Another update from City Councilmember Brad Lander, who writes:

“I continue to be amazed by this community’s response to Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. Every call for volunteers, donation, and help has been filled many times over. And we have remained good neighbors, despite this very stressful and ongoing event.

“I would like to highlight the amazing work of the people who are managing the two evacuee shelters in our district. ERIN and ZAIDA at the Park Slope Armory and BETTY, FLORENCE AND TORI at John Jay High School have been strong, dedicated, calm, and organized through a difficult situation. The 700+ people living in these shelters, and our whole community, owe them a big thank you.

“See below for opportunities this weekend to help continue the clean up and support those affected this weekend.

“Volunteer and Donation Needs this Weekend

“The Park Slope Armory shelter (361 15th Street, between 7th & 8th Avenues) needs volunteers who can work at least an 8 hour shift, longer would be great. Shifts start at 8 AM and 8 PM. If they have too many volunteers, you may be turned away, so be prepared for that.

“The John Jay High School shelter (237 7th Avenue, between 4th & 5th Streets) needs day, evening, and overnight volunteers this weekend (especially, but not only, people with medical training). You need to be able to dedicate at least 6-8 hours and cannot bring your children.

“There is still a huge need for your help in Red Hook (and thank you to everyone who has already volunteered). Here are several opportunities over the weekend:

“I am very happy to report that the Office of Emergency Management has set up an office in Red Hook at 402 Van Brunt Street. At 10 AM on Saturday, they are looking for 100 volunteers to assist with cleanup efforts. Please bring tools, work gloves, and be prepared to get a little dirty.

“Added Value, the Red Hook community farm (480 Columbia Street, across the street from IKEA) sustained extensive damage during the storm. About 100 volunteers will be working throughout the morning and will need a hot lunch.

“They are asking any kind souls to bring hot, cooked food to the farm at 1 PM on Saturday. Also, their computers were destroyed by Sandy and the farm would really appreciate a donation of an old computer or smart phone.

“Red Hook Initiative has been doing amazing work this week on behalf of this community in need. They would still appreciate volunteers (at 767 Hicks Street) and donations of flashlights, ice, and medical supplies (but no clothes). Call 718-858-6782 for details.”

A friend of a friend named Kate Mosher Smith is doing a Call to Kitchens and will be driving hot meals to Red Hook Initiative on Saturday to help the people of Red Hook, who are without power and water.

Kate is urging cooks to get your hot dish on! If you can contribute something hot and bring it to their car by 11AM  she will get it to them by lunchtime. Her car is parked on Sixth Avenue between First and Second Streets in Park Slope.

She writes: “We can take supplies/equipment tonight until 9:30pm as well but food should come in the morning by 11AM to 295 6th Ave, bell 3 (up the stoop).”

They are taking donations as well: flashlights, candles, matches, baby food, diapers, paper plates, utensils, paper towels, non-perishable food, water, batteries, and power strips.

Also: Contractor bags, Rags, Bleach, Paper towels, Water, Mop heads, Industrial mop bucket, Mops, Brooms, Toilet paper and Gloves.

I would personally like to thank WNYC for their coverage of Superstorm Sandy. Our radio has been going non-stop since before the storm, during the storm, and all the days since. I am grateful for the reporters, the wealth of information, and their just being there.

It has been a huge help to me and many in terms of morale and hard facts.

Thank you: Brian Lehrer, Amy Eddings, Andrea Bernstein, John Hockenberry, Richard Hake, Bob Hennelly, Illya Marritz, Fred Mogul, Marianne McCune, John Schaeffer, and many more. Please send in more names if you’d like to add to this list.

After being closed for almost a week due to damage from Superstorm Sandy, Prospect Park will reopen to the public tomorrow at 8AM.

Some areas will still be off limits to the public while cleanup continues. The Lincoln Road Playground, Stewart Playground (at the Parade Ground), the area around Nellie’s Lawn, and most of the Woodlands remain closed until further notices. Other area will be marked by caution-tape and the public must avoid these areas.

Sad to say, the damage to Prospect Park exceeds what any storm has done to the Park in 25 years (as long as the Prospect Park Alliance has existed).

