What’s News, Breaking: Tuesday, December 5, 2023

December 5, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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BROOKLYN DIOCESE HOSTS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN’S OFFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AT GRAND ARMY PLAZA takes place Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m. The location is just blocks up Vanderbilt Ave. from the diocesan headquarters and Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. This year because of construction, the tree is located adjacent to the Dr. Alexander Skene monument on the southeast of Grand Army Plaza’s main ellipse. The ceremony will include remarks from Bishop Brennan, a scripture reading, Christmas songs from the Cathedral’s cantors and a blessing of the Nativity and the Christmas tree. Christine Persichette, anchor of Currents News on NET-TV, will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies.

The 21-foot Balsam Fir tree will be decorated with more than 15,000 multi-colored LED lights to represent the diversity of the Diocese of Brooklyn, as well as lighted large red Christmas balls. A four-foot star will top the tree, from Elwood Farms in Huntington, Long Island.

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CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT WITH
OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE, ASSISTING ESCAPE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A BOSNIAN NATIONAL IS BEING CHARGED IN BROOKLYN FEDERAL COURT, for assisting in the escape of a Russian businessman accused of transnational fraud and smuggling. A two-count indictment was unsealed on Monday in federal court in Brooklyn, charging Bosnian national Vladimir Jovancic with obstructing justice and assisting escape for his role in helping Artem Uss flee extradition to the U.S. following an Italian court’s ruling. Uss was previously charged in United States v. Orekhov et al. with heading a global scheme to smuggle millions of dollars in sensitive military and dual-use technologies. Jovancic, who helped Uss flee to Russia, was himself arrested Monday, Dec. 5, in the Republic of Croatia and is being extradited to the U.S. He will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a future date and faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted.

The State Dept. has ALSO announced a reward offer of up to $7 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Artem Uss.

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SANTOS THREATENS ETHICS COMPLAINTS AGAINST MALLIOTAKIS AND OTHER HOUSE MEMBERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — GEORGE SANTOS HAS NOT FORGIVEN HIS COLLEAGUES who voted to remove him from the chamber, NY1 reports. On his way out the door Friday, he pledged to file ethics complaints against House members, including Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who represents southern Brooklyn and Staten Island. Santos accused Malliotakis of insider trading in a bank stock — a trade that has come under scrutiny in the past. A spokesperson for Malliotakis told NY1 that Santos was “a scorned and known serial liar” and said the stock trade in question was handled by a financial adviser. Santos also attacked Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler and Long Island Rep. Nick LaLota.

Santos faces 23 federal criminal charges in New York, including wire fraud, identity theft, lying to federal election officials, money laundering and stealing thousands in credit charges.

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NEW PILOT PROGRAM WILL ENABLE SAFE
PUBLIC LITHIUM-ION BATTERY CHARGING

CITYWIDE — NEW YORK CITY WILL LAUNCH A NEW, LITHIUM-ION BATTERY-CHARGING PILOT PROGRAM early next year that will allow an initial group of delivery workers to safely charge their bikes in public, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The pilot program will test a variety of technologies to charge e-bike batteries at multiple locations across the city, and is being developed as part of the administration’s “Charge Safe, Ride Safe” plan to protect New Yorkers from fires caused by lithium-ion batteries and to promote safe electric-micromobility usage. Those technologies will include battery-swapping networks, as well as secure bike parking docks that supply fast charging to delivery workers’ e-bikes. This pilot builds upon several other initiatives to develop more outside-of-home charging options for New Yorkers, including establishing “deliverista hubs” in vacant newsstands in partnership with Los Deliveristas Unidos and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Schumer.

The city also received an emergency $25 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant earlier this year to install 173 outdoor electric-micromobility charging and storage stations at 53 New York City Housing Authority developments.

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COMMUNITY BOARD 7 URGES DOT TO EXTEND
FULL TRUCK STUDY TO SUNSET PARK

SUNSET PARK — A TRAFFIC STUDY THAT INCLUDES ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF COMMUNITY BOARD 7 ALONG 3RD AVENUE IS THE FOCUS OF A PUBLIC MEETING taking place at 6 p.m. this Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Joseph Miccio Cornerstone Community Center on W. 9th St. While residents of Red Hook have already been advised of the meeting, Community Board 7’s Transportation Chair Katie Walsh is urging Sunset Park residents to attend and learn how the study impacts the section of 3rd Ave. through Sunset Park running northward from 19th St. to Red Hook. According to a map on the Community Board 7 website, the district begins at 15th St., near the Hamilton Ave./Gowanus and Prospect Expressway interchange. The NYC DOT had in October declined CB7’s request to do a full truck study for the portion of the district starting from 65th St., notwithstanding longtime advocacy on this.

