CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING AND ROCK 'N' ROLLLLLL AT OUR LADY'S FIELD OF HOLY NAME (FREE ADMISSION)

Christmas Tree Lighting

Friday, December 11th, 6:30 p.m.

Rain date: Wednesday, December 16th, 6:30 p.m.

Celebrate Christmas at the Holy Name Father's Guild first annual tree lighting. Everyone is invited to join in the festivities.

• Bring an ornament to help decorate the tree.
• Get a photo taken with Santa.
• Enter the Ugly Sweater Contest. (Even though National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day isn't until December 18th!)
• Groove to live rock 'n' roll holiday tunes performed by Full Disclosure.
• Buy hot chocolate, hot cider, baked goods, and other items for yourselves, family, friends, neighbors....

All proceeds raised at the celebration will benefit the Holy Name Father's Guild Youth Sports Program.

Location
Our Lady's Field of Holy Name of Jesus Parish
Windsor Place
between Prospect Park West and Howard Place
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

CITY TO PAY FOR PRIVATE AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS TO HAVE SECURITY GUARDS; BILL IS PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEED TO PASS

Taxpayers will pay for private and parochial schools in New York City to have security guards, if the City Council votes in favor of it in early December. The bill, Intro 65-A, is titled

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a program to reimburse nonpublic schools for the cost of security guard services.

It has the support of 45 of the 51 members of the city council. If it is passed, it would go into effect on April 1, 2016.

One guard would be in schools with 300 to 499 students. Two guards would be in schools with at least 500 students. An additional guard would be in schools for each additional 500 students. Guards would not automatically be in a school; each school would have to submit a request.

About 250,000 children in grades pre-K through twelve attend the approximately 800 non-public schools in the city. In the first year of the program, the cost to taxpayers could be up to $19.8 million.

The guards will not be armed. They will not be members of the NYPD. They will be employees of private security guard companies that qualify as providers by meeting standards established by the administering agency. Guards will be paid a union-level prevailing wage.

The guards must be registered and trained pursuant to state law and they must be referred by a state licensed security guard agency. The law will also require that the guards are paid the prevailing wage. The law will cap spending on the program at $19.8 million in the first year and allow for future increases as needed based on the growth of the program and increases in the prevailing wage. - See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/363917/historic-nyc-to-pass-greenfields-law-providing-security-for-yeshivos.html#sthash.6zvH9r5U.dpuf

LAUGH IT UP AT BAR CHORD ON CORTELYOU

Comedy Night

Monday, November 30th, 9:00 p.m.

Every last Monday of the month (tonight), Brandon Scott Wolf hosts the comedy show "Our Neighborhood" at Bar Chord. Brandon is a stand-up comedian and staff writer for TV comedy shows.

There's no cover charge to see the show.

Bar Chord serves beer, wine, and liquor. Click here to see its list of beverages.

Bar Chord
1008 Cortelyou Road
between Coney Island Avenue and Stratford Road
Ditmas Park, Brooklyn
(map)

phone: (347) 240-6033
website: http://barchordnyc.com
events calendar: http://www.barchordnyc.com/calendar.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarChord

HOLIDAY GIFT DRIVE FOR NEEDY CHILDREN AT COMMUNITY BOARD 7 OFFICE

Community Board 7 is holding its 28th Annual Holiday Gift Drive. The board is collecting donations of new, unwrapped toys and clothing for needy children in the community. Items are needed for girls and for boys ranging in age from infancy to twelve years old.

Bring your donations to Community Board 7's office on Mondays through Fridays, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., until December 11th. The office is at 4201 4th Avenue in Sunset Park. Enter on 43rd Street.
 
The toys are distributed through local community-based organizations. 

Volunteers are needed to help shop for and sort toys. If you can help, send an e-mail to the community board at bk07 @ cb.nyc.gov. 

Community Board 7 Office
4201 4th Avenue (entrance on 43rd Street)
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
phone: (718) 854-0003
fax: (718) 436-1142
e-mail: communityboard7 @ yahoo.com
website: http://www.brooklyncb7.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Community-Board-7/195263140637225

QUEER PARTY AT SYCAMORE BAR ON THURSDAY (NO COVER)

Q Train 
Thursday, December 3rd, 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. 

Ditmas Park's only queer party

in Brooklyn's only combination bar and flower shop

 on the first Thursday of every month

No Cover 

Ariel Speedwagon hosts Bingo in The Lodge at 8:00 p.m.

