What’s News, Breaking: Monday, December 11, 2023

December 11, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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FT. HAMILTON ARMY BASE HOSTS
NATIONAL GUARD BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

USAG-FORT HAMILTON — THE NATIONAL GUARD MARKS ITS 387TH BIRTHDAY WITH A SPECIAL CELEBRATION AT THE FORT HAMILTON ARMY BASE this Wednesday, Dec. 13. Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville, Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, will be present to mark the National Guard birthday at the US Army Garrison at Fort Hamilton. Sasseville will conduct an Oath of Enlistment ceremony, participate in a tour of the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) facility and meet with the National Guard’s top recruiters in the country, as well as partake in a birthday cake cutting. The National Guard, which traces its history back to Dec. 13, 1636, is the oldest military organization in the United States and the second largest military component (smaller only than the active-duty Army), with more than 440,000 Soldiers and Airmen serving in all 54 states and territories.

Fort Hamilton remains the only active military installation in New York City.

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BROOKLYN CONGRESSMEMBERS
REVIVE BILL TO FIGHT HATE CRIMES

CAPITOL HILL — A BILL THAT WOULD EDUCATE YOUTH ON FIGHTING AND PREVENTING HATE CRIMES WAS REVIVED IN CONGRESS ON MONDAY, DEC. 11. Brooklyn Congressmember Nydia M. Velázquez (D-07) reintroduced the Education Against Hate Crimes Act, which would extend federal grants to state and local educational agencies and nonprofit organizations, enabling them to implement hate crime prevention and prejudice reduction education programs for secondary and middle school students. Priority in federal funding would be accorded to regions witnessing a disproportionate surge in hate crimes.

The bill’s co-sponsors Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-09) of Brooklyn and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-13), whose district includes parts of Harlem and the NW Bronx.

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CHARGED WITH INTERNATIONAL COCAINE TRAFFICKING

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A COLOMBIAN NATIONAL WAS SCHEDULED TO BE ARRAIGNED MONDAY AFTERNOON, DEC. 11, AT FEDERAL COURT IN BROOKLYN, with United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry presiding. The defendant, identified as Colombian citizen Alexander Valencia Garcia, was arrested last month in Florida after the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn issued a warrant. He is charged with two counts of international cocaine distribution. The indictment, court filings and statements made in court show that the defendant and his co-defendants were members of a sophisticated drug trafficking organization that operated in southwestern Colombia. The organization produced and transported thousands of kilograms of cocaine to locations along the coast of Colombia for eventual export and trafficking into the United States.

Garcia’s co-defendants — Cesar Valencia Garcia, Diego Beltran Alvarez, Oscar Valencia Florez and Jhonatan Samboni Ruiz — were all arrested in Colombia, and their extradition is pending.

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CONSERVANCY’S NEWEST BOARD MEMBER
BRINGS EXPERIENCE IN EVENT PLANNING

BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK — CATHERINE FELDMAN HAS BEEN ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY. Feldman, a Brooklyn resident, was elected Monday, Dec. 11, at the Conservancy’s Board meeting. She is the Head of Community at Thrive Capital, a New York City-based venture capital firm, where she leads events and strategic programming for the company’s founders and executives. Previously, Catherine was the Director of Incubations at Thrive, where she worked closely with founders to develop ideas and launch new companies. Before that, she served as Chief of Staff at the same company. Ms. Feldman began her career at Morgan Stanley, where she worked on the Technology Investment Banking team. Ms. Feldman is active with other non-profits as well, serving on the board of Summer Search New York, and as a Trustee of the Green-Wood Cemetery.

Feldman shared, “Since our family moved to Brooklyn, the Park has been central to our lives, and the backdrop for so many meaningful moments with our family and friends. I’m thrilled to support the Conservancy’s mission of serving the broader community through thoughtful programming and incredible green space.”

Catherine Feldman.
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy

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SUBWAY RIDERSHIP ON DEC. 9
BEATS PREVIOUS WEEKEND RECORD

CITYWIDE — THE NYC SUBWAY SYSTEM RECORDED 2,918,691 PAID RIDES on Saturday, Dec. 9, surpassing the previous post-pandemic weekend high that was set on Oct. 28, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Monday. The 2.9 million paid rides, reflecting a six percent improvement on the Oct. 28 record, represents the highest weekend day for ridership in four years. Moreover, 58.5% of all fares were from tap-and-go OMNY customers, who set a single-day record. OMNY, the MTA’s contactless fare payment method, accounts overall for nearly half of all paid subway rides.

