What’s News, Breaking: Tuesday, December 20, 2022

December 20, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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WARRANTY OR SERVICE CONTRACT? CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION CLARIFIES DISTINCTION

As part of its consumer alert holiday series, the New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection reminds shoppers of state laws regarding warranties and service contracts so consumers can make informed decisions about holiday purchases, particularly in their understanding of the differences between warranties and service contracts for appliances and other major purchases. A warranty is a promise to the consumer that the product purchased, or service provided, will meet certain quality standards, and that repair, maintenance, replacement or refund of a product will be made for a certain time period if these certain quality standards are not met. Whereas a service contract, sometimes called an “extended warranty,” is not actually a warranty but simply a contract to perform repairs or maintenance on a product, usually with exclusions.

Consumers are encouraged to understand what is already covered in the warranty before purchasing a separate service contract; for example, if the warranties on parts and labor to repair those same parts expire at different times.

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SNAP PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE A SUPPLEMENTAL AMOUNT THIS MONTH

CITYWIDE – All New York households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — including those already at the maximum level of benefits — will receive a supplemental allotment this month, resulting in a roughly $234 million infusion of federal funding into the New York State economy, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday, December 20. All New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for December, and NYC SNAP households should see their benefits posted by Wednesday, December 28.

All households, including those already receiving the maximum benefit for the household’s size and households that formerly would have received a monthly supplement of less than $95, will receive a supplement of at least $95 in time for the New Year.

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L TRAIN FATALLY STRIKES TWO PEOPLE

CITYWIDE – Two people — a man and woman — were killed this morning around 10:30 a.m. when an L train entering the 6th Avenue subway station in Manhattan struck them, reports WINS-1010 Radio. Although preliminary reports were unclear, one of the commuters apparently wound up on the tracks after suffering cardiac arrest; later reports indicate that the 63-year-old woman was found under the train and the 44-year-old man was recovered from between the track and platform. The Mayor’s office and transit authorities did not believe that the deaths are the result of criminal activity.

L train service was suspended temporarily between Bedford Avenue in North Brooklyn and 8th Avenue in Manhattan; WINS-1010 reported some residual delays as of 1 p.m.

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LONGTIME BAM FILM CURATOR PASSES AWAY, AGE 95

FORT GREENE – Influential film maven Adrienne Mancia passed away on Sunday after a decades-long career spent working to introduce international films to American audiences in her role as a curator, first at the Museum of Modern Art and then at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as it opened its Rose Cinemas in 1998. Mancia (née Johnson), who was born in Brooklyn in 1927, received the Order of the Republic of Italy and was named by France a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her work in promoting foreign films, although her work also focused on domestic films across the entire spectrum of artistry.

“If only a little of Adrienne’s unmatched passion for cinema rubbed off on you, it was enough to fuel your career,” said former MoMA coworker Ron Magliozzi. A full obituary can be read in the New York Times.

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PIG BEACH RESTAURANT CLOSES

GOWANUS – Neighborhood BBQ favorite Pig Beach has been forced out of its canal-side location, reports Brooklyn Magazine, due to the purchase of its building by a real estate developer as part of the Gowanus rezoning project. The restaurant, which has another outpost in Queens, says that while the door is open to return to the original Gowanus location, it’s hunting for a new spot in Brooklyn to try to keep its community.

The controversial Gowanus rezoning initiative has sparked concerns among area residents that organic and original businesses will be forced out by deeper-pocketed competitors.

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ADRIENNE ADAMS: CITY ‘MUST URGENTLY PREPARE’ FOR MIGRANTS

CITY HALL – City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams called for aid from the federal and state governments and for improving city services in her opening remarks at Monday’s special Council session on the impending arrival of potentially thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers from the Mexican border. “As a sanctuary city, we welcome our recent arrivals with open arms, and we will utilize every tool at our disposal to ensure that they can build safe, dignified, and abundant lives,” the speaker said, stating that New York’s history as a “city of immigrants” is in part the source of its greatness.

Another special Council session will be held on Tuesday morning, as the pandemic-era immigration restrictions known as Title 42 are set to expire on Wednesday, although the Supreme Court has temporarily blocked their expiration pending a response from the federal government.

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HOLIDAY COLD SNAP COMING, WARN METEOROLOGISTS

SOUTHERN NEW YORK – Meteorologists are predicting a massive cold snap during the upcoming week, expecting temperatures to plummet from a high of 56° during a predicted storm on Friday, December 23 to a low of 19° that night. Additionally, the National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the upcoming week, cautioning residents across southern New York state that from Wednesday to Monday there is potential for coastal flooding and damaging winds related to Friday’s storm.

