What’s News, Breaking: Monday, March 13, 2023

March 13, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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NEW BOOK ‘COVID-19 IN BROOKLYN EVERYDAY LIFE’ JUXTAPOSES WEALTH AND POVERTY

PARK SLOPE AND WILLIAMSBURG/GREENPOINT — The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in three Brooklyn neighborhoods is the subject of a new book by two professors of St. John’s University in Queens. Judith N. DeSena, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, St. John’s University, and Jerome Krase, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Sociology at St. John’s, in their book, ‘COVID-19 in Brooklyn Everyday Life During a Pandemic’, place their own personal experiences as Brooklynites inside a broader context of global and national medical emergencies, economic, social, and political unrest, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the contentious 2020 presidential election.

The authors discuss the racial and economic inequities that affected the lives of residents during that time, including public health disparities and lack of access to the necessities of urban living.

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BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY LAUNCHES APPEAL TO HALT BUDGET CUTS

BOROUGHWIDE — A major Brooklyn educational and cultural institution that just celebrated its 125th anniversary is seeking emergency funds in wake of Mayor Adams’ proposed budget cuts. The Brooklyn Public Library, which last year spearheaded the widely-popular ‘Books Unbanned” program, offering students across the country access to its holdings, and several other anniversary events, is now facing a budget cut — also called Reduction to Operating Subsidy — of more than $3.75 million to $5.7 million, (according to the chart, which adjusts City Fund amounts by 000.) Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson on Monday, March 13, launched a letter-writing campaign for library supporters to urge the mayor and city leaders to keep library funding.

Calling the budget cuts a “gut punch,” Ms. Johnson said the BPL “will be forced to make agonizing choices about shortening hours, cutting programs and collections, and rolling back services,” adding that she will testify before city leaders next week to urge them to reverse their proposal.

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CITY’S ‘RAT ACADEMY’ WILL TEACH RODENT PREVENTION

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Rat Academy will be offered on Thursday evening, March 23, the second installment of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso’s Department of Constituent Services’ resource information series. Hosted at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, the session will focus on safe and effective methods for rat prevention in homes, buildings, and communities. The NYC Department of Health’s Rat Academy will present this training and several area non-profits will man resource tables.

“Our rat problem is really a trash problem. The rats are everywhere because our trash is everywhere. You supply the feast, the guests come,” said Borough President Reynoso, who said his office is fighting for containerized trash bins on every street in every borough.

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HOCHUL UPDATES PUBLIC ON SIGNATURE BANK SITUATION

Governor Hochul spoke about the Signature Bank takeover on Monday. Photo courtesy of the governor’s office.

MURRAY HILL — Governor Hochul at a press conference, streamed online on Monday morning, stated that Signature Bank, which was seized by the New York state Department of Financial Services on Sunday, would remain open, in response to concerns that the troubled bank’s customers would not be able to access their accounts. The governor added that shareholders would not be bailed out with taxpayer money and emphasized that the government had simply effectuated a “change in leadership” intended to stabilize the banking sector.

“So, the banks are open. Everything is fine, calm. Now the FDIC is in charge of the bank, and they’ll be communicating any further details about the future,” Hochul summed up.

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GREENPOINT RESTAURANT OFFERS BLINDFOLDED DINING EXPERIENCE

GREENPOINT — Southern Italian restaurant Leuca is offering a unique dining experience to its customers on Sundays through the end of March – the chance to “dine in the dark,” reports SI Live. The Greenpoint eatery is offering a special mystery menu to guests who will don blindfolds, in order to highlight the flavors of its dishes, which have options for meat-lovers, seafood enthusiasts and vegans alike.

The tasting experience costs $110, not including drinks.

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NEW TENANTS AT 16 COURT OFFICE BUILDING

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Landlord company CIM snagged three major new tenants at its 16 Court Street office building, according to the Commercial Observer, which reports that podcasting company Pineapple Street Studios, architecture and design firm Sasaki Associates and political consultants New Deal Strategies have all signed new leases for office spaces in the 36-story historic tower at the corner of Montague and Court streets, with New Deal taking the full 34th floor. The law firm Friedman Sanchez also extended its existing lease, which covers the entire 26th floor.

CIM is currently suing the Brooklyn Democratic Party over an unpaid rent dispute in this office building, having filed suit in federal court earlier this month.

