122 Street Block Association

Minutes from Nov. Monthly Meeting

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:04:00 -0500

Block Association 122 Inc.

Meeting Minutes

Nov. 17, 2009

7:30pm

I. Roll Call

Fialka Semenuik (Treasurer), Walter King, Haja Worley, Bishop Alfred Marks, Fernando Lorence (Community Pride)

II. Adoption of Meeting Minutes

Walter moved that the Oct.20/09 minutes be adopted as submitted; Haja seconded that motion.

III. Board Report

TREASURER’S REPORT

Activity from Oct. 20/09 to November 17/09

BEGINNING BALANCE: $2,570.72

Revenue: + $61.01

1 membership @ $24 + 1part.memb. @ $20 + 1totebag sale @ $15 + bank dividend @ $2.01

Expenses: (30.00): stop payment fee on check #1004 for block party vendor registration fees to CPSR (check misplaced by CPSR, new check issued for $125 - $30fee = $95)

ENDING BALANCE: $2,601.73

IV. Election of Board Officers

Fialka reported that Cator Sparks has offered to stay on as President; Fialka offered to stay on as Treasurer. No objections. No other nominations were brought forth at the meeting nor via email. Positions of Vice President and Secretary remain open. Block residents are still encouraged to come forward and volunteer for a position.

V. Ongoing Business

a. Continued Discussion of Goals for BA

i. General Maintenance of Block

-Penny sent a letter to the DOT regarding speed bumps on April 24th and re-sent it via email in June. Apparently DOT has a backlog of requests for speed bumps. Penny is still waiting further update from DOT.

ii. Support for Education: We achieved our goal for this year through donating to Project Harmony’s educational programming and recommend doing the same in the upcoming year.

iii. Membership drive to help fund above goals: Fialka noted that this meeting marks the end of our fiscal year. Membership fees received after this meeting will be applied toward the next fiscal year.

b. Letter to MTA calling to retain all services – Signatures continue to be collected. Walter noted again that M2 bus service has improved; it’s running more regularly, apparently thanks to complaints from Abyssinian Church.

c. Meetings of Harlem Block/Tenant Association Leaders at Community Pride. - The group is proposing to organize itself as the Consolidated Block Association which was originally founded by Anne Thomas in the 1970’s, then fell inactive after her passing. One of the goals is to help improve communications amongst block associations. Meetings are being held the third Monday of every month. Fialka attended their last meeting (Nov.16/09) which was held at ‘Paris Blues’.

d. Vote on childrens’ artwork from block party: Malika White’s drawing was selected. Consensus was that the artwork should be turned into BA122 mugs. Another idea would be to use the artwork for laminated signs on street trees, to help curb dogs and protect the trees/beds.

e. Dog waste problem at southwest end of block: Cator put up flyers up on construction boarding to remind people that it’s the law to clean up after your dog. Walter has heard that someone on 121st Street allows their dog to run off on their own to do their ‘business’. Suggestion was to post flyers on 121st Street.

VI. Block News

a. Precinct Meeting - Precinct Meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month. Haja offered to try attend. Thank you Haja!

b. JD Wilson Garden Updates - Planting Days were a huge success with Cindy and NY Cares spearheading the volunteer efforts. A large contingent of Harlem Children’s Zone kids helped out on Nov.7/09. Halloween kids’ party was also a great success!

VII. Old Business

a. Tote bags are still available for $15 each.

VIII. New Business

a. Cator and Fialka propose changing the frequency of BA meetings from once/month to every 2 months to make it easier for residents to set aside time to attend. When required, special meetings could be called sooner, to discuss a specific issue. All in attendance at the meeting agreed to the change. As such, the next meeting will be held January 19, 2010.

b. Street tree care workshop of Oct. 24/09 was very informative. All citizens have the right to tend to the street trees. Fialka proposed that the block association help to spearhead care of block’s trees. No objections. Discussion is to continue.

c. Walter noted that a Costco has opened at 116th St. and Riverside Dr.

d. Bishop Marks suggested looking into Foundations to see what kind of grants are available. Haja noted that the ‘Foundation Center’ on 17th Street should have a listing of what’s available.

e. Fernando presented flyers on behalf of Community Pride, calling for personal hygiene care products to be donated to survivors of domestic violence. Donations can be dropped off at Community Pride, 157 W. 122nd St. Fernando also distributed form letters calling for NYC residents to comment on proposed natural gas drilling in the city’s upstate watershed.

Meeting Adjourned.

Minutes from Oct. Monthly Meeting

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:38:00 -0500

Block Association 122 Inc.
Meeting Minutes
Oct. 20, 2009
7:30pm

I. Roll Call
Cator Sparks (President), Fialka Semenuik (Treasurer), Walter King

II. Adoption of Meeting Minutes
Walter moved that the Sept. 15/09 minutes be adopted as submitted; Cator seconded that motion.

III. Board Report
TREASURER’S REPORT
Activity from Sept. 15/09 to October 19/09

BEGINNING BALANCE:              $2,558.71
Revenue:                      + $12.01
(1 donation @ $10; + $2.01 bank dividend)
Expenses:                    (0)
ENDING BALANCE:                 $2,570.72

IV. Ongoing Business
a. Continued Discussion of Goals for BA
i. General Maintenance of Block
-Penny sent a letter to the DOT regarding speed bumps on April 24th and re-sent it via
email in June. Apparently DOT has a backlog of requests for speed bumps. Penny is waiting further update from DOT.

ii. Support for Education
We achieved our goal for this year through donating to Project Harmony’s educational programming and recommend doing the same in the upcoming year.

iii. Membership drive to help fund above goals:
Walter suggested that a reminder that ‘membership fees are due’ be included on flyers posted to announce meetings.

b. Letter to MTA calling to retain all services - Fialka is continuing to collect signatures. Walter noted that M2 bus service has actually improved.

c. Meetings of the Block/Tenant Association Leaders at Community Pride. - The group is further organizing itself, meeting the third Monday of every month.

