Desperate Neighbors (cast: Amy Adams, Paul Giamatti, Octavia Spencer, M. Emmett Walsh), strangers to each other, working together to track down the source. The authorities that fail them — the local police precinct (Christopher Meloni) and the BHA (Betty White). The harried building manager (Viola Davis) facing down a tenant riot, and the tech-savvy super (Adam Driver) using his bag of tricks (remote cameras, drones, an AI-powered robot named Phil) to locate the sound. The begrudging acceptance of help from the grizzled former co-op board president and ex-spymaster (Daniel Craig). The final, tense showdown between the secret agent wife (Jennifer Lopez) and the diabolical villain (Michael Shannon) high up on the Cadman towers… ok, so we might be getting carried away here.

We don’t want to spoil the big reveal — let’s just say “the call was coming from inside the house” — but it sounds like it became quite a bonding experience for everyone involved:

The contretemps “brought together so many people from the neighborhood,” Owens said. “I’ve met the super from pretty much every building nearby and some people got really invested and wanted to help, which was awesome.”

That’s great! Now what about the helicopters?

He said he is asking $15,000 a month for the second-floor space and “more than double that for the ground floor.”

…

“When Starbucks first closed, I had all the restaurants call, like Armando’s. But I’m holding out for a triple-mint tenant.”

But there’s a quote I would like to highlight, from Lassen & Hennigs co-owner Thomas Calfa:

This is a bedroom community for Manhattan, and it always has been. That’s never changed. People around here will basically stay in Manhattan and do their clothing shopping and go to restaurants. It’s maybe shifting a little bit, but it’s always been like that since the 1970s.

Do Brooklyn Heights residents still feel this way about their neighborhood, 40 years later? Or do residents “stay in Manhattan” because the local options are so mediocre and bleak? And how much has that changed since the pandemic struck? Is it odd that this argument is made concerning Montague Street, but doesn’t seem to apply to more bustling “commercial” streets in the area (Henry Street, Atlantic Avenue), or Cobble Hill?

Be sure to read the Curbed article before answering!

[Warning: Do not read this while eating, or if you generally have a weak stomach.]

Long time readers may recall the dog poop vigilante of 2011 who took matters into her own hands and taped signs around two lumps of dog feces left on Hicks St. reading, “Pick up your sh*t or don’t have a dog” and “What kind of lazy person leaves dog sh*t?” Why was she driven to such extreme measures? Her one-year-old almost picked up a log with his bare hands.

This morning, while walking through Cadman park at about 9:00 a.m., I came upon a fresh, still-wet pool of dog diarrhea that showed a half-hearted, shameless, and narcissistic attempt at clean up. If you’ve ever been to Cadman park on a nice day, you’ve seen the masses of kids rolling around on the turf.

I mean, look at that. I couldn’t just leave that there for someone’s toddler to roll in it or grab at it. So, I marched to the field office behind the monument and spoke to a Parks worker. She was very nice and grateful for the heads up and said, “We’ll be clearing the litter soon anyway.” Not trusting how long that would take, I went back home, printed a sign, and covered up the biohazard. By that time, there were already four tiny tots toodling around on the turf.

Asked for comment, the O.G. dog poop vigilante said, “It’s nice to see that someone has carried the torch to keep curious toddlers safe from disease in the Brooklyn Heights community.”

To the very selfish, very reckless offender: The EPA classifies dog poop as a toxic pollutant in the same category as chemical and oil spills. If your dog is sick and has diarrhea, I’m guessing it’s even more hazardous. Do you really need a lesson on zoonotic diseases given the recent news?

To all dog owners who use Cadman as a dog run before 9:00 a.m.: Please look out for each other. As one reader commented in the past, “If you see sh*t, say sh*t.”

Imagine my surprise when I came home today to see a UPS package for Mrs. Fink thrown in with some garbage. Well, that’s messed up, eh? Even more messed up is that the UPS delivery person MEANT to do that.

Check it out:

UPS tweeted to me that they’re “sorry”.

Have you had a delivery misfire like this? Or this?

BHB and its readers discovered Captain Cleanup, the Brooklyn Heights good samaritan known for painting and freshening up area mail boxes, fire boxes, fire hydrants and other objects, last year. As a matter of fact, he made the BHB Ten for 2013.

