Sunday, March 31, 2013

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION IN GREENWOOD PLAYGROUND


Greenwood Playground's Earth Day Extravagreenza
Sunday, April 21st, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

face painting
glitter tattoos
more

Saturday, March 30, 2013

HOLY NAME FUND RAISING IS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS

One million dollars have been donated to Holy Name of Jesus Church as of today, March 30th. It's only taken a bit over one month to raise that amount. The church is now two-thirds of the way toward its goal of raising $1,500,000 for the restoration of its interior.


Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church
245 Prospect Park West, at Prospect Avenue
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn 

Phone: (718) 768-3071
Fax: (718) 369-2039

http://www.holynamebrooklyn.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Holy-Name-of-Jesus-Roman-Catholic-Church-Brooklyn-New-York/127225753993725

VINYL CLUB, MONDAY, APRIL 1ST

Vinyl Night
Monday, April 1st, 8 p.m. to midnight

DJs choice: Bring your vinyl records to Sycamore Bar to spin. Bring any kind of music and deejay it yourself on a big sound system. Spinning is free.

Vinyl Club at 

Sycamore Bar and Flowershop
1118 Cortelyou Road, between E. 11th Street and Argyle Road
 

Ditmas Park, Brooklyn
(347) 240-5850
www.sycamorebrooklyn.com

e-mail: sycamorebrooklyn @ gmail.com

Friday, March 29, 2013

SO MANY EVENTS AT GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY

Saturday, March 30th, 1:00 p.m.

Visit the monuments and gravestones of
  • Henry Chadwick, the Father of Baseball, who invented the game’s scoring system;
  • James Creighton, baseball’s first national star;
  • Charles Ebbets, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers;
  • the great hitter Charlie Smith; and
  • many others who played a role in making baseball America’s National Pastime.
Sunday, April 14th, 1:00 p.m.

Green-Wood is the final resting place of both major players in a landmark 1813 court case, People v. Philips, that was the nation's first test of our First Amendment. Lawyer and Irish immigrant William Sampson successfully argued the case, and Judge DeWitt Clinton presided over the matter in the Court of General Sessions of New York.

Visit De Witt Clinton's stately bronze monument for a dramatic interpretation of this 200-year-old court case. A small reception in Green-Wood’s historic chapel will follow the event. 

Presented in partnership with NYU’s Glucksman Ireland House and the New York Irish History Roundtable.

Thursday, April 25th, 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  
Compete to be the master of Brooklyn-themed trivia in a 175-year-old Brooklyn landmark. TrivWorks, a New York favorite for pub trivia events, will offer a unique Kings County-themed team trivia contest (prizes will be awarded) that will test your knowledge of Brooklyn past, present, and pop culture and Green-Wood’s permanent residents, complete with a short twilight tour to start. For ages 21 and up.
       
Sunday, April 28th, 1:00 p.m.

Bess Lovejoy, author of Rest In Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses, offers this funny, tragic, and true look at the threats famous bodies have faced through the ages: furta sacra (theft of saints’ bodies), relic collectors, phrenologists, and crazed fans. 
         
Sunday, May 5th, 1:00 p.m.

A visual extravaganza.

Saturday, May 11th, 1:00 p.m.

Celebrate some of the most colorful and influential women of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sunday, May 12th, 1:00 p.m.

In the 1890s, a swath of Eighth Avenue was grandly deemed Sportsmen’s Row for the many residents in horseracing as owners, trainers, and jockeys. Meanwhile, they lived among men of prominence and success in politics, business, law, and the arts.  

Saturday, May 18th, 7:00 p.m.

As the sun sets on 478 spectacular acres, you'll weave through stunning landscapes and visit the graves of prominent New Yorkers and Americans. Then enjoy a drink and live accordion music as you explore several torchlit, historic mausoleums.
             
Monday, May 27th, 2:30 p.m.

This year Green-Wood celebrates 15 years of bringing Memorial Day music to visitors from all over the area. The concert features the ISO Symphonic Band, founded in 1995 to sponsor talented students throughout New York City and led by ISO’s inimitable founder and conductor Brian P. Worsdale. Each year, they feature the works of Green-Wood’s permanent residents Fred Ebb, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Leonard Bernstein, and many others. 

