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By Allegra Hobbs

Brooklyn Daily

This comedy show will be haLOL!

A group of Muslim comedians will band together to disarm harmful stereotypes on Dec. 14, making quips about terrorists as well as daily life at a stand-up event in Williamsburg. The host of the laugh-a-thon says that the show’s dark humor is a way to combat troubles created by seriously dark news reports.

“It’s about how it can be a scary time to admit that you’re Muslim,” said Atheer Yacoub, who will take the stage at the Experiment Comedy Gallery on Dec. 14.

Yacoub will join a half-dozen other Arab and Muslim comics to take on the bleak portrayal of Muslims in the media — which is often the only portrayal of Muslims in the media, she said — and prove to Republican presidential candidates and other conservative fear-mongers that Muslims can be patriotic, hilarious, and not at all into terrorism.

The “Hilarious Muslims” stand-up set — the second to take place this year at the Broadway laugh factory — will also provide some comic relief for fellow Muslims who have gotten a bad rap because of some violent overseas extremists, said Yacoub.

“If there are other Muslims in the crowd and they feel like they have been discriminated against, being able to see other Muslims shed light on that and represent them in a way that hasn’t been represented can give them a little bit of hope — hopefully,” she said.

But Yacoub said she is not out to cause controversy — rather than deal out inflammatory terrorist jokes, her set will revolve around her personal experience of being a female Muslim in America and the challenges she has faced straddling two cultures. Making people laugh will be one positive by-product of an otherwise bleak time, she says.

“It’s just my way of processing the world and making sense of it — and hopefully making something good out of it,” she said.

“Hilarious Muslims” at the Experiment Comedy Gallery (20 Broadway between Dunham Place and Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, (626) 643–4850, www.theexcomedy.ticketfly.com). Dec. 14 at 9:30 pm. $10.

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By Claire McCartney

Brooklyn Daily

This party will be hot as burning pitch!

A 10-piece band that plays hip-hop songs with brass instruments will celebrate five years of musical collaboration with an exuberant, vodka-fueled party at the Industry City Distillery in Sunset Park on Dec. 12. The event, which will feature rappers, brass bands, visual artists, and specialty drinks, will set the bar for good times, says the manager of the PitchBlak Brass Band.

“The anniversary party is going to be one of the coolest things we’ve done all year,” said Chanell Crichlow, who also plays the tuba. “It’s just going be a really beautiful night with really good vibes. That’s the whole point, is to set up a good vibe for everyone to just hang out and chill and celebrate with us.”

The 10 members of PitchBlak met at the Manhattan School of Music, and played their first gig five years ago, at an Irish bar in Manhattan that was invaded by SantaCon. The Saturday night party is a celebration of all the group has accomplished since then, including playing the 2015 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, and its upcoming residency at Greenpoint’s Manhattan Inn.

“We’re celebrating all the gaps, all the hardships, all the fun times, everything in between,” said Chrichlow. “It’s going to be a thank you to all of our fans. We’re not making money off of this show, we’re putting all of our stuff into it. All of our friends and family and fans — it’s a holiday gift to them.”

In addition to PitchBlak, the anniversary party will feature performances from DJ Batty Jack, Flatbush rapper Latasha Alcindor, instrumentalist Ebone Trombone, and Balkan music group Raya Brass Band, along with visuals from Christian Hanon, food vendors, specialty vodka drinks made by the distillery, and a photo booth. Visitors who donate to a toy drive for children will get raffle tickets and discounted prices on food.

The combination of different genres and artists matches the group’s blend of hip-hop, jazz, and pop music. The party also reflects the current state of hip-hop, said Crichlow, and should appeal to anyone who interested in what is happening now.

“I just think if people really want to come to a hip-hop party — different, of this century, new s---, they should come check it out,” she said. “Our party’s going to represent musicians and artists and hip-hop artists all coming together to make something beautiful and creative and just going with it.”

PitchBlak at Industry City Distillery [33 35th St., Sixth Floor, between Second and Third avenues in Sunset Park, (718) 305–6951, www.pitchblakbrassband.com]. Dec. 12 at 8 pm. $15 ($12 in advance).

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Bay Ridge Jewish Center’s Hanukkah celebration was all about the bubelehs.

Kids got to light their own menorahs and play dreidel all night on Dec. 6, but the most popular part of the celebration was, of course, all the oil-fried doughnuts and potato latkes they got to eat, said the center’s president.

“Kids were decorating the doughnuts with blue and white frosting and sprinkles,” said Candi Friedman. “Then of course stuffed them in their mouths! They had a great time with it.”

The holiday celebrates the biblical Jews regaining control of Jerusalem and rededicating the Temple there. The more-than week-long holiday also marks a miracle in which the victorious Jews were able to keep a menorah burning for eight days on one day’s worth of oil. As a result, foods fried in oil, particularly latkes and doughnuts, are traditional fare during the celebration.

Kids also did some arts and crafts and put together care packages for military service members stationed at Fort Hamilton, where the center held another Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 8.

The center provided each child with a menorah, and kids got to light the first candle with help from parents.

Two of the center’s Hebrew school teachers played live jazz on the upright bass and clarinet for part of the night and the center had a “Hanukkah boutique” where they could buy menorahs and other goods, including “nice glass plates to hold all those latkes, doughnuts, and candles,” according to Friedman.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Cops must crack down on illegal street vendors who are trashing a section of Ocean Avenue, frustrated locals say.

The dirty dealers leave a mess of clothes, old suitcases, and garbage after their unsanctioned Saturday flea markets, neighbors say.

“At the end of the day they leave the place a dump,” said one neighbor who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal from the brazen brokers. “It’s an eyesore. They leave clothes, all sorts of bric-a-brac, and trash on the sidewalk.”

The vendors set up between Voorhies Avenue and Shore Parkway in front of a senior care facility and a shuttered medical clinic on the side of the avenue closer to Gerritsen Beach. Some even use the medical clinic’s abandoned parking lot as their personal repository for trash and unsold wares, he said.

Photos taken on Dec. 5 show a vendor dumping trash over the fence and others leaving trash behind on the sidewalk at the end of the day. Broken lawn chairs, milk crates, and suitcases line the inside of the parking lot fence, photos show.

Officers from the 61st Precinct gave the vendors the move-along last year at the behest of Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D–Sheepshead Bay) after locals complained to this paper. Deutsch’s office has not received complaints lately about the market, but he will take up the crusade once again, he said.

“I will definitely address the police department if there’s an issue again,” he said. “[Vendors] left a tremendous mess in front of the senior center there before police moved in on it last year. Many seniors had trouble getting to the center because they were climbing over trash and boxes.”

Locals have lodged five complaints for dirty or obstructed sidewalks on the block since 2010 — but none this year, public records show. Others have called 311 complaining of illegal vending, false advertisement, and price-gouging at the address over the last five years, according to a 311 complaint database.

The medical facility sold two years ago, according to a real estate broker that sealed the deal. The new owners apparently don’t care about the mess at the moment, but they will once new lessees move into the building, he said.

“It’s hard to control what goes on there now, because there’s no one using the space,” said Arsen Atbashyan of Commercial Acquisitions. “Whatever happens now they really don’t care, but we think shortly things should be moving over there, whether that’s new construction or moving into the space, that’s up to the leaseholders, but something will happen with the space.”

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By Max Jaeger and Ruth Brown

Brooklyn Daily

Coney Island and Red Hook public housing residents will have to wait longer than expected before the city replaces temporary boilers that have been heating their homes since Hurricane Sandy, the agency’s head told this paper.

