Reg Flowers talks about Occupy Red Hook - the Red Hook Star-Revue

What the Pols are up toby curtis skinnerUpdate on Bills in the HouseAny Red Hook Houses residents holding your breath over RepresentativeVelazquez’s recent Affordable Communities Employment Act keep holding it. Theproposal would force employers receiving HUD money to make sure that a certainpercentage of their employees come from residents of public housing. So far this billhas not moved forward in the House of Representatives.Let Us Talk of ObamaDuring a town hall meeting a few weeks ago, Assemblywoman Joan Millman,State Senator Daniel Squadron, City Councilmember Stephen Levin and JulianPhillips, the communications director for Representative Ed Towns spokeat length about President Obama’s chances in the upcoming 2012 presidentialelection. While voting day is still almost a full year away, it’s never too early tofire up the speculation.Residential Parking PermitsResponding to a reader’s questions about the story last week on residential parkingpermits I spoke with Michael Czaczkes Director of Constituent Services with AssemblywomanJoan Millman:Would the parking permits be in effect at all times? Yes.How would permits/spots be allocated? Each resident would apply for one, probablythrough the New York City Department of TransportationWould there even be enough permits or spaces for all residents? Almost certainlynot.Are all these details pretty much settled? Partly yes and partly no. The plan has notbeen chiseled in stone yet. But considering the backlash the bill has already gottenin the State legislature, it will not likely even reach the floor for debate.Will the intersection of President Street and Smith Street be inside the zone? Noway to know for sure, since the apartments and shops are so close to each other.But It was ironic that so much parking was available in front of the office of the assemblywomanleading the charge.Associated ConsultingGroupVisitation ChurchpresentsThe AngeltonesRepresentingAnd All Your Other Insurance Needs• Group Medical, Life, Disability,and Other Voluntary Products• Life, Disability, Annuities, Long Term Care,Travel Insurance/Trip Interruption• Homeowners, Renters, Auto, BusinessCall Us For A Quote!Health Insurance As Low As $284 Single/$834 Family Per MonthFull Coverage Doctors, $30 Co-PayHospital 100%, RxStephen C. DemariaJoseph Pernice Jr.147 Union StreetBrooklyn NY 11231Tel. 212-679-9807Fax: 212-658-9662Toll Free 800-564-2775the Red Hook Star-Revue has a Website!Where you can subscribe, place a classified ad, submit a press release, getadvertising information, write a letter to the editor and view all our back issues!www.RedHookStar.comAppearing on ThursdayDecember 15atVisitation Church,98 Richards Street,Brooklyn New York,at 7:00 p.m.THE ANGELTONES. a professional group ofthree young ladies who sing 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s Doo -Wop.The price of admission is $20.00or what ever you can afford.It will be one hour and we guarantee you a good time!For more information call Elsie at 718-624-1572Page 6 Red Hook Star-Revue December 1-15, 2011

BQE under the Heights promenade will not be replacedby Curtis SkinnerAfter years of planning andmonths of delay, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway triple cantileverand Gowanus Expressway reconstructionprojects—vital to maintainingthe structural integrity of one of themost important highways in New YorkCity—were canceled.Both terminations were logged in thefederal register on Tuesday November29 and were attributed to a lack of statefunds. The BQE triple cantilever projectwould have cost $280 million for a standardrehabilitation and up to $20 billionfor tunnel proposals. The Gowanus Expresswayboasted a price tag of $2 billionand $15 billion for similar measures.“The alternatives being explored in theenvironmental study far exceed the financialresources available to us nowand for the foreseeable future,” read astatement from Naomi Doerner an urbanplanner at Sam Schwartz Engineering,the project’s lead consulting firm.While the information gathered on theproject thus far will be preserved, andperhaps reexamined later, the proposalis now effectively dead. Charles Oshea,a spokesman for the NYSDOT, saidthat the state “wasn’t walking awayfrom anything” and that the departmentwill continue to maintain a “good,safe drive” for the bridge’s over 200,000daily riders.New York Governor Andrew Cuomodid not renew the department’s $415million infrastructure spending programinto and beyond next year, accordingto Oshea. And the executive budget“They said that the bridgewill fall if not fixed soon,”said William Harris, astakeholder in the triplecantilever project fromBoreum Hill in reference tostatements by the NYSDOT.showed that this cut was supplementedby numerous specific cuts to city andstate transportation departments.Despite receiving $4 million in federalaid for the project—separate from the$30 million in stimulus funds grantedlast year to rehabilitate other sectionsof the Brooklyn Bridge—Oshea saidthat the DOT isn’t in any position toresearch two multi-million to multibilliondollar plans.“We are in repair and maintenancemode right now,” said Oshea.Maintenance and repair alone however,are not always enough to keep a bridgeoperational. The Champlain bridge forinstance, connecting New York to Vermonthad to be demolished and rebuiltafter receiving no major overhauls fordecades. In 2007, the bridge had anaverage daily traffic of around 3,500 vehicles,according to the bridge’s safetyassessment report.The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway portionpreviously under review spannedfrom Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street.The roughly half-mile long triple cantilever—beamsthat buttress the twodozen bridges of this section—was completedover half a century ago and hassince undergone only minor repairs. Areport produced by the NYSDOT suggestedthat two thirds of these structuresrequire significant repair to avoiddeterioration issues in the next 10 to15 years and that the section was nevermeant to hold the amount of traffic thatit does daily.The NYSDOT, NYCDOT and FederalHighway Association convenedan ‘Accelerated Construction TechnologyTransfer’ workshop to developthe project in March of 2006. Threeyears later, the NYSDOT sent a letterof intent to the Federal Highway Associationto pursue rehabilitation of thetriple cantilever project and began thedecades-long process of getting plans topavement.While 20 years might not seem an imminentdeadline, performing studiesand surveys, finding and employingcontractors and actually making repairsof this magnitude is a decades-long process.This means that delay at any pointin the process portends potentially devastatingconsequences in the distant future.A fact not lost on stakeholders inthe project.“They said that the bridge will fall ifnot fixed soon,” said William Harris,a stakeholder in the triple cantileverproject from Boreum Hill in referenceRust can be seen under the roadbedto statements by the NYSDOT.For much of 2009 and 2010, the triplecantilever project moved along the proposedtimeline. But in late 2010, significantslowing ensued.“There were no further meetings. I sentthem a number of letters, none of whichwere returned,” said Cobble Hill Associationpresident, Roy Sloane. Sloanehas long demanded significant repairsto the section. “I was surprised to see itall evaporate.”For months the project sat in bureaucraticlimbo. All the while residentsand stakeholders involved in the projectawaited an announcement by theNYSDOT. On Tuesday, they got theirresponse. But perhaps not the one theyhad hoped for.And the outrage fulminating amongstakeholders about the cancelation,coupled with the present dissatisfactionmany residents have with both sections,is not likely to dissipate any time soon.“I have never seen so poorly handled aproject,” said Bill Harris, .December 1-15, 2011Red Hook Star-Revue Page 7

