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The Great Fredini YaBB Administrator Offline America's Favorite Burlesque Gameshow! Posts: 619 NY, NY Gender:	Re: Gowanus Lounge Reply #15 - Mar 06^th, 2009, 1:03pm So sorry to hear about this! R.I.P. Bob. I wonder if someone else will keep the GL going?
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Capt_Nemo Son of A Beach Offline Posts: 5267	Re: Gowanus Lounge Reply #16 - Mar 6^th, 2009, 5:13pm The site is back up. The first post explains why the site was down, the second talks about Bob and there are many comments, all positive about how much he will be missed. Bruce
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adriahna Son of A Beach Offline Polar Bear, Wooden Coaster Junkie, Park Fanatic Posts: 1211 Right Around the Corner Gender:	Re: Gowanus Lounge Reply #17 - Mar 6^th, 2009, 7:21pm Rest in Peace, Mr. Guskind. It's a terrible thing to lose such a champion for Coney Island... he'll be greatly missed.
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electricia

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Re: Gowanus Lounge
Reply #18 - Mar 7^th, 2009, 8:54pm

yes, the site is back up, with more than 50 tributes already. I added my previous comment from this thread and also wrote:

Coney Island is in desperate straits. No one cares as much or could give it as much in depth coverage as Bob did. Yesterday I watched an old vid of Bob on Brian Lehrer in which he said “I started Gowanus Lounge a few years ago because mainstream media had pretty much abrogated its responsibility to Brooklyn.” That’s pretty much how I feel as a former journo who quit to work for the History Project and why I admired Bob and his work.

In regard to Coney, I’m sad and afraid that many of the large and small stories that Bob would have covered will go unreported this season. The fact that he was an experienced journalist with his own blog, doing 10 or more posts a day, plus another 10 or so in his paying gig for the real estate blog curbed, and the fact that he cared so much, all came together to make it possible.

The NY Times City Room blog regularly linked to his stories instead of covering what was happening in Coney Island and other Brooklyn nabes. Bob broke many Coney news stories—too numerous to list here!– that were consistently “picked up” (often without credit) by New York’s daily newspapers and tv news. Bob’s work made a huge difference in our lives and he will be missed more than I can say.

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Amusing the Zillion: A former carny kid casts an insider’s eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between

http://amusingthezillion.com/

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electricia

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Re: Gowanus Lounge
Reply #19 - Mar 7^th, 2009, 9:16pm

The GL site had been down due to server issues not related in any way to Bob's death. His friends "Miss Heather" and her husband (Mr Heather) put it back up, but it will be offline briefly for repair work
http://www.gowanuslounge.com/2009/03/07/site-repair-work/

Heather's blog New York crappy (I kid you not!) has news of what's being planned for a memorial service and the fate/future of Gowanus Lounge. She says GL is going to remain online as a living memorial to Bob's work. That is very good news because we would lose a huge chunk of our history if Bob's posts about Coney weren't accessible.

http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=15886

PS this is funny, the censor won't let me write the actual name of Miss Heather's blog.. it substituted "crappy" for "sh*tty Roll Eyes

it's a Greenpoint Dog Log Blog.

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« Last Edit: Mar 7^th, 2009, 10:37pm by electricia »

Amusing the Zillion: A former carny kid casts an insider’s eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between

http://amusingthezillion.com/

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electricia

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I love Coney Island

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Re: Gowanus Lounge
Reply #20 - Mar 7^th, 2009, 10:36pm

Just found this quirky little vid that Bob did called "Coney Island Boardwalk Dancing" that made me laugh. It shows Bob's whimsical side. One thing I love about Coney Island, all these people with less than perfect bodies being themselves and having fun. The little kid is adorable...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FK-vZi4Erc&feature=channel_page

Bob has 96 vids that he did of different parts of Brooklyn. But I just took a look at his faves, and guess what all 20 are videos of Coney Island.
Thats says a lot. I think I'll watch a few now.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=writerman000&view=favorites

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Amusing the Zillion: A former carny kid casts an insider’s eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between

http://amusingthezillion.com/

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electricia Son of A Beach Offline I love Coney Island Posts: 2234	Re: Gowanus Lounge Reply #21 - Mar 7^th, 2009, 11:11pm Jumping from the Fishing Pier is a good one...it's one of Bob's, not sure why he faved his own vid. perhaps to make it easier to find? anyway the pier divers seem to be a popular subject with Coney's photographers too as I realized on the flickr group. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIpLY3tI4eI&feature=channel_page
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electricia

