NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING ABOUT CRIME

Monday, April 19th, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
DNA and WKAG Neighborhood Meeting

This is posted on behalf of two other neighborhood organizations.

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Hi-
As you know, a woman was beaten and robbed in broad daylight a few weeks ago on Dahill Road. Yesterday, there was a murder at an illegal Single Room Occupancy (SRO) home on Dahill Road. SROs have become a real problem in our neighborhood, resulting in overcrowding of transient folks and fire hazards and destroying the essence of our "family" neighborhood.

Please come to our meeting to discuss how we can save our neighborhood!

Dahill Neighborhood Association (DNA)
and
West Kensington Action Group (WKAG)

Invite you to a neighborhood meeting
to discuss local issues and concerns.

Topics to be explored:

• What we can do to help prevent crime in our neighborhood.
• Local zoning changes and how they will affect us.
• Getting more green space in our neighborhood.
• Other issues concerning our immediate area.

The meeting will be held at P.S. 230, in the auditorium (1 Albemarle Road, between McDonald Avenue and Dahill Road).

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

THE HIRING INCENTIVES TO RESTORE EMPLOYMENT (HIRE) ACT

The Hiring Incentives to
Restore Employment (HIRE) Act

Do you want to hire staff? Are you waiting for the economy to improve? Stop waiting. There are new tax breaks for employers who hire unemployed workers.

HIRE
Congress just passed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment, or HIRE Act, to help businesses begin hiring again. Businesses who want [to] hire staff need to:

• hire people who have been unemployed for at least 60 days
• hire new workers between February 3, 2010 and January 1, 2011
• receive a 6.2 percent payroll tax cut (or their share of Social Security taxes) on wages paid between March 18, 2010 and December 31, 2010

The earlier a business hires, the more money they save.
Want a larger tax cut? the sooner you hire, the more you save. For example, if you hire a worker paid $60,000 in March, it will save your business $3,000 in taxes. The longer the person is on your payroll, the greater the savings. For each worker you retain for at least a year, your business may claim an additional general business tax credit of up to $1,000 per worker on your 2011 tax return.

This credit helps businesses get the skilled workers they need and puts people back to work, helping the nation’s economic recovery.

Who qualifies?

• Businesses, agricultural employers, tax-exempt organizations, public colleges and universities
• Hires for new positions, or people who fill an existing position vacated by a worker who left voluntarily or for cause.

Family members and other relatives DO NOT qualify. Household employers CANNOT claim this new tax benefit.

Are there other requirements?
You need to keep on file a signed affidavit from each new hire. The affidavit is their statement that they have been out of work for 60 days and have not worked more than 40 hours during that time. It is an IRS Form. Look for it on our home page: www.labor.ny.gov

How do I apply for the credits?
Businesses will claim the payroll tax on their quarterly federal employment tax filing with the IRS. Eligible businesses can claim the new tax incentive on their revised employment tax form for the second quarter of 2010. The IRS will post revised forms and further details on these tax provisions on their web site (www.irs.gov) shortly.

For more information, contact your local One-Stop Career Center to speak with a Business Services Representative.

PROTECT all Workers
ASSIST the Unemployed
CONNECT Employers and Workers

P486 (4/10) The New York State Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
www.labor.ny.gov

DAHILL ROAD DEATH

A man in his 30s was found dead yesterday inside an apartment on Dahill Road, between Albemarle Road and Church Avenue. His head showed signs of severe blunt force trauma.

ADOPT-A-TREE

Many of you have probably noticed the beautiful daffodils popping up along Church Avenue. We thank all of the volunteers who came out on Daffodil Day last October to plant them. Now these flowers and the trees that they're planted next to need your help to thrive.

Please consider adopting one (or more!) of the twenty trees on Church Avenue between Ocean Parkway and 36th Street. Adopting a tree is easy. Just send us an e-mail (karmabrooklyn@gmail.com) expressing interest, and we'll send you a tree pit care guide to get you started.

