Cobble Hill Mulchfest January 5th

While the citywide Mulchfest program will be happening in two weeks, January 12th & 13th, Cobble Hill will be having its own tree recycling one week earlier... on Saturday, January 5th, at Cobble Hill Park. Please see the flyer below for full details. 

Gowanus Canal Superfund Update

Just a few days ago, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency released their proposed Gowanus Canal cleanup plan and schedule of public meetings. 

The plan, the accompanying Press Release, and a new Feasibility Study Report Addendum can all be downloaded from: http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/gowanus/.

The EPA will hold public meetings on January 23, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at Public School 58, 330 Smith Street, Brooklyn and on January 24, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the NYCHA Miccio Community Center, 110 West 9th Street, Brooklyn to discuss the proposed plan and answer questions.
The EPA will accept public comments on its proposed plan until March 28, 2013. Also of note, the head of the EPA, Lisa Jackson, just recently stepped down from her position in the Obama administration. 

New Parking Regulations at Trader Joe's

To reduce the dangerous bottleneck congestion that occurs on Court street, parking regulations have been changed in front of Trader Joe's.  This past week a new 'No Standing' sign went up and is in effect 8a-10p daily. This will allow for brief pickups but reduce the parking, and thus the double parking, that had been making our stretch of Court Street unsafe for drivers and pedestrians alike.

In the photo below, each car is now illegally parked and could be ticketed. Both community board 2 and 6 are aware of the changes so be sure to adjust parking habits accordingly as enforcement will likely soon be included in the 76th's precinct routine work.  This is yet another step in the series of improvements the Cobble Hill Association has been advocating for the past year in our ongoing work with the Department of Transportation.

Mulchfest @ Cobble Hill Park - Jan. 12th & 13th

Though trees are going up in homes citywide now, please remember to responsibly dispose of them when the holiday season is over. NYC Parks Dept. will be doing a tree recycling as part of Mulchfest 2013.

Saturday January 5th, 2013
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. @ Cobble Hill Park (and various other locations across the city the following weekend January 12th & 13th)

Join the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York City Department of Sanitation , and GreeNYC  to recycle your Christmas trees into wood chips. These wood chips are used to nourish trees and plants on streets and gardens citywide. Or, take home your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree . More than 24,000 trees were recycled last year. Help us top this number!

Please remember to remove all lights and ornaments before bringing the tree to a MulchFest site. Biodegradable bags will be provided if you wish to take some free mulch home.

Want to volunteer at MulchFest ? Register to join the GreenTeam and MillionTreesNYC volunteer group.

3rd Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway

The holiday season is upon us and we hope you think of your neighbors in need. The Gowanus Neighborhood Association, in partnership with Councilmember Stephen Levin will be sponsoring its 3rd annual holiday toy giveaway on Friday December 21st at 6pm in the Gowanus community center, 420 baltic st. (between Hoyt & Bond streets).

They are asking for contributions and/or donations for underprivileged, low-income children aged 1-12 yrs and accepting new, unopened toys, games puzzles and books for age appropriate girls and boys.

Your donations can be dropped off at the Councilmember’s district office

410 atlantic ave @bond st.

Mon.-Fri.  10am-6pm

Or arrangements can be made for pick-up by contacting:

Betty Lester 718-243-1252 or  Metin Sarci 718-875- 5200

Reminder - Monday @ 7:30pm, General Meeting!

YOU’RE INVITED TO THE (belated because of Sandy) COBBLE HILL ASSOCIATION FALL, 2012 GENERAL MEETING!

Featuring a report on Health Care: Are we meeting the needs of children and seniors in Cobble Hill?

• With speakers:
  Peter Betts, CEO, LICH/Downstate Medical Center & 
• Tony Lewis, President and CEO of the Cobble Hill Health Center
• Cobble Hill Hero Award Presentation: Pediatrician Dr. Edna A. Pytlak, MD

General Meeting: 7:30 PM
Date: Monday, December 10, 2012
Place: University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital
Conference Room A Main Entrance: 339 Hicks St.