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Ourorganization has continued to expand its product line which now includes white die-cut mailers, brown kraft rsc shipping boxes,bubble, tapes, envelopes, newsprint, tissue, dispensers, packaging supplies and much more.Bubble Wrap small$31.61 medium $31.73large $43.05Tape! in Colors!$3.77/roll clearonly $1.40Letters:(send yours toletters@redhookstar.com)Likes MikeThe most recent Red Hook Star revuewas a joy to read. Now that you’re printingtwice a month it really opened upto new writers. My favorite piece wasMichael Racioppo’s “The Status QuoSwerves.” He brings a fresh new voiceto your publication and I hope to hearmore from him in the future.John HBrian McCormick Wins AwardCongrats to our friends at the BrooklynGreenway for winning the WaterfrontCenter’s “Clearwater Award” for volunteer,grassroots waterfront work. NYC’sVision 2020, which PortSide helpedshape also won. In total, the NY/NJ areahad five winning projects.- Portside NYIn Defense of MaryDear Sir, A reader, Tom Farrely,Luqueer St in the Nov. #2 edition of theRed Hook Star Revue took issue withthe artical composed by Mary Ann Pietanzatitled “A Day In Red Hook”.....While Mr Farrely was correct in his assessmentof the name origin being attributedto an old family Dutch landowner,dating back to pre 1600’s andappropriately called Luqueer, (with twoE’s) Indeed, just as West Houston Stwas called Hew- ston St. til newcomersthought it was House-ton. And evenGren-ich Village is now called GreenwichVillage. But to accuse Ms Pietanzaof all those hypothetical errors perhapsin a joking sort of way, was I thoughthitting below the belt.I find often I must do research intoTuesday night’s public hearing on theco-location of a new charter school toa building already home to three otherpublic schools was reminiscent of a highschool pep rally against crosstown rivals.Success Academy Cobble Hill—the latestpossible addition to City Councilwomanturned New York City educationmagnate Eva Moskowitz’s Success CharterNetwork—was proposed earlier thisyear. The school would share buildingspace on the corner of Baltic and Courtstreets with P.S. 368, a K-12 special educationprogram, and two high schools—the Brooklyn School for Global Studiesand The School for International Studies.The proposal has met nothing shortof community outrage.Teachers, students and Community EducationCouncilmembers grilled DeputyChancellor Marc Sternberg who, tothe extent he could quiet the relentlessjeers, moderated the Tuesday eveningevent. Sternberg was visibly flusteredsuffering the gauntlet of shouts andloaded questions for hours.Shame on youThe crowd would regularly interrupthim with chants of, “shame on you,”and “enough is enough”. At one point,police escorted a man out for disruptingspeakers and shouting obscenities.And hostility was not limited to officials.During the public comment portion ofthe meeting, supporters of the charterschool—most of whom were Cobblevarious historic subjects to uncoverdata sometimes very frustrating. Sincethere really is no way of telling the informationuncovered is accurate. I cansympathize with Ms. Pietanza as I haveencountered many instances wherebywhat I took for a fact was not really so.To find the smoking gun as we historianslike to say is no easy task. And Ithink Ms. Pietanza can be forgiven forone small detail so easy to have beenobtained through so called legitimatesearch engines... For instance, so manyplace their trust in Wikipedia. WhileWikipedia can be very useful, it certainlyis not the bottom line in informationresearch engines. Wikipedia dependsupon the users to verify the validity ofthe items... if the user feels certain informationis amiss. So rather than gettingthe truth, many times you are justreading someone else’s opinion.I don’t believe Mr Farrely meant to lambasteMs Pietanza in the way it cameout, but I felt other readers may takeToms letter in a different way to thedetriment of Ms. PietanzaTom, why don’t you send in more articlesto the Red Hook Star? you havea unique way of writing your opinion.And Mary Ann, keep up the good work,don’t let one criticism discourage you inyour efforts to express yourself......MerryChristmas to all the readers, especiallyto Tom and Mary Ann......JjB.... RedHook Star Historian......Editors Note: We are lucky to have bothJohn Burkard as well as Mary Ann Pietanza’swriting in our paper, and we arehappy to get reader responses as well. Theeditor doesn’t mind if people keep talkingand thinking.Charter School Controversy in Cobble Hillby Curtis SkinnerHill parents of young children—werecalled liars and booed. One, Lisa Chamberlaina mother of a 3-year-old seemedon the verge of tears as she spoke.“Anti-charter school forces should notbe allowed to shut down schools,” shesaid in an interview before the meeting,a sentiment she echoed in her publiccomment. “They succeed in ginning upanger in the community by telling outand out lies.”Existing schools doing wellAll three schools currently housed at284 Baltic Street have had remarkablesuccess of late, turning failing marks toB’s on the NYCDOE’s report card ofschool performance—as it were. Andmany involved with the three schoolsworry that the Success Academy will siphonresources and stymie their recentachievements.Brownstone Brooklyn already has anumber of strong options for publiceducation, the three on Baltic Street toname a few.“If we don’t need these services, whyforce it on us?” said Mykel Westervelt,an aide at the Brooklyn School forGlobal Studies.The NYCDOE ultimately decides thecharter school’s fate and they seem fullybehind Moskowitz’s amended proposaldespite public fury.Local politicians and community activistshave regularly expressed oppositioncontinued on page 11Page 8 Red Hook Star-Revue December 1-15, 2011

Local History Page:They All Came to Red Hookby Robert GeelanTrue Red Hookers Never Forgetby JJ BurkardThe photo of the baseball team of Christ Chapel was taken in the late1800's. Baseball was a popular past time in Red Hook in those days. Myfather, Edward A. Geelan, Sr., who grew up on Pioneer Street and hada lifelong love of baseball played on the Chapel team. He may be one ofthe unidentified players in the picture. It is from our family collection. All the familymembers who could have identified those in the photo have passed on. My fathernever forgave Walter O'Malley for moving the beloved Dodgers to Los Angeles.As pointed out in a previous article, Christ Chapel was an outreach of Christ ProtestantEpiscopal Church now located in Bay Ridge. Five brothers and two sistersof our family were baptized in the chapel and made their first communions there.From the look of the clothing in the photo it was most likely a first communionSunday. As far as I know, the last Episcopal rector was Father Fox whom I contactedmany years ago for information.Over the years, Christ Chapel has changed names and denominations. In additionto a ball team, Christ Chapel hosted a boy's brigade. This was an organizationwhich preceded the Boy Scouts. Here is an article taken from the Brooklyn DailyEagle of July 26, 1900 that mentions my dad:Livingston and Smith streets...Boys out for fun, Sea Cliff, L. I. July 26- Aboutforty members of the Boys Brigade of Christ Chapel, Brooklyn, have been spendinga week at the Stockman house. They were in the charge of Rev. George C. Groves.The boys were a gentlemanly set of young fellows and enjoyed their outing hugely.The officers of the brigade are: Thomas N. Gjobe, Captain; William