November Events

CLICK HERE to find out more about the events and opportunities listed below This information brought to you by our friends at Citizens Committee of NY Block transformation grant deadline is November 30th! Group Structure workshop is on November 14th. Fiscal Sponsorship workshop is on November 24th. Tenants & Neighbors fact sheets on tenants’ rights available online! Credit Card Management/Identity Theft Prevention workshop is in December. Foreclosure Prevention workshops in Brooklyn are on November 7th and 21st. Office of Rent Administration public hearing is on November 6th. Rights of Way: New Politics of Movement in New York City? event in Manhattan is on November 12th. Free H1N1 Flu Vaccinations in Queens. “Food, Inc.” documentary screening and panel discussion is on November 19th. Bronx Green-Up workshops are scheduled throughout the month. Check out the event calendars of Just Food, Green Thumb, and CENYC. Participate in community events at the New York Public Library or your local library!

Job Opportunites

Opening for a part-time Preservation Manager at Weeksville Heritage Center, in anticipation of the construction of a new building (opening in 2011) and program expansion. Click here for more information if interested Director of Business Development for the Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Click here for more information if interested Small Business Services Counselor position with Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union serving Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick businesses. Click here for more information if interested

Holiday Jobs

BPL is partnering with Brooklyn's Workforce One Career Center to help jobseekers especially in these times. We plan to collaborate on events/projects including hiring events where jobseekers can meet with Workforce One staff to be prescreened for various openings at major employers. The first of these events is for: Century 21 Seasonal Cashier and Sales Positions November 16th, 2009 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. at the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza: Second Floor Meeting Room Workforce 1 does the screening onsite at Central (and may also register patrons for Workforce 1) and then provides follow-up information to qualified candidates moving on in the interview process. For more info: Kerwin Pilgrim Coordinator of Business and Workforce Development Brooklyn Public Library, Central Library Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11238 Tel: 718. 230.2795

POETRY SLAM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 at 7 PM
Cavin Hall - 15 Rochester Ave.

for more info & to register: 718-224-7371

PACC Homeowner/Homebuyer Night

PACC Homeowner/Homebuyer Night

FREE Workshops in:
affordable homes, grants for purchase &

closing costs, repairs, maintenance,
weatherization & much, much more

Tuesday, November 10, 6-9pm
Concord Baptist Church of Christ
833 Marcy Avenue (betwn Putnam & Madison)

For more info contact 718-783-3549
Charisse Smith: ext 15 or Divinity Pittman ext 11

Free Seminar on Energy Saving and Repairs

Thursday November 12, 2009 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Flatbush Branch Library

22 Linden Blvd (near the corner of Flatbush Ave.)
Brooklyn, New York 11226

Get Directions

Learn ways to save money on your energy bills. Learn about energy saving tips, repairs and home improvement options: Free giveaways.
Sponsored by Neighborhood Housing Services of East Flatbush, a not for profit housing organization.

Website: http://www.nhsnyc.org

To RSVP, call 718-469-4679

Panel Discussion on Affordable Housing

Panel Discussion on Affordable Housing will be on
Thursday Oct. 29th at 7 PM sharp
Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation

(Classon bet. Park and Prospect Places)

Final Questions for Affordable Housing Discussion.
1. What is affordable housing?
2. What do you see as the main reasons we don't have more affordable housing in New York?
3. What can New York City and New York State do to encourage the creation of more affordable housing?
4. What are the pros and cons of affordable ownership and affordable rentals?
5. What has been your experience with the Section 8 Housing program?
6. Would it be possible to screen affordable housing candidates for financial responsibility, independent living skills and ability to contribute to the stability of the community?
7. Why do you think the city spends so much on homeless housing when it's so much cheaper to build permanent housing?
8. Can derelict homes and buildings be converted to affordable housing?
9. Can already built empty developer buildings be converted to affordable housing?
10. Do you see "green" features as something that should be required in affordable housing projects?
11. What was your most successful affordable housing project? What was your least successful? Why?
12. What role can the community play in helping create more affordable housing?

Sorry to disappoint those of you who have heard the rumor that we had won and stopped the intake center.Unfortunately this is not true.

