What’s News, Breaking: Friday, October 6, 2023

October 6, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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MAIMONIDES RAISES OVER $500K
FOR BREAST CANCER PROGRAM

BOROUGH PARK AND WILLIAMSBURG — MAIMONIDES BREAST CANCER CENTER RAISED MORE THAN $525,000 AT ITS 10TH ANNUAL PINK RUNWAY FASHION SHOW to launch Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Maimonides hosted more than 375 guests at the event, held at the Weylin in Williamsburg, and featured 16 Breast Center patients who walked a pink runway modeling designer evening wear.

The first fully accredited Breast Center in Brooklyn, Maimonides has been serving breast cancer patients since 2007. The Breast Center is Brooklyn’s only NAPBC-certified program, the nation’s most distinguished recognition for demonstrating a commitment to providing patients with the best care possible through the entire course of treatment.

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OUR LADY OF CHARITY CHURCH, FOUNDED
FOR ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS, MARKS 120TH YEAR

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A MASS HONORING THE 120TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR LADY OF CHARITY PARISH will be offered this Sunday, Oct. 8. Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn will celebrate the special Mass for this parish, which in 1903 began celebrating Mass to accommodate the influx of Italian immigrants who settled in the area. Five years later, in 1908, the parish was officially designated and the present church building opened in 1914.

Mass for Our Lady of Charity parish was originally celebrated in a converted animal stable. The Gospel of Matthew chronicles Jesus’ birth as having happened in a stable.

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REP. GOLDMAN’S RESOLUTION ADDRESSES
BOOK BANS VIOLATING FIRST AMENDMENT

BROOKLYN AND NATIONWIDE — AS PART THE OF BANNED BOOKS WEEK OBSERVANCE, Brooklyn Congressman Dan Goldman (D-10) and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) have introduced a resolution expressing concern about recent attacks on the First Amendment as some Americans push a nationwide crusade to ban books from public school libraries. The resolution also expresses concern about the proliferating threats to freedom of expression and reaffirms the commitment of the United States to supporting the freedom of expression of writers as protected under the First Amendment, and the freedom of all individuals in the United States to read books without government censorship. It also calls on local governments and school districts to follow best practice guidelines when addressing challenges to books.

According to the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, in 2022, over 2,500 books were banned or challenged in the United States.

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SPIKE LEE EXHIBITION OPENS AT THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — A NEW EXHIBITION, “SPIKE LEE: CREATIVE SOURCES,” is running at the Brooklyn Museum from Oct. 7 to Feb. 4, 2024. This immersive installation offers “a rare glimpse into the world of Spike Lee, one of the most influential and prolific American filmmakers and directors,” Brooklyn Museum says in its release. Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1957, and raised in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The exhibition includes over 450 items from Lee’s personal collection, including artworks by prominent Black American artists, including Kehinde Wiley, Deborah Roberts, and Michael Ray Charles; instruments once owned by legendary musicians; historical photographs; sports and movie memorabilia and more.

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NY TIMES’ SAM SIFTON KEYNOTES
HEIGHTS LIBRARY’S PEARL ANNIVERSARY

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — NEW YORK TIMES’ ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR AND CELEBRATED Food Editor Sam Sifton is the keynote speaker at the Brooklyn Heights Branch Library’s Pearl (30th) Anniversary on Wednesday, Oct. 18. The Pearl Anniversary celebrates the 1993 founding of the Friends of Brooklyn Heights Branch Library, which gives financial and volunteer support for programming, including readings with world-renowned authors, a youth chess program that teaches problem-solving strategies and a practical writing clinic for adults, among others. The Oct. 18 event runs from 7-9:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Heights Branch, 286 Cadman Plaza West.

Pearls are a traditional gift to couples on their 30th anniversary. The branch library itself has been in existence since 1962 when the original building opened on Cadman Plaza West. The Brooklyn Heights branch moved into its new home in 2022.

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MORE HEAVY RAIN, FLASH FLOODING
ARE POSSIBLE, GOVERNOR WARNS

STATEWIDE — LIKEWISE, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL ON FRIDAY MORNING URGED NEW YORKERS TO PREPARE for heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding in some locations across the eastern portion of the state this weekend. A strong, slow-moving cold front was expected to bring showers and isolated thunderstorms starting Friday from New York City and Long Island up to the northern part of the state. She warned that, while up to three inches of rain could fall, there could be up to five inches in some regions. The heaviest rainfalls are expected Saturday with the eastern portion of the state at greatest risk of flooding. For a complete list of weather alerts and forecasts, readers can visit the National Weather Service website at https://alerts.weather.gov/. New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for NY Alert, the State’s free emergency alert system, at https://alert.ny.gov/.

