May 20, 2009

Dear School Community,

Since the H1N1 flu, or "swine flu,¨ first came to New York City in
April, officials at the Department of Education and the Department of
Health have been intensively monitoring the health of students and
other members of the school community. We have been working closely
with principals and school nurses to keep students and other members of
our school community healthy.

Today, I would like to update you on this situation.

WHAT IS THE SWINE FLU?

This flu is caused by a newly identified virus called H1N1. Since
April, it has caused outbreaks of flu-like illness in New York City and
around the world.

The symptoms are similar to regular seasonal flu symptoms. Most people
who become infected have fever, which is accompanied by cough, sore
throat, fatigue, headache, and body ache. H1N1 spreads from person to
person the same way seasonal flu spreads: when someone coughs or
sneezes, he or she can infect someone else in close proximity. Shaking
hands or other types of direct contact may also transfer the virus. So
far, the symptoms of the new H1N1 flu have closely resembled those of
seasonal flu and most people who
become sick are recovering, but any influenza virus can cause severe illness, so we are taking aggressive precautions.

HOW ARE SCHOOLS MONITORING THIS SITUATION?

Principals and school nurses are on alert and are working with the
Department of Education and the Department of Health to keep students
and staff safe and healthy. We have instructed schools to:
* Immediately separate students with flu-like illness.
* Send students who have symptoms to be evaluated by the school nurse
or school-based health center and then sent home if the nurse confirms the presence of an influenza like illness.
* Inform parents that children with these symptoms should stay home
until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours. (Students with
persistent coughs but no other symptoms may return to school one
week after their symptoms started.)
* If an unusually high number of students at a school become ill, the
school's nurse will contact our central School Health Office, which
will work with the Health Department to develop a plan for the school.

WHAT IS THE CITY DOING TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE?

We are monitoring the situation closely and are looking for "clusters¨
of illness at particular schools. Sometimes, when a lot of children are
sick, closing a school, keeping children home, and preventing them from
interacting with each other can reduce further infection. Since April,
we have decided to close more than a dozen schools. The Chancellor is
responsible for deciding when to close schools, based on the
recommendation of the Health Commissioner.

I want to make it clear that this is not currently a citywide problem
and there is no need for a citywide solution. What we need is to
monitor individual schools and take appropriate steps based on specific
circumstances. Most of our schools remain relatively unaffected by H1N1.

HOW DO WE DECIDE TO CLOSE A SCHOOL?

The Health Commissioner is evaluating a range of factors as it considers whether it makes sense to recommend closing a school.
Most importantly, he looks for "clusters" of illness, and determines
whether closing a school could help to reduce the spread of infection.
The number of students who are absent is not a trigger to recommend
closing a school. We do look for spikes in the number of absent
students at a school. Most importantly, we look at the number of
students who are visiting the nurse's office, and we keep track of the
number of students with fevers over 100.4 degrees and another influenza
symptom such as a sore throat or cough. A high absentee
rate alone does not mean a school should close. If all the children who
are sick are already home and the students in school are healthy,
closing will not reduce the transmission of infection.

We also take into account the severity of H1N1 flu in the community.
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene monitors all New York City
emergency rooms and intensive care units to evaluate the severity of
swine flu infections in the community.

The Health Department is visiting many schools each day and making
recommendations to the Schools Chancellor about how to handle
individual situations.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AT HOME?

The best way to prevent the flu is to ensure that people with symptoms
stay home. If your child has a fever, accompanied by cough or sore
throat, please do not send him or her back to school until 24 hours
after the symptoms are gone.

Most people who get the flu do not need to seek medical care and do not
need to be tested for H1N1 flu. The Health Department recommends
testing only for people who are in the hospital. Most people who get
the flu should stay home.

However, those in high risk groups should seek medical advice
immediately, if they have had close contact with someone who has the
flu during the past week or they develop flu symptoms Those in high
risk groups include:
* People over 65 or under 2 years of age;
* People with chronic lung, heart, kidney, liver or blood disorders;
* People with immune systems that are compromised (either due to
illness or medicines);
* Pregnant women; and
* People on long-term aspirin therapy.

HOW CAN YOU FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?

We are keeping up to date information about this flu on the homepage of the DOE Web site at www.nyc.gov/
schools. At this site, we have been listing schools that are closed and
posting frequently asked questions and other important updates. We also
have links to learning guides that can help students remain on track,
even if their schools are closed. You can also pick up one of these
learning guides at the following locations:

* Brooklyn: 131 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
* Queens: 30-48 Linden Place, Queens, NY 11354; 28-11 Queens Plaza
North, Long Island City, NY 11101; or 90-27 Sutphin Boulevard,
Jamaica, NY 11435

CONCLUSION

We have taken, and will continue to take, the necessary steps to
protect members of our community. I urge you to remain calm and
continue working as our partners in keeping members of the school
community safe and healthy.

Sincerely,
Joel I. Klein

It's 5:45 pm at the K& M Bar at the corner of North 8th Street and Roebling on the Northside of Williamsburg. I have traveled to north Brooklyn to attend the candidates debate (33rd district) at the Harry Van Arlberg school just one block away.

In a little more than an hour that school's auditorium will be partially filled with City Council candidates, members of the New Kings Democrats, citizens and new and old media alike.

