Friday, May 30, 2014

E-Waste Recycling Days May 31 and June 1 in Brooklyn Heights

Photo: Zach Chisholm
Bring your unused tech stuff to the First Unitarian Church in Brooklyn Heights (Pierrepont Street between Clinton and Monroe Place) this Saturday or Sunday, May 31 - June 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The items must be residential only. Heres the list of stuff that will be accepted:

Pagers
Personal
Computers
Answering Machines(& Computer peripherals)
Modems
Cables and wiring
Printed Circuit Boards
CD Players
Radios
Cell Phones
Remote Controls
Copiers (floor and desk models)
Scanners
DVD players
Servers
Electric Typewriters
Stereos
FAX Machines
Tape Players
Hard Drives
Telephones
Household batteries
Transparency Makers
Laptops
TVs
Mainframes
VCRs

Sponsored By: Brooklyn Heights churches and synagogues and the Brooklyn Heights Association, in cooperation with the Lower East Side Ecology Center.

For more information, call (718) 624-5466

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Boerum Hill House Tour on Sunday

Photo: BHA
Tickets for the June 1st Boerum Hill House Tour are on sale at these three locations:

- EXIT 9, 127 Smith Street
- STERLING PLACE, 363 Atlantic Avenue
- GUMBO, 493 Atlantic Avenue

The tour of six wonderful homes and two beautiful gardens begins and ends at the Invisible Dog Art Center, 51 Bergen Street (near the F train station).

Tours hours are 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm with a reception at the Invisible Dog from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm.

For more information call 718-625-4073. All funds raised support the work of the BHA.

Tickets are $20 when purchased in advance, $25 on the day of the tour.

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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Smorgasburg Thumbs Up; BP Adams Misses Jewish Awards Ceremony; And More Brooklyn Briefs

- Smorgasburg listed by Salem Gazette as one if the best summer food festivals in America. [Salem Gazette]

- Brooklyn Boro President Eric Adams was a no-show at Orthodox Jewish awards ceremony -- at school that doesn't teach kids reading, science or math. Commenter reveals Adams is in China, other commenter speculates he went there to avoid awards dinner... [Failed Messiah]

- Brooklyn Judge Nicholas Garaufis threatned to clear the courtroom when some of rapper Ra Diggs’ associates were accused of trying to intimidate the witness who was testifying against him. [HipHopWired]

- Brooklyn's newest Tech Triangle features MakerBot-Kickstarter-Livestream. [Technically]

- Brooklyn Film Festival kicks off in Williamsburg Friday. [DNAinfo]

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SUNY Dumps Long Island College Hospital Bidder Peebles. Next: Fortis

Long Island College Hospital still up for grabs. Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn.com

What a surprise....

SUNY has rejected developer Peebles' bid for Long Island College Hospital (LICH) and has opened negotiations with the developer it chose long ago, Fortis Property Group.

According to the Brooklyn Eagle: "SUNY says Peebles, like BHP before it, promised services that it couldn’t deliver."

Peebles told SUNY it wanted to use SUNY’s license for up to six months, instead of just over the summer as originally agreed. Peebles also wanted taxpayers to share the cost of environmental remediation on the LICH campus, SUNY said.

One of the strangest and most legally inexplicable state RFP's in New York history just keeps going on and on and on.

Full story here.


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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Michael Grimm Chuckles; Bed-Stuy Hawk Attacks; and More Brooklyn Briefs

This is Hurricane Preparedness Week
- NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a boring hurricane season. On the other hand, if there is a hurricane, the odds of NYC flooding are up 20-fold.

