 After a short summer hiatus, Adult Education is back and this time the topic is War.
We have lectures from two journalists who have written books about very different horrors from very different wars, an autodidact who has written about the use of music as propaganda in war and ... I am talking about food truck turf wars.
Here is the lineup:
JIM FREDERICK: Anatomy of a Breakdown: The Ordinary Men of 1st Platoon and Their Extraordinary Downfall
Frederick tells the story of 1st Platoon, a case of intrigue, rape, murder, toxic leadership and, occasionally, dumb luck that culminated in catastrophe.
KEN FREEDMAN: Seven Inches of Propaganda
WFMU's Ken Freedman gives an overview of American propaganda's hit records throughout the ages.
BRENDAN KOERNER: The Man Who Would Be Ang
World War II's most brutal backwater was the Indo-Burmese jungle, where 15,000 African-American GIs struggled to build a road to nowhere. Brendan I. Koerner will recount how one of those soldiers, Pvt. Herman Perry, wound up going native amidst a tribe of xenophobic headhunters.
CHARLES STAR: Food Trucks And the Fight For the Perfect Parking Space
Charles looks at some recent scuffles among and about food trucks and has found that it can get much more violent than you'd expect.
Speaker biographies after the jump.
The New Yorker and Time Out New York both recommend the show. Who are you to disagree?
Continue reading "Tonight: "Adult Education: War" at Union Hall" »
 If you walk by the old Lime location (which, when we first moved to the neighborhood was the Handyman Sports Bar) on Flatbush between Winthrop and Hawthorne, you will see that it is being renovated again. The woman I saw painting an illustration on the wall over the weekend said that they hadn't chosen a name yet but that the space was going to be a bar, it wouldn't be called Lime and that they were hoping to open up in four to six weeks.
As far as the name goes, not letting people know in advance is probably the way to go.
Thanks to Babs, we just heard that a shop called Bow Wow Pet Store and Spa is slated to open on Rogers Avenue between Midwood and Rutland. This is not to be confused with Trixie's, the pet store scheduled to open on Flatbush Avenue this fall. Hopefully there's enough demand for pet supplies here that both businesses could succeed, though I'll confess that I'd especially like to see the Rogers joint take off: having successful business on Rogers would help improve the overall commercial sector in PLG. As it stands, Rogers is dead, foot-traffic-wise, so businesses stay away. Flatbush is the only game in town but Flatbush is too expensive for most new businesses. We end up in stalemate. The more businesses that test Rogers, though, the greater the chances of expanding and diversifying our services. Best of luck to both businesses. Long may they triumph!
 In case you've been wondering what happened to the cute painted sign on the gate of the Homesick Cafe, the owners decided to have it re-painted because they are changing the name to Blue Roost. Apparently, a bevy of busybodies convinced Billy and Linda that having the word "sick" anywhere in the name of a food-related business is a bad idea.
 Carrie and I are pleased to announce that Monk's Trunk is open for business.
We are also really pleased that Time Out Kids has already taken notice of our little shop. To quote,
Owner Carrie McLaren hopes to showcase a carefully curated collection of gently used (and sometimes new) clothing, toys and gear for kids up to age six—what matters most, she says, is that the gear is well-built and cute. Unlike at other consignment shops around the city, you’ll get actual cash for your donations once they sell (40 percent of the selling price), rather than a store credit. Sounds pretty win-win to us.
Don't let the weather reports keep you away! (Or, if they do, please come by soon.)
 Borough President Marty Markowitz has submitted an official statement on the Providence House development proposed for 329 Lincoln Road to the City Planning Commission. The statement says a lot of the right things about the need for transitional housing and the success that Providence House has had in their other projects but, in the end, like CB9, he recommends against the project.
To be clear, Markowitz doesn't formally oppose the project: he approves the project "with modifications" and disapproves the special permit "with modifications." Here is a breakdown of Markowitz's proposed changes:
- The current plan calls for 20 of the 26 units to be used for transitional housing with the remainder to be low-income units. Markowitz wants the transitional units reduced to 16, in keeping with the 60/40 split Providence House has in place at their Bed-Stuy facility.
