Cobble Hill Walking Tour With Historian Francis Morrone

The Cobble Hill Association has just announced that historian Francis Morrone will once again lead a Historic Walking Tour through Cobble Hill. If you have never accompanied Morrone on one of his tours, you should reserve a spot now.

Cobble Hill History Walking Tour

With Historian Francis Morrone

Sunday June 9th 

2PM TO 4PM

Join Francis Morrone, director of the CHA Cobble Hill History Project, on a walking tour of Cobble Hill history and architecture. This year’s tour will focus on the landmarks and history of the southern Cobble Hill. So, even if you have been on other Cobble Hill History Tours, you won’t want to miss this one! Travel + Leisure magazine named Francis as one of the 13 best tour guides in the world.The roughly two-hour walk begins at Clinton and Kane Streets in front of Christ Church.
$10 for CHA members and $20 for non-members Tour Limited to 30 Participants

Please RSVP: CobbleHillAssociation@gmail.com

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Two Ways To Recycle Your Christmas Tree In The Neighborhood

Now that the holidays are over, its time to put the decorations away and to recycle your tree.

One way to do that is to bring it to the yearly Cobble Hill Neighborhood TreeCycle event held next Saturday, January 5th.  Here is the info:

MulchFest 2013

Cobble Hill Neighborhood

HOLIDAY TREE RECYCLING

In Cooperation with the Brooklyn Parks and Recreation Department

Saturday, January 5

9:30 am – 1:30 pm

Cobble Hill Park: Clinton and Verandah Place

Drop off your Holiday trees at the location below.  Wreaths and garlands cannot be accepted.
Please remove lights and decorations. No artificial trees!  Cobble Hill Park: Clinton and Verandah Place.
Mulch bags will be available for those whiting to take mulch for their gardens or tree pits.
Trees will only be accepted during the scheduled times.  Wreaths and garlands cannot be accepted.
Sponsored by:
Cobble Hill Tree Fund , Cobble Hill Association, and Boy Scout Troops 213 & 815
www.CHTreefund.org

Another way to recycle your tree is to put it at the curb in front of your house.

The City of New York's Department of Sanitation will begin recycling Christmas trees starting tomorrow Wednesday, January, 2, 2013. The program will run through Saturday, January 12th.

Residents should remove all tree stands, tinsel, lights, and ornaments from trees before they are put out at curbside for removal. Trees must not be placed into plastic bags. Clean, non-bagged Christmas trees that are left on the curb between Wednesday, January 2nd and Saturday, January 12th will be collected, chipped, and made into compost
For more information on Christmas tree collection and recycling and/or Mulchfest 2013, visit www.nyc.gov/sanitation or www.nyc.gov/parks or call 311.

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Cobble Hill History Walking Tour This Saturday

If you have never taken the Cobble Hill Historic Walking Tour with historian Francis Morrone, do yourself a favor and reserve your spot for this week-ends tour.  I promise you won't regret it.

2012 Cobble Hill History Walking Tour 

Date: Saturday, June 9th

Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Cost: $20 per person ($10 for Cobble Hill Association members)

RSVP: CobbleHillAssociation@gmail.com

(The walking tour is limited to 40 participants, so please RSVP early.) 

Join Francis Morrone, director of the CHA Cobble Hill History Project, on a walking tour of Cobble Hill history and architecture, ranging from Jennie Jerome to the impact of the BQE to Cobble Hill's unparalleled collection of ornamental ironwork--and much, much more. The roughly two-hour walk begins at Court and Congress streets in front of St. Paul's Church. The tour will also be a chance to learn more about the History Project and opportunities to volunteer and share information.

For more info, click here.

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Avoiding Manhattanization: Cobble Hill Association To Discuss Topic With Noted Preservationist

On Tuesday, May 29th, the Cobble Hill Association will be holding a reception to honor Christabel Gough, distinguished preservationist, and historian Francis Morrone.  As part of the evening's program, Christabel Gough will be the keynote speaker on an intriguing topic - "Can Cobble Hill Avoid Manhattanization?"
Sounds like an interesting discussion. Perhaps we should have the same discussion here in Carroll Gardens?

