The Real Flatbush

Join us for the Prospect Park Alliance's first Walk-a-Thon!

2010-10-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

A walk-a-thon is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy Prospect Park (especially when the leaves are turning color!), while also helping us raise much-needed funds for maintenance,restoration, and programming.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

5K loop around Prospect Park (course map)
Enter at 15 Street & Prospect Park West
(Bartel Pritchard entrance – see Park map)
9 a.m. – check-in begins http://www.prospectpark.org/media/image/green-dot.jpg 10 a.m. – walk starts

Advanced registration: $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12
(Advanced registration deadline: October 21, 2010)

Day of registration will be available at $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12

The walk-a-thon is open to all ages and abilities Rain or shine

For more information about walk-a-thon, contact Lindsay Casale at
lcasale at prospectpark.org or (718) 965-6992.

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND IN PROSPECT PARK!

2010-10-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 30, from 12 - 3 p.m., the beloved Haunted Walk is back and more fun than ever at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park! Lurking high on Lookout Hill are zombies, wolf men, headless horsemen, good and bad witches, and other creepy characters. The Halloween Haunted Walk is suitable for young children accompanied by parents/guardians or older siblings. Suggested donation is $1. Enter the Park at the Prospect Park Southwest and 16th Street entrance.

October 30, from 12 - 3 p.m. is also the Haunted Carnival. This annual treat on the Nethermead in the center of the Park features games and music. Free. Both the Walk and Carnival are rain or shine.

ALSO on October 30: “Horses and Humans: A Celebration of Dancing and Healing.”

The Equus Projects, a professional dance company that makes performances with horses, and GallopNYC, an equine therapy program that works with children with disabilities, presents a series of performance staged in The Nethermead. 12 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Free.

PLUS, on Saturday Oct. 30 AND Sunday Oct. 31:

Haunted Carousel, 12 – 5 p.m.

Crank up the scary music on the Wurlitzer: our Carousel is haunted for Halloween! $1.50 per ride.

Scary Stories from the Past, 2 & 3 p.m.

Meet the old ghosts of Flatbush in haunting tales passed down from Lefferts ancestors. Lefferts Historic House. Free.

Skeleton Cut-Outs, 1 – 4 p.m.

Make your own Halloween headbands using the traditional Scharen-Knippen paper-cutting art form. Lefferts Historic House. Free.

Creepy Crawly Halloween, 12 – 5 p.m.

It’s a critter-fest in Prospect Park with lots of spiders, worms, and other creepy creatures that are sure to make your skin crawl! Creepy crafts, live critters and hands-on experiments. Audubon Center. Free.

Boo at the Zoo, 10 a.m. – 5: 30 p.m.

Go batty for Halloween with activities like face painting, craft making, encounters with "spooky" creatures and a trip through the Zoo's legendary haunted barn. Free with Zoo admission.

Get your ghoul on - be a volunteer! Volunteers are needed to dress up and be scary, prepare meals for performers, assist with carnival games, load the sets, and much more. Call (718) 965-8960 or email volunteers at prospectpark.org for more information.

For more information on Prospect Park programs, volunteering and membership, call the Park Hotline at (718) 965-8999, or visit www.prospectpark.org

Dial 311 for all Parks & Recreation information

financial course

2010-10-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Pratt Area Community Council Events
HSBC financial course
PACC is hosting a FREE Financial Workshop
sponsored by HSBC and John Hancock

Sessions begin Monday, November 1st, 2010 and continue every
Monday in November until November 29th from 6:30pm - 8:30pm

PACC's Community Room
226 Lefferts Place
at the corner of Franklin Avenue
Brooklyn, New York, 11216

Course Highlights:
Highlights Managing your money
Budgeting & Banking Credit History & Using Credit Wisely
Basics of Borrowing & Preventing I.D. Theft
Home-ownership & Managing your mortgage
Stocks, bonds, money market and retirement
Free Individual Credit & Investment Counseling

