Problems at the CH Library?

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I recently received this email from a reader: Hey there,

I consistently have trouble with the Clinton Hill library branch. I'm not too bothered by the poor customer service, which is on par with out Post Office, but I'm bothered that they don't process my books when I return them. I should try returning one to Clinton Hill and one to the main branch to prove the lapse in time of return.

I usually get a $.50 late charge every time I return it there, but I currently owe $25 on a travel book that I returned in August. I'm curious to know if any other CH residents and blog readers have had any problems.

Personally, I haven't had any problems with them. I enjoy having a library close by, and I often request books online and have them sent for free to the CH branch. The facilities are horribly dated, but otherwise I haven't run into any annoyances. Anyone else had issues there?

(FYI, the library is located at 380 Washington Ave. bt Lafayette and Greene)

Perhaps these problems will be remedied once the library is rebuilt!  Brownstoner did a post about it last month here.  Though I suspect while they rebuild it'll mean we're without a library.

88th Precinct Meeting TONIGHT

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FROM SCH: There is a Precinct Council meeting tonight, 7:30 pm, at Teen Challenge, 444 Clinton Ave., between Gates and Greene.

This is a good opportunity to talk to the precinct officers. You can raise issues, ask questions and learn more about what is going on.

The Society for Clinton Hill was very disappointed in the lack of police presence for our Halloween Walk Oct. 31, for example....and for the House Tour as well. On Halloween night there were thousands of young children in costume crossing streets and watching the play at 313 Clinton Ave. At one point a large group of motorcyclists came speeding down Clinton Ave. going right past #313 where there were people in the street and filling the sidewalks. Where were the police? They said they would be out and about, but no one we know saw a single car or officer. These kinds of things and others as well, need to be addressed.

We can report that the president of PUPS and her German shepphard Tim were out walking yesterday when they saw a mugger shove a woman, grab her purse and run. They both took out running after the mugger yelling to him to drop the purse or the dog would ....well, you know...try to get the purse back. The mugger looked back at Tim, who is a serious looking dog, and threw the purse down and ran. The owner, the muggee, the police officers, and yes, Tim, were all very proud of this local dog who did good.

If you don't have man's best friend, there are many shelters with wonderful dogs just waiting to take care of you....ASPCA, Animal Care and Control, and others.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Remember, no general meeting in December.

Donation Bins- More Info

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Reader David filled me in on the disappearance of the clothing donation boxes: The clothes collection bins that have disappeared may be all due to the dept of sanitation asking them to be removed...... as you can see in this pic there is grease pencil writing and removal notices from the dept of sanitation - this clothes bin was on Park Ave and Vanderbilt Ave:

bin.JPG

Wonder if they were being abused?

Clothing Donation in the Hill

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Two separate readers have recently contacted me, lamenting that their usual clothing donation drop boxes have disappeared. (Specifically, the box at Grand and Fulton, and the box on Myrtle near Tamboril.)  Where else can one drop a donation? Personally, I bring stuff to the Goodwill on Fulton near Franklin.  They take clothing, books, appliances, etc, and they also provide you with a receipt - key for tax season!

Other options include the Salvation Army on Quincy between Downing and Classon (near Broken Angel), and the library on Washington between Greene and Gates - I noticed a clothing donation box at the circulation desk a few days ago (I think they're collecting clothing through December).

Hope that helps!

Checking Out Barking Brown

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I stopped into Barking Brown on Saturday morning while running errands to check them out.  The store is filled with VERY reasonably priced goods -- knit hats, cool tote bags, jewelry and t-shirts.  If you need some affordable holiday gifts for the trendy people in your life, I suggest checking them out. Plus, they were actually open around 10 am!  On a Saturday!  Big ups for the convenience factor.

Barking Brown 468 Myrtle Ave (bt Washington + Hall)

Website's still not working, though.

Thanksgiving Pairing Wine Tastings @ Olivino

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Friday 6:30-8:30:Scott of Barterhouse wines (and former Olivino employee we adore) will be tasting us on some magnificent wines perfect for the upcoming holiday. We will be sampling a totally lovely Pinot Blanc from Canada, a smooth berried Cote du Provence, A spicy Uruguayan Tannat, and a Cote du Rhone blanc that resembles the revered baby Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc.

