December – 2012 – Brooklyn Bugle

Brooklyn’s Chanukah Menorah Beams At Borough Hall

December 11, 2012

Monday evening, December 10, in celebration of Chanukah, Brooklyn Borough Prez Marty Markowitz joined Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin of Congregation B’nai Avraham and Rabbi Simcha Weinstein, along with Paul Amit, a parent from Kiddie Korner, and other officials to light Brooklyn’s 29-foot menorah in front of the Supreme Court building in Columbus Park/Borough Hall Plaza.

Musical entertainment was provided by Yanky Flusberg and Kiddie Korner, and Markowitz handed out Chanukah gelt candy coins to celebrants. (Photo: Kathryn Kirk)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/52704

From the Web

Brooklyn Heights, Celebrity Residents

Here’s A Look At Lena Dunham’s $3.7M Book Proposal

December 11, 2012

Brooklyn Heights’ resident and actor, director, executive producer, writer and creator of HBO’s “Girls” Lena Dunham sold her narrative “Not That Kind Of Girl,” in October to Random House for $3.7 million based on the strength of an illustrated 66-page proposal.

The book, packed with “frank and funny advice on everything from sex to eating to traveling to work,” is previewed on Gawker, which notes that the proposal, by itself, is worth about $56,000 a page.

Dunham, 26, proposed to structure the book as an advice tome in the tradition of Helen Gurley Brown’s “Having It All.” When her proposal was first announced in October, “Not That Kind of Girl: Advice by Lena Dunham” had a starting auction price of $1 million. “Girls,” meanwhile, launches its second season on HBO in January. Check out details at L Magazine.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/52692

From the Web

Arts and Entertainment

The L Magazine Ponders Seinfeld in Brooklyn

December 10, 2012

The most talked about Twitter account Monday is @SeinfeldToday which is a non-stop stream of new episode ideas for the classic sitcom. The L Magazine’s Virginia K. Smith imagines a redux of the “show about nothing” happening in Brooklyn:

OK, so that’s kind of a blow to the theory. But you know what? It’s not like the entire crew has to live in the same neighborhood. A lot of hilarious dramatic tension can be borne from that! Think of how well it worked for Sex and the City. What a great cultural moment that was. Unfortunately, this isn’t just confined to Elaine.

Jerry breaks up with his girlfriend because she doesn’t like Shake Shack custard. Kramer goes to Williamsburg, hates it.

— Modern Seinfeld (@SeinfeldToday) December 10, 2012

From the Web

News

Nobody Can Get Used to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel’s New Name

December 10, 2012

On October 22, the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel officially became the Hugh Carey Tunnel. A week later, Sandy hit our area. The tunnel was flooded and closed, finally reopening in both directions on November 19.

Yet it seems that the new name really hasn’t stuck with most newscasters — ok EVERYBODY YOU KNOW.

This despite former Mayor Ed Koch’s solid reasoning for honoring New York’s 51st governor. “He was one of the great governors of the state of New York, vastly unappreciated,” Koch told CBS New York. “Without him we would’ve crashed and gone into bankruptcy.”

Carey was a Brooklynite, born here in 1919. The New York Times wrote about Carey and his wife raising their 14 children in Park Slope. The Helen Owen Carey Child Development Center, which Carey established after her death in 1974, is still in operation in that neighborhood.

So let’s say it all together now – THE HUGH CAREY TUNNEL!!!!

From the Web

Brooklyn Heights, News

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5 to Have Grand Opening Thursday

December 9, 2012

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5 and its uplands, which will include sports fields and a “picnic peninsula,” will have its grand opening in a ceremony to begin at 11:00 a.m. this Thursday, December 13. Rumor has it that Hizzonor himself will make an appearance.

All are invited, and refreshments will be served. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to the Brooklyn Bridge Park conservancy at (718) 802-0603.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/52666

From the Web

Existential Stuff

It’s Chanukah, and Chanukah it is.

December 9, 2012

In the song accompanying the video above, the LeeVees address the burning question: how do you spell the name of the minor Jewish holiday–but which has become major in the American context; see Hilary Leila Krieger’s piece on the Op-Ed page of today’s New York Times–that started today, and will last for another seven days? Ms. Krieger chose “Hanukkah.” Four years ago I chose the alternative “Chanukah,” mostly because it gave a visual as well as sonic alliteration to my post’s title, “Chanukah on the Chisholm Trail.” Last year I avoided the issue by not mentioning the name in the title or body of my post, although the caption of the embedded Matisyahu video spells it “Hanukkah.” The LeeVees don’t give us an answer.

