EMAIL: CANARSIEC@AOL.COM By Loretta Chin A talented group of wood carvers have been meeting and creating beautiful works of art at the United Methodist Church of Sheepshead Bay at 3087 Ocean Avenue since February and shared some of their latest creations with the Canarsie Courier on Saturday “Brooklyn Wood Carvers is the first club in Brooklyn,” main organizer of the group and longtime area resident Donald Quigley said Quigley starts new members off with a simple project He draws a flower on a small block of wood and instructs members on how to use the wood carving tools properly to make a relief carving which is the process of cutting into the design so that it appears to protrude from the wood but Quigley mainly uses wood from the linden tree called basswood which he purchases from a wholesaler in the Bronx “We have different people doing different things for the group,” Quigley said relief carvers and anybody who is working with wood in any way.” Many of the members were part of senior-focused community groups in Downtown Brooklyn who wanted to join the wood carving group Newcomers are helped by Quigley and their fellow wood carvers creating a sense of camaraderie and community “Wood carving activates the brain cells and makes you think,” he said of just one of the many benefits of wood carving  He noticed how people who came in with tension were more relaxed over time “We teach each other,” Gregory Anderson said He felt that wood carving was a dying art in the United States compared to Europe and what they were doing was keeping the art of wood carving alive He would like to see people recognize it more as a fine art Others spoke about the therapeutic aspects and satisfaction they get from wood carving In addition to the thought process and concentration needed to work on the various pieces that helps keep the mind sharp other benefits of wood carving were strengthening of fine motor skills the emotional and spiritual satisfaction of creating something personal for themselves or for others “It’s not cookie cutter and people are allowed to have personal expression,” Laurella Sapp said “Even though the common material is the wood that they are working with that gets transformed into the manifestation of each person’s personality and that’s what you see.” The group has been steadily growing since it started about three months ago and currently has 17 members who meet on the first third and fifth Saturdays of the month; they pay $20 dues for four months to cover costs of tools Quigley says that some will sell or show their work but most will keep them as a labor of love for themselves or as gifts which is Sheepshead Bay’s oldest standing church It was built in the mid-to late 19th century with two tall church steeples and impressive Victorian Gothic architectural design Korean Methodist and Russian Orthodox congregations also share the space and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Click Here Now 1142 East 92nd Street, Brooklyn, New York 11236 (718) 257-0600 canarsiec@aol.com social Designed by Speakly Media Infiltration Basins Will Capture More Than 122 Million Gallons—Enough to Fill 184 Olympic Swimming Pools—of Stormwater Annually Keeping East Flatbush and Canarsie Residents Safe Reduce Effects of Hotter Summers on Heat-Vulnerable Neighborhoods in New York City New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the completion of a $42.3 million safety project in East Flatbush and Canarsie that will reduce street flooding and keep New Yorkers safe during rainstorms Nearly 1,200 new flood-fighting assets will keep excess rainwater off the streets and out of the sewers This includes 906 infiltration basins and 291 rain gardens which will capture approximately 122.5 million gallons of stormwater annually—enough to fill 184 Olympic-sized swimming pools “Protecting New Yorkers from the clear and present danger to life and property that flooding poses is critical to keeping New Yorkers safe on Earth Day and every day,” said Mayor Adams “These investments in Canarsie and East Flatbush will capture enough water annually to fill 184 Olympic swimming pools—keeping residents safe and reducing flooding Our administration continues to focus on creating a safer and with climate change continuing to produce more intense and more frequent extreme weather investments like these are a key part of our public safety and affordability strategies.” “Stronger and more frequent storms are felt more acutely with every passing year one thing is clear: We need to bring every resource we have to bear to protect communities from the water that laps at our shores and inundates us from above,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth “Delivering rain gardens and infiltration basins may seem minor they offset tens of millions of gallons of rainwater Locations of new flood mitigation public safety infrastructure in East Flatbush (left) and Canarsie (right) Credit: New York City Department of Environmental Protection but at sidewalk level they have a walkable surface that blends into the surrounding conditions As part of the project, the city planted 223 trees across East Flatbush and Canarsie, which have historically been two of New York’s most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods. The trees provide shade, improve air quality, and relieve the urban heat island effect. Cared for by NYC Parks, the new trees build on the record number of trees planted by NYC Parks in FY24 “Every storm is a reminder that climate change is here and hitting New York City hard,” said New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T “This new green infrastructure in East Flatbush and Canarsie will soak up stormwater to ease flooding and reduce pollution Green infrastructure like this can be delivered to New Yorkers quickly and with little construction disruption.” “These trees will help to cool some of the city’s hottest