V. Block News
a. Precinct Meeting - No update. Precinct Meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month. If anyone is available to attend, please do and then share your report with us!

b. JD Wilson Garden Updates -
Oct. 10th planting day went very well with the help of NY Cares volunteers.
Upcoming workday in the Garden: Sat. Nov. 7/09.
Upcoming Street Tree Care Workshop: Sat. Oct. 24/09
and…the annual Kids’ Halloween Party on Oct. 31/09 from 3-5pm!!

VI. Old Business
a. Fill BA122 executive committee positions: A reminder of upcoming elections in November and to consider taking on a position.
b. Tote bags are still available for $15 each.
c. Vote on childrens’ artwork from block party: Vote has been postponed to the next monthly meeting.

VII. New Business
a. Cator reported that Rev. Sullivan of CPSR would like to start discussions next month for planning of the next summertime Block Party.
b. Dog waste at the south west end of the block has become an increased problem since construction stopped on that property. Cator proposed posting laminated flyers onto the construction boarding, asking that people pick up after their dogs. Fialka noted that Community Pride had given us a sample flyer a couple of years ago, and would locate it for use.
c. Next meeting is the annual meeting where elections for board officers will be held.

Minutes submitted by fialka semenuik.

HALLOWEEN 2009 IN OUR J.D. WILSON MEMORIAL GARDEN!!

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:55:07 -0400

HALLOWEEN 2009 IN OUR J.D. WILSON MEMORIAL GARDEN!!

BA122: Sept. Monthly Meeting Minutes

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:21:00 -0400

Block Association 122 Inc.
Meeting Minutes
Sept. 15, 2009
7:30pm

I. Roll Call Cator Sparks (President), Fialka Semenuik (Treasurer), Rod Keenan, Haja Worley

II. Adoption of Meeting MinutesRod moved that the June 16/09 minutes be adopted as submitted; Fialka seconded that motion.

III. Board Report
a. Treasurer’s Report - see document posted below.

IV. Ongoing Business
a. Continued Discussion of Goals for BA
i. General Maintenance of Block
   -Penny sent a letter to the DOT regarding speed bumps on April 24th and re-sent it via email in June. Awaiting further update from DOT.

   ii. Support for Education
       Flyers were printed and posted in the Spring, advertising that BA 122 has a financial gift available for students (grades 6-12) on the block. Original deadline for essay submissions was May 31/09; deadline was then moved to early September, however no submissions were received. Consensus was that support for education would be best achieved by continuing to contribute to Project Harmony’s programming in the J.D.Wilson Garden, with our recent $500 donation being case-in-point. Haja expressed formal thanks on behalf of Project Harmony for the donation and explained that it helped to fund this summer’s Environment Rangers session for teens. Activities that they undertook included: field trips to ReBuilders Source in the Bronx and Union Square Farmer’s market, canning of CSA produce, installation of rainwater harvesting system in the Garden, demonstration by BeeKeepers of the Garden, and plenty of thought-provoking discussions on the environment.

   iii. Partnering with CSA via Project Harmony
We had considered helping to pay the costs for some kids to visit the CSA farm, however due to liability and logistics concerns, have decided not to pursue this. The CSA has scheduled a trip for CSA members via carpool to the farm on Sept. 28/09.

   iv. Membership Drive to Help Fund Above Goals
   We will send out another email blast to remind residents that membership fees are needed to help fund our charity efforts on the block and in the neighborhood. Rod suggested that email reminders also be sent out for meetings on the ‘day of’ the meeting. All agreed.

b. Letter to MTA calling to retain all services - Fialka explained that our email blast in early June which called for support yielded only 13 responses. She will send out another email blast to the block and reach out to Community Pride for contact info of other Harlem block/tenant associations. Cator noted he had a few other block association contacts he would reach out to.

c. Meetings of the Block/Tenant Association Leaders at Community Pride. Fialka has been unable to attend the last couple of summertime meetings, but understands that the group has started to self-organize.

V. Block News
a. Precinct Meeting - No news. Precinct Meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month. If anyone is available to attend, please do and then share your report with us!
b. JD Wilson Garden Update - Busy time ahead! Please mark your calenders for the following:Upcoming workdays in the Garden: Sat. Oct. 10th and Sat. Nov. 7/09.Upcoming Street Tree Care Workshop: Sat. Oct. 24/09and…the annual Kids’ Halloween Party on Oct. 31/09 from 3-5pm!!

VI. Old Business
a. Fill BA122 executive committee positions: A reminder of upcoming elections in November and to consider taking on a position.

b. Block Party Recap - Saturday, July 25/09: Everyone agreed that the Party was a great success! CPSR had funded the children’s games so that they were free for non-stop fun. Plenty of kids stopped by the BA raffle table to make drawings and our first ever flea market table yielded $50.75 in revenue. 3 other resident-vendors participated in the flea-market initiative and we hope this will grow next year. The BA paid for $15 of each $25 resident-vendor registration fee to CPSR. There was a miscommunication with regards to how many tables the BA had requested from CPSR, however we made do with what we had and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Thanks to all who helped out at the BA tables: Doris, Nathaniel, Penny & Paul, Cator, Fialka, Rod!!

