This is a rather compelling example of the classic Charlie Brown Christmas tree, which comes to us from a window sill in Bed-Stuy via flickr. It’s actually quite pretty in its own way.

What are those boat noises–like the sound of a foghorn–that you hear from time to time? We hear them and apparently they hear them in Clinton Hill, and elsewhere, too. We assumed it was the Staten Island Ferry. Other possibilities?–Clinton Hill Blog

The arena setback issue arose thanks to the Prudential Center in Newark. There, local officials decided that an arena 25 feet from the street could be seriously damaged by terrorists with a truck bomb. Streets around the arena are now closed during events.

Part of the glass-walled Atlantic Yards structure and adjacent buildings are only 20 feet in places from Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Those with long memories might recall that terrorism and security issues have been raised repeatedly about the arena going back to the environmental impact review process. (Security was dismissed as being outside the purview of the review.)

A press release from the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods says, in part:

A spokesperson for Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner last week admitted publicly for the first time that portions of the planned “Barclays Center” would sit back just 20 feet from two of Brooklyn’s busiest thoroughfares. Council Members James, Yassky and de Blasio, Senators Montgomery and Eric Adams, and Assemblymembers Brennan, Millman and Hakeem Jeffries formally requested an independent security study on October 29th, and questioned what would make the planned Brooklyn arena more secure than Newark’s arena. Street closings – or even lane closings – in Brooklyn similar to those instituted in Newark would create a nightmare of traffic and gridlock more than 230 days a year.

It will be interesting to see the security argument unfold. We offer our own thoughts on the subject below.

Whether one supports or opposes the Atlantic Yards project, an arena that ignores the threat of truck bombs and other terrorist attacks is far more than a planning blunder: it is a calculated and almost unthinkable act of public negligence. Bromides from city government that the security threat is under control and that the issue simply can’t be discussed are unacceptable and dishonest. The Atlantic Yards security issues need to be dealt with publicly before a single shovel of Brooklyn soil is moved.

Like any other facility where thousands of people gather, the arena will, sadly, be a potential target. Unlike facilities that were planned in a pre-9/11 world, however, or are post-9/11 acts of public stupidity like Newark’s new arena, things can be done to make a possible Brooklyn arena safer and less disruptive. There are not many alternatives–the cost of knowingly putting thousands of people in harm’s way is too awful to contemplate. The prospect of creating a situation that will create a bigger traffic nightmare in the heart of Brooklyn during events is more benignly negligent, yet reckless too.

What if nothing is done? Our fear is that in ten or fifteen years, when maniacal mass murderers espousing a cause no one has even contemplated yet detonate trucks loaded with explosives outside of the Atlantic Yards arena during a basketball game or concert, there will be terrible loss of life. It will be followed by one of those wretched “How did this happen?” moments that inevitably follow catastrophes that could have been prevented. There will be an investigation and a blue ribbon commission. In Albany, there will be a legislative panel that points the fingers of blame at Gov. Pataki and at Gov. Spitzer. In Washington, Representatives and Senators will demand national security standards for arenas so there will “never be another Brooklyn.” Then, the arena will be rebuilt, set back further from the street, and become the “Barclays Memorial Arena” or the “Freedom Center.” More children will lose fathers and mothers, millions of hearts will be broken and billions of tears will be shed.

The risk of a terrorist attack on Atlantic Yards demands impartial studies, public hearings and corrective action before thousands of people are slaughtered in the interest of expediency. To do otherwise would be criminal negligence on the part of every public official that will have a role in a future tragedy.

One hopes such a scenario will never play out and that this will all prove to be unnecessary worry, but a more honest public process than has previously been the case in planning and approving the Atlantic Yards development is a minimal step to ensure that it is less likely to happen.

We’re tempted to put caption, “Marty, did you fart?” under this, but we won’t. We will simply say that there is an entire Metrotech Christmas Tree Lighting photoset from last night’s ceremony.

