Safe in this Place: A Franklin Avenue Theater and Dialogue Project, Monday at 7pm

Those who've attended the last two CHCA meetings have already heard about this project, a collaboration between three local residents who are students in the innovative Applied Theater M.A. at CUNY. They've offered a taste of their methods at the meetings, which involve collaborations and conversations between participants and, in ILFA's extremely limited experience, generate a very good vibe and leave participants feeling good. Check them out tomorrow at 7pm.

Neighborhood Story Circle

Come meet neighbors and share stories about our neighborhood around Franklin Avenue

Monday, December 12
7:00-9:00 p.m.

Georgia's Place, 691 Prospect Place
(at the corner of Bedford Ave - enter through the side gate on Prospect)

Light refreshments will be served.

This event will also be an opportunity to learn more about
“Safe in This Place," a ten-week series of theater-based workshops that will take
place on Thursday evenings from January to March 2012,
 exploring the question: 
What does it mean to be safe in this neighborhood?

For more info or to RSVP, please email safeinthisplace@gmail.com
or call Julia at 708-408-2004.

“Safe in This Place” is a research project of the CUNY School of Professional Studies M.A. in Applied Theatre.

Updates for a Chilly Weekend: Tea Bella, Safe in this Place, Reading Series, and more

(The Band Called FUSE - Love and War in the City)

It finally got cold, but there's still plenty happening on the Avenue, and Crown Heights is always making news. Some quick updates:

- Tea Bella Jewelry (see previous post) were such a big hit that Breukelen Coffee House asked them back today (Sunday) and next weekend too. Check them out for fun, inexpensive gifts.

- Speaking of gifts, the lady got me concert tickets to the Idle Warship show on Friday for Christmas. If you haven't heard them yet, Kweli's new group is fantastic (and great live), and at Southpaw on Friday, they had the benefit of a fantastic local opening act, The Band Called FUSE, who are always worth the price of admission (song/video above). 

- The Franklin Avenue Merchants holiday lights are up, and to honor those small businesspeople who spent their money to make this happen in lean times, ILFA's posted a list of those who contributed (see updated post below). Thanks to all of you!

- I'll put up full posts about each of these events later, but the weekend does not end today. Safe in this Place, a theater-based workshop aimed at generating community conversations about safety over the next ten weeks kicks off on Monday at 7pm, and the Franklin Park Reading Series returns with Monster Bash at 8pm.

- The Times had a nice piece about a local woman who suffers from Asperger's (untreated, it's left her homeless over the past several years) and the unlikely success she's had with a comic book that she created to come to terms with her condition. 

- The Voice ran an interesting look at Japanese dancehall groups in NYC, including those who competed at last night's Global Clash at the Albany Manor. 

- For those who take the B44, Bed-Stuy Patch had a good article about the implementation of Select Bus Service along the route. 

- A local rabbi has joined the US Army as a chaplain, which was newsworthy because the Army allowed him to keep his beard after a lawsuit (the Armed Forces have done the same for Sikh and Muslim chaplains). 

UPDATED: More SUNday Fun: Tea Bella Jewelry Trunk Show at Breukelen Coffee House

Lots to do this Saturday - details below.

Presenting the Tea Bella Jewelry Holiday Trunk Show at

Breukelen Coffee House Dec. 10

Brooklyn, NY-  The Tea Bella Jewelry Holiday Trunk Show invites all to indulge their taste for simple adornment and elaborate flair, Saturday December 10, 2011.  Jewelry reseller and collector, Pilar Torres-Gownder will display and sell unusual vintage and contemporary rings, necklaces, earrings, and broaches that create a conversation piece amongst friends, family and business associates.  This is a must attend event for anyone who wishes to accommodate a desire to enhance a current wardrobe and buy holiday gifts that extends kindness to your wallet.  Shoppers can also enjoy delicious pastries and organic coffee in the popular and warm atmosphere of Breukelen Coffee House.

Each of Tea Bella's pieces emits brilliant and muted tones, conveys elegant style and satisfies a wanderlust for glamour.  Costume gems are a signature favorite of this experienced collector.  Festive and unique designs will make a holiday party dress or suit, exquisite. Sustainable and classic, jewelry purchased promises to tell a personal story of enchanting and playful times. Pilar Torres-Gownder will be available for style and adornment advice.

About Tea Bella: A consummate business creative, Pilar Torres-Gownder combines a background in marketing and event planning to bring to Tea Bella Trunk Shows a rich visual experience.  Inspired by her father who was an entrepreneur and jeweler, Pilar says "I love how the simplest piece of jewelry transforms into marvelous artwork when a client puts it on. Each client gifts me with an opportunity to throw sparkle and color that honor my passion for collecting and reselling to everyone who is just as enthusiastic as I am about adorning themselves in timeless and refined beauty."

