Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn

SCOOP DU JOUR

TODAY'S WEATHER: What's it gonna do today?   

HAPPENING: DECEMBER, 2006

Most of these listings are from  Go-Brooklyn, a section of The Brooklyn Papers. Check it out for more news, reviews, events, and local advertising. For additional events always check Barbes for the best music in the Slope. And for what's going on at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the BAM Rose Cinema go here.  For movie times at the Pavillion and other local movie theaters go here. 

HUMMINGBIRDS: Musical fun for the 3 to 5 year-old set and their caregivers. 2 pm to 3 pm. Prospect Park Audubon Center. Enter park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue. (718) 287-3400. Free.

HEALING TALK: Vajradhara Meditation Center offers the talk "Healing Family Relationships." 2:45 pm to 4 pm. Area Yoga Center, 320 Court St. (718) 797-3699.

BAMCINEMATEK: presents "Czech Modernism: The 1920s to the 1940s." Today: "On the Sunny Side" (1933). In Czech with English subtitles. $10, $7 children and seniors. 6:50 pm. Also, "The Strike" (1947). 9:15. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 777-FILM. www.bam.org.

PLAY: Long Island University presents "The House of Bernarda Alba." $13. 7 pm. Flatbush Avenue and DeKalb Avenue. (718) 488-1089.

RECEPTION: Galeria Janet Kurnatowski presents "Untitled Number Something," new abstract paintings by Shane McAdams. 7 pm to 9 pm. 205 Norman Ave. (718) 383-9380. Free.

NEXT WAVE: Brooklyn Academy of Music presents "Red, Hot and Riot Live!: The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti." Program celebrates music of the late Afrobeat king, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. $25 to $65. 7:30 pm. BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100. Also, "Hedda Gabler." 7:30 pm. See Sat., Dec. 2.

BURLESQUE: Kick-off party and performance for The Great Boston Burlesque Exposition, a gathering of performers and educators. $8. 8 pm to 10 pm. Dance and cocktail party. $8. 10 pm. Or $12 for both events. Galapagos Art Space, 70 N. Sixth St. (718) 384-4586.

CUBAN MUSIC: Cunjunto Guantanamo performs. 9 pm to 11 pm. Five Front Restaurant, 5 Front St., between Dock and Old Fulton streets. (718) 625-5559.

ST. ANN'S WAREHOUSE: "Woyzeck." 8 pm.

GALLERY PLAYERS: "Torch Song Trilogy." 8 pm.

SCOOP DU WEEKEND_APRIL 14-16, 2006

TODAY'S WEATHER: What's it gonna do today?   

HAPPENING: April 13-15, 2006 

Most of these listings are from  Go-Brooklyn, a section of The Brooklyn Papers. Check it out for more news, reviews, events, and local advertising. For additional events always check Barbes for the best music in the Slope. And for what's going on at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the BAM Rose Cinema go here.  For movie times at the Pavillion and other local movie theaters go here.   MUSIC FOR AARDVARKS: Music for toddlers at 10:30 am; for babies at 11:30 am. Bay Ridge Jewish Center, Fourth Avenue and 81st Street. (347) 581-5740. Free.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: BAMCINEMATEK: presents the film "Mutual Appreciation" (2005). $10. 7 pm. Q & A with director Andrew Bujalski follows screening. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 777-FILM. www.bam.org.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: BARGEMUSIC: Classical music concert of Tchaikovsky, Scriabin, Shostakovich and Rachmaninov. $35, $30 seniors, $25 students. 7:30 pm. Fulton Ferry Landing, Old Fulton Street at the East River. (718) 624-2083.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: FISH TALK: Brooklyn Aquarium Society presents Martin Moe, marine fish breeder, author and lecturer. He talks on the subject: "My Life in the Tanks, With All My Eurkeas!" $5. 7:30 pm. West Eighth Street and Surf Avenue. (718) 837-4455.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: GALAPAGOS ART SPACE: "Rip Me Open" by Desiree Burch, Michael Cyril Creighton, Kyle Jarrow and others. $12. 8 pm. Also, "Jack and the Beanstalk," a musical with puppets. $10. 10 pm in the front room. Also, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Winter Cabaret. $15, $5 discount for clowns in make-up. 10 pm in the back room. 70 N. Sixth Street. (212) 868-4444.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: BROOKLYN LYCEUM: presents "Die You Zombie Bastards," a rock 'n' roll zombie road movie. $6. 10 pm. 227 Fourth Ave. (718) 857-4816.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: NEXT WAVE: "St. Matthew Passion." 7:30 pm. Also, "Peer Gynt." 7 pm. See Sat., April 15.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS: "Hip Hop Under the Big Top." 7:30 pm. See Sat., April 15.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: GALLERY PLAYERS: "Take Me Out." 8 pm. See Sat., April 15.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: HEIGHTS PLAYERS: "Wait Until Dark." 8 pm. See Sat., April 15


SAT APRIL 15: URBAN RANGER WALK: Learn about the history of Fort Greene Park. Ranger-led walk discusses fort's role in the Revolutionary War and the prisoners of war who are entombed in a vault. 1 pm. Meet at Visitor's Center, Myrtle Avenue at Washington Park. Call 311. Free.

SAT APRIL 15: GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY: Big Onion Walking Tours takes a walk in Brooklyn's Victorian "City of the Dead." $15, $12 seniors, $10 students. 1 pm. Meet at main entrance, Fifth Avenue at 25th Street. (212) 439-1090.

SAT APRIL 15: WALKING TOUR: Mauricio Lorence hosts this Metro Tour Service, taking a walk through Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Brooklyn Heights. $25. 2 pm to 5 pm. Meet at Marriott Hotel Brooklyn, 333 Adams St. (718) 789-0430.


SAT APRIL 15: NEXT WAVE: Brooklyn Academy of Music presents "St. Matthew Passion," with music by Johann Sebastian Bach. $30 to $90. 7:30 pm. BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. Also, "Peer Gynt," by Henrik Ibsen. In Norwegian with English titles. $25 to $80. 7 pm. BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

SAT APRIL 15: BARGEMUSIC: Classical music concert of Khandoshkin, Shubert, Haydn and Shostakovich. $35, $30 seniors, $25 students. 7:30 pm. Fulton Ferry Landing, Old Fulton Street at the East River. (718) 624-2083.

SAT APRIL 15: LATIN JAZZ: Afro-Caribbean jazz musicians perform. $55 to $100. 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts at Long Island University, Flatbush Avenue Extension and DeKalb Avenue. (718) 488-1624.

SAT APRIL 15: GALLERY PLAYERS: presents "Take Me Out." $15, $12 children and seniors. 8 pm. 199 14th St. (212) 352-3101. www.galleryplayers.com.

SAT APRIL 15: HEIGHTS PLAYERS: presents the drama "Wait Until Dark." $12, $10 seniors, students and children. 8 pm. 26 Willow Place. (718) 237-2752.
CHILDREN

SAT APRIL 15: RUN AROUND: Brooklyn Lyceum opens its theater stage for a "Kid Runaround." Bring your kid in to burn off some energy. 10 am to 2 pm. Food available. 227 Fourth Ave. (718) 857-4816.

SAT APRIL 15: WEEKSVILLE HANDS-ON: Teens are invited to learn about historic preservation and conservation at a workshop given at Hunterfly Road Houses. Activities include hands-on experience in preservation arts with workshops in stained glass, glass blowing, carpentry, traditional woodworking and more. 10 am to 2 pm. 1698 Bergen St. Call for fee info. (718) 756-5250.

SAT APRIL 15: EGG HUNT: Brooklyn Heights Playground Committee hosts its annual spring event. 10 am sharp. Pierrepont Playground, Brooklyn Heights Promenade at Pierrepont Street and Columbia Heights. www.bhplaygrounds.org. Free.

SAT APRIL 15: SHADOW BOX THEATER: presents "The Earth and Me," asking the question: can a child save the earth? $5.50. 10:30 am. YWCA of Brooklyn, 30 Third Ave. (212) 724-0677.

SAT APRIL 15: BABIES READING: Barnes and Noble, Jr. invites babies and toddlers to meet Spot and read stories. 11 am. 106 Court St. (718) 246-4996. Free.

SAT APRIL 15: PUPPETWORKS: presents a marionette performance of "The Wizard of Oz." $8, $7 children. Recommended for ages 4 and older. 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. 338 Sixth Ave. at Fourth Street. (718) 965-3391.

SAT APRIL 15: CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: hosts "Eggstravaganza." Kids, ages 6 and older, are invited to look at Ukrainian eggs and hear springtime stories. Egg­painting craft activity included. $4, free for members. 3 pm to 4:30 pm. Brooklyn Children's Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave. (718) 735-4400.

SAT APRIL 15: UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS: Black circus performers in "Hip Hop Under the Big Top." $20.50 to $35. 4:30 pm and 8 pm. Wollman Rink Lot, Prospect Park. (800) 316-7439, www.universoulcircus.com.

SAT APRIL 15: CURATOR TALK: Kentler International Drawing Space hosts a reception for its exhibit "Critical Mass." 4 pm. 353 Van Brunt St. (718) 875-2098. Free.


SUN MARCH 16: BARGEMUSIC: Classical music concert of Khandoshkin, Shubert, Haydn and Shostakovich. $35, $30 seniors, $25 students. 4 pm. Also, additional program featuring works by Beethoven, Adams and Messiaen. 7:30 pm. Fulton Ferry Landing, Old Fulton Street at the East River. (718) 624-2083.

SUN MARCH 16: GALAPAGOS ART SPACE: presents "Point Break Live!," the stage adaptation of the 1992 Keanu Reeves extreme-sports movie. Starring role will be selected at random from the audience. $12. 8 pm. 70 N. Sixth St. (718) 782-5188.

SUN MARCH 16: HEIGHTS PLAYERS: "Wait Until Dark." 2 pm. See Sat., April 15.

SUN MARCH 16: NEXT WAVE: "Peer Gynt." 2 pm. See Sat., April 15.

SUN MARCH 16: GALLERY PLAYERS: "Take Me Out." 3 pm. See Sat., April 15.

CHILDREN

SUN MARCH 16: FAMILY FUN SERIES: Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts presents "Lazer Vaudeville." $8 to $15. 1 pm. Brooklyn College, Walt Whitman Hall, one block from junction of Flatbush and Nostrand avenues. (718) 951-4500.

SUN MARCH 16: SHARK-A-RAMA: NY Aquarium invites kids, ages 5 to 8, to a behind-the-scenes look at the resident sharks. $30, $23 members. 2 pm to 4 pm. West Eighth Street and Surf Avenue. (718) 265-FISH.

SUN MARCH 16: BROOKLYN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: hosts "Symbols of Spring and the Seder." $4, free for members. 3 pm to 4:30 pm. 145 Brooklyn Ave. (718) 735-4400.

SUN MARCH 16: PUPPETWORKS: "The Wizard of Oz." 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. See Sat., April 15.

SUN MARCH 16: UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS: "Hip Hop Under the Big Top." 4 pm and 7 pm. See Sat., April 15.

SUN MARCH 16: SHORTS: Brooklyn Lyceum presents "An Evening of the World's Best Short Films." $10. 7 pm. 227 Fourth Ave. www.brooklynlyceum.com. (718) 857-4816.



 

STUFF AND THINGS

THE FIRST Park Slope Drinking Liberally of 2006 will meet on Wednesday, January 11 at 7:30 p.m. Share your stories of your holiday travels to the red states. Best story wins a pint. Commonwealth at 497 5th Avenue at 12th Street. The Park Slope chapter of Drinking Liberally meets the second Wednesday of every month

Tabla Rasa is an art gallery that profiles works of emerging, mid- career, and established artists of Brooklyn, New York, and the United States. Located in a turn of the century carriage house in industrial Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Tabla Rasa presents solo and group exhibitions in a wide range of styles, themes and media.Through February 4th, go see: Past and Present featuring work  by Lena Gurr, Park Slope resident Simon Dinnerstein, Joseph Biel, Gregory Frux, Sylvia Maier and others. 224 48th Street in Sunset Park. Open Friday and Saturday noon until 5 p.m.

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BAM ROSE CINEMA. KING KONG, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, THE PRODUCERS, FUN WITH DICK AND JANE, MEMOIRS OF THE GEISHA AT THE PAVILLION

SHHH. DON'T TELL ANYONE:  As part of NYC Restaurant Week from January 23-27 and January 30-February 3rd, YOU can a 3-course lunch at The River Cafe during restuarant week for $24.07. Dinner is $35.00.

1 Water St. (at Old Fulton St.)
718-522-5200
2, 3, 4, 5 Borough Hall. B25 at Old Fulton or Elizabeth

COOL STUFF on the BAM Spring Schedule...

VERY INTERESTING: So this year is the centennial of the publication of Sigmund Freud 's "The Interpretations of Dreams", a book that, like Darwin's Origin of the Species, revolutionized our understanding of human nature. In this work, Freud attempted to expound the methods and results of dream-interpretation and the Brooklyn Public Library is havig an discussion on Thursday January 12 at 2 p.m. led by a staff member. Second floor meeting room at the Central Library.

 

SCOOP DU JULY 28_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

  OTBKB SPECIALS:

HOT TIP THURSDAY: CONCERT: JJ Byrne Park hosts a concert series. Tonight: Buzz Universe plays an ecle ctic blend of rock, jazz, reggae, funk and groove. 6:30 pm. Fifth Avenue, between Third and Fourth streets. (718) 768-3195. Free. Bring a picnic and sit on the grass.

--Check out the OTBKB Store for "Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn" and "It's Only Natural" T-shirts. More designs coming soon.

CITY NEWS

HEAT WAVE/ Con Edison and the city’s Office of Emergency Management are asking Harlem residents to curtail usage of non-essential electrical appliances for the time being. Crews are working in the area to correct feeder cable problems. The affected areas are from the East River to the Hudson River between 110th and 115th streets, and along Harlem River Drive to West 163th Street. This evening's conditions come after a citywide request by Con Ed for everyone to conserve energy. The utility says so far there are no reported outages Wednesday. There were scattered outages in Brooklyn and Queens Tuesday, but Con Ed officials say all major power problems around the city have now been fixed. Con Ed reduced voltage to thousands of customers in northern Brooklyn while it repaired problems with three feeder cables. Temperatures rose into the mid-90s today, following two days of 90-degree temperatures so far this week. All New Yorkers are being asked to save power wherever possible by reducing air conditional use and turning off lights and televisions when not in use.

BROOKLYN BEAT

CAR CRASH IN CATSKILLS DANCE CAMP/ A Dodge Neon ferrying a group of young people from a dance camp along a rural highway in the Catskills veered into oncoming traffic shortly before noon yesterday and slammed into a dump truck, killing all six of the car's occupants instantly, the authorities said. The driver of the dump truck was slightly injured. Pieces of a mangled Dodge Neon were removed from the highway Wednesday in Mongaup Valley, N.Y., after it collided with a dump truck. Six people in the car were killed.The driver of a dump truck was slightly injured after his vehicle and a Dodge Neon collided yesterday in Mongaup Valley, N.Y., killing all six people in the car. The crash was near a Catskill vacation area for Hasidic families. "The only word you could use is horrific," said Stephen Lungen, the district attorney for Sullivan County. The car was being driven by a counselor from the Atlanta Dance Camp in South Fallsburg, N.Y., who was bringing the others to a nearby lake to go swimming, teenage counselors at the camp said last night. The camp is owned by a woman from Brooklyn, Anna Kapitannikova, whose 16-year-old son, Ilya, a dancer, was among the dead, they said. The small Neon, whose occupants ranged in age from 7 to 25, was "totally destroyed, totally torn apart," Mr. Lungen said.The accident occurred on State Route 17B, a two-lane highway with a 55-mile-per-hour speed limit, in Mongaup Valley, about five miles west of Monticello and about 80 miles northwest of New York City. Read more at the New York Times.

ATLANTIC RAIL YARDS/ The Metropolitan Transportation Authority was scheduled to announce who will win the rights to develop the Atlantic Rail Yards in Brooklyn today, but the agency instead gave the favored bidder more time to sweeten the deal. At an MTA board meeting Wednesday in Manhattan, instead of making a final decision between competing bids from Forest City Ratner and the Extell Corporation for the property, the agency announced it is entering into an exclusive 45-day negotiation period with developer Bruce Ratner to see if he will agree to pay more money to build his planned development over the rail yards. Ratner's plan calls for a sprawling commercial and residential development anchored by a new basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets. Ratner offered $50 million in cash for the development rights, in addition to other investments, while Extell offered $150 million in cash.The MTA has a mandate to get as much for the property as it can, and several board members said while they preferred the Ratner plan over Extell’s, his price was too low. “I think that the bid that we did get from Forest City, while complete and well thought out, frankly was not as high as I expected,” said MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow. “I expected the MTA to receive more money.”

On Thursday, the "Today" Show continued its series called "Christmas in July" at the Urban Assembly for Law & Justice High School in Brooklyn, New York. Principal Elana Karopkin has worked tirelessly to make this a strong academic environment for her 200 incoming students (9th and 10th grade) was thrilled to receive the donations,which ranged from furniture, school supplies, and other much-needed supplies for her 11 classrooms

HAPPENING/TODAY/THURS JULY 28:

Thursday July 28: STAY COOL at BAM Rose Cinema: Rize (PG-13) 85min. 2:30 (Fri-Sun only), 5, 7:15, 9:20pm. Me and You and Everyone We Know (R) 95min. 2:20 (Fri-Sun only), 4:40, 7:30, 9:40pm. March of the Penguins (G) 80min. 2:10 (Fri-Sun only), 4, 5:50, 7:40, 9:30pm

Thursday July 28: DANCE: Young Dancers in Repertory offers a free dance class for children ages 4 to 14. 10:30 am to 11:30 am. Sunset Park, 44th Street and Sixth Avenue. (718) 567-9620. Free.

Thursday July 28: R&B CONCERT: Metrotech Center hosts a summer music series. Today: Sharon Jones, "Queen of Funk." Noon to 2 pm. Jay Street entrance to Metrotech Center. (718) 636-4100. Free.

Thursday July 28: TRANSIT MUSEUM: Toddlers, ages 2 to 5, are invited to a session of transit stories, songs and a tour. $5, $3 children under age 17 and seniors. 1 pm. Schermerhorn Street and Boerum Place. (718) 694-1873.

Thursday July 28: BAMCINEMATEK: presents "After Vigo" series. Today: "Kes" (1969). $10, $7 students, $6 members. 4:30 pm, 6:50 pm and 9:30 pm. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

Thursday July 28: CONCERT: JJ Byrne Park hosts a concert series. Tonight: Buzz Universe plays an ecle ctic blend of rock, jazz, reggae, funk and groove. 6:30 pm. Fifth Avenue, between Third and Fourth streets. (718) 768-3195. Free.

Thursday July 28: STORIES IN THE GARDEN: Annual event hosted by The Hoyt Street Garden. Kids and parents invited. 7 pm. Atlantic Avenue and Hoyt Street. (718) 237-0145. Free.

Thursday July 28: TWILIGHT TOUR: Enjoy an evening stroll and cruise around the Prospect Park Lake. Boat ride on the electric boat Independence, followed by a guided exploration of the park's nature trails. $25. 7 pm to 9 pm. Enter park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue. Reservations needed. (718) 287-3400.

Thursday July 28: MUSIC: Freebird Books and Goods presents The Poison Lovers in a live music performance. 7 pm. 123 Columbia St. (718) 643-8484. Free.

Thursday July 28: SALSA BY THE SEA: 27th annual Seaside Summer Concert Series features La India, Wisin and Yandel. $5. 7:30 pm. Asser Levy Park, West Fifth Street and Surf Avenue. (718) 469-1912.

Thursday July 28: CELEBRATE BROOKLYN: Summer performing arts festival presents Milly Quezada in a merengue program. $3 suggested donation. 7:30 pm. Prospect Park band shell, Ninth Street and Prospect Park West. (718) 855-7882.

Thursday July 28: PLAY: The Sackett Group presents its premiere season as the resident company at the Brooklyn Music School Playhouse. Production is Tennessee Williams' "Suddenly Last Summer." $19. 8 pm. 126 St. Felix St. (212) 868-4444.

