I visited our local evacuation center in the John Jay High School Complex yesterday and inquired as to whether they needed volunteers and the answer was a resounding yes. “Especially help with the pets,” Betty, a DOE representative told me.

The Evacuation Centers welcome pets. Yesterday they needed  help setting up the pet area at John Jay.

If you are interested in helping with pets or humans, go to John Jay on Seventh Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets in Park Slope (if it’s safe outside). Tell the guard at the door that you are interested in volunteering and they will direct you to the DOE representative in charge. There is a half-hour training session, so it’s best if you can donate at least two hours or more beyond the training.

I’m listening to Brian Lehrer on WNYC. He is interviewing a Red Cross representative. Here are some tips:

–Evacuate if you are in Zone A.

–Stay in interior rooms without windows during the worst of the storm.

–Taping windows does not  help

–For info while you still have electricity, consult 311 or nyc.gov/oem if you have specific questions.

–Fill up jugs, water bottles, bath tubs, especially if you are in a high rise building.

The following is an email from City Councilmember Brad Lander. His district includes Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and low-lying Red Hook. He urges  residents not to underestimate the storm.

As you know, Hurricane Sandy will make landfall later today, bringing life-threatening storm surge, extremely high winds, and very dangerous conditions throughout our neighborhood, city, and region.

Do not be tempted by the lack of rain this morning to underestimate the storm. It is going to get worse as the day progresses, and the danger is not always seen. The wind is going to make it difficult to get around, and may well bring down trees or lead to flying debris. The storm surge is already causing flooding in some areas, and will likely get much worse. And there is a very real possibility of widespread power outages.

If you are in “Zone A,” where the City has ordered a mandatory evacuation, you should already have evacuated. If you have not, I implore you to do so immediately. To determine if you are in “Zone A,” enter your address at the Office of Emergency Management website. The list of shelters citywide is there as well (and those in our area are listed below).

If you do not live in Zone A, and are not an emergency service worker, I urge you to stay home. Be ready for power outages, check on elderly neighbors, and keep a “go bag” ready in case you do need to leave.

New York City Public Schools will be closed on Monday, and every community event or program I am aware of has been cancelled.

There is no MTA subway or bus service.

Alternate Side Parking regulations and meters will be suspended on Monday.

You can continue reporting hurricane related problems in our district on that page.

But, for the latest information, you should stay tuned to local news stations, call 311, or visit the City’s severe weather webpage.

Brad

Evacuation centers/shelter in our area

NYC College of Technology (300 Jay Street, between Tillary & Johnson, in Downtown Brooklyn)

Brooklyn Technical HS (29 Ft. Green Place, between DeKalb and Fulton, in Fort Greene)

John Jay HS (237 7th Ave, between 4th & 5th Streets in Park Slope)

IS 136 (4004 4th Ave, between 40th & 41st Streets in Sunset Park)

PS 249 (18 Marlborough Road, between Church Avenue & Caton Avenue, in Prospect Park South)

IS 187 (1171 65th St, between 11th & 12th Aves, in Borough Park)

FDR High School (5800 20th Ave, between 57th & 58th Streets, in Midwood)

NOTE: The Park Slope Armory is being used as a backup medical shelter, for people with medical needs.

Here’s what’s being predicted by the weather folks at WNBC. What they seem to be saying is that weather conditions are going to get worse, way worse, before they get better. The good news: things should be looking up starting Tuesday night. Fingers crossed.

Tonight Rain will be heavy especially south of New York City. Expect gusty winds, up to 50 mph and expect coastal flooding at high tide.

Monday morning, sleep in because there will be heavy rain with winds gusting up to 60 mph. There will also be coastal flooding at high tide.

Monday afternoon through evening: Wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph, with major to extreme coastal flooding at high tide. Widespread power outages are expected.

Tuesday morning: Heavy rain and strong wind. Damage still possible during this phase of the storm. And by Tuesday evening, conditions should get gradually better.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority has announced that service on New York City subways and buses, Long Island Railroad trains and MetroNorth service will end just after 7PM on Sunday night (bus service will continue until 9PM). The following is from WNYC.org

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered New York City’s transit service to suspend bus, subway, and commuter rail service in advance of the massive storm expected to hit the eastern third of the United States.

Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors sent along an update on Hurricane Sandy from Andrew Olsen, Brooklyn Director of the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit.

 This evening Mayor Bloomberg updated New Yorkers with our latest preparations for Hurricane Sandy. We expect the storm to reach our city early Monday, with the peak of the storm arriving later that day.

This is a serious and dangerous storm. While it is not likely to produce significant rainfall, sustained winds over 40 miles per hour and a storm surge of 4 to 8 feet are predicted over an extended period. Winds are expected to pick up very early Monday morning, with the most intense period of wind and elevated water levels occurring from mid-day Monday through Tuesday afternoon.

