BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CITY NEWS:  North Bound Henry Hudson Parkway will reopen Monday morning after a retaining wall collapse, which sent tons of rock and concrete onto
the parkway.

City opens design competition for memorial for Rockaway crash of Flight 587 in November of 2001.

<>

BROOKLYN BEAT: Historic stable in Carroll Gardens demolished. Jesse Wisloski writes in Brooklyn Papers: "It’s the beginning of the
end for a 19th-century stable house in Gowanus, one of the last of its
kind still standing in the wake of rising property values and rapid
residential development in the canal-centered neighborhood, the owner
said this week. Jim Plotkin, the owner of the building and the man
responsible for The Mill, a recent condo renovation on President
Street, said demolition of the four contiguous properties owned by his
company, 340 Bond Street LLC, which includes 340, 346, 350 and 352
Bond, between Carroll and President streets, began today. The city
Department of Buildings issued a permit on April 20 allowing the
demolition"

And in Brownstoner Monday evening: "According to a reader who lives next
door, the demolition of the entire Bond Street hay stable is a fait
accompli. Our source claims that this is another project by the poster
child for what many believe is wrong with the Brooklyn development
boom, Scarano & Associates Architects. Scarano apparently already
submitted–and had rejected–a set of plans for low-rise condos on the
site (which until recently was a motorcycle repair shop). But it looks
like the BOD rejection hasn’t slowed their appetite for destruction
down at all. "Just another case of greedy developers with ill-conceived
plans," says our source. So what’s in store for the site now?"

Does everyone know this already? Amy at New Yorkology writes: "The recent stories about all the new hotels under construction in New York City somehow left off an eight-story, 116-room Holiday Inn Express planned for Brooklyn. Possibly because it will feature "expansive views of the Gowanus Canal," according to the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill Courier. Originally approved at five-stories and 76 rooms, the city has approved construction for the higher height and some residents of the semi-industrial neighborhood are complaining. Constuction is already underway at the site, 625 Union Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues. It’s not a very pretty neighborhood, but it will be just half a block from the W/R and M trains and a few blocks below the bustle of Park Slope."

_The newly renovated Stillwell station in Coney Island is about to open in time for the official opening of Coney Island. In the terminal, there’s a 370-foot-long translucent glass mural by artist Robert Wilson and the famous Nathan’s hot dog, bumper cars and carousels have all been captured on laminated glass blocks. During reconstruction, Coney Island merchants lost business. Now that all the lines are running: it should be a crowded summer.

-Ft. Hamilton military base in Brooklyn will not be one of 12 sites closed by the Pentagon.

_There was another mugging on President Street between 8th Avenue
and the Park. A woman followed a woman, who was talking on her cell
phone, up her well-lit stoop, asked her for the time and then pointed a
gun at her head. The victim was shaken up but not harmed.

IT’S MONDAY: BAMCinematek
presents "Paul Robeson Speaks!" Today: "Jericho"
(1937). $10, $7 students, $6 members. 4:30 pm, 6:50 pm and 9:30 pm.
30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

"Los Olvidados"
(1950). 7 pm at Barbes. 376 Ninth St. (718) 965-9177.

Four-week
workshop open to anyone who wants to unblock, learn about themselves
and use creativity for healing. $75. 7 pm to 8:30 pm. Creative Arts
Studio, 310 Atlantic Ave. (917) 208-7067.

Holocaust Studies:
The David Berg Lecture Series, featuring Rabbi Aaron Raskin, presents
a four-week discussion of "diplomats of uncommon courage"
who performed remarkably during the holocaust. 8 pm. Congregation
B’nai Avraham of Brooklyn Heights, 117 Remsen St. (718) 596-4840 ext
18. Free.

Local author Nicole Krauss reads from her "The
History of Love." 7:30 pm. Barnes and Noble. 267 Seventh Ave.
(718) 832-9066. Free.

THIS SOUNDS COOL:
Members
of Community Board 7 along with representatives of several politicians
will be touring Kensington on Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 12:00 Noon,
Community Board 7 is very sensitive to development issues as
are our elected officials; a large turnout will make the point that the
residents of Kensington care what happens to their neighborhood.

A Brooklyn bookstore invites visitors to break free from e-mail at a biweekly letter-writing session. They’ll provide the pens, paper, and envelopes. Stamps are available for purchase on site, so no more toting around that note for weeks until you happen by a post office. Wednesday, 7-9 p.m., Freebird Books & Goods, 123 Columbia St. at Kane Street, Brooklyn, 718-643-8484, free.

Sunday June 5th: Transportation Alternatives presents the 1st Annual
Tour de Brooklyn! The 15-mile bike ride kicks off from Prospect Park’s
Grand Army Plaza to Coney Island and back again.  A family-friendly
ride at a leisurely pace

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

FYI: See below for OTBKB’s newest feature: MTA TRANSIT WEEKEND ADVISORY FOR DISRUPTIONS ON YOUR SUBWAY LINE THIS WEEKEND!

CITY NEWS: Retaining wall collapses
above Henry Hudson Parkway, which sent tons of rock and concrete onto
the parkway. There were no injuries but the northbound lanes of the
Henry Hudson will remain closed for at least a week.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Ft. Hamilton military base in Brooklyn will not be one of 12 sites closed by the Pentagon.

_There was another mugging on President Street between 8th Avenue and the Park. A woman followed a woman, who was talking on her cell phone, up her well-lit stoop, asked her for the time and then pointed a gun at her head. The victim was shaken up but not harmed.

_Reward for information in dog burning reaches $1500 after Animal
Control and Care officials say they received an anonymous donation.

_OTBKB has learned from
a babysitter who works in Park Slope that residents are being evicted
from apartment buildings, including her own, on Surf Avenue in Coney
Island because of a hotel complex that is going up nearby. "They want
to turn this neighborhood into Disneyland," she said. She also said
that improvements to her  building, including a nicer lobby and
intercom systems are currently being installed for future tenants who
will pay higher rents. While the new Stilwell Avenue subway station is
viewed as a major quality of life improvement for all in the
neighborhood, the residents of the small houses on the beach are also
going to be evicted in the not too distant future.

_The U.N. is considering Brooklyn as its temporary home during
renovation. The United Nations is shopping around for a temporary home
while its headquarters in on the East River in Midtown is being
renovated. A report from Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the agency
is even looking at spaces in Brooklyn. Annan says U.N. planners have
found commercial space across the East River. The U.N. is also
considering a temporary move to Lower Manhattan and has even looked at
7 World Trade Center, which is expected to open next year. Read more about it on NY1.

IT’S SUNDAY: Fifth Avenue Fair. All day.

_The Portrait Project. Free portrait sittings by OTBKB
photographer Hugh Crawford at Fou Le Chakra on Sunday May 15th at 3
p.m. 411 Seventh Avenue. Go to hughcrawford.com and see his work.

_Kings County Kennel Club hosts a good citizen test for dogs. $10. Entries taken from 10 am; judging at 12:30 pm. Wollman Rink, Prospect Park. (718) 258-7229.

_BAMCinematek presents "Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone." Today: "Fistful of Dollars" (1964). $10, $7 students, $6 members. 2 pm, 4:30 pm, 6:50 pm and 9:15 pm. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

_NY Transit Museum hosts a lecture "Era of Rebuilding: NYC Transit Bus Operations, 1953-1960." Talk is accompanied by a slide presentation by a transit historian. $5, $3 seniors and children. 2 pm. Schermerhorn Street at Boerum Place. (718) 694-1600.

_Tabla Rasa Gallery presents artists whose work is featured in the exhibit Project Diversity. 3 pm. 224 48th St. (917) 880-8337. Free.

_Brooklyn Arts Exchange presents its fifth annual construction workers art show called "Hands On!" 4 pm to 7 pm. 421 Fifth Ave. (718) 832-0018.

_Magnetic Field bar presents a short film by Erik Satre 7:30 pm. 97 Atlantic Ave. (718) 834-0069. Free.

_Cafe Steinhof presents Alfred Hitchcok’s "Rope" (1948). Call for time. 422 Seventh Ave. (718) 369-7776. Free.

_May 14-15 Park Slope Open Studio Tour. For locations go to bwac.org. DON"T MISS BERNETTE RUDOLPH’S STUDIO AND HER COOL BLOCK PRINTS AND GODDESS  WALL SCULPTURES.  457 THIRD STREET BETWEEN 6th and 7th AVENUES.

