GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY EVENTS, JANUARY THROUGH MARCH

Inspired by Green-Wood: A Visit with Artist Saul Chernick

 Sunday, January 30th, 1:00 p.m.

Artist talk: Greenwood Heights artist Saul Chernick will talk about a panorama of Green-Wood Cemetery that he's created and other selected works of his. The panorama measures 4 inches high by 34 feet long.

Cost: free. (A $5 donation is suggested.) Space is limited. Make a reservation online or by calling (718) 768-7300.

Location: The Historic Chapel at Green-Wood.

The Valentine's Day That Changed America

Saturday, February 12th, 1:00 p.m.

Book talk: On Valentine's Day in 1884, Theodore Roosevelt's mother died of typhoid fever. Eleven hours later, his wife died of Bright’s disease. How he coped "would have a pivotal impact on his life, the country and the world." Join Patricia O’Toole, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of When Trumpets Call: Theodore Roosevelt After the White House, for a discussion.
Cost: free. Reserve online or call 718.768.7300. Space is limited.

Location: The Historic Chapel at Green-Wood.

Trolley tour: At 2:00 p.m., after the 1:00 p.m. book talk, Patricia O’Toole and Green-Wood historian Jeff Richman will lead a visit to the gravesites of Roosevelt's wife, mother, and other family members.

Cost: $10 for members of the Green-Wood Historic Fund / $20 for non-members. Reserve online or call 718.768.7300. Space is limited.

Meet inside the main entrance at 25th Street and 5th Avenue.

George Washington's America: A Biography through His Maps

Sunday, March 13th, 1:00 p.m.

Friend of Green-Wood and author Barnet Schecter will talk about Schecter's compendium of the maps George Washington both drew and purchased.
Book talk: free. Reserve online or call 718.768.7300. Space is limited.

Trolley tour: At 2:00 p.m., following the 1:00 pm book talk in Green-Wood’s Historic Chapel, author Barnet Schecter and Green-Wood historian Jeffrey Richman will lead a tour to Battle Hill, the site of George Washington’s first battle after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Cost: $10 for members of the Green-Wood Historic Fund / $20 for non-members. Reserve online or call 718.768.7300. Space is limited.
Meet inside the main entrance at 25th Street and 5th Avenue.

WINDSOR TERRACE LIBRARY CLOSING FOR FOUR WEEKS

The Windsor Terrace Library is going to be closed from Monday, February 21st, through Saturday, March 19th, while self-check machines and book return slots get installed. While it's closed, you might want to go to these other libraries:

• Borough Park Library
• Cortelyou Library
• Flatbush Library
• Kensington Library

The Windsor Terrace Library is located at 160 E. 5th Street at the corner of Fort Hamilton Parkway. Phone: (718) 686-9707.

WORKSHOP: REDUCING YOUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAXES

Workshop on reducing your commercial property taxes.

Wednesday, January 26th, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library,

Grand Army Plaza, 2nd Floor Meeting Room.

Seating is limited, and registration is required.

RSVP to  (718) 368-6790 or n_sampayo [at] bedc.org.

MISS KATIE'S SING-ALONGS

Miss Katie's two final sing-alongs at Terrace Dance Studio and Rory's Room are this week. She'll occasionally have a sing-along in the neighborhood in the future, but for now, she's focusing on offering music classes.

Wednesday (Tomorrow) 

9:00 a.m.

Terrace Dance Studio

273 Prospect Park West (at 17^th Street)

$7 ($3 for siblings)

Friday

4:30 p.m.

Rory's Room Playroom

3003 Fort Hamilton Parkway

(Use the side entrance on E. 3^rd Street between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue.)

$7 ($3 for siblings)

PETITION TO EXTEND B68 BUS SERVICE

A petition to the president of the MTA to temporarily extend B68 bus service to the 7th Avenue-9th Street F and G train station has been posted by New York City Councilmember Brad Lander. The route currently ends at at the 15th Street-Prospect Park F and G station at Bartel Pritchard Square.

The petition asks that service be extended while northbound service at the Fort Hamilton Parkway and 15th Street stations is suspended from January through May and southbound service is suspended from November through March.

