What’s News, Breaking: Friday, December 16, 2022

December 16, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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ST. NICK’S ALLIANCE AWARDED FUNDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JOB TRAINING

NORTH BROOKLYN – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $500,000 to the Williamsburg-based St. Nicks Alliance and The Fortune Society for environmental job training, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, U.S. Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-7th District) announced on Friday. These grants will allow the groups to conduct training that will lead to certifications and environmental job placements, with St. Nicks Alliance targeting and training students within north and central Brooklyn.

St. Nick’s Alliance was established in 1975 when parishioners of St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church responded to help their neighbors recover from a fire that destroyed a row of frame buildings on Powers Street, and has since grown in the forefront of a nationwide grassroots movement to preserve and improve neighborhoods, according to the not-for-profit organization’s website.

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GRAND JURY SUBMITS SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT IN CASE OF SUBWAY TERRORIST

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN – A grand jury sitting in Eastern District (Brooklyn federal) Court handed down a superseding indictment on Friday, December 16, adding an 11th count to the 10 counts already made against defendant Frank James — one for each gunshot victim in the April 12 morning rush-hour mass shooting on an N train in Sunset Park. Frank James stands accused of committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system and vehicle carrying passengers and employees, in violation of several sections of Title 18, United States Code.

If convicted, Mr. James faces up to life in prison on each of the 11 counts in the new superseding indictment.

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NEW LAW ESTABLISHES BLUE ALERT SYSTEM TO FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME AGAINST POLICE

STATEWIDE – New York State will soon join most of the U.S. in establishing a Blue Alert Network system to crack down on violent crimes against police officers, now that Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to enable this. The system will aid in the identification, location and apprehension of individuals suspected of killing or seriously wounding a police officer and will become part of the National Blue Alert Network, which disseminates information to the public on violent crimes against law enforcement officers and can be issued when a suspect poses an imminent and credible threat to law enforcement, or when an officer is missing in the line of duty.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s COPS website, only a handful of states, including Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Arkansas and Louisiana, have not yet implemented formal statewide Blue Alert Plans.

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GRADUATION GOODS COMPANY PENALIZED FOR JEOPARDIZING CONSUMERS’ DATA

STATEWIDE – Leading graduation-apparel company Herff Jones will have to pay New York and Pennsylvania $200,000 in penalties, as part of an agreement with New York Attorney General Letitia James, for its failure to secure customers’ personal and payment information. An April 2021 data breach exposed the credit card information of thousands of Herff Jones consumers, including more than 40,000 New Yorkers — mostly students — even though Herff Jones told them that it maintained administrative, technical and physical security measures to protect against the loss.

The Office of the Attorney General’s investigation found that Herff Jones, which produces and sells caps and gowns, class rings, yearbooks and other graduation memorabilia, was not in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard requirements.

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FAULTY MAINTENANCE HURT SHOOTING INVESTIGATION, MTA FINDS

SUNSET PARK – When a shooter attacked Brooklyn’s 36th Street subway station in April of this year, city residents were baffled to learn that cameras in the station were not operational at the time of the incident, leading to a manhunt that resulted in the uneventful capture of the shooter more than a day later. Now, the MTA’s Inspector General has issued a report confirming what many suspected – that “shortfalls in staffing, maintenance, and internal controls” led to the delayed discovery that cameras in the station hadn’t been functioning for four days prior to the attack and hampered efforts to fix the problem after the discovery.

While no one died in the April attack, the MTA says it’s committed to addressing these concerns in order to prevent any future tragedies. The full report can be found on the website of the MTA Inspector General.

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POLICE SEEK YOUNG WOMEN IN ROBBERY INCIDENT

If you recognize either of these two women, please reach out to police with any information you can share. All tips are strictly confidential.

BUSHWICK – Police are searching for two young women who on the night of December 2 entered a grocery store on Bushwick Ave. and began removing merchandise from the store before jumping over the counter to punch the clerk in the head, ultimately making off with over $1500 in stolen goods. The young women are both described as being between the ages of 15 and 22 with dark skin, with one woman having red hair and the other having long red braids.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or to log onto the Crime Stoppers website or to Tweet @NYPDTips.

