RESCHEDULED DANCE POP-UP IN ALBEMARLE PLAYGROUND (FREE)

 

Rescheduled for Thursday, August 15th, due to weather conditions.

 

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Dance Pop-up

Thursday, August 8th,11:00 a.m.

 

Dance along with Cynthia King Dance Studio in Albemarle Playground on Thursday, August 8th, at 11:00 a.m.

 

The free dance pop-up is part of the summer activities program offered in the playground by The Singing Winds through August 22nd.

Location

Albemarle Playground

McDonald Avenue

near Albemarle Road, behind P.S. 230 Lower School

Kensington, Brooklyn

BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLY GIVEAWAY

Back to School Supply Giveaway

Sunday, August 25th

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

School supplies will be distributed for free at People in Need's 8th Annual Back to School Supply Giveaway on Sunday, August 25th, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For children to receive the supplies, they must be present at the event.

Donations of school supplies (notebooks, pencils, erasers, flash cards, pocket folders, backpacks, etc.) are welcome.

If you'd like to donate school supplies from an Amazon Wish List, scan the QR code in the flyer above.

Or drop them off in person at 766 Coney Island Avenue between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.on the Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday before the giveaway.

You can also drop them off at Assemblymember Robert Carroll's office at 416 7th Avenue Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through August 23rd.

People In Need (PIN) is a 501(c)(3) community-based organization co-founded in 2016 by Anurag Shrivastava and Nowshin Ali. Over the past eight years, PIN has run an after-school homework program, summer youth programs, women’s workshops, warm clothing distribution events, and back-to-school supplies drives.

Location

People in Need, Inc.

766 Coney Island Avenue

near Cortelyou Road

Kensington, Brooklyn

https://www.peopleinneed.org/

https://www.facebook.com/peopleinneedinc

RESCHEDULED: BANGLADESHI STREET FAIR

 

Bangladeshi Street Fair

Sunday, August 18th

noon to 8:00 p.m.

 

The Bangladeshi street fair and folk festival that was going to be held on Sunday, August 4th, from noon to 8:00 p.m., has been rescheduled for Sunday, August 18th.

 

The festival, hosted by Bangladesh Merchant Association, is free. It is open to everyone.

Location

McDonald Avenue

between Church Avenue and Avenue C

Kensington, Brooklyn

COSMIC FUZZ ACID WESTERN, BLUEGRASS, AND PSYCHEDELIC COUNTRY: MUSIC CONCERTS ON PORCHES

From Operation Gig!

 

Freaky Wilderness
Friday Jul 26 6-8pm
284 e16th St

Cosmic Fuzz Acid Western Soundtracks by Ditmas Park dad and rocker Michael Guggino. With Christian Rutledge on drums and special appearance by Steven Taylor of the Fugs.

 

The Melody Allegra Band
Sat Jul 27 4-6pm
1415 Dorchester Rd

Melody Allegra is one of the finest Bluegrass fiddlers and singers in the city and we welcome her and her ace band back to "the porch".

 

Quartz Casino
Sunday Jul 28 4-6pm
121 Marlborough Rd

Take a little recreational trip with the psychedelic country of Quartz Casino!

 

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These outdoor concerts are sometimes canceled because of poor weather conditions. Before you go, check the Operation Gig! website to see if a concert has been canceled.

 

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.

 

FREE SUMMER ACTIVITIES IN ALBEMARLE PLAYGROUND

 

Summer Activities in Albemarle Playground

Tuesdays and Thursdays

July 23rd through August 22nd

10:00 a.m. to noon

 

Free summer activities for all ages in Albemarle Playground:

• 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.: basketball/soccer

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: playground games (relay races, hopscotch, hula hoops, jump rope, juggling, and more)

• 10:00 a.m. to noon: arts and crafts, science and engineering, math games, word games, free books, table games, gardening

• 11:30 a.m. to noon: storytelling circle with Ms. Jill

 

Location

Albemarle Playground

McDonald Avenue

near Albemarle Road, behind P.S. 230 Lower School

Kensington, Brooklyn

 

CLEAN UP KENSINGTON IN JULY, AUGUST, AND SEPTEMBER

Clean Up Kensington

Saturday, July 27th,10:30 a.m.

Tuesday, August 6th, 7:00 p.m. [canceled because of weather conditions]

Tuesday, August 13th, 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 20th, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 8th, 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, September 22nd, 10:00 a.m.

Clean Up Kensington will host six neighborhood cleanup events for the remainder of July and in August and September.

 

Lend a hand in picking up litter and sweeping the streets. All cleanup supplies, such as gloves, trash bags, trash pickers, brooms, rakes, and dustpans, will be provided.

Clean Up Kensington is a volunteer-driven community group that invites everyone to work together to clear away litter and care for street trees in Kensington.

 

Saturday, July 27th: Meet up with neighbors at 10:30 a.m. at Ocean Parkway and Ditmas Avenue. The route ends with refreshments at Newkirk Community Garden.

