Make Mine a Double: Why Women Like Us Like To Drink (Or Not). Univ. Pr. of New England.Sept. 2011. c.192p. ed. by Gina Barreca. ISBN 9781584657590. $19.95. BEVERAGES

You don’t have to drink to enjoy this fine collection of short stories, poems, and essays edited by Barreca (English & feminist theory, Univ. of Connecticut; It’s Not That I’m Bitter…, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying About Visible Panty Lines and Conquered the World); the complex web of social, cultural, and political factors around women and alcohol will envelop both partakers and teetotalers. The selections run the gamut: Greta Scheibel recalls challenging norms by imbibing publicly in Tanzania; Sarah Rasher discusses negotiating the mores of drinking (and sexual preference) in Japan; Sarah Deming cleverly decries snobbishness and asks for a bartender who will simply make what’s ordered; Susan Campbell narrates her search for the perfect drink, which ultimately led her to soda; and Louise Crawford considers the volatile social cocktail of moms and booze. This reviewer swallowed the collection in a single, greedy gulp, but other readers may prefer to savor slowly the nearly 30 works by an impressive list of contributors (e.g., Amy Bloom, Jill Eisenstadt, and Wendy Liebman). VERDICT In lieu of an evening out with the intelligent, witty contributors, this laugh-out-loud funny, touching, thought-provoking collection is highly recommended.—Courtney Greene, Indiana Univ. Libs., Bloomington

Millennium Brooklyn High School is on the DOE’s list of 22 new small high schools. It’s not too late to reorder your child’s high school application if you want to apply there for next fall.

If you or your child is interested in Millenium Brooklyn, you can also attend an open house at founding principal Lisa Gioe’s current school, M.S. 447 on Dean Street between Third Avenue and Nevins Street on Wednesday, Feb. 16th at 6PM.

Here’s my story from this week’s Park Slope Patch. I attended last weekend’s New High School Fair and came back with this report. The High School confidential Illustration is by Kevin Kocses: www.kevinkocses.carbonmade.com

Much has been written about the announcement — and subsequent controversy — over the Department of Education’s decision to place Millennium Brooklyn in the John Jay High School Complex in Park Slope.

Far less is actually known about the new school itself, a replicate of the highly successful Millennium High School in Manhattan. That’s why I rode on the subway up to the New High School Fair on Sunday at the Martin Luther King, Jr. High School building on the Upper West Side in a heightened state of curiosity and anticipation. Full disclosure: my daughter is an eighth grader, who is in the midst of the arduous and sometimes tortuous NYC high school admissions process.

I wanted to see for myself what the planners of the new school have in mind.

Lisa Gioe, the principal of Millennium Brooklyn, stood in front of a folding table covered in brochures and sign-up sheets, talking to parents and students. A petite woman with wispy blonde hair, she looks very young for someone who has been a mover and shaker in the New York City school system for 18 years.

Clearly she is not as young as she looks. The mother of three who is well on her way to a doctorate in education from Columbia University, Gioe is currently the principal of the Math and Science Exploratory School, a school she founded in 2003. It goes without saying that Gioe knows a thing or two about starting—and leading—a new school.

“The most important thing is to have structures and systems in place. That way the new school can function and everyone knows what to do. We know who’s in charge of what if there’s structure and transparency,” she told me.

Gioe and her planning team, which includes the principal and other consultants from Millennium Manhattan, are hard at work putting these structures in place so that the 108 incoming freshman will enter a functioning school next fall.

While Gioe has yet to actually select teachers, administration and students, she has a very clear vision of the school she plans to create.

“Millennium Brooklyn will have a rigorous, college prep program with an inquiry based curriculum, an advisory system and a strong emphasis on writing and research,” she told one parent.

Gioe spoke clearly and calmly as parents pelted her with questions.

“Students are required to take four years of English, Social Studies, Math and Science as well as three years of a foreign language,” she told one mom.

“What languages will be taught?” asked another parent.

“There will be a Spanish teacher at the school but students will be able to take computer courses in German, French, Mandarin and other languages with a facilitator in the classroom,” she said.

