All posts by louise crawford

Civics and Urban Life

Cheerful Thoughts: Paper Love on Lincoln Place

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Paperlovelogo
Paper Love, a newly opened specialty paper boutique on Lincoln Place between 7th and 8th Avenues in Park Slope, offers custom wedding and party invitations, letterpress, novelty
paper goods, and fanciful wrapping and ribbon.
The owner, Alison Alfandre, always wanted to open a shop that sells paper goods, something she is obviously passionate about. 
Well, she did it and painted the small shop a tasteful shade of sky blue and filled it with a tempting selection of cards, notebooks, journals, and more; clearly Alison has a soft spot for letter press items.

Today OSFO and I went in there for a look. The shop was a cozy diversion from the cold outside. We looked around and talked to Alison who was still wearing her coat.

On a shelf near the counter, I found a grouping of tiny books by OrangeArt Miniatures with the following titles: Friends, Cooks on Cooking, Incomplete Book of Dog Names, and others. I immediately went for the book called Cheerful Thoughts ($7).

Cheerful Thoughts: that would be an appropriate gift for a number of people I know because there lives are anything but cheerful at the moment. Either they'll laugh or cry when they see it.

This small beautiful book of quotations, does contain a diversity of thoughts on the subject and a selection of quite erudite thinkers,including:

Colette: "What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner."

IB Singer: "Life is God's novel. Let him write it."

H.D. Thoreau: "To be awake is to be alive."

Bill Blass: "When in doubt wear red."

Readers, I tried to buy the book but Alison gave it to me. Cheerful thoughts indeed. And I urge you to warm up inside this cheerful little shop on Lincoln Place. Have a look around. And tell Alison who sent ya.

 

Civics and Urban Life

Voice Lessons in Park Slope with Rebecca Pronsky

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Rebecca Pronsky, who runs the Brooklyn Songwriters Exchange emailed me the other day.

Thanks so much for listing my event, the Brooklyn Songwriters Exchange, on OTBKB the other day!  I love your blog and read it every day so of course I saw the listing.  I'm gonna keep sending you info on the shows we hold at Union Hall if that's okay.  Our series is free to attend and is a great way to get exposed to the excellent songwriting talent hiding in your own backyard.

I also thought I'd mention that aside from my touring and performing, I am a voice teacher and I live right in the neighborhood.  I'm on the music faculty at Berkeley Carroll but also teach privately and am trying to get the word out to people in the neighborhood about my lessons. 

I'm very affordable, compared to Manhattan prices and I teach all ages and all levels, including adults.  I'm a graduate of Brown University's Ethnomusicology program and focus on pop, rock and jazz.

There's a lot more information about me at my website www.ParkSlopeVoiceLessons.com

Civics and Urban Life

US Air Jet Ditches in the Hudson: Crew and Passengers Safe

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Gawker
A US Air jet (Airbus 320) ditched in the Hudson River this afternoon. Within six minutes of take-off from  LaGuardia Airport the plane began to experience a catastrophic engine problem. The flight was bound for Charleston Charlotte , South North Carolina. 

It is believed that a flock of geese flew into the engines and disabled them. The pilot made the heroic decision to land the plane in the Hudson. 

It seems that all 146 passengers and the crew survived the impact. The passengers and crew were transported from the plane to ferry boats, even a Circle Line boat.  


A passenger told CNN he thought that all those on board had escaped unharmed.
“A couple of minutes after taking off we heard a loud bang, the plane shook a bit and immediately we could smell smoke and fire.”


The photograph is by Janis Krums from Sarasota, Florida posts the first photo of U.S. Airways flight 1549 on Twitter from his iPhone.


He has a short piece on   his web page   http://www.janiskrums.com/  how to use twitter effectivly 

It's on twitter but the server seems to be overwhelmed right now

 
Civics and Urban Life

Rosemarie Hester, Learning Specialist: Vowels

Pink jacket+Ben
Rosemarie Hester is a learning specialist in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Her new website will be up and running this weekend.

     Learning all the vowel sounds is a daunting task!  Here is something you can do to help your child learn the short sounds which he or she will need to know for words like “cat,” “sit,” “led,” as well as all the many longer words containing them. 