Governor Hochul also noted that, while Tropical Storm Philippe is not expected to impact New York State, government agencies are monitoring it and are prepared to respond if the storm changes course.

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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPT.: MORE
RAINSTORMS ARE FORECAST FOR WEEKEND

CITYWIDE — FLOOD-WEARY BROOKLYNITES ARE RECEIVING ALERTS FROM NOTIFY NYC OF MORE RAIN TO COME over the weekend. The NYC Emergency Management Department advises New Yorkers to prepare for heavy rain and thunderstorms in NYC starting late Friday night, Oct. 6, through Saturday afternoon, with flash flooding possible during this time. Periods of heavy rain may cause flooding in the city, including highways, streets, basements, and underpasses, creating dangerous traveling conditions. The OEM said that city agencies have taken action to clean catch basins and remove street litter in the event heavier rain occurs.

Last Friday, a record seven inches of rain fell in the city, with Brooklyn receiving the brunt of the severe weather. Several roadways and basements from Williamsburg to Bergen Beach were flooded, and most subway lines shut down as water gushed into the stations.

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FREE COLLEGE APPLICATIONS ACROSS NEW YORK THIS MONTH

STATEWIDE — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL ANNOUNCED THURSDAY that all SUNY and CUNY colleges and 40 private colleges and universities in New York State will have free application opportunities for high school seniors throughout the month of October, which is New York State College Application Month. “I urge all seniors in the state to apply to at least one college this month and make the most of this unprecedented initiative,” Hochul said in a release.

SUNY is waiving fees from Oct. 16 through Oct. 29, and CUNY is waiving fees all month for high school seniors in NYC public schools and all state residents who apply as a freshman between Oct. 16 and 31. Private institutions vary. The complete list can be found online.

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GARLAND APPOINTS BREON PEACE, U.S. ATTY. FOR EASTERN DISTRICT OF NY, TO ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York
Photo: U.S. Dept. of Justice

DOWNTOWN — ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND on Friday announced the appointment of Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. The Committee advises the A.G. on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys. “I am honored to be appointed by Attorney General Garland to serve on his advisory committee. I am looking forward to serving him and the Department in this capacity,” Peace said in a statement on LinkedIn.

Peace, who grew up in Crown Heights and attended Clara Barton High School, supervises a staff of roughly 160 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 120 professional staff. Prior to his appointment, he was a partner in the New York office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and was a member of the firm’s White-Collar Defense & Investigations and Litigation Groups.

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BROOKLYN SUBWAY SHOOTER SENTENCED TO 10 LIFE SENTENCES

DOWNTOWN — BROOKLYN SUBWAY SHOOTER FRANK JAMES was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz, II on Thursday to 10 concurrent life sentences plus an additional 10 years in prison, according to a release by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. More than a year ago, James had set off smoke bombs and opened fire on a crowded Sunset Park N train while it was between stations, hitting ten people and causing panic. He was eventually arrested in Manhattan after calling a police tip line to turn himself in.

James planned his act of terror for years — purchasing smoke bombs, disguises, firearms, and ammunition. He scouted the location for his attack and completed multiple practice runs.

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BROOKLYN’S REP. CLARKE CO-AUTHORS LETTERS TO META, X ON AI-GENERATED ADS

FLATBUSH & CAPITOL HILL — TWO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WITH CONCERNS OVER ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE’S ROLE in the upcoming 2024 elections have written a letter to the CEOs of social media platforms Meta and X (formerly Twitter) about the matter. Rep. Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn (D-09) and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on Thursday, Oct. 5, asked platform executives Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Platforms, Inc. and Linda Yaccarino, X Corp., for clarification on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political advertisements hosted on their social media platforms.

“With the advancement of AI technologies, it has become increasingly challenging to identify AI-generated content, including videos, images, audio, and text. We are already seeing examples of deceptive AI-generated content in political ads that has the potential to deceive voters and disrupt their trust and faith in our elections,” the Congress members wrote.

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CITY NEEDS TO ‘GO BACK TO MATH CLASS’ OVER STUDENT TEST SCORE CLAIMS

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ON THURSDAY TOUTED WHAT HE DESCRIBED as “strong growth” in NYC students’ 2023 math and English test scores, crediting his administration’s recent initiatives such as dyslexia screenings and NYC Reads. According to Adams, in just one year, student math proficiency across the city increased wildly — from 37.9% in 2022 to 49.9% in 2023 — and English Language Arts from 49% to 51.7%. However, the state Education Department said that 2023 results could not be compared to prior years because the exams were changed to match the new learning standards, according to the educational website Chalkbeat.