neighborhoods one of our Climate Strong Communities,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson so many of our residents are at risk of multiple climate threats Today’s announcement is a perfect example of how we’re going to have to think holistically to keep our communities safe from climate hazards as the city gets hotter and wetter.” “Bringing green infrastructure to East Flatbush and Canarsie Brooklyn as part of these two projects is just one way we are celebrating Earth Week at DDC,” said New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley “We are completing other projects like these all over the city and have a team working hard every day to find engineering and architectural solutions to make our infrastructure and public buildings stock greener while also combating the effects of climate change and the New York City Department of Transportation for working with us on these important upgrades that help curb flooding and beautify streets.” “Investments in resilient infrastructure are vital to keeping our city and New Yorkers safe,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President & CEO Andrew Kimball “We are proud to work with our partners at DEP and DDC to build significant green infrastructure such as infiltration basins and rain gardens that will help protect Brooklyn from street flooding and water pollution resulting in cleaner and greener neighborhoods.” Last fall, Mayor Adams celebrated milestones in five major public safety projects including the completion of major sewer upgrades that tripled drainage capacity in College Point and doubled it in Maspeth the installation of the 200th flood sensor in Corona and breaking ground on the first Cloudburst project at the New York City Housing Authority’s South Jamaica Houses which will keep nearly 3.5 million gallons of stormwater out of the sewer system each year the spirit of Easter finally arrived at Canarsie Park as families and children gathered for the SD-19 Easter Egg Hunt Families enjoyed a range of pre-hunt activities including face painting and arts and crafts which brought smiles and laughter to kids of all ages the park was alive with excitement and festive cheer “We were thrilled to finally bring this event to life after the delays,” said Senator Roxanne J but it was Easter as long as we say it is—and the smiles on the children's faces were worth it!”                                                                     ###  By: 7:30 am on April 23 The City of New York has completed a $42.3 million flood mitigation project aimed at reducing roadway flooding in East Flatbush and Canarsie Developed in collaboration with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Department of Design and Construction (DDC) the initiative delivers nearly 1,200 green infrastructure installations including 906 infiltration basins and 291 rain gardens The new infrastructure is designed to capture and absorb over 122 million gallons of stormwater annually Notable to the project are new infiltration basins and rain gardens which are designed to resemble curbside tree beds but are engineered to store water and allow it to percolate into the ground 223 new trees were planted across the neighborhoods to improve air quality These upgrades are part of a broader citywide effort under Mayor Adams’ administration which has committed $12.3 billion for stormwater infrastructure through the city’s Ten Year Capital Plan Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews Those basins are never deep enough and end up being filled with litter and weeds ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC The presentation at the March 26th meeting of the Retired Men’s Association detailed the extensive repair project undertaken in the Canarsie Tunnel after it suffered significant damage from flooding during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 which carries the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn was inundated with seven million gallons of salt water from the East River leading to corrosion of the concrete bench walls and damage to critical infrastructure like tracks explained how an initial plan for a prolonged shutdown was averted and the repairs were completed while maintaining partial operation The original repair strategy proposed an 18-month full closure of the L train to allow for the complete replacement of the damaged concrete bench walls generated considerable anxiety among local residents and businesses who relied heavily on the L train for commuting and commerce the MTA developed an alternative service plan involving busways and increased service on other subway lines Governor Cuomo announced the cancellation of the full shutdown mandating that the repairs be executed within a compressed 15-month timeframe while keeping the tunnel operational This abrupt change necessitated a fundamental rethinking of the repair methodology a group of experts from Cornell and Columbia engineering was convened to reassess the project goals and propose a revised approach aimed at minimizing disruption to passengers Isabel Lopes and her design team were tasked with inspecting the tunnel to develop a feasible repair plan that could be implemented under these new constraints A crucial step in the revised plan involved a detailed inspection of both tubes of the Canarsie Tunnel and MTA representatives walked the entire length assessing the condition of the concrete bench walls in 10-foot increments They used hammers to sound the concrete and visually inspected for cracking and spalling categorizing each segment into one of three conditions: good condition (no action needed) some damage (requiring local strengthening) the original plan for full demolition and reconstruction of the bench walls was modified the revised approach incorporated local strengthening using rigid Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) panels for