Preliminary Results in for Participatory Budgeting

The preliminary results are in for our district's (District 39) participatory budgeting vote. A whopping 2,812 votes for our district was a new PBNYC record! Here are the prelim winners:

1) Tech - PS 230 ($180,000)
2) Bathrooms - PS 58 ($110,000)
3) Computers - Carroll Gardens/Windsor Terrace libraries ($75,000)
4) Safety Improvements - Church Ave ($300,000)
5) Tech - PS 179 ($115,000)
6) Green Corridor - 3rd Street ($170,000)
7) Safety Improvements - Hicks Street ($350,000)

Here is a link to the sample ballot & Brad Lander's announcement.

Cast your vote for neighborhood projects!

New York City Council member Brad Lander wants to spend 1 million dollars on neighborhood projects for the 39th district and he wants our input! There are at least two projects on the table that will directly impact the quality of life for residents in the Columbia Waterfront District. Community members are asked to vote for their preferred project and the voting is happening at Brad Lander's office from April 2nd - 4th and at community locations on April 6th-7th including the Carroll Gardens Library on April 6th from 12pm - 7pm. Please follow the link below for more information on the voting locations and the projects proposed.

http://bradlander.com/where-and-how-to-vote

The projects proposed in our neighborhood include a community/green plaza at the intersection of Van Brunt & Hamilton and a pedestrian safety initiative which would make it safer for pedestrians crossing Hicks from the foot bridge. Take a few minutes and cast your vote!

Summit Street Community Garden Spring meeting Sunday

Summit Garden March 2012

One of our local community gardens is getting ready for the 2013 season with a meeting on Sunday morning. Summit Street Community Garden, on the corner of Summit and Columbia, has friendly members and fun events and parties. Here's the info:

Summit Street Community Garden will hold the first meeting of the season this Sunday, April 7th at 11 a.m. Current garden members and interested community members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

On the agenda:
Welcome new members
Treasury report
Gardening, maintenance and work days
Open hours
Box usage, membership, Green Thumb info
Composting
Events
Job sign-up
Anything else that needs discussing

The meeting will be followed by an optional work day and walk through for new members. Looks like the weather will be beautiful! We look forward to spending some of it together in such a calming and beautiful space. See you there!

Red Hook Jazz Festival 2013

The 6th Annual Red Hook Jazz Festival comes back to our neighborhood at the Urban Meadow on June 9th and June 16th. Plenty of time for you to save the date and come out and enjoy not only the beautiful weather and the company of our lovely neighbors, but some wonderful sounds they have lined up for us.

Here are the details, but be sure to check back (https://www.facebook.com/RedHookJazzFestival) to ensure they haven't changed it up:


WHAT: 6th ANNUAL RED HOOK JAZZ FESTIVAL

WHEN: TWO SUNDAYS IN JUNE: 9th & 16th

WHERE: in the Urban Meadow - on the corner of President & Van Brunt streets

HOW MUCH: $10.00 per day & kids are FREE

LINEUP:
SUNDAY, JUNE 9 from 1pm - 6pm

CLARENCE PENN QUARTET
Ben Street - bass
Adam Roger - guitar
Seamus Blake - sax
Clarence Penn - drums

FAY VICTOR ENSEMBLE
Fay Victor – voice, compositions
Anders Nilsson – guitar, effects
Ken Filiano – bass, effects

WILLIE MARTINEZ' LA FAMILIA SEXTET
Willie Martinez - drums & vocals
Misha Tsiganov - keyboards
Jennifer Vincent - bass
Renato Thoms - percussion
J. Walter Hawkes - trombone
Maximilian Schweiger - baritone saxophone

JAMES CARNEY GROUP
Peter Epstein - soprano & alto sax
Ralph Alessi - trumpet
Tony Malaby - tenor sax (maybe)
Josh Roseman - trombone
James Carney - acoustic & electric piano
Chris Lightcap - bass
Mark Ferber - drums

