LIVE MUSIC PERFORMED ON PEOPLE'S PORCHES THIS FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY

From Operation Gig!

 

Eric Alabaster and friends
Friday, June 28, 6:00-8:00 PM
1415 Dorchester Rd, Brooklyn

Eric Alabaster is a local drummer and music teacher who is a part of the Porch Music youth education program started by Roy Nathanson. He'll be performing Jazz standards and original compositions. 

Tonight's show will feature special guests Sikandar Maboob Sheikh and Adeeba Talukder presenting music of Pakistan and India in the form of Urdu and Punjabi Ghazal and Geet. 

Alber Marquès, electric piano

Marty Isenberg, double bass
Eric Alabaster, drums

Yoli Zama and friends celebrate 30 years of South African Democracy
Saturday, June 29, 4:00-6:00 PM
455 Westminster Rd, Brooklyn

A musical journey in celebration of 30 years of South Africa’s democracy.

The Dukes of Flatbush celebrate the NY Klezmer tradition
Sunday, June 30, 4:00-6:00 PM
121 Marlborough Rd Brooklyn

Operation Gig! is thrilled to welcome The Dukes of Flatbush for a celebration of the NYC Klezmer tradition.

 

The Dukes feature three virtuosic local musicians, Grammy-nominated clarinetist Andy Statman, Pete Rushefsky, and Brano Brinarsky. On a gorgeous porch near you!

 

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

 

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.

 

FINAL WEEKEND: KENSINGTON CULTURE AT AVENUE C PLAZA: SPECIAL ACTIVITIES AND THE WEEKDAY ACTIVITIES AND PRACTICES (FREE, OUTDOORS)

From ArtBuilt Mobile Studios:

Hi Neighbors! Join us for finale week of June activities at Avenue C Plaza with ArtBuilt Mobile Studios!

 

Friday, kids can participate in a Last Day of School Celebration with Casa Cultural followed by a Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (BIPA) Concert 'Shonchari’.

 

Saturday, join a Clay Sculpting Workshop with Casa Cultural.

 

And cap things off on Sunday with Celebrate Kensington! Culture + Community + Care, an event co-hosted by Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY (NOCD-NY) and Arts & Democracy!

Location

Avenue C Plaza

at the intersection of Avenue C and McDonald Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

WRITERS WILL READ FROM THEIR WORK TONIGHT (FREE)

 

Ditmas Lit Reading Series

Wednesday, June 26th

8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

 

The monthly reading series Ditmas Lit is dedicated to showcasing established and emerging writers in all genres. 

 

Three writers will read from their work at this month's installment of Ditmas Lit on Wednesday, June 26th, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

 

Nina St. Pierre will not be reading tonight.

 

Tonight's readers:

• Brittney Inman Cooke: She received her MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Her work has appeared in The Rumpus, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Heavy Feather Review, Bookanista, and other places. She serves on the Board of Epiphany Magazine, and she's a co-founder of The Urbane Arts Club in Ditmas Park.
  

• Danny Goodman: His writing has appeared in various publications, and he was the recipient of a writer-in-residence fellowship from Rivendell. He earned his MFA in Fiction from the University of New Orleans, where he was a two-time winner of the Samuel Mockbee Award. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife, a book editor, and their editorial cats. His debut novel, Amerikaland, was released on June 4.
  

• Wesley Straton: She is a California-born, Brooklyn-based writer and bartender. She holds an MFA from Brooklyn College and her work has appeared in Glimmer Train, GQ, and The Common. Her debut novel, The Bartender’s Cure, was published in 2022 by Flatiron Books.

Location

Hinterlands Bar 

739 Church Avenue

between E. 7th and E. 8th streets

Kensington, Brooklyn

(718) 633-0550

hinterlandsbar@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/hinterlandsbar

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

 

COMMUNITY BOARD 12 MEETING ONLINE AND IN PERSON. LAST MEETING UNTIL SEPTEMBER.

Community Board 12 Public Meeting

Tuesday, June 25th

7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

 

All meetings of Community Board 12 and all of its committee meetings are open to the public.

