Wednesday, Aug. 18: No Mermaids in Coney Island, Rent Troubles, Vaccine Boosters For All

The Mayor may be organizing homecoming events across the city, but over in Coney Island, another year will pass without the Mermaid Parade, and over in Crown Heights the West Indian American Day parade also won't take place (though the organizers are putting on some live events).

The vaccination effort is the main focus these days as schools are set to reopen on Sept. 13, and many of those who got their second vaccine doses 8 months ago will be able to get boosters starting on Sept. 20.

If developments, like NYCHA, sell their air rights, they sell their ability to build higher buildings and more affordable housing the the future, writes reader and candidate for mayor Cathy Rojas in response to Adams'conditions for support for Gowanus Rezoning.  

And State’s troubled pandemic rent relief program has paid out less than 5% of the $2.7 billion available — infuriating tenants and landlords alike.

That and more below, and my apologies for missing the newsletter yesterday.

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Coney Island Mermaid Parade Cancelled Amid Heightened COVID Fears

Billy Richling• 3 min read

The mood is blue on Surf Avenue. That’s because Coney Island’s famous Mermaid Parade has been postponed for another year, the nonprofit that organizes the event announced today.

Bklyner Bulletin

🤯 For the first time ever, New Yorkers have a one-stop online resource to connect to the mental health support and professional services that are available to them through the city: mentalhealthforall.nyc.gov

🎶 Homecoming Week - Thursday, Brooklyn Army Terminal free concert.

💉 Today for the first time, 75% of all adults in New York City have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Cuts to Southern Brooklyn D Train Service This Fall as MTA Fortifies Coney Train Yard

Billy Richling • 2 min read

From September 18th through January 3rd, there will be no train service between the two stops, allowing the MTA to install new flood walls, flood gates, drainage and pump stations at the Coney Island Yard complex.

New Storefront Murals Unveiled in Coney Island

Bklyner • 2 min read

Scattered across Amusement District and Mermaid Avenue, the mural project, Coney Island for Everyone, features the work of 12 local artists on the gates of storefronts of 13 local businesses.

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Shooting Two Innocent Bystanders

Bklyner  • 1 min read

On June 20, 2019, around 7 pm Angel Eaddy fired six shots from a handgun at a rival gang member on Schenectady Avenue, near St. Johns Place. In doing so, he struck two innocent bystanders on the crowded Crown Heights stretch. A bullet hit an 11-year-old boy in the chest, paralyzing him from the waist down, and struck a 31-year-old man in the knee.

Opinion: Don't Sell The Future Of Affordable Housing Cheap

Cathy Rojas• 3 min read

If developments, like NYCHA, sell their air rights, that means they sell their ability to build higher buildings, writes Cathy Rojas.

Cuomo’s Rent Relief ‘Mess’ Awaits Hochul as Tenants and Landlords Unite Over Aid Bungle

The City • 6 min read

Three weeks after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans to fix the state’s troubled pandemic rent relief program, his administration has paid out less than 5% of the $2.7 billion available — infuriating tenants and landlords alike, writes Greg David for THE CITY.

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Events

😷 COVID-19 Briefing

Infection rates in Brooklyn continue to go up, with the Delta variant and low vaccination rates largely responsible.

COVID Booster Shots For All: Starting Sept. 20

Does the city have enough doses to start giving out booster shots?

Vax To School Questions For Mayor

The city has launched an intensive effort over the next month to get our kids vaccinated. The vaccine is currently approved for everyone over age 12. He answered some questions this morning.

Surprise COVID Test Bills Prompt Complaint to NY Attorney General

Ibrahim Naber • 7 min read

Multiple CareCube customers complained they were charged copays for taking COVID tests even though their insurance clearly said testing was 100% covered, Ibrahim Naber reports for THE CITY.

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