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OTBKB’s Weekend List: Sunday
It’s a Sunday kind of day. The sun is shining, the ice is melting, it’s nice day to be in the park. Click on read more for all the essential details.
Bike Lane Controversy Getting Litigious
Some people really don’t like the Prospect Park Bike Lane. How much don’t they like the bike lane? They’re suing to have it removed.
That’s right.
And what a group of Brooklyn civic heavyweights. Says Andrea Bernstein at WNYC:
Iris Weinshall, the former city transportation commissioner and wife of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. A dean at Brooklyn College. Norman Steisel, the former deputy mayor under Edward Koch and David Dinkins. And the other former deputy mayor, Randy Mastro (under Rudolph Giuliani) who introduced the group to a colleague at his high-powered law firm, Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher. And what is all this former government firepower being assembled to do? Remove a bike lane on Prospect Park West in Brooklyn.
And what is it that this high-octane group has against the bike lane. Well, they say it:
–causes congestion.
–changes the lovely, historic character of PPW.
–poses danger to pedestrians
Brooklyn’s Borough President is dead set against the bike lane and makes his opinion known at every opportunity.
In a report released last month by the Department of Transportation, studies show that the bike lane has decreased speeding and increased pedestrian safety. That it’s a win-win for public safety and quality of life.
Clearly others disagree. Indeed, this controversy is pitting neighbor against neighbor and civic groups against politicians. It’s a hot button issue. The bike vs. the mighty automobile.
Where do you stand???
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
Free Valentine’s Day Concert with Amy Burton & John Musto
I can’t imagine a better way to spend Valentine’s Day.
On February 14 at 8PM, acclaimed vocalist Amy Burton and her husband, award-winning composer John Musto will perform a free Valentine’s Day concert at the Mannes College the New School for Music. in Manhattan (150 West 85th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus, 2nd Floor Concert Hall).
The duo will perform songs of love from Mozart to Guastavino and Poulenc, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, and of course, John Musto.
Amy Burton is one of New York’s most talented singers, at the Metropolitan Opera from 1993 to the present, and as one of New York City Opera’s leading sopranos in over a dozen productions. From her New York debut recital at the 92nd Street Y in 1997 to her appearances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Festival, The Great Performer Series at the Miller Theater, Mostly Mozart Festival, The Morgan Library, The Brooklyn Philarmonic, New York City Ballet, New York Festival of Song, L’Opéra Français de New York, and her many appearances at the city’s most prestigious concert halls, Amy Burton is a vital part of New York’s cultural scene.
A busy composer of operas, John Musto is considered a master of the concert song, both as composer and as a performer at the piano. His playing is featured in song recitals (often with Burton), chamber music, concertos, and solo works. His interpretations of his own music and that of other composers are rivaled by his extraordinary gifts as an improviser. He has served as composer-in-residence at the Mannes College.
A Dog Named Stanley Part 2
We met Roscoe on the big truck, along with a host of other dogs at the Sean Casey Animal Rescue adoption event. There was a whole lot of yapping and barking and children (and adults) oohing and ahhing at the multitude of small beasts.
“Is Roscoe here?” OSFO asked.
Sure enough, we found him in one of many cages. And there he was: the dog we would come to cherish. The dog we would rename: Stanley.
The three of us took little Roscoe for a walk. OSFO looked perfectly happy with the little white dog on a leash. As we walked I ran through all the reasons NOT get a dog. My heart pulsed in anxiety. Should we, shouldn’t we, should we, shouldn’t we?
First and foremost, no pets are allowed in our apartment building.
Yes, folks, that’s a big one for the negative list but hope springs eternal when your daughter has whined and pined for a puppy since she could speak. I knew that a dog would make OSFO unspeakably happy.
Besides, I thought there was, sort of, a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” pet policy in our building (or Don’t Ask, Don’t Bark). Tenants have had cats, lizards, gerbils, rabbits, fish and more over the years. Certainly, nobody would make a fuss about such a cute little terrier.
Like I said, hope springs eternal.