The City’s Department of Homeless Services still intends to add an intake center to the shelter at the Bedford Atlantic Armory.

Where things stand now:

1. The Department of Homeless Services is only postponing moving an intake center into our armory for about a year.

2. Thanks to all of our efforts and the efforts of our elected officials in Albany:

Assemblymen Karim Camara and Hakim Jeffries and Senator Eric Adams, the state has mandated that the city maintain an intake center in Manhattan. This mandate shows how effective a united community can be. DHS is looking for a new Manhattan site. Although this is good, we have no details about the bed-count, location etc. And, DHS still plans to place an intake center at the Bed-Atlantic Armory. Until a new Manhattan intake center site is found, the intake center at Belleview will remain open.

3. As before, DHS says putting up half the money for a Track and Field at the Bedford Atlantic Armory is contingenton our communities’ accepting an intake center there.

The fact is we must stay united and continue to stay active in our fight to stop the city’s Department of Homeless Services from placing an intake center at the Bed-Atlantic Armory. We have pushed them back. Now we must stop them.

Please stay alert and report anything related to the Bed-Atlantic Armory shelter, keep the petitions coming and be prepared to participate in calls to action, forums, rallies and town hall meetings.

FORT GREENE FOOD CONFERENCE

Following the huge success of the recent Brooklyn Food Conference, the community is proud to present another grassroots neighborhood-based event to support a just, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Talk, listen and learn (and eat!) at the…

FORT GREENE FOOD CONFERENCE

Sponsored by Council Member Letitia James

All Free! There will be guest speakers, two-hours of workshops, and a closing with healthy foods provided by some of the best restaurants in Fort Greene.

When: Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, 1PM-6PM

Where: PS 67 - 51 St. Edwards Street (between Park and Myrtle Avenues in Brooklyn)

Co-sponsored by: The Greene Hill Food Coop; The Brooklyn Food Coalition; The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership; FUREE; and many other partners.

For more information, go to: brooklynfoodconference.org/fg

or call: (718) 260-9191

Block Transformation Grants

Citizens Committee for New York City is pleased to announce a new block transformation grants program. Awardees will receive a $500 cash grant along with expedited support from city agencies for block improvements such as cleaning up a vacant lot, replacing worn out litter baskets, removing graffiti, and replacing worn out street signs. Application deadline: Monday, November 30, 2009. Application forms can be downloaded here: http://www.citizensnyc.org/projects/love_your_nyc_block.html For more information, please contact: Scott Codey at 212-829565/scodey@citizensnyc.org Alicia Rouault at 212-822-9558/arouault@citizensnyc.org

Bedford-Atlantic Armory Update

Representative from CB8, CHNA and CHRM attended two meetings at Borough Hall regarding the proposed intake center. In July, Burough President, Marty Markowitz, and his Chief of Staff, Carlo Scissura, Esq., and three other staff members met with the community reps. A second meeting held in August was attended by the same community reps and the three staff members. The BP and Chief of Staff did not attend the second meeting. At these meetings the community reps made it very clear that the communities at the epicenter of the potential Bed-Atlantic intake center will not accept an intake center under any circumstances. We continue to state: that the city maintain an intake center in Manhattan; that a well-run Manhattan intake center is sufficient; and, that the city should stop considering the Bedford Atlanic armory shelter/assessment center as a potential intake center site. We were invited to attend a third meeting at the BP's office but the BP's office cancelled that meeting. Instead they plan to meet with a number of our elected officials and possibly Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Hess to discuss the armories in Brooklyn. We can feel assured that the elected officials (Eric Adams, Karim Camara, Letitia James and Hakeem Jeffries) who have been working with us to oppose the intake center will continue their opposition to the addition of an intake center at the Bed-Atlantic Armoroy shelter/assessment center. A number of other elected officials also stand with us on this issue. We are planning a big community event to show our strength. It will take place in the next few weeks. You will receive information about this as soon as details are known.

