Leon's poem and this illustration was in the Metropolitan Diary on September 18, 2006. Leon Freilich sent it my way and I'm glad he did.
THE HOUSE ON GARFIELD PLACE
The brownstone just around the corner
Now sports a brilliant fuchsia flair,
Alarming dogs and stopping traffic
On foot, on wheels and in the air.
Park Slopers talk about the building,
Exchanging snarky real-estate jokes
About the home that’s become an attraction —
Except for the hapless next-door folks.
You know the Pepto Bismol house, the pink brownstone on Garfield Place? Well, my sister walked by this morning and it's for sale.
Now that's a tip!
The Pepto Bismol house is the house people either love to love or love to hate. It's been painted that shade of pink since before Park Slope was a historic district. That means its right to be pink is grandfathered in. If someone buys it they will have the choice to keep it pink or return it to its Brownstone grandeur.
Recently I was interviewed by a graduate student from the Netherlands who is studying Fifth Avenue and Park Slope for her thesis in urban planning. She asked me about the pink house and said that everyone she talks to brings it up or has an opinion about it. Many feel quite negatively about it.
I kind of like the Pepto Bismol house for its outsiderness, its expressivity, its wild and open uglinesss.
Tonight there's a Benefit for a Garden Grown from Katrina with mayoral candidate Rev. Billy, his choir and More!
Saturday, October 3rd. Doors at 7:00pm. $10
One for the Crop, One for the Crow: A Benefit Event
The Brooklyn Lyceum | 227 4th Avenue | Brooklyn, NY 11215 | R Train To
Union Street
Join activist and Green Party Candidate for Mayor of NYC Reverend Billy Talen and the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir as we remember Katrina witha way forward.
The Rev and Choir will perform at 7:45pm, and the whole
evening is filled with music and films celebrating how communities have
survived and reinvented themselves in New Orleans after Katrina. We will
celebrate Mama Sue's Garden, created by Sue Boutwell LaGrange in one New
Orleans' most devastated parishes. Mama Sue-a-lujah!
The schedule of events:
7:30 Five minute short film on Hurricane Katrina
7:45 Reverend Billy and the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir
8:45 Anthony DeGregorio and his Jazz band
9:15 Susan Hamovitch introduces and shows 30 mins of new documentary
Mama Sue's Garden
10:00 The Amazing Mentalist Dr. Zenitram
10:30 Gary Fisher and his Jazz band
Victor LaValle, who read at Brooklyn Reading Works, on Thursday night, is a hot new author. Well, he's not exactly new. He's already written two acclaimed books, "Slapboxing with Jesus" and "The Ecstatic." But his new book, "Big Machine," may propel him to literary stardom. Mark my words.
LaValle read a terrific excerpt from this new book, Big Machine on Thursday, which WOWED the crowd. And now I'm listening to LaValle being interviewed on NPR and Jackie Lydon is saying it's not like anything she's ever read.
Here's what the book is about (from the publisher's blurb): a character named "Ricky Rice, a middle-aged, middling hustler,with a lingering junk habit, a bum knee and a haunted mind. The sole survivor of a suicide cult, he spends his days scraping by as a porter at a bus depot in Utica, New York, until one day a letter arrives reminging him of a vow he once made…"
On NPR, LaValle says of the book: "It's the wildest book you're going to read this year…I wanted to write a book of unqualified optimism. At the end, people are a little bit beaten, a little bit bruised, but hopeful."
At a special event at Park Slope Methodist Church, political activist, writer and former State Senator from California, Tom Hayden, critiqued the government's tendency toward military escalation in his anti-war address sponsored by Brooklyn for Peace held at the Park
Slope Methodist Church.
During the question and answer session that followed an audience member pointed out the event was taking place on Gandhi's birthday.
Photo: Tom Martinez
718-915-2600
A reported in the Brooklyn Heights Blog via The Brooklyn Bugle, there wil be "two tours of the construction areas of the
park-in-progress during the Atlantic Antic street fair on Sunday.
