What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, April 4, 2024

April 4, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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WILLIAMS ARRESTED DURING REBNY CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

MIDTOWN — PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE WILLIAMS AND SEVERAL TENANT activists were arrested on Thursday during a rally outside of the Midtown Manhattan offices of the Real Estate Board of New York, blocking its doors in protest of what Williams described as the board’s efforts to block tenant protections, such as the proposed “good cause” evictions law. Lawmakers in Albany are currently struggling to reach a budget deal, with tenant protections being a major point of contention between progressives and Republicans, as well as more conservative Democrats; REBNY has been a longtime opponent of efforts to expand tenant rights, which it says comes at the expense of property owners.

“We are blocking the entrance to REBNY just as they have blocked real tenant protections from being enacted in Albany… Today, we were arrested to protest REBNY’s active campaign to harm tenants statewide, to urge state lawmakers to reject big real estate’s influence, and to finally pass the protections New Yorkers desperately need,” Williams wrote in a statement.

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ECLIPSE EXCITEMENT IN BROOKLYN

BROOKLYN — ALONG WITH THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY’S BRANCH EVENTS, Brooklynites have several other options for viewing Monday’s solar eclipse, which will obscure up to 90% of the sun at 3:25 p.m. NYU Tandon is hosting a viewing party at the Brooklyn Commons (formerly MetroTech) in Downtown Brooklyn from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. offering free sunglasses, while staff at Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg will be educating visitors about the sun and offering protective glasses while supplies last from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; sungazers can also catch a ferry to Governors Island all day to pick up a pair of eclipse glasses and watch from one of the park’s hilltop viewing spots.

Brooklyn Bridge Parents offers a helpful roundup of kid-friendly eclipse opportunities, including highlights from the library’s offerings.

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BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY HOSTS ECLIPSE PARTIES ACROSS BOROUGH

BROOKLYN — THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY IS HOSTING SUNWATCHING PARTIES at locations across the borough during Monday’s solar eclipse, offering kids and families limited supplies of eclipse blackout glasses to safely watch the moon obscure 90% of the sun. The deeply tinted glasses are necessary to view the sun without risking eye damage, even with most of it blocked. Library branches in most neighborhoods will be hosting local viewing parties and offering themed activities for kids, as well as handing out glasses throughout the weekend and on Monday; the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza will host a live concert in honor of Grammy-winning musician Casey Benjamin.

Information on which branches are hosting eclipse events can be found online on the BPL’s website; the eclipse will peak at 3:25 p.m. but will be visible throughout the afternoon.

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BROOKLYN’S PROSPECT DOG PARK VOTED TOP ‘HIDDEN GEM’ FOR DOGS IN U.S.

PROSPECT PARK — A SURVEY OF 3,000 DOG LOVERS across the country ranked Prospect Dog Park in Brooklyn the top “hidden gem” for dogs in the U.S. “At Prospect Dog Park … canines can frolic in the sand and doggy paddle to their heart’s content at Dog Beach. It’s a slice of doggy paradise,” according to Technobark, a dog-gadget website, which carried out the survey. Only one other New York City dog park made the list of the top 120 hidden gems: Riverside Park Dog Run in Manhattan, which came in at number 43.

“The best treasures are often found off the beaten path, so we hope our study helps dog owners to sniff out new adventures and create unforgettable memories with their furry friends,” wrote Technobark’s Gary Nealon.

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BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY ELECTS TWO NEW DIRECTORS

BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK — BROOKLYN RESIDENTS JENNIFER HYMAN AND SEJAL MUKHERJEE have been elected to Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy’s Board of Directors, the organization announced Wednesday. Hyman is the cofounder and CEO of Rent the Runway, the company that transformed fashion rental with the world’s first and largest shared online designer closet. Attorney Mukherjee is the General Counsel of Bel Fuse Inc., global designer and manufacturer of sophisticated electronic components for an array of industries, including avionics and automation.

“Jenn and Sejal are both fantastic additions to our board, and we’re excited to welcome them to the team,” Chris Coffey, Conservancy Board Chairman, said in a statement. The Conservancy sponsors more than 500 free and low-cost educational, cultural, fitness and recreational programs each year.

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AMBIGUOUS, OMINOUS SCULPTURES BY HUMA BHABHA COMING TO BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK

BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK — FOUR LARGE-SCALE BRONZE SCULPTURES by Huma Bhabha, described as “ambiguous” and “ominous,” are opening in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Pier 3 on April 20 at 6 p.m. “Huma Bhabha: Before The End” probes “the intersections of art, science fiction, horror, and mythology,” Public Art Fund said Thursday in a statement. The sculptures were cast from carved cork and skull fragments and “recall ancient effigies” cut into tombstones. “Before The End” is a title borrowed from the writings of Vincent of Beauvais (c. 1184 – 1264), “whose Medieval imagination sparked with supernatural and apocalyptic visions.”