This 38° predicted drop in temperatures would be close to a historical record for a one-day temperature drop in New York – the previously recorded greatest temperature swing was on Jan. 8, 1978, which had a high of 58° and a low of 15°.

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CLAIMS NY GOP HOUSE REP FAKED HISTORY RILE LOCAL POLS

BROOKLYN – Brooklyn politicians are furious about the possibility that Republican Rep.-elect George Santos of Queens may have faked his entire background after a New York Times investigation uncovered potential lies ranging across his entire life story, from a potentially faked degree from Baruch College to a claim about having lost four employees in the tragic Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida in 2016. Councilmember Lincoln Restler called for a “full investigation” on Twitter, while U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries questioned, “Can the American people trust anything that Extreme MAGA Republicans like George Santos and Marjorie Taylor Greene have to say?”

Attempts by the Times to reach Santos at his address were unsuccessful, as the person at that address said they did not know who he was.

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PRIMARK GRAND OPENING IN CITY POINT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN – Primark, an Irish brand focusing on affordable goods, held a grand opening ceremony for its new City Point store on Tuesday, December 20. The store will be taking over the 70,000 square foot location of the now-shuttered Century 21 on the third floor of the mall, and is joining other retail heavy-hitters like Target and Trader Joe’s in the location.

The events began at 9:45 a.m. and featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tasty treats from neighborhood vendors like Fatty Sundays and Puff Delights, merch giveaways and a live DJ.

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NURSES VOTE TO AUTHORIZE STRIKE

CITYWIDE – The New York State Nurses Association, which represents 17,000 nurses at 12 private-sector hospitals, has begun the process of voting to authorize a strike, as hospitals balk at renegotiating contracts, which are set to expire on December 31. Brooklyn BP Antonio Reynoso Tweeted in support of the nurses, writing “Once upheld as #COVIDheroes, we must continue to protect the rights and safety of our #nurses.”

NYSNA says their demands for higher pay, more benefits and enhanced safety measures are not being met by the hospitals for their nurses staff, which include Brooklyn Hospital Center, Maimonides Medical Center, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and Interfaith Medical Center, among others across the city.

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HEIGHTS TOWNHOUSE TOPS REAL ESTATE CHARTS LAST WEEK

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS – A townhouse at 39 Willow Place was the most expensive property to enter contract in Brooklyn last week, reports the Real Deal, with second place going to a co-op unit at 75 Livingston Street. The sales, which came in at just under $6 million and $4.2 million respectively, represent a slowdown in the housing market from this point last year, with luxury properties now selling at an average discount of 6 percent below initial asking price.

As property prices come down, rents are also beginning to flatten and are predicted to drop slightly over the next year, although average rents across the city remain near all-time highs.

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MTA ANNOUNCES POST-COVID SCHEDULES – BUT NOT UNTIL SUMMER

CITYWIDE – The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is implementing changes that will increase the frequency of weekend trips and modifying scheduled rush hour service — but straphangers will have to wait until June to benefit. NYC Transit announced “targeted service adjustments” that affect the G, J and M lines that run from Queens to Brooklyn (which commuters ride to access transfer points, and which have longer waiting time between trains on the weekends than many other lines).

New York City Transit, which has not yet explained the reason for a six-month wait, is also proposing an earlier start to weekday A and C express/local rush hour service to reflect post-COVID morning rush hour patterns, with Manhattan-bound A express service starting one trip earlier during the early morning rush hour and coordinating by shifting one rush hour C trip to earlier in the morning.

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POPULAR BROOKLYN NEW YEAR’S TRADITION MAKES TRIUMPHANT RETURN

PROSPECT PARK – Brooklyn’s beloved New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration, at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park, makes its triumphal return since the pandemic began in 2020. The four-decade community tradition, free to the public, begins with live music at 10 p.m. on Sunday, December 31, with Quintessential Playlist and Santore’s World Famous Fireworks presenting the pyrotechnics to usher in 2023.

RSVPs are requested.

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COMMUNITY BOARD MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN

BOROUGHWIDE – Brooklynites who want to have a greater say in the vital issues of their neighborhoods are invited to apply for membership in their local Community Boards, Borough President Antonio Reynoso announced on Monday, December 19. The 18 Community Boards in Brooklyn, stretching from CB 1 in Greenpoint to CB 18 in the southeastern part of the borough, convene regularly through full monthly meetings and committee meetings, weighing in on important issues of residents, business owners and other stakeholders, and have the authority to deliver city services, manage a budget and exercise oversight in land use and zoning issues.

