72nd Community Council Meeting on Tuesday (bring a card!)

In addition to letting residents know about the state of the precinct regarding crimes and misdemeanors, this month's 72nd Community Council meeting could be a chance to send some support overseas to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sara Gonzalez' office is collecting cards of support and happy wishes to send over to USA troops serving right now. Children are encouraged to create their own cards that wish soldiers well. You can bring them to the Community Council meeting at 7:30 PM meeting on Tuesday at the Marien Heim Houses on 45th and 4th. If you can't make that, I'm sure you can drop cards off at the offices of Sara Gonzalez on 56th Street at 5th Avenue. Call 718-439-9012 to double-check before bringing them over.

Free Weekend Events - Sunday now added.

Sunday Added: I wanted to make sure this was happening on Sunday. The usual clean-uppers are meeting on Sunday at 9:30 AM in front of the Rec Center. It will be one of the last of the year, so if you need to work on your Karma or if you've just missed the last few, go this week. Sunday looks to be lovely.

Saturday the 24th of October is a busy one despite the forecast of rain.

For the kids: From Noon to 4 PM the annual HealthPlus sponsored Hallowe'en celebration will be going on at the Rec Center (7th Avenue and 41st). This year, there will be a Toddler Pumpkin Patch just for children ages 2-5. It's free, crowded, cute, and fun.

For the Freegans and their supporters:

The Very, Very Free Market that has been around the flagpole area several times now is moving indoors this time around. It will be held at 379 47th Street (between 3rd and 4th Avenues) from 2 PM to 6 PM. See below for more details, but here's the gist: You can bring items you no longer want/need, you can take items you really do want/need. You can bring literature about your community group as well. Everything is FREE; no money is exchanged. Any items left over at the end are brought to the Salvation Army over on 9th Avenue (I think, someone correct me in comments if that's wrong.).

from the email:

SUNSET PARK VERY MERRIE FREE MARKET

SATURDAY 10-24 FROM 2 PM TO 6 PM

in the SOCIAL HALL of FOURTH AVENUE METHODIST CHURCH

Enter at 379 47^TH St (between 3^rd & 4^th Avenues)

Make new friends! Meet community members, activists, and group leaders!! Bring along literature about your pet cause.

EXPLANATION: This is a space for community activists, groups and members to draw strength from one another's skills, and surplus or rescued resources. Neighbors meet neighbors; strangers make friends; friends share ideas, connections and conventions; and skilled practitioners of arts, crafts, trades, and professions can share critical skills and know-how, impart training, and offer free services that empower or save money.

EVERYTHING everyone brings, or takes, is FREE, and that may include electronics, clothes, toys, furniture, food, grain, condiments, spices, (YOU fill in the blanks!)

Sorry, no drop-offs or pick-ups. We'd rather see you than your stuff :-) Intended primarily to serve the local community, but open to all. Newly unemployed or chronically homeless? A Special Welcome 2 u!
If you need to take stuff home, come prepared with sturdy bags.

Contact: VVFMarket@gmail.com

Best access: R train to 45 St; walk up 2 blocks on 4^th Ave; right on 47^th St.

(If you missed this one, join us again 3^rd Saturdays 11-21 & 12-19, same time, same place)

Fall Classes at El Pequeno Artista (discounts mentioned!)

El Pequeno Artista, on 20th Street and 5th Avenue, has some excellent opportunities for the little ones this Fall.

The most exciting thing (in my decidedly biased opinion) is the Spanish Immersion Montessori Pre-School offered from 9-Noon Monday through Friday. Part-time is also available. I happen to know that the teacher is pretty darn amazing. She is from Mexico and is trained and certified in Montessori style and techniques.

There are also lots of other classes available for children ages 2 1/2 to 7 including cooking, ballet, movement, Spanish immersion, percussion, and music. Check it out: El Pequeno Artista.

from the EPA email:

Hello all!

I hope you and the little ones have had a lovely summer!

Below you'll find the Fall Schedule. To register, you MUST contact us first to reserve/keep your spot. We take cash, checks and credit cards and we'll guide you through payment once you have confirmed availability with us.

NEW FAMILIES:
For new families who've never tried our programs, we'll be offering a week of free trial classes between Sept. 14th through 19th, and will send an announcement with that schedule (not necessarily the same as the one below) in a week or so. Please wait until you receive the announcement to reserve a spot (reservations are required).

