Hugh and I fell in love with Sidecar Bar and Grill last night. We went after the opening of the show of Mike Sorgatz's paintings at Red Horse Cafe on 12th Street and 6th Avenue. It was  about 10:30 and I was wearing uncomfortable shoes but I urged Hugh to walk up to 15th Street on Fifth Avenue.

"This is quite a trek," he said.

I told him not to be a stick-in-the-mud and to be adventurous because I was determined to give the place a try.

I'd been to Sidecar a few years ago for a blogger's cocktail party (organized by Brooklyn Based) and liked it quite a bit but hadn't been back and never tried the food.

We walked in and the joint was jumping, good music on the juke box and quick attention from a staff member standing near the door. A beautifully lit, beautifully designed restaurant, the owners have preserved much of the original detail of the space including really old signage on the wall in the back. They have a gorgeous tin ceiling and exquisite lighting.

At 10:30 or so, there wasn't even a booth to sit in but the waitress quickly led us to the counter that overlooks the kitchen, a great place to sit and watch the cooks cook, something Hugh and I love to do.

The waitress noticed Hugh's camera and asked, "How did you like the light today?" They launched into an interesting discussion of morning light versus late afternoon light. Just the kind of conversation Hugh loves. She then told us the specials.

We ordered the Brussel sprouts salad with mushrooms and onion. This unusual salad was incredibly flavorful and delicious. We also shared a delectable cheese burger and fries. For drinks our waitress selected an excellent Argentinean white wine for me and Hugh had  a bottle of Woodpecker. For dessert, the waitress suggested the bread pudding in bourbon and caramel with whipped cream and Hugh was not disappointed. Neither was I.

I asked the bartender (who I think is the owner) how late they serve food there. He told me that they serve food every night except Monday until four in the morning. FOUR IN THE MORNING.

"On Monday nights we serve gumbo," he told me. That's right: he said gumbo, that New Orleans dish of Monday is the kitchen night's off but they prepare a gumbo and they serve that until 4am on Monday. "People come in wanting their burgers, their fried chicken and I tell them try the gumbo. And they love it. Our chef is a very talented guy."

I told him that I am often looking for a place to go late on Tuesday nights with my writers group and most places in the Slope stop serving at 11 pm. I know I'm going to bring the group to try the Sidecar Sandwich, oven roasted turkey breast, bacon, cave aged gruyere, granny smith apples, thin sliced red onion and sun dried tomato mayo on grilled sour dough; Buttermilk Fried Chicken with “succotash” and root mash; the Sidecar Burger; The Bahn-De, a classic Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chops; Veggie Tacos filled with sautéed mushrooms and onions, roasted red peppers, roasted corn, marinated chayote, tomatillo sauce, sour cream and mixed greens and more. 

Sounds good, don't it. And I haven't even mentioned all of their interesting drink menu. Guess you'll just have to go up there to give it a try.

Last night I was invited to the opening of a show of paintings at the Red Horse Cafe by my friend Mike Sorgatz. There was also a a performance by Leslie Graves and Jason Fleitz.

 I am a big fan of Mike's paintings of New York City. His painting of the Brooklyn Bridge was used on the 2008 Blogfest poster. Of his work, Mike writes:

Seeing Mike's show was a great excuse to finally make it over to the Red Horse Cafe for the first time and I must say it's the cafe we've all been wanting in Park Slope (and it's been here since 2006). A truly interesting vibe, interesting looking people, great music on weekends, food, art, coffee and wine.

Located on 6th Avenue and 12th Street, the Red Horse Cafe was opened in June 2006 by Brent and Carolina Whitson and obviously has a large, loyal following. It's a cozy and comfortable place with tables and couches in the back.

They serve coffee from Barrington and a wide
assortment of teas. They also have pastries and bagels,
sandwiches, soups, Dub pies and more! There's also a good selection of beer and wine.

Essence and Accident: Photographs by Hugh Crawford at the Gallery at the Old Stone House.

Weekends April 1 – June 30, 2009.

The
gallery is open on Saturday and Sundays. It is also open by appointment.
Photographer Hugh Crawford will be in the gallery every Friday in April
and May from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Essence and Accident: Photographs by Hugh Crawford

Last night I went to the Red Horse Cafe and heard the very talented Jason Fleitz  and Leslie Graves perform. Jason is a skilled guitar player with a gentle and soulful voice. He writes lovely songs. Singer/songwriter Leslie Graves, who also has a great voice, impressed me with her songs based on New York Times stories.

