Volume II, Number 14 July 10, 2014 Bored to Death Comes

Volume II, Number 14 July 10, 2014

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

By Allison Pennell

Food Coop produce guruAllen Zimmerman, summed

up the June 2014 AnnualMeeting-Monthly GeneralMeeting most memorablywhen he predicated his dis-sertation on garlic ripenesswith “I’ve been put to sleep by

this meeting so I’m not at mysharpest.”

After running a gauntletof corporate liberators andanti-frackers passing out lit-erature at the front door aswell as bikers parking with-out the assistance of valets,I settled in for the long haulwith a few hundred of myCoop compatriots.

We started 15 minuteslate, which I prayed wouldnot mean we’d have to stay

until 10 p.m. Like Zimmer-man, I’m also in danger ofs leepiness af ter 2 hoursand 45 minutes of even themost scintillating of FoodCoop debate and c iv icengagement.

The Annual Meetingopened with the election for

the PSFC Board of Directors,with one incumbent, BillPenner, on the ballot for re-election. Penner told theassembly of his eight yearson the board and his enjoy-ment of the balance of day-to-day knowledge of theCoop provided by workinghis other shift as a ReceivingSquad Leader with gettingto know the Coop in a broad-er business sense. “I’m vot-ing for this guy,” remarked

one man to his neighbor. The audience was remind-

ed that the Coop is a corpo-ration, which requires aBoard of Directors whoserole is to meet in public,actively solicit advice ofmembership and thenaccept or reject the advice ofthe members. Pennerexplained that the board iselected to consider the legaland financial ramificationsof any decisions made bythe GM.

The annual meeting openedwith the election for the

PSFC Board of Directors,with one incumbent,

Bill Penner, on the ballot for re-election.

Penner was re-electedwith a vote of 1,321 in favor,99 abstentions and 12 votesagainst including the proxyvotes cast prior to the GM.At the General Meetinglater in the evening, he wasnominated to serve as andthen voted in as the newPresident of the Coop.Imani Q’ryn was voted in asVP, Jesse Rosenfeld as Sec-retary, and Tricia Leith asTreasurer.

General Coordinator JoeHoltz then introduced thenext agenda item, which wasthe updating of the by-lawspreviously voted in Decem-ber 2013. Those updatesneeded to be codified by anAnnual Meeting vote. Abylaw amendment wasadopted incorporating offi-cial language about mem-bership investments, whichhave now been renamed“member owner equityinvestment.”

By Taigi Smith

Growing old is a fact of lifeand there’s no way to

avoid it. Joints ache, ailmentsset in, wrinkles form and aslife moves along, many of usslow down. And that’s why,says Joe Holtz, the first of tworetirement policies was insti-tuted back in 2005.

“When the Coop started in1973, the typical member wasabout 25 years old,” remem-bers Holtz, who was just 22

years old when he became afounding member of theCoop. And now, “41 yearslater, those 25 year olds arenow turning 65 and 66,” saysHoltz, explaining that thereare currently two retirementpolicies in place for ourCoop’s aging population. “Ifyou have 20 years of serviceand you’re 65 years old, thenyou can retire from doingworkslots,” advises Holtz.

Bored to Death ComesBack to Park Slope: The Annual Meeting and MonthlyGeneral Meeting of June 24, 2014

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

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

Liza Schreiner handed me my ballot with a big smile.

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Next General Meeting on July 29The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on thelast Tuesday of each month. The July General Meeting will be onTuesday, July 29, at 7:00 p.m. at MS 51, 350 Fifth Ave., betweenFourth and Fifth Sts. Enter on Fourth St. cul-de-sac. The FourthSt. entrance is handicap-accessible.

The agenda is in this Gazette, on the Coop website atwww.foodcoop.com and available as a flier in the entryway ofthe Coop. For more information about the GM and about Coopgovernance, please see the center of this issue..

PSFC Members Seek to Change theRetirement Rules

IN THIS ISSUECoop Engineer Turns Talents to Fit Bikes to Their Owners . . . . 3Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Coop Calendar, Governance Information,

Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Exciting Workslot Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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2 � July 10, 2014 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY

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

The significance of thischange turned out to be thatthe Coop’s ownership iscomprised not just of 16,200active members (49%) butanother 51% of absenteeowners who no longer haveshopping rights but techni-cally still own a piece of theCoop. This comprises peo-ple who joined since theCoop was first formed buthave since relocated or leftthe Coop and never request-ed their investments back.

This year the Coop mailedall members, includingthese absentee ones, annualelection ballots in an effortto locate and possibly closeaccounts with this portion ofthe membership. Non-par-ticipating members canattend and vote at GeneralMeetings. Coordinator AnnHerpel explained that uponadvice from the Coop’s audi-tors they are trying to ascer-tain how much money isunder active membershipsand how much is non-partic-ipating membership equity.Some absentee owners want

money back and the staff isfielding some requests. Sheallayed some concerns bysaying that now when youleave the Coop, you are nolonger given the option toretain member ownership.You are leaving membershipbehind. So the 51% figurefor non-participating ownerswill only go down from here.

Holtz explained it wassuch member investmentsthat allowed the Coop to putthe down payment on ourfirst property, purchased in1978 for $50,000 or $55,000(Holtz couldn’t rememberwhich)…. in any event, forthe amount you’d be lucky tobuy a parking spot at thenearby garage these days.This led to some discussionof how Holtz had to thinktwice and consult an attorneywhen the seller Bob Blumjacked up the price by $5,000.

The final Annual Meetingagenda item was a presenta-tion and discussion of theCoop’s audited AnnualFinancial Statement led byRobert Reitman, partner inCornick, Garber and Sandler,the Coop’s auditors. In sumReitman reported:

• Sales were up $1.1 mil-lion from the year before

• Everything’s good

• Three million in thebank—$750,000 more thanlast year—mostly at Citibank

• Pension plan assets didgreat this year and endedthe year with an increase of$730,000 from last year

• The Coop’s memberloan program will be paid offin the next two years

• Partly because of addi-tional payroll this year,operating expenses are upabout $300,000.

• Health insurance costswent up 20%

• Expenses to buy 30 newenergy-efficient refrigeratormotors should be recoupedin three years with lowerutility costs

• One vendor accountsfor 44% of Coop purchas-es—United Natural FoodsInc. (made up of Albert’sOrganics, UNFI and SelectNutrition)

Yigal, a Shopping SquadLeader, asked whether theCoop would benefit fromhaving an audit committee.With some hesitation, theauditor replied that someorganizations our size havean audit committee andsome don’t. If we chose to,we could consider it, but wewould need very financiallyqualified people.

Yigal and others askedabout whether the state canlay claim to the 51%’s invest-ment fees and was told bythe auditor that these fundsare not subject to collectionby the state. The sum of the51% investment member-ship fees that may have tobe returned upon request isuncertain as of yet and is aredeemable liability. Con-tingent liabilities would be acertain, known amount;hence why no amount is yetrecorded in financials. Pret-ty sure this was the part thatgot Zimmerman nappy.

Susan Metz , a ret i redSquad Leader, asked i fmembers have access topension investment infor-mation. Joe Holtz said thisyear ’s report is a lmostready and the var iousinvestments of the pensionplan and their internal rateof return will be presentedat a General Meeting laterthis summer.

Yigal, a Shopping SquadLeader, asked whether theCoop would benefit from

having an audit committee.

There was a questionabout the wisdom of leavingmillions of dollars in unin-sured bank accounts. Joeexplained that in any givenmoment in time the PSFCowes $1.6 million to differ-ent vendors. That said, theGCs are looking for two tothree other credit unions orbanks to put in another$480,000 to $720,000 tosafeguard more money ininsured accounts.

The motion to accept theauditors report passedunanimously and the Annu-al Meeting was adjourned.Which is not to say we gotto go home. It was only 8:34p.m. and we still had themonthly GM to look for-ward to.

