We are very excited for this Saturday's Spring into Service event but less excited about rain in the forecast.  We are working with each of our partners to make rain contingency plans and will send an updated newsletter tomorrow (Friday) with any changes. 

As of now, here is what's in store: 

DONATION COLLECTION:  10am-2pm @ Pierrepont Playground.  Please bring any of the following:

Brooklyn Book Bodega accepts gently used and new books (appropriate for 0-18 year olds only please), including foreign language, dual language and nonfiction books. 

Little Essentials accepts:

• Diapers (open packs accepted).

• Spring and Summer clothing and shoes (size newborn to 5 years)

• Wipes, diaper cream, baby body wash (unopened)

• Pack ‘n plays and bassinets

• Car seats – infant, toddler, booster sanitized/no crumbs or stains - a car seat waiver is required

• Baby carriers and slings

• Receiving blankets, sleep sacks and swaddles

• Strollers – single and double (no jogging strollers; sanitized/no crumbs or stains; snap and go strollers must come with car seat)

• Toys – appropriate for ages newborn to 5 years (no stuffed animals, no large items, no small pieces (for gently used toys) fresh batteries please)

• PPE/Masks – adults and children (new only)

• Hand Sanitizer (unopened)

• Disinfecting cleaning wipes (unopened)

• Disposable gloves (unopened)

• Paper Towels (unopened)

Food Pantries accept shelf-stable food items.  Please ensure they are not expired and unopened.

Brooklyn Cat Cafe accepts dog and cat food and treats. Please ensure they are not expired and unopened.

We will need volunteers to help us organize these donations onsite. Please email us if you'd like to help.

HANDS ON ACTIVITIES:

Hillside Dog Park Clean Up. 9am-1pm.  No sign up needed

Harry Chapin Playground Clean Up. 10am-12pm.  Sign up.

Street Tree Care. 10am-12pm.  Meet at west end of Middagh Street.  Sign up.

Cadman Plaza Park Planting. 10am-12pm.  No sign up needed.  Meet at Juneteenth Grove

PS8 Spruce Up. 12pm-4pm.  Sign up.

E-Waste Volunteers:  We need 1 volunteer (with a cart or wagon) to help bring our e-waste (and maybe your own) down to Emily Warren Roebling Plaza at 10am. Email us if you can help!

Please check our webpage for more details on all of these activities.

Our first The Longest Table event has exceeded our wildest expectations and sold out 4 days after we launched!

While we are thrilled so many people in our community are excited to join us at the table, we also know many of you were not able to register in that short time frame. We are working diligently with our team to confirm the attendance of those registered, and will be updating the community with potential space as the date approaches.  

While we are no longer able to accept registrations at this time, please know that this is not a "private" event and anyone is welcome to join us on the block to meet friends both old and new.  We just can't guarantee more seats at this time.

Volunteers are needed!  We need help to make this event as successful as possible. We are looking for volunteers to help set up and clean up, check people in, and serve as Table Captain hosts for those registered as singles or small groups.  Please email us if you can help out.

We extend our thanks to our generous sponsor CityPoint Brooklyn for their support!

Next month, two of the BHA's Governors will be participating in events hosted by the Center for Brooklyn History.

Hear from BHA Board Member, renowned journalist, and former BBC anchor Laura Trevelyan at a discussion titled "Apology and Repair for Slavery: Grenada as a Case Study." This event will take place on Thursday, May 1 at 6:30pm.  Learn more and register here.

On Monday, May 12 join BHA President and urban data historian Jeremy Lechtzin for a hands-on workshop on the key collections used for research on our buildings. Whether you're tracing the history of a home, block or landmark, there is a lot to learn! Read more and register here.

In celebration of Earth Month, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso is hosting a full-day conference on Monday April 28.  The day will consist of panels and presentations highlighting Brooklyn- and NYC-based organizations that are working on climate issues in the borough.

