OUR SCREEN IS AMAZING thanks to Bob Usdin of Showman Fabricators who donated his time, his ingenuity, his supplies to our outdoor film series. He assembled it this evening in JJ Byrne Park.

It was so great to see it all come together. We’d talked about it on the phone. And he delivered the pipes yesterday. But it was still very abstract to me.

Yesterday he showed me the sketch. On a piece of lined yellow paper, Bob designed a really ingenious, simple aluminum frame put together with key clamps for our 12 x 15 ft. white muslin.

Tonight at our "dress rehearsal" Bob quietly went to work.

It took him over two hours to put it together; he mostly worked alone. His daughter, OSFO and Teen Spirit helped a bit.

I finally found out what webs are gromits are. They are the holes and ties that make it possible to attach the screen to the frame. OSFO and Bob’s daughter did quite a bit of the gromit/web tying. There must be 20 on each side of the screen.

Bob labeled all the pieces and it should be quite easy to take apart and put back together.

We are indebted to Bob for creating this incredible frame and screen. Thank you so much. Next Tuesday night when we attach Bob’s screen to Greg’s truck it will be a great moment.

I can’t wait. Brooklyn Film Works. Movies Alfresco in JJ Byrne Park. June 27, July 11, July 18, July 24. First up: Little Fugitive by Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin. Made in 1953, the story of a little Brooklyn boy who runs away to Coney Island. 8:30 p.m. Bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets, pillows. Watch movies under the stars.

picture of a drive-in in Saskatoon at sunset by Darryl Mitchell.

Forget U-Haul . Greg’s Express Rubbish Removal is graciously providing the truck that will secure our Brooklyn Film Works movie screen.

Kim Maier, director of the Old Stone House, called Greg Wednesday night during the Brooklyn Film Works "dress rehearsal" and he came right over to JJ Byrne Park. He has trucks as big as Fresh Direct trucks that’ll be perfect to hold up the 12 x 15 ft. screen.

Greg is our hero. He will drive the truck up to the Old Stone House on Tuesday night and take it back after 11 p.m. Thank you so very much.

Check out his web site. It’s really cool and fun:

"We’re trashy. We love trash, in fact, we take what the Sanitation Department won’t.  Give us your trash. Please.

We’re renting a truck from U-Haul. It’s only $29.95 per day. The guy on the phone kept asking how many rooms we were moving. I explained that we were just parking the truck and leaning a screen against it. He still asked if we needed moving pads or boxes. And how many rooms are you moving?  The good news is: Problem solved. On to the next one. Thank you all who responded.

rooklyn Film Works: Movies Alfresco in JJ Byrne Park NEEDS TO BORROW A TRUCK – at least 16 feet long.

We won’t be driving it. We just need to park it outside of the Old Stone House and tie our projection screen to it. We need it on Tuesday night June 22 at 6 p.m. or so until 11 p.m.

If it has your name on it: it’s great advertising. If it’s just a plain white truck: you’re a mensch.

A 16′ box truck would be ideal.  A 14′ would work.  Larger is also okay, but would be hanging out more.  Most important thing is the height.  Any of these trucks that are 11′ tall or taller will do the job.

Reasons to lend your truck to Brooklyn Film Works:

1. The film festival is a service to the community.

2. If your name is on the truck: it’s great advertising!!!!

2. You’d be making a contribution to the arts in Brooklyn.

3. We will adore you.

4.  We will ply you with wine and food.

5. Helping others feels good.

6. You’re a mensch

7. We’ll look like idiots if we can’t figure out how to get this screen up.

8. Get your picture on OTBKB and a story about your heroic and generous gesture.

Continue reading WE RENTED A TRUCK →

In the wake of the announced departure of Executive Director Ginnie Cooper to lead the District of Columbia Public Library, Dionne Mack-Harvin has been named the interim executive director of the Brooklyn Public Library, effective July 7. "I’ve worked closely with Dionne and know that she will bring a strong commitment to managing the organization during this transition," said Cooper. Mack-Harvin, who has served as BPL’s Chief of Staff for the past year, will officially assume the interim post on July 7. She began her career at BPL in 1996. Prior to becoming chief of staff, she was the director of the Central Library. Meanwhile, Janet Kinney, who had been deputy director for public service and had worked with Cooper at the Multnomah County Library, OR, has resigned. Mary Graham, director of neighborhood service, will be the interim deputy director for public service and Linda Cohen, currently assistant director of neighborhood service, will be the interim director for neighborhood service, effective June 25.

Brooklyn Film Works, which opens next Tuesday night (June 27th) with Little Fugitve, has it’s own quasi dramatic backstory.

It all started months ago when Kim Maier, director extradonaire of The Old Stone House, proposed the idea of a summer film festival in JJ Byrne Park. I loved the idea right away and got to thinking about Brooklyn-related films to include in the festival.

But there were a few technical details that needed to be worked out. Kim said she’d be happy with a bed sheet and a home projector. I guess I had something bigger in mind.

