I found out about the project details and submission due date two days after the deadline. Someone forwarded this link to me. With all the community groups I belong to, (including the India St group) I never recieved the details of this contest. I've lived here all my life and my son & I would have loved to enter this contest. In the 1970's I was the only white street artist who would put there art up on the wall with the Puerto Rican community during the race riots in Greenpoint. I had to cross turf lines to do it. I believe it was the wall on Java between West and the waterfront. And took a turf beating for being there ( not from the other peaceful art demonstraters ). I painted a ladies hand sporting the peace sign wearing two friendship bracelets. One in spanish that said "Amiga". And one in English that said "Friend". Some oldtimers may remember it. As a result of that art demonstration with the other peaceloving puerto ricans, there was a wave of peace. People started to bring candles down to the site & start thinking. I wasn't able to go back to the art site to see the candles. I was only about 14 and my mom kept me home since I had a black & blue face with cuts all over. So it's a real insult from the North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition that long time residents/street artist weren't included in this contest. Over the years there were many Greenpointers that were very much against street art. In my opinion, street art, was a very important part of protest and demonstration in this neighborhood during a time when not much of anything else was working. I actually contacted David Yassky's office to ask for an extension for this contest and was told it couldn't be done. I was told, if my son & I could get the submission in the next day, he'd see what he could do. My son might have had a shot at that. But I had school AND an important community meeting that night. So even with years of ideas streaming through my head, I still wouldn't have had the opportunity to enter. My son wasn't able to come up with the proper format overnight. Since I am part of the India St group I knew OF the contest but didn't have the details and was actually waiting to hear about it. In looking at the submission details, it is clear to me that this contest is only meant for professional artist. To compliment the development. Which begs a question. Does the contest have anything to do with real street art and a message? Which is also insulting to me.

Laura Hofmann

Posted by: hofmom6 at May 3, 2009 7:55 PM in response to Closing Bell: India Street Mural Project

The police do have responsibility in this. Catching a car thief was NOT worth a human life. A police officer knows better than to create a high speed chase down Manhattan Ave. They are trained to know that it's an accident waiting to happen. My husband jumped up as soon as he heard the crash. He looked out the window and the cops were already there. Either they went REALLY fast or they beamed themselves to Dupont St.

Posted by: hofmom6 at April 28, 2009 10:12 PM in response to Closing Bell: Car Chase Ends Badly in Greenpoint

I don't understand why this article says, "Palin is promising to construct a $2,000,000 public waterfront esplanade."

The developer MUST develop the publicly access esplanade in order to build on the waterfront. It's in the WAP ( Waterfront Access Plan ). It's in the zoning regs. This developer is not creating an esplanade from the goodness of his heart or as an extra. He has to do it regardless of how large the building is. And the Community Board knows this. I chaired the Parks & Open Space committee for the CB during the rezoning.

I also read articles that said the developer claims a hardship since there is a strip of wetland there. During the rezoning, the Department of City Planning didn't recognize ANY wetland possibilities. In fact, even Bushwick Inlet was not recognized as a large enough natural resource to warrant a reduction in building size and bulk. Sounds like greed and a whole lot of tweaking of the truth.

Posted by: hofmom6 at December 2, 2008 12:19 AM in response to CB1 Likes Greenpoint Waterfront Tower