Hey, Neighbor! Pardon Me For Asking, But...

Oh, I know that you have been waiting for this all week: it's Friday and its time for the question of the week. I hope you will weigh in by leaving your comment. So here it is....

The question of the week!

Get set, ready, go!

Which is your favorite gourmet food store in the area?
Fairway, Trader Joe's, Sahadi, Garden Of Eden or .....?

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A Moment In Time: Best Friends

In a moment of pure joy,
she began to skip down the sidewalk,
trying to get her friend to do the same.

Superfund Gowanus: Friends And Residents Of Greater Gowanus (F.R.O.G.G.) Release Video

Dear Reader, I hope you will take a few minutes to view this incredibly well done and informative video on the proposed Superfund Site designation for the Gowanus Canal.
The members of 'Friends And Residents of Greater Gowanus', or F.R.O.G.G., urge you to support the designation.

Bravo!!!
Great job, Margaret, Marlene, Lisanne, Bette and Mike. I am proud of you!

Sign The Superfund Now! petition
Here

Please also go to Found In Brooklyn for further information

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Council Candidate Josh Skaller To Kick Off "SkallerThon" In Carroll Park

This just in from Josh Skaller's campaign:

Skaller Council Campaign Kicks Off Summer With "SkallerThon"

The Josh Skaller for City Council campaign will exercise its grassroots muscle this weekend by launching "SkallerThon." On Saturday, Josh Skaller will join supporters in a bike ride through the district, starting and ending in Carroll Park; meanwhile, over 40 volunteers will knock on more than 3,000 doors. The bike ride will start and end in Carroll Park, and will feature stops at several local events in route. Contact the campaign for a full itinerary. SkallerThon will highlight the grassroots nature of Josh Skaller's Council campaign. The Skaller campaign has over 200 volunteers and more donors than any other City Council campaign in Brooklyn. Skaller was the first candidate in the race to refuse money from lobbyists and developers. Josh Skaller, a community organizer, is past president of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, a field director of Democracy For New York City, and co-founder of Brooklyn for Barack. A Democrat, Skaller is running for the City Council in Brooklyn's 39th District, which includes all or parts of Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Boro Park and Cobble Hill. Public events such as debates and forums are only the tip of the iceberg. Press is invited to attend to get a sense of the true grassroots nature of the Skaller campaign.

HOSTED BY: Josh Skaller for City Council DATE: Saturday, May 30 TIME: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. LOCATION: Various locations in Carroll Gardens

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'Ting Hua' On Smith Street Closes ***Update: And Opens Again***

A few days ago, I received an email from reader Tamar, who wanted to know if I had noticed that Ting Hua, the Chinese restaurant at 351 Smith Street, between Carroll Street and Second Place, had closed late last week. That was news to me, so I walked by to check it out. Sure enough, the gate was rolled down during lunch time and has remained closed. A quick telephone call to the restaurant's number remained unanswered.
This place was hardly one of my favorites in the neighborhood. However, it has been a fixture on Smith Street for at least 10-12 years.
I asked the deli owner next door if he knew what had happened. He seemed as surprised as I was.
Does anyone have any info?

****UPDATE****

Sunday May 31st
A FOR RENT sign appeared on the storefront on Friday, but by Sunday, there were two people cleaning the take-out restaurant and there was a sign in the window that Ting Hua would re-open by Monday, June 1st.

Weird!

Related Reading:
Major Yuck Factor At Ting Hua On Smith Street


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A Moment In Time: Sitting And Waiting

Nothing could avert his eyes
from the glass door
at Mastellone's on Court Street,
not the loud siren of a police car,
not a group of loud school children.
No,
he was going to sit
and wait,
till his owner came out again.

The People In My Neighborhood: Louie "Balls"

Louie was standing in front of Joe's Superette at 349 Smith Street. The lunchtime rush was over and he was taking a break from making those delicious sandwiches for which Joe's Deli is famous.
"The kids sometimes call me Louie Balls" he told me.
I smiled.
Of course they would. Anyone who has ever eaten the delectable Prosciutto balls, or the rice and cheese balls which are the deli's specialties, would give Louie that nickname.

If you haven't had one yet, make sure to stop by. Louie will set you up with a few balls. And tell him Katia sent you!

