What’s News, Breaking: Tuesday, April 23, 2024

April 23, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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BOERUM HILL MAN GETS LIFE SENTENCE
WITHOUT PAROLE IN ARMED ROBBERY CASE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A BOERUM HILL MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED to life in prison without parole in the fatal shooting of a man in East Williamsburg in July 2021. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Eugene Guarino sentenced the defendant, whom District Attorney Eric Gonzalez identified as Ramel Chapman, 32. The defendant was convicted in February in a jury trial of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of first-degree robbery and three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in an armed robbery spree in which he fatally shot one man and wounded another.

The victim who was fatally shot was identified as Sean Robinson, 33, of Stamford, Connecticut. He was the father of three and was engaged to be married.

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G’POINT APT COMPLEX ON SUPERFUND SITE TO GO AHEAD, KEEPING TOXIC SOIL

GREENPOINT — DEVELOPMENT WORK ON THE NUHART WEST apartments in Greenpoint is set to continue despite the presence of industrially contaminated soil beneath their recently poured foundations, reports Gothamist. The toxic dirt beneath the planned eight-story complex will instead be mixed with concrete on-site and used to form large blocks, which will be left under the foundations. Removal of the contaminated soil began four years ago, but developers earlier this year discovered that the affected area extended deeper than previously believed, raising concerns that complete removal could risk the building’s future stability; while the practice of locking toxic soil into concrete was approved by state regulators and has been used at other former industrial sites around the city, Greenpoint locals were cautious about the plan: “It’s disappointing that the cleanup isn’t going to be to the same level that it was originally proposed, but, hopefully, this new method is protective of public health,” Lael Goodman of North Brooklyn Neighbors told Gothamist.

The complex is being constructed on the location of the former NuHart Plastic factory, which was declared a state Superfund site in 2010 due to high concentrations of phthalates and cancer-causing trichloroethylene suffusing the soil and groundwater.

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PEOPLE’S BALL CELEBRATES FASHION AT LIBRARY

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL HOST ITS ANNUAL “People’s Ball” party next month, offering a community-focused counterpoint to the Met Gala where Brooklynites of all stripes are invited to strut along the catwalk and pose in the Central Branch’s lobby at Grand Army Plaza, and dance the night away. The Ball’s principle is that “the pinnacle of fashion is found in the everyday New Yorker.” The event will be co-curated by creator Souleo and co-hosted by actress Delissa Reynolds and stylist Robert Verdi, with performances by drag icon Kevin Aviance and DJ Spinna, as well as a tribute to style photographer Bill Cunningham.

The People’s Ball will take place on Sunday, May 5, starting at 7 p.m.; entrance is free, but admission is limited, and online RSVPs are encouraged by the Library.

Scenes from last year’s People’s Ball at the Brooklyn Public Library.
Photo courtesy of BPL

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‘A BIG, SLOW, MAJESTIC COVID MEMORIAL’ IS COMING TO GREEN-WOOD

GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY — “A BIG, SLOW, MAJESTIC COVID MEMORIAL” in memory of those lost to the COVID-19 pandemic will be on view at The Green-Wood Cemetery from May 3 through June 3, with an activation and livestreamed dedication ceremony on May 19. Composed of tributes from 22 community groups, “A Big, Slow, Majestic Covid Memorial” will hold a prominent place along Green-Wood’s historic wrought-iron fence, near the main entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. The public is encouraged to add their own nameplates to the memorial, sponsored by NAMING THE LOST Memorials, City Lore and others, with a grant from the Mellon Foundation.

Four years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, nearly 1.2 million people across the country, including an estimated 83,000 in New York City, have lost their lives to the virus. See the Green-Wood website for full information.

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BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY PODCAST NOMINATED FOR PEABODY AWARD

BOROUGHWIDE — BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY’S ten-series podcast, “Borrowed and Banned,” has been nominated for a Peabody Award in the podcast/radio category, the library announced Tuesday. “Borrowed and Banned” talks with the students, librarians and teachers who are endangered when they speak up about censorship and banned books, and the writers whose books have become a political battleground. The series includes bonus interviews with three most frequently banned living writers last year: Mike Curato, George M. Johnson and Maia Kobabe. The podcast was written and produced by Virginia Marshall, BPL’s senior audio producer, with help from librarians Adwoa Adusei and Ali Post. BPL is one of 68 finalists, chosen from more than 1,100 entries.

