What’s News, Breaking: Tuesday, January 30, 2024

January 30, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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ASSEMBLYMEMBER CARROLL LAUNCHES
CAMPAIGN TO IMPROVE CHILDHOOD LITERACY

ALBANY — ADDRESSING AN EARLY-CHILDHOOD READING CRISIS, ASSEMBLYMEMBER ROBERT CARROLL (D-44) WAS SET TO LAUNCH THE NY CAMPAIGN FOR EARLY LITERACY at a special event in the state Capitol Building on Tuesday morning. Joining him were coalition members of the New York Campaign for Early Literacy and his legislative colleagues. Together, they are pushing for a comprehensive approach that addresses New York’s early childhood literacy crisis through legislation and funding. Governor Hochul’s Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget included elements of Carroll’s Right to Read legislation (A.2897/S5480), which would establish policy changes that promote the use of evidence-based practices in schools throughout New York that are aligned with the science of reading.

New York is one of the few states that haven’t yet enacted laws related to the science of reading. According to the results of the State’s 2022 assessment test, fewer than half of the State’s third graders were reading at grade level.

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CITY & STATE HONORS DOUG JABLON
FOR HIS HALF-CENTURY OF LEADERSHIP

BOROUGH PARK AND MANHATTAN — DOUBLAS JABLON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS and Special Assistant to the President at Maimonides Health, has been named to City & State’s 2024 50 Over 50: The Age Disruptors List. This award celebrates 50 of the most prominent leaders in New York over the age of 50 in business, government and media, reflecting continued dedication to and a sustained positive impact in New York. During his nearly half-century tenure at Maimonides, Jablon has ushered Maimonides Health through several demographic changes, transforming the hospital complex into an increasingly diverse center of care. He has also worked in the wider community through outreach to cultural, ethnic and faith-based groups. He also built from the ground up Maimonides’ Community Relations and Volunteer departments and implemented in-hospital Muslim, Christian and interfaith religious facilities at Maimonides.

Mr. Jablon was profiled in the Jan. 28 issue of City & State Magazine and honored with the award at a Jan. 29 reception at The Manhattan Penthouse.

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OPENING ARGUMENTS IN JAM MASTER JAY MURDER TRIAL

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE TRIAL OF TWO MEN ACCUSED OF PARTICIPATING in the 2002 murder of legendary hip-hop star Jason Mizell, known as Jam Master Jay, of the group Run DMC, began on Monday, reports ABC News, as lawyers for both sides made their opening arguments in Brooklyn federal court; the defendants, Karl Jordan, Jr., and Ronald Washington have pleaded not guilty to the long-unsolved crime. Prosecutors allege that Jordan, accused of the fatal shooting, and Washington, accused of waving a gun at others, acted out of “greed and revenge” for being cut out of a drug deal; the defense argued that the government’s eyewitnesses are unreliable and that their clients couldn’t have been involved. Washington says he depended on the star for money, while Jordan claims to have been with his girlfriend at the time of the shooting.

The two face up to 20 years in prison if convicted; a third defendant, Jay Bryant, is set to be tried separately later this year.

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RINGLING BROS, BARNUM + BAILEY DEBUTING NEW CIRCUS AT BARCLAYS

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO THE BARCLAYS CENTER IN February when Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey will debut a new version of their “Greatest Show on Earth” in the first stop of a North American tour, featuring live and interactive music performances, death-defying stunts, acrobatics, clowning, dancing and more. Show highlights include a bike-riding high-wire act by the sixth-generation Lopez family of circus performers, a world-record three-story-tall unicycle rider, brand-new trapeze and aerial stunts, the Ukrainian Equivokee clown trio, the Argendance Boleadoras and Malambo fusion troupe, and the show-closing Ringling Rocket, where performer Skyler Miser will be shot out of a cannon at 65 miles per hour.

Performances will be held from Thursday, Feb. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 25, before the circus decamps to New Jersey.

