A Year In Review: 2009 In Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

This, dear Readers, is my last post for the year 2009. What better way of recapping the year than to go through my photos of our lovely neighborhood and to choose the best one of every month.

It has been a busy twelve months in Carroll Gardens. Personally, 2009 has been a wee bit more challenging than previous years and there was much uncertainty. But 2009 was not without joy. And laughter. For that, I am grateful.

I am also grateful to you, dear Reader, for your visits to Pardon me For Asking, for your witty comments, your encouragement and for sharing your stories about the neighborhood.

I hope that 2010 will bring many good things to everyone and to Carroll Gardens.

Cheers!
And Come Back On Monday, When Pardon Me For Asking Starts 2010 With New Posts!
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Last Sunday's 13th Annual Eileen Dugan Memorial Run/Walk

Just a few photos of the 13th's Annual 5 K Eileen Dugan Memorial Run Or Walk, which took place on Sunday, October 4th. The event is a benefit for the Circle Of Hope Cancer Foundation.
For those Carroll Gardens newcomers, Eileen Dugan was our New York State Assembly Woman from 1980 to 1996. She won an astounding ninth term representing this district . Unfortunately, she died of breast cancer at the age of 51 just days after the election of that last term.

She was a Carroll Gardens native and one of those people who was born with politics in her blood. She was as tough as nails, but exceedingly fair. She would do anything for the neighborhood in which she lived her entire life.

In 1999, Smith Street between 9th Street and Atlantic Avenue was renamed " Eileen C. Dugan Boulevard" to honor her.


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Atlantic Antic 2009 Draws Biggest Crowd Ever In Its 35th Year

Atlantic Antic 2009

It is the best street fair in town, isn't it?
The people
the food,
the unique arts and crafts
the cool Tees...

Where else but Brooklyn would one find such variety?

But pardon me for asking! Was it more crowded this time than ever before?

My favorite part is still Eddie the Sheik's orchestra.

What was yours?

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Don't Forget About Red Hook's 3rd Annual Film Festival This Week-End

The 3rd Annual Red Hook Film Festival

****REMINDER***

As part of their film line-up, the organizers of the 3rd Annual Red Hook Film Festival are including Blue Barn Pictures's film on fellow blogger and friend Bob Guskind. Also included is the incredibly poignant "Lavender Lake: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal" documentary.

The 2009, Red Hook International Film And Video Festival screenings

will take place on October 3rd & 4th at

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artist's Coalition's Screening Room,

499 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York

Click here for Directions and Travel options to the Festival

At 1:00 p.m.	On The Gowanus
	Robert Guskind: 1958-2009 Directed by Blue Barn Pictures Documentary, 2009, color, 6:30 minutes A tribute to Robert Guskind - aka "Brooklyn's Blogfather" - who for many years published The Gowanus Lounge, a local news website that offered unique coverage of Brooklyn's many neighborhoods. This year's Red Hook Film Festival is dedicated to Robert Guskind, to The Gowanus Lounge, and to local storytelling.
	Lavender Lake: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal Directed by Alison Prete Documentary, 1999, color, 53 minutes A 10th anniversary screening of this classic Brooklyn documentary, which chronicles the gritty details of the decades-long struggle to clean up the Gowanus Canal. This film remains especially relevant today, as the Gowanus neighborhood faces a potential Superfund designation. What has changed on the canal - and what remains the same - in the ten years since this fascinating documentary was completed?

Full Schedule Here

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Today Is The Day: Please Vote In The Primaries...And For Josh!

On the left, Josh Skaller, 39th District Council Candidate.
On the right, my husband and Josh supporter, Glenn Kelly.

Local residents and just a few of the hard working Josh Skaller supporters

From Left to Right:
Triada Samaras, Laura Edidin, Glenn Kelly, Marlene Donnelly, June Negrycz, Rita Miller

Dear Reader,

Today, I will not be posting, but I promise, I will be back to covering our neighborhood tomorrow.
You see, I will be leaving my house by 6 AM to hand out literature at the various polling places around Carroll Gardens.

As I mentioned on this blog before, I have the tremendous pleasure of belonging to a group of very active community members from Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and the Columbia Waterfront. For weeks now, we have volunteered our time to get Josh Skaller elected as our next NYC Council member. We have worked tirelessly to bring Josh's message to our friends and neighbors. It has been a truly exhilarating experience, one which has taught all of us so much about fighting for better representation, for our brownstone neighborhoods and for our kids.We have been inspired by Josh and by his clear vision that communities like ours are worth protecting and that we, as residents, should have a say about shaping this community's future.
After working alongside the candidate over these many months, we are more convinced than ever that Josh Skaller is the best person to represent us and our neighborhoods.

We hope you think so, too!

Today is Primary Day.
Please Vote!

Related Reading:

Why We Support Josh Skaller And Why You Should, Too!

Josh Skaller Is The One!