Thursday July 28: IMPACT THEATER: presents "The Institution," a comedy by Gerald Zipper. $15. 3 pm. 190 Underhill Ave. (718) 390-7163.

Thursday July 28: ART, BEER & MORE: New York Like a Native hosts a tour of Williamsburg. Visit several galleries and end at the Brooklyn Brewery. $16. 1:30 pm to 4 pm. Meet in front of the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, Broadway at Bedford. (718) 393-7537.

Thursday July 28: MOVIES WITH A VIEW: Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy hosts an outdoor film festival - displayed on a 2-story inflatable movie screen - with the theme of "water" in honor of the NY harbor. Tonight: "Dr. No." Music begins at 6 pm. Film begins at sunset. Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park. (718) 802-0603. Free.

Thursday July 28: PLAY BALL: Brooklyn Cyclones play against Hudson Valley. $5 general admission, $10 box seats. 7 pm. Surf Avenue and West 17th Street. (718) 507-TIXX.

Thursday July 28: BARGEMUSIC: Classical music concert features a program of Bach, Beethoven and Mussorgsky. $35. 7:30 pm. Fulton Ferry Landing, Old Fulton Street at the East River. (718) 624-2083.

Thursday July 28: OPERA: The Opera Company of Brooklyn will perform Pasatieri's "La Divina and Signor Deluso." $10 in advance, $15 at the door. 7:30 pm. Voorhees Theater at New York City College of Technology, 186 Jay St. (212) 567-3283.

THIS SOUNDS COOL/UPCOMING, ONGOING, MISC. EVENTS:

Through August 14: The play "Walk on Two Moons," based on the book by Sharon Creech, follows a girl on a road trip with her eccentric grandparents as she and her best friend tell stories about life back at home.The play is a production of Theatreworks/NYC, which provides theater tickets to children who cannot afford them; paid tickets benefit the organization's outreach programs. It is directed by Melissa Kievman, with music by Lucas Papaelias. Through Sunday, August 14, Monday and Friday, 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., Tuesday, 1 p.m., Wednesday, 7 p.m., Thursday, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday, 2 p.m., Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., between Bleecker and Grove streets, 212-279-4200, $35.

Through August 1: The Williamsburg gallery Pierogi 2000 presents its summer group show, with works on view by Dawn Clements, James Esber, Kim Kimball, and others.The latest edition of the gallery's biannual literary and arts journal, Pierogi Press, was edited by author Rick Moody. Through Monday, August 1, Thursday-Monday, noon-6 p.m., Pierogi 2000, 177 N. 9th St., between Driggs and Bedford avenues, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-599-2144, free

Mondays in August: SOUL MUSIC IN BROOKLYN The second installment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Concert series features crooners Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle (Monday). Upcoming concert highlights include the O'Jays (August 1), Hezekiah Walker (August 8), Chaka Kahn (August 15), and the Mighty Sparrow (August 22). Mondays through August 22, 7:30 p.m., Wingate Field, Winthrop Street between Brooklyn and Kingston avenues, Brooklyn, 718-469-1912, free.

Through August 13: My Brooklyn: The Winners. 4th Annual Photo and Essay Contest Brooklyn is both a geographical reality and an emotional landscape, enriched by the stories, memories and dreams of the 2.5 million people who live here, and the millions of others who've come before. It is a place that inspires profoundly personal feelings, and yet Brooklyn is also an experience we share. Central Library. Grand Army Plaza.

July 4-29: AFTER VIGO: A festival of films by and inspired by the great French filmmaker, Jean Vigo. When Jean Vigo died in 1934 at age 29, his legacy consisted of two shorts, one featurette, and one feature. Yet in the years since, a second legacy has blossomed; disciples of Jean Vigo—ranging from François Truffaut to Lindsay Anderson—have acknowledged and quoted from his work. In tribute to the centennial of Vigo’s birth, BAMcinématek presents the works of Vigo with a brief sampling of films inspired by or capturing the revolutionary and emotional spirit of his work.

At the BAMCafe: Listen Up, Brooklyn! Jul 8—30 From burlesque to Barbara Streisand drag to "dirty-gospel" to country western to salsa music. Spend July with the hometown kids, celebrating the amazingly diverse array of Brooklyn's native musical talent.

Thursdays in July and August: BLUES CONCERTS at the Old Stone House. Located in JJ Bryne Park. Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets.

NOTICE

Brooklyn Free School has a few openings still left for the 2005-2006 school year for children ages 5-15.  BFS is an independent, non-profit  democratic school that empowers students to become the key decisionmakers of their own learning and how their school is run. There are no standardized tests, homework, report cards, or mandated curriculum at the school.  It is the only program of its kind now operating in NYC. Here's what parents are saying about the school: "Before my 13 yr-old  son entered BFS, he was not reading at all.  Now he's not intimidated by reading and what's more, he's reading at an adult level." And:  "Before we came to this school it was a daily struggl to get my sons to go to school.  Now they wake me up to go."  If you're interested in learning more about the school or would like to arrange for a tour, reply to me at bklynfreeschool@msn.com.  Also, please take some time to visit the Brooklyn Free School webstie to get a better idea of the exciting community we're building. Alan Berger, Director

FYI:    

City pools are OPEN. The Parks Department offers free swimming lessons at many of the department's 53 pools. The pools will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day.For more information, call 311 or visit the city's website at www.nyc.gov.

7 BLASTS ON LONDON SUBWAY SYSTEM AND BUSES

 LONDON/ Bomb explosions tore through three London subway trains and a red double-decker bus in a deadly terror attack today, killing at least 37 people in coordinated rush hour carnage that left the city stunned, bloodied but stoic.

Explosions took at or around the subway stations at Edgware Road, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Russell Square, Aldgate East and Moorgate.

The near simultaneous explosions came a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics and as the G-8 summit was getting underway in Scotland.  Read more at the New York Times or the Guardian Unlimited.

For up-to-the-minute eyewitness accounts go to The Guardian Unlimited Newsblog.

SCOOP DU FRIDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

MTA WEEKEND SUBWAY ADVISORY: For detailed information about weekend service disruptions from the MTA, go here.

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CITY NEWS: The firefighter who admitted to hitting a colleague over the head with a chair during a brawl inside a Staten Island firehouse two years ago is being stripped of his job. Firefighter Michael Silvestri will be fired at the close of business Thursday. Silvestri is accused of hitting fellow firefighter Robert Walsh with the chair during a fight at a Staten Island firehouse on New Year's Eve 2003. Walsh suffered major head trauma. Silvestri's lawyers said he was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder relating to the September 11th attacks. Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta made the decision to fire Silvestri based on a recommendation by an Administrative Court judge earlier this month.

BROOKLYN BEAT:   Eleven construction workers have been hospitalized following a partial building collapse in Brooklyn Thursday afternoon. Fire Department officials say it happened at 103 Messerole Street in East Williamsburg shortly after 1 p.m. Crews were working on the second and third floors of the three-story building when its side walls started to give way. One construction worker says he heard the noise and ran for safety."I was in the back and they were upstairs, so I heard the noise over my head, and I didn't look to see what it was,” said the worker. “I started running because I started to feel things coming down on me, so I ran for my life."

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The city and the developer of the proposed arena for the New Jersey Nets want to bring more affordable housing to Brooklyn.
Developer Bruce Ratner announced Thursday he'll set aside half of the planned 4,500 housing units at the Atlantic Rail Yards, site of the proposed basketball arena, for low to moderate-income families. The Bloomberg administration worked with Forest City Ratner to increase the amount of financing provided to build larger buildings with more affordable units. “The affordable units will be made available to all Brooklyn residents, some of whom may even have been displaced by the market forces that led to the gentrification of this very neighborhood over the past 20 years,” said ACORN Executive Director Bertha Lewis. “It transforms a community that has been out of reach for all but the wealthiest New Yorkers." Forest City Ratner says it would like to start construction on the arena and housing units in September 2006. Opponents of the plan are calling for hearings before any construction takes place.

A fetus was found in a toilet in a first floor bathroom at Brooklyn's Methodist Hospital on Seventh Avenue on Wednesday night. A janitor made the discovery. So far no arrests have been made, but police are continuing to investigate

_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 FRIDAY:.

BAM and Oxford Health Plans offers a matinee movie series for seniors. Today, "Stormy Weather" (1943). 10 am. Brooklyn Academy of Music, Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4129. Free.

Metrotech Center hosts a concert on the Commons. Today: music with Bill Saxton Quartet. Noon to 2 pm. (718) 467-1527. Free.

Brooklyn Conservatory of Music presents New Music Collective, a performance featuring compositions by New York-based composers. $10. 7 pm. 58 Seventh Ave. (718) 622-3300.

Bargemusic: Classical music concert features a program of Scriabin, Medtner, Prokofiev and Rachmaninov. $35. 7:30 pm. Fulton Ferry Landing. (718) 624-2083.

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

Playing at BAM:
Kung Fu Hustle (R) 95min
Wed, May 18 & Thu, May 19 at 4:50, 9:20pm
Fri, May 20-Thu, May 26 at 9:20pm
Crash (R) 100min
2:10 (Fri-Sun only), 4:40, 7:10, 9:30pm
Brooklyn Exclusive!
Ladies In Lavender (PG-13) 105min
Wed, May 18 & Thu, May 19 at 4:30, 6:45, 9pm
Fri, May 20-Sun, May 22 at 2, 4:30, 7pm
Mon, May 23-Thu, May 26 at 4:30, 7pm
Brooklyn Exclusive!
À tout de suite (NR) 95min Opens Fri
Fri, May 20—Sun, May 22 at 2:20, 4:50, 6:50, 9:10pm
Mon, May 23—Thu, May 26 at 4:50, 6:50, 9:10pm

THE WEEKEND:.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.

AN EVENING OF VINTAGE HOME MOVIES  from the archives of JOAN VORDERBRUGGEN with live music by BRIAN DEWAN. Featuring touching and deliciously perverted family scenes such as: Guns and Kids (look at 'em go); Vapor Harmful (teenage gas huffin' late 70's); The Susie Reel (exploits from a milk crate of found footage of one affluent family spanning 30 years); Hollywood Hopeful and Dinner at Ate (soft core pornography super 8's stolen from a porn booth in San Francisco mid 70's); Americana (3 different found home movie standard 8's with soldiers, horse races, drinkin', women, babies from the 40's); Halloween Drinking Party (home movie mid 60's) Renaissance man Brian Dewan will provide an ongoing musical commentary aided by piano, toys and instruments as of yet not known to mankind. Sunday May 22nd at 9 p.m.

_Dance Africa, BAM's annual festival of African dance. Rhythmic Heritage: Going Full Circle. Artistic Director: Chuck Davis. Festival egins on May 27th.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: 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 – rain or shine – and escorted by police. Check-in begins at 8:00am the ride begins at 9:30 am. Local competitive cycling team, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, will be leading the riders out.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "Hecuba" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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 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

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir. Poetry at Fou Le Chakra (curated by Louise G. Crawford) May 26 at 8 p.m Marian Fontana, memoir: WIDOW'S WALK (Simon and Schuster) With humor, compassion and honesty, Fontana writes about life after her firefighter husband died in the twin towers, and fiction writer and essayist, Susan Karwoska, reads from her work in progress THE RIVER FROM NOTHING

HEAR/SAY:"Go ahead and bellyache about blogs. But you cannot afford to close your eyes to them, because they're simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself. And they're going to shake up just about every business -- including yours. It doesn't matter whether you're shipping paper clips, pork bellies, or videos of Britney in a bikini, blogs are a phenomenon that you cannot ignore, postpone, or delegate. Given the changes barreling down upon us, blogs are not a business elective. They're a prerequisite."

-Business Week

SCOOP DU TUESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

TIP: A little something from Inside Schools: High School Admissions 101: Parents eager to get a head start – a really early head start -- on high school admissions may want to attend information sessions for 6 th graders and their parents to be held this spring in every school district in the city. Check the calendar on the Department of Education website for dates and times. The rationale behind making this information available now to 6th graders, a full two years before they'll graduate from middle school, is that academic performance in the 7th grade is the deciding factor in what high school a child will attend, according to a DOE official."The most important thing that families can walk away with is the importance of 7th grade grades" and attendance, says Evaristo Jimenez, of the central Department of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations, which oversees high school admissions and is organizing the meetings. He described the sessions, led by officials from his office, as "informal conversations to let folks know what's available and become aware of all the options." With dozens of new schools opening, high school admission is more complicated than ever. To make it easier, the DOE has designed a colorful, simple pamphlet, Choosing a High Schools, covering the basics of high school admissions, is available at the sessions and at the 10 regional Learning Support Centers. It describes the types of high schools, includes a sample page from the high school directory, answers frequently asked questions and gives such common-sense advice as "attend the high school fairs" and "consult the High School Directory." There will be few surprises for those who have navigated the process in the last few years but neophytes or parents who went to New York City high schools themselves, or have older children who did, will find some changes.

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

_Last week, the city opened the design competition for a memorial for Flight 587, which crashed in the Rockaways.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  A memorial for Brooklyn victims of the World Trade Center attacks was officially dedicated in a ceremony Monday. "The Beacon," sits on the 69th Street Pier and Shore Road in Bay Ridge and has a view of Lower Manhattan. The 25-foot tall bronze memorial was actually installed on the pier on Wednesday. It's shaped like a speaking trumpet, a megaphone device once used by firefighters to warn people about fires. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the space, also known as the Veteran's Memorial Pier, is the perfect memorial location. “People have always come here for good times, and they have also come here for bad times,” said the mayor. “It was from here on the morning of 9/11 that hundreds gathered to watch one of the city’s most horrible tragedies unfold before their eyes. It was also used as an evacuation site for people from Lower Manhattan. For decades people looked at the Twin Towers from here as a symbol of strength and power, but that morning those buildings crumbled to the earth and we came to look at each other to find the true source of our strength and our power." The "Brooklyn Remembers” organization funded the project and chose the design from 45 entries. The winner was Brooklyn artist Robert Ressler, who added a special feature to the memorial for the 283 Brooklyn victims; he put lights on top of the trumpet. Similar to the annual Tribute in Lights, the Beacon's lights are smaller and more permanent.

_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 on Monday: "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 writes in Amy Langfield's New Yorkology: "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 TUESDAY: Fashion on Fulton: 14 Brooklyn designers showcase their fashions to benefit Brooklyn Community Housing and Services. Show includes designs seen in publications and on television shows. 6 pm. Call for ticket information. Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 625-4545.

Film Talk: Brooklyn Arts Council hosts a panel of filmmakers who discuss uses of cinematic technique in the fields of fine arts, education, politics, community development and more. 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Long Island University, Flatbush and DeKalb avenues. (718) 625-0080. Free.

Barnes and Boble: Discussion with Barbara La Rocca, author of "Coastal New York City," a Zagat-like sourcebook about fun by the water. 7 pm. 106 Court St. (718) 246-4996. Free.

Free Film Series: : Brooklyn Public Library concludes its "Dance on Camera" series with "Bomba." 7 pm. Grand Army Plaza. (718) 230-2100. Free.

Book Court presents Bill Gordon, author of "Mary After All." 7 pm. 163 Court St. (718) 875-3677. Free.

BAMCinematek: "Paul Robeson Speaks!" Today: "Sanders of the River. (1935). $10, $7 students, $6 members. 7:30 pm. Paul Robeson Jr. is guest speaker. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

Also at BAM: Sergio Leone festival May 13-22.  Plus a French film I loved: "Look at Me," and "Kung Fu Hustle," "Crash," and "Ladies in Lavender" with Dames Judy and Maggie.

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.

AN EVENING OF VINTAGE HOME MOVIES  from the archives of JOAN VORDERBRUGGEN with live music by BRIAN DEWAN. Featuring touching and deliciously perverted family scenes such as: Guns and Kids (look at 'em go); Vapor Harmful (teenage gas huffin' late 70's); The Susie Reel (exploits from a milk crate of found footage of one affluent family spanning 30 years); Hollywood Hopeful and Dinner at Ate (soft core pornography super 8's stolen from a porn booth in San Francisco mid 70's); Americana (3 different found home movie standard 8's with soldiers, horse races, drinkin', women, babies from the 40's); Halloween Drinking Party (home movie mid 60's) Renaissance man Brian Dewan will provide an ongoing musical commentary aided by piano, toys and instruments as of yet not known to mankind. Sunday May 22nd at 9 p.m.

_Dance Africa, BAM's annual festival of African dance. Rhythmic Heritage: Going Full Circle. Artistic Director: Chuck Davis. Festival egins on May 27th.

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 – rain or shine – and escorted by police. Check-in begins at 8:00am the ride begins at 9:30 am. Local competitive cycling team, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, will be leading the riders out.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "Hecuba" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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 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

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir. Poetry at Fou Le Chakra (curated by Louise G. Crawford) May 26 at 8 p.m Marian Fontana, memoir: WIDOW'S WALK (Simon and Schuster) With humor, compassion and honesty, Fontana writes about life after her firefighter husband died in the twin towers, and fiction writer and essayist, Susan Karwoska, reads from her work in progress THE RIVER FROM NOTHING 

WORTH TAKING A LOOK: 

SCOOP DU MONDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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 – rain or shine – and escorted by police. Check-in begins at 8:00am the ride begins at 9:30 am. Local competitive cycling team, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, will be leading the riders out.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "Hecuba" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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 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

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir. Poetry at Fou Le Chakra (curated by Louise G. Crawford) May 26 at 8 p.m Marian Fontana, memoir: WIDOW'S WALK (Simon and Schuster) With humor, compassion and honesty, Fontana writes about life after her firefighter husband died in the twin towers, and fiction writer and essayist, Susan Karwoska, reads from her work in progress THE RIVER FROM NOTHING 

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.

 

 

 

SCOOP DU SUNDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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 – rain or shine – and escorted by police. Check-in begins at 8:00am the ride begins at 9:30 am. Local competitive cycling team, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, will be leading the riders out.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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 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

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir. Poetry at Fou Le Chakra (curated by Louise G. Crawford) May 26 at 8 p.m Marian Fontana, memoir: WIDOW'S WALK (Simon and Schuster) With humor, compassion and honesty, Fontana writes about life after her firefighter husband died in the twin towers, and fiction writer and essayist, Susan Karwoska, reads from her work in progress THE RIVER FROM NOTHING 

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.

HERE/SAY:

SCOOP DU WEEKEND_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.

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  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 – as much as $$4.2 million a year, they say.

-City Council approves major makeover of North Brooklyn waterfront, clearing the way for rezoning of 175 blocks in  Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

_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.

THE WEEKEND: May 14-15 Park Slope Open Studio Tour. For locations go to bwac.org. DON"T MISS BERNETTE RUDOLPH's STUDIO ON 457 THIRD STREET BETWEEN 6th and 7th AVENUES.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy hosts "It's My Park Day." Volunteers are needed to help spruce up Brooklyn Bridge Park. 9 am to 3 pm. (718) 802-0603. Free.

_Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment hosts a Sustainable Brooklyn Bike Tour. Learn how residents of Brooklyn are using energy conservation techniques in their homes and workspaces. $11, $9 members, $8 seniors and students. 1 pm to 5 pm. Meet at corner of Jay and York streets. (718) 788-8500.

_Green-Wood Cemetery historian Jeff Richman leads a tour. $15, $10 members. 1 pm. Meet at main entrance, Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. (718) 768-7300.

_Mauricio Lorence leads a tour of historic sites of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. $26. 2 pm to 5 pm. Marriott Hotel, 333 Adams St. (718) 789-0430.

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

_Bargemusic: Classical music concert features a program of Haydn, Saint-Saens and Schumann. $35. 7:30 pm. Fulton Ferry Landing. (718) 624-2083.

_Grace Choral Society performs. $12, $10 seniors and students. 8 pm. Old First Reformed Church, Seventh Avenue at Carroll Street. (718) 707-1411.

_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.

_Plymouth Church presents "Our Voices Win Freedom," a concert with the NYC Gay Men's Chorus. $15. 8 pm. 75 Hicks St. (212) 242-1777.

_Brooklyn Arts Exchange presents Dance Performance Workshop, a year-end concert of students, ages 9 and up. $8, $5 students. 8 pm. 421 Fifth Ave. (718) 832-0018.

