Density's Child comes to Brooklyn

Steve Witt v. Beyonce
The notorious Steve Witt spent the morning with Beyonce (yes, you read that correctly) in DUMBO for the opening of the Beyonce Cosmetology Center at Phoenix House, a residential substance abuse treatment program that offers vocational training programs. According to Steve everyone was crying tears of joy and photographers kept pushing each other like they were trying to get a seat onto the L-train during rush hour. Also, Marty Markowitz made lots of jokes that included her songs over the years and Beyonce humored him. And Sasha Fierce is apparently finished.

Sigh. This is because I messed up the Density's Child video reference isn't it? I'm sorry Beyonce. It won't happen again

.

Photos provided by Borough President Marty Markowitz's office

Short Shorts! Day 5: Instead of Abracadabra

Chimay!... The delightful Swedish short, Instead of Abracadabra, should be the favorite for the Oscar Live Action Short on Sunday. See the excerpted scene and trailer below for why. The characters, especially the supporting ones, are well developed, the narrative arc is familiar yet suspenseful, and it even introduces a new catch phrase that more people need to adopt right now. Imagine Steve Levin introducing himself at your next community board meeting by awkwardly putting his hand over his face and putting Rami Metal in a magic box before inserting a couple of swords. This should happen in every meeting from now on.

and

Short Shorts! Day 4: Granny O'Grimm

When it comes to storytelling, no one beats the Irish. Joyce. Wilde. Yeats. Beckett. And now O'Rourke. Kathleen O'Rourke who wrote and voiced Granny O'Grimm, directed by Nicky Phelan. It's shortlisted for animated Oscar shorts. Even at six minutes, it will give Wallace and Gromit a run on Sunday. See what I mean by saying they'll pick up as the week goes on?

Tuna Fish Special at Beata Deli

A bloodied, sopping wet Mieszko Kalita, who smelled of sewage and salty brine, announced this afternoon that his Manhattan Avenue deli, Beata Deli, will feature a Special tuna fish hoagie through the weekend.
When asked whether he heard reports about a dolphin sighting in Newtown Creek, Kalita paused quietly for thirty seconds before adding, "Clearly the quality of the water is improving."
Updated: Kalita added that the tuna is locally sourced off the coast of Newtown Creek. Also, there have been no new dolphin sightings on March 4.

Correction! Destiny's Child Did Not Do Single Ladies

Correction: Apologies to Destiny's Child. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) is a Beyonce song, not a Destiny's Child song. Also, I promise to Say Your Name correctly from now on.

Dumbest Dolphin in America Found in Newtown Creek

I love you, Slimey!
Two teachers from The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School were walking along Newtown Creek yesterday morning, when they noticed what appeared to be a fin (cue Jaws music). The teacher, Ann Fraioli's quote is below:

We were down at Newtown Creek this morning checking out a site for an upcoming Harbor Class cycle. We spotted a dorsal fin in the distance. Sure enough, it was a dolphin making its way up the Creek. We got to see it from about 15 feet away! We tried to get him to turn around, but alas he was headed up the Creek into the muck. Hopefully, he’ll think better of it all and turn around…

Turns out it was a dolphin (cue Free Willy music). Fraioli called Riverkeeper, who called the Coast Guard, who called Ace Ventura Pet Detective, who finally rescued the animal. Everybody in New York with a marine biology degree is getting quoted about this:

Riverkeeper Boat Operator John Liscomb (The Courier/ Yournabe.com): “It’s heartbreaking to see such a beautiful creature in such terribly polluted water. A few years ago, we saw a whale in the Gowanus Canal. Sadly and typically, when these mammals come into urban inland waterways, it’s because there is an underlying illness and the outcome is not a good one. We hope this dolphin finds its way out."

Ace Ventura: "I found a rare stone at the bottom of Snowflake's tank. It belonged to a 1984 AFC Championship ring. It would have been a Super Bowl ring, but Ray Finkle missed the big kick. Blames the whole thing on Marino. We're talking mental institute escapee. I saw the guy's room. Cozy if you're Hannibal Lecter!"

Riverhead Foundation Executive Director Rob DiGiovanni (Brooklyn Paper): “But we’re not too concerned at this point — from the pictures, it looks to be a common dolphin that’s not distressed. It’s unusual to see it in Newtown Creek, but not odd. It’s a free-ranging animal, so it’s going to move around a lot.”