The application deadline is February 14, 2023.

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REP. MALLIOTAKIS TO PRESIDENT: EXTEND COMBAT ZONE EXEMPTIONS TO NATIONAL GUARDSMEN IN KENYA

STATEWIDE – Concerned for the well-being of New York National Guardsmen who are stationed in Kenya, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-11th District/southwestern Brooklyn) led a bipartisan letter to President Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calling on the Administration to formally designate Kenya a combat zone to allow a group of New York National Guardsmen stationed in the region as part of Task Force Wolfhound to receive Combat Zone Tax Exclusions. The designation would correct an issue in which the National Guardsmen in Force Wolfhound serving in Kenya, and facing the same regional threats as their peers in Djibouti and Somalia, are currently not eligible for federal, state or local income tax-exempt status as are other members of the task force.

Djibouti and Somalia, which carry the Department of Defense designation as a combat zone which qualifies military personnel assigned to these countries to Combat Zone Tax Exclusions, but Kenya does not.

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VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING FOR PROPOSED EXPANSION OF FLOOD RESILIENCY GRANT PROGRAM

CITYWIDE – A grant program to help small-business owners recover from flooding will expand eligibility and raise the amounts awarded, if a proposed rule is approved at a Public Hearing scheduled for January. The NYC Department of Small Business Services proposes to expand its Business PREP Risk Assessment and Grant Program to increase the maximum grant amount, and will provide on-site resiliency assessments and grants to fund the purchase of resiliency equipment for small businesses or commercial property owners in parts of the City that are vulnerable to flooding.

The Dept. of Small Business Services will hold a videoconference public hearing on the proposed rule, Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 11 a.m.; comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via the NYC Rules website or via email to [email protected].

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GUN BUYBACK BRINGS IN RECORD NUMBER OF FIREARMS

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT – A record number of firearms were recovered in a Brooklyn Gun Buyback that Cornerstone Baptist Church hosted last Saturday, with incentivizing iPads sponsored by local businesses, including Junior’s Restaurant. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the Buyback brought in 206 weapons — the most to be surrendered during a single event in the city of New York. The first 50 participants received the iPads as well as bank cards for all residents who turned in the firearms: including 130 handguns, five of which were ghost guns, and several assault rifles.

The Oyate Group, a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty by creating sustainable and holistic solutions, “contributed generously” to make this happen, said the DA.

Brooklyn District Attorney discusses some of the weapons with NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey. Photo: Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

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CANARSIE BISHOP WHO WAS ROBBED LAST SUMMER NOW FACES THEFT CHARGES FROM FEDS

CANARSIE – The bishop who in July was robbed of jewelry during a live-streamed service at his Canarsie church was arrested on Monday, as federal authorities charged him with allegedly bilking a 56-year-old parishioner of her life savings, extorting a businessman and lying to federal agents, reports independent news agency The City. Federal authorities arrested Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Whitehead, who is accused of bilking an elderly parishioner, identified in the indictment as Victim-1, promising to help her buy a home, in exchange for her life savings.

The thieves who robbed Bishop Whitehead and his wife at gunpoint as he preached from the pulpit were arrested in September.

Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead speaks with the media about his attempt to negotiate the surrender of a man accused of gunning down a stranger on a New York City subway train, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in New York. Miller-Whitehead, a preacher known for his close friendship with New York City’s mayor, was robbed of more than $1 million worth of jewelry Sunday, July 24, 2022, by armed bandits who crashed his Brooklyn church service. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

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MAIMONIDES CUTS RIBBON ON EXPANDED $15 MILLION CARDIOTHORACIC ICU

Ribbon cutting at Maimonides. Photo: Maimonides Medical Center.

BOROUGH PARK – Maimonides Medical Center, a leading New York hospital for cardiac care, has officially cut the ribbon on its new Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, a $15 million renovation project that generous community donors made possible. The newly renovated CTICU, last renovated in the early 1990s, is the latest in a series of major campus renovations to upgrade, expand and improve patient experience across the hospital; and features advanced equipment, major upgrades to overall increase size to accommodate visiting family members, a new Family Room designed to be an attractive space with seating and comfortable amenities where visitors may wait during a patient’s procedure and 14 private patient rooms.

