Russia and Cuba ink deals to revitalize island's ailing economy (May 20, 2023)
www.nbcnews.com

... Russian officials and business leaders have signed multiple deals with Cuban counterparts at a forum in Havana this week, agreeing to work together to boost sugar and rum output, assure wheat and crude oil supply to the communist-run island, and overhaul crumbling tourist facilities.

The longtime political allies " both subject to U.S. sanctions " are seeking to cement economic ties by facilitating trade and investment.

The deals "constitute a milestone in the history of our bilateral and business ties," said Ricardo Cabrisas, Cuba's foreign trade minister, in a speech closing the forum on Friday.

The agreements include a contract for Russia's Prodintorg to supply wheat to Cuba's state-owned Alimport, aimed at "guaranteeing the stability" of supply to the Cuban population, according to a document from the Cuban-Russian Business Committee viewed by Reuters.

Another deal will create a Cuba-based marketplace for Russian goods, including food and home goods, called Rusmarket, which will also help spur development of more direct and fluid shipping routes between the two countries, the document said.

A third deal states Russian and Cuban intention to revive the decrepit residential beach community of Tarara, whose white sand beaches just minutes from Havana, the document says, are "ideal for enjoying the ocean, fishing and diving."

Russian deputy prime minister for tourism, sport, culture and communications Dmitry Chernyshenko announced separately on Friday a presidential order to reinstate by July regular flights between Russia and Cuba, suspended since March 2022 due to the conflict in Ukraine. ...

The start of a new "Cuban Missile Crisis?"

Satellite images show scale of destruction in Bakhmut, Ukraine
www.aljazeera.com

... The satellite below shows School 12 and apartment buildings in Bakhmut on May 8, 2022, compared with May 15, 2023. ...

See the article for the details..

Of course, Russia is just "fighting the Nazis."

If you believe that, I've got this bridge in Brooklyn to sell to you. It is a cute bridge, with a lot of history.

Modern Marvels: Building the Brooklyn Bridge
www.youtube.com

Speaking of the Brooklyn Bridge, there's this...

The Brooklyn Bridge Contains Secret Wine Cellars
www.mentalfloss.com

...New York City is filled with hidden gems, from a little lighthouse in Fort Washington Park to a cemetery tucked away in the East Village. One of the city's best-kept secrets is located in one of its oldest and most famous landmarks. Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge sits empty vaults that were used to store wine a century ago, according to NPR.

The Brooklyn Bridge's secret wine cellars are built into the ramps leading to the East River on both the Manhattan and Brooklyn sides. They're not vital structural features that serve a dual purpose; the only reason they're there is for alcohol storage.

When chief bridge engineer Washington Roebling included the vaults in his design, he was being diplomatic. The proposed path of the bridge cut through two liquor-selling establishments, Rackey's Wine Company in Brooklyn and Luyties & Co in Manhattan. By including storage cellars for both in his plans, Roebling was able to keep them happy and generate revenue for the construction at the same time.

Several businesses rented out the wine cellars after the Brooklyn Bridge was built in the 1870s. Though they were located beneath one of the most heavily trafficked spots in the city, the vaults stayed dark and cool year-round, which made them ideal for stashing even the most expensive vintage wines. Soon, murals of grapevines and French street names were added to the walls to brighten the dreary space.

The cellars survived Prohibition"and were even repurposed as exclusive speakeasies for New York's upper crust"but their days as alcohol storage ended after World War II. They're used to store maintenance equipment for the city today, though they have been opened to the public for more fun occasions over the years, such as art shows....

Fun stuff.... :)

But I digress...

Fort Washington Park
The Little Red Lighthouse
www.nycgovparks.org

...he Little Red Lighthouse stopped being used as a functional lighthouse long ago, but over the years this 40-foot-high structure has become a beacon of another kind. Located underneath the George Washington Bridge along this treacherous section of the Hudson River once known as Jeffrey's Hook, this is one of the few surviving lighthouses in New York City and serves as a quaint reminder of the area's history.

Long ago, Native Americans known locally as the Weckquaesgeek "part of the Lenape tribe"inhabited much of upper Manhattan and eastern New Jersey. The Weckquaesgeek, and later the Dutch and English colonists, fished and hunted along the banks of the Hudson River. The Hudson was also an important route for travel, connecting upstate cities such as Albany to New York City and the Atlantic Ocean. As traffic increased along the river, so did the number of shipwrecks at Jeffrey's Hook. In an attempt to reduce accidents, a red pole was placed at Jeffrey's Hook jutting out over the river to warn travelers of danger. In 1889, two 10-candlepower lanterns were placed on the pole to aid navigation. Much of the land surrounding the lighthouse, including the riverbanks of Jeffrey's Hook, was acquired by the City in 1896, and became known as Fort Washington Park.

In the early 20th century, barge captains carrying goods up and down the Hudson demanded a brighter beacon. The Little Red Lighthouse had been erected on Sandy Hook, New Jersey in 1880, where it used a 1,000 pound fog signal and flashing red light to guide ships through the night. It became obsolete and was dismantled in 1917. In 1921, the U.S. Coast Guard reconstructed this lighthouse on Jeffrey's Hook in an attempt to improve navigational aids on the Hudson River. Run by a part-time keeper and furnished with a battery-powered lamp and a fog bell, the lighthouse, then known as Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse, was an important guide to river travelers for ten years. The George Washington Bridge opened in 1931, and the brighter lights of the bridge again made the lighthouse obsolete. In 1948, the Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse, and its lamp was extinguished....

There was even a book written about it... ( www.amazon.com ).

Standing in the shadow of the George Washington Bridge.

So proud... img.theculturetrip.com