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‘LETTERS TO SPIDERMAN’ AT WILLIAMSBURG MUSEUM

WILLIAMSBURG — Quirky Williamsburg museum the City Reliquary is showcasing an exhibit of kids’ letters to Spiderman – the Marvel comics superhero whose real name is Peter Parker – this month until April 2, displaying hundreds of letters collected by a Queens family, coincidentally also surnamed Parker, living at an address Marvel used for the teenage superhero in 1989. The letters come from all over the globe, reports the New York Post, showing the far reach of one of New York’s hometown heroes – even if he is fictional.

“One of the really nice things about that superhero is that, unlike other superheroes, he comes from a real place,” said family member Pamela Parker, who mentioned that the letters initially caused some confusion in her household.

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NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AIMS TO EXPAND BROOKLYN ARTS COUNCIL’S NETWORK

Rasu Jilani, Executive Director of Brooklyn Arts Council. Photo: Stephanie Mei-Ling.

DUMBO — The Brooklyn Arts Council has named Rasu Jilani as the organization’s new Executive Director. A native New Yorker of Caribbean heritage, he brings more than 15 years of experience advocating for the Brooklyn cultural and creative community to the organization, and is a reputable facilitator in the cultural sector, the founder of Coup d’état BROOKLYN and Coup d’état Arts, and a producer for Afropunk.

Jilani aims to enhance BAC as a cornerstone arts organization in Brooklyn by expanding its network of artists, arts organizations, and programs. He will lead efforts to support and empower local artists toward achieving the Council’s vision of generating a self-sustaining and integral creative community that fosters connectedness and engagement in society.

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REPORT SHOWS STEEP DROP IN MATH PROFICIENCY SINCE START OF PANDEMIC

STATEWIDE — New York students’ academic performance dropped significantly in 2022, and fourth grade math proficiency rates declined steeply as well, according to a federal review that State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has released. Recent data from The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows student performance dropped significantly in 2022 from 2019 — before the pandemic — with the decline in math steepest for Asian and Pacific Islander students, at 14 percentage points.

Responding to these scores, DiNapoli has urged New York school districts to assess their plans for spending federal pandemic funds, of which New York was allocated $15 billion in emergency education aid during the pandemic, with $14 billion from three rounds of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) assistance. But New York’s school districts have spent roughly only 40% of ESSER funds, according to data from DiNapoli’s COVID-19 Relief Program Tracker.

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SIGNATURE BANK REMAINS OPEN AFTER REGULATORS TAKE OVER

NEW YORK — Signature Bank was seized by the New York Department of Financial Services on Sunday, according to a press statement from Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris, with the FDIC being appointed as receiver after granting regulators a “systemic risk exemption” for the bank, in a nationwide effort to protect the banking sector following Friday’s bank-run-triggered collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, a major player in the tech industry. While officials assured the public that depositors would be made whole, bank investors could face massive losses on the value of their shares, which were trading at over $100 as recently as Wednesday of last week.

The boutique bank, founded in New York in 2001 with one of its flagship branches located directly opposite Brooklyn Borough Hall, had become a favorite of cryptocurrency enthusiasts in recent years and struggled following a downturn in the crypto market earlier in 2022, according to the New York Times, which also reports that officials plan a broad array of measures designed to protect bank depositors without risking taxpayer money.

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PRESIDENT, GOVERNOR PROMISE STABILITY IN WAKE OF BANK FAILURES

NATIONWIDE — President Biden on Sunday issued a press statement on the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, saying “I am firmly committed to holding those responsible for this mess fully accountable and to continuing our efforts to strengthen oversight and regulation of larger banks so that we are not in this position again,” and promising that taxpayer money would not be used, easing fears of another bank bailout. Governor Hochul also weighed in on the failure of New York-based Signature Bank, writing “Throughout the weekend, [Department of Financial Services] Superintendent Adrienne Harris and I have been working closely with Federal partners on ways to stabilize the banking sector and protect the hard-earned money of New Yorkers whose livelihoods depend on impacted companies. I’m grateful that the Federal regulators have taken steps to do just that, and I hope that these actions will provide increased confidence in the stability of our banking system.”

Governor Hochul is expected to make a more comprehensive announcement on the bank situation at 9:30 on Monday morning from her office in Murray Hill in Manhattan.

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MAN SHOT IN FLATBUSH BASEMENT, OTHERS WOUNDED

FLATBUSH — A Brooklyn man, 39-year-old Emmanuel Soray, was found deceased with a gunshot wound to the face in the basement of a Flatbush apartment building on the afternoon of Saturday, March 11, according to police. Officers also discovered a 27-year-old woman and 40-year-old man who had been wounded by gunshots, who were transported to local hospitals, as well as a 33-year-old woman who was taken to a New Jersey hospital by private means; police say that no arrests have been made and that the investigation is ongoing.

