Brooklyn On Line #Manhattan Beach Community Group RSS Feed Manhattan Beach Community Group MBCG 70 Years Young Manhattan Beach Community Group header image 1 * Pages + About Us + Contact Us + Get Updates by E-mail * Categories + General News + Uncategorized Congratulations to Mike Geller February 9th, 2012 · No Comments Mike Geller, District Democratic Leader and past president of the Manhattan Beach Community Group has been recently elected (or selected, appointed?) to the Board of the Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association. Although, Mike has not been active in our group for years, he is a vital political force in the world of South Brooklyn politics. With 2013 shaping up as a year of numerous elections, we were surprised that Mike found the time to join another board. They say, if you want somthing to get done, give it to a busy person. We have zoning, beach privatization, security differences to name a few with MBNA, but we are now hopeful that Mike will use his organizational and communication skills to bring MBNA around to the Manhattan Beach way of thinking. Good luck Mike and don't be a stranger. -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized Be Vigilant, Be Suspicious February 7th, 2012 · No Comments This afternoon 2 men knocked on the door of a house near Amherst and Oriental and talked their way inside. The elderly couple said they said they were roofers stopping by to tell them that the owners roofer had passed away. While one of the bad guys spoke to the woman downstairs, the other one went upstairs and stole cash which had been collected for charity. if you don't know who is at your door: ask for their company telephone number and call to see if it seems legitimate. If something feels wrong-CALL 911. If you didn't request the stranger at the door, simply say no thank you and keep your door shut. These guys are cunning, charming and are evil people. Call 911 and let the police sort it out. -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized If You Like Mel Torme... February 7th, 2012 · No Comments Grammy Award-Winner Billy Stritch to Perform at On Stage At Kingsborough On Sunday, March 4 at 3:00 p.m. On Stage At Kingsborough Presents Billy Stritch Sings The Mel Torme Songbook. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through the On Stage At Kingsborough website, www.OnStageAtKingsborough.org, in-person at the Box Office at the Leon M. Goldstein Performing Arts Center on the campus of Kingsborough Community College from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by calling (718) 368-5596 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. "Billy Stritch sings the Mel Tormé Songbook" is a tribute to one of the legendary jazz singers of all time, Mel Tormé, and features some of Tormé's greatest arrangements, including "Too Close For Comfort", "Lulu's Back In Town", and "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square." Billy, backed by bass and drums, also swings his way through Mel's great hit songs including "Blue Moon" and "Mountain Greenery" in what Stephen Holden of The New York Times called "a loving tribute from one singer to another! Billy Stritch is one of the premier singer-pianists on the New York and national jazz and cabaret scene. He has appeared in cabaret venues across the nation as well as concert performances at the London Palladium, NHK Hall in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro's Municipale Auditorium. In New York, he has performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall and completed 688 performances as Oscar the rehearsal pianist in the Broadway revival of `42nd Street'. He has arranged for many top performers, including Lucie Arnaz, and is a frequent collaborator with Liza Minnelli. Group discounts are available. For a group of 10-19 people, there is a discount of $5 off per ticket, and no handling charges are applied. For groups over 20, there is a discount of $7 off per ticket, and no handling charges are applied. In addition, for groups over 20, the group leader will receive a free ticket to that show. Visit www.OnStageAtKingsborough.org for more details about this and upcoming performances that include the Stars of the Russian Ballet, Paul Taylor's Taylor 2, and more. -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized Letter Sent April 2011 to Bklyn DOT-Keep Your Word January 16th, 2012 · No Comments April 4, 2011 Honorable Joseph Palmieri Brooklyn Borough Commissioner, DOT 16 Court Street, room 1620 Brooklyn, NY 11241 Re: Traffic/Pedestrian Problems, Manhattan Beach Dear Commissioner Palmieri, Thank you for meeting with the Manhattan Beach Community Group (MBCG) Traffic Committee Chairperson, Judy Baron, Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo and myself on March 29, 2011. I write to confirm those items you advised us that DOT will immediately implement. Namely: 1. Additional Speed limit signs (and your suggested possible lowering the speed limit to 20 mph on Oriental Boulevard). 2. Signage and crosswalks along the Manhattan Beach Park indicating entrances, **children at play, pedestrian crossings. In particular: Falmouth Street is a priority. 3. Daylight signs on Oriental Boulevard and Shore Boulevard. 4. Improved Curve signage on Shore eastbound and a New Curve sign westbound. 