Open House Aboard the Mary A. Whalen

The historic tanker ship spotlights Red Hook’s maritime past and its uncertain future.

By COLE SINANIAN 

news@queensledger.com

The humble Mary A. Whalen, a small tanker ship moored in Red Hook, pales in comparison to the 1,082 foot-long, 217-foot tall Enchanted Princess cruise ship docked at the adjacent Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Cruise ships like the Enchanted Princess dock in Red Hook almost weekly, and they’ll often announce their departures and arrivals with a cadence of deafening horns, says Carolina Salguero, who executive directs PortSide, a maritime-advocacy nonprofit based out of the Mary A. Whalen. 

It’s a warm, breezy October afternoon, the best kind of day to spend on the water. As part of the citywide Open House NY program, the Mary A. Whalen opened its doors to more than 300 members of the public on Saturday, joining hundreds of public and private spaces across the five boroughs. 

Salguero is a protector and advocate for not just the Mary, but the entirety of Red Hook’s Columbia Street waterfront. The area has been in the headlines recently as the City’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) proceeds with an expansive plan to redevelop the port and build a new neighborhood of luxury condos, a plan that Salguero and her colleagues fear could evict PortSide and erase the neighborhood’s long maritime-industrial history, of which the Mary A. Whalen is one of the last remnants. 

The Mary A. Whalen began life in 1938 as a coastal oil tanker, transporting petroleum products for the Brooklyn-based company Ira S. Bushey & Sons from Red Hook throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, regularly travelling as far as the coast of Maine. Much of her work in the mid-20th century was in the New York City area, according to PortSide’s blog, where she would fuel larger ships and sail up the Gowanus Canal or Newtown Creek to deliver oil for heating. She’s now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, partly due to her being one of the last remaining examples of a “bell boat,” a strange kind of configuration that had the captain communicate with crew members in the engine room below via a series of bells and “speaking tubes” to control the boat’s speed and power. 

As the 20th-century wore on, fuel demands grew and the Mary, with her relatively small size, struggled to keep up. She was put out of work in 1994 after her engines broke, and was eventually converted to an office for Hughes Marine, a marine industrial supply company. In 2006 PortSide moved in. In 2012, Salguero and a few PortSide staff weathered Hurricane Sandy on the ship, successfully preventing it from running aground in the nearly six-foot storm surge. 

Which wouldn’t have been the first time. On December 23rd, 1968, the Mary A. Whalen ran aground in the Rockaways. En route from Bayonne, NJ to Island Park, NY, head-on gale-force  winds and 10-foot waves, complicated by the fact that the coast guard light at the Rockaways was out, led the Mary A. Whalen straight into the sands of Rockaway Beach. The accident resulted in US vs Reliable Transfer, a landmark 1975 Supreme Court case that established a key principle of modern maritime law: each party in a maritime accident is responsible for paying damages proportional to their culpability, overturning the 50/50 split that had been common practice since the mid-1800s. 

The Mary A. Whalen ran aground in the Rockaways in 1968, leading to a major Supreme Court decision. Photo via PortSide.

Below the Mary’s deck, a scrawny black ship cat named Chiclet scampers into his quarters, which is no larger than a walk-in closet and littered with cat food and cleaning supplies. Across the hall is a child’s room with a bunk bed full of plushies and a painting of a jumping sailfish. No children live here, although PortSide keeps the youthful furnishings for its educational visits. 

The hallway opens into a cavernous chamber where a ladder descends into a boiler room of knobs and twisting pipes. Cider is boiling in the kitchen, which also serves as PortSide’s main office. A traditional Norwegian sweater, or Lusekofte, hangs on the wall in the hallway. It’s a gift from Karen Dyrland, whose father, a Norwegian named Alf Dyrland, captained the Mary from 1962-1978. He was a member of a near-forgotten immigrant enclave of Norwegian sailors in South Brooklyn who, when not on the water, would spend much of their time packing the saloons and seamans’ dive bars that once crowded Red Hook’s Hamilton Ave. According to A.N. Rygg’s 1941 book, Norwegians in New York, the era between 1870 and 1910 saw the peak of Hamilton Ave’s status as a cultural hub, rendezvous and drinking destination for the Norwegian sailors of Brooklyn. At one point, Brooklyn had the 3rd-largest population of Norwegian speakers in the world and the largest outside Norway. 

The kitchen on the Mary A. Whalen. Photo by Cole Sinanian.

To Salguero, this maritime history is a crucial part of Red Hook’s heritage. She edits a blog called “Red Hook Water Stories,” which positions the city’s ports and waterways as “a language New York City has forgotten.” In one of her monologues to visitors on Saturday, Salguero explained that the City’s plans to develop the area put PortSide, the Mary A. Whalen, and this whole section of the Red Hook waterfront at risk. The plans mention an “experiential learning center,” but they do not name PortSide nor the Mary A. Whalen. Back in 2008, the EDC had offered to provide PortSide with an official campus and base of operations that would serve as South Brooklyn’s maritime cultural hub as a gift to the community. Although PortSide submitted elaborate business plans, the EDC never followed through. 

