COPS (NEIGHBORHOOD COORDINATION OFFICERS) WHO PATROL KENSINGTON WILL MEET ON CHURCH AVENUE WITH RESIDENTS

Albemarle Neighborhood Association Community Meeting

Thursday, October 4th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

For the first time since they began patrolling it in July, the police officers assigned to the Kensington beat will meet with its residents.

At next week's meeting of the Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA), share your experiences and your concerns about neighborhood crime and safety with the 66th Precinct's Neighborhood Coordination Officers for Sector D (Kensington), Shawney Chow and Joel Ramirez.

Let the officers get an up-close look at the people who live in the community they serve. Share your thoughts with them about the needs of Kensington's residents.

The boundaries of the area they patrol are 37th Street and McDonald Avenue to the west, Coney Island Avenue to the east, Avenue F and 18th Avenue to the south, and Fort Hamilton Parkway to the north. 

Two additional guest speakers that evening will be our New York City Councilmember, Brad Lander, and his Director of Organizing and Community Engagement, Shahana Hanif.

All Kensington residents, whether or not they're members of ANA, are invited to attend and participate in this free meeting. 

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 4th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Flatbush Jewish Center.

As usual, Foodtown and ANA will provide free refreshments.

Meeting location 
Flatbush and Shaare Torah Jewish Center 
Hanid Room
327 E. 5th Street 
at the corner of Church Avenue 
Kensington, Brooklyn 

Enter the synagogue via the ramp on E. 5th Street. Use the stairs or the wheelchair-accessible elevator to go down to the basement 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 meets five times a year. Its meetings are free and are open to the public.

Meetings 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.

SHUTTLE BUSES REPLACE F AGAIN THIS WEEKEND

From 9:45 p.m. on Friday, September 28th, to 5:00 a.m. on Monday, October 1st, D trains and free shuttle buses will replace F trains between Jay Street-MetroTech and Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn.

D trains will run via the F in both directions between Jay Street-MetroTech and Kings Highway.

F trains will run between Jamaica-179th Street and Lexington Avenue-63rd Street, and via the Q express to/from Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center (skipping DeKalb Avenue, days and evenings), and via the D to/from Stillwell Avenue.

For direct service between Stillwell Avenue and Manhattan/Downtown Brooklyn, take the F or Q instead.

• Transfer between D trains and buses at Kings Highway.
• Transfer between F and Q trains and buses at Stillwell Avenue.

Station	Shuttle Bus Stop	Bus Stop
Kings Hwy D	McDonald Av at Kings Hwy	B82
Avenue U	McDonald Av at Avenue U	—
Avenue X	Shell Rd at Avenue X (to Stillwell Av)	B4
	McDonald Av at Avenue X (to Kings Hwy)	—
Neptune Av	Shell Rd at Neptune Av (to Stillwell Av)	—
	W 6 St at Station Entrance (to Kings Hwy)	—
West 8 St Q	Surf Av at W 8 St	B36
Stillwell Av F, N, Q	Surf Av at Stillwell Av	—

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS: BRING YOUR PETS (FREE)

Blessing of the Animals

Sunday, September 30th, 4:00 p.m.

All neighbors are invited to bring their pets, stuffed animals, or pictures of pets to the annual Feast of St. Francis of Assisi Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, September 30th, at 4:00 p.m. 

Sing along to live music and say a few prayers to peace that are attributed to St. Francis. Each pet will be blessed. This will take place outside on the lawn.

Sean Casey Animal Rescue will have a table set up there so people can sign up to volunteer to walk a shelter dog or help in other ways. Also, meet some of the rescued animals that are available for adoption. 

Snacks and treats will be available for purchase. All donations will be given to Sean Casey Animal Rescue.

Event location
The Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles
612 Greenwood Avenue
between Prospect Avenue and E. 7th Street
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
(718) 871-1615
www.holyapostlesbrooklyn.com

FREE MUSIC FOR KIDS AND MAGIC FOR ALL

                                               Music and Magic
             Saturday, September 29th, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Free story time, music, and a magic show will take place at Thomas J. Cuite Park ("Froggy Park") on Saturday, Sept 29th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by Friends of Thomas J. Cuite Park and Partnership for Parks.

You'll be able to make your own magic wand, and crafts and light snacks will be provided.