all damaged areas These panels offered a multi-purpose solution serving as a walking surface for emergency egress and maintenance spanning over removed sections of the bench wall and even incorporating rungs and grab bars in some designs The FRP panels were constructed from a phenolic resin (historically known as Bakelite) reinforced with glass fibers including deflection tests with personnel jumping on a mockup panel and finite element analysis was conducted to ensure the panels’ structural integrity under various loading conditions such as pedestrian traffic and potential impact from a collapsing bench wall The management of electrical cables also underwent a significant change The initial plan to embed new cables within reconstructed bench walls was discarded the existing damaged cables were abandoned in place and a new cable management racking system was installed on the tunnel’s concrete liner above the bench walls common in other modern tunnel systems worldwide allows for easier access to the cables for future maintenance a similar strategy of localized repair was adopted Instead of fully replacing the concrete track bed and rails the existing ties were locally cut out and replaced with more corrosion-resistant composite ties followed by localized concrete pouring to secure them The rails were then replaced during weekend closures To ensure the long-term safety and functionality of the repaired tunnel a fiber optic cable monitoring system was implemented This system continuously monitors both the existing concrete bench walls and the newly installed FRP panels for any signs of movement or deterioration the fiber optic cable detects the movement and immediately transmits a signal allowing for prompt intervention and necessary repairs The revised repair plan proved highly successful The work requiring shutdowns was completed in just 12 months three months ahead of the accelerated schedule This achievement minimized disruption for the approximately 250,000 daily L train riders The project exemplified a collaborative spirit among the MTA driven by the urgency and the need for innovative solutions particularly the use of FRP panels and the cable racking system have since been considered for other infrastructure repair projects The project was funded through a combination of FEMA funds and the efficient execution of the revised plan resulted in cost savings compared to the original full shutdown proposal Regarding the broader resilience of the New York City subway system to future flooding events These include the installation of curbs at subway station entrances to impede surface water runoff and the potential consideration of guillotine-style floodgates within tunnels to prevent catastrophic flooding which also experienced severe flooding during Superstorm Sandy with methods tailored to its specific infrastructure The Canarsie Tunnel project serves as a valuable case study in effectively and efficiently repairing critical infrastructure after a major disaster while minimizing disruption to the public The talk can be viewed by going to the RMA website at https://greenwichrma.org “Frederic Church’s Olana” by Carolyn Keogh Note: This and all future RMA presentations will be held at Christ Church Greenwich Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900) was one of the leading American landscape painters of the 19th century and a central figure in the Hudson River School of painters boasting an eclectic mansion with spectacular views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains It has been designated a National Historic Landmark In this lecture Carolyn Keogh will examine Church and his artist-designed house and surrounding landscaping through the lenses of art Carolyn will discuss how deeply rooted Olana and Church’s practice is in the inspiration of place discuss Church’s engagements with the emerging field of ecology in the 19th century and explore his four-decade-long development of Olana as a work of three-dimensional landscape design Carolyn Keogh is the director of education and public programs at The Olana Partnership where she oversees programs for diverse learners of all ages at the renowned landmark historic site and teen programs at the Guggenheim Museum She has presented at conferences on intergenerational art and technology programs and on inclusive farm interpretation and is a member of the New York City Museum Educators Roundtable and public programming was published in “Theory and Practice” in 2019 and “History News” in 2022 Carolyn received her BA from NYU in art history and an MA in art history with a focus on art museum education from City College To stream the presentation by Carolyn Keogh at 11 AM on Wednesday This presentation will also be available on local public access TV channels Verizon FIOS channel 24 and Optimum (Cablevision) channel 79 The public is also invited to attend the presentation in person at Christ Church Greenwich Note: The views expressed in these presentations are those of the speakers They are not intended to represent the views of the RMA or its members RMA speaker presentations are presented as a community service at no cost to in-person or Zoom attendees Any member of the public who would like to receive a weekly email announcement of future speakers should send a request to members@greenwichrma.org The RMA urges all eligible individuals to consider becoming a member of our great organization and thereby enjoy all the available fellowship and community service opportunities which the RMA offers to its members Email:editor@greenwichsentinel.com By Angela G. Nannetti Hundreds gathered in Canarsie Park on Sunday afternoon for State Senator Roxanne Persaud’s annual Easter Egg Hunt which had to be rescheduled twice due to those typical April showers that bring May flowers unperturbed by naysayers who would scoff at the idea of an after-Easter egg hunt the senator hosted