SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

On the turf of former State Senator Carl Kruger and embattled State Senator John Sampson, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch came before a group of concerned citizens with a message: don’t despair, not everyone is corrupt, be you must be active and involved to ensure the best from your elected leaders.

Madison Marine Homecrest Civic Association hosted the event on Thursday, May 16, inviting Lynch to the Carmine Carro Community Center in Marine Park to talk about the recent cases. Lynch’s appearance came amid scandalous headlines involving Sampson who’s at the center of a handful of federal probes, and less than two years after the arrest and resignation of Kruger. Both represented portions of Marine Park.

The entire 40-minute talk by Lynch, which included questions from the audience, is posted above. But, aside from Sheepshead Bites, a slew of other reporters were at the event. Here’s what some of them wrote:

From Newsday:

Don’t “succumb to cynicism and apathy. Don’t give up — stay committed,” said Lynch, who is the chief federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, which also includes, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island.

“Stay involved . . . Don’t give up.”

… When the audience was asked how many of them believed all politicians are corrupt, nearly everyone in attendance raised a hand.

Lynch told the audience, “We have to take back the system from the people who trampled on it. I don’t own it, you own it.”

From the Brooklyn Eagle:

Lynch took that message a step further when she said that not only should people not give up on the political process, but also that their participation is necessary.

… U.S. Attorney Lynch stated that apathy hurts the democratic process and that – along with wiretaps, undercover officers, and witnesses using recording devices – ordinary citizens who notice inconsistencies often play a big role in bringing corrupt politicians down.

“We are all enforcers,” Lynch said. “We all play a role. People need to get involved. ‘See something, say something’ is not just a slogan for the subway.”

Lynch also cautioned people to be patient in corruption cases and warned that just because somebody’s name is brought into the mix doesn’t necessarily mean they are corrupt.

“There can often be names that come out that should not have come out because, especially early on in an investigation, it’s impossible to determine their involvement and often it just tars their names,” she said.

Political reporters converged on Lynch after the event, asking her about recent allegations from minority lawmakers that the feds, including Lynch, were unfairly targeting elected officials of color. Lynch, herself an African-American who began her career working in civil rights, denied the charges.

From the Eagle:

When Lynch was questioned about whether black politicians are unfairly targeted, she replied, “Not stealing money is not a high standard. We look at the behavior of everyone. Our goal is to protect communities. You deserve integrity regardless of what your background is.”

And from Politicker:

When Lynch was questioned about whether black politicians are unfairly targeted, she replied, “Not stealing money is not a high standard. We look at the behavior of everyone. Our goal is to protect communities. You deserve integrity regardless of what your background is.”

… “No matter what type of case we prosecute, people who may feel targeted are concerned and make all kinds of statements about it,” Ms. Lynch said. “It’s part of the problem of public corruption that it really almost makes everyone look as if they’re involved, even if they’re not. And so you have people get very paranoid and very nervous and feel as if they’re under a microscope … We don’t go around targeting people other than those that we strongly have evidence [against], but I think what happens is, the atmosphere is very toxic, for lack of a better word, and it does affect people and that’s a byproduct of these cases,” she said.

A slew of local elected officials, including Councilman Lew Fidler and Assemblymembers Helene Weinstein and Alan Maisel, spoke before Lynch, and used it as an opportunity to remind attendees that the recent headlines reflect a few “bad apples.” They also touted anti-corruption legislation they’re working on, including disallowing lawmakers from using campaign funds on legal fees, and the ability to strip convicted legislators of their pension.

You can see their remarks here:

The Parks Department planted approximately two dozen new trees along Emmons Avenue west of Ocean Avenue this week, as the city moves to complete the final phase of a decade-long rehabilitation of the waterfront.

The $460,000 project, funded by Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, will continue throughout the spring. On the checklist for beautification are:

• repaired sidewalks
• covered trash bins
• new trees, with granite block pavement in enlarged tree pits
• new curb cuts
• fresh paint on the Bay’s railing
• blue concrete and matching artistic design elements previously installed near the piers, from Ocean Avenue to East 27th Street
• 1964 World’s Fair-style benches

When construction is finished, the Emmons Avenue street-scape will have seen a complete overhaul over the last decade. Repairs began in 2003, when the city installed new antique-style lights along Emmons Avenue and Shore Boulevard. In 2006, the city completed a similar renovation to the current one, from Ocean Avenue to East 27th Street, adding new benches, sidewalk designs, tree pits and more.

