Picture Of The Day: Frank's Luncheonette

Frank's Luncheonette, and a full moon at 5pm on Smith Street.

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Get Your Tickets To Smith Street Stage's Winter Wassail And Support Shakespeare In Carroll Park

Smith Street Stage, the brilliant theatre company that brings Shakespeare to Carroll Park ever summer, is hosting a Midwinter Wassail on December 3th at The Actors Fund, 160 Schermerhorn Street between Smith and Hoyt Street, Brooklyn.
Join Smith Street Stagefor their third annual fundraising 'extravaganza', which will help support all of  the company's  programming in the next year, including the free performances in Carroll Park.
The event will include live Music, cocktails and appetizers, dancing. Holiday photo booth and 2018 summer show announcements.

From Smith Street Stage:

"Come celebrate with us and know that your attendance and contribution to our Mid-Winter Wassail will help support all of our programming in the next year, including Shakespeare in Carroll Park, the Early Stages series for workshops and developing new work, and our ongoing development of Educational programs with community schools. Thank you for all your support over the years...now come raise a glass with us on December 3rd!"
General Admission $30 (Includes 2 Beer Tickets)
Smith Street Supporter $50 (Includes Open Bar)
Buy your tickets here.

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Dumonet Brooklyn: French "Haute Yet Hearty" Cuisine Coming To Former Red Rose Space On Smith Street

photo courtesy of Dumonet Brooklyn 

photo courtesy of Dumonet Brooklyn 

From Dumonet Brooklyn's Instagram account

When Red Rose, one of the last iconic family-owned restaurants in Carroll Gardens closed its doors at the end of September of this year, many in the neighborhood were heartbroken. After all, the Romano family had been serving classic Italian and Sicilian specialties at their eatery since 1983. Antonio Romano and his son Santo retired after closing Red Rose and have handed over the space at 315 Smith Street to Jean-Louis and Karen Dumonet, who are currently busy re-inventing it as Dumonet Brooklyn.

According to the web site for Dumonet Brooklyn, the  new restaurant will offer "elevated French bistro dining in the heart of Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens, featuring the best of American and French wines." No definite opening date has been announced, but it will be in early December.

Owner and Chef Jean-Louis previously opened Trois Jean Bistro, which he sold in 2000. He joined his mentor Jean-Louis Palladin at Palladin, at The Carlyle Hotel, and in 2003, opened "Dumonet at The Carlyle". Since 2008, Jean-Louis has been the Executive chef of the prestigious Union Club,  the oldest private Men’s social club in the US.

Chef Dumonet describes his cooking as "contemporary, haute yet hearty, with a focus on simplicity and letting the ingredients speak for themselves. With his talented touch, exciting flavors and texture nuances are constantly rediscovered."

Soyez les bienvenus à Carroll Gardens, Jean-Louis and Karen Dumonet.

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Families First: Celebrating A Long And Proud Tradition Of Supporting Neighborhood Parents And Their Children

Nanette De Cillis, Families First Art current teacher

Nora Geraghty, board member, with Executive Director Paula Heitman

Families First throughout the years. Do you recognize anyone?

(photos below courtesy of Families First)

 Former Executive Director Linda Blyer (right) with then-Program Associate Maria Pagano (left)

and Sophie (center) in the 1980's 

Some of the first Families First members at the center

For the past 38 years, Families First has been an amazing resource for parents and young children in Brownstone Brooklyn. As its name indicates, families and their well-being have always been at the heart of this wonderful non-profit membership organization.
Located at 250 Baltic Street in Cobble Hill, the center offers a drop-in play space stocked with toys,  inspiring art and music classes, and parenting workshops. Most importantly, it provides support groups for young parents and caregivers.
Founded as the Brooklyn Center for Family Life by two therapists in 1979, it was re-named “Families First” in 1983. At its core, the center's main principal has always been that the support of families is fundamental to the heathy development of children.

Linda Blyer, who served as Families First executive director from the early 1980's till 2007, explained that the center quickly became a 'home away from home' for many first time parents who had moved to the City and were raising their children away from their own families.

"The center became a place to go, to connect to others," she says. 