At this time we are NOT mandating any evacuations because of the storm. We strongly recommend that New Yorkers prepare to remain inside as the storm hits, whether at their own home or that of a friend or relative. For anyone who is concerned about the impact of flooding or power outages on their home and would like to seek shelter elsewhere, we will open all 65 city shelters at 9am Sunday morning and they will remain open for the duration of the storm.

These facilities are open to anyone who needs them, will provide a safe place to sleep, and will have food. Pets are welcome.

All shelters have at least one entrance usable for wheelchairs. More information is available via 311, the OEM website and the Mayor’s Office of People with Disabilities website, both of which will also provide information about accessible transportation.

New Yorkers can find the closest evacuation center to them at nyc.go

Here are other important updates that you can disseminate to your constituents:

Transportation:

NOTE: As of Sunday morning at 10:30 AM, Governor Cuomo has ordered the MTA to suspend service on subways, buses, LIRR and MetroNorth.

The MTA has not made a decision about whether the transit system will close. However, in order to be prepared in case a shutdown is necessary, the MTA has outlined the procedure by which they would close subways and bus lines. This process would begin at 7pm tomorrow (Sunday) evening, with all services completely closed by 3am on Monday morning.

People should stay off the roads as much as possible. Conditions may become dangerous, and any traffic would impede our emergency services crews.

The Department of Transportation and the MTA will closely track wind conditions on the city’s bridges and implement slowdowns and closures as necessary to ensure safety.

The Staten Island Ferry will continue to run unless very high winds force temporary service disruptions.

The East River Ferry will be shut down after the last run tonight until the storm passes.

Schools:

No decisions have been made regarding schools. As of now schools are scheduled to be open on Monday.

Healthcare Facilities:

Yesterday the city recommended that healthcare, nursing, and acute care facilities in low-lying areas take steps in preparation for the storm. These recommendations include halting new admissions, discharging those patients who can leave, and making arrangements for those who need to remain in care.

Parks and Beaches:

All city parks will close at 5pm tomorrow (Sunday.)

Any events scheduled in parks tomorrow will conclude at 2pm.

Please emphasize to your constituents that going to parks and beaches during the storm will be very dangerous. Falling tree branches and strong ocean currents will be constant threats.

Construction:

The Department of Buildings has mandated that all outdoor construction be suspended as of 5pm today.

Staying Safe and Being Prepared:

All New Yorkers are encouraged to stock up on necessary supplies. A guide for storm preparations can be found here.

During the storm flying debris will be a risk. People should stay away from windows and draw their shades.

Staying Informed

For the latest updates on the storm, New Yorkers can:

Visit the NYC Severe Weather site on NYC.gov

Follow @nycmayorsoffice Twitter

Sign up for notifications from Notify NYC

We will continue to update you as the storm progresses.

Thank you,

Ryan Whalen

Chief of Staff to Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson

Brooke Dramer, a FOOTBKB (friend of OTBKB) wrote in to say: “John Cougar Mellancamp had Little Pink Houses. The Band had Big Pink. Garfield Place has Very Big Pink.”

Indeed, Garfield Place’s Pepto Bismol House is gaining status as an urban legend .For the record, Big Pink, pictured above is a pink house in West Saugerties, New York, that was rented by The Band’s  Rick Danko in 1966 or so. He was collaborating with Bob Dylan at the time and this was the house that Bob Dylan would  retreat to after his accident to write songs and record songs in the house’s large basement.

These tw0-track recordings came to be known as The Basement Tapes.

Members of Dylan’s band wrote most of the songs on Music from Big Pink at or around the house, and the band then began to use the name, The Band. The cover illustration, below) for the album is by Dylan.

It’s still really vague as  to whether or not the MTA will suspend service on the subway and buses on Monday due to the Hurricane Sandy. Authorities are closely tracking the course of this fierce storm nicknamed Frankenstorm.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an order on Saturday directing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to start planning for an orderly suspension of service.

However, the final decision won’t be made until Sunday. If the decision is made to stop service, New York City subways and buses would start phasing out service at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Fairway this morning at 8:30AM was crowded with locals stocking up on hurricane supplies and grub to get them through the storm.

Red Hook is in Zone A, so the residents there do have something to worry about if the storm hits New York City as expected. Fairway, however, plans to stay open Monday. They opened on the day Hurricane Irene, as well, though they sent workers home at noon, one employee told me.

Experts say the following should be in your Hurricane Preparedness Kit. You know, the one you keep in your house or apartment at all times. Hah.

Water. Store cases of distilled water in gallon jugs in the basement or garage. Water-purification tablets also can be purchased from camping supply stores.

Ice. Keep store-bought bags in your freezer and replace them occasionally so they’re fresh.

