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Park Slope Life

Welcome to the Resistance

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life, Politiki

Like millions of other children of the 1970’s, I’m a huge Star Wars fan.  I always wanted to be a member of the Rebel Alliance. I wanted to be friends with Wookies. I really wanted to be a Jedi. I wanted to use my special powers to challenge oppressive, imperial forces, and ultimately save the day. I didn’t think that in my middle-aged existence I would be trying to do just that. But here we are.

Photographs by Erik Lieber

Not even six months into this second Trump presidential term, and our democracy is waning. There is a daily barrage of devastating policies being proposed or effectuated, targeted at the most vulnerable of those in the United States of America. The federal legislature has proved inept at thwarting chaos. The New York State legislature and most of our local elected officials are busy playing defense. Mayor Adams, on the other hand, is busy cozying up to this administration, while the NYPD assists ICE to detain and deport our neighbors when they show up for their scheduled hearings in US Immigration Court. The courts are overwhelmed, and holding on by a thread. The people, though, seem to be rising up. At least that’s the vibe around here.

Park Slope, in particular, seems to be showing up. Many of us are organizing, marching, protesting, planning, making phone calls, sending emails, making signs, chanting, and disrupting. We’re also connecting with each other. 

The rebellious actions I’m participating in these days are nothing like hiding the Death Star plans in my favorite droid, but they still feel important. On April 5, 2025, a friend and I joined dozens of others on the 7th Avenue F train platform to catch a ride to the Hands Off march from Bryant Park to Madison Square. The NYC Hands Off march was part of a larger effort that included over 1400 actions in all 50 states, involving an estimated 3-5 million participants. The Hands Off protests are the largest coordinated display of public resistance against the Trump administration, so far. I made my own “Hands Off Our Votes” sign that is now visible in the front window of my home. Park Slope folx of all generations were on that F train platform with their own signs on hand, as we smiled and chatted with each other on the trip into Manhattan. 

When my friend and I joined up with the Indivisible Brooklyn group, she was handed one of the beautiful heart-shaped “Hands Off” signs that our Indivisible group had made for the event. Since our group led the march, those signs were prominently highlighted in subsequent media and social media coverage. 

As we walked down 5th Avenue, we took pictures of the onlookers, as those onlookers took pictures of us. Dozens of construction workers, standing upon scaffolding, used their phones to take pictures with their phones. The workers were reaching down off the scaffolding to do marchers the favor of snapping pics of the event on marchers’ phones from the higher elevation. Supporters were cheering and waving from windows high above 5th avenue. Reflecting on the electric and inspirational energy of that not-so-distant day, I almost forgot that it was cold and drizzling. But the weather surely was not as hazardous as that on the planet Hoth; no need to split open a dead Tauntaun to warm up a friend with hypothermia, just pop into Eataly when you get to 23rd Street until you can feel your toes again.

Since our group led the march, we had no idea the magnitude of the turnout behind us. Around the time we reached Madison Square Park, about an hour after starting to walk, I received a call from my sisters. They were also at the march, and calling to see where I was, hoping to connect in person. They were still at Bryant Park, waiting to start marching. There were miles of protesters marching in Manhattan that day, estimated at more than 100,000 people. It seems like people are getting involved who have never taken part in resistance efforts before. Maybe some of these newcomers will be like Han Solo, and get connected to a rebel for personal benefit, but ultimately become an iconic hero of the movement. 

Large-scale actions, like marches, are a great opportunity to have a shared experience with others who have a similar perspective, and help you realize you’re not alone. Together, even the diminutive amongst us can get big things done.  Like when Princess Leia befriends Wicket, eventually joining rebel and Ewok forces to take down the Death Star’s shield generator on Endor, though definitely not as dangerous.

Modest actions can be just as powerful, and maybe even more important. That has been my experience at the local “Tesla Takedown” protests. I live around the corner from the new-ish Gowanus Tesla dealership on the corner of 9th Street at 2nd Avenue. Since early March, dozens to hundreds of protesters have shown up at that spot between 12-2pm every Saturday. These “Tesla Takedown” protests are happening at Tesla dealerships across the country on a regular basis to bring attention to the madness of a billionaire and his goons accessing our private information as they strip the federal government for parts. 

Around 12:05 pm every Saturday, my family wonders why the traffic is so noisy outside. “So much honking…” And then one of us realizes that it’s time for me to grab my signs and walk over to join the protest. Protesters line each side of 9th Street holding signs like “Nobody Voted for Musk”, “Hey Rich Guy! Get Out of Our Data”, “Make Fascism Wrong Again”, and my personal favorite: “P.S. Your Logo Looks Like an IUD”. The signs that get the biggest response from passersby are of the “Honk for Democracy” and “Honk If You Hate Musk” variety. The Tesla protest crew is friendly, and pretty tame. We chant, usually in call and response format. Sometimes we direct our chants into the Tesla showroom windows, but there aren’t usually many people in there, other than the staff. 

We celebrate every single passing vehicle that honks in support of our cause. Subarus seem to be the most likely to honk, along with hybrid and electric vehicles. You’d be surprised how many Teslas actually honk in support, including some driven by Tesla employees.  Citi-bike riders ring their bells, as they pedal by.  Our crowd goes particularly wild when MTA buses and truck drivers use their loud horns in solidarity. 

Support for the Tesla actions are not universal. Some Tesla owners, arriving for service, cower or crow as they pass us. Every week there is a police presence. There is at least one marked car, and two officers. One particular week, it seemed that the police knew something the protesters didn’t, because they had 2 brand new paddy wagons waiting for occupation on 2nd Avenue. The paddy wagons drove away as empty as they arrived. As I said, this crowd is not rowdy, but I guess groups challenging existing power structures makes people in places of power nervous. 

At a particularly populated protest, I noticed a young man without a sign, who wasn’t engaging with others; not chanting. He had a small camera in his hand, and seemed to be taking pictures from chest level, so as not to draw attention. I pointed him out to a friend, and she eventually approached him and engaged with him. He said he was not in support of the effort, and was there to document what was happening, just in case. I guess the experience bored him, because I haven’t seen him since. 

On a recent weekend, unable to make the Gowanus “Tesla Takedown”, I found what I hoped would be a similar opportunity in another part of Brooklyn. I had heard from a fellow rebel about short Friday protests at Ocean Parkway and Church Avenue. I showed up, introduced myself, and grabbed a pre-made sign: “People Over Billionaires”. I stood on the southbound side of Ocean Parkway, ready to engage with commuters headed home deep into Brooklyn after the long week. Almost all drivers and passengers took a look. Many waved, showed thumbs up, and/or honked their cars, which was encouraging. But, in that part of Brooklyn, unlike Gowanus, there were people in cars passing by chanting “Trump! Trump! Trump!” and “I love Trump!” out their windows at us. A bunch of people flipped me off. Support for a rebellion is never universal. A significant proportion of the population in the Star Wars universe had to support the creation of the Galactic Empire in order for the Emperor to take control, right?

Marches and protests are not designed to make immediate change, but to raise awareness, and offer opportunities to get engaged in a cause. Whether you go alone, or with people you know, you get to connect with others. At a Tesla protest, I met another woman with a “Honk” sign.  She was new to Brooklyn, having lived most recently in California, but grew up in Texas. She told me how lucky she felt to be at this protest, getting supportive responses from passersby, and connecting with similarly minded people. She explained that she used to participate in social justice actions in Texas, but that actively engaging in those events was risky. 

The truest rebels are NOT those of us showing up in Midtown Manhattan, Park Slope, Gowanus, or Kensington.  The heart of the resistance are people who are showing up in places where it’s not humorous and slightly uncomfortable to get flipped off by a stranger in a passing car, but potentially dangerous; where dozens gather on the side of the road to bring attention to the fascism taking root in Washington, D.C., only to be met with a counter-protest with hateful, bigoted signs. To make it safer for the truest of rebels, and ultimately worth their risk, those of us with the privilege and power need to be stepping it up.  

On the first Sunday of May, I was leaving my house to attend a planning meeting of similarly minded resistance members. When I told my teenager where I was going and when I’d be back, he noted the date: 5/4, Star Wars Day. And as I walked out the door he called: “May the Fourth be with you!”  I hope the spirit of rebellion will find us all on every day that is left of this administration.

