CHURCH BAR OPENING TONIGHT (THURSDAY)

Church Bar will have its soft opening tonight (Thursday, June 25th). Happy hour will be from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with complimentary hors d'oeuvres served. The bar will stay open until 4:00 a.m.

Formerly the Church Cafe Wine Bar, Church Bar will have new hours, a tapas menu, Happy Hour, drinks, an open mic, art, music, karaoke, and more. 

Church Bar
416 Church Avenue
between E. 4th and E. 5th streets
Kensington, Brooklyn
phone (718) 435-2574
fax (718) 435-3027
https://www.facebook.com/churchcafewinebar
http://www.churchcafewinebar.com

DESIGN PRESENTATION FOR PLAZA AT AVENUE C

The Department of Transportation tomorrow night, June 22nd, will present to Community Board 12's Transportation Committee the Avenue C at McDonald Avenue Plaza Proposal. The proposal reflects community input that the department obtained in a public workshop in April. 

The meeting with the Transportation Committee will be on Monday, June 22nd, at 7:00 p.m., on the third floor of the Amico Senior Center, 5901 13th Avenue, corner of 59th Street. The entrance is on 59th Street.

The next night, June 23rd, at the community board's monthly meeting, the committee will present its findings to the board, and the board will vote to approve or disapprove the proposal. Same time, same location.

The Kensington community is invited to attend both meetings. If you would like to comment about the plaza, arrive fifteen minutes before the meeting starts and add your name to the list of speakers.

PERSONALITY CHANGE FOR CHURCH CAFE WINE BAR

Church Cafe Wine Bar will become Church Bar, with new hours, a tapas menu, Happy Hour, drinks, and fun nights with an open mic, art, music, karaoke, and more. The soft opening is tentatively scheduled for next week. The date will be announced soon.

Church Bar
416 Church Avenue
between E. 4th and E. 5th streets
Kensington, Brooklyn
phone (718) 435-2574
fax (718) 435-3027
https://www.facebook.com/churchcafewinebar
http://www.churchcafewinebar.com

CARS BANNED ON PROSPECT PARK'S WEST DRIVE

Prospect Park will be car-free after 9 a.m. on weekdays, starting on Monday, July 6th. On weekends and holidays, it will be completely car-free.

West Drive will be completely car-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Currently, cars are allowed on West Drive on weekdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (except on weekday holidays). West Drive runs southbound from Grand Army Plaza to Park Circle.

Cars will continue to be allowed on East Drive on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. (except on weekday holidays). East Drive runs northbound from Park Circle to Grand Army Plaza.
 
The aim is to make the park "healthier, safer and more accessible."

Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, Department of Transportation, pointed out that

"in Prospect Park, as the mayor has said, the traffic volumes on the West Drive have become only about 200 cars an hour, which we think the local street network can absorb very easily."

She added that

"the volumes of cars that are going on the East Drive are twice as high as they are on the West Drive. And there’s also the same considerations of those cars on the local streets, a lot of bus traffic, a lot of pedestrians. So, as we now have permanently no cars on the West Drive, that will presumably start to change commuting patterns, and we’ll monitor and we’ll see." 

See the press release from the Office of the Mayor as well as a transcript of his announcement.

The mayor also announced that "on Monday, June 29th, the entire loop drive north of 72nd Street in Central Park will be car-free."

WT FOOD COOP CLOSED JULY 4TH AND 5TH

The Windsor Terrace Food Coop will be closed on Saturday, July 4th, and Sunday, July 5th. But it will be open on Thursday, July 2nd, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Friday, July 3rd, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Windsor Terrace Food Coop 
825 Caton Avenue, corner of E. 8th Street 
in Windsor Terrace, across the street from Kensington

windsorterracefoodcoop @ gmail . com

http://www.windsorterracefoodcoop.com

https://twitter.com/WTFoodCoop 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Windsor-Terrace-Food-Coop-Inc/118978878257944?sk=timeline

PLAN FOR A PLAZA AT AVENUE C AND MCDONALD AVENUE WILL BE HEARD BY COMMUNITY BOARD

The Neighborhood Plaza Partnership has received confirmation from the Department of Transportation (DOT) that DOT will present the Avenue C at McDonald Avenue Plaza Proposal to the Community Board 12 (CB 12) at the following meetings next week:

• CB 12 Transportation Committee Meeting: Monday, June 22nd, 7:00 p.m., at the Amico Senior Center, 5901 13th Avenue
  

• Full CB 12 Meeting: Tuesday, June 23rd, 7:00 p.m., at the Amico Senior Center, 5901 13th Avenue

 

At the June 22nd meeting, DOT plans to present the updated Avenue C at McDonald Avenue Plaza Proposal, which should reflect feedback from the public workshop. For the June 23rd Full Board meeting, the plan is for the Community Board to vote on the plaza proposal.

