Volume CC, Number 6 March 13, 2008 Diversity and Equality ...

Volume CC, Number 6 March 13, 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

Secrets of theGeneral MeetingBy Ed Levy

General Meetings can be lively, con-tentious, stimulating, annoying,thrilling, or dull, as more and more

members have discovered now that the meetingalso counts as workslot credit. In fact, thepreponderance of first-time attendees at the GMin recent years—sometimes as high as 90%—has changed the character of the meetings quitea bit. Questions thoroughly discussed in a previ-ous meeting are often completely unfamiliar tothose voting on it in a subsequent one, requiringissues to be debated all over again. The waymeetings are run is also a mystery to manyencountering them for the first time. The Gazettelooked at these and other aspects of the GM withChair Committee members Carl Arnold and AnnMonroe.

IN THIS ISSUEGM Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Candidates for Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Environmental Committee Report: Salmon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Election Year Hopes and Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Member Contribution:

In Defense of an Apple, Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Coop Hours, Coffeehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Coop Calendar, Workslot Needs,

Governance Information, Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Community Calendar, Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

CoopEventHighlights

Fri, Mar 21 •The Good Coffeehouse: An Evening of Jazz, Tap andSong at the Society for Ethical Culture, 8:00 p.m.

Sat, Mar 22 •Adult and Teenage Media Swap, 10:30 a.m.

Sun, Mar 30 •Pub Night: Sing in the Spring at Freddy’s Back Room,7:00 p.m.

Thur, Apr 3 •Food Class—The Flexitarian Table, 7:30 p.m.

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

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 4

Next General Meeting on March 25The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the

last Tuesday of each month.* The next General Meeting will be

Tuesday, March 25, 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 the entry-

way of the Coop. For more information about the GM and about

Coop governance, please see the center of this issue.

* Exceptions for November and December will be posted.

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Diversity andEqualityCommittee to SurveyMembership About Bias at the Coop

By Joan Minieri

The February GeneralMeeting overwhelminglyapproved a proposal by

the Diversity and EqualityCommittee (DEC) to surveyCoop members to betterunderstand members’ beliefsabout, and experiences with,bias and discrimination atthe Coop. Despite concernsabout the environmentalimpact, mailing costs and theviability of some of the draftsurvey questions, only ahandful of the hundred-plusmembers present ultimatelyvoted against the proposedsurvey.

“I personally think there isbias at the Coop,” MatiasPelenur said, noting that byconducting the survey, “wewill have scientific numbersto say if there is bias or not. Itis worth the expenditure.”

“The Coop is a microcosmof a world that still has a lotof problems with diversity,”Jay Smith, a DEC member,commented. “I love the Coopbut there are these issues. Ifwe don’t deal with them itdiminishes the community ofour Coop.”

Seeking QuantitativeData and Solutions

DEC Chair Jeffrey Aronowitzexplained that the 15-member

committee formed in 2004 towork toward preventing andeliminating discrimination atthe Coop. Two years ago, committee members came tothe General Meeting with theidea of conducting a survey ofthe general membership aboutdiversity and bias. Since then,“we have been refining ourunderstanding of how to bestdesign and carry this out,”Aronowitz said. “We are nowcoming back with an improvedsurvey and a clear sense of whyand how to conduct a survey.”

Since presenting its originalsurvey plan, the DEC has conducted two focus groupswith nearly 20 Coop members,trainings with 250 squad leaders and three case reviewsof complaints of bias and dis-crimination. Through theseactivities, it has identified three main themes.

“Perception of bias stemsfrom arbitrary enforcement ofCoop rules,” Jennifer Fried-man of the research subcom-mittee reported as the firsttheme, such as only somemembers being asked toshow their cards at checkout.Another experience membersdescribe is “feeling like theydon’t belong at the Coop,”Friedman said. Members citesmall incidents over time,such as feeling “watched” or“in the way.” A third theme is

“frustration at a generalsense of silence in the face ofthese kinds of experiences,”Friedman conveyed, evenamong members who try tobring their concerns forward.By conducting the survey, thecommittee ultimately hopesto identify solutions. The goalis “not just to document thatpeople are experiencing biasand discrimination, but tolook at how we make it aplace where everyone can feelcomfortable,” Friedmanmaintained.

The DEC plans to mail out4,000 survey forms to a ran-domly selected group ofmembers in order to obtain500 completed surveys. It will“analyze the data and bringfindings back to the GeneralMeeting, and talk about wayswe can act on the informa-tion,” Friedman said. Sheoffered a timeline of complet-ing the process by fall 2008for a total anticipated cost of$6,763. The favorable voteapproves this expenditureand timeline, and allows thecommittee to revise andfinalize the draft survey.

Based on a review of thedraft survey, Coop membersgenerally praised the com-mittee’s hard work, whileoffering suggestions for

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 2

improvement. Several askedif a paperless survey could beconducted online, whichcommittee members notedmight not adequately ensureconfidentiality, but agreed toexplore more thoroughly. JoeHoltz, a General Coordinator,noted that the survey could

potentially “piggyback on”the Coop’s May Board ofDirectors election mailing.

“Could we have regularsessions as a workslot wherewe can come and discuss theissues…and save paper?”Sharone David suggested.

“Write down your ideas

and give them to us—we arevery open to them,” JenniferFriedman emphasized. “Wewill do whatever we can to minimize the impact,” anoth-er committee member said ofthe environmental costs.

“We are going to end upvaluing the data we get backmore than the regrettableloss of paper,” Vance Gathingsaid. “It is worth it.”

Several members ques-tioned specific data cate-gories that ask for race,ethnicity and politicalaffiliation. Jennifer Fried-man admitted that askingmembers about their raceor ethnicity is “complicat-ed” and suggested thatpolitical affiliation is “use-ful information to have interms of analyzing theresults.” She later addedthat some questions maybe listed as optional.

Other members raisedconcerns about theemphasis in the survey onnegative experiences. “Iam a professionalresearcher,”one memberframed his comments.“This is a very biasedapproach. This is aunique opportunity totalk to a lot of members.Can we approach this in amore positive way?” YigalRechtman specifically askedabout the possibility of “try-ing to quantify the non-viola-tors too,” leading Friedmanto concur that “maybe wecould add that into the sur-vey. It’s good idea.”

Andy Feldman offered yetanother approach. “Maybewe can take a vote of themeeting and ask if there isbias at the Coop and I bet we

would vote yes, then wecould just skip the survey.”

Enforcing Coop Rulesand Procedures

Members considered aseparate discussion itemalso posed by the Diversityand Equality Committee tomore strongly enforce Cooprules. Based on the discus-sion, the committee maybring back a proposal foraction. “One of the reasonswe brought this discussion tothe membership is so that we

could gather ideas for how touniversally enforce the rules,”Jeffrey Aronowitz explained.

Allegra Fishel, a DECmember, noted that eventhough the committee hasreceived only three formalcomplaints, it has gathered“a lot of anecdotal informa-tion about subtle things.”She cited several types ofexperiences, such as being

asked for additional identifi-cation in the childcare room.

“You can do all you wantwith rules, but the way to doit is not by stick but by car-rot,” Yigal Rechtman said. Hesuggested giving membersworkslot incentives to come toeducation sessions aboutenforcing rules fairly.

“I love the idea of the uni-versal enforcement of rules.Even when there is not bias,the appearance of bias is thereand we need to avoid that,”Allen Zimmerman, a General

Coordinator, maintained.“Maybe the orientation

is a place to raise some ofthese issues,” Leila Kawarsuggested.

“We don’t have as manyrules as we have proce-dures,” Ann Herpel, anOffice Coordinator and DECstaff liaison, noted. “I wouldlike to see us move towardmore positive language.”She urged members to lookat the Do’s and Don’ts ofShopping at the Coop post-ed near the shopping carts.“Maybe just memorize oneevery time you shop.”

Coordinators’ ReportsIn other business, Mike

Eakin, a General Coordina-tor, said that our fiscal yearjust ended on February 3,2008. A preliminary year-end report could be avail-able in March and a finalreport will be available atthe Annual Meeting in

June. Eakin noted that cumu-lative net sales since ourincorporation in 1977 untilthe end of January 2008 were$248,432,804. He distributeda membership chart showinghow we have grown substan-tially since 1985, with growthslowing in 1993-1999 due tospace restrictions. Member-ship grew rapidly after weexpanded into the new build-ing, then again slowed. It isnow picking up. “We may benearing capacity,” Eakinreported.

Joe Holtz also addressedthe issue of membershipgrowth, recalling the namingof the Coop newsletter in1974—The Linewaiters’ Gazette.“We named it that becausethere was always a line at theCoop,” Holtz said. “One of thearguments then was that weshould expand the space andthe hours” so we have less ofa line. However, “every timewe increase space and capac-ity, people rush to join theCoop, so we say OK, let’sincrease capacity.” Holtzdescribed how the Coop issupporting the developmentof new coops, either directlyby allowing people to dotheir workslots with emergingcoops or by letting Coopmembers know of a coop forming in their neigh-borhood. He cited examplesin Fort Greene, BedfordStuyvesant, the South Bronx,and East New York. “Perhapswe can create capacity byhelping people develop coops closer to them,” hesuggested. ■

2 � March 13, 2008 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY

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

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.