All Politics is Local

By Filed Under: Community, Park Slope Life

New York City’s 2025 Mayoral Primary: What You Need to Know

On June 24, New York City voters will head to the polls for the Democratic mayoral primary, a crucial contest that will likely determine the city’s next mayor. With Democrats’ strong majority hold in the city, the winner of the primary will be the frontrunner in November’s general election. 

Why This Election Matters

The mayor of New York City leads the nation’s most populous city, overseeing policies that impact millions of residents and often influencing the governance of other cities nationally and globally. The position comes with enormous responsibilities—shaping economic policy, public safety, housing, and infrastructure—all with great capacity to affect the daily lives of New Yorkers.

How Ranked-Choice Voting Works

In New York City, primaries use ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference. However, there is no penalty for just voting for one candidate. If you do rank your top five choices, your vote is counted for your top choice first. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Ballots for that candidate then transfer to voters’ next-ranked choices. This process continues in rounds until one candidate secures a majority.

A Look at New York City’s Recent Influential Mayors

New York City’s past mayors have shaped the city in significant ways. Here’s a brief overview of some of the most notable:

Fiorello La Guardia (1934-1946). In his obituary in The Guardian, La Guardia is described as “the most remarkable mayor of a great city in American history.” Born to an Italian father, when he became mayor he had climbed higher on the political ladder than any other Italian-American. He was considered a “New Dealer” — a politician who avidly supported New Deal policies — and was successful in his vision of boosting the economy, creating jobs, and expanding infrastructure in New York. His legacy includes La Guardia Airport and Flushing Meadows Park. La Guardia presciently recognized the dangers of Nazi Germany and used his platform to criticize Hitler before World War II, so much so that the U.S. Secretary of State apologized for his remarks to the Nazi government.

Ed Koch (1978-1989). Outspoken and combative, Koch was both a beloved and divisive figure. When he became mayor, New York City was suffering from urban decay and Koch launched initiatives to revitalize abandoned housing, clean up public spaces, and transform Times Square from a crime-ridden intersection into a family friendly destination. A champion of the middle class, he prioritized white-collar job growth but was unpopular among Black and LGBTQ New Yorkers. His administration’s slow response to the AIDS crisis, closure of Sydenham Hospital in Harlem, and cuts to anti-poverty programs led to lasting resentment. His frayed relationship with Black voters ultimately paved the way for David Dinkins to become the city’s first Black mayor.

Rudy Giuliani (1994-2001). Giuliani was the only mayor in the twentieth century to lose Manhattan but still win office. He is best remembered for his leadership after the 9/11 attacks, earning him the nickname “America’s Mayor” and Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Crime rates fell during his mayorship, attributed to both his tough policing strategies and the simultaneous economic and demographic shifts that were happening nationally. It seemed possible that Giuliani might break the New York City mayoral curse of never reaching a higher office when he became President Trump’s personal lawyer. But some things just don’t wash out.

Michael Bloomberg (2002-2013). A billionaire businessman, Bloomberg took a pragmatic, value-driven approach to governance, accepting only a $1 salary as mayor. A staunch advocate of public health, he banned smoking in bars and parks, required fast food restaurants to show calories counts, and cracked down on the illegal sale of firearms. His rezoning of about 40% of the city increased housing and development, but also gentrification. While his policies made the city more attractive to the middle class, homelessness surged by two-thirds from 2002 to 2011. Bloomberg was criticized for his support of the stop and frisk tactic used by NYPD that disproportionately hurt Black and Latino men. He later apologized for supporting the practice.

Eric Adams (2022–present). Whether reelected or not, Adams will go down in history as the only sitting New York City mayor to be indicted.

Who’s Running in the 2025 Mayoral Race?

As of now, several candidates have declared their candidacy:

Eric Adams — Incumbent mayor

Andrew Cuomo — Former governor

Brad Lander — City comptroller

Zellnor Myrie — Brooklyn state senator

Zohran Mamdani — Queens state representative

Scott Stringer — Former city comptroller

Jessica Ramos — Queens state senator

Adrienne Adams — N.Y.C. council speaker

After months of speculation, Former Gov. Cuomo formally entered the race on March 1. With name recognition from his decade as governor, he is expected to be a frontrunner. While governor, he accomplished infrastructure improvement, the legalization of same sex marriage and marijuana, and became an Emmy winner and household name nationally for his daily Covid-19 briefings, referred to by some as “communal therapy sessions.”

Cuomo’s reputation as “America’s Governor” was quickly tarnished after its culmination when a report from Attorney General Letitia James showed Cuomo underreported nursing home deaths from Covid-19, after ordering nursing homes to accept residents with Covid-19 to preserve hospital capacity. Shortly after, 11 women came forward, some of them current or former state employees, and accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. He resigned in 2021 despite denying the allegations and since, more than 25 million state taxpayer dollars have been spent paying his legal fees. In 2024, the Department of Justice found Cuomo guilty of sexually harassing 13 women who worked for the state over eight years. 

According to Crain’s New York, Cuomo is trying to position himself as a moderate alternative in contrast to City Comptroller Brad Lander, whom he views as a threat. The Park Slope Reader sat down with Brad Lander, who represented Park Slope in city council for three terms before becoming comptroller.  

Lander, while reliably mild-mannered, fights voraciously for what he wants. He doesn’t resort to verbal attacks or aggression, but his impenetrably calm demeanor shouldn’t be equated with weakness of conviction. On the contrary, he’s a paladin for his political agenda, ready to win by means of his lengthy plans. Oh, and he’s not afraid of suing. (Example B).

During his time as comptroller, Lander has condemned Adam’s corrupt behavior and has put pressure on the mayor to submit a timeline and plan for how he will stabilize his administration.

Lander, a progressive, has made ending homelessness for mentally ill New Yorkers a signature campaign issue. He’s not the first mayor who’s tried to take on street homelessness — the two most recent mayors, Adams and Bill de Blasio, each introduced their own plans, but the problem has persisted. 

The comptroller’s housing first approach is modeled after success in cities including Denver, Philadelphia, and Houston. The plan involves placing around 2,000 homeless people with severe mental health issues in vacant apartments, while providing services.

“In Park Slope, we have a meaningful amount of people sleeping on the streets with serious mental illness,” says Lander. “So offering housing to people with support services so that they’re not sleeping on the streets and are much more likely to go off their medication or their treatment and be a danger to themselves and others, that makes a safer neighborhood for everyone.”

Lander credits his time as city councilmember in the 39th District as teaching him key lessons about representing the city. He recalls the neighborhood banding together after Hurricane Sandy to turn the Park Slope Armory into a refuge for seniors who had been displaced from the storm.

“When you engage people in their democracy and then really deliver and serve them well, remarkable things become possible,” says Lander.

Transparency is another focus of Lander’s campaign, differentiating himself from the previous administration. His “Stop the Corruption” plan calls to protect against corruption, by committing to fair hiring tactics, publicly disclosing schedules and meetings, and stricter lobbying regulations. 

“Eric Adams, unfortunately, has failed to deliver on his promises even before he betrayed our trust through so much corruption,” Lander says. “What Park Slope wants is someone who’s honest, who lives up to their word, who listens and engages people and who can then genuinely deliver and make City Hall work for families.”

Lander’s campaign success has been palpable, signified by his lead in campaign funding. His campaign manager, Alison Hirsh, credits this success to a grassroots strategy focused on small-dollar donations from New York City residents through a network of house parties and organizing efforts.

“I have known Brad for 20 years and fundamentally believe that he would be an amazing mayor. He has a unique combination of policy intelligence, human intelligence, management capability and really understands systems and how to make them work and how to make them work on behalf of people,” says Hirsh. “The other thing that makes Brad unique I think, in politics, is that he’s a truly decent human being.”

The Way of the Dogs

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

Longtime friends are coming to stay with us soon. They don’t have a lot of time to spare while in Brooklyn, but their 10-year-old daughter wants to fit in one of their favorite Brooklyn pastimes: visiting Prospect Park’s off leash hours for dogs.  If you haven’t had the chance to witness this spectacle, it’s amazing, terrifying, or a little bit of both, depending on your feelings about dogs, and people.

Every morning in Prospect Park before 9am you can find hundreds of dogs and their associated people gallivanting around the Long Meadow. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, no matter the weather, Brookynites bring their dogs to the park to let loose.

