It’s showtime
There’s more going on at Asser Levy Park located at West 5th Street and Surf Avenue than Marty Markowitz’ Seaside Summer Concerts Series.
City Councilmember Domenic Recchia has his own free concerts at the park on Tuesday nights throughout the summer.
Next up the bill is Kenny Vance & the Planotones with Alessanda Guercio on July 21. The Rhapsody Players Mostly Motown check in the following week on July 28.
August begins with Eddie & the Stralites with Brooklyn’s very own jazz legend Ray Rivera and his Jazz Sextet on August 11. MAS Swing comes in on August 18 and the Brawner Brothers Band wrap up the series on August 25.
All shows start at 7:30 p.m. If you’re coming out to the shows, bring your own chair.
How am I doing&&&&?;;;;
Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch threw his support behind City Councilmember Bill de Blasio last week, supporting the local lawmaker in his bid for public advocate.
“I have known Bill for a long time.We worked closely together in the race to get Hillary Clinton elected Senator in 2000. I had a high regard for Bill de Blasio then, and an even higher regard for him now.I believe he is the candidate to make the public advocate office work effectively for all New Yorkers,” said Koch.
De Blasio said he was honored by the Koch endorsement, calling Koch “a lifelong public servant and one of the greatest leaders New York City has ever known.”
Sculpted beaches
Hundreds of sand artists will be flocking to Coney Island next week to take part in the area’s Sand Sculpting Contest and Unity Day Celebration.
From noon to 5 p.m. on July 25, sand sculptors will be testing their mettle against other artists for cash prizes.
The free, fun-filled day will also have plenty of international entertainment, live music, dancing, clowns and face painting, according to organizers from the Astella Development Corporation.
Those wishing to learn more can contact (718) 266-4653.
The medium is the message
The Prospect Park YMCA was transformed into LAMPcamp this week, as middle-school aged boys and girls this week explored ways that advertisers attempt to market products to them, and how women and men are represented in the media.
The event, sponsored by non-profit group The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project) had kids discuss issues such as body image and gender stereotypes, and create their own short documentaries on the subject.
The July 13-17 event included guest speakers from the media industry, a media scavenger hunt, and opportunities for students to create their own media and discuss the way media impacts their daily lives.
“The summer can be an especially tough time for young people in terms of media inundation,” said Katherine Fry, Ph.D., education director for The LAMP. “LAMPcamp is a way for our students to stay sharp about what they see and hear.”
Tune in to Daisy
Flatbush chef Daisy Martinez is back on TV.
The second season of Viva Daisy! premiered on the Food Network on Saturday, July 11, at 9:30 a.m., as part of the network’s In the Kitchen lineup, which gives viewers an inside look at Martinez’s distinctive approach to the culinary arts.
In a preview of the show, Martinez – tossing a jalapeno pepper into a work in progress – tells viewers to expect more of the “bold, bright” flavors that characterize her sassy approach to Latino cooking.
“It’s going to get hot in my kitchen today,” Martinez promises during a film clip shown on the Food Network Web site.
This season’s shows will be focused around group gatherings. The first show fittingly is entitled “Family Night,” and features palate-pleasing recipes for such enticing dishes as Barbecued Short Ribs, Tomatillo Salsa and Chocolate-Chile Cake.
Future episodes will include “Ladies’ Brunch” and “TV Night.”
Stay tuned!
Free food for you
City schools are now providing free meals to youths up to 18 years of age.
“In these tough economic times, it’s great to know that the city has a food program close to where children live and play,” said Eric Goldstein, chief executive of the city Education Department’s School Support Services. “Our goal is to help reach the city’s youngsters and provide them with nutritious meals as we do during the school year.”
Many of the schools offer both breakfast and lunch. Breakfast dishes include cinnamon burst pancakes, cheese omelets and croissants and whole grain banana bread. For lunch, students can sample BBQ roasted chicken, tacos, southwest style beef and French bread pizza.
Breakfast is served from 8 to 9:15 a.m. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Many schools will provide meals through the end of August.
