Hey. This is Warrior Siri. There's a lot of info we warriors have collected being out in the field, and I wanted to spread the (not usually good) news. I'm a slow typer, so please be patient with my attempts to share info on the multiple issues plagueing this neighborhood of Greenpoint/Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
So, do you all already know that ClearChannel has a contract to have 10 concerts in McCarren Pool this Spring?
DID YOU HEAR ME? CLEAR CHANNEL IS COMING!!!!!!
That, as far as I can tell, is a done deal, though may be worth protesting (I'm a big fan of calling 311 and registering a complaint with the mayor, but I digress...oh, and you can also find any e-mail address of any city council member on the nyc city website http://www.nyc.gov then scroll down on the left to elected officials)
And they're also applying for something called an RFP, for concessions control of the pool. Oh, and the small portion of money that they have to give in exchange doesn't go directly into restoring the pool, not even into fixing up the park. It goes straight into the city budget. Ugh, right?
One thought I'd like to share, and I hope you don't mind, is that I'm personally VERY hesitant to agree to any sort of deal with ClearChannel. For two important reasons:
1) ClearChannel is the "big box store" of the music business, owning what many believe to be a monopoly on the music business. As we all know, our neighborhood is special, and all around us we are being threatened by "big box" stores, but so far we have been saved (well...sort of). Letting ClearChannel in without a fight shows that we won't fight what comes next. Supposedly McDonalds wants to buy the Salvation Army on N7th and Bedford, There may be a Starbucks moving in on Broadway near the water, etc. WalMart is not far behind (please see the WalMart movie...so frightening! I think you can get it at moveon.org). I'm concerned that these big corporations are now in the process of feeling out the neighborhood to see what we'll take, and if there's no resistance now, it may be too late. In full, the character, the mom and pop businesses, are threatened.
2) I hate to bring politics into it (OK, I love discussing politics), but ClearChannel has been said by many to be in cahoots with the Bush Administration and does what it can to curtail dissent and the right to free speech, which is a BIG issue for me. I found this article to be very, very informative: http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/04/03/far04009.html
just one quote:
"I'm not very happy with the state of things. Music is being banned, and we have people in control of the radio stations who are the same people in control of the concert halls. They're also tied into the [US] administration and are sponsoring pro-war rallies. It's not good. . . In the next couple of months, they'll probably make it unpatriotic to be Democrat. It's pretty crazy." [The Guardian]
some more background on clear channel: http://www.salon.com/ent/clear_channel/
all the stations clearchannel owns and their contact info in texas( just in case you want to call and say Hi!): http://www.cjr.org/tools/owners/clearchannel.asp
So how are we going to stop ClearChannel from sneaking their fingers around our old, beautiful, historic pool's neck, let alone bringing noise, litter, and TOP 40 music to our one already suffering pool???
We need More Warriors! We can't do it all. We can just tell you what we know and do what we can.
Warrior on,
Siri Warrior
Here's the background info i was given by the pool alliance I'm working with:
Recently it has come to the attention of the community that the Parks Department intends to sponsor a series of large concerts in the McCarren Park Pool.
On Thursday, October 6, 2005, local waterfront and parks representatives, as well as Brooklyn Community Board 1 representatives, met with the Parks Department at Councilman Yassky's office to discuss the future use of the McCarren Park Pool site as a performance venue.
The community was not informed or consulted with by Parks or by city officials nor did CB 1 give its approval regarding the upcoming concert series. These planned events were discovered by accident and community members then requested the above Oct. 6 meeting.
The following is info concerning this issue:
CONCERTS IN McCARREN PARK POOL
What we know, confirmed:
1. 10 concerts starting spring '06 in Pool
2. Clear Channel vendor of concerts (Ron Delsner Presents division)
3. Clear Channel paid city $200,000 for pool renovation recently completed for Agora performances
4. A request for bids (RFP) was issued for an additional 2-4 yr contract for performances in the pool area for 4-12 concerts/ MONTH- proposals are due on Dec. 22(?)
5. all $ earned will go to vendor and to city, none to mccarren park, pool, or parks department itself.
6. community is allowed only 20 days/year for community events in pool
7. this is supposedly an interim plan with pool/rec facility planned afterwards if the money "shows up"
8. audience capacity is up to 5000.
9. Clear Channel, sensproductions (who put on Agora modern dance performances in pool this summer. http://www.sensproductions.org ...they have their own plan for the pool)