Saturday 5:00- 7:30 Elizabeth from Michael Skurnick will be introducing us to this year's Beaujolais Nouveau!  Just in time and a perfect wine for Thanksgiving dinner.  Elizabeth will also be uncorking a sophisticated Gruner Veltliner, a flavorful Riesling Kabinett, and an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.

We look forward to seeing you!

Olivino Wines 905 Fulton Street btwn Clinton Avenue & Vanderbilt (718)857-7952

Green Fort Greene + Clinton Hill News

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I, for one, want one of those "chic chopping bags." Spend a couple of fun and fruitful hours at our table at the Fort Greene Green Market on 11/17 or 11/24. You will meet many engaging and beautiful neighbors, help make our neighborhoods even more environmentally friendly, get some fresh air and dispel guilt. In the past two weeks we have sold 400 energy efficient light bulbs, given out hundreds of applications for non-polluting electricity, and added dozens of people to our list of New York's Greenest.

This week we will be offering very chic reusable shopping bags, as well.

If you can help, please email info@greenfgch.org.

Bulbs sprouting: Save energy and save money. Long life energy efficient light bulbs are offered at stores near you for a non-profit price. Each $2 or $2.50 bulb will save you over $100 because you will use less energy and replace bulbs far less frequently. Now at Yu, Green Farm, Fresh Garden, Greene Pharmacy. Coming soon to 4W, Restaurant New Orleans, Gnarly Vines, L'Epicerie, Green Apple Cafe and many others.

Ask your favorite store owner to join the movement. We supply a handsome decal for their window, leaflets explaining the whole bulb story (so they do not have to ) and the low priced bulbs. The store owner will sell the bulbs at cost for a few months as part of our community greening program. Let us know at info@greenfgch.org and we will follow up with them.

Sale at Still Hip!

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shreddot.gif GET RED THIS BLACK FRIDAY!!! Still Hip is having it's first official sale! On November 23rd, black Friday, you can get 20% off everything with a red dot! Any item in the shop over 3 months will be on sale.

VOTE FOR STILL HIP! Was it you? Well it was some super cool customer that nominated us for City Search's 'best of' list and now we want to win! So get out there and vote...

Community Design Workshop: TONIGHT

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This sounds cool! MYRTLE AVENUE STREET FURNITURE INITIATIVE TO HOLD FIRST COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP AT PRATT INSTITUTE

Project is a collaboration between the Pratt Design Incubator and the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership

BROOKLYN, N.Y., November 13, 2007 – The Pratt Design Incubator for Sustainable Innovation, Pratt industrial design students, and the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership will hold a community design workshop tonight, Tuesday, November 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Pratt Institute’s Higgins Hall as part of the Myrtle Avenue Street Furniture Design Initiative. The workshop, during which designers will present preliminary concepts for seating, bike racks, tree guards, and other possible street elements, is open to the public and members of the community are encouraged to attend.

The Pratt Design Incubator, Pratt industrial design students, and the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership are working together to design innovative and artistic street furniture elements for Myrtle Avenue. The workshop will introduce the background, goals, process, and timeline of the project, share preliminary design concepts, and invite participants to join topic tables to discuss and/or sketch concrete ideas as well as general topics. The goal is to create street furniture concepts over the next year that ultimately will lead to prototypes of off-the-shelf designs for artistic, sturdy, multipurpose, and cost-effective streetscape furniture and amenities. Prospective participants are asked to pay close attention to design elements in New York City streets, particularly Myrtle Avenue, in order to provide specific information in describing what works and what does not.

The Pratt Design Incubator is a cooperative of interdisciplinary designers committed to creative products and services that respect the environment and humanity. It is run by Deb Johnson, academic director of sustainability at Pratt, who organized a team of industrial design students to survey and study Myrtle Avenue’s existing conditions. The team is being led by research coordinator Samantha Razook-Murphy. The initiative started in September when the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project LDC hired the Pratt Design Incubator to develop street furniture designs. Funding for this initiative comes from an award from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District. The workshop will be held at Higgins Hall on the southeast corner of Lafayette at 61 St. James Place. Informational signs will direct participants to the workshop room. Please RSVP to Mr. Vaidila Kungys at vkungys@myrtleavenue.org or by phone at 718.230.1689

SCH Meeting: Thursday

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Society for Clinton HillGENERAL MEETING Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007, 7-9 pm St. Luke's Church Parish House, 259 Washington Ave. (DeKalb/Willoughby)

7:00    Reception:  Come meet and greet your neighbors. Wine by Gnarley Vines, 350 Myrtle Ave., Carlton/Adelphi Appetizers by Choice, Lafayette/Grand

7:30    A Conversation about Traffic Issues in Clinton Hill

*Congestion Pricing (CP) – how will it affect us?

