BENSONHURST'S PREMIER NEWS BLOG

Runners on Ocean Parkway during the 2012 half marathon. Photo by Allan Shweky.

The Brooklyn Half Marathon takes place this Saturday, and the event is expected to be bigger than ever. Over 20,000 runners have already registered and the 13.1-mile run is expected to feature heavy security and closed streets. Here is a list of what is closed, according to the NYC Department of Transportation. Please note the last three, which are all local streets, and which we’ve added emphasis.

The following streets will be closed Saturday from 7 am to 10:30 am for the Brooklyn Half Marathon event as permitted by the Mayor’ Street Activity Permit Office (SAPO).

Route:

• Washington Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Empire Boulevard
• Empire Boulevard between Washington Avenue and Flatbush Avenue
• Flatbush Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Grand Army Plaza
• Grand Army Plaza (Entire Circle)
• Ocean Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Parkside Avenue
• Parkside Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Park Circle

Route: (In Prospect Park)

• West Lake Drive between East Drive and South Lake Drive
• South Lake Drive between West Lake Drive and East Lake Drive
• East Lake Drive between South Lake Drive and East Drive
• West Drive between East Drive and West Lake Drive
• Park Circle between South Lake Drive and Ocean Parkway Entrance Ramp
• Ocean Parkway between Ocean Parkway Entrance Ramp and Surf Avenue
• Surf Avenue between Ocean Parkway and West 12th Street
• Boardwalk between West 10th Street and Stillwell Avenue

Also note that there will be several bus detours because of this. Make sure to check the MTA website if you plan to take a bus that crosses Ocean Parkway this Saturday.

Here is hoping that the event gets good weather and that everybody has fun and stays safe. For more information on the run, you can visit the New York Road Runner’s website by clicking here.

The location of the 2010 fire. (Source: Google Maps)

The lawyer for Vasilios and Argyrios Gerazounis, the landlords of the tenement building where five Guatemalan immigrants died in a 2010 fire, is seeking an injunction to prevent CBS from broadcasting a planned reality show about Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, saying that the show will reveal details about the case that could prejudice jurors.

The New York Times reports:

Gerald L. Shargel, a lawyer for a defendant in a high-profile case being prosecuted by Mr. Hynes’s office, appeared in court on Thursday seeking an injunction that would prevent CBS from broadcasting anything related to his client, a landlord charged with manslaughter as a result of a tenement fire in Bensonhurst in 2010 that killed five Guatemalan immigrants. Mr. Hynes’s office accused the landlords of the building of illegally subdividing apartments without furnishing the required exits.

The Gerazounis’ will be the second prosecution connected to the fire. Earlier this year, Daniel Ignacio was found guilty of setting the fire. The Gerazounis will stand trial for creating unsafe conditions that may have contributed to the five deaths.

The Times continues:

Mr. Shargel wrote a letter on Wednesday to Judge Danny K. Chun of State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, arguing that showing prosecutors interviewing witnesses and making statements about the case before a trial has taken place was a “shocking” violation of professional conduct rules demanded of all lawyers. He asserted that the program would make it difficult for his client, Argyrios Gerazounis, and his client’s father, Vasilios, also a landlord and also charged with manslaughter, to receive a fair jury trial.

“These defendants cannot expect to receive a fair trial if the people provide the public — including prospective jurors and witnesses — with an ‘insider’s look’ at the prosecution’s side of the case, on network television,” Mr. Shargel wrote. “This is a very serious criminal case that should be tried in a courtroom, not on ‘reality TV.’ ”

But when Mr. Shargel arrived in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Thursday, he learned from a prosecutor, Lawrence Oh, that CBS would not be including footage of his client after all. Mr. Shargel said afterward that the issue was now “moot.”

However, Jerry Schmetterer, a spokesman for the office, had a different version of events. He said in a telephone interview that CBS had decided on its own not to include the case, not in response to the Shargel letter. CBS, he said, always had final editorial say on what would be shown, but prosecutors have been fastidious about not saying anything on camera that might prejudice a case.

