Craft a Giant Cardboard Model of DUMBO Tonight in Brooklyn

We're working on this amazing model of #DUMBObk tonight. Come help! 68 Jay #503. #cardboarddreams #craftnight pic.twitter.com/aQaQ4HWdL4

— DUMBOBID (@DUMBOBID) January 27, 2016

For some reason crafting a giant cardboard box model of DUMBO looks so fun!

Join the DUMBO BID at 68 Jay St. to help cut and paste.


Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

DOH Says No Confirmed Cases of Enterovirus D-68 in NYC Yet

States with confirmed cases. CDC

A panic in Borough Park about enterovirus D-68 is unfounded so far, the NYC Dept. of Health told the Brooklyn Eagle on Monday.

The respiratory disease, which hits kids with asthma the hardest, hit upstate NY recently -- but so far no confirmed cases have been found in Brooklyn.

The Health Department is monitoring the situation, DOH told the Eagle.


Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Green-Wood: Book Signing, Trolley Tour Recounting Bannerman Castle’s Curious Past

Photo by Douglas Labounty, Bammerman Castle Trust

A mysterious, imposing castle-like fortress is perched on an island in the middle of the Hudson River near West Point.

On Saturday, April 12, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn will host Wes and Barbara Gottlock, authors of the book Bannerman Castle (available for purchase and signing) and official Bannerman tour guides, as they detail the history of this remarkable site which includes Green-Wood ‘permanent resident,’ Francis Bannerman.

After the presentation, a brief tour of the cemetery will take place aboard the Green-Wood Trolley including a stop at the Bannerman family plot.

The talk is free. The trolley tour is $20; $15 for members of the Green-Wood Historic Fund and the Brooklyn Historical Society. Reservations recommended. For more information or reservations, call 718-210-3080 or visit www.green-wood.com/toursevents.

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Free Kids Theater Game Classes in Brooklyn, Manhattan

Carroll Gardens Public Library Benefit -- Storytelling Superstars with Miss Kris

 Shakespeare's Sister Company is offering free classes for ages three through five in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Shakespeare's Sister says: "Storytelling Superstars is a magical class for aspiring actors which teaches the building blocks of storytelling. Children act out fairy tales, play theater games, build friendships, confidence, leadership and sense of self."

Class Schedule:

Fri. 12/13, 11:00am-12:00pm -- Carroll Gardens Public Library
396 Clinton Street, Brooklyn (Auditorium)

Sat. 12/14, 10:30am-11:30am -- Kidville, Manhattan
515 West 51st Street (Midtown West)

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

30 Henry Street -- 'The Heights' -- As High As It's Going to Get

30 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights, the site of the old headquarters of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, has topped out at 5 stories.

BKSK Architects

When completed, the building (by developer Fortis Manor, designed by BKSK Architects) will have one condo on each floor.

According to Streeteasy, the first floor ($3,395,000) and the penthouse ($4,950,000) are in contract, while the three other floors are "active."

The Brooklyn Eagle has relocated to 16 Court Street and DUMBO. 

Previous Posts:

- In Contract at 30 Henry Street
- A Lid on 30 Henry Street, Brooklyn Heights
- 30 Henry Street, Brooklyn Heights: Roof Already Half Off
- 30 Henry Street HQ of Brooklyn Eagle Sold for $3.5 Million
- A Century of Changes at 30 Henry Street, Brooklyn Heights
- LPC Approves New 30 Henry Street Design in Brooklyn Heights
- Brooklyn Eagle's HQ in Brooklyn Heights Sold to Developers
- Find the Changes In New Improved 30 Henry Street Proposal
- Brooklyn Eagle Looking to Move to Gowanus? Building On the Market
- Serious Accident Sends Car Flying into Building on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights



Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Oil That Spilled Into Paerdegat Basin Has High level of PCBs

Oil spilled into Paerdegat Basin was found to be contaminated with PCBs. Photo: NYC Parks Department

The good news: Most of the oil that spilled into the Paerdegat Basin bordering Canarsie on September 28 has been collected, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Coast Guard said yesterday.

The bad news: A test of a sample of oil from the pipeline that caused the spill showed a highly hazardous level of PCBs -- 10,000 parts per million (ppm) -- at one location, DEC said. (PCBs at levels greater than 50 ppm are said to “present an unreasonable risk of injury to health.” )

PCBs in water build up in fish and marine mammals, and can reach levels thousands of times higher than the levels in water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 
What this means: The PCBs in the Basin may pose health risks to people with direct contact to the oil through swimming, wading, or fishing, or by eating fish or shellfish from the Basin. This may go on for years.

