Brooklyn Half Marathon

The 33rd annual Brooklyn Half Marathon had a record number of participants this past Saturday. Beginning at the Brooklyn Museum the 20,000 runners blazed a path through Prospect Park, Ocean Parkway and down south until they reached the finish line in Coney Island. Only seven months since the unprecedented damage caused by Hurricane Sandy last October, runners were able to get an up-close view of the re-construction underway throughout Brooklyn, especially in Coney Island, which was severely ravaged by the violent storm.

“You can see people rebuilding as we walked around. The whole entire race finished in the middle of a construction zone,” one runner said.

Many of the runners, as well as onlookers, couldn’t help but to feel that the race was a positive statement about the way Brooklyn has come back after the storm.

“The greatest thing of all was that no matter what time, no matter where we crossed, what mile it was, people were just hanging over bridges, coming out of their cars, coming out of the streets, giving us a high five. The cops, the workers, nurses were coming out of the hospital,” said Petrina Esposito, a participant in the run. “Brooklyn is Brooklyn and the heart of people will always be here.”

The Brooklyn Half Marathon is the second largest such race in the country. This year security was heightened, organizers asking runners to place their property in clear, drawstring bags which were provided by them.

When the race was over, for many the fun had just begun. People walked around Coney Island, enjoying the rides, eating, drinking and just plain celebrating the new beginning for Brooklyn.

“Now what am I going to do? I’m going to eat this hot dog,” said John Bennion, a runner.

“It’s good to see everyone come together and have fun and kind of just rebuilding, coming back to normal and try to be positive about it,” said Kathryn Bannister, also a participant in the race.

“We are excited to announce this new campaign which will educate the public about the critical need for organ donors in New York. It is our hope that these efforts will ultimately help thousands of people in need of life-saving transplants. Our goal is to reach as many New Yorkers as possible, and to share that the time is now to register to save lives.”

According to one study conducted in 2010, 83% of New Yorkers actually support organ, eye and tissue donation. However, many have taken no steps to show that support. This new initiative includes collaborations with government agencies, public libraries and private businesses to get information out to New Yorkers.

Throughout April, the New York, Brooklyn and Queens Public Library systems showed information about organ donation with visitors and made enrollment available at their locations. Zaro’s Bakery showed its support as well, promoting organ donation on packaging and on store displays. Zaro’s offered a free cup of coffee to anyone who enrolled on site and they donated baked goods at the end of the month to families of patients who were awaiting organ transplants.

The Brooklyn Nets got involved as well, promoting organ donation to fans and game attendees. Their “Be a Game Changer” sweepstakes allowed fans to win prizes online and special entrance to the Barclays Center was available to fans who showed they were organ donors at the April 6^th, 9^th, 15^th and 17^th games. Certainly, with the assistance of Tusk Strategies with Bradley Tusk and others, the NYODN worked tirelessly in April to get its important message out.

GoogaMooga 2012

This coming weekend, from Friday May 17 to Sunday May 19, the amazing GoogaMooga Food and Music Festival returns to Prospect Park for its second fabulous year. Promising to deal with all the issues that made last year’s GoogaMooga a bit less than perfect, Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of the event’s producer Superfly Presents, reassured potential participants:

“Last year the turnout was absolutely huge, which is a good problem to have. It wasn’t perfect but we learned a lot, and we’re giving the restaurants tremendous resources this year to respond to that volume.”

At last year’s festival lines 30 minutes long for tacos were reported, drinking water was in short supply and there was even fisticuffs over fried chicken. A bit rough, even for Brooklyn. Attendees who paid $250 for the premium tickets and the privilege of such chaos were refunded their money in the end.

But this promises to be completely different. For one thing, the producers are adding a third day to the event to try and curb the crowds. More food vendors have also been invited to spread the customers over more merchants, and an area that last year was reserved for only the VIPs, the Extra Mooga section, will be accessible to everyone for the general admission price. More water will be made available, as well as supplementary cell towers and “Rhino Mats” which will protect grass from rough shoes.

Those interested parties that did not win the on-line lottery for the free general admission tickets, or did not purchase the VIP Cocktail Experience passes before they were all sold out (for $79.50 each), there is a still a chance to attend the party. For $54.50 there are still tickets available for the Friday night kickoff concert, on-line. This ticket entitles the bearer to performances by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Flaming Lips; all food, wine and beer vendors (excluding cocktails) and entrance to the festival on either Saturday or Sunday.

“I think this year will be even better than last,” says Emily Lloyd, president of Prospect Park Alliance, which credits GoogaMooga with bumping its membership by a few hundred over the last year. “I fully intend to eat a lot.”

