From the EV Grieve Weather Center

This just in from EV Grieve Weather Correspondent Shawn Chittle. See that roundish, blue blob hovering over what used to be Northern Illinois and Indiana? Yes, it's headed this way.

Per our sources at The Weather Channel (Woo! Jim Cantore!):

... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 4 PM EST SATURDAY...

* LOCATIONS... NEW YORK CITY... MOST ADJACENT SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY... AND MOST OF WESTERN LONG ISLAND.

* HAZARD TYPES... SNOW. PRECIPITATION MAY MIX WITH RAIN AND SLEET LATE SATURDAY MORNING AND INTO EARLY AFTERNOON BEFORE ENDING SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* ACCUMULATIONS... 4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW.

* WINDS... NORTHEAST 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES... IN THE UPPER 20S.

We calmly suggest that you start to panic.

We'll have live team coverage starting tomorrow. Whenever we wake up. (Noonish or so.)

What was inside the three wise men's treasure chest anyway?

Our friends at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop brought our attention to the candleholder in the nativity scene at St. Stanislaus on Seventh Street...

Heh. We didn't know that Fleshjack made candleholders too...

The work of a jokester? To save you searching "Fleshjack" on Google ... they sell quality sex toys and adult toys for men.

A farewell to Mars

Earlier today, we looked back at the Second Avenue of 1997, a photo journey that began with the Mars Bar.

Workers have demolished most of the block that included the Mars Bar. The last brick from 9 Second Ave. is likely being carted away right now. So it seems like a fitting time for a tribute. Goggla paid her final respects at the Gog Log yesterday.

She has stayed in touch with many of the former patrons, "but there has been nothing to replace that tiny, grungy room that brought everyone together and embodied such fun and chaos."

[Photo by Goggla]

She has hundreds of Mars Bar photos at Flickr documenting the bar right up until the very end.

[Photo by Goggla]

Let's take a walk along Second Avenue in the East Village in 1997

In 1997, EV Grieve reader Dave Buchwald worked on the cover art for 2600 Magazine, the publication that sponsored the Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference at the Puck Building. As a favor, Buchwald walked around the neighborhood, taking pictures of the restaurants, bars and stores that a computer hacker might want to visit while in New York.

He sent us some of the photos from 1997. Last Thursday, we walked up First Avenue. Today, we'll heading up north on Second Avenue to 12th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Let's take a walk along First Avenue in the East Village in 1997

An appreciation: Block Drug Stores

Here at Sixth Street. Block Drug Stores — AKA Second Ave Chemists, Inc., where they still use a mortar and pestles in the pharmacy. Anyway, seemed appropriate to note them today given that we were on Second Avenue in the post above ... Established in 1885, per the sign. Owned and operated by Carmine and Beth Palermo. (There's more history of the business at the store's website.)

Bobby Williams took this photo on Tuesday.

Oh, just another story about someone getting arrested for selling marijuana-laced rice krispie treats on East 14th Street

[Not really the pot rice krispie treats]

No time for bad pot puns. Let's get right to this piece in the Post this morning.

Cops arrested two men Wednesday after busting up their half-baked East Village drug deal and discovering a sweet stash of dozens of marijuana-laced Rice Krispie’s Treats, The Post has learned.

Ariel Herrera, 23, allegedly hid the sugary snacks and their secret ingredient in the back seat of his 2011 Honda Accord — where cops caught him peddling pot-filled treats to Logan Delfugeo in front of an East 14th Street apartment building.

"I guess these guys wanted to take care of the high and the munchies all at once," a law enforcement source deadpanned.

Ha,ha. Anonymous law enforcement sources are so funny!

This happened between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, which the Post noted is "a drug-sales hotspot." Delfugeo reportedly said that he needs marijuana for medical purposes.

The lesson: You should never, ever buy anything from rice krispie treat dealers, alleged or otherwise. Sure, baking rice krispie treats from a mix with weed butter is difficult, but you will simply need to experiment finding the right ratio of oil to egg to butter.

[UPDATED] Centre-fuge Public Art Project kicks off this weekend on East First Street

From the EV Grieve inbox...cut-n-paste journalism — woo!

Centre-fuge Public Art Project, Opens for the Year

Pebbles Russell and Jonathan Neville are proud to present the Centre-fuge Public Art Project, a rotating outdoor gallery with work by multimedia artists. The project is dedicated in memory of friend, creator and Lower East Side neighbor, Mike Hamm.

In mid-2011 a drab, gray trailer popped up on the South side of First Street. The trailer functions as a temporary office for workers on the 2nd Avenue subway line. Centre-fuge Public Art Project will transform the trailer for one year into a rotating street gallery. Between 2 to 7 artists at a time will create work on all visible sides of the structure. The art will change over once every two months on a pre-set weekend. Artists must submit proposals in order for their work to be deemed appropriate for the broader community. The artists will supply their own materials.

The goal of Centre-fuge is not only to re-beautify this incredible block, but also to encourage the community to express itself in a public forum. With the closure of half of Houston Street, making underground way for the 2nd Avenue Subway line, the ever-growing presence of construction makes the block feel less like a neighborhood, full of individuals and more like a work site full of barricades and jackhammers.

You may read the whole release here... You can stop by this Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm to see all this get started... Mike Hamm worked at Lancelotti Housewares and Alphabets on Avenue A. He died on Jan. 7. We'll have more about him in a post next week.

UPDATED: Given the crap weather expected tomorrow, the organizers have decided to postpone the start of the work until next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Even air pumps are getting fancier, more expensive in the East Village

At the Gulf Station on Second Avenue at First Street...

Before! A beat-up machine that only took quarters...

Now!

The fancy digital one that costs $1.50...

[Photo yesterday by Bobby Williams]

P.S.

Have you tried the bagels at Gulf? They don't look or taste as good as advertised...

Oh: S'MAC now open at First Park

Last June, news broke, via DNAinfo, that S'MAC was taking over for Veselka at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk.

In July, we asked Sarita Ekya, who runs the popular East 12th Street macaroniship with her husband Caesar, when they might open. At the time they were aiming for a fall opening...

Hey, anyway. Only yesterday did we notice that they are up and running here... The S'MAC Facebook page notes that they opened on Dec. 20. Currently just serving the cheese from noon to five, but extended hours are coming soon...

Last night on Avenue A

Shawn Chittle agrees that Leonard "T-Berry" White can make this claim.