Attend one or both meetings and show your support for the proposed plaza. If you plan to speak in support, arrive fifteen minutes before the start of the meeting to sign up on the list of speakers.

MEMOIR WRITING WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS

                 Writing About Your Life with Donna Minkowitz
                  Saturday, June 27th, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

"Memoir writers sometimes worry whether their experiences are universal enough to interest others. Though people's lives differ greatly, human feelings and needs are universal. We'll explore ways to use emotion, our five senses, and creative insight to craft memoir pieces any reader can identify with.

Donna Minkowitz has taught memoir writing since 1998 at venues including the 92nd Street Y/Makor, The Kitchen, and the In Our Own Write program.

Her recent memoir, Growing Up Golem, was a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and the Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award. She won a Lambda Literary Award for her first memoir, Ferocious Romance. A former columnist at The Village Voice, she has also written for The New York Times Book Review, Salon, The Collagist, The Nation, and New York magazine.

Registration is recommended. Register here.

This free workshop is sponsored by New York Writers Workshop. For further information on classes, pitch conferences, writing tips, and more, visit newyorkwritersworkshop.com." 

Windsor Terrace Library
160 E. 5th Street at Fort Hamilton Parkway 
Windsor Terrace - Kensington
Brooklyn, NY 11218
(718) 686-9707 
http://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/windsor-terrace

The library is partially accessible.

LAST CALL FOR DINNER AT BROOKLYN COMMUNE

On Sunday, June 28th, Brooklyn Commune will serve its last dinner; after that date, the restaurant will only be open during daytime hours. Dinner hours are Thursdays through Sundays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. See the current dinner menu for the mouth-watering details.

Daytime hours
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thursdays and Fridays, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Today (June 17th), the restaurant will have an early closing at 3:00 p.m.

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
https://twitter.com/BrooklynCommune
https://instagram.com/brooklyncommune_

CHANGE OF DATE FOR THE JUNE MEETING OF THE 66TH PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL

66 Precinct Community Council

Monthly Meeting

Thursday, June 25th, 7:30 p.m.
   

at the office of

Community Board 12

5910 13th Avenue

Borough Park, Brooklyn, New York

  

You are invited to come meet our Commanding Officer, Captain Kenneth Quick. Captain Quick will update the community on the latest crimes in our neighborhood and what is being done about it. There is also an opportunity to bring any crime issues you may have to his attention.

You can also find out about the many different programs available that may be of interest to you.

The event is open to the public, so let your friends and neighbors know. All are welcome.

The Community Council provides the critical interface between the citizen and the police through the regular monthly meetings which are held on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Community Board 12, 5910 13th Avenue.

Email the Council: 66precinctcc @ gmail.com

PETE SINJIN, AKA "HOOTENANNY PETE," RELEASES NEW FAMILY ALBUM, "HOUSE OF SONG"

Pete Sinjin, aka "Hootenanny Pete," Releases New Family Album, House of Song

Celebrates Album Release with Performance at Greenwood Park on Saturday, June 20th

“I’m gonna build myself a house of song,
House of song, House of song,
I’m gonna build myself a house of song to live my whole life long

I’m gonna build a table for my friends,
 Long as life for all of them
Neighbors, strangers welcome in to sing the whole night long

Yeah, we’ll raise them roofbeams all night long
All night long, all night ling
Yeah, we’ll raise those roofbeams all night long
with laughter, love and song”

Brooklyn, NY - Pete Sinjin will be releasing his new family album, House of Song, with a celebration featuring a full band performance on Saturday, June 20th, at Greenwood Park in Park Slope.

"Hootenanny Pete" is a beloved Brooklyn treasure, especially to the littlest Brooklynites and their parents. He and his wife Kira opened the Hootenanny Art House in 2007, instilling a love for music in thousands of children in the community. The community they’ve built through song supported the making of House of Song by supporting Pete and Kira’s Kickstarter campaign, which included homemade, hand-delivered chocolate cookies in addition to music. In 13 days, the project made 150% of its goal.

House of Song is a record for families, as opposed to a "kids" record. It’s a record designed to inspire and to motivate, to dance to and sing to. The songs on the album feature a big sound with full instrumentation as well as an emotional range that is wide and diverse.

Pete explains, "The original inspiration for House of Song came about while walking the streets of NYC and recognizing the diversity of its people. From there came the notion of a house that invited and celebrated 'all people, all races, all colors, all faces.' A gathering place where everyone could find themselves singing in harmony and raising the rooftop with the spirit of love and acceptance."

The album starts off with Pete’s solitary voice singing, "I’m gonna build myself a house of song," and he is shortly joined by a banjo; then drums, accordion, and handclaps fall in line to build into a full-on New Orleans-style street parade, and we are all encouraged to join in.