    Work with your child to find a word with a ‘short a’ sound that has meaning to him or her, like the name of a family cat (Al) or a favorite food (apple).  Help your child write the word on an index card and then draw a picture.  Brainstorm other words with the “short a.”  The child should then use a highlighter or a crayon to trace over it to make it stand out.

    If your child has enough stamina, go on to ‘short e’ and perhaps ‘short i,” each time identifying a key word and drawing a picture on an index card.  

It’s probably best not try to do all the vowels in one sitting!  Always review the previous vowels when you add the next. 

Review and practice in short sessions, making a game of it, to help your child picture the image on the card, say the key word and isolate the short sound. 

The next step for the beginning reader is for you to make short lists of words like “hat, Ted, fan, cup, top, sit,” mixing up the vowels.  Here’s the important part–Keep the index cards available next to the list so the child can refer to them.

  If the child has started to read, be sure to have the index cards available, then, also . Eventually, the short sounds will become automatic–but it’s not helpful to rush the process.   This can really take time! 

This activity utilizes what is called a multi-sensory approach and personalizes learning because it involves the child brainstorming, making choices, drawing something original, writing, reading out loud, practicing and repeating.  Another time, I’ll explain how to use a multi-sensory approach to teach vowel pairs–of which there are many!

Civics and Urban Life

Parents for Climate Protection: House Party on Jan 25

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Parents for Climate Protection is presenting their  3rd Annual House Party for parents and children (or adults without children) with panel discussion and an arts and crafts letter writing activity. As in previous years, several amazing experts will share their knowledge on climate change with attendees.


—  Professor Allen Frei, Ph.D., climatologist at Hunter College and CUNY, and Deputy Director of the Sustainable Cities Institute

—  Amy Larkin, Solutions Director, National Greenpeace

—Jackson Morris, Air and Energy Associate, Environmental Advocates of New York

 

For the crafts activity, we provide all the materials necessary for the attendees to write letters to their elected officials on the urgent need for federal legislation limiting greenhouse gas emissions.  We encourage families to work together with children creating beautiful nature collages and parents adding a message on their behalf.  If you just want to come to hear the presentations and ask questions, that's perfectly fine as well. You don’t have to be a parent to attend!

Date: Sunday, January 25th, 3:00 p.m.
General location:  South Slop

Please e-mail to rsvp with the number of attendees (adults and children) and to obtain the address: nyclaudia(at)earthlink(dot)net

 


 

 

Civics and Urban Life

The Center for the Urban Environment Launches New Youth Program for Holiday Breaks

Rebeccah Welch, of the Center for the Urban Environment, wrote this morning to tell me about an exciting new program they're offering:

If your children are interested in the environment or
sustainability—the Center the Urban Environment has a great new program for
urban explorers called CUE Labs. 
The program is designed to help fill a
critical niche in the academic year—the holiday break. With one soon approaching,
CUE is launching the program this February (2/16 – 2/20) and plans to continue
it in the spring and summer recess as well.

“People are always looking for an exciting way to
spend their school vacation,” said Doug Pereira, Director of Education and
Community Initiatives at the Center and organizer of the program, “and CUE Labs offers
kids the opportunity to learn amazing things about their urban environment
through exploration, field-trips, hands-on activities and science
experiments.”  CUE Labs scientists will enjoy
educational games, arts activities and model building in programs like City Critters where children from
5-7 explore the lives of worms and pill bugs and Eco-Defenders, where older kids
investigate human impact on the environment and consider issues of reuse and
conservation in relation to their habits and community

If you’re interested in offering your child a dynamic
science experience at a local, leading environmental center, please call 718-788-8500 and ask for Peachy Cao to get more information
or to register your child. All students registered by January 30th will
receive a 10% discount. Every child registered after February 1st will
receive 5% off.

Civics and Urban Life

Tonight at CUE: Will the Climate Crisis Be Overshadowed by the Economic crisis?

Will green jobs really change the way we operate?
Will the climate crisis be overshadowed by the economic crisis?
Where does the new administration stand on issues of the environment anyway?

Tonight! (Thurs 1/15)

Join the Center for the Environment's  "Third Thursday" forum to discuss post-election
strategies and campaigns around environmental issues. Listen in as
experts dissect the recent election’s impact on national, state and
local environmental politics—including the role NYC's local communities
will play in ushering in a new clean energy economy by holding our
newly elected officials to their campaign promises and demanding real
solutions to the climate crisis.