VII. New Business
a. Vote on childrens’ artwork from block party: Designs were narrowed down to a few which will be posted on the blog for everyone to see. Vote is to take place at the next monthly meeting.

b. BA122 totebags have arrived and are available for only $15! See the BA blog for images. 10 totebags have been sold so far and one was given to the winner of the featured design: Cheray Castro.

The meeting was adjourned around 8:30pm.
Minutes submitted by fialka semenuik.

BA122 Treasurer’s Report - Submitted at Monthly Meeting of...

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:19:44 -0400

BA122 Treasurer’s Report - Submitted at Monthly Meeting of Sept. 15/09

BA122: Minutes for Special Meeting, June 30/09

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:24:00 -0400

Block Association 122 Inc.
Meeting Minutes: Special Meeting held to discuss Block Party
June 30, 2009
7:30pm

I. Roll Call Cator Sparks (President), Fialka Semenuik (Treasurer), Astrid Storm, Nathaniel and Doris Ayeke

II. Block Party: July 11/09 (later rescheduled via email to July 25/09) -hosted by Christian Parish for Spiritual Renewal

a. Per meeting with CPSR June 21/09, BA122 Inc. will be one of the co-sponsors of the block party. As we already have our 501(c)(3) status, we hope this will help CPSR in approaching funding sponsors.Doris recommended that “BA122” be added to CPSR’s flyers advertising the event. All agreed. Cator and Fialka are to request this.

b. Block Party schedule:
-by 8am: cars must be moved off the street. CPSR has offered to post ‘no parking’ flyers on the block prior to the event.
-9am: set-up/distribution of tables by CPSR
-10am – 6pm: official block party hours (break-down starts 5/5:30)

c. Block Association info/activity tables

i.-Jacques has donated 10 movie tickets for raffle. Terms of raffle:
All were in agreement that raffle should remain free to enter, upon the following conditions:
-for adults: sign in with contact info for block association in order to enter raffle
-for kids: sit down to do art project/competition in order to enter raffle.
(art may later be turned into photo-mugs?aprons? Discussion to continue in the fall.)
5 movie tickets will be drawn for the adults, and 5 for the kids.

ii. hand out info re: BA122- Cator & Fialka to print out flyers re: role of BA as well as our accomplishments.

iii.- fundraising
-We will sell Jubal’s photos (left-over from last year’s party) @ $5 for the medium size and $10 for the large (8.5x11)
-We would like to have tote bags on sale. (20 bags have been ordered; awaiting delivery)
-Accept payment for BA memberships at table.

iv.-Volunteer having iced tea or other treats free at the table

v. -miscellaneous: obtain signatures for letter to MTA; advertise student financial gift, extended deadline to Sept.1^st

vi. Volunteer List for BA info/activity table will be emailed out to residents to sign up for a shift

d. Flea Market/ Food Market

i. -Church registration fee per block or church vendor is $25. So far, about 5 residents have inquired about being vendors. Fialka proposed that interested block residents pay $10 each with BA122 covering the other $15, up to a maximum of 10 vendors. All present voted in favor.

ii. -Deadline for registration/payment of fee by resident vendors was set for July 6/09 (this was later changed via email to July 10/09 due to change in block party date)

ii. -Block Association flea market table/fundraiser: we propose to gather donated items and sell at low prices. This will require that the BA122 pay the full $25 registration fee for vending. All present voted in favor. Nathaniel and Doris have volunteered to help run the BA flea market table. Drop off deadline for donated items was set as July 9/09 (this was later changed via email to July 23/09, due to change in block party date).

iii. -Should the BA look into providing shade canopies? Consensus was that due to the costs involved and time constraints, this would not be investigated at this time. This could be revisited for next year’s party.

e. BA Announcements that will take place on Stage later in the afternoon include:

i. Present winner of last year’s Block Party drawing competition Cheray Castro with complimentary totebag.

ii. draw names for movie ticket raffle

iii. announce BA122 role/accomplishments; student financial gift offering/deadline

f. Post Flyers – to advertise Party – a couple of weeks in advance. Fialka is to investigate whether we can post CPSR’s flyers or if we’ll need also to print our own.

Minutes submitted by fialka semenuik.

Our BA122 totebags have arrived! Only $15 each!(drawing by...

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:24:20 -0400

Our BA122 totebags have arrived! Only $15 each!
(drawing by Cheray Castro, additional design: Jubal Battisti)

BA122: June 16 Meeting Minutes

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:40:32 -0400

Block Association 122
Meeting Minutes: June 16, 2009
Meeting called to order at 7:34pm

I. Roll Call Haja Worley, Fialka Semenuik (Treasurer), Astrid Storm (Acting Secretary), Hans Futterman, Walter King, Kimberly Abraham, Jacques Guillet

II. Adoption of Meeting Minutes:Haja moved the May minutes be adopted, and Walter seconded - all approved.

III. Board Report
a. Treasurer’s ReportActivity from 5/19/09 - 6/15/09
Beginning balance: $2,972.23
Revenue: $ 35.21
(revenue from memberships - 1 @ $24 & 1 partial - and $1.21 bank interest)
Expenses: $500.00(donation to Project Harmony for educational programming)
Ending Balance: $2,507.44

IV. Ongoing Business
a. Continued Discussion of Goals for BA
i. General Maintenance of Block
   -Penny sent a letter to the DOT regarding speed bumps on April 24th. Still awaiting response. She will now re-send the letter via email to Commissioner Forgione.
   -Reminder to call 311 to complain about speeding vehicles when you see them.
       -Research on “no honking” signs: On ‘NYC 311’s website, Fialka found that no honking signs may be requested for an intersection by calling 311. The City will then conduct a study. No further action taken at this time.

