What’s News, Breaking: Friday, January 26, 2024

January 26, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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EMERGENCY AID AND REPAIRS
APPROVED FOR FIRE ISLAND

FIRE ISLAND — THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS DETERMINED THAT FIRE ISLAND IN SUFFOLK COUNTY, WHERE MANY BROOKLYNITES VACATION OR ENJOY RECREATION, IS ELIGIBLE FOR EMERGENCY DISASTER AID. Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (from Brooklyn) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announcing the determination on Friday, Jan. 26, said that recent seasons’ extreme coastal storms provide eligibility under Public Law 84-99 for the process to assess, fund, and repair damaged Army Corps coastal projects on Fire Island in Suffolk County. The approval allows the Corps to begin an expedited evaluation of needed repairs on eastern Fire Island while the Corps continues to assess Governor Hochul’s formal request for the repair of three other coastal projects — to protect public safety and mitigate the severity of potential damage wrought by future storms.

Earlier this month, Governor Hochul requested expedited approval of the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for emergency rehabilitation assistance for multiple Army Corps Coastal Storm Risk Management Projects from damage in last autumn’s storms.

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SUNSET PARK TO MAYOR: WHERE’S THE ARCHWAY?

SUNSET PARK — MEMBERS OF SOUTHERN BROOKLYN’S CHINESE COMMUNITY expressed frustration this week over a lack of progress in a decade-long project to build an ornamental archway in Sunset Park, reports Documented NY. After the mayor on Wednesday announced plans to build a similar archway in Manhattan’s Chinatown, the Brooklyn arch, once championed by Mayor Adams and Director of Asian Affairs Winnie Greco, has seemingly been deprioritized, with its completion date now set for 2029. The archway was originally conceived as a “friendship gift” from the Chinese government, but that endeavor fell apart in 2020 due to political tensions; questions also remain over hundreds of thousands poured into an archway construction fund operated until 2022 by Greco that spent thousands on trips and events for the mayor, in addition to claimed payments of $50,000 or $60,000 to the city Department of Transportation — money that the DOT says it never received.

Greco is currently under investigation by the city Department of Investigation following allegations that she had demanded labor and donations to the archway fund in exchange for access to government positions and events.

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UPDATE: OVERNIGHT LANE CLOSURES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ON BQE FRIDAY & SAT., JAN. 26 & 27

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS OF THE BROOKLYN-QUEENS EXPRESSWAY (BQE) will be closed from Grace Court to Clark Street in Brooklyn Heights from midnight to 5 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 27, according to the NYC Department of Transportation. Previously, DOT said only one lane on the Queens-bound side would be closed. In a late update on Friday, DOT announced a lane on the Staten Island-bound side will also be closed.

This will allow DOT access into the MTA chamber that houses the fan plant in order to carry out crucial column and beam repairs. At least one lane will still be available, according to DOT community contact Anita Navalurkar.

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DOJ ENTERS AGREEMENT WITH NYS FOLLOWING INVESTIGATION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY CUOMO

ALBANY — THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH New York State to resolve claims that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo engaged “in a pattern or practice of sexual harassment and retaliation” of more than a dozen female employees, DOJ announced on Friday. The investigation, conducted by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, found that the Executive Chamber under Cuomo subjected female employees to a sexually hostile work environment; failed to correct the problem; and retaliated against employees who spoke out. Cuomo resigned in 2021 after NYS A.G. Letitia James released a report on the claims. “We appreciate [Gov. Kathy Hochul’s] stated determination to make sure that sexual harassment does not recur at the highest level of NYS government,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District.

“Governor Cuomo did not sexually harass anyone. The DOJ ‘investigation’ was based entirely on the NYS Attorney General’s deeply flawed, inaccurate, biased, and misleading report. At no point did DOJ even contact Governor Cuomo concerning these matters. This is nothing more than a political settlement with no investigation,” Cuomo’s lawyer Rita Glavin said in a statement Friday.

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NYC HEALTH COMMISH: SOCIAL MEDIA IS A
MENTAL HEALTH THREAT TO CITY YOUTH

CITY HALL — ASHWIN VASAN, NYC’S HEALTH COMMISSIONER, HAS ISSUED A WARNING THAT CITY’S YOUTHS are facing a mental health crisis and urged parents and schools to take action regarding their time on social media platforms. Young people have attested that social media is negatively impacting their self-esteem, social relationships and ability to manage their time effectively and have asked for more assistance, he said in the advisory.

