What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, November 16, 2023

November 16, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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WOMAN GIVES BIRTH ON SIDE OF HIGHWAY

EAST NEW YORK — A VERY NEW NEW YORKER IS DOING WELL AFTER HIS SCARY WELCOME to city life last month, reports the New York Post: month-old Temple Osborne was born on the side of the Jackie Robinson Parkway Oct. 1 to East New York parents BelRaye and Tru Osborne. The couple told the Post that after BelRaye’s contractions became unbearable, dad, Tru, was forced to find a safe spot to stop on the highway shoulder with only seconds to spare as the baby’s head began to crown; 8-pound-5-ounce Temple was then escorted to a hospital with the help of a nearby police officer flagged down by the sudden parents, and issued a birth certificate, with place of birth reading “Exit 5 — Woodhaven.”

“We just looked at each other and said, ‘Did that just happen?’ … It wasn’t traumatic at all; it was amazing. It was beautiful. All we had was each other, and that’s all we needed,” BelRaye told the Post.

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NEW LAW TO SEAL CONVICTION RECORDS

STATEWIDE — Governor Hochul on Tuesday signed the Clean Slate Act, a law sponsored by state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, which allows some public criminal records to be sealed if people released from prison keep a clean record after serving their time, in a move the governor said is intended to boost economic productivity by helping reformed New Yorkers rejoin the workforce. Records of eligible misdemeanor convictions will be sealed after three years without any reoffenses, while records of certain felony convictions will be sealed after eight years; the act does not apply to sex crimes, murders or other non-drug Class A felonies; however, law enforcement and state agencies will continue to have access to all criminal records.

The Legal Aid Society hailed the law’s passage, writing in a statement, “This is a moment for the millions of New Yorkers who have been forced to suffer under the cloud of a criminal conviction that has long impeded their ability to secure … critical needs. With the stroke of a pen, Governor Kathy Hochul has ended this nightmare and transformed the lives of so many of our clients and their families for the better.”

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‘TOW-A-PALOOZA’ ON LIVINGSTON BUS LANE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — DRIVERS PARKED ON THE BRAND-NEW LIVINGSTON Street expanded bus lane got an unwelcome surprise on Tuesday, reports Streetsblog, when three NYPD tow trucks turned up in the middle of the afternoon to haul away vehicles blocking the right-of-way. Several of the offending cars bore signs indicating that they belonged to city workers, including apparently faked parking permits, despite pleas from the MTA earlier this week for employees at its downtown HQ not to park illegally; Livingston is now a westbound-only street between Hoyt and Flatbush.

New York City Transit president Rich Davey said in a statement, “There’s no excuse…. It’s simple: if you’re not a bus, get the heck out of that busway.”

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POLICE SEARCH FOR MISSING FLATBUSH MAN

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — POLICE HAVE REISSUED A CALL FOR INFORMATION ABOUT missing Flatbush man Marlon Philip, age 38, who was last seen on the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 7, in the vicinity of Smith and Schermerhorn streets in Downtown Brooklyn. Philip is described as approximately 6’0 and 185 pounds, with a dark complexion.

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). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

Flatbush Missing man: Marlon Philip. — Missing man Marlon Philip. All calls are strictly confidential.

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BROOKLYN GANG LEADER SENTENCED
TO LIFE IN PRISON

DOWNTOWN — A BROOKLYN GANG LEADER was sentenced Wednesday by United States District Judge Diane Gujarati in Brooklyn federal court to two terms of life imprisonment, to run concurrently, for murder in aid of racketeering and causing death through the use of a firearm. Christopher Acevedo, a founder and leader of the Wood City street gang, named for the Woodhull neighborhood of Queens where some of the gang members lived, was convicted in May.

“Christopher Acevedo showed his indifference for human life when he murdered David Hutchinson in broad daylight over a petty gang dispute in order to maintain and burnish his status as the leader of a violent street gang whose members felt insulted by the taking of a piece of jewelry,” United States Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

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NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE CALLS ADAMS’
BUDGET CUTS ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’

CITYWIDE — PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE WILLIAMS ON THURSDAY CALLED MAYOR ERIC ADAMS’ FY24 BUDGET MODIFICATIONS a continuation of his “irresponsible” strategy of pitting “New Yorkers who have less against new New Yorkers who have least.” Adams has blamed an influx of asylum seekers for causing a budget shortfall that he seeks to remedy by slashing funds for public education, libraries, sanitation and services for the most vulnerable across the city.

