GET HELP FROM NEIGHBORS AND GIVE HELP THROUGH FRIEL FRIENDS MUTUAL AID

Friel Friends Mutual Aid provides help during the COVID-19 pandemic for people living in the area bounded by Caton Avenue, Church Avenue, E. 7th Street, and Coney Island Avenue.

Friel Friends is part of a larger group, "Kensington, Brooklyn, Group for Mutual Aid (Coronavirus)." It formed so that people could show up for their neighbors; its goal is to connect people through hyper-localized mutual aid.

Fill out a survey so that the organizers, Emma and Zach, can connect with their neighbors and assess their needs.

Anyone who needs help should feel comfortable about asking for it. Do yourself a favor and ask for help. Some possible needs are 

• Conversation / check-ins
• Transportation
• Language interpretation
• Payment of rent / utilities bill
• Money for food / medicine / supplies
• Shopping and delivery of food / medicine / supplies
• Pet care / dog walking
• Childcare
• Tutoring / education services
• Legal representation / advocacy (specifically labor & housing)
• Social services guidance (filing for Medicare, unemployment, etc.)
• Medical advice
• Mental health counseling

Whatever information you write on the survey will be kept confidential. It will only be used to connect you with a matching resource. And the organizers will ask you for your permission before connecting you with a neighbor.

Volunteers who can offer help in any way are needed and should fill out the survey too.

If you have any questions, call Emma and Zach at (904) 502-4249 or send an e-mail to FrielFriends @ gmail.com. 

FREE DELIVERY AND SIDEWALK PICK-UP: TWO SHOPPING OPTIONS OFFERED BY THE WINDSOR TERRACE FOOD COOP

To Members and Potential Members: a Letter from the Windsor Terrace Food Coop

Are you self-isolating and need help getting access to food? Are you able to make the commute but wish to avoid stepping into the coop? Or are you able to help people who need it?

Even with the myriad precautions we’re taking in the coop to make our community’s access to food a safe and healthy process, many of you may rightfully be taking further precautions.

We don’t want your care for yourself and those around you to get in the way of eating the healthy foods all of us cooperatively work for to bring into our community. So, since Thursday March 19th, we have been offering these services to members:

• Delivery of groceries to immunocompromised members
• Sidewalk pickup of groceries

In order for this to be feasible, we are limiting the free shopping and delivery service to members who are at a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, such as an older adult or someone with chronic medical conditions (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease).

We are also only able to deliver items we have stocked in the coop and are able to transport during our open hours. We send email blasts to notify everyone of what is available.

We carry

• • fresh fruit,
  • fresh vegetables,
  • dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir, butter, etc.), 
  • eggs,
  • bread,
  • meat,
  • fish,
  • kombucha,
  • ice cream,
  • canned goods (beans, fish, etc.),
  • bottled goods (peanut butter, jam, applesauce, salad dressing, condiments, juice, water, etc.)
  • packaged goods (pasta, cereal, coffee, tea, chips, cookies, crackers, etc.),
  • bulk items (nuts, seeds, oats, dried fruit, granola, dry beans, grains, flour, coffee, etc.),
  • and more, more, more.

 Photos of just a few of our many items are posted here.

Home delivery

If you require this free shopping service:

Contact wtfc-delivery@googlegroups.com to make an order request. You will then be in touch with one of our volunteers who will follow up with you about next steps.

Include in your email:

• List of items you wish to purchase, including quantity
• Phone number
• Address to deliver to

If you would like to help:

For this to work, we need volunteers. Do you have a car, bike, or folding cart? Maybe just some strong arms? Consider joining this temporary team and contribute some of your time and labor. Contact Corey at the info below to join.

Any questions?

Contact Corey Tegeler at (845) 853-4481 or coreytegeler@gmail.com if you would like to know more about the service or are interested in helping.

Sidewalk pickup

If you would like to pick up from the sidewalk:

Contact wtfcstoremanagers@gmail.com to make an order request. Only email requests during open hours and on the day you want to pick up.