“A truck study would mean that NYC DOT would collect traffic data and preliminary analyses to identify and define traffic/transportation issues, in an effort to address community concerns, like they are doing for the Red Hook community,” wrote Walsh.”

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CROWN HEIGHTS WOMAN INDICTED FOR STEALING $157K IN SECTION 8 RENT FRAUD

DOWNTOWN — A CROWN HEIGHTS WOMAN HAS BEEN INDICTED FOR GRAND LARCENY for allegedly obtaining more than $157,000 in Section 8 rent subsidies to which she was not entitled. The indictment of Luzmila Corbin, 56, was announced by Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez and NYC Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber on Tuesday. As part of the alleged decade-long fraud, the defendant used another person’s Social Security number to conceal her employment and income from the New York City Housing Authority while collecting rent assistance vouchers for a two-bedroom apartment.

Corbin was arraigned Tuesday before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Riviezzo. She was released without bail and ordered to return to court on Feb. 7, 2024.

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DUMBO MENORAH AND TREE LIGHTING THURSDAY

DUMBO — THE ANNUAL DUMBO MENORAH AND TREE LIGHTING will take place on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 5:30 p.m. on Water Street between Adams Street and Anchorage Place. There will be music, hot cocoa, sweet treats, a Santa photo booth and animated projections. The Vinegar Hill Pantry Food Drive will accept non-perishable food donations, and there will also be a toy and coat drive.

Go online for more details.

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DINAPOLI: PANDEMIC SAW
1 IN 100 RESIDENT TAXPAYERS
LEAVE NEW YORK STATE

STATEWIDE — ONE PERCENT OF NY-RESIDENT PERSONAL INCOME FILERS LEFT THE STATE DURING 2020, according to a new report from state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The report found that one of every 100 residents moved out of New York, which DiNapoli attributes to the COVID-pandemic that caused a major shift in taxpayer movement. Out-migration quadrupled in 2020 compared to the previous year. And although the number of taxpayers who left New York declined during 2021, it remained a third greater than the pre-pandemic average. The report examines Personal Income Tax filings for the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 and follows up on DiNapoli’s May 2022 report that examined pre-pandemic taxpayer migration trends.

However, the pandemic was not the only factor in taxpayer departures, the report also found. From 2015 to 2019, a consistently larger number of taxpayers left the state than moved here, with an average annual net out-migration of roughly 28,700 taxpayers during this period.

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STATE AGENCY’S NEW, ENHANCED
WEBSITE GEARED FOR MOBILE USERS

STATEWIDE — THE NY STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION HAS LAUNCHED ITS NEWLY-DESIGNED PUBLIC WEBSITE, making it more accessible for those using mobile phones and other portable devices. The new site streamlines navigation, including more powerful search capabilities, and offers expanded, task-focused navigation, helping visitors find regulatory, environmental protection, licensing, and environmental education content and resources more quickly. Larger call-to-action sections make it easy to purchase licenses, find permit information, search for job openings, sign up for topic-specific newsletters through DEC Delivers, or subscribe to DEC’s Conservationist Magazine. The new website also features a DECinfo Locator — an interactive map that lets the public access DEC documents and public data about the environmental quality of specific sites in New York State.

DEC’s prior website, which according to DEC Commissioner Seggos got 28 million visitors annually, had been launched in 2005 on a now-antiquated platform that was not optimized for cellphones and other small-screen devices.

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COMMUNITY BRIEFING ON WIND POWER TRANSMISSION LINES IN WESTERN BROOKLYN

WESTERN BROOKLYN — ANABARIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS HAS SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO BUILD transmission cables carrying 1200MW of current from offshore wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean to either the Con Edison Gowanus substation or the Con Edison Brooklyn Clean Energy Hub in Vinegar Hill, where the power will be injected into New York City’s power grid. The Hera Power Link project will involve building cables undersea and beneath Brooklyn streets. Residents of District 33 in Brooklyn, which includes DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Vinegar Hill, Boerum Hill and Gowanus are invited to join Councilmember Lincoln Restler’s office and representatives of Anabaric for a community briefing on their proposed transmission lines on Tuesday, Dec. 19, from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom.

Register on Zoom or email Councilmember Restler’s office for a link at [email protected].

