FELONIES IN KENSINGTON FROM JULY 11TH THROUGH JULY 17TH THAT WERE REPORTED TO THE 66TH PRECINCT

The 66th Precinct's PIMS unit tells us that six felonies were reported to the precinct for Kensington from July 11th through July 17th. Unfortunately, they didn't provide us with the dates or times of the crimes.

• Grand Larceny: At 464 E. 9th Street, between Cortelyou Road and Ditmas Avenue, an unknown perpetrator removed personal items from a twenty-year-old man's vehicle. No arrests were made.
• Grand Larceny: At 1455 36th Street, between 14th and 15th avenues and near Dahill Road, and unknown perpetrator removed a twenty-five-year-old woman's wallet from her vehicle. No arrests were made.
• Assault: Three assaults occurred at 455 Ocean Parkway, between Cortelyou Road and Ditmas Avenue, in one incident. An unknown perpetrator struck a man in the head with a rock. All of the victims, who are seventeen or eighteen years old, are uncooperative.
• Assault: At 476 Coney Island Avenue, near Church Avenue, a perpetrator swung a hammer at an intended victim. The intended victim wasn't injured. No arrest was made.

COOLING CENTERS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH SATURDAY

Windsor Terrace Library

The National Weather Service has forecast a Heat Index in excess of 95 degrees for the next several days. In response, New York City Cooling Centers will be open on a daily basis beginning today and continuing through Saturday.

The cooling centers are in air-conditioned public facilities for use by people who are experiencing physical discomfort in a heat wave.

Visit http://www.nyc.gov/oem and click "Find a cooling center near you," then type in either a street address or two cross-streets, choose "Brooklyn" from the drop-down menu, and click "Find." Or call 311 for locations, hours, and further details.

Our neighborhood has several cooling centers. Call ahead to make sure they're open. Some of them are Windsor Terrace Library, Kensington Library, Senior Citizens League of Flatbush Senior Center, Brookdale Senior Citizens Center, Dorchester Senior Center, and Prospect Hill Senior Services Center.

In some locations, hours may be extended during a heat emergency.

THIS WEEK'S AND THIS WEEKEND'S NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS, JULY 20TH THROUGH JULY 24TH

Neighborhood events for the week of July 20th through July 24th
from the Kensington Area Community Calendar

Wednesday, July 20th

• 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Windsor Terrace Greenmarket. Prospect Park West and 15th Street. 
• 10:00 a.m. Singalong with Debbie Deane. For ages 0+. Greenwood Playground, E. 5th Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue. Meet at the flagpole. Free.
• 1:00 p.m. to 2:48 p.m. Movie: "Il Postino." 1994. For adults. Rated PG. Windsor Terrace Library, 160 E. 5th Street, corner of Fort Hamilton Parkway. Free.

Thursday, July 21st

• 10:00 a.m. Playground Scape Collage. With Art of Parenting. For ages 0+. Greenwood Playground, E. 5th Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue. Meet at the chess tables. Free.
• 2:00 p.m. to 3:47 p.m. Movie: "The Last Song." For adults. Rated PG. Kensington Library, 410 Ditmas Avenue, between E. 4th and E. 5th streets. Free.

Friday, July 22nd

• 10:00 a.m. Stories and Squirts. Creative Writing Workshop with author Jen Nails. Bring a notebook and pencil. For ages 8+. Greenwood Playground, E. 5th Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue. Meet at the chess tables. Free.

Saturday, July 23rd

• 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Kensington Youthmarket. Outdoors on Fort Hamilton Parkway by E. E. 5th Street, alongside the Windsor Terrace Library.
• 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Outdoor Curry Festival and Cooking Demonstration. Mukti's Kitchen, Beverley Road, near E. 9th Street.  Cost: $20 per person.

Sunday, July 24th

• 8:30 p.m. Candlelight Vigil for Leibby Kletzky. P.S. 230 playground, McDonald Avenue, between Albemarle Road and Caton Avenue. Bring a candle for yourself and another one to share.