_Open Studio Tour: in Park Slope, hosted by the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. Call. (718) 596-2507.

_Brooklyn College Department of Theater presents Brecht and Weill’s
modern musical "The Threepenny Opera." $15, $10 seniors, $5 students. 2
pm and 8 pm. Gershwin Theater, Brooklyn College, one block from the
intersection of Flatbush and Nostrand avenues. (718) 951-4500

_Gallery Players presents "The Full Monty." $15, $12 seniors. 8 pm. 199 14th St. (718) 595-0547.

_Puppetworks presents the adventure story "Around the World in 80
Days." $8, $7 children. 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. 338 Sixth Ave.
Reservations suggested. (718) 965-3391.

_Impact Theater presents "Polly Princess and the Penniless Fry
Cook," a spin on the classic tale of "The Princess and the Pauper." $10
adults, $7 children 12 and under, free for children 3 and under. 3 pm.
190 Underhill Ave. (718) 783-1348.

_Pier Glass and O’Dell Designs hosts an open studio day featuring
gallery-quality studio samples for sale. Noon to 5 pm. 499 Van Brunt
St., #2A. (718) 237-2073.

_Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition hosts its 25th annual spring
show. Noon to 6 pm. Red Hook Pier, 499 Van Brunt St. (718) 596-2507.
Free.

_7:30 at Barbes. Ninth Street near Sixth Avenue: Always something good.

THIS SOUNDS COOL:  Members
of Community Board 7 along with representatives of several politicians
will be touring Kensington on Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 12:00 Noon, Community Board 7 is very sensitive to development issues as
are our elected officials; a large turnout will make the point that the residents of Kensington care what happens to their neighborhood.

Sunday June 5th: Transportation Alternatives presents the 1st Annual
Tour de Brooklyn! The 15-mile bike ride kicks off from Prospect Park’s
Grand Army Plaza to Coney Island and back again.  A family-friendly
ride at a leisurely pace

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

FYI: See below for: MTA TRANSIT WEEKEND ADVISORY FOR DISRUPTIONS ON YOUR SUBWAY LINE THIS WEEKEND!

TIP: See today’s Here/Say (below, bottom of Scoop Du Thursday) for the text of a
letter written by Jane Jacobs to Mayor Bloomberg about the
redevelopment of the north Brooklyn waterfront.

CITY NEWS: Retaining wall collapses
above Henry Hudson Parkway, which sent tons of rock and concrete onto
the parkway. There were no injuries but the northbound lanes of the
Henry Hudson will remain closed for at least a week.

<>

 
BROOKLYN BEAT:  Ft. Hamilton military base in Brooklyn will not be one of 12 sites closed by the Pentagon.

_On June 19th, one-person subway train operation to begin on the L line on nights and weekends. By November, the trains will be operating full-time.A controversial plan to do away with subway conductors is moving forward. Transit Authority officials broke the news at a City Council hearing Thursday, despite strong opposition from Council members."We are very skeptical but we ask you to prove us wrong," said Councilman John Liu. "We have an excellent working relationship with the Fire and Police Department for a response in any type of emergency and we are confident it can be done safely," said Ken Brown of New York City Transit. The agency wants to eliminate conductors, who open doors and make announcements, and keep only one worker on board, primarily to save money

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

FYI: Be one of the lucky 10,000 to get emails from the MTA about
weekend subway disruptions. I am. As part of a pilot  program, I will now find out if there any problems on train lines. Go to  www.mta.info and sign up now. Or check here for weekend updates. 

TIP: See today’s Here/Say (below, bottom of Scoop Du Thursday) for the text of a
letter written by Jane Jacobs to Mayor Bloomberg about the
redevelopment of the north Brooklyn waterfront.

CITY NEWS: Governor George Pataki will announce on Thursday that John Cahill, his chief of staff, will formally take charge of rebuilding Lower Manhattan. Cahill will coordinate activities between the Port Authority, MTA and Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.Pataki will also announce that veteran bureaucrat Stephan Pryor will become the LMDC

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

FYI: Be one of the lucky 10,000 who will get emails from the MTA about
weekend subway disruptions. As part of pilor  program, you can find out if there are problems on your train line. Go to  www.mta.info and sign up now.

BLOGGERS IN THE NEWS: The New York
Times ran a piece on Sunday about  blogs that is currently making
the  rounds in blogland. Nick Denton, founder of Gawker is quoted as
saying: "The hype comes from unemployed or partially employed marketing
professionals and people who never made it as journalists wanting to
believe. They want to believe there’s going to be this new revolution
and their lives are going to be changed."

Ooh that hurts.

"For all of the stiff-arming and disdain that Mr. Denton brings to
the discussion of this nonrevolution," writes the Times, "there is no
question that he and his team are trying to turn the online diarist’s
form – ephemeral, fast-paced and scathingly opinionated – into a
viable, if not lucrative, enterprise. Big advertisers like Audi, Nike
and General Electric have all vied for eyeballs on Gawker’s blogs,
which Mr. Denton describes as sexy, irreverent, a tad elitist and
unabashedly coastal."

_Hot Coffee Tip. Painter Suzanne
Meehan and sculptor Yasmin Gur have just opened the Crossroads Caf

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

FYI: Be one of the lucky 10,000 who will get emails from the MTA about
weekend subway disruptions. As part of pilor  program, you can find out if there are problems on your train line. Go to  www.mta.info and sign up now.

BLOGGERS IN THE NEWS: The New York
Times ran a piece on Sunday about about blogs that is currently making
the  rounds in blogland. Nick Denton, founder of Gawker is quoted as
saying: "The hype comes from unemployed or partially employed marketing
professionals and people who never made it as journalists wanting to
believe. They want to believe there’s going to be this new revolution
and their lives are going to be changed."

Ooh that hurts.

"For all of the stiff-arming and disdain that Mr. Denton brings to
the discussion of this nonrevolution," writes the Times, "there is no
question that he and his team are trying to turn the online diarist’s
form – ephemeral, fast-paced and scathingly opinionated – into a
viable, if not lucrative, enterprise. Big advertisers like Audi, Nike
and General Electric have all vied for eyeballs on Gawker’s blogs,
which Mr. Denton describes as sexy, irreverent, a tad elitist and
unabashedly coastal."

_Hot Coffee Tip. Painter Suzanne
Meehan and sculptor Yasmin Gur have just opened the Crossroads Caf

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

FYI: Be one of the lucky 10,000 who will get emails from the MTA about
weekend subway disruptions. As part of pilor  program, you can find out if there are problems on your train line. Go to  www.mta.info and sign up now.

_Hot Coffee Tip. Painter Suzanne
Meehan and sculptor Yasmin Gur have just opened the Crossroads Caf

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

FYI: Be one of the lucky 10,000 who will get emails from the MTA about
weekend subway schedules and delays. As part of a charter program, you
will find out if the F or the 2,3, is running on the weekend. Go to the
MTA  site and sign up now.

<>

_Hot Coffee Tip. Even OTBKB sometimes gets her news from the Daily News:  Painter Suzanne Meehan and sculptor Yasmin Gur have just opened the Crossroads Caf

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CITY NEWS: At approx. 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning, there was a small blast outside the British Consulate in mid-town. Two small bombs, make shift grenades filled with gunpowder, exploded at the consulate on 52nd Street. The NYPD says they have no motive. Note: Today happens to be the day of the British elections for Prime Minister. In a live press conference at 8 a.m., Bloomberg said that the subways are running normally and the streets around the consulate are open. He urged New Yorkers to go about their business as usual. "This is the world we live in now." he said. Police Comish Ray Kelly said that the investigation into the blast is in full swing.

_Freedom Tower must be completely re-designed due to security concerns.

 BROOKLYN BEAT:  On
Tuesday officials of the Coney Island Development Corp. unveiled a
draft plan to revitalize the historic seaside resort. The
transformation includes adding restaurants and cafes, movie theaters,
arcades and apartment buildings, as well as renovating the aquarium.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather. 

