A Councilmember Weighs in on 80 Flatbush, A Dramatic Confession to a Grisly Murder & More Lunchtime Links for Friday, August 31, 2018
There’s a lot going on in Brooklyn every day, so we’re debuting a new feature: Lunchtime Links!
We’ll give you a quick overview of what’s going on in Brooklyn, from our own reporting and other outlets, rounding up what you need to know in politics, arts, events and more!
Last night, a dramatic confession to a murder in Bushwick came four years later when a man walked into a police station to admit to killing and dismembering a Bushwick woman in 2014. Police have arrested and charged the man, but have yet to recover the body…
The dream of the BQX streetcar may still be alive after the Mayor gave the green-light to a new plan for the project, which would now reach Red Hook and terminate in Gowanus, instead of Sunset Park as originally planned. The only problem? It’ll cost around $2.75 billion, and the federal government would need to kick in at least a billion of that cost.
The Mayor also refused to admit that the administration had low-balled the number of kids living in NYCHA apartments that had elevated levels of lead in their blood, the New York Post reports. A scandal over falsified inspection reports led to the resignation of NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye earlier this year.
New ride-sharing electric scooters, capable of zipping around at 15 mph, may soon reach New York. Bird scooter debuted the rides in Bed-Stuy yesterday with Councilmember Robert Cornegy on hand to extoll their virtues. The rides will be unlocked via app and cost $1 to start, then 15¢ per minute after that.
The response to the deaths of three children in Park Slope by a driver led to public outcry and a redesign of 9th Street. But Gothamist feels that the Mayor has been silent on a similar tragedy in Bushwick—they’ve dubbed it “The Tale of Two Crashes.”
The NYPD has released their plans for J’Ouvert security, which will be similar to last year: hundreds of cops, light towers and security cameras, reports the Daily News. Screening participants slowed down the parade last year, but it looks like police have decided to only add one more additional entrance to the route this year…
Looking for a food fix? The New York Times sat down with Bill Durney of Red Hook’s Hometown Bar-B-Que to talk about his latest project—Hometown Tavern, which will feature fried chicken that took Durney 27 months to perfect.
This week, Councilmember Stephen Levin weighed in on the towering 80 Flatbush project, saying that the skyscraper would have to shrink by a third—and possibly eliminate commercial space—before gaining his key vote for the project, the Brooklyn Paper reported.
Finally, for long weekend fun: after J’Ouvert, get ready for the flashy, ecstatic West Indian Day Parade in Crown Heights, which will feature music, dancing, and more delicious food than you can imagine! If you’re stuck in Southern Brooklyn, check out Coney Island’s Labor Day Weekend concert, featuring a 40th Anniversary tribute to “Grease!”