Minutes LUNGS meeting Monday May 9, 2022, 6:30pm
Attendance: Charles Krezell, Carmine D’Intino, Carolyn Ratcliffe, Karen Kandrac, Laura Sewell, Aitor Zabalegui, Kevin Vasher, Shawn Dahl (who compiled the minutes in Ayo’s absence)
Absent: Ayo Harrington, Margarita Calderall, Vito Tomaso, Camille Marlow, Shig Matsukawa, Frank Gonzalez, Christopher Batenhorst, Maryanne Byington
Financials
(rounded numbers)
$2,000 in savings
$17,700 in checking
$300 in PayPall
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$20,800 total
• Spring Awakening expenses $2,720 approx total. Outstanding to pay approx $770 (including $220 for printing)
LOSCC wants to share cost of programming on Avenue B (ponies, sod, Batala, etc.) from the DOT 22 budget. Laura will coordinate with Karen on this.
Spring Awakening recap
• Success! Lawn/pop-up garden, Black Cowboys Ponies (300+ rides!) [Laura to scan all the signed waivers and send copy to CK/KK/SD to archive], Bio Bus, Batala, NYFD, bonus kids face painting (thanks Karen’s friend).
• Less success: Punk rock show in Tompkins Square Park—it scared the ponies and kids and interfered with our musical events. Parade didn’t have as much participation as hoped. Getting people to attend the music events at De Colores was difficult.
LUNGS didn’t get enough credit for all the work we put into the event (City agencies like DOT love to take credit).
• Possible solutions for next year: • LUNGS should get the permit for performance in Tompkins Square (DEADLINE Nov 2 2022!) or get DOT to ensure that it coordinates better with other city agencies, like the Parks Department (!) to not have dueling events. • LUNGS do a separate event on a couple blocks on Ave C on its own.
• Reach out to political office staff like John from Harvey Epstein’s to ask them to help reach out to the local schools and their contacts to let them know about our parade making event + the parade itself (& the ponies!).
• FYI: Earth Day is Saturday April 22 next year.
CSA Planning
• Will be held at De Colores, starting Friday July 8 **First orders need to be in and paid for by Monday June 27**
• Karen (collecting money/sign-up lists), Shawn (ordering), Aitor (receiving veggies)
• Shawn will set up a Signup.com volunteer calendar for getting help in sorting veggies + staying during the pick-up/sign-up hours. (SYEP kids will handle July 8-Aug 19)
• We need responsible people (Board members, ideally) to relieve Karen a few weeks
SYEP Planning
• Kids start July 1(?). Bella and Cameron are returning as the youth coordinators. Beverly is also returning to oversee them. They each get paid $3,000 for 6 weeks (25 hrs/week).
• Days working: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday (rain days may require change)
** We need an accountant to process the payroll W2 forms for three LUNGS people. Anyone know of someone?? It’s 2 paychecks for 3 people. (The SYEP kids are all paid through our partners [org name TK].)
Theater Festival
• Schedule: June 4 (at 6B) & 5 (at Green Oasis), June 11 (at 6B) & 12 (at Green Oasis. 6 plays.
• Facebook campaign running has raised $3,000 so far.
• Each play is receiving $1,000 to participate and we expect to spend $1,000 in promotional costs.
• Roman is doing the poster/flyer etc
Additional Board Members
• George Hirose, from Children’s Magical Garden, would like to be a board member. Bonus, this is a garden below Houston.
• Riki Colon, who has helped organize many events with LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival as a partner at HOWL, would like to join the board as a gardener from Sam & Sadie’s. Bonus, he has some great fundraising ideas.
** Laura made a motion to approve them as new board members.
** Carolyn seconded the motion.
** All present said YAY.
New Business
• May 22, 1–3pm, LES History Month event. Green Space & Urban Policy discussion.
• Charles is organizing a Town Hall at St. Mark’s Church in late June or July to meet with GreenThumb director Carlos Martinez to discuss the new GreenThumb License for Community Gardens.
• LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival scheduled October 7–16!!
LaPlaza will host the opening gala.
• In light of Maryanne’s stepping down as Vice President of LUNGS, Shawn nominated Aitor to be the LUNGS VP. Laura seconded it. After some discussion regarding his role as Program Director, it was decided that the VP role fits and is necessary. Program director position is now open. All present voted YAY for Aitor to now be the LUNGS Veep.
Next meetings
•We proposed to have the following schedule for the next meetings, please put them in your calendar and attend the 3rd Thursday of the month:
June 16, July 15, Aug 19, Sept 16, Oct 21.
Corrected dates: June 16, July 21, Aug 18, Sept 15, Oct 20.
/ shawn