CITY NEWS: City Officials agreed
yesterday to let developers turn the north Brooklyn waterfront into a
neighborhood of residential towers with a parklike esplanade along the
East River. "The plan, which rivals the ambition and scope of the
creation of Battery Park City, would rezone a 175-block area of
Greenpoint and Williamsburg, two neighborhood that have surged in
popularity because of their proximity to Manhattan but whose
development has bee curtained becuase much of the area is now
restricted to industrial use." Read more about it the NY Times.

 BROOKLYN BEAT:  On Tuesday officials of the Coney Island Development Corp. unveiled a draft plan to revitalize the historic seaside resort. The transformation includes adding restaurants and cafes, movie theaters, arcades and apartment buildings, as well as renovating the aquarium.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather. 

CITY NEWS: City Officials agreed yesterday to let developers turn the north Brooklyn waterfront into a neighborhood of residential towers with a parklike esplanade along the East River. "The plan, which rivals the ambition and scope of the creation of Battery Park City, would rezone a 175-block area of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, two neighborhood that have surged in popularity because of their proximity to Manhattan but whose development has bee curtained becuase much of the area is now restricted to industrial use." Read more about it the NY Times.

_On Monday, the MTA unveiled the new kiosks that will replace dozens of fare booths in subway stations around the city. The new booths, which will not have clerks on duty, are painted red to distinguish them from ordinary, staffed booths. There are signs explaining MetroCards must be purchased at vending machines and that the clerks are elsewhere in the station if you need assistance. The MTA was originally going to get rid of 164 token booths entirely. But that plan changed after a passenger was shot and killed earlier this year, and police were delayed reaching the platform because no clerk was on duty to let them in. The station customer assistance agents will be outfitted with new burgundy blazers or vests to make them easily recognizable, and they’ll still be able to access the booth to check on faulty MetroCards or to use the phone in case of emergency. Read more about it on NY1.

_Relatives of some firefighters killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks lost their appeal Monday against Motorola. The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision to toss out a lawsuit brought against the company that makes the two-way radios used by the FDNY. The ruling praises the firefighters for making the ultimate sacrifice, but it agreed with the lower court

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather. 

BLOGGERS IN THE NEWS: Scientists and engineers at Los Alamos, the
federal government’s premier nuclear weapons laboratory, have created www.lanl-the-real-story.blogspot.com, a blog that is threatening the tenure of its director, G. Peter Nanos. "Four months of
jeers, denunciations and defenses of Dr. Nanos’s management recently
culminated in dozens of signed and anonymous messages concluding that
his days were numbered. The postings to a public Web log conveyed a
mood of self-congratulation tempered with sober discussion of what
comes next," Read more about it at the New York Times.

CITY NEWS:
Thousands of anti-war protestors marched from the United Nations to Central Park on Sunday to denounce the Bush administration’s policies on Iraq and nuclear weapons proliferation.

_Emergency workers who responded to the 9/11 terror attacks gathered in Manhattan Saturday to learn more about the medical and mental effects of their time at the World Trade Center site. Organizers called on the federal government to expand its medical screening program for responders. Twelve thousand responders have already gone through the initial round of screening and can now get free follow-up exams, which officials say is critical to understanding the scope of the problem.  Saturday’s conference was co-sponsored in part by the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program, and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Read more about it on NY 1.

_Police say 34 people were arrested for disorderly conduct and other
charges at Friday night’s Critical Mass bike ride. The event, which is
held on the last Friday of every month, has been at the center of
various court hearings in the past.
Citing public safety concerns,
the NYPD has been trying to force riders to seek a permit for their
protests. Participants say the rally is meant to promote alternative
modes of transportation. They say the events are peaceful and that the
city’s attempts to stop them violate their rights. Read more about it on NY 1.

_ The Parks Department is looking for 1,000 volunteers to help count
New York City’s street trees. The Bank of America announced Friday it
is footing the bill for the largest tree census in the nation. To get
the word out about the census, city parks officials gathered today in
Manhattan to plant trees for Arbor Day.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather. 

BLOGGERS IN THE NEWS: Scientists and engineers at Los Alamos, the
federal government’s premier nuclear weapons laboratory, have created www.lanl-the-real-story.blogspot.com, a blog that is threatening the tenure of its director, G. Peter Nanos.

<>

"Four months of
jeers, denunciations and defenses of Dr. Nanos’s management recently
culminated in dozens of signed and anonymous messages concluding that
his days were numbered. The postings to a public Web log conveyed a
mood of self-congratulation tempered with sober discussion of what
comes next," Read more about it at the New York Times.

CITY NEWS: Police say 34 people were arrested for disorderly conduct and other charges at Friday night’s Critical Mass bike ride. The event, which is held on the last Friday of every month, has been at the center of various court hearings in the past.
Citing public safety concerns, the NYPD has been trying to force riders to seek a permit for their protests. Participants say the rally is meant to promote alternative modes of transportation. They say the events are peaceful and that the city’s attempts to stop them violate their rights. Read more about it at NY 1.

_From the Daily News: "the crew of the Circle Line made a dramatic rescue yesterday of a woman who plunged off the ferry into the Hudson River while stunned tourists watched from the decks. The pleasant afternoon trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island turned into a life-and-death struggle as the sailors raced to fish the woman from the choppy waters. "I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die," the woman moaned as she bobbed in the cold river before the lifeboat reached herThe woman, whose name was not released, plunge. d from the top deck of the boat five minutes after it pulled away from the Battery Park City dock. "The woman stood up on the railing and was trying to jump," said Matt Beyranevand, 27, a teacher from Lowell, Mass. "She looked like she was trying to catch a bird.

_District Attorney Morganthau wants statute of limitations on rape abolished.

_ The Parks Department is looking for 1,000 volunteers to help count New York City’s street trees. The Bank of America announced Friday it is footing the bill for the largest tree census in the nation. To get the word out about the census, city parks officials gathered today in Manhattan to plant trees for Arbor Day.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather. 

FYI: Tuesday through Saturday April
26-30 alternate-side-of-the-street-parking is suspended due to
religious observance (Passover). All other parking regulations in
effect.

CITY NEWS: Revised plans for the Plaza Hotel were unveiled on Thursday. The hotel will now be turned into a mix of  guest
rooms and condos during the 18-month renovation. Originally, the hotel going to be converted entirely into condos, but the owners and the employee’s union reached a compromise. Now spaces like the Plaza’s Grand Ballroom, Oak Room and Palm Court will be preserved. Eloise will have a special suite dedicated to her. Will this suite be open to the public – or will it be a super expensive hotel room? Probably the latter. And what are they doing with Eloise’s portrait?

_The cab driver who caused Times Square pile-up wakes up from coma. He says there may have been something wrong with his car. He said he was glad that no-one died in the accident.  Read more about it at NY 1.

_With state aid falling $1 billion short, MTA voted to cut subway repairs and froze major expansion.  Read more about it at NY 1.

_Police are searching for a robber who has hit 21 beauty salons citywide. Read more about it at NY 1.

_New York’s air quality is deteriorating. The American Lung Association says that more than half  the residents of New York face health risks just from breathing.  Read more about it at NY 1.

_The NYC Department of Health is warning New Yorkers to use window
guards and to make sure they are installed properly after a 2-year old
boy named Jonathan Sanchez died  falling 6
stories when the window guard, which were improperly installed, gave
way when he leaned against the window.

 BROOKLYN BEAT:  A man’s body was found on Plum Beach near Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. Police are trying to figure out who dumped an unidentified body wrapped in a blanket and plastic bags.

_Two bystanders attending a funeral were hit by a stray bullet intended
for someone else. Police are searching for  the shooter and the
intended target. One of the bystanders, a 14 year old girl, was seriously wounded. Read more about it at NY 1.

_The family of the 7-year-old Brooklyn
boy who died after crossing street to buy ice cream, died in the hospital on Wednesday is urging the hit-and- run driver to turn himself in. Charles Santiago, 7, was crossing Milford
Street in East New York around 7:45 p.m. when a 1997 white Chrysler
slammed into him, police said. Charles was taken to Jamaica Hospital in
Queens with multiple head injuries and two broken legs. Read more about it at NY 1.