 

Community Boards are the liaison between the public and the city's agencies. 

 

Community Board 12 encompasses Borough Park, most of Kensington, and parts of Sunset Park and Midwood.

From Community Board 12:

Dear Residents,     

Our June board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, June 25, at 7:00. 

The in-person location is at Amico Senior Center, 5901 13th Avenue, 3rd Floor (entrance on 59th Street).

For those that wish to attend on Zoom, please use the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86040079931

To speak at the public hearing, either in person or on Zoom, please click on the following link and fill out the form: https://forms.gle/8izAHJDN4KsStNtg7

If you are calling in by phone please dial the following number and then enter the Webinar ID:

Phone Number: 646-558-8656
Webinar ID: 860 4007 9931

Please be advised that members of the public cannot comment on items that were already addressed at a public hearing.

We are looking forward to seeing you at our last meeting before the summer break! 

Thanks,

The Community Board 12 Team

 

Agenda

1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

2. ROLL CALL

3. ADOPTION OF APRIL & MAY MINUTES

4. CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS – YIDEL PERLSTEIN

5. PRESENTATION, Q&A SESSION, AND BOARD VOTE ON THE ‘CITY OF YES FOR HOUSING OPPORTUNITY’ TEXT AMENDMENT PROPOSAL – DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING

6. ZONING & VARIANCE COMMITTEE REPORT – DAVID SHLOMOVICH

• Brooklyn Yards

7. PUBLIC HEARING

8. DISTRICT MANAGER’S REPORT – BARRY SPITZER

9. REPORTS FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS, REPRESENTATIVES & AGENCIES

10. OLD BUSINESS

 

Community Board 12

phone: (718) 851-0800

fax: (718) 851-4140

bk12@cb.nyc.gov

https://www.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb12/index.page

https://www.facebook.com/BkCB12

https://twitter.com/BrooklynCB12

Chairperson: Yidel Perlstein

District Manager: Barry Spitzer

 

GREENMARKET IS OPEN ON WEDNESDAYS AND SUNDAYS AT BARTEL-PRITCHARD SQUARE

The Bartel-Pritchard Square Greenmarket, located at Prospect Park West at 15th Street, is open on Wednesdays year-round from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Sundays from May 12th through December 22nd, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

The forms of payment that are accepted are cash, SNAP/EBT, debit/credit, Healthfirst OTC Plus insurance members (select plans), WIC & Senior FMNP coupons, FreshConnect coupons, and Greenmarket Bucks.

 

Spend $2 in SNAP/EBT/P-EBT, get bonus $2 Health Buck, up to $10 per day.

 

Textiles are accepted at the greenmarket on Sundays. From GrowNYC:

Bring all of your unwanted, gently used clothing to be collected by our partners at @‌wearablecollections. We accept all used, freshly laundered clothing as well as shoes, sneakers, accessories, hats, belts and handbags. We also accept household linens such as sheets, curtains and towels.

 

We do not accept carpeting, rugs, bath mats, comforters, pillows, large luggage, fabric or scraps of any kind, including pre-recycled insulation materials.

 

What happens to materials donated?

Clothing & Textiles are accepted by Wearable Collections staff and taken to a facility where they are sorted into different grades, with an effort to recover as much usable clothing as possible for distribution to second-hand markets. Material that is not suitable for reuse will go to recycling markets to be used as wiping rags or shredded for low grade fiber products such as insulation.

 

What Wearable Collections Accepts:

Accepted: Clean and dry clothing, paired shoes, linens, handbags, belts, and other reusable textiles.
Not accepted: fabric rolls or scraps of any size, rugs, carpeting, pillows, comforters, or luggage.

Why can’t I recycle scraps?

Due to a shift in market conditions, Wearable Collections is unable to accept large volumes of scraps for processing. Your quality donations ensure the sustainability of the textile recycling program, which recovers the portion of non-reusable material for secondary uses.

