Good morning. Today is the 310th day of the year. It is the birth anniversary (1861) of James Naismith, the inventor of the game of basketball. Naismith was the athletic director of the Springfield, Mass., YMCA, and sought to invent an indoor game that young men could play during the winter months. The popular game was adopted by the YMCAs nationwide, and within a few years many colleges had basketball teams. Naismith, who also wrote the first basketball rulebook, regarded his game as a distraction and preferred gymnastics and wrestling.

Well-known people who were born today include singer-songwriter Glenn Frey (“The Heat Is On�), California first lady Maria Shriver, film and stage director Mike Nichols and actor Ethan Hawke.

WRITTEN IN STONE: Tales of Green-Wood

On Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m., Green-Wood Cemetery will hold a walking tour celebrating its monuments and mausoleums.

Visit final resting places and hear stories about the American Indian princess who was the toast of New York, the “little drummer boy� of the Civil War who died at the age of 12, a heroic dog who saved his mistress from drowning, the man who built Steeplechase Park, and more.

The tour will be given by Ruth Edebohls, who coordinated walking tours for the now-defunct Center for the Urban Environment. Over the years, she has led many tours of Green-Wood.

Enter at the cemetery’s main entrance, at 25th Street and Eighth Avenue.

COBBLE HILL BIKE RIDE.

Also Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Cobble Hill Association and the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative will host a 10-mile casual bike ride that will start at Cobble Hill Park and pass through Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, the Columbia Waterfront District, Red Hook and more.

There will be several scenic rest stops as the ride proceeds through mostly-calm streets. Several bike marshals will travel alongside the riders, as well as a mechanic if any urgent bike repairs are needed. The ride begins at Verandah Place at Cobble Hill Park and will also end at the park.

Space is limited to 50 riders. Preference is given to those who register ahead of time as well as Cobble Hill Association members. RSVP at cobblehillbikeride@gmail.com

— Raanan Geberer
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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