   ii. Support for Education
       Flyers have been printed and posted advertising that BA 122 has a financial gift available for students (grades 6-12) on the block. Cator has not received any proposals yet. Haja mentioned someone who was interested, but we haven’t received anything. Fialka said we’d take late proposals in case anyone is still interested. Haja suggested making an announcement for scholarships at the block party. Deadline for submissions would then move to early September. People seemed receptive. Hans asked about the dollar amounts (to be further discussed once actual submissions received), and Astrid asked where signs had been posted (buildings with kids, mainly).

   iii. Contributing to Project Harmony Programs
       Per last meeting’s vote, we donated $500 to their educational programs. Fialka delivered the check and letter to Cindy. Hans asked some background questions on CSA and Project Harmony, as well as about the mulberry tree that hangs over the sidewalk (tulle has been placed in the branches to prevent berries from dropping onto the sidewalk).

   iv. Partnering with CSA via Project Harmony        We are still considering the costs to pay for some kids to visit the CSA farm, and awaiting updates on those costs.

   v. Membership Drive to Help Fund Above Goals
       Fialka sent a blast out. We will remind members about this when we start up again in September, since the blast didn’t yield much response. Walter said he has talked and will continue to talk to people about paying their dues. Walter then offered some background on the bulk of our current funds: the filming of a commercial for USPS in 2005 took over the block and compensated the block association $2000.00. Talk ensued about attracting movies as a source of revenue.

b. Tote Bag - Design has been finalized by Jubal. Fialka found a couple new and less expensive options from a different website (discountphotogifts.com): a lighter weight canvas bag that would cost about $11.00 each and could be sold for $15 or $16, and a polyester bag that also cost less. The group voted unanimously to go with the lighter-weight canvas bag, and to set the price to $15/bag. Fialka will place an order for 20 bags, which we’ll attempt to sell at the Block Party on July 11.
c. MTA issues - a stay has been issued on the recently proposed bus cuts. This gives us more time to write a letter and attach lists of supporters. This could also be something to collaborate on with all Harlem block/tenant associations with teh support of Community Pride. Fialka drafted a letter and we are continuing to build a list of signatures. Fialka added that, while the stay serves us well for now, we should be prepared for a possible announcement of another round of cuts. She also read a letter that was written jointly by the area block associations (“From ‘Residents of Greater Harlem to Chairmen of the MTA Board”), thanking the MTA for not eliminating services and reminding them that we need these services.
d. Block Party - Saturday July 11 (note that date of party was later changed by CPSR to July 25/09)The Rev. Sullivan of CPSR mentioned we have a permit for the party, that it will run from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and that the flea market is a go. He described the set-up, esp. that the children’s attractions would be toward 8th Ave, like last year. There will be awards, choirs, and the church will also honor a mother of a 14 year-old boy killed a year ago nearby (not on the block). He added that the theme is peace, with a special emphasis on eliminating gun violence.
Re: discounted vendor tables for block residents, he said that he’s sure they can do something. The current charge is $50/table for non-church members. We were invited to a block party planning meeting at the church for the upcoming Sunday after the service. Haja, who does radio programs, asked for the Rev. Sullivan’s information so they can feature him on a show. Fialka raised the parking issue, suggesting the block association help put up no-parking flyers. The goal is to have the children’s attractions free and paid for by sponsors. The Rev. Sullivan noted how important it is to have as much of the community involved as possible.
Hans asked if residents grilling was a problem w/ the fire department, and the Rev. Sullivan said he would check into it.
(We also learned that CPSR is trying to form a CDC (community development corporation) in order to purchase the vacant buildings around the corner on ACP Boulevard.)

There wasn’t time to discuss the remaining block party items, so it was suggested that a separate meeting be called just to discuss the block party. Those include:   - Jacques donating 10 movie tickets for raffle.
   - Cator buying art supplies for kids. Discuss art project/competition: idea for photo-mugs or aprons?
   - Cator and Fialka will print out flyers to print re. role of BA as well as our accomplishments
   - We will sell Jubal’s photos again (leftover from last year’s party)
   - We would like to have tote bags for sale
   - Accept payment for membership at table
   - Idea for flea market/food market: A couple of residents have expressed interest in selling items. Awaiting response from CPSR on approval and whether table cost        could be discounted. Discuss BA assisting to cover costs.   - Volunteer sign-up list for BA table
   - Volunteer having iced tea or other treats free at the table?

At this point, a matter of new business was raised by Kimberly, a newcomer to the meetings. She expressed concern about her building (240) being unlocked much of the time and open to non-residents, particularly at late hours. She has tried to get the problem fixed by contacting building managers, but to no avail. Hans offered some possible solutions, and confirmed that there had been some dangerous activity recently outside that building. Somewhat reassuringly, he said that the precinct has keys to the building so that they can enter immediately if something goes wrong. Less reassuringly, there isn’t a supervisor on the premises to oversee daily activity and look out for tenants’ safety.
Fialka asked how the block association can help, but Hans said he thought there was probably little we could do, what with these being private properties. We agreed to discuss the matter further outside the meeting.

e. Increase in Water and Sewer Charges - Pat Fuqua informed us at the last meeting of the drastic price increases in July and encouraged homeowners to request a water survey from the DEP to see how much you’re being overcharged. Pat is considering protesting the upcharge and may enlist the help of supporters. Queens Civic Congress has already submitted a letter to the NYC Water Board in this regard.
V. Block News
a. Precinct Meeting - no news
b. JD Wilson Garden Update - no news
VI. Old Businessa. Create BA122 events calendar to be emailed to membership. Pending update from Jude Overo.
b. Fill BA122 executive committee positions
VII. New Businessa. Donation to the Church - we voted to keep it at the same amount, $50/year, for space usage. Majority voted yes, with Walter voting no.