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ATIBA EDWARDS MOVES UP TO LEAD ROLE
AT BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

CROWN HEIGHTS — ATIBA T. EDWARDS HAS BEEN NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the first of its kind in the world. Edwards, a native of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has served the museum since August as acting president and has also been chief operating officer and executive vice president since 2019. During this time, Edwards rebranded the institution and oversaw the debut of new programs and offerings for the Crown Heights museum’s diverse young clientele. The new attractions include a state-of-the-art auditorium, a mini-golf course and the novel ArtRink exhibition — an outdoor skating rink and art exhibit.

After his family immigrated to the U.S., Edwards was raised in Brownsville (central Brooklyn). Before arriving at the BCM, Edwards co-founded the FOKUS nonprofit community arts organization and he directed operations for the Brooklyn East Collegiate Charter School.

Atiba Edwards, newly named president and CEO of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
Photo: Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

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COMPTROLLER LANDER REVOKES ADAMS’ EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION FOR MIGRANT SERVICES

CITYWIDE — NYC COMPTROLLER BRAD LANDER’S OFFICE has revoked Mayor Eric Adams’ emergency authorization to make deals with contractors for migrant services without prior approval, according to the Daily News, which obtained the Comptroller’s letter to the mayor’s office dated Nov. 30. “The Comptroller’s Office citywide prior approval is hereby revoked,” the letter said. Lander had issued a public report on Nov. 30 identifying significant problems with the emergency contracts, including delays in submitting the required paperwork and an apparent failure to report the vast majority of subcontractors as required.

On Sept. 5, Lander’s office retroactively rejected the Adams administration’s $432 million, no-bid contract with DocGo for migrant services, over the vendor’s lack of experience and the agency’s process for selecting the company. DocGo was also accused of mistreating migrants.

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PUBLIC MEETING WILL GIVE UPDATES ON CITY DOT’S TRAFFIC AND TRUCK STUDY

RED HOOK — A PUBLIC MEETING #2 ON THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’S RED HOOK TRAFFIC AND TRUCK STUDY takes place this Thursday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m., to provide updates to the community on its findings, Congressman Dan Goldman (D-10) announced over the weekend. Responding to congestion due to the continued growth and changing land uses in the area, NYC DOT launched a study of traffic and trucks in Red Hook and is hosting its second public meeting to present the status and to listen to community members’ transportation issues and concerns. The meeting will be held at the Joseph Miccio Cornerstone Community Center at 110 W. 9th St.; more information is available online.

Other Brooklyn elected officials representing Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and the Columbia waterfront, have written a letter to the NYPD Traffic Bureau requesting an increase in enforcement along Columbia Street after constituents complained about a “noticeable uptick” in commercial truck traffic around the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE).

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MILLION DOLLAR MEGA MILLIONS TICKET SOLD IN GRAVESEND

GRAVESEND — CHECK YOUR TICKETS: A PERSON WHO BOUGHT A MEGA MILLIONS LOTTERY TICKET AT 288 SAMS DELI on Avenue U in Gravesend, Brooklyn for the Dec. 1 drawing is a million dollars richer, New York Lottery announced Saturday. The lucky ticket buyer won second prize in the drawing, matching five numbers but not the Mega Ball. No one perfectly matched all six numbers to win the jackpot worth $355 million. Mega Millions drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET.

The winning numbers for Dec. 1 were 12, 47, 49, 52, 65, and the Mega Ball was 12.

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PANEL DISCUSSION ON BARBRA STREISAND’S MEMOIR IN BROOKLYN HEIGHTS WEDNESDAY

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — BROOKLYN NATIVE AND LIVING LEGEND Barbra Streisand’s autobiography “My Name Is Barbra,” (called “chatty and candid” by the New York Times) is the subject of a panel discussion, moderated by filmmaker Ethan Fuirst with panelists Maris Kreizman, Soraya Nadia McDonald and Jonathan Tolins at the Center for Brooklyn History, 128 Pierrepont Street on Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the Brooklyn Heights Blog reports.

Following the discussion there will be a performance of a “Streisand inspired number” by Brooklyn-based cabaret and drag artist Ella Fartzgerald. More information and RSVP instructions can be found online.

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CRAIN’S: CITY POINT’S RETAIL SECTION NOW 85% LEASED, WITH NEW STORES COMING IN

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — REAL ESTATE LEASING AT THE CITY POINT MIXED-USE COMPLEX IN DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN HAS REBOUNDED significantly since the departure of anchor tenant Century 21 that closed stores following a pandemic-related bankruptcy proceeding, according to a Crain’s New York Business report. Acadia Realty Trust, based in Westchester, announced last week that it has leased nearly 29,000 square feet of retail space, over separate transactions, at its 1.8 million-square-foot City Point complex at 445 Albee Square West. Brazilian steakhouse restaurant chain Fogo de Chao, the beauty store chain Sephora, the Midtown East-based entertainment group The Escape Room, the primary care provider One Medical and the pet care group GoodVets will open locations at City Point within the next year, Crains reported. AJ Levine, senior vice president of Acadia, told Crain’s that City Point’s retail component is now 85% leased.

