Bottles and Bags, · First bottled water, then T-shirt-type plastic bags: two popular items removed from the Food Coop by a majority vote at the past two monthly General Meet-ings,

First bottled water, then T-shirt-type plastic bags:two popular items

removed from the Food Coopby a majority vote at the pasttwo monthly General Meet-ings, in April and May respec-tively. The bottled water banwas two years in the making.The plastic bags weretossed after more thana year of debate.

Over the years,many products—including some popular ones—have been pulledfrom the shelves.Some werebanned indefi-nitely, othersboycotted untilconditions weremet.

Boycotts Must BePart of WiderStruggle

According to GeneralCoordinator Joe Holtz, bansand boycotts are possiblebecause of the stability of theCoop’s membership, not tomention its political commit-ment.

“If we were really strug-gling economically, and thatmeans struggling to getenough members to help paythe bills, to help share theexpenses of running thisplace—because that’s whatwe do as members—then Ithink we wouldn’t be any lesspure or righteous if we decid-ed to do an education cam-paign instead of a boycott,”he says. “Because it could bethat we would be killing our-selves, and no one wants usto kill ourselves, becausethen we’d never boycott any-thing again.”

But the days are long goneof worrying about an exodus of members disgruntled by alack of variety on the shelves. And the Food Coop can sell—or not sell—according toever-evolving standards thatare often far different fromthose at your average super-market.

A Little HistoryHoltz recalls some of the

more poignant boycotts: Chilean grapes, Pep-

peridge Farm cookies, Tropi-cana juices, Nestle products, Domino sugar, GE light bulbs,Coca-Cola drinks (including

Minute Maid and Odwalla). Atone point, the Coop boy-cotted all products from Col-orado. All were removed forpolitical reasons, eachremoval being intimately con-nected with the currentevents of the time.

Some of the items eventu-ally returned, signaling

that conditions weremet. For others, sub-

stitutes were found.Currently, theCoop still boy-cotts Coca-Colaand Nestle prod-ucts.

Many boycottsoriginate in theform of a resolu-tion, approvedwith a majority

vote at a GeneralMeeting. Others

have started in a lessofficial manner, with-

out a vote, such as whenthe Coop began to boycott

all South African goodsbecause of apartheid. AsHoltz recalls, “It was such ano-brainer, obvious, that itnever got voted on.” Thatboycott was eventuallyresolved with the fall ofapartheid in 1994.

Boycott GuidelinesAccording to the Coop’s

“Boycott Policy History”guidelines, parts of whichwere passed at the GeneralMeetings of April and July1987, a boycott proposal mustbe published in the Linewaiters’Gazette a month before it is dis-cussed at the General Meet-ing. The stocking of the itemmust “upset a significantnumber of Coop members,”

Volume CC, Number 12 June 5, 2008

O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E P A R K S L O P E F O O D C O O P

Established1973

Next General Meeting & Annual Meeting on June 24The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on thelast Tuesday of each month. The next General Meeting andAnnual Meeting will be Tuesday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Elohim Temple House (Garfield Temple),274 Garfield Place.

The agenda is in this Gazette and available as a flyer in theentryway of the Coop. For more information about the GM andabout Coop governance, please see the center of this issue.

By Gayle Forman

For poet and now novelist Robin Messing, success camevery quickly—and then very slowly.

The New York City native—whose lyrical and beautiful debutnovel Serpent in the Garden of Dreams was published last month—never actually intended to be a writer. As a child, she alwayskept a notebook handy to jot down poems (her first verse waspublished when she was in second grade), but in college she

studied experimental psychology. After graduation, however,she went to work in a neuropsychology lab and “realized it wasn’t for me.”

Early Days at the CoopAfter college, Messing joined the Park Slope Food Coop.

Around that time, she heard well-known Beat poet Anne Waldman speak. “She just struck me as the quintessentialpoet,” says Messing, who approached Waldman, who in turntold Messing about the free workshops at the Poetry Project atSt. Mark’s Church in the East Village. Messing started attendingand began working with Waldman’s then-husband, the poetLewis Warsh.

As Messing’s interest in poetry grew, she incorporated it intothe burgeoning Park Slope Food Coop. It was during the earlydays at the Coop, when it was less a grocery store than a weekly

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 5

A Novel Approach to Literary Acclaim

IN THIS ISSUETruly a Child’s Play—Babywearing Hits the Stage . . . . . . . . . . . 2Candidates for Board of Directors of the

Park Slope Food Coop, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4GM Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Coop Hours, Coffeehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Coop Calendar, Workslot Needs

Governance Information, Mission Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11


35 YEARS

PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP1973–2008

Bottles and Bags,Bans \and BoycottsBy Daniel Burke

CoopEventHighlights

Thu, Jun 5 •Food Class: Doggy Diets 7:30 p.m.

Fri, Jun 6 •Film Night: Personal Velocity 7:30 p.m.

Fri, Jun 20 •The Good Coffeehouse: Female Voices of the African Diaspora 8:00 p.m.

Sat, Jun 28 •Pocketbook, Purse, Bag and Shoe Exchange10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue.

Brooklyn poet and novelist Robin Messing

ILLU

STRA

TIO

NS

BY O

WEN

LO

NG

PHO

TOG

RAPH

BY

AN

N R

OSE

N

06-05-08 p 01-07B 6/4/08 6:40 PM Page 1

Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com

and that anger also mustbe mirrored by aregional ornational cam-paign.

“ S o m e -one oncesaid to me,‘Why do wehave thisstuff fromXYZ country?It’s got a dicta-tor that is just asbad as Pinochet,’ ”Holtz recalls, in refer-ence to the Chileangrapes boycott. “And Isaid, ‘Well, that’s a reallyinteresting thing. I think thereason is that no one everbrought it to the GeneralMeeting.’ So that’s a very sim-plistic answer—no one everbrought it to the General

Meeting. Well, why didn’tanybody ever bring it to the

General Meeting?”The dictator inthat unnamed

country couldhave been asbad asC h i l e ’ sA u g u s t oP i n o c h e t ,but without

a largerorganization

signaling aprotest, the Coop

boycott would beineffective. Or, as Holtzputs it, “If the Coop

just decided we’regoing to do what’s right in

isolation from the rest of theworld, then we’re going to bea drop in the bucket andwe’re just going to hurt our-selves.”

An active boycott, accord-

ing to the 1987 guidelines,must have a representativeand must undergo re-evalua-tion at each October’s GeneralMeeting to remain in effect.This component, however,seems to be a victim of col-lective lethargy—a regulationenacted and then quickly for-gotten.

“I think it might have hap-pened once or twice,” Holtzsaid. “And then it stopped.” ■

2 � June 5, 2008 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY

Bottles and Bags, Bans and Boycotts

Truly a Child’s Play—Babywearing Hits the Stage (Along with Co-sleeping, Breastfeeding and Baby Sign Language)

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

By Elsa Haas

If you choose baby slings,breastfeeding and a (carefullyprepared) king-size bed overstrollers, playpens, bottlesand cribs, do you get a happi-er baby who cries less anddoesn’t suffer from insom-nia? Is Jean Liedloff, anobserver of tribal cultures,right in that our civilization’s

woes stem in part from howwe treat our babies?

At the Coop, you’ll see lotsof babies in slings. Not somuch on Staten Island, whereour family lives (yes, we com-

mute weekly to shop at theCoop).

Slings at the Coop make iteasier to get through thecrowded aisles, and help keepbabies and small childrenfrom screaming their headsoff. Some parents wearingthem for practical reasonsmay not be aware of the histo-ry behind their growing use.

In 1975, Jean Liedloff’s TheContinuum Concept proposedthat parents in our cultureconsider doing like thenatives (she had lived amongthe Yequana of Venezuela,stumbling into observationsof their way of life after join-ing a failed diamond-huntingexpedition).

I first read Liedloff’s bookin 1985 after dropping out ofcollege to work at the now-defunct homeschooling mag-azine Growing Without Schoolingin Boston. It was only in 1999that our son was born, and bythat time a babywearing sub-culture had grown up aroundbooks by Liedloff and others(for example, Dr. WilliamSears, M.D.).

Babywearing often goeshand-in-hand with co-sleep-ing—my show will addressthe co-sleeping controversy.

REALITYWhy does the baby cry?(Dressed in his brand-new, powder-

blue, flame-retardant pajamas)Why does the baby cry?(Freshly-laundered, recently-fed,

newly-changed, just-burped

and provided with a night light)Why does the baby cry?(In his safety-sealed cribAll smoke detectors in working

orderTemperature medically adjusted by

thermostat Baby monitor onEmergency numbers in the speed-

dialLoving parents at the ready)Why, oh WHY does the baby cry?The baby criesIn the jungle or on the savannahThe baby criesAs the marauding beasts edge for-

wardThe baby criesFor protection

The baby criesTo signal his tribeThe baby cries(Hearing no heartbeatTouching no warm skinMouthing no soft breastBreathing no shared breath)The baby criesAlone in the wilderness

Elsa Haas and cast will beperforming her show, “WearingMy Baby: A Stone Age Mommyon Staten Island,” at the St.George Theatre, 35 HyattStreet, Staten Island, on June14 at 10 a.m. For info, contactElsa at [email protected] or917-750-2643. ■

Member Contribution

The Diversity & Equality Committee (DEC) is dedicatedto improving human relations and communicationsthrough impeccable interpersonal interactions, poli-cies and procedures in the Coop.