F. Abrams, firstlieutenant; William Teller, second lieutenant; Edward Geelan, first sergeant; Georgec. Hale, second sergeant; Charles Thornley, third sergeant; Henry Adams, quartermaster;William Ropke, color sergeant; William Brun, F. W. Teller, Henry Duncan,William Demass, corporals; George D. Groves, Chaplain.In The Nabe by Vince MusacchiaRey Palacios, born and raised inthe village of Red Hook, wouldobject to being called a hero.But there’s something special about thisman, and after you read this you will understand…In his thinking he is just a proud firemannow residing in Rochester New York,and has been for the last 18 years. As ayoungster growing up in our neighborhood,Rey was attracted to the fire Departmentand in particular Ladder 101/Engine 202 on Richards street, where 7men lost their lives on 9/11.Rey grew up in Red Hook knowing thesemen, and he will always remember theirkindness, and guidance extended himas he strived to become part of the team.As a young man he spent most of his leisuretime at the firehouse. The firemenmanning that elite station of top notchmen, who Taught Rey so much aboutthe complicated art of fighting fires,passed on to this young man their verybest skills about the complicated art ofsaving lives’ and putting out all variationsof combustibles…He swept floors, manned the rollingdoors to permit entrance and egressfor the large engines that were basedthere. He also polished the brass andchrome that adorned the fire trucks andeven rode the engines to assist at thefires. He would later become an AuxiliaryFireman. Overall, you could sayhe cut his teeth at that Richards streetlocation and befriended the men stationedthere. One of his mentors, FiremanTony Catapano was the oldest activefirefighter in the Department. He isnow retired and still meets with his fellowbravest at least once a week in theold firehouse on Van Brunt Street, fora chat, a couple of beers, and just someold fashioned camaraderie.All of this close friendship appealed toPalacios and it prompted him to applyto New York Cities Bravest as soon ashe was capable of doing so……John Palacios however, the father of thelarge Palacios clan (four girls and threeboys) had other ideas, He wanted two ofhis boys to be professional ball players.To this end, Rey and his younger brotherRichard endured grueling practice sessionsand training that eventually paidoff and helped Mr. Palacio’s achieve hislifelong dream for his two younger sons.Rey’s first big break was when he startedout as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers,playing in the big leagues. Later he wastraded to the Kansas City Royals.Unfortunately, a shoulder injury sentRey back to triple A ball. But recoverywas not to be, Eventually he joined thedisabled and was retired. Being marriedwith one son and one daughter Reysoon realized he needed to secure himselfin the world of the ordinary workingclass people. For ballplayers, it’s a rule.You’re not supposed to get old. Old ageis the nemesis of pro ballplayers.He decided to apply for New York CitiesBravest. It was not a good time forRey however nor a lot of other minoritypotential bravest. New York City wasgoing through much scrutiny as far astheir hiring practices were concerned.Rey probably could have made the bravestwithout even trying. But the courtsdecided to vacate the lists and start allover again. So instead of getting a fullyexperienced qualified home town NewYorker, and resident of the Village ofRed Hook they lost Rey Palacios as amember of New York Cities Bravest. Itwas also a loss for Red Hook…...Ray continued to play some triple Aball which led him to Rochester. Itwas there Rey and his wife decided tomake the city his home. While there,Rey made the decision to enlist in theRochester Fire Department.When the two planes hit the WTCbuildings on 9/11 Rey Palacios wassprucing up his home on his day off. Hequickly stopped everything he was doing,and rushed closer to the TV set. Hesaw the terrible destruction as it unfoldedand he listened intently to the fateof the firemen. His pulse quickened, andhis heart seemed to drop to the floor.After all, his younger brother Richiewas supposed to be working on the 80thfloor. It didn’t take him very long to decidehe had to come to New York, tohis old firehouse, to render assistancein anyway he could possibly be of help.Thankfully, an act of God, perhaps,brother Richie was sent to another jobthat very same day and was not requiredto be at the World Trade Center on the80th floor of the ill-fated building.Yes, Rey never forgot, he just had to returnto Brooklyn, to the same firehousewhere he was taught most of his firefightingskills, as a young lad. Taught bythe same brave firemen, from the firehousewhich now was short seven soul’sout of its overall compliment of braveand respected men …continued on page 11December 1-15, 2011Red Hook Star-Revue Page 9

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Opinion:Vote by Divisionby Michael RacioppoHow many times have you heard or read “history repeats itself”?Well as someone who teaches political science, I sometimes sayand think “politics repeats itself.” Though I feel this happensall the time, I was intensely reminded of it a few weeks ago. The lecturetopic for my class that day was William Graham Sumner’s “What do socialclasses owe to each other?” Sumner, a dedicated social Darwinist, arguesthat we owe nothing to each other and that those who believe otherwiseare “meddlers”. The “meddlers” look to penalize the industrious and rig thesystem to favor the poor through social welfare. Simply put, Sumner was aone percenter way before it was cool (he wrote this in the 1800’s).His ideas, though not always cited, are still pervasive in our politics andrepresent the fundamental divide of them. Where one stands on theseshould determine a great deal over what sort of a government they wantand who they want to represent them. Pay some extra attention to politicaldiscussions of what has to be done going forward with the economy andour budget and it becomes apparent that some think we owe things to ourfellow man and others simply don’t. This goes for city, state, and nationalpolitics. Look at what solutions are offered for a rising poverty rate and a17 percent increase in the need for free school lunches (25 percent in NewYork State). Look at the distrust and disregard for the poor. It may not beexplicitly distrustful but it is definitely an implicit, and horrible, reality.In these discussions some will ask questions concerning the most vulnerableand not focus on those who may be paying the larger portion of thebill for helping the vulnerable. Others will look to lessen the overall “cost”with little or no mention of the human cost to the most vulnerable.Take for example New York Times conservative columnist, David Brooks.He routinely refers to people such as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan as “Courageous”and “Serious” for wanting to privatize Social Security and Medicare.He says that everyone has to “suffer”. To Brooks suffering for someis the end of the Mortgage Interest Deduction but for others it’s not beingable to afford health care coverage when over the age of 65. It’s a broaddefinition of “suffer” but a definition none the less.The other side of this divide was on display at New York State Assembly’spublic hearing for Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE)program on November 22 nd . The Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption(SCRIE) program offers eligible tenants an exemption from rent increases.The owner of the building receives a credit against their real estate taxesfrom the City of New York. At the hearing, what was on display werepoliticians speaking for the needs of the