_Jazz Violinist, vocalist and composer Tia Imani Hanna performs. $15, $10 students and seniors. 7:30 pm. Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, 58 Seventh Ave. (718) 638-9648.

_Six Jewish spiritual storytellers tell their best tales. Refreshments served. Congregation B'nai Avraham of Brooklyn Heights, 117 Remsen St. Beginning at 9:30 pm. (718) 624-2452. Free.

_Cynthia King Dance Studio hosts a program of ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap and modern dances. $20. Call for time. Flatbush Tompkins Concert Hall, East 18th Street and Dorchester Road. (718) 437-0101.

_Aquarium hosts a hands-on program on the beach. Ages 9 to 12 welcome. $25, $20 members. 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Surf Avenue and West Eighth Street. (718) 265-FISH.

_Stories and Art presents "Inside/ Outside." $6, $3 seniors and students, free for children under 12. 11 am and 2 pm.. BMA 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 638-5000.

_Brooklyn Academy of Music hosts its Family Series with "Brooklyn Ballyhoo," a family music party with Dan Zanes. $12. 11 am and 2 pm. Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. (718) 636-4100.

_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.

_Abduction Prevention: Tiger Schulmann Karate offers an abduction prevention seminar for children. 3 pm to 4 pm. 8501 New Utrecht Ave. Call. (718) 234-8443.

_Brooklyn Public Library hosts a health fair featuring screenings, demos, exhibits, gifts and informative brochures covering a wide array of medical issues. 11 am to 5 pm. Grand Army Plaza. (718) 230-2100. Free.

_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.

_Brooklyn Arts Council hosts its 39th International Film and Video Festival. Today: films and videos by Brooklyn-based artists. 2 pm to 6 pm. 200 Eastern Parkway. Call for ticket info. (718) 625-0080.

_Organic Gardening: Floyd Bennett Gardening Association offers a workshop on good and bad bugs. 2 pm. Ryan Visitor Center, Floyd Bennett Field. (718) 645-9469. Free.

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

THIS SOUNDS COOL: 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 – rain or shine – and escorted by police. Check-in begins at 8:00am the ride begins at 9:30 am. Local competitive cycling team, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, will be leading the riders out.

_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.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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 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

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir. Poetry at Fou Le Chakra (curated by Louise G. Crawford) May 26 at 8 p.m Marian Fontana, memoir: WIDOW'S WALK (Simon and Schuster) With humor, compassion and honesty, Fontana writes about life after her firefighter husband died in the twin towers, and fiction writer and essayist, Susan Karwoska, reads from her work in progress THE RIVER FROM NOTHING 

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.

HERE/SAY:

SCOOP DU THURSDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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’s new president, and will unveil preliminary designs for the newly-designed Freedom Tower.The announcement comes tens days after the resignation of former LMDC president Kevin Rampe. Read more about it on NY1.

Investigators are still trying to locate a cyclist who was in the area at the time of the blast. According to a law enforcement source, the cyclist appeared on video surveillance tapes and is now considered a suspect in the case. Police are trying to enhance the surveillance tape in the hopes of identifying the rider. Two grenades exploded outside the building, located at 845 Third Avenue, last Thursday. The devices were described as "replica grenades," which are sold as novelty items that were stuffed with gunpowder and lit with a fuse. Read more about it on NY1.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  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.

_A teenager was stabbed by a classmate at a high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The 18-year-old victim was stabbed twice in the back and once in the arm at the ACORN High School for Social Justice. She is listed in stable condition at Kings County Hospital. Read more about it on NY1.

_ASPCA officers are looking for the person who set a dog on fire in Brooklyn earlier this week. The dog, a male named Snoop, is now being treated by veterinarians. The dog has third-degree burns on his back, head and ears.Snoop's owner brought the dog in on Tuesday. Animal Care and Control says the owner was using motor oil to treat him for a skin condition called "mange." The practice is something vets say not to do. Apparently Snoop was left alone in the hallway of an apartment building on Fountain Avenue and someone set him on fire. Read more about it on NY1.

_Wednesday morning, teachers at MS 51 and John Jay High School picketed for a new contract. United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has accused the Bloomberg administration and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein of refusing to negotiate a fair deal. She has called the Bloomberg administration “anti-teacher” and “anti-teacher union. "They are paid about 20 percent below what teachers just five minutes across the Nassau and Suffolk County border are paid and their class sizes are higher," said Weingarten. "They don't have the supplies, overcrowded buildings and things like that. So what the chancellor is basically doing is saying forget the fact the city has a $3.3 billion surplus. Forget the fact the courts have said that the state should give us $5 billion. We just need you to do more with less and our teachers are willing to do more with less, but they need to be treated fairly."

_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.

_The Brooklyn D.A.’s office is investigating a fatal shooting involving an off-duty police lieutenant. Byron Hearst was shot three times during a fight with Lieutenant Shamik Walton Sunday afternoon. Hearst was a tenant in a building on Macon Street owned by Walton, and a fight broke out when the lieutenant arrived to collect the rent. The officer's gun discharged during a struggle. Hearst died at St. Mary's Hospital, and Walton was treated for trauma. Read more about it on NY1.

IT'S THURSDAY: May 12 at 7:30. The East Windsor Terrace Group, is a community group that is protesting the recent sale of a Kensington Stables' building to make way for a high rise apartment building. The Baptist Church on 312 Coney Island Avenue, entrance on Caton Street

_Parent presentation on Teasing and Bullying, by Lori Evans, PS 321 mom and child psychologist from the NYU Child Study Center. Dr. Evans will speak about what you can do to help children when teasing and bullying occur, and what you can do as parents to support the school's efforts. Feel free to share methods you've used that have helped your children. Thursday May 12 at 8:30 am. PS 321 Auditorium.

_Thursday May 12th at 7:30 pm: D. Nurkse reads at the Community Bookstore on Seventh Avenue between Garfield and Carroll Streets. He is the author of eight books of poetry. His latest collection, Burnt Island, explores tragedy both grand and intimate, in city and country, in our own troubled moment and across the greater scope o geological time.  Arranged in three "suites" of lucid, often heart-wrenching verse, the book begins with a city under siege, in a group of poems that becomes a subtle homage to New York after 9/11 -- a metaphorical “burnt island."  The collection then takes up the journey of a couple starting again in nature at specific place called Burnt Island. Finally, in a charming and profound series of poems centered on marine ecology, he finds the infinite in the infinitesimally small, and offers, in sparkling, mysterious verses, the strange comfort that comes with observing the life of the ocean.

_May 10-12 at BAM: In honor of Susan Sontag (1933—2004), BAM presents a selection of films that invoke her various passions: cinema, world travels (Cuba, Vietnam, and Bosnia), writing (“On Photography,” “Regarding the Pain of Others,” and “Notes On Camp”) as well as her own iconic image. Thu, May 12 at 7:30pm. A selection of films in tribute to Sontag's travels to Cuba, Vietnam, and Bosnia, her appreciation for Godard and Marker, and her works “On Photography” and “Regarding the Pain of Others.”

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

THIS SOUNDS COOL: 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 – rain or shine – and escorted by police. Check-in begins at 8:00am the ride begins at 9:30 am. Local competitive cycling team, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, will be leading the riders out.

_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.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir. Poetry at Fou Le Chakra (curated by Louise G. Crawford) May 26 at 8 p.m Marian Fontana, memoir: WIDOW'S WALK (Simon and Schuster) With humor, compassion and honesty, Fontana writes about life after her firefighter husband died in the twin towers, and fiction writer and essayist, Susan Karwoska, reads from her work in progress THE RIVER FROM NOTHING 

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.

HERE/SAY:

April 15, 2005
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and all members of the City Council
c/o City Council President Gifford Miller

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,

My name is Jane Jacobs. I am a student of cities, interested in learning why some cities persist in prospering while others persistently decline; why some provide social environments that fulfill the dreams and hopes of ambitious and hardworking immigrants, but others cruelly disappoint the hopes of immigrant parents that they have found an improved life for their children. I am not a resident of New York although most of what I know about cities I learned in New York during the almost half-century of my life here after I arrived as an immigrant from an impoverished Pennsylvania coal mining town in 1934.

I am pleased and proud to say that dozens of cities, ranging in size from London to Riga in Latvia, have found the vibrant success and vitality of New York to demonstrate useful and helpful lessons for their cities—and have realized that failures in New York are worth study as needed cautions.

Let’s think first about revitalization successes; they are great and good teachers. They don’t result from gigantic plans and show-off projects, in New York or in other cities either. They build up gradually and authentically from diverse human communities; successful city revitalization builds itself on these community foundations, as the community-devised plan 197a does.

What the intelligently worked out plan devised by the community itself does not do is worth noticing. It does not destroy hundreds of manufacturing jobs, desperately needed by New York citizens and by the city’s stagnating and stunted manufacturing economy. The community’s plan does not cheat the future by neglecting to provide provisions for schools, daycare, recreational outdoor sports, and pleasant facilities for those things. The community’s plan does not promote new housing at the expense of both existing housing and imaginative and economical new shelter that residents can afford. The community’s plan does not violate the existing scale of the community, nor does it insult the visual and economic advantages of neighborhoods that are precisely of the kind that demonstrably attract artists and other live-work craftsmen, initiating spontaneous and self-organizing renewal. Indeed so much renewal so rapidly that the problem converts to how to make an undesirable neighborhood to an attractive one less rapidly.

Of course the community’s plan does not promote any of the vicious and destructive results mentioned. Why would it? Are the citizens of Greenpoint and Williamsburg vandals? Are they so inhumane they want to contrive the possibility of jobs for their neighbors and for the greater community?

Surely not.  But the proposal put before you by city staff is an ambush containing all those destructive consequences, packaged very sneakily with visually tiresome, unimaginative and imitative luxury project towers. How weird, and how sad, that New York, which has demonstrated successes enlightening to so much of the world, seems unable to learn lessons it needs for itself. I will make two predictions with utter confidence. 1. If you follow the community’s plan you will harvest a success. 2. If you follow the proposal before you today, you will maybe enrich a few heedless and ignorant developers, but at the cost of an ugly and intractable mistake. Even the presumed beneficiaries of this misuse of governmental powers, the developers and financiers of luxury towers, may not benefit; misused environments are not good long-term economic bets.

Come on, do the right thing. The community really does know best.

Sincerely,
Jane Jacobs

Thanks to Brooklyn Rail.for originally publishing this letter. They ran this editor's note alongside it. "Editor's Note: The following is a letter written by Jane Jacobs to Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council about the rezoning of the Williamsburg-Greenpoint waterfront. As modified during the May 2nd negotiations between the Bloomberg administration and the council’s Land Use Committee, the plan now calls for some industrial retention and makes nonbinding, incentive-based provisions for affordable housing. Jacobs’s key point about the contradiction between the rezoning and the goals of each community’s 197-A plan remains valid, however."

SCOOP DU WEDNESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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 Café, a new hangout in Windsor Terrace. Located at 1241 Prospect Ave. and Reeve Place, the café has dark wood floors, suede benches and copper-top tables. The takeout window, which opened last week, features, La Columbe coffees, Balthazar Boulangerie pastries and muffins from Two Little Red Hens, with lunch coming soon.

CITY NEWS: City teachers picket for new contract.

BROOKLYN BEAT: Wednesday morning, teachers at MS 51 and John Jay High School picketed for a new contract. United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has accused the Bloomberg administration and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein of refusing to negotiate a fair deal. She has called the Bloomberg administration “anti-teacher” and “anti-teacher union. "They are paid about 20 percent below what teachers just five minutes across the Nassau and Suffolk County border are paid and their class sizes are higher," said Weingarten. "They don't have the supplies, overcrowded buildings and things like that. So what the chancellor is basically doing is saying forget the fact the city has a $$3.3 billion surplus. Forget the fact the courts have said that the state should give us $$5 billion. We just need you to do more with less and our teachers are willing to do more with less, but they need to be treated fairly."

_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.

_The Brooklyn D.A.’s office is investigating a fatal shooting involving an off-duty police lieutenant. Byron Hearst was shot three times during a fight with Lieutenant Shamik Walton Sunday afternoon. Hearst was a tenant in a building on Macon Street owned by Walton, and a fight broke out when the lieutenant arrived to collect the rent. The officer's gun discharged during a struggle. Hearst died at St. Mary's Hospital, and Walton was treated for trauma.

_You can help name three baby porcupines. One was born March 3 at the Prospect Park Zoo, one March 6 at the Bronx Zoo and one April 7 at the Queens Zoo. You may vote all this week at www.wcs.org from among names selected by the Wildlife Conservation Society:

* For the Brooklyn baby: Brody, Needlemeyer, Pokey McQuills or Sean Pinn.
* For the Bronx baby: Cactus Jack, Dawn Imus, Dr. Prickles or Pickles.
* And for the Queens baby: Al Porcino, Cuddles, Little Goliath or Sticky Ricky

IT'S WEDNESDAY:  May 10-12 at BAM: In honor of Susan Sontag (1933—2004), BAM presents a selection of films that invoke her various passions: cinema, world travels (Cuba, Vietnam, and Bosnia), writing (“On Photography,” “Regarding the Pain of Others,” and “Notes On Camp”) as well as her own iconic image. The Devil Is A Woman (1935) 79min: Tue, May 10 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm, Close-Up (Nema-Ye Nazdik) (1989) 100min: Wed, May 11 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm  Thu, May 12 at 7:30pm. A selection of films in tribute to Sontag's travels to Cuba, Vietnam, and Bosnia, her appreciation for Godard and Marker, and her works “On Photography” and “Regarding the Pain of Others.”

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

<>

THIS SOUNDS COOL: 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 – rain or shine – and escorted by police. Check-in begins at 8:00am the ride begins at 9:30 am. Local competitive cycling team, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, will be leading the riders out.

_Parent presentation on Teasing and Bullying, by Lori Evans, PS 321 mom and child psychologist from the NYU Child Study Center. Dr. Evans will speak about what you can do to help children when teasing and bullying occur, and what you can do as parents to support the school's efforts. Feel free to share methods you've used that have helped your children. Thursday May 12 at 8:30 am. PS 321 Auditorium.

_Thursday May 12th at 7:30 pm: D. Nurkse reads at the Community Bookstore on Seventh Avenue between Garfield and Carroll Streets. He is the author of eight books of poetry. His latest collection, Burnt Island, explores tragedy both grand and intimate, in city and country, in our own troubled moment and across the greater scope o geological time.  Arranged in three "suites" of lucid, often heart-wrenching verse, the book begins with a city under siege, in a group of poems that becomes a subtle homage to New York after 9/11 -- a metaphorical “burnt island."  The collection then takes up the journey of a couple starting again in nature at specific place called Burnt Island. Finally, in a charming and profound series of poems centered on marine ecology, he finds the infinite in the infinitesimally small, and offers, in sparkling, mysterious verses, the strange comfort that comes with observing the life of the ocean.

_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.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir. Poetry at Fou Le Chakra (curated by Louise G. Crawford) May 26 at 8 p.m Marian Fontana, memoir: WIDOW'S WALK (Simon and Schuster) With humor, compassion and honesty, Fontana writes about life after her firefighter husband died in the twin towers, and fiction writer and essayist, Susan Karwoska, reads from her work in progress THE RIVER FROM NOTHING 

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.

HERE/SAY:

SCOOP DU TUESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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 Café, a new hangout in Windsor Terrace. Located at 1241 Prospect Ave. and Reeve Place, the café has dark wood floors, suede benches and copper-top tables. The takeout window, which opened last week, features, La Columbe coffees, Balthazar Boulangerie pastries and muffins from Two Little Red Hens, with lunch coming soon.

CITY NEWS:  FDNY Chief of Department, Pete Hayden, a 36-year veteran who commanded the emergency response to the World Trade Center attack, dubbed the city’s new emergency protocol “a recipe for disaster” reiterated his position in testimony before the City Council Monday afternoon.  was subpoenaed by the Council, after members accused Mayor Michael Bloomberg of trying to stop him from testifying. Hayden has been very critical of the new rules, which outline which city agency takes the lead in which type of emergencies, including putting the NYPD, not the FDNY, in charge in the event of a chemical or biological terrorist attack. He has said the plan won't make the city any more prepared for an attack than it was on September 11, 2001.

_New York may raise age for buying cigarettes to 19.

_ The Taxi and Limousine Commission says its looking to add new technology to yellow cabs that would include credit and debit card readers to accept fares. A TLC spokesperson said the system could also include vehicle locators, video screens so passengers could follow their trips and two-way text messaging. The TLC is taking bids through June 10, with an eye toward installing the new technology this fall.                             

BROOKLYN BEAT: A mentally ill man was killed in fire caused by a cigarette in Brooklyn Manor Home for adults, a residence for the mentally ill. The home was on a "Do Not Refer" list because of inhumane conditions and filth. Mentally ill adults are still sent there from various city hospitals.

_ You can help name three baby porcupines. One was born March 3 at the Prospect Park Zoo, one March 6 at the Bronx Zoo and one April 7 at the Queens Zoo. You may vote all this week at www.wcs.org from among names selected by the Wildlife Conservation Society:
* For the Brooklyn baby: Brody, Needlemeyer, Pokey McQuills or Sean Pinn.
* For the Bronx baby: Cactus Jack, Dawn Imus, Dr. Prickles or Pickles.
* And for the Queens baby: Al Porcino, Cuddles, Little Goliath or Sticky Ricky

_Straight from the New York Post: Park Slope dog owners are growling about the closing of three small parks in their area used for decades as unofficial dog runs. The three fenced-in parks, near 18th Street along the Prospect Expressway, aren't official dog runs — but for years, pups ran leash-free there. About two weeks ago, the gates to all three parks were locked and the Parks Department put up signs saying, "Horticultural garden coming spring 2005. Please keep out." The parks are being reseeded and planted by volunteers from nearby JHS 88, said a Parks Department spokesman. The parks reopen in June, and although a "no dogs allowed" sign is up at one park, the city says leashed dogs should be welcome in the other two.

_A 20-year-old woman was in critical condition Saturday after she survived a jump off of the Brooklyn Bridge. Just minutes before, the woman had debated jumping off the -Manhattan Bridge just to the north, authorities said. One worker saw her toss her backpack onto the train tracks at 8:20 a.m. and called police. The NYPD shut down the bridge to rail and car traffic for about an hour and a half until the bag was X-rayed and found to contain only clothing and some photographs, police said. After jumping from the Brooklyn Bridge, the victim, whose name was not released, was fished out of the East River and taken to Long Island College Hospital. She was described by authorities as being white with curly brown hair and wearing a sweat suit. Her brother was notified.

_A woman was charged in the murder of her brother the discovery Thursday of two plastic bags filled with what appeared to be body parts along railroad tracks in Brooklyn near Ocean Avenue between Avenues H and I in Flatbush Thursday afternoon. The New York Post reports it's believed to be the body of a man who was diagnosed as a schizophrenic as a child. He recently took off from a mental health facility in East New York.

IT'S TUESDAY:  Tuesday May 10th at 5:30 pm. District 15 Middle School Forum. Help improve the process for child's future. MS 88, 544 7th Ave, corner of 19th St. Hear from City Councilmembers Bill de Blasio, David Yassky and Sara Gonzales. Co-sponsored by the UFT and the District 15 Community Education Council. For more information, or to RSVP, call Fran or Bob (UFT) at 718-722-6900 or Mary Powell (CEC) at 718-9354267.

PUBLIC MEETING: Coney Island Development Corporation hosts a meeting to solicit input and ideas for Coney Island. 7 pm. United Community Baptist Church, 2701 Mermaid Ave. (212) 312-4233.

May 10-12 at BAM: In honor of Susan Sontag (1933—2004), BAM presents a selection of films that invoke her various passions: cinema, world travels (Cuba, Vietnam, and Bosnia), writing (“On Photography,” “Regarding the Pain of Others,” and “Notes On Camp”) as well as her own iconic image. Tonight: The Devil Is A Woman (1935) 79min: Tue, May 10 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm,

7:30 at Barbes. Ninth Street near Sixth Avenue: "A punky five-piece string band, the Luminescent Orchestrii plays renditions of Appalachian and Gypsy tunes that run from lively and infectious to deeply melancholy. Its original compositions and varied interpretations of traditional melodies are like tiny, richly arranged musical adventures."

