Representatives of neighborhood institutions and organizations participated last week in a meeting of Kensington community leaders that was hosted by our New York City Councilmember Brad Lander and our New York State Assemblymember Jim Brennan.
The purpose of the meeting was to gather together the diverse institutions and organizations in our neighborhood and have them work together on the issues and concerns that we have in common. This was the first time, to the knowledge of those gathered, that such a diverse group of Kensingtonians had sat down together.
Some of the institutions and organizations represented were P.S. 230 and P.S. 179 and their PTAs, the 66th Police Precinct, Community Board 12, Kensington Area Resident/Merchant Alliance, Albemarle Neighborhood Association, Dahill Neighborhood Association, Sandwip Educational and Cultural Society USA, West Kensington Action Group, Bangladesh Muslim Center, Council of Neighborhood Organizations, Kensington Action Force, and several mosques.
We were each asked to learn enough about one other person present so that we could introduce that person to the others.
Suggestions generated by the meeting include creating a community center that would promote intergroup relations and provide a place for young people to gather, an intercultural outdoor event, assistance to local small businesses, creation of green space, and addressing safety issues in the schools and in the neighborhood. Precinct Commander John Sprague offered to hold a meeting to discuss gangs and teach parents how to recognize if their children are gang members.
We're all looking forward to meeting again and moving ahead together on our common goals.
The purpose of the meeting was to gather together the diverse institutions and organizations in our neighborhood and have them work together on the issues and concerns that we have in common. This was the first time, to the knowledge of those gathered, that such a diverse group of Kensingtonians had sat down together.
Some of the institutions and organizations represented were P.S. 230 and P.S. 179 and their PTAs, the 66th Police Precinct, Community Board 12, Kensington Area Resident/Merchant Alliance, Albemarle Neighborhood Association, Dahill Neighborhood Association, Sandwip Educational and Cultural Society USA, West Kensington Action Group, Bangladesh Muslim Center, Council of Neighborhood Organizations, Kensington Action Force, and several mosques.
We were each asked to learn enough about one other person present so that we could introduce that person to the others.
Suggestions generated by the meeting include creating a community center that would promote intergroup relations and provide a place for young people to gather, an intercultural outdoor event, assistance to local small businesses, creation of green space, and addressing safety issues in the schools and in the neighborhood. Precinct Commander John Sprague offered to hold a meeting to discuss gangs and teach parents how to recognize if their children are gang members.
We're all looking forward to meeting again and moving ahead together on our common goals.