Taking care of your tree should only take about ten hours per year. KARMA will hang a laminated sign on your tree that reminds people to curb their dogs. The sign will list you as the tree's guardian. You can choose the name or organization's name to put on the sign.

Parents! This is a great way to instill civic responsibility in your young ones. It's also a great opportunity to teach them about life cycles and plants. If you participate in the Adopt-A-Tree program, you can do so as a family and put more than one name on the sign.

Once all of the trees are adopted, KARMA plans to surround all of the trees on Church Avenue with tree pit guards.

If we keep our trees beautiful, it's likely that we'll be able to get more trees planted along Church Avenue and other Kensington streets!

LOWER YOUR TAXES--MAIL YOUR CENSUS FORM

If you fill out your 2010 census form and mail it back to the Census Bureau, it only costs the government the price of a 42-cent stamp. But if you don't, it costs about $57 for a census taker to visit you and ask you questions in person. Where does the money come from to pay the census takers? From taxes!

To get as many people as possible to mail the form back, the Census Bureau began mailing second copies of the form last week to about 40 million households in areas with below-average response rates in the 2000 census.

In areas with a mail response rate of 59% or less in 2000, second copies were mailed to every household--even those that have already returned their census form.

In areas with a mail response rate between 59% and 67% in 2000, second copies will only be sent to households that haven't returned their form yet.

The forms will arrive between April 6th and 10th. If you don't mail back your form by mid-April, a census taker will appear at your door!

Let's get counted and get our fair share of political representation and federal funds from now until the next census in 2020!

Please also see our other blog post about the census.

BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS

It isn't too late to fill out your 2010 census form and encourage your neighbors to fill it out. The Census Bureau will accept the form by mail through the middle of April. Starting on May 1st and continuing through July, census workers will be ringing the doorbells of households that didn't mail back their forms. Fill out your form and send it to the Census Bureau so they don't ring your doorbell!

54% of the nation’s households have mailed back their census forms. But participation by Kensington residents ranges from the low 30s to the high 40s. You can check the 2010 census website to see how much participation there has been so far in our neighborhood.

Census data determines how many representatives we will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, how much federal funding we're entitled to (out of the more than $400 billion available), and the extent of community services we'll be provided with, such as

• hospitals and other healthcare,
• job training centers,
• public schools, education programs, and daycare services,
• housing assistance for elderly, handicapped, and low-income homeowners,
• senior centers,
• transportation infrastructure (roads, bridges, tunnels, and other public works projects), and
• emergency services.

We ourselves can use census data to point out the need for community initiatives concerning environmental legislation, quality-of-life issues, and consumer advocacy.

The 2010 Census form only has 10 questions that only take about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide. Please participate, and please encourage others to participate!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG, AND IT'S YELLOW

The daffodils KARMA and WKAG (West Kensington Action Group) planted last October are in bloom! Enjoy them when you're shopping on Church Avenue.

BASMATI FAN MAIL

A resident of our neighborhood sent us this e-mail: "I love the Indian (Bangladeshi) restaurant, Basmati. They are extremely accommodating and will make up anything you want, wraps, special rice dishes. They now serve brown rice as well as wheat garlic naans."

Basmati serves Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi cuisine and offers several vegetarian dishes. The lunch special ($5.99), served from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., includes any three items from the hot food table (biryani items count as two).

Basmati's hours are listed at http://www.whereyoueat.com/Basmati-832.htm. Its three-page menu is further down on that page.

Basmati accepts all major credit cards.
Free delivery.
Catering available.

Basmati
221 Church Avenue, between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets
(718) 972-9111

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS FORMED WITHIN NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

Kensington's City Councilmember, Brad Lander, and Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito are the co-chairs of the new Progressive Caucus within the New York City Council. Brad's statement follows.

___________________________________

On the heels of the passage of historic health care legislation in Congress, I am pleased to report that yesterday eleven of my colleagues and I announced the formation of the Progressive Caucus of the New York City Council. The Progressive Caucus will push for a more just, more equal city that offers genuine opportunity to all New Yorkers.