The bar is completely empty except for a blonde bartender in a vintage dress with black framed glasses. She asks me what I want to drink.

Stella, I say.

I am waiting to meet my old friend Dewey Thompson, who lives in Greenpoint. We met back when we were both producers at  Zacks and Perrier (ZAP), a corporate media firm that is no longer in business.

Thanks to Facebook we're back in touch. He's involved in many civic organizations in Williamsburg and is commissioner of the area's children's soccer league. He is also a member of GWAPP (Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning), a group modeled on the Prospect Park Conservancy.

Dewey is boyish and tall. His face, surrounded by still blonde curls, lights with humor almost constantly and his mind is quick and interesting. When we worked together he produced the award-winning The Boy From Mars, the first science fiction film ever commissioned by NASA. It was an ambitious project and one that consumed him for quite a while.

We talked little about the old days at ZAP on Morton Street in the West Village. Instead we talked about the neighborhood we were sitting in. I'd lived on North Sixth Street back in the 1980's before the hipsters, the trendy restaurants and art galleries. The area has changed enormously since it was re-zoned and residential construction is rampant. Dewey told me that the community is fighting mad because a promised waterfront park is still a dream. Part of the proposed park area is owned by the MTA and the city didn't have the right to give it away in the first place.

In 2006 when Williamsburg was up-zoned, the City promised to create green, open space for the enjoyment of the neighborhood and the influx of new residents 

It's a prickly situation and one that got my friend agitated just talking about it. "Ask them at the debate if they're going to get that land back from the MTA. Ask them," he told me at the bar.

My friend and I both have 17-year-old boys in bands. We talked about that. And about high school and all the fun of having a teenager in the house.

Finally we did laugh a bit about our old company and some of the interesting people we knew there. I was delighted to hear that my talented friend is still in the film business and runs a company in Long Island City called Pickerel Pie Entertainment.

It was close to 6 pm when we left the bar. I had to run over to the debate and Dewey was strapping his helmet on for a bicycle ride back to his company in Long Island City.

"Our families should get together for dinner sometime," he said and waved good bye.

Last night as I was getting ready to go to a candidates debate sponsored by the New Kings Democrats at the Harry Van Arsdale High School Auditorium in Williamsburg I got this weird email from John Heyer's campaign about the debate in the 39th district also scheduled for last night.

Alert: Council Candidate john Heyer Won't Attend Rigged Debate

My reaction: Huh? Wha? Rigged?

When I saw the word "rigged" I knew that things were a little out of whack. This is a City Council candidates forum sponsored by the credible and reputable Park Slope Neighbors and CBID.

Sure, I know that the politics of attack have permeated all aspects of political  life. But was the forum really rigged? Maybe there was just going to be a little more fireworks than one has come to expect at these usually staid and convivial forums of the 39th. What the harm? It's fascinating to see politicians on the hot seat.

So what was Heyer's beef and why was he refusing to participate in this candidates forum?

Jesse Adelman, Heyer's campaign manager, wrote in a statement emailed to press and bloggers, that Heyer was "responding to an article
published online by The Brooklyn Paper which quoted debate moderator
and current president of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND)
Ken Lowy mischaracterizing Heyer’s views and singling the candidate out
for a grilling." 

By grilling I think he meant that Lowy planned to ask Heyer some tough questions about his conservative viewpoints on same sex marriage and choice. I mean, like, isn't that what a candidates forum is all about?

Adelman begged to differ:

"This
is not a stunt for the sake of a stunt," Adelman told me in a quick phone interview. "We felt it was necessary
for John to get his true beliefs out there and not let others define
him."

Maybe so. But I think Heyer should have cut the drama and just joined the rest of the candidates on stage at the forum, a perfect place to clarify his ideas. Heyer has been quite good at staying cool during those debates even when antagonistic questions have come his way. That speaks volumes to voters who know that politics is about keeping your cool and staying on point.

So I'm surprised that Heyer didn't want to face the others at the debate if he believes, as it said in his statement, that he is being
attacked by "front men for opposing candidates for being a committed
Democrat and a person of faith."

Heyer should know that politics is always about pitting one set of views against another. It's the name of the game. So what exactly did it say in the Brooklyn Paper that got Heyer so hot and bothered?

Alan Fleishman called on club members to reject the 27-year-old
Heyer in favor of Bob Zuckerman, most recently the leader of the
Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation and the Gowanus Canal
Conservancy.

"Let me be clear: John Heyer is a nice guy and a decent fellow, but
when it comes to choice and same-sex marriage, his views are much more
conservative then those of most IND members,” Fleishman wrote in a
letter to club members that was leaked to the award-winning BrooklynPaper.com today. “John is clearly out of step with the progressive principles of IND (Independent Neighborhood Democraats) and our district.”

Indeed,  Heyer is anti-abortion. And he has expressed his opposition to same sex marriage at two prior forums. But he says in a personal statement: "With regard to choice: the residents of this district are
overwhelmingly pro-choice, and I have pledged to represent them on this
issue as Councilman. It’s true that personally I consider myself to be
anti-abortion. That doesn’t mean I have any agenda to chip away at the
federally-guaranteed rights of women."

So all this drama was going on while I was getting ready to leave. I wondered if I should stick around and go to the Park Slope debate but I was set to meet an old friend at the K&M Bar on North 8th Street bar in Williamsburg and then walk over to the debate at the school. I was also eager to eyeball Steve Levin, the candidate for the 33rd who hasn't shown up to any of  of the previous debates. 

