Around Brooklyn: Restaurateurs ‘ready to give up’

December 14, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Outdoor dining. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

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Brooklyn restaurateurs `ready to give up’

Brooklyn restaurant owners and staff are “ready to give up” after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday that he would again ban indoor dining in the city, according to BKLYNER. Charlotta Janssen, owner of the Bed-Stuy restaurant Oskar, for example, said that it was particularly frustrating after restaurants had spent thousands of dollars to be COVID-complaint. Cuomo, in his press conference, cited revised CDC guidance that eating indoors was a particularly risky activity. Since the initial restaurant closure in March, hundreds of New York City restaurants have been closed for good.

Landmarks rejects new Middagh St. townhouse

The Landmarks Preservation Commission has rejected proposals to build a new townhouse at 56 Middagh St. in Brooklyn Heights. The townhouse, designed by Pratt and Black Architects, would have been on the site of a partially vacant lot. The Brooklyn Heights Association testified against the project, which it felt was not in synch with nearby historic townhouses. The plans were rejected once before, and it is unclear whether the architects will return to the LPC for a third attempt, according to New York YIMBY.

New Guadalupe statue dedicated

Through the support of the Knights of Columbus and parishioners, a new statue honoring Out Lady of Guadalupe was dedicated on Saturday in the Grotto of Our Lady of Solace in Coney Island. The statue was damaged on Sept. 11, and the vandalism was caught on camera. The day when the statue was dedicated, Dec. 12, was the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Solace is located at 2866 W. 17th St.

Brownsville residents block pipeline construction

On Thursday morning, a group of Brownsville residents blocked National Grid’s construction site on Junius Street, temporarily halting construction of the North Brooklyn Pipeline. The construction of the pipeline is opposed by several elected officials because of its possible environmental impacts. Gabriel Jamison, a Brownsville native and community organizer with Brownsville Residents Green Committee, said, “We took this action to protect the people who have already endured enough, our neighbors and especially the children of Brownsville who will bear the biggest burden through health risks as well as environmental degradation.”

Man ties up woman, assaults her

Police as of press time were looking for a man who invaded a Marine Park woman’s building, tied her up and sexually assaulted her. Police said that around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, the man followed her into the building, in the area of Avenue N and East 33rd Street, and then pretended to have a gun in order to force his way into the apartment. Once inside, he tied her up with duct tape and zip ties, assaulted her and took her cellphone and an unknown amount of money before fleeing, according to PIX 11.

Teen runaway raped inside B’klyn apartment

A 15-year-old runaway from Staten Island was raped inside a Kensington apartment after she met him in a nearby park, police said. According to police, the teen encountered the man, who is in his 20s, at a park near Avenue F and McDonald Avenue. The two drank and smoked marijuana before he brought her to the apartment. Then, police said, he pushed her onto a bed and raped her. The girl called EMS and was taken to Kings County Hospital, where she was treated and released. Surveillance photos taken near the scene show a light-skinned man with a red, white and blue jacket and Nike Jordan sneakers, according to the New York Post.

Broadway-style auditorium coming to John Dewey

Councilmember Mark Treyger (D-Bensonhurst-Coney Island-Gravesend-Sea Gate) recently held a press conference to announce a Broadway-style at John Dewey High School in Gravesend. Treyger secured $7.5 million in funding for the auditorium renovation through City Council discretionary funding allocations from fiscal years 2019 and 2021. A press conference to announce the auditorium focused on investing in the performing arts, the impact of the arts in schools, and the vision for the new auditorium at John Dewey High School in Gravesend, Brooklyn.

Gillibrand boosts Safe to Report Act

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that her Safe to Report Act will be included in the final FY 21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The annual must-pass defense bill is expected to be voted on this week. The bipartisan Safe to Report Act would empower survivors of sexual violence to report assault without fear of collateral misconduct charges for minor offenses, such as underage drinking or breaking curfew. “Sexual assault is a pervasive problem across our military and far too often we are failing to support and protect survivors,” said Gillibrand.

Fire in East New York

One person as taken to the hospital after a fire broke out on Thursday night in East New York. Firefighters were called around midnight to a house on Shepherd Avenue. About 60 firefighters and 12 units responded to the two-family home, according to FDNY officials. Two other people at the scene refused medical attention. The cause of the fire is being investigated, according to ABC 7.

Holiday lights at Litchfield Villa

During the holiday season, Parks Department administrative buildings and local parks will be lit up to display much-needed holiday cheer. In Brooklyn, the nighttime display can be seen at the Litchfield Villa in Prospect Park. Elsewhere in the city, the Parks Department is putting on displays at Mosholou Parkway in the Bronx, Central Park in Manhattan, MacDonald Park in Queens (a menorah display) and Historic Richmond Town in Staten Island. “It is a time-honored tradition here at Parks to light our greenspaces and buildings up for the holidays. A tradition we derive great pride from and one that we are committed to continuing even in these most unprecedented times,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver.

Four shot in Wyckoff Gardens

At least four men were shot on Saturday afternoon outside NYCHA’s Wyckoff Gardens Houses. Police were called to 574 Warren St. around 4 p.m. and found the victims, whose ages range between 21 and 38, with gunshot wounds. They were taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said a suspect sped off in a red car on 3rd Avenue toward Baltic Street. A doorman who worked in a building across the street said he heard five to seven gunshots, according to the New York Post.

Hit-run kills two people

Cops are investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed two people in East New York. The accident happened around 11 p.m. on Saturday between Flatlands and Pennsylvania avenues. Police say that a dark BMW was speeding south on Pennsylvania Avenue when it hit a Toyota Camry that was heading east on Flatlands Avenue. Two women, Sandra Labrice and Nerlye Stivil, both in their 50s, were inside the Toyota and had to be rescued. Both were rushed to a local hospital, but both died from their injuries, according to CBS News. The two women were co-workers and both cared for the disabled. Two unidentified men reportedly ran away from the BMW after the crash.

Two shot outside bodega

Two men were shot in the leg outside a bodega in East New York on Saturday night, terrifying onlookers. The shooting took place at 11:20 p.m. at Stanley Avenue and Crescent Street. The 99 Gourmet Deli and Grill had just closed but continued to serve customers on the sidewalk with a plexiglass window. The two men who were shot, both in their 30s, were able to walk back to the nearby Louis Pink NYCHA housing project. Both men were taken to the hospital. At least seven shell casings were found outside the grocery, according to CBS News. Police had no suspects as of press time.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.