Josh Nachowitz: New York State Policy Director for the New York League of Conservation Voters;

Rob Crauderueff: Policy Director for Sustainable South Bronx

Where:

Center for the Urban Environment

168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (btw 2nd and 3rd Aves)

Train: Take F train to 4th Avenue or R train to 9th Street. Walk over 2
blocks north to 7th Street and 1st Avenue west to 3rd Avenue.

$10 Suggested Donation

Warm Refreshments served

Limited Space. Please RSVP to rwelch@bcue.org ASAP

Civics and Urban Life

The Principal Responds to JJ Byrne Park Mugging

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Here is a letter sent to the "MS 51 Community" on January 13th from Lenore Berner, the principal of MS 51, about the recent mugging in JJ Byrne Park.

Dear MS 51 Community,

I know that many of you have heard there was an incident in JJ Byrne Park after school yesterday.  A 6th grade boy was in the Park around 3:30pm when he was approached by older, possibly high school age students, who asked for money and punched him in the face.  The boy and his friends came back to school to get help.  We called the police, an ambulance, and the boy’s mom, who all responded quickly. 

To insure the safety of all our students, I have urged the 78th Precinct to consistently populate the park with a greater police presence during after school hours.  There have not been “several other attacks in recent weeks,” as is the rumor, but we believe police presence would prevent further incidents.  We have had only 2 other reports of students ‘getting harassed’ by older kids, outside school, during after school hours this entire school year.  However, I would urge your children to be cautious and aware of their surroundings as they travel to and from school.   We are in the process of coordinating a Safety Assembly, with the 78th Precinct, to address these issues of ‘street safety’ with all our students. 

We take these incidents very seriously and are working with the police to keep our kids safe.  Please speak to your child about traveling safely, securing valuable items and being aware of their surroundings.  Remind your child that they should always come back to the school if they or their friends need help.

Civics and Urban Life

MLK Day: Service and Acts of Kindness

For Martin Luther King Day, President-elect Obama has called for a Day of Service
so that we think of MLK Day as a "day on" instead of a "day off."

Some members of Park Slope Parents have organized the family event below. They invite you to come to give, sing,
donate and also to teach your kids how to give back to the community.

Park Slope Day of Service:
        Sing-Along, Bake Sale and "Acts of Kindness" Mural Project
PLACE: The Church of Gethsemane, 1012 8th Avenue (Btw 10th & 11th Street)
DATE: Monday, January 19th
TIME:  Sing-Along from 11:00 to 12:30
         (open for donation drop-offs and art between 10:00 and 2:00)

DONATIONS NEEDED:
–Canned goods (especially canned meats, soups, stews and fruit) for the Church's Food Pantry which serves the local community and beyond
–Old towels, blankets (baby blankets are perfect) for use by local animal shelters.
–Gently used scarves, hats, and gloves/mittens
–L and XL Men's clothing

More Details & RSVP here
(Please RSVP so we can better plan the event!)

To find other events click here.
Civics and Urban Life

Leon Freilich, Verse Responder: All the President’s Menschim

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MENSCHIM

Obama's on his way to gathering a minyan,

And that is more than merely my opinion.

There's Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod,

Both natural choices, nothing in the least odd.

Plus Larry Summers and less-known Ronald Klain,

Both excellent advisors, as is plain.

As well there's Peter Orszag and Tim Geithner,

Each a brilliant gentleman, none "brightner."

And last–for now–is Obama's man of the hour:

Paul Volcker, the veteran six-foot-seven tower.

Just three to go to reach the required ten–

How about some worthy women to join the men?

Civics and Urban Life

Mugging in JJ Byrne Park

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This was on Park Slope Parents but was sent to me by an OTBKB reader.

Our sixth grader was mugged and beat up yesterday at 3:20 pm just
outside MS 51 in JJ Byrne Park. He was surrounded by 8 older boys
while his pockets were searched for valuables. Then he was held and
repeatedly punched in the face.

This morning a sixth-grade girl was assaulted on her way to school,
and apparently there have been several other attacks in recent weeks.

If you have children at MS 51 please contact the administration and
demand more security around the s. You can also
contact the 78th Precinct youth officer, P.O. Ciuffo at 718-636-6451.