At 10:30 a.m., Joanne Riel of Flying Teapot will provide music and story time for children under age five. At 11:00 a.m., Brian McGovern (mcmagical.com) will perform magic for all ages.

Location
Thomas J Cuite Park ("Froggy Park")
19th Street, between 11th Avenue and Seeley Street
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING SUSPENDED ON SHEMINI ATZERETH

Alternate side of the street parking regulations will be suspended on Monday, October 1st, for Shemini Atzereth.

All other regulations, including parking meter regulations, will be in effect. Those are only suspended on these major legal holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
 

SALE ON USED BOOKS FOR BABIES, CHILDREN, AND ADULTS AT P.S. 130

 

Used Books for Sale

Sunday, September 30th, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

PS 130 PTA to Hold Fourth Annual Used Book Sale

By Sally Skinner

Brooklyn, NY – The PS 130 PTA is holding its Fourth Annual Book Sale on Sunday, September 30, 2018, from 10 am to 2 pm at the PS 130 Lower School, located at 70 Ocean Parkway.

The Book Sale is open to the public and will feature a huge array of books for babies, children, and adults. All books are $2 or less. 

The PTA welcomes donations of gently used books from the community. They can be dropped off at the back door of 70 Ocean Parkway (entrance on East 5th Street) on Saturday, September 29, between 9 am and 1 pm. Donations are tax deductible. 

 

 "This event is a wonderful way for the community to support PS 130, and for PS 130 to support the community," said PS 130 PTA Co-President Lisa Jackson Zelznick. "By allowing neighbors to donate books that we sell at a very reasonable price, we are promoting reading, literacy, and sustainability in the community while also raising funds to support important PTA initiatives, like professional development, direct support to classroom teachers, and improving the school library.” 

 

All funds raised will be used to support the PS 130 PTA. Baked goods, drinks, and assorted snacks will be available for purchase. 

 

Contact:

Sally Skinner

Co-Chair, Book Sale

ps130flea @ gmail.com

 

CURBSIDE ELECTRONICS PICK-UP SPREADS TO KENSINGTON, WINDSOR TERRACE, AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS IN SOUTHERN BROOKLYN

Curbside collection of electronics will be available upon request in Southern Brooklyn as of Monday, October 1, 2018, for residents of 1-9 unit buildings.

This free curbside pick-up service is already available in Northern Brooklyn and on Staten Island. It started as a pilot program on Staten Island in October 2016.

Since January 1, 2015, New York City residents have not been permitted to put electronics in the regular trash or with their recycling. They could only be disposed of by transporting them to an electronic waste collection site or through a manufacturer's free take-back program. Manufacturers of computers, televisions, and other electronics are required to accept their products for recycling under New York State law through free take-back programs.
 
Items eligible for pick-up include CRT televisions, LCD televisions, monitors, laptops, electronic keyboards, electronic mice/pointing devices, fax machines, document scanners, printers, and other computer peripherals.

It's advisable to erase all computer hard drives and clear your private information before putting them out at the curb.

Other eligible items are VCRs, digital video recorders, DVD players, digital converter boxes, cable/satellite receivers, video game consoles, computer/small scale servers, other TV peripherals, portable digital music players, and other portable devices.

A maximum of twenty items, including no more than five TVs, can be picked up per request.

Schedule a pickup by the Sanitation Department at https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/contact/e-waste-pickup-request. Put your E-Waste at the curb after 4:00 p.m. the night before.

Pickups will be done weekdays (Monday through Friday), except on city holidays. Pickups can be scheduled up to two weeks in advance.

DSNY employees won't ring your doorbell, and they won't go into your house to pick up items; you have to put the items out at the curb. 

Buildings with 10 or more units can continue to enroll in the existing ecycleNYC free program at https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/electronics/overview-electronics-ecycle; three free service options are available, depending on the size and type of building.
 

FREE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOR ALL AGES AT THE EAST FOURTH STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN

 

CELEBRATE E. 4TH STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY

WITH MANY EVENTS ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND,

AND 2 MORE ON SUNDAY THE 23RD

Brooklyn, 1978. Ed Koch was mayor, Saturday Night Fever was the soundtrack of the summer, and a garbage-filled lot on East Fourth Street was being cleaned up, bag by bag, day by day, by a band of committed neighbors on a mission. Forty years later, we celebrate the tenacity and vision of the community members who made and still make the East Fourth Street Community Garden what it is today: a place of respite and reflection, of education and conservation. 

