Tonight: Brooklyn Green Team Party in Gowanus

Local environmental superheroes the Brooklyn Green Team will be hosting a party tonight with Brooklyn Green Drinks benefiting environmental non-profit GrowNYC. At 7 p.m. at Lowlands bar in Gowanus, the event will feature a silent auction, a DJ, organic wine and beer specials and a special cocktail in honor of the celebration.

Recycled, Repurposed Film and TV Props at Gowanus Shop

Film Biz Recycling takes props and furniture from New York City’s movie, TV and commercial productions that would normally be thrown out and either sells them or donates them to charities and supply shops.

Tomorrow, Dec. 10, Film Biz Recycling will open on 540 President St. in Gowanus after relocating from Long Island City, Queens. But tonight, from 4 to 8 p.m., the store is opening its doors for a sneak peek of its new location, as well as a look at its stock of loot from holiday commercials and TV specials.

Green Edge NYC has the info about tonight’s event. Also see www.filmbizrecycling.org.

Whole Foods Brooklyn Store to Have Green Features

Whole Foods is now officially moving to Brooklyn — on Third Avenue and Third Street in Gowanus, with groundbreaking expected in 2012 — and the project is planned to have several green elements. 

According to a statement issued by the company, the store will feature parking for energy-efficient vehicles, as well as specially designated recharging stations for electric powered vehicles. The parking lot will include bike parking in front of the store and along a pedestrian promenade. 

Most excitingly, there will be a 20,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse that will grow fresh, organic produce onsite.

Pictured here is an architect's rendering of the planned Whole Foods.

Rendering courtesy Whole Foods

Fabulous Fresh Finds, Weeks 7 and 8: Fall Fun

Well readers, it happens to the best of us: I've fallen off the blog train, as I have in the past and probably will again. But I really have been going to the GAP Greenmarket (though we did miss two weeks due to yet more weddings).

On Oct. 23, we stopped by on the way to a pumpkin carving gathering at Lowlands Bar in Gowanus, in the hopes of getting a pumpkin. Not only did we get a regular pumpkin, we also got two mini pumpkins for decorating and some ornamental corn, all from Lebak Farm (Burlington County, NJ). We got a bunch of Fuji apples and — because it's my favorite fall vegetable — butternut squash from Phillips Farms (Hunterdon County, NJ).

We harvested the guts of the pumpkin, then separated the seeds from the core. We used the core to brew a Brooklyn Brewshop Pumpkin Dubbel beer — by roasting the pumpkin with brown sugar and adding the mixture to the mash and the boil — and I toasted the seeds up with some salt using this recipe. The seeds made a delicious snack while brewing and for several days after. The beer is still fermenting; we'll bottle in the coming week. (You can read about our progress on our blog, beerunion.net. How's that for some shameless self-promotion?)

I roasted the squash with some butter and cinnamon, then mashed it. As for the apples, they were great on their own, or also paired with some leftover Lynnhaven goat cheese and drizzled with honey from Brooklyn bees (which I purchased at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's "Bee Day" celebration back in June). Totally local and totally delicious.

This past Saturday (Oct. 30) we were back at the market, stocking up on another butternut squash from Phillips Farms — I can't be without it for too long during the season — and some spinach, garlic and green beans from Cedar Hill Farm/Kernan Farms (Cumberland County, NJ). We also got broccoli rabe from Evolutionary Organics (Ulster County, NY), which we blanched and sauteed, then added to orecchiette and topped it with shaved grana padano cheese, for a lovely Italian-inspired meal. We also snapped up some grapes from Buzzard Crest Vineyards (Yates County, NY).

Of course, I couldn't leave without a non-food item. I kept seeing people with these large bunches of green leafy flower-looking things, so I investigated Lebak Farm's stand. It was eucalyptus, and I had to get some. The bunch was so big I had to split it into two vases (and my hands got pretty sticky handling it), but it's gorgeous, and it smells great in our apartment.