You already knew about it but now it’s in the New York Post: "Architect Richard Meier has been hired to design a new residential project in Brooklyn that promises some of the city’s best viewsThe 15-story, 200,000 square-foot project will be called One Prospect Park. By the time it is ready in two years, prices should be well above $1,000 a foot. It will rise on the airy corner of Eastern Parkway and Plaza Street that is currently a vacant lot used for parking by the Union Temple. ‘It’s got Manhattan, it’s got the bay, it’s got the [Prospect] park, it’s got the Brooklyn Museum and the library,’ said developer Mario Procida. ‘You pick the direction and you got the view.’ Procida, a principal of GPG Equities, said he and partners Louis Greco and Sheldon Gordon bought the site earlier this week, and have commissioned a building similar to the Meier "triplets" ‘Being the fourth one, it will be even better.’"

From the New York Daily News: "A daylight sicko walked into the kids’ reading
room at a Brooklyn library yesterday and flashed his privates to a
13-year-old girl, police said. Then the perv began touching himself."The guy masturbated and the girl
saw him," said Detective Bernie Gifford, an NYPD spokesman. Police said
the girl was sitting at a computer about 12:30 p.m. when
the man slithered into the first-floor reading room at Flatbush Ave.
and Linden Blvd.

IT’S FRIDAY: Mommy Matinee at the Brooklyn Heights Pavillion. Friday at 12:30. Call the theater for information. (718)596-5095

-Jean-Luc Godard : Before and After the New Wave at At BamCinematek

_Don’t miss the new French film "Look at at Me" now playing at At Bam. I saw it at the New York Film Festival (ooh la la)  and LOVED IT.

_St. Ann’s Warehouse: Filmmakers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen and Oscar winner Charlie Kaufman present "Theater of the New Ear," a
reading of two original radio plays set to music. Actors include Steve
Buscemi, Hope Davis, Peter Dinklage, Marsha Gay Harden, Meryl Streep. Call for dates and times. 38 Water St. (718) 254-8779.

 THIS SOUNDS COOL: Sakura Matsuri: The Cherry Festival in the Botanic Gardens is this Saturday April 30.

_Walking tour of Whitman’s Brooklyn offered by the Brooklyn Historical Society. Meet at  128 Pierrepont Street at 2 p.m.

_First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum is Saturday May 7, 2005.

_Barbes is turning three. "We do feel much older. We can’t be thankful enough to all the musicians who have help us build the space and its reputation – and have made it possible to maintain a level of quality that still manages to astonish us. We’re lucky. To celebrate, we’re throwing ourselves a party this Saturday." The festivities will be broadcast from Barbes, live on WFMU from 8 to 11pm and will be hosted by Irene Trudel and Rob Weisberg. Music will be provided by The Zagnut Cirkus Orkestar, One Ring Zero,  Las Rubias del Norte, Bebe Eiffel, Stephane Wrembel’s HOt Club of NY. $10.

_Brick Theater presents "Tupperware Orgy," a feminist play for chauvinist pigs. $10. 8 pm. 575 Metropolitan Ave. (718) 907-3457.

_"Around the World in 80 Days" at Puppetworks. 378 6th Avenue.
Saturday and Sunday. 12:30 and 2:30. Reservations advised: 718-735-4300.

_Got a guitar? Compete in the Brooklyn Battle of the Bands on June 5th at Grand Army
Plaza. Ten music groups of any genre will be selected to perform. Five judges
including Danny Simmons and Adam Shore will pick a grand prize winner
and runners ups. Sponsored by CMJ. Go here for information. Sign up
deadline is May 15th.

_On Sunday, May 15th, join Shorewalkers
on a six mile walking tour from Bed-Stuy to Brooklyn Heights.
Highlights include: Junior’s Restaurant, Fulton Street Mall and the
Brooklyn Promenade where you’ll break for lunch.  After lunch, explore
Brooklyn Heights, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge and quaint
carriage houses.  Take the J train to Gates Avenue in Brooklyn and walk
one block to McDonald’s.  Meet at noon in front of McDonald’s. Leader:
Lauri Hewie  (718) 455-3050.
 
_On Tuesday, May 25 from 7:00- 8:30 pm Marcie G. Roth, Esq. of Freedman Fish & Grimaldi LLP will present a Workshop on legal planning for parents with young children.
Ms. Roth will address the legal and emotional aspects of preparing your
Will, the New York and Federal estate tax, how to name a guardian,
trusts for minor children, avoiding probate, and living trusts.  This
workshop will also cover planning for your disability including Powers of Attorney, Living Wills and Health Care Proxies.
To register for this important workshop, call Families First (718)
237-1862. The fee for the workshop is $10 for members and $15 for
non-members.  Please register by May 15.  Families First is located at
250 Baltic St., Brooklyn, N. Y.  11201

WORTH TAKING A LOOK:  OTBKB Daily Pix
photographer, Hugh Crawford, has a show of portrait work on view at Fou
Le Chakra 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets until May
16th.

HEAR/SAY:
You were never a water wimp. 
Even at Orchard Beach, 
you were good to go.  A natural swimmer, 
graceful and strong.  All of us were. 
Natural swimmers, that is. 
In water, that is. 
But I was afraid to be out over my head 
afraid to swim at dawn with you 
and Brutus out on 95th Street 
when the lifeguard chairs were still 
overturned in the sand 
on the Irish Riviera 
where we learned to tread 
water.  You always went way out. 
You were never afraid 
to get your ass kicked 
by a wave.  There was no fear 
of losing control, cramping up, 
no fear of water rushing to displace 
the spirit of your lungs.  No fear 
of the Earth’s humors, the protean   
green–the wet scary 
unknown, no fear of the curvaceous 
machine of the tides. 
And how you love baths! 
"Tropical Rain Forest:" 
smoke a joint, fill the tub 
with aromatic bubbles,   
darken the room, put music on,   
pull the curtain, turn the shower on
and float away down the Nile   
in your vessel.

– From "Bodies of Water" by Michele Madigan Somerville

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather. 

FYI: Tuesday through Saturday April
26-30 alternate-side-of-the-street-parking is suspended due to
religious observance (Passover). All other parking regulations in
effect.

<>

CITY NEWS: The Daily News reports: suspicious material on a United Airlines
flight from New York to San Francisco prompted the pilot to make an
emergency landing Tuesday at O’Hare International Airport. The material turned out to be wires, an MP3 player and homeopathic
medicines, said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Ann
Davis.

_11 injured in multi-car crash involving a taxi in Times Square.

_City murder rate on track for 40-year low. 

_The NYC Department of Health is warning New Yorkers to use window
guards and to make sure they are installed properly after a 2-year old
boy named Jonathan Sanchez died  falling 6
stories when the window guard, which were improperly installed, gave
way when he leaned against the window.

_In a
talk at the Tribeca Film Festival (which is in full swing), Actress
Maggie Gyllenhaal, star of a new flick
about the aftermath of 9/11, said that the U.S. "is responsible
in some way" for the devastating terror attacks. She is getting a
beating from the local press (Daily News, Post) for saying it. Slow
news weekend, I guess. Her new movie "The Great New Wonderful" has a plot centered on
the destruction of the World Trade Center – premiered Friday.

"I think what’s good about the movie is that it deals with 9/11 in such
a subtle, open way that I think it allows it to be more complicated
than just, ‘Oh, look at these poor New Yorkers and how hard it was for
them,’" Gyllenhaal told the NY1 cable channel.   

BROOKLYN BEAT:  CHERRY BLOSSOMS ARE IN BLOOM IN THE BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDENS. The garden has 200 trees – the most cherry blossom trees outside of Japan.  The Sakura Matsura Festival is this Sunday.

_Jewish leaders in Williamsburg lash out at FDNY for slow response to fire that killed three boys.

<>

_A hit-and-run driver yesterday critically injured a 7-year-old Brooklyn boy as he crossed the street to buy ice cream, witnesses said. The boy, identified by his family as Charles Santiago, was crossing Milford Street in East New York around 7:45 p.m. when a 1997 white Chrysler slammed into him, police said. Charles was taken to Jamaica Hospital in Queens with multiple head injuries and two broken legs.

_Three boys died and
four other people were
injured in a fast-moving fire. Flames broke out shortly before 6 a.m.
on the second floor of
104 Ross Street, a six-story apartment building near Bedford Avenue in
Williamsburg, according to fire officials. Investigators say the fire
likely started in a gas stove, by
accident, but they don

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather. 