 

On Saturday, September 22nd, come out for a free, event-packed anniversary party that’s been 40 years in the making! We start the day at 9 AM with a meditation class by Jaya Yoga, surrounded by the beauty of the garden’s flowers and trees. Our celebration’s official opening ceremony is at 10 AM, as we honor the local veterans who gave the garden its identity as a memorial garden.

 

Children’s activities begin at 10:30 AM, with a singalong class led by Joanne Riel, whose musical play will encourage children and their families to explore expression, creativity, and learning through music and movement. Joanne will sing some children’s favorites, multicultural music, and songs from her CD, Flying Teapot. 

 

And speaking of kids, the garden will also have face painting and sidewalk chalk drawing—and a children’s gardening workshop at 2 PM.

 

Our CSA partner, Garden of Eve, sponsors a fermentation class with Chef Cheryl Paswater at 11 AM. This class is hands-on and for all levels of cooking, so bring a glass jar and some veggies to transform into delicious treats you'll enjoy for weeks to come. Put some summer in a jar on the first day of fall! Craving something sweet? We’ll be selling baked goodies too, while supplies last. And at 11:30 AM, one of our garden volunteers conducts a workshop on indoor composting—with a twist. This class, open to kids and adults, will demonstrate how to compost food scraps indoors using a worm bin. You’ll never look at a worm the same way again.

 

At noon, we’re visited by local tribal belly dance troupe Witchmaste, whose shimmies and undulations will mesmerize the crowd on this autumnal equinox. Before you know it, you’ll be trying out some new moves yourself—Witchmaste encourages audience participation.

 

We’ll also have a beer-brewing workshop starting at noon. Held in front of the garden’s hop garden, the workshop will go through the entire process to make a batch of homebrew and include a discussion of ingredients, creating beer recipes, and growing your own hops!

 

At 2:30 PM, we switch to quieter fare, as poets reading under the Sweet Action banner share their sublime works on the garden’s lawn. Founded in 2014, Sweet Action creates a welcoming space for a diverse group of women, non-binary, and LGBTQIA poets.

 

We close out the day’s celebration with a return engagement by the Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective at 3:30 PM. (A garden never can have enough bluegrass!) The BBC’s second studio album, Volume 2, features local bluegrass talents. We’re pleased to have the Collective back for its second September concert in a row.

 

But the festivities don’t end then. Come back on Sunday, September 23rd, for some gentle qigong at 10 AM. Its simple sequence of flowing movements, breathing techniques, self-massage, and guided meditation will help promote feelings of balance, relaxation, and renewal. Our practice will be led by Marisa Carroll, Certified Healer-Within Qigong Practice Leader, The Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi.

 

Then at 4 PM, we are happy to present an opening reception for the garden’s third annual art show,“Jewel Box,” featuring works by Eric Boucourt, Deborah Morris, and Tom Brown. Come enjoy a delightful afternoon with your neighbors, some yummy nibbles, and a trove of artworks to uncover along our lovely shade garden path.

 

The East Fourth Street Community Garden, located between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue, has served the neighborhoods of Windsor Terrace and Kensington for 40 years. All events at the garden are FREE; check our upcoming events at eastfourthstreetgarden.tumblr.com or on our Facebook page.

CURRENT NEEDS OF THE FAMILIES IN THE KENSINGTON SHELTER: DONATIONS OF ITEMS AND OTHER KINDS OF HELP

A list of what the families currently living in the Kensington family shelter need has been compiled by the neighborhood residents who serve as volunteer liaisons between the neighborhood and the shelter.

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

Hello neighbors,

We hope you all had a wonderful summer.

Now that everyone is back from vacation, we have checked in with the Kensington family shelter on current needs and are passing along those requests to you.

Halloween costumes: The shelter is accepting new and used costumes for boys and girls, infant through size 14. Please make sure the costumes have been laundered, or if they are not washable that they do not have any pet fur or hair on them since some children at the shelter have allergies. They can be dropped off at 385 McDonald Avenue, attention Uniquia, between now and October 15th.

Harvest Party captain: We traditionally host a party for the shelter kids around Halloween. This year's monster mash will be on Saturday, October 27th. We would love to have one or two captains helm this event and be responsible for planning food and entertainment and overseeing it on the day of the event. We will, of course, help you put out the call for the necessary donations and helpers. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com with CAPTAIN in the subject line.

