Here’s Peter’s reaction to Bob Herbert’s editorial in the New York Times on Mayor Bloomberg’s  possible run for the White House:

Bob Herbert, in bemoaning the possible impact of a Bloomberg
candidacy for president, says this: "The mayor would draw votes from
people who want change, who are interested in something different, a
new direction." Isn’t that exactly the voting option people in the
United States are supposed to have? And doesn’t that speak volumes
about what has become of the Democratic Party? Democrats cannot simply claim
the mantle of change; they have to earn it.

Hillary Clinton claims,
just like Al Gore did in 2000, to be an agent of change, while playing
tightly to a presumed vast "middle." Well, if that strategy was worthy,
George W. Bush and Company should not have ridden twice to the
victories that Democrats want to blame on progressive candidates like
Ralph Nader. The claim that Mr. Bloomberg would effectively put a
Republican in the White House, the same claim made about Mr. Nader in
2000, is as spurious now as it was seven years ago. People want a
choice and Democrats have not yet provided them with a clearly
distinguishable one.

Sincerely,

Peter Loffredo

The 440 Gallery, Park Slope’s only artist run gallery is having its annual “Small Works Show,” from June 28-July 29. The opening reception will be held on  June 28, 6-9 p.m.

This year’s show is curated by Matthew McCaslin, a well-regarded installation artist, video artist and sculptor has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and abroad since 1982. 

440 Gallery
is open Thursdays and Fridays, 4-7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays,
noon-6 p.m. The gallery is at 440 Sixth Avenue; call 718-499-3844 or
visit www.440gallery.com.

Daniel Kikuji Rubenstein is working hard to bring a new charter middle through high school to Brooklyn called the Brooklyn Prospect Charter School. They need signatures on a petition by June 27th for the state authorizers.

A team of educators, community members and parents have been working on bringing a new grade 6-12 school to the neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Park Slope, Gowanus, Red Hook, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and parts of other neighborhoods. 

We
need to show the state authorizers that there is community support for
this project. Please go to the link and sign the online
petition.  It takes approximately 30 seconds.  Please do this before
Wednesday June 27^th 2007.

The girls are in their prettiest dresses. The boys in suits, dress shirts, ties, and hats. The parents, dressed in their finery, too, have still and video cameras and relatives in tow. They wait outside of the John Jay High School building for the doors to open on the PS 321 Fifth Grade graduation.

"Congratulations to you," Mr. McGarry calls to Smartmom. "This is your second graduation, right?"

Smartmom explains that she’s just getting a preview of OSFO’s graduation next year. But Mr. McGarry’s daughter is graduating this year.

"We still have one to go," he says, his wife Jacqi, also a PS 321 teacher, smiles.

"What are you doing here?" Ciao Bella, a neighbors asks. "Just getting a preview, that’s all."

This morning in OSFO’s fourth grade class, the group sang "Wonderful World," "This Pretty Planet," and "Stand by Me" to the parents.

It was tear city from the get go. The kids had devised their own cute choreography. Afterwards, the teachers showed a a four-song slide montage. It was no casual tribute to the children of class of 4-308. No, no, no. The teachers documented so many of the great things the class did together and the pictures just oozed with a sense of community and camraderie.

Smartmom found that very moving, too.

Next year, Smartmom will be standing on line waiting to get into OSFOs graduation. She remembers Teen Spirit’s one hot day in June in 2002. But OSFO’s will be her last graduation as a parent at PS 321 and it will be especially poignant.

Ducky will graduate from PS 321 in 2014. Wow, now that’ll be the day.

To anyone who went to the graduation: Who was there. Which politicians. Oh, that must be why I saw Bill Di Blasio at Mr. Falafel. Who else was there? Do tell. :

A Bagpiper will play on 10th Street between 7th and 6th Avenues as part of one Stoopendous celebration. Listen for the bagpiper. It should be pretty obvious where the festivities are.

10th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Lion in the Sun  Park’s Slope’s well-stocked and tasteful paperie, has graciously donated their space on 4th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue, to the Stoopendous Kid’s Art Show. Sponsored by Park Slope Parents, the show features the work of 40 children, who entered the contest. Stop on by over there all day Saturday June 23rd. Great for kids.

Buzz buzz: Lion in the Sun is opening a new craft shop over there.  Thread. Buttons. Sewing supplies. Yes, yes, yes. GREAT IDEA. They’re moving the Ikea shelving in as we speak.

