As I write this, a jury deliberates in the trial of a local, well-liked handyman who was accused by a 13-year-old Park Slope girl of sexual molestation.

The man vehemently denies all the charges.

Readers of OTBKB will remember what happened a year ago when the girl’s mother posted a note about this situation on the mirror in the vestibule of my apartment building (and on many of the street’s lamp posts).

I posted about the note (excluding names) and my report drew a Daily News reporter to Third Street. Then the television news vultures came. For me, it was a real wake-up call. THE EDITORS OF ALL THE NY DAILIES READ OTBKB!! BE CAREFUL.

I am eager to learn the fate of this man. I see nothing about it in the news. Here’s a post I wrote about a year ago:

It was just a note on the mirror of my building’s vestibule. Now it seems like a whole lot more.

People’s lives.

The man. The girl. The mother. They’re all locked in
a  twisted tango. Who is telling the truth? What is the real story here?

Reputation. Judgement. Craziness. I am hearing many things. Many.
That the man is reputable. That the accusations are groundless. That he
doesn’t deserve to have his life ruined this way.

It was just a note on the mirror. But so much more. Ambiguity. A
mother’s attempt to warn and protect or a mother’s attempt to indict
and ruin a man publically? What could be her motive? What could be his? And who is telling the truth?

And then there’s my small role in all of this. Did I fan the flames
by putting it on OTBKB. I just saw the
note and wanted to share what I was feeling about that note: the fear,
the uncertaintly, the sense that these things are complicated.
Wondering if it  true, or is it slander.

I may know Third Street but I didn’t know this man at all. Now I am
hearing about him from neighbors and friends who care about him, trust
him, and strongly believe that these accusations are simply not true.

There were moments this weekend when I wondered whether I was the
reason that note was left there. That the mother knew, somehow, that I
would blog about it, that I would spread the word and be complicit in
what might be a lie.

I don’t know the truth—only three people know, including the girl’s mother. How could I possibly know?

A jury will sit through a trial – and hear the evidence –
and decide whether there is enough proof. I sat on a jury in a sexual molestation trial in June/July of 2005 and I know what that’s like. You go in with a
whole bunch of preconceptions and the trial can really turn you around.
It’s all very complicated. And finally when the jury is sequestered and
it’s time to reach a verdict, there must be proof beyond a reasonable
doubt.

For someone who purports to know Third Street, I guess I don’t know
Third Street as well as I thought. We know what we know and who we know
— beyond that we don’t know a thing. If I fanned the flames in this
incident – I take full responsibility.

There must be an object lesson in all this about journalistic
ethics and blogging. About Brooklyn blocks and what you do and don’t
know. About sexual harassment and the muddy  realm of statutory rape,
endangering the welfare of a child. About lies, about truth. There must
be an object lesson in this.

So I wait to hear what the jury decides. I’ve been following Nancie Katz’s reporting on the trial in the Daily News (last year’s reporter was named Celeste Katz, what’s the story here?).

I know too much about these kinds of cases to even know what to think. It’s all very complex. And so much defends on the quality of the legal representation. Does the handyman have a good enough lawyer? Does the girl have a tough public prosecutor? I heard that he’s facing felony charges and I wondered why. A good lawyer probably could have brought the charges down to a misdemeanor.

I await a verdict, which will determine the next few years in the life of this man.

Still, I know we will not learn the truth from this trial. What comes out of the trial will have more to do with the lawyers and the jury than anything else.

The fact that his lawyer put him on the stand says to me that his lawyer has great faith in the veracity of his story and his ability to come across well (though the man must speak through a translator). There is no necessity to put the defendant on the stand.

More than that, I cannot say.

            
            
            
         
This from New York 1: about the red brick church on Sixth Avenue near Lincoln Place.

A Brooklyn church celebrated 140 years in its neighborhood with a rededication ceremony Saturday.

The Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Park Slope was founded in 1867. Dozens attended services to mark the milestone.

"This church has persevered, continues to provide and its mission
of service to families of the community, it’s outreach to young people
in particular,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. "And
it’s imparting to each and every generation the internal teachings of
church, and that’s a good thing for all of us from every faith."