- Rep. Michael Grimm: Asked if he is innocent of the criminal charges, Grimm paused for four seconds, then chuckled softly. “You know, uh. It depends on what you’re asking me of,” he said. [Politico]

- Bed-Stuy woman attacked by hawk, thinking about suing the city. [7online]

- Bogus Brooklyn broker busted after he showed apartment-seekers pads he broke into. [NY Daily News]

How to illegally gather $1 billion, spend four months in a Brooklyn jail, then get off scott free. [Malaysia Online]

- Madonna got out of jury duty with a doctor's note. [Gawker]

- Time to change your eBay password. [Forbes]

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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Now That LICH (the Hospital the Governor Said We Didn't Need) Is Gone, Brooklyn Hospital Scrambling to Double Its ER

Photo: Christopher Dombres
Now that Governor Cuomo has succeeded in destroying Long Island College Hospital (LICH), the not-so-popular Brooklyn Hospital Center is scrambling to double the size of its crammed Emergency Department.

Why would BHC do that when the Governor's whole arguement is that LICH and its ER were unnecessary?

In an especially weird and off-key homage to the Brooklyn real estate players responsible for bringing down the historic hospital, during Brooklyn Hospital's gala fundraiser,  a life-sized Monopoly-style game show will include options to “purchase” local real estate and brand monuments. "Each guest will leave the gala with a boxed game set ready to play at home."

Wonder if one of the "monuments" will be LICH?

Brooklyn Hospital Center to double size of Emergency Department [Brooklyn Eagle]

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Little Boots Full of Flowers; Motorcyclist Dies; Zombie Crawl; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn.com
This adorable display of planters made of toddler-sized boots and shoes graces the steps of the Kiddie Koener Chabad Preschool in Brooklyn Heights.

Other Brooklyn News:

- A motorcyclist died after he was struck by an SUV as he turned off a thoroughfare Monday in East Flatbush. [NY Daily News]

- Brooklyn DA reviewing 90 past cases, mostly murders. [NY Post]

- Driver who hit man in Brooklyn Vision Zero Zone faces charges. [NY1]

- The Brooklyn Bridge Rehab Project Team wants people to keep their damn Locks of Love off the Brooklyn Bridge. [BrooklynBridge]

- Guess we missed the Brooklyn Zombie Crawl Sunday night. Here's the recap. [Fox]


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A Comet 'Lands' in Brooklyn May 28 - June 1

Rosetta Spacecraft modeled by Ian Shazell
This summer, a spacecraft named “Rosetta” will rendezvous with the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, having traveled for 10 years and 3.7 billion miles from Earth.

Rosetta -- a robotic spacecraft built and launched by the European Space Agency -- will attempt to send its lander "Philae" on the comet in November. This is the first time humans have ever tried to land on a comet, as far as we know.

Come to Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1 on May 28 – 30, and on June 1, from 10 am to 4 pm to explore a replica of the comet installation, learn about the Rosetta Mission, see elements from the mission and speak with a team of scientists and educators from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

The event is part of the World Science Festival.

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Montague Street BID Annual Meeting Is On June 18. (Member Registration, Too)

Summer Space event on Montague Street. MK Metz, McBrooklyn.com
 The Annual Meeting and Member Registration for the Montague Street Business Improvement District (BID) will take place on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 4:00PM at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Downtown Brooklyn.

Keynote Speaker: Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

Now that he didn't vote to keep Long Island College Hospital alive, and perhaps Adams will explain where people should go while having a stroke on Montague Street -- as happened during the last Summer Space event sponsored by the Montague Street BID.

To participate in BID-related matters, members must be registered. To register and RSVP for the event, please visit this page.

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Saturday, May 24, 2014

All Veterans Are Invited to March In the Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade

Photo by Cristian Ramírez
The Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade, now in its 147th year, is one of the oldest Memorial Day parades in the nation. This year it will kick off at 11:00 AM on May 26.

Parade Factoids:

* Parade takes off afrom87th Street and Third Ave., goes to Marine Ave. then up to Fourth Ave. and over to John Paul Jones Park, for a memorial service that includes a Wreath Laying, Flag Raising, Playing of Taps and a 21 gun-salute by Soldiers from the US Army Fort Hamilton Garrison.

