Around Brooklyn: Charges of poor conditions in federal jail continue

June 19, 2020 Editorial Staff

Dorje Ling Buddhist Center is at 98 Gold St. on a Front Street corner. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Charges of poor conditions in federal jail continue

Six months after a power outage forced inmates of the in Sunset Park to bear below-freezing temperatures, sources still claim that inmates are being forced to live in unsanitary conditions. Former inmate Gregory Cooper claims there’s no social distancing when prisoners are let out into the yard. A current inmate’s wife complains that cells are not being maintained or cleaned, and that there’s an “aroma” coming from the bathrooms. In addition, poor ventilation in her husband’s cell is making it difficult for him to breathe, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

Brooklyn Cider House closing

Some readers may have seen the movie “The Cider House Rules.” Well, there won’t be rules, or much of anything else, at the Brooklyn Cider House in Bushwick because its owners say they can’t afford to reopen after being shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic. Co-owner Peter Yi said business was doing well and growing before the coronavirus hit. The store’s patio was a popular place for people in the neighborhood to hold celebrations. However, ciders from the House’s upstate apple farm will still be available online, according to BK Reader.

MTA expects rebound in ridership

MTA officials are confident that subway, bus and commuter railroad ridership will continue increasing as it has since New York City began Phase One of reopening. By the end of Phase Four, they believe ridership on subways could reach 70 percent of what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Subways and buses are cleaner than ever, but the MTA is still in dire financial shape due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, fare hikes are not on the table, according to amNewYork.

Greenpoint bookstore hosts social justice initiative

A new charitable initiative at Word Bookstore on Franklin Street in Greenpoint will donate 10 percent of authors’ books to the social justice cause of their choice. Brooklyn authors Emily Gould and Emma Straub selected Planned Parenthood as their organization, while Carmen Maria Machado and Nicole Dennis-Benn choose the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Hanif Abdurraqib and Mira Jacob support AYO!NYC, a training program for young people who want to be involved in social justice causes. Books can be purchased online or can be picked up outside the Greenpoint store, according to Greenpointers.

Cookie master to open Brooklyn bakery

Cookie master Levain Bakery, famed for its Manhattan store, plans to open a Brooklyn location on July 1. The store will be located at 164 North Fourth St. between Bedford and Driggs avenues and will include the bakery’s newest creation, a two-chip chocolate chip cookie. Bakery co-owners Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald have been serving their cookies on the Upper West Side and in Harlem for more than 25 years, according to New York Eater.

Bed-Stuy apartment asks $2,650 a month

A garden level apartment at 82 Chauncey St. in the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District is currently being offered for rent at $2,650 a month. The building was designed in 1889 and has a high stoop, a projecting bay window, an arched parlor-level window and a cornice. Inside the floor-through apartment, the living room and kitchens face the street and the bedrooms face the back. The larger bedroom has a fireplace, two windows and one of the two closets in the apartment. The second bedroom is small and may be ideally suited for a home office, according to Brownstoner.

Pro-, anti-Gowanus rezoners start petitions

A pro-development group known as Open New York has started a petition supporting the neighborhood-wide rezoning of Gowanus. So far, the petition has garnered more than 100 signatures. The Park Slope-based group has been lobbying for building more houses across the city. Opponents of rezoning have started their own online petition and have written a letter asking Councilmember Brad Lander and other officials to stop the rezoning plans because of the coronavirus. They claim that the scheme is too developer-friendly, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

Man attacks 66-year-old woman in subway

Police are trying to track down a man caught on video attacking a 66-year-old woman at a subway station. Police say the incident happened around 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 31 at the Euclid Avenue A/C train station in Brooklyn. The man punched the woman in the back of the head and knocked her to the floor. The woman was treated at Brookdale Hospital for bruises on her head and knee. Witnesses said the attack was unprovoked. The suspect is in his 30s and about 5-foot-9, according to CBS New York.

Canarsie students win NPR podcast challenge

A team of students of the High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media in Canarsie won the NPR Student Podcast Challenge with a podcast episode about climate change and environmental racism. The students pointed out that Black people are more likely to live near industrial plants, landfills and waste treatment plants that erode quality of life. They also mentioned the fact that the water from their school water fountains “tastes funny” due to lead pipes, according to NPR.

Pols, others donate food to hospital

A group of southern Brooklyn officials and others have teamed up to donate food to hospital staff at New York Community Hospital in the Kings Highway area. TJ Cares, which was created last year as the philanthropic affiliate of the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club, has held several fundraisers benefiting local social service organizations and institutions. “Let’s continue to show our appreciation to our brave healthcare workers by staying in when we can, wearing masks, and practicing social distancing when we have to go out,” Mitchell Partnow, chairman of TJ Cares, told the Brooklyn Paper.

Some firms seek to bring offices to Brooklyn

Experts say that the coronavirus crisis has caused some firms to consider moving their offices to Brooklyn to save money during a recession and because many of their workers live in Brooklyn. “We’ve been starting to see, for now anecdotal, examples of companies that otherwise have an office or would have an office in Midtown South or Manhattan looking for either a satellite location or to replace their Manhattan office in Brooklyn,” said Ofer Cohen of TerraCRG. Many new office buildings have come online recently in Brooklyn, such as One Willoughby Square in Downtown Brooklyn and 10 Grand Street in Williamsburg, according to Commercial Observer.

Cops seek suspects in attempted robbery

Police are seeking suspects in an attempted armed robbery at the New Trends Pharmacy in East Flatbush during working hours. Video taken at the seen shows one of the men jumping over the counter while holding a gun. After the store’s owner confronted the suspects, they ran off without taking anything, according to WABC.

Cops get into crash on way to crime scene

Two police officers were injured Thursday night on their way to a crime scene in Bushwick. The cops from the 83rd Precinct struck a pole at Grove Street and Bushwick Avenue around 11 p.m. as they were racing to the scene of a shooting on Cornelia Street and Bushwick Avenue. Neither officer was serious injured in the crash. Other police officers responded to the shooting, where they found an unidentified man shot in the arm. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was reported in stable condition, according to amNewYork.

Adams hails outdoor dining

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams recently commented on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement that allows restaurants to begin outdoor dining. “Restaurants throughout our borough have taken a huge hit from COVID-19, which has been compounded by the difficulty of accessing financial lifelines like the Paycheck Protection Program. We believed this was an important step when we sent a letter to the Mayor on May 15th calling for a comprehensive set of solutions to help struggling business owners, and we are glad the Mayor is now heeding our call to allow restaurants to place seating outdoors in adjoining sidewalks and curbside parking areas,” he said.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.