On Monday, Pechefsky will be participating in a Democracy Forum at Old First Church with Brad Lander and Joe Nardiello, the other candidates for City Council int the 39th. Pechefsky had this to say about Tom Hayden's lecture.
Photo by Tom Martinez
2) Help Expand the Park Slope Historic District
3) Halloween Volunteers Needed
4) Community Forum Saturday on Planned Renovations to the Park
Slope Public Library
| 1. | Ava |
| 2. | Emma +3 |
| 3. | Emily -1 |
| 4. | Olivia |
| 5. | Sophia -2 |
| 6. | Chloe +4 |
| 7. | Isabella +1 |
| 8. | Hannah -2 |
| 9. | Abigail +6 |
| 10. | Madison +1 |
| 11. | Ella -4 |
| 12. | Sophie |
| 13. | Sarah -4 |
| 14. | Lily -1 |
| 15. | Brooklyn +1 |
| 16. | Taylor +1 |
| 17. | Maya +6 |
| 18. | Grace -4 |
| 19. | Hailey +4 |
| 20. | Elizabeth +1 |
| 21. | Samantha -3 |
| 22. | Avery +12 |
| 23. | Alexis +16 |
| 24. | Lauren +3 |
| 25. | Mia +17 |
Not to toot my own horn but last night's Brooklyn Reading Works, Young, Gifted & Black (Men) really rocked.
James Hannaham, Victor LaValle and Clifford Thompson read terrific work and there was a great discussion afterward about voice, process, and literary and other influences.
Martha Southgate curated, introduced the authors and led the Q&A. Martha will be back in June to read her own fiction and to present other writers as well.
Take a look at these author's websites. Buy their books. And come to the next Brooklyn Reading Works on October 15th: Poetry Punch. Yeah.
addition to the crafts, foods and local wares there will be music.
I've put together the locations, times and bands for you. Although
most of this information is from the offical Atlantic Antic website,
where I've been able to learn a more exact time for a band, I've noted
that as well.
Chip Shop, 128 Atlantic Avenue (between Henry Street and Clinton
Street)
On and off all day starting at 12:00pm The Windsor Terrors
Last Exit, 136 Atlantic Avenue (between Henry Street and Clinton
Street)
12:00pm – 1:00pm DJ Momotaro
1:00pm –
2:00pm Bill Carney's Jug Addicts
2:00pm – 3:30pm DJ
Morotaro and his dancing girls
3:30pm – 6:00pm Les Sans
Culottes (probably will play sets at 3:30 and 5pm)
6:00pm – ? DJ Mr. Lee
Waterfront Ale House, 155 Atlantic Avenue (between Henry Street and
Clinton Street)
From 1:00pm – 6:00pm
Popa
Chubby (probably will appear at 2pm)
Big Ed Sullivan
Dimitri
Black Coffee Blues Band
Brazen Head, 228 Atlantic Avenue (between Court Street and Boerum
Place)
1:30pm – 4:30pm The Dysfunctional Family Jazz Band
Downtown Atlantic, 364 Atlantic Avenue (between Bond Street and Hoyt
Street)
2:00pm – 4:00pm Joe Vicino & The Smoke Daddys
4:30pm – 6:00pm Carl Thompson & Friends
Hank's, 46 3rd Avenue (between Nevins Street and 3rd Avenue)
On
and off all day starting at 1:00pm
The Demolition String Band (will play a set at 2pm)
Tash Brothers Band
I can hardily heartily recommend The Demolition String Band (and actually have done so before here). Although the name
sounds old timey, the DSB can not only play country, they can rock out
as well. If you are in the vicinity of Hank's, you'll do yourself a
favor if you catch them.
–Eliot Wagner
Due to the recent murders in Sunset Park involving Mexican gang
members, the 72nd Precinct will be hosting a forum with police
officials, clergy, and former gang members in an effort to educate
parents.
