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Good Morning, Brooklyn: Monday, August 8, 2022

August 8, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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CON EDISON INITIATES VOLTAGE REDUCTIONS: As New York endures a prolonged heat wave, Consolidated Edison is reducing voltage in parts of Brooklyn, impacting the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bedford Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Crown Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush, East Flatbush, Ocean Hill, Brownsville and East New York. The Eagle received word also that all classes at NYC College of Technology in Downtown Brooklyn were canceled after 2 p.m. today due to scheduled Con Ed voltage reductions.

The utility is asking that Brooklynites limit use of appliances, and report outages to www.coned.com/ReportOutage or 800-75-CONED.

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HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY: The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for New York City until Tuesday, August 9 at 8 p.m.  High heat and humidity, with heat indices of 100 degrees are expected, causing dangers to people, particularly older adults and those with chronic health conditions such as asthma, and New Yorkers without air conditioning.

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Recommended precautions include avoiding strenuous activity, particularly outdoors, and to find a cooling center if needed.

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COOLING CENTERS REMAIN OPEN DURING HEAT WAVE: Given the forecast expected high temperatures and heat indices, NYC cooling centers will remain open through Tuesday, August 9th. Cooling centers are air-conditioned facilities, such as libraries, community centers, and senior centers, that are open to the public during heat emergencies.

Readers can visit https://maps.nyc.gov/cooling-center/  for the nearest location in their neighborhoods. Many of the cooling centers in Brooklyn are for older adults only.

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This elderly man, identified as Felipe Arzu, 75, has been reported missing.
Photo: NYPD

SILVER ALERT FOR MISSING MAN IN EASTERN BROOKLYN: A Silver Alert has been issued for Felipe Arzu, a 75-year-old Hispanic male, last seen around 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, from the area of Dumont Avenue and Williams Avenue in Brooklyn’s East New York section. The missing man, who has dementia and may be in need of medical attention, is 5’6”, 220 lbs. bald, and with brown eyes.

Readers who spot the missing person please call 1-800-577-8477 (TIPS) or 9-1-1.

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AWARDS FOR SLOWEST BUS ROUTES ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK: Commuters might be waiting with baited breath for the release of this year’s Pokey and Schleppie “awards” for the slowest and least reliable bus service in the city. The awards, to be announced in Manhattan later this morning with bus riders, transit advocates and representatives from the New York Public Interest Research Group’s Straphangers Campaign and TransitCenter, will include a breakdown of the slowest and least reliable buses for each of New York City’s five boroughs.

Also being presented are proposals for better bus service throughout the city.

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RALLY FOR BETTER BROOKLYN BUS SERVICE: Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s bus riders, transit advocates and elected officials will gather on Tuesday at Flatbush and Ocean avenues, near the “Flatbush Trees” sculpture installation, to rally for better bus service here. They will rally for major improvements to Flatbush Avenue bus priority, both in the wake of Mayor Eric Adams; pledge of implementing 150 miles of bus lanes and busways within four years, and ahead of 2023 NYC DOT implementation of new street treatments to speed up bus service and improve loading and unloading for businesses along Brooklyn’s major transit artery, Flatbush Avenue.

Among those expected to participate are members and leaders of the grassroots Riders Alliance, Transit Workers Union Local 100, Straphangers Campaign, Transportation Alternatives, TransitCenter, and Tri-State Transportation Campaign, City Councilmembers Rita Joseph, Crystal Hudson, Lincoln Restler and Mercedes Narcisse, Assemblymembers Brian Cunningham and Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, and State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Kevin Parker.

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LANDMARKS HONOR VETERANS ON PURPLE HEART DAY: Brooklynites wondering why One World Trade Center and the Kosciuszko Bridge linking Brooklyn and Queens on the BQE were lit in purple may be interested to know that this tribute honors military veterans. Yesterday, Sunday August 7, was Purple Heart Day, and Gov. Kathy Hochul directed that several state landmarks, including the two visible in Brooklyn be lit, saying, “Today, the Purple Heart represents the immense cost and sacrifices our service members made through their military service to our State and Nation.”