“We are thrilled to be nominated and, more importantly, to shine a light on those who dare to champion free expression, intellectual freedom and the right to read,” Linda Johnson, BPL’s president and CEO, said in a statement. Winners will be announced on May 9.

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MAN WHO STOLE $100K FROM GARGIULO’S RESTAURANT SENTENCED UP TO 8 YEARS

CONEY ISLAND — A BROOKLYN MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED to up to eight years after breaking into Gargiulo’s Restaurant in Coney Island and stealing $100,000 from a safe in June 2022, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Tuesday. Video surveillance captured Luis Mercado, 34, and an unnamed accomplice breaking into the building. Mercado jumped bail, but was rearrested after an alleged break-in on the Lower East Side. He pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and second-degree bail jumping in March and was sentenced Tuesday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Joanne Quinones.

“Beyond breaking into Gargiulo’s, a beloved Coney Island landmark for more than a century, this defendant is a serial burglar who has shown that he will continue to commit crimes if he remains at large, necessitating today’s prison sentence,” Gonzalez said in a statement.

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BROOKLYN OFFICIALS APPLAUD LAUNCH OF ‘AMERICAN CLIMATE CORPS’

NATIONWIDE — PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN LAUNCHED THE AMERICAN CLIMATE CORPS on Earth Day, nearly a century after the launch of FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps. The program — praised by officials across the country including Brooklyn officials Rep. Nydia Velaquez (NY-07), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) — is a workforce training and service initiative that will put 20,000 young Americans to work fighting the impacts of climate change while training them for clean energy and climate-resilience employment.

“This is wonderful Earth Day news! Americans can now apply to join the American Climate Corps,” Velazquez said on Twitter. New York opportunities listed so far include working in The Adirondack Corps; in the Campus Climate Action Corps; and in the Green City Force in New York City.

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MISSING BOY IN OCEAN HILL

OCEAN HILL — POLICE ARE URGENTLY SEARCHING FOR MISSING boy Cashmere Jones, age 13, who was last seen on the morning of Saturday, April 20, leaving his residence on Hull Street, near the Rockaway Avenue C train station. Cashmere is described as Black, 5’1” and approximately 110 pounds, with black hair, and was last seen wearing a black jacket and black pants.

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 on the CrimeStoppers website, or X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

Missing boy Cashmere Jones, age 13. All calls are strictly confidential.

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PROSPECT PARK SPRING BREAK CELEBRATION

PARK SLOPE — THE PROSPECT PARK ALLIANCE IS HOSTING a family-friendly Spring Break celebration this week, offering free lessons for kids and families from naturalists about the park’s ecosystem, as well as rides on the park’s historic carousel for $3. The Audubon Center will host sessions on native plant seed production, animal encounters, and opportunities to plant your own seeds. Alliance naturalists will also lead nature walks to nearby wild areas.

The Alliance’s activities will take place daily through Tuesday, April 30, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Audubon Center, while the carousel is open from noon to 5 p.m. Information about lesson times can be found on the Alliance’s website.

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MISSING MAN IN GRAVESEND

GRAVESEND — POLICE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR HELP IN locating missing man Michael Montone, age 50, who was last seen on the night of Wednesday, April 3, leaving his residence on Avenue W, near Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church. Montone is described as a White male, approximately 6’0″ and 185 pounds, and was last seen wearing a Yankees baseball cap, a dark-colored shirt, dark-colored shorts, and black Converse sneakers.

Missing Gravesend man Michael Montone. All calls are strictly confidential.

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FORT GREENE PARK EARTH DAY

FORT GREENE — FORT GREENE PARK IS WRAPPING UP EARTH WEEK on Saturday with a day-long celebration of Mother Nature, offering a flower-themed storytime, nature walks, park planting opportunities and more. The festival will also host heaps of different eco-friendly craft workshops for all ages, including clothes-mending lessons, recycled instrument-making, bandana printing, a “seed bombs” workshop, plant fossil crafts, nutritional herb bundling, and plant swaps; UrbanGlass will help lead the creation of a community Earth Day mosaic, which will be displayed in the park afterward.

