Brooklyn Today: Giving ‘a voice to the voiceless’

August 14, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle

It's such a serene scene at Canarsie Cemetery. Eagle photos by Lore Croghan

Canarsie Cemetery. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

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THE LEDE: Good morning! They say they were sexually abused by foster parents, clergymen, school teachers and Scout leaders. Soon, they’ll finally have their day in court. Beginning Aug. 14, individuals that had been time-barred from filing sexual abuse lawsuits against alleged perpetrators, dating back to childhood, will have a new opportunity to do so for up to a year.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ NEW YORK CITY’S LARGEST ROOFTOP FARM SPROUTS UP IN BROOKLYN: Tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers are only a few of the many fresh options now growing on New York City’s largest rooftop farm: a 140,000-square-foot facility in Sunset Park.

~ STATE PROBE INTO CON ED DOESN’T GO FAR ENOUGH FOR SOUTHERN BROOKLYN REP: The state commission investigating Con Edison for massive blackouts in Brooklyn and Manhattan responded on Monday to a request from 22 City Council members to study the feasibility of revoking the utility company’s monopoly — and the lawmaker leading the charge is less than thrilled with the response.

~ FOR ONE YEAR, NO STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE VICTIMS: The Child Victims Act now allows prosecutors to bring criminal charges against an alleged sexual abuse offender until an accuser turns 28, and alleged victims can also now file a civil lawsuit any time before they reach 55 years of age.

~ LANDMARKS OKAYS TWEAKS TO DOMINO SUGAR REFINERY REDESIGN: The architect who drew up the design for the conversion of Williamsburg’s iconic Domino Sugar Refinery — from 1880s industrial buildings to office complex — told the city on Tuesday that developer Two Trees Management was planning to build a party venue inside the glass-walled top of the property.

~ CLINTON HILL CATHOLIC SCHOOL’S SUDDEN CLOSURE CUTS IT CLOSE TO START OF SCHOOL YEAR: A Clinton Hill Catholic school will close at the end of the month. The sudden announcement, made Tuesday morning, comes just under a month shy of the start of a new school year.

~ TWO BROOKLYN WOMEN’S CLINICS MAY SHUTTER AS STATE LOOKS TO REPLACE TRUMP FUNDING CUTS: Two Central Brooklyn women’s health centers serving low-income women and women of color are facing closure due to a Trump administration rule restricting federal funds from abortion-related service providers.

~ PACIFIC PARK BOARD DEADLOCKED OVER LUXURY GYM: An advisory group is split right down the middle about the planned construction of a 105,000-square-foot fieldhouse and fitness center at Pacific Park, which was formerly called Atlantic Yards.

~ SNAPPLE TACKLES THE BIG APPLE — AND IT’S CRAPPLE: Snapple, born in Brooklyn in 1982, is spending the summer paying tribute to its home state. Earlier this month, the company unveiled a limited-edition line of “Boroughs & Burbs” bottles

~ OPINION: NO ONE WITH A LEGAL INCOME SHOULD BE DENIED A HOME THEY CAN AFFORD: “Ten years ago, New York City amended its human rights law to ban housing discrimination against lawful source of income. … But the law was not strong enough, exempting most of the housing stock in the outer boroughs and leaving residents vulnerable,” writes Assemblymember Walter Mosley.

~ TWO BROWNSVILLE WOMEN FOUND DEAD WITHIN HOURS OF EACH OTHER: Two Brownsville women were found dead in separate incidents Monday night and early Tuesday morning just a mile apart and within hours of each other, police said Tuesday morning.

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ Local pols blame Mayor Bill de Blasio for the most recent cycling death. (Daily News)

~ “Brooklyn house associated with abolitionist movement slated to be razed and redeveloped as apartments” (Gothamist)

~ At a Williamsburg theater, a rescue Shih Tzu stars in a one-dog show. (New York Post)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “Three years of misery inside Google, the happiest company in tech” (Wired)

~ EAT: Here are the 13 best classic steakhouses in New York City, including one in Brooklyn. (Eater)

~ LAUGH: Planet Earth looks different from space. (The Week)

~ LIVE: Here are some tips for when you’re feeling uninspired at the office. (NYT)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

6:30PM – 8:30PM — These Films Cannot Be Trusted, Part Two: “Three Days of the Condor” at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Details.

7:00PM – 9:00PM — In Praise of Toni Morrison’s Enduring Legacy at The Center for Fiction. Details.

7:30PM — Jess Row Presents “White Flights” at Greenlight Bookstore. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1937, the Eagle reported, “The death of Edith Wharton at 75 removes from the literary scene one of the last of America’s higher craftsmen. A disciple of Henry James, she always retained some of that writer’s fastidious technique, analyzing her characters at length and with a studious respect for the niceties of the English language.”

📔 IMPRINT
British video game designer Demis Hassabis appears on the latest cover of Wired UK.

👑 ROYAL WATCH
“Why the royal family is standing by Prince Andrew as the Epstein scandal unfolds” (Vanity Fair)

🏀 SPORTS
Nets get 20 games on national TV after big offseason haul

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Russell Baker, Catherine Bell, Rusty Wallace, Tim Tebow, Halle Berry, David Crosby, Terin Humphrey, Magic Johnson, Brannon Braga, Mila Kunis, Gary Larson, Danielle Steel, Steve Martin and Arthur Betz Laffer!