Plastics Recycling: Take the Survey!

This survey and tidbit of info just came in from CB 6

     

In the last fiscal year the Department of Sanitation reports that CB6 led the borough with a recycling diversion rate of 25.1%. That means for every 4 pounds of waste our households generate, 1 pound of it is sorted and diverted into the recyclables waste stream, preventing the high costs of backhauling our waste to out-of-state landfills and giving manufacturers the opportunity to reuse our recyclables as feedstock.

The Department of Sanitation is working indirectly with a team of students from NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service to better understanding plastics recycling in New York City.  The students have asked us to help spread the word to encourage New Yorkers to take a brief, online survey which they estimate will only take about 10 minutes to complete.

Click here to begin the survey, and thank you for participating.

Developer Buys into Cobble Hill

Photo via PropertyShark

Here's an interesting Cobble Hill blurb reposted from Brownstoner...

JMH Development—best known here in Brooklyn for developing 184 Kent in Williamsburg—spent $6.6 million for a nice assemblage of properties in Cobble Hill, at 118 Congress Street, which is between Hicks and Henry. The seller was the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, and the string of buildings included in the sale total 18,001 square feet. We’re not sure what the Diocese used the buildings for, but perhaps they were office space. Repeated calls to JMH for info about what they’re planning to do with the properties haven’t been answered—and there’s no action on the DOB-filing front yet—but our money is on a conversion. The properties are part of the Cobble Hill Historic District.

History of Strong Place

We'll soon be unveiling an unprecedented history of neighborhood through the Cobble Hill History Wiki being created by noted NYC historian Francis Morrone. In the meanwhile, our friends at Brownstoner recently posted a mini history lesson of one street in particular, Strong Place.  With the new construction of three townhouses now underway, Brennan Realty have a detailed account of area with special attention to Strong Place as one of the of the earliest settled streets in what was known as 'South Brooklyn.'

Read it all right here...
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/03/part-one-a-history-of-the-strong-place-properties

Vote for LICH Livestrong

Our Local Hospital, Downstate LICH recently applied for funding from LIVESTRONG, a partner of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, to bring The Creative Center’s "Hospital Artists-in Residence" program to our Othmer Cancer Center. The application has now advanced to the final stage and needs your help!

Please take a moment right now to vote for our program at
http://vote.livestrong.org/vote2012/regions/8/132-suny-downstate-medical-center/

 The organization receiving the most votes from their community will be awarded funds, materials and training to implement the program, which will be offered free of charge to enhance the quality of life of our cancer patients. The deadline to vote is March 23 at 5:00 pm CST.

"Love your Library Day" on the Horizon

We're still more than two month away from 2012 "Love Your Library Day" but preparations for it are already on the horizon. Word from Linda Blyer with the Friends of Carroll Gardens Library is that it will be both feature both a book sale and community celebration with thousands of titles at low prices, as well as music, readings, arts activies and more.  To help you can donate books and volunteer to sort and organize the sale.

They're accepting...
New or used books - CDs, DVDs and records - Children's books, CDs, DVD - Journals - Current textbooks

Not accepting...
Damaged books without covers - tape cassettes or VHS videos - coloring books or activity books - magazines - outdated textbooks and computer manuals.

Donations will be accepted starting April 6 through May 9. Within those dates please ONLY bring your donations at the following times: Saturdays 10:30 to 12 noon /Wednesdays 6 to 8 p.m. /Fridays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enter through the main doors on Clinton Street and bring your donations go downstairs through the auditorium OR take the elevator on the Union Street side to the basement.

If you have further questions, send them over to friendscglibrary@gmail.com

Blood Drive, March 8th 12:30-6:30p

Someone in this country needs a life-saving blood transfusion every 3 seconds.  If you are healthy and able, please do your part to make sure no one has to wait for that help.

This Thursday, March 8, 2012, between 12:30 PM and 6:30 PM, the New York Blood Center will have a "Bloodmobile" parked in front of Cobble Hill's 76th Precinct Station House, located at 191 Union Street, between Henry Street and Hicks Street, to accept blood donations.  

As a regular donor of both blood and platelets, I can assure you NY Blood Center staff is always safe, thorough, and very appreciative of your donation. 

