BROOKLYN'S LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

BROOKLYN'S FIRST CASUALTY OF THE CIVIL WAR WAS A 12 YEAR OLD DRUMMER BOY CLARENCE MacKENZIE. HE IS BURIED IN GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY.

MARY'S CORNER

MY FRIEND'S GRANDMOTHER DIED ON THURS, SHE WAS 101 AND WORKED AT HER CORNER STORE IN SOUTH BROOKLYN TILL SHE WAS 96. MARY'S ITALIAN AMERICAN GROCERY STORE CATERED TO EVERYONE IN THIS WORKING CLASS AREA WHICH IS NOW BEING GENTRIFIED AND ALL OLD STORES ARE BECOMING NEW. SHE WOULD GIVE CREDIT TO BLACK, WHITE, SPANISH. DIDN'T MATTER IF YOU WORKED IN OR WERE FROM THE AREA SHE TOOK CARE OF YOU.LOTS OF TOUGH GUYS AND DRUGS IN AREA BACK IN THE DAY BUT NO ONE EVER ROBBED MARY'S. ALL OF US WOULD LOOK OVER HERE. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD NAME THE CORNER AFTER HER, SO THE NEW COMERS WILL ALWAYS ASK ABOUT AND BE TOLD WHO MARY WAS. THE OLD-TIMERS KNOW.I WANT TO START A CRUSADE TO RE-NAME PRESIDENT ST AND 3RD AVE CORNER OF THE STORE "MARY'S CORNER".

GREENWOOD MONSTER

I JUST SAW A GIANT TURTLE AT GREEN - WOOD CEMETERY. I THOUGHT IT WAS A CANADA GOOSE AS ONE WAS RIGHT NEAR IT. IT WAS CRAWLING ON GROUND AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT'S THAT? IT LOOKED PREHISTORIC WITH SHARP EDGES ON SHELL AND WAS HUGE. HE JUMPED INTO THE LAKE. I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR THIS GUY AGAIN. ALWAYS SEE LITTLE ONES THERE BUT NEVER ONE THIS BIG.

THE FATHER OF PROSPECT PARK

JAMES STRANAHAN WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HAVING PROSPECT PARK BUILT WOULD HAVE BEEN 200 YEARS OLD ON FRIDAY APRIL 25TH, I HAVE A TOUR AND WILL MENTION THAT AS WE WALK PAST HIS STATUE. HE WAS ALSO CALLED BROOKLYN'S "FIRST CITIZEN". WITH CENTRAL PARK BUILT ALREADY HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE NOT SECOND CLASS AND HIRED OLMSTEAD AND VAUX TO BUILD US A BETTER PARK. HAPPY 200TH.

PROSPECT PARK WILL BE ROCKING

THIS YEAR IS THE 30TH YEAR OF CELEBRATE BROOKLYN. MANY DIFFERENT ACTS AND SHOWS WILL BE PERFORMED AT THE BANDSHELL INSIDE PARK JUST OFF 9TH STREET. FOR COMPLETE SCHEDULE GO TO WWW.BRICONLINE.ORG/CELEBRATE/2008SEASON.ASP.

RIP DAN FEDERICI

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN E STREET BAND MEMBER DAN FEDERICI HAS PASSED AWAY IN NYC AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH CANCER. HE LAST PERFORMED ON MARCH 20TH WITH THE E STREET BAND. TODAY'S AS WELL AS TOMORROW'S SHOWS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. NO DOUBT ALL THE BAND MEMBERS WILL BE HEADING HOME TO NJ TO PAY RESPECTS TO DANNY. I SAW BRUCE MANY MANY TIMES AND IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.I REMEMBER WAITING IN FRONT OF J&R MUSIC WORLD WITH $1000 AND AN PICK-AX HANDLE AT 2AM WAITING ALL NIGHT FOR TICKETS TO GO ON SALE IN 1981. A SAD DAY, BUT DANNY WOULD WANT US TO ROCK ON. DANNY YOU WILL BE MISSED BY MILLIONS. RIP BROTHER.

BROOKLYN BROWN

LEON WILLIAMS OF THE CLEVELAND BROWNS GREW UP ON DITMAS AVE AND E21ST. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT BLOCK AS MY THEN GIRL FRIEND LIVED THERE. THIS IS A BROOKLYN KID ALL THE WAY. PLAYED ROUGH TACKLE ON CONCRETE LIKE MY BUDDIES AND I OFTEN DID. PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT ME LIKE I WAS NUTS WHEN I TOLD THEM WE DID THAT. HELL WE DIDN'T HAVE A DIRT FIELD. I'M ROOTING FOR THIS KID AND THE BROWNS THIS YEAR.