Block Party Recap and Photos

Hi neighbors!

Thanks to everyone who came out to our 2nd annual block party on Saturday, September 10th.

Check out some photos -



Please share any you took that day as well.

Special thanks to -

• Pinky for doing some extraordinary face painting for the kids.  You have a real talent!
• Jack and Eddie for coordinating an awesome live jazz performance and Toland for the power.  So many people said that was the highlight of the day
  
• Sabrina for baking such lovely sweet things and putting out tables
  
• Donald for coordinating the fire truck
• Ezra and Nancy for putting out the tires for kids to play in
• Tokumbo and other neighbors for putting up signs to publicize the event
• Any neighbor who hosted a stoop sale, invited friends, helped out, shared food and just all around appreciate the neighborhood vibe of the block party

Look out for details on our next meeting and big event - the holiday gathering.  It was a great success last year - let's continue to build the block community. 

Warm regards,
Sheethal

Save the date: 2nd Annual Block Party! Sat Sep 10th

Cumberland Block Association

 

presents

Block Party!

Saturday

September 10^th

Stoop Sales

fire truck

face painting

Potluck / Bbq

music by dj steevy dee

*Call for musicians for

sunset jazz*

Invite your friends!

Questions? Suggestions? contributions?

cumberlandblock@gmail.com

cumberlandblockassociation.blogspot.com

Holiday Pot Luck Gathering wrap up

Hi neighbors!

What a great turnout for our holiday pot luck gathering yesterday evening!

We welcomed new and veteran Fort Greene neighbors from 1- 70+ - sharing stories, drinking wine and sparkling cider, while munching on homemade goodies including pozole (Mexican corn soup), hot wings, mac n' cheese, gingerbread cookies and a coconut cake with marshmallow snowmen on top!

Thanks for coming out and to all who contributed to our delicious feast.  And a special thanks to Howard for hosting us in his beautifully restored home.

Happy holidays and happy new year!

Warmly,
Sheethal
Cumberland Block Association

It's Official Crime is on the Rise - Bring Back the Beat

There have been a couple incidents on our block recently, so please be careful and consider the request below to help deal with the issue of increased crime in the neighborhood.

 

Reprinted from the Fort Greene Association blog

 

Fort Greeners,
The 88th precinct has finally admitted to what community leaders have been saying for over two years, that crime is on the rise in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.  Fort Greeners don't take issues like this sitting down, they take action.  Last night at the FGA November Meeting a SRO crowd began to take action  by demanding the return of Beat Cops to Fort Greene and Clinton Hill by signing and sending letters to Commission Kelly as part of our "Bring Back the Beat" campaign.

Now it's time for you to do your part.  Either use the letter as a starting point for your own personalized version or download the letter and mail it to the Commissioner today.  While social media and email have their place they do not replace the old analog form of the good old letter.

I ask you to take the time today to protect your neighborhood, your family, your children by participating in our Bring Back the Beat campaign.

Paul Palazzo
FGA Chair

Download the letter to print or copy and paste from below.

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
NYC Police Department Headquarters
One Police Plaza
New York, NY 10038

November 18, 2010

Re: Bring Back Street Patrols to Fort Greene Clinton Hill

Dear Commissioner Kelly:

I am writing to you to ask support in protecting something you helped to create, the current day neighborhoods of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.  Back in the early nineties you and then Mayor Dinkins initiated the Safe Streets program which initiated a precipitous decline in crime and fostered the renaissance of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.  Thank you for helping to create such a vibrant neighborhood.

Fort Greene and Clinton Hill are now destination locations for both tourists and native New Yorkers.  Our streets are alive with scenes of shoppers, sightseers, and increasingly young families enjoying my great neighborhood.  I want these scenes to continue but they and my family are being threatened.

Crime is now on the rise in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill and the time has come again to bring back the successes of Safe Streets.  What I am speaking of specifically are neighborhood foot patrols, more commonly known as the neighborhood Beat Cop.

You have been attentive to my neighborhood and I appreciate your recent additional emphasis in apprehending perpetrators of crime. As a proactive force you demonstrated the Beat Cop of the Safe Streets program was highly effective in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Beat Cops in the early nineties not only provided a visible deterrent to crime but also became part of our neighborhood fabric. I would like to see the Police as part of my neighborhood again.

So please Commissioner Kelly help protect and strengthen what you started decades ago.  Let's bring back Beat Cops to Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Sincerely,

BLOCK PARTY!

Cumberland Block Association

presents

Block Party!

Saturday September 11^th

Schedule

Stoop Sale:  10 – 4

Kids activities:  2 – 4

Potluck dinner/Bbq:  4 – 6

(street closed 10–6 – please move cars in advance)

BRING your own chair and beverage

Needed:

·    Folding tables

·    BBQ grills

·      DJ (if you have a sound system to play outside you qualify)

·    Kids activity organizers

if you can contribute any of the above items please email

cumberlandblock@gmail.com

for info :

cumberlandblockassociation.blogspot.com

**Please print the flyer and distribute to your neighbors!**

Meeting notes from last Cumberland Block Association meeting on Thursday, August 26th

Hi neighbors!

