What’s News, Breaking: Wednesday, November 9, 2022

November 9, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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SHINING THE WAR MEMORIALS FOR VETERANS DAY: NYC Parks’ Citywide Monuments conservators were hard at work at work this week to preserve more than 25 war memorials ahead of Veterans Day. Parks’ bronze sculptures have been cleaned and rewaxed to make them shine in honor of our veterans. Among these memorials was the Bushwick-Ridgewood Memorial doughboy at Heisser Square in Brooklyn.

Launched in 1997, the Citywide Monuments Conservation Program is a public-private partnership that provides low-cost, professional expertise in maintaining NYC Parks’ extensive collections of monuments and permanent outdoor art.

The Bushwick-Ridgewood Memorial Doughby at Heisser Square receives a wax buffing from a Parks Department employee.
Photo credit: NYC Parks

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MUNICIPAL ART SOCIETY HONORS HEIGHTS’ EARL D. WEINER: Earl D. Weiner, Brooklyn Heights resident and longtime leader of arts and cultural institutions in the city, tonight will be among four persons awarded the Municipal Art Society of New York’s highest honor, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal. Established the year of Mrs. Onassis’ death in 1994, the Medal is awarded annually to individuals who, through vision, leadership, and philanthropy, have made a lasting contribution to New York City. Also receiving the award are Jon Batiste, Clara Wu Tsai & Joe Tsai.

An attorney by profession, Mr. Weiner has served as president of the Brooklyn Heights Association, chairman of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, (and, until last month, of the Theatre Development Fund (TDF) and other organizations.

Caption: Earl D. Weiner, pictured with his late wife Gina Ingoglia Weiner, a noted writer, illustrator and landscape designer,
Brooklyn Eagle File Photo by Rob Abruzzese

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ZELDIN CONCEDES TO GOV. HOCHUL WHO WINS ELECTION TO FULL TERM: Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Long Island) formally conceded to New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday afternoon. “I would like to congratulate New York Governor Kathy Hochul on her election to a full four-year term,” Zeldin said in a statement. “This race was a once-in-a-generation campaign, with a very close margin in the bluest of blue states.”

Hochul, who had been Lieutenant Governor under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, rose to the state’s top post after he resigned amid a scandal. Yesterday marked her first election to that post.

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NEW YORK STATE’S APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM EARNS A PROCLAMATION: November is New York State Apprenticeship Month, and Gov. Kathy Hochul has issued a Proclamation declaring this. The proclamation celebrates New York’s apprenticeship program, which is one of the largest in the nation with more than 17,000 registered apprentices in various skilled trades and more than 900 programs across the state, offering a critical pathway for New Yorkers to access quality career opportunities through hands-on learning and direct work experience with high wages and good benefits.

The state Department of Labor continues to expand registered apprenticeships into new sectors across New York State in partnership with the New York State Education Department, which provides oversight of the programs’ instruction component. Businesses interested in launching a program should visit NYSDOL’s apprenticeship resource webpage: https://dol.ny.gov/apprenticeship/overview

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SPEEDING DRIVER GETS MULTIPLE CHARGES IN PASSENGERS’ DEATH AND INJURIES: A Brooklyn man has been indicted for reckless manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, and related charges for killing an 18-year-old passenger and seriously injuring three other when he allegedly drove a Tesla at a very high rate of speed and failed to negotiate a turn onto Strickland Avenue in Mill Basin. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez identified the defendant as Jonathan Mikhaylov, 23, of Gravesend, who was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew Sciarrino and charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, second-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and speeding.

Video surveillance from a senior living community depicts the collision and the speed at which the defendant was driving, when he failed to negotiate a ninety-degree turn onto Strickland Avenue, proceeded through a metal fence, and two garbage dumpsters before becoming airborne.

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NYPD IDENTIFIES CYPRESS HILLS SHOOTING VICTIM: Police have identified the deceased victim in a shooting that took place within the 75^th Precinct on Monday evening. November 7, around 5:30, in front of 483 Ridgewood Avenue, in Cypress Hills, near the Queens border. Lulien Arnold, 35, was found following a 911 call, and transported to Jamaica Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

No arrests have been made in this incident, and the perpetrator is still at large.

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NEW YORK LEADS NATION WITH $542 MILLION IN SPORTS WAGERING REVENUE: New York State has collected $542 million in sports wagering tax revenue through the week ending October 30, far surpassing every other state in the nation, Governor Kathy Hochul announced today. An additional $200 million in licensing fees has also been collected, generating a total of more than $740 million in revenue, most of it to be used for education.

Sports wagering became available in New York in January of this year. And New York has outperformed even other states that have been accepting mobile sports wagers for several years.

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CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES FOR BARS AND RESTAURANTS: A rash of break-ins of North Brooklyn bars and restaurants has prompted City Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-33^rd District) to partner with the NYPD’s 94th Precinct, Brooklyn Allied Bars & Restaurants, the North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher (D-50^th District) for a crime-prevention strategy session. Registration for the meeting, starting at 1 p.m. is at bit.ly/nbkcrimeprevention.