After talking to some of the parents of both the victims and
perpetrators, Deputy Inspector Jesus "Raul" Pintos, Commanding Officer with the 72nd Precinct, realized that some of these parents are in denial or
simply unaware of their kid's affiliation with local gangs.
According to Deputy Inspector Pintos, "one mother didn't know that her son was in a gang despite
countless gang tattoos all over his body. I feel that these parents
need to know what to look for, including tattoos and gang signs."
The 72nd Precinct is scheduling guest speakers from the NYPD's Gang Division (Det
Ramos, from Queens Gang, an expert in Hispanic gangs). Also, former
gang members (we have a few that are willing to speak) and family
members of victims of gang violence. In addition, Ointos will address the
attendees as will the youth officers from the 72nd Precinct.
The forum is scheduled for
October 15 at 6:30 PM at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, located 545 60th
Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues).
BAX is
hosting a fund raiser this weekend, the BAX Super Sale. It’s a stoop sale on
the corner of 6th Avenue and Third Street in Park Slope.
Third Street and 6th Avenue? That's right near where I live! What a great location.
Again the
date is Sunday, October 4th. The sale begins at 11 am and will go
until 5 pm. If people wish to drop off things for the sale that will happen
the day of the sale, from 8- 10 am.
This sale is to benefit BAX which offers arts and enrichment classes for kids and adults. In fact, I will be teaching a HOW TO BLOG class there in December.
BAX, Park Slope's arts education and performance treasure, was founded in 1991, as a small, pioneer arts organization on an
industrial block in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn. In 1998, BAX moved to
lower Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn to accommodate a growing
demand for services. By 2006, BAX had achieved most of its programmatic
and infrastructure expansion goals and seized the opportunity to expand
to a second floor and create THE BAX BUILDING. BAX currently has five full-time and four part-time employees, a roster of 24 teaching artists, four interns and volunteers.
BAX is a place that connects people. It is a rigorous forum for
ideas and creativity. A place for families, artists, students, and
audiences — a community asset. BAX provides advocacy and opportunities
for emerging and mid level professional dance and theater artists to
develop, grow, explore and present new work. BAX is also well known for
its comprehensive youth programs that support young people, toddlers
through teens, in their pursuit of creative skills and experiences in
dance and theater.
SHOP THE SUPER SALE
You will find:
nearly new train table
baby/children’s clothing
toys
play equipment
halloween costumes
IKEA lanterns
desks, chairs
women’s clothing & shoes
men’s coats
tools
exercise equipment
scanner/computer equipment
kitchen stuff
cd’s, books, art supplies
and MORE!
This event
is being sponsored by www.1800gotjunk.com/nyc/
On Tuesday night, David Yassky lost his bid to be the city's next comptroller a job that, according to Tom Robbins in the Village Voice, he is "tailor-made to be."
So, after two terms as City Council member for the 33rd district, what does this mean for Yassky's future? Yassky was at a similar crossroads when he lost his bid for the congressional seat now held by Yvette Clarke.
At the end of December, he'll be out of a job as he will no longer be representing a district that includes Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Williamsburg, Navy Yard and Greenpoint.
Many think it was his vote to eliminate term limits that cost him the election.
On election night he told the Brooklyn Paper: “For the rest of the year, I intend to focus on completing my
service to the district. In the short term, I’m going to get a few good night’s sleep. Then I’ll
think about my future.”
Indeed, it was a tough race with a very low voter turnout in the primary and the run-off on September 29th. While Yassky had endorsements from all the major NCY newspapers, including the New York Times, the Daily News, the New York Post and the Brooklyn Paper and Senator Chuck Schumer's support, his opponent, John Liu, had organized labor on his side and a lot of big endorsements as well.
Liu won with 127,000
votes to Yassky’s 101,000. Yassky said in his concession speech on Tuesday night that he is sure that John Liu will do a good job as City Comptroller.
The Third Annual Red Hook International Film Festival will be dedicated to Robert Guskind, the legendary blogger who created the much missed blog Gowanus Lounge. Guskind died in February.