The Brooklyn Eagle profiles him today giving him the nom de bird, “Spencer Allen” (which btw is no CAPTAIN CLEANUP):

Allen’s work is bold when its repercussions are considered: Federal law states that vandalizing or defacing mailboxes is a crime punishable by fines up to $250,000, or by imprisonment for up to three years for each act of vandalism. But, in Allen’s view, it’s a mission to step in where the U.S. Postal Service has been unresponsive. Increasingly peeved by the incongruence of “tagged” (aka graffitied) mailboxes in an otherwise well-kept neighborhood, Allen woke up one morning in 2013 and decided to quell his vexation.

“This is absolutely ridiculous and I’m going to paint the thing because I’m tired of looking at it,” he recalls thinking of a green mailbox across the street from his apartment building.

One ebullient neighbor approached as he worked and said that for eight years she’d been trying to contact the responsible government agency to get the box repainted. Needless to say, she was ecstatic that Allen had assigned himself the task.

Photo: A USPS official paints over the Captain’s work last year.

NY1 catches up with 140 Cadman Plaza West residents who are still struggling with noise from renovations on the Brooklyn Bridge:

NY1: It’s a nightmare neighboring residents in Brooklyn Heights have had to live with since 2010, when The Brooklyn Bridge Rehabilitation Project started. Most nights, residents say drilling starts after 11 p.m. and lasts until at least 3 a.m., as shown in home videos taken over the years. Those living near the bridge who expected construction to end this past spring call it absolute torture.

A Department of Transportation spokeswoman told us the original completion date for the work was this past April but a new date of next April was set due to additional repairs. In regards to the noise, the spokeswoman said the agency holds monthly meetings with the city Department of Environmental Protection.

Well, maybe this is an opportunity for the community to help the managers of one of our the Court Street Starbucks with a slight problem. According to a tweet from Crains New York writer Andrew J. Hawkins, they’re looking for ways to stop customers from having sex in the bathroom.

So faster than you can say PumpkinSpiceLatte – how would you solve a problem like this? Comment away!

At a Starbucks in Brooklyn Heights eavesdropping on the managers discuss how they can prevent people from having sex in their bathroom.

— Andrew J. Hawkins (@andyjayhawk) October 27, 2014

Related: The infamous Slappaccino Dad incident at the (old) Montague Street Starbucks

This post from 2009 still stands as the #1 most read BHB story of all time. Wonder where the “Slappaccino Dad” is now?

This dispatch just in from a BHB tipster claiming that a Brooklyn Heights Dad got a schmack on the head from another patron at the Montague Street Starbucks. Allegedly, the smacker felt that the smackee was not parenting properly by ignoring his fidgety baby while waiting on a latte. Do we call it instant justice or is it past the legal limit? Full eyewitness account:

I was in the Montague St Starbucks at 10:20 am today, maybe 10:25. A man outside had a baby in an upright-type stroller and was speaking with a woman who seemed very concerned. It seems that his child was fussing in the stroller while the man ( who I will call “Dad”) was waiting for his drink. When the baby kept crying another man complained to Dad: when Dad did not leave and stayed to wait for his drink, the non-dad man slapped Dad on the back of the head.

Now, I did not see this, but was there immediately afterward. Not only the woman outside with Dad, but the employees and other customers (including child-free individuals) were 99% on Dad’s side. (Only one man seemed to disagree, but he quickly demurred when reminded that one adult should not hit another over this, no matter how aggravating it should be.)

The police were called and the manager and an employee went out and spoke w/them and Dad. The Slapper was out of there by then, but I hope the store security camera was on. I have seen frequent out-of-control behavior there, but this child was not crying, just looking cranky, when I saw him and he was in the stroller. Actually, I think the baby /toddler was in the stroller the entire time. Thankfully, Dad was very rational and saw no need to start the Thrilla on Montanilla. (It’s Monday, and I’ve had a lot of I coffee, so please pardon my literary excesses.) Slapper had left by the time I got there.

This did not seem to be egregious parental behavior. I have an elementary-school-aged child, and have been in situations like this. I always left the store if my kid got too cranky or loud; doing it once or twice seemed to alert the child to the consequences of misbehaving in an adult public place. One adult hitting another over this kind of thing like this is certainly egregious behavior to me.