- Time Out NYCredit Repair: CAMBA Small Business Services hosts a talk on money management and credit. Learn budgeting tips, how to invest money and how to improve credit ratings. 10 am to 5 pm. 1720 Church Ave. Pre-registration necessary. (718) 287-2600. Free.

_Brooklyn Women's Services offers an osteoporosis screening for women ages 45 and over. 2 pm to 7 pm. 9201 Fourth Ave. (718) 748-1234. Free.

_Pratt Area Community Council offers the talk "Your Credit, What Are Banks Looking For?" 6:30 pm. 966 Fulton St. (718) 783-3549. Free.

BookCourt presents Josh Neufeld, illustrator for Harvey Pekar, and author of the graphic novel "A Few Perfect Hours." 7 pm. 163 Court St. (718) 875-3677. Free.

_Park Slope Greens sponsor the forum "Our Ailing Health Care System: It Doesn't Have to Be That Way." 7 pm. 1 Prospect Park West. (718) 369-2998. Free.

THIS SOUNDS COOL:  May 10-12 at BAM: In honor of Susan Sontag (1933—2004), BAM presents a selection of films that invoke her various passions: cinema, world travels (Cuba, Vietnam, and Bosnia), writing (“On Photography,” “Regarding the Pain of Others,” and “Notes On Camp”) as well as her own iconic image. The Devil Is A Woman (1935) 79min: Tue, May 10 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm, Close-Up (Nema-Ye Nazdik) (1989) 100min: Wed, May 11 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm  Thu, May 12 at 7:30pm. A selection of films in tribute to Sontag's travels to Cuba, Vietnam, and Bosnia, her appreciation for Godard and Marker, and her works “On Photography” and “Regarding the Pain of Others.”

_Parent presentation on Teasing and Bullying, by Lori Evans, PS 321 mom and child psychologist from the NYU Child Study Center. Dr. Evans will speak about what you can do to help children when teasing and bullying occur, and what you can do as parents to support the school's efforts. Feel free to share methods you've used that have helped your children. Thursday May 12 at 8:30 am. PS 321 Auditorium.

_Thursday May 12th at 7:30 pm: D. Nurkse reads at the Community Bookstore on Seventh Avenue between Garfield and Carroll Streets. He is the author of eight books of poetry. His latest collection, Burnt Island, explores tragedy both grand and intimate, in city and country, in our own troubled moment and across the greater scope o geological time.  Arranged in three "suites" of lucid, often heart-wrenching verse, the book begins with a city under siege, in a group of poems that becomes a subtle homage to New York after 9/11 -- a metaphorical “burnt island."  The collection then takes up the journey of a couple starting again in nature at specific place called Burnt Island. Finally, in a charming and profound series of poems centered on marine ecology, he finds the infinite in the infinitesimally small, and offers, in sparkling, mysterious verses, the strange comfort that comes with observing the life of the ocean.

_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.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir. Poetry at Fou Le Chakra (curated by Louise G. Crawford) May 26 at 8 p.m Marian Fontana, memoir: WIDOW'S WALK (Simon and Schuster) With humor, compassion and honesty, Fontana writes about life after her firefighter husband died in the twin towers, and fiction writer and essayist, Susan Karwoska, reads from her work in progress THE RIVER FROM NOTHING 

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.

HERE/SAY:

“I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.”
-Joan Didion


 

SCOOP DU WEEKEND_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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 Café, a new hangout in Windsor Terrace. Located at 1241 Prospect Ave. and Reeve Place, the café has dark wood floors, suede benches and copper-top tables. The takeout window, which opened last week, features, La Columbe coffees, Balthazar Boulangerie pastries and muffins from Two Little Red Hens, with lunch coming soon.

CITY NEWS: AND BIG NEWS FOR F-TRAIN RIDERS. In Saturday's New York Times: "One of the quirks of the New York City subway system can be found at the southern end of the Bleecker Street station, on the No. 6 line, in NoHO. There passengers on the downtown platform walk down a steep staircase that takes them to the B, D, F and V lines at Broadway-Lafayette Street. But the northbound rider who wants to do the same can forget it: No similar transfer exists on the uptown platform. This awkward configuration - known as a one-way transfer - is unique among the 468 stations in the system. It is one legacy of the fierce, often irrational competition that existed before the consolidation of the city's three subway companies in 1940/ Now, nearly half a century after the first transfer between Bleecker Street and Broadway-Lafayette was built, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority finally plans to construct the second one. Tucked into the capital program approved by the authority last week were three projects: $9.2 million to rehabilitate the Bleecker Street station, $31.9 million to build a second transfer to the Broadway-Lafayette Street station and $8.9 million to make both stations accessible to the disabled. The $50 million effort could transform the morning commutes of residents of southern Brooklyn - many of whom switch trains at Jay Street-Borough Hall or Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street in Brooklyn to eventually reach East Side destinations. Riders of the F line are likely to be the leading users of the planned transfer, but "there are people throughout southern Brooklyn, as well as the Lower East Side and throughout Manhattan, who are going to benefit," said Peter G. Cafiero, the senior director of rail service planning at New York City."

_Governor Pataki says that the Freedom Tower re-design will be based on Daniel Liebeskind's site plan.

_Taxi League pushing to institute flat fairs to and from NYC airports.

BROOKLYN BEAT:   A 20-year-old woman was in critical condition yesterday after she survived a jump off of the Brooklyn Bridge. Just minutes before, the woman had debated jumping off the Manhattan Bridge just to the north, authorities said. One worker saw her toss her backpack onto the train tracks at 8:20 a.m. and called police. The NYPD shut down the bridge to rail and car traffic for about an hour and a half until the bag was X-rayed and found to contain only clothing and some photographs, police said. After jumping from the Brooklyn Bridge, the victim, whose name was not released, was fished out of the East River and taken to Long Island College Hospital. She was described by authorities as being white with curly brown hair and wearing a sweat suit. Her brother was notified.

_A woman was charged in the murder of her brother the discovery Thursday of two plastic bags filled with what appeared to be body parts along railroad tracks in Brooklyn near Ocean Avenue between Avenues H and I in Flatbush Thursday afternoon. The New York Post reports it's believed to be the body of a man who was diagnosed as a schizophrenic as a child. He recently took off from a mental health facility in East New York.

_A local health care union is hoping a $10,000 reward will help police find the killer of a union director. Brooklyn Heights  resident Jan Stackhouse, 52, was found dead in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on May 1st. She was a director in the membership and dues department for Local 1199. Investigators say Stackhouse was visiting friends in Stockbridge when she went for a walk and never returned. Anyone with information about the case should contact the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit at (413) 499-1112. Read more about it on NY1.

IT'S SUNDAY: BklynDesigns. May 6-8th. New juried exhibition of the best contemporary furniture, lighting, linens, rugs and decorative accesories made in Brooklyn. St. Ann's Warehouse. 37 Main Street. Dumbo Brooklyn. Check out the BKLYNDesigns website for details and schedule.

5-Boro Bike Tour: Bike New York and NYC Department of Transportation host the largest bike tour in the US. 30,000 riders journey 42 miles. 8 am to 5 pm. Register online at www.bikenewyork.org or call (212) 932-BIKE.

Celebrate Mother's Day with events in the community gardens of Park Slope. Morning yoga at 10 am in the Brooklyn Bear's Garden (Pacific Street and Flatbush Avenue); tai chi at 11 am in the Warren Street/ St. Mark's Garden (between Fourth and Fifth avenues); restorative movement meditations at 1 pm in the President Street Garden (President Street and Fifth Avenue). More. www.spokethehub.org. (718) 408-3234. Free.

Yiddish for Beginners: Congregation B'nai Jacob offers a 10-week course. $100. 7:30 pm to 9 pm. 401 Ninth St. (212) 206-6063.

 Spoke the Hub's Local Produce Festival is this weekend. Check out Check out Spoke the Hub's Website for information and schedule of all the events.

Songs of the Sufi Brotherhood, a musical event  at BAM May 6-7. For details check here.

BAMCinematek presents a series of recent Finnish films. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

_Tickets for the new season of the Brooklyn Cyclones went on sale Sunday. Opening day at Keyspan Park is June 21, when the Mets affiliate face their minor league rivals, the Staten Island Yankees. For single game tickets, call (718) 507-TIXX or swing by the ballpark in Coney Island.

_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.

_Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. (BWAC) Spring Art Show runs weekends from May 7 through June 18, noon to 6 p.m. $4 donation. Warehouse on the Pier, 499 Van Brunt St. For more information, call (718) 596-2507 or check the above site.

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

THIS SOUNDS COOL: May 10th at 5:30 pm. District 15 Middle School Forum. Help improve the process for child's future. MS 88, 544 7th Ave, corner of 19th St. Hear from City Councilmembers Bill de Blasio, David Yassky and Sara Gonzales. Co-sponsored by the UFT and the District 15 Community Education Council. For more information, or to RSVP, call Fran or Bob (UFT) at 718-722-6900 or Mary Powell (CEC) at 718-9354267.

_Parent presentation on Teasing and Bullying, by Lori Evans, PS 321 mom and child psychologist from the NYU Child Study Center. Dr. Evans will speak about what you can do to help children when teasing and bullying occur, and what you can do as parents to support the school's efforts. Feel free to share methods you've used that have helped your children. Thursday May 12 at 8:30 am. PS 321 Auditorium.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_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.

HERE/SAY:
 Grown don't mean nothing to a mother.  A child is a child.  They get bigger, older, but grown?  What's that suppose to mean?  In my heart it don't mean a thing.  ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987
   

 

SCOOP DU FRIDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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 Café, a new hangout in Windsor Terrace. Located at 1241 Prospect Ave. and Reeve Place, the café has dark wood floors, suede benches and copper-top tables. The takeout window, which opened last week, features, La Columbe coffees, Balthazar Boulangerie pastries and muffins from Two Little Red Hens, with lunch coming soon.

CITY NEWS: Early Thursday morning, there was a small blast outside the British Consulate at 845 Third Avenue at 51st Street. Two small bombs, make-shift grenades filled with gunpowder, exploded at the consulate on 52nd Street. The NYPD has no motive and no suspects. The building where the explosion took place houses the British Consulate.  However, it's not clear that the consulate was the target. "Other occupants of the building have attracted controversy in the past, the police said. One recent protest, for example, concerned Israeli policy on Palestinians, and was directed at an official of the Caterpillar Corporation there, since the Israeli Army uses special Caterpillar bulldozers."   Police are looking for a jogger, a bicyclist and a cab driver who may have witnessed the blast. Read more about it on the New York Times.

_Governor Pataki has ordered that the Freedom Tower, the centerpiece of the Childs/Liebeskind design for lower Manhattan, must be completely re-designed due to security concerns. Back to the drawing board. And no spire!

 BROOKLYN BEAT:   Police locked down two schools in Brooklyn Thursday after one student was shot and another was stabbed several blocks away.
The incident happened around 1:30 in the afternoon on Macdonald Avenue near Avenue T. Investigators say the shooting stemmed from a major fight involving two groups of students. “A 12-year-old was stabbed perhaps as much as six times, and a 16-year-old was shot,” said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. “I don't have more specifics and I don’t know what the motive was, but there was a large fight and I believe it had some connection to Cinco de Mayo.”The two boys were taken to Lutheran Hospital in serious condition.Police haven't said what school the boys attended, but Department of Education sources tell NY1 I.S.228 and P.S. 215 were in lockdown until school ended for the day. Read more about it on NY1.

_A local health care union is hoping a $10,000 reward will help police find the killer of a union director. Brooklyn Heights  resident Jan Stackhouse, 52, was found dead in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on May 1st. She was a director in the membership and dues department for Local 1199. Investigators say Stackhouse was visiting friends in Stockbridge when she went for a walk and never returned. Anyone with information about the case should contact the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit at (413) 499-1112. Read more about it on NY1.

_The victim of a 50-year-old murder was exhumed Wednesday, in part because of a documentary made by a Brooklyn filmmaker. Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was kidnapped, tortured and beaten to death in Mississippi back in 1955, all because he whistled at a white woman. An all-white jury acquitted two white men accused in the murder. Both men are now dead, but officials say others could still be prosecuted. Federal authorities re-opened the case last year after some new information came to light in a documentary by Keith Beauchamp. The FBI says an autopsy was never done on Till and will be performed within weeks. Read more about it on NY1.

_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. Read more about it on NY1.

<>

IT'S FRIDAY: BKLYNDesigns. May 6-8th. New juried exhibition of the best contemporary furniture, lighting, linens, rugs and decorative accesories made in Brooklyn. St. Ann's Warehouse. 37 Main Street. Dumbo Brooklyn. Check out the BKLYNDesigns website for details and schedule.

Spoke the Hub's Local Produce Festival is this weekend. Check out Check out Spoke the Hub's Website for information and schedule of all the events.

Songs of the Sufi Brotherhood, a musical event  at BAM May 6-7. For details check here.

BAMCinematek presents a series of recent Finnish films. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

_Tickets for the new season of the Brooklyn Cyclones went on sale Sunday. Opening day at Keyspan Park is June 21, when the Mets affiliate face their minor league rivals, the Staten Island Yankees. For single game tickets, call (718) 507-TIXX or swing by the ballpark in Coney Island.

_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.

 

THIS WEEKEND: First Saturday.  Brooklyn Museum hosts its monthly event featuring art and entertainment. On Saturday, music and dance from South India by Sridhar Shanmugam. Also, tours of the "Basquiat" exhibit. Haitian-American violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain performs at 6 pm. Japanese nature scroll art class from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Film "Downtown 81" (1981). 7 pm. Dance party at 9 pm. More. 5 pm to 11 pm. 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 638-5000. Free.

_Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. (BWAC) Spring Art Show runs weekends from May 7 through June 18, noon to 6 p.m. $4 donation. Warehouse on the Pier, 499 Van Brunt St. For more information, call (718) 596-2507 or check the above site.

Block Party on Union Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues. Also, stoop sales. Saturday. 10 am to 9 pm. (718) 408-3234.

Boat Tour sponsored by the Brooklyn Historical Society hosts a tour, "Brooklyn's Working Waterfront." $20, $18 members, $12 children of members ages 12 and younger. Saturday. 11:05 am at Fulton Ferry Landing. (718) 222-4111.

House and Garden Tour in Brooklyn Heights. The Brooklyn Heights Association hosts its annual self-guided event. Five townhouse interiors are open to the public. $30. Saturday. 1 pm to 5 pm. 128 Pierrepont St. (718) 858-9193.

Green-Wood's Women:  Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment takes a tour of Green-Wood Cemetery. Learn about the colorful and influential women buried there. Saturday.1 pm to 3:30 pm. $11, $9 members, $8 seniors and students. Meet at Gothic Archway inside the entrance at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. (718) 788-8500.

First Weekend: Brooklyn Arts Exchange presents a new performance and discussion series. Performers include Kimberly Brandt, Hungerarts and The Roosters. $15, $10 members, $8 low-income. Saturday. 7 pm. 421 Fifth Ave. (718) 832-0018.

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.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: May 10th at 5:30 pm. District 15 Middle School Forum. Help improve the process for child's future. MS 88, 544 7th Ave, corner of 19th St. Hear from City Councilmembers Bill de Blasio, David Yassky and Sara Gonzales. Co-sponsored by the UFT and the District 15 Community Education Council. For more information, or to RSVP, call Fran or Bob (UFT) at 718-722-6900 or Mary Powell (CEC) at 718-9354267.

_Parent presentation on Teasing and Bullying, by Lori Evans, PS 321 mom and child psychologist from the NYU Child Study Center. Dr. Evans will speak about what you can do to help children when teasing and bullying occur, and what you can do as parents to support the school's efforts. Feel free to share methods you've used that have helped your children. Thursday May 12 at 8:30 am. PS 321 Auditorium.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

 

_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: 

"This song is just a reminder to remind your fellow man
That this kind of thing still lives today in that ghost-robed Ku Klux Klan.
But if all of us folks that thinks alike, if we gave all we could give,
We could make this great land of ours a greater place to live."

The Ballad of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan, 1963

 

SCOOP DU THURSDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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. “We've been stagnant for so many years,” Councilman Domenic Recchia told New York 1. “The people who owned property never did anything with their property, but now developers are coming in and purchasing the property for top dollar. And they are willing and ready to develop the property. But they want to work with the community. They want to make sure everyone is together on this plan.” A final plan is expected to be released this summer. Read more about it on NY1.

_An entire side of a neglected and vacant building collapsed onto a bodega in a Ft. Greene bodega killing a 23 year old, Crystal Stoudmire,  a home health aide, and injuring five.

IT'S THURSDAY: The Cherry Blossoms are really in bloom AND SO ARE THE LILACS AND THE TULIPS. YOU ABSOLUTELY  MUST GET OVER THERE. Don't forget your antihistamine if you have allergies.

TONIGHT: Leave Out Violence (U.S.) is having a fund-raising auction featuring photographic work by Hugh Crawford, Phil Stern, William Wegman, Jan Staller, and others. Cinco de Mayo Spring Festival and Art Auction: Thursday May 5th 2005
6:00- 8:00 PM. Cocktails and Heavy Hors D'oeuvres b & Co. and Zyr Vodka. At Harry's Loft 29 East 19th Street LOVE invites you to meet the young remarkable people of LOVE and see the creative works that have transformed their lives. Also featured for auction will be the works of 75 renowned celebrity, fashion, reportage, portraits, still life and travel photographers such as Phil Stern, William Wegman, Phil Toledano and Jan Staller.$150/ticket or $175 at the door. Please send payment to: LOVE-U.S.200 Lexington Ave. suite 418, New York, NY 10016 Or call Barbara Goldstein for more information and credit card purchases. 212-725-0091. LOVE works on many levels: First youth learn how to express feelings of violence through creativity. Instead of resorting to fighting they use a camera and a pencil to lash out and release their feelings. Photojournalism and writing become their tools of communication. A profound change happens when the youth reali.ze their voice is important. Go here for more information about Leave Out the ViolencE.

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens hosts its annual plant sale. BBG experts on hand to answer questions and help with selection. Admission $5, $3 seniors. 9 am to 5 pm on Wednesday. 1000 Washington Ave. (718) 623-7220.

_BAMCinematek presents a series of recent Finnish films. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

_Tickets for the new season of the Brooklyn Cyclones went on sale Sunday. Opening day at Keyspan Park is June 21, when the Mets affiliate face their minor league rivals, the Staten Island Yankees. For single game tickets, call (718) 507-TIXX or swing by the ballpark in Coney Island.

_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.

 _Volunteer Fair: Learn about volunteer opportunities working with the elderly, the young, the homeless and the arts and the community for all ages. 6 pm to 8:30 pm on THURSDAY at Congregation Beth Elohim, Eighth Avenue and Garfield Place. (718) 788-7221. Free.

_Martha  Cooley and Amy Hempel at the Community Bookstore. Both writers read from recently released books, Martha from her second novel THE THIRTY- THREE SWOONS (Little, Brown) and Amy Hemple reads from her latest collection of short stories, THE DOG OF THE MARRIAGE (Scribner). Thursday May 5 at 7:00 pm

_Local Produce: Spoke the Hub hosts its 12th annual "Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts." Brooklyn composer Ethan Schlesser previews his family musical "It's All in Your Mind." Thursday 7 pm. Old First Reformed Church, Seventh Avenue and Carroll Street. (718) 408-3234. Free.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Spoke the Hub's Local Produce Festival is this weekend. Check out Check out Spoke the Hub's Website for information and schedule of all the events.

BKLYNDesigns. May 6-8th. New juried exhibition of the best contemporary furniture, lighting, linens, rugs and decorative accesories made in Brooklyn. St. Ann's Warehouse. 37 Main Street. Dumbo Brooklyn. Check out the BKLYNDesigns website for details and schedule.

First Saturday.  Brooklyn Museum hosts its monthly event featuring art and entertainment. On Saturday, music and dance from South India by Sridhar Shanmugam. Also, tours of the "Basquiat" exhibit. Haitian-American violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain performs at 6 pm. Japanese nature scroll art class from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Film "Downtown 81" (1981). 7 pm. Dance party at 9 pm. More. 5 pm to 11 pm. 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 638-5000. Free.