FYI: Tuesday through Saturday April 26-30 alternate-side-of-the-street-parking is suspended due to religious observance (Passover). All other parking regulations in effect.

CITY NEWS: 11 injured in multi-car crash involving a taxi in Times Square.

_Homeland Security secretary, Michael  Chertoff, to tour Grand Central Terminal on Monday with local officials.

_City murder rate on track for 40-year low. 

_The NYC Department of Health is warning New Yorkers to use window guards and to make sure they are installed properly after a 2-year old boy named Jonathan Sanchez died  falling 6
stories when the window guard, which were improperly installed, gave
way when he leaned against the window.

<>

_In a
talk at the Tribeca Film Festival (which is in full swing), Actress
Maggie Gyllenhaal, star of a new flick
about the aftermath of 9/11, said that the U.S. "is responsible
in some way" for the devastating terror attacks. She is getting a
beating from the local press (Daily News, Post) for saying it. Slow
news weekend, I guess. Her new movie "The Great New Wonderful" has a plot centered on
the destruction of the World Trade Center – premiered Friday.

"I think what’s good about the movie is that it deals with 9/11 in such
a subtle, open way that I think it allows it to be more complicated
than just, ‘Oh, look at these poor New Yorkers and how hard it was for
them,’" Gyllenhaal told the NY1 cable channel.   

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Three boys died and four other people were
injured in a fast-moving fire. Flames broke out shortly before 6 a.m. on the second floor of
104 Ross Street, a six-story apartment building near Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, according to fire officials. Investigators say the fire likely started in a gas stove, by
accident, but they don

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather. 

TIP: See you at 1 p.m. at Fou Le Chakra for your free portrait sitting. Come on down: it only takes a minute. 411 7th Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Also, scroll down to see everything that’s going on today in Brooklyn. See the Grab-bag, too.  

FYI: On Monday April 25 alternate-side-of-the-street (ASOTS) parking will be suspended for religious
observance (Passover). Also: Thursday through Saturday April 26-30 ASOTS
parking is also suspended. All other parking regulations in effect.

TONIGHT IS THE SECOND NIGHT OF PASSOVER.

CITY NEWS: In a talk at the Tribeca Film Festival (which is in full swing), Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, star of a new flick
about the aftermath of 9/11, said that the U.S. "is responsible
in some way" for the devastating terror attacks. She is getting a beating from the local press (Daily News, Post) for saying it. Slow news weekend, I guess.

Her new movie "The Great New Wonderful" has a plot centered on
the destruction of the World Trade Center – premiered Friday.

"I think what’s good about the movie is that it deals with 9/11 in such
a subtle, open way that I think it allows it to be more complicated
than just, ‘Oh, look at these poor New Yorkers and how hard it was for
them,’" Gyllenhaal told the NY1 cable channel.

_Staten Island Ferry officials plead guilty in 2003 crash.

_A city sanitation worker was charged with murdering his girlfriend who was eight months pregnant. Her body was found April 3rd in the Hudson River. The suspect, Roscoe Glinton of Sunset Park, was arrested on Friday night. He faces second-degree murder charges.

_Columbia Presbeyterian Hospital admitted Friday that it treated patients for Legionaire’s Disease, which they contracted at the hospital. Two of the patients died.

_FDNY is concerned about  New York City’s emergency response plan now that the NYPD has been given primary responsibility.

_For the first time ever, the Department of Homeless Services counted the number of  homeless persons in the five borough. THey found that there are approx. 4,400 homeless people in New York City. Homeless advocacy groups say the estimates should be much higher.

_NYC unemployment down 30% from last year. It is the largest one year drop on record.

-According to the "Schumtz Survey " conducted by the the NY
Straphangers Campaign, the subways are getting dirtier.  The group
inspected 2,200 cars on 22 lines in the city between September and
December.  The 1 and 9 trains were rated the dirtiest, while the N
train was found to be the cleanest.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Brooklyn-born general nominated to be chair of Bush’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

_Raphaelina
Smith, the girl that was shot in the back on Sterling and Ralph Avenue
in Crown Heights on the way home from school last week left Kings
County Hospital today with the bullet still in her back. A neurosurgeon
involved with her case said that it would be more dangerous to remove
the bullet than to keep it in.

From Curbed a blog sponsored by NYtimes.com Real Estate: "We all know that Brooklyn will be another front in the coming gourmet
food war. In Park Slope, Whole Foods is opening a 42,000-square-foot
store to take on the Coop. The secret weapon? Around 220 parking spaces–meanwhile the hippies strike back with a new (and already neglected) product blog.
In Red Hook, Fairway is taking a 19th-century warehouse and converting
it into another huge supermarket, opening in the fall. It’s all old
news, yes, but adding fuel to the fire is the report that Trader
Joe’s–reigning king of the food-related rumor mill–also has its eye on the borough. As much as we’d like to see the tofu fly between these fine retailers, we’re sticking to our original story.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.   

FYI: On Monday April 25 alternate-side-of-the-street (ASOTS) parking will be suspended for religious
observance (Passover). Also: Thursday through Saturday April 26-30 ASOTS
parking is also suspended. All other parking regulations in effect.

Saturday April 23rd is the first night of Passover. It is also Earth Day.

EDITOR’S NOTE: NEWS FROM  YESTERDAY (AND THE DAY BEFORE) WILL NOW BE
PRINTED IN ORANGE. THE MOST CURRENT NEWS WILL BE, AS ALWAYS, IN BLACK.

CITY NEWS:  NYC unemployment down 30% from last year. It is the largest one year drop on record.

-According to the "Schumtz Survey " conducted by the the NY Straphangers Campaign, the subways are getting dirtier.  The group inspected 2,200 cars on 22 lines in the city between September and December.  The 1 and 9 trains were rated the dirtiest, while the N train was the cleanest.

_Subway service returned to normal on the A and C lines after January fire.

_City will tighten security for
Passover holiday. There will be more foot patrols and heavily armed
units at synogogues around the city.  Mayor Bloomberg also asked
citizens to report any price gouging of kosher food items.

_New York City population down although not as many people are
leaving the city as expected. Last year, 5,500 left the city, the
largest number since 1991.  The latest census numbers put the city’s
population at 8.1 million with Brooklyn and Queens being the most
populous borough with a population of 2.4 and 2.2 million
respectively.  City officials challenged the accuracy of the figures.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Raphaelina Smith, the girl that was shot in the back on Sterling and Ralph Avenue in Crown Heights on the way home from school last week left Kings County Hospital today with the bullet still in her back. A neurosurgeon involved with her case said that it would be more dangerous to remove the bullet than to keep it in.

From Curbed a blog sponsored by NYtimes.com Real Estate: "We all know that Brooklyn will be another front in the coming gourmet
food war. In Park Slope, Whole Foods is opening a 42,000-square-foot
store to take on the Coop. The secret weapon? Around 220 parking spaces–meanwhile the hippies strike back with a new (and already neglected) product blog.
In Red Hook, Fairway is taking a 19th-century warehouse and converting
it into another huge supermarket, opening in the fall. It’s all old
news, yes, but adding fuel to the fire is the report that Trader
Joe’s–reigning king of the food-related rumor mill–also has its eye on the borough. As much as we’d like to see the tofu fly between these fine retailers, we’re sticking to our original story.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.   

FYI: On Monday April 25 alternate-side-of-the-street parking will be suspended for religious
observance (Passover). Also: Thursday through Saturday April 26-30 ASOTS
parking is also suspended. All other parking regulations in effect.

EDITOR’S NOTE: NEWS FROM  YESTERDAY (AND THE DAY BEFORE) WILL NOW BE PRINTED IN ORANGE. THE MOST CURRENT NEWS WILL BE, AS ALWAYS, IN BLACK.

CITY NEWS:  Subway service returns to normal on the A and C lines after January fire.

-Al Sharpton will not endorse any of the democratic mayoral candidates.

_City will tighten security for
Passover holiday. There will be more foot patrols and heavily armed
units at synogogues around the city.  Mayor Bloomberg also asked
citizens to report any price gouging of kosher food items.

_A female aid worker from the
East Village was killled in a Iraq bombing. Marla Ruzicks, 27, founded
the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, a humanitarian group
dedicated to helping families of civilians killed in Iraq. Through
relentless lobbying, she was able to secure millions of dollars for
Iraqi families.

