Opponents of Tony Hawk's Brooklyn skate park plan protest

Plus: NYers are throwing away less trash, but more batteries and vapes [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Opponents of Tony Hawk's Brooklyn skate park plan protest to the tune of 'Old MacDonald']( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☁️ Mostly cloudy, [with possible rain]( and highs in the upper 40s. It's Thursday in New York City, where a coalition of Brooklyn residents is trying to stop Tony Hawk's foundation from replacing a green area near Prospect Park with a new skate park. To get the Birdman's attention, his ([allegedly old]( opponents plan to show up today at the Beacon Theater, where Hawk is appearing in a show, and sing a protest song to the tune of "Old MacDonald" that begins: Tony Hawk can save our park, save our green space now. Skatepark Project holds the key, stop the paving now. With your lobbyists here and your PR firm there, use your fame, change the game, show us you’re a hero. Tony Hawk can save our park, save our green space now. ...[here's how the rest of the song goes](. And here's what else is happening: - The more than 700 claims of rape and sexual assault recently brought by women once incarcerated in Rikers Island's jails [went largely unaddressed by a federal monitor]( hired to ensure compliance with a court order to keep detainees safe. - New Yorkers [threw away less trash]( but considerably more lithium-ion batteries and vape pens in 2023, according to a new sanitation department study. - Child advocacy groups and the City Council are urging Mayor Eric Adams to [restore funding]( for a program that helps thousands of students living in homeless shelters navigate the school system. - Former New York Gov. David Paterson has endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer in his primary challenge against Rep. Jamaal Bowman in [one of the state’s most competitive congressional races]( this year. - Police said [a man was fatally struck]( by a 1 train at the 28th Street station in Manhattan yesterday. - New York State currently offers tax breaks for yachts and private planes. [Some Democrats want to change that](. - The city's Department of Investigation says thousands of city servants with parking placards have been parking illegally across the five boroughs — and [the NYPD routinely ignores it](. - Federal prosecutors have charged eight Bronx men with [stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of beer]( — mostly Modelo and Corona — by robbing train yards and warehouses. - A pretty nice-looking apartment tower [exclusively for households making between $38,130 and $139,810 a year]( has opened on the Greenpoint waterfront. - Elsewhere in Greenpoint, National Grid's Newtown Creek wastewaster treatment plant is [still burning off excess methane]( even though its system for purifying methane — which was supposed to "virtually eliminate" the need for flaring — is now up and running. - Here are some [cool old photos]( of the subway system being built. - Last night's game between the Rangers and the Devils began with [a massive brawl that got eight players immediately ejected](. (Blueshirts won 4-3.) - Deli owners said that despite the current Powerball prize being over $1 billion, they're selling about half the amount of tickets they did a few years ago because [customers are feeling "jackpot fatigue."]( - J. Lo said her go-to bodega order as a kid in the Bronx included "an orange drink." [It's unclear what she's talking about](. - "Cracks [are back]( - Instant coffee [is potable](. - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. [“They’re either totally against skateboarding or they don’t understand skateboarding. I don’t understand what their general issue is … a lot of the people complaining are 50 and older.”]( - Aaron Aniton, a volunteer with tony hawk's nonprofit, [ON THE HATERS]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [The Hollywood hit 'The Notebook' is now a Broadway musical]( The blockbuster sensation has been adapted for the stage with new, original music from singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. [Predictions for end to NJ's county line: More accountability, maybe more money in politics]( Abolishing New Jersey’s “county line” ballot system could radically reshape the state’s politics, from increasing the number of competitive primaries to holding legislators accountable for unpopular votes in Trenton. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Is NYC really facing a ‘squatter’ problem? Lawyers on both sides say no.]( Tabloids, talk shows and TikTok have recently been abuzz with tales of “squatters” taking over New York City homes from unwitting landlords and refusing to leave. 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