Over 300 hundred trees are down or so badly damaged that they will be taken down for safety. There were over 100 hanging limbs and almost 1,000 large branches and limbs are down or damaged.

“Alliance and Parks Department staffs have been working long hours to prepare the Park for its reopening to the public on Saturday,” said Emily Lloyd, Prospect Park Alliance President and Park Administrator. She added, “NYC Service brought over 170 volunteers into Prospect Park today to help clean up and they will be bringing many more on Saturday and Sunday. We also had 50 Army recruiters who were attending a meeting at Fort Hamilton and members of the United States Forest Service helping clear damaged areas. We are grateful for everyone’s support and service to the Park.”

Here’s a way you can help:

On Saturday, November 3^rd at 9 a.m. there’s the Alliance’s Third Annual Walk-a-thon for Prospect Park and First Annual Run for Prospect Park (www.prospectpark.org/walkathon). All proceeds from the Walk-a-thon will be directed to help with the cleanup and restoration of the Park.

Dumbo was badly hit by Storm Sandy. Two of our favorite shops were flooded by the storm surge and suffered major damage. They are now cleaning up and trying to clean up, dry off and move forward.

One Girl Cookies, located on Main Street in Dumbo, Brooklyn, was badly hit by Superstorm Sandy. After the storm, there was four feet of water on their Dumbo block. The bakery filled with water and they are now without power and the shop itself is a disaster area.

One Girl also has a shop in Cobble Hill that was, thankfully, untouched by the storm. The business employs about 36 people and at the moment many of them are helping clean up the Dumbo cafe.  I found this message on their website:

We just want to send boundless gratitude to everyone who has emailed, messaged, tweeted, phoned and stopped by with well wishes and offers of help. As some of you may already know, our lovely DUMBO store is not so lovely right now. Unfortunately, we were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy and suffered some damage due to flooding. (Our block was under 4′ of water and power has not yet been restored.)

PowerHouse Arena, a bookstore, event and exhibition space (and site of the 2009 Brooklyn Blogfest) was also a victim of the storm. The bookstore is truly an essential site on the map of Brooklyn’s literary scene as it is the site of many book launch parties. Here’s the email they sent out:

“The POWERHOUSE Arena sits just blocks from the beautiful Brooklyn waterfront, and while we moved merchandise in preparation for the hurricane’s 3′-11′ surges predicted by the expert meteorologists, we were not prepared for a 14′ rise in water level, which resulted in an inundation of 28″ throughout our 5000 sf main floor. Tubs of kids books, event copies, stationery and totes were lifted off the Arena steps and sunk; cabinets bobbed in the rushing onslaught; within 20 minutes the Arena was flooded and then emptied, breaking out the front door glass window and taking more than a few items along the way. Many of our neighbors–Almondine Bakery, One Girl Cookie, Governor, Aegir Surfboards–were equally devastated, in some cases more so. We’ve not fully tallied our losses, but they’re in the several tens of thousands of dollars.

People are collecting donations of food and water at the Park Slope Armory on 8th Ave in the Slope. It’s being d delivered (and folks can offer to drive loads of supplies) to a community center down the street from Red Hook Initiatives (http://www.rhicenter.org/contact.html).  Volunteers who can get to Red Hook are being encouraged to go directly to the RHI office where they will be given tasks, etc.  

A funeral service for Jacob Vogelman will be held on Friday November 2 at 9:30 am at Congregation Beth Elohim. Burial at Mount Lebanon Cemetery to follow. The family will sit Shiva at the home of Jacob’s mother.

The mostly fresh water West Pond at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Sanctuary was devastated by Superstorm Sandy, breaching the pond and flooding it with salt water.

So what is a Bridge Bus anyway?

News helicopters are hovering over the Atlantic Center covering the first day of subway service since Sandy. And it’s not a pretty picture. Brooklynites must take a Bridge Bus in order to get into Manhattan.

What’s that you say?

It’s a bus that gets you over the bridge.

NYC reporter Andrea Bernstein reports that commuters had to wait over an hour to get on a bus at the Atlantic Center in Brooklyn that would take them across the bridge to working subways in Manhattan. The bus was then escorted by police cars in a special lane on Flatbush Avenue towards the Manhattan Bridge.