Crow Hill Bistro

Tavern on Nostrand is now Crow Hill Bistro (813 Nostrand Ave, btwn Union & President - map) no, it's not strictly in our Crow Hill boundaries, but we love the name thank you Nostrand Park for the tweet-alert

Opening Saturday 10/3

A new coffee shop: Breukelen Coffee House, is opening where Point de Couture used to be at 764 Franklin (and St. Johns) Their hours will be: M-F 7am-7pm/Sat 7am-6pm/Sun 7am-5pm. Let's all give them a warm welcome to Crow Hill

YOU'RE INVITED!

CHNA's 3rd annual House Tour

Sponsored by the Crown Heights North Association, Inc. (CHNA)

Date: Oct. 3rd, 2009
Starting Location: St. Gregory's R.C. Church, 919 St. John's Place and Brooklyn Ave.
Opening Ceremony: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Self-Guided Tours: 12:00noon - 5:00pm

Other activities: Information tables and representatives from city agencies and community non-profit organizations (10:30 - 12:30)

Raffle: Prizes: Spa Gift Basket; Dinner for Two; Wine Gift basket; Decorative Throw Pillows; Grand Marnier Cake; Red Velvet Cupcakes

Our tour this year features the homes of artists, artisans and entrepreneurs. We once again visit homes brought back from the ruins, as well as some of the newest homes in the neighborhood. We also feature two very different and magnificent sacred spaces, all worthy of your attention for their architectural beauty and for the services they provide to the community. We celebrate our Children’s Museum, as well as a museum dedicated to our famous West Indian Day Parade, and we invite you to visit our beautiful and award winning Community Garden.

Please visit our website: www.crownheightsnorth.org

Armory Update

The updates regarding the Bed-Atlantic Intake Center plan follow: 1. There have been rumors that we have stopped the plan to place an intake center for homeless men at the Bedford Atlantic Armory shelter/assessment center. These rumors are not true. We have slowed the city down but we have not yet stopped this plan. We must keep up our opposition with petition signatures, phone calls and attendance at rallies and press conferences. 2. The Task Force's Executive Committee met with our lawyers this week. The lawsuit is prepared and ready to go, when and if we need to deploy that strategy. In the meantime, Councilmember James is planning a press conference for right after Labor Day to highlight the spate of shootings on Franklin Avenue near Bedford-Atlantic and the overall increase in gang activity in the area, in order to drive home the point that this is already an overstressed neighborhood, . We also plan to have another rally in opposition to a Bedford-Atlantic intake center at the end of September. It is urgent that we to keep the pressure on. Everything we're doing is having an effect. So be prepared for a phone call or email asking for your help to bring people out to both the press conference and the rally. In the meantime, keep those signed petitions coming in..

come on out for summer fun

Council Member Letitia James

partners with Bristen’s Eatery

to make smoothies for the

Franklin/Sterling Flea Market

this Saturday

Come taste a fresh fruit smoothie made especially for you by Council Member James

(Brooklyn, NY) – Council Member Letitia James and Carleen Haughton, owner of Bristen’s Eatery located at 751 Franklin Avenue, will be serving up fresh smoothies to the community this Saturday.

Their aim is to raise awareness of the Franklin/Sterling Flea, and of businesses on Franklin Avenue in Crow Hill, Brooklyn. Spaces are still available for vendors to become a part of the Flea. Any businesses interested in participating should feel free to apply for space at the flea market.

The Crow Hill Association also continues to be of great assistance to Franklin Avenue businesses and the Franklin/Sterling Flea with their Go Green-Go Clean committee. The association provides cleaning up help, as well as donates plants for business and homes on Franklin Avenue.

Who: Council Member Letitia James, Bristen’s Eatery, and the Crow Hill Association

What: Smoothie Making Event at the Franklin/Sterling Flea Market

When: Saturday, July 11^th at 2pm

Where: Franklin Avenue and Sterling Place (next to 751 Franklin Avenue)

CHNA Fundraiser

Come one, come all to CHNA's day of fun.

For further information (or to volunteer to help with organizing), contact Co-Chair Suzanne Spellen at sspellen@crownheightsnorth.org.

