Monday, October 30, 2023

OPEN GARDEN DAY AT PROSPECT FARM (FREE)

 

Open Garden Day at Prospect Farm
Saturday, November 4th
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
From Prospect Farm:
Join us for some fall fun!
On Saturday, Nov. 4, Prospect Farm is holding Fall Open Garden Day from 11 AM until 2 PM.
There will be arts and crafts for kids and adults, a plant swap, a bake sale (yum), and a music and reading grove. (You can bring an instrument to play, or you can browse our gardening books or read to your child.)
There will also be a compost giveaway along with our food scrap collection (11-12)
See you there! (1194 Prospect Ave., Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn)
 
Location
Prospect Farm
1194 Prospect Avenue
between Vanderbilt and Seeley streets
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
(map)
prospectfarmbk@gmail.com
 

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER ANTONIO M. ROSARIO


 
"11218+"
Thursday, November 9th
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
 
An evening of creative conversations with local professional photographer, photography instructor, and podcast producer and host Antonio M. Rosario will take place at Blue Star Parlor.
 
From Blue Star Parlor:
Join us for an immersive exploration and discussion of 11218+, as we journey through a photographer's lens, unearthing the unseen beauty and intricate details of our shared surroundings.
The free event is scheduled for Thursday, November 9th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
 
Antonio's photos have been on exhibit at Blue Star Parlor since September 28th. The exhibit is titled "11218+ - Photographs of the neighborhood and a little beyond," also the title of Antonio's photo zine series, now in its third issue.
 
Light refreshments will be served.

 
Location
Blue Star Parlor
1112 Cortelyou Road
between Stratford and Westminster roads
Ditmas Park, Brooklyn
(347) 365-9035

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

COMMUNITY BOARD 12 PUBLIC BOARD MEETING SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT, REMOTELY AND IN PERSON

 
Community Board 12 Public Board Meeting
Tuesday, October 24th
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Community Board 12 posted information two hours ago about this month's public board meeting. The meeting is scheduled for tonight, October 24th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

You can attend either in person, on Zoom, or by phone.
 
The in-person location is Amico Senior Center, 5901 13th Avenue (entrance on 59th Street), 3rd floor. To join the meeting on Zoom, click the following link: us06web.zoom.us/j/86040079931. To join by phone, dial the following number and enter the Webinar ID: phone #: (646) 558-8656, Webinar ID: 860 4007 9931.
 
To speak at the public hearing (agenda item 5), click the following link and fill out the form:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSco1v1Puh042lQ69uHJ_lKGC1-DaWqXOiLe_aFLvLQobdCfbw/viewform.
 
Minutes from the September meeting have not been made available yet.
 
Meeting Location
Amico Senior Center
5901 13th Avenue, 3rd Floor
entrance on 59th Street
Borough Park, Brooklyn
(map)

--------------------------------------------
 
Community Board 12
phone: (718) 851-0800
fax: (718) 851-4140
bk12@cb.nyc.gov
Chairperson: Yidel Perlstein
District Manager: Barry Spitzer

LEAF DROP-OFF AT THE EAST FOURTH STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN

 
Leaf Drive
Wednesday, October 25th,
through Sunday, October 29th
 
Leaves are used at the East Fourth Street Community Garden to help compost the food scraps that neighbors donate to the Garden.
 
From Wednesday, October 25th, through Sunday, October 29th, drop off your leaves at the Garden during its open hours.
 
Please don't include garden trimmings (such as roots and branches) or litter in the bags that you bring the leaves in. 
 
Open Hours
Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
Location
East Fourth Street Community Garden
171 E. 4th Street
between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

Sunday, October 22, 2023

SMASHING PUMPKINS AT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN

 
Update from the Garden: "The pumpkin smash was a smashing success! We smashed over 70 pumpkins to turn into rich compost soil."
 
-------------------------------------------
 
Pumpkin Smash
Saturday, November 4th
noon to 4:00 p.m.
 