Along the way, long lasting friendships were formed here.  Nora Geraghty,  a current Families First board member,  was brought to Families First by her mother as a child. When she became a parent, she joined the center and brought her own children. To this day, she is in communication with the friend she made at Families First when she was little.

Current Executive Director Paula Heitman speaks of the 'small town feel' which Families First provides. She points out that this sense of 'belonging' extends to caretakers, who connect with each other at the center.

Years ago,  I brought my own children to Families First. It provided a safe, loving environment that chased away the sense of isolation I felt in those first months of being a young mom. I attended the parent skill classes, learned baby CPR, and I made life-long friends. 

Quite a number of for-profit national day care franchises have opened in Carroll Gardens and  Cobble Hill of late. They may all be flashier and glitzier, but cannot duplicate the community Families First has created over almost four decades. Besides, membership fees at the center remain a true bargain.

Families First is a real gem, something unique in our neighborhood, which we all need to support and cherish. Let us make sure that this resource continues to thrive for many more generations.

If you are expecting or have a newborn baby, please attend one of their open houses and see for yourself.

Follow Families First on Facebook here. For membership information, click here.
You can donate to ensure Families First future here.

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Picture Of The Day: Cobble Hill Beauty

One of my favorite homes on Henry Street.
A few years ago, it was still entirely covered in a white 1960s stucco coat. Luckily, it was lovingly restored.

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Don't Miss The "Eat Pie And Shop" Holiday Festival At PS 29 This Sunday

Now in its ninth year, the popular "Eat Pie and Shop" event organized by PS 29 is scheduled for this Sunday, December 3rd, 2017.  Take part in the pie contest, buy holiday presents from local artists and enjoy kids activities.  And the proceeds go to the P.T.A. of this neighborhood school. Doesn't get any better than this, does it?

From the organizers: 

"Pie Social: Taste delicious homemade and premium pies for $5 a slice or 5 for $20. Both sweet and salty options, so come for lunch and desert.
Celebrity-judged pie contest: Judges include Anne Burrell (Food Network and Phil & Anne’s Good Time Lounge), Gail Simmons (Top Chef) and Harold Dieterle, (winner of Top Chef season one). Anyone can enter by bringing a pie before 11am. Winners announced at 1:30.
Artisan Holiday Gift Fair: Take care of your holiday shopping while the kids do crafts. More than 30 of Brooklyn’s best artisans are selling their wares, including jewelry, clothing and beautiful paper products.
Children's Activities: Make holiday cards and other fun activities and enter a vote in the Kids Choice pie contest of kid baked pies. Your kids will have a blast!
Professional Portrait Studio: You can get a beautiful portrait of your child/children taken during the event. $30 for one high-resolution image which you can print, email, gift to grandparents, etc."

Eat Pie and Shop at Brooklyn’s PS29 

Sunday December 3, 11am - 4pm

425 Henry Street, between Baltic and Kane

www.eatpieandshop.org

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Support Local Artists And Designers At The Brooklyn Collective Holiday Gift Fair This Friday

There is no better time of year to support our local artists and designers than the Holiday season.
Brooklyn Collective at 212 Columbia Street is making it easy to choose unique, thoughtful gifts at their Holiday Gift Fair this Friday, December 1st, from 6 to 9 pm.
"Holiday shopping done right! Locally made, beautifully crafted, one of a kind gifts! Complimentary festive beverages while you shop! Over 30 collections by local artists and designers! Meet the makers behind our collections of Ceramics, Jewelry, clothing and accessory design, fine art, illustration, kids goods, Lighting and Home Design!"

Brooklyn Collective also host a number of wonderful Holiday workshops as part of their Studio School  to teach you how to make your very own meaningful hand-made gifts.
Sign up for Heirloom Advent Calendar Making this Tuesday evening, November 28th.
or Childrens Ornament and Card Making on December 3rd.
Registration  for the workshops is available in-store and by email to bklyncollective@hotmail.com

photo credit: Brooklyn Collective

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Gowanus Canal Superfund Clean-Up: Community Advisory Group To Meet This Tuesday, November 28

The Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group will be hosting its November general meeting on Tuesday, November 28h, 2017.  Find out the latest about the clean-up of our polluted waterway.
The Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 team responsible for overseeing the environmental remediation will be on hand to update the community on the latest.
New York City Department of Environmental Protection will also attend to address the two Combined Sewer Overflow Tanks and to give an update on the design for the 1st Street Turning Basin.
The meeting open to everyone.

Gowanus Canal CAG Meeting

Tuesday, November 28, 2017 @6:30pm

Mary Star of the Sea Senior Apartments, 41 1st Street, Brooklyn

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Happy Thanksgiving 2017, Neighbors!

Stopping at Monteleone's for cookies.

Here at Casa Kelly in Carroll Gardens, the turkey is in the refrigerator, the chestnuts for the stuffing have been roasted, and all the ingredients for the side dishes have been bought. I made a conscious effort to buy everything in our local neighborhood stores this year, from Sahadi's on Atlantic Avenue, to Stinky's on Smith Street, where I ordered my turkey,  to K&Y greengrocer on Court Street, and lastly, for cookies at Monteleone's. (Thank goodness for my little red shopping cart and a patient husband, who helped to carry everything home. All I need to do now is to clean the house and get ready for our guests tomorrow.

I would like to wish all of you a very special Thanksgiving 2017. If you are heading out of town, safe travels. Enjoy family and friends and remember to check back here early next week for more news and photos of our beautiful little neighborhood.
I am thankful to all my wonderful readers and neighbors. Thanks for all your encouragement and engagement throughout the year.

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Picture Of The Day: President Street

Lovely landmarked President Street block, between Smith and Hoyt Streets.

Carroll Gardens sure is beautiful, isn't it?

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Community Activists Fight To Save Historic Gowanus Station Building On Butler Street From Potential Demolition

You may remember that in June of 2016, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized an agreement with the City of New York that secures the design of the larger of two combined sewage and storm water overflow (CSO) retention tanks, mandated by the Federal Agency as part of Gowanus Canal Superfund cleanup.

The agreement allows New York City to locate an 8 million gallon retention tank in New York City’s preferred location, known as the “Head-of-Canal” location. It also stipulates that the EPA can require New York City to place the tank at the EPA preferred Thomas Greene Park location instead "if certain activities do not occur on schedule, including if New York City is not able to acquire the land at the Head-of-Canal location within approximately four years."

The City's plan relies on the taking of two privately owned sites, 234 Butler Street and 242 Nevins Street, by eminent domain. A third site, 270 Nevins Street will also be seized and then leased by the City for staging purposes.

An application submitted by New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) for the acquisition of these three privately-owned parcels needed for the Gowanus CSO Facility is currently moving through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process.

The next step in the ULURP proceeding is a public hearing in front of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on November 27, 2017.

Community Board 6 as already held a public hearing and voted to support the eminent domain action. The Board however, asked DEP to "consider an alternative design to save the historic structure" on the parcel at 234 Butler Street.

Indeed, the charming brick building on that site is the historic City of New York Water Supply Gowanus Distribution Station, which is beloved by many in the area. 

So far, DEP has not agreed to save the structure under its current plan to build a Combined Sewer Overflow tank at the head of the Gowanus Canal. This prompted Olivia Brazee, the Historic Site Restoration Coordinator for New York State Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation, to write a letter to EPA, in which she stated:

"To destroy this intact, architecturally distinctive example of Brooklyn’s civic and industrial heritage would be a disservice to the Gowanus neighborhood and to the city as a whole."

A group of Gowanus activists are echoing this sentiment and have released the following statement.

November 16, 2017

A group of Brooklyn residents called on Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams today to stop

the proposed demolition of the historic Gowanus Station building. The City Department of Environmental Protection's current plan to build a Combined Sewer Overflow tank at the head of the Gowanus Canal calls fordemolition of the historic structure at the corner of Butler and Nevins Streets. Residents seek to prevent the unnecessary demolition of an iconic building imbued with neighborhood character.

"This magnificent building is over 100 years old," said Linda Mariano of Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus. "Its design and sculptural elements tie directly into the history of the Gowanus neighborhood's relationship with water. It can and should be saved."

