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Poet laureate announced
A Park Slope woman who sees herself as “an activist on behalf of poetry” has been named Brooklyn’s new poet laureate.
Tina Chang, a resident of Park Slope, officially took over the pentameter-laden position left vacant with the passing of Gravesend scribe Ken Siegelman during Borough President Marty Markowitz’s State of the Borough Address at the Park Slope Armory.
Chang, the fourth poet to hold the lofty title, was chosen out of a field of 22 applicants stemming from across the borough.
“I am thrilled to appoint Tina Chang to this position, and she will truly embrace the role of Brooklyn’s poetic ambassador,” Markowitz said. “She has dedicated her life to poetry and is passionate about reaching and educating diverse communities. We heard from many talented and dedicated applicants for the position of Brooklyn poet laureate, and one thing is certain—our borough has no shortage of people with a gift for the written word.”
Chang is the author of Half-Lit Houses and the editor of Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and Beyond. She currently teaches at Hunter College and Sarah Lawrence College, and has collaborated with M.S. 51 through Poem in Your Pocket Day.
Her first action as poet laureate was to read her work “Praise,” which was dedicated to the survivors of the Haiti earthquake.
Contractor named for
Barclays Center
An Indianapolis contractor was awarded the contract to do construction for the Barclays Center arena at the Flatbush/Atlantic avenue intersection.
The Barclays Center, which will house the NBAs Nets, is the conerstone and first building of the $4-plus billion, 22-acre Atlantic Yards development.
Infrastructure and underground plumbing construction is already underway on the facility, which upon completion, will have 18,000 seats for basketball and 19,000 seats for concerts, 104 luxury suites, public concourses on two levels, a suite level club restaurant, and an adjoining basketball practice facility.
“Hunt has an outstanding construction team that has built many of the best sporting venues in the country,” said project developer Bruce Ratner, Chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies.
“We are excited to team with Hunt for the Barclays Center and to bring major professional sports and entertainment back to Brooklyn,” he added.
Judge studies AY
condemnation papers
State Supreme Court Judge Abraham G. Gerges last week delayed a final approval ruling for the state’s planned seizure of property to make way for the $4-plus billion Atlantic Yards project.
Gerges told lawyers for both property owners and the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) that he will look over all the submitted papers and documents and rule “expeditiously.”
Sources closes to the project said the ruling should come within two weeks.
The project includes the Barclays Center Arena that would bring the borough the NBAs Nets.
Upon final build out, it also includes thousands of units of both market rate and affordable housing.
The project will also bring thousands of jobs at a time when unemployment in the borough is over 11 percent.
Opponents of the project argue that the seizure of the property is to the benefit of private developer, Forest City Ratner.
The court hearing came as several streets were expected to close last week around the Flatbush/Atlantic Avenues intersection to accommodate ongoing construction of the project.
ESDC told the judge that it would delay closing the street until the matter is settled.
Jay and Conan have nothing on this Williamsburg ‘drama’
The producers of Sweet & Nasty Burlesque, Jonny Porkpie’s Bad Ideas, and The Legs Malone Show announced this week that they will no longer produce their monthly events at Public Assembly, 70 North 6th Street in Williamsburg, once home to Galapagos.
Legs and Nasty had their final shows on the first and third Mondays of last month, and Porkpie’s swansong was in December. Porkpie insists that the departure is amicable on all sides, and that it would be “ridiculous” to draw parallels between this situation and the recent late-night television wars, “especially since none of the shows received a multi-million-dollar severance package.” Overall, Porkpie said in a statement that the move is a positive one, although he “did have a brief moment of doubt [about leaving] when I heard that they finally got rid of the rats.”
But leaving a venue isn’t enough to deter Sweet & Nasty, which has proudly dubbed itself “The Most Cancelled Show in Burlesque!”
The monthly show will continue uninterrupted in February with “Sweet & Nasty’s Little Monsters” at Pink (at Blvd), 199 Bowery at Spring St. on Monday, February 22 at 10 pm.