b. Meeting of the Block/Tenant Association Leaders at Community Pride - June 6. Fialka attended, and said Fernando was trying to organize the group a bit more. She said it seems like it is going to be very helpful in terms of organizing and communication. The main concerns now is about how the Community Board seems to be catering to big business and special interests rather than to the people who are affected by their decisions day-in, day-out.
c. Hans Futterman - Hans is a developer who recently moved to our block and is also building the FDB on Frederick Douglass. He met with Cator recently to give a run-down of his projects, which he (being present) repeated to us:   FDB - the construction is going smoothly; he’s in talks with Carmine’s Restaurant to open a restaurant in the retail space. He had previously contacted supermarket retailers to lease the space but was told the space is not large enough. He noted that there are 18 affordable residential units, offered via lottery, and that the parking will accommodate some police cars - eliminating police street/sidewalk parking on Frederick Douglass.
   He also purchased the land where the gas station and parking garage are located. He hopes to build a grocery store with underground parking - possibly a Trader Joe’s. - but it will take a few years. We discussed helping write letters to attract a Trader Joe’s, and whether other grocery stores would be coming in sooner. Hans said that something is planned for the SOHA 118 building.

We also talked about the lot on the Southwest corner of the block, where construction appears to have stopped. Hans spoke w/the owner and, apparently, financing fell through. They’re looking into ways to proceed.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:03pm.

CHECK OUT THE UPCOMING NEIGHBORING BLOCK PARTY ON AUG.22nd!

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:02:05 -0400

CHECK OUT THE UPCOMING NEIGHBORING BLOCK PARTY ON AUG.22nd!

Pictures from our 7th Annual Block Party!

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:03:49 -0400

Council Woman Inez Dickens was honored as was Joe Kelly and the three amazing women from Harlem Mothers SAVE. The weather was amazing and everyone had a great time. Thanks Cindy & Haja for the stellar home made ice cream.

Check out our slideshow below!

Photo

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:06:32 -0400

Highlights from our Block Party!

May Minutes

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:13:14 -0400

Block Association 122Meeting minutesMay 19, 2009

Present: Jubal Battisti, Fialka Semenuik, Cator Sparks, Astrid Storm, Rod Keenan, Mario Pinto, Grace Pinto, Pat Fuqua, Haja Worley, Lucy Lang

Meeting called to order at 7:32
II. Adoption of Meeting April Minutes Jubal moved to adopt minutes, Pat seconded, all approved
III. Treasurer’s report, FialkaActivity from April 21 - May 18Revenue: $25.17 (1 membership + bank interest)Expenses: $15.00 (laminating ten flyers to advertise financial gift to students)Net Rev: $10.17
BalanceMoney Market Account: $2843.78Share Deposit Account: $50.00Cash on Hand: $78.45Total Balance: $2,972.23
IV. Ongoing Business   a. Continued discussion of goals for BA
           i. General maintenance of block - Penny has sent a letter to the DOT requesting speed bumps. Waiting for a response. Some explanations for the request were offered: danger to children and animals (a cat had recently been killed by a car that was driving too fast), noise that disrupts work/home life. Rod suggested that we also ask for a sign from the city that reminds people that honking is punishable by fines. Cator said he’d look into it. In the meantime he suggested calling 311 to complain about speeding vehicles whenever observed.

           ii. Support for education - Flyers have been printed and posted advertising that BA122 has a financial gift available for students on the block. Cator has not received any proposals yet. Students will have to submit their proposals by May 31 to be considered. Grace suggested somehow connecting with Harlem Children’s Zone. A general conversation followed about HCZ - that Prince Harry is visiting soon, that Obama is considering using it as a model for other schools, and so on. Haja metioned that he heard of two people who were interested in the scholarship.

           iii. Contributing to Project Harmony Programs - Cindy sent us a letter with estimated costs of summer kids’ programming. Cator proposed to vote on donating $500 to the program. Fialka explained that the amount would cover five field trips at $75/each, with extra for other expenses. Vote taken: All APPROVED.

           iv. Partnering with CSA via Project Harmony - We are still considering the costs to pay for some kids to visit the CSA farm.

           v. Membership drive to help fund above goals - Fialka sent out a blast requesting membership fees. She received one response. Rod suggested soliciting membership dues at the Block Pary. Fialka explained that we now have 11 paid, but we could potentially have at least 20. Cator agreed with Rod’s suggestion, adding that we could have a donation box and also announce it. Haja then suggested getting people to sign up at the block party, followed by Jubal’s suggestion that we get the word out there about what we’re doing: funding scholarships, helping Project Harmony, and so on. Rod added a list of accomplishments: lamp post fixed, curbs fixed, (possible) speed bumps. It was agreed that a combination of both flyers and a poster would best convey this info to prospective members.