Here are notes from our last block association meeting, held at Karen and Andy's place.

Block Party 

Saturday September 11th

Schedule

• Stoop Sale: 10 – 4
• Kids activities: 2 – 4
• Potluck dinner/BBQ: 4 – 6
• (street closed 10–6 – please move cars in advance)

Notes

• Bring your own chair and beverage and an item to contribute for dinner
• Needed: grills for BBQ, Folding tables, DJ and kids games coordinator.  Please email cumberlandblock@gmail.com if you can contribute any of these items.
• Annabelle will hang No Parking Signs
• Tokumbo and Sheethal will distribute and hang Block Party signs
• Jack will invite precinct
• Tokumbo will invite Tish

Ideas welcome!

Trees pits and guards 

• Jack brought an application for tree guards from Marty Markowitz's office (courtesy of Peter (308))
• The application is due September 17th to Marty's office
• The group chose the square design displayed in the application
• Sheethal has distributed a document to each owner whose property is adjacent to a tree pit.  Each owner must give permission to obtain a tree guard.  Please complete and sign this form and put in Sheethal's mailbox (311) asap for enclosure with application.  Please print Cumberland Block Association in the space for organization name
  

Sewer Work

• If anyone has any sewer work they need to do, please coordinate with Toland (297).  He has work to do and will see if he can can the work done before they repave the street, so they don't have to rip it up

Other

• Howard talked about extending the historic district in a couple areas
• Howard recommended we work with the block association on Cumberland b/t Lafayette and DeKalb.  We will invite them to the block party as a first step.

Please feel free to leave comments below or email cumberlandblock@gmail.com with any questions.

Aperitivos! Sponsored by The Greene Grape and The Fort Greene Park Conservancy - Thursday, May 20th at 6

Please join The Cumberland Block Association, The Greene Grape and The Fort Greene Park Conservancy for Aperitivos: a sumptuous sparkling summer cocktail typical of the Veneto in Italy.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Greene Grape

765 Fulton St

6:30 - 8 PM

Conservancy folks will be there to talk about their upcoming season of free programming, their membership drive and volunteering.

Catch up with your neighbors on Cumberland Street and meet people from other block associations in the neighborhood.

We look forward to seeing you there!

REMINDER: BBG Gardening Clinic this Friday May 14th from 7-8 (and upcoming cocktail event at Greene Grape)

Hi neighbors!

Together with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Cumberland Block Association will be hosting a gardening clinic on Friday, May 14th from 7 - 8 PM.  We will meet outside of 304 Cumberland (Sabrina and Matt's house).  We will discuss street tree maintenance, front garden design and plant selection, container gardening and drought resistant plants/water conservation.

Hope you can join us and please spread the word to your neighbors!

**Also, please save the date Thursday May 20th from 6:30 - 8 for a wine tasting at the Greene Grape on Fulton St.  Courtesy of Greene Grape and the Fort Greene Park Conservancy, we'll be having aperitivos, a sparkling summer cocktail typical of the Veneto in Italy, which is Aperol, prosecco, soda & orange.  The Fort Greene Park Conservancy will be introducing their programming to several block associations in the neighborhood.  Invitation to come shortly!**

Meeting notes from last Cumberland Block Association meeting on April 29th

**Please subscribe to the blog at http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=CumberlandBlockAssociation&loc=en_US to get Cumberland Block Association updates**

Hi neighbors!

Thanks to all who attended the last meeting.  Welcome to our neighbors Karen and Andy, Ryan and to CBA members Pinky, Jack, Rodney, David, Tokumbo and Sheethal.

For those who could not make it, here is the agenda of items discussed.  Below the list you will find an update for each:

• Church on Green Ave Petition
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest
• Free trees from the Arbor Day Foundation
• En restaurant
• 294 Cumberland update
• 297 Cumberland update
• After-labor day block party

Church on Greene Ave Petition
We all signed the petition and we distributed sheets for people to continue to get signatures.  Michelle suggested we get together with other block associations in the neighborhood to obtain more signatures and hold an event with Tish and Marty Markowitz to get more community members involved.  Once we have a of signatures, we could go to them with our case.  Over the weekend, I was at an apartment that faces the back of the building and it looked like there were pigeons coming in and out of the open windows.  At least we should look to have the building sealed.


Greenest Block contest
Our gardening clinic will be held May 14th from 7 - 8 PM outside of 304 Cumberland.  We will be discussing street tree maintenance, front garden design and plant selection, container gardening and drought resistant plants/water conservation.  Hope people can make it!

Free trees from the Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day foundation gives out 10 free trees when you become a member for $10 - http://www.arborday.org/Shopping/Memberships/Memberships.cfm.  Please let me know if you would like to get a tree and I will place an order for the group.  So far, Rodney (2), Pinky (1) and Ryan (1) would like trees.

En
A neighbor talked about noise and unneighborly behavior with En restaurant.