Diversity and Equality SurveyC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

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Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY March 13, 2008 � 3


The Two Types of Agenda ItemsOne common misunderstanding is the dif-

ference between an item for discussion and aproposal. An item for discussion is just that,something the meeting will talk about. A pro-posal is something that will ultimately bedecided by a vote. The rules don’t permit avote on a discussion item at the meeting inwhich it is discussed. Even if a discussion itemhas been exhaustively aired, analyzed andexplored and the outcome of the vote seemsobvious, the vote cannot be held at that meet-ing. For the item to be voted upon, someonemust bring it up as a proposal in a futuremeeting. There is a good reason for this rule: Ifyou want to cast a vote on a particular issuebut can’t or don’t want to attend the discus-sion, you would be disenfranchised if you didnot know the precise day that the proposalwas scheduled for a vote.

Not every motion brought to the floor of theGM has been aired in a previous meeting.However, the Chair and Agenda committeesstrongly encourage members to subject theirproposals to the discussion phase to clarifyand focus them, and to then resubmit them asa proposal. This has saved a lot of time andconfusion in meetings.

Rules for DiscussionThe rules for a discussion item are more

open and freewheeling than they are for a pro-posal. But once a motion to vote on a proposalis on the floor, the rules tighten up: Only thatmotion and no other can be discussed until itis resolved, and only one amendment to themotion at a time can be proposed. Even if youthink you have a better amendment than the

one being proposed, you have to defeat theprevious one first.

A meeting has several options when debateon a motion has become lengthy. It can vote toextend debate, table the motion or end thedebate and call the question for a vote.Extending the debate is not usually an optionbecause Garfield Temple Annex on EighthAvenue, where the meetings are held, closes at10 pm. Tabling a motion means simply puttingit aside for now. The chair will always try tobring something to a vote during the meetingat which it’s been proposed, but if the debatehas been contentious or the matter is stillunclear, the meeting may decide to pass amotion to extend the debate into another GM.

If many people want to speak, the chair maylimit speakers to two or three minutes each. Ifyou are feeling particularly passionate or elo-quent and you are tempted to go over thatlimit, expect to receive a series of gentlereminders.

The meeting secretary, not the chair, callson people to speak, lining up speakers three attime at the mike (a practice that began in theold days, when chairpersons were accused ofcalling disproportionately on their friends).The secretary also keeps track of the agendaand the meeting’s decisions. Some attendeeshave pointed out that the coordinators seemto be called on disproportionately. At times,

coordinators have felt they are not called onenough. Yet input from the coordinators isindispensable; in some cases they themselveshave brought the issue to the GM; in manycases, they hold important information thatbears upon it.

Another rule of the meeting governs who“owns” a proposal in the parliamentary sense.While it is being discussed and clarified, themember who brought the item owns it,answers questions from members about it,and can even withdraw it. But once the chairsenses that the discussion of the proposal isno longer about what it means but aboutwhether or not people like it, he or she willinvite the presenter to make a formal motionto put it on the floor for debate. When thatmotion has been seconded, the proposal isnow owned not by the presenter but by themeeting. At that point, the presenter cannotaccept or reject amendments to the propos-al—only the meeting can.

Varying Roberts RulesThe chair follows a modified version of

Roberts Rules of Order, the traditional set ofguidelines for parliamentary bodies devel-oped by an army officer in the 19th centurywho was asked to preside over a church meet-ing, and realized he didn’t know how.

Under the variation, also currently used bythe Green Party, if the chair senses that amotion is widely popular to save time the chair may dis-pense with a formal vote and declare it passed“if there are no objections.” If there is oneobjection, the chair may ask the dissenter“Will you stand aside?” to expedite the voting

process. Another departurefrom Roberts is the conceptof ownership mentionedabove.

Tips to PresentersThe Chair Committee

members have a few tips forpeople bringing discussionitems to the meeting. Thinkthem through, and makethem as coherent as possi-ble. Ask the help of theAgenda Committee in writ-ing your proposal if youthink you need it. At themeeting, make your presen-tation less than eight min-utes, to leave time for thediscussion. Describe itclearly and concisely. But

once the discussion has begun, let it go on—don’t become defensive or feel you need torespond to every comment.

How to Get on the AgendaIn the early days of the Coop, the agenda

was set at the meeting itself. More than once,this required the whole meeting, and theprocess was often chaotic. In the 1990s the AdHoc Committee to Improve Coop Governancerecommended creation of the Agenda andChair committees, and the rewriting of therules in plain English. Even then, according toCarl, it took several years for the meetings to“calm down.”Any member can bring an issue tothe GM by completing a submission form. Theycan be found on the bulletin board in the Coopentrance lobby. The forms can also be down-loaded at http://foodcoop.com/go.php?id=64.

Members can bring up brief items, requiringfive minutes or less of the meeting’s time, inthe open forum segment of the meeting with-out completing the agenda form.

The Chair Committee is currently lookingfor two people who would like to train for therole of meeting chair. Contact any Chair Com-mittee member for more information. In addi-tion to Carl and Ann, the committee membersare David Golland, Dorene Martinez, RobinCampbell and Imani Q’Ryn. You can find themat every General Meeting. ■

Secrets of the General MeetingC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

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PSFC MARCH 2008 GENERALMEETINGTuesday, March 25, 7:00 p.m.• Items will be taken up in the order given.• Times in parentheses are suggestions.• More information on each item may be available at the entrance

table at the meeting. We ask members to please read the materials available between 7:00 & 7:15 p.m.

• Meeting Location: Congregation Beth Elohim Social Hall(Garfield Temple) 274 Garfield Pl. at 8th Ave.

AGENDA:Item #1: Annual Disciplinary Committee election(30 minutes)The Disciplinary Committee will present candidate(s) forelection to the committee. —submitted by the Disciplinary CommitteeComment: The Disciplinary Committee goes through anextensive interviewing process. There are no nominations fromthe floor.

Item #2: Board of Directors Candidates,Presentations and Questions (30 minutes)“Beginning with this year, the candidates for the Board are asked tomake a presentation each year at both the March GM and theJune Annual Meeting. At each of these meetings members willhave the opportunity to ask the candidates questions.”

Item #3: Changing the date of the SeptemberGeneral Meeting (10 minutes)"To change the date of the September General Meeting toSeptember 23, 2008" —submitted by General CoordinatorsComment: “Our usual location at Garfield Temple House ofCongregation Beth Elohim is not available to us on the normallyscheduled night of 9-30-08 due to religious observances. Wefound a substitute space that had poor acoustics, poor lighting,did not allow food and had no space for childcare. We think it ispreferable to change the date of the meeting. Therefore, wepropose one week earlier on 9-23-08.”

Item #4: Whether all members, including staff,should work (20 minutes)Discussion: “Complaints about the attitude of the paid staff arecommon among members. If everyone worked shifts, includingstaff, this would increase sense of shared experience andsolidarity. Since we require 70-year-old members to work, maybewe should require staff members to work. That everyone whobelongs to the Coop works is a guiding principle of the Coop.Working shifts would give the staff insight into issues thatconcern us all and would provide a greater sense of belonging tothe Coop community.” —submitted by Daniel Simon

Future Agenda Information:For information on how to place an item on the Agenda,

please see the center pages of the Linewaiters' Gazette.The Agenda Committee minutes and the status of pending

agenda items are available in the office and at all GMs.

Bill PennerI am writing to ask for your support for reelection

as one of the six members of the Board of Directorsof the Coop. My candidacy has been endorsed by the

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

the Coop for eight years. Inaddition to serving on theBoard of Directors for the lasttwo years, I have served onboth the Receiving Commit-tee and on the CHiPS SoupKitchen Committee preparingmeals with food donated bythe Coop. In my life outside

the Coop, I am a 45-year-old architect with my ownarchitectural firm which I started six years ago inBrooklyn, and last fall I became the new father of abeautiful baby girl. Prior to receiving my degree inarchitecture, I apprenticed as a chef and cookedprofessionally for 6 years. The Coop is an importantpart of my life, it is a place were I connect with mypassion for food and realize the significance of foodand food production in our society as a cultural,

environmental, and economic force of incredibleimportance.

Because the Coop is a corporation, it is required tohave 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. As such,I focus on maintaining a thorough knowledge of openissues and concerns of the membership by attendingGeneral Meetings, reading the Gazette, and staying incontact with General Coordinators. I make a particu-lar effort of familiarizing myself with the monthlyfinancial statement, and I believe being well informedof the financial condition of the Coop is one of mybiggest responsibilities as a board 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 direc-

tions, but my mainpoint since 1992 when Ijoined was and remains:An Assembly of ElectedDelegates. And by that Imean proportionalrepresentation.

People ask me whatwould be different under

an assembly of elected delegates. Here are just a fewthings since I joined in 1992.

The pension plan The Governance CommitteeThe Milquetoast Board of Directors The atrium Item pricing The Gazette The 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 withouteven the normal accountability they would have ifthere were a board of directors. Our directors have so

little power that they don’t even sign an oath ofsecrecy.

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 putan end to this shameful exclusivity by acquiring myown proxies and refusing not to vote them. I alsosent two separate briefs to the Chair Pool Commit-tee. But no one ever credits me with the change!Years later Carl Arnold, a Management supporter,changed the election of directors to a mail ballot,mooting the whole sorry question of proxies andallowing thousands instead of hundreds to partici-pate 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 is

that 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 policies wasto buy the Building Next Door. They really wantedthat. They disparaged every alternative suggested—funding satellite co-ops (which they couldn’t controlso directly), renting warehouse space, which wouldaffect our turnover policy. After it was denied in a refer-endum they rammed it through again as soon as theycould. Yes, we know what their policies are, but theynever have to defend them or even articulate 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. Every member will receive a proxy package in the mail in late May.

You will have the opportunity to meet the candidates at the March 25 General Meeting as well as the Annual Meeting on June 24, 2008.

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, are eligible to vote in the elec-tion of Directors at the Annual Meeting either inperson or by proxy.

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





Sorting Out the OptionsBy Maura Smale for the EnvironmentalCommittee

Fish is often considered to be one ofthe healthiest of foods, a source of

lean protein and essential omega-3fatty acids that is also low in saturatedfat. Salmon is among the most popularand easily available fish to eat, and theFood Coop carries a wide variety ofsalmon available frozen, refrigerated,canned and dried. But you may haveread that there can be negative healthand environmental impacts to salmonconsumption. How can a salmon fansort it all out?

Wild Salmon

Both wild and farmed salmon aresold at the Coop and other grocery

stores. The natural habitat of wildsalmon spans the North Pacific andNorth Atlantic Oceans. At the presenttime wild Atlantic salmon stocks areendangered due to overfishing and areunavailable for sale in the U.S. All prod-ucts sold in the U.S. labeled Atlanticsalmon are thus farmed salmon, notwild.

Pacific habitats for wild salmoninclude Washington State, Oregon andNorthern California as well as Alaska. Ofthese locations, the fisheries in Wash-ington, Oregon and California sufferfrom habitat degradation that has nega-tively impacted salmon stocks. The non-profit Blue Ocean Institute recommendsagainst buying wild salmon caught inthe U.S. Pacific Northwest.

However, wild Alaskan salmon fish-eries are generally considered to bewell-managed. Alaskan salmon is certi-fied sustainable by the Marine Steward-ship Council (MSC). MSC was foundedin a partnership between Unilever andthe World Wildlife Federation, and isnow an independent nonprofit organi-zation.

One of the most comprehensiverecent studies of the health effects ofsalmon consumption was published in2004 in the journal Science. Researchersat SUNY Albany’s Institute for Healthand the Environment measured the lev-els of the contaminants PCBs, dioxins,dieldrin and toxaphene in both wild andfarmed salmon. They concluded thatfour to eight meals (consisting of eight-ounce portions) of wild salmon permonth for adults, children and pregnantwomen fall within acceptable EPA can-cer risk parameters.

Further, the fish company EcoFishalong with a scientific advisory boardinitiated a testing program calledSeafood Safe. This program testssalmon for contamination by PCBs andmercury, and awards a Seafood Safelabel for those under EPA acceptablelevels. Currently only fish sold byEcoFish have been awarded the label,though there are plans to expand theprogram to fish sold by other compa-nies in the future.

Farmed Salmon

Like many types of fish, salmon areeasily farmed. Given the habitat

depletion of wild salmon, farmed salmonwould seem like a good alternative. Butthere may be both environmental andhealth reasons to avoid farmed salmon.

Current salmon farming practices areneither sustainable nor environmentallyfriendly. In the wild, salmon typicallyconsume krill and plankton (tiny crus-taceans and other animals). Largeamounts of food are required to raisefarmed salmon, and this food is oftenmade from the meat and oil of other fish.In many cases the protein content of theamount of feed required by farmedsalmon exceeds the protein content ofthe salmon themselves. Additionally, thefish that make up the farmed salmon dietmay themselves be a source of toxins.

Salmon farming also produces a huge,concentrated amount of waste. Salmonpens are often located on the shore closeto wild salmon runs, and farmed salmonwaste pollutes surrounding waters. Also,a species may be farmed outside of itsnative habitat, for example, Atlanticsalmon farmed in the Pacific Northwest.If these farmed fish escape from theirpens, they can interfere with the naturalhabitats of the local species and spreaddisease and parasites.

In addition to environmental con-cerns, there are potential health issueswith farmed salmon. Farmed salmonhave more fat and toxins—includingPCBs, dioxins and pesticides—than dowild salmon. Like terrestrially farmedanimals, salmon are raised in close quar-ters, thus farmers must give them antibi-otics to fight diseases. Sea lice can infestthe closely packed fish and may spreadinto wild salmon habitats. Often artificialcolors are added to their feed to mimicthe traditional pink color of wild salmon.

Farmed salmon was also included inthe SUNY Albany study of the healthrisks of salmon consumption mentionedabove. Scientists found that eating morethan only one eight-ounce meal permonth of farmed salmon could exceedthe EPA cancer risks from exposure toPCBs, dieldrin and toxaphene.

Choose Wild

If you’re concerned about the environ-mental costs and health impacts of

salmon farming, the best choice is wildAlaskan salmon. Currently, all frozen,canned and dried salmon available atthe Coop is wild Alaskan salmon, as aresome of the refrigerated (usually smokedor cured) salmon options. For all types ofseafood, look for a label of approval fromthe Marine Stewardship Council orSeafood Safe.

If you have any questions or comments, emailthe Environmental Committee at [email protected]. Please let us know if you’d like to beon our Friends of the Committee list and get veryinfrequent (really!) updates about new greenproducts the Coop is carrying or issues the com-mittee is working on. And check out our blog athttp://ecokvetch.blogspot.com.

E N V I R O N M E N T A L C O M M I T T E E R E P O R T

Salmon

FOR MORE INFORMATION

BLUE OCEAN INSTITUTE

WWW.BLUEOCEAN.ORG

OCEANS ALIVE (FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND)WWW.OCEANSALIVE.ORG

EPA’S FISH ADVICE

WWW.EPA.GOV/WATERSCIENCE/FISHADVICE/ADVICE.HTML

MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL

HTTP://ENG.MSC.ORG

SEAFOODSAFE

WWW.SEAFOODSAFE.COM

SUNY ALBANY’S INSTITUTE

FOR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

WWW.ALBANY.EDU/IHE/SALMONSTUDY/CONTAMINANTS.HTML#ONE

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By Alison Levy

After Super Tuesday, Iasked Coop shoppershow they felt about

the Presidential campaign.What issues topped theirwish lists for change? Whatwere their highest hopes forthis country?

True to our diverse com-munity, Coop members haddivergent opinions, and sup-ported a wide array of candi-dates, including all thefront-runners, as well as a fewpotential write-in’s: DennisKucinich, Ron Paul and MikeHuckabee. Here’s a represen-tative sample of views.

Moraima Suarez, a Coopmember since 1996, does aFood Processing shift. Herprimary concerns are the

environment, healthcare andgetting out of Iraq. Her primeenvironmental concern isglobal warming, and she’dlike to see universal health-care.

“I’m hoping for some kindof change. We need to startthinking outside of the box.I’m glad we now have widerchoices.”

A Coop member for four-teen years, Charles Lewitzworks on the Shopping Com-mittee and is a retiredteacher. He feels concernedthat none of the candidates isaddressing what he considersthe most important issue:corporate irresponsibilityand greed.

“Dennis Kucinich and RonPaul are the candidatesaddressing that,” saysCharles. “Our healthcareproblems, fiscal problems—they all come from the corpo-rate problem.”

Still he feels hopeful. “Thenext president will have totackle tough problems for thebenefit of the people.”

A life spirit minister, Rev-erend Nicholas Cremato hasbeen a Coop member fortwelve years.

Considering a write-in forRon Paul, Nicholas regardsthe campaign as “a bunch ofnonsense.”

“What I want to know iswho are the candidates whoare really backed by the peo-ple?” he asks.

Cremato is outraged that“We’re embroiled in an illegal

war, not approved by Con-gress. The troops need tocome back.”

New Coop member LizWells is a lawyer whose shiftis Receiving and Stocking.She would like to see us outof the war and hopes “we canturn this around so that theworld will stop hating usbecause of our poor interna-tional relations.”

Liz would like universal

healthcare, and she alsoregards education as a keyissue. “If we’d address that, itcould solve all our problems,”Liz believes.

Whether it’s Hillary orObama, Liz doesn’t care. “Itwill be nice to have a change.”

Writer (and waitress) JennDavis has been on the Main-tenance Committee for fivemonths.

“I’m a moderate and moresocially conservative.“ Jennreports. She’s not in favor ofsocialized healthcare becauseshe knows from her doctor

father that “you get what youpay for.”

From her perspective, thethree top issues are preserv-ing abortion rights, gay rightsand addressing the war. Shelikes a number of candidatesfor different reasons. “MaybeI’ll look into McCain. He’spro-war but otherwise rea-sonable.”

Her bottom line? “I hopewe’ll get someone who willtell the truth.”

Alex Kirtland (a membersince 2002) does a childcareshift. He’s an IT consultant,concerned about globalwarming and healthcare. Alexwould like to see the next

president promote free tradevia NAFTA and the WTO.

“The next president needsto put in place regulations tohelp companies know how torespond to climate change,”says Alex. “We need leader-ship.”

Squad Leader and Coopmember for seven years, TerryMoore is a teacher. “I likewhat I’m hearing in speechesabout health. Even in my job,we have insurance, butthere’s not enough coverage.I think the governmentshould help,” she says.

Concerned about the warand healthcare, as a teacher,she’d also like to see changesin education. “Let’s restorethe music and arts programsthat were cut and have small-er classes.”

Nafisa Basir and JanineBlunt were shopping togeth-er. Both are teachers. Nafisawould like to see more sup-

port for those whose educa-tion is interrupted to familyeconomics, while Janinehopes the next President willrevamp the economy, createjobs and offer job training.

“We need programs forpeople who are out of work,”Janine said.

Nafisa agreed that “Youthin public schools are notbeing prepared for the longhaul.”

“We need to make surefamilies have affordableinsurance and we need doc-tors who really care,” saidNafisa.

Janine, who has an agingmother, would like to seemedical benefits for allretirees. “She has insurance

but she has to pay a lot out ofpocket,” Janine reported.

“Both Hillary and Barackshould be on the same bal-lot,” Janine suggested.“Together they’d be great.”

Trevor MacDermid, a Coop

member since 2002, spear-heads the Coop compostingeffort. He’s a freelance cre-ative director.

As candidates becomedesperate for delegates,“ugliness and defamationcome into play which is toobad. I hope it will pass,”Trevor said.

His primary concerns areimproving foreign relations,protecting social securityfrom imprudent spending

and moving ahead with anenergy policy that looks atenvironmental impact.

“What we’re doing hasrepercussions both for our-selves and for future genera-tions,” Trevor believes.

In the next president, Trevorhopes for authenticity. “Peoplewho run for office try to pleaseeverybody. I would love to seea straight shooter.” ■

“I hope everyone canaccept who’s elected andgive them a chance.”

—Terry Moore

“The President should be arole model. There needs tobe credibility in all that wedo.” —Trevor MacDermid


Election Year Hopes and Reflections

“To be successful, you haveto attract corporate dollars.That’s why the leadingcandidates don’t touch thereal issues.”

—Charles Lewitz

“If you could just combine Hillary and Barack, they’d be thefirst black woman president!” —Nafisa Basir and Janine Blunt


“I’m glad we’ve got goodchoices because we haven’tfor a long time.”

—Moraima Suarez

“Obama, Clinton, McCain––any of them would make agood president.”

—Alex Kirtland

“Over the last eight years,you never got the full story.That’s depressing for ayoung person.”—Jenn Davis

“We have a glut of militarysupplies. Those resourcesshould be used to rebuildour own country.”—Reverend Nicholas Cremato

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.

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In the words of Amy Hep-worth, the local farmerwho grows almost exclu-

sively for the Coop, we haveto be truth seekers with oureyes open, as dogmatism isthe downfall of any move-ment, including that oforganic food. I think industri-al organic farms (EarthboundOrganic, Grateful Harvest)have tapped into our desires

for pure, safe food andresponded by marketing whatfellow member MatthewWillis calls “fantasy produce,”fruits and vegetables that arecertified organic but originate

from huge industrial farmsand processing factories. Thisfantasy of “imported organic”chips away at our faith in ourlocal farmers—our neigh-bors—with whom we sharethis state. Unlike the privatesphere of big organic, NewYork State farmers are edu-cated, supported and heldaccountable to public institu-tions like the Cornell Cooper-ative Extension in Ithaca, NY,institutions whose focus isthe health and nutrition ofthe public.

A lack of organic certifica-tion does not mean food isgrown without standards.New York State has come along way since Rachel Car-son’s Silent Spring towarddechemicalization and thepractice of IPM, integratedpest management, and isnow highly regarded for itsenvironmental and food safe-ty standards. Farmers of pastgenerations were indoctrinat-ed to spray all the time;before a rain, during a rainand afterward, out of fear oflosing their crop and thustheir income. “They werespraying carcinogens to pro-vide a perfect-looking fruit,”Hepworth said in her Octobertalk at the Coop. Waking upfrom that program tookdecades, because it meantchanging the daily workingsof the farm. Instead ofdefaulting to pesticides, in

practicing IPM the farmerclosely monitors the orchardto see who’s sneaking in onthe apples, and adapts thegrowing plan to take advan-tage of insect life cycles andnatural predators. Becausechemical use is essentiallylimited, IPM is widely accept-ed as the best way to farm,both ecologically and eco-nomically.

In 1998, the Food Protec-tion Act of New York tight-ened regulations on whattypes and amounts of insecti-cides could be used in foodproduction, setting the goal

for all produce onthe shelf to havenon-detectable lev-els (NDL) whenexamined in partsper billion. This wasa huge leap towardeliminating residual

chemicals, and decontami-nated agriculture significant-ly. Any insecticide orfertilizers would now have topass under a much strongermicroscope, and remainundetected even when thefruit is concentrated into

juice form for babies. In addi-tion, as Hepworth gentlyreminded, it is not only weapple eaters or juice drinkerswhose safety is at stake.Whatever our worries aboutresidues, chemicals must besafe enough for the farm-workers whose bodies aredirectly exposed to them.

That’s where new chem-istry comes in. While in thepast “broad-spectrum bio-cides” wiped out everythingfrom birds to bees, the chem-istry now is just plain cool:entomologists and chemistshave collaborated to find theweakness of a single insect or

spore, utilizing even familiarelements like sodium and vit-amin D to kill them. What’stoxic to them can be totallybenign to humans: thinkslugs and salt shakers.Whereas an organic farmermight spray five pounds ofsulfur 10 to 12 times in eachorchard to combat applescab, for example, with newchemistry farmers can sprayfive ounces of a pesticidefocused specifically on applescab spores. Unlike sulfur,which builds up over time inthe soil, new, focused pesti-cides and insecticides arephotodegradable, meaningthey break down to a non-detectable level whenexposed to light alone. ■



How to Contact the Disciplinary Committee

eThe Disciplinary Committee is responsible for the review,investigation, and disposition of all submitted complaints ofmember misconduct.

If you would like to submit a complaint, please contact us.

oEmail: [email protected]

CLetter Drop Off: Written reports may be left in the DC mailboxlocated to the left as you enter the Membership Office.

NBy US Post: Park Slope Food CoopAttn: The Disciplinary Committee782 Union St Brooklyn NY 11215

RVoicemail: 888.922.2667, ext 86

Thank you

(

In Defense of An Apple, Part II

Thursday,April 3

7:30 p.m.at the Coop

M E N U

• Crispy Pressed Chicken or Tofu with

Garlic and Mint

• Creamy Whole Grain Risotto with Spring

Greens and Asiago cheese

• Shaved Spring Vegetable Salad

The Flexitarian TableInspired, flexible meals

for vegetarians, meat lovers and everyone in between

$4 materials feeViews expressed by the presenter do not

necessarily represent the Park Slope Food Coop.

Guest Chef Peter Berleyis a personal chef, caterer,cookbook author andculinary instructor. Peter'sforemost concern is thedevelopment of local sus-tainable food systemsand the fate of the homecooking in America. Peteris the author of threecookbooks including theJames Beard and IACPaward-winning TheModern VegetarianKitchen. Fresh FoodFast was chosen as oneof the 25 Best Books of2005 by Food and WineMagazine. Peter's latestbook, The FlexitarianTable, was released inJune 2007 and will be onsale at the food class.

MEMBERS &NON-MEMBERSWELCOME.

Come earlyto ensure a seat.

WHAT IS THAT? HOW DO I USE IT?

Food Tours in the CoopIf you’ve fallen off the wagoncan’t get up from the couchIf living has lost its zingand the simple thing comes hard

Remember the shift from one season to the nextthe interlude when animals shed their coatsleaving tufts of furcaught in the yet dry weedswhen the birds are spending their last reservesflying to warmer climeswhen the turtle and frog stirin their muddy dens but waitfor the ice to ease

These cold winds bring advance news here and there we hear the home birdssing a different songthe light strikes with new vigor

Ease out of your rut: get to bed a little earlyrise and greet the sunor bike to a point and watch it setgo somewhere you haven’t been:a few blocks awaytalk to a stranger about deep thingsstop, breathe and listento the beat of your own heart

Be part of the advance team of springget involved with something bigger

better

The Park Slope Food Coop is a good placeto begin—inspiring more than just dinner

by Myra Klockenbrink

Mondays March 17 (C Week)April 7 (B Week)April 14 (C Week)Noon to 1 p.m.

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

Tuesday April 8 (B Week)11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Sunday April 13 (B Week)Noon to 2 p.m.

You can join in any time during a tour.

Member Contribution

By Melanie Chopko

This is part two in a three-part series on the gray area between local andorganic food. In the last section (1/31/08), I discussed how West Coast fruitfrom “big” organic producers shuffles the environmental burden from theproduction side to the distribution side of the sustainability equation.


This Issue Prepared By:Coordinating Editors: Stephanie Golden

Erik Lewis

Editors (development): Erik LewisJoan Minieri

Reporters: Alison LevyEd Levy

Joan Minieri

Art Director (development): Eva Schicker

Illustrators: Lynn BernsteinEthan PettitDeborah Tint

Photographers: Rod Morrison

Traffic Manager: Barbara Knight

Text Converters: Peter BentonAndrew Rathbun

Proofreader: Margaret Benton

Thumbnails: Rose Unes

Preproduction: Helena Boskovic

Photoshop: Terrance Carney

Art Director (production): Joe Banish

Desktop Publishing: Kevin CashmanNamik MinterMichael Walters

Editor (production): Louise Spain

Final Proofreader: Isabelle Sulek

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–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 the viewsof the writer. The Gazette will not knowingly publisharticles 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 forsubmissions 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

March 207:00–9:00 p.m.

Last SundayMarch 30

10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.Second Saturday

April 1210:00 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 10minutes prior to our end time to

allow for sorting.

FridayMar. 218:00 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.

Join Jezra Kaye and her trio for a night of sultry standardsand swinging blues.

When she’s not busy teaching people how to write and deliver strong,persuasive speeches, singer Jezra Kaye weaves her sultry, swingingmagic on a mix of jazz standards,blues and sophisticated pop.Come find out why she and hergreat backup musicians alwayspack the Good Coffeehouse.

Rhythm Tap soloist MargaretMorrison is joined by Robin

Burdulis on percussion, Theo Hill on Piano, Lisa Parrot on sax, andother friends for an evening of tap dance and swinging jazz music.For over 20 years Margaret has presented her tap dance artistryacross the United States, in Brazil and Europe, performing as a soloistand with the acclaimed American Tap Dance Orchestra. Reviewershave called her “feather-footed and musically astute”, a “consummateartist who breaks the mold.”

An Evening of Jazz, Tap & Song


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, March 25, 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 March 13, 2008 � 9W

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Cheese InventoryMonday, A week, 8:00 to 10:45 a.m.Work alongside Yuri Weber, the Coop’s cheesebuyer, to take an accurate inventory of ourunsold cheese. Work involves 1.) weighing allcheese on the shopping floor and countingcheese sold by the piece and 2.) weighingand/or tallying all cheese in the basement. Musthave good handwriting, be able to do basicarithmetic (weights, fractions, addition), be reli-able and have good attention to detail. Contactthe Membership Office if you’re interested.

Schedule Copying Tuesday, 6:00 to 8:45 p.m.The main task of this workslot is to copy com-mittee schedules from originals provided using

the Risograph machine. You will need to beable to troubleshoot possible problems withthe printer. This is a job that requires you to beon your feet for most of the shift. You will beworking independently so good work atten-dance is required. A six-month commitment isrequired. If interested please speak to DebbieParker in the Membership Office.

Check-writingTuesday, 6:00 to 8:45 p.m.

You will transfer information from vouchers onto checks to pay some of the Coop bills. Neatand legible handwriting, particularly writingdigits, is a must. You will be working indepen-dently so good attendance record needed. Asix-month commitment to the workslot is

required. Please speak to Andie Taras throughthe Membership Office if you’re interested.

Attendance Recorders/ Make-up RecordersTuesday, Wednesday, 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. Members will betrained for this position, and staff members areavailable for further assistance. Workslotrequires a six-month commitment. Pleasespeak to Lewanika Ford-Senghor or CynthiaPennycooke in the Membership Office if youwould like more information.

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:Mar 27 issue: 7:00 p.m., Mon, Mar 17Apr 10 issue: 7:00 p.m., Mon, Mar 31

CLASSIFIED ADS DEADLINE:Mar 27 issue: 7:00 p.m., Wed, Mar 19Apr 10 issue: 7:00 p.m., Wed, Apr 2

General MeetingTUE, MAR 25GENERAL MEETING: 7:00 p.m.The agenda appears in this issue and is availableas a flyer in the entryway.

TUE, APR 8AGENDA SUBMISSIONS: 8:00 p.m. Submissions will be considered for the Apr 29General 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

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 3

FREENon-members welcome

UNDERSTANDING FERTILITY:• The energetics of reproduction• What our grandmothers never told us:reading our body’s signals

OBSTACLES TO FERTILITY:• Chinese medicine patterns of imbal-ance• “Unexplained infertility” explained

IMPROVING THE ODDS:• Nutrition and lifestyle choices for yourbody type• Tilling the soil: preparing the body for the rigors of pregnancy

WORKING WITH ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES:• Eastern and Western approaches side by side

Lara Rosenthal is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Board Certified ChineseHerbologist. She maintains a private practice in Manhattan specializing inWomen’s Health and Fertility and works at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases’Initiative for Women with Disabilities. She has a B.S. in Biological Sciencesfrom Stanford University, is fluent in Chinese, and studied and worked in Taiwanfor three years. She is a faculty member at Pacific College of Oriental Medicineand a Coop member.

Sunday, March 3012:00 p.m. at the Coop

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

ENHANCING FERTILITYNATURALLY:

A CHINESE MEDICINE APPROACHWITH LARA ROSENTHAL, L.AC.



Friday, March 287:30 p.m. at the Coop



The fundamental nature of mind is stable, strong

and clear—yet these qualities become

obscured by the stress and speed of our lives.

Meditation opens and calms the mind.

This is a basic meditation class for beginners,

and for anyone who would like a renewed

understanding of the technique.

Allan Novick, has practiced meditation in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition since 1975 and is a certified meditationinstructor in that tradition. He lives in Park Slope, has been aCoop member for 14 yars, and works as a psychologist for theNYC Dep. of Education

Meet YourMind

WITH ALLAN NOVICK



REMOVEBOTTLED WATERFROM OURSHELVES

TO COOP MEMBERS:In recent issues of the

Linewaiters’ Gazette, I and oth-ers have tried to explain ourGM resolution to removebottled water from the ParkSlope Food Coop. We’veexplained the environmentaldamage that is done and theresources like oil and waterused to manufacture the bot-tles, the role that the deliveryof water has in producinggreenhouse gases and globalwarming, the disposal of theempty bottles in landfillscausing leaching of toxinsinto the water table, and theincineration of the bottlessending toxins into theatmosphere.

We’ve discussed the factthat tap water is most likelysafer than bottled water inthe United States, since theFDA rarely inspects bottledwater, while the EPA consis-tently tests the quality of

water delivered to homesfrom public water sources.

New York City is consid-ered to have especially highquality tap water—fluorideand chlorine being wellbelow levels that might beconsidered dangerous. Forthose who don’t want fluo-ride and chlorine in theirwater, our Food Coop sellsfilters that will eliminatethese chemicals.

There are other issues toconsider—like handing overa public resource to privateentities for their profit, witharguably no benefit to thepublic. The other is the needfor public spending to main-tain the integrity of our pub-lic water supply into thefuture, spending that couldbe undermined as more peo-ple turn to heavily marketedbottled water.

In an editorial on August1, 2007, “In praise of tapwater,” The New York Timeswrote:

“Tap water may now be theequal of bottled water, butthat could change. The morethe wealthy opt out of drink-ing tap water, the less politi-cal support there will be forinvesting in maintaining

America’s public water sup-ply. That would be a seriousloss. Access to cheap cleanwater is basic to the nation’shealth.”

In another editorial onAugust 18, 2007, “KeepingCool, Clear Tap Water,” TheNew York Times furtherexplained:

“In 2003, the Environmen-tal Protection Agency esti-mated that it would takenearly $277 billion to keepthe nation’s water distribu-tion systems up to par overthe next 20 years. That is a lotof money. And to get the nec-essary federal, state and localfunds, it will take a lot of pub-lic support for a system peo-ple blissfully take for granted.

“The fear is that if toomany people convert to bot-tled water, there would beeven less support for suchspending. The last thingAmerica needs is two waterstreams—one for the richand another for the rest ofus.”

Since our mission state-ment states: “We strive toreduce the impact of ourlifestyles on the world weshare with other species andfuture generations,” we havethe responsibility to removebottled water from theshelves of our Coop.

Sincerely,Lew Friedman

CHARGE FOR PLASTIC BAGS

TO THE EDITOR:In addition to Ireland I

found in Sweden you have toput the bags you want on theconveyor belt and pay forthem. How much? I don’tknow. I never needed one.

To me the solution at theCoop is very simple. Thereshould be a mandatorycharge of $0.05 per bag. Itshould be rung up on thecash register and included inthe total. And if people don’tlike this, all they have to do isgrab a box instead.

Don Wiss

MEMBERCOMMENTS

TO THE EDITOR:Last year my Candidate

Statement was very short,assuming that those whowere going to vote for meknew enough already—theresult was a sensationallysupport in the neighborhoodof 200 votes! We won’t makethis mistake again, havingused the entire 750 words inour candidate statement. Ifyou know what we’re about—Co-Op Democracy by Propor-tional Representation!—please vote for us and ifyou can, write a letter in sup-port!! The BOD election

starts two months earlier byfiat of the General Pandemo-nium and the Rulers behindit, so let’s take the opportuni-ty to really give them a scarethis time! So let’s have aclean campaign but, as theysay, let’s win it! Carpe diem!

Remember that all lettersfrom members are printed inthe Gazette without editing!That is a great blessing and iswhat has always helped us tobe such successful and happyrebels…

My great friend DorothyPodber died on February 9thand all of her circle are spin-ning while we grieve andabsorb and make what wecan of it. An informative butnot very sympathetic 2007article can be found here:

http://joybergmann.word-press.com

Also, an obituary wasprinted yesterday in theSpanish daily El Pais. Haven’tseen it yet.

