We have a message from Ramen Cromwell, owner of 1-1/2-year-old Shiba Inu Lili, who tells us she has been returned to her appreciative owner. Lili slipped from her collar Tuesday night, February 7, while out with her walker.

Ramen shares the tail, uh, tale, that led to Lili’s return: A couple saw her in the neighborhood and pursued the shy critter to come to them. They were unsure of the dog’s owner, since her collar was missing, and believed she might have been abandoned. Meanwhile, Ramen says, “ We spent two long nights putting up signs and registering with every dog finder site and organization we could find. A big tip came in when someone who saw a flyer reported he had seen a dog matching Lili’s description appear in his building.”

Ultimately, when the couple that had possession of Lili took her to One Love Animal Hospital—“now fully attached and hoping to clear her for themselves”—the vet discovered her chip, which led Lili back to her rightful owners.

Ramen offers to all: “Much thanks to everyone who helped and gave us their support and especially the couple who chased her down, which reunited us.”

This in from reader Kate, who has found a cat (not BeeBop):

For the past two nights, a large white and gray/black striped cat has visited our back yard (on Pierrepont, between Willow and Columbia Heights). S/he has dense, short hair and an unusually shaped face. We have given this sweet cat lots of food, but have been unable to capture him/her to being him/her inside. However, we managed to get the attached picture.

This cat definitely seems to us to be domesticated, and while s/he has no tags, we suspect that s/he could be lost. We expect that s/he will return for more food tomorrow evening, and we would love to help reunite this cat with his/her
family! Please let us know ((917) 628-9665) if you recognize this cat.

Thank you very much!

Mrs. Fink snapped this photo of a sign on Henry Street near Clark requesting that someone “fix or disconnect” their “alarm system” as it is “violating the peace and quiet of the neighborhood continuously.” No word on if this is a store, home or car alarm in question.

Tomorrow between 10AM-3PM, New York City OEM and the federal government (FEMA) will test the Wireless Emergency Alert System, a new system that allows authorized officials to send alerts to enabled mobile phones. Depending on the model of your phone and carrier you may receive TEST messages. These messages will look similar to a text message and be accompanied by audible alerts. For more info see attached, or contact your mobile service provider.

The attachment is here.

Notify NYC has given us the following alert, along with the helpful photo at left, in case you don’t know what a blimp looks like.

Weather permitting, the U.S. Navy and the FAA will conduct capabilities flights using a U.S. Navy MZ-3A Airship (a blimp) in and around NYC tomorrow, 11/09/11, from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM. The flights will be based out of Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, and will operate at altitudes of 1,000 feet and below.

A clip of Captain Beefheart’s classic “The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)” follows the jump.

Baby Fink and I were there earlier today, stocked up on our favorite Ella’s Kitchen baby food (hey, great for grownups too if the Endtimes come) and bought two loaves of bread. We may have also tried to dissuade folks from buying candles in lieu flashlights as a backup for blackout. You know, so first responders aren’t rushing to a fire some Glade candle caused. Just sayin’. And Chuck, sorry about the bread…

Smoking Nun: I stopped in figuring I’d make a big pot of chili to enjoy for the next couple days, easy enough to reheat on the gas stove in case there’s no power.

As I walked the aisles, there was not a single loaf of bread nor a carton of eggs to be found. No ground beef (so I bought turkey; healthier anyway). Every single checkout line was open—a first at the Key—while there was a staffer directing folks through the express line, which must have been 25 deep, as if I was shopping at Trader Joe’s.

Good lord, almighty, last winter a blizzard passed through New York, dumping a foot of snow along with 40 mph winds. Public transportation wasn’t fazed, life continued to move forward and New Yorkers acted like… New Yorkers, without so much as a blink.

Five years ago today, Brooklyn Heights Blog launched. Five thousand six hundred and seventy five posts later we’re still here.

Thanks for reading, commenting and contributing.

What would you like to see us do in the next year? Comment below!

We’ve just posted our latest Brooklyn Bugle Session with Locksley performing their new single “The Whip” and a surprise cover song. Check it out here.

While you’re at it, check out the entire Bugle music section with contributions from world renowned jazz writer Jim Macnie and our own Claude Scales.

Also set the discussion about Suleiman Osman’s controversial book The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn off in the Brooklyn Bugle Book Club.

We are so on a roll with the lost and the found. Let’s see if we can reunite this Blackberry and its owner.

