DOCSLIB.ORG

Coop Copes with Treasurer's Departure

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Coop Copes with Treasurer's Departure OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume NN, Number 1 January 17, 2019 of those things that didn’t work out, without anyone Diversity: Efforts to Coop Copes being particularly to blame. Lee declined to com- Keep Coop Membership ment. She has returned With Treasurer’s to her previous job, at an Diverse as Park Slope economic consulting firm called the Analysis Group. Changes Departure “We were all excited to have her,” said Tricia Leith, By Leila Darabi hearing informal complaints By Isaac Arnsdorf ic consulting, Lee brought one of the recently retired ark Slope has changed of racial bias at the Coop— he Coop’s leaders are expertise that the search employees who had focused Penormously since the both subtle and blatant—a Trethinking their finance committee hoped would on the Coop’s finances and Coop was founded in 1973. group of members with vary- staff after a new treasurer make up for two longtime helped train Lee. It’s no secret that in Brook- ing backgrounds in human quit only a few months into staffers who recently retired. The Coop is still stinging lyn, the words “Park Slope” rights and human resources the job. But come September, Lee from Lee’s departure, Gen- evoke a particular set of ste- started the 15-member Diver- Stephanie Lee was hired abruptly resigned. eral Manager Joe Holtz said reotypes about the people sity and Equality Committee. as a General Coordinator The Coop staff, as a poli- — both because of the loss who live there: wealthy, white, Four years later, at the 2008 for finance in April 2018 cy, doesn’t publicly discuss of her skill set and because Brownstone-dwelling, stroll- February General Meeting, after an extensive yearlong reasons why staff members it’s unusual for a staffer to er-wielding, yoga-practicing they reported on a survey search and was elected depart. But according to leave so quickly. intellectuals. they conducted on Coop treasurer in June. As a Char- people familiar with the “Most people who So, what does this mean members to assess uncon- tered Financial Analyst with matter, Lee’s employment become a General Coordi- for Coop membership? scious bias, the March 13, a background in econom- at the Coop was just one nator serve for really long “I think [the Coop’s] roots 2008 Gazette reported. time,” Holtz said. “This is are in a place where there One of the survey’s findings kind of extremely unusu- actually was a lot of diversity,” was that “perception of al what happened. We hire said Jennifer Friedman, a bias stems from arbitrary people not into stepping member of the Diversity and enforcement of Coop rules,” stones, but people who say, Equality Committee. “The Jennifer Friedman of the ‘This is a great thing, this Coop doesn’t collect any research subcommittee Park Slope Food Coop.’ We demographic data, but there reported said at the time. For want someone who really is, I think, a shared perception example, before the current thinks the Coop is great and that over time the Coop has automated system that wants to keep it great. It’s grown and the neighborhood requires scanning a card, the kind of a big deal that some- around the Coop has changed previous system required the one left so fast. It’ll take us through different forces of person ringing up groceries a while to absorb that.” gentrification in Brooklyn.” to ask each member to show There are now six Gener- their card at checkout. Some al Coordinators, down from Diversity and Equality survey respondents felt that the typical eight. Financial Committee this rule was inconsistently responsibilities are spread These demographic shifts applied and that only certain among Holtz, General Coor- are not new. In 2004, after CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 dinator Lisa Moore, and three bookkeepers: Kathy Next General Meeting on January 29 Hieatt, Renee St. Furcy and The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held Terry Meyers. on the last Tuesday of each month. The January General “We reviewed all the work Meeting will be on Tuesday, January 29, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Stephanie had done and Francis Xavier School, 763 President St., between Sixth split up between the book- and Seventh Aves. keepers, Joe and myself The agenda is in this Gazette, on www.foodcoop.com and the various tasks to ensure available as a flier in the entryway of the Coop. For more everything that needs to information about the GM and about Coop governance, ILLUSTRATION BY CATY BARTHOLOMEW CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 please see the center of this issue. Fri, Feb 1 • Film Night: IN THIS ISSUE Chappaquiddick 7:00 p.m. Puzzle...............................................2 Mercury Contamination: Just How Safe Is Our Fish?.........3 Thu, Feb 7 • Food Class: Coop Coordinator’s Corner: Going Bananas ....................5 Vegetarian Winter Soups 7:30 p.m. International Trade Education Squad Report ..............6 Event Labor Committee Report...............................7 Fri, Feb 8 • Wordsprouts: Letters to the Editor..................................12 Highlights Superlative Science 7:00 p.m. Safe Food Committee Report ..........................13 Community Calendar .................................14 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Classifieds, Horoscope................................15 Obituary............................................16 Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com 2 January 17, 2019 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY Treasurer cost about half as much as a When Weisburd moved also contribute holistically the finances. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 full-time general coordina- away in 1998, Leith, then a to the General Coordinator Overall, more than 70 tor ($91,988, plus benefits), part-time bookkeeper, was team. people applied, and 14 be done gets done,” Moore so it’s less expensive overall elected treasurer. Leith “It was hard because we were interviewed, Person- said. “So we’ve not fallen but much more expensive became a full-time Gener- were asking for someone nel Committee member behind in any tax filings or by the hour, Holtz said. al Coordinator in 2001 and very well rounded but very Jean Callahan said at the financial statements. We’re Holtz was elected inter- served as treasurer until specifically skilled,” Holtz April meeting. “In the end, all working together to get im treasurer at the General June. She retired in August. said. “We were asking for we decided Stephanie Lee that done.” Meeting in September. The Leith shared financial both.” was the best candidate and Moore added: "In the treasurer is an elected offi- duties with Mike Eakin, a As a result, in January decided we could present short time Stephanie was on cer of the Coop and can be Coop employee since 1979 2018, the Personnel Com- her here today,” Callahan staff, she initiated a strate- anyone. However, the posi- who also retired in 2018. The mittee revised the listing to said at the time. gy to increase revenue by tion has long been held by new job that Lee was even- emphasize the Coop’s histo- Lee, who also attended the moving cash balances into a staff member because tually hired for was mostly ry and mission. The new job April meeting, was enthusias- interest-bearing accounts, it’s a significant time com- designed as a replacement description stressed work- tic about the job. “The Coop introduced written analysis mitment. The treasurer’s for Eakin and Leith. ing with the General Coor- is a warm place and I’d like of our financial statements signature is required when “What Tricia and I have dinator team on leading to work there every day and for staff, and began working dealing with taxes and taken with us is just many, all aspects of the Coop, in make a contribution,” she on increased internal con- licenses, so it’s expedient many years of experience addition to specializing in told the members. n trols on expenditures. We for it to be someone who’s and understanding of how are grateful for the effort usually on site, Leith said. the Coop works,” Eakin said she put into these areas and “Anybody can stand up in an email. “We do many Crossword Puzzle have continued to imple- and declare themselves things differently than other ment what she started." running for treasurer,” Leith grocers and other food 1234 56789 10 11 12 13 Starting on January 24, said. “Rarely has anybody co-ops. The obvious big one 14 15 16 the Coop will also have a wanted to run once they is our member labor system, financial consultant work- hear it takes hours every but there are many others.” 17 18 19 ing one day a week from a week.” In anticipation of Leith’s 20 21 22 firm called Your Part-Time The treasurer’s main task and Eakin’s retirements, the Controller. The firm came is to review all outgoing Coop’s Personnel Commit- 23 24 recommended by another payments. For instance, tee started a search for a food coop that had used the when Leith held the posi- new General Coordinator to 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 company in a similar situa- tion, she once noticed a focus on finances. 34 35 36 37 tion, according to General check for more than $20,000 “We were looking for Coordinator Ann Herpel. going to a produce vend- a business and financial 38 39 40 41 42 The staff also considered er who usually got $2,000. person with good creden- 43 44 45 46 47 another company called The On the invoice, Leith saw tials and strong abilities CFO Center.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cleaning up That Doing Maintenance Is a Less Desirable Shift Than Some Others
    08-02/14 p01-07 2/13/08 6:47 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume CC, Number 4 February 14, 2008 PHOTOGRAPH BY ANN ROSEN PHOTOGRAPH Legs for sale... Get to Know Your PHOTOGRAPHS BY HAZEL HANKIN PHOTOGRAPHS Chicken Maintenance Committee member on task. By Gayle Forman ecently, when I bought 14 siblings who help run the leaning Up a Murray’s chicken Martin Farm in Millmont, PA, C R from the Coop, I and the family does not eat noticed a little sticker anything raised with anti- Zen and the Art of Coop Maintenance attached to the packaging. biotics and grows its own It read Farm Verification, vegetables. I also learned By Johannah Rodgers and listed a four-digit code that no matter which farm my which, if I logged on to chicken comes from, it never murrayschicken.com, would travels more than 300 miles crubbing toilets, sweeping floors, taking out the garbage— give me information about to get to New York City. and loving every minute of it. Such is life on the Maintenance my chicken and the family Committee at the Coop. Some think they choose it because the that raised it. Sign of the Times S I didn’t learn too much Perhaps this is a sign of shifts can be shorter than others, but committee members say working about the chicken, but I did the times. As the organic maintenance allows them the freedom to work in the ways they like find out it came from one of movement is consumed by two farms in or around Lan- agribusiness, consumers are best—either independently or in close-knit groups—and the ability to caster County, Pennsylvania.