Date: Saturday, December 10, 2011

Time: 11-3pm

Location: Breukelen Coffee House, 764 Franklin Ave., #A, Brooklyn, New York

Media Contacts: Andrea Mohammed

                           andreamohammed@gmail.com

                           917 284 5411

                          

                           Pilar Torres-Gownder

                           teabella25@yahoo.com

UPDATED: Let There Be Light!

A great, green initiative is coming to the Avenue, courtesy of the Franklin Avenue Merchants and the Crow Hill Community Association. As of today, 16 solar-powered strings of tree lights have been purchased to brighten the way for everyone, and the Crow Hill Community Garden will soon have a lit tree as well. The weather may be far from delightful, but thanks to the efforts of these local leaders, we'll still have some holiday cheer to enjoy on Franklin soon.

The participating merchants (i.e. those who spent their hard-earned money in trying times for small businesses to beautify our street) are as follows:

Bob & Betty's, 

Wine(ot), 

95 South, 

Veggies, 

Breukelen Coffee House, 

Dutch Boy Burger, 

Pine Tree, 

Away We Go Postal (who've got a little light show of their own, too)

Had & Associates, 

The Candy Rush, 

Lily & Fig,

Owl & Thistle General Store, 

MySpace Realty, 

Posh Nails BK, 

Endless Visions

Wine Bar (no name yet, coming soon next door to Rose Bud Vintage)

Big Sue LLC 

From CHCA:

The Franklin Avenue Merchants kick off "Light Franklin Avenue". Today Solar Powered lights were purchased for 16 trees on Franklin Avenue, and one for the Crow Hill Community Garden, by members of the F.A.M. to celebrate the joyous holidays. Talk about merchants going green! Plaques will be placed on each lit tree thanking the participating business owners.

Vegan Book Swap at LaunchPad on Saturday

Something to look forward to this weekend at LaunchPad - this event sounds like great fun, and it's been organized by a pair of fantastic local folks. Also, Owl & Thistle, whose selection gets better every time I go in, has contributed a gift basket to their raffle, so it's a local lovefest. Check them out on FB or see the original invite here (or read on below):

Vegan/ AR Book Swap 2.0

Saturday, December 10th, 2-5pm
@LaunchPad
721 Franklin Ave (btw. Sterling & Park)
Crown Heights, Brooklyn

Hello vegan & veg-curious friends!

This is a gentle reminder that the next book swap is this Saturday. We hope that you'll be able to join us-- with or without books! We need your help to raise funds for Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit that provides shelter to cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, sheep, and goats who have been rescued from cases of abuse, neglect and abandonment. 100% of the money raised from this event will be sent directly to the sanctuary. Even better news is that a local Brooklyn guy has offered to match donations collected at the swap (up to $200). The best news is that an anonymous donor will match all sanctuary donations collected this month up to $100K!!! There's never been a better time to come hang out, make some friends, eat cupcakes, and pick up some books for yourself and your Secret Santa!

AWESOME RAFFLE PRIZES:

• A gift basket of exciting vegan goodies from Owl & Thistle General Store, an urban mercantile specializing in local, green, fair and direct-trade products. Located in Crown Heights. ($20 value)
• A $20 gift certificate to Chavela's Mexican Restaurant & Bar of Crown Heights.
• A $20 gift certificate to Terri, an all vegetarian quick service restaurant serving delicious, organic super foods seasoned like familiar favorites. Located in Chelsea.
• A vegan body care product from Raganella. Handmade in Prospect Heights with local and organic ingredients. ($18 value)

AND A MINI VEGAN BAKE SALE featuring homemade treats from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World!

Please show the swap some love! Visit our Facebook event page and RSVP. Please also share it on your Facebook profile and/or tweet about it.
http://www.facebook.com/events/220089694724950/

The vegan book swap was recently written up in Brokelyn!
"A book swap for animal lovers. (No leather-bound editions!)"
We were also mentioned on SuperVegan.

Here are answers to some FAQ:

Is this swap free and open to all, even non-vegans?
Yes!

What should I bring to the swap?
Bring your awesome self and no more than 5 items to swap.

What if I don't have any books to share?
You can buy used books for $2 donation each and thus support the critters at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary!

I have lots of extra money in my wallet, what should I do with it?
You should totally enter our raffle! We'll have awesome prizes and the money goes to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

What should I wear to the swap?
Elastic-waistband pants or empire-waist dresses are a good choice because there will be yummy vegan snacks available for purchase.

Do you need volunteers?
Yes! Thanks for asking. We need five fantastic volunteers who can to take a blood oath to show up at 1:45 and leave at 5:30 the day of the event, unless otherwise noted. We'll try to work out of a good compensation/ perk for all your help. Positions are:
1. Check-in: Responsible for getting folks to sign in, giving them book credits, and directing them to the pile-o-stuff.
2. Media assistant: Responsible for sorting incoming media donations and keeping pile-o-stuff in order.
3. Photographer: Responsible for documenting the event, emailing photos to us, and posting on Facebook. (2pm to 5pm. You can totally use your iPhone!)
4. Check-out/ Cashier: Responsible for making sure folks have the right number of credits for the number of items they leave with. Responsible also for assisting with raffle sales.
5. Concession: Responsible for selling treats at the event and helping set-up/clean up snack area.