Cymbrowitz, in a press release, said that the improvements will help the community continue to recover from Superstorm Sandy.

“Beautifying Emmons Avenue is part of the larger mechanism of long-term recovery,” Cymbrowitz said. “Trees represent new life. They’re meant to last, and so is Sheepshead Bay.”

Source: National Parks Service

Hundreds of horseshoe crabs invaded the subtle slopes of Plumb Beach’s shoreline in their own sex-fueled, prehistoric rendition of the Allied invasion of Normandy last week, as horseshoe crab mating season kicked off on Thursday, April 25.

The National Parks Service snapped the photo above of some of the crabs getting down and dirty. The animals have been taking to soft-sloped beaches of the mid-Atlantic during the spring’s new and full moons for 400 million years, one of the few living species known to predate the earliest dinosaurs. Female crabs come ashore and deposit up to 20,000 eggs each, followed by a handful of males clinging to their tails and fertilizing the eggs in their wake.

The crabs come up in late April, May, and throughout June – just before high tide or long after sunset – during full and new moons. You can see them around the following dates:

• Thursday, April 25, 2013 (Full Moon)
• Friday, May 10 (New Moon)
• Saturday, May 25 (Full Moon)
• Saturday, June 8 (New Moon)
• Sunday, June 23 (Full Moon)
• Saturday. July 6 (New Moon)
• Monday, July 22 (Full Moon)
• Wednesday, August 7 (New Moon)
• Wednesday, August 21 (Full Moon)

Also, check out this video Sheepshead Bites made back in 2010, when the American Littoral Society’s Don Riepe showed us around the beach and the horseshoe crab’s mating practices. Yes, it has bifurcated penises.

The team at Sheepshead Bites wishes the Chabad of Sheepshead Bay (1315 Avenue Y) a terrific birthday, as they celebrate their 20th year in the community.

The chabad celebrated with a gala dinner last night, attracting about 150 members of the shul and other neighbors.

During the dinner, they aired the above video, made by shul-member, reporter and videographer Daniel T. Allen (who has produced work for Sheepshead Bites). The video shows some of the great work the chabad does in the community, the spirit of its congregants, and the challenges they faced (and overcame) following Superstorm Sandy.

Once again, happy birthday, Chabad of Sheepshead Bay!

Paul Moses, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and Marine Park resident, spoke before the Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association on Thursday, discussing the media’s lackluster response to Southern Brooklyn’s disaster zones in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

“There’s been some brilliant journalism in recent days, but there was a slow start in reporting the extent of the storm’s impact,” said Moses. “I think it’s fair to say that Southern Brooklyn has gotten relatively little media attention.”

Moses said that the citywide press did some stellar reporting, exemplified by stories about the state’s and city’s role in the gas shortage, the Long Island Power Authority’s failures, and the struggles at city housing projects.

But in the first days after the storm, Moses said there were few stories that focused on Southern Brooklyn and Queens, though the press was quick to report in the immediate aftermath at locations like downtown Manhattan, Red Hook, New Jersey and Staten Island. It wasn’t until several days – and sometimes more than a week – that communities like Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay found their way into the newspapers.

Frustrated by the problem, Moses decided to do his first local reporting piece in decades, submitting a story to Sheepshead Bites about the trials Gerritsen Beach residents faced in their recovery efforts.

But media should have been on the scene in these neighborhoods immediately after the storm, he said, in order to convey the most important and useful information for victims and those looking to help.

“In a time of disaster, the journalist’s role is to notify the public of impending danger and to give people the vital information they need, and to tell people where the damage is, and to tell the stories of the people who’ve been affected,” said Moses. “Through what we report on, the public at large finds out where the greatest needs are after the disaster and often will respond accordingly.”

“I really found the overall coverage in the first few days disappointing,” Moses added.