David Bloomfield, a professor of educational leadership, law and policy at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center, told Chalkbeat the city’s framing of the results was “nonsensical,” since the new tests can’t be compared to previous tests. “They need to go back to math class,” he said.

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MAN ARRESTED IN STABBING DEATH OF BELOVED BROOKLYN ACTIVIST

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — AN 18-YEAR-OLD MAN suspected in the vicious stabbing death of beloved Brooklyn social justice activist Ryan Carson at a bus stop in Bed-Stuy was arrested Thursday morning as cops recovered a knife and the sweatshirt the perpetrator is believed to have worn, the New York Post reports. Brian Dowling was arrested when cops executed a search warrant at a home on Lafayette Avenue, not far from where Carson, 32, was attacked early Monday. Sources told the Post the teen works at a high school in Clinton Hill and is known to frequent Commodore Barry Park in Fort Greene.

Carson — a campaign organizer for the New York Public Interest Research Group — and his girlfriend were heading home from a wedding on Long Island when he was attacked for no reason and stabbed through the heart.

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LANDER LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO CITY’S RAINFALL MANAGEMENT

CITYWIDE — NYC COMPTROLLER BRAD LANDER’S OFFICE is launching an investigation into the city’s ability to manage extreme rainfall, after Tropical Storm Ophelia shut down subway lines, damaged basements and flooded streets last week. The investigation will evaluate how the city is implementing the policies and protocols it put in place after Hurricane Ida, Lander said in a statement Thursday. The goal is to better prepare for and respond to future extreme rainfall events.

“We look forward to working with the comptroller on a fair, thorough, and balanced review to ensure our city is equipped as these storms become increasingly frequent and severe,” Adams said in a statement.

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$49.5M FINE FOR COMPANY IN MASSIVE DATA BREACH AFFECTING NUMEROUS BROOKLYN ORGS

STATEWIDE — ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES and a multistate coalition of 50 attorneys general reached a $49.5 million agreement with cloud company Blackbaud over a massive data breach in 2020 that impacted thousands of nonprofit institutions, including dozens in Brooklyn. Blackbaud provides donor data management software; the breach exposed the personal information of its customers and millions of their donors and constituents, including Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial information, employment and wealth information and protected health information. Blackbaud delayed notifying customers, or never notified them at all.

Some of the Brooklyn organizations hit by the data breach include Bay Ridge Center, Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, Brooklyn Bar Association, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Brooklyn Friends School, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Brooklyn Public Library. The full list may be found online.

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COLTON THANKS DOT FOR QUICK ACTION ON NEED FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS

BATH BEACH — A BUSY CORNER OF BATH BEACH NOW HAS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, after Assemblymember William Colton (D-47) requested a study. The city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) has installed a traffic signal and pedestrian signals at 86th Street and Bay 10th Street, an intersection that was of concern to Colton’s constituents who worry about the potential for collisions. This T-intersection, which is part of a pedestrian route to Dyker Playground and the soccer field, also has an entry/exit ramp from a busy shopping center parking lot that funnels traffic directly into the busy street. A few hundred feet away on 86th Street is an additional parking lot. In addition, a separate signal controlling the exit from the supermarket parking lot changes from steady red, requiring all cars leaving the parking lot to remain stopped, to flashing red, allowing the cars to proceed with caution into the roadway.

Expressing delight that the DOT responded to his request so quickly, Colton said, “Having traffic controls at the intersection will make it safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.”

The DOT installed traffic signals at the busy intersection of Bay 10th St. and 86th St. in Bath Beach.
Photo courtesy Office of Assemblymember William Colton

Assemblymember Colton tries one of the new pedestrian signals at the corner of 86th St. and Bay 10th St. in Bath Beach.
Photo courtesy Office of Assemblymember William Colton

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COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD FORMED FOR FUTURE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM REC CENTER

EAST FLATBUSH — A NEW COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED for the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, which is under development at Nostrand Playground in East Flatbush, two elected officials announced on Thursday, Oct. 5. Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (D-42) and City Councilmember Farah N. Louis (D-45) have selected leaders with a broad range of skills and experience, including the chairperson of Community Board 14, the District Manager of Community Board 17, the president of the NYPD’s 70th Precinct Community Council and treasurer of the 67th Precinct Community Council; leaders from two Business Improvement Districts representing Flatbush-Nostrand and Flatbush-Church Ave.; business owners, educators and clergy.

Slated for a December 2025 completion, the 62,000 square foot Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, named for Brooklyn’s and the nation’s first Black Congresswoman, will offer a bevy of programming options and amenities once it opens, including multipurpose rooms, a gymnasium and walking track, the Dr. Roy Hastick Media Lab, an indoor swimming pool, fitness, strength, and cardio rooms, and a teaching kitchen.