What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, February 15, 2024

February 15, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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SHOCK OVER RISQUE SUBWAY SURFING SPECTACLE: ‘RECKLESS CLOWNS’

QUEENS — THE MTA WARNED AGAIN AGAINST THE DANGERS OF “SUBWAY SURFING” on Wednesday after images went viral over the weekend on X (Twitter) depicting two people apparently having sex while standing up on top of a 7 train in Queens, reports The City. MTA communications director Tim Minton told the outlet, “The only thing dumber than riding on top of a subway train is dropping pants in the process… Those reckless clowns aren’t thinking about the mess cleaners and other subway workers will have to deal with when their stupid stunt goes tragically wrong.” The agency, as well as city politicians, has blamed social media networks for encouraging the dangerous activity in recent years, contributing to a spike in injuries and deaths sustained from riding on the outside of trains; a 14-year-old boy passed away in January after falling from the top of an F train in Midwood in what witnesses later said appeared to be a surfing incident, while a 15-year-old died last February after striking his head while riding atop a J train on the Williamsburg Bridge.

The MTA says it has not identified the persons responsible.

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POLICE SEEK ANTISEMITIC SPITTER

BOROUGH PARK — POLICE ARE ASKING FOR HELP IDENTIFYING AN UNKNOWN man suspected of a hate attack on a teenager in Borough Park in October. On the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 17, near the 50th Street D train station, a 13-year-old male victim was walking on the sidewalk when an unknown individual approached him, made anti-Jewish statements and then spat in the victim’s face; the suspect is described as a male wearing a gold hat and green jacket.

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 their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

The individual suspected of spitting on a Borough Park teenager in October. All calls are strictly confidential.

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DEADLINE FOR COMMUNITY BOARD APPLICATIONS NEARS

BROOKLYN — THE DEADLINE FOR APPLYING TO JOIN BROOKLYN’S 18 COMMUNITY boards is almost here, Borough President Antonio Reynoso reminded the public this week. Brooklynites ages 16 and up have until Monday, Feb. 19, to submit applications to join the 50-person advisory groups in any neighborhood where one works, lives, attends school, owns property or otherwise has interests. Members are required to attend monthly meetings on topics of interest like development and planning, city budgeting, municipal services and other local issues; community boards serve as a forum for the public to weigh in on city government, and in particular, are responsible for offering input on land usage and zoning proposals.

Applications can be submitted online or in person at Brooklyn Borough Hall until 11 p.m. Feb. 19; Reynoso noted that his office is seeking “people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to apply – from construction and retail workers to educators and students 16-years-old and up, as well as planners and small business owners.”

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BROOKLYN MUSEUM INVITES ARTISTS TO
TAKE PART IN BICENTENNIAL EXHIBIT

EASTERN PARKWAY — BROOKLYN ARTISTS IN ALL MEDIA FORMS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A MAJOR UPCOMING EXHIBIT THAT WILL CELEBRATE THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM’S BICENTENNIAL this fall. The Brooklyn Museum will present The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, a major group show of work by Brooklyn artists, honoring the wide-ranging creativity of the borough. Artists for the exhibition will be selected in two rounds: first, by invitation from the Artist Committee, and second, by a public open call in which participants will be chosen anonymously. To qualify for the open call, artists must have maintained primary residence and/or an art studio in Brooklyn during the past five years (2019–24). Applicants can register to compete via Submittable.

The Brooklyn Museum had its origins in Brooklyn Heights, starting in August 1823, when Augustus Graham founded the Brooklyn Apprentices’ Library at the corner of Henry and Cranberry Streets. The Museum’s current home was formally opened on Oct. 2, 1897.