DJ GoGo Gadget spins at 10:00 p.m.
 
late-night performances by Catrina Lovelace and Handsome Petr

Sycamore Bar and Flower Shop
1118 Cortelyou Road
between E. 11th Street and Argyle Road
Ditmas Park

(347) 240-5850
sycamorebrooklyn @ gmail . com
http://www.sycamorebrooklyn.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/sycamore.brooklyn
https://twitter.com/SycamoreBklyn 
http://instagram.com/sycamoreflowershopbar

WINE AND CHEESE TASTING EVENT; TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN

Become a Wine Connoisseur

Saturday, December 5th, and
Saturday, December 12th, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Gain ultimate knowledge and tips on becoming a wine connoisseur before the holidays. Taste and learn about red wines from these six countries: France, Italy, South Africa, Chile, Spain, and Argentina.

All materials will be provided, including a souvenir wine glass, a notepad, and a pencil. The menu will include light scrumptious refreshments. 

Choose the date you want to attend--Saturday, December 5th, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. or Saturday, December 12th, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Space is extremely limited, so RSVP as soon as possible. You'll be told the location of the event when your payment is received.

The price is $45 per single individual or $80 per couple/guest/friend, a $10 savings for two attendees. Pay via PayPal. Use the friends/family option so that neither party is charged a fee: PayPal.me/WLarsen

To get more information, call Wilhyn at (347) 489-1682.

CONCERT OF CONTEMPORARY BENGALI AMERICAN PERFORMERS (FREE)

"New Voice" Concert

Saturday, December 5th, 7:00 p.m.

Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts will present "New Voice," a free concert of contemporary Bengali American Performers raising the voices of culture to new heights.

The concert will feature the local band The Feringhees with Selima Ashraf, Ifte Chowdhury, Bashma Sheea, Anita Hilaly, and Usaria Jabin Smita. Their musical genres are rock, alternative, and brown. See and hear them perform on their YouTube channel, The Feringhees.

The concert is free and is open to the public.

For more information, contact Selima Ashraf at (917) 673-1105, Annie Ferdous At (917) 674-4746, Nilofar Jahan at (347) 237-1628, or Nadeem Ahmad at (646) 322-6158.

The program is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council.

Location
PS/IS 437 auditorium
713 Caton Avenue
between E. 7th and E. 8th streets
Windsor Terrace - Kensington
(map)

A SHELTER FOR KENSINGTON, THROUGH THE EYES OF COUNCILMEMBER LANDER

From our New York City Councilmember, Brad Lander, about
the family shelter opening in Kensington on McDonald Avenue,
across from Foodtown:

As we prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow, I’m thankful for the place that my family and I call home. Like you, I’m deeply grateful for the warmth, safety, and security, and for the space my kids have had to grow and thrive.

Unfortunately, nearly 60,000 New Yorkers – including 24,000 kids – aren’t so lucky. As the crisis of homelessness continues in NYC, every community has a role to play.

Like you and your neighbors in Kensington, I just recently become aware of plans from the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to establish a shelter for 64 families with children at 385 McDonald Avenue (the site of a former college dorm and, before that, an assisted living facility but now vacant) that will open its doors in the next several weeks.

Of course there is a lot of anxiety in the community. Almost no one wants a new shelter located next door, especially when it is done on such short notice, and with no real community voice.

I sincerely wish that the City provided more notice to communities about new shelters. The current policy of providing only 7 days notice is allowed under the emergency contracting provisions in the City Charter – but that does not make it good policy. I believe that Brooklyn communities could be trusted to be good partners in confronting the challenges we face.

Still, I believe that every community must do its fair share to help end homelessness. New Yorkers have a legal right to shelter. And it’s also the right thing to do. Right now, we have 60,000 homeless New Yorkers housed in hundreds of shelters, in neighborhoods all over New York City.

I know some of you would like me to fight against the siting. No one wants a shelter in their neighborhood (and, of course, no one wants to live in one, either).

But I’m better at being honest with you: The City has the legal right to open a shelter there, without asking us, even without more notice, and the obligation to provide shelter for all families who need it. They are doing this all around the city. So I think it makes more sense to get all the facts, work together to solve any problems that may arise, and show compassion for the families who are without shelter as the temperatures drop.

The operator that has been selected, CAMBA, is a high-quality, Brooklyn-based not-for-profit organization with a very good, 35-year track record in our district. CAMBA has been operating a shelter at the Park Slope Armory (that shelters a more intensive population – for women with a history of substance abuse or mental illness) since 1996, and in 2013 it expanded from 70 to 100 women – and my office receives very few complaints from neighbors.

My own kids went to school directly across the street from the Park Slope Women’s Shelter, at PS 107, from Pre-K through 5^th grade. The Armory functions as the gym for PS 107, so the kids walk by the shelter on a daily basis. Over the 11 years my kids attended PS 107, I am not aware of a single incident that my kids, their friends, or any of their classmates experienced. And that shelter is larger and is for single women with histories of substance abuse and mental illness.

