Fort Greene Peace and Brooklyn for Peace present: Afghanistan: A First Hand Report with David Wildman.

Wildman is the Executive Secretary of Human Rights & Racial Justice 
with the United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries. Wildman also the co-author of Ending the Us War in Afghanistan: A Primer. At this event, Wildman will discuss:

–What is life in like in Afghanistan with the war going on?

–How is the war impacting of the lives of the people of Afghan people?

–How is Obama’s surge strategy being received in Afghanistan ?

Wildman has just returned from Afghanistan and will report his trip and try to answer these and other questions. On Monday, January 25 ,  7-9 pm at The South Oxford Space. 138 So. Oxford Street (just off of Fulton Street). Admission is free though contributions are requested.

In November, a company called Roadify officially launched ParkingAroundMe (PAM), and received quite a bit of  interest on blogs and local news shows.

And why not? Parking is every New Yorker’s nightmare. And here is a company that’s trying to make it less of one.

This social experiment in parking is starting in Park Slope with plans to expand as they are offering a completely free service to people who are looking for a parking spot or real-time bus transit information. It is text messaged based and can also be used via a Twitter app for those with smart phones.

And this is how it works: when a commuter leaves a parking spot they text GIVE and the location they are leaving  (Example. ‘GIVE 13th st btwn 6/7 ave’) to 95495. This is then entered into an online database managed by Roadify. People circling the block, looking for a spot, text GET and receive a list of these available spots. Users looking to to follow them through Twitter first follow us, @roadify, and GIVE/GET in the same manner via direct messaging so as to not to broadcast to the whole world.

It’s a fascinating concept. But it requires that lots of people opt in and become part of what sounds like a possible solution to the difficulties of parking.

Now Roadify is adding bus schedules to its bag of tricks. In the next few weeks they will begin offering BusesAroundMe (BAM) with the B67 route. Roadify understands that the bus schedule is never accurate – and they want to change that.

Buses Around Me will work in much the same way as  GIVE/GET except with real-time bus transit data. For example, using this service people will GIVE information as simple as, “getting on the bus at 7 st.” They already have the scheduled time schedules in our system and people farther down the line waiting in the cold who text GET will receive something like, “2 mins ago bus at 7 st. 10 mins behind schd.”

Roadify was created by locals to provide a solution to a difficult problem around the area.

Last year parents organized to prevent the closing of The Little Room, a well regarded school for children with speech and language delays, that is part of the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School.

Now, a year later, current and past parents are still struggling to keep the program going beyond August of 2010. This dedicated group has run into some problems and is now asking Dane Peters, headmaster of the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School and Helene Banks, who chairs their board of trustees, to give them more time.

A letter was written last night, which was co-signed by 33 current and past Little Room families. It explains the current situation, which is that The Little Room is basically at the end of the line in terms of having all approvals necessary to get a new adopting agency, and space ready, for September 2010 for the 2010-2011 school year.

According to this group of parents, there is a potential and very interested adopter but due to circumstances the window for them to find a new space has been short; with a bit more time they say they could find a space. That would require state approval, fast, or BHMS extending its own deadline. Without an extension of the deadline, the program won’t exist next year. There has been no response from the school as yet.

Dear Dane and Helene: We, the undersigned current and former Little Room parents, are writing to express our deep concern about the future of the Little Room. Specifically, we ask that the BHMS Board reconsider its decision to terminate the Little Room program in August of 2010 and instead allow the Little Room to continue at BHMS for another year. You will likely respond that the issues regarding the Little Room’s future were extensively debated last winter and that there is no reason to revisit the decision. For a number of reasons, we disagree. In particular, we urge you to consider the following:

“1. When the Board made its decision, no Board member believed that his or her
vote might be a vote to end the Little Room forever. Indeed, even though a
number of elected officials suggested that moving the Little Room would take two
years, the Board expressed full confidence that the program would find a new
home by the BHMS imposed deadline. Some Board members expressed hope that the
Little Room would be able to serve even more students in its theoretical new
home. In short, there was nothing but (largely unjustified) optimism from the
Board.

“Now, however, the situation has changed. The Little Room has been unable to
accept students for the 2010-11 school year. If it does not begin to do so in
the very near future, it will mean that there can be no program in the next
academic year.

“The Board members made their decision with confidence that the Little Room would
never face extinction. But now extinction is here. Given this new reality,
would all Board members now make the same decision they did before? You cannot
know unless you ask them.

