A Moment In Time: The Bicycle Rider

Slowly,
the rider
on her red bicycle
made her way
past the green brick building
on Union Street.

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'Free People' On Smith Street Now Open

'Free People,' the popular women's boutique with locations all around the country, just opened this week at 113 Smith Street. The space was occupied by We, The Free, an offshoot of Free People until early December '09, when the store closed for the switch.
I wish their prices weren't so steep, because I actually like their stuff.

The new façade is rather fun and cheerful, don't you think?

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UPDATE On The Post: Anyone Know What Happened On Tuesday Night On Carroll Street?

**UPDATE**

Just heard from friend and reader Uldis that the commotion on Carroll Street, between Clinton and Henry Street on Tuesday night, was the result of a manhole fire. It knocked out electricity to all the houses on the block, which Con Edison was able to restore a few hours later.
A Honda Odyssey, which had been parked above the manhole, burst into flames and the firemen had to rush to the scene. The car belonged to a resident of Carroll Street.
Thanks for the info, Uldis.

**********

This afternoon, I received an email from reader Becca. Apparently, there was a fire on Carroll Street on Tuesday night. Here is what she writes:

"About the fire that was on Carroll St between Henry and Clinton last night- kept the whole block awake and left them without power this (Wednesday) morning? I'd be curious to here what happened and anxious to hear that no one got hurt!"

Becca noticed a melted car early on Wednesday morning, but when I walked down that block in the afternoon, it was gone and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Does anyone have any information?



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Picture Of The Day: The Party Pooper

When I showed Mr. Pardon Me For Asking this photo taken on Smith Street, he smiled and burst into song:

"Every party needs a pooper,
that's why I'm inviting you,
Party pooper, party pooper."

I had never heard this particular song before, but it sure seemed appropriate.



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Comment Of The Day: They Are Dead, Capice?

Plow to Plate has left the following comment on the post "Dear Christmas Tree Ventor, Please Clean Up Your Mess, The Neighborhood":

10:45 - I don't know if you know this, but these are DEAD trees. They were CUT DOWN. DEAD trees are a fire hazard. They dry out and are easily ignited. Live trees still have sap moving through them. They are not dried out. Capice?
Forest Ranger

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Get Ready For Speed Dating At Provence En Boite On Smith Street

Are you ready to find love on Smith Street this Valentines Day? If yes, this is THE event for you.
Provence en Boite, the French bistro at 263 Smith Street, is hosting a 'Valentine Night in Brooklyn' event, presented by Ricard and Speed Dating Connections.
Fun, no?

FIND YOUR SOUL MATE

SPEED DATING

at Provence en Boite

February 10th 2010

7pm to 9.30pm

Single people only from 23 to 38 years old!!!!

Entrance fee $20.

Be the first to register to be sure to get a seat and meet a date, a boyfriend or the love of your life!!!!

To make your reservation on line, click here.

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"Home" Show At Brooklyn Artists Gym's Winter Salon This Friday

What would you answer, dear reader, if someone asked you: "Where and What is home to you?"

The "Home" show at the Brooklyn Artists Gym put this question to writers and artists. Their responses resulted in a show which starts Friday.
You may want to check it out. More info below.

"Home" Show: The Winter Salon 2010.

B.A.G. artists and Room 58 Writers answer the question “Where and what is home to you?”

“Home” includes readings and artwork that reflect home as a place or time (specific or shifting), as a reflection of identity, as isolating, affirming, familiar, or forgotten. Our Salons thrive on audience participation so join us for a hot toddy, to warm you up and get you talking.

Friday, January 29^th

7-10pm

168 7th Street, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Exhibit will remain in the gallery until February 11^th.

Curated by Marguerite Leslie

The artists include: Robert Box, Nelsena Burt, Chris Weller, Ian Schwartz, Brian Zimbler, Jessie Edelman, Joanna Riina, Cynthia Brown, Summer Brennan, Mary Ann Aitken.

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Vincent Raccuglia of Raccuglia and Son Funeral Home (CGD)

Photo by Max Flatow

If you haven't done so already, check out the great piece on Vincent Raccuglia, the man behind the Raccuglia & Son Funeral Home on Court Street. It was written by Sylvie Morgan Flatow over at Carroll Gardens Diary. Go check it out.

Vincent Raccuglia of Raccuglia and Son Funeral Home (CGD)

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Picture Of The Day: Snowy Morning

Looking out the window,
I was taken by surprise.
The backyard were covered in snow.
I guess I had not checked the forecast...

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Dear Christmas Tree Vendor, Please Clean Up Your Mess, The Neighborhood

One can't help but notice the mess left behind by the Christmas tree vendor in the Court Street and First Place corner lot.
It is almost the end of January, but there are still some unsold trees, as well as trash bags filled with old branches lying about.

That's why the new sign attached to the fence made me smile. Obviously, the neighbors are getting fed up as well. The sign reads:

Will The People
Responsible For The
X-Mas Tree Mess
Please Clean It Up?