Next Tuesday, November 15, neighborhood small businesses will hear directly from the 94th Precinct leadership about effective strategies in a meeting that will include Q&A and engagement with peers.

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NY TIMES PRAISES BROOKLYN’S JEWISH DELIS: Three delicatessens in Brooklyn received delicious reviews in Tuesday’s New York Times ‘Where to Eat” column for serving up Jewish-deli comfort foods. The Mill Basin Deli, named for the neighborhood it serves, was described as “one of a handful of kosher delis still “servicing a community the way that the old delis used to do it.” Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetizing in Greenpoint offers the traditional sandwiches and bagels spreads alongside some less traditional treats like a bacon, egg and cheese on challah.

And the Times praised Muslim-Yemeni-owned David’s Brisket House on Nostrand Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant for serving “exemplary Jewish deli sandwiches to a predominantly African American crowd.” One Brooklyn Eagle writer, visiting the store just a few days ago, eagerly agrees.

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FORMER WATCHTOWER BUILDING BECOMES SUPPORTIVE-HOUSING COMPLEX: Breaking Ground, considered New York’s largest supportive-housing developer, has opened 90 Sands, a former Jehovah’s Witnesses hotel that’s been converted into 491 affordable and supportive apartments in DUMBO. 90 Sands includes a newly activated plaza for public use at the corner of Sands and Jay streets, adding a new green space to the Downtown Brooklyn and DUMBO communities.

90 Sands marks Breaking Ground’s fourth hotel conversion project in New York City, since the developer’s 1990 launch.

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CENTER FOR BROOKLYN HISTORY BRINGS IN VETERAN JOURNALIST SAM ROBERTS: The Center for Brooklyn History presents a talk with veteran New York Times writer Sam Roberts on his new book, The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World’s Greatest City.” During this virtual program next Wednesday, November 16, Roberts will reveal the stories of individuals who made indelible impacts on New York but never made it into the history annals: Among them a woman who successfully sued a bus company for racial discrimination a century before Rosa Parks; and the Jewish constable who defined the city’s policing.

Author Sam Roberts is a 50-year veteran of New York journalism, an obituaries reporter and formerly the Urban Affairs correspondent at the New York Times. He has hosted the New York Times “Close Up” on CUNY-TV and the podcasts “Only in New York” (anthologized in a book of the same name).

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FUTURE BUSINESS LEADER FROM BROOKLYN WINS SCHOLARSHIP: Carroll Gardens’ resident Levita Winfield, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Management, is one of eight high-achieving students to receive a scholarship from The Berkeley College Foundation. The announcement was made during Berkeley’s annual Scholarship Awards Reception last week.

Founded in 1931, Berkeley College, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degrees and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields.

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‘CONCEALED-CARRY’ LAW ESSENTIALLY BLOCKED, INCLUDING ‘GOOD CHARACTER’ REQUIREMENT: A large segment of New York’s concealed-carry law has been blocked from enforcement as part of a legal challenge by members of Gun Owners of America, according to a Spectrum news report that broke Monday night. U.S. District Court Judge Glenn Suddaby not only blocked the power of officials to require people to submit social media data when applying for a concealed-carry permit, and blocked a ban of concealed guns in public parks, but also removed the requirement that applicants prove they are of “good moral character.”

Judge Suddaby’s ruling, on the eve of Election Day, comes into conflict with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s endeavors to limit gun violence through new laws and to block illegal firearms trafficking into New York, in what she declares are measures to keep the citizens safe.

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MURDER SUSPECT CHARGED WITH DISMEMBERING VICTIM: Murder charges have been made against a man who allegedly dismembered his girlfriend in August, and hid the body parts in suitcases in the victim’s East New York apartment. The defendant, Justin Williams, 24, was arraigned on Monday, November 7, before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun, who ordered him held without bail, on one count of second-degree murder and one count of concealment of a human corpse. The defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Brooklyn District attorney Eric Gonzalez said that, according to the investigation, victim D’Asia Johnson was believed to have dated Williams for several years.

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BATTERY FIRES, NOW CAUSING DEATHS AND INJURIES, GET ATTENTION: The fire that occurred in a high-rise apartment building on November 5 underscores the dangers of mishandling devices that use lithium-ion batteries, from phones to e-bikes and scooters, warns the National Fire Protection Association®. Fire officials report that, within the city alone, six fatal fires involving lithium-ion batteries have occurred in 2022 to date, with FDNY responding to more than 130 fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters.

Among the precautions urged: Only purchase and use devices, batteries, and charging equipment that are listed by a nationally recognized, independent-testing laboratory and labeled accordingly; only use the battery and the charger that were designed for — and came with — the device; and do not leave the device plugged in after it has been fully charged.

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NONPROFITS CAN APPLY FOR INCREASED SECURITY FUNDING: Applications are now open for community and faith-based nonprofit organizations to apply for $50 in funding through New York State’s Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Program — representing the most capital ever made available for this purpose, Governor Kathy Hochul announced. Federal funds totaling $46 million has also been awarded to 240 nonprofits through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, allowing the money to be used for plans detailing security risk management, continuity of operations, and incident response; physical security enhancement equipment, and inspection and screening systems; active shooter training, and security training for employees, members or the congregation; response exercises; and contracted security personnel.