Church leaders say recent renovations have improved much of the historic building.

This from NY1:

Anti-war activists began a six day reading of the names of those who have died in the war in Iraq Sunday.

The Granny Peace Brigade and other groups have pledged to be
outside the Army recruiting center in Times Square from dawn until dusk
every day through March 16th.

They say they will recite the names of journalists, service members
and Iraqi civilians who have died since the war began in 2003.

"I think its important for people to remember that there are
thousands and thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people that
have died, not only Iraqis, our soldiers. Now it’s Afghanistan,” said
Elaine Brower, mother of an Iraq war veteran. “I want people out in
Times Square and everywhere in the world to realize there are people
dying as we stand here."

Iraqi war veterans, Broadway actors, authors and others are expected to attend the reading throughout the week.

From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at PS 321 on Seventh Avenue near Second Street, this may be the best winter carnival yet because the weather promises to be warm and they’re having horse and pony rides in the backyard!!!

Not only that: The rummage sale can’t be beat. What a bunch of gently used children’s clothing.

Great books for adults and kids.

A really fun craft area where your children can while away hours exercising their creativity.

The food will be awesome. See you at lunch at the Carnival.

This week, No Words_Daily Pix has been telling a little story. Hepcat went to California to visit his mom on the farm. I can re-trace his steps. What a detective I am.

Saturday: Cool picture of the inside of a taxi cab. Tres interesting. Tres abstract.

Sunday: Pix of the floor of the Jet Blue terminal at Kennedy Airport. Very Arty.

Monday: Pix of Jet Blue television screen on the seat in front of where Hepcat was sitting.

Tuesday: Pix of walnut trees at what is now the edge of his family’s property.

Wednesday: Pix of woman reading at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Bookstore. And I thought he was looking at the art.  Martini Republic, a blog in Los Angeles picked up that pix for Thursday.

Thursday: Pix of exhibition installation at SFMOMA.

Friday: Pix of walnut tree and two huge containers, where NW_DP keeps the Porsche aka "The Little Orange Car" he inherited from his beloved uncle, his grandmother’s paintings, his old photographs, dishes, old farm tools, computers of the ancients, Porsche memorabelia, and all of his other keepsakes. See today’s No Words_Daily Pix.

So the kids are helping to monitor and keep the bathrooms clean. I’m not sure if this is school-wide or just a few classes. And what grade? Just so you know, they renovated the bathrooms last year and they’re gorgeous, complete with kid-made artfully hand-painted and colorful tiles on the wall. I for one am going to ask Marge Raphaelson, the Parent-Coordinator, tomorrow about this. She’ll know what’s going on. Will report back.

I didn’t know a darn thing about it but I read it on Park Slope Parents. An upset parent posted on PSP and set off a firestorm (not unusual over there).  Some thought it sounded unhealthy, others weren’t bothered by it. The upset parent was surprised that no note went home about this. Here’s her latest post.

 To John & anyone else who thinks I went over the teachers head by going to the
principal.

 
It was THE PRINCIPAL who enacted this plan without first contacting
the parents, not the teacher which is why I went to her in the first
place.  I mean come on we get permission slips sent home for other
activities.  Does anyone else think that maybe the parents should have been
notified first and given the option to not have her child participate in
activities that could affect the child's health.  After all I have to
fill out a health card every year which clearly states all pertinent
medical info.
 
  I have no problem with my child being a participant in upholding
community standards but I draw the line at bathroom duty.
 
  I also would like to think that in an open forum such as this that is
intended to be an information sharing source that I could come out and
ask a question without being battered by anyone that does not agree
with me.  The subject line clearly stated that it was a question for
parents of 321 students - NOT lets get the principal of 321 and hang her by her toes at dawn because she did something I didn't like.Let's all take it down a notch and take it for what it was - a question that I considered important and info that many others did not know...

Another PS 321 parent had this to say: 

I believe the philosophy behind the monitoring system is that it will
encourage the kids to not make a mess because of peer pressure.  This
new system takes a little time to work, but the bathrooms do seem
cleaner--and not just 'cause kids are being assigned to clean them.  I
do recall that there was a written school-wide memo some time early in
the year.