The goal is to work toward preventing and eliminating discrimination inthe Coop and to promote the ideal of equal and respectful treatmentbetween all Coop members and paid staff regardless of each individual’sdifferent identity. The DEC also aims to provide advocacy for individualswho feel they have experienced discriminatory practices in the Coop.

Voicemail (888) 204-0098

E-mail [email protected]

Contact Form DEC Contact forms are available in the literature rackor Letter: in the ground floor elevator lobby. Place a completed

form or other letter/note (anonymously if desired) in asealed envelope labeled “Attn: Diversity and EqualityCommittee” and use one of the three methods listedbelow to get it to the committee.

Mail Park Slope Food CoopAttention: Diversity & Equality Committee782 Union StreetBrooklyn, New York 11215

Mail Which is located in the entryway vestibule Drop Box on the ground floor under the flier caddy.

Membership The DEC has a mailbox in the Membership Office Mailbox Office on the second floor of the Coop.

Product Return PolicyThe Coop does not “exchange” items. You must return item and repurchasewhat you need. Returns of eligible items will be handled at the SecondFloor Service Desk within 30 days of purchase only when accompanied bythe PAID IN FULL receipt.

Please use the following guide to determine if an item is eligible for return:

Produce May not be returned with the exception of (fresh fruits & vegetables) coconuts, pineapples and watermelon. Even if

the claim is that the item is spoiled or that itwas purchased by mistake, produce cannot bereturned except for the three items listed above.

The produce buyer may be contacted onweekdays by members to discuss any otherclaims for credit.

Books May not be returned.

Juicers May not be returned.

Bulk items & bulk items May not be returned. Members may contact packaged by the Coop the bulk buyer to discuss any other claims for

credit.

Refrigerated items May not be returned unless spoiled.Frozen items

All Other Products A. Other products may be returned if they (not covered above) are spoiled or defective and the category

is not specified above

B. Other products may be returned if theyare unopened, undamaged and thereforecan be sold again.

C. Other products may not be returned ifthey are opened or unsellable, and werepurchased by mistake or not needed.

PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP

06-05-08 p 01-07B 6/4/08 6:40 PM Page 2

Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY June 5, 2008 � 3


Bill PennerI am writing to ask for your support for reelection asone of the six members of the Board of Directors ofthe Coop. My candidacy has been endorsed by the

Coop’s General Coordinators. I have been a member of the

Coop for eight years. In addi-tion to serving on the Board ofDirectors for the last two years,I have served on both theReceiving Committee and onthe CHIPS Soup Kitchen Com-mittee preparing meals withfood donated by the Coop. Inmy life outside the Coop, I am

a 45-year-old architect with my own architecturalfirm which I started six years ago in Brooklyn, andlast fall I became the new father of a beautiful babygirl. Prior to receiving my degree in architecture, Iapprenticed as a chef and cooked professionally for 6years. The Coop is an important part of my life, it is aplace were I connect with my passion for food andrealize the significance of food and food productionin our society as a cultural, environmental, and eco-

nomic force of incredible importance.Because the Coop is a corporation, it is required to

have a board of directors. Our Board of Directorsmeets every month in public at the General Meeting.At the Meeting, any Coop member can bring an itemfor discussion or make a proposal to be debated andvoted on by the Coop membership present. At theend of the Meeting, the Board of Directors vote ontaking the advice of the membership. This is how theCoop combines its corporate structure with its townhall style of democracy.

In my opinion, there is often confusion as to theprimary role of the Board of Directors in the Coop’sdecision-making process. I see the Board’s role asone of oversight rather than one of advocacy. Assuch, I focus on maintaining a thorough knowledgeof open issues and concerns of the membership byattending General Meetings, reading the Gazette,and staying in contact with General Coordinators. Imake a particular effort of familiarizing myself withthe monthly financial statement, and I believebeing well informed of the financial condition of theCoop is one of my biggest responsibilities as aboard member.

This is important because the Coop’s continuedfinancial stability maintains low prices, whichenables many people to benefit from fresh whole-some food while supporting the Coop communityand values. The amount of money that members saveshopping at the Coop is substantial, in fact it is in themillions of dollars each year. This savings is truepower for people of all economic backgrounds andallows members to make healthy decisions for them-selves and their families while supporting the envi-ronmental and the social mission of the Coop.

I have been honored to have had the opportunityto serve the Coop as a member of Board of Directorsfor two years. The late President of the Board, IsraelFishman, used to say that the Coop saved his life—the different view points and different people allworking together for a common purpose gave himthe perspective and patience to see beyond himselftowards what was really important. I am reminded ofthis cherished thought each time I attend a meetingand when I shop.

Cooperatively yours,Bill Penner ■

Albert SolomonIt is true that it has branched out in other directions,

but my main point since1992 when I joined wasand remains: An Assem-bly of Elected Delegates.And by that I mean pro-portional representation.

People ask me whatwould be different underan assembly of elected

delegates. Here are just a few things since I joinedin 1992.

The pension plan The Governance CommitteeThe Milquetoast Board of Directors The atrium Item pricing The GazetteThe Disciplinary Hearing Committee The Chair Pool Committee The Agenda Committee The Personnel Committee The process would be many times more transpar-

ent and accountable. And the Rulers would have justas much influence over the process, maybe evenmore. Only the representatives would have names incontrast to just walk-in people, most of them goingfor workslot credit. Also the Meeting would havesome real authority—because the delegates wouldrepresent actual people!

How can you govern by the town meeting? Theanswer is you can’t, so the Rulers hold sway with-out even the normal accountability they wouldhave if there were a board of directors. Our direc-

tors have so little power that they don’t even signan oath of secrecy.

Joe Holtz’s proxies. We used to elect directors atannual meetings, but Joe Holtz (the Supreme Ruler)held 200 proxies, so if anyone he didn’t want ran hecould vote his proxies. I almost single-handedly put anend to this shameful exclusivity by acquiring my ownproxies and refusing not to vote them. I also sent twoseparate briefs to the Chair Pool Committee. But noone ever credits me with the change! Years later CarlArnold, a Management supporter, changed the elec-tion of directors to a mail ballot, mooting the wholesorry question of proxies and allowing thousandsinstead of hundreds to participate in the elections.

But it made no difference because directors werestill neutered by the informal yet effective pledge toonly ratify the actions of the Meeting. It is evenfrowned upon if directors call each other on thephone! So much for your input into important poli-cies of the Co-Op! So now more people are voting forpowerless directors! Another word for which is, uh,disenfranchisement!!

Although my main thrust is an assembly of electeddelegates, I see the Board of Directors as another rep-resentative body. As a director, I would propose reso-lutions to the Board, forcing it to act as the Statutesintended, or at least to vote down my proposals.

The mantra of the Rulers is that any effort to over-ride the decisions of the Sacred General Meeting isan act against the Co-Op. But this is merely a smoke-screen to hide the near-total blackout in visibilityand accountability brought about by this smoothlypernicious system.

The big policy they don’t have to tell us about isthat we are a food store and not a social experi-

ment. This policy was applied to the delay in con-struction and rejection of the plans for the newbuilding which included an atrium, a focus of atten-tion and sociability. It was applied to the cheesecase. It was applied when we started selling redmeat. Did you or I ever vote for that big policy?Don’t you think maybe we should? $300,000 waswasted in the construction process, according tosome. Did you vote for that?

Another biiiiiiiiiigggg policy of the Rulers is indefi-nite expansion, coupled with minimal storage spaceand maximum turnover. Do the Rulers ever discussthese questions? Why should they, when there is noone to oversee them? Don’t these requirements pre-clude more and better social actions by the Co-Op?You bet they do!

Not a policy itself but a result of these policieswas to buy the Building Next Door. They really want-ed that. They disparaged every alternative suggest-ed— funding satellite co-ops (which they couldn’tcontrol so directly), renting warehouse space, whichwould affect our turnover policy. After it was deniedin a referendum they rammed it through again assoon as they could. Yes, we know what their policiesare, but they never have to defend them or even artic-ulate them!

Since we have a longer election season this year,give me a shout-out or better, write a letter in sup-port of Co-Op Democracy!!

A. Solomon Loyal Supporter of the Co-Op Scrivener to The Pacifica [email protected] 1000 - 74 .■

Candidates for Board of Directors of the Park Slope Food Coop, Inc.One full three-year term is open.

To vote you may use a proxy or be present at the Food Coop Annual Meeting on June 24, 2008. Every member should have received a proxy package in the mail in late May.

You will have the opportunity to meet the candidates at the Annual Meeting.

Candidate Statements:(Statements are unedited and presented in alphabetical order.)

The Role of the BoardFrom our inception in 1973 to the present, the

monthly General Meeting has been the decision-making body of the Coop. Since the Coop incorpo-rated in 1977, we have been legally required tohave a board of Directors.

The Bylaws of the Park Slope Food Coop state:“The portion of the Board of Directors meeting thatis devoted to receiving the advice of the membersshall be known as the General Meeting. …Themembers who gather to give advice to the directorsmay choose to vote in order to express their sup-port or opposition for any of the issues that have

come before the meeting.”The Board of Directors, which is required to act

legally and responsibly, conducts a vote at the endof every General Meeting on whether to accept theadvice of the members as expressed in their vote(s)during the GM.

The Election ProcessEach year the Coop must, by law, hold an Annual

Meeting. This is the only meeting where proxiescan be used. Those members who cannot attendthe Annual Meeting may be represented, if theywish, by a proxy.

If you submit a proxy but come to the AnnualMeeting in person, your proxy will be returned toyou when you register.

Members who have a current membership as ofSaturday, June 14, 2008 are eligible to vote in theelection of Directors at the Annual Meeting eitherin person or by proxy.

Proxy packets were mailed to members in mid-May. If you did not receive a packet, please call theMembership Office or pick one up at the entrancedoor of the Coop. ■

06-05-08 p 01-07B 6/4/08 6:40 PM Page 3


Thursday,June 5

7:30 p.m.at the Coop

MENU

• Turkey Burgers

• Peanut Butter and Bacon Biscotti

• Frozen Summer Pupsicles!

Cooking for your Dog!

Learn to prepare healthy and delicious food for your dog

$4 materials feeViews expressed by the presenter do not

necessarily represent the Park Slope Food Coop.

Tanya Braham is a

Brooklyn-based personal

chef with a focus on diet

and nutrition, and is also

a writer, dog owner and

the former staff editor of

two national dog and pet

magazines. In this class,

Tanya will discuss do’s

and don’ts of doggy diets

as well as tips on how to

become your own pup’s

personal chef.

MEMBERS &NON-MEMBERSWELCOME.

Come earlyto ensure a seat.

Puzzle Corner

ACROSS1 One in a sty4 From Taurus to Gemini7 Superlatively bad

12 The second Fibonacci number13 Highway hazard14 Hello, or goodbye15 Employ16 Spread the word, in a way18 Zero-emission power source20 One in a coop21 Coifed23 Common European currency, once28 Elemental unit30 Mobile home?31 They may have black eyes34 Baking measure

36 Hit Broadway musical 37 What you may break or close39 Taunt41 Consecrate43 Rubbed out47 Fish with chips49 Ease ones fears50 Nervous collapse55 Miner’s objective56 Where the antelope play57 Hula hoop, for one58 Apiece59 Threw in60 Grill alternative61 Norton, Begley, etc.

DOWN1 Bisques or bouillons2 Beginning3 Unhoed4 Tiny grain5 It might be in the hole6 “Alright!”7 A tough nut to crack8 Bullring cheer9 Go soft

10 That’s all ___ wrote11 Smidgen17 U.S. central bank19 A cold state22 Holliday at the O.K. Corral24 Breakfast bowlful25 Imitate26 Number of little Indians27 Matched pair, maybe29 Oversized cup31 Coach on the tennis court32 Corn unit33 Further…35 Little Jack Horner’s snack38 Incited a Doberman40 Snifter filler42 Pal of Winken and Blinken44 It’s said to be slippery45 Dog-_____, like a used book46 Some garment workers48 Tip one’s hat50 Beach sight51 Totally excellent!52 It justifieds the means53 Ripe old ___54 ___ of the Worlds, H.G.Wells

DiagramlessIn a diagramless puzzle the numbers and the black squares have been left out. Clues are to be answered as normal, and

the interlocking of Across and Down answers will fill out empty grid. The pattern of black squares follows regularcrossword symmetry. As a hint, 1-Across begins in the first square of the first row.

For answers, see page 10.This issue’s puzzle author: Stuart Marquis

PSFC JUNE 2008 ANNUALAND GENERAL MEETINGTuesday, June 24, 7:00 p.m.• The Annual Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. followed by the GM • Meeting Location: Congregation Beth Elohim Social Hall (Garfield Temple)

274 Garfield Pl. at 8th Ave.

ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA:Item #1: Presentation of the audited financial report for the year ended February 3, 2008 Following the presentation members will have the opportunity to pose questions to our outsideauditor, Robert Reitman of Cornick, Garber & Sandler, LLP. Members will then vote whether toacccept the audited statement.

Item #2: By-laws change:On July 31, 2007 both the General Meeting and Board of Directors voted to approve the followingbylaws amendment. In order for it to remain in effect, it must be approved at the Annual Meeting.

The following bylaws amendment is to be inserted in the bylaws in Article VII. Currently this articlehas two paragraphs. The amendment, if approved, forms a new third and last paragraph. Theexisting paragraphs would be unchanged. The amendment reads as follows:

“The ballot used for the Directors election shall provide for voting either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or ‘abstain’for each candidate. Any candidate who receives more ‘no’ votes than ‘yes’ votes is deemed to beineligible for election. Directors elected at the Annual Meeting shall be elected by a plurality of‘yes’ votes cast unless the candidate has been deemed ineligible pursuant to this paragraph.”

Item #3: Board of Directors election Election: One position is open this year for a full three-year term.

GENERAL MEETING AGENDA:Item #1: Renewing the Services of the AuditorProposal: “To retain the services of Cornick, Garber & Sandler, LLP, to perform an audit of the Coopfor the fiscal year ending February 1, 2009.” — submitted by the General Coordinators

Item #2: Election of Officers of the PSFC Election: Following the election of members to the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting, wemust elect officers of the corporation at the General Meeting—president, vice president, secretaryand treasurer.

[PSFC Bylaws: “Article IV, Officers: §3. The President and Vice-President shall be, at the time ofelection, directors of the corporation.”]


WHAT IS THAT? HOW DO I USE IT?

Food Tours in the CoopI brought my kids with meto shop at the Coop (oh my)my son blew in on his scooterthe doors opening magically before himmy daughter chanting and skipping on one foot

I tried to organize all this energyinto a shopping cartbut apples kept falling

and rolling on the floorthe aisles seemed unusually narrowby checkout they had eaten$8.50 worth of raspberries

Other parents backpacked their children,some wrapped them in long bandagesagainst their bodies,others pushed them in carts,one mom navigated with whatlooked like a front-end loader—her baby in the bucket

Mine (ahem) helped me shop.It was chaotic not the orderly march from aisle to aislewe tend to envision

whatever the realityBut they filled the cartwith whole foods: vegetables, fruit and grain,some fish, yogurt - hot dogs!

Amid the giggles and horseplaythey performed this necessary task:

feeding the family

our babiesourselves

by Myra Klockenbrink

Mondays June 16 (D Week)July 7 (C Week)July 21 (A Week)Noon to 1 p.m.

and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Sunday June 8 (B Week)June 29 (B Week)Noon to 2 p.m.

You can join in any time during a tour.

06-05-08 p 01-07B 6/4/08 6:40 PM Page 4


food-distribution center. Butit was also a flourishing com-munity and arts scene, andMessing and another mem-ber named Kip Zegers decid-ed to start a Coop poetryseries.

“It was up the rickety stairsin a little room. I think it last-ed maybe a year, but it wasgreat. We were such a littlecommunity there,” Messingsays.

Learning from AllenGinsberg

After a year of working withWarsh, Messing decided togo to the Naropa Institute inBoulder, Colorado, to studywith Allen Ginsberg.

“It was a big lecture class,”Messing remembers. “At theend of the class, he asked forsomeone to type his dreamjournals. I went up to himand had the nerve to say ‘I’ma really good typist and I’lltype for you but in exchangeyou have to read my work.’And he said okay. We’d sit athis kitchen table andhe’d hand me some jour-nals and he’d look at mywork.”

When she returned tothe city, Messing wassuddenly a hot poet, herwork being lauded andrecorded, along withGinsberg and William S.Burroughs, on JohnGiorno’s Dial-A-Poemseries.

“All this kind of hap-pened without my ask-ing. I was on the sceneand recognized veryyoung. I’d do a NewYear’s reading at St.Mark’s Church. I’d comeoff the stage and Gins-berg would say: ‘I lovethat poem you wroteabout the nails.’ ” AsMessing reminiscesabout this part of her life, sheappears half wistful, half sur-prised, as if she hadn’t real-ized the splash she’d madeso early on.

Turning to ProseIt would take many years,

however, for Messing toevolve into the next phase ofher literary life. In her 20s,she fell into, and then out of,a relationship with a novelist.This sparked her interest inwriting longer-form prose,but the dissolution of therelationship broke somethingin her. “I fell apart. I lost myconfidence. Because [of] mychildhood, because of a lot ofdifferent things. I just lost myfaith in myself.”

She got married and had adaughter. For the first eightyears of her daughter’s life,writing took a back seat toworking a day job as ateacher and raising a child.Though her own literary aspi-rations may have been onhiatus, her love of the writtenword was not.