Include in your email:

• List of items you wish to purchase, including quantity
• Your phone number

A store manager will notify you when your order is ready for pickup. Be prepared to give your credit card info over the phone. Bring shopping bags to replace what we use for your groceries.

Membership

• • WTFC is operated by the member owners. Members are required to work a 2 hour shift every five weeks.
  • All members can work on diverse committees to help grow WTFC.
  • Membership fee is $100 for single shoppers, $175 for families, $60 for students and seniors (65+) and free for EBT  (for EBT please contact the coop directly by email at admin@windsorterracefoodcoop.com. Memberships fees are one-time and non-refundable.
  • Members of any Brooklyn food coop can shop at WTFC, although that does not make them members of WTFC.

• • Join via PayPal at https://windsorterracefoodcoop.com. If you have any questions, send an email to membership@windsorterracefoodcoop.com.

The sidewalk pick-up and delivery services are for WTFC members only. Under normal circumstances, members of other Brooklyn co-ops are welcome to shop at WTFC, but the benefits of membership are only extended to WTFC members in good standing. Members of other food co-ops are, of course, welcome to become members of WTFC and share in member benefits and responsibilities.

Windsor Terrace Food Coop

825 Caton Avenue

corner of E. 8th Street

Brooklyn, New York

wtfcstoremanagers@gmail.com

https://windsorterracefoodcoop.com

https://twitter.com/wtfoodcoop?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/windsorterracefoodcoop

https://www.instagram.com/windsorterracefoodcoop/?hl=en

CANCELLATIONS AND CLOSINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BEYOND, DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

Cancellations, postponements, closings, changes in policies and practices, and other news from the neighborhood, Brooklyn, and beyond are posted on KARMABrooklyn's Facebook page, along with links to resources and assistance for Brooklyn and New York City residents.

I keep posting, so please keep checking. 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/KARMABrooklyn-Kensington-Area-ResidentMerchant-Alliance-215195235161276/posts/?ref=page_internal

KENSINGTON, BROOKLYN, GROUP FOR MUTUAL AID (CORONAVIRUS): NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

Kensington, Brooklyn, Group for Mutual Aid (Coronavirus)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/884513918671186

Description of Kensington, Brooklyn, Group for Mutual Aid (Coronavirus), a Facebook group that formed on March 10th:

This is a group to discuss how to help each other through the coronavirus crisis.

Need help getting groceries to someone in quarantine? Want to organize an emergency childcare co-op if the schools close down? Have questions, suggestions or resources that could be helpful? Post it all here.

If you want more local info on coronavirus in general and its impact on Brooklyn in particular, there's the Brooklyn Coronavirus group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BrooklynCoronavirus

No politics in your posts, please, neighborliness and mutual aid is what we're here for.

CANCELLATIONS AND CLOSINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BEYOND, DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

Cancellations, postponements, closings, and news in the neighborhood, in Brooklyn, and beyond are posted on KARMABrooklyn's Facebook page, along with links to some resources and assistance for Brooklyn and New York City residents.

I keep posting, so please keep checking. 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/KARMABrooklyn-Kensington-Area-ResidentMerchant-Alliance-215195235161276/posts/?ref=page_internal.

CANCELED: 72ND PRECINCT BLOOD DRIVE

UPDATE: The blood drive has been canceled as a precaution against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

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The 72nd Precinct will host a blood drive on Tuesday, March 17th, from noon until 6:00p.m. It will take place in front of the 72nd Precinct headquarters at 830 4th Avenue, between 29th and 30th streets in Sunset Park.

CANCELED COMMUNITY BOARD 7 MEETINGS AND STATEMENT ON CORONAVIRUS FROM THE BOARD

Concern about the coronavirus pandemic has led Community Board 7 to cancel upcoming meetings. The canceled meetings are   the Sanitation/Environment Committee meeting that was scheduled for today, March 11th, the Transportation Committee Meeting, scheduled for March 16th, and the monthly board meeting, scheduled for March 18th. All of these meetings had been scheduled to take place at the Community Board 7 office.  The meetings will be rescheduled for a later date.

