Brooklyn Officials Say Cops Will Catch Up with 2 Hit and Run Drivers

The stretch of Franklin Ave. where 27-year old Neftaly Ramirez was run down in a hit-and-run. Photo by MK Metz

 Brooklyn Councilmembers Ydanis Rodriguez, Stephen Levin and Mark Treyger called for two hit-and-run drivers to turn themselves in while they still can.

Last weekend, 18-year old Alejandro Tello was killed by a driver in a white BMW SUV as he rode across the street on his skateboard in Gravesend.  27-year old Neftaly Ramirez was riding his bike when he was struck by what is believed to be a green private garbage truck.

Police are close to tracing the vehicles, officials said. At a press conference on Tuesday, as reported in the Brooklyn Eagle, Levin noted that there are "numerous businesses" along the Franklin Avenue stretch in Greenpoint. "There's no doubt in my mind that we will be able to see video evidence that will show what [garbage] company it was and some ID on that truck. "  

UPDATE: Police tracked the car down not too far from the scene of the fatal Gravesend crash, but they're still investigating who the driver was at the time of the fatal crash, DNA reports. Meanwhile,  the garbage truck in Greenpoint crash belongs to Action Carting and has New Jersey plates, police said.

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Greenpoint Open Studios 2017 this Weekend

 This weekend, 400+ local artists will open up their studios to the public for Greenpoint Open Studios 2017. Media include paintings, sculptures, film, photography, weaving/textiles, ceramics and more.
  
EVENT: Saturday June 3rd + Sunday June 4th, 2017 from 12pm-6pm.

The launch party takes place on Friday, June 2, from 7:30pm to 11:30pm at Java Studios. Other associated events here.

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Heavy Security in NYC Since Manchester; Fleet Week 2017; Political Concerns; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Surveillance VIDEO captures the moment a SUV jumped the curb in Brooklyn missing multiple children playing on flushing ave pic.twitter.com/gZiFd9xjTB

— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) May 23, 2017

- Following Manchester bombing, NYPD ramps up security. Expect heavy weapons teams, detection dogs and other measures. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Police have arrested a man who allegedly groped a woman on the N train, followed her off of the train and then attempted to rape her. [Gothamist]

- A 1-year-old girl was critically hurt after she was struck by a vehicle on a Greenpoint street. [Daily News] 

- Fleet Week New York kicks off Wednesday a.m. with the Parade of Ships. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- An overloaded power strip was to blame for the May 10 fire at the Brooklyn Criminal Court building that injured several firefighters and others on site. [NY Law Journal]

- Two people were arrested near the Brooklyn College campus Tuesday, after a robbery victim allegedly came back for retaliation. [CBS]

- Brooklyn BP Eric Adams wants to legalize 8 a.m. alcohol sales on Sundays as one of the ways to boost the booming industry. [NY Daily News]

- 24-year-old man was stabbed with a pair of scissors in a Brownsville homeless shelter. [Daily News]

- Ex-C.I.A. chief reveals mounting concern over Trump campaign and Russia. [NYT]

- Chocolate may help prevent irregular heartbeat. [LiveScience]



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East Flatbush Shooting; 250 lbs. of Magic Mushrooms; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Sunshine Laundromat knows what's up. #Greenpoint #brooklyn pic.twitter.com/bXK8WBTVAd

— Zora O'Neill (@zora) December 19, 2016

Meanwhile, at the Sunshine Laundromat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn...

- A 19-year-old man was fatally shot in the back just down the block from his East Flatbush home Sunday afternoon. [Daily News]

- Some Dyker Heights residents say the Christmas lights and crowds are getting to be a bit much.  [SF Chronicle]

- Video has surfaced of two good Samaritans saving a woman who was being attacked in Midwood Sunday evening. [PIX11]

- Authorities seized more than 250 pounds of psychedelic mushrooms during a raid on two homes in Sheepshead Bay. [NY1]

- BMW’s ReachNow service suspended in Brooklyn shortly after launching. [Geekwire]

- Donald Trump appeared poised to sew up his victory Monday despite opposition groups’ efforts to sway the Electoral College. [WSJ]

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Trump Fallout, Greenpoint Christmas Lights, Sharks, and More Brooklyn Briefs

