The North Star Neighborhood Assocation (Harlem)

North Star Meeting: Wed June 12 @ PAL 7pm

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:48:00 +0000

Police Athletic League, 119th St. and Manhattan Ave.

We're talking Dirt Bikes: Come join us for an discussion about the dirt bikes. Dirt biker reps will be present.

We are hosting a positive conversation between residents and the dirtbikers. As you might know, the police are under orders not to chase bikers, especially after one was killed last year in the Bronx. The bikers themselves are looking to find a place where they can ride in a safer venue. We want this to be a civil but honest exchange centered on finding a way to live together. The conversation will be moderated.

Other Items

DOT / Morningside Avenue Follow-up

116th St. Playground Surface Follow-up

Northstar Harlem Neighborhood Association Community Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Thu, 30 May 2013 16:59:00 +0000

North Star Harlem Neighborhood Association

Community Meeting

June 12, Weds, @ 7pm

Police Athletic League, 119^th St. and Manhattan Ave.

Agenda

DOT / Morningside Avenue Follow-up
116^th St. Playground Surface Follow-up
Conversation with Members of the Harlem Dirt Bike Community

All are welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:07:00 +0000

DOT RESPONSE TO NORTH STAR'S TRAFFIC CALMING REQUESTS

As some of you may remember, North Star applied last year to the DOT's pilot SlowZone program, which would have addressed traffic safety concerns in the neighborhood. That application was rejected.

Today, however, we have some good news: Our continued communication with the DOT has led them to officially consider traffic calming measures along Morningside Ave. DOT Borough Commissioner Margaret Forgione is still evaluating Morningside Ave, and we will hear of her findings at the end of May 2013. See below letter.

The HeartLuv Club

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 21:25:00 +0000

High Cholesterol? Had a Heart Attack or Stroke? Need to Change Your Diet but Don't Want to Give Up Flavor?

One of our members is hosting a monthly no/low fat cooking dinner for people with cardiovascular disease. The night will start with a demo of different simple techniques and flavorful recipes, followed by a delicious "no, it's not just salad" dinner for six. The first dinner will be April 15th at 7 PM. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more or attending a dinner, please contact northstar@thenorthstarharlem.com for details. Note: This invitation is open to Harlem residents only.

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:51:00 +0000

Join the North Star Harlem

for a Citizens Committee for NYC (CCNCY)

Workshop on Community Organizing

When: April 10 @ 6:30-8:30pm
Were: Police Athletic League @ 119th/Morningside Ave
RSVP: northstar@thenorthstarharlem.com

The North Star Harlem is hosting an exclusive workshop given by Citizens Committee for NYC (http://www.citizensnyc.org/) on the basics of community organizing. (http://www.citizensnyc.org/programs/nli/descriptions.html)

All are welcome!

CCNYC is the leading organization in NYC to offer guidance and provide funding for grass-roots community based organizations like North Star Harlem.

Do not miss this opportunity to work together with you neighbors and help strengthen our community. Please join us for this evening of community building.

RSVP to northstar@thenorthstarharlem.com. Please include your full name,

See you on the evening of April 10!

The North Star Harlem Steering Committee
northstar@thenorthstarharlem.com

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:33:00 +0000

Recycling

Clean Streets: North Star and the wonderful make-a-difference FDBA (Frederick Douglass Business Alliance) met with Ron Gonen, Deputy Commissioner of New York Department of Sanitation, today. The city is planning to supplement regular street garbage cans with recycling bins. As it stands, NYC pays to have street garbage hauled out of state. The great majority of this garbage is paper and plastic. With the recycling bins, they will pick up the recycling, sort it and sell the refuse to recycling companies, thereby saving shipping costs and turning trash into revenue. By October, recycling cans will begin appearing city-wide.

When North Star learned of the plan, we reached out to Sanitation and suggest that the city pilot the program in our neighborhood. As of our meeting, instead of just putting bins along 116, they will be installing them from 110 to 125 on FDB in May.

We also asked that sanitation distribute more cans in Morningside Park and site bins near the entrances, both of which they are are investigating.

Bins are available for SPONSORSHIP for the low price of $200 and will be in place for seven years. North Star would like to sponsor two bins and are asking you to donate. The benefit of a sponsored bin is that we can request they be placed in specific areas so we can target difficult spots. Best part? You will get a tax deduction in your name.

As our number one complaint is almost always litter, we ask that you pull out your wallet and contribute. We'd like to raise $400, but no amount is too small. Email us at northstar@thenorthstarharlem.com and pledge your support today.

And, please continue to support all the local businesses in the neighborhood. Your patronage makes a difference.

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:44:00 +0000

2013 NMAC Scholarship Recipient

The Scholarship Committee has mailed out applications to Manhattan public
schools in search of potential candidates for the 2013 NMAC Scholarship
Recipient.

The North Manhattan Alumnae Chapter Scholarship was established to
help African-American women in need of financial assistance, pursue a
degree-granting program directly from high school. This is a four-year
scholarship of $1,500 per year, payable to the student in installments of
$750 per semester upon proof of registration at an accredited college or
university.

