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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Brooklyn Bridge Jumper 'Survives'; BQE Repair Project; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Film shoot on Montague Turnway in Brooklyn Bridge Park, with $142,000 BMW i8. Photo by MK Metz

- Brooklyn Bridge jumper survives, but no word how well. [BHB and NY Post]

- After April's snafu, how did the NYC Board of Elections do during Tuesday’s primary? [Brooklyn Eagle]

- City officials kick off public engagement on BQE project: 'It won't be easy.' [Patch]

- Brooklyn “sex-folk” duo Tammy share debut single “Hated It (With You)." [COS]

- Driver charged with manslaughter after running down 3, killing 1 on Brooklyn sidewalk. [Pix11]

- Oakland really is the new Brooklyn. [Curbed]


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De Blasio to Attend Gun Violence Town Hall Tonight in Brooklyn

BP Eric Adams, Mayor Bill de Blasio and CM Williams are hosting a gun violence Town Hall tonight (Thursday, June 30), at 7pm. RSVP


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Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Teacher Bizness; That Ol' R Train; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- A Brooklyn teacher who brought a male student to her home and then to a motel (and gave him $500 cash and a cellphone) was fired by the city even though she was acquitted of criminal charges. [Daily News]

- Sisters help rescue people trapped on the R train elevator in Brooklyn Heights.  [BHB]

- Brooklyn teen paralyzed by stray bullet gives empowering speech. [Pix11]

- "I'm thinking about Teachout, who two years ago was a defeated longshot and is now being heralded as key to Dems re-taking the house." [Twitter]

- The attorneys general of 22 states have filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit that seeks to overturn New York’s SAFE Act, claiming the law banning assault weapons is unconstitutional. [Link.is]


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This Is What a Subway Train Masturbator Looks Like


The NYPD released the above photo of a man who exposed himself to a woman and masturbated on the N train.

The individual is described as a black man, between 25 and 30 years old; last seen wearing a red baseball cap, a white t-shirt, white shorts and black and white sneakers.

More details about the incident at Sheepshead Bites.


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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Bastille Day in Brooklyn; A Huge Shark Off Sheepshead Bay; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Bastille Day on Smith Street. Photo: MK Metz
 - Bastille Day 2016: Brooklyn’s Smith Street preps for its annual French invasion. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Check out the huge shark caught this weekend off Sheepshead Bay. [Sheepshead Bites]

- A crew of NYPD nincompoops who pulled a locker-room prank on an ambitious rookie in Brooklyn may be facing departmental charges. [Daily News]

- Brooklyn artists’ installation to melt away during conventions. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- 1970s Brooklyn, when horses roamed Gowanus and kids played stickball (photos). [Brownstoner]

- At least six children have been crushed to death by toppling Ikea chests, prompting the voluntary recall of about 29 million chests and dressers. [ABC]


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Monday, June 27, 2016

Voting in Tuesday's Congressional Primary in Brooklyn / NYC

The 2016 Congressional Primary takes place on Tuesday, June 28 in NYC. Polls open at 6 a.m.and close at 9 p.m.

Voters registered in the Democratic and Reform parties have the opportunity to select their party's candidates for the general election in November.

Voter' Edge (http://votersedge.nyccfb.info/)  allows you to look up your polling place, look up ballots by area and see an online guide to candidates on the ballot in New York City.

Type in your home address to see a page with all of the contests that will appear on your ballot. You can also get information about the candidates including endorsements, funding sources,  and more.

For example, in District 7 (Brooklyn Heights, Downtown) three Democratic candidates are running: banker/attorney Yungman Lee, long-time official Nydia Velazquez, and attorney Jeffrey Kurzon. A page dedicated to these three candidates can be found here.


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Friday, June 24, 2016

Brooklyn Is the Most Unaffordable Place in U.S., Goats at BBP, and More Brooklyn Briefs

These goats are eating weeds on the berm in Brooklyn Bridge Park. (Link to story below.)  Photo: MKMetz
- Report: Brooklyn is the most unaffordable place to live in the U.S. [Market Watch]

- A herd of four Nubian goats has taken up residence on the steep berm near Pier 3 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn BP Eric Adams met with tainted lobbyist Capalino 29 times to talk about Airbnb. [DNAinfo]

- The principal of the troubled Boys and Girls High School said on Thursday that he is leaving the post. [WSJ]

- A limo stopped on the Brooklyn Bridge to retrieve tiny dog under car. [GoodNewsNetwork]

- The Brooklyn Public Library has been awarded a grant for nearly $400,000 to place inmate video calling services in a dozen libraries. [The Verge]


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Thursday, June 23, 2016

Cop Guilty of Molesting Young Girl; Papaya King Comes; and More Brooklyn Briefs


- A New York City police officer has been found guilty of molesting a girl repeatedly over the course of three years, starting when she was just 10 years old. [Pix11]

- The best restaurants in Brooklyn Heights, according to voters on the Brooklyn Heights Blog.

