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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

It’s a new spin on old material.

A hip-hop artist will perform alongside archival film footage and audio recordings of his late father, Off-Broadway thespian and comedian Steve Ben Israel, in the multi-media show “The Spinning Wheel,” opening Jan. 8. The show brings to light decades of recorded jokes and performances across the country and the world, says the show’s star.

“One of the inspirations for doing this piece is that, when my dad passed, we were very tight,” said Baba Israel. “But when he passed, I didn’t realize how much he’d held onto film and audio recordings from decades ago. So the show is in a way about bringing this archival material onto the stage.”

The show will feature the younger Israel reciting poetry, beat-boxing, rapping, and telling stories from his father’s past, including his days performing stand-up in the Village, his 15 years with Living Theatre, and his eventual retirement from touring with the experimental performance group so that his son could have a stable home.

“He was part of Living Theatre when I was very young, but then my mother made the call of not raising me on the road,” he said.

Among the most fantastic tales from his father’s past is his flight from Brazil during the brutal military dictatorship of then-president Emilio Medici. The Living Theatre company was touring the country protesting the regime and its various atrocities, when nearly the entire cast was arrested on trumped-up drug charges. Only Israel’s father managed to escape, after locals dressed him as a woman and smuggled him back to the United States, where he successfully fought for his fellow actors to be released.

“It’s like something straight from a movie,” Israel said.

Throughout his performance, Israel will interact with his late father through the various recordings he discovered from his archives. The pair will also recite poetry together, trading lines as though his old man were still around, according to Israel.

“At some times it’s a response to a piece of mine, so I do a poem or tell a story, and then curate something from my dad’s archives that enhances that,” he said. “So it’s a conversation.”

Throughout the performance, Israel will relate his father’s political work, which dealt with the problems of capitalism and militarism, to current events, he said.

“We’re looking for what’s coming up in my own experience, the issues strong in his generation, and thinking about where does that conversation fit now,” Israel said.

“The Spinning Wheel” at Bric Theater [647 Fulton St. between Rockwell and Ashland places in Fort Greene, (718) 683–5600, www.bricartsmedia.org] Jan. 8, 9, 15, and 16 at 8 pm. $18 ($15 in advance).

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By Lauren Gill

Brooklyn Daily

The yuletide season is behind us, but Brooklyn’s most beloved holiday tradition is yet to begin!

Mulch Fest — that magical time of the year when the parks department grinds old Christmas trees into plant food — kicks off this weekend. And it isn’t just a great excuse to say fir-well to your saggy seasonal sapling, says a parks honcho — the 20-year-old tradition is also an easy way for you to help spruce up the city.

“There are countless ways we can care for our parks, and Mulch Fest is one of the simplest and most fun,” said parks commissioner Mitchell Silver.

You can donate your timber at one of nine drop-off locations throughout Brooklyn from Jan. 2–10 or leave it on your curb for pick-up from Jan. 4–15.

But to truly get into the Mulch Fest spirit, haul your arbor to one of eight wood-chippers around the borough on Jan. 9 and 10, where you will get to see your pine pulverized before your very eyes — and then take home a bag of the bark chips to nourish your own garden.

Brooklynites chipped in 10,042 trees last year out of a city-wide 29,475 — and Silver has even higher hopes for the festival’s platinum incarnation.

“We hope to create more mulch in 2016 than ever before,” he said.

Here are this year’s Brooklyn locations:

Drop-off locations — Jan. 2–10

Amazing Garden (261 Columbia St. at Caroll Street in Cobble Hill)

Brower Park (Brooklyn Avenue at Prospect Place in Crown Heights)

Coffey Park (Dwight and Verona streets in Red Hook)

Gowanus Canal Conservancy (Fifth Street and Fifth Avenue in Gowanus)

Green-Wood Cemetery (25th Street and Fifth Avenue in Greenwood Heights)

Green Space (222 Fifth Ave. at President Street in Park Slope)

McGolrick Park (Monitor Street and Driggs Avenue in Greenpoint)

Prospect Heights Community Farm (254 St. Marks Ave. at Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights)

Sunset Park (44th Street and Sixth Avenue in Sunset Park)

Chipping locations (Jan. 9 and 10)

Cobble Hill Park (Clinton Street and Verandah Place in Cobble Hill)

Fort Greene Park (Washington Park and Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene)

Maria Hernandez Park (Suydam Street and Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick)

Marine Park (E. 33rd Street and Avenue U in Marine Park)

McCarren Park (Lorimer Street and Driggs Avenue in Williamsburg)

Owl’s Head Park (68th Street and Colonial Road in Bay Ridge)

Prospect Park (Third Street and Prospect Park West)

Prospect Park (Park Circle at Parkside Avenue in Windsor Terrace)

See www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/festivals/mulchfest for more info.

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By Lauren Gill

Brooklyn Daily

Blame the police for an explosion of graffiti complaints in Sheepshead Bay.

Reports of illicit scribbles in the 61st Precinct jumped 166 percent — from 91 in 2014 to 242 in 2015 — because the command’s new top cop is instructing his men and women to adhere to the old New York stand-by “If you see something, say something,” according to a local pol.

“It’s not as bad as the reports show, because a lot of the reports were generated by the 61st Precinct,” said Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D–Sheepshead Bay). “This approach is a proactive approach sending out cops to find graffiti and then a report is generated to get it removed.”

Capt. Winston Faison, who took command of the 61st Precinct in July, sends his officers and members of the New York Police Department Explorers — a program designed to teach 14–20-year-olds about law enforcement — onto the streets to look for graffiti. When the folks in blue find unwelcome doodles, they submit a report and Midwood Development Corporation — the company contracted to erase the graffiti — hits the streets and removes it.

Locals are split whether the graffiti writers have become more prolific in the last year.