“We were always reading

b o o k stogether and readingaloud,” remembers daughterEmma Alabaster, now 21 andalso a Coop member. “When Iwas in middle school, she feltmy education in public schoolwasn’t giving me enough greatbooks, so she organized amother-daughter book clubwith some friends of hers.”

When Emma was eight,Messing began the long roadto publishing a novel. Sheworked on a book about herupbringing for several years,then went to grad school forher MFA in the mid 1990s,shelved the novel about herfamily, and began workingon the book that was tobecome Serpent in the Gardenof Dreams. It would take fouryears to write a first draftbecause she had a full-time

job and a child she was nowraising mostly on her own.

“It’s been interesting andinformative to watch herstruggle between having afull-time job and trying to doher writing,” Emma says. “Iremember times when I wasyoung on the weekend andshe’d be writing and I’d both-er her. I didn’t understand.Other people who aren’tartists don’t understand whyshe’s not free on weekends.She has lost friendshipsbecause of her commitmentto her writing, but I think ittakes that kind of disciplineto create.”

Years to Get PublishedOnce the novel was fin-

ished, Messing signed with a high-powered literary agent,who submitted the work overa period of two years.Responses from editors cameback complimenting the workfor its beauty, but saying itwas not commercial enough.One famous editor calledMessing the most talentedwriter she’d seen in years—

a n dt h e n

passed onthe book.

Eventually, Messing part-ed ways with the agent, wentback to the manuscript foranother revision, and submit-ted it to a few independentpublishing houses, one ofwhich was The PermanentPress. “It took nine monthsfor anyone there to read it,”Messing says. “They asked formore. It took another ninemonths for them to accept itfor publication, and then ayear and a half to actuallypublish.”

The book is a slender vol-ume that jumps back andforth between past and pre-sent-day Brooklyn as awoman named Tidly attempts

to recover from a devas-tating breakup and cometo terms with her dys-functional relationshipwith her mother. It hasthe poet’s touch all overit. Its lush images readlike poetry, yet the storyis also accessible andreadable and, in places—in particular, the maincharacter’s recordedmusings—raw. Brook-lynites will savor how theborough is a character inits own right; the nostal-gic Brooklyn of Messing’schildhood (dead-endstreets where kids canplay dodge ball on theroad and catch fireflies ina jar) contrasts with mod-ern-day Park Slope,which has been her homefor most of her adult life.

Some 25 years after Messing captured the poetryworld’s attention with herverse, she’s now caught theattention of the literaryworld. The writer PhillipLopate has praised her novelas “sensitive, exquisitelyobserved,” and NationalBook Award finalist Joan Sil-ber raved that Serpent in theGarden of Dreams is “a novel ofgreat beauty that has muchto say about the painful com-plexities of obsession, pos-session, loss and love.”

Seeing these blurbs for thefirst time was the ultimateaffirmation for Messing. Shehad done it. She had pub-lished a novel. “When thesewriters I admired so muchsaid these lovely thingsabout my book, it was suchan honor and so important tome,” she says. “I felt that I’dbeen accepted.” ■

Serpent in the Garden ofDreams by Robin Messing is pub-lished by The Permanent Press andavailable at Amazon.com. You canread an excerpt at Messing’s website, www.robinmessing.com

Pocketbook, Purse, Bagand Shoe Exchange

This exchange is a community event that is ecologically responsible and fun. Why support the consumer market

and buy, when you can share bags that havealready been well loved? Reuse, renew, recycle.

FREENon-memberswelcome

Saturday, June 2810:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.in the meeting room

To bring Pocketbooks, and Shoes…• Do not leave items in the Coop

before the hours of the exchange.• Bring up to 15 items only• Bring gently used, clean purses,

pocketbooks and shoes that you areproud to be able to exchange with a new owner.

(Unchosen items will be donated to a local shelter.)

The EnvironmentalCommittee has a blog!

We’reblogging

about ouractivities at the Coop,

as well asenvironmental events

of interest at the Coopand beyond.

Find us at:http://ecokvetch.blogspot.com/

Please visit oftenfor timely news and

informationfrom the PSFCEnvironmental

Committee.

A Novel Approach to Literary AcclaimC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

Authors WantedWordsprouts—The Park Slope Food Coop’s Reading Series—is planning its fall season now. We’re looking for Coop members who are published authors interested in leading writing workshops at the Coop or in reading their work at a local bookstore. Members who participate in Wordsprouts receive workslot credit.

If you’re interested please send your book info and/or workshop ideas to PJ Corso at [email protected].


06-05-08 p 01-07B 6/4/08 6:40 PM Page 5



This Issue Prepared By:Coordinating Editors: Stephanie Golden

Erik Lewis

Editors (development): Dan Jacobson

Michael O’Keeffe

Reporters: Gayle Forman

Daniel Burke

Art Director (development): Michelle Ishay

Illustrators: Susan Greenstein

Owen Long

Photographers: Hazel Hankin

Ann Rosen

Traffic Manager: Monona Yin

Text Converters: Peter Benton

Diana Quick

Proofreader: Margaret Benton

Thumbnails: Barbara Jungwirth

Preproduction: Yan Kong

Photoshop: Bill Kontzias

Art Director (production): Lynn Cole-Walker

Desktop Publishing: Midori Nakamura

Trisha Stapleton

Michael Walters

Editor (production): Lynn Goodman

Final Proofreader: Teresa Theophano

Post Production: Becky Cassidy

Index: Len Neufeld

COOP HOURS

Office Hours:Monday through Thursday

8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.Friday & Saturday

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Shopping Hours:Monday through Friday

8:00 a.m. to 10:00* p.m.Saturday

6:00 a.m. to 10:00* p.m.Sunday

6:00 a.m. to 7:30* p.m.

*Shoppers must be on a checkout line 15 minutes after closing time.

Childcare Hours:Monday through Sunday

8:00 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Telephone:718-622-0560

Web address:www.foodcoop.com

The Linewaiters’ Gazette is published biweekly bythe Park Slope Food Coop, Inc., 782 Union Street,Brooklyn, New York 11215.

Opinions expressed here may be solely theviews of the writer. The Gazette will not knowinglypublish articles that are racist, sexist, or otherwisediscriminatory.

The Gazette welcomes Coop-related articles, andletters from members.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

All submissions MUST include author’s name andphone number and conform to the followingguidelines. Editors will reject letters and articlesthat are illegible or too long. Submission deadlinesappear in the Coop Calendar opposite.

Letters: Maximum 500 words. All letters will beprinted if they conform to the guidelines above.The Anonymity and Fairness policies appear onthe letters page in most issues.

Voluntary Articles: Maximum 750 words.

Submissions on Paper: Typed or very legiblyhandwritten and placed in the wallpocket labeled"Editor" on the second floor at the base of the ramp.

Submissions on Disk & by Email: We welcomedigital submissions. Drop disks in the wallpocketdescribed above. The email address for sub-missions is [email protected] of your submissions will be acknowledgedon the deadline day.

Classified & Display Ads: Ads may only be placedby and on behalf of Coop members. Classified adsare prepaid at $15 per insertion, business card ads at$30. (Ads in the “Merchandise–Non-commercial”category are free.) All ads must be written on asubmission form (available in a wallpocket on thefirst floor near the elevator). Classified ads may beup to 315 characters and spaces. Display ads mustbe camera-ready and business card size (2"x3.5").

Recipes: We welcome original recipes frommembers. Recipes must be signed by the creator.

Subscriptions: The Gazette is available free tomembers in the store. Subscriptions are available bymail at $23 per year to cover the cost of postage (atFirst Class rates because our volume is low).

Printed by: Prompt Printing Press, Camden, NJ.

P L A S T I C S

RECY

LING

Monthly on the...Third Thursday

June 197:00–9:00 p.m.

Last SundayJune 29

10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.Second Saturday

June 1410:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

On the sidewalk in front of the receiving area at the Coop.

What plastics do we accept?• #1 and #2 non-bottle shaped

containers and #1 and #2 labeledlids. Mouths of containers must beequal width or wider than the bodyof the container.

• All #4 plastic and #4 labeled lids.• #5 plastic tubs, cups & specifically

marked lids and caps (discard anywith paper labels).

• Plastic film, such as shopping anddry cleaning bags, etc. Okay if notlabeled.

ALL PLASTIC MUST BE COMPLETELYCLEAN AND DRY

We close up promptly. Last drop offs will be accepted

10 minutes prior to our end timeto allow for sorting.

Friday

Jun 20

8:00 p.m.

A monthly musical fundraising partnership of

the Park Slope Food Coop and

the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

53 Prospect Park West [at 2nd Street] • $10 • 8:00 p.m. [doors open at 7:45]Performers are Park Slope Food Coop members and receive Coop workslot credit.

Booking: Bev Grant, 718-788-3741Childcare is available from Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture for a nominal fee.

Female Voices of the African Diaspora(curated by Jenny Hill)

Two amazing bands featur-ing vocalists Kaissa (fromCameroon) and Tamar-kali (Geechee Goddess).

Kaissa is known for herhighly engaging vocalsand pulsating African/Western rhythmic back-drops. Originally from

Cameroon, by way of Paris, Kaissa fuses African and world music,singing lyrics with a message, speaking out against war and injustice.

Tamar-kali harnesses gut-based, hardcore-tinged rock with thehonest melodic inflections of soul, a passionate expression of her South Carolinian Geecheeroots and Brooklyn punk/soul upbringing.

These two artists will present their original music, along with Jenny Hill on saxophone andflute, Patrice Blanchard on bass, Maciek Schejbal on drums, Todd Isler on percussion,and others.

Kaissa

Tamar-kali

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Our Governing Structure From our inception in 1973 to the present, the openmonthly General Meetings have been at the center of theCoop’s decision-making process. Since the Coop incor-porated in 1977, we have been legally required to have aBoard of Directors. The Coop continued the tradition ofGeneral Meetings by requiring the Board to have openmeetings and to receive the advice of the members atGeneral Meetings. The Board of Directors, which isrequired to act legally and responsibly, has approvedalmost every General Meeting decision at the end ofevery General Meeting. Board members are elected atthe Annual Meeting in June. Copies of the Coop’s bylawsare available at the Coop Community Corner and atevery General Meeting.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, June 24, 7:00 p.m.The General Meeting is held on the last Tuesday of eachmonth.

Location The temple house of Congregation Beth Elohim (GarfieldTemple), 274 Garfield Place.

How to Place an Item on the AgendaIf you have something you’d like discussed at a GeneralMeeting, please complete a submission form for theAgenda Committee. Forms are available in the rack nearthe Coop Community Corner bulletin board and atGeneral Meetings. Instructions and helpful informationon how to submit an item appear on the submissionform. The Agenda Committee meets on the first Tuesdayof each month to plan the agenda for the GM held on thelast Tuesday of the month. If you have a question, pleasecall Ellen Weinstat in the office.

Meeting FormatWarm Up (7:00 p.m.)• Meet the Coordinators• Enjoy some Coop snacks• Submit Open Forum items• Explore meeting literature

Open Forum (7:15 p.m.)Open Forum is a time for members to bring brief itemsto the General Meeting. If an item is more than brief, itcan be submitted to the Agenda Committee as an itemfor a future GM.

Reports (7:30 p.m.)• Financial Report• Coordinators’ Report• Committee Reports

Agenda (8:00 p.m.)• The agenda is posted at the Coop Community Corner

and may also appear elsewhere in this issue.

Wrap Up (9:30-9:45) (unless there is a vote to extend the meeting)• Meeting evaluation• Board of Directors vote• Announcements, etc.

A l l A b o u t t h eG e n e r a l M e e t i n g

Attend a GMand Receive Work Credit

Since the Coop’s inception in 1973, the GeneralMeeting has been our decision-making body. At theGeneral Meeting (GM) members gather to makedecisions and set Coop policy. The General-Meeting-for-workslot-credit program was created to increaseparticipation in the Coop’s decision-making process.

Following is an outline of the program. For full details, seethe instruction sheets by the sign-up board.

• Advance Sign-up Required:To be eligible for workslot credit, you must add your

name to the sign-up sheet in the elevator lobby. Some restrictions to this program do apply. Please see

below for details.

• Two GM attendance credits per year:Each member may take advantage of the GM-for-

workslot-credit program two times per calendar year.

• Certain Squads not eligible:Eligible: Shopping, Receiving/ Stocking, Food

Processing, Office, Maintenance, Inventory, Construction,and FTOP committees. (Some Committees are omittedbecause covering absent members is too difficult.)

• Attend the entire GM:In order to earn workslot credit you must be present

for the entire meeting.

• Childcare can be provided at GMs:Please notify an Office Coordinator in the Membership

Office at least one week prior to the meeting date.

• Signing in at the Meeting: 1. After the meeting the Chair will provide the

Workslot Credit Attendance Sheet.2.Please also sign in the attendance book that is

passed around during the meeting.

• Being Absent from the GM:It is possible to cancel without penalty. We do ask that

you remove your name if you know cannot attend. Pleasedo not call the Membership Office with GM cancellations.

• Is it FTOP or a Make-up?It depends on your work status at the time of the

meeting.

• Consider making a report…...to your Squad after you attend the meeting.

Park Slope Food CoopMission Statement

The Park Slope Food Coop is a mem-ber-owned and operated food store—analternative to commercial profit-orientedbusiness. As members, we contribute ourlabor: working together builds trustthrough cooperation and teamwork andenables us to keep prices as low as possi-ble within the context of our values andprinciples. Only members may shop, andwe share responsibilities and benefitsequally. We strive to be a responsible andethical employer and neighbor. We are abuying agent for our members and not aselling agent for any industry. We are a partof and support the cooperative movement.We offer a diversity of products with anemphasis on organic, minimally pro-cessed and healthful foods. We seek toavoid products that depend on theexploitation of others. We support non-toxic, sustainable agriculture. We respectthe environment. We strive to reduce theimpact of our lifestyles on the world weshare with other species and future genera-tions. We prefer to buy from local, earth-friendly producers. We recycle. We try tolead by example, educating ourselves andothers about health and nutrition, coopera-tion and the environment. We are com-mitted to diversity and equality. Weoppose discrimination in any form. Westrive to make the Coop welcoming andaccessible to all and to respect the opin-ions, needs and concerns of every member.We seek to maximize participation at everylevel, from policy making to running thestore. We welcome all who respect thesevalues.

Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY June 5, 2008 � 7W

OR

KS

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EE

DS

Meat or Bulk InventoryMonday, 8:00 to 10:45 a.m.Work with Receiving Coordinators Bill Malloyor Ron Zisa to accurately count and inventorymeat and bulk products. Must have good hand-writing, be able to do basic arithmetic (weights,fractions, addition), be reliable and have goodattention to detail.

Paper RecyclingFriday, 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.Do you have a large vehicle and want to helpthe Coop be a good green citizen? Collect recy-cled paper from the Coop, bag it, load it intoyour vehicle and drive it to the paper recyclingcenter. You need to be able to lift and workindependently. Reliability a must as you will be

the only person coming to do this job on yourday. The recycling center is located at 165 43rdSt in Brooklyn. If interested, please contactAdriana Becerra at [email protected] or dropby the Membership Office to speak to her.

Attendance Recorders orMake-up RecordersThursday, Friday, or SundayThe Coop needs detail-oriented members tohelp maintain attendance recorders for Coopworkers. You will need to work independently,be self-motivated and reliable. Good atten-dance is a plus. Members will be trained forthis position, and staff members are availablefor further assistance. Workslot requires a six-month commitment. Please speak to Lewanika

Ford-Senghor or Cynthia Pennycooke in theMembership Office if you would like moreinformation.

Office Data EntryTuesday or Thursday, A week, 4:30 to 7:15 p.m.Are you a stickler for details, accurate on thecomputer and like working independently? Ifthis sounds like you, then Office Data Entrywill be your perfect shift. You will receive train-ing, and Coop staff will always be available toanswer questions. Please speak to a GingerHargett in the Membership Office if you wouldlike more information. This workslot requires asix-month commitment.

New Member Orientations

Monday & Wednesday evenings: . . . 7:30 p.m.Wednesday mornings: . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00 a.m.Sunday afternoons: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:00 p.m.

Be sure to be here promptly—or early—as webegin on time! The orientation takes about twohours. Please don't bring small children.

Gazette Deadlines

LETTERS & VOLUNTARY ARTICLES:June 19 issue 7:00 p.m., Mon, Jun 9Jul 3 issue: 7:00 p.m., Mon, Jun 23

CLASSIFIED ADS DEADLINE:June 19 issue 7:00 p.m., Wed, Jun 11Jul 3 issue: 7:00 p.m., Wed, Jun 25

General MeetingTUE, JUN 24, ANNUAL MEETINGGENERAL MEETING: 7:00 p.m.The agenda appears in this issue and is availableas a flyer in the entryway.

TUE, JUL 1AGENDA SUBMISSIONS: 8:00 p.m. Submissions will be considered for the Aug 26General Meeting.

The Coop on the Internetwww.foodcoop.com

The Coop on Cable TVInside the Park Slope Food Coop

FRIDAYS 2:30 p.m. with a replay at 10:30 p.m. Channels: 56 (TimeWarner), 69 (CableVision).

C O O P CA L E N D A R


06-05-08 p 01-07B 6/4/08 6:40 PM Page 7



SUN, JUN 8

ZEEMEEUWSIC III!: an eclecticSunday concert series at the OldStone House, featuring Kyklos(experimental sextet of guitar/vibes/percussion/electric bass/clarinet/sax & accordian) and Mar-shall Farr with Urban Edge. JJ ByrnePark, 5th Ave. (btwn. 3rd & 4th Sts).2 p.m. $10. For info/reservations:718-768-3195.

ABOLISH TORTURE: Sister DiannaOrtiz, the torture survivor andfounder of Torture Abolition &Support Coalition, speaks at theBrooklyn Ethical Society andreceives its annual Peace SiteAward. 53 Prospect Park West at2nd St. 11 a.m.

CITY SOLAR RENEWABLE ENERGYWORKSHOP: “Determine YourSolar Electric Needs” 1–3 p.m;“Rooftop Solar Electricity, Can YouHave It?” 3:30–5:30 p.m. At 6/15Community Garden, 6th Ave. btwn15th & 16th Sts. Each workshop:$40/door, or $20/door for CitySolar RAY members or gardenmembers. For info, call 347-254-0019 or visit www.citysolar.org.

THU, JUN 12

FREE Introduction class to NVC atthe Open Center at 7:45 p.m. A 4-week introduction course to Non-violent Communication byMarshall Rosenberg starts June 19.Please register at www.opencen-ter.org. Experience the transfor-mative power of compassion.Course will be held by *Dian Kil-lian (www.brooklynnvc.org).Approved for CEUs.

FRI, JUN13

FRI, JUN 13

BROOKLYN WOMEN’S CHORUS:45 women singing together to cre-ate one powerful voice for peaceand justice. Directed by *BevGrant and backed by a band ofBrooklyn musicians. At the GoodCoffeehouse Music Parlor, 53Prospect Park West at 2nd St. 718-768-2972. www.gchmusic.org

SAT, JUN 14

GALLERY OPENING/MEET THEARTIST: Art show titled “InMeinem Wilden Herzen” by *Cor-dula Volkening. 4–8 p.m. Cordula,an artist for 35 years, created thework for this show since beingdiagnosed with brain cancer lastfall. The show runs from June13–19 at the Brooklyn Artists Gym,168 7th St., third floor. For moreinfo, www.myspace.com/cor-dulavolkening

WEARING MY BABY: A Stone AgeMommy on Staten Island. Freeshow. St. George Theatre, 35 HyattStreet, Staten Island. Doors open

10 a.m., show starts 10:15 a.m.Ten-minute walk from ferry. Fami-ly-friendly (sound piped to glass-doored lobby in case ofrestlessness). Blurb: freesummer-fest.org Directions: stgeorgethe-atre.com or [email protected] /917-750-2643

TUE, JUN 17

GET YOUR SALSA SWING ON atPark Slope's Voodoo Lounge. Fun-filled evening includes HappyHour, Salsa performance, Latinbuffet, lessons, raffle prizes andfree parking. 138 5th Avenue. 6 –10 p.m./$25. For more info, callMelissa at 347-563-8282. Proceedsto the Imani House nonprofit.

SAT, JUN 21

CITY SOLAR RENEWABLE ENER-GY WORKSHOP: “Battery Backupfor Emergencies” 1–3 p.m; “Rain-water Collection and StorageDesign” 3:30–5:30 p.m. At 6/15Community Garden, 6th Ave. btwn15 & 16th Sts. Each workshop:$40/door, or $20/door for CitySolar RAY members or gardenmembers. For info, call 347-254-0019 or visit www.citysolar.org

SUN, JUN 22

ZEEMEEUWSIC III!: an eclecticSunday concert series at the OldStone House, featuring RobertSecrist (classical guitar, accom-panied by Erica’s Rugelach forall!) and Jane Byaela (poetry andmusic for voice and guitar) .JJ Byrne Park, 5th Ave. (between3rd & 4th Sts). 2 p.m. $10. Forinfo/reservations: 718-768-3195.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Community calendar listings are free. Please submit your listings in 50 words or less by mail, themailslot in the entry vestibule, or [email protected]. Submission deadlines are thesame as for classified ads. Please refer to the Coop Calendar in the center of this issue.*Denotes a Coop member.

Personal VelocityA tale of three women who have reached a turningpoint in their lives. Delia is a spirited, working-classwoman from a small town in New York who leavesher abusive husband and sets out on a journey toreclaim the power she has lost. Greta is a sharp,spunky editor who is rotten with ambition. To spitethe hated infidel ways of her father, she has settledinto a complacent relationship and is struggling (nottoo hard) with issues of fidelity to her kind but unex-citing husband. Finally, Paula, who ran away fromhome and got pregnant, is now in a relationship shedoesn’t want. She’s a troubled young woman whotakes off on a journey with a hitchhiker after astrange, fateful encounter on a New York street.

Rebecca Miller, Writer, Director, is an American filmdirector, screenwriter and actress. Personal Velocity:Three Portraits was a winner of the Independent SpiritJohn Cassavetes Award and Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.Miller’s other films include The Ballad of Jack and Roseand Angela, both of which she wrote and directed. She isthe daughter of playwright ArthurMiller and Austrian photographerInge Morath. Personal Velocity:Three Portraits is an adaptationof a collection of short stories.Winona Ryder, Robin WrightPenn, and Julianne Moore willteam up for an upcoming comedy/drama called ThePrivate Lives of Pippa Lee, which Miller is adaptingfrom her own upcoming novel of the same name.

Sabine Hoffman, Editor has passionately edited inde-pendent feature films for over ten years. Credits includeRebecca Miller’s films The Ballad of Jack and Rose,Rodney Evans ’s Brother to Brother , Kather ineDieckman’s Diggers, Alice Wu’s Saving Face, MorganJ. Freeman’s Desert Blue and Hurricane Streets, KatjaEssons’s Academy Award-nominated Ferry Tales andBill Jennings’s Harlem Aria (opening in June). She iscurrently editing Rebecca Miller’s upcoming featurefilm The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Sabine is anadjunct professor at Columbia University and serves onthe advisory boards of the Fusion Film Festival and theWoodstock Film Festival.

A discussion with Sabine will follow. Film curator AlexandraBerger can be reached at [email protected].

FREENon-members

welcome

Views expressed by the presenter do not necessarily represent the Park Slope Food Coop

Friday, June 6 • 7:30 p.m. at the Coop

Early MorningReceiving/Stocking Com-mitteesMonday—Friday, 5:30,6:00, and 7:00 a.m.Early morning Receiving/Stocking squads work withReceiving Coordinators toreceive deliveries and stockthe store. These squadshelp to unload deliverytrucks, organize products inthe basement, load carts,and stock shelves, bulkbins, coolers and produceon the shopping floor. Youmay be asked to stock per-ishables in the reach-infreezer or walk-in cooler.Boxes generally weighbetween 2 – 20 lbs., a fewmay weigh up to 50 lbs.Other duties include break-ing down cardboard forrecycling, preparing pro-duce for display, and gener-al cleaning. You will havethe opportunity to workclosely with our producebuyers and learn a lot about

the produce the Coop sells.

General LedgerBookkeepingFriday, Saturday andSundayAre you a detailed-orientedperson who likes workingwith numbers and is at easehandling a calculator?General Ledger Bookkeepingmight be the workslot foryou! General Ledger book-keeping consists of makingentries into the GeneralLedger, running a calculatortape to draw account bal-ances and, finally, balancingthe General Ledger. Thework must be completed inthree separate segments, on3 separate days, betweenThursday evening andSunday evening, allowingsome flexibility in schedul-ing the work. This is all handentry work, since the Coopbookkeeping system is notcomputerized. Good hand-writing is a must. Prior book-keeping experience helps.Prerequisites are: 1) musthave been a member ingood standing of the Coopfor 6 months; and 2) must

make a six-month commit-ment to the work slot. If youare interested in this work-slot please speak to AndieTaras by contacting theMembership Office.

CHIPS SoupKitchenMonday, Tuesday orSaturday, 9:00 to 11:45 a.m. or11:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.CHIPS serves a daily mealto the homeless, needy andhungry at their storefrontsoup kitchen located at 4thAvenue and Sackett Street.Workslots preparing food,helping serve meals andcleaning-up are availableto Coop members whohave been a member for atleast six months. Coopmembers will work along-side other volunteers atCHIPS. Reliability, coopera-tion and ability to takedirections are vital.Experience with food prepis a plus for working in thekitchen. Please contactCamille Scuria in theMembership Office if inter-ested.

W O R K S L O T N E E D S

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 7

06-05-08 p 08-12 6/4/08 6:22 PM Page 8




THE CULLIGANSOLUTION

GREETINGS:My family and I spent a week in Tuc-son, Arizona, last week. While we werethere we came across a charming foodcoop called the Food Conspiracy Coop(www.foodconspiracy.org). Being curi-ous I couldn’t resist the urge to enter,so I did. I introduced myself as amember of the Park Slope Food Coopin Brooklyn, New York, and was warmlyreceived. While touring Food Conspir-acy I noticed that they have a Culliganwater dispensing vending machine,which is a high-end tap water filtra-tion system. For 29 cents, a person canfill their own gallon container. It’s beenvery successful. Although they do notsell gallon jugs of bottled water theydo carry clean containers for sale ifneeded. I thought this was a greatidea especially with the recent deci-sion of our Coop not to carry the plas-tic jugs of water. It totally makessense, since most bottled water todayis essentially tap water. I thought Iwould share my sighting.

Cheers,Gerry Da Silva

SOLOMONIC DECISION

DEAR MEMBERS:Before anything else, please vote forBoard of Directors by June 23 dead-line—you should have your ballot bynow (May 26th is the date I’m writ-ing)—and vote for Albert Solomon.Strongly and often. The candidate whois *not* endorsed by the Management!A supporter writes…

“Yes, at first I read the first state-ment from Bill, and I thought “Wow,

Architect, ex-chef, family guy—howcute, with a little baby girl”—almostperfect enough to run for president.Then yours, nothing of that. Not thenice guy ,and straight into crazy poli-tics, [expletive deleted] .... didn’t like itat all for 5 seconds. but then, some-body who doesn’t paint this totallyredundant ‘nice guy’ picture but goesstraight into medias res. Liked it—yougonna have my vote. You strike me assomebody who gives a [expletivedeleted] about the ‘peace and love’stuff that’s just blocking change for abetter situation, not in the world butmaybe in the Coop. (As if some peoplein NYC don’t have a life and join theCoop for the cheaper prices.) don’t getme wrong, I like the Coop and its gen-eral set-up and the cheap, good gro-cery, but I don’t need to vote (ever) forsomebody because he/she has a babyand a successful architect firm and didsome cooking before that.

You seem to know what you aretalking about and I still do believe indemocracy

Good Luck!”Good letter, but as always I wish he

had understood that my sole purposeis Fair and Equal Representation—not the Government With Star Cham-ber we seem to support instead.

For starters, who are you votingfor? And why? The other candidatehas pledged *not* to exercise hislegal authority as a Director if he iselected. Isn’t your vote wasted, then?Why vote for a cipher? Why vote atall? Because *one* of the two candi-dates will *not* squander your votein the service of a romantic delusionof town-meeting communalism, butwill fight for real representativedemocracy at our Co-Op.

So please vote and also vote for

Albert Solomon. Strongly and often.The candidate who is *not* endorsedby Management!

In cooperation,Albert Baron Solomon

[email protected]

FAVORITE WORDS

HI:When I was working the Exit Worker

position one evening, I encouragedpeople to share a favorite word asthey were leaving. This is what theycame up with:

Favorite Words Collected at theExit of the Food Coop:

Elizabeth Heisner

UM, I DISAGREE…

DEAR MEMBERS:Member Jerome Barth wrote a con-structive letter about how to shortencheckout lines, which began with ajokey comment about the “randomproduct availability” at the Coop. Justto note that in 20 years as a member Ireally haven’t found this to be the case.Often what’s needed to find somethingis a page-out asking for it—whichmight fall under his category of “quirkyannouncements over the speaker sys-tem,” which we certainly do have—along with incredibly hard-workingstaff that have made the Coop uniquelysuccessful and obliging. Let’s throwthem some well-deserved laurels ifwe’re just bandying words around…

Your laurel thrower,Jess Greenbaum

NOT YOUR RUBIKLE’SCUBICLESWho put up the first cubicle?Probably it wasn’t Rubikle.But we do know the fuzzy date,Sometime in nineteen sixty-eight.Forty years ago aroseFences blocking some from thoseReady and willing to distract Workers from their working act,Cutting production, sinking quotas,Bringing joy to rival gloatas.Any employee here botching?On a ladder a spy is watching.That at least is what the bossesTold themselves would limit lossesUnaware their production troublesStem not from conversationalbubblesBut rather from the office mediumBringing on unending tedium.What then has the demi-wallAccomplished? Less than nothing at all.Fences that are six feet highProve as redundant as “pizza pie.”Better to cover mouths with gags,Bosses, and cover heads with bags.That’s the direction you need to go:Build another Guantanamo.

Leon Freilich

tremendoussplendidtremorspandrelkindnessextra-terrestrialsasquatchcalabashperipherallyshrubberyoobleckice bucketegg-drop ceilingelbowcorroborateshakerpamplemousseperambulatesuperfluouslovejudiciousfreedomenjoyingfantasticghostHaitian mangoasparagusplaidMongolian yaksdiscombobulatechocolatebourgeoisieepiphanyno

pillowruminatecien fuegasbantercumulusnegotiatei n c o n c e i v a b l espatulaperturbedice creamthistledetritusthistleaudiologistwowshibbolethquetchjauntycarriagenocturnalembellishmentstwerpterg ive rsat ionorangepotato chipecholocationindubitablequetzalturpitudeonomatopoeicboingcherrieswooferyes

We welcome letters from members.Submission deadlines appear in theCoop Calendar. All letters will beprinted if they conform to the pub-lished guidelines. We will not know-ingly publish articles which are racist,sexist or otherwise discriminatory

The maximum length for letters is 500words. Letters must include your nameand phone number and be typed or verylegibly handwritten. Editors will rejectletters that are illegible or too long.

You may submit on paper, typed orvery legibly handwritten, or via emailto [email protected] oron disk.

AnonymityUnattributed letters will not be pub-lished unless the Gazette knows theidentity of the writer, and thereforemust be signed when submitted (giv-ing phone number). Such letters willbe published only where a reason isgiven to the editor as to why publicidentification of the writer wouldimpose an unfair burden of embar-rassment or difficulty. Such lettersmust relate to Coop issues and avoidany non-constructive, non-coopera-tive language.

FairnessIn order to provide fair, comprehen-sive, factual coverage:

1. The Gazette will not publishhearsay—that is, allegations not basedon the author's first-hand observation.

2. Nor will we publish accusationsthat are not specific or are not sub-stantiated by factual assertions.

3. Copies of submissions that makesubstantive accusations against spe-cific individuals will be given to thosepersons to enable them to write aresponse, and both submissions andresponse will be published simultane-ously. This means that the original sub-mission may not appear until the issueafter the one for which it was submitted.

The above applies to both articlesand letters. The only exceptions willbe articles by Gazette reporters whichwill be required to include theresponse within the article itself.

RespectLetters must not be personally

derogatory or insulting, even whenstrongly criticizing an individualmember's actions. Letter writers mustrefer to other people with respect,refrain from calling someone by anickname that the person never useshimself or herself, and refrain fromcomparing other people to odious fig-ures like Hitler or Idi Amin.

LETTERS POLICY

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East New York Food CoopHelp a new coop in Brooklyn • FTOP credit available

In accordance with the sixth Principle of Cooperation, we frequently offer support and consultation to other coops.

For the East New York Food Coop, we have also offered help in the form of Park Slope Food Coop member workslots.

The East New York Food Coop welcomes PSFC members to assist in its first year’s operations.

PSFC members may receive FTOP credit in exchange for their help. To receive credit, you should be

a member for at least one year and have an excellent attendance record.

To make work arrangements, please email ellen_weinstat @psfc.coop or call 718-622-0560.

East New York Food Coop419 New Lots Avenue • between New Jersey Avenue and Vermont Street

accessible by the A, J and 3 trains • 718-676-2721

TAKE OUR SURVEY!The Diversity and Equality Committee (DEC) of the

Park Slope Food Coop is currently conducting a member-wide survey to document and better understand

issues of bias and discrimination at the Coop.

We are asking ALL Coop members to take the survey.

Your participation will help us to get a broad range of views

and perspectives on these issues.

The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

The fastest and most environmentally friendly way to complete

the survey is to take it online at:

wwwwww..ffooooddccoooopp..ccoomm(Click on the box on the upper right that says “Take Survey”)

If you prefer to complete a paper version of the survey,

copies are available at the entrance desk,

second floor service desk, and the membership office.

If you have any questions or difficulties

with accessing the surveys and/or any special needs,

please contact the DEC Committee at

1-888-204-0098

Support a New Coop!Do you live or work in the Bronx?

Would you prefer to do your worksloton Saturdays?

Then inquire about supporting theSouth Bronx Food Cooperative!

In accordance with the 6th Principle ofCooperation, the Park Slope Food Coop is

offering the SBFC support and consultation byallowing PSFC members to

complete their workslot at the Bronx location.

PSFC members will receive FTOP credit inexchange for their help.

To receive credit, you should be a PSFC member for at least one year and have an

excellent attendance record.

To make work arrangements, please [email protected] or call

718-622-0560

South Bronx Food Coop646-226-0758 • [email protected]

The South Bronx Food Coop is seeking anexperienced

graphic/web designerto update their website ASAP for work-

slot credit!

Must know how to:• set up online purchasing system

• create edit-able calendar • incorporate audio & video links

• link websites

Preference for designers who can linkdatabase/inventory systems to web sales. Most

important—must have cool sense of design!

South Bronx Food Coop646-226-0758 • [email protected]

Hearing Officer Committee Seeks New Members

The Hearing Office Committee is seeking new members. The committee conducts and presides

over disciplinary hearings, ensures that hearings proceed in an efficient and unbiased manner

and, after a randomly selected Deciding Group has decided whether an accused member violat-

ed a Coop rule, determines what disciplinary action should be taken against the member.

Applicants should be Coop members in good standing for at least two years, have good atten-

dance records and preferably have judicial, arbitration, mediation or legal backgrounds.

Members of the committee meet and earn workslot credit on an as-needed basis only, that is,

when hearings are required. Therefore these members must maintain regular Coop workslots

in good standing or be FTOP members in good standing.

The nature of the committee’s work requires that all members maintain strict confidentiality

with respect to all matters on which they work.

The committee seeks an applicant pool that reflects the diversity of the Coop membership at large.