This is a free event

Reserve your spot now!
call 718-783-3549 Ext. 15
www.prattarea.org

Travel Info:
C/S train to Franklin Avenue
B48/B49 stops right outside the building
B25 to Franklin Avenue
or use www.hopstop.com for door to door directions
Join Our Mailing List!
Pratt Area Community Council
201 Dekalb Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11205
718-522-2613*22

Ditmas Park Blog wants you to be leery of black financial criminals

2010-09-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the greatest financial theft in history in which the President of Brazil caught flak for saying that "white, blue eye bankers had brought the world economy to it's knees" The bloggers of the ditmas park blog want you to be leery of an "email from a neighbor" about a "young black male" driving a "Mercedes" going around to yard sales passing "fake $20 bills". The underlining tone of the post is to look out for "fake $20 bills from young black males in baggy jeans" because we all know white males like insurance agents at AIG, people like Bernie Maddoff are completely trustworthy and we don't ever have to be leery of anyone like that (especially white honest white people who are very white and very honest) passing around fake money. I'm sure that the lowered value of the mortgages of the vitorian houses at Ditmas Park was due to "young black males passing around fake $20 bills" The financial crisis where trillions of dollars were lost would have surely been averted had it not been for those pesky fake $20 bills at yard sales. In light of Tim Wise's imagine game. Let's see how the ditmas park post would look like and if they would even post it if it was a white hipster that was "accused" by a "neighbor" in an "email".

Bad Money

September 25th, 2010 2:54 pm

Watch out at the yard sales for a person paying with fake $20 bills, a couple of neighbors emailed on this:

There is a young man passing bad 20.00 bills and at least 4 people I spoke to got them.

They believe it is a White Beatle driven by someone and a younger, 20 something white male , very polite with Skinny Jeans and a fedora cap comes out and buys something for 1.00 or 2.00 and gets the change. He asked one person if he could take a picture of something and told 2 others to hold something he would be back once they got change.

We have alerted the Ditmas Park Parents Association and one is riding around on Vespa, but since the West Midwood Yard Sales are tomorrow, wondering if posting would help alert their parents so they can knock it off.

The bills are lighter and have blurred print and if you look, you can tell they are fake, but when someone is not on the alert they dont really pay attention and then get stuck with the bad practical jokesters money.

- Liena

BROOKLYN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES First EVER Brooklyn Do GoodER Awards

2010-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

-- Foundation celebrates anniversary, recognizes community heroes and gives $25,000 to charity via crowdsourcing initiative --

BROOKLYN, NY, August 24 2010 -- In honor of its first anniversary, the Brooklyn Community Foundation, the first borough-wide charitable organization focused solely on Brooklyn, today announced the first-ever online Brooklyn Do Gooder Awards campaign to identify and honor local individuals who embody the highest values of community giving and service. The campaign invites the broader Brooklyn community to identify individuals who display an outstanding sense of giving back locally—with time, talent or charity and to nominate and to vote for them online at www.DoGoodRightHere.org. The campaign will culminate at the Foundation's anniversary celebration on November 3, 2010 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Palm House, where the winners will be honored. Media sponsors to date for the campaign include Gothamist, GOOD Magazine, WNYC as well as other community partners.

“The work of the Brooklyn Community Foundation is to encourage giving and service to our communities. Through this effort we hope to recognize those Brooklynites who are giving back everyday to make our borough stronger and kinder. Our motto is Do Good Right Here, and we want to encourage the public to nominate and vote for those people who exemplify that spirit of generosity and goodness in their community,” said Marilyn Gelber, President of the Brooklyn Community Foundation.

Brooklyn Do Gooder nominees should have a demonstrated commitment to Brooklyn through their work within the Foundation’s five fields of interest: Arts for All, Caring Neighbors, Community Development, Education and Youth Achievement and Green Communities. Each of the five winning Brooklyn Do Gooders will receive an award as well as $5,000 to be used as a reinvestment in a recognized 501(c)3 charitable entity working in Brooklyn or in a Brooklyn Community Foundation Field of Interest Fund.