Now, 17 years later, PortSide remains land-less. Salguero sees the EDC’s failure to give PortSide a home as reason to mistrust the organization, which is essentially a quasi-governmental entity that runs City development projects. 

“This corner is cut out,” she says of the EDC’s redevelopment plan. “We’re not in the tenant list. They’re so used to getting away with things they thought that they were gonna somehow not mention us and people weren’t gonna notice.” 

Visitors can board the Mary and enjoy her deck for free, seven days a week from 12-6. For more about the Mary A. Whalen, PortSide, or the Brooklyn Marine Terminal redevelopment plan, visit redhookwaterstories.org and portsidenewyork.org

Yes, You Can Believe the Polls… Mostly

Political Whisperer

By Robert Hornak

Robert Hornak is a veteran political consultant who has previously served as the Deputy Director of the Republican Assembly Leader’s NYC office and as Executive Director of the Queens Republican Party. He can be reached at rahornak@gmail. com and @roberthornak on X.

 

When you talk about election polls you hear many different responses. What many Republicans have been saying lately when it comes to the polls for the NYC mayors’ race is that they don’t believe the polls. And that’s a shame.

Polling is not intended to definitively predict the winner of an election, especially months before an election. What polls offer is a snapshot of what the electorate is thinking at that moment in time and insight into what each candidate needs to do to increase their voter appeal.

Candidates can look at these polls and find their strengths and weaknesses, then go about emphasizing their strengths while minimizing or adjusting for their weaknesses. That’s what campaigns are all about.

When this is explained, many people will push back, saying, well what about Trump? Well, if you look at the Trump polls, they were very interesting. In 2016, Trump was trailing Clinton the entire race. But as the election took shape, a phrase was coined in response to what the polls were showing. Voters related to Trump but were not saying they would vote for him. These were increasingly referred to as the hidden Trump voter.

And in the end, while Trump won the electoral college, he did lose the popular vote as the polls predicted.

The 2020 election is now the third rail of politics, but the polls showed Trump down and he ended up losing. And in 2024, Harris was up at the very beginning, but as she stumbled while responding to serious questions, the polls narrowed and Trump took the lead in many national polls and almost every swing state poll.

But for mayoral polling you can look no further than the 2021 election. The first polls that came out after Eric Adams won the primary showed Sliwa with under 30% of voter support. That was where he stayed the entire race, and that was where he finished on election day.

In the Democratic Primary this year, Cuomo was up early and expected to easily win. But that wasn’t where the polls stayed. As each month passed, Mamdani closed the gap, leading to many people questioning Cuomo’s strategy and commitment. As the election drew near the polls were showing a tight race, with two polls actually showing Mamdani pulling ahead.

Now, the polls have all consistently shown Mamdani leading in the 40’s. with Cuomo until recently in the 20’s, and Sliwa in the low teens. That has not changed significantly all through the summer and in the Quinnipiac poll after Adams dropped out, and it showed all his support going to Cuomo, propelling him up to 33% and just over ten points behind Mamdani.

This has clearly become a two- person race, but not between the two people that Sliwa supporters claim it’s between.

Sliwa’s campaign strategy has not changed since June, and neither have his poll numbers. In fact, he’s essentially running the same campaign he did in 2021 that got him 28% of the vote. Disappointed Republicans have gone to Cuomo in large numbers (many by way of Adams), leaving him with approximately half the support he had last time.

The polls have accurately laid out each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses by issue. Mamdani was very strong on a number of issues, like affordability. Cuomo was very strong on a number, like experience. Sliwa has not shown strong on a single issue, even on his signature issue public safety, where voter confidence for him is still weak.

Yes, the polls can be off. It requires an ability to accurately predict who will turn out to vote and asking the right questions from a scientifically random sample of voters. Campaign strategists are required to and often do it well.

The idea that they will be off, and consistently, by 30 points or more is silly to believe. This campaign has always been a race to 40% and Mamdani is in the catbird seat. Cuomo needs to win over Mamdani supporters to have a chance to beat him and be the one who finishes over 40%.

St. John’s Opens With Best Ever NCAA Ranking

Johnnies head into preseason at #5

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@QueensLedger.com

On Monday, the St. John’s Red Storm Men’s Basketball team received a #5 ranking in the AP preseason poll. It’s the program’s highest ever ranking before the college season tips off, following their appearance as a #2 seed in the 2025 NCAA basketball tournament. 

The previous record for the program was set ahead of their legendary 1984-85 season where Lou Carnesecca’s Redmen marched their way to the Final Four. Now the Red Storm will look to improve on last season’s dominance which saw them win their first outright BIG EAST title since that very same 1984-85 campaign.

