Here’s the crane report from Craig R. Hammerman of Community Board 6.

As
you are aware the crane operation was planned for today but an
insurance issue prevented the transformer from leaving Ohio. 

The
transformer is scheduled to arrive at 7:30am Thursday.
Arrangements will be as we discussed previously but one day later.

Crane Operation Summary:

Transformer removal and installation is scheduled to take place today, on Thursday, October 16, 2008 between 7am and 4pm.

Bus stop on east side of 7^th Avenue near Sterling Place (between Sterling Pl. and Park Pl.) will be discontinued for the day.

Northbound
bus will stop at the next stop on Flatbush Avenue which will still be
convenient for bus to subway transfers. Southbound bus stop on 7^th Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Park Place will remain in use.

You never know what you’re going to learn walking down Seventh Avenue. Turns out Barack Obama’s National Political Director is a Park Sloper. His name is Patrick Gaspard and he’s a PS 321 and MS 51 dad and a familiar face on Seventh Avenue.

I kind of knew that but I keep forgetting to write about it.

The person who tipped me off explained that the political director is the one who’s working on the ground to get the vote out all over the country. It’s an important role and a busy one.

Needless to say, Gaspard probably hasn’t spent a whole lot of time on Seventh Avenue lately. Some friends saw him on TV on stage with Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Here’s an excerpt from an article about Gaspard online.

When Patrick Gaspard was asked two years ago about his accomplishments, this is what he had to say:
What is the most important thing you have accomplished so far?
“Raising two children of color in America.” Two years from now, what do
you want to have done? “That’s the easiest question I’ve ever been asked – I want to begin to
repair the imbalance in the Supreme Court by electing a Democratic
President.”

I found this bio online at the 1199SEIU website.

Patrick Gaspard, 1199SEIU’s
Executive Vice President for politics and legislation  has been named
national political director of Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential
campaign.

The political director spearheads relationships with other elected officials, labor unions and outside political groups.

Gaspard
has led the Union’s legislative efforts in Albany, Annapolis, Boston
and Washington, DC for the past year. Since February, when the 1199SEIU
Executive Council joined with the rest of SEIU across the country to
endorse Sen. Obama, Patrick has coordinated the volunteer efforts that
sent hundreds of Union members to Wisconsin, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Indiana and other primary election states.

“This
election offers a clear choice between John McCain’s agenda for
continuing the failed policies of George W. Bush, and Barack Obama’s
vision for change,” Gaspard said. “I am proud to be a part of this
campaign, and I look forward to working to bring people together across
the country to elect Barack Obama.”

He is taking a
partial leave of absence from the 1199SEIU to take up his new position.
After the November election, Patrick will return to help the Union
mobilize all across the country to support the Obama administration’s
push for healthcare for all, and for the Employee.

It’s not too late to participate in the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Walkathon this Saturday night. You can walk or you can sponsor a walker.

Here’s the info from Develop Don’t Destroy Website.  

Due to the brutal economy, widespread community opposition, pending lawsuits and
Ratner’s own mismanagement, the developer
cannot possibly build the project he has promised these last five years. Still,
he continues his devastation of Prospect Heights and swallowing hundreds of millions
of public dollars in the midst of this recession. And he does this with New York
State and City’s continued irresponsible support. That is amoral, and it’s gotta
stop. If you want to walk, you can register here.

5:15 pm — 6 pm: Sign In

  Visit our tables at Bob Law’s Seafood Cafe (Near Vanderbilt and St. Marks) to pick up your registration (or to register if you haven’t already done so).

6 pm — 7:30 pm:

Join the Grand Marshall to walk to the Brooklyn Lyceum.

8:00 — 11:00 pm:

  Community party at the Brooklyn Lyceum (4th Avenue and President, Park Slope).

If you want to sponsor a walker:

That’s why we need YOU to participate in the Walkathon and or Sponsor
a walker.

