Friday In Brooklyn: Lots Of Food, Coronavirus Outbreak At MDC, And Toxic Pollution

The first week of December has come and gone. Before you know it, we’ll be in 2021. We hope you are staying safe and warm! Here are some stories to check out:

• Have you tried Grill N Dine’s yummy lunch special? We did and it is delicious (and only $5.99). Check it out here!
• What do you know about the NYPD? Do you know about the different sectors and why you should attend their meetings? We wrote it all up for you!
• Bay Ridge has a new restaurant! Ayat opened in October and is a Palestinian restaurant offering authentic, delicious food. We haven’t tried it for ourselves yet, but the reviews have been amazing so far. Especially this NY Times one, which describes one dish as, “Before they are stuffed with rice and onions, Persian squash are hollowed out as carefully as if they were going to be made into musical instruments.” Have you tried the new place? Let us know what you think!
• Mayoral hopeful Maya Wiley (from Flatbush) unveiled her gun violence prevention plan yesterday. The announcement comes as citywide shooting incidents have doubled this year, as well as across both North and South Brooklyn. Deaths from gun violence have doubled in Brooklyn North while tripling in Brooklyn South. “For far too long, we have ignored our treasure. We have refused to see the tremendous benefits we all derive, that we see Shyheim as our treasure,” Wiley remarked at the event. “Our elected leaders have done far too little to invest in ensuring that our treasures could shine bright.”
• MDC is having a coronavirus outbreak! Fifty-five new cases have been confirmed at The Metropolitan Detention Center between Tuesday and Thursday, bringing the total number of those infected to 80, according to numbers compiled by the Bureau of Prison, Patch reported. Before Tuesday, there had only been 25 confirmed cases at the federal lockup since March.
• A Brooklyn woman launched an artisanal charcuterie box business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and according to AMNY, it is booming!
• Three Brooklyn nonprofits supporting communities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have been awarded $150,000 by Brooklyn Communities Collaborative! “Fan4Kids, Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic and Reaching Out Community Services, Inc. will receive the funds to support the work they do in Brooklyn and across the city,” BK Reader reported.
• Refinery29 spoke with a Brooklynite who lives on a $65,000 salary.  (That’s more than the median household income in Brooklyn, which is just above $52k). Does she worry about money? “Yes, all the time. But I’m also confident in my resourcefulness and willingness to adapt and learn. I am willing to work hard if I need to, and I’m cautious about my life choices.”
• “Coffee No More, Bushwick’s Hearts Café Becomes Natural Wine Store With Community at the Core,” the BK Reader wrote.