The predecessor of the modern Purple Heart badge was established on August 7, 1782, at the Headquarters in Newburgh, New York, when General George Washington ordered the creation of the Badge of Military Merit, the first military decoration of what was to become the United States of America. The modern Purple Heart was later recognized on April 5, 1917.

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SMITH ST. MERCHANT SELLS WINNING TAKE 5 TICKET: A Smith Street merchant in Downtown Brooklyn sold a top-prize winning TAKE 5 for $42,053.50 on Saturday evening. Smith Food Express, at 23 Smith Street sold the winning ticket.

TAKE 5 players with midday and evening draws on the same ticket must check their numbers at nylottery.ny.gov to determine if they have the winning numbers for the corresponding midday or evening drawing.

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LANDER AFFIRMS EDUCATION FUNDING, DEMANDS CLARITY: Following a State Supreme Court judge’s ruling in favor of parents and educators on the city’s education budget, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander declared that the funds are available; and that clarity and stability must be brought to classroom funding as schools prepare to open for a new year. “The fastest way to fill the gaps facing principals is to use federal stimulus funds set aside for education. The city has the funds to fill the $469 million Fair Student Funding cut to 77 percent of schools, helping to restore them to their FY22 funding levels,” Lander reported.

However, some news reports, including City & State, point out that Mayor Eric Adams, who supports the budget as passed last month by City Council, plans to appeal the judge’s decision.

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CRIME INCREASES IN NYC: Crime, and in particular the number of overall shooting incidents, increased in the city during July, compared with the same time last year, according to a report released on Friday from the New York City Police Department. Citywide shooting incidents increased by 13.4 percent (178 v. 157), driven by upticks in Brooklyn, southern Queens, and Staten Island; as did the number of murders — 34.3 percent (47 v. 35) compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the NYPD reports The NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Section continues to build strong cases by locating and seizing illegal firearms – and in many instances removing them before they can ever be sold on New York City’s streets. The NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Section continues to build strong cases by locating and seizing illegal firearms – and in many instances removing them before they can ever be sold on New York City’s streets.

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LEGAL ADVOCACY GROUPS CALLS ON CITY TO PREPARE FOR MIGRANT BUSLOADS FROM TEXAS: Responding to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s announcement earlier today that he was busing migrants from his state to New York City and Washington, DC, the Legal Aid Society called on the city to “ensure that beds and critical services are immediately available to meet any demand.”

“Governor Abbott is shamelessly exploiting these migrants – human beings who have endured immense suffering in their home countries and on the journey to the United States, seeking safe haven and a better life – to serve some myopic political purpose,” the statement read.

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DIRECT TRAIN RESUMES FOR GREAT NEW YORK STATE FAIR: Direct train service to and from the Great New York State Fair opening later this month is resuming, Governor Kathy Hochul, Amtrak and the State Department of Transportation announced on Friday. As part of their 20-year partnership, Amtrak customers and Fair visitors can combine the benefits of traveling sustainably and experiencing the best in entertainment and agriculture at the Empire State’s largest annual event, with best-of-agriculture, games, delicious food and one-of-a-kind exhibits.

The Great New York State Fair opens at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse on Wednesday, August 24 and runs through Monday, September 5 (Labor Day). Train tickets are available now at Amtrak.com, via the Amtrak mobile app, at station ticket counters or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL

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MALONEY WILL PUSH FOR GUN LIABILITY LAW: Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-12/northern Brooklyn), chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, will introduce legislation to hold gun manufacturers accountable for the damage inflicted by their products. The legislation will address some of the findings from the Committee’s investigation and from the July 27, 2022, hearing that examined the role of the firearm industry in America’s gun violence epidemic. The House of Representatives last week passed the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021.

Following the July 27 hearing with Mark P. Smith, the president/CEO of gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, in which he refused to accept responsibility for the gun violence and deaths from mass shootings, she issued him a subpoena for her committee’s investigation.

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REP. MALLIOTAKIS FORMS TASK FORCE TO SUPPORT POLICE: Congressmember Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), a member of the American Security Law Enforcement Task Force, on Friday unveiled legislative recommendations the task force has proposed to restore public safety in cities across America in the event that Republicans takes back the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The American Security Law Enforcement Task Force has unveiled the following legislative recommendations: Support and FUND the Police; Tackle Recruitment and Retention Issues; Address Crime Against Officers; and Ensure Transparency from Progressive Prosecutors.