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Community Board 7 chairperson Cesar Zuniga has issued a statement about coronavirus.

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

I want to start by noting that this is an extremely fluid situation. As a community we should make sure we are not heightening fears and anxiety.

Please stay updated on the COVID-19 facts and recommendations from the CDC https://www.cdc.gov/ and NYC DHMH https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/coronavirus.page.

Out of an abundance of caution, we've made the decision to suspend all public meetings until further notice.

I will be asking custodial staff to increase cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, particularly touch points like bathroom taps and door handles.  I want to make sure that the CB continues to coordinate with authorities to amplify important public health information.

We are unfortunately already hearing about racism, stigma, and xenophobia being exacerbated by the fear of the virus. Concerns about COVID-19 should focus on the facts and on our desire to ensure that our communities are as safe as possible.  We need to do what we can to ensure that this situation does not lead to racist and xenophobic behavior.

One thing we can do is to ensure that everyone has access to the essential facts about the virus, and how to reduce any stigma associated with this disease.

Here are some good resources to educate your staff and possibly share with families:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/share-facts.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/related-stigma.html

https://medium.com/wadepthealth/it-takes-all-of-us-to-reduce-stigma-during-disease-outbreaks-310db60dce29

You can also text “COVID” to 692692 for updates.

This is a time for caution and making decisions based on facts, not panic and rumor.  Community Board 7 will do its best to help keep you informed with the latest information and we hope that you will continue to use reputable sources for information about the virus.  Please also check in on your vulnerable neighbors, particularly seniors and those with immune deficiencies. 

Sincerely,

Cesar

F AND G NORTHBOUND TRAINS WILL SKIP FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY STATION THIS WEEKEND

From Friday, March 13th, at 9:45 p.m. through Monday, March 16th, at 5:00 a.m., Jamaica-bound F trains and Court Square-bound G trains will skip the Fort Hamilton Parkway station for station maintenance.

For service to that station, take an F or G train to 15th Street-Prospect Park and transfer to a Coney Island-bound F or a Church Avenue-bound G.

For service from that station, take an F or G train to Church Avenue and transfer to a Jamaica-bound F or a Court Square-bound G.

NO F TRAIN SOUTH OF CHURCH AVENUE ON WEEKENDS THROUGH DECEMBER 21ST

F trains will not stop at any stations that are south of Church Avenue on weekends from Fridays at 9:45 p.m. to Mondays at 5 a.m., starting on Friday, March 20th, and ending on Monday, December 21st.

Northbound F trains will run from Church Avenue to 179th Street. Southbound F trains will run from 179th Street to Church Avenue. F trains will not make either northbound or southbound stops from Ditmas Avenue through Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.

These stations will be closed:

• Church Avenue (no southbound service; northbound service will be available)
• Ditmas Avenue
• 18th Avenue
• Avenue I
• Bay Parkway
• Avenue N
• Avenue P
• Kings Highway
• Avenue U
• Avenue X
• Neptune Avenue
• West 8th Street
• Stillwell Avenue.

Service will be normal on major holidays and some other days:

• Easter/Passover: April 10th through 13th
• July 4th weekend: July 3rd through 6th
• most weekends in October: October 9th through 11th, 16th through 18th, and 23rd through 25th
• Thanksgiving weekend: November 27th through 30th
• the weekend after Christmas: December 25th through 28th.

The project will modernize the seventy-year-old signals currently in use. A “Communications Based Train Control” (CBTC) system will be installed on this section of the line and new signal facilities will be added at Ditmas Avenue, Bay Parkway, and Avenue X. The project will allow MTA personnel to respond faster and provide alternative service options in case of service disruptions.

Free shuttle buses and alternate train service will be available at F train stations from Church Avenue to Coney Island.

When it is beach season (May 23rd through September 14th), a free express shuttle bus will go directly from Church Avenue to Coney Island-Stillwell.

