Lefferts Gardens Charter School Information Sessions and Website

If you missed the first information session, the Lefferts Gardens Charter School (LGCS) will be holding information sessions in the neighborhood at local library branches.

This Saturday, January 30, at 11AM, representatives will be at the Crown Heights library (560 New York Ave. at Maple St.)  Next Saturday, February 6, at 10AM, representatives will be at the Flatbush library (22 Linden Blvd. at Flatbush).

If you were paying attention, you saw that the name of the school is now a link, which means that the website is up and running. The LGCS website is http://leffertsgardens.org and includes a FAQ as well as applications for students and faculty. You can also get updates by joining their mailing list.

Wine Tastings at 65 Fen Every Saturday

Good news, oenophiles: Mike Campbell of 65 Fen has decided that he will host wine tastings every Saturday evening from 4:30 - 7 for the next few months. He has been posting what will be on offer - grape and region, at least - on the Lefferts list.

Drink up!

Lefferts Gardens Charter School Announces School Principal (CORRECTED)

While we're talking about the Lefferts Gardens Charter School, it bears pointing out that the school principal is now official: The head of school will be Mark Marc Magnus-Sharpe, who comes by way of the prestigious United Nations International School, where he is Dean of Students. Sharpe's resume also includes Green Schools NYC Alliance and a lengthy history at Outward Bound. I hope you are suitably impressed.

Public Hearing to Discuss Lefferts School Location

Supporters of the Lefferts Gardens Charter School should save Wednesday, February 10, for a public hearing at 6 pm at PS 92 (601 Parkside Avenue between Bedford and Rogers Avenues).

The school organizers are asking people to let the NYC Department of Education know that they want the school sited at PS 92 for its first few years (the school is hoping to find or build a permanent facility during that time). The DOE is obligated to give the school space during its "incubation" period, but it is not obligated to make it a conveniently located one. The more people that come out in favor, the more likely the DOE will chose PS 92, which, as far as I know, is the only available DOE space within the PLG boundary.

Wait, you ask, isn't there already a school there? Why, yes. But the current elementary school there isn't at full capacity. If LGCS is located there, the two schools would share the building, an increasingly common practice at city schools. The administration at PS 92 is unlikely to be very happy it, however; ditto the teachers union.  So we can expect a fair amount of opposition. The Lefferts school -- and charter schools in general -- are seen as a threat to old-line public school admins. (For a little background on the teacher's union and arguments against the way New York public schools operate, see this one-sided but illuminating  New Yorker article.)

Anyway, the Lefferts Gardens Charter School is also asking people to send letters of support to D17proposals (at) schools.nyc.gov stating that you'd like to see the school at PS 92. Every letter counts.

Community Board Job Opening + Meeting

Two things regarding Community Board 9: First, the board is looking for a full-time Community Assistant:

Minimum requirements for the position are a high school diploma and three (3) years of experience in community work. Applicant must be a self starter, exercise initiative, a fast learner, an organized, responsible, detail oriented individual with excellent typing, writing, oral, and computer skills.

Salary range for the position is: Current City of New York employee: $27,421 – 35,573. Non-City of New York employee: $27,421. EXCELLENT BENEFITS INCLUDING MEDICAL, DENTAL, VACATION. Submit resume & cover letter to: Pearl R. Miles, District Manager, Community Board 9, 890 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225

Second, the next public meeting will be this upcoming Tuesday, January 26, at 7 pm. (Info here.) On the agenda: reps from the Dept. of City Planning will discuss the Residential Streetscape Preservation Text Amendment, which will cut down on curb cuts.... wait, haven't we heard this before? Why, yes, it was an agenda item on the December Community Board meeting, which means something must have gone awry last month. We will not speculate as to what exactly happened. We are better than that. Suffice it to say that those of you that missed the meeting now have a second chance.

DOT Responds to Hawthorne Street's Traffic Calming Request

Those of you who read this blog know how we feel about the intersection at Ocean and Parkside Avenues. (Hint: hate it.) You probably also know that, under the aegis of PLG Public Works, our "sister" activist group, we've asked the DOT to find a way to fix it, to make it safer for pedestrians, cyclists and all users.

I am happy to report that we've received a response. According to a letter from Borough Commissioner Joseph Palmieri, the DOT's Division of Traffic Planning is investigating the location and will recommend appropriate action soon. The letter states that they'll respond to us directly by March 29, 2010.

So there you go. Fingers crossed!

Wine Tasting at 65 Fen on Saturday, Jan. 23

The new wine shop, 65 Fen (at 65 Fenimore) is having another wine tasting on Saturday, from 4:30 to 7 pm, featuring wines from France, Italy and Germany. Come on down!

City Services for Improving Your Block

The Hawthorne Street Block Association recently won a $500 grant from the Citizens Committee of New York to help us buy planters for the block. (Hurray!) As a rep of the block association, yours truly attended a workshop the Committee held last week that listed some of the services the City provides for citizens who want to improve their neighborhoods. Some of the services offered were specific to grantees, so I shan't mention those. But perhaps other block associations in the neighborhood will find the rest of this stuff useful.

Incidentally, the Citizens Committee will do another round of grant-giving in the fall. For information and an application, see the Love Your Block page.


Report a broken street light or sign
Call 311

Report bad road conditions, such as potholes
File the DOT's online form

Request a street tree or report a damaged street tree
See the Forestry Service Request form

Help maintain neighborhood street trees by taking a tree stewardship workshop
Residents can take a free class to teach them how to take care of street trees

Get graffiti cleaned-up
Call 311; property owner needs to give permission

Remove litter on your block
Step away from the screen, grab a broom, go sweep the sidewalk, and stop waiting for the government to wipe your butt for you

Wine Tasting at 65 Fen Today (Saturday, Jan. 16)

65 Fen (at 65 Fenimore Street) is having a free wine tasting today, from 4:30 to 7 pm, featuring wines from Italy; Spain; Western Australia and Columbia Valley, Washington. Come by and support this new locally owned business!

Haiti Relief Organizations (Updated 1/16)

There has been lots of chatter on the neighborhood listservs about collecting clothes and canned goods for Haiti, but what Haiti really needs right now is money.

I generally avoid donating to huge multinational charities myself, but lacking a familiarity with grassroots Haitian aid groups, here are the best options I could find:

Partners in Health
A Boston-based nonprofit focused on health care for the poor. This group has been recommended by a number of neighbors "in the know."

Doctors Without Borders
Reputable international org; a welcome alternative to other large charities

Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti
A Haitian health care organization that lost three hospitals in the earthquake.

UPDATE (1/16/2010): We can no longer in good conscience suggest Yéle Haiti as a reputable charitable organization in light of The Smoking Gun's disclosure of their self-dealing and dodgy tax filing history. Even if they are currently working for good, they have not shown the sense of fiscal or organizational responsibility to demonstrate that their efforts will be effective.

For more options, see the New York Times, WNYC, and Huffington Post lists.