What’s News, Breaking: Monday, April 8, 2024

April 8, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING VOTE OPENS

PARK SLOPE — THIS YEAR’S ROUND OF PARTICIPATORY budgeting voting has opened, according to Councilmember Shahana Hanif, giving New Yorkers the opportunity to direct how discretionary council funds are spent in their district. Projects up for vote generally focus on community improvement efforts, such as garden and parks beautification, free arts and STEM classes and lessons, schools maintenance and cultural programs, among many more; each district has $1.5 million to spend on projects, and all district residents ages 11 and up can vote for up to three options.

Vote until April 14 for your favorites online at pbnyc.org; the site will help you identify your council district if you do not know it already.

Councilmember Hanif leads volunteers in presenting projects at a recent District 39 participatory budgeting information session.

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PUBLIC SCHOOL GYM CLOSED AFTER EARTHQUAKE

EAST NEW YORK — THE GYM OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING that houses J.H.S. 218 James P. Sinnott and the School for Classics High School has been closed after its walls cracked during last week’s earthquake, reports Gothamist; the rest of the school building will remain open after being deemed safe by the Department of Buildings. DoB inspectors said that the risk came from the possibility that loose bricks could fall from the wall cracks; a spokesperson for the Department of Education said that repairs would be completed soon, and that parents would be kept updated

Friday’s earthquake originated in New Jersey, and caused minor building damage throughout the tristate area; aftershocks are likely through this week.

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WOMAN STRUCK STROLLER IN HATE CRIME

BAY RIDGE — THE NYPD’S HATE CRIMES TASK FORCE IS SEARCHING FOR A WOMAN in her late 30s who on the afternoon of Monday, March 25, confronted a young couple on Bay 28th and 86th streets after they inadvertently bumped her with their stroller; the woman then made anti-ethnic remarks towards the victims and pushed the stroller before fleeing south on 86th Street. The suspect is described as having a light complexion and was last seen wearing black clothing and carrying a black backpack.

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 via the Crime Stoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

The woman was suspected of pushing a couple’s stroller last month.

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REP. MALLIOTAKIS JOINS NEIGHBORHOOD FIGHT
AGAINST PROPOSED HOMELESS SHELTER

BENSONHURST/GRAVESEND — THE CITY MUST REPEAL ZONING LAWS THAT HAVE ALLOWED hotels to be turned into shelters as of right, assert Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-11) and concerned members of the Brooklyn community, who on Monday, April 8, held a press conference outside a proposed hotel shelter site at 2501 86th St., that would provide temporary housing for 150 homeless men, including those with mental health challenges, in proximity to six different schools in the neighborhood. The coalition also urges the city to abide by New York State law that requires a public hearing before a shelter is sited and implement a minimum residency requirement of two or more years, so that people aren’t incentivized to move to New York City for the sole reason of obtaining free shelter at what Rep. Malliotakis says would be at the taxpayers’ expense.

Another elected official, Assemblymember William Colton (D-47), who represents the same neighborhoods at the state level, has also organized heavily-attended rallies to fight the shelter, after successfully scuttling plans for a Kings Highway shelter in recent years.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-11) at the podium, leads community leaders in a rally to block a proposed men’s shelter that she claims would be built at taxpayers’ expense.
Photo courtesy of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis

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GOLDMAN TOUTS BROOKLYN AS FUTURE CAPITAL OF U.S. OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY

SUNSET PARK — REP. DAN GOLDMAN (NY-10) SAID ON MONDAY THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN’S historic investment in renewable energy is showing tangible results in Brooklyn, on a walkthrough of a massive offshore wind project site in Sunset Park that will power 500,000 homes and businesses. When completed, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal will connect energy generated by Empire Wind 1’s wind farm directly to the New York City power grid. The facility will be the largest port dedicated to offshore wind staging, operations and maintenance in the United States.

This project was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congressional Democrats and championed by President Biden in 2022, Goldman pointed out. In an interview in Politico, Goldman said he would be “shocked” if a new administration would roll back the investment, “Especially when my Republican colleagues like to talk so much about energy independence.”

Rendering of the planned South Brooklyn Marine Terminal wind project site.
Photo: Office of Rep. Dan Goldman

Rep. Dan Goldman on Friday’s walkthrough of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
Photo: Office of Rep. Dan Goldman

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BROOKLYN MUSEUM’S FIRST COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE
WILL BRIDGE FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM HAS WELCOMED NEW YORK–BASED CLASSICAL CELLIST Niles Luther as its first-ever Composer In Residence, as part of the iconic institution’s commitment to transformative artistic encounters. During his residency, through a fellowship from the Ford Foundation, Luther will bring his unique artistic vision to enhance the Museum’s cultural programming by composing original scores, called Art Music, that draw their inspiration from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection and exhibitions. Luther builds upon his long-standing relationship with the Museum, having performed at the opening reception of Kehinde Wiley’s 2015 retrospective A New Republic and at the Black History Month-themed First Saturday in February 2020.