    [Show full text]
  • General Meeting Report
    OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume MM, Number 5 March 15, 2018 Florida Farmworkers March for Worker Rights in NYC By Hayley Gorenberg U.S. agricultural workers— armworkers who pick Flor- most of them from Mexico, Fida tomatoes, a key ingre- Haiti, and a smattering of dient in fast food menus, will Central American countries— converge on the New York City came together in 1993 when headquarters of the board six workers joined to fight for chair of Wendy’s restaurants worker rights and to confront for five days of protest. They farmworker maltreatment, PHOTO BY KEVIN RYAN have also planned a public including violence; abuse of Supporters of Reginald Ferguson testify in his support for due process. fast and a march for worker women by fellow farmworkers, rights scheduled to reach the crew leaders, and managers; United Nations’ Dag Ham- and sub-poverty wages and marskjold Plaza on March 15. wage theft. The coalition char- General Meeting Report The Coalition of Immoka- acterizes the most extreme By Taigi Smith age 80 people on staff at any given time,” said lee Workers, a human-rights cases as modern-day slavery. he PSFC February 2018 General Meeting General Coordinator Joe Szladek. “The turn- organization representing CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Twas held on Tuesday, February 27, at St. over rate for typical grocery stores and Coops Francis Xavier Catholic Academy. No items on average is much higher, hovering around were presented at the Open Forum, some- 60%, added Szladek. The pay here is really fair, times the liveliest part of the GM, and the great time off, excellent benefits,” who added meeting quickly moved to the presentation of that staff are voicing their job satisfaction by coordinator and committee reports.
    [Show full text]
  • GM Debates Coca-Cola Boycott & Pension Fund Strategy
    1 November 10, 2016 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTERPark Slope FoodOF Coop,THE Brooklyn,PARK SLOPE NY FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume KK, Number 23 November 10, 2016 GM Debates Coca-Cola Boycott Ragas, Jazz and Rock & Pension Fund Strategy from a Rolling Musicians’ Cooperative By Pat Smith about how this musicians’ ow can a group of like- collective got started, I met Hminded musicians use with Sameer Gupta, one of the cooperative business prac- BRM’s founding members, at tices to get paid a living the Brooklyn Public Library on wage? The Brooklyn Raga Grand Army Plaza. Massive (BRM), are deter- mined to do it. BRM is a Musicians on a Mission nonprofit collaborative with What are the cooperative a mission to expose new aspects of BRM? “We’re like audiences to Indian classical the Coop in different ways,” ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL J. COHEN music, to connect similarly Sameer said. “What inspires inspired musicians with each me about the Coop is that By Alison Rose Levy and organic brands, the boy- community as a result had no other and to present new individuals have a part in it at he October 25 GM fea- cott would restrict members’ water and was forced to pur- works by their growing com- a mission-level. It’s not just Ttured extended discus- choices. chase and drink Coca-Cola munity of musicians. They a grocery store, it’s a place sions regarding whether Nancy Romer urged con- products instead. perform weekly, free-floating where you can engage with to continue the boycott of tinuing the boycott “because Kristi asked, “What are concerts around the city that the subject of food and pol- Coca-Cola products and we have a principled position parameters for deciding what highlight different elements itics.
