As reported by Brooklyn Daily Eagle and Brooklyn Paper, Philanthropist, Artist, Real Estate Developer, and “First Lady of Dumbo,” Jane Walentas passed away July 5th after a brief battle with cancer. She was 76 years old.The Walentas Family and their management company, Two Trees, is synonymous with DUMBO as we now know it. And the carousel, which has delighted children and adults alike since September 2011, is inseparable from Jane.A New York Times article from 2011 traces the journey of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel, originally installed in Youngstown, OH in 1922, to Brooklyn. Purchased by the Walentas’ in 1984, much of the tedious scraping away of decades of paint was carried out…
DeBlasio Announces Hybrid Back-To-School Plans For September
Amid the reports of dangerous spikes of Covid-19 across the country, Mayor DeBlasio announced on July 8th NYC public schools will open in September on a “hybrid” schedule. The tentative plan entails three versions of staggered in-school instruction. Protocols include mandatory masks for children, teachers, and staff and nightly deep cleanings of school facilities.In a letter to families meant to instill confidence in the City’s strategy, School’s Chancellor Richard Carranza introduced a Return to School 2020 resource page. There, parents can explore three programming models. Digital education publication, Chalkbeat also does a good job of breaking …
Coming Events at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Tomorrow (Saturday, August 20) from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. there will be a free Pier 5 Family Field Day, with potato, sack, and Hula Hoop races, parachute games, soccer skills lessons, and scrimmage games. More information here.On Sunday afternoon, August 21 from 2:00 to 5:00 the Nantucket lightship (photo), docked at Pier 6, near the foot of Atlantic Avenue, will be open for free public tours. More information here. At 4:00 p.m. there will be a special treat for kids, as Brian Floca, author of Lightship, reads from and discusses his book. More information here.Monday, August 22 is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and there will be a day and evening long celebration at Pier 1, with guests from …