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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

68th Precinct

Bay Ridge—Dyker Heights

Battery-powered

Two shoplifters stole more than $1,200 worth of goods from a drugstore on Third Avenue on Dec. 6, according to police.

The two feigned a shopping trip to the store at 93rd Street just before 10 pm. They grabbed $660 worth of allergy medicine, $200 in teeth whitening strips, and $330 in Duracell batteries, according to a police report.

The two skipped the line at the register and walked right out with their take, never to sneeze, brush their teeth, or deal with a dead television remote ever again.

Cleaned out

Someone ransacked a car a couple parked on Cropsey Avenue while they took a jog at a local park on Dec. 12,

The two parked near the corner of Bay Eighth Street around 2:30 pm and when they came back an hour later they found they were missing $150 in cash, a purse, both of their debit and credit cards, and an iPhone, police reported.

The couple was not sure if the doors were locked, but police found no signs of forced entry.

— Dennis Lynch

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

62nd Precinct

Bensonhurst—Bath Beach

Derailed

Two crooks robbed a 16-year-old girl on board an N train stopped at Avenue U on Dec. 13.

The victim told police that she was aboard the Coney Island-bound train when it pulled into the station near W. Seventh Street at 5:40 pm. As she waited for the doors to close, the two thieves punched her in the face, and grabbed her iPhone 6, before fleeing out of the train, cops said

Bad fare

Some scoundrel slugged a cabbie and took his phone on 20th Avenue on Dec. 12.

The victim told police that he was near 67th Street at 3:10 am, where he was embroiled in an argument with his passenger. The dispute came to a head when the cabbie’s fare slugged him in the face and took his stuff, cops said.

Gadgets gone

A burglar nabbed electronics from a man’s 18th Avenue home on Dec. 12.

The victim told police that the snake slithered into his house between 79th and 80th streets at noon, breaking in through a rear bedroom window. Inside, the crook nabbed some pricey electronics, before fleeing, cops said.

Pay day

A thief ransacked a man’s 81st Street apartment on Dec. 11, taking $15,000 and jewelry.

The victim told police that the crook entered his home between 15th and 16th avenues at 8 am, through his bathroom window.

The nogoodnik then tore his bedroom apart looking for loot, and fled with the man’s cash and jewels, cops said.

Have a chair

A cad hurled a chair at a woman working at a Chinese-food restaurant on Bath Avenue on Dec. 13.

The victim told police that she was behind the register of the eatery between Bay 17th Street and 18th Avenue at 9:55 pm when the lout took up a chair and threw it, striking the woman in her arm.

Have a beer

Some fool sent a man to the hospital after he hurling a bottle at his head on Bay 28th Street on Dec. 10.

The victim told police that he was near Cropsey Avenue at 3 pm when he felt the glass bottle ricochet off his head. The collision left the man with a serious injury, and he was sent packing to a hospital for treament, cops said.

— Colin Mixson

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

They got lost in the shuffle!

Supporters of two cancer charities joined forces to raise money for their causes by breaking a world record for “the longest conga line on ice” at Prospect Park’s skating rink in Saturday, but only succeeded in one of those goals, according to the organizer.

“We worked together, we had a lot of fun, we raised some money, but we fell short on the record,” said Bergen Beach resident Joe Gillette of breast-cancer organization Relay for Life.

London’s Canary Wharf Ice Rink can breath easy knowing its 2013 record, in which 353 skaters successfully conga-ed for more than five minutes, is safe for the time being — the combined efforts of Relay for Life and fellow cancer-fighting outfit Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer could only muster a scant 82 people, Gillette said.

Gillette — known as “Zumba Daddy” for his efforts to raise awareness of breast cancer by staging multiple world record attempts for the largest indoor class of the aerobics-dance craze — blamed the poor showing on the unseasonably fair weather, which on that day averaged a pleasant 60 degrees.

“Let’s put it this way, there were more joggers than ice skaters,” Gillette said.

To make the attempt, Gillette hired certified conga instructor Gina Argano and put together a mix-tape featuring Gloria Estefan’s “Conga” and Buster Poindexter’s immortal “Hot Hot Hot.”

But even knowing their feeble numbers wouldn’t come close to breaking the record, the do-gooders maintained high spirits and strapped on their skates merely for the love of conga.

The assembled philanthropists managed to grasp each-other’s rumps and gyrate for five minutes without fail — proving that, while they didn’t have numbers, they had the chops to make into Guinness’s famed book, according to Argano.