*Residential Permit Parking (RPP) – what, why & when?

*Street cleaning and alternate side parking –can it be reduced?

*Illegal truck traffic – what can be done?

Speakers include: Jane McGroarty, community activist and transportation expert. John Dew, CB2 member and chair of the Transportation Committee. Linda Scher, SCH Board Member, and Washington Ave. resident. Frances Rodriguez, Clinton Hill resident living on Washington Ave.

Please note:

1. Membership: Renew your membership at the meeting. Bring your check book.

2. Landmark Reports: Purchase the new report on the Proposed Additions to the Clinton Hill Historic District and the original Landmarks Report.  $15 each. These are important reference works that everyone ought to have.

www.societyforclintonhill.org

More Thanksgiving Fare

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(Was out of town yesterday -- sorry!) The Greene Grape and Jive Turkey are teaming up to offer a complete Thanksgiving package, delivered to your door! They're hosting a free tasting this Thursday:

Click, Uncork and Gobble!

The Greene Grape and Jive Turkey are excited to host their Third Annual Thanksgiving tasting on Thursday, November 15th from 5 to 7pm at The Greene Grape at 765 Fulton Street between South Oxford and South Portland and at The Greene Grape Downtown, 55 Liberty at Nassau in the Financial District of Manhattan. We’ll be pouring six American wines recommended to go with Thanksgiving dinner and serving a Jive Turkey with all the fixings. The event is FREE and is a great way to try before you buy! For more information, please visit www.greenegrape.com.

The Greene Grape and Jive Turkey are also proud to continue a New York Thanksgiving tradition by offering a full Thanksgiving meal – a deep-fried Jive Turkey and all the fixings – plus a Six Pack of American wines specially selected by The Greene Grape to complement the Thanksgiving meal. The total package is $249.95 plus tax and includes delivery any day the week of Thanksgiving – November 19-22. Quantities are limited and orders must be placed by Friday, November 16. This offer created an absolute frenzy last year – it’s never too soon to sign up! For more information or to order, please visit www.thejiveturkey.com or call (718) 797-1688.

The Greene Grape features offers from individual producers with integrity, skill and pride. For more information, please contact Amy Bennett at amy@greenegrape.com, by calling (917) 412-5901.

Jive Turkey features deep-fried turkey that has been called “a tender, juicy bird so perfectly cooked, with skin so crisp and tasty, you might never roast again.” For more information, please contact Aricka Westbrooks at westbrooksa@aol.com or (718) 797-1688.

J+J Cafe

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J&J Cafe I took the above photo on one of the few days J+J Cafe (Fulton nr Waverly) was actually open. Yes, I was inside! And I bought a croissant and a coffee! The staff was nice, but the space was a bit shoddy.

Not that it matters now, as it closed down as soon as they put up their official sign...

skinny building

I'd say until that skinny building is finished, there's little use opening anything in that space.  It's almost completely invisible!

New Store on Myrtle: Barking Brown

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Informants have told me that there's a new fashion shop on Myrtle next to Polish Bar called Barking Brown. I'll check it out this week. Is the leather goods store opened by Pratt grads that was mentioned on Myrtle Minutes? Ah, yes, and it seems the store will be fully up and running as of Friday!

(Word has it there are some cute knit hats in the window.)

Drag at Outpost

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RePop's own Russel will be performing in drag this Thursday at Outpost! Get it on with 6 Brassy Broads and the 666 Club!!! A night of tawdry song, drag, belly dancing & burlesque!! Starring: Hope Debates, Saasha Foo, Laura Comerford, Ellie Mathias, Russell Boyle aka Simone LaBonte & Sarah Bieda

Chuck Mackinnon: trumpet Adam Klipple: organ Dave Phelps: guitar John Mathias: bass Diego Voglino: drums

YOU NEED THIS GOOD MUSIC FOR YOUR SOUL!! Thursday Nov. 8 @8:00pm Outpost Lounge 1014 Fulton St 718-636-1260