The photo comes courtesy of “PG” who found it and tells us:

I found a Blackberry Curve on State St. and Sidney Pl. earlier today. I brought it to the Sprint store and Radio Shack but was told the only way to find out who the owner is, was to wipe the memory. I thought I would try this first. Please call the phone if you lost one in the area so I can get it back to you.

Paul LaRosa thinks it is:

HuffPost NY: Laugh if you like, but I’ve been thinking more and more that Brooklyn, circa 2011, is very similar to what Paris was like nearly a century ago. Of course, I’m talking about the brownstone belt neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Fort Greene, but you can throw DUMBO, Williamsburg and Red Hook in there as well.

Well, I doubt that the Saint-Germain-des-Prés of the time, or even now, was or is dominated by cellphone stores, nail salons, opticians, and real estate offices. Still, I think the argument is worth discussion. Thanks to reader Monty for the tip.

Caveat: the language in Ms. Slut’s post is, in Homer’s words, “very Penthouse Forum.”

The Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO Cadman Plaza region is a tourist hot spot, and until now left with little direction. Good news, confused out-of-towners! When arriving in Brooklyn, you will be greeted by signs, pointing you to the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, and other landmarks. This sign is right outside the High Street station, but there are several scattered around the neighborhood.

Update: The deli has a new, permanent sign (see photo after the jump).

BHB photo by C. Scales

Word on the street (in this case, Montague Terrace) is that one of the four Dawn Redwood trees in Brooklyn Heights was “removed” from the backyard of 2 Montague Terrace. BHB tipster Andrew Porter tell us it was cut down at the order of the co-op board, but we’re still investigating this claim. BHA Executive Director Judy Stanton has received inquiries from concerned Heights residents, and has “no idea” what led to the tree’s eradication. She’s on the case as well, but assured us that the Metasequoia Glyptostroboides, as Dawn Redwoods are officially known, in the front garden of 151 Willow Street is here to stay. Two others purportedly hold court on Pierrepont Street: one in the Monroe Place garden of the First Unitarian Church, the other in the Columbia Heights garden at 1 Pierrepont Street.

Is it possible, as this 2004 Brooklyn Daily Eagle article hints, that the tree came down because it obscured otherwise stellar views of the Manhattan skyline? What happened to the spirit of conservation, particularly in Brooklyn Heights, where that feeling was once so infectious it brought Robert Moses to his knees? I can see the Willow Street Dawn Redwood from the window of my apartment, and its towering, lush presence is a quiet sign that maybe the country isn’t so far away after all. That, and the chickens that crow each morning, are subtle reminders that nature and city life need not be mutually exclusive.

What do you think about the downed tree? Should the public have had a say before the Dawn Redwood was chopped? Is this a sign of things to come?

These days, cafes with free internet access in the Brooklyn Heights area are hard to find. Iris stopped offering it, and Tazza still doesn’t. Well web-browsing latte drinkers, you’re in luck. Archway Cafe at the Pearl Street Triangle posted signage claiming to offer food, coffee, AND Wi-Fi!

Reader Kylie sends us this photo of what appears to be Sad Panda suspended from a tree limb on Cadman Plaza West, near the High Street A/C subway entrance, taken this morning at around 7:00. Does anyone know anything about this?

Update: BHB tipster “REDACTED” sent us us a photo from another angle.  See it after the jump.

BHB reader “Rich” sends us this photo of a very special rearrangement of Cutting Den’s sign at the Clark Street station.  Guess the students are back and school’s back in session!

Flatbush Gardener photo

BHB contributor Claude Scales is celebrating 5 years of his own blog Self Absorbed Boomer today.   Claude’s been an essential cog in the BHB machinery and if you haven’t read his personal take on things Brooklyn and beyond now is a good time to check out SAB.

Welcome to brooklynheightsblog, the first “serious” blog from the geniuses at The Fink File.  While Brooklyn has its share of great bloggers,  we found precious little about our ‘hood in one centralized/not spam website.  So instead of whining (or not getting off the couch) we decided to launch this blog.

We’re actively looking for “real” folks from our nabe to blog here about a variety of different topics.  If you’re “that guy/gal” drop us an email (homer AT thefinkfile.com).

Onward and upward,

Homer Fink

Publisher, Altruist, BROOKLYNITE

We’ve met some great neighbors along the way and we look forward meeting more of you in the coming year.

This year,  we’ve been  quite fortunate to have been joined by new contributors Heather Quinlan, Julie Kanfer, Caitlin Heikkila as well as Cobble Hill Blog’s Jonah Eller-Isaacs and Jason Shaltz.