Back to our walk, I thought of all the positives: a puppy for OSFO (check), the love and companionship of a dog (check). Just as quickly the negatives popped into my mind: walking a dog three, maybe four times a day. Somehow I knew that the responsibility would fall to me and I’d spend my life nagging OSFO and Hepcat to walk the dog. I’d already been warned by my friend, an experienced dog owner, that kids rarely walk the dog in a sustained, responsible fashion.
I had other concerns, too: What if he’s ill-behaved? What if he’s not house trained? What if he barks? What if, what if?
I’ve never owned a dog in my life and it was a world of unknowns to me. But OSFO and Hepcat were already bonding with little Roscoe on our walk back to the Sean Casey Animal Rescue adoption event.
To be continued…
OTBKB’s Weekend List: Feb 5-6
Let’s hear it for the weekend! TGI-Saturday and all that. HOT TIP: The Lenny Bruce show at St. Ann’s Warehouse is amazing. I saw the 90-minute verbatim “impersonation” of his Feb 4th 1961 Carnegie Hall midnight show last night. It’s like seeing history live.
Or how about Marketa Irglova (of Swell Season fame) playing with Aida Shahghasemi at Zora Space. I didn’t even bother listing Neko Case at The Bell House on Sunday night YES! “This Tornado Loves You” at the The Bell House). because it’s sold out. But there’s plenty of other things to do. Click on read more for all the essential details.
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
The Last Line: jackson
“It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,” Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.”
From The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
OTBKB Music: Sister Sparrow and Aaron Lee Tasjan
The wonderfully brassy, both in terms of instrumentation (the band has four horns) and personality (of lead singer Arleigh Kincheloe), Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds packs them in where ever they play and then gets everyone up and dancing. And their self-titled record released this past November was one of Now I’ve Heard Everything Best Albums of 2010. For the details about their show tonight and a brand new video of their song, Guns, click here.
Wednesday night began the February Rockwood Music Hall residency for Brooklyn’s Aaron Lee Tasjan, one of the hardest rocking up and coming musicians I’ve seen. While we wait to see if there are any videos posted from his show, click here for a video from a few months back from Aaron.
–Eliot Wagner
Pavilion Theater is a Mess
My sister went to see The Fighter last Saturday night at the Park Slope Pavilion on Prospect Park West and she told me that there was a sign on the door of the screening room that said there was no heat inside.
“I had to wear my coat through the whole movie,” she complained.
And that’s just the half of it. With rumors of a bed bug infestation, broken seats, broken seats and more broken seats, the theater is a shadow of the theater it was when it opened up many years ago.
Remember when there was that lovely cafe on the second floor? History. All history.
According to Park Slope Patch, two managers of the theater recently sent an email to Park Slope Parents apologizing for the hideous condition of the theater. The employees have repeatedly asked management to clean things up.
Four years ago the theater was bought by Cinedigm as a place a to test out their high end digital projectors. The managers say the problems are at the corporate level and that there’s not much they can do to improve the situation there.
Here is an excerpt from the letter the managers sent to Park Slope Parents:
Let us begin by sincerely apologizing for the current state of the Pavilion Theater—specifically for the broken seats and the heating problems. This theater holds a special place in our hearts and it pains us every day to see how much it has deteriorated. We, the other managers and the rest of the staff are not oblivious to the apparent problems; rather, we are bombarded by them every day. Unfortunately, until our parent company approves our budget proposals, we are entirely powerless to make lasting improvements. We know that the community wants this theater to be better than it is. We couldn’t agree more. We are both Park Slope residents and this is our neighborhood theater as well, but until our parent company takes action, we are simply confined to our own limitations. It is our job as managers to take responsibility for the physical state of the theater and the performances of our staff. While we maintain the day to day operations of this theater, we can only hope we are given the assistance to fix the bigger problems at hand. We still think this is a great place to see a movie in Brooklyn, but nothing would make us happier than to see this theater improve.
It’s a bold move for the managers to apologize to the neighborhood. Clearly, they are frustrated by the situation, too, and are being “bombarded” with complaints. In the letter they also attempt to dispel the bed bug rumors.