The ridership and OMNY records came two days before the MTA activated OMNY customer vending machines in four boroughs, including Brooklyn, enabling riders to use cash at the vending machines to purchase OMNY cards.

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DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN JOINS MEXICAN CATHOLICS
IN CELEBRATION OF GUADALUPE FEAST DAY

PROSPECT HEIGHTS AND BOROUGHWIDE — THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN CONTINUES A BELOVED TRADITION ON THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, TUESDAY, DEC. 12, with its annual Mass and pilgrimage throughout Brooklyn and Queens. Father Baltazar Sanchez Alonzo, director of the Mexican Apostolate, has organized this event, which has expanded to include two Masses at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, one each for Catholics in Brooklyn and in Queens, and at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. respectively. Diocesan Bishop Robert Brennan will celebrate the Masses in Spanish. Afterward, he will stand at the steps to the Co-Cathedral to bless and light the torches to be carried in procession. Representatives from each parish will then depart with the lit torch on their pilgrimage journey to their respective parishes.

The group of pilgrims represents, in its vast majority, the Mexican Catholic population of Brooklyn and Queens which, together, are home to an estimated 175,000 Mexicans.

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AVIATOR SUNDRIED TOMATO HALVES
ARE LATEST FOODS BEING RECALLED

NATIONWIDE — SUNDRIED TOMATOES ARE THE LATEST FOOD TO BE RECALLED. The US Food & Drug Administration announced on Monday, Dec. 11, that Global Veg Corp., based on Manhattan’s West Side, is recalling all lots and codes of its 5 lbs. packages of “AVIATOR brand Sundried Tomato Halves” because they may contain undeclared sulfites. The product, which bears Lot# 060923/1, was distributed nationwide in 5-lb. vacuum bags. The recall was initiated after routine sampling by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors, and subsequent analysis by Food Laboratory personnel revealed that the sulfite-containing product was distributed in packages that did not disclose the presence of sulfites on ingredient labels.

People with severe sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of serious or life-threatening reactions if they consume this product. As of press time, no illnesses or adverse reactions involving this product have been reported to date.

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LOCAL LEADERS HOLD STATE ACCOUNTABLE FOR FAILED ATLANTIC YARDS PROJECT

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — THE FUTURE OF THE ATLANTIC YARDS PROJECT, THE DEVELOPER’S LOAN DEFAULT and the need for state-level oversight comprised the focus of a press briefing held Monday morning, Dec. 12. The briefing, which also marked the 20th anniversary of the project’s start, urged New York State to conduct a closer and more thorough oversight process, including increased accountability for unmet promises by developers, particularly the Empire State Development Corp. The contention is that, despite a controversial blight finding that was critical to the project being escalated and approved under the State’s Urban Development Corporation Act in 2003, the rail yard has not yet been covered nor have the 877 promised affordable housing units been built. The escalated process meant overriding New York City zoning, bypassing local review and assembling land through eminent domain.

Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D-52) said, “By not holding developers accountable from the onset, ESD encouraged them to take large risks. This default is a direct result of ESD’s bungled stewardship.”

On the 20th anniversary of the chronically delayed Atlantic Yards project, developers’ default puts project in jeopardy

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NEW ENTITY NEEDED TO OVERSEE PACIFIC PARK, ADVOCATES SAY

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — IN A ZOOM MEETING ON MONDAY CHAIRED BY Gib Veconi, chair of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, and Michelle De La Uz, executive director of the Fifth Avenue Committee, neighborhood advocates laid the blame for the default of Greenland USA, the current developer for Pacific Park, on the Economic Development Corporation for giving control of the project to one sole entity, Forest City Ratner (which later sold its interest to Greenland). The advocates said the development project has not created anywhere near as many affordable units as anticipated, and questioned why one of its centerpieces — a building on a platform over the rail yards that would unite Fort Greene and Prospect Park — was postponed until the end of the development process.

They called for the creation of a new local development corporation, to be headed by elected officials’ appointees, to oversee what remains of the project.

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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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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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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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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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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 HELD 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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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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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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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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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.