Questions about an event? Call (718) 210-3080

Full calendar at http://www.green-wood.com/calendar

NO ALTERNATE SIDE MONDAY AND TUESDAY

Alternate side of the street parking regulations will be suspended on Monday, April 1st, and Tuesday, April 2nd, for the seventh and eighth days of Passover. All other parking regulations, including those for parking meters, will remain in effect.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

THE LAST "NO PARKING" SIGN OF THE WEEK

FRIENDS ON A BENCH


 Young men on a bench in Kensington Plaza
in 48-degree weather

GET OUT THE VOTE FOR KENSINGTON TRIANGLE PARK



A vote for "Kensington Triangle Park Improvements"--project "V" on the ballot--is a vote for a green, open space in Kensington, something the neighborhood is extremely short of.

Triangle Park, situated at Church Avenue and 35th Street, holds the promise of a vibrant green space for the community. By extending the sides and adding a park bench, planters, and a mosaic, the park can become an attractive area for Kensington's diverse residents to get to know each other better and enjoy each other's company.

The spot that the park is on used to be where MTA bus drivers sat in their idling buses and waited to begin their routes. The air quality is much better there now!

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AGENDA

Community Board 7 Transportation Committee Meeting
Tuesday, April 2nd, 6:30 p.m.

Agenda
  • Presentation by the Department of Transportation (DOT) on proposed improvements to the intersection of 3rd Avenue and 60th Street 
  • Update from DOT on the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, a planned 14-mile route from Greenpoint through Sunset Park for pedestrians and bicyclists
  • Citi Bikes, a bicycle rental system, to be used primarily for short, quick trips (under three miles) within New York City, scheduled to begin in May
Meeting location:Community Board 7 Office
4201 4th Avenue (enter on 43rd Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11232

phone: (718) 854-0003
fax: (718) 436-1142
communityboard7 @ yahoo.com
http://www.brooklyncb7.org

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

VENDORS AND VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR GREEN-WOODSTOCK


Green-Woodstock is a fun event that is returning to Greenwood Playground for its fourth year. It used to be called the Spring Flea Market and Tag Sale. The event features local vendors, stoop sales, crafters, and musicians.

Everyone who would like to take part in this enjoyable event in any way can read the details about it here.

Greenwood Playground is on E. 5th Street, near Fort Hamilton Parkway.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

FINAL (WE HOPE) WORD ON FHP PARKING

You should still move your car off of Fort Hamilton Parkway, E. 3rd Street, and E. 4th Street--where the "No Parking" signs have been posted for the past several days--by 10:00 tonight.

Location coordinator Scott Tankel is absolutely certain--as of 8:35 tonight--that "Animal Rescue" will be filmed tomorrow (Wednesday), from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Friday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.


Mr. Tankel met today with Father Robert Adamo, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary. Friday's film shoot has been timed so that it won't interfere with the church's Good Friday outdoor procession following the Stations of the Cross.
Mr. Tankel is willing to personally take phone calls from neighbors at (516) 987-6393 if anyone wants to ask him about the schedule.

MOVE YOUR CAR TONIGHT: THE LATEST PLOT TWIST IN THE FHP "NO PARKING" SAGA

Get your cars off of Fort Hamilton Parkway, E. 3rd Street, and E. 4th Street by 10:00 TONIGHT.

Filming will start tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6:00 a.m. and end at 8:00 p.m. The second day of filming will be on either Thursday or Friday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Filming on Thursday instead of Friday is still being negotiated--filming on Friday would interfere with Immaculate Heart of Mary parish's Holy Day outdoor procession for the Stations of the Cross.

Call location coordinator Scott Tankel at (516) 987-6393 to get the latest updates--in case something changes again!

The filming schedules given in two earlier blog posts are now wrong. But it's still true that the movie "Animal Rescue" stars Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace, it's still true that alternate side of the street parking regulations for street cleaning are suspended from today through Friday, and it's still true that parking regulations, including those for parking meters, are still in effect.

The two earlier posts are at http://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2013/03/film-shoot-means-no-parking-on-fort.html and http://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2013/03/okay-to-park-on-fhp-film-shoot.html.

GREAT GOOGAMOOGA RETURNS TO PROSPECT PARK IN MAY


Great GoogaMooga is back! Launching Friday, May 17th, with a kickoff concert, Great GoogaMooga will transform Prospect Park into an amusement park of food, drink and music all weekend long.  Eat and drink your heart out; there will be 85 top New York restaurants, 75 brews and 100 wines.

