BENSONHURST'S PREMIER NEWS BLOG

Source: Cec via Wikimedia Commons

Five hardworking students from low-income households were rewarded for their efforts with the First Scholarship Plus award during a recent ceremony.

Brooklyn Studio Secondary School (8310 21st Avenue) Valedictorian Elira Duro is among the recipients. The students describes her life’s as walks over “wobbly bridges.”

She faced hardship when her family came here from Albania in the late ’90s. She spent most of her childhood using the kitchen as her bedroom, as the family didn’t have the means to find a bigger place.

However, she struggled on to learn the English language and succeed in school.

Later, after a visit to Albania, she rediscovered her first language and decided to take greater pride in her cultural heritage.  Now, she mentors young Albanians living in New York. She also fundraises for those in need in her native country.

Her teachers recognized her passion and dedication and she was nominated for the scholarship. After receiving the good news, she plans to attend New York University in the fall.

Scholarship Plus is a scholarship program founded in 2010 to give financial assistance and support for promising New York City high school graduates who come from low-income households. The program provides students with support, such as paid internships and mentoring throughout their time at college.

A highlight of the event was the celebration of five teachers who were in turn nominated by a scholarship winner.  The teachers were introduced by their students and each received a certificate and an honorarium. For Duro, that teacher was Destiny Kangas.

The class of five Scholarship Plus winners stated that they want to study medicine, law and science because these are the subjects with which they can ameliorate the hardships of others.

Source: Google Maps

The body found last night at 86th Street and 19th Avenue belongs to a father of four and a small business owner, Isaac Kadare, 59.

He was found on the floor of his 99-cent store at 1877 86th Street by two customers at about 8:45 p.m. He was unconscious, so they called the police.

EMT personnel who arrived at the scene stated he had suffered from head trauma. An employee later said that the police were investigating this as a probable homicide. However, a police source mentioned that they may have been a heart attack followed by a fall. Nothing has been publicly confirmed yet, though police are calling this suspicious.

Kadare owned the two stores on the bottom floor and rented out the apartments above. He came to the United States from Israel and has two teenage daughters, a son and a 10-year-old daughter.

Neighbors remembered him as a “nice guy” and a “good person.” They said that his children often work in the store with him, but that they must have left a little early last night.

His family showed up quickly after hearing the news. His wife and daughter were hysterical.

“I don’t even know what to say. He loved his family, his four kids,” said his wife, Nancy Kadare through tears. She was hoping to celebrate his 60th birthday together next week.

“He was a really hard-working man, I don’t get it. A person is alive one day, and the next they are not.”

A tipster said that he drove by the store last night “and saw a huge chunk of the street blocked off.”

Police are not officially calling this a homicide until the medical examiner determines the cause of death.

Councilman David Greenfield has joined with the Sephardic Community Federation to offer a $5,000 reward leading to the arrest of the anyone involved in the incident. He also released the following statement:

I am deeply saddened that such a horrific act took place in our community, as there is no place for this type of violence in our society. My condolences to the family of Isaac Kadare, including his wife and four children. By all accounts, Mr. Kadare was a kind, caring and devoted family man who never hesitated to help those in need. I am joining with the Sephardic Community Federation to offer $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this heinous crime. We must stand together as a community and make sure the perpetrator is held accountable and taken off our streets as soon as possible.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577.

UPDATE (2:10 p.m.): Senator Martin Golden is also offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

On his Twitter page he writes, “I am offering a $5,000 dollar reward to help solve the murder of Bensonhurst business owner Isaac Kadare. My sympathies are with his family.”

UPDATE (5:20 p.m.): Medical examiner’s office spokesperson Grace Bruges has been quoted as saying that the death of Isaac Kadare has been ruled a homicide.

The store owner who was found unconscious in his shop last night was stabbed in the throat and shot in the head, officials said.

There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the responsible party.

Source: Mysid via Wikimedia Commons

Bensonhurst resident and NYPD police officer William Sena, 28, bought a lucky $1 million poker scratch-off ticket a few days ago. He’ll get to take home an extra $31,152 annually until 2031.

The cop works as a patrol officer at Midtown South and bought the ticket in Staten Island after his brother egged him on.

“Tears of joy were falling down my family’s faces,” he said at a press conference with his wife and 2-year-old daughter by his side.

Sena hopes to buy a house in Brooklyn and save for his daughter’s education with his winnings.

“I’m going to keep my job and still work every day,” he said. “I can’t retire. It doesn’t get you far anymore.”

Another Brooklyn man, Anthony Nastasi, 67, won $1 million in the Sweet Million drawing held last month. The plumber purchased his winning ticket at Sun Well Fruit Corp at 7120 Bay Parkway.

He elected to get a one-time lump sum of $623,040 to take care of his family and plan his retirement.

Looks like there may be something in the air here. Let’s strike while the iron is hot, our neighborhood is on a (bank) roll.

We hear from @NYScanner that a crime scene is being established at 86 Street and 19th Avenue. A body was found dead on arrival at the location.

NYPD has been there for about an hour. The identity or cause of death of the victim has not been released.

Any tipsters who want to send photos or have any information should email lvladimirova [at] bensonhurstbean [dot] com.

Photo courtesy of Seth Kusher/ WelcometoTripCity.com

Acclaimed photographer Seth Kushner is working really hard to get a gig at Benosnhurst Bean and Sheepshead Bites. First, he publishes an incredible essay all about Southern Brooklyn’s old school comic book shops, and now he’s posting photos documenting the 18th Avenue Feasts of yesteryear.

As far as I’m concerned, he’s hired.

“I grew up in nearby Sheepshead Bay,” he writes on Welcome to Trip City, “and my parents used to take me for a stroll and a bag of Zeppoles, deep-fried dough covered in powered sugar. You knew it was the real deal by how transparent the paper bag would become from the grease.”

Make sure to check out his well-written recollections of the Festa di Santa Rosalia and more of his photos. Also, use this time to get really excited because the Feast is back for 2012!

Local officials cut the ribbon on the elevators of the new ADA Bay Parkway station.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the West End D Line’s Bay Parkway station today, after crews completed years of work rehabilitating seven of the line’s stations throughout Bensonhurst.

This stimulus project, which cost $88 million, was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. It

Prendergast and Recchia take their first ride on the elevators. (Click to enlarge)

involved the conversion of the Bay Parkway Station into the 78th handicapped-accessible  (ADA)station in the subway system. This was accomplished through the installation of three elevators, which required widening of the station’s platform. The station also underwent repairs involving the lighting, platform edges, staircases, and technology.

“This is a great day for the thousands of Brooklynites who start and end their travels in one of these newly renovated West End Line D train station,” said State Senator Marty Golden, who, along with Assemblyman William Colton  and Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, was present for the ceremony.

Learn all about the new enhancements at local D line stations, view photos, and watch video of statements made by local leaders at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Source: Jeff Belmonte via Wikimedia Commons

A couple at the Bensonhurst Center for Rehabilitation and Health Care at 1740 84th Street are showing the world you’re never too old to find love.

70-year-old Richard Nygaard tied the knot with his girlfriend Frances Buttel on Tuesday in front of family and friends. Neither has been married before, and both said they could not be happier, according to NY1.

“God had me wait 70 years for her and she waited a long time for me. I won’t say how many years. 21-plus, we’ll say,” said Nygaard.

The couple met at the nursing home and started out as friends before deciding to get married in January.

“I feel that you have to start out as friends. And that’s how Richard and I started. As friends. And it doesn’t hurt that he had blue eyes, either,” gushed the happy bride.

New Rainbow Nail Salon at 2153 Bath Avenue has been here for over 12 years, I can attest to that. Why it’s closing, no one on the block seemed to know.

An older gentleman did say that it may have something to do with “landlords.” It could be a possibility since another store at 2159 Bath Avenue is closing too. However, there is real no evidence to confirm his theory.

Anyone know what’s happening on Bath Avenue?

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.

Source: Jim in Times Square via Flickr

Senator Diane Savino, Assembly Members Alec Brook-Krasny, Steven Cymbowitz and Nicole Malliotakis and Councilman Vincent Gentile have come together to reexamine previously proposed plans for waterway transportation alternatives.

They are looking at the success of similar projects in communities with waterway access, such as the East River Fast Ferry. They noted that the East River Fast Ferry service transported more than one million New Yorkers in the first year.

That’s one million New Yorkers off of the congested subways and highways during peak driving and commuting hours.

“It has always been my goal to enhance our relationship with the water and the ways in which we can use it. Right now, our waterfront is a tragically underutilized asset hidden in plain sight…I’m excited to have my colleagues aboard,” Gentile said. “We need to find a way to revive these plans and reignite this spark. The time has come – it is much-needed and long overdue.”

The pols hope this service plan can be enacted closer to home at the the 69th Street pier. Coney Island is also in the running to become a Southern Brooklyn ferry site.

Borough President Marty Markowitz addressed the ferry issue earlier this year. He expressed a desire to “push for the expansion of city ferry service to connect Manhattan to Coney Island, Sheepshead Bay, the Canarsie Pier and the 69th Street Pier in Bay Ridge.”

“Lest we forget New York City was founded because of its access to deep navigable waterways, in these times of increased traffic and decreased funds for infrastructure improvements it behooves City leaders to follow your return to the traffic free blue arteries that have served New Yorkers so well for centuries and a million New Yorkers in the last year alone. These benefits can and should now be reaped by South Brooklynites,” said Savino.

Launching ferry service could utilize the waterways in a commuter friendly way and create alternative transportation options, relieving aging MTA infrastructure and jam packed highways.

No dates are set for any decision deadlines; however, it is possible that future New Yorkers could be more prone to wearing “I Heart NY” life jackets on their way to work.