BLACK BEAR VINTAGE AND HANDMADE HAS GIFT CERTIFICATES

Now available:

gift certificates at Black Bear Vintage and Handmade

Black Bear Vintage & Handmade

469 16th Street, between Prospect Park West and 10th Avenue

phone: (718) 768-0250

info [at] blackbearbrooklyn.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/BLACK-BEAR-Vintage-Handmade/119439034747123?sk

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!  

COOLING CENTERS ARE OPEN TODAY

The National Weather Service has forecast a Heat Index in excess of 95 degrees for this afternoon. In response, air-conditioned New York City Cooling Centers will be open. Click here to find the location of a cooling center near you (such as a library or a senior citizens center) or call 311.

311 ONLINE COMPLAINT SYSTEM QUESTIONED

The basic effectiveness of New York City's 311 online complaint system is being questioned by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who revealed today that online complaints made by his office regarding open potholes had disappeared from the 311 system.

His staff submitted 134 pothole complaints online, starting in March. When their complaints weren't acknowledged, they called 311 and were told by operators that there was no record of any of those complaints.

Mr. Stringer sent a letter on July 15th to Carole Post, the Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT), demanding answers and requesting documents through the New York State Freedom of Information Law..

Since online 311 pothole complaints are being lost, it will no doubt make the public wonder which other types of complaints are also lost.

The Borough President addressed several specific questions to the DoITT Commissioner, including:

• What steps, if any, are being taken to fix this obvious defect in online complaints regarding potholes to 311?
• Are there other types of online complaints that 311 has had trouble tracking, and if so, what are they?
• What is the protocol, if any, for tracking all complaints and assuring that all service requests are properly addressed?

Borough President Stringer is waiting to hear back from DoITT.

REDUCTION IN STREET CLEANING/ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING DAYS

Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park will be the first two beneficiaries of the law passed by the City Council in April that allows community boards to request a reduction in street cleaning to one day per week--if a community keeps its streets clean for two consecutive years and gets a ninety percent cleanliness grade. A reduction in street cleaning means that fewer alternate-side-of-the-street parking days are needed. The new law doesn't apply to metered streets or to streets that are cleaned between midnight and 6:00 a.m. 

Press release: Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Council Members, Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty and DOT Commissioner Sadik-Khan Announce Reductions in Alternate Side Parking in Brooklyn

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (TERRACE)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (Terrace)

Thursday, July 28th, 5:00 p.m.

Friday, July 29th, 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 30th, 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 31st, 3:00 p.m. 

Brave New World Repertory Theatre

presents 

The Merry Wives of Windsor (Terrace)

a play by William Shakespeare,

updated to the 1980s 

and set in Windsor Terrace

See it for free outdoors at

Our Lady’s Field of Holy Name Parish 

Windsor Place, off Prospect Park West

Windsor Terrace

by Brave New World Repertory Theatre

Take the F or G train to the 15th Street/Prospect Park West station.

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL ON SUNDAY FOR LEIBY KLETZKY AT P.S. 230

CHANGE IN DATE: Join your neighbors for a candlelight vigil to honor the life of Leibby Kletztky this SUNDAY, July 24th, from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the P.S. 230 playground on McDonald Avenue at Albemarle Road. Bring a candle and another candle to share.

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR LEIBY KLETZKY AT P.S. 230

UPDATE: Due to the Sabbath, the candlelight vigil will be held on SUNDAY at 8:30 p.m.

Join your neighbors for a candlelight vigil to honor the life of Leibby Kletztky this Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. at the P.S. 230 playground on McDonald Avenue at Albermarle Road. Bring a candle and another to share.