Captain John Chell, head of the 61st Precinct, gave his first report last night to the 61st Precinct Community Council since Hurricane Sandy tore his patrol area to pieces.

The meeting was solemn and subdued, with only 13 people in attendance – far less than usual. Also tragically absent was the council’s Sergeant-at-Arms, Dr. Cy Schoenfeld, who passed away from heart failure as he attempted to escape his Manhattan Beach home during Hurricane Sandy. Schoenfeld will be fondly remembered by his peers on the council and at the Community Board, his neighbors in Manhattan Beach, and by this reporter.

With such difficult news to bare, alongside the continuing suffering of many in the community who’ve lost friends, loved ones, possessions and property, Captain Chell abandoned the usual report in which he provides crime statistics and discusses emerging trends in the neighborhood, and instead spoke of the many acts of kindness and community he has seen in Sandy’s wake.

“I appreciate all the praise that comes my as the commanding officer and the captain here, but I’m going to reverse it back to you and thank all of you,” Chell said. “It was quite remarkable, from Gerritsen Beach to Manhattan Beach, to the center to everywhere else, how the community all pitched in, and that’s what it’s really all about.”

The visibly exhausted Chell also spoke briefly about his own experience as the storm rolled in.

“In all my years of service I never witnessed what I saw that night, the sense of desperation, the sense of not being able to help everyone who needed help,” he said. “We did the best we could.”

Chell did touch on the neighborhood’s crime, specifically the opportunists who emerged after the floodwater receded, knocking on doors and trying to take advantage of victims. He reminded neighbors to be diligent, and request identification before letting anyone in your home or giving them information, and to also use common sense to avoid cons and price gouging.

In response to the storm, the precinct received approximately 100 extra officers to help patrol the neighborhood. Chell noted that the reinforcements will remain on the ground for the foreseeable future.

He also said that the city is not yet towing any abandoned cars or cars destroyed by the storm that remain curbside, though some have been “corrected” to allow traffic to pass. He said they are waiting for insurance companies to catch up on their backlog so NYPD-contracted tow trucks don’t confuse vehicles that will be towed by insurance companies with those that have been legitimately abandoned.

Okay, folks. I appreciate the photos and videos, but it’s time to get indoors. Your own photos and videos show why.

Water levels are elevating very quickly around Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach and Marine Park. This morning, high tide brought some flooding in Manhattan Beach, but this evening’s high tide will be much higher and rougher, as it coincides with the arrival of Hurricane Sandy. The storm will bring not only choppy waves during high tide, but a storm surge expected to reach as high as 11 feet.

The photo above comes from Paul Moses, who has more Pulitzer prizes than I do. He went out to Marine Park to check out the Gerritsen Creek salt marsh.

Here’s a photo taken about 4:50 p.m. You’ll see it’s about a foot away from overflowing, three hours before high tide. The water has covered all the rocks. Also, the footbridge to the nature trail is swamped. The water is very high, but still far off from flooding any homes.

Over at the Breakers condo development on Emmons Avenue, Albert shows us how high the water is coming up against their bulkhead, which is about the same level as the public bulkhead along Emmons Avenue.

When we posted this morning about Manhattan Beach flooding, we began getting e-mails from those who visited the area around noon saying that it wasn’t flooded. That’s because it was low tide, and the water receded. But that progress was quickly lost. Mike sent us this video, filmed at 1:00 p.m.

Probably one of the most illustrative videos we’ve seen is this one by Michael Y. After filming a relatively calm Manhattan Beach esplanade during low-tide, he returned at approximately 3:30 p.m. In the few minutes he’s standing there filming, you can see the water creep up, eventually overtaking the bulkhead and pouring out onto the street. Again – this is 4.5 hours before high tide!

State Senator Marty Golden and his upstart opponent, Democrat Andrew Gounardes, faced off at a debate last night hosted by the Dyker Heights Civic Association.

The 30-minute debate got heated at points, with Golden and Gounardes occasionally raising their voices and breaking with debate protocol to ask each other questions or attack one another.

Among the issues discussed were gun control, women’s rights including emergency contraceptives for rape victims and fair pay, and education.