Apparently these songs were written for a show called Times 365:24:7 which played at Bone Orchard and The Brick Theater March 14th through April 11th. Missed it

Many people worked together to create this theater piece- the
actors brought in published news stories, interviews, and their own
perspectives to contribute to what became the script. It sounds like it was an interesting show.

Leslie Graves writes of the show:

Here are some songs. A few of them appeared in the show. The haunting song, Ms. Emily Upp, about a young woman that went jogging in Riverside Park and lost her memory, was my favorite last night. Some of the others are quite short, like Leslie says, fleeting.

recession psychosis
plane lands on the Hudson
no more appetite
Ms. Emily Upp
plane crashes near Buffalo
madoff goes to prison
la brain
woman hit with bow and arrow in the bronx
aig give it back
remote control killers/oh brave robot

Monday night check out the Brooklyn Songwriters Exchange at their April show tomorrow: Monday, April 20 at 7:30 pm at Union Hall.

Rebecca Pronsky hosts an in-the-round show featuring Matt Keating, Sarah Donner, and Dan Blakeslee.  The four songwriters will perform solo, each sharing a song, then onto the next and so on, and back round again.

SARAH DONNER (from Princeton, NJ pictured at left):

It's a sign of the times and sad news that the Brooklyn Museum is having a tough time during these tough financial times.

Or maybe I should say, it looks like they're being very proactive about cost cutting measures that will insure the museum's survival.

First they raised the price of admission from $8 to $10 for adults and $6 to $8
for senior and students. That was a bitter pill to swallow for some but understandable in light of the fact that the museum's admission fees were not on par with other NYC museums.

But there are other changes afoot as well. And these effect staff members at the museum, who have been offered voluntary "separation packages." Is that s golden handshake or something? Plans are also being developed
to implement a one-week furlough this summer
for all staff members (dates and details not released yet) while the Museum remains open to
the public. In addition, all higher-paid
non-union staff members will receive pay
reductions on a sliding scale.

Pay reductions on a sliding scale? Wow. Now that's a big and not very pleasant turn of events. But I guess it's better than massive layoffs that's for sure.

Here's the press release I received today from the museum.

Essence and Accident: Photographs by Hugh Crawford at the Gallery at the Old Stone House.

April 1 – June 30, 2009.

The
gallery is open on Saturday and Sundays. It is also open by appointment.
Photographer Hugh Crawford will be in the gallery every Friday in April
and May from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

 Yup. I'm teaching a three-session workshop at BAX (421 Fifth Avenue at 8th Street) and it's a great chance to learn how to blog. You will even be encouraged to start a blog during the workshop.

My workshop is part of of AccessBAX: Classes and Workshop for the Curious, Creative Adult. Pre-registration is required. To register call 718-832-0018. For more info: www.bax.org

The cost is $45 for the three sessions.

Learn how to blog with OTBKB, is a hands-on workshop for anyone interested in becoming a blogger and those who already blog but want to learn more. I will discuss a wide variety of blogging genres, including photo blogs.

Session 1: Introduction to Blogging
Session 2: Hands-on Blogging
Session 3: Next Steps

I just  heard from Joseph McCarthy, who happens to be the development director of the Irondale Center, and he wrote of this interesting cultural event: This Could Be Weird, Could Be Wild, Likely To Be Wonderful.

Check out what's happening at the Irondale Center, the new performance space on the second floor of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Ft. Greene: Anthony
Braxton and Walter Thompson Premiere A
New Soundpainting Composition

Performed by Anthony Braxton, Walter Thompson, the Walter Thompson
Orchestra,
and the actors of the Irondale Ensemble Project

In collaboration with Soundpainter Walter Thompson and the Walter
Thompson Orchestra, MacArthur Fellowship-winning composer Anthony Braxton
– one of music’s most original composers and instrumentalists – will
premiere a new work. Mr. Thompson will combine Mr. Braxton’s Language Music
System with Soundpainting
– the multidisciplinary live – composing sign language created by Mr.
Thompson. The concerts will feature performances by Anthony Braxton, a
woodwind virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist, the fifteen musicians, and
actors of the Walter Thompson Orchestra and Irondale Ensemble actors.

April 16, 17, 18 at 7:30PM

Prices: $20.00 Adult | $15.00Student/Senior/Working Artist

Click here to buy now

Another Special Event: April 18 at 1PM

Irondale's
Big Box of Distractions

Walter Thompson will be running an interactive soundpainting workshop
with the Young Company and audience members. Since Walter spends a lot
of time in Sweden, they're serving Swedish finger
food as a treat!

