Monthly Archives: April 2005
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Bodacious Borough
Are we not the coolest borough?
Writing Scoop du Jour day after day, I am just amazed at how much goes on here.
And it’s not just BAM, although that bold institution does provide us with so much worthwhile culture. Just this week: Mark Morris Dance Group, a Jean-Luc Godard Film Festival at BAMCinematek, and Too Cool for Shul, alternative Jewish music at the BAMCafe every weekend in April.
And then there’s that mysterious and wonderful converted bathhouse on Fourth Avenue: The Brooklyn Lyceum. Starting Thursday April 21th, they are presenting the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival, which features 100 films from 12 countries.
But there are also smaller venues like Barbes on Ninth Street near Sixth Avenue. This tiny place features unbelievably interesting programming every night of the week in jazz, international music, films, literature and more. It may be the most visionary and ambitious venue in Brooklyn and it’s right here in Park Slope.
I could go on: Basquiat at BMA, films and readings at the Grand Army Plaza branch of the Brooklyn Public Library just about every night of the week, a big Brooklyn gallery happening this weekend (more info to come), the UniverSoul Circus in Prospect Park, and Hugh Crawford’s free portrait sittings at Fou Le Chakra the LAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON OF EVERY MONTH (next one April 24th, see Scoop and/or Grab-Bag for details). And don’t forget: poet Michele Somerville and novelist Pamela Katz at Brooklyn Reading Works on Thursday April 28th at Fou Le Chakra.
And more: the cherry trees are getting ready to bloom at the Botanic Gardens, and the Mermaid Parade is just around the corner.
So much to do, so little time. Brooklyn is tunring out to be a great place to be.
-Louise G. Crawford
SCCOP DU TUESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today? Check here for Brooklyn weather.
CITY NEWS: A female aid worker from the East Village was killled in a Iraq bombing. Marla Ruzicks, 27, founded the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, a humanitarian group dedicated to helping families of civilians killed in Iraq. Through relentless lobbying, she was able to secure millions of dollars for Iraqi families.
_Transit groups, Unions sue MTA to block westside stadium claiming that city didn’t get full value for the rail yards site.
_Trial began yesterday for officials charged with failing to enforce
regulations, and the port captain who is charged with evading the
investigation, in the Staten Island ferry crash
_New York City population down although not as many people are
leaving the city as expected. Last year, 5,500 left the city, the
largest number since 1991. The latest census numbers put the city’s
population at 8.1 million with Brooklyn and Queens being the most
populous borough with a population of 2.4 and 2.2 million
respectively. City officials challenged the accuracy of the figures.
Plaza saved. Eloise stills has a home. Read all about it.
BROOKLYN BEAT: Brooklyn rabbi sues FDNY, claiming that firehouse closure led to his wife’s death. Rabbi Hecht believes his wife would still be alive if the firehouse had not been closed so that the firefighters could attend physical examinations.
_As reported on New York 1, a Brooklyn man was arrested for harassing a family of dwarves. He painted a yellow line in front of their house and wrote: "Follow the yellow brick road." He also taunted them for three weeks. Before the incident began, the dwarf and the Brooklyn man were friends.
_Princess and Cunard cruise lines have signed a deal to make Pier 12 in Red Hook their new home. The city is building a $30 million complex at Piers 11 and 12 as an alternative to the New York Cruise Terminal on the west side of Manhattan. The Queen Mary II will be one of the ships to dock in Red Hook.
_The police are searching for a man who kidnapped a 15 year old girl on her way to school in Crown Heights. He forced her into his SUV at gunpoint and raped her last Tuesday morning.
_A shopping mall developer has been buying up properties in Coney
Island planning on building an indoor mall there. "Our dream is an
amusement, entertainment and adventure destination," says Joseph Sitt
of Thor Equities. Thorr refused to comment on what would happen to the
vintage amusment park rides and games. Residents of Coney Island are
worried about a mall on the boardwalk signaling the end of Coney Island
as we know it.
_The New York Times reported that the new Richard Meier apartment
building going up on Grand Army Plaza with views of Prospect Park would
be 30 stories not 15. The Times’ issued a correction about this
mistake. However, Dailyheights.com reported yesterday that the Times’
may have been right after all. The developers are apparently looking to
buy air rights from other buildings. Sucessfully buying air rights
would permit the developer to build up to 30 stories. According to the
Eastern Parkway Block Association, who have discussed the condo
development with Councilwoman Lettitia James, the building will be
glass, white and curved to fit the street shape. The Eastern Athletic
Health Club’s pool will lose some of its view. Meier building will
will 150 feet or slightly higher than Union Temple.
IT’S TUESDAY: "Step up to the plate"
and experience the diverse menus of Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants
April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in the spirit of the world
champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no attitude on the side." Click here to see the list of participating restaurants.
_Meryl Streep and Cher in "Silkwood" plays as part of "Who’s Afraid of Mike Nichols" at BAM Rose Cinema. 30 Lafayette Avenue. 6 and 9 p.m.
_At BAM, the Mark Morris Dance Group in "Rock of Ages." 7:30 p.m.
_Learn about the connection between choreography and film editing through several well known dance films with film historian, Vinnie LoBrutto at the Public Library at Grand Army Plaza at 7 p.m.
_Learn the art of Scrapbooking. Bring 25 to 50 photos and leave with a finished scrapbook. $50 for the workshop and supplies. 6:45 – 8:45 p.m. At Families First at 250 Baltic Street.
_And tonight at Barbes: Park Slope’s most ambitious and visionary venue: Calypso violin with Jenny Scheinman ay 7 p.m. And at 9 p.m. te Zagnut Cirkus Orkestar plays brass and accordian music.
THIS SOUNDS COOL: Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.
Mommy Matinees at the Brooklyn Heights Pavillion. Call for info about the one Friday April 22nd. 718-596-5095. Kids run wild, moms get to watch first-run movies. What about the Park Slope Pavillion?
_Poets Hettie Jones and Mark Doty read at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Grand Army Plaza. 7 p.m.
_Jean-Luc Godard Festival begins at BAMCinematek on Thursday April 20th with British Sounds, a 1969 film. 7:30 p.m.
_Brooklyn Underground Film Festival features 100 films from 12 countries. A rare screening of "Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation" is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street. For info and schedule go to brooklynunderground.org
_"Tupperwear Orgy", a play in Williamsburg. Stay tuned for more info.