“I was in front, but it looked like we were holding it together,” she said.

At the end of the day, no records were broken, but the collaboration between the two charities managed to raise $1,000 for two causes of equal merit, and Gillette even managed to learn a thing or two about breaking conga records.

“We learned the lesson that we have to work a little harder to convince people that the conga can be done on ice,” he said.

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By Lauren Gill

Brooklyn Daily

Call it a hockey shtick!

The Islanders celebrated Hanukkah at Barclays Center on Sunday night with an appropriately frosty reception — lighting up a menorah carved out of ice.

And the double-meaning cut both ways, said an organizer — the pro athletes’ perseverance is a great analogy for the festival of lights, which celebrates the triumph of Jewish people over religious persecution.

“A hockey game is one of those places where our message resonates,” said Rabbi Mendy Hecht of Chabad Jewish Center of Prospect Heights, which organized the hockey team’s Jewish Heritage night. “There’s a great message of not giving up.”

Youngster Mendy Abayou lit up the chilly candelabra between the first and second periods, and Hecht said it was a miracle in itself that the sub-zero sculpture stayed intact long enough for him to set each of its candles aflame.

In other celebrations of Jewish heritage, Israeli music superstar Gad Elbaz sang the national anthem before the game, and folk singer Levi Robin performed during a break in the game.

Nearly 100 people turned out specifically for religious festivities, but fans filled every seat in Barclays Center to watch the Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 4–0, and Hecht said they got involved in the celebration.

“It was great how the families really connected to the Jewish heritage and we got to share our message with the public,” he said.

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By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

God bless us, every one!

New principal Eujin Jaela Kim of PS 169 in Sunset Park got the message from the ghosts, past, present and future, and lifted the ban she had imposed against the jolly old fat man and all the trimmings from the school.

The New York Post originally reported that she had Scrooged the children, staff, and families of her school by putting a big fat “No” on all the holiday ho, ho, ho, a story the Independent Sentinel picked up and ran with.

She even prevented the children from citing the Pledge of Allegiance and changed the name of Thanksgiving to a harvest celebration. What?

“We definitely can’t say Christmas, nothing with Christmas on it, nothing with Santa,” Parent-Teacher Association president Mimi Ferrer said. Adding, “Administrators told me. ‘No angels. We can’t even have a star because it can represent a religious system, like the Star of David.’ ”

Bah, humbug to Principal Kim.

But fearing that she would be put on the permanent naughty list and would only have bags and bags of coal to open Christmas morning, the re-thinking educator thought better of the ban and lifted all prohibitions. The pall has lifted and Ferrer is as thankful as Tiny Tim, exclaiming, “I’m ecstatic that Santa can come back. Hopefully, he can make a visit to the kids in our school for our winter celebration on Thursday.”

Donald Trump is right in his assertion that we no longer have time for political correctness. It is a disruptive force, not a positive movement.

The Christmas holiday is more than just a gift or a party — it is all that is good in this world. Thankfully, Principal Kim woke up and smelled the peppermint bark and lifted the ban making every child from here to the North Pole as happy as dancing sugar plums.

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said it best in the 1863 poem “Christmas Bells:”

“And in despair I bowed my head; There is no peace on earth, I said; For hate is strong, And mocks the song, Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Principal Kim e-mailed her staff when she lifted the ban and said, “I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”

Not for Nuthin,™ Feliz Navidad Principal Kim, you have just been put at the head of the nice list — no more coal for you.

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By Claire McCartney

Brooklyn Daily

Waffling on what to buy someone for Christmas?

A boozy brunch on Dec. 19 will offer crafty holiday shoppers a chance to eat, drink, and create two sets of drink coasters to give to their fellow drinkers. The “Waffles, Whiskey, and Workshop” event at the New York Distilling Company will provide all the ingredients in its name, along with a sense of accomplishment, says the event’s organizer.

“The goals of the workshops are to learn how to make something new and to use your hands,” said Miraya Berke.

The brunch party will take place inside the Shanty, the distillery’s own bar, and will kick off with a complimentary cocktail made with whiskey distilled on-site. There will also be a brief tour of the distillery, plenty of waffles, and a cash bar for brunch favorites like mimosas and Bloody Marys.

Berke added that children are welcome, “just no whiskey for them of course!”