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The following is a Brooklyn Bugle reader’s account of their experience at the Montague Street Haagen Dazs in Brooklyn Heights.

READ THE FULL STORY AT THE BROOKLYN BUGLE

First there was the rogue hot dog vendor who decided to set up shop on Montague Terrace. Now there’s a disco food cart on Columbia Heights near Squibb Park entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park. While we’re pretty sure this is a legal spot, BHB commenter Peter points out in another BBP related thread:

Yes, such an astounding success that during the weekends it feels like we’re living at Great Adventure. The kabob cart with the flashing neon signage on Columbia Heights completes the scene. Wonderful.

So is this a thing? Do you think that this sort of enterprise should be allowed in the area? Comment away. Oh and we’ve created a GIF so you crazy kids could use it on your Tumblrs and whatnot.

While conservatives are voicing their fauxrage over President Obama’s birthday gift of a car to his daughter Malia, the NY Daily News posts a story about how the president and other well-to-do folks are steering their kids into a life of — work!

Featured in the piece, one where we also learn that Sting will NOT be giving his children trust funds, is a man living in Brooklyn Heights:

NYDN: Just ask Christopher Natal, a 23-year-old in Brooklyn Heights. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth — he had the whole dinner set. But his parents — one a police chief, one a sheriff — laid down the law when it came to instilling a work ethic.
“My parents gave me everything, but I had to work for it,” says Natal, who got his first job at 17 and used the money to buy a car.
Natal’s parents paid for his education at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, but when he wanted to pursue a fashion career in the Big Apple, he took a 9-to-5 job as a sales associate at Nine West in the Financial District to pay the bills.

Our man with a cam Karl Junkersfeld was on the scene today at the Fruit Street Citibike docking station as workers were cleaning up a mess left by a Citibike hating vandal. A BHB tipster informed us of this “protest” this morning:

Serious vandalism occurred overnight at the northern end of the promenade on Columbia Heights between Cranberry and Orange. Red spray paint covered historic wall and Citibike station. Please cover this incident to make people more aware of how the neighborhood is changing and how things like this can be avoided in the future- ie. limbing up the trees in this location, adding more street lights and perhaps increasing police patrols.

If you watch Karl’s video carefully, you’ll notice that the genius who made this mess couldn’t even spell Derek and Clive’s favorite insult(note link is beyond NSFW) correctly.

@bkheightsblog Someone spray painted SCAM all over @CitibikeNYC in red. North end of promenade. Cops there now.

— Steven L.A. Mura (@StevenLAMura) June 10, 2014

Do you agree with Karl that increased foot traffic to Brooklyn Bridge Park is partially to blame for this act?

It was beautiful while it lasted. However, the “wheatpaste” mural painted guerilla style sometime Tuesday night on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is no more.

Our Karl Junkersfeld, not known for his love of most “street art”, is not very happy about this development as his new video shows.

Do you agree with Karl? Comment away!

Citizens Defending Libraries, the group headed by long time Brooklyn Heights resident Michael D.D. White was quite vocal at Thursday’s annual Brooklyn Heights Association meeting. When BHA president Alexandra Bowie talked about the group’s stance on the Brooklyn Heights library, White and company hissed their disagreement (no, White didn’t go to Harvard). Oh, and they waved handmade signs in anger after feeling slighted when each and every (?) of their written queries were not addressed during question time.

library be like yelling and stuff #shirknado #brooklynheights pic.twitter.com/LC8JDsfnsM

— brooklynheightsblog (@bkheightsblog) February 28, 2014

Brooklyn Paper: “If the BHA stood up against this plan it would be dead,” said Michael White, a 25-year Heights Association member and co-founder of Citizens Defending Libraries.

The outburst came during a question-and-answer session with audience members near the end of the meeting. Attendees had been asked to write their questions on note cards prior to the meeting, and when the bookworms realized their questions were being skipped over, things got heated.

“I would like my question addressed,” shouted Justine Swartz, another member of the group.