_UniverSoul Circus, the first circus to be owned and operated by African-Americans, is in town. Saturday and Sundays through April 24th. Noon, 4:30, and
8 p.m. Near Wollman Rink in Prospect Park. Follow the smell of the
elephants from the Prospect Park.
_"Around the World in 80 Days" at Puppetworks. 378 6th Avenue.
Saturday and Sunday. 12:30 and 2:30. Reservations advised: 718-735-4300.
_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford. APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Silent Breakfasts
I escaped Park Slope for the weekend and everyone seems to have survived in my absence. Apparently, my husband was telling those who asked that I was off being a goddess, dancing in a barn
Not far from the truth. But not quite.
Suffice it say, it was a "mindful" weekend with plenty of rest, quiet, inspiration and the good company of a small group of interesting women. It was, to say the least, fortifying.
I’m not sure what I appreciated most about my retreat in the Berkshires. But I certainly liked the "silent breakfasts."
I slept in a lovely room with rustic, antique furniture in the book-filled Race Brook Lodge, a 200 year old post and beam barn at the base of the Taconic Mountain range, and woke up with no one waking me, no sleeping child beside me, nothing to do for anyone else but me.
Each morning, I got to spend an hour or so simply getting ready for my day: showering, meditating, writing down my dreams, thoughtfully putting on my clothes, brushing my hair…
I found that in the quiet, I could easily remember my dreams, and spend time contemplating them. Sometimes it took 20 minutes or more, but details came back to me: little by little voices and images came to consciousness as I quiety began my day.
At 8 a.m. I went downstairs to the sunny breakfast room. Everyone in my group was quiet, sitting at tables reading, writing, eating and drinking coffee or tea alone. There was delicious food to choose from: fresh fruit salad, homemade muffins, bagels, eggs, cheeses, cereals, muesli, orange juice, cranberry juice, water, Stonybrook yogurt – you name it.
I selected my breakfast with great care, trying a little bit of many things and sat by myself, smiling, nodding hello to my fellow retreaters as they came into the room.
The silence was anything but awkward. It was required, which made it easy, so easy. It seemed completely natural and such a soothing way to begin.
At 9 a.m. we all walked up to the barn, a huge open space with enormous windows framing the woodsy view, the brook outside. Overhead, there were huge white Japanese lanterns. No longer silent, some talked, some stretched, some read or wrote in their journals.
When it came time for the dance to begin, we got into our circle, put our right hand over left, held hands with those to either side and waitied for the music to begin.
And then, our group of ten women danced a simple Greek dance to the music of Nina Masouri – a soulful song with a heart wrenchingly beautiful melody.
Even this morning, back in Brooklyn, I can’t get that song out of my head, or the simple steps out of my body. Nor would I want to.
I’d love to try the silent breakfast approach around here. And a simple Greek dance before everyone goes out the door would be great way to begin our hectic days. But somehow, I don’t think it’s gonna work. Just don’t think so…
-Louise G. Crawford
SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today? Check here for Brooklyn weather.
CITY NEWS: Former senator Bob Kerry, currently president of New School University, may run for mayor.
Trial begins today for officials charged with failing to enforce regulations, and the port captain who is charged with evading the investigation, in the Staten Island ferry crash.
_Cruise ship hit by giant wave returns to New York City.
_New York City population down although not as many people are leaving the city as expected. Last year, 5,500 left the city, the largest number since 1991. The latest census numbers put the city’s population at 8.1 million with Brooklyn and Queens being the most populous borough with a population of 2.4 and 2.2 million respectively. City officials challenged the accuracy of the figures.
Plaza saved. Eloise stills has a home. Read all about it.
BROOKLYN BEAT: The Queen Mary II will soon be docked at a Red Hook Pier.
_A shopping mall developer has been buying up properties in Coney Island planning on building an indoor mall there. "Our dream is an amusement, entertainment and adventure destination," says Joseph Sitt of Thor Equities. Thorr refused to comment on what would happen to the vintage amusment park rides and games. Residents of Coney Island are worried about a mall on the boardwalk signaling the end of Coney Island as we know it.
_The New York Times reported that the new Richard Meier apartment building going up on Grand Army Plaza with views of Prospect Park would be 30 stories not 15. The Times’ issued a correction about this mistake. However, Dailyheights.com reported yesterday that the Times’ may have been right after all. The developers are apparently looking to buy air rights from other buildings. Sucessfully buying air rights would permit the developer to build up to 30 stories. According to the Eastern Parkway Block Association, who have discussed the condo development with Councilwoman Lettitia James, the building will be glass, white and curved to fit the street shape. The Eastern Athletic Health Club’s pool will lose some of its view. Meier building will will 150 feet or slightly higher than Union Temple.
IT’S MONDAY: "Step up to the plate"
and experience the diverse menus of Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants
April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in the spirit of the world
champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no attitude on the side." Click here to see the list of participating restaurants.
_"Wit" with Emma Thompson is playing Monday night as part of "Who’s Afraid of Mike Nichols" at BAM. 30 Lafayette Avenue. 9:30 p.m. Double check that.
_The Brooklyn Ethical Culture Society is presenting "Route 181," a documentary about the Israeli-Palestinean conflict. 53 Prospect Park West. 6:30 p.m. Monday night.
_Two classic, silent surrealist films with solo piano accompaniment by Joel Forrester at Barbes, Park Slope’s grooviest, most ambitious, experimental, visionary nightspot. Ninth Street near 6th Avenue. 7:30 p.m.
<>
THIS SOUNDS COOL: Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.
_Brooklyn Underground Film Festival is coming
to the Brooklyn Lyceum. A rare screening of "Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation" is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street.
_UniverSoul Circus is in town. Saturday and Sunday. Noon, 4:30, and
8 p.m. Near Wollman Rink in Prospect Park. Follow the smell of the
elephants from the Prospect Park.
_"Around the World in 80 Days" at Puppetworks. 378 6th Avenue.
Saturday and Sunday. 12:30 and 2:30. Reservations advised: 718-735-4300.
_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford. APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_The Children’s Museum
Guest Blog by Caroline Ghertler
I have wanted to be a mother for a long time now. I was reminded of
that today when I took my niece to the Manhattan Children’s Museum, a wonderful, inventive place filled with educational and artistic
interactive exhibits.
I’ve spent so many hours in that place with my
nephew when he was 4,5, and 6 years old. He is now fourteen years old and barely gives me the time of day, except to ask for money or to buy
some pizza.
