I saw this post on Park Slope Parents from a woman who just got notice that she and her family are being evicted from their apartment. I wrote to the woman and asked if I could post her note here.  "Please do, any help will be appreciated," came her quick reply. Does anyone have any ideas about what this family can do?

I’ve been living in Kennsington in the same apartment for 3 years,
the same apartment where my husband has been at for 7 years, and we
just received an eviction notice from our landlords.

I need to find out what are our rights. 

We live on the top floor of a 2-family home, our landlord lives
downstairs. We don’t have a lease, it has been a month to month
agreement, and we have never skipped on the rent.  We have been
sharing satellite tv, internet, it has been a very good relationship
so far.

Last week, we had to leave the landlord a letter because of the
inconsistency of heat in the apartment.  I was very worried that my
6-month old son would get sick in what traditionally has been a
pretty cold environment in winter. 

I do not know if my landlords are being vindictive, but it came as a
surprise that 5 days after we told them we needed more heat, they
came to our apartment on Friday the 16th at night, and told us that
we have until January 15th to move out because they have some family
members moving in.

Can anyone help us?  It really hurts that they’re doing this right
before holidays season, and they know that we take a 2-week vacation
out of the country, which will make it hard for us to get a place.

Thank you in advance for anyone who can assist me.

This is from a woman who named herself after her pet dove.

Thank you to the organizations – Rincon Animals, Win Animal Rights, Pigeon People, League of Humane Voters, Rational Animal, NYCPRC (I hope I got everyone) and individuals who attended our meeting  this past Wednesday to show support of pigeons.

And thank you to the New York Times for their interest in the plight of pigeons, and for attending our meeting.

There should be a story in the New York Times tomorrow concerning
pigeons and Councilman Felder’s proposal [it was in Saturday’s paper].

We will hold a rally and press conference on the steps of City Hall on Friday, November 30 from 12 noon to 1 pm.

It is evident that New York City wants to rid itself of the few remaining pigeons that remain, because if Councilman Felder’s proposal becomes law, pigeon feeders will be paying a $1,000 fine — that along with permitting netters to do as they please without apprehension and punishment, introducing hawks into the city, and with Councilman Oddo’s proposal to add birth control to the flock in Staten Island, says it all.

The pigeon legislation has not yet been introduced to the Council. In other words, there’s no bill yet. The bill is
likely to be introduced at the next Council meeting on November 28. At that point, it will be given a bill number and assigned to a committee, probably the Health Committee – whose contact info follows.
You should know that the ASPCA’s endorsement of Felder’s proposal will prove to be a major obstacle to defeating the bill.

Let’s put an end to unfair pigeon discrimination in our city and everywhere.
Sincerely,
Anna Dove
NY Bird Club
http://www.manhattanbirdclub.com

The Community Bookstore sent word of a new monthly event, which began on Wednesday, November 14th @ 7:30 p.m. and it will continue on the second Wednesday of every month.

Whether beginner or experienced, we hope you’ll join us as we form a literary knitting circle on the second Wednesday of every month.

And really, it doesn’t have to be literary – but maybe it would be nice if it was? We’ll informally gather to knit, learn to knit, help others knit, talk about books and yarn, and maybe swap some yarn too (so bring any skeins you’re dying to get rid of!).

In general, a grand ol’ time. Bring yarn and needles for the project your working on, and if you come next week, you can help decide what our new group should be called. (oh…I don’t know..Literary Knitters? LitKnits? Community Knitters?

Something much more clever than any of these?) Refreshments will be on hand to quench anything that needs quenching.

The Old Stone House has just added new features and content to its website, which now includes great deal of history that readers of OTBKB might find interesting.

The new site includes a great map that overlays a sophisticated digital elevation map that shows the original shore line, and colonial roads and Indian trails, as well as the key milestones of the Battle of Brooklyn.

Imagine quiet farms, forested hillsides (Park Slope), a wide tidal estuary (now squeezed into the Gowanus Canal), and foot-long oysters. Progress has come at a price.