“We are being very careful, and so is CBS that no case would be in jeopardy by what they’re doing,” Mr. Schmetterer said.

Officials in the office said most of the CBS footage concerned cases that are either closed or had been well-publicized at news conferences.

Shargel isn’t the only one upset about the show. Earlier in the week, a candidate seeking to replace Hynes, Abe George, filed suit, claiming that the show will unfairly promote Hynes and give him an advantage in the elections. He is also asking that the show be put on hold.

Click to enlarge

CompStat reports are produced by the New York Police Department on a weekly basis. We publish the week’s statistics for the 62nd Precinct reports every Friday. The 62nd Precinct is the police command responsible for Bensonhurst and Bath Beach.

Blue387 via Wikimedia Commons

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is joining the effort to junk the new digitized voting machines in favor of bringing back the older and supposedly more reliable lever machines. NY1 reports that Bloomberg said during a press conference that bringing back the old machines might prevent a voting disaster in the upcoming 2014 elections.

We’ve previously reported State Senator Marty Golden and Councilman David Greenfield’s efforts to bring back the old machines, with Golden successfully leading the passage of a bill to bring them back in the senate. The bill then went to the Assembly, which has been lukewarm on it.

“We are not prepared in the Assembly at this point to bring back the lever machines. We think it would be a step backwards,” State Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh told NY1. “We are prepared to work with the city and the city Board Of Elections to change some of the rules that may allow them to run the runoff more quickly and more smoothly.”

Mayor Bloomberg’s voice adds to the growing groundswell of support to the return to the old machines. The decision would be costly as the new digitized voting equipment, mandated by federal law, cost taxpayers $60 million.

The Board of Elections has warned that it is unprepared for the upcoming mayoral elections, citing that votes cast with the new electronic machines cannot be certified fast enough to account for a potential runoff after the primary.

While the new voting equipment wouldn’t be ditched forever, an exception could be made just once for a local election.

Bloomberg urged that returning to the old machines could prevent a voting catastrophe.

“If we don’t do that, we are running a real risk of not knowing who the mayor is for months,” Bloomberg said at the press conference.

Bensonhurst Bean reporter Elle Spektor stumbled on this new business, Q Cafe, slated to open soon at 2024 86th Street.

The corner was previously occupied by Emmzie Contemporary Fashions, a clothing and accessories outpost.

Do you know of any new businesses opening in the neighborhood? E-mail tips and photos to nberke [at] bensonhurstbean [dot] com.

Friends of Kaiser Park and the Alliance of Calver Vaux Park are hosting a coastal cleanup on Saturday, May 18, that will also show off some fancy shmancy robots coming out of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) programs at local schools.

The cleanup kicks off at 11:00 a.m. and last to 4:00 p.m. at the Kaiser Park Beachfront, 2703 West 36th Street. They’re seeking volunteers to help make our neighborhood a little prettier, alongside students from John Dewey High School, Rachel Carson High School and P.S. 188.

This free event is family friendly and kids are encouraged to attend. The day is chock full of family and marine education activities.

Back in October, we wrote about how these groups – with help from Rod Roddenberry – debuted a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), which is a product of the City Parks Foundation’s Coastal Classrooms program in partnership with students from John Dewey High School. Educators hope that the ROV will allow students to better see and understand the world located underneath our local waterways, and it’s going to be in use this weekend.

For more information, please call Anthony Feliciano, Partnerships for Parks at 646-325-5317 or go to www.facebook.com/kaiserparknyc. If you would like to volunteer, please email Afeliciano@CityParksFoundation.org or call Feliciano at 646-325-5317.

Source: schools.nyc.gov

The kids at P.S. 186 (7601 19th Avenue) probably aren’t happy about having to spend an extra three hours at school everyday but their parents and educators are. The Daily News is reporting that test scores have increased since extending school hours until 5:20 p.m.

The increased hours, set for second, third and fourth graders, have boosted math scores 10 percent and reading scores seven percent. Educators are finding that the extra hours helps their teaching.

