SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

The Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association held its annual Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day Parade on Saturday, drawing scores of neighbors to watch antique automobiles, local veterans and school kids honor the men and women of the nation’s armed forces.

Like other Memorial Day observances, the event remembers the local heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice serving and protecting our nation. But SBPB Civic’s event falls on Armed Forces Day, a lesser known holiday to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches, making the parade an opportunity to honor those past and present.

A battalion of vehicles from the Baron DeKalb Knights on Bikes and the Antique Automobile Association of Brooklyn led the procession down Emmons Avenue, from Ocean Avenue to the veteran’s memorial at Brown Street. They were followed by the Fort Hamilton High School Junior ROTC and the Bishop Kearney High School band, along with the NYPD Auxiliary Ceremonial Marching Unit and the Marine Corps League Color Guard, among others.

The procession stopped just before Driscoll Tucker Park at East 27th Street, where taps was performed and ceremonial flags flown, while SBPB Civic President Kathy Flynn tossed flowers in the water to honor the fallen.

The event honored several living local veterans who served in conflicts as far back as World War II. Six local students were also recognized for writing award-winning essays and art pieces about Memorial Day.

View the photo gallery.

The following is from the Sheepshead Bay-Plumb Beach Civic Association:

Click to enlarge

Source: FTAA.org

Turkish-Americans celebrate their heritage this month with a week of restaurant discounts at participating eateries, a parade and festival, and an event at Borough Hall.

The 32nd Turkish Day Parade and Festival kicks off on Saturday, May 18, at noon. Organized by the Federation of Turkish American Associations, the parade takes place in Manhattan, with participants gathering at 56th Street and Madison Avenue and marching down to Dag Hammarskjold Park on 47th Street and 1st Avenue, where they’ll join with the festival.

The festival features Turkish music, folk dancers and more.

Here in Brooklyn, the organizations will celebrate with a taste of Turkish culture  during the Brooklyn Turkish Cultural Celebration at Borough Hall (188 Montague Street). There will be complimentary Turkish food prepared by local restaurants, along with more folk dancers and music, to be enjoyed by Borough President Marty Markowitz, other dignitaries, and neighbors. The event is Thursday, May 16, at 5 p.m.

But all week long this week – lasting until Sunday – locals can also enjoy a discount at participating Turkish restaurants, including four in Southern Brooklyn. Coupons and a full list of participating restaurants around the Tri-State area can be seen here.

But here’s the list of local restaurants:

• Opera Cafe & Lounge - 2555 Emmons Avenue
• Liman Restaurant - 2710 Emmons Avenue
• Istanbul Restaurant - 1715 Emmons Avenue
• Istanbul Fast Food - 2202 86th Street

The Kickstarter campaign to save the Mermaid Parade launched yesterday and they are already a quarter of the way to their goal.

Because of damages sustained by Superstorm Sandy, Coney Island USA, the parade organizers, needed to cut back on expenses, leaving them $100,000 short of affording all the things that make a parade happen like security, supplies and staff uniforms. Organizers have already reeled in over $24,000 in just a few days of activity. If this trend continues, their $100,000 goal will be reached long before the deadline hits at the end of the month.

Those who decide to donate will get access to a slew of exclusive prizes.

For example, if you decide to give $13 to the parade you receive a specially designed temporary tattoo from a local Brooklyn artist and you get your name added to a big “THANKS” banner in the parade.

If you give a whopping $10,000 you are declared “King Midas” and are given this  ambiguous promise:

King Midas! You are the Merfolk hero. We’ll make things happen for you by land or by sea. Write us a private message; there are plans to be hatched. (Most of your contribution could be tax deductible)

I wish I was rich enough to just fork over 10 grand just to see what “things” will happen to me. Anyway, if you would like to donate you can do so by visiting the Mermaid Parade’s official Kickstarter page by clicking here.

The Synagogue of Chabad Lubavitch of Manhattan Beach at 134 West End Ave is completing their very first Torah. For those who are not well versed in these matters, this is a pretty big deal for a synagogue.

Rabbi Avrohom and Shula Winner, who lead the congregation, have planned a parade to mark the occasion.

Traditionally, when a Torah is written, there exist opportunities for dedication of pages, covers and so on. Rabbi Winner calls this a “community Torah.”

He writes:

The last mitzvah (commandment) in the Torah is for every Jew to write for themselves a Torah scroll, just as it is ones responsibility to keep any of the other 613 laws. However, not everyone can write their own Torah scroll, whether they don’t know how or don’t have the financial means to do so. If, However, we participate in the writing of one it is as if we wrote our very own Torah scroll.

In Jewish law Mechzo k’kuloy is: Half is counted like the whole thing. Participate partially and G-d counts it like you did the whole thing. In plain English: Give a little from your pocket and a lot from your heart G-d looks at the action (because action is what counts) and gives reward for the feelings.