Though combining crafting and liquor may seem unwise, Berke assures that coaster-making is not particularly difficult, and the materials are safe to work with.

“We’ll be making coasters out of corkboard and rope,” she said. “I thought coasters would be a fun project since it’s tied to drinking whiskey, plus we’ll be making two sets, one for you and one to give as a holiday gift.”

All coaster materials will be provided on site, along with templates, hands-on instruction, and materials to turn the coaster sets into a classy gift.

“We’ll also have a station with wrapping paper and card making to cross one gift off everyone’s list,” Berke said.

She hopes that the event will bring people together in the spirit of the holidays.

“I always feel that people connect better at events when there is an activity, so the workshop is a catalyst to meet new people,” she said. “Even if you don’t make a new friend from the event, you’ll leave feeling accomplished with something you made.”

Waffles, Whiskey and Workshop at New York Distilling Company [405 Leonard St. in Williamsburg, whiskeywafflesworkshops.com]. whiskeywafflesworkshops.com]. Dec. 19, at 11 am–2 pm. $27.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

All they needed to get into the yuletide mood was some unseasonably warm weather.

Gravesenders celebrated Christmas with caroling and a tree-lighting at Lady Moody Triangle on Dec. 10. The balmy, 59-degree day — a record high, according to the National Weather Service — made it easier for one Gravesender with chronic health problems to enjoy the holiday lights, the reveler’s mom said.

“We’ve been trying to go for four years, but my oldest daughter always suffered from pneumonia, because she was born prematurely,” Gravesend mom Rosaria Generoso said of school-age daughter Briana. “For the winter she has to be watched very carefully when it comes to the cold.”

Briana got to enjoy the lighting along with brother Alfredo thanks to an autumn that doesn’t seem to be ending, Generoso said.

“It was beautiful out — she had an amazing time,” she said. “We all did.”

Christmas music and a visit from Kris Kringle also enlivened the lighting, which state Sen. Martin Golden (R–Bay Ridge) sponsored.

An all-girls choir sang classic carols, and a disc jockey spun more modern tunes that had everyone shaking — though not from cold, Generoso said.

“They were playing all the songs the kids like, and, as an adult, I was dancing too,” she said.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Call it a victory lap.

Three days after someone knocked down (but not out) the Chabad of Bay Ridge’s menorah on 65th Street and Seventh Avenue, members of Brooklyn’s Jewish community celebrated the last day of Hanukkah by illuminating Bay Ridge with a parade of cars sporting menorahs on Dec. 13. Organizers decided to start their parade at the site of the apparent vandalism in an act of perseverance, the Chabad’s rabbi said.“It’s a symbolic gesture that we are here and the light will continue to shine and more light will go forth from there,” said Rabbi Tzvi Stroh. “Instead of being lessened, the light will go forth through the whole neighborhood.”

It was the Chabad of Bay Ridge’s third such parade over as many years.

The Bay Ridge ride previously started and ended at the synagogue on Bay Ridge and Fourth avenues, but Stroh and his colleagues put together a last-minute menorah-lighting at Fort Hamilton Triangle on 95th Street and Fourth Avenue and rode there instead.

Councilman Vincent Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) and state Senator Martin Golden (R–Bay Ridge) lit each side of the 9-foot menorah at the triangle with around 40 people from the borough’s Chabad communities in attendance.

Gentile decried the vandalism on behalf of area gentiles.

“I wanted to make a statement that whatever happened with the menorah is not representative of what people in this neighborhood are about — that this is not a hostile neighborhood, and this was an isolated incident,” he said.

Stroh plans to put up one more menorah in the neighborhood next year to bring even more light to Bay Ridge — much like one lights one more candle each night of Hanukkah, he said.

“That shows that you may start off small, but as long as you persevere, the light will overcome the darkness,” he said.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

They told him to take a hike.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority won’t acquiesce to a Ridge councilman’s demands for better R Train service, but the spurned pol said the agency’s reasoning ran off the rails. Councilman Vincent Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) petitioned the authority for at least the third time this year to audit Bay Ridge’s only subway, which he and straphangers say is overcrowded, battered from age, and perpetually late. But the authority says it could cram another 67 people per car during morning rush hour before the trains hit capacity — a claim Gentile called bogus.

“When you talk about capacity from 95th Street to 59th Street — where riders can catch the first express — you’re packed like a sardine can,” he said. “By the time you get to 77th Street, the third stop going to the city, you can’t find a seat. So to tell me that we don’t have a capacity problem is nonsense.”