Needless to say, I was pulled in two directions at once but finally decided to go to Williambsurg and sent Hugh to the Park Slope church to get a shot of Heyer standing outside.

I'd love to hear from anyone who was there.

On Saturday, May 30th, the Gowanus Canal will lend its shoreline to Brooklyn's biggest free store.

MeanRed
Productions is teaming up with FreeNYC, Newmindspace and RefugeNYC (the
same folks who brought you the Wall Street Pillow Fight) to transform
the waterfront venue, BKLYN Yard, into an open-air free boutique.
Hundreds of records, clothes, household items, and regretful "impulse
buys" will find new homes. This one-day event celebrates the joys of
finding treasure in some one else’s trash.  

How Score! Works

1.
Attendees bring their old Twisted Sister albums, ill-advised sample
sale purchases, well-intentioned holiday gifts, etc…and leave with
new treasures!

2. BKLYN Yard will be split into departments, each “curated” by different individuals and organizations

A dramatic thing happened on the way to the 39th forum.

John Heyer, a devout Catholic running for City Council in the 39th District, is not participating in tonight's forum because, he says, he wants to "refocus the campaign on the real
issues facing Brooklyn voters."

Why is he doing this?

Jesse Adelman, Heyer's campaign manager,, wrote in a statement emailed to press and bloggers, that Heyer was "responding to an article
published online by The Brooklyn Paper which quoted debate moderator
and current president of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND)
Ken Lowy mischaracterizing Heyer’s views and singling the candidate out
for a grilling." 

"This is not a stunt for the sake of a stunt," Heyer's campaign manager Adelman told me in a quick phone interview. "We felt it was necessary for John to get his true beliefs out there and not let others define him."

Heyer seems to think that the politics of attack are finding their way to this city council race and that he is being attacked by "front men for opposing candidates for being a committed Democrat and a person of faith."

So what exactly did it say in the Brooklyn Paper that got Heyer so hot and bothered?

Alan Fleishman called on club members to reject the 27-year-old
Heyer in favor of Bob Zuckerman, most recently the leader of the
Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation and the Gowanus Canal
Conservancy.

"Let me be clear: John Heyer is a nice guy and a decent fellow, but
when it comes to choice and same-sex marriage, his views are much more
conservative then those of most IND members,” Fleishman wrote in a
letter to club members that was leaked to the award-winning BrooklynPaper.com today. “John is clearly out of step with the progressive principles of IND and our district.”

In other words, Fleishman wants voters to support Bob Zuckerman, who is gay, pro-choice and in favor of same sex marriage and other progressive viewpoints. In the article, Lowy is quoted and questions Heyer's credentials as a democrat. Now that got Heyer fighting mad because he's been a Democrat since he was,  like, 7-years- old.

Yes, Heyer is anti-abortion, But he says in a personal statement: "With regard to choice: the residents of this district are
overwhelmingly pro-choice, and I have pledged to represent them on this
issue as Councilman. It’s true that personally I consider myself to be
anti-abortion. That doesn’t mean I have any agenda to chip away at the
federally-guaranteed rights of women."

Yikes. I was planning to go to the 33rd district Candidates forum  Williamsburg but now I want to see what will happen at the Park Slope forum.

Heyer will be outside the forum at 7
p.m. at Park Slope's Church of Gethsemane (8th Ave. and 10th Street)
to answer questions from reporters and the public. 

Here is John Heyer's statement

I've already made plans to be at the 33rd Candidates Forum in Williamsburg and was wondering if anyone is taping (video or audio) tonight's forum at the Church of the Gethsemane (1012 8th Avenue (at 10th Street) in Park Slope?

Be your best friend. Email me louise_crawford AT yahoo DOT com

Thanks to Park Slope Neighbors for this information about:

–Tonight: Candidates Forum for 39th City Council District
Race, 7 p.m.

–Gowanus Canal Presentation by the U.S. EPA, Tuesday, May
26th, 6:30 p.m.

The city is suspending alternate-side parking rules for six to eight weeks in
most of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill starting TODAY.

Parking holiday. Alright!

The reason: so that the DOT can install new parking signs that will reduce the number of times drivers have to move their cars.

OLD RULES: Up to four times a week. NEW: Twice a week!

There are changes afoot for the Brooklyn Half-Marathon.

The Brooklyn Half-Marathon used to start on the Boardwalk in Coney Island and end in Prospect Park. I should know. I ran it three years ago. All 13 miles of it. It was one of the greatest days of my life.

Now it looks like they're changing the course. The race will now start in Prospect Park and END in Coney Island.

I loved starting the race on the boardwalk in Coney Island at sunrise. But this sounds like a good plan, too. To complete a 13 mile run on Coney Island will be wonderful and euphoric.

Organized by the New York Roadrunners Club and sponsored by Continental Airlines, the half-marathon attracts nearly 10,000 runners through
Brooklyn. The race is required if you plan to run the NYC Marathon.

New for this year,
more than 29 participating Coney Island shops,
restaurants, and attractions will host special discounts to runners and
spectators and post-race activities will take place on the
beach.

Looking for a short-term poetry tuneup? A place to learn about and write poetry? A fun thing to do on three Monday nights?