Smash your pumpkins--jack-o-lanterns, painted pumpkins, and uncarved, unpainted pumpkins--at the East Fourth Street Community Garden on Saturday, November 4th, between noon and 4:00 p.m. 

The smashed pumpkins will be used as compost in the garden. Please note that pumpkins with glitter on them or candles in them can't be composted.
 
In addition, people from Big Reuse will be at the event to answer your questions about New York City's curbside composting program, which is now available in all of Queens and Brooklyn as well as parts of The Bronx and Manhattan.

Location
East Fourth Street Community Garden
171 E. 4th Street
between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn


Friday, October 20, 2023

WRITERS READ FROM THEIR WORKS IN THIS FREE READING SERIES


Ditmas Lit Reading Series
Wednesday, October 25th
8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
 
Ditmas Lit is a free reading series dedicated to showcasing a diverse range of established and emerging writers in all genres. Four writers will read from their works at Hinterlands Bar on Wednesday, October 25th, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. 
 
Readings take place at Hinterlands on the third Wednesday of every month.
 
From Ditmas Lit:
Celebrate spooky season with scary good readings by our October authors. 🎃👻
 
Jennifer Baker is a publishing professional of 20 years, the creator/host of the Minorities in Publishing podcast, and a faculty member of the MFA program in Creative Nonfiction at Bay Path University and a writing consultant at Baruch College. 
 
Formerly a contributing editor to Electric Literature, she received a 2017 NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship and a Queens Council on the Arts New Work Grant for Nonfiction Literature. Her essay "What We Aren't (or the Ongoing Divide)" was listed as a Notable Essay in The Best American Essays 2018. In 2019, she was named Publishers Weekly Superstar for her contributions to inclusion and representation in publishing. 
 
Jennifer is also the editor of the all PoC-short story anthology Everyday People: The Color of Life (Atria Books, 2018) and the author of the YA novel Forgive Me Not (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023). She has volunteered with organizations such as We Need Diverse Books and I, Too Arts Collective, and spoken widely on topics of inclusion, the craft of writing/editing, podcasting, and the inner workings of the publishing industry. Her fiction, nonfiction, and criticism has appeared in various print and online publications. Her website is: jennifernbaker.com.
Photo: Gaby Deimeke
 
Originally from the Hudson Valley in New York, Thea Brown is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. She is the author of three full-length poetry collections, most recently Loner Forensics (Northwestern University Press), which came out in May of this year. 
 
Poems can be found in Oversound, Denver Quarterly, Pinwheel, the Iowa Review, LitHub, Vinyl, and elsewhere. She lives in Baltimore and teaches creative writing at the George Washington University.
 
Madison Jamar is a writer from Columbus, Ohio currently living and working in New York City. Her essays have appeared in Catapult, 68to05, Black Lipstick, The Common and more.
 
Uzodinma Okehi: A shadowy flight into the incomprehensible, sub-literary world of a dude, who does not exist.
 
Location
Hinterlands Bar
739 Church Avenue
between E. 7th and E. 8th streets
Kensington, Brooklyn
(718) 633-0550
hinterlandsbar@gmail.com

Monday, October 16, 2023

AGENDA FOR COMMUNITY BOARD 7'S OCTOBER PUBLIC MEETING


Community Board 7 Public Meeting
Wednesday, October 18th
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Community Board 7's next monthly public meeting will be held both in person at the board office and virtually via Zoom on Wednesday, October 18th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
 
Community Board 7 is the liaison between New York City government agencies and the residents, business owners, and employees of Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights, South Slope, and Sunset Park.

Attendees will have two opportunities to address the board (items 7 and 15 on the agenda below). You're welcome to share you concerns, questions, needs, problems, suggestions, or solutions with CB 7's board members.

To join the meeting on Zoom from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android device, or landline, register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VEOoQMo2SBGplr15HYxRwQ#/registration.
 

Right after you register for the meeting on Zoom, you'll receive an e-mail confirming your registration. It will also give you instructions on joining the meeting from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android phone, or landline/wired phone.


The meeting can also be viewed on CB 7's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAZ1cECSeZI8iNyQDKuX5Q.