Thank You,
The Neighborhood

Kudos to the neighbor who wrote the note.


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Valentine's Day Prep Party At Charlie-N-Diamond This Sunday

photo credit: Charlie-N-Diamond

Charlie-N-Diamond, a newly opened boutique at 105 Atlantic Avenue, which carries locally made women’s clothes, accessories, kid’s stuff and gifts, is holding a fun pre-Valentine event this Sunday. Read on:

VALENTINE’S DAY PREP PARTY AND RYANN TRUNK SHOW!

This Sunday 1/31 from 2-5pm
@charlie-n-diamond boutique
105 Atlantic Ave.
Brooklyn
(Between Henry &Hicks)
Grab some great clothing and jewelry for your Valentine's date!

Please join us for an exciting afternoon…our very first Trunk show featuring fashions by Ryann, a locally made, sustainable clothing line for all the ladies. We will be raffling off some great prizes including a haircut at Boy Luv Girl Salon. We will also be offering a 20% off discount on accessories.Hope to see you there!

more here

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A Moment In Time: Hello? Hello?

Of course not every one
has a cell phone.
But as I walked by,
I realized
that I had not seen
anyone use this public phone
in a very long time.
I hope it worked.

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Comment Of The Day: A Tough Call!

Anonymous has left the following comment on the post "Scotto's Wine Cellar, One Of Neighborhood's Oldest Merchants, Seeks Help In Fighting Proposal To Allow Wine Sales In Grocery Stores":

This is a tough one. I LOVE Scotto's. They're the best, and i trust them. I've always gotten excellent suggestions in price ranges from 6 bucks on up. I don't think a grocery store could duplicate the service and range one gets in Scotto's. And in our neighborhood, even people who go to grocery stores, still go to bakeries and other specialty shops to get the best of everything - even though the grocery store carries bread etc. So even if a grocery store did carry wine, it would be very limited. It's a nice convenience, sometimes. But I'll vote for not allowing wine sales in grocery stores because I want to support variety of business, and if that law threatens a business, then that's no good. But it's a tough call...

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Scotto's Wine Cellar, One Of Neighborhood's Oldest Merchants, Seeking Help In Fighting Proposal To Allow Wine Sales In Grocery Stores

Some neighborhood liquor stores are appealing directly to their customers to help fight Governor Paterson's proposal to legalize wine sales in grocery stores.

Just recently, a poster appeared in the window of one of the city's oldest liquor stores, Scotto's Wine Cellar at 318 Court Street, from "The Last Store On Main Street," a coalition of small business advocates, local wine store owners and wholesalers. The coalition argues that wine sellers are "one of the last independent businesses" and that if Paterson's proposal were to become law, "small businesses in every corner of New York will be forced to close-costing the State hundreds of valuable jobs at a time when New Yorkers cannot afford any more job loss."

Further, the coalition claims, selling wine in grocery stores will give under-aged drinkers greater access to alcohol, resulting in a heightened risk of fatal drunk driving accidents.

Personally, I do not think that the service and advice of an independent wine merchant can be replaced by a supermarket, but I do understand the concern.
Not quite sure if the argument about easier access to liquor for teens is valid, though. Grocery stores have been selling beer for a long time and are used to proofing their customers. (Besides, I think that the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18.)

But we should support our local businesses. Times are tough enough for our merchants.
Please check out "The Last Store On Main Street's" web site and consider sending a letter to Governor Paterson here.


What do you think, dear Reader? Would allowing the sale of wine in supermarkets hurt local wine stores like Scotto's Wine Cellar, Smith& Vine and Vintage Cellar? Care to weigh in?


To Read More about Scotto and its history, click here.

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Neighborhood Jobs: Bird On Smith Street Is Now Hiring

"Help Wanted" signs have become somewhat of a rarity in this town. But as we all know around here, there are many neighbors and friends looking for jobs.
So for those looking for employment, I will occasionally post about job opportunities in the neighborhood.

This latest one is from Bird, a women's apparel, shoes and accessories boutique at 220 Smith Street. There are also two other Bird boutiques, one in Park Slope and one in Williamsburg.

Good luck applying!

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Signs Of Spring All Around Carroll Gardens

On a late afternoon walk around the neighborhood, I could not help but notice that the days are getting slightly longer and that there are signs of spring all around us. In both Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, the branches of magnolias, Callary Pears and dogwoods are covered in buds.

Of course we are still weeks and months away from seeing the trees in bloom, but it made me hopeful that warmer weather and Spring may not be so, so far away. What about you, dear Reader? Have you noticed?



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After More Than Two Years, Still No Permanent Certificate Of Occupancy For Hannah Senesh Day School

Just issued Temporary Certificate Of Occupancy # 7

Page 1

Page 2

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Back in December 2009, the Board of Hannah Senesh Day School drew attention to itself when it revealed its plans for a two-story expansion onto the city-owned courtyard next to the school. However, Carroll Gardens' unique courtyards are protected by a 150-year-old law, which forbids anyone from building or parking on them.