Tuesday, August 6th: Meet at 7:00 p.m. at Church Avenue and E. 8th Street. The route starts at Lofty Pigeon Books and ends at Hinterlands Bar. [canceled]

Tuesday, August 13th: Meet at 7:00 p.m. at Ocean Parkway and Avenue C.

Tuesday, August 20th: Meet at 7:00 p.m. at Church Avenue and E. 8th Street. The route starts at Lofty Pigeon Books and ends at Hinterlands Bar.

Sunday, September 8th: Meet at 10:00 a.m. at Coney Island Avenue and Hinckley Place. The route starts at P.S. 889 and ends at Der Pioneer.

Sunday, September 22nd: Meet at Beverley Road and Church Avenue. This second annual tree care event with Big Reuse will start and end at Kensington Plaza.

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Clean Up Kensington

e-mail: cleanupkensington@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanupkensington/?hl=en

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cleanupkensington

FREE BABY MUSIC CLASS

Free Baby Music Class

Saturday, July 20th

8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

 

A free music gathering for babies and children up to age seven, courtesy of the Joanne Riel's Flying Teapot, on Saturday, July 20th, at 8:30 a.m. Bring a blanket to sit on.

 

Location

East Fourth Street Community Garden

171 E. 4th Street

between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

https://eastfourthstreetgarden.tumblr.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/246036418909475

  
 

THREE MUSIC CONCERTS ON PORCHES THIS WEEKEND

From Operation Gig!

 

 

Anjali Rose
Friday Jul 19 6-8pm
498 Rugby Rd

Anjali Rose's beautiful sound is all at once classic, beautiful, new and challenging. She and her band are a great example of the up and coming musical talent that live right here among us in Ditmas.

 

Cat Toren Quartet
Saturday July 20th 4-6pm
330 Westminster Rd

Cat Toren (piano) leads a dynamic jazz quartet performing modern original music and jazz standards.

 

 

Minnie Jordan
Sunday July 21 4-6pm
131 Buckingham Rd

Minnie Jordan is a violinist and composer who combines contemporary jazz with Texas country roots, and mixes traditional influences and classical training into the magic melting pot of modern improvisation. She dives deep into stylistic authenticity in all the genres she is passionate about, while allowing her myriad influences to inspire brand-new sounds.

 

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These outdoor concerts are sometimes canceled because of poor weather conditions. Before you go, check the Operation Gig! website to see if a concert has been canceled.

 

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.

 

 

KENSINGTON COMMUNITY GARDEN CLEAN-UP

Kensington Community Garden Clean-up 

Saturday, July 20th and Sunday, July 21st

9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

From Frankie Iozzio, an ISA-certified arborist:

Hello all, & thank you for your interest in the Kensington Community Garden Clean-up!

We will be hosting a community volunteer day at 487 Ocean Parkway on Sat 7/20 & Sun 7/21 from 9am - 2pm. 

We hope you can join us! You can RSVP here :)

Come stop by to:

• tame some mugwort, 

• sort through debris,

• attempt & fail to uproot some bamboo, or 

if none of that sounds appealing, just stop by to say 'hi!' & see the space for yourself & help us imagine future offerings/programs! If you can't make it this time, don't worry, there will be more events to come! 

While it might not be much to look at right now, the space is a blank canvas in a time when creative solutions are our best strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change; so much the better if these strategies are community driven, and all the better if like-minded individuals & organizations join together in recognition of the power these marginalized spaces hold for reversing environmental & social inequalities. 

Through our joint efforts, we can recreate a model of community activism that seeks to educate, advocate, and mitigate the negative consequences of climate change in our urban setting as well as strengthen the network of activists that promise to carry on the continued care of our environment & our city for future generations. 

We will provide sunblock, bugspray, & refreshments, you just need to bring yourself and comfortable working shoes! If you have a favorite pair of gloves, bring ‘em!

Feel free to reach out with any questions, & looking forward to working together!

Best,

  –frankie Iozzio

718-208-0749 friozzio@gmail.com

 

Keep informed about activities and program on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kensingtongardensbklyn/).

 

Location

487 Ocean Parkway

between Cortelyou Road and Ditmas Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

 

COUNTRY, JAZZ, RAGTIME, AND BLUES: LIVE MUSIC ON PORCHES THIS WEEKEND

From Operation Gig!

 

Olivia Ellen Lloyd & Christian Apuzzo
Friday July 12 6:00-8:00 PM
444 E 17th St, Brooklyn

Classic country music duets with two bright lights of the NYC country music scene, Olivia Ellen Lloyd and Christian Apuzzo. With Kells Nollenberger on bass and Andrea Asprelli on fiddle!

 

The Jay Sawyer Quartet
Saturday Jul 13 4:00-6:00 PM
460 E 18th St, Brooklyn

Drummer Jay Sawyer has shared the stage with artists including Freddy Cole, John McNeil, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Donny McCaslin, Benito Gonzalez, and Shai Maestro among others. He'll be playing his own compositions along with some favorite jazz standards by artists including Wayne Shorter, Billy Strayhorn and Cole Porter.

