The Coney Island 8

It has been a long time since I entered anything in my journal.  I am not sure why.  Brooklyn has been in a whirlwind since late September of last year.  There were huge snow storms and cold weather that did not allow the snow to melt quickly.  Snow can have a huge impact on living in Brooklyn.  If it snows long and hard enough, food supplies will fail and it will be hard to find food to eat.  Many stores cannot get deliveries and people in panic tend to clean the shelves quickly.  The second impact is on getting your car out and being able to drive.  This winter the snow buried my car twice under 4 and 5 foot drifts.  Even if I could get my car out, driving was impossible.  And if I got my car out, finding a place to park would be impossible.  People are hoping at this point that the worst is over and spring may be around the corner.  Most of the snow is gone now and there is some signs of spring for which we are all happy.

Another thread through this winter was the fate of The Coney Island 8.  These are the eight businesses that are being forced off the boardwalk by NYC.  They put up a simple web page www.coneyisland8.com which I helped to design.  They hired a good lawyer and a public relations organization hoping to stop the inevitable eviction.  My friend Steve along with the others received the eviction notice on November 1st 2010.  Steve had hoped after submitting a well defined plan for his future that he would be one of the businesses staying.  The shock of being told to get out in 15 days was very hard to swallow.  A lot of patrons were amazed that such a decision could be made, ending half a century of history.   For the people who frequented these establishments, the decision ripped apart their lives, mine included.  The complexity of friendships in Coney Island is hard to measure, yet each summer there are a large group of people who unwind on the boardwalk with familiar faces and food.  For the old timers, it is always good to see that friends return alive at the beginning of each new season. 

The decision to evict these 8 businesses was formally made by Central Amusements who according to their second in charge executive said that Mayor Bloomberg wants Coney Island to have a fresh new image.   The New York City Economic Development Corporation, a right arm to the Mayor, closely worked with the park to dissolve these businesses.  The City bought 6.9 acres of Coney Island Property for 98 million dollars.  They were only able to secure 1/2 the 14 acres.   They put down infra structure and paving and gave it to Central Amusements for 100,000 a season plus a percentage of the profit.  In their agreement Central Amusements could do whatever they wanted with the property within the NYCEDC guidelines.   Central Amusements is an Italian company.  They primarily manufacture rides and sell them worldwide.  So for Central Amusements, the deal is very good.  They can showcase rides and sell them in world class showroom, namely Coney Island.  When one puts the figures together it is obvious that this is a lost leader for NYC.   They will never make back the money they have invested.  However, just having an amusement park in NYC will draw tourists.   Central Amusements decided to bring Sodexo in to provide all the food.  They are a French company that has a very poor ethical record.   It is understood that the price of food on the boardwalk will skyrocket once there is no competition.   Already a hot dog sold for $4 inside the park this summer.  Knowing all of this made the eviction even harder for the Coney Island 8.

Trying to focus was very hard.  The pain of eviction, combined with who had been hired to run the concessions, along with loyal customers absorbed in their own history made moving forward very difficult.  The lawyer and PR agency was very expensive.   During the winter months these businesses were in and out of court working on securing a future or be paid substantial amounts for their businesses.  At this point, as some news agencies have reported, the eight have made a deal to stay one more summer.   The deal as of today is not complete but heading in that direction.

My Opinion, which I have expressed to all of the 8 as supported Steve's efforts:   This is a horrible deal.  No one wins.   At the end of the summer the historical Coney Island is gone.  Foreign owned corporations take over.   Prices will rise and an effort to clean up Coney Island will be underway.  For all the Morons who don't get the point,  Bloomberg wants this track of land for the wealthy of New York.   They have already begun the process of displacing Blacks and other minorities from the projects.  They have approved new zoning that will allow for luxury housing.  A new transit hub was completed there two years ago. 