“2. Despite this grim situation, the Little Room has actually made great progress
in finding a new sponsor. The YAI Network is, in fact, eager to adopt the
program. As State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assembly Member Joan Millman
wrote to us, “We were encouraged by YAI’s professionalism and zeal for
continuing the Little Room…[Chief Operating Officer Steve] Freeman and his
team have demonstrated an incredible commitment to continuing this program.”

“Unfortunately, as you are aware, YAI faces a catch-22: it is unable to lay out
the money for major renovation of a new space for the Little Room without State
Education Department (SED) approval, but SED has been unwilling to approve the
facility before it is built out.

“What makes this situation even more difficult is the BHMS imposed deadline.
Given another year, YAI would have more time to find and renovate suitable
space, to work with SED to get the necessary approvals, and to plan an orderly
transition for the Little Room. It is unable to do any of this simply because
of an artificial deadline imposed by BHMS.

“YAI stands ready to achieve the goal that the Board has always claimed to
desire. Do Board members want to stop this from happening simply because it
cannot be done within the artificial timeline created by BHMS? Again, you
cannot know unless you ask them.

“3. Throughout this process, both you and other Board members have expressed your
love for the Little Room. You have claimed to respect the program and to want
to see it thrive for many years to come. We are certain, therefore, that you do
not want to see the Little Room end unnecessarily. You have the opportunity to
demonstrate your love and respect for the program by giving it the time it needs
to complete the process of finding a new home. And in fact, given the situation
in which the Little Room finds itself, you are the only ones who can now save
it. We respectfully ask you to live by what you so often said and to do the
right thing for the program.

“We understand that you are eager for the Little Room to move out. Nevertheless,
the plans you have for the Little Room’s current space can wait a year. One way
or another, BHMS will enjoy many years without the Little Room. But the Little
Room has only one chance to survive.

“If the Little Room ends, thousands of special needs children will be denied the
opportunity to receive an education that can change their lives. Such an
outcome is not only completely unnecessary, but also goes against the Montessori
philosophy and the school’s expressed commitment to diversity. We are sure this
is not what you want your legacy to be.

“We are eager to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss this
situation. We urge you and the Board to reconsider the Little Room’s future at
the next scheduled Board meeting. We look forward to hearing from you and
discussing how to move forward.”

Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Community Board 6, sent word of the closure of sections of 5th Avenue and Pacific Street beginning on or around Monday, February 1, 2010:

It is anticipated that beginning on or around Monday, February 1, 2010, the following streets in Brooklyn will be permanently closed:

–5th Avenue (between Flatbush & Atlantic Avenues)

–Pacific Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues)

–Pacific Street (between Vanderbilt & Carlton Avenues)

Local and emergency vehicle access will be maintained as needed. These streets are being closed to accommodate the Atlantic Yards project. Northbound traffic on 5th Avenue can use Flatbush Avenue or 6th Avenue to continue north; southbound traffic can use 6th Avenue. Eastbound traffic on Pacific Street can use Dean Street; westbound traffic can use Bergen Street.

To facilitate vehicle circulation, 6th Avenue (between Flatbush Avenue & Pacific Street) and the block of Carlton Avenue (between Dean & Pacific Streets) will become two-way.

These changes necessitate the removal of the Cobble Hill B63 bus stop on 5th Avenue, between Pacific Street & Atlantic Avenue. Passengers can use the existing bus stops on 5th Avenue (at Bergen Street) and on Atlantic Avenue (at 4th Avenue)…

Click here to download the full, official notice (with map), or use the following link:
http://www.brooklyncb6.org/announcements/#15

Thanks to Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Community Board 6, for sending along this press release from the US Postal Service

Fewer than 170 offices remain under review for possible consolidation under the U.S. Postal Service station and branch consolidation initiative. Today’s announcement updates a review process begun earlier this summer that initially examined about 3,300 stations and branches in urban and suburban areas across the country, focusing on facilities in relatively close proximity to one another. The initiative looks to determine where consolidations might be feasible without compromising customer access to postal services. The Postal Service receives no tax subsidy to operate the nation’s mail service. Revenues from the sale of postage, products and services fund its operations. At the conclusion of its 2009 fiscal year in October, the Postal Service reported a loss of $3.8 billion…

Click here for the USPS Press Release announcing the news.

I asked Brad Lander about his first week in the City Council.

