ABC Studios East will be filming scenes in this area for the third season of the show, UGLY BETTY. We will be working in the area on Friday, December 5th 2008 between the approximate hours of 5pm-6am.

In order to facilitate filming, we will need to hold parking for filming and for equipment trucks beginning Friday December 5, 2008 at 7:00am. The streets affected will include:

· 7th Avenue between Union Street and 1st Street

· President St between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue

We are aware of the inconvenience caused by our activities and apologize in advance. If you have particular concerns (scheduled deliveries, parking difficulties, construction, accessibility needs, etc.) that must be addressed, please call the Locations Department at (718) 906-3400. We will do everything possible to find a mutually agreeable solution.

Of course, I didn’t get this done. There are still plenty of people left on my list, and I’m running out of time. However, there’s hope: the PS 321 Holiday Craft Fair is coming up this Saturday. The event – which will run from 11 to 4 at 180 Seventh Ave. – will feature more than 80 artists, each showcasing their best wares. There will also be food, a craft area for children and more. It’s going to be held inside, so be prepared to show up rain or shine. The best part is, it’s free!

Hope to see you there.

“The solution to the MTA’s financial crisis is not nickel and diming the working families who depend on the subway and bus system to get to work everyday,” de Blasio said in a press release. “We must look toward creative solutions, like reinstating the Commuter Tax, that will not disproportionately burden outer borough New Yorkers, as fare hikes, service cuts, and placing tolls on the East River bridges undoubtedly will.”

Here’s hoping this tactic works. I can’t imagine dealing with more delays, especially on the weekends.

Despite talks of business slowing on Seventh Avenue, I saw a fair amount of people walking around, and had quite a few of them stare at me as I attempted to tape up flyers on newspaper stands and various telephone poles – by this point I was shivering so much from the wind that I was having a pretty hard time.

I peeked into a couple of stores and restaurants, and saw brisk business. Of course, Connecticut Muffin was busy, and there were plenty of people inside Sweet Melissa’s. Dashing Diva had several clients on their pedicure couch, and there were people just milling about outside all of the restaurants. Despite the cold, Seventh Avenue looked like the place to be.

The only spot I didn’t get to check out was Lion in the Sun, which reminds me of my favorite paper store back home in Southern California that closed earlier this year. I knew there was work to be done, and it would be hard to get me out of there, so I kept my distance.

It was heartening to see people out and about. We’ve heard (and seen) so much about small stores having to close, and it looks like Park Slope’s rallying around its favorite shops. The Buy in Brooklyn program, which was implemented a few years ago by local business owners, might have something to do with this. It’s a way to not only bring in customers, but also give back to them, through special promotions and shopping events. According to organizers, it is a collaboration between business owners who want to have a strong presence in the neighborhood, and residents who want their local businesses to succeed.

This begs the question, would it work anywhere in Brooklyn? Is the community spirit in, say, Brighton Beach or Marine Park the same as in Park Slope, which is known for its activism? It’s hard to say, not only because I haven’t been to those neighborhoods, but also because Park Slope is so different. Sometimes I think that no matter how unpopular something is, at least one resident would still feel the need to rally around it. That’s just the way Park Slope is.

*************************************************************************************

DOG Coat & Blanket Drive
sponsored by Dyker Heights Civic Association

Bring clean, gently used or new blankets & dog coats (all sizes) to:

Root Hill Cafe
(corner Carroll Street and 4th Avenue)

Saturday, November 22, 2008
12 to 4 p.m. *rain or shine*

Please help our local rescue groups and shelters keep dogs warm this winter until they find a “forever home”!

*************************************************************************************

This sounds like a great cause, so be sure to get down there and help the less fortunate dogs of Brooklyn.

To sum up the rant quickly, the parent took the baby and an older child to a performance. The parent had been to many other family friendly concerts, and had never assumed that the babies seen there had to have tickets. The parent quickly found out that she was wrong, and finally gave in and bought a ticket. The parent is now enraged and trying to rally the troops against Carnegie Hall.

She wrote: “To me this policy seems greedy and truly absurd–I think that maybe there were perhaps ten other infants in the audience so the financial gain for this policy couldn’t have been very significant. An infant cannot occupy a seat so making parents buy a ticket for the baby leaves empty seats which seems wasteful.”

After attempting to complain to higher ups and getting nowhere, the parent is now hoping that a mob mentality might work.

“Perhaps there can be a small, grassroots effort here…Because my gut feeling was that other parents reading this might agree that charging for infants is absurd and seems quite greedy (looks bad press-wise), my thought was that some parents might be willing to do–as I’ve done–and write Carnegie Hall (email via their website, etc) to voice their objections to this ridiculous, unfair, and unpublicized policy. Hopefully, if enough parents write quick notes to Carnegie Hall they might reconsider this dumb policy. Thanks anyone out there who may want to help see this rule changed…”

Do you think the rule will change? Is it fair? Should babies even be allowed in Carnegie Hall? Share your thoughts.

At 7 p.m. tomorrow, there will be discussion on Brooklyn College professor Edwin Burrows’ “Forgotten Patriots,” which examines the prisoners of war from the Revolutionary War who remained in Brooklyn and Manhattan. On Friday at 8 p.m., enjoy an evening of classical and contemporary Dutch compositions, with Hans Pieter Herman. There is a suggested donation of $20 for adults, and $15 for seniors and students.

I’ve never been to the Old Stone House, and will be making my first visit there tomorrow for a story I’m working on. I love history, and have found it fascinating to learn about the various Revolutionary War battles that happened in the NYC area (we don’t have that kind of history where I’m from in Southern California). Here’s hoping tomorrow’s trip is informative and enlightening…and that there’s a gift shop!

Some other things you should be aware of:

Polling places in NYC open at 6 a.m., and close at 9 p.m. They will be busiest before work and after work, so if possible, try to go in the mid-morning or early afternoon.

You can only vote at your specific polling location. If you’re unsure about where to go, or if you’re even registered, visit the Board of Elections of the City of New York to find out.

In New York state, voting rights are automatically restored once someone is released from prison and discharged from parole. Probationers also may vote.

In New York City, the ES&S AutoMark voting machine will be used, with participants touching screens to cast their votes. According to the Vote NY website, the machine is designed to provide privacy and accessibility to voters who are blind, vision-impaired, or have a disability or condition that would make it difficult or impossible to mark a ballot. It also provides language assistance. To watch a video on how to use the machine, visit the Vote NY site.

Read more over on the Daily Slope forum, where there’s a discussion going on about the do’s and don’ts of voting in Park Slope.