The Brookyn Paper calls it an environmental triumph. Unlike OTBKB, BP’s editor Gersh Kuntzman stayed until the end of the meeting. So he got the scoop.

In one of the most lopsided votes since the re-election of Chairman Mao in 1954, members of Brooklyn’s famously progressive supermarket, the Park Slope Food Co-op, voted nearly unanimously on Tuesday night to stop making plastic shopping bags available at the checkout counter.

In doing so, the 14,000-member grocery store is now in good company with bag-banning locales like Rwanda, Uganda, Bangladesh, China, San Francisco and the Republic of Whole Foods.

It was the second environmental triumph for the Co-op in as many months; in April, the Union Street supermarket voted to stop selling bottled water.

In both cases, the well-being of the planet was cited as the motivation — like water bottles, plastic bags are made from petroleum — and the notion of customer convenience was dismissed.

(Full disclosure: I’m not only The Brooklyn Paper’s Park Slope Food Co-op beat reporter; I’m also a member.)

“I will be so happy to see the plastic bags gone, gone, gone!” said Jane Bayer, a 34-year member of the Co-op, using her allotted three minutes at the Tuesday night meeting to thunder against America’s “addiction” to the thin-plastic bags.

“We don’t need them. Some people say they reuse them, but how many times? Once, twice? That’s no big savings. It will be hard to give up plastic bags, but we can do it. We don’t need them! We can do it! It should be done. It must be done.”

It was a night of passion, persuasion and props.

I heard Julie Salamon, the author of this book, on Brian Lehrer this morning and it sounds like a very interesting book. She is also the author of “The Devil’s Candy” about the making of the film, Bonfire of the Vanities. Her new book is called, Hospital: Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity, Plus Red Tape, Bad Behavior, Money, God andDiversity on Steroids. Here’s the blurb from Amazon.

Most people agree that there are complicated issues at play in the delivery of health care today, but those issues may not always be what we think they are. In 2005, Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, unveiled a new state-of-theart, multimillion-dollar cancer center. Determined to understand the whole spectrum of factors that determine what kind of medical care people receive in this country, bestselling author Julie Salamon spent one year tracking the progress of the center and getting to know the characters who make the hospital run. Located in a community where sixty-seven different languages are spoken, Maimonides is a case study for the particular kinds of concerns that arise in institutions that serve an increasingly multicultural American demographic. Granted an astonishing “warts and all” level of access by the hospital higher-ups, Salamon followed the doctors, patients, administrators, nurses, ambulance drivers, cooks, and cleaning staff. She explored not just the action on the ground—what happens between doctors and patients—but also the financial, ethical, technological, sociological, and cultural matters that the hospital community encounters every day.

My Sidewalk Chalk has some phone numbers you can use if you need help navigating the Department of Education.

Yikes, the Pre-K letters are coming in and from the anecdotal evidence on the yahoo neighborhood groups there are some in-zone families with siblings that are not getting their placements. This may be an indication of errors in the system. Just in case this isn’t a limited problem, I have listed a couple of contacts here to try and get answers. It would also be helpful to know when families start receiving acceptance letters…

There are new unconfirmed reports from the yahoo groups. Parents that contacted the Enrollment Office this afternoon said that if you come to the Office on or after June 23 you can receive an informational booklet that will contain a list of schools with remaining available seats and a new application. The new application will have a due date to go through the process all over for the remaining open seats.

I was at the general meeting tonight but I had to leave early. A lot of people came out for the meeting, which was at Congregation Beth Elohim; a number of people I spoke with acknowledged the historic nature of the vote. The Food Coop voting no on plastic bags would, like the vote on plastic water bottles, send a message loud and clear that they are serious about environmental issues.

I am not sure what the outcome of the vote at tonight’s meeting was but I am guessing that the membership present voted to ban plastic bags: an important move on the part of the Food Coop.

Brooklyn Heights Blog has the story and pix about the "demolition by dereliction" of a building on Monroe and Clark Street in Brooklyn Heights. Here’s an excerpt from this shocking story:

And it’s pretty certain that Penson has
deep enough pockets to have done the right thing and preserved this
structure. Clearly, Penson’s desire to rid 100 Clark of its renters is
most likely at the heart of this unforgivable act of destruction in one
of New York City’s best preserved neighborhoods

Brownstoner would be nuts not to be happy about his New York Magazine cover story. Still, he wishes the writer had focused on some of the more positive aspects of the culture over there. Here’s an excerpt from Mr. B’s reaction:

Our only major gripe was that it played up the importance of one
egomaniacal commenter over some of the more constructive aspects of the
community. In the end, though, it did include one belief of ours that
we’ve clung to from the beginning: That as messy as many of the threads
get, the tough issues that underlie much of the change that Brooklyn
has experienced in recent years—class, race, gentrification—are at
least getting discussed, and often among people who wouldn’t otherwise
be mingling offline. The conversations could be a lot more polite, but
at least they are happening.