“We must find ways to break the cycle of rising gun violence in our city that causes neighbors to be traumatized and feel unsafe,” Councilmember Farah Louis wrote in a press statement on the mass shooting, calling for federal laws restricting handguns.

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STUDY PREDICTS HURRICANES FOR NYC IN NEAR FUTURE

CITYWIDE — A new study found NYC could face a threefold increase in storm-related damage by 2053, as climate change heats waters and raises sea levels, according to the New York Post. The report, by the nonprofit First Street Foundation, says Brooklyn will be the hardest hit of the boroughs by these increases, with low-lying coastal areas seeing increased flooding and stronger winds.

NYC has already had a taste of this potential future after twelve deaths were linked to flash-flooding from Hurricane Ida in 2021.

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BIKE RIDER DIES AFTER STRIKING PARKED TRUCK

WILLIAMSBURG — On the morning of Saturday, March 11, emergency responders answering a 911 call of a motor vehicle collision involving a bicyclist discovered 51-year-old Ricardo Antonio Sicajau lying on the roadway with severe head injuries, where he was later pronounced deceased. Further investigation by the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that Sicajau had been operating an E-Bike when he struck a parked and unoccupied flatbed trailer parked on Kent Avenue.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.

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BROOKLYN JOB FAIR OFFERS INTERVIEWS, RESOURCES AND GROOMING

BARCLAYS CENTER — REFORM Alliance will be hosting its first Brooklyn Job Fair on Monday, March 20, in partnership with BSE Global at Barclays Center. The event, open to the public, aims to serve as a pathway for economic opportunity for returning citizens, currently unemployed, single parents, veterans, members of poverty alleviation and workforce development programs and those impacted by the justice system. The Job Fair, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will offer free career development resources and job readiness support will be available to all attendees, including record sealing education, professional attire advice, barber and makeup services, and resumé-building resources

Recruiters from local employers and national corporations will be interviewing on-site for hundreds of open positions at all levels.

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DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON 5G WIRELESS TECH INSTALLATION FOR LIVINGSTON ST.

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — There is still time to submit public comments to the city regarding proposed installation of 5G equipment and service — both requiring larger pole-mounted equipment — along the Livingston Street corridor, Community Board 2 reports. The NYC Office of Technology & Innovation is soliciting comments on a request to install 5G mobile equipment on a street pole on Livingston between Hoyt St. and Elm Place; they can be submitted to [email protected] until 5 p.m. on Monday, March 13.

Constituents can learn more about “5G,” which stands for fifth generation mobile technology, and considered to be the future of wireless; and proposed locations, designs, structures, deployment strategy & equity, and health and safety at www.nyc.gov/5G.

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CONGRESSMEMBER VELÁZQUEZ CONVENES MEETING TO DISCUSS RASH OF E-BIKE FIRES

BUSHWICK — Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-7th District/northern Brooklyn and Queens) on Saturday, March 11, held a press conference with local elected officials in Bushwick regarding recent deadly fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and other electric mobility devices. During the event, participants — including Community Board 4 Chair Roberto Camacho — discussed the danger these lithium-ion batteries pose to communities and policy solutions to prevent more fires. Congressmember Velázquez also unveiled the Safe Charging Electric Bikes and Scooters Act, which would direct the Department of Transportation to create grants for local governments to install publicly accessible safety charging and storage stations for e-bikes, scooters, and other mobility devices.

This year, FDNY has responded to an average of three lithium-ion battery fires a week. These fires typically occur in neighborhoods with a high density of delivery workers who use LIB-powered vehicles for their work.

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UPDATES ON CITY-LED PLANS FOR DOWNTOWN BKLYN ANCHORS

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Eds & Meds will be the focus of Community Board 2’s next Land Use Committee Meeting, being held remotely on Wednesday, March 15, via Zoom. During this public meeting, Alex Sommer, Director, Dept. of City Planning-Brooklyn, and Amritha Mahesh and Sagi Golan — two DCP senior urban designers, will share new updates regarding the city-led planning efforts, expansion of neighboring anchor institutions, Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus and The Brooklyn Hospital Center, both which sit on or near DeKalb Ave. in Downtown Brooklyn. The team invites feedback to inform ongoing advanced planning efforts led by DCP to help shape future developments.

