Posts under ‘General News’

BK Southie is a great blog that sprouted up last May and promises to talk “South Brooklyn” Back For The Good Guys.

I don’t know why I have to be such a stickler.

But it is such a common mistake I have to say something.

“South Brooklyn” is an area of Brooklyn close to downtown.

It is called this because it was south of the original (and quite small) city of Brooklyn. It includes Red Hook, Gowanus, Cobble Hill etc.

Mill Basin, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach etc. are in southern Brooklyn.

Check it out.

http://www.bksouthie.com/

After Saturday-Sunday’s big snow storm hit Gerritsen Beach, folks are getting back to their routines as best they can. While the our streets are relatively cleared up , hundreds of flights have been delayed or cancelled, thanks to snow dumped at airports—14 inches at JFK, 11 inches at Newark and 9 inches at Laguardia.

NYC Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty was pleased with his department’s cleanup efforts, “It wasn’t as bad as we expected. We were talking 14 to 16 inches. … We thought it would be worse.” Well, it was worse elsewhere: There was record snowfall on Long Island—Upton, NY (where there is a National Weather Service center) got 26.3 inches—and residents and business are still digging themselves out. (There have been quite a few car accidents there.)

Olga Marshal took care of the flower gardens along Gerritsen Avenue in and around many of the bus stops.

Hello,

My aunt, Olga Marshall, passed away yesterday after a 18 month courageous and aggressive battle with brain cancer. Optimistic in the face of a great and deadly adversity, Olga fought back with alternative treatments and refused to give up hope to the end. During her last 18 months, she lived to see the birth and first year of her twin grandchildren, watch her oldest grandson attend kindergarten, celebrate her brother’s 65th birthday party, gather with relatives and friends at one of her favorite events, the Peddler’s Village Apple Festival, and preside over the making of another batch of homemade perogie for our family’s Russian Christmas celebration. All the while, she fought back and continued therapy to try and regain some of the lost mobility her brain surgery had left her with. And all the while, she remained as caring and giving to others as she had been her whole life – providing an eager ear to listen to the life stories of complete strangers, mixing up batches of homemade remedies for every type of ailment anyone had under the sun, and espousing the virtues and miracles of Elderberry to all who would listen.

She had an amazing support system; her husband John, who cared for her many months at home; son Gregory who became the foremost expert in brain cancer and all possible alternative treatments, questioned and challenged all health care professionals to make sure she was receiving the best care possible and was relentless in keeping her spirits and hopes up; daughter Karin who handled many difficult logistics of care and finances and whose family provided her with the blessing of little childrens’ pureness of heart and ignorance of all other difficult adult things; her friend and caretaker Franca who was like an angel sent to watch over her and care for her, and her brother John and sister-in-law Lilette who supplied her with her favorite foods, caring conversation and enduring love.

Olga was a fixture of Gerritsen Beach – any who have lived here knew her, if not by name, by sight, seeing her plant gardens around the bus shelters or taking in lost animals as her own (even those most wouldn’t touch such as hedgehogs and possums). She worked with GB Cares to better the neighborhood. And she was so creative. She had a shop on Gerritsen Avenue right next to Big Al’s and Leo’s back in the day, and it showcased her amazing talent in creating beautiful things – baskets and soaps and candles and wreaths…it made you smile just to walk in.

Aunt Olga enjoyed life like few of us seem to have the time to do these days – she enjoyed little moments, drank in details, savored foods as if every meal was the first thing she had ever eaten. When she graced you with her conversation, she made you feel like you were a hero, the most amazing person alive no matter what task you did however small. “Wooooww, that’s incredible, no really, there are not many people out there like that – I could never do what you did,” would be the general jist of the conversation. And though that may sound exaggerated, she delivered that with the utmost sincerity and belief that you really were that marvelous, until you walked away realizing she made you feel that way for something like dropping off a neighbor’s mail or something.

My aunt loved this neighborhood, the people in it, the stories they had. She was eccentric and quirky, generous and loving, interesting and one-of-a-kind. There will never be another like her.