* The Veterans of Foreign Wars will lead all Brooklyn Veteran Service Organizations: the Kings County American Legion, Catholic War Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, Korean War Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, Women Veterans, Gulf War Veterans, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Brooklyn “Key Chapter” American Ex-Prisoners of War, United War Council of New York, and Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans, Wounded Warriors, the NYPD and FDNY.

* Antique fire trucks and autos will also be featured in the parade, along with Boy and Girl Scouts, Sea Cadets, Explorers and many Brooklyn High School bands.

* Special guests are Military Service Dogs and their handlers. 

 * The 2014 Grand Marshal will be Gold Star Mothers.

* The Deputy Grand Marshal will be the families of the Fort Hamilton Military Community.

* Reviewing Officer is Colonel Eluyn Ginés, Commander, US Army Garrison Fort Hamilton.


More at www.brooklynmemorialdayparade.com

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Friday, May 23, 2014

Ex-Brooklyn Cirque Performer Dismembers Girlfriend; reBar Pleads Not Guilty

- Former Brooklyn resident who went by the name “Blu” as a performer in the Cirque du Soleil show “Love” in Las Vegas was found guilty of second-degree murder for killing and dismembering his dancer ex-girlfriend. [News92fm]

- DUMBO's reBar owner pleads not guilty. [WSJ]

- Poly Prep teacher arrested in Park Slope break-in. [NY Daily News]

- The Brooklyn rabbi and his child porn collection. [The Daily Beast]

- A brew palace with al fresco drinking space is headed for the roof of Empire Stores. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Orthodox rabbis charged in religious divorce plot. [Daily Times]

- P.S. 8 PTA holds golf outing to raise funds for school. [Brooklyn Eagle]

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That's It for Long Island College Hospital. Thanks for Trying, Brooklyn

Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn.com
To the nurses, Patients for LICH, health care workers, stroller moms, Cobble Hill Association and other associations,  Concerned Physicians, elected officials, Jim Walden and other attorneys, Justice Johnny Lee Baynes, and all people who tried their best to save Long Island College Hospital:

Thank you for all your marches and protests in the rain and snow, meetings, research, time away from your families, weekends blown, speeches and letter-writing campaigns.

You folks are the best. You achieved the most you could against a state hell-bent on destroying a hospital for reasons that have nothing to do with health.

Be proud of what you achieved.

In three or four years (after perhaps a few bribes pass under the table) a decision will be made that a hospital is needed in the same approximate area.

Keep healthy.

Remember it all started with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.


Brooklyn judge approves plan to sell LICH to developer Peebles


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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Running for Millman's Seat; Lemi the Budgie is Back; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Jo Anne Simon says she'll run for Joan Millman's seat. [Observer]

- Lemi, the Brooklyn Heights parakeet who flew the coup is back home – safe and sound. [BHB]

- 2 dead, 2 injured in violent Brooklyn car crash. [NY Post]

- Bay Ridge man allegedly stabs wife to death, slashes son. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- State Senate passes bill protecting Sandy victims from higher taxes. [NY1]

- How to pull an all-nighter. [WSJ]

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They Poop Gold in Brooklyn

By Tanakawho, Flickr
Observers assume the gold-covered dog poops on the sidewalks of Brooklyn have been decorated by hipsters after being deposited.

More realistic possibility: Dogs poop gold in Brooklyn.

As goldpoonyc says, "Welcome To The Shit Show."


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LICH Deal Possible at Wednesday's Hearing in Brooklyn?

SUNY can't wait to close LICH. Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn.com
With SUNY chomping at the bit to close Long Island College Hospital (LICH) in Brooklyn on Thursday, parties negotiating over the 20-building campus are trying to reach a deal by Wednesday to keep some health care services at the historic hospital.

It sounds like any deal will involve a big reduction in services available to northwestern Brooklyn, thanks to SUNY. They've already shut down the ambulance service and laid off most of the staff.

LICH is Brooklyn's St. Vincents.

 Hope no one gets sick in court tomorrow.