The
festival's opening film will be Blue Barn Picture's special tribute to
Guskind. According to festival planners, "the entire festival is dedicated to Robert Guskind, to The Gowanus Lounge,
and to local storytelling."
The
Red Hook Film Festival takes place on October 3rd and 4th at the
Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition screening room at 499 Van Brunt
Street. The screenings begin at 1pm on Saturday Oct. 3rd, with "Robert Guskind: 1958-2009" by Blue Barn Pictures, followed by a special 10th anniversary screening of the seminal Brooklyn documentary "Lavendar Lake: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal" directed by Alison Prete.
The
rest of the weekend will feature short film gems from neighborhoods
around Brooklyn, including pieces about a Bushwick tailor, rooftop
farms in Greenpoint, the Atlantic Yards boondoggle, Coney Island's lost
roller coaster, Williamsburg industry, and a whole program of films
about Red Hook!
The screening schedule can be seen online at www.redhookfilmfest.com and at www.myspace.com/redhookfilmfestival
web: www.redhookfilmfest.com
myspace: www.myspace.com/redhookfilmfestival
facebook: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165019430983
It's hard to choose so do them both if you can. This year, the Red Hook International Film Festival is dedicated to Robert Guskind (1958-2009) of Gowanus Lounge and there will be showing a short video tribute to Guskind created by Blue Barn Pictures. I happen to love that video.
Coney Island Film Festival at Sideshows by the Seashore [1208 Surf Ave.
at W. 12th Street, (718) 372 5159]. Oct. 2–4. Prices vary. For schedule
and details, visit www.coneyislandfilmfestival.com;
Red Hook International Film Festival at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists
Screening Room [499 Van Brunt St. south of Reed Street, (718)
596-2506]. Oct. 3–4. For full schedule, visit www.redhookfilmfest.com.
The Brooklyn Paper reports that Brooklynites will finally get a chance to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Manhattan Bridge.
This weekend, there will be tours, a parade, lectures and fireworks on Sunday. Says the Brooklyn Paper:
It's a party fit for a bridge that has never gotten its due, despite being
superior to the Brooklyn Bridge in almost every important way:
• The Manny B carries more people every day than any bridge in the
city — even more than the George Washington — thanks to its subway
lines. About 400,000 people cross the span every day.
• And best of all, it taught generations of engineers what not to do when building a bridge.
Brooklyn Reading Works presents: Young, Gifted and Black (Men) curated by Martha Southgate with Clifford Thompson, Victor LaValle and James Hannham.
Where: The Old Stone House on Fifth Avenue and 3rd Street in Park Slope
When: October 1, 2009 at 8 p.m.
James Hannaham's stories have appeared in The Literary Review, Open City and Nerve, and one is about to show up in One Story.
He has received fellowships from The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, The Blue
Mountain Center, Chateau de Lavigny, and Fundacion Valparaiso. He
teaches creative writing at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and lives
near there. His first novel, God Says No, came out through McSweeney's Books in late May of 2009. An excerpt from the book appears in McSweeney's 31, which looks a lot like a yearbook, binding-wise.
Victor LaValle is the author of slapboxing with jesus, a collection of stories, and two novels, The Ecstatic and Big Machine.
He has received numerous awards including a Whiting Writers' Award, a
United States Artist's Ford Fellowship, and the key to Southeast
Queens. His website is victorlavalle.com
Clifford Thompson grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended
Oberlin College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. His
essays on literature, film, jazz, and other subjects have appeared in
publications including The Threepenny Review, Commonweal, Cineaste, Film Quarterly, The Iowa
Review, Black Issues Book Review, and The Best American Movie
Writing. He is the editor of the H.W. Wilson publication Current
Biography. Thompson lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two
children. Signifying Nothing is his
first novel.
Martha Southgate is the author of three novels,
most recently Third Girl from the Left
which was published in paperback by Houghton Mifflin in September 2006.