_New York City population down although not as many people are
leaving the city as expected. Last year, 5,500 left the city, the
largest number since 1991.  The latest census numbers put the city’s
population at 8.1 million with Brooklyn and Queens being the most
populous borough with a population of 2.4 and 2.2 million
respectively.  City officials challenged the accuracy of the figures.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  The owner of the land used by Kensington Stables just sold one of the two buildings that make up Kensington Stables, near the southern tip of Prospect Park. This sale, no word yet as to who the buyer is, threatens to disrupt life in the area. The stables’ owner, Walter Blankinship, said he would have to vacate that building, called the Little Gray Barn, by May 1, forcing him to keep all 45 horses that he owns or cares for in the other building, which he owns.

Besides the stable space, Mr. Blankinship will also lose the use of a pen outside the barn and parking for several horse trailers.He said finding room in the one remaining building for all 45 horses would be a struggle. The lack of space means that he will have to cut back on many of the programs Kensington Stables offers, especially the ones that bring children in close contact with the horses.  Story reported by the New York Times

_Charges were filed yesterday against a female math teacher at a middle school in Brooklyn who kissed one of her students. She is one of 5 teachers in the city school system who have been accused of criminal or inappropriate behavior.

_Man charged with threatening a federal judge in Brooklyn and threatening to blow up a Brooklyn courthouse. 

_Sgt. Angelo Lozada, Jr., a soldier from Brooklyn, was killed in
Iraq along with two other soldiers yesterday. That brings the total
number of American soldiers killed: 1558. How many Iraqis?

_A Bensonhurst boy was struck after car runs red light in Brooklyn
on Tuesday. The 5-year-old-boy was taken to Lutheran Hospital in
serious condition.

_A Brooklyn boy was raped by his pastor in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

_As reported on New York 1, a Brooklyn man was arrested for
harassing a family of dwarves. He painted a yellow line in front of
their house and wrote: "Follow the yellow brick road." He also taunted
them for three weeks. Before the incident began, the dwarf and the
Brooklyn man were friends.

_Princess and Cunard cruise lines have signed a deal to make Pier 12
in Red Hook their new home. The city is building a $30 million complex
at Piers 11 and 12 as an alternative to the New York Cruise Terminal on
the west side of Manhattan. The Queen Mary II will be one of the ships
to dock in Red Hook.

_A shopping mall developer has been buying up properties in Coney
Island planning on building an indoor mall there. "Our dream is an
amusement, entertainment and adventure destination," says Joseph Sitt
of Thor Equities. Thorr refused to comment on what would happen to the
vintage amusment park rides and games. Residents of Coney Island are
worried about a mall on the boardwalk signaling the end of Coney Island
as we know it.

_The New York Times reported that the new Richard Meier apartment
building going up on Grand Army Plaza with views of Prospect Park would
be 30 stories not 15. The Times’ issued a correction about this
mistake. However, Dailyheights.com reported yesterday that the Times’
may have been right after all. The developers are apparently looking to
buy air rights from other buildings. Sucessfully buying air rights
would permit the developer to build up to 30 stories.  According to the
Eastern Parkway Block Association, who have discussed the condo
development with Councilwoman Lettitia James, the building will be
glass, white and curved to fit the street shape.  The Eastern Athletic
Health Club’s pool will lose some of its view.  Meier building will
will 150 feet or slightly higher than Union Temple.

IT’S THURSDAY: Poets Hettie Jones and Mark Doty read at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Grand Army Plaza.  Thursday April 21, 7

Brooklyn Underground Film Festival features 100 films from 12 countries. A rare screening of "Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation" is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about  the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. at 9:15 p.m. April 21-23. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street. For info and schedule go to

_Jean-Luc Godard : Before and After the New Wave begins at BamCinematek on Thursday April 21th with British Sounds, a 1969 film. 7:30 p.m.

PEN World Voices. The New York Festival of International Literature,
a confluence of 118 writers from more than 40 countries are coming
together this week: April 16 – April 24 for seven days of discussions,
tributes, reading and conversation "that will expand the literary
horizons of American audiences." For more information, visit
www.pen.org/festival. A five borough Battle of the Bands will be on June 5th at Grand Army Plaza. Ten music groups of any genre will be selected.  Five judges including Danny Simmons and Adam Shore will pick a grand prize winner and runners ups. Sponsored by CMJ. Go here for information. Sign up deadline is May 15th.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Got a guitar? Compete in the Brooklyn Battle of the Bands on June 5th at Grand Army
Plaza. Ten music groups of any genre will be selected to perform. Five judges
including Danny Simmons and Adam Shore will pick a grand prize winner
and runners ups. Sponsored by CMJ. Go here for information. Sign up
deadline is May 15th.

Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe. Weekends in April.

Mommy Matinees at the Brooklyn Heights Pavillion. Call for
info about the one Friday April 22nd. 718-596-5095. Kids run wild, moms
get to watch first-run movies. What about the Park Slope Pavillion?

_"Tupperwear Orgy," a play in Williamsburg. Stay tuned for more info.

_UniverSoul Circus, the first circus to be owned and operated
by African-Americans, is in town. Saturday and Sundays through April
24th. Noon, 4:30, and
8 p.m. Near Wollman Rink in Prospect Park. Follow the smell of the
elephants from the Prospect Park.

_"Around the World in 80 Days" at Puppetworks. 378 6th Avenue.
Saturday and Sunday. 12:30 and 2:30. Reservations advised: 718-735-4300.

_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford.  APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CITY NEWS: City tightens security for Passover holiday. There will be more foot patrols and heavily armed units at synogogues around the city.  Mayor Bloomberg also asked citizens to report any price gouging of kosher food items.

_A female aid worker from the
East Village was killled in a Iraq bombing. Marla Ruzicks, 27, founded
the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, a humanitarian group
dedicated to helping families of civilians killed in Iraq. Through
relentless lobbying, she was able to secure millions of dollars for
Iraqi families.

_New York City population down although not as many people are
leaving the city as expected. Last year, 5,500 left the city, the
largest number since 1991.  The latest census numbers put the city’s
population at 8.1 million with Brooklyn and Queens being the most
populous borough with a population of 2.4 and 2.2 million
respectively.  City officials challenged the accuracy of the figures.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Man charged with threatening a federal judge in Brooklyn and threatening to blow up a Brooklyn courthouse. 

_Sgt. Angelo Lozada, Jr., a soldier from Brooklyn, was killed in Iraq along with two other soldiers yesterday. That brings the total number of American soldiers killed: 1558. How many Iraqis?

_A Bensonhurst boy was struck after car runs red light in Brooklyn on Tuesday. The 5-year-old-boy was taken to Lutheran Hospital in serious condition.

_A Brooklyn boy was raped by his pastor in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

_As reported on New York 1, a Brooklyn man was arrested for
harassing a family of dwarves. He painted a yellow line in front of
their house and wrote: "Follow the yellow brick road." He also taunted
them for three weeks. Before the incident began, the dwarf and the
Brooklyn man were friends.

_Princess and Cunard cruise lines have signed a deal to make Pier 12
in Red Hook their new home. The city is building a $30 million complex
at Piers 11 and 12 as an alternative to the New York Cruise Terminal on
the west side of Manhattan. The Queen Mary II will be one of the ships
to dock in Red Hook.

_The police are searching for a man who kidnapped a 15 year old girl
on her way to school in Crown Heights. He forced her into his SUV at
gunpoint and raped her last Tuesday morning.

_A shopping mall developer has been buying up properties in Coney
Island planning on building an indoor mall there. "Our dream is an
amusement, entertainment and adventure destination," says Joseph Sitt
of Thor Equities. Thorr refused to comment on what would happen to the
vintage amusment park rides and games. Residents of Coney Island are
worried about a mall on the boardwalk signaling the end of Coney Island
as we know it.

_The New York Times reported that the new Richard Meier apartment
building going up on Grand Army Plaza with views of Prospect Park would
be 30 stories not 15. The Times’ issued a correction about this
mistake. However, Dailyheights.com reported yesterday that the Times’
may have been right after all. The developers are apparently looking to
buy air rights from other buildings. Sucessfully buying air rights
would permit the developer to build up to 30 stories.  According to the
Eastern Parkway Block Association, who have discussed the condo
development with Councilwoman Lettitia James, the building will be
glass, white and curved to fit the street shape.  The Eastern Athletic
Health Club’s pool will lose some of its view.  Meier building will
will 150 feet or slightly higher than Union Temple.

