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.

New York Daily News: “Requiring salmonella vaccination should be a no-brainer, and if the FDA is unwilling to take the lead, we should start here in New York,” said state Sen. Daniel Squadron (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn), who himself had a brush with salmonella in college.

“We believe it was from an undercooked omelet,” said Squadron, who was hospitalized for four days. “It is a terrible, terrible disease.”

So much for the chow at Yale.

Photo: Fulton Ferry Landing Association

As you may have noticed, there has been some positive action on 11, 13, and 15 Old Fulton Street, thanks to continuing pressure from concerned residents, preservationists, and our elected officials. Contractors have been cleaning out the buildings so as to reduce the load on the structures, under the supervision of the DOB’s forensic engineering division. This will likely continue for the next week or so.

Additionally, we have been informed by Landmarks that the owner has retained a new engineer to revise the shoring and bracing plans. (Some of you may have seen him taking measurements at the buildings in the last week.) According to the LPC, it should take one to two weeks before the revised plans are submitted to the DOB and the LPC. Since progress on the stabilization plan continues, the DOB has approved extending the hold on demolition until September 8th.

The Association goes on to note, however, that the buildings are not yet out of danger, as the owner has previously agreed to submit plans and failed to do so. Those concerned about preserving the buildings are asked to “please send an email to the Commissioner of Buildings, Robert LiMandri, the Borough Commissioner, Thomas Fariello, and cc our electeds (see sample email, earlier post here).”

There’s a group that goes to Perelandra on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights every night and goes through their garbage looking for food. It seems that Perelandra being aware of this packs it up in boxes specifically for them and places it in the street. I’ve seen them picking out some good looking stuff but there’s no way I would do it.

So, have you seen them recently? Do they bug you, man? Think they’re saving the world?

Nightline covered this group back in 2007.

Watch it and read what Spin has to say after the jump.

Spin: MGMT continue to push the artistic envelope with the videos from this year’s Congratulations, including the just-released clip for the album’s title track—watch it below.

In the video, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser wander the desert with a skinless, chicken-like puppet who’s simply falling apart. Literally. One limb and body part at a time. In the midst of this crisis, VanWyngarden strokes the poor beast’s head while Goldwasser strums an acoustic guitar by the campfire.

We couldn’t help but think of the 1982 Jim Henson flick, The Dark Crystal, when we met MGMT’s doomed, clucky pal—he’s a benevolent version of that movie’s Skeksis creatures.

The Brooklyn Paper’s recap of the debate and video after the jump:

Assembly candidate Doug Biviano blasted away at incumbent Joan Millman in a debate last week, hammering her for taking her pension even as she works as a lawmaker, lambasting her for backing transit cuts, and for flip-flopping on housing inside Brooklyn Bridge Park — but the harshest word he had for Millman was that she’s “nice.”

By our count, Biviano taunted his rival with the seemingly innocuous adjective six times during the hour-long debate in Community Newspaper Group’s Downtown studio, where the candidates in the Sept. 14 primary battled in hopes of attracting voters in the Brownstone Brooklyn assembly district.

Being repeatedly slammed as “nice” certainly didn’t faze Millman, who said she was more upset that Biviano called her a bum on his website.

“I don’t think ‘nice’ is a pejorative word,” she said. “I don’t mind being called nice because I am a nice person. But I’m also an effective person.”

Biviano certainly didn’t agree, slamming Millman (D-Carroll Gardens) on the issues — and for collecting her pension from her prior job as a city teacher while working as our elected representative in Albany. Biviano called that “double dipping.”

“I’m on the street and I talk to the people and they’re worried about their pensions,” Biviano said. “These people aren’t making six figures and on top of … another government pension. It’s an abuse of the pension system.”

Millman makes $92,000 as an Assemblywoman. She was elected to office in 1997 after she retired from her 27 years as a teacher and began collecting her pension.

“I had already put in my paperwork,” she said. “You can’t rescind it.”

The NY Post published a story by Courier Life writer Tom Tracy with the lastest in this saga:

The truth is that Millman could have deferred then -— and could still defer now. All she had to do was file a “Retirement Allowance Suspension/Resumption Form” with the Teachers Retirement System.

What Millman (D-Carroll Gardens) is doing is perfectly legal, but that hasn’t stopped her assembly challenger, Doug Biviano, from railing on her for more than a week since our debate aired on our website.

“Collecting of two government paychecks shows that Assemblywoman Millman is not only out of touch with the community, but cares more about her interests than those of the people she represents,” Biviano said. “She should be protecting the pension system and our over-burdened tax-payers, not abusing them.”

In the debate, Biviano likened Millman’s pension to Assemblymembers Rhoda Jacobs (D–Midwood) and Harvey Weisenberg (D–Long Island), Albany colleagues who collect their state legislator pensions while still serving in the job of state legislator. The loophole that allows them to do that has since been closed.

Millman’s camp has taken a flogging from Biviano since the debate, but Nelson turned it right back on the challenger.

