How to Find a Pet-Friendly Apartment in NYC

Here's a great article with some helpful tips to those who have had difficulty finding a rental, condo or coop that will accept pets, with tips from realtors and attorneys in the field.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/realestate/getting-started-not-without-my-pet.html

Please help keep our city lakes safe and clean!

From the NYT:
Fishing Lines, Deadly When Discarded, Pose Threat to Birds in City Parks

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/nyregion/at-new-york-city-parks-fishing-line-and-hooks-pose-another-danger-to-birds.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=animal&st=cse

Update on the SafeStop Program & Sexual Assaults in Brooklyn

These are updates from Assemblywoman Joan Millman on the SafeStop program that was recently developed to develop safe-havens in Brooklyn, as well as an update on the sexual assaults in the South-Slope area. The later includes some really good safety tips that are worth reading:

SAFE STOP

The Brooklyn District Attorney's office has begun a public safety program
 called "Safe Stop" (formerly safe Haven), which allows merchants to display a decal to alert the public
 that their business is a safe place to go in the event of an emergency. Business employees will receive
 training about the program; have public safety information to give out and will refer non emergency
situations to the DA's office.

 Emergencies will be handled through 911. My office will soon be a safe stop. Applications for businesseswhich would like to become Safe Stops are available in my office at 341 Smith Street.

 Community Response to Sexual Assaults

Over the past few months there have been a string of sexual assaults in Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights and Sunset Park. I have been in contact with both Assistant Chief Chan of the NYPD's Brooklyn South Division and Deputy Inspector Pintos of the 72nd Precinct. I am also working with the Dept of Transportation to see if they can install additional lights beneath the Prospect Expressway overpass in the interest of public safety. Several of the attacks began with the victim being followed after leaving a subway station, especially the Prospect Ave station at 4th Ave on the R train.

 It is extremely important that we all take safety precautions when walking alone day or night. The Police Department recommends being extra cautious and aware of your surroundings, taking off headphones as they may inhibit the ability to hear someone approaching and using a route that is well lit and well populated.

 Do not hesitate to call the 72nd Precinct at 718-965-6311, 78th Precinct at (718) 636-6411 or 911 if you suspect a crime is being committed.

 Additionally, the following resources provide late night walks or rides home:

 o Brooklyn Bike Patrol provides walks home 7 days a week from subway stops in Park Slope, Prospect Heights and Carroll Gardens. Call 718-744-7592 to arrange an escort.

 o Right Rides provides free, safe rides home for women and LGBTQ individuals after midnight on the weekends. Call 888-215-SAFE

o Safe Slope provides free walks home in Park Slope, Greenwood Heights and
 Windsor Terrace on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 8pm-3am by calling
347-709-8852

Park Slope Area Safety Update & Advice

As most people in the area have heard, there have been a string of sexual assaults and attempts in the South Slope area and surrounding neighborhoods and the police seem to be focused on a single suspect. Councilman Lander's website has some important and helpful information regarding the investigation and what we can do to protect ourselves and our neighbors from such attacks:  http://bradlander.com/blog/2011/09/10/safety-in-our-community

There are several upcoming meetings to discuss these incidents and a community response:

On September 13th, the 72nd Precinct is holding its monthly precinct community council meeting. This is your opportunity to speak directly to those responsible for keeping us safe. The meeting will be at 7:30 PM at Marien Heim Center at 4520 4th Avenue.
On September 14 at 8:00 PM, Safe Slope, a new organization of members of our community, has organized a Take Back the Night rally to show our collective resistance to sexual assault. I will be there and I hope you join me. The rally will be at Prospect Avenue and 4th Avenue, by the R train stop.

Safe Slope is also seeking volunteers to help ensure that women and LGBTQ people in our neighborhood have safe spaces to go to or people to walk with if they feel threatened. If you would like to help, contact safeslope@gmail.com.

  As much as we would like to rely on the police, they cannot be all places at all times and an attacker is unlikely to make an attempt with police in sight, so we need to do what we can to protect ourselves and neighbors.  Councilman Lander's website  has information on several upcoming self-defense seminars that will be held locally in the near future.