Prices: $10.00 child + one adult | $5.00 each additional child |
$10.00 adult without child

Apr 17, 18, 21, 22, 24 & 25 at 7:30pm

Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Conducted by Paul Goodwin
Directed by Jonathan Miller

"Mr. Miller’s staging of the 'St. Matthew' proved a revelation."
— The New York Times

Renowned
for his highly original takes on operatic works, Jonathan Miller draws
out the full magnificence and drama of Bach’s final and most revered
Passion. Sung in English and pared down to its glorious essentials, his
singers—casually dressed—are placed with the musicians in the round,
granting the music an undeniable immediacy.

In an unprecedented
occurrence, BAM brings back this incomparable production which has
delighted audiences in its previous sold-out runs. With a cast
comprising many returning members, Miller again strips away the
traditional performance conventions of this sacred work, allowing us to
confront the emotion and humanity at the heart of this Passion.

BAM Harvey Theater
Running time: 170min with intermission

Subscription tickets: $24, 44, 64, 72
(Full price: $30, 55, 80, 90)

Another great event at Brooklyn Reading Works that you won't want to miss.

Raina Washington curates an evening of new fiction by Brooklyn writers.

April 23rd at the Old Stone House at 8 p.m.
Fifth Avenue at Third Street

A $5 donation includes blender drinks and refreshments.

Photo of voice activated blender by PM Tarrone

And for the opening extravaganza Borough Prez Marty will be on hand to help cut the ribbon at the new Park Slope location of La Bagel Delight at
284 7th Avenue .

The new store will replace and expand on the
252 7th Avenue location. Since
1986, under the direction of partners Frank Bavaro, Dino Bavaro, Dominick Orlando,
Victor Carino and Michael Vazquez, La Bagel Delight has been preparing hand-rolled, boiled bagels for Brooklynites at their five locations, which also include 122
Seventh Avenue, 90 Court Street, 104 Front Street and an independently-operated
store at 73 Lafayette Avenue. There's also one in DUMBO on Front Street.

I went to my first Community Board meeting. I am officially a local blogger! And what an interesting meeting it was!

The Department of Transportation (DOT) which has been addressing traffic calming issues for Prospect Park West for many years, presented a new plan to change Prospect Park West from three moving lanes to two moving lanes and to add a two-way bike lane, which they hope will really reduce traffic speeds and increase safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

Prospect Park West, which is 49 feet wide and sees approximately 1000 cars per hour (plus buses), does not require three lanes. It is their analysis that the extra space encourages speeding and bad driving because people are not as cautious when there is extra room. Additionally, there is no lane for bike riding and cyclists tend to ride on the sidewalk, which is a problem for pedestrians and results in tickets for the cyclists.

The DOT believes that the 1000 or so vehicles per hour could be accommodated in two moving lanes and that it would help reduce speeding. According to their studies, over 70% of the cars are speeding on PPW. The speed limit is currently 25 MPH. Between 2005-2007, there were 58 reported crashes and, thankfully, 0 fatalities.

Here's what the DOT is planning for PPW:

–Two moving lanes for vehicles.

–A  "protected" two-way bike lane next to the sidewalk

–Vehicle parking paces next to the traffic on the park side designated by paint stripes.

–Some kind of pedestrian "refuges" near crossing areas

–Warning signs for pedestrians about bike lanes and new signage for vehicles.

According to the DOT this plan brings PPW closer to the goal of "Complete Streets" which they define as streets, which accommodate every user: cyclists, pedestrians, autos and buses. The DOT has done something like this on 9th Avenue in Manhattan it is has been very successful in reducing speed and accommodating pedestrians and cyclists.

There was a mix of comments and concerns from members of the Community Board and members of the public, who attended the meeting. One man, who lives on 10th Street felt that the elimination of a third moving lane would be "a nightmare during peak usage time" when there are school buses and cars dropping off and double parking for school in the morning, little league baseball and Celebrate Brooklyn.

The project manager responded that the DOT would look to the community to locate high volume drop off areas on PPW.

Someone else wondered what would separate the bike lane from the parking lane. A DOT representative said that it would be just be paint stripes and added that this has been effective on Ninth Avenue because if someone parks in the bike lane there is a $115. fine.

There was also the concern that bike traffic going north would not be able to see traffic lights which are south-facing. It was suggested that additional traffic signals for northbound bike traffic be installed.

Someone asked if two vehicle lanes would be sufficient for Fire Department and other emergencies. A DOT representative said that the FDNY is always shown their plans and they make changes as necessary based on their assessment on access and safety.

Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors asked if they had looked at the possibility of a two-way PPW and two-way  8th Avenue, a measure that is supported by Park Slope Neighbors. The DOT representative responded that it wouldn't address traffic calming and it would complicate traffic issues at Grand Army Plaza if another "input" was added.

At the end of the meeting, the Community Board enthusiastically voted to approve the DOT's plan with the added suggestions that they add:

1. Additional traffic signals for north-bound bike traffic

2. Analyze high volume ares and make accommodations for drop off vehicles.

On the third Thursday of every month, the Transportation Committee of CB6 "routinely reviews any projects, studies
programs and services related to the use and condition of our local
streets, sidewalks and highways, including infrastructure projects
affecting the roadway subsurface.  The committee concerns itself with
matters pertaining to improving transportation safety, access,
circulation and mobility for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.
Additionally, the committee regularly reviews intermodal transportation
issues including public transportation systems (rapid and surface), the
use of the airspace over the district, and maritime-based traffic."

The CB6 meetings are always open to the community.

The Park Slope 5th Avenue Business Improvement District is a newly
formed 30 block BID whose mission is to develop, improve and enhance the
economic, environmental and social welfare of the merchants, landlords and
residents of the BID area and all those who benefit from its commerce.

The BID is partnering wit the Park Slope Chamber of Commerce to support local recycling and
sustainability efforts and bolster the expanding green economy. 

The initiative, GREEN
GROWS IN BROOKLYN, coincides with Earth Day celebrations. “Keep an
eye out for the Green Tree in the window of participating businesses on both
Avenues who have signed on to collect donations in order to support local
recycling efforts in the community,” said Irene LoRe owner of Aunt Suzie’s and
Executive Director of the Park Slope 5^th Avenue BID,  who
is leading the campaign.

This is the first of a series of efforts by the
Park Slope 5^th Avenue BID to increase awareness around the issue of
recycling—as well as to create some real community-based resources in the
neighborhood to supplement existing NYC city recycling programs. Donations
from participating merchants and customers will go directly into creating more
recycling drop-off spots and expanding e-waste events in Park Slope. Given the
recent suspension of city e-waste programs around the five boroughs, the
program is more needed than ever.

“There is a real demand for recycling locally,”
said Samantha Delman-Caserta, co-owner of 3r Living,
“and the need exceeds local capacity.” LoRe concurred. “Recycling not only
addresses issues of environmental degradation, but is a major source of jobs,
innovation, and insight—and the BID wants to be at the fore of this issue,” she
said, “it is not only good for the environment, but good for the economy and
overall health of the neighborhood."

The Park Slope5th Avenue BID takes
its broader campaign message seriously, working with entrepreneurs and local
nonprofits to educate the community about the benefits of recycling for the
environment and community. Stay tuned for the results.  To date, merchant participants include Get Fresh Table & Market, 3 R
living, Bob & Judi's Coolectibles, Corduroy Kid and Aunt Suzie's
Restaurant.

Green
Grows in Brooklyn

Date/Time:     The week of Earth Day (April 22^nd)

Location:        Park
Slope, Brooklyn

Contact:         
Irene LoRe, Park Slope 5^th Avenue BID: 718-637-1955;
parkslope5avbid@aol.com

Another great event at Brooklyn Reading Works that you won't want to miss.

Raina Washington curates an evening of new fiction by Brooklyn writers.

April 23rd at the Old Stone House at 8 p.m.
Fifth Avenue at Third Street

A $5 donation includes blender drinks and refreshments.

Photo of voice activated blender by PM Tarrone

Next
weekend there will be two Candidate Forums, a great ways to see all of the candidates in one place and get
to know the people who want to represent you in the City Council.

Saturday, April 25, 10:30 am  – 1:00 am:

CORD/SoBNA 39th District Candidate Forum aka The Dazzle-Me Forum

Where: 396 Clinton Street @ Union Street – enter on Union

Space is limited – reserve your seat by email cgcord@gmail.com or phone: 347-661-8819

Sunday, April 26, 4:00 – 6:00 pm

Boro Park Candidate Forum

Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center (10th Avenue and 49th Street)

Breakfast-of-Candidates:

I did interview John Heyer, candidate for the
City Council in the 39th district and will be posting that
interview/profile on Friday.

Tonight, Thursday, April 16, 6:30 pm:

Community Board 6 Transportation Committee Hearing:

Where: John Jay High School, 237 7th ave between 4th & 5th.

A full schedule with two particularly important items:

• plans to close the 3rd Street entrance at Prospect Park to vehicular traffic.

