BENSONHURST'S PREMIER NEWS BLOG

Source: Venkytsv via Wikimedia Commons

From the offices of Councilman David Greenfield:

In his latest effort to spruce up local neighborhoods and help improve the environment, Councilman David G. Greenfield is hosting a free tree giveaway this Sunday, October 21 at Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School. The event, held in partnership with MillionTreesNYC and the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), will begin at noon and last until 2 p.m. or until the 100 tree allotment has been distributed. Interested residents can register for their free tree ahead of time online, and a limited amount of trees will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis on Sunday.

“This is a great way for residents to help spruce up their neighborhood. Trees improve our air quality and add to the beauty of our community, so I am proud to bring this great program to the district. I encourage anyone interested in breathing a little easier and doing their part to help the environment to register today for a free tree,” said Councilman Greenfield.

The giveaway is part of the city’s ongoing MillionTreesNYC initiative, which is a joint venture between the New York City Parks Department and New York Restoration Project that aims to plant and care for one million new trees across the five boroughs over the next decade. The goal is to increase the city’s urban forest, which is comprised of street trees, park trees and trees on public, private and commercial land, by 20 percent. This event is limited to one tree per household. The trees must be planted within the five boroughs, and cannot be planted along streets, in city parks, in containers or on roofs. In addition, the resident or family accepting the free tree is responsible for properly watering and maintaining it.

This marks the latest chapter in Councilman Greenfield’s community beautification projects that he has undertaken since taking office. Greenfield recently joined Assemblyman Bill Colton for several community cleanup days in Bensonhurst and has worked with various city agencies to combat illegal dumping and truck idling along Bay Parkway. He has also allocated millions of dollars to improve neighborhood parks and increase the amount of green space residents have access to.

“I am proud of all the progress we have made towards cleaning up and beautifying Midwood, Boro Park and Bensonhurst over the past few years. I will continue to work with city agencies, my colleagues in government and community groups to build on this progress with future events and initiatives aimed at making our streets nicer and improving our quality of life,” added Greenfield.

For more information about Sunday’s tree giveaway, contact Councilman Greenfield’s district office at (718) 853-2704. Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School is located at 5800 20^th Avenue. To register ahead of time for a free tree, visit www.nyrp.org/milliontreesnyc.

The following is a joint press release from the offices of City Council Members David Greenfield and Vincent Gentile:

Council Members Greenfield, Gentile and Gonzalez
Thank DOE for Agreeing to Keep FDR High School Open

CMs Had Objected to Closure Plan in Letter to Chancellor

Brooklyn, NY – Council Members David G. Greenfield, Vincent J. Gentile and Sara M. González are pleased that the city Department of Education (DOE) has listened to the Council Members and reversed its decision to close Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School (FDR) as part of its model to turnaround 33 city schools. The DOE announced yesterday that seven schools that received at least a “B” on the city’s school report card such as FDR would not be closed as part of the city’s “turnaround” model, as had been planned. Continue Reading »

FDR High School (Source: schools.nyc.gov)

The first place Moustafa Elhanafi met Principal Geraldine Maione was underneath the shade of a tree in FDR High School’s courtyard.

Maione wasn’t standing below the thick branches and wide leaves to teach Eastern philosophy or poetry, but rather to catch students in the act of skipping class.

For his own part, Elhanafi was glad to find her there. Glad because educational instruction wasn’t what he was attempting to escape. On the contrary, it was precisely what he was seeking out Continue Reading »

Our sister site Sheepshead Bites ran an article yesterday about William E. Grady High School which, despite improving from a grade D to a B in its latest evaluation, is on a list of 33 “persistently low-achieving”  schools slated to lose half their staff.

What’s even more surprising, as well as relevant to Bensonhurst residents, is the inclusion of our own FDR High School on the city’s sh-t hit list. Surprising due to the fact that, during FDR’s last two evaluations, it received a grade of B! Not exactly what one would call a low performing school.

One teacher quoted by Sheepshead Bites described the mayor’s policy as a thinly veiled attempt at revenge. Continue Reading »