Overall, there much more content on there and definitely worth a look!

For those who don’t know, the Old Stone House is a modern reconstruction of the Vechte-Cortelyou House, a 1699 Dutch stone farmhouse with important ties to American history. It is located in JJ Byrne Park (which has ties to Brooklyn Dodger’s history) on Fifth Avenue and Third Street.

Old Stone House is operated as a historic interpretive center dedicated to its crucial role in the American Revolution and in the evolving histories of Brooklyn, New York and the United States. It is also the site of Brooklyn Reading Works, a monthly reading series and many other local arts events. It also makes a great party space.

The Old Stone House serves as a dynamic community resource through its education programs and events. In addition to historical exhibits open to the public, the House is available by appointment for tours, classes and rentals.

Brooklyn Paper Editor-in-Chief” Gersh was on the scene to witness yet another exchange between the Pigeon Advocate and The Bird Seed Sweeper, who the PA accuses of slaughtering pigeons. Thiis is just getting weird. Here’s an excerpt from the Brooklyn Paper’s report. This is practically the same conversation the Pigeon Advocate reported having with The Bird Seed Sweeper a letter she sent to OTBKB on October 15.

The pigeon-lover (whose name I’m going to withhold for reasons that will soon become clear) met me at the corner carrying a baby pigeon, still bearing the tell-tale yellow hairs of his infancy.

She said she saved the orphaned bird after the weekend massacre. And she also claimed to know who slaughtered these defenseless birds.

“It’s that guy, right over there!” she said, pointing at him.

All I saw was a man sweeping debris in front of his house. But, wait a second, that’s not debris — it’s birdseed!

And the pigeon-lover is running over to him to start screaming. What is going on here? I’d been set up!

“Why are you sweeping up my birdseed?” the pigeon-lover screamed, demanding that I take the man’s picture. “You’re the one who poisoned those pigeons over the weekend! And the press is here!”

The man denied poisoning the pigeons, by the way, but he didn’t deny sweeping up all the birdseed that the pigeon-lover had left.

“Please don’t throw birdseed in front of my house,” he told her.

“My kid is allergic! My kid gets sick from those pigeons.”

“Then you should move to the country!” the pigeon-lover said, drawing very little sympathy from the man (and, frankly, from this child-raising urbanite, too).

“Besides, there are no documented cases of anyone getting sick from pigeons.”

“Can’t you just feed them in the park? This is my front stoop!” he fired back.

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Disclosure: Eleanor is a non-paying advertiser on OTBKB. I put the ad up because I like the idea of what she does.

Photographer Claire Houston sent this report and a photo from her Blackberry to me last night.

I was on my way to Rapunzel Rapunzel for a haircut, and walked right through the maddness of this fire scene.

There were at least 10 fire trucks and other vehicles there.  In the salon, i asked what had happened, and there seemed to be two conflicting stories: either some kids came by asking for money and doused the shop with gasoline and lit it and ran when they didn’t get any, OR some kids threw an explosive (as in a bomb) in the botanica shop and ran. 

My hairdresser said that a guy came by and said he saw three teenagers run down the street and they seemed to throw something and there was an explosion, but the shop owner apparently told the police a different story. 

One of the tenants in the building was a client of the hair salon, and she dropped off her cat in a carrier in the shop while she went back to her apartment to grab some things. 

She came back later and picked up her kitty and was staying at her aunt’s house in Sheepshead Bay. She also said her apartment wasn’t damaged, but her neighbor’s was because the FDNY had to break a hole in her wall, and break a window.

She can go back to her apartment tomorrow.

THIS JUST IN (3:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon):

Gersh Kuntzman got right in the middle of the pigeon war on Eighth Avenue — and tells me to expect a “hot hot hot” column in this week’s Brooklyn Paper.

I am dying to know what’s going on. It will be online in a few hours.

I got this report and a picture from an OTBKB reader, who is a new resident of the Midwood area.