The New York City Housing Authority is still waiting on $3 billion the Federal Emergency Management Agency promised it more than a year ago, though Coney Island will be the first to feel the heat, because the authority got the feds to pre-approve construction plans, she said.

“As soon as we receive the federal funding, we will begin construction for the permanent replacement of those boilers,” said housing authority chief executive officer Shola Olatoye in a sit-down with Community News Group’s editors. “There’s an agreed list of scope items that they have pre-approved, and therefore they will advance money to us faster. Coney Island was the first one that we had agreed on with them.”

The authority has shelled out $3 million a month for temporary boilers in 16 Sandy-affected developments including the Carey Gardens and O’Dwyer Gardens developments in Coney Island and the borough’s largest, the Red Hook Houses, since late 2012, according authority heads’ testimony before Council last year.

The agency initially used coal-fired heaters rented from Southern states, but replaced them with gas-powered ones when the coke-burning boilers lacked the muscle to power through New York winters.

Housing officials testified the temporary boilers would be in place until the middle of 2016, but construction takes between 12 and 18 months, and the authority doesn’t expect federal money until next year — meaning it likely won’t complete installing permanent heaters until January 2017 at the earliest.

“Because this is government, it’s never quite easy,” Olatoye said.

When the reconstruction is done, developments will be more storm-resistant than before — with new security doors and cameras to boot, she said.

“We’re not just building them back where they were, all of the designs have raised boilers,” she said. “And it’s not just about the boilers. We’re putting in new security doors and wiring and CCTVs — really sealing the building from potential future weather events.”

Olatoye also spoke about a number of other issues facing Brookyln’s public housing residents, as well as what the underfunded authority is doing to catch up on $17 billion in backlogged repairs.

Co-habitation

Olatoye offered new details on the authority’s controversial plan to let developers build 500 market-rate and so-called “affordable” units on land at Boerum Hill’s Wyckoff Gardens houses — which she said are currently in need of $40 million in repairs.

The scheme had many residents fearful that they would eventually be pushed out when the authority notified them of it via robocall in September — Olatoye described their response as “dynamic” — and as a result, she said the authority has extended its “engagement” process with residents into the first quarter of 2016, which will ultimately determine where the new housing goes.

Olatoye said they are currently deciding between sites that currently house two parking garages and a fenced-off vacant lot on the corners of the property.

The authority will start accepting proposals from developers around July of next year and will pick one by the end of next year.

The building process, however, will take much longer, she said. The developer’s proposal will have to go through a lengthy public review process — which will go through the community board and Council — in addition to the authority’s own review.

It will be at least two years “before there is a shovel in the ground” Olatoye said, and potentially even longer if the review drags on.

Expect to see more housing properties across the city get similar treatment over the next decade. Olatoye said she understands why people are worried about losing open space on the properties, but it is a luxury the near-bankrupt agency can no longer afford.

“It was a luxury we had to have that kind of space,” she said. “We’re looking at seas of red in terms of how this place is operating.”

Still offline

The city still hasn’t selected a contractor to set up promised free wifi at the Red Hook Houses, Olatoye said — even though the high-speed internet is supposed to start rolling out next year.

The public housing buildings’ walls are “constructed like fortresses,” she said, so in-unit internet is tricky.

She tentatively described the plan — dictated and funded by the feds and Mayor DeBlasio, not the housing authority — as “an interesting thing,” but said she was more excited in seeing “low touch, easy to install” solutions like community group Red Hook Initiative’s grassroots network around the nabe and the city-wide citizen-run NYC Mesh network, which could be used to bring common areas online.

Cleaning up

Residents at some of the city’s most dangerous projects — including Brooklyn’s Bushwick, Boulevard, Ingersoll, and Tompkins houses — have offered positive feedback on the city’s multi-million-dollar scheme to crack down on crime in those buildings, Olatoye said, but admitted there is still a long way to go.

“When you talk to residents in those developments and they [say] there is literally light where there was none before, I think that means something,” she said.

Olatoye claimed there is only so much the authority can do as the landlord to reduce crime — it must ensure sure doors are fixed and lights are on, but the law enforcement must come up with a more comprehensive strategy for policing the properties, and residents also have to do their part, she said.

“People have to stop breaking things and throwing things out the window,” said Olatoye.

One problem is that the authority’s employees leave work at 4 pm when it is still light, she said. Another is that the federal government doesn’t provide cash to beef up security, so buildings have to rely on funds from Council members for beefed-up doors or new security cameras.

Where there is smoke

Olatoye says she broadly backs the goals of the feds’ recent proposal to ban smoking inside public housing buildings nation-wide, but it will only work if it comes with money and support to help residents quit and enforce the ban.

“What are you going to do, sniff people’s apartments? With no additional resources?” she said.

Olatoye said around 14 percent of public housing residents are smokers — around the same as the rest of the population — and that previous programs to make buildings smoke-free have worked best when they are driven by the residents themselves.

“They are successful when there is a peer to peer accountability structure where residents say, ‘we don’t want to have smoking in our buildings,’ ” she said.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

Prison officials must arrest a plan to put a halfway house near Sheepshead Bay schools, pols told this paper.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is looking for a contractor to run a 100-bed facility for convicted criminals transitioning back into society in a former Bragg Street synagogue, but local electeds say the plan borders on felonious because the proposed site is so close to schools and residential areas.

“To place one in this neighborhood, densely populated by one of the largest populations of vulnerable seniors, and virtually next door to so many of our neighborhood schools and parks is totally preposterous,” Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D–Sheepshead Bay) said.

Washington State-based halfway house operator Rever Corporation sent a letter to Borough President Adams early last month announcing that it had offered to run the site for the feds. The corporation is proposing to house 87 men and 13 women in a shuttered synagogue between Avenues V and W. The contract would last one year with an option for four years, the letter states. Rever would make “modest improvements” to the building and provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation and aid residents in finding permanent housing and jobs, according to the letter.

But the area is a poor choice, because there are no jobs up for grabs and subways are more than a mile away, according to a letter community board officials sent to the federal prison system.

“Bragg Street is an inappropriate location; it is not near any mass transit or employment opportunities,” a letter signed by Community Board 15 chairwoman Theresa Scavo states.

But there are three public schools — an elementary, intermediate, and high school — and several preschools and nurseries within a half-mile of the proposed halfway house, city maps show.

Prisoners may spend the last six months of a sentence in halfway houses as a way of easing back into the community after stints in the slammer. The prison bureau denies early release violent criminals convicted of homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, kidnapping, and child sexual offenses — but not possession of child pornography, according to a study funded by the District of Columbia’s public defense office.

Neither Rever nor the federal prison system’s public information office immediately responded to inquiries from this paper. The synagogue’s owner could not be reached for comment.

Weinstein and Councilman Alan Maisel (D–Marine Park) only found out about the proposal from Adams’ office on Dec. 4, Maisel said. Since then, they sent letters to senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-Sheepshead Bay) voicing their opposition, he said.

The pol said he plans to follow the situation closely.

“This is completely new to us, and we’re in the first week of this situation,” he said. “So there are a lot of questions that have to be answered.”

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By Allegra Hobbs

Brooklyn Daily

Mayor DeBlasio must re-tool his plan to force developers to create affordable housing, because the scheme won’t help low-income residents who need it most, says the city’s top accountant.

The citywide proposal is too broad, said Comptroller Scott Stringer, and officials should instead tailor it to specific neighborhoods.

“One-size-fits-all doesn’t work for all New York City,” said Stringer, who hit out at the mayor’s plan last week. “We must find ways to ensure community-based development is the way we move forward together.”

DeBlasio’s so-called Mandatory Inclusionary Housing proposal would require developers seeking to rezone land to set aside a certain percentage of the units they build there at below-market-rate rent.

