FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT NEEDED FOR A SPRING PARTY AT THE FAMILY SHELTER

The Kensington shelter is throwing a spring party for its families on Saturday, April 15th, at 1:00 p.m. Neighbors are providing a cold buffet and entertainment.

Just a few more dishes and a few more desserts are needed. Possible cold dishes are pasta salads, cold noodle dishes, deviled eggs, chicken salad, a cold casserole, and so on.

If you can contribute a cold dish or a dessert, sign up here. Put the food in a container that you don't need returned to you and drop it off at the shelter on April 15th, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

For entertainment, volunteers are needed to DJ, give a dance lesson, lead a kids' sing-along, and dress up as the Easter Bunny (in her or his own suit). If you can do any of these for a couple of hours, send an e-mail to the neighborhood coordinators at givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com and type I CAN HELP in the subject line.

The Kensington is at 385 McDonald Avenue, between Albemarle Road and Church Avenue, across the street from Foodtown.

ACTIVIST COFFEE HOUR FOR POLITICAL ACTION

Activist Coffee Hour
Monday, April 3rd, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"We feel strongly that it is a crucial time to stand as a community united for peace and justice, committed to welcoming and protecting people of all colors, genders, religions and sexual orientations. We are also strongly committed to protecting the earth for our children and their children’s children." -- Hootenanny Art House

The Activist Coffee Hour at Hootenanny Art House is designed for the community to join together for political action. Children are welcome to attend and take part.

Postcards will be available for writing, scripts for making phone calls, and petitions for signing. You're welcome to participate for a portion or all of the hour.

Donations for Hootenanny's expenses for coffee, stamps, and printing are welcome. 

On Monday, April 10th, and Monday, April 17th, Hootenanny Art House will be closed, so the Activist Coffee Hour won't take place then.

Location
Hootenanny Art House
426-428 15th Street
between 8th Avenue and Prospect Park West (closer to 8th Avenue)
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
(718) 369-0528
http://www.hootenannyarthouse.com
https://www.facebook.com/HootenannyArtHouse 

RENOVATING THE PUBLIC SPACE AT MCDONALD AVENUE AND AVENUE C

Renovation of the public space at the intersection of Avenue C and McDonald Avenue will begin early next week. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) will upgrade Avenue C Plaza with permanent plaza materials.

The goals of the upgrade are to create high quality public space, calm traffic, enhance safety, and improve access to the public space. To achieve that, DOT will

• upgrade the painted space and build out with concrete,
• add pedestrian crossing signals at the western intersection of McDonald Avenue and Avenue C,
• add pedestrian ramps, and
• add protective Martello bollards.

 
Several successful community events have been held at the plaza in the past year, including

• Discover the New Avenue C Plaza
• Peace and Unity Rally
• Movie Night: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
• Dia de los Muertos Celebration
• Post-election Bangladeshi Muslim Community Gathering
• Launching a Hate Free Zone in Kensington 

Renovation is scheduled to begin early next week and will take six to eight weeks to complete. The grand reopening of the plaza is anticipated to be in late May or early June.

The combined efforts of Kensington Stewards*, Councilmember Brad Lander, Neighborhood Plaza Partnership, and the DOT's NYC Plaza Program converted an unused concrete traffic triangle into a pedestrian plaza. Adding moveable tables and chairs, umbrellas for the tables, and planters makes it a pleasant neighborhood site, ideal for sitting and socializing.


* The Kensington Stewards is a group of volunteers who live in Kensington and Windsor Terrace. Its members got together a few years ago to work on community projects: converting a wide sidewalk into Kensington Plaza, installing metal guards around trees on Church Avenue, planting daffodils and other flowers in the tree pits, and organizing sidewalk clean-up days.

JOB OPENINGS FOR EXPERIENCED SERVERS, BUSSER/RUNNER AT HUNGER PANG

Hunger Pang, a restaurant with a modern take on Asian food with Western influences, is hiring experienced servers who, preferably, live in the neighborhood.

Anyone interested in the jobs should e-mail their resume to HungerPangNYC @ gmail.com or bring it to Hunger Pang at 1021 Church Avenue, between E. 10th Street and Stratford Road.