CHARITY BENEFIT FOR SEAN CASEY ANIMAL RESCUE

Sean Casey Animal Rescue Charity Benefit

This Saturday, July 23rd, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight

From Sean Casey Animal Rescue

Sean Casey Animal Rescue is having a charity benefit to raise desperately needed funds to finish the completion of our second rescue shelter facility which will enable us to save up to 5000 animals in 2012.

A generous donation to Sean Casey Animal Rescue, which includes a 2 hour open bar, 7-9pm; reduced price drinks from 9pm-12am; hors d'oeuvres; authentic Italian cuisine buffet inspired by Executive Chef Mirco Grassini, will help to save an animals' life.

At Trattoria Cinque, 363 Greenwich Street, between Harrison and Franklin streets, in Manhattan.

Click on the link below to register:

https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=alrchggab&oeidk=a07e46n4pm37e26ddb3&oseq

Get more information:

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=alrchggab&oeidk=a07e46n4pm37e26ddb3&oseq

Can't make it? Please click on the link below: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/decline?llr=alrchggab&oeidk=a07e46n4pm37e26ddb3&oseq

By supporting and donating to Sean Casey Animal Rescue, you will help us finish the construction of a second rescue shelter and you will be directly responsible for assisting in potentially rescuing and saving an additional 100 animals a month.

We really look forward to seeing you at the fundraiser and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Big hugz and kisses from all of us at Sean Casey Animal Rescue!!! xoxoxo

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!

CARS VANDALIZED ON EAST 3RD STREET

East 3rd Street was the scene of vandalism today: mirrors on six cars parked on East 3rd between Beverley Road and Avenue C and one parked on East 3rd by Albemarle Road were damaged sometime between 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. One mirror was found lying on the ground, and the rest were cracked or broken but not broken off.

Additional damage was done to the car with the broken-off mirror. The owner reported it to the 66th Precinct, but, she says, they told her that nothing can be done because there are no witnesses.

The owner of the car on East 3rd by Albemarle Road also called the precinct, and, she reports, she was told to call 911.

FLYING TEAPOT MUSIC CLASSES UPDATE

Joanne Riel writes:

I'm excited to offer a new class for toddlers in our Summer Session! And thank you for the wonderful response to our Baby Flying Teaspoons class. It's delightful playing and making music with your amazing children.

All classes meet near Vanderbilt Playground. E-mail, if interested, for the location: joafree1 [at] msn.com. Thanks so much and hope to hear from you.

Joanne Riel

SUMMER SESSION

New Class!

Toddler Flying Tablespoons

Wednesdays: 11:00 - 11:45 am

Jul 20 - Aug 10th

4 weeks $70 (includes Flying Teapot CD); sibling rate $5; drop-ins $18

Recommended ages 14 - 24 mos.

Join us for this magical class with original music and a creative spirit. Interactive instrument play, stories, movement and more. Includes favorites like the Train Song, Potty Song, Roll me Round.  Joanne has been delighting and engaging children and adults in the community for many years. Her vision is to create joyful and nurturing environments for young children.  

Baby Flying Teaspoons

Mondays: 4:00-4:45 pm; Jul 11 - Aug 1st (enrolled/closed)

New Class!

Thursdays: 4:00-4:45 pm; Jul 12 - Aug 2nd (pro-rated)4 weeks $70 (includes Flying Teapot CD); sibling rate $5/class; drop-ins $18
Recommended birth through 14 months

There's still room in the Thursday 4:00 - 4:45 pm Babies Class. 

Encourage your child’s uniqueness and creativity from the very start of life.  Songs emerge magically as your baby plays and interacts in class. Musical connections nurture and deepen relationship between parent/caregiver and baby, and encourage natural curiosity. Joanne’s CD, The Flying Teapot is also used, along with multicultural music. There's movement, instrument play, balls, scarves, connections and fun! You’ll be amazed at your child’s own expression. 

Flying Teacups: 2's and 3's

July 13 - Aug 3

Wednesdays:  2's and 3's: 10:00 - 10:45 am

4 weeks $70; (includes Flying Teapot CD); sibling rate $5/class; drop-ins $18

There's still space in Wednesday morning Flying Teacups for 2's.