BHB wouldn’t have made it through 2007 without our “OGs” Marc Hermann and Claude Scales.  Mega-kudos as well to contirbutors Karl Junkersfeld and TK Small as well as Diana Rosenthal who helped us kickstart CHB last year.  And we’ll always be grateful to Sarah Portlock, Chief Correspondent Emeritus, for her contribution.

And also a big thanks to our many supporters in the community.  But the biggest round of applause goes to you, our readers and regular commenters.

Onward and Upward… for another year!

John “Homer Fink” Loscalzo

We didn’t need the BHB Decibel Meter to notice that  on July 23rd, the audio at  the The Big Lebowski screening  was very low in comparison to that of  Monsters vs Aliens the week before.  The high volume  of that event  rattled windows and nerves in the North Heights and many residents complained.   That prompted the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy to issue a statement  promising to manage the volume of the screenings at  Pier  1.   So far, so good. Kudos to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy for keeping their word to manage the noise.

This Thursday’s (8/5)movie  is Brokeback Mountain.

New sign on Atlantic Ave./BQE on-ramp

In a moment of heat inspired insanity, yesterday I went out for a roll around the neighborhood and decided to go down to Pier 6.  It was my mission to check out whether any improvement had been made in the pedestrian crosswalk situation since it had been reported on BHB that DOT was aware of the problem and working on a solution. 

As I got to Atlantic Avenue, near the on-ramp, a taxi was barreling down – blasting his horn.  In the midst of this confusion, a man was running across the street/on-ramp carrying a small child.  This is almost exactly the scenario that causes my concern. 

While there is clearly a new sign, not one driver followed the new instructions and all operated their vehicles with the old sign in mind.  In the 15-20 minutes that I sat there making my surveillance, easily 50 tickets could have been issued.

In the distance I could see a police car and I headed in that direction.  I reported to the police officer that there was a new sign and what was going on.  Other than, “I will let the guys know” I did not get much of a response.  So, in addition to the dangerous condition we got to pay for a sign that is completely ignored and not enforced.

By all estimation, Tuesday afternoon June 15, was one of those uniquely beautiful days which should be spent outside, walking/rolling around Brooklyn Heights. Since I had not been down to Pier 1 Park recently, that was my destination after conducting some errands. However, you cannot fully appreciate my rage when I discovered that it is practically impossible for a person in a wheelchair to now get into Pier 1, without making a very dangerous trip along Furman Street in heavy traffic. This is completely unacceptable.

In my new capacity as a member of Community Board 2, I am reluctant to promote the opinion that people with disabilities are always complaining. I would like to think that as a concerned resident of Brooklyn Heights, I should not have to “ghetto-ize” myself into the de facto leader of the disability community, only being begrudgingly listened to in matters concerning accessibility. But for the time being, I’m going to embrace my new position as “disabled complainer” and make some observations.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and The Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation have dramatically failed in preparing an adequate plan for getting people to/from the park. At both Pier 1 & Pier 6 there is a serious accident waiting to happen. Having people cross a busy on-ramp to a major highway or walk in the street while construction is occurring, is simply a bad idea. A number of my friends have been injured (corner of Clinton & Montague) or killed by being hit by automobiles. Consequently, I pay very careful attention to pedestrian safety considerations. Is it too much to ask that foreseeable problems related to pedestrian safety be addressed by the Conservancy and Development Corporation?

In terms of the features within Brooklyn Bridge Park, it does not appear that much thought was given to ensuring that all people could enjoy Brooklyn Bridge Park. In the Design profession, there is a concept called “Universal Design” which strives to create products, buildings and public spaces which are usable by everyone. The team that has been working on this facility seems to be unfamiliar with this concept. Additionally, this idea of Universal Design is important, because as the population ages, there are more people with varying disabilities every day.

Although there are a few features that are obviously accessible, (accessible port-a-san and some parking spaces), accessibility is not all that important. For instance, the crushed rock surface material at Pier 6 is a problem for many people with a variety of mobility impairments and, might even be illegal under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Likewise, from my limited investigation, I did not see any playground equipment that kids with disabilities might use. Another simple example of the failure to incorporate principles of Universal Design is with the telescopes found at Pier 1 which are inaccessible.

In the 1989 film “Field of Dreams”, Kevin Costner made his cliché statement “If you build it, they will come”. Logically, the opposite of that statement is that if something is not constructed, people will not come. If accessibility is not more visibly included in the Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklynites with disabilities will not come and not have the same opportunity to enjoy this world-class public space, which has been under consideration for more than two decades. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation needs to do a much better job of proactively creating a public space that all people can use and enjoy.