most vulnerable constituents asopposed to those who fill campaign coffers.Chairperson of the Committee, Joan Millman, made the case for the needsof her elderly constituents such as those who don’t have leases but nonethe-lesspay rent and cannot afford an increase in their rent, especially notnow. This is an impressive view of those in need when considering thatAssemblywoman Millman’s Brooklyn District is not lacking its share ofmillion dollar brownstones (Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill).Think which of those 2 anecdotes sounds like better guidance for our societygoing forward. Once you do you’ll know which side of the divide youron and hopefully who to vote for.Michael Racioppo teaches in the Political Science department at Brooklyn CollegeRay Palacio, Local Hero, continued from page 9Star TheaterThe Red Hook Star-RevueSelectMailDirect Marketing Services since 1988Respected, those very same men who were lost in WTC. Rey Palacios came toNew York and once more joined his fellow fireman from Richards street in searchand rescue operations spending long grueling hours sifting through human remains,jewelry, wallets, even legs and arms and fingers. Despite all this exposure to theravages of death and destruction, When Rey was asked The about Union his Street most terriblememory during rescue operations while in New York City He relates, “It was notthe buildings collapsing or the smoke and horror or the smell of death,” Rey says “it“home of the legendary Thursday Night Jam”was the look on those kids faces.” He refers to fireman Salvatore Calabro, who withLt. Joseph Gullickson, were buried alive in the rubble and never did make it out.Sal’s kids were at the scene waiting for their father who was never found.Sadly, this is what Rey Palacio remembers about 9/11, and this The Hook’s is Local the Newspaper memory hebrought back to Rochester with him. He says he sometimes still wakes up in themiddle of the night reaching out to those kids as if they were his own children try-df df df df dfing to reassure them their dad was okay.George Fiala 101 UnionRey Palacio will never forget his younger days spent at the Red Hook Raiders.”And though he wishes all this carnage never happened 718 624-5568 and is a bad dream he may george@RedHookStar.com Streetwake up from. He really doesn’t want to forget. 101 He has Union grown Street stronger. He realizes Brooklyn, NY 11231Brooklyn, NY 11231718 624-5568www.selectmail.comgeorge@selectmail.comthe frailty of each life and how easily it can slip away from the world we know. Allthis memory has served to give Rey Palacios a new outlook on life. Each year hereturns to his roots in our village of Red Hook to see some of his family at theirhomes, and also his other family, those men at Ladder 101 over on Richards Street.To stir up old memories and to pay their respects to the families of the Seven inHeaven…..After all, “True Red Hooker’s. Never Forget!! And that’s what makesRey Palacios serving with the Rochester, N. Y. Fire Department so special.Charter School Fracas(continued from page 8)for the academy. Assemblywoman Joan Millman and New York City CouncilmemberStephen Levin have both repeatedly denounced the project. The daybefore the hearing, both politicians joined education officials and teachers to railagainst the proposal outside the school’s main entrance. Aside from the NYC-DOE and the SUNY board of trustees, support for the charter school has beenscant.No local support“I haven’t gotten one email from someone wanting the charter school,” said Millmanat the meeting Tuesday night. “But I’ve got over 90 today from people whodon’t”.Some fear that all the outrage will be for naught however.“They’re probably going to go ahead anyways,” said Brian Jones, a fourth-gradeteacher at P.S. 261 in Cobble Hill. He formerly worked at a school into whichMoskowitz’s Harlem Success Academy co-located. “What they usually do is makethese proposals and see which neighborhood is the least outraged. And they arealready pretty far down the road on this one.”The NYCDOE will make its decision to approve or deny the charter school colocationon December 14 at New Town High School in Queens, nearly 10 milesaway from Cobble Hill.Until then, the NYCDOE encourages residents to send in comments either viaa hotline at (212) 374-0208 or through email at proposals@schools.nyc.gov. IfTuesday night was any indication, residents will likely keep making their voicesheard.“It’s only getting started,” said Jones.Cruise Terminal home to religiousconvention for second year in a rowThe halls of the specially-decorated Brooklyn Cruise Terminal rocked with energy SundayNovember 27th as thousands of people attending the banquet of the 28th annual InternationalConference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries got up from their chairs to danceat the signature event. The Cruise Terminal was chosen for this event as it is one of thefew places both large and secure enough for an event this size. Possibly at the banquet lastyear a Williamsburg Yeshivah got the idea to expand to Imlay Street opposite the CruiseTerminal. Photo courtesy of Chabad.We have been servingBrooklyn Businesses since 1988.Our clients include St. Ann’sWarehouse, Eastern AthleticClubs, Brooklyn Friends School,BWAC & St. Francis CollegeServices Include:LettershopBulk MailingNon-Profit AppealLettersPostcard Mailings Brochures&NewslettersFirst Class PresortDecember 1-15, 2011Red Hook Star-Revue Page 11

Art:Manos de Mexicanos opens thisweekend in back of Steve’s Key Lime PiesManos de Mexicanos, an organization dedicated to raising awarenessof traditional Mexican crafts through the promotion, exhibition andsale of Mexican art in the U.S., is pleased to announce the officialgrand opening of its gallery and showroom on December 3 from 2:00pm to 6:00 pm at 204 Van Dyke Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn.Artwork from select Mexican artists will be on display and for sale at the opening,such as Zapotec textile weavings from the well-known artist Fidel and Maria LuisaCruz of Teotitlán de Valle, as well as myriad ceramic works from the celebratedAguilar Sisters from Ocotlán de Morelos, Oaxaca, whose ceramic sculptures havebeen on exhibit worldwide for decades, and original pieces of the barro bruñidotrade (or burnished clay pottery) from artist Elsa Balderas of Metzontla los Reyes,Puebla. Additional pieces available include Alebrijes (highly decorative woodcarvings) from the workshop of Ivan Fuentes in San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca,a collection of hand-painted talavera from the workshop of Diseños Alonso Luisin Puebla City, Puebla, traditional policromado (multi-colored decorative clayfigurine pieces) from Artesanias de Barro Policromado Familia Balbuena Alonsoin Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, traditional Huichol yarn paintings and beadedworks, as well as paper machié, woven baskets and pottery from Zacatecas (artistsunknown).Also at the event will be authentic Mexican drink and cuisine, like tamales, Mezcaland chapolines, which will be prepared by guest chef Ms. Flora Pineda, as wellas live music performed by Radio Jarocho, a New York City-based group devotedto the son jarocho and fandango traditions from southern Veracruz, Mexico, witha special guest appearance from Patricio Hidalgo, one of Mexico’s most celebratedson jarocho musicians of all time.Founded in 2011 by Victoria and Steve Tarpin, owner of the renowned Steve’sAuthentic Key Lime Pies, Manos de Mexicanos (By Mexican Hands) is a labor oflove that aims to generate awareness and resources to artisans of Mexico, who arestriving to carry on ancient artisan traditions established generations ago despitestruggling local economies.