COBBLE HILL ASSOCIATION’S SPRING, 2012 GENERAL MEETING AND RECEPTION

Honoring Christabel Gough, distinguished preservationist, and historian Francis Morrone

Can Cobble Hill Avoid Manhattanization?

Keynote Speaker: Christabel Gough

May 29th, 2012

Reception: 6:00 PM

Meeting: 7:30 PM

Date: Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Place: Christ Church (corner of Clinton and Kane Streets)

For more information on the meeting, click here.

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Research The History Of Your Brooklyn Home With Historian Francis Morrone

 

This is a great event for all history lovers and Brooklyn home owners, who would like to know more about their home's past. 
"Join the Cobble Hill Association for a discussion with Francis Morrone about how to research the history of a house or other building in Brooklyn. Morrone will discuss some of the nuts and bolts of basic building research, as well as the myriad avenues opened up in recent years by the internet. The web has changed the whole game. For the serious researcher it has not replaced the necessity of consulting physical archives, but it has made stay-at-home research rewarding as never before.
Learn the secrets of the trade from a professional historian."

Time: 7:30 P.M.

Date: Monday, October 17, 2011

Place: Long Island College Hospital, Conference Room A

Enter at main entrance 339 Hicks (at Atlantic)

All members of the public are invited. No admission charge.

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Join The Cobble Hill History Walking Tour With Francis Morrone

Mark your calendar!

Francis Morrone, director of the Cobble Hill History Project will take you on a two-hour walking tour of this beautiful neighborhood's history and architecture. This is bound to be fascinating.

Meet in front of St. Pau's Church at Court and Congress Streets

On Sunday June 19th

2 PM to 4PM

$10 for Cobble Hill Association members

$20 for non-members

The tour is limited to 40 people, so rsvp as soon as possible by sending an email to CobbleHillHistoryProject@Yahoo.com.

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Cobble Hill Association To Host Green Events This Saturday

Friend Paco from the Cobble Hill Association has forwarded me information on three green events held in the neighborhood this Saturday. Read on:

Electronics Recycling, Plant Sale, & the Brooklyn Bike Fest!

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

From 10am to 4pm, PS 29 & the Cobble Hill Association are hosting the Lower East Side Ecology's Electronics Recycling Event. We've spared tons (literally) of e-waste from landfills and hope to have the same success this time around. Grab those old computers, cameras, cell phone and properly dispose of them with us.

Then, walk over to Cobble Hill Park for the Cobble Hill Tree Fund's Annual Plant Sale, from 10:30AM to 3PM. Annuals, tomatoes, geraniums, hanging baskets, and a variety of perennials will all be available. There'll also be plant/tree identification activities for children in the park.

Still want more green in your day? Saturday, from 10 am - 4 pm, at Brooklyn Bridge Park will be the first-ever Five Boro Bike Fest.

This free, family-friendly event is open to the public and features live entertainment, classes, bike repair, and an expo with demos and giveaways. The Bike Fest is part of a fun-filled weekend that kicks off Bike Month.

Activities at Bike Fest
*10:30 Wear a helmet *10:30 Fix-a-flat *11:00 Use your gears *11:30 How to buy a bicycle *11:30 Chain maintenance *12:00 Adjust your bike for a comfortable ride *12:30 Stretching for cyclists *12:30 Fix-a-flat *1:00 Fuel up--gels, bars, beans, oh my! *1:30 How to buy a bicycle *1:30 Commute by bicycle *2:30 Use your gears *2:30 Fix-a-flat *3:00 Chain maintenance *3:30 Adjust your bike for a comfortable ride

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Tonight, Cobble Hill Association Hosts Community Round Table With Daniel Squadron

Sates Senator Squadron

The Cobble Hill Association resumes its Community Roundtable series tonight with State Senator Daniel Squadron. The roundtable is an informal way for the community to address concerns and to discuss issues with elected officials series of In the past, the association has invited Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Councilman Brad Lander and Assemblywoman Joan Millman.