The Red Storm aren’t the only BIG EAST squad lauded in the AP’s Top-25 rankings. Just ahead of St. John’s are the rival UConn Huskies, who fell short in their quest to “three-peat” as national champions in March. Like the Red Storm, UConn’s March Madness run came to an end in the second round, falling to #1 seeded Florida. 

While they fell in both regular season matchups against St. John’s, dropped the conference tournament semifinal to Creighton, and finished third in the conference last year, UConn will enter the 2025-26 season as the highest ranked team in the BIG EAST.

The Creighton Bluejays also made the cut for the Top-25, coming in at #23. The Bluejays accounted for one of the two conference losses faced by Pitino’s Red Storm last season. They also put up a brave fight in the BIG EAST Tournament final before St. John’s pulled away late for a 82-66 win. Like UConn, Creighton’s NCAA Tournament was cut short by a #1 seed in the second round, falling to Auburn 82-70.

Despite a large contingent of Red Storm stars departing for the pros, the top transfer class in the nation has arrived in Queens. Reigning BIG EAST Coach of the Year Rick Pitino has built a formidable squad despite only four returning players in Seniors Zuby Ejiofor and Sadiku Ibine Ayo and Sophomores Ruben Pray and Lefteris Liotopoulous.

Ejiofor’s return will be vital for Pitino’s team this year, as the 2024-25 BIG EAST Most Improved Player was a major contributor on both sides of the floor. In his second year in Queens, Ejiofor brought his averages up to 14.7 points per game alongside 8 rebounds and over 2 combined steals and blocks per game. Zuby also saw his field goal percentage jump from 49% in 2023-24 to 58% to help power the Red Storm to glory.

Ejiofor was part of a trio of stars that shared countless Player of the Game, Week, and Month awards. His former teammates RJ Luis Jr. and Kadary Richmond are looking to cement roster spots with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards during NBA preseason camp, but Zuby will be eyeing another dominant college season to increase his draft stock.

A star-studded 7-player transfer class will be looking forward to their Red Storm debuts. Among them are former McDonald’s All-American and Top-10 High School prospects Ian Jackson and Dillon Mitchell, 2022-23 BIG EAST First Team honoree Bryce Hopkins, and shooting threats Oziyah Sellers and Joson Sanon. Also joining SJU via the transfer portal are reigning Big Sky Player of the Year Dylan Darling and Appalachian Athletic Conference (NAIA) Player of the Year Handje Tamba.

The Red Storm preseason slate tips off this weekend when St. John’s hosts Towson at Carnesecca Arena on Saturday afternoon. They’ll play another exhibition game against #7 Michigan on Saturday, October 25.

The Red Storm will host 12 games at Madison Square Garden this season, the most they’ve had since 1951-52. The first of these games is scheduled for November 8 against the #15 Alabama Crimson Tide. It’ll be the second game of the year for St. John’s, following their season opener against Quinnipiac at Carnesecca Arena on November 3.

Judge Orders City to Resume Negotiations with Queens Garden

The 3×3.5ft memorial for local trans-rights activist Cecilia Gentili is one of the violations cited in the City’s eviction notice.

The Jardin de Santa Cecilia Gentili, formerly known as Sunset Community Garden, was facing immediate eviction after members condemned Zionism.

BY COLE SINANIAN

At a federal district court house in Downtown Brooklyn on Friday, US District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall ordered NYC Parks to resume negotiations with the Jardin de Santa Cecilia Gentili, a community garden in Ridgewood that the City had moved to evict after a neighbor complained its community values statement — which condemns Zionism, anti-semitism, nationalism, transphobia and “all forms of hate” —  was discriminatory. 

The City had previously terminated the garden’s license in May and issued a notice in August directing gardeners to vacate the space — located at the intersection of Onderdonk and Willoughby Avenues in Ridgewood — by September 3rd. The case had been moving through State court, but after a judge sided against the gardeners in July, the garden’s legal team re-filed in federal court, seeking a preliminary injunction to halt eviction. 

Judge Hall gave the gardeners and the City until November 7th to negotiate outside of court, asking the City’s lawyers to tell NYC Parks they must come to an agreement with the garden and present it to her on the 7th. 

The City alleged the gardeners had failed to adjust their community values to comply with public space rules and that a small memorial to Cecilia Gentili, a deceased neighbor and trans-rights activist, violated Parks’ rules. The City received complaints about the garden through City Councilmember and staunch Israel supporter Robert Holden, who submitted them on behalf of a neighbor named Christina Wilkinson. Wilkinson had been involved in the garden’s development in the early 2010s, but was no longer involved by the time the garden opened in 2023. 

But the gardeners, who are the plaintiffs in the case, argued that the City’s termination of the garden’s license based on the content of its values statement constitutes viewpoint discrimination, violating their First Amendment rights. And an NYC Parks official had admitted that the City rarely enforces rules on art installations in public gardens, which the garden’s legal team has argued is evidence of selective and discriminatory enforcement as the art piece in question honors a transgender woman. Successful eviction of the gardeners on behalf of a single disgruntled neighbor would set a dangerous legal precedent, the plaintiffs argued, and would embolden critics to employ the City’s power as a cudgel to silence marginalized groups. 

