What’s News, Breaking: Wednesday, December 21, 2022

December 21, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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DOMINO SUGAR SIGN LIGHTS UP AGAIN

The historic Domino Sugar sign has lit up again, for the first time since the summer of 2014. Photo: Wes Tarca.

WILLIAMSBURG – The iconic Domino Sugar sign that adorned the Brooklyn skyline for more than a century is now back and shining atop the historic Domino Refinery building. The new 40-foot replica was illuminated for the first time Tuesday night, December 20, on top of the Thomas Havemeyer building, which served as the Domino Sugar Factory plant from the 1880s until the first decade of the 21st century.

The premier real estate development firm, Two Trees Management, is transforming the landmark 19th-century Thomas Havemeyer Company building in the heart of Williamsburg’s Domino Park, into an architectural masterpiece that will have 460,000 rentable square feet of office space, local ground floor retailers and on-site amenities including a penthouse open dome for gatherings. Projected completion date is late 2023.

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ZELENSKYY TO VISIT WASHINGTON, ADDRESS CONGRESS

NATIONAL – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is on his way to Washington, D.C., reports the New York Times, marking the first time the president of the embattled European nation has left it since February. He is expected to meet with President Biden at the White House and later deliver an address to Congress, Wednesday, December 21.

Further details of the visit are not known due to the risks of the situation, say officials.

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CITY COUNCIL TRADES BARBS WITH MAYOR OVER PROGRAM CUTS

CITYWIDE – The City Council released a statement on Tuesday condemning a lack of communication between the city government branches, after Mayor Adams threatened to demand the Council swallow $600 million in cuts to discretionary funding as a way to raise money for the impending migrant crisis. “It’s disappointing that the Mayor’s word on a budget agreement seems to have decreasing value and he is attempting to renegotiate via the New York Post editorial board,” the Council wrote in a press release, referencing the mayor’s remarks to the Post earlier on Tuesday.

The expiration of pandemic-era border policies that may lead to increased migration to the city has been placed on hold temporarily, but concerns remain about how to handle the potential influx of asylum-seekers.

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NY UNEMPLOYMENT STATS RELEASED: STILL ROUGH, BUT GETTING BETTER

BROOKLYN – The New York State Department of Labor released preliminary local area unemployment rates for November on Tuesday. The report showed improvement from November of last year for Brooklyn, although Kings County is one of only two counties in New York to still have an unemployment rate over 5 percent, the other being the Bronx.

Revised estimates for prior months are available on the Department of Labor’s website.

A county-by-county breakdown of state unemployment rates shows that Brooklyn still has room to improve.

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NYC’S WORST LANDLORD LIST: BROOKLYN OWNER TAKES NUMBER 2 SPOT

FLATBUSH – New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams unveiled on Tuesday the 2022 Worst Landlord Watchlist, which spotlights the 100 most egregiously negligent landlords in the city as determined by conditions at their buildings, to outrage and calls for reform from local elected leaders and housing organizations. Landlord Brian Ritter came in second place citywide, with an astonishing average of 1816 open HPD violations across his eight properties on the watchlist, of which five are in south Brooklyn.

At the launch, the Public Advocate also directed New Yorkers to LandlordWatchlist.com, as well as his office’s text line, 833-933-1692, to learn about whether their landlords are featured on the list, how to report violations, and access resources for tenants to organize and seek relief.

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SCHOOL CAFETERIA UPGRADE PROGRAM TO EXPAND

BROOKLYN – Mayor Eric Adams and NYC DoE Chancellor David C. Banks today announced a $50 million expansion of the Cafeteria Enhancement Experience program, which will transform more than 80 cafeterias into warm and welcoming spaces for students to enjoy nutritious meals. The announcement also included a doubling down of the city’s commitment to expanding access to halal options to schools across New York City – interested principals will work with their communities and the Islamic Leadership Council of New York to add the service to their schools.

“I’m so thrilled that some New York City students will soon be able to make new friends and enjoy their meals in transformed and renovated cafeterias, and I’m especially excited that schools will have greater opportunities to fill that cafeteria with halal foods so that more of our students can find the foods at school that make them feel at home,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

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NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS TO OFFER COVID SHOTS FOR KIDS 6 MOS. AND UP

CITYWIDE – NYC Health + Hospitals is now offering COVID-19 bivalent vaccines for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, following the CDC recommendation that children as young as 6 months receive the updated vaccine that helps protect against the newer variants of the virus. According to the CDC, the first two shots should be the original, monovalent vaccine given three to eight weeks apart, while the third dose, given at least eight weeks after the second, should be the updated bivalent vaccine.

The city’s municipal health care system will offer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children under the age of 5, and as young as 6 months, in its pediatric practices at all 11 hospitals. New Yorkers can use the City’s Vax Finder or call 877-NYC-4NYC (877-692-4692) to schedule an appointment.

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LEGAL AID SOCIETY CALLS ON NYPD, ADAMS FOR FIRE ANSWERS

RED HOOK – The Legal Aid Society, in a recently issued letter, called on Mayor Eric Adams to work with city agencies to develop a plan of action in response to a fire at a Red Hook evidence storage warehouse on December 13. “The recent fire in Red Hook extinguished the hopes of scores of people who were eagerly awaiting DNA testing to exonerate them, and this loss of critical evidence has far-reaching consequences for New Yorkers,” wrote David Loftis, attorney-in-charge of the Post-Conviction and Forensic Litigation Unit at the society.

The fire at the evidence warehouse, which potentially destroyed decades of evidence, is still under investigation by authorities.

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SUBWAY SHOOTING PROMPTS NYPD PRESS CONFERENCE

PARK SLOPE – A revenue collector working for the MTA was forced to shoot an aggressive passenger on Tuesday night at the Union Street subway station after the man threatened to beat up the collector and a co-worker while riding the R train, NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper said in a press conference yesterday evening. Police sources told CBS that the person who was shot may have been attempting to rob the MTA employees, who were collecting money from automated fare machines.