You are invited to attend the

Cobble Hill Association's

Community Roundtable Meeting

with State Senator Daniel L. Squadron

7:30 PM on Wednesday, February 16th

at Christ Church 326 Clinton Street

(at the corner of Clinton and Kane Streets)

Please join us for a "Community Roundtable" meeting with State Senator Daniel L. Squadron. Hosted by the Cobble Hill Association, the community roundtable series is to provide an opportunity for you to meet directly with your elected officials. We are honored to have Senator Squadron as our guest. This will be an informal meeting where you can discuss any issue or concern directly with State Senator Squadron.

We hope that you will be able to attend!

This meeting is free of charge and is open to all members of the public.

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Come Out To Support A Brooklyn Bridge Park...Without Condos

UPDATE ON TUESDAY'S  MEETING  HERE:

Public Park Or Private Enclave? 

Last Night's Public Hearing On Alternatives To Housing In Brooklyn Bridge Park

It took decades of planning, of jumping over hurdles, and sheer determination by dedicated community members to get the beautiful new Brooklyn Bridge Park that we all enjoy now.  But one important hurdle remains: to deter the city from building luxury housing inside the park.  Because, truly, parks should be green, and free of personal interests, no?

The city says the high-rise condos are needed to pay for the park's maintenance. Not so, say those in the community who have been involved with the project from the start.

To understand the issue, please read the detailed letter below from Roy Sloane, President of the Cobble Hill Association:

Hi All,

For over 25 years, we in South Brooklyn have worked to secure a park along the waterfront. We are pleased that residents are finally able to access the waterfront at Brooklyn Bridge Park. But our job as a community is not over.
The city is still planning to build 5 more luxury condo and hotel towers inside the park’s borders, with two particularly non-compatible buildings at 20 and 30 stories high planned for Pier 6 at Atlantic Avenue. And despite what some may think, these luxury high-rise towers are not needed to fund the park’s maintenance. There are many solutions to “pay” for park maintenance. When condos came into the park all year round recreation came out. Landscaping replaced the two pools, the indoor recreation center and ice rink that the community had worked so hard for decades to get. Landscaping sells condos while baseball fields do not.
We now have a unique opportunity to regain the recreational facilities our children need at the same time tell the city planners that we do not want more housing inside the park’s borders. Residents are asked to come to two public comment meetings on Tuesday, November 30th at 6 PM at Long Island College Hospital and again on Thursday, December 9th at 6 PM at St. Francis College on Montague Street. 

These public meetings are critical to demonstrating yet again the importance of our parks, the real value they provide to the livability of the city, and to the actual dollars they “put back” into city coffers. The rise in DUMBO values since their part of the park opened is evidence enough of a park’s tax value. A recent proposal offered by community members – to negotiate a deal with the Jehovah Witnesses to develop their soon-to-be-abandoned buildings close to the park, for the benefit of park financing – is gaining traction. Other park funding models, including Senator Squadron’s park increment recapture proposal (named the PIRC plan) also offer relief from the draconian condos inside park borders plan.
But you need only come out and say no to housing, and yes to recreation! Please make sure that your voice is heard at the two public hearings:

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6pm – 8pm

Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hicks Street

Avram Conference Center, 1st floor

Thursday, December 9, 2010, 6pm – 8pm

St. Francis College*, 180 Remsen Street

Founders Hall Auditorium, 1st floor

Thank you, 

Roy Sloane
President, Cobble Hill Association

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Cobble Hill Association To Host Book Swap To Benefit LICH

Want to swap books you already read for books that you haven't?  Here is your chance.  And in the process, you can help Long Island College Hospital.  Read on:

The Cobble Hill Association is sponsoring a free Book Swap on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at the Long Island College Hospital (LICH) Sitting Park located at Henry & Pacific Streets in Cobble Hill, from 11 AM until 3 PM.

