Deadly Meningitis Outbreak Hits B'klyn
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w Facebook.com/ Twitter.com Volume 59, No. 28 MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 w BrooklynEagle.com BrooklynEagle @BklynEagle 50¢ BROOKLYN TODAY Deadly Meningitis Outbreak Hits B’klyn MAY 20 LGBT Pols Lead Effort By Mary Frost Good morning. Today is Brooklyn Daily Eagle the 140th day of the year. A coalition of LGBT city On this day in 1902, the representatives are ramping up Brooklyn Daily Eagle re- a campaign about a deadly ported on public hearings meningitis outbreak found about the “Brooklyn tunnel among men who have sex with contract.” This was a con- other men, with a special focus tract to connect the city’s on Brooklyn. new subway system to The New York City Depart- Brooklyn. The two bidders ment of Health said that cases were Interborough Rapid of this often-deadly infection of Transit (IRT), the owner of the brain lining are popping up in Brooklyn more than in any Manhattan’s subway system, other borough. Symptoms in- and Brooklyn Rapid Transit clude fever and chills, mental (BRT), which operated status changes, nausea and Brooklyn’s trolley and ele- vomiting, sensitivity to light, vated lines. The IRT (which severe headache and stiff neck. is now the IRT division of One third of the afflicted have the subway system) won the died, a higher rate than typical bidding war, and the IRT ex- meningitis, which kills roughly tension to Atlantic Avenue one out of five. (part of today’s 4 and 5 The hardest-hit neighbor- lines) opened in 1908. The hoods in Brooklyn are Bedford- BRT built its tunnel to Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Bush- Brooklyn a few years later. TURKISH CULTURE CELEBRATED IN BROOKLYN: Turkish drums and music rang out over Downtown Brooklyn Thursday wick, Clinton Hill, Crown Please turn to page 3 evening as Borough Hall hosted Turkish dignitaries at the annual Turkish Cultural Celebration. Shown here are dancers Heights, Downtown, DUMBO, from the Ankara Folk Dance Group. See page 3 for additional photo and story. Eagle photo by Mary Frost Please turn to page 3 Weiner Campaign Chatter Grows Online Things Are Still Hush-Hush By Raanan Geberer would not be joining the cam- Brooklyn Daily Eagle paign. Margolis, it was report- Speculation about Antho- ed, was just there to help ny Weiner formally entering Weiner as a friend. the mayoral race increased on Weiner himself told The the web during the past week, Daily News, in an impromptu especially as camera crews on interview on Wednesday, that Thursday caught the former he would decide soon about Eagle Brooklyn-Queens congress- the race. To a group of pho- man making what appeared to tographers who were follow- by Rob Abruzzese photo be a campaign video on the ing him, he said, mysteriously, Anthony Weiner, Ex-Brook- stoop outside his childhood “Live by the sword, die by the lyn-Queens Congressman home in Brooklyn. sword.” Politico and Capital New Crain’s New York Busi- not official, and he had no York both remarked on the ness also reported that Morton news about the campaign presence of high-powered Avigdor, the former head of kicking off next week. Asked if the campaign was campaign consultant Jim Mar- Jewish outreach for Weiner, DO YOU TRUST THE GOVERNMENT? Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D-Homecrest/Kings golis during the shooting. had been in talks with Weiner set to kick off next week, However, according to both about his expected mayoral Avigdor said he did not be- Highway), seen here, is one of several officials who sought to assure members of the blogs, Margolis and his politi- campaign. Avigdor said on lieve so. Marine-Madison-Homecrest Civic Association that not all officials are corrupt, and that cal consulting firm, GMMB, Friday, however, that it was Please turn to page 3 reforms could substantially cut down on abuses of the system. See story, page 7. Workshop Reflects Growing Popularity of Owning a Business economic times, members Presented by Bay Ridge ‘Workforce Ministry’ said. By Paula Katinas preparation firm from her “Our mission is to use our Brooklyn Daily Eagle home and is hoping to expand. time and talent to serve the Dozens of would-be entre- Patrice and Donna were underemployed, unemployed preneurs sat in a Bay Ridge just two of the local residents and those in career transitions church hall Wednesday night taking part in a seminar on to find employment, start a to get advice on how to take “How to start a business and business or create their own the first steps toward becom- stay in business” presented by jobs,” member Mary Gelormi- ing the next Bill Gates or the Workforce Ministry of no told the Brooklyn Daily Steve Jobs. Among those Saint Anselm Catholic Eagle. “We accomplish this seeking a helping hand in get- Catholic Church on 83rd mission by connecting com- ting started were a woman Street and Fourth Avenue on munity groups with our named Patrice, who is looking May 15. The Workforce Min- parishioners and communities to her events planning busi- istry, a subgroup within the that provide information, con- PBS plans to air a retrospective titled “Mel Brooks” Make a Noise” on Monday night as ness off the ground, and church’s Parish Pastoral Plan- tact and resources to assist in part of the “American Masters” series. Brooks, who grew up in Williamsburg, is best known another woman, Donna, who ning Council, is dedicated to their employment endeavors,” for his comedy movies such as “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Franken- has already started a tax helping people navigate tough Please turn to page 3 stein,” as well as for 1960s comedy album, “The 2,000 Year Old Man.” AP Photo May 20, 2013 • Brooklyn Daily Eagle • 1 EVIEW AND COMMENT RMilitary Culture of Abuse Must Change 26,000. That’s how many sexual-abuse incidents involving members of the United States military were estimated to have occurred in 2012, according to the Pentagon. It is a number as astounding as it is outrageous. 26,000 is too many. 2,600 would be too many. 260 would be too many. 26 would be too many. And as horrifying as that 26,000 number — up from 19,000 the previous year — is, the truly frightening thing is a study by the Defense Department shows a climate of fear permeating our armed forces. The study, relying on anonymous surveys, revealed that “only” 3,192 assaults in 2011 and 3,374 last year were reported. We are torn between the pride we feel in the immense sacrifice and dedication of what is often described as the finest military ever assembled and the obvious current culture of “anything goes” and looking the other way when it comes to sexual assault. An embarrassing metaphor for the overall situation came earlier this month when Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski was charged with sexual battery for — police said — groping a woman in an Arlington, Va., parking lot. Lt. Col. Krusinski is the person in charge of the United States Air Force’s sexual assault prevention and response program. President Barack Obama — under whose watch this intolerable situa- tion is occurring, and growing — appears to be fed up. “Let’s start with the principle that sexual assault is an outrage,” Obama said. “It is a crime. That’s true for society at large. And if it’s happening in- side our military, then whoever carries it out is betraying the uniform that they’re wearing. “I don’t want just more speeches or awareness programs or training but, ultimately, folks look the other way,” he said. “If we find out somebody is engaging in this stuff, they’ve got to be held accountable — prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged. Period. It’s not acceptable.” New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate’s Armed Ser- vices Committee, has been in the forefront of those calling for a solution. Earlier this month she attended a White House conference to address the obscene statistics. A good first step would be changing the “convening authority” law that allows a senior officer who called for a court-martial to throw out the ver- dict in any case of sexual assault without even providing a reason. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel proposed that change last week. It’s more than apparent that a sea change is required in the culture of our military. America’s daughters enlist to fight for their country…not their virtue. —From the Oneonta Daily Star, courtesy of Associated Press Is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and Federal Holidays by Everything Brooklyn Media, LLC (USPS 971380), located at 16 Court Street, Suite 1208, Brooklyn, NY 11241. Subscription price is $130 per year, $65 for six Publisher - J.D. Hasty: [email protected] months. Periodicals Postage paid at Brooklyn, NY. 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