Author: GreenpointBlog

If you’ve missed NAG’s free soil testing workshops earlier in the year, including the one in August, here’s your chance.

Neighbors Allied for Good Growth is hosting a free garden soil workshop on Sunday, October 30th from 1 to 3 p.m. at the eagle Street Rooftop Garden (44 Eagle St.).

The workshop is in collaboration with the green experts at Brooklyn College’s Analytical Center.

According to NAG, attendees will learn about the science behind urban soil and how North Brooklyn’s soil became toxic. That’s important for those who want to learn more about Greenpoint’s environmental degradation history.

The hands-on workshop will allow you to even apply your skills right on the rooftop farm.

The soil test screens for heavy metals like zinc, copper, arsenic and lead. NAG encourages attendees to arrive by 1 p.m. if you want to get your soil tested. If that’s the plan, bring a handful of your soil in a zip lock bag.

Police are looking for a man who allegedly exposed himself to a woman near the Broadway Triangle area.

Authorities say that on yesterday at 10:30 a.m., a 24-year-old woman walked into a residential building near Humboldt Street and Seigel Street. She was followed into an elevator by the man pictured above.

The suspect proceeded to pull down his pants and expose himself in front of the victim.

There were no reported injuries. The suspect then fled in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM.

The library on 107 Norman Avenue will transform from a one-story building into a two-story, eco-friendly facility with green features.

The current library is expected to be demolished in early January. With construction expected to last 18 months, library officials hope they can get the new and improved library running by mid-2018.

“We are going to be tearing it down and building an entirely new eco-friendly building,” said project manager Ames O’Neill. “It’s going to have green roofs and environmentally-friendly features.”

The Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF) is providing a $5 million grant for the library to add the green roof and flexible programming space for environmental and education groups to use for meetings, classes and events.

The other $10 million is coming from Brooklyn Public Library.

To read more about the renovations of the Greenpoint Library, including alternative options during its temporary closure, click here.

With Halloween just around the corner, PS 110 is hosting its Fall Carnival to raise money for the school’s art program.

Starting at 2 p.m. on October 22nd, the carnival will feature a haunted house, pumpkin patch, a bake sale, carnival games, pumpkin photo booth, face painting, raffles and you can even take a pumpkin home to paint!

Greenpointers will have a chance to check out some of the good work the folks at the Greenpoint Community Education Fund (GCEF) are doing this weekend.

GCEF is hosting an open house on Saturday, October 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at four locations: McCarren Park, McGolrick Park, Newtown Creek and the Kingsland Wildflowers Rooftop.

You’ll see their green roofs, projects for parks and birds and the environmental advocacy to clean up Newtown Creek.

GCEF is a $19.5 million grant program that was created by the New York State Office of the Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Its funds were collected through a large settlement with ExxonMobil over its oil spoil in Greenpoint.

The organization helps fund important projects that makes the community a greener place to live.

For more information, visit their website at www.gcefund.org.

It’s a case that still hasn’t been solved yet.

Police are looking for three men who robbed a 34-year-old man near Bedford Avenue and North 12th Street last month.

On Sunday, August 14 at approximately 2:30 a.m., the 34-year-old victim met up with the three suspects in a public place and invited them up to his apartment.

After the victim (somehow) fell asleep, the three suspects sprung to action. When the victim woke up at around noon, he found that they took his credit card, his Rolex watch worth $5,000 and other jewelry totaling $3,000.

The three suspects were later seen on a store’s surveillance camera using the victim’s credit card to make $1,400 in purchases at West 125th Street, including a $750 order at Ballers USA.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM.

The Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park is hosting a community meeting to update residents on Wednesday, October 5th at 7 p.m. at Greenpoint Beer and Ale (7 N15th St).

The advocacy group says while they don’t have anything specific, they have been told negotiations have begun between the city and the owner of the CitiStorage site, Norman Brodsky, for the property.

If the deal falls through, they said, then the city has no choice but to use eminent domain to purchase the property for the public good.

In the meantime, join the Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park to discuss the important parkland next week at Greenpoint Beer and Ale.

For more information, visit their site here.

When the Investors Bank on Manhattan Avenue opened its doors over the summer, it promised it would be a community bank.

Well, it’s safe to say they’re delivering so far.

One of those community partners, the Greenpoint YMCA, recently received a $5,000 grant from Investors. The money will go toward the Y’s Rowe Scholars program.

“It’s going to go for scholarships, after school, swimming, karate classes, our summer camp program,” said Kendall Charter, executive director of the Greenpoint Y. “It’s tremendous, especially for young people with families that might need a particular program because of economic reasons. This gives them the opportunity because we’re not going to turn them away.

Read more about the Investors Bank in Greenpoint here.

Last month, Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams, inspired by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, decided to sit during the Pledge of Allegiance during a City Council meeting.

Williams posted on his Instagram account that he sat to “highlight the plight of so many” and give to a voice to those who “feel voiceless and who struggle everyday.”

He then received racist hate mail from those who objected to his protest.
Williams responded with this following statement:

“First, I want to thank those who sent positive messages and emails of support. The over-the-top responses shows where we are in this country. There are some who complain about a peaceful protest, so it begs the question what are people really angered by – is it the act of protesting irrespective of what form it takes, or they simply believe there is nothing to protest about.  It seems to me that some have a problem with protesting in general whether it’s peaceful prayer, an act of civil disobedience, or in the form of engaging in destructive behavior. I am exercising my right as an American to speak out about something I believe in and the hateful responses underscores the need for it.”

“Lastly, the irony should not be lost on anyone that these are racist responses to a protest about continued racial inequality. I invite all New Yorkers of goodwill to join me at City Hall this Wednesday at noon to continue the discussion about a practice this is rooted in the best values of America.”