The idea for the Book Swap is simple: bring a book & get a book. LICH staff members will also be on hand to meet the community, conduct free blood pressure screening, and offer asthma information at the park. Books will also be available for sale at $1 or less. All proceeds and remainder books will be donated to the Hospital by the Cobble Hill Association. 

 

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How Blogs Are Transforming Local News: A Panel Discussion Hosted By The Cobble Hill Association

This Thursday evening, as part of their fall general meeting, the Cobble Hill Association will be hosting a panel of local bloggers to discuss how blogs have transformed neighborhood news. The panel will include Rich Calder of the NY Post, Tobey Grumet of Bococaland.com, John Loscalzo (aka Homer Fink) of Brooklynheightsblog.com, and Katia Kelly of Pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com, yours truly.  I hope you can make it, dear Reader.  

COBBLE HILL ASSOCIATION

FALL 2010 General Meeting

How Blogs

Are Transforming

Local News

A Panel Discussion with Local Bloggers

Moderated by Jeff Strabone

Rich Calder, New York Post reporter and blogger

Tobey Grumet, Bococaland

Homer Fink, Brooklyn Heights/ Cobble Hill Blogs

Katia Kelly, Pardon Me For Asking

Time: 7:30 P.M.

Date: Thursday, October 14, 2010

Place: Long Island College Hospital

Conference Room A

Enter at main entrance 339 Hicks (at Atlantic)

Please join us for a fascinating look at how neighborhood

blogs are changing the face of local

news. We'll also have updates on the "Fix the

Ditch" project and the reconstruction of the BQE

Triple-Cantilevered Roadway.

All members of the public are invited. No admission charge.

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Step Back In Time: Join Cobble Hill Association On Cobble Hill History Waking Tour

Our friends over at the Cobble Hill Association are hosting a historical walking tour of their neighborhood. This event is perfect for all those history buffs amongst us (including me) and all those who want to step back in time.

Here is the information:

Join Francis Morrone, director of the CHA Cobble Hill History Project, on a walking tour of Cobble Hill history and architecture, ranging from Jennie Jerome to the impact of the BQE to Cobble Hill's unparalleled collection of ornamental ironwork-and much much more. The roughly tow-hour walk begins at Court and Congress Streets in front of St. Paul's

Church. The tour will also be a chance to learn more about the History Project and opportunities to volunteer and share information.

Cobble Hill History Walking Tour

Sunday June 20th

2Pm to 4Pm

$10 for CHA members and $20 for non-members.

Tour limited to 40 Participants.

Please RSVP: CobbleHillHistoryProject@yahoo.com

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Cobble Hill Association Hosts Assemblywoman Joan Millman Tonight

The Cobble Hill Association continues its Community Roundtable series with Assemblywoman Joan Millman tonight. The roundtable is an informal way for the community to address concerns and to discuss issues with elected officials.Previously, the association hosted Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, NYS Senator Daniel Squadron and Councilman Brad Lander.

Please join us for a Community Roundtable Meeting with State Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman

Thursday, May 20th

7:30 pm

@ Christ Church 326 Clinton Street

(at the corner of Clinton and Kane Streets)

Hosted by the Cobble Hill Association, the community roundtable series is to provide an opportunity for you to meet directly with your elected officials. Millman comes from a distinguished career as an educator and has been our local Assemblywoman since 1997, authoring legislation to reform the Rockefeller Drug Laws, the Women's Health and Wellness Bill and the Safe Weapon Storage Act. She's also a continued advocate for Brooklyn Bridge Park, cleaning up the Gowanus Canal, and the fight to re-open Engine Company 204.

Assemblywoman Millman is Chair of the Assembly Committee on Election Law. She is a member of the Assembly Standing Committees on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions; Education; Labor; Transportation; and the Assembly Majority Steering Committee.

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Cobble Hill Association To Host Community Roundtable With Councilman Brad Lander

The Cobble Hill Association is hosting their next Community Roundtable on April 7th. The group's guest will be newly elected Councilman Brad Lander. Previously, the association has hosted Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and New York State Senator Daniel Squadron.

