What’s News, Breaking: Friday, February 9, 2024

February 9, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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TV SHOW ‘ABBOTT ELEMENTARY’ SUPPLIES TEACHERS AT BK SCHOOLS

BROWNSVILLE — STAFF MEMBERS AT THREE BROOKLYN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS got a welcome surprise last week, reports ABC News: gift bags of teaching supplies and a complimentary lunch, courtesy of a promotional campaign for the third season of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” a mockumentary comedy series about teachers at a fictional Philadelphia public school. A lunchbox-shaped truck rolled up midday on Feb. 2 at P.S. 298-Dr. Betty Shabazz, P.S. 284-The Gregory Jocko Jackson School of Sports, Art, and Technology, and P.S. 327-Dr. Rose B. English to hand out the bags to educators. The schools were chosen, along with several others nationwide, as part of the show’s initiative to distribute 10,000 supply items to underserved schools.

“[S]ometimes it can be challenging and a little bit discouraging when you push so hard, but to be celebrated and recognized in this way is definitely appreciated and boosts the morale for all of us,” P.S. 284 Principal Keva Pitts-Girard told ABC.

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RESTLER TO REINTRODUCE BIKE-LANE-BLOCKING BOUNTIES

CITYWIDE — COUNCILMEMBER LINCOLN RESTLER PLANS TO REINTRODUCE A BILL THAT would allow the city to pay out “bounties” to New Yorkers who report illegal idling in bus and bike lanes, reports Streetsblog; a similar bill from Restler failed to pass last year after objections from other councilmembers led to the bounty aspect being stripped from the reporting concept, despite support from a majority of the council. The new version would see the city payout 25% of any fine levied on a vehicle ticketed for stopping or idling in a bus lane, bike lane, crosswalk or fire hydrant zone anywhere within a half-mile of a school — offering a hefty incentive to help in the crackdown on unsafe driving.

“I’m committed to push hard to get this legislation passed into law so we can increase safety for everyone: parents pushing strollers, wheelchair users, cyclists and all New Yorkers,” Restler told StreetsBlog.

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NEW STOP ‘SIGN’ PAINTED ON HENRY STREET IN BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — NEIGHBORS ARE BUZZING ABOUT the new painted stop “sign” and crosswalk on Henry Street near Orange Street in Brooklyn Heights, which seemingly popped up overnight last week. The Brooklyn Heights Association revealed on Friday that the NYC Department of Transportation told the organization that this crossing will be updated to a traffic signal, “hopefully later this spring.” In addition, DOT is currently conducting a traffic study to examine the possibility of an all-way stop at Hicks and Orange streets. The agency expects the study to be complete by the beginning of May, according to DOT.

Last week DOT also installed three midblock crosswalks on Atlantic Avenue between Smith Street and Nevins Street, as a traffic calming measure on the dangerous strip.

The new, painted stop sign on Henry Street.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Mary Frost

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REP. GOLDMAN AND OTHERS: PROTECT WOMEN’S
PREGNANCY SITUATIONS FROM BEING CRIMINALIZED

CAPITOL HILL — CONGRESSMAN DAN GOLDMAN (NY-10) JOINED THE Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) White House Liaison Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03) and several of his colleagues from the NY Congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to protect Americans from the criminalization of their pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes. The letter follows a growing pattern of women facing criminal charges related to their pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes, including an Ohio woman, Brittany Watts, who was charged with a felony for experiencing a miscarriage, which is a deemed medical emergency. Last week Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-09/eastern Brooklyn) and a coalition of US Congressmembers signed the same letter, urging the Biden-Harris Administration to protect Americans from the criminalization of their pregnancies and pregnancy.

Other signers included Congress members Nydia Velázquez (D-07/northern Brooklyn and Queens); Grace Meng (D-06/Queens); Adriano Espaillat (D-13/Manhattan and Bronx) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-14), Ritchie Torres (D-15/Bronx).