NY1 covered the story with an article ("Brooklynites Ask For Bus Line Extension To Replace F, G Train Service") and a video.

SCHOOL DISTRICT 15 GROUP SPEAKS OUT ABOUT PROPOSAL FOR NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL

The president of Community Education Council for School District 15, a volunteer group made up largely of parents, isn't thrilled about the possible construction of a new public school on Caton Avenue by E. 7th Street, the New York Post reported today.

Please see our earlier blog post about the proposal and the public hearing that's scheduled for Wednesday, February 9th.

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES SUSPENDED TUESDAY

Alternate side of the street parking regulations are suspended for tomorrow, Tuesday, January 18, 2011. All other regulations, including those for parking meters, will be in effect.

HUGE DISCOUNT (50% OFF) AT BROOKLYN BANYA

Save 50% on a Full-day Pass or 59% on a Full-day Pass and a One-hour Massage at Brooklyn Banya. The pass is valid for six months, but you have to buy it within the next five days. Tax and tip are not included in the cost.

The discount is offered through Lifebooker Loot:

If you've got muscle pain, body stress, or just about any kind of unpleasant feeling from your head to your toes, what you really need is a day in an ancient-style Russian-Turkish bathhouse.

Picture yourself in 10,000 square feet of saunas, steam rooms infused with eucalyptus oils, baths, ice pools, and jacuzzis.

We're offering two packages at Brooklyn Banya: a Full Day Pass for just $15 (that's 50% off the regular $30) or a Full Day Pass plus a 1-Hour Massage for $59 (that's 53% off the regular $125).

Brooklyn Banya
602 Coney Island Avenue, between Beverley Road and Avenue C
http://brooklynbanya.com
(718) 853-1300

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to midnight, Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to midnight.

To comment on this post, click on the post's title. Underneath the post, click on "Post a Comment."

PETITION FOR ADDITIONAL BUS SERVICE WHILE SUBWAY STATIONS ARE CLOSED

City Councilmember Brad Lander has put together a petition to send to the MTA. The petition calls for additional bus service for commuters from January 17th through sometime in May when the 15th Street-Prospect and Fort Hamilton Parkway F and G subway stations will be closed.

If you have some time on Tuesday morning between 7:30 and 9, please join Councilmember Lander in a petition campaign at the 15th street station. The more pressure we put on the MTA, the better are the chances of getting additional bus service to the 7 avenue station during the viaduct repairs. All of the details are below.

1. Please encourage your neighbors to join Councilmember Lander and Gene Rushanoff at the Bartel Pritchard Square entrance to the 15th Street F/G station, the station entrance that is at the corner of Prospect Park SW & Bartel Pritchard. We'll be talking to everyone, but especially targeting transit riders who get off the B68 bus (at the stop on PPSW nearest the Prospect Park entrance, then cross PPSW to the subway entrance).

2. We plan to be there from 7:30 - 9 a.m. We will be doing a press release that encourages reporters to come at 8 a.m.

3. We will meet at Bartel Pritchard and fan out from there. Some of us will fan out to the south-bound platforms of both the 15th Street & Fort Hamilton Parkway Stations. We would like to have enough people to cover all of the stairways down to the stations, from the 5 entrances. We think petitioning on the platform makes the most sense, since (a) it will be cold outside and (b) easier to get people to sign once they've swiped.

If you have anyone who can join us, please have them contact me (Jessica Turner) by phone 646-450-3515 or (less preferred as I don’t have a blackberry!) email: jturner [at] council.nyc.gov

Thanks so much, hope to see you and have a good weekend,

Jessica -- Jessica Turner Community Liaison Office of Councilmember Brad Lander 39th Council District 456 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11215 718.499.1090 office 718.499.1997 faxjturner [at] council.nyc.gov

DANCE TEACHER ADVOCATES FOR ANIMALS

Cynthia King and her dance studio are featured in today's Daily News. Cynthia is known and admired for her dedication to dance, to children, and to animals as well as her boundless energy and her willingness to participate in community events.