“My personal observation is that it doesn’t seem to me to a be a serious increase,” said Maurice Kolodon, a community board member who has lived in Sheepshead Bay for 50 years and said graffiti has become a community problem over the last decade.

But an area rogue has been scribbling politically charged messages around the neighborhood that urge readers to “kill Obama” and accuse local pols of being communists, and the uncapped vandal is showing no signs of slowing down, another local said.

“It’s progressively gotten worse, and I’m kind of surprised nobody has caught him yet,” said Camberley Torres, who has lived in Sheepshead Bay for eight years.

Police are investigating the politically charged chicanery, Deutsch said.

Defacement in general is lowering locals’ estimation of the neighborhood, but Kolodon said he’s confident there’s still a good nabe lurking under all that spray paint.

“It’s always one of those topics — ‘Is the area going downhill? They can’t stop graffiti,’” he said. “Sheepshead Bay is a good neighborhood.”

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

They say this error really sticks out.

The Department of Transportation extended a Coney Island Avenue sidewalk into a Belt Parkway on-ramp, and now drivers have to swerve to avoid the precarious outcropping, locals say. The agency built the so-called “bump out” — which shortens pedestrians’ time crossing the street — as part of a suite of safety improvements to Coney Island Avenue’s convoluted, six-way nexus with Guider and Banner avenues and the Belt Parkway. But the sidewalk sticks out farther than depicted in plans the community board approved in September, a board member said.

“The plans didn’t reflect what they did,” said Community Board 15 transportation committee member Shari Kaplan. “That right lane when you’re entering the Belt, you have to move into the middle lane to avoid hitting somebody on the ramp. They built it out a little too far.”

A proposal the city showed the community board, and which this paper published, doesn’t show such an exaggerated bump out — if it had, the board would have put the kibosh on the idea, Kaplan said.

“If those bump outs showed that they were sticking into where the traffic was, we would have said ‘Correct this. This is too wide, and there will be problems,’” she said.

The safety measures are generally a plus, but the longer sidewalk is a step in the wrong direction, another local said.

“I’m not going to say that it’s more dangerous than it was before, but it’s created a new danger that had not existed,” said community board member Maurice Kolodin, who said the city must at least install signs indicating the new hazard.

The Department of Transportation is expected to finish the project next month, and the agency will address the issue, according to a councilman who has been pushing the pedestrian improvements.

“After New Year’s, we’re having another site visit with DOT to go over issues they brought up, and we’ll talk to their experts about what needs to be done — so we’re not finished yet,” said Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D–Sheepshead Bay).

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Sunset Parkers are demanding the city and a homeless shelter operator reign in wild residents at a controversial hotel-turned-shelter.

Security workers at the former Sleep Inn stood idly by while a resident, who was later arrested, allegedly brandished a beer bottle and yelled obscenities at a woman in front of the 49th Street shelter on Dec. 27, the victim said. She was visiting her parents, who live next door, and said guards just watched the fracas while her family had to come to her rescue.

“They did not do anything — they came outside but didn’t come to help,” said Kenia Hernandez. “My brother grabbed a baseball bat and was going outside, but I stopped him and I called the cops.”

The Department of Homeless Services temporarily housed up to 100 homeless men in the 100-unit hotel between Second and Third avenues until November, when it converted the building into a shelter and officials said operators would provide drug and alcohol counseling, job training, and security for up to 150 employed or job-seeking men.

But neighbors have found people smoking pot, drinking, and urinating in front of their homes, said Altagracia Rodriguez, who lives next door. And a man who loiters in front of the shelter followed and harassed another neighbor last month, Hernandez said.

Locals are demanding better security at the site.

The Department of Homeless Services “does not tolerate law breaking of any kind from its clients” and is cooperating with a police investigation into the incident, a department spokeswoman said. There are three security guards doing rounds inside and outside of the building every half-hour, according to information from the department.

The agency and Mayor DeBlasio have faced recent scrutiny over how they’re handling the city’s homeless. DeBlasio’s top aid on the matter departed in August, and Department of Homeless Services chief Gilbert Taylor stepped down last month just days before the mayor announced a new program to combat street homelessness.

The Hernandez family and other block residents held a rally outside the shelter on Dec. 5 with the community group Village of Sunset Park decrying the shelter’s poor state. The group is not against housing the homeless — it just wants the homes to be run properly, one member said.

“There has been a shelter on my street for 30 years and we have never had a problem,” said Ramon Acevedo. “But this is completely disrespectful.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Bishop Loughlin has proven it can rally a comeback win — just not without its top players.

The school’s boys’ basketball team snatched last-minute victories from Long Island Lutheran and Christ the King earlier this season, but Loughlin couldn’t pull a fast one on Archbishop Molloy with its two best players on the bench for much of the game. The Lions led by 12 in the first quarter, but the team could not erase an eight-point deficit in the game’s final three minutes and gave up a 67–63 road loss to the Stanners in Brooklyn-Queens boys’ basketball on Dec. 5. The team missed a chance to move into first place in its division.

Guard Markquis Nowell (12 points) played just the first five minutes in the second half after spraining an already injured ankle, and Keith Williams, who had 11 of his 14 points in the first half, fouled out late in the fourth.

“We usually run off of them,” said sophomore guard Jordan Thomas, who scored 12 of his 13 points in the second half. “They are our main players. It was hard to distribute the ball. It was a lesson to be learned.”

Nowell, who has fought through injuries before, wanted to stay in the game, but coach Ed Gonzalez decided to pull him in the interest of his long-term health — even if it meant potentially sacrificing a victory, the coach said.

“He would have played,” he said. “He would have finished it. He would have won the game, but I have to think about him.”

And Williams, who sparked a rally from 12 points down in the fourth quarter against Christ the King, didn’t play up to Gonzalez’s expectations.

