And the beat goes on!

Hurricane Sandy can't stop us! Hope everyone is enjoying the parade this afternoon, and thanks to @Andamom for live tweeting us images of the event!

(c) @Andamom

Cobble Hill Halloween Parade is ON!

We may have been hit by a massive storm, our trees may be down and our parks, schools and mass transit system may be closed, but...  There will be a Cobble Hill Halloween Parade tomorrow!

TIME: 4:00PM DATE: Wednesday, October 31st
PLACE: In front of  - Cobble Hill Park
MUSIC: Jah Pan Steel Drum Band Please bring your own noise makers!

All members of the public are invited. No admission charge.

We need a crew of volunteers to help set up at 2:30 PM and then another group of volunteers to help clean up at 8:30PM after the parade.

Hurricane Sandy aftermath

The storm has passed and the city is slowly picking up its pieces. Our hearts go out to all those who suffered damage and loss in this event. Local Councilman Brad Lander has a wealth of info on his website to report Hurricane Sandy problems, and the twitter accounts of Governor Cuomo and the MTA have also been exceptionally active and useful for those with questions (the CHA twitter account has also posted some excellent photos here). Walking around Cobble Hill, it seems we've got quite a number of trees down, but thankfully that may be all. If anyone has noticed other problems in the aftermath, leave comments on the blog but also be sure to call 311 for non-emergencies, and 911 for life threatening issues. Stay safe and dry everyone.

REMINDER: CHA meeting tonight CANCELED

REMINDER, with Hurricane Sandy moving closer and closer, tonight's Fall general meeting is CANCELED. The winds are blowing hard, trees are down throughout Brooklyn, and much of the Gowanus has already flooded so please stay inside, be alert, and be safe. MTA subway and bus service has already been shutdown tonight, and tunnels and bridges have been ordered closed as well. While we hope for the best, this is a serious storm and we must be smart in preparing for the worst.  For the latest Sandy forecasts, visit the National Weather Service or the National Hurricane Center.

CHA Going the RIGHT Way

Throughout 2012, the Cobble Hill Association has had ongoing conversations with the Department of Transportation regarding safety improvements to the Court Street corridor. Recently, one of our requests came to fruition: an improved traffic light at Amity Street.

Big & Clear, Amity Street's new Traffic Signal

All too often drivers had been disregarding the small 'All Traffic Turn Right' signage, and instead been making a dangerous left turn against traffic on Court followed by an immediate right onto Dean Street. This catches pedestrians off guard and is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, long time civic leader Jerry Armer pushed DOT on this issue, asking they change the traffic light to more clearly direct drivers of the safer, and more legal, maneuvering.

Comparing the above pictured image with the older street view below, you can see the light now changes from red phase to a flashing yellow right turn signal, rather than full green. This more clearly directs drivers attention to the safe turn they should be making. In addition, the traffic light itself which faces drivers on Amity street is now much larger than the side facing Court street, further reinforcing the clarity of the regulation.

Amity Street signal, w/ no directional specification

We appreciate the Department of Transportation's cooperation with our requests and prompt changes to the street. Stay tuned for updates about similar requests we've made as further improvements to the streetscape come to our Court Street corridor.

CHA Fall Meeting: CANCELED

With a severe storm on its way, we have decided to cancel Monday's CHA fall general meeting. When a new date has been rescheduled, we will spread the word but for now please be sure to stay safe and be prepared. Subway and bus service has already been set for shutdown tonight, and the mayor's and governor's office has been providing updates throughout the day.

A mandatory evacuation order is in effect for residents in Zone A areas, which is close to (but not in)  Cobble Hill.

The City is closely monitoring Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to bring dangerous storm surge and high winds to New York City Monday. For the latest Sandy forecasts, visit the National Weather Service or the National Hurricane Center.

Reminder: CHA General Meeting, Monday 10/29

Community Halloween party - Saturday

While the Cobble Hill Halloween Parade takes place Wednesday afternoon at 4pm (@ Cobble Hill Park), you can begin celebrating early. Our friends at the Lower East Side Ecology Center not only run local electronic recycling events (like this weekend's with XXX people dropping off more than XX tons of gadgets), they're also hosting a community Halloween Party this weekend.

When: Saturday, October 27th from 11am to 2pm
Where: 469 President Street, btwn 3rd & Nevins, in Gowanus
What:

• Decorate pumpkins and work on your electronic-themed Halloween costume
• Get your problematic Mac gadgets evaluated by the technician from Tekserve
• Tour the warehouse and learn about e-waste recycling and reuse
• Browse our selection of refurbished electronics (and preview items for sale on the online store here)
• Enter our raffle for giftcards and meals from local restaurants 606 R&D, The Grocery, the Sustainable NYC store, and pickle making with Brooklyn Brine

The event is free of charge and sure to be the perfect mix of spooky and techie! For more info contact Christina Copeland, the Lower East Side Ecology Center's E-waste Warehouse Manager.