I’d like to make a suggestion that the gardens along Gerritsen Beach be named after her with a plaque or some type of tribute. And I ask you to pass this on to any who might have known her.

Thank you,
Lori Smerechniak Woodcock
formerly of Gerritsen Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

On Tuesday, Sheepshead Bites and GerritsenBeach.net sponsored the first blog-hosted political debate in New York City, rounding up candidates for the 46th City Council District. The debate featured incumbent Lew Fidler (D), Gene Berardelli (R), and Derek Sacerdote (L) with Gerritsen Beach Property Owners Association President George Broadhead serving as moderator. The 46th District covers the neighborhoods of Bergen Beach, Canarsie, Georgetowne, Starrett City, Flatlands, Futurama, Marine Park, Mill Basin, Mill Island, Gerritsen Beach, Madison and Sheepshead Bay.

A feisty debate, the candidates wrangled over special interest groups, term limits, making New York City affordable, transit issues, and more. And yes, we got to see a taste of that nastiness, as allegations of antisemitism flared once more.

Questions for the debate were compiled from readers of both Sheepshead Bites and GerritsenBeach.net, as well as from local leaders on the Community Board and civic associations, and local news outlets. Moderator George Broadhead had the final say in determining questions.

People keep asking us: who won the debate? Well, we don’t want to become horse-race commentators. Instead, we’ll let you do that! But we will say we thought all the candidates expressed themselves well, and gave us a good idea on where they stand with a variety of issues. After the debate, we certainly felt like we had a better idea of their individual viewpoints, and each candidate held their own.

We want to once again thank all of our participants, and our moderator, who were patient and accommodating towards helping us put together this event. We’d also like to thank Baron DeKalb-Knights of Columbus, who supplied space, and Joe Mikos, who handled the video.

Check out the video and hear where your potential councilman stands on issues important to the city and our little nook, then let us know below what you thought of their responses!

Download Full Video – Warning 2GB – WMV Video File

Greetings:

Please respond to Hubbardconcert@aol.com, Jollyconcert@aol.com, or Sidestepconcert@aol.com; to express your interest in attending their Monuments in the Desert concert on Sunday, July 26, 2009. The correct time for the concert is likely to be between 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The venue will be in Manhattan. The venue will be conclusively determined within the next week pending confirmation of all indications that the current venue will not be big enough to accommodate all those interested in attending. The price of a ticket to the general admission event is $40.00. The concert will include a set by each artist or group and a finale as a fourth set. Each of the artists wants to insure that there are enough tickets available for friends from their youth in addition to current family and fan base. Kindly respond to one of the email addresses above to indicate your interest in attending the concert. Please provide your name, address , phone number, and the number of tickets you are likely to purchase. The actual tickets will be printed when the venue is selected. Time is of the essence…Please respond as soon as you can.

Jim Hubbard is an accomplished musician, singer, and songwriter who regularly performs in Honolulu. Jim’s music is a synthesis of the rock and folk music that influenced his growing up in the Gerritsen Beach area of Brooklyn. Jim received the Hawaii Music Award for Most Popular Folk Music Artist in 1999 after the release of his CD called “The Window of Innocence”. He was a nominee for the Hoku award after the release of his third album, “Noisy Dreams” in 2001. His most recent CD, “It Never Ends” is a collection of stories that have been written over a six year period. “It Never Ends” was composed while Jim was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy as he fought cancer after undergoing surgery. Jim calls “It Never Ends” a triumphant celebration of music and a new personal beginning. You can learn more about Jim Hubbard by visiting his website: www.jimhubbardband.com.