To attend the opening, register for free at publicartfund.org.

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NYC STRIKES DEAL REGARDING FOSSIL FUELS WITH MAJOR BANKS

CITYWIDE — THREE OF THE BIGGEST BANKS IN NORTH AMERICA have reached an agreement with NYC pension funds to publicly disclose their Clean Energy Ratios, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Clean Energy Ratio is a calculation of how much a bank is funding fossil fuels versus clean, green energy. Royal Bank of Canada joined JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup in the agreement. “This is a huge deal, not only because this sets a new standard of transparency for the banking sector — but because these agreements were reached after my office’s work on behalf of NYC pension funds,” Comptroller Brad Lander said in a statement Thursday.

Lander called on Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley to follow the lead of the other banks.

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BROOKLYN COLLEGE ESTABLISHES TEACHING CHAIR
HONORING PULITZER-WINNING PROFESSOR

FLATBUSH/MIDWOOD — BROOKLYN COLLEGE WELCOMED PULITZER PRIZE-WINNER and Kennedy Center honoree, conductor, and Distinguished Professor Emerita Tania León for the school’s third Presidential Lecture Series event. The discussion with León, titled “You Gave Me Wings: A Rhythmic Life,” featured a conversation with President Michelle J. Anderson chronicling León’s extraordinary life from her migration from Cuba to her career as a world-renowned composer. The lecture was also the occasion on which Brooklyn College and its School of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts announced the launch of the Tania León Chair of Music, which has received funding from The Tow Foundation, established by alumnus Leonard Tow ’50. Professor Emerita Tania León began teaching here 1985, became a Tow Distinguished Professor in 2000, and retired as Professor Emerita in 2019.

Ms. León and President Anderson discussed León’s orchestral work “Stride,” which the New York Philharmonic commissioned and that was awarded the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Music; and the composer being named a recipient of the 45th Annual Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements.

(From left) Associate Professor Malcolm J. Merriweather, the inaugural Tania León Chair of Music, performs at the Presidential Lecture Series event.
Photo courtesy Brooklyn College

(From left) Associate Professor Malcolm J. Merriweather, Pulitzer Prize-winner and Kennedy Center honoree, conductor, and educator Tania León, Leonard Tow ‘50, and Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson at the Presidential Lecture Series event March 28 at the college.
Photo courtesy Brooklyn College

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BROOKLYN FOOTBALL CLUB EXPANDS WITH MEN’S AND WOMEN’S PRO-USL TEAMS & ACADEMY

BOROUGHWIDE — THE BROOKLYN FOOTBALL CLUB’s recently appointed president and CEO Maximilian Mansfield is helping the new United Soccer League expansion franchise get up and running with both men’s and women’s pro teams, he told Hudson River Blue in a wide-ranging interview published Thursday. Top players of any background and socioeconomic status are welcome at BKFC with no cost to join. Mansfield also started the nonprofit soccer feeder Two Bridges Academy, which includes academic preparation and leadership development, because pay-to-play soccer “holds back a lot of talent,” he said.

The men’s BKFC’s women’s club joined the Division One USL Super League, putting it at the top of the US women’s soccer pyramid, Hudson River Blue reported in March. The professional women’s team will begin playing in August 2024. The professional men’s team will begin playing in 2025 in the USL Championship.

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BIDEN, TRUMP CRUISE TO VICTORY IN LOW-TURNOUT PRIMARIES

STATEWIDE — PRESIDENT BIDEN AND FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP easily won their respective primaries in New York on Tuesday night, reports Crain’s New York Business, as no major competitors remain in the race in either party, voters evidently saw little reason to turn up to the polls, with under 500,000 votes counted in both races statewide. While pro-Palestinian activists organized a campaign encouraging voters to leave ballots blank as an indicator of disagreement with Biden’s Gaza policy, New York does not release blank ballot counts on election night, meaning that the success of the campaign will not be clear until the release of the formal vote certification several weeks from now.

Trump received 81% of the total Republican primary vote, according to the state’s unofficial count, trailed by Nikki Haley, who has dropped out of the race, at 12%, while Biden received 91% of the total Democratic primary vote.

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PARKER CALLS FOR STATE AUDIT OF SUNY DOWNSTATE HOSPITAL

EAST FLATBUSH — STATE SEN. KEVIN PARKER HAS CALLED on state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to undertake a detailed audit of SUNY Downstate Hospital’s finances and operations in the face of “the grim potential of arbitrary layoffs,” he said in a release Wednesday. Parker (D-East Flatbush, Midwood) said intervention by the state’s financial watchdog “will ensure transparency, accountability and most important, the preservation of essential healthcare services for the community.” The state announced in January that it plans to reorganize and shrink SUNY Downstate due to a $100 million deficit and a deteriorating building.

