What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, January 25, 2024

January 25, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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POLY PREP STUDENT ADVOCATES FOR BILL REQUIRING
LIFE-SAVING EPINEPHRINE IN PUBLIC VENUES

STATEWIDE — A YOUNG BROOKLYNITE WHO WITNESSED AN EPIPEN SAVING HER BROTHER’S LIFE is now pushing for legislation to ensure that epinephrine is available at large public venues like schools, stadiums and restaurants. She has the backing of elected officials like Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal of Manhattan, who took part with her in a joint virtual conference on Thursday, Jan. 25. Poly Prep student Lucia Zaremba began advocating for greater accessibility to the tools when her brother John suffered severe anaphylactic shock after eating a steak their father had prepared. Unbeknownst to John, he had become allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, legumes and red meat after developing alpha-gal syndrome.

The bill, with versions in both houses of state legislature, would require that functional epinephrine auto-injector devices be made available in places of public assembly and that at least one employee or volunteer of such place of public assembly be trained in its proper operation and use and be present at each facility function.

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CITY LAUNCHES NEW SEASON
OF ITS NYC FREE TAX PREP SERVICE

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — NEW YORK CITY WILL START THE TAX SEASON 2024 THIS COMING MONDAY, WITH ITS ANNUAL LAUNCH OF NYC FREE TAX PREP, which offers no-cost professional tax preparation services to help New Yorkers keep their full refund. Residents who earned $85,000 or less and file as a family, or those who earned $59,000 or less and file as an individual or couple without dependents, are eligible to file through NYC Free Tax Prep. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will begin accepting tax returns on Monday, Jan. 29, through Monday, April 15, 2024.

Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga will launch NYC Free Tax Prep at DCWP’s tax prep partner organization, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, where the press conference will take place.

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LONGTIME VILLAGE VOICE PHOTOGRAPHER
WILL SPEAK AT EXHIBIT FEATURING HER WORK

GRAND ARMY PLAZA — THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY PRESENTS “IT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK,” AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS by Budapest-born Sylvia Plachy, who for three decades was a staff photographer for the Village Voice. Plachy, who was also a contributing photographer at the New Yorker and a columnist for Metropolis magazine, shot for the Voice from 1974-2004, capturing on film New York’s writers, musicians, artists and public icons alongside the sidewalk characters who personify the city. The exhibit is composed of nearly 40 photographs along with clippings from the Village Voice and Metropolis as well as the artist’s books.

During a special Feb. 1 presentation, Plachy will walk through the exhibition and talk about her photographs. The 6 p.m. program originates in the Central Library’s grand lobby. The program is free, but online reservations are recommended.

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OSBORN ST. PLAZA PROJECT WINS
AWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY

BROWNSVILLE — THE OSBORN STREET PLAZA PROJECT IN BROWNSVILLE, DESIGNED TO CREATE AN INVITING NEW PUBLIC SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY, has been selected to receive an “Envision Verified Award” for sustainability from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. The NYC Department of Design and Construction and the NYC Department of Transportation announced the award on Thursday, Jan. 25. The Envision Verified award is granted to projects that achieve a range of sustainability and resilience outcomes. The ISI cited the Osborn Street Plaza project for improving quality of life, preserving underdeveloped land. The $2.3 million project, for which construction is expected to begin in March, will reconstruct the dead-end segment of Osborn Street south of Belmont Avenue, turning it into a pedestrian plaza with a raised intersection to calm traffic in the area, and will include new pavement, sidewalks, curbs, streetlights and landscaping, bike racks and benches, granite seat blocks, other features and an accommodation for a potential future kiosk. The plaza will provide direct pedestrian access to the NYCHA Langston Hughes Houses.

DOT has an agreement with Brownsville Community Justice Center to maintain the plaza after it opens. BCJC will also offer diverse programming in the plaza to residents.

An artist’s rendering shows the future Osborn Street Plaza equipped with shaded seating areas, new landscaping and trees for community residents.
Photo courtesy NYC Dept. of Design and Construction

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NY STATE RECEIVES MORE THAN $157M
IN REIMBURSEMENTS FOR COVID RESPONSE

CAPITOL HILL AND STATEWIDE — MORE THAN $157 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING HAS BEEN SECURED TO REIMBURSE THE NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF THE BUDGET for the cost of emergency protective measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, both New York Democrats, announced on Thursday, Jan. 25, that $157,605,755.44 was allocated to help the testing centers run smoothly. Schumer said that the funds “compensate New York for COVID response, including the costs of equipment, materials, testing centers, and emergency protective measures taken to keep our communities safe during the pandemic.”

This funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and authorized under Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

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VOLUNTARY RECALL ALERT ISSUED
FOR CERTAIN ROBITUSSIN COUGH SYRUPS

NATIONWIDE — THE LATEST PRODUCT TO BE RECALLED IS A POPULAR COLD and cough syrup. The Food & Drug Administration announced on Thursday, Jan. 25, that the manufacturer Haleon is recalling eight lots of Robitussin Honey CF Max Day Adult cough syrup products and Robitussin Honey CF Max Nighttime Adult products after microbial contamination was found. Robitussin Honey CF Max Day and Nighttime are used for the temporary relief of symptoms occurring with cold or flu, hay fever or other respiratory allergies. Immunocompromised using the affected product could potentially experience severe or life-threatening adverse events such as fungemia or disseminated fungal infection. The affected lot numbers are T10810, T08730, T08731, T08732, T08733, T10808, T08740 and T08742, with expiration dates set at May 31, 2025, Sept. 30, 2025 and Oct. 31, 2025.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event.

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NEW FACTS IN SUBWAY TRAIN TRAGEDY
REVEAL MALFUNCTIONING DOOR ALERTS

PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS — NEW DETAILS EMERGING IN THE AFTERMATH OF TUESDAY’S FATAL SUBWAY COLLISION HAVE CHANGED THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF THE TRAGEDY, and now no longer blames train surfing, according to the Daily News. Authorities are now saying that the man, who was not carrying identification, died after falling in between train cars at the Prospect Park B/Q station during the morning rush hour on Jan. 23. He had entered an out-of-service train after crew members mistakenly opened the doors. When he rushed through the doors, they suddenly closed, and his arm got caught.

The train had been taken out of service because of a malfunctioning system designed to alert train crews that all its doors were properly closed, according to an MTA report that was filed soon after the incident.

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GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS SHARE THEIR
STORIES AT ROUNDTABLE WITH ELECTEDS

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — CONGRESSMAN DAN GOLDMAN (D-10) AND BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ANTONIO REYNOSO on Wednesday convened a roundtable discussion for New York survivors of gun violence, bringing their stories and their advocacy directly to the people elected to represent them. The survivors’ roundtable was the second of three events Congressman Goldman, who represents much of western Brooklyn, is hosting for his ‘NY-10 Alliance Against Gun Violence’ event series during National Gun Violence Survivors Week. The survivors focused on the human impact of gun violence and the solutions they want to see implemented at the local and federal levels. Highlighting their personal experiences, many of the survivors pushed for greater investment in community resources and intervention programs.

Huge repercussions: Researchers have observed a 70% increase in mental health diagnoses following a gun violence injury, most notably Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, and a 90% increase in substance abuse disorders.

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IN MEMORIAM
PAST BOROUGH PRESIDENT HOWARD GOLDEN, 98,
SUPPORTED WAR MEMORIAL RESTORATION PROJECT

KENSINGTON — HOWARD GOLDEN, WHO LED BROOKLYN AS BOROUGH PRESIDENT FOR 25 YEARS, DIED AT AGE 98 on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at his home in Kensington, the New York Times reports. Born in Flatbush, Golden worked his way through school, graduating from Brooklyn Law School. He became actively involved in the county’s Democratic party. A vacancy in the Borough Presidency began his long tenure in that office, from Jan. 3, 1977, to Dec. 31, 2001. Golden was re-elected five times until a new term law barred him from running again. During his time in office, he was credited for the borough’s revitalization, foremost being the development of MetroTech. Golden was also an impassioned supporter of restoring the Brooklyn War Memorial at Cadman Plaza West. In 2015, then-Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams jump-started this restoration with a $1 million allocation.

During a speech he gave in 2000, Golden declared, “There are two kinds of people in this world — those that come from Brooklyn, and those that wish they did.”

Past Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden, pictured here at a July 2015 ceremony for the Brooklyn War Memorial restoration, was fiery in his support of the project, which was granted $1 million that year.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Mary Frost

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NYS IS HASHING OUT RULES ALLOWING GROWING WEED AT HOME

STATEWIDE — THE NYS CANNABIS BOARD WILL CONSIDER RULES ON WEDNESDAY that will allow New Yorkers over the age of 21 to grow their own weed at home, Gothamist reports. Regulations will likely allow home gardeners to grow six mature (with buds) plants and six immature plants per residence, and keep up to 5 pounds of trimmed flower — far more than the 3 ounces that are legal to possess otherwise, Gothamist points out.

It will still be illegal for NYCHA residents to grow cannabis at home, since the projects are federally subsidized — though Mayor Eric Adams is reportedly trying to think of a work-around, Gothamist says.

