Around Brooklyn: Thieves steal pasta from Williamsburg restaurant

December 30, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

The eye-catching facade of National Sawdust, a music venue in Williamsburg. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Thieves steal pasta from Williamsburg restaurant

Burglars cleaned out a Williamsburg restaurant of all its homemade pasta while leaving more valuable electronics and alcoholic beverages behind. Borsalia manager Cristiano Rossi said someone cut the lock to the restaurant’s sidewalk basement hatch and descended into a storage area the night of Dec. 23.They then punched a hole through a sheetrock wall that led to the refrigerators. All in all, they made off with 10 to 15 pounds of pasta, enough to create 150 meals. Owner Cristiano Rossi estimated the pasta’s value at around $4,500, according to the New York Post. Staffers had to cook up an entire new batch for Christmas Eve orders.

WWI memorial renovated in Brownsville

During the past two years, Zion Triangle Plaza in Brownsville has undergone an extensive renovation and expansion. This plot of land, bounded by Pitkin, New York and Legion avenues, sits next to the historic Loew’s Pitkin Theater. The renovation included adding new amenities and restoring the war memorial structure in the park. The structure was commissioned soon after World War I by a local committee of the American Legion and was dedicated in 1925. It features a relief carving of a sword-bearing winged victor figure flanked by the inscribed names of local servicepersons killed in World War I, according to Untapped Cities.

Cops shoot man who charged at them

Police on Monday night shot a man in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens who ignored their orders and charged at them while reaching into his waistband, police said. Officers responded to numerous calls around 5:45 p.m. about a man with a gun near Lenox Road and Rogers Avenue, according to Chief of Department Terence Monahan. When they arrived, police observed a man with a gun, although he did not match the description of the gunman from the 911 calls, Monahan said. Officers ordered him to drop the gun, which he did. The man was identified as Vlatamere Francois, he was taken into custody, and the gun was recovered. Soon afterward, another person, identified as Curtis McGarrell, rushed toward the officers and reached into his waistband, leading to an officer firing two shots. No gun was found on him. McGarrell was taken to Kings County Hospital with gunshots to the leg, according to NBC New York. Both suspects reportedly had a criminal history

Bichotte’s bill named after her late son

Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush, Ditmas Park) last week saw Governor Andrew M. Cuomo sign her Jonah Bichotte Cowan legislation establishing requirements for treatment when an expectant mother presents at a general hospital with concerns about being in pre-term labor. The law is named in memory of Jonah Bichotte Cowan, the late son of Bichotte. “Thanks to the work of Assemblymember Bichotte, all expectant mothers in New York will have their medical concerns taken seriously and the hospital of their choice will be prepared to admit, diagnose, and treat expectant mothers in emergency situations,” said Cuomo.

COVID-19 vaccinations begin for firefighters

New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro has announced that COVID-19 vaccinations have begun for FDNY firefighters and other personnel. “This is a great day for the FDNY. Science has answered the call for help from our Department and all essential frontline healthcare workers and produced a vaccine to combat this deadly illness,” said Commissioner Nigro. “I strongly encourage all of our members to take the COVID-19 vaccine offered through the Department to protect themselves, their colleagues, and their loved ones.” On Monday, the FDNY received its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine. Vaccinations are taking place at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn as well as the Randall’s Island Training Academy and the EMS Academy in Fort Totten, Queens.

Housing Works employees vote to unionize

Today, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union’s (RWDSU), announced that by a vote of 88% to 12%, workers across all Housing Works locations voted to join the RWDSU. “We’re proud to finally and officially welcome the 605 workers employed by Housing Works into our union. These workers experienced a needlessly long fight to unionize their workplaces,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President, RWDSU. In Brooklyn, Housing Works has thrift shops on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights and on 5th Avenue in Park Slope as well as an “outpost” on 7th Avenue in Park Slope.

Woman slashed while walking in Crown Heights

Police are searching for a suspect after a woman was slashed while walking in Crown Heights. The incident happened around 4 a.m. at the corner of Fulton Street and Franklin Avenue. Police say the 24-year-old woman was approached by a man who slashed her I the back of the head with an unknown object. The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Video of the suspect shows a tall, light-skinned, bald man with a beard wearing a blue jacket.

Woman raped in Brownsville

A woman was raped in Brownsville early Monday after a man threatened her with a knife and dragged her into a nearby apartment building, police said. She was walking near East New York and Ralph Avenues at around 12:15 a.m. when the man grabbed her from behind. He held a kitchen knife to her throat and said he would kill her if she resisted, police said. He then led her to 672 Ralph Ave., where he raped her, then fled. The woman was taken to Kings County Hospital where she was treated and released, according to the New York Post.

Six injured in Bay Ridge fire

Six people, including one firefighter, suffered minor injuries Monday night in a fire at 9215 Third Ave. Twelve units and 60 firefighters responded to the blaze, which broke out around 9 p.m. on the building’s second floor. The FDNY declared the fire under control around 10 p.m. The four-story building contains an eyeglass store on its first floor, according to published reports.

Moynihan Train Hall project almost finished

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced the Moynihan Train Hall in Manhattan will complete construction on December 31, 2020, with AMTRAK and New Jersey Transit train operations beginning January 1, 2021. The 255,000-square-foot, $1.6 billion project transformed the more than 100-year-old James A. Farley Post Office Building into a modern, world-class facility that dramatically upgrades and redesigns America’s busiest transit hub, increasing the existing Penn Station rail complex’s concourse space by 50 percent. The idea for a train hall in the James A. Farley Post Office Building first emerged decades ago — but was mired in bureaucratic delays and faced repeated federal inaction. Construction on the project began in 2017.

Gillibrand announces SNAP expansion

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced a vital 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits and her proposal to expand the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program is included in the latest coronavirus relief package. “As the country experiences another dangerous wave of coronavirus infections, and the economy continues to suffer, it’s critical that hard-working Americans have the resources to keep their families fed. For months I have fought to increase SNAP benefits and I’m proud that this vital increase is finally included in this current package,” said Senator Gillibrand.

Pets waiting to be adopted in Brooklyn

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, or possibly because of it, many animal shelters around Brooklyn are working to fulfill adoptions and place pets in new homes. One website that give information about furry friends is “Miss Pats Cats.” Another is the Kings Highway Cat Rescue organization. Petfinder puts together a list every week of cats and dogs recently put up for adoption in your area, according to Patch.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.