   c. Tote bag - Jobal has the new logo, which he’ll put on the blog for everyone to see. Rod had done some research into finding cheaper bags, but said it’s hard to get good rates for such a small order (he checked w/ another company). The costs, again - $15.60 for each bag, with $5.00 added for profit = $21.00/bag. A conversation followed about whether to combine membership and tote bag. Astrid suggested promoting both together at a discount (both for $40.00), adding that, even though we won’t profit off the tote bag, at least we’ll get membership fees we might not otherwise have received. People seemed amenable. Discussion is to continue.
   d. Website - The website is up, and everyone agreed it looks great: www.blockassociation122street.com

   e. MTA issues - A stay has been issued on the recently proposed bus cuts. This gives us more time to write a letter and attach lists of supporters. This could also be something to collaborate on with all Harlem block/tenant associations with the support form Community Pride. Fialka will draft a letter and start a list of supporters. She asked for permission to put people’s names on the list, and everyone present agreed. She’ll email BA members requesting the same. Fernando of Community Pride will add this MTA letter item to the agenda for the June 6th meeting of block presidents. Fialka also mentioned that heads of the various block/tenant associations expressed a desire to meet regularly, and it might be a good idea for us to compile a wish list that might be put out there for broader support.
   f. Block Party - Saturday July 11. Reverend Sullivan, who was scheduled to speak to us about it, couldn’t make it. The theme, though, is “Peace & Community,” and someone will Mario asked if there were any problems at last year’s party - garbage, etc. No one could think of any, except that the signs announcing ‘no parking saturday’ need to be more visible to help avoid parking tickets. Fialka said she had received a couple requests to have a sort of flea market. The Church charges $25.00 per table for vendors, which everyone agreed seemed steep, and someone suggested that there be a residential rate. Perhaps, also, some people could use the block’s table to sell things? We agreed to give it further thought, and to maybe ask neighbors who’ve inquired about it to help organize it. As for the Block Association table, we’ll be sending out a list of table duties and a sign-up sheet for volunteers.
Conversation followed about whether to sponsor another drawing contest. Astrid suggested simplifying it, maybe buying those plastic mugs into which kids can slide a drawing of their own and take home. Cator said he’d inquire into the price of mugs, and that maybe we could turn the winning drawing into a mug. Jubal suggested using different media - maybe something more “multi media” like macaroni mosaics. Discussion is to continue.
IV. Block News   a. Precinct Meeting - No one attended.
   b. JD Wilson Community Garden update - No update

V. Old Business   a. Create BA 122 events calendar to be emailed to membership. Jude is working on it.

VI. New Business   a. May 30 work party - Looking for volunteers to help clean Mrs. Cunningham’s lot of fire debris.

   b. Grocery - How can we get a grocery store to open nearby? Discussion has begun w/ landlord of building under construction at corner of Frederick Douglass and 122nd. Construction is delayed. Awaiting update. Cator suggested writing letters to various grocery stores, and Astrid suggested collaborating with other block associations to galvanize support. Cator said he’d also check with the FDB building going up across from the police precinct.
   c. DEP Water Survey - Pat said she just had a free water survey done of her home by Honeywell, which she suggested everyone look into, given the rising costs of water. The survey tests for water flow, leaks, etc., so that you’re not being overcharged. She handed out print-outs of what the survey entails, which she downloaded from the DEP website. She also reported that free water-saving kits are available which include low-flow shower heads and the like. Everyone should take advantage. As for water and sewer rates, Pat noted that rates have been increasing each year by a significant amount. This July, rates are due to go up yet again by 14.5%. The sewer rate is calculated as 159% of the water rate! Pat is thinking about starting a list of supporters to protest the upcharge. The water testing should help show homeowners how much they’re already being overcharged and encourage them to join in the protest.
   d. Energenix - Someone said they’d received a call from a company called Energenix about saving money on energy. Others confirmed that they had received these calls, too. Rod said he looked into alternatives to ConEd, but since you still have to pay ConEd for service charges, and so on, it seldom turns out to be very worthwhile.

   e. Grace advised everyone to call 311 when you see the water hydrant open in order to help save on water.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:31
Respectfully submitted,Astrid Storm

BA122 Inc. Amended Bylaws

Fri, 22 May 2009 23:09:00 -0400

June 6. 2001
revised date: April 21, 2009

By-Laws

• Name: Block Association l22 Inc.
• Status: 501(c)(3) Public Charity, Not-for-Profit Type B Corporation
• Purpose: To create an inclusive, secure community attentive to promoting a sense of neighborliness, and concerned for the safety, physical appearance, cleanliness,
and general well-being of our block. We will also monitor public services
(sanitation, policing, etc.), helping where we can with landlord tenant relations,
and work together to urge our block to be respectful of children and adults, persons of all faiths, ethnicities and genders. We will encourage residents to bring issues of concern and/or conflicts to the Association so that the Association can be of assistance, where possible. Our meetings shall further serve as a forum for exchange of ideas and for organizing or supporting community projects.

• Membership: Concerned Residents, further defined as follows:
• Voting Members: those who have paid the annual membership fees.
(If requested, financial sponsorship of membership fees will be considered on a case-by-case basis.)
• Non-voting Members: those who haven’t paid the annual membership fees but who wish to participate in discussions leading up to voting.

• Annual Membership Fees: $24 per household

• Meetings: Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm, except
during summer recess months of July and August. Meetings are held at the
Christian Parish for Spiritual Renewal (CPSR), 2044 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. Notification of meetings shall be via email and posted paper flyers. Email notification of each meeting must be at least 5 days in advance. Should there be any change to the regular meeting time, notification shall be given at least 7 days in advance. Officers will endeavor to keep general meetings to one hour in length.

• Order of Business:

The order of business at all meetings shall be as follows:
a) Roll call
b) Proof of notice of meeting or waiver of notice
c) Read minutes of preceding meeting or Adopt the minutes as Submitted
d) Report of officers
e) Election of Officers(in the event that there is an election)
f) Inspection of Election (in the event that there is an election)
g) Unfinished Business
h) New Business

• Voting: At any general meeting, each Voting Member is entitled to one vote. For election of Officers, there shall be a designated Chairperson of Nominations who will run proceedings; all votes shall be done by ballot. For other business, voting can be done by show of hands, by ballot or by email.