“It would unleash a chilling effect across the city, sending a clear command: censor yourself — surrender your Constitutional rights — or risk license termination and harassment,” wrote Niki Cross, the garden’s co-counsel, in a prepared statement to Judge Hall. 

Cross addressed the courtroom draped in a black keffiyeh — a traditional scarf known to symbolize solidarity with Palestinians — while the garden’s attorney, Jonathan Wallace, sat silently, sporting a low gray ponytail. Besides NYC attorneys Leslie Spitalnick and Blake Ahlberg, the City’s side of the courtroom was empty. About a dozen observers sat on the gardeners’ side, several of whom wore keffiyehs as well. In the minutes before the hearing began, an observer on the garden’s side distributed a pamphlet titled “The Land and the People: Community Gardens in NYC.”

A courtroom sketch by Melo Davis.

Cross argued that since the community values were written by private citizens who do not represent the City, they are protected by the First Amendment. Cross then addressed the Gentili memorial, asserting that it was targeted not because of City rules, but because of the message it memorializes a transgender activist. The gardeners provided evidence in a series of NYC Parks Instagram posts that depicted another, much larger wooden art installation in the garden that the City had not enforced, and in comments made by Carlos Martinez, director of NYC Parks’ Green Thumb program — which administers community gardens. He told gardeners in a meeting that the City tries to “turn a blind eye” to enforcing art installations because they are “part of the vibrancy of gardens.” 

Ahlberg delivered the City’s defense, arguing that the gardeners’ request for injunction was invalid since proceedings began in State court had been re-filed in federal court. He then characterized language in the community values — particularly the mention of Zionism — as likely to discourage members of the public from joining. 

Judge Hall expressed frustration that the case was in federal court at all, and criticized the City for halting negotiations with the garden. She also criticized the gardener’s discrimination claim and insisted that the City responding to a complaint is not equivalent to discriminatory animus. 

According to Cross, the City confirmed it would not evict the gardeners before November 7. 

“If negotiations fail for whatever reason, we will resume litigation, with the next step of seeking an injunction again if necessary,” Cross wrote in an email statement. 

Since it opened in 2023, the Jardin de Santa Cecilia Gentili has grown into a highly productive operation, producing hundreds of pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables. The gardeners deliberately built it as a safe space for Ridgewood’s queer, trangender and immigrant communities, though they maintain that no one has ever been turned away and that all are welcome in the garden. The community values statement that triggered the initial complaint was the democratically agreed-upon result of months of meetings and votes, and were intended to ensure inclusivity, gardeners say. This intent has been misconstrued— a series of New York Post articles falsely characterized the gardeners as antisemites, which gardeners say couldn’t be further from the truth. 

“As a Jewish person, I have always felt safe and accepted at the Garden,” wrote Jewish garden member Marcy Ayres in an affidavit. “With the response from the City and GreenThumb, I feel like they are endangering our safety, including my safety and that of the Garden’s other Jewish members.”

 

WNBA Barrels Towards Contentious CBA Battle

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

As a thrilling WNBA Finals series between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury continues out West, many eyes are turning towards the upcoming expiration of the league’s collective bargaining agreement. With controversial clashes and rocky relations across the league, many are bracing for a hard fought period of negotiation as the league approaches its next era.

At the top of the long list of issues is a new spat between WNBA MVP runner-up and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Collier’s season came to an end with a brutal injury at the end of Minnesota’s Game 3 loss to Phoenix. In the final seconds, Mercury star Alyssa Thomas pounced for a steal, with her legs clashing with Collier’s as she took over possession.

Thomas put home a layup on the other end to finish the Mercury win and establish a 2-1 series lead, but the no-call by the refs led to an explosion from longtime Lynx leader Cheryl Reeve. Lynx players and assistant coaches had to help keep Reeve restrained as she was ejected from the game, and the coach’s comments in the postgame presser led to a suspension for Game 4. Without their star player and coach, the #1 seeded Lynx fell to the Mercury.

“When you let the physicality happen, people get hurt, there’s fights, and this is the look that our league wants for some reason,” Reeve said to open up her press conference. “I want to call for a change in leadership at the league level… it’s bad for the game.”

Reeve went on to comment on Collier’s lack of free throw attempts in a very physical series, calling the league’s choice of referee crew “malpractice,” along with some more harsh verbiage. On top of her suspension, Reeve was fined $15,000 for her comments, with the WNBA also fining the Aces’ Becky Hammon and Fever’s Stephanie White $1,000 for voicing their support for the Lynx coach.

Collier suffered multiple torn ligaments that will cause her to miss the 2nd season of the Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league, in which she was the inaugural MVP last year. She wasn’t any softer on Engelbert and the league’s referee issues in her exit interview a few days later. “Year after year the only thing that remains consistent is a lack of accountability from our leaders,” the WNBA Players Association Vice President said.