You can find all sorts of people and dogs there. There are those who walk up and down the Long Meadow. Sometimes they walk in small groups; sometimes it’s just one person with one dog; sometimes there are professional dog walkers with a few dogs or tons of dogs (you know who I’m talking about- Hi Linda!).  Some people and dogs choose to congregate in bunches throughout the Long Meadow. These bunches tend to be collections of people with similar interests similar dogs, or both.  

Whether a walker or part of a bunch, there are regulars who are there any day of the week. The regulars (people and their dogs) have routines. Some of the regulars have to leave the park earlier than others in order to get to work on time, or bring kids to school. Other regulars show up after sending kids off to school. Then there are the regulars with the flexible schedules, who meander in and out. Regulars recognize the dogs before recognizing the person attached to the dog. Regulars are more likely to know the dog’s name than the person’s name.

The weekenders and visitors don’t always adhere to the expectations and patterns of the regulars, and neither do their dogs. Many visiting dogs, for instance, have never been off leash in this kind of environment before.  They often lack experience with so many people and dogs. Visiting dogs might make a run for it. Off-leash hours in Prospect Park are different from your local neighborhood dog park with fences. Dogs can just keep running. That happened to a dog-visiting a friend a few years back. The dog seemed comfortable off leash, but all of the sudden they were gone. We couldn’t find them. While frantically searching for the dog across the Long Meadow, we got word that the dog had found its way back to the house it was visiting, crossing lanes of traffic to get there safely. It was a miracle. Though that dog still comes to visit, it will never enjoy freedom during off leash hours again.

Visiting dogs aren’t just more likely to run, they are also more likely to be confused by the doggie politics and complicated clique dynamics. Visiting dogs are most likely to get into a fight with other dogs. That’s what happened the other day to a friend; a dog visiting family from out of town was overwhelmed by the off leash scene, broke off their leash and randomly bit our dog friend. The person with the visiting dog was very apologetic, and likely won’t be back with that dog, or any other dog, in the future. Off leash hours are not for everyone, especially the non-dog people.

“Why would non-dog people come to off leash hours in Prospect Park?” Good question. These people are often seeking a shortcut from one side of the park to the other. On certain weekend mornings, the non-dog people in the Long Meadow include runners participating in 5ks and half-marathons, as well as their spectators. They are so focused on their own reasons for being in the park, they have no idea what they’re walking into. When non-dog people realize they have to get through a hoard of dogs to get where they’re going, they panic; and dogs can smell panic. Some dogs respond unkindly to that panic. My dog, MarVell, can be one of those dogs. 

I’ve been a regular in the park with our 6 year old mixed breed, MarVell, since September 2018. When MarVell was a puppy, we stayed on the fringes, and took dog socialization slowly. That’s how we met other puppy friends who now make up our crew of besties. 

You can find our crew most days of the week on the lawn between the Picnic House and “the pools” by dog beach. The people in our crew talk about the news, movies, our lives, and of course, our dogs. While the people jabber away, our dogs run around with each other, they chase balls, they harass people and dogs they don’t like, and also beg for snacks. 

The dogs in our crew, and most dog regulars, can quickly discern the people in the Long Meadow who have snacks. Some people always have snacks. Our dogs recognize those people from hundreds of yards away. These snack purveyors have silhouettes in the distance that change by the season, based on the clothing they are wearing according to the weather. Our dogs can recognize the regular snack sources by their gait, even before the dogs can hear their voices or smell the contents of their pockets. Our dogs express disappointment when they realize those people are not in the park on a given day.

Newcomers sometimes have snacks, and they often don’t know what they’re in for. These newcomers are usually there on the weekend with a new puppy. These newcomers have their own snacks because they are training their puppy to stay near them while off leash. MarVell can pick these people out from the crowd by the inflection of their voice. Just the way these people call their puppy’s name, MarVell can tell the person has snacks, and they’re usually good snacks. 

There were a lot of newcomers to the Prospect Park dog scene in 2020 and 2021. They came with their “pandemic puppies” while people shifted to work from home. Not everyone should have gotten a puppy during the pandemic. Not everyone should have a dog. And not everyone should interact with others, including people or dogs. While most of the people at off leash hours are perfectly fine and well-intentioned people, some can be concerningly unpredictable.

A friend had an interaction with such a person. This friend has a beautiful Goldendoodle who loves to chase a ball. We take turns throwing the ball using the Chuckit stick. One morning, this friend threw the ball pretty far. Their dog was chasing the ball but lost sight of it in the tall grass. The ball rolled near a man and woman who were walking with their own dog. My friend watched as the woman noticed the ball, bent down to pick up the ball, and promptly put it in her own coat pocket. She didn’t look around to see where the ball was coming from. She didn’t ask the people nearby if the ball was theirs. She just scooped it up, and took it. My friend was already walking in the direction of the ball to retrieve it, and eventually caught up with the couple. The friend politely got their attention and asked for the ball back. The woman turned and simply asked “what ball?” and walked away. My friend was so shocked at this response, that they just turned and walked away, too. My friend was not going to start a conflict with someone who is so unpredictable. 

Unpredictable things are bound to happen when hundreds of dogs and people are left to their own devices in the company of each other on a daily basis. That’s why there are rules.

The formal rules provided by Prospect Park are simple: 

-“Off leash hours are permitted from 6 am–9 am and 9 pm – 1 am at the Long Meadow (except ballfields), Nethermead and Peninsula Meadow (except woodlands). Dogs must be leashed at all other times and all other areas of the Park.

-To protect wildlife habitats, dogs must always be leashed and stay on paths in wooded areas.

-At Dog Beach, dogs must be leashed except during off leash hours. Caution: the water becomes deep very fast.

-Dogs are never allowed in playgrounds, on bridle paths, ballfields, or other designated sports areas.

-Dogs are allowed on paths surrounding the ballfields and at the Parade Ground, but must be leashed at all times.

-Owners must always be in control of their dogs and leashes must be six feet or shorter.

-Please dispose of dog waste properly.

-Do not allow dogs to dig; holes create trip hazards.”

The rules are simple and clear, but so many people don’t follow the rules. Sometimes it’s because they don’t know the rules. Sometimes it’s because they think the rule is stupid. Sometimes it’s because they think they’re above the rules. It’s hard to formally enforce the rules, especially with dwindling funding for our City Parks. So, we largely rely on systems of informal rule enforcement. 

If your dog poops on the Long Meadow during off leash hours and you don’t pick it up, there are many regulars happy to track you down while loudly shaming you. Next time, you’ll keep a closer eye on your dog. Through these informal enforcement methods, it is a rare occurrence for someone to step in a load of dog poop in the Long Meadow. 

If you choose to walk with your dog off leash on the internal paths off the Long Meadow you run the risk of not just being shamed by fellow park-goers, but you also can get ticketed. The Parks Department is sometimes lurking behind the bend. Your dog turns the corner first, free from leashed restraint. Then you come around, and bam. You’ve walked yourself into a ticket. The signs are clear: no dogs should be off leash in these areas. The reasons are important: dogs off leash are a danger to the birds and other wildlife in these areas. Recently, a call went out on local social media reminding dog owners to keep their dogs on the leash in these spaces because one of Prospect Park’s resident swans was ailing. Luckily, the swan was rescued and is receiving care offsite. Dogs have plenty of space and time in Prospect Park to enjoy off  leash. Stick to the rules. 

Which brings me to my biggest pet-peeve of off leash rule breaking: NO PETS ARE EVER ALLOWED ON THE PROSPECT PARK BALLFIELDS. 

The pet prohibition does not just apply to the obvious ball fields delineated by the dirt infields of the baseball and softball fields. The pet prohibition applies to the entire grassed area between the baseball/softball infields. For those in the know, these grassed areas are actually active ball fields. These areas are the outfields for baseball and softball players throughout the spring, summer and fall. These areas are the soccer pitches, and flag football gridirons that thousands of kids play on in the fall and where groups congregate to play ultimate frisbee throughout the year. 

These areas are off limits to dogs whether there are people playing on the fields or not. Every year during baseball, flag football, soccer, softball seasons, kids step into piles of poop that were missed by owners, or twist their ankles in holes that dogs dug up. When dogs pee on the grass, this kills the grass plant, causing the surrounding dirt to recede becoming dusty, and creating divots. In an effort to preserve the fields and give them a rest, they are fenced off between Thanksgiving and the first weekend of April, when youth baseball and softball return to Prospect Park. 