• Proxies: Voting Member wishing to vote but unable to be present for the General Meeting or an Executive Committee Meeting, for a valid reason may do so by notification to the Chairperson of Nominations and may submit the vote via email, telephone or ballot.

• Quorum: In matters of business, those members present and voting will constitute a
majority. The name and purpose of the vote must be announced at the previous
General Meeting and posted or emailed prior to the meeting. Not less than 1/2 plus one of Voting Members present shall constitute a quorum for a General Meeting. At least two members of the Executive Committee must be present to conduct official business. All members of the Executive Committee must be notified of the meeting at least five days prior in advance and informed of the agenda. In all matters of business, the president of the association has a vote only when it is necessary to break a “tied” order of business.

• Executive Committee: Are the Officers and members of the Association, as instructed by the Membership. This committee is responsible for governing the Association. It will set association policy, define its position on issues in and maintain its direction and purpose. The Committee is to ensure that Association activities remain in compliance with IRS guidelines for 501(c)(3) Public Charities.

• Officers:
President: It shall be the duty of the President to preside at meetings of the
Association and of the Executive committee. The president shall have general and active management of the Association, shall see that all
order and resolutions of the Executive committee are carried into effect
and shall delegate specific areas of responsibility to the Vice President.

Vice President: The VP shall take the place of the president and perform his or her duties whenever the president shall be absent or unable to act and shall have such powers and duties granted to the President.

Secretary : The Secretary shall attend all sessions of the Executive committee and all
General Meetings and record all votes and the minutes of all proceedings in a book to be kept for that purpose, and shall perform like duties for the standing committees when required. He or she shall distribute copies of the minutes to all Members. He or she shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all General Meetings and special meetings of the Executive Committee, and shall perform such other duties as may be
prescribed by the Executive Committee or the President, under whose
supervision he or she shall be.

Financial Treasurer:
It shall be the duty of the Financial Treasurer to sign all requisitions for disbursements, keep detailed and accurate records of all financial transactions and a file of receipts for all disbursements; to be responsible for the recording of all financial transactions of the fund and to prepare and present current quarterly reports in writing of all financial transactions of the fund to the president and committee members; keep a record of the fund’s members, then dues and membership; give receipts for all membership dues received; Shall take the place of the Secretary and perform his or her duties whenever the Secretary shall be absent or unable to act and shall have such powers and duties granted to the Secretary.

It shall be the duty of the Financial Treasurer to collect and record all money due to the Association, and to be custodian of all its funds. The Treasurer shall co-sign checks with the President or officer so designated.

• Ad Hoc Committee: Ad Hoc Committees may be set up as needed by the Executive Committee, either appointed or elected, and will exist as long as considered necessary.

• Election: At the November meeting, a general election is held; those Voting Members present are asked to put in writing one selection for each elected office. The Officers are installed at the December General Meeting and take office on January 1st. Each officer will hold office for a term of one year.

• Emergency: In emergency matters, the President may make decisions or take actions with consultation of at least two members of the Executive Committee. All business conducted in emergency situations is subject to the consensus of the Executive Committee and to the approval of the voting membership.

• Removal From Office: Removal From Office: Any Officer or Committee chairperson may be removed from office by 2/3 vote of the Executive committee and a majority vote of Voting members present at a General Meeting.

• Amendments: Amendments to the By-Laws may be made by the majority of votes, of those Voting Members who are present at a General meeting. A copy of the proposed amendment, and the article it will change or replace, must be distributed to the members together with the notice of the meeting date and when the amendment will take place.

• Financial Reporting: The financial activities of the association shall be prepared by the Financial Treasurer on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis to reflect the income, expenses and earnings of the association.

- end -

hey all! Here is the latest tote design. Let me know what you...

Tue, 19 May 2009 21:03:56 -0400

hey all!

Here is the latest tote design. Let me know what you think… The white border is not part of the design, it must be a “tumblr” thing.

jubalbattisti@gmail.com

Minutes from April BA Meeting

Tue, 05 May 2009 12:43:32 -0400

Block Association 122Meeting Minutes - April 21, 2009
Meeting called to order at 7:32
I. Roll Call: Jubal Battisti, Walter King, Fialka Semenuik, Cator Sparks, Penny Barten, Astrid Storm, Jacques, Rukaye Overo, Rod Keenan, Haja Worley
II. Adoption of March Meeting Minutes: Motion made by Astrid; Jubal seconded.
III. Board Report:a. Treasurer’s Report$2,842.61 monkey market account (interest bearing)   $50.00 share deposit account
   $69.45 cash on hand
$2,962.06 total balance
Past month’s Revenue:$98.21 (1 donation, 3 membership fees, bank interest)Past month’s Expenses:$53.55 (potluck supplies, tote bag prototype)Net Revenue: $44.66*Please email fialka_s@yahoo.com to arrange for payment of membership fees
IV. Ongoing Businessa. Discussion and Voting on Proposed Amendments to BA122 Bylaws - Walter moved that a vote be taken on the final version of the Amendments. Rod seconded that motion. All attendees voted in approval. Fialka will post the updated Bylaws to the BA website blog.
b. Continued Discussion of Goals for BA:   i. General Maintenance of Block - Request for speed bumps on the block: Penny has drafted a letter on behalf of the Block Association to DOT Commissioner. There was some discussion about when the block is busiest. Someone pointed out that the DOT sends observers to the block, and that it might be best to have them come at that time. Rod pointed out, however, that people tend to speed when there’s little congestion on the block, and that it might make more sense for observers to come at a time other than the busiest, most congested time. We also discussed where the speed bumps should be placed, and that these questions will need to be discussed more before action is taken.
   ii. Educational or Camp Scholarships - Fialka and Rukaye have drafted flyers to post on the block. The flyers invite students on the block to submit an essay describing an upcoming course or project to which funding would be applied. Fialka noted that we have still to discuss how much we want to allocate for this financial gift, and when the deadline should be. Some discussion followed about whether the student-proposed projects should be more specific to community organizing, or whether we should leave it open, with people leaning toward the latter. Fialka also suggested that maybe prospective recipients be required to give a presentation to the block association, but the general opinion was to wait and see if there are any submissions first.