Fort Greene Park’s Earth Day festival will take place on Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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LAWSUITS DRAG ON OVER SUNY’S BUNGLED SALE OF LICH TO FORTIS

COBBLE HILL — A JUDGE IN ALBANY TOSSED OUT — FOR NOW — THE STATE’S CLAIM that developer Fortis Property Group must immediately pay $8 million to SUNY as part of the controversial $240 million deal cut in 2014 to redevelop the former Long Island College Hospital (LICH) in Cobble Hill, Crain’s New York reports. Judge Richard Platkin of Albany’s Court of Claims on April 5 denied a motion for summary judgment, which would settle the case and make Fortis pay off a SUNY entity that entered into its sale agreement with Fortis and NYU Hospitals Center (now NYU Langone Hospitals) effective June 30, 2014. Fortis is also suing NYU for delays in building the medical center at the site.

While the first closing on the 16-acre parcel took place, Fortis claims that the guarantee of payment for a second (disputed) closing never included the required signatures of the state comptroller or attorney general. “They got signatures afterward — we said it’s too late,” said Fortis’ attorney, George Carpinello, according to Crain’s.

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GOLDMAN INTROS BILL TO MAKE HOMELAND SECURITY’S CLIMATE COUNCIL PERMANENT

NATIONWIDE — REP. DAN GOLDMAN (NY-10) INTRODUCED A BILL ON EARTH DAY, April 22, to permanently authorize the Department of Homeland Security’s “Climate Coordinating Council.” The Council, originally established by the Biden administration, is tasked with analyzing the impact of climate change and making recommendations on how to mitigate its impacts on DHS programs. In a release, Goldman cited the increase in extreme storms and wildfires as risks that will exacerbate inequities, strain critical infrastructure and decrease housing security. The next decade will also see an increase in severe heat, flooding, reduction in crop yields, deteriorating infrastructure, increasing migration and increasing potential for violent conflicts driven by water availability.

Introducing the bill with Goldman were Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), and Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02).

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EPA TO FINALLY FIX POISONOUS PLUMES IN GREENPOINT & E. WILLIAMSBURG

GREENPOINT/EAST WILLIAMSBURG — FEDERAL EPA OFFICIALS SAID THEY WILL SPEND a million dollars on a five-year plan to measure and mitigate poisonous vapors that may have “potentially impacted” more than 1,000 Brooklyn properties in East Williamsburg and Greenpoint for decades, Gothamist reports. The Meeker Avenue plume, which was first discovered in 2005, spans about 45 blocks and is the result of toxic chemicals left by local dry cleaners, foundries and metalworking shops.

“The state has known that there is a potential threat for nearly 20 years, but the people who are being exposed haven’t known what their exposure might be,“ said Willis Elkins, executive director of the Newtown Creek Alliance.

The Meeker Avenue plume site to the left is outlined in orange. Newtown Creek, also encircled in orange, is another Superfund site.
Map: EPA

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LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST FOCUSES ON REVERSING INEQUITABLE MATERNAL CARE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — RACIAL DISPARITIES IN MATERNAL CARE is the focus of The Brooklyn Hospital Center’s Annual Legislative Breakfast on Wednesday, April 24, with elected officials, hospital and community leaders taking part. Errol I. Byer, Jr., The Brooklyn Hospital Center’s Chair of OB/GYN, will give the presentation on understanding and reversing these disparities.

Since 1845, The Brooklyn Hospital Center has been dedicated to providing outstanding health services, education and research to keep the people of Brooklyn and greater New York healthy.

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NEW VISION FOR GRAND ARMY PLAZA

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — NYC DOT AND COMMUNITY BOARDS 6, 8 and 9 hosted a Public Realm meeting on April 15 to explore options for redesigning the historic Grand Army Plaza. The goals include creating a “world class public space;” improving pedestrian connections; supporting Open Streets and Bike Boulevard on Vanderbilt and Underhill avenues; improving bicycle connections; speeding up buses; and simplifying traffic and vehicular access. A construction timeline will be announced this winter.

The presentation can be seen online.

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EXPECT PERIODIC LANE CLOSURES THIS WEEK ON WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE

WILLIAMSBURG — MOTORISTS, CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS using the Williamsburg Bridge are advised to consider alternate routes and allow extra travel this coming week, due to planned work. Intermittent single-lane closures, including of the bike lane and walkway, on the Williamsburg Bridge will occur in both directions between Brooklyn and Manhattan. The closures will take place from Monday, April 22, to Monday, April 29. The NYC DOT’s website states that the rehabilitation project focuses on structural steel repairs and other miscellaneous rehabilitation, with an expected completion in Spring 2026. The project scope involves a seismic retrofit of the main bridge (side spans), rehabilitation of intermediate towers and partial pavement repairs and anchorage joint replacement.

