Community Corner
🌱 Alligator Rescued From Prospect Park + Aspiring Historians
The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Brooklyn.
Good morning, everybody! I'm here right on time with your Tuesday edition of the Brooklyn Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the community news you need to know right now, including updates on...
- An unexpected sighting in Prospect Park over the weekend 🐊
- NYC student historians display their work in Brooklyn for annual competition
- BK says goodbye to a famed pizza joint, Tony Manero's two-slice go-to
But first, today's weather:
☁️ A touch of morning rain. High: 48 Low: 35.
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Here are the top stories in Brooklyn today:
1. An alligator found in Prospect Park Lake is believed to have been abandoned by someone who may have kept it as a pet. On Sunday around 10 a.m., a NYC Parks Maintenance worker spotted a four-foot long alligator; members of the Parks Enforcement Patrol and the Urban Park Rangers pulled the "lethargic" creature from the lake and brought it to Animal Care Centers of New York City in Brooklyn. The American alligator, appearing to be "in poor condition" was transported to the Bronx Zoo later that day. This is the sixth alligator that Animal Care Centers has helped to rescue in the city since 2018. Officials believe that someone had kept the alligator as an exotic pet in their own home.
Subscription / The New York Times
2. Student historians from all five boroughs saw their work recognized at the Center for Brooklyn History for the the annual "New York City History Day Contest." This year's competition marks the first year in the contest's more than 30-year history that admission was free; 341 students entered, their projects exploring everything from the Transcontinental Railroad to the Bay of Pigs. The projects were assembled by middle and high school students under this year's umbrella theme "Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas." Fittingly for the Center for Brooklyn History, some of the winning projects did focus on the borough — Stuyvesant High School seniors Daniel Murdoch, Giles El-Assal and Kauden Ruparel took first place in the Senior Group Exhibit for their project "Crossing the Bridge to Brooklyn, Innovation, Prosperity, and Freedom." Winners from the statewide competition will head to nationals where last year's team fro Park Slope placed second for their project about Shirley Chisholm.
3. An iconic Brooklyn pizza joint, made famous by 'Saturday Night Fever,' is closing. On Sunday, Lenny's Pizza served up its last slice after 70 years in the business. According to the owner's daughter, her father decided to retire and that it was time for them to spend time with family. "It's bitter sweet to inform you guys that we are closing our doors after so many years. My dad is finally retiring at 77 years old," she posted to Facebook. The Bensonhurst institution featured in the 1977 musical film hit 'Saturday Night Fever' starring John Travolta, whose character, Tony Manero, famously orders two slices and eats them on top of one another. In 2018, some 40 years after the movie premiered, Travolta returned to Lenny's to pay a visit.
Today in Brooklyn:
- Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket, Court Street & Montague Street, Today @ 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Details
- [Rooftop Show] Miracle Sweepstakes + Star 80 + Hound Pound, Our Wicked Lady, Today @ 7 - 11 p.m. | https://dice.fm/event/ew9qy-ro...
- Live on Flatbush Ave.: Little Old Lady Comedy Night, Greenlight Bookstore, Today @ 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. | Details
- Runnin' Late Comedy, Friends and Lovers, Today @ 8 - 9:30 p.m. | Details
- In My Feelings: A Party for the True R&B Lovers, Bar Schimmi, Today @ 10 p.m. | Details
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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!
— Carlie Houser
About me: I'm a recent grad based in Brooklyn, NY. I love to write, run, read, and find new restaurants and venues around the city.
Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Brooklyn Patch newsletter? Contact me at brooklyn@patch.com
