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: 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: 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 in 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.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS: Daylight savings time
for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) began on Sunday. You were supposed to set your clocks
ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005. DO IT NOW.

CITY NEWS:  A
federal engineering study of the collapse of the World Trade Center,
released Tuesday, highlights flaws in assumptions about evacuating
skyscrapers and responding to emergencies.

_A missing man was discovered Tuesday
inside a stuck elevator in the Bronx apartment building where he was
headed to deliver food four days ago. Ming Kung Chen, 35, was taken to
Montefiore Medical Center to be treated for dehydration.

_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:  Brooklyn Assemblyman William Colton introduced  a bill called "Terri’s Law," that would make it illegal in New York to remove a feeding tube

_Senator Charles Schumer is asking the government to reopen the  investigation into the Rockaway crash of American Airlines Flight 587.

_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.

_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.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS: Daylight savings time
for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) began on Sunday. You were supposed to set your clocks
ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005. DO IT NOW.

CITY NEWS:  A
federal engineering study of the collapse of the World Trade Center,
released Tuesday, highlights flaws in assumptions about evacuating
skyscrapers and responding to emergencies.

_A missing man was discovered Tuesday inside a stuck elevator in the Bronx apartment building where he was headed to deliver food four days ago. Ming Kung Chen, 35, was taken to Montefiore Medical Center to be treated for dehydration.

_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.

_As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  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.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS: Daylight savings time
for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) began on Sunday. You were supposed to set your clocks
ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005. DO IT NOW.

CITY NEWS: 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.

_As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Jury selection began today in the Crown Heights malpractice trial. The family of Yankel Rosenblum’s is accusing Kings County Hospital of botching up  emergency care of Rosenblum who was injured during riots.

_Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the city’s largest Polish community, mourned the death of the first Polish Pope at the St. Stanislaus Church.

_Tafare Berryman, a promising college basketball player from Brooklyn was shot dead outside a nightclub in Long Island.

_The New York Times reported on Saturday that Bruce C. Ratner has purchased two properties owned by a rival developer, thus removing a potential
obstacle for his $2.5 billion sports and housing project for the
Atlantic Yards. He paid $44 million to Leviev Boymelgreen for the two
properties that Mr. Boymelgreen bought for $20 million in August 2004.

_A rash of muggings at
MS 51 by students from other middle schools resulted in a meeting
between school parents and the 78th pct.

_When more than 500
District 15 fifth graders received the news that they
were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school,
City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor
Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also
represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a
Community Education Council meeting. ‘This situation should have been
anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,’ he
said.  ‘I’ve been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students
as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process
is improved next year. " From
a press release distributed by Councilman DiBlasio’s office.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault
victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching
the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with
specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to
treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital.
started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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: Broolyn luminaries Paul Auster and Siri Husvedt read at PS 107 as part of Readings on the Fourth Floor, a fundraising event for the school’s library. 1301  8th Avenue. At 7:30 pm.

_The National Ballet of Canada at BAM in "The Contract" a work loosely based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin. 7:30

_Park Slope Poetry Project, Ryn Gargulinski reads followed by an open mic.  St. John, St Matthew Emanuel Church. 283 Prospect Avenue. 7:30 – 10 p.m

_Opening night of the Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival. BAM 30 Lafayette Avenue.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Jack Rabbit’s tri and swim classes start this week. Where would we be
without Jack Rabbit to help us get our bodies in SHAPE. And it feels so
goooooooood.  Go to Jackrbt.com and find a class for YOU.

_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, who plays trumpet in 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.

_Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m.
338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir Poetry. Curated by Louise G. Crawford.  APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag)
a novel that evokes the life and loves of Lotte Lenya and Kurt Weill, 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.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS: Daylight savings time
for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) began on Sunday. You were supposed to set your clocks
ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005. DO IT NOW.

CITY NEWS: 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.

As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Residents of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the city’s largest Polish community, mourned the death of the first Polish Pope.

_Tafare Berryman, a promising college basketball player from Brooklyn was shot dead outside a nightclub in Long Island.

_The New York Times reported on Saturday that Bruce C. Ratner bought two properties owned by a rival developer, thus removing a potential obstacle for his $2.5 billion sports and housing project for the Atlantic Yards. He paid $44 million to Leviev Boymelgreen for the two properties that Mr. Boymelgreen paid $20 million in August 2004.

_A rash of muggings at
MS 51 by students from other middle schools resulted in a meeting
between school parents and the 78th pct.

_When more than 500
District 15 fifth graders received the news that they
were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school,
City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor
Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also
represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a
Community Education Council meeting. ‘This situation should have been
anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,’ he
said.  ‘I’ve been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students
as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process
is improved next year. " From
a press release distributed by Councilman DiBlasio’s office.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault
victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching
the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with
specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to
treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital.
started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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: The BAMCinematek presents: "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal
Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m.
338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

 
WORTH TAKING A LOOK:  OTBKB Daily Pix
photographer, Hugh Crawford, has a show of portrait work on view at Fou
Le Chakra 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets until May
16th.

