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Around Brooklyn: Trottenberg praised after resignation

November 24, 2020 Editorial Staff
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Trottenberg praised after resignation

Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg earlier this week announced her resignation from the de Blasio administration, effective in early December. Trottenberg has served as DOT Commissioner since January 2014, making her the longest-serving commissioner in the agency’s history and one of the longest-serving commissioners in the de Blasio administration. Trottenberg has been an advocate for street safety and accessibility, and she has led unprecedented efforts to expand New York City’s streets for more sustainable modes like cycling and buses, with a focus on underserved communities. “We all owe Polly Trottenberg a debt of gratitude for her incredible service to New York City,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “She is a tireless and talented public servant who has made our city safer, fairer, and more accessible.”

Man slashed in face at High St. subway station

A man waiting for the subway was slashed in the face in an apparently random attack on Saturday, police said. The incident at the High Street station in Brooklyn Heights is the latest in a string of violent assaults in the subway system within the past several days. Police said the 26-year-old man was waiting for a train on the A/C platform around 1 p.m. when the suspect suddenly slashed him with a box cutter. The victim was taken to a hospital. His condition hasn’t been released, according to PIX11.

Williams, others host turkey giveaway

Assemblymember Jaime Williams (D-Canarsie, Georgetown, Mill Basin, Marine Park and Gerritsen Beach), State Sen. Roxane Persaud, City Councilmember Alan Maisel, and Democratic District Leaders Frank R. Seddio and Sue Ann Partnow last week led the way in distributing 450 turkeys and Thanksgiving trimmings to the constituents of the 59th Assembly District. The event was made possible not only through the kindness of the volunteers but through efforts and donations made by Kings Plaza Shopping Center, Glenn Terrace Caterers, Food Way, Saba Live Poultry, Nick’s Lobster House, Met Council Kosher Food Network, Metro Plus Health Plan, East Flatbush CDC, the Canarsie Courier, Millennium Development Inc., Canarsie Lions Club and the officers of the 63rd and 69th Precincts.

Work continues at 168 Plymouth St.

Work is continuing on the loft conversion and two-story expansion of 168 Plymouth St. in DUMBO. The project, led by Alloy Development, will convert a former 100-year-old factory building into a residential building with 46 condo units. The next-door 130-year-old Brick and Timber Building at 50 Jay St. is also part of the project and is undergoing renovations. Recent photographs show that the black netting and scaffolding that once covered the eastern elevations of both structures has been largely disassembled, with the exception of the taller façade of 42 Jay St. The one- to four-bedroom apartments start at $1.4 million, according to New York YIMBY.

Even when schools are closed, free meals available

While school buildings are closed, students and families can go to nearby school buildings for takeout meals. Additionally, any New Yorker can receive free meals available at locations across the city. All families and students can continue to go to any school building between 9 and noon on weekdays to pick up free grab-and-go meals, with halal and kosher meals available at selected sites. Other members of the community can pick up meals from 3 to 5 p.m. There will be no food service available on Thanksgiving.

Program helps challenged families with young children

The NYC Administration for Children’s Services earlier this week announced the official opening of the Group-Attached Based Intervention (GABI) program in Brooklyn. The GABI program, which is now available in all five boroughs, helps caregivers build strong bonds with their young children and foster their healthy development. The GABI Brooklyn program, which serves families with children under the age of 4, is co-located with other essential services, making access to other supports more seamless. The site includes a Health + Hospitals clinic and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) programs for families with young children. GABI serves families who have experienced significant trauma, housing instability, mental illness, domestic violence, and other challenges that make parenting a very young child difficult. The program provides clinician-facilitated play therapy, allowing parents to strengthen attachment with their children, which research demonstrates reduces the risks of child maltreatment.

Singer-songwriter pays tribute to Brooklyn

Every musician has a different writing process, and for Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Hannah Sumner, she prefers to write songs by improvising over her own productions. Her single, “Only You,” came out of this process. The chorus of the song contains the original first improvised take. “Only You” (not to be confused with the famous 1950s song) was written back in April of 2020 when Sumner, like many people around the world, was missing connection. She poured these feelings into a creation that ended up featuring 10 New York City artists who she considers to be her “music family.” The music video, featuring scenes of Prospect Park, was shot on an iPhone. Sumner is a graduate of the Berklee School of Music.

Man shot during attempted robbery

A 21-year-old man was shot on Thursday in the left arm in what police say was an attempted robbery at 1209 Loring Ave., part of NYCHA’s Pink Houses in East New York. The victim told police that three young men demanded his money. When he refused, he was shot in the ear before they fled, he said. The man was taken to Brookdale Hospital in stable condition, according to published reports. One suspect was later taken into custody and questioned.

Hasidic synagogue to be fined

A Williamsburg Hasidic synagogue that reportedly hosted a secret wedding with thousands of unmasked guests earlier this month is being fined $15,000. “We know it was too big. I don’t have an exact figure, but whatever it was, it was too big. There appeared to be a real effort to conceal it, which is absolutely unacceptable,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday night on NY-1. The guests crammed inside the Yetev Lev synagogue for the Nov. 8 wedding of Yoel Teitelbaum, a grandson of Satmar Grand Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, in violation of coronavirus restrictions that ban large indoor gatherings. The synagogue has a capacity of 7,000 people, according to CBS News.

Corey Johnson finds missing cat in Williamsburg

New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s cat, Mousse, went missing on Monday afternoon from his companion’s apartment near South 9th Street and Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, but the speaker shared the good news an hour later that Mousse was home safe again. Johnson has tweeted about Mousse frequently during the past few years. The cat was also featured alongside him in The New York Times’ “Sunday Routine” column in 2018, according to 1010 WINS news.

Police offer reward for info on infant’s killer

The NYPD is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest in the July 12 shooting death of 1-year-old Davell Gardner. The tot was shot in the stomach as he sat in his stroller during a cookout at the Raymond Bush Playground in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Three men were also wounded in the shooting, but all survived, according to the New York Post.

Treyger, Menchaca: Schools need outreach

City Councilmembers Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend) and Carlos Menchaca (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook, Greenwood Heights) last week said non-English speaking parents were not properly informed last week when Mayor Bill De Blasio announced his decision to shut down the public school system as a second coronavirus wave spreads. “At a time when parents and students deserve accurate information regarding their schools, it is unacceptable that the mayor is flouting his responsibility to provide a proper and complete alert to our non-English speaking neighbors. Nearly one in four New Yorkers have limited English proficiency,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.

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