Thursday, March 1, 2012
Tenants and advocates sue Housing Authority for repairs.
Residents from Farragut, Ingersoll and Whitman Houses gathered in front of Brooklyn Housing Court in Downtown Brooklyn Thursday to file a lawsuit against the city for what they called a pattern of neglect and put-off repair work. Leading the way in the effort, with help from South Brooklyn Legal Services, was Families United For Racial and Economic Equality—many members of which openly criticized the New York City Housing Authority's efforts to rehabilitate and maintain buildings that are now more than a half-century old. "NYCHA needs to expedite repairs, especially the ones that are causing dangerous health conditions," said FUREE member John Saulter. "But they keep telling you that they don’t have enough money..." According to Lucas …
Monday, February 13, 2012
Comparing prices at different stores for basic foodstuffs.
In the months before Red Apple Supermarket opened across the street from Fort Greene Houses last October, the store's owner, John Castimatidis, made a promise to this mostly low-income community: Fresh food offered at a great location, on the cheap. With the market open to mostly positive reviews, Families United for Racial and Economic Equality decided to put Castimatidis' assertion to the test by comparing Red Apple's prices with seven other markets throughout Fort Greene-Clinton Hill. The result? Red Apple, as Patch's own much less scientific survey uncovered in November, holds up well in terms of affordability for prices on basic food items like milk, eggs and, of course, apples. For example, Red Apple's price for a half gallon of…
Monday, October 31, 2011
Ribbon cutting ceremony held at Myrtle Ave location Monday morning.
For the residents of Fort Greene Houses, it was all treats and no tricks this Halloween morning. Red Apple Supermarket officially opened its doors with a ribbon cutting ceremony at The Andrea on Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene. District Leader Lincoln Restler, who attended today's unveiling, praised the new grocer as an example of what can be accomplished when the community teams up with the private sector. "What we've got now is a supermarket that belongs to everyone," Restler said. Today's opening capped years of waiting on the part of thousands of mostly low-income residents who saw their neighborhood Associated supermaket torn down in 2006 by developer and Gristedes owner John Castimatidis. The years since have been marked by public …
Friday, October 28, 2011
Concerns over the process of selecting a successor to departed DBP head Joe Chan.
When former Downtown Brooklyn Partnership president Joe Chan announced he would leave his post after five years on the job, he left more than a vacant position with an annual salary of $200,000 in his wake. Chan also left a trail of acrimony among grassroots neighborhood activist groups like Families United for Racial and Economic Equality, which demanded last week that they be let into the process of finding a successor. FUREE plans to send a letter to DBE asking that there be a representative from the community on the board of the nonprofit development entity, which is also tasked with finding Chan's successor. At FUREE's 9th Annual Conference last week, Councilwoman Letitia James, D-Brooklyn, pledged her full support for increased …
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Worker and minority rights group gathers for its 9th Annual Conference in DoBro on Saturday.
For 20-year-old Eric Valentin, it all started with an envelope addressed to his mother from her landlord. Valentin's mother, the letter read, had only a few days to vacate an apartment she and her family had lived for years on Dwight Street in Red Hook. "They told her that they had to make renovations and that she would have to find another place to stay," he said. "But she had nowhere to go." That's when Valentin first came into contact with Families United for Racial and Economic Equality, a worker and minority rights group that held its 9th Annual Community Conference at St. Joseph's High School in Downtown Brooklyn on Saturday. Joining Brooklyn residents young and old, Valentin celebrated FUREE's past achievements, discussed current …
Friday, October 21, 2011
Say success of soon-to-be-opened supermarket will rest on affordability.
The supermarket for which Fort Greene Houses residents have been waiting years may now be only more than a week away. Red Apple Supermarket, located at The Andrea building on Myrtle Avenue, has been given a tentative opening date of Oct. 31, according to a source at the Gristedes organization, which owns the store. While the imminent arrival of Red Apple is good news for residents tired of walking or taking car service trips to the Associated Supermarket at Atlantic Terminal, stakeholders involved in the process still wonder if real estate developer and Gristedes owner John Castimatidis will keep all of his promises to the community. Chief on that list of promises is affordability. "The success or failure of the store is going to come down…
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Fort Greene union members and activists take to the streets.
1. Protests against what many call Wall Street's corruption and greed continue to spread from coast to coast—as well as right here in Brooklyn. Members of Families United Against Racism and Economic Equality plan to meet at 3:30 p.m. today at their headquarters on Willoughby Street to make their voices heard, joining members of TWU Local 100 and others in showing their support to the movement. 2. Though Phil Donahue was not able to make last night's event honoring Rev. David Dyson, Irondale Center reports that Sadie Sullivan of the Brooklyn Historical Society did an excellent job filling in. Congrats, Sadie! 3. Enjoy the melodious sounds of Djibril Toure and the D3 Trio—with Djibril on bass, Doron Lev on the drums, and Daniel Haedike on …
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Former talk show host to hold Q&A at Irondale Center tonight.
1. Rev. David Dyson, retiring pastor at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, worked as a labor organizer with Cesar Chavez, was a leading local force against Apartheid and spent 18 years leading a progressive congregation. At Irondale Center tonight, see Emmy-winning talk show host Phil Donahue talk with Dyson about his remarkable career and the 150-year-old history of his church. 2. See the U.S. premiere of The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper) a Bertolt Brecht play "by and for beggars" that showcases the cabaret of Weimar, Germany—think, "Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome." At BAM Harvey Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. 3. Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) invites the community to gather at its offices at …
Friday, August 19, 2011
There's plenty of heat out there, even with summer on the wane.
The signs are everywhere: the slightly saturated tint of the leaves, a sudden cool breeze, the back-to-school sales that are beginning to pop up here and there. It might be not the end of summer. But it definitely feels like the beginning of the end. So to celebrate the last dregs of this season of al fresco drinking, eating and music listening, here are your 5 Things as we head into the next-to-last weekend of August: 1. Speaking of good things coming to an end: Rooftop Films Summer Series at the Old American Can Factory comes to a close with a showing of "World's Best Dad" tonight at 9 p.m. and a series of short films Saturday. 2. Check out the hot Nawlins tunes of Rosie 151 and the Red Hook Ramblers at the Way Station at 683 Washington …
Friday, July 8, 2011
Reconnecting with a favorite thoroughfare.
Celebrate the spirit of fashion, lifestyle and culture in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill as select Fulton Street business open their doors for exciting, one-of-a-kind in-store events for this month's edition of FAB Friday. So come out and support our local businesses! Here are your 5 Things for today: 1. The Daily News reports that Assemblyman Joe Lentol, who represents part of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, had a donation rejected by Our Lady of Mount Carmel over his vote in favor of legalizing gay marriage. 2. Attention job seekers: workers rights group FUREE is hiring a community organizer. 3. In case you missed it: local residents will not get priority in hiring at the new Red Apple supermarket on Myrtle Avenue. 4. Greenlight Bookstore …
Corey
4:01 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012
What about conditions at Atlantic Terminal and other Section 8 housing along Fulton between Adelphi and Elliott? Residents were complaining of massive rats in their hallways and units due to nearby construction last year. more ›