Beloved Park Slope actor, Charlotte Maier, will be appearing in a revival of  Inherit the Wind on Broadway with Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy.

Previews begin on March 19th of this famous play about the 1925 Scopes Monkey trial, in which a Tennessee science teacher, John
Scopes, was tried and convicted for teaching Darwin’s theory of
evolution, violating a Tennessee law that forbade teaching any theory
that conflicted with the Biblical conception of Divine Creation.

This revival of Inherit the Wind
comes after the original 1955 mounting of the play, a 1960 big-screen
adaptation starring Spencer Tracy and Frederic March, and a 1996
revival.

Maier, shown left with her son, Teddy, is known to many in Park Slope for her small, but hilarious role in "The Pink Panther." She plays the voice coach hired by Inspector Clouseau (played by Steve Martin). "Hamburger, hamburger," she enunciates trying to help Clouseau lose his French speech impediment.

It was the best and funniest scene in the movie. According to Maier, they got the scene in one take. Steve Martin convulsed in laughter as he and the crew watched it on playback. "I think we got it," he said (or something like that).

It is a really funny scene.

Maier’s movie credits also include, Two Weeks Notice with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant and Music and Lyrics with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant.

In  Inherit the Wind Maier appears with the star of stage and screen, Christopher Plummer, known to all as Captain van Trapp in the movie version of  The Sound of Music.

No, he will not sing "Edelweiss" at any performance.

If you’re interested in tickets for the show, which is at the Lyceum (149 West 45th) go to the Inherit the Wind website. 

I am so loving this book, a first novel by a black writer who lives in Brooklyn and teaches at Hunter about four days in the life of a black Boston-born thirty-something living in Brooklyn and struggling to write while
supporting his white wife and their three children.

The protagonist is broke and he must
come up with more than $12,000 in these four days — money to rent an apartment, pay tuition at his kid’s private school and reclaim his family from his mother-in-law’s summer house.

The book’s masterful first-person voice is intense, poetic, angry, vulnerable, real, and full of thoughtful rage about race and class in New York City. Check out this passage and go buy the book — my copy is already promised to a friend.

“I thought, when he was born, that his eyes would be closed. I didn’t
know if he’d be sleeping or screaming, but that his eyes would be
closed. They weren’t. They were big, almond shaped and copper — almost
like mine. He stared at me. I gave him a knuckle and he gummed it —
still staring. He saw everything about me: the chicken pox scar on my
forehead, the keloid scar beside it, the absent-minded boozy cigarette
burn my father had given me on my stomach. Insults and epithets that
had been thrown like bricks out of car windows or spat like poison
darts from junior high locker rows. Words and threats, which at the
time they’d been uttered, hadn’t seemed to cause me any injury because
they’d not been strong enough or because they’d simply missed. But
holding him, the long skinny boy with the shock of dark hair and the
dusky newborn skin, I realized that I had been hit by all of them and
that they still hurt. My boy was silent, but I shushed him anyway —
long and soft — and I promised him that I would never let them do to
him what had been done to me. He would be safe with me.”

This from New York 1: For in-depth analysis go to Atlantic Yards Report.
 

Just days after a dozen buildings at Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards site
were cleaned for demolition the State Supreme Court ruled Wednesday
that the developer does not have rights to some of the properties.

This decision terminates the leases Forest City Ratner bought from
another developer — who had a contract under Prospect Height’s
property owner Henry Weinstein.

The judge said the leases of two buildings had been passed off to Ratner without Weinstein’s approval.

Full control was given back to Weinstein.

An attorney for Ratner says Weinstein plans to appeal the decision.
He also says Ratner does not think this will have any impact on the
progress of construction.

New York  University professor Esther Katz is the leading expert on family planning pioneer Margaret Sanger, who was placed on trial for opening the famed Brownsville Clinic here in Brooklyn just over 90 years ago.  Katz, who recently edited the third volume of the four-volume The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger, published by Illinois University Press, will be the featured Herb Yellin Memorial lecturer at the Old Stone House of Brooklyn on Wednesday, March 21, at 7 pm. 