Songs of the Sufi Brotherhood, a musical event  at BAM May 6-7. For details check here.

_May 10th at 5:30 pm. District 15 Middle School Forum. Help improve the process for child's future. MS 88, 544 7th Ave, corner of 19th St. Hear from City Councilmembers Bill de Blasio, David Yassky and Sara Gonzales. Co-sponsored by the UFT and the District 15 Community Education Council. For more information, or to RSVP, call Fran or Bob (UFT) at 718-722-6900 or Mary Powell (CEC) at 718-9354267.

_Parent presentation on Teasing and Bullying, by Lori Evans, PS 321 mom and child psychologist from the NYU Child Study Center. Dr. Evans will speak about what you can do to help children when teasing and bullying occur, and what you can do as parents to support the school's efforts. Feel free to share methods you've used that have helped your children. Thursday May 12 at 8:30 am. PS 321 Auditorium.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. (BWAC) Spring Art Show runs weekends from May 7 through June 18, noon to 6 p.m. $4 donation. Warehouse on the Pier, 499 Van Brunt St. For more information, call (718) 596-2507 or check the above site.

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:

With every leaf a miracle . . . and from this bush in the door-yard,
  With delicate-colour'd blossoms, and heart-shaped leaves of rich green
    A sprig with its flower, I break.
      - Walt Whitman, When Lilacs Last in the Door-Yard Bloom'd
         (III, Leaves of Grass)

SCOOP DU WEDNESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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. “We've been stagnant for so many years,” Councilman Domenic Recchia told New York 1. “The people who owned property never did anything with their property, but now developers are coming in and purchasing the property for top dollar. And they are willing and ready to develop the property. But they want to work with the community. They want to make sure everyone is together on this plan.” A final plan is expected to be released this summer. Read more about it on NY1.

_An entire side of a neglected and vacant building collapsed onto a bodega in a Ft. Greene bodega killing one person and injuring six.

_The body of a Brooklyn Heights woman, Jan Stackhouse, 52, a director in the membership and dues department of 1199 Union was found on a dirt road in Stockbridge, Mass.

_Former Le Bernardin chef Aaron Bashy wants to be the P.J Clarke of Park Slope. His new casual Bar Minnow will feature oyster po’ boys, onions rings, lobster rolls, fish sandwiches and burgers. 449 Ninth Street at Seventh Avenue.

IT'S WEDNESDAY: The Cherry Blossoms are still in the Botanic Garden...

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens hosts its annual plant sale. BBG experts on hand to answer questions and help with selection. Admission $5, $3 seniors. 9 am to 7 pm on Wednesday. 1000 Washington Ave. (718) 623-7220.

Tonight join the Park Slope chapter of Drinking Liberally. DL started in Manhattan in 2003 and has grown to 69 communities around the country.  Park Slope DL started in February 2005. We meet the first Wednesday of every month at Commonwealth (12th Street and 5th Avenue) at 7 p.m.. Today, Wednesday, May 4, Mark Peters, candidate for Brooklyn DA will be joining us. Check out  Drinking Liberally For more information contact Emily Farri 917-548-8472 or emilyfarris@earthlink.net

_BAMCinematek presents a series of recent Finnish films. Today: "Eila" (2003). $10, $7 students, $6 members. 4:30 pm, 6:50 pm and 9:15 pm. Q & A with director Jarmo Lampela follows 6:50 pm screening. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

_Tickets for the new season of the Brooklyn Cyclones went on sale Sunday. Opening day at Keyspan Park is June 21, when the Mets affiliate face their minor league rivals, the Staten Island Yankees. For single game tickets, call (718) 507-TIXX or swing by the ballpark in Coney Island.

_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.

THIS SOUNDS COOL:

_Volunteer Fair: Learn about volunteer opportunities working with the elderly, the young, the homeless and the arts and the community for all ages. 6 pm to 8:30 pm on THURSDAY at Congregation Beth Elohim, Eighth Avenue and Garfield Place. (718) 788-7221. Free.

_Martha  Cooley and Amy Hempel at the Community Bookstore. Both writers read from recently released books, Martha from her second novel THE THIRTY- THREE SWOONS (Little, Brown) and Amy Hemple reads from her latest collection of short stories, THE DOG OF THE MARRIAGE (Scribner). Thursday May 5 at 7:00 pm

_Local Produce: Spoke the Hub hosts its 12th annual "Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts." Brooklyn composer Ethan Schlesser previews his family musical "It's All in Your Mind." Thursday 7 pm. Old First Reformed Church, Seventh Avenue and Carroll Street. (718) 408-3234. Free.

_Spoke the Hub's Local Produce Festival is this weekend. Check out Check out Spoke the Hub's Website for information and schedule of all the events.

BKLYNDesigns. May 6-8th. New juried exhibition of the best contemporary furniture, lighting, linens, rugs and decorative accesories made in Brooklyn. St. Ann's Warehouse. 37 Main Street. Dumbo Brooklyn. Check out the BKLYNDesigns website for details and schedule.

First Saturday.  Brooklyn Museum hosts its monthly event featuring art and entertainment. On Saturday, music and dance from South India by Sridhar Shanmugam. Also, tours of the "Basquiat" exhibit. Haitian-American violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain performs at 6 pm. Japanese nature scroll art class from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Film "Downtown 81" (1981). 7 pm. Dance party at 9 pm. More. 5 pm to 11 pm. 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 638-5000. Free.

Songs of the Sufi Brotherhood, a musical event  at BAM May 6-7. For details check here.

<>

_May 10th at 5:30 pm. District 15 Middle School Forum. Help improve the process for child's future. MS 88, 544 7th Ave, corner of 19th St. Hear from City Councilmembers Bill de Blasio, David Yassky and Sara Gonzales. Co-sponsored by the UFT and the District 15 Community Education Council. For more information, or to RSVP, call Fran or Bob (UFT) at 718-722-6900 or Mary Powell (CEC) at 718-9354267.

_Parent presentation on Teasing and Bullying, by Lori Evans, PS 321 mom and child psychologist from the NYU Child Study Center. Dr. Evans will speak about what you can do to help children when teasing and bullying occur, and what you can do as parents to support the school's efforts. Feel free to share methods you've used that have helped your children. Thursday May 12 at 8:30 am. PS 321 Auditorium.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it hasn't already.

_Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. (BWAC) Spring Art Show runs weekends from May 7 through June 18, noon to 6 p.m. $4 donation. Warehouse on the Pier, 499 Van Brunt St. For more information, call (718) 596-2507 or check the above site.

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:

Feelings Derived from the Park Slope of the 1980's

No matter how much my stomach turns,
No matter how much the earth turns,
Park Slope is not Brooklyn,
And the Beastie Boys are not Rappers,
And the sun exploding in the winter sky
Like John Coltrane playing the saxophone
With brilliance only left alive in my text
Based ears. I walk along 8th Avenue to
5th Street is always threatening to intersect
With 7th Avenue. 525 will be my next
Lottery number drawn as I walk up the steps
An old vinyl record turns with my father’s
Skinny wrists pretending to hold an Uzi,
Making machine gun noises. If I do not
Put the key in the door these Brownstone
Streets will gently be swallowed up by the
Sinai until the sand burns a hole in the
Ukranian jagged veins of my eye map
Blinking, my right retina trapped in
The sight of a suicidally depressed man who hates me
More than himself in a prison cell on Riker’s Island.

-Akiva Weitzelbaum

This week's Poet of the Week on Poetry Superhighway.

SCOOP DU TUESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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’s findings that the victims’ families waived their right to sue by accepting compensation from the federal government. The multimillion-dollar suit claimed that if firefighters had heard the radio command to evacuate the twin towers, they would hot have died. Motorola blames an overloaded communications network, not the radios, for the problems. Read more about it on NY1.

BROOKLYN BEAT: An entire side of a neglected and vacant building collapsed onto a bodega in a Ft. Greene bodega killing one person and injuring six.

_The body of a Brooklyn Heights woman, Jan Stackhouse, 52, a director in the membership and dues department of 1199 Union was found on a dirt road in Stockbridge, Mass.

_Former Le Bernardin chef Aaron Bashy wants to be the P.J Clarke of Park Slope. His new casual Bar Minnow will feature oyster po’ boys, onions rings, lobster rolls, fish sandwiches and burgers. 449 Ninth Street at Seventh Avenue.

IT'S TUESDAY: The Cherry Blossoms are still in the Botanic Gardens even if the festival isn't

_Readings on the 4th Floor at PS 107 presents writers Jhumpa Lahiri and Jonathan Safran Foer. $10. 7:30 pm. PS 107, 1301 Eighth Ave. (718) 783-3075.

BAMCinematek presents a series of recent Finnish films. Today: "Screaming Men" (2003). $10, $7 students, $6 members. 7:30 pm. Q & A with director Mika Ronkainen follows. 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

_Tickets for the new season of the Brooklyn Cyclones went on sale Sunday. Opening day at Keyspan Park is June 21, when the Mets affiliate face their minor league rivals, the Staten Island Yankees. For single game tickets, call (718) 507-TIXX or swing by the ballpark in Coney Island.

_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.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens hosts its annual plant sale. BBG experts on hand to answer questions and help with selection. Admission $5, $3 seniors. 9 am to 7 pm. 1000 Washington Ave. (718) 623-7220.

_Volunteer Fair: Learn about volunteer opportunities working with the elderly, the young, the homeless and the arts and the community. 6 pm to 8:30 pm on Wednesday. Congregation Beth Elohim, Eighth Avenue and Garfield Place. (718) 788-7221. Free.

<>

_Martha  Cooley and Amy Hempel at the Community Bookstore. Both writers read from recently released books, Martha from her second novel THE THIRTY- THREE SWOONS (Little, Brown) and Amy Hemple reads from her latest collection of short stories, THE DOG OF THE MARRIAGE (Scribner). Thursday May 5 at 7:00 pm

_Local Produce: Spoke the Hub hosts its 12th annual "Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts." Brooklyn composer Ethan Schlesser previews his family musical "It's All in Your Mind." Thursday 7 pm. Old First Reformed Church, Seventh Avenue and Carroll Street. (718) 408-3234. Free.

BKLYNDesigns. May 6-8th. New juried exhibition of the best contemporary furniture, lighting, linens, rugs and decorative accesories made in Brooklyn. St. Ann's Warehouse. 37 Main Street. Dumbo Brooklyn. Check out the BKLYNDesigns website for details and schedule.

First Saturday.  Brooklyn Museum hosts its monthly event featuring art and entertainment. On Saturday, music and dance from South India by Sridhar Shanmugam. Also, tours of the "Basquiat" exhibit. Haitian-American violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain performs at 6 pm. Japanese nature scroll art class from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Film "Downtown 81" (1981). 7 pm. Dance party at 9 pm. More. 5 pm to 11 pm. 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 638-5000. Free.

Songs of the Sufi Brotherhood, a musical event  at BAM May 6-7. For details check here.

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it's not already.

_Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. (BWAC) Spring Art Show runs weekends from May 7 through June 18, noon to 6 p.m. $4 donation. Warehouse on the Pier, 499 Van Brunt St. For more information, call (718) 596-2507 or check the above site.

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:

Feelings Derived from the Park Slope of the 1980's

No matter how much my stomach turns,
No matter how much the earth turns,
Park Slope is not Brooklyn,
And the Beastie Boys are not Rappers,
And the sun exploding in the winter sky
Like John Coltrane playing the saxophone
With brilliance only left alive in my text
Based ears. I walk along 8th Avenue to
5th Street is always threatening to intersect
With 7th Avenue. 525 will be my next
Lottery number drawn as I walk up the steps
An old vinyl record turns with my father’s
Skinny wrists pretending to hold an Uzi,
Making machine gun noises. If I do not
Put the key in the door these Brownstone
Streets will gently be swallowed up by the
Sinai until the sand burns a hole in the
Ukranian jagged veins of my eye map
Blinking, my right retina trapped in
The sight of a suicidally depressed man who hates me
More than himself in a prison cell on Riker’s Island.

-Akiva Weitzelbaum

This week's Poet of the Week on Poetry Superhighway.

SCOOP DU MONDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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. “We want to find out how many trees there are out there, what species they are, what their health is, what the composition of the urban forest is, and where we can plant new trees,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “We have new technology – hand-held computers and a new software program – which will enable us to do this a lot more efficiently.”

BROOKLYN BEAT:  This week a city council committee will decide whether to rezone the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Under the Bloomberg Administration plan, 175 blocks would be freed up for new uses, there would be 9000 new apartments, and new parks.

_Former Le Bernardin chef Aaron Bashy wants to be the P.J Clarke of Park Slope. His new casual Bar Minnow will feature oyster po’ boys, onions rings, lobste rolls, and fish sandwiches and hamburger. 449 Ninth Street at Seventh Avenue.

_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.'"

IT'S MONDAY: The Cherry Blossoms are still in the Botanic Gardens even if the festival isn't

_Tickets for the new season of the Brooklyn Cyclones went on sale Sunday. Opening day at Keyspan Park is June 21, when the Mets affiliate face their minor league rivals, the Staten Island Yankees. For single game tickets, call (718) 507-TIXX or swing by the ballpark in Coney Island.

_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.

Monday is Traveling Cinema Night at Barbes. Ninth Street near Sixth Avenue. Tonight's film is the Cuban, "One Way or Another" at 7 p.m.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum is Saturday May 7, 2005.

Songs of the Sufi Brotherhood, a musical event  at BAM May 6-7. For details check here.

Don't miss: Recent Finnish Film at the BAMCinematek.   May 3-8.  Has anyone noticed that the programming has improved at BAMCinematek?

_Vanessa Redgrave in "HECUBA" by Euripides at BAM this June. For BAM schedule and information check here soon because it's gonna sell out if it's not already.

_Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. (BWAC) Spring Art Show runs weekends from May 7 through June 18, noon to 6 p.m. $4 donation. Warehouse on the Pier, 499 Van Brunt St. For more information, call (718) 596-2507 or check the above site.

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. 

HERE/SAY:  "(Studio 54) is the place where my prediction from the sixties finally came ture: 'In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.' I'm bored with that line. I never use it anymore. My new line is, "In fifteen minutes everybody will be famous."
-Andy Warhol in "Exposures" (1979)

SCOOP DU SUNDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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. “We want to find out how many trees there are out there, what species they are, what their health is, what the composition of the urban forest is, and where we can plant new trees,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “We have new technology – hand-held computers and a new software program – which will enable us to do this a lot more efficiently.”

_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?

_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.

 BROOKLYN BEAT:  Next week, a city council committee will decide whether to rezone the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Under the Bloomberg Administration plan, 175 blocks would be freed up for new uses, there would be 9000 new apartments, and new parks.

Police arrest a 15-year old in deadly triple shooting in Sunset Park. Read more about it at NY 1.

_A rooster who kept Prospect Heights residents awake will be shipped to his new home on a Long Island farm. Animal Control came earlier this month, but the bird managed to evade capture for days. However, Animal Control finally caught up with him in Prospect Heights on Thursday. Read more about it at NY 1.

_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.

_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.'"

IT'S SUNDAY: Sakura Matsuri: The Cherry Blossom Festival in the Botanic Gardens is TODAY.

_Brooklyn Philharmonic presents "Uptown Downtown," a program inspired by the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat. $15, $10 for students and seniors. 3 pm. Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 488-5913.

_Luau Day at Urban Glass. Glassblowing workshops include making glass cups or flower paperweights. $50 per person. Reservations needed for workshops. Also, lampworking workshop and studio clearance sale. Noon to 5 pm. 647 Fulton St. (718) 625-3685.

_Ocularis at Galapagos Art Space presents selected shorts "Experimental and Grotesque." 7 pm to 9 pm. 70 North Sixth St. (718) 625-0080. Free.

_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.

_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.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum is Saturday May 7, 2005.

_Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) Spring Art Show runs weekends from May 7 through June 18, noon to 6 p.m. $4 donation. Warehouse on the Pier, 499 Van Brunt St. For more information, call (718) 596-2507 or visit www.bwac.org

_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.

HERE/SAY:
"Why does anyone think they can know what goes on in the dark, or in the light, between two people? They see us at parties, they see me with others, they see him, they see our separate ways, but they see nothing. No matter whose bed I am in or who squeezes my thigh under the table, or whose smoky joke I laught at it doesn't matter what part someone is touching I could toucch one single spot on my palm and Kurt appears."
-From AND SPEAKING OF LOVE (Aufbau-Verlag) by Pamela Katz

SCOOP DU FRIDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

SCOOP DU Wednesday_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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’t know if someone was cooking at the time. Jewish tradition prohibits the lighting of fires on the first days of the Passover holiday, so many families leave their stoves on.

_Crains New York Business finally got the story that everyone in the Slope seems to know all or part of. Here it is: Whole Foods is expanding to Brooklyn, with its first city store outside Manhattan. It intends to break ground on a parcel of land at Third Street and Third Avenue, and hopes to open an outlet in 2007.

_ "Bullets in the Hood: a Bed Stuy Story" directed by two Bed Stuy filmakers, is being shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. “We're trying to project the true horror of gun violence and to show people that hey through gun violence in our community we're losing best friends, mother, sisters, brothers,” says one of the directors, Daniel Howard. “We are trying to actually make change through film.”

IT'S WEDNESDAY: Jean-Luc Godard : Before and After the New Wave at At BamCinematek

Movement of Independent Hatians for National Reconstruction holds a talk entitled “Haiti: Empowerment, Liberty, Trust and Responsibility.” 6 p.m. Brooklyn Public Library Central branch, Grand Army Plaza

_Kane Street Synogogue offers a talk, “The New Encounter Between Judaism and Christianitiy.” 7:30 p.m. 236 Kane Street. Free.

_Reading and book signing with playwright Elizabeth Swados. 7:30 p.m. 267 Seventh Avenue.

_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.

 THIS SOUNDS COOL: The Cherry Blossom Festival in the Botanic Gardens is this  Sunday May 1.

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

_Endlessly great events are going on constantly at Barbes, Park Slope's (and New York City's) most ambitious jazzy, international, eccentric music club and place to hear readings and see interesting movies. Check out their web site for information on the nightly glory.

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

_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.

_"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.

_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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

_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: "The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some scarce see Nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself."
-William Blake, 1799, The Letters

SCOOP DU TUESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.

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_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’t know if someone was cooking at the time. Jewish tradition prohibits the lighting of fires on the first days of the Passover holiday, so many families leave their stoves on.

_Crains New York Business finally got the story that everyone in the Slope seems to know all or part of. Here it is: Whole Foods is expanding to Brooklyn, with its first city store outside Manhattan. It intends to break ground on a parcel of land at Third Street and Third Avenue, and hopes to open an outlet in 2007.

_ "Bullets in the Hood: a Bed Stuy Story" directed by two Bed Stuy filmakers, is being shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. “We're trying to project the true horror of gun violence and to show people that hey through gun violence in our community we're losing best friends, mother, sisters, brothers,” says one of the directors, Daniel Howard. “We are trying to actually make change through film.”

IT'S TUESDAY: Jean-Luc Godard : Before and After the New Wave at At BamCinematek

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

_Learn the craft of scrapbook album-making. Bring in 25-50 photos and bring home a finished product. $50. includes album. Families First, 250 Baltic Street. 6:45 (718) 237-1862.

_Reading and book signing with local author Yona Zeldis McDonough, author of "In Dahlia's Wake." 7:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble.

 THIS SOUNDS COOL: The Cherry Blossom Festival in the Botanic Gardens is THIS Sunday May 2.  My mistake for anyone who noticed...

_Endlessly great events are going on constantly at Barbes, Park Slope's (and New York City's) most ambitious jazzy, international, eccentric music club and place to hear readings and see interesting movies. Check out their web site for information on the nightly glory.

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

_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 sound plays set to music. Actors include Steve Buscemi, Hope Davis, Peter Dinklage, Marsha Gay Harden, Meryl Streep. Call for times. 38 Water St. (718) 254-8779.

_"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.

_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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

_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.