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BISHOP BRENNAN CELEBRATES LUNAR NEW YEAR
WITH LEADER OF DIOCESAN CHINESE APOSTOLATE

FLUSHING — AN ASIAN PARISH IN THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN CELEBRATED THE LUNAR NEW YEAR by hosting Bishop Robert Brennan, who led a bi-lingual Mass (English and Chinese) last Sunday, Feb. 11. Father Vincentius Do, who is head of the Chinese Apostolate for the Diocese of Brooklyn, also pastors St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Flushing, where the Mass and festivities took place. Following Mass, they participated in an Ancestors Veneration Ritual ceremony, a Lunar New Year tradition in which Chinese people give thanks to God and their ancestors. The rituals include nine bows to God, the offering of fruits, flowers and incense, and the exchange of New Year greetings among the faithful. The Lunar New Year celebration also featured cultural singing, dancing and a special martial arts performance.

Bishop Brennan told the parish in his homily, “We would be lost if we didn’t have you and we didn’t have all the gifts and the richness of the Chinese culture that you bring.”

Bishop Brennan and Father Do of Brooklyn’s Chinese Apostolate, led an offering of fruits, flowers and incense at the Chinese New Year Mass.
Photo courtesy: John Quaglione/DeSales Media

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BIDEN SHIELDS PALESTINIANS IN US
FROM IMMEDIATE FORCED DEPARTURE

NATIONWIDE — CERTAIN PALESTINIANS CURRENTLY RESIDING IN THE UNITED STATES CAN NOW BENEFIT FROM President Joe Biden’s designating Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for 18 months. Approximately 6,000 Palestinian DED holders will be protected from deportation and receive work authorization for the duration of the designation, which will expire on Aug. 14, 2025. The urgent need for the DED designation stemmed from the current Israeli-Hamas conflict, which began with the killing of more than 1,400 Israelis in October. Since then, 85% of Gaza’s population has been displaced and more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed. Global Refuge (formerly known as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service) on Thursday, Feb. 15, joined leading advocates, a coalition of civil and human rights organizations, and allies in Congress.

One such ally is Congressman Dan Goldman (D-10) of Brooklyn, an observant Jew, who, on Nov. 9, 2023, joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and others in urging the Biden Administration to authorize Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and/or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Palestinians in the United States.

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STATE’S FINANCES HAVE STABILIZED, BUT
PROPOSALS COULD LEAD TO RISKIER DEBT;
DINAPOLI CALLS OUT MTA IN PARTICULAR

STATEWIDE — NEW YORK STATE’S FINANCES HAVE STABILIZED AND BUDGET GAPS HAVE BEEN REDUCED since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s annual report, released Feb. 15, on the proposed Executive Budget. However, DiNapoli expressed concerns about proposals that would bypass or hinder the Comptroller’s Office oversight of finances. The State Comptroller’s terms and conditions for approval of private sales of State Personal Income Tax and Sales Tax bonds ensure the costs of borrowing are reasonable and appropriate, providing a critical check on poor fiscal management and bond structuring choices that may otherwise occur, explained DiNapoli. However, he cautioned that the budget proposal to significantly curtail this approval would expand the Executive’s powers, allowing for costlier and riskier bonding choices with State PIT and Sales Tax bond issues, the primary vehicles by which the state conducts most of its borrowing.

DiNapoli warned also that such budget proposals could be exploited by other public authority bond issuers, and specifically identified the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as an agency with a history of poor debt practices.

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CITY ADDS TRAFFIC FATALITY DATA
TO NYPD COMPSTAT ONLINE RESOURCE

CITYWIDE — THE NYPD’S ADDITION OF TRAFFIC FATALITY DATA TO ITS COMPSTAT 2.0 ONLINE DASHBOARD, which Mayor Adams announced in November, has now taken effect, according to an announcement released from City Hall on Thursday, February 15. CompStat 2.0 online dashboard is a resource that provides New Yorkers with weekly statistics reflecting the administration’s progress on fighting overall crime and promoting traffic safety. The new category — itemized according to patrol borough, precinct, day of the week and time of day — now puts traffic violence on par with violent crime and elevates the administration’s efforts to reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths in every neighborhood.