Dwight Mercer, Free Willy: "When are you gonna get it, huh? When are you gonna get it? Your mother isn't coming back. Forget about the day she dropped you on our doorstep? Forgot about that! Well I remember. She turned around and drove away! Didn't look around, didn't slow down, didn't even look in the rearview mirror! Does that sound like somebody's mama to you? You've got two people here who wanna be your friend. That's more than your mother ever was, and you could use a friend right now, son."

Roy Arezzo, the other Harbor School teacher (New York Daily News) "We were just amazed. We just stood there in awe - shouting, telling it to go back the other way. ... This is a once-in-a-lifetime sighting."

Mrs. Finkle: "It was all that Dan Marino's fault, everyone knows that. If he had held the ball, laces out, like he was supposed to, Ray would never have missed that kick. Dan Marino should die of gonorrhea and rot in hell. Would you like a cookie, son?"

Ace Ventura: "What the... That's it! Einhorn is Finkle! Finkle is Einhorn! Einhorn is a man!... Oh, my GOD! Einhorn is a man!"

Laces out, people.

Steve Levin's Cousin is Chair of Ways and Means

Charlie Rangel is out, so that means that someone else is in. Michigan Congressman Sander Levin, 78, is Nancy Pelosi's pick for the new position.

Short Shorts! Day 3: Logorama

An inventive French animated short featuring car chases and earthquakes in a logoized version of downtown Los Angeles is my third Oscar short of the week. It's called Logorama. Check it.

Density's Child

New Domino: So Crazy Right Now (I would also have accepted Domino's Bug A Boo and All the Single Ladies Want to Live in New Domino)
Articles and posts regarding CPC Resources' Monday morning's press tour of the old Domino Sugar refinery are making their way to the Internets. I focused on the board's concerns over the density and scale of the project (New Domino: Same Plan), while Sarah "The Real Deal" Ryley has a closer look at New Domino's response to permanent affordability and more facts and figures regarding affordability at different AMI Levels.

Elsewhere, Andy Campbell at the Brooklyn Paper continues the affordability theme, John Del Signore at Gothamist has lots and lots of pictures and a good summary of the project so far, and Curbed inexplicably has a movie poster regarding an alien invasion at Domino, which L magazine likes a lot.

About Curbed. Along with Brownstoner, they do a decent job framing real estate issues in ways that most New Yorkers can appreciate and understand (The Real Deal's Ryley is frankly at a whole 'nother level on this beat, along with Eliot Brown at The Observer) . I must take issue with their Invaders poster, which, while well composed, is using the wrong metaphor. Anyone who was on the tour on Monday cleary understands how much the place resembles a zombie horror movie. In fact, throughout the tour, I kept glancing at CPCR's Michael Lappin and Susan Pollock to see whether they were actually trying to eat me or merely just chewing the fat.
"Susan! So is it correct that you are now going to be considering permanent affordability for 660 units of affordable... No! Susan what are you doing to the Daily News' Erin Durkin!!...please, no!! Eat Andy Campbell!! He's so young and flavorful!!...... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!"

There have already been some reactions around the web to the New Domino Tour: Sugar in the Raw. Brooklyn 11211 notes that the transportation concerns for the site remain unresolved and that CPC Resources are unlikely to make improvements without the MTA, while Phil DePaolo argues that the units are not affordable enough for Williamsburg residents. He is excerpted below:

One of the things that kept bugging me about this proposal was the income levels for the 150 Home ownership units that some housing groups and politicians are calling a hit! The problem is like the rental units the IZ program has detailed provisions about the income levels of the units and the requirement of permanent affordability. CPCR has stated the home ownership units would remain affordable for 15 years....

The 150 for sale housing units for families earning 99,840 dollars are already at 125% of AMI to start. This income level is supposed to be the cap under the City’s Inclusionary housing program. At 80% of ami these units should initially be offered at a little over $57,000 dollars. So if CPCR really wants to, “Follow those rules for the project's 660 affordable apartments. They should lower the starting ami to the levels required by the City’s IZ program. To find a way to worm out of this would highlight the need for this developer to make maximum profit on even so called affordable housing.

Ryley gives Susan Pollock the last word on the project for now, and I will to. Here's Susan excerpted from The Real Deal on the expense of renovating Old Domino:

"It's nothing you can use, you have to take it apart very carefully because the equipment is so massive and so much a part of the structure of the building that, if you take the equipment down, the walls may collapse. So you have to brace all the walls as you're doing the work, and cut up the machinery very carefully, and lift it up from the roof in pieces," she said. "It's phenomenally expensive," Pollock said.