Williams said the mayor should make cuts “with a scalpel” instead of across the board and reconsider his opposition to “common sense revenue raising options.”

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FACING BUDGET CUTS, NYC LIBRARIES
ELIMINATE SUNDAY HOURS, CUT SERVICES

BOROUGHWIDE — THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY system on Thursday, Nov. 16, announced it will be eliminating seven-day (Sunday) service to its Central Library and all branches that offer it, including in Brooklyn Heights. Blaming the Sunday closures on Mayor Adams’ administration budget cuts, Library spokespersons pointed out that the revenue shortage will also affect spending on library materials, programming, and building maintenance and repairs. The Library’s statement indicated, “We cannot sustain our current levels of service, and any further cuts to the Libraries’ budgets will, unfortunately, result in deeper service impacts.” The last day of service will be Sunday, Dec. 17, for Borough Park, Brooklyn Heights, Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, Greenpoint, Kings Highway, Macon, Midwood, and New Lots. The New York Public Library and Queens Public Library are also eliminating Sunday service.

Many of these branches are in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods where, because of the Sabbath, families do not visit the library or do schoolwork on Saturdays. Sunday hours were, therefore, essential at these locations.

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JURY CONVICTS DEFENDANT IN 2022 ATTACK
ON HOUSE SPEAKER’S PELOSI’S HUSBAND

CALIFORNIA/NATIONWIDE — A FEDERAL JURY IN CALIFORNIA HAS CONVICTED THE MAN WHO ATTACKED FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI’S HUSBAND, PAUL, IN HIS HOME, just days before the Nov. 2022 midterm elections, report the Associated Press, Reuters and other news agencies. The jury on Thursday, Nov. 16, found David DePape guilty of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. DePape, 43, who now faces half a century in prison, had also planned to kidnap Nancy Pelosi, who at the time was still Speaker of the House; however, she was in Washington, DC on Oct. 28, 2022, the day of the assault.

During his trial, DePape also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after San Francisco police officers showed up at the home, an attack that was captured on law enforcement’s body cameras. His motive to end what he believed to be government corruption was “unraveling,” he told the court.

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CLEAN SLATE ACT, NOW LAW, WILL BOOST
EMPLOYMENT AND FILL VACANT JOBS, SAY LEADERS

BROOKLYN AND STATEWIDE — THE CLEAN SLATE ACT, WHICH GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL SIGNED INTO LAW TODAY, THURSDAY, NOV. 16, allows certain criminal records to be sealed years after an individual is sentenced or released from incarceration if that individual is not subsequently convicted of an additional criminal act with exceptions for with sex crime convictions. The Governor’s signature makes New York the 12th State to enact Clean Slate Legislation, which gives former prisoners a second chance at a meaningful career and boosts the economy. Gov. Hochul said, “The best crime-fighting tool is a good-paying job. That’s why I support giving New Yorkers a clean slate after they’ve paid their debt to society and gone years without an additional offense.”

Likewise, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Randy Peers said, “Everywhere I go in Brooklyn, small businesses are struggling to find employees to fill job openings, and this will help to greatly expand the talent pool. The Clean Slate Act is about economic justice, development and helping New York’s workforce develop and grow.”

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REP. VELÁZQUEZ PUSHES FOR BILL ADDRESSING
CLIMATE-RELATED HUMAN MIGRATION

NORTHERN BROOKLYN — REP. NYDIA M. VELÁZQUEZ (D-07) AND SENATOR ED MARKEY (D-MA) ON THURSDAY, NOV. 16, REINTRODUCED THE BICAMERAL CLIMATE DISPLACED PERSONS ACT, which aims to address the growing effect of climate change on human migration. The bill creates a new humanitarian program for those who have been displaced by environmental disasters or climate change and who need durable resettlement solutions. This program will function separately from the U.S. refugee admissions program but will afford the same benefits. The bill directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the USAID Administrator and the Special President Envoy for Climate, to devise a Global Climate Resilience Strategy. “In order to fight climate change, we must all be in this together,” said Congresswoman Velázquez. “However, we must not only find solutions around climate equity and climate justice but recognize the need for security assistance and resettlement opportunities for climate-displaced persons.”