Reform of Animal Care & Control

It's been a while since my last post but this NY 1 article/video caught my eye.  http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/145447/officials-call-for-animal-care-and-control-overhaul?r=1196400457

The City really needs to do some different and creative to get in front of this issue.  The status quo of a crowded shelters with long euthanasia lists for healthy and adoptable animals is just not acceptable.  In these times of budgetary constraints animals, not surpringly, lose out to other priorities, like not laying off teachers or police officers, or closing down more firehouses.  That being said, this doesn't mean that we, as a City of people (not just as a government) can't do more with less, and do more by doing what we do better.  Aside from establishing ACC as an independent or non-profit agency so it doesn't get marginalized within a large agency with other major priorities, the City can do more to involve people in helping the animals through better public education and providing incentives.

A strong early intervention program targetted into the city's schools, both public and private, could go a long way to preventing the proliferation of animal births due to uneducated or irresponsible pet owners, and to reduce the continued reliance by city residents on pet stores and puppy mills that mass produce pets while needy animals are euthanized. Every pet purchase is an opportunity lost to ease the dangerous overcrowding of our shelters and rescues.  The City should take at least a symbolic stand against puppy mills and the pets stores who support them.  One way that this could be done, and which would be similar to what the City has done to stores that sell tobacco, is to require stores that sell animals to prominently post a sign that advises customers to consider adopting a pet from ACC or other rescue groups, and to have brochures on hand for customers that give them contact information for such agencies.

The City should also incentivize a strong foster and adoption program by providing city income tax deductions, or even a standard credit, for foster and adoption expenses associated with shelter animals.  Such a law should make expenses of caring for a pet (food & medical care) tax deductible for several years for up to two pets.  This would encourage responsible adoption of pets and help ease crowding in our shelters.  It would also probably pay for itself, at least to some extent, through savings to ACC.

If we get more creative on this issue, and more active, we can do a lot more to help these animals by creating a more capable system that taps into the tremendous resources and compassion of the City's millions of residents.

Join a Community Board 6 Committee, Apps Due Soon

Here is a great opportunity if you are interested in working to improve the neighborhood, there several committees that deal with different subject matter that you may be interested in.

Here is the announcement from the CB6 website and a link to the application, which contains instructions on how to apply:

How do I join a CB6 Committee?
Although CB6 committee membership must be composed primarily of a majority of Board Members, membership is also open to Non-Board Members as well. This allows for broader, grassroots public representation on the Community Board’s standing committees, and encourages and facilitates citizen participation in local government within our communities. The Brooklyn CB6 district includes the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens/South Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Columbia Street District, Gowanus, Park Slope, and Red Hook.

Individuals who wish to serve on a committee can download the form by clicking below and returning it to the CB6 District Office at 250 Baltic Street (between Court/Clinton Streets), Monday through Friday between the hours of 10AM and 4PM, or fax it to (718) 624-8410. Appointments to committees for a one-year term are effective September 1. Non-Board Members who are appointed to a committee enjoy the same participatory rights and are expected to fulfill the same member-related responsibilities as Board Members serving on committees.

BROOKLYN CB6 COMMITTEES OPEN TO PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS:

• Economic/Waterfront/Community Development & Housing
• Landmarks/Land Use
• Parks/Recreation/Cultural Affairs
• Public Safety/Environmental Protection/Permits & Licenses
• Transportation
• Youth/Human Services/Education

Committee Membership Request forms must be received at the District Office by the end of June for consideration in initial annual reconstitution of committees. Additional requests for membership may be made at any other time throughout the year, but appointments will be made based on the availability of openings.

CB6 non-bd member committee application

What are the Rules for Local Bars and Restaurants?

The following blurb is an announcement from Community Board 6.  This is a good meeting to attend if you are interested in learning about the rules that local bars and restaurants must follow.  This will also be a great opportunity for community members to express concerns or questions to local and state officials.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Informational Meeting

In an effort to better understand the rules and regulations governing restaurants and bars in our district, representatives from State Liquor Authority, City agencies and local precincts will be on hand to answer any questions in respect to noise, smoking, backyard usage, garbage and other related issues.