The now-launched NYPD online Traffic Data section contains statistical information about moving violation summonses, motor vehicle collisions and instances of leaving the scene of an incident. It provides access to the NYPD’s raw feed of traffic-related data used to populate the searchable “Traffic Safety Forum.”

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NEW SAFETY REQUIREMENTS ANNOUNCED
FOR CITY-OWNED VEHICLE FLEETS

CITYWIDE — A NEW APPROACH IN ADDRESSING TRUCK AND BUS SAFETY WAS UNVEILED ON THURSDAY, FEB. 15, as Mayor Eric Adams today issued Executive Order 39, which lays out new requirements for city-owned vehicles. For the first time in NYC history, city contractors will have new safety requirements, which include preparing fleet safety plans. All city contractors will be required, starting July 1, to develop fleet safety plans, train and enroll drivers in the State License Event Notification System and report all crashes that occur while doing business on behalf of the city. The Executive Order also requires telematics and the installation of 360-degree cameras on new trucks that the City of New York procures for use by its employees. The 360-degree cameras or high-visibility designs are meant to mitigate the impacts of visual impairments for operators.

The Executive Order will affect an estimated 5,600 contracted trucks. The city operates nearly 7,500 trucks and 10,000 contracted school buses, resulting in safety enhancements for over 23,000 trucks and buses traveling daily throughout the city.

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IN MEMORIAM
FOUNDER OF BOB’S RED MILL FOODS DIES AT 94

OREGON — BOB MOORE, THE ENTREPRENEUR WHO WITH HIS WIFE, CHARLEE, FOUNDED BOB’S RED MILL FOODS in 1978, died Saturday, just five days before his 95th birthday, which would have been today, Feb. 15. According to a New York Times obituary by Alex Williams, Moore said during a podcast years ago that while taking a hiatus from a personal ambition of learning to read the Bible in other languages — including Greek — he saved an old mill that its owner planned to demolish, and started a local artisanal grain company. Named Bob’s Red Mill, the family-run company has produced stone-ground sorghum flour, whole-wheat pearl couscous, soup mixes and, when the need arose, a growing array of gluten-free flours and products.

Moore successfully fended off buyout offers from large companies to protect his values as an observant Christian, instead giving his staff the stock options that would turn his company into an employee-owned enterprise.

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‘QUIET’ ROLLOUT OF BULLETPROOF VESTS
CATCHES SCHOOLS, PARENTS OFF GUARD

CITYWIDE — BULLETPROOF VESTS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL, as part of a new safety policy that the NYPD quietly initiated this year, reports Chalkbeat. The lightweight vests are now part of the uniforms for most school safety agents in the city’s public schools, an initiative that was originally announced last summer after a spike in neighborhood youth gun violence, and because the school safety agents do not carry guns. However, the safety vests’ arrival was conducted so quietly that educators, parents and even the safety agents were caught off guard. They are now discussing how to handle questions and worries coming from the students themselves.

Other safety measures being rolled out at schools over the past year include changing the frequency of school safety agents’ radios for more direct connection with police precincts, and an anticipated 2024 rollout of door locking and camera systems at all elementary schools.

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NEW DEAN OF EDUCATION AIMS TO CHAMPION DIVERSE APPROACHES TO TEACHING

FLATBUSH/MIDWOOD — BROOKLYN COLLEGE HAS APPOINTED MARÍA SCHARRÓN-DEL RÍO AS THE NEW DEAN of the School of Education at Brooklyn College. A professor in the School Psychology, Counseling and Leadership Department, Scharrón-del Río (who uses the pronoun they) previously served as interim dean of the School of Education. A member of the Brooklyn College community since 2006, Scharrón-del Río worked on the original accreditation of the school counseling graduate program. In 2019, they were appointed associate dean, assisting the school in transitioning to a new accrediting body, the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation. As dean, Scharrón-del Río will champion the pursuit of knowledge from different perspectives and approaches.

