Mid-Week Check In: Early Voting in Progress, 50 Kent Park Set to Open, Overflowing Trash Cans, and more!

It’s Wednesday Greenpointers, and welcome to our mid-week check in where we share the news of the week so far, and provide a heads up on happenings around the neighborhood; remember to signup for the Greenpointers newsletter:

The week began with an announcement that 50 Kent at Bushwick Inlet Park will open on July 9th for four days per week, but the North Brooklyn Neighbors responded to the news  with a letter stating that the park’s opening should be sooner and with increased hours due to a shortage of park space in the area as summer approaches.

A much needed opening of a UPS Store at 106b Nassau Ave. also marked the start of the week, along with the permanent closure of CBD store Brooklyn Bliss (1048 Manhattan Ave.).

Early voting is officially open though June 21st for the June 23rd democratic primary elections; the final day to mail-in your absentee ballot is June 22nd.

North Brooklyn is currently deciding on important races between Assemblyman Joe Lentol and challenger Emily Gallagher, and the race between Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and the crowded field to unseat her that includes Lauren Ashcraft, Peter Harrison and Suraj Patel. Native Greenpointer Kristina Naplatarski is also running for District Leader.

Looking to have a recipe published while supporting social justice initiatives? Greenpoint bookstore Archestratus is accepting recipe submissions through Saturday June 20, for their first in an ongoing community cookbook series with “contributions from anywhere and everyone,” entitled “ARCHESTRATUS COMMUNITY: ‘Vol. 1 / FIRE WALK WITH US.” All proceeds will be donated to organizations supporting Black Live Matter.

 

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ARCHESTRATUS COMMUNITY: ‘Vol. 1 / FIRE WALK WITH US: Recipes from the Archestratus Community’ will be the first volume in an ongoing community cookbook series with contributions from anywhere and everyone. . . Historically, pamphlets were used as a weapon to inspire much needed political disorder. Let us use OUR pamphlets to create a new system, a new model for investment, and let it also serve as a public space where we take care of everyone. . . ALL REVENUE will always be donated to non-profits that support BLACK LIVES MATTER. This will not be a precious one-off; we will employ the pamphlet/zine model of quick and urgent production to make as much moneta and share as much info as possible! To invest in black lives is to invest in the transformation of our world! . Because the roof is falling, the first volume will explore the element of 🔥FIRE🔥 . . Fire is an active and transformational element. Ask yourself: What ACTIVATES you? What TRANSFORMS you? What are you filling yourself up with for the fight? What do you dream of filling yourself up with? As you hold fire, what is your sentiment? What are your emotions? What are your memories? What do you smell? Taste? We all have different ways of grasping and expressing our fire. There is never one way. . . (My fire tends to laugh and sing/howl, involves black ink pens and eggplant, it sets itself aflame joyfully because transformation is the only truth and the truth is such a relief.) . . This is the ONLY constraint for Vol.1 – that you ask yourself these questions. . . HOW TO SUBMIT: Take a breath, drink a water, crack a back, and submit as many recipes as you like to [email protected] and put ‘fire walk with us’ in the subject line. The ‘recipes’ can take any form the printed format can house. . . Submission deadline is June 20th . I implore you to share! A very gentle, loving reminder: Nothing is getting taken away from you when you share. love, ppp . . #blacklivesmatter #archestratuscommunity

A post shared by Archestratus Books + Foods (@_archestratus_) on Jun 10, 2020 at 6:33am PDT

Word Books (126 Franklin St.) is also donating 10% of the sale of select authors’ books through June 21 to the social justice cause of their choice; read more about the Word Association initiative here.

The McCarren Park gatherings have continued for nearly 20 consecutive nights calling for police reforms in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. A gathering is planned once again for Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

A number of demonstrations are planned for the 155th anniversary of JuneTeenth on Friday, follow @JusticeForGeorgeNYC to stay up to date.

And finally, a friendly reminder from the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance to take trash with you when you see a full trash can in one of the area’s lovely parks.

Here’s the news this week so far:

Greenpoint’s new drive-in cinema has opened ticket sales for screenings this week, and the price points are causing a stir. (Greenpointers)

Mediterranean restaurant Sami & Susu (279 Grand St.) celebrated it’s grand opening in Williamsburg on Tuesday. (Greenpointers)

NYC will officially enter Phase 2 of its reopening on Monday, June 22nd. (Gothamist)

The race between Assemblyman Joe Lentol and Emily Gallgher gets personal as Gallgher’s college blog is aired in public. (NY Post)

Watch a televised debate between Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and the three challengers vying for her seat. (NY1)

See what it was like skateboarding in pre-gentrification Williamsburg. (Jenkem)

Lawmakers helped to saw open locked playgrounds in Williamsburg and other Brooklyn neighborhoods. (NY Post)