“He’s supposed to step up like he did the other day,” Gonzalez said. “The other day he was phenomenal.”

Gonzalez’s club roared to a 14–2 lead in the first quarter, but turnovers led to Molloy fast-break points. The Stanners closed the half on an 8–0 run and went into the break tied at 36.

Issac Grant helped Molloy (7–1, 1–0) take control of the game in the third quarter by scoring nine of his 19 points in the frame. His layup in traffic with three minutes remaining tied the score at 46–46. A Cole Anthony layup at the buzzer made it 53–46 for Molloy going to the fourth.

Loughlin (7–3, 3–1) brought its fourth-quarter deficit to 66–63 on a three-point play by Thomas, but it did not score again on its next four possessions and missed two free throws with 28 ticks left in the game. Khalid Moore, who led Molloy with 21 points, made one of two free throws with 7.2 seconds remaining to put the game away.

“We had to pull through,” Thomas said. “And we didn’t.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

They’re off to one Hall of a start.

Coaches picked the Seaton Hall’s men’s basketball team to finish seventh this year, but the 12–2 squad — led by Brooklyn ballers Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez (Lincoln) and Khadeen Carrington (Bishop Loughlin) is playing like the best team in the tri-state area. The Pirates are 2–0 in the Big East and won seven straight heading into a match-up with defending conference champion Villanova on Dec. 6.

The maturity and improvement Seton Hall’s all-sophomore starting lineup has shown makes the team a threat for the Big East title.

And it made that evident when it beat Wichita State on Dec. 19, overcoming a 13-point deficit at the half — thanks in large part to an 18-point second half from Rodriguez.

“In the past, we’ve been knocked down and we’ve run for the hills. [Wichita State] came out and knocks us down, and for the first time, what I saw was guys taking steps towards the fight,” Pirates coach Kevin Willard told reporters after the game. “That’s as important as anything.”

Rodriguez’s improvement is a big reason for his team’s success. He went from averaging 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a freshman to 12.4 and 4.4 respectively this season. Rodriguez made just one three-pointer all of last year, but he has 16 already this season. Rodriguez’s confidence is key.

“At halftime, I just said ‘Go do what you do really well — go run down the floor and dunk on somebody,’ ” Willard said he told Rodriguez in the latest match-up. “He got a layup, and that got him going.”

Whitehead is also beginning to hit his stride after injuries set him back as a freshman. Over the summer, the former McDonald’s All-American worked with former Lincoln great Lance Stephenson and Stephen Curry, the regaining National Basketball Association’s most-valuable player.

The experience — and having another year under his belt in general — are making him more comfortable in his point guard role. He is averaging 15.1 points a contest, has 65 assists to 41 turnovers, and has made 16 blocks. Whitehead had 78 assists in 22 games last season. The Coney Island native scored or assisted on 10 of Seton Hall’s 14 field goals in the second half against DePaul on Jan. 2.

“He’s playing great and operating at a really high level right now,” Willard said. “He’s letting the game come to him, taking good shots, and being aggressive when he needs to be.”

Carrington leads the team in steals (24) and is its second-highest scorer at 13.9 points a game.

The Hall got off to a fast start last year but lost 12 of its 15 games to finish with a thud. But this group is better prepared to deal with the season’s ups and downs, Whitehead and Carrington said in the preseason.

The team’s performance in 2015–16 is a good reason to believe they’re right.

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By Stephen Zitolo

Brooklyn Daily

Turn-around victories continue to elude Bedford Academy.

The Panthers boys’ basketball team is in its first year in the Public School Athletic League’s Brooklyn AA division — possibly the best in all New York City — after years of title contention in the A Division. The undersized team has been on the cusp of beating divisional opponents such as South Shore, Lincoln, Boys & Girls, and Brooklyn Collegiate this year, but it keeps falling short. And the trend continued in a 76–65 loss to Kennedy at the Cardozo Classic in Queens on Jan 2. The team has to step up to keep pace in a more competitive league, its coach said.

“We got to get a little tougher,” said Bedford head coach Robert Phelps. “In the A Division you might have one or two good players. In the AA you have five, plus two or three more on the bench. This is a great experience for us. We are getting better and we just have to keep competing.”

The Panthers squad, which has yet to win a league game, came out of the gate fast in the first quarter, going on a 7–0 run to take a five-point lead over Kennedy. But the Knights turned up the defensive pressure in the quarter’s final two minutes, when coach Johnny Mathis switched to a press that resulted in a 9–0 run and a 15–12 lead.

Bedford’s small size hurt it on the boards in the second quarter — Kennedy consistently snatched second-chance opportunities off of offensive rebounds. The Panthers team made up for a lack in size in its transition game and took a 29–28 lead heading into halftime.

After the break, Kennedy senior guard Justin Batiz contributed seven points to a 9–2 run. The team out-scored Bedford 23–15 in the third to take a 51–44 lead into the fourth.

The Panthers were down heading into the fourth quarter, but the squad finally found its outside-shooting stroke and went on a run, ultimately out-scoring the Knights 17–10 in the quarter thanks to a 10-point performance from sophomore guard Angelo Stuart. Regular time ended with the scored tied at 61.

But Batiz, who had been in foul trouble most of the afternoon, scored 11 of his 26 points in the extra period, and the Panthers couldn’t keep up.

The squad is struggling with fundamental issues, but it is on the cusp of turning things around, one player said.

“It’s been the little things like 50-50 balls, offensive rebounds, free throws, and not giving up second-chance shots,” Bedford senior guard Anthony Gibbs said. “We are right there, and hopefully we can work on those in the second half of the season and start getting some wins.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

The Boys & Girls High School girls’ basketball team has the talent, but not the maturity, and that’s irking its head coach as the squad readies for this season’s difficult second half.

“It’s frustrating when you know the girls have the ability to do it, but they just don’t come out and exude it,” said coach Laron Mapp. “That’s the frustrating part.”