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NYC LIFESPANS STILL TWO YEARS BELOW PRE-COVID LEVELS

CITYWIDE — FOLLOWING A HISTORIC DROP IN LIFE EXPECTANCY DUE TO COVID-19 in 2020, New York City residents have since regained some of those lost years. However, lifespans still remain two years below pre-COVID lengths, according to the city Health Department’s Summary of Vital Statistics for 2021. Before the pandemic, New Yorkers lived an average of 82.6 years — but that plunged to 78 years in 2020, according to NYCDOH. Lifespans increased to 80.7 years in 2021, the most recent year statistics are available. The largest decreases were among Black and Latinos. In November, NYCDOH launched HealthyNYC to extend the lives of New Yorkers.

“New Yorkers continue to lose life years and quality of life due to diabetes, heart disease, overdose, suicide, and a range of other issues that can be prevented,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in a release.

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FDA: SOUTHWEST CHIPOTLE SALADS RECALLED
AFTER LISTERIA CONTAMINATION IS FOUND

EASTERN US — BRIGHTFARMS IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING ITS SOUTHWEST CHIPOTLE SALAD KIT with best-by-dates between 12/31/23 and 2/22/24 due to potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes in the Cotija Cheese, an ingredient found in the salad kit, and which is also being recalled separately as part of a wide contamination discovery. The FDA reports the voluntary recall was initiated by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc., a producer and supplier of cheese products. Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Consumers who have purchased the affected products should dispose of the “masterpack” containing the Cotija cheese or discard the full salad kit and present a photo of the product, receipt or reference their loyalty card history at their place of purchase for a full refund. Retailers have been instructed to remove all recalled products from store shelves.

The product was distributed along the East Coast from Maine to North Carolina, including New York.

The components of the Bright Farms Southwest Chipotle salad kit being recalled.
Photos courtesy US Food and Drug Administration

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ADAMS RECOMMENDS JOSHI, GARODNICK FOR MTA BOARD

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS UNVEILED TWO NEW RECOMMENDATIONS to represent the city on the MTA Board: Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi and City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. Joshi currently oversees the Adams administration’s transportation and infrastructure portfolio, including street safety work. Garodnick leads the city’s land use priorities, including neighborhood plans and three citywide zoning text amendments focusing on the environment, economic development and housing. All MTA board nominations are subject to New York State Senate confirmation.

Joshi is also an ex officio director of the board of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

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BILLIE HOLIDAY THEATRE EXHIBIT FEATURES
9-FOOT STATUE OF BED-STUY’S OWN ‘BIGGIE’

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — THE BILLIE HOLIDAY THEATRE, ONE OF THE NATION’S PREEMINENT ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS, will commemorate Black History Month with the launch of “Sky’s The Limit: Music is My Resistance,” a unique visual art exhibition experience exploring the concept of Black resistance through music. Launching on Feb. 15, and open through May 30, the exhibition will have as its anchor work visual artist Sherwin Banfield’s larger-than-life sculpture of hip hop icon Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace (AKA Biggie). Originally unveiled in DUMBO in 2022 to much fanfare, the nine foot statue — which is named “Sky’s the Limit in the County of Kings” — will take center stage in The Billie’s lobby and gallery hall on Fulton Street in Biggie’s own neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Founded in May 1972, the AUDELCO and Obie Award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre, named for the iconic jazz singer (1915-59), serves as artistic anchor to the largest African American community in the nation.

This statue by Sherwin Banfield of W. “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace (AKA Biggie) will grace the lobby of the Billie Holiday Theatre for through May 30.
Photo courtesy Billie-Holiday Theatre

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FEB. 17 IS DEADLINE TO COMMENT ON NYC’S ‘GREEN FAST TRACK’ PLAN

CITYWIDE — FEB. 17 IS THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS on the city’s proposal to amend the city’s rules to exempt certain housing developments from environmental review. Known as the Green Fast Track, the purpose of the amendment is “to avoid unnecessary and time-consuming environmental analyses” on developments up to a certain size (and accompanying small commercial developments), where those developments are judged to have no significant adverse environmental impacts. “These environmental analyses can take six to eight months to complete and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, adding unnecessary costs and delay to the city’s ability to address its housing crisis,” the City Planning Commission said in a statement. Developers and building industry professionals have expressed support for the rules change.

Comments can be left on the city’s rules website, or via email to [email protected].

