Local leaders pressed MTA officials and the agency’s contractor for proposals and promises from the authority this morning, but the biggest payoff appears to be for residents of Gerritsen Beach and communities east of Sheepshead Bay.
“Did a magic bullet appear? No,” said Councilman Lew Fidler of the meeting. “The thing that probably will come out of it – and we’re optimistic will come out of it – and it doesn’t affect a whole lot of people, but it does affect Weinstein’s constituents and mine – there was some willingness to consider reversing some of the service cuts on the BM3 and BM4 buses. That’s the thing we’re most optimistic will happen, but obviously it doesn’t help the vast majority of people affected by the construction.”
It appears the MTA came unaware of the demands and complaints awaiting them.
“They were there to tell their side of the story, and I think that’s all they thought they were there for,” said George Broadhead, president of the Gerritsen Beach Property Owners Association. Broadhead said they came to discuss the construction plans, not alter them. However, the meeting changed direction when Broadhead brought up the recent service changes to the BM3 and BM4 buses, which provide alternative Manhattan-bound service to Gerritsen Beach and the eastern portion of Sheepshead Bay. Those bus routes now leave many riders with only the handicapped B/Q line.
The MTA officials present only represented the subway service, and according to sources at the meeting, they were unaware of the bus division’s actions and dismissed it as the other branch’s responsibility.
“[State Senator Carl] Kruger blew his top,” said one source who asked not to be named. “[The MTA was] there to really apologize for all the bullcrap. But I think they got a taste of it from Kruger.”
Kruger scolded the MTA for its dismissive attitude towards bus alternatives, reportedly saying, “We bailed you out with billions of tax-payer dollars, and now you’re telling me the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing?” Continue Reading »
This is becoming an all-too-familiar sight in Sheepshead Bay. Reader Lisanne Anderson snapped this photo on the corner of Avenue U and East 14th Street almost a month ago, but it could be on any given day. I’d say this heap o’ trash is actually far tidier than most around the area. Turns out it’s not just city garbage cans that are turning into illegal dumping spots for irresponsible homeowners and businesses. Neighbors are now reporting that they wake up to find other people have dumped non-collectible items in the garbage units outside of their homes and apartment buildings, causing them to receive fines. Sheepshead, it’s time to do something about this – any ideas?
Today the area’s elected politicians are meeting with MTA officials. On the agenda? The B train.
One full week after the B train kicked off its two-year hiatus – though it’s three weeks if you count the unannounced termination of service before that – the area’s leaders are gathering at Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein’s office on Nostrand Avenue with MTA officials. In attendance are Councilmen Lew Fidler and Mike Nelson, Assemblymen Weinstein and Maisel, State Senators Carl Kruger and Marty Golden, as well as Community Board Chairperson Theresa Scavo. An invite has also been sent to Congressman Weiner’s office.
The gang of seven-ish is hoping to press the MTA to seek alternatives to the current plans, which will see the B train running local until late 2011.
“We want to hear from them on what they want to accomplish. They’re inconveniencing a lot of people,” Fidler said. He added that he’s looking for assurances that they’ve looked into alternative plans. “There’s got to be a better way. I’d like to hear there’s an option that’s more convenient for the public.”
Assemblyman Maisel said he hoped the gang could gain some ground with the agency by airing the community’s grievances. However, he also noted the MTA isn’t required to accomodate the group’s demands. “They’re called the authority for a reason,” he said, and pointed out that the authority system has been a troubled one for decades.
As the only unelected party in the group, Theresa Scavo was more blunt with her assessment. “I don’t think anything’s going to get accomplished,” she said. “I think they’re basically going to ignore us.”
Sheepshead Bites will check in later with the pols to see how it went. Stay tuned!
The Sukkah Mobile has pulled up in front of the Chabad of Sheepshead Bay on Avenue Y and East 14th Street. The Chabad Lubavitch is throwing a street fair until 7 p.m. tonight, complete with food, music, and – of course – Elmo! What, you didn’t know Elmo was Jewish? Nebbish, red-haired, tight with his mom… we know what Jim Henson was getting at.
Anyway, stop on by and say hello to the Chabad’s friendly director, Zev, then scuddle over to pick up some gefilte, schnitzel, and kreplach – not to mention cotton candy. Then be sure to Challah back and let us know how it went!
Today’s 2 p.m. Succos (a.k.a. Sukkot, Sukkos, סוכות, or סֻכּוֹת) cruise from Sheepshead Bay sets sail with a full house. But worry not, you can still get on another boat set to sail today, tomorrow, or Thursday.
Sukkos – or any of its alternative names – is a week-long Jewish holiday, connected to the harvesting season. Sukkot – the plural of Sukkos – is the name of those huts, which are reminiscent of the fragile dwellings ancient Israelites used during their 40 years of wandering in Exodus. Observant Jews make the Sukkot the center of the household, eating all their meals there. Traditionally, Sukkos is also a pilgrimage holiday, when Jews are supposed to visit the Temple of Jerusalem – but in place of that, one group is offering a party succos cruise departing from our ‘hood.
