Raising chickens in Brooklyn? Not as hard as you'd think

Karen Oh is one of the first people I met after moving to PLG a few years ago. Feral cats were running rampant on our block and she offered to help me get them spayed and neutered. It's not every woman who will spend hours helping a stranger corral cats. Karen is one of those exceptional types. Since moving here in 2005, she's become actively involved in the neighborhood but doesn't make a lot of noise about it.

When not corralling feral cats, Karen sits on the board of the PLG CSA, is working on a team to bring a food coop to the neighborhood, and helps lead her Sterling Street block organization. For cash, she relies on freelance jobs doing graphic design. But we didn't talk to Karen about her community work or other jobs. We talked to her about her chickens.

That's right, Ms. Oh and her husband, Chris Rado, are among the increasing ranks of urbanites who keep chickens in their back yard.  A peculiar habit, yes, but one that started seeming a lot more appealing and much less insane to this writer after viewing a recent undercover video shot at an industrial egg hatchery.

I visited Karen at home last week, to see her chickens in action and to collect some free booty: six gorgeous, fresh brown eggs that turned out to be delicious as well.

Hawthorne Street: What made you want to raise chickens?

Karen Oh: I used to live in Maine and always wanted chickens. For me it's a way of feeling connected to rural living. And, of course, I like eggs. Fresh eggs from small flocks taste different than your standard grocery store eggs. The yolk is a very deep color, almost orange, though it depends on what you feed them. The eggs are also very rich and have more of an "egg-y" flavor.

How often do your chickens produce eggs?

They lay about five per day total [about one each], but that will taper off after two or three years. At that point you can eat them or just keep them as pets. We'll probably eat them but I haven't really thought about the butchering process. That's a ton of work and I'm not sure how to go about it.

Most chicken in the supermarket is from birds that are about nine months old. At two or three years, we're basically getting stew chicken. You know the saying, "tough as an old bird"? It's true. Older chickens aren't exactly the tastiest.

Primary Results In: de Blasio and Liu Win

Today's election show that the influence of Hawthorne Street on city politics is decidedly mixed. While we were able to push de Blasio to a dominating 64-36 win in the Public Advocate race, our endorsement of David Yassky was not nearly enough as Liu won with a comfortable 56% of the vote.

Kidding aside, it appears that the Working Families Party endorsement is a quite powerful one, as both WFP candidates won the primary (and will almost certainly win in November). As predicted, it was a low-turnout election - fewer than 10% of eligible Democrats voted - and in that kind fo election, organizations with dedicated get-out-the-vote operations are likely to prevail.

Vote Again! Runoff Primary Election Today (9/29)

On September 15 none of the candidates for Public Advocate or Comptroller received the 40% of the vote necessary to avoid a runoff election, so round two is today.

For Public Advocate, Brooklyn Councilman Bill de Blasio is running against former Public Advocate Mark Green. Two weeks ago, de Blasio surprised Green by narrowly winning the primary with 34% of the vote. He also picked up the endorsement of Eric Gioia, the third place finisher in the race. Though Hawthorne Street had a split household in the primary (Carrie supported Norman Seigel), we both support de Blasio in the runoff.

For Comptroller, Queens Councilman John Liu is running against Brooklyn Councilman David Yassky. In the primary, John Liu won the primary comfortably but Yassky has picked up the endorsement of third place finisher Melinda Katz, so I expect a closer race today. Once again, Hawthorne Street supports David Yassky.

Turnout for runoff elections is astonishingly low, especially for important but somewhat obscure offices like Public Advocate and Comptroller, so every vote counts. Make your voice heard and drag yourself to the polls tomorrow.

New restaurant on Flatbush: Mango Seed

A new sit-down Jamaican restaurant has opened up in the neighborhood, so Charles and I tried it out. Mango Seed is at 757 Flatbush, just south of Woodruff, on the same block as Zen Vegetarian. Our kid was in a crabby mood, so we got takeout: a large order of oxtail with veggie rice and a side of baked mac & cheese.

Everything was tasty. The oxtail gravy was rich and the meat fell of the bone. The rice was excellent — more vegetables than I expected and the saffron came through. It wasn't mindblowing but it is definitely good enough to encourage another visit to check out more of the menu.

