Open Thread Wednesday

I don’t think Gothamist had the “Plan B” arrangement re Westinghouse when the article came out. Turns out to be another DOE site not terribly further away [< 10 minutes extra walk, c. 15 minutes total from Montague & Court] – basically where Chapel Street [1 block North of Tillary] meets Flatbush.

It does involve crossing what is essentially the Manh. Bridge onramp, something easily done [well, wait 'til the too short green starts afresh] at Tillary & Flatbush [on the North/PARK side.]

And yes, Westinghouse had gotten REALLY efficient just before it was closed!

BEWARE, if you get an appt there – in city-at-its-worst fashion, the location is super-easy to confuse [merits a WARNING msg!] with that of the Pioneer Building (Blick's) near BAM. Ironically, it's all about the small number of addresses for FLATBUSH AVENUE *EXTENSION.* THAT! is the vac. site, and it's a stone's throw from Concord Village.

Last night’s BHA City Council Candidates event:

Not quite a debate but – tiny good thing growing out of the Covid crisis – informative and EASY to attend/Zoom.

Almost shocked that neither yesterday’s post nor today’s “open thread” has as much as a word by way of comments or thoughts!

It’d probably be inappropriate to a point where it might force Claude to censor, so I’ll leave any of my thoughts as to the candidates’ merits OUT. BUT … I’ve long thought that the BHA works a little too much “behind the scenes.” To the extent that it’s effective, great, but it’s clear that our neighborhood is almost perceived as a political liability as the Dem. Party marches left & is very focused on things like income inequality.

NO sniping on any of that from me, BUT …

The coming June primary will force the 8 candidates to “pick their spots,” in that Council Dist. 33 runs from Greenpoint to the Heights (and a little beyond.) I’ve done some reading, and it turns out that “kissing the ring” of a certain Rabbi in Williamsburg has long been critical to winning the primary.

(Yes, I *do* have some strong, negative feelings about that – mostly because I suspect that that community’s interests can only be served by taking a not tiny $ amount from the rest of the District.)

Anyhow, with 8 candidates and population density realities, I think it’s likely that B.Hts’ priorities will get more lip service than anything else. Would anyone join me in urging Claude et al to pen an endorsement this year? (The BHA, I believe, is all but legally unable to do something like that.)

Obviously, this blog has a very small number of readers, but to the extent that “the Heights” could plausibly be said to be in someone’s corner – I know that may be beyond difficult – I believe that B.H. might wind up with decent “access” to the eventual new councilmember.

To pick one – likely THE ONE – issue, there’s (still!) the BQE. Remember that the CITY’S DOT “master-minded” the now disgraced proposal. Remember, too, that its leader in that effort (Polly T.) now works for Biden as Deputy Secy-USDOT. That frightens me, esp. at a time when “do it fast & do it cheap” will probably get a high decibel chorus.

So, who reps the 33rd (“us”) matters – even more than usually!

You DO realize that only one will have a seat on the Council?! I’m sure you do, but if our community thinks in terms of self-interest – as I did above – having several “good options” actually may entail more DOWNside than upside.

I read the Gothamist article. I’m scheduled to have my second shot at George Washington this Sunday. I called 411 and was told that no information exists about rescheduling at a different hub. Have you any idea–or more info–about how one might do this? Thanks.

Nah – far from her first rodeo! She worked for someone of the Trump/Cuomo/ deBlasio “I don’t like them/they don’t like me/bleep ’em” persuasion. deBlasio has never been good on details, but he’s not from Staten Island and he+staff knew he was throwing acid in a community’s face.

And still he persisted! Worse, that’s a world where “payback” is definitely a thing. When her boss, “Indiana Pete” says, “Polly. You know this issue better than anybody – whatcha think?” I don’t think “we’ll have a friend in court!”

Have you already tried using this link?
https://vax4nyc.nyc.gov/patient/s/
It’ll take you to a page where you’ll find a button marked “Reschedule Appointment”.

I don’t know if that will work in your particular case. I was successful using it to change my date/time, but in my case that was for the same location. I would hope that the city would make it work for a case like yours, to choose another location.

And even if it does, there still has to be an appointment available, so you may have to keep trying.

Thanks, Rick. After many calls, I finally arrived at a vaccination hotline:

877 829-4692.

There I was able to schedule my second Moderna shot at the Science Skills HS, see above, for this Sunday. Almost an even swap, old hub for new.

By the way, no one seems to have any record of the George Washington hub closing.

I had both shots at Sloan Kettering in Manhattan, after they reached out to me, not the other way around. Scanned in both my Vacc. Cards and now carry them in my wallet.

More ancient photos of the Heights. East side of Cranberry and Henry, looking north, on June 6th, 1928. Everything east of Henry was eventually torn down for the Cadman Towers:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/422544981b90fe8e65f977940c574eeb28c1652d66894f5725fa2acf9f9b74ab.jpg

The name of the school is actually George Westinghouse.
Seems unlikely, but maybe that is leading to some of the confusion.

Yesterday, noticed a few crocuses just starting to bloom on the Promenade, at the Montague Street entrance.

Report from the new vaccine spot on Flatbush Extension, which replaced Westinghouse, was that the line was really long with 2 or 3 hour delays. Let’s hope they can bring this back under control very soon. Bring back the old crew if that’s what it takes.

Do you know if they make very old and/or disabled people wait in that long line, or do they let them in at the time of their appointment?

Hate to pile on, but tempers flared when an occasional elder (with a walker, say) was allowed to enter BEFORE someone who had been waiting for 2 hours or more. That the State and City are more like competing than co-operating to “smooth” this process is nothing short of deplorable!

Any current information how the vaccination process is going at the new Flatbush Ave Ext location? Sounds like it got off to a bit of a rocky start. Have an appointment for tomorrow so I hope they’re doing a bit better!