• proposal
  to remove a driving lane and install two-way class I bicycle lane along
  Prospect Park West between Union Street and Bartel Pritchard Square

Brownstone Voyeur is a joint project of casaCARA and OTBKB.  Look for it every Thursday on both sites. Go to CasaCARA for more pix and text.

THE FIRST THING Amy Samelson did when she bought this Pacific Street co-op seven years ago was “strip everything as bare as possible.”

Amy, an interior designer whose work includes both commercial and residential projects, immediately did away with “every annoying piece of door hardware, bad lighting fixture, and switch plate.” She also pulled off cheap parquet flooring in the living room and ugly ceramic tiles in the kitchen and bath.

‘Annoying’ was probably the least of it. All the different materials had the effect of visually chopping up the diminutive 500 square feet on the third floor of a brownstone where Amy lived and worked until recently (she has since relocated in the neighborhood).

“It was small space broken down further,” she recalls. “I made every effort to create one unified space, without a lot of finicky detailing.” To that end, she painted all the walls off-white,
including the handsomely textured brick wall in the living room. She
did the same to existing baseboards and moldings so they would, as she
puts it, “visually fall away.”

To further make the apartment all of a piece, Amy installed sea grass carpeting, a natural water-repellent material, throughout the apartment, even in the kitchen area and bath.

The effect is pared down and serene, neither particularly minimal nor coldly modern, with warmth and variation from differently textured surfaces, like the white-painted brick wall, sisal carpet, and stainless steel table used as a desk.

Furnishings are few but iconic, including an Alvar Aalto chair, George Nelson side table and sculptural African wood stool.

In the living room, a simple box spring and mattress with a canvas slipcover from IKEA doubled
as a sofa and guest bed. Even mundane objects like CDs and media
components have “color and size relationships and form,” Amy says, and
are candidates for open display.

Orderly open shelves reflect Amy’s belief that
objects like books and file boxes “can be an artful expression, if
arranged beautifully. It’s an upfront organization effort,” she says,
“but once you’ve done it, it functions day by day.

A stainless steel table from a restaurant supply store served as both desk and dining table. Standing lamps create intimacy. “You don’t want light from the ceiling coming down on people’s heads.”

Another great installment of Brownstone Voyeur, a joint project of CasaCARA and OTBKB. Tomorrow: Small space, big ideas in Cobble Hill. Stay tuned…

Living a few blocks from a Superfund site is a big deal. We all know that the Gowanus Canal is a toxic and contaminated but making it a Superfund site really validates claims by local environmentalists and community activists who have opposed development along the canal until it is cleaned up.

Yet, the issue is complicated. Superfund status is  not necessarily a panacea. The polluter's tax, which meant that  corporations responsible for the mess had to pay for the clean up, expired in 1995 and its repeal faced big opposition from the Bush Administration.

Would Superfund status actually mean a speedy clean up of the site? One certainly hopes so. Otherwise it's just a name on a list and more years of waiting for a clean up of what is otherwise a beautiful and historic section of Brooklyn.

There is a 60-day comment period about this issue and the public is invited to register their opinions at regulations.gov.

There you will see the Docket title: National Priorites List, Notice of Proposed rulemaking: Gowanus Canal. Make your opinions known!

I think everyone agrees that the Gowanus Canal is a severely contaminated site that is not currently appropriate for human habitation nearby unless something is done about it.

Reports from Tuesday night's meeting at PS 32, a community forum about Superfund status for the Gowanus Canal, confirmed that the Environmental Protection Agency is more than convinced that the area is in need of this designation.

Representatives from the EPA, the community and  plenty of politicians were there. I am guessing that quite a few of the City Council candidates for the  39th district were in attendance. 

According to Katia Kelly of Pardon Me for Asking: "Mugdan, U.S. EPA Director of the Emergency and Remedial
Response Division, suggested there can be no rational discussion about whether
the canal needs to be cleaned up. The meeting last night was more about
the when and how. The
primary objective, Mugdan explained, is to identify the sources of the
contamination, clean up the sites along the Gowanus, and then to
dredge the bottom of the 2 mile long canal."

Note that Mugdan said that the land next to the canal must be cleaned first. I am wondering who is responsible for that clean up? Other questions are: who pays for the clean up,  how long will it take and when will it happen?

Apparently there's a long list of sites with Superfund designation that have yet to be cleaned up. Who's to say that the Gowanus Canal will be a high priority for the EPA. And have they said whether they would pay for it?

Found in Brooklyn, a blog written by a Carroll Gardens community activist, reports that there was a representative from Bloomberg's office at the meeting, who expressed Bloomberg's opposition to Superfund designation and thinks that developers like the Toll Brothers, who have apporved plans to build condos, townhouses and a  promenade along the canal, should pay for the clean up.