This could be bad news for the Sebago Canoe Club on Bergen Avenue, the four yacht clubs, and those who launch their canoes and kayaks from the Basin's launch sites.

It is uncertain for what this means for the Paerdegat Basin Park Preserve, 161 acres of Grassland and Salt Marsh, declared "Forever Wild," home to black- and yellow-crowned night herons, clapper rails, ducks and other wildlife.

PCBs can cause cancer, brain damage and learning deficits in children, liver disease, fertility problems, and more.

DEC is requiring National Grid to: complete an environmental investigation and perform any additional required cleanup.

How the spill happened: National Grid decommissioned an underground gas pipeline and was pumping concrete into the pipe to plug it when the spill occurred in the early morning of Sep. 28. Oil, containing several hazardous substances, was spilled onto the ground and entered storm drains during fire department response operations. Approximately 800-1,400 gallons of oil spilled into the Basin.

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

For Second Consecutive Year, Brooklyn Housing Court Lifetime Award Recipient Dies Before Event

You may want to avoid being named the Lifetime Award recipient at Brooklyn's annual Housing Court Bar event.

The Kings County Housing Court Bar Association held its 11th Annual Awards Luncheon last Thursday at Brooklyn Law School. The food was great, and several hardworking judges, clerks and attorneys were presented with Judiciary Awards of Merit, the Brooklyn Eagle reports.

But here's where it gets a little weird.

For second consecutive year, the Lifetime Award recipient died right before the event. This coincidence was noted as the award was presented to the daughter of this year's "winner."

Of course, these are older people (that's why it's called "lifetime" award). But still.

The Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for next year's winner.

Anybody?

More here.

Photo by Andy Bullock, Creative Commons license

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Post: 'Slumlord' Buys Bossert Hotel in Brooklyn Heights

The NY Post calls developer David Bistricer a "slumlord" and reports that he’s bought the landmark Hotel Bossert on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights from Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses). Bistricer says that he plans to have it running as a hotel again by 2014, pending city approvals.

As owner of the 59-building Flatbush Gardens complex, Bistricer had more than 8,100 open violations in 2010 and ranked among the city’s biggest slumlords that year, the Post reports. Read more.

UPDATE:  According to the Brooklyn Eagle, Bistricer plans a 302-room hotel "with a decent size restaurant on the first floor where one of the meeting rooms could be used to handle the restaurant’s overflow."

His spokesperson also defended his ownership at Flatbush Gardens, saying that when Bistricer bought the property it was "distressed."

- Watchtower Denies Brooklyn Heights' Bossert Sold, But Levine Pays a Little Visit
- Brooklyn's Bossert Hotel Reported Sold (2008)
- Watchtower's Hotel Bossert -- Brooklyn's 'Waldorf Astoria' -- Up For Sale
- Watchtower Continues to Sell Its Heights Property

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO Mourn Respected Lawyer, P.S. 8 Dad

Michael Rothenberg, executive director of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and local dad, was mourned at a memorial service Sunday at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights.

He died at age 47 after a plunge from the 29th floor of 100 Jay Street in DUMBO, landing on the fourth-floor terrace over a Chase bank.

Rothenberg's death shocked a wide swath of people across DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights, who knew him as a kind man, a competitive squash player, and a thoughtful neighbor. According to the extensive obituary in the Brooklyn Eagle, Rothenberg was a dedicated volunteer at P.S. 8, where his children attend school.

Rothenberg oversaw the team of attorneys and activists fighting to remove toxins (including PCBs) from more than 700 public schools across the city. Other issues he worked on included ending Medicaid discrimination and winning aid for the families of union workers killed on 9/11.

An extended tribute written by Beth Rasin describes Rothenberg's razor sharp wit and penchant for puns, his chocolate chip cookies, his vision for NYLPI and how he made himself available to law students and young lawyers.

His family and colleagues at NYLPI issued a joint statement reading in part:

“Michael was the kind of person we all strive to be: a fearless advocate for those less fortunate, a wonderful role model to his young children, and a dedicated friend,” said Jonathan Kopp, a close family friend. “This is a great loss for everyone who was touched by him."

"A man with an enormous heart, a compassionate soul and a burning desire to better the lives of others, Michael Rothenberg is survived by his wife, Zerline Goodman; their children, Brice, Garon and Zaya Rothenberg; his mother, Eleanor; and his brothers, David and Seth. "

Brooklyn Activist Lawyer Dies in Fall From Roof Brooklyn Eagle

Top photo courtesy NYU; bottom photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Does This Mean They're Hungry?

We were walking past the little fish pond on Monroe Place in Brooklyn Heights when the fish swam up to the edge and repeatedly opened and closed their mouths. We took this to mean it was feeding time.

