In search of the Chancellor-to-be: City Room

Mayor’s case for Klein could hurt Black: NY Times

What’s different today from Jane Jacobs’ time: Atlantic Yards Report

State Senator Adams denies testimony on corrupt Aqueduct plan: Brooklyn Paper

Brought to you by the Feldman Family from their local weather tower.

There’s anger all over the city about Bloomberg’s proposed appointment of Cathleen P. Black as Chancellor of the NY City Schools. A publishing executive, she knows nothing about education and herself was educated in private schools as was her children.

On Monday morning, November 15th from 10AM until 11AM there’s a press conference and rally for a new education chancellor who knows education and AGAINST the secret and rushed “corporate model” appointment by Mayor Bloomberg.

“We want the New York State Board of Regents to deny nominee Cathleen Black the waiver of education credentials that she needs to formally fill the position of Chancellor,” write Chris Owens,  newly elected District Leader in the 52nd district.

“The state of New York City’s education system equires that an educator be at the helm. New York City has talented and experienced people who can do the job … and better than Chancellor Klein did. (The fact that thousands of parents have their children on waiting lists for charter schools after eight years of Klein’s work is NOT a vote of confidence in his legacy!) I will serve as the MC for the Press Conference and I am inviting parent representatives, in particular, to come and speak out. All others are welcome as well. Please keep your remarks short and, preferably, bring some printed copies for the press.”

Yesterday’s fire on Fifth Avenue and 17th Street ravaged a supermarket, homes and gutted the Open Source Gallery. The gallery sent pictures today with the caption: Open Source will live again.

The fire began in the Park Slope Associated Supermarket on Friday afternoon. Firefighters battled the flames for more than three hours. There were no casualties though some individuals were taken to a nearby emergency room.

Open Source Gallery is a South Slope store-front, project space located at 255 17th street. They describe themselves “a nexus-point between long-time residents and recent transplants, a place for art in the midst of daily life. Open Source Gallery features monthly arts programming, gallery shows, happenings, dinners, and events.”

Since opening its doors in 2008 they have presented the work of dozens of artists and organized community participatory events, including “Thrift Shop”, which transformed the Open Source project space into a bazaar during the summer, and then “Soup Kitchen”, which invited a different artist to cook a one-pot meal for the public each night last December.

It’s a cool space and they deserve our support after this terrible fire.

An OTBKB reader wrote in to report a fire on Fifth Avenue and 17th Street earlier today.

I don’t know if you’re aware of this but there is a TERRIBLE fire on 5th Avenue and 17th Street.  Total destruction but, so I’ve heard…fingers crossed…nobody hurt.

It seems to have started in the grocery at noon and they still don’t have it under control. Many people lost their homes, the art gallery on the corner was destroyed. My daughter (who lives up there) just stopped by and she smelled like smoke. They can’t stay in their home tonight because it’s filled with smoke and fumes.

The Brooklyn Paper has more details. Here’s an excerpt:

A raging fire ripped through a Park Slope Associated Supermarket on Friday afternoon, closing off Fifth Avenue between 17th and 18th streets in all directions for several hours.

Firefighters were called to the fire at 12:15 pm. Three hours later, they were still battling the conflagration, which consumed most of the supermarket and was eating its way through the upper floors of the three-story corner building, according to an FDNY spokesman.

Last weekend, the Park Slope Civic Council hosted “Moving Forward on Fourth,” a walkabout to discuss the future of Fourth Avenue. Rebecca Welch’s interview with Josh Levy, Civic Council Trustee and lead organizer of the event, is on All About Fifth. Here’s an excerpt:

AF: I imagine that there is a wish list for 4th Avenue and there is a “reality” list. Setting the wish list aside for the moment, what can residents expect in the next year or two in terms of change along the Avenue?

JL: My read is that given the current state of affairs in the commercial real estate and development lending universe, I fear that no major or substantive building or development will be taking place in the next year or two—lending terms are far too prohibitive. Needed but draconian government budget cuts aren’t helping either. For the near term, we will have to make do with scaled-down (but fully cash-funded) projects less grand in scope and smaller, incremental improvements that we can implement (as a community) at little cost. The initiative to convert the 4th Street cul-de-sac west of 5th Avenue into a pedestrian mall/piazza is a good example.

It’s Friday and the weekend beckons.  Here’s the best and most interesting stuff I could find. Now it’s up to you to get out there and do something. Click on read more to see it all…

Continue reading OTBKB Weekend List: Nov 12-14 →

Brought to you by the Feldman Family from their local weather tower.

Last night I had a hell of a time getting home from 23rd Street at 9PM because there was a police investigation at Jay Street/Metro Tech (the new name of Jay Street/Borough Hall).

The F-train I was on turned into an A, which then skipped Jay Street for Hoyt-Schermerhorn. I ended up taking the G train to Seventh Avenue. The entire trip took more than an hour.

That aside, there are going to be more subway service changes this weekend that may effect your quality of life and the Brooklyn Paper has a partial list.

You can also go to the MTA website for their list of service advisories.

Brought to you by the Feldman Family from their local weather tower.

By now you probably know that there’s going to be a new school’s chancellor and her name is Cathleen P. Black.

She’s got quite a resume—for a publishing executive that is. When it comes to education or education policy she hasn’t done much. But Mayor Bloomberg seems to think she’ll be a good leader of the Department of Education, a position one would think requires some knowledge of education.

Think again.

According to the NY Times, “she’s a tough-minded chief executive who never left her employees guessing what she wanted.”

She wrote a book called Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and Life) published in 2007. Here from the publisher’s book jacket blurb: “She is the wise, funny mentor that every woman dreams of having. She was a pioneer in advertising sales at a time when women didn’t sell; served as president and publisher of the fledgling USA Today; and, in her current position as the president of Hearst Magazines, persuaded Oprah to launch a magazine. In 2006 she was named one of Fortune’s “50 Most Powerful Women in American Business” for the seventh consecutive year. Now, in the exuberant, down-to-earth voice that is her trademark, Cathie explains how she achieved “the 360° life”—a blend of professional accomplishment and personal contentment—and how any woman can seize opportunity in the workplace.”

As noted above, Black was the chairwoman of Hearst Publishing and one-time chief at USA Today, and will be the first woman to head the NYC school system, which serves 1.1 million students in over 1,600 schools.

Interestingly she nor her children ever attended public school. Born on the Southside of Chicago, she went to Catholic school and her children attended boarding schools.

Not only has Bloomberg hired an education novice to head up the largest school system in the US, he’s hired someone who’s probably never been inside a public school either.

But lets give her a chance…it’s a tough job and someone’s got to do it. I withdraw this comment I was just being glib.