I decided to get in touch with an old friend of mine from my video production days, who now works for Scharff Weisberg, providers of audio, video, and lighting technology. I told him we had no money, that we were doing the project as a community service very much on the cheap. He was game to try to help us out.

My friend came to JJ Byrne Park to scope out the site and offered us advice about where to put the projector and screen. A few days later, he emailed us an equipment list that was a tad more ambitious than what we had in mind.

Kim said she’d be happy with a bed sheet and a home projector. I guess I had something bigger in mind.

My friend did say, however, that Scharff Weisberg would be willing to loan us a video projector for the four screenings. Somewhere along the way it was decided that we would project a 12 x 15 ft. image.

But what would we project the image on? Good question.  My friend at Scharff Weisberg suggested I have a screen made at Rosebrand, a company that specializes in theatrical drapes, scrims and screens. When I called Rosebrand, the sales representative asked me all kinds of questions…what size, what material?

We decided on white seamless muslin with a black duvatine back. Then the sales representative asked: Do you want gromits and webs?  I didn’t have a clue what gromits and webs were.

So I called my friend Bob at Showman Fabricators, who lives in Park Slope, and told him I was having a screen made and I wondered if he could help me figure out a way to frame the screen so that we could project a movie on it.

And by the way what are gromits and webs?

He said he could make a frame for the screen out of aluminum pipes. He’d deliver five pipes that could be made into a 12 x 15 ft. rectangle with key clamps or speed rail.
And then he called the sales representative at Rosebrand and told them what kind of webs and gromits we’d need because that’s how we were going to attach the screen to the pipes.

I still didn’t know exactly where we were going to put the screen – between the trees on the north side of the house or against the fence in front of the house?

I figured we’d figure it out.

Well, tonight Bob from Showman Fabricators delivered the pipes and walked around the site and said that it might be impossible to tie the screen to the trees or to put it against the fence in front of the house. Wind would be the big problem. The frame with a 12 x 15 ft. fabric screen was like a sail. And if a big gust of wind came along…

Kim said she’d be happy with a bed sheet and a home projector. I guess I had something bigger in mind.

So there we were — me, Kim, Bob from Showman, Bill the projectionist, standing outside of the Old Stone House trying to figure out what to do. For a moment I thought we might have to get a bed sheet and a home projector. Maybe what we were trying to do was impossible, too ambitious, too BIG.

Then I remembered something that Hepcat suggested a few months ago: we could get a truck and tie the frame and screen to the truck.

Bingo. Everyone seemed to like the idea. We talked about calling U-Haul and other truck companies. When I got home I told Hepcat all about our screen problems, the truck. He sighed a bit. Did some thinking. Sighed again.

"I’ve got it," he said. "I can put the old roof rack on top of our Volvo station wagon and I will clamp two pieces of pipe horizontally to the roof rack and attach that to key fittings,,,"

"Are you sure it’s going to work?" I asked gently.
"Look who was raised by engineers and who was raised by an advertising executive?"
"In other words, have faith in you, right?"
"Right."

And I do. So tomorrow night Hepcat will test out his idea.

On June 27th, not only will you get to see Little Fugitive directed by Morris Engels and Ruth Orkin, the film that inspired Francois Truffaut and John Cassavetes and was nomiated for an Academy Award, and won a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival…

But you get to find out the ending of the "screen drama." Will Hepcat’s Volvo plan work out. Will there be enough power to run the projector. Will anyone show up to the show…

You’re just going to have to wait. Whatever happens, it should be interesting.

June 27th Little Fugitive about a boy who runs away to Coney Island.
July 11: Coney Island: The American Experience a documentary by Ric Burns
July 18: Moonstruck, the Carroll Gardens Classic with Cher
July 25: The Long Good Bye with Brooklyn native, Elliot Gould. Directed by Robert Altman.
All Tuesdays. 8:30. Food concession by Stone Park Cafe. Made possible with the generous support of Methodist Hospital, Scharff Weisberg Inc, and Showman Fabricators.

Omigod, omigod. Now this is exciting. Steve of Key Lime fame left a comment on the post I wrote about him last week. He liked it, he liked it. Here are the facts about his ice cream bars. YUM. I’m wondering if the Park Slope Food Coop will have them.

Thanks for the mention, actually we’re calling these things "Swingles",
after the botanist who catalogued the key lime (Citrus aurantifolia
Swingle). We switched to a great Belgian chocolate and are using an
organic coconut oil as a thinner (the chocolate must be thinned for
dipping) and the results are positive all around. Only complaint we get
is when someone is asked to share. Again, thanks for the mention!

Dope on the Slope has a post about a collage made by Berkeley Carroll second graders called "Recycled Bouquet" that was made out of recycled grocery product packaging. Click here  for a close-up view of one section of the work." He says it is installed on the north wall of the Key Food on Carroll Street and Seventh. I think he must mean the exterior wall…It must be big like a mural. Can’t wait to take a look…

I already knew that Cafe Regular was the coolest cafe in Park Slope. I go in there on Mondays before and/or after therapy. But now it’s proven. I left my raincoat there two Mondays ago. I finally went back to the cafe yesterday and it was hanging on a  coat hook close to the front. I told the barista that I’d left it there. "You can leave it here if you want. We don’t mind," he said. Then I ordered a light iced coffee from another barista. As she carefully prepared the drink in the perfect coffee/milk ration we talked. "We never throw things out. You don’t have to worry about that," she said.

