Look who’s POET OF THE WEEK on  The Poetry Superhighway.

And for big fun: Check this out!

Brooklyn Thinkers, a space for spirited free expression about
Brooklyn and beyond, will be a regular feature of OTBKB. If you’d like
to write one: please e-mail OTBKB.

WHAT GIVES WITH MAGGIE MOO?  by Smartmom

Does Park Slope really need one more ice cream store?

Strategically positioned across from PS 321 (and next door to Pino’s Pizza), Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream and Treatery is poised to make a killing on the sweet teeth of Park Slope children and parents alike.

That makes six ice cream stores between Union and Ninth Street. There’s Haggen Daz, Uncle Louie’s with 2 shops, Carvel, Fratelli, and now Ms. Moo. There’s also Mr. Softee who parks daily on Second Street, the ices cart, which rolls up to PS 321 on a regular basis, and at least 4 pizza stores that sell Italian ices. Yeesh. Dats a lot of ice cream. Only real estate offices outnumber ice cream shops around here.

So who needs Maggie Moo?

For Smartmom’s ice cream needs, a pint of chocolate Haggen Daz from the Food Coop does the trick. Yet, this blogger from Brooklyn is always interested in the latest consumer developments on Seventh Avenue. Especially those entrepreneurs, like Maggie Moo, brave enough to build in doomed locations.

Yup. you heard me. Maggie Moo took over one of the most famous doomed restaurant spots on Seventh Avenue. For years this one storefront has been the site of one terrible restaurant after the other — the names of which are thankfully forgotten. Terrible food, rotten service, ugly decor, bad ventilation — you name it. Every restaurant that’s gone in there was a disaster.

Smartmom was reminded recently by a local reader that before the site was a doomed restaurant spot it was a newstand where, tragically, the proprieter was murdered. This was back in 1991 when Smartmom first moved to the neighborhood.

Smartmom is curious if Maggie Moo can do it. Can she transcend the curse of her doomed location?

Fortunately, the shop looks completely different from its last few incarnations. Ms. Moo did a major rehab of the space painting it bright pink and orange with spots on the ceiling. Clearly, it was a big money rehab and it has the sniff of a national chain, which it is.  It took weeks and weeks for the store to finally open and for a few days it looked open but they were just doing training sessions for the employees.

On opening day, an employee in a rather elaborate upright cow costume gave out flyers in front of the store. Said cow was wearing a polka dotted Minnie Mouse-style dress and was doing a little dance. Smartmom thought: It is nearly winter and these people are opening an ice cream store. What kind of overconfidence is that? With a cow no less. The first couple of days saw a steady crowd — people are always curious when something new opens in the Slope.

OSFO was dying to go and was completely captivated by the dancing cow. Teen Spirt thought the whole thing was idiotic and he refused to step even one foot in the door. But OSFO was determined. So Smartmom and OSFO went…

Well?

Turns out Maggie Moo is modeled on the Cold Stone Ice Cream concept. That’s a chain that started, like everything else, in California where the servers mash treats of your choice into the ice cream on a slab of marble or stone. There are M&Ms, marshmallows, gummy bears, nuts, Reeses, Heath Bar, KitKat, dried fruit — take your pick. They make a bit of a production out of the mashing process. At Cold Stone, the employees sing Hip Hop style if you tip them. Maggie Moo does no such thing but other than that they’re the same.

On OSFO’s first trip she wanted vanilla ice cream with a KitKat bar mashed in. She watched in awe as the server diced the candy and vigorously smeared it into her ice cream using two silver spoons. The production cost close to $3.00 but Smartmom was okay with that as OSFO’s pleasure is always foremost in her  mind (how do you spell spoiled?) After a few bites, OSFO gave her culinary review:  "Toooo Sweeeet," she said and she didn’t much like the crunchy texture of the KitKat in there. Smartmom took a bite and agreed that the vanilla ice cream was putrid.

Curiosity satisfied, Smartmom figured: been there, done that. She didn’t have a very glowing prognosis for this new addition to Seventh Avenue.

Will Maggie Moo break the curse of its doomed restaurant location? Will Park Slopers choose to spend top dollar on too sweet ice cream? Smartmom will keep you posted. For now, she and OSFO will walk on the other side of the street to avoid the lure of the dancing cow, the bright pink interior, and turquoise ice cream with gummy bears.

Smartmom is the pen name of a certain Park Slope writer and blogger. Her other site: thirdstreet.blogspot.com, chronicles the adventures of Smartmom, her husband, Hepcat, her son, Teen Spirit and the Oh So Feisty One (OSFO), her second grade daughter.

Check this out and it’s all FREE.