“@WhiteMdd: BHA meeting: Prez Alexandra Bowie recognizes Citizens Defending Libraries from lectern.” #shirknado

— brooklynheightsblog (@bkheightsblog) February 28, 2014

library people doing heir hissing act – this is why we can't have nice things #brooklynheights #shirknado

— brooklynheightsblog (@bkheightsblog) February 28, 2014

Why? pic.twitter.com/iuCqSY28P2

— Michael D. D. White (@WhiteMdd) February 28, 2014

Why? pic.twitter.com/Q8NNWXqcMz

— Michael D. D. White (@WhiteMdd) February 28, 2014

why are we not upset about libraries selling books — is that a thing? #brooklynheights #shirknado

— brooklynheightsblog (@bkheightsblog) February 28, 2014

Last week was a busy time for Citizens Defending Libraries, on Wednesday the group posted this missive (with video) after reportedly being kicked off the Brooklyn Public Library’s bus to Albany:

Today the Brooklyn Public Library chartered a 54-seat bus to bring library advocates to Albany to convince legislators to fully fund the public library system. But BPL specifically *excluded* individuals who oppose its plans to sell off and/or shrink valuable library properties in developer-driven real-estate boondoggles — a policy that NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has lambasted.

Citizens Defending Libraries co-founders Carolyn McIntyre and Michael D.D. White met the bus across the street from the historic Pacific Library — after discovering at the last minute that the original pickup location in front of the Brooklyn Heights Library had been changed “due to security” reasons.

Fittingly, *both* of these libraries are threatened by the very BPL development plans that library advocates are forbidden to question in Albany today.

In fact, BPL had originally put out a public invitation to *anyone* who wanted to join the lobbying bus, but apparently backtracked when it realized it could not control its message.

Naturally, BPL’s government relations and advocacy manager — who was running the trip today — called NYPD as soon McIntyre and White appeared on the scene — to make sure they stayed off the bus.

It appeared that most (if not all) of the passengers on the charter — filling less than half its taxpayer-funded seats — were actually BPL employees.

McIntyre and White gave them a clear message to bring to legislators: support full funding so that the BPL administration has no excuse to sell off library buildings.

Dear Mail Stealing Dirtbag – I’m sure you really needed that Valentine’s Day care package grandma sent my 3 year old more than she did. So I’ll forgive you for stealing it from our lobby.

Oh who am I kidding? I’m not a “feelings” guy.

I’m more furious than the power of a thousand suns. Is your life really that sad, shallow and empty that robbing people’s mail seems like a good idea? You low life sociopath. Thanks for breaking down the social contract one more notch. The only thing dimmer than your future is your intellect.

You stole something clearly marked for child from her grandmother. You are pure evil.

I know that a few readers in North Heights mentioned seeing a person stealing mail recently. Comment below if this has happened to you.

Friends, if you see something say something. Take a photo. Call the cops.

Update: The NY Post covers this story.

The Daily News reports that the Brooklyner, the Lawrence St. high-rise that looks like a cigarette, will be smoke-free as of March. Smoking will also soon be prohibited at Archstone Brooklyn Heights at 180 Montague, which like the Brooklyner is owned by Equity Residential.

All new residents in the [Brooklyner], where one-bedrooms start at $2,955-a-month, will be required to sign smoke-free addendums attached to their lease. All current residents will also have to abide by the policy. The smoke-free acknowledgement will be included in lease renewals. Residents who light up inside will be in violation.

What do you think? Is this a wise move to protect tenants’ safety? Or is it a violation of rights? (Or meaningless in the face of all the exhaust New Yorkers breathe in daily?)

Photo: Joy Keh/Daily News

The Brooklyn Eagle reports that while many of us were enjoying a civilized time at the Custom House’s Toys for Tots event on Saturday, a throng of Santaconers took over the sports bar at the Park Plaza Diner.

Brooklyn Eagle: Hundreds of Santas, elves and reindeer flowed into the Park Plaza Diner’s sports bar for $4 pints. Owner Peter Likourentzos told the Brooklyn Eagle, “They look good. I don’t see any Christmas attitude, though.”

Brooklyn Eagle Photo by Mary Frost

This Saturday (11/30) is Small Business Saturday in Brooklyn Heights and around the rest of the country. The promotion was started in 2010 by American Express to encourage people to shop at small businesses in a weekend cluttered with big box retailers shouting about Black Friday sales. This year other brands are participating and retailers say it does help their business.

So what’s to complain about?