_ 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: "New York is city of conversations overheard, of people at the next
restaurant table (micrometers away) checking your watch, of people
reading the stories in your newspaper on the subway train."  – Willian
Geist

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

SPRING FORWARD TODAY: Daylight savings time
for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place TODAY. Set your clocks
ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005.

CITY NEWS: Man hit by a subway at at the West 4th Street Station in Greenwich Village.

_MTA picks Jets Stadium for the West Side Rail Yards.

_Court of Appeals declines to hear two gay marriage cases, a major
setback to those who believe that marriage should be open to gay and
lesbian couples.

_The right to distribute leaflets in front of schools is upheld by a
Federal District Court. Under
the settlement, reached earlier this month, 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 efforts 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.

_As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  A rash of muggings at MS 51 by students from other middle schools resulted in a meeting between school parents and the 78th pct.
_When more than 500
District 15 fifth graders received the news that they
were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school,
City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor
Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also
represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a
Community Education Council meeting. ‘This situation should have been
anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,’ he
said.  ‘I’ve been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students
as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process
is improved next year. " From
a press release distributed by Councilman DiBlasio’s office.

_A Brooklyn yellow cab driver was shot in the back by a passenger at
Pierrepont Street and Hicks in Brooklyn Heights at 8:45 p.m. on
Thursday night. The driver, who is recovering from the incident, was
completely surprised by the attack. The suspect is a white male in his
twenties.

_According to the 78th Pct. there was a bank robbery in the South
Slope (bank and date not specified) this week.  On Thursday, a police
helicopter was hovering over the neighborhood searching for the perp.
More news to come as soon as there is some.

<>

_A delivery man on bicycle was killed after being hit by a truck on 75th Street and Sixth Avenue in Bay Ridge.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault
victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching
the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with
specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to
treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital.
started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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.

_New performance spaces for dance are flourishing in Brooklyn
neighborhoods like Ft. Greene, Bushwick, and Williamsburg. Last year,
more than a third of the audience that came to see events at the
Brooklyn Arts Exchange on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope came from
Manhattan.

IT’S SUNDAY: Baseball legends of the Green-Wood Cemetary. Tour gathers at the main entrance at 1 p.m. 5th Avenue and 25th Street. Admission: $10. Who’s Afraid of Mike Nichols Film Series.  March 31 – April 19th.

The BAMCinematek presents: "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal
Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more.

_"Play Without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most
important contemporary choreographers in Britain. SUNDAY at 2 p.m. BAM.

Around the World in 80 DaysAt Puppetworks. SUNDAY at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m.
338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

_Sunday is Recycle Your Electronics Day at Grand Army Plaza.
11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Bring your old computers. Bring your friends. Help
load the truck. You can bring: working and non-working computers,
servers, fax machines, scanners, TV’s, radios, CD players, etc.
Donations will go to Per Scholas, an organization that gives electronic
equipment and training to South Bronx residents in need.
_Self-Care Fair at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture.
Food, health products, musical meditation, relaxation, chair massages,
and more. On Sunday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 53 Prospect Park West.

_Forsythia Day at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Sunday all day.  

WORTH TAKING A LOOK:  OTBKB Daily Pix
photographer, Hugh Crawford, has a show of portrait work on view at Fou
Le Chakra 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets until May
16th.

_ 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:

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

SPRING FORWARD 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: Man hit by subway at at the West 4th Street Station in Greenwich Village.

_MTA picks Jets Stadium for the West Side Rail Yards.

_Court of Appeals declines to hear two gay marriage cases, a major
setback to those who believe that marriage should be open to gay and
lesbian couples.

_Study finds that New York City has the longest average commute to
work in the nation. The average time in the five boroughs is 38 minutes
compared to 24 minutes nationwide. Staten Islanders seem to have it the
worst. 

_The right to distribute leaflets in front of schools is upheld by a
Federal District Court. Under
the settlement, reached earlier this month, 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 efforts 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 last 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:  "When more than 500
District 15 fifth graders received the disappointing news that they
were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school,
City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor
Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also
represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a
Community Education Council meeting. ‘This situation should have been
anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,’ he
said.  ‘I’ve been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students
as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process
is improved next year.  I’ve spoken to the Chancellor and
Superintendent and now the DOE is expanding capacity at choice schools,
reevaluating student applications, creating wait lists, and
communicating with parents about next steps in the application
process.  Also, it must be a DOE priority to address the resource
issues that lead other schools to be perceived as less desirable." From
a press release distributed by Councilman’s DiBlasio’s office.

_A Brooklyn yellow cab driver was shot in the back by a passenger at
Pierrepont Street and Hicks in Brooklyn Heights at 8:45 p.m. on
Thursday night. The driver, who is recovering from the incident, was
completely surprised by the attack. The suspect is a white male in his
twenties.

_According to the 78th Pct. there was a bank robbery in the South
Slope (bank and date not specified) this week.  On Thursday, a police
helicopter was hovering over the neighborhood searching for the perp.
More news to come as soon as there is some.