The Williamsburg Bridge, which marked the 120th anniversary of its opening on Dec. 31, 2023, was primarily the work of Chief Engineer L. L. Buck, with the bridge’s structural design incorporating ideas from several leading bridge engineers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ website.

The Williamsburg Bridge is pictured during July 1903 construction before its grand opening on New Year’s Eve that year. The now 120-year-old bridge is getting some much-needed rehabilitation to its side spans, towers, anchorage and pavement.
Photo courtesy Municipal Archives, City of New York

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SNUCK UP BEHIND SENIOR AND STRUCK HIM ON THE HEAD

EAST NEW YORK — AN UNIDENTIFIED MALE SNUCK UP ON A 74-YEAR-OLD MAN from behind and struck him on the back of the head with an unknown object, and then fled the scene, police said. The attack took place on Sunday, April 14, at roughly 3:34 p.m., in the vicinity of Ashford Street and Sutter Avenue. The victim was transported by EMS to Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in stable condition.

The suspect is described as 25 to 30 years old, dark complexion, 5’ 9” inches tall, 180 pounds, slim build and dreads. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, red t-shirt, black pants and white and black colored sneakers. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or visit Crime Stoppers online.

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YACHT PARTY TURNS VIOLENT NEAR BROOKLYN ARMY TERMINAL

SUNSET PARK — A FIGHT THAT BROKE OUT on a party yacht docked at Pier 4 near the Brooklyn Army Terminal on Saturday evening led to three hospitalizations, reports 1010 WINS. Two men aboard the Cornucopia Majesty, ages 32 and 40, were stabbed in the torso. A third man, age 28, sustained head injuries when he was bashed with a bottle. Police responding to the 911 call in Sunset Park near 58th St. encountered a fight that had already turned violent. One Brooklyn partygoer, Kevaun Whitely, told the New York Times that the fight had started when a bunch of intoxicated people had attempted to disembark all at once through a single exit. The yacht’s thousand passengers were evacuated. All three of the assaulted men were taken to NYU Langone Hospital, also in Sunset Park.

The Cornucopia Majesty is described as a party cruise yacht with a 1,200-person capacity, according to both the website Manhattan Yacht Charters and a New York Times article published Saturday night.

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FDNY: EASTER DAY CHURCH FIRE WAS ACCIDENTAL

WILLIAMSBURG — A FIRE THAT DAMAGED part of a Williamsburg church on Easter Sunday has been officially deemed accidental, according to the FDNY and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. FDNY investigators determined that the fire at Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii was caused by a hot object and hot embers. There were no fatalities and a closed door prevented the fire from spreading into the church’s sanctuary. However, the blaze destroyed the parish center and the priests’ residence. Diocesan Bishop Robert J. Brennan said that the Diocese of Brooklyn plans to work with the FDNY to review fire safety and prevention measures, and emphasized the safety of attendees is their priority.

The Sunday following the fire, Bishop Brennan led Mass for the parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii at their aligned parish, All Saints Church, where he asked for a round of applause to show the parish’s appreciation for the FDNY and law enforcement personnel who responded.

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CONGENITAL SYPHILIS RISES TO RECORD LEVELS IN NYC

CITYWIDE — THE RATE OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS, a preventable infectious disease that can have devastating effects on newborns, has risen to record levels in New York City, Crain’s New York reported, relying on data in the NYC Department of Health’s preliminary mayor’s management report. There was a 133% increase in cases between the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years. Elizabeth Finley, a spokeswoman for the National Coalition of STD Directors, told Crain’s that the increase represents a sign of “a much bigger problem” with the public health system.

NYC DOH had a 23% vacancy rate in the department that handles sexually transmitted infection testing during the first few months of the 2024 fiscal year, according to Crain’s.

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ADAMS GRANTED MAYORAL CONTROL OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR TWO MORE YEARS

CITYWIDE — THE STATE LEGISLATURE GRANTED Mayor Eric Adams continued oversight of the city’s public schools for two more years, New York Focus reports. Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul had pushed for four more years. A 296-page report commissioned by the State Department of Education was ambivalent as to whether it would be helpful to keep the Bloomberg-era system.