- Because of the Board of Elections' bogus voter purge, Velázquez calls for federal election monitors in next week’s primary. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Three people arrested with a cache of weapons inside their truck at the Holland Tunnel were allegedly on a journey to “rescue” a teenage girl in Brooklyn. [Metro US]

- 84-year-old Papaya King will open an outpost in Downtown Brooklyn this Friday.  [Gothamist]

- Legislation that would have allowed much taller buildings in NYC is squelched, for now. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- The popular, needle-free FluMist influenza vaccine has not protected kids or adults against flu for years, experts said. [NBC]


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Senior Resource Fair Friday in Brooklyn Heights

Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon invites seniors to her annual senior resource fair this Friday at St. Francis College.  Sen. Daniel Squadron and Sen. Velmanette Montgomery are co-sponsors.

New this year: Town Hall Q&A at noon.

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School's Out Party in Downtown Brooklyn on Friday, Starring Big Daddy Kane


Councilmember Laurie A. Cumbo sends this news:

On Friday, an Art a Catalyst for Change teen summit will be hosted by Hip Hop Summit Youth Council, with special guest Ralph McDaniels from Video Music Box, in Downtown Brooklyn.

From 3:00PM -5:30PM there will be a DJ, free giveaways, student performances and friends from citywide Cure Violence organizations.

Later in the evening, legendary Hip Hop visionary Big Daddy Kane will be performing.

The event is free.

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Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Brooklyn Heights Hedge Fund Suicide; Latino Votes Purged; and More Brooklyn Briefs


- Father-of-two hedge fund manager charged with $25M insider trading fraud is found dead in suspected suicide at his Brooklyn Heights home. [Daily Mail]

- The Diocese of Brooklyn quietly filed plans on June 14 to go ahead with a "full demolition" of the historic, century-old Old Lady of Loreto Church in Brownsville. [Patch]

- School promised at 664 Pacific St. may be delayed as long as 6 years. [Atlantic Yard/ Pacific Park]

- Legislation that would have allowed taller NYC buildings is shot down, for now. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Man, 29, dies after trying to stop crazed woman from shooting at crowd outside Brooklyn housing project. [Daily News]

- Latino voters hit hardest by Brooklyn's voter purge. [NPR]

- Brooklyn woman charged with stabbing estranged husband to death on Father’s Day held on $500G bail. [Daily News]

- New York City is near approval of a measure to require free tampons at schools, shelters and jails. [News & Observer]



Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article85177147.html#storylink=cpy
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Ribbon Cutting at New Lab, Brooklyn Navy Yard

The scene at New Lab. (Courtesy New Lab)
 Yesterday, officials visited New Lab for its official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

New Lab is a center for advanced, "hardware-centric" technology that anchors the Navy Yard’s 220,000 square foot Green Manufacturing Center.

According to New Lab, the facility is a "breakthrough ecosystem of shared resources where entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, and academics—in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and connected devices—can take their ideas from concept to prototype to production all under one roof."

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Monday, June 20, 2016

Brad Lander's Gowanus Plan; BQX Meeting Tonight; and More Brooklyn Briefs

In Cadman Plaza Park, Downtown Brooklyn ...

Uh oh: Without public announcement, Councilman Brad Lander "stepping up" Gowanus community planning process. [PMFA]

- Meeting at St. Francis in Brooklyn Heights tonight to discuss the proposed Brooklyn-Queens Connector (“BQX”) streetcar. [BHB]

- MTA to extend R train shuttle. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Tucker Reed, the president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and a champion of Atlantic Yards, will leave his post in August after four years. [Atlantic Yards/ Pacific Park]

- A rally was held Saturday in honor of a murdered Brooklyn teenage girl days after an arrest in the decade-long cold case. [NY1]

- Brownsville residents seek answers after mentally ill ex-convict is fatally shot. [NY Times]

- Have you seen this perv? Cops released a photo Saturday of a creep they say groped a 13-year-old girl in Brighton Beach. [Daily News]

- Judge considers controversial Brooklyn CB9 rezoning case. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Cops are turning to the public for help in locating a 21-year-old man who went missing from Bay Ridge this week. [Bensonhurst Bean]

