What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, January 4, 2023

January 4, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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UPPER W. SIDE SUBWAY TRAIN DERAILMENT INJURES 21;
2 AND 3 LINES SUSPENDED INTO BROOKLYN

UWS — A SUBWAY DERAILMENT ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE WAS WREAKING HAVOC on the evening rush hour Thursday, Jan. 4. A northbound 1 train collided with a work train that was in the process of switching tracks near 96th Street around 3 p.m. The collision caused injuries to 21 people on the passenger train, the first car of which went off track. The collision also caused the work train to derail. Updated press conferences broadcast on ABC News and NBC raised the injury count from the initial estimate of eight to 21.

As of 5 p.m., the MTA’s website indicates service suspensions along the 2 and 3 lines into Brooklyn, with the 2 running on the 5 line to Nevins Street in the borough’s downtown area. As of 5:15, the MTA announced that some 4 and 5 trains are making local stops between midtown and Brooklyn.

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NYC SLAPS 17 TEXAS BUS COMPANIES WITH LAWSUIT OVER MIGRANTS

CITY HALL — THE ADAMS ADMINISTRATION announced on Thursday a lawsuit against 17 Texas charter bus companies that seek to recoup all the costs NYC has incurred providing emergency shelter and services to migrants they transported here — at least $708 million so far. Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the transportation of more than 33,600 migrants to NYC in violation of New York’s Social Services Law, leaving the bus companies on the hook for their care, according to a statement by Mayor Eric Adams and Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix.

Social Services Law § 149 requires that anyone who brings a needy person from out of state into NYC “for the purpose of making him a public charge…shall be obligated to convey such person out of state or support him at his own expense.”

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TRINITARIOS STREET GANG MEMBERS
CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT HERE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT WAS FILED TODAY IN FEDERAL COURT IN BROOKLYN CHARGING MEMBERS OF THE TRINITARIOS STREET GANG — two of them Brooklynites —with a string of violent crimes including multiple shootings and armed carjackings between November 2022 and February 2023. The defendants were previously arrested and will be arraigned on the superseding indictment at a later date. Defendants Amaury Guzmán, age 24, and Ian Diez (also known as “Gallina”), age 19, are both identified as being from Brooklyn, but no neighborhoods were specified. The crimes, which took place in Queens and New Jersey, included a murder, shootings and two armed carjackings.

If convicted, Guzmán and Jonathan Rodríguez of Queens are facing up to a life sentence; while Diez faces up to 15 years. The fourth defendant, Ruffi Fernández (also known as “Mojatoto”), of Staten Island faces 20 years in prison.

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UFT, STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH PRESIDENT
SUE MTA OVER CONGESTION PRICING PLAN

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS AND STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH PRESIDENT VITO FOSSELLA FILED A LAWSUIT IN FEDERAL COURT IN DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN ON THURSDAY, Jan. 4, to stop the MTA’S congestion pricing plan, reports the Daily News. The suit alleges that federal regulators prematurely approved the MTA’s plan to toll cars entering Midtown and lower Manhattan without weighing the “human environmental impact.” The plaintiffs claim that the congestion pricing plan, which will charge drivers $15 for entering the Manhattan central business district between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. — spanning the hours many teachers must commute to school — will punish teachers, firefighters and other city workers who commute to Manhattan for their jobs. Moreover, no exception has yet been made for the school buses that transport students.

Thursday’s lawsuit is the first brought in a New York-based federal court. New Jersey is bringing similar, twin legal challenges based on the environmental review.

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AARP HONORS DR. TIM LAW, FOUNDER
OF CHINESE SOCIAL SERVICES CENTER

BENSONHURST — DR. TIM LAW, THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINESE AMERICAN SOCIAL SERVICES CENTER (124 AVENUE O) WAS RECENTLY AWARDED THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS (AARP’s) Andrus Award, which recognizes exceptional volunteer efforts on the part of individuals aged 50 and older. Assemblyman William Colton (D-47), who nominated Dr. Law for the award, presented it to the honoree. The award, he said, “Is given to community leaders who have played an important role in helping the community. That certainly describes Dr. Law, who has been a force for good here in southwest Brooklyn since emigrating to the United States from China in 1968. Colton, whose district encompasses Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Gravesend, said, “Over the years, Dr. Law has been involved in so many facets of the community, from education to organizing voter registration drives to food giveaways to speaking out on behalf of the immigrant community.”

AARP stated, “Dr. Law has supported AARP’s vision and purpose because of his ability to ensure every person is treated equally with dignity and respect.”

Assemblyman William Colton (at left) congratulates Dr. Tim Law on receiving the AARP’s prestigious Andrus Award for Community Service at an event held at Tony’s DiNapoli.
Photo courtesy of the Office of Assemblymember William Colton

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VIDEO: COPS RESCUE A MAN WHO FELL ONTO TRACKS AT CARROLL ST. SUBWAY STATION

CARROLL GARDENS — TWO ALERT NYPD POLICE OFFICERS RESCUED A MAN who fell onto the subway tracks at the Carroll Street station in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn on Dec. 26. Officers Desmond Mohan and Kenly Garcia of the 76th Precinct were patrolling the station when they saw a 50-year-old man fall onto the tracks. They ran to haul him safely back onto the platform, and he was treated by EMS at the scene, according to the Daily Mail, where a bodycam video of the rescue can be seen.

Amazingly, this rescue came just two months after Mohan and Garcia worked with the NYPD harbor unit to rescue a 20-year-old woman trapped under a Brooklyn pier.

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FORUM AIMS TO BUILD TECH
CAREERS FOR BROOKLYNITES

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE CREATION OF TECH CAREERS FOR BROOKLYNITES IS THE TOPIC OF POLICY FORUM taking place next Thursday, Jan. 11, with the Center for an Urban Future. The forum, titled “Helping More Brooklyn Residents Access Tech Careers,” and held from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at NYU Tandon’s Pfizer Auditorium, will focus on the opportunity for Brooklynites to expand access to tech careers here. Brooklyn-based leaders, including Borough President Antonio Reynoso and several elected officials, will discuss the borough’s tech education and training ecosystem, and examine the additional actions that policymakers, employers, educators and workforce practitioners can take to place more Brooklynites on the path to technology-powered careers. Register to attend in person, or to watch the livestream.

Educators and tech leaders participating in the forum will include Reuben Ogbonna, Executive Director of The Marcy Lab School; Kayon Pryce, Founding Principal, of the Brooklyn STEAM Center at the Navy Yard; Evin F. Robinson, Co-Founder & President of America On Tech; and Michael Zigman, President & CEO of NYC FIRST.

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HOCHUL TEARS MUSCLE DOING HEAVY LIFTING — 80 POUNDS!

UPSTATE — ‘PRETTY DAMN GOOD’: Gov. Kathy Hochul was wearing a white sling during an event upstate on Wednesday to discuss her Back to Basics plan to improve reading proficiency in New York, part of her 2024 State of the State. When asked about the sling, she revealed she had torn her pectoral muscle lifting 80-pound weights in the gym a day earlier, according to the New York Daily News via Yahoo. “You don’t think 80 pounds of weightlifting is pretty damn good for someone my age?” Hochul, 65, laughed. “I’ll be fine.”

Hochul said she will introduce legislation that ensures evidence-based best practices to teach reading are used throughout New York. She will also propose $10 million in state investments to train 20,000 teachers.

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HOCHUL: EXPECT WINTRY MIX OF RAIN/SNOW IN NYC OVER WEEKEND

CITYWIDE — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL TOLD NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS TO PREP for a wintry mix of either rain, wet snow or some of each this weekend. While the storm’s exact trajectory is not yet nailed down, the forecast predicts a large coastal weather system will hit much of the state beginning late Saturday and continuing into Sunday, with 3 to 8 inches of snow upstate and a mix of snow and rain in the New York City Metro Area.

For a listing of weather alerts and forecasts, visit the National Weather Service website.

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COMPTROLLER LANDER: IMMIGRANTS A BIG PLUS TO NYC ECONOMY

CITYWIDE — NYC COMPTROLLER BRAD LANDER DEBUNKED RISING ANTI-IMMIGRANT RHETORIC on Thursday by releasing a fact sheet detailing the many economic contributions immigrants and asylum-seekers make to the NYC economy. Not only are immigrant New Yorkers more likely to be employed, but they are also more likely to start a business, and contribute billions of dollars through taxes and spending, Lander said. In 2021, immigrant New Yorkers paid $61 billion dollars in taxes and constituted $138 billion dollars in spending power; undocumented immigrants contributed $18.6 billion in federal income taxes and $12.2 billion in state and local taxes. Immigrants also help the city compensate for residents moving out, Lander said.

Historically, New York City has experienced much higher immigration numbers than it is experiencing today, Lander said.  In just one day in 1907, over 11,000 immigrants entered New York City through Ellis Island. Today the city welcomes up to 600 migrants a day seeking shelter.