Votes for officers of theCoop were cast and tabulat-ed and committee reports

delivered in the lull . Theopen forum brought SusanMetz back up to raise thealarm about the significantimpact of fast track effortsfor a mysterious and big freetrade agreement that wouldlimit internet access andtracking of GMOs to name afew dangers. She is hopingto create an official workslotfair trade squad shortly toformalize the current groupof volunteers. Their groupwill be meeting on July 11 at6:30 p.m. at the Coop.

There was also a discus-sion of smelly toilets notgetting clean enoughbecause we are using envi-ronmentally friendly clean-ing products that just don’tdo the trick the way, say,bleach does.

Jesse Rosenfeld askedwhy all the garlic seemedrotten lately to a round ofapplause. Allen Zimmermaninformed us that the Coop iswaiting for a new crop ofgarlic but now we are eatingvery old garlic from thesouthern hemisphere. Hisadvice in the meantime: Agarlic bulb should feel heavyfor its size in your hand if it’sfresh. You can use garlicscape instead for the timebeing. They are to the leftand below salad mixes. Hisproduce recommendationsfor early July: cauliflowerand lettuces.

Eunju, a board member,requested that members bemore careful about wherethey put food scraps. “If youcan still use it, put it in soupkitchen containers. More ofthe compost items need togo to the soup kitchenboxes.”

Finally, $57,500 of prepa-ration and auditing feeswere paid each of the lastthree years to the auditingfirm. The firm estimates anincrease of up to $2,000 fornext year. A proposal toretain the same auditor toperform the PSFC auditpassed unanimously.

And we all went home. ■

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

Bill Penner, who has served foreight years on the board, is runningfor reelection.

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Robert Reitman, Cornick Garber andSandler, CPA, explained the Coop’s goodhealth. Sales are up $1.1 million fromlast year.

Mike Eakin, GeneralCoordinator, explained thatat one time, people leavingtheir money behind washelpful, but now we canafford to give it back.

Jesse Rosenfeld asks, “Are we in theblack?”

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Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY July 10, 2014 � 3


By Hayley Gorenberg

Jonathan Blyer doesn’t feelyour pain. And in fact, he’d

like to keep you from feelingit, too.

Blyer, a newly minted Coopmember, runs Acme BicycleCompany, a Park Slope bicy-

cle shop specializing inretooling bicycles to fit theirowners, maximizing efficiencyand comfort. “The only painone should accept is slightdiscomfort with the bicycleseat. It’s a firm piece of plasticor leather and sitting on it willnever be like sitting on thecouch,” Blyer acknowledged.“Everything else can beresolved.” And he’ll resolve itquickly, too. With his high-tech tools, he can switch outseats rapid-fire, “extremelyquickly, 20 of them, kind oflike speed dating!”

Love of triathlons helpedfocus Blyer on bicycles. Heraced triathlons for almost adecade and even branchedout to Ironman races attimes. But they were grueling,expensive and just when hethought he’d hit the highlightof his racing career, qualifyingfor the 2006 Ironman inHawaii, he “got hurt goinginto the race and had a disap-pointing performance.” Hefelt he had plateaued and hecontinued getting injuredfrom high-volume training.

So a few years ago Blyertook a professional leap andrefocused the machinery ofengineering—his specialty—in this particular, more per-sonal endeavor.

For years he had worked atan engineering firm in theFinancial District, designinggears, shafts and other com-ponents of moveable bridges.But the work itself lacked per-

sonal connection to peoplehe served and he found hisengineering colleagues to be“not the most social people,”and far more politically con-servative than he is.

Blyer nudged forward inNovember 2005, working for

Jack Rabbit Sports for a cou-ple of years. The discussionsabout bike fitting piqued hisinterest and he thought hehad found a way to getinvolved with more technicalaspects of cycling.

He went to certificationcourses, “learned all that Icould, through experienceand passion and from my ownbicycle riding and racing.”

Turning his talents to bikesfollowed his personal inter-ests, and working with bikesand bikers was “still a profes-sional career, something I’mpassionate about and some-thing technical.” In additionto taking the leap from rela-tive security of a corporatejob with benefits and insur-ance the biggest concernBlyer had was, “can I actuallyturn this into a business?”

With no real businessexperience, he concluded hewould rely on his own hope-ful philosophy: “If I treat peo-ple nicely and give them myhonest opinion and workhard, things will work out forthe best.”

And so far it has. “I’m wayhappier as a person, now that Ican do something I’m passion-ate about rather than sitting ina cubicle staring at a screenand reviewing documents.”

Blyer started up slowly,working out of his apartmentand reaching out to friends inthe community, particularlyhis triathlon connections. Heemailed hundreds of friends

and acquaintances announc-ing he had gone into business,“and pretty much everythinghas grown from that.” Hemoved his business from hisapartment to a shop in Janu-ary 2011 and at New Year’sleased his studio space at597 Degraw St.

“It’s really changed mywhole life,” he said happily.

And what about that busi-ness name? Blyer cast aboutfor a while. He examined themonikers of soon-to-be com-petitors. “A lot of them hadnames I thought were a littletoo pretentious or boastful, alittle too much fanfare saying,‘I’m the greatest!’ I didn’t wanta name that would be intimi-dating in the slightest bit.

“I wanted something morehumble and about going fast,but I didn’t want somethinglike ‘Superstar Bicycle.’” Heremembered Road Runnercartoons of his childhood,and liked what the zippy birdbrought to mind.

The questions he poses topotential Acme customersare, “Ready to go faster, to bemore comfortable and effi-cient and to greatly reduceyour chance of injury?”Receiving an emphatic cho-rus of “Yes!” he combines hisengineering know-how withhuman anatomy and physiol-ogy, mechanics and a study ofthe customer’s individualtendencies. “I get a lot of cus-tomers who come in reallybad pain and most of thetime I’m able to get them 95to 100 percent better fromwhatever pain they wereexperiencing.”

Blyer’s bike fittings takeabout three hours. He gener-ally fits only one customer

per day and charges $350-$400 for the service. “I try totreat every single person as Iwould want to be treated. I’mdoing the best I can with allthe resources, pooling infor-mation from different bike-fit

theories and my experiencewith people. It’s a very, veryhands-on type of service,super-personalized.”

He uses a sophisticatedmachine to “dial people in” ontheir bikes to achieve comfort-able positioning, accommo-dating goals and injuries. Theelectronics allow him to put acustomer on the bike to pedal,“and while they’re pedaling Ican control the seat, handle-bars, how hard they’re work-ing—and ultimately they finda position that is a balance ofall these things.” Blyer canadjust the customer’s bicycleor help them select a newbicycle that will serve thembetter.

He cautioned against com-mon practices of picking bicy-cles. “Going into a bike shopto pick out a bike is a greatway to buy something thatdoesn’t fit you,” he said.“Start with your body andthen find your bike.”

Blyer acknowledged thatthe bikes he sells, in additionto the fittings he performs,“are not inexpensive.” Thelow end of the price range is$3500, and “the most expen-sive are north of $15,000, witha lot of fancy components.”

Within his desire to havehis business succeed, Blyer isparticularly focused on thegoal of helping women tobike more and bike better. Heestimated that 70 to 80 per-cent of the serious road bik-ers he sees are men. “I knowthat women can ride bikesjust as well as men,” he said.“It’s been my experience thata lot of women just don’t getthe support from other ridersand suffer with comfortissues. Women’s anatomyand bikes are a complicatedthing,” he said. But his prog-nosis was positive: “I don’tthink I ever met a woman Icouldn’t get to ride comfort-ably on the bike. I think myservice is valuable, but espe-cially for women. One daywhen I’m retiring, I’d say if Igot 5000 women riding, I’d behappy about that.” ■

Coop Engineer Turns Talents to Fit Bikes to Their Owners

Jonathan Blyer uses sophisticated electronics to “dialpeople in” on their bikes.

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ANSome wheels in stock at Acme Bicycle Co.

Acme Bicycle Co. Frameand bike.

