Around Brooklyn: Students at Brooklyn school publish conservation book

June 29, 2020 Editorial Staff

I photographed these cherry blossoms on the last day that Brooklyn Botanic Garden was open. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

Cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Students at Brooklyn school publish conservation book

A school in Brooklyn has a “Beast Relief” committee that each year publishes a children’s book about an endangered species. The books are written and illustrated by the fifth graders at P.S. 107, which is located in Park Slope. This year’s book, published in collaboration with the African Wildlife Foundation, is “One Special Lion: The Story of Sion.” The story is told through the eyes of the main character, a 14-year-old lioness. Student Isobel Levenson said, “I really want to help these lions, and I’m so happy the book will do that.”

Don’t disrespect memorial park, says Cymbrowitz

Although COVID-19 has curtailed recreational options for local kids, there’s no excuse for them cavorting among the monuments in Sheepshead Bay’s Holocaust Memorial Park and drawing on the stones erected to remember victims, says Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz. According to local residents who have brought the issue to Assemblymember Cymbrowitz, children have been seen defacing the monuments with colored chalk and urinating nearby as well as leaving ice cream wrappers on the ground. The lawmaker has alerted the Parks Department and the NYPD’s local 61st Precinct.

MTA could use mask-detecting software

MTA officials are investigating a plan that would use artificial intelligence software to track how many subway riders are wearing face masks. The technology was one of many ideas that were presented in a consultant’s report that was made public last week. Other high-tech tools being discussed include thermal scanner temperature checks, UV lamps and robots to kill viruses. “We’re exploring the feasibility of a wide range of tools and approaches to keep our employees and customers safe,” said MTA spokesman Andrei Berman, according to Gothamist.

NYC has cooling plans for summer

Last year’s summer was the hottest on record for New York City, and this year doesn’t show any signs of being any cooler. Usually, the city sets up cooling centers at libraries, schools, community centers and senior centers. This year, the city aims to set up “non-traditional cooling centers” at auditoriums, sports venues and other sites across the boroughs. The Parks Department will also create outdoor areas with spray showers. In addition, the city has launched a $55 million effort to provide air conditioning to low-income seniors, according to Curbed.

Kensington co-op asks $2K/month

A first-floor prewar co-op at 192 East Eighth St. in Kensington is now renting for $2,000 a month. The one-bedroom apartment has a large bedroom, a separate kitchen that is open to the living room, and a renovated bathroom. The apartment has a dishwasher and four closets, and the building has a bike room and a landscaped back yard, according to Brownstoner.

New appointments at Brooklyn North

Jeffrey B. Maddrey, the longtime chief of the NYPD’s Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, will now become chief of community affairs, while Judith R. Harrison, who now serves as commanding officer of the department’s Special Victims Division, will move into Chief Maddrey’s spot. “Chief Maddrey has served the NYPD and the City amid one of the most challenging moments in our history. His voice … is now needed in our continuing effort to move the department forward,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said, according to Bklyner.

Teen found dead in Williamsburg playground

A 14-year old boy was found dead in a Williamsburg playground on Wednesday. His body was discovered inside the Roebling Playground on Bedford Avenue. Police said there was no visible trauma to his body. The boy’s father identified him as Ivan and said police are investigating his death, according to ABC7. “We don’t know what happened exactly. It’s really heartbreaking, and we’re hoping that it wasn’t foul play or things of that nature,” the father said.

Man, woman killed in ENY shooting

A man and a woman were killed in a Saturday afternoon shooting in East New York, police said. The shooting took place around 12:30 p.m. The woman was shot in the back, and the man, who was much younger, was shot in the face. Both were declared dead on the spot. Police said the shooter is believed to be either a blond woman or a man wearing a blond wig, according to PIX11.

40-story high-rise planned for Willoughby Street

Permits have recently been filed for a 40-story mixed-use high-rise at 111 Willoughby St. in Downtown Brooklyn. The site, now occupied by the music office of St. Boniface Church, is five minutes from the A, C, F and R trains’ Jay Street-MetroTech subway station and the 2 and 3 trains’ Hoyt Street station. The building is slated to have 277 residences, most likely rentals. The Michaels organization is listed as the developer, and GF55 Partners is listed as the architect of record, according to New York YIMBY.

Two shot at Williamsburg block party

Two people were shot at a block party in Brooklyn early Sunday morning, police said. The incident happened on Frost Avenue. A female victim was shot in the head, and she reportedly is in critical condition. The second victim, a man, was shot multiple times but is expected to survive, according to NBC New York.

Man wanted for punching elderly woman without warning

A man is wanted for an unprovoked attack on a 78-year-old woman in Bushwick. The incident happened on June 10 at 5:15 p.m. on Broadway. The woman was walking down the street when the suspect punched her in the head. The attacker is described as a Black man, about 5-foot-9 inches tall, medium build with short dark hair. He was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and green pants, according to ABC7.

Cops seek serial exhibitionist

Police are looking for a man whom they believe exposed himself to at least six young girls since last September. He has mainly been active in Windsor Terrace and the South Slope, flashing the girls as they’re walking by or looking through their windows. For example, on May 31, the suspect stood outside a window and exposed herself to a woman and her young children at a home near Sixth Avenue and 22nd Street. More recently, on Wednesday, he exposed himself to 11- and 13-year-old girls as they were walking their dog near Seventh Avenue and 18th Street, according to the New York Post.

McDonald’s to hire 630 workers in Brooklyn

McDonald’s is planning to hire 630 workers for positions in Brooklyn. It’s unclear how many of these are new positions rather than rehires of laid-off workers. The chain has implemented nearly 50 new safety procedures to protect employees and customers. After 90 days, the employees, most of whom are young people, can received $2,500 in up-front college tuition assistance as well has having access to career-advising software, according to Bklyner.

Baby boy’s death ruled a homicide

A 1-year-old boy was beaten to death in a NYCHA housing development in Southern Brooklyn, police said. Kadien O’Neill was found unconscious by his mother last Saturday inside their apartment at the Gravesend Houses. EMS crews rushed the infant to Coney Island Hospital, but he could not be saved. An autopsy by the city Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the boy had died of blunt force trauma to the torso. The child’s mother was not taken into custody, and the case was referred to the Administration for Children’s Services, according to the New York Post.

East NY COVID testing station is open

A temporary COVID-19 testing station is now open at the Brooklyn Sports Club at 1540 Van Siclen Ave. in East New York, and will be until July 2. The station is sponsored by Nikki Lukas Gotham Help. No appointment is needed, but an ID is required, according to the East New York blog.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.