Sanger – reformer, activist and crusader for women’s rights – was a fascinating and complex personality whose life exemplifies the exceptional circumstances and sacrifices still confronted by women today.  Tickers are $5 and include refreshments.  Books will be available. 

Herb Yellin, the first chairman of the board of trustees of the Old Stone House of Brooklyn, helped sow the seeds for a new appreciation of the major role that Brooklyn has played in the development of this country.  This lecture series is dedicated to him, and his abundant curiosity and energy.

The Old Stone House is in JJ Byrne Park, between 3rd and 4th streets, just off Fifth Avenue , in Park Slope, Brooklyn .  For more information, please call 718-768-3195, or visit the Old Stone House website at www.theoldstonehouse.org.

This from WNYC

NEW YORK, NY March
07, 2007
—The city will introduce a new science curriculum this fall. The
program will be phased in, beginning with grades three, four and six at
a cost of $60 million over the next two years.

REPORTER:
Seventeen-year-old Rafael Klein-Cloud goes to Brooklyn Tech, a school
lauded by Mayor Bloomberg as an example for other schools in science.
Klein-Cloud says he always excelled in the subject area because he was
encouraged to have a good time.

KLEIN-CLOUD: My teacher was
pointing out that a lot of kids are afraid of science. It’s not like
something you can just read, there is a lot of memorization. If you get
exposed to it in real-life situations, you might get a different
experience and learn to love it.

REPORTER: The city will also
spend $444 million to upgrade its labs. After the new curriculum is
introduced, science tests will be used to decide which children get
promoted to the next grade.

I don’t like to think about them. I didn’t even want to put this story up on the blog But it is a Park Slope story and I figured — I can be brave…

This from 1010 WINS

Ellyn Gliksman-Sullivan lived in Park Slope for almost 25 years, but
had to evacuate her apartment in 2006. Attorney Alan Schnurman, who
represents
Gliksman-Sullivan said that eight months ago she awoke covered in
bites, and doctors diagnosed her as having been attacked by bedbugs,
and she went home to discover hundreds of them had infested her home.

Schnurnan said she notified her landlord, who had an exterminator do
"cursory spraying," but that the problem persisted. She left because
she was afraid to stay and couldn’t sleep knowing the apartment was
infested, and because the landlord and building management did nothing
further to help, her lawyer said.

Gliksman-Sullivan has been commuting four hours a day to her Manhattan job from her home in Upstate New York.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Kings County Supreme Court against
the owner, Manhattan Eight Corporation and Isaac Wade, the managing
agent.

Streetsblog reports that changes to Seventh and Sixth Avenue require community support. Well, that’s NOT gonna happen. That community board meeting on March 15th at Methodist Hospital should be quite the event. Be there or be ONE WAY. Here’s a quote from the press office at the DOT. More info from Streetsblog. 

DOT would like to change Sixth and Seventh Avenues to one-way streets
to simplify the turning movements at intersections along the Avenues
which would enhance safety for pedestrians and motorists. DOT would
also make adjustments to the traffic signal progression along Sixth
and Seventh Avenues and narrow the travel lanes on Seventh Avenue to
keep vehicles from exceeding the speed limit. These plans need
community board support and if the community doesn’t support these
proposed changes we will not move forward with them.

Yesterday I went to Kensington and finally figured out where Kensington is. Oh — let me re-phrase, I thought I knew where Kensington was — near the Parade Grounds, the Kensington Stables, etc. But I didn’t realize Ocean Parkway near Church Avenue was considered Kensington. And then when I walked to the Ft. Hamilton Parkway F-train station it all came together.

And I kind of loved it over there.

A friend is selling a cool apartment in a mid-century modern brick building on Ocean Parkway. Built in 1959, the seven-story, elevator building is 70% owner occupied. The residents are a mix of people who moved in in 1959 and much younger newcomers who were priced out of Manhattan, Park Slope, etc.