Work will continue in 2021, but details have not been released yet.

For more information, see these two posts on the MTA website: Culver Line Signal Modernization and Culver Line Signal Modernization: Alternate Service Options.

THIS IS THE NEW COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE 72ND PRECINCT

Captain Ernesto Castro is the new Commanding Officer of the 72nd Precinct. The precinct covers Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park.

Captain Castro will attend the 72nd Precinct Community Council meeting, to be held tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10th, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The meeting is open to everyone who lives and/or works in Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights, South Slope, and Sunset Park.

Meet with him and other police officers to discuss past crimes--what types of crime have been taking place, their frequency, why they happen, and how the public can help prevent them--and find out what the precinct is doing to prevent future crimes.

Captain Castro joined the NYPD in 2005. His previous assignment was as Executive Officer of the 13th Precinct, covering the Peter Cooper Village/Stuyvesant Town residential complex, Gramercy Park, the lower portion of Rosehill, Madison Square Park, and Union Square Park.

He also served in the NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau.

Meeting location
Brooklyn Asian Civilian Observation Patrol
720 57th Street
between 7th and 8th avenues
Sunset Park, Brooklyn, New York

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72nd Precinct contact information
Phone number: (718) 965-6311
web page: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/patrol/precincts/72nd-precinct.page
CompStat report (crime statistics): http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs-en-us-072pct.pdf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYPD72Pct
Facebook page for 72nd Precinct:  https://www.facebook.com/NYPD72pct
Facebook page for 72nd Precinct Community Council: https://www.facebook.com/72nd-Precinct-Community-Council-1611883092371304

DEPARTURE OF 72ND PRECINCT COMMANDING OFFICER

The Commanding Officer of the 72nd Precinct, Deputy Inspector Emmanuel Gonzalez, was transferred out of the precinct as of Friday, March 6th. Inspector Gonzalez will lead the NYPD's auxiliary section, overseeing a volunteer police force of more than 4,000 members.

Inspector Gonzalez held the rank of captain when he became the Commanding Officer at the 72nd Precinct in March 2016, replacing Captain Tommy Ng. Ng had served as C.O. since July 2014. From March 2015 to March 2016, Gonzalez was Executive Officer at the 66th Precinct. 

Inspector Gonzalez will attend the next meeting of the 72nd Precinct Community Council on Tuesday, March 10th, at 7:30 p.m., at 720 57th Street in Sunset Park, between 7th and 8th avenues. The location is the home of the Brooklyn Asian Civilian Observation Patrol.

PROTECTED BIKE LANE PROPOSAL FOR FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY IN WINDSOR TERRACE

UPDATE: Meeting postponed because of the pandemic.

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          Community Board 7 Transportation Committee Meeting
                               Monday, March 16th, 6:30 p.m.

Community Board 7's Transportation Committee will meet on Monday, March 16th, at 6:30 p.m. The agenda is as follows:

• Presentation from the MTA on its Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign: Existing Conditions Report

• Proposal by the New York City Department of Transportation to make improvements on Fort Hamilton Parkway, between Dahill Road and Park Circle, for safer, more direct bicycle routes connecting Prospect Park to Windsor Terrace and Kensington

See the full proposal for the protected bike lane here.

 

Committee meetings are open to the public.

Meeting location
Community Board 7 Office
4201 4th Avenue
entrance on 43rd Street
Sunset Park, Brooklyn

F AND G TRAINS WILL SKIP FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY STATION SOUTHBOUND THIS WEEKEND

Due to station maintenance, from Friday, March 6th, at 9:45 p.m. through Monday, March 9th, at 5:00 a.m., Coney Island-bound F trains and Church Avenue-bound G trains will not stop at the Fort Hamilton Parkway station.

For service to that station, take an F or G train to Church Avenue and transfer to a Jamaica-bound F or a Court Square-bound G.

For service from that station, take an F or G train to 15th Street-Prospect Park and transfer to a Coney Island-bound F or a Church Avenue-bound G.

