Brooklyn Prospect Charter School principal Dan Rubinstein told the Brooklyn Paper that he enacted the rule to cut down on hallway loitering.

“It’s a time, place, and manner thing,” Rubinstein said. “We don’t want students spending too much social time between class.”

Park Slope parents, who are anti-ice cream truck, but totally pro-hug, are outraged over the new policy. In fact, they’ve dubbed it a “spirit-crushing assault on kindness” according to the Brooklyn Paper (but banning ice cream trucks in the park isn’t?).

How this new rule actually came about seems to be a point of contention. Kids say it happened after students began group-hugging in the halls, blocking the paths to and from classes. Parents say it happened after a student reported feeling uncomfortable with a hug from an older student. 

Whatever the reason for the hug ban, students are less than amused with the new rule, calling it too strict, especially since they were recently forced to wear school uniforms. These kids are probably wondering what’s next — a hummus ban in the cafeteria? Well, kids… if your parents could have it their way, then probably yes.

The post Park Slope is at it again; Charter school bans hugs appeared first on Metro.us.

Outrage is building among parents who want to oust aggressive treat-wielding derelicts who dare solicit their children with something as inappropriate as a frozen dairy snack. Everyone knows a child should not be exposed to such a thing — it’s simply un-American.

According to the New York Post, parents complain Prospect Park has turned into a hot hangout for those looking to deal in dairy. The Park Slope Parents online forum was riddled with rants by angry moms who claim their trips to the playground were ruined by temper tantrums sparked by ice cream.

“Two different people came into the actual playground with ice cream/Italian ice push carts,” one angry mom said. “I was able to avoid it for a little while but eventually I left with a crying 4-year-old.”

“I should not have to fight with my children every warm day on the playground just so someone can make a living!” another mom added. No word on whether these parents had ever told their children “no” before this incident.  

The sentiment was echoed by other parents on the site who would prefer to avoid a confrontation with their child (i.e. parenting) by removing the middle man — or in this case — ice cream man.

“Nobody wants to be a crank, but one in three kids are going to be obese or diabetic by high school,” said mom Sarah Schenck. “When my kids see other kids get ice cream, they just start begging me. I just don’t think these are the fights we should be having.”

Park Slope parents already have enough on their plates to deal with… like hummus imported from Israel.

The post Park Slope moms hope to avoid parenting by banning ice cream trucks appeared first on Metro.us.

The ban would have ousted a handful of products sold at the grocery store that were imported from Israel, like hummus. A group opposing the ban, which calls itself “More Hummus, Please” fought to keep the products on the shelves in the weeks leading up to the vote. If the whole debate seems a little ridiculous to you, than you’re on the same wavelength as “The Daily Show,” which aired a special report about the hummus dilemma last night.

Reporter Samantha Bee sought to expose the truth in a hard-hitting investigation that brought us both sides of the issue.

“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has raged for decades with countless casualties on both sides, but perhaps there is one victim of this war that might be the most tragic of all,” Bee said. “The Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, New York.”

While “The Daily Show” pokes fun at the food fight, supporters of the ban say they’re not giving up.

“Although we finished with a very significant level of support, almost 40 percent, the results of the vote show that there remains much work to do in our efforts to educate co-op members on the importance of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions),” said Park Slope food coop members who support the ban.

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Naked Space in Park Slope is a self-described “safe environment for physical, mental and spiritual practices performed without clothing.” Now, it has introduced sans clothes yoga — no girls allowed.

While there are private yoga sessions that are optionally naked for both men and women clients, the group classes are for the gentleman only. Naked Space’s website offers some helpful FAQs for free-spirited men who might need some guidance on how to behave in a room full of downward-facing dogs. Here’s the answer to an inquiry that is undoubtedly growing in all of our minds…..

What if I get an erection?

Congratulate yourself for having a healthy reproductive system. Seriously, erections are natural. Some guys will get them, some won’t; either way, it’s not a problem. What you choose to do with your erection is another matter. Be responsible for your actions and aware of the other people sharing the space.

The potentially arousing experience is available to fellas for $20 per class. Naked Space doesn’t list its address or phone number on its site, but guys interested in taking their half-moon pose to a full moon can email Naked Space for the location.

(via Gawker)

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This latest attack happened in Windsor Terrace on Sunday night. A man followed a woman walking down Vanderbilt Street near her mother’s home just before midnight. Then, as she was only steps away from her mom’s house, he suddenly attacked her and groped her breasts. She screamed and he ran off.
Cops — who have released three different sketches — said either one or multiple men are behind the string of attacks that started in March.

So far, the suspect has groped 11 woman and raped one woman in Sunset Park in June, according to police. He has been targeting the area stretching from Greenwood Heights to Park Slope.

Police have not named any suspects, but are warning women to be on alert: The sex predator usually strikes at night and follows women as they walk alone, according to police.

Police beef up presence

Police have increased their presence in Brooklyn, with vans and squad cars on Fifth Avenue. They also showed residents laptop surveillance video of the suspect. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said yesterday that cops are showing the video to prisoners passing through Central Booking to see if anyone recognizes him. 