We are in search of strong candidates who are currently attending a public
high school in Manhattan. The candidate should be an African-American
female who is currently a senior in high school with a cumulative GPA of
3.0 or better. If you know someone who meet these criteria you may have
them contact scholarship@nmacdst.org directly for an application.

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:29:00 +0000

Become a Citizen Pruner This comprehensive course that will license you to prune NYC street trees. Spring courses are open for registration! REGISTER HERE TODAY http://www.treesny.org/cpregister UPTOWN MANHATTAN CLASSES The Arsenal, Third Floor Conference Room 830 5th Avenue New York, NY 10065 Tuesday, May 7th 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Tuesday, May 14th 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Tuesday, May 21st 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Saturday, May 25th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Tuesday, May 28th 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:29:00 +0000

Greening Summit Learn more about getting your hands dirty... Saturday March 16 Grow Our Grassroots Summit at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Grow Our Grassroots is a summit created for New Yorkers who care for street trees, love parks, nurture gardens, compost creatively and make New York greener and greater! To learn more, please check out last year's schedule of workshops and speakers here. Email us at stewards@milliontreesnyc.org with any questions.

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:27:00 +0000

North Star News Friends of Frederick Douglass Circle invites you to celebrate Black History Month with an event in appreciation of Frederick Douglass Wednesday, February 20, 2013 At 1:00pm Cathedral Pkwy. & Frederick Douglass Blvd. Dramatic Readings by Spencer Scott Barios, Ezra Knight Muscial selections sung by Clayton G. Williams and Performances by students from P.S. 145, P.S. 241 and Others Contact: Mark Diller mdiller@nyc.rr.com • 917-691-0865

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:43:00 +0000

The Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance(FDBA) is working with Grow NYC-Greenmarket towards establishing a Greenmarket on Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Help make this a reality by clicking the link below and responding to the survey. Please feel free to forward to your networks. http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e71038ajhcwdr1s3/a015rhd1ukk6z/questions

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:08:00 +0000

Friends of Frederick Douglass Circle Meeting Tonight
301 Cathedral Pkwy
(community room)

6:15 to 7:30
Arts and Education meeting to finalize plans for Black History month event
2/20/13 in the Circle. (details to follow)

7:30pm to 8:30pm
Deputy Inspector Kevin William and Lt. Rodriguez from the 28th police precinct to update us on skateboarding situation.

Harlem Pop-Up Holiday Bazaar

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:24:00 +0000

North Star Community Meeting 12/13/2012

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:31:00 +0000

The North Star is happy to announce an up-coming community meeting on 12/13/12 at the PAL on 119th/Morningside Ave @6:30pm. Please see the above document for a full agenda and more information. And please pass along the word. We'd very much like to see a big turnout.

All the best,
North Star Steering Committee

SlowZone Rejection

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:51:00 +0000

In March of 2012, North Star Neighborhood Association submitted a "Slow Zone" application to the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) to slow traffic in our neighborhood especially on Morningside Avenue. We had broad community interest in the application as demonstrated by the eighteen letters of support from block associations and various community organizations. Unfortunately, DOT did not select our neighborhood (see above attached letter). That doesn't mean our advocacy is done, however. We plan to invite DOT to an upcoming public meeting to discuss how they can address our concerns.

North Star Neighborhood Association

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 17:24:00 +0000

Please sign up by email: northstar@thenorthstarharlem.com

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:52:00 +0000

Call for Help: Those with Grant Writing Experience

In recent weeks, the North Star has been working with Reverend Vernon Williams from Perfect Peace Ministry (http://www.perfectpeaceministry.org/about.html) and a coalition of pastors from New Song Community Corporation (http://newsongharlem.com/) to create a Youth Computer Lab in New Song's building. The Lab would aim to serve all young people, particularly those without ready access to computing and internet service.

The costs of creating the Lab are, as you can imagine, significant. Reverend Williams and the folks from New Song are looking for members of our community with non-profit grant writing experience to help strategize and craft grant proposals.

From the start, the hopes of the North Star were to be able to create coalitions and partnerships with neighborhood organizations such as Perfect Peace and New Song. The effort to create a Youth Computer Lab represents just this sort of an opportunity.

If anyone has grant writing experience and is willing to volunteer their time and effort, please contact us at northstar@thenorthstarharlem.com. We will connect you to Rev Williams, New Song, and other volunteers working on this project.

North Star Neighborhood Association

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:20:00 +0000

North Star Neighborhood Association Call to Action

Morningside Park Trash Initiative

Date: Sat June 23

Time: 9am

Place: 116^thSt. / Morningside Ave entrance to Morningside Park

In partnership with The Friends of Morningside Park, the North Star is looking for volunteers on the morning of June 23, Sat, to greet and pass out extra garbage bags to picnic and bbq-ers.

Meet at 9am at the 116^th St /Morningside Ave entrance to Morningside Park. Volunteers will receive training on how to pass out bags. Also, volunteers will receive Friends of Morningside Park t-shirts.