 Want to add a little salt to the rim of your day at Great GoogaMooga? We recommend the VIP Cocktail Experience,  It includes Main Stage Viewing, Cocktail Bars and Seminars and a VIP-Only Entrance Lane. Tickets are available this Thursday, get all the info here.
Copyright © 2013 Superfly Presents, All rights reserved.

Monday, March 25, 2013

OKAY TO PARK ON FHP; FILM SHOOT POSTPONED FOR TWO DAYS

Filming for the movie "Animal Rescue" has been called off for Tuesday (tomorrow) and Wednesday because of unfavorable weather conditions. Instead, filming will be done on Thursday and Friday.

Cars must be moved off of Fort Hamilton Parkway, E. 3rd Street, and E.4th Street by Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. to avoid getting towed to the nearest empty space. 

The shoot will be on E. 3rd Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue. 

The "No Parking" signs displaying the dates of the shoot have not been updated; they still say to move your car by tonight and not to park on Tuesday or Wednesday. 

City-wide alternate side of the street parking regulations for street cleaning will not be in effect on Thursday or Friday. However, parking regulations, including those for parking meters, will still apply.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS THAT A MILLION DOLLARS WOULD HELP SOLVE


Kensington will benefit directly from five of the twenty projects that are listed on the ballot. Windsor Terrace will benefit directly from one of those five projects. Everyone who lives in Councilmember Brad Lander's district can vote on how to spend $1,000,000 of his annual budget. For the second year in a row, Councilmember Lander wants the community to choose up to five projects that are the most important to them

These are the five projects:

D.  PS 230: Help Kids Connect & Learn With Technology
Install 34 Smartboards w/supporting MacBooks in high-needs, diverse (25+ home languages) school serving 1,300 students. Kensington.















E.  PS 179: Technology Upgrade for Underserved School
27 SmartBoards for high-needs school to aid learning for English language learners, special education, and gifted students.
Kensington.














G.  Carroll Gardens/Windsor Terrace Library Computers
29 new adult & preschool computers at these branches to support community needs for internet access & computer literacy.
Windsor Terrace. Kensington is just one block away.
















S.  Church Ave Traffic & Pedestrian Safety Improvements
Extend sidewalks and reduce crossing distances on Church Ave at Coney Island Ave and Church Ave at McDonald Ave to make those intersections safer for pedestrians trying to cross those streets.
Kensington.

V.  Kensington Triangle Park Improvements
Vibrant green space for residents, at Church Ave & 35th St, extending sidewalk, and adding park bench, planters and mosaic. The park was created in a portion of the road where MTA bus drivers used to park their idling buses while they waited to begin their routes.
Kensington.
















You can vote if you're 16 years old or older. You can vote whether or not you're a citizen. You can vote no matter what your immigration status is. You can vote whether or not you're registered with the Board of Elections; this vote is not related to the Board of Elections.

Vote in Windsor Terrace
Saturday, April 6th
10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Kings Bay Y at Windsor Terrace
1224 Prospect Avenue at Vanderbilt Street

             OR

Vote in Kensington (last day of voting)
Sunday, April 7th
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
P.S. 230 Lower School
425 McDonald Avenue
between Church Avenue and Albemarle Road


-----> If the ballot posted above doesn't enlarge enough for you to be able to read it, please look at it at http://pbnyc.org/sites/default/files/2013_PB_ballot_d39.sample-page-002.jpg.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

A NOTE ABOUT THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF THE GOLDEN FARM BOYCOTT

There will be a more detailed update available soon, but for boycotters heading back to Golden Farm to shop, this is what you need to know.

The contract is almost agreed on. One major sticking point is that the workers need their hours reinstated. (Owner Sonny Kim cut their shifts last August in retaliation for the boycott.) Mr. Kim's position is that the workers won't get their hours back until his customers come back.

The workers' concern is that with the boycott called off, no pressure is being put on Mr. Kim to keep his side of the deal. So they are asking returning shoppers to keep a log of their purchases (or, better still, keep the receipts). If he hasn't reinstated their hours within a month, they can a) show him that they know his business has returned and b) demonstrate that the returning customers are very aware of what they are doing and are prepared to boycott again if he doesn't keep his side of the bargain.