Collier then brought up a previous conversation with Engelbert, noting that young stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers drive significant revenue while making very little in their first four seasons of professional basketball.

“Her response was: Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t be making anything,” Collier recalled. “That’s the mentality driving the league from the top. The league believes it succeeds despite its players, not because of them.”

Engelbert denied some of her comments and said she was “disheartened” to hear the remarks made about the league’s leadership. “If the players in the W don’t feel appreciated and valued by the league, then we have to do better and I have to do better,” she said.

Some Liberty players were also vocal about Engelbert’s comments and how the league values their young stars. In an October 3 post on X/Twitter, Isabelle Harrison asked “Why won’t our commissioner talk about the fact that a transformational CBA requires a salary system that actually values the players and the revenue they drive in a meaningful way?”

Both Harrison and Natasha Cloud stated that they were standing with Collier, and Emma Meesseman posted “Phee for President” on her socials. Another Liberty star to speak out was Breanna Stewart, who currently serves as another Vice President in the WNBAPA.

“Phee and I agree – what’s best for the players is best for the business. The W’s growth depends on valuing its athletes,” Stewart said in a statement. “The CBA is where commitment is proven – and where the future of our game is decided.”

The Players Association will have some heavy requirements to meet before signing off on a new CBA, with many expecting it will require Engelbert stepping down as commissioner due to the growing rift between her and the league’s players. Between Engelbert, the referee issues, and contract valuation, negotiations are sure to be intense and long-lasting.

Whether the league can avoid a lockout is to be seen, but it would be detrimental to both the league and women’s basketball as a whole if the highly-anticipated 2026 season is delayed. The W has made leaps and bounds over the recent years, and now it’s time to see how that growth pays off for the players who have paved the way.

Messi Scores Two in Queens as Miami beats NYC

Boys in Blue bounce back with Hudson River Derby win and double over Red Bulls

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The World’s Borough showed out for Lionel Messi’s first ever match in Queens last week. A crowd of over 40,000 filled Citi Field as New York City FC hosted Inter Miami. It was a pivotal match for Eastern Conference seeding, as NYC mounted an impressive hike up the table, even bypassing Miami (despite them having two games in hand).

NYC entered the match in the East’s 3rd seed with Miami right behind in 4th but still within reach of the Supporters Shield and 1st overall seed due to their extra games left to play.

It’s been a budding rivalry in the conference, with the sides already engaging in some heated contests and fans pitted against each other. It’s no surprise that Messi has caught the attention of fans across the country, especially in an international soccer capital like New York City. It wasn’t surprising to see so many pink #10 shirts mixed into the sea of sky blue NYC gear.

On the field, it was a series of blown chances that cost New York a foothold against the Floridian side. In the first half there were two golden opportunities to score, but a point-blank Thiago Martins header was saved by Miami’s Oscar Ustari and a shot by Nico Fernandez glanced off the wrong side of the post. 

Miami made the hosts pay before the break. Despite being the better side in the first half, NYC went into the half trailing by one after an immaculate assist by Messi to set up Baltasar Rodriguez.

The visitors piled on in the second half, with Messi finding the net himself in the 74th minute. The Queens crowd erupted as fans watched the greatest of all time beat the back line and softly chip the ball over Matt Freese.

Dejected, NYC limped towards the finish line, but Messi and Miami weren’t done. Luis Suarez netted a penalty in the 83rd minute before Messi completed his brace with a beautiful back-post shot just a few minutes later. The four goals scored were the most allowed by NYC all year, dampening what was a brilliant defensive record. It was also the first defeat suffered at Citi Field this year.

Just a few days later, NYC marched across the Hudson River to take on the New York Red Bulls. This time they got out on the front foot early, with Fernandez scoring just 90 seconds in.

Despite the early goal NYC again had trouble converting key chances, allowing their rivals back into the match. Youngster Julian Hall struck back to equalize in the 23rd minute and despite a brilliant header by Andres Perea to reestablish the lead, blown chances kept NYC from decisively pulling away.

Once again New York were punished, as Red Bulls star Emil Forsberg scored in the first minutes of the second half to keep his club’s playoff hopes alive.

Almost 20 minutes later and for the third time in the match, New York City seized the lead. This time it was captain Thiago Martins punching home a loose ball on the goal line after an initial stop on a Perea attempt.

With NYC unable to extend their lead, they looked to see out a tense finish. After 10 minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle finally blew, giving the visitors the win and a league double over their rivals. New York City players lifted the Hudson River Derby trophy in front of a sizable crowd of travelling fans.

The loss marked the likely end for the Red Bulls’ 15-year playoff streak, a Major League Soccer record. They currently sit in 10th, 5 points behind Chicago for the final postseason spot with matches coming up against 2nd place Cincinnati and 8th place Columbus.