I remember enjoying my time with him there as well as feeling the
longing to be a mother myself – and for that matter, to be married. I
envied all the moms and dads with their beautiful children. Although it was fun to pretend that my nephew was my "own", it still
stung not to be a mother myself.
Time passed, boyfriends came and went,
and came and went again – and the longing continued. And when I met my
husband, I was elated to join the ranks of the married – I really felt
that I had arrived, albeit, a bit late at forty one. Nevertheless, I was
to be a wife and mother.
But alas, life is never easy and a
pregnancy was not forthcoming. There was the roller coaster of
infertility doctors, treatments, blood tests, IVF procedures,
progesterone shots, eggs donated and transferred, an ectopic pregnancy,
operations – and the realization that this wasn’t going to work. And
then the resolve to stop the medical procedures as I was getting older
– and what I really wanted was a baby to love and to create a family.
So the adoption process was begun with all the myriad of papers,
notaries, apostles, homestudies and general bureaucratic nonsense.
And
here we are a little over a year later, getting ready to meet our
daughter, Sonia ( born, Svetlana ) and to travel to Perm, Russia,
Throughout this process, my husband has been supportive, loving,
pragmatic and exemplary in all ways. He never batted an eye giving me
too-many-to-count shots in my ass and other body parts. He has been
wonderful and our marriage has blossomed through this adversity. We are
lucky that way. Well, we deserve to have something to go right, don’t
we?
So, it was bittersweet today to be at the Children’s Museum.
I noticed that many of the mothers were a bit overweight, still carrying
their baby fat (baby phat) with them. I found it rather charming to
see. This is something I probably hadn’t noticed in the past, so busy
was idealizing all the moms back then. Of course, I noticed how many were pregnant
again, and I did feel that tinge of envy, but it didn’t sting half as
bad as it had in the past. That’s because I am going to be a mother
myself. Yes, I’m going to be a mother.
Caroline Ghertler is Louise G. Crawford’s twin sister, who also lives in park slope.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_New York Lifer
Guest Blog by Caroline Ghertler
When you have grown up in New York City, and continue to live here in
your adulthood, it is hard not to be constantly reminded of the
geography of your memories. The"this is where that happened" syndrome,
or the "there used to be a… but now it’s gone" reverie.
It is melancholy sometimes to be constantly reminded of how life has
changed. One day I was walking on Broadway and 76th street, and they
were removing a Duane Reade sign. Underneath it was the old signage
from the Gitlitz delicatessen. It was such a poignant moment to
remember the deli and the many meals I had shared there with my
family. It was where I was first introduced to an open faced turkey
sandwich with all the fixings. Gitlitz was one of many old Jewish
delicatessens that used to dot the Upper West Side.
changed. One day I was walking on Broadway and 76th street, and they
were removing a Duane Reade sign. Underneath it was the old signage
from the Gitlitz delicatessen. It was such a poignant moment to
remember the deli and the many meals I had shared there with my
family. It was where I was first introduced to an open faced turkey
sandwich with all the fixings. Gitlitz was one of many old Jewish
delicatessens that used to dot the Upper West Side.
I think
that much of my childhood was spent shopping so I have keen memories of
stores that used to exist. There was a little button store on broadway
that sold only buttons, thread and sewing supplies. That is no longer
there. There was the old Henri Bendels on 57th street that was chock
full of chic accessories and clothing. It is no longer there. There was
the old FAO Schwartz on the corner of 58th street and Fifth Avenue. Not
the glitzy, shopping mall it has become. I adored that store and often
fantasized running through it and grabbing as many toys as I possibly
could in an allotted period of time.
There was the original
Betsy, Bunky and Nini, a hip little shop in the east 60’s. I believe
Betsy Johnson was involved with it and it had the most glorious
selection of hippie-chic clothing, vintage garb and wonderful
jewelry. There was the store on the corner of Bank Street and West
4th that carried incredible tie dyed outfits made famous by Janis
Joplin in her heyday. That, needless to say is no longer there.
I was reminded of all this by the debut of David Duchovney’s new film " The House of D."
Although
I have not seen it yet, the title refers to the old Women’s House of Detention that was in what is now a public garden between 8th and 9th Streets and 6th avenue in Manhattan. I used to pass it on a weekly basis
when visiting my grandmother who lived nearby. You could hear
incarcerated women yelling out the window to their loved ones looking
up from the street. I was always a little afraid of these women
bellowing out of that prison. And I think I was relieved when they tore
it down.
I moved to Park Slope only 5 years ago. it has been a
kind of joy to have no memories of the streets and stores here. I have
begun to create my own history – this is where I shop, this is where I
have my cup of coffee – no past memories invading the present. It’s a
relief to not be stepping over my past all the time as I do so often in Manhattan.
And yet, soon, this too will be a place of memory. Sooner than I might
think
Caroline Ghertler is Louise G. Crawford’s twin sister and also lives in park slope.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_The Last Time
Guest Blog by Caroline Ghertler
My great aunt died less than a week ago. Losing her has been tougher than I expected. There’s an old song that goes: "When landmarks fall and institutions tumble, Will it be just a memory from the past?"
And that’s just how I feel. Losing my aunt, the consummate New Yorker, was like losing a piece of my world.
We weren’t very close. In fact, the last time I saw her was at my wedding nearly five years ago. She was very weak but she came to the ceremony anyway and I appreciated her for that. My father lived with my aunt when he was a child. It was just after his parent’s divorce. My aunt lived on the top floor of an Upper East Side apartment building, where she had a sumptuous view of the Guggenheim Museum and the resevoir in Central Park from her windowed breakfast room.
In the mornings, my father would be driven to school by my aunt’s chauffeur. He was so embarassed by that limo, he’d ask the driver to drop him two blocks from his public school. She was like a mother to him during those years, and throughout his life. And he loved her a great deal. Even if he was embarassed by her fancy limo.
She loved fine things and her apartment was not only full of art but a work of art, as well.
At her funeral her grandson eulogized her, wearing crazy blue-tinted granny glasses. He imagined that if his grandmother were there she’d probably say, "Why are you wearing those ridiculous glasses." In her honor, he removed them.
A friend spoke lovingly of my aunt’s good taste, fine manners, savoir faire and sense of humor. Just days before her death she asked him if he was a Yankees fan. When he told her that he was a Mets fan she said, "It’s going to be a long year."