She writes: "A representative
from Mayor Bloomberg’s office appeared and burst the feeling of “YES!
finally some sense is being spoke here” and said that the Mayor was
against the superfunding and that developers have invested 400 million
dollars in doing the same clean up as the EPA."

The sides are drawn and the argument seems to be: who is better suited to responsibly take care of the clean up of a severely toxic site like the Gowanus Canal? There are those who say it is the private sector developers (who are huge financial supporters of many NYC politicians) and are motivated and eager to make big money off of the site.

Others believe that a government  agency like the EPA would do it in the most thorough and responsible job. But from my reading about Superfund, the designation does not come with funding. Originally the idea was that the  polluter had to pay for the clean up. But that "polluter tax" expired in 1995 and attempts by Democrats have tried to reinstate it but it was opposed by the Bush administration.

What does Obama think and will the polluter tax be reinstated under his administration?

That said, it worth noting that the first site to get Superfund designation was Love Canal near Buffalo, New York. In the late 1970's,  horrible chemicals, which caused birth defects and miscarriages, started seeping up through the ground into basements
and a school, burning children and pets in that large residential area. Unknown to the occupants at the time, the  neighborhood was later revealed to have been built
on a 19th-century canal where a toxic mix of more than 80 industrial
chemicals had been buried.

According to the  New York Times in a 2004 article, Love Canal is what motivated Congress to pass the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, which came to be known as Superfund.

The law provided for the establishment of a priority list of dirty
sites, and created a mechanism for the cleanups to be paid for by the
companies that created them. A ''polluter pays'' tax was also set up to
pay for cleanups at abandoned hazardous waste sites.

That
tax expired in 1995, and Democrats in the Senate have tried to
reinstate it. The most recent effort was last week, when the bill,
opposed by the Bush administration, was defeated, 53-4

Superfund status, while incredibly validating for all who believe that contamination in the Gowanus Canal is unhealthy for children and other living things, does not  insure a speedy clean up. Or a sugar daddy that will take care of it. 

I'm curious about the details and how long this will take. It seems about time that the Gowanus get cleaned up so Brooklyn can begin to enjoy that beautiful and historic area.

Find out why Brooklyn is the Bloggiest place in the US at this year's Brooklyn's Blogfest on May 7th at 7 p.m. at powerHouse Arena in DUMBO. 

ABOUT THE PANEL

The centerpiece of this year's Blogfest program will be a panel discussion titled, Why We Blog: Voices, Visions and the Realities of the Blogosphere.
Moderated by Megan Donis, a producer and reporter with BCAT, the panel
will feature five top-drawer bloggers who will talk about their reasons
for blogging; how they define success in the world of blogging; how
they balance their work and personal lives with blogging; and the
future of blogging. 
.

MEET THE MODERATOR

Megan
Donis is a TV producer, reporter and editor with 10 years experience
working in documentary, news and culture programming. Megan is
currently the Senior Producer of News Programs at Brooklyn Independent
TV (www.briconline.org), an adjunct journalism professor at Long Island University and a freelance video producer and editor.  Megan can be found at www.megandonis.com

MEET THE PANELISTS

Tracy Collins focuses on architecture, urban landscapes and street
photography generally, and more specifically on the Atlantic Yards
project in his neighborhood of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.  For the
past 4 years Tracy has been chronicling the changes to the area within
and around the footprint of the project. His photographs can be seen at www.3c.com and his blog is www.freakinblog.com.

Anne Pope is the founder and co-director of SustainableFlatbush.org, a neighborhood-based grassroots organization that promotes environmental sustainability in Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Bed-Stuy Banana has walked every street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, photographing everything from memorial murals to old signs. In her writing, she describes her struggles with gentrification, financial hardship and the joys of being both a parent and a part of her new community.

Melissa Lopata created Hip Slope Mama, a Park Slope community blog. As a former Corporate Marketing VP, who became a stay at home mom almost 2 years ago, Melissa reached out to a growing community of moms looking for advice and inspiration. Now with over 20 regular mom contributors Hip Slope Mama has taken on a life of its own.

Jake Dobkin is the co-founder and publisher of Gothamist, the network of city-specific blogs. He was born in Park Slope and lives in Brooklyn Heights. He attended PS321, JHS51, Stuyvesant, Columbia, and
NYU, where he got an MBA. He has never been away from New York City for more than ten weeks in the last thirty-two years. Surprisingly, his mortal enemy is… milk. You can learn more about Jake at
jakedobkin.com.

.