Cynthia King Dance Studio
1256 Prospect Avenue, between Reeve Place and Greenwood Avenue

(718) 437-0101

http://cynthiakingdance.com

JOE BRANCACCIO COOKS A PASTA DISH

Watch as Joe Brancaccio, owner and chef of Brancaccio's Food Shop, whips up an easy-to-make, eye-pleasing, Sicilian pasta dish, Paccherri Pasta with Poppy Seeds, on GardenFork.TV. The recipe is posted on GardenFork's website.

Brancaccio's Food Shop
3011 Fort Hamilton Parkway, between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets
phone: (718) 435-1997
e-mail: info [at] brancacciosfoodshop.com

blog: http://brancacciosfoodshop.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-NY/BRANCACCIOs-FOOD-SHOP/274075687167?ref=ts&__a=21

NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS, JANUARY 16TH TO JANUARY 23RD

These events will take place in the neighborhood during January 16th to January 23rd:

Sunday, January 16th

• Workshop: Chi Kung for Health and Well-Being, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Namaste Yoga of Kensington, 482 Coney Island Avenue. $25.
• Reading, music, and dance: A Children's Celebration of Farm Animals. 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cynthia King Dance Studio, 1256 Prospect Avenue. Free.
• Volunteer opportunity: Sustainable Flatbush Volunteer Potluck Social and Town Hall. 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. All Souls Bethlehem Church, 566 East 7th Street. Free.
• Workshop: Queer Folks Organizing Against Gentrification. 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Kensington, near the Church Avenue F and G train station. Free.

Wednesday, January 19th

• Music: Trial Music Class for Children. 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (choose one). Terrace Dance Studio, 273 Prospect Park West. $20.
• Volunteer opportunity: Prospect Farm Winter Potluck. 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Church of the Holy Apostles, 622 Greenwood Avenue. $5.
• Public hearing: Snow Cleanup in Brooklyn. 6:00 p.m. until ?. Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street. Free.

Thursday, January 20th

• Movie: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Kensington Library, 410 Ditmas Avenue, between E. 4th and E. 5th streets. For adults. Free.

Saturday, January 22nd

• Workshop: How to Resolve Common Urban Wildlife Problems: Effective and Humane Solutions for NYC Residents. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Holy Name of Jesus Parish, 245 Prospect Park West. Free.

Sunday, January 23rd

• Workshop: Chi Kung for Health and Well-Being, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Namaste Yoga of Kensington, 482 Coney Island Avenue. $25.

SUBWAY VIBRATIONS IN WINDSOR TERRACE

The MTA should take advantage of the January through May closure of the 15th Street-Prospect Park and Fort Hamilton Parkway subway stations to squelch vibrations felt in homes on Fuller, Howard, and Windsor places and other streets in their vicinity, suggests Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn.  

Apparently a fairly easy track work fix could remedy the situation and since the 15th Street and Ft. Hamilton F train stations will be closed, locals are proposing that this gets fixed, while the tracks are empty of trains.

Makes a whole lot of sense to me. So far the MTA says no go, there are no plans to fix this problematic and vibrating track.

BEWARE OF DOG-WATCHING SCAM

Several neighbors have had a man, accompanied by a dog, come to their door claiming that he lives in the neighborhood, has locked himself out of his house (with his wallet in it), and needs someone to watch his dog so he can take a cab to Staten Island to get his house key from his sister---and he needs to borrow money from them for the cab. The man is familiar with the neighborhood and says that his children attend PS 230. One of the potential victims of the scam lives at Beverley Road and E. 3rd Street. If you get a visit from the man, report it to the police.

F AND G TRAIN UPDATE: B35 STOP ADDED AT CHURCH AND OP, POSSIBILITY OF B68 EXTENSION

City Councilmember Brad Lander is continuing to work on finding solutions to the problems that commuters in our area will encounter as a result of the scheduled route changes on the F and G trains.

Reminder: This weekend, you'll have to take a shuttle bus between Jay Street and Church Avenue (in both directions). From Monday, January 17th, through sometime in May, northbound F and G trains won't be stopping at Fort Hamilton Parkway and 15th Street-Prospect Park.

Earlier today, Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblymember Jim Brennan, and I met with officials from the MTA to urge them to put in place service alternatives during the F/G station closures at 15th Street and Ft Hamilton Parkway.