“We want to bring the works of Mexican artisanos to a greater market in order tohelp these humble people who are driven to create their works in spite of currenteconomic pressures, predatory online marketing techniques, and an unfavorabletourist market that believes it has the right, the obligation to talk them down inprice,” said Mr. Tarpin. “We’re a living museum for living artists, with a simplegoal of preserving the true spirit of the artisans’ tradition and the uninhibitedexpression of their craft, with no regard to economic, financial or sociologic pressures.”All artwork on display at the grand opening is available for sale, with 100 percentof the proceeds and donations from the event going directly to the purchase of newartwork from existing and additional Mexican artists in the continued support oftraditional Mexican crafts. For more information about the opening, the artists orthe organization, please email Steve Tarpin directly at steve@manosdemexicanos.com or visit the organization’s website at http://manosdemexicanos.comPatricio Hidalgo will be entertaining along with tequila at the opening of Manosde Mexicanos Saturday Dec. 3rd at 204 Van Dyke Street between 2 - 6.If you think youcan write as well asErik Penney, emailgeorge@redhookstar.com and we’ll giveyou a shot....Page 12 Red Hook Star-Revue December 1-15, 2011

Dining:Ifyou want to see why the good old dayswere good check out Casa Di Campagnaby Erik PenneyThese were big, loud, friendlyguys who might know someonewho would take your actionon the Ohio State – Michigangame, or as in Scorcese’sGoodfellas, they were allnamed Peter or Paul andmarried to girls named Marie.There was a time when nearlyall Italian restaurants in NewYork City were like Casa diCampagna. Places whereyou would be warmly greeted with deepsincerity by the owner, attended towith care by a waiter who wasn’t a vacant-eyedactor who resented the factthat he had to wait tables, and whereyou could depend on large portionsof familiar Southern Italian favoritesat very reasonable prices. Sinatra orDean Martin would be playing on thestereo, or old standards sung in Italian,and people would come by to pat youon the shoulders and check up on you.This was pre-Mario Batali or MichaelWhite New York, before Italian foodmeant a 2 hour wait or frantic visitsto Open Table four weeks in advance.This was before eating at an Italianrestaurant meant understanding whatregion of Italy your pork came fromor disentangling a carefully balancednest of fried zucchini ribbons beforeuncovering your fish. The places I’mtalking about had great food. Thebasics. Red-sauce pasta dishes, hot andcold antipasto, marsala, parmigiana, allspoken with a Brooklyn accent. Andchances are the owner would send overa plate of something on the house, justbecause it was that kind of placeThe first time I went to Casa di Campagnawas to pick up a take-out order.I had called ahead for a chicken parmhero and as I waited at the bar for it tobe ready, off to the side was a table offour large men. These were big, loud,friendly guys who might know someonewho would take your action on theOhio State – Michigan game, or as inScorcese’s Goodfellas, they were allnamed Peter or Paul and married togirls named Marie. They were talkingover espressos and anisette and quotinglines from the Godfather. “VirgilSollozzo, he’s known as the Turk, theysay he’s good with a knife” and HymanRoth’s “This is the business we’ve chosen”,all punctuated by raised glassesand wishes of salute! This is spectacularambiance and I knew I was ontosomething by coming in here.My foot-long hero came in at justunder $10 and when I got the sandwichhome I found a giant fist of crisp,tender chicken breast cutlet, fresh,spicy tomato sauce and just the rightamount of melted mozzarella on aperfect hero roll. Really an excellentexample of a great Italian-Americansandwich. It’s too big for one sittingso you’ll have half for leftovers, but toomuch food seems to be a pattern here,but in a good way. Like too much lovefrom a family member, or too long of asummer vacation when you were a kid.Check out the pizzaThe pizza is also very good here. It’ssomewhere in between New York Cityslice-of-pizza from a corner pizzeria(what Anthony Bourdain calls “utilitypizza”) and the overwrought, selfindulgentstuff that’s been coming outof the brick ovens the newer, trendydowntown Manhattan spots. Thereare no bizarre ingredients, no shavedblack truffle, no jiggly quail egg sittingon top, this is not pizza-as-canvas. Youcan get a regular, New York style thincrust, Margherita with fresh mozzarella,grandma-style (which, for the uninitiated,is a thin-crust square pie withfresh mozzarella), or a thicker crustSicilian-style pizza. You have a choiceof a handful of traditional pizzeriatoppings like sausage, pepperoni, blackolives, anchovies, mushrooms and thelike, and really, any combination ofthe above makes for a great pizza. Itook a large, unadorned grandma stylehome one Sunday afternoon to a groupof football watchers and they emptiedthe box before it hit the table. It hadan almost cracker-thin crust, the samefresh tomato sauce from my chickenparm hero and fresh mozzarella witha nice blistery char. This is deliciouspizza, and how the crust held it’s crispnessin the box is a mystery to me butone that I gladly enjoyed.Lots and lots of good foodBut what you should really do to getthe full experience at Casa di Campagnais go with a group. Order a bunchof stuff to share family style, pass theplates around, try everything and washit all down with lots and lots of houseChianti. Start with a bunch of appetizers.Cold antipasto is a huge plateof meats and cheeses, olives, peppersand makes for a great table snack for atleast four people, though the menu saysit’s for two. The hot version comeswith mussels, stuffed mushrooms, friedzucchini and rolled, stuffed eggplantrollatini. I loved the round Siciliansausage, which is what we used to calla “pinwheel,” or a long, thin sausagetwirled into Frisbee-sized disc and heldtogether with wooden skewers andgrilled. Theirs is served simply withwhite cannellini beans and fresh tomatoesthat have been dressed in olive oiland lemon, and I’d be happy to make ameal out of it as-is.The pasta dishes are also wonderfullyprepared and all were memorable.Rigatoni Bolognese came with huge,perfectly al dente pasta tossed in arich beef and pork ragu that seems tohave been softened with just a shotof cream to temper the acidity of thetomato sauce. This is classic Bolognese,expertly done. Orecchiette withBroccoli Rabe is another classic. Theseare the small, disk-shaped pasta thatliterally mean “little ears” and thispreparation comes with Italian sausageand the broccoli rabe sautéed in garlicand olive oil. Another ubiquitous dish,but here again the execution at Casa diCampagna was perfect. Wonderfullytoothy pasta, glistening, painted withgarlicky extra virgin olive oil and bittergreens, it’s terrific when dusted withParmesan cheese.I could keep going here about the pasta– the lasagna was a delicious, intimidatingbrick of a thing which mightknock you out with one cheesy punch(though with a smile on your face).The puttanesca, the gnocchi Sorrentino,the linguini with clams – all excellent,and as I said, the portions are verylarge and really require sharing, or elseexpect to take a bunch home. This iswhy a big group is ideal here – at leastyou’ll have help dealing with all thisgreat food.And the bacchanal continues. Thisis old-school Italian dining and forsomeone who isn’t Italian (like myself)you’re shocked that at this point we’veeaten so much food and we haven’teven gotten to the fish course, or themeat course, and then there’s dessert??Out of respect to the four guys at thetable in the front, I