🌱 Church Avenue Fire + Advocates Call For CUNY Funding

Hey, Ditmas Park-Flatbush! Here's everything you need to know to get this Monday started off right.

First, today's weather:

Windy; a p.m. snow shower. High: 33 Low: 24.

Here are the top four stories in Ditmas Park-Flatbush today:

1. Two hundred firefighters responded to a five-alarm blaze on Church Avenue in Flatbush on Saturday morning. The fire took place in a building housing a nail salon and several discount stores. It left three firefighters injured. (amNY)
2. Flatbush Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn's spokesperson Sabrina Rezzy is running for the volunteer position of District Leader in a Brooklyn neighborhood far from where she lives. Some believe she's motivated to consolidate the county party's power with its current boss, Hermelyn. (THE CITY)
3. CUNY student and activist Juvanie Piquant makes a strong case for fully-funding New York City's public university, including making it tuition-free. Students' calls to fund CUNY had fallen on deaf ears from former Governor Andrew Cuomo, but now, with Gov. Kathy Hochul, there might be a better chance. (The New Yorker)
4. The NYPD released footage of two men accused in the murder of a man in East Flatbush last week, on March 19th. (New York Post )

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Today in Ditmas Park-Flatbush:

• Brooklyn Caribbean LGBTQ monthly support group, online via Zoom (6 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Meet David Alexis, a former Uber driver and community organizer who's running against Kevin Parker for State Senate in Flatbush. Alexis has the endorsement of the Democratic Socialists of America. (Jacobin)
• Applications to The Brooklyn Museum's summer internship program close on April 2. (Instagram)
• Public Advocate and candidate for Governor Jumaane William was in Flatbush to call for legalizing 'to-go' cocktails. (Twitter)

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You're officially in the loop for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Dashiell Allen