Former Boerum Hill resident, Heath Ledger, found dead in Soho
Josh Guttman | January 22, 2008
1 Comment
Actor Heath Ledger, formerly a resident of Boerum Hill with ex-wife Michelle Williams, was found dead in his Soho apartment today. He was 28. Signs pointed to a suicide or an accidental overdose, police sources said. According to [NY Times]:
Sphere: Related ContentAt 3:31 p.m., according to the police, a masseuse arrived the fourth-floor apartment of the building, at 421 Broome Street, between Crosby and Lafayette Streets in SoHo, for an appointment with Mr. Ledger. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with sleeping pills — both prescription medication and nonprescription — on a night table. They moved his body to the floor and attempted to revive him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities. Mr. Ledger met the actress Michelle Williams while filming ‘’Brokeback Mountain.” The two actors fell into a romance and moved to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where their comings and goings were widely noted by the celebrity press. They had a daughter, Matilda Rose, who was born on Oct. 28, 2005.
Honoring MLK in Brooklyn
Josh Guttman | January 21, 2008
Leave a Comment
Several events are scheduled to honor Martin Luther King today. BAM is hosting a tribute with several local politicians, including Chuck Schumer, Mayor Bloomberg and Yvette Clark, at an event that begins at 10:30a. OTBKB posted a day-long series of events at Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope that includes meditation, prayer and yoga.
His "I have a dream" speach is as inspirational today as it was in 1963:
Asbestos removal at LICH development site
Josh Guttman | January 17, 2008
1 Comment
I received this note from a concerned neighbor this morning:
Sphere: Related ContentThis morning there is picketing of the company that is doing the asbestos removal @ the LICH site for substandard work by union people who do this work. They have a rat outside for non-union work and are giving out fliers. I have called in to 311 with reference # 1814440. This complaint has been forwarded to DEP with high priority as of this morning. Please pass on this information if anyone wishes to call in as well. (We need a phone/email tree for information to pass efficiently). The above reference # can be used when you call. Additionally, we are told that Clarrett is in financial trouble as Ft. Greene units not selling. As we have been off to bad start with them, it will probably continue with cost cutting methods.
–
Tom Gray
District Director
City Council Member Bill de Blasio
(718) 854-9791
(718) 854-1146 Fax
Would you like to see another post office in 11218?
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Kensingtonpostoffice/
Brooklyn writers donate anthology proceeds to fight Ratner’s Atlantic Yards
Josh Guttman | January 8, 2008
Leave a Comment
Media Bistro broke the story today that the contributors to the anthology Brooklyn Was Mine (Brooklyn-based writers Jennifer Egan, Lara Vapnyar, Jonathan Lethem, Darcey Steinke, and Darin Strauss) plus fifteen others decided to donate all the book’s proceeds to the non-profit organization, Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn. Full disclosure: four of the writers are on the DDDB advisory board. This is a great gesture towards Brooklyn and one which I personally support. Opposition to Forest City Ratner’s proposed $4 billion Atlantic Yards development remains as strong as ever and even seems to be growing in recent months. These writers characterized the Atlantic Yards project as "overwhelmingly dense, grossly out-of-scale with its surrounding neighborhood," and disruptive to longstanding communities. The development is currently held up in court. Incidentally, DDDB published The Unity Plan for Vanderbilt Yards yesterday as an alternative to Atlantic Yards. The rendering looks nice and certainly, much more in scale with the surrounding area. What do you think about Atlantic Yards?
Mulchfest 2008!! - Saturday and Sunday, January 5-6
Josh Guttman | January 5, 2008
1 Comment
All that agonizing waiting can stop. Mulchfest is back, held today and tomorrow. Bring your dried out Christmas trees down to Verandah Place at Cobble Hill Park and watch as the Cobble Hill Tree Fund grinds them up into fine pine mulch. While your there, take a bag of mulch for your favorite trees and plants. Mulchfest provides hours of entertainment, all free of charge. What fun!!
Local residents oppose new development at 110 Amity
Josh Guttman | January 2, 2008
2 Comments
Neighbors are rallying together against the latest proposed development project threatening the sanctity of the area. As you may recall, there has also been recent opposition to the Clarrett Group’s redevelopment of the Longshoreman’s Club on Court. This time, it’s a proposed development at the corner of Amity and Henry, in and around the former LAMM Institute. Below are a few plans for the proposed development, which doesn’t look overwhelmingly egregious at first glance. From the organizers, “The local community is vehemently opposed to this development that changes the block structure around to create a gated community shoe-horned into the block only to maximize profit. They call it a ‘mews’.”
I’m told that the plans will be submitted and discussed at the following meetings, which all neighborhood residents are encouraged to attend:
- Cobble Hill Association: January 2 @ 7:30pm - Long Island College Hospital, Conf Room B (entrance on Hicks)
- Community Board 6: January 3 @ 6pm - 250 Baltic Street, Cobble Hill Community Room
- Landmarks Preservation Commission: January 8 - One Centre Street, 9th Fl Conf Room, Manhattan (for time call 212-669-7923 after Jan 4)
June and Steven Negrycz are spearheading the effort with their neighbors on the block. They can be reached at CHCommittee [at] gmail [dot] com.
