Around Brooklyn: Brooklyn elementary school offers remote learning

March 13, 2020 Editorial Staff

Rowhouses on Carlton Avenue in Prospect Heights. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

Share this:

Brooklyn elementary school offers remote learning

A high-performing Brooklyn elementary school is offering remote learning to parents unwilling to send their kids to school because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the New York Post. “We will be offering remote learning opportunities to students who are kept home as a parental decision in an effort to protect your children from being affected,” P.S. 310 principal Yuqing Hong wrote in a letter. The Borough Park school is in District 20, which includes Kensington, Borough Park, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst. The district sends a high percentage of kids to the city’s specialized high schools, the Post reported.

Man tackled by cops meets DA Gonzalez

A man who was punched, kicked and tackled by cops in an incident caught on video met with Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez to discuss dropping the charges brought against him. Fitzroy Gayle, 20, was accosted on March 4 outside a Canarsie playground by a plainclothes officer who would not show identification. Gayle was charged with resisting arrest, obstruction of government administration and possession of marijuana. Cops were responding to an alert that gunfire had been detected in the area, the Daily News said.

Gounardes bill passes State Senate in Albany

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes’ (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Marine Park-Gerritsen Beach) bill to expand New York State drivers’ education to include pedestrian and cyclist safety passed the Senate on Thursday, taking it one step closer to becoming law. “Week after week, families experience the heartbreak of losing a loved one to traffic violence,” Gounardes said. “Many of these fatal accidents are due to reckless or inattentive driving. We have to change the culture that allows drivers to believe that they own the road.” The legislation requires new drivers to learn about pedestrian and bicyclist safety as a prerequisite for obtaining a license.

School with a global focus opens Downtown

Part of the old Macy’s building on the Fulton Mall will open this fall to welcome hundreds of pre-kindergarteners at the new Whittle School, according to Bklyner. The school expects to enroll 2,500 students within a few years. Larry Weiss, the executive chair of Whittle School and Studios Brooklyn Campus, told Bklyner that the school is the third in a network that includes schools in Washington, D.C., and China. The organization is also looking at opening schools in Britain, Mumbai and Japan. “Brooklyn now is just an ideal global kind of place, and it’s a global moment, particularly for Downtown Brooklyn,” Weiss said.

Commercial building planned for Homecrest

Permits have been filed for a six-story commercial building at 2077 Coney Island Ave. in Homecrest, according to New York YIMBY. The site is located between Kings Highway and Avenue R and is a few blocks from the B and Q trains’ Kings Highway station. It is slated to include 12,024 square feet dedicated to community facility space and 7,256 square feet dedicated to commercial space. The owner is Fouad Barakat, and the architect of record is Alix Michel of Citiscape Consulting. Demolition permits have not yet been filed for the three-story residential building currently on the site.

War Memorial accessibility project kicks off — finally

The city’s Parks Department has finally kicked off a long-delayed project to make the now-closed Brooklyn War Memorial at Cadman Plaza Park wheelchair accessible, according to the Brooklyn Paper. The $4 million project consists of installing an elevator and a ramp at the memorial, which was opened in 1951 to honor Brooklynites who fought during World War II. A wall in the first-floor auditorium displays the names of 11,500 Brooklynites who fought and died during the conflict. While the memorial was never used in the way that it was intended, events, such as veterans’ meetings, yoga classes, community theater performances and an art show, were held there until around 2000. At that time, it was shut down because of accessibility concerns.

Restaurant checking body temperatures

Sushi Katsuei, a popular restaurant with locations in Park Slope and the West Village, is instituting a new precautionary measure, according to New York Eater. Before entering, diners, delivery workers, vendors and staff must now pass a temperature reading. Aye Swe, one of the restaurant’s owners, said that the extra precaution seemed likely considering diners’ concerns. The tests are administered by aiming a laser thermometer into people’s mouths.

Park Slope celebration canceled due to virus

A Taste of Fifth, a large food and drink festival sponsored by Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue BID that was due to take place April 1 at Grand Prospect Hall, has been canceled. Last year, A Taste of Fifth raised $16,000 for 16 participating organizations, including the Old Stone House, Christian Help in the Slope (CHIPS) and neighborhood schools. Mark Caserta, executive director of the Fifth Avenue BID, said, “We regret having to take this step but our concern is for the safety and well-being of our community, businesses and partners — and their respective workers. All tickets have already been refunded.”

Storefront bishop nabbed in 1980 ‘cold case’ murder

A storefront bishop was arrested Thursday in Staten Island in the nearly 40-year-old murder of Brooklyn legal secretary Lorraine Snell, according to PIX11. Snell was 19 when she was found strangled on Sept. 25, 1980 in the back seat of a station wagon behind a supermarket on Newkirk Avenue. Bishop James Burrus was taken in cuffs on Thursday from the Staten Island garage where he lives and holds church services. “Thank you, Jesus,” Snell’s mother said when seeing the picture of Burrus in handcuffs. “Lorraine finally has her justice.” Snell was Burrus’ wife’s cousin, and the victim had been a member of Burrus and his wife’s wedding party.

Small businesses hit by coronavirus scare

The coronavirus scare is hurting many small businesses in Sunset Park’s Chinatown, said Paul Mak, president of the Brooklyn Chinese American Association. It’s not only restaurants — a beauty salon is also shuttered. Businesses here have been suffering for weeks because of fears related to the virus’ origin in Wuhan, China, according to NY1 News. Randy Peers, president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, said, “Small businesses are probably going to face a disproportionate impact because they don’t have the capacity to telecommute.” Peers announced the creation of a small business impact task force that will closely monitor the borough’s economy to see how these businesses are faring during the public health crisis.

Shoppers fight at Brooklyn’s Costco

As fears about the spread of coronavirus mounted, shoppers at the Brooklyn Costco yelled at each other in a confrontation on Thursday, according to ABC7. The incident was only the latest incident of panic buying connected to the spread of the virus across the nation. Items like paper towels and toilet paper have been in short supply, A person who uploaded video of the incident described tensions at the Brooklyn store as being “very high.” The shoppers were on line when the confrontation happened. Employees at the store sought to calm the shoppers. One shopper was caught yelling, “Don’t touch me with that cart!”

Brooklyn Public Library suspends programming

The Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library and Queens Public Library have announced that they have suspended all public events and programming, according to Patch. The cancellation will last until at least March 31, a joint release said. While NYPL subsequently announced that it will close its branches through the end of March, BPL and QPL remain open. “The decision to cancel library programs was not taken lightly, as programs such as story times, technology training classes, and English language classes are lifelines for so many,” the release stated.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.