🌱 Subway Friends + Brave Mother Killed + Illegal Dumping Crackdown

Welcome back, Brooklyn. I'm here in your inbox per usual to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on in town. Because community news matters! In this issue, you'll find news about:

• A Brooklyn councilmember seeks 'friends' for the borough's subway stations
• Single mother of six sacrifices herself to save son against hit-and-run trucker driver
• NYC quadruples illegal dumping citations in major crackdown effort

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But first, today's weather:

🌤 Sunshine mixing with clouds. High: 52 Low: 35.

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🗞 Top stories in Brooklyn today:

1. Five Brooklyn subway stations are looking for 'friends.' Councilmember Lincoln Restler has launched a volunteer program to get New Yorkers involved in improvements to their local MTA subway stations. "Friends of MTA Station Group" is somewhat like volunteer groups at parks or PTAs at schools, with volunteers or 'friends' working improve the general condition of the stations at High Street-Brooklyn Bridge, Borough Hall, Jay Street-MetroTech, Bedford Avenue and Nassau Avenue. Restler's plans is welcomed by a handful of fellow councilmembers as well as Jon Orcutt, a transit advocate and transportation policy expert. If you're interested in becoming a subway friend, visit the link to learn more. (Gothamist)

2. A brave Brooklyn mother died shielding her son from a hit-and-run truck driver who barreled into them just a couple of block from their Coney Island home. With just seconds to live, brave Tamika Richards put herself in front of her 18-year-old son, Rayquan Parker. Parker, injured, said his mother yelled at the truck driver to stop while she positioned herself in front of him, taking the brunt of the impact. Mother and son were on an errand to buy drinks for a visit from Richards' brother when they were struck. Parker later told friends and family that the driver, who has not yet been caught, blew a red light, before bashing into the single mother of six. (Subscription / New York Daily News)

3. The city is quadrupling illegal dumping citations as part of a crackdown effort after instances reach uncontrollable highs in East New York and Hunts Point. According to the NYC Department of Sanitation, illegal dumping has become a massive problem in East New York; "It's just garbage everywhere, everywhere," said Barbara Alexander, a local resident. Mattresses, broken bikes, bowling balls, toilet seats, shopping carts and discarded luggage riddle the roadways. In addition to its general crackdown on dumping — with a specific focus East New York — the city is also installing 250 cameras by the summer in hopes of both catching dumpers in the act and deterring folks from future offenses. (Pix 11 News)

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📆 Today in Brooklyn:

• It's Happy Hour at the Dram Shop Bar in Williamsburg (3:00 PM)
• Keep the weekend going at Karaoke Mondays at The Burger House (4:00 PM)
• Create some needle-felted furry friends at Brooklyn Craft Company in Greenpoint (6:30 PM)
• Starr Bar is hosting No Artist Info Open Mic weekly on Mondays (6:30 PM)
• Practice your skills at an Afro-Haitian Dance class at the Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance (6:30 PM)

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Featured events:

• FREE WEBINAR | "The Top 10 Sculptures of the Italian Renaissance" (March 7)
• Success Academy Presents: NYC Elementary School Admissions Webinar with Alina Adams (March 8)
• We Have Fun: A Free Weekly Comedy Show (March 8)
• Fine & Decorative Arts Auction | Jewelry | Artwork | Furniture | Silver (March 9)
• Lower School Tour (March 9)
• OMNI Ensemble Continues its 40th Season on March 10! (March 10)
• Music, Brews and Friends for a great cause (March 10)
• Bachata Crash Course (March 11)
• Shake up your weekend brunch routine with Brooklyn Brunch Club! (March 19)
• Add your event

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you soon!

— 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