That is not the plan for 385 McDonald Avenue, which will only shelter families with children.

As we would with any City facility, my office will work with the community to make sure that important issues are addressed and questions are answered by NYC DHS.

We need to make sure that a good security and service plan is in place. Captain Ken Quick from the 66^th Precinct has already been pushing to make sure a good plan is in place – so there will be security cameras, a security guard in front of the facility, more school safety officers, and a commitment to provide some extra NYPD eyes on-site at school dismissal and after schools.

We also need to make sure that PS 230 has sufficient resources to provide education and support to any new students.

And I’m sure there will be other community issues as well: Where will residents smoke? Can the building offer meeting space for community and civic meetings?

To answer these and other questions, we are holding a community meeting on Thursday, December 10th, at PS 230 to make sure that neighbors’ concerns are heard and addressed by DHS, the DOE, and City Hall:

Thursday, December 10^th

6:30

PS 230

Please RSVP here

Look, I know many of you are upset, especially about the timing and the sense of being presented with something that is a "done deal."

But still, I hope that during this week of gratitude for our blessings, we can show compassion for homeless New Yorkers, including our future neighbors at 385 McDonald Avenue. So, I’m asking you to try, this Thanksgiving week, to approach the situation with compassion, and begin the work of problem-solving to address any issues that arise.

However you feel about this issue, my very best wishes for a good Thanksgiving.

-Brad

SHELTER TO BE DISCUSSED AT COMMUNITY MEETING FOR KENSINGTON RESIDENTS

Kensington Community Meeting on Family Shelter
Thursday, December 10th, 6:30 p.m.

A community meeting will be held for Kensington residents so that any questions we have about the soon-to-be-opened family shelter will be answered. Representatives from city government, including the Department of Homeless Services, the Department of Education, and City Hall, will be at the meeting.

The scheduled opening date for this transitional residence is December 7th. It will be located at 385 McDonald Avenue, near Albemarle Road, across the street from Foodtown.

The shelter, to be called The Kensington, has enough rooms for sixty-four families with children. It will be fully occupied by early January.

The shelter, funded by the Department of Homeless Services, offers families a supportive, structured, therapeutic, safe, and drug-free facility.

The goal is to provide emergency housing and supportive services to homeless people to help them transition into permanent housing.

RSVP for the community meeting here.

Meeting location
P.S. 230 Upper School
1 Albemarle Road
between McDonald Avenue and Dahill Road
(map)
Contact person:
Councilmember Brad Lander
lander @ council.nyc.gov
(718) 499-1090 

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING REGULATIONS CALENDAR 2016

The 2016 Alternate Side Parking Regulations Calendar is now available. Click here to download the alternate side parking calendar.

PARKING REGULATIONS CHANGED ON THANKSGIVING

Alternate side of the street parking regulations--normally in effect on weekdays and Saturdays so that streets can be cleaned--will be suspended on Thursday, November 26th, for Thanksgiving.

Parking meter regulations will also be suspended. 

The day after Thanksgiving--Friday, November 27th--alternate side parking regulations, parking meter regulations, and all other regulations will be in effect.

SHELTER HAS JOB OPENINGS

The homeless shelter that will open on December 7th on McDonald Avenue across from Foodtown is advertising several job openings. They include

• Senior Program Manager (shelter director),
• Assistant Program Manager (Social Services),
• Assistant Program Manager (Security and Operations),
• Supervisor I,
• Supervisor II (Recreation),
• Administrative Assistant I,
• Case Manager I,
• Client Advocate II (Housing Specialist),
• Driver/Maintenance Worker I,
• Recreation Aide,
• Residential Aide I, and
• Security Guard I.

CAMBA is an equal opportunity employer/program.

Description of the facility:

CAMBA’s new Family Shelter in Central Brooklyn is funded by New York City Department of Homeless Services and offers families a supportive, structured therapeutic, safe, and drug-free facility.

It provides comprehensive case management services to 64 families who are in a transitional residence program for homeless families. The five  story facility has rooms of various sizes, common areas and provides on-site security and social services.

SHELTER FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WILL OPEN ON MCDONALD AVENUE ACROSS FROM FOODTOWN

The Kensington, a shelter for homeless families with children, will open on Monday, December 7th, across the street from Foodtown. The five-story, elevator building at 385 McDonald Avenue--between Albemarle Road and Church Avenue--will be a temporary home to sixty-four families. They will occupy the facility's sixty-four units, each of which contains two bunk beds, one single bed, and a bathroom.

The building was constructed as an assisted living facility (The Savoy at Kensington) and was most recently used as housing for college students (University Place). For a time, it provided refuge for victims of Hurricane Katrina. 