RETURNING FAMILIES:
If you pay by Sept. 4 you get $15 off the regular price. After that you pay the regular price, unless you really put it off, and then there are late fees (the horror!). Either way, you MUST pay in advance to keep your spot!

NEW!

FREE Pick up from local schools: PS 10, PS 107, PS 295 at 3pm.
AND... if your child attends one of these schools and registers in any El Pequeno Artista workshop,
you'll get a 20% off your fall tuition!!!

SCHEDULE FALL 2009:


MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL IN SPANISH
Monday to Friday 9 to 12 pm


MUSICA PARA MI (associate program - please contact directly)
Monday 2 pm


SPANISH IMMERSION
4 to 6 yrs.
Monday 3:30 pm


SPANISH IMMERSION
5 1/2 to 7 yrs.
Monday 4:30 pm


PERCUSSION
4 yrs. and up
Tuesday 4 pm


COOKING
3 1/2 to 6 yrs.
Wednesday 4 pm


BALLET
3 to 5 yrs.
Thursday 3:30 pm


MOVE IT
2 to 4 yrs.
Saturday 11:20 am


BALLET
4 1/2 to 7 yrs.
Saturday 12:30 pm

Free Weekend Event: Bi-Lingual Cinderella from the Puerto Rican Travelling Theatre

On Saturday, August 16th at 6 PM, join the Friends of Sunset Park in welcoming the Puerto Rican Travelling Theatre's presentation of Cenicienta/Cinderella. It is a bi-lingual show aimed at children, but it will be enjoyed by all ages, I'm sure. Last year's show was a lot of fun, and this year's looks even better.

Wednesday: Corduroy to Appear in Sunset Park

Now that the CityKids and Friends of Sunset Park music events have ended, whatever will camps and caretakers of children do on Wednesday mornings?? Not to fear, FoSP is still looking out for us. This Wednesday will feature Life Lines performers giving us Corduroy - the bear with a lost button. This has recently become one of my son's favorite books, so I'm hoping he lasts through this performance.

The Center for Family Life is the co-sponsor of this event.

Saturday and Sunday have Free Music for the Kids

Two chances for free music over the weekend. Both are lovely, child-focused, and I can personally recommend each set of performances (as if you trust my opinion).

On Saturday, enjoy the sounds of Fati & Charles, the wife and husband team that sings fun children's songs in Spanish. They will be singing at Coco Roco (392 5th Avenue), starting at 3:30 PM. They also use props like shaker eggs and animal-shaped sponges to help the kids participate in the songs. Check out their website and listen to clips of songs.

On Sunday, check out City Stomp at 4 PM in Slope Park (6th Avenue and 19th). Kevin, the creator of City Stomp, used to do Music Together of Greenwood Heights.

from the email:

Come see Kevin and Nick play City Stomp songs and other originals at Slope Park this Sunday at 4:00. The park is hosting a party for kids and we will be playing for about 40 minutes. The party goes from 3:00 to 6:00, so come out and play! Slope Park is located on 6th Avenue between 18th Street and 19th Street.

Wednesday Music Ends with Ballet Fiesta Mexicana Ybarra

This Wednesday at 10:30 AM will be a wonderful show for everyone. This group has performed for Sunset Park several times, and they are always fantastic. Hopefully the weather will cooperate to allow this final performance in the series to go on!

Fati & Charles in the Park

El Baile de Sombrero - photo by VeesVision

Hasta la Proxima

Children who visited the weekly Bibliobus yesterday had a special treat of music and fun on top of the books and library treats. Fati & Charles entertained the children with music, props, and dancing for an hour. Happily, the weather cooperated, and there was a lot of fun to be had.

If you're interested in finding out more about Fati & Charles, check out their website - abbasubi.com .

Another Playground Option

Several playgrounds between 3rd and 4th Avenues get a lot less traffic than their 5th, 6th, and 7th Avenued counterparts for one, long, obvious, loud and smelly reason: The Gowanus/BQE factor. Sure, strip clubs aren't supposed to be too close to playgrounds and schools (except in Sunset Park, apparently), but we can pump exhaust fumes into the lungs of playing children all we want.

Despite this, I ventured over to the 41st Street Playground that is just behind Charles O. Dewey on 4th Avenue to check out the mini-sprinkler and climbing options. Since it was 9:30 on a Saturday morning, the traffic was barely noticeable on the Expressway, and the playground was deserted.

