BRING MUSIC TO PLAY FOR EARLY VALENTINE'S DAY

Bring love songs and super ballads on vinyl records

to play for an early Valentine's Day.

"You bring it, you spin it."

A Vinyl Club Valentine's Day

Monday, February 4th, 8:00 p.m. to midnight

Free.

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

PLEASE SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES.

DOO-WOP SH-DOOBY OOH-WAH: BISHOP FORD'S DOO-WOP SPECTACULAR

A Doo Wop Spectacular

Saturday, April 13th,7:30 p.m.

Bishop Ford High School's Annual Doo-Wop Show

is a benefit for the school.

ticket price: $35

Purchase tickets by mail, in advance.

Bishop Ford High School

500 19th Street

between Prospect Park West and 10th Avenue

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, New York 11215

HIGH WIND AND HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT

We don't normally post weather reports--but we want you to be safe.

The National Weather Service issued this notification at noon today. 

High Wind Warning citywide from 6:00 PM  tonight to 6:00 AM Thursday, 1/31/13. Sustained winds of 25 MPH – 35 MPH and gusts up to 60 MPH are expected.

Heavy rain is also expected.

Please visit http://www.weather.gov/nyc for the latest information.

VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER AT BROOKLYN COMMUNE

Valentine's Day Dinner at Brooklyn Commune

Course One

Tuna & Salmon Crudo, Pink Grapefruit Granita, Pomegranate, Warm Eucalyptus Oil

Course Two

Beet Tartare, Rainbow Chard, Black Licorice, Goat Cheese "Pudding"

Course Three

Smoked Muscovy Duck Breast, Escarole, Quail Egg Arancini, Smoked Paprika

Course Four

Chocolate Peanut Butter & Jelly

Warm Chocolate Cake, Port Soaked Grapes, Peanut Butter "Elastic"

*$60 per person - $20 deposit taken at time of reservation

* One seating for the dinner begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.

 * Complementary glass of sparkling wine served with dinner

* Guests are welcome to bring their own wine.

RSVP is required.

Click on the link below to view full details and to reserve your spot.

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=4zxqjaeab&oeidk=a07e6ydp6ycb6ec5e3e

Brooklyn Commune
601 Greenwood Avenue, at the corner of Prospect Avenue
Windsor Terrace
(718) 686-1044
e-mail: feedme @ brooklyncommune.com
http://brooklyncommune.com 
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Commune/109783589077211?ref=ts&v=wall

HOW MUCH DON'T YOU SPEND AT GOLDEN FARM?

_________________________________________________

Dear Sonny Kim:

I support workers at Golden Farm.

Before the boycott, I spent about $______ per week at

the store.

When you sign a fair contract with the workers I will come

back to shop at Golden Farm.

Sincerely,

Name: __________________________________

99 Pickets & Occupy Kensington // 99pickets.org

_________________________________________________

If you're boycotting Golden Farm, let Sonny Kim, the owner, know how much money you no longer spend there each week. And that you'll be back in the store, cash (or plastic) in hand, after he negotiates a fair union contract.

The boycott, requested by Golden Farm employees, has caused a 50% drop in sales on peak days (Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve), some store employees have estimated. Boycotters want the owner to

• sign a fair union contract with the employees and include paid sick days,
• restore employees' work hours that the owner cut illegally in retaliation for employees organizing, and
• reinstate employees who were fired in retaliation for organizing.

To help, just fill out a paper card like the one shown above (get it from a picketer) or an online form.

A neighborhood delegation will deliver the cards to Mr. Kim.

This "pledge drive" is brought to you by 99 Pickets and Occupy Kensington.

SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED HERE IN 2012

The 2012 Annual Report: Revolutionary Civics in Action, issued today by City Councilmember Brad Lander, reports on what he and his constituents' achieved in 2012 by working together. Reprinted here are the projects that benefit Kensington, Windsor Terrace, or both. Let's see what we can get done in 2013!

Safe Streets

Within the 39th Council District, my office partners with our local precincts and the NYC Department of Transportation to find safety solutions for streets in our neighborhoods. For instance, many people in Park Slope and Windsor Terrace have called for safety improvements to Bartel-Pritchard Square and 15th Street. After years of advocacy, Community Boards 6 and 7 and I welcomed the reconfiguration of the circle, including installation of a new traffic light at 15th Street, as well as new markings to prevent vehicles from cutting across traffic. A new bike lane is also planned for 15th Street (along with bike arrows on 14th Street) to enhance the safety of a popular biking route and deter speeding.