Civics and Urban Life

Inauguration Day: Where to Watch in Brooklyn

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Barbes will be screening live coverage of the day’s celebrations in its small back room. There are other options as well. BAM will have a free screening and according to Brooklyn Based:

You can also catch coverage at Southpaw,
which is opening its doors slightly early, at 6pm, for The Inauguration
Celebration: The Goodbye WreckRoom Party for Bush. The Bell House
puts a borough-specific spin on its festivities as it hosts the
Brooklyn Inaugural Ball, which doubles as a fundraiser for PS 261.
Shops and restaurants in Fort Greene offer deals to mark the occasion,
starting on Friday. Go to the Bed Stuy Blog for the
full list.

And Tuesday night if you're not going to the PS 261 Inauguration Ball at The Bell House, celebrate at Barbes with the most festive band on earth (or in Brooklyn anyway):

SLAVIC SOUL PARTY.
Best Reason Tuesdays are the New Friday. Best of The Village Voice
2007.
Balkan Party. Every Tuesday. For ever! Fiery Gypsy brass, soulful
Balkan anthems, and hip-grinding American funk: Slavic Soul Party! is
just what it says. Brash and strong as slivovitz, these nine musicians
have forged a virtuosic new brass band music in the heart of New York
City; their half-decade bacchanal is a destination for locals as well
as brass and Balkan fans from around the globe. SSP!'s last three cds
(Teknochek Collision, Remixed, and Bigger) are all available from
Barbès Records. John Carlson & Ben Holmes (trumpet), Peter Hess
(sax/clarinet), Roland Barber and Tim Vaughn (trombone), Ron Caswell
(tuba), Peter Stan (accordion),
Civics and Urban Life

Recipe for Young Chefs: Chocolate Carob Bites

Check out the recipes on the blog Recipes for Young Chefs. Here's one for Chocolate Carob Bites. Garden Spider, the young blogger and chef, says they're tasty. His mom likes them, too.

Finally! A recipe that I made up myself!!! 
You Will Need:
Carob Chips
Peanut Butter
Water 
Butter
and Ground Walnuts (optional)
Equipment:
Small Frying Pan
Small Metal Bowl
Plate (Plastic is best)
Spatula (optional, use it if you only have a glass plate)
Good Freezer
A Spoon
and
Napkin (To wipe off your mouth after you've licked the bowl)
1. Put the Water in the Frying Pan and put it on the stove
2. Turn down the heater to low, and put the Small Metal Bowl with the Carob Chips in the Frying Pan
3. Drop in the Butter, and also plop in the Peanut Butter* **
4. Wait until completely melted then use the Spoon to plop it in small piles around the Plate
5. Put the plate in the Good Freezer
6. Lick the Small Metal Bowl
7. Wipe your mouth with the Napkin
8. Lounge around and watch T.V. for as long as you like, until you are bored to death and open the Good Freezer
9. Scrape off the chunks of Carob Chips, Peanut Butter* **, and Butter
10. Fail to serve your guests and pretend you ate them all up by accident
*If the mixture gets to muddy, put in Ground Walnuts instead of Butter
** You can also use Pecan Butter, Walnut Butter, Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, Nut Butter, or any kind of butter you wish
Civics and Urban Life

Brooklyn Paper: Marty Says Atlantic Yards Not “Economically Feasible”

From the Brooklyn Paper:

Borough President Markowitz, one of Bruce Ratner’s staunchest
allies, dropped a bombshell on Tuesday, saying that the $1-billion
basketball arena at the heart of Atlantic Yards is no longer
“economically feasible” and that Ratner and state officials need to
give the design “a second look” so that the structure can actually get
built.

Markowitz’s bombshell statement was first issued on Tuesday to
the New York Times, which has a business partnership with Ratner and
has not been critical of the developer’s stalled 16-skyscraper arena,
office and residential complex. It was later released to other media
outlets.

In the statement, Markowitz refers to a recent statement from Ratner
that the developer was looking for ways to cut costs in Frank Gehry’s
innovative design — a design that was once a main selling point of the
controversial project.

Civics and Urban Life

Blog for Job Searchers and Those Looking to Hire

An OTBKB reader just got in touch with me about her blog, Ellen Weber's Weblog. There are job listings on the site, as well as posts about all kinds of issues related to job and employee searches.