Education is how Andrew Gounardes opened the debate, attacking the 10-year incumbent for failing to bring home the bacon for local schools. He claimed Golden has voted 99 percent of the time with the Senate Republican leadership, which he said had been neglecting New York City’s schools, siphoning off funding and ignoring issues of overcapacity in New York City. The Senator responded by calling the claims “pure fantasy” and noted that he had brought funding to local schools, including adding 4,000 seats to the district.

On a separate question about education, Golden received boos for expressing his support for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s handling of the city school system, while Gounardes said the state needed to do a better job ensuring the mayor is fulfilling his obligation to students, which, he said, appears not to be the case given college-readiness rates and school standards.

The crowd appeared to overwhelmingly support Senator Golden, many sporting Golden and GOP stickers – but Gounardes also brought a contingent of supporters who cheered him on. Both appeared to have “plants” in the crowd – or people who posed questions that exposed the weakness of their opponent.

One of those questions came from a female Gounardes supporter, who asked Golden if he supported Missouri Congressman Todd Akin’s statements that rape victims should not have access to emergency contraceptives. It seemed Golden was pretending not to hear the question, and then rephrased it as “Should [rape victims] get emergency services immediately upon rape? Yes, they should.”

Gounardes won a round of applause for immediately shooting back that Golden had voted three times against a bill that would provide contraceptives to rape victims.

The insurgent opponent also won accolades when Golden made a few verbal stumbles, such as suggesting that New Yorkers can’t afford to provide equal pay to women and that importing oil and gas from Canada qualified as energy independence.

Golden, for his part, effectively presented his opponent as rabidly anti-gun and portrayed his own record on gun safety as a more effective and moderate approach. He also scored points by aligning Gounardes’ view on renewable energy investments with that of the Obama Administration, which has recently taken flak for providing $90 billion in breaks for green energy industries with little return shown on the investment.

Watch the debate above – it will likely be the most expansive, interesting and exciting to happen this year in Southern Brooklyn.

A reader sent us video of the aftermath of what he said was a high-speed car chase on Neptune Avenue, which ended with the suspect’s vehicle flipping over near East 11th Street at approximately 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Here’s what he wrote:

this guy was fleeing from the cops. There was a  high speed chase, and his truck flipped. This was on Neptune Ave just off of Coney Island Ave.  Amazingly, he got out of the car through the door and started saying that the mob was following him. Then he asked the police to promise him that he would be allowed to go back to his hotel.  As he was being carried away restrained in a stretcher, he was yelling “Your breaking the law” to the police officers.

The NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information’s office could not provide us with any details about the incident.

When I was walking around a mall in South Korea last year, there were a lot of digital camera salesmen. They didn’t speak any English, but seeing how my girlfriend and I were as white as can be, they knew we were foreigners and gave a simple one word sales pitch, “Memories.”

I was struck by the sweetness and straightforwardness of the sales pitch. A camera is not a collection of its cutting edge HD components, megapixel counts, special effect features, and on-board memory. A camera is a memory machine, able to crystallize the images that fade from our minds as time withers us away.

Mikhail Zheleznikov‘s video, “Brighton Beach Memory Exchange,” is a beautiful and simplistic short documentary consisting of interviews with Russian immigrants gathering around a “boardwalk picture-exchange” table.

The people offer their memories, and in exchange, they are given pictures of the homeland. Mikhail & co. interview mainly older Russians who still remember their homeland – some with longing, others with no regrets of leaving it. They also reflect on their lives in America, often with mixed, yet palpable emotions.

On the cynical side, I was particularly amused by the man who proclaimed that “I hate, hate, hate, America…yet it keeps me somehow…people are forced to sell themselves, running after [the] American dream, which does not exist.”

Not everyone was quite as hard on their adopted surroundings, “God bless America, I’m very happy here… now I’m old, I like it, where I live right now,” said a woman who had reflected on the gloominess of her former life in Russia.

Mikhail produced this film as part of his “My America” project with CEC ArtsLink and One Big City at the Museum of Moving Image in New York City. There are a slew of other “installations” related to immigration and New York culture that you can find on the project’s website.