But Gentile’s proposed audit, which he said would identify inefficiencies and “force the authority to act” on them is not coming any time soon, according to transit spokesman Kevin Ortiz. The authority will instead audit some numbered subway lines in the near future, because it has audited five lettered lines since 2009, he said.

Gentile proposed a rush-hour express train from Brooklyn to Chambers Street and back, but the authority said fugheddaboudit. He’s also demanding countdown clocks and new public address systems in R stations, the latter of which Gentile said “sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher,” but the authority told him to keep wishing, instead responding that riders could access train-arrival information via smartphone apps sometime in the next few years.

Ortiz acknowledged that the train cars on the R line were old — they’ll collectively celebrate their 40th birthdays in 2016 — but said they continue to “provide reliable service” and that new ones will not come until after the authority finishes installing a computer signal system along the R in Queens sometime in the “early 2020s.”

Gentile hopes his squeaky wheel will get the grease, but the authority hasn’t doled out much oil. The pol sent the authority a letter in January demanding an audit, but the agency shot back an Orwellian reply that it would make the trains run on time by adjusting the schedules. He held a rally over the summer calling for an audit when the authority found $1 billion in additional revenue, but the agency denied him then, too. Now they’re telling him an audit isn’t in the cards — let alone new trains or an express service.

Bay Ridgites living and working along Fourth Avenue should, however, be enjoying quieter trains and less vibrations — the authority replaced tracks and ties with newer, less rattle-prone ones in October after complaints from Gentile and the community board.

Still, the only thing reliable about the R train is its unreliability, said Lisa Levy, a member of the Riders Alliance commuter advocacy group who spoke at the rally.

“Often I’ll be on the R train on my way to work when the train’s route changes, which means I have to double back and add 30 minutes to my commute,” she said.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

It was a Hanukkah miracle!

The Chabad of Bay Ridge’s 9-foot menorah shone through the night after Hanukkah goblins trashed the festive candelabrum early Dec. 10. The holiday celebrates the biblical Jews’ rededication of the Temple and their miraculously keeping a lamp therein lit for eight days using only one day’s worth of oil — so congregants naturally saw deep meaning in the toppled-but-still-illuminated electric menorah, the synagogue’s rabbi said.

“We definitely saw it as symbolic,” said Rabbi Tzvi Stroh. “It was a member of the congregation that noticed the lights were still on. He said ‘Wow isn’t that amazing, with what they tried to do?’ That’s part of what gave us the encouragement to put it back up again and answer them with light.”

The Chabad secured the menorah onto a 3-foot piece of steel this year, because wind apparently knocked it over last year. But it wasn’t wind that bowled over the symbol of perseverance, a Chabad member said.

“This guy was out to get us,” said Hanoch Barhorin a volunteer at the Chabad. “It wasn’t the wind, you can see that if you look at it. The 68th Precinct also said this was deliberate.”

Barhorin saw the menorah erect and aglow around 2 am Dec. 10, but residents phoned him in the morning when they saw it on its side, the steel holding it up bent at a 45-degree angle, he said. The vandals also removed a sign wishing passers by a happy Hanukkah, he said.

Chabad members re-erected the beacon that day in defiance of the delinquents who tipped it, Barhorin said.

“With Hanukkah, we are trying to illuminate the world, but some people are trying to make it a darker place,” he said. “So we put the menorah right back up again, which the police also said was important to do, to show we are not afraid.”Three days later, Chabad members marked the end of Hanukkah with the annual menorah parade by driving around Bay Ridge with candelabra on their cars and playing music. The parade took on a new meaning in light of the vandalism, Barhorin said.

“We are not giving up or giving in to this attack, that is very important to us,” he said.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

A gun-wielding guttersnipe opened fire outside of a Strickland Avenue bowling alley in Mill Island, sending three people to area hospitals early Dec. 12.

The triggerman turned up outside of the bowling lanes between Mill Avenue and E. 60th Place at 2:22 am, hoping out of a White Dodge minivan before heading into a vestibule that lead into the lanes, cops said.

Inside, he got into an argument with another guy, but the pair took it out onto the sidewalk, according to police.

The conflict climaxed when the weasel reached for a gun in his coat pocket and started blasting, cops said.

The gunman shot three men, ages 19, 20, and 22, striking all three in their legs, according to police.