For more information go to the official GoogaMooga web site: googamooga.com

Free Glasses for Students in Brooklyn

Beginning next year Brooklyn elementary school students who qualify will be able to receive eye exams and glasses for free. The program is part of the United Federation of Teachers’ Community Schools Initiative whose goal is to provide health and social services directly to students in their schools.

The first eye clinic will open in PS 188 on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island. It will be a brand-new, $350,000 facility which will be run by the non-profit organization OneSight. Another clinic which they will also run is in the planning stages and will open in PS 18 in the Bronx.

“This is excellent. It’s going to make a world of difference in my daughter,” said Coney Island mom Anita Mieles, whose fourth-grade daughter wears glasses.

Mieles bought eyeglasses for her daughter last year, but she says the girl already needs a new pair. She is going to wait until the new school-based eye clinic is up and running to get the new glasses.

“First you have to pay the co-payments then you have to pay for the lenses,” said Mieles. “Everything gets so expensive.”

Students from nearby schools can also have their eyes checked at PS 188, and if they qualify, receive glasses for free.

Protesters Against Closure of LICH

Despite a previous announcement that they would be closing down Long Island College Hospital, Downstate Medical Center reversed its decision and stated that they will not be closing down the Brooklyn teaching hospital after all.

Long Island College Hospital, located in the Cobble Hill neighborhood, was part of a larger budget fight in the legislature of New York State. The state budget, which was passed into law last month, stipulated that the administration of the State University of New York (SUNY) together with Downstate Medical Center had to create a way to keep the doors of the financially struggling institution open.

Albany legislatures fought for a way to guarantee that medical services in the area be maintained and that the medical college stays open. The college is a training ground for a large number of Latino and black doctors.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo remarked that the state Legislature did not include a bailout of the hospital. Rather, the state is insisting that officials find the means to keep the hospital open.

The Center for Discovery

Only 90 minutes away from New York City, in Harris, New York, is a special place which is making a huge impact on adults and children with severe disabilities, other medical frailties, and a growing number of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Center for Discovery.

Located in the Catskills on a beautiful multi-campus facility, the Center is the largest provider for children with serious disabilities in the New York State program. The Center provides care and therapy for 171 children in 23 residences, and special education services to a total of 269 children of school age, 100 of those day students.

The program for adults offers a variety of residential choices for 144 people, ages 21 to 87. Options for adults with severe disabilities, medical frailties and aging issues range from 24-hour nursing care residences to five-bed homes on a newly renovated Thanksgiving Farm.

Coming up on May 14, concerned people who would like to support the work of The Center will have the opportunity at “An Evening of Discovery;” this is an auction fundraiser which is the signature fundraising of the year for The Center. CEO Patrick Dollard, Center for Discovery, will join the many others paying tribute to those people who have shown themselves to be devoted to the goals of The Center.

This fundraising event will take place at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, on 23rd Street on the Hudson River. Cocktails will be served at 6pm and dinner at 7pm. Dinner guests will be encouraged to participate in the live silent auction, while others can also participate in the auction online.

Showcasing dozens of animal-related artwork and items from collectors like Clinton Howell Antiques, Lillian Nassau, Phoenix Ancient Art and Linda Bernell Gallery, the renowned designer’s room will attract art enthusiasts, collectors and taste-makers. $25 will be donated to the ASPCA with every item purchased.

“I am very excited to collaborate with the Spring Show NYC dealers in order to raise additional funds for the ASPCA,” Beldock said.

Beldock designed two wallpaper motifs for the event: one features crocodiles, and the other- wood grain. She explained, “The introduction of these wallpapers and a few pieces of contemporary furniture of my own design for Profiles really make the glorious antiques sing.”

Beldock has designed several rooms over the years, including for the Kips Bay Decorator Showcase, Design a Dime for Housing Works, Holiday House for Cancer Research, and others. Her company, Brett Design Inc., has been covered in numerous publications including the New York Times, the New York Post, Interior Design, Forbes, Hamptons and Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, and many more.

Police After Bombings at Boston Marathon

In solidarity with and in order to help the people most hurt during the twin bombing attack on the Boston Marathon last week, NYCRUNS is sponsoring a fundraiser exactly one week after the Patriots’ Day tragedy.

Steve Lastoe, a resident of Windsor Terrace and a member of NYCRUNS in Downtown Brooklyn organized, as he puts it, a “virtual 5K” run in order to raise money for families most affected by the bombing.

“It was a direct attack on my community — that motivates me,” said Lastoe, 41. “This race is our world,” he added. “It’s as though somebody came into our church; the Boston Marathon is the Holy Grail.”

The Boston Marathon attack killed three people, including an 8 year-old boy, and injured 183 others, about a dozen losing limbs.

