SAVE THE BARGE!

Red Hook’s beloved barge is going on sick leave.




For eight years, the Waterfront Museum Showboat Barge at 290
Conover St. at Pier 45 has hosted the Sunset Music Series and
Circus Sundays. On May 25, the 88-year-old barge, also known
as the Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge No. 79, will be towed away
from Red Hook to get some dry dock TLC in Waterford, New York.




To raise funds for its dry-dock campaign – a lengthy restoration
to repair wood-eating ship-worm damage and protect the hull from
further deterioration – the museum is producing two fundraisers.




On May 11, at Lillie’s [46 Beard St. at Dwight Street, (718)
858-9822] a mixed bag of five bands will perform, including Ellsworth
and Hicks and The Novellas, and on May 18, at Red Hook Blue [18
Commerce St. between Richards and Columbia streets, (718) 522-9400],
the lineup includes five rocking bands, including pop rockers
Rome 56, the funky Thin G and the Ramones-esque Original Rays.
Both shows begin at 9 pm, and the $10 admission-donation includes
one free drink. A free shuttle will be available to and from
the clubs from Downtown Brooklyn. For shuttle information, call
(718) 624-4719.



The barge, on the National Register of Historic Places, still
needs $90,000 to be restored, according to museum president David
Sharps – so bring your friends!



On May 18, from 3 pm to 6 pm, the museum will host an open house
to celebrate the harbor’s working waterfront and to discuss future
plans for the museum. For more information about the museum and
its voracious ship-worms (borers, gribbles and teredos), visit
www.waterfrontmuseum.org on the Web.