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GREEN-WOOD TO HOST CRAFTING THERAPY

SUNSET PARK — GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY WILL HOST A THERAPEUTIC YARNWORK session next week as part of its “Grieving and Weaving” monthly event series, focusing on finding catharsis and reminiscing through knitting and crochet. Crafters of all skill levels are welcome: beginners will have the opportunity to learn the basics from textile artist Mary Pat Klein, while more skilled knitters and crocheters are encouraged to bring projects along; Green-Wood Death Educator Gabrielle R. Gatto will lead discussions on tactile and kinesthetic healing, crafting physical reminders of loving relationships and incorporating handiwork into grieving journeys, according to the cemetery’s program catalog.

The class will take place on Feb. 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Green-Wood’s Modern Chapel near the 5th Avenue main entrance; tickets are free, although the cemetery suggests a $10 donation, and must be reserved on Green-Wood Cemetery’s website in advance.

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POLICE GIVE TRAFFIC SAFETY AWARDS, AS DEATHS REMAIN HIGH

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ADAMS’ OFFICE AND NYPD BRASS ON FRIDAY HONORED SEVEN POLICE PRECINCTS that reported zero traffic deaths in 2023, including Brooklyn’s 67th, 76th, 81st and 83rd precincts, with the city’s first-ever Vision Zero Awards, reports Streetsblog — but despite touting a “dramatic reduction” in traffic fatalities within those precincts, NYC actually recorded a slight uptick in deaths overall, with 257 fatalities in 2023 versus 255 in 2022. Commissioner Edward Caban thanked the NYPD’s traffic safety teams and promised to work with the public on safety solutions, stating, “There is little difference between saving a life from gunfire and saving a life from an inattentive or reckless driver. There is certainly no difference to the families and loved ones that are left behind… we vow to remain relentless in our efforts to eradicate traffic violence in all its forms.” While the city’s streets have grown safer since the implementation of Vision Zero anti-traffic-death goals in 2013, when 299 people died, fatalities remain stubbornly above a low of 206 deaths in 2018, while crashes with injuries have crept up steadily since 2020 under Mayor Adams.

Brooklyn’s 77th Precinct in Crown Heights was also honored with an award recognizing its work in achieving the largest reduction in fatalities, dropping from 9 in 2022 to just 1 in 2023.

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MAINTENANCE ISSUES FAULTED FOR CONEY F TRAIN DERAILMENT

CONEY ISLAND — THE MTA HAS IDENTIFIED TWO SEPARATE CAUSES IN the derailment of an F train near Coney Island on Jan. 10, reports AMNY; MTA New York City Transit president Rich Davey at a press conference on Thursday told the media that the combination of a “slightly misaligned” track segment and four missing bolts on the train’s chassis resulted in the train’s fourth car jumping the rails near Neptune Avenue: “Independent of one another [they] would not have caused a derailment… But together, that is what we believe caused the derailment.” The MTA had known about the misaligned track, which was out of position by just ⅛ of an inch, for over a year, according to Davey, but did not consider it a priority to fix; the agency says it is now acting quickly to repair similar issues across the system, with 82 out of 103 previously noted misalignments now corrected and the remainder set to follow by the end of February.

The Coney derailment was unconnected to an incident earlier in January when two trains collided in Manhattan after a passenger pulled an emergency brake; Davey said that the MTA’s inspection of its train fleet did not find missing bolts to be a systemic issue.

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POLICE I.D. PARK SLOPE COUPLE FOUND DEAD IN APARTMENT, POSSIBLE MURDER-SUICIDE

PARK SLOPE — POLICE RELEASED THE NAMES OF A COUPLE discovered dead in their Park Slope apartment in the early morning of Thursday, Jan. 25, and the investigation may point to a murder-suicide. Jason Jackson and his girlfriend, Olga Kirshenbaum, both 34, were discovered in their Second Street home, both shot in the head. A firearm was recovered in the vicinity of Jackson, leading police to suspect he had killed his girlfriend and then himself. Kirshenbaum, aka “The Money Whisperer,” was the owner of Rags to Riches Consulting, who provided “un-scary” financial advice to creatives. Jackson was a cook who had studied at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas, according to his Facebook.