- The current plan calls for the development to be all-Single Room Occupancy units. Markowitz proposes that the low-income units be a mix of SRO and family units.
- He opposes the request for a special permit allowing the building to go as high as 6 stories. Markowitz opposed the request for a special permit unless the units were allocated along 60/40 lines with half of the low-income units set aside for families.
- He further asks that the CPC set up a Community Advisory Committee to be kept abreast of news on the project.
Alas, those modifications appear to be outside of the scope of the Providence House project and are therefore unlikely to be made, and may effectively kill the plan. I presume that the CPC can override the Borough President's recommendation but I don't know how likely that is.
I know that our readership falls on both sides of the issue, so whether you want to yell at or thank the Beep, you can email him here.
 Monk's Trunk, the children's consignment shop that yours truly is launching, is opening its doors a week from Friday. We've got a ton of great, nearly new clothes and will also be selling new toys (as in new new) and kid-friendly greeting cards. Friday, September 3: 10 am - 6 pm
Saturday, September 4: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday, September 5: noon - 4 pm Monday-Thursday: By Appointment Only Through September, our hours will be a kind of erratic but the general rule of thumb is that we'll be open weekends and Fridays, except for Jewish High Holy days and for Take the Boy to Preschool Day (September 8). Starting a local business is both exciting and terrifying, but I'm eager to finish setting up the space and to start selling. One of the things we're focusing on now is Halloween costumes, so if you've got good kids costumes from previous Halloweens, come by and consign 'em, and you can check out the store space (previously known as our parlor floor). Once we're up and running, I'll be blogging and tweeting about new arrivals, textile recycling, and (when inspired) parenting matters. You can follow on Twitter @monkstrunk. We're also on Facebook, and, though the page is sparse at the moment, I'll be adding photos and sample wares soon.
 The rain didn't stop the fun at the Clarkson Avenue block party on Sunday and Tim from The Q at Parkside has posted some pictures and videos to prove it.
They had an inflatable waterslide, a moon bounce and plenty of food. According to Janice Thomas, the dynamo running the show, the block association raised the money to bring in the rides a few dollars at a time by going door-to-door. Fantastic.
I hope that Hawthorne can match Clarkson's spirit on September 18th.
 The Q at Parkside is inviting the world to join them on Clarkson Avenue between Flatbush and Bedford this Sunday for their block party. Check out the flyer for all the details.
It looks like fun; we'll probably swing by in the morning. Keep your eyes posted to this space for more information about the Hawthorne Street block party, which is coming in September.
Winthrop Street was closed off to traffic this evening, after a shooting. Our neighbor Laura, who lives on the block, said the police told her that two teenage boys got in a fight, one pulled a gun, and a stray bullet hit an innocent bystander who was in his car. The victim, who was shot in the leg, was taken to the hospital and is said to be in stable condition.
 The geniuses behind last year's Hawthorne Street Block party performances of City of Hamburgers are returning to the neighborhood as part of the Brooklyn Public Library's Make A Splash! Summer Reading Program Celebration. Alphabet Arts will be performing The Giant Squid and the Seagull, a shadow puppet show by Kali Therrien & Mandy Weiss at the Flatbush branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (22 Linden Blvd. btwn. Bedford and Flatbush (gmap)). The play is based on the children's book of the same name by Sgott Mackenzie, which I hope will be available at the show. The Giant Squid and The Seagull show
Wednesday, 8/18 at 2pm
Flatbush Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
***FREE!*** PLG-based nonprofit Alphabet Arts is thrilled to welcome Kali
Therrien and Mandy Weiss to its family of talented artists. Kali and
Mandy will present their shadow puppet show, "The Giant Squid and the
Seagull," as well as some other fun and surprises, at the BPL Flatbush
branch on Wednesday, 8/18 at 2pm to help the kids celebrate their
accomplishments in Brooklyn Public Library's Summer Reading Program.
Raffle prizes from Sesame Workshop; Electric Company; Penguin Young
Readers; and more...
Hand puppetry lessons, a sing-along, and other fun surprises with Kali and Mandy will follow the show. You can let them know you are coming by responding to their Facebook event. The Alphabet Arts crew will be back at the Hawthorne Street block party as well. When we find out what they'll be doing, we'll be sure to let you know.