It won the Best Novel of the year award from the Black Caucus of the
American Library Association. She received a 2002 New York Foundation
for the Arts grant and has received fellowships from the MacDowell
Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Bread Loaf
Writers Conference. Her July 2007 essay from the New York Times Book
Review, “Writers Like Me” appears in the recent anthology Best
African-American Essays 2008. Previous non-fiction articles have
appeared in The New York Times Magazine, O, Premiere, and Essence. She
also has essays in the recent anthologies Behind the Bedroom Door and
Heavy Rotation: Writers on the Albums That Changed Their Lives. She is
working on her next novel, to be published by Algonquin Books. You can
visit her website at www.marthasouthgate.co
And here's the fab schedule for the 5th anniversary season of Brooklyn Reading Works:
October 15: POETRY PUNCH curated by Michele Madigan Somerville
November 19 at 7 p.m. YOUNG WRITERS curated by Jill Eisenstadt (note: earlier start time)
December 10: FEAST: WRITERS ON FOOD curated by Michele Madigan Somerville. A benefit for a local soup kitchen.
January: 21: TIN HOUSE READING curated by Rob Sillman
February 11: MEMOIRATHON curated by Branka Ruzak
March 18: BLARNEYPALOOZA curated by Michele Madigan Somerville
April 15: TRUTH AND MONEY Curated by John Guidry
May 13: 4TH ANNUAL EDGY MOTHER'S DAY
June 13: FICTION IN A BLENDER Curated by Martha Southgate
The Old Stone House is located on Fifth Avenue at Third Street in Park Slope, 718-768-3195. Directions here.
There's an interesting series of shows show this fall and winter over
in Brooklyn Heights. The First Unitarian Church, located at the corner
of Pierrepont Street and Monroe Place (across from the courthouse and
up the block from St. Anne's school) is hosting a series of shows
titled First Acoustics. The series includes both folk, folk-rock and
jazz performers. The next show features Kate Taylor and is this
coming Friday October 3rd. Other performers of note appearing in the
future include Patty Larkin, Christine Lavin, The Kennedys, Tom Rush
and Livingston Taylor. Check the schedule for the full line up.
First Acoustics, The First Unitarian Church, Pierrepont Street and
Monroe Place (2, 3 or 4 Trains to Borough Hall; R Train to Court
Street), $30 ($5 surcharge for tickets bought at the door).
–Eliot Wagner
Brooklyn Reading Works presents: Young, Gifted and Black (Men) with Clifford Thompson, Victor LaValle and James Hannham. This reading is curated by Martha Southgate.
Where: The Old Stone House on Fifth Avenue and 3rd Street in Park Slope
When: October 1, 2009 at 8 p.m.
James Hannaham's stories have appeared in The Literary Review, Open City and Nerve, and one is about to show up in One Story.
He has received fellowships from The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, The Blue
Mountain Center, Chateau de Lavigny, and Fundacion Valparaiso. He
teaches creative writing at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and lives
near there. His first novel, God Says No, came out through McSweeney's Books in late May of 2009. An excerpt from the book appears in McSweeney's 31, which looks a lot like a yearbook, binding-wise.
Victor LaValle is the author of slapboxing with jesus, a collection of stories, and two novels, The Ecstatic and Big Machine.
He has received numerous awards including a Whiting Writers' Award, a
United States Artist's Ford Fellowship, and the key to Southeast
Queens. His website is victorlavalle.com
Clifford Thompson grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended
Oberlin College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. His
essays on literature, film, jazz, and other subjects have appeared in
publications including The Threepenny Review, Commonweal, Cineaste, Film Quarterly, The Iowa
Review, Black Issues Book Review, and The Best American Movie
Writing. He is the editor of the H.W. Wilson publication Current
Biography. Thompson lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two
children. Signifying Nothing is his
first novel.
Martha Southgate is the author of three novels,
most recently Third Girl from the Left
which was published in paperback by Houghton Mifflin in September 2006.