I am honored to be serving as co-chair of the Caucus, along with Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito (Manhattan/Bronx). Other members of the Caucus include Annabel Palma from the Bronx; Letitia James and Jumaane Williams from Brooklyn; Margaret Chin, Rosie Mendez, and Ydanis Rodriguez from Manhattan; Danny Dromm, Julissa Ferreras, and Jimmy Van Bramer from Queens; and Debi Rose from Staten Island.

Check out our OpEd at TheNation.com on why we are creating the Progressive Caucus here, and The New York Times article about the Caucus here. In our TheNation.com OpEd, we write:

The divide between Wall Street and the rest of New York predates the economic downturn. While the economy was booming … the Bloomberg administration's economic development policy focused on real estate development, subsidizing mega-deals to create luxury housing for the wealthiest and retail malls with mostly low-wage jobs.

Today, as we struggle with continued foreclosures, an anemic economy and the large deficits facing the city and state, we hear constant calls for fiscal austerity--to balance the budget on the backs of those most in need, slashing child care and senior centers, laying off teachers and pushing families into homelessness by eliminating subsidies.

We disagree. We believe that New Yorkers want a more just, more equal city. We believe that as we work our way out of this crisis, New York City can and must plan a recovery that looks to narrow the growing economic divide.

The Progressive Caucus is already getting right to work, focusing on several key issues facing the city, including:

Pushing for passage of the Paid Sick Days Bill: This legislation, which is being introduced in the City Council today, would cover the more than 1 million working New Yorkers who don't currently receive a single paid sick day from their employers. Right now, too many working families are forced to choose between their health and their livelihood - a choice no one should have to make. It also puts the public's health at risk when restaurant and service workers are forced to come to work when they are sick.

We need standards that reflect the realities of working families in New York, and this bill offers a modest solution: it would grant at least 5 annual paid days off to all employees (9 for larger businesses), when either they or a family members is sick. And whether someone works at a restaurant, retail store, day care center or office, they would be able to earn and use these days when necessary, so they won't be penalized on the rare occasions they need to stay home to get healthy.

Addressing the Section 8 Voucher Crisis: Late last year, as the result of the Bloomberg Administration issuing more Section 8 housing vouchers than they had resources for, thousands of families were told that their new vouchers had been revoked. Many of these formerly homeless families had already begun the process of moving to new homes, and suddenly found themselves at risk of homelessness again. In addition, the New York City Housing Authority has recently indicated that the crisis could grow, potentially placing thousands of families at risk.

The Progressive Caucus is taking a stand for these families - working with affordable housing groups, legal services lawyers, and Speaker Christine Quinn - to develop creative solutions and insist that the City step up to address the looming crisis.

These are just a couple of the issues that the Progressive Caucus plans to start working on. We'll also be grappling with how to address the large budget deficits facing city and state - without balancing the budget on the backs of those most in need - and making sure that our economic development policy is focused on creating quality jobs for those who need them most.

Our goal over the next several years is to take a stand to combat inequality head-on, building on what other cities have done, to help create a new economy that offers good jobs, thriving communities, and a healthy environment for all. And we'll do it by involving New Yorkers across lines of race, class, and neighborhood in conversation and action about the direction of our city.

We hope you'll join us.

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS PANEL: FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS

Wednesday, March 31, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Free Workshop:
Successful Women Entrepreneurs Panel
for Small Business Owners and Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Celebrate Women’s History Month by networking with and hearing from a diverse group of women business owners and professionals who will discuss their extensive business experiences and life lessons.

Introduction: Pravina Raghavan, District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration

Moderator: Michele Smith, Associate at Exec|Comm Communications consultant and former entrepreneur

Panelists:

• Vera Moore, President & CEO of Vera Moore Cosmetics, will share her experience in getting this successful line distributed in Duane Reade stores.
• Veronica Rose, President, Aurora Electric, a veteran entrepreneur, will share her experiences about government contracting.
  
• Elisa Balabram, author of Ask Others, Trust Yourself: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Key to Success, will talk about her book and about women asking for advice.
  