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro.
 

The post Brooklyn perv strikes for 12th time appeared first on Metro.us.

“This is a completely separate person,” an NYPD spokesman told Metro.

The man arrested, Federico Chamorro Yax, 22, allegedly attacked two 22-year-old women walking together down 56th Street in Bensonhurst on Sunday.

He approached the two women, they said, and then grabbed and groped one of them. The women attacked him, and wrestled him to the ground, scratching him before he ran off. Police said Yax also attacked a 30-year-old woman on Sept. 4 on 65th Street in Bensonhurst. He reached under her skirt and groped her, said police.

The post Cops nab suspected Brooklyn groper appeared first on Metro.us.

In the wake of the attacks, in which a man grabs women from behind, gyms and community centers now offer free defense lessons. CrossFit718, in South Slope, normally charges $75 for four classes, but the two dozen women there Wednesday night learned how to protect themselves for free.

Class was taught by instructor Ariel Yarden, who trained in hand-to-hand combat in Spain, Mexico and Israel — and  has the stab scars to prove it.

Yarden cautioned women that if a mugger wants your purse, better to give it up than risk your life. But do fight back if he tries to take you somewhere, he said; at a second location, you’re much more likely to be killed.

Learn the moves
   
Move No. 1: What if someone puts you in a chokehold?
   
The instinct is to freeze, he said, but don’t do that. Instead, you should grab the predator’s arm, crouch down and move your hips back to create space for yourself. Then, “like a Tasmanian devil,” whack him in the crotch. Even if you don’t make contact, he’ll move back and you can spin out of the hold.
   
Move No. 2: What if someone puts a knife to your throat?
   
With a knife, it’s trickier, Yarden said; fighting back means you risk getting cut. This time, grab the man’s arm with your hands, crouch and move your hips back again. Sink far down, so all your weight is against his arm. Again, whack your arm down into his groin, and spin out.
   
Move No. 3: What if you’re attacked at gunpoint?
   
The gun will go off, Yarden warned — just accept that. Put your hands, palms facing you, in front of your face, he said. Swivel, and push the gun behind you. If you’re lucky, he said, the gun will be facing the predator as it goes off.

The post Women learn defense with Park Slope rapist on loose appeared first on Metro.us.

A man has been targeting women in Park Slope and Sunset Park, dragging them by their necks to the sidewalk and sexually assaulting them. The most recent attack was Sept. 8, when the suspect attacked a 26-year-old woman walking home on 12th Street.

On Tuesday, police released a video of a “person of interest,” a man seen walking down an empty street. The video was taken Sept. 4, the same day the suspect attacked a 24-year-old woman looking for her keys.

Police also added a March attack on 16th Street to the criminal’s crime pattern — meaning the man has been preying on women for at least seven months. He often strikes in the early morning hours and seems to target women walking alone on their way home from the subway.

The NYPD papered subway stops and light poles in Park Slope and Sunset Park with three separate sketches, and an NYPD spokeswoman said it could be one or multiple suspects. The description is of a Hispanic man, about 28.

In response to the assaults, Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez, who represents that part of Brooklyn, organized free self-defense classes. And neighborhood groups have formed patrols to escort women walking home alone — Safe Slope created a Safe Walk program, and Brooklyn Bike Patrol offers a two-wheeled escort.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro.
 

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Slaw: Not just a side
“I’m from the south, and down there we like slaw on everything — including our hot dogs. This is why at Bark we thought it only natural to have a hot dog topped with our pickle juice-laced coleslaw. It’s tangy [and] savory and has a nice bite to it to contrast the soft bun and snappy dog.”

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But after signing a contract with the club last year, she found out in
May that Brooklyn’s 122-year-old architectural gem would be covered by
dark scaffolding on her big day. Not to mention the port-o-john parked
in the yard.

“Of course that’s exactly what you want to get married in,” said a
sarcastic McLennan, who is planning an October ceremony.  “I cried
hysterically in front of the club when I saw it. I was devastated.”

McLennan is one of six brides who say they were misled by the Montauk
Club: Each woman paid an $1,800 deposit before being told — in one case,
10 days before her wedding — that the facade of the building would be
draped in scaffolding.

Greenpoint resident Jeniza Ketay’s husband spotted the scaffolding 10
days before their May 21 nuptials. Racing to find a last-minute venue
was nothing short of “traumatic,” she said.

“I was in shock,” said Katie Dixon, 29, a bride who hoped to use the club  as a backdrop in photos.

“We just have to move forward because we don’t want there to be a shadow over the wedding.”

No refund, but a deal on food?

The $1,800 to $2,500 deposit to reserve the site is nonrefundable, said Joseph Callahan, a lawyer for the Montauk Club.

According to Callahan the club still offers a pristine interior; he says
two brides signed up just last month to have their weddings there,
despite the scaffolding. And besides, he says, the netting would only
distract for “a minute and a half walking up the steps.”

The club also offered disgruntled brides a 15 percent discount on catering.

All six disgruntled brides have acquired attorney David Schwarz to fight
for refunds. He said he is trying to get their money back and if not,
will sue.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro.

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