IT’S WEDNESDAY: PEN World Voices. The New York Festival of International Literature,
a confluence of 118 writers from more than 40 countries are coming
together this week: April 16 – April 24 for seven days of discussions,
tributes, reading and conversation "that will expand the literary
horizons of American audiences." For more information, visit
www.pen.org/festival.

Last night of Dine Out in Brooklyn. Go out and  eat a three-course meal. It’ll cost you $19.99.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Brooklyn Underground Film Festival features 100 films from 12 countries. A rare screening of "Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation" is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about  the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. at 9:15 p.m. April 21-23. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street. For info and schedule go to

Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe. Weekends in April.

Mommy Matinees at the Brooklyn Heights Pavillion. Call for
info about the one Friday April 22nd. 718-596-5095. Kids run wild, moms
get to watch first-run movies. What about the Park Slope Pavillion?

_Poets Hettie Jones and Mark Doty read at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Grand Army Plaza.  Thursday April 21, 7 p.m.

_Jean-Luc Godard : Before and After the New Wave begins at BamCinematek on Thursday April 21th with British Sounds, a 1969 film. 7:30 p.m.

<>

_"Tupperwear Orgy", a play in Williamsburg. Stay tuned for more info.

_UniverSoul Circus, the first circus to be owned and operated
by African-Americans, is in town. Saturday and Sundays through April
24th. Noon, 4:30, and
8 p.m. Near Wollman Rink in Prospect Park. Follow the smell of the
elephants from the Prospect Park.

_"Around the World in 80 Days" at Puppetworks. 378 6th Avenue.
Saturday and Sunday. 12:30 and 2:30. Reservations advised: 718-735-4300.

_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford.  APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CITY NEWS: A female aid worker from the East Village was killled in a Iraq bombing. Marla Ruzicks, 27, founded the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, a humanitarian group dedicated to helping families of civilians killed in Iraq. Through relentless lobbying, she was able to secure millions of dollars for Iraqi families.

_Transit groups, Unions sue MTA  to block westside stadium claiming that city didn’t get full value for the rail yards site.

_Trial began yesterday for officials charged with failing to enforce
regulations, and the port captain who is charged with evading the
investigation,  in the Staten Island ferry crash

_New York City population down although not as many people are
leaving the city as expected. Last year, 5,500 left the city, the
largest number since 1991.  The latest census numbers put the city’s
population at 8.1 million with Brooklyn and Queens being the most
populous borough with a population of 2.4 and 2.2 million
respectively.  City officials challenged the accuracy of the figures.

Plaza saved. Eloise stills has a home. Read all about it.  

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Brooklyn rabbi sues FDNY, claiming that firehouse closure led to his wife’s death.  Rabbi Hecht believes his wife would still be alive if the firehouse had not been closed so that the firefighters could attend physical examinations.

_As reported on New York 1, a Brooklyn man was arrested for harassing a family of dwarves. He painted a yellow line in front of their house and wrote: "Follow the yellow brick road." He also taunted them for three weeks. Before the incident began, the dwarf and the Brooklyn man were friends.

_Princess and Cunard cruise lines have signed a deal to make Pier 12 in Red Hook their new home. The city is building a $30 million complex at Piers 11 and 12 as an alternative to the New York Cruise Terminal on the west side of Manhattan. The Queen Mary II will be one of the ships to dock in Red Hook.

_The police are searching for a man who kidnapped a 15 year old girl on her way to school in Crown Heights. He forced her into his SUV at gunpoint and raped her last Tuesday morning.

_A shopping mall developer has been buying up properties in Coney
Island planning on building an indoor mall there. "Our dream is an
amusement, entertainment and adventure destination," says Joseph Sitt
of Thor Equities. Thorr refused to comment on what would happen to the
vintage amusment park rides and games. Residents of Coney Island are
worried about a mall on the boardwalk signaling the end of Coney Island
as we know it.

_The New York Times reported that the new Richard Meier apartment
building going up on Grand Army Plaza with views of Prospect Park would
be 30 stories not 15. The Times’ issued a correction about this
mistake. However, Dailyheights.com reported yesterday that the Times’
may have been right after all. The developers are apparently looking to
buy air rights from other buildings. Sucessfully buying air rights
would permit the developer to build up to 30 stories.  According to the
Eastern Parkway Block Association, who have discussed the condo
development with Councilwoman Lettitia James, the building will be
glass, white and curved to fit the street shape.  The Eastern Athletic
Health Club’s pool will lose some of its view.  Meier building will
will 150 feet or slightly higher than Union Temple.

IT’S TUESDAY: "Step up to the plate"
and experience the diverse menus of  Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants
April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in the spirit of the world
champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no attitude on the side."  Click here to see the list of participating restaurants.

_Meryl Streep and Cher in "Silkwood" plays as part of "Who’s Afraid of Mike Nichols" at BAM Rose Cinema. 30 Lafayette Avenue.  6 and 9 p.m.

_At BAM, the Mark Morris Dance Group in "Rock of Ages."  7:30 p.m.

_Learn about the connection between choreography and film editing through several well known dance films with film historian, Vinnie LoBrutto at the Public Library at Grand Army Plaza at 7 p.m.

_Learn the art of Scrapbooking. Bring 25 to 50 photos and leave with a finished scrapbook. $50 for the workshop and supplies. 6:45 – 8:45 p.m. At Families First at 250 Baltic Street.

_And tonight at  Barbes: Park Slope’s most ambitious and visionary venue: Calypso violin with Jenny Scheinman ay 7 p.m. And at 9 p.m. te Zagnut Cirkus Orkestar plays brass and accordian music.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.

Mommy Matinees at the Brooklyn Heights Pavillion. Call for info about the one Friday April 22nd. 718-596-5095. Kids run wild, moms get to watch first-run movies. What about the Park Slope Pavillion?

_Poets Hettie Jones and Mark Doty read at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Grand Army Plaza.  7 p.m.

_Jean-Luc Godard Festival begins at BAMCinematek on Thursday April 20th with British Sounds, a 1969 film. 7:30 p.m.

_Brooklyn Underground Film Festival features 100 films from 12 countries. A rare screening of "Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation" is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about  the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street. For info and schedule go to brooklynunderground.org

_"Tupperwear Orgy", a play in Williamsburg. Stay tuned for more info.

_UniverSoul Circus, the first circus to be owned and operated by African-Americans, is in town. Saturday and Sundays through April 24th. Noon, 4:30, and
8 p.m. Near Wollman Rink in Prospect Park. Follow the smell of the
elephants from the Prospect Park.

_"Around the World in 80 Days" at Puppetworks. 378 6th Avenue.
Saturday and Sunday. 12:30 and 2:30. Reservations advised: 718-735-4300.

_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford.  APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CITY NEWS: Former senator Bob Kerry, currently president of New School University, may run for mayor.

Trial begins today for officials charged with failing to enforce regulations, and the port captain who is charged with evading the investigation,  in the Staten Island ferry crash.

_Cruise ship hit by giant wave returns to New York City.

_New York City population down although not as many people are leaving the city as expected. Last year, 5,500 left the city, the largest number since 1991.  The latest census numbers put the city’s population at 8.1 million with Brooklyn and Queens being the most populous borough with a population of 2.4 and 2.2 million respectively.  City officials challenged the accuracy of the figures.

Plaza saved. Eloise stills has a home. Read all about it.  

BROOKLYN BEAT:  The Queen Mary II will soon be docked at a Red Hook Pier.

_A shopping mall developer has been buying up properties in Coney Island planning on building an indoor mall there. "Our dream is an amusement, entertainment and adventure destination," says Joseph Sitt of Thor Equities. Thorr refused to comment on what would happen to the vintage amusment park rides and games. Residents of Coney Island are worried about a mall on the boardwalk signaling the end of Coney Island as we know it.