Hate and violence will NEVER be welcome here. If you see harassment call 911. We won’t stand for it. #NotInOurCity https://t.co/8lhVjqWyNH

— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady) November 14, 2016

Male Trump supporter reportedly punched a woman in the face at Bar Tabac in Cobble Hill after he overheard her supporting Clinton. [NY Mag]

- Brooklyn guys kick anti-Semetic Trump supporter off subway in Downtown Brooklyn. [Patch]

- Brooklyn's green cab drivers share their insight about the presidential election. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Councilman Lander is holding a town hall in Park Slope focused on "how we can prepare for the Trump presidency, and get organized to defend the progress we’ve made and the values we hold."[Patch]

 - Major retailers set their sight’s on Brooklyn’s Court Street. [NY Post]

- Greenpoint real estate broker donates money to keep the neighborhood's Christmas lights bright. Kind of heart warming, actually. [CBS]

- Shark research vessel docks in Brooklyn Bridge Park. [NY1]

- Cuomo signs bill seeking to move NY to a variation of the popular vote. [Brooklyn Eagle]


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King George Returns; Orthodox School Pays Off Molested Kids; Halloween Events and More Brooklyn Briefs

A lone protester, whose sign reads "Stop running from the truth," stands outside Hillary Clinton HQ in Brooklyn Heights. MK Metz

 - A gunman shot a man sitting in his car in Bed-Stuy early Saturday. [Daily News]  And in Greenpoint, a cabbie was shot at stoplight by a couple of thugs. [Daily News]

- Parades! Haunted houses! Festivals! Halloween in Brooklyn 2016. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Long-toppled statue of hated King George III to ride again, from a Brooklyn studio. [NYT]

- Off-duty city correction officer arrested for boozed-up mayhem at a Sunset Park hookah bar. [Daily News]

- Prominent Orthodox Jewish school in Brooklyn to pay $2.1M to two students who charged teacher Rabbi Joel Kolko of sexually assaulting them. [NY Post]

- The white powder found in an envelope at Hillary HQ in Brooklyn Heights turned out to be harmless. [NBC]

- Inside of 11 of Brooklyn's top recording studios. [Brooklyn Magazine]

- Your iPhone's "secret" undo button. [Slate]

I repeat: I will represent pro bono anyone #Trump sues for exercising their free speech rights. Many other lawyers have offered to join me. https://t.co/LJf6TtmGZU

— Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) October 22, 2016

Dozens of law firms have joined this offer.


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Pier 6 Today, Cop Beats Woman, and More Brooklyn Briefs

There's no extra frills to being borough president. It's late at night, and I'm waiting for the 4 back to #Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/QTqtLOtCCV

— Eric Adams (@BPEricAdams) June 7, 2016

- Brooklyn school penalized after multiple students opt out of state testing. Other Brooklyn schools expected to follow. [Pix 11]

- Final OK on Brooklyn Bridge Park's thorny Pier 6 plan expected Tuesday morning. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Greenpointers talks about what they're seeing at the Northside Music Festival. [Greenpointers]

- A guide to Brooklyn’s community arts spaces for emerging artists. [Brokelyn]

- Off-duty cop arrested for assaulting elderly woman. [Bensonhurst Bean]

- Smith Street ‘Funday Sunday’ will honor late local legend Bette Stoltz. [Brooklyn Paper]


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Gourmet Supermarket Coming to Greenpoint; Iron Maidens Female Weightlifters to Gowanus; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Parents say Brooklyn Tech feels like the "ugly stepchild" of specialized schools. [WNYC]

- ‘Iron Maidens’ all-female weightlifting competition coming to Gowanus. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Hit-and-run epidemic as three people killed, one hurt in three boroughs. [NY Daily News]

- A gourmet supermarket is coming to the north end of Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, where thousands of rental apartments are planned. [WSJ]

- New Orleans 'most modern third-world country,' Brooklyn transplants tell website. [NOLA]

- Artists gathered last Sunday for a special nude drawing class with a guest model, rock legend Iggy Pop. The class was organized by the Brooklyn Museum. [e-Flux]

- The circus comes to Barclays, and creates a trailer park along Atlantic Avenue. [Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park]

- Centennial of Jackie Gleason's birth celebrated in Bay Ridge tribute. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- A U.S. Air Force veteran heads to Brooklyn federal court this week as one of the first suspected Islamic State supporters in the country to go on trial. [WSJ]

