The conditions outside the Brooklyn weather observatory show the beginning of another gorgeous spring day. The forecast calls for “mostly sunny and warm” conditions with a high of 77 (that will feel like 81). Tonight will be clear with a low of 56.–Accuweather

[Photo courtesy of Trina356/Gowanus Lounge Pool/flickr]

Here’s a little taste of the Brooklyn Motor Inn life from Red Hook courtesy of the Gowanus Lounge Photo Pool on flickr. We must say we’ve always enjoyed that little triangle of landscaping outside. Who says there are no lodging options in Red Hook?

We have seen some vile things related to construction in Williamsburg, but the paint attack on a backyard turtle named Myrtle, possibly by workers at 5 Roebling Street (aka the former Giant Fart Cloud Building), takes the Trophy of Repulsiveness. It’s a small thing in the context of the destabilization of buildings, illegal construction and the lack of attention to site safety, but it does cause the blood to boil with its sadism and just-plain-foulness. Myrtle came to our attention via neighbors who sent the photo above of its painted shell. The email said:

We have this turtle that wanders through the different backyards here. She hibernates every winter and comes out every spring. I had been wondering why she wasn’t “up” yet , by May 1st ; but, I blamed it on the lack of rain in the last half of april. It seems though that she had gotten up and out instead. My landlord passed her through the window to me day before yesterday looking like the photo. Painted. Pepto colored spray paint. It is obviously intentional because she got such a sustained spray that it has drip marks. The face and feet, as well. It is the exact color that the excavation people use on the 5 Roebling site to mark elevations on walls adjoining, so they know how deep to dig…

We asked for more photos showing the color of the paint being used next door and received more than a dozen showing the same color with which the turtle was painted. The neighbor who rescued Myrtle after finding him/her painted writes:

I am just really relieved that Myrtle should be okay. The baths don’ t help at all to get the paint off, so being sent to the country would only set her up as a target for Hawks and other critters. Mother-in-law suggested a faux finish. I don’t think so. By the way, I believe Myrtle is an Eastern Box Turtle.

If anyone knows how to get a thick coat of paint off the shell off a turtle (New York Zoological Society???), email us at thegowanuslounge (at) gmail (dot) com and we’ll connect you with the people that rescued Myrtle. If anyone at the ASPCA is interested, we will likewise make the introduction to those that rescued her. For the record, the 5 Roebling project has had more than its share of issues with run-of-the-mill building-related and human torment issues.

For a photo gallery with evidence of who might have done this, click here.

Yesterday’s Court Street Fair in Carroll Gardens found the new South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance with a booth and groups handing out information about a proposed zoning text change that would redefine a number of streets in the neighborhood as narrow ones, reducing the height of potential new developments and buildings. (The very narrow streets are defined as “wide” for zoning purposes because front yards are counted as part of the streets.) Meanwhile, opponents of the change are circulating and posting fliers calling it a “secret rezoning” that supporters say are primarily aimed at “scaring” elderly property owners. (There is a meeting on the change coming up at Borough Hall on May 7 and Community Board 6 has already held one meeting about it.) One email we received said:

There’s a ‘scare tactic flyer’ circulating to scare residents into thinking they are losing their front gardens and 25 per cent of their property values! The elderly are the target as most do not have internet. No group is identified on the flyer.

Among other things, the flier says that “future buyers would pay far less money to purchase our properties.” For the FAQ we published this weekend, click here.

See the fliers showing up around Carroll Gardens by clicking here.

Apparently, people are still smoking in Park Slope’s JJ Byrne Park, setting up the classic smoker vs. non-smoker confrontation (and smoker vs. parent face off) and questions about why the Parks Department still hasn’t posted clear “no smoking” signs. Here’s an email forwarded to us from the Park Slope Parents list, where the issue originally surfaced last year:

About a year ago, I posted to vent about the smoking in JJ Byrne park. I also wrote a letter to the Parks Dept then, and received a reply that the Borough Commissioner for Parks was going to post no smoking signs at JJ Byrne. Today a man was smoking on the grassy knoll in the park, with my kids and plenty of others running around him.

Keep reading about the smoker on Park Slope’s Grassy Knoll.

[Photo courtesy of JP Pagan]
There was some excitement after the Court Street Fair in Carroll Gardens yesterday evening. JP Pagan, whose wonderful photos we featured in a gallery last week, emailed to send these photos and reported, “Fire engines filled Carroll Street all along the park this evening. A couple of firemen took the bucket up to the top of the building on the corner of Court & Carroll and one seemed to be testing the cornice, pulling on it. Never found out what the issue was though.” Given the description and the condition of the building in question (we do know the bottom floor recently got a paint job, though), we’re going to guess that were some questions about what one might politely call structural integrity.