Anyone can nominate and vote for a Brooklyn Do Gooder 18 years of age or older via an online platform which is fully integrated with social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. Online voting will help determine 20 Brooklyn Do Gooder finalists, after which a distinguished panel of judges will choose the winners. Judges currently include WNYC’s Laura Walker, Freelancer Union’s Sara Horowitz, MoCADA’s Laurie Cumbo, award-winning author Peter Hedges and other local leaders. Nominations are being collected through September 30, 2010; Online voting will be open from October 1-October 15, 2010. The community celebration, “Brooklyn Does Good” takes place on November 3, 2010. Start here: www.DoGoodRightHere.org.

Taxi sting

2010-08-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

A recent undercover investigation conducted by the Taxi & Limousine Commission found that 17 percent of New York City’s for-hire car services are either denying disabled passengers or overcharging them for rides.

The 10-month-long investigation occurred in two ways.

In a method called "Bait, Fish, and Hook," when investigators requested vehicles in the guise of disabled people, 31 bases ignored the special requests and sent insufficiently equipped cars.

In another operation done by phone, investigators requested price quotes. Once an investigator received a quote, they would say they needed a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. After receiving the additional information, 49 car services upped their original price quotes, the TLC said.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, livery cab companies are required to provide equal service at the same cost to disabled and non-disabled riders alike.

In total, 80 out of the city’s 460 livery cab and black car services were caught in the TLC sting, and will summarily be fined $1,000 and have their operating licenses suspended.

Read more: http://dnainfo.com/20100603/manhattan/eighty-new-york-city-car-services-caught-tlc-sting#ixzz0xfdAtrgp

Life is a Dream

2010-07-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

A Festival of Fools is pleased to announce its second annual free summer production: "Life is a Dream” by
Pedro Calderon de la Barca, Translation by Gregary Racz . The production is directed by Amanda
Thompson. Performances are August 14th, 15th, 22nd and 28th at 2pm at the Prospect Park Music Pagoda. For
more information call 908-319-3527 or visit www.afestivaloffools.com

The King of Poland has banished his only son Segismund to a tower after a prophecy predicting the prince’s
tyrannical rule begins to come true. When an experiment to reinstate the prince goes awry, Segismund is
once again confined to the tower and left to question what is real and what only exists in dreams. This
classic Spanish verse play features vengeful lovers, epic sword battles and the eternal questions of existence
and morality.

Featured in the cast are: Timothy Bungeroth, Hannah Corrigan, Mike DeSantis, Jesse Kane-Hartnett, Sam
Maxwell and Claire Nasuti.

The Design Team and Crew include: Amanda Thompson (Director), Jack Neylan (Poster Designer), Jessa-
Raye Court (Costume Designer), Jared Kirby (Fight Choreographer) and Megan Finnegan (Executive
Producer).

Inspired by the Elizabethan verse play, we place language at the forefront of our productions to explore
mythology and folklore. At the same time, we seek to visually captivate through acrobatics, sword
fighting and mask. While we are determined to stage established verse plays, we also produce original work
tailored for a contemporary audience -in length and vernacular. Focusing on these elements allows us to
engage and excite our audiences with performances that are both cost efficient and affordable.

Performance Schedule: August 14th, 15th, 222nd and 28th
2pm
Location: Prospect Park Music PagodaBrooklyn, NY
(Take the Q Train to Prospect Park. Enter the park through the Willink
Entrance at Empire Blvd. and Ocean Ave.; follow the Blue Trail signs.)
Tickets: Free
For more information about A Festival of Fools, please visit http://www.afestivaloffools.com or
call (908) 319-3527.

NYPD Sued

2010-07-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Adam Cooper, a 32-year-old African American, was charged with trespass and held in police custody for three days. The charges were eventually dropped. Cooper claims that the police did not bother to knock on Suarez's door to check whether he was a guest.

Over a year later, Cooper and Suarez are now plaintiffs in a federal class action suit against the New York Police Department and the New York City Housing Authority. The complaint accuses the two agencies of encouraging aggressive patrols and illegal stops and arrests in public housing all over the city. But more significantly, the complaint, headed by the Legal Aid Society and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, asserts that this practice of vertical patrolling discriminates against blacks and Latinos. The complaint comes only a year after the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a suit alleging the NYPD practices racial profiling during its stop and frisk procedures.

