Brooklyn Block Associations - Latest Updates
Brooklyn Avenue Block Association Meeting on May 9, 2026
The meeting took place at 251 Brooklyn Avenue at 11am. Eight people were there including Onggi from the Crown Heights Care Collective.
Matthew Gilbertson called the meeting to order and followed an informal agenda.
First) There was talk of greening and cleaning. Dung La has created a group linked by a whatsapp
to compete in the Greenest Block in Brooklyn. He has already submitted an application. Members of the group besides Dung are Shimona Tzukernik, Sarah Kirschbaum, Dan Penge, and Deanna La. Others wishing to join are Tina Anderson and Mina Agarabi. They could sign up through the link Dung has created.
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FzuUc1ollMf9sIuPkIDAf4?mode=gi_t
Second) The block association should stengthen bonds with the June Balloon event on June 20. Matthew is already involved in creating an archive and conducting interviews with people involved in the June Balloon some thirty years ago. There is an effort to create an event based on block associations to look at their history and think of future joint initiatives. Matthew read a long list of events planned. Planning goes on at Another World at 629 Nostrand every Saturday morning at 11am. Residents could go to those meetings to get involved.
Third) It was decided to have a third block party on August 30th. Planning will begin to get a permit, food, music (maybe Narwhal again) and activities like Vic Ingram's mural, Clown.com for balloon sculpture and face painting, and the large chess set borrowed from St. Marks. Perhaps there could be a fund raiser some time before, possibly at some of the summer events in Brower Park.
13.1 Logo of BABA
Fourth) Matthew introduced the idea of having a Dog Run in Brower Park near the entrance at Brooklyn Avenue and Park Place. This would avoid tensions that have arisen about the use of the large field between the playground and the Shirley Chisholm Circle. There was general agreement this was a good idea but also one that would take a lot of time and organizing to bring about. People mentioned getting support from Friends of Brower Park and Community Board 8 as well as local politicians such as Chi Ossė. Convincing the Parks Department would take a lot of effort.
Eliana mentioned that Friends of Brower Park Library would have a table at the St. Marks block party on June 6 – another pie sale to raise money for the library. Sarah Kirschbaum wondered if she might set up a table to raise money for a moot court organization she is part of. It was decided to reach out to St. Marks for permission. Eliana also encouraged people to come to another fund raiser – Book Ball at the Brooklyn Children's Museum on July 17. There will be food, drink, and dancing and also items that will be raffled off. Proceeds go to support programs at the Brower Park Library.
There was discussion of a late night disturbance of young men in a building on Eastern Parkway, perhaps 641. They were loud late at night, and abusive when asked to be quiet. They also threw empty bottles into the backyards of residents between 890 and 904 on Lincoln Place. It was agreed to bring this issue up at the 77th Precinct Community Council on May 10, particularly with Rabbi Cohen to try to get relief.
It was then moved to bring the meeting to an end and there was general agreement to do this.
– Louise Kurshan, Secretary
How HSVK Block Association Fits in with Other Associations
On Monday evening at 6:30pm I arrive at 243 Kingston Avenue to attend the HSVK block meeting. The association is one of five that I have have been trying to keep track of with the idea that these five block associations might join together to accomplish more than what each can do on its own. The others in the group are PLANT, St. Marks, Dean Street and my own, which is Brooklyn Avenue Block Association, also known as BABA. The idea of having block associations work together arose, for me, in using the Block Summit meeting, organized by the Crown Heights Care Collective to form the Fix the Fountain Committee to get the Parks Department to repair the spray fountain in Brower Park. Over the course of six months, we agitated, demonstrated, gathered signatures on petitions, and reached out to other community groups such as Community Board 8 and the Friends of Brower Park and the Story Time group at the Brower Park Library, as well as Chi Osse. Every one of the block associations mentioned was involved in the effort. In November, long after the summer was over, the fountain was fixed. A celebaration is planned for June 6th at 11am at the fountain which in fact is already in operation.
14.1 The spray fountain on May 20 in operation
At the same time, the St. Marks block party will be happening right next door. I am hoping that other joint efforts will occur on June 20th at June Balloon. The block associations above are active in that effort as well and could hold an event explaining what they have done and what they plan to do in the future.
Much of what happended at the HSVK meeting was routine. However, they do have some unique practices in several ways. First, they open and close their proceedings with a prayer. Also they always have an item on the agenda titled “Sick and Shut-in.” They keep track of the elderly and ill. At the meeting it was annnounced that a resident had just returned from an extended hospital stay. Valerie Nero inquired if he needed anything. Other items were the usual – reading and approving the mintues, a tresurer's report, annoucements about up-coming events. Here there was another original touch. Periodically Valerie hosts a movie night. I came to one of them with my wife to see the film “The Highest and Lowest.” There was a report about the lastest meeting of Community Board 8. Then Daryl Johnson, the vice president, reported on an effort he is managing to install a box for the delivery of packages, thereby avoiding package theft.
Two issues that piqued my interest: One was a discussion about participating in the Greenest Block in Brooklyn sponsered by the Brookly Botanic Garden. Everyone agreed that the block association should do this, and there was talk about how to get as many residents as possible to participate. A woman said she she would draw up a leaflet and knock on doors. The other point that caught my attention was thatValerie planned to apply for a grant from CitizensNYC. This is something I want my association to do. Getting funding is a perpetual problem. Collecting dues is laborious and does not lead to the accumulation of funds needed for various projects. Getting a grant, even for a few thousand dollars, can make a big difference.
Greening Crown Heights strikes me as an important activity. Doing it can help lower temperatures in the summer and make the air cleaner. It is also a way of involving residents and making them proud of the beauty of the neighborhood.
14.2 A flower garden
It can also help wildlife to thrive, and through rain gardens, it can also help to minimize flooding.
What might be some other efforts for block associations to engage in? They might become leaders in defending immigrants from ICE raids. There are various organizations that offer training in how to prevent ICE from grabbing people away from their homes and families. Block associations could undergo this training and form a rapid response network. Block associations are already joining in with June Balloon but there are other events coming up during the summer. On July 17 is Book Ball at the Children's Museum to support Brower Park Library. In August is Night Out against Crime and One Crown Heights. Block associations can get involved in politics, encouraging members to vote in primaries and the November election. This election is an important one – it could bring the majorities Trump has in Congress to an end, and that could lead to more restraint of his dangerous and foolish impulses. Block associations could help with the promotion of art – enouraging film-making, holding art shows, sponsoring music peformances and dance. The potential is enormous, especially if the associations work together.
– John DeWind