Is it true that Park Slope kids get Webkinz or Shining Starts web stuffed animals for a tooth from the Tooth Fairy. Pricey, pricey. This morning on Park Slope Parents, one mom (aka tooth fairy) wonders what is the going rate for a tooth is these days?

What does the tooth fairy leave now a days? Quarters,silver dollars or a small gift? My
husband & I remember getting coins for each tooth left under the pillow, but my
daughter is under the impression that the fairy leaves webkinz or shining stars for
each tooth (which I’m afraid will get kind of expensive). So I’m wondering what is the
general consensus on tooth fairy gifts?

Photo and box by bewitched’s magic photostream

Subtitled "A mischevous online bogey man is haunting the dreams of new Brooklyn," the article is mostly about the tone of the discussion over at  Brownstoner—what writer Adam Sternbergh calls "the unique undertow of anger in Brownstoner comments."

The NY Mag story also focuses on a commenter named "The What" and his obsession with the coming Brooklyn apocalypse.

I can’t tell if this article will be of interest to anybody/everybody.

Snarky commenter, The What, is the real story here. But the article does talk about John Butler,  and his blog, the Brooklyn Flea and all the rest (Upper East Side childhood, Princeton education, MBA from NYU, Hedge funder, who blogged onthe side…) They sure do love Brownstoner over at New York Magazine.  Here’s an excerpt:

"Butler’s adopted borough has proved to be especially fertile soil
for blogs, as many of its recent transplants have, like Butler, been
eager to chronicle their experience in dispatches sent out to the
world, like homesteaders mailing letters back from a new frontier.
Among these sites, though, Brownstoner holds a distinct and exalted
position, thanks largely to Butler’s acumen in staking out the happy
middle ground between citywide Websites like Curbed and Gothamist and
the dozens of Brooklyn microblogs and message boards where people
gather to rant and rail and cheer and commiserate about the foibles and
frustrations of their neighborhoods. Brownstoner covers the whole
borough (although the objections here of residents of Bay Ridge,
Canarsie, and other outlying regions are duly noted), but it covers the
whole borough as though it were one big block, where everyone has
gathered to gossip on their stoops.

"As
such, Butler’s become not only a fairly well-known blogger (the site
draws 150,000 visitors a month, and he was introduced to the world in a
2007 Observer article headlined BROWNSTONER: IT’S ME!), but
also a kind of virtual developer, someone who doesn’t literally rebuild
neighborhoods but who has the power to shape the way those
neighborhoods are perceived. By uncovering derelict architectural gems
in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, or trumpeting the opening of an inviting
new bar in Crown Heights, Butler has introduced Brooklyn’s far-flung
neighborhoods to people who would otherwise never consider visiting
them, let alone buying a house and settling there. On Brownstoner, the
bridesmaid borough is now the bride. The site celebrates what’s
sometimes called New Brooklyn: a vision of the borough as a diverse and
lively enclave of flowering neighborhoods, all jammed with engaged
homeowners, reborn blocks, and gorgeous and stately and (by Manhattan
standards) bargain-priced real estate, waiting to be polished up under
a tasteful eye. Brownstoner didn’t create the Brooklyn renaissance, of
course, any more than a weatherman creates a storm. But, like a
watchful forecaster, the site has tracked the course of the weather
pattern—in this case, the vortex created by rising real-estate prices
that sucked in a fresh batch of hopeful residents, drawn by the promise
of more space and tree-lined blocks and safer streets and majestic
brownstones and ample sunlight and the borough’s sudden,
self-perpetuating cachet…"

Last night, Mrs. Kravitz and Mrs. Cleavage were baking and bitching in preparation for the building’s first BBQ of the season. Mrs. Kravitz was rolling dough for her pies. A pecan blend and bright red and pink cherry halves in a sugary mix waited in white bowls.

The scene was was like something out of a quaint Southern kitchen. Two southern girls (one from North Carolina, the other from Texas) transplanted to a tiny Brooklyn kitchen channeling their southern childhoods spent in kitchens baking pies.

Or so I imagine.

Mrs. Cleavage’s also prepared a delicious looking pasta salad with snap peas; she wasn’t happy when people wanted previews.

"I’m going to have to make another one tomorrow if people don’t stop taking bites," she threatened.