Rod then suggested presenting the award at the block party, which would mean moving things along quickly, so as to have time to receive and then review the applications. A tentative application deadline was set for May 31.Jubal suggested that some of the flyers be laminated, to withstand wet weather.
   iii. Contributing to Project Harmony Programs - Fialka read a letter from Cindy estimating costs for upcoming summer educational programming: 5 to 10 sessions/field trips @ $75 per session for the teacher, plus expenses for supplies and travel for any educational entertainers. The letter did not ask for a specific donation amount from the BA and emphasized that any amount would be greatly appreciated.
   iv. Partnering with CSA via Project Harmony - We are still considering the costs to pay for some kids to visit the CSA farm, as part of Project Harmony summer programming. Several issues were raised among the group, namely how the cost of public train or bus transport up to Orange County is prohibitive, as pointed out in Cindy’s letter. She mentioned that she will look into a school bus option.

[Not on the agenda: this morphed into a larger discussion about the finances of the Block Association. Fialka noted that, over the past two years, we’ve brought in $700 - 800 in revenue (mainly through membership and donations), and our expenses for that same time were around $600 - 700, meaning we’ve only netted $100 - 200 over the past two years!
As for what the BA typically donates each year:$50 - to the church$100 - toward movie tickets for the block party$100 = miscellaneous, like families in need, Project Harmony
Supposing that, this year, we donated $500 to Project Harmony and $500 to kids’ scholarships. Both would take our balance down substantially, meaning we’d have to fundraise to make up the difference.
On this same topic, Fialka noted that paid membership has dropped. We received 9 payments of membership fees this year, though we have about 50 people on our email list. 20 of those 50 people seem to stay in touch or have paid in the past, so to have even these 20 contribute would help fundraising substantially. Fialka said she’d like to put together an email asking for membership fees.]
   v. Create BA 122 events calendar to be emailed to membership - no update

   vi. Fill all BA executive committee positions - no update

c. Tote Bag: Jubal presented a canvas prototype tote bag from ‘Printfection.com’ with the selected design image printed onto the canvas. The breakdown of cost is as follows: 12 - 35 bags would cost $14.99 each, plus shipping plus our own $5 mark-up would result in a price of $21 per bag. It was agreed that was little pricier than expected, and people had various suggestions for making the bag more appealing to people looking to buy them as gifts - i.e., add a “green” theme, maybe play up the NYC or Harlem location, and so on. Jubal said he’d work on changing the text on the design to reflect these suggestions.
d. new BA website: Cator reported that his friend Laura is working on it and it will soon be up.
IV. Block News:a. Precinct Meeting - Haja reported that he’d attended the end portion of the meeting, where the Auxiliary Police (citizen patrollers) were introduced.
b. JD Wilson Community Garden Update: Fialka said the Easter Egg Hunt was great.
V. Old Businessa. Donation to Explorers Club: Fialka left a message for Officer Snead re. proposal to donate funds for children’s uniform. Walter moved that we postpone indefinitely involvement with the Explorers Club, since we’ve had so little luck with them getting back to us. Everyone agreed.
VI. New Businessa. Proposed MTA cuts to bus service - Valerie Simmons has suggested writing the MTA, our community board and congress persons to let them know how important local street transportation is to our community and to maintain the M10 and M2 routes. She has agreed to draft a letter; we can then add a list of supporters, similar to what was done in our letter campaign to help save the the Garden.
b. Water Charge - Pat let us know that the city is charging 159% sewer charge on everyone’s water charge. Apparently this change was approved back in 1992. Also, automatic digital readers are being installed city-wide to give more accurate accounts of water usage.
c. Block Party - Reverend Sullivan informed Cator that the date has been set for July 11th.
d. CSA - Haja said that the CSA (community supported agriculture) is still looking for more CSA members. (for details: see email blast of April 4/09)
e. Haja brought flyers for an ‘Emergency Preparedness Training’ session he was helping to conduct on April 25th at Harlem Children’s Zone. He is interested in doing a training session at a future BA meeting.
f. Haja brought flyers for Academy-Award nominated documentary: ‘The Garden’, which tells the story and struggle of the largest community garden in the U.S. - located in Los Angeles. Screening in New York will take place May 8/09 at Cinema Village.
g. Jubal offered to donate more photos to help fundraise.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:35
Respectfully submitted,Astrid Storm

Check out our local bike shop-Mod Squad- on PRI!

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:01:00 -0400

Check out our local bike shop-Mod Squad- on PRI!:

If you are looking for a bike this summer be sure to support Oye who opened in November.

Click on the title above to watch the slide show.

PHOTOS FROM THE EASTER EGG HUNT in our JD WILSON GARDEN!!

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:21:00 -0400

SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2009

Photo

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:15:00 -0400

Photo

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:06:44 -0400

Photo

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:02:07 -0400