The apartment is really cool. Very mid-century modern. It would be perfect if we didn’t have two kids and a Hepcat who takes up so much space. It’s got two nice-sized bedrooms, a nice living/dining area and two, count em, two bathrooms.

Probably the biggest sell about the apartment is the light — it’s a corner apartment on the 7th floor and it has 14 windows. I loved that. It also has Lots of closet space.

The owner is a reader of OTBKB so if you’re interested email me and I will email her. The price is very reasonable (in these crazy times, that is).

The current owners have done a beautiful job decorating the place. The bathrooms have been nicely renovated and the kitchen’s renovation pre-dated the current owners.

The movie based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s book, The Namesake, is set to open on March 9th. But before you see the movie (and you must, it’s directed by Mira Nair) Brooklyn blogger Pardon Me For Asking says, READ THE BOOK. 

Before the March 9th opening of the movie "The Namesake" which is based
on Jhumpa Lahiri’s book of the same name, I urge everyone to read the
original.
Yes, I may be partial to Lahiri . Not only is she a
fellow Brooklyn resident, she is also an active opponent of the
Atlantic Yards project (see below) and a Barnard Graduate. Most
importantly, her writing is achingly beautiful. " The Namesake" is the
story of two generations of the Ganguli family and their transition
from Calcutta to Cambridge, Massachusetts. It’s the classic story of
immigration and assimilation.
Though this story is about an Indian
family, it is my story too. Elegantly written, ever so restrained,
Lahiri perfectly invokes the sense of loss the newcomer feels, the
desperate attempt to hold on to one’s culture and customs and what
happens to the next generation which tries so hard to be American, just
to realize that it will forever be a blend of two cultures.
I
don’t know how good the movie is. I am not even sure I want to see it
for fear that it will rob me of the image I made myself of the
characters. I can only suggest that you read this little gem yourself.
To read a passage of the book, follow this link:
http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/extra/bl-namesake.htmpardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2007/03/recent-great-reads.html

So what is the deal with Delices de Paris, the bakery on Ninth Street between 6th and 5th Avenues?

Here’s OTBKB’s take on it:

Zana’s Cafe opened on Seventh Avenue in the space next to Smiley Face Pizza. It is owned by Rosana, co-owner of Delices De Paris on Ninth Street.

Signs went up in the window at Delices De Paris saying that the two places were not connected. "Do not be fooled…"

Rumors spread about a nasty break-up between Zana and her husband, the baker at Delices de Paris. They still owned the place together but…

Then I heard that the Health Department shut the original place down.

I heard a rumor that the couple was back together — I thought that sounded odd.

I heard another rumor that Rosana bought out her husband and the place is set to re-open soon.

Anyone know what’s going on over there? Here’s a tip from an OTBKB reader:

there here have been many signs on that window since. Also some
apparent signs of improvement within since Rosa took over. I’m just sad
they’re closed for now, doing some of the needed improvements many of us
have noticed. Now I have to walk all the way up to 7th to get my morning
latte and almond croissant. Just as good as always… but no place to
sit down. Maybe they should put stools in.

Picture by Erglantz on Flickr

Here’s the Best of New York, Sorted by Neighborhood

New York magazine just published their Best of New York issue, and all kinds Brooklyn establishments are among their top picks. But not so many from Park Slope. And I guess Barbes was from 2006. Here are the two Park Slope wins. Is that it?

I am posting from the window of the Park Slope Copy Shop (Seventh Avenue between President and Carroll). They have two new Internet computers that are quite easy to use — just slide your credit card and VOILA. You can even bank unused minutes.

Pat Salmon suggested that I post a blog entry from here.

It’s kind of cool blogging from here staring at the facade of Old First Church and the traffic on Seventh Avenue. Watching mid-day Park Slope pedestrians walk by.

$2.00 for 10 minutes, $8.00 for 60 minutes. It makes sense to spend an hour here…

There’s nothing else quite like it. Park Sloper Lesley Topping took the plunge and created something that answers a very important need.  C is for Cupid, is an an alternative online dating service for people whose lives have been
affected by cancer. Founded in 2007 by a seven year cancer
survivor, C is for Cupid knows that everyone copes differently with cancer. They want to provide a comfortable and fun environment for their members  to find love,
romance and new friends. Tell your friends about it.

