The Sixth Sense, v1, i3

Friends of Brooklyn Community Board 6, Inc.

March 2010, Vol 1, issue 3

The Sixth Sense

Greetings!

Welcome to The Sixth Sense - the monthly newsletter email of Brooklyn Community Board 6, serving the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens/South Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Columbia Street Waterfront, Gowanus, Park Slope and Red Hook.

If March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb, this year is no exception. And we're not talking about to the weather. This month is front-loaded with many heavy duty meetings where important public policies will be the subject of hotly contested discussion and debate.

On March 3rd, the Metropolitan Transit Authority is holding a Public Hearing on proposed changes in levels of service, student fares, and crossing charges beginning 6:00pm at the Brooklyn Museum's Cantor Auditorium, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.

Also on March 3rd, a free screening of the movie "earth2100" followed by a community discussion on climate change planning is being sponsored by Friends and Residents of the Greater Gowanus and the NYC Chapter of the Sierra Club at 6:30pm at the Carroll Gardens Library, 396 Clinton Street, Brooklyn.

And as if that weren't enough, also on March 3rd, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is hosting an Education Town Hall meeting from 7:00pm-9:00pm at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn on the subject of Parental Engagement in Public Education.

Then, on March 4th, the Park Slope Civic Council will be hosting it's annual forum on "The Future of Fourth Avenue" what has been happening, what challenges we face, and the opportunities we have to create a great community here. The forum starts 7:00pm at St. Thomas Aquinas R.C. Church at the corner of 4th Avenue and 9th Street, Brooklyn.

Also on March 4th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is hosting an informational meeting to discuss upcoming activities on the Gowanus Canal from 7:00pm-9:00pm at P.S. 58, 330 Smith Street, Brooklyn.

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions! Get involved. Stay active!

Please enjoy our newsletter and do let us know what you would like to see in future editions.

P.S. If you like what you see here, please use the "Forward email to a friend" link at the bottom of the page to pass this email along to a friend or two. There are over 104,000 residents and thousands of businesses in our district. We'd love it if they would all sign up!

DEP's Gowanus Facilities Upgrade Begins in Earnest

Last October, Mayor Michael Bloomberg paid a visit to the Gowanus Canal to formally host a kick-off of the long-awaited Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Gowanus Canal Facility Upgrade project. This $150 million project, which has been the subject of community meetings over the past decade, will improve water quality at the Gowanus Canal and reduce its odor impacts.

Soon after DEP reactivated the Gowanus Canal Flushing Tunnel in 1999, it began developing a plan to improve the capacity, function, efficiency, and reliability of the flushing tunnel system and wastewater pumping station with the aim of further improving the canal's water quality. The canal is an outlet for the overflow of combined raw sewage and storm-water during many rain events throughtout the year. The City is under a 2005 Consent Order to improve water quality at the Gowanus Canal.

The facilities upgrade project began in earnest most recently. Concrete pads have been constructed at the foot of Douglass Street to support a temporary oxygenation system. The system will mix oxygen with canal water drawn from and returned to the canal. It will oxygenate the water for the duration of the project since the flushing tunnel must be taken out of service while it is upgraded. Oxygenation of the water is necessary to reduce odors at the canal.

DEP is also currently in the process of soliciting proposals for other best management practices to reduce the impact of combined sewer overflows at the Gowanus Canal.

An updated presentation of the facility upgrade project plan was recently supplied by the DEP and is available online or at the district office.

March Madness: Contests! Contests! Contests!

With the 2010 Winter Olympics behind us - Congrats, Team USA! - and college basketball excitement rapidly drawing near, seems like everyone is wrapped up in a contest of some sort these days. Here's a few contests that may not receive the same level of media attention. The best part is you can participate! And they really do spotlight some wonderful aspects of life in our district:

Scrabble for Cheaters: 826NYC's third annual scrabble tournament is a benefit to help the nonprofit organization, whose mission is to support students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills and to help teachers inspire their students to write. The event will take place at 12:00pm on March 6th at 826NYC, 372 5th Avenue (between 5th/6th Streets). There's still time to register online and raise funds.

Building Brooklyn Awards™: The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce's BBA is an annual event that recognizes recently completed new and renovation construction projects that enrich Brooklyn's neighborhoods and economy. BBA also honors individuals who have made significant contributions toward enhancing the business conditions and economic climate of Brooklyn. Nomination forms which are due by March 12th can be downloaded or requested from Lori Raphael at (718) 875-1000, ext. 140.

2010 Neighborhood Achievement Awards: The Department of Small Business Services is pleased to seek the nominations of individuals, small businesses and community organizations for the 2010 Neighbor-hood Achievement Awards. Nominations for the eight different categories of awards are due by March 15th and can be submitted online, by email or regular mail. More information is available by calling 311.

Logo and Slogan Contest: The Park Slope 5th Avenue Business Improve-ment District (BID) is looking for a new logo and slogan that reflects the uniqueness, diversity and excitement that is 5th Avenue in Park Slope. Cash prizes for the top 3 submissions. You can learn more about the BID at their website, their blog, or by calling Irene Lo Re at (718) 768-1846. Entries are due by April 5th and become property of the BID.

And, putting in another plug for our own annual contests, we're still accepting nominations for our Youth Acknowledgement Awards, and Robert Acito Award for Youth Involvement. Nomination forms which are due by April 2nd can be downloaded or obtained at our district office.

The 2010 Census "A Snapshot of America"

The 2010 United States' Census is about to reach your household! The census counts every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years. Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more.

In March of 2010, census forms will be delivered to every residence in the United States and Puerto Rico. When you receive yours, just answer the 10 short questions and then mail the form back in the postage-paid envelope provided. If you don't mail the form back, you may receive a visit from a census taker, who will ask you the questions from the form.

The U.S. Census Bureau is still recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. Apply today by contacting your Local Census Office or by calling (866) 861-2010.

Participation isn't just important - it's mandatory!

Curious to know how well your community responded to the last census? The U.S. Census Bureau has created an online mapping tool to show the Census 2000 participation rates.

Follow the Census on twitter at: http://twitter.com/uscensusbureau

Direct Debit Options Now Available for Water/Sewer Bills

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the launch of an on-line payment feature that will make it easier for DEP's customers to pay and track their bills. Water and sewer customers can now schedule their bills to be paid by direct debit so they can better manage their payments. The service can be accessed online at nyc.gov/dep by clicking on Pay Your Bill Now.

Now customers will have the option of making scheduled payments by using direct debit, which can be drawn from a checking account, savings account, or credit card. Customers receive bill notification in advance of the transaction date and confirmation emails are sent. Also, if customers have outstanding water/sewer bill debt greater than $1,000, the City has recently launched a Water Debt Assistance Program to help qualified homeowners at risk of mortgage foreclosure.

DEP manages the City's water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8 million in New York City. New York City's water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the City, and com-prises 19 reservoirs, and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,400 miles of sewer lines take wastewater to 14 in-City treatment plants.

Water conservation - it's not only good for the environment, it's good for your household budget too!

Friends of Brooklyn Community Board 6, Inc. (Federal EIN 04-3780020) was established in 2003 to support the work of Brooklyn Community Board 6 in improving the quality of life in the district. Friends seeks to provide planning, advocacy, research and administrative resources to supplement the limited capacities and budget of the Community Board, thus enabling it to properly carry out its City Charter mandated tasks of evaluating the needs and advocating on behalf of its communities.

Friends of Brooklyn Community Board 6, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organiza-tion. Donations are welcome and are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.