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BROOKLYN WEEKLY, APRIL 19, 2020
Madeleine Brennan, longest serving principal in city, dies at 93
BY BEN VERDE
Reporter Noah Hurowitz,
a self-described “local
idiot,” has pledged to tattoo
the distinct visage of storied
Streetsblog journolist Dave
Colon onto his own body as
part of a stunt to raise funds
for homeless New Yorkers.
“I feel nary a drop of regret,”
Hurowitz said when
reached for comment.
The exercise in altruistic
idiocy began when Hurowitz,
whose name has graced
the pages of many city news
outlets, like the Brooklyn
Paper, began contemplating
a New York-themed tattoo
that he planned to add to his
fl esh canvas once New York
State’s ban on non-essential
businesses is lifted.
Fellow journalist Rebecca
Fishbein sugguested the exemplary
face of Dave Colon
— who hates cars and loves
Citi Bike — and that’s when
Hurowitz penned the tweet
that would seal his fate.
“I will 100 percent get a
tattoo of Dave’s face if other
people pay for it, this is not a
joke,” he wrote on April 9.
Within hours, bike advocates,
excited Twitter creatures,
and diehard Colon
fans had set up a GoFundMe
page, where hundreds of dollars
started pouring in.
Yet, as the funds began
perplexingly piling in, the
duo of cycling stooges decided
that the money would
best be used toward a more
worthy cause.
“Raising $500 in the middle
of a pandemic when everyone’s
hurting… that’s not
a great look,” Hurowitz said.
Hurowitz and Colon settled
on donating the funds
to the Homeless Can’t Stay
Home campaign, which
aims to provide homeless
individuals with shelter in
hotel rooms, rather than in
shelters — which the city has
been slow to do, according to
Hurowitz.
Noah Hurowitz with the face
that will one day live on his
skin. Photo by Noah Hurowitz
“It’s unconscionable that
the city has moved so slowly
in putting people up in these
hotels,” he said.
Hurowitz will now cover
the cost of the tattoo himself,
which he is considering placing
on his calf.
“If I’m running away
from someone all they will
see is Dave’s face laughing at
them,” he said.
BY ROSE ADAMS
The lionized former
principal of a Dyker
Heights school — whose 50-
year tenure made her the
longest serving principal
in New York City history
— died on April 9 at the age
of 93.
Madeleine Brennan took
the helm of Dyker Heights
Intermediate School 201
on 1963 after working as
a teacher in the New York
City school system for 17
years. Her leadership and
compassion made her a beloved
fi xture of the school
and the surrounding community
until her retirement
in 2013, educators
said.
“She’s an icon, a remarkable
woman,” said
Robert Ciulla, the current
principal of Dyker Heights
I.S. 201, who worked with
Brennan for more than
10 years. “She infl uenced
all the people not only in
Dyker Heights, but also
in the whole city of New
York.”
Brennan — who is likely
the longest-serving principal
in the nation — was
known for running a tight
ship. She enforced a formal
dress code, forbid lateness,
and would distribute ominous
notes reading “Please
see me,” to staff and students
who stepped out of
line. But outside the classroom,
Brennan was the life
of the party, Ciulla said.
“She a straight-forward
person when it was time to
work, but when it was time
to have fun, it was time to
have fun,” he said. “She
loved to party.”
Brennan’s fi erce loyalty
inspired close bonds
between teachers and students,
forming a sort of
family that spanned generations.
“There were a lot of staff
members that had her as
her principal,” said Ciulla,
who studied under Brennan
as a middle schooler
before returning to become
a teacher. “We present it as
a family. And that’s what
she made us.”
Brennan’s death was related
to old age, not coronavirus,
Ciulla said, adding
that the school will
host a large memorial service
in her honor when the
COVID-19 outbreak passes.
“She deserves it,” he
said of the tribute.
Madeleine Brennan, who served as principal of I.S. 201 for 50 years,
died on April 9. File photo
‘She’s an icon’
City reporter plans tattoo of
friend’s face, citing homelessness
Madeleine Brennan is remembered as a trailblazer. Joseph LaCascia
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