Although our main pur-pose has always been andstill is Fair and Open Elec-tions of the Members of theGeneral Meeting, along theway we have developed spe-cific and detailed plans forthe reform of

The Milquetoast Board ofDirectors

The atrium Item pricing The Gazette The Disciplinary Hearing

Committee The Chair Pool Committee

The Agenda Committee The Personnel Committee As to Pacifica/ WBAI—our

new Station Manager Antho-ny Riddle started last Satur-day, so there is new hope forour Station and for Pacifica.I’m thinking about a proverbwith “Hope” but it won’t quitecome to me.

Even at 750 words, thereare things in our CampaignStatement that aren’t clear,and we will try to clarify andamplify as the weeks until theelection go on. In solidarity,

A. Solomon Loyal Supporter of the Co-Op

Scrivener to The PacificaFoundation

[email protected]

SUBWAYUPGRADEEach day I take the F train From Park Slope to the City;The slow, jammed cars all

makeFor a picture far from pretty.The floors are heaped with

gum,Its stickiness preserved, And etches cloud the win-

dows.The “F” is wholly deserved.I think I’ll move to Bed-StuyFor the sake of transit aid;It’s serviced by the A train—Who’d ask for a better grade?

Leon FreilichWe welcome letters from

members. Submission dead-lines appear in the Coop Cal-endar. All letters will beprinted if they conform to thepublished guidelines. We willnot knowingly publish arti-cles which are racist, sexist orotherwise discriminatory

The maximum length forletters is 500 words. Lettersmust include your name andphone number and be typedor very legibly handwritten.Editors will reject letters thatare illegible or too long.

You may submit on paper,typed or very legibly hand-written, or via email [email protected] or on disk.

AnonymityUnattributed letters will

not be published unless theGazette knows the identity ofthe writer, and therefore mustbe signed when submitted(giving phone number). Suchletters will be published onlywhere a reason is given to theeditor as to why public identi-fication of the writer wouldimpose an unfair burden ofembarrassment or difficulty.Such letters must relate toCoop issues and avoid anynon-constructive, non-coop-erative language.

FairnessIn order to provide fair, com-prehensive, factual coverage:

1. The Gazette will not pub-lish hearsay—that is, allega-tions not based on theauthor's first-hand observa-tion.

2. Nor will we publishaccusations that are not spe-cific or are not substantiatedby factual assertions.

3. Copies of submissionsthat make substantive accu-sations against specific indi-viduals will be given to thosepersons to enable them towrite a response, and bothsubmissions and responsewill be published simultane-ously. This means that theoriginal submission may notappear until the issue afterthe one for which it was sub-mitted.

The above applies to botharticles and letters. The onlyexceptions will be articles byGazette reporters which will berequired to include theresponse within the articleitself.

RespectLetters must not be per-

sonally derogatory or insult-ing, even when stronglycriticizing an individual mem-ber's actions. Letter writersmust refer to other peoplewith respect, refrain fromcalling someone by a nick-name that the person neveruses himself or herself, andrefrain from comparing otherpeople to odious figures likeHitler or Idi Amin.

LETTERS POLICY



Join the Street SquadDo you love the Coop? Do you enjoy talking to friends, neighbors and strangers about the joys of Coop membership? The Street Squad may be the work-slot for you. Work outdoors on Saturdays and Sundays from April to October, and help keep the Coop strong.

The Street Squad serves an importantpublic relations role for the Coop. Fromtables set up outside the store, at localstreet fairs and special events, the StreetSquad talks to current and prospectivemembers, hands out literature, answersquestions, gives tours of the Coop, andjust generally offers people the chance tobecome familiar with our organization.

We invite you to join us if you are:◆ a Coop member in good standing for

at least six months◆ friendly and upbeat with enthusiasm

about the Coop◆ knowledgeable of Coop procedures◆ willing to work outdoors◆ reliable, responsible and able to work

independently

New Street Squad members mustattend a training session.

If you are interested in joining theStreet Squad, please contact :

Robin718-230-7199call before 9:00 p.m.

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

SAT, MAR 15

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA: See Mascagni’smost popular opera updated to present dayCalifornia, performed in English (RusticChivalry) by Brooklyn Repertory Opera withorchestra. Food Coop Office CoordinatorKathleen Keske* sings the role of Santuzza.Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Ave. (PresidentSt.) at 3:30 p.m. Admission $20, seniors/stu-dents $10. For info: www.bropera.org

PEOPLE’S VOICE CAFE: Bright Morning Star atthe Workmen’s Circle, 45 E 33rd St (btwn Madi-son & Park), 8:00–10:30 p.m. Wheelchair acces-sible. For info, call 212-787-3903 or visitwww.peoplesvoicecafe.org. Suggested dona-tion: $12 general/$9 members/ more if youchoose, less if you can’t. No one turned away.

CLOTHING & TEXTILE RECYCLING: Donateused clothing, shoes, boots, hats, jackets,towels, bedding & linens for reuse or recy-cling. Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, everySaturday through March. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Formore info, visit www.cenyc.org

TUE, MAR 18

TAKING HEALTH INTO OUR OWN HANDS: AForum on Community-Grown Solutions.Grassroots leaders from around NYC willshare stories of urban farming and immigrant

food traditions as ways of mobilizing commu-nities around healthy food. Free. 6:30–9:00p.m. Cuny Graduate Center, 365 5th Ave, NYC.To register, visit www.whyhunger.org

WED, MAR 19

SAY NO TO WAR. March 19, 2008, is the 5thanniversary of the war in Iraq. Rally at noonat the office of Cong. Vito Fossella, who con-tinues to support the war. 4th Ave. & 85th St.At 6 p.m. meet at Grand Army Plaza for amarch to the Army Recruiting Center at 41Flatbush Ave. Sponsored by Brooklyn forPeace. www.brooklynpeace.org

SAT, MAR 22

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA: See Mascagni’smost popular opera updated to present dayCalifornia, performed in English (RusticChivalry) by Brooklyn Repertory Opera withorchestra. Food Coop Office CoordinatorKathleen Keske* sings the role of Santuzza.Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Ave. (PresidentSt.) at 3:30 p.m. Admission $20, seniors/stu-dents $10. For info: www.bropera.org

CLOTHING & TEXTILE RECYCLING: Donateused clothing, shoes, boots, hats, jackets,towels, bedding & linens for reuse or recy-cling. Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, every

Saturday through March. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Formore info, visit www.cenyc.org

SAT, MAR 29

PEOPLE’S VOICE CAFE: Hook Report andSongs of Water/Songs of War at the Work-men’s Circle, 45 E 33rd St (btwn Madison &Park), 8:00–10:30 p.m. Wheelchair accessible.For info, call 212-787-3903 or visit www.peo-plesvoicecafe.org. Suggested donation: $12general/$9 members/more if you choose, lessif you can’t. No one turned away.

SUN, MAR 30

MEET OUR FARMERS: Members & friends ofSweat Pea CSA in Brooklyn Heights & allthose considering a share in the 2008 seasonare invited to learn more about where ourfood comes from & how a CSA works. Localsnacks provided! 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. At theChapel at First Unitarian, corner of Pierrepont& Monroe, Brooklyn Heights. For more infor-mation, contact [email protected]

SUN, APR 6

ZEEMEEUWSIC III!: an eclectic Sunday con-cert series at the Old Stone House, featuringMara Goodman* (classical and cabaret

songs, and Yiddish, Ladino and Latin Ameri-can folk songs with a variety of performers). JJByrne Park, 5th Ave. (btwn. 3rd & 4th sts). 2p.m. $10. For info/reservations: 718-768-3195.

TUE, APR 8

2008 ECO-FESTIVAL: Kingsborough Commu-nity College is hosting its 3rd annual sympo-sium & festival, providing a uniqueopportunity for students, faculty & membersof the community to gather under a commonbanner, to engage in a dialogue centered onthe environmental problems & challenges weface at the dawn of the 21st century. April 8–10. For more information, visit, www.kings-borough.edu/eco-festival/ index.htm

SUN, APR 20

BROOKLYN FRIENDS OF CHAMBER MUSIC:Duo Prism. Jesse Mills, violin; Reiko Aizawa,piano; with Eric Poland, percussion. Beet-hoven: Sonata for violin and piano in F Major;Spring Cowell: Set of Five for violin, piano & per-cussion; Brahms: Sonata No. 3 in D minor forviolin & piano. At Lafayette Avenue Presby-terian Church, 85 S. Oxford St. at LafayetteAve. 3 p.m. $20 at the door/$10 students.www.brooklynfriendsofchambermusic.org

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

32 33 34

35 36 37 38

39 40 41

42 43 44 45

46 47

48 49 50 51 52 53 54

55 56 57

58 59 60

61 62 63

Puzzle Corner

DOWN1 “Daddy-o”2 Or plan B…3 Tried a key again4 Comply5 Bakery come-ons6 Slim candle7 With no advantage8 Settle in9 Some hours

10 Eggy11 Does as Cyrano12 Previously13 Reddens

21 Manioc, for one22 Pitcher25 Ask, emphatically26 Raja counterpart27 “…to have ___ and lost…”28 King beaters29 Claims30 Nylon choice31 Niggling33 Memorex alternative36 Like many workaholics37 Jib or topgallant38 A fish, and what it did

44 Response to a photog45 Back- or even-46 It comes after many ducks47 Bedtime for Lestat48 Scamps49 Low tide50 It has rope and a lead pipe51 ____-a-sketch52 Maritime mooring53 Met melody54 Hurdled

ACROSS1 Mission leader?4 Like many raisin cookies9 Heavily loaded

14 Grand ___ Opry15 One of a boy scout dozen16 It’s so pure it floats17 Inflationary measure18 Easy runs19 Unstable type of canon20 Softies23 Some lumps24 Family man25 Feathered divers

27 Pet-name for a child29 Heading for a halt?32 Infrequent33 1 vis-à-vis 2 or 334 Lead in to a riff?35 Kibitzing or reading another’s

diary39 Ring leader?40 Church centers41 Earth inheritors42 Active battery indicator43 Like a mute tongue44 Michigan harvest

46 Ore beginning?47 Biblical imperative48 Wee55 Midori flavoring56 Dialed away the static57 Pay dirt58 Take five59 Hunger or world peace60 Tuck partner61 Top Gun need62 Talked up63 Start of ire?