And after the walk, come to the party at the Brooklyn Lyceum, Featuring:

The global sounds of legendary New York City club and radio DJ
Delphine Blue
A live set from The Atomic Grind
Show "mixing rock, jazz, country and other musical styles with
carny attitude" (TimeOutNY).

All walkers and donors get in free. For those not walking or sponsoring walkers,
entrance is a $20 donation.

Now for those of you who aren’t registered for the walk or haven’t yet sponsored
a walker:

If you are unable to join the Walkathon you can still show your support by sponsoring
one of the walker teams or an individual walker.
It’s quick and easy:

Just 4 Quick Steps to sponsor one of the walker teams with an online donation:
1. Click Here.
2. Select a team to sponsor.
3. Finally click "General Team Donation."
4. Make your donation.

Also, if you know somebody walking you can sponsor him or her with an online donation
by Clicking here.

Walking Tour of Prospect Park North

Author Francis Morrone leads a walking tour through Park Slope
North, to the west of Eighth Avenue. See beautiful old churches,
historic brownstones, and more. $12.
Sunday, 2pm

Meet at the Old Stone House, in J.J. Byrne Park (3rd Street & Fifth Avenue).

This should be fun! Brooklyn Reading Works presents Poetry Punch, a festive, fun,
celebratory group reading by poets curated by Michele Madigan
Somerville.

And, yes, there will be punch. Lots of it.

This year’s reading really packs a punch with Bill Evans, Jeff
Wright, Joanna Sit, Ilene Starger, Will Nixon, Louise Crawford and
Michele Madigan Somerville. Says Michele: "The poets on the bill are
all very high interest, high energy poets: juicy, libidinous, good
performers, not dry."

Yes, there are a bunch of poets (seven in all) but each one will
read for ten minutes. Meaning you won’t be there all night. Books will
be on sale.

Bill Evans: "I always think if God were a New York
poet he’d sound like Bill. Bill is funny and speechifying in a
philosophical yet embracing way," Michele writes.

Jeff Wright: "He used to call himself a "new
romantic" came up as a boy wonder among New York School and Beat
legends, edited Cover Magazine for a long time, has a bunch of books
and chap books out, and writes lush, sexy, surreal and funny — he’s a
latter day troubadour! In sillier moments I have referred to Jeff as
"The Dean Martin of the Downtown Poetry Scene" That’s Michele again.

Joanna Sit: "Chinese born Medgar Evers Professor
Joanna Sit is a middle-aged knockout who writes like an Irish woman
high on Absinthe," says Michele.

Ilene Starger: A New York-born poet whose work has
appeared in such publications as Folio, Georgetown Review, Paper
Street, Oyez Review, Oberon and Ibbetson Street. Ilene’s brand new
chapbook Lethe, Postponed will be published in August 2008 by Finishing
Line Press. She is currently putting together her next collection of
poems.

Michele Madigan Somerville: The author of Wisegal
from Ten Pell Books: "A multilingual hardrock reverie…going upside
your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about cracked-out big-city
survival.” She runs the Ceol Poetry Series at the Ceol Pub on Smith
Street.

Louise Crawford: Louise runs OTBKB and Brooklyn Reading Works
and is the Smartmom columnist for the Brooklyn Paper. She will read
from her unpublished collections, Therapy and Anarchists Don’t Return Phone Calls.

Will Nixon: His book, My Late Mother as a Ruffed
Grouse (FootHills Publishing), offers poems inspired by his experiences
growing up in the Connecticut suburbs, then living in Hoboken and
Manhattan as a young man, and finally moving to a Catskills log cabin.
His previous chapbooks are When I Had It Made (Pudding House) and The
Fish Are Laughing (Pavement Saw). His poems have also appeared in many
journals, including Rattle, The Ledge, Slipstream, Wisconsin Review,
Tar River Poetry, and others. His work has been nominated for a
Pushcart Prize and and listed in The Best American Essays of 2004. He
now lives in Woodstock.