More people in my neighborhood:

The People In My Neighborhood: Tony, The Carroll Gardens Bird Man

The People In My Neighborhood: The Stylish Lady


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Columbia Waterfront: Important Port Authority Meeting Tonight

I received the email below from fellow blogger Adam over on the Columbia Street waterfront. There is an important Port Authority meeting tonight that we should all know about. Read his email below.

There is another important issue regarding port pollution about which I have been attempting to raise awareness on my blog - aviewfromthehook.blogspot.com

I think it ties into the shared issues of livability and pollution in our neighborhoods.

Regarding this matter, there is an important meeting today at the Port Authority (last minute notice from them!) which will affect our neighborhood for at least the next 20 years. I have sent an email to alert people to this situation - perhaps you could link to it via my blog, where I have it posted.

Thanks for your work on these important matters,

From: aviewfromthehook.blogspot.com
A decision is being made at the Port Authority tomorrow in regard to the future of the Atlantic Basin and Pier 11 on the Red Hook Waterfront.

What is being proposed and decided upon tomorrow is essentially the expansion of the operations of the Red Hook Container Terminal, a stated goal of representatives of the NYC Economic Development Corporation.

This expansion is being proposed without any environmental impact study, nor promise to implement any pollution mitigating practices at the port. For example, "Cold Ironing", the hooking up of container ships to shore power when in port, allowing them to turn off their carcinogenic fume emitting engines.

This practice of Cold Ironing has been promised at the Cruise Ship terminal, with investments already committed by Carnival, who operate the cruise ships, and the Port authority, who control the land and terminal itself.

The only obstacle is getting a power rate which makes this practice viable for the ships. On this matter, a case was put to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to decide on whether they should mandate a tariff (rate of supplying power) to Con Edison, to make this happen. The PSC decided that this case was not able to be resolved by them, as the Port authority got its power from the New York Power Authority, and the decision on rates should be theirs.

To continue reading, click here



The matter of the Atlantic Basin and Pier 11 will be decided at the offices of the Port Authority, 15th Floor, 225 Park Ave South, NY.

There is a committee meeting with (it seems) the opportunity for public comment at 10:30am, and a board meeting, again with the possibility for public comment at 1:30pm. They are listed listed as "Update on New York Marine Terminals".



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Reader Comment Of The Day

Reader comment left on:
Last Night's CB6 Gowanus Superfund Meeting: The Pros Vs. The Amateurs

I was glad that Bob Zuckerman asked the city's reps what exactly they meant by their flogging of the vague term "powerful incentives" to get the potentially responsible parties to willfully - nay, happily - step up to the plate and pay a portion of cleanup costs. Of course, the answer was simply that they'd possibly have to pay less IF (and ONLY if) the city's multi-faceted plan came together without a hitch (including four years worth of the TOTAL funding for this kind of project nationwide). Nonsense. Why do I get the feeling that their little bag of tricks would also include tax breaks equal to or greater than the sum total ponied up by these PRPs?

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39th Council District Candidate Bob Zuckerman Endorses Gowanus Superfund

click image to enlarge

Just yesterday, State Senator Daniel Squadron came out in favor of a 'Superfund Site' designation for the Gowanus Canal.
Today, District 39 City Council Candidate Bob Zuckerman announced "his strong support" for the designation. That is great news.
Below is the official press release from Zuckerman's office.


CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE BOB ZUCKERMAN ENDORSES
SUPERFUND DESIGNATION FOR GOWANUS CANAL

Bob Zuckerman announced his strong support today for the nomination of the Gowanus Canal for the National Priorities List, otherwise known as Superfund. Zuckerman, the former Executive Director of the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation (GCCDC) and Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC), has long fought for the implementation of environmentally sound strategies to cleanup the Canal. The announcement of his support comes after careful deliberation of the issue and a recent letter from Zuckerman to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) (attached) seeking assurances of proper coordination among Federal, State and local authorities, the development of a timeline and benchmarks to ensure accountability and adequate funding to complete the enormous cleanup task.

"My priority is for the Gowanus Canal and its surrounding area to be cleaned up as quickly and efficiently as possible. After hearing the EPA's responses to the questions I raised in my letter and comparing the EPA's approach to the City's, I am confident that a Superfund designation will result in a more comprehensive and coordinated cleanup of the Canal." Zuckerman said. "As Chair of Community Board Six's Environmental Protection Committee and as a future City Council Member, I will work to ensure that the cleanup is adequately coordinated, fully funded and always undertaken with an understanding of the needs of the community. While I
fully support responsible mixed-use development and the re-zoning of the Gowanus Corridor, the environmental and health concerns of the community must be our number one priority"
Zuckerman's support comes following last night's special joint session of Community Board Six's Executive Committee and its Environmental Protection, Public Safety, and Permits and Licenses Committees. Zuckerman became Chair of the Environmental Protection Committee earlier this year. The presentation featured representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and from the City of New York.

