Fantastic news for our community - Pre-school at President and Van Brunt will Open this Fall!
Plus: Community Forum with Brad Lander this Wednesday! And more!

In this issue:

1. A great victory for our community, led by our CSWA Family Committee! A sorely needed pre-K will open after years of sitting empty!
2. Community forums with Brad Lander this Wednesday, May 20. A new date for the forum with Rep. Dan Goldman will be set soon.
3. Celebration on Thursday, May 28 for the stop signs and cross walks at President St/Columbia St, the closing of the SIMS Concrete Recycling Plant, and the pre-K opening!
4. CSWA Book Swap on Open Garden Day at Urban Meadow Garden June 6, 3-5 pm!
5. Jazz in the Garden at Summit St Community Garden, June 6, 5 pm!
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We Stormed the Unopened Pre-School! And Won!

To paraphrase RAYE's song, Joy came in the morning, Monday morning, to our community!

As Zoe Grover, Jessica Setton, and Zach Hetrick from the CSWA Family Committee wrote yesterday to the many community members who supported our efforts:

This morning we learned that the DOE plans to open the pre-school at 129 Van Brunt Street this fall. We are so thankful to all of you who helped us get there by attending the listening session, signing up on the community waitlist, sharing your story, talking to the media and signing the petition.

You can read more about the opening here.

About the school:

• For now, the school will include three 3k classrooms and one pre-k classroom for a total of 63 seats.
• The school will be managed as a Special District School, similar to the My Little PreSchool locations on Atlantic and in Gowanus.
• Tomorrow, folks will still receive their 3k placements based on their previous selections
• After initial 3k placements are released, folks will be able to add their child to the waitlist of this school on My Schools
• Offers to this school will be made based on the standard priorities (i.e., not your timing on adding your child to the waitlist, as long as you do it within the prescribed period). -You should reach out to the DOE directly with questions after tomorrow.

The DOE is still skeptical that there is demand in the neighborhood to fill the seats, so please share this information with anyone who might be interested. 

CSWA thanks the local leaders who helped achieve this: Council Members Shahana Hanif and Alexa Avilés, Assembly Members Jo Anne Simon and Marcela Mitaynes, Congressional Candidate Brad Lander. Also special thanks to the amazing local journalists including Julie Holstein from Ward 6, Nicole Rosenthal and the team from the NY Post, and Jillian Jorgensen from NY1 who helped share the story.

And most of all, we thank and congratulate Zoe, Jessica, and Zach who led a superbly effective community advocacy campaign. After the May 4 meeting these three led, Julie Hostein wrote in Ward 6, "I’ve never attended a more productive community meeting. Bravo." We couldn't agree more.

This Wednesday: Community Forum with Brad Lander

CSWA and the Carroll Gardens Association (CGA) are hosting a community forum with Brad Lander in the Sacred Hearts & St. Stephen's Cabrini Hall (125 Summit Street, Brooklyn).on Wednesday, May 20 from 5:00-6:00 PM.

The purpose of the forums is for community members to hear Mr. Lander's views on neighborhood issues. This will be a non-partisan community forum. The associations do not support or oppose any candidate. We will have a moderator ask Mr. Lander your previously submitted questions. Additionally, postcards will be provided at the meeting for other questions that will be handed over to the moderator.

Note that the community forum with U.S. Representative Dan Goldman, previously scheduled for Sunday, May 17, will be rescheduled for a future date.

We invite you to submit your questions and concerns for Mr. Lander and Rep. Goldman here.

Celebrate with CSWA and the Community on Thursday, May 28!

Ever since the DOT installed stop signs and crosswalks at the intersection of President and Columbia Streets, the result of another successful community advocacy campaign, CSWA board members and leaders of the campaign have been planning a celebration! We decided to also celebrate the closing of the SIMS Concrete Recycling Facility at Columbia and Kane St, achieved through persistent advocacy by neighbors. And now we have the pre-K victory to celebrate as well.

So, mark your calendars for Thursday, May 28, when DOT representatives will join us, meeting at the President/Columbia intersection between 4:30 and 5 PM. After a brief presentation there, we'll move on to Cabrini Park to socialize and hear more from our neighbors. Full details to follow!

Saturday, June 6: Open Garden Day in the Columbia Street Waterfront!

Our neighborhood is so fortunate to have not one, not two, not five, but seven community gardens! Here they are:

• Human Compass Garden
• South Brooklyn Children’s Garden
• Urban Meadow Garden
• Amazing Garden
• Summit Street Garden
• Pirate’s Cove Garden
• Backyard Garden

Two gardens are holding events on June 6. First, don't miss CSWA's Book Swap at Urban Meadow Garden, where there will also be a garden learning activity, arts and crafts, and food! Please start pulling together books you want to swap!

Then head over to Summit St Community Garden for Jazz in the Garden!

This should be a wonderful day to enjoy these precious green oases!

Questions? Email us at admin@columbiastreetwaterfront.org. Also, please share our mailing list sign-up page with your friends and neighbors: Columbia Street Waterfront Association Email List.

Media Contact:​
Randy Gordon, President
Columbia Street Waterfront Association, Inc.
Phone: 917-593-2674
Email: admin@columbiastreetwaterfront.org​​