Staten Island Academy — one of the city’s top clubs — stomped the Kangaroos at the Play 4 Kay Hoops 4 Help showcase at Nazareth on Jan. 3. Starting guards Lauren Seagers and Kania Pollock couldn’t play the first quarter for disciplinary reasons, which hampered the struggling squad.

“As a team, we have to hold it together,” said senior guard Katheryn Kanhoye.

Boys & Girls never recovered after the Tigers scored the final nine points of the first quarter to take a 24–9 lead.

The team got frustrated easily and squad members blew their opportunity to perform well in front of college coaches, Mapp said.

“I feel like our drive should be so high,” he said. “These young ladies should realize there are so many opportunities for them to better their lives. This isn’t about winning — it’s about going to school for free.”

Boys & Girls (3–4) has the potential to be one of the best team in the Public School Athletic League after going 7–8 a year ago. It lost to defending champion South Shore by just four points in its opener and to semifinalist Francis Lewis by six its next time out. It rattled off wins against Midwood and Kennedy before falling 79–61 to Grand Street, one of the city’s title favorites. The Kangaroos have non-league games against top teams such as Archbishop Molloy, Newark Tech, and Sachem East in January.

“I really feel like we have an opportunity to be there with the South Shores, the Francis Lewises, and the Grand Streets, but it’s mental,” Mapp said.

Kanhoye shared the sentiment, but said a lack of teamwork is holding the squad back.

“We are at their level when we play as a team,” she said.

Mapp pleaded with his club to play harder and smarter against Staten Island Academy. The Kangaroos have a trio of guards in Kanhoye, Seagers, and Pollock that should allow it to compete with most teams, and junior center Fatoumata Konare, who stands 6-foot-6, gives Boys & Girls unique weapon in the paint.

Still, the team has to step up if it hopes to knock off the elite teams.

“As a whole team we have to be better,” Kanhoye said. “Pick each other up.”

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By Jospeh Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

The last 365 days have brought plenty of highlights, produced many stars and created memories to last a lifetime. Courier Life Sports Editor Joseph Staszewski takes a look back at the year in Brooklyn high school sports and picks the best of the best from 2015:

Program of the Year

Grand Street

The Wolves have come a long way in short time, and the program once known mainly for baseball and wrestling stretched its wings in a big way in 2015. The Grand Street football team won its first public school city title at the highest level and did so without a single loss. The girls’ soccer team garnered a division crown and reached the quarterfinals, and boys’ soccer and girls’ basketball squads each reached the city title game for the first time — though both fell short of the crown. There was success across the board and a strong foundation for more to come.

Boys’ Athlete of the Year

Shamorie Ponds, Thomas Jefferson boys’ basketball

The senior worked his way to becoming the face of New York City, a top national recruit, and the first big splash of Chris Mullin’s coaching tenure at St. John’s. Ponds led Jefferson to a borough title and a trip to the city semifinals last season. He started his final year averaging 26 points per game and has already put out 41- and 32-point performances.

Girls’ Athlete of the Year

Brianna Fraser, South Shore girls’ basketball

The current Maryland freshman was the spearhead of history for South Shore. Fraser, who averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds, was its first player selected to the McDonald’s All-American game and she lived up to the billing. Fraser powered the Vikings to the program’s first public school Class AA crown before the signature game of her career ended in defeat in Albany. Fraser scored a single-game Federation tournament record 46 points in a 71–67 loss to Christ the King in the semifinals.

Team of the Year

Grand Street football

The Wolves were top-to-bottom the most talented team in the borough in 2015. Grand Street delivered on all its promises despite outside detractors, its starting quarterback’s early eligibility, the coach’s suspension, and the starting running back’s arrest. The players stuck by each other to win a historic city championship.

Coach of Year

Rosanne D’Augusta, Brooklyn Tech girls’ volleyball

“Welcome to the club” — that’s what D’Augusta was told after winning her first public school Class A crown. It was a gradual build for D’Augusta, who is in her 11th season coaching. Tech lost in three straight semifinals, but the core continued to improve on her watch. She meshed the new players and new roles perfectly for the championship mix.

Best Newcomer

Zaria Dorsey, Bishop Loughlin girls’ basketball

The freshman exploded onto the scene last season, helping the Lions net wins over Christ the King and nationally ranked New Jersey team Shabazz. Loughlin placed second in Brooklyn and Queens thanks to the highly recruited forward’s presence in the paint. Dorsey, who battled through a knee injury, averaged seven points and five rebounds per match.

Best Upset

Brooklyn Tech girls’ lacrosse beats four-time defending champion Tottenville in the semifinals

Monica Garlinska scored with 1:41 to play in double overtime. The goal — her only in the game — gave the Engineers a thrilling 6–5 victory over the host Pirates. The victory sent Brooklyn Tech, which won the Class B league last season, to its first A title game. Goalie Alexa Euceda made 10 saves, including three in double overtime for Brooklyn Tech.

Best Clutch Performance

Christopher Karnbach, James Madison baseball

In his last home game, the senior left a trail of Karn-age as he single-handedly propelled Madison past defending champion Benjamin Cardozo and into the semifinals for the first time since 2010. Karnbach allowed just one run on five hits in 106 pitches over nine innings and delivered a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth to send the Knights home happy.

Game of the Year

Nyontay Wissah’s three-point play sends Xaverian to first Catholic Intersectional title game since 2005

There was a different hero every night during the Clippers’ post-season run. On this night, it was Wissah’s turn. His coast-to-coast layup for a three-point play put Xaverian up four with 30 seconds left in the game — and it held on to beat Cardinal Hayes 56–54.

