What’s News, Breaking: Wednesday, February 15, 2023

February 15, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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STATE SENATE REJECTS LASALLE NOMINATION IN FULL FLOOR VOTE

ALBANY —The full New York State Senate on Wednesday, Feb. 15, voted 39-20 against the nomination of Justice Hector LaSalle to be chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, according to multiple news reports. The surprise vote, with Justice LaSalle present, followed a month of rancorous debate, particularly as the Democratic nominee was considered too conservative by many in the Senate, based on his past decisions sitting in the Appellate Court.

The vote sets precedent as marking the first time that the State Senate has rejected a governor’s pick for chief judge — and is considered a rebuke of her policies. The search begins anew for a chief judge who can effectively administer the state’s complex court system.

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STATE SENATOR GOUNARDES AGAIN VOTES NO ON LASALLE NOMINATION

WESTERN BROOKLYN — Right after the NY State Senate Judiciary Committee decided on Wednesday to advance the nomination of Judge Hector LaSalle to the state’s highest court, one of the committee members issued a statement explaining his no vote. State Senator Andrew Gounardes, a fellow Democrat whose district stretches down western Brooklyn from DUMBO to Dyker Heights, wrote, “I committed myself to rigorous and thorough review of his record, including reading decisions, articles, commentary from attorney and court observers, and discussing issues that I saw within the judiciary as a whole that would fall in his purview… When he has had an opportunity to decide cases in a fair-minded way, he has interpreted the law as a narrow tool, not a way to protect the rights of workers, unions, women, and others.”

Gounardes added, “At a time when the conservative bloc on the U.S. Supreme Court is actively undermining Americans’ fundamental and civil rights, the New York judiciary must be a bulwark and beacon in protecting and advancing those same rights.”

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BQE SURVEY TO RECORD COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON TWO STRETCHES OF BELEAGUERED HIGHWAY

SUNSET PARK/WINDSOR TERRACE — As the city moves forward to repair the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Kings County, it is distributing a survey on BQE North and South, to understand the issues faced by the community and the future vision, Brooklyn Community Board 7 announced on Wednesday, Feb. 15. This survey, for which responses are due by Feb. 24, focuses on the BQE segments north of Sands Street to the Kosciuszko Bridge and south of Atlantic Avenue to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. An earlier survey for the BQE Central that runs under Brooklyn Heights, has already been closed.

There are also community events and workshops being planned in person and virtually online, afternoons and evenings, to collect input, with organizations including Community Board 7’s Transportation Committee, the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC) and the NYC DOT.

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MAN SENTENCED FOR 2021 ANTI-GAY ASSAULT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A Bedford-Stuyvesant man who pleaded guilty to attempted murder as a hate crime in connection with an anti-gay attack against two men was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun presided at the sentencing of 38-year-old Christopher Clemente who, with an accomplice, assaulted and stabbed both victims at a Bushwick bodega in 2021, causing collapsed lungs and other numerous injuries. Justice Chun issued a full order of protection for the victims.

Clemente pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime on Jan. 25; however, the case against his co-defendant, 33-year-old Jonathan Carter of Ocean Hill, remains pending.

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PROSPECT PARK TRACK CLUB HOLDS ANNUAL CHERRY TREE RACE

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The Prospect Park Track Club will hold its 28th annual Cherry Tree 10-Miler & Relay Race on Saturday, Feb. 19, in Prospect Park, which will see runners of all ages and abilities run three loops around the park, or one loop per person for relay teams. The race will also host professional racer Roberta Groner as she attempts to set a new American record for women ages 45-49 for the 10-mile distance.

Registration for the race costs $45 and will stay open on the PPTC’s website until Feb. 18, or until all slots are full; all participants will receive medals, hats and refreshments afterwards, with winners taking home cash prizes and mugs.

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NYC TAKES FIRST PLACE IN LIST OF MOST WALKABLE CITIES

CITYWIDE — New York tops the list of the nation’s most walkable cities, according to Smart Growth America and Places Platform’s 2023 Foot Traffic Ahead report. NYC scored a perfect 100 on the report’s metrics, which include factors like density, proximity to public transit and distance between points of interest, easily beating out the competition – second-place finisher Boston scored only 74 on the same scale.

