PLG Arts Presents the 5th Annual Summer of Free Theater for Children Ages 3 – 103

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Site Publisher

PLG Arts presents DAYDREAM directed by Rohana Elias-Reyes in Prospect Park’s Imagination Playground every weekend in June: Saturdays at 11a.m. and Sundays at 3p.m. All Performances free, no reservations required, seating on the ground. NYtheatre.com calls the show “can’t miss children’s theatre that Shakespeare lovers will truly appreciate,” this year with more magic, music, and puppets than ever. Free post-show art-making activities for children included, or bring your kids’ bathing suits for a splash in the dragon fountain. Visit: www.PLGArts.org or call 718-393-7733 for more information.

PLG Arts Daydream

Daydream - Titania and the Fairy Court

Photo: S. Elias-Reyes

DAYDREAM was conceived in 2006 by Laura Frenzer, PLG Arts President and Rohana Elias-Reyes, a PLG Arts founding member, both Prospect Lefferts Gardens parents and theater professionals.  In an effort to make better use of the Imagination Playground stage, they decided to put on a show, and settled on a short family-friendly version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  Over the years twenty-one actors have performed in the show, all but six of whom have resided in PLG or nearby neighborhoods, and seven PLG residents have lent their talents as designers, builders, and seamstresses.

Directions below…
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Photographs from the Prospect Lefferts Gardens 40th Annual House & Garden Tour

Posted on May 31, 2010 by bob

Photographs taken during Prospect Lefferts Gardens 2010 House Tour by Robert Marvin.

See all the photos on Flickr.

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Church of the Evangel added to the National Register of Historic Places

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Site Publisher

The Church of the Evangel has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.  The New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced the listing of The Church of the Evangel, located at the corner of Bedford Ave. and Hawthorne St.,  on the National Register of Historic Places.

PLG-Church-of-the-EvangelBuilt in 1916, an example of Late Gothic Revival architecture, the church embodies many characteristics that are typical of a medieval parish church in England. The building since the very beginning served as a community center for the neighborhood with an emphasis on youth programs. It served as the clubhouse for the largest Boy Scout troop in the country at the time and for the largest Girl Scout troop in the state.

The window over the doors was donated in 1927 by Emma Cromwell in memory of her brother, Joseph Milton Cromwell.  The window is made of Tiffany glass from the Tiffany Studios of New York City.

Credit goes to the Rev. Lisa Robinson and her congregation for their careful maintenance of this important Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood asset.  There will be a ceremony at the chuch on Saturday, June 5th.   Our thanks to the Hawthorne Street Blog for bringing this to our attention.

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The Changing Face of Lefferts Manor 1893 – 1993

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Site Publisher

By Mary Miller

In 1993 the Lefferts Manor Association sponsored an exhibit at the Lefferts Homestead in Prospect Park. The exhibit was a celebration of the centennial of the founding of the Lefferts Manor development, which grew from the Lefferts’ farm originally deeded to Peter Lefferts by Peter Stuyvesant in 1661.

The exhibit, which was on display from October 9 to December 19, drew on research conducted by six graduate students in the New York University masters’ program in  Public History, who spent both semesters of the 1991-92 academic year researching aspects of the Lefferts family, nearby Prospect Park, and the Lefferts Manor neighborhood itself. They presented their theses in an afternoon of lectures at the Lefferts Homestead in 1992. The exhibit curator, Linda Eber, incorporated this research with information and images from the Brooklyn Historical Society, the Brooklyn Public Library, the Smithsonian, many area residents, and other sources to produce the exhibit. Talented residents contributed to the photography (Andrew Strawcutter), graphic design (Vincent Lisi) and installation plan (Bill Sheppard) of the exhibit, which was a great credit to this vibrant community.

The exhibit topics were as follows: Yesterday and Today, Rural Roots, The Impact of Transportation, The Emerging Middle Class, The Lefferts Farm Divided,  The Single Family Covenant, The Lefferts Manor Association, Architecture, Changing Faces 1893-1949, Changing Faces 1949-1993, Prospect Park, Ebbets Field, Community Life, Notable People, Portraits of Residents.

It was my privilege to oversee this project and act as liaison between the community and Ms. Eber. With the expansion of the Lefferts Manor Association web site, this project can live again. Working with Foster Henry, who made digital images of each exhibit component, and Dennis Kelley, who is organizing them on the web site, we will upload sections of the exhibit over the summer, so keep checking for updates!

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Lefferts Manor Association’s Community Forum with Landmarks Preservation Commission

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Site Publisher

Lefferts Manor Association Landmarks Meeting-01It was a full house at the Lefferts Manor Association sponsored “Landmarks Forum” at the Church of the Evangel on Bedford Ave on Thursday, April 29th.

There was not just one but THREE representatives from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. John Weiss, Deputy Counsel involved with enforcement, Jenny Fernandez, Director of Intergovernmental and Community Relations, and Tenzing Chadotsang, Director of Grants and Outreach.

There was a steady line at the microphone to ask questions, make comments, log complaints and to vent in general.

Lefferts Manor Association Landmarks Meeting 03Off the top it was noted that violations are complaint driven which means that a third party has to actually log a complaint for a violation warning letter to be issued and that not all complaints in fact become violations. Landmarks doesn’t patrol neighborhoods looking for violations. And only if violations repeatedly are ignored, can fines be issued by a judge at the Environmental Control Board.

A question from the audience brought out the point that if you get a complaint about one issue on your property that the Landmarks compliance officer assigned to your case may cite you with other conditions that are in violation when visiting your residence to assist with correcting the first violation. This highlighted the importance of being proactive in fixing “wrongs” before they become violations remembering that there is a responsibility in being a homeowner in a NYC landmarked historic district and that care must be exercised when undertaking work to the exterior of these properties.

A very helpful guide is the LPC’s Rowhouse Manual which is a publication that can be downloaded as a PDF from the “Forms and Publications” section of the Landmarks website http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc. It outlines the items that LPC considers ordinary maintenance that do not require Landmarks permits and it outlines the items that do require Landmarks permits. LPC staff will assist and guide homeowners in making decisions about what to do. Also on the website is information about how to apply for a Landmarks permit. An application form and a copy of instructions are available for download or it can be obtained by calling the LPC at 212-669-7817. You can email them directly with questions at info@lpc.nyc.gov.

Photos: Bob Marvin

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