With the help of lobbyist Ken Fisher, Hannah Senesh was able to convince then-Councilman Bill de Blasio that this was a good idea. In his last days as this community's public elected official, de Blasio was ready to introduce to the Council a bill which would have altered the law by exempting the courtyard on First Place at Smith Street.

When it became known, the plan met with tremendous opposition from the Carroll Gardens community. The overwhelming sentiment was clear: not even one of our signature courtyards can be lost.

Why Hannah Senesh Day School needs to expand so quickly after moving into the building in September 2007, is unclear. The Board's Vice-Chair, Amy Glosser, was quick to say that the school did not intend on growing its enrollment. Glosser stated that the expansion was "not about getting bigger, but about getting better."

Could there possibly be another reason why the school is pursuing the expansion?

Since Hannah Senesh moved into their new location at 342 Smith Street in the fall of 2007, the school building has not been issued a permanent Certificate of Occupancy by the New York City Buildings Department.

So far, seven Temporary Certificates have been issued. That is rather an unusual amount. Between T.C. # 6, which expired in September 2008 and T.C. # 7 issued in January 2010, the school did not have ANY permit.
How could this be?

On January 19, 2010, the Buildings Department presented the school with a list of 14 open items needed before a permanent C.of O. can be issued. Amongst those items is a final plumbing sign-off, a fire alarm/signal system sign-off and Place Of Assembly sign-off.

There is also a special notation that there would be no more issuance of Temporary Certificates without a review.

The Buildings Department, I have heard, gives special consideration to schools to ensure that they have all the correct permits in a timely fashion. Why then has it taken Hannah Senesh Day School so long to get a permanent one?
And more importantly, why was the school able to operate without even a temporary permit between the end of '08 and the beginning of '10?

Whatever the problem with the D.o.B, one has to wonder if the expansion is a must rather than a need.

And are the school's parents aware of any of this?




To read previous posts about Hannah Senesh expansion, click here

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At Second Informational Meeting Regarding Gowanus Canal, E.P.A. Explains How Community Can Get Involved

Thursday Night's EPA Community Meeting At PS 32

Christos Tsiamis, Remedial Project Manager for the Gowanus Canal

Natalie Loney, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator

Councilman Brad Lander

Councilman Steve Levin

The Environmental Protection Agency's Region 2 held its second public information meeting regarding the Gowanus Canal on Thursday evening. Though attendance was slightly less than at the agency's first informational meeting in December, the turn-out was still very impressive.

Christos Tsiamis, Remedial Project Manager for the Gowanus Canal, gave a brief summary of the studies completed and currently under way.
The Bathymetric Survey was completed in early January. Surface sediment sampling will begin this week, followed by surface water sampling and air sampling.
Mr. Tsiamis also mentioned that the E.P.A. will make a decision about whether to place the Gowanus Canal on its list of Superfund sites fairly soon.


Natalie Loney, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator spoke in depth about C.A.G.s, T.A.G.'s and T.A.S.C.s, the programs available to the community under the Superfund program if the Gowanus Canal were to be listed as a Superfund Site.

Public's involvement in the decision making is an important part of the Superfund Process. It ensure that the community members affected by abandoned hazardous waste get a say in the actions put forth by the E.P.A. to clean them up.

As Ms. Loney explained, these are the community programs and grant available to us:

Community Advisory Group (C.A.G.)

A Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG) is made up of members of the community and is designed to serve as the focal point for the exchange of information among the local community and EPA, the State regulatory agency, and other pertinent Federal agencies involved in cleanup of the Superfund site.

Technical Assistance Grants (T.A.G.)

A Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) provides money for activities that help your community participate in decision making at eligible Superfund sites. An initial grant up to $50,000 is available to qualified community groups so they can contract with independent technical advisors to interpret and help the community understand technical information about their site.

Technical Assistance Services For Communities (T.A.S.C.):

TASC is a program that provides independent educational and technical assistance to communities. TASC primarily supports the Superfund program. In addition, support may also be provided to communities impacted by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act or federal facilities or dealing with air or water environmental problems.


Most of the discussion revolved around the T.A.G. grant. Ms. Loney and Mr. Tsiamis explained that only groups whose members live near and may be affect by a Superfund site may apply.
In addition, only a group that is non-profit and incorporated (or in the process of incorporating) can get a T.A.G.

Groups that represent or received money or services from a Potentially Responsible Party (P.R.P.) are NOT eligible.
Since New York City is considered a P.R.P., many community groups could be out of the running because they may have received monies from the city.

Council Member Brad Lander seemed concerned about this and asked if ineligible groups could form a new 501(C)3 tax exempt group for the purpose of applying for the grant. (I wonder what he had in mind...)

Though the subject of C.A.G.s, T.A.S.C.s and T.A.G.s is rather dry, it is important for us, as members of the community, to take the time to understand and to get involved in this process.

For further coverage, check out Found In Brooklyn and Carroll Gardens Diary



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