16 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Woodbine in Ridgewood raises operating funds
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@CNGLOCAL.COM
An “experimental hub” in Ridgewood
for political and social
movement is raising funds for
another year in their space aft er being
in the community since 2013.
Woodbine has raised $4,700 of their
$10,000 goal to cover the expenses
of rent of their space on Woodbine
Street, along with insurance and
other overhead, according to the organization.
The group is also selling
merchandise.
Some of the programs off ered by
Woodbine include research groups, a
farm share of produce from Ironwood
Farm in Columbia County, a monthly
poetry reading series called Crush
and meditation classes.
“Over the years, we have seen any
number of political campaigns and
movements come and go, which has
proven again and again the necessity to
maintain a consistency and sensibility
within a ruthless world. For us this has
been our space, the community that
maintains it, and the spirit that circulates
within and around it,” Matt Peterson
from Woodbine wrote in an email.
Renovations to the space were also
paid for out of pocket by the organizers,
he said.
Peterson is a multi-media documentarian
who has produced stories on the
lives of people on American Indian
reservations as well as Palestinian
refugee camps.
Among the items that can be purchased
through Woodbine’s IndieGoGo
page are tote bags, t-shirts, artwork from
Ben Morea and Tony Buczko, books, tarot
readings, Reiki sessions, private dinners,
cooking lessons and sailing lessons.
The money will help “cushion” the
group against further expenses which
will help them continue off ering programs
that help build communities up.
The organization can be found at
1882 Woodbine St.
Committee hearing for curb cuts bill
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@CNGLOCAL.COM
The City Council’s Transportation
Committee is reviewing
a bill that Councilman Robert
Holden sponsored which will require
NYPD and the city Department of
Buildings to investigate the legality of
curb cuts for driveways before issuing
summonses.
The legislation looks to save drivers
money on tickets and tows as well as
crack down on illegal driveways, according
to Holden, who says the issue
puts an undue burden on motorists.
“Too often folks are being summonsed,
and even worse, towed because
a homeowner decided to alter
their curbs to create an illegal driveway.
This is a problem that requires a
response from our city agencies,” the
Middle Village-based lawmaker said.
Holden further stated in a Facebook
post that the practice of paving one’s
lawn and created an illegal curb cut
will end if motorists know it is illegal
and park in front of the property
anyway. He introduced the bill in
June, claiming the issue of illegal curb
cutting could get worse as overdevelopment
increases across the city.
“It’s going to be an even bigger problem
than it is now, because as more and
more housing is built the less parking
is available,” Holden said during a public
meeting in his Middle Village offi ce
on June 6. “It’s also a fi re complaint,
because if you park in front of your
door you’re blocking the entrance, and
we can’t accept this.”
While still in the committee, the law
could take eff ect six months aft er it is
signed into law.
NYPD would have to verify the
legality of the driveway before taking
any kind of action and the public can
verify this information through the
city’s website.
However, Holden said in a June
interview with QNS that in order to
make this bill more easily enforced, an
online portal would need to be created
that is accessible via mobile device or
laptops in NYPD squad cars.
With illegal conversions and basement
rentals on the rise in Holden’s district,
the bill Intro 939 is just one of the bills
introduced by Holden this year to take
on housing issues that eff ect his district.
In October, Holden introduced a
package of bills Illegal conversions,
abandoned houses and stalled construction
projects.
RIDGEWOOD TIMES/File photo
City Councilman Robert Holden speaks at a recent meeting in Ridgewood
Photo: Google Street View
The headquarters of Woodbine in Ridgewood
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