BAKE SALE FUNDRAISER THIS AFTERNOON

Bake Sale Fundraiser for Masjid Nur Al-Islam

Friday, April 13th, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

on the corner of Church and Chester avenues 

Kensington, Brooklyn

MISSING SENIOR CITIZEN: MIKHAIL BEZENYAN

MIKHAIL BEZENYAN IS MISSING

Mikhail Bezenyan, age 79, is missing. He was last seen on Wednesday, April 11th, near Ocean Parkway and Church Avenue. He was wearing a white shirt, grey pants, a grey tie, a black cap, and black shoes. He is 5'6" tall and weighs 180 pounds. The NYPD issued a Missing Senior Notification this morning.

Anyone who sees him is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS(8477).

KENSINGTON WEEKLY FELONY CRIME REPORT, MONDAY, APRIL 2, TO FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2012

Kensington Weekly Felony Crime Report

Monday April 2 to Friday April 8, 2012

All information comes courtesy of the 66 Precinct.

In Sector G: from Beverley Rd to Av F; from 37th St to Coney Island Av

Thur April 5    Grand Larceny @ Coney Island & Ditmas avenues
While her mother grocery shopped, the daughter entertained herself playing games on her Mom’s iPhone. Along came a thief who grabbed the phone out of the girl’s hand, her 9-yr old brother informed their mother, and then fled south on Coney Island Avenue. The cameras at the location “do not conclusively capture the theft” said the 66. Moreover, the stolen iPhone was never activated, nor does it have an IMEI (serial) number or a phone number assigned to it.

REGISTER TODAY FOR THE PTA 5K

From New York City Councilmember Brad Lander:

PTA 5K: Register today

We are less than one month from the 5th Annual PTA 5K. Join with other schools and families to support our Brooklyn public schools by signing up for the Brooklyn PTA 5K, which will take place on the morning of Sunday, April 29th. As usual, the run will be in Prospect Park.

Please register and encourage your friends to do so as well.

Hundreds of parents, teachers and students from two dozen Brooklyn public schools join us each year to race/walk/stroll/toddle through beautiful Prospect Park. During past events, we’ve raised more than $9,000 with your help to support Brooklyn's PTAs.

Raising money is as easy as it is fun – join the 5K as part of a school group to raise money for your own PTA or participate as an individual and we will assign you to a school.

School groups with 20 participants or more will share the proceeds from the event. More schools participating means more money-raising capacity. If you would like to organize a team at your school, email us at lander @ council.nyc.gov.

Each year, the specter of potential budget cuts threatens not only after-school enrichment activities, but also many of the core programs our children rely upon in their schools. By participating in the PTA 5K, you can support our local schools while sending a message that public education needs stable funding for our children to succeed.

Brad

New York City Councilmember Brad Lander 

Serving the neighborhoods of Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope,
Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, and Kensington

456 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor * Brooklyn, NY 11215 *

718-499-1090

PLANNING MEETING AND A WEEK OF ACTION IN SUPPORT OF GOLDEN FARM EMPLOYEES

Planning Meeting for a Week of Action in Support of Golden Farm Employees

Thursday, April 12th, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Several Golden Farm employees, the New York Communities for Change staff, and all interested community members will meet tomorrow night to discuss how the community can get more involved in supporting the employees and making the week of action unique, interesting, and big.

The meeting will be at P.S. 179, 202 Avenue C, between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets.