    [Show full text]
  • Le Devoir, Cahier Spécial Sur L'innovation Sociale
    SOCIÉTÉ INNOVATION SOCIALE CAHIER THÉMATIQUE J › LE DEVOIR, LES SAMEDI 19 ET DIMANCHE 20 MARS 2016 UdeM: de la Habitation pédagogie sociale communautaire: pour les habitants nouveau fonds de Parc-Extension d’aide à la rénovation Page J 3 Page J 6 VALERY RIZZO PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP En 2000, la Park Slope Food Coop a doublé l’espace de son magasin situé dans la rue Union, entre les 6e et 7e avenues à Brooklyn, passant de 500 à 1000 mètres carrés. PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Donner du temps pour payer moins cher son épicerie ! Si votre supermarché vous offrait d’acheter rence à l’Université Concordia dans le cadre Le nombre de membres est en revanche si vos aliments moins cher en échange d’une de Transformer Montréal, un événement élevé que certains services ont pu être créés en poignée d’heures par mois de travail béné- consacré à l’entrepreneuriat social et solidaire, parallèle, comme une garderie où les membres J’ai été attiré au départ à pour expliquer la réussite de ce supermarché peuvent déposer gratuitement leurs enfants le vole, acquiesceriez-vous ? Dans le quartier de coopératif dont il est devenu membre en 1975, temps de faire leurs courses. Seuls les retraités, «la Park Slope Food Coop par Brooklyn, à New York, ils sont près de avant d’en prendre les rênes comme coordon- les gens avec des limitations physiques et les 15 000 à trouver qu’il s’agit d’une bonne nateur général en 1988. « J’ai été attiré au dé- personnes en congé parental sont exempts de l’opportunité d’appartenir part à la Park Slope Food Coop par l’opportu- cette corvée parmi les membres.
    [Show full text]
  • Coop Members Celebrate Thanksgiving
    07-11/08 p.1-9 11/7/07 11:14 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume BB, Number 23 November 8, 2007 To Save a Farm The Wedge: Our Spiritual Twin By Katie Benner t seems that the Park Slope Food Coop has a spiritual twin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. IThe Wedge is a 13,000-member store whose mission is to provide high quality food at fair prices while supporting local producers, and it is now the owner of a nearby 97-acre organic farm that has been a business partner for 34 years. The co-op purchased Gar- tin and Atina Diffley have dens of Eagan, located in been farming since 1973 and nearby Farmington, Minneso- they are incredibly knowl- ta, for $1.5 million and the edgeable about organic and transition of ownership will sustainable farming. We did- begin this upcoming January. n’t want to lose that.” More than a business trans- Since it produced its first action, the deal preserves a crops, Gardens of Eagan has valuable source of locally become one of the area’s grown foods that has also best-known names in organic become a powerful political produce, in large part ILLUSTRATION BY DIANE MILLER ILLUSTRATION Coop Members Celebrate Thanksgiving and educational force on because of its unique loca- By Diane Aronson behalf of small organic farms. tion only 30 miles outside of “Our mission is not to own Minneapolis. Moreover, the a farm, but to save a farm,” Diffleys are among the state’s t’s November, and the Park Slope Food Coop is filling up with the says Lindy Bannister, general most vocal proponents of the makings of enticing Thanksgiving-meals-to-be.
    [Show full text]
  • Planning for the Coop's Future
    06-11/09 p 01-06 11/9/06 8:01 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume AA, Number 23 November 9, 2006 A Discussion: Planning Gloves Are Off for the Coop’s Future at Fourth Annual General Coordinator Joe Holtz shares his thoughts Peace Fair By Ann Pappert By Hayley Gorenberg azette: As you’re no We need to get as an you sing until was criticized for being terror- doubt aware, with the many members as “ peace becomes the istic. Beneath her soft purple Gopening of Fairway possible to embrace C noise of the planet?” cap and graying dreadlocks, and the expected opening of the idea that the challenged Sonia Sanchez, she punctuated her recitation Whole Foods in the next year Coop is about mak- who lectured, bellowed, and with choruses of “Where are or two, there has been a lot of ing the best food as sang to kick off the keynote discussion among our mem- affordable as possi- ceremonies of Brooklyn Par- bers about the long-term ble to those who ents for Peace’s Fourth Annu- future of the Coop. Who has can least afford it— al Peace Fair by performing the responsibility for long- even if they them- her work, “A Poem for Peace.” term planning at the Coop? selves don’t need to Author, poet and Granny Joe: The seven General worry about price. Peace Brigade activist Coordinators usually have Do they know that Sanchez joined Medea Ben- three meetings a week and their participation jamin, co-founder of Code long-term planning is part of helps make this a Pink and Global Exchange, to these meetings.