Developers would have the option of dedicating one-quarter of new developments to households making around $46,620 a year — for a family of three — or 30 percent of units for households earning around $62,160.

This is the same whether they are building in Canarsie or Chelsea.

The city categorizes households earning such wages as “low-income,” because they are lower than what the richest half of households earn.

But the way those figures are determined is inherently flawed, Stringer said.

The income thresholds are based on the so-called “area median income” — the median wages of the five boroughs and high-earning suburban Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland counties. As a result, households can be making less than half of the median — currently $77,700 a year — and yet still way more than those who are really struggling in some Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Bushwick and parts of Williamsburg, for example, boast median incomes of just $36,000 and $40,000, census data shows. Assigning housing for households earning $62,160 puts it out of reach of those who currently live in Bushwick and are most at risk of having to leave due to rising rents, residents told this paper last month.

In Coney Island and Seagate, an area poised for development, the median is a scant $23,324 — just 30 percent of the seven-county median.

The city contends that it has other ways of creating housing for the lowest earners.

In East New York — which the city plans on rezoning and using as a testing ground for mandatory inclusionary housing — it is offering construction subsidies for developers who create buildings with only below-market-rate rents for three-person households earning between $23,350 and $38,850, a financial report shows. The city could use such subsidies in other areas in the future, a mayoral spokesman said.

But even the more fleshed-out East New York proposal relies too heavily on assumptions about how developers — who are ultimately out to make a profit — will behave, a Stinger spokesman said.

“This rezoning proposal provides no sites, no developers, and no details,” Stringer spokesman Eric Sumberg said. “The difference between a plan and a goal is that plans have details, whereas goals are merely aspirational.”

The mandatory inclusionary housing proposal is currently making its way through public review. Community boards have weighed in — 10 voted against the measure, six supported it, and one board abstained. The borough board — composed of Borough President Adams, representatives from the 18 community boards, and council members — also voted against the proposal 20–1 with two abstentions. The City Planning Commission is now reviewing the plans before passing them on to Council for a vote some time in early 2016.

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Brooklyn Daily

Community Bookstore’s pick: “Voices from Chernobyl” by Svetlana Alexievich

You may have been surprised by the Nobel Prize coronation of Svetlana Alexievich, the Belarusian journalist whose work is widely unknown in the States. But her work deserves every possible commendation the world can muster. “Voices from Chernobyl,” Alexievich’s 1997 account of the meltdown, collects myriad voices of survivors, victims, refugees, and children in an attempt to put a human face to one of the 20th century’s worst man-made disasters. Harrowing, horrific, and deeply humane, “Voices” is one of the rare documentary works of art that amplifies the voices of its subjects into the wild howls of literature.

— Hal Hlavinka, Community Bookstore [43 Seventh Ave. between Carroll Street and Garfield Place in Park Slope, (718) 783–3075, www.communitybookstore.net].

Greenlight Bookstore’s pick: “The Age of Reinvention” by Karine Tuil

This page-turning international novel was a best-seller in France, and has now been translated into English. The book follows a self-made immigrant named Tahir and his methods of navigating success in the United States. The story spans Tahir’s childhood in Tunisia and his time in Paris, but mostly focuses on his life in New York, where he is a successful lawyer and has married into an elite family — but he isn’t everything he appears to be. This book shows, but doesn’t tell, broad topics like fidelity, love, honesty, deception, international racism, entitlement, and what it means to be successful.

— Rebecca Fitting, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246–0200, www.greenlightbookstore.com].

Word’s pick: “The Prize” by Jill Bialosky

Art and desire intertwine in this incisive exploration of parallel marriages and what happens when you live a life purely for love of beauty. Edward Darby is the partner of a prestigious gallery, and sees himself as an open reflection of the artists he serves. Agnes Murray is the young descendant of Irish immigrants, and her work combines the Old Masters with the recent historical horror of 9/11. Through these characters, Bialosky draws taut constant contrasts between the subtly transportive nature of sublimity in art and the gross banality of everyday life.

— Lydia Hutchins, Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383–0096, www.wordbrooklyn.com].

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By Carmine Santa Maria

Brooklyn Daily

I’m madder than Wilbur the pig when he found out that that spider who had been weaving stories about him in her web spit the bit over the fact that I had my heart set on getting myself the perfect Christmas present but when I went to the store to get it for me it was sold out!

Look, you all know the ol’Screecher usually has his holiday shopping done by Thanksgiving, and when I say “his” I mean “my lovely wife Sharon’s,” and when I say “done” I mean “started,” so it should come as no surprise to you that I’m still going crazy trying to find presents for myself this Christmas.

And the thing that I really got my eyes on is this crazy giant mechanical hairy tarantula that I knew would be great to play together with my six grandchildren and three dogs — Luna, a frisky Boston Terrier; Guinness, a giant who loves to slobber all over you; and Penny, a Havanese aristocrat from Cuba.

I was confident that my Tarantula toy could have eaten them all up at the same time!

So you could imagine how heart broken I was that I couldn’t get one.

And here’s why.

Sharon and I were waiting for our 3:35 Access-A-Ride-pickup at one of my favorite haunts, the Burlington Coat Factory at 501 Gateway Dr., where the world’s greatest shopaholic bought many things she didn’t absolutely didn’t need, and a cap for me. And we saved a bunch of dough by donating an old, used garment to their needy pile to get 10 percent off our purchases!

Ha!

Don’t ask how much money Sharon saved me that day, but it might have been enough to cancel out the national debt!

Sharon has perfected her shopping system because by being free to touch, exam, and try on every garment she thinks she must have, then depositing them on Tornado, which over-loads my seat, we become a spectacle that invokes envy to every shopper in the store.

Gee, you must be thinking, with all that shopping finished, how could anything spoil a day packed with Christmas shopping?

We had enough time to eat a leisurely supper at Applebee’s, then decided to end our shopping spree at old J.C. Penney’s place at 360 Gateway Dr. We know from past experience that JC has the only lobby that has seats for their customers.

So at 3:30, I called Access-A-Ride to find out the status of our return trip. Well, I was shocked —shocked — to learn that I — that is, me — was, according to their — the MTA’s — records, a no-show in Brooklyn when they came to pick me — that is I — up at the beautiful twin towers of Harway Terrace.

Well, I very calmly asked, “Then how come I have a pink receipt proving you delivered us here to Burlington Coat Factory located 501 Gateway Dr.?”

Nope, they said. You were a no show at W. 16th Street.

No need to say that it was obvious that this conversation with this MTA communication expert was getting no where, but my blood pressure was climbing, as well as the tone of my voice, when I finally composed myself, and asked to speak to a supervisor.

The superior reiterated what was on my call-in record and repeated that it would take 45 minutes to get to my taped conversation to determine whose fault it was.

“Well it couldn’t be mine,” I told him. “I’m here where you delivered us!”

At this point, I was in pain sitting on Tornado since 10 am — going on six hours!

After many, many more calls to MTA, we were told that a 5:45 pick up was on the way.

Lies, lies, lies!

At 5:45 I got a call asking where was I? Where I’m supposed to be: at Burlington Coat Factory.

“Oh,” the driver said. “I’m on the other side by Targets.”

Sharon and I know that mix-ups are rarely the poor driver’s fault, and to quote an old Italian adage “a fish stinks from the head.” The MTA better buy a lot of disinfectants because your service isn’t exactly what the American Disability’s Act was designed to do — get me from place to place whenever I want!

Better, safe, reliable travel is not what is dished out now.

Bah, humbug!

Screech at you next week!

