Council Member Laurie Cumbo

Historic Concert Grove Pavilion to Reopen After Restoration Later This Year

Details of the pre-restoration Concert Grove Pavilion. Photo by C. Paul Martinka, courtesy of Prospect Park AlliancePROSPECT PARK –The historic Concert Grove Pavilion in Prospect Park will be undergoing a renovation, Prospect Park Alliance announced on Monday, and should be restored to its former glory within the year. Prospect Park

Nonsponsored

Brooklyn Nets Get NBA Stars Durant and Irving

Rings displayed at Barclays Center Plaza, Saturday, June 15 for Arianna Grande concert (Photo: Nathan Haselby)PROSPECT HEIGHTS – A pair of NBA stars is moving to Brooklyn (well, at least that’s where they’ll be working). Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will be joining the Brooklyn Nets for the

Arts & Culture

Street Renamed To Honor Notorious B.I.G.

CLINTON HILL – Despite the pouring rain, fans of rapper/lyricist Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” jammed St. James Place at busy Fulton Street where his mother, Voletta Wallace, her family, musicians, and elected officials announced that the intersection— where the rapper once lived—was officially renamed Christopher “Notorious B.I.

fort greene

The Brooklyn Hospital Center Kicks Off 175th Anniversary Celebration

FORT GREENE – Last Thursday, January 31, The Brooklyn Hospital Center [https://www.tbh.org] (TBHC) kicked off the first event of a three-year celebration to honor the medical facility’s 175th anniversary. Gary G. Terrinoni, TBHC President & CEO; Julian Macrone, Fort Greene Park Conservancy; Sandra Chapman, Chief of Staff, Brooklyn

Announcements

Organization Fighting Gun Violence Opens Office On Myrtle Avenue

FORT GREENE – Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes [https://www.gangstamackin.com] (G-MACC) celebrated the opening of its second Brooklyn office at 349 Myrtle Avenue (between Carlton Avenue & Adelphi Street) with a ribbon-cutting on Friday, January 18. Photo by Ill Flix via Council Member Laurie Cumbo | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/

community

Helen Keller Services Opens New Headquarters In Downtown Brooklyn

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN – Helen Keller Services [https://www.helenkeller.org/hks/about-hks] for the Blind held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning to celebrate the opening of a new 44,000 square-foot headquarters at 180 Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn. After 65 years at 57 Willoughby and a $500,000 grant from

Arts & Culture

Community Board 2 Approves Street Co-Naming To Honor Notorious B.I.G.

CLINTON HILL – At a general board meeting Wednesday evening, November 14, Brooklyn Community Board 2 [https://www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb2/index.page] voted to approve co-naming St. James Place between Gates Avenue and Fulton Street “Christopher Wallace Way” in honor of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. The

Announcements

Upgrades And New Entrances Coming To Flatbush Avenue Side Of Prospect Park

PROSPECT PARK – Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue and NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver were joined Thursday afternoon by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Council Member Laurie Cumbo in a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction on a major improvement project on the Flatbush Avenue side of the

Announcements

Adams Introduces $7M Initiative To Bring Urban Farming Education To Brooklyn Schools

CLINTON HILL – At an event kicking off a $7 million initiative to promote urban farming education in Brooklyn classrooms, Borough President Eric Adams joined students of Clinton Hill’s PS 56 Lewis H. Latimer and Urban Assembly Unison School on Tuesday to tour the site of a “future state-of-the-art greenhouse.