HERE/SAY: Spring is about to spring. Persephone is coming back and the ice is groaning, about to break with the exquisite and deafening roar. It's a time for madness; a time for our fangs to come down and our eyes to glaze over so that the beast in us can sing with unmitigated joy. Oh yes, exstasy, I welcome thee!"
-From the 1980's television show "Northern Exposure," written by David Assael

SCOOP DU WEEKEND_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.
· A Trader Joe's is on menu for boro [NYDailyNews]
· BREAKING: Trader Joe's Joins the Union [Curbed]
· Park Slope Food Coop Girds For Battle [Curbed]

SPECIAL FEATURE: Thanks to Daily Heights, here are some excerpts from REBECCA MEAD's "MR. BROOKLYN," a profile of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz ("the man, the plan, the arena") that appears in the Apr. 25 issue of the New Yorker and online here.

"...In the car, Markowitz’s cell phone rang, and the voice of a female assistant announced that 'Bruce' was on the line."

"'Yes, sir, how are you doing, Bruce?' Markowitz said, picking up the handset and falling silent as he listened. Bruce Ratner, it appeared ... had some urgent questions about the way discussions concerning waterfront development in Williamsburg and Greenpoint might affect his own project. Markowitz, whenever he could get a word in, tried to be both conciliatory and upbeat. 'I understand,' he said ..."

"Across the street, a small huddle of Boerum Hill residents handed Markowitz a sheaf of plans showing an arrangement of planters and greenery they would like to see in front of the restored subway kiosk. Perhaps, a resident suggested, Forest City Ratner might be persuaded to contribute the funds.'Does Ratner want to prove he cares?' someone asked. 'I haven’t asked him,' Markowitz replied testily ..."

"...The car looped west and turned up Pacific Street, into the footprint of the proposed arena. 'Just take a look at what’s coming down,' Markowitz said. 'I want you to look at this and tell me in any manner, shape, or form that this has historical significance.' On the block where we were, there were a few warehouses and row houses looking shabby and forlorn ... 'You can see this is gorgeous—just a beautiful, beautiful sight,' Markowitz said, with undisguised sarcasm."

"...Markowitz said, 'When you take a look and you close your eyes you can envision beautiful housing, and retail, and some commercial space, and an arena, and activity, and people here, and people excited about living here. . . . ' He trailed off into urban reverie. ... 'The developers, unlike me, are not in the business of being public servants or social workers or do-gooders,' he said. 'I hate to say it, but they are businesspeople, and they should be businesspeople.'"

THIS WEEKEND: Get snapped! Photographer extradonaire, Hugh Crawford will take your portrait this Sunday and the last Sunday of every month thereafter. Bring friends and family for your free sitting at Fou Le Chakra on Sunday, April 24th. From 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. No obligation. Buy prints only if you like the shots. Reasonable prices for prints all sizes. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.

_The 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.

_Jean-Luc Godard : Before and After the New Wave at At BAMCinematek

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.

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

_BAM presents Mark Morris Dance Group in "Rock of Ages." $20 to $70. 7:30 pm. BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

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

_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.

_Brooklyn Historical Society presents author Roger Kahn reading from his book, "Beyond the Boys of Summer: The Very Best of Roger Kahn." $6, $4 students and seniors. Sunday April 24. 2 pm. 128 Pierrepont St. (718) 222-4111.

_Sakura Matsuri: Brooklyn Botanic Garden holds its annual event featuring its cherry trees. Events of music, dance and arts throughout the day. TV personality Yohi Amao is emcee. $5, $3 students and seniors. April 24. 10 am to 5:30 pm. 1000 Washington Ave. (718) 623-7220.

_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 sound plays set to music. Actors include Steve Buscemi, Hope Davis, Peter Dinklage, Marsha Gay Harden, Meryl Streep and others. $50. April 23. Call for time. 38 Water St. (718) 254-8779.

_Sparkling Wine Tasting at Big Nose Full Body, the South Slope's tasteful wine shop. 4-6 p.m. on Saturday April 23rd, try some Cava from Spain and Prosecco from Italia.  382 Seventh Avenue. Between 11th and 12th Streets.

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

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.

_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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

HERE/SAY: 

I will not pretend
I will not put on a smile
I will not say I'm all right for you
When all I wanted was to be good
To do everything in truth
To do everything in truth

-Martha Wainwright, Mother F**king A**hole

SCOOP DU FRIDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.
· A Trader Joe's is on menu for boro [NYDailyNews]
· BREAKING: Trader Joe's Joins the Union [Curbed]
· Park Slope Food Coop Girds For Battle [Curbed]

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.  Read all about it in the NYT.

_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.

_As reported on NY1, 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 NY Times, mis-reported that the new Richard Meier apartment building going up on Grand Army Plaza with views of Prospect Park would be 30 stories high. The real number is 15. Or is it? 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.

SPECIAL FEATURE: Thanks to Daily Heights, here are some excerpts from REBECCA MEAD's "MR. BROOKLYN," a profile of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz ("the man, the plan, the arena") that appears in the Apr. 25 issue of the New Yorker and online here.

"...In the car, Markowitz’s cell phone rang, and the voice of a female assistant announced that 'Bruce' was on the line."

"'Yes, sir, how are you doing, Bruce?' Markowitz said, picking up the handset and falling silent as he listened. Bruce Ratner, it appeared ... had some urgent questions about the way discussions concerning waterfront development in Williamsburg and Greenpoint might affect his own project. Markowitz, whenever he could get a word in, tried to be both conciliatory and upbeat. 'I understand,' he said ..."

"Across the street, a small huddle of Boerum Hill residents handed Markowitz a sheaf of plans showing an arrangement of planters and greenery they would like to see in front of the restored subway kiosk. Perhaps, a resident suggested, Forest City Ratner might be persuaded to contribute the funds.'Does Ratner want to prove he cares?' someone asked. 'I haven’t asked him,' Markowitz replied testily ..."

"...The car looped west and turned up Pacific Street, into the footprint of the proposed arena. 'Just take a look at what’s coming down,' Markowitz said. 'I want you to look at this and tell me in any manner, shape, or form that this has historical significance.' On the block where we were, there were a few warehouses and row houses looking shabby and forlorn ... 'You can see this is gorgeous—just a beautiful, beautiful sight,' Markowitz said, with undisguised sarcasm."

"...Markowitz said, 'When you take a look and you close your eyes you can envision beautiful housing, and retail, and some commercial space, and an arena, and activity, and people here, and people excited about living here. . . . ' He trailed off into urban reverie. ... 'The developers, unlike me, are not in the business of being public servants or social workers or do-gooders,' he said. 'I hate to say it, but they are businesspeople, and they should be businesspeople.'"

IT'S FRIDAY: Mommy Matinees at the Brooklyn Heights Pavillion on Fridays. Call for info:  718-596-5095. Kids run wild, moms get to watch first-run movies. What about the Park Slope Pavillion?

The 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.

_Jean-Luc Godard : Before and After the New Wave at At BAMCinematek

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.

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

BAM presents Mark Morris Dance Group in "Rock of Ages." $20 to $70. 7:30 pm. BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave. (718) 636-4100.

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

_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.

FOR MORE OF WHAT'S GOING ON THIS WEEKEND SCROLL DOWN  TO GRAB-BAG_BROOKLYN AND BEYOND.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Get snapped! Photographer extradonaire, Hugh Crawford will take your portrait this Sunday and the last Sunday of every month thereafter. Bring friends and family for your free sitting at Fou Le Chakra on Sunday, April 24th. From 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. No obligation. Buy prints only if you like the shots. Reasonable prices for prints all sizes. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.

_Brooklyn Historical Society presents author Roger Kahn reading from his book, "Beyond the Boys of Summer: The Very Best of Roger Kahn." $6, $4 students and seniors. 2 pm. 128 Pierrepont St. (718) 222-4111.

_Sakura Matsuri: Brooklyn Botanic Garden holds its annual event featuring its cherry trees. Events of music, dance and arts throughout the day. TV personality Yohi Amao is emcee. $5, $3 students and seniors. April 24. 10 am to 5:30 pm. 1000 Washington Ave. (718) 623-7220.

_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 sound plays set to music. Actors include Steve Buscemi, Hope Davis, Peter Dinklage, Marsha Gay Harden, Meryl Streep and others. $50. April 23. Call for time. 38 Water St. (718) 254-8779.

_Sparkling Wine Tasting at Big Nose Full Body, the South Slope's tasteful wine shop. 4-6 p.m. on Saturday April 23rd, try some Cava from Spain and Prosecco from Italia.  382 Seventh Avenue. Between 11th and 12th Streets.

-Brooklyn Historical Society presents author Roger Kahn reading from his book, "Beyond the Boys of Summer: The Very Best of Roger Kahn." $6, $4 students and seniors. 2 pm. 128 Pierrepont St. (718) 222-4111.

_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.

_"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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

HERE/SAY: "April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers." - Edna St. Vincent Millay

"People of the United States, why is everyone yelling at you??? Whatever happened to ... you know, everything? Why is the news dominated by nutballs saying that the Ten Commandments have to be tattooed inside the eyelids of every American, or that Allah has told them to kill Americans in order to rid the world of Satan, or that Yahweh has instructed them to go live wherever they feel like, or that Shiva thinks bombing mosques is a great idea? Sister Immaculate Dagger of Peace notes for the record that we mean no disrespect to Jews, Muslims, Christians or Hindus. Referred back to the committee of the whole for further discussion.

We are Unitarian Jihad. We are everywhere. We have not been born again, nor have we sworn a blood oath. We do not think that God cares what we read, what we eat or whom we sleep with. Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity notes for the record that he does not have a moral code but is nevertheless a good person, and Unexalted Leader Garrote of Forgiveness stipulates that Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity is a good person, and this is to be reflected in the minutes.

Beware! Unless you people shut up and begin acting like grown-ups with brains enough to understand the difference between political belief and personal faith, the Unitarian Jihad will begin a series of terrorist-like actions. We will take over television studios, kidnap so-called commentators and broadcast calm, well-reasoned discussions of the issues of the day. We will not try for "balance" by hiring fruitcakes; we will try for balance by hiring non-ideologues who have carefully thought through the issues."

 

                                       

SCOOP DU THURSDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

HERE/SAY:

               

Love After Love

                           

The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other's welcome, and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life. -Derek Walcott

SCOOP DU WEDNESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

HERE/SAY:

Late Fragment

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on this earth
-Raymond Carver

SCCOP DU TUESDAY_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

HERE/SAY:

Late Fragment

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on this earth
-Raymond Carver

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

HERE/SAY:

Late Fragment

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on this earth
-Raymond Carver

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.

HERE/SAY: "To sit in the shade all day and look at nothing but verdure is the most perfect refreshment." - Jane Austen

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

CITY NEWS: The city's Third and Fifth graders taking a crucial standardized test in English that determines academic promotion.

_Cyclists gathered near the Manhattan Bridge to honor one of their own. Noah Burdnick of Transportations Alternatives was seriously injured on March 28th when he was investigating safety issues on the bride 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 demad 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:  One-time Park Slope resident, Andrea Dworkin, the feminist writer and anti-pornography campaigner, died on Saturday at her home in Washington. She was 58. Ms. Dworkin died in her sleep. 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 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

_Container gardening workshop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 6:30 - 8 p.m. Call the Garden to register.

"Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival at BAM. 30 Lafayette Street.

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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY: By the time we are women, fear is as familiar to us as air. It is our element. We live in it, we inhale it, we exhale it, and most of the time we do not even notice it. Instead of "I am afraid," we say, "I don't want to," or "I don't know how," or "I can't."  Andrea Dworkin, 1947-2005

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

CITY NEWS: 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: 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 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

"Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival at BAM. 30 Lafayette Street.

THIS SOUNDS COOL:  

_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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY: I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That's all I know. -- Billie Holiday

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

OTBKB SCOOP: At 2 a.m. 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.

CITY NEWS: 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.

_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.

_A, B, C and D train service is back to normal after a subway tunnel fire Thursday afternoon.

_The MTA has decided NOT to close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths  set to be closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call police or fix metro card problems.

_The federal government issued report saying that the city's bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.

_Children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT: 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.

_In Greenpoint Brooklyn, home of  the city's largest Polish community,
mourners gathered at a park near the St. Stanislaus Church on Driggs
Avenue to watch the funeral of the Pope. St. Stanislaus Church on
Driggs Avenue, on a large screen television.

_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.

_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 SUNDAY:  Residents of South South Park Slope near Green-wood Cemetery are taking action against developers that are rapidly transforming their neighborhood into condoville. On Sunday April 9th, 10th at 1 p.m. there's a march to save the character and history of this neighborhood.  March in support of what the organizers are calling "contextual development in the South Sourth Slope and display a "Not for Sale" sign. The march is assembling at 15th St. & 7th Ave. at 1 p.m. and people will march to the memorial in the cemetery to protest the proliferation of large multi-story apartment buildings and to promote responsible housing and construction. If people want more info go to the South South Slope Web site

_Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_The first Park Slope Kids Music Festival. This Sunday at Southpaw: Wendy Gesanliter, John Carlin and Uncle Rock. Refreshments available. 4/10 at 11 a.m. 125 Fifth Avenue. $12 for kids, $6 for kids 2 and up. Under that: free. concertforkids.com

_Frank London, trumpeter for the Klezmatics, leads kids at the Eldridge Street Synogogue through a lesson on traditional Jewish melodies. Plus a tour of the 1887 synogogue and egg creams. 4/10 at 11 a.m. Reservations required. 12 Eldridge Street, near Canal Street. 212-219-0888 or eldridgestreet.org. Admission is $8.

"Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival at BAM. 30 Lafayette Street.

_The National Ballet of Canada at BAM. "The Contract" a work loosely based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin. 7:30

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

THIS SOUNDS COOL: "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

_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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY:
"She sat at the table as if she were waiting to be photographed, holding her cigarette aloft. “Have I told you the story of my teapot?” she asked, lifting a Limoges pot from the table. She had been given the teapot by her mother, whom we called Dear—Dear One, Dear Me, Dearest of Us All. Dear had just recently entered a sanatorium for depression, after having given away some of her most cherished possessions. When she died at home a few months later—she’d returned to her deteriorated Brooklyn brownstone, where she slept on a roll-away bed in the basement—my mother found she’d left an unwitnessed will written entirely in rhymed couplets: “I spent as I went / Seeking love and content,” it began."

      - From Mother of Sorrows by Richard McCann

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

OTBKB SCOOP: At 2 a.m. 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.

CITY NEWS: 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.

_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.

_A, B, C and D train service is back to normal after a subway tunnel fire Thursday afternoon.

_The MTA has decided NOT to close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths  set to be closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call police or fix metro card problems.

_The federal government issued report saying that the city's bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.

_Children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT: State legislators propose bill to provide affordable housing on Brooklyn waterfront.

_In Greenpoint Brooklyn, home of  the city's largest Polish community,
mourners gathered at a park near the St. Stanislaus Church on Driggs
Avenue to watch the funeral of the Pope. St. Stanislaus Church on
Driggs Avenue, on a large screen television.

_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.

_There was a fatal accident on the Belt Parkway at 4 a.m. Thursday morning.

_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.

_Senator Charles Schumer is asking the government to reopen the investigation into the Rockaway crash of American Airlines Flight 587 Read all about at New York 1.

_Packages of pound cake sold at the T&H Supermarket on 86th Street in Brooklyn were recalled because a milk ingredient was not listed on the package. It could lead to a serious or fatal reaction in someone allergic to milk. Read all about in at New York 1.

_Last Monday night the City Council held its first public meeting on the city's Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront rezoning plan. Much of the crowd, which didn't fit in the room, held its own rally outside on the steps of City Hall, and the majority of the people there wanted the plan thrown out. “This city cannot survive if we are going to solely devote our entire future and plan on developing and building luxury housing,” said U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

_Jury selection began today in the Crown Heights malpractice trial. The family of Yankel Rosenblum's is accusing Kings County Hospital of botching up  emergency care of Rosenblum who was injured during riots.

_The New York Times reported on Saturday that Bruce C. Ratner has purchased two properties owned by a rival developer, thus removing a potential obstacle for his $2.5 billion sports and housing project for the Atlantic Yards. He paid $44 million to Leviev Boymelgreen for the two properties that Mr. Boymelgreen bought for $20 million in August 2004.

_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 SUNDAY:  Residents of South South Park Slope near Green-wood Cemetery are taking action against the developers that are rapidly transforming their neighborhood into condoville. OnSunday April 9th, 10th at 1 p.m. there's a march to save the character and history of this neighborhood that borders the Green-Wood cemetery. March in support of what the organizers are calling "contextual development in the South Sourth Slope and display a "Not for Sale" sign. The march is assembling at 15th St. & 7th Ave. at 1 p.m. and people will march to the memorial in the cemetery to protest the proliferation of large multi-story apartment buildings and to promote responsible housing and construction. If people want more info go to the South South Slope Web site

_Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m. 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_The first Park Slope Kids Music Festival. This Sunday at Southpaw: Wendy Gesanliter, John Carlin and Uncle Rock. Refreshments available. 4/10 at 11 a.m. 125 Fifth Avenue. $12 for kids, $6 for kids 2 and up. Under that: free. concertforkids.com

_Frank London, who plays trumpet in the Klezmatics, leads kids at the Eldridge Street Synogogue through a lesson on traditional Jewish melodies. Plus a tour of the 1887 synogogue and egg creams. 4/10 at 11 a.m. Reservations required. 12 Eldridge Street, near Canal Street. 212-219-0888 or eldridgestreet.org. Admission is $8.

"Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival at BAM. 30 Lafayette Street.

_The National Ballet of Canada at BAM. "The Contract" a work loosely based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin. 7:30

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

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Brooklyn restaurants invites you to "step up to the plate" and experience the diverse menus of its 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

_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. Fiction. Memoir Poetry. 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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY:
"She sat at the table as if she were waiting to be photographed, holding her cigarette aloft. “Have I told you the story of my teapot?” she asked, lifting a Limoges pot from the table. She had been given the teapot by her mother, whom we called Dear—Dear One, Dear Me, Dearest of Us All. Dear had just recently entered a sanatorium for depression, after having given away some of her most cherished possessions. When she died at home a few months later—she’d returned to her deteriorated Brooklyn brownstone, where she slept on a roll-away bed in the basement—my mother found she’d left an unwitnessed will written entirely in rhymed couplets: “I spent as I went / Seeking love and content,” it began."

      - From Mother of Sorrows by Richard McCann

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

 OTBKB SCOOP: At 2 a.m. 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.

CITY NEWS: 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.

_A, B, C and D train service is back to normal after a subway tunnel fire Thursday afternoon.

_The MTA has decided NOT to close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths  set to be closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call police or fix metro card problems.

_The federal government issued report saying that the city's bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.

_Children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT: In Greenpoint Brooklyn, home of  the city's largest Polish community, mourners gathered at a park near the St. Stanislaus Church on Driggs Avenue to watch the funeral of the Pope. St. Stanislaus Church on Driggs Avenue, on a large screen television.

_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.

_There was a fatal accident on the Belt Parkway at 4 a.m. Thursday morning.

_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.

_Senator Charles Schumer is asking the government to reopen the investigation into the Rockaway crash of American Airlines Flight 587 Read all about in at New York 1.

_Packages of pound cake sold at the T&H Supermarket on 86th Street in Brooklyn were recalled because a milk ingredient was not listed on the package. It could lead to a serious or fatal reaction in someone allergic to milk. Read all about in at New York 1.

_Last Monday night the City Council held its first public meeting on the city's Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront rezoning plan. Much of the crowd, which didn't fit in the room, held its own rally outside on the steps of City Hall, and the majority of the people there wanted the plan thrown out. “This city cannot survive if we are going to solely devote our entire future and plan on developing and building luxury housing,” said U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

_Jury selection began today in the Crown Heights malpractice trial. The family of Yankel Rosenblum's is accusing Kings County Hospital of botching up  emergency care of Rosenblum who was injured during riots.

_The New York Times reported on Saturday that Bruce C. Ratner has purchased two properties owned by a rival developer, thus removing a potential obstacle for his $2.5 billion sports and housing project for the Atlantic Yards. He paid $44 million to Leviev Boymelgreen for the two properties that Mr. Boymelgreen bought for $20 million in August 2004.