Click here for more photos of the FDNY in action on Court Street.

After several years of construction work, the scaffolding is coming down from the Robert Scarano-designed building on Bond Street that we call the Bunker and that is known for marketing purposes as Satori (“instant enlightenment“). This is the view at sidewalk level courtesy of our Carroll Gardens correspondent who, in addition to filing these photos, noted “Busted hydrant on the Bond Street side along with advertisement for ‘Faucet Plus’ discount plumbing fixtures and a blank Carroll Street wall big-enough to screen movies on. Satori Time!” Presumably, the deranged dogs that have attacked people on Bond Street and caused unique moments of Super Instant Satori have now been removed from the premises.

One can never have too much Satori. Click here for more.

The big news this morning is that Frank Gehry has released new renderings of the Atlantic Yards development. In the new set, Miss Brooklyn is replaced by a significantly shorter 511-foot building known as “B1” or Building One. Mr. Gehry tells Jotham Sederstrom in the Daily News–which has the reveal of the new renderings: “My enthusiasm for Atlantic Yards has grown and grown until arriving at our current design, which works better with the surrounding area than it ever had before. Miss Brooklyn, now called Building One, has been slimmed down and has become more festive, resulting in a very unique office building.” Meanwhile, today’s Post has what it calls the “nightmare vision” of Atlantic Yards: “Renderings commissioned by the Municipal Art Society and obtained by The Post reveal for the first time how Bruce Ratner’s controversial project in Brooklyn could look – and remain for many years – should the developer continue facing massive delays.” (The aerial shots were taken by photographer Jonathan Barkey who has done much Atlantic Yards-related photography and work.)

The “nightmare vision” & another Gehry Vision by clicking here.

The city is announcing a new subsidized ferry service today that will run from the Rockaways to Lower Manhattan with a revived stop in Sunset Park. It’s part of the a “5-Borough ferry service initiative of PlaNYC 2030.” This service will include a stop at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where the announcement will be made at noon. New York Water Taxi is going to operate the ferry service, with new service possible as early as next Monday, May 12. The Sunset Park stop was axed over the winter because of low ridership. There’s a press release here from the Sunset-Ridge Waterfront Alliance.

We found so many nasty, open demolition and construction sites in Williamsburg yesterday that we’re going to have to space them out through the week lest we have to have a “construction only” morning. We’re going to start out the Days of Potential Maiming and Death with this horror show at 156 N. 12 Street. It’s the site of a big future development designed by architect Gene Kaufman. While the hotel and two condos that go there may kill us with their creative design, the ongoing demolition work and open fence may kill someone via falling rubble, twisted metal or injury on construction equipment. Great spot for a photo shoot though.

That’s just the stupid fence. Click here to see the rubble you can climb.

[Photo courtesy of drhoff22/flickr]

If you were running out of tube socks, had destroyed your last pair of cheap sun glasses or were going insane due to zeppole and sausage sandwich deprivation, help has arrived. It’s street fair season! The Brooklyn season sort of kicks off with the one on Court Street in Carroll Gardens and yesterday was the day. There is sooo much more local fun to come, so if you missed yesterday’s fun, count on having another chance soon. For instance, the Fifth Avenue Festival in Park Slope is Sunday, May 18.

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images.

· Brooklyn Judge Braves Death Threats [NYP]
· 41 Injuries During 5 Boro Bike Tour [Metro]
· Williamsburg Engine 212 Links [WGPA]
· Vid of the Ocean & Parkside Entrance to Prospect Park [Hawthorne St.]
· Should DOT’s Plan for Vanderbilt Ave. be Safer? [Green Brooklyn]
· Opening Night at the Studio B Rooftop Deck [Neighborhood Threat]
· Long Line at Peas & Pickles [McBrooklyn]
· Metropolitan Millwork, Greenpoint [Fading Ad Blog]
· Go to BayFest 2008 in Sheepshead Bay, Sunday May 18 [GerritsenBeach.Net]
· Birds’-Eye View in the Park [A Year in the Park]
·

Yesterday afternoon on Bedford Avenue at N. 6 Street.