Michele Madigan Somerville will be teaching a special poetry workshop at Brooklyn Arts Exchange in Park
Slope, in June. It runs three Monday nights —
June 1,8, 15, from 7 -9.   Her focus will be on creating a small collection – or a
chapbook.

Hey, I've already signed up.

An exciting new documentary by Brooklyn filmmaker Michelle Vey, From
Elegance to Earthworms, takes viewers on a journey through New York's
growing eco-consciousness. The opening, May 29, will benefit
Sustainable Flatbush, a not-for-profit that promotes green living in
the city. Tickets are $20.

From Elegance to Earthworms sheds
light on the creative ideas and cutting-edge business practices that
are paving the way for a greener economic and ecological future in New
York. The film also features an original score, composed by Vey's
husband, Elio Schiavo.

This celebration of the Greening of New York will include complimentary hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and plenty of mingling.

When: 7 p.m. to midnight, Friday, May 29

Where: Tribeca Cinemas
54 Varick Street, Manhattan, 10013

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.michelleveyproductions.com

Tonight is Stayin' Alive, the big benefit
silent auction at Metaphor Contemporary, 382 Atlantic Avenue, 6-9 pm. This artist-run space, like all most small arts entities these days,
is fighting for survival. 

The hosts are painters Julian Jackson and
Rene Lynch, who run the beautiful space on a shoe string and have
helped kick off the professional careers of a number of NYC painters,
photographers and sculptors.  Gallery artists and many friends have
generously donated work.

For this
benefit, the participants are not holding back.  They've given examples
of their best work, not back-of-the-studio dregs, and although online
bidding has been going on for a couple of weeks, prices are still at
bargain levels.  Here's a link: http://www.metaphorcontemporaryart.com/  Final bidding ends promptly at 8 pm.

Above you see some OTBKB faves that are included in the silent auction at
Metaphor. Red abstract by Emily Berger, clouds by David Konigsberg,
green and yellow abstract by Hovey Bock, water photograph by Hugh
Crawford.

This Friday at Barbes: usher in Memorial Day Weekend with a special evening of music with the "country-meets-Kurt Weill" musical stylings of Pinataland.

With this unusual band you will enjoy: strange-but-true history; new and old favorites.

Regulars Doug Stone, Robin Aigner, and Bill Gerstel on harmonies and drums, the terrific Deni Bonet (Robyn Hitchcock) on violin, the legendary Dave Hofstra (Microscopic Septet) on tuba, and
the ubiquitous Josh Camp (One Ring Zero) on piano.

Pinataland
Friday May 22, 2009 8pm
Barbes, Park Slope, Brooklyn
376 9th Street at 6th Avenue

Visions, a new restaurant and bar on Coney Island Avenue at Cortelyou
Road is hosting a jazz jam session every Wednesday night beginning at
9 p.m.  No website yet but here are the 'tails:

752 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218. 718-282-3388. 

Photo by Tom Martinez.

Loads to do as usual at the Community Bookstore on Seventh Avenue between Garfield and Carroll.

On Tuesday, May 19th at 7pm

Philip Fried reads poetry from Cohort

Cohort, with
its three-poem introduction and book-length sonnet sequence, draws inspiration
from the sonnet’s origins to update it for the Digital Age. Linked from its
earliest days with legal proceedings and a modern psychology of conflicted
love, the sonnet held together what wanted to fly apart. Petrarch miniaturized
the standoff of forces in the oxymorons he used to characterize his divided
emotions—sick health and freezing fire. Acknowledging this tradition of warring
but tightly bound forces, Fried re-conceives the contemporary sonnet as an
arena where fragments of self and samples of lingo play off against one
another. And coloring these contests is a love intrigue that implicates the
reader.

On Wednesday, May 20th at 7:30 pm

The Nonfiction Book Group discusses Nicholas Doidge's The Brain that Changes Itself

For our next
book, the Nonfiction Book Club will turn from nature around us to nature within
us, as we read Norman Doidge’s The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of
Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science.

Like Oliver Sacks and Stephen Jay Gould, Doidge is the rare writer who
is both adept at explaining science and entertaining in the process. Join us as
we explore the concept of neuroplasticity — the concept that the brain can
change itself according to need and that, far from having a single human
nature, we are in fact extremely malleable. As Globe & Mail puts it, “You
don't have to be a brain surgeon to read it — just a person with a curious
mind.”

And next week:

–Tuesday, May 26th at 7pm: An evening of poetry with GC Waldrep and Jennifer Kronovet

–Wednesday, May 27th at 7:30pm: Modernist Book Group discusses Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate

In what is being called the first ever of its kind in New York City, Livable Streets Education teamed up with Community Roots Charter School and PS 67 and got a helping hand from New York Cares
to paint a magnificent street mural on St. Edwards Street in Fort
Greene, Brooklyn. The project, which was designed by art students, was
done with the blessing of NYC Department of Transportation
under their new Urban Art Program initiative. These short term, art
projects on city assets under their purview are now referred to as “Arterventions” by the DOT.

As you’ll see the students, teachers, volunteers and neighborhood
residents all pitched in to bring the street to life, courtesy of
tweleve vibrant colors. And as the event was wrapping, trucks from a
Million Trees NYC appeared and started planting trees on the block.
How’s that for good karma?

Check out the video: Brooklyn Students Paint the Pavement.

