Around Brooklyn: Cars pulled from Gowanus Canal

December 16, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

The Gowan’s Canal. Photo: Paul Frangipane/Brooklyn Eagle

Share this:

Cars pulled from Gowanus Canal

Environmental Protection Agency officials cleaning up Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal just dredged up two cars from the polluted waterway in less than a week. On Dec. 4, a sedan — possibly a Mercedes — was excavated from the canal, which is contaminated by everything from industrial waste to sewage overflow, and has even been rumored to have been a one-time mob dumping ground for murder victims. The vehicle was dredged up between the First Street Basin and Carroll Street Bridge. On Wednesday, a second car was pulled out just a few feet upstream. Officials said the vehicles’ make and model haven’t been determined because their condition is so bad from being in the water and they haven’t been properly cleaned yet, according to the New York Post.

Return of Durant to Nets hailed

Sports Illustrated says that the Brooklyn Nets can’t fail with Kevin Durant back on the active list. “KD is so good, if he’s all the way back and out there, it will be impossible for the Nets to fail. Obviously, his return to the court was only in the preseason and he will have to hold up over the long haul, but it was still easy to see what adding a bona-fide superstar means. In this case, one who can score from anywhere and whose length defensively will also be a boon for Brooklyn,” the well-known magazine said.

Max Rose explores mayoral campaign

Outgoing Brooklyn-Staten Island Democratic Congressman Max Rose announced recently in an email to supporters that he is exploring a campaign to become the next mayor of New York City. “The five boroughs are where dreams are made, underdogs triumph, and anyone can build a better future. Yet that New York is slipping away, and for too many, it’s already gone. With so much at stake, we can’t sit on the sidelines. Even before this second surge, many of our neighbors were struggling due to the health and economic crises caused by the pandemic,” he wrote. If he joins the race, he would face a wide field of candidates, some of whom include Borough President Eric Adams and City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

Adams addresses vaccine distribution

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams recently said that he was cautiously optimistic about Mayor de Blasio’s plan for an equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to the hardest-hit neighborhoods and populations that have suffered the most during the pandemic.

“Last Saturday,” he said, “I stood with Councilmember Cornegy and the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) at Interfaith Medical Center to urge the city to prioritize communities that had been hit hardest by the virus, after its initial distribution to frontline workers and long-term care residents. Today, I am glad that the city has laid out a plan that heeds some of these calls. But there are still a number of unanswered questions as to how the vaccine will be distributed, including who will be prioritized within the 27 communities that have been identified as being next in line for the vaccine, the timeline for distribution, and more.”

Schumer wants more funding for transit

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said yesterday that New York’s transit system is in such a desperate need for a cash infusion because of the pandemic, that if transit funds are not included in the down-to-the-wire stimulus deal now being worked on in Washington, the NYC Metropolitan area will face an even harder economic recovery when COVID crests.

As such, Schumer is demanding the inclusion of another $4 billion in federal funds for the MTA — and overall transit funds for the country — as he made his push. “I’ve said it before and I will say it again: mass transit is the lifeblood of New York and New York is the beating heart of the American economy,” said Schumer. “I am hard at work trying to deliver a second $4 billion dollars for the MTA to keep the system flowing, workers working, riders riding and the economy running.”

State warns of giving technology toys to kids

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection is telling parents that technology toys may be easy for hackers to access and manipulate for their own purposes. Examples of such toys include smartwatches, smart toys, gaming devices and Bluetooth. The department urges parents to turn these toys off when children are done playing with it, never using technology-enabled toys on public WiFi, strengthen passwords, check your default status, and delete your data before passing the toy on to another household. Also, the DCP says, “Old-fashioned games, books and puzzles are making a comeback.”

Brooklyn Arts Council spotlights local artist

The Brooklyn Arts Council is urging Brooklynites to buy holiday gifts by borough artists. Currently, on its website, it is spotlighting Abby Goldstein, who came from here the Midwest as a student at Pratt in the late 1970s. Many of her artworks are based on maps, both current and historic. Goldstein is professor of art at Fordham University and has designed or co-designed several books, including the award-winning volume “Helvetica and the New York City Subway System.” Examples of Goldstein’s work, and opportunities to buy it, can be found on the Brooklyn Arts Council’s website.

Activists seek to support immigrant-owned businesses

Since Gov. Andrew Cuomo is suspending indoor dining in New York City, La Colemna, an immigrants rights organization, has launched a campaign dubbed “12 Days of Christmas” in support of immigrant-owned businesses that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. This past weekend, La Colmena highlighted Veronica’s Bakery and Los Portillo’s, two businesses owned by immigrant women in Port Richmond, Staten Island. “Small businesses are struggling to survive and will now face another economic blow with the closing of indoor dining; this is even more true of those businesses owned by immigrants as many of them did not receive any federal financial relief including from the Paycheck Protective Program,” said Yesenia Mata, executive director of La Colmena.

Friends search for missing Williamsburg musician

Friends of a Brooklyn musician who went missing earlier this month are reaching out to the public. Sam Jayne of the indie rock band Love as Laughter was last seen in Williamsburg on Dec. 6, according to social media posts. Clem’s Bar in Williamsburg, where Sam is a bartender, said, “He’s been out of phone and email contact since Monday.” Union Pool, another bar in the area, posted a missing person posted of Jayne, saying he might be in Sunnyside, Woodside, Ridgewood or elsewhere in Williamsburg. Jayne is the guitarist for his band, according to the New York Post.

Five injured in Bay Ridge fire

Five people were injured at a Bay Ridge apartment complex on Monday evening, FDNY officials said. Firefighters received the call just after 5 p.m. for reports of a fire at 9000 Shore Road, a senior housing building. A Fire Department spokesperson said five people were injured. Of these, four were taken to the hospital and one was taken to the scene. A spokesperson for NYU Langone Hospital, which maintains offices on the ground floor of the building, said the offices were not damaged by the fire, according to PIX 11.

Brooklyn Chabad centers host drive-in Chanukah

Twenty-one Chabad centers in Brooklyn hosted a live “drive-in” concert at a parking lot in Coney Island, which was also broadcast over the internet, on Monday night. An estimated 2,500 people watched the concert, featuring Eli Marcus and the Pumpidsa Band, in a COVID-safe way. The Chabad centers that took part ranged from Brooklyn Heights to Starrett City, from Bay Ridge to Brighton Beach. Each person was handed a menorah to distribute to someone who doesn’t have one.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.