The day runs from 9:15am-5:30pm. You may choose to attend some or all of the panels and presentations and are welcome to leave and arrive at the times best suited for your schedule and priorities.

See details and register here.

DOT will continue with repairs on and near the Triple Cantilever structure this summer. Repairs will focus on three sections: the Columbia Heights Bridge, the Staten Island-bound bridge over Old Fulton Street, and the Joralemon Street Bridge. 

Details on the expected work can be viewed here.

This work is critical to preserving the safety of the roadway, and DOT is working with the BHA, local residents and our elected officials to ensure that disruption and inconvenience to the community will be minimized. We are not expecting any full BQE closures, and access to the residences on Columbia Heights, along with Chapin Playground and Hillside Dog Park will be maintained the entire time. 

Please review the information contained in the document linked to above and feel free to contact the BHA with any questions. You can also reach out to:

Anita Navalurkar

(347) 647-0876

Anavalurkar.consultant@dot.nyc.gov

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is hosting a public art initiative called the “What Shapes Our Brooklyn Project".  This open call invites Brooklyn residents to submit shapes, real or abstract, that represent the borough through their lived experiences. The artist, Phoebe Lo, will select several to include in her final artwork installation.   

Learn more and submit a shape by April 27. 

RSVP for the Public Art Reveal on May 17.

The following is a re-print from our friends at Stop the Chop NY/NJ:

The April 10th crash of a tourist helicopter into the Hudson River, which ended the lives of an entire family as well as the pilot, drew international attention while raising our movement’s profile and making our mission all the more urgent.

This was the fourth New York-area helicopter crash in seven years.  In 2018, a sightseeing helicopter that had taken off from New Jersey (one of the notorious doors-off “shoe-selfie” choppers flown by FlyNYON) plunged into the East River, drowning all five tourists aboard.

The most recent doomed flight originated from New York City’s downtown heliport, which had changed hands only a week earlier.  The day before the crash, on April 9, the Staten Island Advance quoted two Stop the Chop NY/NJ board members in an article prophetically headlined “Anti-helicopter group says increased NYC chopper traffic a tragedy waiting to happen.”

When it comes to the many neighborhoods negatively impacted by nonessential helicopter traffic (both sightseeing and commuters), those seem to be viewed as sacrifice zones by the helicopter companies, the Mayor’s office and EDC, helicopter industry groups, and the FAA. They certainly are not flying neighborly, as we all can attest.

In the meantime, please send our petitions to your friends and neighbors, and help us spread the word about our movement!

Saturday, April 26, 9am-2pm.  BHA Spring into Service.  Learn more and sign up!

Monday, April 28, 9:15am-5:30pm.  Planning for Brooklyn's Climate Future.  Brooklyn Borough Hall.  A day of panels and presentations.  RSVP.

Monday, April 28, 6-8pm.  Celebrating the Art of Silhouettes. Support the Brooklyn Women's Exchange. Learn more and buy tickets.

Tuesday, April 29, 4-8pm.  Sustainable Building Resource Fair. Brooklyn Borough Hall.  Register.

Sunday, May 4, 12pm.  Montague Open Streets Kicks off with Wellness Day.  See details.

Tuesday, May 6, 6:30pm.  PGC Perennial Party.  RSVP

Sunday, May 11.  Celebrate Mother's Day at Montague Open Streets.  Details

Saturday, May 17, 12:30pm.  The Longest Table Brooklyn Heights.  Setting the table for togetherness.  Learn more.

Sunday, May 18th. Brooklyn Bridge Parents Spring Fling at Montague Open Streets.

Sunday, May 18th.  11am-3pm.  Puppy Pride in the Park.  Brooklyn War Memorial, Cadman Plaza.

Friday May 23 - Sunday May 25.  Brooklyn Poets Poetry Festival. 144 Montague Street or via Zoom. Learn more and buy tickets.

Sunday, June 1.  The BHA Dog Show returns!  Save the date.  Registration details coming soon.