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By Max Jaeger

Brooklyn Daily

Police arrested a guy who allegedly stabbed four men outside a Bay Ridge bar early Dec. 12.

Law enforcement officials say a dispute in Leif Bar at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 67th Street spilled outside onto the street at 4:20 am, where a 25-year-old cut four guys with a knife. Cops made an arrest at the scene and are charging the 25-year-old suspect with assault and criminal weapons possession, a law enforcement source said. The attacker apparently grazed his victims, leaving them with minor wounds, officials said.

But the barkeep says the alleged slicer was never in his pub and that cops and another newspaper are making him look bad.

“We’re so pissed off,” said Mike Gallagher, a co-owner of Leif Bar who claims the pub had been closed for an hour before the attack. “The Daily News has false information. It happened at Chinese flower store next door. It was Arabic kids outside on Fifth Avenue. They weren’t in the bar. You can’t ruin my whole business career.”

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Brooklyn Daily

To the editor,

Too many people in Brooklyn, especially in Bay Ridge, take the service of police officers for granted. As I commute to different places throughout the day I hear many people talking negatively about our cops.

In my opinion people should be aware of the fact that these people risk their lives everyday to make the streets of Brooklyn safe. More events should be organized to show appreciation for our law enforcers, and to make people cognizant of the service they provide everyday to make our lives safe. Eugene Tsarytsenko

The writer is in the 11th grade at Sinai Academy in Bensonhurst.

‘Dumbfounded’ DOT

To the editor,

I cannot believe how long this debacle at the Gowanus-Belt merge has gone on. Numerous times I have been cut off at the last second by cars, through no fault of their own, finally realizing where to be to exit for the Belt. The signage is basically non-existent until the immediate point of the exit. Before that is some worn out slop painted on the road itself as to where you should be for the Belt exit.

I cannot believe there have not been more accidents at this site. Where is the hypocritical Department of Transportation with its Vision Zero? Oh, that’s right, if it doesn’t concern bicycles or ways of causing more traffic congestion they are really dumbfounded, but more dumb than founded.

This project or whatever they are trying to achieve at this spot was supposed to have been completed by the end of August. Richie Hecht

Bay Ridge

• • •

To the editor,

All along Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay there is an island in the middle dividing the street, with cars parked along both sides, making it impossible for drivers to see cars in the opposite lane.

This is why they have left turning signals at all the major intersections down that strip, with the exception of Nostrand Avenue. This is why a woman was killed there recently while attempting to make a left turn.

Had the city done the right thing, she would be spending this Christmas with her family, instead of at the cemetery.Andrew Feinstein

Sheepshead Bay

Road hogs

To the editor,

The road under the el for the D train on 86th Street, from New Utrecht Avenue to Stillwell Avenue, is dangerous for a couple reasons. Many drivers are in a hurry and do not understand patience. When a bus is in the stop, numerous drivers go over the double yellow line to pass the bus. I’ve seen cars and trucks, and even a few buses, do this. They do not care if there is oncoming traffic. They just refuse to wait. Something needs to be done about this.

I was waiting for a B1 bus at Bay Parkway and 86th Street and saw signs at many pillars and above the street indicating that there is no left turn anywhere at that intersection. Between 1:20-1:30 pm I saw no less than 15 cars that made left turns, causing traffic jams. This is also an easy way for any pedestrian getting run over. Something desperately needs to be done about this also. The city would collect a mint, if cops went after drivers going around buses.

Ronald Cohen

Gravesend

Terror in the USA

To the editor,

President Obama is finally starting to talk tough about the terrorism striking our shores. Yet with all the bluster nothing definitive is being done to end the scourge and send Islamic terrorists to their rightful end in the rubble from which they sprang. The hot-air cloud hanging over Capitol Hill is truly causing regional warming.

I guess we will have to wait for a radical change to our government to bring America’s prestige and strength back to pre-Obama-levels. Then we will put political correctness aside and deal with these groups, much like we did with Japan and Germany all too many years ago.Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

• • •

To the editor,

I am as sickened as everybody else about the devastation in Paris, but I do not agree with those of us who would close our borders to Syrian immigrants and destroy cities abroad that are now safe havens for terrorists. Destroying those cities and killing thousands of innocent people in the process would make us as evil as they are.

Innocent Muslims, refugees and their hungry, frightened children must not suffer just because a few killers may try to sneak into the country with them. We and our allies do need to screen potential immigrants from Syria, but we also need to help them find homes, not turn them away to starve.

Rather than creating violence and revenge, we need to improve our security and screening methods so that we can detect potential terrorists before they strike. I still don’t understand how a bunch of terrorists were able to get into our country in the 1990s, go to Florida, take flying lessons while being undetected for years, and in fly planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001. We need vigilance, not vengeance. Vengeance always kills innocent people and spurs further violence.

The 74th anniversary of Pearl Harbor just passed, and I would like to urge us not to do what President Roosevelt did, imprisoning hundreds of loyal and innocent Japanese-American citizens in internment centers for the duration of the war, making innocent families suffer and depriving our country of the services many of these citizens would willingly have given. Let’s never again do this to any race or religion, including innocent and loyal Muslims. What we need is vigilance, not revenge.Elaine Kirsch

Gravesend

Shun guns

To the editor,

The loss of life in the Paris attacks was a tragedy. Then the recent killings in California. How about the young women shot dead on national television? Now all the crazies are coming out of the woodwork saying everyone should carry a gun. So at what age should they be given out? To preschoolers?

Quite a number of years ago I attended the civilian police academy, in which we experienced a simulated shooting. To be honest of all of us shot the wrong person on the computer screen, in what was a minor incident compared to what cops go through.

A few years ago there was a shooting near the Empire State Building. When the cops pulled their guns a few bystanders were hit by bullets ricochetting off buildings. Luckily no bystander died.

So before you arm everyone, think about the second or two a cop has before he or she decides to use a gun. Cops are trained, unlike loose-cannon civilians who will fire and most likely kill innocent victims because they think they know what’s best for society. Jerry Sattler

Brighton Beach

‘Sound Off’ great!

To the editor,

Surveys reveal that the “letters to the editor” section is one of the most widely read and popular of any newspaper. Weekly newspapers, such as this one, offer readers a chance to speak out. It helps to have a snappy introduction, good hook, be timely, precise, and have an interesting or different viewpoint to increase your odds of being published. Many papers welcome letters commenting on their own editorials, articles or previously published letters to the editor.

We continue to be fortunate to live in one of the few remaining free societies with a wealth of information sources available. Sadly most American cities and suburbs are down to one local daily or weekly newspaper. Newspapers have to deal with increasing costs, reduced advertising revenues, and declining readership. I continue to be grateful that the Courier affords its readers the opportunity to express their views and differing opinions on issues of the day. Thanks to you ordinary citizens have the freedom to comment on the actions and legislation of elected officials and more.

In the marketplace of ideas let us hope there continues to be room for all newspapers, and let us thank those few brave souls who are willing to take on the establishment and powerful special interest groups in “Sound Off to the Editor.” They fill a valuable niche on the information highway.

Please join me along with your neighbors in reading your favorite daily and local weekly community newspapers. Patronize their advertisers; they provide the revenues necessary to keep them in business. Let them know you saw their advertisement. This is what helps keep our neighbors employed, the local economy growing, and provides space on a daily and weekly basis for your favorite or not-so-favorite letter writers.Larry Penner

Great Neck, New York

•••

To the editor,

While I agree with President Obama that guns should not be in the hands of people on restricted flying lists, I take exception to his statement that the Islamic State began to evolve several years ago. If this were the case, why did he say last year that he didn’t have a plan to deal with them?

