Marty Winter 2011.qxd - Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
WHERE NEW YORK CITY BEGINS
Etta Dixon is a trendsetting,
79-year-old East New
York resident who embodies
conservation and saving the
environment. She said goodbye
to the oil company that
heated her home and water
and goodbye to the gasoline
that fueled her car. Dixon has
gone green, installed solar
panels on her two-story
home and joined the ranks of
hybrid car owners. This may
4 Etta Dixon is one sunny lady!
sound like the action of
young environmentalist, not a
semi-retiree—Dixon logged 34 years with the MTA and currently works part time for DC
37’s Retirement Association. There is personal history behind all her decisions.
Born during the Great Depression, Dixon was often without enough food and clothing
and that helped define the woman she became. Even as a young child, she recognized how
wasteful things like paper towels were. “It didn’t make any sense to use something once
and throw it away,” she said. And when it comes to energy she said, “There is energy out
there. Why pay for energy that is free?”
In 2006, Dixon became the first person on her block—and probably one of the first residents
in Brooklyn—to install solar panels. The substantial tax rebate and savings on her
oil bill allowed her to buy her eco-friendly Honda Civic. So if you ever see a carful of jazzy
seniors jetting along the streets of Brooklyn, it’s probably Dixon and her girls heading out
for a night of dinner and dancing. And if you ask Dixon what’s next for her, that’s easy: a
backyard garden to grow her own food!
JUST US GIRLS
4 Ann Marie D’Onofrio, Kelly Adamita and
Rosemarie Esposito of Physique Total Wellness.
Physique Total Wellness is Brooklyn’s
only gym owned by women, operated
by women and devoted to women.
Launched seven years ago by Rosemarie
Esposito, AnnMarie D’Onofiro, and
Kelly Adamita and located in the heart
of Dyker Heights, the gym is a haven
for a woman’s physical as well as emotional
rejuvenation.
“Total health begins from the inside
out,” said Esposito. “So often we
women are the caregivers, wives, mothers,
sisters and daughters who seem to
end up putting ourselves last.” Those
are issues that are not addressed in a
traditional gym. Another advantage at
Physique Total Wellness is that mem-
bers can “come as they are,” without worrying about being a size four or with perfect makeup
and every hair in place. Women come to work out and have a good time with friends.
With a membership of more than 500 it would seem difficult to develop relationships. But
each and every member feels like part of a family through the personal attention, the warm and
cozy environment and the owners’ belief in the wellness of the whole woman.
One of the most popular classes is the Zumba class that caters to upwards of 250 women
per week spread out over nine to 13 classes. Other services offered are personal training,
meditation, reflexology and private yoga as well as the very popular Kids Fit & Fun and
Family Fitness classes.
Physique Total Wellness, 7204 13th Avenue; (718) 837-3711 or visit
www.physiquetotalwellness.net.
Spring 2003
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Winter 2011
MOONSHINE OVER BROOKLYN!
The holidays are just around the corner
so for those libation-loving adults on your
guest and gift list, why not consider genuine
Brooklyn hooch? Some enterprising
Brooklynites are getting in the distillery
biz and turning out the best vodka, gin and
whiskey this side of the Mason-Dixon.
Brooklyn Republic Vodka (BKR)
may get their grains from the Midwest,
but blending takes place right here in
Clinton Hill where local water is purified
multiple times and the final product is
bottled by their master blender in small
batches. BKR prides itself on its “medium
body vodka with a smooth finish.” 4 Gary Shokin of Brooklyn Republic Vodka.
www.brooklynrepublicvodka.com
The Breuckelen Distilling Company uses only organic grains from upstate New York
to make Breuckelen Gin at its South Slope distillery. By milling the grain immediately before
they start the process, they ensure the freshest product. Breuckelen Distilling also produces
a small batch whiskey. www.brkgin.com
Kings County Distillery is the first legal whiskey distillery in NYC since Prohibition!
They make handcrafted bourbon and “moonshine” in East Williamsburg and recently won
“Best in Category” for corn whiskey at the American Distilling Institute’s Craft Spirits
Conference. www.kingscountydistillery.com
New York Distilling Company (NYDC) is slated to open this month in Williamsburg
and, when it does, it will be the largest artisan distillery in NYC. First from the 1,000-liter
copper still will be gin, then whiskey, followed by other artisanal spirits. NYDC is headed
by Tom Potter, of Brooklyn Brewery fame. www.nydistilling.com.
Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Donors will receive no special access to
City officials or preferential treatment as a result of a donation.