Story of the Year

Rahmel Ashby playing in the city title game after being jailed for gun possession

Police arrested the Wolves senior running back in April 2014 and again in October 2015 on attempted murder and gun possession charges respectively. Ashby spent time in jail, but he was back in the field shortly after his release — a decision that brought tons of media coverage. He went on to carry the ball 24 times for 116 yards in Grand Street’s city title victory.

Quote of the Year

“He’s just a nice kid. I told him, ‘Listen brother, this is Brooklyn AA — nice guys finish last,’ ” said Jefferson coach Lawrence “Bud” Pollard when asked what he told forward Isiah Deas after a poor performance against Lincoln.

Deas heeded the advice and was a big reason the Orange Wave beat the Railsplitters in the Public School Athletic League’s Brooklyn Borough final. Deas scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the second half to help propel Jefferson to a 76–73 comeback win.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

60th Precinct

Coney Island—Brighton Beach—Seagate

Bad date

Some wacko stabbed a man not once, not twice, but five times as the victim was on a romantic romp with his girlfriend under the boardwalk in Brighton Beach on Dec. 31.

The victim told police that he was embracing his “Russian girlfriend” under the boardwalk by Brighton Sixth Court at 12:40 am when the deranged knife man appeared suddenly and started stabbing.

After plunging his blade five times into the victim, the crook nabbed $100 and the man’s cellphone before fleeing, cops said.

T-shirt choker

Cops busted a woman and a 17-year-old boy who they say choked a woman with a T-shirt inside her friend’s W. 25th Street home on Jan. 3, before taking her wallet that contained $90 and gift cards.

The victim told police that she left her bag inside the bedroom of her friend’s apartment between Mermaid and Surf avenues at 12:25 am, and returned a few minutes later to find one of the suspects going through her wallet.

As she confronted the suspect, the woman grabbed a shirt and wrapped it around the victim’s throat, before passing off the wallet to her accomplice, cops said.

Bad fare

Two knaves robbed a cabbie at knifepoint inside a Neptune Avenue parking lot on Dec. 28.

The victim told police that the perps hailed him on W. 24th Street near Mermaid Avenue, where he picked them up and took to Neptune Avenue between W. 35th and W. 36th streets at 7:30 pm. After pulling up there, the crook riding shotgun pulled a knife, cops said.

“Give me the money,” he snarled.

The victim then forked over $90 and his phone, which the two weasels snatched before fleeing on foot, according to police.

Watch out

A gunman and his accomplice robbed a man on Ocean Parkway on Dec. 31, taking his watch.

The victim told police that he was near Shore Parkway at 12:10 am when the crooks jumped him. One of the fiends slugged him in the face, while the other man drew a pistol and threatened to blast the victim, cops said.

As the victim lay beaten and cowed, the crooks snatched the watch from his wrist and fled, according to police.

Have a beer

A malignant rascal hurled a glass bottle at a man’s face during a party inside a W. 23rd Street apartment on Jan. 3.

The victim told police that he was inside the apartment near Neptune Avenue at 4 am, where he was arguing with another man. Then, without warning, a glass bottle smashed into the victim’s face, cutting open his eyebrow and sending him to the hospital, cops said.

Geriatric attack

Cops busted a man who they say attacked a 67-year-old man on Brighton Beach Avenue on Nov. 28.

The victim told police he was near Ocean Parkway at 2 pm when the suspect shoved him and scratched him a few times on his left hand.

Bling burglar

A man was arrested for ransacking an Ocean Parkway apartment on Jan. 2, taking gadgets and jewelry.

The victim told police that the suspect broke through the front door and into his pad between Brighton Court and Avenue Z at 4 am. Once inside, the suspect grabbed all the loot he could carry, including electronics and bling, before fleeing, cops said.

— Colin Mixson

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

61st Precinct

Sheepshead Bay—Homecrest— Manhattan Beach—Gravesend

Bad Samaritan

A cad took advantage of an elderly woman’s faith in humanity, robbing her as she walked home from the supermarket with hands full of groceries on Dec. 28.

The guy walked up to the 84-year-old woman near the corner of Avenue V around 5:15 pm and asked her if she needed help bringing home her bags, but then he grabbed her purse and pushed her over, according to police.

The woman scraped her nose and hand and the guy got away with her purse with cash and credit cards in it, officials stated.

Brotherly love

Police arrested a man who they say strong-armed two teens in two separate robberies on E. 16th Street on Jan. 2.

The suspect first robbed a 13-year-old girl near the corner of Avenue R around 11 am while she was walking her dog, cops said. He allegedly told the girl he had a gun on him and asked if she “wanted to do this the hard way,” and demanded money and her phone. The girl coughed up $300 and the suspect walked away with his loot, according to police.

He pulled the same scheme on a 13-year-old boy on his way home from the laundromat about a half an hour later at the same intersection, threatening to shoot him if he did not hand over his cellphone, police said. The boy complied, but ran home and told his brother, who got the phone back. They later called police.

While you were away

A burglar stole a ring and a phone out of a woman’s apartment while she was visiting a friend down the hall in her Homecrest Avenue apartment building on Dec. 29, police said.

The woman went next door around 6 pm and was out of her apartment near the corner of Voorhies Avenue for about 40 minutes when the thief struck, police stated.

When she came back she saw the window leading to the fire escape was open and a gold ring and a wireless phone were missing, police said.

— Dennis Lynch

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

68th Precinct

Bay Ridge—Dyker Heights

How convenient

A cat burglar hit a Third Avenue convenience store in the early morning hours of Dec. 31, according to police.

Surveillance footage shows him cutting his way into the store near 96th Street around 4 am and breaking open “numerous” cash registers, the store owners told police.

The burglar tripped an alarm in the process. The owners got a call from their alarm company but told police they wrote it off as a false alarm, and the burglar got away through the roof with $15,000 in cash.

Unlocked and unloaded

An intruder raided a woman’s 68th Street apartment for cash and valuables on Dec. 27, police said.