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NEW BILL WOULD REQUIRE EPIPEN EQUIPMENT
IN PUBLIC VENUES WHERE FOOD IS SERVED

STATEWIDE — LEGISLATION THAT STATE ASSEMBLYMEMBER WILLIAM COLTON (D-47) IS CO-SPONSORING WOULD require all large public food service venues in New York State to have epinephrine auto-injectors such as EpiPens available for emergency use, with staff trained in how to use them. Epinephrine auto-injectors are used when someone suffering from an allergy has a severe, potentially life-threatening reaction; such reactions are often associated with allergies to foods such as shellfish and nuts. The auto-injectors work to lessen the body’s response to the allergen by relaxing muscles in the airways, stomach, intestines and bladder and by helping to reverse rapidly plummeting blood pressure. Assemblyman Colton represents Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst. Another Brooklyn legislator, State Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-26), is a co-sponsor of the bill.

Each year in the U.S., it is estimated that anaphylaxis to food results in 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths.

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AFTER MORE VICTIMS COME FORWARD, LAWSUIT
IS EXPANDED AGAINST CRYPTOCURRENCY FIRM

STATEWIDE — NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES HAS EXPANDED A LAWSUIT AGAINST A CRYPTOCURRENCY COMPANY, DIGITAL CURRENCY GROUP, for defrauding investors. Attorney General James sued Digital Currency Group, Inc. (DCG), DCG’s CEO, Barry Silbert, and Genesis Global Capital, LLC and its affiliates’ (Genesis) former CEO, Soichiro Moro, for defrauding additional individuals and institutions of an additional $2 billion. Attorney General James amended the complaint after more investors came forward following an October 2023 suit against Gemini Trust Company Genesis and DCG, for misleading representations to investors about an investment program called Gemini Earn and causing over $1 billion in losses.

Attorney General James urges New Yorkers who have been affected by deceptive conduct in virtual asset markets to report these issues to her office. She also encourages workers in the cryptocurrency industry who may have witnessed misconduct or fraud to file an online whistleblower complaint, which can be done anonymously.

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HOCHUL: 5,300 HOUSING UNITS, 1,400 AFFORDABLE, COMING TO GOWANUS

GOWANUS — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL ANNOUNCED FRIDAY THAT 18 NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS will move forward under the Gowanus Neighborhood Mixed Income Housing Development Program, unlocking more than 5,300 units of housing, including more than 1,400 affordable. Hochul launched the program last year to save thousands of units stalled by the expiration of 421-A, in light of a scarcity of housing in NYC. One of the first projects will be 320 and 340 Nevins Street, with 654 units including 154 affordable. The announcement was applauded by officials including State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, along with CB6 District Manager Mike Racioppo, Fifth Avenue Committee Executive Director Michelle de la Uz and others.

“The urgency of New York’s housing crisis is clear. I commend Governor Hochul for finding a creative way to secure new housing in Gowanus in a manner that provides the developers with ample time for the comprehensive cleanup of these toxic brownfields,” Simon said in a statement.

340 Nevins Street.
Photo: Charney Companies/Tavros Holdings

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MONDAY: SUNSET PARK TOWN HALL ON PIER 6 REDEVELOPMENT

SUNSET PARK — THE NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP IS HOLDING A PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION Monday on its planned redevelopment of Pier 6 in Sunset Park. NYCEDC says its vision is to transform the pier into a public amenity and create new waterfront access for visitors and the community. Pier 6 is adjacent to the Made in New York Campus (MiNY), a hub for creative and modern manufacturing that will open later this year.

The event takes place at Sunset Park High School Auditorium, 153 35th Street, from 6 – 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12. Those interested can register on Eventbrite and share suggestions online.

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ATTORNEYS GENERAL PUSH FOR RULES TO PROTECT
WORKERS DURING EXTREMELY HOT WEATHER

NATIONWIDE — CONCERNED THAT THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA) HAS NO POLICY ON PROTECTING WORKERS FROM EXTREME HEAT attributable to climate change, State Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of 10 counterparts in other states to implement an Emergency Extreme Heat Standard before this summer. They aim to protect workers from the dangers of exposure to extreme heat in the workplace, particularly in outdoor locations like construction sites and farms. Attorney General James and the coalition on Friday, Feb. 9, petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and called on Congress to pass pending legislation directing OSHA to establish an interim heat standard while it continues its rulemaking for a permanent standard.