Armory Update

IMPORTANT COMMUNITY INFORMATION We MUST renew our efforts to stop the intake center from being moved to Bedford Atlantic Armory!!! Read more here

FREE Breakfast & Lunch

REMINDER: TONIGHT 6/8

77th Precinct Council meeting

Berean Baptist Church

1635 Bergen St (between Utica Ave & Rochester Ave)

Monday June 8, 2009 7:30 PM

Speaker: NYPD Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly

Fundraiser for Letitia James

**************************************** YOU'RE INVITED **************************************** You are cordially invited to attend a Community Fundraiser For the re-election to City Council of Letitia James the candidate who works for everyone Thursday, June 18, 2009 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Tavern on Nostrand 813 Nostrand Avenue Brooklyn, NY Light fare will be served Cash Bar suggested donation $35 and up Hosted by Friends of Letitia James Hosts: Deborah Young, Stacey Sheffey, Gail Branch-Mohammad, Barbara Brown Allen, Sandy Taggart

Community Awareness Day

COMMUNITY BOARD 8 PARKS COMMITTEE

& ST. JOHN'S RECREATION CENTER

are hosting

Community Awareness Day

Saturday June 20, rain or shine

11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

St. John's Recreation Center

1251 Prospect Place

Brooklyn

718-771-2787

a community event

Fun For All Ages

Come Join Us!!!

SUMMER STREETS

SUMMER STREETS

Sunday in June, noon to 5pm

Vanderbilt Avenue between Dean & Park

On Sundays in June, Vanderbilt Avenue will be closed to cars

and transformed into a temporary pedestrian plaza.

Play, stroll, ride bikes - or simply enjoy the summer day

There will be music, art, gardening, kids activities and performances plus a few surprises.

Sponsored by the Vanderbilt Avenue Merchants District and the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council with the NYC DOT and support from Council Member Letitia James

Memorial Day Fun at Homage

May 25th. 6pm onwards. FREE. All-ages. Graciously hosted at: Homage (backyard), 636 Park Pl, at Franklin Avenue
more info

Brooklyn Councilmember to host ”Housing Information Forum”

Hosted by Councilmember Darlene Mealy Monday, June 15 6PM-8PM 1757 Union Street, 2nd Fl. Brooklyn, NY For information on topics, please contact the councilmember’s office at 718-953-3097.

Enter your block in the Greenest Block in Brooklyn 2009 Contest!

The purpose of the contest is to promote streetscape gardening, tree stewardship, and community development in the borough of Brooklyn through block and merchant associations and other community groups. The contest is free to enter. In addition to prizes for residential and commercial blocks, prizes are also awarded for Greenest Storefront, Best Street Tree Beds, Best Window Box, and Best Community Garden Streetscape. Winners will receive cash prizes or gardening tools, and all participants will be awarded a recognition certificate. To be judged for all these prizes, your block must enter either the Residential or Commercial block categories. Deadline: Monday, June 1. Enter online at http://www.blogger.com/www.bbg.org/edu/greenbridge/greenestblock/ or for more information, call 718-623-7250.

What Will it Take to Create a New World?

Sunday May 24th 12-3pm Park Slope Food Coop (upstairs community room) 782 Union Street btwn 6th and 7th Ave, Brooklyn FREE This workshop connects the dots between environmental sustainability, social justice and personal fulfillment, and zooms out to ask, How did we get here? Experience a new sense of hope grounded in action, understanding the future of our planet as not inevitable, but creatable through the global movement of many acting on behalf of our world. Combining reflection, video and dialogue, this is an experience you will remember! Please plan to attend from start to finish.

Writing Workshop

North Country Institute & Retreat for Writers of Color THIS SUMMER! Sunday, July 26 - Thursday, July 30, 2009 Valcour Educational Conference Center Plattsburgh, NY We invite you to take advantage of a relaxed and inviting environment to work on your writing. You will also have an opportunity to participate in workshops, readings, and individualized conferences. Workshops Offered in Fiction and Poetry Download the Application Now! Rolling Admissions Limited Space Teachers Can Earn Professional Development Credits.

www.plattsburgh.edu/offices/academic/writersofcolor
www.mec.cuny.edu/blacklitcenter

CHCA Spring Cleaning Day

We had a wonderful CHCA Spring Cleaning Day on Franklin Avenue in April (photo courtesy of PR-G) Thank you to all who volunteered especially everyone from Bed Stuy's Project Re-Generation, Inc. (PR-G) HOMEOWNERS - Checkout the PR-G Foot Soldiers, they offer great sidewalk clean up services and employ local youth!!! See more pictures on our FaceBook page and if you are a resident or merchant on Franklin Avenue, don't forget to water the plants.