Participants in the NYCRUNS virtual 5K fundraiser will pay $25 to join. They will then do a timed 5-kilometer run or walk at their own convenience, as long as they finish their walk/run by 2:50pm on Monday, which will be exactly one week since the bombs exploded in Boston. Money raised will go to The One Fund Bosotn, which was established by Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Boston Mayor Tim Menino to help the victims of the bombing.

Lastoe said that NYCRUNS hopes to raise at least $25,000 from the virtual race.

The fund has already raised over $5,000 from more than 200 runners, some of them New Yorkers who participated in the Boston Marathon, the mother of all marathons.

Bay Ridge resident Cassie Nelson, 38, who was a half-mile from the finish at the Boston Marathon when the bombs exploded and she was told to stop her run said,

“I feel overwhelming sadness. It is all so senseless.”

Giants Receiver Victor Cruz

Last month Giants’ flamboyant star receiver Victor Cruz dismissed his agent Malik Shareef and signed with the preeminent CAA sports agency. There is reason to believe that he was not just thinking of his new contract with the Giants, but was eyeing his opportunity to become the next celebrity athlete in New York to become part of Jay Z’s latest venture- the Roc Nation Sports agency.

Cruz is a restricted free agent, and signed with Tom Condon of CAA, one of the most prominent and successful agents working in the NFL. The dumping of Shareef and the hiring of Condon took place after a year of difficult negotiations with the Giants over Cruz’s new contract. A new, long-term contract never even came close to fruition.

Apparently Cruz is holding out for a contract worth $10 million, according to many, including Ari Glass, who writes regularly on his blog about the Giants, a sum that many believe is considerably beyond the value of this one player. As Glass explains it:

“The guy is reportedly looking for $10m per year.  He is not that good of a
receiver.  His numbers are misleading.  He is very much the product
of Eli Manning and the system.  Until injuries slowed Nicks, has benefited
from Nicks’ constant double teams and didn’t show he could lead them or catch
the ball when not open as a number one receiver should.  The
slot receiver in this Giants offense just gets a lot of balls thrown
there.  Steve Smith thrived and never produced again.  If Welker got
$6m per, Cruz should not get more than $5m.  There is only so much you can
spend at receiver and Nicks is the main man and his contract is up next
year.  They should spend the bigger money on him.  The question for
Reese is Cruz that much better then Randle.  Randle flashed as a rookie
and this year will be telling.  There was never a risk that anyone would
sign Cruz while a restricted free agent given the compensation the Giants would get on top of the contract Cruz would need.  They can have him for less than $3m this year and have another year to see if Randle can step in.”

Glass adds:

“What needs to be remembered s that every dollar they spend on
Cruz is one dollar less they can spend elsewhere.  That is something not
fully appreciated.  It’s not as if the Mara’s and Tisches are putting the
extra money in their pockets.  They are spending it elsewhere.  JPP,
Linval Joseph and Nicks all need to be signed next year and the cap was flat
this year.  There is a salary cap and you can and will spend a certain
amount.”

It still remains to be seen what will happen with Cruz. It is now his move; the ball, so to speak, is in his court.

G Train Arriving

The G train, also known as the Brooklyn local, has been gaining riders at a rate faster than any other subway line in New York City. Data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reveals that in 2012 the G gained 2,000 users each weekday, a rise of 4.2 percent, making other train routes in town look practically unused.

This information has prompted commuters using the G train to help push their case that the route needs to be upgraded further. Advocates for this route recently won a difficult battle to extend the line by five stops into Park Slope, Windsor Terrace and Kensington on a permanent basis.

“The MTA’s new numbers show what G train riders already know. These trains are overcrowded,” said John Raskin, leader of subway user advocacy group Riders Alliance. “We need more of them.”

Today the G train takes people from North Brooklyn to Brownstone Brooklyn, but it is not always a pleasant ride.

“It can be really crowded when the service is irregular, and that happens a lot,” said Alexis Saba, who lives off the Clinton-Washington stop and takes the train often.

Last year commuters noisily advocated for improvements in the service on the G line. They complained of overcrowding, long waits, and inadequate signage. Politicians, commuters, and activist groups including the Riders Alliance, all joined together to demand change.

At first the MTA ignored the demands, saying that service on the G line was fine and low-ridership did not necessitate more trains or better service. In January, however, the MTA changed directions and said they will think about making changes to the route. Last February the MTA began a review of the line which they hope to be completed by this summer.

Spokesman for the MTA, Kevin Ortiz, said that the agency will take into consideration the increase in ridership, but that is not their only consideration when deciding on making changes to any one particular route.

“We will of course use the latest ridership figures as we assess G line service, but total ridership is only one of the elements we use to determine levels of service,” said Ortiz. “The last time we looked at ridership trends, the level of service on the G was sufficient, but we will continue to analyze.”