SUNY also shut down Long Island College Hospital in 2014 with similar claims, although the state admitted in its RFP paperwork when selling LICH that, after acquiring the Cobble Hill hospital, Downstate “did not have the internal resources to conduct billing and collection activities related to the LICH accounts receivable.” Billing companies estimated this financial mismanagement cost LICH more than $100 million.

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3 BROOKLYN CHEFS NOMINATED FOR JAMES BEARD ‘TOP CHEF IN NYS’ AWARD

BOROUGHWIDE — THREE NOTABLE BROOKLYN CHEFS were nominated for “Best Chef” in New York State honors, the James Beard Foundation announced Wednesday during a live ceremony at Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C. The finalists include Nasim Alikhani with Sofreh in Park Slope; Charlie Mitchell with Clover Hill in Brooklyn Heights; and Jeremy Salamon with Agi’s Counter in Crown Heights. In addition, one Manhattan chef was nominated: Atsushi Kono of Kono, located in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. One other New York state chef was nominated: Chris Mauricio of Harana Market, in the upstate town of Accord, which is just northwest of New Paltz.

The top winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 10, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

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MTA DEMANDS NYC MARATHON PAY $750,000 TO USE VERRAZZANO-NARROWS BRIDGE

BOROUGHWIDE — THE MTA HAS DEMANDED $750,000 A YEAR from New York Road Runners for the right to use the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the epic New York City Marathon, The New York Times reported Wednesday. The authority says it needs the money to make up for the toll revenue that the authority loses when it closes the bridge for the 26.2-mile race. MTA has relented somewhat, The Times adds — saying it might allow the 50,000 runners to use just one level instead of two without the kickback. Road Runners said they may have to restrict the number of runners if MTA follows up on its threat. The marathon brings in millions of dollars in tourist revenue to the city.

Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella slammed the transit agency. “We lose $700 million a year to fare and toll evasion. They can find that money in nine hours if they enforce the law,” the New York Post reported.

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ARREST IN DEATH OF BKLYN ARCHITECT RUN DOWN BY MAN DRIVING IN REVERSE

DOWNTOWN — POLICE ARRESTED AND CHARGED A MAN ACCUSED of running down a beloved young architect while driving in reverse on Pacific Street in Crown Heights, and then fleeing the scene. While the incident took place in August 2022, the victim only succumbed to her critical injuries on Dec. 28, 2023. Clossie Spencer, 31, a resident of Crown Heights, was arrested and charged on Wednesday, April 3, in the Downtown Brooklyn area. Police said Mimi Liebenberg, 36, who resided in Stuyvesant Heights, was crossing Pacific Street at Buffalo Avenue at 2:49 p.m. when a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer traveling in reverse eastbound struck her and then took off. Spencer was charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment and failure to exercise due care.

The Brooklyn Studio, where Liebenberg worked, said on its website, “Her loss leaves a void that words cannot adequately express. Mimi was not only an enormously talented architect and artist but also a cherished friend to many fellow architects and furry companions in our office.”

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BARD HS/EARLY COLLEGE OPENING IN BROOKLYN; OPEN HOUSE APRIL 4

BROWNSVILLE — A NEW CAMPUS OF BARD HIGH SCHOOL EARLY COLLEGE will open in Brownsville in September 2024. BHSEC Brooklyn is a public high school where students can earn up to an associate’s degree from Bard College, with 60 transferable college credits, alongside their New York State Regents diploma, entirely tuition free. Bard will prioritize enrollment for students from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods including Brownsville, Ocean Hill, East New York, East Flatbush, Canarsie, New Lots, Bushwick and others.

The deadline to upload the Bard assessment is April 19. Learn more and register for the BHSEC Brooklyn Open House on Thursday, April 4, online.

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BROOKLYN-BASED LATINO/A YOUTH FILM FEST OPENS FOR ENTRIES

BOROUGHWIDE — A YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL which supports the work of young Latino and Latina filmmakers (16-plus years of age) is officially open for entries. The ¡Tú Cuentas! Cinema Youth Fest was launched in 2021 by Brooklyn-based media nonprofit HITN. Young filmmakers are invited to submit short films in English or Spanish. Awards range from $4,000 to $1,000; entries are free until June 4, 2024.

According to recent research by McKinsey, despite Latinos accounting for 24% of film ticket sales, they hold less than 5% of leading on-screen, off-screen and media executive roles.

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HOCHUL: DANGEROUS WINDS, RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY

CITYWIDE — MORE RAIN AND HIGH WINDS ARE FORECAST for New York City through Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul warned late Wednesday. She urged New Yorkers to prepare for hazardous weather, dangerous travel conditions and potential power outages. In NYC and other Downstate areas, 25 to 35 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph are expected, which could blow down trees and power lines and cause widespread power outages. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

Coastal flood warnings and advisories have been issued for New York City and Long Island areas.