It won the Best Novel of the year award from the Black Caucus of the
American Library Association. She received a 2002 New York Foundation
for the Arts grant and has received fellowships from the MacDowell
Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Bread Loaf
Writers Conference. Her July 2007 essay from the New York Times Book
Review, “Writers Like Me” appears in the recent anthology Best
African-American Essays 2008. Previous non-fiction articles have
appeared in The New York Times Magazine, O, Premiere, and Essence. She
also has essays in the recent anthologies Behind the Bedroom Door and
Heavy Rotation: Writers on the Albums That Changed Their Lives. She is
working on her next novel, to be published by Algonquin Books. You can
visit her website at www.marthasouthgate.co
And here's the rest of the fab schedule for the 5th anniversary season of Brooklyn Reading Works:
October 15: POETRY PUNCH curated by Michele Madigan Somerville
November 19 at 7 p.m. YOUNG WRITERS curated by Jill Eisenstadt (note: earlier start time)
December 10: FEAST: WRITERS ON FOOD curated by Michele Madigan Somerville. A benefit for a local soup kitchen.
January: 21: TIN HOUSE READING curated by Rob Sillman
February 11: MEMOIRATHON curated by Branka Ruzak
March 18: BLARNEYPALOOZA curated by Michele Madigan Somerville
April 15: TRUTH AND MONEY Curated by John Guidry
May 13: 4TH ANNUAL EDGY MOTHER'S DAY
June 13: FICTION IN A BLENDER Curated by Martha Southgate
The Old Stone House is located on Fifth Avenue at Third Street in Park Slope, 718-768-3195. Directions here.
My friend over at Phatush Diaries is FUNNY. And she's writing again. Which thrills me no end. You gotta read this woman who may be the edgiest mom around. Here's an excerpt but read the rest at her blog.
Yes
….I know that we are planning to bring something in to celebrate our
kid's birthday that both happen to fall in the month of September.
Yes, I know that your daughter has an allergy to wheat, dairy, eggs, milk, cheese, yada ……yada ….yada…..
Yes, I know that last year I made those great tasting rice crispy treats ……
BUT …..
I'M NOT DOING THAT CRAP AGAIN …. NO WAY ….
FIRST…
MY 2 high end Calphalon pots look like they were burned in Chernobyl……
Don't
dismay ……the gym teacher is still getting good use out of the burnt
rice crispy treats a full year later …. as sporting equipment for the
5th grade intramural soccer team.
Your
idea of bringing in a healthy snack ………apples and honey (in honor
of the holiday) to celebrate our kid's birthdays ….SUCKS ASS.
Who ever heard of blowing out a flaming apple????
Your other suggestion …That I run out to Junior's, and pick your daughter up her own $13 dollar slice of cheesecake…..shows me one thing ….THAT YOU ARE A CRAZY MESHUGENAH CUNT!!!!!!!
Get this straight …...
You will eat the Betty Crocker Vanilla Cupcakes that I will frost in the back of my Jeep 15 minutes before the party …
Oh….BTW
….you may want to brush off the ashes from my Camel Light ….(it's
not sprinkles) ….and pick out some of the dog hair.
Tonight at Bar Reis playing Delta Blues: Moira Meltzer-Cohen and her dad, blues guitarist Andy Cohen.
Remember Moira? She's the awesome Bar Reis bartender who is now getting her law degree at CUNY Law School. She comes from a family of civil rights lawyers and blues guitarists and is really an awesome gal.
According to Mo, her dad is "one of the most seriously awesome guitarists you will
ever see." Mo loves to sing and they're going to play a set of pre-war Delta Blues to raise money to benefit the Mississippi
Project at CUNY School of Law.
There is no cover but they are soliciting
donations (which can be tax dediuctible if you write a check) which
will go to the material and administrative costs of sending 15 law
students (including Moira) to the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans to
volunteer with the ACLU and the Innocence Project to provide legal aid
to citizens who need it most.