Unfortunately, we did not (yet) make too much progress … but we are going to keep pushing, and we could use your help.

MTA representatives (including Thomas Pendergast, President of New York City Transit) told us that they believe that "backriding" (i.e. taking the train south) to Church Avenue, and then switching to the northbound trains, will be the fastest option for F/G riders.

That may be true for some … but I strongly believe that extending service on existing bus routes would be quicker for many others who will be extremely inconvenienced by the station closures, and is the right thing for the MTA to do.

One great suggestion I have heard from many of you is to extend the B68 bus (which runs along Prospect Park Southwest and Coney Island Avenue) past its usual terminus at Bartel Pritchard Square (at the 15th St/PPSW Station), to 9th St and 8th Ave, where riders could pick up the F train. This would make for an easier commute into Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn for many in Windsor Terrace and Kensington. MTA officials agreed this morning to take another look at this idea.

I will continue to advocate and push for the B68 extension and other service alternatives in the coming days. We plan to do a petition (both online & hard copy), and to be out on Tuesday morning at the 15th Street and Ft. Hamilton stations gathering signatures. If you can join us to help petition, please email Jessica Turner at jturner [at] council.nyc.gov.

The MTA did agree to a few small modifications, including:

- Adding a stop on the B35 express (limited) bus at Church Avenue and Ocean Parkway, to make it a little easier to get to the Church Avenue station from the east
- Asking the NYC DOT to add bike parking at the Church Ave and 7th Ave stops
- Distributing more information on bus routes and schedules that connect these lines.

By themselves, though, these are not enough.

I know that this is an extremely frustrating situation for transit riders in Windsor Terrace and Kensington. The station closures are part of a project necessary to rehabilitate the aging F/G line. But the MTA can do better to provide some alternatives. I will continue to push, and hope you will join me.

Brad

"THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO THE SNOWSTORM FAILED IN MANY WAYS"

In a nine-page report submitted to Mayor Bloomberg by the Mayor's Office of Operations and the Mayor's Office of Citywide Emergency Communications, six problems are identified and an action plan is recommended. The six problems are

1. Decision not to declare a snow emergency
2. Insufficient accountability tools
3. Insufficient and delayed deployment of City assets
4. Failure to procure and preposition [pre-position] private resources
5. Insufficient internal and external communications
6. Problems with emergency communication and response

The action plan, if properly implemented, would avoid a repetition of the serious consequences of the city's failure to protect the safety and well-being of its residents.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS IN KENSINGTON AND WINDSOR TERRACE

For those of you who want to learn about--or relive--times gone by in your neighborhood, Kensington has Ron Lopez's Kensington Stories and Windsor Terrace has Steve ‘Red’ Finamore's Container Diaries: Memories of Windsor Terrace.

Ron writes "stories of what it was like growing up in Kensington and Windsor Terrace in a time long forgotten." Steve's blog is "dedicated to everyone who grew up in the Windsor Terrace section of Brooklyn. Spread the word, share your memories and reminisce about the greatest neighborhood in the country."

Read and enjoy.

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES SUSPENDED

Alternate side of the street parking regulations will be suspended citywide on Friday, January 14th, and Saturday, January 15th. Parking meter rules and all other regulations will be in effect on those days.

VIDEO ON THE CULVER VIADUCT CONTROVERSY

Changes to the F and G Trains Frustrate Commuters: Major changes are coming to the F train this month to make way for the rehabilitation of the Smith-Ninth Street station in Brooklyn. The project aims to make for a faster and safer commute, but the multiple station closures has some passengers a little rattled.
 

From Brooklyn Independent Television's Brooklyn Review, episode 233. ;Original air date: 1/10/2011. Videooriginally posted by BRIC Community Media, BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn (http://briccommunitymedia.wordpress.com).

UPDATE: PARKING AND METERS

Alternate side of the street parking regulations have been suspended for Thursday, January 13th, but parking meter rules will be in effect citywide.