Follow the Leader

This week’s puzzle by Stuart Marquis. For answers, see page 15



EXPERIENCEDREPORTERS

Please ApplyWorkslot DescriptionWe have four distinct Linewaiters’Gazette teams—each producing anissue every eight weeks. You willdevelop and produce an article aboutthe Coop in cooperation with yourteam’s editor every eight weeks.

For More InformationIf you would like to speak to an editor or another reporter to learnmore about the job, please contact Karen Mancuso in theMembership Office or email her at [email protected].

To ApplyPlease send a letter of application and two writing samples atleast 800 words long (one sample must be a reported interview)to [email protected]. Your letter should state yourqualifications, your Coop history, relevant experience and whyyou would like to report for the Coop. Your application will beacknowledged and forwarded to the coordinating editors,Stephanie Golden and Erik Lewis.

Seeking to Diversify the Gazette StaffThe Gazette is looking for qualified reporters. We are interested inusing this opportunity to diversify our staff. We believe that wecan enrich the quality of the Gazette and serve the membershipbetter with a reporting and editing staff that more closely resem-bles the mix of Coop members.

ShowYourMovie!

and earn workslot credit. Exposure, Conversation, Reactions…

The film series at the Coop is only as good as thewillingness of Coop members to participate in it.Submit movies you’ve made, you’ve gaffed on,acted in, PA’d, wrote, produced…and get workslotcredit if we show it for our Coop screening series.

We want to see how creative our Coop membersare, and we want to share the work with otherCoop members and their friends.

Please send us your stuff or email us to talkabout it. We need to be in touch with all of you tokeep this series hot...which it is!

For more information, contact Alexandra Berger at [email protected]

The Fun’raising Committee is seeking Coop members withprofessional cooking and/or waiting experience to work the Coop’s

35th birthday party on May 3 for FTOP credit. We’re specifically lookingfor members who are chefs, caterers, waiters and those who have

front-of-house experience in catering. Kitchen prep isneeded the week prior to the event and most of the day on

May 3rd, as well as the evening of the event. Front-of-housestaff needed for set-up, event time and breakdown. In youremail please give a brief description of your

experience and availability.

Call Esther at 917-513-0860 or email [email protected]

Chefs and Waitstaff Wanted

The Food Coop’s Fun’raising Committee

is seeking a Coop-member band to play

for workslot credit at the Coop’s 35th

birthday party on the evening of

Saturday, May 3. We’re specifically look-

ing for a band to play Latin, R&B, and

Motown music.

Band Needed

If interested, please call Lenny at 718-614-2289

Have a story idea forthe Gazette?Or know of an interesting Coop

member you think others would liketo read about?

Email your suggestions [email protected]

(please write Gazette Story Ideas in the subject line).

Early MorningReceiving/Stocking Monday–Friday, 5:30, 6:00, and 7:00 a.m.Early morning Receiving/Stocking squads work withReceiving Coordinators to receive deliveries,unload trucks, organize products in the basementand stock shelves, bulk bins, coolers and produceon the shopping floor. You may also stock perish-ables in the freezer or walk-in cooler. Boxes gener-ally weigh between 2–20 lbs., a few may weigh upto 50 lbs. Other duties include breaking down card-board for recycling, preparing produce for display,and general cleaning. You will have the opportunityto work closely with our produce buyers and learn alot about the produce the Coop sells.

Mop CleaningThursday, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.This workslot involves organizing the cleaningequipment used by the Maintenance Committee,washing (by hand) all the mop heads in the Coop,and replacing any worn-out mop heads. Speak toMary Gerety in the Membership Office if you areinterested.

CHIPS Soup KitchenMonday, Tuesday or Saturday, 9:00 to 11:45a.m. or 11:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.CHIPS serves a daily meal to the homeless, needyand hungry at their storefront soup kitchen locat-ed at 4th Avenue and Sackett Street. Workslotspreparing food, helping serve meals and cleaning-up are available to Coop members who have been

a member for at least six months. Coop memberswill work alongside other volunteers at CHIPS.Reliability, cooperation and ability to take direc-tions are vital. Experience with food prep is a plusfor working in the kitchen. Please contact CamilleScuria in the Membership Office if interested.

Office SetupWednesday, Thursday or Friday, 6:00 to 8:30 a.m.Need an early riser with lots of energy to do a vari-ety of physical tasks including: setting up tablesand chairs, buying food and supplies, labeling andputting away food and supplies, recycling, washingdishes and making coffee. Sound like your dreamcome true? This job might be for you. Please speakto Adrianna in the Membership Office, Mondaythrough Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm.

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 9



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]

Park Slope Food Coop Video SquadWorkslots Available

Did you know that the Coop has a regular show on Brooklyn Cable AccessTelevision and will soon be expanding to podcasting via the Internet?

The shows feature members and issues related to the Coop and the larger Brooklyncommunity. Past shows include health, improv performance, live music, cookingclasses and ideas for living ecologically.

There are current workslot openings for:Show Host • Researcher/Storyboarder • Post Production: Editing and Compression

For more information, contact David at [email protected] and include “PSFCVideo Squad” in the subject line.

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 assistin its first year’s operations.

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

Sunday, April 612:00 p.m. at the Coop



Past Life RegressionThrough Hypnosis

DO YOU HAVE THE FEELING THAT YOUHAVE LIVED BEFORE?

Have you ever just met someone and feltlike you have previously known them?

Are there other countries or cultures thatseem familiar to you?

Well there might be an explanation forthis.

Through hypnosis we can tap into thesubconscious mind, as well as enter into a peaceful trance-like state to retrievememories of our past lives.

Relax and take a journey within.

Gain: • Realizations • A deeper understanding of who you are• Retrieve memories • Pass beyond death and back again

Bring: A blanket to lie down on or a comfortable lawn chair to relax into A note book to write down anything that comes up

Jeffrey T. Carl, CHt, a Coop member, is a certified clinical hypnotherapist,and a member of I.A.C.T. Jeffrey is also certified in past regression thoughthe Wiess Institute.

W I T H J E F F R E Y T . C A R L , C H T .

CHECK OUT THE NEW AND IMPROVEDCOOP WEBSITE AT WWW.FOODCOOP.COM

Current and back issues of the Linewaiters’ GazetteDaily Produce List • Product Blog • Membership Manual

Videos and Podcasts • A map of our local suppliers. . .and much, much more.


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

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 forms are available in a wallpocket near the elevator.

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 call 718-788-7171 or visit us on the web atwww.houseon3st.com

MERCHANDISE-NONCOMMERCIAL

STAY WARM THIS WINTER – Cash-mere camel coat from Sak’s 5th Ave.,small, $150 neg., other wool coats.Do-it-yourself shelving modules -$25. Utility drawers – good storage -$10. Coins and old paper money,including gold 50 pesos. Call 718-826-3254 between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.

CELLERCISER, new + accessories,$200; gold-plated jewelry signed byartist (vintage), $20-40; a pair of Mer-rell women’s shoes, tan, never worn,size 8 and 1/2, $25. Call 718-768-1598.

FOR SALE DEHYDRATOR, hardlyused. Very good condition. $50.00Call 718-256-3616.

NEW WOMEN’S CLOTHING to trade.Ideas welcome. 718-756-5735

FAKE FUR JACKET for sale. Warm,good condition, black, size 12-14,suitable for someone 5’ 7” and above,$125. Call Rose 718-789-9251.

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.

COMPUTER HELP-CALL NY GEEKGIRLS. Setup & file transfer; hard-ware & software issues; data recov-ery; viruses & pop-ups; networking;printer/file sharing; training; back-ups. Home or business. Mac and PC.Onsite or pickup/drop off. Refer-

ences, reasonable rates. LongtimeCoop member. 347-351-3031 [email protected]

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

GET YOUR HOME CLEANED...With aClean Conscience. The We Can Do It!Women’s Coop has eco-cleaned thehomes of dozens of happy Park SlopeFood Coop members. Our businessis women-owned and operated andour workers earn 100% of the feepaid. Call 718-633-4823 for a freeestimate. 10% discount on firstcleaning for PSFC members!