From the website: 
The Board's boundaries are the waterfront on the west, the Long Island Railroad cut to the South (approximately 65th Street); Our boundary extends north on 8th Avenue from 62nd Street to Greenwood Cemetery. We include all of the cemetery and the land between it and Prospect Park to Caton Avenue on the east. Our northern border is on 15th Street from Park Circle to Hamilton Avenue and continues on Hamilton Avenue to the Gowanus Canal.
Every neighborhood in New York City is represented by an all-volunteer community board that serves as the liaison between neighborhood residents and city agencies. Board members are appointed by the borough president.
 
Members of the public are welcome to serve on a committee without being a board member. Descriptions of CB 7's committees are posted at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb7/committees/committees.page. Contact the Community Board 7 office to learn more.


Proposed agenda:
1.  Pledge of Allegiance
2.  Roll Call
3.  Opening of the meeting
4.  Adoption of the agenda
5.  Adoption of the minutes of the September 20, 2023, board meeting
6.  Adoption of the minutes of the October 11, 2023, public hearing
7.  Public Comment (3 minutes to speak on topics covered on this agenda)
8.  Committee Reports:

A) Housing Committee (Tabled in September) – 1. Working meeting to organize Community Land Trust Informational(s)
 
B) Parks Committee (Voting required) – 1. Presentation from NYC Parks & Recreation on the redesign of the Pena Herrerra Playground

C) Transportation Committee (Voting required) – 1. Street co-naming 36th Street & 5th Avenue for Dr. Antonia Pantoja, 2. Presentation from the Taxi & Limousine Commission on expanding awareness for passengers on unlicensed vehicles or refusals from licensed operators, 3. Presentation/Discussion on trucking, safety, health, environment concerns related to last mile trucking and 3rd Avenue

D) Joint Committee Meeting with Sanitation/Environment and Transportation Committees – 1. Presentation by Con Edison: Reliable Clean Cities Project: Gowanus to Greenwood, 2. New York State Air Survey – South Brooklyn Update from Neighbors Helping Neighbors/5th Avenue Committee, 3. Local Air Quality Research presentation from UPROSE

E) Finance Committee (Voting required) – 1. Discussion on F.Y. 2025 Capital and Expense Budget Priorities

F) Public Safety Committee -  1. Application for an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary located at 251 47th Street, 2. Application for an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary located at 6123 5th Avenue  

9.  Call
10.  Elected Officials and Representatives
11.  Chairperson’s Report
12.  District Manager’s Report
13.  Old Business
14.  New Business
15.  Public Comment (3 minutes to speak on any topic)
16.  Adjournment

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

Community Board 7
4201 4th Avenue (entrance on 43rd Street)
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
phone: (718) 854-0003
fax: (718) 436-1142
bk07 @ cb.nyc.gov
 

Sunday, October 15, 2023

P.S. 130 FALL FEST IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

 

 
P.S. 130 Fall Fest
Sunday, October 15th
11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
 
The annual P.S. 130 Fall Fest will be held on Sunday, October 15th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., rain (held inside) or shine (held outside).
 
Fall Fest will feature DJ Eli Paperboy Reed, Hot Hand Band, Break Dancing from 360 Flow, pony rides, story time, a haunted house, a pumpkin patch, games, arts and crafts, and more.

Ticket sales for ticketed events will begin at 10:30 a.m. Other events are free.
 
Location
P.S. 130 Upper School
713 Caton Avenue
between E. 7th and E. 8th streets
Windsor Terrace - Kensington, Brooklyn 

Friday, October 13, 2023

DONATE GENTLY-USED CLOTHING


 
Clothing Donation
Sunday, October 15th
 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Donate gently-used clothing to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society by bringing it to the society's
truck
on Sunday, October 15th, between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., when it will be parked in front of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHM).

Donations of gently-used clothing and shoes for women, men, and children are welcome. Used clothing and shoes must be clean and must be in wearable condition. Stained, ripped, worn-out clothes won't be accepted. 
 