Brooklyn’s high standard of living contributes to this score – Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, DUMBO, Prospect Heights and Park Slope all tie for third place on Walkscore’s rankings of the most pedestrian-friendly NYC neighborhoods.

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ADAMS ORDERED TO PAY RAT FINE FOR BROOKLYN TOWNHOUSE

BED-STUY — Mayor Adams failed to beat his most recent ticket for a rodent infestation at his Bed-Stuy townhouse, reports the AP, after a hearing officer on Tuesday ordered him to pay a $300 fine for not following proper procedures for disposing of garbage. A second summons related to rodents at the same property was dismissed, however, as were earlier tickets issued in 2022 for similar offenses.

In a statement, the mayor’s spokesperson said he was considering fighting the fine, adding: “One decision is clear, however: The mayor still hates rats.”

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SUBWAY TRACK PUSHER ARRESTED

CROWN HEIGHTS — Police announced on Tuesday the arrest of Corey Walcott, 44, a homeless man accused of shoving a 66-year-old victim onto the tracks at the President Street subway station on Saturday. Officers speaking at a press conference said that prior to the push, Walcott had approached the victim and told him “I’m going to kill you,” before chasing him through the station.

Walcott has been charged with assault; and has 19 prior arrests, including for assault, for criminal possession of a weapon and multiple charges of forcible touching.

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SARATOGA LIBRARY REOPENS IN BROWNSVILLE

BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville’s historic Saratoga Library reopened on Monday after being closed for two years for maintenance, including a replacement of the building’s HVAC system and a fresh coat of paint, reports BK Reader, which got a sneak peak at the new library before its reopening. The library also features a new teen tech center that will host after-school activities like a robotics club and coding classes.

“I’m just so happy to be back, and the staff is too; it’s like a family,” Branch Manager Monica Williams told BK Reader.

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FILMMAKER SOLICITS MEMORIES FOR DOC ON ICONIC RED HOOK BAR, SUNNY’S

RED HOOK — Local filmmaker Nick Fitzhugh is searching for longtime patrons of iconic Red Hook bar Sunny’s to share their stories and memories, in an effort to produce a documentary on the area mainstay, which has operated in the same location near Red Hook’s docks since the 1890s. “The plan for the film is to chronicle the history and magic of one of the greatest bars in the world and one of New York City’s oldest,” Fitzhugh told Time Out New York, inviting visitors to submit their recollections online.

Neighborhood residents and comers from afar paid tribute to the bar’s namesake, Sunny Balzano, great-grandson of its founder, after his passing in 2016 following a lifetime spent at the establishment – the lone holdout from Red Hook’s days as a bustling port.

Sunny Balzano’s truck, decorated with flowers from mourners.

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PROSPECT HEIGHTS COMPOST BINS ARE TOO POPULAR, SAY RESIDENTS

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Area residents are complaining that the new smart composting bins in Prospect Heights, which require an app to open, aren’t big enough to meet the local demand for food waste disposal and fill up by mid-morning, reports Patch, causing would-be composters to simply dump their waste on the street instead. The Sanitation Department said that the area’s bin usage was significantly higher than other neighborhoods, and that service levels were under review, as the department works to roll out Mayor Adams’ citywide compost program, announced last month.

“People don’t care if they leave food because it doesn’t affect them. This is a horrible idea, and the rats and birds basically have a bunch of dinner tables now,” one resident told Patch.

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ADAMS ATTENDS PRAYER SERVICE AT TURKISH COMMUNITY CENTER

BRIGHTON BEACH — Mayor Adams on Friday attended a prayer service at the Eyup Sultan Cultural Center in Brighton Beach, reports amNY, where he delivered remarks in solidarity with the victims of last week’s catastrophic earthquakes, which have claimed the lives of more than 37,000 people in both Turkey and Syria, including a Queens family of four who had been in Turkey visiting relatives. The center’s director Ibrahim Sen told amNY that his group has received an overwhelming response to their relief efforts, and has had to temporarily stop accepting donations while they organize the delivery of more than 60 pallets of clothing to partners in Turkey.