Truly the coolest cafe in the Slope. It’s a tiny place. Did I mention that it’s the best looking with the best coffee, too? And a great atmosphere.

Cafe Regular. They don’t throw out blue raincoats.

11th Street between fifth and fourth Avenues.

Breaking news from Newsday about our borough president, Marty Markowitz:

NEW YORK (AP) _ Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz had two stents inserted his arteries over the weekend after feeling some physical discomfort and checking himself into the hospital, his office said Monday.

Markowitz checked into Maimonides Medical Center on Saturday. After an evaluation, he underwent a procedure in which the stents, which are small tubes, were put into two of his arteries to help keep them open.

His office said Markowitz was resting comfortably and was expected to leave the hospital on Tuesday.

"I want all Brooklynites and New Yorkers to know that I’m doing great and feeling fine, and can’t wait to get back to work for Brooklyn," Markowitz said in a statement. "I guess I’m now a member of one of the largest 60-plus groups in America _ the stent club."

Incredibly HOT weather for Seventh Heaven, Seventh Avenue’s annual street fair.  It seemed to me that it was less crowded than usual. The heat was probably the main reason. OSFO and I were out there at high noon and each have a sunburn to show for it. For some reason, this year we found ourselves going from 3rd Street to 16th Streets. Never made it below 3rd Street. OSFO enjoyed the space walk "ride" and the big slide up on 16th Street.

Here’s what we noticed:

—Jed Parish performing in front of Slope Cellars
–Interesting world music in front of John Jay High School
–Skirts from Fofolle
–Cool key rings and jewelry from Bonbon Oiseau
–Gorgeous dish towels from India
–Rides up on 16th Streets
—Rare Device’s sale table
–Bird and Baby Bird’s sale table
—Naidre’s cupcakes and stuff
–Boxing and Tai Chi demo in front of Slope Fitness Collective
–Hepcat bought a super bright flash light
–Pink Corvette model car for Dad
–Chinese dragon painting for Grandpa
–Sand in a cat-shaped bottle for Grandpa
–Lots of jewelry
–Lots of bags
–Lots of Andean stuff
–Lots of Chinese buddhas

I’ve been thinking a lot about what Teen Spirit is going to do this summer. As usual, we will go to Sag Harbor for a week and Northern California for much of August (visiting Hepcat’s family farm). But I’m worried about July. Teen Spirit has never gone to sleep away camp. He loved Park Explorers, a local day camp in Prospect Park, but he’s too old for that now. He talked about being a C.I.T., which I thought was a great idea but now he’s not sure.

He says he wants to hang loose. He’s talking about getting a job. Anyone have some work for 15-year-old Teen Spirit? He’s smart, interesting, into music, well read…likes computers. The only work experience he’s had is babysitting for his sister and a boy who lives a few blocks away. He once distributed flyers for the Shangri La store and he’s had stoop sales.

I found this on Callalillie. She doesn’t have kids but she was musing on what she’d like her kids (when she has them) to do on their summer vacation.

How would I like my children to spend their summer vacations?

I am not really sure, though I would love to be able to give them
experiences like those that I had. Usdan Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts exposed me to some incredibly
smart and creative people. Experiencing college campus life
(quasi-college) in high school was invaluable for me. But mostly, I
want my kids to have fun and smile and not worry about things, because
that is what summer vacation is traditionally for. And when they are
old enough, their lazy butt needs to get a job.

Anyone have ideas for Teen Spirit this summer?  Maybe I should look into that Usdan Center.

Dad’s day definitely got short shrift around here. Not because anyone has anything against Hepcat. It’s just that Teen Spirit and OSFO know that Hepcat doesn’t think much of Hallmark holidays. Maybe they’re embarassed to pay too much attention to it. They know that the best way to celebrate it is to ignore it in Hepcat’s case.

OSFO did make Hepcat scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. She did NOT give him a card. Teen Spirit had a card but he never got around to signing it.  Hepcat appreciated OSFO’s tasty breakfast.

I managed to drum up some enthusiasm for the day. Got Hepcat a nice card and a small gift. But Hepcat seemed bent on ignoring it.

We did have a combo Father’s Day/June birthdays party at our house. My dad came and he appreciated the attention from Teen Spirit and OSFO who did have gifts for grandpa. I guess they know that he, unlike Hepcat, appreciates that sort of thing.

OSFO gave him a Chinese dragon painting painted by a guy at the Seventh Heaven street fair. She asked him to write "Grandpa" in calligraphy. She also gave him a sand bottle in the shape of a cat because he likes cats. Teen Spirit gave him a cool key ring with a horse on it (Granpa is a big horse racing guy).

It was Bro-in-law’s first Father’s Day. He’s been dad to Sonya since last August. Happy Father’s Day to you and many, many, many more to come.