Brooklyn Paper Radio returned to the airwaves this week to discuss some of the biggest stories in Brooklyn!
Co-hosts Zach Gewelb and Johnny Kunen were joined by reporter Kevin Duggan, who discussed Borough President Eric Adams’ recent recommendation regarding the city’s plan to close Rikers Island and implement borough jails.
Adams issued a purely advisory recommendation last week for a facility that would replace the Atlantic Avenue holding facility, asking that the Mayor’s Office for Criminal Justice and the Department of Corrections reduce the proposed building’s height from 395 feet to 235 feet, and from 1,437 beds to 900 beds. The jail currently houses 815 beds and is 170 feet tall at 11 stories.
Duggan also discussed the alarming rise of cyclist deaths throughout the borough.
Cycling advocates accused Mayor Bill de Blasio of failing his own Vision Zero street safety initiative — a citywide mandate to prevent any traffic-related fatalities — in the wake of back-to-back fatalities that recently claimed the lives of two Brooklyn bikers. There have now been 15 New York City cyclists killed by motorists in 2019, compared to 10 last year.
Reporter Rose Adams made her Brooklyn Paper Radio debut, speaking about a food pantry in Bensonhurst that is short on funds and is asking the community for help.
Located on New Utrecht Avenue between 77th and 78th streets, Reaching-Out Community Services is a staple of southern Brooklyn, offering a range of social services and food to 9,800 families from across the borough. But while donations have plateaued in recent years, demand for Reaching-Out’s services has grown, forcing the organization to turn away needy families.
Rounding out the show was arts editor Bill Roundy, who provided listeners with three things to do in the week ahead — one event that’s child-friendly, another that’s intellectually intriguing, and one where Brooklynites can get their booze on.
Tune in to the show for the list of events and for the latest happenings around the borough.
Brooklyn Paper Radio can be found on Brook