Governor Hochul’s announcement comes as hate and bias incidents persist throughout New York and federal authorities have warned of security threats in neighboring states targeting faith-based institutions, with such hate crimes tracked separately so that trends can be monitored, and steps can be taken to prevent more from occurring.

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ENROLLMENT DECLINE WON’T CAUSE SCHOOLS TO LOSE MONEY: New York City Public Schools will hold school budgets harmless for any lower–than-projected enrollment in this year’s mid-year adjustment process — ensuring that no school will lose money due to mid-year enrollment losses, announced Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. Although enrollment in the K-12 grades has dropped by almost 10 percent, the arrival of asylum-seeker families seems to have mitigated that decline.

The city has also provided almost $12 million to support the newest students from asylum-seeking families, over $50 million in hardship supports for schools, $100 million in additional flexibility on existing funding in this year’s budget.

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DIOCESAN REVIEW BOARD ADDS EXPERTS IN SEX CRIMES, FAMILY VIOLENCE: Three law enforcement experts in the area of sex crimes and family violence have been appointed to the Diocesan Review Board, Bishop Robert Brennan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced Monday. They are, new chairman Robert Boyce, a retired 35-year NYPD veteran with experience in a magnitude of criminal investigations, including sex and cybercrimes; Joseph Fox, who served more 37 years with the NYPD, 21 as a Chief; and Gena Diacomanolis, who has been involved in investigations of criminal child abuse cases and the assistance of victims of family violence.

Chairman Boyce replaces Joseph Esposito, a 45-year veteran of the NYPD, who served as Chair of the Diocesan Review Board since 2013, and who previously served as the Commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management.

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PLANS FOR ENHANCING ANCHORAGE PLAZA: The seasonal implementation of programming and development of Anchorage Plaza at the Brooklyn Bridge is a major part of the next meeting of Brooklyn Community Board 2’s Parks & Recreation Committee, being held fully remote via Zoom on Monday, November 14 at 6 p.m. Leaders from the NYC Parks Department will give a presentation and offer a Q&A regarding a Request for Expressions of Interest (“RFEI”) for the temporary and seasonal implementation of programming, amenities, events, and development that will enhance the site.

Anchorage Plaza is a small triangle at the convergence of Fulton, York, Washington and Prospect streets, surrounding the anchorage to the Brooklyn Bridge.

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HONORING WORLD WAR II VETERAN: The Cadman Park Conservancy will honor World War II Veteran Jack Vanasco at the Brooklyn War Memorial in Cadman Plaza Park next Sunday, November 13 at noon, as part of its observance of Veterans Day 2022.

The Conservancy is partnering with Veterans for Political Innovation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on fair elections, supporting election innovations like ranked choice voting, final five voting and open primaries.

WWII veteran Jack Vanasco will be honored this weekend.
Photo courtesy of the Cadman Park Conservancy

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FREE FISHING DAY — FOR VETERANS AND ALL NEW YORKERS: New York State is honoring veterans with a statewide Free Fishing Day on Friday, November 11. Selected to coincide with Veterans Day, November 11 will mark the final Free Fishing Day of the year, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Monday, who pointed out that “Fishing is considered one of the most therapeutic outdoor activities, making it an ideal activity for veterans, those currently serving in the military, and all New Yorkers looking to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.

During designated Free Fishing Days, which began in 1991, anglers do not need a fishing license to fish New York’s fresh waters. All other fishing regulations are in effect. For more information on Free Fishing Days visit the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) website.

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The book jacket to Hands, by Torrey Maldonado
Photo credit: Penguin Random House

‘TOXIC MASCULINITY’ IS TOPIC OF RED HOOK TEACHER’S NEW BOOK: Brooklyn teacher and author Torrey Maldonado has just released his newest book, Hands, based on his own and his students’ experiences with toxic masculinity and violence. Author of the critically acclaimed What Lane? and Tight, Maldonado has taught for 25 years in Red Hook, where he was born and raised.

The protagonist in Hands is a youth named Trev who is torn between protecting his mom and sisters from a violent stepfather who is re-entering their lives, and nurturing his talent as an artist.

Teacher and Red Hook native Torrey Maldonado
Photo courtesy of the author

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GRAND OPENING, AND A CHARITABLE GIFT: Supreme Fitness Group, LLC, one of the largest Planet Fitness franchises, last week held the grand opening of its newest New York location in Sunset Park. The new club, at 4802 5th Ave., offers state-of-the-art cardio machines and strength equipment, the Planet Fitness 30-Minute Express Circuit, numerous flat screen televisions, fully equipped Black Card® Spa, among other equipment.

In celebration of the grand opening, Planet Fitness is donating $1,000 to Center for Family Life, a neighborhood-based family and social services organization with deep roots in Sunset Park.