Plastic coolers. Use them to store cooked food and other perishables, including medicines, on ice.

Batteries. Store a large supply of rechargeable batteries to use around the house. Since they’re useless if they can’t be recharged, have a stash of disposable ones, too.

Transistor radio. Keep track of the news and emergency updates.

Flashlight or lanterns. Camping lanterns that burn propane or butane are handy alternatives to battery-powered units.

Cooking appliance. Perishable food can be kept longer once cooked.

Matches and candles. Keep them dry by storing in a plastic or vacuum-sealed bag.

Dried food. Beef or turkey jerky and dried fruits have long shelf lives. Other nonperishables can include energy bars and cereal bars.

First-aid kit. A basic kit is a must. You might add prescription medicine, such as inhalers, based on the needs of your family. Include pain reliever, large bandages, etc.

Looks like ti might not be a great idea to go to Fairway in Red Hook on Monday. If the storm hits NYC, Red Hook is just one of the areas at high risk for flooding. 370,000 people in NYC live in ;ow-lying areas including Red Hook, Coney Island and other areas around the East River in Brooklyn, the Rockaways, Broad Channel, the Staten Island coast line, City Island, Battery Park City, stretches of the West Side waterfront, the Lower East Side and the East Village.

The map above is from the NYC.gov website, which contains a lot of information. 

RED: Residents in Zone A face the highest risk of flooding from a hurricane’s storm surge. Zone A includes all low-lying coastal areas and other areas that could experience storm surge in ANY hurricane that makes landfall close to New York City.

YELLOW: • Residents in Zone B may experience storm surge flooding from a MODERATE (Category 2 or higher) hurricane.

GREEN: • Residents in Zone C may experience storm surge flooding from a MAJOR hurricane (Category 3 & 4) making landfall just south of New York City.

Here’s what New York State and City are doing to prepare for Frankenstorm as reported by The Weather Channel.  There is also a lot of helpful information at WNYC.org

 Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared a State of Emergency for the entire state.

New Yorkers have been filling sandbags and crowding into stores for flashlights, water and other supplies in advance of a predicted major coastal storm.

Buildings Commissioner Robert Limandri has ordered all construction work in New York City to be suspended starting Saturday, and will be suspended until further notice. Additionally, officials are discussing the possibility of evacuations and a closure of the subway system. According to a Bloomberg Businessweek story, if sustained winds exceed 39 miles per hour, service will be shut down.

Gov. Cuomo directed the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to closely monitor the progress of Sandy and prepare for potential storm impacts. Although the storm track is still uncertain, Sandy has the potential to affect many parts of New York State with a variety of threats, including heavy rain, high winds, flooding, tornadoes, coastal surges, and widespread power outages.

The governor cautioned New Yorkers to pay close attention to TV and radio for the latest information on the storm and especially for Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages that carry local emergency orders, such as evacuation or travel restrictions.

A storm emergency kit should include items such as non-perishable food, water, cash, filled prescriptions, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, first aid kit, flashlights and extra batteries.

In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said city agencies have begun distributing plans for possible evacuations in low-lying areas if there is severe flooding. “We’re going to make sure we’re prepared,” Bloomberg said in a WNBC report.

To paraphrase Margaret Mead: Never doubt that a small group of fourth grade girls can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Here’s a case in point. A group of 4th graders at PS 107 were inspired by the story of Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old girl who was recently shot by a Taliban member in Pakistan, for standing up for the rights of girls to go to school.

In solidarity, they are organizing at Read-a-Thon to benefit Developments in Literacy, a group that educates and empowers underprivileged girls in Pakistan (a representative of DIL will be at the read-a-thon). Girls in grades 1-5 are especially invited to join (but boys & girls, older & younger are welcome too!), and ask family & friends to donate 10 cents or more for every page they read at the read-a-thon.

The event will begin with a short talk by Yalda Atif along with some girls from Women for Afghan Women.  After that, the kids will spread throughout the library to read for as long as they like (they can bring their own books, or pick them up at the library), record the pages read, and then follow up to collect the funds.

Here are the deets:

Girls Read for Girls – Read-a-Thon inpsired by Malala Yousafzai

Saturday, November 3rd * 1 – 4 p.m.

Brooklyn Public Library – Park Slope Branch (6th Avenue & 8th Street)

 Registration, pledge forms & more info at http://girlsreadforgirls.blogspot.com:

Contact: brooklyngirlsreadforgirls@gmail.com

Alison Pennell (Brooklyn Breeder) just tweeted this photo of a house down the street from the Pepto Bismol House on Garfield Place in Park Slope that’s in the pink.

She wonders if it’s being painted pink or if that color is just a primer. What do you think?

OMG. Is it possible that there’s going to be another pink house on Garfield? Actually, the other pink house has new owners and probably won’t be pink for much longer.

Long live the pink.