The news shocked those who knew them as a happy couple. “[It] couldn’t have been him,” a grieving friend and next-door neighbor who identified himself as Mook told the Daily News.

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CHECK OUT WHERE NEW LOADING ZONES ARE COMING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

CITYWIDE — THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS INSTALLING NEW LOADING ZONES across the city, and wants residents’ feedback about the location of the zones planned for their neighborhoods. DOT says it is expanding the number of loading zones because demand for deliveries has increased significantly due to the exponential growth of e-commerce. On the positive side, more loading zones will help alleviate double-parking and traffic congestion from delivery vehicles, DOT said. On the downside (for car owners, at least), creating the loading zones will take away parking spaces, according to NY1.

See the map of planned loading zone locations, ask questions and leave feedback at nyc.gov/loading by Monday, Feb. 12, 10 a.m.

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UNLICENSED DRIVER STRUCK AND KILLED 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN CANARSIE

CANARSIE — A 14-YEAR-OLD BOY WAS KILLED A BLOCK FROM HIS HOME BY AN OUT-OF-CONTROL CAR being driven by an unlicensed driver Saturday night in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Police said the boy, Christian Antoine, was crossing the intersection of East 81st Street and Glenwood Road around 6:16 p.m. when a car driven by Rayan K. Salmon, 45, barreled into a second vehicle’s left front fender, then spun clockwise and struck Antoine with the driver’s side as the boy crossed the street. Antoine was transported by EMS to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in critical condition, where he was later pronounced deceased. Police arrested Salmon, who lives on Glenwood Road, and charged him with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle. The investigation is ongoing.

Salmon was transported by EMS to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center with complaints of body pain, in stable condition. The driver of the second vehicle was transported by EMS to NYC Health and Hospitals/Kings County, also with complaints of body pain, in stable condition.

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STATUE OF BK BASEBALL ICON JACKIE ROBINSON STOLEN IN KANSAS — CUT OFF AT ANKLES

WICHITA — A BRONZE STATUE OF BELOVED BROOKLYN DODGERS BASEBALL ICON JACKIE ROBINSON was stolen from a park overnight Thursday in Wichita, Kansas — cut at the ankles and hauled off in a truck, the BBC reports. The $75,000 statue was in McAdams Park, which recognizes influential African Americans and is home to League 42, a youth baseball league named after Robinson’s jersey number. “Our community is devastated,” Wichita police said in a statement.

All-Star and World Series champion Robinson, the first African American to play pro baseball, started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. His strength of character and outstanding talent contributed substantially to the civil rights movement.

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MTA CHIEF PLEDGES TO ‘PERSONALLY’ TICKET BUSWAY VIOLATORS, YET HIS OWN EMPLOYEES PARK THERE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE NEW LIVINGSTON STREET BUSWAY is being blocked by cars, and transit workers are the ones parking there, according to Streetsblog NYC. Pledging to protect safety and right of way for bus riders, New York City Transit President Richard Davey declared last week that he would “be out there personally towing and ticketing” the transit workers’ vehicles that have parked illegally in front of the agency’s offices in Downtown Brooklyn. Yet the next day, cars marked with MTA logos, NYPD cruisers and other vehicles with various government identifiers, including MTA parking placards, blocked the red-painted lanes on Livingston Street. Streetsblog visited the spot on four separate occasions during two weeks.

The block with the most illegal parking violators was at NYC Transit’s headquarters on Livingston Street between Smith Street and Boerum Place, ironically omitted from the bus upgrade because of construction at that building.