This playground gets locked up at night, and the gates are pretty high. It was a little trashy, but the garbage was tame - no beer/rum bottles, no condoms, and no poop. There was a dead pigeon in the fenced off grass to the side of the sprinkler, but that was it.


The sprinkler is a mini-version of the big one in Sunset Park. The kids weren't particularly interested in running through it, just around it. Some older boys found it very easy to fill plastic bags to make the slides slickery, but thankfully they stuck to just one of the slides and performed their hijinks away from the smaller players.

All in all, it made for a very pleasant morning. The jungle gyms were shaded, and they are set up to allow toddlers to run around them instead of just back and forth. There are also some mini-benches/counters under the platforms which allow for pretend play or a rest. There are four toddler swings that also had shade. (I never knew why parents were so obsessed with shade until I had kids.) "Big kid" swings are not present here.

This playground is in the middle of the block, and the other parents I met there were friendly and actively watching the small children. A bonus is that the playground is adjacent to the ball field where the little league-esque baseball practice and games happen. I'm sure it will be fun to watch as a break from the playground.

The 50's and upper 40's also have playgrounds - including one directly across from Lutheran Medical Center - closer to the Expressway. If you're looking for smaller crowds or a new playground scene, give them a chance.

Ill Style & Peace in the Park

Ill Style & Peace will provide this Wednesday's entertainment at 10:30 AM in the Park. As far as I can tell, this show will include music, dance, puppets, and readings. It's geared towards ages 3 - 10. That's courtesy of the "Where to Go" calendar from The Brooklyn Paper.

Fati & Charles to Play at Bibliobus

Summer is the time for an abundance of music and fun in Sunset Park. The latest infusion of music for children will occur on July 22 at 2 PM. Fati and Charles will be playing their music in the park right by the 6th Avenue and 44th Street entrance (next to the Bibliobus). This should be a great time, and the musical artists seem very down to earth and dedicated to creating fun tunes for our children to dance to and enjoy. Check out their link below.

from their email:

My name is Charles Mister and along with my wife, Fatima, we have produced a CD of songs for kids in Spanish called El Baile del Sombrero. My wife, who wrote the lyrics for the songs, is from Argentina and I wrote the music. We were inspired to take on this project by our children, Chloe (almost 4) and Kylen (2) who we sang to and danced with so much that we decided to take it a step further and make music for other kids as well. To learn more about us, hear our music, or see a video of us, please visit our website at abbasubi.com

Through the assistance of Maria Roca, we were put in contact with Felix Plaza at the Bibliobus and have set up a show on Wednesday July 22nd at the Bibliobus at 2:00 pm. We also are going to play in Sunset Park at the Farmer's Market on Saturday July 18th at 10:30 am. If you could list these events on your blog, I'd really appreciate it.

Tomorrow's Green Market Will Be Musical

If you stop by the Green Market on 4th Avenue and 59th Street tomorrow, hang around for the 10:30 AM music from Fati & Charles. They have a new CD out with children's songs, and they plan on sharing lots of music will us all tomorrow.

from their email:

The songs are from our new CD called El Baile del Sombrero...There's a salsa about a rag doll, a story about a rabbit named Teo who forgets he likes carrots, and a song about Chloe's best friend, her manta. We will have hats, shakers, and sponges for the kids and adults to play with.

We are Brooklyn parents (Fati comes via Argentina) who love playing music and dancing and singing with kids. To see some more about us or hear some of our music go to abbasubi.com

We're playing at the Sunset Park Greenmarket this Saturday, July 18th at 10:30 am and then in Sunset Park at the Bibliobús near the 6th Avenue and 44th Street entrance on Wednesday, July 22nd at 2:00 pm.

See you there!

Photos from Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz in Sunset Park

The first of three free music events in Sunset Park was well attended and a lot of fun. Geared to 5-10 year olds, the Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz musicians (with Hayes Greenfield) had the kids be-bopping and dancing and clapping along for close to an hour. Combine that with perfect weather and a cool breeze coming up the hill, and you've got a fantastic event.


Thanks to Friends of Sunset Park and CityKids for sponsoring the event! This coming Wednesday at 10:30 AM will be III Style & Peace. More to come in a future posting.

Recess Monkey at the Library Tomorrow

In case you end up missing Jazz-Ma-Tazz on Wednesday due to nap-time or other life issues, or if you just want a day filled with lots of musical activities, check out Recess Monkey (get it? Rhesus monkey?) at the Sunset Park library. It starts at 1:15 PM, and it's described as "a fun concert of goofy original and educational songs for children." It's for the Pre-K set, but I'm sure slightly younger and older children would also enjoy it.