With LICH deal ‘close,’ Brooklyn judge gives bidders one more day

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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Librarians Call On de Blasio to Increase Library Budget by $65 Million

savenyclibraries.org
 Urban Librarians Unite (ULU) has launched a petition on change.org calling for a budget increase for NYC public libraries to provide six-day branch service across the city.

The petition, addressed to the New York City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio, calls the 2014 proposed budget “inadequate” and demands a budget increase totalling $65 million for all three public library systems combined.

Mayor De Blasio has not proposed an increase in the budget, which had been reduced three years prior. The City Council has requested a $35 million increase.

More at savenyclibraries.org
 The effort was launched in partnership with The Charles H. Revson Foundation.

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At Design Forum in Sunset Park Tuesday, Visitors Will Break Open Giant Cash-filled Golden Calf Piñata with Red Bats

Giant cash-filled golden calf piñata
A giant cash-filled golden calf piñata will be broken open Tuesday at the Future of Design in New York forum at Industry City in Sunset Park.

The calf, by designer and artist Sebastian Errazuriz, will be broken open with 99 “red communist bats,” at which time the money will come raining down for all to grab, marking the end of the design week programming at Industry City.

Titled “XX Century Capital,” the piñata is meant to be reminiscent of the false idol golden calf worshiped in the Bible and bears a close resemblance to the Wall Street bull statue, forum organizers say.

The pagan ritual is part of NYCxDESIGN, which started May 10. The event includes exhibitions, installations, and conversations around the state of the design industry.

Other design installations on display include 100+ toy cars made from the wood waste of Hurricane Sandy, an apartment space outfitted entirely with made-in-NYC home décor items, a collection of handmade Theremins and a set of designer cornhole boards.

The design forum is hosted by Industry City, WantedDesign and the Center for an Urban Future

More info: http://industrycity.com/design/

Industry City
220 36th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Aves)
Sunset Park, Brooklyn

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Monday, May 19, 2014

Brooklyn: Assemblywoman Joan Millman Stepping Down

 The Brooklyn Eagle reports that Assemblywoman Joan Millman (Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus) is stepping down after 17 years in the state Assembly.

Millman told the Eagle that she will be taking a position with the NYC Department of the Aging.

More here.


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Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 2 Almost Ready to Open

Pier 2. Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn.com
Workers were putting the finishing touches on a brightly-lit Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park last night.

The pier's activities will include basketball, handball and bocce courts along with swings and a full-size skating rink.

The schedule is not posted yet, but we hear there will be free skating sessions at the Pier 2 roller rink. The park will be hosting regular family field days to welcome families to all recreational piers.

Officials said the park will open very soon, but have not yet announced the grand  opening date.

Update: The pier will open Thursday, May 22, as will Pier 4, which features a beach, boat launch and bird island.

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8 in Brooklyn Crash; LICH Closure Plan; Missing Teen; and More Brooklyn Briefs

News 12 was mistaken in their hospital story. See below. Google.
- 8 hospitalized after crash on Fourth Avenue at Belt Parkway . . . ambulance had to go to the Bronx?  [News 12]
UPDATE: News 12 has the story wrong. According to FDNY, the victims were taken to Lutheran, not Lincoln. 

- Two shot, one stabbed in East New York. [7 online]

- Cops shot and killed a man inside a Prospect-Lefferts Gardens apartment on Sunday. [NY Daily News]

- SUNY finally gets around to releasing its closure plan for Long Island College Hospital. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- A search is underway for a missing Brooklyn Tech student. [7 online]

- Police are searching for a missing autistic teen last seen Friday at a Sheepshead Bay train station. [WSJ]

Window concert today in Brooklyn Heights. [BHB]

- 102-year-old pool shark. [NY Daily News]

- Sophie live at Grasslands. Finally, pictures. [Noisey.Vice]

- Assemblywoman Jacobs to retire after 36 years. [JP Updates]

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Cuomo Wants to Bring the Olympics to Brooklyn. Oh, Oh

By Alistair Ross, Flickr
Gov. Cuomo has apparently tapped Mayor Bloomberg’s failed 2012 Olympic go getter, Daniel Doctoroff, to try to bring the Olympic games to New York City in 2024.