Continuing work with the NYC Department of Transportation to make repairs and additions to the badly damaged and dangerous nine-lane Prospect Expressway pedestrian crossing at Church Avenue, using funds awarded through Participatory Budgeting.

Public Transit

Installation of a new globe and fencing at the Fort Hamilton Parkway F/G subway station, in response to research compiled by Participatory Budgeting delegates.

Won service restorations for B61 and B69 buses and permanent extension of the G train to Church Avenue.

Livable Neighborhoods: Plazas, Parks, Libraries, and Landmarks

This year, we welcomed the reopening of the...new Kensington Library, where work is underway to outfit the community room for small performances with funds awarded through Participatory Budgeting.

Public spaces breathe life into our neighborhoods. In Kensington, when residents put forth an idea for creating a small plaza on an widened sidewalk on Church Avenue, my office brought together neighbors and City agencies to discuss a plan to add a few trees, benches, and granite blocks – to create a small space where people can sit for a few minutes, to enjoy an ice cream, coffee, or conversation. In June, we celebrated the installation of Kensington Plaza with inaugural plantings in the tree beds. Since then, the NYC Department of Transportation installed a new high visibility crosswalk at the intersection and a new streetlight. And a new volunteer group – the Kensington Plaza Stewards – maintains the plaza and organizes informal community gatherings.

Working closely with the Windsor Terrace community’s Green Beans Not Walgreens campaign to push for a new grocery store in Windsor Terrace following the closure of Key Food.

Continuing to push for a full-service supermarket in Windsor Terrace.

As part of the planned improvements for Dome Playground [Borough Park], which I funded in conjunction with Borough President Marty Markowitz, there will be a community meeting with the NYC Department of Parks to discuss renovation of the playground. The International Mother Language monument, which was popular in the diverse, vibrant, and growing Kensington community during Participatory Budgeting, will be one of the elements under discussion.

COUPONS, TIPS, AND MORE

As a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful girls, I had to learn how to make ends meet on a budget. With prices going up and paychecks being less, it can seem daunting to save a dollar. Coupons are a great way to save money, but using them to their full extent can be confusing, frustrating, and time-consuming! That's why I created Crazy Couponing!

Crazy Couponing started with a little Facebook page I created to help my family members save money. I was always getting tons of stuff for just a few dollars. It amazed my family, and they didn't understand how I did it. That very Facebook page has grown to over 3100 fans! Apparently, I'm not the only one looking for a deal!

Crazy Couponing has evolved beyond coupons. It has become a community where we share deals, sales, freebies, parenting tips, homemade and DIY projects, and money making programs. It's a place where moms and dads can turn when they feel like they are struggling with finances or parenting. I am extremely proud of how fast it has grown, and I'm hoping you will take a look and be able to benefit from it. Even if I can help one person, it makes it all worth it.

-- Amara Mahmood, Kensington resident

SUPER BOWL PARTY AT 773 LOUNGE

 

Super Bowl Party at 773 Lounge

Sunday, February 3rd, 1:30 p.m.

• free admission
• free hot dogs and snacks all day
• free hot food buffet during the game
• new tap system with eight beers on tap

773 Lounge is at 773 Coney Island Avenue, between Cortelyou and Dorchester roads, on the border of Kensington and Ditmas Park. 

(718) 462-9746
773jaak @ gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/773Lounge 

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

BROOKLYN URBAN GARDEN SCHOOL (AT BISHOP FORD) NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

BUGS is a vibrant middle school opening in 2013, dedicated to civic engagement and the interdisciplinary study of environmental sustainability.

BUGS Applications due April 1st! The Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS) is now accepting applications for approximately 140 incoming 6th graders for the 2013-14 school year. As with all charter schools, BUGS is a tuition-free public school open to all NYC residents, with mandatory priority given to CSD15 residents. To be eligible for admission, all students must complete and submit an application. You can apply online by using the Common Application, by mail, or in person. Instructions for each method are available in the Admissions tab on our website, BUGSbrooklyn.org

INFORMATION SESSIONS: We’ll be holding Information Sessions at BUGS’s school location (with Bishop Ford Central  Catholic High School), 500 19th Street, Brooklyn, NY (between 10th Ave and Prospect Park West).  Come join us! Tuesday - daytime:  February 5th from 11am - 12noon Monday - evening: February 25th from 6:30pm -7:30pm Monday- evening: March 4th from 6:30pm -7:30pm More information about our program, educational approach, and frequently asked questions is on our website, BUGSbrooklyn.org.   LOTTERY: As with all charter schools, if there are more applicants than available slots, there will be a random lottery. If there is a BUGS lottery, it will be held on April 11, 2013 at 6:30pm at BUGS’s school location (with Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School), 500 19th Street, Brooklyn, NY   (between 10th Ave and Prospect Park West). Please visit our website for details and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions at admissions@BUGSbrooklyn.org or (212) 437-8318.  We look forward to meeting all of our interested families and students!