How about those horrible signs posted in Brooklyn Heights on Montague Street and Columbia Heights touting the promotion? A BHB reader writes:

In the middle of the night the city came by and stuck a massive banner on the street light outside my home.

1. Columbia Heights now looks like a commercial area.
2. Was there any public consultation?
3. We spend time keeping this post painted and graffiti free – this is city condoned graffiti.
4. Why did this happen in the middle of the night?
5. Pointless campaign – we so shop local – but with the continuing growth of national/international brands downtown/Montague St we won’t have choice soon!

Never one to complain – but I feel violated on this one. Help!

What do you think?

While most of Brooklyn Heights is littered with graffiti from no talent taggers, the city was quick today to remove the Twin Towers tribute at the Fruit Street Sitting Area created by world famous street artist Banksy earlier this week.

It had quickly become a beloved part of the neighborhood with many rushing to take photos of it while pausing to remember those who perished on 9/11/01. However, the Parks Department has a different point of view. After all, we can’t have world famous artists defacing our neighborhood, right? That right is reserved for no talent punks as evidenced by the countless number of meaningless tags in and around Brooklyn Heights.

So with no consideration of this being a new, notable addition to our landmarked district, the Parks Department destroyed real art. Heckuva job fellas!

The NY Post has created a time lapse image of the destruction.

Early last month, it looked like Clark Street’s Mr. Video III would be able to strike a deal with their landlord and continue on at that location but in a smaller space. Now comes word – via a giant sign in the store’s window – that they will cease operations there at the end of the year.

All titles at the store are on sale with prices starting at $3.99.

Mr. Video III, the last video rental store in Brooklyn Heights, is closing, passing away at the ripe old age of 2013.

— Jacob Gershman (@jacobgershman) October 2, 2013

Despite mounting disdain in Brooklyn Heights—and throughout the borough—Citi bike-share is here to stay. At a Town Hall meeting Wednesday in Fort Greene that the New York Times deemed “raucous,” NYC Council Member Letitia James—who helped formulate the program with NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg—told 100+ neighborhood residents, “The public streets belong to all of us. We have to learn to get along.”

Not good enough, according to area residents—including kiosks stickered with signs of protest in Fort Greene saying, “Landmark residential blocks are not for sale!” The Times quotes Fort Greene resident Dr. Noreen Hosier at the meet: “We pay a landscaper to maintain our property. They can no longer get to them. You talked about meetings held for locations? We never received anything.”

Others complained about sanitation issues, safety of bikers backing into the street and previously, that the bike stands don’t fit in with the historic tenor of Brooklyn brownstone neighborhoods. Regarding a loss of parking spaces because of the bike-share stations, James had no sympathy, claiming the BQE and Flatbush Avenue have fostered “one of the highest asthma rates in the city. We have to do our part to address global warming.”

Citi Bike docking stations have been installed by the Department of Transportation in the Heights, DUMBO, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, so far, in preparation for the citywide bike-share program next month. In Brooklyn Heights, stands are now at the corner of Remsen & Hicks, Clinton & Joralemon and Clark & Henry (outside of the Hotel St. George), with locations coming to Clark & Montague and Borough Hall. Users can rent bikes by the ride, day or week.

Citibank and Mastercard sponsors the New York program, modeled after similar systems in Washington, London, Paris and Madrid.

WINS-AM (1010) reported this morning from Brooklyn Heights that the newly installed Citibank-sponsored bike-share stands in the neighborhood are not only irritating residents—who voiced on-air that they don’t fit in with the historic tenor of the Heights—but have become a target for anti-corporate brouhaha throughout the borough.

Brooklyn.Some folks loved the idea of the city’s bike-share program…until bike racks showed up where they live.LIVE in 1010 WINS.

— John Montone1010WINS (@1010WINSMontone) April 24, 2013

The New York Post reports that in Fort Greene, flyers were plastered along a Citibike station saying: “Residential landmark blocks are not for advertising or commercial activity.” Similar messages have popped up in Clinton Hill.

Brownstoner notes that residents are complaining that they were not consulted about specific bike-share locations—also pointing out that advertising isn’t allowed on landmarked residential blocks.

In the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, residents of 150 Joralemon Street oppose a station installed in front of their building. Kenneth Wasserman tells the newspaper: “It’s inappropriate. This is a very busy block during the day and it’s very quiet at night. To have 25 docks out there without anybody notifying us beforehand really pisses us off.”

