Yearly Archives: 2010
The Last Line: nabokov
“I am thinking of aurochs and angels, the secret of durable pigments, prophetic sonnets, the refuge of art. And this is the only immortality you and I may share, my Lolita.”
From Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
OTBKB’s Weekend List: It’s New Year’s Eve…
New Year’s Eve Day and the question arises: what are we doing for New Year’s Eve. Here are some suggestions in the music and fireworks department. If you want a quiet night stay home and at midnight wander out to the park to see fireworks. Or make a reservation at a local restaurant for an early supper. Drink Proseco and watch Hannanh and her Sisters…
OTBKB Music: My Pet Dragon Played The Rockwood
My Pet Dragon, a band to keep your eye on in 2011, played to an enthusiastic and good-sized audience at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 Wednesday night. The five person Brooklyn-based band played for for about 45 minutes. MPD’s music has influences which range from U2 to mid-80s electro pop and includes Indian dance from backup singer Reena Shah. Photos of that gig can be found at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
The Last Line: kidd
“And there they were. All these mothers. I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shining over me.”
From The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Mr. Bloomberg Goes to Brooklyn
Mayor Bloomberg was in Brooklyn today.
Mayor Bloomberg walked through the deep snow in Brooklyn today.
Mayor Bloomberg walked through the deep snow in Marine Park, Brooklyn with Marty Markowitz by his side and delivered a Junior’s cheesecake to a retired teacher name Mary Lyons. The mayor also thanked local hero Ryan Merola, who shoveled Lion’s Marine Park sidewalk.
Meanwhile, questions abound as to why the snow removal took so long.
Was it because the Mayor delayed calling the storm a blizzard thus delaying emergency protocols?
Was it, as has been reported (or rumored), sabotage by Sanitation Workers as a protest against upcoming budget cuts and lay offs?
Was it the unique nature of this snowstorm?
As I said, questions abound. The New York City Council will hold a hearing on the subject on January 10th.
Unplowed Poetry: A Question to Bloomie
Sheepshead Bites wants to hear your poetry about the Blizzard of 2010 and the trouble it brought.
This is the winter of Southern Brooklyn’s discontent!Residents are still enraged about unplowed streets all over Southern Brooklyn, with reports hitting Sheepshead Bites that side streets and even some major avenues remain unplowed, despite the city’s promises to have it completed this morning.Simply complaining no longer suffices for these residents; they’re taking an unexpectedly creative approach to expressing their anger: unplowed poetry. What started as a lark is now turning into a trend, as more and more readers write their own poems with one overarching theme: “Take a hike, Mike!”We’d love it if you asked your readers to add their contributions in the comments. Thanks a lot!
OTBKB’s Weekend List: New Year’s Eve/Day Edition
Here it is. I’ve finally finished my list of some really interesting things to do New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Click on read more for the essential details.
Continue reading OTBKB’s Weekend List: New Year’s Eve/Day Edition
Promises Promises
The city said it would have the streets cleared by 7AM Thursday but, according to the Daily News, there are still streets in Brooklyn that haven’t been plowed
The Daily News also called Brooklyn “the borough hit worst by the blizzard.” According to that newspaper: a stretch of Ovington Ave. between Fourth and Fifth Aves. where a nursing home sits, 70th St. between 8th Ave. and Fort Hamilton Parkway are still covered in snow. A Fed Ex truck is stuck on 93rd St. between Third and Fourth Avenues and has kept plows from plowing for days.
Apparently the Today Show broadcast live from a snowy Brooklyn block where cars were still snow bound.
All that said, Park Slope is much better and most of the side streets are now plowed. I haven’t been out yet but Hugh was all over the place and didn’t see any completely unplowed streets. “They are basically re-plowing streets that have already been plowed. Touching things up around here.”
Bklyn Bloggage: home & design
Snowed under in Prospect Heights: CasaCara
My bedroom wall color revealed: Casa Cara
Favorite photos of 2010: Limestone Adventures
Brooklyn Living: Swiss Miss
A decade in NYC parts 1-3: Reclaimed Home
The hidden corners of Versailles: Stylefilenyc
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
(words and music by my fave Frank Loesser)
Maybe it’s much too early in the game
Ah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year’s
New Year’s Eve?
Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it’s exactly twelve o’clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
New Year’s Eve
Maybe I’m crazy to suppose
I’d ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations
You’d receive
Ah, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
What are you doing New Year’s
New Year’s Eve?
Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it’s exactly twelve o’clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
New Year’s Eve
What are you doing New Year’s Eve?