Extreme heat exposure affects millions of workers across the country and can cause a range of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Prolonged, repeated exposure to extreme heat can also cause chronic kidney disease, and negatively impact pre-existing medical conditions.

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HE HIT AND LITERALLY RAN, ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE

BROOKLYN BRIDGE — POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A DRIVER WHO REAR-ENDED ANOTHER CAR on the Brooklyn Bridge last week, injuring its 36-year-old driver — and instead of staying on the scene, abandoned his vehicle, climbed into the bike path and fled on foot. According to police, on Friday, Feb. 2, around 8:45 a.m., the suspect was driving a blue 2003 BMW sedan traveling westbound when he ran into the rear of a black 2020 Ford sedan. He then abandoned the BMW and climbed into the fenced-off bike path. He was last seen fleeing into Brooklyn. The victim suffered minor injuries and was transported by EMS to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in stable condition.

The suspect is described as approximately 5’8” tall and 20-years-old with a medium build. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or visit Crime Stoppers online.

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MISSING GIRL IN BROWNSVILLE

BROWNSVILLE — POLICE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR HELP IN LOCATING MISSING TEEN Natasha Pinta Pallango, age 14, who was last seen leaving her residence at the Eastern Parkway Days Inn on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 7. Natasha is described as a female with a light complexion, weighing around 150 pounds and standing around 5′ 4″, and was last seen wearing a black sweater, black jeans and black sneakers.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

Missing teen Natasha Pinta Pellango, last seen on Eastern Parkway. All calls are strictly confidential.

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SIMON SPONSORS EMPIRE WORKER PROTECTION ACT, WILL FIGHT WAGE THEFT

ALBANY — BROOKLYN ASSEMBLYMEMBER JO ANNE SIMON rallied with State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan West Side) and workers representing unions, organizations and agencies to demand the inclusion of the EMPIRE Worker Protection Act in the state’s budget. The measure fights wage theft by unscrupulous employers, and Simon is the act’s new prime sponsor. “Wage theft impacts so many hard-working New Yorkers, particularly lower wage workers, people of color and women,” Simon said in a statement. The EMPIRE Act will empower affected workers to recover civil penalties and bring more than $100 million to the Dept. of Labor annually, enabling it to hire more enforcement and other staff.

Wage theft dwarfs other types of theft in the United States, with one estimate putting the amount owed workers at $50 billion per year, Simon’s office reported.

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NEW LEFFERTS HOUSE ARTWORK TO REFLECT ITS HISTORY OF ENSLAVEMENT

PROSPECT PARK — BROOKLYN ARTIST ADAMA DELPHINE FAWUNDU HAS BEEN CHOSEN as the first Artist in Residence at Lefferts Historic House Museum, the Prospect Park Alliance announced Thursday. Fawundu will create a monumental, site-specific installation informed by research from the Alliance’s ReImagine Lefferts Initiative, which seeks to focus on the resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking whose ancestral lands the house rests upon, and the many Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family. Fawundu’s installation will include 25 textile pieces, each paying homage to the everyday heroism of 25 people known to be enslaved at the house.

The installation will debut in spring 2024.

Artist Adama Delphine Fawundu.
Photo: PPA

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BP REYNOSO’S 2024 STATE OF THE BOROUGH ADDRESS COMING UP TUESDAY

DOWNTOWN — BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ANTONIO REYNOSO WILL DELIVER his second State of the Borough address on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 6:45 p.m. (Doors open at 6 p.m.) The event will be held at the New York City College of Technology (City Tech) at 275 Jay St., and will be free and open to the public, though RSVPs are required.

The theater is ADA-accessible and ASL interpretation of the Borough President’s speech will be available on site.

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TWO BROOKLYN KIDS HIT BY CAR WHILE WALKING TO SCHOOL

SUNSET PARK — TWO CHILDREN WERE HIT BY A CAR while walking to school in Sunset Park Wednesday morning, Patch reports. A 13-year-old and 12-year-old were hit by a Nissan Minivan near Sixth Avenue and 62nd Street around 8:08 a.m., NYPD told Patch. First responders took both victims to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The driver, a 44-year-old man, remained on the scene and was issued a summons, Patch said.