Barclays Center in Downtown Brooklyn was considered a potential gymnastics venue for the 2012 bid, as was Williamsburg, where an Aquatic Center was planned.

But what will happen if there's an outbreak of MERS or (heaven forbid) a terrorist attack -- in a Brooklyn without enough hospitals?

The emergency departments are already stacked high at NY Methodist and Brooklyn Hospital. Shockingly, Cuomo is closing (on May 22) Long Island College Hospital, just two miles from Barclays and four miles from Williamsburg.

The Governor's foolish theory that Brooklynites don't need hospitals will be projected onto the world's screen if a disaster strikes. He should give up his grandiose plans and develop a health care plan for Brooklyn.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Game Over for Top LICH Bidder: Is Anybody Going to Use Peebles' Weeny Little Urgent Care Center?

State Supreme Court Justice Johnny Lee Baynes gave them many chances, but Brooklyn Health Partners could not prove to him that they had solid financial backing and a serious plan to take over Long Island College Hospital (LICH).

In Brooklyn court today, Justice Baynes bid adieu to BHP, clearing the way for SUNY to move on to the next bidder, Peebles Corp. (Full story of today's court action here.)

Unfortunately, Peebles is not going to operate LICH as a hospital, but is going to replace it with yet another one of those urgent care centers (like Mt. Sinai's on Cadman Plaza West) that seem to be popping up all over town.

Peebles says they will also provide a "stand-alone ER," but who wants to go to an "ER" where they don't have a hospital providing the expertise, personnel and facilities to frigging save your life? 

Meanwhile, 182 LICH dialysis patients are about to get the boot, and dialysis centers all over Brooklyn are totally booked. SUNY plans to shut LICH's ER on Thursday.

Community groups and doctors are headed back to court Thursday to contest the scores of certain evaluators who did not follow the RFP scoring instructions. These clearly said that hospitals had to be scored higher than non-hospitals, and that continuity of care was also important.

Six evaluators, however, scored development bids over hospital bids.


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Monday, May 12, 2014

They Arrested the Guy Bashing People in the Head with a Hammer in Brooklyn

 The guy who goes around bashing people in the head with a hammer and robbing them was arrested in Brooklyn on Monday.

According to the Daily News, cops picked him up on Fulton Street.


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Brooklyn Public Library Is Giving Away Bike Helmets Tuesday

'Bottoms Up, Brooklyn' route. Courtesy BPL
 In preparation for this weekend's Bike the Branches, BPL is giving away bike helmets on Tuesday at the Grand Army Plaza branch. They'll help you and the kids pick out the right size, too.

 BPL has put together a number of interesting Brooklyn bike tours for the Bike the Branches event, such as the "Bottoms Up, Brooklyn" route: "Visit sites of the borough’s most notorious breweries and distilleries, as well as some of the latest and greatest in cocktail culture."

 More details about the helmet giveaway  here.

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Red Hook Attitude: 'Whatever'

Photo: MK Metz © 2014 McBrooklyn
An embroidered rainbow of letters on a fence in Red Hook spells "Whatever."

A commendable Brooklyn attitude.

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A 'Shrike' Drone Will Be Flying Over Governors Island Tuesday and Wednesday

This shrike will be buzzing Governors Island on Tuesday. Photo courtesy NYC
Looks like FDNY is gearing up to use drones when fighting disasters.

We just received word that an "aerial survey will be conducted" (weather permitting) over Governors Island beginning TOMORROW (Tuesday, May 13th) from 12 – 5 p.m. and on Wednesday, May 14th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

According to NYC, the survey will consist of;
"One (1) unmanned rotary-wing quad copter known as a “shrike” in support of a Major Accident Response Exercise (MARE) hosted by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). The unmanned shrike will operate at or below an altitude of 400 feet and will remain over Governors Island for the duration of the survey."