I’m sorry that she won’t get to see the Yankees play the Red Sox and become world champions again.
After the funeral, we went back to my aunt’s apartment. It was strange to be there without her. I kept thinking she’d join us looking the way she looked twenty years ago. She’d walk around the antique-filled dining room checking to make sure that the platters were full of smoked salmon and caviar spread.
And she’d probably tell her grandson to take off his ridiculous blue sunglasses.
It was hard to walk away from that 15th floor palace. "This is the last time we’ll ever be in one of the great New York apartments," I said to my sister as we got on the elevator. "This is the last time we’ll ever know someplace like this."
Caroline Ghertler is Louise G. Crawford’s twin sister. She lives in Park Slope.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Gone Fishing
I’m going away for a few days. My husband will be holding down the OTBKB fort. I’ve prepared a special weekend version of Scoop Du Jour – to keep you all on top of what’s going on in Brooklyn this weekend (wouldn’t want you to miss a thing).
So it should, more or less, be OTBKB business as usual.
While I’m gone, there will be a couple of guest writers for Postcard from the Slope. It’ll be fun to see what they have to say.
Where am I going you might ask. I will be in the Berkshires attending a workshop. It’s supposed to be a beautiful spring weekend and I should have some free time for rest, meditation, reading, deep breathing, hiking and whatever else I feel like doing.
I am looking forward to tomorrow’s three and half hour bus ride. I love the limbo – being between two points, feeling the anticpation of going someplace new. I am, of course, nervous about being away from the family. But I think everyone’s going to be okay. My sister, brother-in-law and mother are pitching in as it’s a busy weekend for the husband: Saturday he’ll be at Fou Le Chakra taking portraits of whoever happens to stroll in wanting a shot of themselves and/or their friends and family.
Curious? Saturday April 16th from 12:00 on he’ll be there with camera, gray backdrop and his unerring eyes. Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Street.
I’ll be somewhere else that day. Far, far away from Seventh Avenue.
-Louise G. Crawford
SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today? Check here for Brooklyn weather.
CITY NEWS: A 20-year-old Brooklyn woman was killed on Ocean Parkway in a multi-vehicle accident on Ocean Avenue and Avenue N. Five others were injured and hospitalized but they are in stable condition.
_New York City gets $43 million for transit security from Homeland Security.
_New York Assembly democrats close off Death Penalty for 2005.
_Cyclists gathered near the Manhattan Bridge to honor Noah Budnick of Transportations Alternatives who was seriously
injured on March 28th when he was investigating safety issues on the
bridge and he had to swerve out of the way of a gigantic pot hole.
Although he was wearing a helmet, he sustained serious head injuries.
Bikers gathered to demand safer biking conditions.
_April 15 is not only tax day. It’s also the 90th anniversary of
Billie Holiday’s birthday and WKCR 89.9 FM is playing her music for 15
days straight or 360 hours from April 1 until April 15. Check out the web broadcast.
_NYC to recognize same sex unions performed in other states. This
means that same sex couples could get married in Toronto and be
recognized as married in New York City, even though same sex marriage
is not allowed here.
BROOKLYN BEAT: The 1955 World Series banner captured by the Brooklyn Dodgers was unveiled after a $16,000 restoration at the St. John the Divine Textile Lab. It will be the centerpiece at an exhibit at the Brooklyn Historical Society about Brooklyn baseball.
_A 12-year old girl was injured in a triple shooting on Ralph Avenue in Crown Heights.
_Intensified security measures were taken at a Brooklyn Federal courthouse in response to letters that said there were plans to harm all the judges in the building.
_Service is suspended indefinitely on the L-train, the train goes across 14th Street to Williambsurg, Greenpoint and East New York.
_Hoyt Street Garden at Atantic Avenue and Hoyt has been the labor of love of Margaret Cusack and other local gardeners for thirty years. The owners of the lot, a small Hispanic church that is part of the Presbytery of New York, would like to build a high rise condo on their property and the gardeners are fighting it. Cusack, the master gardener, distributed flyers informing the neighborhood of what the church wanted to do and found that she had the heartfelt support of those who have enjoyed the garden for years. For more of this interesting story: go to the New York Times.
_One-time Park Slope
resident, Andrea Dworkin, the feminist writer and anti-pornography advocate, died on Saturday at her home in Washington. She was 58. Her husband, John Stoltenberg, said that Ms.
Dworkin had suffered from several chronic illnesses in recent years. A
familiar sight on Seventh Avenue in denim overalls, Ms. Dworkin was for
decades active on the lecture circuit, at antipornography rallies and
"take back the night" marches.
_April 11-20th is Brooklyn Restaurant Week, designed to showcase the
diverse eating options in this fair borough. Participating restaurants
are offering a 19.99 prix fix for a 3-course meal. A good chance to
try places you’ve been meaning to try.
_State legislators propose bill to provide affordable housing on Williamsburg, Greenpoint waterfront.
_The non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee, which has campaigned against
landlords trying to evict low income renters, can’t afford space on
Fifth Avenue anymore. They are moving to the other side of Fourth
Avenue and Degraw Street. Victims of the street’s gentrification, they
will still be advocates for affordable housing in Park Slope.
_Brooklyn community groups are protesting a proposed high-rise condo
that would block the view of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline
from historic Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery.
_Judith Zuk, 53, the president of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is
retiring at the end of June. There’s a profile of her in today’s New York Daily News.
During her 15 tenure she oversaw the renovation of the Japanese Tea
House, Lily Pond Terrace, the Rock Garden, the Fragrance Garden, the
Francis Milner Children’s Garden and the Rose Arc Pool, and opened the
Discovery Garden.
_Brooklyn Assemblyman William Colton introduced a bill called
"Terri’s Law," that would make it illegal in New York to remove a
feeding tube. Read all about in at New York 1.
Thursday morning, a man climbed up a fire escape to the window of a 9-year old girl’s bedroom, with the intent of kidnapping her
robbing the apartment. The girl said, "Who are you?" and the man said
"Nobody," and ran away. He has not been found. Helicopters flew over
Third Street and news and police vehicles were in the vicinity of the
apartment building just up from 6th Avenue on Third Street all day.
According to the New York Daily News,which has an article about the attempted robbery in today’s edition, burglaries
have become increasingly rare in Park Slope, where the number of
break-ins has dropped by 17% this year compared with the same period in
2004. Burglaries are also down 17% citywide, police statistics show.
_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. According to the police, he hasn’t hurt
anyone; he just takes the cash and runs. The most recent incident was
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.
