Breaking News: Red Hook Rally Saturday, June 9th
Straight from Schumer's camp:
Charles Schumer, leading NYC Chefs: Pioneering Red hook vendors, icons of Brooklyn Community, to be kicked out by City – Calls on Parks Department to Scrap Bid Plan
Parks Dept. Forcing Citywide Favorite Food Stands to Re-Bid for Permits They’ve Held for Years, Could Raise Fees Exponentially and Lead to Their Elimination by Big Corporations
Locally Owned Vendors Serve Eclectic High-Quality, Affordable Cuisine that is a Symbol of Neighborhood Vitality and a Weekend Staple for Brooklyn and City Families
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer will criticize a move by the Parks Department that could force food vendors operating at the ball fields in Red Hook out of business TOMORROW, Saturday, June 9 at 1:00pm in Red Hook. Every weekend, the vendors sell high-quality, affordable food, mostly Latin-style, at the ball fields and have become a much beloved weekend destination for families throughout Brooklyn and the entire city. However, the Parks Department informed the vendors that they would now have to competitively bid for permits they have held for years, which could result in an exponential increase in rates or the prospect of being out-bid by corporate conglomerates. Schumer said that these vendors are Brooklyn treasures, and are a symbol of the diverse cultural vitality of the community that should be preserved and supported, not subject to the City’s bottom line.
Schumer will be joined by Cesar Fuentes, President of the Food Vendors of Red Hook, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, food historian Ed Levine and area chefs.
DATE: Saturday June 9, 2007
TIME: 1:00pm
PLACE: Red Hook ball field #1
Corner of Bay St and Clinton St
Charles Schumer, leading NYC Chefs: Pioneering Red hook vendors, icons of Brooklyn Community, to be kicked out by City – Calls on Parks Department to Scrap Bid Plan
Parks Dept. Forcing Citywide Favorite Food Stands to Re-Bid for Permits They’ve Held for Years, Could Raise Fees Exponentially and Lead to Their Elimination by Big Corporations
Locally Owned Vendors Serve Eclectic High-Quality, Affordable Cuisine that is a Symbol of Neighborhood Vitality and a Weekend Staple for Brooklyn and City Families
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer will criticize a move by the Parks Department that could force food vendors operating at the ball fields in Red Hook out of business TOMORROW, Saturday, June 9 at 1:00pm in Red Hook. Every weekend, the vendors sell high-quality, affordable food, mostly Latin-style, at the ball fields and have become a much beloved weekend destination for families throughout Brooklyn and the entire city. However, the Parks Department informed the vendors that they would now have to competitively bid for permits they have held for years, which could result in an exponential increase in rates or the prospect of being out-bid by corporate conglomerates. Schumer said that these vendors are Brooklyn treasures, and are a symbol of the diverse cultural vitality of the community that should be preserved and supported, not subject to the City’s bottom line.
Schumer will be joined by Cesar Fuentes, President of the Food Vendors of Red Hook, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, food historian Ed Levine and area chefs.
DATE: Saturday June 9, 2007
TIME: 1:00pm
PLACE: Red Hook ball field #1
Corner of Bay St and Clinton St
Labels: Red Hook
posted by J. Slab at 5:32 PM
3 Comments:
Classic. After two or three years of increasingly making it onto the mainstream, i.e. white NY radar screen, thanks to Chowhound, the New York Times, Time Out, of course the trusty J. Slab, as well as the increasing gentrification of Red Hook, the neighborhood, this beloved delightful corner of Central American culinary excellence is suddenly under threat because the Parks Department smells money and somehow imagines that people would still bother to go to a remote corner of Red Hook to buy an officially licensed Subway (TM) sandwich and a bottle of Dasani (R) water. I just missed Schumer, but as a friend who was at the press conference said to me over huaraches, "I'm just furious, sometimes I feel they do things like this because they really want me to move out of New York!" Hopefully Schumer's opposition will have an impact.
I think the appearance of Schumer actually signals that the red hook vendors are probably safe. Schumer is a v. adept politician. I think he saw a no-lose position to take and jumped on it as quick as he was able, before the whole thing got resolved without him. He's going to look good to spanish speaking immigrants and foodies alike, all without making any enemies (except for maybe bureaucrat or two at the Parks Dept.) Smart.
well said, couldn't agree more...
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