BROOKLYN YEAR IN REVIEW 2005

• Atlantic Yards:  Development was the name of the game this year, with the Atlantic yards project leading the pack---Bruce Ratners plan for a sports arena and 17 high rises in Prospect Heights, made considerable headway this year with the MTA selling the rights to the rail yards…but the project, now undergoing an environmental impact study, isn’t a done deal--- and the opposition made it clear this year, that they’re not going down, without a fight.
• Williamsburg / Greenpoint waterfront:  In May of 2005 city officials decided on a rezoning plan that will allow developers to build along 175 blocks of the decrepit Williamsburg / Greenpoint waterfront…but like any new development, it didn’t move forward without a fight… Housing advocates and community leaders led a campaign for inclusionary zoning that would mandate a certain number of affordable housing units in the plan.
• Red Hook Waterfront:  Development spread west to the Red Hook Waterfront. With a new cruise ship terminal at pier 12 and plans for a new Ikea furniture store that could transform this once isolated maritime community--- Ikea was a source of controversy from the beginning, and when we checked in-- the fight over Ikea’s proposal to build a gigantic furniture store in red hook was centered on the loss of the area's only working graving dock. As Sherry Karabin explains, one barge owner was joined by historians, environmentalists and others to help preserve the dock and the identity of their neighborhood.
• Coney Island:  Once a haven for the rich and famous, the community of Coney Island has declined in years past---but it’s on the rise again with a plan for a new Coney Island.
• St. Mary’s Hospital:  The closing of St. Mary’s Hospital due to a financial crisis this year came with shock and dismay for many crown heights residents. Reporter Nicole Odell looked at what the closing will mean to Central Brooklyn, with some of the highest infant mortality rates in the country.
• Real Estate:  A big story this year was soaring real estate prices and the continued gentrification of Brooklyn neighborhoods—some of the hot new neighborhoods this year were Red Hook, Sunset Park, Bushwick and as reporter Marci Villanueva discovered…a boom in Bed Stuy…
• Marry your Baby Daddy Day:  September 29th is now being dubbed “Marry your Baby Daddy Day”---it’s the dream of one Brooklyn writer seeking to stop the anti- marriage trend in African American couples…reporter Elsie Mujica was there as six couples tied the knot…
• McCarren Pool:  After being abandoned for over 20 years, the historic McCarren pool in Greenpoint came alive again this year. We were there when dancer Noemie Lafrance staged “Agora” in the McCarren pool…
• Country Music:  Who knew Brooklyn had a country music scene? …certainly not that is until reporter Fred Brown introduced us to Brooklyn’s very own cowgirl….Debbie Dangerfield.

Episode 119
Original Cablecast: December 10, 2005

• Duffield Street:  It’s a familiar battle in Brooklyn these days…residents fighting to save their homes from being demolished to make room for large scale development… and while many people are familiar with the Atlantic Yards project, there’s another fight going on just blocks away…it’s the fight to save the homes on Duffield Street, homes residents say were once part of the Underground Railroad…. Sherry Karabin has this story.
• Coney Island:  Brooklyn’s beloved Coney Island has had its highs and lows…from its early days as summer haven for the rich and famous to the 70’s and 80’s when the place became a desolate wasteland of drugs and crime. Today Coney Island is on the rise, with the city, the developers and the community exploring how to best shape the future of Coney Island.
• Rotunda Gallery in Residence Program:  Can art enhance education or boost self esteem in students…these are the kind of questions explored in the Rotunda Gallery in Residence Program that pairs individual artists with local public schools. Elsie Mujica visited PS 369 in Boerum Hill.
• Atlantic Christmas:  If you needed another reason to never leave Brooklyn, Atlantic Avenue now has its own tree lighting ceremony and Christmas celebration …reporter Marci Villanueva was there…
• Christmas Culture:  Nicole Odell takes us on a borough wide tour of the ways the many cultures of Brooklyn celebrate this time of year
• Brooklyn Children’s Museum:  Our next story also takes a global theme…this time we go to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights where their exhibit Global Shoes teaches kids about the world through a very ordinary item…shoes…Fred Brown has more.

Episode 118
Original Cablecast: November 26, 2005

• The Hunt Continues:  The hunt continues for the man investigators believe posed as a firefighter and sexually assaulted a Chelsea woman on Halloween night. $12,000 reward has been posted for any information on Braunstein, last thought to be spotted at a Cobble Hill coffee shop.
• The MTA is suing the F Line Bagel Shop:  The MTA is suing the F Line bagel shop in Carroll Gardens for copyright infringement. The bagel shop is being asked to remove the MTA themed logo from their name or pay $5000 in licensing fees.
• Atlantic Avenue:  A new traffic plan calls for a makeover of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and queens. The multimillion dollar plan is designed to improve traffic on one of New York’s most traveled roadways over a 4 year period.
• Atlantic Yards Project:  It's not too late to stop the Atlantic Yards project. That was the message area residents tried to drive home at a recent walk-a-thon and demonstration in prospect heights. Sherry Karabin was there.
• Youth Conference:  Students and legislators packed a Bushwick high school youth conference recently to look at the links between substance abuse and aids. The teens had the unique opportunity voice their concerns directly to local decision makers. But as Nicole Odell tells us, the liberal format yielded more information than some had bargained for.
• Peace Fair:  Cindy Sheehan, the bereaved military mother turned war protester, headlined a recent Brooklyn Peace Fair. Sheehan joined the Brooklyn Parents for Peace organization in their efforts to bring our troops home from Iraq.
• Next Wave Festival:  If you haven’t caught the Next Wave you still have time. The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival runs through December. I sat down with bam executive producer Joe Melillo to get the scoop on Brooklyn’s premiere contemporary performing arts festival.
• Brooklyn Central YMCA:  After a 40 year search, the Brooklyn central YMCA of the YMCA of greater NYC has a new place to call home. The sleek new building on the corner of Court and Atlantic will support many of the Y’s longstanding programs plus some new ones. Nicole Odell has more.
• Debbie Dangerfield:  Country music was the talk of the town in November, with the first official hosting of the Country Music Awards in New York City. But as Fred Brown discovered, Manhattan wasn't the only place where cowboys and girls roamed...Brooklyn has its very own cowgirl….introducing Debbie Dangerfield.