Regarding bed bug rumors—there is no evidence that we have bed bugs at the Pavilion. However, being a public place and being a movie theater in New York City in particular, there is always a risk of getting bed bugs. That is why we have routine checks and treatments as suggested by the extermination company. It is a major concern, and if bed bugs were ever to be discovered in the theater, we would not sit idly by. The theater would temporarily close while we rectify the situation.
Bklyn Bloggage: art & ideas
Triple canopy call for submissions: Art in Brooklyn
Light and salt and beds and water: Old First
Old tools: Brooklynometry
Sounds of presence: Water Over Rocks
Paul Schiffman RIP: Self-Absorbed Boomer
The accidental tourist: A Year in the Park
Rhys Chatham & Tony Conrad: Brooklyn Vegan
Sheepshead Bay at night: Brit in Brooklyn
OTBKB’s Weekend List: Feb 4-6!
Hey, it’s Friday and the weekend is hovering. Time to make some plans. Time to get out there and have some FUN! Like, how about Marketa Irglova (of Swell Season fame) playing with Aida Shahghasemi at Zora Space. I didn’t even bother listing Neko Case at The Bell House on Sunday night YES! “This Tornado Loves You” at the The Bell House). because it’s sold out. But there’s plenty of other things to do. Click on read more for all the essential details.
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
Parent’s Anniversary
I always post this piece on February 3rd. It was originally published on February 3, 2005 on my old blog, Third Street (which was the original OTBKB).
Today is the anniversary of Smartmom’s parents. February 3rd. The date is etched in her mind. She and her sister would go to the same gift shop year after year to buy their anniversary gift. West Town House smelled of bath soap and sachet. It was just a block and a half from their Riverside Drive apartment. They’d browse for an hour or more. With only a few dollars folded in their small hands, they’d find something to buy: maybe a stone paperweight or a letter opener, which the owner would gift wrap in green paper and a black ribbon bow.
Smartom’s parents aren’t married anymore. They’ve been separated since 1976. But February 3rd still stops her short. And while they’ve been separated for longer than they were together, February 3rd means only one thing: the beginning of something that later came to an end.
Manhattan Granny showed OSFO her wedding album a few weeks ago. A large, white, leather-bound book, the black and white photographs present Smartmom’s parents on their ceremonial day. In a simple and elegant, calf-length gown, Groovy Grandma looks like Audrey Hepburn; her hair is close-cropped like Hepburn’s too.
Groovy Grandpa, with no trace of the beard that would later define him, looks pleased with himself and his bride. Their parents gather around them – mythical parents, they are all dead now. They look happy for this union, for this coming together.
Later, OSFO said, “Grandma doesn’t look like herself,” Maybe she didn’t recognize her 78-year old grandmother as a beautiful young bride. Maybe she was surprised to see her grandparents together; she’s never seen them that way. It probably seemed strange; a little out of whack.
Bklyn Bloggage: home & design
Researching a Cobble Hill alley: CasaCara
Gallery wall obsession: Brooklyn Limestone
Melt snow with pickle juice: Reclaimed Home
Rainbow headboard: Swiss Miss
Observation: Stylefile NYC
10 things to do in house when snowed in: Apartment Therapy
Illustrated guide to 25 cities: Design Sponge
Dr. Amy Glaser: Pediatrics for Adolescents
The big news a few months ago was the split between two partner pediatricians in Park Slope (Drs. Glaser and Gordon). Here Dr. Glaser describes her new Only Adolescents practice from my article in Park Slope Patch. While still a pediatrician, she’s now offering special care for adolescents ages 13-22 two afternoons a week.
Dr. Glaser will be writing a weekly column on adolescent health care issues on OTBKB starting in the coming weeks.
Park Slope may be known for its stroller gridlock, but what happens when those babies become teenagers and have special health care needs?
One of Park Slope’s most popular pediatricians, Dr. Amy Glaser, is attaching a new shingle to her Eighth Avenue office.
