Parade Ground Area Shooting

Off the Twitterverse:

1. New York City Alerts ‏@NYCityAlerts 2h

   Brooklyn: 28 Argyle Rd & Caton Ave. NYPD on scene with 2 males shot calling a Level 1 mobilization. Looking for a black Lincoln.
2. NY Scanner ‏@NYScanner 2h

   Brooklyn: Caton Ave & Argyle Rd NYPD on scene with 2 people shot in the playground Requesting a rush on EMS 1 Perp in custody 2 Other fled.
   
   
   A friend viewed the roped off scene in person. Hoping to learn more info. Anybody got some?
   
   Update: Well, Ditmas Park Corner got some. Here's from them:
   
   
   A spokesman for the FDNY says two men sustained serious injuries this past Saturday night, September 7, near the Prospect Park Parade Ground. Ambulances responded to a 9:24pm call at Argyle Road and Caton Avenue, and transported the men–one of whom was shot, and one of whom had a hand injury–to Kings County Hospital.
   
   The 70th Precinct adds the shooting was the result of a fight between the two men, both in their 20s, and police nearby had the suspect in custody immediately. The man shot sustained non life-threatening injuries to the stomach.
   
   The 70th also says a woman running from the shooting was hit by a car and sustained injuries to her knee. She was also taken to Kings County Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. It is unclear whether she was involved in the shooting.

Daily News Piece On Our District

Thanks Gersh and and Sasha at the Daily News for paying attention to our race for City Council. Of all the media outlets that this blogger and other neighbors have tried to reach out to, only the News responded. And they responded big, putting challenger Saundra Thomas where she clearly belongs - as the one candidate who can really pull out an underdog victory against the incumbent. It's not often (almost never) that an incumbent loses in NYC.

Are you going to help us make a little history?

Here's the piece:

Brooklyn's 40th District Could Be Up for Grabs

Your Next Councilperson?

The Haunted House of Clarkson: Sold?

There's Brownstoner again, swooping in and telling us the things we need to know. Like the fact that 111 Clarkson has been rumored sold and that the buyer, a corp not an individual, will likely restore the Haunted House and develop the rest of the land, which is extensive - it goes all the way north to Parkside.

Good news? Who knows. In this wacky world of Brooklyn real estate it's anyone's guess. One thing's likely: that wild little islandsy store in the parking lot on the Parkside side won't likely be coming back.

Where does Brownstoner get these tips anyway? And why don't they send it to me first? Wahhhh...what am I chopped gravy?

from the Brownstoner

story forwarded by the ever eagle-eyed Matt. P.

Prowler or What?

Seems there was quite the kerfuffle last night on Bedford near Hawthorne. Details emerging; call in to the Inspector. Anyone got anything? 

Here's what the Q knows. That scene at Bedford and Hawthorne last night was about a prowler - and they caught the guy! Plum in the act. Due to 911 calls. Prowler. Now there's a word you don't hear nearly often enough. Thanks Vinnie for using the proper term! There was also an accident, but he doesn't think they were related.

According to commenters and a friend from across my street, that ain't the story. See the comments for details. Seems Vinnie didn't know what happened, and they shoulda told him, cause it sounded intense.  Not sure why he told me about the prowler though. Maybe info doesn't always get to him. Jack Lewis and I keep trading calls...maybe he has the story.

Martinos said that the shooting on on Flatbush was a 10-time arrested bad dude who got shot - looking for the shooter. Frankly, I didn't ask for anymore because it was clear it was more of the same thuggery. No one seems to be able to piece it all together, if there's anything to piece together.

Then there's the police action that's been happening on Flatbush and Rutland and around Ray's. Many people arrested...who knows how many will stay jailed, since it's notoriously hard to get narcotics offenses to stick.

There do seem to be more officers around, but it doesn't appear to be helping - yet. Next meeting with the D.A.'s to find out what progress is being made happening after the election.


The same evening, the following happened:

    Last night at approximately 6PM a SUV and a car collided at the intersection of Kingston and Eastern. The impact from the collision through the SUV onto the sidewalk on Eastern Parkway center mall and pinned a female against the pole and another female under the SUV. A male was also struck on the sidewalk by the SUV.  The two females were taken to KCH in serious condition and suffered very sever injuries but are expected to survive. The male was not seriously injured. Two people in the SUV were also removed to KCH in stable condition. At this time NYPD Highway investigators have done a full investigation at the scene and find no criminality. At his time it just appears to be a terrible accident. 

 The combination made it appear that doomsday had descended.


Anyone who has additional or contrary info, please comment!

