SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

The horror! The unacceptable, outrageous horror!

The bicycle of Sheepshead Bites’ own Erica Sherman was pilfered yesterday in broad daylight at one of the neighborhood’s busiest intersections. And nobody saw nothin’.

Sherman locked her bike to the Bay’s railing at 10:30 a.m., at the intersection of Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue. When she came back to the spot at approximately 2:30 p.m., she was shocked to find that her only means of transportation was little more than a cruddy public art display.

The thief made off with two tires with matching 8-ball gauge caps, front and back strobe lights, and an American flag bell, the last of which was surely a win for terrorism.

The location is popular with strolling neighbors, shoppers, restaurant patrons, fisherman and beachgoers. Hundreds of people, if not thousands, passed by it in the time it was locked up. And, somehow, somebody managed to go up to, inspect it, dismantle it, and walk away with their bounty without anybody saying a damn thing.

Is that the kind of neighborhood we want to be? One where neighbors aren’t looking out for each other?

Apparently, it’s not the first bike-related theft to happen at that intersection. Just a few weeks ago, also in broad daylight, a patron left his bicycle outside of Zephyr’s Deli (1729 Emmons Avenue). In the brief moment he went inside to talk to the clerk, someone hopped on his bicycle and took off.

While the thieves are the ones to blame, we can help thwart them in the future. A few things:

• Don’t leave your bike unlocked and unattended. Not even for a moment.
• U-locks only do so much. A chain lock that can be weaved through the frame and both tires is more secure.
• Although it didn’t help in Erica’s situation, locking your bike in a high-trafficked, well-lighted place is better than a dark, empty street.
• Get your bike registered with the NYPD. It won’t help if your tires are stolen, but if the entire bike is swiped and later recovered by the police, they can track it back to the original owner. Just by luck, there’s an event to do this on Monday, at 5 p.m., at Asser Levy Park.
• Remove any dangly bits you don’t want stolen and that can’t be locked up, including American flag bells.

And for the rest of us? If you see something, say something.

Source: Cymbrowitz’s office

The following is a press release from the offices of Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz:

Trash problems and summer heat are a bad mix, and Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) says the city needs to do something about the problem now before Sheepshead Bay’s vermin population starts to soar.

In an effort to address quality of life issues throughout his district, the lawmaker took New York City Department of Sanitation Borough Superintendent Joe Lupo on a tour of Sheepshead Bay yesterday afternoon.

He invited Lupo to his district because many residents have reached out to him about trash throughout the neighborhood. In addition to overall filth in Sheepshead Bay, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz told the superintendent about the overflowing trash bins on Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue, the state of the Sheepshead Bay Road underpasses by the train station and along Shore Parkway, as well as trash along the Emmons Avenue median and Ocean Avenue.

Noting that the beauty of Sheepshead Bay attracts tens of thousands of residents and visitors each year, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz has partnered in recent years with the Department of Sanitation in an effort to encourage area merchants along Sheepshead Bay Road to sign up for Adopt-a-Basket, Sanitation’s volunteer program, which would help prevent public garbage cans from overflowing all over our streets.

The legislator also provided multi-modal funding for various beautification projects along the bay side of Emmons Avenue between Ocean Avenue and East 14th Street, which included newly-planted trees, new sidewalks, curb cuts, newly-painted railings, granite pavers, benches and covered trash receptacles. New decorative benches and trash cans recently capped off the much-anticipated project on the west end of Emmons Avenue.

In surveying the community, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz and Superintendent Lupo both agreed that immediate action needs to be taken. “While providing an aesthetically pleasing setting will encourage more people to enjoy the stretch of our waterfront, we need to be vigilant in ensuring that our community remains clean,” said Assemblyman Cymbrowitz.

He said he looks forward to continuing to partner with the Department of Sanitation to address the problem.

Photo by Erica Sherman

It was just last week that Brennan & Carr was named one of New York City’s most iconic meat dishes by Eater NY. Was rival roast beef peddler Roll-N-Roaster (2901 Emmons Avenue) going to be ignored?

C’mon. Nobody puts Roll-N-Roaster in a corner. They put them on “Best of” lists. Specifically, CBS News “Best of” lists, which has to be among the best “Best of” lists because they once named us Best Local Affairs Website and obviously have good taste.