I went to high school with Nancy Soyer and it has been fun over the years to see her in the neighborhood with her dogs.

Nancy Soyer is a long time dog walker and resident of Brownstone
Brooklyn.  She’s a also professional Dog Portrait artist who’s paintings
have been featured in the New York Times, Oprah, Domino, Traditional
Home magazines and others.  Her day job has been a perfect way to spend
quality time with her canine muses. 

You just have to see Nancy at work to see that her dog walking business is a labor of love.  Pet
owners have described Nancy as trustworthy, fun, energetic, reliable,
warm and tender.  Sensitive pets don’t respond well to changing
caregivers. 

Nancy works to develop relationships with each dog. 
References are available upon request.

Big news! According to the Brooklyn Paper, Steve Levin, one of the candidates for City Council in the 33rd district (David Yassky's seat) plans to participate in the Williamsburg Forum this week.

So far Steve Levin has missed three campaign forums in the district. The candidate, who is chief of staff to the county Democratic Party
chairman, Assembly Vito Lopez, was recently endorsed by the labor union 32B.

Sponsored by the New Kings Democrats, the debate is on Tuesday, May 19th at 7:00 p.m. at the Harry Van Arsdale High School Auditorium (enter on Roebling St). 257 North 6th Street.

A very good friend of mine is offering this workshop for women called, Transform Your Divorce: A Workshop and Support Group for Women. Sign up now, it starts on May 28th. That's soon!

 * Move beyond just "surviving" the process of divorce, and begin to create a
new life on the other side

* Develop a community of support from other women who are going through
similar experiences

* Find new ways to deal with fear of the future

* Begin to listen to your own inner voice for guidance

Each participant will receive a one-on-one personal coaching session with
workshop facilitator, Wendy Ponte, CPC, a certified Transformational Life
Coach.

This pilot program will meet for 6 Thursdays beginning on May 28th between
7:00 and 8:30 PM in Park Slope.

To register, or to get more information, call 646-339-4071 or e-mail
wp@brooklyncoach.com

I'm giving away books again and this is one you're gonna wanna get. Written by the hilarious Gina Barreca, author of Babes in Boyland, They Used to Call Me Snow White, but I Drifted and I'm With Stupid, It's Not That I'm Bitter or How I Learned to Stpp Worrying About Visible Panty Lines and Conquered the World (St. Martin's Press)  is a collection of "deliciously quotable essays" that relate to women, especially those who've reached the ripe old age of 40 and above.

So what's it about?

Well, this professor of English and Feminist Theory writes sharply, wittily and intelligently about chin hair and tweezers; the reason every woman believes she's crazy; the possibility that the glass ceiling may just be a thick layer of men; why there's no King Charming; how bras don't ever fit and why are ther no tutus in XL.

And don't you love the reference to Dr. Strangelove in the title.

Above all: Barreca's book will make you laugh at yourself and the world. The book is getting raves from places that matter like Publisher's Weekly:

And Booklist Review:

"While some may debate whether Barecca's collection of short essays
are painfully funny or humorously painful, many will agree these
eminently readable pieces will have people laughing out loud, then
sighing thoughtfully. Her observations as a 50-ish woman focus on
life's sexual inequities: 'If women had tufts growing from our noses
and ears, men would bring exorcists to the house…Professionals to
drive the evil spirits from our bodies.' And on the subject of age:
'Once we hit forty, women have only about four taste buds left: one for
vodka, one for wine, one for cheese, and one for chocolate."

Send an email to me: louise_crawford AT yahoo DOT com with your name and address if you want a book.

On a warm Tuesday night, a small crowd trickled into the 33rd district candidates forum at PS 282. At 7 p.m., (when the event was scheduled to begin) representatives of the Park Slope Civic Council, sponsors of the event, were just putting up their banner in front of the stage in the school auditorium. Three of the candidates were introducing themselves to individuals in the crowd; the rest didn't arrive until ten past.

Word traveled around the room that Steve Levin, who works for democratic leader Vito Lopez (seemingly the Darth Vader of Brooklyn politics) would not be in attendance. Rumors began to circulate immediately. He didn't attend  the  Brooklyn Heights forum at St. Francis College claiming that he had "a fund raising event that night.

What was going to be his excuse this time I wondered.

Steven Summerstein, a Civic Council member in a tidy gray suit, bounced into the room holding a letter and whispered intently to Ken Freeman, president of the Civic Council. The man then told the audience that he was a member of the Civic Council and took full responsibility for neglecting to invite Steve Levin.

Forgot to invite him?

Summerstein told the crowd that as consolation, he offered Levin the opportunity to fax him his "opening statement" and Ken Freeman agreed to let him read it during that segment of the program.

Freeman, who wore a bright red Civic Council t-shirt and jeans, ran the forum with the grudging leadership of a P.E. teacher. "Everyone on stage. Candidate: get up there." Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors was the expert time keeper and members of the audience were asked to submit questions "which will be a lot more interesting than my questions,": Freeman told the small crowd.

OPENING STATEMENTS

Freeman told the candidates that they had two minutes for opening statements. "Go," he said brusquely to Evan Thies, who was sitting on the far right. A former aide to  David Yassky, he opened with "Government is the most powerful and effective forum we have…" and recited a list of issues, includingExxon Mobil oil spill in Greenpoint that he "worked on" while in Yassky's office.