The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket is held on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round. The city's Greenmarkets are a program of GrowNYC, a non-profit geared toward improving the quality of life in the five boroughs through environmental programs. This particular Greenmarket, founded in 1989, is GrowNYC's flagship Brooklyn market and is its second largest market behind Union Square.

Related:

Fabulous Fresh Finds, Week 6: Poor Planning
Fabulous Fresh Finds, Week 5: Adjusting Expectations
Fabulous Fresh Finds, Week 4: Change of Plans
Fabulous Fresh Finds, Week 3: On the Road
Fabulous Fresh Finds: Week 2
New Blog Feature: Fabulous Fresh Finds

Con Ed Helping Out Small Businesses With Energy Efficiency Program

Small businesses may not know that there is a way to reduce the cost of their energy bills, surely higher now given this summer's unusually high temperatures. Con Edison has teamed up with energy consultants Willdan Energy Solutions to help small businesses facing these steep bills through the Con Edison Small Business Energy Efficiency Program.

“It’s a great program for small business owners,” said program manager at Con Edison Esteban Vasquez. “It gives them the opportunity to reduce their energy bill.”

Small businesses that enroll in the program get a free energy survey that will show eligible small businesses — which range “from medical offices to bodegas,” said Vasquez — where they can save money and energy. Con Ed will then provide free upgrades, such as compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs), and then pay 70 percent of installation costs for additional energy improvements, implemented by Willdan.

For the businesses they have in the program (1,700 in Brooklyn), the changes they recommend have been related to lighting and refrigeration. In many cases they have replaced exit signs with LED exit signs, resulting in a 90 percent reduction in energy usage.

Introduced in August of 2009, the program has had some difficulty getting off the ground, said Vasquez. Though Con Ed pays for 70 percent of the installation, “some people are a little skeptical… it comes off to be a little too good to be true.” So Con Ed has been working lately to increase outreach, visiting local business improvement districts, expos and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “We’re talking to as many people as we can.”

One of the Brooklyn small businesses in the program is MISS Sportswear, a clothing importer and manufacturer in Gowanus.  After their free survey, MISS Sportswear received five free CFLs, and decided to go ahead with Con Ed’s recommendations. Willdan than installed 303 energy-efficient T8 fluorescent tubes throughout their facility.

The total cost of the project was $18,785. Since Con Ed covered 70 percent of the installation cost, MISS Sportswear paid only $5,635. In less than five months, the project paid for itself with cost savings. Annually, MISS Sportswear will save an estimated $13,960 on their energy bill and over 93,080 kWh.

“To successfully run a store such as ours, lowering our utility costs is crucial to excel during a tough economic time,” said Mory Fallas, owner of MISS Sportswear. “The Con Edison Small Business Energy Efficiency Program gave us the kick start we needed.”

Children’s apparel store Kid City in the Georgetown Shopping Center in Flatlands is another participant in the program. In addition to the free survey, the store received 24 free CFLs and 175 energy-efficient T8 tubes were installed over the main sales floor and in the basement. The total installed cost was about $11,700, with Kid City paying $3,500 for the whole upgrade. The store will save an estimated 76,000 kWh each year, which represents about $11,500.

“I’m very happy,” said store manager Solomon Torguman. “I was so pleased that I recommended the program to 20 other Kid City stores in the New York and New Jersey area.”

So what’s in it for Con Edison? “Con Edison is participating in the state’s initiative to reduce energy usage,” said Vasquez. “It’s a good idea. Small business owners are a big part of everyday life.

“The great thing about this is that they’re saving money on their energy bill. Now they have the extra cash,” he continued. “There’s more than one benefit. They’re not going to save money in just one month, it’s a permanent reduction.”

To get involved in the Small Business Energy Efficiency Program, call (888) 945-5326.

Where Can You Recycle All That E-Waste, Anyway?