Please join us on:

DATE: Tuesday, May 17, 2011

TIME: 6:00 pm

PLACE: 78th Police Precinct

65 6th Avenue, Auditorium

(between Bergen & Dean Streets)

Bring your neighbors! Bring your friends!

Find out what's going on.

Leroy P. Branch Jr.
Assistant District Manager
Brooklyn Community Board 6
250 Baltic Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201-6401

t. (718) 643-3027, ext. 204
f. (718) 624-8410
e. adm@BrooklynCB6.org
w. www.BrooklynCB6.org

Benefit concert to support Neonatal Intensive Care Unit @ Mt. Sinai Hospital

Music for Aardvarks Benefit Concert 6/4/2011http://spsounds.com/

A friend of mine is putting on a benefit concert to raise money for
the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mt. Sinai hospital. Looks like it
will be a fun time for a great cause...check it out!

June 4th at Southpaw on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, featuring David
Weinstone and Music for Aardvarks!

Event info:http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=219142378112519&id=555024615&ref=notif¬if_t=share_reply#!/event.php?eid=198584936849792

Buy Tickets: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3672675

Prospect Park West Bike Lanes, Community Input into the Design

Community Board 6 recently and unanimously approved certain design modifications to the controversial bike lane along PPW.  I have attached the letter from CB6 to the NYC DOT which responds to certain modifications that DOT was planning and includes other ideas that had community support.  The overall theme was to (1) make the lanes fit better with the historic nature of the area, (2) improve visibility of cyclists and pedestrian safety, (3) reduce impacts on traffic and parking.  It will be interesting to watch the lane develop over the coming months and years:

http://www.brooklyncb6.org/_attachments/2011-04-20%20CB6%20PPW%20Modifications.pdf

NYC Subway Etiquette, stuff you should know if you ride!

It's hard to believe that some people who ride the subway everyday don't know the basic etiquette of what is and isn't appropriate to do when you're on the subway.  Obviously, there are some tourists who may get a pass, but most of the craziness I see comes from people who seem to be regular riders. 

So, in the interest of clarifying "da rules", I have put this top ten list of stuff NOT to do while you're on the subway, and which might potentially get you into a down and dirty brawl!  I tried to include rules that I think most if not all of us would agree on, though obviously many of us have personal preferences that are hard to impose on everyone.  Here's a website where you can find, or send, pictures of some pretty extreme subway stupidity: http://www.subwaydouchery.com/

Now, DA RULES on what NOT to do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az4qASdPD4Y
1) Stand fully in the doorway when the train stops.  Yes, this pisses most of us off.  At the very least turn sideways to allow people to get in and out, or better yet, take a step into the train if there is room, or out of the train to open up the doorway. 

2) Have a three-course meal on the subway.  Did you see this video?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az4qASdPD4Y  This is what happens when a fine italian diner meets an annoyed commuter and go at it.  While certain MTA board members have recently supported a food ban, the MTA Chairman and most riders oppose it.  Eating on the subway is a matter of degree and common sense.  I think there are some basic guidelines that would go a long way to resolving the problem: (1) if it smells, don't eat it, (2) nothing that involves sauce, a plate, tupperware or utensils, (3) if it can fit in your pocket and not cause a mess, go for it. 

3) Play a radio, music on your smartphone, or play an I-pod at maximum decibal levels.  If I can tell you what song you are listening from five feet away your music is too loud.  Chances are, your music sucks and at least half the people hearing it don't want to, so turn it down!

4) Get expanding crotch disorder.  This is mostly, but not exclusively a male phenomenon.  Usually occurs when self-important and rude people put a large bag between their legs or just plain old decide that their crotch needs several feet of breathing room, thus expanding the person's legs into the seats on the left and right.  This says, screw you, I am worth three seats and you get to stand till I get where I'm going.  I saw a lady the other day who had this and she also added a foot of her trench coat into the next seat. When a passenger sat down and brushed her jacket aside, she gave her the look of death and a brawl almost broke out.

