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NEWS BRIEFS

Fight for restoration of day care slots
Residents who face quitting their jobs to care for their children might be able to breathe easier because the Bloomberg Administration appears to be blinking on its preliminary budget plan to cut 17,000 day care slots.
Bloomberg floated the cuts proposal to address a $90 million shortfall stemming from the state and federal government not keeping up with their end of funding.
This led to major concerns across the city in communities like Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights where working parents depend on local day care centers while they work.
It also led to 45 of the 51 City Council members signing a letter to the mayor asking him to restore the cuts in his Executive Budget to be delivered after this paper went to press.
While Bloomberg spokesman Marc Lavorgna would not confirm or deny the restoration of any cuts, he noted there are always changes in the yearly city budget process.
“Every single time a budget is updated there are always changes in it, and we will disclose those changes when the mayor provides his Executive Budget,” said Lavorgna.
The mayor and city council must hash out the estimated $66 billion fiscal year 2012 budget by June 30.  SW

Jackie Robinson Day
The Fifth Annual Jackie Robinson Day is slated for 12 noon to 4 pm, Saturday, May 14 in the patio of Ebbets Field housing development on Bedford Avenue between Montgomery Street and Sullivan Place.
The location is where the Brooklyn Dodgers used to play baseball at Ebbets Field. It is also where (in 1947) Jackie Robinson became the first baseball player of color to play in the Major Leagues of baseball.
The event will feature activities for children and seniors, food and refreshments, a Brooklyn Dodger exhibit and memorabilia, and music and dancing.
State Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and 57th Democratic District Leader Walter Mosley are sponsoring the event.
For more information call Jeffries office at (718) 596-0100

Crime down in Bed-Stuy
As the warm weather approaches violent crime in Bedford-Stuyvesant continues to go down, according to recent police statistics.
In the 79th Precinct covering central and western Bed-Stuy and Clinton Hill, overall felony crime is down a little under 15 percent, although the more violent crimes of murder, rape, robbery and felony assault are about even for the year.
There have been four reported murders and 10 reported rapes so far in 2011 as compared to the same number at this time in 2010.
Robbery is up one for the year with 99 reported as compared to 98 at this time last year.
Felony assault is down around five percent with 123 reported so far in 2011 as compared to 129 at this time in 2010.
On the other hand, reported robberies have plummeted nearly 38 percent with 79 reported so far this year as compared to 127 at this time last year.
Auto theft has gone down 33 percent and grand larceny is down seven percent.
In the 81st Precinct covering the other half of Bed-Stuy, overall felony crime is down a little over two percent, but violent felony crime is either flat or down.
This includes murder being down 50 percent with four reported this year as compared to eight at this time last year. SW

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