Servers need to meet the following qualifications:

• at least two years of New York restaurant experience as a server and well-versed in FOH operations,
• good personal hygiene and appearance,
• motivated, energetic, friendly, personable, and enthusiastic,
• able to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment,
• have a keen sense of urgency,
• open availability,
• able to work nights and weekends for brunch and dinner service,
• have a food handler’s certificate (a plus but not required),
• able to keep calm and collected in high-stress situations,
• able to take direction and execute promptly,
• high standards of service, excellent customer service is essential,
• good physical health (able to go up and down stairs, stack chairs, lift heavy trays, etc.),
• knowledge of POS systems (CLOVER),
• a great team player with a positive attitude,
• able to communicate effectively with other team members to ensure a solid and efficient workflow,
• be punctual and live within the surrounding neighborhoods (an easy commute off the B/Q and F/G subway lines to Church Avenue),
• have basic math skills and be able to handle cash appropriately, and
• familiar knowledge of wine, beer, and sake.

Dedication and hard work will lead to advancement opportunities. The jobs are part-time, with three or four shifts per week.

AGENDA FOR COMMUNITY BOARD 12 MARCH MEETING

Community Board 12 General Meeting

                    Thursday, March 30th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Community Board 12's monthly general meeting will be held tonight, Thursday, March 30th, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

If you have any concerns, questions, solutions, needs, or problems that you'd like the community board to address, arrive at the meeting before 7:00 p.m. and sign up to speak during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting. You'll have three minutes to present your topic.

General meetings of Community Board 12 are normally held on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from September through June, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Amico Senior Center.

Every neighborhood in New York City is represented by an all-volunteer community board, which serves as the neighborhood's liaison to city agencies. Board members are appointed by the neighborhood's city councilperson and the borough president.

The goal of a community board is to help resolve issues involving pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, housing, land use and zoning, outdoor lighting, potholes, sanitation, libraries, crime, police presence, social services, rodents, trash collection, public litter baskets, street and sidewalk conditions, etc.

Community Board 12's committees are

    Planning, Zoning Variances and City Map
    Education, Library, Cultural Affairs
    Sanitation & Environmental Protection
    Fire, Safety & Police
    Health & Social Services
    Housing & Buildings
    Legislation
    Parks, Capital Projects & Site Selection
    Transportation & Franchises
    Youth & Community Development

Meeting location
Amico Senior Center
5901 13th Avenue, 3rd floor
at the corner of 59th Street
Borough Park, Brooklyn

Community Board 12
phone: (718) 851-0800
fax: (718) 851-4140
e-mail: bk12 @ cb.nyc.gov
website: http://www.brooklyncb12.org
Chairperson: Yidel Perlstein
District Manager: Barry Spitzer

VENDORS, PERFORMERS, AND VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR GREENWOODSTOCK 2017

GreenWoodstock 2017
Sunday, June 4th, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

The GreenWoodstock outdoor festival returns to Greenwood Playground for its eighth year of Peace, Love, and Music (and Crafts and Bargains). The combination community marketplace and live music festival features local musicians, singers, dancers, and artisans.

Vendors sell flea market items, stoop sale items, and handmade crafts and artisanal items. The cost of a space is $40; a table and two chairs costs an additional $20. Food vendors aren't permitted.

GreenWoodstock is a benefit for Greenwood Playground. All money raised goes towards events for the community.

In case of inclement weather on June 4th, the rain date will be the following Sunday, June 11th. 

If you're interested in performing, being a vendor, or volunteering, send an e-mail to Dari at dari.litchman @ gmail.com.

GreenWoodstock is brought to you annually by Friends of Greenwood Playground (FoGP).

The playground is located on E. 5th Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue, in Windsor Terrace, one block from Kensington (map).

RALLY AGAINST A DEMOCRAT WHO VOTES WITH THE REPUBLICANS

New York State 17th District for Progress Rally

Thursday, March 30th, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

A rally against New York State Senator Simcha Felder has been organized because

• he is a registered Democrat who has caucused with the Republicans since he was first elected to the State Senate in 2012,
• he regularly votes the same way as the Republicans, and
• his actions give the Republicans control of the State Senate, even though more Democrats than Republicans are State Senators (31 Democrats, 31 Republicans, and 1 vacant seat).

When he ran for re-election in November 2016, Senator Felder was the candidate of the Democratic and the Republican and the Conservative parties. He ran unopposed.

The neighborhoods that are in District 17 are Borough Park, Midwood, Brooklyn Chinatown, and parts of Kensington, Bensonhurst, and Gravesend.

The rally will be held in front of his office at 1412 Avenue J, between  E. 14th and E. 15th streets (map).