Episode 117
Original Cablecast: November 5, 2005

• Election Results:  Mayor Michael Bloomberg easily won a second term in office fending off challenger Fernando Ferrer with a 20 percent margin of victory. In city council races, all Brooklyn eyes were on the district 45 race where incumbent Democrat Vincent Gentile won a second term against Republican Pat Russo, whom he narrowly defeated in 2003. And well, they tried, that is the candidates who ran against Borough President Marty Markowitz, but it was a slam dunk for our Borough President with 79%of the vote.
• Rent is too Damn High:  If you looked closely at the mayoral and City Council District 45 ballot this year you may have noticed a new party line called, The Rent is too Damn High Party… and while the candidates didn’t win any seats in this year’s election, they certainly got people talking.
• L-Service:  Recently New York City Transit announced an increase in weekend closures of the l line for early 2006. System upgrade work has been ongoing for the past two years on the l line and as Marci Villanueva tells us, the mere thought of weekend life with no l train has many Brooklynites concerned.
• Bed Stuy Post Office:  Our last episode of Brooklyn Review took us to a Bed Stuy mural featuring the late Brooklyn Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. Next reporter Elsie Mujica takes us to a Bed Stuy post office now dedicated to this local and national hero known for paving the road for women in politics.
• Beluga:  After more than 20 years in Brooklyn, three female beluga whales at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island are being shipped to a new home in Atlanta, Georgia. The move is part of a national whale breeding program sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Next Nicole Odell takes us to say goodbye to Natasha, Marina and Maris.
• Day of the Dead:  For many Brooklynites, the last days of October are devoted to picking out costumes and gearing up for Halloween. However, this time of the year has an entirely different significance for the many Mexicans who celebrate day of the dead. Sherry Karabin takes a closer look at this tradition, which is so deeply engrained in Mexican culture.
• Brewery:  According to some culinary reports, beer is the world's second most consumed beverage, with tea in first place. And there's certainly no shortage of beer lovers here in Brooklyn. Next Fred Brown takes us to meet the newest beer-makers on the block.

Episode 116
Original Cablecast: October 22, 2005

• Atlantic Yards Hearing:  Brooklynites packed the 880 seat auditorium at the New York City College of Technology in the first of two official public hearings on the Bruce Ratners Atlantic Yards project.
• Pakistani Relief:  Brooklyn's Pakistani population is feeling the ripple of the worst earthquake to hit their geographical area in the last century. Though heads and hearts are low with sadness due to the loss of family and friends during this holy month of Ramadan, faith, unity and the will to help are creating a united force among Pakistanis in Brooklyn.
• Zoning:  There’s no denying that Brooklyn is having growing pains. With Manhattan saturated, many are turning their sights toward Brooklyn and all the new developments have residents concerned. In an effort to put a stop to towering condominiums changing the skyline and character of Brooklyn neighborhoods, several communities have been fighting to rezone or downzone areas to keep luxury developers out. Next Sherry Karabin takes us on a tale of two neighborhoods - one where the fight has just begun; another where residents are close to winning their battle.
• Habitat for Humanity:  One type of development no one seems to be griping about is the development of affordable housing in Brooklyn. Elsie Mujica was there when habitat for humanity broke ground on affordable housing in Bed Stuy.
• Bed Stuy Mural:  Many strong and gutsy women have made their mark on Brooklyn and as Megan Donis shows us, now they’ll be celebrated on a new Bed Stuy mural “Women Who Pursue Justice”.
• Greenwood Cemetery:  Firmly planted amid 478 acres near Prospect Park, Greenwood Cemetery has been a Brooklyn presence for over 150 years. While some may find cemeteries spooky, wait till you see the glorious Greenwood Cemetery. Join Marci Villanueva, on a tour of Brooklyn’s buried treasure.
• Brooklyn Eats:  Next, Fred Brown takes us to the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Brooklyn Eats” event at the Brooklyn Marriott. Brace yourself for over 50 of Brooklyn’s top food and beverage businesses “serving it up” all under one roof.