Adams said the study ignored the progress city schools have made on standardized tests compared to other NYS cities, Chalkbeat reported.

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CELL PHONE-LINKED PARKING METERS START ROLL OUT IN MAY

CITYWIDE — NEW CELL PHONE-LINKED PARKING METERS will make short-term parking easier and more efficient, Mayor Eric Adams told interviewer JR Giddings on GMGT Live’s ‘The Reset Talk Show’ on Friday. Instead of placing a paper receipt from a meter on their dashboard, “All the driver will have to do is enter their license plate number via the ParkNYC app or a parking kiosk,” Adams said. Using the app, the drivers can feed the meter from their smartphone while on the go.

The program will impact 80,000 metered parking spaces in NYC starting in May in northern Manhattan, and meters citywide will be upgraded over the next few years, Adams said.

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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SWITCHES TO REMOTE CLASSES FOLLOWING VEHEMENT CAMPUS PROTESTS

MANHATTAN AND CITYWIDE — COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY students residing off the Ivy-League institution’s Upper-Manhattan campus are attending class remotely, after the announcement early Monday in the wake of vehement protests against the Israeli government that left Jewish students and faculty feeling unsafe. The New York Times and other media quoted Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, in her letter to the community, “We need a reset,” to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps.” She urged students who do not live on campus not to travel there. The campus has been embroiled in protests since last week, with pro-Palestinian students — as well as some allies unrelated to the university — setting up an encampment and calling for a ceasefire and “end to the genocide” in Gaza. Some students believed that the protesters were calling for the genocide of Jews, based on a number of the more vehemently phrased placards supporting an intifada.

The switch to full remote comes in the hours leading up to Passover — a major Jewish festival commemorating the exodus of Israelite slaves from Egypt.

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KEY FINDINGS FROM CITY’S STORM RESPONSE WILL BE SHARED AT PRESS CONFERENCE

PIER 15 AND CITYWIDE — THE KEY FINDINGS of an investigation into New York City’s Storm Response & Preparedness will be the topic of a press conference that NYC Comptroller Brad Lander is holding Monday morning, April 22. Comptroller Brad Lander will also share the recommendations from his office’s investigation into the City’s response to and preparedness for extreme weather. He launched the investigation after the city experienced flooding from 8.65 inches of total rainfall on Sept. 29, 2023, as a result of Tropical Storm Ophelia. The storm resulted in major closures and disruptions to subways, highways and emergency services, particularly in Brooklyn.

“Floods were reported from Gowanus to Williamsburg, from Park Slope to East New York. Prospect Park Lake overflowed, inundating the surrounding neighborhoods and flooding basements,” according to Brooklyn Eagle reporter Raanan Geberer.

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IN MEMORIAM: TERRY ANDERSON, AP JOURNALIST WHO BECAME LONGEST-HELD HOSTAGE, DIES AT 76

GREENWOOD LAKE, NY — TERRY ANDERSON, the international Associated Press correspondent who became one of America’s longest-held hostages after he was kidnapped in Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years, has died at 76, that news agency reported on Sunday, April 21. Anderson was one of several Westerners abducted by members of the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah during a time of war that had plunged Lebanon into chaos. He remained in captivity for almost seven years, from March 16, 1985, until Dec. 4, 1991. During his captivity, he suffered beatings, death threats at gunpoint and solitary confinement.

Anderson was the longest-held of several Western hostages Hezbollah abducted over the years, including Terry Waite, the former envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had arrived to try to negotiate Anderson’s release. After his release, he returned to a hero’s welcome at AP’s New York headquarters.

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STATE’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET $36B IN HISTORIC FUNDING LEVEL

STATEWIDE — NEARLY $36 BILLION in Total School Aid for the next academic year is being allocated to New York state’s public schools, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Monday, April 22. Considered the highest level of school funding in State history, this money is part of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and will be in place for the 2024-2025 school year for preschool through grade 12. Gov. Hochul also signed her ‘Back to Basics’ legislation to improve literacy education. The reading plan ensures every school district utilizes instructional best practices grounded in the science of reading to improve reading proficiency among New York’s children. The State Education Department will, by Jan. 1, 2025, provide instructional best practices to school districts in the teaching of reading to students in prekindergarten through grade three.

The Budget also extends mayoral control of New York City schools for two years and commissions a study to examine the Foundation Aid formula to ensure the long-term fiscal sustainability of education funding.