Miss Maybell
Sunday Jul 14 4:00-6:00 PM
131 Buckingham Rd Brooklyn

Miss Maybell & Charlie Judkins play a large repertoire of early Jazz, Ragtime and Blues from the 1890’s - 1920’s. They source their tunes from dusty old 78 records and antique sheet music, trying to give new life to songs created over 100 years ago! With this unique sound and dedication they were recently featured on The NPR Show “Person, Place, Thing” with Randy Cohen. They have played and sold out residencies at the legendary Birdland Theater. They also have played on festival bills throughout the country and abroad. In Europe, they recently headlined ‘Sevilla Swing’ in Seville, Spain and they sold out a week of shows at Marian's Jazz Room in Bern, Switzerland.

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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.

 

MINUTES OF THE ALBEMARLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION JUNE MEETING

Minutes of the Albemarle Neighborhood Association June meeting:

Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA)
Minutes of the June 27, 2024 meeting

Alex, from Councilwoman Shahana Hanif’s office reported on developments on recent budgetary issues. The Mayor and the New York City Council are still negotiating the overall budget which is  due at the end of every June. Mayor Adams has proposed cuts and there has been a fight for restoration from cuts in the budget. Budget issues involve what is prioritized and what is not.

There will likely be a handshake deal between the Council Speaker and Mayor Eric Adams.

Funding achievements

Libraries will be fully funded to provide 7 day library services. This restoration of funds was accomplished through community pressure.

Cuts of concern include the following:
- There are cuts in Early Childhood Education from the proposed $170 million to $96 million. These cuts will affect childcare for immigrants and universal 3 PreK classes.

- Programmatic cuts for K-12 schools will affect individual school budgets. A number of schools will get decreased funding,

- CUNY will receive $94 million in proposed cuts

Assemblymember Bob Carroll gave an update on Albany Budget issues these past few months.

- N.Y. State passed a budget 3 months ago.

- Stopped closing of SUNY Downstate

- Passed Literacy bill for K-3

- Addressed housing crises, stipulating that market rate tenants cannot be easily evicted. New affordable rental units will be created.

- scrapped congestion pricing

-passed Sammy’s law. Certain streets will have 15-20 mph limits near schools and hospitals

-Illegal cannabis shops will be closed by the NYPD- unfortunately, no were new initiatives for the homeless.

Neighborhood remarks

- Improvements noted in opening of Met Fresh supermarket ( no more graffiti)

- New hardware store

- Anticipated opening of Advent Healthcare services.

Other neighborhood concerns

- There are currently four thousand homeless people on the streets, many with drug and mental health issues.

- Double parking . A proposal was made at the ANA meeting to distribute leaflets on double parked cars requesting phone numbers in case of emergency when cars should be moved to allow blocked cars access to get out of their parking space.

- Litter throughout the neighborhood is a problem, as well as the sighting of rats.

- Traffic safety is a challenge. Can Sanitation and the NYPD be alerted ?

Next ANA meeting to possibly be held in person at the Flatbush Jewish Center in the Fall. A date will be announced

Respectfully submitted by

Jannette Katz-Gomori

Secretary

 

THIS WEEKEND'S MUSIC CONCERTS ON PORCHES

From Operation Gig!

 

The Allison Philips Trio
Sat Jul 6 4:00-6:00 PM
104 Buckingham Rd Brooklyn

The Allison Philips Trio lead by trumpet player/improvisor Allison Philips plays original music with influences from the contemporary jazz and folk idioms, drawing heavily on the tradition of strong melodies and adventurous improvisation.

Allison Philips Trumpet, Jeong Lim Yang bass and Connor Parks drums.

 

The Great Long Meadow Fire play Operation Gig

Sun Jul 7 4:00-6:00 PM
318 Westminster Rd Brooklyn

The Great Long Meadow Fire, founded by trombonist and Ditmas Park resident Dan Lehner, is a six-piece brass band that combines gothic Americana, gospel blues, New Orleans jazz, swampy rock n’ roll and a touch of wistful Western to create a dark and danceable sound.

 

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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.

 

 

FREE PERSONAL FINANCE WORKSHOP: "DISCUSSING STOCKS"

 

Personal Finance Workshops 

Thursday, July 11th and 18th

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 16th and 23rd

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 

Come take charge of your personal finances and learn about investing in stocks with The Kensington Stewards. This is a two-part workshop. All are welcome.

 

Attend a free two-part personal finance workshop on "Discussing Stocks" at the Kensington Library on July 11th and 18th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the Windsor Terrace Library on July 16th and 23rd, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 

The workshops will be presented by Peter Gomori, retired St. Francis College professor, with The Kensington Stewards.

 

Location

Kensington Library

4207 18th Avenue

between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets

Kensington, Brooklyn

(718) 436-0545

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/kensington 

 

Windsor Terrace Library

160 E. 5th Street

between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

phone: (718) 686-9707

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/windsor-terrace