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VIRTUAL INFO SESSION ON PROPOSED ‘CITY OF YES FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY’

CITYWIDE — THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING WILL BE HOSTING A VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSION to answer “frequently asked questions” about Mayor Eric Adams’s “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity” proposal, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 11 a.m. via Zoom. City of Yes for Economic Opportunity, the second of Adams’ three City of Yes zoning initiatives, “would support small businesses and entrepreneurs, revitalize commercial corridors, boost growing industries, and bolster the city’s industrial sector,” DCP Director Dan Garodnick said in a release Wednesday. The FAQs will be voiced by DCP guests Kevin Guscott, Special Projects Manager for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce; Rafael Espinal, Exec. Dir. of the Freelancers Union; and Laura Rothrock, president of Long Island City Partnership. RSVP here.

Four community boards have voted in support of the controversial, business-friendly proposal, and four have voted to disapprove. The City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Jan. 24, followed by a vote in the spring.

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PUBLIC HEARING ON ‘CITY OF YES FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY’ TONIGHT AT BK BOROUGH HALL

BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL — A PUBLIC HEARING ON MAYOR ERIC ADAMS’ “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity” proposal will be held tonight, Thursday, Jan. 4, at 6 p.m. at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St., Downtown. The Brooklyn Borough Board will review the proposed citywide text amendment proposed by the Department of City Planning. City of Yes for Economic Opportunity, the second of Adams’ three City of Yes zoning initiatives, “would support small businesses and entrepreneurs, revitalize commercial corridors, boost growing industries, and bolster the city’s industrial sector,” DCP Director Dan Garodnick said in a release Wednesday.

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COURT ST. ‘R’ TRAIN STATION COMPLETELY ‘RE-NEW-VATED’

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY HAS WRAPPED UP its top-to-bottom “Re-NEW-vation” of the Court Street R train subway station in Brooklyn Heights, the agency announced Wednesday. The Re-NEW-vation program gives dingy stations complete structural and aesthetic renovations. The work at Court Street included replacing wall tiles, updating lighting to LED, repaving concrete, replacing outdated signage and scrubbing clean subway globes. Workers also scrapped and repainted the entire station. Court Street marked the 53rd and final station to be re-NEW-vated in 2023, beating MTA’s goal of 50 a year.

Local officials including state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and Councilmember Lincoln Restler said they were delighted with the cleanup. “I appreciate the MTA’s work in making that happen for all who use the Court St. Station, and I look forward to enjoying the fruits of their labor myself,” Gounardes said.

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CITY COUNCILMEMBERS URGE ELECTIONS BOARD
TO OMIT TRUMP’S NAME FROM BALLOT

CITYWIDE — AS REPUBLICAN FRONTRUNNER DONALD TRUMP ASKED THE U.S. SUPREME COURT TO OVERTURN COLORADO’S 14TH AMENDMENT RULING WITHOUT REVIEW, a majority of City Councilmembers here in New York have called on the State Board Of Elections to omit his name from the 2024 presidential primary and general election ballots, Gothamist reported on Wednesday, Jan. 3. The 29 Councilmembers, all Democrats, signed the letter. Together they assert that Trump, who lost his 2020 reelection bid to Joe Biden but is currently the Republican frontrunner, is ineligible to hold office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution “because he engaged in and aided an insurrection against the United States after swearing to uphold the Constitution as the nation’s president.” The New York Times, moreover, published an analysis saying that 33 states have seen formal challenges to former President Trump.

The four state Board of Elections commissioners are evenly divided between the two major political parties.

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MEDICAL BILLER CHARGED WITH 27 FELONY COUNTS
IN THEFT OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION FUNDS

BROOKLYN AND STATEWIDE — A MEDICAL BILLING FIRM OWNER WHO PROVIDED SERVICES TO A BROOKLYN ORTHOPEDIC PRACTICE HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH STEALING MORE THAN $1 MILLION, Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 3. Amrish Patel, 61, of Monroe Township, New Jersey, is accused of stealing more than $1 million that was supposed to be paid directly to doctors who provided medical care to injured workers under the New York State Workers’ Compensation Law. Patel, who provided billing services to a Brooklyn-based orthopedic surgery practice, allegedly submitted falsified claim forms to the New York State Insurance Fund, bilking at least $1.1 million in workers’ compensation reimbursements for himself.

Patel and his two companies, Medlink Services, Inc. and Medlink Partners, LLC (together, Medlink), were charged with 27 felony counts for the thefts they allegedly committed over seven years from January 2012 through January 2019.

