The Atlantic Yards Report has posted an interview between New Jersey Nets CEO Brett Yormark and Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts of WFAN. Responding to Gehry’s much publicized statement about how he didn’t think Atlantic Yards would happen, Yormark said — among other things — that the architect was “just venting,� then promised that the Brooklyn arena would open in 2011.

The Brooklyn Heights Blog recently got this communication from state Sen. Squadron's office: “What is Senator Squadron doing to avoid this disastrous proposal for fare hikes and service cuts? EVERYTHING HE POSSIBLY CAN. It’s an uphill battle, but he is aggressively talking with his fellow legislators every day to try to find a viable solution that can get passed quickly into law.�

The New York Times Co. is cutting pay for most employees by five percent for a nine-month period and is laying off 100 people, reports Crain’s NY. In a separate article, Crain’s NY reports that unemployment in New York City soared to 8.1 percent in February.

This Sunday, March 29, New York Times health columnist Jane Brody at the Park Slope United Methodist church will discuss her book “Jane Brody’s Guide to the Great Beyond: A practical primer to help you and your loved ones prepare medically, legally, and emotionally for the end of life.� The book will be available for purchase. Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn

Brownstoner asks: “Are there still buyers out there looking to drop $4,250,000 on a Brooklyn Heights co-op?� A 3,000-square-foot penthouse at 160 Henry Street just hit the market with that price tag. One of scores of comments reads, “If you are worried about the $4,000 maintenance then this pad ain’t for you.�

It’s a busy day for Brooklyn film crews — according to tipsters at Filming in Brooklyn. As the World Turns is filming on location (a rare thing for a soap!) in Midwood, in the vicinity of Locust Avenue and East 14th St. A commercial for the NFL draft will be shooting both on the pedestrian walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge and in Fulton Ferry State Park. Finally, and more curiously, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice filmed yesterday and today at the corner of Seventh Ave. and 9th St. in Park Slope. The Jerry Bruckheimer production is a live-action version of the Disney flick, starring Nicolas Cage as the apprentice.

The Starlite Lounge, which one Yelper calls “the best gay bar in all of Crown Heights (and possibly the world),� has closed, according to Brownstoner.

Lobo served its final meal this Sunday before it closed for renovations, but pay no attention to speculations that this might be a permanent closure, suffering the fate of so many nearby shuttered restaurants (Miriam, Jill’s, Margaret Palca blech…), says Cobble Hill Blog. Owner Sean Patterson told the blog that after 5 years at the Court Street location he signed a new 10-year lease and wants to make improvements.

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE was a column written by Walt Whitman when he was editor of the Brooklyn Eagle in the 1840s. Included in the column were observations, gripes and bits of news, much as we find today by looking at Brooklyn’s many blogs.

Also, check out these Eagle affiliate blogs:

GreenBeat Brooklyn
Brooklyn Before Now

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