The news outlet calls Roll-N-Roaster one of eight best sandwiches in Brooklyn, describing it thusly:

While “You can have CHEEZ on anything you PLEEZ” would be enough to entice even the strongest will-powered man into Roll-n-Roaster, there are reasons galore to visit – though most do include said CHEEZ. First and foremost is the wonderful roast beef sandwich; thin slices of beef with a pink center arrive piled high on a soft bun, a sandwich that would put to shame that fast food sandwich chain that claims to make these.

One week, two local roast beef sandwiches on “Best of” lists, and never a consensus on which is better.

Congratulations to both of our meateries!

Well, this is certainly something new. Councilman Chaim Deutsch and the Bay Improvement Group are teaming up to bring live music to Emmons Avenue’s Driscoll Tucker Park, beginning this Sunday.

As you can see from the flier above, there will be three dates, with three hours of live music each day, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Tucker Park is on Emmons Avenue at East 27th Street, right next to Stella Maris Bait and Tackle shop. No word on what type of music will be playing, but the flier says bring dancing shoes. Though I do not own those particular kind of shoes, I’ll stop by anyway.

“Bullet Points” is our format for Community Board 15 meeting coverage, providing takeaways we think are important. Information in Bullet Points is meant only to be a quick summary, and some issues may be more deeply explored in future articles.

Loehmann’s expansion postponed: An expected vote on an application to expand Loehmann’s Seaport Plaza (2027 Emmons Avenue) was tabled by Community Board 15 at their meeting this Tuesday to allow hearings and public input throughout the summer.

The Board was scheduled to vote on the proposal, which seeks to add an additional floor of office space totaling 10,000 square feet to the building. As the first item on the agenda, the Board’s Zoning Committee chairperson, Ronnie Tawil, made a motion to table the item until the group’s next meeting in September.

“Since this property is at the centerpiece of Sheepshead Bay and is of such high significance for the entire area, I’m of the mind that we should table this matter so that we can have more public hearings and more opportunities to discuss the ramifications of this particular application,” he said before the Board.

Normally, postponing such a hearing before the summer could open the door for an end-run around the Board. The group’s recommendation is advisory, and is requested to come within 60 days before the landlord’s appearance before the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), which has final say. If the Community Board tables a motion, it could forfeit its right to provide input.

However, the group’s chairperson Theresa Scavo said that won’t happen in this case. She met with the landlord’s attorney, Eric Palatnik, who frequently comes before the group on zoning matter and requested that he postpone the appearance before the BSA so that public hearings can be organized. He agreed, and has frozen the application, Scavo said.

“I’m asking him not to go ahead without us, he said he would not, and everything is put on hold. He’s giving it until September,” said Scavo.

Public hearings are expected to be scheduled in July or August by Councilman Deutsch’s office in conjunction with local groups like the Sheepshead Bay – Plumb Beach Civic Association. The item will be back for a vote before the Board in September.

As Sheepshead Bites first reported in March, the landlord is planning to add a new floor of commercial offices. Because it falls outside of the special zoning district‘s permitted uses, and the building is already subject to a variance, the BSA must review and approve the project.

Its initial construction was a lightning rod for community activists in the 1990s, when many locals mobilized to stop it from being built. It succeeded in going forward, and many credit the development as being the death of the special zoning district.

“It’s the same thing all over again. The use exceeds the zoning by 800 percent. It was granted specifically for Loehmann’s and Loehmann’s went out [of business]. So that’s it. Unbelievable,” said Steve Barrison when he learned the news in March. “We’re talking about a special district. We’re talking about the waterfront. We’re not talking about any where else in the community. It’s disgusting.”

Zoning items:

• 1112 Gilmore Court – The board voted 28-to-5 to approve an application for a special permit to allow the enlargement of a single family dwelling. The landlord is seeking to upgrade a one-story bungalow into a two-family house, saying he needs more space for his family and needs the second unit to cover the costs of construction. The construction will not result in decreased side yards, as they plan to build back into the rear yard and to increase the front yard space.

Elected officials:

• Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein briefed the Board on the end of the legislative session, specifically touting her record of domestic violence initiatives. She added that her bill on special education placements did not pass, but that was in fact good news since a deal had been negotiated with Mayor Bill de Blasio to initiate the changes at the Department of Education anyway.

