What’s News, Breaking: Friday, December 8, 2023

December 8, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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FREE NEW BALANCE SHOES FOR SUNSET PARK KIDS, COURTESY OF NY ROAD RUNNERS

SUNSET PARK — RINGING IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON, THE NONPROFIT ‘RISING NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS’ on Friday gifted pairs of New Balance shoes to more than 100 kids at Sunset Park’s P.S. 896, The School of Creativity and Innovation. The kids laced up their new shoes and participated in the day’s fitness activities. The event was part of a shoe distribution at more than 300 schools across the country, with 4,300 pairs going to students in New York City.

Races on Saturday’s NYRR Frosty 5K will support the organization’s free, year-round youth and community running programs.

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U.S. VETOES SECURITY COUNCIL’S
DEMAND FOR CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA

WASHINGTON, D.C. AND GAZA — THE UNITED STATES ON FRIDAY, DEC. 8, VETOED A UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION THAT WOULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED AN IMMEDIATE HUMANITARIAN CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA, the Associated Press reports. The 15-member UN Security Council voted 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining to mandate an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for humanitarian relief. U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood criticized the council after the vote on the grounds that it failed to condemn Hamas’ attacks in Israel. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and other leading Arab nations and Turkey were in Washington on Friday on a rare joint mission to press the Biden administration to drop its opposition to a cease-fire.

Most nations have observed that attacks by both the Israeli forces and Hamas have killed and injured civilians, 70% of whom are women and children, and have destroyed hospitals. The US veto essentially aborts any United Nations action to end the hostilities. Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Goldman of Brooklyn last week introduced a resolution naming the Gaza Strip as Temporary Protected Status for Palestinians who have escaped the region.

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JUDGE GRANTS PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION BLOCKING ANTI-ABORTION GROUP FROM ‘TERRORIZING PATIENTS’

DOWNSTATE — A FEDERAL JUDGE GRANTED NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES’ MOTION for a preliminary injunction against Red Rose Rescue, an anti-abortion extremist group. The AG’s Office filed a lawsuit against the group in June for “invading reproductive health care clinics, threatening staff and clinicians, and terrorizing patients,” according to the office. In an order handed down Thursday evening, Federal Judge Kenneth M. Karas subjected Red Rose Rescue to a 15-foot buffer zone around all clinics within the jurisdictions of the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York, which includes Brooklyn.

“This important decision will protect reproductive health care providers and the patients they serve from Red Rose Rescue’s hateful, militant tactics while our lawsuit proceeds,” James said in a statement Friday.

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NEW FOODTOWN SUPERMARKET SET
TO OPEN IN BOERUM HILL

BOERUM HILL — A NEW 4,500 SQUARE-FOOT FOODTOWN SUPERMARKET AT ATLANTIC AVENUE AND HOYT STREETS IS SET TO HOLD ITS GRAND OPENING for the Boerum Hill community on Saturday, Dec. 9. An 11 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony launches a day of festivities. Foodtown of Atlantic Avenue, housed in a corner building on the north side of the avenue, with hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., will spotlight organic and natural foods, from fresh meat and seafood counters to a vibrant produce section, a charcuterie display case featuring an extensive variety of cheeses, and an in-store bakery providing freshly baked goods. Fouad Elayyan and his family, who will run the store, envision the supermarket as a focal point for the community, meeting the diverse needs of the residents.

The Foodtown store’s owner aimed to build on the neighborhood’s history; Boerum Hill was named for the Boerum family farm during the 1700s’ colonial era, although the family was Dutch. Legend shows there was a hill elevation within the farmland.

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20-YEAR-OLD MOPED RIDER STRUCK & KILLED BY TRUCK IN GREENPOINT

GREENPOINT — A 20-YEAR-OLD JACKSON HEIGHTS MAN RIDING A MOPED in Greenpoint was killed Thursday morning just before 7 a.m. when he was struck by a truck at the intersection of Greenpoint and Kingsland avenues. Police said that Oscar Delarosa, a resident of 90th Street, was hit by a 2021 International Explorer Truck driven by a 58-year-old man traveling westbound on Greenpoint Avenue as the truck made a right turn onto Kingsland Avenue. Delarosa was ejected onto the roadway, sustaining head and body trauma. The operator of the truck remained at the scene, according to police. EMS transported Delarosa to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue where he was pronounced deceased.

The investigation is ongoing by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.