Jo Anne Simon, the only woman on the stage, said she was running "to give voice to people whose voices haven't been heard." In a sense she was speaking literally as she is a civil rights lawyer who advocates on behalf of the deaf, the learning disabled and the handicapped.

"Government is where the rubber meets the road. Where you have a voice. I want to listen to you, listen to you listen to you."

I counted. She said it three times.

Next up was Ken Diamondstone, a developer of affordable housing who calls himself "the seasoned progressive" of the group. Reading from his notes he intoned seriously, "I want to make New York free of its pay-to-play and slush fund culture." He cautioned those in attendance to notice the important differences between the candidates (translation: Jo Anne Simon  and I disagree on a lot). "The Gowanus Canal is a Superfund site. Let's not risk another Love Canal." Later he said he was one of the  first to speak out against the Atlantic Yards. "It's been a land grab from the start."

Ken Baer, an environmentalist, who chaired the Sierra Club in Brooklyn and Manhattan, decided to do his opening statement on the floor of the auditorium (as opposed to on the stage) because "I'm a grass roots kind of guy and I don't want to fall off the stage and break a leg."

Rim shot.

I thought we were in for a little candidate stand-up but Baer regained his dignity and quickly outlined his priorities including, community control of development; the down-zoning of Fourth Avenue; the creation of business incubators in all boroughs; and lighting a fire under the Landmarks Preservation Commission to triple the size of Park Slope's landmark district.

Issac Abraham, the first Hasidic candidate to run for  City Council told those assembled with a believable fierceness that he's willing to stand up to the mayor and the speaker. Born in Vienna, "Schwarzenegger and I are from the same place but we haven't spoken since."

Rim shot

Abraham, who has some Borscht Belt charm, can be quite captivating. His calling card is his 35 years of volunteerism in  Williamburg, including work as an EMT for the Volunteer Ambulance service there and leadership on behalf of tenant's rights. .

Finally, Summerstein read Levin's polite statement from the auditorium floor. He said he was going to paraphrase a bit by which he meant turning Levin's first person voice into a third person voice as in "Levin was a community organizer in Bushwick; the organizer of a lead safe house program and instigator of an anti predatory lending program in a community that was red-lined by traditional mortgage brokers."

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN PARK SLOPE?

Abraham, who  is clearly unfamiliar with brownstone Brooklyn, got the nod from Freeman to answer this first question: "parking, housing and housing." Ken Baer recited his mantra of community control of development, downzoning of Fourth Avenue, lack of school seats, and the landmarking of the southern part of the Slope.

Diamondstone said to be careful if the DOT tries to turn 6th and 7th Avenues into one-way streets again. "It happened in Bay Ridge," he said ominously.

Simon cited development and its attendant consequences, economic dispairty, small business, traffic and preservation were tops for her.

Thies described his proposal for the 360 Degree Planning Process, which would require a discussion about infrastructure, education, affordable housing, transportation and parking before development begins.

PLANS TO DEMOLISH PS 133 ON FOURTH AVENUE

Next up was a question about plans to demolish P.S. 133, a 100-year-old school on Fourth Avenue at Butler Street. The School
Construction Authority (SCA) wants to build a  new building in the  footprint of the existing school, the schoolyard and a community garden The Gothic-style building is currently being
considered for the state's list of historic places. 

All of the candidates oppose the demolition off PS 133. Diamondstone attacked the SCA and the way that it "operates in secret with no oversight…Their process is unknown to us, to all of you…the planning of new schools has be be determined by the folks in this room."

YES AND NO QUESTIONS

I love the rapid fire yes/no questions. The candidates didn't seem to actually believe that Freeman really meant yes or no and he was particularly good at reminding the candidates of that.

Mayoral Control:
–Most of the candidates said something like "Mend it don't end it," which was Thies' line. Ken Baer is opposed.

Gowanus Superfund status?
–All support it except Jo Anne Simon who still isn't sure if Superfund will actually fund it.

Cars in Prospect Park?
–All said no except Abraham.

Residentail Parking?
–All said yes.

Congestion Pricing?
–All yes.

East River Tolls?
–All yes except Abraham

Term Limits?

All said yes to term limits.

SUFFERING OF LOCAL BUSINESSES

Diamondstone, like most of the candidates, believes in some kind of commercial rent control as a way to stem the loss of mom and pop shops. Baer supports commercial rent stabilization (stabilization or rent control, which one is it, does it matter?) and asking people to refrain from shopping at Costco and other large box stores. Abraham said, erroneously, that Park Slope has no merchant associations. "They need one here so you're not one little voice, one bodga, one little cleaners." Thies also supports commercial rent control as a way to keep business local. "When local business takes in $1 they send it out to the community." He also talked about micro loans for small businesses and reminded the audience to remember that freelancers are also small business people and they need help sustaining annd growing their businesses.

SHOULD CITY COUNCIL BE A FULL TIME JOB?

Most of the candidates agree that the job of a City Council member should be a full time.  Diamondstone said he's already taken himself out of the day to day running of his affordable housing development business. Jo Ann Simon said that her nationally recognized law firm needs to stay open "because it is serving an important purpose." So I guess she plans to still keep her day job.