IT’S THURSDAY: "Step up to the plate"
and experience the diverse menus of Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants
April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in the spirit of the world
champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no attitude on the side." Click here to see the list of participating restaurants
_Brooklyn author, Alfred Gingold reads "Dog World and the People Who Live There" at the Old Stone House in JJ Byrne Park. Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets. April 14. 7:30 p.m.
_Eat, Drink, and Be Literary. Jhumpa Lahri reads and discusses her work at BAM. Prix fixe dinner and a celebrated Brooklyn author. At BAM. 6:30. 30 Lafayette Avenue. $38. for everything.
_For more stuff to do scroll down to Grab-Bag_Brooklyn and Beyond. Or go to g0-brooklyn.com
THIS SOUNDS COOL: UniverSoul Circus is in town. You can smell the elephants from the park’s roadway. Performance schedules,
_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.
_April 20-24 the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival is coming
to the Brooklyn Lyceum. A rare screening of Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. And it’s a rare screening. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street.
_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford. APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_A Final Tea at the Plaza
Last Saturday my sister, my daughter, and I attended a tea at the Plaza. We were invited to join my sister’s friend and thirty of her closest friends, a power lunch for creative interesting women of all ages. Even her gynecologist was there giving out cards. And when she ran out, she wrote her name down on small scraps of paper.
I was very pleased to be included as I was dying for one last trip to the Plaza before it closes. I’d never met my sister’s friend before, a tall, attractive television art director, with a warm personality and a penchant for bringing people together. She looked absolutely Plaza-ish in a vintage cloche hat with a tall feather and her grandmother’s old-fashioned gloves. She welcomed everyone personally and gave each of us Plaza candy bars, postcards, and unlimited amounts of champagne.
I sat at a table with an assortment of well-traveled, accomplished women. One, a filmmaker of Persian descent, is on her way to Baghdad next month for the second time as part of a humanitarian group made up of Quakers and Mennonite Christians; she’s making a film about her experiences there.
My daughter is a great afficianado of the Eloise books so a trip to the Plaza to see the portrait of Eloise is always a treat. She is aware that the Plaza is closing and has decided that Eloise is moving to Paris, along with Skipperdee and Weannie, to be with her mother. She is, however, concerned about where Nanny and Mr. Salamone will relocate. In an Eloise sort of way, my daughter spent much of the tea collecting white plastic Plaza Hotel tea sandwich tooth picks (see photograph, above left).
When we arrived at the hotel, I asked one of the doormen if he’d seen Eloise. "I think she’s around here somewhere," he said cheerfully. He then turned to another doorman and asked, "Have you seen Eloise?"
His willingness to go along with the game was very endearing. We then asked a managerial looking person if he knew where to find the hotel manager, Mr. Salomone. He looked at us like we were crazy and said he didn’t know anyone by that name.
-Louise G. Crawford
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Young Choreographers
Last Tuesday and Wednesday, all the 2nd graders at PS 321 performed in a Dance Informance, an informal presentation of what the kids have been learning in Karen Curlee’s fabulous dance classes.
At my daughter’s Informance, Curlee explained what the kids had been up to. In coordination with the children’s study of cities – in social studies and art – the children choreographed their own "Cityscape" dances. Each child created two kinds of movement: axil and locomotion and used these movements again and again to create an exuberant and improvisatory piece.
The music was an infectious, highly rhythmic track that made you want to get up and dance. Parents with video cameras were standing in the aisles while those seated clapped along and BEAMED.
CUT TO: One week later…
Today, the 3rd and 5th graders at all New York City public elementary schools are taking a crucial standardized test, which can determine academic promotion. This is all part of Mayor Bloomberg’s big revamping of the New York Public Schools. Until the next election, these kids are caught in this administrations sometimes mis-guided attempt to "improve" a troubled system.
I can’t help thinking that what went on last Tuesday during the Informance was so much more wholesome and REVEALING about the nature of our kids than what they are being forced to do today: becoming statistical specimens in the Department of Education’s effort to categorize and stigmatize children.
Curlee is, in my opinion, a real hero of the New York City public school system. As a dance staff developer, she trains academic teachers how to use dance to teach core curriculum. She works in approximately 25-30 schools a year, offering training that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the school
SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today? Check here for Brooklyn weather.
CITY NEWS: The city’s Third and Fifth graders taking a crucial standardized test in English that determines academic promotion.
_Cyclists gathered near the Manhattan Bridge to honor one of their own. Noah Burdnick of Transportations Alternatives was seriously injured on March 28th when he was investigating safety issues on the bride and he had to swerve out of the way of a gigantic pot hole. Although he was wearing a helmet, he sustained serious head injuries. Bikers gathered to demad safer biking conditions.
_April 15 is not only tax day. It’s also the 90th anniversary of Billie Holiday’s birthday and WKCR 89.9 FM is playing her music for 15 days straight or 360 hours from April 1 until April 15. Check out the web broadcast.
_NYC to recognize same sex unions performed in other states. This means that same sex couples could get married in Toronto and be recognized as married in New York City, even though same sex marriage is not allowed here.
BROOKLYN BEAT: One-time Park Slope resident, Andrea Dworkin, the feminist writer and anti-pornography campaigner, died on Saturday at her home in Washington. She was 58. Ms. Dworkin died in her sleep. Her husband, John Stoltenberg, said that Ms. Dworkin had suffered from several chronic illnesses in recent years. A familiar sight on Seventh Avenue in denim overalls, Ms. Dworkin was for decades active on the lecture circuit, at antipornography rallies and "take back the night" marches.
_April 11-20th is Brooklyn Restaurant Week, designed to showcase the diverse eating options in this fair borough. Participating restaurants are offering a 19.99 prix fix for a 3-course meal. A good chance to try places you’ve been meaning to try.
_State legislators propose bill to provide affordable housing on Williamsburg, Greenpoint waterfront.
_The non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee, which has campaigned against landlords trying to evict low income renters, can’t afford space on Fifth Avenue anymore. They are moving to the other side of Fourth Avenue and Degraw Street. Victims of the street’s gentrification, they will still be advocates for affordable housing in Park Slope.
_Brooklyn community groups are protesting a proposed high-rise condo that would block the view of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline from historic Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery.