“Only Adolescents” is the name of her recently opened, part-time practice for, well, only adolescents age 13-22. “I believe that this will reinforce the needs of young adults for privacy and confidentiality, creating a new, closer and more productive patient-doctor relationship.” Dr. Glaser told me over coffee at Cousin John’s.
With a fellowship in adolescent medicine, many years experience as a local pediatrician and master diagnostician, and two adolescents of her own, Dr. Glaser, who recently split with her longtime business partner, Dr. Philippa Gorden, is uniquely suited for the job.
Over the years, Dr. Glaser has worked with adolescents at The Door, the Elmhurst Adolescent Clinic, Barnard Health Service, Soho Adolescents and El Puente and has long worried that adolescents fall through the cracks between pediatric care and adult medicine.
“With teenagers, there’s often a hidden agenda,” she said. “A teenager complaining of a stomach ache may really want to be measured to see if his growth spurt has finally come. A teenager who needs help for his or her pregnant ‘friend’ may seek the wrong pathways without easy access to the right ones.”
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
The Last Line: strout
“”All gone,” she said. He kissed her cheek, and put her head against his neck. And everything seemed remarkable, the familiar scent of his child, the snarl in the back of her hair, the quiet house, the bare birch trunks, the snow on his face. Remarkable.”
From Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout
Jonathan Schell: If the world has a heart, it beats now for Egypt
From Jonathan Schell in the Nation
If the world has a heart, it beats now for Egypt. Not of course, the Egypt of President Hosni Mubarak—of the rigged elections, the censored press, the axed Internet, the black-clad security police and the tanks and the torture chambers—but the Egypt of the intrepid ordinary citizens who, almost entirely unarmed, with little more than their physical presence in the streets and their prayers, are defying this whole apparatus of intimidation and violence in the name of justice and freedom. Their courage and sacrifice give new life to the spirit of the nonviolent, democratic resistance to dictatorship symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. That event in fact symbolized a longer wave of revolutions that, spreading like a brushfire, swept dozens of dictators out of power, from the Philippines in 1986 to Poland in 1989, through to the early twenty-first century. But that global contagion had seemed to be flagging recently. Now, dictators all over the world are on their guard again. In Saudi Arabia, the monarchy is looking over its shoulder. Yemen is on notice. In China, the word “Egypt” has been censored from the Internet: the Egyptian autocrats removed the Internet from Egypt; the Chinese autocrats removed Egypt from the Internet.
EPA: Gowanus Is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things
You already knew it.
All you have to do is smell the Gowanus or stare at its water to know that it’s toxic beyond belief. But today the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that the local waterway is rife with cancer-causing chemicals and toxins that are unhealthy to children and other living things.
The report released today is the first part of a federal investigation into what makes the canal so toxic, which will be followed by a $500-million clean-up of the canal.
They don’t call it a Superfund site for nothing.
According to the report: “The contamination … is widespread and may threaten people’s health, particularly if they eat fish or crabs from the canal or have repeated contact with the canal water or sediment,” EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck said today.
The three hot spots of contamination are: Metropolitan Works, at 12th Street and the canal; Fulton Municipal Works, at Degraw Street and Third Avenue; and Citizens Gas Company, at Smith and Fifth streets.
The EPA will hold a public meeting to present and discuss the findings of the remedial investigation on February 23 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at PS 32 at 317 Hoyt Street in Brooklyn, New York.
You can view the report at www.epa.gov or in person. You can also see it at the Carroll Gardens Library.
Feb 17: The Memoirathon: Experience & Expression
I love this event and hope you’ll join me…
On February 17th at 8PM, Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House presents its 4th annual Memoirathon: Experience and Expression curated by Branka Ruzak with poet Howard Altmann, prose writers Mindy Greenstein, Chris Macleod, Sue Ribner, Andrea Rosenhaft, Elena Schwolsky, Beverly Willett and Annalee Wilson AND exhibition of works by photographers Jamie Livingston and Hugh Crawford and painter Kathleen Mackenzie.
