Merchants: Market may stink, but our goods don’t!
Prosecutors are investigating
the organizers of a much-hyped
holiday market at the Brooklyn
Museum, after a vendor who
signed up to hawk her wares there
claimed the Christmas-themed
bazaar was a Yuletide scam that
ended up costing her big time
(“Christmas caper: DA investigating
organizers of Winterfest market
at Bklyn Museum after vendor
fi led complaint,” by Colin Mixson,
online Dec. 7).
Canvas-bag maker Pamela
Barsky said she paid more than
$6,000 for the privilege to sell her
totes from one of Winterfest’s stalls
fashioned after quaint log cabins,
which she claimed constantly
leaked and lost electricity, deterring
would-be customers from
dropping any dough — a shortfall
the market’s bigwigs blamed on its
sellers, according to Barsky, who
accused the organizers of brazen
deception.
Readers, including some other
vendors, weighed in on the alleged
shortfalls of the event, which
is now admitting guests free of
charge until it closes on Dec. 31:
Six-thousand dollars in rent seem
outrageous to begin with.
Mathematician from Brooklyn
I am a vendor at the event, and although
it has been frustrating and we
feel let down, those of us who didn’t
drop out of the market still hope to
make it a success!
There are some great local vendors,
some tasty food, a wine tent —
come on out and support small business,
in spite of the organizers’ fail!
Cheryl Boiko
from Carroll Gardens
Winterfest is a bust due to inexperienced
organizers. It originally said
it will be open seven days a week,
then six days, now only four days,
most likely due to lack of operation
funding for basic staffi ng (including
Santa).
It’s a shame and should be closed
down. MJ from Bay Ridge
There are still many fantastic
vendors at Winterfest with lots to
offer holiday shoppers: really good
food, lots of fun, and live music in
the wine tent, and so many unique
and wonderful gifts throughout the
market, many made by local artists
— like me!
The season is just beginning
Brooklyn, don’t give up on your local
small businesses!A
nnmaria Mazzini
COURIER L 32 IFE, DEC. 14–20, 2018 DT
from Riverdale
I am a vendor at this market, and
although it’s been troubled due to the
reasons outlined in the article, we
ask all Brooklynites to come out and
shop here.
We are honest businesses and need
the support of our great borough as
we had nothing to do with the organization
of this market. An update: all
the previously paid attractions are
now free. Happy holidays!
Live Poultry Designs
from Red Hook
It’s not inexperience. The organizers
are experienced scam artists.
They pulled the same thing in Boston
last year under a different business
name. Left a trail of angry and
ripped off small-business owners.
Don’t trust a word Lena says. The
stories they’re spinning about other
vendors being responsible for their
failures are the same ones they told
last year. Sara from Boston
Why would you pay to shop?
Old time Brooklyn from Slope
Keepers of Brooklyn Bridge
Park are shelling out millions to
build an entirely new span in place
of the beleaguered Squibb Bridge,
which zig zags from its namesake
park in Brooklyn Heights down to
the waterfront lawn below, and
for the second time closed due to
structural problems back in July
(“Second coming of Squibb: Multimillion
dollar bridge to Bridge
Park will be replaced after just
fi ve years,” by Julianne Cuba, online
Dec. 10).
“We have announced plans to
fully replace Squibb Bridge,” Eric
Landau, president of the semi-private
Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation,
which oversees the green
space, said at a Dec. 5 corporation
board meeting.
Some readers pointed their fi ngers
squarely at meadow stewards
for the bridge boondoggle, which
has already cost more than $7 million
— excluding the estimated
$6.5 million necessary to construct
a new span to replace it:
Irresponsible leadership has
caused situations like this that are
used to justify the two ridiculously
out-of-context tall buildings going
up at Pier 6. The entire Brooklyn
Bridge Park Corporation leadership
should be fi red and replaced by people
whose goal is to run the park responsibly,
not line their own and developers’
pockets!
The Squibb Park bridge is unnecessary
— you can walk the same distance
down Columbia Heights and get
to the park. The bridge should be removed
and the money used to build a
bridge to the park farther south near
Montague Street, which would actually
provide useful access.
In related news, who is paying for
the expensive-looking repair of the
wave dampening docks at the marina
(which itself provides nothing to
99.9 percent of the people who use the
park)? Cobble Hillbilly
from Cobble Hill
The fat cats at BBP Corporation
have no interest in being responsible
and-or truthful, since there’s no punishment
for their being slipshod and
reliably dishonest.
Actually, they’re rewarded for being
slobs, since the money to do over
crappy work is unlimited. Of course
the whole thing stinks: DeBlasio and
the Real Estate Board of New York
are behind the luxury land grab and
the sloppy construction. Gavin
from Ft Greene
I try and use the park often, after
work, in all seasons. I thought it was
excellent use of development for the
public on the waterfront. It’s a great
way to experience the harbor as well.
I don’t think development of private
luxury homes and a hotel should
even be on that space. You can’t help
but ignore the above comments.
Patrick Kinsella from Bay Ridge
Voice your concerns
To the Editor,
In response to Elaine Kirsch
(“Nix red and blue,” Letters to the
Editor, Nov. 30), I agree that the nation
is in a precarious position, and
I agree with the reforms you’ve proposed.
It would be great to abolish
parties, though that’s not about to
happen, as you said. We may be able
to do an end run around the Electoral
College if enough states agreed
to have their electors required to
vote as the national popular vote
dictates. Not easy in the small states
that feel unrepresented, but it’s a
goal to work toward.
Now that new blood is coming into
the House, voting reforms and election
reforms will be proposed, and
some may pass. Until that happens,
the citizen’s job is not to merely vote
— though that is crucial. We need to
stay on top of the issues that matter
most to us, and see to it that our representatives
and senators, as well
as state and local elected offi cials,
know our opinions.
I call my elected offi cials so frequently
that when they hear my
name, they don’t even ask for my
contact information any more. It’s
nice to be recognized, but that says
to me that so few people take advantage
of the right to call and express
our opinions, that the person who
does gets to be a fi xture. More people
should be calling every day, to make
sure our elected offi cials hear what
we want and know they will only
be re-elected if we are pleased with
their performance.
Writing to the editor is another
good way to get our voices heard.
If every voter who cares about preserving
democracy and having an
equal say did these things, I believe
we’d have a lot more infl uence.
Working on campaigns, calling,
writing, etc., are essential tools
of citizenship, in addition to voting
every year, not just in presidential
elections.
It’s my sincere hope that we can
also bring back the study of civics
in schools, beginning at the elementary
levels and all the way through
high school. If enough Americans
knew what their rights really were,
we’d all make sure to fi ght for them.
Celeste Leibowitz
Sheepshead Bay
War on Christmas
To the Editor,
I see that the anti-Christmas, politically
correct gang is at it again.
Over the past few days, since Thanksgiving,
all aspects of the season have
been referred to as the “holiday.”
Holiday lights, holiday decorations,
and in Rockefeller Center, the “Big
Tree” lighting ceremony occurred.
I guess if one says Christmas, one
would immediately turn into a gelatinous
glob.
I cannot see why so many people’s
noses are out of joint. We are supposedly
a free society, able to pass
happy Hanukkah greetings and
happy Kwanzaa wishes along. If we
are saying Merry Christmas, we are
looked at like we were hooligans.
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
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