One of the co-sponsors from the New York Congressional delegation is Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-13/Harlem to NW Bronx).

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REP. MALLIOTAKIS JOINS THOSE CALLING
FOR SANTOS’ RESIGNATION OR EXPULSION

SOUTHERN BROOKLYN AND CAPITOL HILL — REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS, who is Brooklyn’s lone GOP Congressmember, joined her voice to those calling for Rep. George Santos’ resignation or expulsion following the release, on Thursday, Nov. 16, of the House Ethics Committee report. Malliotakis told Americans that The House Committee on Ethics unanimously voted to refer to the Department of Justice (DOJ) substantial evidence that Representative Santos knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission, used campaign funds for personal purposes, engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC, and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure Statements filed with the House.

“The House Ethics Committee report only reaffirms that his actions are unbecoming of a Member of Congress,” said Malliotakis. “I believe it’s not enough for Santos to simply say he won’t seek re-election. He should immediately resign or be expelled so his constituents can be represented by someone who isn’t a fraud.”

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AS HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE EXCORIATES SANTOS;
BROOKLYN’S REP. GOLDMAN WILL MOVE FOR EXPULSION

BROOKLYN AND CAPITOL HILL — FOLLOWING THE HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE’S RELEASE OF ITS MUCH-ANTICIPATED AND SCATHING REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION of freshman Congressman George Santos (R-03), Rep. Dan Goldman of Brooklyn says that after Thanksgiving break he will introduce a bill to get the embattled Queens/Nassau County Congressman expelled. Goldman, in a Nov. 16 published statement, wrote, “More than ten months after Congressman Torres and I filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee, the Committee has finally announced their findings and, as I anticipated last December, concluded that George Santos defrauded his donors, filed false FEC reports, and repeatedly broke the law in order to fraudulently win his election last November… Now that Republicans no longer have any fictional excuse to protect Santos in order to preserve their narrow majority, I hope they will join Democrats in expelling him from Congress immediately.”

Meanwhile, after the Ethics Committee’s scathing report was publicized, Rep. Santos announced that he would not seek re-election to Congress in 2024.

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LIFESTYLE MEDICINE PROGRAM EXPANDS
TO WOODHULL HOSPITAL IN NORTH BROOKLYN

BUSHWICK TO WILLIAMSBURG — THE CITY’S PUBLIC HOSPITALS’ NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED LIFESTYLE MEDICINE PROGRAM HAS EXPANDED TO NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/WOODHULL. The expansion, announced on Thursday, Nov. 15, marks the second in addition of six new sites to make the program available citywide, following the recent launch at NYC H+H’s Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx. The Lifestyle Medicine Program gives patients the tools to make healthy lifestyle changes, including access to plant-based diet resources and one-on-one counseling. Adults living with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or health concerns related to excess weight are eligible to enroll (contact number 347-507-3695). Once all of the sites are launched, the program will be able to accommodate nearly 4,000 patients per year. NYC Health + Hospitals, receiving city support, will commit $3 million this year and approximately $5 million annually in future years to fund staffing and programmatic services for the Lifestyle Medicine Programs.

NYC H+H/Kings County is already participating in Lifestyle Medicine, as are the system’s Gotham Health locations.

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EAST MIDWOOD JEWISH CENTER, MARKING CENTENNIAL,
HOSTS INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING SERVICE

FLATBUSH/MIDWOOD — THE INTERFAITH COALITION OF BROOKLYN CONTINUES A LONGTIME TRADITION THIS SUNDAY, NOV. 19, with its 23rd Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. This year’s service, which starts at 4 p.m., is being held at the East Midwood Jewish Center (1625 Ocean Ave.) to commemorate the synagogue’s centennial. Participants are asked to bring a non-perishable packaged or canned food item as a donation for the OLR Food Pantry at neighboring Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church.