Episode 115
Original Cablecast: October 8, 2005

• State Assemblyman:  State Assemblyman Clarence Norman has been convicted on four counts of mishandling campaign contributions in the 2000 and 2002 primary elections. Norman faces up to four years in prison and will lose his Assembly seat and control of the Brooklyn Democratic Organization.
• Cruise Ship Oriana:  The 1800 passenger cruise ship Oriana was the first ship dock at the new cruise terminal being built in Red Hook. Mayor Bloomberg and borough president Marty Markowitz were there to greet the captain and crew of this cruise ship from London, bound for Boston and Canada. The Red Hook Terminal is expected to be fully operational by April of 2006.
• Teachers:  Teachers in the nation’s largest school system will get a 15 % raise over 4 years in an agreement reached between the Bloomberg administration and the United Federation of Teachers. The agreement comes after two years of contentious negotiations and expires in October of 2007.
• Marry Your Baby Daddy:  Here comes the bride, the groom, and the baby?!! It’s the dream of one woman seeking to stop the trend of African American couples having children out of wedlock. Reporter Elsie Mujica was there as the dream came true on marry your baby daddy day.
• Brooklyn Free School:  While most students went back to school this year sitting uniformly at their desks with a teacher at the blackboard, kids at Brooklyn Free School are having a much different experience. Imagine… a school that gives kids the freedom to explore subjects in a less traditional classroom setting, perhaps through the use of games; or an educational facility that lets students focus only on the subjects they're interested in, even coming up with course ideas of their own. As Sherry Karabin tells us this reality at the Brooklyn free school.
• Cancer Center:  Up until this year the approximately 4, 500 Brooklyn residents who will succumb to cancer each year have had to travel to Manhattan for treatment. But the arrival of Brooklyn’s first cancer center at Maimonides Hospital hopes to change all that. It’s the vision of many in the Brooklyn community and named after one.
• Real Estate Boom:  While the real estate boom continues to soar, there seems to be little fear for the bubble to pop. Sales are stronger than ever and the affordability of homes in Brooklyn compared to Manhattan attracts buyers to our borough, and not just to the waterfront. Next, Marci Villanueva looks at the boom in Bed Stuy.
• Next Wave Festival:  Always on the cutting edge the Brooklyn Academy of Music is going beyond new wave with their Next Wave Festival. I sat down with BAM Executive Director Joe Mellilo to the get the rundown of the 23rd annual Next Wave.
• Atlantic Antic:  What started off as a small block-party has now become one of the biggest community events of the fall season, drawing nearly 1,000 supporters over a 10-15 block radius, to one of the busiest streets on Downtown Brooklyn. Atlantic Avenue. And today, thirty-one years later, Atlantic Antic is still going strong, Fred Brown was around town drumming up a few antics of his own...

Episode 114
Original Cablecast: September 24, 2005

• Atlantic Yards:  Bruce Ratners Atlantic Yards project is moving forward…earlier this month the MTA accepted Ratners 100 million dollar bid for the development rights to the 8 and a half acres of rail yards in Downtown Brooklyn. The Ratner bid was less than half of the value of the real estate…appraised by the MTA at 214.5 million.
• September 13th primary elections:  The September 13th primary elections proved the power of incumbency…not a single incumbent was unseated but there were some close races.
• Hurricane Katrina:  But the despite the many things happening here at home, so many Brooklynites are fixated on the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.
• 9/11:  And while Brooklynites grieve for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, they’re also grieving for those lost in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center 4 years ago. Next, Sherry Karabin takes us to the community of Williamsburg, where residents and elected officials came together on the fourth anniversary of 9/11 for a candle light vigil to continue the healing process and to pay tribute to those who were lost.
• Domestic Violence Courts:  Though domestic violence crime has decreased by 38 percent in New York City over the past 4 years, it still remains a huge public health issue. Next, Nicole Odell takes us to a new justice center aimed at addressing the issue holistically.
• Greenest Block:  For the last 11 years the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has challenged the borough to a contest…who has the Greenest Block in Brooklyn. We were there when this year’s winners were announced.
• McCarren pool:  After being abandoned for over 20 years, there is life again in the historic McCarren pool in Greenpoint. On a recent balmy evening community residents came upon the world of dancer Noemie Lafrance and her performance in the pool.
• New Music:  The Downtown Fulton Mall has historically been a hub for one activity New Yorkers love to do - shopping. But when reporter Fred Brown headed down to the mall on a regular shopping weekend, he found an annual outdoor music performance...with a purpose.

Episode 113
Original Cablecast: September 10, 2005

• West Indian American Day Carnival: Intro  
• West Indian American Day Carnival: History  
• West Indian American Day Carnival: Night Before Preparations  
• West Indian American Day Carnival: Costume Controversy   
• West Indian American Day Carnival: Neville Martin Costume Maker
• West Indian American Day Carnival: The Sonatas Steel Orchestra  
• West Indian American Day Carnival: Caribbean Food   
• West Indian American Day Carnival: The Junior Carnival   
• West Indian American Day Carnival: Sights and Sounds Montage  

Episode 112
Original Cablecast: August 27, 2005

• Bushwick Update:  Immigrant workers in Bushwick won back a total of $70,000 in back wages in a settlement announced by NY State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer. Superstar 99 was shut down and has reopened under the name as 99 cents and up. Workers will now be paid a minimum wage plus overtime and vacation pay.
• McCarren Pool:  Next we take you to Greenpoint where a pool of all things has been the centerpiece of decades of community conflict. Opened in July 1936 and shut in 1983, this is the 22nd summer that Greenpoint residents have been without a functioning pool. I visited the community of Greenpoint to find out what the story is behind the McCarren Pool.
• Coney Island Carousel:  Historians in Coney Island are calling the city's last minute purchase of the B&B carousel a fairy tale ending. The B&B was the last remaining carousel on Coney Island and many feared it would be sold off on the auction block and its pieces sold on e-bay. Still the B&B is a long way from re-opening to the public. Sherry Karabin takes a look at the sale and what's ahead for the historic ride that has meant so much to so many.
• The Brooklynite:  Let Manhattan have the New Yorker magazine because Brooklyn now has the Brooklynite. The quarterly, free magazine was started by writer Daniel Treiman and its first issue hit the stands this summer. I sat down on the stoop with the founder and editor of the Brooklynite.
• Carnival Costume Maker:  With the West Indian day carnival right around the corner people all over Brooklyn are busy preparing for the big day. Next Elsie Mujica takes us to meet one man whose been creating carnival costumes for over 30 years.
• Best Playgrounds:  In Brooklyn playgrounds are plentiful but not always up to par. Reporter Nicole Odell consulted the experts to determine the some of Brooklyn’s best playgrounds.
• Embora:  It’s all about being well physically and mentally at a new wellness and movement studio in Clinton Hill. Fred brown was around town at Embora …a place that promises to offer something healthy for everyone…all under one roof.