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Save the elephants

To the editor,

I am generally a supporter of the National Rifle Association, but I find poachers and trophy hunters, whom the organization supports, reprehensible. I can understand killing certain animals for food, or killing bears and raccoons who over populate or invade people’s homes, but this is not the case with the African nor Asian elephants, which cannot be cross bred.

It is high time this cruel practice ceases to exist and we allow the species to reproduce by not invading its natural habitats. If we continue our ways, both species of elephants will soon be extinct and a distant memory.

The elephant used to be a symbol of Republicans and the political right, which embrace and endorse hunters, whether it is justified or not. It will now take the political left to save the noble elephant.

Elliott Abosh

Brighton Beach

Frankly, Jerome

To the editor,

Jerome Frank seems to think I favor the upper one percent of Americans that achieved their wealth through hard work and a drive to do better (“Income inequality,” Sound off to the Editor, Oct. 16).

Maybe in his case, his attitude and the attitude of so many people who bemoan the fact that they are not rich are self-repressing them to the lower rungs of society.

My family emigrated from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and other European states prior to 1900. Nothing was handed to them on a silver platter. They knew that to succeed in the new land, they had to learn its language and get together, getting their hands dirty, to scratch a living out of whatever they chose to do.

I pride myself, in some little way, on championing the rights of the workers, as I once was a vice president in a local union. During my tenure I learned a lot of the so-called one percent versus the 99 percenters. I saw how the different attitudes of the workers determined how far they progressed or regressed through the ranks. Those individuals with a sense of drive and determination climbed the ladder of success, ultimately leaving the ranks for management positions. Those with an attitude, a socialist-communist attitude of I-deserve-everything, were always in trouble with the boss, calling upon me and others in the union to help bail them out.

I invite Jerome to learn the true history of his favored socialist parties and understand that even with them, there was an upper one-percent-plus crust of political hacks enjoying a very good living while the people, under their tutelage, were the true working “slaves of the state.”

Capitalism ain’t perfect, but at least under its reign and our hard-fought-for-and-won American freedoms, one has a chance to stand up, excel, and achieve a higher income and attitude status.

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

On track

To the editor,

I whole-heartedly agree that express service should be restored to the F train in Brooklyn. I was able to enjoy the benefits of express service until I retired in 2003. However there was, and still is, another problem with F service, and probably with other trains going to and from Coney Island as well. Many trains terminate at Kings Highway, five stations away from the last stop in Coney Island. Passengers going further have to wait on the elevated platform in boiling hot or freezing cold weather until another train arrives.

I understand the need to avoid congestion at the Coney Island station. What I don’t understand is why they can’t get the arriving trains out of the station at the last stop as soon as they unload, either by sending them right back to Manhattan or to the train yard. I would rather wait five minutes on a heated or air-conditioned train while other trains are being cleared out of Coney Island than to be forced to leave my train and stand on a snow-covered platform shivering until another train comes in. Winter is here! It’s time to take all trains to the last stop.

All stations are used by senior citizens and people with disabilities, at one time or another. All stations need elevators or escalators. Many stations need repair work, especially on stairways at elevated stations. Fares keep going up, but transportation services and stairways do not get any better. Many seniors who need elevators cannot use the subways in their neighborhoods. They are forced to use Access-A-Ride.

The city would save money in the long run, if it spent more on making subways accessible to seniors and other physically-challenged, would-be passengers, and would improve the service on city buses. Then fewer people would need to use Access-A-Rides.

Elaine Kirsch

Gravesend

Peace not war

To the editor,

After all the human lives taken by the Islamic State, I decided I needed to see something positive that would cheer me up — like watching “Woodstock” the movie. The 1969 concert was one of the greatest, non-violent gatherings ever and young people spent three days through heavy thunderstorms to listen to music.

The original crowd was 250,000, but swelled to 500,000, making it a totally free concert. Many were against the Vietnam War and tired of learning of the killing of civilians. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? How a large group of people all coming from different backgrounds united in peace is a lesson worth reminding ourselves again.

Solomon Rafelowsky

Brighton Beach

Two-fare drone

To the editor,

The proposal by state Sen. Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge) to offer two free transfers for those who have to ride two buses before boarding a subway is wishful thinking. People who moved to Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach and Gravesend — areas represented by Golden — knew full well that they would be living in a two-fare (bus to subway) and sometimes three-fare (bus to bus to subway) zone with longer commutes to and from work.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority services continue to be one of the best bargains in town. Since the 1950s, the average cost of riding either the bus, subway or commuter rail has gone up at a lower rate than either the consumer price index or inflation. The MetroCard, introduced in 1996, affords a free transfer between bus and subway. Prior to this, riders had to pay two full fares. Purchasing either a weekly or monthly pass further reduces the cost per ride. Many employers offer transit checks, which pay even more of the costs.

For years, local politicians would stir the pot on this issue. Now the latest cause is the cost for those handful of people out of several million daily riders who have to pay two fares versus one. An overwhelming majority can afford and already purchase either a weekly or monthly unlimited MetroCard, which makes the “double fare” issue moot.

Residents, taxpayers, and commuters in Golden’s district would be better off if he worried more about how the State Legislature will find the $8 billion Gov. Cuomo promised to bridge the $8.3 billion shortfall in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority-proposed $28 billion, five-year capital plan when they reconvene in January.

It all comes down to the availability of increased funding for additional transportation service to serve residents of two fare zones in the outer boroughs. Operating subsidies are required to increase the level of service and reduce the amount of time one waits for a bus on existing routes. Same for adding more off-peak, late night and weekend service.

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

Tarnished Silver

To the editor,

First Shelly, then Skelos, then others. So our dear New York State democratic leader, Shelly Silver, has been convicted on all counts of bribery and other misdeeds of directing clients’ money to his own pockets. Shelly lamented in his defense that it is standard practice by all legislators in Albany to do what he did.

A few months ago the State Senate refused to fund an expansion of jails. It was sad to hear that, as the good citizens of New York are eagerly waiting to hear about the next round of indictments and convictions of crooked politicians who infest Albany. Their next stop should be a few years in this fine state’s overcrowded jails.

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

*****ED GREENSPAN LETTERS****

Mitt’s a hit

To the editor,

Given the current crop of Republican presidential candidates for 2016, a new “three Rs” should be in vogue — “Run, Romney, Run.” Millions of voters now realize the mistake that was made in 2012, and many will cross party lines and vote for him. Why not? Richard Nixon came back from defeat in 1960 to win the presidency in 1968.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Classroom trenches

To the editor,

As Warner Wolfe used to say, “Let’s Go to the Videotape,” when he would want something investigated further. Similarly let’s go to the school records of violent criminals, or better yet, do something with them in their formative years so that they don’t resort to such violence. If you opened the school records, you would see evidence of cutting class, constantly disrupting the class, roaming through the hallways, cursing, screaming, fighting, and causing all sorts of mayhem.

The city’s school system has failed these students and others by their complete refusal to deal with disruptive youth. As a result, the latter become more emboldened with each passing year, and their deviant behavior worsens until an innocent life is lost.

We keep such students in regular classes if the parent refuses to sign for special placement. As a result, chaos results as teachers desperately try to keep order with burgeoning class sizes. When are we going to face this problem head on and not keep sweeping it under the rug? This is not a racist problem. Disruptive pupils come in all races, religions and all backgrounds.

Empty out the regional and district offices and get teachers back in the classroom. We need more psychologists and psychiatrists in the schools. Less suspensions will not solve anything.