 There's a new art show up at K-Dog that you need to check out: Daniel Goers's "Scrap Ecology" draws upon urban cast-offs and plant specimens, an aesthetic reminiscent of modern Asian interior design, but with enough whimsy to keep things interesting. We like!
If Goers's name sounds familiar, he, with partner Jennifer Wong, created the "robots and cats" panel for the PLG Arts mural project. The painting was probably our favorite, but, sadly, it was removed and replaced with doors in order to accommodate construction.
You can check our more of the duo's work at Myrtle Avenue Bird Town, a public art project on display in Fort Greene through December 2010. The installation is located at two sites: the Northwest corner of Fort Greene Park at Myrtle Avenue and St. Edwards Street and Person Park at Myrtle Avenue and Carlton Avenue.
 Bad news first: the odds of The Farmers Diner coming to PLG aren't looking so great at the moment. The owners had planned to sign a lease on the old Mike's International space in June but that didn't happen, and now the real estate broker, Besen, is talking about diving up the approximately 2000 sf space into 4 smaller storefronts to make it more affordable for small businesses. The rent on that place was $7,000/month; if The Farmers Diner is indeed still planning on coming here, they're likely to seek a smaller space. I'm told that there will be a update for Farmers Diner fans and supporters at the end of the summer. We'll let you know what we find out. In happier news, the cafe we mentioned last week sounds like it may help fill the void in the interim. The Homesick Cafe will serve comfort food, including soup, sandwiches, cupcakes (the owners' specialty), and international offerings. The space is very small -- about 350 sf -- but large enough to accommodate a few tables and chairs. It's slated to open October 1 on Flatbush, just south of Lincoln. In the meantime, you can sample some of the owners' cupcakes at Enduro and K-Dog, where they are currently for sale. (Photo: Helga Weber)
This just in: a female employee at Enduro is opening a new cafe on Flatbush Avenue, near Lincoln Road. The place will serve comfort food. That's about all we know right now. We'll let you know when we find out more. (Thanks, Mindy G.!)
There are a couple of events at Prospect Park next week that we think are worth checking out. First up, on Wednesday, August 4, there's a free screening of The Olmsted Legacy: America’s Urban Parks at the Celebrate Brooklyn Bandshell (enter the Park at 9th Street and Prospect Park West), at 8 pm. This one hour documentary, which features Prospect Park, examines the formation of America’s first great city parks and the visionary role of Frederick Law Olmsted, the urban planner and landscape architect responsible for so much of the great work done in the late 19th century.
 Then, on Sunday, August 8, Elizabeth Mitchell is performing at 4 pm, also at the bandshell. Mitchell bears the distinction of being the only artist performing children's music whose records I have bought more than once. She plays mostly traditional folk songs, with a few rock and other modern ditties thrown in for good measure, but even the new stuff has a classic, no-frills Smithsonian Folkways kind-of-sound. (You can hear samples of my favorite LP here from Amazon.) We played her records over and over for my son when he was an infant and he responded by calming down even when his tuneless mother sang them.
 Rumors of a pet store opening in the neighborhood have been floating around for quite some time, but now it's actually going to happen: Robert Salmieri, a Rutland Road resident, will be setting up shop at 575 Flatbush (between Maple and Midwood) in September. The store will be named Trixie's. Both Salmieri and his business partner, Richard Esposito, have dogs named Trixie. They discovered the coincidence while walking their pups in Prospect Park, and an alliance was fated. The store will carry pet food and "the essentials," as well as accessories, some of which, Salmieri reports, will be made by artisans in the neighborhood. We'll let you know when the opening date is scheduled. Now if only we could find out what's happening with the Farmer's Diner...
(Photo: Cherrypatter)
 A new issue of the Lefferts Manor Echo is out now. You can pick it up at K-Dog or save paper copies by downloading it here ( pdf file). Features in this issue include the local response to Haiti, an article on the Lefferts Montesorri School earning "green" certification, and profiles of local residents Stephen Hall (science writer) and Deborah Mutnick (documentarian).
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