For New York City, the season will come to an end at Citi Field against the Seattle Sounders after a road match against the rival Philadelphia Union. Just a few more points will secure a top-4 seed, giving the Boys in Blue a guaranteed home match in the playoffs.

Brooklyn Basketball Training Center Opens Doors Downtown

The Brooklyn Basketball Training Center is equipped with top-tier tools to help NYC kids perfect their skills! (Photos: BSE Global)

Liberty stars, Nets youngsters join Joe and Clara Wu Tsai for ribbon-cutting ceremony

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

On Thursday afternoon, Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment (BSE), the Brooklyn Nets, and the New York Liberty held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center. Located just across the street from the Barclays Center, the new state-of-the-art facility will be home to youth clinics, training camps, and an array of local programming to help build the next generation of Brooklyn basketball players.

Brooklyn Basketball, the flagship youth basketball program affiliated with both the Nets and Liberty, has spent a few years building a deeper connection with the local community. Now with the help of the brand new facility they will be able to take their relationship to the next level.

“This isn’t just a building, it’s a bold step in how we empower youth through sports,” said Nets CEO and alternate governor Sam Zussman in his opening statements. “This center is a place where fundamentals, teamwork, discipline, and mental toughness meet innovation, where expert coaching meets cutting edge technology, and where every kid who walks through these doors knows they’re seen, supported, and celebrated.”

“The greatest thing about this place is that it’s not just about the hoops, it’s the people who are going to be in here and the community we’re going to be giving back to,” added Nets General Manager Sean Marks.

Liberty stars Breanna Stewart, Natasha Cloud, and Isabelle Harrison were some of the first to test out the new technology, taking each other on in a passing minigame ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud tested out a passing minigame (Photo: BSE Global)

“Having this facility will show them how to reach [WNBA and NBA] goals. With all the technology and coaches involved in this, I think it’s going to be something everyone wants to be a part of,” said Stewart. “I hope I can come out here to work out if I need to,” she added with a laugh.

From left to right: Clara Wu Tsai, Breanna Stewart, Natasha Cloud, Isabelle Harrison, and Joe Tsai

Also joining Liberty players on stage to cut the ribbon was Nets forward Jalen Wilson and 2025 draft picks Nolan Traore and Drake Powell. After the speeches and ceremony, the NBA and WNBA players headed over to the hardwood to help out with the center’s first ever basketball clinic.

Nets 3rd year wing Jalen Wilson helps a kid with his jump shot at the first ever Brooklyn Basketball Training Center clinic

Wilson helped with jump shot form while others collected rebounds for a group of excited youngsters. It’s the first of many events to come, and with the Barclays Center just a few hundred feet away, Nets and Liberty players are sure to be a mainstay at the center.

A $340 Million Mishap as Mets Miss Postseason

Young arms, Minor League championships turn heads towards future

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

With the second-highest payroll in the Majors, the New York Mets missed the postseason in what can only be considered an abject failure. Despite a roster ripe with talent and the team’s red hot start that saw them lead the National League at multiple points, the season came to a close with a 4-0 loss in Miami.

The Mets finished level with Cincinnati, both holding 83-79 records, but the Reds earned the tiebreaker with a 4-2 record against New York to clinch the final Wild Card spot in the NL. As Francisco Lindor grounded into a season-ending double play, Mets players shared looks of dismay, disbelief, and shock that their 2025 campaign had come to a premature halt.

As any division rival should, the Marlins clearly took pride in playing spoiler. Miami played New York very well all season long, winning the season series 7-6. They were victorious in 5 of the 7 games played against New York in the back half of the season, only finishing 4 games behind the Mets with a payroll roughly one fifth the size.

Mets fans everywhere. I owe you an apology. You did your part by showing up and supporting the team. We didn’t do our part,” said owner Steve Cohen in a somber statement. “We are all feeling raw emotions today. I know how much time and effort you have put into this team. The result was unacceptable. Your emotions tell me how much you care and continues to motivate the organization to do better.”

A notable point in the Mets downfall was the lack of improvement following the trade deadline. While the acquisitions of Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers gave New York one of the best bullpens in MLB on paper, Helsley panned out as one of the club’s worst ever deadline pickups, with Rogers failing to find consistency.

Additionally, Cedric Mullins provided little improvement in CF despite an injury to Tyrone Taylor. He struggled to make an impact despite providing adequate defense in the outfield.

New Mets star Juan Soto acknowledged this season’s failure but remained optimistic about the future. He put together his first ever 30/30 season, leading the National League in stolen bases with 38 (tied with Oneil Cruz). He finished just two stolen bases shy of a 40/40 campaign, setting a new career high with 42 homers in 2025.

Another bright spot this year was the young pitching. Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat showed tremendous potential for the future, as pitching depth was a clear weakness all season long. Whether all three begin the 2026 season in the Majors remains to be seen, but all were up for the challenge as they tried to push New York into October baseball.

Mets Minor League affiliates also celebrated success this year. In the past few weeks, both the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies claimed league championships. Despite the MLB team coming up short, there is a good deal of talent awaiting their chance to prove themselves at the game’s highest level.

