From State Senator Eric Adams:

'Dear Neighbors:

'When I was elected in 2006 as New York State Senator for the 20th District, I was excited about the opportunity to represent a community in which various groups would illustrate for our city and state the many ways in which to celebrate the beauty of diversity. Throughout my first term in office, as I interacted with numerous residents who shared the vision of the magnificence of diversity, I identified a great strategy to transform this theoretical conception into a day of celebration.

'The initial goal is the establishment of a "Celebrate our Diversity Day."

'The objective of the day is to observe and honor the multiplicity of ethnicities, cultures, religions, and lifestyles that make up our great borough. I hope to draw meaning from the issues and themes that are important to each of them. Our celebration will be constructed around two separate events.

'The first will involve pet owners. We will invite all dog owners and non-owners to assemble in the Prospect Park Long Meadow during the h ours of 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM (off-leash hours). It is my aim to construct an occasion during which dog owners and non-owners can use pets as vehicles to recognize how much we actually have in common. If brown dogs, beige dogs, German Shepherds, poodles, retrievers, etc. can play in and enjoy the park together, then we humans should also be able to share our community in mutual esteem and brotherhood/sisterhood.

'The second part of the day will involve a bike ride between the hours of 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM throughout the 20th Senatorial District. During this tour we will travel through the different communities that comprise one of the most diverse Senatorial Districts in the State of New York. We will ride through the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Boro Park, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Sunset Park, and Windsor Terrace. During the trip we will pause to enjoy the various sights, sounds, foods, and cultural manifestations that comprise this remarkable district.

'The bike ride will have the significant added benefits of promoting the use of alternative transportation, encouraging fitness through exercise, and making our roadways more bike friendly. (It is important to note that these are some of the critical topics that were discussed during my first meeting with individuals who support safer biking.)

'In order to make these events successful endeavors, your assistance is vital. If you are interested in aiding me to organize them, please email me at my personal email address, VoiceofConcern@aol.com.

'The scheduled day for both events is Saturday, September 6th, 2008. I encourage everyone interested in helping to organize "Celebrate our Diversity Day" to attend.

'Together, we can make Brooklyn a harmonious and safe place in which to nurture children and families.

'Best,

'Eric Adams
'NYS Senator, District #20'

Besides big apartment buildings, something else is rising in Brooklyn!

Concerned about

• Atlantic Yards?
• Sunset Park rezoning?
• Gowanus rezoning?
• Fulton Mall?

or any of the other development projects proposed for your neighborhood?

Come to the first-ever meeting of the Accountable Development Working Group.

For more information, contact Dave at (718) 237-2017 x148 or dpowell@fifthave.org.

The People's Accountable Development Summit, organized by The South Brooklyn Accountable Development Initiative (a project of the Fifth Avenue Committee), seeks to create dialogue and forge alliances among residents and various community stake holders in Brooklyn facing large developments, re-zonings and other land use changes. The centerpiece of the Summit will be a series of panel discussions on four major accountable development topics: Housing, Labor, Environment, and Process.
Summit Schedule: 9:00am-9:30am

• Registration, breakfast

9:30am--10:15am

• Opening remarks (Michelle de la Uz), keynote speaker, pledge from elected officials

10:15am-10:30am

• BREAK

10:30am-12:00pm

• Housing: "Protecting Tenants, Building Affordable Housing" an exploration of inclusionary zoning; affordable housing preservation; special districts and more.
  • Brad Lander, Pratt Center for Community Development
  • Julia Fitzgerald, Neighbors Helping Neighbors
  • Bennett Baumer, Housing Conservation Coordinators
  • Alison Cordero, St. Nicholas NPC
  • Deb Howard, Pratt Area Community Council
  • Moderator: Michelle de la Uz, Fifth Avenue Committee

• Labor: "Living Wages, Fair Returns", an exploration of local job training and hiring; living wage jobs, worker safety, leveraging government subsidies for real community benefits and more.
  • Elly Spicer, NYC Carpenters Labor-Management Cooperation Trust Fund
  • Betina Damiani, Good Jobs New York
  • Evelyn Zumba, Latin American Workers Project (Proyecto de los Trabajadores Latino Americanos)
  • Carrie Brunk, Jobs With Justice
  • David Pratt, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health
  • Moderator: Jeremy Reiss, Community Service Society

(Both panels will run 1.5 hours, simultaneously)

12:00pm-12:15pm

• BREAK

12:15pm-1:45pm

• Environment: "Healthy Homes, Sustainable Communities", an exploration of sustainable design, transit equity, environmental justice and more.
  • Gita Nandan, Thread Collective
  • Ericka Stallings, Coalition for Asthma Free Homes/NY Immigration Coalition
  • Bob Zuckerman, Gowanus Canal Conservancy/Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation
  • Elena Conte, Communities United for Transit Equity/Pratt Center for Community Development
  • Cecil Corbin Mark (WE ACT for Environmental Justice)
  • Moderator: Artemio Guerra, Fifth Avenue Committee

• Process: "Planning to the People", an exploration of community planning, community action, efforts to increase government transparency in the development process and more.
  • Tom Angotti, Gotham Gazette/Hunter College
  • Pat Jones, Community Board 9, Manhattan
  • Craig Hammerman, Community Board 6, Brooklyn
  • Theo Moore, Families United for Racial and Economic Equality
  • Sam Miller, Picture the Homeless
  • Moderator: Rosten Woo, Center for Urban Pedagogy

  (Both panels will run 1.5 hours, simultaneously)

1:45pm-3:00pm

• Closing remarks, lunch, entertainment.

This event is free. Food, childcare and Spanish translation will be provided. For more information or a pdf flyer for this event, contact Dave at dpowell@fifthave.org or (718) 237-2017 ext 148.

Do you want service improvements on the G train?

• Frustrated by the lack of adequate subway cars?
• Tired of long waits and over-crowded trains?
• Want better connections to other subway lines?

With the MTA Deciding soon on G train improvements, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries urges you to join him for a Save the G-train Kick-Off Rally! For more information, call (718) 596-0100.

Join PHNDC on Thursday, May 22 for a community forum on issues of interest to residents and business owners in Prospect Heights. Updates will be presented on the following subjects:

• Rezoning in Community Board 8
• Historic designation for Prospect Heights
• Traffic calming initiatives in our neighborhood
• Changes to the Atlantic Yards project

The following local elected officials will speak and answer your questions:

• State Senator Eric Adams
• Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries
• Councilmember Letitia James