These major lease contracts come on the heels of two other deals, with the tennis club Court 16 and restaurant group Dig.

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JAY-Z AUCTIONING OFF CUSTOM LIBRARY CARDS TO BENEFIT BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOROUGH-WIDE — TO WRAP UP BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY’S ‘BOOK OF HOV’ EXHIBITION, which closes Dec. 4, legendary rapper Jay-Z is auctioning off a signed black leather Pinel et Pinel briefcase filled with custom metal library cards showcasing his album artwork from across the decades, Artnet reports. The sale is hosted by Christie’s New York and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entertainment company, and all proceeds will go toward the Brooklyn Public Library. The Book of HOV installation resulted in a more than 50% rise in new library card registrations.

The single-lot sale, “JAY-Z: The Book of HOV Celebrating an Icon at the Brooklyn Public Library,” will take place online at christies.com through Dec. 5, and the lot is on display at Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries.

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CHINESE DEVELOPER TO LOSE CONTROL OF BROOKLYN’S PACIFIC PARK, AKA ATLANTIC YARDS

ATLANTIC YARDS — GREENLAND USA, A SUBSIDIARY OF CHINA’S STATE-OWNED GREENLAND GROUP, is set to lose control of Brooklyn’s controversial 22-acre Pacific Park — formerly known as Atlantic Yards — after defaulting on nearly $350 million worth of loans, The Real Deal reports. Ground was broken on Pacific Park a decade ago but the project became mired in delays. The developer was facing a 2025 deadline to complete Pacific Park’s affordable housing, according to TRD.

The auction is scheduled for Jan. 11.

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OFFICIALS ASK NYPD TO MANAGE SURGE IN TRUCK TRAFFIC ON COLUMBIA STREET

COLUMBIA WATERFRONT — BROOKLYN OFFICIALS REPRESENTING COBBLE HILL, CARROLL GARDENS AND THE COLUMBIA WATERFRONT have written a letter to the NYPD Traffic Bureau requesting an increase in enforcement along Columbia Street, after constituents complained about a “noticeable uptick” in commercial truck traffic around the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE), Councilmember Shahana Hanif said in a release. This has led to increased congestion on local roads, making many of them more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. The problem is particularly noticeable along Columbia Street and Atlantic Avenue to Columbia Street and Hamilton Avenue, Hanif said.

The letter was signed by Hanif, Councilmember Lincoln Restler, Assemblymembers Jo Anne Simon and Robert Carroll, and state Sen. Andrew Gounardes.

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RALLY IN THE RAIN: HUNDREDS SHOW UP TO PROTEST PROPOSED HOMELESS SHELTER

BATH BEACH/GRAVESEND — THE RAIN DID NOT DETER SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE IN BATH BEACH ON SUNDAY, DEC. 3, FOR A RALLY TO PROTEST a planned homeless shelter at 25th Ave. and 86th St. Assemblymember William Colton (D-47/Bath Beach to Bensonhurst) organized the rally as part of his ongoing fight to prevent what he asserts is developer profit at the expense of homeless persons and the neighborhood. Joining Colton was City Councilmember-Elect Susan Zhuang. Assemblyman Colton’s staff collected 100 pages of signatures from rally attendees on a petition opposing the shelter. Meanwhile, a concurrent online petition grew from 2,000 to 3,000 signatures over the weekend. The shelter, planned for 2501 86th St., would enrich only the developer, Colton said, identifying that party as Tejpal Sandhu of 86th Street NY LLC, who was also the developer behind the shelter originally planned for 2147 Bath Avenue. Colton had spearheaded another community protest against opening a shelter at that proposed site.

Assemblyman Colton said the city spends some $8 billion a year on homeless shelters, “Yet there are more homeless people, not fewer.”

Assemblymember Colton speaks from the podium; Councilmember-elect Susan Zhuang stands to his left.
Photo courtesy Office of Assemblyman Colton

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WILLIAMSBURG’S CENTURY-OLD KELLOG’S DINER TRANSFORMING INTO TEX-MEX

WILLIAMSBURG — THE 96-YEAR-OLD KELLOG’S DINER IN WILLIAMSBURG, which has been operating on the corner of Metropolitan and Union avenues since 1928, is turning into an all-night Tex-Mex restaurant with food and cocktails, Eater reports. The bankrupt diner has been sold to Louis Skibar, who owns the Manhattan diners Coppelia and Old John’s, and it will be run by Jackie Carnesi, an alum of the Brooklyn restaurants Nura and Roberta’s. Kellog’s will close soon for renovations and reopen in February. Its retro dining room is getting an update that includes a new cocktail bar, Skibar told Eater.

