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