After coming to Brooklyn College, Scharrón-del Río received the 2017 Claire Tow Distinguished Teacher Award. They are an active leader in GLARE (GLBTQ Advocacy in Research and Education).

MARÍA SCHARRÓN-DEL RÍO
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn College

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BROOKLYN 2023 CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FACING CHARGES IN JAN. 6 CAPITOL ATTACK

DOWNTOWN — A BROOKLYN REPUBLICAN WHO CAMPAIGNED FOR CITY COUNCIL in District 37 in 2023 appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui in Brooklyn Court on Wednesday, facing charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The FBI complaint provided numerous open source photos and videos along with CCTV footage and witness accounts, allegedly depicting Mitchell Bosch, 44, forcefully shoving U.S. Capitol Police Officers and Metropolitan Police Department Officers outside the Capitol building, encouraging other rioters, and engaging in numerous disorderly acts during the attack. Bosch ran on an anti-vax, anti-Drag Queen Story Hour platform, among other issues. On Dec. 16, 2021, he was arrested at an anti-vax protest in a Queens Cheesecake Factory, the Queens Eagle reported.

Marissa Sherman of Brooklyn Federal Defenders Office represented Bosch for the purposes of the removal hearing on Wednesday. Going forward, Bosch will be prosecuted in Washington, D.C.

Open source photos allegedly depicting Mitchell Bosch at the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Source: Legal complaint/FBI

Open source photos allegedly depicting Mitchell Bosch at the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Source: Legal complaint/FBISource: Legal complaint/FBI

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LAWMAKERS SEEK FUNDS TO FIX NOTORIOUS ‘CROWN HEIGHTS CLUSTER’

CROWN HEIGHTS — A NOTORIOUS SUBWAY BOTTLENECK DUBBED THE ‘CROWN HEIGHTS CLUSTER’ is finally getting a push from state lawmakers to fix it, Gothamist reports. The intersection of rails where the 2 and 5 lines cross the 3 and 4 lines forces trains to wait up to two minutes for a signal to clear. The delay occurs hundreds of times daily and inconveniences any passenger caught at Nostrand Junction, Gothamist said.

“If you’re trying to get medical treatment, if you’re trying to pick up your kid after school, you’re trying to make it to your job, and all of these delays happen with regularity, you have to question why is it that we’re subject to this type of dysfunction,” state Sen. Zellnor Myrie of (D-Prospect Leffert Gardens) said at a press conference on Friday. “We’re here today to say no more.”

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NEW APP LETS CATHOLICS MORE FULLY EXPERIENCE LENTEN PILGRIMAGE

PROSPECT HEIGHTS —WHEN THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN OPENED ITS LENTEN PILGRIMAGE on Ash Wednesday, a new app to help the faithful track their visits was also launched, reports The Tablet’s Jessica Easthope. One of the newest apps available, The Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten Pilgrimage app could have an eternal impact when it aids in people’s deepening their faith and their walk with God. DeSales Media Group, the communications and technology arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn developed the app, which is free of charge and available for download on iPhones and Androids, and which allows the user to receive direct updates about the Lenten Pilgrimage and to set personal goals and milestones in visiting the more than 35 churches across Brooklyn and Queens. Visits will be automatically tracked using QR codes posted at each church.

Father Joseph Gibino, diocesan vicar for evangelization and catechesis, emphasized to the Tablet that “We will be creating a community of intentional disciples through the app,” making it possible for those who can’t get to all churches to at least log in and experience the prayerfulness.