felt like I should trythe veal, because as Sollozzo from theGodfather would say it might be “thebest in the City.” Casa di Campagnawill do it any way you like (chickentoo), and options include francese,marsala or piccatta, and they serve itwith roasted potatoes and vegetables,and yeah, it’s really good too. Thereare pork chops, Italian style witharugula and tomatoes, and a coupleof shrimp dishes as well. They wouldbring more if we asked, but the whiteflag must be raised at some point insweet, delicious surrender.I admit, it’s likely that part of the reasonI like Casa di Campagna so much isthat it evokes such pleasant memoriesof places I knew growing up in Brooklyn.There were places like this in everyneighborhood, and you could evenget food like this at well-chosen pizzerias,and it’s sad and amazing to thinkhow hard it is to find restaurants likethis anymore. But that’s not why I reallylike Casa di Campagna. The truthof the matter is they are very good atwhat they do. They don’t try to do toomuch from a culinary standpoint besidesinterpret the favorite dishes theyknow we all love, and they do thatwith accuracy and precision. Theymake you feel like you just showed upat your regular neighborhood joint,even if you’ve never been there before,and they make any occasion there seemlike a celebration. When they ask you,“how is everything?”, they know theanswer already because they’ve seenthe smiles and heard the oooh’s fromyou all night. The answer is, of course,everything is wonderful.Casa di Campagna117 Columbia Street (corner of Kane)(718) 237-4300Recommended dishes: Hero sandwiches,pizzas, round Sicilian “pinwheel” sausage,rigatoni Bolognese, Orecchiette with Italiansausage and broccoli rabe, veal piccataStar-Revue Adsare the bestway to reachyourneighborsemail George@redhookstar.comto place yoursDecember 1-15, 2011Red Hook Star-Revue Page 13

Star-Revue Restaurant GuideRED HOOKBAKED 359 Van Brunt St., (718) 222-0345. Bakery serving cupcakes, cakes, coffee,pastries, lunch items. Free wi-fi. Openfor breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.THE BROOKLYN ICE HOUSE 318 VanBrunt St., (718) 222-1865. Burgers, barbecueand pulled pork sandwiches. Open forlunch and dinner daily. Cash only.Botanica 220 Conover St (at CoffeySt), (347) 225-0147. Fine Cocktails, SpecialtyLiquors & Cacao Prieto Chocolate.Open Tue-Sun 5pm-12am, Fri 5 pm-3am,Sat 2pm-3am, Sun 2pm -12am. In-houseDistilled Cacao Rum Tastings. Tue: Pokernight, Wed-Fri: Board game nights. Sat-Sun:Afternoon cocktails. Cash only. Free Wi-Fi.Available for private events.DEFONTE’S SANDWICH SHOP 379Columbia St., (718) 855-6982. Variety oflarge sandwiches, including roast beef andpotato and egg. Open for breakfast andlunch Mon-Sat. Cash only.DIEGO’S RESTAURANT 116 SullivanSt., (718) 625-1616. Mexican and LatinAmerican cuisine. Open for lunch and dinnerMon-Sat. AE, DS, MC, V.F&M BAGELS 383 Van Brunt St., (718)855-2623. Bagels, sandwiches, wraps,chicken salad, breakfast plates, burgers, hotentrees and more. Open for breakfast andlunch daily 5 am-5 pm. AE, DS, MC, V. Deliveryavailable.FORT DEFIANCE 365 Van Brunt St.,(347) 453-6672. Brunch, sandwiches andsmall plates. Open for breakfast Tue; breakfast,lunch and dinner Mon, Wed-Sun.THE GOOD FORK 391 Van Brunt St.,(718) 643-6636. Fare from Chef Sohui Kimin an unpretentious atmosphere; menu variesseasonally and can include pork dumplings,roast chicken, homemade gnocchiand steak and eggs Korean style. Open fordinner Tue-Sun. AE, MC, V.HOME/MADE 293 Van Brunt St., (347)223-4135. Seasonal, local and rustic/elegantcuisine, with an extensive wine list of40 selections by the glass, and local brewand Kombucha on tap. Coffee and pastryMon-Fri 7 am-2 pm, dinner Wed-Fri 5 pmto 11 pm, brunch Sat & Sun 10 am-4pm,dinner 4-11 pm.HOPE & ANCHOR 347 Van Brunt St.,(718) 237-0276. Large menu that includesburgers, entrees and all-day breakfast.Open for lunch and dinner Mon-Fri; breakfast,lunch and dinner Sat-Sun. AE, DS, MC,IKEA One Beard St., (718) 246-4532.Swedish meatballs, pasta, wraps and sandwiches;breakfast items include eggs andcinnamon buns. Open for breakfast, lunchand dinner daily. AE, DS, MV, V.KEVIN’S 277 Van Brunt St., (718) 596-In addition to their good food, including their delicious Red Hook pizza, written about last year in this newspaper, one can oftenfind good music at Rocky Sullivan’s. On Sunday afternoons and Monday and Tuesday evenings one will encounter an Irish Seisiun -a jam session for traditional Irish musicians, which is what we enjoyed last Monday evening (photo by Stan Kosakowski).8335. Seafood, seasonal and local fare.Open for dinner Thu-Sat, brunch Sat-Sun.AE, MC, V.MARK’S PIZZA 326 Van Brunt St.,(718) 624-0690. Open for lunch and dinnerdaily. AE, MC, V. Delivery available.RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND 284Van Brunt St., (646) 326-7650. Maine lobsterrolls, Connecticut rolls and whoopiepies. Open for lunch and dinner Tue-Sun.ROCKY SULLIVAN’S 34 Van Dyke St.,(718) 246-8050. Irish pub with brick-ovenpizza, sandwiches; lobster feasts Fri 6-9pm, Sat 5-8 pm. Open for lunch and dinnerdaily. AE, DS, MC, V.COLUMBIAWATERFRONTDISTRICTALMA 187 Columbia St., (718) 643-5400.Modern Mexican fare. Open for dinnerMon-Fri, brunch and dinner Sat-Sun. AE,DS, MC, V.Bagel Boy Cafe 75 Hamilton Ave -next to Chase, (718) 855-0500. Breakfastlunch and dinner w/hot buffet food. Open4 am - 9 pm Mon - Friday, closing at 6 onthe weekend.Hours: Noon to 10:30 pm Tues. to Thurs. Noon to 11pm Friday.4pm to 11pm Saturday & 4pm to 10:30pm Sunday.CALEXICO CARNE ASADA 122Union St., (718) 488-8226. Tex-Mex burritos,tacos, quesadillas and more. Open forlunch and dinner daily. Cash only. Deliveryavailable.Casa Di Campagna 117 ColumbiaStreet (718) 237-4300. If you think thatyou’ve enjoyed all the best pizza in theworld, try this new restaurant on the cornerof Kane Street. Reasonably pricedCASELNOVA 214 Columbia St., (718)522-7500. Traditional Northern and SouthernItalian dishes, brick-oven pizza, pasta,lunch panini. Open 7 days a week for dinnerat 5, Friday for lunch at noon, SundayBrunch at 11 am and Dinner at 4. Deliveryavailable. AE, DS, MC, V.FERNANDO’S FOCACCERIA RES-TAURANT 151 Union St., (718) 855-1545. Southern Italian fare, including pastaand panelle. Open for lunch and dinnerMon-Sat. Cash only.HOUSE OF PIZZA & CALZONES132 Union St., (718) 624-9107. Pizza, calzonesand sandwiches. Open for lunch anddinner daily. Cash only. Delivery available.JAKE’S BAR-B-QUE RESTAURANT189 Columbia St., (718) 522-4531. KansasCity-style barbecue.KOTOBUKI BISTRO 192 Columbia St.,(718) 246-7980. Japanese and Thai cuisine,including sushi, teriyaki, pad Thai and specialmaki named after area streets. Open forlunch Mon-Sat, dinner 7 days.LILLA CAFE 126 Union St., (718) 855-5700. Seasonal fare, hormone and antibiotic-freemeats, bread baked on premises andhomemade pasta from Chef Erling Berner.BYOB. Open for dinner Tue-Sun, lunchThu-Fri, brunch Sat-Sun. MC, V.MAZZAT 208 Columbia St., (718) 852-1652. Mediterranean and Middle Easternfare, including falafel sandwiches, kibbe,bronzini, lamb shank, baklava and smallplates. Open for lunch and dinner daily.PETITE CREVETTE 144 Union St., (718)855-2632. Seafood, including corn-and-crabchowder, salmon burgers and cioppino,from Chef Neil Ganic. BYOB. Open forlunch and dinner Tue-Sat. Cash only.TEEDA THAI CUISINE 218 ColumbiaSt., (718) 643-2737. Thai dishes includepapaya salad, dumplings and massamuncurry. Open for lunch and dinner Mon-Sat,dinner Sun. MC, V. Delivery available.Carroll GardensMarco Polo Ristorante, 345Court Street, 718 852-5015, Italian, Sunday1:00 pm - 10:30 pm, Monday CLOSED,Tues,Wed, Thurs 11:30 am - 11:00 pm,Friday11:30 am - Midnight,Saturday 1:00pm -Midnight, All Major CardsBar Bruno, 