Practically, If it rains this summer, the eight businesses will lose money along with their businesses.  There is also a long list of stipulations that will cripple the businesses.   If it is another good summer, the cost of the lawyer and PR firm will eat significantly at profits.  And at the end of the summer, they have to say goodbye to their businesses as well as so many who frequented these businesses. 

Personally, I am very stressed by all of this.  In my life I have watched urban renewal ruin many small towns.   Having worked for years with significant American corporations, I have come to despise the greed and manner by which they have ruined our country.  They dictate our lives telling us what foods we are to eat, and what we are to wear, what cars we drive and basically how we are to live. Coney Island for me is the ultimate take over of our American Dream.  The profound evil encased in this takeover was obvious in all the lies and leverage that the mayor used to get his corporate mentality stamped into our American play land.   He insulted us by giving our business to a foreign corporation and then destroying the dreams of successful small businesses who hired many hard to employee people. 

Americans have become complacent.  As long as people seemingly get their cut of the pie, then there is no reason to say "we have had enough".  It is the perfect storm.  We are too obsessed with our personal agendas to be concerned for the community.  We are afraid of the government and believe we have no ability to stop their agenda which is a mystery to all people.

This is the true loss of freedom.  Coney Island in a small way released people nearly 100 years ago to a new freedom of life.   Today, It will be taking back those liberties and forcing us to a predesigned play land priced to be exclusive in nature.  Regulation and cleanliness will be paramount.  And in the end, we all know that Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Coney Island Boardwalk Dies

As some of you might have read this week, Coney Island Boardwalk died this week. On November 1st all the boardwalk food establishments received two Fed Ex packages containing duplicate letters informing them that the current tenants had 14 days to vacate the properties. This included Gregory and Pauls (50 year veteran), Rubies Bar (50 year veteran), The Gyro Corner (20 year veteran) Cha Cha's Bar (25 year veteran) and of course Kris Greg's Grill House (Since 1993).

Early Monday morning Steve (owner of the Grill House) and I were going to a meeting and received the news. I was driving when his wife called him and told him that after 17 years he nolonger had a business. His whole body began to quiver and shake and with tears told me that this was his entire life. Steve had established his business in 1993 with the help of a relative. The property to which he built The Grillhouse on was a sandy area of Coney Boardwalk with burnt out cars and trash. For 17 year he continued to make improvements to the business and facility. He weathered many rainy seasons and in the end was able to maintain a reasonable lifestyle. He employed, during the busy season, nearly 30 very hard to employee people from the Coney Island area. On a busy day he provided food to thousands of customers. His business reflected the Coney Island Entrepreneurial spirit that made Coney Island into an amazing place to visit. Each of the people displaced by Central Amusements, the front for Bloomberg and NYC Economic Development Corporation, were evicted so that urban development might take place. Up until this time no one would make investments here because of the risk of making money.

Who takes over Coney Island? Central Amusements (an Italian owned and financed company) was given a 10 year lease of city owned property for $100K plus a small percentage of profit per year (that is for 6.9 acres). In addition, all the infrastructure was built out at the expense of NYC. This included electric, power infrastructure and all paving to the specs of Central Amusements. All they had to do was drop their rides into place. As an added benefit they can use this park as a sales tool. (Picture - Gordon of Polar Bears and Steve Owner of the Grill House)

Under the direction of the Bloomberg team they were also given the responsibility of reshaping the look and feel of the boardwalk. They (in good faith) gave the current vendors a chance to bid on the properties and businesses. However prior to the bids and behind closed doors a French company was hired to organize and implement the boardwalk. For this company it was all or nothing. Either they were given the entire boardwalk to work over or they would not entertain taking the project. The bids of the current vendors meant nothing and were solicited as a public relations stunt for critics of the project.

Critics have said that Bloomberg should not be spending over 100 million on this project with so many people suffering with unemployment and MTA fair increases. They have sharply criticized him for offering this project to a foreign company and then again evicting American small businessmen and hiring a French company to manage the boardwalk properties. As they evict the small successful business men who hired local workers, they will be replaced with corporate franchise businesses.