- A man was shot on a subway platform in Crown Heights on Sunday. [NBC]  Another guy was shot in the leg during a robbery in Bed-Stuy on Saturday. [NY Post]

- Oscar winners here. [LA Times] Chris Rock's hi-larious opening monologue. [LA Times]


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The Boa Constrictor on the B12 Bus, and Other Brooklyn Briefs

Mural by artist Alex Cook in Greenpoint. Photo: MK Metz

  - Giant boa constrictor found inside the B12 bus in Brooklyn. [NY Post] 

- Tucker Reed thinks the Jehovah's Witnesses should leave Brooklyn a $50 million going away gift. [Crain's] 

- Adorable tree lighting ceremony on Montague Street takes place for 65th year, with 6th-generation Brooklyn girl flipping the switch. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- New residents want to get rid of garbage transfer station which has been in East Williamsburg for 25 years. [NBC]

- A woman walking on Sands St. near Gold St. in Vinegar Hill was punched in the neck and held up at gunpoint. [Daily News]

- Here's a picture of the brute who punched a woman in a Brooklyn Heights subway station. [abc7]

- A teen who took part in a hate crime attack on a transgender woman was given a slap-on-the-wrist punishment. [Daily News]

- Bunk Sandwiches brings its savory pork belly Cubano sandwich to Brooklyn. [Voice]

- Here's where you can meet Santa in Brooklyn [Brownstoner] and [Mommy Poppins]


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Time for Action: 'Occupy the Inlet' in Bushwick this Sunday

This Sunday, August 9th between 12:30 and 2pm, Occupy the Inlet plans to clog Bushwick Inlet’s waters with as many boats and kayaks as possible.

"We invite all the NYC area board clubs to join us in kayaks, canoes, outriggers, SUPs and rowing gigs and raft together to fill the remarkably calm and tranquil embayment on the Brooklyn side of the East River.

On land, we will be encircling with caution tape, art bombing and flying protest kites over the 28 acres of land promised by the City as a park in 2005 and now threatened by imminent sale to developers. Let’s inundate our park with boats, people and art!"

"The goal is to put the screws on City Hall to fulfill its promised 28 acre waterfront park before it’s turned into more luxury residential developments," reports Greenpointers.

“The park is being held hostage from us,” Steve Chesler, a local activist, told Greenpointers. “We’re getting angrier. Our base has been growing. We’re not going to relent until the administration starts talking about it and engaging our reps in the community.”


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Flooding Swamps Gowanus; Is Smith Street Over? And More Brooklyn Briefs

#flood #flooding #brooklyn #bmw #bikerules @sorryaboutyourcats @sophibela

A video posted by Andres Guardia (@andres_guardia) on Jul 15, 2015 at 10:25am PDT

- Flash flooding swamped parts of Brooklyn on Wednesday. The above is a video posted to Instagram by Andres Guardia showing flooding near the Gowanus Canal.

- Farewell, Smith Street: After many of its big names close up shop, the Observer says Smith Street's restaurant row is "a shadow of its former self."

- Man sitting in a BMW with his girlfriend is shot to death in Flatbush. [NY Post]

- Several people were injured when a four-story building on Fulton Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant collapsed on Tuesday. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Prevaricators, beware: The Truth Booth is coming to Brooklyn. [Observer]

- Apparently it’s not enough for Greenpoint to lose 5 beautiful London Plane trees. The Parks Department and City Council seem to be "OK with the losing out on $414,000 restitution" because "soon enough Greenpoint will be blanketed in trees," says Greenpointers.