The Roundtable is an informal way for the community to address concerns and to discuss issues with local elected officials.

Cobble Hill Association's Community Roundtable Meeting

with City Councilman Brad Lander

7:30 PM

on Wednesday, April 7th

at Christ Church

326 Clinton Street

(at the corner of Clinton and Kane Streets)

Please join us for a "Community Roundtable" meeting with City Councilman Brad Lander. Hosted by the Cobble Hill Association, the community roundtable series is to provide an opportunity for you to meet directly with your elected officials. We are honored to have Councilman Lander as our guest. We hope that you will be able to attend!

This meeting is free of charge and is open to all members of the public

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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Congresswoman Yvette Clarke Still Straddling The Fence Regarding Gowanus Superfund

Monday night at Christ Church

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke

Cobble Hill Association President Roy Sloane

Yvette Clarke with her local representative Deanna Bitetti (left)

Gowanus Resident and Pro-Superfund activist Betty Lester

For its first Community Roundtable with our local elected officials, the Cobble Hill Association hosted Congresswoman Yvette Clarke on Monday evening at the Christ Church on Clinton Street.

After an introduction by Roy Sloane, president of the Cobble Hill Association, Ms. Clarke spoke at length about the nearly $38 million in federal appropriations dollars for the 11th Congressional District of New York, which she has been able to secure. She also updated the community on her work on the various House committees and sub-committees she has been assigned to.

On her work on the Health Care Reform Committee, she stated that she is not encouraged by the plan proposed by the Senate, because it lacks a public option. She also feels that the proposal does not put enough emphasis on preventive care, and would leave the system open to runaway cost. "It baffles me how they expect to contain cost. The Senate left the door open for the 'wolves' to continue feeding the way they have."

On the economy and on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Clarke talked about the need to stabilize and strengthen local businesses, the staggering unemployment rate and the proposed measures to spur the creation of new jobs.

On Homeland Security, and the recent breaches in airline security, she explained that bureaucracy is very slow to change and that we must be "more dynamic in the use of tools put in place to keep us safe."

On education, she is in favor of expanding programs in early childhood development and in investing to bolster college access to students. We need to "improve productivity for the future by investing in our children."

Congresswoman Clarke also spoke about the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to place the highly toxic Gowanus Canal on its list of Superfund Sites. (See video) After more than eight months of her staff's claim of due-diligence and New York City's opposing plans for cleaning the Gowanus Canal, our Congresswoman has managed to reach no decision. She merely hides behind the tired claim that the Superfund does not have enough money, while admitting that the city has even less. What can she be thinking?

Claiming that "she saw no integrity in the EPA process because it is not funded" and that "the EPA has not connected the dots" to make her support the Superfund listing, Ms. Clarke clearly angered and exasperated many in the audience, including me. It was frankly baffling how Ms. Clarke intends to continue straddling the fence on this issue, when most of our other local officials, including Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, have come out in support for the Superfund listing. Explaining away her indecision by claiming that "I am a conflict resolution person" is frankly amateurish.

If this is an example of her abilities in representing her constituents then we can do better.

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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Cobble Hill Association To Host A Community Roundtable Meeting With Congresswoman Yvette Clarke

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke

Important Environmental Issue In Congresswoman Clarke's District:
The Gowanus Canal

The Cobble Hill Association will host roundtable meeting with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke on Monday, January 11th to discuss various issues pertaining to her district and will provide an opportunity for members of the community to take their concern directly to Congresswoman Clarke. The meeting will be free of charge and open to all.

I would like to thank the Cobble Hill Association and its president Roy Sloane for organizing the event.
I will certainly be in attendance. I believe that Congresswoman Clarke owes her constituents an explanation for her failure to take a stand on the proposed listing of the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. She has been tiptoeing around the issue for months claiming she is doing due-diligence. As opposed to Congresswoman Velázquez's strong pro-Superfund statement, Ms. Clarke's fence-sitting has been deplorable.

I had lengthy conversations with the Congresswoman's staff about this very important environmental issue and hope to have an opportunity to finally hear directly from Ms. Clarke.