5) Be the oversized backpack guy.  This guy goes to the gym and is badass.  He wears a backpack that is overstuffed and slams it into everyone on the train, refusing to take it off and put it by his side or on the floor. Take off the bag and wake up!

6) Be the pole rider.  This means: I am too friggin lazy to hold the poll so I will just lean my whole body on it. This means nobody else gets to hold the poll, and if they do, they get ass or a dandruff covered head on their hand. 

7) Do nail clipping and misc personal hygiene chores.  No.

8) Shoving or running past people at the edge of the platform when the train is approaching.  Please, don't run behind me as the train is approaching because you want to get to the other end of the platform.  Every year or so people get intentionally shoved on the tracks by someone who isn't thinking right.  To me, you and those people look pretty much the same and it pisses me off.  Figure out where you need to be before the train comes. 

9) Slow or distracted on the stairway.  If you are on the stairs or escalator and are crawling, you should be on the right side.  The left side is for actual walking.  Under no circustances should you be in the middle of the stairs texting or talking on the phone as dozens of people get backed up behind you.   Wake up, besides, that is where people's phones very often get stolen.

10) Please comment, I'm sure I left something out!

New York to Convicts: Out of Jail, But Out of Work

Many people think of New York as a state of progressive politics and liberal ideals.  In some areas this is true, but in criminal justice policy, New York's laws do not convey a consistent policy that focuses on rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders into society. On one hand, we have substantially reformed the Rockefeller drug laws, created very effective specialized courts (though only in select areas of the state), and are beginning to adopt more comprehensive strategies to treat and rehabilitate offenders who are going back into society.  On the other hand, we have not addressed some of the most significant boundaries that offenders face in reintegration.  Our legislation has been piecemeal rather than comprehensive, and we have failed to address major barriers to reemployment for ex-offenders.

While there may be many factors that lead to unsuccessful reintegration, such as drug addiction, lack of social support, and lack of job skills, we clearly have done little to make it easy for ex-offenders to gain meaningful employment in the community.  As many of us know, even people with advanced degrees have difficulty finding jobs in the current economic climate, so imagine how difficult it is to find a job when you have to explain a criminal conviction. Short of a pardon by the Governor, New York has no mechanism for vacating a conviction based on the length of time passed since a conviction, the nature of a offense, or rehabilitation. In New York, a 60 year-old man with a larceny conviction from when he was 20 years-old will have to disclose such conviction upon request in every job application he files.  And while it is generally illegal not to hire someone simply for having a criminal record, most people who apply for a job have little ability to determine why they were not hired, nor do they have the resources to pursue their rights in the dark while fighting to find meaningful jobs and to support their families.

New York should join other states and pass legislation that allows convictions to be sealed or expunged after some period of time, perhaps a shorter period for misdemeanors and a longer period for non-violent felonies. Such legislation should allow ex-offenders to apply to an administrative agency, such as DCJS or a local probation department, that would review applications for evidence of rehabilitation and allow District Attorneys to object where appropriate. Such determinations could be appealed in court by either side. This would provide a process for ex-offenders to restore their rights, including the right to vote for some felons, and to be competitive in applying for jobs. The current policy, by placing barriers in front of ex-offenders, increases the chances that such individuals will reoffend (at a cost to all of us) and increases the likelihood that the cycle of poverty will continute in certain families and communities.