Sanitation Issues

The Environment/Sanitation Committee of
Community Board 8 invites you to
A Luncheon Forum
Saturday, May 16, 2009 - Noon to 2:30 PM
First Church of God in Christ
221 Kingston Avenue (between Park and Sterling Places)

• Do you receive too many tickets for trash on your sidewalk?
• Concerned about stray cats or rats in the neighborhood?
• Annoyed by blaring car alarms?
• Concerned by idling cars/vans/trucks or body shops spray painting on your block or other local business concerns?
• Want to upgrade your home to make it more energy efficient?
• Concerned about pesticides the city uses?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, please attend!

Food provided by Roy Simmons and New Heights of NY Bar & Lounge

Mayoral Control of New York City Public Schools: Mend It or End It???

"Mayoral Control of New York City Public Schools: Mend It or End It???"

DATE: Sunday, April 26, 2009 -3PM
Union Temple
17 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238

OR

DATE: Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 6PM
Teen Challenge Center
444 Clinton Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238

SPONSORS: Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID), The 57th Assembly District Democratic Organization, United Federation of Teachers (UFT), State Senators Velmanette Montgomery & Eric Adams, Council Member Letitia James, & District Leader Olanike Alabi.

Educational Opportunity grades 5-8

Brooklyn Jesuit Prep school, one of the youngest Nativity-model schools in the country, graduated its first class in June 2006. BJP began with an after-school program in the spring of 2003 and the Summer Leadership Program in Summer 2003 to prepare incoming students for the middle school. In September 2003, our first fifth and sixth graders started classes full-time. The school became a full middle school in September 2005 with grades five through eight and graduated its first class of students in June 2006! Both boys and girls attend BJP, but the boys and girls attend separate, single-gender classes. This method allows students to focus on their academics while providing them opportunities for interaction during the after-school program.

560 Sterling Place

718-638-5884 for more info

CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY WORKSHOP

CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY WORKSHOP
If you are a Brooklyn resident who is considering filing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 consumer bankruptcy in order to stop a home foreclosure and are unable to afford an attorney, this workshop may be of interest to you.

Topics to be discussed:
The different types of bankruptcy
How filing bankruptcy may be able to help you save your home
Alternatives to filing bankruptcy, and
Services provided by the Chapter 13 Foreclosure Prevention Program
After the presentation, there will be a "Question and Answer" session where attorneys will be present to dialogue with the workshop participants.

CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY WORKSHOP

Thursday, April 30, 2009

6:00 pm -9:00 pm

Medgar Evers College

Room 207-C

1150 Carroll Street

Brooklyn, New York 11225

(in the Crown Heights section of Central Brooklyn)

This event is free and open to Brooklyn residents.
To RSVP , call CLSJ at 718.270.6297.
For more info on CLSJ, please visit:

Good News for Our Community

Council Member Letitia James is pleased to report that Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the City's selection for infrastructure projects this week, which will receive financial backing from the $261 million of federal transportation funding, allocated through President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As chair of the Contracts Committee, and co-chair of the Infrastructure Task Force, Council Member James advocated for all infrastructure projects receiving funds, specifically the descriptions below of plans within the 35th Council District. She has held several meetings with Edward Skyler, Deputy Mayor for Operations, and has kept pressure on the Bloomberg Administration to ensure these projects effecting our community were prioritized. Reconstruction of Eastern Parkway - The project involves reconstruction of the roadway from Washington Avenue to Grand Army Plaza to improve the street, which is currently in deteriorated condition, and improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicular traffic. The reconstruction will reduce the frequency of future resurfacing and repair work, which can cause lane closures. The project will improve access to several cultural, recreational and educational institutions, including the Brooklyn Museum, The Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Public Library, and Prospect Park. Total project cost: $12 million - construction bid fall 2009, and estimated completion Spring 2012 Citywide Sidewalk Repairs for all Boroughs - The project will repair sidewalks that are damaged by curbside trees in locations throughout the City. The damaged sidewalks cause inconvenience and safety concerns for property owners, who are responsible for the condition of their sidewalks. The sidewalk repairs, done at no cost to the homeowner, will maximize the strength and durability of the sidewalks, while minimizing the damage to tree roots. One-, two-, and three family homes occupied by the owner are eligible for this program. Total project cost: $3.7 million, construction bid spring 2009, and estimated completion summer 2010. The City of New York's economic plan focuses on making investments in neighborhoods that will create more jobs, as well encourage greater economic opportunity now, and when projects are completed. In order to maintain transparency and accountability when using stimulus funding, the funds allocated to the City can be followed on the “Stimulus Tracker” located at the official New York City web site.

LIBRARY PROJECT

Did you know that the City recently closed all of Brooklyn's library branches on Sundays? A group of Crown Heights residents is working to open a new library "branch" here in Crown Heights, starting this summer. It will open on Sundays from 1-6pm (the same hours the Brooklyn Public Library would normally be open) and will be available to everyone.
The new branch will use donated space and materials, and will be designed and staffed by volunteers. If you'd like to attend a monthly planning meeting, or just want to find out more, please e-mail librarybranch@gmail.com. Thanks.

CUNY BIG APPLE JOB FAIR - FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2009

11:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. River Pavilion and Galleria Jacob Javits Center, Manhattan 11th Avenue at 35th Street Developed by CUNY , this is a fair for CUNY students and alumni. Meet over 90 employers and apply for - Full- and part-time positions - Internships - Seasonal Jobs Attend - A workshop on how to present yourself to employers in this job market - A CUNY Graduate & Professional Program Fair Research what you need to know to prepare for the fair, and what you must bring to be admitted - Go to www.cuny.edu/bigapple - and visit the site regularly as we are adding new employers daily.

Crown Heights CSA

Below is an email we received about a new Crown Heights CSA which is an interesting alternative to going to the super market for food that can be bought from local farmers. contact: CrownHeightsCSA@gmail.com OR (347)-715-5777 Hi Everyone, Sorry for the long delay -- we were waiting to hear back from Just Food so we would have more info to share with you. We are very excited to report that we officially have a farmer and will be meeting with him in a couple of weeks! We will be working with Sang Lee Farms, a certified organic farm in North Fork Long Island, www.sangleefarms.com. They are already working with the CSA in Dumbo and provide partial AND full shares. It will be 26 weeks long and a full share will be about $585 and a partial share $375 (these numbers are not yet set in stone). A partial share means that you basically get the same number of items as the full share, but just less of each. (Go to http://www.sangleefarms.com/resources/2006CSA_2.htm to get more details on what you'll get each week.) The drop off will be on Tuesday evenings. The majority of folks voted for the Ronald McNair park so we will have a drop off site either there, or at a nearby community garden on Franklin and Eastern Parkway, about a block from Ronald McNair. If we work with the community garden, we don't have to deal with the bureaucracy of the parks department, and the garden is near the entrance to the Franklin Ave. train, which is convenient. We are awaiting confirmation from the garden folks. There is also a possibility of having a 2nd drop off site at St. Marks Church (Union & Brooklyn Ave). If we can get enough people interested in that site the farmer would probably be willing to drive to both places. But the garden/Mcnair drop-off site is a definite go! We now have about 20 people who have expressed interest, so if each of you finds one person in the hood who would want to join we are good to go! That sounds feasible doesn't it? We still need to get enough people to buy up about 40 full shares (or the equivalent in partial shares), and we need to start collecting membership agreements and fees soon after we meet with the farmer (around March 10th or so). Also, if you are interested in helping us do other outreach (we were thinking of flyering, going to some of the larger apt. buildings in the area, etc.), please let us know! And please let us know if you want a partial share or a full share so we know what our numbers are looking like. We are so excited that this is really getting off the ground. Let us know if you have any other ?'s and please please please tell your neighbors about this!!! Thanks Daniella and Mary