It's all happening on Wednesday night 7-9 p.m:
Bar Reis
375 Fifth Avenue near 6th Street in Park Slope
In the 1960's Tom Hayden was an anti-war activist at the University of Michigan, and a
founding member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in 1961. He
was one of the authors of the Port Huron Statement, described by Howard Zinn as "one of those historic documents which
represents an era."
After forty years of activism, elected office (he was a California State Senator) and writing, Hayden is still a strong voice for ending the war in Iraq, eradicating
sweatshops, saving the environment, and reforming politics through
greater citizen participation.
The author or editor of thirteen
books, he comes to the Park Slope Methodist Church for a conversation sponsored by Brooklyn for Peace.
Does U. S. foreign policy in Iraq, Afghansitan and Pakistan mean Endless War? on Friday, October 2, 7:30 pm at the Park Slope United Methodist Church, 6th Ave. and 8th St., Brooklyn
Q and A with follow the talk.
Free Admission, donations gratefully accepted
Reception follows the event.
Sponsors: Brooklyn For Peace
Park Slope United Methodist Church Social Action Committee
Info@brooklynpeace.org
718 624-5921
http://www.brooklynpeace.org
The race for Bill De Blasio's seat in the City Council in the 39th district isn't over. Brad Lander may have won the Democratic primary but he still faces Republican Joe Nardiello and Green candidate David Pechefsky (pictured right) in the general election. On Monday October 5th, the three will meet at a Democracy Forum at Old First Church.
City Council Candidates for District 39 David Pechefsky, Brad Lander, and Joe Nardiello will
lead a discussion on democracy following a free screening of the documentary Please Vote for Me (http://pleasevoteforme.org/index.html) a film about an election for class monitor
in a third grade class in China, complete
with intimidation, bribery, and vote rigging! The film will be the jumping off
point for examining democracy in New York City.
The screening and discussion
takes place Monday, October 5, 7-9 p.m."
Old First Church,
7th Avenue and Carroll Street in Park
Slope
Learn more about Steve Levin, our 28-year-old candidate apparent for David Yassky's City Council seat in the 33rd district. According to the Brooklyn Bugle, there's an interview with him in City Hall's "40 Under 40: The Next Political Leaders of New York."
Levin is running against Republican Elizabeth Tretter in what is a largely Democratic district.
“My friend and mentor Vito Lopez,” he says. “I would not have been elected if it were not for him.”
Indeed,
the former chief-of-staff for the Assembly Housing chair and Brooklyn
Democratic leader says that his old boss has given him lots of advice
over the years, but that he led more by example.
“He is a
tireless worker and he always does everything he can for the people he
represents,” Levin said. “It comes from the heart.”
But when the
Brown University graduate was deciding whether or not to make a run for
the Council, he did not only get heart-to-hearts from local political
big wigs. His father’s first cousins, Michigan Senator Carl Levin and
his brother, Rep. Sandy Levin, weighed in as well.
“They both
encouraged me to go for it,” he said. “They said work hard, be true to
yourself, and always try to do the right thing.”
But, he added, the real motivation came from within.
“I’ve always wanted to serve people and to make people’s lives better,” he said. “That’s been the goal all along.”
How
did your past jobs get you to where you are today? My past jobs were as
a community organizer and chief of staff to Vito Lopez, and there has
always been a commitment to serving people and serving their needs.
If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing: Public interest law
Five years from now, what will it say on your business card: Councilmember for the 33rd district
Who would play you in the movie? Harry Connick, Jr.
Back by popular demand, Brownstone Voyeur, a collaboration between casaCARA and OTBKB. For more pictures and text go to CasaCARA.
THIS APARTMENT IS REALLY SMALL. If you dance like a dervish, I wouldn’t recommend doing it in Jane Rosenbaum’s apartment.
Just two rooms totaling 375 square feet in a pre-war State Street rental building, it’s nevertheless got a ton of charm and some good DIY ideas, yours for the copying. Such as:
Moving on to the only other room, the kitchen:
