1 March 17, 2016 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTERPark Slope FoodOF Coop,THE Brooklyn,PARK SLOPE NY FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume KK, Number 6 March 17, 2016 January Aftershocks Shake Science, Sweets and Sustainability Drive February General Meeting Coop Chef “there were huge disagree- ments about procedural issues throughout the meeting.” (For a fuller understanding, see Blay- lock’s full report in the February 18 Gazette.) The January meeting, with its BDS-related agenda item, at times seemed to overshadow the agenda. A month later, those “huge disagreements” remained. During Open Forum, Jan Clau- sen called the January 26 vote an “extremely confused process… How are we going to rectify the situation? We need to re-vote on a future GM on the superma- jority for boycotts measure,” she said. Mary Buchwald followed, PHOTO BY KEVIN RYAN reading a lengthy letter from the Ann Herpel explaining that no large venue will host a Gazette and suggesting the meet- ILLUSTRATION BY NINA FRENKEL Coop meeting on any issue related to BDS or Israel. ing had violated Robert’s Rules of Order (which sometimes help By Hayley Gorenberg “I had two older brothers By Gayle Forman cent vote at a General Meeting govern the GMs) and asking how ome alone after school who were just hollow legs. hough it had been a month before the board would consider that would be rectified. Has a kid, eagerly wait- They would eat everything Tsince the January 26 General a boycott. The item passed, but New member Dan Wolkowitz ing for the company of her and be very appreciative,” Meeting, the reverberations of according to Thom Blaylock’s raised concern about the BDS- voracious older brothers she said. Zuckerman headed that contentious evening contin- report in the Linewaiters’ Gazette, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 and her parents, Coop chef to college and kept cook- ued to echo through the February and Catering Squad member ing, even as she majored in 23 GM. From the Open Forum to Kate Zuckerman got her start anthropology at Princeton. the Coordinators’ Reports to the in the kitchen, baking to keep “I never went to culinary delaying of the voting on min- herself busy and sweeten her school. I just kept getting utes, the January meeting, with family’s life. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 its BDS-related agenda item, at times seemed to overshadow Next General Meeting on March 29 the agenda. The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the Some background: At the Jan- last Tuesday of each month. The March General Meeting will be uary 26 General Meeting, mem- on Tuesday, March 29, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier School, bers voted on an agenda item 763 President St., between Sixth and Seventh Aves. that changed the rules on voting The agenda is in this Gazette, on the Coop website at to authorize a boycott. Instead www.foodcoop.com and available as a flier in the entryway of the of a majority, the new rule called Coop. For more information about the GM and about Coop for a “supermajority” of 75 per- governance, please see the center of this issue. Fri, Apr 1 • Film Night: Tracks in the Sky 7:00 p.m. IN THIS ISSUE Thu, Apr 7 • Food Class: Young Roots Run Deep ................................4 Flavors of the Middle East 7:30 p.m. Obituary.............................................5 Coop Puzzle...............................................5 Fri, Apr 8 • Wordsprouts: International Trade Education Squad Report ..............6 Event Spring Cleaning Your Psyche 7:00 p.m. Letters to the Editor...................................7 Sat-Sun, • Food Drive to Benefit CHIPS Soup Kitchen Coop Calendar, Governance Information, Mission Statement ....9 Highlights Apr 9-10 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Calendar of Events . 10 Community Calendar, Classifieds .......................14 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Candidates for Board of Directors.......................15 Exciting Workslot Opportunities........................16 Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com 2 March 17, 2016 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY about holding a referendum to com), which they said is full of Aftershocks join the BDS movement, which “objective information about CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 included boycotting products the welfare of animal products from Israel. That meeting drew sold in the Coop.” Harkening related literature being handed record crowds, national media back to the earlier news about out by some members about attention, huge lines and a police the Coop’s massive sales of the issue: “When you do this and presence. Given that future meet- chicken and chicken-related