JOIN AN EXTRAORDINARY NEW NETWORK OF SURVIVORS BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP AND FIND SOMEONE SPECIAL.

C is for Cupid – the new dating service for people whose lives have been affected by cancer. Founded by survivors, our goal is to provide a comfortable and confidential environment for our members to connect with compatible singles and friends. So if you’re ready for romance, a special relationship, or just want to meet new friends who can “relate,” register with us and have a look around.

C is for Cupid is a profile-dating service for adult cancer survivors seeking companionship and romantic relationships. We do not provide medical information or advice about cancer-related issues.

MASH UP
TASTES LIKE CHICKEN ART SPACE (In EAST WILLIAMSBURG) 300 Morgan Avenue, 11211
OPENING RECEPTION  MARCH 9    8 – 10 P.M.

The chosen curators each select four artists, and bring some of there work to the gallery. Then, the work is mashed up into new works, completely taking the artists work out of its original context. The final works of art are created by the curators themselves, demonstrating the pressure and sometimes overbearing presence that can exist in the relationship between the curator and the artist. This relationship can bring out the best in the artist and the curator, and at its worst, strip the artist of their identity in their own work. The delicate balance between artist and curator is then underlined by taking their relationship to an extreme point.

featured artwork: ernest concepcion, rory donaldson, paul duncan, mike estabrook, david frye, ghetto picasso, brian higbee, faten kanaan, shanan kurtz, jen kim, catherine lasota, pam lins, doreen mccarthy, lorenzo pace, kate parnell, linda post, matthew siegle

curators: j. guerrero, vandana jain, jim nolan, michael rader

I get emails about this all the time. I think it’s a bunch of liberal and left of center political types getting together at the Commonwealth Bar discussing politics. I’ve always meant to go. It’s a national organization. This is the Park Slope branch. In these times, we should all be drinking liberally…

Greetings Liberal Drinkers —

Monthly Meeting at the Commonwealth Bar. 

****************
Drinking Liberally, Park Slope
Wednesday March 7
7:30-10pm
Commonwealth Bar
12th St and 5th Ave
****************

Emilie and Anthony

Crews got started on the demolition of a dozen buildings in downtown
Brooklyn Monday to make way for the Atlantic Yards development project,
which includes a new basketball arena for the Nets.
This from New York 1.

The first phase of the demolition is expected to take two to three
weeks to finish. Workers will start by removing hazardous materials
like asbestos.

The entire job is expected to take five months.

The buildings being torn down include five on Pacific Street, three
on Flatbush Avenue, two on Vanderbilt Avenue and one each on Dean
Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Construction of the new Nets arena is set to begin this fall. It’s
the centerpiece of the $4 billion project, which still faces lawsuits
and strong neighborhood opposition.

Here's the info that went out about upcoming pre-K registration at PS 321.

Registration for pupils who will enter PreKindergarten (born in
2003); Kindergarten (2002); First Grade (2001) and all other grades
will take place at our school in March.

PREKINDERGARTEN: REGISTRATION WILL BEGIN ON Monday, March 12 THROUGH
Friday March 23 from 9:00-11:00 am. We have three prekindergarten
classes-one full day inclusion program; one half day morning program;
and one half day afternoon program. We generally have over 100
applicants for 48 general eduation slots and so a lottery is
necessary. ONLY CHILDREN ZONED FOR P.S. 321 MAY REGISTER FOR THE
PREKINDERGARTEN.  **To register you must bring PROOF OF ADDRESS IN
THE FORM OF *UNPAID* GAS AND ELECTRIC BILLS. (NO LEASES,
TELEPHONE/CABLE BILLS OR DRIVER'S LICENSES WILL BE ACCEPTED.) The
only alternate proof acceptable is a water bill, house deed, or a
2006 W2 income tax form. You must also bring an original
birth/baptismal certificate or passport and the child's immunization
record along with a XEROXED copy of all of the above items. Proof of
address, birth certificate/passport & immunizations.)