All members of the public are invited. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of Ted & Honey Cafe

Safety enhancement installed

The Cobble Hill Association is proud to see another piece of its advocacy for safer streets come to fruition. On the heels of two success (1- getting standard alternate side of the street parking regulations returned to Hicks Street to increase parking, while slowing speeding & 2 - adjusting the traffic light at the intersection of Amity and Court Street), we are excited that daylighting has come to the corner of Court Street and Pacific Street.  Though there was already a No-Standing zone, it was rarely enforced and reduced visibility for cars turning left onto Court from Pacific. Now, the Dept. of Transportation has installed on-street bike parking at that corner, creating 24-7 enforcement of existing rules.

Installation took place last Thursday, November 29th, and the improvement was noticed immediately. While locking my own bike to those racks I over heard passersby take enthusiastic note of the change (one father actually walked past and pointed to the racks to explain daylighting to his young son).  Many thanks for DOT for the responsiveness to our request, and to the Atlantic Avenue BID for its help securing the planting and agreement to sweep the curb as needed.

Also worth reading is the Streetsblog article about our improvement, viewable here.
http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/11/30/eyes-on-the-street-new-bike-corral-in-cobble-hill/

And remember, this is just one of many street improvements the CHA is working on bringing to our neighborhood.

Update on Hurricane Sandy Damage to Cobble Hill Trees

This info just in, courtesy of Cobble Hill Tree Fund, Co-chairs, Tom Synnott and Georgia Willett

Cobble Hill sustained a considerable amount of damage to it's street trees during Hurricane Sandy and the subsequent Nor' Easter. Cobble Hill Tree Fund volunteers have surveyed the damage to the street trees of  Cobble Hill.

They have have found that seven trees were either uprooted or severely damaged beyond saving. Another seven trees were severely damaged, and their fate is still to be determined. Additionally, another eight trees were moderately damaged. It's clear that a substantial number of trees will need replacing. As it happened, they were already doing a Fall tree planting when the storms hit. Fortunately they were able to replace one of the trees that had been uprooted at 240-242 Baltic Street, and hope to replace several additional trees over the coming year.

We would appreciate hearing from CHA members if their local tree needs replacing or serious pruning. The Cobble Hill Tree Fund has some funds available to help with these costs and hopes to raise more.

New construction approved for Cobble Hill

The city's Landmark Preservation Commission has approved plans for 110-128 Congress Street, a strip of our neighborhood that will now welcome 5 new residential buildings and allow for renovations to four adjacent ones. For more details on the story, check out these articles and blogs post links from The Real Deal, Curbed, and the Brooklyn Eagle.

2012 Atlantic Avenue Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony & Windows Competition

Highlighting Atlantic Avenue Through the Years  -- A Place of Holiday Joy! November 29, 2012, 6-8 pm, Free and Open to the Public, at Belarusian Church, 401 Atlantic Avenue, corner Bond Street, in Boerum Hill

Atlantic Avenue Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony & Party, officiated by Council Member Stephen Levin; Annual Atlantic Avenue Holiday Window Design Competition; Performances by Rolie Polie Guacamole & public schools PS 38 & 261; New Toy/Book Drive for distribution at local public housing for children impacted by Hurricane Sandy; Special Guests include Santa Claus; tasty treats provided by local restaurants and stores. Hosted by Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corp.  

Atlantic Yards B2 building meeting

EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT AND BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARDS 2, 6 & 8 Invite the public to an informational meeting on the design of "B2", the first residential building at Atlantic Yards, located at 461 Dean Street, which will be 50% affordable.*

Representatives of the developer will make a presentation and answer questions.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012 , 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
COURTROOM AT BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL 209 JORALEMON ST. ____________________________________________________

For more information contact: Arana Hankin, Director, Atlantic Yards Project AtlanticYards@esd.ny.gov

*Please note: This meeting will present the design for the new building; no applications will be taken for the affordable housing.

Small Business Saturday, Sat. Nov 24th

The Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District presents
Small Business Saturday on Atlantic Avenue! 