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Several years later, in 2010, asecond policy was instituted.“An older member came forthand said, ‘I’m 60 years oldand I would like an additionalpolicy. I would like it to be ifyou’re 60 with 30 years of ser-vice, that you can retire,’”recalls Holtz. The idea cameup for a vote at the GeneralMeeting and won, and today,under the current Coopguidelines, both retirementpolicies are in effect.

“When the Coop started in1973, the typical memberwas about 25 years old.

Forty-one years later those25 year olds are now turning

65 and 66.”—Joe Holtz

But those policies, saysmember David Laibman,should be changed becausethey leave no room for mem-bers who join in their 50s and60s to retire at a reasonableage. Laibman, who works inthe receiving area with a box-cutter is 71 years old andjoined the PSFC five yearsago. Under the current rules,Laibman won’t be able tostop breaking down boxes ordo another coop shift until heis 86 years old.

“The economy at large

does not require an 80 yearold to work. The Coop ruleshave to change,” believesLaibman. “The Coop has towrestle with the issue. Inorder to wrestle with theissue at all, we need num-bers, we need data,” saysLaibman. “The main pointthat needs to be addressed isthat people who joined intheir 60s and even older arein a position that they haveto work into their late 70s or80s. The current rules makeno provisions for that.” AndLaibman makes no qualmsabout the fact that he’d liketo stop working his shift wellbefore he turns 86. “I think Iwould go on doing my cur-rent work shift for a few yearsat least but I would eventual-ly like to retire. I have one ofthe most physically demand-ing jobs at the Coop.”

Laibman believes that theCoop needs to figure outexactly how old its member-ship is and how many mem-bers are actually eligible forretirement right now or inthe near future. He says harddata—demographic infor-mation—is needed to insti-tute a retirement policy thatwill accommodate memberslike himself—people whojoined the Coop later in life.Laibmen is leading a smallgroup of members who seekto conduct a formal surveythat will poll random mem-bers about their ages and

years of service at the Coop. One of the tenets of the

Coop, says Holtz, is its abilityto make healthy food eco-nomically affordable. “TheCoop is definitely making adifference in a bunch ofmember’s lives and the rea-son our Coop does that bet-ter than any other coop in theU.S. is because of our mem-ber labor policy,” say Holtzwho cautions that the Coopmust be careful about mak-ing any changes to existingmember labor policies. “Anytinkering of that has to bedone very carefully. We’retalking about the whole bigpicture of the Coop. I’m a bigadvocate of our model andit’s worked for us. The cultureof the Coop includes doingyour share.”

But Laibman says that wewon’t know the impact of achange to the current policiesuntil we have accurate demo-graphic information aboutthe current membership.“Under the current policy, will3% or 10% of the membershipbecome eligible for retire-ment in 2014?” queries Laib-man. “The problem that weface is that we don’t knowhow many people it willeffect. It’s all guess work.”

June Finer is 79 years oldand has been a member ofthe PSFC since 1974. In 1997Finer took a leave of absencewhen she moved upstate, butre-instituted her member-ship and her workslot in 2009when she started returning toBrooklyn a few days a week tospend time with her grand-child. “I feel that if you areable to shop, with all the ben-efits of shopping at the Coop,you are able to work, as thereare many sedentary jobs

available,” says Finer. But Laibman says switch-

ing jobs isn’t as easy as itmay seem. He says he hasinquired several times abouta less demanding shift andwas told on several occa-sions, “usually by 30-some-things working cushy officejobs,” that there was littleroom for movement at theCoop. “I think there aresome young people at theCoop who think they aregoing to live forever,” saysLaibman, who believes thatmany of the Coop’s youngermembers think they’ll neverhave to deal with the retire-ment policies.

“Retirement policies should be changed because

they leave no room formembers who join in their50s and 60s to retire at a

reasonable age.”—David Laibman

Rene Brinkley, a memberwho won’t disclose her age,puts it bluntly. “If they canshop, they can work.” Whenasked to explain her thoughtsfurther, she repeated thestatement again. In Brinkley’smind, the issue is pretty cutand dry. If you want to shop,you have to work.

June Finer eventuallyretired when she movedupstate fulltime and fullysupports the current retire-ment model. “If I lived in theSlope, I would have happilycontinued to do a monthlywork shift.” In fact, saysHoltz, June Finer isn’t alone.“There are plenty of mem-bers who have reachedretirement age who don’t

want to retire. We haven’tput up a big banner thatsays, ‘Don’t forget…you canretire.’ Some people are real-ly not interested in retiringand continue to do a work-slot,” says Holtz. “This is amodel that works becauseeveryone contributes sweatequity. Large numbers ofpeople opting not to workcould be detrimental to theCoop.”

As for the proposed sur-vey, Holtz says: “The groupthat David Laibman is part ofis saying they want to build asurvey that would lead us tounderstand who our mem-bers are. But we’ve beendoing just fine withoutdemographic data. All weknow is people’s addresses.We don’t know people’s agesand incomes. We’re all wait-ing on line. We’re all doingcheckout. There’s somethingreally cool about not know-ing. There’s a certain equaliz-er there. We don’t nosy intopeople’s lives.”

Holtz also points out thatwhile the membership maybe aging, the current retire-ment policies are in theirinfancy. “We need to see howwell the current policies workbefore making any drasticchanges to the policies. I stillthink they’re young policiesand they haven’t been ineffect that many years. Wedon’t fully yet know whetheror not the number of peoplewho retire will reach such ahigh amount that the Coopwill have trouble getting workdone,” says Holtz.

But the proposed survey,says Laibman, isn’t aboutpoking into people’s privatelives or even changing thecurrent policies. At thispoint, his group simplywants to tally the number ofpeople who will be impactedby the current retirementpolicies. Only then, he says,will the Coop have an esti-mate of what the costs offoregone labor changes willbe. “We have a proposal forchange, but it’s flexible. Wedon’t even know that it ’srealistic. I wouldn’t even putit forward without the prop-er data in place,” says Laib-man, adding that he is stilllooking for statisticians tojoin his group looking intothe retirement policies.

And then, of course,there’s the question of fair-ness. Should members begranted certain allowancesbased primarily on age, andnot on years of service? Howdoes one determine what isfair? Says Laibman: “That’s agood thing for the Coop todetermine.” ■

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

Fragmented

Puzzle author: Stuart Marquis. For answers, see page xx.

The word fragments need to be recombined to form answers to the clues below. When all clues are answered, the

remaining fragments can be used to form a final relatedword. Each fragment will be used only once.

Jeans material _ _ _ _ _Marzipan base _ _ _ _ _ _What the cat swallowed _ _ _ _ _ _Go against the flow _ _ _ _ _ _To leave stranded _ _ _ _ _ _Saint Pat's symbol _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Common lawn invader _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Puzzle author: Stuart Marquis. For answers, see page 12.

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An Update AboutFast Track Legislation

An update about ‘Fast Track’ for ‘Free Trade’ legislation in Congress with a focus onhow passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would affect internet access. IT headstake note. We will also discuss the proposal to form a Coop Fair Trade Committee thatwould offer work-slot credit to continue this campaign. Bring questions, concerns andsuggestions to this informative and stimulating session. Susan Metz is presenting onbehalf of the Coop Fair Trade Group. A member since 1980, she was a Shopping SquadLeader for 22 years before retiring. Her letters appear regularly in the Coop'sLinewaiters' Gazette and other prestigious publications.

PSFC JULY General MeetingItems will be taken up in the order given. Times in parenthesesare suggestions. More information on each item may be avail-able on the entrance table at the meeting. We ask members toplease read the materials available between 7 and 7:15 p.m.

Meeting location: MS 51, 350 Fifth Ave., between Fourth and Fifth Sts. Enter on Fourth St. cul-de-sac. Fourth St. entrance is handicap-accessible.I. Member Arrival and Meeting Warm-UpII. Open ForumIII. Coordinator and Committee ReportsIV. Meeting AgendaItem 1: Formation of the Fair Trade Committee (30 minutes)Discussion: That a committee be constituted to follow, inform members and suggestpositions on international trade negotiations whose stipulations might affect govern-mental policy related to food or to cooperative enterprises. —submitted by Susan MetzItem 2: Annual Hearing Administration Committee Election (30 minutes) Election: The Committee will present one new candidate for election. Hearing adminis-trators work on an FTOP basis when needed, and serve three-year terms.