Week of Action

• Sunday, April 22nd, 2:00 p.m.: Kick-Off Rally/Press Conference outside of Golden Farm.
• Monday, April 23rd, 5:00 p.m.: Rally and Film Screening of "The Take." The rally will be at 5:00 p.m. outside of Golden Farm, and the screening will be at 7:00 p.m. The location isn't known yet but will probably be P.S. 179.
• Tuesday, April 24th: Teach-In at the E. 4th Street Community Garden and March to Golden Farm. The teach-in will feature three labor experts: Dr. Ruth Milkman of the CUNY Grad Center, Dr. Immanuel Ness of Brooklyn College, and Ms. Tsedeye Gebreselassie of the National Employment Law Project.
• Wednesday, April 25th, 6:30 p.m.: Rally outside Golden Farm's owner Sonny Kim's house. Meet outside of Golden Farm and walk to his house as a group.
• Thursday, April 26th, 7:00 p.m.: Community Potluck and Sign-making Party in the cafeteria of P.S. 230.
• Friday, April 27th, 7:00 p.m.: Interfaith Rally/Vigil outside of Golden Farm.
• Saturday, April 28th, 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, April 29th, 1:00 p.m.: 24-hour Boycott and Community Picket, with a presence outside Golden Farm for all 24 hours. People are needed to sign up for one-hour (or longer) time slots for boycotting to ensure at least a minimal presence at all times. A block party on E. 4th Street between Church Avenue and Albemarle Road might take place.

NOURISHING AND GUARDING NEWKIRK AVENUE'S TREES

On Sunday, April 15th, meet at Compost for Brooklyn's garden for an activity-packed day: Street Gardening Workday, Seeds for Saplings, and Nature Journaling Workshop.

• 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Street Gardening Workday. Green the streets on Newkirk Avenue and build tree guards.
• 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.: Seeds For Saplings--Learning in the Garden. Children ages 3 to 5 will make their own mini-garden and explore the compost project.
• 2:30 pm to 5:30 p.m.: Nature Journaling Workshop. Children ages 7 to 11 will investigate and discover the big and small events of our local ecosystem.

Send an RSVP to info @ compostforbrooklyn.org if  you can, but it isn't required.

Compost for Brooklyn

Newkirk Avenue and E. 8th Street

Kensington, Brooklyn, NY 11230

compostforbrooklyn @ gmail.com

http://compostforbrooklyn.org

ART EXPLORE: AN ART CLASS FOR TODDLERS

Brooklyn artist and educator Kristin Scarola will be offering an art class for toddlers at Namaste Yoga. During each class, the children and their parent or other caregiver will sing, play art games, and make a project. The class will meet on Fridays from April 20th through June 29th, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The cost is $225, which includes all materials. A sibling discount is available for $175.

Kristin Scarola is the Family Programs coordinator at the Brooklyn Museum. She teaches many of the classes and leads tours, including "Meet the Museum" for toddlers (ages two to three) and "Arty Facts" for ages four to seven.

She has worked as a free-lance arts educator and taught in public and Montessori schools.  Kristin is primarily a self-taught artist whose undergraduate education was in music. She holds an advanced certificate in elementary education and an M.A. in ethnography and critical studies from New York University.

Her website outlines the class information and shows pictures of some of the art projects she has worked on with young children.

Contact Kristin at bklyn.artexplore @ gmail.com or (917) 502-1623.

Namaste Yoga of Kensington
482 Coney Island Avenue, 2nd Floor

Enter On Church Avenue. Walk up the red stairs to the red door.

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING SUSPENDED FOR MID-APRIL HOLIDAYS

Alternate side of the street parking regulations that are normally in effect for street cleaning will be suspended on Thursday, April 12th, for Holy Thursday (Orthodox), Friday, April 13th, for Good Friday (Orthodox), and Saturday, April 14th, for Passover.

All other parking regulations, including those for parking meters, will be in effect.

WHEN THE MOON, VENUS, JUPITER, AND MARS HIT YOUR EYE: STARGAZING AT DOME PLAYGROUND

Photos: Maggie Tobin
Viewing the night sky with telescopes and without at Dome Playground, Thursday, March 29. Councilmember Brad Lander, in top left photo, eyes Jupiter from afar.

People started coming at 6 p.m.: from 38^th Street, right across from Dome, a woman, her son Zion, and a neighbor; a few families made the trip from Windsor Terrace or Flatbush. About 25 people had gathered by 6:45, but twilight still ruled, not darkness, and the clouds flitted across the sky, obscuring our view of the action.