Once the Torah is complete, the parade will take place Sunday, September 9, 2012, at 12:00 p.m. It begins in front of  the Chabad Lubavitch Synagogue of Manhattan Beach.

The streets will be closed. Music and dancing are encouraged and refreshments will be served.

For more info, call (718) 368-1395 or (646) 296-9020.

Southern Brooklyn’s most bizzare, colorful and apparel-eschewing festival, the Mermaid Parade, celebrated its 30th year in 2012, with thousands of revelers descending upon Coney Island for the event.

Mermen, lady pirates, sailors and strippers snaked down Surf Avenue, rounded West 10th Street, and back over the Riegelmann Boardwalk, flashing costumes – and sometimes a little more (oh, do keep in mind that this photo gallery is not safe for work. A few boobies make an appearance).

A number of Sheepshead Bites readers lined the parade, photographing some of the oddities as they rolled by. Below is a collection of photos submitted by the following readers: Knightmare6, nolastname, Celeste L., Steve G. and Allan Shweky.

Check out the Mermaid Parade 2012 photos.

Photo by Erica Sherman

Approximately 200 people turned out to honor those veterans who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice in serving and protecting our nation, as the community celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day Parade and Observance.

Organized by the Sheepshead Bay – Plumb Beach Civic Association, the event brought together veterans from almost every conflict going back to World War II. Gerritsen Beach’s Nicole Hidalgo sang the National Anthem; she, too, is a veteran of sorts, having sung at 9/11 tributes and professional sports games.

The event, as always, included a motorcade of classic cars, which line up near the memorial site on Emmons Avenue, near Brown Street and the Miramar Yacht Club.

Helping the marchers keep pace was the Bishop Kearney High School marching band, and students from other local schools were honored with awards for winning Memorial Day-related contests.

Assemblymembers Alan Maisel and Helene Weinstein, as well as State Senator Marty Golden, were in attendance.

Check out the photo gallery!

The following is from the Sheepshead Bay-Plumb Beach Civic Association:

Jumaane WIlliams

It’s no longer about the Super Bowl or World Series fanatics – New York City leaders want real American champions to parade down the Canyon of Heroes.

Southern Brooklyn representatives united in favor of a new resolution that urges the mayor to produce a ticker-tape parade for the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, of District 45, introduced the resolution to give the war veterans a welcome home they rightfully deserve.

Williams’ resolution says the city is passing on an opportunity to uphold tradition and honor the bravest among us.

“Sports champions and near champions, celebrities, foreign dignitaries and veterans of wars and conflicts in World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam and the first Gulf War, have all marched down Broadway to a cheering crowd and skies full of ticker-tape, confetti, paper streams and the like,” the resolution states.

Councilmembers representing Sheepshead Bay and other Southern Brooklyn neighborhoods agree.

“I have co-sponsored Councilman Williams’ resolution, and am proud to have done so,” said Councilman Lew Fidler. “I have been calling upon the Mayor to have this parade for some time.”

Other’s felt this was long overdue. “I cannot think of a group that is more deserving of being honored with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes than the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Councilman David G. Greenfield. “We owe our freedom to these brave men and women and they deserve to be recognized and thanked for their service.”

Councilman Vincent J. Gentile, representing Bay Ridge and parts of Bensonhurst, also agreed with Williams – stating priorities must be changed. Gentile stated sports teams are honored at large every year, but veterans do not receive the welcome home they deserve.

“Are [veterans] not the real giants here?” said Gentile. “Not only is it the right thing to do and it’s the least we can do for these brave men and women to honor the sacrifices they’ve made to protect our freedom abroad.”

Domenic M. Recchia Jr., the councilman for Coney Island and Gravesend, stated he supported Councilman William’s proposition “100 percent.”

With all of the positive feedback and support from local Council Members, Williams said it is now up to the mayor to make the right choice.

“A number of my colleagues, including Speaker Quinn, have expressed support for a ticker-tape parade in the past,” Williams told Sheepshead Bites. “I hope they all decide to rally behind this legislation so we can send a strong message of support to our veterans and that Mayor Bloomberg will put politics aside to do what’s right.”

The mayor is opposed to the parade, agreeing with Pentagon officials who say New York City should wait until all veterans have returned safely.

Councilman Michael Nelson acknowledged the timing issue but agreed with Williams’ resolution whole-heartedly.

“While the Pentagon may reason that it is premature to pay tribute to the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I firmly stand alongside Councilman Williams and many New Yorkers who feel otherwise,” said Nelson. “I certainly cannot think of a more fitting way to acknowledge our most worthy heroes, these brave veterans, than by celebrating our pride ‘New York City style’ – with a ticker-tape parade in their honor.”

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade is asking for help to promote this year’s Mermaid Parade on television early Saturday morning, requesting potential parade-goers to head into Manhattan and stand around lookin’ all fishy.