Star of Brooklyn: Sue Wolfe

Sue Wolfe

President of the Friends of Douglass/Greene Park

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: It’s not easy being green, but that’s not the case for Sue Wolfe, president of the Friends of Douglass/Greene Park. One of her many goals is to improve the Boerum Hill neighborhood, specifically the local parks.

“We have been advocating for renovations for the park and the pool,” said Wolfe, who has organized several recreational events with that in mind. “Our next one is the Gowanus Grind on April 12. We have all kinds of events in the park such as skateboarding, bike riding and Tae Kwon Do demonstrations for the adults.”

In addition to having served as president of the Boerum Hill Association, Wolfe is currently the vice president of the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation.

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Wolfe was thrilled with the transformation of a portion of Thomas Greene Park. “We received $900,000 dollars from public officials to renovate a quarter of park. The opening was last year,” said Wolfe. “People have loved it because it has a water source in the playground for the kids.”

OBSTACLES: Wolfe knows there could be more done to improve the qualities of the park. “We still need more funding,” explains Wolfe, who hopes to have the entire park renovated. “And there’s no green space and we need a place for kids to play. People can donate at friendsofdouglasgreenepark.org.”

Another concern is the pollution of the park. “I’m very concerned with what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to do regarding overflow sewage from the Gowanus. It’s a big deal. They want to put storage tanks underneath the pools which would knock out the pools for year,” Wolfe said. “The city is aware of that also. We want to stay on their wave-length. Petitions have been signed by hundreds of people.”  As of now, it’s still not decided where these tanks are going to go, but Wolfe insists that there are better places.

PROFESSIONAL: For the past 12 years, Wolfe has worked as a real estate broker and is currently employed at The Corcoran Group.

MOTIVATION: Wolfe’s main rationale is simply her love for the area. “It’s about giving back to the community. I live in Boerum Hill; the community is wonderful. The homes and residents are just great people. “

PERSONAL: Wolfe was born in Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband on Atlantic Avenue. They also embarked in the restaurant business “In the 1960’’s, I lived in Fort Greene which we loved but my husband wanted to fulfill his dream of owning a restaurant,” Wolfe said. In the ’70’s they opened his dream eatery, Restaurant Lisanne. “It was really great.”