Even with the potential challenges of the experience, off leash in Prospect Park’s Long Meadow is my happy place. The days I don’t make it to the park with MarVell can be a real slog for both of us. Many of us need more happy places right now. Consider this an open invitation to join us any day of the week. Bring some good dog treats with you, and I’m (mostly) confident MarVell will not scare you away.

All Politics is Local

By Filed Under: Community, Park Slope Life, Politiki

Your Local Government Cheat Sheet

With local and state elections around the corner, it can be overwhelming to begin conducting the  necessary research to know the candidates. Consider our new political column as a foundation for you to learn the basics about our city council members, Brooklyn borough president, state senators, and other elected officials who shape our local legislation and policies. 

Who’s Who in Local Government 

I’d be surprised, and maybe even envious, if you didn’t know that we recently had a presidential election. You also probably know about some of the recent state and city-wide ballot measures we had to vote “yes” or “no” on. But the intricacies of local politics that can feel like a game of trivia, and when someone knows the correct answer, you’re left wondering, how do you know that? 

People often interact with their local government more than they do the federal government on a daily basis, yet sare often less informed on current policies and legislation in progress. Here are your local government basics:

City Council

Let’s start with the City Council. In New York City, the City Council is responsible for approving the city’s budget, overseeing city agencies such as the Department of Education and NYPD, introducing and voting on laws, and regulating land use. 

Park Slope is part of City Council District 39, which also includes parts of Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront. 

Shahana Hanif is the first woman to represent District 39 in the City Council and made history as the first Muslim woman elected to the City Council when elected in 2021. Since joining City Council, she has passed notable legislation that has mandated universal residential composting, protected and expanded abortion rights in NYC, created an Immigrant Workers’ Bill of Rights, and enacted legislation to establish a program to assist with free door and window repairs for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. She recently introduced a bill to include Middle Eastern and North African business owners in New York City’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises program. Hanif was one of the first council members to call for an immediate permanent bilateral ceasefire in Gaza, and was arrested during a Pro-Palestine protest in October 2023.

Election: The City Council will hold its next election in 2025. Council members are elected for a four-year term, except for every twenty years, when they serve a two-year term to allow for redistricting. The last two-year term was in 2023.

Contact info: The best way to reach Hanif’s office for constituent services is at (718) 499-1090 or District39@council.nyc.gov.

Brooklyn Borough President

Borough presidents work with the mayor, advocating on behalf of their borough for land use projects and budget needs. They have limited legislative power but can propose legislation through a council member.

Antonio Reynoso succeeded Eric Adams as Brooklyn borough president. He has recently focused on improving maternal health and reducing health disparities in Brooklyn, creating community baby showers where young families can receive free supplies and resources.

Reynoso has also been a founding member of an anti-NIMBY housing league that embraces development as means to solve New York City’s housing crisis. The league is an alliance of politicians supporting each other push for more construction. Despite his pro-development stance, Reynoso officially disapproved the development of a high rise building at 962-970 Franklin Ave., siding with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Election: Borough presidents serve a four-year term and the next elction will be in 2025.

Contact info: Reynoso’s office can be reached at (718) 802-3700 or at AskReynoso@brooklynbp.nyc.gov.

New York City Mayor

The mayor is at the top of the city government hierarchy. The mayor oversees all local government departments, attends civic ceremonies, implements the City Council’s decision, addresses constituent concerns, and develops policies.

Eric Adams, the 110th mayor of New York City, was elected in 2021. He is the first mayor to be charged with federal crimes and his trial is set to begin on April 21, 2025. 

Mayor Adams campaigned on fighting crime and ‘getting stuff done’. Some of the highlights of his term as mayor include significant school budget cuts, a directive that allows police and medical professionals to involuntarily hospitalize people who appear to be facing severe mental health issues, and investments in affordable housing. 

Election: The mayor serves a four-year term, with the next mayoral election in 2025.

Contact info: To contact the mayor’s office, use the webform at https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/mayor-contact.page. Calling 311 is the best way to receive city-level non-emergency information. 

State Assembly

The New York State Assembly, one of the two chambers that make up the State Legislature, has 150 members. The State Assembly passes bills, raises and lowers taxes, oversees state agencies, and plays a role in allocating budgets.

Robert Carroll has represented District 44 in the New York State Assembly since 2016. He led efforts to create a Dyslexic Task Force Act, a landmark piece of legislation that addresses literacy and dyslexia in the state. He has also been a strong advocate of climate protection legislation and renewable energy, making significant contributions to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.  

Election: Assembly members are elected every two years, with the next election in 2026.

Contact info:  Carroll’s district office can be reached at CarrollR@nyassembly.gov or (718) 788-7221.

State Senate

The New York State Senate drafts, approves, and repeals laws and resolutions, working with the Assembly and Governor to do so. New York has 63 state senators. 

Andrew Gounarde represents all of Park Slope as well as Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park, Red Hook, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, Vinegar Hill, and DUMBO as senator of New York’s 26th District. He serves as the Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Revenue.

Since his 2019 election, he has introduced and passed legislation to increase drug price transparency, lower hospital costs, and require large public venues in New York to keep epinephrine on hand. He has most recently proposed a ‘Birth Grant,’ a bill that would provide parents in their third trimester who are on Medicaid with $1800.

Election: State senators, like assembly members, are elected every two years, and up for reelection in 2026. 

Contact info: To reach Sen. Gounardes’ office, use gounardes@nysenate.gov or (718) 238-6044.

Zellnor Myrie is Senator of New York’s 20th District which encompasses Central Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Park Slope, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, and Windsor Terrace.

Sen. Myrie has championed affordable housing, universal after school care, and gun control during his time in office. He is Chair of the Elections Committee and has worked to protect and expand voting rights by simplifying the absentee ballot process and closing the LLC campaign donation loophole. Myrie, who has represented the 20th District in the Senate since 2019, plans to challenge Mayor Eric Adams in the June 2025 primary for mayor.

Election: State senators, like assembly members, are elected every two years, and up for reelection in 2026.

Contact info: The contact information for Sen. Myrie’s office is myrie@nysenate.gov and (718) 284-4700.

New York State Governor

The governor oversees the state executive branch and implements state laws. In New York, that’s Kathy Hochul (66). Gov. Hochul is the first woman to be elected to governor in New York. She recently announced $22 million of funding towards modernizing New York’s electrical grid. Gov. Hochul passed legislation called the Clean Slate Act which recently went into effect. The act will allow for people who have been released from prison and have kept a clean record for a certain amount of time be eligible to have their convictions sealed.

Since the second Trump administration has been announced, Gov. Hochul has dusted off congestion pricing plans and has signed legislation allowing greater access to fluoride for kids.

Election: The governor has a four-year term and is up for reelection in 2026.

Contact info:  To contact Gov. Hochul’s office, use the webform at https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form or (518) 474-8390. 

House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected representatives and is responsible for making and passing federal laws.

Dan Goldman represents New York’s 10th Congressional district, which includes Park Slope and other parts of Western Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. Goldman has represented New York’s 10th Congressional district since January of 2023. Since being elected to Congress, he has sponsored bills that aim to achieve equal pay, support a transgender day of visibility, and make a plan to stabilize the climate system amid the current climate crisis, among others.

Election: Members of the House of Representative serve two years terms, and the next time they are up for reelection is 2026.

Contact info: Contact Rep. Goldman’s Brooklyn district office at (718) 312-7575 or use his online form which can be found at https://goldman.house.gov/contact. 

Chilly Wind from the East

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life, The Reader On Food

And a Duel between Dumplings

Take a break from the brisk winter air and fill your plate with warm, savory dishes inspired by old Chinatown tea houses at East Wind Snack Shop. It only took one visit to capture this author’s heart (and stomach) and become an instant favorite. You may even see him during your next visit, and you too can join the debate of which dumpling reigns supreme. 

East Wind Snack Shop’s charming Park Slope location brings some of the best dumplings in the city to our very own backyard.  

My love affair with East Wind Snack Shop began on a cold blustery Saturday afternoon at the end of October. After a long and stressful month with disappointingly few fall-weather days, we finally had our first really chilly day, and that occasion called for dumplings!