The English noun memoir, comes from the French mémoire and the Latin memoria, meaning memory. In its very simplest form, one can look at memoir as a remembrance of something meaningful or significant in one’s life. Artists capture and explore personal memories in unique ways, dependent on how they choose to express themselves, whether it’s through painting, photography, poetry, essay, etc. This evening celebrates the expression of memoir in just a few of its many forms.
Click on read more to read about the prose writers, poets, photographers and painters, who will participate in this year’s Memoirathon.
Continue reading Feb 17: The Memoirathon: Experience & Expression
A Dog Named Stanley
It wasn’t exactly love at first sight more like love at first half hour. The Oh So Feisty One (OSFO) spotted him on the Sean Casey Animal Rescue website. His name was Roscoe and was described as a terrier of some sort.
In the snapshot on the web we could see that Roscoe was fluffy and white with dark, penetrating eyes. He was, in a word: adorable. We went to meet Roscoe at the shelter in Kensington. When we got to the small shelter at 153 East 3rd Street, most of the dogs were out.
“There’s an adoption event going on. The dogs are on the truck,” the young man on duty told us.
The adoption event happened to be in front of Animal Kind in Park Slope so we headed back home and made a detour to visit Roscoe on Seventh Avenue and 12th Street.
A word about Sean Casey: they take rescued, confiscated, neglected, injured, ill, unmanageable, or otherwise unwanted animals from private owners, zoos, shelters, and other public organizations and care for them, and rehabilitate them to the best of their ability and means. Most importantly, they attempt to find them healthy, happy homes.
No doubt about it, they’re doing God’s work over there and there’s no two ways about it.
And then we met him on the big North Shore Animal League truck, along with a host of other dogs. There was a whole lot of yapping and barking and children (and adults) oohing and ahhing at this multitude of small beasts.
“Is Roscoe here?” OSFO asked.
Sure enough, they located him in one of many cages. And there he was: the dog we would come to cherish. The dog we would rename: Stanley…
To be continued…
OTBKB Music: Three Mutually Exclusive Shows Tonight and A Preview at the new Freddy’s Tomorrow
Tonight is the kick off of three excellent four-week long residencies, two on the Lower East Side at 9pm, and one in Williamsburg at 10pm. Milton (he lived on 5th Street for six months a few years back) is playing The Living Room, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Friends will be at The Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 and Serena Jean can be found at Pete’s Candy Store. You’ll find the details here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
Although Freddy’s Bar officially re-opens on Friday, there is a preview (just like Broadway) on Thursday night. Long-time Freddy stalwart John Pinamonti will play two sets there starting at 8pm.
–Eliot Wagner
Current Weather in Park Slope: Freezing Rain & Sleet
Brought to you by the Feldman Family from their local weather tower.
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
The Last Line: jacobson
“There are no limits to Finkler’s mourning.”
From The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
Labor Rally at Ozzie’s with Music
The Park Slope coffee wars continue:
According to Suite 101, on Saturday members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) gathered in front of Ozzie’s coffee shop on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, to rally in support of former barista Jeff Bauer. Bauer, a member of the I.W.W. Bauer claims that he was illegally terminated as a barista at Ozzie’s on June 29th for union activity.
The coffee shop denies knowledge that Bauer was a member of the IWW and says he was terminated for others reasons. On July 2nd, of 2010 Bauer filed a compliant with the National Labor Relations Board.
The Rude Mechanical Orchestra, a punk marching band, provided a raucous musical accompaniment to the rally. Participants were encouraged to join with noisemakers, drums, pots and pans.
Bklyn Bloggage: neighborhoods
Daily protests at mosque: Sheepshead Bites
Neighbors leaving notes everywhere: Gerritsen Beach
Angry at Alma: NY Shitty
Man killed by L getting dropped keys: Bushwick BK
Is the igloo the new brownstone? Pardon Me for Asking
Ft. Greene Food Co-op plans: The Local
Interview with Amy Sohn: Here’s Park Slope
Park Slope teenz tell all: Effed in Park Slope
Current Weather in Park Slope: Snow Advisory
Brought to you by the Feldman Family from their local weather tower.