_The New York Times reported that the new Richard Meier apartment building going up on Grand Army Plaza with views of Prospect Park would be 30 stories not 15. The Times’ issued a correction about this mistake. However, Dailyheights.com reported yesterday that the Times’ may have been right after all. The developers are apparently looking to buy air rights from other buildings. Sucessfully buying air rights would permit the developer to build up to 30 stories.  According to the Eastern Parkway Block Association, who have discussed the condo development with Councilwoman Lettitia James, the building will be glass, white and curved to fit the street shape.  The Eastern Athletic Health Club’s pool will lose some of its view.  Meier building will will 150 feet or slightly higher than Union Temple.

IT’S MONDAY: "Step up to the plate"
and experience the diverse menus of  Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants
April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in the spirit of the world
champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no attitude on the side."  Click here to see the list of participating restaurants.

_"Wit" with Emma  Thompson is playing Monday night as part of "Who’s Afraid of Mike Nichols" at BAM. 30 Lafayette Avenue. 9:30 p.m. Double check that.

_The Brooklyn Ethical Culture Society is presenting "Route 181," a documentary about the Israeli-Palestinean conflict. 53 Prospect Park West. 6:30 p.m. Monday night.

_Two classic, silent surrealist films with solo piano accompaniment by Joel Forrester at Barbes, Park Slope’s grooviest, most ambitious, experimental, visionary nightspot. Ninth Street near 6th Avenue. 7:30 p.m.

<>

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.

_Brooklyn Underground Film Festival is coming
to the Brooklyn Lyceum. A rare screening of "Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation" is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about  the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street.

_UniverSoul Circus is in town. Saturday and Sunday. Noon, 4:30, and
8 p.m. Near Wollman Rink in Prospect Park. Follow the smell of the
elephants from the Prospect Park.

_"Around the World in 80 Days" at Puppetworks. 378 6th Avenue.
Saturday and Sunday. 12:30 and 2:30. Reservations advised: 718-735-4300.

_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford.  APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: What’s it gonna do today?  Check here for Brooklyn weather.

CITY NEWS: A 20-year-old Brooklyn woman was killed on Ocean Parkway in a multi-vehicle accident on Ocean Avenue and Avenue N. Five others were injured and hospitalized but they are in stable condition.

_New York City gets $43 million for transit security from Homeland Security.

_New York Assembly democrats close off Death Penalty for 2005.

_Cyclists gathered near the Manhattan Bridge to honor Noah Budnick of Transportations Alternatives who was seriously
injured on March 28th when he was investigating safety issues on the
bridge and he had to swerve out of the way of a gigantic pot hole.
Although he was wearing a helmet, he sustained serious head injuries.
Bikers gathered to demand safer biking conditions.

_April 15 is not only tax day. It’s also the 90th anniversary of
Billie Holiday’s birthday and WKCR 89.9 FM is playing her music for 15
days straight or 360 hours from April 1 until April 15. Check out the web broadcast.

_NYC to recognize same sex unions performed in other states. This
means that same sex couples could get married in Toronto and be
recognized as married in New York City, even though same sex marriage
is not allowed here.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  The 1955 World Series banner captured by the Brooklyn Dodgers was unveiled after a $16,000 restoration at the St. John the Divine Textile Lab. It will be the centerpiece at an exhibit at the Brooklyn Historical Society about Brooklyn baseball.

_A 12-year old girl was injured in a triple shooting on Ralph Avenue in Crown Heights.

_Intensified security measures were taken at a Brooklyn Federal courthouse in response to letters that said there were plans to harm all the judges in the building.

_Service is suspended indefinitely on the L-train, the train goes across 14th Street to Williambsurg, Greenpoint and East New York.

_Hoyt Street Garden at Atantic Avenue and Hoyt has been the labor of love of Margaret Cusack and other local gardeners for thirty years. The owners of the lot, a small Hispanic church that is part of the Presbytery of New York, would like to build a high rise condo on their property and the gardeners are fighting it. Cusack, the master gardener, distributed flyers informing the neighborhood of what the church wanted to do and found that she had the heartfelt support of those who have enjoyed the garden for years. For more of this interesting story: go to the New York Times.

_One-time Park Slope
resident, Andrea Dworkin, the feminist writer and anti-pornography advocate,  died on Saturday at her home in Washington. She was 58. Her husband, John Stoltenberg, said that Ms.
Dworkin had suffered from several chronic illnesses in recent years. A
familiar sight on Seventh Avenue in denim overalls, Ms. Dworkin was for
decades active on the lecture circuit, at antipornography rallies and
"take back the night" marches.

_April 11-20th is Brooklyn Restaurant Week, designed to showcase the
diverse eating options in this fair borough. Participating restaurants
are offering a 19.99 prix fix for a 3-course meal.  A good chance to
try places you’ve been meaning to try.

_State legislators propose bill to provide affordable housing on Williamsburg, Greenpoint waterfront.

_The non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee, which has campaigned against
landlords trying to evict low income renters, can’t afford space on
Fifth Avenue anymore. They are moving to the other side of Fourth
Avenue and Degraw Street. Victims of the street’s gentrification, they
will still be advocates for affordable housing in Park Slope.

_Brooklyn community groups are protesting a proposed high-rise condo
that would block the view of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline
from historic Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery.

_Judith Zuk, 53, the president of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is
retiring at the end of June. There’s a profile of her in today’s New York Daily News.
During her 15 tenure she oversaw the renovation of the Japanese Tea
House, Lily Pond Terrace, the Rock Garden, the Fragrance Garden, the
Francis Milner Children’s Garden and the Rose Arc Pool, and opened the
Discovery Garden.

_Brooklyn Assemblyman William Colton introduced  a bill called
"Terri’s Law," that would make it illegal in New York to remove a
feeding tube. Read all about in at New York 1.

Thursday morning, a man climbed up a fire escape to the window of a 9-year old girl’s bedroom, with the intent of kidnapping her
robbing the apartment. The girl said, "Who are you?" and the man said
"Nobody," and ran away.  He has not been found. Helicopters flew over
Third Street and news and police vehicles were in the vicinity of the
apartment building just up from 6th Avenue on Third Street all day.
According to the New York Daily News,which has an article about the attempted robbery in today’s edition, burglaries
have become increasingly rare in Park Slope, where the number of
break-ins has dropped by 17% this year compared with the same period in
2004. Burglaries are also down 17% citywide, police statistics show.

_There have been a number of muggings between President and Ninth
Street in Park Slope. The victims are women who are talking on their
cell phones. The suspect surprises them from behind, puts his hand over
their mouth and asks for money. According to the police, he hasn’t hurt
anyone; he just takes the cash and runs. The most recent incident was
on Tuesday at 4 p.m. on President Street on or near 8th Avenue.  If you
have any information, please call the 78th Precint Pct.,  re: Pattern
29. 718-636-6484.

IT’S THURSDAY: "Step up to the plate"
and experience the diverse menus of  Brooklyn’s world-class restaurants
April 11-20, 2005. $19.55 prix fixe, in the spirit of the world
champion Brooklyn Dodgers. "Three courses, no attitude on the side."  Click here to see the list of participating restaurants

_Brooklyn author, Alfred Gingold reads "Dog World and the People Who Live There" at the Old Stone House in JJ Byrne Park. Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets. April 14. 7:30 p.m.

_Eat, Drink, and Be Literary. Jhumpa Lahri reads and discusses her work at BAM. Prix fixe dinner and a celebrated Brooklyn author. At BAM. 6:30. 30 Lafayette Avenue. $38. for everything.

_For more stuff to do scroll down to Grab-Bag_Brooklyn and Beyond. Or go to g0-brooklyn.com

THIS SOUNDS COOL:  UniverSoul Circus is in town. You can smell the elephants from the park’s roadway. Performance schedules,

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at The BAMCafe.3 Weekends in April.

_April 20-24 the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival is coming
to the Brooklyn Lyceum. A rare screening of Indianna Jones: The
Adaptation is on April 23rd. You’ve probably heard about  the kids who
made the shot-for-shot copy of Raiders back in the ’80s. Well, this is
it. And it’s a rare screening. at 9:15 p.m. 227 Fourth Avenue at Union
Street.

_Brooklyn Reading Works. Curated by Louise G. Crawford.  APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag) "a compelling and beautifully rendered novel about the astonishing life of Lotte Lenya," and poet Michelle Madigan Somerville reads from Wisegal
(Ten Pell Books) and newer work: "A multilingual hardrock
reverie…going upside your head to whisper whipsmart secrets about
cracked-out big-city survival.