Greetings, Pub Quiz Adopt-A-Quiz Advocates

There's a lot of heavy stuff in the world.  I talk with you about it sometimes.

There's a lot of local political stuff in this city.  I talk with you about it sometimes.

There's oddball, eccentric, wonderful, confounding stuff coursing through all of lives.  I talk with you about it sometimes.

There are the games of skill and the skill of games, from baseball to Atlantic Yards.  I talk with you about it sometimes.

I've been reading a lot of exasperating comments sections in articles today about the Obamas' choice for First Dog.

"Isn't there anything MORE important to write about?!"  "This isn't news!"  "Get a life!"

Well, I have a life, it's vibrant and curious and looks for boundaries to honor and at the same time lines to cross.

Adopting animal companions from shelters and rescue groups is one of those honored stances.

Honored by me and a lot of you?  Yeah.  The Obamas?  Not so much.

Barack and Michelle Obama
didn't cross-their-hearts and swear-on-a-stack-of-bibles that they'd
adopt a dog.   They did, however, give us real hope and
straight-forward language that they'd do the right thing and adopt from
a shelter or a rescue organization.

Instead, they took the elite road to an expensive breeder who's clients include Ted Kennedy.

running away from a very specific hope…

This was such an easy call.  This isn't Iraq or Afghanistan,
gay marriage, national health care, the economy.  No, this was simple: 
adopt a dog that needs a home and  send a crystal-clear message —
loving dogs means rescuing them.

Malia Obama has allergies.  I get that.  There are hypo-allergenic pooches out there who need a good home.  The Obamas' choice?  A Portuguese water dog.

I went to PetFinder.com and found lots of PWDs (also stands for Poopy Weapons of Destruction).  Here's Pepper, who, amazingly, awaits a permanent home with a rescue group in…yep…Washington, DC.

Pepper.  Too far away — not as the crow flies, but as the politician shifts…

The
Obamas just didn't try very hard on this one.  Twenty-five percent of
dogs and 24% of cats that enter animal shelters are adopted.  One in
four.  That's pretty awful.  Barack and Michelle Obama, honestly,
should have told the kids "you can have a dog, but not until the right
one needs a home."

Bo, as the new First Dog has been named, was as far from a
date with the gas-chamber as a dog in America can be.  In fact, he was
a gift from Senator Kennedy, who's bought his PWDs from the same kennel
that bred Bo.  Kennedy should have known better.  Politically, if not
morally, it's gonna be a headache Obama doesn't need.

Same for the Humane Society of the United States.   Rather
than staying on message — adopt and rescue — the HSUS weirdly
applauded the Obamas for adopting a "second-chance" dog.  This, because
Bo had been purchased by a Washington DC family and was then returned
to the kennel.

It's shockingly uncool for the HSUS to equate a well-cared-for
custom-bred trendy-breed puppy with the millions of pooches trapped in
the nations' cement-walled pens.  It's like saying someone on the Upper East Side is a homeless refugee because they couldn't get a table at Le Cirque.

Or…maybe it's the cash the Obamas are donating to their local HSUS.  We didn't do the right thing, but here's a wad of bills, will this make it go away? It sure reeks that way, a sad state from both the Obamas and the HSUS.

It's a very Bloomberg and Ratner tactic — do the
wrong thing, disappoint a lot of folks, contort yourself silly trying
to spin it, and finally throw money at your critics so they'll go easy
on you.

As for puppy mills?  They'll go into hyperdrive, churning out PWDs by the truckfull.  You know, I was maybe gonna go down to the shelter and rescue a dog, but hey, the President didn't, so why should I?

Goose, comma, good.  Gander, comma, bad.

I like the Obamas. 
But they did a bad job on this one.  Tomorrow, Tuesday, will be Bo's
big unveiling.  The Obamas will certainly try to say the right things. 
But how can it come out as anything other than "do as I say, not as I
do?"

Maybe this will help the Obamas better remember what's at stake:

* * * * * * * *

It was a rainy Saturday morning but the Bed-Stuy Meadow event went on as planned. Forty or so volunteers showed up at 11 am and hurled "seed bombs" onto vacant lots and tree stumps in that neighborhood. The idea: to plant wildflowers (sunflowers and black-eyed-Susans) everywhere.

The reaction, according to WNYC, was mixed. Longtime residents and members of Brownstoners of Bedford Stuyvesant, a neighborhood group,  were miffed that organzer Deborah Fisher, an artist who creates site-specific work, didn't reach out to the community in traditional ways. One local resident, who spoke to WNYC, wondered why she didn't speak to the Community Board and get more local residents involved.