The woman told cops she left her apartment between Bravo Boulevard and Eighth Street around 1:30 pm and returned at 3 pm to find her door unlocked and her apartment ransacked.

The thief stole $6,000 in cash, a Louis Vitton handbag, and a gold necklace, police reported. The woman is not sure if she left the door unlocked, but told police the building’s front door was left open for workers doing construction there.

Bad case of the Mondays

A thief left a man’s car sitting on cinderblocks outside his Shore Road home on Dec. 28, according to police.

The man said he parked his Honda right outside his apartment between 71st and 72nd streets around 11 pm and came back the next morning to find he was missing both his rims and tires.

— Dennis Lynch

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By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Carroll Gardens

Standing O is putting out the welcome mat for attorney Robert Shull on his appointment as new president of the Brooklyn Stake of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). The religious group held its conference on Dec. 5 and inducted a new leadership in Brooklyn.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, presided over the meeting, attended by Kristin Polizzotto, David Glick, Amylynne Shull, Gerardo Herrera, and Thelma Herrera.

Jeff Nelson, an attorney from Park Slope who has been serving as the president of the Brooklyn Stake for the past nine years, was relieved from his capacity as a lay-minister and administrator of the stake, while Robert Shull was welcomed in.

Our pal Robert will serve the community along with his counselors, Gerardo Herrera from Midwood, and David Glick from Staten Island.

“I look forward to working with the diverse religious community that exists in Brooklyn and to helping them to see that no matter our differences, we are all brothers and sisters who can help this great community,” Robert said.

All members of the Mormon clergy are unpaid and serve voluntarily to meet the spiritual and temporal needs of church-members and the communities in which they live. The Brooklyn Stake has more than 1,200 members in 11 congregations, including four Spanish- and one Mandarin-speaking across Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Brooklyn Stake [339–343 Court St. at Union Street in Carroll Gardens, (800) 453–3860].

Bay Ridge

More welcomes

Say “hey” to the new Mount Sinai Head and Neck Institute in Bay Ridge. The practice offers comprehensive head-and-neck cancer care, and skull-base tumors, as well as salivary, thyroid, and parathyroid diseases.

“The opening of this Institute in central Brooklyn represents a new standard of personalized specialty care for each patient’s unique needs,” said Dr. Eric M. Genden, the Isidore Friesner professor chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System. “Mount Sinai will meet an unmet need in this community, as well as the neighboring communities of Staten Island, Queens, and Long Island.”

Physicians at the new facility include Dr. Daniel Buchbinder, Dr. Raymond Chai, Dr. Boris Chernobilsky, Dr. Anthony Del Signore, and Dr. Ilya Likhterov.

The institute provides treatment of all types and stages of head and neck cancers; various oral and maxillofacial conditions; sleep apnea; and sinus, thyroid, and salivary diseases. Surgical procedures take place at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in lower Manhattan, but all other appointments and follow-up visits can be made at the Bay Ridge office.

Mount Sinai Head and Neck Institute [9020 Fifth Ave. at 90th Street in Bay Ridge, (718) 951–9007].

Borough wide

Sloan recipients

The Fund for the City of New York announced this year’s recipients of the Sloan Awards for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics. The accolade recognizes exceptionally dedicated and creative teachers who have achieved outstanding results. Dieudone Egotanda of New Utrecht High School and Fred Galli of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, were chose chosen as part of the seven top teachers in the city.

Dieudone Egotanda teaches calculus, geometry, pre-calculus, and algebra. He was raised in the former Belgian Congo and has taught at New Utrecht High School since 2002. With his palpable compassion and care for students, he has helped many students who have struggled with math.

Fred Galli teaches calculus, geometry, algebra, and math analysis, and had a successful background in engineering and software development.

He brings a wealth of mathematical and professional knowledge to his students and has created the school’s math team.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

62nd Precinct

Bensonhurst—Bath Beach

It came from Jersey

A deranged man robbed a 23-year-old stripper who gave him a lap dance — after stalking her from Jersey to 79th Street on Jan. 1.

The victim told police that the patron paid her for a show at the strip club where she works in Patterson, NJ, and that, after she clocked out, he followed her all the way to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and then to 79th Street between 19th and 20th avenues.

There, at 7:42 am, the maniac demanded the woman’s money, then sliced her right hand with a box cutter, according to police.

Frightened for her life, victim forked over her earnings from the night, along with her Samsung Galaxy S5 cellphone, and the wacko finally left her in peace, cops said.

The woman doesn’t know the guy who attacked her, but told police she could identify him if she saw him, and that she’s hopeful surveillance footage at the strip club will give detectives the clues they need to track him down, according police.

Batter up

Cops busted a man who they say beat another fellow with a baseball bat on Kings Highway on Jan. 1.

The victim told police that he was between W. Eighth and W. Ninth streets at 5:21 am when the suspect started swinging and caught the victim in the head.

A police canvass later spotted a man fitting the description of the victim’s attacker, and the suspect was arrested after the victim’s girlfriend identified him as the culprit, cops said.

Bad trip

A man and his alleged 17-year-old accomplice were arrested for attacking and robbing a woman on Harway Avenue on Dec. 29.

The victim told police that she had just parked her 2005 Honda Pilot near Bay 41st Street at 7:55 pm, when suspects jumped her and started throwing punches.

The victim suffered several blows, before she was forced back into her vehicle, where the suspects soon joined her, cops said. Inside, one of the suspects took the wheel and started driving, while demanding the victim hand over her valuables if she wanted to be let out of the car.

The victim forked over a laptop, iPhone 6, and credit cards, and the suspects dumped her on Cropsey Avenue near 27th Avenue, before speeding off with her Honda, according to police.

Bible thumper

A rogue robber stripped a man of his valuables on Bay 22nd Street on Dec. 29, taking his cash, backpack, and even his bible.