FILM SHOOT MEANS NO PARKING ON FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY


The movie "Animal Rescue," starring Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace, will be filming in Windsor Terrace on Tuesday, March 26th, and Wednesday, March 27th. The shoot will be on E. 3rd Street between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue, a block away from Sean Casey Animal Rescue and Hamilton Dog House.

"No Parking" signs have been posted on light poles, traffic control boxes, etc. on Fort Hamilton Parkway, E. 3rd Street, and E.4th Street. Cars parked on those streets have to be moved off of them by Monday, March 25th, at 10:00 p.m. or the film studio will tow them to the nearest empty spaces.

By a lucky coincidence, alternate side of the street parking regulations for street cleaning will be suspended next week from Tuesday through Friday. Parking regulations, including those for parking meters, will still apply.

PROGRESS! GOLDEN FARM BOYCOTT TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED

Boycott Temporarily Suspended!

by goldenfarmjustice
Image 

One giant step closer for the Golden Farm workers! Victory is within our reach! Workers have informed us that the union (RWDSU/UFCW Local 338) and the owner of Golden Farm had a long and very productive negotiating session today (3/22).

Therefore, we are happy/relieved/excited to announce that the Golden Farm boycott is TEMPORARILY suspended to facilitate a swift and successful contract negotiation and the resolution of any other outstanding issues. 

This has been a long and hard struggle. The first time Golden Farm workers organized for their rights was in 2008 when they contacted the NY Department of Labor; and the first time workers organized with the community for a rally at the store was December 2011. The workers called for a community boycott on August 18, 2012 and for seven months the community has responded and refused to shop at a store where employees do not have the respect, dignity and basic benefits that everyone deserves on the job.

Workers and the union believe that at this particular juncture in negotiations a temporary suspension of the boycott will bring us closer than ever to the goals the workers set out for themselves.

The community will respond by temporarily cancelling picket lines with the hope and understanding that the suspension of the boycott will bring the workers closer to their victory.

It is our hope that the next action at Golden Farm will be a grand reopening of the store, with a giant red ribbon, even bigger scissors and more confetti than the corner of Church Ave and East 4th has ever seen!

STAY TUNED!

[Posted by request of Kensington Community Supporting Justice For Golden Farm Workers]

Friday, March 22, 2013

WHERE THERE'S LIFE, THERE ARE STORIES: THE LISTENING PROJECT


CARJACK ATTEMPT

A man attempted a carjacking at Beverley Road and E. 4th Street yesterday, March 21st, at 12:43 p.m. The police searched for the perpetrator.

Kensington, Brooklyn


ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING SUSPENDED NEXT WEEK

Alternate side of the street parking regulations for street cleaning will be suspended next Tuesday through Friday, March 26th through March 29th, because of Passover, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday. All other parking regulations, including those for parking meters, will remain in effect.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

POETRY READINGS AT BABBO'S BOOKS

Leonora Stein of Babbo's Books invites everyone to
Come hear three incredibly talented, new poets!
Thursday, March 28th, 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Anthony Carelli is a Wisconsin-born poet who lives in Brooklyn. Until his debut collection was published by Princeton University Press, he was a familiar face at Dub Pies, here in Windsor Terrace. He has also been published in The New Yorker. Currently, he teaches at NYU.


Emily Toder grew up in New York City but has relocated to Northampton, Massachusetts, where she translates books from Spanish, runs the letterpress company Nor By Press, and works as an archivist for UMass. Oh, and she's also a poet! Her first full-length collection has been published by Coconut Books.

 

David McLoghlin is a transplant from Dublin. As an MFA student at NYU, he was the co-International Editor of Washington Square magazine. His debut collection has been published by Salmon Poetry, an Irish publisher. He lives in Windsor Terrace.



Babbo's Books
242 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
between Windsor Pl. and Prospect Ave.
(Take the F or G train to 15th Street/Prospect Park)
(718) 788 - 3475

Signed books will be available for purchase.
Refreshments served!

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

TELL IT TO THE POLICE TONIGHT IN KENSINGTON

The 66th Precinct Community Council will meet in Kensington
tonight (Thursday, March 21st)
from exactly 7:00 p.m. to exactly 8:00 p.m.

at
the Albemarle Neighborhood Association Meeting

in
University Place
4th Floor Student Center
385 McDonald Avenue
across the street from Foodtown
 
Tonight, the community council of the 66th precinct will meet in Kensington, most likely for the first time ever. All residents of Kensington are invited--and encouraged--to attend, whether they're Albemarle Neighborhood Association members or not.

