Politics, Real Estate, Schools and Churches: Lunchtime Links

Happy rainy Monday!

• L’Shana Tova to our Jewish neighbors as they celebrate the beginning of a new year.
• Public schools are not in session today or tomorrow in observance.
• Local politicians, however, are out in force – despite the rain that hurricane Florence, upgraded to a Category 4  Hurricane as of this morning – is starting to send our way.

• Primaries are on Thursday, and candidates are making last push to reach voters: Lt. Gov. hopeful Jumanne Williams (Councilmember for Midwood and East Flatbush) stopped in Brooklyn before noon. U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (representing Central Brooklyn) jumped on the trail at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church Senior Center. On the other side of the borough, Mathylde Frontus running for Assembly in the 46th district visited the Ft. Hamilton Senior Center. We’ll have a handy list of who’s endorsing whom on our site shortly.
• <A local park in Winsor terrace was named after a local hero.  The public space located where East 5th and Vanderbilt Streets meet in Windsor Terrace was recently cleaned up by the Eagle Scouts and named Captain John McKenna IV Park.
• New House of Worship to replace 147-Year-Old Church – St. Stephen & St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Bedford Stuyvesant  – was consecrated on Saturday.  This was made possible by selling some of the church’s land to build a new home for the parish in addition to  41 middle-income apartment units that now flank the new stucco church.
• A plan in Crown Heights to redevelop a landmarked parochial school building into residences to restore a church has run into opposition from the local Community Board 8.
• EXCLUSIVE – Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts has closed abruptly after 64 years serving the community.  Last Wednesday (Sept 5) Brooklyn College laid off most of the full-time employees, citing budgetary reasons.
• A man was shot and killed on Clarendon Road in Flatbush last night.
• State Education Department under fire for embargoing test scores (NY Post)
• School buses left kids stranded across the city last week. (NY Daily News)
• In its push for diversity, New York City is rethinking selective admissions beyond specialized schools, Mayor de Blasio says (Chalkbeat)