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
The Last Line: white
“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”
From Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
And Many Streets Were Plowed
Credit is due to the Sanitation Department because a lot of plowing got done today. Now the problem is curbs and crossing the street. Some streets are better than others. Local businesses pitched in and shoveled the crossings near their stores (kudos to Met Food for shoveling their side of 2nd Street. Methodist Hospital and Barnes and Noble did a good job as well). But for the most part it is hellish to cross the street now with piles of snow on the corners and slushy, mushy crosswalks.
Much of Park Slope Still Not Plowed
I just took a walk down 7th Avenue to Union Street and discovered that much of Park Slope is still not plowed. I also walked down 6th Avenue to Garfield. I was heartened to see that Third Street between 6th and 7th Avenue is plowed as are the main avenues. But the side streets: good for cross-country skiing until the elevated temperatures make everything too sloshy.
It’s already getting kind of slushy out there.
Bklyn Bloggage: food & drink
A cold swim and hot black-eyed peas: Stay at Stove Dad
Molasses on Snow (Day) cookies: A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn
Eastern European inspired solstice feast: Two Cooks in the Kitchen
Inexpensive restaurants that stood out in 2010: NY Times
Sam Sifton’s Top 10 restaurants of 2010: NY Times
Brooklyn Victory Market: NY Times
Brooklyn Snow Removal Map
Yesterday community activist Raul Rothblatt created BrooklynSnowRemoval 2010 map where Brooklynites can report the status of snow removal on their blocks.
Tom Martinez, Witness: Igloo in Prospect Park
Third Street is Plowed
It’s 9:09AM and Third Street is cleared for cars.
OTBKB Music: January Calendar and A Second Look at New Years Eve
It’s almost January so it’s time for the monthly music calendar. Next month is absolutely jammed packed with good shows, assuming that we don’t have another city-stopping blizzard. Click here to go to Now I’ve Heard Everything and see what the beginning of 2011 has in store musically.
And since New Years Eve is drawing close, click here for your second chance to see a listing of (mostly) low cost or free music amenable to last minute planning over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
A Fallen Man Eats Lemon Meringue Pie in the Snow
Here’s an excerpt from Eleanor Traubman’s Blizzard of 2010 story. You can read the rest on her blog, Creative Times.
I decided even in the swirly whirls of the blizzard to go out to SoHo in Manhattan yesterday. On the way back, the train’s last stop ended up being two stops short of my subway stop. When I got out, there was a man lying in the snow with one woman kneeling down beside him. It turned out that he was a city employee who was shoveling show off the steps descending to the subway. He had fallen into a big patch of snow against the wall at the bottom of the stairs and was afraid to move because he was in so much pain. It also turned out that he had a heart condition. The woman and I stayed with him and kept checking in to make sure his supervisor (very gruff guy) called 911. We kept hearing that 911 was extremely backed up and the wait for help could be hours.
The whole vibe down there with his colleagues was pretty rough. Kind of a dog-eat-dog vibe.
At some point, a male nurse joined me and the other woman and he was really great, a kind and gentle soul. Donald, the guy who had fallen, finally could not take the cold of lying in the snow anymore and asked us to move him out of it. Another bystander came and helped the nurse move Donald to a dryer spot. I said “Donald, you win the prize for having the worst Monday” and he laughed…
Read more at Creative Times.
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
The Last Line: Richards
“It was Doris who gave me my first review. I remember her coming home from work. I was on the top of the stairs, playing, “Malaguena.” She went through to the kitchen, did something with pots and pans. She began to hum along with me. Suddenly she came to the foot of the stairs. “Is that you? I thought it was the radio. Two bars of “Malguena” and you’re in.”
From Life by Keith Richards
Message from City Councilmember Brad Lander
Dear Neighbors,
I know it’s been an extremely frustrating few days for many of you. My staff has been hard at work, trying to help the scores of people who have contacted my office while I’ve been on my way back from out of town. From the many of you who have e-mailed or called, I know that the snow (and car and bus) removal seems to be taking much longer than usual. We are still following up with the Department of Sanitation to address some of the major streets in the district (including Henry Street, Prospect Park West, McDonald Ave, and Cortelyou Road in Kensington) and have passed many of your requests about other streets on to them as well.
Unfortunately, we now hear that it may not be until the end of Wednesday before some streets in our neighborhood are plowed, even for the first time. (FYI– alternate side parking remains suspended for Wednesday). If your street hasn’t been plowed or if there is a sidewalk that needs attention, my office has set up an online form at www.bradlander.com/snow.
You can also e-mail us at lander@council.nyc.gov, or call us at (718) 499-1090. You should try 311 first, but I know they have been overwhelmed, and slow to respond. I know that one more web-form is NOT what you need if you’re still stuck on your street – but we will do our best to follow up to requests submitted at www.bradlander.com/snow. Of course, if there is an emergency, you should call 911.