DISCUSSION OF YASSKY'S PERFORMANCE

At this point  in the forum, things got fiesty and fun. Needless to say, Abraham had a lot to say:  "In eight years Yassky never called, never responded to Williamsburg's crime, garbage, tenant issues. He was never there. It's good — that he's leaving."

Diamondstone started slowly with: "Yassky likes to have it both ways on issues." But then he got going and didn't let up: "When he was running for congress he was pro-Atlantic Yards because  he was taking development money for the campaign. After he lost that campaign, he suddenly got religion and opposed the project…at one of the  first meetings about Atlantic Yards he spoke for ten minutes and finally  someone said, 'so which side are you on?' And Yassky said, "If it's a good project I support it, if it's a bad project, I don't."

The Yassky bashing was a little awkward for Thies, who worked for the council member for five years. "I am proud of the work I did with David Yassky…but we disagree on a lot of things. I disagreed strongly on Atlantic Yards and his vote against term limits." Thies added that he thinks he was a good council member and will be a good comptroller.

THE CANDIDATES ASK THE QUESTIONS

Freeman reprised the hit question of the 39th district Civic Council forum, the opportunity for the candidates to pose a question to one of the other candidates (plus a quick rebuttal). None of the candiates expected it for some reason. Thies told me that Freeman told him that they might not do it. No one was prepared; maybe that's why it made for some interesting fireworks.

Thies asked Simon why  the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND), a group that she is affiliated with, endorsed John Heyer  for Council in the 39th District as he is anti-choice and anti-same sex marriage.

Simon was incensed. She claimed that IND has not endorsed anyone. "I am pro-choice. I am not an officer  in IND. And they are not supporting John Heyer."

Simon's question went to Evan and it was payback time. "Will you continue to head a committee on Community Board 1? My question goes to the propriety of being on that board. Thies' reply: "The Community Board doesn't have binding power in the land use process."

Touche.

Diamondstone directed his question to Simon: Develop Don't Destroy wants to take Atlantic Yards away from Forest City Ratner (FCR). Brooklyn Speaks, a group you helped to form has said on its web site that if there are dramatic changes to the Atlantic Yards project, Forest City Ratner can keep control of the project. Why do you support this?

Simon, who was now clearly on the defensive (and sick and tired of having to defend positions she doesn't hold) wondered why he neglected to mention Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods which Simon thinks helped to expand the discussion. "Everyone needs to be at the table to  talk to each other."

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN AN OWNER OF A CAR?

Cars are so un-P.C. these days.

Baer asked Diamondstone if he owned a car and when does he use it. Diamondstone said that he has a 1991 5 speed turbo car (he didn't say Volvo but it's a Volvo, right?) and he uses it to travel to Vermont with his partner to visit his nieces and nephews. (Having a gay partner may outweigh the stigma of having a car). The other candidates admitted to using a car to get around on the campaign. Baer told the audience that he takes the G train to get to places like Williamsburg.

"Bravo. You must have more trust in the MTA than I do," was Abraham's comic comeback.

Finally, Abraham question went to Evan: "You talk about working for Yassky. I work for the people for no pay…Just because you're a passenger on a plane, does that mean you can be a pilot? I've worked on every issue in Williamsburg wtihout getting paid. You got paid and I congratulate you." Abraham clearly had it in for Thies because of his affiliation with Yassky.

"I'm sorry you couldn't make it to those meeting and that you didn't get the service you were looking for," Thies said somewhat officiously. "We've met  you many times over the years. Yes, I got paid to do public service, which is something I believe in. I've worked inside and outside the City Council. I've also worked for Senator Clinton and Andrew Cuomo…There are too many people on the council who have no idea how the council works. I wouldn't want to elect someone who will spend the first few months looking for the bathroom.

"I didn't show up?" Abraham said angrily. "There are thousands of events every night in New York City. I wasn't invited. There were major environmental health issues,tenant issues,  faulty elevators, I represent 5000 families and your boss never showed up."

MY PEN STOPPED WORKING

I know, I should have asked Noticing New York, who had a pocketful. But it was time for the closing remarks and instead of writing I decided to listen and look.

In his low key way, Evan talked about reform of the City Council process as key to getting many of his goals accomplished. Simon talked about the unique way that women work t
ogether. "We have a tensile strength." Diamondstone said that his progressive core values have a place on the Council. Baer says he'll represent the issues that matter to this neighborhood. And Abraham said he has the strength to talk back to the King and the Quinn.

NOTEBOOK CLOSED/ SOME THOUGHTS

Kudos to Ken Freeman, Eric McClure and others from the Civic Council for conducting the forum in an thoughtful and efficient way and ending at EXACTLY 9 p.m.

About the candidates: this is a contentious group and that came out big time at last night's forum.

–There's antipathy between Diamondstone and Simon. Or should I say, Diamondstone digs at Simon every chance he gets. He seems intent on exposing her as a hypocrite regarding her stance on the Atlantic Yards and Superfund. They've obviously been in community politics together for a long time and have a history of disagreements. I heard that at one time they were friends and allies. And that can make for an even more intense animosity.

–There's nasty from Abraham toward Thies, who he views has Yassky's paid operative. From Abraham's vantage point in Williamsburg, Yassky was out of pocket unless something terrible happened like when 5-year-old Jacob Neuman died last summer while trying to escape from a
jammed elevator in the Taylor-Wythe housing complex in South
Williamsburg. Tenants have been complaining about those elevators  for years. According to the New York Times, the elevators were set to be completely overhauled in 2004, but the
work was delayed because of budget cuts. Abrahams wants a proactive council member not a reactive one.

