Greenpoint Gazette by Nat

& BUSHWICK

Since 1974

GREENPOINT | WILLIAMSBURG

VOLUME 45 | NUMBER 46

DECEMBER 7, 2017

Two Sections

(718) 422-7400

25¢

L Train Riders Demand Answers from MTA, DOT on Upcoming Shutdown Time Is Getting Short, and MTA Hasn’t Revealed Plans

North Brooklyn officials, business people and commuters gathered in Williamsburg Tuesday morning to demand that the MTA report on what it is doing to ameliorate the effect of the impending L‐Train shutdown. Stakeholders say they haven’t heard from MTA in a year. See page 2. Photo courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Stephen Levin

BQX Streetcar Backers Survey Public Housing Along the Route Thousands Interviewed Personally Confirm: ‘We Want Better Transit’

Brooklyn Brewery Hosts Unique Festival In November, advocates of the streetcar unveiled a French‐made prototype in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. See page 2.

Photo by Steve Koepp

After a year of scandals, this seems like a particularly good time for a party honoring an organization helping girls from Brooklyn to India to learn the value of education and self‐respect. The Other Side’s annual Winterfest will take place Monday. Pictured above is novelist Emily Culliton. See page 7. Photo by Beowulf Sheehan

/ Williamsburg / Bushwick

December 7, 2017 April 6, 2016 Wednesday,

L Train Riders Demand Answers from MTA, DOT 0n Upcoming Shutdown Time Is Getting Short, and MTA Hasn’t Revealed Plans By Mary Frost Greenpoint Gazette

It’s been about a year since L Train commuters last heard from MTA and the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) about the coming 15month service shutdown, scheduled to commence in April 2019. The L Train connects Manhattan to neighborhoods in North Brooklyn, East New York and Canarsie. On Tuesday, Dec. 5, riders, officials and business people gathered in Williamsburg to demand a report of current plans for a number of troubling

issues, including transportation remediation, help for local businesses and any street use changes proposed by DOT. MTA met with stakeholders in November 2016 to get suggestions, but did not maintain the contact, local officials say. Now locals want a commitment by the agencies and their contractors to meet with a community advisory board on a monthly basis starting in January 2018. “You can’t have a good relationship without communication,” Councilmember Stephen Levin said in a statement. “If we are going to get through this together, we SERVING GREENPOINT FOR OVER

50 years!

PIZZA • RESTAURANT HOT & COLD CATERING 745 Manhattan Avenue Tel. (718) 383-9463 Fax (718) 383-3590 Free Delivery!

NOW ACCEPTING CATERING ORDERS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. HOME & OFFICE CELEBRATIONS — 7 days a week! Party Tray Specials (small or large) • Baked Ziti or Spaghetti • Lasagna • Stuffed Shells • Manicotti • Ravioli • Penne Alla Vodka • Meatballs • Sausage & Peppers • Chicken Parmigiana • Veal • Eggplant Parmigiana • Garden Salad Also Available 3ft & 6ft HERO SANDWICHES Create your own! Choose from these fresh ingredients: Ham or Salami with Lettuce & Tomato Your choice or cheeses; including fresh made Mozzarella! We also have a full menu of HOT HERO SANDWICHES *Please allow 2 days notice for all hot or cold catering orders All orders include serving supplies and condiments

Greenpoint Gazette (USPS PP 406)

J.D. Hasty, Publisher jdh@ebrooklynmedia.com

Legal Advertising: Gina Ong gina@ebrooklynmedia.com

Display Advertising: Katrina Ramus kat@ebrooklynmedia.com Telephone: 718-643-9099 Greenpoint Gazette & Advertiser (USPS pending permit # 406) is published weekly except first week of January, first week of July, last week of August, last week of December by EBrooklyn Media, 16 Court Street, 30th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11241. Subscription rate: $25/year. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, New York. POSTMASTER: send address changes to the Greenpoint Gazette, 16 Court Street, 30th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11241. Founded in 1974 by Ralph Carrano & Adelle Haines

need to begin frequent and meaningful dialogue. This can only work if the MTA and DOT collaborate and form a solid partnership with each other and with the community.” “The MTA and DOT promised us a plan for transporting commuters when the L Train shuts down — and we want to make sure they’re remembering that residents, workers and customers have to be able to get to Greenpoint/Williamsburg, not avoid it,” U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney said. “Further, we want to be able to influence the plan as it is being made, rather than after it has been finalized. It’s time for the MTA and DOT to show us what they’re considering.” “We started out with a good deal of transparency and communication at the beginning of the process, but now as crunch time approaches we’re seeing less of that when we should be seeing more,” Assemblymember Joseph Lentol said. Hundreds of thousands of riders throughout Northern Brooklyn are served by the L train and will be negatively

affected by the shutdown. The L train is a lifeline for small businesses. “April 2019 will be here sooner than we think and our many area businesses who will be affected by the L Train shutdown need to prepare in order to thrive during the 15 months that will follow,” said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Andrew Hoan. Homer Hill, executive director of the Grand Street Business Improvement District, said that reconfigurations of Grand Street’s traffic patterns and usage “will have a tremendous effect on the over 150 small businesses located in our district. It’s time for the DOT and MTA to release their plans and begin briefing our community.” Paul Samulski, president of the North Brooklyn Chamber, said the agencies “know what's coming is going to be bad, real bad, but with more information to work with and adequate time for public input and dialog on the plan, they just might be able to creatively think of ways to lessen the severity of the damage.”

BQX Streetcar Backers Survey Public Housing Along the Route Thousands Interviewed Personally Confirm: ‘We Want Better Transit’ By Emily Nonko Special to the Greenpoint Gazette

On a cold evening in late October, as most New Yorkers were returning home from work, Kristina Gonzalez began knocking on doors inside the Red Hook Houses. This collection of 28 brick buildings is one of the largest public housing complexes in New York City, and also one of the most isolated. To get to the nearest subway, residents have to walk more than a half-mile and cross underneath the Gowanus Expressway, which cut off the neighborhood from the rest of Brooklyn when it opened in the 1940s. In ensuing decades, residents have made do with cars, waiting for unpredictable bus service, or hiking to Carroll Gardens for the F or G train. And that’s what Gonzalez wanted to talk about with residents of Red Hook Houses. She was canvassing for the Brooklyn Queens Connector, a proposal introduced last year to build a 16-mile streetcar system, known as the BQX, stretching from Astoria to Sunset Park with likely stops in Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill and Red Hook.

There has been no shortage of opinions on the proposal, endorsed early on by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Questions of cost loom large. Early intentions to fund the $2.5 billion project through increased property-tax revenue, brought in by higher real estate values and new development along the route, raised concerns that the project will not only be fueled by gentrification but might also accelerate it. Finding enough suitable above-ground space to install the route also remains a question. Street space remains at a premium. While the proposed route is far from settled, there is the recent assertion that slices of land along what might become the route are controlled by the state. Other critics have argued that express buses would make more sense than a streetcar. But hardcore proponents counter that BQX is a long-overdue “connector” — connecting people to jobs, neighborhoods to neighborhoods and everyone to the new Brooklyn waterfront. Amid the uncertainty, Friends of the BQX, an advocacy group backed by the realestate firm Two Trees Management and nearly two dozen other donors, as well as endorsed by more than 100 business and community groups in Brooklyn and Queens, has made a determined effort to build public support for the proj-

Get Ready for Noise, Dust, Parking Space Shortages City Installing New Water Mains in Brooklyn By Paula Katinas Greenpoint Gazette

You’re getting new water mains, Brooklyn. But you’ll have to put up with a lot of construction noises, clouds of dust, water turn-offs and the temporary loss of on-street parking spaces in the meantime. The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) sent out an advisory on Nov. 28 announcing the start of a multimilliondollar project to replace and extend water mains in several neighborhoods throughout the borough. The work is scheduled to begin on or about Monday, Dec. 11. The project, which DDC is calling an “Accelerated Water Main Replacement and Sewer Rehabilitation,” is expected to be completed sometime in fall 2019. Sheepshead Bay, Bushwick, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Williamsburg, East New York, Sunset Park, Kensington and Borough Park will all be affected. “This is a various locations project occurring within several community boards in Brooklyn,” the DDC advisory reads. The scope of the work entails replacing and extending water mains, water main valves and fire hydrants. The fact that the entire project is expected to take nearly two years to complete doesn’t mean that the work in any one particular neighborhood is going to last that long, officials said. But DDC is warning that the project could still cause major disruptions that are likely to give residents headaches. For example, the water supply on certain blocks might have to be turned off for short periods of time. On-street parking restrictions will be enforced on certain streets to accommodate the work, according to DDC. “There may be limited street access on certain blocks,” the agency’s advisory reads. DDC is also promising, however, that the restrictions will only be in place for the duration of the project. If a bus stop is located in a work zone, the bus stop will have to be moved. The city’s comprehensive ect. Earlier this month, the group unveiled the first life-size prototype of the streetcar, a two-car mockup displayed in the Navy Yard. On another front, Friends of the BQX has been seeking to engage with the estimated 40,000 citizens who live in New York City Housing Authority buildings along the proposed route. For the past several months, the group has sent canvassers knocking on thousands of doors in public housing, both to advocate for the streetcar and

plan also takes the rat population into consideration. Rodent control measures will be put in place if necessary. The work schedule of the water main project is as follows: Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. DDC also advised that night work might be necessary in some instances. In those cases, the work will be performed between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. If night work is a necessity, advance notice will be given to the affected community, according to officials. Work is already under way on Coyle Street between Avenue Z and Shore Parkway in Sheepshead Bay. Bay Ridge is next, with the first phase of work set to be performed on 89th Street between Narrows Avenue and Colonial Road. In Bay Ridge, local officials are busy spreading the word to the public about the project. Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann sent out her own advisory, along with the DDC notice and a map of the work zone, to explain what is about to happen. The Bay Ridge portion of the project is expected to cost $5 million, according to Beckmann. The parameters of the project in Bay Ridge are Shore Road and Colonial Road from 89th Street to 91st Street; 89th Street from Colonial Road to Shore Road; and Narrows Avenue from 89th Street to Shore Road. In an effort to mitigate any disturbances, Beckmann has already contacted the Department of Sanitation about street cleaning and alternate side of the street parking rules. “CB10 has requested a suspension of Street Cleaning Rules for the affected area and will provide further updates on this request,” Beckmann said in a statement. DDC has assigned an ombudsman, known as a community construction liaison, to handle any complaints residents and business owners might have. The liaison can be reached by emailing BEDA002ccl2@gmail.com. If residents have concerns after work hours, they are advised to call 311. gauge support. So far, the group has received more than 3,500 signatures in support of the project, and they plan to continue local outreach in advance of a public-review process that could begin as early as 2018. In the Red Hook Houses on that October evening, many res-idents were more than willing to talk about transportation with Gonzalez, a warm, 24year-old Fort Greene native with a back-ground in political canvassing. She led a team of continued on p.3

Wednesday, March / Williamsburg / Bushwick

Thursday, December 2017 Wednesday, April 6,7,2016

BQX Streetcar Backers Survey Public Housing Along the Route continued from p. 2

canvassers here a few months earlier, to collect signatures for a letter of endorse-ment that was later delivered to residents. Several residents Gonzalez spoke with in October, as a reporter accompanied her, were familiar with the BQX proposal because of the prior canvassing. That included Jimmie Bradley, 57, who has lived in Red Hook West since 1973 and worked as a school bus inspector before he retired. “My impression is that this would be good for everyone,” he said. “In a way, we’re isolated from the rest of the borough. There’s only one way in and one way out.” Bradley didn’t view the street-car as a harbinger of gentrification; rather, he saw it as a way for public housing residents to benefit from the new amenities that gentrification often brings in. “Why not us?”

he asked of better transit options. “Don’t leave us out in the cold.” Bradley owns a van, but noted that many residents in the area cannot afford a car. Indeed, it was a concern Gonzalez heard often as she advocated for the BQX in Red Hook. One woman detailed her work day, which involved leaving her home at 4:30 a.m., only to wait up to 45 minutes for the bus to arrive. Another woman simply stated she had “nothing nice to say” about the current subway and bus service offered in the neighborhood. Gonzalez prompted conversation about above-ground boarding as an alternative to inaccessible subway stations. (Red Hook’s closest subway, at Smith-9th Streets, offers no elevator access to wheelchair users.) An elderly man using a walker told Gonzalez he is unable to take the train “on bad days.” Parents, too, expressed a

Jimmiie Bradley,, a resident of the e Red Hook H Houses since 1973, is in n favor of the proposed streetcar.

Photo courtesyy of Steve Koepp p

<ƌŝƐƟŶĂ 'ŽŶǌĂůĞǌ͕ a canvasser for thee BQX, made the rounds of the Red Hook Houses in October.. need for public transit that better accommodated strollers. The urgent need for better transit dominated the conversations. Though some wondered what a ride on the BQX would cost — advocates say the fare will be the same as standard bus and subway fares — no one on the Red Hook visit pressed Gonzalez for details on the route or funding. Even so, an early challenge, canvassers have found, is just helping New Yorkers visualize what trolley service would even look like,

Th routte study The t d area spans ffrom SSunset Parkk to A Astoria, oi Q Queens.

Map by tthe New Yo ork City Economic Development Corp.

since the last one in Brooklyn shut down in 1956. “A lot of the more senior residents who remember a time when streetcars ran in New York City were not as skeptical,” said Ya-Ting Liu, executive director of Friends of the BQX. “For everybody else, it’s about the visual and asking people to imagine an aboveground rail. We’re showing them a modern, urban, light rail that’s much more prevalent in European cities.” While gentrification concerns did not come up during the Red Hook canvassing, some community groups believe the streetcar will further gentrify areas like Sunset Park, which are quickly losing affordable housing. The waterfront, in particular, has become a point of contention. Underdeveloped waterfront areas not well connected to public transit were once chosen for public-housing development; now these neighborhoods are exploding in property value due to the East River views and new jobs in areas like the Brooklyn Tech Triangle. Friends of the BQX pushes back on the idea that the streetcar would primarily serve gentrifiers. “I think there’s some misunderstanding in the diverse communities along the waterfront. Growth has been concentrated around places with good existing subway access,” Liu said. “The fact of the matter is that there are communities cut off, and left behind, from that growth and community.” Liu said the route is also designed to connect more New Yorkers to job growth in places like the Navy Yard and Industry City. A few days after her time in Red Hook, Gonzalez was back canvassing, this time inside the Ingersoll Houses in Fort Greene. The tone of the canvassing was different, as residents have better access to public transit than their Red Hook counterparts. Still, frustrations ran high with MTA. “We need another option, just to lighten the load,” said Tara Bryan, a resident with young children. Others expressed a need for better access to Queens, either for work or visiting family and friends. Anthony Sosa, a tenant representative for the Ingersoll Houses, said in a telephone interview

Photo by Emily Nonko

that “the connection to Queens is one of the most important issues to residents.” Isabella Lee, a tenant representative for the nearby Whitman Houses, echoed the sentiment. Initially, she had concerns about the streetcar taking away muchneeded parking. “But I spoke to a lot of my residents … a lot of them work in Queens and it would be good for them.” One resident of the Ingersoll Houses did react negatively to Gonzalez’s outreach. While expressing disdain and shutting the door, she said, “They’re trying to take over everything.”

Some critics have said the BQX proposal is an over-reach by its benefactors, who have significant stakes in the area’s real estate and economy. Other skeptics, still waiting on a feasibility report to be delivered by the city, have dismissed it as a pipe dream. But residents of public housing — like many New Yorkers — are simply desperate for alternatives to the city’s failing subway. “Something’s gotta give,” as Sosa put it. “We cannot be held hostage by transit.” This report is being copub-lished by The Bridge and the Greenpoint Gazette.

