We just received these photos of a small sailboat slamming into the Ocean Avenue footbridge, near the Manhattan Beach side. We’re not sure yet what happened or if there’s any damage. But from the looks of it, the boat somehow became unanchored and drifted with the storm’s choppy waves, eventually hitting the bridge. Please leave any info you have in the comments. We’ll update you as we find out more. (Photos and tips courtesy of nolastname)
UPDATE (6:55 p.m.): I’ve been out of the ‘hood all day, and now I’m getting reports that the wind and rain are incredibly bad and doing a lot of damage. Reportedly, the marina is overflowing and water is splashing onto the sidewalks and the bridge. Gusts are also taking down signs in the area.
Perhaps most importantly, the wind has taken out power, phone, and cable lines in a few spots. Please be careful and stay inside! It goes without saying, but downed power lines can be very dangerous.
Please take photos/video of damage and send it over to us. More importantly, be safe!
Capt. Mastrokostas and Council President Etienne present "Cop of the Month" awards to 4 officers
A larger audience than usual turned out to last night’s 61st Community Council meeting. Many, it seems, turned out to challenge Captain Georgios Mastrokostas from the 61st Precinct about problems on their block or with area businesses.
The most contentious part of the meeting occurred when a resident of East 19th Street and Avenue W complained to the captain about the dismissive attitude of police responding to consistent problems on her block. We’ve written before about this block being a haven for graffiti, and the resident stressed that despite numerous complaints police offers appear to have done little. She also said drugs were increasingly a problem, and that she had called police to have them pick up a bag of crack-cocaine she found in the street. She said dealers in cars often come to the poorly lit street to conduct transactions before driving off.
“The block is a hangout spot, an orgy spot, a get high spot,” she said.
While some in the comments section of yesterday’s article seem to imply there’s no waterfront activities here anymore, this photo from madabandon says otherwise. Here’s to remembering how much further we can fall if we don’t safeguard Sheepshead Bay’s waterfront for future generations.
What makes Sheepshead Bay special? It’s just not the number of sushi bars or gourmet delis. Need a hint? Think waterfront.
But is it good for anything other than a nice view from overpriced condos? Some people in Congress think so.
Introduced to Congress in May of 2009, Keep America’s Waterfronts Working (KAWW) Act of 2009 protects coastal area economies by securing indispensable funds for preserving and expanding waterfront access. As an amendment to the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, KAWW directs the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to establish a Working Waterfront Grant Program. The program allows states to request grants, through a regionally equitable, competitive funding process, to secure access for persons engaged in commercial fishing, recreational fishing, aquaculture, boatbuilding, or other water-dependent coastal-related business. It would also allow a non-profit group to obtain a grant to buy development rights in order to keep a working boatyard in business, rather than see it sold for residential development.
In short, KAWW will give give fuel to local governments around the nation to rethink their waterfront strategies.
Weiner is requesting money to implement long term solutions to Plumb Beach erosion
United States Congressman Anthony Weiner requested $35,000,000 for waterfront and marina maintenance projects in the Sheepshead Bay and Plumb Beach area, including dredging of the bay and long term erosion defense.
Weiner is asking that the requests be included as part of the 2010 Water Resource Development Act, which federal legislators began piecing together in August. WRDA a is biennial comprehensive water resources law that authorizes studies and projects within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mission areas, including navigation, flood damage reduction, hurricane and storm damage reduction, shoreline protection, and environmental restoration.
How many photos of Sheepshead Bay’s waterfront can we use for our midweek photos? As many as it takes until it stops being beautiful. Which we don’t expect will be any time soon.
Here is a really dramatic night shot from Sheepshead Bites reader Serge R. Thanks Serge!
Do you have any photos of Sheepshead Bay you’d like to share? Send them to us!
Captain Steven Ventura of the Sea Queen VII struck back against an aspiring thief Saturday night, foiling the plans of a knife-wielding dunce.
According to the NY Post, Ventura was off the coast of Coney Island around 11:20 p.m. with 15 passengers when he noticed the sinkers from his fishing lines vanishing. When he spotted the culprit, a fight ensued in which the thief, Joseph Neuer, brandished a knife. Ventura avoided injury as he slugged the would-be robber, and passengers and crew bound him with duct tape. When they docked at the Sheepshead Bay marina, police arrested the felon and charged him with third-degree assault, menacing, harassment, and petit larceny.
When we heard that the Kings Bay Youth Organization’s fence was repaired just days after a car slammed through it last week, we said to ourselves, “Well, that’s a triumph of efficiency.” Even though it turns out it’s more of a makeshift repair with wire mesh holding everything together, we figured it must be miles ahead of where the Parks Department would be with the marina’s railing after a car took a dive four days before the Coyle Street/Kings Bay field incident. Afterall, a set of concrete planters has baffled the department for a couple of years now. Well, we were wrong. When we went to go snag a comparison shot of the fence as it sits now, well, lo’ and behold, it was repaired!
We actually walked past the spot two or three times trying to remember where the damage occurred, since it blended in so seamlessly that we couldn’t spot it offhand. The concrete looked fresh, but no one in the area could tell us when the department came to do repairs, and many were surprised when we pointed out it was fixed. We can’t tell for sure, but it looks like they recycled at least one of the fences damaged in the accident and put it back into position. The wood board is to hold the concrete while it sets, since the gate ripped a chunk off when the car plowed into it. Good job, Parks Department. We’ll try to be a little less cynical next time.
Katerina Valdivieso of Columbia University’s Brooklyn Ink website tagged along with sailors to cover the Sheepshead Bay Regatta. The 12-mile race, sponsored by Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club, takes participants out to Romer Shoals lighthouse in New Jersey.Valdivieso, with the help of Captain John Johnson of the Ocean Angel, documented the race in photos and audio.
By now we’ve all heard about the woman and her two kids who, perhaps fed up with the parking situation in Sheepshead Bay, tried landing her car alongside Pier 7 on Emmons Avenue. And, of course, we’ve heard about yet another heroic Sheepshead Bay fisherman saving the day. Yes, the important parts are that no one was hurt. And that fisherman Keith Gorman gets the credit he deserves for his heroic acts. One thing we haven’t heard much about, though, is the damaged railing. So here are some photos taken on Monday. And we’re officially announcing the start of the countdown to the repairs. (Man, I’m glad she wasn’t on my insurance…)