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FCC OUTLAWS ROBOCALLS WITH AI-GENERATED VOICING

NATIONWIDE — THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ON THURSDAY, FEB. 8, OUTLAWED ROBOCALLS THAT CONTAIN VOICES GENERATED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, the Associated Press reports. The ruling follows last week’s proposal from FCC Jessica Rosenworcel that her agency should outlaw such calls on the grounds that they have been used to scam consumers, a move that immediately garnered praise from Brooklyn U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke. The unanimous ruling targets robocalls made with AI voice-cloning tools under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a 1991 law restricting junk calls that use artificial and prerecorded voice messages. Effective immediately, the regulation empowers the FCC to fine companies that use AI voices in their calls or block the service providers that carry them. It also opens the door for call recipients to file lawsuits and gives state attorneys general a new mechanism to crack down on violators, according to the FCC.

Under the consumer protection law, telemarketers generally cannot use automated dialers or artificial or prerecorded voice messages to call cell phones, and they cannot make such calls to landlines without prior written consent from the call recipient.

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NYU TANDON PROFESSOR URGES FULL DISCLOSURE ON AI-GENERATED GOVERNMENT MESSAGING

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN AND CITYWIDE — THE AI-GENERATED VOICING THAT THE FCC HAS NOW BANNED has factored into a controversy involving an NYC elected official, with a local technology ethics professor’s warning on its use. In the wake of Mayor Eric Adams’ hiring ElevenLabs to produce foreign-language robocalls, AI watchdogs have warned that use of voice cloning by public officials needs more oversight. Among these experts is Julia Stoyanovich, an associate professor of computer science at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, who focuses on the ethics of machine learning. She told NBC 4 New York and other news agencies that AI-generated government messages should include clear disclosures that they are not real human voices.

Stoyanovich said, “I don’t think we should be releasing — and politicians in particular, and elected officials like our mayor should be releasing — machine-generated content without an explicit statement that the content is machine-generated.”

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CITY HOSPITAL SYSTEM LAUNCHES ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

EAST FLATBUSH AND CITYWIDE — CREATIVE SELF-EXPRESSION AS A RESPITE FROM ILLNESS, TREATMENT AND CAREGIVING is the focus of a program that NYC Health + Hospitals, the city’s health system, has launched. The Artist-in-Residence program will be managed through its Arts in Medicine department in partnership with The Creative Center (run by the University Settlement). Five artists have been selected for yearlong residencies that will include weekly staff artmaking and regular artist exhibitions. The Brooklyn artist, working in concert with NYC H+H’s Kings County Medical Center in East Flatbush, is Livia Ihinosen Ohihoin, an NYC-based multidisciplinary artist who explores and marries various mediums including movement art, jewelry, writing, and film.

The new Artist-in-Residence program builds upon The Creative Center’s long-running Hospital Artist-In-Residence Program that was brought to NYC Health + Hospitals over two decades ago. The current program will continue to include patients and expand to include hospital staff as well.

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MAIMONIDES AGAIN GETS 5-STAR RATING FOR NATURAL CHILDBIRTH CARE

BOROUGH PARK — MAIMONIDES MEDICAL CENTER HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A FIVE-STAR RECIPIENT for vaginal delivery for nine consecutive years (2015–2023), according to information released from Healthgrades, the leading resource consumers use to find a hospital or doctor. This five-star distinction reflects Maimonides’ commitment to consistently delivering the best care possible, placing the organization in the upper echelon of hospitals for ob-gyn care nationwide. This quality award is based only on the factor that matters most to consumers — patient outcomes. The award with another set of recognitions bestowed earlier this week on Brooklyn native Dr. Scott Chudnoff, chairman of Maimonides’ Obstetrics & Gynecology Department.

The Healthgrades analysis revealed variation in care across the nation’s ob-gyn programs, making the ability to choose high-quality care more important than ever. Patients treated at five-star rated hospitals for vaginal delivery (or natural childbirth) have, on average, a 45.1% lower risk of a complication than if treated at a one-star rated facility.

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MUSLIM ADVOCACY GROUP DENOUNCES HATE CRIME AT MARINE PARK CHURCH

MARINE PARK — ST. COLUMBA ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS RECEIVED A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY from the national Muslim advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) after the Jan. 27 hate crime vandalism and attempted break-in by a group of four perpetrators. CAIR’S New York Chapter Executive Director Afaf Nasher said, “We condemn this act of vandalism and encourage law enforcement to continue pursuing the matter as a hate crime. We stand in solidarity against acts of violence and destruction, especially on religious houses that are supposed to be sanctuaries for our communities.” Ms. Nasher pointed out that CAIR-NY and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging white supremacy, anti-Jewish hate, anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and all other forms of bigotry.

