Prostitution Park; Atlantic Yards; New Stuff at Starbucks; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Brooklyn's "Prostitution Park" finally getting a makeover. Gothamist

- Judge rules in favor of community groups in Atlantic Yards case, calls for more environmental review. Brownstoner

- But ... the city is razing the Atlantic Yards homeless center anyway, even if State Senator Velmanette Montgomery throws herself in front of the bulldozer as promised. TRD

- U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm has found a clever way to keep the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from pulling its headquarters out of Fort Hamilton Army Base. Brooklyn Eagle

- Subway surprise: 8 Train spotted! Gothamist

- Is there "some mystical energy in Brooklyn soil that attracts the souls" of SciFi writers? Brooklyn Eagle

- Starbucks has a new food category: Bistro Boxes. Huff Post

- Guess who won the Gotham Girls Roller Derby double header? (Choose from The Bronx Gridlock, The Brooklyn Bombshells, Manhattan Mayhem, Queens of Pain or The Wall Street Traitors.) Brooklyn Eagle

- Bank by phone? The Trojan spyware application "Zitmo" designed to steal people's financial data is now attacking Android devices. InfoWeek

- The popular (in Europe) music streaming service Spotify is launching in the U.S. today. Engadget Will they be as successful in the U.S.? Business Insider

- Germans really are different. NY Times

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Safety Tips for Children Walking Alone In the City

Parents must-read: As more details emerge on the tragic death of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky in Borough Park on Monday, the Brooklyn Eagle has published tips on what to do to help keep a child that you love safe.

These include the common-sense: "Don’t talk to people you don’t know or answer their questions."

And also the not-so-obvious: "If your parents get off the subway car and you can’t make it out the door with them, calmly get off at the next stop and go to the token booth. Tell the token clerk (if there is one) you are waiting for your parents there. Your parents will get on the next train and will come to the booth and get you . . . "

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Beware of Cat

Ferocious feline in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Photo by MK Metz

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FBI Searches for Missing Boy; Hip Hop Festival; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- FBI joins search for missing Borough Park boy, age 9. NY1

- The EPA and NYC signed an agreement with five gas and oil companies to finally clean up toxic Newtown Creek, one of the country's most hazardous waste sites. Brooklyn Eagle

- Gowanus artists getting kicked out of their long-time lofts to make room for a charter school. Brownstoner

- Where to take picky and starving in-laws near Prospect Park. Brooklynian

- Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival this week in DUMBO. Today: "Under the Influence" art event. Dumbo NYC

- Williamsburg's contentious Broadway Triangle rezoning hearings begin today. Brooklyn Eagle

- Now that his run as Draco Malfoy is nearly over, actor Tom Felton, 23, wants people to know he's really a nice guy. Huff Post

- Girls dominate Google's science fair. Fast Company

- North Dakota may not actually be a state. Gawker

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Video: Incredibly Fit and Probably Crazy Aerialist Swings Over Williamsburg Bridge Without a Net

This video by Ava Fedorov shows the amazing aerial skills of Seanna Sharpe as she swings and flies on a silk cloud high over traffic on the Williamsburg Bridge Monday night. Magician Savage Skinner joined her in this romp before their detention by police.

More at the WSJ and The Stir.

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Stupid Stunt on Williamsburg Bridge; Dekalb Market Soon To Open; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- "Helicopters circled the bridge right before a stream of cops" rushed in as a "a stupid, illegal, and probably beautiful aerial stunt" took place on the Brooklyn side of the Williamsburg Bridge last night. Gothamist

- DOB raids, shutters Williamsburg hostel. BushwickBK

- Dekalb Market, to be located in shipping containers on the City Point construction site, will open Saturday, July 23. Brooklyn Eagle

- BP Marty Markowitz has suddenly softened his stance on Walmart in Brooklyn after the company became a sponsor of his Martin Luther King Jr. concert series. Allmedia

- The growing fear is that Walmart and developer Related Companies are partnering in numerous city neighborhoods to "pull off what would amount to a hostile takeover of local businesses and communities on an unprecedented scale." The Brooklyn Rail

- The new addition at 20 Henry Street is up to four floors already. Brownstoner

- Tom Otterness statue nixed because of his history of animal abuse. Gothamist

- More than 300 restaurants in New York's Restaurant Week, but only three in Brooklyn. Brooklyn Eagle

- The 19 most-hated companies in America. Business Insider

- The worst food crisis to hit Eastern Africa in decades is now unfolding and large numbers of lives could be lost. Info Here and Donate Here

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MiMi and CoCo's Teriyaki Balls Crazy Hit at Smorgasburg

That rumble you heard Saturday was the crowd rushing towards MiMi and CoCo's Teriyaki Balls Japanese street food tent at Smorgasburg -- the all-food outdoor market in Williamsburg.