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CONSTRUCTION WORKER KILLED IN FALL

BOROUGH PARK – WABC7 reports that a construction worker was killed after falling three stories from a building on 45th Street on Thursday afternoon. The worker was brought to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

As construction worker deaths in the city appear to be on the rise following the pandemic with development booming, some activists say Governor Hochul is sitting on legislation that could help improve worker safety statewide.

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“GUERILLA ACTIVISTS” FIGHT TRAFFIC TICKET DODGERS

DOWNTOWN – Brooklyn residents are fighting back against a plague of bad drivers who deliberately conceal their license plates, one car at a time. Gothamist reports that Streetsblog editor Gersh Kuntzman is leading the charge, along with other activists who patrol neighborhood streets with paint pens and tools, removing obstructions and fixing bent plates in an effort to make license numbers readable by traffic cameras and pedestrians.

According to Gothamist, the DOT says that by last fall it was unable to ticket 4% of the offenders it caught speeding or violating traffic laws with its cameras.

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CHARMING ANIMATION BRINGS BROWNSTONE PAST TO LIFE

CARROLL GARDENS – Filmmakers and old-timers have collaborated to animate the experience of growing up Italian American in Brownstone Brooklyn in the 70s. Film-festival darling “The Originals” turns the memories of five men into a trip back in time to their boyhood in a neighborhood that was much closer-knit than it is today, leading one of the men to hope that “all these kids’ll watch this short story yous guys are producing here, directing, and what have you—they come back out in the street.”

The film is showcased as a New Yorker documentary selection and can be seen in full on their website.

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STATEN – BROOKLYN FERRY PLAN ON HOLD

SOUTH BROOKLYN – Commuters will have to wait for a potential connection between Staten Island and south Brooklyn on the NYC Ferry, as the agency in charge of it refocuses towards financial stability under the Adams administration. “As the system stabilizes over the next few years, we can then evaluate if further expansion makes sense and if so, where,” a spokesperson told SI Live.

2022 has been a mixed bag for fans of the ferry system, while the service has added more routes, including between Staten Island and Manhattan, fares have also increased from $2.75 to $4.

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VIOLENT ROBBERY BY POLICE IMPERSONATOR

GRAVESEND – A young man trying to sell power tools online was victimized on the afternoon of December 11 by two men who had asked him to meet at the corner of 21st Ave. and 83rd St. in order to complete the transaction. One of the two men claimed to be a police officer, before punching the victim several times, grabbing the power tools and fleeing the scene.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) or to log onto the Crime Stoppers website or to Tweet @NYPDTips.

If you recognize either individual, please contact the police with any information you can share. All tips are strictly confidential.

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POTENTIAL D.C. SANCTIONS FOR GIULIANI

WASHINGTON, D.C – A disciplinary committee at the D.C. Bar Association found on Thursday that former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani violated ethical principles in connection with his representation of former President Donald Trump during Trump’s 2020 election campaign. The association’s disciplinary counsel then suggested that Giuliani, who is currently barred from practicing law in New York, should face similar sanctions in the nation’s capital as well.

The committee’s recommendations are non-binding, but reflect strong disapproval of the former mayor’s claims of election fraud. The D.C. Court of Appeals will have final say over the matter.

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PUBLIC SERVICE RETIREES DEMAND A SAY IN FINDING MEDIGAP SOLUTIONS

The NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees has released a statement denouncing an independent arbitrator’s ruling that allows the Adams Administration to switch them to a privatized Medicare plan against their will. The statement points out that, “Retirees were not part of the arbitration process. But if the City seeks to violate Retirees’ rights again, Retirees will once again have to seek judicial intervention to protect their healthcare rights.”

Declaring, “We built this City and our former unions. We rebuilt this City after 9/11,” Marianne Pizzitola, the group’s president and spokeswoman, offered a solution: “Grandfather us, or use our suggestions to find savings including allowing us to assist you in leading the nation in developing a Medigap plan we WANT, and get it federally funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.”

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ARBITRATOR RULES FOR CITY IN RETIREES’ MEDICARE COVERAGE

An independent arbitrator for the City of New York won a key ruling for Mayor Eric Adams in his plan to move thousands of NYC municipal retirees into a privatized Medicare Advantage Plan and make it the only available health care offering for them, according to several published news reports. Arbitrator Martin Scheinman’s ruling hinged on removing the city’s plan to levy a fine against retirees who choose to remain on the traditional Medicare plan – a policy that would have violated a local law that requires the city to provide retirees with premium-free health coverage for life.

However, Marianne Pizzitola, president of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees and the FDNY EMS Retirees Association, wasted no time issuing a statement pledging that their fight continues.

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CITY PUTS PRESSURE ON ASIAN ADVOCACY GROUP TO REPAIR LANDMARKED BUILDING IT OWNS

SUNSET PARK – The City of New York may use legal pressure to get the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association to repair a crumbling landmarked building that it owns on Sunset Park’s Fourth Avenue, according to news reports. An attorney with the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which in 1983 designed the old 68^th Precinct House and Stable at 4302 Fourth Ave. as an NYC Landmark, has notified Borough Hall that it may utilize the court system to pressure the Asian advocacy organization to fix the property.

Built in 1886, the old 68^th Precinct House and Stable were last used in 1970. As Landmarks, they cannot be demolished, but a number of preservation groups are protesting the fact that buildings like it have been allowed to fall into disrepair.

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MASS WITH MARIACHIS, TORCH PROCESSIONS HONOR OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

PROSPECT HEIGHTS – The Diocese of Brooklyn celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 with two Spanish masses (for Brooklyn and Queens parishes) at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific Street. About 3,000 pilgrims and a Mariachi band filled the cathedral to venerate St. Mary and her early 16^th-century appearance to Juan Diego, an Aztec convert to Christianity.

Following each Mass, Bishop Brennan lit the torches carried by representatives from 44 parishes. An estimated 175,000 Mexicans live in Brooklyn and Queens.

Bishop Robert Brennan lights the torches that representatives from 44 parishes carried throughout to their respective churches in Brooklyn and Queens. Photo: DeSales Media.

Worshipers at the annual Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe carry their parish banners into the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph for the Opening Procession. Photo: DeSales Media.

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PART TWO OF CATHOLIC SCHOOL PRINCIPAL’S TRILOGY SET FOR RELEASE THIS FRIDAY

Bay Ridge Catholic Academy Principal Gary recently celebrated the launch of his “Gone But Not Forgotten” trilogy with one of his first-graders. Photo: DeSales Media.

BAY RIDGE – “Gone but Not Forsaken,” the second book in a historical fiction trilogy authored by longtime New York City educator Gary M. Williams, is set to be released tomorrow, Friday, December 16. Williams, a teacher and principal with the New York City Department of Education for thirty-five years, and who currently serves as the Principal of Bay Ridge Catholic Academy, was inspired to write a historical fiction novel spanning the 20^th century.

Set in America and Europe during the period of 1918–1945, the book parallels post-World War I through the end of World War II, and parallels the birth of Hollywood glitz, the Pearl Harbor bombing, the rise of Nazism, the Third Reich and the American/Allied victory.

The book jacket for Part II of Brooklyn educator Gary Williams’s “Gone But Not Forgotten” trilogy. Photo: Austin Macauley Publishers.

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DIOCESAN CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY CELEBRATES BROOKLYN’S RICH ETHNIC HERITAGE

GRAND ARMY PLAZA – Bishop Robert J. Brennan presided at the official Brooklyn Diocesan Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and blessing of the Nativity Scene, in front of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza on Wednesday evening, December 14. The 28-foot Norway Spruce tree is decorated with 16,000 multi-colored LED lights to represent the diversity of the Diocese of Brooklyn, which is often referred to as the “Diocese of Immigrants.”

