Good Morning, Brooklyn: Monday, October 24, 2022

October 24, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Share this:

MOTOR COLLISION ON EASTBOUND BQE AT SANDS ST: Due to a vehicle collision, all eastbound lanes of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway are closed at Sands Street, near the Brooklyn Bridge and Downtown Brooklyn. Motorists should consider alternate routes and allow for additional travel time.

✰✰✰

WILLIAMSBURG YESHIVA ADMITS TO FRAUD SCHEME: Central United Talmudic Academy, a yeshiva in Williamsburg, admitted today in federal court, with United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis presiding, the school’s involvement in several overlapping frauds, including a multi-million dollar scheme to wrongfully obtain funds designated to feed needy schoolchildren. CUTA has entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the government in connection with a criminal information filed today in the Eastern District of New York charging the school with conspiring to commit wire fraud.

As part of this agreement, the School has agreed to pay $5 million in penalties, in addition to more than $3 million in restitution it has already paid, to resolve the investigation into the school’s fraudulent conduct.

✰✰✰

MOTORIST CHARGED ON MULTIPLE COUNTS
IN PEDESTRIAN’S DEATH: A motorist has been charged in the death of a pedestrian in a collision last night on Eastern Parkway near Schenectady Avenue, in Crown Heights within the 77th Precinct bounds. Jefferson Springer, 26, who is unlicensed, has been arrested, was found to be unlicensed and has been charged on several counts, including: Manslaughter, Criminally Negligent Homicide, Reckless Driving, Failure to Obey Traffic Device, and Speed Violation: Imprudent Speed. The victim, 56-year-old Walter Gonzalez, had been standing within a painted median when Springer drove into it, striking the pedestrian and knocking him to the pavement.

Springer, who was driving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado was traveling westbound on Eastern Parkway, remained on the scene after the collision, which took place around 6:30 p.m. Both men resided in Brooklyn.

✰✰✰

TODAY IS DEADLINE FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS: Today, October 24, is the deadline to request an absentee ballot online, the Kings County Democratic Committee reminds voters, who are advised to visit http://nycabsentee.com. Voters will be asked to select the reason for their request and method of delivery, and to ask for a ballot only if they plan to vote with it.

The November 8 election will include races for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, U.S. and House of Representatives, state Attorney General and Comptroller, State Senate and Assembly, State Supreme Court, Civil Court and ballot proposal. Only one third of the U.S. Senate is up for election in any two-year-cycle; this year mark Senate Majority Leader’s Chuck Schumer’s turn.

✰✰✰

SUPERSTORM SANDY RALLY TO DEMAND CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate activists tomorrow will herald the 10-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, which they declare was a consequence of climate change, and will demand that new climate policies be implemented, including a ban on fracked gas in new buildings. The activist will rally outside the New York gubernatorial debate at Pace University, demanding Governor Hochul commit to bold climate policies, which would also include a stop to liquefied natural gas (LNG) vaporizers in North Brooklyn, and her signature on legislation establishing a moratorium on crypto-mining powered by fossil fuels.

The rally and gubernatorial debate comes days before the 10-year anniversary on October 29 of Superstorm Sandy which in 2012 killed hundreds of people, left millions without power, and caused billions of dollars in damages.

✰✰✰

78^TH PRECINCT: MAN ARRESTED IN STABBING DEATH: Police on Friday arrested a man wanted in connection with a murder within the 78^th Precinct, which covers Park Slope and a portion of Gowanus. Edwin Pedroza, 42, of Staten Island is a suspect in a September 20 argument and stabbing that took place at 248 4^th Avenue, a commercial establishment identified by Google Maps as a smoke shop in Gowanus.

According to a Daily News article published Friday evening, the 37-year-old stabbing victim had accused Pedroza of having “bad manners.”

✰✰✰

MAYOR HOSTED SUMMIT ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE SOLUTIONS: Mayor Eric Adams’ administration was set to host a high-level summit at Gracie Mansion this past weekend with a wide range of stakeholders — including members of the defense bar and the judiciary, advocacy group leaders, district attorneys, and law enforcement. Their goal, according to a statement from the mayor’s office today, was to find common ground on efforts to keep New Yorkers safe and to identify actionable solutions to ensure that New Yorkers receive both safety and justice from the criminal justice system.

The administration believes that, by gathering experienced leaders and practitioners with a range of perspectives, they can identify areas of common ground and potential solutions on a range of issues, including the pretrial discovery process and the treatment of those with serious mental illness.

