Around Brooklyn: Cornegy, Adams remove graffiti from auto body shop

November 4, 2020 Editorial Staff

The steps of the Belt Parkway overpass. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Cornegy, Adams remove graffiti from auto body shop

City Councilmember Robert Cornegy (D-Bed-Stuy-Crown Heights) and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on Sunday joined Kevan Caleb, owner of A1 Auto Repair Service on Atlantic Avenue, to remove graffiti from the business’ exterior. In recent months, parts of Atlantic Avenue and other areas of the city have experienced a noticeable uptick in graffiti, which has heightened quality-of-life concerns for residents and merchants already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. “For many New Yorkers, the rise in graffiti brings to mind the bad old days of the 1970s, when crime was rampant throughout our city and we surrendered to disorder. But it’s more than just an eyesore; it affects local businesses and residents,” said Adams.

Unusual Heights house for sale

A mid-20th century house at 48 Willow Place in Brooklyn Heights, surrounded by 19th century brownstones and row houses, is now for sale. The home was designed by architect Joseph Merz, who bought three vacant lots at auction in the early 1960s. He designed his houses in such a way that they had a modern design but wouldn’t clash with their mid-19th century neighbors. The townhouses were praised in 1969 by Architectural Record, which described them as sophisticated, uncluttered and orderly. The Merzes themselves moved into 48 Willow, and the house has “stayed in the family” for all these years, according to Curbed. Interior details have not been changed.

Police accuse man of subway attack

Police have arrested a man who they say is responsible for last month’s attack on an 82-year-old man, his 73-year-old wife and their 30-year old grandson after an argument at the A/C train’s Clinton-Washington subway station. Luis Hernandez was arrested Monday and charged with attempted murder and two counts of assault. The three victims were on the platform of the subway station in Clinton Hill when Hernandez approached them, smoking a cigarette. After an argument in which they asked him to put the cigarette out, Hernandez allegedly rushed the grandson and started punching him in the face. He then punched the grandfather in the face. When the grandmother tried to intervene, she was knocked onto the subway tracks, according to NBC News.

Gillibrand seeks help for COVID program in Puerto Rico

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) led her colleagues in a letter urging Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to “provide expeditious and fair implementation of the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Program in Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories.” Since the signing of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) in March 2020, all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands have had the choice to opt into the P-EBT Program. However, 300,000 eligible school-aged children in Puerto Rico were not afforded that option. “We must equalize the disparity faced by children in Puerto Rico where families are already receiving, on average, 60 percent less in SNAP funding than their continental U.S. counterparts,” the senators wrote in the letter.

Crocus bulbs commemorate COVID victims

As New York City braces for a potential second wave of COVID-19, Partnerships for Parks (PfP), a joint program of NYC Parks and City Parks Foundation, has distributed over 50,000 crocus bulbs to 100 community groups across the city to memorialize the New Yorkers lost to the pandemic. One of the first bulbs to bloom each spring in New York City’s parks, PfP initiated the memorial crocus planting to bring hope as the flowers begin to bloom in March of 2021. Community groups in Brooklyn and Queens will be out planting crocuses on Saturday, Nov. 7, as part of the monthlong effort. In Brooklyn, the bulbs will be planted at Commodore Barry Park in the Navy Yard area.

Mormons donate to Brooklyn church’s food pantry

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, aka the Mormon Church, is donating more than 1.6 million pounds of food to more than 200 food pantries across New York State. On Thursday, an event will be held at 11 a.m. at the Christian Cultural Center, 12020 Flatlands Ave., which has received more than 34,000 pounds of food from this initiative. The event will feature Elder David Buckner of the Latter-Day Saints and the Rev. A.R. Bernard, senior pastor at the Christian Cultural Center. From January to September 2020, the Christian Cultural Center’s two food pantries have served more than 72,000 people.

Nets CEO proud of bond with Brooklyn

John Abbamondi, CEO of BSE (Brooklyn Sports Enterprises, the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets), recently said that he was proud that Barclays Center became the rallying point for several political demonstrations, such as the ones after George Floyd’s death. “The fact the citizens of our borough felt this was the appropriate place to gather … we’re honored to be associated with that,” he said. “The players have spoken out on issues that not only did they care about but resonate with many, many, many of our fans and fellow citizens. Those two things coming together is behind what you saw this summer.” He also said he was “thrilled” that people were able to vote at Barclays Center, according to Nets Wire.

Brooklyn men busted in Mass. marijuana raid

State, federal and local law enforcement arrested four Brooklyn men and seized 3,300 marijuana plants on a Saturday afternoon raid of an illegal “grow house” in West Springfield, Mass. Officials found the marijuana plants spread out in 14 separate grow rooms throughout the warehouse. The Brooklyn residents who were arrested were identified as Kong Xing Tan, Min Zhang, Gen Yu and Jiang Nan, according to masslive.com. While you can grow large quantities of marijuana in Massachusetts, you need a license.

Open-air wrestling on streets of Williamsburg

A group of about 25 people were seen beating and punching each other outside a warehouse on Frost Street in Williamsburg at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night. Two men at a time wrestled each other, while the others gathered in a circle. Professional camera gear was set up to record the event. It turned out to be a planned show, hosted by “King of the No Ring Death Match” Casanova Valentine, who often hosts underground wrestling events in Brooklyn and New Jersey. The event was billed as an “Election Fraud Celebration,” according to the New York Post.

Musicians urge Brooklynites to polls

A musical ensemble, including a tuba, a trombone, a snare drum, a tambourine and several vocalists, urged voters to the polls in Downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon. The musicians marched along with a group of around 50 protesters through the streets near Barclays Center. “This is a vote test to encourage people to vote,” Roderick Covington, one of the organizers, told the Bedford and Bowery blog.

Four-story building planned for East Flatbush

Permits have been filed for a four-story mixed-use building at 737 Fenimore St. in East Flatbush. The site, located between Albany and Troy avenues, is currently vacant and is close to the 2 and 5 trains’ Winthrop Street subway station. Yaniv Nasimi is listed as the owner, while Robert Bianchini of ARC Architecture Design Studio is listed as the architect of record. The building is slated to have six residences, most likely rentals, as well as some commercial space, a penthouse and a rear yard, according to New York YIMBY.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.