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Big Rent Vote Tonight; Real Estate Doubts Creep In; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board is scheduled to vote on Monday evening on whether to increase rents for more than one million rent-stabilized apartments. [NY Times]

- Did you miss the Make It in Brooklyn Innovation Summit? See video here. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Four people were stabbed when a crazed man pulled a knife in a Bay Ridge bar early Sunday. [Daily News]

- The mother of seven children who died in a March fire in their Brooklyn home was released from the hospital. [Forward]

- NYC bill would require some bathrooms to be gender-neutral. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Looks like there might be some funny business on those rescored Regents exams at Automotive High School in Greenpoint. [NY Post]

- [Blast from the past: 2006] Some doubts creeping in on Brooklyn real estate, says broker -- who says people are asking, “Am I really going to pay $600,000 to live next to an abandoned building?” [TRD]

- This week, Guernsey’s will auction the spectacular World War I poster collection of Colonel Edward H. McCrahon, a Brooklyn-born soldier passionate about the Allied cause. [Guernsey's]


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Floating Barge Bar Opening Soon in Greenpoint; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Lunchtime at the Arch in DUMBO. Photo: MK Metz

 - Bobby Love, a 64-year-old Brooklyn dad, had a heartfelt sendoff Thursday morning before heading back to prison after escaping nearly 40 years ago. [Daily News]

- BAMcinemaFest, called the city’s best showcase for independent films, started Wednesday night. [BAM]

- Greenpoint's floating barge bar (and community play space and aquatic center) will be serving booze soon. [Eater]

- Dear Lord: A '90s Fest is coming to Williamsburg in September. [Newsweek]

- Transit cop stabbed; shoots and kills suspect in Brooklyn. [amNY]

- The Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center plans on closing its 12 West Wing for 15 months, resulting in the loss of 25 acute medical and surgical beds. [Queens Chronicle]

- "The Fence," a very, very long installation showcasing the work of 40 photographers, has reopened for its fourth year in Brooklyn Bridge Park. [Paper Mag]


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Homeland Security Asks Brooklyn's Help Fighting Terrorism; Uber to the L Train Rescue; and More Brooklyn Briefs

This creep stole a Brooklyn mom's Mother's Day gift. Story: CBS (Photo:NYPD)

- Department of Homeland Security head Johnson asks Brooklyn groups for help fighting home-grown terrorism, reports the Brooklyn Eagle.

- A Brooklyn politician was punched in the face at a Greenpoint bar defending a barmaid, says Gothamist.

- Atlantic Yards Report mulls over the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership's "college town" agenda -- amenities for students and schools, or development rights?

- Uber slashes rides to $2.75 for final weekends of L train closure, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

- Brownstoner looks at TV locations in Brooklyn: The Americans, The Knick, Blacklist, and more.

- Some Brooklyn transplants are doing the unthinkable -– moving back to Manhattan in search of a better real estate deal, according to TRD.

- Jealous Staten Island man kills his ex-girlfriend's Brooklyn boyfriend, reports SIlive.

- Jade Helm: A Pentagon training exercise is sparking controversy with conspiracy theories claiming it's a secret plot to impose military rule in Texas, using closed Walmart stores, according to The Hill.

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Kids' Flashmob Ask Mayor, 'Where's Bushwick Inlet Park?'

Kids ask the darnedest questions @BilldeBlasio #WheresOurPark https://t.co/iIG0sjXfMk pic.twitter.com/VeYlNlSYlv

— NAG Brooklyn (@nagbrooklyn) May 7, 2015

Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park posts:
The children of the GWYSL divide this one soccer field into 16 fields so the bursting child population of Greenpoint and Williamsburg get a chance to play despite their lack of park space. Here they are collectively asking #wheresourpark?

Background: In 2005, the City of New York promised the neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Williamsburg a 28-acre park along North Brooklyn’s waterfront.

Almost a decade later, tens-of-thousands of new residents have moved in, but very little of Bushwick Inlet Park has materialized.

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Hospital Money Still Up for Grabs in Budget; Attempted Rape in Williamsburg; New Art in Brooklyn Bridge Park; etc.

- Williamsburg woman was punched and nearly raped in her apartment building early Thursday -- but was saved by her 16-year-old son. [Daily News]

- Brooklyn pols fight to restore millions in budget for teetering hospitals, inckuding Interfaith. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Danish artist Jeppe Hein will playfully animate Brooklyn Bridge Park in a new exhibition, “Please Touch the Art.” [NYT]

- Over the next decade, Greenpoint is slated to add some 8,000 new apartment. [NY Post] 

- What to do in Brooklyn this spring: from a zine fest to the Basquiat exhibition to the 17th of May parade. [amNY]

- 2015 All-Brooklyn Team: Girls High School Basketball All-Stars. [Brooklyn Eagle

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Grimm's Military Angle; Jonathan Lethem in DUMBO Tonight; and More Brooklyn Briefs