Of course, there is one absolutely correct way to spell the name of the holiday: חֲנֻכָּה What we’re considering here is how to spell it in a transliterated fashion, in the Roman alphabet. I’ve made my choice: I’m going with Chanukah. My reason is that the initial “Ch” denotes the slight guttural sound, as distinguished from the soft English “H,” that properly begins the word. So says this latke loving (salmon roe and sour cream, please) goy, who eagerly awaits our neighbor’s Chanukah celebration.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/193_Jo8Djpk/its-chanukah-and-chanukah-it-is.html

From the Web

Music

Rolling Stones at Barclay’s Center

December 9, 2012

The Rolling Stones performed at Barclays Center on Saturday night and people tweeted about it. Yes, even Boomers scratching something off their bucket list use social media. (Photo via @nancynewberg)

From the Web

Around Brooklyn, News, Police Blotter

Alligator Owning Couple from Gravesend Indicted

December 8, 2012

This dispatch from Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes regarding Michael Volpe, 32, and Alisa Volpe, 25, who were busted in October. Cops found weapons, prescription drugs, marijuana and, most notably, an alligator chilling out in a tank.

Earlier this week an indictment was issued:

Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced the indictment of Michael Volpe, 32, and his wife, Alisa Volpe, 25, for possessing weapons and drugs, and keeping an alligator in their West 6th Street home. Michael Volpe was indicted on charges including three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. Michael and Alisa Volpe were both indicted on charges including three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, Possession of Ammunition, four counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, Overdriving, Torturing and Injuring Animals and Failure to Provide Proper Sustenance, Wild Animals Prohibited and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. If convicted, Michael Volpe faces a maximum of seven years in prison and Alisa Volpe faces up to one year in jail.

On October 1, 2012, officers from the 66th precinct executed a search warrant at the home of Michael and Alisa Volpe, a one-bedroom basement apartment. The indictment charges that when the officers entered, they found metal knuckles, a fully-loaded revolver, and a loaded pistol. They also recovered a variety of prescription drugs including Alprazolam pills and Oxycodone pills. Marijuana was also found. In addition, there was an alligator, which was approximately three feet long, in a tank in the living room, which was taken away by animal control. Under health code 161.01, most people cannot possess wild animals without special permit.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lisa Marie Vellucci from the Trial Bureau Green Zone and supervised by Deputy District Attorney Dianne Malone, Chief of the Animal Cruelty Unit.

(via Bensonhurst Bean)

From the Web

Arts and Entertainment

Is Fred Claus, Starring Brooklyn Heights Resident Paul Giamatti, The Next Holiday Classic?

December 8, 2012

Back in 2010, Brooklyn Heights Blog asked if 2007’s Fred Claus was destined to be the next flick to rise to the level of Holiday Classic. Sure, it was a pretty cheeky question then but today in light of Broadway musicals based upon Elf and A Christmas Story anything seems possible. Here’s what BHB wrote two years ago:

With a plethora of cable networks available, the traditional holiday movie choice has moved beyond just It’s a Wonderful Life. Jean Shepherd’s classic A Christmas Story was the first flick to get the wall-to-wall marathon treatment on cable; Scrooged and Elf followed. Now Fred Claus, starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin Spacey and Brooklyn Heights resident Paul Giamatti, seems to be vying for perennial status. Do you think it’s worthy?

From the Web

History

Holiday Lionel Train layout at NYC Transit Museum Annex, Grand Central

December 8, 2012

Here’s this year’s version (see last year’s here) of the Lionel Train display at the New York City Transit Museum’s annex and gift shop in Grand Central Terminal. The basic layout is the same as last year’s, with the addition of a model of Grand Central’s underground platforms, which you see at the beginning of the video, and of a model New York City subway train consisting of vintage “redbird” cars. Other trains include a New York Central passenger hotshot pulled by a first generation General Motors E-type diesel, the seasonal favorite “Polar Express” with a steam loco, and a two car New York Central freight powered by what looks like an Alco RS-3.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/1Ns4EDAfMj4/holiday-lionel-train-layout-at-nyc.html

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