—submitted by the Hearing Administration CommitteeItem 3: Discontinue Eden Foods Due to Anti-Contraceptive Policy (30 minutes)Discussion:Part I: Because Eden Foods has elected to not cover their female employees for con-traceptive health care, resolved to not carry their products until Eden Foods changestheir policy.Part II: Resolved to form a committee to contact other retailers to form a coalition toaddress and publicize this issue. —submitted by Melvin HessV. Board of Directors MeetingVI. Wrap-Up. Includes member sign-in for workslot credit.For information on how to place an item on the Agenda, please see the center pages ofthe Linewaiters’ Gazette. The Agenda Committee minutes and the status of pendingagenda items are available in the Coop office.

Agenda Committee MeetingThe Committee reviews pending agenda items and creates theagenda for this month’s General Meeting. Drop by and talk withcommittee members face-to-face between 8:00 and 8:15 p.m.Before submitting an item, read “How to Develop an Agenda

Item for the General Meeting” and fill out the General Meeting Agenda Item SubmissionForm, both available from the Membership Office or at foodcoop.com. The next General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 26, 7 p.m., at MS 51, 350 Fifth Ave.,between Fourth and Fifth Sts.

PSFC AUG General MeetingMeeting Agenda to be announced. For information on how toplace an item on the Agenda, please see the center pages ofthe Linewaiters’ Gazette. The Agenda Committee minutes andthe status of pending agenda items are available in the Coop

office. Meeting location: MS 51, 350 Fifth Ave., between Fourth and Fifth Sts. Enteron Fourth St. cul-de-sac. Fourth St. entrance is handicap-accessible.

Agenda Committee MeetingThe Committee reviews pending agenda items and creates theagenda for this month’s General Meeting. Drop by and talk withcommittee members face-to-face between 8:00 and 8:15 p.m.Before submitting an item, read “How to Develop an Agenda

Item for the General Meeting” and fill out the General Meeting Agenda Item SubmissionForm, both available from the Membership Office or at foodcoop.com. The next General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 30, 7 p.m., at MS 51, 350 FifthAve., between Fourth and Fifth Sts.

Safe Food Committee Film NightFilm to be announced.

New Paradigm Multi-Dimensional Transformation

Discuss the energy of Shamballa, build vortexes, do clearing meditation, and receiveactivations calling on the Ascended Masters and Archangels for their healing love andlight. Join Coop member Esme Carino for two hours to introduce New ParadigmMultidimensional Transformation. Carino is a New Paradigm MDT practitioner and anAngel Therapist.

Fighting Fatigue?Are you dragging your body around? Waking up not feeling rested? Coffee not helpingwith that midday slump? Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported symptoms inthe United States. Millions of Americans are getting a full night’s rest yet waking upsluggish and relying on coffee and other stimulants to get through the day. Join us for alook at why your body might be fatigued. Nutrition Response Testing is a safe, effectiveanalysis for determining what is causing your body’s symptoms and what specific nutri-tion will help bring it back to balance. Participants will receive a complimentary healthcheck. Diane Paxton, MS, LAc, is the owner and principal of Inner Fire IntegrativeHealth Services, with offices in Manhattan and Park Slope. She is also a long-timeCoop member.

jul 11fri 6:30 pm

jul 29tue 7 pm

aug 5tue 8 pm

aug 26tue 7 pm

sep 2tue 8 pm

sep 9tue 7 pm

sep 13fri 6:30 pm

sep 14sun 12 pm

For more information on these and other events, visit the Coop’s website: foodcoop.comAll events take place at the Park Slope Food Coop unless otherwise noted. Nonmembers are welcome to attend workshops.

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

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This Issue Prepared By:Coordinating Editors: Stephanie Golden

Erik Lewis

Editor (development): Wally KonradTom Moore

Reporters: Hayley GorenbergAllison PennellTaigi Smith

Art Director (development): Mike Miranda

Illustrator: Rod MorrisonCathy Wassylenko

Photographers: Lisa CohenKevin Ryan

Thumbnails: Sarah Lang-Wiehart

Photoshop: Adam Segal

Preproduction: Sura Wagman

Art Director (production): Phan Nguyen

Desktop Publishing: Lee SchereMaxwell TaylorHeloisa Zero

Editor (production): Lynn Goodman

Advertising: Eric Bishop

Puzzle Master: Stuart Marquis

Final Proofreader: Lisa Schorr

Index: Len Neufeld

COOP HOURS

Office Hours:Monday through Thursday

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.Friday & Saturday

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

Monday–Friday8:00 a.m. to 10:00* p.m.

Saturday6:00 a.m. to 10:00* p.m.

Sunday6:00 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:

718-622-0560Web address:

www.foodcoop.com

The Linewaiters’ Gazette is published biweekly by the Park SlopeFood Coop, Inc., 782 Union Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215.

Opinions expressed here may be solely the views of the writer. TheGazette will not knowingly publish articles that are racist, sexist, or oth-erwise discriminatory.

The Gazette welcomes Coop-related articles, and letters from members.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINESAll submissions must include author’s name and phone number andconform to the following guidelines. Editors will reject letters andarticles that are illegible or too long. Submission deadlines appearin the Coop Calendar opposite.

Letters: Maximum 500 words. All letters will be printed if theyconform to the guidelines above. The Anonymity and Fairnesspolicies appear on the letters page in most issues.

Voluntary Articles: Maximum 750 words. Editors will reject articlesthat are essentially just advertisements for member businesses andservices.

Committee Reports: Maximum 1,000 words.

Editor-Writer Guidelines: Except for letters to the editor, whichare published without editing but are subject to the Gazette let-ters policy regarding length, anonymity, respect, and fairness,all submissions to the Linewaiters' Gazette will be reviewed andif necessary edited by the editor. In their review, editors areguided by the Gazette's Fairness and Anonymity policies as wellas standard editorial practices of grammatical review, separa-tion of fact from opinion, attribution of factual statements, andrudimentary fact checking. Writers are responsible for the fac-tual content of their stories. Editors must make a reasonableeffort to contact and communicate with writers regarding anyproposed editorial changes. Writers must make a reasonableeffort to respond to and be available to editors to confer abouttheir articles. If there is no response after a reasonable effort tocontact the writer, an editor, at her or his discretion, may makeeditorial changes to a submission without conferring with thewriter.

Submissions on Paper: Typed or very legibly handwritten andplaced in the wallpocket labeled "Editor" on the second floor at thebase of the ramp.

Digital Submissions: We welcome digital submissions. Dropdisks in the wallpocket described above. The email address forsubmissions is [email protected]. Receipt of yoursubmissions will be acknowledged on the deadline day.

Classified & Display Ads: Ads may only be placed by and on behalfof Coop members. Classified ads are 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 a submission form(available in a wallpocket on the first floor near the elevator). Classi-fied ads may be up to 315 characters and spaces. Display ads mustbe camera-ready and business card size (2"x3.5").

Printed by: Tri-Star Offset, Maspeth, NY.

SUMMERTIMEDON T FORGET YOUR COOP SHIFT!

Oh %#@&!! I forgot my Coop shift!

If you plan on being away during one of your workslots,

please make arrangements to have your shift covered.

One way to do it is to use the Shift Swap at www.foodcoop.com!

If you plan on being away for eight weeks or more, contact the

Membership Office to take a leave of absence.

YOUR CO-WORKERS WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT!

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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. The sign-ups sheet is available all month long, except for the day ofthe meeting when you have until 5 p.m. to sign up. On theday of the meeting, the sign-up sheet is kept in theMembership Office.

Some restrictions to this program do apply. Please seebelow 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.

• 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.

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.

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, July 29, 7:00 p.m.The General Meeting is held on the last Tuesday of eachmonth.