Back for the First Time - PLG Outpost

It's been just 19 months or so since I last posted about PLG Outpost, Michael Campbell's latest venture in his ever-evolving loveable strip mall on Fenimore, along with wine store 65 Fen and Delroy's. I wrote that it would open "as soon as next weekend" in February, 2012. Well, guess what? If I'd said 80 weeks from now, I'd have been just about right. Today I rode by and the door was open. Michael ushered me to the door and here's what I saw:

He listed a ton of neat sounding food items that I promptly forgot. Artisanal Brooklyn made things, don't you know. Some fancy kombucha, good coffee, cheese, breads, all from local vendors. I'm not going to predict an opening date (though he said as early as Saturday), but here's hoping for a sweet addition to our foodstuff options.

(And I hear Delroy's has undergone a major upgrade thanks to chef Brian Lindsay. And regular hours to boot. Anybody want to drop a review on us?)

Swings Votes Prevail!!

A few weeks ago about 20 of us tried a new tactic - the Pig-Pile 311. The Safety Task Force tried calling and emailing a complaint to the Parks Dept as our first issue. We chose the big-kid swings at the Parkside Playground, which had dwindled from 6 to 1. And guess what? We got nearly instant action from the Parks Department as they claimed to be fabricating the seats.

Just this morning I snapped these shots below. Folks, we really can make the neighborhood more livable if we work together. I credit Kimberlee A. for making the PP her issue, and she's still planning to coordinate a Friends of the PP group. Email me if you're interested and I'll forward to her.

As an aside, emails from the Q and others to Councilman Eugene's office produced ZERO results when it came to safety, equipment and trash at the playground. The Playground continues to be something he takes credit for, since he shepherded the money through the budget process to make it happen (he did not, however, initiate the action as he sometimes claims). I doubt he has so much as driven by the playground since. Here's to a day when our elected representative cares enough to follow-through after HER day in the sun.

626 Flatbush - The Future Is Now

A Q-comrade sent a wonderful architectural design for the much ballyhooed residential project at 626 Flatbush. Lest I be accused of going all Orson Welles on y'all, let me add that this is ONLY a student project and not an actual rendering of the "War of the Worlds" project to be:

This vision of a vertical neighborhood comes to you from one Alejandro Garrido Perez, who imagines a truly space-age cum Brooklyn-age monster structure. Here's the rest of his design.

In related fantasy news, word has it a glamorous tapas style eatery will move into the commercial space at 626, designed and co-owned by famed restauranteur and jerk lover Danny Meyer. The chef will be Peppa, and the Michelin-starred establishment will be known as Danny and Peppa's*. It will look something like this:

* If you got the Danny and Peppa's reference, congratulations! You're now officially an old-timer!

Tonight at 7:30 - Come Support the Family of Fatima Gordon

Most of you probably remember the tragedy last August of Fatima Gordon, who was the victim of a poorly aimed assassination attempt on a local group of thugs sitting in a parked car. The Q just got word from the victim's aunt that on the anniversary of her birthday, tonight September 4, friends and family are gathering in front of 80 Clarkson to remember her and march to the Pioneer grocery store in silent memory of her fateful trip on August 30, 2012. Her surviving son Chinon will be there, He's pictured. Godspeed, young man.

Saundra Thomas On the Issues

You've heard the Q talk about Saundra Thomas, the City Council challenger in the 40th District with the best chance to defeat incumbent Mathieu Eugene. She really has been pounding the pavement in search of votes, one at a time, and if she hasn't answered specific questions you may have, feel free to contact her via her website or drop by her campaign office right here in Lefferts at 1190 Nostrand Avenue. Here's contact info:

Folks have asked me to ask her to get more specific on the issues of the 40th. She and I had a chance to chat at length a few weeks ago, but I thought it might be best to collate some of the questions folks have been asking and get her to sound off on them, which she's graciously done over the past couple days. Below you'll find some informal answers to questions. Also, I encourage you to go to her website. She's done a good job of filling in details on various questions she's been hearing on her tours of the neighborhood.

Unlike her opponent, Saundra is way into "Participatory Budgeting," the popular movement towards letting districts spend their own discretionary funds through direct voting. (The Q has problems with P.B., but I'll save that for another day. Actually, why save for tomorrow what you can do today? See, I don't like popularity contests for tax dollars; I prefer money going to the neediest and even UNpopular projects that are truly urgent. Sometimes an elected official must make tough choices, and that's why we elect them. However, I don't believe our current councilman has been up to the task - another reason to let him go back to "the medical profession" he so adores. Heck, if y'all vote him out of office, I promise I will make him my primary care physician after the election! Anyone ever see Marathon Man with the delightful Dustin Hoffman? Sequel time!) That issue aside, I think she's got great answers. Some are necessarily vague, in the sense that there are not always straightforward answers that will get us where we want to go. It's her emphasis on listening and community input that I find most encouraging.