Thanks so much for asking about my first week in the City Council.  It was really great!   Our new staff team helped our first (official) constituents, got our office heat turned on (after a cold two-and-a-half days), and started meeting with community groups throughout the district.  On Wednesday, I attended my first City Council meeting.  It has been both exciting and inspiring.

“Our district office is open and ready to start serving constituents. We are located at 456 5^th Ave in Park Slope (on the 3^rd floor, above Neergaard Pharmacy), one block from the 4th Ave and 9th Street F and R subway stop.  I hope you’ll take the opportunity to come by and see us.  You can also call us at (718) 499-1090, fax us at (718) 499-1997 (if you still have a fax!), or email me at blander@council.nyc.gov.
Here’s the great staff team we have in place:

— Rachel Goodman, Chief-of-Staff, rgoodman@council.nyc.gov

— Michael Freedman-Schnapp, Policy Director, mfreedman-schnapp@council.nyc.gov

— Jessica Turner, Community Liaison (Kensington, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park), jturner@council.nyc.gov

— Michael Curtin, Community Liaison (Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope), mcurtin@council.nyc.gov

— Jonah Blumstein, Scheduler/Office Manager, blumstein@council.nyc.gov

“Rachel, Michael, Jessica, Michael, Jonah and I got right to work on the first day, as there were already a number of constituents reaching out to us for our help. And I have to say, I am even more sympathetic now to all the people calling our office, as I spent too much of my first two days as a Councilman trying to get the heat activated in our new office! It certainly reminded me of how important it is to have someone advocating for you when you are in need of service assistance. I hope to be that kind of advocate for all my constituents.  We had our first constituent service success story on Friday, getting assistance from the Parks Department’s Department of Forestry.

“Other highlights from the first week include my first meeting of the whole City Council, where my colleagues and I took our oath of office for the new term; meetings I attended with the 76th Precinct Community Council, the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association and Community Board 12; and a ribbon cutting ceremony that I took part in at the new Atlantic Terminal MTA hub (which is really magnificent on the inside, if you can get past the ugly security barriers).

“This weekend was full of a great set of events:  inaugural events for my new colleagues Jimmy Van Bramer and Danny Dromm (both from Queens) and for our new Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, a wonderful event celebrating Assemblyman Jim Brennan’s 25 years of public service, the Independent Neighborhood Democrats post-holiday party, and the baptism of the new daughter of John and Maria Heyer.  And I still managed to coach my son Marek’s basketball game (the team got blown out this week, but they showed a lot of poise).

“Finally, I want to share with you two recent media appearances:

“On the inaugural show of “Intersect,” a program, on Brooklyn Independent TV/BCAT, I debate (my friend, even though we don’t agree on this issue) Carl Hum, president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, and small business owner Gil Sygler on a bill before the City Council that would require all employers to provide paid sick days to their employees … something that I believe is long overdue.

“On Wednesday, I did a radio interview with Jonathan Hicks from the Dubois Bunche Center at Medgar Evers College.  In the interview, I discuss an essay that I co-authored in a new book From Disaster to Diversity: What’s Next for New York City’s Economy? which was published recently by the Drum Major Institute.  In my essay I discuss recommendations for how economic development should be undertaken – in order to preserve and strengthen neighborhoods, and create real opportunities and broadly shared prosperity.

All in all it was a great first week as the 39^th district’s City Councilman, the first of many over the next four years I am sure. Please don’t hesitate to contact me, or my office, if there is ever anything you need from us, and best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.”

Brad

People want to know. Why did the mayor approve Superfund status for the Newtown Creek and not the famously toxic Gowanus Canal? In December Mayor Bloomberg announed that he supported the Superfund designation for Newtown but he continues to oppose it for the Gowanus because the city wants to do the clean up itself (much to the chagrin of Superfund suporters in the neighborhoods around teh Gowanus.

From Courier Life:

“They are different situations and we evaluate each one independently,” explained Marc La Vorgna, a spokesperson for the mayor. “Each situation is not the same.” For the Gowanus, the city has proposed an alternative plan that uses the power of persuasion to bring potentially responsible polluters to the bargaining table, as opposed to a courtroom. Under the Superfund program, polluters are compelled to clean up the mess they created, or face stiff fines or legal action.The city’s plan replies on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which allows the Army Corps of Engineers to perform environmental restoration in a navigable channel, which the fetid canal is considered.Up to 65 percent of that work could be funded by taxpayers, and that cash could lower the tab for a responsible party, incentivizing participation in the city’s plan. “In Newtown, none of those factors exist — the Army Corps is not there and we don’t have a similar and willing group of potentially responsible parties,” La Vorgna noted. “We do believe that the way the situation exists now is that Superfund might be the best route.”