The Where and When

Thursday, October 16th at 8 p.m.
Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House
Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets
It’s the stone house in JJ Byrne Park
$5 donation appreciated. Punch and light refreshments will be served

I saw it on Google Alerts: Park Slope. It was on Daily Slope. Rumor has it that the old Tea Lounge on 10th Street and Seventh Avenue is going to be a Vietnamese sandwich shop, the first in Park Slope.

It looks like something will be moving into the Old Tea Lounge location on 7th Avenue and 10th Street soon. Men have been seen working on the space the past week. A neighbor informed me this morning that she had asked them what was coming in and they told her a Vietnamese Sandwich Shop.

So what is a Vietnamese sandwich? Here’s Wikipedia on the subject:

Bánh mì or bánh mỳ (pronounced /ˈbʌn mi/ in English and IPA: [ʔɓɐ̌ːɲ mì]] in Vietnamese) is a Vietnamese baguette made with wheat and rice flour, as well as a type of sandwich traditionally made with this type of baguette.^[1] The sandwich is made up of thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon, onions, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeño peppers and meat or tofu. Popular bánh mì fillings include roasted or grilled pork, Vietnamese Ham, paté, mayonnaise, chicken, and head cheese.
Most Banh Mi sandwiches contain a Vietnamese mayonnaise-like spread
that is a mixture of egg yolk, cooking oil/butter, and sometimes spices.

Bánh mì is generally served in small shops and at some phở noodle eateries. Bánh mì shops can be found in many countries, especially in areas with a Vietnamese immigrant community. The contrasting flavors and textures of the sandwich — as well as its relatively low cost — make it a popular dish.

Rachel Getting Married, the acclaimed new film from Jonathan Demme starring Ann Hathaway is playing at the BAM Rose Cinema. Here are the ‘tails:

The Where and When

BAM Rose Cinema
Peter Jay Sharp Building
30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Mon, Oct 13—Thu, Oct 16 at 4:30, 7, 9:30pm / Fri, Oct 17—Sun, Oct 19 at
2, 4:30, 7, 9:30pm / Mon, Oct 20—Thu, Oct 23 at 4:30, 7, 9:30pm

Louis Rosen, Park Slope composer and OTBKB fave, wrote to tell me about  free gig at the Dweck Center at the Brooklyn Central Library.

Capathia Jenkins and I hope to help you take your mind off of the recent chaos of the
past few weeks with our last concert of the year–and it’s FREE.

The location is the beautiful new concert hall in the Dweck Center at Brooklyn Central Library (at Grand Army Plaza.)

The date is next Saturday afternoon, October 18. The time is 4 pm.

We’ll be performing songs from THE BLACK LOOM, a trilogy of song
suites I’ve written on words by African American poets including One
Ounce of Truth: The Nikki Giovanni Songs, 12 Songs On Poems By Maya
Angelou, and Dream Suite on words by Langston Hughes. We’ll also
include a few songs from our first record, South Side Stories. We’ll be
joined by our two favorite musicians, Kim Grigsby on piano and Dave
Phillips on bass.

For those who’d like to take some of the music home with you, we’ll
have some CDs on hand. The Community Bookstore on 7th Avenue also has
copies of One Ounce of Truth, our newest record, in stock. You can also
find this CD at most online music sites including Amazon.com,
barnesandnoble.com, itunes and rhapsody.com. And South Side Stories is
still available at www.cdbaby.com.The doors open at 1 PM with fabulous
events happening all day!

The Where and When

Louis Rosen and Capathia Jenkins
Dweck Center at the Brooklyn Public Library
Grand Army Plaza
October 18 at 4 p.m.

Brooklyn Reading Works presents Poetry Punch, a festive, fun,
celebratory group reading by poets curated by Michele Madigan
Somerville.

And, yes, there will be punch. Lots of it.

This year’s reading really packs a punch with Bill Evans, Jeff
Wright, Joanna Sit, Ilene Starger, Will Nixon, Louise Crawford and
Michele Madigan Somerville. Says Michele: "The poets on the bill are
all very high interest, high energy poets: juicy, libidinous, good
performers, not dry."