Come join Joanne Riel as she engages you and your children with music, movement, stories, and free play. By tuning in to your child's play, we open up to the music of the moment, creating our own songs that include trains and buses, as well as friendship and family. Multicultural and traditional music is also used. 

Check out some of my songs at www.cdbaby.com/cd/joanneriel.

PROSPECT PARK TREE FUND IN MEMORY OF LEIBY KLETZKY

A neighbor suggested that one or more trees be planted in Prospect Park to memorialize the life of Leiby Kletzky. This plan has been approved by the Prospect Park Alliance. Below is the information on how you can participate in this effort.

from Jody Alperin

I have spoke with Phyllis Sears at Prospect Park and she has set it up so that people can contribute directly to the tree fund for Leiby Kletzky. I will post the information below but there are three ways to give--online, check in the mail or credit card over the phone. Just be sure to make note that you are donating to the "Tree Fund for Leiby Kletzky" either in the memo line of your check, to the person on the phone or in the comments section of the online giving page. I will keep in touch with Phyllis to see how much we raise so we know what we are able to plant. The park will give us a certificate we can give to the family and we can also hold a planting ceremony. We can certainly reach out to the family when the time comes for a ceremony and invite them to attend.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions and please pass on this information to anyone else who might like to contribute but might not be on the list serve. 

Thanks so much,
Jody Alperin

===========================

from Phyllis Sears

We can accept check, credit card or on-line donations from your donors. Your choices are as follows:

1. Make a check payable to Prospect Park Alliance and mail to

Phyllis Sears
Prospect Park Alliance
95 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215

Please indicate the gift is for the Leiby Kletzky Tree Fund in either the memo section of the check or an enclosed note.

2. Call a credit card donation into Phyllis Sears at 718.965.8977.

3. Go to our website at www.prospectpark.org/donate. Please indicate your gift is for the Leiby Kletzky Tree Fund in the comments section of the payment form.

All donations are 100% tax-deductible.

If you or any of your donors have any questions or if I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me.

Sincerely,

Phyllis

Phyllis A Sears
Individual Giving Manager
Prospect Park Alliance
95 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718.965.8977

ABDUCTED BOY LOCATED UNHARMED

Three-year-old Ferrari Tiesto Stojka has been found unharmed in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with his father, who abducted him from his mother at the corner of Avenue P and Ocean Parkway.

MISSING CHILD; ABDUCTED BY FATHER AT AVENUE P AND OCEAN PARKWAY

NEW YORK STATE
AMBER ALERT

Friday, July 15, 2011 - 10:15 PM

The New York City Police Department has activated the New York State AMBER Alert and is investigating a confirmed child abduction that occurred at corner of Ocean Parkway and Avenue P, in Brooklyn, NY at about 3:30 PM on 7/15/2011.

The CHILD, Ferrari Tiesto Stojka:

• white
• male
• approximately 3 years old
• brown hair
• brown eyes
• 3 feet tall approximately 
• 40 pounds approximately
• last seen wearing white shirt, white shorts, and a Yankees hat

The SUSPECT, Jacob Laslo:

• white
• male
• 33 years old approximately
• blonde hair
• blue eyes
• 5 feet 9 inches tall approximately
• about 180 pounds
• The suspect was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans.

The SUSPECT was last seen traveling on foot.

Suspect is non-custodial father of child and has not seen child for two years. Suspect assaulted the mother of the child, and then abducted the child and fled on foot in Brooklyn. Suspect resides in New Jersey but last known to be in Manhattan.

Anyone with any information on this abduction is asked to call the New York City Police Department at (866)NYS-AMBER or dial 911 to provide information on a report or sighting.Photos of the son and the father are here.