As the Museum’s first Composer in Residence, Luther is breaking ground in both the music and art worlds.

NYC-based cellist Niles Luther.
Photo courtesy Brooklyn Museum

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DIETARY SUPPLEMENT COMPANY SEEKS TO BLOCK
NEW LAW THAT RESTRICTS SALES TO MINORS

STATEWIDE — AN ADVOCACY GROUP FOR NATURAL FOOD AND SUPPLEMENT PROJECTS is racing the clock to prevent a new law from taking effect in New York State on April 22, having sent a letter to federal Judge Joan Azrack in the Eastern District of New York asking for a preliminary injunction, reports William Reed Media, which services the food and beverage industry. The Natural Products Association (NPA) is planning to file a motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement of a law that Governor Kathy Hochul signed last October and which becomes effective in two weeks, that will restrict access to certain dietary supplements, particularly those produced by NutraIngredients-USA, for people under the age of 18. The legislation named examples: creatine, green tea extract, raspberry ketone, Garcinia cambogia and green coffee bean extract.

The NPA’s letter to Judge Azrack requested a Pre-Motion Conference to discuss a Preliminary Injunction to prevent NY Attorney General Letitia James from enforcing a law restricting the sale of these products to minors. The group is criticizing the bill’s vague language.

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IT’S PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING VOTE WEEK — FUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!

BOROUGHWIDE — MANY BROOKLYNITES CAN VOTE THIS WEEK on how to spend a million dollars or more in capital funds in their own Council Districts. Twenty-four districts are participating this year, with eight in Brooklyn. Projects range from renovating the ghastly school bathrooms at P.S. 287; to installing new playground equipment in parks including Cobble Hill Park, Columbia Street Park or Prospect Park; electric charging stations on Grant Avenue; or repaving the bike path around Brooklyn College. Voting is open to anyone age 11 or older who lives, goes to school or works in a participating district, regardless of immigration status.

Visit the PBNYC website to see projects and learn how to vote online, or contact your local Council Member’s office to find out how to vote in person.

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MTA BUYS EARLY MOTOR CAR SERVICE BUILDING IN BKLYN FOR $25.3M

CROWN HEIGHTS — MTA HAS PURCHASED A REPAIR SHOP in Crown Heights that dates back to 1926 along what was known at the time as Brooklyn’s “Automobile Row,” the Commercial Observer reports. The agency has leased the building for a quarter century and decided to keep it. MTA paid President Maintenance, associated with Joseph Taormina, $25.3 million for the 57,000-square-foot property at 1590 Bedford Ave., across from the Bedford Armory, Commercial Observer said.

Original owner Guy Simons, a Chrysler motor car dealer, took out a full-page ad in the Brooklyn Eagle on Sunday, Sept. 12, 1926, to announce the building’s grand opening, Brownstoner reports.

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PIMP WHO TORTURED, MURDERED WOMEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN BROOKLYN COURT

DOWNTOWN — A MAN WHO TORTURED, RAPED, DISFIGURED AND MURDERED HIS VICTIMS while forcing them into prostitution was sentenced to 10 terms of life imprisonment, to run concurrently, in federal court in Downtown Brooklyn on Friday. Somorie Moses, aka “Sugar Bear,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon. Moses threatened to throw one victim off a roof, raped her, bit off a piece of her buttocks and spit it at her. He slashed another victim’s arms and back with a razor and beat her with a belt before pouring lemon juice on her wounds, leaving her with extensive scarring. He murdered and dismembered another victim, Leondra Foster.

“The life sentence imposed today on Somorie Moses is significant because it reflects the brutality and utter depravity of his crimes against vulnerable women and girls, which were committed over nearly two decades,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

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FUNDING WILL UNDERWRITE TECH ASSISTANCE ON PROJECTS TO UPGRADE NY’S ELECTRIC GRID

ALBANY — TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING TOTALING $3.5 MILLION is being made available to support the development of electric grid modernization project proposals through New York State’s Grid Modernization Program, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday morning, April 5 (before the earthquake began). This funding will support interested municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives in developing proposals that advance the reliability of grid infrastructure and access to affordable clean energy. This announcement also represents the pre-development step to help municipal electric utilities and rural cooperatives plan for an upcoming $24 million funding opportunity (available this summer) made possible through a U.S. Department of Energy award to New York State last fall. This funding will be administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) over two years through a competitive solicitation process to select grid modernization projects.

NYSERDA will host an informational webinar on April 12 from 2-3 p.m. for those interested in learning more about the technical assistance funding opportunity.