Interfaith Coalition member Our Lady of Refuge Church, about a mile and a half to the north on Ocean Avenue, marked its centennial in 1911 when it was founded for predominantly Irish and German Catholics. The parish has grown and now serves about 30 nationalities and three language groups — English, Spanish and Creole.

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BROOKLYN’S REP. GOLDMAN WARNS ISRAELI SETTLERS’
VIOLENCE SABOTAGES PEACEMAKING EFFORTS

NEIGHBORHOOD — THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MUST NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE GROWING DANGER THAT VIOLENCE, ON THE WEST BANK BY ISRAELI SETTLERS, POSES TO CAUSE THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR to escalate, warn Brooklyn Congressman Dan Goldman (D-10) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), who were the only two members of Congress who were in Israel during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The two lawmakers on Thursday, Nov. 16, sent a letter to President Biden, urging him to focus on preventing the war from escalating into a wider regional conflict, protecting innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians, and facilitating the flow of desperately needed humanitarian assistance. Goldman and Booker stated their belief that any government in the West Bank and Gaza — whether it be the Palestinian Authority or another entity — will require intense international support, reforms, and legitimacy to deliver for the Palestinian people.

Goldman and Booker also expressed concern that the Israeli government has not done enough to curb settler violence or to stop settlers from using U.S.-provided weapons to target innocent Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

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POLICE ARREST WOMAN WHO ATTACKED
PRO-PALESTINIANS ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE

DOWNTOWN — POLICE ARRESTED A 31-YEAR-OLD NATIVE OF ISRAEL who allegedly made anti-ethnic statements, threatened, and slapped at least one person participating in a pro-Palestinian event on the Brooklyn Bridge foot path on Oct. 28 at roughly 6:13 p.m. Eden Atias, a Windsor Terrace resident, was charged with multiple counts of aggravated harassment, grand larceny and endangering the welfare of a child, police said. Videos shared widely on social media showed her slapping or grabbing people on the walkway, including youth, and shouting that they all deserved to die. The incident was investigated as a hate crime.

On her social media accounts, Atias says she was born and raised in Haifa, Israel, and is a dancer.

Eden Atias charged with multiple counts of aggravated harassment, grand larceny and endangering the welfare of a child at a pro-Palestine protest. — Photo: NYPD

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IT’S OFFICIAL: DIWALI IS NOW A NYC SCHOOL HOLIDAY

CITYWIDE — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL SIGNED LEGISLATION ON TUESDAY, making Diwali a school holiday for New York City public schools. From here on out, public schools in the city will be closed on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Indian calendar each year. More than a billion people worldwide of the Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist faiths observe the festival. “New York City is rich in different religions and cultures, and we’re taking an important step to recognize and celebrate this diversity in the school calendar,” Hochul said in a release.

Diwali holiday’s message is “the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil,” state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-15 Queens) said in a release.

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HORSE ESCAPE FORCES PLANE BACK TO JFK

QUEENS — A TRANSATLANTIC CARGO FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK TO BELGIUM HAD TO turn around and return to JFK Airport on Thursday, reports ABC News, after a horse being transported managed to escape its stall by unknown means. The breakout occurred shortly after takeoff, according to a recording of the air traffic control audio obtained by ABC, forcing the flight crew to dump 20 tons of fuel off the coast of Boston in order to maintain a stable weight while the horse remained loose on the plane until landing. No further difficulties were reported.

“The horse managed to escape its stall. There’s no issue with flying, but we need to go back to New York as we can’t resecure the horse,” the pilot told ATC.

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SENATOR PARKER PAYS TRIBUTE TO RUBY BRIDGES TAKING PART IN AAA’S WALK TO SCHOOL DAY

EAST FLATBUSH — STATE SENATOR KEVIN PARKER (D-21) let his feet do the talking on the 63rd anniversary of Ruby Bridges’ walking to school on Nov. 14, 1960, after schools in the South were desegregated. Sen. Parker partnered with AAA Northeast to participate in the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day this week on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The annual walk, initiated by AAA School Safety Patrollers, was established in 2018 to honor the legacy of Ruby Bridges, a Civil Rights icon who became a symbol of courage and equality on her first day of school. Students from P.S. 198 and P.S. 109, both in East Flatbush, engaged in fruitful dialogue about civil rights and the significance of equality in education.

The Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, a student-led movement, originated from a question posed by a group of AAA School Safety Patrollers from Martin Elementary in South San Francisco.

State Senator Kevin Parker. Photo courtesy of Sen. Parker’s office

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DAUGHTER-IN-LAW HEADING TO PRISON FOR RETIREMENT FUND FRAUD

BROOKLYN — THE FAILURE TO REPORT THE DEATH OF A BROOKLYN WOMAN TO RETIREMENT FUND ADMINISTRATORS has landed her daughter-in-law in prison. Sandra Smith, 50, has been sentenced to more than a year in federal prison and ordered to pay full restitution after admitting she stole $459,050 in New York state pension and federal Social Security payments from her deceased mother-in-law’s bank account, according to a report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The mother-in-law, Minnie Smith, was a longtime Brooklyn resident who had worked for the State Insurance Fund from 1985 until her retirement in 2005. She died in September 2006 after having moved to Florida, but her family did not notify the New York state retirement system or the Social Security Administration (SSA) of her death. Instead, the retirement system received a change of address form purportedly signed and dated by the deceased.

After her mother-in-law died, Sandra Smith kept the bank account open while the retirement system and SSA continued to deposit a total of $264,699 in retirement system payments and $194,351 in Social Security payments until early 2021, when Minnie Smith’s death was discovered.

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PLANNED VERRAZZANO BRIDGE FLYOVER SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON

NEW YORK UPPER BAY — BROOKLYNITES AND STATEN ISLANDERS NEAR THE VERRAZZANO-NARROWS BRIDGE are being advised of a planned Hudson River flyover of two F/A-18 aircraft Thursday afternoon, Nov. 16, around 3:30 p.m. According to a notice distributed Wednesday, Nov. 15, from Notify NYC, the aircraft will fly at approximately 2,500 feet.

The Code of Federal Regulations Title 14, most recently updated on Nov. 3, contains the codified federal laws and regulations that are in effect, as of the date of the publication, concerning aeronautics, air transportation/aviation (including large and small aircraft, such as commercial airplanes, helicopters, balloons and gliders) and space exploration, including areas overseen by the FAA and NASA.

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LUNA PARK WINTER FROST FEST LAUNCHES THIS WEEKEND

CONEY ISLAND — LUNA PARK IS KICKING OFF ITS INAUGURAL FROST FEST HOLIDAY celebration this weekend, extending its season for the first time ever with a winter wonderland for guests of all ages. The Saturday opening will be marked by a community Christmas tree lighting along with the park’s usual attractions. Throughout the festival, guests can enjoy ice skating, holiday lights, a winter market featuring local gifts and treats and, of course, Santa’s Workshop, offering opportunities to capture family memories with the big man himself.

Frost Fest’s tree lighting will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 5:15 p.m.; the festival is then set to run through Jan. 7. More information about ride operations can be found on Luna Park’s website.

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PARENT ANGER AFTER MAYOR THREATENS GUARD BUDGET CUTS

CITYWIDE – MAYOR ADAMS CAME UNDER FIRE FROM ALL SIDES AFTER the mayor on Tuesday claimed that budget woes forced the city to cut a class of 250 new school safety officers, reports the New York Post, and suggested that parents volunteer for the guard posts instead. Parents and caregivers who spoke to the Post reacted with derision – “turning to parents for help in doing their own jobs!” – and frustration – “I usually don’t even have the time to pick up my kid,” – while union reps said that taxes should be used to pay for safety officer services; Adams has repeatedly claimed that harsh budget cuts would be needed to pay for the increasing costs of housing asylum-seekers and migrants from the southern border as the immigration crisis continues.

The mayor has not yet proposed a concrete plan to solicit parent volunteers, but said City Hall would work with parent groups “to get this done correctly.”