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TIME OUT SURVEY RATES NYC AS TOP CITY IN THE WORLD

WORLDWIDE — A SURVEY CARRIED OUT BY TIME OUT ranked New York City as the top city in the world based on factors like things to do — from art galleries and museums to live music, theater and dining — and quality of life considerations, like happiness of locals, vibrancy, access to green space and strong community vibes. Time Out says now is the time to visit the city because of an “incredibly busy Broadway season,” with top-rated shows like Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Sweeney Todd,” and a deluge of new productions coming in the spring, including the highly-anticipated “The Notebook,” “Water for Elephants” and “The Who’s Tommy.”

Cape Town came in second; Berlin was ranked number three; London ranked fourth; and Madrid was number five.

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SCHOOLS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR ‘CLEAN GREEN SCHOOLS’ INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS

ALBANY — SCHOOLS NEEDING INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TO COOL OFF on hot days can submit proposals for substantial grants through the $100 million Clean Green Schools Initiative, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday. All high-needs school districts (NYC is designated as such) or schools located in a disadvantaged community are eligible. Incentive amounts start at $500,000 for qualifying projects leading to improved air quality, increased resiliency and a pathway toward electrification. “These investments will make our school facilities cleaner and more sustainable — and will have a tremendous positive effect on future generations of students,” Hochul said in a release.

NYSERDA will host a webinar on Feb. 7 at 12 p.m. ET for schools to learn more about the types of eligible projects and how they will be evaluated. Proposals are due on June 6 by 3 p.m., ET.

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DISMEMBERED BODY PARTS FOUND STUFFED IN FLATBUSH FREEZER, WOMAN UNDER ARREST

FLATBUSH — DISMEMBERED BODY PARTS AND A MAN’S HEAD were found stuffed inside a sealed freezer in a Flatbush apartment by police who were responding to a CrimeStoppers tip about a possible body being “stored” there, the New York Post reports. A woman inside the apartment was detained on unrelated warrants. Police came upon the ghastly scene around 6:15 a.m. Monday when they showed up at the fourth-floor unit on Nostrand Avenue near Farragut Road in Flatbush. The identity of the victim is still unknown.

The Office of The Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death, according to a statement issued by NYPD. The investigation remains ongoing.

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WATER MAIN BREAK IN BAY RIDGE IMPACTS 200 HOMES, 16 BUSINESSES

BAY RIDGE — A WATER MAIN BREAK FLOODED HOMES, BUSINESSES AND A CULTURAL CENTER in Bay Ridge on Wednesday, according to news reports. Water service has been restored, but the cleanup and repairs are ongoing. The water gushed into the cultural center for the Federation of Associated Laconian Society at Fourth Avenue and 68th Street, leaving more than a foot of water in the basement.

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection told the Brooklyn Eagle that roughly 200 households and 16 businesses were without water. “Repairs to the pipe are now complete and water service has been restored to all impacted customers,” DEP said.

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DECEASED MAN FOUND ON SUBWAY TRACKS HAD BEEN TRAIN SURFING, SAY WITNESSES

PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS — A DISTURBING NEW DEVELOPMENT HAS EMERGED REGARDING A TUESDAY RUSH-HOUR FATALITY AT THE PROSPECT PARK B & Q train station. According to News 12 Brooklyn, a man in his 50s had reportedly been train surfing when an out-of-service Q train on the express track struck him. NYPD authorities told News 12 that a “man was surfing on the side of the train, holding the doors facing outward from the platform.” However, the New York Post also reported that the man’s jacket had gotten caught on a signal pole, and an MTA employee said that the man had been behaving in a deranged manner inside the train before he started surfing. The victim, whose identity was being withheld as of press time Tuesday night, was found on the tracks around 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 23 and pronounced deceased on the scene according to first responders.

The collision stalled B and Q trains, “severely disrupting” service for hours.

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CONSUMERS URGED TO PROTECT BANK ACCOUNTS FROM ‘CHECK WASHING’ FRAUD

STATEWIDE — AVOID PUBLIC MAIL COLLECTION BOXES AND TAKE OTHER PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT BANK ACCOUNTS, WARNS the New York State Division of Consumer Protection. The agency, responding to a spike in check fraud, is providing consumers with guidance to avoid mail theft and check-washing schemes. Above all, DCP warns New Yorkers against mailing checks from public collection boxes. During check washing schemes, thieves steal checks, often in bulk from U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes, and use common chemicals like nail polish remover to erase (or “wash”) the payee and dollar amount while preserving the check’s original signature. These scammers then profit from making checks payable to themselves or selling the stolen, signed blank checks. DCP recommends mailing checks directly from post offices, not leaving mail in boxes overnight and placing holds when traveling.

The U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network reports that the number of check fraud crimes nationwide surged in 2020. During 2022, FinCEN received over 680,000 suspicious activity reports related to check fraud, almost twice the number recorded in 2021.