The atmosphere? Eh. The wood floors and simple cafe tables are a nice touch, but the lighting was harsh — like being in a bar after closing time, with the lights on. The place has several overhead lights but when I was there only three were on. The place would look a lot more comfy if they used all the lights but had them on a dimmer,  and placed candles on tables. Also, I thought the music was way too loud for a sit-down restaurant.

Prices are reasonable and, since they don't have a liquor license yet, it's BYOB.

Facebookers who want to know more can check out the Mango Seed fan page. (The photo above was taken from there.) The menu is below.

Teens' play "Yesterday I Died" documents murder of a PLG boy

From today's Daily News:

A group of Brooklyn actors has taken a series of murders of young people in the borough for the play "Yesterday I Died." The play will run this weekend in a Bedford-Stuyvesant church.

The monologues and vignettes feature murder cases that captured much media attention - like Chanel Petro-Nixon, 16, strangled to death and stuffed in a garbage bag in Crown Heights over Father's Day weekend in 2006, and Robert Grant, 19, shot to death on Christmas Eve in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens in 2007.

Full story here.

Save the date: Artmart on Saturday, October 3

Every year, PLG Arts organizes an all-day arts and crafts fair on Lincoln Road (between Flatbush and Ocean). It's usually a good day to walk around, meet artsy types, and hang out around the block. The Maple Street School also has its annual tag sale that day. If you've got any kids' clothes, toys, or books in decent condition, they're usually taking donations the week before the event (call 718.282.4345 for details).

PLG Arts is still accepting vendors for the fair. If you're an independent artist, designer, or crafts type and would like to have a table, the fee is $30. Info and a registration form here. While the organizers aren't looking for people to sell burgers or socks, booths offering unconventional wares or services are in some cases welcome. At one Artmart, a neighbor set up shop as a Professional Secret Keeper, offering to listen to customers' secrets while assuring their privacy, for free.

The now defunct PLG blog Across the Park has some photos from the first Artmart, in 2006, on flickr.

Music happenings this weekend

We're pretty bad about keeping up with events around the neighborhood (with a toddler, we don't get out much ourselves). But here are a couple of family-friendly events you may want to check out:

On Friday at the Oriental Pavillion in Prospect Park, Raizes do Brasil Capoeira Brooklyn will be holding a Maculele workshop at 10 or 10:30 am.  Maculele is an "Afro Brazilian dance and martial art  (thanks, Wikipedia).

On Saturday, Harry Potter geeks unite! Harry and the Potters, a goofy tribute band beloved my many, is playing out in front of the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza. The show starts at 3:30PM but be prepared to step on a bunch of third graders if you want to get a good view. (Rain date is September 27.)  Or, if you're curious about this band of Potters and can't make it to the Saturday show, there's always Josh Koury's documentary about Harry Potter fan subculture, We Are Wizards, available via Netflix.

Interview with Parkside mural artist Specter

After checking out the website of Specter, the street artist whose mural now appears on Parkside Avenue, I thought I'd contact him to learn more about the project. His personal street art has a wonderfully offbeat--and often hilarious--sensibility, from guerilla "NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE" stickers to accessories for urban buildings and gentrification-themed signs on abandoned storefronts. In one of my favorite projects, Spector created large posters and a fake storefront bearing the slogan, "Eat fruit and die"--a sort of slyly demonic advertising campaign.

His new work, a three-sided mural, appears in front of the subway station on Parkside and Ocean Avenues. I talked to him on Monday, when he was installing thick netting inside the top of top of the piece to prevent passersby from throwing  trash inside. (Current count: a couple of water bottles, a Bill De Blasio flyer, and a few bits of debris - not bad!)

How did the artwork come about?

The Department of Transportation put out a call for artists. They were looking for people to create public art in a number of city spaces, and this intersection was on the list. I know it pretty well because I live around here, in Crown Heights. ISCP NYC, an artist residency in Brooklyn, teamed up with me to propose the project to the DOT and have facilitated the project from it's inception. Matt Craven, a metal worker, built the frame.