I am a new resident of the Midwood area (just moved in 4 months ago) and I just wanted you to get the following picture and story so that you could warn everybody of what is happening. 

As you can tell somebody decided to steal all 4 wheels of my car at some point on Monday night.  This happened at the corner of East 24th St. and Glenwood Road.  It is not a well lit area and according to neighbors this happened at some point before 12:30 a.m.  (I had left my car at 9:00 pm). 

Therefore this must have happened not that late that night but nobody seems to have seen anything. 

What is worse is that while I took these pictures and I was waiting for the police to file a report 3 other people went by telling me they have had either their windows smashed or their car stolen on that same corner!!!

Apparently everyone knows about the problem, yet things keep happening with an alarming frequency:  one of the persons that told me about his own story of smashed glass pointed at the "still fresh" pieces on the ground…"it happened a few days ago" he pointed out. 

Please feel free to post this picture and any or all the information I just posted.  I just want people and community to be aware of this and that way maybe make the police more aware of it too.

PS I thought this sort of thing only happened on movies from the 70’s…oh well…

Tuesday night, 50 local merchants filled the Community Bookstore to show their support for the BUY IN BKLYN (Shop Local Park Slope) initiative sponsored by the Park Slope Civic Council (PSCC), with the help of Catherine Bohne.

If a community helping its own was the message of the evening, the BUY IN BKLYN yellow umbrellas (see below) could not have been a better symbol. The PSCC paid  for the design and printing of 400 yellow umbrellas to put in local stores. You can
grab one if it’s raining. But bring it back. Scout’s honor.

If there were 50 merchants at the event, there were also 50 non-merchants, including politicians-a-plenty: State Senator Eric Adams, City Councilmember David Yassky, Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman, Representatives of Yvette Clarke and Borough President Marty Markowitz to name a few.

Representing the Brooklyn media was the Brooklyn Paper’s beloved Editor-in-Chief, Gersh Kuntzman and the Brooklyn Paper’s PS I Love You columnist, Wendy Ponte.

Ken Freeman, president of the PSCC,and other representatives from the PSCC, were there in force, as well as Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors.

Food and drink were graciously and generously donated by local merchants, including Shawn’s Liquors, Miracle Grill, and Isabelle (a local personal chef). It was all very, very tasty.

There was speechifying, of course. But all the speakers respected the 2-minute time limit, which meant that their message was communicated clearly, eloquently, and in a timely matter.

First up was Ken Freeman of the PSCC, who discussed the importance of local businesses as the foundation of real neighborhoods. Up next was Community Bookstore owner, Catherine Bohne, who described how the neighborhood lent a hand when it looked like her business might go under last year.

Councilmember David Yassky, a strong supporter of this initiative, congratulated the event’s organizers: "Something real, something genuine is going on here. For neighborhoods to be neighborhoods, we have to help and protect the local merchant. This is great first step.”

Yassky went on to discuss core issues like providing health care to small businesses. He told the local merchants: “People are working to help you and you are not alone in the struggle. We will work together to do everything we can to make sure that Park Slope stays Park Slope."

Assemblywoman Joan L Millman saluted the Community Bookstore and encouraged everyone to buy one book. “It’s a great gift, it doesn’t break. There are no batteries, it doesn’t flash and blink. It’s something a child and grandmother can have for the rest of their life. Not only buy a book but buy it right here!”

State Senator Eric Adams brought the point home. “How do we bring in revenue that Manhattan enjoys? How do we let it spill over into the Slope, into Prospect Heights?"

Alan Bronfman, the owner of Little Things and a member of the Park Slope Chamber of Commerce had this to say:

"The wall between neighborhood business and neighborhood residents is coming down. This is a historic idea, a historic occasion. This place is filled with politicians: that’s  extraordinary. This is not about not having national chains. It’s about making the most of what is here by a large group of people who live here.”

Bronfman’s speech added to the convivial atmosphere in the room. “I’ve been  here since 1969 and this is a room full of people I don’t know. I look forward to meeting each and every one of you."