On his final day in office Comptroller Bill Thompson approved a contract that will make possible the controversial expansion and reopening of the Brooklyn House of Detention in Boerum Hill.

From the Brooklyn Paper:

Before then, Thompson had thrice refused to register the $32-million contract for the renovation of the prison at Atlantic Avenue and Smith Street, citing the increasing cost of the project. Mayor Bloomberg returned fire by suing the comptroller’s office, alleging that Thompson shirked his civic duty by ignoring a mandate to give the $440-million plan the green light.But now that Thompson has rubber-stamped the renovation contract, the mayor’s office has withdrawn its suit But don’t open up the double-locked cellblocks just yet. Before the city can make good on its plan to turn the long-shuttered House of Detention into a 769-bed prison, city officials say they will reach a settlement with community groups.

Tonight at 9PM: watch an interview on BCAT with Jennifer Jones Austin, the Park Slope legal activist, wife and mother, who is in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant.

I’m a freelance reporter with Brooklyn Independent Television. On December 16th I covered the bone marrow drive being held at the Bed-Stuy YMCA for Jennifer and a week later I got to interview her. A truly inspiring woman. The segment will air Monday, January 11th at 9pm on BCAT: Time Warner channel 56, Cablevision channel 69, RCN channel 84 and in all five boroughs on Verizon 44. It will post to the BIT website later in the week. I urge everyone to attend one of the many bone marrow drives being held in the borough for Jennifer and who knows, you might not just help save her life, but that of someone else who needs a match.

A bone marrow transplant requires a 100% compatible match. Because none of Jennifer’s siblings were a match, her best chance of finding one is through the Be The Match Marrow Registry. That is why we are asking for YOUR help. Be The Match Registry is in need of registered donors.

A simple cheek swab is all that is needed to determine if YOU could be the one to save Jennifer or one of the other thousands of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.

A Bone Marrow donation isn’t such a big deal either: it only requires a blood donation. A surgical procedure is NOT required.

To register to become a possible marrow donor, visit www.bethematch.org or call (888) 638-2870. To learn about upcoming marrow drives for Austin visit www.savejenaustin.com.

From the NY Daily News:

Call it the Avenue of Death. Brooklyn’s Atlantic Ave. is becoming one of city’s most dangerous streets for pedestrians, a new study found. From 2006 to 2008, nine pedestrians were killed along the stretch of Atlantic Ave. from Cypress Hills to Downtwon Brooklyn making it one of the two deadliest strips in the city, a new study by the Tri-Station Transportation Campaign showed. That gave Atlantic Ave. nearly twice as many fatalities as Queen’s Blvd. which has become far safer since its frequent pedestrian deaths got it dubbed the “Boulevard of Death” at the start of the last decade.

From Leon Freilich, Verse Responder:

It happened last weekend and again today.  Probably will tomorrow as well. The subway geniuses printed and posted notices at the Grand Army Plaza station saying there was no Brooklyn-bound service throughout the two weekends. Instead, there’s been no Manhattan-bound service–and there have been 2s & 3s going into Brooklyn, last Saturday & Sunday along with today. What is it with this MTA–misshapen tuchis ailment?

Gary Sloman sent in this story and photos today:

I am writing to you hoping you might post a notice about David’s Laundry (60 5th Avenue).  After  serving  the neighborhood for more than 30 years it was forced to close several months ago.  I am fuzzy on the details but it seems to have been due to a legal dispute among the heirs to the property.   The store’s proprietor, a lively, lovely, warm and energetic older woman was quite devastated, because the store was her raison d’etre.  So I was quite happy and surprised when I recently noticed it was open again.  When I inquired the  proprietor showed me a little slip of paper with many Chinese characters and the single English word “appeal”, from which I gathered that her return related to something that had occurred in court.  In any case, the proprietor is delighted to have been given a new lease on life (and perhaps the store) but who needs to notify her old customer base that she is back. (I am sorry I do not know the proprietor’s name or the other details usually expected from a thorough journalistic piece, but I am not a journalist.  However,  I think the two photos tell part of the story)