I enjoyed reading posts called:   How to negotiate your salary when you are worth more than what you make? How to get a job after a long maternity leave? and Quickly becoming the master of Linked In. Here's a bit about Ellen Weber and her weblog:

My name is Ellen Weber and I’ve been at Karen Tripi Associates for over 15 years.
We are executive recruiters that specialize in the interactive and
direct marketing space. When you hire us to work on a search for you,
you are getting years of expertise, extreme tenacity (I’ve completed
all the searches I’ve worked on) and direct contact with the person
that is running your search. We also work on a contingency basis with
some of our clients.

I’d like this blog to be a discussion about items related to
recruiting both from the employer and candidate perspective. I’ve
looked at hundreds of resumes, interviewed tons of people and have a
good idea of how candidates should portray themselves and how employers
can figure out if this person can do what they need them to do. Or more
importantly, can this person rise to become what they need them to be.

Civics and Urban Life

Music and Dance Celebration on MLK Day

Brooklyn Music School holds its annual Music and Dance Celebration of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday on Saturday, January 17 at 4pm.
The Journey Dancers pre-professional group, Rock and Youth Choral
Ensembles and other students will perform.
Admission:  $5 donation

Brooklyn Music School (BMS), chartered in 1912, is
located in Downtown Brooklyn, sharing a city block with BAM. Its mission is to
serve the community without regard to income, age, previous experience or
professional aspirations. Music instruction (instrumental, Voice, ensembles) is
offered to those ages 6 to Adult. BMS also offers Dance (ballet, pointe, jazz,
modern, tap) for boys and girls 3–19 years old.

For directions or more information, call 718-638-5660.

Civics and Urban Life

Sunday at the Brooklyn Museum: From King’s Protests to Obama’s Election

Mlkwnyc
Here’s a good option for Brooklynites
who can’t make it to DC but want to mark this historic presidential
inauguration in a meaningful way.

WNYC is presenting a free panel discussion
on Sunday at The Brooklyn Museum, which will feature an investigation of the
civil rights journey from King’s protests to Obama’s election. For more details go to wnyc.org

The timing was
uncanny. On August 28, 2008, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party’s
nomination for President on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.’s landmark “I Have a Dream” speech. 
Now, the annual Martin Luther King holiday falls on the eve of Obama’s
historic inauguration as the first African American President of the United States.

To mark this momentous occasion, WNYC will present its third annual MLK
event, “A JOURNEY OF HOPE: From Protest
to Presidency,” an afternoon of conversation, music and poetry
celebrating the vision and legacy of Dr. King and its most powerful
manifestation five decades later.

WNYC’s Peabody Award-winning hosts Brian Lehrer (The Brian Lehrer Show) and Adaora Udoji (The
Takeaway with John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji) will lead a
discussion with an esteemed roundtable of academics, journalists and public
policy advocates about the evolution of American political thought and tactics
from King to Obama.

The conversation will explore three
primary areas:

WHAT ARE
THE NEW FRONTIERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT?

Are we post-racial? If so, where does the struggle
against racism fit within a “postracial” society?  Has racial
equality been supplanted by gay rights, religious tolerance (particularly
Islam), immigrant rights at the top of the new civil rights agenda? What
exactly happened with Proposition 8?

TOOLS AND TACTICS OF CHANGE From MLK
to Obama

How did MLK use protest, and why is it no longer as effective? How has
the role of the Black church changed within advocacy and protest movements?
What is the new call to service?

A
CHANGING OF THE GUARD? Origins and Heirs of the Civil Rights Movement

What is the new role for the old guard of Black
leadership now that a Black leader will occupy the highest office in the land?
What is owed to those who brought us to this moment, and are they getting their
due? What do young activists owe the older generation?