✰✰✰

FIRE DEPARTMENT HOLDS PARAMEDIC PROMOTION CEREMONY: The New York City Fire Department will hold a promotion ceremony today, Monday, October 24, for 41 EMS lieutenants and five paramedics. Five EMTs will be promoted to Paramedics, who are trained to provide the highest level of pre-hospital care, and who have extensive training in anatomy and physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology, as well as many critical lifesaving skills: intravenous therapy and medication administration; EKG monitoring and cardiac rhythm interpretation; and advanced airway management.

The ceremony, which takes place at the FDNY Training Academy, Field House, Randall’s Island, will also be livestreamed on the Department’s website, www.nyc.gov/FDNY.

✰✰✰

Kelly Carroll is the Atlantic Avenue BID’s new executive director.
Photo courtesy of Atlantic Avenue BID

ATLANTIC AVE. BID HAS NEW DIRECTOR: The Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District has appointed Kelly Carroll as Executive Director. An award-winning community relations professional with a decade of experience in the non-profit sector in New York City, Ms. Carroll previously served as the Director of Advocacy and Community Outreach at the Historic Districts Council, where she was instrumental in the designation of several New York City historic districts and individual landmarks.

Established in 2011 and representing more than 300 businesses in the vibrant neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill, the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (AABID) is dedicated to promoting the long-term economic development of Atlantic Avenue from 4th Avenue to the Waterfront.

✰✰✰

COLTON PLANS RALLY PROTESTING HOW CITY CHOOSES SITES FOR HOMELESS SHELTERS: The proposed site of a shelter on Kings Highway is in dilapidated condition, charges Assemblymember William Colton (D–45^th District), in his update to the community last Friday, October 21. Colton, who represents Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights, reported that inspectors from the NYC Departments of Sanitation and Health responded very quickly to his complaints that the property at 137 Kings Highway, which failed a September 26 inspection for overgrown weeds, garbage, and rat conditions; and a deteriorating fence.

Colton is leading a rally on Sunday, October 30 at the affected intersection of Kings Highway and West 13^th St., that will protest the city’s shelter policy of working with developers through what he calls “a web of third parties, LLCs, and companies that ultimately pass the cost on to taxpayers,” emphasizing that he isn’t against the homeless but rather wants a permanent solution for their housing needs.

✰✰✰

NURSES PROTEST STAFFING CRISIS PAY, AT RALLIES TODAY: Nurses serving New York City’s hospitals are sounding the alarm on a staffing crisis and urge their bosses to invest in hiring and retaining enough nurses to keep their patients safe. The New York State Nurses Association says that caregivers are burned out and not earning or receiving sufficient health care coverage to avoid a mass exodus from the profession.

Nurses will be protesting today, October 24, at some of the biggest private hospitals, including Montefiore, Mt. Sinai, and NY-Presbyterian, where their contracts will expire on Dec. 31. A spokesperson said that another protest will be held at Brooklyn Borough Hall at a future date.

✰✰✰

NYC HOSPITAL’S NURSING EXCELLENCE PROGRAM WINS AWARD: Meanwhile, a program for nurses at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County has won a prestigious Pathway to Excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which makes this the first hospital in Brooklyn — and only the second facility in New York City— to receive recognition. The Pathway designation is a globally recognized credential, with a rigorous process that confirms NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County’s commitment to creating a healthy work environment where nurses feel empowered and valued.

The program evaluates the areas of shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, well-being, and professional development, and recognizes facilities where nurses are engaged and involved in all facets of the hospital – resulting in improved patient outcomes, better safety, higher job satisfaction, and reduced turnover.

✰✰✰

WALT WHITMAN LIBRARY’S FRIENDS GROUP RELAUNCHES: The Friends of Walt Whitman Library group is relaunching on Tuesday, November 15. Friends groups advocate for funds and educate their community so that more people can benefit from the library’s diverse resources and services. The hourlong meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. will have a general-interest focus about citizens having a say in the future of this library branch, on Edwards St. in Fort Greene, within Community Board 2.

The Walt Whitman Library, according to its web page, was built on its present site, opening to the public in 1908; its predecessor was at Nassau and Bridge streets. At the time of its opening, the library, later named in 1943 to honor the 125^th anniversary of the poet’s birth, housed a substantial collection on naval architecture and science that served workers at the nearby Brooklyn Navy Yard.

✰✰✰

THEATRICAL IMPROV PROGRAM BUILDS BONDS BETWEEN NYPD AND COMMUNITY: An innovative partnership between the Irondale theatre group and the NYPD is opening civilian applications for its next community program in the To Protect, Serve and Understand series, Round 9. A new 10-week program begins on November 8 that utilizes theatrical improvisation to build communication and empathy between officers and the communities they are charged to protect and serve.

During the program, which runs Tuesday evening from 6-10 p.m., seven NYPD officers and seven community members join forces over a meal, discussion, improvisation exercises and personal testimony, with the culmination being original and spontaneous public performances. Apply via email to: [email protected]