Recently I've gotten several e-mails regarding where to drop off electronics for recycling, so I thought I'd devote some blog space to it. Because if you have an old computer, a cell phone or two, or even a TV taking up space in your home, there's always something you can do with it, even if you missed the most recent electronics recycling event that cropped up in your neighborhood.

The 4th Bin: This New York City organization takes e-waste from residences and businesses. They accept computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax-machines, copiers, network devices, peripherals (keyboards, mice, cables, etc.), components (hard drives, CD-ROMs, circuit boards, power supplies, etc.) TVs, VCRs, DVD Players, Audio-visual equipment, cell phones, pagers, PDAs, telecommunication (phones, answering machines), digital cameras, MP3 players, toner, and UPS batteries. They refurbish and resell as much equipment as possible, and whatever cannot be refurbished is transported to one of their partners for processing. You can fill out a form on The 4th Bin's web site to let them know what you have to collect and schedule a pick-up date.

The Mac Support Store: As a member of NYC's Retailer Take-Back Program, the Mac Support Store is a collection center for any unwanted computer equipment, Mac or PC. Simply drop off your stuff at its location at 168 7th Street, 2nd Floor, in Gowanus during its open hours, which are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The e-waste is then picked up by a C7 NY State registered/NJDEP registered recycler.

Goodwill: Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey has partnered with Dell to launch Reconnect, allowing people in New York and New Jersey to recycle any brand of computer or computer equipment for free at any of the 38 participating Goodwill donation centers and retail stores. Here you'll find a list of what Reconnect accepts and be able to search for a Goodwill location to drop off items.

The Lower East Side Ecology Center: Founded in 1987 as one of the first organizations in the city to offer community-based recycling and composting program, the Lower East Side Ecology Center started an e-waste recycling program in 2003, offering free collection events in neighborhoods throughout the city. They accept computers, monitors and peripherals (printers, keyboards and mice) as well as TVs and cell phones. Visit the center's web site for a calendar of upcoming events. 

GrowNYC: A non-profit working to improve the city's quality of life through environmental programs, one of GrowNYC's key programs is its recycling program. Through its Office of Outreach and Education (OROE), it works to improve the city's recycling rate by educating residents about recycling and waste prevention, and working with landlords to make sure building recycling programs are adequate. There is a section on GrowNYC's web site for upcoming recycling events (though many are held by the Lower East Side Ecology Center), but you can also contact the organization with any recycling-related questions at any time, just fill in the contact form on the site. Also, here are some of GrowNYC's recycling resources.

I hope this helps you all with your electronics recycling endeavors. As always, e-mails and questions are welcome anytime! Send them to greenbeat@brooklyneagle.net.

Obsolete Macintosh Computers Become Works of Art in Gowanus

It’s long been a tradition for Macintosh hobbyists to convert their old, cherished computers into something else — a fish tank, for example. With this idea in mind, Jeff Graber, owner of the Mac Support Store in Gowanus, looked at the pile of obsolete computer equipment in his store and wondered, what could be done with it?

Since the Mac Support Store is part of NYC's Retailer Take-Back Program, the equipment was slated to be recycled. But Graber and Brooklyn curators Michele Jaslow and Spring Hofeldt decided to put out a call for artists to use them to create art pieces.

The result is the show “Programmed,” which opened on Dec. 21 at the Mac Support Store, with a satellite exhibit in the windows of wine shop Red White & Bubbly on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope.

Eight artists contributed 12 pieces to the show, three of whom are Brooklyn-based. “[The artists’] work speaks to the idea of how quickly these electronics become obsolete,” Jaslow said. “What happens to the old, which is relatively not so old.”

The work in the show is diverse; Jaslow described a necklace made out of an iPod and a working lie detector made out of computer parts. Brooklyn artist Noah Fischer created a multimedia installation called “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish,” (left) named for a commencement speech Steve Jobs gave at Stanford in 2005. The expansive piece comprised of stacks and piles of computer parts with blinking lights set to a soundtrack of Jobs’ speech fills the better part of a room. See the video below.