“[The longer day] gives instructors the opportunity to have fun with teaching instead of just worrying about covering material,” Principal Bayan Cadotte told the Daily News. “It’s very hard to squeeze everything in during the day, [without more hours.]”

Principal Cadotte promised that eventually, all 883 students at P.S. 186 will have to stay until 5:20 p.m., creating a curriculum that will allow more space for art, dance, theater and music while also providing increased reinforcement of the basics.

Education officials are looking to increase hours for thousands of other middle school students, hoping to boost test scores. Parents are mostly thrilled with the results though some are chaffing at the greater workload their children face.

“She had no free time to herself,” parent Christine Abbate told the Daily News. “I had a harder time getting her to school because she was so tired. From 8 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. is a lot of hours. It’s longer than a standard work day.”

Welcome to the real world.

Source: FTAA.org

Turkish-Americans celebrate their heritage this month with a week of restaurant discounts at participating eateries, a parade and festival, and an event at Borough Hall.

The 32nd Turkish Day Parade and Festival kicks off on Saturday, May 18, at noon. Organized by the Federation of Turkish American Associations, the parade takes place in Manhattan, with participants gathering at 56th Street and Madison Avenue and marching down to Dag Hammarskjold Park on 47th Street and 1st Avenue, where they’ll join with the festival.

The festival features Turkish music, folk dancers and more.

Here in Brooklyn, the organizations will celebrate with a taste of Turkish culture  during the Brooklyn Turkish Cultural Celebration at Borough Hall (188 Montague Street). There will be complimentary Turkish food prepared by local restaurants, along with more folk dancers and music, to be enjoyed by Borough President Marty Markowitz, other dignitaries, and neighbors. The event is Thursday, May 16, at 5 p.m.

But all week long this week – lasting until Sunday – locals can also enjoy a discount at participating Turkish restaurants, including four in Southern Brooklyn. Coupons and a full list of participating restaurants around the Tri-State area can be seen here.

But here’s the list of local restaurants:

• Opera Cafe & Lounge - 2555 Emmons Avenue
• Liman Restaurant - 2710 Emmons Avenue
• Istanbul Restaurant - 1715 Emmons Avenue
• Istanbul Fast Food - 2202 86th Street

Gargiulo’s Restaurant (Source: Facebook)

The relief organization #ConeyRecovers doled out some big money to some needy Coney Island businesses. According to a News 12 report, an event was held at Gargiulo’s Restaurant (2911 West 15th Street) where a range of Coney businesses received grants of $100,000 each.

The grants, culled from private fund raising, hope to not just help specific businesses but get the entire Coney Island community back on its feet.

“This award is helpful in funding all of the efforts that we are providing here on Coney Island,” Pastor Edwin Malave, a grant recipient, told News 12.

A Microscopic Look at the Measles Virus (Source: Center For Disease Control via Wikimedia Commons)

The New York City Department of Health is warning of a growing measles outbreak centered in ultra-orthodox communities in Borough Park. DNAinfo is reporting that 21 outbreaks of the virus have been reported this year, with one case being noted in Williamsburg.

The measles outbreak has been reportedly traced back to London, England, which also features a large ultra-Orthodox Jewish population, when a family who refused vaccinations visited Brooklyn recently.

Rabbi Moshe Tendler, a professor of biology and Jewish medical ethics at Yeshiva University explained why he believed a measles outbreak was happening.

“It has nothing to do with religion,” Tendler told DNAinfo. “Most likely there’s a failure in their understanding of exactly what modern medicine is, largely due to the fact that so many of the families have not had a secular education.”

Tendler also noted that vaccine requirements for private Orthodox schools are less stringent then those for public schools.

“There is a laxity concerning health regulations. It’s not part of the educational process. But measles is not a minor disease; in adults it is even more severe, and measles in pregnant women is particularly dangerous,” Tendler said.

This is the fourth outbreak of measles in Borough Park since 2008. In 2011, Bensonhurst Bean reported on an outbreak of shigella in Borough Park.

If someone is exposed to a measles patient, they can receive a vaccine to prevent infection within 72 hours. Health officials also noted that everyone affected has so far recovered without hospitalization.