In the meantime, Kellogg’s is open with a shorter menu that has steak frites, smash burgers, chicken pot pie and more.

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ADAMS SIGNS BIOTECH TAX CREDIT BILL AIMED AT STARTUPS

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SIGNED A BILL MONDAY that will bolster New York City’s life sciences and biotech sectors by reviving a tax incentive for growing biotech companies. The bill, sponsored by Brooklyn Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez (Greenpoint, Williamsburg) and Queens Councilmember James F. Gennaro, creates a tax credit for biotech companies with a capped annual benefit of $3 million to target-growing startups, such as biotech firms at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Biotech and life science companies employ 20,000 New Yorkers, Adams said.

“By reinstating this tax credit, we will be able to stimulate growth in this essential manufacturing sector by fostering investment, offering incentives to qualified emerging technology companies, and paving the way for new job opportunities,” Gutiérrez, chair of the Council’s Committee on Technology, said in a statement.

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REPORT: ADAMS ADMIN CANCELED NUMEROUS FDNY INSPECTIONS IN BROOKLYN TO LET FAT CATS JUMP THE LINE

CITYWIDE — THE FBI AND FEDERAL PROSECUTORS are examining a list of VIPs to see if big-money applicants and connected developers like The Related Companies, Vornado and Amazon were allowed to cut the fire-inspection line by the Adams administration in exchange for their financial support of the mayor, THE CITY reports. Fire chiefs raised these concerns soon after Adams was elected, emails show. In the spring of 2022, the department canceled scheduled inspections at 12 sites, nine in Brooklyn, to move up the inspections of fat cats like 50 Hudson Yards. The canceled inspections included diverse, overcrowded P.S. 112 in Dyker Heights, three small multi-family row house conversions in Sunset Park and the Brooklyn Independent Middle School in Fort Greene.

Some of these VIPs contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Adams’ 2021 campaign or financially supported programs championed by the mayor. Others heavily lobbied top mayoral officials, including Adams’ former chief of staff, Frank Carone.

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NEW REPORT FROM SEN. GILLIBRAND SHOWS LAW’S SUCCESS IN GUN SEIZURES

CITYWIDE — A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND REPORT ON ARRESTS AND ILLEGAL GUNS SEIZED UNDER A BIPARTISAN ANTI-GUN TRAFFICKING LAW reveals that more than 1,300 illegal guns have been seized by law enforcement. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released her report on Monday, Dec. 4, at NYPD headquarters, standing with Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and his counterparts in the other boroughs. Gillibrand’s ground-breaking report analyzes the initial successes of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA)’s anti-gun trafficking section and mental health funding distribution. The report also found that 200 defendants have been charged under BSCA’s new gun trafficking statute, at least 190 of the seized guns were AR-15s or AR-style weapons, and at least 151 were ghost guns.

The data also revealed that more than $750 million has been distributed to fund mental and behavioral health services nationwide, which will also support the hiring of over 14,000 new mental health professionals in schools.

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FDA: RECALL ISSUED ON SOME HANUKKAH GELT CANDY BAGS

TRI-STATE REGION — MANISCHEWITZ, A LEADING BRAND OF KOSHER FOODS, HAS ISSUED A PRODUCT MISLABELING ADVISORY AND VOLUNTARY RECALL ON SOME VERY LIMITED UNITS OF THEIR DARK CHOCOLATE COINS, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the FDA announced. The candy coins, which were distributed in the tri-state region, including New York, from Sept. 26-Nov. 28, may contain undeclared milk that could cause serious or life-threatening reactions to consumers with dairy allergies. This recall was initiated on Dec. 1 (a week before Hanukkah, which begins on Dec. 7) after Manischewitz’s Quality Control Department discovered that a limited number of bags labeled as “Dark Chocolate Coins” contained Milk Chocolate Coins, which contain a milk allergen not declared on the label. Thus far, only packages bearing Lot Code 2283 and the Display Box UPC 072700200356 may potentially have gold (dairy) coins in the “dark-chocolate tagged” bag.

Chocolate coins, also called Hanukkah Gelt, are chocolates wrapped in gold foil, and distributed and eaten during the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, as a sweet lesson in the importance of charity.