HOLIDAYGIFTS AND MORE IN THE HEART OF GREENPOINT 649 Manhattan Ave Brooklyn, NY 11222 bursonandreynolds.com

t: 917.909.1194

/ Williamsburg / Bushwick

Thursday, December 7 , 2017 Wednesday, April 6, 2016

It’s Official! NYC Can Dance Again Mayor de Blasio Signs Legislation to Repeal 91-Year-Old Racist Cabaret Law By Scott Enman Greenpoint Gazette

Many notable names have graced the stage at Brooklyn's newest nightclub Elsewhere. From Tov Lo to Detroit techno legends Stacey Pullen and Juan Atkins, thousands have swarmed to the threeweek-old East Williamsburg hotspot. But it was, perhaps, Monday’s guest, who elicited the most praise, and who will likely go down as one of the venue’s more historic visitors. In front of hundreds of artists, musicians and business owners, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation into law that officially appealed the 91-yearold Cabaret Law. “Last night was a historic event and the start of a new chapter for our city,” Councilmember Rafael Espinal told the Greenpoint Gazette. “We doubled down on our commitment that NYC is truly a sanctuary city, open to all people who want to live and express themselves. “The City That Never

Sleeps sent a signal that we are a place where people can conduct business, and now dance, without fear of the dance police.” The Cabaret or “AntiDancing” Law was an antiquated and draconian rule that prohibited dancing by three or more people in any “room, place or space in the city” to which the public may gain admission and includes “musical entertainment, singing, dancing or other form[s] of amusement.” The law was created in 1926, and stated that people could only dance in venues that possessed a cabaret license, but these certificates were expensive and extremely difficult to obtain. In fact, only 104 establishments in the entire city have the license. The law was used in the 1920s ’30s to shutter AfricanAmerican jazz establishments at the height of the Harlem Renaissance, and it was later enforced in the 1990s under Mayor Rudy Giuliani to target the city’s gay bars, according

Councilmember Rafael Espinal addresses the crowd on Monday with Mayor Bill de Blasio at left. Photo courtesy of Councilmember Espinal’s office

to NYC Artist Coalition, an organization that “[protects] community spaces.” “It’s 2017, and this law just didn’t make sense. Nightlife is part of the New York melting

pot that brings people together,” de Blasio said. “We want to be a city where people can work hard, and enjoy their city’s nightlife without arcane bans on dancing.”

Int. 1652-A, which was campaigned by Espinal, passed the City Council on Oct. 31. The legislation signed on Monday repeals all but two parts of the law regarding

safety provisions: Venues must still install and maintain security cameras, and if security guards are hired, they must be licensed pursuant to state law.

Mayor Bill de Blasio (center) and Councilmember Rafael Espinal (left) celebrate the signing of legislation that repealed the 91-year-old Cabaret Law, which was used to shutter African-American jazz establishments at the height of the Harlem Renaissance and later enforced in the 1990s to target the city’s gay bars. Courtesy of NYC Mayor’s Office

Wednesday, March / Williamsburg / Bushwick

Deborah Kass’ sculpture brightens up the North Williamsburg ferry landing.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Brooklyn Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

Introducing

newyork-presbyterian

brooklyn methodist hospital. We’re bringing the people of Brooklyn the type of care that comes from being part of NewYork-Presbyterian. We’ve expanded our services and added more world-class specialists from Weill Cornell Medicine. They join the skilled doctors already here serving the community. Learn more at nyp.org/brooklyn

622

Thursday, December 7, 2017 Wednesday, March 30, Wednesday, March 16, 2016 2016

/ Williamsburg / Bushwick

Stringer: New Jobs in Brooklyn, But Buses Don’t Go There You Can Walk Faster, According to Report By Mary Frost

Greenpoint Gazette

New Yorkers have frequently suspected that they could walk to their destination faster than taking a city bus. A report issued on Monday by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer not only confirms this suspicion, but also points out that many Brooklynites can no longer even commute to their jobs by bus. According to “The Other Transit Crisis: How to Improve the NYC Bus System,” the city’s bus system is glacially slow, inefficient and is increasingly failing to transport workers to where

their jobs are. Ridership has dropped drastically, with MTA buses losing 100 million passenger trips in the last eight years. Brooklyn is arguably the borough most impacted by MTA’s inability to keep up, with more than five rapidly changing neighborhoods among the city’s 13 most underserved: Williamsburg, Greenpoint, the Carroll Gardens-Columbia Street-Red Hook area, the Sheepshead Bay-Gerritsen Beach-Manhattan Beach area and Homecrest. “For 40 years, our subway system deteriorated, and it has led to the frustration that New Yorkers now feel daily,”

