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300 millionth American from Brooklyn – maybe

By Gersh Kuntzman
The Brooklyn Paper

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The Census Bureau said the 300 millionth American was born on Tuesday at 7:46 am — and that he or she was not born in Brooklyn.

But those Census bean-counters didn’t bank on one thing: Lutheran Medical Center is quick with a press release.

Waterford on the Bay

The Sunset Park-based hospital was the first of New York’s medical centers to hawk its pre-8 am baby as America’s 300 millionth resident.

“Lutheran Medical Center delivers baby Mystique at 7:50 am!” the hospital said in a statement that hit newsrooms within minutes of the historic birth.

But it was not meant to be.

Later in the day, both New York–Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan and Elmhurst Hospital in Queens claimed to have delivered babies at exactly 7:46 am (by their clocks, of course).

Elmhurst, which is a city-run hospital, seemed to be a bit, um, well-prepared for the timely arrival of Emanuel Plata, with pitch-perfect statements and even blankets embossed with the logo, “300 Millionth American Baby.”

Meanwhile, back at Lutheran, baby Mystique got the standard-issue pink and blue–trimmed blankie.

©2006 Community Newspaper Group

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