In 2003 the NYPD launched Operation Clean Halls, which allows the police to stop, search and question anyone they deem to be suspicious. When officers conduct a "vertical patrol," they walk through and do a sweep of the hallways, stairwells, rooftops and landings, to ensure the building is safe and that no one is trespassing or engaging in criminal activity. The NYPD may only do this in buildings where they are given permission to do so, such as NYCHA buildings. Residents can be charged with trespass if they enter prohibited parts of the building, such as the rooftop or the basement, or if they cannot provide identification or proof of residence. Non-residents can be charged if they are uninvited or if the person they are visiting is not there to confirm they are a in fact a guest. More

Don't Believe The Hype

2010-07-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

Guest post from one of our readers Sam. If you would like to guest post, please email us at therealflatbush(at)gmail.com

Because of Gentrification and the false, perverse and evil idea that white is somehow better, I would like to point out and show that there are some out there who are fighting the good fight and who will continue to fight for true equality. This past month the Ditmas Park blog posted a real estate video showing the virtues of an all white ditmas park by a real estate agent. The idea of gentrification is in fact inherently racist because society as a whole is inherently a racist society. The believe that white is better is ingrain into the collective mind-frame of not only white people, but a growing number of black people, hispanics and asians. They falsely believe that somehow if they can kiss enough white ass, they will become white. The beauty of this is that just because you live in an inherently racist and toxic environment, it does not necessarily mean that you have to abide by that ideology.

Although the media, Hollywood and society would like to make you believe that white women are more beautiful then black women, the facts just does not prove it. (just take a stroll down flatbush on a saturday afternoon and you will see it) There has been reports that Chad Ochocinco has a dating show where he wanted to pick an all white female hoochies or whatever they call contestants on a dating show. Does that make him a racist? Probably not in the traditional sense. But does he reflect a society that is out of whack? Yes. Does it make him someone who has bought into the white Hollywood supremacist ideology? Maybe. Did he have a choice? Yes and No. The facts are the media likes to portray a certain image of what is suppose to be the ideal and normal. Some in the black community has bought into that false ideology. But we have the power to change our own thoughts and ideas. We don't have to fall into this white supremacist ideology. If we do. We all loose. Anyone who follows such ideology is doom to live an empty life of nothing. When you rely on your outer appearance instead of your inner strength, you will be at a great disadvantage. When you have that great inner strenght and call people out on their B.S you will be unstoppable. Just like this woman.

The Murder of Oscar Grant

2010-07-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Murder and subsequent unjust verdict of Oscar Grant did not happen in a vacuum. The formula and recipe for this type of senseless killing by the Oakland Police can be seen here in NYC and especially Flatbush. The 70th Precinct is being blindly supported by a local blog (the ditmas park blog) that has the eyes and ears of the New York Times, The Daily News and a number of other news organizations. The Ditmas Park Blog is the face of white privilege and white ambivalence towards injustice. They protect the police. They make-up stories to demonized black youth, They romanticize the virtuosity of gentrification, they encourage police profiling and they write out of proportion stories and narratives specifically geared towards white fear and hatred of black youth and black culture at large. Just this week, they posted a story about the "dangers" of building a "hoops" courts in the back yard of an elementary school. Their solution to this perceived problem on a story that was planted by them to the Daily News is to "have more police patrol." Their reasons for this concern is that black youth cannot be trusted to be on their own without constant police supervision and police harassment.

from Huffinton Post:
News came this week that the U.S. Justice Department will review the case of a New Year's Day 2009 BART police shooting, following recent protests and a vocal outcry from Oakland, California's black community. The case involves the fatal shooting of an unarmed man, 22-year-old Oscar Grant, by former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle. Mehserle was convicted in State court this week of involuntary manslaughter, but many in the community say this charge falls short. More

