Tuesday, May 31, 2011

HONORING AND SAYING FAREWELL TO A LONGTIME, DEVOTED, CARROLL GARDENS COMMUNITY ACTIVIST!

HELLO FROM CORD!

This coming month, our neighbor and neighborhood historian Vincent Favorito and his lovely wife, Angela, will be leaving us and moving to the burbs and closer to their children. Although we are happy for them, and wish them the best of health and good fortune, we will miss Vincent's presence and listening to his many recounts of Carroll Gardens' history.
We wanted to take a little time and introduce some of Vincent's own history and recount some of his contributions to our neighborhood.
On April 12, 1941, Vincent J Favorito was welcomed by his parents, Joseph and Grace at Long Island College Hospital. He was taken home to 168 President Street and was baptized at Sacred Heart & St Stephen's Church.
Little Vincent attended school at Sacred Heart/St Stephen's from 1946-1958 where he met Sacred Heart/St Stephen classmate and alumna, little Angela Sgro, in the first grade. Vincent then went on to earn a B.S. in Chemistry in 1962 from St John's University Brooklyn campus, which was then located at 96 Schermerhorn Street. That same year he married his classmate and sweetheart, Angela Sgro at their lifelong parish, Sacred Heart/St Stephen's Church.
On November 4, 1963, Vincent and Angela were blessed with a son, Joseph, followed by son, Stephen on Oct 26, 1966 and then Christopher on July 16, 1974.
Angela, a 1966 grad of St John's University School of Education and Vincent resided in an apartment in her family's building at 432 Clinton Street from 1965-1972. In '65, Vincent graduated from St John's University Brooklyn School of Law.
Vincent worked for many years as a lawyer for JC Penney. For a while he and the family lived out of state and then came back to Brooklyn and lived in Marine Park. Vincent's and Angela's families were still in the neighborhood during those years so their lives were filled with frequent trips to Carroll Gardens. Eventually, Vincent and Angela moved back to 432 Clinton Street. Angela taught at PS 58 for ten years. The couple remained at the Clinton Street address until now.
Vincent was a very active participant in organizations in Carroll Gardens throughout his life--something that no doubt added to his wealth of information about neighborhood history. His many activities included:
Member of the Knights of Columbus, Loretto Council, First Place, 4th Degree from 1966 to 1985.
Member of the Brooklyn Democratic Club-Congressman Rooney Council, Clinton and Kane Streets from 1960 to 1995.
Asst. US Attorney, Eastern District NY, US Attorney' s Office, Tillary Street, Brooklyn, NY from 1968 to 1973.
Founding Member of the Court Street Merchants Association 1975 to 1980.
And of course, his tenure on the Executive Committee of the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association where he regaled many residents with his books filled with articles, photos and stories about our neighborhood.
We have learned that a great deal of Vincent's historical documentation has been lost in the pending move. But Vincent has assured us that at least some of the information is preserved on his computer---we look forward to his retrieving as much of this valuable history as possible and hope that he shares this with us for publication right here.
This Friday, June 3, at 7 PM, at CALPURNIA, located on the corner of Court Street and First Place, there will be an opportunity for you to come and bid farewell to Vincent Favorito. Come prepared to buy yourself a glass of wine and make a toast to a neighbor, historian and friend to Carroll Gardens!
Hope to see you there!

Monday, May 30, 2011

UPCOMING CAG MEETINGS

Hello from CORD!


Please note that all CAG members (GOWANUS CANAL CITIZENS ADVISORY GROUP) are eligible to join new committees at this point in time. After this next round of committee meetings, EACH CAG member will need to attend two meetings of a committee before joining, under the charter requirements as per our newly ratified charter! See link


June 6, 6:30 p.m., Water Quality Committee, 621 Degraw Street.

WQ Agenda:

1) Feasibility Study: Identify follow-up questions for EPA and issues that the committee wants to work on.

2) Riverkeeper: Philip Musegaas from Riverkeeper will attend. Philip is an expert in CSOs and will help the committee understand this issue better, so that the committee can see where there are intersections between CSOs and the Superfund process and where there are not.

3) Ongoing business: From previous meetings.

4) Committee mission and workplan: Discussion with EPA.

June 7, 6:30 p.m., Real Estate Committee, 621 Degraw Street.

RE Agenda:

1) Real estate issues raised at May 31 EPA Feasibility Study presentation

2) Bulkheads

3) Info-gathering proposal

4) Pratt studio project on the Gowanus Canal

June 9, 6:30 p.m., Administrative Committee, 250 Baltic Street.

AC Agenda:

1) Orientation 2) Discussion of Administrative Committee's responsibilities 3) Review and discussion of CAG member attendance records

June 23, 6:30 p.m., Technical Committee, location TBD.

TC Agenda:

· Identify follow-on questions for EPA about the Feasibility Study (FS)

· Identify any concerns about the FS methodology

· Identify any FS technical issues that the committee wants to work on (do research, translate to layperson language for the CAG, gather community input by working with outreach committee, etc.)