Cops said it’s unclear who the gunman was shooting for — or why — but said the man he’d been arguing with escaped without a scratch.

Investigators recovered five shell casings and two 9mm rounds from the scene, cops said.

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Thomas Jefferson baller Shamorie Ponds is living up to all of the hype — and his team is exceeding it.

They have done everything right since a shocking season-opening loss at home to Queens High School of Teaching. The St. John’s-bound guard has taken up the mantel as New York City’s best player, and he’s running with it. And the Orange Wave (6–1) has slowly become the team to beat in the Public School Athletic League’s Brooklyn AA Division — especially after Abraham Lincoln’s loss to Paul Robeson, which Jefferson beat by 17 points.

Ponds, who Entertainment and Sports Programming Network ranked No. 41 nationwide, averaged 28.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 5 rebounds over his first five league games — including 44 points to help beat George Westinghouse, 41 points in a seven-point win over South Shore, and 32 points against Bedford Academy. Ponds also hit a buzzer-beater to seal a 75–74 comeback against Catholic power Cardinal Hayes.

St. John’s fans in particular ought to be happy with that type of performance — Ponds is giving Johnnies boosters plenty of reasons to be excited for his arrival in Queens next season.

He continued his strong season in a battle of the area’s top two players in East New York — with Red Storm coach Chris Mullin in attendance — earlier this month. Ponds hit five three-pointers in the first half to account for 15 of his 21 points during Jefferson’s 71–58 victory against Iona Prep and Virginia-commit Ty Jerome on Dec. 11.

Jerome, who has already led his team past three-time defending Catholic High School Athletic Association Class AA Intersectional champion Christ the King, went for damage control in the second half. He dropped in 27 of his game-high 34 points, began guarding Ponds, and held him to six points over the third and fourth quarters, but the damage was already long done.

Ponds’s hot start is not the only reason the Orange Wave threatens to reach its fourth city championship game in the last five years. St. Francis College commit Rasheem Dunn, an athletic guard, has been the Robin to Ponds’ Batman by averaging 12 points per contest. And Bishop Loughlin transfer Marques Watson has emerged as a viable third scoring option — he connected on three straight treys during first half of a decisive run against Iona Prep.

The three-headed attack — led by Ponds — and the team’s commitment to pressure defense has Jefferson rolling after a rocky start. The other two need to continue to feed off the defensive attention Ponds is rightfully getting.

The Orange Wave and Lincoln will decide who truly deserves the title of division big dog when the teams meet for the first time this season in East New York on Jan. 9.

For now, Ponds is proving he is the city’s best player each and every night — and positioning Jefferson to be the five boroughs’ best club.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

Ain’t it a beautiful sight!

A coalition of kind-hearted veterans, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the American Legion transported a treasure trove of Christmas presents collected through Toys for Tots to Floyd Bennett Field in a massive convoy that mustered at Gerritsen Beach on Dec. 13. Toys that the truckin’ convoy hauled were piled thick as bugs on a bumper, one volunteer said.

“Just from the MTA, we had a bus and a half loaded up with toys,” said Father Michael Gelfant, pastor at Saint Finbar Church and a chaplain with the transit authority. “That’s on the seats, in the aisles, and in the storage underneath. That’s about the only way I can quantify it.”

The rigs were lined with teddy bears that more than 120 Brooklyn businesses donated. The convoy — which included seven-ton military truck, two fire trucks, an ambulance, and various civilian vehicles — met at a Gerritsen Avenue building that the Marine Corps League of Brooklyn has been using for the past three months as a staging ground for the massive toy drive, according to Mark Jordan, a Corps veteran and member of the league.

The convoy also included the transit authority’s Bus 2185 — better known as the 9-11 Bus — which was emblazoned with the star-spangled banner after falling debris covered it following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

The caravan got the 10–4 to head out at around 11 am, pullin’ Lincoln logs and haulin’ stuffed dogs. By the time it reached Floyd Bennett Field, the convoy had more than 85 vehicles in all — nearly 250 motorcyclists representing 15 Kings County riding clubs joined in, volunteers said.

At the base, volunteers sorted the toys for gender- and age-appropriateness before distributing them throughout the Five Boroughs.

Father Gelfant performed a blessing on the toy-laden trucks to ensure the gifts brought good cheer and joy to their pint-sized recipients, he said.

