Around Brooklyn: Kind of a drag, say Gounardes, Brannan

September 28, 2020 Editorial Staff

A lone jogger heads down the Boardwalk. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

A lone jogger heads down the Coney Island Boardwalk. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Kind of a drag, say Gounardes, Brannan

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst-Bath Beach-Gravesend) and City Councilmember Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bath Beach) have partnered on legislation to combat excessive noise from drag racers and other motorists who tamper with their muffler and exhaust systems. The SLEEP (Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution) bill will increase the fine for excessive noise and require that police have decibel readers so there is no longer an arbitrary standard of what “excessive” means. The two collaborated on the bill after hearing increasing reports from constituents about loud drag racing keeping people awake at night.

Pumpkin patches in driving distance of Brooklyn

Halloween is coming, and most people will buy their pumpkins at local supermarkets or fruit stores. But if someone wants to buy a pumpkin direct from the farm, there are several options within driving distance. Among them are the Queens County Farm Museum at 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy. in Floral Park, the Decker Farm at 441 Clarke Ave. in Staten Island, Brightwaters Farms at 1624 Manatuck Blvd. in Bay Shore, Elwood Pumpkin Farm at 1500 E. Jericho Tpke. in Huntington, Glover Farms at 633 Victory Ave. in Brookhaven, and Schmitt’s Family Farm at 26 Pinelawn Rd. in Melville, according to Patch.

Attempted robberies injure victims

Two separate attempted robberies injured victims in Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon. The first occurred at 5:34 p.m., when a 46-year-old man was approached by two men, one armed with a gun, in front of 106 Euclid Ave. in East New York. The men demanded properties, but the victim refused, police said. He was shot in the foot, and the thieves fled. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition. The second robbery took place at 2:30 p.m. at 5 Bradford St. near Jamaica Avenue in Cypress Hills, where a man and a woman demanded money from a store clerk. The deli owner refused to give them money, whereupon one of the pair stabbed him and fled on foot. He, too, was taken to Brookdale Hospital in serious but stable condition, according to amNewYork.

Man charged with causing 3-year-old’s death

A Bronx man was arrested on Thursday and charged with causing a 3-year-old Brooklyn girl’s death. Police said that around 7:15 p.m. on Sept. 24, the NYPD responded to a call regarding a deceased child at Cohen Children’s Medical Center at 269-01 76th Street in Queens. When they arrived, they were told that 3-year-old Jaylynn Evans of Wynona Street in Brooklyn was brought to the hospital unconscious and unresponsive, with no obvious signs of trauma. The girl was declared dead at the hospital, and the Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of her death. Police later arrested Bronx resident Anthony Richardson, according to amNewYork.

Consultant: Century 21 closure could benefit other local stores

Timothy King, a managing partner at Brooklyn-based CPEX Real Estate, believes that the closing of Century 21 could benefit the Bay Ridge shopping area in the long run. He forecasts that the store will be broken up into four of five stores that would bring more of a mix of tenants selling more specialized items. This would give customers an incentive to walk around the neighborhood, buying from more stores, he told the Brooklyn Paper. He added that the 86th Street space will likely have no trouble finding high-profile commercial tenants such as Trader Joe’s, Bob’s Discount Furniture and the Burlington Coat Factory.

Colton sponsors free flu shots

Assemblymember William Colton (D-Gravesend-Bensonhurst-Bath Beach-Dyker Heights), together with Rite Aid pharmacies, has sponsored a series of free flu shots that have taken place at neighborhood organizations like the Health Essential Association, the Chinese American Social Service Center, the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Brooklyn and the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn. “The free flu shot events were successful, and I am glad that a number of seniors were able to get them. The flu shots are free and available to everyone,” he said.

Maloney praises court’s census decision

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan-Queens-Brooklyn), chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement after a federal court ruling extended the 2020 Census enumeration period to Oct. 31. “I commend the court’s decision, which is based on concerns raised by career Census Bureau experts and four former Census Bureau Directors about the dangers of cutting the 2020 Census short during the coronavirus crisis — including an internal document that the Administration’s efforts to rush the count will ‘result in a census that has fatal data quality flaws that are unacceptable for a Constitutionally-mandated activity,” she said.

Missing children from Cypress Hills found

A woman and three children who went missing on Friday were found on Saturday. Police say the children had last been seen on Van Siclen Avenue in Cypress Hills just after noon. The missing children were Devine, 7, Hydi Jordan, 1, and Sincere Johnson, 5. The mother, Crystal Johnson, was described by police as being both homicidal and suicidal. ACS was supposed to take custody of the children on Friday, and Ms. Johnson had threatened to kill herself, according to the New York Post.

Brooklyn Chamber hails outdoor dining decision

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has made a statement responding to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement that outdoor dining will be permanently extended in New York City. “Outdoor dining has been a monumental success for restaurants all around the New York City. Mayor de Blasio’s decision to safely extend outdoor dining year-round, will not only provide a vital lifeline to our struggling restaurants, but will also enhance the vibrancy of our neighborhoods well into the future,” said Randy Peers, president & CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Suspect arrested in killing of teens

A man wanted for killing two teens in a drive-by shooting has been arrested. Joseph Bonilla, 23, was charged with murder, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment in the killings of Antonio Villa, 18, and Kleimer Mendez, 16, in July and shooting a 17-year-old youth who survived. Bonilla allegedly opened fire on the three teens during a basketball game at George Walker Jr. Park in Cypress Hills around 6:40 p.m., according to the New York Post.

Seven-story building planned in Williamsburg

Permits have been filed for a seven-story apartment building at 203 North 11th St. in Williamsburg. The site, now occupied by a one-story industrial building, is located between Driggs Avenue and Roebling Street and is close to the Bedford Avenue subway station on the L train. The building will have 53 apartments, most likely rentals, as well as retail space on the ground floor and 27 enclosed parking spaces. Yisroel Greenfield is listed as the owner, and Mohamed Mabrouk of MHM Engineering PC is listed as the architect, according to New York YIMBY.

Fire breaks out in Canarsie day care

Fire broke out at the Yeled V’Yalda (Hebrew for “boy and girl”) day care center on Farragut Road in Canarsie around 5:45 a.m. on Sunday. The school had started classes for pre-K and kindergarten students last week. Video taken at the scene showed firefighters breaking down windows to fight the blaze, and one firefighter suffered minor injuries. It was unclear how the fire started, according to ABC News.

Man dragged by car in Dyker Heights

A man was dragged by his own car as he tried to hold onto a door to prevent a car theft. Surveillance video shows a man saying that he wanted to buy the car before he got into the driver’s seat and drove a way as the owner held onto a door. The owner was dragged a short distance before he lost his grip, and suffered fractures to his pelvis and legs, according to CBS news.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.