February 15th Meeting and Minutes!

Learn about what’s going on at

Brook Park
140th and 141st Streets


Thursday
February 15th 2007 5:30-7:30 pm

What? Free Pizza and juice meeting!

About: Tearing up the concrete update
and general meeting about the upcoming season in Brook Park!

Where: St. Peter's Church
435 East 140th Street
Between Brook and Willis Avenues

5:30 pm - 6 pm Pizza Pot Luck: share food and meet friends and neighbors

6 pm - Welcome/Intro: Anthony Jordan, (St. Peter’s Church and Saint Benedict the Moor Neighborhood Center)

6:15 pm - Revitalization Project Update and Q & A with Maria Luisa Cipriano, Partnerships for Parks

The concrete will be torn up to make way for trees and greenery and the underground brook as part of the community driven plan thanks
to your involvement and resources from Council Members Arroyo and Viverito and Bx Boro President Carrion. When will it happen, how will we ensure the existing programming and Farmer's Market?

6:45 pm - 7:30 General Meeting: Brook Park volunteers and gardeners - new
and old, FABB and Community Garden Market Team, Teachers, etc.

Let's discuss Brook Park!, Open hours and Keys, Community Gardening
Farmers Market, Other
Friends of Brook Park and community stakeholders
www.friendsofbrookpark.org 646-206-5288
ALL AGES WELCOMED!!!

Subject: Minutes Feb 15th FoBP Meeting

Minutes
FoBP February 15th Meeting
Lots of folks, 19 people

Good food and sharing

All received color copy of proposed park plan and 36 page info packet of background and main community design highlights

Thanks to St Peters Church for hosting

Thanks to For a Better Bronx and their teem crew for being in the house

Casa Atabex as well for representing

Diverse ages and races in attendance

Council Member Melissa Mark Viverito representative in attendance

Capital Project update and discussion of concerns

Discussion about the differences in the proposed parks plan and the community visions and main issues:

Concerns:
1 Daylight the real brook and have it North South Orientation
2 Reduce polypave surface area, need natural space equivalent of at least 52' circumference for free play, market, tipi, dance area
3 Construction in November so as not to adversely impact programming, especially budding CSA and Farmer's Market

Please write to (a letter or postcard):
Adrian Benepe
Commissioner, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
The Arsenal, Central Park
830 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10021

ALSO:

http://nyc.gov/html/mail/html/maildpr.html

Thanking him, and mentioning that you share the above requests.

Discussion of upcoming season. Answers needed to questions to ensure smooth and exceptional operations of the CSA and Farmer's Market, should it, and we want it to, continue in Brook Park

Unfortunately, the Partnerships for parks staff member scheduled to provide us with update and answer our questions fell ill and no one from that agency attended. Council Member's office indicated they will facilitate another meeting with parks staff, all will be informed. Need site solidified by march for food coupon printing and farmer participation. Our above mentioned concerns are highlighted, besides other points we may want to raise.

Discussion of security, programming and other issues.
Discussion of ways to encourage greater participation.

Sign with basic open hours.

Volunteer for two or three hours a set day of the week to keep it open!
Email us! Please support us in this way!

Start with March and April.

Sign will be posted with this information, as well as schedule of Volunteer and Orientation/Meeting days.

Next Volunteer Day February 24th
Next General Meeting Wednesday March 14th 5:30pm LBA

Teacher's Orientation/Meeting, Need a teacher to help, set up day time and location (school fine) and help promote it.

Meeting with Parks Department to be scheduled.

Thanks!