Cobble Hill Association's Community Round-Table Meeting
with Congresswoman Yvette Clark

Monday, January 11th
7:30PM
Christ Church
326 Clinton Street
(at the corner of Clinton and Kane Streets)

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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This Week-End, Take Part In The Cobble Hill Bike Ride

The following information was sent to me by the Cobble Hill Association. I don't have a bike, but for those who do, this looks like loads of fun. Read on:

Come join the Cobble Hill Association and Brooklyn Greenway Initiative for the second annual...

COBBLE HILL BIKE RIDE

When: November 8th, 2009, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Verandah Place at Cobble Hill Park
Cost: FREE, simply rsvp to cobblehillbikeride@gmail.com.
Space is limited to 50 riders maximum. Preference will be given to those who register ahead of time, as well as Cobble Hill Association members.

The Cobble Hill Association and Brooklyn Greenway Initiative are hosting a 10-mile casual bike ride that will start at Cobble Hill Park and pass through Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, the Columbia Waterfront District, Red Hook, and Carroll Gardens then loop back to Cobble Hill.

There will be several scenic rest stops as we ride along mostly calm streets with some light vehicular traffic. Several Bike Marshals will travel alongside as well as a mechanic for any urgent bike repairs needed. It may be chilly so please dress accordingly, and know that riders should bring helmets and observe all the proper rules of the road.

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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Some Good And Some Bad News About The BQE Reconstruction Project

Robert Moses' Brooklyn Queens Expressway Cantilever Roadway
in Brooklyn Heights,
Early 1950's

Last week, Roy Sloane, the president of the Cobble Hill Association, attended a meeting with Peter King, the New York State Department Of Transportation's Project Manager, regarding the reconstruction of the B.Q.E.
He was kind enough to send me his summary of the meeting. I am printing it below with his permission. Though, as he says, there is some good news (the project has been expanded), there is also some real concern. The project has the potential of tremendously impacting our entire area. Read on:

I want to update you on the latest news on the BQE Rehabilitation Project.

First the good news:

1) At this evening's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting, Peter King, NYS DOT Project Manager announced his agency's intention to expand the project area south to Hamilton Avenue-- subject to the concurrence of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This means that the BQE Rehabilitation will be expanded to include all Atlantic Avenue entrances and exits and the BQE "ditch".

2) Expansion of the project area also means that the primary study area will be expanded south at least as far as Hamilton Avenue and will certainly include all of the neighborhoods west of the Gowanus Canal. It still remains to be determined exactly how far east the primary study area will include-- so this remains an important open issue, My personal opinion is that the primary study area should probably extend all the way to Prospect Park, but must be extended at a minimum to Fourth Avenue.

The final announcement on the southern extension of the project area will be made at the Stakeholder's Advisory Group (SAC) meeting that will be held on December 2nd at St. Francis College. I will forward the official announcement of this meeting to you all, so that you can be sure to attend.

Now the less than good news:

While a relatively low impact no build" scenario is still being considered as an option, the discussion among the TAC members -- almost all of whom are government agency officials -- confirms that the BQE Triple Cantilever Roadway Reconstruction Project has the potential to be an infrastructure reconstruction project of truly unprecedented scale and extent. It is not unreasonable to anticipate that our entire area could be profoundly impacted for the years required to complete the rehabilitation.

It is important to know that Peter King and his team are also considering an equally ambitious set of options to mitigate this impact including tolling strategies, a temporary outboard highway over the water and even more permanent solutions such as tunneling underneath downtown Brooklyn. You can learn more about the project and the planning effort at:
www.nysdot.gov/bqedowntownbrooklyn

Given the enormity of the potential impact on our neighborhoods south of Atlantic Avenue, it is imperative that the organizations that we all represent become actively involved in these early stage planning efforts. We must insist that the potential impacts of any maintenance of traffic plans be thoroughly studied to protect our historic neighborhoods located south of Atlantic Avenue.

Roy Sloane

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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