On 10th Street between 8th Avenue and the Park, there’s a stoop social and stoop sales all day. 1st Street between 5th and 6th (or maybe 6th and 7th) is having a block party on Stoopendous Saturday.

The City Room reports that New York City’s smoking rate fell by 20 percent from 2002 to 2006,
with 240,000 fewer smokers, according to a new report by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.

The city’s smoking rate in 2006 — 17.5 percent — is lower than that
of all but five states: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Utah and
Washington.

This from New York 1:

Firefighters across the city are mourning the loss of one of their own
this morning, a day after a young firefighter — who worked out of
Ladder 146 in Williamsburg — died in the line of duty yesterday.

Daniel Pujdak, 23, was killed while battling a blaze in
Williamsburg Thursday evening that was caused by an unattended
cigarette.

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said Pujdak, a Queens
resident, was venting the roof of the four-story industrial building
that had been converted to residential space. He was carrying about 100
pounds of equipment, including a saw that’s used to cut the roof.

At some point between the ladder and the roof, Pujdak lost his
footing and fell to the concrete. He died at Bellevue Hospital from his
injuries.

Pujdak had been with the department for two years. His family says
he died living his dream. Growing up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Pujdak
worked toward becoming a firefighter. His younger brother is set to
begin firefighter training later this year.

“It is a terrible loss for this family and it’s a terrible loss for
this city,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “It reminds us just how
dangerous firefighting is and how much we owe to the men and women who
put their lives on the line everyday for us.”

No Land Grab, that excellent information portal for all Atlantic Yards related news, has the links for Ratner’s sweetheart deal. Read more there.

From a press release received via email.

June 20, 2007 – The board of directors of the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation (Gowanus Canal CDC) and the newly formed Gowanus Canal Conservancy (the Conservancy) is pleased to announce the hiring of Bob Zuckerman as the new executive director of both organizations, effective immediately. 

“The Gowanus Canal CDC is very excited to have Bob Zuckerman as our new executive director,” said Michael Ingui, Chairman of the CDC.  “His experience running nonprofit organizations along with his community activism in Brooklyn made him the ideal choice to lead the Gowanus Canal CDC at this critical juncture.”

Zuckerman will also head the Conservancy, which was recently spun off as a separate nonprofit organization from the CDC.  “Bob will lead the Conservancy’s efforts to steward preservation, restoration and green development of the canal, and everyone on the Conservancy board is delighted to have him as our new executive director,” said Andrew Simons, chair of the Conservancy and a board member of the CDC. “His out-of-the-box strategies and excitement for real progress is exactly what our area needs.”

While many Brooklyn neighborhoods have been revitalized, the Gowanus Canal corridor and surrounding neighborhood is beginning its own renaissance, with a primary goal of incorporating environmentally friendly and “green” initiatives.

Under Zuckerman, the Gowanus Canal Conservancy will continue its mission to promote public access to the canal and promote efforts to clean it up. The conservancy is modeled on those that exist for Central Park, Prospect Park and other NYC parks. "Our aim is to create a clean canal," Ingui said.

New York Magazine picked up Dope on the Slope’s post about Stoopendous, a celebration of the summer solstice on the streets and sidewalks of Park Slope scheduled for Saturday: June 23rd. With a snarky headline, of course. They just love to make fun of Park Slope, don’t they.

Slopers to Ward Off Evil Spirits, Potential Friends

You might want to go out on Saturday night. Your neighbors plan on making lots of noise on their stoops at 8:31 p.m.

Read Dope on the Slope

This from New York 1:

Speaking at the 311 Customer Call Center one day after announcing that
he is leaving the Republican Party, Mayor Michael Bloomberg reaffirmed
his intention to stay in City Hall for the remainder of his term
Wednesday afternoon.

"My intention is to be mayor for the next 925 days and probably
about ten hours – whatever is left, 11 hours – and that is my
intention. I’ve got the greatest job in the world and I’m going to keep
doing it,” said the mayor when questioned by reporters about increasing
buzz regarding a possible White House run.

BAX needs you.

ARE YOU AN ASSEMBLY JUNKIE?

Join BAX for an IKEA Party!

Wednesday, June 27, 7pm-9pm

BAX (Brooklyn Arts Exchange) invites you to an IKEA party for the new second floor (this acclaimed art performance and workshop space is EXPANDING).  If you like
assembling items, come help BAX put together office furniture while
enjoying delicious pizza and cool refreshments. It’s just another way
to support the new BAX BUILDING (right above Save on Fifth).

To volunteer, call 718-832-0018 or email Marya Warshaw at marya@bax.org.

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