MUSIC FESTIVAL AT P.S. 130, FOR ALL TO ATTEND

P.S. 130 Music Festival

Friday, March 6th, 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

The sixth annual, family-friendly P.S. 130 Music Festival will feature the school's parent and faculty performers, playing a broad range of musical styles.

The musical styles celebrating the school's culturally diverse neighborhood and school community will include Appalachian, Russian folk, rock, R&B, jazz, contemporary classical, musical theater, original music--and more.

The P.S. 130 PTA Music Committee will host the festival on Friday, March 6th, at 6:15 p.m. Open to the public, the suggested admission fee is $10 per family.

All of the funds raised will be used to support the P.S. 130 PTA, including its music and art programs.

The concert line-up will feature P.S. 130 parent and faculty performers, both professional and amateur musicians, including

• Jorge Abreu,
• Jacob Arnold,
• Graham Brice,
• Jeremy Borer,
• JD Davids,
• Kate Fermoile,
• Johnny Gandelsman,
• Emma Graves,
• Aleksandra Kameneva,
• Paul LaPlaca,
• Christine Long,
• Colin Jacobsen,
• Valentina Kvasova,
• Joe Maximo,
• Larry May,
• Susan May,
• Gretchen Wagner Nealon,
• Michelle Neuringer,
• Robby O'Sullivan,
• Bennett Paster,
• Jon Protas,
• Simeon Seigel,
• Yotam Silberstein,
• Matthew Singer,
• Deidre Rodman Struck,
• Eleanor Taylor,
• Philippa Thompson,
• Allison Langerak Tuzo,
• Wyatt Tuzo,
• Gleb Vaschenko, and
• Carol Wei,
• plus guests 
• house bassist John Montagna and
• house drummer Rich Zukor.

Location
P.S. 130 Upper School Gymatorium
713 Caton Avenue
between E. 7th and E. 8th streets
Windsor Terrace - Kensington, Brooklyn

PARKING RULES FOR PURIM

Alternate side of the street parking regulations will be suspended on Tuesday, March 10th, for Purim. All other parking regulations will remain in effect.

Parking meter regulations are only suspended on these major legal holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

KENSINGTON COPS WILL MEET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD THIS MONTH

Kensington Neighborhood Policing and Safety Meeting

                 Wednesday, March 18th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCOs) and the Steady Sector Officers in the 66th Precinct's Sector D (Kensington and Ditmas) will meet with residents on Wednesday, March 18th, to discuss any issues that you want to bring up.

At 6:30 p.m., refreshments will be served at the Build The Block Neighborhood Policing and Safety Meeting. At 7:00 p.m., the meeting will start.

The NYPD divides each precinct into four or five sectors to carry out neighborhood policing. This means that the same officers work in the same neighborhoods on the same shifts. The radio dispatchers, supervisors, and sector officers work together. Sector officers and sector cars stay within the boundaries of their assigned sectors, except in precinct-wide emergencies.

The four sectors in the 66th Precinct are Sector A or Adam, Sector B or Boy, Sector C or Charlie, and Sector D or David.

Sector D's boundaries are Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue to the north, Coney Island Avenue to the east, 18th Avenue and Avenue F to the south, and McDonald Avenue and 37th Street to the west.

 The NCOs for Sector D are

• Police Officer Viviane Perrone (phone: (917) 863-5169, e-mail: viviane.perrone @ nypd.org)
• Police Officer Karol Smiarowski (phone: (917) 826-6569, e-mail: karol.smiarowski @ nypd.org.

The officers will update the community about public safety issues in the neighborhood.

Ask questions and express your concerns, complaints, and suggestions about assaults and robberies on the street, home burglaries, packages stolen from porches and lobbies, street safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, and any other issues that you have.

Meeting Location
The Kensington Family Shelter
385 McDonald Avenue
between Albemarle Road and Church Avenue
Kensington, Brooklyn

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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
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/NYPD66pct/posts/?ref=page_internal
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYPD66Pct or @66precinctcc