Brooklyn FC Comeback Falls Short in 2-1 Home Loss to Fort Lauderdale United FC

Brooklyn FC battled Fort Lauderdale United FC to a 2-1 home loss at Maimonides Park on Sunday, September 28
Photo: Johnny T @jtphotovideonyc.

BY NICHOLAS GORDON

Brooklyn FC’s 2-1 home loss to Fort Lauderdale United FC on Sunday, September 28, at Maimonides Park followed a familiar pattern. Once again, the club fell behind in the first half, conceding two goals, then battled back in the second half with an overpowering performance, only to come up short on the final result. The loss leaves Brooklyn (1W-3L-2D) in seventh place, while Fort Lauderdale (3W-0L-2D) moves into first.

Brooklyn head coach Tomás Tengarrinha praised his club’s strong showing in the second half, and stressed their need for more consistency. 

“We need to be better for 90 minutes,” Tengarrinha said. “This is the second time that we conceded multiple goals in the first half. So the responsibility is mine to figure out a way to help the team to be better in the first half.”

In the 9th minute, Fort Lauderdale’s Stella Nyamekye crushed a free kick from outside the box into the upper near corner to give the visitors the lead. 

The speed of Fort Lauderdale’ s front line continued to give Brooklyn problems in the first half. Brooklyn keeper Kelsey Daugherty made a nice stabbing save on one breakaway, and then got lucky when Fort Lauderdale hit the post on the next. Just before the break, Fort Lauderdale’s Kiara Locklear picked up a clever through ball from teammate Lily Nabet, and beat Daugherty one-on-one before slotting the ball home for a 2-0 lead.

The offsides flag stayed down on the play, but it looked close. Brooklyn was visibly disappointed in that non-call, as well as with several others, which led to some frustration fouls on their part throughout the match.

 

Brooklyn forward Jessica Garziano controls the ball in a match against Fort Lauderdale United FC on Sunday, September 28 at Maimonides Park. Garziano picked up her second assist of the season on a corner kick in the second half. Photo: Johnny T @jtphotovideonyc.

If it was all Fort Lauderdale in the first half, it was all Brooklyn in the second. The home team kept up such a relentless attack—incessantly testing Fort Lauderdale’s goalie Bella Hara, who made one good save after another—that one local fan observed “that keeper deserves a plaque.” 

Brooklyn forward Rebecca Cooke cracked a shot off the crossbar in the 86th minute. In the 87th, Brooklyn finally got on the board when Hope Breslin headed in a corner kick from Jessica Garziano. It was Breslin’s first goal of the season and Garziano’s second assist.

Veteran Brooklyn defender Samantha Rosette, while disappointed with the loss, praised her team’s guts in battling back, both today and in their last match against D.C. United, when they scored two goals in the second half to earn the draw.

“I think resilience has always been a really big piece of this club, and I think it comes from being from Brooklyn. There’s a lot of resilience here,” said Rosette. “Unfortunately, we didn’t come all the way back today, but that resilience was still there, and I think it speaks to how we will continue to battle throughout the long season that we have ahead.” 

Brooklyn’s home fans showed support when their club notched a goal late in the second half. Photo: Johnny T @jtphotovideonyc.

As the borough’s first women’s pro soccer team, now in its second season, Brooklyn is still navigating growing pains. Patience and perseverance was a note struck by players and fans alike.

“You can see the team is good and plays hard, so that’s all you can really ask for,” said fan Harper Salter after the match. “It’s going to take time.” Salter added that he thought excitement would build further when the Brooklyn FC men’s team kicks off its inaugural campaign in the USL Championship league in 2026.

Veteran Brooklyn defender Leah Scarpelli believes better results will come by sticking to their core values and trusting the process. 

“I think as a team, we need to believe in the process and trust what we want to do on the field,” Scarpelli said. “Our training has been great, and if we show up to a game and play the way that we want to play, we can be great.”

Coach Tengarrinha took ownership of his squad’s room for improvement. 

“There are a lot of small details that we need to learn, and that takes time,” Tengarrinha said.

“Everyone is doing their best to improve their game. And everyone needs to be better, including me. We have a week to prepare for the next game and give an answer.”

Brooklyn FC hosts Sporting Club Jacksonville this Saturday, October 4, at Maimonides Park. The match will be the first for the two clubs, with Sporting Jacksonville competing in their inaugural season in the Gainbridge Super League.

Brooklyn captain, defender Kelsey Hill, looks to distribute the ball in a home match against Fort Lauderdale United FC. Photo: Johnny T @jtphotovideonyc

 

Brooklyn FC readies itself for what proved to be a strong second half performance.
Photo: Johnny T @jtphotovideonyc.

Brooklyn’s Inaugural ‘The People’s Runway’ Fashion Show Spotlights Five Local Designers


A look from designer Ahmrii Johnson’s Caribbean-inspired collection “Everlasting Love” at The People’s Runway fashion show at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall. Photo: Nicholas Gordon.

