Open Thread Wednesday 2/17/10

By on February 17, 2010 12:44 am in Brooklyn Heights
BHB Photo Club pic by aloucha via Flickr

BHB Photo Club pic by aloucha via Flickr

What’s on your mind?  Comment away!

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  • John

    any updates on the dog flu that’s going around ?

  • nelson

    What dog Flue, John?

  • Harry on Hicks

    BHB Missed Connection…

    Maya on Grace Ct I’d love to see you again.

  • Gianluca

    Does anyone has any news about the new park progress? Did they stop working or it is still in construction?
    I red a very scary article today and I’m going to attache the link for you.

    http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100217/FREE/100219912

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    Gianluca: there’s still work being done on Brooklyn Bridge Park, although weather has slowed things down lately. Thanks for the link to the Crain’s article, which relates to State parks. Mayor Bloomberg has offered for the City to take over funding of construction on BBP, and word is that a deal is being negotiated.

  • T.K. Small

    By way of “dog flu”, do you mean a stomach virus? I know of at least four people that have been sick within the past week.

  • Matthew Parker

    There was an outbreak of dog flu last week centered in Dumbo and to a lesser degree in Bklyn Heights.

    I spoke directly with Dr. Sara Neuman of Vinegar Hill Vet who treated approximately 40 cases last week.

    The good news is that as of two days ago, Dr. Neuman has seen the outbreak slowing greatly.

    Dog owners are welcome to join the free Hillside Dog Park Yahoo! news group where dog-related items that affect the immediate area are posted with regularity:

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hillsidedogs You’ll need to have a Yahoo! account to sign up. It’s free.

    Here’s what I posted to the Hillside Dog Run Website previously:

    Hillsiders:

    Dr. Sara Neuman of Vinegar Hill Vet is reporting that for the past few days she’s seen a significant number of sick dogs, some of whom have been taken to hospital with pneumonia.

    Dr. Neuman saw 12 dogs yesterday who were sick and 10 dogs today with the same symptoms:

    •A cough that sounds similar to Kennel Cough–but it’s not Kennel Cough, which is a bacteria. Dr. Neuman has diagnosed these cases as a strain of canine influenza. The influenza is then accompanied by secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia.

    •Lethargy

    •Some dogs are vomiting.
    Dr. Neuman’s has noticed that the secondary bacterial infections from this influenza are not responding well to standard anti-biotics. She’s having to give extra strong anti-biotics.

    Dr. Neuman has also noticed that of the 22 dogs she’s treated with canine influenza in the last few days, the majority of them are from Dumbo, and a few are from the Heights. She’s contacted vet colleagues in Carroll Gardens and no one there has seen these cases yet, so for now this outbreak seems to be localized in the Dumbo/Heights area. (though I’ve heard from other reliable sources that AC&C is experiencing a canine influenza outbreak.)

    Dr. Neuman is recommending the following:

    •If your dog is hacking or coughing, bring him/her to the vet immediately to get on antibiotics. Don’t wait.

    •If you see another dog coughing, immediately take your dog away.

    •If your dog appears to be sick, don’t bring him/her to doggie daycare or a dog run. Keep him/her away from other dogs.

    •There is a canine influenza vaccine that should provide some protection if your dog’s not already sick. Ask your vet.

  • rooco

    Electrician in the heights?

  • tb

    Am I the only one who notices a strong smell of roach spray at Han’s Market?
    I had a coffee there once and the lid smelled like it so I had to dump it.
    It was really bad this morning.

  • Tim N.

    Hello, all…

    I need recommendations or just thoughts on a good Heights GC for a kitchen reno. Also, has anyone ever worked with Perfect Renovations on Atlantic?

    Thanks, friends.

  • GHB

    Tim, I worked with Perfect Renovations on what should have been a 10 week renovation. Turned into 6 months. ‘Nuff said…

  • lifer

    I remember Brooklynian had a discussion on Perfect Renovation but its unobtainable now (it was not positive). Citysearch reviews are evenly split. Definitely get references for any GC, and get more than one bid, Brownstoner.com is a pretty good resource for that kind of stuff

  • bornhere

    Rooco — I’ve had great work (and prices) from John Lonergan for decades. 718-875-6100.

