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Gerritsen Beach Braces For Halloween!
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 15, 2011
Modified Sep 15, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 15, 2011
Modified Sep 15, 2011
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Halloween is always a special time in Gerritsen Beach, the insular blue collar neighborhood near Marine Park and Sheepshead Bay. Like many other places in America, the local youths have a tradition of throwing eggs and generally creating mischief. But last year, you'll recall, things got a little out of hand when local teens bragged on Facebook about throwing rocks and hammers at cars and buses. Many grownups in the community were outraged—not by the violence, mind you, but because one local blogger dared to write about it.
Daniel Cavanagh, who produces the site Gerritsenbeach.net, was excoriated at a community meeting that was supposed to be about the poor police response to the vandalism. Instead, the meeting turned into a real BROOKLYN shoutathon, with Cavanagh demonized as a pedophile drop-out who needs to get "a real job." Documented by Sheepshead Bites, it was one of our favorite videos of the year—who could forget that climactic part in Act III when an irate area man storms out of the meeting screaming, "I won't forget! I won't forget, George! He set it up, him and that little smurf over there! He set it up nice! He's been a dirt bag from the get-go! Piece of shit! Kiss off baby!"
Anyway, Halloween is still more than a month away, but the local constabulary met with Gerritsen Beach citizens last night to talk about preparations. Cavanagh reports that 61 Precinct Commanding Officer Deputy Inspector Georgios Mastrokostas told the community that he's seeking suggestions for how officers can help on Halloween. According to Cavanagh "they will be making arrests this year if it comes down to it." And, for his sake, we hope they send a couple units to park outside his house.
Tagged
daniel cavanagh
gerritsen beach
halloween
teenagers
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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