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BAN ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE VENDORS NOW IN EFFECT

BROOKLYN BRIDGE — DESPITE PROTESTS FROM VENDORS, THE CITY’S BAN on vending on the Brooklyn Bridge went into effect on Wednesday, removing carts, tables, tents, generators, rotating video equipment and other large obstacles from the increasingly overcrowded pedestrian walkway. The width of the walkway averages 16 feet, though at multiple locations it is less than five feet wide, and foot traffic at peak hours reaches a dangerous standstill.

“Tourists and New Yorkers alike deserve to walk across it and enjoy its beauty without being packed together like sardines or risking their safety,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement Wednesday.

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BIKUR CHOLIM CHESED HONORS MAIMONIDES BLOOD BANK’S DIRECTOR

BORO PARK — THE BIKUR CHOLIM CHESED ORGANIZATION IN BORO PARK recently honored Martin H. Bluth, MD, PhD, with its Hospital Leadership Award at its 70th Annual Dinner. Dr. Bluth, who became Medical Director of the Maimonides Blood Bank at Maimonides Medical Center in July 2020, has since assumed several leadership positions, including Chief of Blood Transfusion Medicine and Donor Services, Assistant Director of Clinical Laboratories and Director of Translational Research for the Department of Pathology. During his acceptance remarks, Dr. Bluth, who was born at Maimonides Medical Center and is a native of Boro Park, expressed his connection to the community.

“I cherish the partnership we have with Bikur Cholim,” said Dr. Bluth. “The relentless advocacy they have for providing the ‘Gift of Life’ for those who need blood to live, is exemplary.”

Left to right: Rabbi Yisroel Herskovits, President of Bikur Cholim Chesed Organization, Dr Martin Bluth,Chief, Maimonides’ Blood Transfusion and Donor Services, (holding plaque); Mr. Peter Rebenwurzel, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Maimonides Medical Center, and Rabbi Avi Fishof, CEO of the Bikur Cholim Chesed Organization.
Photo courtesy of Maimonides Medical Center

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SINKHOLE DISRUPTS TRAFFIC IN BAY RIDGE

BAY RIDGE — DRIVERS ON SIXTH AVENUE WERE STYMIED ON TUESDAY morning when a break in a sewer line led to a 20-foot-deep sinkhole opening in the middle of the roadway between Senator Street and 68th Street, reports ABC News, disrupting traffic and forcing the city to cut off water and power to houses around the hole. Area residents told the network that maintenance crews had performed work at that spot multiple times previously: “I drive this every day for work and it’s just been getting patched over and patched over,” said local John Friedrich, who also mentioned several other similar potholes along 6th Avenue; the city did not give a timeline for when repairs might be completed.

Bay Ridge has for years been a sinkhole hotspot, with recurring holes on 4th and 6th avenues prompting Dyker Heights Civic Association President Fran Vella-Marrone to declare that driving in the area feels like “riding on a horse and buggy.”

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ADAMS FACES FINE FOR BK RENTAL REGISTRATION FAILURE

BED-STUY — ERIC ADAMS IN NOVEMBER WAS CITED BY THE CITY DEPARTMENT of Housing Preservation and Development for failing to properly register his Brooklyn rental property, a Bed-Stuy townhouse, last year, reports the Daily News; city landlords are legally required to submit information to the HPD in order to help it ensure rental units are in compliance with the law. Adams could now face potential fines of up to $500 per violation, as well as being “prohibited from certifying violations, and denied the right to recover possession of premises for nonpayment of rent until a valid registration statement is filed,” according to the HPD; registration issues at the property appear to be chronic, as the building was similarly unregistered between 2009 and 2021.

Adams earlier this year faced a separate summons over a reported rat infestation at the townhouse, ultimately being ordered to pay a $300 fine.

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CORRECTION: RFP FOR DUMBO ANCHORAGE PLAZA CONCESSION NOT YET ISSUED

DUMBO — TUESDAY, JAN. 2, WAS THE DEADLINE FOR CONCESSION OPERATORS TO SUBMIT questions or comments regarding the development, operation, and maintenance of a temporary sports/recreational concession at Anchorage Plaza in DUMBO next to the Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Eagle previously reported that the deadline to submit proposals was Jan. 2. However, this deadline applied only to questions and comments from interested concessionaires, and the RFP has not yet been issued.

The NYC Parks Department is looking for someone to temporarily develop the space for events or amenities like a farmers market, community garden or pickle-ball fields. For further information contact [email protected].

