Around Brooklyn: Snowplow on BQE damages cars below

February 4, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

The BQE. Eagle file photo by Paul Frangipane

Share this:

Snowplow on BQE damages cars below

Someone clearing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Fort Greene with a snowplow sprayed snow onto Park Avenue below, damaging some cars. Several drivers had their car windows shattered, according to CBS News. “I had to clean inside and out, now shoveling my way out,” Kimron Frederick said. “Somebody could have been in the car.”

Ghislaine Maxwell slams jail computer system

Ghislaine Maxwell recently complained in a new court filing that the computer setup she’s been given at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park is “utterly inadequate.” A lawyer for Maxwell claims that the jail’s computer center randomly shuts down every two hours. Inmates generally have access to email but not the internet at the MDC. Her lawyer, Bobbi Sternheim, wrote that the situation requires Maxwell to constantly reboot and “find her place in the documents to resume her review,” according to the New York Post.

Apartment building planned for East Flatbush

Permits have been filed for a six-story residential building at 948 New York Ave. in East Flatbush. The site, located between Church and Snyder avenues, is currently occupied by a two-story wooden house. Shia Unsdorfer is listed as the owner’s representatives, and Oleg Ruditser of Engineering Professional Services is listed as the architect. The building is slated to have 16 residences, most likely rentals, as well as a penthouse and a rear yard, according to New York YIMBY.

Facebook group creates ‘restaurant week’

Members of the Prospect Heights and Brooklyn Neighbors Facebook Group, which has nearly 3,000 members, have launched their own virtual restaurant week, according to Bklyner. A member of the group originated the idea last month with a post asking others to list their favorite neighborhood spots and to commit to ordering at least one dish. Among the members’ choices were plum chicken and lime beef stew from the Persian restaurant Sofreh, the lumachel pasta from Fausto, and the entire breakfast menu from Cheryl’s Global Soul.

Letitia James suspends debt collection

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that the state has renewed, for the 10th time, an order to halt the collection of medical and student debt owed to the state of New York that has been specifically referred to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for collection — with limited exceptions — through Feb. 28, 2021. In response to continuing financial impairments resulting from the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the OAG has again renewed orders, which took effect Tuesday morning and goes through Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. After this period, the OAG will reassess the needs of state residents for another possible extension.

Mathieu Eugene warns about blizzard safety

Councilmember Mathieu Eugene (D-Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, Midwood, Prospect Park, Prospect Lefferts Gardens) informed his constituents about how to maintain safety during a blizzard. These measures include:

-Stay inside and only venture out if you need to or in case of an emergency

-Stay off the roads and allow city snow plows to keep streets and roadways clear for emergency vehicles.

-Do not go near or touch downed wires, instead report immediately to 3-1-1.

-If you must drive, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your car.

Hakeem Jeffries hails Black History Month

On the occasion of Black History Month, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said, “African Americans have been here since before there was a country. We arrived on these shores in 1619 in shackles and as a result of our blood, our sweat, our tears, our intellect, our ingenuity, our hard work, we helped to build this great country. This month is a time to reflect on the countless achievements by our African American ancestors and acknowledge the price generations have paid to bring us to where we are today.”

Valentine’s Day photo op

A heart sculpture, designed and fabricated by Bednark Studio, and just the right size for photos with loved ones, is installed on the Empire Stores Patio (courtyard on the park side) in the DUMBO portion of Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photos can be captured on-site with prints to take home via the Self Portrait Project, courtesy of the DUMBO Improvement District. From 5 to 9 p.m. that evening, photos will be projected on the Manhattan Bridge at dimensions of 65 by 40 feet; optimal viewing is from the Pearl Street Triangle. A link to digital photos will be available on the @dumbobrooklyn Instagram account on Feb. 20. The first 100 people to have their photo taken will receive a Dumbo Dollar, worth $14 and redeemable at several DUMBO restaurants.

Cops find man dead in Crown Heights

Police are investigating a shooting that left a man dead in his apartment on St. Marks Avenue. Officers responded to a 911 call at 11 a.m. and found 68-year-old Garry Henricksen unconscious and unresponsive. He had suffered gunshot wounds to the head, abdomen and buttocks. EMS crews took him to Interfaith Hospital, which declared him dead.

Startups win Brooklyn competition

The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership announced three winners in its third annual Make It in Brooklyn competition, celebrating locally based innovative businesses. The winners are Cognitive Toy Box, which creates applications that help kids with being ready for school; Urban Energy, which helps older multifamily buildings make the transition to solar energy; and Edquity, which distributes emergency financial aid and resources to college students in need, according to published reports.

Blank Street coffee company opens retail location

Blank Street, a Williamsburg-based sustainable coffee company, is opening its first retail location at 186 Bedford Ave. The company has created an “eco-friendly” space, with compostable cups and lids, minimalist décor and merchandise made from recycled materials. Even the used coffee grounds are taken away and used for composting. Bank Street also serves products from other Brooklyn businesses, such as Parlor Coffee Roasters, King David Tacos and King Street Banking Co., according to published reports.

Andrew Yang wants casino on Governors Island

Mayoral hopeful Andrew Yang has proposed building a casino on Governor Island, as developers and legislators push to allow gambling clubs in Manhattan to fix state budget shortfalls. Yang said in an appearance on the Breakfast Club that building a casino would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. He said Governors Island is an environment that is basically unused right now, and that the money from the casino would be “bananas,” according to the Daily Mail.

Kirsten Gillibrand intros schools legislation

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has announced legislation that would invest billions in public school infrastructure and help cash-strapped school districts safely reopen under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. The Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2021 would invest more than $100 billion in grant funding to schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff, allocate funding for updates to combat the spread of COVID-19, and expand access to reliable, high-speed broadband to continue digital learning.

Man gunned down at intersection

Police are investigating a deadly shooting in Canarsie early Sunday morning. The man was gunned down at the corner of 78th Street and Farragut Road on Jan. 31. Officers from the 69th Precinct, responding to a 911 call, found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds. EMS crews took him to Brookdale hospital, where he was declared dead, according to published reports.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.