"Being a leader is about not being afraid to take a position on controversial issues even if some of your friends and supporters disagree, and some of them do," said Zuckerman. "My decision-making process was careful and informed. After the concerns I raised to the E.P.A. were adequately addressed, I believed it was the right time to voice my support and to get to work on moving the project forward."


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This Saturday, Tag Sale To Benefit Summit Street Community Garden

Tag Sale To Benefit The
Summit Street Community Garden
Saturday, May 30 from 8:30 - 2:00-ish
Rain Date: Sunday, May 31st.
Location: Corner of Summit and Columbia Streets, Brooklyn

Check out the Summit Street Community Garden Tag Sale this Saturday.
It's a multi-family/neighbor tag sale. All proceeds go to benefit the Summit Street Community Garden.



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A Moment In Time: Playfulness

In a moment of pure playfulness on Court Street,
she pretended to be a child again
by sitting on the little bike
to make the children smile.

Last Night's CB6 Gowanus Superfund Meeting: The Pros Vs. The Amateurs

Walter Mugdan, US EPA Director of the Emergency and Remedial Response Division

Angela Carpenter, EPA

EPA Presentation

EPA Presentation

EPA Presentation

For New York City, Caswell Holloway,Chief of Staff for Deputy Mayor Schyler


Dan Walsh, Head of NYC Office Of Environmental Remediation

The City's Caswell Holloway, foreground, with Dan Walsh

City's Alternative Plan presentation

City's Alternative Plan presentation

After last night's Community Board 6's informational meeting, at which the Environmental Protection Agency and representatives of New York City proposed their different plans for a Gowanus Canal clean-up, CB'6 Chairman Bashner concluded by saying that "it was a pleasure to be sitting here watching the City and the EPA fight over who gets to clean the canal."

Yes, indeed, it was a pleasure, though the meeting confirmed once more that the EPA has a clear, well-thought out plan and the experience to clean the canal, and the city, frankly, is winging it. Whereas Walter Mugden of the U.S. EPA gave a thorough and clear presentation of why a clean-up is necessary and how his agency would proceed under Superfund, the City's presentation, given by Caswell Holloway, Chief of Staff for Deputy Mayor Schyler and Dan Walsh, Head of NYC's Office Of Environmental Remediation, seemed confusing, overly complicated and seemed to be a work in progress with many variables, held together with hopes and a prayer.

Water Mugden did such an excellent job that he outlined the difference of the two approaches rather thoroughly before Mr. Holloway even took the microphone. From the beginning, it was clear that Mr. Mugden had serious doubts about the viability of the city's plan. One thing is for sure: The Gowanus Canal is highly polluted and needs a thorough clean-up which involves not only dredging the bottom of the waterway, but also cleaning the surrounding land to make sure that contamination of the canal is stopped.

The EPA Plan

The EPA outlines that the following contaminants were found in very high concentration all along the length of the canal are:
*Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): up to 4.5% in the canal sediment *Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): up to 43 parts per million in canal sediment *Heavy Metals ( Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic and Zinc)
*Volatile Organic Compounds

These contaminants are the result of the canal's industrial history and stemmed from the former Manufactured Gas Plants, Coal yards, cement makers, paint and ink factories, oil factories as well as the city's sewer overflow.

The EPA proposed the inclusion of the Gowanus on its National Priority list which currently includes 1,264 sites, because the canal's downstream areas are used for fishing, recreation such as kayaking and canoeing, and because the area has been designated an 'Estuary Of National Significance' and because the area floods on a regular basis. Evaluating the risk of direct human contact with sediments and surface water, the EPA gave the Gowanus Canal a score of 50 out of a possible score of 100. The minimum score for eligibility to be included onto the list of Superfund Sites is 28.5.

The EPA is planning on working fully with The City of New York, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservancy and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. The EPA would address the FULL length of the canal and would evaluate and address onshore facilities that continue to leak hazardous contaminants into the canal. The agency estimates that 330,000 cubic yards of mud will have to be dredged from the canal. The cost will be in the hundreds of millions.