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow
25 Thornton Street, Brooklyn
(between Flushing Avenue and Broadway)

G train to Flushing Avenue station
or
M/J trains to Broadway and Flushing Avenue station

Registration is required, as seating is limited.
Call (718) 797.0187 or e-mail .

The New York State Small Business Development Center (NYS/SBDC) program is a free program supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA’s funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

New York State Small Business Development Center http://www.nyssbdc.org
U.S. Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov

ATTENTION, CONEY ISLAND AVENUE SHOPPERS!

Do you use Coney Island Avenue, between Parkside Avenue and Cortelyou Road, for shopping or other purposes? If you do, please fill out the short online survey. The Pratt Center for Community Development wants to know how Coney Island Avenue and its businesses can better serve the needs of people in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Thank you!

BUSINESS WORKSHOP: THE LOAN PROCESS FOR SECURING BUSINESS FINANCING

Wednesday, March 31st, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Free Workshop:
The Loan Process for Securing Business Financing

"THE BUSINESS OF BROOKLYN" ON BCAT

"Sector B: The Business of Brooklyn" is a weekly TV show that helps small business owners connect with tools and institutions that can assist them in marketing their companies, managing their employees, and dealing with problems that can arise while building or sustaining a business.

The program features studio interviews as well as videos shot on location throughout Brooklyn. Randy Peers, the host and the Executive Director of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, interviews respected business and government leaders on topics relevant to the Brooklyn business community and discusses the many resources available to support businesses and entrepreneurs.

The show airs on cable's BCAT TV Network (Brooklyn Community Access Television). You can watch it on Time Warner Cable channel 56, Cablevision channel 69, RCN channel 84, and Verizon channel 44. New episodes are shown on the third Tuesday of each month at 9:30 p.m. They are repeated on Tuesday and Friday at 1:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Episodes are also viewable online. Click on the "Sector B: The Business of Brooklyn" link on the left-hand side of the page.

A video highlighting the struggles of immigrant-owned small businesses in South Brooklyn is viewable here.

The Business of Brooklyn has a page on Facebook that "supports the content presented on the TV show Sector B: The Business of Brooklyn on Brooklyn Independent Television, and also provides additional resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the borough."

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

A NEW PLAN FOR OUR CITY

KARMA received this e-mail from New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. The portions of it that aren't relevant to Kensington have been omitted.

March 2, 2010

Dear New Yorker,

This past month, during my State of the City address, I laid out a new plan to help strengthen our economy, create more jobs and get us moving on the path to full recovery.

Included in this plan are a number of practical steps to help small business owners across the five boroughs. Specifically, our proposals will:

* Improve the City's inspection process - New York City has thousands of rules and regulations for small businesses that protect public safety and the rights of consumers. But one of the biggest problems we hear from small business owners is that these rules are enforced in a way that's unfair and inconsistent. That's why we're taking steps today to make the inspection process fairer for business owners. First, we'll educate businesses about their responsibilities. Second, we'll improve the way we train inspectors, putting a new level of focus on consistent enforcement. Finally, we'll introduce new legislation sponsored by Council Member Karen Koslowitz creating a Business Owner's Bill of Rights. This bill of rights will list the rules that inspectors have to follow and the steps that business owners can take if they feel they've been treated unfairly.

* Help small businesses get the loans that they need - Small businesses owners who've been turned down for loans will now get a second chance through our "Second Look" Program. Created in partnership with the New York Bankers Association, this new program will give business owners a second shot at securing the financing that they need. We'll also convene a summit with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce where participants from banking and small business can work to develop and propose ways to get credit flowing to small

* Provide training and support to minority- and women-owned businesses - This year we'll partner with the City's Small Business Commissioner, Robert Walsh, to launch a new executive management program for minority- and women-owned businesses. Individuals participating in this program will receive training and support in a number of critical areas to help them to successfully grow their business. This same program has already shown great results in Massachusetts, where three out of four participants increased their sales and were able to hire new employees.

