Exploding Manholes; Cheapo Valentine's Day; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Exploding manhole on Empire Blvd. destroys Iraq vet's SUV. Gothamist

- We won! The Gowanus Canal is one of the most contaminated bodies of water in the nation. Brooklyn Eagle

- Mayor Bloomberg thinks New Yorker cover portraying him as a narcissist is "cute."  NY Magazine 

- Valentine's Day on the cheap.  Brokelyn And the ideal Brooklyn date weekend at The L Magazine. 

- 15 new small businesses have signed leases at the Brooklyn Nay Yard.  Brooklyn Eagle

- Gangs of teens step up their attacks in Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill. Brooklyn Paper

- Locals: Columbia Street Park should include "adult" elements. Carroll Gardens Patch

- To heck with groundhogs: freakishly large Brooklyn rabbit rings in Chinese New Year.  Brooklyn Eagle 

- The Paper Bag Players are free at LIU today (Friday). Hawthorne Street 

- Surprise: Voice calls work better on Verizon iPhone but data rates are "dramatically slower."  Gizmodo 

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