MAKE THIS THE YEAR you get allthose memories out of those boxesand back into your life or let us do itwith you or for you! A box isn’t anyplace to keep a life. Memories Out OfThe Box, 633 Vanderbilt Ave. Brook-lyn. 718-398-1519. www.memoriesout of the box.biz.

ATTORNEY—Experienced personalinjury trial lawyer representinginjured bicyclists and other accidentvictims. Limited caseload to ensuremaximum compensation. Member ofNYSTLA and ATLA. No recovery, nofee. Free consult. Manhattan office.Park Slope resident. Long time PSFCmember. 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 allaspects of injury law. Individualattention provided for entire case.Free phone or office consultation.Prompt, courteous communications.18-year Park Slope Food Coop mem-ber; Park Slope resident; downtownBrooklyn office. Tom Guccione, 718-596-4184, also at www.tguc-cionelaw.com.

NO JOB TOO SMALL! Carpentry, tileinstallation and repair, painting,plastering, doors hung and repaired,shelves installed, bath regrouts, gen-eral handy work. Serving the ParkSlope area for 19 years. Free esti-mates. Call Rocco 718-788-6317.

OLIVE DESIGN - Interior DecoratingServices. Color consulting, furnitureselection and placement, windowtreatments. Please visit website:www.olivedesignNY.com for moreinfo. 718-462-6875.

SERVICES-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, com-puter discomfort, learning disabili-ties. Convenient Park Slope location.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. Gilman 212-505-1010.

ACUPUNCTURE in Park Slope. Reju-venate your body in a relaxing andsupportive atmosphere. Treatmentsinclude: pain relief, women’s health& fertility, hypertension, digestive,respiratory, smoking cessation,weight loss and fatigue. Ann E.Reibel-Coyne, L.Ac., National board-certified. 911 Union St. 212-629-2007.

VACATIONS

BERKSHIRE LAKE HOME. 4 bed-rooms, dock and deck on beautifulclean lake. Canoe, kayak, rowboat.Large screened-in porch. Well-equipped kitchen. Near Jacobs Lad-der and other cultural attractions.$1100/wk. Call Marc 917-848-3469

FIRE-ISLAND-SEAVIEW, full seasonMay 19 - Sept. 5. Bayfront housemagnificent view sunrise/set. 5 BRand upstairs porch, LR, DR, largekitchen/pantry. All appliances, dw,w/d, backyard BBQ, satellite TV, DSL.32,000 or less. Info/picswww.12bayview.info or 718-429-3437or 718-426-8555. Jerry or Don

WHAT’S FOR FREE

FREE INITIAL ORAL EXAM in holisticdental office for all Coop members.X-rays are strictly minimized so bringyour own. Dr. Goldberg’s non-mer-cury offices in Soho or in Midwoodsection of Brooklyn. For info pleasecall 718-339-5066 or 212-505-5055.

P E R O A T E N B O W E D

O L E B R A V E I V O R Y

P S I L O P E S L O O S E

S E N T I M E N T A L I S T S

S U G A R D A D

G R E B E S L A M B A S P

R A R E L O C A L S H E

I N T R U S I V E N E S S E S

L E E N A V E S M E E K

L E D T I E D C H E R R Y

G A L S H A L T

I N C O N S E Q U E N T I A L

M E L O N T U N E D O R E

P A U S E C A U S E N I P

S P E E D H Y P E D S A T

Puzzle Answers


THANK YOU!

Thank you to the following members for referring friends who joined the Coop in the last two weeks.

AieshaAnne AlvergueMichael AmorosoAurora AndrewsAlec BaxtMatthew BelangerJudith BelascoMarc BelliAmalia BilligDebra BondyLalita Brockington

Crystal BurnhamJuliana Cano NietoWalter CanteyMary-Ann CappellinoGina CarducciMegan CrowleyRamon CruzJulia DayKate EngleErinPatricia Ervin

Lena EsonMariann FedelePeter FittonAnne FriedmanGeorgeCaroline GreenGenevieve HarleyBrady HeinerJeanne HeymanSol HockingsBarbie Insua

Dulcy R. IsraelThomas KaiserTasja KeethmanDan KellyAaron KirtzLucie LagarrigueAlington J. LakeCayleb LongHester LyonsJennifer MassieLisa Mendoza

George OlkenHenry PantonAnna S. Park Christina PasquetLeah PaulPeiraNancy PetajaDiana QuickMarion RamirezCliff ResnickChris Roddick

Milton Rosa-OrtizPhilip RosenbloomNabeel SarwarLinda ScottAmy SeekAntonia SerratelliAri ShapiroStephen ShelleyMalcolm SmartNate SmithPaulette Tabb

Karen TalbottElizabeth TenenbaumJennifer WallingCarolyn WeissPeter WestonTifffany WhiteLesley WilliamsAe Ja WinslowDelia Yarrow

WELCOME!

A warm welcome to these new Coop members who have joined us in the last two weeks. We’re glad you’ve decided to be a part of our community.

Naomi AdamsSharon AdamsYvonne AdamsLucia AlperAllison AndersonXimena Andion IbanezTatiana ArochaSebatian Bardin-

GreenbergGrant BarrettLucy BekheetMark BerkowitzAmanda BerneBryna BilanowOlgierd BilanowJonathan BlumbergDavid BondyAris BordoMichael BrantAlex BrooksAndrew BrownPatricia Caesar ThomasPat CharlesBjorn Christiansen

Christina CodispotiJessica CofrinChristopher CohoonChris ConlyJames CrawfordMaggie CrawfordJason CurtisKatherine DarlingAndy del BarcoAndrew DelamarterChantal Scott DelmarterNamina DenisAndrea DixonYaniris DominguezErin DoppesJeannie DryfoosRik DryfoosLaShaye ErvinJonathan EstradaFaye Georgia FarrenL. Danielle FennoyFrederick FieldsJoy FieldsDavid Foster

Sandra FosterChrystina GastelumColleen GlaessnerElizabeth GlaessnerJojo GonzalezJack GordonLaura GordonRebecca GreasonAlissa GreenGabe HarrelsonMichael HawkinsFelipe HernandezJacqueline HernandezDiane HillKesha HillSarah HilliardJeannine HobbesBeryl HodgeBrian HowardMichael IsabellRenee IselinClint JensenLeticia JohnAmberly Jones

David JonesJoshua KantroKevin KayBrian KellyJae Hwan KimJungwoong KimCheryl KingKevin KingElias KirtzAnnalise KohlbergerSteve KraftsowReagan KuhnMichelle LagosNicole LearyDiana LieuJoy LindquistCayleb LongVincent LuberoffJennifer LydellScott LyonsCassia MaherLeah ManningLara MartinCandice McLeod

Daniel MelamudAntoine MillerDacia MitchellAlex MoultonGbemi MunisMolly MyersGeoff O’BrienCasey O’SheaJocelyne O’TooleAsya OllisPedro PachanJoe ParkerVanessa PeartTiffany PeckoshMoira PetersScott PillinskyMarta RaichRitaly RapaportIsaac RavishankaraJana RiuttaBilly RobertsCaleb RogersGerald RosenheckSara Rosenheck

Podessa E. RossKelly RugglesCeleste SalernoMonifa SamuelJohn ScarimboloPeter SchererKathleen SchultzJenessa SchwartzAmy SeekAudrey SempleElena SevillanoJason ShanbaumMichael ShermanDorothy ShestakNaomi ShumwayHolly SmithMeredith SoffrinBekah StarrKate SteinleSandra Stratton-

GonzalezAnn SullivanWinston ThomasTyler Van Fleet

Graznya VerasLaura VitaleAmparo VollertDonna WalrondDeborah WassertzugLeah Weinberg-

MoskowitzJessica WhiteMarion WildMesan WilliamsRuqayyah WilliamsAlexandra WilsonAe Ja WinslowGarth WolkoffHyman WrightDanielle YoungJosh YoungJen Ziegler



FOOD DRIVEto benefit

CHIPS Soup Kitchen

Saturday, April 12Sunday, April 13from 9:00 – 4:30

CHIPS Soup Kitchen, located at 4th Avenue and Sackett Street, is therecipient of much of our edible but unsaleable perishable food. Theyalso need donations of non-perishable foods. Consider donating some-thing from the "Do" list below at the collection table outside the Coop.This food will go to CHIPS to help them feed people in the neighbor-hood who are in need of a nutritious meal.

Do ContributeNon-Perishable Foods andCommercially Packaged Foods

�Canned FishCanned Fruits & VegetablesPasta SaucePastaPre-packaged RicePre-packages BeansCanned BeansCanned SoupsParmalat MilkDry MilkPeanut ButterBoxed Raisins

Don't ContributePerishablesItems from bulk bins & silosItems packaged in the Coop

�Refrigerated foodsFrozen foodsTeaSweetsJuice (bottles or

juice packs)Baby FoodCrackers

SAVE THE DATEThe Coop is turning 35!

You’re invited to a big birthday bash on Saturday, May 3, at the Garfield Temple.

Deejay! Dancing! Food for sale! Don’t miss it!

Volume CC, Number 6 March 13, 2008 Diversity and Equality ...

Documents

Transcript of Volume CC, Number 6 March 13, 2008 Diversity and Equality ...