* Provide tax relief for mom-and-pop retail stores - Last year we created a new tax credit to eliminate the double taxation on small unincorporated businesses and freelancers. This year we'll extend that same kind of relief to another group that's currently struggling - small mom and pop retailers. Together with Council Members Joel Rivera and Inez Dickens, we'll work with Albany to create a new tax credit exempting mom and pop stores from the City's corporate tax. About 19,000 small retailers will be eligible, saving them up to $3,400 a year.

If we're going to come out of this recession stronger than we were before, we need to continue doing everything that we can to help support the home-grown businesses that are so vital to our City's recovery. With this new plan we can help small businesses grow, create new jobs and set the stage for our long-term growth and recovery.

If you'd like to watch my speech online and share any comments or questions you have about these proposals, please click on the following link: http://council.nyc.gov/html/soc/main.shtml.

Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
New York City Council

CONNIE'S CAFE'S MENU

Check out the menu for Connie's Cafe, posted by Liena tonight on her Kensington Prospect blog. Connie's Cafe is owned and operated by Connie Lambropoulos, who was raised right here in Kensington.

Connie's Cafe
424 Church Avenue, at the corner of E. 5th Street
Open every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Free delivery, no minimum
(718) 633-3557

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

WORKSHOP: DIAGNOSING THE HEALTH OF YOUR BUSINESS

Wednesday, March 24th, and Thursday, March 25th,
8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Workshop: Diagnosing the Health of Your Business

Understanding your business's financial statements is crucial to improving your business operations. Knowing where to look for financial leaks and then monitoring them allows you to make shifts that will make your business more efficient and profitable.

Brendan Guastella will lead this free workshop. He is the owner of Soundview Business Consulting, a Brooklyn-based firm specializing in assisting entrepreneurs, start-ups, and other small businesses in the New York metropolitan area.

Part 1 will be held on Wednesday and Part 2 on Thursday at Capital One Bank, 356 Fulton Street, Brooklyn.

To make a reservation, call (718) 368-6790 or register on the Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation's website.

More information about the Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) is available at www.bedc.org.

HAITI FUND RAISER AT NAMASTE YOGA TOMORROW

Saturday. February 27th, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Chi Kung Workshop--A Fund Raiser for the Haiti Relief Fund

To raise money for the Haiti Relief Fund, Namaste Yoga of Kensington will offer a special Chi Kung (Qigong) workshop tomorrow. Teri Gorbea will lead the workshop. This is an introductory class for beginners, but people at all levels are welcome to attend.

• Learn special self-massages to wake up the inner chi and help alleviate blockages within, allowing energy to flow freely.
• Feel the Three Powers of Chi Kung: breath, movement, and mental concentration. Experience breathing techniques to revitalize your internal system.
• Do movements that will strengthen your internal system and work your muscles.
• Meditate to free your mind, body, and spirit of stagnant energy.

A portion of the $25.00 fee will be donated to the Haiti Relief Fund. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Call Namaste Yoga now to reserve a spot!

Namaste Yoga of Kensington
482 Coney Island Avenue, 2nd floor
(347) 533-6226 or 6227
http://www.mynamasteyoga.com
email: info@mynamasteyoga.com

The main entrance to the studio is on Church Avenue. Walk up the red staircase with the red door that's behind the corner pizzeria and next to the car wash service center.

CONNIE'S CAFE WEBSITE

It's a cafe! It's a restaurant! It's a diner! It's Connie's Cafe, where you're welcome to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Connie's website should be up and running soon.

Please see our other posts about Connie's Cafe at
http://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2009/07/connies-cafe-new-business.html,
http://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2009/07/platters-at-connies-cafe.html, and
http://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanks-for-your-community-spirit.html.

And try Connie's new sweet potato fries!

Connie's Cafe
424 Church Avenue, at the corner of E. 5th Street
Open every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Free delivery, no minimum
(718) 633-3557

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

"PUP" CRAWL TO BENEFIT SEAN CASEY ANIMAL RESCUE

Saturday, February 20th, 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Smith St. "Pup" Crawl

The Smith St. "Pup" Crawl won't be taking place in our neighborhood, but it'll benefit neighborhood hero Sean Casey's animal rescue.