    [Show full text]
  • Dining Options— from Mild to Wild by Rene Brinkley S Park Slope Food Coop Amembers, We Have All Vol- Unteered to Food Shop Off the Grid
    OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume NN, Number 21 October 24, 2019 Dining Options— From Mild to Wild By Rene Brinkley s Park Slope Food Coop Amembers, we have all vol- unteered to food shop off the grid. We have said no to big- box supermarkets and hello to a food shopping community that supports local farmers, has high-quality meat and produce, a variety of food and non-food items, and afford- able prices. Similar to some members, I joined the Coop because of the large variety of produce at below-farm- ers-market prices. But after the excitement of buying famil- iar foods wore off, I ventured down the Coop aisle looking for something new. My search started in the produce aisle. I tried things like Ugli fruit (cute is over- ILLUSTRATION BY VALERIE TRUCCHIA rated) and stinging nettles (which really can sting you PSFC Members React to if not handled properly). Then I worked my way down the bulk aisle, trying ancient New Retirement Rules grains—including bulgur, By Hayley Gorenberg stop working. Several are per- kasha, and millet. I also sam- he recent GM decision to plexed and even “MIFFED—in pled strange-sounding beans Tease PSFC retirement rules capital letters!” over what they like mung, which I absolutely may siphon off a surprising perceive as an abrupt change. loved. Over my Coop shop- PHOTO BY CAROLINE MARDOK number of reliable and experi- After the August GM wid- ping years, I embraced a new Fred Hua cooking a special dinner for the Gastronauts in enced workers from key shifts, ened retirement options, the food mantra: buy it and try it.
    [Show full text]
  • First Virtual General Meeting Focuses On
    OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume OO, Number 10 June 9, 2020 First Virtual General Coop’s Meat Supply Chain Stable Despite Meeting Focuses on Rollercoaster By Hayley Gorenberg espite a huge spike in sales in the early days of the pandem- Struggling Coop Finances Dic followed by a steep plunge, the Coop’s meat supply has been relatively stable amidst Covid-19, showcasing the resilien- By Leila Darabi cy of smaller, more responsible he Coop made history on the evening of producers and processors. TMay 26, convening the first virtual Gener- The stability contrasts sharply al Meeting of its membership. No voting took with the major disruptions in the place during the meeting, which focused heav- more industrial national meat ily on the financial blow the Coop has weath- supply chain as several consol- ered over the past two months due to citywide idated factory meat processors Covid-19 safety restrictions. More than 750 par- shut down amid Covid-19 out- ticipants joined the meeting, including the staff breaks among workers. and board slated to speak. Using the virtual conferencing system Volatile Sales Zoom, the Chair Committee, Board Members “There might be volatility, but and the General Coordinators moved briskly ILLUSTRATION BY TOMMY KANE we’re okay,” said Meat Buyer and through reports on the availability of products Receiving Coordinator Margie at the Coop, safety updates to the facility, and over the course of the evening that the board Lempert, who has been navigat- a pre-recorded financial update from General and staff might be braced for member criticism.
    [Show full text]
  • Park Slope Food Coop a Self-Managed Supermarket in New York City
    PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP A SELF-MANAGED SUPERMARKET IN NEW YORK CITY Created in 1973 in the heart of the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York (United States) by a small group of committed neighbors, the Park Slope Food Coop is a member-owned and operated food store, representing an alternative to commercial profit-oriented business. With its 17.000 members who perform today 75% of the supermarket management work and thanks to the great results achieved, Park Slope Food Coop has become famous in the world and similar self-managed supermarkets are being implemented in United States, France and Belgium. In many countries where the Cooperative Movement is highly developed, there are countless experiences of managing large-scale food distribution by cooperatives. The innovation that characterizes the Park Slope Food Coop is the management system of the supermarket implemented by the members of the Cooperative. In the Park Slope Food Coop (PSFC), in fact, the shareholders participate not only through the assemblies in which the operational choices are defined (principles, products, prices, service modes), but also making their direct work in the supermarket, for at least 2 hours and 45 minutes of work every four weeks. The large amount of the cooperative members allows everyone to make a time investment compatible with work commitments. Members contribute to manage various functions of the supermarket, such as the reception and placing of goods in the exhibition spaces, the cleaning, the packaging, depending on their respective abilities, limiting the hiring of salaried personnel to ensure the most complex management and administration functions.