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BROWER PARK’S SKATING ARENA GETS NEW DESIGN AS PART OF NON-PROFIT SKATEPARK’S PROJECT

CROWN HEIGHTS — ONE OF THE TWO NEW SKATE PARKS PLANNED FOR BROOKLYN will be a renovated space in Crown Heights, reports the website Brooklyn Parents. The north end of Brower Park, which sits next to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, is being redesigned as a skate park accessible for all skill levels and skating activities. Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk and his nonprofit organization, The Skatepark Project (TSP), is redesigning the park. The other skate park, which will be within Mount Prospect Park, across from the Central Library, has met with some resistance from locals. But both parks have the support of the local City Councilmembers, who promise that Mount Prospect Park will remain open throughout construction. The Skatepark Project plans to publicly gather community feedback before designs and plans are finalized.

The Skatepark Project aims to build skateparks for youths in underserved neighborhoods across the nation, and just last May, TSP reopened Brooklyn Banks on the 140th anniversary of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge’s opening, reported Bloomberg News at the time.

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CRAIN’S HONORS LEAD GENERAL COUNSEL AT NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS

CITYWIDE — CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS HAS HONORED Andrea (Andy) G. Cohen, JD, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Labor Relations Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, the city’s public health care system. Ms. Cohen was named in Crain’s ‘2024 Notable General Counsels’ recognition list, which showcases 35 notable general counsels (in-house attorneys) in the New York metropolitan area who are guiding health care technology innovators, steering organizations through regulatory landscapes and supporting marginalized groups. Cohen has spearheaded numerous achievements since joining NYC Health + Hospitals. She has rebuilt the inside legal team to meet the evolving needs of the network, including by bringing on board a mix of specialists and generalists in relevant fields, rightsizing teams, and developing technology solutions to manage legal fees and high-volume matters.

Cohen’s team also provided critical support during the COVID pandemic, performing all contracting and legal work for the Test and Trace and vaccine distribution programs.

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NYC SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR SAYS IBM ‘NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME’ AFTER SNOW DAY SNAFU

CITY HALL — NYC SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR DAVID BANKS APOLOGIZED to parents on Tuesday after thousands of families could not log in to DOE’s online learning platform, on a remote learning day he called a “test” of the system. But he blamed the problem on IBM, not DOE. “We were all set and ready to go,” he told reporters at a press conference. “IBM is the one who authenticates the users and the usernames. And in a word, IBM was not ready for prime time.” Throughout the course of the morning, IBM expanded its capacity, he said. “Their capacity should have been at full expansion from the very beginning. We wouldn’t have been where we are.”

Eventually, at least 850,000 students were able to log in, Banks said, adding that a full analysis of the failure would be carried out.

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LANDER: NYC SIGNING FEWER CONTRACTS WITH MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

CITY HALL — NYC COMPTROLLER BRAD LANDER TESTIFIED BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL on Wednesday that NYC is failing to hit its goals in awarding contracts to Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). This past fiscal year, the city spent roughly $40 billion on contracts for everything from office supplies to human services to technology, but M/WBEs only accounted for 3% of newly-registered contracts — down from 5.2% in FY2022. In the more limited number of city contracts subject to M/WBE participation goals, the number of minority-owned companies receiving contracts was higher at 9.8%, but that was still lower than 2022, when it was 16%. In addition, city contracts were worth less for M/WBEs than for White men: $511,000 vs. $4.6 million, Lander testified.

Lander’s testimony before the City Council’s joint hearing of the Committee on Contracts and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, his FY24 report and his office’s recommendations to the Adams administration are available online.

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NYC SUING TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, SNAPCHAT & YOUTUBE FOR WRECKING KIDS’ MENTAL HEALTH

CITY HALL — NEW YORK CITY IS FILING A LAWSUIT AGAINST five big social media platforms — TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube — charging them with fueling a nationwide youth mental health crisis, Mayor Eric Adams announced in a release on Wednesday. The city is joining hundreds of school districts across the country seeking to force tech giants to change their behavior and to recover the costs of addressing youth mental health, Adams said. Last month, NYC Health Department Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vassan issued an advisory identifying unfettered access to social media as a public health hazard.

“Over the past decade, we have seen just how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a non-stop stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis,” Adams said.