_A delivery man on bicycle was killed after being hit by a truck on 75th Street and Sixth Avenue in Bay Ridge.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault
victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching
the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with
specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to
treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital.
started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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.

_New performance spaces for dance are flourishing in Brooklyn
neighborhoods like Ft. Greene, Bushwick, and Williamsburg. Last year,
more than a third of the audience that came to see events at the
Brooklyn Arts Exchange on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope came from
Manhattan.

THIS WEEKEND:

_ Valentines. Portraits by Hugh Crawford at Fou Le Chakra. Opening 3 p.m. 4/2. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.

<>

Who’s Afraid of Mike Nichols Film Series.  March 31 – April 19th. This BAMCinematek presents: "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal
Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more.

_"Play Without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most
important contemporary choreographers in Britain. FRIDAY and SATURDAY AT 8 p.m. SUNDAY at 2 p.m. BAM.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

_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.

_Sunday is Recycle Your Electronics Day at Grand Army Plaza.
11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Bring your old computers. Bring your friends. Help
load the truck. You can bring: working and non-working computers,
servers, fax machines, scanners, TV’s, radios, CD players, etc.
Donations will go to Per Scholas, an organization that gives electronic
equipment and training to South Bronx residents in need.

_Self-Care Fair at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture.
Food, health products, musical meditation, relaxation, chair massages,
and more. On Sunday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 53 Prospect Park West.

_Forsythia Day at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Sunday all day.  

WORTH TAKING A LOOK:  OTBKB Daily Pix
photographer, Hugh Crawford, has a show of portrait work on view at Fou
Le Chakra 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets until May
16th.

_ 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:
"And she opens the door of her cadillac,
I step in back,
and we’re gone.
She turns me on –
There are very huge stars, man, in the sky,
and from somewhere very far off someone hands
me a slice of apple pie" – Robert Creely 1926 – 2005
   

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

FYI: April Fool’s Day; watch out for silly pranks.

SPRING FORWARD THIS WEEKEND: 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: MTA picks Jets Stadium for the West Side Rail Yards.

_Court of Appeals declines to hear two gay marriage cases, a major setback to those who believe that marriage should be open to gay and lesbian couples.

_Study finds that New York City has the longest average commute to work in the nation. The average time in the five boroughs is 38 minutes compared to 24 minutes nationwide. Staten Islanders seem to have it the worst. 

_The right to distribute leaflets in front of schools is upheld by a
Federal District Court. Under
the settlement, reached earlier this month, 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 efforts 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 last 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:  "When more than 500 District 15 fifth graders received the disappointing news that they were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school, City Council Member Bill DiBlasio immediately appealed to the Department of Education to remedy the situation.  He pressed Chancellor Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a Community Education Council meeting. ‘This situation should have been anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,’ he said.  ‘I’ve been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process is improved next year.  I’ve spoken to the Chancellor and Superintendent and now the DOE is expanding capacity at choice schools, reevaluating student applications, creating wait lists, and communicating with parents about next steps in the application process.  Also, it must be a DOE priority to address the resource issues that lead other schools to be perceived as less desirable." From a press release from Councilman’s DiBlasio’s office.

_A Brooklyn yellow cab driver was shot in the back by a passenger at Pierrepont Street and Hicks in Brooklyn Heights at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday night. The driver, who is recovering from the incident, was completely surprised by the attack. The suspect is a white male in his twenties.

_According to the 78th Pct. there was a bank robbery in the South Slope (bank and date not specified) this week.  On Thursday, a police helicopter was hovering over the neighborhood searching for the perp. More news to come as soon as there is some.

_A delivery man on bicycle was killed after being hit by a truck on 75th Street and Sixth Avenue in Bay Ridge.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital. started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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.

_New performance spaces for dance are flourishing in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Ft. Greene, Bushwick, and Williamsburg. Last year, more than a third of the audience that came to see events at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope came from Manhattan.

THIS WEEKEND:  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.

_Who’s Afraid of Mike Nichols Film Series.  March 31 – April 19th. This BAMCinematek presents: "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal
Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more.

_"Play Without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most
important contemporary choreographers in Britain. FRIDAY and SATURDAY AT 8 p.m. SUNDAY at 2 p.m. BAM.

_ Valentines. Portraits by Hugh Crawford at Fou Le Chakra. Opening 3 p.m. 4/2. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

_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.

_Sunday is Recycle Your Electronics Day at Grand Army Plaza. 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Bring your old computers. Bring your friends. Help load the truck. You can bring: working and non-working computers, servers, fax machines, scanners, TV’s, radios, CD players, etc. Donations will go to Per Scholas, an organization that gives electronic equipment and training to South Bronx residents in need.

_Self-Care Fair at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. Food, health products, musical meditation, relaxation, chair massages, and more. On Sunday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 53 Prospect Park West.

_Forsythia Day at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Sunday all day.
 

WORTH TAKING A LOOK:  OTBKB Daily Pix photographer, Hugh Crawford, has a show of portrait work on view at Fou Le Chakra 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets until May 16th.

_ 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."