In June, Malliotakis introduced the Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act which would hold prosecutors accountable and create transparency by letting the public know how many cases prosecutors are declining to prosecute, the number of offenses committed by career criminals, and the number of criminals released.

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BROOKLYN’S FIRST ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL CELEBRATES ITS BICENTENNIAL: The Most. Rev. Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of St. James Cathedral-Basilica, during a special 2 p.m. Mass on Sunday, August 14. St. James, established in 1822, was the first parish on Long Island which gave birth to the Diocese of Brooklyn 31 years later, in 1853 and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, more than a century later, in 1957.

Bishop Brennan’s weekly #BigCityPodcast for this week also focuses on the history of St. James Cathedral-Basilica. The Diocesan website also has a documentary on the Cathedral’s history, including its elevation as a Basilica.

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SECOND WINNING LOTTO TICKET SOLD IN BROOKLYN: Another Brooklyn merchant, New Xing Market on 8th Avenue in Sunset Park, sold a prize-winning ticket worth $132,392. for the Wednesday, August 3 LOTTO drawing. The New Xing Market on 8th Avenue in Sunset Park sold the prize-winning ticket.

The winning numbers for the August 3 New York LOTTO drawing are 2 – 11 – 23 – 25 – 44- 57 and Bonus Number 33. The winning ticket matched five of the six numbers and the bonus number

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VOTERS GET THEIR SAY AT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION’S PUBLIC MEETING: Brooklyn gets its turn at a public hearing with the New York City Redistricting Commission later this month at Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights. City Council District 33, which covers Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn and vicinity, are among those affected, with proposed boundary shifts in South Williamsburg and Boerum Hill. The Brooklyn public hearing will take place on August 21 from 3:30-7 p.m. at Medgar Evers College (CUNY), School of Science Health & Technology, Dining Hall, 1638 Bedford Avenue.

Everyone is welcome to testify at an upcoming public hearing. Those who want to attend the hearings remotely should visit nyc.gov/districting the morning of the event for livestream information.

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ROUNDTABLE EXAMINES IMPACT OF ELECTION LIES: A virtual roundtable with state officials and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-12/northern Brooklyn), taking place next Thursday, will examine the effects of the unprecedented rise in election lies following the 2020 presidential election, including the impact that election lies have on state and local election administrators. The roundtable, at 1:30 p.m. on August 11, will also explore how these administrators have worked to maintain election integrity and legitimacy, and the level of federal support needed to defend against election misinformation.

The Oversight Committee has been investigating the harm of election misinformation since early 2021.

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NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH BEING FORMED AFTER FATAL ARMED ROBBERY: Following the fatal robbery-related shooting on Friday of a 19-year-old Brooklyn man at BJ’s parking garage, Assemblyman William Colton (D-47) is organizing a Neighborhood Watch in his district, which covers Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights and other parts of southwest Brooklyn.  Assemblyman Colton designated Susan Zhuang, his Chief of Staff, to start a Neighborhood Watch Program, which will focus on community safety through citizen involvement, and which will have a role in neighborhood assistance, crime prevention, disaster recovery, emergency response coordination.

The shooting took place BJ’s in Bath Beach, across the street from Assemblymember William Colton’s 47 District Office.

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CONEY ISLAND BURGLARY SUSPECT SOUGHT: The New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in tracking down an unidentified man who is wanted in connection to a commercial burglary that occurred within the 60th Precinct. This past Friday, August 5 around 10 p.m., the man used a screwdriver to pry open the front door to a medical facility located at 135 Sea Breeze Avenue in Coney Island, entered the building without permission or authority, removed an iPad while inside and then fled the location to parts unknown.

The individual being sought is described as a male with a light complexion, thin build, and was last seen wearing a brown hat with “adizero” on the front, a tan, short-sleeve button down shirt, blue jeans, tan sneakers and carrying a tan bag. Readers who spot or recognize him are asked to call 1-800-577-8477 (TIPS) or 9-1-1.

This unidentified male was captured on video trying to break into a Coney Island business on Sea Breeze Ave,
Photo credit: NYPD

 


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