Location MS 51, 350 Fifth Ave., between Fourth and Fifth Sts.Enter on Fourth St. cul-de-sac. Fourth St. entrance ishandicap-accessible.

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 Ann Herpel at the coop.

Meeting FormatWarm Up (7:00 p.m.) • Meet the Coordinators • Enjoy some Coop snacks • Submit Open Forum items • Explore meeting literatureOpen Forum (7:15 p.m.) Open Forum is a time formembers to bring brief items to the General Meeting. Ifan item is more than brief, it can be submitted to theAgenda Committee as an item for a future GM.Reports (7:30 p.m.) • Financial Report • Coordinators’Report • Committee ReportsAgenda (8:00 p.m.)The agenda is posted at the Coop Community Cornerand may also appear elsewhere in this issue.Wrap Up (9:30-9:45) (unless there is a vote to extendthe meeting) • Meeting evaluation • Board of Directorsvote • 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

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.

Madeleine AndersenHayley AnthonyAngie ArciniegasJohn Gordon

ArkenbergSerko ArtinianPooja AsnaniJennifer AvilaBenjamin BaileySapphira Ballah-

HarewoodSara BarnettElisabeth BarnickCeline BassetKathy BenemannAdisa BerkleyBriana BerrySameer BharwaniLuis BrandaoEva Brunot

Melissa CarterSylvia ChenHelen ChernikoffAmir CohenJeremy ColemanMelanie Combes-

DjadaneEmma ConroyVictoria CostikyanJessica Christine

D’OliveiraFiras DaaboulPatricia DanaKemper DiehlJulien DjadaneRoss EdwardsJessica EipperSophie EnglishJaviela EvangelistaJeffrey Feldman

Jim FinnRafael FontesGrant FoxEmmanuel FraiemAndrea GaitherTatevik GaribyanIan GrantIndira GrantBridget GuarasciLarry GunnMark GurvisJessica HackelSpencer HallamEmile HallezAlfie HanssenTaylor HartsteinAsuka HayashiArielle HeinJane HenniganAlex Hersler

Emily HoldenErika HouleMargo HudsonAdrian JevickiAmelia JevickiStephen JosephJudith KaplanKim KayAndrew KeoghanDaniel KirschbaumLauren KrohnChris KwanAriel LapidusArin LawrenceChristine LeisingHindy LeitnerKatie LeschSeth LeschSarah LifsonSuzanne Lipton

Maya LundhagenChristine MantakaraDuvaldi MarneweckMichelle MarneweckRebecca MattRobert MatthewsCatherine MazzaHanna McLaughlinPaul McNamaraJacob McPhersonDaria MelnykSarah MelottoKevin MitchellFrancesca MorfesisDylan MoseleyIsaac Muniz PalaciosMerlin NealSarit OberlanderSam ObstfeldChris Oden

Olubunkola OjeifoJasmine PadillaSarah ParisIla PatilJulia PeraultMatthew PiankoHarrison Piperato-

RobertsAllyn PivarLeah PomerantzMani PotnuruMichael PriscellaDejan RadenkovicZinaida RashkovaLisi RaskinCaterina RiccobunoLaura (Lulu) RichardsMacello RitondoDeborah RogeauxKjerstin Rossi

Jonathan RothmanMichael RozasAlex RuffDenise SalaberriosDmitri SalenLuisa SantosNicole ScuderiBetsy SentnerDerek SentnerDavid ShawElivia ShawCatherine SheerJonathan SheerLeor Shtull-LeberNicole SkibolaGreg SmithRiley StanzioneGabrielle StarkmanJames StarkmanPhillip Stephenson

Tania StraussTim StysRica Sunga-KwanEli TamondongJenna TanenbaumThibaut ThomasFarley TobinElizabeth TraisonEliza VarnerMary (Molly) WaiteStephanie WeissbergJustin WernerAya WilsonGrace WoodardCatherine WoodiwissAkiha YamakamiTatyana Zarya

C O O P CA L E N D A RNew Member Orientations

Attending an Orientation is the first step towardCoop membership. Pre-registration is required forall of the three weekly New Member Orientations. To pre-register, visit foodcoop.com or contact theMembership Office. Visit in person or call 718-622-0560 during office hours.

Have questions about Orientation? Please visitwww.foodcoop.com and look at the “Join the Coop”page for answers to frequently asked questions.

The Coop on the Internetwww.foodcoop.com

The Coop on Cable TVInside the Park Slope Food CoopFRIDAYS 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Channels: 56 (Time-Warner), 69 (CableVision), 84 (RCN), 44 (Verizon),and live streaming on the Web: www.bricartsmedia.org/community-media/bcat-tv-network.

General Meeting InfoTUE, JULY 29GENERAL MEETING: 7:00 p.m.

TUE, AUGUST 5AGENDA SUBMISSIONS: 8:00 p.m.

Submissions will be considered for the August 26

General Meeting.

Gazette DeadlinesLETTERS & VOLUNTARY ARTICLES:

July 24 issue: 12:00 p.m., Mon, July 14August 7 issue: 12:00 p.m., Mon, July 28

CLASSIFIED ADS DEADLINE:July 24 issue: 7:00 p.m., Wed, July 16

August 7 issue: 7:00 p.m., Wed, July 30

7-10-14 p1-12_Layout 1 7/9/14 3:11 PM Page 7



QUALITYEDUCATION FORALL STUDENTS

TO THE EDITORS:Why is everyone so amazed

at what is going on in ourpublic schools? I read wheretwo of the best schools inPark Slope are changingtheir hours and shorteningtheir days to accommodatethe new teachers’ contract. Ifanyone has access to thiscontract please read it .Nowhere in the contract arestudents even thought of,unless it is to the benefit ofteachers and schools. Weknow that long school dayswith more teaching timewould benefit our children,but the contract now givesteachers 130 minutes oftraining and 40 minutes incontact with parents. Inmost professions peoplehave to take courses to keeptheir license on their owntime and funds.

Another item about thiscontract is there are nobenchmarks per grade thatevery school in the city wouldbe required to reach for. Pro-moting a child is now a sub-jective matter based on whatthe teacher and principalthink. Also, it is now a viola-tion of the contract for princi-pals to ask for lesson plans.Quality education classroomteaching is not ad-libbing ata stand up comedy show norcan teachers just wing it.When it comes to disciplinethe Chancellor now thinksthat students should be

taught to make amends. If achild disrupts a class there isno way that he or she canmake amends when he or shehas taken away learning timethat cannot be given back. Aclassroom needs to be a calmsafe place where each stu-dent can focus on the lessonsbeing taught.

As parents, caregivers, andtaxpayers we should bedemanding that every studentin every school throughoutthe city receive the best quali-ty education. As for changingthe admission requirementsfor our elite high schools, thatis insulting to those studentswho work hard to accomplishthe goal of being accepted.Maybe the Mayor, Chancellorand UFT president shouldnot take the easy way out anddumb down the admissionrequirements but should dothe hard job of making surethat every middle school isgiving each child a high qual-ity education motivatingthem to go forward intowhatever high school theychoose with the knowledgethat they have the skills andlearning to succeed.

Rhudi Andreolli

WE NEEDCHILDCARE

TO THE EDITORS: I am a Shopping squad

leader at 5:45 a.m. on Sun-day “A” week. On our shift,workers of various squadsneed to bring their childrenwith them. Members, usuallydads (perhaps giving mom a

break) bring in children withthem during our shift toshop. There are very valuedmembers of my shift whohave left the squad due tothe lack of childcare at 5:45a.m. I was wondering if other5:45 a.m. members or squadleaders have had the sameexperience.

Cooperatively yours,Toni Ceaser

FORMING A FAIRTRADE SQUAD:HELP

TO THE EDITORS:From the PSFC Mission

Statement: “We try to lead by example,

educating ourselves and oth-ers about health and nutrition,cooperation and the environ-ment… We seek to avoid prod-ucts that depend on theexploitation of others… Westrive to reduce the impact ofour lifestyles on the world weshare with other species andfuture generations…”

Out of these principleshave grown workslot-creditsquads that inform membersand others on issues affect-ing food production, distrib-ution and consumption—notably projects of theEnvironmental Committeeand the Brooklyn Food Coali-tion. As food safety, sover-eignty and security willcontinue to be raised duringnegotiations of internationaltrade agreements, it is essen-tial for our community to payattention.