“What about art and other electives?”

As the school expands, Gioe explained, there will be after school programs in architecture, engineering, Lego Robotics, art, photography, PSAL sports, student government and student newspaper will be offered. She later told me that the school might collaborate with Fort Greene’s Irondale Theater on a drama after-school program.

No doubt about it: it’s tricky to assess a brand new school that has no track record. Typically parents want to know graduation rates, SAT scores, AP courses and college admissions. They want stats and they want ‘em bad. Enrolling in a brand new NYC public school can feel like a leap of faith.

That said, there is sure to be comfort in the fact that Millennium Brooklyn is partially a replication of a high school with a 97 percent graduation rate led by the principal of a very successful middle school that is considered one of the most popular schools in District 15. My first impression is that the hard-working Ms. Gioe is the one for the job. I found myself getting excited about a student-centered educational community with a rigorous curriculum that aims to foster life-long learners.

But don’t expect Millennium Brooklyn to be a clone of its Manhattan forebear. The school will reflect Ms. Gioe’s passion for writing and collaborative projects. It will also be NYC’s first public high school with an ASD NEST program for high functioning students with Aspergers.

So what can parents expect next fall?

Ninth grade students will be assigned an advisory class of 15-18 students who will remain together throughout their four high school years. The advisor is the student’s advocate and functions as the primary contact with the parent.

Students will also participate in an exploratory learning program, where they will be assigned two long term project-based investigations per year for the development of writing skills in collaboration with science institutions, museums, or community based organizations.

Internships will also be a major component of the Millennium Brooklyn learning experience.

And what about college admissions? That was my question and I wanted to know whether she was hiring a college advisor right away.

“We’ll be hiring a college advisor the second year. The first year I’m hiring a social worker,” Ms. Gioe told me.

Millennium Brooklyn will occupy part of a floor in the John Jay building, which houses three other high schools and has metal detectors at the entrance. Those detectors will soon be phased out, something the existing schools have been advocating for ages. Millennium will share the lunchroom, auditorium, gymnasium and possibly some science labs with the other schools. The school day will go from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. with an after-school program offered to all. The students will be allowed to leave the school for lunch.

Millennium Brooklyn is a screened program, which you can learn more about on their website.

Don’t believe everything you read: The famous “Pink House” of Garfield Place is not for sale.

Bloggers and even the Daily News were buzzing this week that Bernie Henry, who famously painted his classic Park Slope brownstone salmon pink in the 1960s, was selling the empty nest and moving to a smaller place nearby.

But the house is not on the market, a real-estate source told The Brooklyn Paper, because Henry’s grandson is under investigation for forging key documents that have put a cloud over who has legal ownership of the building.

Henry, 92, said he couldn’t speak about the matter on Wednesday because his ailing wife had just died

I just got back from the hate parade
that the Westboro Baptist Church staged this morning in front of Temple
Beth Elohim on Garfield and 8th Avenue. There's a bunch of shit that I
want to tell you about it, but basically this was my take away:

• As much as we may bitch around here, I'm so grateful and proud to
  live in a community that totally gets that these people are hateful,
  pathetic idiots.
• These people are hateful, pathetic idiots.
• Fuck yeah, Jews!
• Fuck yeah, Fags!
• Fuck yeah, counter protesting!

I have to admit, I gave some serious thought to Jake Taylor's comment on our original post about just ignoring these lowlifes–how getting all riled up about them is exactly
what they want. However, after waking up early on a Saturday morn and
hauling my ass down there, I have to say: I now totally disagree.

Cause it felt AWESOME to be there on the other side of the street from
the Westboro-tards with a huge, loud crowd that included my husband, my
Twitter friends, BREEDERS, BALLERS, politically active dogs, adorable
kids (yes, you read that right), and loads of other peeps who were all
spreadin love, Biggie style, the Brooklyn way.

1.Why is this flu different from all other flus? 