While the residents support the DEP effort to build a CSO tank as part of the EPA's Gowanus Canal superfund cleanup, they do not see that the Gowanus Station building needs to be demolished to build the tank. TheGowanus Station structure occupies a very small corner of the larger planned site and could be incorporated into the overall site design.

"We're calling on the Borough President to do the right thing -," said Peter Reich, a long time Gowanus resident. "I can accept the necessity of an 8 million gallon CSO tank being buried next door, but NOT at the expense of this irreplaceable Architectural landmark. Preservation and progress can easily coexist on that corner!”

The Borough President will hold a public hearing on November 27th regarding the DEP proposal.

Finally, the concerned residents noted that the State Historic Preservation Office called on the EPA to preserve the building in an October 19, 2017 letter to EPA project manager Christos Tsiamis:

"Based on our review of the project details to date, it appears feasible to retain and incorporate the historic former Gowanus Station building (234 Butler Street) into the project. This building, which has a prominent street presence at the corner (and very edge of) the city’s preferred site, has overarching significance for the National Register eligible Gowanus Historic District. Its demolition would adversely affect both the building and the National Register eligible Gowanus Canal Historic District. To destroy this intact, architecturally distinctive example of Brooklyn’s civic and industrial heritage would be a disservice to the Gowanus neighborhood and to the city as a whole."

"This unique building should be incorporated into the tank site design," said Gowanus resident Brad Vogel. "We all want distinctive neighborhoods: here is a chance for the Borough President to help us achieve that in Gowanus by refusing to sign off on a site design that calls for demolition."

The Gowanus residents also have the backing of a citywide preservation group.

“This building, with its terra cotta and brick facade is the only building in the Gowanus neighborhood that bears the neighborhood's name in masonry: Gowanus,” said Kelly Carroll of the Historic Districts Council. “Losing this edifice because of a lack of a creative alternative will reflect poorly on all parties involved and will be a serious loss to the built environment of this historic, industrial neighborhood.”

I urge everyone to make an effort to attend the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure Public Hearing related to the NYC DEP Proposal to voice your opinion on this matter.

Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams

November 27, 2017, 6:00 PM 

Community Room of Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street

And if you can't attend, please consider sending an email to help preserve this iconic part of the Gowanus neighborhood today:
1. Open a new email. Put in following subject line: Prevent Demolition of Gowanus Station
2. To: askeric@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
CC: rbearak@brooklynbp.nyc.gov; brad.vogel@gmail.com; loney.natalie@epa.gov
3. Drop in following text:

Dear Brooklyn Borough President,

In advance of the hearing on Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. at Borough Hall, I would like to note for the record that I strongly oppose demolition of the historic Gowanus Station Building at Butler and Nevins Streets. Please refuse to approve the DEP CSO Tank proposal unless it is changed to expressly incorporate the preservation of Gowanus Station. While the CB 6 ULURP review finding did not make preservation of the building a true condition to approval, I am asking you to help us save this building that is part of Gowanus - and Brooklyn - neighborhood identity in a meaningful way. The building constitutes a very small portion of the overall site and can be accommodated.

Respectfully,

4. Add your name and street address and send the email.

Thank you!

See, it's really easy.

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At Last Night's Town Hall, EPA And Congresswoman Velázquez Update Community On Gowanus Canal Superfund

On Thursday evening at the Wyckoff Gardens Community Center

Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez

Peter Lopez, EPA Regional Administrator

EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Natalie Loney

Gowanus: From tidal

Walter Mugdan, Director of the Emergency and Remedial Response Division 

for the EPA's region 2 office 

Christos Tsiamis EPA Remedial Project Manager for the Gowanus Canal Superfund

Last night, the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) hosted a town hall meeting on the Environmental Protection Agency 's $506 million Superfund clean-up of the 1.8 mile toxic canal. Representatives from EPA Region 2 were on hand to give the public an overview and an update on the environmental remediation and to answer questions from the public.

The key note speaker was Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, who was one of the first elected officials to support the designation of the Gowanus Canal to EPA's list of most toxic sites in the country in 2010, despite pressure from other electeds, including then-mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"I remember getting calls and letters under the door to my house telling me that if I proceeded to support the Superfund nomination for the Gowanus Canal, I would pay the consequences because it would bring the real estate value around the canal down," she recounted "Really?" she told the people in the audience, who broke out in laughter.