Central Brooklyn

Cumbo Announces Bedford-Union Armory Plans Drop Condos, Gain More Affordable Units

CROWN HEIGHTS – At a City Council land use subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, November 21, Council Member Laurie Cumbo (District 35) announced that a modified agreement for the controversial Bedford-Union Armory [/one-way-crown-heights-feel-armory-decision-communitys-hands/] project has been reached, with the removal of 60 market-rate condos that were previously proposed and the inclusion of

fort greene

Cumbo, Mosley Lead Way In Push For Expanded NYCHA Security

Council Member Laurie Cumbo and Assembly Member Walter T. Mosley (Courtesy Fort Greene Focus/Justin Fox)Council Member Laurie Cumbo [/?s=cumbo] and Assembly Member Walter T. Mosley [/?s=mosley] took a stand alongside activists at the Whitman Houses following the killing of an unidentified woman last week. Cumbo and

fort greene

Sign Up For An Affordable Housing Seminar Later This Week In Clinton Hill

300 Ashland Place (Courtesy Instagram/cityrealty [https://www.instagram.com/p/BHSX4zVhxdw/])Affordable housing at 300 Ashland Place will be discussed at a seminar taking place later this week. The Fifth Avenue Committee is hosting a seminar on applying for affordable housing that will take place at Brown Memorial Baptist

Events

Kids And Their Parents Gather For Peace March In Fort Greene Park

Spike Lee attended the march (Courtesy Fort Greene Focus/Justin Fox)Children and their parents gathered in Fort Greene Park to mourn the recent violence taking place across the country while also discussing a path forward. A large crowd met at 10am by the Prison Ship Martyr’s Monument [/?s=

fort greene

Farewell Officer Brathwaite: Luminaries Send 88th Precinct Mainstay Into Retirement In Style

l. to r., Officer Sargent, Public Advocate James, Officer Brathwaite, Council Member Cumbo, 88th Precinct Council President Delia M. Hunley-Adossa, 88th Precinct Council Vice President John Harrison (Courtesy Fort Greene Focus/Michael Randazzo)After two decades of faithful service to Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Officer Varlos Brathwaite is retiring

fort greene

Development Of Downtown Brooklyn Dominates Community Board 2 Meeting

Council Member Laurie Cumbo spoke briefly about the new New York City budget. (Courtesy Fort Greene Focus/Justin Fox)Community Board 2 [/?s=community+board+2]‘s most recent meeting was focused heavily on the future of Downtown Brooklyn given the massive development of its recent past. The meeting took

fort greene

Following Backlash, DOT Withdraws Clinton Avenue Bike Lane Proposal

(courtesy NYC Department of Transit [http://nycdotfeedbackportals.nyc/content/project-proposal])Amidst a sea of opposition from local residents, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has decided to withdraw its plan to change Clinton Avenue from a two-way street to a one way street [/blog/2016/01/20/first-look-dots-proposed-buffered-bike-lane-for-lafayette-avenue/] in order to

fort greene

Town Hall Erupts Over Bike Lane; “Back To The Drawing Board”

The DOT makes its presentation in favor of the bike lane.“You want to keep going?” asked the exasperated Department of Transit official advocating the Clinton Avenue bike lane [/?s=bike+lane]. “NO!” shouted the crowd in near-unison. The DOT presented its plan [http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/

fort greene

Brooklyn Beep Eric Adams Advocates Breastfeeding Bill

(Courtesy Brooklyn Borough President Adams)“A baby does not arrive in the delivery room with an instruction manual,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams Adams, as part of his recent initiative to encourage breastfeeding in New York City, was speaking at the Brooklyn Hospital Center [/?s=brooklyn+hospital+center] on

Events

Discord Pollutes Town Hall Discussion About Plastic Bags

Council Member Cumbo speaks to part of the panel.Council Member Laurie Cumbo had to grab the mic as she urged last night’s town hall to keep it “calm and cool” as tensions rose. The councilwoman a town hall discussion on Tuesday at the Ingersoll Community Center (177 Myrtle

Anthony Byrd

The Day: Couture Fashion, Library Closures and Toy Sales

It’s the last weekend before halloween, locals. How are you celebrating the spooky holiday? (Photo by Francisco Daum) [http://www.flickr.com/photos/franciscodaum/]Good morning, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. It’s getting cold out there, locals. So don’t forget to grab a sweater, hat and scarf