BY NICHOLAS GORDON 

The line of stylish people snaked around the plaza of Borough Hall in downtown Brooklyn and out into the street. Buzz circulated about outfits, designers, and which celebrities were in attendance. The crowd had come early on this pristine early autumn evening, and eagerly waited hours to get into the inaugural ‘The People’s Runway’ fashion show.

A collaboration between Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane, the show featured the work of five local fashion designers chosen from more than 700 open call applicants. Over 1,000 people attended the free event on Sunday, September 15. 

“I have never seen a fashion show of that size. It was a once in a lifetime experience,” said designer Ahmrii Johnson, who showed her Caribbean-inflected collection “Everlasting Love.”

Owning Their Moment

Diversely talented, packed, and backdropped by the dramatic neoclassical columns of Borough Hall, Brooklyn’s night of high fashion was a runaway runway success. With the goal of elevating local talent and “keeping arts central to Brooklyn’s identity,” the show’s organizers expressed awe and gratitude for their resounding result.

“Shout out for closing down the entire Brooklyn Borough Hall!” said Dillane, addressing the crowd after the show. “It looks like about eighty thousand people showed up,” he quipped. Dillane, founder of the label KidSuper, recalled how Reynoso had stopped by his shop in Brooklyn and they’d discussed supporting artistic talent in the borough. “There was always a disconnect between government funding and the young creatives,” Dillane said. “I talked with Antonio about being a conduit with this project.”

Reynoso added, “Government should be working with everyone but especially up-and-coming designers from the great borough of Brooklyn.”

The five featured designers were: Kent Anthony (“Icons”), Shriya Myeni (“In Pieces, Still Whole”), Rojin Jung (“Broken Patterns”), Ahmrii Johnson, whose brand name is Ahmrii Lorraine (“Everlasting Love”), and Daveed Baptiste (“Soaring High”).

Designer Ahmrii Johnson working with one of her models before the show. Photo: @eyeoftheheagle.

 

Brooklyn’s worldly bona fides on display

The designers wove elements of their heritage into their designs. Johnson, a first-generation American, celebrated her family’s roots by using the bold color palette of the Bahamas, notably gold and cobalt blue. She highlighted handmade craftsmanship and tropical-patterned textiles. Her show referenced elements of Junkanoo, a vibrant Bahamian street festival she experienced while growing up. Her collection explored the tension between joy and grief, and cultural memory and renewal, with garments “as vessels of hope, resilience, and eternal love.”

“They gave us so much creative freedom in this show,” Johnson said in a phone interview. “Colm really helped me lean into my identity as a designer.” She also credited the show with deepening her ties to the artistic community. “A lot of designers I know feel constricted by budget or resources, or we’re shy to put ourselves out there. But I’m learning to immerse myself in the community,” Johnson said. “The designers in the show gave me new strength. We all really leaned on each other, sharing feedback and resources.”

A look from designer Kent Antonio’s “Icons” collection featured in The People’s Runway fashion show at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Photo: Kent Anthony Studio.

The Energy and Atmosphere

While the dazzling fashion show had the audience rapt—a sea of phone cameras was constantly held aloft snatching photos and videos, like lighters at a concert during a torch song—the crowd itself was also a spectacle. Individuality shined. Sleek suits and sequined gowns brushed elbows with cutting edge streetwear, that proud New York staple. Self-made clothing abounded, offering a window into the borough’s eclectic, creative set.

Brooklyn United drumline and dancers performed before and during the show. The students captivated the crowd with their propulsive sound, swagger, and crisp choreography. The all-female dancers appear to be headed for the pros.

Kaileah Hunter, a wedding merchandiser, said that after finding the show online, she researched the designers and liked what she saw. “Their clothes were exciting and I wanted to see what new stuff they had,” Hunter said. “All of the collections tonight felt very specific to the designers. I could tell who made each line as it came out. My favorite was “Soaring High.” I really liked the cultural element of that collection.”

Hunter, a Brooklyn resident and Parsons School of Design graduate, also said she enjoyed the energy and the atmosphere of the event.

A look from the Haitian-inspired collection “Soaring High” by Daveed Baptiste at The People’s Runway fashion show. Photo: Nicholas Gordon.

Indeed, “Soaring High” reached the show’s zenith. Inspired by the imagined metamorphosis of a Haitian boy navigating migration and Black American culture, the show’s bracing looks spanned fresh athleticism, academic excellence, and dapper man-about-town.

For the encore, all five collections paraded the runway with their smiling designers in tow. The crowd was ecstatic. 

Capping the borough’s glorious night, Reynoso said, “In the words of the great Brooklyn poet Christopher Wallace, known as the Notorious B.I.G., ‘spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.’” 

Stylish attendees at The People’s Fashion show at Borough Hall offered a window into Brooklyn’s creative tribe
Photo: Iana Sterliagova.

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