This presentation follows a preliminary hearing on the topic in January after the March 15 meeting, The Committee will then review the following Certificate of Appropriateness application for Recommendation to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC).

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GROCERY SELLS TWO WINNING LOTTERY TICKETS FOR SAME DRAWING

CANARSIE — A store in Canarsie sold two top-winning Take 5 tickets for the evening drawing of Thursday, March 9. Aden Supermarket, 10404 Flatlands Avenue, sold the prize-winning tickets worth $39,090.00.

TAKE 5 players with midday and evening draws on the same ticket must check their numbers at nylottery.ny.gov to determine if they have the winning numbers for the corresponding midday or evening drawing.

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‘NO RISK OF EXPOSURE TO ONSITE SUBSURFACE CONTAMINANTS’ STATE DEC FINDS

GOWANUS — The State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which is actively overseeing the cleanup of 514 Union Street in Gowanus through the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, stated on Friday, March 10, that “currently… there is no risk of exposure to onsite subsurface contaminants and the cleanup actions will continue until state requirements that are protective of the environment are met.” As part of the Brownfield application process in June, 2021, a soil vapor intrusion mitigation system was designed and approved to prevent contaminants, primarily trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene caused by earlier uses at the site. DEC and the Department of Health’s analysis determined that the system is successfully reducing levels of these contaminants to well below State Department of Health guidance.

Levels of TCE, PERC, and other contaminants that exist below the surface and exceed DEC’s groundwater guidance are being addressed with comprehensive treatment actions underway.

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STATE COMPTROLLER SUPPORTS BIDEN IN VETO OF BILL THAT WOULD VOID LABOR RULE ON INVESTMENTS

STATEWIDE — New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has allied with President Joe Biden to make sure environmental and social and government (ESG) risks continue to be considered in the management of public retirement funds. The Comptroller on Friday, March 10, wrote to Biden expressing support for the President’s planned veto of a partisan-crafted resolution that would void the U.S. Labor rule mandating the ESG considerations. The rule allows managers of retirement funds that are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks as part of their investment decisions.

“Far too many people are trying to impose their politics on what should be a dollars-and-cents, apolitical investment process,” wrote DiNapoli. “Voiding the 2022 DOL Rule would handcuff ERISA investors by discouraging them from considering material factors that a prudent investor, including pension funds, absolutely must consider.”

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RIBBON-CUTTING, INAUGURAL RIDE FOR NEW, ENHANCED SUBWAY CARS

MTA A-LINE — New R211 subway cars assigned to the A-line got their inaugural ride on Friday, March 10, during a ribbon-cutting with The Metropolitan Transit Authority. These models feature 58-inch-wide door openings — eight inches wider than standard door openings on existing cars — that are designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time trains sit in stations; the cars include security cameras, additional accessible seating, digital displays that will provide more detailed station-specific information and brighter lighting and signage.

The rollout, part of a 535-car order of the R211a model, which includes 440 cars with state-of-the-art amenities, 15 Staten Island Railway five-car trains and 20 cars with the open gangway feature, is a critical part of the MTA’s ongoing modernization efforts.

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LABOR LEADERS APPROVE PLAN TO PRIVATIZE MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR PUBLIC SECTOR RETIREES

CITYWIDE — The Municipal Labor Committee – leaders of the public sector unions — in a move largely missed by the city’s metropolitan newspapers, voted on March 9 to approve a new Aetna-run Medicare Advantage plan for municipal retirees, reportedly forcing more than 250,000 former city workers off their existing health coverage. Gothamist, an online news service of WNYC public media, did report that United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, the committee’s executive vice chair, approved the plan. The current SeniorCare enrollees will see their plan discontinued and will have to wait until 2024 for the new plan’s prescription drug coverage.

Many are criticizing the new plan for requiring prior approval (pre-certification) for certain medically-necessary procedures; and a federal investigation recently discovered that Medicare Advantage plans frequently deny coverage for such treatment.

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PUBLIC SECTOR RETIREES’ LEADER: PRIVATIZATION PLAN IS ‘DANGEROUS AND UNPRECEDENTED’

CITYWIDE — Following the Municipal Labor Committee’s March 9 vote to switch municipal retirees’ traditional public Medicare plan to Medicare Advantage by Aetna, the president of the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees denounced the move. Marianne Pizzitola, whose organization has fought the privatization move for more than two years, asserted, “They did this without ever seeing the contract and knowing that seniors may not be able to get into an outside Medigap plan to remain on Traditional Medicare, or not be covered in their Continued Care Residence Communities. They negotiated away the health care rights of their elderly and disabled retirees. This is dangerous and unprecedented…. Labor should never support privatizing public health care or stripping retirees of vested earned benefits. This is a sad day in labor history.”