520 Henry St., 347-763-0850, Latin-influenced spot for classicand beer cocktails, burgers and big saladsserved in bowls.Casa Rosa, 384 Court Street, 718-797-1907, Italian noon -10:30 p.m daily, Allcards.Vinzee’s, 412 Court Street, 718 8551401, American , All Major Cards.Abilene, 442 Court Street, 718-522-6900, American-bar-Mexican, 11 a.m - 4a.m dailyNine-D, 462 Court Street, 718-488-8998,Thai, Lunch Tue - Sun: 12 pm - 3pm DinnerMon-Fri: 5pm - 11pm Sat-Sun: 3pm - 11pm,Visa MCPrime Meats, 465 Court Street, 718-254-0327 or 0345, German, American,Mon-Thurs 10 a.m-12 a.m , Fri 10a.m-1a.m, Sat 8 a.m-1 a.m Sun 8 a.m- 12 a.m ,Visa Mastercard, AEVino y Tapas, 520 Court street, 718-407-0047, Spanish Tapas, 5 p.m-11 p.mdaily, AE, palocortadobk.comMezcals Restaurant, 522 Court Street,718-783-3276 Mexican,Tequila Bar, 11a.m-11p.m daily, All Major CardsFive Guys, 266 Court street, 347-799-2902, American, 11-10 a.m - p.m daily, AllcardsBuddy’s Burrito & Taco Bar,260 Court street, 718-488-8695, Mexican,11:30 a.m- 11 p.m, Visa, MastercardGhang, 229 Court Street, 718-875-1369,Thai, Sun-Thurs 11:30 a.m, 11:30 p.m, VisaMastercardDowntown Bar & Grill, 160Court street, 718-625-2835, American,Mon-Sun 12p.m-2 a.m, All Major, Cards,downtownbarandgrill.comGowanus Yacht Club, 323 SmithStreet, New York - (718) 246-132, Beer,pierogies, hot dogs and more.Cody’s Ale House Grill, 154Court Street, 718-852,6115, InternationalCuisine, 8a.m-10p.m daily, All Major CreditCardsNatures Grill, 138 Court street, 718-852,5100, Gourmet Health food, Mon-Fri10a.m-11 p.m, Sat 9 a.m, Sun 9 a.m- 9 p.m,All Major Cards, naturesgrillcafe.comPalmyra, 316 Court street, 718-797-1110, Mediterranean, 11a.m- 11 p.m daily,Visa MastercardLing Ling Young, 508 Henry Street,260-9095, Chinese, eat in or take out. All cards.Frankies 457, 457 Court Street, Italian,718 403-0033, cashPage 14 Red Hook Star-Revue December 1-15, 2011

Star-Revue ClassifiedsHelp WantedFreelance Writers: The Red Hook Star-Revue islooking for freelance writers for both the arts andnews sections. We want to buttress our news as wellas local theater and arts coverage. Email George@redhookstar.comFacility Manager Wanted Boiler, Plumbing, Carpentry,Electric, ceramic, plastering, painting desirable.Must be able to supervise a staff of 5. Fax ResumeAttn: Lisa Baptiste to 718-243-2253 or email to lisa.baptiste@shindamgmtcorp.comTAG SALEGate Sale Place: 30th Street, 4th & 5th AvenuesDate: Saturday, November 5th, 2011 Time: 10AM – 4 PM Brick a brack Clothes/Shoes Dishes/Glasses Gadgets Home furnishings Come andbring a friendNeighborhoodServicesClasses/WorkshopsGlass Art of Brooklyn www.ernestporcelli.com 718-596-4353 Glass Fusing Workshop every WednesdayEvening 7 -9 Beginners to Advanced Studentswelcome. Maximum 6 students per class. Classesare ongoing. Monthly fee $175, includes most materials,and firings.Photo DigitizingNeed your old family photos scanned, re-touchedand archived? Want your VHS tapes and homemovies transferred to DVD? Would you like to digitizeall your music CDs so you can get rid of the olddiscs? I’m a local mom with editing and archivingexpertise and I’m available to HELP YOU! Sheilasavage75@gmail.com646-591-5620.Real Estate Classified ads are $8 per listingper month. Neighborhood Services are $10 permonth or $100 the year. Display classifieds arealso available. Call Matt for details, 718 624-5568. You may email your ads, or drop them inthe mail. Ads@RedHookStar.com; 101 UnionStreet, Brooklyn, NY 11231 All other line adsare $5 per listing per month.Ads for Tag Sales and Babysitters arefree!Licensed Electrical ContractorsCommercial • Residential • IndustrialFree EstimatesViolations RemovedAll Types of WiringEmergency Service137 King StreetBrooklyn, NY 11231Fax: (718) 935-0887EMERGENCYSERVICEVito Liotine(718) 625-1995(718) 625-0867aliotine@aol.comImmacolata GiocoliLic. Real Estate Salesperson917 569-9881igiocoli@elliman.comNo job too big or too smallToilets, Boilers, Heating, Faucets,Hot Water Heaters, Pool Heaters.B & D Heating507 Court Street 718 625-1396Roseanne DegliuominiLic. Real Estate Salesperson718 710-1844rdegliuomini@elleman.comDouglas Elliman Real Estate189 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201Office: 718 935-6152 Cell. 718 710-1844www.prudentialelliman.comR & R RealtyR&R Realty – The Brooklyn AdvantageWhen looking for Brooklyn commercial or residential real estate, you need expert advice. Brooklyn hasbecome New York’s art hub – home to musicians, artists and a host of emerging galleries. R&R hasover 25 years specialized experience in the ever-growing and exciting landscape of Brooklyn. Whetheryou are seeking the best fit to house your business or looking to live in the next New York hotspot, R&RRealty is there with the answers you need. R&R can also handle all of your building management needs.Property Management of Commercial/Residential Rentals Music/Art Studio Spaces386 Third Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215Phone: (718) 858-5555 Fax: (718) 858-5838Website: www.2rrealty.comSpoil yourself ina fresh and modernsalon. Expertin color, chemicalservice andorganic productsfor all types of hair.Customized cuts foryour lifestyle andpersonality.Walk-ins welcome.Open Tuesday - Friday 11 - 8,Saturday 10:30 - 6.352 Van Brunt Street 718 935-0596December 1-15, 2011Red Hook Star-Revue Page 15

Things To Do DEC 1 - 15If you have an event you would likelisted in the Red Hook Star-Revuecalendar, please email redhookstarcalendar@gmail.com.CHILDRENKentler International Drawing Space—353Van Brunt St. (718) 875-2098, kentlergallery.orgKentler’s Drawing Together program. Free weekendart workshops for families. 12/4 at 10-11:30am.Please register in advance to sallie@kentlergallery.org.CLASSES/WORKSHOPSYoga with Anna Mumford---www.annamumford.com. Saturdays 10-11:15am at the Dance TheaterEtc space above Fairway, $10 suggested donation.Wednesdays 10-11am at the Red Hook Rec Center,free.COMEDYLittlefield—622 Degraw St., littlefieldnyc.com. HotTub with Kurt and Kristen, 12/5 at 7:30pm, $5-8,12/12 at 7:30pm.Union Hall---702 Union Street, unionhallny.com.Pretty Good Friends, 12/4 at 7:30pm, $7, Heart ofDarkness hosted by Greg Barris, 12/9 at 8pm.EXHIBITIONS490 Atlantic---490 Atlantic Ave. Kevin Sutton,Paintings on paper. 12/3 until 12/22. Reception:12/3, 6-8pm.Dustin Yellin Studio---133 Imlay street, dustinyellin.com.Solo show by Brian Wondergem. “Withthe use of elements such as door frames, stairs,studs, and lights, Wondergem questions the moderninterior, transforming the familiar into somethingmysterious. Using mirrors and repetition, one workencompasses the interior gallery space creating asite-specific zone.”Everbrite Mercantile Co.---351 Van Brunt St, ebmerc.comET/PER/SE/AND. “ET/PER/SE/AND isthe chairman of the alchemical media departmentof New Human Dreamtime International, (N.H.D.I.)a global conglomerate of high frequency media corporationslocated within the lush peaks and valleysof Sir Wilhelm’s wild grey coif. As chair of the board,his goal is to transmute the abundance of low frequencyold media trash into a visceral and goldenmelange of high frequency eduascenciontainment.”On view until 12/4.Kentler International Drawing Space—353 VanBrunt St. (718) 875-2098, kentlergallery.org. Twenty-oneartists from The Kentler Flatfiles. On viewuntil 12/18.Look North Inuit Art Gallery—275 Conover Street,Suite 4E, (347) 721-3995, looknorthny.com. PolarLight: Greenland. The Greenland photography of RenaBass Forman and the Greenland drawings of ZariaForman. A climate change awareness exhibition heldin conjunction with Al Gore’s ‘The Climate Project’.Gallery Small New York---416 Van Brunt, smallnewyork.com.The Flora and Fauna of New York.Berger, Brady, McCann. On view until 12/17.FILMProteus Gowanus---543 Union St., proteusgowanus.org.Films of Animal Migrations. In the secondevening of our Migration Film series, a series ofshort documentaries will reveal the travels of ourfeathered friends and aquatic allies. 