If you live in District 17, sign the letter here that is reprinted below.

----------------------------------------------

Dear Senator Felder

We, your constituents in New York State Senate District 17, are disappointed in your stands on the issues that affect us. Although you have run as a Democrat, your support for Republican positions prevents important legislation from passing in the New York State Legislature. You have also taken stances that violate New York City’s ability to govern itself. 

You say that you don’t care about party labels, but you have regularly stood with and voted with Republicans. By supporting the Republican agenda, you prevent full funding of New York City public schools; you oppose reforms that would make it easier to vote; you fail to fully endorse treatment of young offenders as juveniles to get them the help they need (Raise the Age).

Most recently, your own proposal to raise the speed limit on Ocean Parkway threatens the safety of pedestrians near your own home. You have also refused to take a position on the New York Health Act, a law that would guarantee quality health care for all your constituents. 

We, the members of NY State 17th District for Progress and our fellow constituents, are here to ask you to take another look at some of the issues that are important to us:

Raise the Age

This measure would stop prosecution of young 16- and 17-year-old offenders as adults, raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 18, and try offenders in family court, as well as add $5 million to support these changes. The Republicans have proposed a watered down version that won’t truly protect 16- and 17-year-olds. We’re asking you to support the full Raise the Age proposal.

Voting Rights

New York ranks 41st in the Union in voter turnout; 117,000 Brooklyn voters were improperly erased from the voter rolls last year. The Democrats have proposed automatic voter registration and early voting, among other voting reforms. The Republicans reject these proposals to strengthen our democracy. We’re asking you to stand up for voters’ rights.

School Funding

In 2006, the NYS Court of Appeals found that New York State was underfunding our schools. In 2017 our schools are still waiting to see that money, known as Foundation Aid. The Republican Senate majority is refusing to fund Foundation Aid at $1.4 billion, as proposed by the Assembly. Instead, they want to gut the formula entirely. As chair of the New York City Education Subcommittee, we’re asking you to make sure the state budget prioritizes the needs of all our students and schools.

New York Health Act

For the past two years, the Assembly has passed a bill to guarantee health care for all New Yorkers, regardless of their income, wealth, or employment—a huge benefit for all your constituents, especially those with little income. This bill would make New York State a model for the country, at a time when the future of health coverage is so uncertain. The Senate proposal, S4840, is now stuck in the Senate Health Committee, in which you sit, but you have not taken a position. We’re asking you to support this measure for the health of your constituents.

Speed Limit

Ocean Parkway has been regularly ranked one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous roads, especially for pedestrians. New York City’s Vision Zero effort (which lowered the speed limit to 25 mph) has lowered accident and pedestrian death rates. Ocean Parkway went from 1,034 accidents and 2.4 fatalities per year to 880 and 1. Despite this, you have introduced a measure as part of the budget to raise the speed limit on Ocean Parkway back to 30 mph.

Raising the speed limit will endanger your constituents, especially children and the elderly. A person is 74 percent more likely to be killed if struck by a vehicle traveling 30mph as opposed to 25mph. Meanwhile, there is no evidence that raising the speed limit will decrease congestion. Pedestrian safety should be in the hands of our city council, not those of upstate Republicans. We’re asking you to rethink this proposal.

Some of us have tried to meet with you to no avail, and we object to being ignored. As your constituents we encourage you to get on board with these efforts, and stop helping the Republicans. We ask you to meet with your constituents to discuss pressing issues and represent ALL of us. 

Do the right thing for ALL your constituents.

BROOKLYN MUSICIANS FEATURED AT CHURCH AVENUE MUSIC SESSIONS

                                  Church Avenue Sessions
                    Thursday, April 13th, 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

A monthly music series, "Church Avenue Sessions," kicked off in March. Created by guitarist and composer Yoshie Fruchter, the second session will be on Thursday, April 13th, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The series, hosted by Flatbush Jewish Center, showcases Brooklyn-based musicians playing in all genres. For example, last month's session featured jazz-tinged klezmer music, ragtime, and jazz.

The upcoming session features mezzo soprano, pianist, and composer Judith Berkson and the group Sophie Salonika, performing Sephardic, Spanish, Turkish, and Arabic songs.

The admission fee is $15 for adults, $7 for children under the age of 16. All ages are welcome to attend.

Upcoming performance dates are May 18th, June 8th, July 13th, August 10th, September 8th, October 19th, November 18th, and December 9th. 