I had only just learned about East Wind the week prior, where a good buddy of mine had gushed about his experience with their deluxe wonton soup.

I probably shouldn’t be telling you this as a food writer, but I have a personal bias toward Chinese comfort food. The most sacred room in my culinary mind-palace is not reserved for a 7-course tasting menu, or a dish garnished in Michelin stars. Nope. That room contains a small formica table and a plate of steamed spare ribs from none other than Chinatowns own Nom-Wah Tea Parlor.

Now that I have disclosed my prejudice, I can openly express how excited I was to learn of this charming little tea parlor in our very own neighborhood. As soon as we arrived, it was love at first sight. 

The storefront, decorated in cherry-red, has the warm and inviting vibe of an old school Chinatown cafe. Upon entering, the interior of East Wind opens to a high tin-finished ceiling, painted landlord-special white, with a wraparound wainscotting caked in a primary red paint. There is countertop seating, as well as a few tables and chairs, and the back of the establishment opens fully to the kitchen, where a few wooden privacy screens denote the line between those eating the dumplings, and those preparing them for consumption. 

As we sat down, I turned to the bright red wall to my right, where the paint had rendered an electrical outlet perfectly unusable. I turned to my left, where a woman and her daughter sat quietly engaged at the countertop, slurping on soup and noodles. Above their heads, a large television played YouTube videos of Chinese street food being prepared. I turned my head back to my wife, already deep in thought and concentrating on the elegant little paper menus and I exclaimed “I love it here.”

We had not even tried the food yet, but I was experiencing a feeling similar to the very first time I had dim sum in Chinatown. The feeling was pure comfort, a simple sensation of “welcome.” We dove right in, ordering the aged beef potstickers (a dish they are particularly well known for), as well as the “Incredible Har Gow” shrimp dumplings. 

But how could we just stop there. We ordered a side of the Shanghai Noodles to share, and two of the “Gwaco” pork belly bao buns. I washed it all down with a Ramune soda for good measure.

When it all arrived at our table in spartan cardboard bowls, I thought we had ordered too much food, but if we had, it didn’t matter. We ate every last bite, and those were (to date) THE best dumplings I have ever had. We couldn’t even decide which we loved more between the beef and the shrimp. In fact we were so torn, that we had to come back the following weekend and order it all again.

On our second trip out East, we substituted Shanghai Noodles, for the Spicy Crispy option which I liked even better; This time I decided that the dry aged beef dumplings were my favorite, but my wife disagreed, marginally favoring the crystal shrimp dumplings, with their sweet and savory abalone sauce. It was still a very close race between the two.

Of course, we still hadn’t had the wonton soup. My friend who initially turned me on to East Wind said it was his favorite, so we had a good excuse to come back the very next day with him and his wife. For those keeping track, from Sunday to Sunday I had already patronized East Wind Snack shop three times. 

It wasn’t even a question as to what I would be writing about for the winter edition. 

I had not fallen so head-over-heels in love with a spot since Nom Wah Tea Parlor, and now I didn’t even need to go to Manhattan. The dumplings were better here anyway (sorry Nom Wah, your steamed spare ribs will always have my heart).

The following weekend was the New York City Marathon, and the only reason we didn’t get there for lunch was because we were busy cheering on friends. But the weekend after that, we had five friends visiting us from Boston, and you will never guess where we took them to eat.

On our fourth visit, (another particularly chilly day) we were given cups of hot water, as opposed to the usual chilled tap. This custom I learned is quite popular in some Asian countries, where the warm liquid is thought to be better for digestion in colder weather. I am decidedly a fan and I got a kick out of seeing all my Boston friends gingerly sip at their piping hot tea water. Of course, this time around I had reversed course, and decided that the shrimp dumplings were in fact my favorite, but as I sit here writing about them, I’m already thinking there may just need to be another round between the two of them this week.

Four consecutive trips in half as many weeks is about as ringing an endorsement as I could give, and I do not plan on slowing my cadence any time soon. So, this winter, when the holidays are behind us, and the icy grip of New York City’s wind chill tightens around our scarves and hats, I hope you will join me with a hot cup of tea (or water) and two paper trays of dueling dumplings.

Locations:

417 7th Avenue, Park Slope

253 Smith Street, Carroll Gardens

On Bowling and Bubbles

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

I’m not gonna lie: it’s been rough processing the results of the 2024 presidential election. I know I’m not alone. Many people are having all sorts of feelings and reactions. But I also know that I have it relatively easy since I’m rather insulated in my comfortable “bubble”. 

As an upper middle class, cis-gendered, straight, highly educated, non-religious Christian, White woman in Brownstone Brooklyn what consequences will I directly face due to the crap a Trump presidency is going to spew at America?

My taxes might go up or down, but I’ll be able to pay them. The goods that I consume on a regular basis will likely get more expensive, but I can afford it. I don’t face a threat of deportation. My marriage to a man is legally secure.  My kid is practically an adult, having received all of his appropriate immunizations while attending public schools where everyone else was required to have the same vaccinations. Nobody’s challenging my choice of which bathroom I feel comfortable peeing in. I can play a sport on a women’s team and nobody questions if I should be there. I’ll probably feel some of the accelerated damage to the environment that will be expected, but the truly devastating results will not be experienced by this world until I am gone from it.

Though I’m relatively protected, I’m still concerned. I am concerned for those who can’t afford higher taxes. I am concerned for those who will suffer the impact of tariffs as prices increase and American jobs are lost. I am concerned about those who are at risk of deportation, and for everyone who is safe from deportation but likely to experience racialized interrogations of their citizenship status. I am concerned for the kids who are likely to catch a debilitating disease and suffer the consequences because their parents took medical advice from a misinformed, conspiracy-theory-peddling, nepo baby. I am concerned for the mental and physical health of those who identify as LGBTQ+, but especially for anyone who identifies as trans. I am concerned for the generations after me that won’t have a bubble of privilege to protect them from what is coming. Ultimately, I am concerned for the fate of our democracy and our planet. 

While the election results surprised me, I wouldn’t say they shocked me. My strongest emotion is shame for my naivete. I feel like I should have seen it coming. I sensed that the presidential race was going to be close, and I was right. But the ultimate outcome felt like a punch to the gut. 

There are many theories to explain why Trump won this election. The theories you consider valid usually depend on your feelings about the result.  Misinformation confused voters: I find merit in this one. Harris didn’t have enough time to campaign: I’m not sure more time would have made a difference. Some people just wouldn’t vote for a Black woman (because of racism and sexism): I believe this one, though it is hard to support by evidence. The Democratic message fails to resonate with the majority of voters: that’s obvious. The Republican message fails to resonate with the majority of voters: that’s obvious, too.

American political polarization is not new. Since 1988, five candidates have been elected president without receiving the majority of votes (Clinton ‘92 43%, Clinton ‘96 49%, Bush ‘00 48%, Trump ‘16 46%, Trump ‘24 49%) and only four have received the majority of votes (Bush ‘04 51%, Obama ‘08 53%, Obama ‘12 51%, Biden ‘20 51%). As Trump won the presidency without securing a majority of the votes, again, it is clear that our society is more polarized than ever.

The 2000 book “Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam offered pre-TikTok theories to explain polarization that I’ve found myself revisiting in my post-election contemplations. The premise of “Bowling Alone” is that there has been a significant decrease in all forms of in-person social interchange in America since the 1960s. We don’t attend religious services as much; we don’t participate in local community and civic groups like we used to. The title of the book relates to the fact that Americans don’t participate in bowling leagues like we used to; instead, we “bowl alone.” Research suggests these trends are largely due to increased time focused on employment including longer commutes, and the proliferation of entertainment technologies, like the television and internet. 

As a result of these significant shifts, American society has become less collective and more focused on individual interests. We have less that unites us, and much that drives us apart. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Americans’ feelings about Donald Trump. About a third of the American public think that Trump is god. About a third of the American public think that Trump is the devil. The other third of the American public really don’t really have the time or energy to care. They’re trying to get through the day, week, month, or year. 

