MILESTONES: August 10, birthdays for Antonio Banderas, Betsey Johnson, Dr. Carla Hayden
Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 222nd day of the year.
ON THIS DAY IN 1910, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Life at College Point has been almost unbearable for the last few days, occasioned by the stench wafted over the water from Rikers Island. Residents have been obliged to keep their windows closed, and when friends meet on the street it is the topic of discussion. A west wind last night made the odors particularly strong. The matter has been taken up with the city authorities by the local taxpayers association. The board of health has also been notified of existing conditions … The stench, according to the city authorities, is from the garbage which is mixed with the ashes used in filling in on the island. Some of the local physicians have advised against swimming in the waters off College Point, owing to the presence of garbage.
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