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ELECTEDS AIM TO STOP SQUATTERS FROM INVADING, VANDALIZING BUILDINGS

GRAVESEND — THE CRISIS OF SQUATTERS TAKING OVER THE RESIDENCES of legitimate homeowners around southern Brooklyn has prompted a press conference that a bipartisan group of elected officials will lead on Thursday, April 4. Councilmembers Susan Zhuang (D-43), Kalman Yeger (D-44), Inna Vernikov (R-48) and Assemblymember William Colton (D-47) will join together to call for immediate action to end the ability of squatters to break in and take over vacant homes and apartments while the legitimate owners are away. Last November, squatters in Dyker Heights reportedly wreaked havoc on one residential street, stealing property, damaging and stealing security cameras from other homes on the street and eventually causing the home that they had invaded to be destroyed in a fire.

The elected officials blame the rash of squatters specifically on what they assert are “antiquated and flawed housing laws that protect wrongful, unwelcome guests and disregard the very premise of homeownership.”

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FDA APPROVES NEW DRUG TO TREAT CERTAIN STAPH INFECTIONS

NATIONWIDE — A NEW DRUG HAS BEEN APPROVED TO TREAT certain staph infections, the FDA announced on Wednesday, April 3. The FDA has now approved Zevtera (ceftobiprole medocaril sodium for injection) for three different treatments: for adults with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (bacteremia), including those with right-sided infective endocarditis; for adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections; and for pediatric patients three months to less than 18 years old with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Zevtera’s efficacy in treating SAB was evaluated in a randomized, controlled, double-blind, multinational, multicenter trial. In the trial, researchers randomly assigned 390 subjects to receive Zevtera or daptomycin plus optional aztreonam [the comparator]. The primary measure of efficacy for this trial was the overall success (defined as survival, symptom improvement, bloodstream clearance, no new complications and no use of other potentially effective antibiotics).

But patients are warned to avoid using Zevtera if they have a known history of severe hypersensitivity to ceftobiprole or any of this drug’s components, or other members of the cephalosporin antibacterial class.

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CITY CHATBOT ENCOURAGING USERS TO BREAK LAW

CITYWIDE — AN OFFICIAL CITY A.I.-POWERED CHATBOT DESIGNED TO SUPPORT small businesses is providing users with misinformation and in some cases encouraging them to break laws, reports The City. Mayor Adams at a press conference on Tuesday pledged to fix the problems and deliver “the best chatbot system on the globe.” The MyCity chatbot, which launched in October, remains publicly accessible and reportedly continues to offer inconsistent and incorrect answers, although the city has since added a warning label describing it as a “beta product,” advising users that its responses may be inaccurate and not to take them as legal or professional advice.

When tested by The City and investigative partner The Markup, the MyCity bot gave incorrect answers to questions about rent withholding, overtime pay and the minimum wage; it also, when asked, informed The City that its answers could be used as professional business advice, contrary to the posted warnings.

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BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM TO CELEBRATE EID AL-FITR

CROWN HEIGHTS — THE BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IS HOSTING A DAY-LONG FESTIVAL next weekend in celebration of Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, reports the Brooklyn Paper, offering cultural enrichment and tasty treats to kids and families from across the borough. Event highlights include a Sufi-inspired interactive drum circle, live classic Middle Eastern music and dancing, and an Eid puppet show. The event is being co-hosted by Councilmember Shahana Hanif and several Brooklyn cultural institutions; Hanif, the first Muslim woman elected to the council, in a statement said, “I always look forward to engaging with visitors as we explore the diverse traditions of our Muslim neighbors… It’s events like these that truly enrich our city and foster empathy and appreciation.”

The Celebrate Eid al-Fitr festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, tickets are $15, and more information can be found on the museum’s website.

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STORIED DOMINO SUGAR FACTORY SITE HAS NEW LIFE IN REVITALIZED WILLIAMSBURG WATERFRONT

WILLIAMSBURG — THE FORMER DOMINO SUGAR FACTORY HAS BEEN REDEVELOPED, with longtime Brooklyn-based firm Two Trees Management launching sales. Two Trees Management, a family-owned real estate development firm, has begun selling units at One Domino Square, the third ground-up residential skyscraper at the Domino Sugar Factory site along the Williamsburg waterfront. The 39-story mixed-use condominium tower at 8 South 4th St. is designed by celebrated New York architecture firm Selldorf Architects, and includes top-of-the-line amenities, spectacular views of the city, seamless access to Domino Park and the opportunity to live immersed in the vibrant Williamsburg neighborhood. Residents will move in starting in the fall.

One Domino Square is the latest building added to the historic site that originally opened in 1882. Last year, Two Trees opened a Class A office building at Refinery at Domino.