Many Americans thought that the high level of voter turnout that elected Biden in 2020 was clear evidence of our country’s disdain for Trump. The Democrats seemed to be depending on that theory in their messaging during this election cycle. That theory was tragically wrong. A study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Political Behavior, in April 2024 provides a more plausible explanation for this year’s turnout. The researchers examined voter engagement surveys after the 2018 and 2020 elections. The research found that people generally don’t vote when they’re experiencing individual personal hardships. Those who lost their job recently were less likely to vote. Those who recently were divorced were less likely to vote. Those who had a close family member who was sick, dying, or recently had died were less likely to vote. But when an individual is impacted by a crisis that is highly politicized and shared by many others, they actually are more likely to vote. This theory explains why the 2020 COVID pandemic era turnout was the highest since 1968. People didn’t vote in droves in 2020 because they hated Trump. We voted in droves because we were collectively struggling, and we collectively wanted change.

I could spend pages spouting more theory and research to explain why Trump won. Such an exhaustive effort won’t change what’s coming next. What can I actually do to thwart the upcoming consequences of this election?  I know that my individual actions won’t be effective in preventing Trump’s antics, or turning out the 2026 and 2028 vote towards redemption. Engagement towards change has to be a collective experience. This change won’t come by focusing within my bubble.

Since young adulthood I have been more politically engaged than the average citizen. As a result of this particular election, I’m trying to get more involved in organized, progressive action groups. But I’m struggling. Ideologically, I share the values and concerns of most of those I share space with in these groups. However, I’m finding many people in these spaces touting our own conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric. There seems to be a lack of understanding that the desired outcomes progressives seek are NOT shared by the majority of Americans. If progressives want to get what we strongly feel is right and just, we need to convince others that we’re right. And clearly, we’re not there yet. 

More than half of American voters DID NOT want Trump to be President. But even fewer Americans wanted Harris to be President. Those who determined the outcome of this election fall into neither of those groups. Those who determined the outcome of this election were those who did not engage. Maybe they didn’t engage because they are racist and/or sexist. Maybe they didn’t engage because they are misinformed. Maybe they didn’t engage because they are facing a personal crisis.  

In order to turn the tide and hold that momentum, those of us who live in privileged bubbles need to seek and find common ground with those who are not protected. The economy of the past four years served my retirement fund and property value well. But many have seen their food prices double while their income has remained stagnant. Complaining about an uninformed electorate, insulting our neighbors, and debating in social media showdowns isn’t going to get the desired effect. 

I’m looking for better options. Maybe I’ll join a bowling league. Who’s with me?

We Are Going to Lose Entire Generations of New Yorkers

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

By Lauren Hartley

Sen. Zellnor Myrie Speaks With Brooklyn Parents About Rising Child Care Costs


NEW YORK — The morning of Saturday, Sept. 21 Sen. Zellnor Myrie joined New Yorkers United for Child Care for a Town Hall with parents at a Park Slope playground. While kids stumbled across the fall-proof rubber playground surface, parents had the chance to share their experiences and concerns about raising kids in New York City, particularly the growing cost burden of childcare.

“There is no way for a middle-class family to be able to afford to stay here if child care is cost prohibitive, if housing is cost prohibitive, and if you don’t have the opportunity for economic success,” said Sen. Myrie. “We are going to lose entire generations of New Yorkers.”

For many New Yorkers, affording to raise a family in the city is becoming increasingly unattainable. In 2023, the Citizens’ Committee for Children found that more than 80% of families with children under five in New York City cannot afford childcare. Rising rent prices and stagnant wages have made the cost of living unsustainable for families. 

The Town Hall opened with remarks from Rebecca Bailin, Executive Director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, “The cost of raising kids in New York City is too expensive. So many of us feel like we have to leave New York when we have a child,” Bailin said, opening it up for parents to share.

The cost of childcare, which can exceed $20,000 annually per child, is a point of stress for many families, mentioned throughout the Town Hall. A father of two explained that he pays $2,500 a month per child for daycare, amounting to $60,000 a year. 

The median salary in Kings County is $76,912.

Parents also struggle to secure spots in 3-K, New York City’s free, full-day educational program for three-year-old children. Universal Pre-K, one of Mayor Bill De Blasio’s major initiatives, has been undercut by budget cuts to early education under Mayor Eric Adams. As a result, only half of the city’s school districts can guarantee a 3-K seat, leaving parents to navigate a lottery system which can be confusing and may favor those who are able to spend the hefty costs of 2K. 

Ilyssa Meyer, a mother of a five-month-old who lives in Prospect Heights, is paying $30,000 for child care this year, with help from her mother. 

“It was a big investment because luckily they have 3-K in Prospect Heights. So hopefully, if everything works out, we pay a whole bunch of money upfront but then get the free option, preferential spots – hopefully, if it all works out.” 

Meyer’s family, like many others, is banking on paying for earlier years of care to secure priority for a free 3-K spot. 

Sen. Myrie addressed these concerns, sharing his personal experience with child care.

“I am a born and raised New Yorker. I would not have been able to become a senator, a lawyer, if we didn’t have after-school programming which provided something for my mom,” he said to the circle of parents. “Like most New Yorkers, she didn’t get off at 3 p.m.”

Sen. Myrie also acknowledged the issues with 3-K and pointed to the lack of execution on the existing framework. He highlighted the lack of available seats in the program, which has left many families without options.

“A failure to match available seats with demand is purely administrative incompetence.”

Park Slope Cats

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

An unprecedented number of unhoused animals are returning to shelters across Brooklyn. Avid animal rescuers like Maddy Samaddar-Johnson, are working to combat this issue through localized and collaborative groups within the Park Slope community.

Neighbors are joining forces through online networks to care for animals in our community

“Sometimes I wonder, how I do this, and why I do this, and am I a masochist?” Maddy Samaddar-Johnson, the founder and coordinator of the Facebook group Park Slope Cats, is one of Park Slope’s invisible animal rescuers. Since she was a young girl, Samaddar-Johnson has rescued cats, dogs, birds, squirrels, and other animals. She has lived in Canada, India, Italy, the U.K., and the U.S. and worked in several other countries during her career, joining rescue efforts in all of those locations. In addition to her full-time job as an architect and ecological urban planner, she volunteers for nonprofits in New York as well as independently fosters and rescues.  

Today’s surge of unhoused animals in need across the globe and in Park Slope is unprecedented, Samaddar-Johnson says. “The struggle has been compounded by massive, never before seen numbers of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and other companion animals being dumped across the world following the 2020 increase in pandemic adoptions.”

Four years later, animals are returning to shelters in overwhelming numbers as many pet owners had to face the costs of owning a pet outside of quarantine. Rover, a gig-sourcing app for services like pet-sitting and dog-walking, reported $157.1 million in revenue in September 2021.

When people decide to give up their animals, they release them to shelters, agitating the overwhelmed system, or place them outdoors. Unneutered animals, whether located outdoors or in homes, reproduce. Unspayed female cats, Samaddar-Johnson mentioned, can become pregnant while still nursing a litter of kittens. Due to warmer weather from climate change, “kitten season” starts earlier in the spring and ends later in the fall, resulting in more litters and an overall higher cat overpopulation. “New York City currently has a cat crisis,” says Samaddar-Johnson.

Additionally, the veterinary business has changed. Venture capitalist firms absorbed smaller practices, increasing the cost of vet visits. Jean Bubley, a Park Slope Cats member and independent foster to too many cats for her to count, notices this trend playing out in Park Slope.

“What’s happening is that Wall Street investors and venture capitalists have honed in on vet practices as good money makers, as people are spending a lot of money on their animals,” Bubley said. 

Local veterinary clinics like Bond, VERG, and BluePearl, Bubley notes, offer emergency services, and some are open 24 hours. Pet owners may not realize how expensive the bill will be for an emergency service in the middle of the night until they are handed the bill for a completed treatment.

In Park Slope, many local rescuers practice trap-neuter-release, or TNR, to allow the more feral cats to stay outdoors without reproducing. Independent trappers pay for the neutering or spaying surgeries out of their own pockets.

“Despite having some individual kind souls and individual rescuers, there is no consolidated group just for the Park Slope people to focus on animal rescue and adoptions. They’re all scattered,” Samaddar-Johnson said.

Samaddar-Johnson started Park Slope Cats to connect the rescuers, cat lovers, potential fosters, and adopters who wanted to support their neighbors in solving the problem.

