Brooklyn Boro

Around Brooklyn: Free meals were unwanted

July 31, 2020 Editorial Staff
This flats building at 170 Seventh Ave. is so picturesque. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle
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Free meals were unwanted

Emergency city coronavirus meals meant for the needy have since May been delivered to the home of a Windsor Terrace woman who never requested the free food. She has constantly called 311 asking not to be on the program, called GetFood. Elena Tavarez said, “It’s horrible and we feel terrible because it keeps getting left outside and we’re not aware of it so I can’t even donate it because the food is rotten half the time.” She said her complaints to 311 aren’t getting through, according to the New York Post.

Roll N Roaster celebrates 50 years

Thousands of people gathered at Roll N Roaster in Sheepshead Bay on July 18 to celebrate the roast beef emporium’s 50th anniversary. To enforce social distancing, Roll N Roaster hosted a walk-through party where patrons could pass through serving stations for soda, ice cream and turkey or roast beef sandwiches. Owner Buddy Lamonica first opened the family-operated restaurant on Emmons Avenue in July 1970. During the celebration, employees served more than 3,000 patrons, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

Schools will be constantly cleaned, says chancellor

School facilities will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected as the city prepares to reopen schools in September, according to Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza. As Carrranza described it, workers will constantly be walking through school buildings, disinfecting common areas, rails and doorknobs. The city has also ordered electrostatic disinfectors, similar to those the MTA uses to clean the subways. In addition, he said, every classroom will have disinfecting wipes, sprays, towels and pumps. However, skeptics, such as the head of the custodian engineers’ union, say the school system doesn’t have the budget or the staff to carry out these plans, according to Gothamist.

Gowanus group seeks racial impact study

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Councilmembers Stephen Levin and Brad Lander support the proposed rezoning of Gowanus. The rezoning would create 8,000 new apartment units and an estimated 20,000 new residents, despite the fact that they would be living near a Superfund site (the Gowanus Canal). Voice of Gowanus, a local organization, is seeking a racial impact study before the proposed rezoning of the Gowanus neighborhood to make sure all current residents are protected. It’s asking for the Department of City Planning to undertake such a study, according to Pardon Me for Asking.

State Liquor Authority seeks workers to report violations

The State Liquor Authority has asked state workers from various government officers to report social distancing violations at bars and restaurants in New York City and Long Island. Forty people have already applied and been approved as new investigators. These investigators need to have prior investigatory experience, and receive more training before beginning their work, according to the Governor’s Office. They will be trained to walk through neighborhoods in the city and Long Island to observe restaurants and bars, according to New York Eater.

Construction proceeds at Greenpoint tower

Construction has risen past the podium section at One Bell Slip, a 368-foot-tall residential tower in Greenpoint. The 31-story building, designed by Handel Architects and developed by Brookfield Property Partners and Park Tower Group, will contain 413 units. Recent photos show the reinforced concrete superstructure reaching the ninth floor, according to New York YIMBY. It is part of the Greenpoint Landing development, which is slated to contain 5,500 residential units, 1,400 of which are designated for permanent affordable housing. A park and a K-8 public school are also planned.

Studio in Heights renting for $4,250

A studio apartment on the top floor of 10 Montague Terrace is renting for $4,250. The building was constructed in 1875, and housed the Henry and Mary Sanger family until the early 20th century. In the mid-20th century, the writer of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” lived there. The interior of the house was used in the 1977 thriller, “The Sentinel.” The main room has high ceilings, wood floors, original moldings, a wood-burning fireplace and central air conditioning, according to Brownstoner.

Myrie renames bill after John Lewis

State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brownsville-Crown Heights-East Flatbush-Gowanus-Park Slope) has renamed his voting rights legislation the “John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York.” The bill would provide comprehensive and detailed regulations that would fulfill the original promise of the Voting Rights Act, while adding new protections to ensure that all eligible voters can take part in the voting process. “John R. Lewis fought to perfect America’s democracy. He gave his entire life to the fight for equality in the face of injustice,” Myrie said.

Cornegy announces help for renters

Councilmember Robert Cornegy (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant-Crown Heights) recently announced that the City Council is funding several programs to provide relief to both renters and homeowners. The FY 2021 budget includes more than $12 million to fund programs for renters and homeowners, including more than $3.1 million for housing preservation initiatives, more than $3.2 million for foreclosure prevention programs, and over $2.5 million for Stabilizing NYC, an initiative put in place to combat the loss of affordable housing at the hands of predatory equity companies.

Velazquez seeks flexibility for school nutrition programs

Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) has written a bill that would extend current COVID-19 waivers for school nutrition programs into the next school year. Legislation previously enacted by Congress, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, afforded schools greater flexibility in enacting emergency measures to provide students with nutritious food. Many of these flexible standards will expire at the end of September. “We need schools to have maximum flexibility as they help children continue receiving nutritious meals,” she said.

Senior kidnapped, forced to withdraw cash

A Flatlands senior was kidnapped outside his home and forced at knifepoint to withdraw $900 from a local bank. Pedro Colon had finished shopping and was on his way back to his home near Avenue N and East 48th Street when a man cornered him. He forced Colon into his home, and the two started to fight. However, the younger man overwhelmed him. He grabbed Colon’s wallet, but said there wasn’t enough money in it. He then grabbed one of Colon’s kitchen knives and drove to a Chase bank branch, where he forced him to withdraw the money. The thief abandoned the car, which was stolen, according to the Daily News.

Six-story building planned for Borough Park

Permits have been filed for a six-story building at 1193 44th St. in Borough Park. The site, which is currently occupied by a three-story tenement, is located at the corner of 12th Avenue and 44th Street and is one block from the D train’s Fort Hamilton Parkway subway station. Zalman Reiss is listed as the owner, and Asher Hershkowitz Architect is listed as the architect. The building is slated to have 10 apartments, most likely condos, as well as six enclosed parking spaces, according to New York YIMBY.

Colton blames NYPD cuts for crime rise

Assemblymember William Colton (D-Gravesend-Bensonhurst-Bath Beach-Dyker Heights) believes that recent cuts to the NYPD budget are at least partially responsible for the recent spike in violent crimes. “It was the biggest mistake ever made. We see more and more homicides, and robberies in our city because our law enforcement hands have been tied,” Colton stated. He pointed to the recent incident in which an 89-year-old woman was slapped and set on fire in front of her house.

Red Hook housing residents complain about construction

A group of residents at NYCHA’s Red Hook Houses complex say that contractors have overwhelmed them with too much work at once. “We have lost ballfields, the playgrounds, the basketball courts and the benches all at once during the pandemic,” said Nahisha McCoy, a Red Hook Houses resident. The tenants rallied on July 28 to demand community oversight for the repairs, which are part of upgrades designed to make the complex more resilient to storms, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.

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