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EQUINOR AND BP TERMINATE EMPIRE WIND 2 OFFSHORE WIND AGREEMENT

OFFSHORE/SUNSET PARK — EQUINOR AND BP CORPORATIONS TERMINATED THEIR AGREEMENT with New York State for the Empire Wind 2 project, one of two offshore wind projects the corporations were jointly working on off the coast of New York. Empire Wind 1 and 2 together were projected to result in hundreds of jobs at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. In a release on Wednesday, Jan. 3, the consortium blamed their decision on “changed economic circumstances on an industry-wide scale,” including inflation, interest rates and supply chain disruptions, which they said prevented Empire Wind 2’s agreement with the state from being viable. In October, the NYPSC turned down Empire Wind’s petition for a rate hike. In December, the agency approved transmission facilities at a substation in Sunset Park and a Con Ed substation in Gowanus for the Empire Wind 1 project.

Empire Wind says it seeks offstake opportunities. “As evidenced by the progress at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, our offshore wind activity is ready to generate union jobs and significant economic activity in New York,” said Molly Morris, President of Equinor Renewables Americas.

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PUBLIC ADVOCATE PUSHES TO HALT MISINFORMATION ON ‘HOW MANY STOPS ACT’

CITYWIDE — PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS, PUSHING BACK against what he calls the mayor’s misinformation and criticism of the How Many Stops Act, was set to hold a virtual media conference Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 3, on the issue. Williams sponsored the legislation, which last month passed by a veto-proof majority in the City Council. The bill requires the NYPD to report basic information on level 2 and 3 investigative encounters between the police and civilians, information that is deemed critical to prevent the return of practices that led to the abuse of stop, question, and frisk prior. Public Advocate Williams charges that Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, has persistently spread misinformation to New Yorkers about the bill and its supporters.

The passage of the landmark Community Safety Act in 2013 held the NYPD accountable for stop-and-frisk incidents and discriminatory policing aimed at Black and Brown New Yorkers. Both Williams and Adams, on different sides of this issue, are Black.

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CITY HOSPITALS REVIVE MASK MANDATE AS COVID, RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SPIKE

CITYWIDE — THE CITY’S PUBLIC HOSPITAL SYSTEM, NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS IS REVIVING ITS MASK MANDATE IN THE MIDST OF A SPIKE IN COVID AND FLU CASES, the Daily News reported on Wednesday. Particularly hard-hit is the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York. The mask mandate, which took effect right after Christmas, applies to anyone entering New York H + H hospitals, community health centers and nursing homes. According to the NYC Open Data COVID-19 Daily Counts of Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, which tracks residents who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, who were hospitalized with COVID-19, and deaths among COVID-19 patients, 117 hospitalizations were reported on Dec. 20 and a 7-day all-case count average ranging from 984 on Christmas Day to 1,104 on Dec. 23. Moreover, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows New York City reached the “very high” level of respiratory illness.

Private hospitals told the Daily News they are holding off on a new mask mandate for now.

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NYC MAKES SOME PROGRESS TOWARDS GOAL OF ELIMINATING VIRAL HEPATITIS

CITYWIDE — THE NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS IT HAS MADE INCREMENTAL PROGRESS in eliminating viral Hepatitis as a health threat in the city. According to its 2022 Hepatitis A, B, and C Annual Report, released Wednesday, newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis A declined in New York City between 2021 and 2022, while newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis B rose in 2022. The city hopes to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030 — an ambitious goal since poverty, drug use and foreign travel underlie many cases.

According to DOH, Sunset Park East is the neighborhood with the greatest number of people infected with hepatitis B; Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst also have a high number of infected individuals. The neighborhood with the highest amount of chronic hepatitis C is Rikers Island; Brighton Beach is also on the top ten list.

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BILL AIMS TO CURB PROLIFERATION OF GHOST GUNS

NATIONWIDE — CITING A PROLIFERATION OF GHOST GUNS IN RECENT YEARS, BROOKLYN CONGRESSMAN DAN GOLDMAN (D-10) has co-introduced the ‘Bolstering Security Against Ghost Guns Act’ to enhance the United States Department of Homeland Security’s response to the threat posed by ghost guns. These are un-serialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and easily assembled at home without having to pass a background check. Rep. Goldman reports that the prevalence of “ghost guns” — firearms assembled from ‘do-it-yourself’ gun-making kits — increased by over a thousand percent in five years. This bill would direct DHS to study and gather information on how ghost guns impact homeland security and how they contribute to domestic terrorism and extremism threats.

The bill, which Rep. Benny Thompson of Mississippi co-introduced with Rep. Goldman, also calls for cross-agency collaboration with other federal law enforcement agencies, as well as with state, local and tribal law enforcement.