“We gave our blessing on the toys, hoping that things turn around for the kids who receive it and that they have a good holiday season. It’s a good opportunity to introduce god into the season. Whether you’re Jewish or Christian, it’s because of god that we celebrate this time of giving.”

Convoy!

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By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Park Slope

It’s totally rad!

The docs are doing it again at New York Methodist Hospital. Cutting-edge oncologists are offering a new treatment in the fight against advanced stages of metastatic prostate cancer. The therapy, called radium-223 dichloride, is administered once a month for six months on an outpatient basis with a simple injection. It specifically targets and kills cancer cells that have spread to a patient’s bones while minimizing harm to healthy tissue. Of course, the healing center is the only hospital in Brooklyn to offer the treatment.

“When prostate cancer metastasizes (spreads), it is most commonly to the bones,” said Dr. Hani Ashamalla, chairman of radiation oncology. “Now, thanks to radium-223 therapy, patients at this stage of the disease have not run out of effective options.”

Chief of Urology Dr. Ivan Grunberger added, “Combined with other treatments for metastatic prostate cancer that are available here, radium-223 therapy packs an additional punch that can help our patients live longer, and live better, too.”

Standing O says, “Keep up the fight.”

New York Methodist Hospital [506 Sixth St. between Seventh and Eighth avenues in Park Slope, (718) 780–3000].

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By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Midwood

When it comes to the fight against cancer, Joe Gillette is “nothing if not persistent,” he says. The owner of Plaza Auto Mall is also a miracle-worker. The fund-raising entrepreneur single-handedly united two opposing pols to join in the fight with him. Only in Brooklyn, folks — the borough of miracles. Joe garnered the help of state Sen. Roxanne Persaud, the diehard Democrat from Canarsie, and state Sen. Martin Golden, the reigning Republican from Bay Ridge, to raise more than $17,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Persaud celebrated the Relay for Life event with Joe at Plaza Auto Mall, raising $7,500, and Sen. Golden did a few thousand pushups at Harbor Fitness to raise $10,000 for the cause.

Standing O says “Thanks Joe, for the miracles — keep them coming. If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere!”

Plaza Auto Mall [2740 Nostrand Ave. at Avenue N in Midwood, (347) 983–9051].

Windsor Terrace

Fore!

Look out Tiger Woods — there’s another cub in town. Standing O is teeing off to wish golfing teen sensation Kevin McGloin lots of mazel when he competes in his first national tournament this month. City Parks Foundation awarded Kevin a scholarship that is sending him on an all-expense-paid trip to the Doral-Publix Junior Golf Classic in Florida, where he will tee off with other teens. City Parks Golf spokesperson Cristie Kerr told Standing O that Kevin, 17, has been with the program since 2005 and learned the ins and outs of golfing at Dyker Beach Park.

“Kevin has shown incredible dedication over the years, spending at least three hours practicing at the golf center five times a week and volunteering on the driving range every Sunday to help the younger players,” Kerr said.

This young dynamo holds the record for best score among the players at the junior golf center and won the 2015 New York State Association of Independent Schools Golf Championship.

“I’m really looking forward to traveling down to Florida,” Kevin said about the tournament. “It’s my first national competition with other players coming from around the world. I’ve played in tournaments that allow international athletes before, but for the most part, they only drew local players. I’m very excited to compete at this new level.”

Standing O is standing by, very quietly, to wish Kevin good luck.

Bensonhurst

Round up that posse!

Standing O sends kudos to Bishop Kearney High School senior Annaliese Tucci on becoming a Posse Scholar.

The Posse Foundation awarded her a full-tuition, four-year scholarship to Dickinson College. Committed to both her education and postsecondary success, Annaliese has embraced Kearney’s rigorous college preparatory program.

“Kearney has been the foundation of my academic success and has provided endless opportunities for me to grow and succeed as a person. I will take Kearney’s core values of community service and leadership with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

And she’ll do a great job representing her alma mater, Tucci’s college advisor said.

“Annaliese is a true ‘Kearney girl’ — a young woman who believes in using her education to make a positive contribution to society,” said Anne Kelly.

Bishop Kearney High School [2202 60th Street at Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst, (718) 236–6363]

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Brooklyn Daily

Dyker Heights

Santa’s load got a little lighter this year thanks to his helping elves — Reaching Out Community Services founder Thomas Neve, Fort Hamilton Army Base commander Col. Joseph Davidson, 68th Precinct Community Council president Ilene Sacco, 68th Precinct commanding officer Capt. Raymond Festino, Councilman Vincent Gentile (D–Bay Ridge), Dyker Heights Civic Association president Fran Vella-Marrone, and members of the civic.