The flu virus changes (shifts) slightly every year, enough to cause
annual  epidemics — the normal community-wide outbreaks that we 
experience every winter.  But every once in a while — 3 times per
century on average –a major change (drift) occurs, resulting in a 
novel strain.  It is so different from all other strains that even if
you've
been exposed to or vaccinated against all previous flu strains in your
lifetime, you are unlikely to be immune to it.  Therefore there are
widespread outbreaks all over the world — a pandemic.

2.  Will there be a vaccine for this novel pandemic flu?  Will it be
safe since it is so new?

Yes
– in October.  Since the strain was first isolated last year, the 
vaccine makers have been working on it.  Although it is a new strain,
the vaccine is made just the way other flu vaccines are made –
immunologically, every flu vaccine is specific to the strain expected
to emerge that season, and therefore new every year –but the  basic
recipe, if you will, for the vaccine is exactly the same.  So it is
neither newer nor more experimental than the  annual flu vaccine, which
has a good safety record.  Moreover, since the H1N1 strain has remained
very stable since its emergence, we know that the vaccine is a good
match for the virus, whereas the annual vaccine may sometimes miss the
mark a bit.

3. Will there be special chemicals that are untested added to this vaccine?

No.   Some
vaccines have immune- stimulating compounds called adjuvants added to
them, and there was some discussion of adding these compounds to the
H1N1 vaccine in the event that the vaccine supply fell short, butthe
discussion was theoretical  only and these technologies have not been
implemented in the US.

4.Does the H1N1 vaccine contain mercury or thimerosal?

All flu vaccines are available in thimerosal-free  formulations.

5. Who should get H1N1 vaccine and will seasonal flu vaccine protect
against the H1N1 strain?

Eventually,
as supplies permit it, widespread vaccination will truncate this
pandemic (the first of the century).  For the present, vaccine  is
being triaged to pregnant women and children, as well as those with
chronic illnesses.  This is because so far, more cases have been
occurring in children, perhaps because older people have partial
resistance, and because pregnant women are at higher risk for
complications.  An added benefit  is that the infants of vaccinated
women
will be born with some immunity to this strain.     Seasonal flu
vaccine is recommended for everyone age 6 months and up, especially
pregnant women.  Seasonal flu vaccine does not appear to give any
protection against the H1N1.

6.  Since seasonal flu is usually mild, and since so far the H1N1 is
tending to be clinically mild, is it necessary to be vaccinated?  Why
not just catch the flu, and  take anti-flu drugs such as Tamiflu
(oseltamivir)?

 
    Influenza is usually a mild and self-limited disease. It tends to
be more severe in young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and
people with chronic illnesses. However, the majority of the 40,000
deaths
and 200,000 hospitalizations  per year from influenza in the USA occur
in previously healthy people.  Since flu is so highly contagious,
eating well, taking supplements, and following guidelines for healthy
living, are not helpful strategies for preventing infection , or for
preventing complications of infection which may lead to
hospitalization, severe illness, or death. In the current pandemic,
more deaths would be expected in the pediatric age group as more cases
are occurring in children.  Another factor in the estimated burden of
disease has to do with the number of acute or intensive care beds
available, and the number of respirator machines available throughout
the country.  In a serious pandemic it is possible that the nation's 
capacity for acute respiratory support  would simply be overwhelmed.

 
   Currently, anti-flu medications are recommended only for children
under age 2, hospitalized patients, and those with underlying chronic
disease. It is desirable to restrict use of these drugs to prevent
viruses from developing resistance to them.  Widespread use of
currently available vaccines will decrease the number of cases and the
duration of outbreaks, and thus the overall burden of disease in our
communities.

     In recent years, especially in Great Britain and the USA,
vaccination
has taken on other social meanings, associated with fear of
environmental toxins, suspicion of the government and pharmaceutical
industry, fear of neurologic damage or long-term side effects, or the
desire to raise one's children in a simple or more natural fashion. It
is legitimate for individuals  to take these issues into consideration
as long as the risks are clearly understood — this is informed
consent.  Those choosing, with full knowledge of the facts, to decline
the flu vaccine, are making an acceptable decision both ethically and
legally, as this vaccine is not mandatory.  Those who do not have such
fears or objections should feel comfortable in taking the vaccine,
because the more uptake of vaccine, the less disease, and the less 
disease, the fewer adverse outcomes will occur. Widespread uptake of
vaccine not only safeguards individual health, but contributes to the
health of the community.

