The Day: Mulchfest, Fitness with the Brooklynettes and a Kwanzaa Celebration

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If you’ve taken an evening stroll in the brisk winter weather, you may have spotted a beautiful sunset like this one. (Photo by Oswaldo Cabrera)

Good morning, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Yesterday’s torrential rain may have dampened your weekend plans, but you won’t see any rain today. The National Weather Service predicts a sunny and breezy day – but be sure to bundle up, because temperatures will only reach the upper 30s.

  • With Christmas behind us, you might be ready to take your tree down. If you’re looking for an environmentally conscious way to dispose of your evergreen, you can participate in the city’s “tree-cycling” program. From today through Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Department of Sanitation will collect any Christmas trees left out on the curb. The department will turn the trees into mulch, which will be spread among the city’s fields, parks and gardens. You can also bring your tree to Mulchfest – held at the Washington Park and Willoughby Avenue side of Fort Greene Park – on Jan. 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees can take home a free bag of mulch. Remember to remove all lights and ornaments from your tree before you arrive.
  • Are you making a New Year’s resolution to get in better shape? You can act on that resolution close to home beginning on Jan. 8 when the Brooklynettes – the dancers for the Brooklyn Nets – begin teaching a fitness class at Crunch Gym, 691 Fulton Street between Ashland Place and Saint Felix Street, The New York Daily News reported. Brooklynettes Alexa Kobylarz and Amanda Robinson are the instructors for the class, called Court Center Choreography, which will be held on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. The class will begin with high-intensity squats, jumping jacks and crunches, and then the Brooklynettes will teach the class a short routine they performed at the Barclays Center the previous week, the paper reported. “We try to make the class so it transfers from the court to the general public,” Robinson told The News.
  • The Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance on Flatbush Avenue near Fulton Street held a Kwanzaa celebration yesterday filled with African song and dance, News 12 reported. Organizers at the event told the station that the musical festivities were a great way to get guests into the spirit of Kwanzaa, a holiday that celebrates African culture and history. Kwanzaa, which lasts seven nights, ends on Wednesday.
  • Lola BKLYN –  387 Myrtle Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues – got a mention in a Brokelyn post about ways to ring in the new year in Brooklyn. Lola’s New Year’s Eve celebration will kick off at 10 p.m. and continue until 3 a.m., with an open bar running the first two hours. The open bar costs $40 for wine, beer and cocktails; if you’d like to enjoy a tasting platter as well, a $50 option is available. Check out Lola’s Facebook page or call (718) 858-1484 to make a reservation for the night.