Budgeting tutor: The shelter is seeking someone to lead a periodic household budgeting workshop for clients who will be moving out. Ideally, the volunteer will have some experience providing this kind of assistance. If you are interested in speaking with the shelter about this opportunity, please send an e-mail to givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com with BUDGET in the subject line and a sentence or two about your experience/expertise, and we will put you in touch.

Diapers: The shelter always needs diapers (and wipes!). Sizes 4, 5, and 6 are needed most urgently and can be dropped off at 385 McDonald Avenue, attention Uniquia. If you are interested in doing a diaper drive for the shelter, please let us know at givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com.

Cooking items: The shelter provides cooking demonstrations for the clients. They are seeking one large crock pot/slow cooker in good condition and a hot plate with two burners. If you have one to donate, please send an e-mail to givemeshelterbk @ gmail.com with COOKING in the subject line.

Move-Out Packages: The good news is that families are moving out of the Kensington shelter and into more permanent housing all the time. While the city provides vouchers for basic furniture, there's a lot more that they need. With your help, we have been able to put together housewarming packages for them to take to their new apartments. We've created an Amazon wish list with the needed items. You can order and ship directly from Amazon, or buy similar items elsewhere and ship or drop them at the shelter, attention Uniquia Parker. Here's the link: https://amzn.to/2OCsttS.

Thanks to all of you for your continued generosity. It means a lot to the shelter staff, and to us, that your willingness to help has not waned over time. In the coming weeks, we will be getting together shelter holiday plans and reaching out.

Love,
Catherine and Tracy

MUGGED ON A BRIDGE ACROSS THE PROSPECT EXPRESSWAY IN WINDSOR TERRACE

Two teenagers mugged a teenager who was walking alone on the Prospect Expressway bridge at Fort Hamilton Parkway a few afternoons ago. They punched him in the face, choked him, and robbed him of the cell phone that was in his pocket.

They're shown on the Wanted poster above for assaulting a transit worker in The Bronx in June by punching him in the face and throwing a bottle at him. The MTA has distributed the posters widely throughout the subway system.

On Fort Hamilton Parkway, from the corner of E. 5th Street by the dog run and across the bridge to the bottom of the pedestrian footpath where Ocean Parkway meets E. 7th Street, two thefts, one assault, and three robberies have been reported to the police so far this year, according to CompStat 2.0.

• Robbery  03/08/18   6:00 AM 
• Robbery  06/17/18   10:00 PM 
• Assault    06/12/18   4:00 PM 
• Theft      06/26/18   12:00 PM
• Theft      07/01/18   1:00 PM
• Robbery  09/13/18    4:00 PM 

The NYPD officers--or Neighborhood Coordination Officers--who patrol Windsor Terrace will meet with residents and business owners on September 27th to discuss neighborhood safety. This is a good place to ask questions, express your concerns, and make requests.

The meeting will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Rectory, 2805 Fort Hamilton Parkway, between E. 5th and E. 4th streets. Link to a KARMABrooklyn blog post here for more information.

ROBBERY IN SEELEY PARK

A Windsor Terrace resident was robbed last week while sitting in Seeley Park. It's the park located between Seeley Street and Vanderbilt Street and between 19th Street and the west side (southbound side) of the Prospect Expressway.

The NYPD officers--known as Neighborhood Coordination Officers--who patrol Windsor Terrace will meet with residents and business owners on September 27th to discuss neighborhood safety. This is a good place to ask questions, express your concerns, and make requests.

The meeting will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Rectory, 2805 Fort Hamilton Parkway, between E. 5th and E. 4th streets. Link to a KARMABrooklyn blog post here for more information.

SHUTTLE BUSES WILL REPLACE THE F TRAIN THIS WEEKEND

From 9:45 p.m. on Friday, September 21st, to 5:00 a.m. on Monday, September 24th, D trains and free shuttle buses will replace F trains between Jay Street-MetroTech and Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn.

D trains will run via the F in both directions between Jay Street-MetroTech and Kings Highway.

F trains will run between Jamaica-179th Street and Lexington Avenue-63rd Street, and via the Q express to/from Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center (skipping DeKalb Avenue, days and evenings), and via the D to/from Stillwell Avenue.

For direct service between Stillwell Avenue and Manhattan/Downtown Brooklyn, take the F or Q instead.