One franchise that won a spot on the boardwalk was Nathans Hot Dogs. As you might be aware, their first store is on Surf Avenue, down the block from the Grill House. To date the competitive nature of the hot dog business kept prices to $2.50 and $3.00 a hot dog. This summer Luna Park had a fixed price of $4 for a Nathans hot dog. Now all the competition will be gone and Nathans can charge $4 or more for a hot dog. This pricing scheme will make it impossible for about 85% of the people visiting the beach to afford food there.

All of this is to say that one of the most quintessential American places where the entrepreneurial spirit reigned has been taken over by foreign companies and corporations with little or no interest in the local community. If one wants to figure out why our country is in deep trouble, look no further than the shores of Coney Island.

In retaliation the owners met in a private place and retained a high powered lawyer to protest their eviction on such short and harsh notice. In the end they will be evicted, whether this year or within the next few years. Steve may be entitled to a cash sum for his building. He is looking into starting a new place across from Nathans on Surf Avenue.

A fairer way to have done this would be to have torn down the deteriorating buildings and built new structures and allow the current vendors back with reasonable rents. Greed and big corporate business can never see that, nor can the Government that was elected to serve us.

Weeds in Brooklyn

Everyday I walk around the block. I take Harlow's dog Chloe with me. It is always an interesting walk. Who would think that one square block could warrent a blog post. Just as I leave my building, there are several commercial buildings. One is a bare bones deli. If you like a cheap egg and bacon sandwich for $2.50 this is the place. Milk is high priced as is the rest of the stuff there. Next door to the deli is the Italian social club, Castellammare del Golfo. Now there are not too many people left in the social club which originated on the northern shore of Sicily. The old timers come here nightly. Only for special events will the wives be seen. In late August they have a feast which has boiled down to grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. Along with the feast they have the local priest come from the Italian Catholic church and bless the patron statue that they keep guarded in their club. Most of the time they have a little service in front of the club which included communion. I talked about this several posts ago. This year they tried something different. On a somewhat rainy day they decided to march with the statue to the church about 8 long blocks away. The parade to the church included the wives who marched in front of the Men who marched along side of the statue. (Double click on any picture to see it more clearly) Behind the statue was a 5 piece Italian band that I think played for funerals. Since there are virtually no Italian families left in this area of Brooklyn it was a very interesting event for the Asian and Russians to observe. When your culture disappears your traditions often stand out as a bit abnormal.

Walking down the block at corner is a construction site. The Asian family living there decided to build on an addition to their home. All day people walking by this building stop and make comments. Being in the building business and being aware of the importance of zoning, I was also waiting to see what was being built. They used heavy steel beams which gave the impression that they were going to build a high building in an area that had all three story buildings. People commented that this structure would destroy the neighbor's property by placing a huge brick wall on the side of their property which was once an open space with good air flow. In Sunset Park, a few neighborhoods away the Asian population has taken over the look of the neighborhood by erecting many high rise buildings. Because they are used to crowded cities, a high density, high rise community seems normal to them. But to people who live in Brooklyn this increase of density of people is very troublesome. Because immigration from Europe mirrored living expectations here there was little adjustment to new cultures. Asian culture is not the norm. When a community like Flushing turns completely Asian, the American people left behind end up in a world that is very unfamiliar to them. 8th Avenue in Brooklyn has become just that and Flushing Queens made the complete transformation with the last American Grocery store leaving the area this summer. This culture shock is increasing with the influx of Asians to the United States and especially Brooklyn. I think that we are going to have a lot to learn in the future.