 

 

Civics and Urban Life

MLK Day at Old First: The Audacity of Peace

Pastor Daniel Meeter at Old First Reformed Church sent this about a Martin Luther King Day Celebration at the church:

THE AUDACITY OF PEACE   
Peace-finding and Peace-sharing For the Whole Family

Monday January 19th, 2009, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
at the Old First Reformed Church (7th Avenue at Carrol Street)
-and- 
at the Spoke the Hub Re:Creation Center (748 Union Street @ 6th Avenue)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

For Reservations, Directions & Information: 718.408-3234

Workshops, drama, dancing, meditation, yoga, and artwork for pre-schoolers through adults.
Hosted by Old First Reformed Church and Spoke the Hub.
Co-sponsored by Congregation Beth Elohim and The Interfaith Center of New York

At midday: “Four Traditions”: interfaith prayers for peace (and for our new president) led by
Imam Salilou Djabi, of the Imam Ali Mosque in Bedford-Stuyvesant,
Rev. T. K. Nakagaki, of the Buddhist Church of New York,
Rabbi Andy Bachman, of Congregation Beth Elohim, and
Pastor Daniel Meeter, of Old First Reformed Church

MORNING WORKSHOPS
CardioDancing:  Strengthen Your Heart! (Teens & Adults)
Prana and Prayer (Teens & Adults)
Make Your Own Mandala (All Ages )
Jump On The Peace Train (Preschoolers)
Ahimsa Yoga
Chair Yoga

LUNCH FOR ALL
AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS
Peace Is An Inside Job:  An Introduction to Meditation & Mindfulness Practice
Jump On The Peace Train (ages 6 and up)
Make Your Own Mandala (All Ages )

Suggested Donation:
$ 10.00 Adults;  $5 Kids & Seniors  (per individual workshop or lunch)
$ 25.00 Adults; $10 Kids & Seniors (for whole day, including lunch)
$ 60.00 Family Rate (siblings and parents, for whole day, including lunch)

Please make advanced reservations by January 16th  if you will be joining us for lunch:
718.408-3234  or spoke@spokethehub.org

Civics and Urban Life

James Braly is Back: The Monthly Nut

James Braly has been mentioned on OTBKB numerous times because of his show, Life in a Marital Institution. Now he's back with a new show called The Monthly Nut. The following is a letter from James:Dea

As an American who believes deeply in the Founding Fathers' credo of enlightened self-interest, there's only one thing more important to me than my former classmate Barack Obama's upcoming inaugural address: my new monologue.



It's called The Monthly Nut,
and if you've ever hated your job and loathed your life, yet loved your
lifestyle though you couldn't begin to afford it, this show is for you.



Directed by maestro Hal Brooks, the first workshop performance will be presented by The Deep End Productions on Saturday, February 28.  More at http://deepend.typepad.com/

Tonight (January 13) I will be performing a short section of The
Monthly Nut as part of the QUARTERLY IDEASMYTH READING-PA-LOOZA:



Tuesday, January 13th, 2009, 7pm

Trattoria Dopo Teatro

125 West 44th Street (btw Bway & 6th Ave)



Performers/readers include:



James Braly (Off Broadway: Life in a Marital Institution, 2x Moth GrandSlam winner)

Andy Christie (The Liar Show Producer, Moth GrandSlam winner)

Cindy Kaplan (author of Leave the Building Quickly and Why I'm like This)

Joel Solomon (head writer MTV Works)



NO COVER-NO MINIMUM-DOWNSTAIRS PRIVATE DINING ROOM

Please come at 7pm to place your orders; Readings start at 7:30pm

www.dopoteatro.com



The next night, I'll be appearing in the “REAL TALES OF COLLEGE”
storytelling show.  All I can promise you about this event is that it
will feature the man who graduated from Columbia University in the
mid-1980s, who has two beautiful children of the same sex, aged 10 and
7 years old, who wrote a critically-acclaimed autobiographical story,
but who is not going to be the 44th president of the United States:



Wednesday, January 14th – 7:30 PM SHARP

Ochi's Lounge/Comix

353 14th St. between 8th and 9th Avenues

Hosted by Adam Wade and Jake Goldman




Civics and Urban Life

Park Slope Book and School Suppy Drive for PS 41 in Brownsville on MLK Day

A member of a  newly formed Park Slope group — tentatively titled
Park Slope Bridge to Change — sent me info about a school book and school
supply drive on Martin Luther King Day, as part of the Obama
Transition's National Call to Service.

The group plans to actively man two
locations (the Coop and the Community Book Store on 7th Avenue) from
10 am until 4 pm on Monday January, 19th, with drop boxes at other locations.

The collected items will be donated to P.S.
41 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, a K-8 school that Congressman Yvette
Clarke's office recommended to us as being in need of assistance.

The event page for this group is on the Obama: usaservice.org.