The most photographed block in DUMBO will be the scene of cheerful inanity this Friday, Sept. 27, as thousands of parachute-wearing toy elephants are hurled off rooftops for the amusement of the crowds in the street below.

For those who enjoy a little wager, a guess-where-the-elephant-will-fall contest could pay off. Top prizes including a $1,000 shopping spree and a private rooftop party for 10 at Time Out Market New York.

The drop is part of the DUMBO Improvement District’s third annual Washington Street block party, which runs from 4-9 p.m. Events include toy elephant decorating, goodies from DUMBO eateries, art, virtual reality and performances. Read full story here from Brooklyn Eagle: https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/09/25/dumbo-drop-2019-thousands-of-elephants-will-fall-from-brooklyn-skies/

Even though the Parks Department was in no rush to replace the tree on the corner of Middagh of Cadman Plaza West, now they’re off the hook because of our scaffolding. Be that as it may, Mother Nature has other ideas as a little sapling has appeared along side of the chopped down tree stump! – K. Klein

I attended this Town Hall Meeting and noticed that all of our elected officials were present with the exception of State Senator Montgomery who, as it happens, is also the only local elected who has never attended one of CPN’s Town Hall events. Below (link) is an excellent summary of the meeting including an explanation of the the three options on the table. It seemed to most who attended that the shorter yet full closure of the station had the most advantages with the exception of how retailers in the station plaza will be affected. Thanks to Alan Posner for supplying this article. – Keith Klein

https://champ.gothamist.com/champ/gothamist/news/andy-byford-wants-full-eight-month-closure-brooklyn-subway-station-fix-elevators-hell

Six bas-reliefs by Italian sculptor Clemente Spampinato (1912-1993), which were removed from the front façade of the former Brooklyn Heights Library before it was demolished, will be enjoying a second artistic life.

The classic carvings — which depict industry and businesses, crafts, sciences, knowledge, literature and the arts — will be split up and displayed at two different libraries, according to Brooklyn Public Library.

“Two of six sets will go into meeting rooms in the new Brooklyn Heights Library. The other four will go into a new garden which will be created outside the Walt Whitman Library,” Fritzi Bodenheimer, Brooklyn Public Library spokesperson, told the Brooklyn Eagle.

The Brooklyn Heights Library will be rebuilt at 280 Cadman Plaza West at the base of a luxury tower, currently in construction. The Walt Whitman Library is located at 93 St Edwards St. in Fort Greene.

Bodenheimer said that the developer (Hudson Companies) is storing the 10-by-11-foot panels as part of the agreement negotiated when the Brooklyn Heights Library site was sold.

The library’s sale was approved by the City Council in December 2015 and the Brooklyn Borough Board in March 2016 after three years of vocal community opposition and a series of raucous land-use hearings.

Councilmember Stephen Levin, who brokered the deal and represents the area, called the library sale “the most controversial issue I’ve seen in my district since being elected in 2009.” Read full story here: https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/09/03/beloved-art-from-former-brooklyn-heights-library-is-coming-back/

Thanks to reader AbbeyK we have a link to a real estate adthat lists 80 Montague Street, Teresa’s Restaurant, as for lease. If it is leased to a new tenant, your correspondent may have to go far afield – Greenpoint?; East Village? – to get his tripe soup and kielbasa fix. Moreover, Brooklyn’s elite will have to find a new power breakfast spot. And what could afford the $18K/month rent the ad asks? Applebee’s? The Cheesecake Factory? The Olive Garden? God help us.

Say it ain’t so! – Brooklyn Heights Blog

Young children romping through Cadman Plaza Park last Tuesday discovered half a dozen discarded syringes under the bushes. One boy began playing with one and “something came out,” as his friend told his mother. Parents frantically combed the weedy undergrowth and collected all the syringes they could find, carefully dropping them into a plastic water bottle.

Angry parents who contacted the Brooklyn Eagle say this is just one of many signs of the park’s deterioration. The rats are coming back, water fountains and bathrooms are not maintained, homeless individuals camp out by the War Memorial at night and there is no police presence, they said.

“We love this park and the kids love running through the bushes, but I’m afraid of some of the stuff I’ve seen lately,” local mother Heather Prince told the Eagle.Prince said she brings her two boys, ages 7 and 9, to the park every Tuesday and Friday after school to meet with a big group of kids.

“They have nicknamed themselves ‘The Cadman Research Center — CRC,’ because they like to explore the bushes, dig in the dirt, built forts with fallen branches,” she said.

Around 6 p.m. on Aug. 27, her 7-year-old son ran over to her to tell her what the young explorers had found: a syringe.

“We really didn’t know who to call,” Prince said. “We tried to find an officer to help us dispose of the needles, but there were none around. We were afraid that if we just threw them in the trash the sanitation workers might get stuck.” Read full story here: https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/09/05/needle-park-in-downtown-brooklyn-kids-find-syringes-parents-demand-cleanup/