This is a great opportunity to make a difference in our park. We hope to see lots of community come out and support this effort.

The North Star Neighborhood Association

North Star and Dirt-Bikers Start Dialogue

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:51:00 +0000

Members of the "public safety" committee of the North Star met with two leading Harlem dirt-bikers. Our hope was to begin a relationship with the bikers and start a discussion about safety measures, including discouraging riding on sidewalks and running red lights. See link below.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120604/central-harlem/harlem-dirt-bikers-agree-work-with-community-on-safety-measures

Letter to Commish Benepe to fix 116th St. Playground

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:24:00 +0000

Below is the letter the North Star has submitted to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe urging him to fix the playground at 116th St. in Morningside Park. We encourage everyone to call 311 about the playground and register your own complaint.

________________________________________________________

The North Star Neighborhood Association

Harlem, NY

thenorthstarharlem.com

northstar@thenorthstarharlem.com

“I would unite with anybody to do right and

with nobody to do wrong” – Frederick Douglass

June 1, 2012

Dear Commissioner Benepe,

On behalf of the North Star Neighborhood Association, I write to you to urge the Department of Parks and Recreation to fix the flooring in the playground at 116th St in Morningside Park immediately. Over the last year the flooring has rapidly deteriorated. The tiles have separated such that there gaps several inches wide. These gaps are not only a tripping hazard, but children’s feet and ankles are getting caught in them. We fear a child’s serious injury is imminent.

The state of the playground is a cause for much concern in our community. The North Star Neighborhood Association recently collected over 150 signatures petitioning the Parks Department to fix the situation promptly. Many in the community commented on how important this newly constructed playground is to our neighborhood in Harlem. It has been such a wonderful community asset and everyone wants to make sure it is properly maintained and enjoyed safely by all for years to come.

We understand that Parks has been aware of this flooring situation for over a year. We know that Friends of Morningside Park has been urging Parks to fix this problem, and we support their hard work. We also understand that Parks are in talks with the manufacturer about how much of the cost they will cover. While we sympathize with the city's desire to hold the manufacturer responsible, we see this as an urgent situation that needs to be addressed immediately before a child gets seriously hurt.

We look forward to a swift and satisfactory resolution as the summer season is upon us.

Sincerely yours,

Jonathon Kahn

North Star Neighborhood Association

Cc: Council Member Inez Dickens

Borough Commissioner William Castro, NYC Parks

Borough President Scott M. Stringer

State Senator Bill Perkins

Assemblyman Keith Wright

Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell

Jacquie Connors, President, Friends of Morningside Park

Rev. Georgiette Morgan-Thomas, Chair, Community Board 9

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:09:00 +0000

Free IT training for young adults

NPower Technology Service Corps, a free 22 week IT training program for young adults, ages 18-25 years old, with High School Diplomas or GEDS is currently recruiting for the next cycle, which starts in mid-July.
NPower Technology Service Corps provides 17 weeks of IT training, covering topics such as troubleshooting, PC configuration, hardware, software applications, network administration and security. After completion of the 17 weeks, students are linked with paid, 5 week internships at non-profit or corporate companies. They also provide students with the opportunity to take the CompTIA A+ certification exam for free. In addition to IT training and internships, they have guest speakers that conduct professional workshops related to job readiness, networking, professional development, and self-marketing. Students also go on site visits to corporations such as Avaya, UBS, and Accenture. Many students who complete the program obtain employment in entry level IT positions.
NPower Technology Service Corps has two locations: one in Harlem and one in downtown Brooklyn. Applicants can choose to apply for the 9AM-1PM or the 2 PM-6PM class schedules.
If you know anyone who would be interested, they can contact me at 212-235-2008 ext. 400 or via email at Josephine.lew@npower.org.
NPower NY-Technology Service Corps Harlem
240 E 123rd street 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10035
212-235-2008 ext. 400
Josephine.lew@npower.org

Free Computer Classes for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:47:00 +0000

REMINDER: NORTH STAR MEETING TONIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:37:00 +0000

North Star Neighborhood Association

Community Meeting Agenda

May 15, 2012, 7:30-9pm

Police Athletic League (PAL) 119^th St/ Manhattan Ave

Community activism

· Discussion w/ Citizens Committee for NYC on how to organize your building, block or neighborhood and be effective

Call for Block Partners

· Partner with North Star & activate your block

Review community interests & concerns

· Greening

· Youth

· Trash

· Public safety

Discuss action plans

· Greening; on your block, in the park

· Youth; summer programs / 116^thst. playground

· Trash; keeping Morningside Park clean during the summer

· Public safety; addressing dirt bikes

May 15 Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:58:00 +0000

Please post in your building.

Petition to Fix 116th St Playground

noreply@blogger.com (North Star Neighborhood Association) — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:30:00 +0000

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/repair-flooring-116th-st-playground/

Please sign our petition to get the Department of Parks and Recreation to fix the flooring at the 116th St/Morningside Playground.

(Ignore the request for a donation after you sign the petition.)