As of 2006, forty states allowed expungement or sealing of arrests not leading to conviction, and twenty-nine permitted an individual to deny the arrest. Sixteen states allowed expungement or sealing of convictions, and thirteen permitted an individual to deny the conviction. Ben Geiger, The Case for Treating Ex-Offenders as a Suspect Class, 94 Cal. L. Rev. 1191, 1200 (2006).  There have been proposals for such legislation in New York but none of have been passed.  All New York has is a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities process, which prevents certain automatic bars to some employment and licenses, but does nothing to prevent a potential employer from learning of a conviction in the first place.  It is time for New York to get in front of this issue and become a leader in fully integrating ex-offenders in our communities.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-State-conviction-relief-criminal-record-sealing-or-expungement/155682704460158

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110323/ts_yblog_thelookout/help-wanted-sixty-five-million-need-not-apply

Tearing the House Down in Prospect Park

The Brooklyn Eagle reported today that police raided and demolished a homeless man's "elaborate six-foot-tall house of twigs" which stood for months near the lake in Prospect Park. While the eviction is sad for this guy, who obviously put a lot of work into the house, it was inevitable that the law would step in.  After all, who wouldn't like to build a house on the lake in Prospect Park?  Ask your Realtor for a quote on that piece of land.....

http://brooklynpaper.com/stories/34/11/dtg_twighouse_2011_3_18_bk.html

Prescription Drug Disposal Day in Brooklyn!

Most people don't know that there are low levels of dozens of prescription and OTC drugs, as well as their chemical components, in our water supply and the health effects are largely unknown. This is partially a result of people flushing unused prescriptions.  For background, here is an article about this as a nationwide concern: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-09-water_N.htm

Please consider bringing your unused drugs to the local collection sites listed in the US DEA announcement below: 
 ******************************************************************************
The U.S. Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Administration is sponsoring a...
NATIONAL TAKE BACK INITIATIVE
APRIL 30, 2011, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

In an effort to address this problem, DEA, in conjunction with state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, conducted the first ever National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, September 25, 2010. The purpose of this National Take Back Day was to provide a venue for persons who wanted to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs. This effort was a huge success in removing potentially dangerous prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances, from our nation's medicine cabinets. There were approximately 3,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation that participated in the event. All told, the American Public turned in more than 121 tons of pills on this first National Take Back Day.

Due to the overwhelming success of the first event, DEA has scheduled the second National Prescription Drug Take Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the first event or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of them.

Two Take Back sites in the Brooklyn CB6 district include:

*NYPD 78th Police Precinct, 65 6th Avenue (between Dean & Bergen Streets)
*FDNY Engine 220/Ladder 122, 530 11th Street (between 7th & 8th Avenues)

New sites are being added to the list. Use link below to get most current listing, and to find a site near you!

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html

Reminder: Drugs that are flushed down the toilet may ultimately find their way into a nearby waterway, like the Gowanus Canal, particularly in the event of a Combined Sewer Overflow event. Help us keep our canal clean, sober and drug-free!

Civility ... what is this talk about?

Civility.  In recent months this word has been getting a lot of play in political and policy circles on the national, state and local level.  Some public debates and recent events come to mind as related to civility or the lack thereof:  congressional divisiveness, tea party attacks on the President's birth place and religion, "2nd Amendment remedies", attacks on public workers in Wisconsin and other states, the horrendous shooting in Arizona, and local issues like Atlantic Yards and bike lanes.  It has been said many times, with respect to all these issues and events, that our discourse lacks civility because we (1) turn policy issues into personal ones, (2) speak only to those who agree with us to further radicalize them, and (3) such conversations do little to advance public discussion and sometimes even inspire people to violence.

What is civility?  Civility in public discourse has come to be equated with a level of due process, allowing everyone to have their say without being heckled or intimidated, not turning policy issues into personal ones, and keeping debates peaceful.  To find an acceptable definition, Justice Scalia might turn to a dictionary to be accurate, and one defines civility as follows:

NOUN:
pl. ci·vil·i·ties

1. Courteous behavior; politeness.
2. A courteous act or utterance.

When I think of civility I think of civilization, or civil society.  However, the history of civilization (including dozens of bloody conflicts raging around the world as I type) is hard to equate with civility.  Is our conception of civility in our public discourse really one that is helpful to us in addressing the complex issues inherent in urban society?  No.  Our "civility" has become a set of guidelines that discourage us from screaming too loud, becoming violent, or getting too personal with each other.  If nobody gets physically hurt, or verbally assaulted, we are generally willing to declare that the discussion was civil.  What a low and inconsequential bar we set for ourselves. 