 - Cheeto fans object to Donald Trump's new nickname, #CheetoJesus, calling it an "unforgivable, mean-spirited attack on Cheetos." [Twitter]



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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Rapper Arrested at Brooklyn Bridge Park; Pot Lovers to Deliver Giant Joint to Hillary; and More Brooklyn Briefs

‘Wild’mural goes up at Atlantic Ave. entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo: MK Metz
- Levar McDonald, the web comedian and rapper on The Levar Show, was arrested in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. [TP]

- Pot supporters plan to carry a 51-foot blowup joint to Hillary Clinton headquarters in Brooklyn this Sunday. [Twitter]

- DA Thompson meets with gay community, establishes hotline following Orlando terror attack. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- More about that Wegman's coming to the Brooklyn NavyYard. [DNAinfo]

- Man charged in mysterious disappearance of Brooklyn student in 2006. [NBC]

- Trump’s fear-mongering, hate-filled speech on Orlando is the scariest thing he's done yet. [Slate]

- Surviving a gator attack - experts: Fight like hell. [abc7]

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Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Brooklyn Native Dies Protecting Son in Orlando; Judge Mulls Brooklyn Heights Library Case; More Brooklyn Briefs

- Brooklyn native died protecting her son in Orlando nightclub attack. [Daily News]
- Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is likely going to call Brooklyn home soon. [Daily Caller]

- Judge mulls suit to block sale of Brooklyn Heights Library. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- An East Flatbush park turned bloody Monday afternoon when bullets started flying, striking five teenage boys. [NY Post]

- Brooklyn math professor sired 22 women by giving his sperm to women in little cups at Target. [Forward]

- Diocese of Brooklyn to publish names of pedophile priests on website. [Daily News]

- Seven people were injured in a vehicle crash near Brooklyn College Monday evening. [DNAinfo]

- All the outrageous things Donald Trump said in his anti-terror speech. [Slate]

- The best iPhone aps in the world, according to Apple. [Business Insider]



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Vigil for Orlando Victims Takes Place in Brooklyn Tonight / Plus: Fund for Enrique Rios

 Public Advocate Tish James is hosting a vigil to honor the dead in Orlando on Tuesday, June 14 (tonight) at 7:30 p.m. at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn.

Enrique Rios, a Brooklyn social worker and Bedford-Stuyvesant resident on vacation in Orlando for a friend's birthday was among the 49 innocent people slain Sunday. Please support his mother by contributing to her GoFund to cover funeral costs.

Enrique Rios
 In a related matter, Senator Jesse Hamilton and Council Member Robert Cornegy pledged "to work with other elected officials and law enforcement to strengthen legislation and reduce the probability of mass attacks on innocent civilians. As people of good conscience from every faith, sexual orientation, and background, we will work together to eradicate hatred and inspire love."

#‎PrayforOrlando


#WeAreOrlando


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Friday, June 10, 2016

Arrest in Brooklyn Bridge Park Killing; Brooklyn Heights Library Hearing; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- The former boyfriend of a woman who died in a shooting outside Brooklyn Bridge Park on Monday night has been arrested for assaulting her the day before she was killed. [DNAinfo]

- A Brooklyn advocacy group is headed to court on Friday in a last-ditch effort to block the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library to a developer. [Brooklyn Eagle]

The new minister of Plymouth Church tells what it's like for a southern Baptist to move to Brooklyn. [Baptist News]

- A Brooklyn judge rejected a motion to overturn the murder conviction of the “Grid Kid Slayer” and denied him a new trial. [Daily News]

- Brooklyn College has largely exonerated two students who spent the last four months being accused of anti-Semitism by their college president. The college could find no witnesses to tie the students to the incident. [Forward]

- These 20-somethings have built a wildly successful business based on nostalgia for the early 2000s. [Business Insider]


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$100,000,000 in NYC Budget to Complete Bushwick Inlet Park

Photo by Daniel Avila, courtesy of NYC Parks Dept.
 The budget agreed upon late Wednesday by Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council allocates $100,000,000 for the acquisition of the CitiStorage parcels to complete Bushwick Inlet Park on the East River, the Brooklyn Eagle reports.

The CitiStorage facility burned in a massive fire in 2015, taking Brooklyn's medical records and other paperwork down with it.

Councilmember Stephen Levin said in a release Thursday that the Williamsburg and Greenpoint communities "are beyond overjoyed." with the news.

More here.