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FEMA: CLOCK TICKING ON COMMENT PERIOD FOR RED HOOK’S FLOOD WALLS AND GATES

RED HOOK — FEMA ISSUED NOTICE LAST WEEK THAT THE 30-DAY PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD HAS COMMENCED on the environmental assessment of the proposed Red Hook Resiliency Project, which aims to protect parts of Red Hook from storm surge and water level rise. The proposed projects will include the construction of flip-up and sliding gates to an elevation of 10 feet along parts of the Red Hook waterfront; and flood walls with heights up to four feet covered by raised and re-graded streets. The proposed project would focus on two low-lying areas that are most vulnerable: Atlantic Basin and along Beard Street (see photos). Additionally, the area of Todd Triangle would be re-designed and reconstructed.

A presentation may be viewed online.

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BROOKLYN PANEL: PROTECTING KIDS FROM ‘PREDATORY’ INTERNET

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES and state Sen. Andrew Gounardes join the founder of the #HalfTheStory Project Larissa May for a panel discussion on child online safety and privacy. Moderated by New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg, the panel will delve into the growing dangers posed by social media companies, their predatory actions, and their profound impact on the well-being of children and teens growing up while having their every move tracked, stored, cataloged and used by the largest and most powerful companies on earth.

The event takes place on Wed, Jan. 31, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Brooklyn History, 128 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn Heights.

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SPEAKER ADAMS: COUNCIL TO OVERRIDE MAYOR’S VETO ON SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

CITYWIDE — SPEAKER ADRIENNE ADAMS SAID ON FRIDAY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL plans to vote on Tuesday to override Mayor Eric Adams’ veto of legislation to end solitary confinement. The legislation, which previously passed the Council by a veto-proof supermajority, would allow solitary confinement for up to four hours for de-escalation or emergencies, and then require alternative forms of separation proven to be more effective, she said in a release.

Multiple studies show that people who have spent time in solitary are significantly more likely to die by suicide and other causes including accident, violence and overdose, Speaker Adams said.

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PALESTINIAN RESTAURANT HOSTS SHABBAT DINNER FOR NEW YORKERS

DITMAS PARK — AYAT, A PALESTINIAN RESTAURANT IN BROOKLYN’S DITMAS PARK, ATTRACTED MORE THAN 1,300 LAST FRIDAY FOR SHABBAT DINNER, as part of a healing outreach to the turmoil between Jews and Palestinians around New York City, reports Jewish Week online. Restaurateur Abdul Elenani and his wife, Ayat Masoud — for whom the restaurant is named — invited all New Yorkers in the hopes that mutual bonds remain possible. Many of the attendees were members of anti-Zionist and left-leading Jewish groups that have persistently called for a cease-fire on humanitarian grounds in Israel’s war against Hamas. Among the attendees was New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a Park Slope resident, who is active with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and Kolot Chayeinu. Before the meal, a Shabbat service was held in a tent across from the restaurant.

The dinner was held in response to negative publicity from a British publication that took issue with the phrasing on the restaurant’s menu. Specialties were available for those who keep kosher and for vegetarians.

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REP. CLARKE CALLS FOR HALT TO FUNDING PREDICTIVE POLICING SYSTEMS

NATIONWIDE — FEDERAL FUNDING NEEDS TO BE STOPPED FOR SOFTWARE THAT CLAIMS TO PREDICT CRIME LOCATIONS, UNLESS IT IS PROVEN TO BE NON-DISCRIMINATORY, SAY BROOKLYN Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-09) and several Democratic colleagues in the House and U.S. Senate. Clarke and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) in December 2021 had issued a letter to the Justice Department, seeking more information about whether the department funds predictive policing systems. They charge that the DOJ took almost a year to respond and then failed to answer most of the members’ substantive questions, admitting it did not know how much federal grant money had been spent on predictive policing systems.

The members have now urged the DOJ to include an analysis of the accuracy and risks posed by predictive policing systems as part of an upcoming report on AI and law enforcement that President Biden requested of the DOJ, along with an inventory of grants for predictive policing systems.