So-called staff development is a complete joke and everyone knows it. Let all the militants, ultra liberals and critics of teachers get themselves teacher licenses and get a taste of what it is like in the trenches.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

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By Stanley P. Gershbein

Brooklyn Daily

It’s late December. The first day of winter is days away, Christmas is one week away, and people are humming Christmas songs with a great big smile and a wish for a very “Happy Holidays” to those of you that find it difficult to hear the word “Christmas.” The 2015 poll numbers are not in yet, but 51 percent of New Yorkers in 2014 preferred wishing and being wished a “Merry Christmas,” according to the Sienna Research Institute. And 38 percent stick with “Happy Holidays.”

• • •

Here are the results of another poll that you might find interesting. I love kids and I was thinking about volunteering playing Santa Claus in a red suit, funny hat, white beard, and pillow — okay, no pillow. I chose not to after I saw the results of a Santa survey taken some time ago. A whopping 74 percent of the 334 Santas that participated in this poll tell us that little guys cry in their laps. That would break my heart. Nine out of 10 Santas report that little ones who don’t believe they are real pull on their beards. And 60 percent are coughed and sneezed on up to 10 times a day. Here’s the convincer — 34 percent of real-bearded Santas are peed on regularly. Who’d ever think that little children could cause so much abuse?

• • •

What are you going to do with your Christmas tree after the holidays? Most of us outside Brooklyn will be looking for the landfill that accepts and grinds the pines up for mulch. Last year, I learned that goats love to snack on them — they love the taste. Trees are a natural de-wormer for goats and the pine needles contain Vitamin C. Okay, so now we must learn how many of our neighbors have goats. We who are Jewish don’t even have a tree!

• • •

How much would it cost today for all the gifts in the carol the “Twelve Days of Christmas”? The annual analysis by PNC Financial Services Group informs us that the 364 items — the total if you purchase them every time they are mentioned in the song — would set the giver back more than $120,000. There are ways of bringing down the cost. For example, instead of maids a-milking, hop on over to Costco and buy milk by the gallon — already processed and pasteurized. French hens? Drive to Kentucky Fried Chicken and pick up a bucket of the colonel’s secret recipe. Okay my dear readers, use your imaginations — what would you substitute to save a few bucks?

• • •

The following is a letter I wrote to Dear Abby several years ago. It was printed in hundreds of newspapers all over the planet, and I found it on the Internet this morning:

“Dear Abby, I read the item you printed saying that if the three wise men had been women, they would have asked for directions, arrived on time, cleaned the stable, helped deliver the baby, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts. What B.S.! They would have gone to the beauty salon for a wash, set, and manicure and then gone home to pick out a proper outfit. Then they would have changed the outfit five times, called everybody they knew to yak about the trip, and arrived late. Very late.” — Stan Gershbein

• • •

Ogden Nash was an American poet known for his humorous short poems and phrases. About 60 years ago, he peeked into the future and wrote “Merry Christmas, nearly everybody.”

I try to make everyone happy. I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net wishing 51 percent of you a very merry Christmas, 38 percent of you the happiest of holidays, and to all good health, wealth, and time.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Who signed off on this?

The state Department of Transportation must make good on its promise to make the Gowanus-Expressway-and-Belt-Parkway split navigable, frustrated motorists say. The agency put up perplexing temporary placards telling drivers how to negotiate the perpetually under-construction stretch and promised to replace them with readable, permanent posts by August. Officials re-jiggered the guides since August, but the new, still-temporary signs are totally misleading and causing people to drive erratically, one miffed motorist said.

“They’re right at the meaty point of the split, and the paint on the roadway leading up to it is worn out,” said Richard Hecht. “You’re driving at 50 miles an hour and that’s supposed to be your notification of the lane? It’s ridiculous.”

The state built a high-occupancy vehicle lane along the left side of the roadway leading to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, but the two right lanes also lead to the Gowanus Expressway and majestic, half-century-old span. Drivers must stay in a center lane to enter the Queens-bound Belt Parkway, but the state’s temporary signs at the split mistakenly suggest motorists move to the right-hand lanes to get there, drivers say.

The state put up new signs after completing some of work on the roadway in August, but the area remains confusing, and Belt Parkway-seeking travelers often erroneously end up on the Gowanus Expressway — or execute white-knuckle swerves into the Belt Parkway lane, said Community Board 10 member Doris Cruz.

“They did put up better signage — I’m not going to say its good signage, but it is better,” she said. “It’s all low at the driver’s level, so people don’t see it until they’re right on top of it. It causes dangerous, erratic driving.”

The split has become notorious with area drivers who have begrudgingly learned to roll with the changes, but out-of-towners and infrequent highway users are constantly caught off guard, a local pol said.

“It’s nonsense, you either have to make quick sense of the signs — which change every so often — or know the area very well,” said Councilman Vincent Gentile (D–Bay Ridge).

The construction causing the commotion is part a state overhaul to the aging, raised roadway that started in 2010. Officials originally intended the work to be done in May, but the state comptroller delayed approving the project, which pushed back the completion date, a state construction supervisor told the community board in June.

The state Department of Transportation did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

They’ve declared war on Brooklyn’s ghost ships.

Officials are using a Vietnam War-era landing craft to remove more than 30 dangerous shipwrecks from the waters around Gerritsen Beach and Marine Park more than three years after Hurricane Sandy deposited them there. The sunken boats risk leaking fuel and polluting Shell Bank Creek, but they also pose an immediate risk for pleasure-seekers, according to York Bergin-Pugh, a Parks Department dock master who is supervising the salvage operation.

“Not only are the boats and the debris we remove eye sores, but, for the boating public, anything that’s submerged or part submerged is a huge hazard,” said Bergin-Pugh. “The last thing you want on your day out with the family is to hit a boat, start taking on water, and have a real safety issue on your hands.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are financing the project, and contractors Custom Marine have already removed 14 of 35 Sandy-scuttled schooners, according to Nate Grove, the Parks Department’s senior marina manager.

Custom Marine won the $2 million contract through a competitive bid, in part thanks to the company’s Vietnam War-era landing craft, which touts an extremely shallow draft and allows it to operate in waters where other boats would run aground, Bergin-Pugh said.

The veteran vessel, which is fitted with crane, drags wrecks up from the briny depths and drops them on a barge moored opposite Tamaqua Marina — Custom Marine’s base of operations for the project. The barge takes the scrap to New Jersey for processing, Burgin-Pugh explained.

Work at Shell Bank Creek will likely continue through the end of January — then Custom Marine and parks supervisors will head over to Mill Basin to remove another four or five boats, officials said.

Waterways throughout the Five Boroughs have been polluted with wreckage and debris for years before Sandy. City, state, and federal groups partnered to remove dozens of ships from the Brooklyn-adjacent sections of Jamaica Bay in 2008.

But workers didn’t haul all the hulls that had accumulated off Southern Brooklyn’s coast back in the late aughts, and Councilman Alan Maisel (D–Gerritsen Beach) said he’s been lobbying the city to clean up scuttled boats since before Sandy.

Even the ongoing disaster cleanup won’t capture all the capsized ketch’s, but it’s a start, Maisel said.

“It’s a drop in the bucket, but at least the bucket starts getting filled in my district,” the councilman said. “I’m being parochial, but there are so many places throughout Brooklyn where there are sunken boats.”

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By Jaclyn Marr

Brooklyn Daily

St. Francis tasted its third-straight defeat after a slow start and a 14-point deficit at the half.

The Terriers men’s basketball team attempted several second-half rallies, but fell 71–60 to Manhattan — injury-ridden and with just seven available players — at Draddy Gymnasium on Dec. 15.

“Give Manhattan all the credit,” said St. Francis coach Glenn Braica. “They got off a plane from Memphis Sunday and came out and played with great energy, great focus, and we didn’t. There are no excuses. We need to learn that you have to play every night. These games happen but we can’t accept them.”