–There was some nasty between Thies and Simon when he asked her about IND's support of John Heyer for City Council in the 39th. According to Simon, Thies was mis-informed. I will look into that. He seemed to be jumping on Diamondstone's  "Simon is hypocrite" bandwagon.

–Simon understandably gets agitated when she is asked to defend viewpoints she doesn't hold (or doesn't want to hold anymore). Maybe a little too agitated. Perhaps she needs to rehearse a way to respond that doesn't make her look quite so apoplectic.

–Baer stays out of the frey. Interestingly he made many more substantive points than he did at the previous forum. Even his: "Are you now or have you ever been the driver of a car?" question was fairly good natured. Luckily he ditched the Eliot Spitzer joke (I stood up to Eliot Spitzer even before he wasn't standing up…" ) that was so embarrassing last time. 

UNSOLICITIED ADVICE:

Thies: You can be way more than just Yassky's guy. A little more inspiring. please. Lead with your family passion for public service, your interest in reforming the process, your experience and your interest in small business and freelancers.

Simon: It's easy to get agitated when you're being asked to defend yourself all the time. But you need to find a way to take the high road and lead with your passion for education, neighborhood preservation, and core belief in the collaborative process.

Diamondstone: Your core values are good and you've been fighting the good fight for a long time. But your politics of attack may backfire because people may not be as interested in longtime vendettas as you think. Lead with your good ideas, your core values and your progressive ideals.

Baer: Your presentation has improved. Keep going. Stay on issues and less of the stand-up style that can make you seem unserious.

Abraham: You are fierce and clearly know how to speak truth to power. But your issues don't translate beyond Williamsburg. Do your homework about the rest of the district and show how you can be fiesty for the whole constituency.

ALL IN ALL

Not a very inspiring Forum though there was some drama which
definitely adds to the entertainment value. Stay tuned for upcoming
Breakfast of Candidates with the 33s. I've already done Thies and Simon
and I look forward to Baer, Daimondstone, Abraham, Levin and Bivano.

And what about Bivano? Where was Bivano? Is he still in the race or did Summerstein
forget to invite him, too ? A Brooklyn Heights resident, he's an
engineer/businessman who is Brooklyn-born and bred. Lived in Colorado
for years and then came back because he loves the idea of public
education and wanted to educate his kids here. At the last forum he was
articulate, forceful and impressive.

No, not that developer. But I did just read on The Real Deal that Fred Deutsch, the developer of a four-story residential
building at 338-342 22nd Street
in the Greenwood section of Brooklyn,
filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday.

The bankruptcy filing said the liabilities
for LD Development were between $10 million and $50 million while
assets were between $1 million and $10 million.

The
Brooklyn project had a stop work order served on April 30, which
remains in effect, the city Department of Buildings Web site said.

For those of you living in the North Slope check out the candidates who are vying for Council Member David Yassky's seat and figure out who to vote for in the September primary.The event is sponsored by the Park Slope Civic Council

The Where & When
PS 282 (6th Avenue between Lincoln Place and Berkeley .
7 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Tuesday May 12th

.

 Roy Nathanson Subway Moon CD and Poetry Book Release Party at 8:00 PM, $15

This Friday's show at Joe's Pub is a CD release party of Roy Nathanson’s new Subway Moon CD on Enja Records and his new poetry book, also called Subway Moon (Buddy's Knife Jazz Editions). Roy Nathanson, who lives in Park Slope, has
had a varied career as a saxophonist, composer, band leader, actor,
poet and teacher.

His career began in the mid 70’s playing with R&B
luminaries like Shirley Alston of the Shirelles, to Charles Earland’s
band, to the Lounge Lizards, to the Jazz Passengers, which he
co-founded with Curtis Fowlkes in 1987. The Passengers have made eight
CDs and have done extensive touring over the years

A reader of Pardon Me For Asking alerted Katia to these great photos on Ethan Finkelstein's Flickr page The photos were taken in the early hours of Saturday, right after a car drove into the Gowanus Canal. More at both blogs.

Also see Katia's story about another car plunge in 1921.

While i was at Blogfest, the Park Slope Civic Council announced that they want to triple the size of Park Slope's historic district. The Brooklyn Paper has the story. Here's an excerpt:

Brooklyn’s largest historic district would triple in size under a proposal unveiled on Thursday by a Park Slope community group.

The Park Slope Civic Council is aiming to expand the neighborhood’s
1,975-building historic district to include more than 5,000 structures
that constitute nearly the entire neighborhood bounded by Prospect Park
West, Flatbush Avenue, Fifth Avenue and 15th Street.

“The Civic Council recognizes the historical and architectural
significance of the entire Park Slope neighborhood and seeks to forever
preserve its unique character and sense of place,” said the group’s
resolution, which was approved unanimously on Thursday night.

The plan, a decade in the making, calls upon the city’s Landmarks
Preservation Commission to expand the existing historic district —
which includes the eastern part of the neighborhood between Park Place
and 14th Street — in three phases, first with a swath of 1,350
buildings bound by Flatbush Avenue, Prospect Park West, 15th Street,
Seventh Avenue, and sections of Union Street and Fifth Avenue.