To Mayor Bloomberg's request not to support the nomination, she response was:
"Your Honor, in all due respect, I am not a scientist. I am an elected official. I will wait for the scientists to let me know what is the best way to clean-up and restore the canal." Last night, she told those in attendance: "The rest is history."

"I am so proud. Not only has this been a community driven process, but the EPA has been on the forefront of this process. One of the first actions taken by the EPA was to form the Gowanus CAG, which has been meeting monthly for so many years now."

Addressing Washington's new administration, she reassured local residents. "I know that you were concerned when President Trump sent the EPA budget to us. As we all know, the President proposes;  for that is his duty. but it is our privilege as members of Congress to dispose of the budget. When they cut the Superfund program by $360 million, we restored the funding. In 2017, the budget for the program was $1.08 billion. We are on track this year to approve a similar amount, or even slightly higher for 2018. No one should be concerned that the Superfund program will not have the money to continue this work."

The Congresswoman mentioned that she will call on the EPA to create a Superfund job training program so that "we can train able-bodied residents from this area so that they can reap the rewards of the economic activity that is going to happen here."
"We are cleaning up the canal the right way, in a manner respectful to the community's needs," she concluded. "I want to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to the members of the CAG and to everyone in the community for being active participants throughout this process."

Velázquez then introduced Peter Lopez, the new EPA Region 2 Administrator, who echoed the Congresswoman by saying that commitment and engagement by local residents is vitally important.
He also took the time to acknowledge "the very capable team" responsible for the clean-up and to "thank the professionals who have been working here."

He called Walter Mugdan, Region 2's Superfund Director, a Renaissance man. "What I value most in Walter is his heart, his compassion and his commitment. I am very glad to have him as an ally and to help me understand this project more fully."

He also acknowledged Christos Tsiamis, the Gowanus Canal Superfund project manager: "He is hands on, very dedicated, and relentless in his pursuit in making this canal a shining star for the community."

Lopez also gave a shout out to Brian Carr, the team's legal council and to the project's Community Involvement Coordinator, Natalie Loney.

He concluded: "I would like to thank you on behalf of the EPA. We are committee to serve you. want this community safe, we want people to have a quality of life. They say that without vision, people perish. What I see in this room is tremendous vision and tremendous energy. We want to work towards this vision."

Natalie Loney gave a brief presentation on the history of the canal from Gowanus creek in new Amsterdam to a man-made waterway in the mid-1800s, which served as a major industrial transportation route, to its current status as a Superfund site.
For decades, three Brooklyn Union Gas Manufactured gas plants (MGP), paper mills, tanneries and chemical plants, which once operated along the Canal, discharged wastes into it. The resulting sludge at the bottom of the canal contains high levels of contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metals, including mercury, lead and copper. In addition, contamination flows into the Canal by way of New York City's Combined Sewer system, which discharges sanitary waste from homes and rainwater from storm drains.

(You can access a similar presentation given by Natalie a few years ago at TEDxGowanus conference.)

Walter Mugdan then spoke on the environmental remedy laid out in the Record Of Decision (ROD), which was signed in 2013. He also updated the community on what has been accomplished, what the next steps are and, most importantly, the timetable.

Currently, the EPA is about to begin a dredging and capping pilot study at the 4th Street basin, across from Whole Foods.  Future steps will include the restoration of the First Street Basin, construction of a cut-off wall on the eastern side of the canal from the Head of the Canal to the Union Street Bridge, the clean-up of the former Fulton MGP site under Thomas Greene Park, as well as the construction of  two CSO tanks by the City of New York to capture 'the first flush' of sewage and rainwater during rain events keep it from discharging into the Canal until it can slowly be pumped to the wastewater treatment plants after the storm.

Dredging along the length of the Canal will begin by 2020. Work will continue sequentially along the canal in three sections, starting at the Norther end.

"I want to stress that this is an unbelievably complicated project," Mugdan told residents. "Problems will arise, but we have a top notch team working on this project."

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