As I continue around the block there are several interesting houses. One house is pretty broken down with a sour cherry tree in the front yard ( You make cherry pie from sour cherries). It has a weed infested garden of huge proportion on the side lot of the house. Several houses down is a home where for many months it appeared like the entire place was full of weeds. As I walked passed I wanted to knock on the family's door and tell them to please clean up the mess. Then one day in late August I turned onto the block and as I approached this house the whole front yard was in bloom. The lily like flowers were breathtaking. It took me by complete surprise. I came back with a camera to capture this amazing gift. There is no doubt that from weeds can come beautiful flowers and this certainly was proof. How often do we treat others as weeds and try to extract them from our communities. David in Psalm 139 reminds us that we are wonderfully and fearfully made. When we think that we are in the presence of a weed, it may be that the weed has not had a chance to bloom.

On this same block two houses away from the lily house, was one of the most unusual statements of faith that I have ever seen. You might think this is incredibly funny or you may look at this and be deeply moved by the statement a 7 year old who decorated his front lawn unintentionally makes. You be the judge.

Many Blessings, Barre.

Brooklyn Summer 2010

This year the summer months started off with a heat wave. Memorial day found nearly one million people visiting Coney Island. Kris Greg's Grill House was swarmed with customers, non-stop for nearly 12 hours. Soon after came the Mermaid Parade which drew another million people to the beach. This crowd was mostly Manhattan people who love any opportunity to be wild for a day. They also drink premium beer and tip!

Luna Park is now open and has been packed each weekend. Word has it that some of the rides are really fun and well worth the price.

This past weekend was the 4th of July weekend. On Sunday the 4th there was another million or so people visiting Coney Island. The weather was well into the 90's for all three days with a refreshing breeze coming off the beach. This year at the Grill House things seem different. Prices are higher with a hot dog costing $4. Also, there were fewer people spending money this year. Generally there are very long lines with a million people, but this year people brought food from home or went without. I think the reason is that people are poorer and just don't have the money to splurge. People on the boards were also very edgy. There were several fights that broke out during the day yesterday. There was the attempted robbery of the tip jar which was thwarted by the guards that hover around the Grill House in beach clothes. Also, the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest brought excitement when the former champ jumped on the stage and was finally arrested. (Some believe it was staged to gather more publicity for the event). On many occasions single mom's would come to the window trying to buy something for their children and not have enough money to even buy drinks.

Has America turned a corner economically? Coney Island seemed to suggest that we are not the same nation as we once were. In church this morning the reading from the OT was about men choosing who they want as king, or as leaders, or how they want to do their business in complete disregard for God. God is patient. Yet, His supreme plan will be accomplished. Because so many people are distant from the Church, it is really hard for them to see a way out.

The people coming to my counter seemed weary. Many spoke of troubled times. Many have lost faith in our leaders ability to represent goodness and justice. It seemed to be a general feeling on the Boards this year.

Let's put things in perspective... Last week Tuesday a group of us went to the beach to swim. We went to Riis Park where the waves are larger than at Coney Beach. We had a great time swimming and then barbequed hot dogs and hamburgers. We were just finished eating when a police car raced past us on the boardwalk. It was nearly 7pm and the life guards had long since left. Then several other emergency cars raced by. When we walked up on the boardwalk, it became apparent that someone was in trouble. Within a minute or so helicopters arrived releasing divers into the water. 5 minutes turned to 15, then to 25 and then it was certain that someone had lost their life. While you were watching this event unfold, you could not help but wonder how this tragedy would affect their family. Without knowing who had died all sorts of images came to one's mind. As the sun set the search was called off until the next day. When the search resumed the next day we learned that a 14 year old boy had drowned. Scott McLeish of Flatlands had perished at the hands of the powerful rip tide. His dad and other family members waited by the sea the next day in hopes that their son might still be alive. There was no body found. Two days later his lifeless body washed up on the shore. Their worst fears became a reality and their lives would be forever changed.