Target First Saturdays

2010-07-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

At the Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturdays, thousands of visitors enjoy free programs of art and entertainment each month from 5 to 11 p.m. All evening long, the Museum Café serves a wide selection of sandwiches, salads, and beverages, and a cash bar offers wine and beer. Parking is a flat rate of $4 starting at 5 p.m. All other Saturdays, the Museum closes at 6 p.m.
July 3, 2010

American Icons
Music

5–7 p.m.
An electro-pop showcase featuring two Brooklyn-based acts: Analogue Transit and Dynasty Electric. View event details.
Film

6 p.m.
Fame (Alan Parker, 1980, 134 min., PG). Gifted New York City high school students pursue their Warholian fifteen minutes. Free tickets (330) are available at the Visitor Center at 5 p.m.
Hands-On Art

6:30 p.m.
Make a print worthy of Warhol. Free timed tickets (380) are available at the Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m.
Curator Talk

7 p.m.
Associate Curator Sharon Matt Atkins discusses the exhibition Andy Warhol: The Last Decade. Sign Language interpreted. Free tickets (30) are available at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.
Film

7 p.m.
I Shot Andy Warhol (Mary Harron, 1996, 75 min., R). The true story of Warhol assailant Valerie Solanas and her SCUM Manifesto. Free tickets (30) are available at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.
Performance

7–8:30 p.m.
Art Battles hosts “15 Minutes of Fame,” a face-off featuring artists Antony Zito, Lexi Bella, Concep, and Marthalicia Matarrita and hosted by Illspokinn.
Young Voices Gallery Talk

8 p.m.
Student Guides highlight Andy Warhol: The Last Decade.
Karaoke

9–10:45 p.m.
Expressway Music hosts. Registration for lottery begins at 8:30 p.m. One entry per person.
Dance Party

9–11 p.m.
Society HAE hosts “The Factory 2010,” a Warhol-inspired party of eighties pop, hip-hop, and rock.

The 63th Annual Macy’s Fishing Contest at Prospect Park

2010-06-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14 AT 11:00 a.m.

Opening Ceremony of

The 63th Annual Macy’s Fishing Contest at Prospect Park

New location! The Lake shoreline at Wellhouse Drive and the Peninsula

Sponsored by Macy’s Foundation

The contest runs from July 14 – July 18. Daily contest hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are no rain dates. The competition is open to children 15 years and younger. Individuals can sign-up at the contest. Groups of 10 or more must call (718) 287-3400 x101 to register. Admission is free and equipment and instruction is provided.

Prizes will be awarded daily to those who haul in the big catches from Brooklyn’s only freshwater lake. Before casting their lines, all participants attend a free, fun and educational workshop led by Prospect Park Audubon Center educators and the Urban Park Rangers. More information at:

http://www.prospectpark.org/calendar/event/fishingcontest

Directions: News vehicles should enter the Park at the 16th Street and Prospect Park Southwest, and follow the Park Drive to the Lake. Participants should enter the Park at Prospect Park Southwest and Vanderbilt Street. See Map

For more information on Prospect Park events, programs, membership and volunteering at the Park, call the Park Hotline at (718) 965-8999 or visit www.prospectpark.org

Ditmas Park Blog promotes bigotry against Muslims

2010-06-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

The Ditmas park blog is now targeting a mainstream Muslim group for having a community center in what they deem to be an "odd location." The only thing odd about that post is the thinly veil racism and bigotry with that post. The vast majority of synagogues, Community Centers and Churches in Ditmas Park are actually in residential areas. The hypocrisy is almost comical. They claim that the community center is in "a bit of an odd location" because it's "in the middle of a single family residential block." Yet Temple Beth Emeth of Flatbush is just 3 blocks away from the proposed Islamic community center. Not only is it 3 blocks away, but it's even in a more residential block. We have counted at least 3 synagogues in Ditmas park that are located in very residential areas. As can be seen here, here and here We've also counted at least 4 Catholic Churches in Ditmas Park that are also in very residential areas. The Ditmas Park blog has never complained about any of these churches, synagogues and community centers in residential areas until an Islamic Community Center has been propose. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of churches, synigouges and community centers in Brooklyn and NYC are located in residential areas. The is no Law that requires them to be in commercial areas, because they are Non-For Profit Organization. This form of religious bigotry and fear mongering cloaked in the disguise of concern for "traffic" is unacceptable and will not go unnoticed.