Free Training Program In Film/TV/Video

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI) –a nonprofit organization– and The New York City Mayor's office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting is now accepting applications for the fourteenth cycle of The "Made in NY" Production Assistant Training Program. This FREE skills training and job placement program aims to promote diversity in NYC’s production industry and create new career opportunities for young adults who are unemployed or low-income. For more information about this free program visit our website http://www.bwiny.org/pages/patraining.html The next cycle of the "Made in NY" PA Training Program is planned to begin in early April 2009! We offer: · 4 weeks of full-time hands-on skills training, taught by industry professionals · Two years of job placement assistance in entry-level commercial, music video, TV and film production jobs (e.g. 'production assistant' jobs) · Career counseling and support as you work your way up · Certification as a "Made in NY" Production Assistant through a partnership with the New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. Learn more about the work of a Production Assistant http://www.bwiny.org/pages/programs/patraininga.html "Made in NY" PAs are now working throughout NYC's production sector, on everything from feature films to commercials to reality TV, episodic TV, music videos, film festivals, and more. Our participants come from every borough; most had never worked on set before joining the program.

Peter Young Facility

CB8 full board meeting
Thursday Feb. 12 7:00 pm at the Brooklyn Children's Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave. near St. Marks

On Monday evening CB 8's housing committee voted 9 to 1 to recommend the approval by the full board of the change of use of the Peter Young facility on Pacific St. (across from the Bed/Atlantic Armory.) The Peter Young facility is the homeless men's shelter that DHS is closing in conjunction with their plan to add an intake center to the assessment center at the Bed/Atlantic armory. The proposal the housing committee voted for is to now make the Peter Young facility a 28 day residential drug rehab. CB8 has a moratorium on new residential facilities. However, they approved this when the Peter Young group said that 90% of the people they will serve will be residents of this community. The full board will be voting on this on 2/12/09

Foreclosure Prevention

Attend a free foreclosure prevention workshop.
Learn what steps you can take to avoid losing your home.
February 25, 6-8pm
CAMBA: 884 Flatbush Avenue, 2nd FloorBrooklyn, NY.
For more information, please call 718-282-2500 or email keneshaw@camba.org

Free Tax Preparation

Free Tax Preparation Sites in Your Area Please check

http://www.citizensnyc.org/projects/cash_back.html to find free tax preparation sites in your area. Tax preparers at IRS' Free File only offer to file federal tax returns for free. State returns will cost extra for most NY residents.
CashBack will soon have a link so you can prepare your own federal and state returns for free if you meet some income guidelines.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please call Pinky Vincent at Citizens Committee for New York City at 212-822-9578.

Beautify Your Block

Mayor Bloomberg and Citizens Committee for New York City invite volunteer-led neighborhood groups to apply for a $1,000 award to transform the public spaces on their block.

Twelve groups from across the five boroughs will be selected as finalists, and each finalist will receive a $1,000 grant to beautify their block. The group that demonstrates the most impressive transformation will win an additional $3,000 to be used towards future block improvements.

Groups will also be supported by services from multiple city agencies, including the Mayor’s Office and its Community Affairs Unit, and the Departments of Transportation, Sanitation, and Parks.

Download an application online: http://www.citizensnyc.org/projects/love_your_nyc_block_contest.html
For more information, contact Arif Ullah at aullah@citizensnyc.org or call 212.822.9580.

Mrs Lincoln's Dressmaker

CHCA member: Lynda Jones has a new book out

The book was released last week and is now available on amazon.com (click to order) and at your local bookstores. Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker is a dual biography that chronicles the rise and fall of two very ambitious women--First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and her dressmaker and confidante, Elizabeth Keckley, who was born into slavery. The book is published by National Geographic and is for kids ages 9-12. Reading & Signing Events: Thursday, February 5, 7-8pm Bristen's Eatery, 751 Franklin Avenue (between St. Johns Place & Sterling Place) Saturday, February 7th @ 12pm Nairobi's Knapsack 744 Franklin Avenue Price: Free, space is limited, Please RSVP 347.295.2011