“Doug believes she shouldn’t be allowed to retire, collect her pension — a pension funded by her money that she’s already deferred while she was a teacher in the public school system, mind you — and have a second career,” he said. “He’s sending a terrible message to senior citizens by telling them that once they retire they should just move to Florida because they’re not needed or welcome here anymore.”

Reserve your slot on the walk — buy tickets now at Eventbrite.

Ever wish you could select the movies played at Brooklyn Bridge Park? Here’s your chance! The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy announced that the polls are open for the final evening of this season’s Syfy presents Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Movies with a View. On September 2nd, the pick will be determined by public vote.

Here are your options:

Dreamgirls

Some like It Hot

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

The Iron Giant

Click here to make your choice, but make it fast, the polls close September 1st! For more information on each film, including movie posters and film trailers, visit http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/go/events/movies-with-a-view.

BHB photo by C. Scales

Early in the morning of August 27, British forces that had landed at Gravesend Bay several days earlier began to advance toward Washington’s troops, many of whom were deployed in what is now Prospect Park and near the present Green-Wood Cemetery, on high ground from which they could defend the approaches to the Heights. The British General Howe sent some of his forces directly toward these positions from the south, but went with the bulk of his force to the east, to outflank the American positions. The tale of how Howe forced a tavern keeper and his son to guide his troops through what was then called Jamaica Pass is told by Brooklyn Daily Eagle writer Phoebe Neidl in her blog, Brooklyn Before Now.

Later in the day, there was fierce fighting around what became known as Battle Pass in present day Prospect Park, followed by a valiant holding action by some 250 Marylanders at the Old Stone House, which allowed most of the American troops to escape to the Heights. Washington is believed to have observed the action at the Old Stone House from the summit of a hill, later leveled by the British, that stood where the former bank building that now houses Trader Joe’s is located; the flagpole atop that building is said to mark the height of the hill. While watching the Marylanders’ stand, Washington is reported to have said, “Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose!”

Howe did not immediately press his advantage by continuing in pursuit of the retreating Americans, but rather had his troops dig in facing the American positions. Manhattan was not yet in British hands, but Howe no doubt anticipated that the Royal Navy fleet, then anchored near Staten Island, could advance up to the East River and trap the Continentals on the Heights. On the 28th, he had his troops advance slowly toward the American lines, while Washington brought reinforcements across from Manhattan. Late in the day, it began to rain, which stopped the British advance. Bad weather continued on the 29th, when Washington and his subordinate generals met and decided to retreat to Manhattan, a meeting that is memorialized by the plaque, at the Montague Street entrance to the Promenade, in the photo above. (Note: I’ve heard some dispute over whether this plaque marks the actual location of the conference.)

BHB photo by C. Scales

Update: The Old Salt blog has an interesting piece on how a regiment consisting of sailors and fishermen from Marblehead, Massachusetts skillfully crewed the boats that ferried Washington’s troops across the East River on the night and morning of August 29-30, 1776. These same troops would crew the boats that carried Washington and his army across the Delaware to victory at Trenton the following Christmas eve.

Members of the Empire City Garrison — the NYC-based branch of the global Star Wars costuming group, the 501st Legion, enforce the Empire’s might on DUMBO Thursday, 8/26. LucasFilm requested that the troopers pay a surprise visit to Big Spaceship’s offices on Main Street. (Yes, one of them is a pal of Homer’s.)

Karl Junkersfeld discovers actual wildlife at Brooklyn Bridge Park and he names it “Dodger”.   Is this muskrat supposed to be there?  Has he been bused in or is he a native?  Anyone know?

And should we be cranking this song?

Brooklyn Eagle: An Iftar is a break-the-fast meal held during Ramadan, considered the holiest and most introspective month of the Islamic calendar. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset from food, water and pleasurable activities. Rabbi Serge Lippe and members of the [Brooklyn Heights Synagogue] congregation welcomed Imam Abdallah Allam, other prayer leaders and members of the Dawood Mosque, providing sweet dates and water for the fast-breaking at 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 25. In a room filled with a menorah and inscriptions from the Book of Exodus, Rabbi Lippe invited the Muslim guests to observe their regular evening prayers.

Rabbi Lippe said as welcome, “Our synagogue says on the front, ‘Let them make me a sanctuary, so that I might dwell among them’ [Exodus 25:38]. Many synagogues have the line from the prophet Isaiah, ‘Let my house be a house of prayer for all peoples.’ I think that because each year we’ve developed this relationship and have our prayers being offered here, I think it lends itself to the blessings for our communities and the buildings to be able to share our prayers.”

Photo: MK Metz/McBrooklyn

There was a severe car crash at Henry and Middagh streets this afternoon which resulted in injuries to both drivers and extensive damage to both cars, one of which was propelled by the force of the impact off the street and against the wall of the building housing the offices of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Brooklyn Daily EagleTwo drivers had to be extracted from their cars and both vehicles were totaled when a Geo Prizm coming from the Brooklyn Bridge collided with a Nissan Maxima coming from Henry Street Wednesday afternoon at Henry and Middagh streets, directly in front of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle offices.

Fire personnel from the Engine 205/Ladder 118 station on Middagh responded, and both drivers were taken to Long Island College Hospital. More photos can be seen at McBrooklyn.