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ADAMS APPOINTS LYNELLE MAGINLEY-LIDDIE AS NEW COMMISH OF TROUBLED NYC DEPT. OF CORRECTION

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ON FRIDAY APPOINTED LYNELLE MAGINLEY-LIDDIE, currently First Deputy Commissioner of the NYC Department of Correction and 8-year department veteran, as DOC’s Commissioner. “Lynelle has played a significant role in the progress we have made over the last 23 months at DOC, supporting this administration’s efforts to reverse decades of mismanagement and neglect on Rikers Island,” Adams said in a statement. She replaces Louis Molina, who has moved to a position as assistant deputy mayor for Public Safety. Administration officials lined up behind the appointment. “I am confident that Commissioner Maginley-Liddie will … [drive] violence further down and ensure safety for everyone living and working in our system,” said Chief Advisor Ingrid P. Lewis-Martin.

A federal judge is currently considering whether to place Rikers Island under federal third-party receivership, stripping the Adams administration of its control over the violent jail, the site of nine deaths this year so far, and 19 in 2022, according to NY1.

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LEGAL AID: DESPITE NEW DOC COMMISSIONER MAGINLEY-LIDDIE, RECEIVERSHIP STILL NEEDED

CITYWIDE — FOLLOWING FRIDAY’S APPOINTMENT OF LYNELLE MAGINLEY-LIDDIE as NYC Department of Correction Commissioner, Legal Aid said in a statement that it hopes the new commissioner “will take immediate and meaningful steps to address the myriad of health and safety risks that incarcerated New Yorkers suffer each and every day.” She replaces Louis Molina, who has moved to a position as assistant deputy mayor for Public Safety.

Legal Aid added that the current deteriorated state of the DOC “is well past the ability of a single commissioner to correct, and only an independent body in the form of a receiver can secure the necessary systemic changes” required.

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HOLIDAY FAIR BRINGS FOOD, COATS & LEGAL SERVICES TO IMMIGRANTS IN SUNSET PARK

SUNSET PARK — THE NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION provided food, family essentials and legal services at the Holiday Key to the City Resource Fair at P.S. 24 in Sunset Park on Dec. 7. “New York City can be a big scary place, but there’s a lot of support,” said Councilmember Alexa Aviles. “The most important things needed are legal services and basic products, like hygiene products, and understanding where you can get everything you need like food and winter clothing.” Nora Melendez, director of Community Programming at NYIC, said the organization’s Key to the City program, funded by the City Council, partners with trusted spaces like schools and libraries “to meet communities where they are at, to build the bridge between the resources and services available.”

More than 70 people met with immigration attorneys from the New York Legal Assistance Group to discuss topics like naturalization, DACA, Green Cards and more.

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HIGHER INCOME LIMIT FOR HALF-PRICED METROCARDS KICKS IN DEC. 16

CITYWIDE — THE NYC HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION HAS APPROVED a new rule that increases income eligibility for “Fair Fare” half-priced MetroCards — from 100% of the federal poverty level to 120% — starting Dec. 16. Many riders said at a hearing held in October that 120% was not enough, because the definition of “low income” is based on the Federal Poverty level rather than the actual cost of living in New York City.

“At 120%, the single mother of two that earns $35,000 a year will ‘make too much.’ A family of four with a single breadwinner earning $50,000 will ‘make too much.’ Essentially, all working New Yorkers will still make too much,” commented Derrick Holmes on the city’s Rules website.

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AS NATIONAL GRID PROPOSES RATE HIKE,
CLIMATE ADVOCATES PUSH FOR GAS PHASE-OUT

STATEWIDE — TWO MILLION NATIONAL GRID CUSTOMERS IN NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND COULD SEE THEIR MONTHLY BILLS INCREASE BY ROUGHLY $30 under a rate hike that the utility has proposed. National Grid said the additional revenues are needed to comply with federal and state safety mandates and climate laws, and its proposal would result in a 17% increase in local revenue. However, customers and environmental advocates say that National Grid should not invest in a gas-based system that needs to be phased out. The state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act sets a 2040 deadline to completely transition the grid to emissions-free energy sources.

The Community Leadership and Community Protection Act’s scoping plan does not recommend renewable natural gas or hydrogen as alternatives to electrification.

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GRACE CHURCH WILL MARK 175TH BIRTHDAY WITH PERIOD, COMMEMORATIVE WORSHIP

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — GRACE CHURCH BROOKLYN HEIGHTS WILL CELEBRATE THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FIRST SERVICE, this Sunday, Dec. 10. The Episcopal parish, founded in 1847 and which outgrew a previous location on Sidney Place, built its own church and on Dec. 10, 1848 — also a Sunday — held its first worship service in the new sanctuary. The 175th-anniversary service begins at 10 a.m., in lieu of the usual three morning liturgies that the parish offers. This service will follow the Morning Prayer Rite I liturgy, as would have been done in 1848, with period-appropriate Scripture readings, prayers and music.