Brooklyn artist Kimberly Simpson’s work (right), a “video reliquary” dedicated to “Saint Obsoleta.” According to her artist statement, it is inspired by the computer parts and by medieval reliquaries which protect a saintly relic. The patron saint of outmoded objects, Saint Obsoleta encourages humans to adopt new technologies in order to replace the old. She also acts as a guide, directing obsolete technologies and outdated electronic items to their final resting place.

Nancy Lunsford, a Park Slope artist and founder of 440 Gallery, contributed pieces based on quilt patterns (top, left). She was surprised when working with the computer parts, she said. “It was much more colorful than I anticipated, much more delicate.”

Using pieces from computers juxtaposed with children’s pacifiers symbolizes how people are “pacified by computers,” Lunsford said.

With her work, Lunsford wanted to emphasize the human-machine connection. “[Computers] are made by human beings, they are used by human beings... they are more human than we think and we are more machine than we think.”

Graber, too, wants viewers to take away from the show a new way to think about their relationship with computers. “I hope it stimulates people to think about and interact with their electronics,” he said, explaining that we spend so much time using the computer when it’s on that “when it’s off, it takes on a whole new meaning.”

What originally inspired Jaslow, she said, is “what happens to these electronics when you’re done with them, [asking] what is their place in our community, what is their place in art... looking at things in a different way.”
But the most important message Graber hopes people take away from “Programmed” is that, “Computers and electronics must be recycled. There are so many toxic elements within computers and electronics.”

“Programmed” features work by Noah Fisher, Liesl Hazelton, Nancy Lunsford, Mario Marchese, Ryan Mcintosh, Patricia Paludanus and Kimberly Simpson. The satellite installation features work by Ryan Seslow.

The show will continue at the Mac Support Store through March 13, with a reception this Friday, Jan. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m., sponsored by Red White & Bubbly, which is open to the public. For more information, click here.



Photos courtesy of Michele Jaslow.

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Scientist James Hansen Speaks at Secret Science Club in Brooklyn

Director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and adjunct professor at Columbia University's Department of Earth and Environmental Science, James Hansen, visited the Secret Science Club at the Bell House on Tuesday evening to speak about the climate crisis.

He doubted that the climate conference in Copenhagen will change much, while warning that environmental troubles are nearing a "tipping point" of no return unless action is taken while there is still hope. Though "CO2 has already passed its limits into the dangerous zone," Hansen said, "we can still reverse it."

His solutions are to "phase out coal, prohibit carbon fuel, improve forest practices and re-forest lands, and institute no-till agriculture."

Eagle reporter Harold Egeln went to the meeting. You can read his full story here.

Greenway Party Tonight!

The Brooklyn Greenway Initative is throwing a party from 7 – 10 p.m. tonight at FIND Home Furnishings at 59 Ninth St. near the Gowanus Canal. Join fellow greenway supporters for great food and drink, live music from the Hot Johnsons, and lots of raffle prizes, all in support of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. Tickets are $25, or two for $40.

Food and drink will be provided by Alma, Joya, Rocky Sullivan’s, Union Market, Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies, Nine Cakes, Bee Desserts and Sixpoint Craft Ales. Raffle prizes were donated by Bar Tano, Fort Defiance, Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, Sophie Lair-Berreby Photography, Metal and Thread, Olive Design, Perch Design, Massage Therapy by Gerald Pulis, Tom Rupolo Urban Landscape Photography, and FIND Home Furnishings.

Directions: F/G to Smith-9th, B75, B77, or take the bike lane along Ninth Street. Bike parking will be available.
 

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Eat-In on Labor Day in Brooklyn

No plans on Labor Day? Join Slow Food USA — an organization dedicated to promoting good, clean and fair food — for its National Eat-In day on Monday, Sept 7, in conjunction with its Time for Lunch Campaign. An Eat-In is a potluck that takes place in public and gathers people to support a cause, in this case to get real food into schools.

