5 Things You Should Know This Week

"5 Things You Should Know" will jump-start you into a productive week. Be the first to know about parking changes, important meetings, free events and the hottest get-togethers in and around Bed-Stuy:

1. If you work or travel regularly outside of New York City, be advised that the fare hikes to come back into the City via the bridges and tunnels went into effect on Sunday. Drivers who pay in cash will see the toll has increased from $8 to $12 at the George Washington Bridge, the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, and the three bridges connecting New Jersey to Staten Island. PATH trains users will see one-way fares rise by 25 cents to $2. E-Z pass users face an increase of $1.50. The tolls will rise in phases until 2015, and by the final year of the increase, the price to cross a bridge or tunnel will be $12.50.

2. A week and a half after unveiling a $447 billion jobs plan, President Obama will reveal his deficit reduction plan today, Monday, in remarks in the Rose Garden at the White House. According to senior administration officials, the plan will cut the deficit by $3 trillion over the next ten years. To read his plan after his speech, go here.

3. A lot of changes are coming down the pipeline for Boys and Girls High School, all in an effort to improve the academic achievement and outcomes. Principal Bernard Gassaway is on a mission, and he needs the community’s support. BGHS will host its first Town Hall Meeting this Wednesday, September 21, at 7:00 pm. at the high school. Parents, students and interested community members are invited to participate.

4. Last week, our sister neighborhood Crown Heights celebrated the opening of its first farmer’s market. Beginning now and continuing every Thursday through November at Hamilton Metz Park, Albany/Lefferts Avenues, from 3:00pm – 7:00pm, come out to enjoy this lively new market. The market managers at this farmer’s market are a kosher chef and a supermom gardener of Jamaican origin. This upcoming week should be great, because they have invited beekeepers and honey to celebrate the Jewish New Year with all the community.

5. Also, this Thursday, September 22, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm, Olympic medalist Dara Torres will visit the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA Piranhas swim team and assist coaching the practice session. Ms. Torres’s goal is to help to inspire future Olympians through positive role modeling, coaching, and technique modification.