🌱 Middle School Apps. Open Soon + Omicron News + Train Alerts

Up and at 'em, Brooklyn Heights-DUMBO! Let's get you started this Saturday with everything you need to know going on around Brooklyn Heights-DUMBO today.

First, today's weather:

Cooler with periods of rain. High: 44 Low: 38.

Here are the top 4 stories in Brooklyn Heights-DUMBO today:

1. Public middle school applications will open starting the week of January 10, through February 28. It looks like all decisions within districts 9 and 13 will be made on the basis of need and lottery, with the exception of arts schools that will be holding auditions. (Brooklyn Bridge Parents)
2. The Omicron variant is making waves in Brooklyn, with the Governor saying we're in for a "rough ride" this winter. But that's a big shift from the upbeat tone earlier this week when Gov. Hochul met with the borough's business leaders to celebrate the return of life in the city. (Brooklyn Paper)
3. Here's a summary of this weekend's transit updates: Manhattan-bound 2 and 3 trains are skipping Bergen Street and Grand Army Plaza, and the Manhattan/Queens bound R train is skipping Jay Street-Metro Tech and Court Street. (Brooklyn Heights Blog)
4. Seeking to ease the concerns of some parents, de Blasio made clear that he has no plans currently to pivot to remote learning, saying shutdowns are "yesterday's war" and "This is not March of 2020." (NYC Patch)

Today in Brooklyn Heights-DUMBO:

• Mozart For Munchkins ~ Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra: Holiday Concert at St. Ann & Holy Trinity Church (11 a.m.)
• Cadman Plaza Park dance party and coat drive–might get posponed to Sunday depending on the weather (11 a.m.)
• Holiday concert at the First Unitarian Church, 119 Pierrepont St. (12 p.m.)
• Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra “Merry Merry Brooklyn” Holiday Concert at St. Ann & Holy Trinity Church (7 p.m.)
• Art class with artist James Rose from the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition at 481 Van Brunt Street (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• According to this map from the DOE at least eight schools in the Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO area are experiencing COVID cases and classroom shutdowns. (NYC DOE)
• Starting next week the Department of Transportation is re-installing a right turn from Tillary onto Adams Street at the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. The lack of the turn had caused "had caused congestion and been unsafe area for pedestrians." (Twitter)
• Wow! Check out these festive holiday windows at Macy's in Downtown Brooklyn's Fulton Mall. (Twitter)

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— Dashiell Allen