FOOD, LITERATURE & FRIED TWINKIES IN FORT GREENE

IT'S GREAT to have so much ink made available to Clinton Hill & Fort Greene businesses and people.  However, as a long-time resident and lover of the neighborhood, I must say I am concerned about the number of articles I’ve seen stating there wasn’t a decent this or that in the neighborhood pre-2000. In fact, back in 1999 I expressed this concern on the New York Times editorial page. That said, here’s the latest yummy press on food & drink in the neighborhood.

It’s Official! Smashburger is coming to Fort Greene. The chain known for offering branch-specific burgers is scheduled to open at 80 DeKalb Avenue | Rockwell/Hudson, in mid-April. And yes, there will be a Brooklynburger.

In case you haven’t heard, Greene-Ville Garden is now open at 373 Myrtle Myrtle Avenue | Clermont/Adelphi.

Chef Eddie Huang will be in the house on February 2 & 3 for a Chinese New Year Celebration at No. 7.

Businessman, author and rapper, Jay-Z, has invested in Fulton Street chicken spot, Buffalo Boss, where fried Twinkies, Snickers and Oreos are on the menu.

Mullanes Bar and Grill makes the cut in Brooklyn Paper’s “Burgers that won’t break the bank.”

WTF gets an extensive shout out in New York Press for it’s coffee and coffeemakers.

And just so you know….
The Eat, Drink and Be Literary series starts at BAMcafé beginning January 27. Each evening will include a dinner buffet, followed by a  reading, discussion and book-signing.            

Cheers! & Bon Appétit!

OVERCOMING

Some stories deserve to be told over and over again. This is one of them.  After enduring a terrible experience, rather than allowing a ruined day to turn into a ruined future, Fort Greene mom, Eliza Factor, rolled up her sleeves and took control.  On Saturday, January 29, her new nonprofit, Extreme Kids and Crew, will hold its first yoga and arts-and-crafts classes for disabled kids and their families.  You go girl!  You may read the complete story of Factor’s travel from victimization to victory at nydailynews.com 
(Photo:Mecea for News)

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'”
                                                --Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF DR. KING IN FORT GREENE

THE MEETING
Thursday, January 13, 7:30pm
Play depicting a fictional account of a secret meeting between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X
Kumble Theatre, Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus 
Tickets: $20, $15 students, seniors, groups of 10 or more

Website

PICTURE THE DREAM
Friday, January 14, through Monday, January 17
Exhibition featuring art by young

residents of the NYC Housing Authority. Students from the Saratoga Village Community Center, guided by acclaimed visual/graphic artist Cey Adams, created original artwork inspired by Dr. King's dream of freedom and equality.
BAMcafè, 25 Lafayette Avenue | Hanson Place 
Free

Website

25th ANNUAL BROOKLYN TRIBUTE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Monday, January 17, 10:30am
Called “New York City’s largest public celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” this year’s event features a keynote address by novelist and social commentator Walter Mosley, and musical performances by the Reverend Timothy Wright Memorial Choir and Brooklyn A cappella group, the Persuasions.
A screening of “Neshoba: The Price of Freedom,” an award winning documentary about a Mississippi town still divided about the meaning of justice, 40 years after the murders of three civil rights workers, follows the tribute.
Event: Opera House
Film: BAM Rose Cinemas
Brooklyn Academy of Music, 25 Lafayette Avenue | Hanson Place
Free, first come, first seated, one ticket per person 

Website

EMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH ANNUAL REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. PRAYER SERVICE
Monday, January 17, 10:00am
Keynote Speaker: James A. Joseph, Former Ambassador to South Africa   Website

 

Too late to get tickets but it’s nice to know that in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday Urban Park Rangers will retrace the path to freedom with a van tour of the hidden stops of the Underground Railroad in Brooklyn on January 16.

Nationally, the Corporation for National & Community Service declares Monday, January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, with the slogan, " Make it a Day On, Not a Day Off." You may check the website for opportunities to serve.

Enjoy!

COMMUNITY IS COMPASSION

What better way to begin a new year than saluting our community?  While most  dictionaries define community as a group of people living in one place, I see beyond that basic commonality to a group of people living in one place and behaving in a manner that’s beneficial to all. This community saw that definition in action when Curtis “Cookie” Rodgers, a well-known fixture, and quite a character, in Clinton Hill died in November.  

Cookie was not a local big wig.  He was the man who helped us get our groceries home from Pioneer Supermarket while providing a little entertainment on the way.   We sang together frequently. Sometimes a Beatle’s tune, sometimes a classic R&B song.  I frequently threatened to get him an agent and make him famous.  What I didn’t know was that Cookie was already famous.  The community proved this when his employer set up a memorial and called us all to action, when we filled two huge water bottles with more than $7,000, when Council Member Letitia James became seriously involved, when  DeKalb Funeral Services gave him his star quality, when Emmanuel Baptist Church opened its doors for his service and when droves of community residents and our local fire fighters filled the church to speak and sing his praises. This is a community, and I am proud to be part of it.

Happy New Year, and may we continue the good work. 

Curtis “Cookie:” Rodgers’ obituary