SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

Source: Shorefront Y

The Shorefront YM-YWHA is now offering free legal services to victims of Superstorm Sandy through the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) and UJA Federation of New York.

If you sustained damage as a result of the October storm and need legal services and advice on topics such as appealing denied claims, disaster-related fraud and mortgage issues for affected homes, you can make an appointment to speak with a lawyer on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Shorefront Y is located at 3300 Coney Island Avenue. Call (347) 689-1848 to schedule your appointment. The Shorefront Y will work to accommodate language translation. For further information, email info@shorefronty.org.

Superstorm Sandy, bringer of destruction, misery and most frustratingly, mold. Mold detection and removal is one of the more challenging aspects of home-repair and rebuilding. Thankfully, the folks of Occupy Sandy the mayor’s office, in conjunction with local groups around the city, are holding free mold awareness training classes across Southern Brooklyn, including one today in Brighton Beach. Here are the relevant details:

Free Trainings will be held throughout the city, see list below for the location nearest you.

• Understand the need for and when to use personal protective equipment and Recognize hazards (chemical, biological, physical, safety).
• Understand the proper sequence and safe methods of mucking out a water damaged unit and sanitization methods; demolition; and cleaning a water-damaged unit.
• How to do a final assessment and properly determine whether a project is complete.

Following technologies will be addressed:

• Scraping mold growths,
• Wet methods,
• Use of polyethylene sheeting,
• Negative air units,
• Application of backpack HEPA vacs, and
• Dehumidifiers.

Arrive twenty minutes prior to training session for registration.

SCHEDULE

January 31st – Brighton Beach
7 pm – 9 pm
Shorefront Y
3300 Coney Island Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Spanish Language Presentation

February 2nd – Gerritsen Beach
10 am -12 pm
Resurrection Church Gym
2331 Gerritsen Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11229

February 2nd – Gerritsen Beach
1 pm – 5 pm
Gerritsen Beach Fire Department
43 Seba Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11229

February 2nd – Red Hook
12 pm – 4 pm
Good Shepherd Service’s Red Hook Community Center Beacon at PS 15
71 Sullivan Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11231

February 4th – Red Hook
6-8 pm
Good Shepherd Service’s Red Hook Community Center Beacon at PS 15
71 Sullivan Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11231

February 4th – Gerritsen Beach
6 pm – 8 pm
Gerritsen Beach Fire Department
43 Seba Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11229

February 4th – Manhattan Beach
8 pm – 9:30 pm
PS 195
131 Irwin Street
Brooklyn, NY 11235

February 5th – Coney Island
7 pm – 9 pm
Gospel Assembly Church
2828 Neptune Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224

February 6th – Bayswater/Far Rockaway
1 pm – 5pm
Bayswater Jewish Center
2355 Healy Avenue
Far Rockaway, NY 11691

February 9th – Rosedale
1 pm – 5 pm
St. Clare’s Parish (in the annex)
137-35 Brookville Blvd.
Rosedale, NY 11422

February 13th – Gerritsen Beach
9 am – 11 am
PS 277 in Gerritsen Beach.
2529 Gerritsen Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11229

February 13th – Coney Island
1 pm – 3 pm
Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, Inc.
3001 West 37th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11224

February 13th — Bayswater/Far Rockaway
6 pm – 8 pm
Bayswater Jewish Center
2355 Healy Avenue
Far Rockaway, NY 11691

February 16th – Rosedale
1 pm – 5 pm
St. Clare’s Parish (in the annex)
137-35 Brookville Blvd.
Rosedale, NY 11422

February 16th – Midland Beach
1 pm – 5 pm
Oasis Church
539 Greeley Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10306

February 23rd – South Shore
1 pm – 5pm
CYO-MIV Community Center at Mount Loretto
6541 Hylan Boulevard
Staten Island, NY 10309

February 26th – Rockaway Beach
7 pm – 9 pm
Knights of Columbus
333 Beach 90 Street
Rockaway Beach, NY 11693

Correction (February 1, 2013): The original version of this article indicated that the events were organized by Occupy Sandy. They are not. They are funded by the Mayor’s Fund and are hosted in conjunction with a variety of local organizations.

Source: Shorefront Y

The following is a press release from the Shorefront Y (3300 Coney Island Avenue):

Over 8,000 toys have been distributed by the Shorefront Y to go directly to children who have been affected by the wrath of Hurricane Sandy in south Brooklyn.

On December 20, 2012 a huge tractor trailer arrived at the Shorefront Y filled with children’s toys. Thousands of toys for children of all ages were donated to the Shorefront Y by Jezreel International, with sponsorship of UJA Federation of NY.