Yes, there are a bunch of poets (seven in all) but each one will
read for ten minutes. Meaning you won’t be there all night. Books will
be on sale.

Bill Evans: "I always think if God were a New York
poet he’d sound like Bill. Bill is funny and speechifying in a
philosophical yet embracing way," Michele writes.

Jeff Wright: "He used to call himself a "new
romantic" came up as a boy wonder among New York School and Beat
legends, edited Cover Magazine for a long time, has a bunch of books
and chap books out, and writes lush, sexy, surreal and funny — he’s a
latter day troubadour! In sillier moments I have referred to Jeff as
"The Dean Martin of the Downtown Poetry Scene" That’s Michele again.

Joanna Sit: "Chinese born Medgar Evers Professor
Joanna Sit is a middle-aged knockout who writes like an Irish woman
high on Absinthe," says Michele.

Ilene Starger: A New York-born poet whose work has
appeared in such publications as Folio, Georgetown Review, Paper
Street, Oyez Review, Oberon and Ibbetson Street. Ilene’s brand new
chapbook Lethe, Postponed will be published in August 2008 by Finishing
Line Press. She is currently putting together her next collection of
poems.

Michele Madigan Somerville: The author of Wisegal
from Ten Pell Books: "A multilingual hardrock reverie…going upside
your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about cracked-out big-city
survival.” She runs the Ceol Poetry Series at the Ceol Pub on Smith
Street.

Louise Crawford: Louise runs OTBKB and Brooklyn Reading Works
and is the Smartmom columnist for the Brooklyn Paper. She will read
from her unpublished collections, Therapy and Anarchists Don’t Return Phone Calls.

Will Nixon: His book, My Late Mother as a Ruffed
Grouse (FootHills Publishing), offers poems inspired by his experiences
growing up in the Connecticut suburbs, then living in Hoboken and
Manhattan as a young man, and finally moving to a Catskills log cabin.
His previous chapbooks are When I Had It Made (Pudding House) and The
Fish Are Laughing (Pavement Saw). His poems have also appeared in many
journals, including Rattle, The Ledge, Slipstream, Wisconsin Review,
Tar River Poetry, and others. His work has been nominated for a
Pushcart Prize and and listed in The Best American Essays of 2004. He
now lives in Woodstock.

The Where and When

Thursday, October 16th at 8 p.m.
Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House
Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets
It’s the stone house in JJ Byrne Park
$5 donation appreciated. Punch and light refreshments will be served

Obama ponders what lies beyond McCain as tonight’s (final) debate 
looms near.    

Photograph by Tom Marinez/Witness Photography

Here’s an update from Craig Hammerman.

As
you are aware the crane operation was planned for today but an
insurance issue prevented the transformer from leaving Ohio. 

The
transformer is scheduled to arrive at 7:30am tomorrow (10/16).
Arrangements will be as we discussed previously but one day later.

Crane Operation Summary:

Transformer removal and installation is scheduled to take place on Wednesday Thursday, October 15,  16, 2008 between 7am and 4pm.

Bus stop on east side of 7^th Avenue near Sterling Place (between Sterling Pl. and Park Pl.) will be discontinued for the day.

Northbound
bus will stop at the next stop on Flatbush Avenue which will still be
convenient for bus to subway transfers. Southbound bus stop on 7^th Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Park Place will remain in use.

Karen over at A Child Grows in Brooklyn has been working tirelessly to create a comprehensive list of Halloween events in Brooklyn. she’s got 30 so far and she’s still adding stuff. Here’s just one tip from Karen:

PARK SLOPE: HARVEST FESTIVAL
Sunday, October 19th: 11- 4 pm
There
will be farm stands, pony rides, petting zoo, face painting and live
music by Mr. Ray & Princess Katie & Racer Steve at 1:30 pm.
Old Stone House at JJ Byrne Park (3rd Street & 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY)

Has anyone had experience with The Little Princess Hotel? Someone mentioned it on Park Slope Parents and I found it on the web. It’s a small hotel at 250 12th Street. 14 rooms on a quiet residential block. Room rates: $65. to $95. per night.