Here is a big set of photos of the Atlantic Yard’s “time out” rally this weekend from Tracy Collins, who is chronicling everything about the project’s “footprint.”–threecee/flickr

These Chihuahua posters have popped up around Williamsburg in both English and Spanish. UPDATE: This ain’t no street art. Per a reader: “The Heel posters are all over Hollywood too. I did some digging and discovered they’re a viral marketing campaign for Disney’s fall movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua.” Read more about it here. We were suckered by the faux Shepard Fairey and Obey look.

[ad#ad-5-visual-block]

Friday was the second anniversary of the huge Greenpoint Terminal Market fire, which burned for two days and smoldered a lot longer. We had a big photo gallery of the GTM before and after the big fire, which is said to have accidentally set by someone stealing copper wire.

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development is having one of its bedbug seminars in Greenpoint on Tuesday. It will take place from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at the Greenpoint Reformed Church, which is located at 136 Milton Street. RSVP’s to (212) 863-8830. There’s more information about the seminars and the questions the city is trying to answer over at New York Shitty. This is one of the fliers at Lorimer and Bayard Streets at the entrance to McCarren Park on Karl Fischer Row.

Tulips season is still going strong. We found these tulips near Grand Army Plaza, part of a large annual bloom in front of a home that always offers a sea of tulips.

A rally calling for a “time out” on Atlantic Yards demolition took place on Saturday, as did a counter demonstration that may have been orchestrated by Forest City Ratner. About 300 people showed up for the “time out” rally and 400-500 people for the “pro-Atlantic Yards” demonstration.

Have you joined our new Gowanus Lounge Photo Pool on flickr yet? We’d love it if you do and if you’ll tag the Brooklyn photos that you want us to see “gowanuslounge.” Thanks!!!

[Photo courtesy of limonada/flickr]
This photo of a red door, white wall and no parking sign comes from our new favorite thing: the Gowanus Lounge photo pool. It is from Red Hook.

Outside the Brooklyn Weather Observatory, all the makings of a gorgeous Spring Day are in place. The forecast calls for a “sunny and pleasant day” with a high of 70. It will feel like 75. Tonight will be clear to partly cloudy with a low of 52.–Accuweather

Have you joined our new Gowanus Lounge Photo Pool on flickr yet? We’d love it if you do and if you’ll tag the Brooklyn photos that you want us to see “gowanuslounge.” Thanks!!!

[Photo courtesy of lornaglr/flickr]

This image comes from the Church Avenue F Station in Kensington. We’ll simply call it “Waiting.”

Yesterday about 300 people showed up at a rally to call for a “time out” on the controversial Atlantic Yards development, asking that Gov. David Paterson put a halt to demolition and bring the project back to the table for a fresh look because of changes and delays. There was a counter demonstration of supports numbering 400-500 people who started on side of the rally and then marched around the block to the other end. The “Time Out” rally heard from a group of speakers including State Sen. Velmanete Montgomery, City Council Members David Yassky, Tony Avella and Tish James as well as Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and others. Ms. James urged the crowd to “make some noise,” saying that “David Paterson is blind but he’s not deaf” and calling him “a good friend.” We had a post with a little more detail late yesterday afternoon and Atlantic Yards Report has a detailed story posted last night.

Check out a really big photo gallery by clicking here.

What is the significance of this photo taken by Brit in Brooklyn blogger and photographer Adrian Kinloch? It shows a number of people affiliated with Forest City Ratner at yesterday’s Atlantic Yards counter demonstration. Mr. Oder explains the photo in a superb post dissecting the event on AYR:

Along with the leaders of CBA signatory groups, several Forest City Ratner officials were on hand to help orchestrate the counter-protest. In the photo at right, FCR’s LaBonte is in the ballcap. Behind her is Thomas (Ziggy) Sicignano, a prominent youth basketball organizer who has received funding from the developer (and has a colorful past involving a felony plea bargain as part of a strip club trial). The man in the white shirt also (apparently) works for Forest City Ratner; he shooed photographers to leave the Atlantic Terminal mall gathering place. To the right of him is Scott Cantone, a Forest City VP.

Also not to be missed is Mr. Oder’s description of the “counter demonstrators” carrying “Bring Nets” signs:

Not everyone was fully with the program. A contingent of Eastern Europeans from (I suppose) southern Brooklyn carried not terribly grammatical signs, such as “Bring Nets.” I asked one woman where she was from. “Ukraine,” she replied enthusiastically.

Mr. Oder also digests today’s piece in the Daily News with Mr. Ratner’s name attached to it and concludes that there is concerted effort underway to show support for the troubled project. Just another day in the Atlantic Yards game.