Brooklyn Today: ‘Mass incarceration, pain and suffering.’

October 11, 2019 Brooklyn Today

Flowers in Cobble Hill Park. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

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THE LEDE: Happy Friday! A City Council committee voted on Thursday in favor of a plan that would forever banish jails from Rikers Island by 2027. The proposal could grow support for the contentious borough-based jail plan, which includes expanding the Brooklyn Detention Complex in Boerum Hill.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ UNPRECEDENTED NYCHA AIR-RIGHTS DEAL NEARS COMPLETION AT INGERSOLL HOUSES: A first-of-its-kind deal to sell the air rights at a Fort Greene NYCHA development is nearing completion after months of negotiation.

~ A NEW PROPOSAL WOULD BAN JAILS FROM RIKERS. IS IT ENOUGH TO CONVINCE JAIL PLAN SKEPTICS?: Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council proposed a map change — a change in the designation or boundaries of a particular zoning district — that would formally ban jails on the isolated island by the end of 2026.

~ AFTER COURT BATTLE, RADIO STATION WBAI REMAINS OFF THE AIR: The fight as 99.5 WBAI FM tries to regain control of the airwaves from their parent nonprofit is at a standstill, and the Brooklyn broadcaster’s local programming is off-air until further notice.

~ DOWNWARD DOGS AND DISCO: 10 THINGS TO DO IN BROOKLYN THIS WEEKEND: From a scary movie under the stars to a concert in a graveyard to a pumpkin patch in Williamsburg, this weekend is all about getting you in the Halloween spirit. Here’s what’s going on.

~ CONEY ISLAND BREWERY OPENS NEW AND BIGGER SPACE AT MCU PARK: Coney Island Brewery opened its doors late last month to an expansion of its four-year-old space built into the Brooklyn Cyclones’ MCU Park. The new venue, which will fit around 150 patrons, is a far cry from the tight quarters of its original.

~ SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR UNVEILS PLANS FOR ‘PARENT UNIVERSITY’: Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza revealed that school officials are looking to implement a “Parent University” program to help keep parents up to speed with what their kids are learning.

~ COPS CONTINUE SEARCH FOR ESCAPED ROBBERY SUSPECT: It’s been three days since a robbery suspect escaped from police custody in Downtown Brooklyn’s 84th Precinct, setting off a manhunt and causing local schools to go on lockdown.

~ EX-COPS ONCE ACCUSED OF RAPE SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS PROBATION: The two former Brooklyn-based police officers accused of raping a woman in the back of a van while on duty were sentenced to five years probation in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Thursday — ending a nearly two-year saga that sparked concerns over police misconduct involving individuals in custody.

~ FORMER STAFFER JUMPS INTO RACE FOR SEN. MONTGOMERY’S SEAT AS RETIREMENT RUMORS SWIRL: Longtime Brooklyn State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery has yet to publicly address widespread rumors that she will retire rather than run for reelection in 2020, but a former aide who is jumping into the race for her District 25 senate seat suggested that the rumors are true — and said his run is predicated on her retirement.

~ LEGAL SYSTEM OFF TO SLOW START ON ‘RAISE THE AGE’ NIGHT-COURT FIX: A legislative fix intended to spare 16- and 17-year-olds charged with a felony from adult court and send them straight to family court on nights and weekends is having a rough beginning. (THE CITY)

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ STD rates are at record highs in Brooklyn, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Patch)

~ Brooklyn Heights residents are up in arms over incessant helicopter noise. (Brooklyn Paper)

~ “The Legacy of Redlining at the Brooklyn Historical Society” (Brownstoner)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “What if the world treated the U.S. like a rogue state?” (Highline)

~ DRINK: Here are the 19 best beer bars in New York City, including five spots in Brooklyn. (Eater)

~ CARTOON: The world’s dictators play with a puppet. (The New Yorker)

~ CELEBRATE: With Oct. 31 on the horizon, here are nine haunted houses and spooky events in New York City to get you ready for Halloween. (Thrillist)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

7:00PM – 9:00PM — Book Launch: “Civilized to Death” by Christopher Ryan at powerHouse Arena. Details.

7:00PM – 9:00PM — Moonlight Tour at Green-Wood Cemetery. Details.

7:30PM — Bon Iver at Barclays Center. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1848, the Brooklyn Eagle reported, “Dickens is writing another Christmas story, and as [the] report goes, is to get five thousand pounds for it. A handsome price, indeed.”

📔 IMPRINT
Singer Sam Smith shows off his blue eyes on the November cover of Attitude Magazine.

👑 ROYAL WATCH
“The story behind Harry, Meghan and the royal fight for privacy” (Vogue)

🏀 SPORTS
Nets win ‘restricted’ preseason opener

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Cardi B, Robert Gale, Joan Cusack, Orlando “El Duque” Hernández, Emily Deschanel, Jane Krakowski, Sean Patrick Flanery, Mike Conley, Jr., Daryl Hall and Steve Young!