The 3 astronomers—all members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York—Joe Delfausse, Steve Stromer, and Rori Baldari, set up their telescopes, focusing west on the moon. Meanwhile, until way after sunset, the kids in the park—the cricket (bottom photo) and basketball players—ignored us.

Wasting no time, Steve Stromer (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303816504577311901325857874.html) lectured his captive audience about astronomy, telescopes, stars, baby stars, planets, nebulas, other galaxies, and answered questions. Some there were astronomy buffs. One man’s 10-year-old son had his own telescope. A girl, no more than 10, pointed out Orion and already knew about nebulas.

About a half hour after sunset, around 8 p.m., it was dark enough to see the open sky in detail. For the occasion, the sky stepped out naked from behind the clouds and gave us skywatchers a crystalline view of the heavens. People took turns at a telescope to view the moon: an enormous white, crusty surface smack dab up against your eye.

The night was amazingly clear and beautiful. Yes, you could reach out and kiss it. The kids were clambering all over the scopes, peppering Joe with questions. The scopes shifted focus to Jupiter, where by squinting you could make out its tiny moons. (Councilmember Lander saw all four!) To the south was Mars, flaring, red, vibrating, burning—and doing it just above and beyond the Dome basketball court!

If you missed this event, never fear. The astronomers plan to be at Prospect Park and elsewhere in April and throughout the summer. Their schedule is available here: http://www.aaa.org.

Steve Stromer is hosting a film showing at the Tea Lounge on Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. of "The City Dark," with telescopes available: http://www.lookupguides.com/thecitydark. And they might return for another night of stargazing at Dome Playground this summer.

PROSPECT FARM IMPORTANT MEETING

From Prospect Farm:

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, a law firm, is working pro bono to establish us as a non-profit corporation.

We now need to select a Board of Directors.

Please come to the very important meeting of all active members and those who want to be members. Bring a dish to share; drinks are on the house.

PLEASE RSVP TO TOM at tangotti @ nyc.rr.com (we may need to change the location depending on numbers)

APRIL 15, 5 PM -- 1194 Prospect Avenue (next to the Farm)

PROPOSED AGENDA:

• Spring planting, plot management and harvest
• Composting
• Coordination and communication
• Financial report
• Election of directors
• Announcements

Members who haven't yet paid their 2012 dues ($25) and signed a liability waiver can do so on the 15th. We also have Prospect Farm T-shirts for $10 with a membership, $25 regular. Larger contributions always welcome.

Prospect Farm

1194 Prospect Avenue, between Seeley and Vanderbilt streets

F/G Train to Fort Hamilton, exit toward Prospect Avenue

prospectfarmbk @ gmail.com

prospectfarm.org
facebook.com/ProspectFarmBK

MAPLE SYRUP FRESH FROM A VERMONT FARM

Maple syrup fresh from Vermont's Poorfarm Farm will be sold at Brooklyn Commune tomorrow (Saturday April 7th) from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Commune
601 Greenwood Avenue, at the corner of Prospect Avenue
(718) 686-1044
e-mail: feedme @ brooklyncommune.com
http://brooklyncommune.com

THE JOY OF CLEANING CHURCH AVENUE

The First Kensington Trash Mob Gathering
Sunday, April 15th, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Become part of the Kensington Trash Mob and

• meet new people!
• make new friends!
• get exercise!
• enjoy fresh air! 
• munch on snacks and refreshments!
• receive an official Kensington Trash Mob t-shirt if you're among the first twenty people to arrive!
• Clean up Church Avenue!
• feel good about what you've done for the neighborhood!

 

Funding for cleaning Kensington is scarce: the number of times per week that the public litter baskets are emptied has gone down, and The Doe Fund doesn't come around anymore. Who is left to take charge of the cleanliness of the neighborhood? Residents and merchants.

 

Folks will meet at the new Kensington Plaza at the intersection of Church Avenue and Beverley Road (in front of Walgreens) on Sunday, April 15th, at 4:00 p.m. to clean from 36th Street to Coney Island Avenue. Everyone who participates will be provided with gloves and trash bags. Let's make this fun!

GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY WALKING TOUR

UPDATE: Rescheduled for Sunday, May 5th, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Written in Stone: A Walking Tour

Sunday, April 22nd, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This walking tour of Green-wood Cemetery visits the burial sites of "the Indian Princess, the girl who died on her 17th birthday, the heartbroken husband who waved good-bye to his wife in the morning never to see her again, the man who built 'The Funny Place,' an inventor and his dog, and many more."

Wear good walking shoes and be prepared for a strenuous, hilly walk.

Green-Wood tour guide Ruth Edebohls, a licensed New York City Tour Guide and urban historian, will lead this tour.

Tickets: $10 for members of the Green-Wood Historic Fund; $15 for non-members. Making reservations is recommended. Call 718-210-3080 to buy tickets or order them online.

ADULT CLASSES IN APRIL AT THE LIBRARY

Events for Adults at the 

Kensington Library

410 Ditmas Avenue, between E. 4th and E. 5th streets

(718) 435-9431

Computer basics class

Experience is not necessary.

Tuesday, April 17th, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Russian language movie

Wednesday, April 18th, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Movie

"The Debt"

Thursday, April 19th, 2:00 p.m to 3:55 p.m.

The New Knitting Club

A knitting and crochet club designed to help beginners and experienced knitters alike.

Thursday, April 19th, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Held every third Thursday of the month.

Events for Adults at the

Windsor Terrace Library
160 East 5th Street (corner of Fort Hamilton Parkway)
(718) 686-9707

Computer basics class

Experience is not necessary.

Thursday, April 19th and 26th, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Scrabble

Improve your game and learn new strategies.

Tuesday, April 10th, 17th, and 24th, 11:00 a.m. to noon

KENSINGTON FELONY CRIME REPORT, MONDAY, MARCH 26 TO SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

Kensington Felony Crime Report
Monday, March 26, to Sunday, April 1, 2012

All information comes courtesy of the NYPD 66 precinct, PIMS unit. Unless it says otherwise, arrests have not been made.

In Sector K: from Caton Ave to Beverley Rd; 37 St to Coney Island Ave

Fri. March 30      Grand Larceny on Minna Street
A 21-yr old stole property from this location. Arrest made in the 61 Precinct.

PLEASE NOTE: per Wikipedia: In New York, grand larceny refers to amounts of $1,000 or more.  JC. 

Sunday April 1      Robbery @ Caton Ave & E 7 Street
Perps attacked a yellow cab rider, 27, just as he pulled out his wallet to pay the driver's fare. Four young men in their twenties wrenched him from the cab, hitting him in the head several times. The thieves got the man's money but not the wallet, which he had chained to his pants. EMS took him to the hospital.

NORTH INDIAN PUNJABI COOKING LESSON

North Indian Punjabi Cooking Lesson

Saturday, April 14th, 3:00 p.m.

Learn how to cook tasty and healthy vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. 

Menu

Chana Masala (chickpea curry)

Chicken Makhni (Butter chicken)

Dal Tadka (black lentil with onion, ginger, and garlic)

Roti (Indian handmade bread)

You'll be given printed copies of the recipes, but bring a notebook too to write down the tips you learn.

Price: $50 per person. Click here to register.

Mukti’s Kitchen (run by Mukti Banerjee)

Beverley Road, near E. 9th Street

(917) 703-3998

http://www.meetup.com/muktiskitchen

http://muktiskitchen.blogspot.com (weekly blog)

muktiskitchen @ gmail.com

SALE AT MIME'S ON PARTY SUPPLIES, CRAFT SUPPLIES, TOYS, AND MORE

Mime's Party and Gift Shop is going to start selling fewer types of items. The store will still sell balloons, gifts, rental items, and children's novelty items. The items listed below will be discontinued; they're now on sale.