CB6 Bike Share Meeting

Later this year, NYC will be added to a long list of cities worldwide that have chosen to add a low cost, additional transit option for residents: bike-share. A private company, Alta, is footing the bill while the city and its inhabitants will reap the benefits. The bike-share stations will be abundant and our our Cobble Hill is fortunately one of the neighborhoods to be included in the initial launch. However, where in the area are the smartest locations to place a station? Court Street? Cobble Hill Park? You Decide!

Brooklyn Community Board 6 Planning Workshop

Thursday March 15th, 2012, 6:30 PM–8:30 PM

 

Join Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 and local residents and business owners at a roundtable planning workshop to help decide how bike share should work and where stations should go in Cobble Hill and Park Slope.  In partnership with Community Board 6, NYC Council Members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, and NYS Senator Velmanette Montgomery. The Workshop will be held at Old First Reformed Church, 729 Carroll Street, (at 7th Avenue) Brooklyn, NY 11215. The entrance to the workshop will be on Carroll Street.

Sessions will begin at 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm.
Timeline | New York City Bike Share

Street Study seeks Parents & Kids

Transportation Alternatives is NYC's leading advocacy group for pedestrians, cyclists, and mass transit users and they are now beginning a street study comparing Brooklyn neighborhoods... one of which will be in our own area. To gather detailed information on how we use our streets, T.A. is seeking parents for a 15-25 minute survey about themselves, their physical activity, and their neighborhood. Participating families will receive a small gift in appreciation of their time and input. Full details are available by clicking on the  adjacent flyer or contacting Stephanie Kneeshaw-Price, stephanie@transalt.org.

PS 29 Rennovations

The New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) gave notice that a construction project is slated for PS 29 at 425 Henry Street (between Baltic/Kane Streets). The work will begin shortly and include exterior masonry, roof replacement, parapet replacement and flood elimination.  The expected completion date is August, 2013. 

A full copy of the SCA announcement is posted on our website and is available by clicking here, or at the following link:
http://www.brooklyncb6.org/_attachments/2012-02-10%20SCA%20PS29.pdf

Hearing on Home Improvement Contractors

Much of our neighborhood's buildings are in great shape, but its not uncommon to see Cobble Hill brownstones undergoing extension construction. The past decade has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of renovations; however, not all contractors work out well or follow proper protocol. In fact, the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs received the greatest number of complaints against home improvement contractors based in Brooklyn.

With that in mind, Council Member Dan Garodnick (Manhattan) is exploring ways to protect consumers from home improvement contractor scams with a hearing this Wednesday, February 15 at 1:00pm at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street). The meeting is open to the public, but if you have questions contact Consumer Affairs Committee Chair Council Member Garodnick's office at 212-788-7393.
For the full press release, follow this link.
Press release on HIC scams hearing

100 Story House

Rendering of 100 Story House" (copyright Leon Reid IV)

L magazine recently featured an interesting story set in our own Cobble Hill Park. It features a literary/sculptural idea by Brooklyn-based artist Leon Reid IV who has

teamed up with Brooklyn-based documentary producer Julia Marchesi (The City Dark) to create the "100 Story House," a five-and-a-half feet tall miniature brownstone that they plan to build, install in Cobble Hill Park and fill with books to be borrowed and exchanged by anyone and everyone.

Check out this link for the full article.

Tuesday Night Trainings

Our local hospital is not just a place to get when you're ill, but also a place to ensure you stay healthy. With that in mind, come join SUNY Downstate's Long Island College Hospital for a "dynamite workout" at their new Tuesday Night Training (TNT) series. 

This new workout series begins tomorrow and continues every Tuesday through March 13th. All fitness levels are welcome for a workout that will combine cardio moves with body weight strengthening exercises to blast fat and tone muscles.

TNT will be taught by Tiffany Dallenbach, ACSM, a certified Balanced Body pilates instructor and trained yoga instructor.

TIME: 5:30 - 6:30 pm
PLACE: Avram Conference Center
COST: $10/class or $45 for entire 6 week program. 

For more info, please contact Joy Lindquist at joy.lindquist@downstate.edu or (718) 780-1481.