Not Eating Out in New York has a list of some Eat-Ins, several of which are in Brooklyn:

• Prospect Heights, at the schoolyard of PS 9 Teunis G. Bergen School (80 Underhill Avenue on St. Mark’s Avenue), from 12 – 3 p.m.
• Williamsburg, at Bridget (20 Broadway between Dunham Pl. and Kent Ave), from 12 – 3 p.m.
• Gowanus, at The Bell House (149 Seventh Street), from 3 – 7 p.m., a local-themed Eat-In hosted by the Ladies Who Lunch.
• Park Slope, a kid-friendly Eat-In, at 6/15 Green Community Garden (Sixth Avenue and 15th Street), from 3 – 5 p.m.

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Electronics Recycling in Gowanus

Through Sept. 30, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m, drop off your used electronic equipment for reuse or environmentally safe recycling, at 88 Ninth St. in Gowanus. For more information, e-mail john@valiant-ny.com or lberrios@perscholas.org.

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Weekend Gowanus Cleanup

Eagle photographer Mike Plotz caught up with John Muir (pictured), vice chairman of the Gowanus Canal Conservancy’s Board of Directors and longtime Brooklyn environmentalist, at this past Saturday’s “Clean and Green” event sponsored by the conservancy.

Muir is the founder of the now-closed Center for the Urban Environment (CUE).

At the cleanup, volunteers collected large bags of debris and weeds and also planted wildflowers and other plants on the banks of the Gowanus Canal. Organizers say that when it rains, heavy metals from car runoff will then be absorbed by the plants instead of polluting the already troubled canal.

Photo by Mike Plotz

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Clean & Green the Gowanus Canal

The Gowanus Canal Conservancy sent word to the Eagle about its new volunteer program, "Clean & Green," to clean up the banks of the Gowanus Canal. It kicks off Saturday, May 30 from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m. and will continue once a month through October. Volunteers are needed! Tasks vary based on need at the different sites but will include: picking up trash and debris, weeding and/or planting. To register, email volunteer@gowanuscanalconservancyorg or call at (718) 541-4378. Sponsors for the program are also needed, for information, call Lauren Collins at (718) 541-4378.

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Questions Surround Closing of Center for the Urban Environment

Though the 30-year-old Center for the Urban Environment (CUE) has been shut down for a week, information on why it closed has been scarce. With the exception of a press release sent out by the staff detailing their reaction, no one is saying much about the abrupt closure. Calls to executive director Patricia Synan and former executive director Sandi Franklin have not been returned.

A source close to the center, however, indicated that lawyers have instructed the staff not to publicly discuss the issue, and that the future plan is to file for bankruptcy. The source explained that since CUE didn’t own its building — it had a 35 year lease on the recently refurbished Gowanus location — the biggest element of value is most likely intellectual property, i.e. the school programs.

Reached by phone, Founder John Muir told the Eagle that he was “dismayed and surprised that the organization has closed,” but added (in Latin), “of the dead, speak nothing but good.

“At the time I retired, CUE was a not-for-profit of astonishingly good health. We were on budget with $3.5 million with a half a million in reserve,” Muir said. “Since that time I have had minimal contact with the organization, but had the impression that they were doing very well. My wife and I attended the 30th anniversary celebration [in November] and everything spoke of prosperity.”

Sources have said that one possible reason CUE went under was the debt generated from renovating the building.

Speculation has also arisen that the current economic climate may have played a factor in CUE’s decline, causing funding to dwindle and fundraising to be difficult. Representatives at the center were either unavailable or unable to comment.

Other sources, however, indicated that funding was not the problem, but would not elaborate.

— With additional reporting by Dennis Holt

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Center for the Urban Environment: What Happened?