More snow predicted for Friday! Photo by MK Metz

- New video shows more of brutal Brooklyn beating at McDonalds. [Gothamist]

- Michael Grimm's mentor says judges don't know what military combat is like ... [Observer]

- Jonathan Lethem to launch latest collection of stories in DUMBO Thursday. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Composting is coming to Greenpoint: save your food scraps. [Greenpointers]

- Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez is hosting a FEMA Flood Insurance Meeting in Red Hook. [Pardon Me For Asking]

- VIDEO: The Voice Behind the Voice: Arrested busker opens up about music roots. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Controversial 60 Water Street in DUMBO -- once called the Dock Street project -- is now open to residents. And there's no poor door.  [NY1]

- Record-breaking cyber attack exposes 11 million more health records. [Observer]

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Hacker at a Brooklyn Precinct; Brooklyn Kids and Their Robots; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Ikea wants you to stop playing hide-and-seek inside their stores. http://t.co/nTYiYrSFhP pic.twitter.com/M5PiMJMOc3
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) March 18, 2015

How did we not know giant games of hide-and-seek were going on at IKEA?

- A rogue auxiliary cop hacked into an NYPD database -- and installed a spy cam at his Brooklyn Precinct --  to obtain information for his fake lawyer scam. [Daily News]

- Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor visited Downtown Brooklyn yesterday. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Sharon Davidson, the former director of the North Flatbush Business Improvement District, was charged on Monday with stealing $85,000 from the group. [DNAinfo]

- The 10th annual Coffee and Tea Festival is set to boil over in Brooklyn on March 21 and 22. [Brooklyn Paper]

- How Bed-Stuy school kids used robots, a 3-D printer and a mapping program to study issues of gentrification in their community. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Here's something unexpected: Greenpoint rents are dropping. [Brooklyn Magazine]

- Kraft just recalled more than 6.5 million boxes of mac and cheese. [AP]

- In case you missed it: Yesterday, the Associated Press confused murder suspect/millionaire Robert Durst with Fred Durst, the one-time frontman of Limp Bizkit. [Slate]



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A and C Train Troubles Ahead; Brooklyn Heights Cinema; 'Kung Fu Judge' Lawsuit; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Driver in custody after striking & killing 14 year-old Mohammad Uddin and fleeing scene on Caton Ave. #NYPD #Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/WuLNucY34R
— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) November 21, 2014

-After community input meetings, the draft "Gowanus Bridging" initiative will be presented by Councilman Lander this Monday. The Pardon Me for Asking Blog says it's a sham.

- Buyers of Brooklyn Heights Cinema building going for condos. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- A 28-year-old NJ woman was found dead in a parked sedan yesterday in front of a bakery in Bensonhurst. [BensonhurstBean]

- The Cranberry Street Tunnel, which is used by A and C trains between Brooklyn and Manhattan, will be closed for 40 weekends starting this spring. [Gothamist]

- Shut out of P.S. 8? P.S. 307 in Vinegar Hill is hosting open houses (209 York Street) on Nov. 21 from 9-10am, December 8 from 6-7pm, and December 12 from 9-10am. They have pre-K. [DumboNYC]

- Wrongful death suit of Brooklyn ‘Kung Fu Judge' Phillips moving ahead. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Another round of voting took place Thurs. to determine how $19,500,000 from the Exxon-Mobil oil spill will be spent on Greenpoint. [Brownstoner]

- After flurry of excitement, Bed-Stuy man tests negative for Ebola. [News12]


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Greenpoint Open Studios Kicks Off This Weekend, Oct. 3

Catch the launch party Friday night at Dirck the Norseman, then check out the open studios all over Greenpoint.

Friday, Oct. 3rd, 8-11pm: Launch Party at Dirck the Norseman (7 N 15th Street). Open bar for participating artists from 8-9pm + snacks. DJOMGWEBCATS plays all night.

Saturday, Oct. 4th, 12-6pm: Open Studios. Artists welcome visitors to their studios.

Sunday, Oct. 5th, 12-6pm: Open Studios.

Sunday, Oct. 5th, 6-8pm: Wrap party at t.b.d. (224 Franklin Street). Outdoor BBQ + 1 free drink for GOS participating artists!

Greenpoint Open Studios schedule here.


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