Brooklyn Today: ‘Children are our utmost priority.’

December 18, 2019 Brooklyn Today

Bergen Street takes you past lovely Crown Heights homes, like this cluster of landmarked residences on the corner of New York Avenue. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

Bergen Street takes you past lovely Crown Heights homes, like this cluster of landmarked residences on the corner of New York Avenue. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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THE LEDE: Good morning! Less than a week after protesters descended upon the East Midwood Jewish Center in opposition to its decision to lease space to a charter school for struggling students, elected officials and community leaders came together in an attempt to find some common ground as racial and ethnic tensions simmered.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ CROWN HEIGHTS DEVELOPERS STYMIED IN BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN LAWSUIT — FOR NOW: Developers behind a planned Crown Heights high-rise that opponents say could cast damaging shadows on the Brooklyn Botanic Garden attempted to skirt a temporary restraining order to begin construction, according to arguments in court on Monday.

~ OFFICIALS TRY TO FIND COMMON GROUND AS RACIAL TENSIONS SIMMER OVER URBAN DOVE: The group released a joint statement Friday evening condemning the “disparaging comments” made by some members of the community.

~ WEEKSVILLE HOLDS FIRST KWANZAA CELEBRATION IN 45 YEARS: In commemoration of pan-African heritage and the history of African American roots in Brooklyn, Weeksville Heritage Center held its first Kwanzaa celebration since 1974 on Saturday — six months after it was set to be designated a city cultural institution.

~ CROWN HEIGHTS SUBWAY STATIONS TO BE RENAMED FOR MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE: Two subway stops in Central Brooklyn will have “Medgar Evers College” added to their names, in honor of a nearby public university and for the civil rights leader after which the school was named.

~ FORMER QUEENS DA CANDIDATE NAMED ON ANNUAL WORST LANDLORD LIST: A Queens-based attorney and former candidate for Queens district attorney was named one of New York City’s worst landlords by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Monday, after a building she owns accumulated more than 400 violations from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development so far this year.

~ ANOTHER ‘WORST LANDLORD’ NOD FOR TROUBLED HOUSING GROUP: For the second year in a row, the No. 2 spot on the public advocate’s “Worst Landlord Watchlist” has gone to leaders of a troubled Brooklyn nonprofit mired in tenant and financial woes. (THE CITY)

~ 5 YEARS LATER, NYC SCHOOLS STILL STRUGGLE WITH DE BLASIO’S CELL PHONE POLICY: Nearly five years after the city’s Department of Education lifted the ban on cell phones, schools across the city are still grappling with an influx of devices and limited guidance about what to do with them. (Chalkbeat)

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ Claire Foy and Matt Smith of “The Crown” will reunite at BAM in March. (NYT)

~ Brooklyn Bowl is opening a 1,200-person venue in Nashville. (Billboard)

~ “Le Succulent, in Brooklyn, Unites West African and French Culinary Traditions” (NYT)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “Is America’s Favorite Playwright Too Much for New York?” (Slate)

~ EAT: A writer walked 600 miles across Japan to eat pizza toast. (Eater)

~ CARTOON: Santa grapples with climate change. (The Week)

~ TRAVEL: Heading on vacation with your pet? Here are 15 must-have items to make traveling with your furry friend hassle free. (CNN)

BULLETIN BOARD

~ Happy holidays and get ready for a happier New Year from Laser Touch. Find the shaping, reduction or enhancement that you have been wishing for and make your own dreams come true. Laser Touch has the right promotion to tailor to your 2020 resolution. SPONSORED

WHAT’S HAPPENING

7:00PM — ETHEL String Quartet at National Sawdust. Details.

7:00PM — The House of Yes Xmas Spectacular 2019 at House of Yes. Details.

7:30PM — Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis: Amy Fine Collins at 92nd Street Y. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1897, the Brooklyn Eagle reported, “The Skating Club of Brooklyn and the New Jersey Athletic Club hockey players opened the season for that interesting sport in this city at the Clermont Avenue Rink last night with a match game in which the Brooklynites won, 4 to 1.”

IMPRINT
Model Irina Shayk poses in gold on the latest cover of 7Hollywood.

ROYAL WATCH
From the birth of Archie to Prince Philip’s car crash, here are the royal family’s 30 biggest moments of 2019. (Town & Country)

SPORTS
“Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot is call-up grabbing Nets’ attention” (New York Post)

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Cicely Tyson, Christina Aguilera, Katie Holmes, Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, Keith Richards, Rachel Griffiths, Charles Oakley, Ray Liotta, Michael Moorcock, Leonard Maltin and Josh Dallas!