“I’m sure everyone here, they are holding their breath hoping not to hear the name of a family member or a loved one. But even if you don’t hear that name, you know is your neighbor, is your colleague, is your friend. This is a very close knit community. And we are all feeling the pain that Turkey is going through right now,” said Adams at the service.

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RARE VIOLIN STOLEN IN CROWN HEIGHTS

CROWN HEIGHTS — An antique violin and bow were stolen from a house in Crown Heights on Jan. 23, according to an alert sent out by the Violin Society of America. The instrument is described as a “Stradivari gold period model with French interpretation,” handmade of rare woods and dates from the 1920s.

The society urges anyone with information about the theft to contact the NYPD, and has shared the owner’s contact information on its website.

The stolen violin. Photo: Violin Society of America.

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NYPD DETECTIVE ARRESTED FOR STALKING EX-GIRLFRIEND

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Detective Douglas Connolly, 36, a 10-year veteran of the NYPD, was arrested Saturday on charges of computer trespass and stalking. The New York Daily News reports that Connolly allegedly used a police computer to look up license plate information about his ex-girlfriend, as well as repeatedly text-messaging her.

Police say Connolly was arrested within the confines of the 84th Precinct, which covers Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, DUMBO and parts of Downtown Brooklyn.

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BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY HOLDS LITFILM FESTIVAL

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The Brooklyn Public Library kicked off its weeklong LitFilm Festival, which presents films focusing on the lives and works of writers around the world, on Monday with a showing of “My Name is Pauli Murray” and a keynote conversation with director Betsy West on making literary documentaries. The festival will continue through the week, with other highlights including a documentary on poet Elizabeth Bishop followed by a talk with former New Yorker magazine poetry editor Alice Quinn, as well as a lighthearted documentary on biographer Robert Caro and his editor Robert Gottlieb followed by a discussion with the film’s director Lizzie Gottlieb, daughter of the editor.

A full list of the films and events of the festival, which runs until Feb. 19 at the library’s central branch near Prospect Park, can be found on the BPL’s website.

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VISION ZERO UPDATE: BROOKLYN’S PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES DECREASED BY 38%

BOROUGHWIDE — Brooklyn overall has seen a 38% decline in pedestrian fatalities, according to an updated Vision Zero Borough Pedestrian Action Plans report, that NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez released on Tuesday. This detailed report contains data on safety progress made at intersections, corridors and areas first identified in 2019’s version of the report. Covering the past four years, the report highlights significant safety improvements and results, including the prioritization of certain intersections, with each borough seeing dramatic decreases in pedestrian fatalities.

Among the prioritized intersections is a stretch of Court St. from Montague down to Red Hook; but it focuses on pedestrian safety only, not on cyclists.

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VISION ZERO UPDATE SHOWS DECREASE IN PER-MILE PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES IN CENTRAL BROOKLYN

CENTRAL BROOKLYN — The major Brooklyn corridor of Linden Boulevard, from Sapphire Street westward to Flatbush Avenue, a representative street in the NYC DOT’s latest report titled Vision Zero Borough Pedestrian Action Plans, saw one fewer pedestrian fatality per mile – representing a 33% decrease — over the past four years of Vision ZERO’s implementation, compared with the period of 2012-2016. During the period of 2012-2016, the Linden Blvd. corridor had seen 6 pedestrian fatalities and 7.4 pedestrians killed or severely injured per mile (the road stretches from Flatbush Ave. to the Queens border).

DOT credits this decrease to the addition of concrete median tip extensions and marking upgrades along the corridor from Ashford Street to Schenck Avenue in 2020.

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YOUNG MAN SHOT AND KILLED AT GIRLFRIEND’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

CANARSIE — Ethen-Allen Flowers, 20, of Downtown Brooklyn, was shot and killed last week by three unknown gunmen while exiting an AirBnB where he had been celebrating his girlfriend’s birthday, reports the New York Daily News, which says that the young man had no history of criminal activity and that his family has no idea who could have wanted to hurt him. P.S. 8 parents have shared a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses for Flowers, who attended the Brooklyn Heights school as a child and whose grandmother was head cook there for more than three decades.