Samaddar-Johnson noticed an influx in cat posts among the 16,000 members of the now closed Park Slope Together group on Facebook. The group administrators suggested a separate group dedicated to cat-related content. This urgent need caused her to quickly roll out the group, though Samaddar-Johnson sees it expanding into an online collaboration and community for Park Slope residents.

When I started research for Park Slope animal rescues, I imagined visiting a brick-and-mortar animal shelter in the neighborhood and meeting animals stored in crates. The more I interviewed, the more I learned the difference between a foster-based network versus an animal shelter.

The mission of both the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) aim to prevent animal cruelty. However, they are kill shelters, though in the past several years the ACC has euthanized mainly cases with terminal medical issues. Their New Hope program connecting over 300 no-kill rescues in the tri-state region has been a good resource to pull out animals who are high up on the at-risk list due to medical or behavioral issues. But rescues even in the program are often overwhelmed and full.

“Euthanasia must be understood for what it is: a humane and responsible part of animal welfare that can spare animals from further hardship and suffering, and in some cases, ensures the safety of the community,” the ASPCA site reads.

Foster-based networks keep animals out of shelters and into vetted homes of volunteers. Foster volunteers offer the animals extra attention to promote their emotional and physical health, and support the animals through the process of future adoption.

An established nonprofit will often cover the cost of food, supplies, and medical expenses for volunteers. Since Park Slope doesn’t have a consolidated foster nonprofit, local rescuers and fosters volunteer their time and resources without a safety net.

Bubley moved to the neighborhood in 2001 and was helping cats on her own. In 2014, she participated in a now-closed local pet store’s adoption event and met other neighbors who fostered and cared about animals as much as she did.

Now, with the network she built with her twenty-plus years in the community, Bubley has accidentally become the local cat whisperer. If you need to trap a lost cat at 10 p.m., Jean Bubley will have the necessary trapping supplies. Bubley. If you find a cat at midnight needing urgent medical care, who will book a vet appointment and pay the charge at 1 a.m.? Jean Bubley.

She currently has well over a dozen cats in her home and pays nearly $1,000 out of pocket each month for food alone, on top of other costs such as litter, toys, and vet visits. Some cats require specific, prescribed food for medical conditions. 

“I don’t have any plans to retire soon, even though I’ll be turning 73 next year,” Bubley said. “A salary helps when you’re taking care of all these critters.”

Cindy and Loretta, two of her special-needs foster cats available for adoption, have feline leukemia virus (FELV). Bubley even has an enclosed catio attached to her window for the two cats since they have to stay away from other cats to avoid transmitting FELV from biting, sharing bowls or a litter box. During our interview, Cindy rubbed her head affectionately against Bubley’s cheeks. (FELV can’t be transmitted to humans, dogs, or other animals.)

If more neighbors join local groups like Park Slope Cats, they meet and support fosters like Bubley and others in the area.

“Every city needs more people who can get involved with TNR actually going out there and doing the rescuing,” Bubley said. “We need more people who can foster, who have some space where they can take in cats in need temporarily.”

TNR is a physically demanding and emotionally exhausting effort. It requires rescuers to adopt the nocturnal schedule of a cat colony, scout them, then pay for their neutering surgeries.

When I reached out to Park Slope cat and dog rescuer Patricia Honey, she responded, “Oh man. I was just up 90 feet high in the cemetery today.” She then sent me a video of her at a stomach-dropping height in a tree over rescuing a cat. (Her Instagram caption about the rescue read “dear universe…you can chill now.”)

After Park Slope residents find these communities online, how can they help?

Samaddar-Johnson says start local. “There are individual ladies here in Park Slope and surrounding neighborhoods running around and not even getting the funding that other rescue groups with a big volunteer network have been able to procure.”

Fostering and adopting are helpful in providing homes to homeless animals, but there are other immediate ways to help. Neighbors can stockpile and donate food, litter, and trapping supplies. They can register for a TNR registration class through sites like Neighborhood Cats. They can donate financial funds to cover medical costs. They can promote social media posts with their networks for adoption and awareness. They can provide transportation to vet visits or other locations.

The Park Slope Cats group aims to be both an education tool and a community builder specific to this neighborhood. Members can provide supplies or volunteer to house a rescued cat from members in the group.

“I don’t want this to be a top-down organization,” Samaddar-Johnson said. “I want it to be more of a collaboration where compassionate members of the community and individual rescuers come together.”

Whether you foster or volunteer with established nonprofits, or support individual rescuers and fosters, the most important thing is to have a community of other people who understand, empathize, and support the work.

Resources if you want to get involved:

Want to get TNR certified? 

Visit neighborhoodcats.org/tnr-in-nyc/workshops

I just spotted a stray cat outside. What do I do? 

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-help-stray-or-found-cat

I just found a tiny kitten/kittens outdoors. What should I do? 

http://www.kittenlady.org/casa

Help outdoor cats by building winter shelters for feral cats https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/how-to-tnr/colony-care/feral-cat-winter-shelter

https://www.alleycat.org/resources/feral-cat-shelter-options-gallery/#easy

Park Slope rescuers you can help:

Join the group @parkslopecats on facebook to connect with other rescuers like Maddy and fosters like Jean or follow them on FB and IG @parkslopecats.parkslopecats.com 

Foster/Adopt cats and dogs with Waggytail Rescue for Hoa Vu and Meg Sal who’ve been helping animals in Park Slope and beyond

Park Slope’s overwhelmed rescuer 

Patricia Honey @stormy_andthe_Cuddlers 

Foster/Adopt dogs through RescueCity

Busy Brooklyn Rescuer 

Vicki Devor@carrolgardenscatlady

A few other rescues in Brooklyn close to Park Slope:

Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition and Clinic: bbawc.org

Brooklyn Animal Action: brooklynanimalaction.org 

Sunset Park Cats: sunsetparkcats.org

Sean Casey Animal Rescue: nyanimalrescue.org

Everyone Makes Mistakes

By Filed Under: Dispatches From Babyville, Park Slope Life

Fields, courts, and stadiums swell with emotions from high-intensity moments, and athletes often crack under the pressure. What if we set our fear aside and embraced inevitable failures on our paths to success? We may be surprised by the opportunities that appear by removing perfection from the playbook of life.

As I write this, it is playoff time for many sports at professional, collegiate, high school and recreational levels across the country. The New York Knicks recently lost to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The New York Rangers are playing in the NHL Eastern Conference Finals Series against the Florida Panthers. Park Slope’s own public high school sports team, the John Jay Jaguars, are representing in the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) playoff tournaments, as well. The Jaguars Girls fencing team took 1st place citywide in Fencing-Foil; Boys volleyball is in the semifinals; baseball and softball are starting their playoff bids. It is exciting to watch playoff games and hope your team succeeds. But so much of the energy around these contests seems to be defined by mistakes, both as they happen and then for stretches of time after. 

There is a lot of pressure on athletes, and the officials that judge them, to be perfect, but perfect is not possible. Any successful, or simply satisfied, sport-involved person understands that mistakes have to happen. Heck. Any successful, or simply satisfied, human being understands that mistakes have to happen.  Albert Einstein said: “[a]nyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”  Making mistakes is such an important part of the road to success that Billie Jean King told us: “[c]hampions keep playing until they get it right. Then they play more.” Mistakes are inevitable. So, if mistakes are clearly a matter of life, why do so many people act like mistakes are horrible? Maybe it’s because mistakes can be so devastatingly memorable.

I was only 11 years old on a fateful Saturday night for New York Mets fans in October 1986. I was awake, though bleary-eyed, watching the 10th inning action of Game 6 of the World Series between the Mets and Boston Red Sox. With two outs, the Mets battled back from a 3-5 deficit thanks to singles from Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell and then Ray Knight. But it was the ball hit by Mookie Wilson that rolled right through Bill Buckner’s legs that is still talked about, and even academically studied, almost FORTY YEARS later. Buckner’s error allowed Ray Knight to score the Mets’s winning run. 

The lore is that the Mets won the World Series because of that error. But, that’s not even close to reality. There was still another game to play before the Mets would take the World Series in Boston.  The Mets won the World Series because of a combination of successes and errors. Buckner’s error actually only determined that one play. If he hadn’t made the error, and instead got Mookie out at first, the game would still have been tied at the end of the 10th. Ultimately, it would have been someone else’s fault when the Mets won. 