What is important? Does anyone need to be told what is important? Our world distracts us from what is important. We know our family and friends are to be valued, but we let life place them in second or third place. If because of the economy we have to live a simpler life style, count it as a blessing if causes us to be closer to the ones God has given us to love and serve. Everyone will soon die, but how many of us ever get a chance to live and enjoy life.

A Brooklyn Rose

For some reason unknown to me there are a lot of rose bushes in my area of Brooklyn. The roses are in full bloom now and will continue throughout the summer months. The rose has a way of making us think about God. There are two kinds of people in Brooklyn. Those who love to look at and smell roses and those who ignore or reject roses unless used to allure a pretty girl. In the latter category are people who completely block themselves from any perception of the rose. This group can have roses surrounding them but never notice.

Two weeks ago I noticed that the roses were getting ready to bloom. Last week two of the roses sprang forth. One was on the Chinese ladies bush. She told me that this bush was a Queen Ann Bush. The roses bloom one to a stem. For some reason the single rose has a stronger scent. The second rose was on the Italian Lady’s bush. Both roses have full rich scents but each smells different. When approaching the rose you are drawn in by the beautiful color and the design of the petals. It is amazing when you put your nose to the rose and let its fragrance surround your senses. Interestingly, when you move back from the rose, the memory of the scent fades quickly although the pleasure remains.

For me, this imagery is much like our relationship to God. When we are close to God, we become intoxicated with his amazing fragrance. When we move away, we quickly forget the fragrance and pleasure. In Corinthians we learn that the fragrance of Christ is directly related to the church serving one another.

For those who walk past the rose without notice, they have lost an opportunity to connect with their creator. There is no reason except our sinful nature that allows us pass by unaffected by such a precious gift.

At the Grill House, workers have been busy cleaning the entire building for the up-coming season. There is always a lot of work after the winter months. The intense winter winds blow sand and dirt throughout most of the building. Steve, the owner of the Grill House was very excited, adding new flags and signage to his store. Because of the Coney Island renewal, this may be his last year there.

Several weeks ago I noticed that Steve’s coloring did not look to good. Not wanting to alarm him, I said nothing. A few days later, he came to me and asked if I could test his sugar level. I did and it was a little high. Two weekends ago he told me that he felt really weak. I told him to get to the doctors immediately and gave him the name of a doctor in his neighborhood. The following Monday he went and the doctor said he was very anemic. The next day he went back for test results. The doctor said that his blood level was extremely low and that he needed to get a transfusion immediately or risk a fatal heart attack. So the next day he went to Lutheran Hospital in Sunset Park. He arrived at 7am. At 4pm he finally received his first unit of blood. The second unit was given to him at 3am the next day. All this time he was in the emergency room with sick people surrounding him. Finally at 5am they ran the final test for his blood count. At that point he was so mad and tired that he left the hospital. He has felt ok but not great. Yesterday I talked with Steve and a doctor friend of his said his symptoms pointed to Leukemia. So tomorrow he will go back to his doctor for further tests. This news has a profound affect on the regular patrons of the Grill House. Everyone gives advice, some good and some on the outer limits of ridiculous. Beyond the advice, life’s complexities become very real. There have been several significant deaths out in Coney Island in the last year. Gary’s death (mentioned in an earlier post) still is a frequent topic. That Steve might be seriously ill grinds into the hearts of many. We are all wondering how we will get through this.

God has placed into our world symbols of his Love and Mercy? Seeing and smelling the rose constantly reminds me, amidst the trials of this world, that God is very present and real. He is there to stand with us during difficult times, to lead us to His promised land.