Copyright © *|2013|* *|Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School|*, All rights reserved. *[Jan2013]* *|Application Announcement|* Our mailing address is: *|BUGS c/o NYC Charter School Center, 111 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY 10006|*

DERBY FIT: A WORKOUT ON ROLLER SKATES

A total body workout plus fun--that's Derby Fit, the women's roller skating class at Greenwood Playground. The drills used are adapted from roller derby: jogging and dynamic movement, land drills to build the muscles used in skating, and skating drills. The drills don't involve contact.

Derby Fit will return in April for its third season. The two-hour classes are held on weekend mornings. Taught by Ariel Assault, Gotham Girls Roller Derby 's director of coaching, the class is for skaters at all levels.

If you'd like to participate, send an e-mail to derbyfit.greenwood @ gmail.com.

Ariel Assault has coached roller derby for seven years and has led Derby Fit since its first season in 2010. She played competitive roller derby for four seasons as a skater and coach with the Gotham Girls Roller Derby, New York City's only all-female flat-track roller derby league.

Look for Derby Fit on Facebook.

Greenwood Playground
E. 5th Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue
near the border between Windsor Terrace and Kensington

Friends of Greenwood Playground
(347) 497-3490
http://friendsofgreenwoodplayground.org
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Greenwood-Playground/223014854379847

TRAP, NEUTER, AND RETURN FERAL CATS

TNR Workshop
Saturday, February 23rd, 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Are homeless and feral cats living in your neighborhood? Learn how you can help.

Attend a free neighborhood cats TNR training workshop. Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) is the only humane and effective way to control the feral cat overpopulation crisis, says the website Neighborhood Cats.

T-Trap
N-Neuter (or spay)
R-Return (to the cat's street home)

All workshop attendees

• become TNR certified,
• get access to low cost ($5/cat) spay/neuter, and
• gain access to free trap loans.

Advance registration is required. To register, e-mail your name, address and phone number to tnr @ neighborhoodcats.org. Type Brooklyn TNR Workshop in the subject line. Or call (212) 662-5761 and leave your name, address, and phone number on the voice mail.

For more information, visit www.neighborhoodcats.org.

TNR is endorsed by the ASPCA, The Humane Society of NY, The Humane Society of the US, The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, and Neighborhood Cat, among others.

Kensington Library
4207 18th Avenue, between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets
Kensington, Brooklyn, NY 11218
(718) 436-0545
http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/locations/kensington

TO THE AISLE

Two wonderful people--Jim Brennan and Joan Bartolomeo--are engaged to be married. They'll have their wedding this summer. The groom-to-be represents New York State Assembly District 44 (sections of Park Slope, Flatbush, Kensington, Midwood, and Windsor Terrace). The bride-to-be is president of Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation (BEDC). We wish them much happiness.

Jim Brennan volunteered for the Kensington Trash Mob.

Joan Bartolomeo advised KARMABrooklyn in its early days.

JAZZ TONIGHT AT HAMILTON'S

Hush Money plays jazz tonight at Hamilton's from 9:00 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. Hush Money is John McNeil on trumpet, Jeremy Udden on alto saxophone, Aryeh Kobrinsky on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums.

The quartet will be in the studio recording on January 27th and 28th.


Hamilton's
2826 Fort Hamilton Parkway, southeast corner of E. 4th Street
Windsor Terrace, by the Kensington border
Brooklyn, New York

(718) 438-0488

hamiltonbkny @ gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/hamiltons2826?ref=ts

http://hamiltonsbkny.com SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

RALLY FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE G TRAIN

A rally for improvements to the G train will focus on the need for more frequent service, better communication by the MTA with riders--especially when there are service changes or disruptions--and free out-of-system transfers from the Broadway G stop to Hewes or Lorimer and from  the Fulton G stop to Atlantic/Barclays.

Gather this Sunday, January 27th, at 1:00 p.m., at the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and Union Avenue, at the Metropolitan/Lorimer stop on the G.
To RSVP, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. Hot chocolate will be served.