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BRIC TO GET $75K IN TOURISM GRANT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN – EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT ON WEDNESDAY announced the awarding of $15 million in funding to support 59 tourism capital improvement and marketing projects across New York state through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Downtown Brooklyn’s BRIC Arts Media was chosen to receive a $75,000 grant to support marketing and promotional activities for its Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, a 45-year crowd favorite summer music and performing arts concert series, attended by more than 250,000 people annually.

Celebrate Brooklyn’s 2024 lineup has not been announced yet; the 2023 setlist featured two months of performers every weekend at Prospect Park’s Lena Horne Bandshell.

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NEW SUNSET PARK LIBRARY AND APARTMENTS MARKS FIRST-OF-KIND MODEL FOR DEVELOPMENT

SUNSET PARK — A RIBBON-CUTTING FOR THE NEW SUNSET PARK LIBRARY AND APARTMENTS CELEBRATED A FIRST-OF-A-KIND DEVELOPMENT MODEL IN NEW YORK CITY. Leaders from the Brooklyn Public Library and the Fifth Avenue Committee joined local and state elected officials for the Wednesday, Nov. 15 ceremony opening the complex, the first of its kind, which has created 100 percent affordable housing paired with new and expanded public library facilities. Part of an innovative partnership between the Brooklyn Public Library and the Fifth Avenue Committee, this building contains over 50,000 square feet of residential space ranging from one to three-bedroom units for several income levels. Eight units have a Section 8 subsidy, and nine are for formerly homeless households.

The new library features the largest dedicated space for teens of any library in the borough, as well as a community program room available for scheduled community functions both during and outside of library hours.

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‘TEENSPACE’ OFFERS FREE THERAPY FOR YOUTHS VIA ONLINE PLATFORM

CITYWIDE — YOUTHS IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY WILL NOW BE ABLE TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF “TEENSPACE,” Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan announced on Wednesday, Nov. 15. The “TeenSpace” service, which the city and the digital therapy platform TalkSpace designed with input from NYC teenagers, is available at no cost to youths ages 13-17 and will allow them to connect with a licensed therapist through phone, video, and text.

As levels of anxiety and depression among youth and teenagers have risen during and since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this new program will help connect teens with appropriate support and referrals to more care if needed.

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CITY OFFICIALS CELEBRATE PLAYGROUND’S RECONSTRUCTION

OCEAN HILL/BROWNSVILLE — A CEREMONY TO OFFICIALLY MARK THE FULL RECONSTRUCTION OF CALLAHAN-KELLY PLAYGROUND in Ocean Hill-Brownsville will take place on Thursday morning, Nov. 16. The NYC Parks Department has transformed an entire street that sits adjacent to the Broadway Junction subway hub, turning it into a vibrant Greenspace and installing new amenities as part of a major $21.6 million park redesign. The reconstructed 3-acre playground features new dog runs, upgraded fitness and sports equipment, children’s play structures, two new dog runs, as well as the landscape improvements. The project received funding through the East New York Neighborhood Plan, and the Office of the Mayor. The park is named for two U.S. soldiers who were killed in combat during World War I: William E. Callahan (whose home was at nearby 98 Hinsdale Street) and Edward E. Kelly (who resided on Herkimer Street).

The Brooklyn Eagle covered the renovation process from groundbreaking: Read more here.

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BISHOPS ELECT TWO BROOKLYNITES TO CHAIR COMMITTEES PROSPECT HEIGHTS AND NATIONWIDE — TWO PRELATES FROM

THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO PROMINENT LEAD COMMITTEES within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), according to that legislative body and to the Tablet diocesan newspaper. The USCCB, convening this week in Baltimore for its annual Fall Plenary Assembly on Tuesday, Nov. 14, elected Brooklyn Diocesan Bishop Robert Brennan as chairman-elect of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church. This committee is tasked with bringing different cultures, races and communities “into fuller participation in the faith, life, and evangelizing mission of the Church,” according to its mandate. Likewise, Auxiliary Bishop James Massa was elected as chairman-elect of the Committee on Doctrine, which is in charge of “providing expertise and guidance concerning theological and moral issues that confront the Church in the United States.”

Brennan and Massa will each serve as chairman-elect for the next year and then take over as chairman of their respective committees next November, following the 2024 USCCB general assembly.