SNOWSTORM UPDATE

11:10 a.m.: All MTA services are operating, although there are some service changes. Buses are operating at normal scheduled levels, with minor weather-related delays and detours. The uptown F, G, 2, and 5 trains are running with delays because of signal problems. All other trains and all buses are described by the MTA as having "Good Service." 

As of the morning commute, the paths leading to the Fort Hamilton Parkway F and G train station hadn't been cleared.

The police are asking homeowners and business owners to remove snow from their sidewalks as soon as possible so pedestrians won't end up walking in the street and risking injury. They say to beware of the snow icing and freezing, which can cause falls and skidding.

If you need your car removed or if you've seen a street that hasn't been plowed, call 311 or your police precinct to coordinate with the appropriate city agencies.

Local streets are shown during the snowfall in photos 9, 10, 11, 16 at http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/galleries/2011s_winter_wonderland_/2011s_winter_wonderland_.html.

Photo of snow on top of lots of garbage bags that are on top of snow: http://empire.wnyc.org/roundup/the-lede-cuomo-uses-the-mansion-bloomberg-clears-the-snow/snowjan12-222/. 

POSSIBLE NEW PRE-K TO 8TH GRADE PUBLIC SCHOOL

Lauren Elvers Collins, Chairperson of the Windsor Terrace Alliance, writes

The Dept. of Education has selected a site at 701 Caton Avenue (off E. 7th Street) as a potential new public school! The proposed school would serve 750 kids from Pre-K to 8th Grade. Note that this is the very beginning of the process - the school is not definite but it is very good news, nonetheless. Through the hard work of Community Board 7's Site Selection Committee, the Community Board submitted a list of possible sites for a school and this one was picked but still needs to be approved, designed, and go through the City Council, etc.

There will be a public hearing before the full Community Board 7 on this topic. The Board welcomes public testimony at the hearing and we encourage parents to attend and speak:

When: Wed. Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: International Baptist Church (312 Coney Island Avenue, use entrance on Caton Place)

If you need further information, contact Community Board 7 at (718) 854-0003. Please try to attend on Feb. 9!

The site, a tract of vacant land, is in East Windsor Terrace, an area "generally bounded by Ocean Parkway to the west, Coney Island Avenue to the east, Caton Place to the north and Caton Avenue to the south," as shown on a map on the Brownstoner Brooklyn website. It was last sold on March 23, 2006, for $6,554,475. The land was assessed in 2010 at $192,786.

WILL THE ROCKIN' ROBINS SING TODAY?

Will the Rockin' Robins sing today? It all depends on the weather.

If the Department of Education keeps public schools open, Miss Katie's Rockin' Robins will sing at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. If the schools are closed, the Robins won't sing. If classes are canceled, Miss Katie will have an extra make-up class at the end of the winter session.

In either case, the 9:00 a.m. sing-a-long is canceled.

EXPECT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO BE AFFECTED

1:30 .m.: Because a lot of snow is expected, service on the A, D, E, F, N, Q, 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains will run local on portions of their routes.

The MTA began storing trains underground last night (Tuesday), and other routes ended earlier than normal. All planned subway service changes have been cancelled through mid-day tomorrow.

Bus service is expected to be operating at its normal scheduled levels.

WORKSHOP: QUEER FOLKS ORGANIZING AGAINST GENTRIFICATION

Queer Folks Organizing Against Gentrification

Sunday, January 16th, 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Shift NYC, a collective of queer organizers engaged in anti-gentrification struggles throughout New York City, will offer an anti-gentrification workshop this Sunday, January 16th.

The workshop, developed for people who identify as gentrifiers, will outline the processes of gentrification in New York City, the intersections of queer identity and gentrification, and the struggles for community control against gentrification throughout the city.

Participants should be willing and interested in engaging in hard conversations, have some identification, though complex, as being a gentrifier, and be interested in taking action to fight gentrification.

Location: Kensington, near the Church Avenue F and G train station. Thirty people can be accommodated. Wheelchair access is not available. Food will be provided.

To RSVP, send an e-mail to Shift.nyc.collective [at] gmail.com.

About Shift NYC

In order to end oppression and facilitate collective liberation in urban communities, SHIFT NYC educates and engages people who have relative access to resources and decision-making about the city we live in for anti-gentrification organizing.