Around Brooklyn: Johnson applauds school reopening delay

September 3, 2020 Editorial Staff

This lovely Victorian House can be found on Bay 28th Street in Bath Beach. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Johnson applauds school reopening delay

City Council president Corey Johnson recently said, “The Mayor’s decision to delay school re-openings to September 21 is a step in the right direction. Nothing is more important than safety, and I am glad we are prioritizing the health of students, teachers and school staff.” However, he went on to say that this measure should have been announced sooner to better allow school staff and families to plan properly for the academic year. He criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio for “dragging his feet” while parents and educators worried about how to make reopening work.

Jay St. Busway launches

The long-awaited Jay Street Busway in Downtown Brooklyn opened Monday after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. On Jay Street between Tillary and Livingston streets, only buses and trucks will be permitted between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for cars needing local access. The Jay Street Busway follows the successful 14th Street Busway in Manhattan and is planned as part of the launch of 20 miles of busways, announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The Jay Street busway will make a big difference in the lives of tens of thousands of Brooklyn [bus] riders who have long suffered some of the slowest service in the U.S.,” Jolyse Race of the Riders Alliance told Gothamist.

Gillibrand reminds New Yorkers to fill out census

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand recently called on New Yorkers to fill out the U.S. Census form ahead of the upcoming deadline on Sept. 30. “As New Yorkers work to revive our economy and our neighborhoods from this crisis, it’s critical that every person is counted to ensure our communities — especially the hardest-to-reach households and undercounted populations including minorities, undocumented immigrants, rural residents and low-income households — receive the services and federal funding they need,” she said.

Son: Church caretaker was killed ‘in a place he loved’

The only son of the 62-year-old Brooklyn church caretaker who was shot to death at the house of worship on Monday said his father was killed “in a place he loved.” Edward James Jr. said his father Edward James was a “great loving father” who was well-known in the community and “helped anybody in need.” Local clergyman Bishop Gerald Seabrook said James was an alcoholic and the Glorious Church of God in Christ took him in. “That transformed his life,” Seabrook told the New York Post. “He became mayor of the community, helping this church as a sexton but also helping the community in any way he could.”

Rooftop transformed into comedy club

A rooftop at 1717 Broadway in Bushwick has been transformed into a comedy club. The Tiny Cupboard, on the roof of a building that houses art studios, is hosting 15 comedy shows per week. “We feel like we’re a lot different than park shows, parking lots, amphitheaters and sidewalks for one reason: people are coming strictly for comedy in a privately dedicated comedy setting,” said Amy Wong, one of the co-creators of the space. The capacity per show is 49 people, according to Time Out New York.

Netflix show set in fictional Brooklyn high school

A new show that will premiere on Netflix, “Grand Army,” follows five students at the fictional Grand Army High, supposedly the largest high school in Brooklyn, as they struggle with the challenges of growing up in an ever-changing world. “Grand Army” deals with issues such as teenage sexual assault, racial justice, school shootings and other obstacles faced by today’s teenagers. The show debuts on Oct. 16 on the streaming platform, according to Rolling Stone.

Schumer says GOP should support rental assistance

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, a lifelong Brooklynite, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently issued the following joint statement: “Right now, over 40 million Americans are at risk of eviction — yet Republicans refuse to recognize the needs of working families facing the accelerating threat of eviction and skyrocketing debt. For over 100 days, Senate Republicans have refused to take up the Heroes Act which contains robust funding for rental assistance for struggling families. It’s long past time for Republicans and President Trump to stop following the returns from Wall Street and wake up to the problems of Americans living on Main Street.”

Brooklyn Ballet School reopening for fall

The Brooklyn Ballet School plans to reopen beginning on Oct. 5 with a hybrid of in-studio and virtual dance classes. Pre-Ballet and Elementary Ballet 1 will continue virtually for the fall semester. Elementary Ballet II, Ballet 1, 2, 4 and 4, Conservatory, Modern Dance and Jazz students may choose in-school virtual classes or virtual classes only. No more than seven students will be dancing in the studio at one time, while the rest of the class will attend via Zoom. Brooklyn Ballet School is located at 160 Schermerhorn St.

Bed-Stuy townhouse leads luxury RE deals

For the week ending Aug. 30, luxury buyers bought 13 Brooklyn properties, each asking $2 million or more, according to Compass’ market report. The contracts were for six condos, one co-op and six houses. The most expensive deal was for an eight-bedroom townhouse at 126 Hancock St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant, built in 1886. The ad asked about $3.5 million. The second most expensive deal was for a condo at 85 North 3rd Street in Williamsburg. It went into contract for slightly less than $3.3 million, according to The Real Deal.

Retired math teacher tutors Brooklyn students

Retired math teacher Jeffrey Hahn is now using his experience to give private lessons to small groups of students in Brooklyn. Many families are looking for ways to make sure their children are getting the best education possible, despite the limitations of the pandemic. The groups are made up of five children or fewer. “Parents, I think they’re very excited, they’re ready to go,” Hahn told News 12 Brooklyn. “It also alleviates their time. Because the parents need their own time, a lot of them are working at home.”

Southern Brooklyn parents feel frustrated

Last Thursday night, 60 residents of Southern Brooklyn zoomed into the Southern Brooklyn Community Roundtable on School Reopening to express frustrations with the reopening process. The event gave parents the opportunity to hear directly from Barbara Freeman, the executive superintendent of Brooklyn South, and others. Some parents expressed concern over how remote learners will be receiving 20 minutes per subject per day, and whether that will be enough. Others wondered about the schools’ ventilation systems, when school calendars will be released, and how lunchtime will be managed while keeping students safe, according to Bklyner.

Six-story building planned for Flatbush

Permits have been filed for a six-story building at 2,700 Church Ave. in Flatbush. The site, currently occupied by a two-story building with a grocery on the ground floor, is located at the intersection of Rogers and Church avenues and is two blocks west of the 2 and 3 trains’ Church Avenue subway station. The building is slated to have 16 apartments, most likely rentals, as well as 4,100 square feet of community facility space and 1,492 square feet of commercial space. Yanky Geldzahler is listed as the owner, and Naresh Mahangu of NY Building Associates is listed as the architect of record, according to NY YIMBY.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.