The service will also give an opportunity to reflect on words that may have been spoken at that first worship service. Nowadays, the Holy Eucharist is the standard liturgy for all Sunday services in the Episcopal Church.

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CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING & SINTERKLASS AT BROOKLYN’S 1720 LOTT HOUSE

MARINE PARK — A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION INCLUDING A CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, a visit with Sinterklass — the Dutch Santa — music, complimentary snacks and hot cocoa will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, at one of Brooklyn’s oldest homes, the Hendrick I. Lott House at 940 East 36th St., in Marine Park. Exterior renovations took place on the house, but unlike other Dutch farmhouses in the city, the inside remains untouched, preserving the architectural fabric of its long, storied history. New York State also recognizes Lott House as an Underground Railroad site.

The event is sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of Lott House.

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COMMUNITY GROUP FIGHTS TO PROTECT COMPOSTING PROGRAM

NORTH BROOKLYN — THE GROUP NORTH BROOKLYN NEIGHBORS IS FIGHTING THE CITY’S ELIMINATION OF A RECENTLY-LAUNCHED COMPOSTING PROGRAM, and is urging Brooklynites to sign a petition. The city, which attributes the program’s elimination to steep budget cuts, announced that all community composting would end by early 2024, thus eliminating green jobs, educational programs and the supply of high-quality compost to local gardens.

The organic waste collected in the brown compost-collection bins is turned into a bioslurry and is taken to the Newtown Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility. While it is supposed to be used to create energy, recent exposés have shown that already many years delayed, this program is not functioning properly; moreover, there was a delay in the rollout of the curbside brown bin program.

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PUBLIC ADVOCATE WILLIAMS INTRODUCES STREET VENDOR SUPPORT BILL

CITYWIDE — AS THE CITY MOVES TO REMOVE STREET VENDORS FROM THE CROWDED BROOKLYN BRIDGE WALKWAY, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams on Wednesday introduced new legislation in the City Council aimed at providing street vendors with city support, the same as other New York City small businesses. The bill would create a division of Street Vendor Assistance within the Department of Small Business Services, charged with providing training, outreach, and education to all food vendors and general vendors regarding entrepreneurship and compliance with local regulations.

The bill is part of a package on street vendor issues introduced by various Council members.

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CITY SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR JANUARY 2024 HOMELESS OUTREACH POPULATION SURVEY

CITYWIDE — VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR THE ANNUAL NYC HOMELESS OUTREACH POPULATION ESTIMATE to be conducted next month, as it is each January, according to a notice conveyed via Community Board 10. NYC’s Department of Social Services, the Human Resources Administration and the Department of Homeless Services will conduct its annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) survey, a point-in-time survey undertaken each winter on particularly cold nights to determine the number of unsheltered New Yorkers on the streets. The coming survey will be done overnight on Jan. 23, 2024, and volunteers are needed from about 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Prospective volunteers may learn more and register online.

Results of the Jan. 24, 2023 survey, viewable on the same website, showed that an estimated 4,042 individuals experienced unsheltered homelessness that night, with increases from the previous year of those sheltering in the subways. The migrant crisis, which has since developed, is expected to spike numbers.

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NYS PROVIDING $150M FINANCING FOR CITY WATER TUNNEL NO. 3

CITYWIDE — THE NYS ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITIES CORP. APPROVED $164 MILLION IN SHORT-TERM FINANCING for water infrastructure improvement projects across the state — but the vast majority of the financing, $150 million, will assist in funding the excavation and construction of a section of NYC’s 60-mile-long City Tunnel No. 3, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday. The partially-constructed Tunnel No. 3, which the New York Times called “the largest capital construction project in New York City history,” will provide the city with a third connection to its upstate water supply. Construction began in 1970, and the tunnel section bringing water to Manhattan is already operational.

This round of financing will help build Tunnel No. 3’s Shafts 17B-1 and 18B-1 in Queens.