Many Blessings,
Barre

Brooklyn Lifestyles

Double Click on Picture to view detail

The other day on my way home from Coney Island I passed the home of a very simple man. I stopped and went back and took this picture. It says a lot about the necessities of life. Things we need to live… 1. Patriotism (All the Flags) 2. Celebration and Heritage (Happy Saint Pat's Day) 3. Be prepared with a backup plan (2 Umbrellas) 4. Keep warm (Blanket in Bag). 5. Something to cook food with (Utensils in the bag) 6. Something to bring in light when darkness surrounds (Lantern in cart) 7. A place to rest. (Marble Wall) 8. Appreciation of others (Blue and white flag in back). 9. The ability to move in a moments notice. 10. Love and appreciation for the things God’s has made (beautiful flowers)

Things not included:

A big house with multiple heating and air conditioning units
A bathroom with shower
A laundry room with big front loading washer and dryer
A 52” TV and $200 a month cable bill
Cars for everyone in the family
A computer and video game console with high speed internet
Netflix
A big lawn that needs to be mowed
The IRS guy pounding at the door
Cell phone
A stressful job
And the list goes on…

Love & Loneliness.

As my dear homeless friend once told me “loneliness is the hardest part of being homeless”. Having people who love and care for you is an important part of life. Somewhere between homelessness and the extravagant American lifestyle is a place where love can find its place undistracted. Often we feel that we need to provide stuff to make our family happy. I think this is an easy out to avoid having to really love and serve our family and friends.

This week My Godson and his family decided to go for a bike ride. They had such a good time. Like his dad, little Eric loves to ride his bike and does it very well for a 4 year old. It cost little more than time to make this happen. There was so much love floating around this ride.

All of this is not to promote being homeless as a desired lifestyle, but to suggest that in a world that promotes excessive materialism to buy happiness, we should examine what is really important in life and make loving and serving those around us more important than providing more stuff to make us happy.

Brooklyn Easter

Last week I was riding the B35 bus which goes through Flatbush. For some reason this bus is a favorite bus for “Bus Preachers”. They usually get on the bus somewhere before Coney Island Avenue and preach for about 45 minutes until Kings Highway, to what is almost always a crowded bus. This day there were no preachers and it was overcast. As we proceeded Eric noted that there were helicopters flying low in the direction we were going. As we got closer the helicopters were swooping back and forth. Approaching the area you could see flashing lights. Traffic was at a stand still. 20 minutes passed as we approached the

disruption. Another bus driver approached our bus on foot. He told us that there had been a shooting and that the gunman was still at large. His bus along with another bus was stuck on the block where the shooting had occurred. The area was a commercial area and the gunman had fired the gun in several locations on this block terrorizing the people shopping there. As we turned down a detour block there was silence on the bus as people peered out the window at all the police activity. We finished the run 10 minutes later and started the return trip. We were again detoured around the two blocks. As we got back onto Church Avenue a Swat Unit was unloading police dogs. They were ready for battle. A block ahead of us there was a man pinned down in the middle of the street with handcuffs on. The intensity of seeing all of this made one woman say softly.. “God Help Us!, what is our world coming to?”. The tone in which she spoke was more of a prayer than a curse.

Fast forward to April 2nd, Good Friday. I am now on West 37th Street with my church family waiting for our annual Good Friday walk with the cross down Mermaid Avenue. The walk is 20 blocks through a crime ridden neighborhood. In any other neighborhood the walk might have been a little easier. It was a bright sunny day, and with temperatures in the high 60’s everyone was out along the Avenue. As we began walking, people stopped and looked at us. People would take pictures with their phone camera, some people gave the sign of the cross as we passed. People in bus shelters watched as they waited for there bus. There were about 400 people walking and singing “Were you there when they crucified my Lord”. As we walked along, people joined the march. Young gang members stopped and watched in silence. At times it was chilling to think how similar this was to the walk that Jesus took to his death. As Jesus took his walk there were common people watching this “familiar” procession of people being lead to their crucifixtion.

In the midst of the walk, a profound statement was being made. For a world that has slid to the utter bottom, God subjected his Son, Jesus, to be scorned and mocked and eventually murdered as an innocent man. In this world where people are destroying themselves and others, God gave himself so that we might be saved. “God Help Us!”, we cried, and he did.

Christ has Risen, He has Risen Indeed.