Haitian center opens
Two weeks after heading to Flatbush to detail the city and state’s response to the Haitian earthquake, the mayor and governor were back in Brooklyn, this time to announce the creation of the New York Haitian Earthquake Family Resource Center.
The center, which opened for business on February 1st, is located in the New York National Guard Armory, 1579 Bedford Ave.
The purpose of the center, said Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a press conference at the site, is “to connect our Haitian community to the support and resources it needs.”
Among the services that will be provided at the center — which will be staffed by individuals from a laundry list of agencies — are Creole interpretation services; assistance in completing applications for Temporary Protected Status, as well as other immigration matters; access to phones and computers to cull information and to contact officials in this country and in Haiti; legal information; grief counseling; and child guardianship and custody services.
The center will also provide daily updates on the relief effort.
The center’s hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday.
During the press conference, Bloomberg also announced the appointment of Brooklyn Councilmember Mathieu Eugene, the city’s first Haitian elected official, as chair of the new Haitian Earthquake Family Resource Center Communication and Outreach Committee.
Haiti responders honored
Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns last week welcomed back a group of Brooklyn-based first responders who traveled to Haiti to assist in the rescue operations, following the earthquake that shook that nation.
Towns, who helped to facilitate their travel to the country, also presented a proclamation to each member of the Bedford Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps, commemorating their work in Haiti.
Within 24 hours of their arrival, the Bedford Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps delivered two babies and joined doctors on the ground in treating and triaging wounded Haitian citizens.
Meet a different kind of lovebird
Cupid may be cuter, but when it comes to getting love notes out in time, Sandy the Seagull has a longer wingspan.
That, we guess, makes him uniquely qualified to be the messenger of heartfelt missives to a lucky Brooklyn Cyclones fan this February 14 if they win a Brooklyn Cyclones Valentine’s Day Contest.
The winner can have Sandy the Seagull personally visit their valentine armed with a hug-a-gram, one dozen long stem roses, a box of chocolates and, of course, four Field Box ticket vouchers for an upcoming game.
Sandy will swoop in with deliveries on Friday, February 12, organizers said.
To recruit Sandy as your heart-felt herald, all you have to do is explain, in 250 words or less, “why your sweetheart deserves this wonderful surprise from everyone’s favorite bird.”
Entries must be sent by February 9 and must include your name, e-mail address, and daytime phone number. A Cyclones representative will contact you if you are the winner.
Please e-mail your entries to community@brooklyncyclones.com and/or mail to: Brooklyn Cyclones Valentine’s Day Contest; 1904 Surf Avenue; Brooklyn, NY 11224.
Kindergarten applications
It’s time to apply for kindergarten seats for fall 2010.
According to the city Education Department, families can apply in person at their zone school, or any other schools which their children are eligible to attend, between February 1 and March 12. To locate your child’s zoned school, visit www.nyc.gov/schools or call 311.
Acceptance letters will be mailed on March 22. Parents must visit the selected school between April 12 and April 23 to pre-register their children.
Families must show the following documentation when applying to a school:
· Proof of residence. This consists of any two of the following documents:
oA residential utility bill (gas or electric) in the resident’s name and dated within the last 60 days;
oDocumentation or letter on letterhead from a federal, state, or local government agency indicating the resident’s name and address and dated within the last 60 days;
oAn original lease agreement, deed, or mortgage statement for the residence;
oA current property tax bill for the residence;
oA water bill for the residence dated within the last 60 days;
oOfficial payroll documentation from an employer dated within the last 60 days, such as a form submitted for tax withholding purposes or payroll receipt (a letter on the employer’s letterhead will not be accepted);
· Child’s birth certificate or passport;
· Child’s immunization records;
· Names of any siblings who will be enrolled in grades 1-5 at the school in 2010-2011.
Sewage plants up to code
State and city environmental commissioners visited the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment plant last week to celebrate the performance of 14 wastewater plants throughout the city, including the Greenpoint plant, that have met Clean Water Act requirements three years ahead of schedule.
The act calls for 85 percent of waste to be removed from the water that the plants process.
“This achievement represents an important milestone in our efforts to ensure cleaner water, better compliance and a healthier neighborhood for the Newtown community,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis.
