Around Brooklyn: Green-Wood Cemetery seeks to identify WWII vets

March 25, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

A view of Green-Wood Cemetery. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Green-Wood Cemetery seeks to identify WWII vets

Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, which has been used since 1840, is now seeking to identify the burial site of every World War II veteran buried in the picturesque cemetery. Previously, Green-Wood identified and honored Civil War and World War I veterans who were buried there. The effort started in 2002 after the rededication of Green-Wood’s Civil War monument inspired Green-Wood historian Jeff Richman to begin locating the gravestones of Civil War veterans, according to Military Times.
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Luxury condo sales rebound

Luxury contracts for condos have rebounded in Brooklyn, according to Compass’ weekly report. There were 21 signed contracts last week for properties asking $2 million or more in the borough. While last week’s properties were mainly townhouses, this week’s properties included 10 townhouses, 10 condos and one co-op. The most expensive property was a four-bedroom single-family townhouse at 328 Sackett St., which features a private garage and terrace, according to The Real Deal.

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Yoga on Brooklyn Museum steps

On May 8, meet local yoga instructors for a morning of socially distant yoga and meditation on the steps of the Brooklyn Museum. Masks are required for all adults and children over the age of 2. Indoor restrooms will be available. Space registration is first come, first served. Please bring your own mat.
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Man fires shots into apartment lobby

Police are seeking a man who opened fire into the lobby of a Crown Heights apartment building in the early morning. The incident took place on Monday morning around 1:15 on Bergen Street. The NYPD says the man went up to the building, fired several rounds into the lobby, then ran away down the street. Police released a video of the man. He was wearing a black mask, a gray hooded sweater, black pants and black boots, said Fox 5 News.
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MTA studies new York Street entrance

The MTA is study a possible second entrance to DUMBO’s York Street F Train subway entrance, but locals were skeptical about these plans. One area resident said at a community board meeting that these promises are made every year. The station was built in 1936, when DUMBO was mainly an industrial area, and the current entrance takes riders through a set of turnstiles, down a long, sloping tunnel and then down several flights of stairs. Between 2013 and 2018, ridership at the station increased 22 percent due to increased residential and office development in the area, according to published reports.
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BP Eric Adams, others at odds with MTA

Earlier this week, Borough President Eric Adams, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and others appeared at a rally to support the Transport Workers’ Union’s lawsuit against the MTA to restore the C and F trains to pre-pandemic levels. The MTA recently aimed to make permanent cuts to both lines that were made last summer. Ridership has been steadily increasing during the past few months. “We support the lawsuit by the TWU to reverse service cuts made last summer on the C and F lines. With our recovery process underway, now is not the time to cut service underserved New Yorkers rely on,” said Adams.
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Was Bushwick stab victim killed by best friend?

A Brooklyn man stabbed to death near his home in Bushwick was killed by his best friend who was out on bail in a gun possession case, police said. “That was his best friend. But something was off with him,” Jose Perez Rivera’s distraught aunt, Jeanette Rivera, told the Daily News. The suspect jumped on Rivera, stabbing him in broad daylight as people walked by on Hart Street and Knickerbocker Avenue. Police noticed the blood trail, which led to the suspect, Jonathan Hernandez, police said.
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Elderly Asian couple attacked

An older Asian couple walking on 86th Street in Gravesend Tuesday was accosted by a man who tried to intimidate them and grab their shopping bags. A witness yelled at the man, then the attacker pulled an object from his pocket and started yelling. An MTA bus driver saw what was happening and intervened. The suspect punched the bus driver and spat on him, but soon ran away. Police caught up with the attacker and arrested him, according to NBC News.
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Affordable lottery in East Flatbush

An affordable housing lottery has been launched for 250 Lenox Road, a seven-story apartment building in East Flatbush. The development, designed by Diego Aguilera Architects, has 24 units. Available on NYC Housing Connect are seven units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income, ranging from $67,860 to $133,120. The building has a laundry room, gym, bike storage locker, a rooftop terrace and parking for eight vehicles, according to New York YIMBY.
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Jumaane Williams calls for April pause

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, City Council Health Committee Chair Mark Levine and epidemiologist Dr. Celine Gounder held a virtual press conference on Tuesday to all on the state and city to delay impending April reopenings. Such a pause, they said, would allow officials to assess the impact of previous steps and to slow the spread of the virus long enough to “win the race between vaccination rates and the rate of COVID-19 variant speed.”
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Landlord sues over ‘Motherless Brooklyn’

The landlord of the Harlem building used to film Edward Norton’s “Motherless Brooklyn” is suing over the deadly fire that killed an FDNY firefighter in 2018. Vincent Sollazzo Lampkin filed two summonses on Sunday against the Golden Globe winner, the film’s production companies and the city. The landlord of 773 St. Nicholas Ave. is seeking damages for breach of contract, negligence and other claims related to the basement fire that killed Firefighter Michael Davidson, according to the New York Post. Davidson’s widow has accused the city of issuing permits for filming even though there were open violations in the building.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.