294 Cumberland Update

The building going up at 294 Cumberland had stopped and started work several times.  Rodney gave us an update, saying that the Landmarks Commission stopped work because the windows are not inline with the rest of the block.  It is not clear whether they are working on it.  A neighbor has seen workers waiting outside but not doing work.

297 Cumberland Update
This house is in probate, there is a dispute amongst the heirs.  It's been sealed by the Department of Health and Safety, but it's not in a good condition.

After-labor day block party
We revived the idea of having a block party.  We decided to hold it on a Saturday in early September when people are back from summer vacations.  Donald will look into getting the permit for us.  Stay tuned for updates about block party planning.  Any ideas, feel free to share in the comments.

Spring is here and the CBA is back!

Hi friends!

I recently returned from my work as a Kiva Fellow in South America and am working to get the Block Association back up and running!

1. Next Cumberland Block Association Meeting - April 28th or 29th
2. Next Fort Greene Association Meeting - Monday April 19th at 7:30 (7 PM for neighborhood social)
3. Petition for church on Greene Ave
4. Fort Greene House tour on Sunday, May 2nd from 12 - 5
5. Clinton Hill Garden Walk on Sunday, June 6th from 11 - 5

------

1. Next Cumberland Block Association Meeting - we are planning for the week after next

Stay tuned for details.  The next meeting will be likely April 28th or 29th.  I am in the process of coordinating the date and location.

------

2. Fort Greene Association meeting tomorrow at 7:30 (7 PM for neighborhood social)

Join us at our next scheduled Neighborhood meeting to be held on Monday April 19, 2010 -7:30PM, at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Fort Greene has changed but our choices for healthy food seem to be stuck in the past. At this meeting we’ll explore the Food Solutions coming to our neighborhood Come share your experiences with others and learn about efforts to provide healthy food choices to Fort Greene.

Ask questions, and get answers. Plus all the goings on in Fort Greene and don’t forget to come early and meet your neighbors with refreshments starting at 7PM.
YUMMY! ENTER OUR RECIPE – POT LUCK CONTEST

What is your favorite healthy recipe for a family of four on a budget?
Bring along your favorite designed to cost $10 or less to the meeting for the 7PM Neighborhood Mixer
and enter our Recipe – Pot Luck Contest.

Enter to win valuable prizes and share your secrets on healthy eating with your neighbors.

Come and savor what your neighbors have to offer.

As always FGA Meetings are Open to All Homeowners and Renters alike

Serving Greater Fort Greene,
Fort Greene Association

--------

3. Petition for Church on Greene Ave

Our neighbor Phil (thanks Phil!) has created a petition regarding the church on Greene Ave.  It is dangerous and caused violations and pests in neighboring restaurants.  It blocked part of the greene space creation at 7 corners and it doesn't look like anything is going to change for awhile.  Please join us and sign the petition at the next meeting.

4. Fort Greene House Tour
Sunday, May 02, 2010
12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

BAM Triangle Park
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11217

The 30th Fort Greene Association House Tour is coming! The tour is held only once every two years, and this one will be even better than the last. In addition to gaining access into the splendid Victorian interiors of Fort Greene you will also get a glimpse of the backstage life of Fort Greene. Fort Greene which has become the City's hot new arts scene will swing open its doors with exclusive Artists Showings and Backstage Tours. The Tour will also feature residents who have shops, produce national magazines, and design on a global scale right from the comfort of this all inclusive neighborhood. Join us in fort Greene Brooklyn for this very special event benefiting the advocacy and programs of the all-volunteer, non-profit organization, the Fort Greene Association.

TICKETS
Advance Ticket: $20

------

5. Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District 13th Annual Garden Walk

Sunday, June 6, 2010
11:00am - 5:00pm
Clinton Hill private and community gardens

Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District presents its self-guided 13th Annual Garden Walk. Spend a Sunday afternoon being inspired by the creativity of this neighborhood's urban gardeners. The stops on the tour include single, double and triple-lot city refuges. Pick up a self-guided map at the corner of Washington Avenue and Lafayette, just outside the entrance to the G train, and enter into a a wonderland that cannot be seen from the street.

This year's stroll features 15 private gardens in the historic district of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. In addition to private gardens, many of which also feature the artwork of their creators folded into their greenery, the tour includes several vibrant community gardens, a newly planted garden entitled, Symbols, Parables and Healing, sponsored by BBGD in partnership with Teen Challenge, the drug recovery and prevention program at 444 Clinton Avenue, The Pratt sculpture Garden, green graffiti art installations and a Living-Couture Fashion Show in a neighborhood church.

All proceeds from the Garden Walk fund activities that support, encourage and facilitate local gardening, urban farming and environmental art.

Tickets are available in advance for $15 at:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/107257

and for $20 the day of the event.

Local ticket outlets will be announced shortly

Contact:
Emily Wasserman
151 Dekalb Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718 852 9283
emilywas@gmail.com
 http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1297300822&ref=profile#!/event.php?eid=115612625123494&ref=mf