 

THIS WEEKEND: KENSINGTON CULTURE AT AVENUE C PLAZA: THE FOURTH WEEKEND'S SPECIAL ACTIVITIES AND THE WEEKDAY ACTIVITIES AND PRACTICES (FREE, OUTDOORS)

 

Celebrate Kensington Culture at Avenue C Plaza.

Participate in free special activities and performances on weekends as well as weekday activities and practices.

 

Tuesdays kick off the weekly series. This weekend's activities include Bookbinding with Casa Cultural (Saturday) and Mask Making with The Singing Winds (Sunday).

 

Location

Avenue C Plaza

at the intersection of Avenue C and McDonald Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

 

 

CELEBRATE KENSINGTON! CULTURE + COMMUNITY + CARE

 

Celebrate Kensington!

Culture + Community + Care

Sunday, June 30th

1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

Join a celebration of Kensington's food, music, and textiles and the close-knit network of people who make them happen.

 

"Celebrate Kensington! Culture + Community + Care" will take place on Sunday, June 30th, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Avenue C Plaza.

 

The co-hosts are Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY (NOCD-NY) and Arts & Democracy.

 

The day's events: 

• Music jam session with Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (BIPA), Yoshie Fruchter, Ilya Shneyveys, and other local musicians
• Textile workshops with Casa Cultural and Bangladeshi Ladies Club
• Art and button-making with The Kensington Musketeers’ youth leaders
• Tabling by Kensington Cultural Council, Kensington-Windsor Terrace Mutual Aid, Sakhi, DRUM, and New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif’s office
• Free food by Bangladeshi Ladies Club and other local food establishments

 

Celebrate the culmination of a year-long community research project about Kensington’s culture and cultural networks with a free full-color printed booklet (while supplies last) and poster display.

 

For all ages. Open to all.

 

Location

Avenue C Plaza

at the intersection of Avenue C and McDonald Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

 

LIVE MUSIC ON PEOPLE'S PORCHES THIS WEEKEND

From Operation Gig!

 

Dan Loomis' Mycelium Trío
Fri Jun 21 6:00-8:00 PM
303 Westminster Rd, Brooklyn

Hailed as “The best trio you never believed could exist,” Dan Loomis' Mycelium delivers songs from the American heartwood inside a groovy, infectious, heart-breakingly nostalgic neighborhood potluck of soul. Come spiritually hungry and leave full.

 

Lila Bloom
Sat Jun 22 4:00-6:00 PM
536 E 18th St, Brooklyn

With a wide range of musical influences from Ella Fitzgerald to Bjork, and Radiohead to Jeff Buckley, Lila explores grief, awe, and surrender through her relationship to nature, her body, and conversations with a higher self. 

Lila Bloom plays the role of the bard sharing a range of songs from tender lullabies to rage filled war cries dedicated to the wary hearts of those who dare to interrupt generational cycles, refuse complacent living, and reclaim their lives.

 

Jefferson Hamer
Sun Jun 23 4:00-6:00 PM
330 Westminster Rd Brooklyn

With voice and guitar as rocking and plaintive as Neil Young, Jefferson Hamer is one of the treasures of the NYC music scene. He's played and recorded with the likes of Anais Mitchell, Sarah Jarosz, Session Americana and many more. We're thrilled to welcome Jefferson and his band back for a third time to OG.

 

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

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.

 

MAKE MUSIC FOR THE SUMMER SOLSTICE (FREE)

Make Music New York

Friday, June 21st

5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

 

The Kensington Stewards, the Artmageddon Collective, and Make Music New York will host a Summer Solstice celebration on Friday, June 21st, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

This free community program is held at Kensington Plaza on the first day of summer.

From Make Music New York: 

Make Music New York is New York City’s only music festival for the people and by the people!

We are a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission celebrates the musician in all of us, connects New Yorkers to their communities and with each other, brings bold new artistic creations to life, unites diverse communities in a spirit of celebration and energizes the shared social spaces that make NYC a cultural capital.