Andy Campbell is Too Smooth

The Brooklyn Paper's Andy Campbell interviews Lo Smooth this week regarding their latest music video that is filming in Greenpoint, for what has to be the photo of the week. Check the link to see what I mean. According to Andy, the hip hop group was very charming but their videos, below, are on the explicit side. Better not play these at work.

and the classic...

From the illustrator

Illustrator Jerry Miller gave his feedback about his colorful illustration of Assemblyman Vito Lopez for the cover of City Hall News. Below:

I was contacted by Mitch Hoffman at Manhattan Media to illustrate the cover of City Hall Magazine recently. The story was a personality profile of Vito Lopez, a politician with real “character.” He was interesting to research, to say the least. My direction was to think of “The Godfather” or “Napoleon” as I drew. I tried to make certain he was showing his signature “stinkeye.” Who knows—Mr. Lopez may well be simply misunderstood…

Phil DePaolo on Bob Guskind

Williamsburg activist and Guskind fan Phil DePaolo remembered the passing of blogger Robert Guskind with a short statement this morning. I am reposting below...

Today is one year since the passing of Bob Guskind. I miss him so much and I wonder what Bob would be saying about all the developments since his passing. I know he would be thrilled and very proud of the residents of Gowanus who won a Superfund designation yesterday over the objections of the Mayor. This was very important to Bob. I know he would also be very happy that the Newtown Creek has also received Superfund designation.
Bob would not be happy about what has happened at Coney Island or Atlantic Yards. The loss of historic structures, the loss of amusement space and the overwhelming density and limited scope of the Coney plan were issues we often spoke about.
The recent ruling by Judge Gerges regarding Atlantic Yards would have angered Bob. He was a strong supporter of protecting residents from Eminent Domain abuse. He also saw through the fake “Affordable Housing” and the impact of the proposed density on the existing community.
He would be all over the new Domino proposal in Williamsburg . Bob was a strong advocate for the preservation and protection of the Domino site. The proposed density and lack of true affordability would have him up in arms!
Bob would be proud of some of our bloggers who have done a great service to our communities discussing important issues that for the most part are ignored by mainstream media. But he hated hack bloggers who simply cut and paste information or were just lazy. I remember one of Bob’s first post explaining why he started Gowanus Lounge. “Up front: While I am a realist about what cities need in order to survive and thrive, I am not a fan of what is happening in our communities, and particularly of the looming Manhattanization of Brooklyn and of the ongoing Theme Parkization of Manhattan. The blog side of Gowanus Lounge will be joined, some months down the road, by a literary magazine intended to feature the work, especially, of Brooklyn-based writers, and stories that feature a strong sense of place. I don't take myself as seriously as all this might make it sound.
I can’t believe it has been a year since Bob passed away. But going forward I have wonderful memories of a great friend. I hope you can take a second to remember him. You can still see his writing and thoughts at
www.bobguskind.com and http://gowanuslounge.blogspot.com/

Short Shorts! Day 2: Wallace and Gromit

The team behind Wallace and Gromit released their highly anticipated animated short, A Matter of Loaf & Death, which has been shortlisted for the Oscar Shorts. I bet it wins. Nobody crosses Gromit.

and check out the making of the short here:

Tischler is D-O-N-E

Also all over the papers/ Jewish blogs is that Abraham Tischler has been bounced from the ballot in the 44th District Race.

There's been a lot of coverage for this race lately and it will only intensify. Let's go to the wires...

*Erin Durkin from the Daily News has a closer look at Tischler and the petition challenges.

*Harold Egeln of the Brooklyn Eagle details the 44th Debate.

*Chris Bragg of City Hall News talks about the difference in funding philosophies between David Greenfield and Joe Lazar.

*The Courier's Steve Witt looks at the money race in the 44th District.

*Gatemouth sounds off on Room 8.

EPA Tags Gowanus as Superfund, Swamp Thing Happy

The big news of the day comes from the EPA, which designated the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. Everybody is on this one, from Gary Buiso at The Courier, to Gersh at The Brooklyn Paper, to the New York Times. Here's the Times' interview with a mayoral spokesperson:

“It’s disappointing,” said the spokesman, Marc LaVorgna. “We had an innovative and comprehensive approach that was a faster route to a Superfund-level cleanup and would have avoided the issues associated with a Superfund listing.”
“The project will now move on a Superfund time line, but we are going to work closely with the E.P.A. because we share the same goal — a clean canal,” he said.