The conversation moved seamlessly from one juicy topic to another (husbands, ex-husbands, children, parents, neighbors, friends provided friendly fodder). But mostly it was food talk—a running commentary on what was being prepared.

In the dining room Mr. Kravitz and a friend were trying to figure out how to make a proper mojito. After much trial and error—and probably too much to drink—he settled on a recipe he deemed perfect. He plans to make a pitcher for Memorial Day.

Mrs. Kravitz sliced up one of the pecan pies. It didn’t look like any pecan pie I’ve ever seen.

"it needs more sugar," Mrs. Cleavage said.

"Too many eggs. It’s too eggy," Mrs. Kravitz said tasting the pie.

"It needs more sugar," Mrs. Cleavage said again.

"So eggy. It’s like a pecan quiche," Mrs. Kravitz said chewing slowly.

"It needs more sugar," Mrs. Cleavage said one more time.

"I forgot the sugar. I forgot to put sugar in," Mrs. Kravitz gushed.

"What do you think I’ve been telling you," Mrs. Cleavage told her seriously.

Don’t worry. Mrs. Kravitz’s Memorial Day pecan pie will have plenty of sugar. Lesson learned. Bitching, baking and drinking Mojitos…

Not surprisingly, Brenda of A Year in the Park, was in the park yesterday. Here’s an excerpt.

The blessed sunshine of an early Memorial Day weekend was still in abundant supply at 7:30 p.m. While the evening was a little too cool to feel quite like summer, the air over the picnic grounds near Ninth Street was thick with the perfume of starter fluid and charred meat. And the ground was thick with people and their mobile campsites, many of which included balloons celebrating various events.

On Saturday, members of the Windsor Terrace community planted a tree to memorialize Kyung-Sook (aka Lindo Woo) who was murdered last week; it was planted outside of her dry cleaning store where she lost her life.

The family is determined to continue operating the store, Eden Dry Cleaners in Windsor Terrace. This was on the Park Slope Parents list-serve on Sunday morning.

My family dropped by the dry cleaner to pay our respects.  To our 
astonishment, the dry cleaner is open and operating.  We spoke with 
Mr. Woo, one of Ms. Woo’s two sons who were there.  He spoke of the 
family’s determination to keep the store operating ("My mom would 
want this.").  I was inspired by the family’s hard work and 
determination.

He went on to speak with gratitude about the support community has 
shown the family.  He proudly pointed to the tree which was planted 
just this morning ("They rushed it.")!

Here is information about the Linda Woo Memorial Fund

On the morning of May 16th, 2008, beloved Kyung-Sook "Linda" Woo, 63, 
who owned the Eden Dry Cleaners at 10th Avenue and Windsor Place in 
Windsor Terrace, was found dead in her store. Mrs. Woo had owned the 
shop for years after moving here from Korea and used to live across 
the street with her family before moving to Queens. Jamal Winter, 22, 
is being held without bail in connection with the death. He was 
arraigned on first and second degree murder charges and first degree 
robbery. At the time of this tragedy, Winter was out on bail on 
another robbery case and was scheduled to go on trial for that case 
in June.

Thanks to Robert Bello Landscaping for donating the tree, to The NYC 
Parks Department for arranging a speedy tree planting, and to Clieve 
Christian and the Prospect Park Commerce Bank for generously helping 
set up the Linda Woo Memorial Fund. The fund will pay for a plaque to 
be placed under the tree and for a fence to enclose the tree’s base. 
After these items are paid for, any additional funds will be given to 
Mrs. Woo’s family to use at their discretion.

There are several ways to contribute to the fund:

1) Checks can be made out to the Linda Woo Memorial Fund, placed in 
an envelope marked "Memorial Fund" and dropped in the mail slots of 
either 243 Windsor Place- beginning Tuesday May 27th, or 18 Reeve 
Place- beginning immediately.

2) Checks can be made out to the Linda Woo Memorial Fund and mailed to:

The Linda Woo Memorial Fund
c/o Brenna Beirne
711 Greenwood Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11218

3)You may go to www.paypal.com and donate to this account 
community11218@gmail.com which has been created specifically for this 
memorial fund -note that the purpose of your donation is for the 
Linda Woo memorial fund. Paypal accepts major credit cards.

Finally. Here’s the Tribute to Brooklyn’s Photo Bloggers that was produced for the 2008  Brooklyn Blogfest by Brooklyn Optimist.

It includes many but not all of Brooklyn’s great photo bloggers. 
Many thanks to Morgan at Brooklyn Optimist and all the photographers who sent their photos.