About Flatbush Jewish Center
Flatbush Jewish Center (FJC), a Conservative synagogue offering programming and services for families, adults, and children, serves the Windsor Terrace and Kensington communities and offers traditional egalitarian services.

Location 
Flatbush Jewish Center
327 East 5th Street, corner of Church Avenue
Kensington, Brooklyn
phone: (718) 871-5200
fax: (718) 871-5204
e-mail: office @ flatbushjewishcenter.org
http://www.flatbushjewishcenter.org
https://www.facebook.com/FlatbushJewishCenter

THIS SCHOOL YARD IS OFTEN TOO DANGEROUS TO PLAY IN

Every year, New York City Councilmember Brad Lander sponsors Participatory Budgeting (PB), a process that allows residents of his city council district to vote on projects to benefit the community. This year, P.S. 130--a racially, ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse Title I elementary school in Windsor Terrace/Kensington, Brooklyn--is on the ballot for an urgently needed renovation of its lower school yard.

The yard's pavement and concrete are cracked and uneven, with poor drainage, creating a slippery and icy surface through the winter and huge puddles during the rest of the year. These poor conditions have caused injuries to students and staff and frequently make it impossible for the lower school's nearly 500 Pre-K to 2nd grade students to play outside. The yard is the school's only gym and recess area.

This year's Participatory Budgeting vote could provide the school with $500,000 to remove the existing surface, re-pitch it properly and add drainage, and resurface the entire yard, creating a usable and safe play space for the children at P.S. 130 Lower School.

There are ten Capital Projects on the ballot this year, and people can vote for up to five projects. All District 39 residents age 14 and up can vote, regardless of immigration status or whether they are previously-registered voters.

Voting will take place from March 25th through April 2nd online at Councilmember Lander's website and in person at any PB voting site. The sites are listed on the PB voting website, along with more information about the PB process and other projects.

These photos will give you an idea of what the children and the staff have to deal with.

"THE ROAD TO CITIZENSHIP" BOOK PARTY AND FUND RAISER FOR DRUM

Book Party and Fund Raiser

Sunday, March 26th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Occupy Kensington General Meeting

7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

A book party for The Road to Citizenship will be combined with a fund raiser for the Kensington Hate Free Zone. Proceeds will be going to DRUM (Desis Rising Up & Moving).

Dr. Sofya Aptekar, the author of The Road to Citizenship: What Naturalization Means for Immigrants and the United States, will speak briefly on key issues surrounding immigration and U.S. citizenship and answer questions. Copies of her book can be purchased for the special sale price of $20 each.

Refreshments will be served.

Dr. Aptekar is a member of Occupy Kensington and an Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Massachusetts, Boston. Rutgers University Press published her book in 2015. 

The book party and fund raiser will start at 6:00 p.m. and end at 7:30, followed by Occupy Kensington's regular monthly community meeting.

Location
private house
309 E. 5th Street
between Church Avenue and Albemarle Road
Kensington, Brooklyn 

WHERE DOGS CAN RUN FREELY

These drawings, newly created by the Landscape Architecture and Design team of the Prospect Park Alliance, illustrate what the Kensington Dog Run will look like when it opens at the Parade Ground.

In this fenced-in area on Coney Island Avenue at Kermit Place, dogs will be allowed off-leash during the day, supplementing the areas of Prospect Park where dogs are allowed off-leash only early in the morning and late at night.

Bids for construction will begin fairly soon, a contractor will be selected, and work will begin. The project will take about two years, if everything goes according to plan. 

Before any of that can happen, the design has to be presented at upcoming community board meetings for the boards' approval. When the Kensington Dog Run Association members find out the dates and locations of the meetings, they'll announce them.
 
The project is a grassroots effort. It's been able to reach this point because a few years ago, dog owners in the neighborhood started talking with each other about their desire for a nearby dog run.

They chatted individually, they met as a group, they formed the Kensington Dog Run Association, they became a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, they collaborated with the Parks Department and the Prospect Park Alliance, they built community support, and they searched for and secured funding.

The cost of the dog run is fully covered, thanks to Participatory Budgeting funds from Councilmember Mathieu Eugene of District 40 and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams' capital allocations, with the balance coming from Councilmember Brad Lander of District 39.

Kensington Dog Run
https://www.facebook.com/KensingtonDogRun
https://twitter.com/KensingtonDog

VOTE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS TO THE TUNE OF MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS

Albemarle Neighborhood Association Meeting

Thursday, March 23rd, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

A representative from the office of Brad Lander, our New York City Councilmember, will be the guest speaker at the next community meeting of the Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA).