My sister called this morning on her way to a film studio in Queens. She was supposed to be picked up by a driver for the film production company she works for but he realized that he wouldn’t be able to get gas and decided to stay in New Jersey. My sister ended up driving to Queens via Prospect Heights. She said the traffic wasn’t that bad except in areas like Flatbush and the Atlantic Center.

Another friend drove to Park Slope from Queens. She did not have a difficult time getting here but her husband tried to drive her brother into Manhattan via the Williamsburg Bridge his morning and because they didn’t have three people in the car had to turn around. The brother walked across the Williamsburg Bridge to get to his job on East 18th Street.

The restrictions on passengers crossing the Bridge may have been an essential idea, but this morning it really slowed bridge traffic, says my Queens friend, because the police were checking each and every cars exacerbating delays.

Anyone have a happy story about today’s commute?

At 8:04 AM this morning, less than two days after Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New York City, Shelley Fidler, a partner at a Washington law firm, received an email from a DC friend checking to see how she was doing.

He also mentioned that his wife has a great-aunt in her late seventies who lives in an “artist’s residence” in the West Village. They knew she was prepared for the storm but they were very concerned about how she was faring without electricity, water, heat and elevator service. “We were wondering if you might know someone on that end of Manhattan who might be willing to check in on her,” he wrote.

Well, never underestimate the power of two women, a telephone and email.

Shelley immediately called her sister, Meg Fidler, a can-do kind of woman, who lives on the Upper West Side. Meg immediately figured out that Elizabeth Cullinan most probably lived in Westbeth (pictured above) and she immediately looked up and sent an email to three of the resident council members of the building.

In the email she wondered if one of them could check in on Elizabeth, find out how she was doing, and see if she wanted to join her sister, Margaret Cullinan, who lives in Park Slope.

Park Slope post-Sandy has electricity and water. The neighborhood is truly a shelter from the storm.

Meg immediately heard back from George Cominskie, the president of the building council, who said he was in Chicago but he would make sure someone at Westbeth checked the apartment. Moments later, Meg heard back from Deb Travis, Vice President of the Westbeth Resident Artists Council. Thanks to Meg’s email, she checked in on Elizabeth and said that she was doing just fine. She wrote: “Yes we talked to her and yes she wants to leave. We’ll assist her.”

That was music to the ears of Shelley, Meg, Elizabeth’s great niece in Washington, DC , and Margaret in Park Slope.

Apparently, Elizabeth and Margaret have a fine tuned system for relying on each other in an emergency. Normally, they’d be in touch. But this time it was impossible. Until this morning when a cabal of concern came together to help by email and cell phone.

Around 11:30 AM, Deb at Westbeth helped Elizabeth leave her apartment, put her in a cab and sent her off to Park Slope, where her sister was waiting.

By 12:28, Meg and Shelley heard from Elizabeth’s niece in Washington that Elizabeth had arrived safely in Park Slope. “OMG. Thank you all. What can I do to thank you? My door is open to you all whenever you are in Washington.”

As is often said, an emergency can bring out the best and worst in people. In this case, it certainly brought out the ingenuity, resourcefulness and gererosity of a few good individuals. And now two sisters are together again, sheltered from the aftermath of a ferocious storm.

Two sisters worked together, as well.

Congregation Beth Elohim along with the rest of Park Slope mourns the tragic and sudden death of Jacob Vogelman, 23, who died alongside his friend Jessie Streich-Kest, Monday evening during Hurricane Sandy. Here is a message CBE sent to members of the congregation and others. At this time, funeral arrangements have not been made for Jacob. Jessie’s funeral will be at Park Slope congregation Kolot Chayeinu: Voices of Our Lives on Sunday.

 Jake was among the kindest, gentlest and most optimistic souls to walk the earth. An encounter with Jake was to encounter a smile, enthusiasm, and an unbound joy for life. And Jessie was his oldest and dearest friend. They lost their lives while caring for others, an act of generosity and lovingkindness that will never be forgotten.

Jake is survived by his mother, Marcia Sikowitz, his father Larry Vogelman, his brothers Noah and Jeremiah, his uncles Rabbi Dan Sikowitz (Ruth Stuart) and Matt (Pam) Sikowitz, cousins Gabe, Sarah, Joseph, Megan and Shayna Sikowitz, and his beloved and proud grandparents Bert and Florence Sikowitz.