Other notable information:

• A motion by newly appointed boardmember Ed Jaworski, also the president of the Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association, was rejected. The motion was to approve a resolution of “no confidence” in the Board of Standards and Appeals, which he said has been effectively upzoning neighborhoods on a lot-by-lot basis by rubber stamping special applications for variances that come before it. In the coming days, the BSA will lose its current chairperson to term limits, and Jaworski hoped to send a message that would result in an appointee he would consider more inclined to listen to local communities. The Board ultimately rejected the motion after choosing not to table it, with members saying that it would “disenfranchise the relationship we’ve built over time,” and that there were other ways to weigh in on the selection of a new BSA chairperson.
• The Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, through their partnership with the Family Justice Center, informed the area that they are establishing walk-in centers in every borough for domestic violence victims. The centers have free attorneys, social workers, children’s counselors and more on-site, and it’s open to all regardless of gender or immigration status. Community Board 15 is ranked 39th citywide in domestic violence calls, roughly in the middle of all communities.
• The Department of City Planning announced the launch of the Southern Brooklyn Resilient Neighborhood Study, a two-year plan to examine the Sheepshead Bay area (specifically Plumb Beach and Gerritsen Beach) to identify strategies to strengthen the area from future storms. Some attendees complained that the new study doesn’t help with ongoing issues with Build it Back, FEMA or other agencies, and is yet another in a long line of studies and initiatives that they feel are not moving forward.
• The Board welcomed the appointment of five new members, at least two of which were not in attendance, and at least one of which has never been seen at Board meetings previously. Board appointments are made by the borough president, often at the recommendation of local Council members.
• Doreen Garson, representing the local CERT team, noted that the Office of Emergency Management has issued new evacuation maps and a related website.
• A representative for Councilman Mark Treyger announced that his office would hold an unclaimed funds event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at their 2014 Stillwell Avenue office on July 10. You will be able to search state databases for funds owed that you may have forgotten about or lost track of.
• The Sheepshead Bay and Gerritsen Beach branches of the Brooklyn Public Library will participate in the Department of Education’s summer meals programming, offering kids free lunch during the day, beginning on June 27.
• The July 4 holiday is a Friday. There will be no recycling picked up that day, but garbage may be put to the curb. Alternate side parking will be suspended.
• The Department of Consumer Affairs asked the Board for input on the installation of bumper cars at Land o’ Fun at 2955 Coney Island Avenue. The Board voted to recommend its approval.

A man was crushed to death by a tow truck this morning outside of the Lyghthouse Inn on Brigham Street.

Emergency responders were called to the scene just after 8:00 a.m. for an unconscious patient. FDNY EMS arrived and declared the man dead-on-arrival.

Early reports indicate the victim was a homeless man, although the FDNY could not confirm that.

Tipsters who were at the scene, including Pavel Itskovskiy who submitted the photo above, said that the man was pinned under the wheel of the truck.

The NYPD’s Highway Collision Investigation Squad is investigating the incident.

Brooklyn: U/D 3206 Emmons Ave. NYPD reports that a homeless male was struck by a tow truck. Emmons Ave is blocked both directions.

— NYPD 911 Dispatch (@NYPD911Dispatch) June 26, 2014

Pedestrian struck by a tow truck driver at Emmons Ave & Brigham St, Brooklyn did not survive. #VisionZero

— Vision Zero for NYC (@VisionZeroNYC) June 26, 2014

UPDATE (4:30 p.m.): We just received the following information from the NYPD:

On Thursday, June 26, 2014 at approximately 0745 hours police responded to a 911 call of a pedestrian struck at Brigham Street and Emmons Avenue in the confines of the 61 Precinct. Upon arrival police discovered an unconscious and unresponsive male with severe trauma to the body. EMS responded to the scene and pronounced the unidentified male DOA. A preliminary investigation determined that a 2002 Flatliner tractor trailer while backing into a parking space did roll over the male with his driver’s side rear wheel. The driver did remain on scene. The New York City Police Department’s Highway Collision Investigation Squad also responded to the location and the investigation is ongoing.

This is a breaking news story and may contain inaccuracies. We will update it as more information becomes available. If anyone has more information or additional photos, please send them to tips (at) sheepsheadbites (dot) com.

Photo by Ned Berke

Residents took to Emmons Avenue this past Sunday for the 11th Annual Lena Cymbrowitz Community Health Fair, offering free health screening, giveaways and health-related information from local organizations and businesses.