    [Show full text]
  • October GM Continues Coke Boycott and Members Vote 'No' on Gazette Policy Changes
    13-11-14-pp1-16_Layout 1 11/13/13 2:34 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume HH, Number 23 November 14, 2013 October GM Continues Coke COORDINATOR’S CORNER Boycott And Members Vote ‘No’ Member Arrested for On Gazette Policy Changes Shoplifting as We Head Toward a Second Consecutive Year of Record-Breaking Theft By Joe Holtz, was to encourage members General Coordinator to report anything that ost of us were not mem- appeared to possibly be Mbers back in the day of stealing and make the prac- bold anti-theft campaigns tice of stealing look more and the much ridiculed and obvious to anyone around. barely ever used high chair The larger longer-term pur- that was built to get a better pose was to protect the low view of possible checkout prices that are created by area theft (members just said both the work requirement no). Most of us were not and the level of self-manage- members when every regular ment that we gain from the checkout lane had a zone squad system. If stealing painted on the floor where no goes unchecked and flourish- box of food should touch. The es, then prices will have to be idea of the “no food zone” raised again and again in was to force the contents of order to pay for our collective all boxes of shopped-for food expense of operating our col- ILLUSTRATION BY DEBORHA TINT to be emptied onto the lectively owned cooperative. checkout rather than stolen.
    [Show full text]
  • The Center for Anti-Violence Education Celebrates 35 Years of Community Service October GM Looks at Boycotts, Hires New General
    09.11.19_pp1-16.qxd 11/18/09 5:05 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume DD, Number 24 November 19, 2009 GENERAL MEETING REPORT The Center for Anti-violence Education October GM Looks at Boycotts, Hires Celebrates 35 Years of New General Coordinators Community Service By Ed Levy By Frank Haberle n the agenda for the October General Meeting, held October 27, were the “annual” re-evaluation of previously approved Coop Oproduct boycotts, the hiring of three new general coordinators and an update to the employee 401K plan. The boycott question drew lively participation, as did the hiring of new coordinators, with several members commenting that this item deserved greater consideration than one meeting could give it. PHOTO BY CAROLINA KROON PHOTO Gabriella Belfiglio, Annie Ellman and Judy Loebl. n 1973, in the now-defunct based Temple for Spiritual and IMongoose Community Cen- Physical Survival. Empowered ter, Park Slope resident Annie by this experience, Annie and Ellman hosted her first martial Nadia set out to build a new arts class. Annie and Nadia martial arts program geared Telsey met at an anti-Vietnam specifically for women—a rari- War rally and trained in mar- ty in the 1970s. tial arts at the Manhattan- CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 ILLUSTRATION BY DEBORAH TINT ILLUSTRATION Coca-Cola Boycott Friedman, editor of the Stop been murdered since 1990, and In accordance with a nearly Killer Coke newsletter, explained hundreds of others have been Next General Meeting on December 15 forgotten GM resolution dat- that all of the reasons for the beaten or illegally detained by The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is usually ing back to the 1980s, the boycott still exist: violence paramilitaries cooperating held on the last Tuesday of each month, with the exception of General Meeting is supposed against union workers and with the plant management.
    [Show full text]
  • August General Meeting Approves Temporary
    OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume OO, Number 14 September 8, 2020 August General Meeting New Directions for the Old Stone House Approves Temporary Markup Increase By Christopher Cox t the fourth General Meeting conduct- Aed via video, members voted in favor of a temporary increase in the standard mark- up applied to all products sold at the Coop, responding to the sharp drop in overall reve- nue during the pandemic. The meeting, held at 7:15 p.m. on August 25, was attended by 451 member-owners. They voted 368 to 63 to PHOTOS BY CAROLINE MARDOK increase the markup from 21 to 25 percent, though individual members will be able to opt By Frank Haberle out of the price increase. ong before there was a Park Slope Food Coop (or a Park Receiving Coordinator Margie Lempert, LSlope neighborhood, or for that matter, any “Slope” at all) who presented the plan for the increase along there was the Old Stone House. In 1699, Dutch settlers built with General Coordinator Joseph Szladek, a little stone farmhouse by a marsh, on land that had been argued that the increase could be implement- occupied and used by the Lenape tribe for thousands of years. ed immediately, which would help reduce the In August 1776, during the Battle of Long Island, a key battle in Coop’s losses, currently averaging $85,000 a ILLUSTRATION BY CATY BARTHOLOMEW the American Revolutionary War, this small building became week. Unlike other strategies to limit losses, the focal point of the battle, changing hands between the such as reintroducing member labor, or poten- costs this year—mostly due to the suspension British and the Americans several times, as the Continental tial ways of raising revenue, such as increas- of member labor, which required the hiring of army slipped over the Gowanus.
    [Show full text]