Kick off the holiday shopping season by supporting Atlantic Avenue’s celebrated small and independently-owned businesses Saturday November 24, 2012

Featuring
- historic trolley running from 4th Avenue to Hicks Street stopping at all regular bus stops, 1pm - 7pm
- Carolers in traditional Victorian costume, 1pm - 4pm
- Italian band around the avenue playing percussive music (acoustic)

Also, sign up at shopsmall.com to receive a $25 credit on your AmEx statement. People who sign up will receive $25 off their statement as long as they spend $25 or more at a small business on November 24th. They need to sign up on shopsmall.com starting from this Sunday November 18. AmEx is only giving the $25 credit to a limited number of people - sign up early to avoid disappointment.

Warm drinks available at: Sahadi’s (187 Atlantic Avenue), Circa Antiques (374 Atlantic Avenue), Foyer (422 Atlantic Avenue), and The Melting Pot (492 Atlantc Avenue)

Belated CHA Halloween Parade Pics

We were glad the annual CHA Halloween Parade went on this year despite Hurricane Sandy's wrath. However, we never got around to posting any pictures from the event. It was on a much smaller scale than usual as many were still in recovery mode, or helping friends and neighbors in their own recovery efforts, but a wonderful time was still had by those who came out to celebrate.

In addition to the images above, follow the 'Read More" link below to see additional images of the event courtesy of Joseph Henry Ritter.

Cobble Hill Assoc General Meeting - December 10th, 2012

Hurricane Sandy took down dozens of our street's trees and severely battered our neighbors in Red Hook (you can still help them out through the Red Hook Initiative) and also caused us to delay our previously scheduled Fall general meeting.

Thankfully, plans have now been rearranged and our neighborhood meeting is back on! Come join us, December 10th!

General Meeting: 7:30 PM
Date: Monday, December 10, 2012
Place: University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital
Conference Room A Main Entrance: 339 Hicks St.

Impaled

Hat tip to Brownstoner for its brief article on Cobble Hill artist Jane Greengold's annual Halloween art exhibit, Impaled.
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/11/closing-bell-the-impaled-pumpkins-of-cobble-hill/

Tomorrow: GO VOTE

Though the city is still trying to recover and many may be focused on the short term efforts needed to help our neighbors in Red Hook and throughout the city, please do not forget about the long term issues   as well. Whichever party you lean towards and whichever candidate you feel aligned towards, please remember tomorrow, Tuesday, November 6th is election day. GO VOTE.

PS 29 at 425 Henry Street is the polling place for most of Cobble Hill and while the Presidential race is the most heavily anticipated, many other races are also happening in our area. Enter your address here (https://www.google.com/elections/ed/us/vote) and you can see each one detailed but odds are they will certainly include contests for Senate, Congress (district 7), State Senate (District 26), State Assembly (District 52), and Judge of the Civil Court. 

Volunteering after Sandy

Though much of Cobble Hill was fortunate to see its damage limited to trees and cars rather than people and families, many of our immediate neighborhoods and neighbors were not so lucky. Community Board 6 indicates several great ways to help locally...

In Park Slope there are 2 emergency shelters operating out of John Jay High School at 237 7th Avenue, and the Park Slope Armory at 361 15th Street. Periodic announcements indicate that at any given time they may be in need of either supplies or volunteers or both.

In Red Hook, the Red Hook Initiative has been coordinating relief and support efforts (and doing a phenomenal job!). Feel free to drop in at 767 Hicks Street or call them at (718) 858-6782.

Also, Give blood. Some of the City's blood supplies were contaminated from flood waters and need to be replaced. The best way to donate locally is to reach out to the NY Blood Center (800) 933-2566 and  schedule an appointment at the nearby location in Downtown Brooklyn at 120 Lawrence Street.

Chipotle coming to Court Street

The CHA is very pleased hard fought safety enhancements are coming to Court Street at its Pacific Street intersection, but that's not the only change on the horizon at that location. Renovations are underway inside 140 Court Street, right beside Nature's Grill, for a new business to our area: Chipotle. Not sure how soon the doors will open up, but we certainly do hope to see all businesses in our area thrive.

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