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MALLIOTAKIS WANTS MIGRANT SHELTER LEASE CANCELED FOR FLOYD BENNETT FIELD

FLOYD BENNETT FIELD — A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, INCLUDING REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-11) of Brooklyn and the U.S. Park Police have renewed their call to retroactively cancel the migrant shelter lease at Floyd Bennett Field, following its evacuation earlier this month during a snowstorm. Rep. Malliotakis will take part in a rally Thursday morning, Jan. 25, at Floyd Bennett Field where she, Assemblymember Jaime Williams of southeastern Brooklyn (D-59) City Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-32/Jamaica Bay and Rockaways) and Ken Spencer, chairman of the U.S. Park Police FOP, will urge Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to approve a vote on her bill, The Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R.5283), that would prohibit federal funding from being used to provide housing for migrants on any federal park land that would cancel the lease.

The House passed the bill with bipartisan support last fall, but Congressmember Malliotakis claims that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has failed to schedule it for a vote in the Senate.

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MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS, STUDENT LOANS REPAID UNDER BILL SEN. GILLIBRAND SUPPORTS

CAPITOL HILL — BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO EXPAND THE MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE in underserved communities is the focus of a video press conference that U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Sen. Gillibrand announced her support for the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act, which would repay up to $250,000 in eligible student loans for mental health professionals who agree to work in designated professional shortage areas. Loans taken out for education in mental health or a related field leading to master’s or doctoral degrees or post-doctoral study would be eligible for repayment.

Kings County has several neighborhoods designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas, including Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York, East Flatbush, Brownsville, and even parts of Bensonhurst, Borough Park and Coney Island. The Metropolitan Detention Center is also designated.

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BROOKLYN NONPROFIT RECEIVES $1.4M GRANT TO IMPROVE MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH

BOROUGHWIDE — MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM AN UNPRECEDENTED $1.4 MILLION GRANT THAT Brooklyn Communities Collaborative, a nonprofit focused on strengthening health and well-being in this borough, has received from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The grant money will be used to develop a Maternal Health Program to address the maternal mortality crisis and improve maternal/infant health in Central and Eastern Brooklyn. The grant is part of an innovative grantmaking strategy by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to address structural health inequities in marginalized and vulnerable communities. BCC’s initiative will assist community-based organizations that have expertise and experience in improving maternal health, with the goals of enhancing access to health resources, educating adolescents on pre- and inter-conception care and the management of existing health conditions before pregnancy.

The Brooklyn Communities Collaborative was just one of three organizations nationwide to receive this support.

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JON STEWART RETURNS TO ‘THE DAILY SHOW’ FOR 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR

NATIONWIDE — FANS OF COMEDY CENTRAL’S POLITICAL SATIRE PROGRAM “THE DAILY SHOW” will see the return of 23-time Emmy winner Jon Stewart, who will host it every Monday during the Presidential election cycle, starting on Feb. 12. The Daily News reports that the Manhattan-born Stewart, now 61, will host Monday nights in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, a key primetime day that is believed to bring in the largest viewership to The Daily Show. Stewart will also serve as executive producer, working with manager James “Baby Doll” Dixon to “shape” the program.

Stewart hosted “The Daily Show” from 1996 until 2015, during which time they won Outstanding Variety Series at the Emmys for ten years straight from 2003-2012, and won again in 2015.

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MAN WITH PRIOR FELONY CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT FOR DECEMBER’S RED HOOK SHOOTING

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A NEW JERSEY MAN WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED ON WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24, IN CONNECTION WITH A SHOOTING that took place last month in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood. United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo presided Wednesday afternoon at Brooklyn Federal Court in the arraignment of Luis Rosario, who was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition relating to a Dec. 3, 2023, shooting in Red Hook. As court documents alleged, the defendant fired multiple shots from close range at three men standing on the sidewalk outside of a supermarket and restaurant located across the street from a housing project. Surveillance video footage shows Rosario pulling a gun from his jacket and opening fire while passersby were walking along the sidewalk. Rosario shot one man in the leg, causing him to collapse. Rosario then got into a car and drove it directly toward the victim, running over his foot.

Rosario has a prior felony conviction. He could get up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

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MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER AND ANIMAL CRUELTY, CONNECTED TO STARRETT CITY STABBING

EAST NEW YORK — A STARRETT CITY MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED IN THE MURDER OF A WOMAN in the same housing complex and for the death of her dog. Eugene Andre, 36, of 1500 Hornell Loop, was charged on Wednesday, Jan. 24, with Murder, Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and Criminal Possession of a Weapon, in connection with the Friday, Jan. 19 stabbing of 58-year-old Donna Hyman of the same address. The dog’s wounds were consistent with having fallen from a high place; investigators believe that its death is connected to the double stabbing.

Neighbors had reported the man arguing with his victim over the dog’s continuous barking. While initial reports identified Andre as Hyman’s son, the NYPD did not mention their relationship on the Jan. 24 public record.