The subject will be the neighborhood projects that residents of City Council District 39 can vote to have funded through Participatory Budgeting. Some are capital projects, and others are programming projects. For a description, the cost, and the location of each project, go to the "Meet Your Ballot" page on Councilmember Lander's website.

The list of voting times and locations is on his "How to Vote" page. Voting begins on Saturday, March 25th, and closes on Sunday, April 2nd.

If you can volunteer to help during Participatory Budgeting, fill out the form here.

Foodtown and ANA will provide refreshments at the meeting. 

Members and non-members of ANA are welcome to attend all ANA community meetings. Admission is free.

Meeting location
Flatbush Jewish Center
Hanid Room
327 E. 5th Street
corner of Church Avenue
Kensington

Enter the synagogue via the ramp on E. 5th Street. Use the stairs or the wheelchair-accessible elevator to go downstairs to the Hanid Room.

 --------------------

About Albemarle Neighborhood Association

Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA) is the oldest neighborhood association in Brooklyn. Since its founding in 1973, it has worked to advance Kensington's quality of life. ANA's meetings are free and are open to the public. They provide a place for Kensington's residents to address safety, security, and quality of life issues.

ANA helps create a safe and stable neighborhood by working closely with its members, other neighborhood residents, city agencies, and elected officials to address key issues.

New members are welcome to join. This strengthens ANA's impact. Membership is open to everyone who resides in or owns a business in the geographic area ANA that serves:

• northern border: the north side of Caton Avenue
• southern border: the south side of Beverley Road
• western border: the west side of McDonald Avenue 
• eastern border: the east side of Ocean Parkway

An individual or family membership costs $20 per year. Associate Membership dues for business owners cost $25 per year.

Meetings are held in March, April, May, June, September, October, and November.

EVENING OF WINE TASTING AND ARTMAKING FOR MOMS

Mom's Night Out Wine Tasting & ArtMaking Event
Wednesday, March 22nd, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For the next Mom's Night Out Wine Tasting & ArtMaking event, taste six new delicious wines, enjoy a light pairing, and make a set of "groovy psychedelic alcohol ink tile coasters."

The number of seats is limited, so pre-registration is required. The fee is $65. Register by calling (718) 686-1132 or booking on the website.

Karen Merbaum, Founder and Creative Director of Barking Cat Studio, offers a variety of classes for toddlers, children, and adults.

Location
Barking Cat Studio, Arts & Crafts for Everyone!
219 Greenwood Avenue
between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets
Brooklyn, NY 11218

(718) 686-1132
karen @ barkingcatstudio.net
https://twitter.com/barkingcatbklyn
www.barkingcatstudio.net
https://www.facebook.com/Barking-Cat-Studio-Inc-Make-It-Take-It-Arts-Crafts-for-Kids-89296467638/
create •  discover • think • imagine

Winner 2016 Red Tricycle
Most Awesome Art Class in NYC!

SUPPORT LOCAL, INDEPENDENT SMALL BUSINESSES!

MEET THE BEAT COPS IN WINDSOR TERRACE

Meeting with 72nd Precinct Sector A Neighborhood Coordination Officers

Friday, March 24th, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Share your concerns, complaints, questions, and fears with Police Officers Daniel McGrath and Francis Ghanney, the officers whose beat is Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights, and South Slope. They'll be holding their monthly community meeting with residents and business owners in those three neighborhoods next week.

They'll also update the community about crime and the other aspects of their job.

Almost a year ago, the NYPD divided the 72nd Precinct into four sectors as part of a new policing model known as "community policing." Before that, the precinct was comprised of eight sectors. As a result of the reapportionment, additional officers have been assigned to the precinct.

The two officers, known as Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCO), patrol Sector A of the 72nd Precinct, comprised of Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights, and South Slope.

An article in Brooklyn Reporter explains the significance of this new way of policing.

The meeting will be held on Friday, March 24th, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., in the auditorium of Bishop Ford High School, 500 19th Street, Windsor Terrace (between Prospect Park West and 10th Avenue).

Contact information for the officers is

• Police Officer Danny McGrath
• (917) 853-2601, daniel.mcgrath @ nypd.org
• Police Officer Francis Ghanney
• (929) 343-7645, francis.ghanney @ nypd.org