Manhattan scored the first seven points of the game and never relinquished the lead. Guards Tyler Wilson and Rich Williams each had key three-pointers before Thomas Capuano hit a trey at the buzzer to give the Jaspers a 41–27 lead at the half.

St. Francis (3–7) attempted to come back on three separate occasions. It cut the deficit to eight points in the second half, but Manhattan regained control with less than five minutes to go when forward Zane Waterman and guard RaShawn Stores both notched three-pointers to keep the Jaspers comfortably ahead.

“The first half was kind of slow,” said Terriers forward Chris Hooper, who scored 15 points and had eight rebounds. “We went in for break, and coach told us to pick it up more and trust the offense. Trust what we do on offense. Get the ball inside and play from the inside out. That’s what we did. It picked up a little bit.”

Antonio Jenifer led St. Francis with a career-high 17 points on six-of-eight shooting. Tyreek Jewell notched 12 points, and Yunus Hopkinson had nine.

Shane Richards scored 19 points to lead Manhattan (2–7) and stop a five-game skid. He went five of 12 from the field and seven-of-eight from the free-throw line with eight rebounds and two steals. The Jaspers shot more than 55 percent overall and made eight of 13 three-pointers. Williams added 15 points. Manhattan’s lack of depth is something it is learning to deal with.

“We stay with our process,” Jaspers coach Steve Masello said. “We grind it out. We get better everyday. We’re a blue-collar program that rolls our sleeves up. We’re not afraid of adversity.”

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By Brandon Mauk

Brooklyn Daily

St. Edmund got a reminder of how much it must improve to defend its diocesan title.

The Eagles girls’ basketball team lacks depth, and it showed in a 67–52 loss to division rival Monsignor McClancy on the road on Dec. 14. Outside of star Kelly O’Donnell’s 43 points, St. Edmund (4–1) received very little offense from the rest of its experienced squad.

Coming off its first Brooklyn-Queens Division II title since 2002, St. Edmund is a team in transition after losing four key seniors. The Eagles squad won their first three league games this season before falling to the Crusaders.

The young guards struggled in the half court, but McClancy played solid defense. It used double-teams to force turnovers and spark points in transition.

“We just have trouble with guard play — can’t bring the ball up, not going to be able to score,” said St. Edmund coach Frank Kelly.

O’Donnell was the lone star for St. Edmund. She got the Eagles off to a good start and was a constant factor even though it went down big.

“We have people who can handle the ball, we got nervous,” O’Donnell said. “We just need to work on collecting ourselves. The only thing you have to do is, you can’t give up no matter what the score is. You just fight to the finish.”

St. Edmund held the lead early in the first quarter before McClancy (3–1) began to win the battle of the backcourts. Still, the Eagles trailed by just one about a minute into the second quarter before the game started to get away from them. The Crusaders team pulled away with its defense. An 8–0 run by McClancy put it up by 12 at halftime.

Taylor Aybar led McClancy with 14 points.

After falling behind by 18 midway through the third quarter, St. Edmund used a 7–0 run to get within 11. McClancy closed the final 1:17 of the quarter on an 8–0 run to go up by 19. St. Edmund never got closer than 17 in the final quarter.

St. Edmund didn’t see its first defeat of the season as a setback — rather a way to assess what it needs to once again win the championship.

“I think it’s a learning experience,” O’Donnell said. “We’re still growing as a team. We’ll get better from it.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Xaverian’s new roster is bringing a new way to play.

The Clippers boys’ basketball team reached the Brooklyn-Queens and Catholic Intersectional Class AA finals last year by pounding the ball into forwards Najee Larcher and Sayon Charles. But the team lost its muscle with the graduation of Larcher, Charles, and point guard Doyin Isaac — forcing this year’s squad to play to its strengths and focus on quickness and athleticism.

“We are a polar opposite to the way we played last year,” Clippers coach Jack Alesi said. “Last year we were ‘ground and pound’ — get the ball inside. This year, we are more like a ‘chuck and duck’ — let’s move the ball, get spacing and ball movement.”

He got a good look at how effective that new play style can be during the second half of his squad’s 58–41 road victory over Archbishop Stepinac on Dec. 12.

Xaverian (3–0) jumped the passing lane, got out in transition, and forced turnovers to put the game away in the fourth quarter. The Clippers held the Crusaders (1–3) scoreless for the final 6:12 of the game and closed the contest on a 19–0 run. It was an impressive display in its first league game of the year.

“It’s a great win,” said junior guard Zack Bruno, who scored 15 points. “The best wins are wins on the road — especially on Saturday night with a big crowd.”

It took Xaverian half the game to sharpen its execution on both sides of the court.

The team had been trying all along to execute like it did after the break, but it took time for them to get in sync.

“We did it later on, because we made adjustments, and we just looked better,” Alesi said. “It’s not like we weren’t trying to do it.”

And senior Nyontay Wisseh — the lone returning starter — imposed his will on the contest. He and Bruno led a 9–0 run in the third that gave Xaverian its first lead. Wisseh scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half and converted a baseline layup to put his club up 37–21 with 50 seconds to play in the third.

“I’m able to pick it up when I need too,” said Wisseh, a three-year varsity player.

Six straight points from Jordan Means put Stepinac ahead 41–39, but it would not score again. Xaverian forced five turnovers, and Wisseh, Bruno, and senior guard Brandon Leftwich (12 points) got easy points in transition. Point guard Khalil Rhodes and Jordan Guzman (eight points) were excellent on the defensive end.

Aundre Hyatt paced the Crusaders with 16 points.

Xaverian, which dropped a 70–59 decision to Christ the King the next day, is trying to surprise people after losing four starters from a year ago. Much of the buzz around the league is about Christ the King, St. Raymond, and Archbishop Molloy, but The Clippers players think they can force their way into the conversation.

“Last year they forgot about us, this year it is the same story,” Wisseh said. “We will be ready.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Brooklyn boys’ soccer teams raised the bar this year.

Grand Street emerged as a major player with its first trip to the Public School Athletic League Class A final — the Wolves won the B crown two years ago and nearly rose to the top of the mountain before falling to Beacon 1–0 in double overtime. Brooklyn Tech reached the quarterfinals as the No. 22 seed, and Franklin D. Roosevelt and Fort Hamilton shared a division crown. Poly Prep was once again one of the best teams in the five boroughs, placing second in the Ivy League — though the Blue Devils quest for a state title fell short with a penalty-kick loss in the semifinal.

Amongst some great teams were some even better players. Here are the best of the best from Brooklyn:

Player of Year

Brail Wilson George, Grand Street

The junior midfielder was a major reason why Grand Street had the best year in program history. His physical presence and skill forced defenses to pay him extra attention, taking pressure off of other players on the Wolves’ deep roster. Wilson George netted 18 goals and dished out five assists. He scored five times in the postseason, including both of the quarterfinal upset’s two goals against Francis Lewis.

Coach of the Year

Johnny Chavez, Grand Street

The former Grand Street and Long Island University soccer standout has revitalized his alma mater after five seasons at the helm. He pushed the Wolves to nearly capture the class A city title and firmly established the program as one of the city’s best. His knowledge of the game and ability to mesh and motivate a balanced and deep roster were keys to Grand Street’s rise.

All-Brooklyn First Team

Jake Barry, Poly Prep

The senior midfielder and co-captain ended his career in Bay Ridge with another productive season — he was Poly’s main offensive threat, scoring 16 goals and dishing out 10 assists.

Jules Donaus, Erasmus Hall

The super sophomore forward made his presence felt in his first varsity season. Donaus helped Erasmus Hall to a playoff berth by scoring a team-high 16 goals and adding an assist.