_Judith Zuk, 53, the president of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is retiring at the end of June. There’s a profile of her in today’s New York Daily News. During her 15 tenure she oversaw the renovation of the Japanese Tea House, Lily Pond Terrace, the Rock Garden, the Fragrance Garden, the Francis Milner Children’s Garden and the Rose Arc Pool, and opened the Discovery Garden.
_Brooklyn Assemblyman William Colton introduced a bill called "Terri’s Law," that would make it illegal in New York to remove a feeding tube. Read all about in at New York 1.
Thursday morning, a man climbed up a fire escape to the window of a 9-year old girl’s bedroom, with the intent of kidnapping her robbing the apartment. The girl said, "Who are you?" and the man said "Nobody," and ran away. He has not been found. Helicopters flew over Third Street and news and police vehicles were in the vicinity of the apartment building just up from 6th Avenue on Third Street all day. According to the New York Daily News,which has an article about the attempted robbery in today’s edition, burglaries have become increasingly rare in Park Slope, where the number of break-ins has dropped by 17% this year compared with the same period in 2004. Burglaries are also down 17% citywide, police statistics show.
_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. According to the police, he hasn’t hurt anyone; he just takes the cash and runs. The most recent incident was 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.
IT’S TUESDAY: "Step up to the plate" and experience the diverse menus of Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in the spirit of the world champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no attitude on the side." Click here to see the list of participating restaurants
_Container gardening workshop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 6:30 – 8 p.m. Call the Garden to register.
"Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival at BAM. 30 Lafayette Street.
THIS SOUNDS COOL: UniverSoul Circus is in town. You can smell the elephants from the park’s roadway. Performance schedules,
_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.
_April 20-24 the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival is coming to the Brooklyn Lyceum. A rare screening of Indianna Jones: The Adaptation is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about the kids who made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is it. And it’s a rare screening. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union Street.
_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford. APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal (Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about cracked-out big-city survival.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Non-stop Billie Holiday
There is something so reassuring about being able to turn on the radio at any time of the day or night to hear Billie Holiday sing.
And that’s what’s happening at WKCR . They are playing Billie Holiday for fifteen days straight. 360 hours of anything is probably too much. But if you like total immersion, tune in to 80.9 or the web broadcast and give it a go. For me, her music holds up to the constant play.
The Billie Holiday marathon started on April 1 and it’s going to continue until April 15th, which would have been Billie Holiday’s 90th birthday.
It gives you faith in humanity that something like this is going on.
Firstly, the fact that there is a radio station in the world crazy (wonderful) enough to come up with such a concept. And as a fund raising measure. You gotta love WKCR, Columbia University’s radio station, with Phil Schaapp at the helm of the Jazz Department.
WKCR has been responsible for independent programming for over 63 years. Since 1999, they’ve been sending out their signal worldwide over the internet. They’re famous for their Louis Armstorng, Charlie Parker (Bird) and other jazz greats’ marathons. But this may be their longest one yet.
Currently, WKCR is in a period of financial crisis. And they need the financial support of their listeners to ensure that they can keep on going.
Radio in New York is, generally speaking, a sad state of affairs. Other than New York Public Radio and WFMU, what’s a gal to listen to in this city? WKCR is an oasis in a desert of lousy, commercial radio.
Billie Holiday, is, in my opinion, one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. The way she transformed the popular songs of her day into masterpieces of phrasing, nuance, meaning, and deep emotion is remarkable. When I was in college, I nearly wore out my copy of "The Golden Years Volume Two." "All of Me" I’ll Cover the Waterfront," "No Regrets," "I’m Pulling Through," Them There Eyes," and all the other songs on that three record set were the soundtrack of my life back then.
So it’s really not that strange to listen to Billie Holiday for 15 days straight. For me it’s like being twenty-years-old again when the lilt of Billie’s voice was all that I needed to get out of bed in the morning.
-Louise G. Crawford
SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today? Check here for Brooklyn weather.
CITY NEWS: April 15 is not only tax
day. It’s also the 90th anniversary of Billie Holiday’s birthday and
WKCR 89.9 FM is playing her music for 15 days straight or 360 hours from April 1 until April 15. Check out the web broadcast.
_NYC to recognize same sex unions performed in other states. This
means that same sex couples could get married in Toronto and be
recognized as married in New York City, even though same sex marriage
is not allowed here.
BROOKLYN BEAT: State legislators propose bill to provide affordable housing on Williamsburg, Greenpoint waterfront.
_The non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee, which has campaigned against
landlords trying to evict low income renters, can’t afford space on
Fifth Avenue anymore. They are moving to the other side of Fourth
Avenue and Degraw Street. Victims of the street’s gentrification, they
will still be advocates for affordable housing in Park Slope.
_Brooklyn community groups are protesting a proposed high-rise condo
that would block the view of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline
from historic Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery.
_Judith Zuk, 53, the president of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is
retiring at the end of June. There’s a profile of her in today’s New York Daily News.
During her 15 tenure she oversaw the renovation of the Japanese Tea
House, Lily Pond Terrace, the Rock Garden, the Fragrance Garden, the
Francis Milner Children’s Garden and the Rose Arc Pool, and opened the
Discovery Garden.
_Brooklyn Assemblyman
William Colton introduced a bill called "Terri’s Law," that would make
it illegal in New York to remove a feeding tube. Read all about in at New York 1.
Thursday morning, a man climbed up a fire escape to the window of a 9-year old girl’s
bedroom, with the intent of kidnapping her
robbing the apartment. The girl said, "Who are you?" and the man said
"Nobody," and ran away. He has not been found. Helicopters flew over
Third Street and news
and police vehicles were in the vicinity of the apartment building just
up from 6th Avenue on Third Street all day. According to the New York Daily News,which has an article about the attempted robbery in today’s edition, burglaries have become increasingly rare in Park Slope, where the
number of break-ins has dropped by 17% this year compared with the same
period in 2004. Burglaries are also down 17% citywide, police
statistics show.
_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. According to the police, he hasn’t hurt
anyone; he just takes the cash and runs. The most recent incident was
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.
IT’S MONDAY: "Step up to the plate" and experience the diverse menus
of Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in
the spirit of the world champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no
attitude on the side." Click here to see the list of participating restaurants
"Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival at BAM. 30 Lafayette Street.
_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.
_April 20-24 the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival is coming
to the Brooklyn Lyceum. A rare screening of Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. And it’s a rare screening. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street.
_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford. APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.