Funding will come from Potentially Responsible Parties Or PRP's, such as, in this case, National Grid, which is the biggest polluter along the Gowanus. But there are many others which will be identified by the EPA, which has extensive information gathering and enforcement authorities. For cleanup of sites for which no responsible parties can be identified, so-called 'orphaned' sites, the EPA uses its own funds from its annual budget.
It is highly unlikely that individual residential home owners will be held responsible, Walter Mugden stated. This happens" in almost no case."

CLEAN-UP of the canal WILL HAPPEN FIRST, litigation against the PRP's will come later.

The Superfund nomination will NOT DELAY the actions of New York City's $ 178 million project to rehabilitate the flushing tunnel and the pumping station as well as divert 1/3 of annual Combined Sewer Overflow away from the Gowanus Canal, an action that is required under a Consent Order with the NYS Department Of Environmental Conservancy.

The listing WILL NOT DELAY the rezoning of the Gowanus Area from manufacturing to residential. The EPA will continue to monitor and maintain the canal after the clean-up, and issue 5 year reports.


The City's Alternative Plan

Why the city is hell-bent on keeping the EPA out of the clean-up process, though the agency is the expert and the city has never undertaken a project of this magnitude is a puzzle. However, it became clearer rather quickly when Caswell Holloway mentioned Public Place, The Toll Brothers and development and the city's concern that these projects will be indefinitely delayed, within the first few minutes of his presentation. Holloway stated that the goal is that "those developments should go ahead as planned." He also mentioned that the Superfund designation "is making lenders nervous."

The city touts its plan as every bit as thorough at EPA's, but faster and more efficient. The process will be managed by the EPA, the same as under the Superfund. But the city's alternative would ask identified polluters, such as National Grid, to voluntarily step to the table and pay up, an approach that has rarely been used on sites like the Gowanus, where many Potentially Responsible Parties will be identified. According to the city, "the voluntary process is faster than the Superfund's adversarial process."

However, so far, no PRP's have stepped forward voluntarily to work with the city.

The city plans to work in close association with the Army Corps Of Engineers, who have studied the Gowanus canal for years. However, no representative of the Army Corp Of Engineers was present to confirm or talk about their involvement. As far as funding for the city's alternative, it relies on the inducement of a cleanup discount to the PRP's. This is possible (but not guaranteed) through a government program which allows some funds to be accessed by the Army Corp of Engineers to perform a cleanup and dredge of Federal navigable waterways. This proposal, in my view, adds significantly to the complexity of the project and is more likely to delay, rather than speed the process.

There was no mention of long-term monitoring after a clean-up.

Mr. Holloway also stated that the City has stopped the ULURP process for the rezoning of the Gowanus area from industrial to residential.

It was also stated that the 1/3 reduction of the Combined Sewer Owerflow by the City will be achieved by diverting the raw sewage into other bodies of water, NOT by finding a more permanent solution for managing the waste.

If the city fails with its alternative, Mr. Holloway seriously suggested that the city can then go back to the EPA to ask for the canal to be placed on the Superfund List. Which begs the question, why don't we go with the experts in the first place?

At one point during the meeting, a local residents sitting behind me murmured: " Does the City think we are stupid?" Indeed, after last nights presentation, it is amazing to thing that the city is gutsy enough to go against the science, know-how and experience of the EPA.

I say, Superfund Gowanus Now!

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State Senator Squadron Announces He Is FOR Gowanus Superfund Designation!

State Senator Daniel Squadron at last month's EPA Superfund meeting

Great News! Yesterday, State Senator Daniel Squadron announced that he is for the Gowanus Canal Superfund designation.

Daniel Squadron and his staff had hinted last week that the State Senator was about to issue a statement regarding the EPA's proposal to include the Gowanus Canal to its list of Superfund sites. After meeting with the city as well as with the EPA, the State Senator came to an informed conclusion. Here is his statement:

On April 8, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it had nominated the Gowanus Canal for consideration to be added to the National Priorities List (NPL), more commonly known as the Superfund list. If added to the NPL, the Gowanus would be entered into the EPA's cleanup program, which would include intensive study and analysis of the nature of the hazardous materials and pollutants within the canal, identification of the parties that have been responsible for the pollution, and a supervised cleanup.