To send in tips, e-mail editorial@cnglocal.com attn: Borough Briefs.
A Park Slope woman who sees herself as “an activist on behalf of poetry” has been named Brooklyn’s new poet laureate.
Tina Chang, a resident of Park Slope, officially took over the pentameter-laden position left vacant with the passing of Gravesend scribe Ken Siegelman during Borough President Marty Markowitz’s State of the Borough Address at the Park Slope Armory.
Chang, the fourth poet to hold the lofty title, was chosen out of a field of 22 applicants stemming from across the borough.
“I am thrilled to appoint Tina Chang to this position, and she will truly embrace the role of Brooklyn’s poetic ambassador,” Markowitz said. “She has dedicated her life to poetry and is passionate about reaching and educating diverse communities. We heard from many talented and dedicated applicants for the position of Brooklyn poet laureate, and one thing is certain—our borough has no shortage of people with a gift for the written word.”
Chang is the author of Half-Lit Houses and the editor of Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and Beyond. She currently teaches at Hunter College and Sarah Lawrence College, and has collaborated with M.S. 51 through Poem in Your Pocket Day.
Her first action as poet laureate was to read her work “Praise,” which was dedicated to the survivors of the Haiti earthquake.
Contractor named for
Barclays Center
An Indianapolis contractor was awarded the contract to do construction for the Barclays Center arena at the Flatbush/Atlantic avenue intersection.
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Infrastructure and underground plumbing construction is already underway on the facility, which upon completion, will have 18,000 seats for basketball and 19,000 seats for concerts, 104 luxury suites, public concourses on two levels, a suite level club restaurant, and an adjoining basketball practice facility.
“Hunt has an outstanding construction team that has built many of the best sporting venues in the country,” said project developer Bruce Ratner, Chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies.
“We are excited to team with Hunt for the Barclays Center and to bring major professional sports and entertainment back to Brooklyn,” he added.
Judge studies AY
condemnation papers
State Supreme Court Judge Abraham G. Gerges last week delayed a final approval ruling for the state’s planned seizure of property to make way for the $4-plus billion Atlantic Yards project.
Gerges told lawyers for both property owners and the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) that he will look over all the submitted papers and documents and rule “expeditiously.”
Sources closes to the project said the ruling should come within two weeks.
The project includes the Barclays Center Arena that would bring the borough the NBAs Nets.
Upon final build out, it also includes thousands of units of both market rate and affordable housing.
The project will also bring thousands of jobs at a time when unemployment in the borough is over 11 percent.
Opponents of the project argue that the seizure of the property is to the benefit of private developer, Forest City Ratner.
The court hearing came as several streets were expected to close last week around the Flatbush/Atlantic Avenues intersection to accommodate ongoing construction of the project.
ESDC told the judge that it would delay closing the street until the matter is settled.
Jay and Conan have nothing on this Williamsburg ‘drama’
The producers of Sweet & Nasty Burlesque, Jonny Porkpie’s Bad Ideas, and The Legs Malone Show announced this week that they will no longer produce their monthly events at Public Assembly, 70 North 6th Street in Williamsburg, once home to Galapagos.
Legs and Nasty had their final shows on the first and third Mondays of last month, and Porkpie’s swansong was in December. Porkpie insists that the departure is amicable on all sides, and that it would be “ridiculous” to draw parallels between this situation and the recent late-night television wars, “especially since none of the shows received a multi-million-dollar severance package.” Overall, Porkpie said in a statement that the move is a positive one, although he “did have a brief moment of doubt [about leaving] when I heard that they finally got rid of the rats.”
But leaving a venue isn’t enough to deter Sweet & Nasty, which has proudly dubbed itself “The Most Cancelled Show in Burlesque!”
The monthly show will continue uninterrupted in February with “Sweet & Nasty’s Little Monsters” at Pink (at Blvd), 199 Bowery at Spring St. on Monday, February 22 at 10 pm.
Haitian center opens
Two weeks after heading to Flatbush to detail the city and state’s response to the Haitian earthquake, the mayor and governor were back in Brooklyn, this time to announce the creation of the New York Haitian Earthquake Family Resource Center.