Postcard from the Slope_Sleeping Teens
There are three teenage boys sleeping in my living room as I write this. God knows what time they actually fell asleep. One is sleeping on the couch, one is in a sleeping bag on the floor, and my son is squeezed into the red club chair, his legs hanging over the side, covered in his favorite blue comforter.
They are snoring, drooling, generally lost in sleep.
I went to bed around 11 p.m. and they were, of course, awake. I woke up a few hours later, maybe 1:30 a.m., and they were still up. I said something like, "You guys should really think about going to sleep. You must be tired." One of them, a tall redhead said, "We’re teenagers, we never get tired." The redhead was listening to thrash metal music on an iBook, the other boy was noodling on an unplugged electric guitar, and my son was reading a Japanese pulp classic called, "Battle Royale," which, he explained, is about a class of junior high school students who are taken to a deserted island, provided with arms and forced to kill one another.
The guys were together all day. They’re in a band called "Cruell and Unusual Punishment" and they were recording some songs over at one of their apartments. They were particularly excited about a self-penned, acapella cut called: "Onomatopoeia."
I always know my son wants to ask me a favor when he says, "Hi Mom," in a really cute English accent. When he called at 10 p.m. last night asking if his two friends could sleep over in the living room (because my son’s bedroom is too small for sleepovers), I couldn’t say no. I probably should’ve because it looks like they’re going to be sleeping in the living room for most of the morning. But that’s okay.
They look so cute when they’re sleeping.
-Louise G. Crawford
SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today? Check here for Brooklyn weather.
OTBKB SCOOP: At 2 a.m.
Thursday morning, a man climbed up a fire escape to the window of a 9-year old girl’s
bedroom, with the intent of kidnapping her
robbing the apartment. The girl said, "Who are you?" and the man said
"Nobody," and ran away. He has not been found. Helicopters flew over
Third Street and news
and police vehicles were in the vicinity of the apartment building just
up from 6th Avenue on Third Street all day. According to the New York Daily News,which has an article about the attempted robbery in today’s edition, burglaries have become increasingly rare in Park Slope, where the
number of break-ins has dropped by 17% this year compared with the same
period in 2004. Burglaries are also down 17% citywide, police
statistics show.
CITY NEWS: April 15 is not only tax
day. It’s also the 90th anniversary of Billie Holiday’s birthday and
WKCR 89.9 FM is playing her music for 15 days straight or 360 hours.
_NYC to recognize same sex unions performed in other states. This
means that same sex couples could get married in Toronto and be
recognized as married in New York City, even though same sex marriage
is not allowed here.
_A, B, C and D train service is back to normal after a subway tunnel fire Thursday afternoon.
_The MTA has decided NOT to
close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths set to be
closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the
station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will
remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call
police or fix metro card problems.
_The federal government issued report saying that the city’s bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.
_Children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.
BROOKLYN BEAT: State legislators propose bill to provide affordable housing on Williamsburg, Greenpoint waterfront.
_The non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee, which has campaigned against landlords trying to evict low income renters, can’t afford space on Fifth Avenue anymore. They are moving to the other side of Fourth Avenue and Degraw Street. Victims of the street’s gentrification, they will still be advocates for affordable housing in Park Slope.
_In Greenpoint Brooklyn, home of the city’s largest Polish community,
mourners gathered at a park near the St. Stanislaus Church on Driggs
Avenue to watch the funeral of the Pope. St. Stanislaus Church on
Driggs Avenue, on a large screen television.
_Brooklyn community groups are protesting a proposed high-rise condo
that would block the view of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline
from historic Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery.
_Judith Zuk, 53, the president of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is
retiring at the end of June. There’s a profile of her in today’s New York Daily News.
During her 15 tenure she oversaw the renovation of the Japanese Tea
House, Lily Pond Terrace, the Rock Garden, the Fragrance Garden, the
Francis Milner Children’s Garden and the Rose Arc Pool, and opened the
Discovery Garden.
_Brooklyn Assemblyman
William Colton introduced a bill called "Terri’s Law," that would make
it illegal in New York to remove a feeding tube. Read all about in at New York 1.
_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. According to the police, he hasn’t hurt
anyone; he just takes the cash and runs. The most recent incident was
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.
IT’S SUNDAY: Residents of South South Park Slope near Green-wood Cemetery are taking
action against developers that are rapidly transforming their
neighborhood into condoville. On Sunday April 9th,
10th at 1 p.m. there’s a march to save the character and history of
this neighborhood. March in
support of what the organizers are calling "contextual development in
the South Sourth Slope and display a "Not for Sale" sign. The march is
assembling at 15th St. & 7th Ave. at 1 p.m. and people will march
to the memorial in the cemetery to protest the proliferation of large
multi-story apartment buildings and to promote responsible housing and
construction. If people want more info go to the South South Slope Web site
_Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.
_The first Park Slope Kids Music Festival. This Sunday at Southpaw:
Wendy Gesanliter, John Carlin and Uncle Rock. Refreshments available.
4/10 at 11 a.m. 125 Fifth Avenue. $12 for kids, $6 for kids 2 and up.
Under that: free. concertforkids.com
_Frank London, trumpeter for the Klezmatics, leads kids at the Eldridge Street Synogogue
through a lesson on traditional Jewish melodies. Plus a tour of the
1887 synogogue and egg creams. 4/10 at 11 a.m. Reservations required.
12 Eldridge Street, near Canal Street. 212-219-0888 or
eldridgestreet.org. Admission is $8.
"Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival at BAM. 30 Lafayette Street.
_The National Ballet of Canada at BAM. "The Contract" a work
loosely based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin. 7:30
_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.
THIS SOUNDS COOL: "Step up to the plate" and experience the diverse menus
of Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in
the spirit of the world champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no
attitude on the side." Click here to see the list of participating restaurants
_April 20-24 the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival is coming
to the Brooklyn Lyceum. A rare screening of Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. And it’s a rare screening. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street.
_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford. APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Dried Flowers
There’s a woman on my block who lost her husband last September. A small, stocky woman, she waddles a bit as she walks up Third Street. And she looks like the loneliest person in the world.
Her husband was much taller than she, handsome, with a full white beard. Barrel chested, he always looked so robust. I was surprised one day when I saw him coming out of a yellow cab looking so weak, she had to help him walk to their stoop. At first I thought the man might be his father. He looked exactly like her husband just much, much older.