Though the pressure to immediately announce a position on this issue was great, this is an enormously complex issue that cannot be decided based on headlines alone; the decisions we make now will have profound, long-ranging consequences for the local community and the effort to clean and revitalize the Gowanus. Given the gravity of such a designation, my staff and I have been working to fully understand the impact that Superfund designation would have for the canal, including the water, the silt and upland portions, and the health and welfare of the community. I investigated sites from around the country, evaluating where a Superfund designation has led to progress and where communities have succeeded with the Superfund Alternative Approach. I met and spoke with the relevant agencies, as well as Gowanus area residents, community organizations and Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs).

Over the course of these meetings, several parties indicated their belief that the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA) program, also administered and managed by the EPA, might better achieve a positive outcome. I have concluded that while the SAA has proven to be a useful alternative for sites where there are one or two PRPs, in the case of the Gowanus it is highly unlikely that all of the PRPs will be easily identifiable, or will voluntarily accept responsibility. I also am not convinced that the SAA will guarantee the same transparency, leverage and long-term comprehensive outcomes as the Superfund program. Of course, any scenario, including the SAA, that offered additional federal dollars while meeting the standards of Superfund would be ideal. However, the burden in ensuring that such an alternative would in fact match Superfund's benefits, and bring added value, is high.

For this reason and others, I support listing the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. Based on the conversations I have had and the commitments that have been made, I have concluded that listing the Canal on the NPL is the best strategy for achieving a comprehensive and timely cleanup of the canal and the sources of its contamination. Superfund designation would deliver appropriate oversight to the EPA, which has a unique ability to work with other levels of government, PRP's and the community to address a complicated site like the canal.

To continue reading statement, click here

Well done, Senator Squadron!

Let's hope that some of our other elected officials will finally come the fence or change their minds regarding the Superfund designation as well. How about it, Councilman De Blasio?


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A Moment In Time: Guarding The Door

Sitting right in the door of
a bar on Smith Street,
he stared at passers-by,
daring anyone to enter.

A Quiet Week-End In Carroll Gardens, Empty Streets And All

Pssst! I'll let you in on a little secret, dear Reader. It is actually a lot of fun spending a long week-end right in one's own neighborhood. None of the hassles of bumper-to-bumper traffic getting out of town, none of the frustrations of getting back in...

For those of you who escaped for Memorial Day week-end, let me say that it was so very nice and quiet here in Carroll Gardens. The streets were incredibly empty. Take a look at Smith Street above. Can you believe it? NO TRAFFIC and plenty of parking.

Maybe I shouldn't advertise it too much. You may get the idea of staying here yourself next year. And then, it would just be like any other week-end. But no matter where you were this Memorial Day, I hope had a great time!




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Tomorrow!!!!!! E.P.A. To Come Back To Gowanus Community To Answer Superfund Questions

Reminder
**************

The E.P.A. has been invited back to the community by C.B.6 to answer questions regarding the proposed Superfund Site designation for the Gowanus Canal. This will be the second time that the agency's representatives will address local residents. Last month, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke held a public information forum on the nomination. Since then, the City and our local officials have been hard at work coming up with an alternative plan to the Superfund designation. With little success, if one were to judge by the city's pitiful presentation of the alternative by Caswell Holloway, Chief of Staff for Deputy Mayor Schyler at this month's Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association meeting.

Just yesterday, CB6 sent out a notice that the agenda for the May 26th meeting has been revised and expanded to reflect that the City of New York will be attending as well.

This is the meeting notice from C.B.6

Presentation and discussion with representatives for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on a proposal to designate the Gowanus Canal and environs as a Superfund site, what a Superfund designation would mean for our community, learn more about the process used to make such a determination, and hear from representatives for the City of New York on the City’s plans to address Gowanus-related environmental conditions.

Superfund Informational Meeting

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
P.S. 32 Auditorium
317 Hoyt Street
(between Union & President Streets)

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Reserve Your Space At Carroll Park's Annual Flea Market

Reserve Your Space Now:
130 out of 150 spaces have already been reserved.
So get yours now!

Have you gotten your space yet for the Carroll Gardens Flea market. They are going fast. This is one of the funnest events in Carroll Park. It is both a way to empty those cluttered closets as well as a way to meet your neighbors.

Carroll Park Flea Market
Saturday, May 30st
10 Am- 5 Pm
Rain date- Sunday, May 31

To reserve a space, call 718 522-5259

$ 30.00 for a 10x10 foot space
$40.00 for a spot against the fence

Crafts,original art, toys, games, housewares,and more

All proceeds and donations support The Committee To Improve Carroll Park



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