Clothing can only be donated on that day and between those hours. Anything brought to IHM before Sunday at 8:30 a.m. will be discarded because of a lack of storage space.
 
Location
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
2805 Fort Hamilton Parkway
between E. 4th and E. 5th streets
Windsor Terrace - Kensington, Brooklyn, New York 
 

MULTI-FAMILY FLEA MARKET THIS WEEKEND


 
Fall Flea Market
Sunday, October 15th
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Raindate: Sunday, October 22nd
 
Something for everyone at this Multi Family Flea Market!

Housewares, Books, Children’s Books, Toys, Games, Clothing and More

McDonald Ave Between Greenwood Ave and Fort Hamilton Parkway 

E-WASTE DROP-OFF AND COMPOST BIN GIVEAWAY


 
E-waste Drop-off and 
Compost Bin Giveaway
Sunday, October 15th
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
The LES Ecology Center, New York City Department of Sanitation, and New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif will host an e-waste drop-off event and a compost bin giveaway on Sunday, October 15th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
Drop off your electronics for recycling. The LES Ecology Center accepts this working and non-working consumer electronic equipment:
 
  • Computers (laptops & desktops, servers, mainframes)
  • Monitors (CRT and flatscreen)
  • Network devices (routers, hubs, modems, etc.)
  • Peripherals (keyboards, mice, cables, cords, chargers, etc.)
  • Tablets and e-readers
  • Components (hard drives, CD-ROMs, circuit boards, power supplies, etc.)
  • Printers under 100 pounds, scanners, fax machines, etc
  • TVs, VCRs, DVRs, DVD & Blu-ray Players
  • Digital Converter Boxes, Cable/Satellite Receivers
  • Portable music players
  • Audio-visual equipment
  • Video-games
  • Cell phones, pagers, PDAs
  • Telecommunication (phones, answering machines, etc.)
 
But it does not accept these:

  • Batteries (except lead-acid batteries from UPS (uninterrupted power supplies) systems, rechargeable batteries can be dropped off for recycling at any store that sells them, also check out IKEA and Staples stores for battery recycling.
  • Media, such as disks, DVDs, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, etc.
 
At the same time, you can pick up one free 13-gallon brown bin for curbside composting; register in advance here to have a bin reserved for you and to choose a time to pick it up.
 
On Sunday, bring your ID with you. Also bring confirmation that you've registered in the form of a printed or digital Eventbrite ticket.

Location
114 Beverley Road
between Church Avenue and E. 2nd Street
Kensington, Brooklyn

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

CANCELED: HOWL-O-WEEN PARTY AT THE DOG RUN


 
Update: The event has been canceled due to rain.
-------------------------------------
 
Howl-O-Ween Party
Sunday, October 29th, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Celebrate Halloween at the Kensington Dog Run Association's annual Howl-O-Ween Party on Sunday, October 29th, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
 
Costumes aren't required for dogs or for humans--but wear them if you've got them!
 
The Kensington Dog Run, located on Coney Island Avenue in the Parade Ground near Prospect Park, opened in July 2020 after years of community advocacy. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
 
Location
Kensington Dog Run
397A Coney Island Avenue
between Kermit Place and Caton Avenue
Kensington, Brooklyn
(map) 

 

CANCELED: FINAL PORCH CONCERT OF THE SEASON


Update: Canceled because of rain.
 
---------------------------------------- 

From Operation Gig!
 
The last show of the season, if weather allows, will take place this Saturday!  Proceeds from this show will go to our guarantee fund. Please come, and if it does get rained out, please consider donating here to bring us back in 2024 stronger than ever!  We love you supporters!

Saturday Oct 14 4-6pm
The Moon Children
225 Argyle Rd.

The Moonchildren will bring their theatrical alt-folk-piano rock and soaring harmonies to the porch! All proceeds of this concert will go the Operation Gig Musician Guarantee Fund, which ensures we can pay musicians a dignified wage when donations don't suffice.

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

Operation Gig! provides live music performances outdoors on weekends.
 