  • Edward de Laurot

    Tim N.

    I have over 25 years experience designing & building kitchens. I have Heights references.
    (646) 523-3151

  • WillowtownCop

    As of a couple of days ago, there is a sign for a new salon/spa opening on Columbia Place soon. It appears as if work is continuing on the restaurant on the corner, too. I thought it was supposed to be open by now.

  • AEB

    Rocco, I second and third bornhere’s recommendation.

    John removed and installed a number of overhead light fixtures for me and he was expert, efficient, reliable, courteous–and even offered to install a dimmer for me gratis.

    You can’t do better, in my opinion.

  • lifer

    John’s great

  • bklyn20

    I would like to give everyone a good initial report on Brooklyn Cleaners — the new dry cleaner at 150 Joralemon Street, near the corner of Clinton and Joalemon. I brought in a new peacoat-style jacket that needed new buttons. (The original buttons were large and brass-colored. The coat resembled the one worn by the guy in the musical “Oliver” (the beadle?) who sings “One boy, Boy for sale, ‘E’s going cheap….”

    Not wishing to resemble a rotund Dickensian child broker, I bought less showy (fake) tortoiseshell buttons to replace the brassy offenders. There was some initial confusion — I believe because the young woman there in the evening was not the tailor, and did not know the proper way to replace buttons on a coat with a lining. In the end, everything worked out perfectly. My only caveat also applies to most of the cleaners around here: the clothes that are dry-cleaned are sent to a factory outside the store. For this reason, I asked that the coat be pressed in the store rather than going out overnight. (I had to attend a funeral the next day and didn’t want to chance a mix-up.)

    Regarding Perfect Renovation, I know several people who have been very pleased with them. But when I called them for a quote several years ago, the guy who came over (I think he was the owner) challenged everything I said. He didn’t think the small windowless room adjoining the downstairs hall should become a large closet for toys and out-of-season clothes, and thought the old doors throughout the house should be replaced — no matter that they may be original to the house, or at least vintage, if not antique. I sensed a culture clash and did not follow up with him. I would certainly want to use a contractor who gave candid opinions, but not a contractor who thought he knew what was best for someone he’d met only 15 minutes earlier.

  • Teddy

    I wonder if the canine flu outbreak in the area is a human-to-animal transmission of H1N1 or just regular canine flu? A few weeks ago, I read about a case where a dog got it from his owner (I forgot the country where it happened).

  • othersideofthebridge

    What is the risk to humans from this virus?

    To date, there is no evidence of transmission of canine influenza virus from dogs to people and there has not been a single reported case of human infection with the canine influenza virus. While this virus infects dogs and spreads between dogs, there is no evidence that this virus infects humans.

    http://www.cdc.gov/flu/canine/

  • bklyn20

    Publius and other posters — is there any information about whether the dogs with flu went to any of the local dog runs? I am especially concerned about Hillside/Squibb Hill, since my dogs go there often and really need it as an exercise “resource.” They are all fine, and I want to keep them that way!

  • aliG

    We used V-Cloud three years ago as our general contractor and they were awesome. They redid the upstairs in our duplex, living room, stairs, floors, kitchen & bathroom.
    George – (800) 799-8979

    We weren’t impressed with Perfect Renovation either for the same reason bklyn20 gave.

  • Tim N.

    Thanks, everyone… I knew I could count on you all.

  • bklyn20

    Attention anyone who’s parked on Willow Place: The MTA has put “All Cars Will Be Towed” signs up and down the block starting 2/18 — which I believe is today. Don’t know hour when towing begins. I will try to take a photo of the signs and email it in. MTA is digging test pits — related to 1/18 explosions– and the northern end of the block is now a capacious pit of dirt and pipes.

  • justaneighbor

    I vote for more Missed Connections…hope it works out, Harry!