I must say, the new pink house is a sweeter shade of pink. Not so Pepto Bismol, more baby girl pink.

Still it is pink.

Just when Park Slope locals were beginning to get used to the idea that  there will be noise and traffic in and around the Barclays Center due to Nets basketball games and concerts, the game changes again.

Literally.

Yesterday the New York Islanders owner Charles Wang announced that the team will move to Brooklyn once their lease at Nassau Coliseum expires after the 2014-15 season. That means that locals can expect 15,000 hardcore fans per game. Hopefully, the Long Island fans who attend the games will use the Long Island Railroad and NOT their cars.

Bruce Ratner may have had dreams of a hockey team at the arena, but nobody asked the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. It just shows you that once a stadium is built, the owners (and the city) can do anything they damn please with it without consulting the community.

Mind you, the Barclays Center was not designed with a hockey rink in mind. When games are played there many seats will be left empty to accommodate the playing area, which is larger than a basketball court.

In fact, the Barclay’s Center will be the smallest arena in the NHL, holding about 14,500 fans. Now they’re trying to figure out how to squeeze in 500 more people.

It wouldn’t be Halloween week without the Halloween Haunted Walk in Prospect Park. I went a couple of times, despite the long lines and waits, back when my kids were younger. And now I go with my niece Sonya, who will be dressed as a mummy.

High on Lookout Hill in Prospect Park expect zombies, wolf men, headless horsemen, good and bad witches, and other creepy characters.

While the Haunted Walk is suitable for children accompanied by parents/guardians or older siblings it can be very frightening for very young children. A few years back there were good witches on the Walk happy to comfort children that got too scared.

That said, most kids get a BIG kick out of it even if it does scare the bejesus out of them.

For the after-Walk, there’s a carnival in the Nethermead featuring all kinds of fun, games and seasonal treats. Begin at Prospect Park Southwest and 16th St. The Haunted Walk and Carnival is open to all and free ($1 suggested donation).

For more information about Halloween events in Prospect Park go here. 

Ellen Freudenheim, who writes the About.com Brooklyn feature reports that the Park Slope Halloween Parade is apparently the largest children’s Halloween parade in the United States. She writes:

Who knew? How great! Kudos to the dedicated event organizers, the local Park Slope Civic Council. They’ve made it possible for generations of Brooklyn kids to have incredible memories of Halloween, right here in the Big Apple.

Whether or not it’s the biggest children’s Halloween Parade or not, it’s our’s and since 1986 the Park Slope Civic Council’s Halloween Parade has been an integral and looked-forward to part of neighborhood life.

This year, the 2012 Civic Council Halloween Parade is on Wednesday Oct. 31, starting at 6:30 p.m. at 14th Street and Seventh Avenue

As usual, two ambulances will lead the parade followed by Civic Council trustees, elected officials, giant puppets made over the years under the direction of the Puppeteers Cooperative, and volunteers from Park Slope Parents and local schoolchildren.

Next the rank and file of Park Slope locals in costumes, mysterious roller skating ghouls, marching bands, and other experiences top off the experienc e.

The parade end at the Old Stone House and Washington Park on Fifth Avenue between Third and Fourth Streets.

Seems that the New York Islanders will be moving to the Barclays Center—the home of the Brooklyn Nets.

It’s not gonna happen until 2015. Still. The Islanders will say goodbye to Long Island and hello to Flatbush Avenue.

I bet some Brooklyn hockey fans are excited.

Crown Heights is really coming out for President Obama. There have been more than four Obama fundraisers in connection with local businesses in the Crown Heights/Franklin Ave corridor since September 30th.

Yay team.

They’ve already had an ice cream and cupcake fundraiser at The Candy Shop, two debate watch fundraisers at Bar 739 Franklin and Franklin Park Bar and Beer Garden, a coffee fundraiser at Little Zelda’s and door-to-door efforts to engage local merchants, some door-to-door fundraising to engage locals, particularly the elderly who want to give but don’t want to do it online.

Now the folks in Crown Heights are taking it up a notch with Thirst for Obama, a chance to donate to the campaign while drinking wine at Thirstbaravin Wine Bar on Saturday night from 7-9PM. More information here:

https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/grassrootsfundraisinghouseparty/gsthhw

In Crown Heights, they like their fundraising face to face. Indeed, much of Obama’s fundraising efforts are online. However, the Internet can be a tad cold and it doesn’t give people a reason to get together, to discuss, to share opinions, and meet each other.

All that warm and fuzzy stuff.

The Crown Heights approach marries grassroots organizing with fundraising efforts and brings people together for a  goal while making moolah for the president. Some of the sums are quite small; some give as little as $3 dollar…

But it’s all good.

In Crown Heights, they’re taking fundraising to the community at an affordable price point so that all residents in the community can get involved.