I recently received the following press release from the former staff at the Center for the Urban Environment, which abruptly closed its doors last week:

The staff of the Center for the Urban Environment is saddened and shocked by the recent events surrounding CUE’s closing this passed week. The 30-year old nonprofit, based in Brooklyn, was one of New York City’s leading providers of environmental education and was always at the cusp of innovative programs and tours, along with its recently launched Sustainable Business Network.

“We understand it was a difficult decision that was made by the Board of Directors. We had all hoped that a restructuring of the organization would’ve addressed some of the immediate financial concerns—where options of merging or retiring some of our programs could have sustained the organization's life. Corporations file for bankruptcy and maintain operations all the time. It’s such a shame to have abruptly ceased our programs to tens of thousands of school children, teachers, businesses, residents, and tourists alike,” said Aisha Glover, former Director of Public Affairs at the Center for the Urban Environment.

“CUE’s best assets have always been its staff and the knowledge and expertise they maintain. Ideally, we’d find a home for this expertise and our programs would be able to live on. We are educators, urban planners, tour guides, community liaisons, and artists with knowledge about an array of topics on the sustainability spectrum. From concepts as complex as energy efficiency and green building design for high school students or adults to activities that use puppetry and hand-crafted board games to teach pre-schoolers about recycling and conservation. There’s really an enormous amount of talent that existed at CUE and still exists through its staff,” says Michelle Piano, former Manager of Early Childhood Programs.

The Center for the Urban Environment provided hands-on educational programs and tours throughout New York City, making a concerted effort to address the great disparity between communities that need this information and communities that actually access it through programs such as its Family Literacy Initiative. CUE used its 30 year history of educating New Yorkers from all walks of life about how to live, create, and promote a more sustainable future. Through urban tours, school programs, a sustainable business network, and events and workshops for the public, CUE served nearly 100,000 New Yorkers each year.

Despite this statement, questions still remain. As for why the center closed, some sources say it's because of funding cuts and drops, others maintain funding wasn't the reason.

Former members of the staff are reluctant to address these issues, though they do emphasize the tragedy that now over 40 people are unemployed.

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Brooklyn Loses Beloved Environmental Organization

This week, the Brooklyn-based Center for the Urban Environment (CUE) closed its doors after 30 years of service to the borough and the rest of the city.

A nonprofit that gave urban tours in all five boroughs and had programs in over 300 schools throughout the city, CUE’s funding had recently been cut. It was reported in the Eagle in February that New York State’s Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquariums Grant Program (ZBGA) was to be eliminated, resulting in a $62,000 loss for the center.

Founded by John Muir in 1978, the organization was originally knows as the Prospect Park Environmental Center, then the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment. It operated out of the Prospect Park Tennis House until last year, when it moved to its last location in the LEED Gold-certified building on Seventh St. in Gowanus.

Sources say that one reason CUE went under was the debt generated from renovating the building. State-of-the-art green technologies were installed, such as a “walk-off grate” was installed on the floor just inside the doorway, a lighting system that will adjust to the amount of natural light coming into the building and the most energy-efficient desktop computers on the market.

Speculation has arisen that the current economic climate may have also played a factor in CUE’s decline, causing funding to dwindle and fundraising to become difficult. Representatives at the center were either unavailable or unable to comment.

Whatever the cause, there have been indications for several weeks that something was amiss at CUE. There were reports of employee layoffs, and Executive Director Sandi Franklin abruptly resigned.

Franklin took over as executive director in 2002 from Muir, who had held the position since he founded the organization. Upon Franklin’s resignation, the board of directors appointed Patricia Synan, first vice chair of the board and a retired school superintendent, to serve as interim executive director.

“A lot of nonprofits are going through a hard time right now,” Aisha Glover, director of public affairs at CUE, told the Eagle in March. “But everybody is really hopeful about moving forward... we’re actually okay.”

But hope, apparently, wasn’t enough. “Effective immediately, the Center for the Urban Environment is closed,” is Glover’s current voicemail message.