Also Ben Smith claims that the concern of "some neighbors" about a very modern building will be on a residential block does not hold any water. This is the same blog that has been promoting a very modern building with luxury condo's on a very residential area on Beverly Road and east 16 street.

We will continue to monitor the situation.

Celebrate Liberty in Prospect Park

2010-06-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

From Prospect Park Alliance:

July 3, 4 & 5: Celebrate Liberty in Prospect Park

Special free events at the Lefferts Historic House and the

Prospect Park Audubon Center: mark the anniversary of the end of slavery in NY State, learn about the American eagle and the Declaration of Independence.

The spirit of independence fills Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. For many years in the 19th century, July 5 was a day to celebrate the end of slavery in NY State (July 4th, 1827),with parades and festive dinners. Monday, July 5 at the Lefferts Historic House there will be a special celebration to mark the 183rd anniversary of the end of slavery in New York State. From 1pm to 4 pm enjoy crafts on the lawn, read accounts of those days, decorate your clothes as many folks did back then and join our Freedom Strut -- a noisy and proud march recalling the days of the first generations of free African- Americans in New York. Free!

- AND –

July 3 & 4: “Declare Independence” at the Lefferts Historic House: kids can sign a reproduction of the Declaration of Independence with an authentic quill pen and make a plumed paper hat! 1 – 4 p.m. Free!

July 3 & 4: “Eagle as Icon” at the Prospect Park Audubon Center. The eagle is one of the most recognizable patriotic symbols because of its strength, courage, and pride. Learn more about the role that the image has played in shaping our nation’s identity by enjoying eagle-themed crafts and viewing an engaging exhibition. 12 – 5 p.m. Free!

Directions: Lefferts Historic House is located at the Children's Corner, inside the Park’s Willink entrance, at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard. For the Prospect Park Audubon Center, enter the Park at Lincoln Road & Ocean Ave., Parkside & Ocean Aves., or Flatbush Ave. & Empire Blvd. (Willink entrance) and follow the directional signs. By train: Q, S, or B run to Prospect Park Station. By bus: B-16, B-41, B-43 and B-48 will bring you close to The Children’s Corner.

-REMINDER –
Planning a picnic or a barbecue in the Park? Remember, “Charcoal Kills Trees!” Read The Prospect Park Alliance guidelines for safe barbecuing.

NYPD cop Busted for stalking 11 year old girl

2010-06-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

An NYPD cop has been accused of stalking an 11-year old girl and authorities have charged the police officer with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.
Officer Arrested.
Officer Arrested.

Authorities believe Detective Deodhram Singh, 38, followed the young girl in his pickup truck and harassed her and frightened her by asking her "do you want to make some money" and pushed farther, cops say the girl claimed he asked her if she was "young" and wanted to make $100. More

Brooklyn Dreamers

2010-06-27T16:22:00.001-07:00

What: A Benefit for Theatre for a New Audience, presented by Brooklyn's Dreamers
When: Thursday, July 22, 2010
6 P.M until 9 P.M. (with free Salsa Fever party continuing all night!)
Where: Deity – 368 Atlantic Avenue, btwn Hoyt and Bond, Brooklyn cost (includes a free drink): $25 – Basic
$40 – Because You Can
$35 – At the Door

Tickets & Info: www.tfana.org/brooklynsdreamers

Theatre for a New Audience is an award-winning off-Broadway classical theater company in New York committed to finding the contemporary heart of the classics. Now in its 31st year, The Theatre’s mission is to vitalize and develop the performance and study of Shakespeare and classic drama. TFANA runs the largest arts-in-education programs to introduce Shakespeare in the NYC Public Schools to students from the fifth through twelfth grades. TFANA’s programs began in 1983 and we serve more students in Brooklyn than in any other borough.

Fabfest

2010-06-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

from pratt
MJ feetThe Fabfest Finale is happening this Sunday and it's going to be an ALL day Michael Jackson themed dance party. Moonwalk on over to Fulton and Lafayette from noon to six!