When tragedy strikes so close to home during natural disasters, we are tempted to ask why. Now, however, is the time to give generously of ourselves–to the Sikowitz and Vogelman families–to hold them close, to listen, and to love.

Jessie Streich-Kest’s family, members of Kolot Chayeinu: Voices of Our Lives, will hold a funeral service for Jessie on Sunday. Our hearts and thoughts and prayers go out to the Streich and Kest families in their grief as well.

Funeral arrangements for Jake are currently being made and we will inform the community about plans for service and burial when that information becomes available.

In the meantime, you can read the following news items about Jake.

New York Observer

Forward

New York Times

And you can leave messages on Jake’s Facebook page.

Jake Vogelman’s memory will be an enduring blessing. His soul will live on in the acts of loving kindness we perform in his name.

May the Sikowitz and Vogelman families be comforted among the Mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Jacob Vogelman, 24, a son of Park Slope, died in Ditmas Park during the storm.

Jacob was raised on First Street in Park Slope across the street from PS 321.

Renee Dinnerstein, a local educator, knew him. “Jacob grew up on First Street, right across from P.S. 321, the elementary school that he attended. He was a particularly sweet and friendly presence on our street,” she writes. He attended Leon Goldstein High School and SUNY Buffalo.

Here he is pictured with his girlfriend, Jessie Streich-Kest, who also died on Monday. Jessie, also 24, grew up in Ditmas Park. The two of them were walking their Pit Bull when they were pinned under a tree. They were not discovered until Tuesday morning.

A graduate of Edward R. Murrow High School, Jessie was a teacher at Bushwick High School for Social Justice. Her family released the following statement: “Just 24 years old, Jessie Streich-Kest left a lasting impression on all who met her, and especially on her students at Bushwick HS for Social Justice, to whom she was deeply committed. Jessie loved life and was deeply devoted to social justice.”

Jacob’s grandparents also live in Park Slope. OTBKB sends its profound condolences to the family and friends of Jacob and Jesse.

Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope will be open today from 9:30AM until 3PM as a gathering place for the community.

While all their formal programs (ECC, Yachad, Afterschool) are still closed, families and friends are invited to come make use of their pace and to give children a chance to stretch out under the supervision of a parent or babysitter.

Sports equipment will be available in the gym and staff and volunteers will facilitate projects and activities in the Ballroom. The CBE Pool will be open from 11-2 with a lifeguard on duty.

Families should bring their own food and are welcome to bring a “picnic” lunch. If you are able to volunteer to lead a project or activity, please email cgreenberg(at)cbebk(dot)org. Volunteers will also be needed to help with set up and clean up. Clergy will be on hand to speak with people about any personal issues they may be dealing with.

Again, please be sure to keep your children under the supervision of a parent or babysitter at all times.

CBE is located at 274 Garfield in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Jessie Streich-Kest and Jacob Vogelman of Ditmas Park, Brooklyn died during Sandy as they walked their dog. A couple, they were both raised in Brooklyn and were both only 24-years-old. According to the Ditmas Park Stoop, they were pinned under a fallen tree and were not discovered until morning.

Jacob was raised on First Street in Park Slope. Renee Dinnerstein, a local educator, knew him. “Jacob grew up on First Street, right across from P.S. 321, the elementary school that he attended. He was a particularly sweet and friendly presence on our street.”

Jessie grew up in Ditmas Park. A graduate of Edward R. Murrow High School, she was a teacher at Bushwick High School for Social Justice. Her family released the following statement:

“Just 24 years old, Jessie Streich-Kest left a lasting impression on all who met her, and especially on her students at Bushwick HS for Social Justice, to whom she was deeply committed. Jessie loved life and was deeply devoted to social justice.”

Jacob attended Leon Goldstein High School in Brooklyn and SUNY Buffalo.

Our city is counting its losses—and counting its blessings. In Park Slope, Brooklyn we are grateful that the storm’s damage was fairly  minimal. But close by, in other Brooklyn neighborhoods, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island,  Long island and New Jersey, the storm’s toll has been catastrophic.