Dan Squadron's office was first out of the gate with a reaction. It is posted below.

"Having achieved a Superfund listing, we must now ensure that the cleanup is transparent and effective, and that the community is included in the process of planning and oversight. As the community has long argued, the canal and surrounding area must be cleaned comprehensively--the cleanup must address the silt in the canal bed, the water itself and the upland portions of the site. Further, the EPA must guarantee that its work complements existing efforts to clean the canal and revitalize the community. Specifically, acknowledging the value of the City's construction of a flushing tunnel to address Combined Sewer Overflow pollution is critical, as is working cooperatively with DEC to approve the needed barrier along the embankment of the Public Place site.

Working efficiently and with the community, the EPA will be a welcome partner in the effort to clean the Gowanus Canal.”

Swamp Thing, right, applauded the EPA's decision, noting that he left the Gowanus Canal for San Diego last November because it was too toxic to live in.

Updated 4:50 PM: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez adds her comment too. Below:
“Today’s announcement of Superfund designation ensures the Gowanus Canal will be fully restored, helping provide a healthy future for South Brooklyn . The EPA has the proven expertise to oversee a comprehensive clean-up, while holding accountable those responsible for the pollution. As this process moves forward, I will continue working to revitalize this local landmark so that it can fully live up to its potential.”

Vito Lopez Profile is Out

David Freedlander's Vito Lopez profile: The End of County is out this morning in City Hall News. This is Vito Lopez 101 and many of you who read this blog have advanced degrees in Lopezology acquired in one way or another. There are far too many anonymous quotes in the piece which strip the article of some important context, nonetheless, Freedlander gets some good quotes out of Lopez and competently frames the Assemblyman's political role in Brooklyn and how it has changed over time. And the quote you've all heard, David has it too:

Lopez does not like to talk about himself. To him, his work in the community and in elections says enough. Sure, there are questions, enemies. He feels no need to answer them or justify what he does.
You don’t say nothing,” he said. “If someone says your mother is a prostitute, you get mad, and you get mad. Then they say it, and the best thing to do is, if you explain it away people will think maybe she is. So you’ve got to bite your tongue and live with it. What do I do?” His voice started to rise: “I am not corrupt. Please believe me, I am not corrupt. I am not the establishment. I am against it. You have to write about it. But you won’t.”

Then, when City Hall News tried to do a follow up interview, after speaking with Senator Martin Dilan, Lopez abruptly canceled, before saying a few parting words.

“We sat for over two hours,” Lopez said in a brief follow-up interview. “And there were six people here, six independent people here, and they all thought your piece was going to be a hit piece.”
Lopez said that after this article ran, that if it was a positive article then he might agree to another interview sometime down the line. Sometime. Maybe.
“I don’t need this. I have a dozen attorney general candidates coming to see me. We had Ford over lunch, we expected 30 people. Forty-one showed up. Those are facts. Why don’t you write about that?” he said, bellowing into the phone. “I talked to you, and it was like a therapy session. How do I feel about this and that? I don’t need it. Goodbye.”

But before this ended, Freedlander spoke with several sources known as political operatives or Lopez observers to offer their analysis about whether Lopez's power is rising or declining. It would have been interesting to see who said and there's no mention of political analysts familiar with the system with little stake in Brooklyn politics, but after weighing the words of more than forty people contacted, Freedlander concludes that Lopez has a tenuous hold on County and that "some see storm clouds brewing".

But the real reason, many say, that Lopez is safe, is because he matters so little. Kiss the ring, if you have to. Show up at Cono’s when he asks. There is no point in looking for a new county leader. In 2010, county leaders are leaders in title only.

Is this true? Is the ball in the court of "anti-Lopez factions" and Diana Reyna? I am inclined to disagree. Local elections are about turnout and mobilization and few do mobilization better than Lopez. And factions are just that, fractured, until they become mobilized. Freedlander analyzes this point in the forward-looking paragraph of the piece.