A civil discussion should in some way define and advance our goals for a civil society.  It should go well beyond the mere process of allowing people to speak about their already formed positions. It must encourage us to collectively address issues through a process that moves us closer to achieving shared goals.  Lining us up and having us hit each other with thickly padded gloves to avoid bloodshed does not accomplish much, but simply sends us all home with a headache rather than a broken nose.  We should challenge ourselves in our public discourse to raise the bar of civility to focus on a process that builds unifying bridges, and perhaps we'll all be better off.

Prospect Park West Bike Lane, Tonight's Community Board 6 Meeting

 I attended tonight's meeting, which easily drew several hundred community members from Park Slope and some neighboring areas.  The meeting literally and figuratively started at about 90 degrees, but the heat did come down, though the passions stayed high.  Approximately 40-60 people spoke for and against the bike lanes and, as someone who was not very familiar with the history of the lanes and current concerns, I found the discussion to be very constructive and informative.  While the focus of the meeting was to discuss the DOT's proposed safety and aesthetic improvements to the lane, much of the opposition was arguing for outright removal of the lane, or a compromise which would involve replacing the two-way lane with a one-way lane that flows with the one-way traffic, and then opening another lane inside the park to travel in the other direction. This was rather non-spontaneously proposed by most of the opponents, several of which were from organized advocacy groups like Seniors for Safety and Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes (who are currently suing the DOT to remove the lanes).  The current bike lane set up, although with some modifications, was largely supported by residents at the meeting, and also evidenced by a recent survey conducted by CB6 and local City Council Members.

One of the most interesting perspectives came out of an exchange with a resident from Carrol Gardens who was lightly heckled by at least one audience member with words to the effect of "you don't live here", when he spoke in support of the lanes. While the meeting was largely passionate, but civil, this heckler's comment brought about responses from other speakers who essentially made the point that Prospect Park belongs to all of us, including residents from outside the Slope. Interestingly, according to the surveys, support for the lanes is highest among residents who live further away from the lanes (approximately 50% on PPW, 70% in Park Slope and higher outside of Park Slope).  Yet many of us like me who grew up in other parts of Brooklyn, or even outside of Brooklyn, may have used the park since we were kids and have an interest in safety and the quality of the park and the bike lanes. It's a part of our life, though perhaps to a less extent than someone who views the park from their kitchen window. Overall, I got the sense that most people at the meeting agreed that the park belongs to the people of Brooklyn at a minimum, if not the whole city.  The roughly 50% of the PPW neighbors who oppose the lanes will clearly not have a veto in this debate, unless the courts side with them.

As a non-board member of the CB6 Public Safety, Environmental and Permits/Licensing Committee I look forward to further discussions on how to improve the lanes, though I am leaning toward supporting improvements to the current configuration that will enhance pedestrian safety and address traffic issues.  There were important concerns raised about double parking, visibility of bikes to pedestrians crossing, and enforcement of both vehicular and bicycle traffic on PPW. There certainly needs to be a strong education and enforcement strategy in place moving forward.

Here's some recent press on the CB6 meeting and lawsuit challenging the lane under Article 78 as "arbitrary and capricious". There will be many articles tomorrow and I will post some links:

http://www.ny1.com/content/135317/prospect-park-bike-lane-proposal-debated


http://gothamist.com/2011/03/10/tonight_cyclists_anti-cyclists_rumb.php

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Suit-Over-Brooklyn-Bike-Lane-May-Bring--117667883.html

Slopers are too late to stop Yards-area bar - NYPOST.com

Slopers are too late to stop Yards-area bar - NYPOST.com

Atlantic Yards Report: The battle over Prime 6 at the corner of Flatbush and Sixth: not a sports bar, but questions over the owner's intentions

Atlantic Yards Report: The battle over Prime 6 at the corner of Flatbush and Sixth: not a sports bar, but questions over the owner's intentions