7.  How much will the vaccine cost?  Will insurance cover it?  How will it be administered?

All
doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been purchased by the government, and 
will be distributed through state and local health departments. 
Strategies
for distribution will vary from place to place.  There is no charge for
the vaccine itself, although there may be an office visit or
administrative fee charged by clinics and private offices.

Both
seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines are available in an injectable form
which is made from killed virus, and in a nasal spray containing live
virus which has been weakened, or attenuated, so that it cannot cause
infection.  Nose spray can be used in healthy patients aged 2 through
49 years, who do not have asthma or egg allergy.

As regards
co-administration of the vaccine, most patients age 9 and up will
receive one dose of each vaccine, in either or both modalities.
Children age 8 and younger will need 2 doses  of the H1N1 vaccine, and
1 dose of seasonal flu vaccine, and children receiving the seasonal flu
vaccine for the first time in their lives will need two doses of that
vaccine as well.  Final details regarding the timing of multiple doses
in young children and the mixing of the two forms of the vaccine will
be determined and made public when the vaccine is released for
administration in the next few weeks.

Sources:  Red Book of the American Academy of Pediatrics, CDC.gov,
Mandell's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases,Elsevier 2005.

Submitted by Philippa Gordon

There's a whole  lot of early American history in the Park Slope/Gowanus/Sunset Park area. The first battle of the Revolutionary War took place in Washington/JJ Byrne Park and that's what's celebrated every year during Battle week. Marilyn Pettit, Chair of the Old Stone House Board of Trustees explains:

Sunday August 23, 11 AM – 1 PM

Evergreens Cemetery Walking Tour

 

Evergreen
Cemetery presents a walking tour of the revolutionary war-related sites
of the cemetery. Meet at Evergreen Cemetery Main Gate, Bushwick Avenue
and Conway Street, Brooklyn.
718-455-5300/www.theevergreenscemetery.com/

Canoe
the Gowanus Canal and learn the history of this infamous escape route
for American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. 2nd Street between
Bond and the Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn.

718-768-3195/www.gowanuscanal.org/

Friday, August 28, 6 PM – 8 PM

Battle of Brooklyn Neighborhood Walk

Saturday, August 29, 11 AM - 12 PM

Maryland 400 Remembrance Ceremony

Saturday, August 29, 10 AM - 5 PM

Battle Days Reception

Old Stone House, JJ Byrne Park, 3rd Street at 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, OSH Gallery. Reenactors Welcome!

10 AM – 12 PM Green-Wood
historian Jeff Richman and author Barnet Schecter conduct a trolley
tour of the cemetery. Reservations necessary. $20 for the public, $10
for Historic Fund members. 718-768-7300

11:30 AM Tributes to George Washington's Irish Generals, The Bold Fenian Men/The Civil War, Irish Korean War Memorial, Matilda Tone

1:30 PM Parade to top of Battle Hill

2 PM Memorial Ceremony at Battle Hill; Micahel Callahan, Guest Speaker
 

Anyone who has ever walked by the Seventh Avenue PO knows how crowded it always is. It's not the most efficient place in the world but it's obviously a heavily used resource in this community. What are people supposed to do without a post office? Sure you can buy stamps online but what about packages.

People are wondering what they can do to fight this. Who should they call or write to make their opposition known?

Some thoughts:

Let's get our local elected officials on the case. Obviously we need to send word to our Borough President Marty Markowitz (who likes to think of himself as everyone's closest link to big government).

Next: Councilmembers David Yassky and Bill deBlasio, who both represent parts of Seventh Avenue, should be on the case explaining what's going on. 

And then: Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Community Board 6, could also be of help.

From there: The Mayor.

Maybe some of the City Council candidates have some BIG IDEAS about how to stop this from happening.

And then there's Bill C. Thompson and Tony Avella, candidates for Mayor.

Hellooooooooo out there. Anyone know how to stop this???? Anyone want to explain what's going on?