Nostrand Av Comm Clean Up Day - This Sat 8/20th at 10am

Have you ever been bothered by trash on your Crown Heights street, now's your chance to be part of the solution!

Details Below:

Nostrand Avenue Community Clean Up Day
This Saturday August 20th at 10am: 
sponsored by Council Member Letitia James; NYC Community Cleanup; the Crown Heights Mediation Center; The Prospect Heights Street Tree Task Force; and the Executive Director of IKOKO

Join us at the corner of Sterling Place and Nostrand Avenue Saturday to “Beautify and Unify” Crown Heights North

(Brooklyn, NY) In order to encourage and assist with ongoing Crown Heights North revitalization, Council Member James is sponsoring a “clean-up day” for Nostrand Avenue on Saturday, August 20th. The “clean-up day” will include graffiti removal, store front cleaning, garbage removal and street tree care. NYC Community Clean Up, a not-for-profit organization, will provide these services, except for street tree care, at no cost to the merchants and residents. Prospect Heights Street Tree Task Force will be responsible for the tree care which will include soil aeration, mulching and pruning. The Crown Heights Mediation Center conceived of the “clean-up day” as a way to support new & existing businesses on Nostrand Avenue.

This will be the first partnership of New York City Community Clean-Up, Prospect Heights Street Tree Task Force, and the Executive Director of IKOKO, Inc. (IKOKO is providing outreach and meeting space on Saturday), in which store-fronts will be encouraged to work together and revitalize an already vital merchant’s block. Council Member James encourages store owners to contact the Brooklyn Solution Center Branch of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce at (718) 875-3400, which provide alternate sources of capital and business solutions. Also, new store owners are encouraged to access the services of NBAT, a new business acceleration team through the Office of the Mayor in partnership with the City Council.

The point of the day is to bring together store owners and residents along the Avenue - merchants will receive services, free of charge, through the Center for Court Innovation. NYC Community Clean Up is a not-for-profit that uses community service credits for formerly incarcerated to remove graffiti, wipe down store fronts, and change garbage in litter baskets. This project, through the Crown Heights Mediation Center, from funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, encourages new and existing businesses in the district to grow, and through community entrepreneurs, it will help developments meet the burgeoning district.

“As a result of this clean-up day, we will support development of an already thriving community in Crown Heights, free of graffiti, and I am hopeful to continue working together to beautify the blocks. Crown Heights has so many wonderful stores that will now form an alliance from today’s event onward. This area, with its multicultural population, and thriving culture, has a prosperous future ahead of it,” said Council Member James.

WHO: Council Member Letitia James, New York City Community Clean-Up, Prospect Heights Street Tree Task Force, and the Executive Director of IKOKO, Inc.
WHAT: Nostrand Avenue Community Clean Up Day
WHEN: Saturday, August 20 beginning at 10 a.m.
WHY: Corner of Sterling Place and Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights North

Photo Wednesday 08/17/11: Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 Edition

I don't want to alarm you, but summer is more than half over.
Like so many summers before this, too much is going on, all the time, even with rain-delays, for my one man operation to live it, record it and present it. The idea of doing a summer review in September came to mind, and then I realized the problem with that; nothing worse than looking back on a summer you can be part of, especially with the Fall chill creeping in. SO my suggestion to you and all is to take note of the days we have left, think of the sun and fun to come, and go get some (or some more) before it runs out.

One particularly summery place this year in Brooklyn has been Fort Greene Park, often over shadowed by it's bigger cousin Prospect, Ft. Greene Park has been a constant source of music, community and more a few times, really good eats. Below are pics from the Soul Summit and a few from the Fort Greene Fest held back in July.

The Soul Summit, a non-denominational church revival-slash- family reunion disguised as a House Music dance party (aren't they all though?) was a major event every Sunday from July to August for one brief Summer back round 2003 or so. But neighborhood grumblings pruned it down year after year until now it's nearly as easy to miss as Haley's Comet or some other fast moving celestial phenomenon. That being the case I went out and what essentially looks very much the same and different every year. In a word, it's "Family".


Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0316, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

this photo came from the dance circle and the young brotha in the photo had been moving through the circle punctuated by drums and some rhythms only felt. The moment captured in the shot was that last step at the end of his motions.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0306, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Here is one of those cool brothas, a house head and dancer extraordinaire. I've seen him at various spots across the city and across the years, always accompanied by house music and i dont even know his name. Good shot though, lotta twisting and turning frozen in time.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0216, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

to the beat of the drum(djimbe)

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0212, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Soaking it in at the Soul Summit

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0210, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Drummers and percussionists all.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0195, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

I missed the better shot when dad came down to meet him, but still happy i caught part of the moment.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0180, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

rhythm and hues

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0162, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

DJ Ian Friday working the decks

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0139, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Church by any other name...

And for good measure I've added a few more photos that help describe the Fort Greene Fest held in mid-July

Mos Def rocking the crowd in Fort Greene Park, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Mos Def rocking the crowd in Fort Greene Park

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0762, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Crowd shot looking back from the stage (Food tents cooking in the background, there were over 15 tents from local eateries selling food at the event)

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0744, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

From way back up on the hill watching the stage at the 3rd Annual Fort Greene Fest in Bklyn (of course)

Get up, get out and get sum summer.

Brooklyn Baseball

I found this is sort of throwback Brooklyn story in the NY Times, I couldn't understand the headline so I had to read the article, which I guess is the hallmark of a good headline.

The article is an obituary of Nat Allbright, who was a baseball announcer, of games he never saw.

Intriguing right? Here's the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/sports/baseball/nat-allbright-voice-of-dodgers-games-he-did-not-see-dies-at-87.html?hpw

Speaking of baseball (but in the present) for the second year I've attended a Brooklyn Cyclones game out at Coney Island. The minor league Cyclones (affiliates of the National League NY Mets, of course) pounded the Aberdeen Iron Birds (Baltimore Orioles farm club) pretty good.


In my more than humble opinion a game with the Cyclones is a good time to be had. The stadium is small but feels full and expansive. There are great sight-lines throughout the park and the background dressing of the Parachute Jump on one side, and the Cyclone rollercoast in the distance add to the easy summer atmosphere. Games also manage a lovably corny air with enjoyably hokey family friendly entertainment between innings and lots of local characters. Best enjoyed with a group, sitting behind home plate. Oh and if you sit along the foul lines, be ready to catch or duck.

Photo Wednesday 08/03/11 : KIDLAND

Kid Play In Ft Greene Park, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

This is a photo I caught during last month'sFort Greene Festival titled "Kid Play In Ft Greene Park".The title doesnt expresswhat I thought was cool about the moment. I looked back to the food vendors (blue tents) and for a second because of how far off all the adults were it looked like the park had been taken over by mini-people, and to an extent, for the moment, it had. All of them busy with their own imagined industry. Good times.

July is done, enjoy what summer remains.