Cobble Hill Blog

This morning, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would declare the Gowanus Canal a federal Superfund site. Read NY Times coverage here.
The Brooklyn Paper: The controversial designation sets into motion a half-billion-dollar, decade-long federally overseen clean-up of the polluted waterway, which cuts a sclerotic artery through the gentrifying heart of Brownstone Brooklyn. But it also [...]

A rabid raccoon was caught last Friday in Boerum hill when officials noticed its strange interaction with a dog, Gothamist reports. The Department of Health is increasing raccoon surveillance in Brooklyn, looking out especially for animals that appear sick or dead.

The plan for SUNY Downstate to take over the financially troubled Long Island College Hospital as a second campus that has been discussed since last year is almost finalized. The merger would transfer management of LICH from Continuum Health Partners to Downstate. Read more at Brooklyn Heights Blog.

Denis Hamill, writing in today’s Daily News, detects something rotten about the proposed takeover of LICH by SUNY Downstate Medical Center:
NY Daily News: A smelly political back room merger of LICH with SUNY Downstate Medical Center is imminent, unless state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo steps in…”In September, the LICH medical staff submitted an alternative restructuring [...]

From the CHB inbox…

Come join the Cobble Hill Association and Brooklyn Greenway Initiative for the second annual…
COBBLE HILL BIKE RIDE
When: November 8th, 2009, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Verandah Place at Cobble Hill Park
Cost: FREE, simply rsvp to cobblehillbikeride@gmail.com.
Space is limited to 50 riders maximum. Preference will be given to those who register ahead [...]

CHB pal Jon Quinn ran the NYC marathon not only because he is one efficient and powerful human machine but also because he supports his pal Jonah and his Uncle Dave both of whom are battling cancer.
Our pal and Quinn’s friend/Cobble Hillbilly Jonah Eller Isaacs has been battling melanoma since last spring.   He discusses the latest [...]

Governor Paterson today announced $22 million in state aid to Long Island College Hospital under the Health Care Affordability and Efficiency Law (HEAL-NY) “to ensure continued delivery of essential health care services in Brooklyn.”
According to the New York State Department of Health’s press releease:
Under the grant, LICH will pay off some of its long-term debt, [...]

There will be a blood drive tomorrow (9/17) from noon to 7:30 pm at the 76th Precinct Stationhouse (191 Union Street between Hicks and Henry Streets) hosted by the precinct in conjunction with the New York Blood Center. Information about blood donations can be found at nybloodcenter.org.