Let's welcome our precinct's community council with a big turnout and talk to them, the precinct commander, and the other officers present about crime in our neighborhood. Express your concerns about quality-of-life issues, speeding cars, graffiti, and any other police matters.

Foodtown and ANA provide free refreshments.
 
=============================================

ABOUT THE ALBEMARLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

ANA was founded in 1973 to improve the quality of life in Kensington. ANA helped make Kensington safe. ANA, other residents, city agencies, and elected officials worked together to address the issues that are important to people.
 

You're welcome to join ANA, the oldest neighborhood association in Brooklyn. Membership is open to everyone who resides or owns a business within these boundaries:
  • north: the north side of Caton Avenue
  • south: the south side of Beverley Road
  • west: the west side of McDonald Avenue
  • east: the east side of Ocean Parkway

Membership dues per year for an individual or a family cost $20.
Associate Membership dues per year for business owners cost $25.

The monthly meetings are held in March, April, May, June, September, October, and November.

PRESENTING THE PROPOSED PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING PROJECTS


Project Expo for District 39 Participatory Budgeting
Thursday, March 21st, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Participatory budgeting in New York City means that residents of a neighborhood decide what one million dollars of their city councilmember's budget will be spent on in that neighborhood.

City Councilmember Brad Lander will host a participatory budgeting expo featuring twenty-four capital improvement projects that community members have developed. Residents of his city council district will choose the ones they want funded. The projects will be listed on the participatory budgeting ballot when the district votes in early April. Residents from age sixteen on up are eligible to vote.

One of the projects for Kensington that can be voted for is the construction of a larger plaza space at the triangle intersection of Church Avenue, 14th Avenue, and 35th Street.

Another project for Kensington to vote for would build curb extensions at the intersection of Church and McDonald avenues and the intersection of Church and Coney Island avenues in order to make those two intersections safer for pedestrians who are trying to cross the street in any direction.

The expo will be held at the Park Slope Library at 431 6th Avenue at 9th Street.

Last year, the seven projects that received the most votes on the  participatory budgeting ballot were

  • Bathroom Renovation for the Children of PS 124: Renovate two dysfunctional bathrooms that serve over 136 of the youngest students daily in a high-needs elementary school.
  • Brooklyn Neighbors Composting: Pest-free, smell-free compost system near Gowanus Canal uses 1 ton/day of our food scraps collected at local greenmarkets and schools to create rich soil for our gardens, parks, and trees.
  • District 39 Tree Planting: Plant 170 new trees and install tree guards on blocks with few or no trees.
  • Technology: A Better Future for PS 154/PS 130 Students: Installation of 15 Smartboards (PS 130), 45 13" Macbook computers with 2 carts and 2 wireless printers (PS 154 grades 1, 3, & 4).
  • Prospect Park Pedestrian Pathway Rehabilitation: Repair Prospect Park pedestrian paths near Park Circle and Long Meadow to prevent flooding, add 10 trash cans in park.
  • Pedestrian Hazards at the Prospect Expressway: Repairs & additions to badly damaged and dangerous 9 lane Prospect Expressway pedestrian crossing, area and landscape.
  • Kensington Library Resources and Community Space: New books/DVDs & equipment for small room for meetings, storytelling, rehearsals, and performances promoting Kensington's cultural diversity.

Vote for your favorite capital projects on April 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, or 7th at the following locations:

Tuesday, April 2nd through Thursday, April 4th
7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Councilmember Lander’s District Office
456 5th Avenue, 3rd floor, near 9th Street, above Neergaard's

Saturday, April 6th
10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Carroll Gardens Library
396 Clinton Street at Union Street

Kings Bay Y at Windsor Terrace
1224 Prospect Avenue 
at Vanderbilt Street

Old Stone House
336 3rd St (Washington Park)

Sunday, April 7th
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Beth Jacob Day Care 
1363 46th Street at 14th Avenue

P.S. 230 Lower School
425 McDonald Avenue 
between Church Avenue and Albemarle Road

Park Slope Armory YMCA
361 15th Street 
between 7th and 8th avenues

Carroll Park House
Carroll and Smith streets