Speaking during the event, which also featured a Christmas musical presentation, Bishop Brennan said, “We are going to push back the darkness in the light of this glorious Christmas tree so that all of Brooklyn can see what we are celebrating, that Brooklyn can see our joy, Brooklyn can see our love, Brooklyn can see our unity.”

The Diocesan Christmas Tree at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch is just a few short blocks from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph on Pacific St. near Vanderbilt Ave., which flows into the plaza. Photo: DeSales Media.

The Brooklyn Diocesan Christmas Tree lights up the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza. Photo: DeSales Media.

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IN MEMORIAM: DISTRICT LEADER JOANNE SEMINARA

BAY RIDGE – The Bay Ridge and Brooklyn law communities are mourning the loss of Joanne Seminara, Esq. who died on Thursday, December 15. An attorney by profession, Ms. Seminara was also Brooklyn Democratic Party District Leader for the 64^th Assembly District, which covers a portion of southwest Brooklyn, a member of Brooklyn Community Board 10, and a parishioner at St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church.

The Brooklyn Democratic Party on Thursday released a statement eulogizing Ms. Seminara as “a lifelong community advocate with a strong moral compass who selflessly dedicated her life to uplifting the community” and “a tireless worker for human rights, especially human trafficking, using her three decades of legal acumen to help.”

Joanne Seminara is pictured here in her 2016 re-election bid for 64th A.D. District Leader, with Justin Brannan (center, then an aide to City Councilmember Vincent Gentile) and Ms. Seminara’s husband, Pierre Lehu. Photo: Paula Katinas.

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PILOT PROGRAM NETS $4.1 MILLION RETAIL VALUE OF ILLEGAL CANNABIS GOODS

CITYWIDE – The Cannabis NYC Interagency Enforcement Task Force, a joint project of several NYC law enforcement agencies, conducted a two-week inspection and enforcement pilot program against establishments selling illegal cannabis (including ingestible edibles), vaping and tobacco products. The pilot, conducted during the weeks of November 14-19 and again November 28-December 3, resulted in the inspections of 53 locations in all five boroughs, the seizure of more than 100,000 illegal products, totaling an estimated retail value of $4,143,647, the issuance of 500 civil violations and 66 criminal summonses, two felony arrests, and one arrest on an outstanding warrant.

Mayor Eric Adams, who announced the task force’s work on Thursday, December 15, also promoted what he called a “more equitable” rollout of the legal cannabis market.

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CHRIST CHURCH-COBBLE HILL HOSTS MARATHON READING OF ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’

Cobble Hill becomes a 19^th-century English village this Saturday, December 17 when Christ Church hosts a marathon reading of Charles Dickens’s beloved classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Fr. Mark Genszler, priest-in-charge at Christ Church, invites the community to pause their schedules as they like and to listen as parishioners and friends of the parish take turns reading.

The reading runs from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Parish House, just past the southwest corner of Clinton and Kane streets. Cider and cookies will be served.

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CLIMATE GROUP CALLS FOR STATE BUDGET TO INCLUDE ‘ALL-ELECTRIC BUILDING ACT’

Marking the first anniversary of the passage of New York City’s nation-leading ban on fossil fuels in new buildings, industry professionals, elected officials and activists held a press conference regarding the cost savings from all-electric buildings. The speakers urged Governor Kathy Hochul to include in her budget the All-Electric Building Act, which would require all-electric new construction statewide.

Win Climate, a think tank that uses data science to support legislators and advocates working to pass state-level climate policies, and its team of data scientists, financial analysts, energy modelers and policy researchers, has published a new analysis showing that under the All-Electric Building Act, families living in new homes could save an average of nearly $1,000 per year in heating costs.

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CAR THEFT VICTIM SURVIVES ATTACK IN BOROUGH PARK

If you recognize this suspect, please contact police with any information you may have. All calls are strictly confidential.