This Sunday, June 27, 2010, FABfest is going out with 4-hours of Michael Jackson - on the anniversary of his passing - with music, dance and more in honor of the King of Pop... featuring DJ REBORN.
Plus there will be games, crafts and activities for kids; chess tournaments and mini-golf putt-putt competitions. Plus EVERYBODY PAINT is back, where everyone is invited to grab a brush and create a work of art inspired by MJ.

It's all FREE on Fulton Street between Lafayette and South Oxford, Sundays in JUNE.

Presented by the FAB Alliance (www.faballiance.org)

Yvette Clarke issues statement on Immigration

2010-06-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

In light of the Immigration debate, our congresswoman Yvette Clarke denounced the Arizona Immigration law. It is a very difficult issue. It is not always black and white. We hope that the U.S Government and Congresswoman Clarke holds Latin American Countries to the same standards that we hold ourselves to, because that is the only way we are truly going to move forward.

Update and Impact

2010-06-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

Because of our previous efforts, Bobby's Department Store is no longer requiring the discriminatory and illegal credit card ID policy. If you have any other issues with other merchants you can make a complaint for any of the following:
1. The merchant/retailer required a minimum or maximum amount.
2. The merchant/retailer is adding a charge for using your MasterCard card.
3. The merchant/retailer required identification.
4. A merchant/retailer displaying the MasterCard decal in their window refused to accept your MasterCard card. Make a complaint here

Also,

The Flatbush Community Church no longer advertises on the ditmas park blog. As of today June 22, 2010 the advertisers on the ditmas park blog are:

1. Sycomore Brooklyn
2. Olive Design
3. Small World Pet sitters
4. NYdogworld
5. The Farm on Aderly
6. Brooklyn hearth Realtors
7. CJ Segal-Isaacson

Spend your money wisely.

Ditmas Park Blog covers for the NYPD

2010-06-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ditmas Park Blog covers for the NYPD while hypocritically covers areas that they deem a bit outside of the small area they cover.

NYPD Assaults Iraq war veteran

2010-06-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Manhattan DA's office has released the highly controversial footage at the heart of a police brutality case involving an Iraq war veteran.

Officer David London is on trial for assault and falsifying a police report after being caught on tape beating Walter Harvin with his baton even after the vet had been handcuffed.

On Monday, London's partner Mohammed Khan testified that Harvin was needlessly aggressive before, during, and after the incident.

Reports the Daily News:

Harvin yelled "I'll kill you mother----er," and "I'll f--- you up" as London hit him repeatedly, Khan said. He also kicked the cop while on the ground, Khan said.

The 28-year-old Harvin, who recently returned from Iraq, was stopped by officers after trying to enter his mother's West 93rd Street housing project without a key.

The video shows Harvin shoving London in front of a group of people. The officer and Harvin then exchange words, inaudible on the tape.

After a few moments London proceeds to strike Harvin with his baton and continues doing so while Khan tries to cuff him. London hits Harvin at least 20 times.

Stop the Stop-and-Frisk Databank

2010-06-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Last year the NYPD stopped and interrogated enough completely innocent people to fill Yankee Stadium nine times over.

New York Times columnist Bob Herbert called the Police Department's stop-and-frisk practices "Jim Crow policing" because the targets of this abuse are almost always people of color, and they are almost always stopped without cause.

Making matters worse, hundreds of thousands of these innocent people are subjected to the added injustice of having their personal information stored indefinitely in a sprawling NYPD database. With this vast database, the NYPD has turned more than 1 million innocent black and Latino New Yorkers into criminal suspects.

But the push back has begun. Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Eric Adams have introduced a bill that would protect New Yorkers’ privacy and due process rights by barring police departments from keeping computer databases of innocent people who are stopped, questioned or frisked by police officers.

We need to act now. Time is running out before the end of the legislative session!

Tell Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Majority Leader John Sampson and your local representatives to stand up and support the Stop-and-Frisk Database Bill.

We are so close to ending this invasion of privacy.