• Expanded Education and Child Care: pushing for a new middle school in or near the neighborhood and more day care.
• Traffic Safety and Parking: working towards implementation of traffic calming measures and monitoring the potential impact on WT of the proposed residential parking permits for residents of Park Slope (this may be part of the congestion pricing plan).
• Appropriate Residential Development: monitoring new development throughout WT to assure that it is in keeping with the scale of the neighborhood.
• Environmental Education: providing information on different environmental programs such as choice of utility.
• Neighborhood Beautification: slotted for spring 2008.

For more info, head over to the website.

One has to love a mystery, and this particular one is fascinating. Someone told an anecdote the other night that a local politician set up a community group “with the express purpose of being bought out by Bruce Ratner.” Sounds like an interesting business model.–Atlantic Yards Report

From our friends at GerritsenBeach.Net comes this street decoration on Gerritsen Avenue.

Atlantic Yards:

• More Detail on the New Atlantic Yards Ombusdperson [NYDN]
• MAS’s Kent Barwick on Atlantic Yards and Related Matters [No Land Grab]
• Dolly’s Follies [DDDB]
• Three Years After Complaint, Dolly Goes with $4K Fine [AYR]

Not Atlantic Yards:

• MAS’s Kent Barwick on Coney Island [Kinetic Carnival]
• Albee Demolished [Brownstoner]
• Radegast!!! [Gothamist]
• Atlantic Ave. Urban Outfitters Sign Up [BK11201]
• A Day on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade [Self-Absorbed Boomer]
• Willie B. Clock Lit Up…for One Night [NYDN]
• Mynty Fresh? Not. [Bed-Stuy Banana]
• Brooklyn and Congestion Pricing by the Numbers [Sustainable Flatbush]
• Actually, the 40th Council District election turnout was 6.2% [Brooklyn Junction]

The man in the gigantic striped pants wrestling a rubber snake on Bedford Avenue isn’t crazy—he just wants to spread the love. Specifically, the Summer of Love. Every Sunday, Matt Silver (a.k.a. the Cosmological Jester or the Village Idiot, depending on your take) can be found near the Bedford L station in Williamsburg, hopping around in a one-eared rabbit costume or grunting like a pirate in a three-cornered hat. He serenades passersby with a stringless guitar, challenges kids to hula hoop competitions, and cavorts like a madman with makeshift props (a busted umbrella, a paper heart on a stick, etc.). The 28-year-old performance artist likes the idea of a greater force telling him to act a fool, but he actually has a really down-to-earth motivation: to ignite “explosions of joy and wackiness” in the artistic nabe.

You can see some of our vids of him here, here and here.

Here’s an ultimate list to craft fairs and other Brooklyn handcrafted goodies that you will absolutely want to check out. Seriously. If you’re into buying Brooklyn created things locally this is a must-read list. Also check out the Brooklyn Sampler they’ve put together.–Brooklyn Based

Blogger Icky in Brooklyn over in Windsor Terrace has put together an excellent list of handcrafted holiday gifts that are totally worth checking out. He’ll be adding to and updating the list in coming weeks, but some of the offerings so far include knitted goods from adknits, cool holiday cards from Alex Richman, tumblers vases and bowls from Alyssa Ettinger, cool wallets and stuff from Jilluary and a heck of a lot more. Head on over and check it out. We intend to crib mercilessly from it when we put together our own Gowanus Lounge Holiday Gift Guides that we will start running next week.

Photographer and photoblogger Nathan Kensinger visited by Brooklyn Navy Yard the other night for a cool reading put on by writer Gabriel Cohen at PortSide New York’s Mary A. Whalen which is now at the GMD Shipyard. The pics he has posted are very cool.–Nathan Kensinger Photography

The wait is over. The Empire State Development Corporation has finally hired an ombudsperson to oversee the Atlantic Yards project. Atlantic Yards watchers point out (see image from No Land Grab) that it took 203 days from promise to announcement to get the ombudsperson on the job. The ombudsperson is Forrest Taylor. The ESDC’s press release says:

Mr. Taylor, who has a long and distinguished background in the public and private sectors, will be the dedicated project coordinator and liaison between ESDC, elected officials, community representatives and the public.