BOROUGH PARK – A Borough Park man sustained only minor injuries after attempting to stop the theft of his car, a black 2016 Honda Civic which had been left unlocked, on the morning of Nov. 10. The thief, described as a male with a light complexion, medium build, black hair and a goatee wearing an Adidas sweatshirt, fought with the victim before striking him with the car as he made his getaway up 14^th Ave.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) or to log onto the Crime Stoppers website or to Tweet @NYPDTips.

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BROOKLYN’S LARGEST MENORAH TO LIGHT UP FOR HANUKKAH

PARK SLOPE – On December 18, as it has since 1985, Brooklyn’s largest menorah will once again shine over Grand Army Plaza in celebration of the Jewish winter festival of lights. Rabbi Shimon Hecht, lifted by a 60-foot boom lift, will do the honors on the first night, accompanied by other public figures and live music, while gifts are given to all children and hot latkes are free for everyone.

The celebration will kick off at 4 p.m. and is free and open to all. Scheduling information for other nights can be found on the Prospect Park Alliance’s website.

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MAN SOUGHT IN CONNECTION WITH TRAFFIC SHOOTING

Urgent help is needed in finding this individual. Any tips given to police are strictly confidential.

CROWN HEIGHTS – A 52-year-old man was shot and injured while driving on Rochester Ave. on Wednesday afternoon, after an unidentified man fired a gun at another group of males before fleeing into the Crown Heights-Utica Avenue subway station. Police are asking for help in finding this man who is described as being in his 20s, having a dark complexion, thin build and large, black hair, and was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a black North Face bubble jacket.

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SWEDISH CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IN BAY RIDGE

BAY RIDGE – The Ridge Creative Center in partnership with the Scandinavian East Coast Museum will be sharing the Swedish tradition of Santa Lucia with the local community on Friday, December 16. The celebration, which features a procession of Christmas characters led by the candle-crowned St. Lucia herself, will also involve a sing-along and other holiday delights.

The event will be held at Union Church of Bay Ridge and will begin at 5:30 p.m.

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NORTH BROOKLYN RESIDENTS FEAR IMPACT OF GAS PROJECT

GREENPOINT – Activists have issued a statement urging community and government leaders to pump the breaks on a proposed project to add two new fracked gas vaporizers, said by National Grid to be a necessary reliability upgrade but found by a report last month to be redundant, at the National Grid gas storage facility in Greenpoint. The addition of these vaporizers, the activists say, would raise rates for consumers and could run afoul of a New York law that requires consideration to be given to historically marginalized areas designated as “Environmental Justice Communities.” Jessica Azulay, executive director of Alliance for a Green Economy, said, “National Grid has flouted this law by continuing to propose and build unnecessary fossil fuel projects like the LNG vaporizers and the North Brooklyn Pipeline in disadvantaged communities.”

The fight over the controversial North Brooklyn Pipeline has been ongoing for years. The pipeline has caused much distress over its planned route, which winds through primarily lower-income areas of Brooklyn while avoiding wealthier ones.

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BROOKLYN MAN ARRESTED IN MANHATTAN HOMICIDE

EAST NEW YORK – East New York resident Lashawn Delima, 32, along with Queens resident Lmani Delima, 30, has been arrested in connection with a shooting incident in Chelsea last month that left one man dead and two others injured. On the night of Nov. 12, police officers responding to a report of a shooting outside a Chelsea art gallery found Rasithamar Grant of Queens deceased at the scene, as well as an injured woman who was transported to the hospital by EMS and an injured man who was transported to the hospital by private means.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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CONEY ISLAND MAN MISSING

CONEY ISLAND – Police are seeking help in locating Nelson Baez, 43, last seen leaving his residence at Surf Vets Place in Coney Island on the morning of December 8. He is described as being approximately 5’11” tall, weighing 180 lbs., bald-headed and was last seen wearing blue jeans.