North Williamsburg Transportation Safety Meeting

Councilman Stephen Levin, Assemblyman Joseph Lentol and State Senator Daniel Squadron are hosting a transportation safety meeting on Thursday.

It will be at the Bushwick Inlet Park building at 86 Kent Avenue. It starts at 6:30 p.m.

Officials from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives will be on hand to answer questions.

More more information, contact bsoloraire@council.nyc.gov or call 718-875-5200.

Grand Street Restaurant Week is back

It’s that time of year again.

Grand Street Restaurant Week is making its 2017 return. It will run from February 6th through February 12th in East Williamsburg.

Diners can indulge in yummy meals for lunch or dinner at set prices. This year, 12 restaurants are offering 2-course lunch specials for prices ranging from $9 to $15.

Three-course dinner specials will range from $12 to $30. Check out the menus here.

On Grand Street, you’ll find all sorts of cuisines, from Italian and Indian restaurants to Mexican, Russian and American eateries.

The newest restaurant in the lineup is Pie Smith, which allows you to build your own pizza pie and serves a hearty panini as well.

If you want to share your restaurant week dining experience on Instagram, use the hashtag #DineOnGrand and @GrandStreetBID for a chance to win a $25 gift card to one of the Grand Street restaurants.

Happy eating!

Councilman Levin on supportive housing

Councilman Levin at a press conference supporting the Home Stability Support (HSS) program to alleviate homelessness.

Councilman Stephen Levin penned a post on Medium advocating for supportive housing.

As Levin explains in the piece, supportive housing is affordable housing combined with on-site resources.  The housing units are used to help people who are chronically homeless, particularly those who suffer from mental health and/or substance abuse issues.

As the chair of the General Welfare Committee in the City Council, Levin takes a special interest in child welfare, homelessness and other issues affecting thousands of New Yorkers.

“We know what works,” he wrote in the post. “The evidence shows that supportive housing is one of the best tools we have to address the crisis of homelessness.”

“Let’s provide for our most vulnerable neighbors and set them on a path to long-term stability.”

The Brooklyn councilman argues while New York City has committed to building 15,000 units of supportive housing in 15 years,  the state has yet to deliver on a year-old promise to invest $2 billion in supportive housing.

“The failure to establish a new NY/NY agreement is a casualty of the politics between New York City and the State,” Levin wrote, referring to the much-maligned rivalry between Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo. “In the meantime, tens of thousands of individuals and families are waiting for shelter.”

Read the full post here.

Police are investigating this fraud case

Authorities are looking for more information regarding this credit card fraud case dating back to last year.

Last November, a 34-year-old woman within the 94th Precinct reported to police fraudulent activity on her credit line. She was notified by her creditors.

An ongoing investigation found that the victim’s personal information was used to make unauthorized purchases on other existing credit lines.

The sneaky crooks then opened new lines of credit to make even more unauthorized purchases totaling more than $30,000.

What did they purchase?

On November 22, the woman in the photo purchased two Rolex watches for $18,889.91 at Tourneau at 12 East 57th Street.

The unidentified man in the photo then tried to spend another $10,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue, located at 611 5th Avenue, on November 30.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). 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 enter TIP577.

Dollar Tree robbed in December

Police are looking for a man who robbed the Dollar Tree store at 28 Debevoise Street in Bushwick.

Authorities say that the suspect walked into the storeroom area and used an unknown object to break the padlock that secured the storage locker.

He then took $700 worth of merchandise, as seen above. He fled eastbound on Debevoise Avenue.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

PHOTOS: Jeremy Lin celebrates Lunar New Year

On Saturday, many New Yorkers will celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year.

Jeremy Lin, point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, will be one of them. The California native has roots in Taiwan, which observes the holiday.

Lin headed to the NBA Store in Manhattan earlier this week, where he hung out with fans and signed merchandise. Take a look at the photos below, courtesy of Steven Freeman/NBA.

New York, NY January 24: Jeremy Lin visits the NBA Store to celebrate the Chinese New Year on January 24, 2017 in New York, New York.  Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
New York, NY January 24: Jeremy Lin visits the NBA Store to celebrate the Chinese New Year on January 24, 2017 in New York, New York. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
New York, NY January 24: Jeremy Lin visits the NBA Store to celebrate the Chinese New Year on January 24, 2017 in New York, New York. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
New York, NY January 24: Jeremy Lin visits the NBA Store to celebrate the Chinese New Year on January 24, 2017 in New York, New York.  Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
New York, NY January 24: Jeremy Lin visits the NBA Store to celebrate the Chinese New Year on January 24, 2017 in New York, New York.  Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
New York, NY January 24: Jeremy Lin visits the NBA Store to celebrate the Chinese New Year on January 24, 2017 in New York, New York.  Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Outreach Greenpoint expands hours, services

Screen shot via Google Maps

Outreach in Greenpoint will be expanding its hours and services starting on January 28.

Saturday hours will be added from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each week for alcohol and substance abuse treatment.

The nonprofit agency will provide services in English, Polish and Spanish.

“It is with a great deal of pride and gratitude to our highly professional staff that we offer Saturday services,” said Jill Mastrandrea, the program’s director. “After working closely with clients and families in the neighborhood, and in the nearby communities in Brooklyn and Queens for several years, we have determined that there is a need for these weekend hours and we look forward to further accommodating those who cannot get to us during the week.”

“We’re pleased whenever we can expand our services to help those in the area who are struggling with the pain of addiction,” added Neil Sheehan, executive vice president and COO of Outreach.

Opened in 2002, Outreach provides the following services:

  • Adult Outpatient Treatment
  • Adolescent Outpatient Treatment
  • DUI/DWI Services

Eco-family workshop on Greenpoint history

Screen shot via Google Maps

It’s not everyday you get to learn about your own neighborhood’s history in-depth. Here’s your chance.

Tomorrow, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at MS 126 in Greenpoint, the Greenpoint Eco-Schools and Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF) is hosting an event to highlight the neighborhood’s history.

The event features Geoffrey Cobb, a local high school teacher, local historian and author of Greenpoint Brooklyn’s Forgotten Past.

The talk and presentation will include notable historical figures in the neighborhood’s history, with an emphasis on the industrialization and environmental issues that has troubled the neighborhood.

All ages are welcome. Light refreshments will be served at the event.

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

 

Lentol wants traffic light at this intersection

Assemblyman Joseph Lentol is asking the Department of Transportation to install a traffic light at the intersection of Nassau Avenue and Russell Street after a young boy was hit by a car last week.

He suffered minor injuries, but appears to be okay.

“I am happy to hear the young boy’s injuries were not too serious,” Lentol said.

Since 2009, there have been eight other injuries at that exact intersection.

Several years ago, DOT added an all-way stop sign, but now the longtime Greenpoint official thinks a traffic light is needed.

Read the rest of the story here.

Greenpoint Parks Town Hall Meeting

With all of the news surrounding Greenpoint and Williamsburg parks, including Bushwick Inlet, Transmitter Park and others, wouldn’t it be nice to get all the updates at once?

Councilman Stephen Levin has you covered. He’s hosting a parks town hall meeting with the NYC Department of Parks at the Polish Slavish Center at 176 Java Street.

The event will be on Monday, January 23 at 6:30 p.m.