Roberto Espinoza, Franklin Roosevelt

Goalkeeper Espinoza was a big reason Franklin D. Roosevelt finished on top of Brooklyn A West for a second-straight year. The senior was tough to score on. He allowed just nine goals in 14 matches and made 76 saves.

Anthony Herbert, Grand Street

The junior midfielder excelled in his first year on varsity thanks to his versatility — Herbert tallied nine goals and 15 assists to form a great one-two punch with Wilson George.

Omar Ibraham, Fort Hamilton

The senior forward was a catalyst for the Tigers’ sharing the Brooklyn A West title. Ibraham, who had just one goal last year, found the back of the net 12 times and dished out four assists this season.

Jerdani Johnson, Grand Street

Defender Johnson was the Wolves’ glue guy. The level-headed senior was a shutdown defender and used his smarts and pedigree from the B title to help guide Grand Street to new heights.

Yaroslav Moshchenko, Brooklyn Tech

The No. 22 Engineers made a deep playoff run thanks to goalkeeper Moshchenko’s play between the pipes. The senior allowed eight goals in 11 regular season matches and posted a shutout in the second round of the playoffs.

Victor Ogunwale, Thomas Jefferson

The junior forward proved he is one of the city’s best pure strikers. He led the A division in goals with 31 and recorded an assist while helping the Orange Wave to a second playoff finish.

Austin Sansone, Poly Prep

The senior midfielder has been a varsity stalwart for three seasons and certainly factored into Poly’s success. His aggressive play and scoring helped the Blue Devils boast one of the city’s top midfield units.

Jotham Thodiyil, Poly Prep

Poly was known for a stingy defense, and Thodiyil was the unit’s unquestioned leader. The senior’s smart and skills made it tough for opposing players to create quality-scoring chances.

Honorable mention

F Dayo Adeosun, Poly Prep

M Keshane Bedward, South Shore

GK Nathaniel Francis, Thomas Jefferson

M Akeil Harper, Grand Street

F Michael John, St. Edmund

F Amet Maxwell, Canarsie

GK Nicholas Multiz, Poly Prep

F Heidara Nasser, Franklin D. Roosevelt

M Alex Sosa, New Utrecht

M James Vega, Xaverian

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

60th Precinct

Coney Island—Brighton Beach—Seagate

Shot dead

A gunman violently killed a 29-year-old man on W. 21st Street on Dec. 11.

Police officers responded to a radio call of shots fired between Mermaid and Surf avenues at 8 pm, where they found the victim dead with numerous bullet wounds, cops said.

Raped

Cops cuffed a 23-year-old man who they say raped a 20-year-old woman inside his Brighton Sixth Street apartment on Dec. 10.

The victim told police that she accompanied the suspect to his apartment between Brighton Beach Avenue and Brightwater Court at 7 pm, when he pulled her onto his bed.

The woman laid on her stomach as the man forced himself on her, cops said.

Once he finished, the victim told the suspect she had to leave and headed home on the train, according to police.

Bad step

Three goons robbed a woman inside a W. 21st Street building on Dec. 9, taking $2 and her cellphone.

The victim told police she was going up the stairwell of the building between Mermaid and Surf avenues at 1:30 pm when the crooks halted her ascent. One of the thieves punched her in the face and slammed her against the wall, cops said. The crooks then took her petty cash and phone, before fleeing.

Pint-sized perp

An 11-year-old boy was arrested for attempting to rob a 12 year old on W. 24th Street on Dec. 10, in which he used a toy pistol to threaten his victim, cops allege.

The victim told police that he was between Mermaid and Surf avenues at 5:15 pm, when the suspect put the mock pistol to the back of his head. The young suspect told the victim to turn out his pockets, but the boy said he didn’t have anything to give and warned that his father was nearby, cops said.

Fearing parental reprisals, the suspect made a run for it, but cops picked him up nearby and recovered a toy gun, according to police.

The victim came round to identify the suspect, and pointed him out as his attacker, cops said.

Bad fare

Two gunmen robbed a cabbie on W. 35th Street on Dec. 10, taking $90, his phone, and his taxi.

The victim told police that the crooks hopped into his ride near Surf Avenue at 11:10 pm, where they pulled a gun on him and demanded his valuables.

After the victim handed over his goods, the thieves slugged him in the face, before dragging him out of his car and taking off with it, cops said.

Change of heart

Cops busted two men for their alleged part in a bizarre Coney Island Avenue robbery on Dec. 11 that left a woman with all her property — and a few nasty bruises.

The victim told police that she was heading home from a friend’s house near Brighton First Street at 4 am when the suspects and another man approached her and began patting her down. One of the men, who remains at large, drew a knife on the woman, before grabbing her phone.

As the suspects and their accomplice went to leave with their loot, the woman began screaming and, instead of fleeing, the knife man returned to his victim, and relinquished the phone back to her, cops said.

“Here, because I have a heart,” the man said, according to the police report.

Expecting a word of gratitude, the man turned on the victim when she didn’t deliver.

“You’re not going to say thank you?” the crook asked, before smashing his fist into her face, choking her, and slamming her against a car, cops said.

Gun-point perps

Two gunmen robbed a man and woman on Neptune Avenue on Dec. 11, taking $300 and his cellphone.

The victims told police they were near W. 37th Street at 7:40 pm, when the crooks pulled a gun on them and demanded their loot, cops said.

— Colin Mixson

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See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

61st Precinct

Sheepshead Bay—Homecrest— Manhattan Beach—Gravesend

Right under his feet

A brute beat up a teen riding a “hoverboard” on Avenue V and ran off with the $400 gadget on Dec. 9, according to police.

The rider told cops he was floating near E. 29th Street around 5:25 pm when the goon hopped in front of him, blocking his path.

The hoverboarder crossed the street to go around him, but the punk followed, demanded the psuedo-scooter, and punched him in the face, knocking him off the board, cops allege. The thief grabbed his Swagway X9 and fled on foot, police said.

Robbed on Avenue U

A gun-toting villain demanded a man’s wallet on Avenue U on Dec. 10, a police report said.

The victim was near McDonald Avenue around 6:20 pm when the ruffian approached him, pointed to a handgun in his waistband, and told him to “give me that f------ wallet,” according to the police report.

The victim complied, handing over his wallet with $200 in cash, a license, and credit card inside, police said.

Slasher

Someone broke into a private lot on Avenue X overnight on Dec. 11, stealing tools and slashing tires, according to police.

The victim told police he parked two personal and two work vehicles at a space near Sheepshead Bay Road at 5:30 pm on Dec. 10 and when he came back the next morning he found someone slashed the tires of all four vehicles.

The fiend also broke open the windows on one of the work trucks and stole brass plumbing pipes and power tools, a police report said.

Almost had him

An intruder made his way into a woman’s garage on Avenue X on Dec. 11 and rummaged through her car before she caught him red-handed, police said.

The woman went out to her garage at her home near E. 23rd Street at around 5:50 pm after a sensor light turned on in her backyard. She noticed an unfamiliar bike in the yard and when she came to the garage she saw a man pop out of her car and head for the nearest fence.

She tried to grab his legs as he went over, but he slithered away with $600, leaving his bike behind.

Quick grab

Some lout stole cash and gadgets from a woman’s Batchelder Street apartment on Dec. 8 — while she was grabbing her mail.

The woman took a trip to the mailroom in her building near Avenue Z around 4:45 pm, but left her apartment door unlocked, according to police. She came back 15 minutes later and saw cash, a laptop, and two cameras were missing, police said.

— Dennis Lynch

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