I moved to Brooklyn about a year ago and have been wanting to learn more about the area, so I thought I'd do a historical project that would allow me to learn about Brooklyn and make art at the same time. Senior citizens tend to be overlooked in many communities, so I decided to focus on them and their stories. I interviewed people at Saint Gabriel’s Senior Center and a few other places, as well as talking to people I met out on the streets.

Each of the four people on the panels represents someone I talked to in depth. In some cases I incorporated things taken directly from their memories, but I also used bits and pieces from other people. This seal, for example, is from Erasumus Hall High School, which is just south on Flatbush. That guy is an Italian guy, Tom [image above], who I talked to for a while. Many years ago, he worked for a dry cleaner and delivered to homes just south of the park. This blue house here is his next door neighbor. It was built by Guggenheim for his daughter. I think it may be in an historic district now. I know they're trying to expand the historic district in that area.

A lot of people remember Bohack's. Apparently, it was the first supermarket around here to sell not just one type of thing: they had packaged goods but also deli meat, pastries, and other stuff.

Who is the guitar player?

That's Mighty Sparrow. This woman talked about him. He was one of the early pioneers of calypso music.

I thought he lived in Trinidad...

He was in New York for a while, though I'm not sure where or when. He's been very involved in the annual West Indian parade. He has a song called "Labour Day in Brooklyn," for example.

How long will the artwork be up for?

The DOT has said at least another 11 months. After that, it depends on how well the structure holds up. It could last another 2 or 3 years, who knows.

Do you have any plans for what will happen if it gets covered with graffiti?

I have protected the mural with a graffiti barrier that makes graffiti
easier to wipe off, so hopefully it will work. But I wouldn't be so upset if
the mural became a target — it'd be more ironic than anything.

Have you had any interesting feedback from the public?

Mostly people have just been very enthusiastic and complimentary. A few people have even gone to get somebody to show them the artwork. I'll hear people saying, "hey, Bohack's!"  One woman gave me a great quote. She said," Wow, life doesn't suck: We've got a black President and now there's art on Flatbush!"

Rabid anti-gay protesters coming to Union Temple on Saturday

This just in: maniacal anti-gay Kansans are in town for the week and plan to protest in front of Union Temple, at Grand Army Plaza, on Saturday. Westboro Baptist Church, which preaches "God Hates Fags" and similarly insipid messages, has targeted Union Temple and several other Jewish sites in Brooklyn for protests.

No one knows how many protesters to expect or why these particular sites are being targeted. The Brooklyn Paper called the Church for comment but got no response.

It's just a hunch, but I'm betting no more than a handful of people are involved. The church relies on shock value to get publicity for what would otherwise be just another obscure, easily forgotten fringe effort.

Rabbi Andy Bachman of Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope is encouraging congregants to simply ignore any protesters. "On Saturday, we will have about 800 people observing the Shabbat in an open tolerant community, he told the Brooklyn Paper. "That's the best response to this bizarre and virulent hatred."

Though Charles and I initially thought about organizing a show of support for our gay and Jewish comrades, we abandoned the plan when we realized Bachman was right. Still, I'm going to have a hard time staying away on Saturday. I'm very curious to see the WBC members; to watch them, like animals in the zoo.

Update on speed humps coming to Hawthorne

It's been about 9 months since Community Board 9 approved a request by residents to place speed humps on the block of Hawthorne between Flatbush and Bedford. Since the Department of Transportation has been mum since then, I called today to check the status of the request. The DOT confirmed that speed humps have been approved for the block and will be installed at some point in the future. The representative I talked to, Ms. Alexander, couldn't specify a date, however, or even provide an estimated time. (Apparently, there's only one crew that installs speed humps for all five boroughs and much depends on weather and other unforeseeable conditions.) But our speed hump is definitely on the list.

For those of you on other streets or blocks, the process for getting a street hump put in are fairly simple. First, create a petition and collect as many signatures as possible from residents on your block. (I collected about 30 in an hour, going door-to-door, and that was enough.) Make a copy of the petition, then send the original to Community Board 9 at 890 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225. As long as the block isn't on an emergency vehicle route (such as Rutland), the Community Board will more than likely approve the request and forward it to the DOT. The DOT will then come out and survey the site to see if a speed hump would work. If the site is accepted, your block will be added to the list, where you can enjoy the wait in anticipation of your future carefree streets.