Following Mayor Eric Adams’ State of the City address on Wednesday, Vasan said, “The top line is that we are advising parents, caregivers — anyone who is regulating the devices and the social media platforms on them — to delay initiation until age 14,” noting that that age is a time of big transition, City & State reports.

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HIGH-TECH 3D MAMMOGRAM BUS
ROLLING INTO BROOKLYN NEIGHBORHOODS

CITYWIDE — A STATE-OF-THE-ART 3D MOBILE MAMMOGRAPHY SERVICE is rolling into neighborhoods across Brooklyn and elsewhere, courtesy of the American-Italian Cancer Foundation (AICF), which has upgraded the equipment on its Mammogram Bus. The mobile unit travels to various locations across NYC five days a week year-round, offering no-cost breast cancer screening services to women 40-79 years of age who have not had a mammogram in the last 12 months. Insured and uninsured women are welcome. “This technology allows us to be at the forefront of breast cancer early detection,” said AICF Chairman Daniele Bodini. AICF encourages people to visit americanitaliancancer.org or call 877-981-2893 for upcoming locations and appointments.

Currently scheduled Brooklyn locations include the Coney Island Cathedral, Artisans of Medicine, St. Michael’s Church, Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church and New Lots Library, among others.

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DENNIS WALCOTT APPOINTED TO NYS INDEPENDENT
REDISTRICTING COMMISSION

ALBANY — SENATE MAJORITY LEADER ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS HAS APPOINTED former NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott to the NYS Independent Redistricting Commission, she announced in a statement Friday. He will be filling the vacancy left by the death of the highly respected Dr. John Flateau, professor and chair of the Department of Public Administration at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College. “Dr. Flateau’s absence is irreplaceable; however, the work of the commission must continue in order to meet the Court’s time-sensitive directives,” Stewart Cousins said. Walcott is currently president and CEO of Queens Public Library and serves as Chair of the New York City Districting Commission.

In December, the state Court of Appeals ruled 4-3 that the New York Independent Redistricting Commission will need to draw a new electoral map by Feb. 28, City & State reports.

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CAMPAIGN FINANCE BOARD FLAGGED 400 DONATIONS TO ADAMS’ 2021 CAMPAIGN

CITYWIDE — THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE BOARD FLAGGED roughly 400 political donations to Eric Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign as possibly bundled and requiring disclosure the campaign never provided, according to records obtained by Gothamist. The donations were combined into a single contribution — a practice called bundling — and represent nearly $396,000 in potential public matching funds. Under some circumstances, bundling is allowed, but the mayor never provided the legally required disclosure to make that determination, Gothamist reports.

The CFB audit has been paused while the FBI investigates whether the mayor’s 2021 campaign collected illegal foreign and straw donations.

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MAN ON JAY ST. SUBWAY PLATFORM INJURED AFTER CONTACT WITH TRAIN

DOWNTOWN — A 36-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS STANDING near the edge of the F train platform at Downtown Brooklyn’s Jay Street MetroTech station on Wednesday, Jan. 24, when he made contact with the side of a southbound F train as it was leaving the station, according to an NYPD spokesperson. Police responded to the 911 call at approximately 7:30 p.m. Since the man remained on the subway platform, power to the tracks did not have to be shut down.

The man was transported to Methodist Hospital in stable condition, and police do not suspect any criminality.

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‘BLING BISHOP’ ROBBERY SUSPECT SHOT & KILLED IN NEW JERSEY

MONMOUTH JUNCTION — U.S. MARSHALS ATTEMPTING TO ARREST THE THIRD SUSPECT wanted in the 2022 Brooklyn robbery of the “Bling Bishop” shot and killed the man as he fired at law enforcement on Wednesday afternoon, NBC reports. Shamar Leggette, 41, was inside the MHO Inn and Suites on US-1 in Monmouth Junction when he came out shooting at deputy marshals and they returned fire. Leggette was wanted for robbing Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead and his wife of more than $1 million in gaudy jewelry at his ministry in Canarsie, an event famously captured on live-streamed video.

Two other men were previously arrested in the robbery, the Brooklyn Eagle reported.

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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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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 it 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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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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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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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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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 the 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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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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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.”