For $20.00, you can buy a bracelet that will get you drink specials at these participating bars: Angry Wade's, Zombie Hut, Camp, Bar Great Harry, and Ceol. Buy the bracelet at Camp, 179 Smith St., between Warren and Wyckoff streets, starting at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

All proceeds will go to Sean's animal shelter.

To RSVP--or if you have any questions--please e-mail Jessica at jessmeyer216@yahoo.com.

The Sean Casey Animal Rescue
153 E. 3rd Street (between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue)
Phone: (718) 436-5163
http://scarnyc.org

On Sean's page on Petfinder, you can see photos and read about some of the animals available for adoption.

Sean Casey Animal Rescue on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22sean+casey+animal+rescue%22&search_type=&aq=f

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

NEW MENU ITEMS AT MARIA'S PIZZERIA

To coincide with the start of the Lenten season, three shellfish entrees have been added to the menu at Maria's Pizzeria: linguine in clam sauce, shrimp scampi, and shrimp marinara. For shellfish lovers in the neighborhood, Darren will continue to offer them after the end of Lent.

Also new to the menu are slices of cake: chocolate mousse cake, carrot cake, New York cheesecake, cheesecake with a brownie crust, and Mississippi mud pie. A slice costs $3.50. Your KARMA blogger is enjoying a slice of chocolate mousse cake while typing.

Maria's Pizzeria runs specials on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

• "Monday Madness": an extra large cheese pie (pick-up or dine-in only; toppings extra) for $10.00, a saving of $4.00.
• "Turnover Tuesday": two extra large cheese pies, twelve garlic knots, and a garden salad for $28.00, a saving of $8.50.
• "Wacky Wednesday": all heroes (except shrimp parmigiana and veal cutlet with peppers and onions) for $5.00, a saving of $1.50 to $2.50.

Please see our other post about Maria's Pizzeria at http://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2009/09/welcome-marias-pizzeria.html.

Maria's Pizzeria
3007 Fort Hamilton Parkway, between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets
(718) 854-7575

winter hours:
Monday-Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

WHAT IS KARMABrooklyn?

It's been almost a year since the Kensington Area Resident/Merchant Alliance was formed, and we'd like to tell you more about what we are and what we've done.

KARMA is a group of local small business owners and local residents. We want to help small businesses in our neighborhood stay in business and improve the Kensington area shopping district and your shopping experience. This includes working on beautification and safety issues.

Our "official" boundaries are Church Avenue from 36th Street to Coney Island Avenue and McDonald Avenue from Caton Avenue to Ditmas Avenue--but we sometimes go a bit beyond those boundaries.

When we began meeting last April, we surveyed business owners to find out what their common needs and concerns are. They told us that they aren’t getting enough customers, their rent is headed toward being unaffordable, and the appearance of our streets and sidewalks needs to be improved.

In June, we began holding community meetings, which are open to business owners and residents.

Also in June, we started the KARMABrooklyn Blog and the Kensington Area Community Calendar. We write about local small businesses, post announcements about programs, events, assistance, and legislation that can help them, and post events on the calendar that are of interest to local residents.

We created a two-page color brochure about KARMA.

We collected data for a Shop Local brochure, which will serve as a descriptive guide to our neighborhood’s retail stores, restaurants, and services.

KARMA helped the West Kensington Action Group (WKAG) organize a party to celebrate the opening of a triangular park in the middle of Church Avenue at 35th Street. The celebration featured local musicians, a storyteller, a troupe of young dancers, games for children, and refreshments. WKAG was the driving force behind the creation of a Greenstreets park in an area that was being used as a parking lot for buses waiting to begin their routes.

We sponsored “Daffodil Day,” a day for local residents to beautify the tree pits on our main shopping streets by planting daffodil bulbs, and made arrangements with Connie, the owner of Connie's Cafe, to provide coffee and muffins to participants.

We compiled a list of empty tree pits where trees can be planted and submitted it to the Department of Parks & Recreation through our New York City Councilmember’s office.