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No G Train in Brooklyn Late Nights; Sounding 'Gay' and More Brooklyn Briefs

- The good and the bad of reBar closing. [DumboNYC]

- Work begins on glam hotel near Barclays Center. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Did you know the condo planned near Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park will be 30 stories high? [Change.org]

- His last name suits him: Police are looking for 28-year-old Anthony Coward, who approaches his victims from behind, strikes them in the head with a hammer and then robs them. [NY1]

- No G train in Brooklyn late nights this week. [AM NY]

- Brooklyn resident so obsessed with thought that he "sounded gay," he spent his past three years talking to more than a hundred people in four countries about sounding gay. [Pasadena Star News]

- A Jewish carpenter is suing New York City’s Housing Authority (NYCHA) after allegedly being threatened and insulted with anti-Semitic epithets. [Jewish Press]

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Drums Across Brooklyn: Vigil for Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls

Photo: MK Metz. McBrooklyn.com
The drumming sound you might have heard across Downtown Brooklyn Sunday night was part of a candlelight vigil and drum circle for the roughly 300 kidnapped Nigerial schoolgirls.

The Borough Hall vigil was sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Applause Africa. A large number of religious leaders, elected officials and activists spoke of the outrageous abduction carried out by a group called Boko Haram, which doesn't believe girls should be educated.

BP Eric Adams said the maltreatment and enslavement of girls and women is not just a Nigerian problem, but a worldwide problem.

Dr. Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome, Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College (shown above) said, “We are heartbroken. Those girls have to be reunited with their families."

More at the Brooklyn Eagle.

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Friday, May 9, 2014

LICH Hospital Saga Exhausting Everybody, Even Developers

Long Island College Hospital. Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn.com
Patients, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and now even the rejected bidder for Long Island College Hospital (LICH) are feeling totally burned over the quick-silver developments surrounding the sales of LICH by SUNY.

In Friday's action, bidder Brooklyn Health Partners, delivered a check for $25 million dollars as a non-refundable deposit to show their intentions to buy the hospital. The court accepted their check.

By the end of the day, however, SUNY -- which wants to move on to their second bidder, Peebles -- objected to the deposit and asked state Supreme Court Just Johnny Lee Baynes (an even-tempered man but even his patience is starting to fray)  to tell BHP to take their money back.

There are at least three and possibly four lawsuits brewing. The most significant one is being brought by the community groups and doctors, which object to one small detail: that SUNY's evaluators on the Technical Panel did not follow the rules, which required them to give more votes to hospital proposals.

Rather, they voted for developers.

Throwing out the non-compliant votes would rank Prime Healthcare hospital chain as the number two bid. Prime is a solid chain and it's actually highly ranked in many areas, though they had legal trouble with union 1199 SEIU in California.

SUNY objects to throwing out the non-compliant votes.

Brooklyn Health Partners still in the game? $25 million check returned late Friday [Brooklyn Eagle]


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Cher, Cyndi and Liza Are All In Brooklyn Tonight and It Looks Like a Trip


Glamorous gams! How could we miss this?

Liza Minnelli is in the house tonight at Barclays Center to see Cher on her “Dressed to Kill” tour with Cyndi Lauper.

Just reading that sentence is a trip!

Here's a photo by David Carroll of the show:

According to Wikipedia, the tour is getting pretty positive reviews.

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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Our Long National Nightmare Continues: LICH Bidder Heads Back to Court, Suing SUNY on Thursday

Photo: MK Metz, mcbrooklyn.com
The legal battle to save Long Island College Hospital (LICH) in Brooklyn from the state of New York should be called the Five Borough Attorney Employment Act.

The case is headed back to court on Tuesday. Make that Thursday. (The judge sent the papers back for correction.) This time, however, SUNY is not being sued by the entire Brooklyn community, or doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, patients or any of the various businesses it has screwed.