Maybe you’ll be watching at home with family and neighbors or

–You could go to Bar Reis and view it with fun crowd; It’s located at 375 Fifth Avenue at 6th Street in Park Slope.

–Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO, Brooklyn (16 Main Street) is projecting the final Presidential Debate
on their 12’x12′ screen. They write: "The past three debates have been
much more fun in the company of 200 peers."

–Two Boots could be a fun place to watch it. Have a Cajun Martini with your John McCain. That’s Second Street just off Seventh Avenue in Park Slope.

–Commonwealth at 497 Fifth Avenue at 12th Street is sure to be packed with politically engaged bar hoppers.

Where will you be?

A young singer/songwriter by the name of Brendan Paul Stephen Ryan in Braintree, MA, wrote and recorded a song called, Photo of the Day, influenced by Jamie Livingston’s polaroids. Hugh came across it somehow. You might want to take a listen. Here’s what Brendan had to say about the song on his MySpace page.

Info On The New Song (Photo Of The Day)

Hey all,

I honestly have no idea who still reads these, seriously it could be
less than 2 folks (I wouldn’t be surprised)…but for those who still
check it I wanted to upload a new song of mine to spread a ridiculously
interesting story I came across a few months back.

The new song is called Photo Of The Day
and it was inspired by an article I read about a man named Jamie
Livingston who took a polaroid of his life everyday up until the day he
died. Featured in the article were the polaroids of his life where you
could follow along through the moments that made up his days until the
sad moments where he started becoming sick. It was extremely inspiring
and something that sticks with me today.

So if you’d like, please check out the article as you listen to the song, its sort of the way I saw it being listened to.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/15131

                                          Thanks for your time all,
                                                                 Bren

The Daily News has the story of a woman who has lived in the same apartment for 50 years—she pays $147.08 per month. Now the landlord, the Berkeley Carroll School, wants her out. They’re also closing the Berkley Carroll Child Care Center that was in the building. I sort of assumed the building was owned by Methodist Hospital.

"It’s like closing a box, it’s like a death. How do you just go on?"

When
the Berkeley Carroll School – which charges up to $29,000 a year per
pupil – bought the site in the 1980s, Taliercio was offered $50,000 to
move out, she says.

Her rent was $147.08 a month, and she
refused the offer. But as every other tenant vacated the building, she
and her husband, Steve, became the sole occupants.

Two years ago, she was approached again and told she would receive $20,000 if she left. Her rent is still $147.08 a month.

"I can’t even think about [leaving] because it really upsets me," said Taliercio. "My children are buried at Green-Wood Cemetery
five minutes away, and I can go over there a few times a week. That’s
why I don’t want to leave. I just don’t think they’re being fair."

Rent-controlled tenants are exempt from eviction unless the landlord is a nonprofit organization, like Berkeley Carroll.

The school, in an application to the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal’s Office of Rent Administration, says it intends to renovate the entire premises to "provide for classrooms, workspaces and support spaces."

Taliercio
says the home contains precious memories of her two deceased children,
who were twins, and 50 years in a Brooklyn neighborhood that has
undergone huge changes.

"Besides the apartment holding all the
memories, my whole life has been here," she said. "It’s made a big
turnaround. I remember the race riots – people left, but I stayed.

"I couldn’t afford to rent around here anymore, but I don’t want to leave Park Slope."

Brooklyn Based, the Brooklyn tip sheet email newsletter I get three times a week has a great least of volunteer opportunities in Brooklyn. Check it out:

If your political mojo is in overdrive or the economy has you on edge,
you can channel those energies into changing things in your own
backyard. From donating unwanted clothes, to getting Obama in office,
to caring for insanely cute kittens, we’ve uncovered local charities
and causes for every commitment level.