If even half of you contact your legislative leaders, we can shut down the NYPD's stop-and-frisk databank.

Breaking NEWS

2010-06-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

Ditmas Park residents have found a way to end all ills in the world. The white residents of ditmas park specifically the white commentators of the ditmas park blog has come up with the greatest gift to mankind that the world has ever seen. This will cure and solve every problem in the world. The solution you ask? Get this! If you don't talk about something or acknowledge the existence of said thing it does not EXIST and will go away. Now this is groundbreaking stuff. Apparently if you don't talk about racism or mention race while doing something that is racist, its not Racist and it will not be racist unless you mention race or the act as being racist. And if someone calls you out on the racism, it will be there fault that racism exist. This has tremendous impact not only for racism, but theoretically for every ill in the world. We can finally have world peace if we use this new found phenomena. It would work like this. Say the oil spill in the gulf. If we don't talk about the oil spill in the gulf or acknowledge the oil spill then the oil spill will magically go away. As long as no one calls out BP or say anything about the oil spill, it does not exist. If you acknowledge the oil spill then it will be your fault that the oil spill exist. So just don't mention it and it will go away ok? This has will have a tremendous impact on the environment. If we do not acknowledge pollution or call it pollution we can pollute the environment as much as we can as long as we don't acknowledge that its pollution or call it pollution. The will not be any pollution and if you talk about pollution then it will be your fault that pollution exist. So just don't talk about pollution!!! ok. This new idea will end wars, diseases and anything that exist that we wish not to exist anymore. If your diagnose with say cancer, you can curse your doctor, tell her its not cancer, do not acknowledge cancer, don't call it cancer and it will cease to exist. Similarly if you are a racist real estate agent and you want to promote a certain neighborhood on a certain neighborhood blog that lets say rhymes with dark men's bark, you can put all the racism in a 5 minute video as you can, as long as you don't acknowledge the racism in the video. The beauty of this new found cure is that as long as you refuse to acknowledge the reality around you, you can practice whatever you want, war not a problem, don't call it a war, don't acknowledge it as a war and you can have world peace at the same time your bombing the hell out of your enemies.

Ditmas Park Admits it's promoting hysteria

2010-06-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Freudian slip or not the ditmas park blog admits that it is part of the hysteria. In one of their postings, Liena claims that the police told her that the crime in flatbush seems so high because of ALL THE REPORTING THEY HAVE BEEN DOING without giving any context to the situation. As a matter of fact the vast majority if not all the conflicts in flatbush involves people who are part of the drug mafia. One would have to wonder would the ditmas park be so vigilant against all this perceived violence if Ben Smith lived in say Carroll Gardens, where the Italian mafia still orders hits and have similar isolated violence regarding turf wars. Would they blog about shootings at a social club? or a mob hit job every other week? Would they be calling for an impact zone in Caroll Gardens or Bensonhurst? Would they speak out about the Stop Snitching code of silence throughout these Italian neighborhoods from the shopkeepers to the bloggers, students and everyone in between. But that's not all, Flatbush has a very large orthodox Jewish community. It seems kind of hypocritical for the Ditmas Park blog to point out the ills of the black community while they stay silent about the orthodox Jewish community's own code of silence. As this blog points out one of the worst things a Jew could be is a "mosser" a term generally translated as “informer” but more accurately rendered as a “snitch. But wait... that's not all. There is also a well documented code of silence within the NYPD called the Blue Wall of Silence. Yet the only issue with the code of silence that the ditmas park blog has a problem with are the code of silence of the coloreds. hmmm

Ditmas Park Blog promotes separatist group

2010-06-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

It has come to our attention by one of our readers that the ditmas park blog is promoting a right wing website that is currently promoting a segregationist group in Israel. In the last 2 weeks the ditmas park blog has been linking to a right wing site called the Yeshiva World News, which has been accused of bias reporting in the past. As can be seen here and here. Although the ditmas park has been very critical of the minority community in flatbush for the false smear that they are causing more violence with the stop snitching phenomena, yet they see no hypocrisy in promoting a news organization that promotes and encourages Jews to not snitch on each other.