What will happen to the green building is unknown, as developer David Sweeney, from whom CUE leased the space, did not return calls by press time.

Remembering CUE

There’s no doubt that the Center for the Urban Environment will be missed. Eagle managing editor Raanan Geberer recalled not only the urban tours he took through the center, but also the ones he gave.

“I was always interested in local history, and wanted people to know more about it,” he said. As for the organization’s impact, “They made people aware of places or aspects of the city that they wouldn’t have been aware of otherwise.

“I’m very surprised it closed because it’s been around for so long,” he added. “It seemed to me that it was actually expanding.”

Brooklyn Brewery owner Steve Hindy, a friend of Franklin’s, said, “The Center for the Urban Environment was doing very important environmental programs in many public schools in Brooklyn. I think it’s a shame that their efforts are no longer continuing.”

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The Center for the Urban Environment Has Closed Its Doors

The Eagle learned (via a posting on Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn) the the 30-year-old Center for the Urban Environment (CUE) — formerly the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment — has closed its doors. Calls to the center yielded voice mails or former employees not at liberty to give statements.

In early March, Executive Director Sandi Franklin (who took over from founder John Muir) resigned after eight years of service and was replaced by Pat Synan, a member of CUE's board of directors. In her tenure, she moved CUE to its current location on Seventh St. in Gowanus. The building was renovated and recently achieved LEED Gold certification.

There's no doubt that Brooklyn has lost a valuable institution. CUE sponsored tours of all five boroughs of New York City and held programs at over 300 schools city-wide, educating students about the urban environment and sustainability.

In November, Franklin told the Eagle, “It’s a quiet revolution. I think its getting louder among [the activists.] But I don’t think it’s getting louder among the immigrant population, and I don’t think it’s getting louder in the ghetto populations, and I don’t think its getting louder in deprived and poverty stricken populations.

“It’s because they can’t afford to engage in it because they’re worried about survival,” she added. “I’m trying to flip it — I’m trying to say: ‘Let’s make survival this.’”

CUE will be missed.

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Sandi Franklin Leaves Her Place in the CUE

Sandi Franlkin (left) resigned from her position of executive director of the Center for the Urban Environment last week. She had taken over from founder John Muir in 2002 and during her tenure, the center moved into its LEED Gold certified home on 7th St. in Gowanus and celebrated its 30th birthday.

“A lot of non-profits are going through a hard time right now,” said Aisha Glover (right), director of public affairs. “But everybody is really hopeful about moving forward.”

Glover said that Franklin’s departure is difficult coupled with the center’s financial struggles, but she expressed her gratitude to the board of directors for stepping in and “helping us through this tough time.”

The board has appointed Patricia Synan, first vice chair of the board and a retired NYC Community School Superintendent, to serve as interim executive director.

Glover explained that Synan’s education background will be helpful for CUE and there will be “a lot of new opportunities.”

Franklin did not have an education background when she started at CUE. “I didn’t go to get this job because I was an educator or an environmentalist. I was very interested in something that’s a non-profit dilemma, which is: How do you take over from a founder?” she told the Eagle in December.

In addition to finding CUE a new home, Franklin said, since she started, “We updated all of our curricula. We professionalized the staff. We became much more community oriented in terms of starting the small business network because we understand that the environment is also an economic environment.”

Passionate about her job and her mission, Franklin said, “It’s a quiet revolution. I think its getting louder among [the activists.] But I don’t think it’s getting louder among the immigrant population, and I don’t think it’s getting louder in the ghetto populations, and I don’t think its getting louder in deprived and poverty stricken populations.

“It’s because they can’t afford to engage in it because they’re worried about survival,” she added. “I’m trying to flip it — I’m trying to say: ‘Let’s make survival this.’”

Since Franklin’s departure last week, the staff at CUE has been moving forward, with the board stepping in and helping out. “We’re actually okay,” said Glover.

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