12/6 at 8pm, $5.FOOD/DRINKBotta di Vino—357 Van Brunt St., (347) 689-3664.Friday night candle light blind tasting. “Discuss whatyou smell, taste and feel with your own palate. agroup forum for wanna be wine geeks” Admissionrequires one purchase.Dry Dock Wine + Spirits---424 Van Brunt St., (718)852-3625, drydockny.com. “Hooker’s Choice Day”,every Sunday. whiskey wonderland - high west,12/3 at 4-7pm, whiskey wonderland - maker’s mark,12/4 at 2-5pm, veni vidi bibi! 12/8 at 6-9pm, ayalachampagne, 12/9 at 5:30-8:30pm, wines for the holidays,12/10 at 4-7pm, whiskey wonderland, bulleit,12/11 at 2-5pm, whiskey wonderland - knob creek,12/15 at 5:30-8:30, red, white & green with jennyand francois, 12/16 at 4-7pm, stroll gin lane, 12/17at 2-5pm.MikNic Lounge---200 Columbia Street 917-770-1984. Grand Opening on December 1 for “Rebel!Rebel!” (Gay Night) every First & Third Thursday, 9pm-2 am. Cheap beer, $6 well drinks, friendly crowd.ReceptionsBrooklyn Collective---212 Union St., brooklyncollective.com.Holiday soiree. Please join us as wetoast the holidays and celebrate over 40 new collectionsby local artists and deisgners. Friday Complimentarycocktails will be served throughout theevening. 12/9 at 6-10pm.Dance Theatre Etcetera---480 Van Brunt St. A RedHook Holiday, hosted by the Red Hook non-profitcommunity. Featuring good friends, food, drink, andspecial performances. 12/9 at 5-8pm, free admission.RSVP: Jon@DTEC.org.MUSEUMMicro Museum—123 Smith Street, micromuseum.com. Above and Beyond, a three-year retrospectiveof the art of William and Kathleen Laziza, every Saturdayfrom 12-7pm, refreshments from 5-7pm, $2per person.The Waterfront Museum---Lehigh Valley BargeNo.79, 290 Conover Street. www.waterfrontmuseum.org.Free boat tours & open hours Thursdays4 - 8 pm and Saturdays 1 - 5 pm in Red Hook. Note:Museum will be closed Dec 23 until the 31st.MUSICHope & Anchor—347 Van Brunt St., (718) 237-0276. Karaoke, Thursdays through Saturdays from9 pm-1 am.Bargemusic—Fulton Ferry Landing, 2 Old FultonSt., (718) 624-2083, bargemusic.org. Bargemix,12/3 at 8pm, masterworks series, 12/4 at 3pm, masterworksseries, 12/9 at 8pm, 12/10 at 8pm, 12/11at 3pm, bargemix series, 12/15 at 8pm, here andnow, 12/16 at 8pm, there and then, 12/17 at 8pm.All concerts $35, $30 senior, $15 student unlessotherwise specified.Bait & Tackle—320 Van Brunt St., (718) 797-4892,redhookbaitandtackle.com. Morgan O’Kane, 12/3at 9pm, Marcus Ricci, 12/9, Matt Parker and MaxJohnson, 12/11, Rayvon Browne, 12/16, Mike Cobband the Crevulators.The Bell House—149 7th St., (718) 643-6510,thebellhouseny.com. Farmers Marker WinterWarp Up, Naomi Shelton and the Gospel, Queens,Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, 12/7 at 7pm, $40,proceeds to farms devasted by hurricane irene,The Party Machine Holiday, 12/8 at 8pm, The 6thannual carnivorous nights taxidermy contest, 12/9at 8pm, THe SUzi Shelton Band’s Third AnnualRockin’ Holiday Party And Music Video Premier,12/11 at 11:30am, $10 adv $12dos, Rocket FromThe Tombs, Abstract Artimus, 12/12 at 9pm, $15,MNVC#59, rocket from the tombs, post party, 10m,free, Locksley, 12/15 at 7pm, Good Old War, 12/16at 8pm, $12 adv $14 dos.Jalopy Theatre and School of Music—315 ColumbiaSt., (718) 395-3214, jalopy.biz. Radio Jarocho,12/4 at 8pm, Patricio Hidalgo with radioJarocho, 12/4 at 9:39pm, hooklyn holler! 12/6 at8:30pm, Roots and Ruckus, 12/7 at 9pm, As YetQuintet, 12/8 at 9pm, Veveritse Brass Band, 12/8 at10:30pm, Blues Night featuring..., 12/9 at 9pm, TheSweetback Sisters Christmas Sing-Along, 12/11 at7pm, Tony Scherr Trio, 12/13 at 9pm, Roots andRuckus, 12/14 at 9pm, Joy Dragland, 12/15 at 9pm,rana Santacruz, 12/15 at 9pm.Littlefield—622 Degraw St., littlefieldnyc.com. HardLight presents White Hills, Pontiak, 12/10 at 9pm,$10, Winter party, 12.11 at 1pm, free, Todd Clouser’sA Love Electric Ft. Steven Bernstein, 12/13 at8pm, $10, No Office Holiday party, 12/15 at 7:30pm,$5.Union Street Star Theater. 101 Union Street.Weekly jams - Monday is acoustic and Thursdayelectric, bring your voice and instrument and havefun! No charge, from 7:30 - 11. Friday Dec. 17th,Annual Christmas Concert featuring The Other Side& Union plus more guests to be announced 6 pmUnion Hall---702 Union Street, unionhallny.com.Crazy since da 90s, 12/3 after the bands/free,Outside the box, 12/7 at 8:30pm, $7, Cory Branan,Dave Haus, Sad and French, 12/8 at 7:30pm, $8adv $10 dos, Secret formula presents Xmas PopSing-Along, 12/9 at 10pm, $8, Karaoke killed thecat, 12/9 at midnight, free, DJ Sintalentos, 12/10after the bands, free, Miss Tess CD Release Party,Anne Lynch & Michaela Anne, The Calamity Janes,12/11 at 7:30pm, Favorite Sons, Bird Dog, Car Onthe Moon, 12/14 at 8:30pm, $8, Cuddle Magic, TheMilkman’s Union, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, 12/15at 7:30pm, Dinosaur Feathers, 12/16 at 8pm, $8,Karaoke killed the cat, 12/16 at midnight, freeREADING & LITERARYEVENTSUnion Hall---702 Union Street, unionhallny.com.The Story Collider, “Reproduction”. “You’ve all hadthe talk with your parents about the bird and thebees and the test tubes. But there’s more. Join TheStory Collider December 12th for six stories of thescience of reproduction.”THEATERFalconworks, PS 15 auditorium, 71 Sullivan Street.Off the Hook, plays by young playwrights, two performances,Friday December 16th at 7 pm and SaturdayDecember 17th at 3 pm. Admission is free.Red Hook’s neighborhood wine & spirits store. Offeringoutstanding value and quality from smaller vintnersand distillers from around the world, including avast selection of wines priced under $12, and anoteworthy selection of hard-to-find craft distilledspirits, including over 100 whisk(e)y choices.DECEMBER HOURSMon.- Wed. noon - 9 pmThurs & Friday noon - 11 pmSaturdays 10 am - 11 pmSundays noon - 8 pmSave 10% dry dockafter six specialmon - wed from 6pm to closeGrab a 6-pack and fill it with yourfavorite wines and save 10% on yourpurchase. Or save 10% any time you buya case/12 bottles of wine.(Sorry wineonly, not applicable for spirits or sparkling)UPCOMING FREE TASTINGS:saturday, december 3:whisk(e)y wonderland –high west4:00-7:00, freeHigh West whiskey hailsfrom Utah, the statethat cast the decidingvote to repeal theVolstead act in 1933.Toast their contributionswith a sip oftheir tasty ryes andtheir 36th vote barrelaged manhattans.sunday, december 4:whisk(e)y wonderland –maker’s mark2:00-5:00, freeMaker’s Mark and Maker’sMark 46 will beon the bar for your perusal.Savor a taste ofthe old south.tastic Italian winesfor a special weeknighttasting.friday, december 9:ayala champagne5:30-8:30, freeNothing like a littlebit o’ the old bubbly,no? Discover Ayalachampagnes.saturday, december 10:wines for the holidays4:00-7:00, freeAmy will be pouringsome of our favoritesfrom PaumanokVineyardson Long Islandalong with ChateauBelingardfrom France’sBergerac region.sunday, december 11:whisk(e)y wonderland -bulleit2:00-5:00, freeWhen Augustus Bulleitbit the dust in 1860,the bourbon that he hadperfected also disappearedfrom his home ofNew Orleans along withhim. More than a centurylater in 1987, great,great-grandson, Tom Bulleitfulfilled a life-longdream of reviving thefamily business.Anchored in Red Hook on the way to Fairway & IKEAthursday, december 8:veni vidi bibi!6:00-9:00, freeOur friend Peter Maronewill be pouring fromhis portfolio of fanm-w12-9pm, th-fr 12-11pm sat 10-11pm, sun 12-8pm 424 van brunt st . brooklyn, ny 11231 718 852-3625. drydockny.comPage 16 Red Hook Star-Revue December 1-15, 2011