🌱 Michael K. Williams + MTA OMNY Rollout + Canarsie Stabbing

Hey, Ditmas Park-Flatbush! Let's get you started this Monday with everything you need to know going on today in town.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and warmer. High: 50 Low: 37.

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

1. The MTA is rolling out its new automated OMNY public transit payment system–which allows riders to tap with their smartphone or a physical card instead of swiping as all New Yorkers are used to. They're now starting to sell physical OMNY cards at pharmacies–but many of the pharmacies listed on their website don't actually sell the cards, according to the reports. See here for locations in Flatbush and Ditmas Park. (Gothamist)
2. BK Reader gave the spotlight to East Flatbush native actor Michael K. Williams this weekend, bringing us through many aspects of life, from being raised by a single mom, to working for Pfizer, to his award-wining portrayal of Omar Little on The Wire. As the publication puts it, "Portraying an openly gay Black man, who was also a drug-dealer-robbing murderer — and doing so with a poetic tenderness — was groundbreaking for television at the time." (Brooklyn Reader)
3. Two teenagers were stabbed outside of a supermarket in Canarsie. Police are unsure of the motives that led to the incident. (amNY)

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Today in Ditmas Park-Flatbush:

• Kompa Mondays at The Rogers Garden, 708 Rogers Avenue (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Here's four new houses on the market in the Ditmas Park and Flatbush area. (Ditmas Park-Flatbush Patch)
• Happy Lunar New Year! This weekend saw the annual New Years parade. (Twitter)
• CM Rita Joseph was at Lips Cafe to kick off her "small business Saturdays" initiative. (Twitter)
• Thrillist gave a shout-out to Flatbush's Little Haiti as one the top places to experience Black History Month in New York City. (Twitter)

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Events:

• Charles Caloia, Decoster, The Loneliers, and Dee Who at Freddy's (February 25)
• The OMNI Ensemble Continues its 39th Season (February 26)
• Learn How To Reduce Your Risk For Heart Disease During American Heart Month (February 28)
• Get A ‘Taste Of Paradise’ During This Exclusive Event At Atlantis (February 28)
• Freedom Party® NYC Mar 4! (March 4)
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• Behind The Scoreboard – More Than A Cyclist, A Hero! (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all tomorrow for your next update.

— Dashiell Allen