This time, SUNY is being sued by Brooklyn Health Partners, the group that won the allegedly crooked bidding war that SUNY oversaw after more than a year of lawsuits -- during which it shut down it's only source of income, LICH -- costing the state and taxpayers more than a quarter of a billion dollars.

First, on Monday, SUNY rejected BHP's bid.

Then late Monday, BHP said it's going to sue SUNY on Tuesday.

Now, they are really going to sue them. And a group representing black churches across NYC is going to rally because.


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Tried Out Verge 24-Hour Vet Hospital in Cobble Hill. Cat Seems Happy with Service

MK Metz, McBrooklyn
In the middle of the night, we took our cat to the emergency veterinary service at 318 Warren Street in Cobble Hill, called Verg.

There was a bit of a wait but other than that we had a good, even great experience there. Once we got in, the vet figured out the problem quickly. She explained the series of steps they were going to carry out and the different meds the cat would have to take.

The tech guy was very sweet to the cat and explained things thoroughly. He prepackaged the squirtable medicines in separate squirters, so we wouldn't have to try to wash out the tiny tubes before each use. The receptionist was very helpful, and called us a car service for the ride home.

The final price was about what we expected. The cat's problem was not too complex. (If it had been a whopping big disease or injury that needed a lot of specialized treatment, the cost might play aa bigger role.)

 But in this case it was doable, and we felt the treatment the cat got was great.

This is not an ad -- just an unpaid recommendation.

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Sunday, May 4, 2014

Before the BQE, Brooklyn Heights Had Backyards to the Waterfront

Here's the view of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) from Brooklyn Bridge Park.

A plaque embedded in the walkway of Brooklyn Bridge Park says that the Promenade and BQE "replaced warehouses, backyards and family homes." (The link listed on the plaque, bkwater.org/16 seems to be new and was not in service when we checked it out.)

Robert Moses built the BQE and Brooklyn Heights Promenade in the 1950s. He originally wanted to run the highway right through the Heights, bisecting the neighborhood (like he did south of Atlantic Avenue). But Heights residents (including the Brooklyn Heights Association) managed to convince him to install the Promenade and run a cantilevered BQE underneath it instead.

In this compromise, however, they gave up their backyards.

The Brooklyn Historical Society posts a photo taken by John Jay Pierrepont of his backyard at 1 Pierrepont Place before there was a BQE. A stairway traverses the sloped grassy yard, down to the offices of the Pierrepont Stores.

Another photo shows the yards next to once-longer Montague Street, with the Pierrepont Greenhouses on the slope below Montague terrace.

The Historical Society says, "Many of the properties along Pierrepont Place enjoyed this aesthetically pleasing and direct route to the water."

While the yards are now gone, people once again have an "aesthetically pleaseing and direct route to the water" via the Squibb Bridge.

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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Chaos: LICH Bidder BHP Dragging SUNY to Brooklyn Court Friday Morning

LICH ER. Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn.com
The inevitable chaotic denouement to the SUNY-LICH battle is playing out before our eyes in Brooklyn:

Brooklyn Health Partners is seeking an injunction against SUNY for trying to end their negotiations to buy Long Island College Hospital (LICH) and move on to their preferred partner, the non-hospital bidder Don Peebles.

Merrell Schexnydre, CEO of BHP, told the Brooklyn Eagle at state Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Thursday, “We’re trying to insure that we’ll get a full service hospital here in Brooklyn. We were afraid because the SUNY counsel sent us a letter that they may disqualify us for reasons that we don’t believe are fair. And for that reason we came and asked the judge to look at our side of the equation.”

Schexnydre said the California-based group, which won the bidding war for LICH after residents fought for more than a year to keep LICH open, is committed to "bringing a full-service, state of the art hospital to Brooklyn."

LICH case back to court in Brooklyn Friday: Bidder seeks injunction against SUNY [Brooklyn Eagle]

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