow date for this event is March 20th. You can view updated information regarding this multi-borough event by checking out Ghost Bikes’s web site.
Closing on a related note, I would like to remind everyone that one of our own, Emilie Gossiaux, was seriously injured by a hit and run driver October of last year. You can read more about this amazing young woman, her recovery and tender a donation towards her (copious) medical expenses by clicking here.
Miss Heather
Live From The Community Board 1: Banter About The “Bubble”
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
As promised, here is footage of last night’s presentation regarding the proposed “bubble” for McCarren Park’s tennis courts. Before I proceed to the footage I’d like to list a few things I found of interest:
- McCarren Park’s situation is unique as usually larger tennis facilities are considered for “bubbles”.
- The court fees levied for use would be between $40 – $50 per hour. However, when asked about fees for the tennis courts at Prospect Park, Evan George, (as you will see in the following footage) said he didn’t know what they were. This was not very reassuring.
- Allowances would be made so those who cannot afford these fees can have access to the courts a few hours a week.
- After 15 years (the duration of the contract with whatever private entity will operate this “bubble”), the city would be left with ownership of the “rim”, not the bubble.
- The previous was raised several times and suggestions were made that language be worked into the contract leaving the city ownership of said “bubble”.
Without further ado, here is the footage. Enjoy!
Miss Heather
Live From Community Board 1: D.O.G.G.O.Ne. Speaks
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Dog Shit, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
It should be noted that our Parks employee/”Parks advocate”, Stephanie Thayer, had signed up to speak at the end of the proceedings. However, when called to speak it was discerned she had left after the “Tennis Bubble” presentation. This would lead one to believe that Ms. Thayer is not interested in what’s her public here has to say. I find this curious given when this OSA/Parks Department “partnership” was “pitched” to my community, Greenpoint, is was stated she would be as an “insider” within the Parks Department on the behalf of my community. To date she has been nothing more than a tool: for the Parks Department and monied interests to influence what does— and more importantly does not— get done in north Brooklyn.
I’m guessing when Bloomturd runs for a fourth term (and/or his follower wants to make nice) we will at long last get some wood chips and fencing for a dog run here. This seems to be how things roll in Greenpoint. Otherwise I’d like to advise Ms. Thayer that life— be it four-legged and otherwise— does exist outside of McCarren Park. And while she has been asking herself what our parks can do for her, we’ve been asking ourselves what has she— our ostensible public servant/”parks advocate”— done for us?
Answer: Nothing.
Miss Heather
From The Community Board 1 Meeting: More Ado About 400 McGuinness Boulevard
I knew something was afoot when I noticed a (charming) retinue of McGuinness Boulevard old timers in the back of the room when I arrived at tonight’s board meeting. Sure enough, I was right: they had learned the owner of 400 McGuinness Boulevard sold the property and were understandably concerned. Per a cursory search on ACRIS, this would appear to be true.
Here is what I have learned from someone in the know: this property was sold to one Shimmie Horn. He has bought out the remaining tenants for a $100,000 a pop and they have since moved out. If the name “Horn” sounds familiar to those of you who have read the Village Voice over the years, it should: he is the son of one Morris Horn. After his father’s passing Shimmie inherited a number of his father’s holdings, among them Correction Services Corporation. Here’s some information about this organization I found from a site called New York Hall of Shame*:
The state’s Lobbying Commission fined a private prison company a record $300,000 today for failing to report free transportation, meals and other gifts it had given to legislators in an effort to keep millions of dollars in state contracts. Reams of documents and depositions released by the commission as it announced the fine today painted a picture of a company, Correctional Services Corporation, that did everything it could to curry favor with more than a dozen elected officials in Brooklyn and the Bronx as it won contracts to provide services to recently released prisoners. The $300,000 fine is the largest that the state has ever imposed on a single company for breaking its lobbying laws…
That’s right folks: now we’re looking at a halfway house for released Federal convicts. For those of you who are keeping track this would mean one halfway house, one three quarter house and the Greenpoint Hotel all in one city block . Never a dull moment in Greenpoint…
Miss Heather
P.S.: This matter has been brought to the attention of our city’s Public Advocate, Bill DeBlasio, by our Community Board’s Public Safety Chair Mieszko Kalita. Mr. DeBlasio said he would look into it. Otherwise I have some footage from last night’s rather lengthy meeting. It is currently uploading.
*Do give this material a read. Apparently Mario Cuomo received money from Correction Services Corporation. Among MANY other New York “public servants”.
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