OMG -- There's An Election Today! How Do We Vote?

Today, Tuesday,November 6, is election day.

If you live in Brooklyn, a surrogate judgeship is up for grabs. The candidates are Diana A. Johnson, a State Supreme Court justice, and ShawnDya L. Simpson, a Civil Court judge and a former Brooklyn assistant district attorney.

According to the NY Times, "a number of reform clubs and African-American political leaders have backed Justice Johnson, while Judge Simpson has the support of the Brooklyn Democratic leader, Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez. Either woman would, if elected, become Brooklyn’s first black surrogate. The Surrogate’s Courts handle wills, adoptions and estates."

City Council member Mathieu Eugene, a Brooklyn Democrat, faces a special election to fill the unexpired term of his predecessor, who moved on to higher offices.

The Brooklyn Eagle has a roundup of the judicial candidates. Be sure to check it out here. Make sure to read the "Maybe You Heard..." sections about each candidate.

Photo credit: CORD. Please visit web site here.

Why Are All Those Buildings on Bond Street for Sale?

Lisanne at the Found in Brooklyn blog received a "courtesy call" from the dry cleaner located on the corner of Bond and 2nd Streets Saturday. (Click on photo for enlargement.)

They said that "she should come and get her clothes" because they were relocating. Lisanne writes that she had heard that the businesses on that block were operating on six month leases because they are located where Toll Brothers is slated to (someday) build condos.

According to Lisanne, almost every building on Bond Street between 2nd & 3rd Streets is for sale. Lisanne's question: "It seems although the time table is slow as far as rezoning (supposively 2 years as told to me by Bill DeBlasio himself) and cleanup (3 years up the line MAYBE) all this other stuff is happening far in advance. How come?"

Rebuilding the Bus Stop at Brooklyn Borough Hall

The bus stop at Borough Hall has been rebuilt, but we haven't heard about the individual traumas of the five persons hit by the driver who smashed through the original bus stop.

Rest assured their lives have not been easy since that time.

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

Photo by MK Metz

Professor Solomon Finds All

Amateur Professor Solomon, a "findologist" and author of the book How To Find Lost Objects, has also written a history of Coney Island. The 152-page illustrated book is available for free download from the Professor's site or in paperback from Amazon for $10.

(If all else fails try this link here.)

Klezmatics! Develope Don't Destroy Brooklyn -- Thursday

Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn is curating a special fundraising and awareness concert on Thursday, November 8th at the Brooklyn Lyceum featuring the Grammy award-winning musical group, The Klezmatics.

The Klezmatics, Kakande, and Demolition String Band
Thursday, November 8th, Doors @ 7pm
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 857-4816
$20 in advance, $25 at the door
For online tickets, visit http://www.dddb.net/klezmatics

Celebrate Vonnegut in Dumbo

On November 10th, at 7 p.m., join the Monuments at 208 in Dumbo and spend the evening celebrating and remembering the vision of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. with a selection of music, art, and film inspired by Himself. Mr. Vonnegut died after a fall on April 11th, 2007.

Monuments was formed shortly after songwriter/guitarist Gabriel Berezin met drummer Mike Cook in the days following Sept 11th, 2001. Gabe was ten minutes late for his day job when the first plane crashed through his office window on the 97th floor of the World Trade Center killing his co-workers inside.

The Periodic Label: Monuments Journal
(Thanks to StarsOverWashington)

Nightmare: Brooklyn Teens Set Kitten on Fire

An act of unbelievable cruelty. The only thing sadder than this is, most likely, the lives of the teens that perpetrated this crime.

Slope Street Cats Fall Feral Fundraiser

Join your favorite cat ladies (and a few cat guys) for a night of food, drink and fun at Ripple in Prospect Heights—all to benefit Brooklyn's feral felines.

Your $25 ticket includes one drink, buffet-style finger food, and automatic entry for a door prize. Win great raffle or silent auction prizes from Area Spa, Bird Sweet Charity and more. When: Saturday, November 10, 7:00-11:00 p.m. Where: Ripple Bar, 769 Washington Ave (between St. John's & Sterling Place), Prospect Heights, Brooklyn 11238

See Slope Street Cats for more.

Photo by Blmurch, Creative Commons license

Another Strange Death of a Familiar Inimate Object

It started when McBrooklyn noted the passing of an old MCI pay phone.

That was one.

Now, Brooklyn Junction has run across another strange passing -- this time the familiar candy/toy sidewalk dispenser, laid to rest an "ignominious manner."

That's two.

See here.

You've Set Back the Clock; Now You're Three Times More Likely to Be Hit by a Car

Now that we've turned back the clocks, we're three times more likely to be struck and killed by cars while walking during the evening rush hour than before the time change, according to an Associated Press article. The study was conducted by professors Paul Fischbeck and David Gerard, both of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Going to a year-round daylight saving time would save about 200 deaths a year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety of Arlington, Va. calculated.

Photo by The_Toe_Stubber, Creative Commons License