The following are UPCOMING WORKSHOPS for budding writers at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store. All workshops are for students ages 6-18.

Go here for more information or call 718.499.9884.

In addition to these special workshops the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store offers free daily drop-in tutoring. The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store is God’s gift to Park Slope!

Write Your Own Young Adult Novel
Taught by Daniel Ehrenhaft
Limited to 6 students, ages 14-18
4 Wednesday sessions: February 2, 9, 16, 23

What Are You Looking At?!
Taught by Hope Hilton
Limited to 6 students, ages 8-12
2 Tuesday sessions: February 8, 15

All the World’s a Stage
Taught by Krista Overby & Joan Kim
Limited to 8 students, ages 6-9
3 Saturday sessions: February 5, 12, 19

Design Your Own Valentines
Taught by Ali Pulver & Sophie Fels
Limited to 8 students, ages 6-9
1 Sunday session: February 13

Reading Saving Francesca: 826NYC Book Club
Taught by Jillian Smith & Miriam Siddiq
Limited to 8 students, ages 12 and up
4 Sunday sessions: February 20, 27, March 6, 13

Kids on the Radio: How to Turn Things You Like Into Radio Stories
Taught by Starlee Kine
Limited to 6 students, ages 10-12
6 sessions
Tuesdays (February 22, March 1, 8)
Fridays (February 25, March 4, 11)

Journalism
Taught by Seth Mnookin
Limited to 12 journalism students, ages 14-18
4 Monday sessions: February 28, March 7, 14, 21

Story Writing for Kids
Taught by Darin Strauss
Limited to 6 students, ages 10-12
3 Wednesday sessions, March 2, 9, 16

This just in from Inside Schools:

The first high school acceptances are set to go out February 18th. Students who are accepted to one of the seven specialized high schools (such as Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech or LaGuardia) will receive notice on Friday, February 18. If they were also accepted to another high school, they will find out at the same time. Their decision must be handed in to the school guidance counselor by March 1.

All other students will receive their high school acceptance notification between March 22-24, according to the Department of Education (DOE). Additional school fairs for those students who were not "matched" to a high school, will be held on April 2 with applications due by April 5. At the end of the 2003-04 school year, thousands of 8th grade students still didn’t know which high school they would attend the following school year. The Department of Education has pledged that all students will be placed, and appeals finalized by the end of May this year.

Brooklyn Thinkers, a space for spirited free expression about Brooklyn and beyond, will be a regular feature of OTBKB. If you’d like to write one: please e-mail OTBKB.

WAS THAT ABOUT ME? by Red Eft

The New York Times published a piece this weekend on"mommy blogs." Apparently, at this point, around 8,500 people

Boogie on over to the Klezmer Dance Party at Congregation Beth Elohim this Thursday night.

And it only costs $7.00 to dance the night away to the marvelous music that, according to Ari Davidow,  is: "the balkans and blues, ancient Jewish culture, prayer and history, spirit and jazz all mixed together."

And it so makes you wanna dance. Anyone interested? Bring the kids after homework. Come on!

February 3rd.  7:45 p.m. Beth Elohim. 274 Garfield Place. Be there or be….boring.

I almost fell over this morning when I saw the words: GOOD BYE on the window of Fidgits, a children’s clothing store that’s been on Seventh Avenue longer than I have.  According to Charlotte Maier, the owner is moving to Georgia where she has family.

Fidgits was the best and longest-operating kid’s store in Park Slope. God knows, I’ve  spent plenty of money there on boy’s corderoys and striped shirts, girl’s dresses, shorts and underwear.

Fidgits was also the first Slope store to stock "Groovy Girls," the now-ubiquitous Barbie alternative: rag dolls with style and attitude. 

In the old days, Fidgits was located in the tiny Fratelli Ravioli storefront. But even then, the owner carried all the best and the coolest styles and brands. She’s always had her hand on the pulse of Slope kid’s fashion. 

GOOD BYE Fidgits. It’s the end of an era, alright. The end of an era.

A friend and local entrepreneur posted the following on Craig’s List about what promises to be a love-ly event:

Why wear your heart on your sleeve?

Put your best face forward with a portrait that is sure to make the object of your affection swoon.

FOU LE CHAKRA, men

On Wednesday February 9th at 7 p.m., Brooklyn-born author Frank McCourt will be reading at MS 51 on Fifth Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets.

A fund raiser for the talent programs at Park Slope’s illustrious Middle School 51, McCourt will be reading excerpts from his new book about teaching english at Stuyvesant High School, “Tis,” and “Angela’s Ashes.”

A reception will follow at the Stone House in the Park at Third Street and Fifth Avenue.

Run don