Many are dead (36 in the Tri-State area alone), Lower Manhattan remains without power, the great New York City subway system is shut down due to flooding, eighty houses in Breezy Point, Queens burned to ashes and millions of households in the Tri-State area are without electricity and water. The damage to the Northeastern rail system is crippling activity in  many states.

My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones. My heart goes out to those who are homeless now. My heart goes out to those who are struggling without electricity and water.

And so we begin to rebuild. And we must rebuild according to the changing realities of weather patterns and climate change. What is daunting is the “new normal” of extreme weather in a city unused to such conditions.

Once again, Lower Manhattan is in crisis. Certainly this brings back memories of 9/11. That was also a time when we recognized the heroism of first responders. With gratitude, we again thank first responders and rescue workers for all they did and continue to do during and after Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy.

Our city in ruins, our subway stilled, we begin the process of rebuilding and rethinking. It will take strength and patience and the ability to build smart into the future.

City Councilmember Brad Lander sent this update yesterday:

I have been amazed by this community’s response to this storm. People took their responsibilities to their community seriously – securing loose objects around their home before the storm, helping neighbors who suffered damage, and volunteering and donating at shelters today. That commitment to community is what makes this such a special place to live.

Your help is still needed. Read below for volunteer opportunities as well as closure updates.

Closures

Schools will be closed again Wednesday.

Some bus lines have resumed limited service, but it will be at least several days before all subway lines are up and running. The MTA is assessing damage and working to restore service (including pumping out flooded subway tunnels).

Alternate Side Parking and meters are suspended Tuesday and Wednesday.

Volunteers Still Needed

The response to my email this morning was amazing. Both shelters in the 39th Council District, John Jay High School (237 7th Avenue, between 4th & 5th Streets) and the Park Slope Armory (361 15th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues), received a lot of volunteers. But the day shift will be heading home and the shelters still need volunteers for this evening and overnight (especially at the Armory).

You need to be willing to work a six to eight hour shift and cannot bring your children. The Armory is sheltering people with additional medical needs, so volunteers should be comfortable working with the elderly, disabled, or others who may need extra support. We will update BradLander.com/hurricane with volunteer information as we receive it, so please check for any updates before you leave for the shelter.

While those are the two shelters in my council district, there may be other shelters closer to you. Enter your address here to find the closest shelter to you and reach out to see if they are also in need of volunteers. You can also sign up to volunteer in the coming days with NYC Service Initiative or the Red Cross.

I want to give a big thank you to Alexander Rapaport of Masbia, Chaverim of Borough Park, and Councilmember Letitia James, who delivered hot meals and other food to the Armory today on short notice.

In the coming days, there will be many other opportunities to provide service, including park clean ups, blood drives, and calls for donations. And thank you to everyone who donated clothing at John Jay High School this morning.

No more clothing donations are needed at John Jay High School at this time.

Reporting Damage

Downed trees and debris

If you see any downed trees or other debris from the storm, your first call should be to 311 (you can also contact 311 online). If there is an immediate danger to life, call 911 right away. Make sure to write down the tracking number from your 311 call. To alert my office of downed trees or other storm damage, use the storm damage report form on my website (make sure to include the 311 tracking number).

Federal assistance

You can apply for disaster assistance from the federal government here.

Insurance claims

In most cases, funds for repairs from storm damage will come through claims to your homeowners or renters insurance company. The New York Times offers this helpful advice on hurricane insurance claims.

Parks

I updated you this morning on the damage at Prospect Park. Cobble Hill Park, Carroll Park, and Greenwood Cemetery, in addition to other open spaces in our district, have suffered real damage from the hurricane.

All parks remain closed for safety concerns. You should stay out of all parks until the City announces that they have been reopened.

Halloween

Following the hurricane, some of our much-loved neighborhood Halloween celebrations have had to change their plans. Obviously, each family will have to decide for themselves about trick-or-treating tomorrow night.

The Park Slope Civic Council’s Halloween Parade has been cancelled. The event requires many police officers, sanitation workers, and other city employees, who are needed more in neighboring communities that were heavily damaged from the storm.

Organizers are still deciding about the Cobble Hill Halloween Parade and we will let you know when we have more information.

Please continue to reach out to me with problems, questions, thoughts, and concerns.

Brad