Stringer said in a statement. “Today, we’re sounding the alarm on our bus crisis. Falling ridership, major slowdowns, and a bus infrastructure in decline is having an effect across the five boroughs.” A growing number of city residents now work at jobs located within their home borough or in an adjacent non-Manhattan borough, Stringer says. But according to the study, bus routes aren’t connecting to these new jobs centers. From 2006 to 2016, the number of jobs located in Brooklyn jumped by 49 percent, in the Bronx by 35 percent, in Queens by 34

percent, and in Staten Island by 27 percent, but only 5 percent in Manhattan. As a result of this change, the share of jobs located outside of Manhattan rose from 35 percent to 42 percent over this period. But the bus map never changed to accommodate these new commuting patterns, Stringer says. “A route’s timetable may be modified to accommodate ridership changes, its path may be tweaked, and, in rare instances of budgetary shortfalls or windfalls, a route may be added or eliminated altogether. But these changes are atypical and executed in isolation, with little consideration for the performance and connectivity of the system as a whole,” he said in a statement.

You Can Walk Faster It doesn’t help that the city’s buses are now the slowest in the nation among large cities, with bus service frequently slower than walking speed. The average New York City Transit bus travels a just 7.4 miles per hour, according to the report. Average speed in Brooklyn is even slower, at 6.3 miles per hour. This indicates speeds often drop below the nation’s average walking speed of 3.1 miles per hour. (The New York Times reports that New Yorkers walk an average of 3.4 miles per hour during lunch hour — sloths compared to the speed of residents of Singapore, who average 3.9 miles per hour.) The comptroller also re-

Over a 10‐year period, the number of jobs located in Brooklyn jumped by 49 percent. According to a report released by Comptroller Scott Stringer, however, MTA buses are failing to transport Brooklynites to these new jobs. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Mary Frost

NEW BUSINESS FORMATIONS

11201

11234

FOREMY LLC

Notice of Formation of FOREMY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/02/17. Office location: Kings County. Princ. office of LLC: 165 Court St., #124, Brooklyn, NY 11201. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity. #155149

11222

PETALS EVENT MANAGEMENT CO., LLC Notice of formation of limited liability company (LLC). Name: PETALS EVENT MANAGEMENT CO., LLC. Articles of Organization ﬁled with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/17/2017. NY ofﬁce location: Kings County. SSNY has been

SKY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS 1, LLC

designated as agent of the LLC upon whom pro-

Notice of Formation of SKY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS 1, LLC Arts. of Org. ﬁled with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/14/17. Ofﬁce location: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Michael Cholowsky, 470 Scott Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of

#155445

#154696

cess against it may be served. The post ofﬁce

any process against the LLC served upon him/ her is Petal Bovell-Profﬁtt, 1341 East 52nd Street Brooklyn, NY, 11234. Purpose/character of LLC: Any Lawful Purpose.

11214

PLANET RX LLC

Notice of formation of limited liability company (LLC). Name: PLANET RX LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/26/2017. NY office location: Kings County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The post office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her is Planet Rx LLC, 2813 Cropsey Ave Brooklyn, NY, 11214. Purpose/character of LLC: Any Lawful Purpose.

ports that innovations like Select Bus Service, Bus Lanes and Transit Signal Priority have been implemented “slowly and halfheartedly.” The study found that the decline in New York City’s bus service over the last decade disproportionately impacts immigrant and lower-income New Yorkers, since they make up the highest share of city bus riders. What to Do? Stringer’s report calls for a series of reforms. These include a review of the bus network to better align with new job centers and commuting patterns, increasing the number of dedicated bus lanes and the frequency of buses in off-peak hours and stretching out the spacing of bus stops. The city should also introduce all-door boarding and tap-and-go fare payment, and expedite Transit Signal Priority along bus routes. Transit Signal Priority is a technology that allows MTA buses to communicate with DOT traffic lights in order to extend a green light or shorten a red light at an approaching intersection. The bus system operates under two agencies — MTA Bus Company and New York Transit Bus. They need to better coordinate their operations, Stringer says. MTA also needs to coordinate better with NYC Department of Transportation. The New York City bus system includes 5,700 buses, 330 routes and more than 15,000 stops serving well over 2 million passengers each day. The Greenpoint Gazette has reached out to MTA for a response. Check brooklyneagle.com for updates. To read the comptroller’s entire report, visit https://comptrol ler.nyc.gov.

PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF SALE

Notice of Formation of 582 VANDERBILT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/31/17. Office location: Kings County. Princ. office of LLC: 126 S. Oxford St., #1, Brooklyn, NY 11217. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Lance S. Colyer at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Supreme Court County Of Kings Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Rose Wallace, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated 7/23/2015 and entered on 7/28/2015, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on January 04, 2018 at 02:30 PM premises known as 662 Halsey Street Brooklyn, NY 11233. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Kings, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 1667, LOT: 31. Approximate amount of judgment is $868,624.81 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of ﬁled Judgment Index # 0002159/2008. Bruce Goldstein, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706

#154866

#155357

#154784

11217

582 VANDERBILT LLC

Wednesday, March / Williamsburg / Bushwick

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Brooklyn Brewery Hosts Unique Festival To Say: ‘Girls, Stand Up for Yourselves’ The Other Side Winterfest Festival Comes to Brooklyn Brewery Greenpoint Gazette

After a year of scandals, this seems like a particularly good time for party honoring an organization helping girls from Brooklyn to India to learn the value of education and selfrespect. The Other Side’s fourth annual Winterfest will take place

Stephanie Alvarado

on Monday, Dec. 11 with festivities at Brooklyn Brewery. The Other Side is a crosscultural exchange of dramatic storytelling between girls from India, Israel and other countries, including the U.S. It works “like pen pals. But with theater,” said Brooklyn resident Melanie Closs, program director and founder of The Other Side Intercultural Theatre. Through

Photo courtesy of The Other Side

“drama exchange,” girls develop strong friendships and learn to stand up for themselves and each other. This year, the event will be honoring women in the arts: • Stephanie Alvarado describes herself as a queer AfroIndigena Latina feminista poet, archivist and reproductive justice activist and scholar.

Emily Culliton

• Emily Culliton is the author of the wickedly funny novel “The Misfortune of Marion Palm.” Her stories have appeared in the Chicago Quarterly Review, the Seattle Review, Two Serious Ladies and Essays & Fictions. She lives in Brooklyn, and is currently working on her second book. • The performer of honor is

Photo by Beowulf Sheehan

Shantez Marie Tolbut. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago to a Vietnam veteran and physically handicapped mother with autism, she is committed to social justice and changing the world through education and the performing arts. All proceeds will directly benefit the expansion of The Other Side’s programming to

new schools in Kenya and the Bronx. The festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Brewery, 79 N. 11th St. Enjoy unlimited draught beers, wine and hors d’oeuvres, take a free tour of the brewery, win exclusive new experiences at the silent auction and learn about the work the organization has in store for 2018.

“

By Mary Frost

Shantez Marie Tolbut

Photo courtesy of The Other Side

PUBLISHED: 48 times per year. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $25 per year YOUR INFORMATION:

RECIPIENT’S INFORMATION:

Name ____________________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________

City, State, Zip _____________________________________________

Telephone ________________________________________________

E-mail ____________________________________________________

Start my gi subscrip on on: _______________________________

Message to the Recipient: __________________________________

__________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

[ ] Check enclosed (Payable to EBrooklyn Media) I authorize EBrooklyn Media to charge my Credit Card [ ] Amex [ ] Visa [ ] Mastercard Credit Card # ___________________________________________ Exp. Date _________________ Security Code ____________

To start subscrip on immediately, call Alice at 718-643-9099, X 107, E-mail alice@brooklyneagle.com or Fax 718-643-9485 16 Court Street | 30th Floor | Brooklyn | NY 11241

822

Thursday, December 7 , 30, 2017 Wednesday, March 2016 Wednesday, March 16, 2016

/ Williamsburg / Bushwick