In order to keep registration fast and orderly, we will register
Prekindergarten children according to their last names. Children with
last names beginning with:

A - H      Monday     March 12

I - P      Tuesday    March 13

Q - Z      Wednesday  March 14

OPEN       Thursday   March 15

KINDERGARTEN: NUMBERS WILL BE GIVEN OUT ON THURSDAY, March 8 AND
FRIDAY, March 9 BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 AND 9:30 AM. You must
present all the above information (see PreK info.) **When this
information has been verified you will receive a packet of forms to
be completed at home along with a date and time to return for formal
registration. At your appointment, we also request that you bring a
XEROXED copy of the proof of address, birth certificate and
immunization records. Teh appointments will be scheduled from Monday,
March 12 through March 23. THE CHILD DOES NOT HAVE TO APPEAR WHEN YOU
COME FOR A NUMBER. However, they must come with you at the appointed
time.

ALL OTEHR GRADES: Registration for NEW First Grade through Fifth
Grade students will start on Monday March 19th through March 23rd.
**All of the above mentioned information will be necessary in order
to get the registration packet as well as XEROXED copies of each.
THESE GRADES DO NOT REQUIRE A NUMBER.

IF YOU MISS THESE REGISTRATION TIMES YOU MAY PICK UP A FORM FROM THE
MAIN OFFICE ANY THURSDAY BETWEEN 9:00 AND 10:00 AM beginning March
26th.) (NOTE: School is not in session on Thursday, April 5th.) You
must bring the required materials, (proof of address, etc.) to be
given an application packet. Please note that ALL zoned students in
grades K-5 will be admitted to school. A lottery is only necessary
for PreKindergarten.

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR BURLESQUE AT BAX...
CLASS BEGINS TOMORROW - SLOTS STILL AVAILABLE!

BURLESQUE @ BAX

w/ Victoria Libertore aka "Howling Vic" 

March 6, 13, 27, & April 3
(no class on 3/20)
7:30-10:00pm
Tuition: $125/4 weeks

Always a BAX favorite, Victoria Libertore is back! Let go of your 
inhibitions and get comfortable in your own skin in her provocative 
Burlesque workshop. "Howling Vic" will share her unique skills to help you 
develop a three to five-minute performance piece that reflects your 
individual attributes. Using tools of physical theatre, archetypal energy, 
intuition, character exploration and imagery, you'll build a solo 
performance incorporating a strip tease and learn how to be comfortable while 
doing it! Come and release the Goddess within. Women only.

As news of a proposal to change 4th, 6th, and 7th Avenues gets around the Slope, a
location has been selected for the Community Board meeting on 
March 15, 6:30 pm, to discuss these drastic changes to the neighborhood. 

Here's the full info from the community board website,
http://www.brooklyncb6.org/calendar/?current=28-Mar-07#15

Mar 15     Transportation
Presentation and discussion of a proposal by the Department of
Transportation to convert 7th Avenue (between Flatbush Avenue and
Prospect Avenue) from a two-way street to a one-way southbound street
and 6th Avenue (between Atlantic Avenue and 23rd Street) from a
two-way street to a one-way northbound street.

Presentation and discussion of a proposal by the Department of
Transportation to eliminate one northbound and one southbound travel
lane from 4th Avenue (between Dean Street and Prospect Avenue) and
replace them with improved left-turn turning lanes.
 
   New York Methodist Hospital
   506 6th Street
   (7th & 8th Avenues)
   Auditorium
 
   6:30 PM

READ MORE AT SEEING GREEN:

I  lived in Paris awhile in the mid-80’s, having moved there from
California. The contrast in the traffic ethos could not have been more
vivid. California, the land of wide-open spaces where the car is king
and the you are rarely denied the God-given right to get from A to B as
quickly as possible. And Paris with its patchwork of  medieval streets
overlaid by Baron Haussman’s  1860 "modernization," broad avenues which nonetheless maintained a human scale.