International trade negoti-

ations came into the Coopdiscourse a year ago. Con-stituents of the 9th Congres-sional District collectedhundreds of personal lettersasking that Yvette Clarke(and other Brooklyn repre-sentatives) commit to votingNO on Fast Track. The Gener-al Meeting in September2013 voted overwhelminglythat a similar letter signed byJoe Holtz and Bill Penner besent to all NYC Congressmembers. That put the Coopon record. We joined activiststhroughout the countryopposing Fast Track Authori-ty for the president to pushthrough congress the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Negotiated in secret bytrade ministers of 12 Pacific-rim nations and 600 corpo-rate advisors over four years,the Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP), wealthy investors’vision of New World Order,has something for everyoneto hate—in the agreementand also how it was pro-duced. This is no exaggera-tion! The story is at PublicCitizen Global Trade Watchand all over YouTube butminimally in the corporatemedia.

By April, four Brooklynrepresentatives signed a“Dear Colleague” letter com-mitting to oppose Fast Track.They acknowledged that amassive document (29 chap-ters) that would control poli-cy on drug patents andInternet access as well as

government regulation of“fracking” and financial trans-actions (among many othernon-trade issues) should bethoroughly studied anddebated.

As a result of intense pub-lic pressure, Fast Track hasn’tcome before Congress. Dur-ing the “lame duck” sessionand when the new Congressis seated, the campaign willintensify to balance themoney corporate investorscontribute to candidates anduse to pay lobbyists.

Hopefully, forming the FairTrade Squad will come beforethe GM on July 29 as a discus-sion item and come up for avote during the fall. Forminga squad commits the energyand the prestige of our col-lective to supporting policyon international trade that isconsistent with our valuesand our mission. Your energyand prestige and help willmake a difference. Pleasesupport the proposal. Cometo the GM to question, com-ment and help form the newsquad. Consider joining theFair Trade Squad as yourworkslot.

Susan Metz

We welcome letters from members. Submission deadlinesappear in the Coop Calendar. All letters will be printed ifthey conform to the published guidelines. We will notknowingly publish articles which are racist, sexist or other-wise discriminatory

The maximum length for letters is 500 words. Lettersmust include your name and phone 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 to [email protected] oron disk.

AnonymityUnattributed letters will not be published unless the

Gazette knows the identity of the writer, and therefore mustbe signed when submitted (giving phone number). Suchletters will be published only where a reason is given to theeditor as to why public identification of the writer wouldimpose an unfair burden of embarrassment or difficulty.Such letters must relate to Coop issues and avoid any non-constructive, non-cooperative language.

FairnessIn order to provide fair, comprehensive, factual coverage:1. The Gazette will not publish hearsay—that is, allega-

tions not based on the author's first-hand observation.2. Nor will we publish accusations that are not specific

or are not substantiated by factual assertions.3. Copies of submissions that make substantive accu-

sations against specific individuals will be given to thosepersons to enable them to write a response, and both sub-missions and response will be published simultaneously.This means that the original submission may not appearuntil the issue after the one for which it was submitted.

The above applies to both articles and letters. The onlyexceptions will be articles by Gazette reporters which willbe required to include the response within the article itself.

RespectLetters must not be personally derogatory or insult-

ing, even when strongly criticizing an individual mem-ber's actions. Letter writers must refer to other peoplewith respect, refrain from calling someone by a nicknamethat the person never uses himself or herself, and refrainfrom comparing other people to odious figures like Hitleror Idi Amin.

LETTERS POLICY

CORRECTIONThe June 26 Linewaiters’

Gazette misidentified KenCoughlin in the pullquote in“Why Isn’t Anybody Listen-

ing to This Guy?” We’re sorryfor the error.

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BDS TOPICS:

BDS TOPIC

TO THE EDITORS: What is going on here? Am I the

only member of this Coop thatreads the letters? This is the secondtime I have picked up a copy of thispaper in the past two months andfound two pages of letters weredevoted to the BDS topic. We arethe Park Slope Food Coop, notmembers of John Kerry’s negotia-tion team on Israel and Palestine.We are not part of President Oba-ma’s foreign affairs team dealingwith the Israel and Palestine. We area Food Coop. Our mission is tobring quality food at reasonableprices to all our members, to keepevery member informed abouthealthy food, environmental issuesand general heath concerns. Thereshould be pages devoted to encour-aging members to write to our statesenators and assembly peopletelling them to support the bill thatwould require all food companies toinclude GMO information on theirlabels. These are the kinds of topicsthat we can bring to the entire com-munity, even non PSFC members.We would be doing everyone a greatservice by informing people of theeffects of GMO on their heath andthe general environment. Let’s getback to doing what we are knowl-edgeable about — food and theenvironment. Please do not take upany more space in our paper aboutthe BDS topic. I also resent the factthat Mary Buchwald signs her let-ters PSFC members for BDS. If Iremember correctly, we voted not tobe a part of BDS. Yes she is a Coopmember that supports BDS. That isher personal feeling and does nothave anything to do with the Coop.Maybe I should sign my lettersSharron Eagle PSFC members forthe Communist party. Please every-one let’s get back to our missionand stop placing your political feel-ings above the best interest of allmembers.

Sharron Eagle

A LESSON FROMUNIVERSITY STUDENTS

TO THE EDITORS:Gazette guidelines, published in

every issue, require that letters beCoop-related, that they demon-strate fairness and respect, anddon’t include allegations not basedon observation or accusations not

specific or unsubstantiated by facts.Nevertheless, letters including

easily discredited claims and non-specific vilifications of Israel liftedverbatim from virulently anti-IsraelBDS web sites are routinely pub-lished in every issue.

BDS activists are hardly truth-seekers. Portraying themselves ashumanitarians, they are largelyuninterested in facts other thanthose manufactured by the well-funded international BDS propa-ganda crusade. This reflects notonly intellectual sloppiness, butethical indifference as well.

Gazette editors would do well totake a lesson from members of thestudent government of Seattle’sWestern Washington University(Associated Students WWU), whovoted unanimously for a resolutionnot to consider “boycotts, divest-ment and sanctions rooted innational origin or other identity-based features.” Their legislativeaction is intended to protect stu-dents from discriminatory BDScampaigns.

The resolution states that theywill not support BDS because “ten-sions between students related toforeign conflicts should be managedin a healthy and collaborative man-ner rather than exacerbated… BDSmeasures can cause students to betargeted on the basis of nationali-ty… and lead to the perpetration ofdisrespectful bias, hostility, hate orharassment.” The duty of the stu-dent association, it states, is “tofairly represent the diverse interestsand views of all students…, and tofocus its attention and resources onissues directly impacting the gener-al welfare of the student body.”Therefore, “The ASWWU shall nottake positions advocating divest-ment from, boycott of, sanctioning,or ceasing collaboration with com-panies, products or organizationdue to their nation of origin.”

The student who led the initiativesaid, “I’ve seen how divisive anti-Israel BDS campaigns are on cam-puses across the country. [Ouruniversity] is a warm, respectful,inclusive community. According toour mission statement WW bringstogether individuals of diversebackgrounds and perspectives in aninclusive, student-centered univer-sity. BDS has been a source of dis-connect and resentment … creatinga hostile environment. It dividesstudents, marginalizing those whosupport Israel.’”

That principle of inclusiveness issimilarly expressed in our Coop’smission statement. In the past,PSFC has also been a warm,

respectful, inclusive community.But for the last five-and-a-half yearsnearly every Gazette issue hasincluded pro-BDS/anti-Israel lettersspreading hatred and misinforma-tion about Israel, underminingestablished facts, mutual respect,understanding and truth, and doingnothing to promote true peace, jus-tice and human rights in the MiddleEast or here in Park Slope.