_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.

THIS WEEKEND: "The Birdcage" plays tonight as part of the "Who's Afraid of Mike Nichols" festival at BAM

_The National Ballet of Canada at BAM in "The Contract" a work loosely based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin. 7:30 Brooklyn Parents for Peace hosts a talk "Exiting Iraq: Can the Troops Leave Now?" Four experts present different points of view and respond to audience questions. 8 pm. St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St. (718) 624-5921. Free.

_Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival. BAM 30 Lafayette Avenue.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

_Residents of South South Park Slope near Green-wood Cemetery are taking action against the developers that are rapidly transforming their neighborhood into condoville. OnSunday April 9th, 10th at 1 p.m. there's a march to save the character and history of this neighborhood that borders the Green-Wood cemetery. March in support of what the organizers are calling "contextual development in the South Sourth Slope and display a "Not for Sale" sign. The march is assembling at 15th St. & 7th Ave. at 1 p.m. and people will march to the memorial in the cemetery to protest the proliferation of large multi-story apartment buildings and to promote responsible housing and construction. If people want more info, they can check <a href="http://www.southsouthslope.com/">the South South Slope web site.a>

_The first Park Slope Kids Music Festival. This Sunday at Southpaw: Wendy Gesanliter, John Carlin and Uncle Rock. Refreshments available. 4/10 at 11 a.m. 125 Fifth Avenue. $12 for kids, $6 for kids 2 and up. Under that: free. concertforkids.com

_Frank London, who plays trumpet in the Klezmatics, leads kids at the Eldridge Street Synogogue through a lesson on traditional Jewish melodies. Plus a tour of the 1887 synogogue and egg creams. 4/10 at 11 a.m. Reservations required. 12 Eldridge Street, near Canal Street. 212-219-0888 or eldridgestreet.org. Admission is $8.

Dine in Brooklyn April 11-20, 2005 Brooklyn invites you to "step up to the plate" and experience the diverse menus of its world-class restaurants. $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. http://brooklyntourism.org/

_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.

_Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m. 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir Poetry. 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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY: "If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog."
      - From "Herzog" by Saul Bellow

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS: Daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) began on Sunday. You were supposed to set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005. DO IT NOW.

CITY NEWS:  A federal engineering study of the collapse of the World Trade Center, released Tuesday, highlights flaws in assumptions about evacuating skyscrapers and responding to emergencies.

_A missing man was discovered Tuesday inside a stuck elevator in the Bronx apartment building where he was headed to deliver food four days ago. Ming Kung Chen, 35, was taken to Montefiore Medical Center to be treated for dehydration.

_The MTA has decided NOT to close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths  set to be closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call police or fix metro card problems.

_The federal government issued report saying that the city's bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.

_Children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Brooklyn Assemblyman William Colton introduced  a bill called "Terri's Law," that would make it illegal in New York to remove a feeding tube

_Senator Charles Schumer is asking the government to reopen the  investigation into the Rockaway crash of American Airlines Flight 587.

_Packages of pound cake sold at the T&H Supermarket on 86th Street in Brooklyn were recalled because a milk ingredient was not listed on the package. It could lead to a serious or fatal reaction in someone allergic to milk.

_Monday night the City Council held its first public meeting on the city's Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront rezoning plan. Much of the crowd, which didn't fit in the room, held its own rally outside on the steps of City Hall, and the majority of the people there wanted the plan thrown out. “This city cannot survive if we are going to solely devote our entire future and plan on developing and building luxury housing,” said U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

_Jury selection began today in the Crown Heights malpractice trial. The family of Yankel Rosenblum's is accusing Kings County Hospital of botching up  emergency care of Rosenblum who was injured during riots.

_The New York Times reported on Saturday that Bruce C. Ratner has purchased two properties owned by a rival developer, thus removing a potential obstacle for his $2.5 billion sports and housing project for the Atlantic Yards. He paid $44 million to Leviev Boymelgreen for the two properties that Mr. Boymelgreen bought for $20 million in August 2004.

_A rash of muggings at MS 51 by students from other middle schools resulted in a meeting between school parents and the 78th pct.

_When more than 500 District 15 fifth graders received the news that they were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school, City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a Community Education Council meeting. 'This situation should have been anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,' he said.  'I've been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process is improved next year. " From a press release distributed by Councilman DiBlasio's office.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital. started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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: College of Technology hosts Ground Zero planner Daniel Liebeskind. 1 p.m to 2:30. 300 Jay Street. Free.

Park Slope Jewish Center presents "Building a Future After Divorce 14th Street and 8th Avenue. 7 p.m.

_The National Ballet of Canada at BAM in "The Contract" a work loosely based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin. 7:30 Brooklyn Parents for Peace hosts a talk "Exiting Iraq: Can the Troops Leave Now?" Four experts present different points of view and respond to audience questions. 8 pm. St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St. (718) 624-5921. Free.

_Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival. BAM 30 Lafayette Avenue.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Jack Rabbit's tri and swim classes start this week. Where would we be without Jack Rabbit to help us get our bodies in SHAPE. And it feels so goooooooood.  Go to Jackrbt.com and find a class for YOU.

_The first Park Slope Kids Music Festival. This Sunday at Southpaw: Wendy Gesanliter, John Carlin and Uncle Rock. Refreshments available. 4/10 at 11 a.m. 125 Fifth Avenue. $12 for kids, $6 for kids 2 and up. Under that: free. concertforkids.com

_Frank London, who plays trumpet in the Klezmatics, leads kids at the Eldridge Street Synogogue through a lesson on traditional Jewish melodies. Plus a tour of the 1887 synogogue and egg creams. 4/10 at 11 a.m. Reservations required. 12 Eldridge Street, near Canal Street. 212-219-0888 or eldridgestreet.org. Admission is $8.

_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.

_Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m. 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir Poetry. 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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY: "I am an American, Chicago born--Chicago, that somber city--and go at things as I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way: first to knock, first admitted; sometimes an innocent knock, sometimes a not so innocent. But a man's character is his fate, says Heraclitus, and in the end there isn't any way to disguise the nature of the knocks by acoustical work on the door or gloving the knuckles." The first sentence of "The Adventures of Augie March"  by Saul Bellow.  

 

 

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS: Daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) began on Sunday. You were supposed to set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005. DO IT NOW.

CITY NEWS:  A federal engineering study of the collapse of the World Trade Center, released Tuesday, highlights flaws in assumptions about evacuating skyscrapers and responding to emergencies.

_A missing man was discovered Tuesday inside a stuck elevator in the Bronx apartment building where he was headed to deliver food four days ago. Ming Kung Chen, 35, was taken to Montefiore Medical Center to be treated for dehydration.

_The MTA has decided NOT to close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths  set to be closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call police or fix metro card problems.

_The federal government issued report saying that the city's bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.

_As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  The City Council held its first public meeting on the city's Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront rezoning plan. Much of the crowd, which didn't fit in the room, held its own rally outside on the steps of City Hall, and the majority of the people there wanted the plan thrown out. “This city cannot survive if we are going to solely devote our entire future and plan on developing and building luxury housing,” said U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

_Jury selection began today in the Crown Heights malpractice trial. The family of Yankel Rosenblum's is accusing Kings County Hospital of botching up  emergency care of Rosenblum who was injured during riots.

_The New York Times reported on Saturday that Bruce C. Ratner has purchased two properties owned by a rival developer, thus removing a potential obstacle for his $2.5 billion sports and housing project for the Atlantic Yards. He paid $44 million to Leviev Boymelgreen for the two properties that Mr. Boymelgreen bought for $20 million in August 2004.

_A rash of muggings at MS 51 by students from other middle schools resulted in a meeting between school parents and the 78th pct.

_When more than 500 District 15 fifth graders received the news that they were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school, City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a Community Education Council meeting. 'This situation should have been anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,' he said.  'I've been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process is improved next year. " From a press release distributed by Councilman DiBlasio's office.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital. started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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 WEDNESDAY: Brooklyn Museum one day-sale of collectibles, costume and fine jewelry, works of art, china, glass, silver and more. 11 am to 4 pm. Third floor, 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 789-2493.

_Brooklyn Parents for Peace hosts a talk "Exiting Iraq: Can the Troops Leave Now?" Four experts present different points of view and respond to audience questions. 8 pm. St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St. (718) 624-5921. Free

_The National Ballet of Canada at BAM in "The Contract" a work loosely based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin. 7:30 Brooklyn Parents for Peace hosts a talk "Exiting Iraq: Can the Troops Leave Now?" Four experts present different points of view and respond to audience questions. 8 pm. St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St. (718) 624-5921. Free.

_Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival. BAM 30 Lafayette Avenue.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Jack Rabbit's tri and swim classes start this week. Where would we be without Jack Rabbit to help us get our bodies in SHAPE. And it feels so goooooooood.  Go to Jackrbt.com and find a class for YOU.

_The first Park Slope Kids Music Festival. This Sunday at Southpaw: Wendy Gesanliter, John Carlin and Uncle Rock. Refreshments available. 4/10 at 11 a.m. 125 Fifth Avenue. $12 for kids, $6 for kids 2 and up. Under that: free. concertforkids.com

_Frank London, who plays trumpet in the Klezmatics, leads kids at the Eldridge Street Synogogue through a lesson on traditional Jewish melodies. Plus a tour of the 1887 synogogue and egg creams. 4/10 at 11 a.m. Reservations required. 12 Eldridge Street, near Canal Street. 212-219-0888 or eldridgestreet.org. Admission is $8.

_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.

_Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m. 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir Poetry. 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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY:

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS: Daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) began on Sunday. You were supposed to set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005. DO IT NOW.

CITY NEWS: The MTA has decided NOT to close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths  set to be closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call police or fix metro card problems.

_The federal government issued report saying that the city's bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.

_As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Jury selection began today in the Crown Heights malpractice trial. The family of Yankel Rosenblum's is accusing Kings County Hospital of botching up  emergency care of Rosenblum who was injured during riots.

_Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the city's largest Polish community, mourned the death of the first Polish Pope at the St. Stanislaus Church.

_Tafare Berryman, a promising college basketball player from Brooklyn was shot dead outside a nightclub in Long Island.

_The New York Times reported on Saturday that Bruce C. Ratner has purchased two properties owned by a rival developer, thus removing a potential obstacle for his $2.5 billion sports and housing project for the Atlantic Yards. He paid $44 million to Leviev Boymelgreen for the two properties that Mr. Boymelgreen bought for $20 million in August 2004.

_A rash of muggings at MS 51 by students from other middle schools resulted in a meeting between school parents and the 78th pct.

_When more than 500 District 15 fifth graders received the news that they were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school, City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a Community Education Council meeting. 'This situation should have been anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,' he said.  'I've been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process is improved next year. " From a press release distributed by Councilman DiBlasio's office.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital. started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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 TUESDAY: Broolyn luminaries Paul Auster and Siri Husvedt read at PS 107 as part of Readings on the Fourth Floor, a fundraising event for the school's library. 1301  8th Avenue. At 7:30 pm.

_The National Ballet of Canada at BAM in "The Contract" a work loosely based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin. 7:30

_Park Slope Poetry Project, Ryn Gargulinski reads followed by an open mic.  St. John, St Matthew Emanuel Church. 283 Prospect Avenue. 7:30 - 10 p.m

_Opening night of the Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival. BAM 30 Lafayette Avenue.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Jack Rabbit's tri and swim classes start this week. Where would we be without Jack Rabbit to help us get our bodies in SHAPE. And it feels so goooooooood.  Go to Jackrbt.com and find a class for YOU.

_The first Park Slope Kids Music Festival. This Sunday at Southpaw: Wendy Gesanliter, John Carlin and Uncle Rock. Refreshments available. 4/10 at 11 a.m. 125 Fifth Avenue. $12 for kids, $6 for kids 2 and up. Under that: free. concertforkids.com

Frank London, who plays trumpet in the Klezmatics, leads kids at the Eldridge Street Synogogue through a lesson on traditional Jewish melodies. Plus a tour of the 1887 synogogue and egg creams. 4/10 at 11 a.m. Reservations required. 12 Eldridge Street, near Canal Street. 212-219-0888 or eldridgestreet.org. Admission is $8.

_Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m. 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

Brooklyn Reading Works. Fiction. Memoir Poetry. Curated by Louise G. Crawford.  APRIL 28 at 8 p.m. Pamela Katz reads: And Speaking of Love (Aufbau-Verlag)
a novel that evokes the life and loves of Lotte Lenya and Kurt Weill, 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.” Fou Le Chakra. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Park Slope 8 p.m.

 
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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY: "The real is always way ahead of what we can imagine." Paul Auster, who is reading tonight with Siri Husvedt at PS 107 at 7:30 p.m., a fundraiser for the school's library.

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS: Daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) began on Sunday. You were supposed to set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005. DO IT NOW.

CITY NEWS: The MTA has decided NOT to close subway booths. According to New York 1, the 169 booths  set to be closed will remain open but the attendants will still be out in the station acting as customer service representatives. Subway booths will remain accessible to the clerks so that they can use the phone to call police or fix metro card problems.

_The federal government issued report saying that the city's bridges are structurally inadequate or obsolete.

As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Residents of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the city's largest Polish community, mourned the death of the first Polish Pope.

_Tafare Berryman, a promising college basketball player from Brooklyn was shot dead outside a nightclub in Long Island.

_The New York Times reported on Saturday that Bruce C. Ratner bought two properties owned by a rival developer, thus removing a potential obstacle for his $2.5 billion sports and housing project for the Atlantic Yards. He paid $44 million to Leviev Boymelgreen for the two properties that Mr. Boymelgreen paid $20 million in August 2004.

_A rash of muggings at MS 51 by students from other middle schools resulted in a meeting between school parents and the 78th pct.

_When more than 500 District 15 fifth graders received the news that they were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school, City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a Community Education Council meeting. 'This situation should have been anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,' he said.  'I've been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process is improved next year. " From a press release distributed by Councilman DiBlasio's office.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital. started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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 MONDAY: The BAMCinematek presents: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Around the World in 80 Days at Puppetworks. Weekends at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m. 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

 
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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY: "New York is city of conversations overheard, of people at the next restaurant table (micrometers away) checking your watch, of people reading the stories in your newspaper on the subway train."  - Willian Geist

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

SPRING FORWARD TODAY: Daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place TODAY. Set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005.

CITY NEWS: Man hit by a subway at at the West 4th Street Station in Greenwich Village.

_MTA picks Jets Stadium for the West Side Rail Yards.

_Court of Appeals declines to hear two gay marriage cases, a major setback to those who believe that marriage should be open to gay and lesbian couples.

_The right to distribute leaflets in front of schools is upheld by a Federal District Court. Under the settlement, reached earlier this month, the New York Civil Liberties Union, which represented the group, the Ya-Ya Network, and lawyers for the city agreed that the department would instruct police officers that a state law against loitering near schools and colleges "does not apply to First Amendment activity."

The Police Department issued a one-page directive to all precincts on March 21 instructing police officers not to enforce the loitering law against First Amendment activity, including "the holding of signs, placards and leaflets, chanting and singing."

_New York University will limit student's access to balconies in two dormitories. The school also installed a plexiglass guard wall in the school's main library. This is all part of the school's efforts to prevent student suicides. Last year there were five such deaths.

_iPods are getting stolen on the subway pushing up city's subway crime rate, which is up for the first time in years.

_City to get hybrid buses instead of those powered by natural gas.

_As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  A rash of muggings at MS 51 by students from other middle schools resulted in a meeting between school parents and the 78th pct.

_When more than 500 District 15 fifth graders received the news that they were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school, City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a Community Education Council meeting. 'This situation should have been anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,' he said.  'I've been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process is improved next year. " From a press release distributed by Councilman DiBlasio's office.

_A Brooklyn yellow cab driver was shot in the back by a passenger at Pierrepont Street and Hicks in Brooklyn Heights at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday night. The driver, who is recovering from the incident, was completely surprised by the attack. The suspect is a white male in his twenties.

_According to the 78th Pct. there was a bank robbery in the South Slope (bank and date not specified) this week.  On Thursday, a police helicopter was hovering over the neighborhood searching for the perp. More news to come as soon as there is some.

<>

_A delivery man on bicycle was killed after being hit by a truck on 75th Street and Sixth Avenue in Bay Ridge.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital. started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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.

_New performance spaces for dance are flourishing in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Ft. Greene, Bushwick, and Williamsburg. Last year, more than a third of the audience that came to see events at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope came from Manhattan.

IT'S SUNDAY: Baseball legends of the Green-Wood Cemetary. Tour gathers at the main entrance at 1 p.m. 5th Avenue and 25th Street. Admission: $10. Who's Afraid of Mike Nichols Film Series.  March 31 - April 19th.

The BAMCinematek presents: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more.

_"Play Without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most important contemporary choreographers in Britain. SUNDAY at 2 p.m. BAM.

Around the World in 80 DaysAt Puppetworks. SUNDAY at 12: 30 and 2:30 p.m. 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

_Sunday is Recycle Your Electronics Day at Grand Army Plaza. 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Bring your old computers. Bring your friends. Help load the truck. You can bring: working and non-working computers, servers, fax machines, scanners, TV's, radios, CD players, etc. Donations will go to Per Scholas, an organization that gives electronic equipment and training to South Bronx residents in need.

_Self-Care Fair at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. Food, health products, musical meditation, relaxation, chair massages, and more. On Sunday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 53 Prospect Park West.

_Forsythia Day at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Sunday all day.  

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY:

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

SPRING FORWARD ON SUNDAY: Daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place NEXT weekend. Set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005.

CITY NEWS: Man hit by subway at at the West 4th Street Station in Greenwich Village.

_MTA picks Jets Stadium for the West Side Rail Yards.

_Court of Appeals declines to hear two gay marriage cases, a major setback to those who believe that marriage should be open to gay and lesbian couples.

_Study finds that New York City has the longest average commute to work in the nation. The average time in the five boroughs is 38 minutes compared to 24 minutes nationwide. Staten Islanders seem to have it the worst. 

_The right to distribute leaflets in front of schools is upheld by a Federal District Court. Under the settlement, reached earlier this month, the New York Civil Liberties Union, which represented the group, the Ya-Ya Network, and lawyers for the city agreed that the department would instruct police officers that a state law against loitering near schools and colleges "does not apply to First Amendment activity."

The Police Department issued a one-page directive to all precincts on March 21 instructing police officers not to enforce the loitering law against First Amendment activity, including "the holding of signs, placards and leaflets, chanting and singing."

_New York University will limit student's access to balconies in two dormitories. The school also installed a plexiglass guard wall in the school's main library. This is all part of the school's efforts to prevent student suicides. Last year there were five such deaths.

_iPods are getting stolen on the subway pushing up city's subway crime rate, which is up for the first time in years.

_City to get hybrid buses instead of those powered by natural gas.

_Mayor kicks off major pot hole repair  blitz attempting to fix damage caused by winter storms.

_As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

_There's a growing blog community of New York City public school teachers. MildlyMelancholy, Judysmoh, and others are sites where teachers can openly vent about what they really think and feel about their jobs.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  "When more than 500 District 15 fifth graders received the disappointing news that they were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school, City Council Member Bill DiBlasio pressed Chancellor Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a Community Education Council meeting. 'This situation should have been anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,' he said.  'I've been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process is improved next year.  I've spoken to the Chancellor and Superintendent and now the DOE is expanding capacity at choice schools, reevaluating student applications, creating wait lists, and communicating with parents about next steps in the application process.  Also, it must be a DOE priority to address the resource issues that lead other schools to be perceived as less desirable." From a press release distributed by Councilman's DiBlasio's office.

_A Brooklyn yellow cab driver was shot in the back by a passenger at Pierrepont Street and Hicks in Brooklyn Heights at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday night. The driver, who is recovering from the incident, was completely surprised by the attack. The suspect is a white male in his twenties.

 

 

_According to the 78th Pct. there was a bank robbery in the South Slope (bank and date not specified) this week.  On Thursday, a police helicopter was hovering over the neighborhood searching for the perp. More news to come as soon as there is some.