We are so hard on each other and ourselves when we make mistakes. Boston fans relegated Buckner to pariah status, and he never recovered professionally. In his death, his numerous obituaries highlighted this error over his many successes and achievements. It often seems like people enjoy hating others for their mistakes. All that negative energy is destructive internally, and externally. Over my many years in sport as a player, coach and sports official, I have seen plenty of coaches, players and spectators yell at players and officials of all ages after a mistake, saying things like: “what’s wrong with you?” or “why did you do that?” or “what were you thinking?” and  “are you stupid?” I’m never quite sure why these words are spoken aloud. I don’t see any way that these comments could help anyone process a mistake they just made.

Others take the opportunity to make light of mistakes, by laughing or imitating. These attempts are often intended, or received, as belittling to the one whose error is being highlighted. The one who made the mistake will often be the first to make fun of the error. My son often makes such humorous efforts on the volleyball court. If he misses a clear opportunity, he will roll on the floor unnecessarily and shake his head as if he doesn’t know what went wrong… then smile and laugh. I usually see these responses in my son and others as a coping mechanism, to shield themselves from the potential humiliation offered by others that often comes after their mistakes. These self-deprecating expressions are also easiest to offer when the stakes are low.

I can almost understand needing to groan and moan, or even laugh, when professionals in an athletic environment disappoint you by not being perfect. However, when you think it’s appropriate to similarly protest a kid who isn’t living up to your expectations, it’s time to reevaluate your expectations, and truly accept the reality of mistakes.

There are significant consequences when we make a big deal out of mistakes. One of the main reasons kids leave sports is because of how grown ups (and their friends) react to their mistakes, even at a young age. All the research tells us that children develop best in environments where they are not afraid to make mistakes. When kids are encouraged to try, and supported when they fail, they learn that mistakes are necessary for growth. The cool thing is, once a child gets the kind of support that acknowledges mistakes as part of the process, they actually make FEWER mistakes in the future because they don’t have the added stress on them to perform; they just do it.

Now, I’m not saying that it’s best to ignore mistakes. I think mistakes should be identified, acknowledged, and processed. If the goal of this interaction is to get correction in the future, I would recommend this process be done with kindness and grace. 

As I started my role as a baseball/softball umpire and volleyball referee, I was worried about making a mistake. I knew mistakes would come; I’ve seen enough sports officials make errors, and had no expectation that I would break the mold and be perfect. My fear about mistakes had to do with how others would respond to them. Would people still respect me? Would they argue with me? Would they consider hurting me? I processed these concerns with anyone who wanted to hear me. It was during one of these exchanges that someone told me of the experience of a professional sports official they knew. Early in this official’s professional career they acknowledged a mistake they made and had an eye opening interaction with the impacted professional athlete. As they told me this story, I expected the story-telling was designed to make me feel more confident. However, that was not at all the point. It was a warning.

When the professional sports official in question was new to their craft, a very famous player in their sport got upset at the new official for “missing a call”. The new official took this player’s comments to heart and reviewed the recording of that play numerous times over the next few days. The official determined the player was right; the new official HAD missed the call. The next time the official was set to work a game for that player, the official approached the player to make a mea culpa. The official expected the player to thank them for their thoughtfulness and appreciate their retrospection. Instead, the player simply said something to the effect of: “Don’t do it again.” Ouch. 

That professional athlete was being unreasonable. That official has and will continue to make mistakes.  Now, those mistakes are more likely to be reviewed and overturned through replay/challenge structures that are more prominent than ever. But, no matter how many times an official’s call is overturned, they will still make mistakes, because mistakes are inevitable. (Within the decade much of the ado related to the mistakes of sport officials will likely be moot as technology develops to provide ways to make these calls with scientific accuracy.)

Some players play it safe so that they don’t make mistakes, but they still suffer the wrath of others. Think about a baserunner ignoring the coach’s steal sign, a center driving with the ball down the lane passing the basketball back to the perimeter, or an outside hitter tipping a tightly set volleyball, to name a few. Some coaches challenge these players for not “playing it hard” on every play. In these moments, these players will tell you that they have made a calculated decision to not go hard because they believe going hard would lead to an error. They also believe that if they go hard and make that error, they will be further penalized by the coach, and/or the crowd. So, they make a calculated decision to avoid the error, but also potentially miss an opportunity. Having watched, and made, these kinds of decisions in real-time, these players are usually making the best decision they can. Coaches, fellow players and spectators should support players to make the decisions they are most comfortable with.

Other athletes seem to give it their all on every play, even when the chance of success from their effort is slim. In these moments, it looks like the player just wants to get the mistake out of the way. I see these kinds of kids all the time in baseball and softball games with the under 12 year olds in Prospect Park. These players get to the plate, settle in quickly, and then swing at the first 3 pitches they see. I observed one such player this past weekend. Before each pitch was thrown, the player uttered loud enough for me and the catcher to hear: “Hit me. Come on. Hit me.” When I first heard it, I wondered what the kid was thinking. But I quickly realized that as the player swung at each incoming pitch no matter where it was, the player wanted out of that pressure filled role as soon as possible. They welcomed a potentially painful hit-by-pitch to avoid the stress of the inevitable personal mistake.

If you’re like me, you are likely to watch a few hundred mistakes happen in real time in athletic contests in the next few days, weeks or months. Do everyone a favor: emotionally prepare for these mistakes and then accept their eventuality. Some mistakes will benefit the team you’re rooting for, others will sting as they relegate your team to the status of “loser.” Instead of focusing on the mistakes, save your energy to celebrate a success, however broadly you need to define it. 

Sterling Records: A New Hub of Music Culture & Community

By Filed Under: Music, Park Slope Life

Head to the newest record store to browse your favorite music, literature, and games, and even discover new favorites amidst the vast collection. With radio shows, backyard events, and other ideas on the horizon, Sterling Records is supplying a hub of culture for Park Slope Residents to explore.

A new hub of music culture and community

Park Slope is getting a new record store this summer with a big emphasis on community and inclusivity in the neighborhood – ages and music interests alike. Sterling Records is being opened by longtime friends and local bar owners Gary Giddens and Ray Gish with help from their friend and investor, Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode, Erasure, and Yazoo fame. 

Their vision for the store is much more than just records.

I had a chance to chat with Co-Owner, Gary Giddens, who describes Sterling Records as a cross between Annie’s Blue Ribbon and Beacon’s Closet, but all about music. Their vision for the store is a place where you may come in to browse or buy a new album, and end up finding other things you’re interested in, learning something new, or just finding a place to spend some time listening to music or chat. 

His hope is that there will always be something interesting going on for the neighborhood to join in on. Gary told me about a scene from last summer that helped inform his vision of Sterling Records.

Last summer I was walking along 7th avenue…it was drizzling a bit…and there were these kids sitting in Starbucks. I want those kids to say ‘Hey let’s go hangout at the record store.

Sterling Records will sell new and used records, CDs, turn tables, puzzles, and a collection of about a thousand books. Gary mentioned more than once that his goal is for everyone to feel welcome, and that’s clear through their inventory. 

He envisions that every music taste can be catered to at the store – no matter how new, old, trendy, or niche it may be. Their inventory will include new releases, vintage vinyl, and selections spanning nearly every genre.  

The record store has a great space in the back and a beautiful, spacious yard that they’re aiming to open by Spring of 2025. The back would serve coffee and the backyard could be used to sit and eat or perhaps even listen to a show (noise ordinances allowing). 

Speaking of noise – they’ll also be using their space to host radio shows through Maker Park Radio, a nonprofit community radio station based in Staten Island and owned by Gary’s friends Kristin Wallace and Tom Ferrie. Gary has been a part of Maker Park Radio since its start in 2017, and now the radio station will be setting up a small studio inside Sterling Records. 

The staff plans to host radio shows from the store on Mondays – likely DJed by the staff or anyone who wants to get involved. Tom from Maker Park Radio offers DJ lessons, some of which will be held at the record shop. You can listen to Maker Park Radio through their website (https://makerparkradio.nyc/) or their app (Maker Park Radio). 

If you’d like to support Sterling Records or get involved, you can do so through their GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/sterling-record-store), or just pop by for a chat. You could help with set up, stock records, join the staff, or maybe even become a regular DJ. 

Sterling Records plans to open in May, come out and support this new hub of music culture and community on 5th and Sterling. I’ll see you there!