• Transfer between D trains and buses at Kings Highway.
• Transfer between F and Q trains and buses at Stillwell Avenue.

Station	Shuttle Bus Stop	Bus Stop
Kings Hwy D	McDonald Av at Kings Hwy	B82
Avenue U	McDonald Av at Avenue U	—
Avenue X	Shell Rd at Avenue X (to Stillwell Av)	B4
	McDonald Av at Avenue X (to Kings Hwy)	—
Neptune Av	Shell Rd at Neptune Av (to Stillwell Av)	—
	W 6 St at Station Entrance (to Kings Hwy)	—
West 8 St Q	Surf Av at W 8 St	B36
Stillwell Av F, N, Q	Surf Av at Stillwell Av	—

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING SUSPENDED FOR SUCCOTH

Alternate side of the street parking regulations will be suspended on Monday, September 24th, and Tuesday, September 25th, for Succoth.

All other regulations, including parking meter regulations, will be in effect. Those are only suspended on these major legal holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

STARGAZING

                                       photo by Faissal aka Md. Halim

Stargazing

Thursday, September 20th, 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Back by popular demand. Stargazing Thurs., Sept 20, starting at 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm with two knowledgeable astronomers from the Amateur Astronomers Ass'n of NYC. They will bring you the night sky up close and personal, answering all your questions, in English and Bengali.

The moon, stars and Mars, Jupiter, Venus and perhaps Saturn, will stick in your eye through two high-powered telescopes. At their last visit (June 21) kids ran home to bring their entire families.

Hang out with the neighbors. An event for all ages. And it's FREE! A true community happening.

At Avenue C Plaza, on McDonald Avenue ½ block below Church Ave. https://www.facebook.com/avecplaza/

FREE PAPER SHREDDING IN KENSINGTON

Free Paper Shredding
Saturday September 22nd, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Protect yourself from thieves who want to steal your identity. Get your confidential and sensitive paper documents shredded for free at an AARP Operation Stop Scams event.

Shred financial and legal documents, such as IDs, bank statements, deposit slips, checks, credit card statements and receipts as well as documents bearing account numbers, birth dates, passwords, PINs, signatures, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers and any other items that include names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses.

Bring up to three grocery bags of documents to be shredded. Metal, plastic, and other materials can damage the shredder, so they won't be accepted. The shredding truck will stay on site for the time scheduled or until it reaches capacity. 

For additional information, call (866) 227-7451 or go to www.aarp.org/nyc.
 
Location
Ditmas Junior High School 62
700 Cortelyou Road at E. 7th Street
Kensington, Brooklyn

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING SUSPENDED FOR YOM KIPPUR

Alternate side of the street parking regulations will be suspended on Wednesday, September 19th, for Yom Kippur.

All other regulations, including parking meter regulations, will be in effect. Those are only suspended on these major legal holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

66TH PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL PUBLIC MEETING NEXT WEEK

UPDATE: The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 20th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

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

66th Precinct Community Council Monthly Meeting
Thursday, September 13th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Report crimes and other policing matters in Kensington, Borough Park, and Midwood at this week's 66th Precinct Community Council meeting. 

The 66th Precinct's commanding officer, Captain David Wall, will update residents on recent crimes in those neighborhoods, but the input of people who live within the boundaries of the precinct is essential. 

At the meeting, the public can learn about the various programs available to the community through the precinct. 

The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 13th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It's free, and it's open to the public. 

Boundaries of the 66th Precinct:

The purpose of the 66th Precinct Community Council is to provide the critical interface between citizens and police through regular monthly meetings. Meetings are normally held on the third Thursday of the month, from September through June. The Community Council does not meet in July or August.

Meeting location
Community Board 12 Office
5910 13th Avenue
between 59th and 60th streets
Borough Park, Brooklyn
(map)

To get to the meeting, take the B16 bus to 13th Avenue at 56th Street and walk three blocks along 13th Avenue to 59th Street. To return home, take the B16 on 14th Avenue (schedule).

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

Contact information for the 66th Precinct:
phone: (718) 851-5611
5822 16th Avenue
between 58th and 59th streets
Borough Park, Brooklyn
e-mail: 66precinctcc @ gmail.com
website: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/patrol/precincts/66th-precinct.page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYPD66Pct or @66precinctcc