a beautiful event anyway “Easter is over when we say it is,” she told the crowd as she kicked off the celebration There was truly something for everyone: a live DJ as kids aged 3 to 12 were invited to scour the park in search of several elusive golden eggs found hidden beneath piles of leaves and behind rocks All the children left with smiles and baskets of colorful candy-filled eggs — more than 6,000 eggs were collected — and intentions of returning next year to do it all over again After serving the Canarsie community from their location on Avenue L and East 94th Street for 48 years the original owners of Seaview Jewelers relocated to a new showroom at 5902 Avenue N where the establishment has remained ever since Seaview Jewelers is in the hands of very capable new owners a family committed to continuing the company’s legacy of excellence in fine jewelry and outstanding service to their customers Although you can find everything from engagement rings and wedding bands to men’s watches platinum and stainless jewelry in their showroom Seaview Jewelers also specializes in custom craftsmanship a customer came in to pick up a breathtaking pair of diamond and blue sapphire earrings she had commissioned to wear on her wedding day and was absolutely taken aback by their brilliance Another had worked with the staff to combine the aspects she loved of three different rings to create the one perfect diamond ring of her dreams which turned out to be a stunning and elaborate piece Customers walked in that afternoon asking to have their watch batteries replaced and to have their jewelry repaired some of the many services Seaview Jewelers provide while another couple came in to peruse their premium selection of engagement rings which include both natural and lab-created diamonds Since some customers prefer the natural beauty and rarity of diamonds grown in the earth over billions of years and others favor the more affordable higher quality diamonds that are grown in a laboratory setting Whether you are in the market for new jewelry want to sell your gold or have your jewelry repaired Ranking high on the Yellow Pages’ “30 Best Jewelers in Brooklyn” and open Tuesday through Friday staff are on hand and willing to share their expertise with shoppers Please call (718) 257-1775 for more information and see their advertisement in the Canarsie Courier Welcome, Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog Out18-year-old shot in head on basketball court in Brooklyn, police say Wednesday 2024Stream New York's #1 news - Accuweather - original content 24/7BROOKLYN (WABC) -- An 18-year-old man was shot in the head in Brooklyn on a basketball court on Wednesday One person of interest is in custody and police said they are still searching for a male suspect The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * Follow us on YouTube * More local news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. By Amanda Salazar (CCDI) and the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN) are beginning a three-phase project in Canarsie to study residents’ experiences with flooding and sinking and to CCDI is a Canarsie-based nonprofit looking at ways to improve the neighborhood in terms of quality of life and resiliency to climate change The organization was born after Superstorm Sandy — which hit Canarsie and neighboring waterfront communities hard — and looked for ways to rebuild the area a suborganization of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a multidisciplinary group of several universities It studies climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for states in the Northeast which is to learn about the issues the community faces the scope of the situations and how widespread the problems are “A few people came to [CCDI] with these kinds of situations of homes sinking not knowing what to do,” CUNY Graduate Center earth and environmental sciences PhD student Charles Overton but they’re kind of suffering in silence because of fear of being kicked out of their homes.” the researchers are asking Canarsie residents workers and frequent visitors to fill out an anonymous survey where they can talk about any flooding or sinking — formally called land subsidence — they have experienced People are encouraged to fill out the survey even if they haven’t personally dealt with these issues as it will give the researchers a clearer understanding of roughly how many The same goes for people who just work in Canarsie or visit but do not permanently reside there The link to this survey can be found in the form of a scannable QR code present both at the bottom of this article and in the accompanying advertisement Physical copies of the survey can be mailed to CCDI at 4809 Avenue N Three survey respondents will be randomly selected to win either a $100 as an incentive to get people to fill out the form address or any identifying information of the participant but there is an option to leave your email at the end if you want to stay in contact with the team With a mix of multiple choice and written questions the survey could take around 10 minutes to complete depending on how detailed you get on the open-ended answers blocked sewers and water rising from the ground Flooding and land sinking are common issues in Canarsie a community that regularly deals with sinkholes a rising Fresh Creek and water leaks in the middle of streets Structural damage to homes can result from a lot of this preliminary results of the survey show around 40-43% of homes are dealing with some sort of structural damage CCDI Founder and Executive Director Harold Jones has experienced this firsthand his basement receiving 6.5 feet of flooding during Superstorm Sandy and the piles under his home coming up “The problems seem to be more serious than we thought,” Jones especially the area where the sinkholes were are scared because they don’t want the publicity but we