Should I RSVP?
Show off how busy you are here.

See you soon!
Olivia Lane and Jamie Hagen
Olivia doesn't want to be the only one Googling herself.
If you wanna web-spy on Jamie.

Trees Follow Development and More: Monday Links

(new street trees planted up and down St. Marks Place, many of which are blooming cherry trees, which will look like this come springtime and this in the summer)

Links week (aka finals week) continues on ILFA, with a nod to the new trees on St. Marks (as mentioned in the previous batch of links, below). St. Marks between Franklin and Classon has been an interesting block to watch in the ongoing development/gentrification of Crown Heights (something IFLA covered last January - it's interesting to look back and see how much has happened in the intervening year).  A relatively unlovely block by neighborhood standards, it's nonetheless attracted substantial and wide-ranging investment from public and private sources alike. The newer wing of the former Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn (which admittedly lacks some of the charm and majesty of the facades facing Prospect and Classon) was completely renovated as rentals, attracting a laundromat, a diner, and Compare Foods to the complex (two years ago, that building had almost no windows, and the current Compare Foods location was home to a pair of vociferous guard dogs). Across the street, the city's St. Marks Gardens project is almost complete, and a halfway house is moving in to the former daycare center (as reported at the CHCA meeting). The ISHI condo project, renamed Mark West, seems to be attracting some renewed interest, and crowds still gather at the Imperial Bikers Motorcycle Club on Saturday night and the Apostolic Church on Sunday morning. There's no verdict to declare yet, of course, as the area is most certainly "in transition," but the range of investments suggests the possibility, at least, of a continued coexistence.

- For a broader, longer look at change in Brooklyn, check out Kay Hymowitz's piece in City Journal.

- The NYPD are in trouble after officers took to Facebook to bash West Indian Day parade-goers back in September. The chatter came to light after it was used (no word on if it made an impact) in the acquittal of a Brooklyn man charged with gun possession at the 2010 parade. 

- Over on Rodgers Avenue, police were in better form, pulling a worker to safety after the scaffolding he was standing on collapsed, leaving him dangling from a rope (scary stuff, glad he's safe!). 

- Prospect Heights Patch has an interesting article about the gerrymandering of Congressional Districts, and how it could affect representation in Crown Heights.

Food for Thought: Weekend Links

(the work of local craftspeople on sale at Built in Brooklyn - see previous post for more details)

Apologies for the lack of posts, it's finals time in the ILFA world (though if anyone would like to read a rough draft of a 4,000-word essay on historical approaches to emancipation, I suppose I could post that). In lieu of more thoughtful commentary (I flatter myself), I offer the lazy blogger's solution: links! 

- After harassing and groping a woman on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle, a 39-year-old Queens man was caught because the woman he chose to harass snapped a photo of him and passed it on to the NYPD and the media. Having spoken to far too many women who've been sexually harassed or assaulted on the train (and, unfortunately, to a few who have tried to report these attacks to MTA employees or even transit cops and gotten nothing but shrugs in response), I'm glad to see the system actually working, and I salute the woman who had the wherewithal to photograph this creep and follow through with reporting the incident (sometimes a very long, draining process). 

- There's an uproar brewing over the extradition of a local Hasidic man from Israel to NYC to stand trial for a hate crime in the assault of an African-American man. While I know nothing about the case beyond the linked article (and thus can't really speak to it) the incident took place in the context of Shomrim policing, which has long been a feature of Crown Heights but has come under fire recently in a number of contexts. In Israel, one national news network has responded with a profile of the Shomrim's work in Crown Heights, available (with video) here. 

- On a more positive note, the Brooklyn Ink ran a nice profile of the folks at Seeds in the Middle, whose programming targets youth from the many sub-communities of Crown Heights. 

- Gun violence continues in CH, with a livery cab driver the latest victim (though, mercifully, he seems to have survived a beating and three gunshot wounds) on Monday. Incidents like these highlight the importance of the work that SOS Crown Heights is doing in our community. Frequent contributor MikeF shared this report of their first year on Brooklynian, and it's well worth a read. Meanwhile, in another Chicago-Brooklyn exchange (SOS Crown Heights is based on Chicago's CEASEfire), a local criminologist has developed an anti-violence program with the Chicago Police Department, (link recommended earlier in the week by a reader).

- Finally, a reader wrote in to note the planting of trees up and down St. Marks between Classon and Franklin, a welcome addition to a strip that's rapidly shifting from post-institutional malaise to residential comfort (and where the city has invested in a new affordable housing development). Street trees are wonderful for many reasons - glad to see them going up! 

Readers will notice that the last two tips were submitted by followers. As always, ILFA loves correspondence, so keep 'em coming!