The victim told police that he was between 86th Street and Benson Avenue at 10:50 pm, when the culprit approached.

“Give me the bag, or I’m gonna shoot you,” the scoundrel growled.

The victim never actually saw a gun, but he wasn’t interested in testing the man, and handed over his valuables, cops said.

Knife guy

A knife-wielding goon robbed a man on W. Seventh Street on Dec. 30, taking his iPhone 5S.

The victim told police that he was between Avenue P and Quentin Road at 10:10 pm when the villain snuck up from behind and drew his blade.

“Run your pockets,” the ogre barked.

The victim then duly relinquished his Apple device to the villain, who promptly took off heading south down W. Seventh Street, according to police.

Poke you!

A delinquent duo robbed a man on 72nd Street on Dec. 31, taking his phone, cards, and cash.

The victim told police that he was near 16th Avenue at 4:45 am when the scoundrels crept up behind him and threatened to “poke him with a knife” if he didn’t fork over his valuables.

Without further warning, one of the knaves slugged him in the face, then looted his pockets and fled, cops said.

— Colin Mixson

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By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Congratulations to Hatzolah Ambulance Service and Arna Lipkind, district manager of the New York City Council — proud honorees at the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center’s annual Hanukkah breakfast.

The ceremonies were held at the hospital synagogue with Henna White, chairwoman of the board at Kingsbrook, acting as emcee. Also present were Ruvain Lipkind; Dr. Sibtey Burney, senior veep and chief medical officer at Kingsbrook; Dr. Kurt Kodroff, chief executive officer at Kingsbrook; Rabbi Kalman Sodden; Rabbi Michoel Chazan, director of Chaplaincy Services; J.J. Katz from Hatzolah; and Councilwoman Darlene Mealy (D–Prospect Lefferts Gardens).

Standing O pal Henna offered sentiments of how important the holiday is to the Jewish community, as Rabbi Michoel Chazan shared his thoughts about its spiritual meaning, and Rabbi Kalman Sodden discussed the 90-year-plus history of the hospital.

Standing O offers a mazel tov to the honorees.

Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center [585 Schenectady Ave. at East 49th Street in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, (718) 604–5000].

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

So many New Year’s resolutions are wishful dreams, appearing briefly in sudden fits of holiday optimism before dying quietly in the face of life’s grim reality. But not at Courier Life, where we hold Kings County’s movers and shakers to account for the vague promises they made to themselves, but were foolish enough to share with us.

We checked in with last year’s promise-makers, and added a few new faces who will be forced to follow up in 12 months.

Alan Maisel

Councilman (D–Marine Park)

Last year’s resolution: Lose weight.

The follow through: Maisel didn’t lose any weight. It’s unclear if he gained weight.

“I’m not doing well,” he said.

This year’s resolution: To get his chores done before he dies. It should be noted that Maisel is not suffering from a terminal illness — that we know of.

“It’s to do my undertakings before the undertaker takes me under,” said Maisel, enigmatically.

Theresa Scavo

Chairwoman, CB15

Last year’s resolution: To eat better.

The follow through: She’s doing great.

“It’s been going excellent,” said Scavo. “I feel great, and I’m going to keep up my walking and my dieting.”

This year’s resolution: To keep it up.

“You get to a certain age, you got to watch what you eat, or you become a whale,” said Scavo. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

Vincent Gentile

Councilman (D–Bay Ridge)

Last year’s resolution: To leverage his constituency’s racial diversity as a force for good in the neighborhood.

The follow through: He’s still got work to do.

“I don’t think it’s fully accomplished,” said Gentile. “It’s a continuing resolution and I don’t think you can accomplish that in a year.”

This year’s resolution: The exact same thing, but more.

“It’s to move forward,” he said. “We’ve reorganized and reconstituted the Unity Task Force, which has members of different religious and ethnic communities, and it’s looking to host activities that would promote the type of community we have, which is a multi-ethnic and religious community. So that goes in line with that resolution.”

Dick Zigun

Mayor, Coney Island

Last year’s resolution: To enjoy the sweet, sublime pleasure of central air and indoor heating at his Coney Island USA arts center.

The follow through: It didn’t go well. Apparently, the air conditioner is on the fritz. Zigun did, however, lose 15 pounds.

This year’s resolution: To bring the long-abandoned landmarked Shore Theater back from the brink.

“2016 is the year dedicated to saving the Shore Theater!” said Zigun.

Craig Hammerman

District Manager, CB 6

Last year’s resolution: To pet more dogs and smile at more babies.

The follow through: Hammerman has finally found joy and plans to continue petting babies and smiling at dogs.

“It’s been very rewarding,” he said.

This year’s resolution: To update what is already undeniably one of the best community board websites in Brooklyn, if not of all community boards throughout the universe.

“I’d really love to get the resources together to finally update the community board’s website,” said Hammerman. “We were one for the first websites when we launched in 2001, and we have a plan for the improvements we want to make for the website, it’s just a matter of cobbling the resources together to get it.”

Eric McClure

CB6 Transportation Committee

Last year’s resolution: To encourage the people and the city of New York to reduce traffic fatalities.

The follow through: McClure said that fatalities are down since last year, but people still continue to die in traffic-related accidents so there is “a long road ahead to make streets safer.”

This year’s resolution: To clear the more than 19,000 e-mails currently languishing in his inbox.

John Quadrozzi Jr.

Red Hook businessman

This year’s resolution: To hang out with nice folks, and stop hanging out with jerks.

“Spend less time on those that look out for themselves and more time on those that look out for others,” he said.

Mo Fathelbab

Experiment Comedy Gallery owner

This year’s resolution: To train his cat to use the New York City transit system, so he can visit Fathelbab at work.

“Already bought him an unlimited MetroCard,” he said.

