Around Brooklyn: Colton slams hate crime at Jewish center

October 7, 2020 Editorial Staff

The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower seen from the intersection of Bergen Street and Fourth Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Colton slams hate crime at Jewish center

Assemblymember William Colton (D-Gravesend-Bensonhurst-Bath Beach) recently said he was outraged at a hate crime that took place on the morning of Oct. 5 at the Shore Parkway Jewish Center. The perpetrator, who has been taken into custody, intentionally targeted the synagogue during the holiday of Sukkot, broke windows, and damaged symbols of the Sukkot holiday. “We must condemn any hate crime. An attack on one group is an attack on all of us and we will not allow it,” Colton stated. The man was arrested while he was still inside the building.

BPL system temporarily closing four branches

The following four Brooklyn Public Library locations will temporarily close for grab-and-go service due to elevated rates of COVID-19 in the surrounding communities. The branches are the Clarendon, Homecrest, Kings Highway and Midwood libraries. Nineteen other Brooklyn branches remain open for patrons to return books and pick up items on hold. In addition, BPL operates a thriving virtual library for users of all ages.

Driver killed after collision with postal truck

A driver is dead after her car collided with a postal truck when she possibly ran a stop sign in East New York early Tuesday morning. Police said the fatal crash occurred just before 2 a.m. at the intersection of Atkins and Cozine avenues. The 20-year-old woman was traveling in her Honda sedan southbound on Atkins Avenue when she drove through the intersection and collided with the U.S. Postal Service truck traveling eastbound on Cozine Avenue, authorities said. Police said she likely drove past a stop sign at the intersection without stopping. Officers found the woman unconscious and unresponsive after receiving a 911 call about the crash, according to PIX 11.

Man slashes tires of a dozen cars

Police have released surveillance footage of a man who allegedly slashed the tires of more than a dozen parked vehicles in Williamsburg between Friday and Monday. The man, who is approximately 20 to 30 years old, slashed the tires of a car parked in front of 405 March Ave. around 5 p.m. on Friday. On Monday, he slashed the tires of 12 more parked cars in the neighborhood. The New York Post reported that all in all, 27 parked vehicles’ tires were slashed.

Rose seeks return of street sign honoring hero cop

U.S. Max Rose (D-Southern Brooklyn-Staten Island) was joined by Adelaide Laurie, wife of fallen NYPD Officer Rocco Laurie, at a news conference calling for the city Department of Transportation to return the street sign honoring Laurie to its original, prominent location. “Rocco’s sacrifice shouldn’t be hidden from the world because of DOT red tape,” Rose said. “He was a hero and at a time like this, when the extremes of both parties are demonizing each other, his story, and Officer Gregory Foster’s story, is one that should be screamed from the rooftops.”

Moratorium on shutoffs by utilities continues

Recently New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended the COVID-19 state of emergency until Nov. 3, 2020. That means that the statewide moratorium on all gas, electric, water and telephone utility shutoffs will continue for another 30 days. However, if the state of emergency is not extended after this day, there will no longer be universal relief from all gas, electric, water and telephone utility shutoffs. These consumer protections do not apply to internet, cable TV or cable phone service, according to the Public Utility Law Project of New York.

DMV urges New Yorkers to renew expired documents

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles urged New Yorkers to renew their expired documents as the extension on vehicle registrations and non-driver IDs nears the end. Vehicle registrations that expired in March or afterward will no longer remain valid after Nov. 3. New Yorkers can easily renew their registrations and non-driver IDs on the Department of Motor Vehicles website. DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder said, “I encourage those who need to renew their documents to use our website; it is fast and easy to do. Those who need to schedule a road test, renew their driver license or get their vehicle inspected should not delay.”

School moves online as teachers test positive for COVID

PS K811, the Connie Lekas School, in Sheepshead Bay, plans to move to remote learning for two weeks after five staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The school serves about 340 students in Grades 6 through 12 and is located on Haring Street in Sheepshead Bay. One local parent wrote a note saying, “We won’t hesitate to take quick action for the health and safety of our school communities, and that’s exactly what we did when multiple positive cases amongst staff members were identified at PS K811. [The Department of Mental Health and Hygiene] quickly conducted an investigation and out of an abundance of caution,” according to CBS News.

Dizzy’s Diner to close after 22 years

Dizzy’s Diner in Park Slope plans to permanently shutter amid financial problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The diner has been at the corner of Ninth Street and Eighth Avenue for 22 years. “It’s just been 22 years of a remarkable community,” said Dizzy’s longtime owner Matthew Pisciotta. “It was a place for me to go to work and connect with my regulars that I see every day.” The diner was also known as a place where neighborhood youngsters could work at temporary gigs waiting or bussing tables, according to amNewYork.

Pottery business apologizes after complaints

A pottery business with locations in Park Slope and Cobble Hill refused to let in residents from some of the city’s COVID-19 hot spots, some of which are in heavily Jewish neighborhoods. The Painted Post, a do-it-yourself pottery-painting store, instituted the ban after the city revealed high coronavirus infection rates in these Brooklyn and Queens residents. Business owner Lisa Mendoza acknowledged in a Facebook posting on Tuesday that so many people were upset over the ban that she backed off of the plan and apologized, according to the New York Post.

Seven-story building planned for Williamsburg

Permits have been filed for a seven-story mixed-use building at 352 Meeker Ave. in Williamsburg. The site, now occupied by a one-story commercial building, is located at the intersection of Meeker avenue and Frost Street and is six blocks from the L train’s Graham Avenue subway station. The building is planned with 27 residences, most likely rentals, as well as a rear yard and 15 enclosed parking spaces. Mordechai Ganzfried is listed as the owner, and Leandro Dickson of LND Architect is listed as the architect of record, according to New York YIMBY.

Victim of bike crash wins settlement

The victim of a bicycle crash on the Brooklyn Bridge in 2017 recently won a five-figure settlement in a lawsuit against the city. Attorney Dan Flanzig said the city can’t ignore problematic conditions on the bridge’s bike and walking pathway any longer. Flanzig said his client, who sought to remain anonymous, was knocked off the bike while commuting to work after a tourist walked into the bike lane. “During this pandemic, now more than ever, the city needs to acknowledge the need to create safe infrastructure for cyclists who will be commuting into Manhattan by bike,” Flanzig told Streetsblog.

Cops probe killing of man found in Queens

Police are investigating the death of a Brooklyn man who was found lying unconscious on North Conduit Avenue in Queens on Aug. 17. At the time, officers found Tevin Murrell with severe trauma to this head and body. He was taken by EMS crews to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Preliminary investigations say that Murrell may have been tossed from a moving car, and his death is being investigated as a homicide, according to qns.com.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.