Pete leads the parade through songs with universal themes that encourage hope and creativity, a trip to Coney Island for the "Mermaid Parade," and odes to Pete’s heroes, Pete Seeger on "Poem for Pete" and Lou Gehrig, "Luckiest Man (The Ballad of Lou Gehrig)."

The album ends with a big dance party to "Olly Ollie Oxen Free," using that call from childhood games to encourage everyone to be who you are, cast off your fears, and don’t be ashamed of what you are inside…in other words, come out! Celebrate that person and join the party.

Pete states, "This album invites all of us, big and little, old and young, to find our spirit to grow, to create, to make friends, to celebrate and honor life’s heroes, to honor your own self, whoever that may be, and to take part in making a better world."

House of Song was co-produced by Sinjin and Riley McMahon, and recorded at Riley’s New Warsaw studio in Bushwick.  Sinjin and McMahon were joined by Liam Hurley (Josh Ritter) on drums, Shane Endsley  (Ani Difranco) on trumpets, Jay Foote (Lone Bellow) on bass, and Tony Lauria (Spottiswoode and his Enemies) on accordion.

Join them to celebrate the release of House of Song on Saturday, June 20th.

Pete Sinjin and band Celebrate Release of House of Song

Saturday, June 20th

Greenwood Park Beer Garden

555 7th Ave. (between 19th and 20th streets)

Brooklyn, NY 11215

Doors open at 10:00 a.m.

Show begins at 10:30 a.m.

Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door – includes food!

Cash bar will be open, and there will be door prizes and art activities.

Get tickets here: www.petesinjin.com

http://www.hootenannyarthouse.com/houseofsong/

For more information, please contact Patrice Fehlen at September Gurl Music, 718.768.3859 or patrice @ septembergurl.com.

ABOUT PETE SINJIN

These days, Pete Sinjin is best known as "Hootenanny Pete" around the Brooklyn neighborhood where he and his family have operated the Hootenanny Art House since 2007.

Pete has shared his love of music with thousands of kids over more than a decade of teaching classes from California to Brooklyn.

He's played a wide variety of music his whole life, from punk to rockabilly to folk and country, and he's played it all for both adults and kids. You'll hear all these elements make their way into his own music, from Woody Guthrie's folk art stylings, to New Orleans street parade music, to the bass and groove of Kingston, Jamaica.

Pete's also had the great honor of appearing on Sesame Street, and performing in concert with Sesame's own Bob McGrath. He's even led kids through a Cuban-inspired kids song in the Scarlett Johannson film, The Nanny Diaries.

Pete's first family album, Hoots, Hollers and Rooftop Serenades was released to coincide with his Americana-inspired grown-up album Better Angels Radio, in 2010. Mirroring that, House of Song will be followed up closely with Pete's next music entry titled The Heart and the Compass.

NEW MELT CLASS BEGINS AT FAMILY OF LIGHT HOLISTIC CENTER

New MELT class at Family of Light Holistic Center

Fridays, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Weekly 60-minute drop-in class. Fee: $15 plus a $1 mat rental.

MELT is a series of self-treatment techniques that helps you get out of chronic pain and improve your stability, alignment, and balance. Using specially-designed soft foam rollers, MELT combines focused pressure and small, specific movements that rehydrate connective tissue–-reducing pain and stiffness, correcting misalignments, improving range of motion, and calming your nervous system.

And because it is self-care, it improves your body sense, empowering you to take care of yourself, manage your aging process, your alignment, and your pain, and enable your body to get back to an ideal state. Learn more at www.meltmethod.com.

Taught by Karen Zuckerman www.wellbody.com.

Family of Light Holistic Center

717 Coney Island Avenue at Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn

http://www.familyoflight.center

TERRARIUM-MAKING FOR KIDS

Kids can make their own terrarium at the East 4th Street Community Garden on Saturday June 13th, from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

Supplies will be provided at this free event.

The garden is located at 179 E. 4th Street, between Caton Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway, in Windsor Terrace.

NEW AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AT P.S. 130 THIS FALL

Message from the PTA Afterschool Enrichment Committee:

Dear Parents,

We are happy to announce that we will be partnering with a new after school program this fall. The program is called Wingspan Arts (http://www.wingspanarts.org). Wingspan Arts is a high quality after school program that will be both fun and enriching for our children. We need your help to get started!

We are sending out a survey to determine interest in this program, and expansion to additional grades could be dependent on how many people respond. Interested parents must respond in a timely manner by filling out this online survey:

https://wingspan.wufoo.com/forms/wingspan-arts-new-school-survey-for-fall-2015

Thank you, we are looking forward to a successful partnership between Wingspan Arts and P.S. 130! 

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 MONTHLY MEETING AGENDA, JUNE 2015

Community Board 7 Monthly Board Meeting

Wednesday, June 17th, 6:30 p.m.

Meeting location

Community Board 7 office