Justin Brannan

Founder, Bay Ridge Democrats

This year’s resolution: To lose weight, and to buy coffee for rascals who steal his bagels.

“I’m officially too old to play defensive line for the Giants, so it’s time to give it up. And when you’re overweight, your wife finding poppy seeds in the car is worse than her finding stripper glitter on your tie,” said Brannan. “So if you run into me around the neighborhood and you see me eating a bagel, feel free to knock it out of my hands, I won’t be mad. I may even buy you a cup of coffee to say thanks. With skim milk of course!”

Eric Adams

Borough President

This year’s resolution: To become a professional athlete and lead a Brooklyn sports franchise to victory on a national scale.

“I resolve to do everything in my power — including putting on a uniform myself — to deliver Brooklyn a championship team!” Adams said.

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By Allegra Hobbs

Brooklyn Daily

Call it the romance of the nerds.

A group of girl geeks will unveil a collection of nerdy love stories next week, telling tales of romance, sex, and dating from a previously unheard female perspective — women who pledge allegiance to Tolkien, science-fiction shows, and comic books. But the writers of “The Secret Loves of Geek Girls,” which launches at Dumbo’s Powerhouse Arena on Jan. 11, say the anthology is also a love letter to fandom, and the way it celebrates devotion to pop culture.

“Whatever you’re obsessed with is a good thing and is celebrated,” said Crystal Skillman, a Boerum Hill playwright who will speak at the book launch. “That’s what geek culture means to me.”

In the book, Skillman shares her story of falling for her husband, comic book writer Fred Van Lente, and subsequently falling for the fun-filled, ultra-inclusive world of comic book nerds. Based on that experience, she also wrote a play titled “Geek,” which takes place at a science-fiction convention.

Among the book’s contributors is famed sci-fi novelist Margaret Atwood, who contributed a hand-drawn comic about discovering both comic books and boys at a young age, plus a humorous take on her early misadventures in dating. The anthology’s collisions of romance and nerdom — told in both prose and comic form, and spanning all ages and orientations — include tales of finding love at a gaming convention and incorporating fan obsessions in the bedroom.

The collection — like the world of geeks itself — is a way for women who share niche interests to meet over their obsessions and talk about love with others who understand their perspective, said Skillman.

“I think it’s the kind of book that you pick up and you don’t feel alone,” she said.

“The Secret Loves of Geek Girls” book launch at Powerhouse Arena [37 Main St. between Water and Front streets in Dumbo, (718) 666–3049, www.powerhousearena.com]. Jan. 11, 7–9 pm. Free.

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By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Hello 2016! This week I faced the scariest challenge of my life. More horrifying than “Friday the 13th,” deadlier than “Serpents on a Plane,” more life-threatening than the disease of the week on “House,” harder than child birth, and infinitely more challenging than living with a 22-year-old in the house.

Yes folks, I am talking about that instrument that strikes fear into the hearts of millions and hangs above our heads mightier than the Sword of Damocles — the 12-inch-by-12-inch square of springs, weights, glass, and metal that tells our past (what we ate yesterday), the present (what we eat today), and the future (hopefully, what we won’t eat the next day) in large-sized numbers that we myopic folks can see from 12 miles high. I’m talking about the scale.

The ubiquitous scale that resides in every bathroom in every home across the country and is the most overworked and unloved instrument in every home on Jan. 1.

I stepped on mine on Jan. 3. Why two days after New Year’s? That’s how long it took to work up the nerve (and to get rid of all the illegal foods in the house) before I could set a toe on it to face my demons.

Not one to waste, I am very conscious of recycling and reusing — I just could not, in good conscience, ignore the Mallomars that sat in the closet, nor the ice-cream bars in the freezer, nor the last, lonely bag of popcorn that was just begging for digestion. I could not just throw them out — no, I had to make them disappear the old fashioned way. I ate them.

Once all the delicious-but-bad-for-you goodies were disposed of humanely, it was time to pay the piper.

I steeled my courage, girded my loins, and stepped on the scale. After the numbers finished tumbling like a one-armed bandit in Vegas — and after taking several moments to catch my breath after the dreaded number appeared — I was prepared to step off into my destiny and begin the odyssey of my weight-loss journey.

Odysseus has nothing on me, I proclaimed.

“This time I will succeed,” I said. “I will not be bowed by the last potato chip wedged behind the sofa cushion, nor will I be led astray by the apple pie that snuck into my shopping cart when I was not looking.”

Not for Nuthin,™ but did I mention that one Mallomar managed to flee to safety and is now hiding somewhere in the kitchen cabinet?

Follow me on Twitter @JDelBuono.

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By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Downtown

You gotta have heart!

Cheers and kudos to the Pythian Sisters of New York for donating $3,000 to the HeartShare School in Bensonhurst for children with autism.

Cindy Nathanson, the 2015 Grand Chief of the New York Pythian Sisters, works at local company Bruce Supply and knows thoroughly about HeartShare through company president Bruce Wexler. She chose HeartShare as her charity during her year-long leadership role for the non-denominational women’s civic organization.

“It’s my pleasure to bring awareness to this important program,” she said.

Cindy’s proud parents, Abe and Florence Goldberg, also Pythian members, were present as their daughter handed over the gelt last December. Receiving the check was HeartShare school Director Sharon Toledo and HeartShare president of Education and Services Carol Verdi.

“HeartShare’s autism services, including The HeartShare School, have become a very strong resource for parents who often have nowhere else to turn,” noted HeartShare Developmental Disabilities Services Executive Director Linda Tempel. “Finding out that your child may have a developmental delay initially often is a very daunting and overwhelming experience.”

Standing O is giving a great big shout-out to the Pythian Sisters for all their charitable endeavors.

HeartShare Human Services of New York [12 MetroTech Center, (718) 422–4200, www.heartshare.org].

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