Around Brooklyn: Bichotte tells of horrifying experience

July 27, 2020 Editorial Staff

The Schermerhorn Street townhouses were constructed in the 1920s as faculty housing for St. John’s University School of Law. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

These Schermerhorn Street townhouses were constructed in the 1920s as faculty housing for St. John’s University School of Law. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Bichotte tells of horrifying experience

A state legislator from Brooklyn talked about her own experience as she advocated for a law that would mandate hospitals to admit women who are in “pre-term labor.” Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte talked about the experience of going into pre-term labor when she was 5 ½ weeks pregnant in 2016 and being sent home by New York-Presbyterian-Columbia Hospital. She then was admitted to Wyckoff Hospital and gave birth to a son, Jonah, who lived only two hours. The bill passed both the Assembly and the Senate and is expected to be signed by God. Andrew Cuomo, according to the New York Post.

Black Lives Matter protest ties up bridge

Large crowds, including hundreds of cyclists, crossed the Brooklyn Bridge from Cadman Plaza to Manhattan as part of a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday. Many of the marchers wore yellow, similar to the outfits worn by the “wall of moms” protesting in Portland, Oregon. “We can’t stop applying pressure, because it’s never going to be convenient for anyone,” one protester said. No clashes were reported, according to NY1.

New mini-park in Red Hook

The Red Hook maritime advocacy group PortSide New York last week debuted the “PortSide New York” mini-park to give area residents more room to hang out and for children to play. The mini-park lies at the wharf next to the 1930s-era retired oil tanker the Mary A. Whalen, the home base for the PortSide organization. “People are coming outside and just looking for space,” said PortSide executive director Carolina Salguero. The Mary A. Whalen used to host programs, but the ship has been closed to visitors due to the pandemic, according to Brownstoner.

Greenpoint vegetarian Italian restaurant to close

Greenpoint vegetarian Italian restaurant Adelina’s at 159 Greenpoint Ave. plans to close at the end of August after eight years in business. Owner Tony Buggani reopened in April after the restaurant’s temporary closure in March, but said that his transition to take-out and delivery made profit margins lower because of third-party delivery app fees. In May, Buggiani made it possible for diners to order directly from Adelina’s website, but by that time losses were mounting. In addition, a bus stop is located directly in front of Adelina’s, so the restaurant can’t set up outdoor dining, according to Greenpointers.

Rent relief program’s rollout is problematic

At the end of this month, weekly $600 pandemic-related federal unemployment checks run out, and landlords can once again begin taking tenants to court for unpaid rent starting Aug. 5. A new state-administered rent relief program aims to distribute $100 million in federal relief funds in the form of rent. However, tenant advocates say bureaucratic hurdles and language barriers make it difficult for people to access the program. As of Tuesday, more than 30,000 people had submitted applications. However, there have been sporadic technical issues on the program’s website. Some tenant advocates continue to press for a rent moratorium, according to Gothamist.

Elderly woman attacked, set on fire

Police are looking for suspects who slapped an 89-year-old woman in Bensonhurst, then set her on fire. The incident happened on July 17 near 16th Avenue and 77th Street. The attackers approached from behind, and slapped her in the face. Then, they used a match or lighter to set her shirt on fire. The victim was not seriously injured, according to ABC7.

Hotel-condo building rises in Williamsburg

Foundation work is almost finished at 159 Broadway, a 26-story residential building in Williamsburg. The building is across the street from Peter Luger Steakhouse and is next to the landmarked Williamsburgh Savings Bank building. When finished, it will be one of the tallest buildings in Williamsburg that is not on the waterfront. The building was designed by Stonehill and Taylor Architects and was developed by Cornell Realty management, according to New York YIMBY. The lower part of the building will be occupied by a hotel, while the upper half will house 21 condo units.

Rental building rises Downtown

Construction is progressing on 308 Livingston St., a 23-story, 160-apartment rental building in Downtown Brooklyn. The project is designed by Fogarty Finer Architecture and is being developed by Lonicera Partners. The building will include one- and two-bedroom apartments, each of which will come with floor-to-ceiling windows, kitchens with stainless steel appliances and stone-clad bathrooms, according to New York YIMBY.

Family injured in Bed-Stuy fire

A woman and her three children were seriously hurt in a Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment fire on Saturday, and several were found unconscious. The victims of the fire, which erupted at 180 Wortman Ave., were taken to Brookdale Hospital. One firefighter said the fire and smoke in the apartment were so bad that there was “zero visibility” inside the apartment. It took 60 firefighters less than an hour to put out the flames. The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to the New York Post.

Four shot overnight in Brooklyn

Four people were shot in three separate shootings in Brooklyn overnight between Thursday and Friday during a wave of violence that caused police to step up patrols. At 10:30 p.m. on July 23, a man was shot in front of 636 East 21st St. in Flatbush and came to the Kings County Hospital emergency room with a bullet in his right leg. At 12:10 a.m. on July 24, two people were shot in front of 1 St. Paul’s Place in Flatbush. The first, a 37-year-old man who was shot in the back, was found by police, and the second, a 28-year-old woman who was shot in the knee, arrived at Kings County Hospital by cab. Police said two men in a white sedan opened fire at that location. In the third, at 1:30 a.m. on July 24, a 25-year-old man was shot in the thigh while walking in front of 639 Union St in Cobble Hill. Police said the perp opened fire from his SUV window, according to amNewYork.

Thieves steal Hasidic men’s hats

Four Hasidic men who were walking through Brooklyn on Thursday were targeted by two thieves who stole their hats. Police released video and surveillance images of the incident on Friday. The thieves struck at least four times on Thursday in Williamsburg and in Bedford-Stuyvesant. In all four incidents, they were riding Citi Bikes. The perps are wanted for grand larceny, according to 4NBC. The Hasidim were wearing their traditional long black coats and black hats, the video shows.

Vandals trash Dyker Heights bagel shop

Three men vandalized The Brother’s Bagels at 7105 Ft. Hamilton Parkway in Dyker Heights, causing an estimated $13,000 in damage. The incident happened after a worker told two men they were closed for the night. The men went on a rampage, and a third man joined them. Employees hope surveillance video can help police identify the vandals, according to CBS2.

Teen killed, two injured in Cypress Hills

A teenager was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on Vermont Street in Cypress Hills on Sunday. Police say the mayhem happened around 6:30 p.m. near George Walker Jr. Park. One 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, and two youths, ages 17 and 18, were taken to a local hospital in stable condition. NYPD statistics show that the number of shooting victims year-to-date are up 77.5 percent. Borough President Eric Adams said, “Our thoughts are with the families of the young men who were shot this evening in Cypress Hills,” according to CBS2.

Police vehicle kills motorcyclist

An NYPD car struck and killed a motorcyclist while responding to a shooting in Williamsburg on Saturday. Police said the marked SUV had lights flashing and sirens blaring as it collided with the motorcycle while proceeding through an intersection around 9:25 p.m. The 37-year-old motorcyclist was thrown to the pavement and sustained severe head injuries, police said. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. The SUV was responding to a 911 call reporting a man shot at Metropolitan Avenue and Wythe Avenue.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.