Around Brooklyn: Brooklyn company sanitizes ambulances for free

June 5, 2020 Editorial Staff

A walker heads through Shore Road Park at dusk. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Brooklyn company sanitizes ambulances for free

Liberty Pest Control sanitized the entire fleet of response vehicles for Bravo Volunteer Ambulance in for free. Bravo is a community-run ambulance service that serves Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton. The cleaning included disinfecting and a coating. The pest control company, which is located in Bensonhurst, typically charges at least 50 cents per square foot, according to NY1 News.

Civilian patrols started in southern Brooklyn

Dozens of Brooklyn residents, including many small business owners, gathered in Sheepshead Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to establish a civilian patrol called “Defend South Brooklyn.” Organizers said the violence across the city is what made them act. Members, who don’t carry any weapons, have been looking for hidden weapons, suspicious vehicles with no plates or registration, and other problems. “By having over 500 pairs of eyes all over south Brooklyn, we can immediately contact the NYPD,” organizer Isaak Boltyansky told NY1 News.

Woman explains why she brought two-year-old to rally

Suzette Kenney, an immigrant from panama, on Sunday brought her two-year-old daughter, Madison Phillips, to a protest in Downtown Brooklyn over the death of George Floyd. “Even if she doesn’t quite understand what is going on today, I will show her photos when she is around 4 and say, ‘You did your part to fight for justice,’” she said. She said that when she arrived, it was a peaceful protest, and if violence had broken out she would have left immediately, according to the New York Post.

Sea Gate residents sue homeowners’ association

Three residents of Sea Gate, the well-known gated community to the west of Coney Island, are taking the Sea Gate Homeowners’ Association, which manages the community, to court. They want to force the release of its financial records because they claim there are more than $5.1 million in discrepancies between the Association’s tax returns and its financial statements. The Association, a nonprofit run by elected volunteers, collects fees from homeowners to fund garbage collection, a small police force, infrastructure repairs and more, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

Outdoor dining to be allowed with reopening Phase 2

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced that outdoor dining at restaurants will be permitted in Phase 2 of New York City’s reopening, even though it was earlier believed that it would be a part of Phase 3. It is expected that the city will enter Phase 2 toward the end of June. Outdoor tables must remain 6 feet apart, staff must wear face coverings, and customers must also wear face coverings when they’re not seated. “Thanks to the people of New York and the nurses, doctors and essential workers, today we have the lowest number of hospitalizations ever and we have the lowest death toll ever,” Cuomo said, according to Gothamist.

Many restaurateurs back the protesters

Protests calling for justice for George Floyd have received support from restaurateurs across the city, even some whose own windows were broken. For example, Missy O’Reilly, owner of the East Village karaoke bar Planet Rose, said the shop’s door was broken and liquor was stolen on Sunday night, but it’s not a lasting issue. “It’s an easy fix compared to what people of color are dealing with in this country,” she said. Others were more forceful in their condemnation of what they saw as some people taking advantage of the current situation, a sentiment that Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo also expressed. PriaVanda Chouhan, whose Indian restaurant was broken into, said, “This doesn’t help George and Black Lives Matter,” according to New York Eater.

Teachers launch YouTube channel for special needs kids

Two East New York educators have launched a YouTube channel to help special needs kids during remote learning, and they hope other students will take advantage of it. Speech language pathologist Crista Conto and special ed teacher Natalie Market launched a video series called CAN Time in April to help their students at P-53K, who have disabilities like autism and developmental delays, according to the Brooklyn Paper. Episodes have included a virtual trip, a camping trip and an obstacle course.

Apartment building planned for East Flatbush

Permits have been filed for a four-story residential building at 1544 Brooklyn Ave. in East Flatbush. The site, currently occupied by a two-family house, is a short walk from the 2 and 5 trains’ Newkirk Avenue station. The building is slated to have eight residences, most likely rentals. Chaim Fishman is listed as the owner, and Asher Hershkowitz is listed as the architect of record, according to New York YIMBY.

Applications accepted for affordable apartments

Applications are now being accepted for 20 mixed-income apartments at a new Downtown high rise known as 1 Flatbush Avenue. The 19-story tower is located near a dozen subway lines, major shopping centers, and entertainment venues like Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. New Yorkers earning between 20 and 130 percent of the area’s median income can apply for the apartments, ranging from a $690-per-month studio to a $3,063-a-month two-bedroom, according to 6sqft. The building, which has 183 apartments in total, also has three levels of retail.

Gillibrand slams Trump’s threat to use military

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand recently joined other Senate Democrats in condemning the Trump administration’s threat to use military units to protect Trump’s political interests. “His continued threats to use violence against peaceful protesters and deploy our military to states is outrageous and deeply troubling,” she said. In the midst of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd while in police custody, Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to suppress peaceful protests.

Thieves smash store window, steal watches

Police are looking for three men seen on security camera video smashing a glass case at a watch store in Kings Plaza and taking several watches. The crime took place at 5 a.m. on June 1. The suspects stole several Invicta watches, each of which can be worth several hundred dollars. The robbery took place at the same time as looting in Manhattan by rioters, but there may be no connection, according to Fox 5 News.

Doe fund sponsors East Flatbush development

Residents are beginning to move into Crystal Tower, an affordable housing development in East Flatbush sponsored by the Doe Fund. The 123-unit building, designed by Brooklyn’s Delacour, Ferrara and Church Architects, includes 70 studio, 22 one-bedroom, 222 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom apartments. Some 115 units are reserved for tenants with NYCHA Section 8 vouchers, and the remaining units are eligible for community residents through a lottery, according to Affordable Housing Finance.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.