Schedule

5:00 p.m.: Make Music Make Instruments: Workshop and Crafts for kids

6:00 p.m.: Bucket Drumming Workshop, with Andrew Drury

7:00 p.m.: Sing for Hope pianist Álvaro Torres, hosted by Brooklyn Conservatory of Music

8:00 p.m.: jam session with the Artmageddon band

 

If you have a musical instrument, bring it with you and join in.

Lemonade and cookies will be served.

This annual program is a part of Make Music New York’s "Plaza by Plaza"series, sponsored by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT).

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between McDonald Avenue and E. 2nd Street

Kensington, Brooklyn

 

THIS WEEKEND: KENSINGTON CULTURE AT AVENUE C PLAZA: THE THIRD WEEKEND'S SPECIAL ACTIVITIES AND THE WEEKDAY ACTIVITIES AND PRACTICES (FREE, OUTDOORS)

Kensington Culture comes to Avenue C Plaza during the month of June. You're invited to participate in the free special activities and performances on weekends as well as the weekday activities and practices. 

 

Join ArtBuilt Mobile Studio and its partners Tuesdays through Sundays for free programming, arts and crafts workshops, performances, games, and more.

 

This weekend:

• Saturday, June 15th, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Print Away, with Cynthia Fortozo of Casa Cultural.
  
• Sunday, June 16th, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Family Portraits, free photo portrait by professional photographers Jordan and Anna Rathkopf.

 

Location

Avenue C Plaza

at the intersection of Avenue C and McDonald Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

 

 

TRUCKS, TRUCKS EVERYWHERE: PRESENTATION ON THE TRUCK ROUTE NETWORK REDESIGN AT COMMUNITY BOARD 7 TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING

Community Board 7

Transportation Committee

Monday, June 17th

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 

The Community Board 7 Transportation Committee will meet on Monday, June 17th, at 6:30 p.m. The agenda items are

1. Presentation from MTA on the 36th Street ADA elevator project

2. Presentation from Councilmember Alexa Aviles' Office on Local Law 171

 

About Local Law 171, from NYC DOT Projects & Initiatives: 

Local Law 171 (2023) requires DOT to redesign the Truck Route Network with a focus on enhancing safety, increasing visibility, and reducing traffic congestion while taking into consideration of existing freight travel patterns, major truck traffic generators, and industry trends.

 

As part of the Local Law, DOT is in the process of gathering data and public feedback. Information gathered will be published in a report released in the Fall of 2024.

   
After publishing the report with incorporated public feedback and recommendations, to advance the proposed truck route changes, DOT will initial the City Administrative Procedure Act (CAPA) project. 

The public is invited to provide feedback by using an interactive map to identify issues and concerns with the current truck route network that we share the streets with.

 

Feedback from the public will help DOT figure out how and where to improve the movement of the trucks on our streets. Comment on the Truck Route Network Redesign Feedback Portal.

The original deadline for providing feedback was June 30th, but it's been extended to July 31st.

 

Attend the Community Board 7 Transportation Committee meeting either in person or on Zoom. To attend on Zoom, register at https://bit.ly/3KzeMdG.

 

Or watch the meeting on Community Board 7's YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/3uQlAtq.

 

Location

Community Board 7 Office

4201 4th Avenue (enter on 43rd Street

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

phone: (718) 854-0003

fax: (718) 436-1142

bk07 @ cb.nyc.gov

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb7/index.page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Community-Board-7/195263140637225

https://x.com/bkcb7 

https://www.instagram.com/brooklyncb7

 

PROSPECT PARK LAKE: HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS WERE REPORTED THIS WEEK

Photo: Prospect Park Lake

Date of Observation	6/10/2024 11:19 AM
HAB Status	Confirmed
Reported by	NYC Parks
Extent	Widespread or Lakewide
County	Kings County (Brooklyn)

 

See the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) 2024 online New York Harmful Algal Bloom System (NYHABS) interactive map to see reports of HABs. Click OK to view the map.

Harmful Algal Blooms grow in Prospect Park Lake and other bodies of fresh water every year. DEC is asking the public and trained algal bloom samplers to electronically send reports of HABs with photos via a simple, mobile phone-friendly form. 