I remember the first time I was in a taxi and it turned down one of
those typically narrow (and heart-breakingly charming) streets only to
come up against a large delivery truck unloading. No muss, no fuss
(and, apparently, no hurry either, as the workers sauntered back and
forth smoking and chatting constantly.) The taxi driver stopped, turned
off his engine and announced something to me along the lines of (I was
not too fluent in French,) "Dommage. On peux reste un moment" (Sorry,
there’ll be a wait.)

Do you wanna dance?  Today (Saturday March 3rd) at South Paw (125 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope), there’s a family dancing event sponsored by Park Slope Parents.

Tickets $12 for all walking humans (non-walking humans free)

DJs, egg shakers, play scarves, "and a chill out space with stuffed animals, pillows, books, toys, and puzzles."

Healthy snacks and open bar (for adults).

Sophia Romero, author of the novel, Always Hiding and the blog, The Shiksa from Manila, has a new blog at New York Metro Parents called  Mom After-Hours. Welcome to the neighborhood.

I want to
set the record straight: for a mother, I don’t think and behave like
one.  I don’t think of my children constantly (out of sight, out of
mind) and they are not the center of my universe though I love them
dearly.  No, that center is reserved for me and me alone and that’s the
way it’s always been from the get-go.  My children know this and my
husband of 20 years knows this even better. The running theme in our
household is: When Mommy is Not Happy, the World Sucks.  I am not the
Queen of my domain.  I am the Empress.

But before you accuse me
of being a cold-hearted witch whose children and spouse deserve way
better, and question the wisdom of having someone like me participating
in a wholesome website such as this, you should also know that I nursed
each of my kids for at least two years (their lips were unsullied by
formula); we had a family bed (king-size) until the dog came along and
took over; I’ve never laid a hand on either of my kids, not even when
my then 9-year old son called me something unspeakable (and
unprintable) and even then I made him spell out the words (he couldn’t)
rather than administer corporal punishment which is what my mother
would have done. 

Jack McFadden from Union Hall told me about Michael Leviton, who’s teaching ukulele to kids. Thanks Jack. This from is from Leviton’s website.

I’ve decided to officially offer ukulele lessons in the New York area!

I’ve been giving ukulele lessons here and there for years now, just whenever someone asked me (there aren’t many ukulele teachers around, apparently). But now I’ve realized that I really truly love giving ukulele lessons and want to have many students.

I’m especially excited about teaching ukulele lessons for kids! Children are among the most fun people to make music with– I’ve had numerous experiences writing songs with kids and performing with kids and it’s always amazing. And I think it’s so unfortunate that most music lessons for kids are like school rather than recess; they learn classical pieces, scales, reading music, things they’re "supposed" to learn, rather than what they want to learn: how to play their favorite songs, and how to write their own songs! And worst of all, most children are forced to start on instruments clearly made for adults, way too large for them!

I find that most children have never even attempted to write a song before– children get to draw and dance and make up stories, but not songs? Why not? Children love music more than anybody! They are given crayons; they should be given ukuleles as well!

Anyway, I guess I’m ranting a bit…but if you want to hear a song I wrote with a bunch of kids helping me with the lyrics, you can hear a live performance of my song "Would You Like to Go to Boring Island?" on youtube here…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDCo1yZIrmM

And if you want ukulele lessons, write me at mleviton@gmail.com!!!

This from New York 1:

Saying they had “numerous concerns” with the arrangement, federal housing officials have reportedly blocked the sale of Starrett City.

Starrett City, in Brooklyn, is the nation’s largest federally-subsidized housing complex.

A high-level government official told NY1 Thursday that a letter was sent from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to the potential owners to tell them the sale is not taking place.

Federal Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson said that Clipper Equity, the prospective buyer of the complex, failed to explain how it would remain an affordable community after the proposed $1.3 billion sale.

Citing similar concerns, the state attorney general’s office met with federal officials to talk about the sale’s impact on affordable housing.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has enforced a state Supreme Court injunction blocking the complex’s sale to Clipper Equity.

“We look forward to the opportunity of correcting certain underlying misinformation and to providing the secretary with the appropriate assurance he seeks,” said a spokeswoman for Clipper Equity in a statement.

The company has said they would continue to provide affordable housing