Jeff Jolly grew up on a dead end street in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn. Jeff wrote his first song, “You Can’t Play The Blues On A Banjo after Santa brought him a banjo, his first instrument, when he was nine years old. Jeff attributes his inspiration to create, play, and share his music to the20joy his sister and grandmothe brought to family members while they sang that Christmas at the piano. Jeff bought his first guitar a week after he ventured into Manhattan to see2 0Neil Young play live for the first time. As his talent for the playing flourished his friends wo uld bring “the Bible” over to his house so they could sing while Jeff played for them. “The Bible” was a compilation of lyrics and musical scores from compositions by Bob Dylan. In 1994 The Jeff Jolly Band released “The Runner”, its first CD, while the band was in San Francisco. “The Runner” received critical acclaim from the trade publications and was played over the airwaves of several California radio stations. Jeff’s third CD, “Jeff Jolly Live” was recorded in Paris, France. Jeff’s band played before 60,000 people in 2007 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park where the city celebrated the 40th anniversary of “The Summer of Love”. Jeff Jolly has opened for artists that have included David Crosby, Edgar Winter, Bad Company, Little Feat, George Thorogood and Elvin Bishop. More about Jeff Jolly can be found at
http:// jeffjolly.net/bio.html.

Ken Lovelett creates, builds, and plays his own unique percussion and sound instruments. He is co-owner and producer of Sonart Recording Studio which is located just outside of Woodstock, New York. As a member of Sidestep Ken has collaborated together with Vincent Pasternak and Barbara Tr uex over a lifetime. Ken ’s percussion can by heard on works that include The Ghost of Tom Joad (Bruce Sprinstein and Pete Seeger) and Green Sparrow (Mike Gordon from “Phish”). Ken has& nbs p;appeared on records or in live performances for artists and groups that have included James Taylor, David Bromberg, John Wesley Harding, Karl Berger, Joe Beck, Warren Bernhardt, Lou Soloff, Livingston Taylor, REM, and The Memphis Symphony Orchestra. You can learn more about Ken’s work by visiting www.americanpercussion.com.

Barbara Truex plays dulcimer, baritone and banjo ukuleles, guitar, and percussion. She is nationally recognized for her innovative use of dulcimer in genres that include jazz, pop, and free improvisation. Barbara has been part of Sidestep for several decades and has collaborated with both Vincent Pasternak and Ken Lovelett over that time. She currently performs with groups that include Loopin’ and The Maine Squeeze while serving as the resident member Sound Designer for The Mad Horse Theatre Company. Barbara recently composed an original score for Waiting for a Window, a for radio play that won the prestigious Gold Ogle Award.

Vincent “Phil” Pasternak is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and session musician who has had a long career playing and/or p roducing sessions for hundreds=2 0of radio and television commercials as well as albums of every stripe and flavor: folk, blues, jazz, rock & roll, Americana, classical, religious, spoken word, a children’s record, and last but not least, an impossible to find 45RPM cult favorite by The Clams that pays homage to the legendary Spike Jones. Clam members include a trio of New York jazz & rock legends that include keyboard/synth player Pete Levin (Paul Simon, Annie Lenox, Gil Evans, Carly Simon), bassist Tony Levin (David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon/YokoOno, Warren Zevon), and drummer/percussionist Steve Gadd (James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Steely Dan, Ringo Starr).

Based now in Providence, RI, Vincent has performed with several Rhode Island groups that include The Bad Band, FolksTogether, JP Jones, and the Zimmermen. His most recent endeavor has been to accompany singer/songwriter Marjorie Thompson as the opening act for New Hot Tuna, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and Geoff Muldaur.

Vince is currently finishing a samba album of original tracks entitled The Barcelona Note Book scheduled for release later this summer. Vincent is joined on the samba album by Sidestep cohorts Ken Lovelett and Barbara Truex as well as Pete and Tony Levin, trombonist Roswell Rudd, flautist Ali Ryerson, tenor saxophonist Ralph LaLama, bansuri flute master Steve Gorn, and jazz vocalist Nicole Pasternak.

Vince, together with Ken Lovelett and Barbara Truex, are founding members of Sidestep, a musical collaborative founded in the early 1970’s that remains based in southwestern Connecticut. Collaborative, complex and expansive

Mau-Mau Bridge in Gerritsen Creek, Brooklyn NYC

Originally uploaded by jag9889

Taken in September 08