Pizzitola pointed out that “retired union workers have been trying to educate their former unions as to the differences between Traditional Medicare with a supplement and privatized managed Medicare Advantage.”

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UPCOMING PI DAY CELEBRATES MATH…AND DESSERT

NATIONWIDE — Dust off those high school math books and bake a pie. The U.S. Census Bureau reminds the public that this coming Tuesday, March 14, is Pi Day — or 3.14 — selected from the first three digits of the never-ending decimal pi(π in the Greek alphabet). Many people also celebrate Pi Day by baking a sweet version, with some preferring apple, others cherry, and still others a quiche.

The U.S. House of Representatives in 2009 passed “H.Res.224 – Supporting the designation of Pi Day…” using a pun on the infinite decimal: “Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives—supports the designation of a ’Pi Day’ and its celebration around the world; recognizes the continuing importance of National Science Foundation’s math and science education programs; and encourages schools and educators to observe the day with appropriate activities that teach students about Pi and engage them about the study of mathematics.”

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ULURP HEARING TO REZONE BENSONHURST LOTS NEAR EL TRAINS AS MIXED-USE COMMERCIAL

BENSONHURST — A Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) hearing scheduled for Monday, March 20, at Brooklyn Borough Hall Courtroom will address a zoning amendment request for a development along New Utrecht Avenue in Bensonhurst within Community District (Board) 11. The applicant, 7120 New Utrecht LLC, seeks to rezone its project area on the west side of New Utrecht Ave. within feet of a stairway to the elevated MTA D train 71st Street station from R5/C2 (low-density residential) to C4-4L (General Commercial Contextual Zoning district, allowing the construction of a variety of commercial building uses, community facilities, and residential buildings).

The applicant seeks approval on a zoning text amendment to designate a new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) area coterminous with the project area for a new, 9-story mixed commercial/residential building, with about 30% of the units designated for affordable housing.

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TOXIC GAS COVERUP AT GOWANUS SHUFFLEBOARD CLUB: ‘20 TIMES’ SAFE LIMIT

GOWANUS — Levels of cancer-causing chemicals in the air inside Gowanus’ popular Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club were measured to be more than 20 times higher than the maximum safe amount, according to a new investigation by Gothamist, which reports although that the state Department of Environmental Conservation first detected the toxic chemicals nearly two years ago, a construction project intended to vent the fumes began only last month. The investigation raises concerns that state officials did not do enough to communicate risks to the public, and that the current plan is not comprehensive enough to shield patrons and workers from the shockingly high levels of contamination underneath the building, with a work plan issued by the DEC last year appearing to cite an unwillingness to damage the shuffleboard club’s finished floorboards as the reasoning for scaling down an earlier fume remediation plan.

Asked to comment, Royal Palms co-owner Johnathan Schnapp told Gothamist “Rather than passing judgment on the benefits or drawbacks of residential development in Gowanus, the Royal Palms remains focused on nurturing the incredible community it’s built over the past decade and continuing to introduce new players to the game of shuffleboard for years to come.”

The Brooklyn Eagle reported in February that the Voice of Gowanus neighborhood coalition had charged that the Department of Environmental Conservation failed to notify Gowanus residents of toxic indoor air pollution at the shuffleboard club. Reporting from the Eagle, it was cited in the Gothamist’s roundup of the DEC’s data.

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ADAMS APPOINTS JUANITA N. HOLMES AS NEW PROBATION COMMISSIONER

CIVIC CENTER — Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the appointment of Juanita N. Holmes as the commissioner for the Department of Probation. Commissioner Holmes will lead the department and oversee the critical work of NYC probation officers, who play a key role in providing resources and support to help individuals exit the criminal justice system and thrive, according to a city press release.

Holmes began her career as a patrol officer in Manhattan in 1987, rising through the ranks to become the commanding officer of Brooklyn’s 81st Precinct before serving as chief of training for the NYPD, the first uniformed Black woman to hold the position.

