Brooklyn Today: Are schools prepared for threats?

June 28, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle

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THE LEDE: Happy Friday! There are troublesome gaps in planning for emergencies like active shooters at New York City public schools, according to an audit released last week by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Auditors from the Comptroller’s Office sampled 25 of the city’s 1,800 public schools. Four of the schools were in Brooklyn — and all four had multiple issues.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ SUNSET PARK RESIDENTS GEAR UP FOR INDUSTRY CITY REZONING REVIEW: With the official review of Industry City’s rezoning approaching this fall, roughly 85 residents gathered on Monday — the first of several meetings — to learn, ask and begin the process of creating a clear roadmap for the future of Sunset Park.

~ BROOKLYN JUDICIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE THE ISSUES: In a low-information primary where most Brooklynites don’t know much about the candidates, the contenders are leaning heavily on name recognition and insinuations of malfeasance. Voters had a rare opportunity at a June 12 public forum to learn about the philosophies of the candidates.

~ GAPS EXPOSED IN SECURITY PLANNING AT BROOKLYN SCHOOLS: The state requires school districts to “plan for the unthinkable,” State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said. “While it’s clear the New York City Department of Education takes school safety seriously, there are gaps that must be addressed.”

~ ESTATE LAWYERS FLOOD SURROGATE’S COURT RACE WITH CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS: In the Brooklyn race for Surrogate’s Court judge, two of the three candidates have raked in contributions from estate lawyers whose business is handled in the court.

~ LOOK UP: A DUMBO DEVELOPER IS GROWING TREES ON SCAFFOLDING: Greenery sprouted up above the sidewalk shed at DUMBO’slandmarked 42-50 Jay St. at the end of May. As it turns out, Alloy Development constructed a temporary sky garden, hoping to improve the aesthetics of the construction site.

~ POETRY AND PARADES: 8 THINGS TO DO IN BROOKLYN THIS WEEKEND: From dancing on a boat to poetry in the park, here are the top eight things to do in our fair borough this weekend.

~ MERMAID PARADE TO KICK OFF IN CONEY ISLAND ON SATURDAY:Coney Island is expecting over 800,000 scantily-clad, semi-aquatic merpeople to participate in or witness the 37th Mermaid Day Parade tomorrow. The annual parade is a celebration of the art community.

~ DISGRACED DETECTIVE’S INFLUENCE PUTS 1995 MURDER CASE INTO QUESTION: A Brooklyn man looking to get his 1996 murder conviction overturned is hoping the fingerprints of disgraced former Det. Louis Scarcella on his case will help him get out of prison.

~ BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2019 LINEUP: Good news, bibliophiles: The Brooklyn Book Festival is returning Sept. 16-23, and the roster for the event’s 14th installment is shaping up to be as diverse and packed with literary heavyweights as the borough it calls home.

~ OPINION: A LOTTERY IS NOT THE ANSWER TO DESEGREGATING SCHOOLS: One parent asks: Do we really expect equity to come about by moving people around?

~ NYC ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST OVERHAUL OF HOW POLICE OPERATE INSIDE SCHOOLS SINCE MAYOR GIULIANI: After years of delays, top city officials have reached an agreement to overhaul the way the NYPD operates in schools for the first time since Mayor Rudy Giuliani was in office.(Chalkbeat)

____BULLETIN BOARD____

~ Let’s put champions on the bench. We want: 1. Full knowledge of practice of law. 2. Wisdom of serving in the military, including military justice system. 3. Family values, lifetime work ethic.

***

~ Tuesday, June 25, is primary day here in Brooklyn and, yes, there are important races on the ballot. One of them is a judicial election for Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court. Many people are unaware of the significance of the Surrogate’s Court: It’s where cases are heard involving probate of wills, administration of estates and adoptions. You can find more about current Surrogate’s Court Judge Margarita López Torres, who is running for re-election, here.

________SPONSORED________

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ A Williamsburg street is dedicated to political scientist Angelo Falcón. (NY1)

~ Mo Willems is named “Best of Brooklyn” by the Brooklyn Book Festival.(NYT)

~ A Brooklyn startup is helping high school athletes blow up. (The New Yorker)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: Forget about dating apps, an oak tree in Germany supposedly has the ability to make lonely people fall in love. (The Atlantic)

~ EAT: Here are the 15 best bagels in New York City, including three in Brooklyn.

~ LAUGH: Wait, is it 2016 or 2020? (The Week)

~ CELEBRATE: “36 hours of New York City Pride” (NYT)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

6:00PM — Big Questions Little Answers at Caveat. Details.

7:00PM — The Library After Hours: Pride at New York Public Library. Details.

7:30PM – 10:00PM — Shakespeare in Carroll Park: Romeo & Juliet at Carroll Park. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1947, the Eagle reported, “Benjamin (Bugsy) Siegel, 42, dapper man-about-Hollywood with Brooklyn connections, once rated as the nation’s No. 1 gangster, was slain last night in a burst of machine gun bullets fired through a window by an assassin who left his footprints.”

IMPRINT
Madonna receives her close-up on the July cover of Vanity Fair Italia.

ROYAL WATCH
Can you guess where the royal family’s favorite vacation location is? (Travel + Leisure)

SPORTS
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant could both be in Brooklyn this summer if Nets general manager Sean Marks can convince both to sign here as free agents over the next two weeks.

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Ray Davies, Lana Del Rey, Jussie Smollett, Prince William, Chris Pratt, Juliette Lewis, Kris Allen, Meredith Baxter and Edward Snowden!

Brooklyn Today’s editor is Scott Enman. Contact him at[email protected].