Editors, take note: The proposalfor a boycott referendum was voteddown over two years ago by a signifi-cant majority expressing oppositionto BDS’s agenda of delegitimizingIsrael. It is long past time to stop theanti-Israel campaign in the Gazette.BDS letters violate every Gazetteguideline—from relevance to truthand respect.

They also violate many members’moral, ethnic, national and reli-gious sensibilities. That they areconfined to a “free speech” BDS Let-ters section does not mitigate theirnegative reflection on the editorsand the Coop itself.

Ruth Bolletino

CALIFORNIAUNIVERSITY DEFENDSPROFESSOR TARGETEDBY ISRAELI-ALIGNEDWATCHDOG GROUPS

TO THE EDITORS:After a months-long campaign

targeting Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi,Associate Professor of Ethnic Stud-ies and Race and Resistance Stud-ies, San Francisco State University(SFSU) has cleared her of allega-tions of improper faculty travel:accusations of “misusing funds” bytraveling to Palestine and Jordan inJanuary, 2014 and meeting withPalestinian leaders and political fig-ures. President Les Wong’s, June 24statement: The university reviewedProfessor Abdulhadi’s travels plans,and they comply with establishedrules without fault or violation.Therefore, we consider that the alle-gations made by AMCHA Initiativeand others against her have nomerit. SFSU will continue to respectacademic freedom, and we will notcensor our scholars nor condonecensorship by others.

Accusations (led by Amcha, co-founder: Tammi Rossman-Ben-jamin, lecturer at UC Santa Cruz,along with Simon Wiesenthal CenterCampus Outreach, Stand With Us,The Zionist Organization of Americaand Scholars for Peace in the MiddleEast) included: “misrepresenting”the nature of her trip, neglecting to

inform SFSU officials of her plannedmeetings with Sheikh Raed Salahand Leila Khaled, whom Amcha andother groups identify as “terrorists,”‘egregious abuse of university andtaxpayer funds as well as potentialviolations of California state lawprohibiting the use of stateresources for personal or politicalpurposes.’

Professor Rabab Abdulhadi’seight-page public letter respond-ed to false allegations: ‘As SeniorScholar at the Arab and MuslimEthnicities and Diasporas Initiative,it is part of my job to establish edu-cational and research collaborationon Palestine and between Palestini-ans in the U.S. and elsewhere in theworld. Research and discussionbetween actors in the U.S. andPalestine is fundamental to myscholarship. It is one of the reasonswhy SFSU hired me in the f irstplace. There is no law or universityregulation that prohibits meetingand speaking with figures seen ascontroversial in U.S. media anddominant discourses. Such activityis clearly protected under the FirstAmendment and is a necessary partof gathering and sharing informa-tion, and is also protected by acad-emic freedom. Amcha’s focus ontwo of the 198 people interviewed isaimed at insinuating that I supportterrorism. Such accusations arefalse and extremely dangerous in apost 9/11 climate that criminalizesadvocacy and casts suspicion oneven the most tenuous of associa-tions with groups and individualsdescribed as terrorist.’

Dean Monteiro’s (College ofEthnic Studies) statement, June25: ‘Historically, Amcha developeda reputation for misrepresentationof facts against individuals andinstitutions with unrelenting andmean-spirited attacks at SFSU andcampuses across California, usingsensationalized and false claimsabout students and faculty, promot-ing these claims to sympatheticmedia. Most perniciously, it haslobbied powerful civic and privatefigures (Governor, dozens of electedstatewide, local leaders), encourag-ing them to punish individuals andinstitutions based on misleading orfalse claims.’

Amcha’s (+7) new focus: June24: demanded California State Con-troller conduct an audit of SFSU,investigate potentially fraudulentuse of taxpayer dollars.

(Nora Barrows-Friedman)Mary Buchwald

BrooklynForPeace.orgPSFC members for BDS

www.psfcbds.wordpress.com

7-10-14 p1-12_Layout 1 7/9/14 3:12 PM Page 9



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

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coop. Perfect for acupuncture,

massage or bodywork. Small

waiting area, 2 treatment rooms,

consult room, bathroom. On gar-

den brownstone block. Contact Sally.

[email protected].

EMPLOYMENTHELP WANTED. Part-time position

as a driver and helper for a local

licensed moving company. Excellent

driving record and moving experi-

ence required. Must be able to drive

a 16-foot box truck. No commercial

license required. This is a non-smok-

ing position. 718-622-0377 or email

[email protected].

SERVICESAVAILABLE

ATTORNEY—Personal Injury

Emphasis—36 years experience in

all aspects of injury law. Individual

attention provided for entire case.

Free phone or office consulta-

tions. Prompt, courteous commu-

nications. 24-year Park Slope Food

Coop member; Park Slope resi-

dent; downtown Brooklyn office.

Tom Guccione, 718-596-4184, also

at www.tguccionelaw.com.

MADISON AVENUE HAIRCUTTER

is right around the corner from the

Food Coop, so if you would like a

really good haircut at a decent

price, please call Maggie at 718-

783-2154, I charge $60.00.

EXPRESS MOVES. One flat price

for the entire move! No deceptive

hourly estimates! Careful, experi-

enced mover. Everything quilt

padded. No extra charge for

wardrobes and packing tape. Spe-

cialist in walkups. Thousands of

satisfied customers. Great Coop

references. 718-670-7071.

HAIRCUTS HAIRCUTS HAIRCUTS.

Color, Perms, high lights, low

lights in the convenience of your

home or mine. Adults $35-40. Kids

$20-25. Leonora 718-857-2215.

VACATION RENTALS3-SEASON BUNGALOWS Studio,

1- and 2-BR houses in historic

bungalow community near Peek-

skill and the Hudson River, 1 hour

NYC. Pool, tennis, organic com-

munity garden, social hall w/inter-

net, social activities. $25k-$87k.

www.reynoldshills.org/bungalow-

shop. Contact Mel: 347-307-4642,

[email protected], or 347-

715-3735.

Rent pvt bed & bath in PASSIVE

SOLAR farmhouse. Organic food &

bedding provided by farmer.

Hypoallergenic furnishings. PER-

MACULTURE gardens. Secluded

ravine w/16' WATERFALL & picnic

site. Woods, beaver pond also on

farm. Sharon Springs near Cooper-

stown. No pets. $400/wk or

$1200/mo plus food. 518-860-8602.

CLASSIFIEDS

VALET BIKE PARKING IS HERE ON SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS!

Every Saturday,April 5–November 22,

1:00–5:15 p.m.and

Every Sunday,April 6–November 23,

3:30–7:45 p.m.Coop members can leave their bikes with

our valet parking service, which is like a coat check for bikes. Working members will

check in and watch your bike for you.

Just drop off your bike, stroller, scooter orpersonal cart, do your shopping or your shift,

and hop back on. No locks, no worries, no theft. Service operates rain or shine.

Look for us in front of the yellow wall.

Note: no bike check-in on Saturdays after 5 p.m. or Sundays after 7:30 p.m.

Valet bicycle parking at the Coopis brought to you by the PSFC

Shop & Cycle Committee.

Looking to help new coops form in Brooklynwhile getting a tax deduction?

Support the Fund for New Coops—a project of the Park Slope Food Coop.The Fund for New Coops will make low-interestloans to start-up coops that use the full-memberlabor model like ours. Loans will be extended to qualified start-ups to address problems andmaximize the chances that start-ups will flourish.

How can you donate?• Use the scannable Fund for New Coops donation cards

available on the shopping floor

• Donate directly from the Coop’s website, foodcoop.com. Follow the link forthe Fund for New Coops and select the DONATE button

• Mail a check—made out to the Fund for New Food Coops—to: FJC, 520 Eighth Ave., 20th Flr., New York, NY 10018

Help nascent coops that want to use our model: Contribute today!