The series, held on the porches of private houses in Ditmas Park, started in July 2020 to offer a venue where musicians could perform during the pandemic. This gives them a source of income and provides a safe space for people to gather to enjoy live music.
 
Although the performances are free, a suggested $10 donation to the musicians is more than welcome. You can donate either at the performance itself or to the tax-deductible Operation Gig Musician Guarantee Fund on GoFundMe.
 
Purchase an Operation Gig t-shirt here, and the proceeds will go to the Operation Gig Musician Guarantee Fund.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

COSTUME SWAP AND HALLOWEEN PARTY THIS WEEK

 
Costume Swap and Halloween Party
Friday, October 13th
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
 
Tea Time Tactics will hold its 3rd annual costume swap on Friday, October 13th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
 
Bring a costume, get a costume, and enjoy the Halloween party, featuring games, crafts, slime, face paint, popcorn, snacks, tea, coffee, treats, and tricks.
 
Location
Tea Time Tactics
1293 Prospect Avenue
near Greenwood Avenue
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
Ttimetactics@gmail.com

Sunday, October 8, 2023

FUNDRAISING FOR FREE OUTDOOR MUSICAL AND SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCES


 

Your donations to the East Fourth Street Community Garden support free, outdoor musical and spoken word performances.

The performances highlight the creativity and diversity of local musicians who represent our neighborhood's many cultures. The funds will allow the Garden to offer fair compensation to these artists.

 
East Fourth Street Community Garden
171 E. 4th Street
between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

Saturday, October 7, 2023

DETOUR THROUGH WINDSOR TERRACE NEXT WEEKEND DURING BQE CLOSURE



Repair and replacement work on the BQE will cause traffic to be diverted in various parts of Brooklyn next weekend.
 
But thanks to the preemptive activism of neighborhood residents, Community Boards 7, 12, and 14, Assemblymember Robert Carroll, and City Councilmembers Shahana Hanif and Rita Joseph, the New York City Department of  (NYC DOT) has altered its detour routes during the repairs.
 
The original plan would have dumped every southbound car and truck, no matter how large, onto E. 5th Street at Greenwood Avenue, have them travel two blocks on E. 5th, and then have them turn onto Caton Avenue to get to Linden Boulevard.
 
Instead, traffic will exit onto 10th Avenue, turn onto McDonald Avenue, and then turn onto Caton Avenue to get to Linden Boulevard.
 
NYC DOT will announce any future work requiring closures at a later date.
 
From Assemblymember Robert Carroll:

BQE Closure

The NYC DOT has alerted my office to the details of the upcoming BQE closure next weekend. The closure will be from 2 AM Saturday, October 14th to 4 AM Monday, October 16th. 
 
Windsor Terrace and Kensington will be affected, with all eastbound traffic being directed through Prospect Expressway. 
 
Trucks will be directed to the 10th Avenue exit, and then rerouted onto McDonald Ave through to Caton, so be prepared for heavy additional traffic along that route.
 
My office has been in contact with the 72nd Precinct to ensure that traffic safety will be properly enforced throughout this time. 
 
The Hamilton Avenue Eastbound entrance to the BQE will also be closed, meaning that westbound traffic will need to exit at Ft. Hamilton Parkway.
Driving instructions from the NYC DOT: 
Queens-Bound Linden Boulevard Detour
  • Exit Gowanus Expressway at Prospect Expressway
  • Exit at 10 Avenue
  • Turn right onto 10 Avenue
  • Turn left onto McDonald Avenue
  • Turn left onto Caton Avenue
  • Continue onto Linden Boulevard
  • Detour routes to Conduit Avenue with connections to Nassau Expressway, Van Wyck Expressway, and the Long Island Expressway via the Van Wyck Expressway
 See also "PUBLIC MEETING ABOUT PROPOSED DIVERSION OF TRAFFIC FROM PROSPECT EXPRESSWAY ONTO E. 5TH STREET AND CATON AVENUE" at https://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2022/08/proposed-diversion-of-traffic-from.html