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REMINDER: Come Celebrate Smith Street's 7th Bastille Day And Pétanque Tournament

What can be better than pairing Pétanque, Pastis and Smith Street?

If you agree, you must, and I repeat, you must come out to Smith Street for Bar Tabac's Bastille Day Celebration 2009 on July 12th. This is by far one of the funnest, most unique events in the neighborhood and I can't wait! I had a blast last year.
Of course the great music, delicious food and drinks are reason enough to love this event, but what makes it super fun is the Pétanque tournament. It is North America's largest tournament, with more than 80 teams taking part in 2009. For that purpose, a few blocks of Smith Street will be closed and turned into a giant sandbox, or rather, Pétanque courts.

Bar Tabac is at 128 Smith Street at Dean Street. The Bastille Day celebration will start at 12 PM and will continue till 10pm.
For further information, go to Bar Tabac's web site or check out the official Brooklyn Boule Blog

To hold you over, here is a wonderful little video clip taken from Marcel Pagnol's movie Fanny, featuring the great French comic actor César as Rému.

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Smith Street FunDay Sunday Fair 2009

I am so bumbed that I will have to miss the Smith Street fair this year. But you don't have to. It is this coming week-end, so lets hope it stops raining long enough to have a great time. Here are the details from the organizers:

THE LITTLE STREET THAT COULD DOES IT AGAIN!!
Smith Street Funday

Sunday June 28th from 11AM to 6PM

Smith Street’s Annual Festival is not just coordinated – it is ”curated”. We start with a street full of special shops with an eclectic variety of things you will want to wear, consume, eat, or otherwise enjoy – and to that we add our BOCOCA neighborhood art and craft talent, interests and collections, plus the independent designers, the joie de vivre and only the finest region-wide assortment of vendors of merchandise you will really want to bring home.

We are eight blocks long – deliberately not the longest or the biggest because we aim to bring you quality in Brooklyn’ most exotically perfect bazaar!! We also aim to bring you fun – with lots of music and entertainment. For example – both Tony’s Hardware and the Salsa Salon will have live Latin Bands and attract some great dancers. Angry Wade’s, Ceol and Rocketship will also all give lots of local bands and talent a chance to show off all day long.

And of course we will have “Stinkfest” once again in front of Smith & Vine sponsored by the wine shop and its sister and brother shops – “Stinky Brooklyn” the cheese and gourmet shop, and “The Jakewalk” Bar & Snacks venue. They are sponsoring a full day of entertainment on a stage, surrounded by tables and seating and a gourmet street food menu:. From 11-1 PM great children’s entertainment., Music from 1-2PM At 2PM NYC’s One and Only Third Annual Cheese Eating Contest 3- 5:30PM Music returns with a variety of great local talent.

Stroll, shop, and sample along Smith Street from Bergen to Union Streets.

Take the F or G to Bergen Street

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XII. Brooklyn International Film Festival Starts June 5th

12^th BROOKLYN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

I missed it last year because I was out of town, but this time, I will try my hardest to catch some of the great films being shown at the 12th Brooklyn International Film Festival beginning on June 5th. They are being screened at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema, which makes it real easy. Hope, you will join me!

This is a description of the event:

Brooklyn, NY [May, 2009] - The Brooklyn International Film Festival (BiFF) is proud to announce the film line up for its 12th annual festival, themed OPEN SOURCE. The competitive event will run from June 5TH through June 14TH at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema.

BiFF will present over 120 film premieres that were selected over 2,786 submissions coming from 111 countries. The films will be combined in 81 film programs and each film will be shown twice. BiFF will operate two screening rooms side by side throughout the festival.

To take a look at the list of great movies included in the festival, show times and all other information, click Brooklyn International Film Festival

To watch trailers of the movies, click here

For location, click here

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A Very Brooklyn New Year's Day Pleasure

Want to know what I did on New Year's Day, dear Reader? I spent most of the day watching the Honeymooners' Marathon on channel 11. I know, I know... I should have been a bit more productive, but I can't think of a better way to start 2009 than to watch the quintessential Brooklyn show.
The first time I came across the show in the mid-1970's, I had just arrived to this country, living on Long Island with my parents.
Ralph, Norton, Alice and Trixie were not like any of the other characters featured on American television. They did not own a split-level home, they did not drive a big car and things never seemed to work out for Ralph and Alice. Compared to "Leave it for Beaver," "The Andy Griffith Show" or "Bewitched" ( my personal favorite) and other shows that I was introduced to during my first years here, the Kramdens seemed so different.
Frankly, I did not understand the setting, the plot or the appeal of the show. Where did they live? Who were these Americans who lived in such a small apartment? The Honeymooners inhabited a different America, far away from the 'perfect' one featured in those other shows. This was real life. These were real people. And they lived in a real place: Brooklyn.
Only after I moved to the borough myself years afterwards, did I truly understand the show and fell in love with its characters. So, what better way to spend a Brooklyn New Year's Day than in the company of Ralph and Alice?

What did you do?


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