I think the most dazzling thing about Saturday morning's Dazzle Me Forum in Carroll Gardens for the City Council candidates running in the 39th District was the way it was conceived and conducted by CORD (Coalition for Respectful Development) and SoBNA (South
Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance)

There was such a refreshing atmosphere of fun and good humor. Yes, the issues are real and divisive in Carroll Gardens. Think Superfund designation, Toll Brothers, Public Place. But somehow this event managed to be a good-natured exercise in local democracy.

And there was even a decent turnout though not as large as the organizers expected. You can blame the weather for that. Yesterday was a ravishingly beautiful day and again and again the candidates thanked the audience for coming out and sitting in a library basement when they could be outside frolicking in the sun.

But that's what it was all about:  bunch of dedicated citizens curious about the people who will be their closest link to city government.

The problem is that events like these attract the same people again and again. The bulk of community members never find out about these forums or feel motivated to attend them. And that's not because they're not well publicized. There's just a certain apathy about local politics and a tendency to be overwhelmed by the day-to-day.

And that makes sense. Time is limited, there's much to do. And events like these probably sound like just another boring debate. Who knew they could be such fun? And that's where the dazzling comes in. The organizers really created  an interesting, lively format for the event complete with sparkly homemade posters, buttons that said Dazzle Me, a be-ribboned Easter basket full of good question,  and a generally convivial atmosphere.

Still, ignorance is bliss on a glorious spring day. Many people in district 39 aren't even aware that there's a City Council election coming up. And among those who do, many don't know who's actually running.

A lot of people think Bill deBlasio (39th) and David Yassky (33rd) are running for third terms. The fact is deBlasio is running for NYC Public Advocate and David Yassky is running for City Comptroller.

Another thing: Isn't it strange that Park Slope is divided into two districts. On Third Street, I'm in the 39th and my sister on PPW and 1st Street is in the 33rd. PS 321 is in the 39th. The Community Bookstore is in the  33rd.

That's why OTBKB is covering both the 39th and the 33rd districts and trying to familiarize readers with the 12 men and one woman (in the 39th and the 33rd combined) and one Green, who are vying for those two seats in the Democratic primary on September 15th. That means that much of the campaigning will occur during the summer months when many people go  away. You get back from summer vacation and it's two weeks until the election.

And that's a problem. Because the 39th and 33rd are Democratic districts, for
all intents and purposes the candidate will be elected in the primary
because whichever democrat wins the primary will surely beat the
Republican in the general election.

So in the next weeks, the candidates will be going door-to-door to meet the  citizens of the 33rd and the 39th. Some of them have already been doing just that. In June (as designated by the Board of Elections) they'll be gathering signatures to get themselves on the ballot. If you do find yourself face-to-face with one of these guys or the one woman, Jo Anne Simon in the 33rd,  strike up a conversation and try to get a feeling for the type of person he or she is.

FYI: The Green candidates has to wait until July to get signatures to get his name on the ballot. The system is really stacked against the Greens (and other parties I assume) in our assertively  two-party  democracy. Another caveat: you can only put your signature on one petition. The Democrats should have no trouble filling their petitions with names. But if you want to see Green on the ballot, save your signature for July.

I was dazzled on Saturday. Dazzled by the look and feel of the forum. And excited to get a close up view of how the 39th candidates express themselves; how they looked on stage; their comfort level with the issues; their articulation of their core values; their experience and their opinions on the matters of concern to the district.

Today there's a candidates forum in Boro Park. The Green candidate wasn't invited. I wish I could be there. But I can't. Too much other stuff to do.