As the Shorefront Y’s disaster relief efforts have been done in collaboration with many local organizations, Shorefront Y reached out to more than 30 local community leaders and organizations offering to share this incredible resource of holiday gifts. Within one day, 17 organizations from Sea Gate, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach and Canarsie each came to pick up hundreds of toys to distribute to children and families with whom they are engaged. All packages included books, stuffed animals, wall posters, toy trucks, & much more.

“To be able to so quickly and effectively share this incredibly generous donation with families living in all of our south Brooklyn impacted neighborhoods has been incredible and inspirational.” says Sue Fox, Executive Director at the Shorefront Y.

The diversity of the groups who received these donated toys also reflected the diversity of our communities; civic groups, faith based organizations from the Christian, Muslim, & Jewish communities and local immigrant community leaders from the Latino, Haitian, Russian, Filipino, South Asian and Turkish communities all benefitted from the generosity of Jezreel International’s wonderful donation and the Shorefront Y’s collaborative spirit.  ”We all need to continue to work together to make sure that all of our south Brooklyn communities and our families continue to recover,” says Fox.

More than 300 attendees converged on Brighton Beach’s Shorefront Y lastSunday for the Y and UJA-Federation of NY’s “Hugs for Chanukah” carnival.

Click to enlarge

Children of all ages and their families were able to shake off the Superstorm Sandy-doldrums for a while and enjoy three hours of fun, Chanukah-themed activities throughout the Y’s 3300 Coney Island Avenue facility, whose sturdy structure right off the boardwalk withstood the massive onslaught of this past October’s storm surge — a Chanukah miracle in and of itself.

Kids and their families participated in arts & crafts, cookie decorating, face painting, family portraits in a Chanukah-themed photo booth, and carnival games.

Another one of the day’s memorable highlights were the lively performances by five talented child performers from Broadway — Rachel Resheff, Kara Oates, David Gabriel Lerner, Tyler Merna and Broadway’s “Annie,” Lilla Crawford. The pint-sized performers sang selections of their favorite pop and show tunes with the accompaniment Musical Director Benjamin Rauhala.

“Hugs for Chanukah” sprung from the desire to bring the community together to celebrate the eight-day Festival of Lights, which commemorates the miracle of the oil and ancient rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the revolt of the Maccabees.

The event, “the largest and most elaborate celebration at the Shorefront Y to date,” would not have been possible without support from the UJA-Federation of Westchester and “their amazing group of volunteers,” Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, Shorefront Y staff and volunteers, and Sports is Life members.

View the full photo gallery.

From our friends at the Shorefront Y:

In celebration of Chanukah, the Shorefront Y in collaboration with UJA-Federation of NY invites everyone to their “Hugs for Chanukah” carnival. Festivities will take place this Sunday, December 16, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Originating from a desire to bring the community together to celebrate this special holiday, “Hugs for Chanukah” is a no-charge event that has been made possible by the generous support of the UJA-Federation of NY. Highlights of the festivities include activities such as cookie decorating, face painting, arts & crafts, & carnival games. A live music performance is also scheduled, along with many more surprises!

“We are thrilled to be able to host such a wonderful celebration of Chanukah in spite of the challenges faced in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This is the time that our children need an extra opportunity to celebrate and spend a fun afternoon with their family.” says Susan Fox, Executive Director of the Shorefront Y.

Sunday’s “Hugs for Chanukah” carnival is designed to be the largest and most elaborate celebration at the Shorefront Y to date. The Shorefront Y is located at 3300 Coney Island Avenue, right along the boardwalk.

Sandy relief at Shorefront Y. Source: Shorefront Y

The Shorefont YM-YWHA (3300 Coney Island Avenue) is a neighborhood organization that’s rising to the challenge of continuous local disaster recovery in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Currently, they’re responsible for everything from assigning volunteer contractors, to repairing homes and giving out food, to translating complicated government forms.

Shorefront Y Director Sue Fox has been busy not just with addressing the needs of Sandy victims, but with taking a “peek ahead” at future disasters and positioning the organization to be a major preparedness and relief hub for Southern Brooklyn.

Find out what the non-profit is planning.

From our friends at the Shorefront Y:

A large scale relief distribution will take place in front of the Shorefront Y (3300 Coney Island Avenue).

