Various Tidbits: Schools, Gardens, Stop Signs

* Mayor Bloomberg showed up to Sunset Park to talk up the 42 new schools created by his administration. He didn't mention the schools he has shut down, and they are many. While smaller schools make sense in many ways, the closing of the large high schools (some for good reason, others because they've been allowed to/encouraged to fail) has also caused confusion and irritation for staff, students, and parents. Not the least of which is issues about traveling to schools farther away from home. But I digress. Here's the link to the NY Daily News article about Bloomberg's visit. Here is the section dedicated to SP's new high school:

Julie Stein-Brockway, who leads a task force that pressed for the new Sunset Park High SchoolBrooklyn, praised the "perserverance of a community and a community board." in

"This struggle for a public high school began more than 38 years ago and no one has given up," she said. "It is truly a thrill, and more important has been not only getting the physical building that we wanted so desperately, but getting a quality institution inside this building."

* The Culver Community Garden weblog has excellent renditions of what they hope will happen very soon. The rally is this Saturday at Noon.

* CB 7 has sent in its supportive missive for a stop sign on 6th Ave and 23rd Street. (from Gowanus Lounge) Let's hope it's more successful than when the same process was used to try to install stop signs on 6th Avenue at 41st and 44th Streets. You can still sign the petition for the 41st/44th signs here. It's almost a year old, and we've been working on it for two years now!

Bloomberg in Sunset on Sunday

Mayor Bloomberg will be attending services at St. Michael's on 4th Avenue and 42nd at 10 AM. What would bring him out to Sunset Park for a Catholic service? Education, of course! (And perhaps an impending election.)

Following the service, Bloomberg will work his way (walking or taking the bus?) to the site of the new Sunset Park High School at 4th Avenue and 34th Street for a press conference about the new schools opening in September 2009.

Bloomberg to Deposit Money in Sunset Park's Amalgamated

Want to meet the mayor? Want to see a bank receive a deposit instead of a bail-out? Will you be around on Monday?

The new Amalgamated on 5th Avenue and 45th Street will receive a $10 million deposit on Monday as part of the City's Banking Development District program. Mayor Bloomberg will arrive on Monday the 29th of September to deposit the money in the hopes that Amalgamated will help Sunset Park provide full banking services to its residents.

It's true that the CitiBank in the 50's is often overrun with people at the ATM and in line for services. And while 8th Avenue has no shortage of banks, and 4th Avenue has a Commerce and Chase 12 blocks apart, 5th Avenue hasn't had a lot of bank attention. However, at least two more banks are set to open up along 5th Avenue at some point in the near future...but who knows what near future means these days where banking is concerned.

Could be a good photo opportunity for the mayor. Check it out.