September 1st Minutes

The September 1st, 2007 meeting started off with an update from the commitees.

The Garden Committee is thinking about setting up a picnic area. Portia from Block #2 gave a nice plaque for the garden. Thanks, Portia!

The Public Safety Committee didn't have a precinct council meeting to attend, the precinct council is on a summer recess.

The Finance Committee presented a spreadsheet with out current financial status. After the expenditures from the block party, we still have cash in the bank. This is thanks to grant money, member contributions, and our plant salr, raffles and donations.

barnabus Shakur then gave a presentation from Project Regeneration. Project Regeneration is an organization teaching financial literacy to area kids. The kids make some money cleaning up in front of area homes, and then Project Regeneration helps them organize and learn how to manage the money they make. Several homes on our block are already signed up for their cleaning services. More information can be found at www.pr-g.org

In old business, Toya is still searching for the owner of the vacant lot next to 150 Madison.

In new business, Toya suggests we contract Project Regeneration to take care of the areas in front of the vacant buildings on the block. We'll have to look in to the legality of this, as we're not sure if there would be a problem of liability.

Announcements: Mike Broder told us about a way to get fresh produce in the area called the Kalabash Food Buying Club. The following flier was passed out:




Also, in the coming weeks Mike and Maliza plan to start a newsletter we can pass out on the block to detail what the block association is up to.

August 4th Minutes

The August 4th 2007 meeting started off with a report from our committees.

Kisha, from the Block Party Committee, reported that $207 of the $300 requested last meeting was used for the Block Party. Leftovers will be used for the Community Garden Party scheduled for August 5th. Kisha said that keeping track of volunteers will be important next year, as it was hard to make sure everyone followed through on what they were supposed to be doing, but Gloria was a huge help and the block party was a success.

Gil brought a huge bundle of herbs he'd grown in his backyard!

Next was an update from the Garden Committee. Green Guerrillas donated a bunch of new flowers. We're on the "Emergency" fence list with Green Guerrillas to have a fence installed for the garden. For the August 5th Garden Party, we'll have the neighborhood man who plays saxophone stop by with some music. June's done a lot of planting and Andrew's built a lot of planting beds, so we're looking forward to showing off the garden at the party.

The Public Safety Committee reported that there's no precinct council meetings in the summer. Meetings are usually the last wednesday of ever month, at Nostrand Ave and Dekalb. August 7th at 3-8pm will be the National Night Out Against Crime.

Andrew could not report on his finances, as he was off at the hospital with his wife - they're having a baby!

The Youth Committee reported on some after school and summer programs, including the Beacon Program.

For New Business, there's a new family on the block in the newly-built house next to Gil's. Please be careful parking, as they have an active legal driveway.

We'd also like to do some cleaning in the vacant lots near the green house to the left of the apartment building.

There was a murder at Franklin & Fulton last week, so please be careful.

There's a sprinkler head on the fire hydrant across from Maliza's house, and it's being controlled by the fire department on hot days. It may seem like it's running too much and wasting water, but it saves water by keeping people from opening a whole hydrant to cool off.

In New Business, there was a brief unanimous vote which made Maliza Joseph-Gabriel was elected as our Assistant Secretary. The current officers will be in office until December when a new vote is held.

There's a new Dunkin Donuts on Lafayette and Nostrand, and a little cafe called "Tiny Cup" on Clifton and Nostrand. I've been to Tiny Cup a few times since our meeting, and it's reasonably priced and tasty.

We'd also like to start a newsletter.

Madison Street Block #2, the next block over to the west, made it into the next round in the Greenest Block in Brooklyn Competition! We'd really like to get in on that next year. Let's start thinking about planters and trees!