Community Board Meeting Tonight Regarding Local Bar Liquor License for Prime at 6th and Flatbush

This may be of interest to those in the area of 6th and Flatbush.  There is a boarded up Royal Video store at the site that has been vacant for a long time, but I'm not sure such a large establishment will improve the area.  While this is Flatbush Ave, that area by 6th is a fairly subdued part and this would bring a ton of traffic from future Nets games.  I'm open minded, and will be interested to see how the discussion tonight goes.  The meeting is at the YMCA on 9th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues at 6:30pm and the community will have a chance to speak out. 

http://brooklynpaper.com/stories/34/9/web_prime6bar_2011_3_4_bk.html

Today's (alleged) Worst Man in Brooklyn

Bogus Cancer Doctor Charged with Molesting Sedated Cancer Patients Draws 11 Million Dollar Record-High Bail
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/02/27/2011-02-27_bogus_cancer_doctor_charged_with_sexually_molesting_his_sedated_cancer_patients_.html

We're all cheeseheads!

Wisconsin Protests: Labor Protests Draw Thousands Across The Country

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/26/wisconsin-protests-across-country-thousands_n_828722.html

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of people rallied in cities across the United States on Saturday to express solidarity with Wisconsin public sector unions fighting a proposal to curb their power.
"We all support the people in Wisconsin and all over the country where labor is being threatened, and we know that the real agenda of the (Wisconsin) governor and many others is just to destroy unions," said New Yorker Judith Barbanel.

Brooklyn Community Board 6 info

Community Board 6 represents several neighborhoods that range from Park Slope going west to Red Hook.  Here is the website, and most importantly, the calendar of events and meetings: http://www.brooklyncb6.org/calendar/

I serve on the Public Safety, Environmental Protection, and Licensing Committee but am not on the full board. This committee works on a number of issues including the Gowanus Canal clean up, local crime issues, and permits for street seating at restaurants and cafes.

A bit of good news? Is NYC nice?

New York City only 58th angriest city in U.S., Detroit finishes a top Men's Health magazine rankings

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/02/25/2011-02-25_new_york_city_only_58th_angriest_city_in_us_detroit_finishes_a_top_mens_health_m.html#ixzz1F6W2Rs00

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/02/25/2011-02-25_new_york_city_only_58th_angriest_city_in_us_detroit_finishes_a_top_mens_health_m.html

This "study" is not very scientific, but do you agree that New York is not such an angry city? I think we judge "anger" by more than whether we are at high risk for a felonious assault, and in large part by the attitude and level of courtesy of those we deal with on a day to day basis.  None of the items considered really get at that factor, which is difficult to measure.  It would be nice to believe we live in a super-friendly city, but what's nice is largely a matter of perspective. 

Welcome! What is this all about?

Welcome to our blog!  This blog's description is very short, so I'd like to briefly expand on it so you know what this blog is about and why you should visit it regularly. The idea behind this blog is to turn it into a community think-action tank, and not just a place for discussion and venting.  As a community, we have many resources at our disposal.  Just think about who lives in our area.  From actors and actresses to doctors, lawyers, teachers, urban planners, engineers, and scientists, Brooklyn has an endless supply of talent from around the world that is right at our fingertips.  

What can we do together?  We can think large, small, or somewhere in the middle, but the goal is to turn our thoughts and concerns into actions that achieve results, improve lives, and enhance our community.  This is where we can pool our collective energy, talents, and resources to do something greater than simply "blog" our energy into the www (world-wide-wind).  Let's discuss local concerns ranging from improving government services, to helping individuals who are in crisis and are unable to find assistance through traditional services.  For example, perhaps you have a friend who recently lost a job and is looking for leads in a certain professional area.  Or, you have a neighbor who has to give away a pet and cannot find a new home for the pet.  My hope is that we can build enough readers and followers so we get to a point where we can look at the individual needs of others, as well as broader shared goals, and draw on each other to solve problems as a community.   

Thank you for visiting the blog and please feel free to provide feedback on our mission and any ideas you have are appreciated. 

Truly,

Matt Silverman