Volunteers are needed to help with preparations. E-mail Rebecca Bailin, Senior Organizer for Riders Alliance, at rebecca @ ridersny.org, or call her at (212) 590-9504.

The rally is hosted by State Senator Daniel Squadron and State Senator Martin Dilan.

The co-sponsors include Congressperson Carolyn Maloney, Comptroller John Liu, Borough President Marty Markowitz, Senator Eric Adams, Senator Michael Gianaris, Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblymember Joe Lentol, Assemblymember Joan Millman, Councilmember Letitia James, Councilmember Brad Lander, Councilmember Stephen Levin, Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, NYC Transit Riders Council, Straphangers Campaign, Transportation Alternatives, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, and St. Nicks Alliance, in cooperation with Congressperson Nydia Velázquez.

Riders Alliance
c/o Fund for the City of New York
121 Avenue of the Americas #6
New York, NY 10013
(212) 590-9427
info @ ridersny.org
http://www.ridersny.org

CATON AVENUE AND CATON PLACE CONSTRUCTION SITES ARE SEEING ACTIVITY

CB 7 Buildings and Construction Committee Meeting
Wednesday, February 6th, 6:30 p.m.

New and ongoing construction work at 701-711 Caton Avenue, planned construction work at 22 Caton Place, and activity at 23 Caton Place will be the topics of a meeting co-hosted by Councilmember Brad Lander’s office and Community Board 7′s Buildings and Construction Committee.

The School Construction Authority will update the community on the construction of PS/IS 437 at 701-711 Caton Avenue, a kindergarten through  8th grade school that will serve 750 students.

Hudson Properties, the new developer for 22 Caton Place, will give a presentation about the new development and the scope of construction of this long-stalled site. The article "Caton Place Neighbors Jeer 8-Story Building," published in January 2006, details the beginnings of the controversial and troubled saga of this property.

23 Caton Place is active again. Its architect is Karl Fisher. "Foreclosure for 23 Caton Place Development," published a few months ago, links to additional informative articles. Councilmember Lander's office is working to contact the architect or the owner to get some facts in time for the meeting.

Meeting location:
International Baptist Church
312 Coney Island Avenue, entrance on Caton Place
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, New York

FAMILY PLANNING PANEL AND DISCUSSION FOR GAY WOMEN

from Kensington resident Corey Whelan, Program Director for The American Fertility Association

Join The American Fertility Association and Brooklyn Community Pride Center for a free Family Planning Panel and Discussion

On Thursday evening, January 31st, The American Fertility Association and Brooklyn Community Pride Center will host an evening for gay women interested in becoming moms through donor insemination.   Learn the Do's and Don'ts About: Sperm Donors - Who and How? Getting Pregnant at Home  Getting Pregnant at the Doctor's Office  Legal Aspects That May Affect You, Your Partner and Your Baby  Your Fertility A stellar faculty will include:  Melissa B. Brisman, Esq. Joshua U. Klein, M.D. - Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York Scott Brown - California Cryobank With special guests Carolyn Berger, L.C.S.W. and Patricia Mendell, L.C.S.W. A light dinner will be served and educational gift bags given to all attendees. Where: Brooklyn Community Pride Center, 310 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY When: Thursday, January 31st 6:00-8:00 p.m. How: Reservations are preferred. Contact Corey Whelan - corey@theafa.org, (718) 853-1411 This event has been graciously underwritten by  California Cryobank

MISSING PERSON: VINCENZO LATTANZIO

The NYPD issued a Silver Alert for Vincenzo Lattanzio at 9:10 p.m. Mr. Lattanzio is an eighty-three-year-old white male. He was last seen leaving his residence near 58th Street and 16th Avenue in Brooklyn yesterday, January 17th, at 3:00 p.m.

He is 5'4" in height, weighs 150 pounds, and is wearing glasses, a green bubble jacket, light blue pants, and a black hat.

Mr. Lattanzio suffers from dementia. He only speaks Italian. If you see him, call 9-1-1.

SERVICE CHANGES ON M.L. KING JR. DAY

Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday will be celebrated on Monday, January 21st. Because of the holiday, alternate side of the street parking rules will be suspended. All other regulations, including those for parking meters and muni-meters, will remain in effect.

Streets won't be cleaned.

Garbage won't be collected. If Monday is your normal day for garbage collection, put your garbage at the curb after 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

Recycling won't be collected. If your recycling normally gets picked up on a Monday, it won't get collected until Monday, January 28th.

Post offices will be closed.

City offices and other government buildings will be closed.