Some worry that she won't have the experience necessary to be an effective legislator. But as others have noted, she'll hire the right people to advise and work with her. She'll need a seasoned council operator to be her legislative aide and/or chief of staff. She's a quick study, and while there are many important aspects of governing that require finesse, term limits have narrowed the distance between newcomers and old-timers on the Council. Saundra is extremely personable, and I expect her to make fast friends where appropriate, but not people-please to the point of obsequiousness. That's one of the things I like about the Progressive Caucus. They're not afraid to gain media attention to dissenting views by standing together. We may not always agree with the Caucus, but she'll be sure its voice gets heard. Too often the Mayor has used his bully pulpit and fat-cat friends to bulldoze over important issues. Here's hoping a more transparent and sensitive administration will work with minority opinions in a more constructive manner. (Full disclosure - the Q voted for Bloomberg twice. I'm not a full-fledged Bloom-basher. I do like to take him to task now and then though. The one time he shook my hand I asked him if he could spare a few bucks. He got the joke, or at least laughed at the right moment. He did not give me any money however. I am a fundraiser by the way; so I'm essentially a beggar by profession. I should have used the line that one scammer used on me, saying that he was a member of the group Spyro Gyra and needed to get to a gig out on Long Island and could I give him enough money to buy an LIRR ticket? Sure, a fellow musician in need, no problem! Until he asked to borrow my Sony Walkman as well so he could bone up on some of the old tunes. Many years later, the exact same guy with the same story hit my wife up for dough in Bushwick; maybe the walkman had become an iPod and...why is it so hard for me to stay on-point?)

The biggest thing I wanted to know is the one thing she really shouldn't answer - whom she supports for Mayor. If it ends up being someone else, why start off with a bad relationship? I get it. But without going out on a limb, I suspect de Blasio is her choice. Or Randy Credico!

Now to the questions:

Is affordable housing really possible? Where else (in NYC and nationwide) is public policy actually working in this regard? Is 80/20 enough? With so many apartments leaving rent regulation, is it really fair to focus so much attention on this decades old law than to create something more meaningful for today that doesn't create perverse incentives and disincentives for landlords?

80/20 is hardly enough. We need to develop thousands of units to accommodate and account for the economic down-turn and the folks who have lost jobs, had to sell their homes and have been pushed out of neighborhoods.

It is possible. Public policy will work when it includes really making landlords accountable. Much of this depends on the state and federal government, but city council members can make noise and align themselves and influence their peers. 

In the meantime we have "affordable" housing...but people are being pushed out to make way for middle and upper income people-by pulling back on repairs, a horrible housing court system and uneven "playing" field. There are also designers and builders committed to creating affordable housing right in our district-but they are too few and too far between.

People can refer to my website for many of my thoughts on affordable housing. 

 

Empire Blvd, moving out from the park, seems like a HUGE missed opportunity. Do you imagine something better for this grand sounding wide street leading to the park?

Ah...the glorious Blvd.  Here is a visionary's dream:  I was tempted to say bring back the roller-rink but hey...I'm aging myself! I would love to see the beautification of Empire Blvd.  I think it certainly has the potential to become a state of the art "corridor" and reflect the future of our community. With sensitive development that reflects both the  needs of the community, a pathway to future opportunities and serves all, I can envision a cultural arts center where groups such as the Flatbush Film festival would have a home, as well as some of our regional theater groups and dozens of others.  With so many artists and musicians living in Flatbush-a center that has programs, performance space and classes at the very least. Would dare also to say I would love this to include a small independent movie theater.

Included in this vision would be: A technology incubator. I would love to see a facility dedicated to educating, training, discovering, supporting, growing future talent in the tech field who live right here in our community.  Maybe even throw a school in there.  How big can I dream? 

Do you have particular thoughts on bicycles and bike safety and bike lanes and bike, bike, bikes?

I am a cyclist. I love biking. Biking plays a huge role in livable and safe streets. I want to bring in DOT to do a complete assessment of the WHOLE district and look at the traffic calming issues before I even get to the issue of bikes and bike lanes. Our neighborhoods are changing in respect to traffic issues: more children, more cars. We need safer streets and we have to see what the effects of the Select Service bus routes will have on these changes.

Lowes-King: So, it'll open in the fall of 2014? Who's watching this project, er, minding the store? Has it really been thought through? What do YOU think, honestly?

Because I am nostalgic, I am excited about this project.  However, we have been mulling over what will be the outcome since long before I moved here in 1999. Marty Markowitz...wherever he is...will see this through. It's HIS legacy project. Capital funds will find their way to the project-trust me. My only concern right now is that the programming reflects the community; that there is appropriate and strategic marketing to bring the people into the place, unlike other performing arts centers in our backyard, and that it will be accessible for EVERYONE.

Would you join the Council's Progressive Caucus? Any caucus?

I do intend to join the Progressive Caucus and in fact had a conversation with Brad Lander about just that when I was at the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn endorsement interviews (They did endorse me). It would be a privilege. The Caucus' 13 bold progressive ideas for NYC falls in line with my ideology. I would also join the BLA (Black Latino and Asian Caucus). 