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Re: Gowanus Lounge
Reply #22 - Mar 11^th, 2009, 12:49pm

Yesterday the Brooklyn Paper was bought by Rupert Murdoch. A friend called my attention to this post by Norman Oder on Atlantic Yards Report in which he seems to be calling for a sort of Huffington Post for Brooklyn bloggers.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Brutally weird: Brooklyn Paper sold to Murdoch; now an independent online Brooklyn publication is needed

excerpt:
Who'll fill the gap? Online newspaper needed

The untimely loss of Gowanus Lounge founder Robert Guskind weighs heavily; not only would Guskind have offered some acid commentary on the consolidation, he would have been in the forefront of efforts to maintain independent reporting on the borough.

Will the Brooklyn Eagle, which focuses on downtown, step up? Will the Brooklyn Downtown Star, part of the Queens Ledger chairn/ I doubt it. Both Pehme and OTBKB's Louise Crawford think local blogs will become more important.

Brownstoner currently has a significant readership, more than the web sites of the major Brooklyn weeklies, and generates many comments, but essentially aggregates others' reporting, along with other information (press releases, etc.). Perhaps when the market recovers, Brownstoner will be able to restore the second staffer lost.

I don't doubt that blogs will become more important, but online journalism ideally should be an institution--say, a New Haven Independent, an online newspaper run by Paul Bass (a friend)--that can aggregate readers, distribute news tips, and maintain quality.

Brooklyn needs such a publication, a Voice of San Diego or a MinnPost, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reporting.

more @ http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2009/03/brutally-weird-brooklyn-paper-so...

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Amusing the Zillion: A former carny kid casts an insider’s eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between

http://amusingthezillion.com/

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electricia

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I love Coney Island

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Re: Gowanus Lounge
Reply #23 - Mar 11^th, 2009, 1:27pm

"In Memoriam, Robert Guskind" written by Bob's friend Marc Farre, with the assistance of Norman Oder, Heather Letzkus and Neal Peirce, and the approval of Bob’s family

Very moving tribute, in which Coney Island is mentioned a number of times and a link to this thread, just posted on Gowanus Lounge
http://www.gowanuslounge.com/2009/03/11/in-memoriam-robert-guskind/

The tribute also quotes one of Bob's January posts about the fate of Coney:

“We stood on Stillwell Avenue, freezing, with Mr. Sitt’s big empty lot on our left and the vacant Beer Island on our right and wiped tears from our eyes, not because of the cold but because of fond memories and a sense of hopelessness and despair that those in charge of this process aren’t up to the challenge of keeping it on life support while the economy works itself out.

“What a sad, sad thing for a place that has suffered so much. We urge the city to negotiate hard with Mr. Sitt. We hope all parties sit down and come up with a realistic five-year plan to keep Coney going. We hope that Mr. Sitt shows that he has a shred of human decency in his body and that ‘Joey Coney Island’ helps save it instead of being the guy that pulls the trigger and inflicts the final fatal wound.”
http://www.gowanuslounge.com/2009/01/05/gl-analysis-the-disgraceful-state-of-con...

RIP Bob. We miss you and will continue to be inspired by your work

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Amusing the Zillion: A former carny kid casts an insider’s eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between

http://amusingthezillion.com/

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electricia

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I love Coney Island

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Re: Gowanus Lounge
Reply #24 - Mar 21^st, 2009, 1:51pm

Robert Guskind Memorial Gathering: Saturday, April 4

A memorial gathering to honor the memory of Robert Guskind will be held from 2 pm to 5 pm Saturday, April 4 at the Brooklyn Lyceum, 4th Avenue between Union and President Streets in Park Slope.

Please RSVP if you can. (There is an opportunity to sign up to speak.)
There will be an opportunity to donate to charities in Bob’s name.

Further details will be posted here.
http://www.gowanuslounge.com/2009/03/20/robert-guskind-memorial-gathering-saturd...

Thanks to Eric Richmond of the Brooklyn Lyceum for generously donating the space.

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Amusing the Zillion: A former carny kid casts an insider’s eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between

http://amusingthezillion.com/

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electricia Son of A Beach Offline I love Coney Island Posts: 2234	Re: Gowanus Lounge Reply #25 - Apr 4^th, 2009, 9:03am just a reminder: the memorial will be today from 2-5 pm at the Brooklyn Lyceum. The program will include a video tribute, speakers (including many of his fellow bloggers), and refreshments. GL also notes that Bob was honored by a resolution in the NY State Legislature. http://www.gowanuslounge.com/
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