Deborah countered that she had more volunteers than she knew what to do with. Many noticed that the volunteers were mostly white and mostly newcomers to the quickly gentrifying neighborhood. 

The blogger who runs Bed-Stuy Blog was a proud sponsor of the event. Last week she shared her thoughts about an article that appeared in the Daily News that highlighted the controversy:

The article really gets interesting when they interview the
president of the Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Ava Barnett. (The
Brownstoners are probably best known for their annual Bed-Stuy House
Tour that takes place in autumn.) Ms. Barnett isn’t very enthusiastic
about the Bed-Stuy Meadow project, and comes off sounding very anti-wildflower.
In fact, the good Ms. Barnett calls the project a “wildflower invasion”
and says that wildflowers will not look good in an urban environment.
She mentions that several blocks in Bed-Stuy have received recognition
in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest,
which implies that the neighborhood is looking just dandy and doesn’t
need any additional beautification projects taking place, thank you.

Ms. Barnett is obviously in a South Stuy state of mind and probably
hasn’t ventured north of Lexington Avenue in years to see what her
neighborhood really looks like beyond those Greenest Block in Brooklyn
winners. I thought that the Brownstoners would encourage any type of
beautification project taking place in the neighborhood. Any guess why
a well-intentioned project like this would draw such negativity from
their president?

Is this just an example of "no good deed goes unpunished" or do longtime Bed-Stuy locals have a point? Was this effort to bring wildflowers to the abandoned lots of a neighborhood just another version of cultural imperialism foisted on a community?

Should Deborah Fisher have taken advantage of the local Community Board as a way to insure outreach to those who don't read blogs or get Twitter feeds?

What do you think? And how do you think people would feel in your neighborhood if an artist decided to seed bomb it?

Personally I think it was a cool idea. Not in a do-gooder sort of way but as a 'bring art to the streets' kind of happening. I like the serendipity of it and the attempt, by one woman, to create urban art. I wonder if she plans to do more of this? If so, she may have a thing or two to learn from site-specific superstar, Christo, who has dealt wil local governments for years to make his huge public art projects a reality.

Clearly, Deborah took a more guerilla approach. Next time, maybe, Fisher will engage the community more directly. That way, her process will be more transparent and inclusive in an interesting way. Christo's work is as much about the final product (Running Fence, Valley Curtain, The Gates) as it is about the buracracy, the politics, the public reaction and the many years it takes to complete:

Instead of getting defensive, Fisher should now compile the various reactions to Bed-Stuy Meadow – positive and negative – and seek to understand what it tells us about community and the process of making art. Therin lies the seeds to understanding between groups that often feel at odds in a gentriying community.

Kathy Malone
Age: 43
Lives: Park Slope
Type of design work: Women’s clothing
Cost of products: $50-$90
Web sites: Fofolle.com and fofolle.etsy.com

The Brooklyn Indie Market is actually your brainchild. How did it come about?
We
were an online community of indie designers and we were doing these
one- or two-day events in different locations, and it was so much work
for one or two days. So we found the tent and it was the perfect
location. I have a big organizer streak in me.

What’s your goal for BIM?
The goal of the space
is for each individual designer to get a chance to make sales. I have a
place to sell my own line, but also there is that important community
aspect. I’d say it’s 50% business, 50% socializing for me. It feels
like a club — not a snooty club, but it’s my social life.

An  article by James Barron in the Times' today reports on new bus shelters for the B23 bus, which goes through Kensington. Apparently that's one of the bus lines that the MTA wants to discontinues. So what gives? Why are they putting up new bus shelters? Is this just an example of one hand not knowing what the other hand is doing or is there a chance that the bus line won't be going away? An ex-Park Sloper is even quoted in the article citing the bus as one of the things "that made the move tolerable." The bus goes from Flatbush Avenue and Corteylou Road to Boro Park, making stops along Ocean Parkway. Richard Grayson must know all about that bus.

Two bus shelters on Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn — one at Ocean
Parkway, the other at East Fifth Street — were replaced this week with
shiny new steel-and-glass structures that can keep passengers on the
B23 bus line dry on rainy days and unmussed on windy ones.

But the B23 is one of six bus lines in Brooklyn that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it will eliminate unless it gets a financial lifeline from the State Legislature.

Asked
why new shelters were being installed along a line that could soon
disappear, Seth Solomonow, a spokesman for the Transportation
Department, noted that the proposed service changes were not definite.
“But we will postpone any further installations on affected routes
until the situation is clarified,” he said.

Soccer afficionado Hermann practicing on the beach with the Coney Island pier in the background.