5. Your suggestion of placement of "quick curbs" on the "zebra stripes" as an experiment in order to keep traffic off these lines. a. In reference to this suggestion: it is our understanding that as an "experiment," if it does not work (which should be known in a very short period of time), other alternatives will be looked into. 6. DOT meeting with 61^st Police Precinct in order to create an understanding of traffic and speeding violation problems in Manhattan Beach and the need for enforcement. ** DOT has placed a sign on a pole at Oriental Boulevard and Ocean Avenue. It is, in our opinion, totally unacceptable. The sign at this location does not indicate that there is a park and the playground, nor does it indicate its location. Further it does not emphatically state a "caution" to drivers...does not indicate that there are children crossing etc. The sign should be on both the east and westbound sides of the boulevard and in a more prominent location than it currently is. Also, your staff should know that there are children's playgrounds at BOTH ends of the Manhattan Beach Park. In furtherance of the objectives of the MBCG traffic safety program for our community, our discussion with you included items that you indicated cannot be accomplished immediately, but will be studied and considered as soon as possible. Namely: 1. Moving the current "amber" blinking light at the intersection of Oriental Boulevard and Ocean Avenue to Falmouth Street (entrance to the Park, children's playground and current westbound bus stop where fatality occurred in October). THIS IS A PRIORITY ITEM! a. if this cannot be achieved, the current traffic signal should be made standard green/amber/red. 2. Moving the current standard traffic signal at Shore Boulevard and Ocean Avenue to Exeter Street at the base of the footbridge. This will allow pedestrians to cross this intersection safely and will slow westbound traffic entering the dangerous curved portion of Shore Boulevard. 3. Removing the Bicycle Lanes from Oriental Boulevard and replacing them at their historic and mapped location on the park strip along Shore Boulevard. 4. Crosswalks and school indications on pavement on Shore Boulevard (PS 195) as well as on Oriental Boulevard at Irwin Street ((PS 195) and at Exeter Street (Happyland School). 5. Your suggestion regarding possible street direction changes on Hampton Avenue/Oriental Boulevard/Shore Boulevard/side streets in order to mitigate speeding. We would like to take you up on your offer to provide us with copies of the Federal Warrants for both Shore Boulevard and Ocean Avenue as well as Ocean Avenue and Oriental Boulevard. We note that some of the items listed above included your thoughts as well as those we presented and we understand that some, as you stated, need a bit of extra study. It has been our goal to work with DOT in order to create a safe environment not only for those of us who live in Manhattan Beach, but for the thousands of people who come to our community to work, to study, and to enjoy the recreational activities New York City has provided in the 40 acre Manhattan Beach Park and Beach. It is our goal, as we hope it is yours as well, to create this safe climate as soon as possible. Respectfully submitted, Ira Zalcman, President CC: Hon. Jeanette Sadik-Khan Hon. Theresa Scavo -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized Meeting Jan. 18, 8PM, PS 195 January 16th, 2012 · No Comments The MBCG will have its Jan. meeting this Wednesday night at 8 PM, PS 195. Some topics that we will discuss are: Cameras-Eyes on every block Traffic-New Bike SIgns Special Election Again Hope you can make it. -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized Deja Vu All Over Again (Yogi Berra) January 10th, 2012 · No Comments Here we go again. Another special election on March 20, 2012 for our state senator vacancy. No one has officially declared but it's the same scenario as last time. The Democrats and the Republicans get to pick their own candidates. We get to pick the winner. Also, keep in mind our Jan. meeting is next week on the 18th at 8PM, PS 195. -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized An Adult Response to the New Signs December 20th, 2011 · 1 Comment We, the MBCG leadership, was granted an audience last year with the Bklyn DOT Czar. He made promises and he has broken promises. Simply said, we have thousands of thousands of visitors, students, beachgoers and others just looking to enjoy our community. The DOT KIng puts them all in harms way. He is not hurting just Manhattan Beach but hurting all of Brooklyn who drive and walk our streets. The following is an adult repsonse form our traffic comm. chairperson Judy Baron. The Brooklyn Borough Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner has decided that the major priority for our community is to encourage people to use the currently non-used dangerous bicycle lanes on Oriental Boulevard, bicycle lanes that come from nowhere and go nowhere! DOT hasn't bothered to listen to the years, and we mean YEARS of MBCG letters and telephone calls to DOT explaining that there are extremely serious traffic related problems in our community. Bike lane signage is not one of those priorities unless DOT's signs state: "dangerous bike lanes!"The "King" of Kings County DOT has ignored deaths, ignored speeding; ignored the fact that Manhattan Beach is home to a 40 acre public park and beach that includes two children's playgrounds; ignored the recreational facilities that include basketball, tennis, baseball; ignored the fact that children and parents with carriages are unable to cross Oriental Boulevard at the two largest entrances to the park; ignored the fact that thousands of people use the beach; ignored the four schools that are located on or near Oriental Boulevard; ignored the fact that there are only two east/west routes through the community; ignored three bus routes with many speeding and "out of service" buses; ignored the fact that the two east/west routes are emergency routes for fire, ambulance and other vehicles; ignored the fact that Kingsborough Community College is at the terminus of Oriental Boulevard and everyone, except DOT, knows that most of the speeding in our community is student related. All of these conditions could have been ameliorated by DOT with a comprehensive traffic program with controls and signage. However, to date, this has not happened. Did you know that the DOT Brooklyn (Kings County) Commissioner met with the MBCG President, Traffic Committee Chairperson and the Chairperson of Community Board 15 several months ago? In addition to the Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner and the Community Relations person were present at that meeting. We presented photographs, data, maps and the like. Among other things, we told the Commissioner we have a speed gun that targeted trucks, cars and passenger vehicles travelling over 50 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone. We made concrete suggestions for changing the zebra lines to make Oriental Boulevard safer; we suggested moving the bike lanes to an historic location within our community that would be safer for everyone. We informed the Commissioner that we had met with a Traffic Consultant who told us of the many new, cost efficient technical devices that can be used for our traffic problems. Can you believe that no one from DOT took any notes? The result of the meeting was that DOT would do a comprehensive "study" but no real timetable was presented to us! Yes, ANOTHER STUDY! For the uninformed, a "STUDY" IS WHAT DOT SAYS IN ORDER TO IGNORE THE COMMUNITY. To think that the most important action DOT Kings County could come up with is BIKE LANE signs is incomprehensible! Tell that to the parents of the small child who was killed last year on Oriental Boulevard. Tell that to the 1500 people who signed our petition to the Mayor to DO something to stop the speeding in our community!!! Tell that to the people who can't cross Oriental Boulevard. Tell that to the families of those who have been killed, maimed or hurt on Shore Boulevard. Tell that to the people whose homes and property have been destroyed on Oriental and Shore Boulevards as a result of drivers losing control of their speeding vehicles.The first obligation of government is to keep its citizens safe and secure. No one is safe or secure on the streets of Manhattan Beach where safe passage is concerned. The "in your face" bicycle lane signage just placed on Oriental Boulevard is out of line with what is needed in this community. Protect us FIRST and then DOT can discuss bicycle riding, especially when the current bike lanes are not only dangerous, add to the problems and are virtually unused. Judy Baron, Chairperson, MBCG Traffic Committee -> 1 CommentTags: Uncategorized New Bike Signs On Oriental Blvd-Screw That December 18th, 2011 · No Comments Hail to the Chief! Long live the King of KINGS! We kiss the ring of the Brooklyn Lord of the Department of Transportation. You have won DOT KINGS King (get it Kings County?). Can any other Kings elected official put up signs faster than a speeding bullet, faster than a speeding train? No one can screw signs like KINGS King DOT Commissioner. In the event that you are wondering what the heck is going on. Let us inform you of the latest traffic news from MBCG. While you were asleep or enjoying a hot cup of something, a DOT crew in camouflage beach clothing installed Bike Lane Signs on every block on Oriental Blvd in both directions. Most signs were screwed on existing poles near the street corners. Some alone, statuesque and glimmering in the sunshine, on new poles in the middle of the block. Cost in man hours? Cost of signs? Price of discovering the signs? Priceless. Some residents have stated that the KING has stuck it to us. He has shown us who is boss. He is telling us the bike lanes are here to stay. When he acts, it is forever. Think Jared commercial. We the leadership of the 70 year old wise Manhattan Beach Community Group do not agree with these pessimists. We always look to see the bigger picture. We believe that DOT Boss of Bosses needed for his workers to practice screwing signs when no one was looking. How were they going to get their A game in shape without practice? From an inside DOT source we hear the KIngs' Elves are making Drive Slowly Children At Play signs, Dangerous Curve Ahead signs, Drive Slow School Zone, Speed Zone Ahead and Behind and Speeding is for Losers signs. The loser sign is to see if you're paying attention. These signs require many more screws, more intense screwing and sensitive placement. Is DOT up to the task? Can the KNIGS King get his men ready before the first snow fall. We in the MBCG who have been screwed by DOT often believe the answer is yes. Yes. Yes. YESSSSSSSSSSS. When you wake up tomorrow, it'll be a new day. Look for a sign. Look not to the heavens but no higher than 6 feet. Maybe radar signs with blinking numbers to deter speeding? Hail to the KINGS KING! Long live the King of Screwing. No one can do it better than him. -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized Congratulations to the Stringer Family December 14th, 2011 · No Comments The MBCG still has the magic touch. It only took one visit to the Manhattan Beach Community Group and whamo, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and his lovely wife get a baby boy. Congratulations to the entire Stringer Family on this wonderful great superb fantastic news. Come visit us again, if you want your son to have a sibling. This will always be a great Holiday for your family but we are happy to offer some more best wishes. Enjoy every second. Warmly, MBCG -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized From the Bay Improvement Group-Please Help the Needy December 13th, 2011 · No Comments The 20th BIG Celebrity Caroling Concert & Toy Drive will be Sunday Dec 18th from 5-7pm St Mark RC auditorium, East 19th Street between Jerome Av & Ave Z, admission is free with one new unwrapped toy. Gifts delivered that night to needy, terminally ill and battered woman's shelter too, for the children! -> No CommentsTags: Uncategorized <- Previous Entries * ____________________ * Blogroll + Check out Accidents, Cars, Bikes, People + Check out your block + Parking Regs of any NYC Street * CAPTION: February 2012 S M T W T F S « Jan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 * Meta + Log in + Entries RSS + Comments RSS + WordPress.org © 2006-2007 Manhattan Beach Community Group -- Thank you to Dan at SmartNet Solutions for your help.
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