Once the reports are evaluated by DEC and DOH, they're posted on the NYHABS page to provide easy access to inform the public about HABs locations in New York.

Most algae blooms are harmless. However, exposure to toxins and other substances from certain HABs can make humans and other mammals, birds, and fish sick.

Avoid contact with all floating mats, scum, and discolored water.

Adults, children, dogs, and other animals should not go into the lake or near the shoreline. 

Anyone who has been in contact with a HAB should rinse thoroughly with soap and water--or with clean water alone, if that's all that's available at the moment.

Anyone who might have been exposed to a bloom and is experiencing any symptoms should get medical help immediately and should also contact the New York City Department of Health (DOH).

HABs have been monitored closely across New York State since 2012. In 2023, DEC’s Division of Water published an analysis of HABs titled “Detections of cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) in New York State, United States (2012–2020).”

HABs present several management challenges, and that study and other research help advance the understanding of HABs to inform sound, scientifically driven, decision-making to protect public health and the environment.

When it comes to HABs, DEC encourages New Yorkers to:

• Know It – HABs vary in appearance from scattered green dots in the water to long, linear green streaks, pea soup, or spilled green paint to blue-green or white coloration.
• Avoid It – People, pets, and livestock should avoid contact with water that is discolored or has algal scums on the surface.
• Report It –The public should report a suspected HAB through the NYHABs online reporting form available on DEC’s website. Report health concerns related to HABs to DOH at harmfulalgae@health.ny.gov, or contact your local health department.

 

For more information about HABs, visit DEC’s Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) webpage. You can download the HABs brochure and program guide, which includes information and links to resources regarding bloom prevention, management, and control.

 

---

LIVE MUSIC ON PORCHES THIS WEEKEND

Update: The Saturday, June 15th, location has been changed to 1203 Albemarle Road. 

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

From Operation Gig!

Miwa Gemini

Friday Jun 14 6:00-8:00 PM

498 Rugby Rd

OG is psyched to welcome Miwa Gemini back to the porch!

"Not many folks inspire comparisons to Patsy Cline and Bjork, but then there aren't many folks like Miwa Gemini. She spins rootsy pop and rock into her own stew of attitude and aggression. Even the mellow pieces have serious bite." -DoPDX

 

Samoa Wilson, Eli Smith, Jackson Lynch and Ernie Vega
Saturday Jun 15 4:00-6:00 PM
246 Westminster Rd 

A supergroup composed of Samoa Wilson and Ernie Vega of the Four O'clock Flowers and Eli Smith and Jackson Lynch of the Down Hill Strugglers, all honorary members of the illustrious Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues, present a collection of tunes from the 1920's & 30's.

 

Mireia Clua
Sunday Jun 16 4:00-6:00 PM
131 Buckingham Rd 

Mireia Clua is a classically trained violinist from Spain who uses looping to bring forth amazing layered improvisations on her original compositions.

 

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

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.

 

DOG CALENDAR PHOTO SHOOT

 

FIDO in Prospect Park Dog Calendar

Photo Shoot

Monday, June 17th, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 22nd, 9:00 a.m. to noon

From the FIDO website:

The Fido Calendar is a tribute to the large and diverse Fido community. Fido members can, for a minimal fee, have their dog’s picture in a calendar, and enjoy the memories of other dogs and events in the Park.

How to get your dog’s picture in the calendar:

• Become a Fido member [suggested minimum donation: $10 per year]

• Have your dog’s picture taken at a Coffee Bark or picture-taking event

• Cost: $10 small; $20 medium; $40 large

• Get a free calendar for every picture placed in the calendar

Alternately, pay online and send a photo, stating the date for the picture, size of the picture, name of your dog, and your contact information. Send information to fidobrooklyn@gmail.com. 

FIDO (FIDO in Prospect Park) is a (501)(c)(3) non-profit since 2004.

Location

Kensington Dog Run

397A Coney Island Avenue

between Kermit Place and Caton Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map) 

https://www.facebook.com/KensingtonDogRun

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

https://www.instagram.com/kensingtondogrun/