We hope it doesn't mean that they were shouting to us in tiny little fish voices, because that would just be weird.

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Alert: New York Water Taxi Suspending Its East River Service Till Spring

Major bummer: New York Water Taxi has announced that, due to fuel price increases (and the fact that ridership drops in the winter), the East River route is canceled until the spring.

In Brooklyn, this affects riders embarking at Fulton Ferry Landing near Barge Music, and some others. See here.

Dunned If By Land, Screwed If By Sea: Gothamist

Photo copyright MK Metz 2007

It's Bay Ridge, Not Fort Hamilton

Let's just clear this up.

The Right in Bay Ridge blog wants everyone to know that the term "Fort Hamilton" designates the military base in the neighborhood, not for the entire southern-tier of the neighborhood as once had been the case.

Right in Bay Ridge supplies a big red arrow pointing to Fort Hamilton on the ORC map. While correct historically, "this nevertheless reflects epistemological dissonance today," says RIBR.

Fort Hamilton is the Base, Not the Neighborhood

Chinese Splendor, in Brooklyn Borough Hall

Traditionally garbed Chinese cultural representatives were handing out brochures in Borough Hall to publicize the Holiday Wonders show at the Beacon Theatre by ChineseSplendor.com. The show is running at Radio City from January 30 to February 9.

UPDATE: The New York Times reveals the show to be a somewhat-disturbing outreach of Falun Gong.

Photos by MK Metz

A 'Splashy' First Look at 'Hotel Indigo' in Downtown Brooklyn; They're Throwing Paint

Described to McBrooklyn as "a V3 Hotels super-luxury," the 164-room boutique Hotel Indigo (the Marino Organization, Inc.), a “hip, new lifestyle hotel," joins the list of new hotels under development in Downtown Brooklyn on Duffied Street.

To draw attention to it's groundbreaking, V3 Hotels CEO Ben Nash, Hotel Indigo executives, and public officials will celebrate by splashing the walls with “Indigo” paint.

It happens Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. at 237 Duffield Street (Between Willoughby and Fulton Street).

Photo by MK Metz

Santa in the Perfect Paws Window, Brooklyn Heights

Perfect Paws on Hicks Street always does their window display up big time. Looks like St. Nick himself in there.

- Effeminate Brooklyn Dog Has Two Daddies

Photo by MK Metz

Brooklyn Artists' 'Mug Shots' of Bush & Co. Hanging in NYC Library

The New York Public Library is displaying photographs of Bush administration officials doctored to make them look like police mug shots. The pictures were created by two Brooklyn artists, Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese, as part of a privately financed exhibit called "Line Up" Fifth Avenue space.

Also in the mug shot gallery are images of Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Bush adviser Karl Rove, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

The dates on each image match days when each official spoke about Iraq in ways the artists consider criminal - with sound clips of them speaking, along with a camera flash going off and a prison door closing.

Posted by UnitedOffensiveIII on YouTube

Brooklyn's Xaverian High School Choir Going to White House

Xaverian High School Choir -- from Bay Ridge -- has been chosen to sing at the White House this Christmas.

In Brooklyn Borough Hall, a Giant Menorah is Lit

The first candle was lit tonight on the giant menorah set up in Brooklyn Borough Hall, and a crowd of roughly 200 stomped their feet in the kalt (it could be worse!), clapped and enjoyed the music.

BP Marty Markowitz gave interviews; a boy's choir sang nice Hanukkah songs; some people (okay, some men and boys) danced; and everybody was invited to a party at Borough Hall afterward.

Officially, the menorah is the Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht Menorah, a project of Chabad Lubavitch and the Congregation B'Nai Avraham.

Photos by MK Metz

Christmas Creche at Brooklyn Borough Hall

Three wise men, a shepherd, Joseph and Mary admire the Child in his manger in front of Brooklyn Supreme Court in Columbus Park, Brooklyn Heights.

Photo by MK Metz

The Brooklyn Bus Shelter From Hell

Is this bus shelter cursed?

It was only a a couple of weeks ago that this Downtown Brooklyn bus shelter on Cadman Plaza near Borough Hall was demolished, with several injuries. Now, this Thanksgiving weekend, it's been smashed again -- by what, we don't know.

Correspondent bj sent in the above cell phone snap Saturday. Below is a photo (by MK Metz) of the devastated bus shelter as it looked November 5th, after the first accident.

- Rebuilding the Bus Stop at Brooklyn Borough Hall
- Update: Car Smashes into Bus Shelter, Brooklyn Borough Hall
- Car Through Bus Shelter on Cadman Plaza/ Brooklyn Borough Hall