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GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALE SEASON BEGINS

CITYWIDE — BUY SOME COOKIES FROM THE LARGEST GIRL-LED BUSINESS IN THE WORLD. The Girl Scout Cookie Season kicks off February 1, with members of Scouting troops collecting orders both digitally and in person. Customers can order directly from Digital Cookie storefronts, which offer immediate shipping and can also find local troops to support: https://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/findcookies . Supporters wishing to interact directly with the young entrepreneurs can pick out their Girl Scout Cookies in person, where troops and individual Scouts host booths around the city. Rising costs in goods and services have caused an increase to $7 per box in New York City to support Girl Scout programming in the five boroughs, with a greater percent allocated to each troop.

Ashleigh Flanagan, local Girl Scout and 2023 Top Cookie Seller in Brooklyn, said, “Being a top Girl Scout cookie seller gives my troop the money to do the activities we want to do, such as going to the Statue of Liberty, camping, and gardening.”

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NEW FOOD ALLERGY TREATMENT PROGRAM AIMS TO BUILD RESISTANCE IN PATIENTS

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — A NEW FOOD ALLERGY TREATMENT PROGRAM THAT UTILIZES ORAL IMMUNOTHERAPY will open its newest location in Brooklyn Heights this Thursday, February 1. Kim Yates founded Latitude Food Allergy Care in the wake of a protracted journey with her daughter, Tessa Grosso, whose story was chronicled in The New York Times. Ms. Grosso, 25 and an NYU student, reportedly became free of multiple food allergies –including to wheat, eggs and dairy — after undergoing oral immunotherapy treatment; before, EpiPens and adrenaline had to be used to halt anaphylactic shock. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology defines oral immunotherapy as “the medically supervised therapy of feeding an allergic individual an increasing amount of a food allergen with the goal of increasing the threshold that triggers a reaction.” Patients are exposed to microscopic amounts of their allergy-trigger at first, graduate to larger amounts, and build resistance to the food’s harmful effects over time.

Latitude Food Allergy Care will open at 32 Court St. on February 1.

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DIGITAL FAIR REPAIR LAW FACILITATES FIXES ON CELL PHONES, OTHER ELECTRONICS

STATEWIDE — The New York State Digital Fair Repair Law makes it easier for consumers to repair broken electronics at independent repair shops statewide, Attorney General Letitia James wants consumers to know. The law, which took effect December 28, makes repairs of cell phones, tablets and other electronics simpler and more affordable by facilitating the repair of electronics at independent shops or at home by requiring manufacturers to make diagnostic and repair information for digital electronic parts and equipment available to independent repair stores.

However, several products are excluded from this law, including motor vehicles, home appliances, medical devices, off-road equipment, farm equipment, yard or garden equipment, construction equipment, power tools and public safety communications equipment.

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BISHOP BRENNAN LAUNCHES 2024 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK, MARKING ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

BUSHWICK — THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN BEGAN ITS ANNUAL LOCAL CELEBRATION OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK ON SUNDAY. The Most Rev. Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, led a special Mass in honor of the start of Catholic Schools Week at St. Brigid Roman Catholic Church in Bushwick, joining students, faculty and families of St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy at the Mass. Following the liturgy, Bishop Brennan visited the academy for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and blessed the recently-renovated kindergarten classroom. The school is working to renovate all the classrooms by September.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of National Catholic Schools Week. This week, Bishop Brennan is scheduled to visit schools throughout Brooklyn and Queens for a chance to meet students and faculty and catch a glimpse of the innovative educational programs offered daily.

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WOMAN CHARGED AFTER BODY PARTS FOUND IN REFRIGERATOR

MIDWOOD – A BROOKLYN WOMAN WAS CHARGED WITH CONCEALMENT of a human corpse on Friday following the gruesome discovery of a man’s head and other body parts in her refrigerator, reports NBC News. Heather Stines, age 45, was taken into custody on Monday after police were summoned to her Nostrand Avenue apartment by an anonymous tipster. Stines allegedly “became combative” when officers attempted to inspect the taped-up fridge, then, following her arrest and a psychiatric evaluation, claimed that the murdered man had been killed in September by her husband, who is currently incarcerated in Virginia on unrelated charges.