The NYPD is still seeking the group of four vandals who allegedly broke into the church’s side door and smashed a metal crucifix and stained-glass window before fleeing the scene.

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LUNAR NEW YEAR AT INDUSTRY CITY

SUNSET PARK — INDUSTRY CITY IS CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON this month, with businesses and craftspeople offering Asian-influenced food and arts to visitors. A traditional lion dance team will perform on Feb. 12, from noon to 2 p.m., while on Feb. 10 from 4 to 8 p.m., artist Kar Yee will join Court Tree Collective to host a Lunar New Year celebration kicking off its new British Invasion exhibition at its Industry City gallery space, featuring free food and music.

Works by graffiti artist Lady Aiko and sculptor Dan Lam are installed in the outdoor Courtyard 3/4 through February, along with many more exhibitions throughout the complex.

Lion dancers perform at Industry City for Lunar New Year.

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FREE PET ADOPTIONS FOR PUPPY BOWL XX

WILLIAMSBURG – BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY IS OFFERING NO-COST dog and cat adoptions this week in celebration of the 20th year of the nation’s premier puppy athletic competition, Puppy Bowl XX. The animal welfare group will waive fees at its adoption centers nationwide, including at its NYC shelter, from Feb. 7 through Feb. 14 for new pet parents, as part of its mission to end the killing of animals in shelters by 2025. The Puppy Bowl, held in conjunction with the Super Bowl every year since 2005 and broadcast on Animal Planet, features adoptable shelter pups playing with toys and each other for two hours.

BFAS will host a Puppy Bowl viewing party at the dog-friendly coffee shop Boris + Horton in Williamsburg on game day, Feb. 11, at 1:45 p.m., with NYC Team Ruff player Sonny; tickets are available on EventBrite for $33, with proceeds to benefit Best Friends New York.

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BROOKLYN WEED SHOP WORKER INDICTED FOR ASSAULTING STATE TAX MAN

DOWNTOWN — AN EMPLOYEE OF AN ILLEGAL BAY RIDGE CANNABIS SHOP has been indicted for allegedly shoving an investigator for the NYS Dept. of Taxation and Finance out of the shop and closing the door on his arm, injuring it, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Thursday. Arjante Moss, 27, of Downtown Brooklyn, was working at Big Chief Exotics Smoke Shop at 7323 Third Ave. shortly after noon on Dec. 18, 2023, when a state Finance Supervising Investigator came to shut down the store, pursuant to a closure order obtained by the Attorney General’s Office. After he was shoved out of the shop, the investigator managed to extricate his left arm from the doorframe and was treated for bruising at NYU Langone Hospital.

Moss was arraigned Wednesday before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun and was indicted for felony assault and other charges. He is out on bail and ordered to return to court on March 20.

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VISITATION ACADEMY, FOUNDED IN 1855, TO CLOSE RELUCTANTLY AT END OF SCHOOL YEAR

BAY RIDGE — THE ANNOUNCED CLOSING OF VISITATION ACADEMY at the end of the current academic year has shocked and angered parents of the students enrolled at the all-girls (Pre-K through 8th grade) Catholic school on Ridge Blvd. in Bay Ridge. Academy Board Members, Mother Susan Marie Kasprzak and (Head of School) Jean Bernieri, who made the announcement in a letter to parents Feb. 5, explained that, with only two of the religious sisters remaining, they are no longer able to operate Visitation Monastery and the academy. The Diocese of Brooklyn also issued a statement honoring the school’s legacy and pledged to assist in the placement of the students in other Catholic schools. “There is a significant history to reflect on with great appreciation for their nearly 170-year commitment to the Catholic faith, the students, and the surrounding community. They leave a great and powerful legacy in the many young women who have been educated on their grounds, and by their many prayerful acts.”

Prominent alumnae have included Rosanna Scotto, host of Good Day New York, and Donna Cassata of The Washington Post, according to the school’s website.