It’s 9:09AM and Third Street is cleared for cars.

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.

“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

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….”

Read more at Huffington Post

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

Paul LaRosa at Here is New York reports:

Well, the snow plows have finally surfaced from their 48-hour slumber here in Park Slope. I actually spotted one this morning on the corner of 11th Street and Prospect Park West. It was big, orange and impressive looking what with its giant plow and chained tires. Only one problem — it was stuck in the snow!

The driver looked exasperated as the trucks’ back wheels hit and stuck in a snow bank. He was getting all kinds of helpful advice from a nearby senior citizen. I’m going to try to make it to work now so I can’t stand by to see what happens but I guess I’ll know by tonight if it ever made it down my street…

go to his blog to see pictures of a snow plow.

Some random quotes from today’s news conference:

“Biggest problem right now is stuck ambulances and buses. That’s the real reason for the slowness to plow streets.”

“Biggest effort to clear snow that I’ve ever seen.”

“Another 24 hours (and maybe more) before we get to everyone.”

“If your street was plowed the response was adequate. If your street wasn’t plowed it was inadequate.”

“Don’t think we should sit around and say the end of the world is here.”

“Don’t use 911 for non-emergencies.”

The mayor also called for blood donations b/c the blood supply is getting low:  nybloodcenter.org

The Office of the Public Advocate is compiling reports of streets that remain obstructed by snow or abandoned vehicles. After reporting such conditions to 311, New Yorkers should call the Public Advocate Hotline at 212-669-7250 or file a report online at www.advocate.nyc.gov.

Duh.

Sanitation pick-up and recycling has also been suspended.

The Blizzard of 2010 shut down three airports and the airports are still having problems.

It hobbled the NYC subway system and commuter railroads.

Many streets have not yet been plowed. Thousands of emergency vehicles, trucks, and cars were abandoned on streets and roadways.

What was it about this blizzard? Was it the quality of the snow, the wind, the timing of the blizzard?

In years past I remember blizzard clean ups being much faster. Major streets in  Brooklyn are a mess and many locals have never seen it this bad two days after a snowfall.

In a press conference, the mayor is saying that digging out ambulances, firetrucks and cars is the first priority Until that is done, plowing cannot proceed.

It’s scary to think about health emergencies in a situation like this.

Blame the city? Blame the storm?

It’s Tuesday morning and much of Park Slope has not been plowed yet. There’s obviously a fundamental problem and loads of frustration about the lack of snow removal.

At 11:15AM the mayor scheduled a press conference…It’s 11:31 am and he has yet to speak. Register your complaints at 311 (even though someone called and was told that they aren’t taking any more snow removal calls).

What is going on? Does this have to do with budget cuts? Mismanagement? What’s the issue? Is it the nature of this storm in particular? All the trucks, cars, and buses abandoned in the streets? What’s up?

In an email sent this afternoon from Councilmember Steve Levin’s office, Levin expressed his  disappointment and outrage over the city’s poor response to Sunday’s snowstorm.

“I am outraged at the lack of response in the neighborhoods which I represent-Brooklyn Heights , Park Slope, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg. It is unacceptable that, a full day after the storm, major avenues throughout my district have yet to see a snow plow.  I commend all the DSNY, FDNY, and NYPD workers giving their all out in the snow today, and we are all grateful for their work, but they have not been given enough resources.  Clearly, City Hall and the leadership at the Sanitation Department were entirely unprepared for a storm of this magnitude, and we are all paying the price for that now,” said Councilmember Levin.

“Nobody expects that every side street will be plowed within a day-we are all realistic.  However, from Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint to 4th Avenue in Park Slope, major arteries are impassable.  This is not only an inconvenience for residents, but it is downright dangerous if emergency vehicles cannot even get down a major avenue.  Simply put, this isn’t the worst storm we’ve ever had, but it seems to be the worst response to any major storm in recent memory,” Councilmember Levin continued.

Councilmember Levin represents Park Slope, Gowanus, Brooklyn Heights , Boerum Hill, Vinegar Hill, DUMBO, Williamsburg , and Greenpoint, all of which have yet to have their major streets plowed.

Photos by Eliot Wagner of Now I’ve Heard Everything

Seventh Avenue has been plowed but there aren’t too many cars and the streets are a great way to get around.

Photos by Eliot Wagner of Now I’ve Heard Everything

Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Community Board 6, just sent word that due to a roof collapse at 2nd Street and 4th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, 4th Avenue is closed to traffic from Atlantic Avenue to 8th Street in both directions. Expect traffic delays in the area.

There are very few cars on Seventh Avenue and, of course, no buses. Locals are walking in the middle of the street to get to open stores for supplies. Met Food, Key Food and the Apple Market on Garfield are open. Pino’s is open as is Good Footing (boots anyone?).

Dog walkers are out as are kids with sleds on their way to the parks. The side streets are harder to maneuver though individual homeowners are beginning to shovel their sidewalks.

If you know of businesses that are open please let me know.

Will let you know about snow conditions and what’s open…