We lined up local merchants to donate items to a raffle held by the Albemarle Neighborhood Association.

We designed a flier for a sale being held by a local merchant and helped publicize it.

To help a local restaurant owner obtain a beer and wine license, we created a petition for residents to sign.

We speak up at Community Board 12 meetings.

We speak up at the 66th police precinct's community meetings.

We encourage people who write for the local print and online media to provide much-needed coverage for Kensington.

We formed relationships with the elected officials who represent our neighborhood.

We are working in support of New York City's proposed Small Business Survival Act. The bill would create a program that establishes a fair environment for negotiations between small business owners and their landlords during the commercial lease renewal process, with the goal of determining lease terms that are reasonable.

There's more to do, of course, and we hope that business owners and residents will continue to join KARMA and work together to make Kensington an even better place.

Our blog is located at http://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com.

We welcome your comments at karmabrooklyn @ gmail.com.

BRANCACCIO'S FOOD SHOP ON FACEBOOK

Brancaccio's Food Shop has a page on Facebook. See a sample menu--and become a fan!

Joe has also started a blog. There isn't much on it yet, but there will be, so keep checking!

Brancaccio's Food Shop
3011 Fort Hamilton Parkway
between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets
info@BrancacciosFoodShop.com (e-mail checked nightly)
(718) 435-1997
http://brancacciosfoodshop.blogspot.com

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

A MOTHER'S REVIEW OF THE OAK AND THE IRIS CAFE

The Oak and The Iris Cafe has made a mother and her baby very happy. Mom is a blogger and has reviewed the cafe on her blog, Brooklyn Baby Momma.

The Oak and The Iris Cafe
2826 Fort Hamilton Parkway (corner of E. 4th Street)
(718) 208-7713

menu: http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/the-oak-the-iris/menu

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

BRANCACCIO'S FOOD SHOP RECOMMENDATIONS

Your KARMABrooklyn blogger has now happily eaten the delicious dishes prepared at Brancaccio's Food Shop that are listed below--including the ones on my kitchen table in the photo above--and enthusiastically recommends every single one of them:

• poached salmon with pistachio crust (twice!)
• pasta pomodoro (also for sale in the freezer case)
• butternut squash risotto
• fingerling potatoes and carrots
  
• roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic
• grilled mixed vegetables
• caponata (a Sicilian dish containing eggplant, red peppers, pine nuts, capers, raisins, and more)
• roasted brussels sprouts, and
• a chocolate croissant (made on the premises by Chef Joe Brancaccio).

See "Brancaccio's Food Shop Is an Immediate Hit" on this blog for more information and the store's hours.

Location

Brancaccio's Food Shop

3011 Fort Hamilton Parkway
between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets
info@BrancacciosFoodShop.com (e-mail checked nightly)
(718) 435-1997

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT

SMALL BUSINESSES!

THREE CHEERS FOR KABIR'S

Oh, the sweets! Kabir's Bakery carries a delicious assortment of goodies for breakfast, dessert, and midnight snacks. Just a few of them are

• cranberry and banana walnut muffins,
  
• cappuccino and blueberry yogurt muffins,
  
• chocolate and butter croissants,
  
• cherry cheese and apple fruit danish,
• raisin and cranberry scones,
  
• coffee and butter sprinkle cookies,
• and slices of black forest, mocha, and carrot cake.

From the Indian sub-continent come

• color burfee, made from condensed milk and sugar and flavored with nuts,
• hubshe halwa, rich and dark, made with nuts and cardomom,
• the heavenly golup jum, balls of fried dough in a flavored sugar syrup,
• and many more.
  

Kabir's also makes gorgeous layer cakes, themed sheet cakes for children's birthday parties, and inspired wedding cakes.

Enjoy your treats with a cup of coffee or tea at a table in the back or get them to go!

Kabir's Bakery
97 Church Avenue
between McDonald Avenue and Dahill Road
(718) 853-7907
http://www.kabirsbakery.com

Open daily, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

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