The do-gooding elves sorted, wrapped, and tagged toys that folks donated to the annual Toys for Tots drive in hopes to brighten the smiles of disadvantaged children and children of military families.

“Our Association is actively involved in the Toys for Tots program,” said Vella-Marrone.

Members also voted in the new slate of officers for 2016 and the Board of Governors at the Dec. 8 meeting.

Raffles were held and the annual Christmas gift was presented.

Once the formalities were finished, members enjoyed a whole bunch of Christmas cheer with music, food, and special holiday drinks.

The association’s next meeting is Jan. 12, and all are invited.

Standing O thanks all the elves.

Dyker Heights Civic Association meets at St. Philip’s Parish Hall (1072 80th St. in Dyker Heights, www.dykerheightscivicassociation.com).

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By Allegra Hobbs

Brooklyn Daily

Bring on the bow-wow-haus!

A Greenpoint goth band will show their love for puppies by hosting “Goths for Dogs,” a witchy, black-clad benefit concert and dance party for two local dog rescue centers this weekend. The show, at Bedford-Stuyvesant club C’mon Everybody on Dec. 20, may seem like an unusual combination, said one of the rockers, because most people do not associate canines with Cure fans.

“It’s funny, because you usually think of goths as being more cat people,” said Russ Marshalek, half of the band A Place Both Wonderful and Strange. “And I can’t f------ stand cats.”

But he does love his French bulldog, Mr. Frito Burrito, who fell sick as a dog and had to be rushed to the emergency room last Halloween. The experience left Marshalek with thousands of dollars in vet bills, but fellow goths and dog-lovers lent a helping hand. Rescue societies like the Short Noses Only Rescue Team — which focuses on blunt-faced doggies like pugs and bulldogs — and the Greenpoint Vet Clinic put out the word and raked in donations for Frito Burrito’s health care. To return the favor, the “Goths for Dogs” event will benefit the centers that helped the bulldog in his time of need, as well as the Bare Paws Crested Rescue group.

The show will also feature the first Brooklyn debut of the band’s touring show “Keys Open Doors: The Hidden Life of Laura Palmer” — a synthy piece of auditory and visual fan-fiction about the fictional murder victim from David Lynch’s television show “Twin Peaks.” Marshalek and bandmate Niabi Aquena were set to play the Lynchian show on Halloween, but doggy disaster forced them to postpone it until now.

“Keys Open Doors” includes video clips from “Twin Peaks” along with original material, and each performance is different as the goth duo play off each other and cater to the room, said Aquena.

“It’s interactive between the two of us and the visual,” she said. “It’s different every time. It depends on our moods and what has happened throughout our days.”

The pooch party will also feature performances from gothy and electronic acts like Ghost Cop, Interval, and Knifesex, among several others.

Attendees will be able to buy limited edition tee-shirts branded with Frito Burrito’s squishy face. Of course, the shirts only come in black.

“Goths for Dogs” at C’mon Everybody (325 Franklin Ave. between Clifton Place and Greene Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant. www.cmoneverybody.com). Dec. 20 at 7 pm. $10.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

There is a new suds spot for those with a head for beer!

Brooklyn beer enthusiasts have a new place to toss back locally-made brews and discuss their favorite beverage with the opening of Strong Rope Brewery in Gowanus this week. The brewery and taproom is a no-frills haven for those who love a quality pint, said the head brewer and owner.

“This is a place focused on beer, on people coming and enjoying and talking about beer,” said Jason Sahler. “We’re really trying to push all the different things we can do with beer like tastings, pairings, talks, competitions The idea is to have a super beer-centric place.”

His new space keeps the focus on the beer, with just a 10-tap bar and simple tables and chairs for about 30 people. Eight of those 10 taps are reserved for Sahler’s own beers, which will not be available anywhere but his taproom. Sahler says that he has two reasons to keep the brews close to home: quality control, and giving them a personal touch.

“One, I like to present it how I want it presented, and if I send it out to other bars I can’t quite do that,” said Sahler. “And two, I just like to talk to people about it, so I can be here and say ‘This is what this beer is,’ and what we’re using in it and stuff.”