Episode 111
Original Cablecast: August 13, 2005

• Crown Heights:  Since the Crown Heights riots of 1991 this community has worked to improve relations between its Black and Jewish residents. But recently the neighborhood has seen an increase in crime and bias incidents namely the attack of a black community leader by yeshiva students and the attack of a Hasidic man by two Black men. Elsie Mujica was there as the community came together to walk against bias crimes in Crown Heights.
• Bed Stuy Library:  As Brooklyn's central library and 14 other branches prepare to extend service in September by opening Mondays, residents in Bedford Stuyvesant are hoping for just regular service at their branch. The Bed Stuy branch closed its doors in October 2002 for major renovations and has yet to reopen. As Nicole Odell discovered Bed Stuy residents are calling on the library to bring back the books.
• Red Hook vs. Ikea:  It has been a source of controversy from the beginning, now the fight over Ikea’s proposal to build a gigantic furniture store in Red Hook is taking a different turn. This time the problem centers on the loss of the areas only working graving dock. As Sherry Karabin explains, one barge owner is joining historians, environmentalists and others to help preserve the dock and the identity of their neighborhood.
• Greenest Block:  For the last 11 years the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has challenged the borough to a contest…who has the greenest block in Brooklyn. We were there when this year’s winners were announced.
• Coney Island History:  From the inventor of the hot dog to the man who built the first roller coaster, these famous Coney Island figures will now be honored at the Coney Island hall of fame ….
• Gum:  Brooklyn’s very own chewing gum is finally making it’s way home after spending 50 years as an Italian favorite. I went on a borough wide search to find this gum that bears the name of our borough.
• Gay Pride:  Every August, a local HIV and AIDS information outreach agency called...People of Color in Crisis hosts its annual pride in the city weekend in Brooklyn. Now in its 5th year, the event attracts hundreds of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people of African American and Caribbean decent. Fred brown was around town for the opening event.

Episode 110
Original Cablecast: July 23, 2005

• East New York:  The picture painted of East New York is not often a pretty one… it ranks in the top three New York neighborhoods for murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, gang violence and prostitution. But as crime rates citywide go down, community organizations in East New York are fighting to make sure their neighborhood isn’t left behind…
• Lutheran Mosque:  The neighborhood of Sunset Park is one of the city’s most diverse with a large Chinese population, Mexican population and growing community of Arab Americans. Lutheran medical center is ever working to serve the many immigrant groups of Sunset Park by tailoring the hospital to meet the needs of the community. Last year they opened up a Chinese healthcare unit and as Nicole Odell shows us, this year sees the arrival of a mosque located within the hospital…
• Borough Park Soup Kitchen:  Did you know that 1.5 million New Yorkers rely on emergency food programs? More than 300 soup kitchens and food pantries across Brooklyn provide relief to those in need. But until recently, orthodox Jews in Borough Park, say there were no kosher soup kitchens in their neighborhood. Heather Tenzer brings us this story.
• The Brooklyn Connection:  A Bay Ridge business man turns international gunrunner in the recent release of “The Brooklyn Connection”—a documentary airing on PBS this month.
• Brooklyn Artists Gym:  Artists now have an opportunity to flex their creative muscle at the recently opened Brooklyn Artists Gym. It’s the brain child of Peter Wallace who seeks to bring Brooklyn’s burgeoning arts community affordable studio space.
• Dogs:  With its ample park space, Brooklyn is a dog lovers dream…Prospect Park in particular has one of the largest dog runs in the city. Next Sherry Karabin takes us to meet a group of dog owners who are taking the term dog lover to the next level.
• Bastille Day:  July 14th is a significant day for French people worldwide. It's an annual celebration known as Bastille Day, which marks the country's independence from government rule, in the late 1700's. Here in Brooklyn, reporter Fred Brown and found a group of the French and French enthusiasts celebrating Bastille Day Brooklyn style.

Episode 109
Original Cablecast: July 9, 2005

• Atlantic Yards:  The bid which rivals Bruce Ratners proposal to build a Brooklyn nets arena and 17 high-rises was entered by Manhattan’s Extell Development Company. The rival bid calls for a smaller scale development over the rail yards….11 buildings ranging from 4-28 stories and no sports arena. Ratners bid calls for a 19,000 seat nets arena plus 17 skyscrapers ranging from 20 to 60 stories Neither developer disclosed how much they bid for the 8.4-acre stretch of rail yard along Atlantic Ave.
• Bushwick:  Our first story takes us to Bushwick’s Knickerbocker Avenue where many immigrants are working in sweatshop like conditions for wages that barely allow them to survive. As Sherry Karabin discovered, community organizations are stepping in to help give immigrants a voice and urge government officials to force shop owners to pay a living wage.
• Furnish a Future:  A couch..a bed…a table to eat your meals: they’re essential pieces found in most homes…that is, if you can afford them. For more than a decade, it’s a hurdle one not for profit has helped families overcome and as Jenni Monet shows us—now a new set of crusaders are corralling for the cause.
• Building Brooklyn Awards:  All eyes are on new development projects in Brooklyn and the chamber of commerce is honoring the best of the best in Brooklyn architecture. Nicole Odell takes us on a tour of this year’s winner’s circle of the 2005 Brooklyn Building Awards.
• Welcome Back / My Brooklyn:  How better to capture the beauty and complexity of Brooklyn than through the eyes and imaginations of its residents…it’s the idea behind the Brooklyn Public Library’s “My Brooklyn” photo and essay contest.
• Bead Project:  For the last 7 years groups of women have been gathering at Brooklyn’s Urban Glass to learn the art of bead making. It’s called the bead project…a program designed to help low income women turn their creativity into supplementary income.
• Mermaid Parade:  It’s that time of year when costumed creatures converge to the cat walk in Coney Island. Next Fred Brown takes us to meet the lovely ladies of the sea at the 22nd annual Mermaid Parade.

