Brooklyn Today: This neighborhood is funding Trump’s campaign

October 23, 2019 Brooklyn Today

From the top of Dock 72, you can see Downtown Brooklyn’s tall towers. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

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THE LEDE: Happy hump day! The presidential election is more than a year away — but neighborhoods across Brooklyn and beyond are already drawing the lines (and reaching for their wallets) when it comes to their pick in the now-crowded field of options.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ HISTORIC BROWNSVILLE CHURCH SITE SITS VACANT AS SENIOR HOUSING MOVES SLOWLY: The Brownsville lot where a Catholic church built by immigrants stood for a century is still vacant, two years after the historic house of worship was torn down.

~ THESE ARE THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES GETTING THE MOST DONORS IN BROOKLYN: At the top of the leaderboard in Brooklyn is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, with 1,348 unique donors across 20 Brooklyn ZIP codes, according to the report. The most individual donations for the 78-year-old senator came from Williamsburg.

~ BROOKLYN CREW ON A CRIME SPREE HOLDS UP FIVE BUSINESSES IN A MONTH: A group of daytime bandits is hitting Brooklyn establishments from Flatlands to Williamsburg, holding up store employees at gunpoint and making off with myriad spoils worth thousands of dollars — from jewelry to phones to two pairs of AirPods, police said.

~ BROOKLYN’S QUIRKY, DEFECTIVE SQUIBB BRIDGE HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED: Brooklyn’s “bouncy” Squibb Bridge was demolished over this past weekend, finally putting an end to a crowd-pleasing but ultimately dysfunctional structure.

~ BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS TO BE EXEMPT FROM JURY DUTY IN NEW YORK: Mothers across New York State are getting a break — from jury duty, at least. A new law will allow breastfeeding mothers an exemption for up to two years from responding to jury summonses.

~ HALLOWEEN IN BROOKLYN: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW: Looking for something to do with the kids on Halloween? We compiled parades, family festivals, haunted houses and the best places for kids to trick-or-treat.

~ BROOKLYN’S HALLOWEEN NIGHTLIFE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW: The best time to celebrate Halloween is during the night, when bars, clubs and parties are in full swing. We also selected some of Brooklyn’s top nightlife events for the weekend preceding Oct. 31, plus Halloween itself — which is on a Thursday this year.

~ THIS COMPANY IS BRINGING ‘UGLY’ PRODUCE TO BROOKLYN: From curvy cucumbers to blemished beets, Imperfect Foods has been giving new life to “ugly” produce for more than four years. Now, the company is bringing its operations to New York City. The business recovers less-than-perfect fruits, vegetables and more and delivers them to homes at a discounted rate.

~ FAMILIES FRUSTRATED (AGAIN) WITH ONLINE PORTAL FOR APPLYING TO SCHOOLS: As middle and high school application season kicks into high gear, parents say the city’s online application portal remains confusing and error-prone — only adding to the stress of what’s already a challenging process for many. (Chalkbeat)

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ A new 24-story residential tower could be coming to Fort Greene. (Curbed)

~ “The biggest stage: Jimmy Kimmel should come back to Brooklyn permanently” (Daily News)

~ Want authentic Guatemalan food? Head to the back of this Sunset Park bodega. (Atlas Obscura)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “Portrait of an inessential government worker: Glory isn’t part of the deal when you go to work for the federal government.” (Bloomberg)

~ DRINK: Here are the 29 best cafes in New York City, including 11 in Brooklyn. (Eater)

~ CARTOON: President Trump suggests some alternative locations — other than his own Florida resort — for the Group of 7 summit. (The New Yorker)

~ LIVE: The white bellbird, found in the Amazon, has the loudest song in the world. It’s like a “strange, metallic, kind of alien call.” Listen here. (NYT)

BULLETIN BOARD

Made In New York Jazz Cafe has two Halloween parties with some ‘Great Cats’. Wednesday Oct. 30 and Thursday Oct. 31 join their Halloween Party with Ray Santiago Band. Tonight is Benito Gonzalez and Yaacov Maymen. SPONSORED

WHAT’S HAPPENING

6:30PM — Organizer of Urban Renewal in the Suburban Age: The Struggle to Redefine the American City at Brooklyn Historical Society. Details.

7:00PM – 9:00PM — Book Launch: “Do You Mind If I Cancel?” by Gary Janetti at powerHouse Arena. Details.

8:00PM — Laughing Buddha Comedy Showcase at EastVille Comedy Club. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1960, the Brooklyn Eagle reported, “Sen. Jack Kennedy returns this week to pivotal Brooklyn in an attempt to clinch enough votes in the borough to swing New York State over to his column in the Electoral College.”

📔 IMPRINT
U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe stands in front of the Statue of Liberty on the latest cover of Glamour.

👑 ROYAL WATCH
“Royal family at war: Harry and Meghan source claims they have ‘single-handedly modernized’ the monarchy” (The Daily Beast)

🏀 SPORTS
The Nets signed Taurean Prince to a two-year, $29 million contract extension. (ESPN)

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Ang Lee, Emilia Clarke, Pelé, Sanjay Gupta, Tiffeny Milbrett, Ryan Reynolds, Nancy Grace, Doug Flutie, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Chi-Chi Rodríguez, Keith Van Horn and Dwight Yoakam!