🌱 COVID Outbreak At Assemblymember Office + New Mask Mandate

Happy Saturday, people of Ditmas Park-Flatbush! Here's everything happening around Ditmas Park-Flatbush today.

First, today's weather:

A couple of showers. High: 64 Low: 44.

Here are the top 4 stories today in Ditmas Park-Flatbush:

1. Crown Heights and Flatbush Assemblywoman Diana Richardson's district office is closed "for the foreseeable future" due to a COVID outbreak. This comes at the same time the city is experiencing the highest seven-day COVID positivity rates since September. (NYC Patch)
2. Councilmember and Democratic majority leader Laurie Cumbo voted against granting voting rights for non-citizen immigrants — a bill which ultimately passed the council on Thursday — saying that it would diminish the voting power of Black voters. That might be surprising for residents of Flatbush and Ditmas Park that have high a high number of Black immigrants from The Caribbean. (BK Reader)
3. The Shirley Chisholm Democratic Club celebrated Black women that continue the late Congresswoman's legacy. Not all awardees were Black or female. Flatbush leaders honored included Rebeca Lafond, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Blondell Lighty, Benjamin Pinczewski and Emmanuel Vambran. (Politics NY)
4. Governor Kathy Hochul announced she's re-introducing an indoor mask mandate for all businesses or public spaces that don't require proof of vaccination to fight the rise of the Omicron COVID variant. The COVID case rate has increased by 43 percent and hospitalizations are up by 29 percent, according to State health officials. (NYC Patch)

This weekend in Ditmas Park-Flatbush:

• Jazz show with the Afro-Latineers on Flatbush Ave. at Albemarle Rd. (12 p.m.)
• SATURDAY: The OMNI Ensemble Begins Its 39th Season At The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music With A Program Of Wind Octets at 58 7th Ave., Brooklyn. (8 p.m.)
• Meet and greet with Mr. and Mrs. Claus walking up and down Flatbush Ave. (12:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Councilmember-elect Rita Joseph is holding an info session next week for Flatbush and Ditmas Park tenants concerned about the end of NY State's eviction moratorium. (Twitter)
• Governor Kathy Hochul joined Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn on stage after receiving her endorsement for governor. (Twitter)
• City Council Speaker Corey Johnson has still not brought a bill to reduce class size in NYC public schools to a vote. Rita Joseph, a long time public school teacher herself, spoke at a press conference held by the teacher's union and said she would continue to push for the bill next year. (Twitter)

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Events:

• The OMNI Ensemble Begins 39th Season with Octets! (December 11)
• Big Apple Circus is NOW OPEN in New York City! (December 12)
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Announcements:

• Behind The Scoreboard – Ed Sullivan’s Huge Lesson For The World (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all tomorrow morning for your next update.

— Dashiell Allen