“Understanding and addressing the community’s concerns are a high priority for this administration. We believe this important development project will help transform Brooklyn by bringing much-needed housing, transit improvements, open space and jobs to the downtown area,” said Avi Schick, President and COO of ESDC. “Forrest’s background in government, transportation and community affairs makes him ideally suited to provide the public with direct information and direct access to the state and the developer.”

Most recently, Mr. Taylor served as manager of Prowess Initiatives and Analysis, a boutique firm advising corporate clients on government relations and corporate communications. He has also held a number of government posts, including chief of staff to the City Council president, deputy executive director for operations for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and chief of staff for the deputy mayor for finance and economic development.

As always, Atlantic Yards Report has complete coverage of the new hire. One suspects that Mr. Taylor is only the first in what will be a long line of ombudspeople, given the long timeline of the project and the likely contentious nature of the post.

When last we paid attention to Manhattan Beach, the neighborhood chitchat was about privatizing the beach to keep out “thugs.” Well, the Manhattan Beach Community Group, from whence the controversy came, is electing a president. (Bear us out on this, it gets quite interesting.) GerritsenBeach.Net, which does a superb job of chronicling interesting things in Southern Brooklyn, picks up a fascinating story from the PDF-only Brooklyn view. At issue are the two rivals for civic leadership, one of whom is apparently supported by Sen. Carl Kruger, most recently heard from for shutting down the Coney Island Development Corporation’s informational community forum about Coney Island rezoning. The two civic rivals are Manhattan Beach Community Group President Dr. Ron Biondo and VP Ira Zalcman. Group members are circulating some of their emails. From the Brooklyn View via GerritsenBeach.Net:

One email from Zalcman said, “So we have BBQ smoke, dead fish smell, feet in the fountains, garbage everywhere and a policeman sitting on his you know what.” It continued, “To me, can your (sic) VP do anything about this like making the beach into a private spa charging 1000 (sic) million dollars.” Zalcman said that the email was tongue in cheek and he was not talking about any race.

One email dated February 16, 2007, sent at 1:35 p.m., Biondo said, “We had a meeting last night and changed the proposal from the company. Please notify the rest of the troops that we want to get this done to make MB a safer community especially in the summer when most of the animals in the community are on two legs.”

Another email sent from Biondo on May 29,2007, stated, “I hate watching thugs parade down my block. Imagine a group of white boys parading down Livonia Ave.”…

Some members opposed to Biondo, say he has already garnered support from Councilman Mike Nelson and State Senator Carl Kruger. Politicians don’t usually get involved with civic groups. State Senator Carl Kruger’s office denies his support wholeheartedly. However, members of he community say he and Councilman Mike Nelson are secretly endorsing Biondo. Community residents say Nelson and Kruger are heavily influenced by developers …

And you thought civic groups were boring.

Outgoing City Planning Commission member Dolly Williams was fined $4,000 by the city’s Conflict of Interest Board on Tuesday for voting to support Atlantic Yards while she was an investor in the project. Borough President Marty Markowitz, who appointed Ms. Williams, named Community Board 2 Chair Shirley McRae as Williams’ as her prospective replacement to represent Brooklyn on the Planning Commission.–NYDN

It was obvious the AIA and CPC [City Planning Commission] should have been smarter and done public outreach way before the holiday season’s time line (this process has been going on 3 YEARS, unbeknown to most in the room) and given everyone time to discuss the pros and cons of their recommendations. Some of the other CB reps definitely “woke up” and realized the implications of the zoning text changes. I hope they will take it back to their Boards and discuss further.

Another email now circulating says that, “It seems the AIA along with City Planning were trying to sneak this proposal through” and notes that there is some opposition to it on the City Council in its current form. There is significant sentiment that the amendments could be a way to get around some of the changes that contextual rezonings in areas like the South Slope are trying to accomplish. Public comments are due by January 7, but we would guess there will be requests to extend the deadline. More developments to follow, no doubt.

The corner of Smith and President was fashionable back in 1900. And, honestly, the park house in Carroll Park was looking a bit nicer too. Not to mention the corner of Smith and President where the Rite Aid now stands.–Pardon Me for Asking