It's part of the Summer Reading program. Read more and sign up for the program here.

Sunset Park Library
5108 Fourth Avenue
718 567 2806

Wednesday Summer Music and Fun is Back

Last summer hosted a wide variety of plays, music, dancing, and puppets from outer-space. This year, the Friends of Sunset Park and CityParks Kids are giving us Jazz, Peace, and Mexican Ballet.

It all starts this Wednesday with Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz. Hayes Greenfield hosts "an interactive music education program that inspires participants to take risks, gain confidence, and experience a sense of personal achievement through the use of jazz and the art of improvisation." Sounds like a fantastic musical experience for the kids and those they bring to the show.

All the shows start at 10:30 AM, and they are well attended. (They are popular with the local day camps as well as care-givers and park-goers.) Get there early for a good seat.

Baseball Parade on Saturday (take two)

Adorable Kids Alert!

This is the postponed date from June 20th.

BASEBALL PARADE

SATURDAY, July 11, 2009

Line Up Starts: 10:00 a.m.
Parade Route: Starting at Sunset Park
(7th Avenue & 43rd Street)
Marching Down: To Baseball Field
41 Street & 3rd Avenue
Opening Ceremony: 10:30 a.m.

Dear Neighbors:
You are invited to participate in a good old fashion “Community Parade”
Everyone is invited to be part of the program.
We are asking all of our Neighbors along 7th Avenue and 41st Street to please join us by
Decorating the front of your building/windows/cars with balloons and steamers.

Get the family together, bring out your chairs and get ready to Scream, Shout and Wave to the Children in Uniforms as they march down to the field.
Lets make them feel special and proud that they are a part of a great program in a wonderful community that Loves and Supports them.

Free Breakfast and Lunch for the Kids

Happily for those of us feeling the squeeze on our wallets, or for families who are out and about without a packed lunch, any child under 18 is entitled to a free breakfast and lunch during the summer months. The breakfast hours are from 8 AM to 9:15 AM, and the lunch hours are from 11 AM to 1:15 PM.

You can look up locations based on zip code at the official site, but here are the locations for our area:

MS 136 - 4004 4th Avenue
PS 169 - 4305 7th Avenue
The Sunset Park Pool serves breakfast and lunch.
PS172 - 825 4th Avenue
PS 24 - 427 38th Street
JHS 220 - 4812 9th Avenue
PS 1 - 309 47th Street
PS 314 - 330 59th Street

The link above even has PDFs of the menus. And not to worry, there are vegetarian options available daily (PB&J and Cheese Sandwiches) for those of us who avoid hamburgers and chicken filets. The breakfasts also always offer cold cereals and fruit along with milk.

Pool Opens this Weekend

During a brief conversation with a couple of other parents this AM, I realized that I just wasn't sure when the pool actually opened. I thought it was the first week in July, but it's actually THIS weekend. Don't forget that the pools have pretty strict rules about what you can wear/bring with you.

If the weather cooperates, and if this year is anything like last year, you may want to avoid the first few days if you are bringing little ones. The AM session is a lot less crowded than the PM session. And after a week or so, if you get there right at 11 AM, you have 30-45 minutes before it starts getting active.

Enjoy!

from the NYC website:

All 54 Parks outdoor pools have closed for the season and will reopen on June 27, 2009. Indoor pools remain open year-round. General hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Call individual pools for more specific information.

El Pequeno Artista Summer Camp - Discounted

from the El Pequeno Artista email:

El Pequeno Artista is running a SUPER sale!
Save 25% on the first three weeks of our Bilingual Summer Program

Weeks of: July 6th, July 13th, and July 20th

Camp includes visits to the pool twice a week,
professional soccer in the park once a week,
all art projects, cooking, dance and music, excursions and one snack a day!
ALL in a Spanish Immersion environment.

And you pay only $400!!

That is $100 off per week!

Our unique summer immersion program is carefully designed for children aged 4 to 7, and it runs from 9 to 3pm. There is an optional after camp care service from 3 to 6 (for a nominal fee.) We don't hire teenagers - all of our staff is experienced, professional and perfectly bilingual.

LIMITED AVAILABILITY - CONTACT US NOW!

--
EL PEQUENO ARTISTA
249 20th St. @ 5th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.elpequenoartista.com
T: 718.965.1406

Baseball Parade Postponed Until July 11th

That's really all there is to say about that.