 

• party supplies,
• Purim/Halloween masks and costumes,
• greeting cards for Mother's Day and graduation,
• pre-summer sale on
• swim tubes and
• safety armbands,
• toys, including
• Barbie,
• Dolls of the World,
• Hello Kitty,
• Elmo,
• porcelain dolls,
• trains,
• My Little Kitchen Fairies,
• Precious Moments,
• musical stuffed animals/gifts, and
• craft supplies, including
• rolls of lace,
• silk ribbon,
• beads,
• cake lace/tops, and
• silk flowers.

 

Mime's Party and Gift Shop

217 Cortelyou Road, corner of E. 3rd Street

(718) 853-2891

EL GAVILAN SPACE FOR RENT

For Rent

501 Church Avenue at E. 5th Street

call (917) 686-8387

OCCUPY WALL STREET LEADS TO MORE GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZING

From Naomi Donabedian, creator of the event:

Brooklyn Dirt Talk Three:

Post-Occupy Wall Street Grass Roots Organizing

 Tuesday, April 17th, 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

with

Sustainable Flatbush (Anne Pope and Kady Ferguson)

and

Compost for Brooklyn (Louise Bruce and Rachel Schragis)

Advice from experienced Brooklyn leaders on

founding, motivating, and evaluating for grass roots organizations

Hosted by Meera Bhat

Downstairs @ Sycamore Bar and Flowershop
1118 Cortelyou Road, between E. 11th Street and Argyle Road

(Q train to Cortelyou)

phone: (347) 240-5850
e-mail: sycamorebrooklyn @ gmail.com
website: www.sycamorebrooklyn.com 

Brooklyn Dirt Talk is free.

Only ages twenty-one or older because of the venue.

Facebook page for the event:

http://www.facebook.com/events/427790057246401

About

Sustainable Flatbush brings neighbors together to mobilize, educate, and advocate for sustainable living in their Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond and was founded by Anne Pope.


Kady Ferguson is a Community Ninja/Rotten Food Enthusiast/Volunteer Engager/Sustainable Communities/Sustainable Business of Sustainable Flatbush.

Compost for Brooklyn: In March 2010, the corner lot on Newkirk Avenue and East 8th Street was vacant, unused, and full of trash. With no funding and a single shovel, neighbors and friends came together to tackle the project of transforming the space into a community composting project. In 2011, Compost for Brooklyn composted 50,000 pounds of food scraps and yard waste from about 200 households, welcomed 4,500 visitors, and formed lasting partnerships with numerous organizations from the local level to the international.

Louis Bruce began Compost for Brooklyn while a member of New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation’s Green Apple Corps, where she became certified as a master composter. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in China and Asia Pacific Studies with a focus on environmental issues from Cornell University and is currently pursuing a Master of Urban Planning at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. 

Rachel Schragis is an artist, educator, and native New Yorker. Best known within OWS for her flow-chart visualization of the movement's declaration, she works primarily with the the Arts & Culture working group and Anti-Racism Allies working group. As a compost educator with Compost for Brooklyn, Rachel represents C4B in schools. She is also a teaching artist with Wingspan Arts.

Meera Bhat is part of the team at Prospect Farm, a neighborhood growing initiative in Windsor Terrace that is working together to grow food in a formerly vacant lot. She lives in Prospect Park South and works as a project manager at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. She also leads a girl scout troop, if you're looking for cookies.

Cantaloupe Alone is the creator of this event and a food blog for people with garlic breath by Kensington, Brooklyn-based Naomi Donabedian. 

KEEPING KENSINGTON PLAZA CLEAN: THE STEWARDSHIP GROUP

A few of the members
of the Kensington Plaza Stewardship Group

The tree pit in front of Walgreens is one 
of the places the group will keep clean. 

And this tree pit by the curb is another place.

When members of the community met with the New York City Sanitation and Transportation departments about creating a plaza on the extended sidewalk in front of Walgreens, almost two dozen people signed up for the Kensington Plaza Stewardship group. This group of neighborhood residents will help keep the plaza clean year-round by picking up litter and sweeping the sidewalk. Members will also help care for the trees. 