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Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Trump. Lower East Side

Photo by MK Metz
An artist's depiction of Donald Trump graces a building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

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Brooklyn Bridge Park Approves Pier 6; BHA Plans Lawsuit

After years controversy, Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation voted to approve on Tuesday a plan to develop two residential towers in the park at Pier 6, the Brooklyn Eagle reports.

Without revenue from Pier 6, the park cannot maintain itself, the city says.

The Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA), Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund and the People for Green Space Foundation (PFGSF) dispute the park's figures. BHA told the Eagle that a lawsuit is in the offing.

See brooklyneagle.com for more.


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Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Pier 6 Today, Cop Beats Woman, and More Brooklyn Briefs


- Brooklyn school penalized after multiple students opt out of state testing. Other Brooklyn schools expected to follow. [Pix 11]

- Final OK on Brooklyn Bridge Park's thorny Pier 6 plan expected Tuesday morning. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Greenpointers talks about what they're seeing at the Northside Music Festival. [Greenpointers]

- A guide to Brooklyn’s community arts spaces for emerging artists. [Brokelyn]

- Off-duty cop arrested for assaulting elderly woman. [Bensonhurst Bean]

- Smith Street ‘Funday Sunday’ will honor late local legend Bette Stoltz. [Brooklyn Paper]


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Murder at Brooklyn Bridge Park - Young Woman's Body Found


UPDATE: A 23-year-old woman was found murdered at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Monday night, the NY Post reports.

She suffered a gunshot wound to the head near 1 Brooklyn Bridge Park on Furman Street.
The site is now an active crime scene.

Investigators were scouring the area late Monday. No arrests had been made, although cops were questioning people at the 84th Precinct station house, the Post reports.


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Monday, June 6, 2016

NYC World Science Festival -- Where We went Today

Photos by MK Metz, McBrooklyn
On Saturday the World Science Festival brought stargazing, astronauts, soccer-playing robots and more to Brooklyn Bridge Park. 

McBrooklyn caught up to the festival and some of is sci-tech exhibits and talks at NYU in Manhattan.

Above, we met a scientist who waxed enthusiast about the the thinking part of our anatomy. We slapped on some gloves and touched a real human brain (!).

The explainer didn't know if our particular brain originally belonged to a man or woman, pauper or king. But rich or poor, we all have a hippocampus and amygdala.

Attendees got a chance to hold this beautiful grasshopper, too. It was heavier than you'd expect. (The scientist said it was too heavy to jump.)

Many other exhibits brought home lessons in math, electricity, neurobiology, black holes and other cool concepts.

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Friday, June 3, 2016

So Much to Do This Weekend in Brooklyn (June 4 and 5)


The weather Saturday is expected to be nice, so why not get out there and have fun? (Sunday's forecast is for rain...) Here are a few of the fests in the works:

- Spike Lee is throwing a Prince Purple People Party in honor of the musician's birthday this weekend. The party stars at noon on Saturday, June 4 at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration. See "Spike Lee on WhoSay."

- Also this Saturday Go Green! Brooklyn Festival is taking over McCarren Park. Participants can engage with and learn about sustainability initiatives while sampling local food, participating in live-action art projects, music performances, and more. [Greenpointers]

- On Saturday at 7 p.m., enjoy stargazing at the World Science Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Includes a meet-and-greet with astronaut Anna Fisher, an interactive light show, soccer-playing robots, skateboard demonstration and “Star Chat” conversations about the cosmos with leading scientists. [BBP]

- Bay Ridge is the place to be this Sunday if you like food, live music, dance performances and pizza-eating contests. The Fifth Avenue Spring Festival takes place from noon to 6 p.m. along Fifth Avenue from Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street) to 85th Street. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, focused exclusively on the borough of Kings, will kick off on Saturday with a free outdoor showing on Sunset Park’s central lawn. [Brooklyn Daily]


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Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Brooklyn Bridge Park to Vote on Controversial Pier 6 Plan on Tuesday

Rendering courtesy of ODA-RAL Development Services - Oliver's Realty Group
 Despite vocal opposition, lawsuits and a vote by the ESD to stall the plan, the city says it's going ahead with it's own vote to approve the controversial Pier 6 towers next Tuesday.

The Brooklyn Eagle reports that the city released a tweaked plan on Wednesday. It lowers the number of affordable units (to 100 from 117) and increases the number of market-rate condos and rental unit.

Opponents of the plan say, "We hope the state will now intervene to stop this city action.”(Don't count on it.)

City tweaks Pier 6 tower plan; Brooklyn Bridge Park to vote on Tuesday [Brooklyn Eagle]


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