Episode 108
Original Cablecast: June 24, 2005

• Rent:  Rents are on the rise again with a recent vote by the rent guidelines board. We were there for a public hearing in Downtown Brooklyn.
• Mccarren Pool:  Next we take you to Greenpoint where a pool of all things has been the centerpiece of decades of community conflict...while city pools will open around the borough this week...the historic Mccarren pool will remain closed. Opened in July 1936 and shut in 1983 the pool has been abandoned for over 20 years. I visited the pool and the community of Greenpoint to find out what the story is behind the Mccarren pool.
• Waste Transfer:  50 thousand tons of trash a day… it’s the latest figures piling up in a waste debate dividing local leaders at City Hall. And as Jenni Monet shows us…the issue could lead to a cleaner, greener solution to sanitation for Brooklynites who’ve been by burdened by the city’s garbage for decades.
• TV Kids:  Reading, writing, arithmetic and TV production...it may sound a like an odd school curriculum but it’s getting high marks from students at one Brooklyn Intermediate School. Sherry Karabin takes behind the scenes of is 211’s TV production class.
• Coney Island Hall of Fame:  From the inventor of the hot dog to the man who built the first roller coaster, these famous Coney Island figures will now be honored at the Coney Island Hall of Fame.
• Summer Heat:  School’s almost out and for many Brooklyn teenagers that means finding a summer job. Next Nicole Odell introduces us to a group of ambitious teens getting a head start in the summer job market
• Great Day Chorale:  The Brooklyn-based Great Day Chorale, recently celebrated it's 17th anniversary with a concert at Prospect Heights High School, a group of 40 community singers - ranging from teachers and engineers to nurses and preachers, lifted their voices in tribute to the negro spiritual, a 200 year-old music form that finds in origins in the history of African American slavery. Fred Brown takes us to meet the woman behind the Great Day Chorale and the preservation of this musical tradition.

Episode 107
Original Cablecast: June 11, 2005

• St. Mary’s Hospital:  Our first story takes to Central Brooklyn where Ob-Gyn services continue to dwindle with the loss of another facility, St. Mary’s Hospital. St. Mary’s is one of three hospitals shutting down maternity services...a devastating blow to a community tagged with some of the highest infant mortality rates in the country.
• Atlantic Yards:  If you’ve visited the neighborhood of Prospect Heights in the past year, you’ve no doubt seen the signs opposing Bruce Ratners Atlantic Yards project. They’re the signs of a coalition of community organizations opposing the proposed Nets Arena and surrounding development. Up next Megan Donis takes us to meet the people behind the protests.
• Weeksville:  In the 1960’s while flying over Brooklyn, historian James Hurly discovered a row of historic houses on Hunterfly Road. The houses had once belonged to hundreds of African Americans who settled in the community of Weeksville during the 1830’s, the end of slavery in New York. Today the Hunterfly houses have been completely restored. We were there when they re-opened their doors.
• “The Zone”:  “The Zone” is one of the many popular diets on the market that call on people to cut down on carbs in order to lose the pounds. It’s a diet that’s delivered to your door and one of the main zone meals preparation facilities is right here in Canarsie, Brooklyn. As Sherry Karabin discovered, the founder of zone chefs is a lifelong Brooklyn resident who’s etching out a niche in a 40 billion dollar diet industry.
• Best of Brooklyn:  To be a tourist in your own town…. It’s the message behind the best of Brooklyn…
• Celebrate Brooklyn:  For nearly 30 years… Prospect Park presents what has become one of the longest-running summer concert stages in the city…all geared to celebrate Brooklyn! As Jenni Monet shows us… it’s local talent who are setting the stage for another season packed with performances.
• Martial Arts:  At the corner of Fulton and Cambridge Streets in upper Clinton Hill lives a small school that's doing big things for the community. The humble school for martial arts, founded by Master Sabu Lewis, opened its doors 4 years ago, and now has weekly classes for students ranging in age from 3 to 80. But as Fred Brown discovered, the lessons taught at this humble school, extend beyond the martial arts...