A Landmarks Preservation Commission spokeswoman told the NY Post, “We approved the plan for the installation of bike share stations in historic districts throughout the city because they have no effect on the historic fabric of those neighborhoods.”

Councilwoman Letitia James (D-Brooklyn), who supports the program, will host a town hall meeting Wednesday to address growing concerns about the new stations in Brooklyn. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Benjamin Banneker Academy in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill, 71-77 Clinton Avenue.

In Brooklyn Heights, stands are now at the corner of Remsen & Hicks, Clinton & Joralemon and Clark & Henry (outside of the Hotel St. George), with soon-to-be locations at Clark & Montague and Borough Hall.

@bkheightsblog Not sure who said the Citibike racks on Remsen are not blocking brownstones- clearly they are twitter.com/grrlgenius/sta…

— grrlgenius (@grrlgenius) April 21, 2013

Bike share locations appear to have taken over Brooklyn Heights… curious if rest of city is getting… instagram.com/p/Yc5cnnrJgA/

— Nick Baily (@nickbaily) April 23, 2013

I’d wonder how the people of this #Brooklyn Heights condo feel about the #bikeshare outside their door. twitter.com/DavidMaundrell…

— David Maundrell (@DavidMaundrell) April 23, 2013

There’s a dynamic little sparring match taking place over in the Brownstoner forum. Heights’ Henry Street resident Dean Collins posted a comment & pic grumbling about Wednesday’s pervasive “Boardwalk Empire” shoot, insisting “Hey, ‘Empire’ producers, you left your sh*t in front of my apartment.”

His comment reads: “Classless move. Came home to see that the ‘Boardwalk Empire’ production team left their sh*t on the footpath and road in front of my apartment after they left from filming. Next time you want to film in Brooklyn Heights, expect someone to be out there with an air horn. This isn’t Manhattan with crap all over the place; we care what our streets look like.”

But LOC2013, a staffer with the production company, took issue, posting: “This report isn’t exactly true. Catering was held on Henry Street around 4-5 p.m. (Wednesday), and our trash vendor came as he does every day to take away all of our trash. It is true there was a pile of trash left on the side of the street for a few hours until (they picked) it up, but we would never abandon our trash and not take care of it.”

Collins then responded: “Uhm, catering between 4-5 p.m? Then who was serving breakfast to the crew at 9 a.m.? Boxes started piling up in the morning and this photo was taken at 6 p.m. after your crew drove away. Saying it was only there for a few hours is BS. At 9 p.m. when I came home from walking the dog it was still there. As you (and others) choose to use this location for staging on a regular basis, maybe more effort could be made. Or are you saying the way it was stacked with boxes spilling onto the road all day was appropriate?”

And it keeps getting better! LOC2013 then attempted to diffuse the tif, adding: “We wait until the end of our day so our trash vendor can pick up all trash generated by our crew. Not just catering, but also at our film location. Please feel free to call our office at 917-671-5250 if you would like to discuss it further.”

And finally, Collins: “If you think it’s appropriate…. then nothing to further discuss.”

Other choice comments in the thread include:
* “Starting to get tired of this sh*t. Somebody explain to me what this adds to the neighborhood?”
* “Call the phone number on the posted filming notices and demand that they clean up their mess.”

Good times!

Citizens Defending Libraries, the Brooklyn Heights-based organization formed to oppose the sale and potential destruction of the Cadman Plaza building, continues to communicate its message in the community. On Saturday, the group was out in force in front of the branch, encouraging locals to sign its ongoing petition (8,300 signatures to date, with a goal of 10,000); and on Sunday, it hosted a “Progressive Community Building Event” to continue building momentum and discuss strategies.

Group Organizer Carolyn McIntyre writes, “News is surfing about more libraries being closed and sold off. We need to make NYPL and BPL accountable and let them know the libraries need to stay public, for ALL people! Help us get the word out and protect our most trusted public resource.”

She adds on CDL’s webbie, “It is deeply troubling that our public library systems are on the front line of every budget fight. Libraries are the lifeblood of our communities and are an increasingly rare public space. Every year, we must fight to ensure that library hours and services are not reduced. Libraries are a beacon for young people, immigrants, seniors and business in our communities.”