Here is a listing of the details or check the Life of Rubin website for the original listing.
Succos Cruise:
A scenic cruise around Coney Island and the Statue of Liberty – 3 hours. Rain or Shine * Refreshments * Sukkah on Board * Music & Dancing * No reservations necessary. 347-326-4546.
@ Departs Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, almost opposite Loehman’s
Sailings set for 3 days:
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Thursday, October 9, 2009
Sails at:
2 p.m. (Sold out for 10/6/09)
5 p.m.
Price: $25 adults, $15 for children under 12
The pier is located on Emmons Avenue (near Ocean Avenue).
Councilman Michael Nelson told members of Community Board 15 last week that he is seeking ramped up enforcement and insfrastructural improvements to curb illegal U-turns along Nostrand Avenue.
Nelson’s office says that they received a number of complaints from constituents about dangerous and illegal U-turns on Nostrand Avenue between Voorhies Avenue and Avenue X. Many involve cars – especially SUVs – that opt to drive directly over the median rather than go to the corner.
“They’re turning over the island, but they’re not falling into the river… unfortunately,” Nelson quipped in front of the board. The councilman’s office is on Nostrand Avenue between Avenue Y and Avenue Z.
Nelson and his staff are looking to press the 61st Precinct into stronger enforcement. They’re also considering options including cameras and reinforcement of the barriers with increased height and green landscaping.
Welcome to the second edition of Open Thread Mondays, a feature so excellent, so awesome, so flabbergastingly mindblowing that we almost forgot to do it today. Remember, this is your chance to rattle off about anything. But here are some suggested topics:
- Would you come to a Sheepshead Bites-hosted event? Would you pay $5 for it? Would you want to do a BBQ on the beach in this weather, or should we nix it and do somethin’ indoors?
- Gene Berardelli and Lew Fidler debate: wanna see one? I do! It was refreshing to see them go tit-for-tat in the comments section of this article (how often do you really get to see two candidates have a public and unfiltered argument?!), but it’d be nice to see how they do with a referree and questions from the SBites hivemind, no?
- Ain’t these kids adorable?
- The House of the Rising Sun by the Animals = Best Song Ever. Not really a point of discussion, since it’s an undisputable fact. (This is my site, so be careful how you respond to that…)
Bassett Deli and Caterers on Avenue X and East 14th Street is a Sheepshead Bay institution and community favorite. A community they’ve been serving for many years. However there’s a problem, one that rears it’s ugly head every week on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m: alternate side of the street parking.
Owner Frank Bassett says business dies down like clockwork as the rule takes effect during what would be their busy lunch rush. To make matters worse, the sign warning drivers that they can’t park there is completely obscured by a “Stop Ahead” sign. When asked about its placement, Bassett exclaimed, “It’s a nightmare!”
Bassett Deli made requests with the Department of Sanitation to change the placement of the signs in the past, but pleas for help fell on deaf ears. Bassett says predatory traffic officers routinely come and lie in wait for an oblivious customer to make a mistake and park there, hurting the famed business and local residents, too. In order to help his clientèle, Bassett puts out their own custom sign on Wednesdays to warn of the impending danger.
Meanwhile, the “Stop Sign Ahead” sign seems totally unnecessary. That particular block is very short, and the stop signs are clearly visible from as far as two blocks away. One of our local pol’s should look into the matter and help a local business out. The best we could hope for is a rescheduling of the street sweeping to a less intrusive time slot, and at least the Department of Transportation can switch the placement of the two signs so the street cleaning notice is clearly visible to all drivers. Just in case I’ll be returning to the spot on Monday and using the city’s new 311 iPhone-app to file a complaint that way.
While the Brooklyn Eagle writes about Southern Brooklyn’s roots as a farming society, in their recent article, Historically Speaking: Raising the (Wyckoff Barn) Roof, Sheepshead Bay residents are busy recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or growing their own vegetables — depending on your perspective.
This front-to-side yard garden, located at Avenue V and East 17th Street, is ready for harvest and from the looks of the number of squash(?) growing under the leaf canopy, we’re thinking that there must be enough for quite a few families. These squash are so large that they need support in the form of large containers stacked one on top of the other.
A visitor from Queens who noticed the garden said,
Wow. I don’t think we have anything like that over there in Queens. I thought there were regulations about corner houses and the type of landscaping that can be erected. I remember when we tried to grow sunflowers and the city made us cut ‘em down. But, I’m not sure if droopy vegetables fall under landscaping.
Readers, we’d like to hear from you. First, help us identify this vegetable and let us know if you heard anything about the city regulating corner house plant ornamentation. Finally, if anyone knows the owner of the vegetable garden and can hook us up with some of that hanging gourd…by all means write in.
Just to add a little more inconvenience to your commute…
From Notify NYC:
Emergency personnel are on the scene of a subway smoke condition near West 53rd Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan. The F and V trains are suspended in Manhattan. B and D trains are diverted onto the A line between West 57th Street and West 4th Street.