THE NOWTET PLAYS ZEPPELIN
Adam Kolker - sax
Andy Gravish - trumpet
Jeremy Manasia - piano
Carlo De Rosa - bass
Al Street - guitar
Richi James De Bonis - drums


SUNDAY, JUNE 16 from 1pm - 6pm

ROB MOSHER'S POLEBRIDGE
Rob Mosher - soprano sax & clarinet
Micah Killion - trumpet
John Marcus - violin
Stephanie Nilles - piano
Andrew Small - bass and fiddle

LARK
Kris Davis - piano
Ralph Alessi - trumpet
Ingrid Laubrock - sax
Tom Rainey - drums

MIKE PRIDE's FROM BACTERIA TO BOYS
Jon Irabagon- alto sax
Jonathan Moritz- tenor sax
Alexis Marcelo- piano / keyboard
Peter Bitenc- bass
Mike Pride- drums

ALLISON MILLER's BIG MOLASSES
Brandon Seabrook - guitar
Hagar Benari - bass
Allison Miller - drums

BAD TOUCH
Loren Stillman - sax
Nate Radley - guitar
Gary Versace - keyboards/nord
Ted Poor - drums

PAUL KOGUT TRIO
Paul Kogut - guitar
Drew Gress - bass
Vinnie Sperrazza - drums

*RHJF is sponsored by the
BROOKLYN ARTS COUNCIL
&
THE HOUSE OF PIZZA & CALZONE
URBAN MEADOW

Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Bring your kids down to the cutest neighborhood egg hunt around - the Columbia Waterfront District's Annual Spring Egg Hunt. To accommodate more kids at this popular event, babies to age four will hunt for eggs in the Meadow and kids five and up will be in next door Mother Cabrini Playground. There'll be baked treats, and Urban Meadow t-shirts! So bring your baskets and don't be late. Those eggs go fast!

WHEN: Sunday, March 31 10 AM -12 noon
WHERE: Urban Meadow community garden and Mother Cabrini playground, corner of President and Van Brunt Streets. Contact urbanmeadow@gmail.com with any questions. 

The Urban Meadow on President Street is hosting two membership meetings soon for the next season! Check out their blog to see all the perks of membership.

Saturday March 9 at 3:00 downstairs at the Carroll Gardens Library, 396 Clinton Street on the corner of Union, and Sun March 17 at 3:00, at the House of Pizza and Calzone at 132 Union Street. They'll be talking about fees, membership rights and responsibilities, and plans for the season. If you wish to renew your membership or become a new member, please make sure to attend one of the meetings.

Write to the coordinators at urbanmeadow@gmail.com with any questions.

http://urbanmeadowbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-membership.html

Cora Dance performances this week

THE CORA STUDIO-THEATER PRESENTS:

SHANNON HUMMEL/CORA DANCE'S 2013 NYC SEASON PREMIERE OF "DOWN HERE"FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 2 AND MARCH 6-9 AT 8PM
@ the Cora Studio-Theater, 201 Richards Street, Buzzer #15
between Coffey and Van Dyke Streets, Red Hook, Brooklyn NYC


March 1-2; March 6-9 @ 8pm: Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance presents "down here"
w/ guest choreographers Nadia Tykulsker/Spark(edIt) Arts (March 1 & 2);
Courtney Cooke, (March 6 & 8); and Katie Dean (March 7 & 9)
Tickets: $20 or pay-what-you-can. Tickets are available at the door or
online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/317542. ADVANCE PURCHASE
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

About Courtney Cooke, (March 6 and 8 at 8pm)

Courtney Cooke's newest work "Steeper Beast" is a tightly structured
improvisation exploring research in the body as a vessel for hypnotic
states, trances, regressive behavior, relationships, and time travel.

About Katie Dean, (March 7 and 9 at 8pm)

Katie presents "Royal Jelly", an exploration of nostalgia, our
collections, the Golden Record, symmetry, iPhones, lust and randomness. A
Waiting for Godot-ish 20 or so minutes of the moments in between.
Performed by Airin Dalton, Megan Harrold, and Nadia Tykulsker. Sound
design created in collaboration with Heather Bregman. Set design in
collaboration with Michael Drake.