The enhanced unit will serve over 1,000 patients a year who choose Maimonides for cardiac procedures.

Maimonides Health CEO Ken Gibbs with donors and CTICU doctors. Photo: Maimonides Medical Center.

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CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATES 200^TH BIRTHDAY OF BROOKLYN’S OLDEST CHURCH

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN – Brooklyn’s first and oldest Roman Catholic Church, St. James Cathedral-Basilica, lit its Christmas Tree on Sunday, December 18, as part of a series of events that marked its 200^th year. The Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, joined Father Bryan Patterson, members of the Bishop Daily Council No. 17000 of the Knights of Columbus and parishioners for the tree lighting in the garden following a brief prayer service held inside the Cathedral.

Dragonetti Brothers Landscaping assisted the Knights of Columbus in decorating the tree with lights.

The St. James Cathedral-Basilica Christmas Tree stands tall in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: John Quaglione/DeSales Media.

At center, flanked by parishioners and altar servers, are Fr. Bryan Patterson, rector of St. James Cathedral-Basilica, wearing white alb with magenta and blue stole, and Bishop Robert J. Brennan, wearing black cassock and pellegrina, celebrating the cathedral’s 201st Christmas, since its July 25, 1922 founding. Photo: John Quaglione/DeSales Media.

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MAIMONIDES CUTS RIBBON ON EXPANDED $15 MILLION CARDIOTHORACIC ICU

The enhanced unit will serve over 1,000 patients a year who choose Maimonides for cardiac procedures.

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CANARSIE BISHOP WHO WAS ROBBED LAST SUMMER NOW FACES THEFT CHARGES FROM FEDS

The thieves who robbed Bishop Whitehead and his wife at gunpoint as he preached from the pulpit were arrested in September.

Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead is pictured about two months before he was robbed while preaching. Here he speaks with the media about his attempt to negotiate the surrender of a man accused of gunning down a stranger on a New York City subway train, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in New York. Photo: Associated Press/Mary Altaffer.

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GUN BUYBACK BRINGS IN RECORD NUMBER OF FIREARMS

The Oyate Group, a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty by creating sustainable and holistic solutions, “contributed generously” to make this happen, said the DA.

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VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING FOR PROPOSED EXPANSION OF FLOOD RESILIENCY GRANT PROGRAM

The Dept. of Small Business Services will hold a videoconference public hearing on the proposed rule, Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 11 a.m.; comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via the NYC Rules website or via email to [email protected].

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BROOKLYN FINANCIER JAILED AFTER ATTACK ON MTA EMPLOYEE

CONEY ISLAND – A drunken night ended in chaos for Brooklyn equity analyst Jean Francois Coste, reports the Daily News, when shortly after midnight he attempted to gain access to a private employee-only area in the Stillwell Ave. subway station before being stopped by 21-year MTA veteran Tanya McCray. Coste suddenly punched McCray in the face, but she was able to fight him off by striking him with her lunchbox and thermos while a co-worker pulled him off her, after which Coste fled into an idling train and hid until his capture by police a short time later.

“We will see this guy in court …. No more slaps on the wrist,” said Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Richard Davis, speaking up for his constituency as transit workers struggled with an increasingly dangerous job in 2022.

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MORE MIGRANT BUSES INBOUND; ‘URGENT NEED FOR HELP’: ADAMS

CITYWIDE – As pandemic emergency legislation intended to halt traffic at the Mexican border expires this week, City Hall expects an influx of migrants bused from southern states, Mayor Adams said in a press statement on Sunday, expressing that while he believes NYC will “go to extraordinary lengths to welcome” the asylum-seekers, the city does not have the resources to handle a projected 1,000 new arrivals weekly without risking cuts to other programs and needs more help from the federal and state governments. Two buses arrived in the city on Sunday, with 10 to 15 more expected in the next week.

Other city agencies are also responding to the crisis: the City Council has announced its intention to hold hearings on the migrant situation on Monday, December 19 and Tuesday, December 20, both at 10 a.m., and the Independent Budget Office will release its cost projection for supporting the migrants on the morning of December 19.

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SENIOR MISSING FROM BATH BEACH CARE HOME

BATH BEACH – The NYPD is asking for help finding William Anzueta, 89, last seen leaving his residence at the Kings Adult Care Center in the early morning of Sunday, December 18. He is described as approximately 5’6″ tall, 224 lbs., with brown eyes and gray hair; and was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a gray sweatshirt, and white sneakers.