This one time event is taking place thanks to Office Depot Foundation, Feed The Children, & Lorenzo Hodges of Jezreel International, in collaboration with the Shorefront Y. A sample of the items that will be available for distribution is below:

• Children’s Books & School Supplies
• Diapers & Baby Food
• Beverages & Adult Food
• Cleaning Supplies
• Sack Packs

With the objective of bringing much needed supplies to Brooklyn families who were affected by Hurricane Sandy, a 53 ft. tractor trailer will arrive on Thursday, filled with thousands of products. Vital supplies will be distributed to all families & children as they arrive in front of the Shorefront Y.

What: Hurricane Sandy Relief Distribution
When: Thursday, December 06, 2012 at 12 P.M.
Where: 3300 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11235

Photos by Erica Sherman

State Senator Martin Golden and Councilman Michael Nelson are holding two separate community meetings for residents affected by Hurricane Sandy and the continued recovery efforts  in Southern Brooklyn’s hardest hit neighborhoods.

The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 28, at 7:00 p.m. at P.S. 277 at 2529 Gerritsen Avenue and is hosted by Golden.

In attendance will be New York State Financial Services Superintendent Ben Lawsky and staff, Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit Commissioner Nazli Parvizi and representatives of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Grid and Con Edison representatives.

“Each and every day, the people and the communities of Gerritsen Beach, Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach, are making progress to fix the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy However, there is no denying that those effected still need our assistance. I continue to work with the effected families and businesses so that their lives can return to normal as soon as possible. This meeting on Wednesday will be another step forward on the road to recovery,” said Golden in a press release.

The second meeting, hosted by Councilman Michael Nelson, is on Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 p.m., at the Shorefront Y at 3300 Coney Island Avenue.

There will be representatives from Mayor Bloomberg’s office, Speaker Quinn’s office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Buildings (DOB), the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), the Department of Health (DOH), and representatives from various other agencies and disaster relief programs.

The meeting will consist of recovery updates and a question and answer period for residents.

Members of the community and small business owners are encouraged to attend both events so that they may attain the necessary financial and recovery assistance information post-Sandy.

According to our friends at the Sheepshead Bay – Plumb Beach Civic Association, a free shuttle bus to the Thursday meeting will depart from Brown Street and Emmons Avenue at 6:30 p.m.

The National Guard is currently giving out food packages in front of the Shorefront Y, 3300 Coney Island Avenue.

They will be there until 5:00 p.m. today.

Source: JSmith Photo/Flickr

The following is from our friends at the Shorefront YM-YWHA (3300 Coney Island Avenue). On a side note, I had the opportunity to meet with the three playwrights, as well as the backers of this initiative, yesterday. Three truly interesting people working on an awesome project that will bring stories of Brighton Beach to a global audience. Check it out.

Elyse Dodgson (Head of International Dept. at the Royal Court Theatre, London), The Public Theater (NY), and Actors Touring Company (UK) present: a free practical workshop/discussion hosted by three of the most important contemporary playwrights in Europe today.

Natasha Vorozhbit (Ukraine), Pavel Pryazhko (Belarus) and Mikhail Durnenkov (Russia) will invite the audience to take a journey into the process of playwriting and the world of contemporary drama. They will be joined by Elyse Dodgson (London), the Director of Actors Touring Company Ramin Gray (UK), and translator Sasha Dugdale (London). The session will run in English as well as in Russian.  

Background Information:  In the 1960s, Dodgson’s mother filmed a documentary about life in Coney Island, a document now lost. That missing film and her own family’s emigration from Eastern Europe to Brighton Beach inspired Dodgson to commission playwrights to spend two weeks in Brighton Beach and to turn their findings into plays. The project has come to life thanks to the support received from Public Theater (NY), Actors Touring Company (UK) and the Genesis Fund.

Natasha Vorozhbit (Ukraine) Ms. Vorozhbit studied at the Moscow Literary Institute.  Her plays, Demons and Galka Motalko were staged in Moscow and Latvia. She also writes extensively for television including the script for series School in Russia. She has also written two plays for the Royal Court Theatre in London.  Her play THE GRAIN STORE was produced at the ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY in 2009.

Pavel Pryazhko (Belarus) Mr. Pryazhko has won several major Russian language theatre awards and his plays have been produced throughout Europe. His play LIFE IS GRAND was invited to the Golden Mask Festival in Moscow in 2010. His play HARVEST was presented as a staged reading in London in the Royal Court Theatre’s International Season in 2011.

Mikhail Durnenkov (Russia) Mr. Durnenkov is the author of over 15 plays including THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER which was produced at the Moscow Arts Theatre. His plays have been translated and produced throughout Europe. THE DRUNKS was produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2009. He has also participated in workshops with the Royal Court Theatre in London.

When: Sunday, June 3, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Shorefront YM-YWHA (3300 Coney Island Avenue)