About the Cora Theater

The Cora Studio-Theater is an intimate 750 square foot performance space
which debuted as a theater in 2012. Home to the professional company
Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance and its educational program, Cora School for
Dance, the studio is a laboratory for addressing the impediments that keep
many underserved populations from taking part in the arts. The theater
will host over 20 evenings of live performance in 2013 by Cora Dance,
students, guest artists and others. All programs and performances at The
Cora Studio are pay-what-you-can and no one is ever turned away based on
what she/he can afford. Cora is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. The
Cora Studio-Theater is proudly located in Red Hook, Brooklyn at 201
Richards St between Coffey and Van Dyke Streets. For more information,
visit www.coradance.org.

Santa in the 'Hood!

Neighborhood bar MikNic Lounge reports that the "real" Santa is paying them a visit this Sunday the 16th from 2pm until 5pm. Have your photo taken with him for $10 or just come and meet him. There will be hot chocolate for the kids and adult drinks too.


MicNik Lounge

200 Columbia Street, between Sackett and Degraw

Brooklyn Collective Holiday Party Tonight

Brooklyn Collective is hosting a holiday party tonight from 6 to 9pm with a raffle to benefit Sandy victims in Red Hook. 

Here are the fabulous local artists selling their work at Brooklyn Collective this season: http://www.brooklyncollective.com/artists.html I found the perfect presents for four people on my list this week!

Brooklyn Collective
212 Columbia Street Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 596-6231

Shop Red Hook!

Help Red Hook get through a tough winter of recovery by doing your holiday gift shopping below the Battery Tunnel. Most of the neighborhood's unique shops and eateries have reopened for business. Here are just a few of my favorites. Add your recommendations below in the comments. 

Red Hook wine store Botta Di Vino offers free gift wrapping and special offers, some of which include free glassware, 10% case discounts and 5% discounts on 6 bottles. Gift certificates can be ordered over the phone and shipped to you. They also offer free delivery on most case sales.
357 Van Brunt Street
www.bottadivino.net

Shopping Metal and Thread is like exploring a mysterious gallery of jewelry and art. All the work here is handmade from metal, thread, felt, leather, gemstones, and whatever else these artists feel they can turn into something unique and unusual. They'll wrap your purchases in vintage reusable bags, and they are including a pair of drop earrings with each purchase, while supplies last. They post specials at facebook.com/metalandthread, and you can donate to help them rebuild their workshop at http://www.gofundme.com/rebuild-metal-and-thread.
398 Van Brunt Street
http://metalthread.com

Next door is Foxy and Winston, one of my go-to gift shops. I love their whimsical bags, children's clothing, and unique greeting cards. While you're there, say hi to Miss Hope the Beagle, who watches over the store. 

392 Van Brunt Street

http://foxyandwinston.com/

Across the street, Baked is back at it, serving up their delectable cakes, bars, pies, and cookies. How about one of those Baked t-shirts or cookbooks for the aspiring chef in your life?

359 Van Brunt Street

http://bakednyc.com/

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie was flooded by three feet of water but they are open to the public again for pie purchases. They're also fundraising at http://www.gofundme.com/1ire9o to repair the damage to their building and equipment. 
204 Van Dyke Street, Pier 41
http://stevesauthentic.com/


Also hard hit but open again is Flickinger Glassworks, who have one-of-a-kind enameled tableware and lighting. 
204-207 Van Dyke Street, Pier 41http://www.flickingerglassworks.com/

If you are looking for a gift for a dancer or a fan of dance, consider a donation to Cora Studio in their name. Cora Studio offers pay-what-you-can dance classes and rehearsal space rentals. Their electrical system was damaged and they lost thousands in income after the storm.  
201 Richards Street between Coffey and Van Dyke Streets
http://www.coradance.com/

Lots of bars and restaurants are open too! One of my favorites, Hope and Anchor, will write up a gift certificate for your friend who loves a hearty meal and breakfast any time of day.  
347 Van Brunt Street
http://www.hopeandanchorredhook.com/