The center, which opened for business on February 1st, is located in the New York National Guard Armory, 1579 Bedford Ave.
The purpose of the center, said Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a press conference at the site, is “to connect our Haitian community to the support and resources it needs.”
Among the services that will be provided at the center — which will be staffed by individuals from a laundry list of agencies — are Creole interpretation services; assistance in completing applications for Temporary Protected Status, as well as other immigration matters; access to phones and computers to cull information and to contact officials in this country and in Haiti; legal information; grief counseling; and child guardianship and custody services.
The center will also provide daily updates on the relief effort.
The center’s hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday.
During the press conference, Bloomberg also announced the appointment of Brooklyn Councilmember Mathieu Eugene, the city’s first Haitian elected official, as chair of the new Haitian Earthquake Family Resource Center Communication and Outreach Committee.
Haiti responders honored
Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns last week welcomed back a group of Brooklyn-based first responders who traveled to Haiti to assist in the rescue operations, following the earthquake that shook that nation.
Towns, who helped to facilitate their travel to the country, also presented a proclamation to each member of the Bedford Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps, commemorating their work in Haiti.
Within 24 hours of their arrival, the Bedford Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps delivered two babies and joined doctors on the ground in treating and triaging wounded Haitian citizens.
Meet a different kind of lovebird
Cupid may be cuter, but when it comes to getting love notes out in time, Sandy the Seagull has a longer wingspan.
That, we guess, makes him uniquely qualified to be the messenger of heartfelt missives to a lucky Brooklyn Cyclones fan this February 14 if they win a Brooklyn Cyclones Valentine’s Day Contest.
The winner can have Sandy the Seagull personally visit their valentine armed with a hug-a-gram, one dozen long stem roses, a box of chocolates and, of course, four Field Box ticket vouchers for an upcoming game.
Sandy will swoop in with deliveries on Friday, February 12, organizers said.
To recruit Sandy as your heart-felt herald, all you have to do is explain, in 250 words or less, “why your sweetheart deserves this wonderful surprise from everyone’s favorite bird.”
Entries must be sent by February 9 and must include your name, e-mail address, and daytime phone number. A Cyclones representative will contact you if you are the winner.
Please e-mail your entries to community@brooklyncyclones.com and/or mail to: Brooklyn Cyclones Valentine’s Day Contest; 1904 Surf Avenue; Brooklyn, NY 11224.
Kindergarten applications
It’s time to apply for kindergarten seats for fall 2010.
According to the city Education Department, families can apply in person at their zone school, or any other schools which their children are eligible to attend, between February 1 and March 12. To locate your child’s zoned school, visit www.nyc.gov/schools or call 311.
Acceptance letters will be mailed on March 22. Parents must visit the selected school between April 12 and April 23 to pre-register their children.
Families must show the following documentation when applying to a school:
· Proof of residence. This consists of any two of the following documents:
oA residential utility bill (gas or electric) in the resident’s name and dated within the last 60 days;
oDocumentation or letter on letterhead from a federal, state, or local government agency indicating the resident’s name and address and dated within the last 60 days;
oAn original lease agreement, deed, or mortgage statement for the residence;
oA current property tax bill for the residence;
oA water bill for the residence dated within the last 60 days;
oOfficial payroll documentation from an employer dated within the last 60 days, such as a form submitted for tax withholding purposes or payroll receipt (a letter on the employer’s letterhead will not be accepted);
· Child’s birth certificate or passport;
· Child’s immunization records;
· Names of any siblings who will be enrolled in grades 1-5 at the school in 2010-2011.
Sewage plants up to code
State and city environmental commissioners visited the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment plant last week to celebrate the performance of 14 wastewater plants throughout the city, including the Greenpoint plant, that have met Clean Water Act requirements three years ahead of schedule.
The act calls for 85 percent of waste to be removed from the water that the plants process.
“This achievement represents an important milestone in our efforts to ensure cleaner water, better compliance and a healthier neighborhood for the Newtown community,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis.
To send in tips, e-mail editorial@cnglocal.com attn: Borough Briefs.
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