it’s clandestine and don’t say it’s ings on the subject would likely products, they highlighted from your personal point of view, draw similar crowds (and other the blog’s guides for meat and it looks like it’s Coop speech.” attention) Herpel explained the animal related products and vendor interviews on animal welfare practices. A Call to Increase Plastic Recycling The evening’s first agenda item was a discussion on a proposal brought by Environ- mental Committee member Rosemary Calderon that the PHOTOS BY KEVIN RYAN Coop join a fee-based plastic Noa Heyman proposes a Coop water booth at the recycling program with TerraCy- NYC marathon. cle, a company that takes mate- rial and packaging not normally them to be but was willing to Jesse Rosenfeld, who agreed accepted by municipal recycling do more research. Where would that working a fluid station and repurposes, or “upcycles,” the bins live given the Coop’s “sounds like a wonderful thing, the materials into things like space constraints? She sug- something I’d love to volunteer park benches, handbags and gested they’d only be brought for, even if I don’t get credit,” jewelry. The Coop already has out on collection days. Would asked Heyman: “Would you a no-fee plastics recycling part- we accept only Coop-gener- be able to propose this only if nership with TerraCycle that ated plastic? Calderon said that you’re certain all our core shifts Joe Szladek discusses the National Co+op Grocers. Calderon estimates has diverted should be the priority given the are filled?” “26,000 pieces of plastic that Coop is footing the bill. She said This led Ann Herpel to ques- Retired General Coordina- challenge of finding a venue in would’ve gone into landfill.” members should “use their own tion the timing. Early November tor Allen Zimmerman tried Brooklyn both large enough, The fee-based recycling consciences” and suggested that is the start of the holiday season to impose some historical and willing, to accommodate us. would expand the type and those wishing to bring in more when the Coop increases the perspective to the approved Of the four venues identified— amounts of plastic Coop mem- household plastic could subsi- number of shifts to handle the change in voting procedure: “I Brooklyn Tech, BAM, The King bers could recycle by allowing dize this with a donation. demand. It was an inopportune was a General Coordinator for Theater and Brooklyn College— them to bring in plastics not time to divert labor. 28 years, a member for 40 years. none wanted to host the PSFC if accepted by NYC Sanitation. Will Volunteer…for Credit David Moss suggested that In that time, I’ve been to about the boycott was being discussed For a fixed, per-bin fee, Terra- “What’s the greatest day in Heyman take an informal straw 400 General Meetings,” he said. or voted on. Cycle would provide bins, ship- New York City?” asked mem- poll, via a show of hands, to see “I’m a co-author of the rules of Herpel’s report drew lively ping and the upcycling. Calderon ber Noa Heyman as she intro- if there was support for bringing order. What happened at the comments and suggestions. emphasized this was a pay-as- duced her proposal. “Marathon the issue as a proposal in the last meeting,” he said, “was a Some members suggested a vir- you-go system, with no up-front day. The first Sunday of every coming months. The subsequent ‘revision’ of the rules of order, tual meeting; others a mail-in bal- commitments or contracts. The November. 50,000 runners. poll did not reflect much support something that is allowed for in lot to decide on the boycott issue. Coop could add, take away or 10,000 volunteers. 2.5 million for the proposal. the Coop’s bylaws.” But in something of a Catch 22, discontinue the bins at any time. spectators. The majority of race Which isn’t to say the idea of any such change would need to Calderon proposed the Coop runs through Brooklyn.” volunteering did not garner sup- Coordinator Reports be raised at a General Meeting, start a trial program, with ten Heyman proposed the Coop port. Maribeth Batcha on the General Coordinator Joe which would likely draw the kinds of the largest sized TerraCycle adopt one of the fluid stations Chair Committee suggested “ask- Szladek announced that the of crowds that were necessitating bins (15x15x42; $166 each). To along the marathon route, staff- ing people to volunteer for the Coop had joined a National the search for an alternative space demonstrate how much plastic ing it entirely with Coop mem- sake of volunteering. We could do Co+op Grocer, a national coop- in the first place. might fit into such a bin, she had bers and in exchange providing it without work slot. We could still erative of coops that would compacted dozens of pieces of one work slot credit for each four- get a sign,” she suggested.