WHERE TO MAIL CONDOLENCE CARDS FOR THE KLETZKY FAMILY

Condolence cards can be mailed to the family of little Leiby Kletzky at their home:

Reb Nachman and Esti Kletzky

5701 15th Avenue, Apt. 6J

Brooklyn, NY 11219

E-mail messages of condolence can be sent to 

messageLeiby [at] gmail.com

Matzav.com reports that Leiby's family is sitting shiva (observing the period of mourning) at the above address, which is between 57th and 58th streets.

They are sitting shiva through Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., except during the Sabbath, which begins at approximately 8 p.m. tonight (Friday) and ends at approximately 9:30 p.m. tomorrow night (Saturday).

Visitors should dress modestly, should sit down, and should stay briefly. You might want to read How to Pay a Shiva Call.

Please be aware that Leiby's family has only been told that their son is no longer alive. They have not been told any details at all about the manner of his death. That would be too much for them to bear at this time.

NO G TRAINS THIS WEEKEND BETWEEN HOYT-SCHERMERHORN STREETS AND CHURCH AVENUE

Friday, July 15th, 11:00 p.m. to Monday, July 18th, 5:00 a.m.:

The G train will not be running between Hoyt-Schermerhorn streets and Church Avenue. A and F trains will provide alternate service via Jay Street-MetroTech.

For service to Bergen Street, Carroll Street, 4th Avenue-9th Street, 7th Avenue, 15th Street, Fort Hamilton Parkway, and Church Avenue, take a 207th Street-bound A at Hoyt-Schermerhorn streets to Jay Street-MetroTech and transfer to a Coney Island-bound F.

For service from these stations, take a Jamaica-bound F to Jay Street-MetroTech and transfer to a Lefferts Boulevard/Far Rockaway-bound A to Hoyt-Schermerhorn streets for the G.

G service will operate in two sections: 

1. Between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand avenues,
2. Between Bedford-Nostrand avenues and Hoyt-Schermerhorn streets, every 20 minutes.

• Transfer at Bedford-Nostrand avenues to continue your trip. 

This service change affects one or more ADA accessible stations. Please call (718) 330-1234, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. for help with planning your trip. If you are deaf or hard-of-hearing, use your preferred relay service provider or the free 711 relay.

SENDING YOUR CONDOLENCES TO THE KLETZKY FAMILY

If you would like to express your condolences to the bereaved family of Leiby Kletzky, you can write them on the Jewish Mom website and/or the Aish website. You don't have to be Jewish or be a mom to write on these websites.

FUNERAL TONIGHT FOR LEIBY KLETZKY

From Lakewood Local:

"Levaya [funeral] Info For Leibby Kletzky hy”d Updated"

The levaya for Leibby Kletzky will be taking place tonight at 7:00 PM [corrected below]. The levaya will take place in front of Rabbi Eisenberger’s shul on 56th St between 16th and 17th Avenues.

Leibby’s father Nachman Kletzky is a mispallel at Rabbi Eisenberger’s shul.

Updated: Reports say the levaya is scheduled for 8:30 PM.

Details of the kidnapping and murder of this nine-year-old boy from Borough Park, whose body was found this morning by the police, are available in most of the media, so there's no need to repeat them here and get sick to our stomachs all over again. Suffice it to say, we send our deepest condolences to Mr. and Mrs. Kletzky, and we wish that no child would ever be harmed again.

THIS CHILD IS MISSING

Nine-year-old Leiby Kelezsky has been missing since yesterday. He was last seen on 12th Avenue and 44th Street--not far from Kensington--wearing a grey and light blue striped shirt, navy pants, black sneakers, and a knapsack with the words "Nechmod Day Camp" on it. He has light brown hair and wears glasses with black frames.

Please call Boro Park Shomrim at (718) 871-6666 or the NYPD at 911 with any tips.