It seems like everybody in Williamsburg has already heard about these balls. The darn things (they come in shrimp, potato and sausage flavor) are infectious beyond their simple ingredients. The line was non-stop all afternoon and by 4 p.m. a TV Tokyo crew was filming the action for the next's day's broadcast in Japan.

MiMi and CoCo cook the balls in a special cast iron grill so the outside is crisp while the inside remains a bit gooey. Then they cover the balls with two sauces along with tempura crisps and sliced almonds. You get six balls for $5.

Note: MiMi and CoCo are not at Smorgasburg every week! They will be there next on July 23. Here is their full schedule.

Photos by MK Metz

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BP Markowitz Proclamation: Monday Was Meatball Day in Brooklyn

(left to right): Michael Chernow, Daniel Holzman, BP Markowitz

On Monday Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz presented a Proclamation to the new Meatball Shop in Williamsburg, declaring Monday, July 11 to be "The Meatball Shop Grand Opening Celebration Day in Brooklyn, USA."

As a matter of public record (and so we can remember to celebrate this day next year), we are publishing the text of the Proclamation:

Whereas, Brooklyn is most justifiably lauded for the rich array of culinary splendor that awaits residents and visitors alike, and everyone, from the comfort food seeker to the most finicky foodie is bound to encounter everything that will wow his or her palate, it is most fitting that we recognize those wonderful purveyors of decadent delectables, whose excellent taste and hard work help create the unique and fanciful flavor for which Brooklyn is widely known; and

Whereas, all of Brooklyn joins with the dynamic team of Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow, the fantastic staff and eager customers for the grand opening of The Meatball Shop in the heart of Williamsburg; and

Whereas, on behalf of all Brooklynites, I salute the owners Daniel and Michael for combining their skills and their passion for fine food and taking a leap of faith to open The Meatball Shop, bringing to Brooklyn the joy and gastronomical pleasure of succulent meatballs in every variety, I commend the wide menu that includes meatball subs, seasonal sides, ice cream sandwiches and more which are ready for a sit-down meal or take-out, I congratulate Daniel and Michael on the auspicious occasion of the grand opening of The Meatball Shop, for pursuing the American Dream of business ownership, and although they have another shop in Lower Manhattan, you know you’ve made it to the big time when you have a business in Brooklyn, I wish them great success in the years to come and long lines of hungry customers, and I thank them for believing that Brooklyn is the place to do business, which helps to make our borough a better place to live, work and raise a family; Now, therefore, I, Marty Markowitz, President of the Borough of Brooklyn, do hereby proclaim, Monday, July 11, 2011,The Meatball Shop Grand Opening Celebration Day in Brooklyn, USA.

Photo by Mark Zustovich

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Mini-Town Hall with Comptroller John Liu Wednesday Night in Brooklyn

Craig Hammerman from Community Board 6 sends this message:

Please join us on July 13th for a "mini-town hall" with Comptroller John Liu. The Comptroller will be on hand to discuss the work he has done over the past year and a half, and field any and all questions you have.

From the Comptroller's office will also be a staffed table from their Community Action Center, with information about constituent services, claims guidelines, audit submission forms, etc. The Comptroller wanted to meet the community and engage in a question and answer forum, so I hope you will join us.

Wednesday, July 13th, 6:30pm-7:30pm

Prospect Park Residence, Multipurpose Room, 5th Floor
1 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215

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P.S. 29 Treasurer to Pay Back Stolen $82,000

It's going to take a lot of back rubs.

Providence Hogan -- the ex-PTA treasurer at P.S. 29 in Cobble Hill -- agreed Monday that she would pay back the $82,000 she stole from the hard-working school. Now she has to scrape the cash together or go to jail.

Hogan is the owner of the Providence Day Spa on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill. Her daughter still attends P.S. 29, and other parents are trying to shield her from the fallout, according to the NY Times.

The Times also reported that about a dozen parents showed up in Brooklyn Supreme Court at Hogan's appearance Monday to make sure that justice was done. Her lawyer said Hogan needed more time to come up with the money.

The Brooklyn Eagle said that Hogan will have to pay 40 percent of the money at the time of the plea deal (next month) and the balance within nine months.

The Daily News also has details about this story.

(It was also at P.S. 29 that several idiotic teens burned down part of the new playground. More on that here. )

- P.S. 29 Ex- PTA Treasurer Indicted for Stealing $100,000 for Fertility Treatments, Rent

Photo by Google Maps

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