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GOLDMAN REBUKES GOP HOUSE MEMBERS ON ‘SHAM, PARTISAN’ IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

CAPITOL HILL — U.S. REP. DAN GOLDMAN OF BROOKLYN (D-10) in a statement released on Thursday, Dec. 7, is accusing House Republicans of weaponing Congress for revenge. Committee on Oversight and Reform Chair James Comer (R-KY) had launched an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden who, while vice president, was accused of being involved in a criminal scheme with a foreign national, and his son Hunter’s business dealings. Goldman pointed out, “President Biden and his administration have gone above and beyond to cooperate with this baseless fishing expedition. Contrary to [the situation with] Donald Trump, who turned over zero documents during his first impeachment inquiry, the Committee has received more than 37,000 pages of private financial records, 2,000 pages of Treasury Department financial reports, more than 20,000 pages of documents from the National Archives, tax records and confidential investigative documents from the IRS, and the FBI FD-1023 from the Biden administration.”

Calling the impeachment inquiry a “sham,” Goldman said, “The fatal flaw of this investigation is not a failure to follow the facts included in the documents, materials and testimony. It is that those facts do not support their predetermined and baseless allegations.”

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HOUSE LEADER PRAISES NC COLLEAGUE’S RECORD AFTER SHE ANNOUNCES SHE WON’T RUN AGAIN

CAPITOL HILL — HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER AND BROOKLYN CONGRESSMAN HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-08) is expressing regret that his colleague, Rep. Kathy Manning of North Carolina, has chosen not to seek reelection. Manning, who has served her state’s 6th Congressional District in Greensboro (and the Triad cities of Winston-Salem and High Point) since 2021, announced in local and national media her consternation over gerrymandering that has diluted her constituents’ vote, placing them in a minority. House Democratic Leader Jeffries said, “Throughout her time in the People’s House, Rep. Manning has worked to expand access to early childhood education, invest in workforce development programs and protect our nation’s most vulnerable. As Vice Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, Kathy has been a champion for the U.S.-Israel relationship and one of our strongest voices fighting against antisemitism and supporting the safety and security of Jewish communities around the world.”

Earlier this year, Rep. Manning planned to run for re-election. The North Carolina GOP pushed through new maps that will favor their party, although lawsuits filed earlier this week by civil rights groups allege racial gerrymandering — which is illegal.

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL TISH JAMES SUPPORTS ATF RULE ON GUN SELLER BACKGROUND CHECKS

NATIONWIDE — A PROPOSED BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES INVOLVING GUN BACKGROUND CHECKS has the support of New York Attorney General Letitia James. She and her Massachusetts counterpart Andrea Campbell led a multistate coalition of 21 attorneys general on Thursday, Dec. 7, to support the rule, which would subject more gun sales to background checks. After Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, ATF proposed a new regulation to clarify the definition of being “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms, and therefore require these dealers to obtain a license and run background checks when selling guns. The new rule would close loopholes that allowed the unlicensed sale of firearms, including online and at gun shows.

Noting that online gun sellers and those liquidating the inventories of licensed gun sellers are common sources of guns used in crimes, the attorneys general coalition urges ATF to hold those illegally selling firearms accountable instead of encouraging them to become licensed gun dealers.

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ATTORNEY GENERAL JAMES SUES NCAA OVER RULE BENCHING TRANSFER STUDENTS

NATIONWIDE — THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION’S RULE BENCHING STUDENT ATHLETES WHO TRANSFER BETWEEN SCHOOLS WITHIN DIVISION I is being challenged in court. NY Attorney General Letitia James leads a bipartisan coalition in filing a federal antitrust lawsuit that challenges the NCAA’s transfer eligibility rule, which requires college athletes who transfer among Division I schools to wait one year before competing in games, essentially penalizing them for their circumstances. The lawsuit alleges that the NCAA rule is an illegal restraint on college athletes’ ability to market their labor and control their education.

“Forcing college athletes to wait a year after transferring schools before they participate in their sport means missed opportunities, lost memories, and diminished chances to further their career and personal growth,” said Attorney General James. “This NCAA policy forces college athletes to remain at institutions they want to leave, or risk being benched for the sake of a better educational opportunity.”

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CITY COUNCIL APPROVES RESTLER BILL TO STREAMLINE BIKE LANE CONSTRUCTION

CITYWIDE — THE NYC COUNCIL APPROVED LEGISLATION on Dec. 6 that will expedite the installation of new bike lanes by shortening the current mandatory 90-day notification period to two to six weeks in most cases, the same as other DOT Major Transportation Projects. The legislation was introduced by Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D- Greenpoint-Brooklyn Heights) in conjunction with Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and backed by dozens of council members and transportation advocates. Restler said that the long waiting period sometimes delayed bike lane building into the next year’s construction season.

DOT Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said that the legislation would remove “an unnecessary waiting period after a public meeting takes place.”