Councilwoman Letitia James and a representative of State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery have both participated in the group’s meetings. For more information, email Backpack362@aol.com.

Monday’s New York Times published a major expose on the critical issue of Brooklyn libraries shuttering with an eye on cashing in on property real estate values—with major focus on Brooklyn Heights’ Cadman Plaza branch.

The piece begins, “The Brooklyn Heights library is neither the oldest nor the most dilapidated branch of the Brooklyn Public Library system. But the 52-year-old limestone building… sits on land that developers crave. So the library system, desperate for money to pay for $230 million in repairs for its 60 branches, has embraced a novel financing model that is increasingly being used around New York City as a way to pay for government services: The library, on Cadman Plaza, would be sold to developers, torn down and rebuilt at no public expense on the ground floor of a new apartment tower.”

Joshua Nachowitz, Brooklyn Public Library’s VP for government & community relations, tells the Times: We would deliver libraries for essentially no cost to the library system. It’s a win-win.” Times: “The Brooklyn Heights branch was closed for 30 days last summer because its central AC kept failing; replacing it would cost $3 million. But the city gives the entire Brooklyn system only $15 million a year for repairs and construction, Nachowitz said, with the rest of its financing coming from private donations and other sources.”

Note that the Brooklyn Heights branch, to be rebuilt in the same spot, would close during 2-3 years of construction, according to the Times…

BHB readers, please continue to weigh in this essential community issue in Comments.

Following a formidable week-long sewage pipe replacement project at the corner of Montague Street & Montague Terrace last week, another Brooklyn Heights to-doo drill and demolition is taking place along the sidewalk & street along 110 Montague in front of Radio Shack.

In addition to the street being blocked Monday afternoon, a pretty fascinating hole some 20 feet under the sidewalk is evident as work continues. Crash! Boom! Bam! (Photos: CT)

Man, this’ll hurt your feelings. Two thugs robbed a 12-year-old boy on the 3 subway train departing the Clark Street station (heading to Hoyt Street) on March 1, according to police. The victim told cops he was on the train at 7:25 p.m. when one of the thieves alleged that he had a firearm.

The Brooklyn Paper reports the perp declared, “I’ll pop you, you want to get popped?” The kid’s Samsung cellphone was swiped before the thieves ran away.

Publisher’s note: The headline has been revised to more accurately reflect the facts of the incident.

Good thing Brooklyn Heights is such a lovely place to be, since it’ll cost you more to get in and out of the nabe come Sunday. Here’s a grim reminder that MTA’s latest fare hike begins Sunday, March 3. Gothamist provides a handy rundown about how much more it’ll cost to move about town, while the New York Post adds insult to injury with this factoid: In 2008, a 30-day unlimited fare card cost $76, marking an increase of 47% to today in a mere five years.

From Gothamist:
* The MTA’s base fare is now $2.50, up from $2.25. A single ride ticket costs $2.75.
* The pay-per-ride bonus discount will be 5% instead of 7% (but it kicks in at $5, instead of $10).
* A 30-day unlimited MetroCard will cost $112 (up from $104). The 7-day unlimited card will cost $30 (up from $29). And a 7-day express bus plus MetroCard will cost $55 (up from $50).
* A $1 fee will be charged for each new MetroCard you buy. To avoid the fee, turn in expired or damaged cards and you’ll get a new one free.

And then:
* You must ride the subway 13 times (two rides per workday and three on the weekend) to make a 7-day MetroCard worthwhile and you must ride the subway 48 times (two rides per workday and eight on the weekend) to make a 30-day unlimited MetroCard worthwhile.
* Unlimited MetroCards purchased on or before March 2 must be activated by Monday, March 11 to obtain their full value. Those activated after that date will allow travel through April 9 for 30-day cards and March 17 for 7-day cards.

And why is this happening (again)? MTA Spokesman Adam Lisberg tells Gothamist, “The MTA is raising fares and tolls because our costs for employee healthcare, pension contributions, mandatory paratransit service, energy and other costs out of our control are rising far faster than the rate of inflation. We have cut our costs by more than $700 million, we have built a budget with net-zero wage increases for unionized employees, and we are implementing moderately higher fares and tolls.”

Well, okay then. That makes it all better.