Contingent meeting: Monday, July 14, 6:30 p.m.Greenwood Baptist Church, 461 Sixth St. (corner Seventh Ave), BrooklynFor more information contact: [email protected]

Climate Change will harm our ability to feed our people. Hardest hit will be poor

people and people of color from all nations; developing nations will be hit harder

yet. A historic mass march is planned to coincide with the UN Climate Change

Summit. Let’s bring grassroots food justice activists together for the People’s Climate

March so we can make our voices heard. The corporate food system accounts for a

third of all greenhouse gases. We can help cool the planet by creating a sustainable

food system. Local and organic foods contribute the least to climate change.

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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. Clas-sified ads are prepaid at $15 per insertion, display ads at $30.(Classified ads in the “Merchandise–Non-commercial” cate-gory are free.) All ads must be written on a submission form.Classified ads may be up to 315 characters and spaces. Dis-play ads must be camera-ready and business card size (2" x3.5" horizontal).

Submission forms are available in a wallpocket near theelevator in the entrance lobby.

✮ EXCITING WORKSLOT OPPORTUNITIES ✮


Office Set-upMonday-Wednesday, 6 to 8:30 a.m.Need an early riser with lots of energy todo a variety of physical tasks including:setting up tables and chairs, buying foodand supplies, labeling and putting awayfood and supplies, recycling, washingdishes and making coffee. Sound likeyour dream come true? This job might befor you. Please speak to Adriana orCynthia in the Membership Office formore information.

Store Equipment CleaningMonday, 6 to 8 a.m.The Coop is looking for members to cleanthe checkout area of the store. It entailscleaning the scales at each checkout andvacuuming around the base of the check-out station as well as sweeping and occa-sionally mopping. You will work underthe supervision of a staff person.

Office Data EntryWednesday, 4 to 6:45 p.m.Must have been a member for at leastone year with excellent attendance. Areyou a stickler for details and accurate onthe computer? Do you like working inde-pendently? If this sounds like you, thenOffice Data Entry will be your perfectshift. Please speak to Ginger Jung in theMembership Office (or put a note in her

mailbox) prior to the first shift for moreinformation and to schedule training. Youmust make a six-month commitment tothis workslot.

General Meeting Set-UpTuesday, early eveningAdaptable, physically energetic, teamworkers with excellent attendance need-ed to help set up and break down thespace where the General Meeting is held.Contact Adriana Becerra, MembershipCoordinator, [email protected].

Van/Truck Driver forGM Delivery/Pick-UpLast Tuesday night of the monthMember with a van or truck needed topick up and load the team of workersand gear from the Coop at 5:30 p.m.and drop them off at the local GeneralMeeting venue (currently M.S. 51) andhelp unload. Then, be on call to returnto venue for pick-up and loading ofworkers and gear between hours of8:45-10 p.m., and drive back to Coop.You must be dependable , wi th good attendance. Contact AdrianaBecerra, Membership Coordinator,[email protected].

ARE YOU A BROOKLYN-BASED

FILMMAKER? Would you like toscreen your work at the Coop?

Then submit your film for possible inclusion in the Coop’s Friday Film Night Screening Series.

If you’re a Coop member you’ll receive one FTOPcredit for screening and offering a Q+A with yourfilm. If you’re not a member, it’s still a chance tospread the word about your work and build your fanbase by screening for a local audience.

We accept documentary and fiction, both featuresand shorts (we program shorts as a group).

Please e-mail Faye Lederman for details [email protected] or mail your DVD to:

Faye Lederman, 2000 Linwood Ave, #9EFort Lee, NJ 07024

Please e-mail Gabriel Rhodes for details at

[email protected].

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NO O

PEN-TOED SHOES

WHILE DOING YOUR WORK

SHI

FT

Please protect your feet and toes while working your

shift at the Coop by not wearing sandals or other

open-toed footwear.

Thanks for your cooperation,The Park Slope Food Coop

WED, JUL 16 3:30 p.m. Fostering anappreciation of nature andemphasizing the value ofplay for ages five and older.Parks program leaders plangames, art projects etc. Allsupplies are provided. Free.Every Wednesday inTeardrop Park. Lower Man-hattan. For info go towww.bpcparks.org.

MON, JUL 21 6:30 p.m. Sour Power: Probiot-ic Veggies for Vibrant Health!In this demo you will learneverything you need to knowto confidently ferment vegeta-bles at home. Caravan ofDreams, 405 E. Sixth St. F to Second Ave. Fee: $25.Register at www.bitly/sour-power07212014: More infor-mation contact: [email protected].

FRI, AUG 1 8-11 p.m. FIRST FRIDAYSWING DANCE BEGINS! Fly-ing Home and Arturo Perezpresent a new monthly swingdance night in Park Slope.Dance lessons with ArturoPerez followed by live ’30sand ’40s swing music fromFlying Home! Brooklyn Soci-ety for Ethical Culture, 53Prospect Park West. Info:www.brooklynswingdance.com.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Community calendar listings are free. Please submit your event listing in 50 words or less [email protected]. Submission deadlines are the the same as for classified

ads. Please refer to the Coop Calendar in the center of this issue.

What Is That? How Do I Use It?

Ask Me QuestionsAbout Coop Foods

Every Monday, 12 to 2:45 p.m.You can join in any time during a

question-and-answer session on the shopping floor.

Look for tour leaders in produce aisle.

Coop Job Opening:

Receiving/Stocking CoordinatorDescription:

The Coop is hiring a Receiving/Stocking Coordinator to work evenings and weekends.The evening and weekend Receiving/Stocking Coordinators oversee the smooth functioning of the Coop.

They work with squads to ensure that the Coop is well stocked, and that produce quality is maintained.The ideal candidate will be a reliable, responsible self-starter who enjoys working with our diverse

member-workers. Applicants must be excellent team players, as they will be sharing the work with severalother Receiving Coordinators.

Applicants must have excellent people skills, excellent communication and organizational skills as wellas patience. Applicants should be able to remain calm in hectic surroundings, have the ability to prioritizetasks, teach and explain procedures, delegate work, give feedback, and pay attention to several things atonce. Comfort with computers is expected.

Experience working in a grocery store, working with food, or working on a PSFC Food Processing squadis a plus.

We are looking for a candidate who wants an evening/weekend schedule. This is a high-energy job for a fitcandidate. You must be able to lift and work for hours on your feet including in the walk-in coolers and freezer.

As a retail business, the Coop's busiest times are during traditional holiday seasons. Applicants mustbe prepared to work during many of the holiday periods, particularly in the winter.

Hours: Approx. 39 hours in 5 days/week: Primarily evenings and weekends, some shifts until 11 p.m.

Wages: $26.24/hour.

Benefits: • Paid Holidays: July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day• Paid Health and Personal Time: 11 days per year• Paid Vacation: three weeks per year increasing in the 4th, 8th & 11th years• Health Insurance*• Dental and Vision Plan*• Pension Plan*• Life Insurance*• 401(k) Plan• TransitChek Program• Flexible Spending Account*Benefits with no payroll deduction.

Prerequisite:Must be a current member of the Park Slope Food Coop for at least six months immediately prior to

application.No Receiving/Stocking experience necessary to submit application materials. However, in order to be con-

sidered for an interview applicants must have worked at least four Receiving shifts. After submitting yourmaterials, if you wish to schedule shifts please contact the Coop at [email protected] put "Schedule Shifts" in the subject field.

How to Apply:Please provide your resumé along with a cover letter explaining your relevant qualifications,

skills and experience. Materials will only be accepted electronically. E-mail resumé and cover letter to [email protected]. Please put "Receiving Coordinator" in the subject field. Applicants will receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt of their materials. Please do not call the Membership Office to check on the status of your application. Applications will be reviewedand interviews scheduled on a rolling basis until the position has been filled. If you applied to a previous Coop job offering, please re-submit your materials.

We are seeking an applicant pool that reflects the diversity of the Coop's membership.

DENIMALMONDCANARYSALMONMAROONSHAMROCKDANDELIONTheme:CRAYON COLORS

PuzzleAnswer

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Documents

Volume II, Number 14 July 10, 2014 Bored to Death Comes