I mentioned this to my husband and he said he knew something was wrong. He’d seen him talking to someone about selling the BMW motorcycle he kept in the front cement yard of their building. "That bike meant the world to him. I thought it was strange that he was selling it," my husband said.
We learned that he had cancer soon after from neighbors on the block. One day I saw two of his sons sitting on the bench in their yard and somehow I knew.
I never knew him at all. I only observed his comings and goings on Third Street. But I liked him: the way he looked, the way he talked to his adult children, his friendly, deep-voiced hellos, the closeness he emanated with his wife. I guessed, in that way you conjecture about neighbors, that they were longtime Park Slopers, progressives, political-types. Through their front window, there was evidence of a former hippie life – Indian fabric, abstract paintings, stained glass. To me it brought to mind: civil rights, New York in the 1970’s, "We Shall Overcome."
Infused with grief, his wife looks lost, aimless, sad all the time now. She still smiles at me as she walks up Third Street. But we’ve never been in the habit to stop and talk. Besides I don’t know what I’d say. Clearly, she is trying to find her bearings in this life without her bearded man. The other day I noticed a vase of dried out roses in her window.
It made me sad just to see them there.
-Louise G. Crawford
SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today? Check here for Brooklyn weather.
OTBKB SCOOP: At 2 a.m.
Thursday morning, a man climbed up a fire escape to the window of a 9-year old girl’s
bedroom, with the intent of kidnapping her robbing the apartment. The girl said, "Who are you?" and the man said "Nobody," and ran away. He has not been found. Helicopters flew over Third Street and news
and police vehicles were in the vicinity of the apartment building just
up from 6th Avenue on Third Street all day. According to the New York Daily News,which has an article about the attempted robbery in today’s edition, burglaries have become increasingly rare in Park Slope, where the
number of break-ins has dropped by 17% this year compared with the same
period in 2004. Burglaries are also down 17% citywide, police
statistics show.
CITY NEWS: April 15 is not only tax day. It’s also the 90th anniversary of Billie Holiday’s birthday and WKCR 89.9 FM is playing her music for 15 days straight or 360 hours.
_NYC to recognize same sex unions performed in other states. This means that same sex couples could get married in Toronto and be recognized as married in New York City, even though same sex marriage is not allowed here.
_A, B, C and D train service is back to normal after a subway tunnel fire Thursday afternoon.
_The MTA has decided NOT to
close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths set to be
closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the
station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will
remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call
police or fix metro card problems.
_The federal government issued report saying that the city’s bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.
_Children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.
BROOKLYN BEAT: State legislators propose bill to provide affordable housing on Brooklyn waterfront.
_In Greenpoint Brooklyn, home of the city’s largest Polish community,
mourners gathered at a park near the St. Stanislaus Church on Driggs
Avenue to watch the funeral of the Pope. St. Stanislaus Church on
Driggs Avenue, on a large screen television.
_Brooklyn community groups are protesting a proposed high-rise condo that would block the view of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline from historic Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery.
_Judith Zuk, 53, the president of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is retiring at the end of June. There’s a profile of her in today’s New York Daily News. During her 15 tenure she oversaw the renovation of the Japanese Tea House, Lily Pond Terrace, the Rock Garden, the Fragrance Garden, the Francis Milner Children’s Garden and the Rose Arc Pool, and opened the Discovery Garden.
_There was a fatal accident on the Belt Parkway at 4 a.m. Thursday morning.
_Brooklyn Assemblyman
William Colton introduced a bill called "Terri’s Law," that would make
it illegal in New York to remove a feeding tube. Read all about in at New York 1.
_Senator Charles Schumer is asking the government to reopen the
investigation into the Rockaway crash of American Airlines Flight 587 Read all about at New York 1.
_Packages of pound cake sold at the T&H Supermarket on 86th
Street in Brooklyn were recalled because a milk ingredient was not
listed on the package. It could lead to a serious or fatal reaction in
someone allergic to milk. Read all about in at New York 1.
_Last Monday night the City Council held
its first public meeting on the city’s Greenpoint-Williamsburg
waterfront rezoning plan. Much of the crowd, which didn’t fit in the
room, held its own rally outside on the steps of City Hall, and the
majority of the people there wanted the plan thrown out.
NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford
POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Such a Balabusta
It never ceases to amaze me how very connective the Internet
is. I have "met" so many people through this blog.
Just
today a woman from Chicago wrote to say that she’d like to use my "balabusta" poem as part of a wedding shower gift. She also wanted to
know if I had any other balabusta poems.
I am delighted that this woman, who is 67 years old and a former English teacher at the University of Wyoming and Iowa State University, wants to use my poem as part of an elaborate shower gift she is giving to a colleague’s daughter. I am also incredibly impressed that she asked in the first place. That seemed pretty classy to me.
And no, I don’t have any more balabusta poems.
Balabusta is a
Yiddish word that means terrific homemaker or super-efficient housewife.
There’s an exclamation in American Jewish that goes: "such a balabusta
you are." It’s something you would say after a wonderful and effortful
meal. Or when admiring an immaculate apartment.
I also wondered how exactly this woman from Chicago found the poem in the first place – it appears
on the Internet in two places, but still. So I googled "Balabusta" but there
was no link to it there.
My husband, also known as Mr.
Knowledgeable, suggested I try "Balabusta Poetry" and lo and behold –
there it was, number 2 on the google roster, which directs surfers to
the Poetry Superhighway, where the poem was published in January 2005.
This Chicago woman and I have exchanged a flurry of e-mails. She sounds very nice. She even asked what kind of photography my husband does because "we are always looking for new talent for our publications," (she now does public affairs, communications and fundraising for an environmental organization ).
Ooooh, I thought, maybe something more will come of this connection. So I sent her a link to No Words_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford because, as she said in her last post: "God works in mysterious ways."
Here is the poem that the woman from Chicago admired.
Yiddishe Mama
Such a balabusta
I am
bringing this tin of
homemade cookies
More fodder for
your extravagant elucidations
your theoretical be-bop
Chewing them slow
you savor the X-ray view
swallowing the id of me
Flavorful, rich
Freudian frosting
Purveyor of
phantasmic erogeny
and childhood suffering
I whipped up these
mnemonics of small
sweet longing
in my hot basement kitchen
For your plaisir
and your analysis, of course
Sugar on your lips
you lean forward
eyes shut tight
receptor of
psychoanalytic radio signals
and riff radiantly on my
unconscious confections
Take them for what they are
my cookies
are yours
-Louise G. Crawford