The former advertising man started brewing for fun in 2003, but only considered going pro after he won the Judge’s Award at the 2011 Brooklyn Wort home-brew competition with his “J.J Bollerack’s Big Brown Ale” — currently available in the tap room. A three-year search led him to the space on President Street, formerly occupied by the Brooklyn Brine pickle factory.

Strong Rope joins a brewery-heavy neighborhood, with Threes Brewing just four blocks away and Other Half Brewing Company on the other side of the Gowanus, but Sahler says he is not worried about the competition. Strong Rope focuses on American and British beer styles, while the other breweries have more of a concentration on hop-heavy India Pale Ales and Belgian-style farmhouse ales.

“Everyone has a little bit of a different focus, I think we’re going to have a good balance with the other breweries in terms of what we’re providing,” he said. “It’s a great location, everyone in Gowanus has been super supportive. I’m glad to be here and a part of the business community here.”

Strong Rope Brewery (574A President St., near Fourth Avenue, www.strongropebrewery.com). Open Thu–Sun, noon–10 pm.

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By Lauren Gill

Brooklyn Daily

They gave it a green light after all.

The community board gave the go-ahead for a Sheepshead Bay office to build bigger and reduce the number of parking spaces in its garage after a study found that there’s plenty of parking spaces to go around — disproving concerns board members voiced last month that the reduced parking will force office workers to leave their cars on the street and leave locals searching for a spot. Community Board 15 recommended the city approve the renovation by a vote of 22–13 with one abstention, but some detractors feared the structure, which is also zoned for residential use, could change hands and that a new owner might try to attract more drivers.

“Do we want a larger commercial establishment to be occupied by more people who come in by car?” said board member Maurice Kolodin. “What will happen five years from now?”

The Emmons Avenue building owner’s attorney told Community Board 15 at its Dec. 15 meeting that folks should not be worried the renovations will put them in a jam, because the study found that there were still a ton of spaces for everyone — even when workers weren’t taking advantage of the attendant-controlled garage.

“Even when they’re not in the garage now, there’s still 100 spaces available on the street” said zoning lawyer Eric Palatnik,

The study looked at the number of spots available within a half-mile of the building at any given time over the course of a week, Palatnik said. The actual number varied with time of day, so a few dozen spots were up for grabs in the morning, and availability peaked at 100 spaces around 4 pm each day, he said.

His client is seeking a special permit to enlarge the office’s second floor and build a third floor in the Prime Home Health Care building between Ford and Coyle streets to keep up with the company’s 111-and-growing workforce, he said. But codes have changed since the building was erected in 1991, and parking spots must now be built larger to comply with new laws when major construction on the rest of the building occurs, Palatnik said. Building owners are reducing the number of parking spaces from 44 to 32, he said.

The application will now move to an evaluation by Borough President Adams, who will submit his recommendation and pass it onto the City Planning Commission.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Apparently, Bensonhurst drivers can’t be left to their own devices.

Police must post uniformed officers at the corner of 86th Street and Bay Parkway, because drivers are constantly making dangerous and illegal left turns across traffic at the intersection, according to one cross walker.

“It’s incredibly dangerous, and the police would make a killing writing tickets,” said Ronald Cohen, a lifelong Bensonhurst resident. “The other day, in the span of about 10 minutes, I saw at least 15 cars make illegal left turns there going in all directions.”

Large signs prohibiting left-hand turns hang on the elevated D train platform on each side of the intersection and some street lights.

Five drivers made illegal left-hand turns in the span of 15 minutes when this paper dropped by just after noon on Dec. 15. One turning from Bay Parkway to 86th Street nearly ran over a delivery man on a bicycle — though the cyclist did not appear to have the right-of-way.

Cars sneaking left-hand turns has become commonplace, according to one woman who works on 86th Street.

“People do that stuff around here all the time,” said Staten Islander Sandy Colon, who works at a pediatric office nearby. “Have I seen accidents? No. But people being careless? Yeah, all the time.”

There were eight accidents at the intersection in September and October, according to the police department’s latest records. Drivers hit pedestrians in two incidents — one involved five cars, and police attributed it to “driver inattention” and “failure to yield to right of way,” reports state. The other involved a van also failing to yield and striking a pedestrian.

The community board is alerting police, a local leader said.

“The police haven’t mentioned that intersection as a problem area, but behavior changes with enforcement, unfortunately, so we will reach out to them and let them know,” said Community Board 11 district manager Marnee Elias-Pavia.

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