Those interested please telephone Mel Spain of the Hearing Officer Committee at

718-783-7405 or email at [email protected]

The Orientation Committee Needs You!

We are looking for energetic Coop members witha teaching or training background who can workon Monday evenings, Wednesday mornings orevenings, or Sunday afternoons. Orienters leadsessions every six weeks, and on the week mid-way between sessions you must be available asbackup for emergency coverage. Only Coop mem-

bers with at least two years of membership will be considered.

Workslot credit will be given for training sessions. An annual meeting of theOrientation Committee is part of the work requirement.

For more information, contact the Membership Officeor write to [email protected].

S O W M A Y W O R S T

O N E I C E A L O H A

U S E L E A F L E T E D

P E D A L H E N

S T Y L E D D U C A T S

A T O M T E P E E

P E A S C U P R E N T

R A N K S R G I B E

O R D A I N E R A S E D

C O D A L L A Y

B R E A K D O W N O R E

R A N G E F A D P E R

A D D E D F R Y E D S

Puzzle Answer

06-05-08 p 08-12 6/4/08 6:22 PM Page 10

Classified advertising in the Linewaiters’ Gazette is available only to Coop members. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Coop.



BED & BREAKFAST

THE HOUSE ON 3rd ST. B&B - Beau-tiful parlor floor thru on 3rd below6th Ave. Charming, comfortable apt.private bath, double living room,kitchen, deck, sleeps 4-5 call718-788-7171 or visit us on the webat www.houseon3st.com

HOUSING AVAILABLE

WINDSOR TERRACE. $525k. Spa-cious & Sunny 2BR/2BTH and big L.R.around 1200 ft. Great Coop prewarbuilding. High ceilings, hardwoodfloors, lots of windows & closetspace. Easy parking around theneighborhood. Two blocks away fromProspect Park & the subway stop FortHamilton. 718-438-7920.

HOUSING SUBLETS

JULY and AUGUST (dates neg.). Fur-nished room on ground floor of lovelyProspect Heights brownstone. Sharekitchen and bath with retired womanwho travels and three friendly cats.Wireless internet. $800/mo. Onemonth security and ref. Near muse-um, library, BAM. Near trains, 2/3, Q,4/5, C. Contact Tasha [email protected]

MERCHANDISE-NONCOMMERCIAL

SLEEPTEK ORGANIC LATEX king-size mattress for sale. Covered withquilted organic wool & organic cot-ton. One month old. In perfect condi-tion, protected by organic mattresspad from day one. Comes with origi-nal plastic bag for transport. We paid$2,253, yours for $1,550 (save over$700). Call Laura: 718-499-2789.

PETS

ADOPT CAVENDISH! Cavendish wasborn on the street. He is fourmonths old 5/08. He’s an adorabletuxedo-like kitten. Neutered &blood tested healthy. Up-to-date onshots. Looking for a forever home.So cute! Modest adoption fee. Pixcan be emailed to you. If interestedcontact Victoria 914-443-9209 /[email protected].

SERVICES

TOP HAT MOVERS, INC., 145 ParkPlace, Bklyn. Licensed and InsuredMoving Co. moves you stress-free.Full line of boxes & packing materialsavail. Free estimates 718-965-0214.D.O.T. #T-12302. Reliable, courteous,excellent references & always ontime. Credit cards accepted. MemberBetter Business Bureau.

PAINTING-PLASTERING+PAPER-HANGING-Over 25 years experiencedoing the finest prep + finish work inBrownstone Brooklyn. An entirehouse or one room. Reliable, cleanand reasonably priced. Fred Becker -718-853-0750.

EXPRESS MOVES. One flat price forthe entire move! No deceptive hourlyestimates! Careful, experiencedmover. Everything quilt padded. Noextra charge for wardrobes and pack-ing tape. Specialist in walkups. Thou-sands of satisfied customers. GreatCoop references. 718-670-7071

ATTORNEY—Experienced personalinjury trial lawyer representing injuredbicyclists and other accident victims.Limited caseload to ensure maximumcompensation. Member of NYSTLAand ATLA. No recovery, no fee. Freeconsult. Manhattan office. Park Sloperesident. Long time PSFC member.Adam D. White. 212-577-9710.

NEED AN ELECTRICIAN, call ArtCabrera at 718-965-0327. Celebrating35 yrs. in the electrical industry,skilled in all aspects of field from sin-gle outlets to whole buildings. Trou-ble shooting specialist. No jobturned away. Original Coop member,born in Brooklyn. Brownstone spe-cialist, low voltage & 220 wiring.

HAIRCUTS HAIRCUTS HAIRCUTS inthe convenience of your home ormine. Also color perms, hot oil treat-ments. Adults $30.00, Kids $15.00.Call Leonora 718-857-2215.

ATTORNEY—Personal Injury Empha-sis—30 years experience in all aspectsof injury law. Individual attention pro-vided for entire case. Free phone oroffice consultation. Prompt, courte-ous communications. 18-year ParkSlope Food Coop member; Park Sloperesident; downtown Brooklyn office.Tom Guccione, 718-596-4184, also atwww.tguccionelaw.com.

RELAX AND LET ME do the work:planting, weeding, pruning, design-ing to make your garden an oasis inthe concrete jungle. Certificate inUrban Garden Design from BrooklynBotanic Garden. Free estimates. CallDeborah or Gus at 718-438-1170.

NEW LOOK PAINTING. 28 years exp.Everything from expert wall prep tothe finest painted details. Whetherthe job requires “standard” or “spe-cialized” painting, all work is guaran-teed to meet customers satisfaction.References and portfolio available.All materials recycled. Reasonablerates! Insured. 646-734-0899.

MADISON AVENUE Hair Stylist isright around the corner from theFood Coop—so if you would like areally good haircut at a decent price,please call Maggie at 718-783-2154. I charge $60.00.

OLIVE DESIGN Interior Design .Color consulting, space planning,custom lamps, window coverings.Use what you have or start fresh. Rugand furniture selection. See my website for more information:olivedesignNY.com 347-495-5188.

SERVICE-HEALTH

HOLISTIC DENTISTRY in Brooklyn(Midwood) & Manhattan (Soho). Dr.Stephen R. Goldberg provides familydental care utilizing non-mercury fill-ings, acupuncture, homeopathy,temporo-mandibular (TM) joint ther-apy & much more. For a no-obliga-tion free initial oral examination, call212-505-5055. Please bring X-rays.

HOLISTIC OPTOMETRY: Most eyedoctors treat patients symptomati-cally by prescribing ever-increasingprescriptions. We try to find thesource of your vision problem. Someof the symptoms that can be treatedinclude headaches, eye fatigue, computer discomfort, learning dis-abilities. Convenient Park Slope loca-tion. Dr. Jerry Wintrob, 718-789-2020.holisticeyecare.com

HOLISTIC DOCTOR in Naturopathystimulates body’s natural ability toheal chronic conditions, allergy, skin,muscle, cancer support with home-opathy, physical & chelation thera-pies, bioenergetic acupuncture, labtests, hair analysis & more. ResearchDirector. 20 years exp. As Featured inAllure Magazine. Dr. Gilman212-505-1010.

LIFE COACHING WITH MINA. Are youin transition? Want to tap into yourcreativity? Jump-start your present —or a new — career? Live a happier,more fulfilled life? Life Coaching is apowerful tool for change and growth.Sessions either by phone or in convenient Park Slope location. First session free. Call 212-427-2324.

VACATIONS

COTTAGES FOR RENT in charmingCatskill summer community. Beautifulwooded grounds. Olympic-size pool,tennis courts, basketball, baseball,lake for swimming, boating, fishing. Wonderful families with lots ofkids. Wonderful family vacation. Veryreasonably priced. Contact Agnes,212-362-3919, [email protected].

CATSKILL MTN CABIN on SchoharieCreek. Spacious 2 BR 1 Queen 2 Twinon 5 very private acres. Lots of wildlife.Swim & fish in creek. Hiking, biking,antiquing & cultural attractions near-by. TV & DVD/VHS player, Sirius radio,screened & open porches, fireplace,firepit. $900/wk, $500/Sun-Fri. 10% discount for Coop members.Contact Deborah at 718-438-1170 [email protected].

WHAT’S FOR FREE

FREE INITIAL LIFE COACHING SES-SION. 30-minute complimentary ses-sion. Coaching will help you clarifyyour life goals, overcome limitingbeliefs, jump into your own uniquegreatness. Call Mina, 212-427-2324.

To Submit Classified or Display Ads:Ads may be placed on behalf of Coop members only. Classified ads are prepaid at $15 per inser-

tion, business card ads at $30. (Ads in the “Merchandise–Non-commercial” category are free.) Allads must be written on a submission form. Classified ads may be up to 315 characters and spaces.Display ads must be camera-ready and business card size (2" x 3.5" horizontal).Submission formsare available in a wallpocket near the elevator.

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Documents

Bottles and Bags, · First bottled water, then T-shirt-type plastic bags: two popular items removed from the Food Coop by a majority vote at the past two monthly General Meet-ings,