Do you support increasing the number of charter schools allowed in NYC.

I believe in the original intention of charter schools, but not at the expense of district schools. I'd like to see minimal growth and more funding put into city schools.

What is your plan to address the increase in violent crime in the 71st Precinct?

Please see my extended statement on my campaign website: Community Safety. 

What do you think of Mayor Bloomberg's climate change plans (sea walls, etc)? 

Parts of Bloomberg's climate plans are comprehensive and innovative. It's just imperative that those in poorer communities (Rockaways and Red Hook, eg) are at the top of the list for consideration for sea walls, levees, etc.  The big question is:can we afford to do it without tons of federal aid? 

When change happens to Brooklyn neighborhoods, it often comes in the blink of an eye. How does a councilperson both cheer a neighborhood's development while being respectful to those who've lived there for decades? 

The question about changing neighborhoods is the elephant in the room in CD40, but also requires a lengthy response. Gentrification is not new.  We have issues of co-existence and clashes of culture in our communities. It's local, it's national, it's global. I believe a councilperson who has the talent to bring disparate groups together can absolutely make headway-but it takes a community and people willing to TALK TO each other-and listen. I have that talent frankly. It's what I have done my whole life.

Do you support the council's recently-passed legislation concerning the NYPD? (Intro 1079, which establishes an Inspector General for the NYPD and Intro 1080, which opens the door to racial profiling lawsuits against the NYPD)

I support the Community Safety Act and in fact stood on the steps of City Hall with members of the CC when the Act was passed.  A step in the right direction to the elimination of marginalizing and targeting our youth with little evidence of success in stopping crime. Stop, Question and Frisk is not helping anyone in the community and certainly not helping to bringing community together.

What do you think of the emphasis on testing in the City's schools? Do you support the job Dennis Wolcott is doing as Schools Superintendent?

We are over-testing our children. We need to spend more time preparing them for life.  We need to find models around the country that increase learning with little high-stakes testing. They exist.  I am hopeful that the Common Core Standards will be step toward changing the dynamic. My personal inspiration is found in the A+ NYC Roadmap to successful schools in NYC.  Take a look-holistic approach to education.  It contains many elements that I will encourage the education council I intend to develop to bring to our district. 

Quality of Life stuff: How will you use your office to help lessen trash, get people to scoop their poop, lessen mosquitoes, help new businesses move to the neighborhood? Can a councilperson help a neighborhood become more livable? 

BIDS can make a tremendous difference in QOL as BIDS have the potential to create resources for cleaner and safer streets. If a community agrees to bring in a BID, I would work with them to do so.  I have seen their success and their failures. It takes time and patience, but can be a wonderful way to bring people to the neighborhoods.  There are private services, that employee low-wage workers-some who have to perform community service-to take care of street cleaning and beautification. Someone needs to fund this.  A citycouncil person can do that.  A strong partnership between the merchants' association and a local CDC can also bring beautification to a neighborhood. The CDC applies for a grant and the work begins. What really needs to happen in PLG, is for there to be a local CDC that would become the infrastructure to receive government funds from such agencies as SBS and commercial revitalization and DYCD for youth and community development programs.  

Would you support the art project currently taking shape around the green sheet metal Flatbush trees at Empire/Ocean/Flatbush? 

I would absolutely support the art project taking shape on Empire/Flatbush/Ocean-with the caveat that all opportunity to include a diverse team of community members to make it happen be considered. Great idea...needs maximum input.

Are you supportive of (and will help see that money is found for maintenance for) the Parkside Plaza project?

I can't wait to help find ways to support the sustainability of the Parkside Plaza Project! I would put this on the list for Participatiory Budgeting which I would absolutely bring to this district.  I know YOU have mixed feelings, but if you want to think of a way to bring folks together...this is one of them.

Baby Steps On Bedford

shot just the other day, as a matter of fact

The Q has passed 1860 Bedford at Midwood, oh, probably 300 times in the last 10 years. It's always been such a sad sight to see...a beautiful old house on a highly visible corner, reminding us all of the blights of yesteryear. I'm sure those who live in "the Manor" have tried through the years to get the owner to do something about its sorry exterior. But in the past few months, incremental progress has led from point A to point B. Peek inside and some serious infrastructure work is taking place, along with new windows and work on the roof and solarium. The house used to be covered with graffiti, all windows blown out, trash strewn about - the whole nine. Is it being repaired to the letter of law of landmarks? Probably not. But the fact of the matter is, it really does make the street seem nicer.

Now if someone wants to take a shot at 1910 Bedford, we might be in business...

Speaking of Bedford, a reader sent in pictures of Bedford at Winthrop, a corner whose wildlife has gotten a just a wee bit out of hand. Looks like we'll have another project for Pig-Pile-911.