Episode 106

• St. Mary’s Hospital:  Residents, health care workers and a committee to save St. Mary’s Hospital from being closed rallied outside central Brooklyn clinic with the support of their elected officials. St Mary’s, an affiliate of Manhattan’s St. Vincent’s Hospital is linked to the ever growing budget concerns hemorrhaging in the city’s health care industry. The problem, say analysts an overflow beds and clinics city-wide and not enough patients to fill them. But here in Crown Heights residents say it’s a problem that simply doesn’t fit in their medically underserved community.
• Red Hook Youth Court:  The community of Red Hook has seen a varied past from a thriving waterfront industry to epidemics of drugs and crime. Now Red Hook is a neighborhood on the rise with a variety of programs aimed at involving the community and improving quality of life. I visited the Red Hook Youth Court a revolutionary program teaching teenagers to handle low level offense cases involving their peers.
• Atlantic Yards:  The proposed sports arena otherwise known as the Atlantic Yards is sending Brooklynites to City Hall. Jenni Monet has more from a recent public hearing...
• Babysitting Co-op:  Over the past decade, young parents have been flocking to Prospect Heights and Park Slope, where a virtual baby explosion has left the babysitting market wide open. Parents needing some time off from busy family and work responsibilities generally hire babysitters. But some innovative families are creating unique childcare alternatives. Heather Tenzer brings us the story.
• Dance Africa:  Welcome back to Brooklyn Review. For the last 28 years the Brooklyn Academy of Music has brought the community together for its Dance Africa Festival, now we meet the man behind the moves...
• Waterfront:  Another annual tradition with an artistic twist is the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition Spring Art Show at the Red Hook Pier. Sherry Karabin takes us inside the exhibit, giving us a snapshot of the artists' works and a glimpse of the history that makes this neighborhood so unique.
• Café Habana:  The corner of Fulton and South Portland is recently adorned with red yellow and green. They are the colors of Habana outpost, a new solar powered, Cuban restaurant and outdoor flea market that just opened in Downtown Fort Greene. Expanding a concept from the popular cafe Habana in Soho... Over the bridge to Brooklyn, this trendy cultural spot celebrated its grand opening with a blast...and Fred Brown was in the mix.

Episode 105

• Williamsburg Greenpoint Rezoning:  This, after an overwhelming vote earlier this month in favor of Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to rezone the neighborhood’s shoreline. On May 11th, City Council voted 49 to 1 on the amended plan in its final phase of the public review process dating back to October of last year. In a taping of BCAT’s ReporterRoundtable, officials with the City’s Planning Department say the amended plan will preserve the mixed use layout of Greenpoint-Williamsburg for both residential and retail districts. But opponents of the plan say they’re bracing for drastic changes that could force residents from their homes.
• Johnnies Closes:  One area well on its way to being developed is the Boerum Hill/Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. In the last 5 years Smith Street has come to be lined with upscale restaurants and hip boutiques but as Nicole Odell found out, while Smith Street is gaining a more trendy look it’s also losing some traditional faces.
• Honduras:  A medical team from Sunset Park’s Lutheran Medical Center departed for a week of sandy beaches and sunshine in Honduras. Their journey was far from a vacation but mission of mercy to heal dozens of native children suffering limb and spinal deformities. In just four days twelve doctors in all performed as many as 20 to 30 surgeries--- but it’s still only a fraction of the 200 children in need. The dozen doctors paid their own airfare and relied on grants for room and board, but they say they feel richly paid in serving the hopeful families of Honduras.
• Art in Schools:  From making class sizes smaller to putting policeman in schools New York city is constantly working to find ways to improve its ailing public school system I found one public school in Bushwick coming up with some creative solutions...
• This Week in Politics:  And now here’s Erik Engquist political columnist for courier life publications with this week in Brooklyn politics.
• BAC Film Fest:  Welcome back to Brooklyn Review. Let Manhattan have the Tribeca Film Festival because Brooklyn has a film festival of its own. Now in its 39th year the Brooklyn Arts Council’s annual festival brings together 53 films to be shown on six themed days throughout the month of May...we bring you day 4, the Women of African Decent Festival in the Spike Lee Screening Room at Long Island University...
• Brothels:  By any other title they are noted as award winning film-makers for the Oscar winning documentary ‘Born into Brothels'. But as Jenni Monet shows us, the two directors are taking on roles of humanitarians and gathering the support of Brooklynites.
• Plant Sale:  Thanks Jenni yes Spring is here and things are looking greener in Brooklyn. Up next Elsie Mujica takes us to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual plant sale.
• Brooklyn Designs:  If you're all set for plants and now looking to furnish your home or office with exclusive contemporary designs, then there was one place to be this month...at the Brooklyn Designs Show in DUMBO...This annual event showcases the works of 47 Brooklyn designers. But if you missed it, not to worry. Reporter Fred Brown was there, and has plenty to show and tell.

Episode 104

• Education Forum:  Concerned educators and administrators packed the auditorium--- but it was members of the media asking the questions. WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and New York one’s Dominic Carter moderated the political forum giving candidates the chance to grade the progress of the current administrations education policies.
• Gay Marriage:  And while for some education will be key, others say gay marriage will be a determining issue in this year’s mayoral election. It’s a hot issue and one that’s polarizing people everywhere, including right here in Brooklyn. Sherry Karabin introduces us to two Park Slope couples who are fighting for their right to wed.
• Workforce 1:  From Steiner studios in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard to Bruce Ratners Nets Arena, development is the name of the game in Brooklyn these days and a common theme is emerging... Development dreams paired with promises of employment for Brooklyn residents... As Jenni Monet shows us all eyes are on a one-stop career center and whether new jobs in Brooklyn will go to the Brooklynites who need them most.
• Thanatology:  Death, it’s the one thing we all have in common yet the one topic that many of us in our society avoid. But as I discovered there is a movement in Brooklyn. Individuals working to improve both attitudes about death and the quality of life for the dying.
• This Week in Brooklyn Politics:  We turn now to Erik Engquist, Political Columnist for Courier Life with "This Week in Brooklyn Politics".
• Brooklyn Dodgers:  In the 1950’s the landscape of professional baseball was occupied by three teams: the Giants, the Yankees and the Dodgers...and Dodgers fans of that era were distressed by the fact that their team had never won the World Series...that is until April 22nd 1955...Nicole Odell has more from the Brooklyn Historical Society.
• Miramar:  For many to live in New York is to sacrifice nature and tranquility for the excitement and pulse of the big city...but Elsie Mujica discovered a place right in our back yard where the smell of salt water and a cool ocean breeze will set sail to all your cares and concerns.
• Moshood:  If you’ve ever spotted two eyes staring out at you from a t shirt or a shoulder bag you were probably looking at the eyes of Moshood. The eyes are the signature brand of this Fort Greene based boutique that marked 15 years in business this year. Reporter Fred Brown was around town for Moshoods in store fashion show celebrating the legacy and creations of an admired community designer .

