The Williamsburg Nerd

I was watching News 12 Brooklyn (don't asky why!) and I came across this disturbing story:

Mystery, fear surround Roebling Street sludge

"It’s toxic, it smells and it keeps oozing from the ground. Oily sludge coming out of the ground at a Williamsburg construction site has some residents concerned about pollution in the area. The site is the future home of a condominium complex and current home of what some residents have dubbed the “Roebling Street Oil Field.”

Resident Robert Guskind said the oil continues to ooze out of the ground, meaning there must be an active source of the contamination. Geologists are now setting up test wells to find the source of the contamination. Residents believe the smelly sludge is made up of oil and gasoline from a nearby site.

“The other concern is that testing hasn’t been done, so no one is really sure what’s down there,” Guskind said. “When contractors start to excavate, oil could come through the ground.” The condo developer, Isaac Schwartz, said it will take several weeks to determine the source of the contamination."

...I'd link directly to the News 12 website, but non-subscribers can view it! This is yet another good example of "how old media doesn't get it".

My favorite non-techie podcast is doing some great work of late! Live from the WB is now featuring bands playing live music in each of their podcasts. The first episode in this format features Penny Winblood. This is a great way to sample some of the local music here in the Burg:

livefromthewb.com

"Live From The WB, the premier podcast based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has launched a live band performance and interview format. Once a month, traditional episodes will be replaced with 30-minute shows dedicated to a single band. Each show will feature new material, band interviews and the wacky antics, for which Live From the WB has become known. The premiere band episode features Penny Winblood, a hard rock drum and guitar duo based in Brooklyn. Future episodes include Repellent and Boctok. The band episodes are recorded and mixed at Translator Audio Studio in Dumbo, Brooklyn."

Just what Greenpoint needs, another large scale construction project:

Kosciuszko Bridge Could Face Renovation,
Or Even Demolition In Near Future

"The state Department of Transportation is evaluating plans to either replace or refurbish the 68-year-old span that carries the Brooklyn-Queens expressway over the Newtown Creek. The state DOT outlined its six options at a public hearing in Greenpoint Thursday. The agency said safety is a major issue on the bridge, because of narrow lanes, insufficient shoulders and limited sight distance.

"It was built before interstate highways were even constructed so it has some features that really don't fit within in the interstate system, as well as the structure is just old, it was built in the ‘30s,” said Adam Levine of the state DOT.

Options include simply maintaining the bridge, rehabbing it while adding a parallel span, or demolishing the old bridge and building a new one or two. Except for the no-build option, the plans would displace some homes and businesses, like Karp Associates, a more than 50-year-old company in Maspeth that makes doors and shelves and employs one hundred people."

...how about we spend the money to improve the G train instead?