_A delivery man on bicycle was killed after being hit by a truck on 75th Street and Sixth Avenue in Bay Ridge.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital. started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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.

_New performance spaces for dance are flourishing in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Ft. Greene, Bushwick, and Williamsburg. Last year, more than a third of the audience that came to see events at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope came from Manhattan.

THIS WEEKEND:

_ Valentines. Portraits by Hugh Crawford at Fou Le Chakra. Opening 3 p.m. 4/2. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.

<>

Who's Afraid of Mike Nichols Film Series.  March 31 - April 19th. This BAMCinematek presents: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more.

_"Play Without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most important contemporary choreographers in Britain. FRIDAY and SATURDAY AT 8 p.m. SUNDAY at 2 p.m. BAM.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

_First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. April 2nd. 6:30 - 8:30: Use oil pastels to creat your own Basquiat-inspired symbol on canvas.  At 7 p.m. there's a public reading of Whitman's Leaves of Grass followed by a musical setting of the poems by members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Then it's time to do some LATIN DANCING in the Rotunda.

_Sunday is Recycle Your Electronics Day at Grand Army Plaza. 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Bring your old computers. Bring your friends. Help load the truck. You can bring: working and non-working computers, servers, fax machines, scanners, TV's, radios, CD players, etc. Donations will go to Per Scholas, an organization that gives electronic equipment and training to South Bronx residents in need.

_Self-Care Fair at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. Food, health products, musical meditation, relaxation, chair massages, and more. On Sunday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 53 Prospect Park West.

_Forsythia Day at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Sunday all day.  

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY:
"And she opens the door of her cadillac,
I step in back,
and we're gone.
She turns me on -
There are very huge stars, man, in the sky,
and from somewhere very far off someone hands me a slice of apple pie" - Robert Creely 1926 - 2005
   

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

FYI: April Fool's Day; watch out for silly pranks.

SPRING FORWARD THIS WEEKEND: Though Europe switched over on Sunday, daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place NEXT weekend. Set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005.

CITY NEWS: MTA picks Jets Stadium for the West Side Rail Yards.

_Court of Appeals declines to hear two gay marriage cases, a major setback to those who believe that marriage should be open to gay and lesbian couples.

_Study finds that New York City has the longest average commute to work in the nation. The average time in the five boroughs is 38 minutes compared to 24 minutes nationwide. Staten Islanders seem to have it the worst. 

_The right to distribute leaflets in front of schools is upheld by a Federal District Court. Under the settlement, reached earlier this month, the New York Civil Liberties Union, which represented the group, the Ya-Ya Network, and lawyers for the city agreed that the department would instruct police officers that a state law against loitering near schools and colleges "does not apply to First Amendment activity."

The Police Department issued a one-page directive to all precincts on March 21 instructing police officers not to enforce the loitering law against First Amendment activity, including "the holding of signs, placards and leaflets, chanting and singing."

_New York University will limit student's access to balconies in two dormitories. The school also installed a plexiglass guard wall in the school's main library. This is all part of the school's efforts to prevent student suicides. Last year there were five such deaths.

_iPods are getting stolen on the subway pushing up city's subway crime rate, which is up for the first time in years.

_City to get hybrid buses instead of those powered by natural gas.

_Mayor kicks off major pot hole repair  blitz attempting to fix damage caused by winter storms.

_As of last Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

_There's a growing blog community of New York City public school teachers. MildlyMelancholy, Judysmoh, and others are sites where teachers can openly vent about what they really think and feel about their jobs.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  "When more than 500 District 15 fifth graders received the disappointing news that they were not admitted to any of their three top choices for middle school, City Council Member Bill DiBlasio immediately appealed to the Department of Education to remedy the situation.  He pressed Chancellor Klein at an Education Committee hearing, invited colleagues who also represent District 15 to follow up by letter, and joined parents at a Community Education Council meeting. 'This situation should have been anticipated and avoided through better planning and communication,' he said.  'I've been working with my colleagues to ensure as many students as possible have their choices honored this year and that the process is improved next year.  I've spoken to the Chancellor and Superintendent and now the DOE is expanding capacity at choice schools, reevaluating student applications, creating wait lists, and communicating with parents about next steps in the application process.  Also, it must be a DOE priority to address the resource issues that lead other schools to be perceived as less desirable." From a press release from Councilman's DiBlasio's office.

_A Brooklyn yellow cab driver was shot in the back by a passenger at Pierrepont Street and Hicks in Brooklyn Heights at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday night. The driver, who is recovering from the incident, was completely surprised by the attack. The suspect is a white male in his twenties.

 

 

_According to the 78th Pct. there was a bank robbery in the South Slope (bank and date not specified) this week.  On Thursday, a police helicopter was hovering over the neighborhood searching for the perp. More news to come as soon as there is some.

_A delivery man on bicycle was killed after being hit by a truck on 75th Street and Sixth Avenue in Bay Ridge.

_Brooklyn now has a city program aimed at treating sexual assault victims very quickly in the hopes of increasing the odds of catching the attackers. This program, which includes a response team with specially trained forensic examiners, and rape crisis counselors to treat every victim within one hour of their arrival at the hospital. started in the Bronx and now includes Brooklyn.

_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.

_New performance spaces for dance are flourishing in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Ft. Greene, Bushwick, and Williamsburg. Last year, more than a third of the audience that came to see events at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope came from Manhattan.

THIS WEEKEND:  Pianist Anthony Coleman plays the music of Jelly Roll Morton at Barbes on FRIDAY night. April 1. 7 p.m. And at 10 p.m.: The Wiyos, a band that combines Django Reinhardt, Gershwin, Doc Watson, Fats Waller and vaudeville.

_Who's Afraid of Mike Nichols Film Series.  March 31 - April 19th. This BAMCinematek presents: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more.

_"Play Without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most important contemporary choreographers in Britain. FRIDAY and SATURDAY AT 8 p.m. SUNDAY at 2 p.m. BAM.

_ Valentines. Portraits by Hugh Crawford at Fou Le Chakra. Opening 3 p.m. 4/2. 411 Seventh Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.

_Too Cool for Shul: Festival of Contemporary Jewish Music. Various artists at the BAM Cafe. Weekends in April.

_First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. April 2nd. 6:30 - 8:30: Use oil pastels to creat your own Basquiat-inspired symbol on canvas.  At 7 p.m. there's a public reading of Whitman's Leaves of Grass followed by a musical setting of the poems by members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Then it's time to do some LATIN DANCING in the Rotunda.

_Sunday is Recycle Your Electronics Day at Grand Army Plaza. 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Bring your old computers. Bring your friends. Help load the truck. You can bring: working and non-working computers, servers, fax machines, scanners, TV's, radios, CD players, etc. Donations will go to Per Scholas, an organization that gives electronic equipment and training to South Bronx residents in need.

_Self-Care Fair at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. Food, health products, musical meditation, relaxation, chair massages, and more. On Sunday from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 53 Prospect Park West.

_Forsythia Day at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Sunday all day.
 

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.

_ In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY: "Calling somebody else fat won't make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George's life definitely didn't make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you." - From the 2004 film, "Mean Girls."

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

SPRING FORWARD NEXT WEEK: Though Europe switched over on Sunday, daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place NEXT weekend. Set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3,  2005.

CITY NEWS: The right to distribute leaflets in front of schools is upheld by a Federal Court. A group was seeking to stop army recruiters from setting up tables in front of school. Under the settlement, reached earlier this month in Federal District Court in Manhattan, and dated March 16, the New York Civil Liberties Union, which represented the group, the Ya-Ya Network, and lawyers for the city agreed that the department would instruct police officers that a state law against loitering near schools and colleges "does not apply to First Amendment activity."

The Police Department issued a one-page directive to all precincts on March 21 instructing police officers not to enforce the loitering law against First Amendment activity, including "the holding of signs, placards and leaflets, chanting and singing."

_New York University will limit student's access to balconies in two dormitories. The school also installed a plexiglass guard wall in the school's main library. This is all part of the school's effort to prevent student suicides. Last year there were five such deaths.

_iPods are getting stolen on the subway pushing up city's subway crime rate, which is up for the first time in years.

_City to get hybrid buses instead of those powered by natural gas.

_Mayor kicks off major pot hole repair  blitz attempting to fix damage caused by winter storms.

_As of Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

_There's a growing blog community of New York City public school teachers. MildlyMelancholy, Judysmoh, and others are sites where teachers can openly vent about what they really think and feel about their jobs.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  OTBKB has word that 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. Apparently he hasn' t hurt anyone. He just takes the cash and runs. There was an incident 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.

_The Department of Education has instructed high-demand middle schools in District 15 to admit 20-40 additional applicants. Parents were outraged when in-demand middle schools rejected 550 qualified applicants."

_New York wants to reclaim the movie and TV production that's been going to Candada and other lower-priced shooting locations by offering tax credits and other incentives. The city is hoping that the recently completed Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard will attract movie and television producers.

_ Workers at the Vox Pop Coffee Shop ("Books, Coffee, Demoracy") on Cortylou Avenue in Ditmas Park unanimously joined the Industrial Workers of the World last week. The employees join a growing movement of NYC retail workers, including Starbucks baristas, who are striving to increase union membership in the industry. Check out the Vox Pop web site. "Play without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, the most important contemporary choreographer in Britian. 8 p.m. at BAM.

IT'S THURSDAY 3/31: Park Slope author James Grant reads from his book: "John Adams: Party of One." Old Stone House, JJ Byrne Park. Third Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenue. 7 p.m.

Who's Afraid of Mike Nichols Film Series.  March 31 - April 19th. This BAMCinematek program includes: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more. This Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m. Q & A with Nichols following "The Graduate."  

"Play without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most important contemporary choreographers in Britian. 8 p.m. at BAM.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: Valentines. Portraits by Hugh Crawford at Fou Le Chakra. Opening 3 p.m. 4/2. 411 Seventh Avenue

_Pianist Anthony Coleman plays the music of Jelly Roll Morton at Barbes on Friday night. April 1. 7 p.m. And at 10 p.m.: The Wiyos, a band that combines Django Reinhardt, Gershwin, Doc Watson, Fats Waller and vaudeville.

_First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. April 2nd. 6:30 - 8:30: Use oil pastels to creat your own Basquiat-inspired symbol on canvas.  At 7 p.m. there's a public reading of Whitman's Leaves of Grass followed by a musical setting of the poems by members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Then it's time to do some LATIN DANCING in the Rotunda.

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WORTH TAKING A LOOK:  In the documentary, "Let's Get Real" kids speak out about bullying, name calling, and other root causes of violence in school. The film explores a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, sexual harassment and others. A panel discussion will follow the screening on April 16th at The ImaginAsian Theater 239 East 59th Street in Manhattan between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 10:00 am until noon. The film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. Reservations necessary: urbina9@aol.com

HERE/SAY: "

Calling somebody else fat won't make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George's life definitely didn't make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you." From the 2004 film "Mean Girls."

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

SPRING FORWARD NEXT WEEK: Though Europe switched over on Sunday, daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place NEXT weekend. Set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3, 2005.

CITY NEWS: New York University will limit student's access to balconies in two dormitories. The school also installed a plexiglass guard wall in the school's main library. This is all part of the school's effort to prevent student suicides. Last year there were five such deaths.

_iPods are getting stolen on the subway pushing up city's subway crime rate. 

_City to get hybrid buses instead of those powered by natural gas.

_Mayor kicks off major pot hole repair  blitz attempting to fix damage caused by winter storms.

_As of Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

_There's a growing blog community of New York City public school teachers. MildlyMelancholy, Judysmoh, and others are sites where teachers can openly vent about what they really think and feel about their jobs.

_NYPD arrested 37 protesters, members of Critical Mass, a group that celebrates cycling and other non-polluting forms of transportation. Those arrested were charged with parading without a permit. The city is going to court to demand that these cyclists get a permit for their month protest. Earlier this year a Federal judge said permits weren't necessary.

_The City's Department of Education sent out test prep guides to NYC teachers filled with wrong answers, typos and grammatical mistakes. The first big typo was right on the cover: Mathematics Planning for the Forth Grade. "Tweed has no problem with excessively criticizing teachers for failing to meet its picayune mandates, but then it produces a test prep manual riddled with errors and misspellings," said Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers. " The hypocrisy is stunning."

BROOKLYN BEAT: _The Department of Education has instructed high-demand middle schools in District 15 to admit 20-40 additional applicants. Parents were outraged when in-demand middle schools rejected 550 qualified applicants."

_New York wants to reclaim the movie and TV production that's been going to Candada and other lower-priced shooting locations by offering tax credits and other incentives. The city is hoping that the recently completed Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard will attract movie and television producers.

_ Workers at the Vox Pop Coffee Shop ("Books, Coffee, Demoracy") on Cortylou Avenue in Ditmas Park unanimously joined the Industrial Workers of the World last week. The employees join a growing movement of NYC retail workers, including Starbucks baristas, who are striving to increase union membership in the industry. Check out the Vox Pop web site.   "Play without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, the most important contemporary choreographer in Britian. 8 p.m. at BAM.

IT'S WEDNESDAY 3/30:  "Play without Words," a dance-theater piece by Matthew Bourne, said to be one of the most important contemporary choreographers in Britian. 8 p.m. at BAM.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: "Who's Afraid of Mike Nichols?" film series. March 31 - April 19th. This BAMCinematek program includes: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more. This Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m. Q & A with Nichols following "The Graduate."

Pianist Anthony Coleman plays the music of Jelly Roll Morton at Barbes on Friday night. April 1. 7 p.m. And at 10 p.m.: The Wiyos, a band that combines Django Reinhardt, Gershwin, Doc Watson, Fats Waller and vaudeville.

_First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. April 2nd. 6:30 - 8:30: Use oil pastels to creat your own Basquiat-inspired symbol on canvas.  At 7 p.m. there's a public reading of Whitman's Leaves of Grass followed by a musical setting of the poems by members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Then it's time to do some LATIN DANCING in the Rotunda.

WORTH TAKING A LOOK:  The SECOND GRADE ART SHOW at Starbucks. Seventh Avenue between 1st and Garfield Place. The children's Romare Bearden-esque cityscape collages will be up all month.
HERE/SAY: "We love those who know the worst of us and don't turn their faces away." Walker Percy 

 

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

SPRING FORWARD NEXT WEEK: Though Europe switched over on Sunday, daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place NEXT weekend. Set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3, 2005.

CITY NEWS: City to get hybrid buses instead of those powered by natural gas.

_On Monday night in the rain, Ringling Brothers Circus elephants snarled up traffic as they came out of the Midtown tunnel and crossed 34th Street to Madison Square Garden for their annual crosstown walk.

_Mayor kicks off major pot hole repair  blitz attempting to fix damage caused by winter storms.

_As of Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

_There's a growing blog community of New York City public school teachers. MildlyMelancholy, Judysmoh, and others are sites where teachers can openly vent about what they really think and feel about their jobs.

_NYPD arrested 37 protesters, members of Critical Mass, a group that celebrates cycling and other non-polluting forms of transportation. Those arrested were charged with parading without a permit. The city is going to court to demand that these cyclists get a permit for their month protest. Earlier this year a Federal judge said permits weren't necessary.

_The City's Department of Education sent out test prep guides to NYC teachers filled with wrong answers, typos and grammatical mistakes. The first big typo was right on the cover: Mathematics Planning for the Forth Grade. "Tweed has no problem with excessively criticizing teachers for failing to meet its picayune mandates, but then it produces a test prep manual riddled with errors and misspellings," said Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers. " The hypocrisy is stunning."

BROOKLYN BEAT: Tenants of a burned out Brooklyn apartment building are suing the city saying that the FDNY was late to arrive to the blaze where two people died and that the fire hydrants were frozen.

-The Department of Education has instructed high-demand middle schools in District 15 to admit 20-40 additional applicants. Parents were outraged when in-demand middle schools rejected 550 qualified applicants."

_New York wants to reclaim the movie and TV production that's been going to Candada and other lower-priced shooting locations by offering tax credits and other incentives. The city is hoping that the recently completed Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard will attract movie and television producers.

_ Workers at the Vox Pop Coffee Shop ("Books, Coffee, Demoracy") on Cortylou Avenue in Ditmas Park unanimously joined the Industrial Workers of the World last week. The employees join a growing movement of NYC retail workers, including Starbucks baristas, who are striving to increase union membership in the industry. Check out the Vox Pop web site.

Jury selection has been postponed in the $10 million malpractice case by the Brooklyn family of Yankel Rosenblum against Kings County Hospital.

IT'S TUESDAY 3/29:  When there's nothing going on in the Slope, there's always Barbes for some fun. Enjoy a SLAVIC SOUL PARTY! Matt Moran leads one of the best Balkan Brass Band anywhere.  

THIS SOUNDS COOL: "Who's fraid of Mike N ichols?" film series. March 31 - April 19th. This BAMCinematek program includes: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf "The Graduate," "Carnal Knowledge," "Angels in America, "Wit," and more. This Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m. Q & A with Nichols following "The Graduate.

Do you have any old super 8 reels lying around. Stuff you found and never saw. Buried family footage. Barbes is having a SUPER 8 EXTRAVAGANZA on April 14th.  Show up  anything you have providing it's under 5 minutes long. Show up, sign up before the show or email them at super8@barbesbrooklyn.com

_5th Annual Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival. April 5 - 10. Stand up and Laugh: New and Classic Jewish Comedies at BAM.

Jean Luc Godard Festival at BAM a chance to discover and rediscover the masterpieces. April 21-26.

WORTH TAKING A LOOK:  The SECOND GRADE ART SHOW at Starbucks. Seventh Avenue between 1st and Garfield Place. The children's Romare Bearden-esque cityscape collages will be up all month.

HERE/SAY:  "Pretty women wonder where my secret lies, I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size, But when I start to tell them, They think I'm telling lies. I say, It''s in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my steps. The curl of my lips. I'm a woman, Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman. That's me." Maya Angelou 

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

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

SPRING FORWARD NEXT WEEK: Though Europe switched over on Sunday, daylight savings time for New York (EST, GMT -7:00) takes place NEXT weekend. Set your clocks ahead (spring forward) one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 3, 2005.

CITY NEWS: As of Sunday, children age seven and younger must be buckled into a car seat in New York State. This is up from age four.

_There's a growing blog community of New York City public school teachers. MildlyMelancholy, Judymoh, and others are sites where teachers can openly vent about what they really think and feel about their jobs.

_NYPD arrested 37 protesters, members of Critical Mass, a group that celebrates cycling and other non-polluting forms of transportation. Those arrested were charged with parading without a permit. The city is going to court to demand that these cyclists get a permit for their month protest. Earlier this year a Federal judge said permits weren't necessary.

_Friday March 25th marked the anniversary of two tragic fires: the Happy Land Social Club fire in the Bronx and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.

_Thieves make off with $5 million in diamond heist at a diamond exchanges on West 47th Street.

_The City's Department of Education sent out test prep guides to NYC teachers filled with wrong answers, typos and grammatical mistakes. The first big typo was right on the cover: Mathematics Planning for the Forth Grade. "Tweed has no problem with excessively criticizing teachers for failing to meet its picayune mandates, but then it produces a test prep manual riddled with errors and misspellings," said Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers. " The hypocrisy is stunning."

BROOKLYN BEAT: The Department of Education has instructed high-demand middle schools in District 15 to admit 20-40 additional applicants. Parents were outraged when in-demand middle schools rejected 550 qualified applicants."

_New York wants to reclaim the movie and TV production that's been going to Candada and other lower-priced shooting locations by offering tax credits and other incentives. The city is hoping that the recently completed Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard will attract movie and television producers.

_ Workers at the Vox Pop Coffee Shop ("Books, Coffee, Demoracy") on Cortylou Avenue in Ditmas Park unanimously joined the Industrial Workers of the World last week. The employees join a growing movement of NYC retail workers, including Starbucks baristas, who are striving to increase union membership in the industry. Check out the Vox Pop web site.

Early Saturday morning, an 85 year old retired Russian physicist was run down by a car at Bay Avenue and Cropsey Avenue, an intersection that is said to be one of the city's worst. The elderly man had just finished his daily four mile morning walk.  He died Saturday morning at Coney Island Hospital.