Bridget Elder and Cheryl Pearlman are the group's coordinators. If you'd like to be part of keeping the plaza clean, send an e-mail to Bridget at evergreen827 @ aol.com. The more volunteers there are, the less work each one will need to do. And when you finish, you can sit on a bench and relax (as soon as they're installed!).

DISCOUNT COUPON FOR BUZZ-A-RAMA

One half-hour of slot-car racing for 2 people -- $8 (normally $16)

One half-hour of slot-car racing for 4 people -- $15 (normally $32)

1/24-scale replica slot cars, 80- to 100-foot-long tracks, speeds ranging from 20 to 100 miles per hour. For children and adults.

The Buzz-A-Rama coupon from Groupon has to be purchased by midnight tomorrow (Tuesday, April 3rd) and used by June 17, 2012. The coupon can't be used on Sunday, April 8th.

Only 1 coupon per person can be purchased, but 2 additional coupons can be purchased as gifts. A limit of 1 coupon can be used per visit. The coupon is valid only for the option purchased (for two people or for four people).

Buzz-A-Rama's hours of operation: Saturdays, 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.,  Sundays, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Buzz-A-Rama

69 Church Avenue, near Dahill Road

Kensington, Brooklyn
(718) 853-1800 
http://www.buzz-a-rama.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63461432648&v

NO ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING FOR THREE DAYS

Alternate side of the street parking (street cleaning) regulations will be suspended Thursday, April 5th, through Saturday, April 7th, for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Passover. All other regulations, including those for parking meters, will remain in effect.

Alternate side of the street parking and street cleaning regulations will continue to be suspended in Community Board 7 for another seven to eight weeks.

AND THE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING WINNERS ARE...

The results are in on District 39's participatory budgeting vote! The seven projects chosen by the 2,213 voters to receive funding from City Councilmember Brad Lander's 2012-2013 budget and some additional sources are:

• Bathroom Renovation for the Children of PS 124: Renovate two dysfunctional bathrooms that serve over 136 of the youngest students daily in a high-needs elementary school.
• Brooklyn Neighbors Composting: Pest-free, smell-free compost system near Gowanus Canal uses 1 ton/day of our food scraps collected at local greenmarkets and schools to create rich soil for our gardens, parks, and trees.
• District 39 Tree Planting: Plant 170 new trees and install tree guards on blocks with few or no trees.
• Technology: A Better Future for PS 154/PS 130 Students: Installation of 15 Smartboards (PS 130), 45 13" Macbook computers with 2 carts and 2 wireless printers (PS 154 grades 1, 3, & 4).
• Prospect Park Pedestrian Pathway Rehabilitation: Repair Prospect Park pedestrian paths near Park Circle and Long Meadow to prevent flooding, add 10 trash cans in park.
• Pedestrian Hazards at the Prospect Expressway: Repairs & additions to badly damaged and dangerous 9 lane Prospect Expressway pedestrian crossing, area and landscape.
• Kensington Library Resources and Community Space: New books/DVDs & equipment for small room for meetings, storytelling, rehearsals, and performances promoting Kensington's cultural diversity.

To see the number of votes each of those seven projects received, go to Councilmember Lander's Twitter page.

Councilmember Lander added on his Facebook page "I also committed tonight to move fwd on bus clocks [BusTime "count-down" clocks], Ft. Ham subway station [Flowers: First Fix For Flooding at Ft Hamilton F/G], repaving 50th St [50th Street Repaving Project], and Int'l Mother Language monument [International Mother Language Monument]."

Thank you to everyone in the district who worked so hard to make this all happen!

KENSINGTON IN BLOOM

Albemarle at E. 2nd

MONDAY NIGHT VINYL CLUB AT SYCAMORE

Monday Night Vinyl Club
Monday, April 2nd, 8:00 p.m. to midnight

You bring it you spin it vinyl recreational night.

DJ's choice.

Hosted by Stage Fright.

Free.

Sycamore Bar
1118 Cortelyou Road, between E. 11th Street and Argyle Road

Ditmas Park
(347) 240-5850
www.sycamorebrooklyn.com

e-mail: sycamorebrooklyn @ gmail.

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!