Friday Round up

Quick reminder there's a slew of upcoming events are around the bend so mark your calendars... and look for more details soon.

Sunday 10/21 - PS29 / Cobble Hill Association Fall E-Waste event w/ Lower East Side Ecology Center 
Sunday 10/21 - Free tree giveaway
Monday 10/29 - Cobble Hill Association Fall General Meeting
Wednesday 10/31 - Cobble Hill Halloween Art Installation - 'Impalements'
Wednesday 10/31 - Cobble Hill Halloween Parade (volunteers needed to help set up at 11AM and then another group of volunteers to help clean up at 8:30PM on the day of the parade)

Free Trees!

Put a smile on the Lorax's face and stake your claim on a tree... absolutely free!

The CHA got this special offer in the inbox recently; a free tree giveaway for BK residents. We had a detailed report from the Cobble Hill Tree Fund at our last meeting and many voiced wanting to see even more trees added to the neighborhood. Well, this weekend there's a 150 Free Tree Giveaway that Build It Green! NYC and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy are co-hosting as part of the MillionTreesNYC program.

Sunday, October 21st
11am-1pm, at the Salt Lot at 2 Second Ave in Gowanus

Reserve your tree now at this link, and select from the different species of trees available. Learn even more about the program here: http://www.bignyc.org/100-free-trees

Get Carving!

Grab a pumpkin & get carving because this year local artist Jane Greengold invites the community to take part in her annual Halloween art installation called 'Impalements.' Each year, she typically carves and impales 80 to 100 pumpkins on her fence at Kane and Strong Place. However, it turns out there are 274 spikes, so this year she's decided she can use some extra hands to participate in creating a few more unique pieces to delight holiday treat-or-treaters.

Instructions are simple...
BUY (Or grow) the right size pumpkin -  4 3/4" - 5" inches in diameter, taller than it is round & soft enough to carve,
LEAVE the top on
CUT a 3/4" square hole in the middle of the bottom (for the spike)
CARVE a face
REMOVE the innards of the pumpkin through the facial features
BRING the carved pumpkin to the corner of Kane & Strong between 3 & 7 pm on Halloween, October 31st, 2012.

Sounds like the perfect thing to do right after joining in the Cobble Hill Halloween parade which will take place at 4pm, at Cobble Hill Park, parading around the neighborhood with the music of the Jah Pan Steel Drum Band

For any further questions about 'Impalements', contact Jane directly (jane@janegreengold.com) and consider reading this past NYTimes profile on her handiwork.

Electronics Recycling & More, Sunday, Oct 21st, 10a-4p

Fall Recycling: Electronics, Textiles, Document & Hard Drive Shredding, & Clothing Rummage Sale

With years and years of successes already under our belts, the Cobble Hill Association is once again proud to take part in another electronics recycling event run by the Lower East Side Ecology Center with the help of the amazing PS29 PTA. All items collected at the Kane street entrance to the schoolyard will be recycled according to the highest environmental standards & include...

• Old computers and electronics will be collected by Lower East Side Ecology Center. Acceptable items include: computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines, copiers, network devices, keyboards, mice, cables, hard drives, cd-roms, circuit boards, VHS & DVD players, radios & stereos, phones of all sorts, answering machines, pagers, batteries etc. See www.lesecologycenter.org for a complete list.

• Textile collection by Wearable Collections.  Acceptable Items include clothing, hats, belts, bags, handbags, matched shoes, curtains, linens, towels, pillows, stuffed animals Halloween Costumes etc. Stained & ripped clothing, textiles welcome.  NO PLASTIC TOYS
  See www.wearablecollections.com for a complete list. 

• There will be a clothing rummage sale. Proceeds go to PS 29 PTA -- great bargains go to you!

• Hard Drive Shredding $10 each

• Document Shredding $10/box

For more info PS29RECYCLES@gmail.com

Clinton St & Kane Streets : Re-Opened

dioceselongisland.org

Though repairs are still continuing at Christ Church after the terrible lighting storm damage a few weeks ago, the Department of Buildings has finally re-opened the adjacent streets to vehicle traffic. You will still see blue sheds wrapping the perimeter of the church, but can once again freely flow through Clinton and Kane Streets.
Stay tuned for further updates on the church's repair.

Fall General Meeting - October 29th @ 7:30pm

It's that time of year again... the Cobble Hill Association's FALL GENERAL MEETING. As always, there are many items to discuss in the neighborhood from recently approved extended hours in our local park, to safety enhancements on our local streets, to the ongoing repairs to our beloved Christ Church. For updates on these types of items as well as a presentation from representatives of Long Island College Hospital, please come and join us. All are welcome!

Monday October 29th 
7:30 PM
Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hicks Street

Guest Speakers:
John F. Williams, MD, EdD, MPH, the new President of SUNY Downstate Medical Center 
Tony Lewis, the new CEO of the Cobble Hill Health Center will be our guest speakers.

UPDATED: This post previously mentioned the wrong date for the meeting in the heading. Apologies for any confusion.