· Are there any remaining questions/issues relative to the Remedial Investigation?

· Are there technical aspects related to the work of other CAG committees that the Technical Committee could assist with?

Outreach Committee: date and location TBD


As always we urge you all to write to us with any of your questions and comments regarding the Gowanus Canal clean-up effortat cgcord@gmail.com. We will do our very best to find some answers for you! Thank you for staying involved with our community.

To us, going "Green" mean civic engagement and civic action! We are all in this together!

CORD

EPA PROJECT MANAGER TO PRESENT AT THIS WEEK'S CAG MEETING!

Hello from CORD!


This month's CAG meeting is very important to attend!

It will consist of a discussion from Christos Tsiamis, USEPA Gowanus Superfund Site Project Manager, on the upcoming Feasibility Study, followed by a Q & A period. If time permits, there will be updates and/or announcements regarding CAG committees. The PUBLIC is WELCOME!


What: CAG General Meeting

When: May 31

Where: PS 58 auditorium at 330 Smith Street (entrance on First Place)

Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.


Please arrive any time after 5:45 p.m. for informal discussion, light snacks, and refreshments.

FYI: To understand where the Feasibility Study fits within the Superfund process, here is an excerpt from the summary of the Oct. 26, 2010 CAG meeting, at which EPA described the Superfund stages:

Remedial Investigation (RI): An assessment of the nature and extent of contamination and the associated health and environmental risks. (2010)


Feasibility Study (FS): Development and analysis of the range of cleanup alternatives for the site, according to the nine evaluation criteria. (2011)


Selection of Remedy: Selection of the remedial alternative for the site. This step includes:


Proposed Plan: Identifies a preferred remedial alternative for a Superfund site and explains why it is the preferred alternative, and allows for public comment. (First Half of 2012)

Record of Decision (ROD): The official report documenting the background information on the site and describing the chosen remedy and why it was selected. (End of 2012)

Remedial Design (RD): Preparation of technical plans and specifications for implementing the chosen remedial alternative. (2015)
Remedial Action (RA): Construction or other work necessary to implement the remedial alternative. (Planned to be completed by 2020; could be 2022 depending on unanticipated circumstances. A more accurate timetable would be generated at the completion of the Remedial Design.)

Operation & Maintenance (O&M): Activities conducted at a site after a response action occurs to ensure that the cleanup methods are working properly and to ensure site remedy continues to be effective. (Ongoing following completion of Remedial Action)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

A Farewell to a Longtime, Devoted, Carroll Gardens Community Activist

Hello from CORD!


As you may have heard already, longtime Carroll Gardens community activist, Vinny Favorito, is leaving Carroll Gardens.

'Vinny' has been an invaluable member of, and asset to our community for many, many years. His selfless service to our beloved community has helped to make Carroll Gardens the close-knit, community activist community that it has, indeed, become!

Please do come and buy yourself a drink or two…and/or…


Just stop by and say your farewell and

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!


to a fellow community member/activist: Vincent Favorito.

What say you….can you make it?

Location: Calpurnia Wine Bar at Court Street and First Place

Date: June 3, 2011 Friday

Time: Starts 7pm

We want to present him with a certificate of appreciation from all of us….if you would like to sign too, please call 917-912-6020 to do so.

Please spread the word….thanks much!


CORD

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Green Gowanus Re-Envisioning an Industrial Canal

Hello from CORD!
Here is a great event this weekend!
Our friends the F.R.O.G.G.S. are co-sponsoring this wonderful event.


Green
Gowanus

Re-Envisioning an Industrial Canal
_______________________________________
Exhibition of Student Research Projects:
Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation,
working jointly with Columbia Engineering;
and Parsons, The New School for Design, School of Art, Media and Technology.

Saturday May 14 - Sunday May 15, 2011
Opening Reception- Saturday May 14 12-5pm
with Community Presentation at 4pm.

Location:
The Old American Can Factory
232 Third Street at Third Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(via R on 4th Ave or F train at Carroll)

RSVP email to: rrg2122@columbia.edu

Sponsors:

F.R.O.G.G. Friends & Residents of Greater Gowanus
Urban Design Lab, The Earth Institute of Columbia University
GSAPP
Columbia Engineering
The School of Art, Media and Technology within Parsons The New School for Design
Environmental Protection Agency
National Science Foundation,
Integrative Graduate Education and
Research Trainee-ship I.G.E.R.T

CORD HISTORY:

With the "Protect Our Homes" petition, CORD was formed in May, 2007. This petition arose as an overwhelmingly negative response to the coming of the over-sized 360 Smith Street Development at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place (Aka Oliver House; aka 131 Second Place). This petition, which had well over three thousand signatures, led to a new zoning text amendment in summer of 2008.

To: Our Elected Officials, Community Leaders, The MTA:
(MAY, 2007)

We the undersigned Carroll Gardens homeowners and residents, are appalled by the "as of right" ruling which allows owners and developers to erect buildings in our neighborhood with no regard to the impact they will present to our quality of life and the value of our homes........

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?crlgrdns