Reyna’s win galvanized the anti-Lopez factions in Bushwick. The anti-Vitos are pushing her to challenge him for his Assembly seat, and believe that she could win if she wanted to risk it. A movement to start electing dissident district leaders is gaining steam. There is no consensus choice—for now. But someone who could appeal to the different factions of the county—brownstone Brooklyn, the progressives in his district, the large swaths of central Brooklyn that are bitter over Lopez’s long-running feud with Rep. Ed Towns. The county could crumble, insiders say, if Lopez asks too much of those he helped get into positions of power. People like Sampson and Recchia could decide that they would rather have a county leader take direction then give direction.

So that's what the piece is ultimately about. Vito will be head of County until someone who can mobilize opposition forces effectively can mount a challenge. And what about the vast array of affordable housing units and housing/ senior services that Ridgewood Bushwick and Lopez's office as a constituent advocate to his community? And the Assemblyman's legacy? It's largely absent, but one paragraph in the middle of the story offers a small clue about how Lopez thinks about this.

Many nights, he confides, he drives the streets of Bushwick, looking at each new building he helped bring and thinking about what he calls the “dumps and lots” that were there before. This keeps his spirits up, he said. Surveying his territory and what he has brought to it is his answer to all that gets piled on him, every insult and offense he takes.

Short Shorts! Day One: The Door

It's Oscar season! You may have heard And while I don't have the pull of the Carpetbagger, the least I can do for you is to put up my favorite yet mostly overlooked categories of Live Action and Animated Shorts. Because this is A Short Story and I'm about everything short. And helping your gambling habits.

Today it's a look at The Door. A crushingly depressing romp through Cold War-era Russia, exploring the after effects of the Chernobyl disaster. It's Monday. They'll get peppier as the week goes on.

Borough President Press Tasting

From the Borough President's office...

DINE IN BROOKLYN ! BP MARKOWITZ TO HOST PRESS “TASTING” AND ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF MARCH 15 – MARCH 25 EVENT
NOON
TUESDAY, MARCH 2
BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL ROTUNDA
209 JORALEMON STREET
On Tuesday, March 2, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will host a press “tasting” featuring some of Brooklyn’s top restaurants and announce details of the seventh annual “Dine in Brooklyn” to be held March 15 – March 25

My question is, will the Borough President be licking and tasting members of the press? Should I wear protection? A raincoat? Help me out here Mark/ Laura.

Because you need more purim videos...

Part 1!

and Part 2!

Is Purim still going on? Monday links

Dance for me, clown! Dance!
The answer is yes. Purim is still going on, all the time, in the hearts of men, women and children everywhere, forever. But some other news occurred this weekend, so let's pick up the pieces of an electric kool-aid weekend...

*Purim went on all weekend, but Castle Braid in Bushwick was the place to be on Saturday, or more appropriately, the place to make fun of.

*Speaking of parties, The Times details a party bus that goes from Williamsburg to the West Village's Rusty Knot and back to Williamsburg (presumably). The Pittsburgh Post Gazette is interested in this for some reason. Do they realize the bus will not be going to Pittsburgh?

*What's not a party on a bus? Getting the mumps. I feel bad for any Hassids who have to miss Purim because they have the mumps. Can we have a post-mumps purim party next week? It's not contagious is it?

*David Gonzalez hops across the river to profile a small graphic design firm, Somos Arte, in Williamsburg that decided to help nonprofits redesign their logos and programs. The only question here is how many paragraphs into the article before Luis Garden Acosta gets a shout out. The answer? 8.

*More art. The Armory is finally upon us, but the Times checks out The Whitney Biennial first. Meanwhile, back in Brooklyn, the second annual SITE Fest will be taking place.

*Construction is set to begin at Atlantic Yards and Atlantic Yards Report takes a deep, deep, look into the Carlton Bridge delays.

*Marty Markowitz, who spoke for over an hour during his State of the Borough address (Erin Durkin pokes fun at his Scott Brown impression), also brought in $122,000 for campaign contributions. Erin Einhorn of the Daily News reports.

*Downtown Brooklyn's Sid's Hardware is moving from MetroTech to Hamilton Avenue.

*Finally, it's not quite the Bay of Pigs, but the coffee cold war is hearing up in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, as Blue Bottle is set to move in to battle Gimme Coffee!, Variety, Verb, Sumptown, two Oslos, and the Roebling Tea Room. This is what Europe must have felt like in World War I, if the nations were coffee stores and Franz Ferdinand were a band and not an assassinated archduke. Is the Greenpoint Coffee House Czechoslovakia or Poland?