Brooklyn Today: ‘The gun becomes a part of your identity.’

October 25, 2019 Brooklyn Today

Erasmus Hall High School has a glamorous facade. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

Erasmus Hall High School. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

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THE LEDE: Following a sharp spike in police officer suicides, a new program will provide free and confidential mental health services to active duty NYPD officers, the Mayor’s Office announced this week. The program, called Finest Care, will be administered by New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ EARLY VOTERS CAN TAKE A DISCOUNTED UBER OR LYFT TO THEIR POLLING PLACE: For the first time, New Yorkers will have the chance to cast an early ballot starting Oct. 26 — and Uber and Lyft are offering rides to early voting poll sites citywide at a 50 percent discount.

~ AFTER RASH OF OFFICER SUICIDES, MAYOR ANNOUNCES NYPD MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM: Officers can call a 24/7 hotline and a coordinator at the hospital will arrange a free and anonymous appointment for the officer with a psychiatrist or psychologist.

~ ONCE-DILAPIDATED EAST NY COURTHOUSE NOW AIMS TO BRING COPS AND NEIGHBORS CLOSER: The NYPD opened up a first-of-its-kind community center in East New York on Wednesday, revamping an old, stone magistrates’ court building that had long been overlooked and fallen into disrepair.

~ 30K STUDENTS WILL TAKE THE SHSAT THIS WEEKEND. HERE’S WHERE THE PUSH TO ELIMINATE THE EXAM STANDS.: The SHSAT — the sole means of admissions for most of the city’s nine specialized high schools — has served as a point of contention for the mayor and schools chancellor, who have been working to get rid of the test, as well as to parents and educators hoping to keep it intact.

~ FOR THE FIRST TIME, NEW YORK STATE INITIATIVE FOCUSES ON HIV PREVENTION: A new statewide initiative aimed at increasing education and prevention methods around HIV/AIDS launched for the first time this year, highlighting a once-a-day pill that reduces the transmission of the disease.

~ POP-UPS AND PUMPKINS: 10 THINGS TO DO IN BROOKLYN THIS WEEKEND: ’Twas the weekend before Halloween, and all through the borough, there were dog costume contests, graveyard tours, dance parties, pumpkin painting sessions and more — plus other, non-Halloween-related activities for the not-so-spooky among us.

~ WHERE TO SEE DOGS IN COSTUME THIS HALLOWEEN SEASON: Objectively, the very best Halloween tradition is watching dogs prance around in costumes. Here are some spots in Brooklyn where you can do just that.

~ EXPERIENCE THE ARCTIC AT WILLIAMSBURG POP-UP: In a frozen sea of pop-ups, Brooklyn’s latest is spending its limited time to bring urbanites to the endangered lands of Alaska in an effort to motivate young people to protect one of the few undeveloped places on Earth.

~ NEW COOKBOOK IS A VISUAL ODE TO ITALIAN SOUTHERN BROOKLYN: Bensonhurst-born home cook, photographer and graphic designer Daniel Paterna is dishing up more than mouthwatering recipes in his new cookbook, “Feast of the Seven Fishes: A Brooklyn Italian’s Recipes Celebrating Food & Family.”

~ BUS RIDES SLOWED IN MUCK OF MTA-TRANSIT UNION CONTRACT FEUD: Repeated “safety checks” at bus depots around the city are snagging commutes, THE CITY has learned, with the union for transit workers locked in an increasingly nasty contract dispute with the MTA. (THE CITY)

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ The former “Watchtower” sign in DUMBO will be replaced with a new “Welcome” sign. (New York Post)

~ Two Toms, the famed Italian-American restaurant in Gowanus, is closing after more than 70 years. (Eater)

~ “Incompetent water main replacement is flooding their homes, Park Slope residents say” (Bklyner)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “The smell of the place is reminiscent of an open fridge, a whiff of decay, cold and sweet.” Here’s a look inside the gruesome world of homicide autopsies. (Information)

~ DRINK: Here are the 10 spookiest bars in New York City, including one in Brooklyn. (Thrillist)

~ CARTOON: An updated list of endangered species. (The Week)

~ MEDIA: “Dropshipping journalism: No one working at Newsweek can tell me why it still exists” (CJR)

BULLETIN BOARD

Join Made in New York Jazz Cafe and Bar in Park Slope as they celebrate their official Grand Opening tonight and tomorrow with live shows featuring Buster Williams, Lenny White and Cyrus Chestnut. Be sure to reserve your seats for tonight’s show and Sunday’s performance with Charenée Wade Trio. And don’t forget the special Dinner Deal for their Oct. 30 and Oct 31. Halloween Parties! SPONSORED

WHAT’S HAPPENING

6:30PM – 8:30PM — Culinary Evening with the League of Kitchens at Recess. Details.

7:00PM – 9:00PM — Book Launch: “America Is Immigrants” by Sara Nović at powerHouse Arena. Details.

8:00PM – 11:30PM — Nightfall at Green-Wood Cemetery. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1962, the Brooklyn Eagle reported, “Students on several American college campuses have demonstrated against the nation’s Cuban policy. But some of the groups encountered opposition from collegians who approve the quarantine.”

📔 IMPRINT
Zara Larsson shows off a colorful sweater on the November cover of Teen Vogue.

👑 ROYAL WATCH
“The royal family refuses to watch ‘The Crown’ because it’s too close to reality, according to a royal biographer”

🏀 SPORTS
After a 50-point game in the season opener, Kyrie Irving has already cemented himself as a fan favorite. (The Ringer)

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Samantha Bee, Craig Robinson, Katy Perry, Midori, Marion Ross, Anne Tyler, Helen Reddy, Pedro Martínez, Bobby Knight and Brian Kerwin!