Episode 103

• Rashawn Brazell:  On February 17th of this year a young, Black, gay man, Rashawn Brazell, was found murdered and dismembered in a Bedford Stuyvesant subway station. As an active investigation to find Brazell’s killer continues, the community is stepping in to make sure their voices are heard and Rashawn Brazell is remembered. Megan Donis reports.
• Women’s Health:  A new study by the New York City Department of Health and mental hygiene shows that while women’s health in the five boroughs has improved in the last decade, minority and low-income women have been largely excluded from the reformation. Reporter Nicole Odell discovered that advocates and healthcare professionals are searching for new creative ways to make sure no woman is left behind.
• Gowanus:  And now reporter Jenni Monet shows us how residents living along Brooklyn’s gowanus canal are getting a shot at shaping the future of their neighborhood.
• Satmar:  Often considered a fringe group on Hasidic Jews, the satmar are a small Hasidic community living in Williamsburg. On one hand the satmar are conventional in many of their Hasidic beliefs traditions, on the other hand they are very unconventional in that they oppose the state of Israel on religious grounds. Reporter Heather Tenzer brings us this story.
• This Week in Brooklyn Politics:  We turn now to Erik Engquist, Political Columnist for Courier Life with "This Week in Brooklyn Politics".
• Dine in Brooklyn Week:  Borough president Marty Markowitz made the delicious announcement at a recent press conference inside Borough Hall. In spirit of the world champion Brooklyn Dodgers more than 200 participating restaurants will serve up their 3-course specialties for 19 dollars and 55 cents. It’s a price commemorating the year the beloved ball team left the borough for good. But that was just a taste reporter Elsie Mujica brings you our picks for dine in Brooklyn week. She visited three different restaurants in three different neighborhoods...eat your heart out...
• eBay:  In this day and age eBay is big business and reporter Sherry Karabin found one Bensonhurst couple who are taking their business off the web and in to their very own eBay store.
• NRG:  NRG magazine, Brooklyn’s own lifestyle and culture magazine recently celebrated its two year anniversary at "Reign" a new hotspot in Clinton Hill and when there’s a party going on around town we turn to reporter Fred Brown.

Episode 102

• Coney Island:  For many Brooklynites the opening of Coney Island's Astroland Park and Cyclone Rollercoster marks the beginning of spring. But as reporter Nicole Odell discovered Coney Island is looking to become more than just a place for summer fun. Redevelopment plans are in the works to make Coney Island a year round destination.
• House of Detention:  Brooklyn’s House of Detention closed its doors in 2003 and has laid vacant ever since. Elected Officials in Brooklyn are making a strong push to close the former prison for good. Reporter Elsie Mujica found a group of Pratt Architecture students working with the Borough to create alternate plans for 275 Atlantic Avenue.
• Steiner:  Tax breaks and a mega-movie-making studio are what hope to fuel the film industry into big business for Brooklyn--- and with it the need for more jobs. Reporter Jenni Monet gives us a closer look.
• This Week in Brooklyn Politics:  We turn now to Erik Engquist, Political Columnist for Courier Life with "This Week in Brooklyn Politics".
• Women’s History Month:  In honor of Women’s History Month, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz unveiled an oil painting of Beatrice Judge Brooklyn’s first female State Supreme Court Justice. Judge Judge died at 102 and now will be remembered as the first female ever to hang in the hall at Borough Headquarters. Markowitz says the painting is a symbol of diversity and a sign of respect to the local legal community.
• Irish in Gerritsen:  With St. Patrick’s Day in March and Easter in April it’s a busy time of year for Brooklyn’s Irish Catholic Population. I visited one Irish Community where the commitment to Irish Catholic Traditions live on all year round.
• Pips:  They say the spring is the time for all things new and one well known Brooklyn comedy spot recently got a makeover and some brand new owners. As Sherry Karabin tells us the changes are breathing new laughs into the already popular Pips Comedy Club in Sheepshead Bay.
• Basquiat:  By his early 20’s, Jean Michelle Basquiat was an internationally renowned artist, counting Andy Warhol among his friends and collaborators. By the age of 27 Basquiat was dead of a heroin overdose. Reporter Fred Brown takes us to the Brooklyn Museum of Art where a new exhibit is celebrating the life and work of one of Brooklyn’s home grown stars

