Exxon Claus?

December 17, 2008 by
Filed under: Bushwick, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg 

Many of you who have lamented over Manhattan Avenue’s lack of Yuletime wattage might have noticed the fancy energy efficient lights that were fired up last Friday, December 12. Well, as it would happen they have a very interesting benefactor (from the December 10th edition of the Greenpoint Gazette):

…Town Square still faces the daunting task of raising the funds for the lights. Companies like ExxonMobil, MetroFuel, and the New York Power Authority have pledged their support and Assemblymember Joe Lentol, Councilmember David Yassky, and Esposito have lent their voices to the call for community support. The Greenpoint Gazette, Greenpoint Lions, and North Brooklyn Development Corporation are helping with collections from local merchants.

Yup, you just read that Exxon is one of the folks ponying up the dough for these bad boys. I don’t know about you, but the given sheer environmental havoc this company has wreaked on our community and the fact that petrol is going for a pretty penny these days I would have expected our “neighbor” (Who some of you might remember co-sponsored Earth Day at McCarren Park this year!) to single-handedly fund a Dyker-fucking-Heightsesque spectacle bathing our main drag in retina-searing glory. Hell, it damned better be visible from outer space for that matter!

In other words, not something that looks like a raver’s glow wand or a swizzle stick gracing a Mai Tai at the local Tiki Club.

Call me a scrooge but this is insulting. Seriously.

Miss Heather

P.S.: The reason the usual lights were not up this year is because ponying up money for them is completely voluntary. And in a sour economy people clasp their wallets a little more tightly than usual. Had Manhattan Avenue created a Business Improvement District (thus spreading the financial burden equally among business owners) it is probable we would have had are usual garish show of holiday cheer this year. Several attempts have been made to start a B.I.D. here. All have failed. Mostly in part to one person who saw fit to engage in a campaign of misinformation about what creating a such an entity entails.

Grand Street has a B.I.D. They have Christmas lights.

Graham Avenue also has a B.I.D. They too have Christmas lights. (See where I’m going with this?)

They also have a holiday trolley to take you to see Santa Claus this weekend.

But the Garden Spot doesn’t have a B.I.D. So we get “Exxon Claus” instead. Lucky us. You can see last year’s lights (courtesy of our very own Bitchcakes) by pointing and clicking your way over to the New York Shitty photo pool.

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Comments

11 Comments on Exxon Claus?

  1. bitchcakes on Wed, 17th Dec 2008 5:15 pm

    2. I was happy when I heard lights would be going up after all; but more than a little disappointed when I saw what they gave us. I added a bunch of photos of last year’s Christmas lights to the on Flickr.

  2. dc108 on Wed, 17th Dec 2008 5:45 pm

    3. A few years ago, the rumor was that Arab and Muslim business owners on Manhattan Avenue didn’t want to pay for Christmas lights, which isn’t a surprise when you consider they weren’t Christian. Not sure of the truth of all of that, but it was passed up and down the Avenue by some shoppers and workers.

  3. missheather on Wed, 17th Dec 2008 5:46 pm

    4. When I first saw these lights last Friday my first comment was “They aren’t done, are they?” Then I remembered that I live in Greenpoint during a recession and realized that yes, this was probably it. The fact Exxon is contributing to this and Town Square is still having trouble getting the $$$ together is the crowning turd.

    Personally I couldn’t hardly care one way or the other if we have Christmas lights on Manhattan Avenue. This time of year (especially in times like these) is about a lot more than such frippery. This money would have been better spent at the local soup kitchen, purchasing toys for needy children, etc., etc. This “display” is laughably bad. (What else can one do other than cry?)

    Shoot me a link to your Xmas pix from last year, Bitchcakes. I’d love to see them!

  4. xdx on Wed, 17th Dec 2008 7:17 pm

    5. these lites suck… my landlord put up lites this year in the trees.. which is weird of her, but than again she is gouging the new tenants for super high rent… but i miss the old lites.

    i understand the businesses plight on manhattan ave., but may i suggest that everyone should shop locally, or we will just have banks and duane reeds all along manhattan ave.

  5. bitchcakes on Wed, 17th Dec 2008 7:51 pm

    6. I guess I did the html wrong. In the comment I tried to link to your Flickr page- I added about half a dozen over there.

  6. missheather on Wed, 17th Dec 2008 7:52 pm

    7. I linked to your goodies in my post. Thanks for sharing them!

  7. Tony From Kent Street on Wed, 17th Dec 2008 9:02 pm

    8. atheist resident here wants those x-mas lights back!

    of course money should go to soup kitchens but those lights make me happy and make me want to spend money on random things on manhattan ave.

    i think it’s time to dismantle the iron curtain of unorganized commerce and bring back those cheesy awful lights of yesteryear

    i’m also very tempted to let people know that exxon evil ass dwelers are responsible for the sterile and unfestive lighting this year.

    i’ve had some eggnog. any way to find out how much it actually costs to hang these darn lights?

  8. bitchcakes on Thu, 18th Dec 2008 1:13 am

    9. I’m with Tony – an atheist who loves those damn Christmas lights. And I’m drunk- but on Hoegaarden. I’ll work with Tony to hang them. How hard can it be?! I have a ladder and everything!

  9. d on Thu, 18th Dec 2008 11:36 am

    10. I don’t think this year’s lights are all that bad, I’d rather have something than nothing. But this reminds me that I haven’t even started my holiday shopping….

  10. rodmur on Thu, 18th Dec 2008 11:43 am

    11. My roomie has a good rant about this:

    http://voodoojive.blogspot.com/2008/12/greenpoint-has-pissed-me-off-this.html

  11. SpillConspirator on Fri, 19th Dec 2008 2:24 am

    12. I have absolutely no respect for a community organization that is capable of working with Exxon. I wonder what else they are capable of. I would never knowingly bring my grandchildren to any TSq events. I wonder is TSq gets it and just doesn’t care. Or if they just don’t get it. TSq would do better for the neighborhood children by accepting support from entities that actually improve the community quality of life.

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