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TWO COLLEGES IN BROOKLYN GET GRANTS FOR EDUCATION WORKFORCE TRAINING

FLATBUSH AND CROWN HEIGHTS — TWO CUNY-SYSTEM COLLEGES IN BROOKLYN HAVE BEEN AWARDED grants as part of $13.7 million to support education workforce training programs at colleges and universities in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday. The programs expand or develop new education workforce programs across the State University of NY and City University of NY campuses, and at independent colleges and universities, as part of the Education Workforce Investment. Through the Alternative Teacher Certification Program and the Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program, New York State will expand opportunities for students interested in becoming educators. Brooklyn College received one of the eight grants totaling $9.5 million awarded under the Alternative Teacher Certification Program. CUNY’s Medgar Evers College was awarded one of four grants that total $4.2 million under the Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program.

The Alternative Teacher Certification Program is a pathway geared to reduce time and cost barriers for prospective teachers. The Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program is for teaching assistants and paraprofessionals who are already an essential part of the teacher pipeline given their prior classroom experience and strong connections to their communities.

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NEW CONNECTALL PLAN AIMS TO WIDEN DIGITAL ACCESS AND LITERACY

STATEWIDE — A NEW PLAN UNVEILS $50 MILLION CONNECTALL DIGITAL EQUITY PLAN that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday, April 5, aims to close New York’s digital divide. The plan outlines New York’s statewide strategy to increase its capacity to improve digital literacy and digital job readiness skills, facilitate access to affordable internet and devices, enhance digital privacy and safety, and make government services more accessible through the internet. The plan establishes a vision and comprehensive framework to guide the state’s digital equity strategy and will anchor all of ConnectALL’s programs, including building digital skills and literacies, enhancing privacy and safety, increasing access to devices, and improving the accessibility of government services for New Yorkers.

The plan also includes regional snapshots and a searchable statewide inventory of nearly 1,000 programs and organizations working to address the barriers to broadband adoption.

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BILL WOULD HELP HOMEOWNERS TRYING TO CHALLENGE HIGH WATER USAGE FEES

CITYWIDE — NEW YORK CITY HOMEOWNERS WHO WANT TO CHALLENGE the amounts they are being billed for water usage and sewer fees may soon have some relief, thanks to legislation sponsored by Assemblymember William Colton (D-47/Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights). The legislation (A1374), which is currently being reviewed by a New York State Assembly committee, would extend the amount of time a homeowner has to file a challenge to a sewer or water bill from four to a minimum of six years. The challenge period would commence on the bill date. The Senate version of the bill, indexed as S5603, passed the Senate in 2023.

One issue that has come into play is the shift from billing based on the frontage of a property to billing based on meter readings, explained Assemblyman Colton. Moreover, confusion exists around the Water Board’s leak forgiveness policy. Homeowners hit with high bills caused by a leak may have recourse to deal with the increased cost.

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FDA APPROVES EMERGENCY RAPID TEST TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN FLU AND COVID VIRUSES

NATIONWIDE — THE FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION ON FRIDAY, APRIL 5 ISSUED an emergency use authorization for CorDx, Inc.’s CorDx TyFast Flu A/B & COVID-19 At Home Multiplex Rapid Test, a single-use test intended to detect and differentiate influenza A and B (commonly known as flu) and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). The Rapid Test is for individuals exhibiting signs and symptoms of respiratory infection consistent with COVID-19 within the first five days of symptom onset, when tested at least twice over three days with at least 48 hours between tests. The test can be used for people age 14 years or older with a self-collected nasal swab specimen and children from 2 years or older when an adult collects the nasal swab specimens.

Validation data to support the EUA of this test was gathered through the National Institutes of Health’s Independent Test Assessment Program (established as a collaboration between the FDA and the NIH.

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LAWMAKERS PLEDGE TO FIGHT HOME SQUATTING THROUGH BILLS, ADVOCACY

GRAVESEND AND BENSONHURST — A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF LAWMAKERS REPRESENTING BROOKLYN’S SOUTHERN NEIGHBORHOODS GATHERED ON THURSDAY, APRIL 4 TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF SQUATTERS, those who break into properties owned by other people, often vandalizing these residences. City Councilmember Susan Zhuang hosted the press conference in front of her district office on Stillwell Avenue. Joining her were Councilmembers Inna Vernikov and Kalman Yeger, a representative of State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a representative of Assemblymember William Colton, neighbors and nearby residents of 1241 67th St. They advocated for many of the homeowners who are most impacted but who live paycheck to paycheck in order to pay their mortgages, many of whom lack both means and experience to fight these battles in court. Councilmember Zhuang announced at Thursday’s press conference that she will introduce a bill requiring the city to keeps records of squatting complaints. Currently, no such records are collected.

In one now prominent case, squatters caused a fire at 1241 67th St. That homeowner’s neighbors attended the meeting.