Thanks to Steve Levin, City Councilman for Brooklyn Heights, a Brooklyn cat hasn’t quite run out of lives.

Gothamist reported earlier today that while driving on the BQE last Friday, Levin spotted the cat on the roadway in Williamsburg. (Photo above is from 2012 and shows Levin with another cat, not the one he rescued last week.)

Found this little cat walking down the side of BQE at rush hour yesterday. Thnx 2 @barcanimals for taking her in! pic.twitter.com/Uf4mEPtKe0

— Stephen Levin (@StephenLevin33) March 27, 2015

Gothamist: “The councilmember took an exit, then got back on going the opposite direction, and saw that the cat’s leg was caught in a storm drain. He pulled over, got out of his car, and went to pick the cat up.”

The seriously injured, pregnant cat is currently in the care of Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition, which is accepting donations for her care.

Read the full story, including the report about the cat biting Levin, at Gothamist.

State Assembly Member Joan Millman, whose district includes Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, was arrested yesterday along with Cobble Hill resident and activist Dorothy Siegel and Peter Sikora, according to this Daily News story. The three were blocking pedestrian traffic on an approach to the Brooklyn Bridge and shouting “Governor Cuomo shame on you!” to protest SUNY’s attempt to close Long Island College Hospital. Millman joins Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and City Council Member Steve Levin in the rank of elected officials arrested during LICH related demonstrations.

Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo’s office broke silence on the LICH issue when a spokesman issued a statement characterizing de Blasio’s arrest as a “political gimmick.” According to the Daily News, de Blasio responded: “It’s very easy for folks in Albany to call names, but I’d like to ask them what their plan is.” The Daily News story quotes a SUNY press release saying “[t]here is a public state-approved sustainability plan for Downstate Medical Center.”

To the dismay of many Brooklyn Heights residents, the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks have taken place on the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey instead of on the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, for what will tomorrow be the fifth consecutive year. New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, State Senator Daniel Squadron, and City Councilman Steve Levin have all called for their return to the East River next year. Perhaps with an eye toward West Side of Manhattan voters, mayoral candidate de Blasio advocates alternating them between the Hudson and East rivers, but Squadron, a candidate to succeed de Blasio as public advocate, and Levin both simply call for their return to the East River where more New Yorkers can enjoy them.

Photo, showing all that could be seen of the 2010 fireworks from a Brooklyn Heights rooftop, by moi.

Following a rally yesterday at Borough Hall seventeen local officials, including Borough President Marty Markowitz, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and City Councilmen Steve Levin and Brad Lander, have sent a letter to MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast and Mayor Michael Bloomberg concerning the planned closure of the R train tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan for fourteen months beginning in August, and the G train tunnel between Brooklyn and Queens for twelve weekends this year and five consecutive weeks in 2014. According to the Riders Alliance and the Straphangers Campaign, so far “the only mitigation measures identified by MTA New York City Transit are shuttle buses for G train riders and staff on hand to help guide riders.”

The Riders Alliance/Straphangers Campaign presser continues:

In the letter, the elected officials ask that the MTA and the City review a list of ideas generated by representatives of the affected communities, including running additional trains, adding local and express buses, adding ferries from Brooklyn to Manhattan, and expediting the expansion of the city’s bike-share program. The elected officials request a plan by mid-July, in order to accommodate riders when the R train tunnel closes in August.

Arriving at the rally in one of the small playgrounds adjoining LICH this morning, I found Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez speaking eloquently about the need to save the hospital, and its importance to the people in nearby neighborhoods.

Public Advocate and mayoral aspirant Bill de Blasio listened to Rep. Velazquez’s speech.

As this young lady and her dad watched, it was announced that SUNY had ordered an immediate shutdown of LICH’s obstetrics ward for new deliveries.

LICH nurse Maribel Agosto urged everyone to action. She noted the hospital’s vital role in treating victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Doctor Melman said SUNY’s claims of understaffing creating a danger for patients at the emergency room, and at LICH in general, were not true.

City Council Speaker and mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn listened attentively.

City Councilman Brad Lander, who played the part of Judge Johnny Lee Baynes, and two women who played the part of lawyers, presented a dramatic reading, based on courtroom transcript, of events in Judge Baynes’ courtroom on Wednesday as news was brought in of SUNY’s order to divert ambulances from LICH. Judge Baynes said this would be a “clear violation” of his earlier order, and set a conference with lawyers for both sides, SUNY and the Nurses’ Union, for this coming Monday. The Judge said he hoped there would be “better news” about compliance with the court’s order. He has also scheduled a hearing for July 15 at which SUNY must show cause why it should not be held in contempt of the order. One intriguing possibility is that the Judge might, as he has said he could, seize control of LICH from SUNY and appoint an administrator to run LICH on a temporary basis.

Susan Raboy, whose life was saved by an emergency procedure at LICH, made an impassioned plea to save the hospital.

Roy Sloane of the Cobble Hill Association said Governor Cuomo was the key to saving LICH, and that everyone needed to urge him to take action.

City Councilman Steve Levin lent his support to the cause.

State Senator Daniel Squadron, a Carroll Gardens resident, spoke while holding his son, Theo.

The LICH supporters then marched to Borough Hall, all the way shouting “Governor Cuomo, save LICH!” They then assembled on the Borough Hall steps.

The final speaker was Dr. Alice Garner of the LICH neonatal care unit, who forcefully said she saw no reason to close LICH’s obstetrics unit.