Anyone with information in regard to this missing person 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’ve seen this senior, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the authorities.

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INVESTIGATE SHORTAGE OF KIDS’ OTC MEDS: SCHUMER TO FDA

CITYWIDE – “With surging rates of RSV, the flu and even COVID and colds, New York City and Long Island drug stores are struggling to keep children’s medicines in stock. These ‘spot shortages’ are becoming a real problem for many parents and caregivers, and so today, I am asking the FDA to investigate them locally and determine if official action might be required to address them,” said Sen. Charles Schumer in a press conference on Sunday. Schumer explained that medicines including Tylenol, Robitussin, Ibuprofen (Advil) and Amoxicillin are all in short supply in NYC pharmacies, owing to pandemic staffing difficulties at manufacturers, to panic-buying by parents and to the so-called COVID-RSV-flu “tripledemic” tearing through classrooms this winter.

“People are coming in the morning. That’s the best time to get the kids’ stuff. Every time we put them out, they’re gone as soon as we restock them,” an associate at a Manhattan Target told the Daily News.

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SUBWAY CREEP STILL ON LOOSE; POLICE RELEASE NEW VIDEO

FORT GREENE – A man who allegedly attempted to rape a schoolgirl on Nov. 28 has still not been identified, warn police, who have released a new video of the suspect obtained from subway station security footage. The suspect is described as a male with black hair and glasses, last seen wearing black sneakers, blue jeans, a maroon sweater, black jacket, and wearing white headphones, and who appears to use a vape.

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 this man, please don’t hesitate to contact authorities with any information you can share.

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COMMUNITY BOARD 6 SHAKES UP LEADERSHIP

COBBLE HILL – Community Board 6 chair Peter Fleming has stepped down after four years in the position due to term limits, and will be succeeded by bike safety activist Eric McClure. Fleming, a Park Slope resident, will continue to serve on the board as a member of the Landmarks/Land Use Committee.

“As expressed by many during the meeting, including former CB6 member and current Comptroller Lander, Peter’s leadership and hard work have been greatly appreciated,” wrote District Manager Mike Racioppo in an email.

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NYC YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AT ALMOST 18 PERCENT

CITYWIDE – A report released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on Sunday revealed that unemployment among 16- to 24-year-olds stands at nearly 18 percent in NYC, as compared to about 9 percent in the rest of New York state and 8 percent nationally. The report noted unemployment rates were slower to recover in New York City because it was the initial epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, which not only caused staggering job losses in 2020, but also devastated industries that employ more young people like restaurants, retail, and recreation.

“The city must take steps to strengthen career opportunities for young job seekers or the city’s economic recovery will be stifled even further,” DiNapoli said.

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‘GLOOM’ AT EVIDENCE LOSS IN NYPD WAREHOUSE FIRE

RED HOOK – While last week’s 3-alarm fire in an evidence warehouse owned by the NYPD has been extinguished by firefighters, concerns remain among the city’s legal experts about what this could mean for victims and defendants going forward. The impact of the blaze at the warehouse, which had been previously damaged by Superstorm Sandy, will be felt for decades, reports Gothamist in its comprehensive breakdown of the problem.

“It’s all related to poor conditions in those facilities. Poor supervision, poor monitoring, poor upkeep,” said civil rights attorney Debra Cohen, speculating on the cause of the fire, while the FDNY’s investigation remains ongoing.

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NYPD SEEKS WILLIAMSBURG BANDITS

WILLIAMSBURG – A local store was robbed by two thieves on Nov. 22, with one scammer distracting the clerk as the other took advantage of the moment to use the store’s electronic system to authorize a false $2000 “refund”. The scammers then fled the store to parts unknown, and the NYPD is asking for help in bringing the two to justice.

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GILLIBRAND CALLS FOR FUNDS TO FIGHT ANTISEMITISM

SUNSET PARK – Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand joined Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty CEO David Greenfield at Community Board 12 on Sunday to address the recent wave of antisemitic assaults in NYC and to detail her plans to counter antisemitism and bolster security for the Jewish community. Gillibrand plans to call for robust funding of FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides critical security resources to at-risk faith-based and nonprofit institutions, in the upcoming spending bill, as well as to urge President Biden to establish a coordinated response task force to the current rise in antisemitism.

Antisemitic attacks have skyrocketed in recent years, reaching a new high of 45 incidents last month as Brooklyn’s Jewish community reacts with fear and outrage.