BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today? Check here for Brooklyn weather.
SPRING FORWARD NEXT WEEK: Though Europe switched over on Sunday, daylight savings time
for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place NEXT weekend. Set your clocks
ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3, 2005.
CITY NEWS: The right to distribute leaflets in front of schools is upheld by a
Federal Court. A group was seeking to stop army recruiters from setting
up tables in front of school.
the settlement, reached earlier this month in Federal District Court in
Manhattan, and dated March 16, the New York Civil Liberties Union,
which represented the group, the Ya-Ya Network, and lawyers for the
city agreed that the department would instruct police officers that a
state law against loitering near schools and colleges "does not apply
to First Amendment activity."
The Police
Department issued a one-page directive to all precincts on March 21
instructing police officers not to enforce the loitering law against
First Amendment activity, including "the holding of signs, placards and
leaflets, chanting and singing."
_New York University will
limit student’s access to balconies in two
dormitories. The school also installed a plexiglass guard wall in the
school’s main library. This is all part of the school’s effort to
prevent
student suicides. Last year there were five such deaths.
_iPods are getting stolen on the subway pushing up city’s subway crime rate, which is up for the first time in years.
_City to get hybrid buses instead of those powered by natural gas.
_Mayor kicks off major pot hole repair blitz attempting to fix damage caused by winter storms.
_As of Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.
_There’s a growing blog community of New York City public school teachers. MildlyMelancholy, Judysmoh, and others are sites where teachers can openly vent about what they really think and feel about their jobs.
BROOKLYN BEAT: OTBKB has word that there have been a number of muggings between President and Ninth Street in Park Slope. The victims are women who are talking on their cell phones. The suspect surprises them from behind, puts his hand over their mouth and asks for money. Apparently he hasn’ t hurt anyone. He just takes the cash and runs. There was an incident on Tuesday at 4 p.m. on President Street on or near 8th Avenue. If you have any information, please call the 78th Precint Pct., re: Pattern 29. 718-636-6484.
_The Department of
Education has instructed high-demand middle schools in District 15 to
admit 20-40 additional applicants. Parents were outraged when in-demand
middle schools rejected 550 qualified applicants."
_New York wants to reclaim the movie and TV production that’s been
going to Candada and other lower-priced shooting locations by offering
tax credits and other incentives. The city is hoping that the recently
completed Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard will attract movie
and television producers.
_ Workers at the Vox Pop Coffee Shop ("Books, Coffee, Demoracy") on Cortylou Avenue in Ditmas Park unanimously joined the
Industrial Workers of the World last week. The employees join a growing
movement of NYC retail workers, including Starbucks baristas, who are
striving to increase union membership in the industry. Check out the Vox Pop web site.
"Play without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, the
most important contemporary choreographer in Britian. 8 p.m. at BAM.
IT’S THURSDAY 3/31: Park Slope author James Grant reads from his book: "John Adams: Party
of One." Old Stone House, JJ Byrne Park. Third Street between Fourth
and Fifth Avenue. 7 p.m.
Who’s Afraid of Mike Nichols Film Series. March 31 – April 19th. This BAMCinematek program
includes: "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal
Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more. This Thursday, March
31 at 7 p.m. Q & A with Nichols following "The Graduate."
"Play without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most
important contemporary choreographers in Britian. 8 p.m. at BAM.
THIS SOUNDS COOL: Valentines. Portraits by Hugh Crawford at Fou Le Chakra. Opening 3 p.m. 4/2. 411 Seventh Avenue
_Pianist Anthony Coleman plays the music of Jelly Roll Morton at Barbes on Friday night. April 1. 7 p.m. And at 10 p.m.: The Wiyos, a band that combines Django Reinhardt, Gershwin, Doc Watson, Fats Waller and vaudeville.
_First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. April 2nd. 6:30 –
8:30: Use oil pastels to creat your own Basquiat-inspired symbol on
canvas. At 7 p.m. there’s a public reading of Whitman’s Leaves of
Grass followed by a musical setting of the poems by members of the
Brooklyn Philharmonic. Then it’s time to do some LATIN DANCING in the
Rotunda.
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WORTH TAKING A LOOK: In the documentary, "Let’s Get Real" kids speak out about
bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The
film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including
racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning
disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will
follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East
59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages
10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com
HERE/SAY: "
Calling somebody else fat won’t make you any skinnier. Calling someone
stupid doesn’t make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George’s life
definitely didn’t make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to
solve the problem in front of you." From the 2004 film "Mean Girls."