The suspect is reported to be in critical condition at a local hospital.

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FOOD ASSISTANCE BENEFITS WILL BE PROTECTED IN 2023 FEDERAL BUDGET

Recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will now have better protection from thieves, announced U.S. Senator Kirstin Gillibrand (D-New York), whose SNAP Theft Protection Act is included in the end-of-year omnibus funding package for Fiscal Year 2023. Gillibrand’s legislation responds to the theft of more than $730,000 from New York SNAP beneficiaries by directing states to promptly reissue these benefits using already allocated federal funds, and by helping states track SNAP fraud data and develop mechanisms to enhance security technology.

SNAP benefits were stolen through identity theft and skimming scams at EBT card readers.

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NEW LAW REQUIRES EMPLOYERS TO POST SALARY RANGES FOR ALL NEW JOB OPENINGS

STATEWIDE – New legislation that Governor Kathy Hochul signed on Wednesday, December 21, establishes a statewide pay transparency law that requires employers to list salary ranges for all advertised jobs and promotions. The mandated disclosures in this new law aim to empower workers with critical information, reduce discriminatory wage-setting and hiring practices and to help level the playing field for all workers.

The law also seeks to repair disparities found in U.S. Department of Labor statistics, showing that women made 83 cents for every dollar made by men in 2020; these disparities are even greater among Black women (64 cents per dollar) and Hispanic women (57 cents per dollar).

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ATTORNEY GENERAL HELPS PRISON RESIDENTS WIN TECH EQUIPMENT FIGHT

Incarcerated persons who had to deal with defective or missing tablets to communicate with family get refunded, thanks to an agreement that New York Attorney General Letitia James reached with JPay LLC, a technology and financial services provider for facilities owned and operated by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The Attorney General’s Office had received numerous complaints about JPay’s failure to provide adequate media and communication services to incarcerated individuals, who complained about tablets that were defective, arrived late or never arrived. The OAG’s investigation also found that refunds were never issued for technical support that JPay promised but failed to deliver.

As a result of the agreement reached on Wednesday, December 21, JPay will provide $500,000 in credits to incarcerated individuals that can be used to communicate with people outside DOCCS facilities.

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PARKS DEPT. CELEBRATES ARRIVAL OF WINTER SOLSTICE

BOROUGHWIDE – NYC Parks is celebrating the winter solstice, which begins today, Wednesday, December 21, with a full slate of winter activities, from campfires to ornament-making and a Festival of Lights: Winter Solstice Astronomy tonight from 6-7:30 p.m. in Marine Park. The Urban Park Rangers invite the community to observe the December moon and constellations (gathering point is the Carmine Carro Community Center).
Another Brooklyn Parks event takes place on Christmas Eve morning (11 a.m. to noon at the Fort Greene Park Visitors Center). Urban Park Rangers will lead a Holiday Origami Ornament Making and teach participants how to fold various paper evergreen trees and animal-themed tree ornaments. Rangers will provide paper and guide folds and steps.

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CITY’S REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL WOULD CREATE CAFÉ AT CADMAN PLAZA PARK

The Parks Dept. has released an RFP to repurpose this building as a cafe within Cadman Plaza Park. Photo credit: Mary Frost/Brooklyn Eagle.

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS – A new café may be coming to Cadman Plaza Park, which borders Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn, now that the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation has released a Request for Proposals. The RFP would be for the transformation of an existing maintenance building, at Cadman Plaza West and Tillary St., into the development and operation of a new café to serve park-goers.

Cadman Plaza Park, named for the Rev. S. Parkes Cadman (1864-1936), a famous liberal Protestant preacher, journalist and Christian broadcaster, is a central gathering spot for families, joggers, courthouse employees, sports teams and dog-walkers alike.

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DINAPOLI NOTES NYC FISCAL IMPROVEMENT, BUT CAUTIONS ABOUT EXPECTED FUNDING FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS

CITYWIDE – New York’s City’s continued fiscal improvement from June is reflected in a projected rise to $109.4 billion in the 2023 budget, according to State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s latest analysis of the city’s November financial plan update, released on Tuesday, December 20. However, DiNapoli also cautions that city finances could come under pressure amid a slowing economic recovery and an increase in demand for city services.

Some items not reflected in the city’s projected budget gaps are also notable, among them: the city’s assumption of $1 billion in not-yet-approved revenue from the federal government for expenses related to the recent influx of asylum seekers when there is a risk it may not receive the full amount.

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ORTHODOX UNION PRAISES SENATOR SCHUMER, COLLEAGUES FOR INCREASE IN SECURITY FUNDING

NATIONWIDE – The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, or Orthodox Union, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization with several member synagogues in Borough Park, Flatbush and Williamsburg, on Wednesday welcomed the inclusion of the newly-released Omnibus federal spending package, which includes $305 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). Congressional leaders and appropriators released the massive spending package for the 2023 federal fiscal year today.

Orthodox Union Executive Director for Public Policy Nathan Diament thanked Sen. Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) – a Brooklynite – and other key Congressional leaders for their work to increase funding to $305, which they consider to be essential, given the disturbing rise in antisemitism nationwide.

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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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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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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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IRISH FASHION RETAILER COMES TO CITY POINT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN – City Point, the mixed-use shopping complex in Downtown Brooklyn, is getting a new store when Primark, a leading international fashion retailer built around everyday affordability, celebrated its grand opening Tuesday, December 20. Kevin Tulip, president of Primark US, spoke at the event, which included the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony, a live DJ and sweet treats from local vendors.

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Primark marks its rapid expansion into the United States and New York.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.