The City Council has set up a hearing to review the City’s response to this storm for January 10th at 1pm. We’ll be asking questions about what happened, why the response seems so inadequate in so many neighborhoods across the city, and what needs to be done for the future. I’ll be eager to hear your stories – however frustrating – as we prepare for that hearing. In the meantime, good luck. And thanks so much to all of you who have helped your neighbors get through the storm and dig out afterwards! –Brad
Lander’s Office Not Optimistic About Snow Removal on Side Streets Today
After I spoke with Brad Lander, City Councilmember of the 39th District, on the phone, I got this message from Michael Freedman-Schnapapone one of his staff members:
We’ve been fielding a number of calls & emails from constituents today (over 60 at last count) which we are working diligently to bring to the attention of the Department of Sanitation & the Office of Emergency Management.
After speaking with the Department of Sanitation, we are not optimistic about the City getting all of the side streets clear by the end of today. Our office definitely wants to hear about major streets that are not clear, issues with abandoned vehicles preventing plowing, and other issues preventing emergency vehicle access. We’ll be following up at the end of the day with more information. There has also been a City Council oversight hearing that will look into the storm response scheduled for Jan 10th at 1pm.
Brad Lander Weighs In
Turns out our dedicated City Councilmember Brad Lander was in Florida during the blizzard and was stuck at the Tampa Airport for many hours today. He’s back now and says his office received 100 phone calls about snow removal problems.
I spoke to him a couple of hours ago as I was leaving the park (with David Pechefsky coincidentally) and asked him what went wrong and he said he had no information but some theories, and will look into it in the days ahead. The City Council will be having a hearing about the problems on January 10th.
In the meantime, Lander advised locals to call 311, call his office and in real emergencies, call 911. He believes that the snow will probably be cleared sometime tomorrow.
He said his office would be issuing a statement sometime this evening or in the morning.
“You probably haven’t had a vacation since 2009,” I told him.
“It wasn’t much of a vacation,” he told me.
No Word From Brad Lander on Snow Removal Emergency
Many in Park Slope’s 39th district are wondering what City Councilmember Brad Lander thinks of this snow removal emergency. Hey Brad, where are ya??????
Separate But Not Equal in Brooklyn
Here is an excerpt from Michele Madigan Somerville’s Huffington Post searing piece titled Separate But Not Equal in Brooklyn about the plan to bring Millenium 2, a replicate of Millenium 1, a successful Manhattan public high school, into the John Jay high school complex in Park Slope (where there are already three other new schools).
“This feature article, which appeared in the December 3, 2010 edition of a Brooklyn newspaper the Spirit Gazette brought tears to my eyes:
There are many negatives to this so-called “proposal” but some positives. When M2 does arrive, the building will get the repairs it needs. However, the majority of the money will be given to M2 because they are a new school and need that money to start up. This also includes an extra $120,000. That extra money will be used for their purposes only. This also goes deeper than money. Think about the feedback that this school will be getting from this neighborhood. They are obviously going to prefer this “elite high school” (as said in the Daily News) than the schools that have been here for many years with a “checkered reputation”.
“In this piece, Cheidy Perez a reporter for The Spirit Gazette, the school newspaper for the Secondary School for Research, which is housed in the John Jay building in the heart of Park Slope, Brooklyn, comments on the DOE plan (Department of Education) to establish a new school. Millennium 2, within the building in which she attends classes. Although just recently announced to the community of John Jay schools, this clandestine plan has been in the making for some time.
“Read the article in its entirety. Out of the mouths of babes. In this case, out of the mouth of one very thoughtful and intelligent student who offers a rather chilling portrait of the NYC DOE at its most venal.
“I wrote a piece last week using the Cathie Black appointment as a means for discussing my concerns about the way the education “system” crushes innovation and rewards mediocrity in students and teachers. Some misinterpreted –or I was not sufficiently clear. Good teachers are never the problem. Education hacks are the problem. They go backwards when they should go forward. They crush good teachers. In my opinion, there is no one smarter than a really good teacher. The only problem with good teachers is that Education “system” likes to eat them alive. It punishes the best and rewards the political panderers. Further complicating this educational malpractice is that many of the finest teachers are drawn to struggling schools — because that’s where the need is greatest. That’s where the teaching is most challenging and exciting. Too often teachers in struggling schools are not given time and support adequate to enable them to bring about change….”
Not Plowed Yet in Park Slope
Readers have sent in their reports:
11th Street not plowed
10th Street not plowed
9th Street not plowed
8th Street not plowed
7th Street not plowed
6th Street not plowed
5th Street not plowed
4th Street not plowed
3rd Street not plowed
2nd Street not plowed
1st street not plowed
Garfield Place not plowed
President Street not plowed
Lincoln Place not plowed
Clinton and Henry Streets in Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill not plowed
Add your street to this list