Police identified the victim as Kawsheen Gelzer, age 39, a convicted sex offender; neighbor Dorothy Williams told the New York Post that rumors about the couple’s involvement in Gelzer’s disappearance had run wild: “Everybody knew he went in there and never came back out… He didn’t deserve to die like that. Nobody deserves to die like that.”✰✰✰

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DAN GOLDMAN: HOW TO REPORT MAIL THEFT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN – U.S. REP. DAN GOLDMAN ON FRIDAY SAID THAT CALLS ABOUT mail theft in his 7th District from constituents have been on the rise in recent months and promised that his office was working with law enforcement to solve the issue. Goldman also shared instructions on how to report mail theft to the Postal Service online. Potential victims should go to emailus.usps.com, select the “Where is my mail?” menu option, then the “Daily mail delivery” option, and then the “Theft of mail” drop-down menu option, entering available information as needed.

Mail theft in Goldman’s Brownstone Brooklyn has spiked since the coronavirus pandemic. The congressmember last year urged USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to dedicate resources to cracking down on the city’s mail crime wave following a rash of brazen thefts using glue traps hidden in mailboxes to catch outgoing letters.

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IDIOTAROD STORMS THROUGH CITY ONCE AGAIN

CITYWIDE – SIXTEEN TEAMS OF HIGHLY TRAINED IDIOTS RACED THROUGH the streets of Brooklyn on Saturday at the 20th Idiotarod, reports Brooklyn Magazine, an annual event that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a race. Groups of competitors pushed tricked-out shopping carts to contests at checkpoints and bars along a five-mile route, seeking to wow (and bribe) judges, sabotage other teams and stun onlookers. The leather-themed “Gimp My Ride” team won best in show, other standout themes included “Occupy Whale Street,” “Clams Casino,” and “Hot Cucumber,” whose sandwiches reportedly scored them the Best Bribe award.

Pictures abound on Brooklyn Magazine’s website. Following the awards ceremony on Saturday night, the carts, as is tradition, were smashed to pieces.

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PRATT MOVING ITS MFA ART FACILITIES TO BROOKLYN NAVY YARD

NAVY YARD — PRATT INSTITUTE IS MOVING ITS GRADUATE FINE ARTS AND PHOTOGRAPHY FACILITIES from the Pfizer Building on Flushing Avenue to the Dock 72 building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, “enabling access to a burgeoning creative community,” the famous art institute announced on its website on Sunday. Dock 72 features floor-to-ceiling windows, with abundant natural light and great views of the Manhattan skyline. The space is expected to be complete and occupied by the fall term, starting in August 2024. The new location will include 100 individual artist studios, seminar and critique spaces, gallery spaces, a computer lab, fabrication shops and a black box for performances and projections.

“Expanding Pratt Institute’s footprint in the Brooklyn Navy Yard provides our graduate Fine Arts and Photography students with exceptional studios and access to a powerful community of diverse creatives and professionals,” Pratt President Frances Bronet said in a statement.

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HUDSON SAYS NO THANKS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT

CROWN HEIGHTS – A PROPOSED MIXED-USE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT looks likely to be shelved after City Councilmember Crystal Hudson last week requested her colleagues deny rezoning permission, reports the Real Deal; the council typically defers to members on matters within their own district. The Pacific Street project, which would have 150 units and space for childcare and manufacturing businesses, is now likely to be shelved indefinitely — potentially dropping developer Nadine Oelsner, who has allegedly borrowed $11.5 million for construction, in hot water.

Hudson favors a broader rezoning plan backed by Mayor Adams that would see multiple blocks of the surrounding area also allowed to develop upwards; the councilmember left a public hearing on the plan before community members were able to speak and air concerns.