The non-profit organization CAMBA will operate the shelter. The services it provides include "three meals a day, shower and laundry facilities, access to clothing, storage for client belongings, mail and telephone services, case management, recreational activities, medical and mental health services, substance abuse treatment, referrals to rehabilitation facilities and other services."

CAMBA works "in partnership with the Department of Homeless Services and other leaders in government and the private sector." Its goal is to provide emergency housing and supportive services to homeless people to help them transition into permanent housing.

This transitional residence will be one of eight that CAMBA operates, including the Park Slope Women's Shelter in the former armory building on 8th Avenue, between 14th and 15th streets. It will be the first shelter for homeless people within the borders of Community Board 12.

Last night (Monday), local officials, school principals, and the 66th Precinct met at Windsor Terrace Library to discuss placing a shelter for homeless people in Kensington. Several neighborhood residents were in attendance, having learned about the meeting just hours before it began. The city is not required to give notice to anyone prior to opening a shelter, although the current administration does give seven days' notice.

As of September 23, 2015, the vacancy rate in New York City shelters was 0.84 percent for those that accommodate families with children; the vacancy rate for adult family shelters was 0.48 percent. The low vacancy rate triggered an emergency provision, so new shelters are continuously being constructed and existing buildings are being converted for use as shelters.

SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT PLANNED

"The owners of Brooklyn Commune are opening a soul food joint called Butterfunk Kitchen right next door to their existing restaurant," writes DNAinfo. Read the article here.

SPEND $100 AT ARGYLE YARN SHOP AND RECEIVE A $15 GIFT CARD FREE

Argyle Yarn Shop is giving away gift cards from Friday, November 20th, through Saturday, November 28th.

To get a $15 gift card for free, spend $100 in one day at Argyle Yarn Shop. If you spend another $100 on another day, you'll get another $15 gift card for free. Or you can spend $200 in one day and get a $30 gift card for free.

Use the card anytime (other than the day you get it); it has no expiration date. The card is transferable, in case you'd like to give it to someone else for their shopping trip to Argyle.

Argyle Yarn Shop

288 Prospect Park West
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, NY 11215

(347) 227-7799

argyleyarnshop @ gmail.com 

http://argyleyarnshop.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Argyle-Yarn-Shop/266391510057439 

https://twitter.com/ArgyleYarnShop 

STOP BY FOR BROOKLYN COMMUNE'S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY AND COMMUNITY CELEBRATION (FREE)

Fifth Anniversary and Community Celebration

Friday, November 27th, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

                          An invitation from Brooklyn Commune

Thank you for an amazing 5 years! Join us on Nov 27th as we say THANK YOU with a community celebration. Fifth Anniversary & Community Celebration!  November 27th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.   Brooklyn Commune 601 Greenwood Avenue 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 Stop by to enjoy the festivities as we say THANK YOU to our community.  We'll be giving away jars of our famous tomato jam and an exclusive flavor of our beloved Midnight Chef's brownies while supplies last.  You especially won't want to miss our big announcement and promotions for our upcoming renovations and expansion. Enjoy live music Free samples and tastings Kids games and prizes Meet some of our favorite local vendors Find out about our neighborhood CSAs.  This event is sponsored by CreditHood.   Keep your eyes open for the launch of our campaign with CreditHood in the next week supporting our expansion.

It's been 5 amazing years! Five years ago, we opened our doors to our neighborhood, serving up fresh flavors and embracing the community spirit.  We started off with the vision to be a place where people could come together and commune around a table of food and we're grateful for the experiences we've shared with you and the relationships that have been fostered both locally and abroad.    To give a little recap of the past five years, we've hosted many dinner & movie nights, cooking classes for both kids and adults, and united people through supper club dinners, family celebrations, rehearsal dinners and weddings.  We've been featured on WebMD, Bric TV, Food Network's Chopped, and cooked with the James Beard House twice. We donated food for monthly, diabetic friendly meals in under-served neighborhoods for over 2,000 people at no cost to them, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Chef Chris was out in Staten Island serving over 3,000 meals from a mobile kitchen. We had the incredible honor of being invited to cook for President Obama's 2012 inauguration and also the honor of working side by side with the staff and clients of Park Slope Women's Shelter in building a vegetable garden where we planted seeds, hope and new life.  Oh yeah, and we got married and had two kids! Your patronage and ongoing support has been an integral part of all that we've been able to do (except the having kids part) and we want to say THANK YOU!!  So join us for our party on Fri, Nov 27th from 11am-2pm as we celebrate our anniversary with a festive community event!  We hope to see you there! With much love and gratitude, Eugenie, Chris and the gang at Brooklyn Commune

Kid's cooking class Garden planting at Park Slope Women's Shelter