*The Daily News reported that P.S. 150 has the longest wait list in the city, due largely to demand from Chinese families who have moved into Sunset Park in recent years.

*Police at the 72^nd Precinct think they may have caught the burglar who has been targeting and stealing from Chinese residents who live the 40s and 50s, and driving up the burglary rate, Inspector Jesus Raul Pintos said last week.

*The lack of Brooklyn-bound toll on the Verrazano has some people worked up, including local owners who have trouble parking in Sunset Park, the Eagle reported.

*The weekly park sweeps at Lets Clean Sunset Park! are back up and running. Want to join in? Check out the website to keep up to date.

*Thanks to the Brooklyn DA, Haitians in need of clothing after the earthquake will soon be sporting a load of designer knockoffs confiscated last year from a Sunset Park storage facility, according to the Post.

*Councilwoman Gonzalez held a leadership summit last week, the Eagle reports. She also brought together a group to talk about the somewhat contentious issue of legislation on vendors along Fifth Avenue. Details on that to come.

*Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Quinn last week announced the New York City Waterfront Vision and Enhancement Strategy (WAVES), “a citywide initiative that will create a new sustainable blueprint for the City’s 578 miles of shoreline.” Sunset Park obviously has a good bit of that waterfront. I haven’t had a chance to look through it carefully, but I’ll report back on the details of the plan.

*Picturing Sunset Park: Check out a kind of unusual shot I stumbled upon here, and good shot of Chinatown here.

*Frank of The Sunset Park Blog noted a couple of new Italian places in the neighborhood, and made a well-deserved plug for staying in (the neighborhood) when going out to eat.

*Things have been cooking, sprouting and…shopping…over at Sunset Parkour. Take a look out how her seedlings are progressing, and her note on Sunset Park’s recent meh ranking in NYMag’s list of “most livable” New York neighborhoods. Eh, they can keep Park Slope.

*Got any other news? Send it along…

Haitian civilians receive assistance in a camp set up by the Brazilian Army in Port-au-Prince in the aftermath of the 2010 Earthquate. Image courtesy of the Agência Brasil.

Last week a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, demolishing the capital, Port-au-Prince, and crippling areas throughout the troubled country. Thousands died. One week later, a 6.1 aftershock made a tragic situation worse. In the midst of looting, hunger and torn families, NPR found one story with a bright spot–an employee and a guest trapped in pitch-dark elevator shafts side by side. They kept one another company, offered hope and survived. In that same spirit…

The Tabula Rasa gallery is asking Sunset Park and those throughout the city to reach out to strangers, in the dark miles away, and help at a fundraiser this Saturday, January 23 from 1-4:30 pm. All the money raised will go to charity.

Local artists are donating work to be auctioned from the gallery at Saturday’s event. The back room presentation space will be used to hang the work in a display which will be constantly “turning over” as donations are made and new art replaces work being taken.

Anyone writing a check of $75.00 DIRECTLY to one of the designated charities can select an artwork 11″ x 14″ or smaller. Anyone donating $150.00 can select from these or a larger works. Any and all contributions are welcome. For those who can’t give, the gallery is also looking for volunteers for the event.

Tabula Rasa Gallery, 224 48th Street between Second and Third Avenues in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.