have to do something as far as that’s concerned.” Residents may keep these experiences hush-hush out of concern that their insurance will drop them or raise their rates that they’ll have to pay for the costly process of getting their house raised or that they’ll have to move out of their home entirely if the damage is too severe the longer these problems are left to fester without being dealt with The research team believes these issues could be widespread in the community so the survey is an opportunity for the researchers to see if this is the case the diagnostic is far from being over; the doctor is just simply taking the different signals blood pressure and all that,” Drexel University civil geotechnical engineer Dr “We cannot really yet say much about whether it’s a very critical issue.” the team will analyze the data and try to map out where the issues are specifically (exact addresses will not be requested on the survey the second phase of the project will be to share the findings with the community and to try to “chart a path forward” with solutions This will be done through community meetings and workshops with residents Potential solutions include further geological studies or finding grants to address the issues The third and final phase of the project is to actually implement the solutions that were generated in phase two It is not yet clear what these solutions will be By Arthur De Gaeta marked the opening day of the New York Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan The event showcased a wide variety of cars for auto enthusiasts featuring brands from Ford to Chevrolet and everything in between including both gas-powered and electric vehicles It’s official: the fastest kid in Canarsie 3rd-grader Benjamin Jerome Mack Cartwright can now also be called the fastest kid in the world having won first place in the Millrose Games’ “Youth Boys’ (U-8) Fastest Kid in the World” 55-meter race The 8-year-old who is a student at Canarsie Ascend Lower School is a junior Olympian who has been running since September 2023 amassing around 60 gold and silver medals (see “Canarsie’s Junior Olympian Qualifies for ‘Fastest Kid in the World’ Race,” Canarsie Courier Cartwright participated in the Millrose Games a large annual indoor track and field competition held at The Armory in Manhattan He ran the youth boy’s 55-meter race and came in first place winning gold and earning him the title of the fastest kid in the world he was very jovial and [confident],” Cartwright’s grandfather he would be nervous and nauseous before a big race — most times he would throw up before the start of the race but not this one BJ had more confidence of winning the race than I [did].” After Cartwright’s practice prior to the race he told his grandfather that he had hit a new personal best and that only one of his 15-year-old teammates from the Dashing Dons and Divas running club was able to match his time told Cartwright he’d have to run under eight seconds to win “I must have [watched] this race about 50 times; I’m so proud of this kid,” Nelson said “I’m willing to do whatever I can to help him achieve his goals in life.” By Bristol Hendrix Under the glow of city lights and the unwavering spirit of community the Shoot for the Stars Foundation hosted its annual “Canarsie Honors Exclusive Ceremony” at the Bogart House The evening was more than just a celebration — it was a powerful testament to the strength resilience and dedication of individuals who have tirelessly worked to uplift Canarsie and beyond mother of the late music star “Pop Smoke,” started the awards to honor his dream of giving back to the community that raised him Love for her son is what prompted Jackson to establish Shoot for the Stars A live band played classic reggae tunes as honorees embracing the shared mission of progress and advocacy not just for the recognition of this year’s honorees but for the deep sense of unity that events like these foster in the Canarsie community Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman made a special surprise visit to honor Shoot for the Stars recognizing the organization for their work and dedication to the community This year’s Canarsie Honors recognized an extraordinary group of leaders whose dedication has left an indelible mark on the lives of many Each honoree took the stage to resounding applause Their stories painted a picture of perseverance — of battles fought for justice of voices amplified for the voiceless and of dreams turned into action Canarsie Honors was a night of artistic expression An exclusive art exhibit featured powerful works that spoke to the essence of Canarsie Live performances by Dancehall artist Rayvon filled the room with energy blending Caribbean rhythms with soul-stirring melodies — an homage to the neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage Pop Smoke’s clothing line was on display for all to enjoy sharing conversations about the future of Canarsie how to continue building a stronger community and the collective responsibility to uplift one another The event wasn’t just about looking back on achievements — it was about inspiring the next generation to step up there was an overwhelming sense that Canarsie Honors 2025 was not just an event — it was a movement A reminder that true leadership is measured not by titles but by the lives touched and the changes made For those who couldn’t attend, the work continues. The Shoot for the Stars Foundation invites the community to stay engaged, support initiatives that drive meaningful change and prepare for an even greater impact in the years to come.  To learn more about the honorees, upcoming initiatives or how to get involved, visit ShootForTheStars.org Canarsie is built on the backs of those who dare to dream who fight for justice and who believe in the power of unity those dreams were honored — and the promise of a brighter future was renewed