Episode 101

• Harriet Tubman:  Brooklyn has pulled ahead in the race to honor Harriet Tubman slave era leader of the underground railroad. Local officials in Manhattan and Brooklyn have been working for years to get Tubman’s name on a city street sign and this year what was a dream for many is becoming a reality. Elsie Mujica was there as Brooklyn’s Fulton Street became Harriet Tubman Avenue.
• Brooklyn Biz:  When it comes to identifying the face of Brooklyn’s workforce a new study suggests it’s a labor market filled mostly by immigrants and low wage earners. But as reporter Jenni Monet shows us this latest snapshot isnt’ just a roadmap for who’s working now but also who may be filling key jobs in the future.
• Gleasons:   It's the famed gym where many celebrities, not to mention prize fighters, have trained and it’s right in our backyard. Most recently Hillary Swank spent months at Gleason's Gym in DUMBO preparing for her role in Million Dollar Baby. Sherry Karabin takes us inside this Brooklyn institution.
• This Week in Brooklyn Politics:  We turn now to Erik Engquist, Political Columnist for Courier Life with "This Week in Brooklyn Politics".
• BAC Regrant:  An award-winning exhibition traveling throughout the world has made its way to Brooklyn. The exhibit is a unique collection of photographs of everyday life taken by children in Rwanda, orphaned by the genocide of 1994. As Nicole Odell shows us this rare look through the camera lens, has given a special group of children here in Brooklyn, an eye-opening experience.
• Sunset Park:  The Chinese are one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in Brooklyn and as many make their new home in Sunset Park they also bring some of the great culinary traditions their culture has to offer. Nicole Odell ventured through the streets of one of the lesser-known Chinatown’s to find some of these hidden treasures.
• Martha Stewart:  Like Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz, Martha Stewart knows for sure there’s no place like home. After five moNths in prison she was released last week and she’ll be confined for 5 more months behind the gates of her Bedford estate. Here in Brooklyn people have mixed reactions but reporter Fred Brown found some local Brooklynites celebrating her release Martha style.

Episode 100

• Nets Arena:  In the news week Bruce Ratners plans for a Nets Arena in the Atlantic Yards could suffer serious setbacks should the courts clamp down on the state’s use of eminent domain.
• Catholic School Closures:  Parents of catholic school children are fighting save their schools after the Brooklyn Diocese announced they would close 17 Brooklyn Catholic schools by next fall. The diocese cites declining enrollment and high operation costs as the reasons for school closures.
• Binge Drinking:   A new substance abuse study released by SUNY Downstate reports that the neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope have the highest incidences of binge drinking in the borough.
• Housing:  It’s being called a crisis the lack of affordable housing disappearing from Brooklyn’s most diverse neighborhoods.
• Small Schools:  The High School for Coastal Studies, the High School of Sports Management these are just a few of the new small schools that will be coming to Brooklyn by next fall.
• Brooklyn Politics:  This week in Brooklyn politics we turn now to Erik Engquist, Political Columnist for Courier Life with "This Week in Brooklyn Politics".
• Center for the Study of Brooklyn:  Brooklyn college is looking to bring together academics, public officials and the community to form the study for the center of Brooklyn.
• Chinatown:  The Chinese are one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in Brooklyn and as many make their new home in Sunset Park they also bring some of the great culinary traditions their culture has to offer. Nicole Odell ventured through the streets of one of the lesser-known Chinatown’s to find some of these hidden treasures.
• Folk Feet:  Traditional dance was alive and jumping recently at the Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn college. It was all part of the second annual folk feet festival hosted by the Brooklyn Arts Council. Sherry Karabin was there.

Episode 99

• Cultural District:  Shakespeare will soon have a new home in the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s ever growing cultural district.
• Bridge Park:  The Brooklyn waterfront will be getting a new park. The plans have been in the works for close to ten years. But as residents and developers struggle to refine plans, they’re hitting some rough waters trying to meet changes in new budgetary calculations. Reporter Nicole Odell takes a look into why this beautiful project is creating some ugly feelings.
• Greenway:  There’s one Brooklyn waterfront development that for now most Brooklynites can agree on. The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative unveiled plans for a pedestrian and bicycle pathway that will allow one to travel from Greenpoint to sunset park, Nicole Odell continues with her coverage of the Brooklyn waterfront.
• Tax Time:  For Brooklyn’s working families tax time isn’t in April, but now. And as many laborers anticipate those coveted government refunds it’s an extra subsidy tax experts say often goes ignored. Reporter Jenni Monet shows us how an anti-poverty movement is banking on the earned income tax credit to break the costly cycle of the working poor.
• Welcome Back Christos Gates:  For more than 200 Kingsborough community college art students it’s helping world renowned artists, Christo and Jean Claude help realize their temporary work of art: the Gates Project--expected to drape Central Park for a total of 16 days.
• Women’s Business:  A dynamic sector of the city’s economy is growing right here in Brooklyn. Its women business owners and I met one woman who having had her share of success is now spreading the wealth of her business sense.
• First Saturday:  February is black history month and it’s also the month that carnival rocks the streets of Brazil. The Brooklyn museum of art couldn’t seem to decided which one to celebrate so had them sharing the stage at their monthly first Saturday party. Reporter Sherry Karabin was there.

Episode 98

• State of the Borough Address
• Snow Storm
• Subway Fire
• Proposed new cruise line terminal in Red Hook
• A new addition to the Brooklyn Marriot groundbreaking
• Building Brooklyn Awards
• The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society
• The Best of the African Diaspora Film Festival
• The opening of the new Pratt Institute art store & the Brooklyn Museum of Art has a new exhibit
• Solar Energy

Episode 97

• Tsunami Disaster Coverage
• Newtown Creek Pollution
• Bus Strike
• Schools with the most crime
• Digital Divide
• Shirley Chisholm
• Black History Month
• Tribute to slain teenager
• Tillie the dog artist