Held on the waterfront between East 16th Street and Ocean Avenue, the fair was sponsored by Assemblyman Cymbrowitz in conjunction with Maimonides Medical Center, Mount Sinai Beth Israel Brooklyn, Kiwanis International, Net Cost market, All Car Rent-a-Car and MJHS. Local businesses focused on nutrition and well-being, like UFC Gym and area medical practitioners, set up tables to give out information, while musical performances from P.S. 255 and Bay Academy and balloon sculptures from Zippy the Clown drew crowds over.

“I was pleased to see so many members of the community take advantage of the free screenings, giveaways and health-related information available at the fair,” said Cymbrowitz. “It was great to meet so many residents and to be able to bring all these great organizations and sponsors together in one place for the benefit of the community.”

The event raised funds for Dynamic Youth Community, a local drug rehabilitation organization.

Photo by Erica Sherman

The following is a press release from the offices of Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz:

Free screenings, giveaways and health-related information galore will be available at the 11th Annual Lena Cymbrowitz Community Health Fair on Sunday, June 8th, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., on Emmons Avenue between East 15th Street and Ocean Avenue.

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) is sponsoring the fair in conjunction with Maimonides Medical Center, Mount Sinai Beth Israel Brooklyn, Kiwanis International, Affinity Health Plan, Net Cost market, All Car Rent-a-Car and MJHS. Thousands of neighborhood residents attend the popular and much-anticipated event.

While grown-ups are exploring dozens of tables with stay-healthy tips, nutrition and exercise advice and potentially lifesaving information, children can explore a functioning ambulance and fire truck. Entertainment will include Zippy the Clown, Exercise with Gilda, balloon sculptures and continuous music with DJ Victory Entertainment. Children from Bay Academy and P.S. 255 will perform.

In case of rain, the fair will be held at Bay Academy, 1401 Emmons Avenue.

The event raises funds for Dynamic Youth Community.

Faberge Lounge at 2007 Emmons Avenue is being sued by the 159-year-old luxury jewelry company of the same name for using its image and trademarked name in a “shameless” attempt to misappropriate the brand.

The suit, filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, alleges that the restaurant is using the name without permission to get a “free-ride” on their reputation. In addition to using the name, the restaurant has duplicated the jewelry business’ iconic purple and gold storefront stylings.

Faberge, the jewelry company born of the House of Faberge in 1855 that invented the famed ornamental eggs for Tsar Alexander III, claims that the restaurant is also flooding search engine results with ads for the restaurant, according to the Daily News.

The restaurant’s owners say it’s much ado about nothing, since they’re clearly not selling anything connected to the jewelry company.

They told the New York Post:

But owner [Vladislav] Yusufova ripped the lawsuit as ridiculous.

“We don’t sell eggs here,” he said. “We don’t sell jewelry. We sell French food in Sheepshead Bay. I don’t know why they are coming after us. I haven’t broken any laws here in America.”

Yusufova, originally from Azerbaijan, said that his lawyers would soon be in contact with Faberge’s legal team to sort out the mess. “We have this name legally, and we have nothing to do with them,” he said, noting that he’s been open for a year.

The restaurant opened in September 2013, replacing Fusion. It’s owned by the same people behind Signature, the restaurant next door that replaced Tzar. Tzar and Fusion were both shuttered after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the property.

It’s been a long journey, but Rocca Cafe & Lounge is finally open to the public at 2712 Emmons Avenue, the former site of Dunkin’ Donuts, which closed in 2009.

The revamped building is not only the latest restaurant to open on Emmons Avenue, but one of the few to take advantage of its waterfront location. With huge windows on the interior, and outdoor, waterside seating for fairer weather, it showcases the Bay with pride.

The restaurant has been in the works for years. We were the first to note, in 2010, that a new restaurant was coming here. At the time, it was to be a second location for Masal, currently in the Lundy’s building. Some squabbling led to changes in ownership – again and again – as well as a few different names. Superstorm Sandy hampered its opening further, but it’s finally here.

The restaurant is Turkish owned, but it looks like a number of Italian dishes are making its way onto the menu, and the owners have previously described it to us as pan-Mediterranean. Regardless, the location looks spiffy, and we’re looking forward to checking it out.