THIS WEEK'S NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS (JULY 12TH THROUGH JULY 15TH)

Neighborhood events for the week of July 12th through 15th
from the Kensington Area Community Calendar

Tuesday, July 12th

• 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dog Walk in Prospect Park. For dogs that were adopted from shelters and rescues and their adoptive "parents." Meet at 9th Street and Prospect Park West. Free.

Wednesday, July 13th

• 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Windsor Terrace Greenmarket. Prospect Park West and 15th Street.
• 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Singalong with Debbie Deane. For ages 0+. Greenwood Playground, E. 5th Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue. Meet at the flagpole. Free.

Thursday, July 14th

• 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Recycled Sculpture. With Art of Parenting. For ages 0+. Greenwood Playground, E. 5th Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue. Meet at the chess tables. Free.

Friday, July 15th

• 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Stories and Squirts. Creative Writing Workshop with author Jen Nails. Bring a notebook and pencil. For ages 8+. Greenwood Playground, E. 5th Street, between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue. Meet at the chess tables. Free.

FELONIES IN KENSINGTON REPORTED TO THE 66TH PRECINCT, JULY 4TH THROUGH JULY 10TH

The 66th Precinct tells us that six felonies were reported to them for Kensington from July 4th through July 10th.

• Robbery: On Tuesday, July 5th, at 2:40 p.m., two males with hand guns entered a commercial building at 1930 47th Street, near 19th, McDonald, and Foster avenues, and demanded money and jewelry from the victims. The victims weren't injured. No arrests were made. [article and photos]
• Burglary: On Thursday, July 7th, an unknown perpetrator entered an apartment at 282 E. 2nd Street, between Albemarle Road and Church Avenue and removed money and jewelry. No arrest was made. 
• Robbery: On Friday, July 8th, at 1:54 a.m., on the corner of Church Avenue and Coney Island Avenue, a perpetrator forcibly removed a woman's cellphone from her hand, causing pain to her wrist. An arrest was made at the scene. 
• Robbery: On Friday, July 8th, at 1:40 p.m., a male approached a woman on the corner of Albemarle Road and E. 2nd Street, pushed her to the ground, and removed her cellphone from her hand. The woman was not injured. No arrest was made. 
• Robbery: On Saturday, July 9th, at 3:50 a.m., on the corner of Chester Avenue and Church Avenue, two males approached a man from behind. One perpetrator put the man in a chokehold, and the other forcibly removed his bag. The man was not injured. No arrests were made. 
• Robbery: On Saturday, July 9th, at 1:15 p.m., a woman's pocketbook was forcibly removed from her by her husband at the corner of 18th Avenue and McDonald Avenue. He was not arrested.
  

PEDESTRIAN INJURED AT E. 5TH AND CORTELYOU

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on E. 5th Street and Cortelyou Road yesterday morning and was reported to be in critical condition. The accident was reported to have happened just before 9:00 a.m. The accident victim was transported to Lutheran Trauma Center.

The NYPD Highway Accident Investigation Squad was on the scene to investigate.

Photos: http://www.nybuff.org/2011/07/pedestrian-struck_11.html

YESTERDAY'S WICKED

Scandals, Scalawags, and Murder Most Foul

Walking Tour
Saturday, July 16th, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

From the Green-wood Cemetery website:

You are invited to visit, with veteran tour guide Ruth Edebohls, some of Green-Wood Cemetery’s most nefarious residents. Green-Wood is the final resting place of many famous and heroic people, but some of its deceased denizens have a more blemished reputation. Murderers and the murdered, a sullied adulteress, a famous courtesan, gangsters, con men and schemers lie next to those of a more virtuous disposition. You'll also enjoy the visual delights of Green-Wood, its trees and ponds and its sculpture and buildings by the leading artists and architects of their time.

The walk may be hilly and strenuous--wear good walking shoes.

$10 for members of The Green-Wood Historic Fund / $15 for non-members. Reservations strongly recommended; click here to purchase advance tickets online or call 718-210-3080.

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