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NYU TISCH PICKS INDUSTRY CITY FOR NEW SCORSESE PRODUCTION CENTER

SUNSET PARK — NYU Tisch School of the Arts announced on Wednesday that it has selected Industry City as the location for its new Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center, which will offer training in virtual production, a set of cutting-edge techniques that involve the use of augmented-reality tech to allow actors and directors to work in a virtual environment and create CGI effects in real time, rather than in post-production. The 45,586-square-foot facility will be housed on the top floor of Building 8 at Industry City and is planned to feature two 3,500-square-foot, double-height, column-free stages, two 1,800-square-foot television studios, state-of-the-art broadcast and control rooms, and a variety of work and relaxation spaces for students.

The new Center was made possible by a major gift – the largest in the Tisch School’s history – announced in 2021 from the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation which established the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts, including the Virtual Production Center, the Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies, and support for student scholarships.

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PETE DAVIDSON PUTS $30K DUMBO APT BACK ON MARKET

DUMBO — Comedian Pete Davidson’s DUMBO loft is back on the rental market after less than a year, reports the New York Post. The four-bedroom penthouse, which features a private rooftop garden, private garage and keyed elevator, is currently listed for $30,000 a month — steep even for waterfront Brooklyn.

Brooklyn’s rental and home sales markets have slowed slightly since the pandemic, but are still red-hot, especially in high-end neighborhoods like DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights and BoCoCa.

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BROOKLYN SITES NOMINATED TO HISTORIC PLACES REGISTERS

PROSPECT LEFFERTS GARDENS — Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced that the New York State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding 13 sites to the State and National Registers of Historic Places, including the entire Prospect Lefferts Gardens Historic District, which encompasses almost 800 contributing resources; and the former English Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Reformation, located in Cypress Hills. The Prospect Lefferts Gardens area was developed between the 1890s and the 1930s and features Tudor Revival, Neoclassical, and Art Deco styles in its townhouses and apartment buildings; while the Church of the Reformation is a 1908 English Gothic Revival brick and terra-cotta church, distinct among Lutheran churches in Brooklyn at the time of its construction in its congregation’s choice to break with traditional German architectural styles.

Along with preserving New York’s history, State and National Register listings can assist owners in revitalizing properties, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

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IRS TO HOLD TAX HELP CLINIC AT METROTECH THIS WEEKEND

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — The IRS is sponsoring a free Taxpayer Assistance Center on Saturday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first floor of 2 Metro Tech, as part of its efforts to improve service this tax season. Normally, these centers are open during the week and people should have appointments to receive services, but during these Saturday hours, walk-ins will be accepted for all services routinely offered at an office, except for making cash payments.

The IRS notes that tax preparation services are not offered at their offices but that they can help residents find tax preparers in their area; and encourages interested visitors to check the IRS website for more information about what services their local IRS office provides, as well as for information about what to bring when you visit.

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NYPD SEARCHING FOR ‘MONKEY’ PAINTER

CONEY ISLAND — Police report that on the night of Wednesday, March 8, an unknown male individual approached an unoccupied NYPD van parked in the Parade Grounds Park parking lot in the vicinity of Coney Island Avenue and Caton Avenue. This individual then used black spray paint to graffiti the word “Monkey” on the passenger side of the van before fleeing on foot westbound on Coney Island Avenue.

Anyone with information regarding 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.

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BK MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS PREPARE FOR LEGO ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIP

BROOKLYN — Seventh- and eighth-grade teams from St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy and St. Saviour Catholic Academy in Park Slope and Xaverian High School’s Genesis program for middle-schoolers in Bay Ridge are preparing for the citywide finals of the NYC FIRST LEGO Robotics League tournament, scheduled for March 12 at Bronx Science. Both the seventh- and eighth-grade teams from St. Joseph the Worker took the Champions First Place Award in the semi-final round, setting high expectations for their faceoff against teams from all over the city this weekend.

The FIRST LEGO Robotics League engages youth in hands-on STEM exploration, offering a guided program that sees students work in teams to build LEGO-based robots that navigate courses and complete tasks.

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SCARCELLA-SPANTON PASSES VETERAN CAREERS BILL

ALBANY — On Wednesday, state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who represents southern Brooklyn and Staten Island and was appointed Chair of the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee in January, passed a new bill that establishes a veteran career assistance program within the SUNY and CUNY systems. Cosponsored by Sens. Jacob Ashby and Daniel Stec, Senate Bill S5018 will work to provide veteran students with assistance in resumé-writing and employment placement services.

“As both the wife of an Army Veteran & a CUNY graduate, I want to make sure that those leaving the armed forces & seeking out public higher education in New York State have access to career assistance resources. I will continue to fight for our veterans the way they fought for us.” wrote Scarcella-Spanton in a press statement.