“He was so young, so lively, so vibrant. My little brother was robbed,” Flowers’ sister told the Daily News.

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POLICE SEEK MAN WHO PUSHED ANOTHER ONTO SUBWAY TRACKS

CROWN HEIGHTS — Police are searching for a man believed to have pushed a 66-year-old male victim onto the subway tracks at the President Street subway station in Crown Heights on Sunday. The victim was able to climb back safely onto the train platform with the help of other subway riders, reports the New York Post, but the pusher made his escape before police arrived.

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, log onto the Crime Stoppers website or Tweet @NYPDTips.

Do you recognize this man? Police are asking the public to reach out with any information they can share.

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STATE EMPLOYEES NOW HAVE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE BENEFITS, WITH GOV. HOCHUL’S INITIATIVE

STATEWIDE — A new, nation-leading initiative has been launched and implemented that will offer fully paid parental leave benefits to New York State employees. Governor Kathy Hochul, who had announced this in her State of the State Address, has now launched the policy which, for most public state employees, becomes effective immediately. More than 10,000 unrepresented state employees are now eligible to receive 12 weeks of fully-paid leave to use for bonding with a newborn, fostered, or adopted child.

The current Paid Family Leave, already implemented for many workers in New York, did not extend the coverage requirement to public sector employees, meaning the majority of the State workforce has not been covered.

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APPELLATE COURT UPHOLDS RULING THAT TRUMP MUST PAY FINES FOR IGNORING SUBPOENAS

STATEWIDE — The New York State Appellate Division-First Department on Tuesday, Feb. 14, upheld the State Supreme Court’s ruling that former President Donald J. Trump must pay $110,000 to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) after he was found in contempt of court. Mr. Trump, who had refused to comply with Attorney General Letitia James’ subpoenas as part of an investigation, then appealed the decision of State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron of New York County. The Appellate Division ruled in favor of Attorney General James.

“Once again, the courts have ruled that Donald Trump is not above the law,” said Attorney General James, who is originally from Brooklyn before holding citywide office and being elected New York’s first woman and Black Attorney General. “…Today’s decision sends a clear message that there are consequences for abusing the legal system. We will not be bullied or dissuaded from pursuing justice.”

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“WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THESE BALLOONS”: SCHUMER

WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Schumer in an interview with ABC News on Sunday said that the small UFOs shot down over the North American arctic this weekend are believed to be balloons, although they are significantly smaller than the large Chinese surveillance balloon that captured the nation’s attention last week, which the government is still in the process of recovering from the Atlantic Ocean. Schumer also said that the balloon program has existed since the Trump administration but was only recently discovered by the U.S. intelligence community, and called for further investigation.

“The bottom line is, until a few months ago, we didn’t know about these balloons… It is wild that we didn’t know,” Schumer told ABC host George Stephanopoulos.

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SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM OPENS FOR AGES 14-24

CITYWIDE — Department of Youth and Community Development commissioner Keith Howard on Monday announced the launch of applications for the 2023 Summer Youth Employment Program, a six-week initiative taking place in July and August that provides youth with paid opportunities to explore potential career interests and pathways, allowing participants to engage in learning experiences at worksites in a variety of industries, ranging from fashion to technology to finance, and everything in between. This summer will mark the 60th anniversary of the program, with the city slated to provide a record 100,000 summer job opportunities for New Yorkers ages 14-24.

Young people can complete applications on the city’s SYEP website or at a participating community-based organization until Friday, March 31; applications are also available for employers who would like to provide work experiences for SYEP participants by becoming a worksite.

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DOE LAUNCHES ANNUAL SCHOOL SURVEY

CITYWIDE — Schools Chancellor David C. Banks on Monday launched the 17th annual NYC School Survey, a critical tool in New York City Public Schools’ efforts to engage members of school communities and strengthen connections with educators and families. The newly updated survey questions help school leaders understand what members of their community think about the learning environment in their school and inform improvements to schools and programs.

The survey is available at schools and online on the city’s schools website in 10 languages, and is open until March 31 to all families and teachers, as well as to students in grades six through 12.