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Brooklyn Today April 19: Water-Fountain Russian Roulette, an Ode to Knishes and more

April 19, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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THE LEDE: Halfway to the weekend, Brooklyn! In this morning’s briefing, proponents and opponents of the controversial BQX finally find themselves at the same table, NYC needs polyglots in the courtroom and a Brooklyn elementary school plays “water-fountain Russian roulette.” Plus, read how engineers tackled the challenge of planting over 43,000 trees in Prospect Park in 1867, and enjoy an ode to knishes in Brighton Beach. We’ll see you on the other side of the week, Brooklyn!

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IMPRINT: An extraordinary concept on the cover of Ordinary Magazine from the Netherlands.

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The Rundown

~HEAD-TO-HEAD ON THE BQX: Critics and advocates went head-to-headat a recent conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall regarding the viability of the BQX…and for the first time, proponents and opponents of the trolley were at the same table. A recent memo discovered by two news outlets also cast doubt on the project’s ability to pay for itself, which was a major selling point for Mayor de Blasio’s shiny streetcar. (via the Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

~POLISH, YORUBA, ALBANIAN, URDU, BURMESE, ITALIAN, FUZHOU, ARABIC AND MANDARIN: This is the list of translators required for a single day’s cases in Brooklyn Family Court. The state court system spends roughly $26 million per year on translation services for those with limited English proficiency, and the New York State Office of Court Administration iscranking out a plan to keep up with NYC’s booming needs for interpreter services. (via the WSJ)

~“WATER-FOUNTAIN RUSSIAN ROULETTE”: A water fountain at PS 289 George V. Brower in Crown Heights spewed higher levels of lead contentthan those of Flint, Michigan, according to DoE records. The lead content was 1,000 times safe levels. Testing between December and February revealed that water from about one out of every 20 elementary school taps contains elevated lead levels. (via the NY Post)

~BROOKLYN UP IN SMOKE: A report by the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network finds that of the 8,992 stores licensed to sell tobacco in NYC, 2,725 are in Brooklyn. Outside Manhattan, the highest concentration of tobacco sellers is in north and central Brooklyn. (via the NYDN)

~OUR LADY OF LORETO FACES DEMOLITION…AGAIN: The turn-of-the-20th-century church on the Ocean Hill – Brownsville border was slapped with a demolition permit and could come down “any day”…for real, this time. The church has been battling demolition since June 2016. (via Brownstoner and Curbed NY)

~”HOW MANY PEOPLE DID IT TAKE TO PLANT A TREE IN PROSPECT PARK IN 1867?”: 43,292 trees and shrubs were planted in the iconic Brooklyn park in 1867 alone. To tackle that task, engineer and NYC parks veteran John Y. Culyer designed a giant-sized “tree-moving machine”that required an entire crew to operate. (via Brownstoner)

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Staff Picks

QUICK READ:  An ode to Mrs. Stahl’s knishes in Brighton Beach. (via the NYT)  

INTERVIEW: Architecture critic Justin Davidson says NYC hasn’t changed so much over the past century, and talks about the “despair and resilience” that characterizes the city. (via Curbed NY)   

LOOK: Judge for yourself how much NYC has changed with these photos of the city in the 1940s. (via Gothamist)

CULTURE: Vote for which sideshow oddballs will be inducted into theSideshow Hall of Fame at Coney Island at the Congress of Curious Peoples festival, April 21-30. (via Brooklyn Paper)

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NATIONAL BULLETIN: A Democrat narrowly misses an outright win in Georgia in a race that is largely viewed as a referendum on President Trump, resulting in a June runoff…four years after the shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, 60 Minutes returns to Newtown to check in with the families…Trump’s policy advisers are pushing him to keep the U.S. in the 2015Paris climate accord…a study finds a correlation between use of a simple surgery checklist and a 22 percent reduction in post-op deaths. (via the NYT, CBS News and WaPo)

FOREIGN FLASH: That aircraft carrier that the U.S. supposedly sailed to deter North Korea during last week’s missile tensions? It was actually headed in the opposite direction…Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has incited a “horrifically violent drug” war, yet polls show he still enjoys majority support…and all five top runners in the French presidential election have weighed in on how to address “the Muslim question.” (via the NYT and WaPo)

ROYAL WATCH: Wee Prince George models his school clothes. (via the Daily Mail)

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BROOKLYN TONIGHT

6:30pm – Documentary: Jackie Robinson, Part Two at Brooklyn Historical Society. Details.

6:45pm – A Benefit Concert for The New York Immigration Coalition at Littlefield. Details.

7:00pm – Alec Baldwin in conversation with Janet Maslin at 92nd Street Y.Details.

7:00pm – Book Launch: Magnetic City: A Walking Companion to New York by Justin Davidson in Conversation with Zachary Woolfe at PowerHouse Arena.Details.

7:00pm – Nordic Affect at National Sawdust. Details.

7:00pm – Burning Issues in African Philosophy with Lewis Gordon at Columbia University. Details.

7:00pm – Dance Theatre of Harlem at New York City Center. Details.

7:00pm – Spirit of ’76: John Ingham & Johan Kugelberg at McNally Jackson.Details.    

7:30pm – Our Trojan War at BAM Fisher. Details.

7:30pm – Danny Glover at BAM Gilman Opera House. Details.  

8:00pm – The Decemberists at Brooklyn Steel. Details.

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ON THE PITCH: Here’s a list of the weirdest objects that have been thrown onto the pitches of the world. From a pig’s head to celery to a live chicken, enjoy this bizarre list. (via ESPN FC)


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