For a list of Brooklyn schools offering free meals, as well as a full summer menu, visit http://schools.nyc.gov or call 311.
Puppies need food too!
New York City’s Food Bank is not only providing grub for Brooklyn’s residents, it’s now catering to dogs.
In these hard financial times, the city is launching a pilot program to stock food bank shelves with dog food.
To make this program happen, humane organization Bideawee is donating 6,000 pounds of dog food.
The Food Bank hopes to offer cat food in the near future.
For more about this pilot program, visit www.foodbanknyc.org.
Yassky: Bring back the film tax credit
After the city’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting announced it had used up its full allocation of tax credit funds, $192.5 million, and will be planning on phasing out the tax credit, Brooklyn Councilmember David Yassky is calling for an expansion of the program.
“The city’s film production tax credit has created thousands of good paying jobs right here in New York City,” said Yassky. “Given that the film and TV sector is the only one that actually added jobs in the last quarter, the mayor and Council must act immediately to ensure that production companies feel secure to bring their business to New York.”
Yassky and Assemblymember Joseph Lentol are arguing that the tax credit is one of the few that has created revenue for the city, and fear that producers may look to make movies in Toronto or other locations that can simulate New York but cost less money.
“The Film office remains insistent that the changes they proposed be incorporated,” said Yassky.“The mayor is on the wrong track.I want to see a tax credit work.”
Go green-er!
Brad Lander, a candidate for City Council in the 39th District, teamed up with parents to demand that the city Education Department end its use of Styrofoam lunch trays, implement better recycling measures, and consider installing green roofs and solar panels on local school buildings.
“Kids in NYC schools need to learn and practice good green behaviors at every level, in every classroom, in every school,” said Deb Levine and Nicholas Bedell from the Brooklyn New School in Carroll Gardens.
The city’s public school system has adopted some green initiatives, but since it’s facing a $452 million budget cut, the proposed measures will likely face an uphill battle.
LICH closes school-based health clinics
Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hicks Street, quietly closed four school-based health clinics in Downtown Brooklyn at the end of the school year.
LICH, which is currently in merger talks with SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and been in financial trouble and recently threatened to also close its maternity and pediatrics wards.
LICH spokesperson Zippi Dvash said the hospital received permission from the State Department of Health to close the programs about six month ago, but agreed to keep them open until the end of the school year.
“Children and families may continue to receive care through LICH’s network of pediatricians, internists and family medicine practitioners,” said Dvash. “This information is included in a letter sent to all parents and caregivers.”
My kingdom for a wall
City Councilmember Letitia James is helping Groundswell Community Mural Project artists Bayunga Kialeuka and Jessica Poplawski find space to accommodate their inspiring artwork.
The artists are working with 12 students from the Urban Assembly for Music and Art High School, located at 49 Flatbush Avenue Extension, to create a series of murals that reflect scenes from daily life, bridging together the borough’s diverse culture.
Each mural is eight feet high by 35 feet wide and painted on a fabric that can be adhered to a masonry surface. James said the group is now on the lookout for four walls to accommodate the art.
The hope is that each one of the murals could be housed in each area of the district: Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene and Vinegar Hill.
E-mail eruiz@council.nyc.gov and/or Yvisanji@council.nyc.gov with any leads. Include in the e-mail heading “Bridges Mural Project,” your name and number; the address and cross streets, with a photo if possible; the owner’s name and contact information.
Investing in leadership
Councilmember Diana Reyna of Williamsburg gave $200,000 to the Young Women’s Leadership School of Brooklyn (223 Graham Avenue) on June 25, just before the 2008-2009 school year ended, to help renovate and construct a new art computer lab.
“As a product of this community I understand and stay committed to the importance of securing the most advanced technology and services for all the children in my district,” said Reyna.
The school, which just opened this year, is part of a group of four schools within the Young Women’s Leadership Network that is working in concert with the Department of Education to create single-gender college preparatory public schools.So far the school consists of a sixth grade, with an enrollment of 68 students, but they are planning on expanding in the coming years.
For more information, visit www.ywlnetwork.org.
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