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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

It’s all about the throw-back tunes this week!

It may be cold out there, but do not stay home under your covers — go out and catch some!

We are going to fully disclose where we think you should be on Friday night: at the Greenhouse Cafe (7717 Third Avenue between 77th and 78th streets) for some rock ’n’ roll covers from Full Disclosure. The trio goes on at 10 pm and promises tunes ranging from the 1960s to the latest chart-toppers.

On Saturday, start your evening at Schnitzel Haus (7319 Fifth Avenue between 73rd and 74th streets) for bratwurst, beer steins, and the Brooklyn band Backtrax (not to be confused with the Long Island cover band of the same name). These locals go on at 9:30 pm with their repertoire of rock tunes from the last 40 years.

Then bundle up and make your way to the Wicked Monk (9510 Third Avenue between 95th and 96th streets) for a heaping helping of Screaming Broccoli, voted the best cover band on Staten Island in 2014) — a distinction that entitles them to leave that bucolic island and keep the Monk rockin’ from 11 pm until 3 am.

But do you yearn for the standards of an older era? Head down to Hunter’s Steak and Ale House (9404 Fourth Avenue between 94th and 95th streets) at 7 pm on Thursday, Jan. 21 to catch Bay Ridge crooner Martin McQuade and pianist Pete Sokolow, who pay a musical tribute to classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie soundtracks. The pair has selected tunes from ageless films including “Singing in the Rain,” “The Wizard of Oz,” and “Anchors Aweigh.”

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

They want to take back the street!

The city should ignore a decade-old ban on massive street festivals so a group of Dyker Heights do-gooders can throw a four-day bash to raise money for its operation, members said. The Knights of Columbus wants to move its weekend-long Feast of Madonna di Montevergine out of a parking lot and onto 13th Avenue between 84th and 86th streets. But a 2001 moratorium on new street festivals longer than one block or one day threatens to turn the feast to famine, one knight said.

“The issue with limiting it to one day on the street is if you put rides out there, they’re open one day, and then we have to swing them back to the parking lot,” said grand knight Vincent Gentile — not the Bay Ridge councilman, but another Vincent Gentile. “Can it happen? Yes. Is it easy for operations? I don’t think so.”

A smaller festival would generate less money for the organization, which uses the proceeds for charitable endeavors such as giving needy neighborhood families Thanksgiving turkeys, another knight said.

“It wouldn’t really make that much, and we really want to do a lot for the community this time around,” said club chairman George Di Grande. “That money goes all around the community.”

The mayor’s office will likely refuse, but Community Board 10’s Traffic and Transportation Committee voted to support the five-day festival application on Jan. 11 with the hopes it will give the organization more sway with the city, a board honcho said.

“Ultimately, I think its final form is going to be adjusted by the city, because the moratorium is still in place,” said district manager Josephine Beckmann. “I think a recommendation in the affirmative of support with the understanding of the moratorium would be helpful as then the city would move to work with the applicants.”

Former mayor Rudy Giuliani introduced the moratorium on new festivals after the 9-11 terror attacks, citing the strain the festivals put on the police department and the massive cost of paying cops’ overtime. Mayors Bloomberg and Deblasio have renewed it each year since.

The city grandfathers in existing multi-day and multi-block festivals — such as Bay Ridge’s the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church’s Greek Cultural Festival — but it bars organizers from expanding their festivals’ scope or length, and organizations that fail to re-apply for their existing festival one year lose their claim to one forever.

The mayor’s office issues permits for 200 street fairs and 5,000 other existing events each year, according to an annual statement re-establishing the moratorium.

Mayor de Blasio toyed with the idea of lifting the ban this year, but ultimately kept it. Borough President Adams is no fan of the ban and told the mayor so last year, claiming new street fests popped up around the borough while a 14-year festival in Flatbush lost its permit because it failed to renew paperwork one year, according to Capital New York.

The mayor’s Office of Citywide Events Coordination and Management declines any application barred by the moratorium, but will work out an alternative event that fits guidelines if possible, a mayoral spokeswoman said.

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By Carmine Santa Maria

Brooklyn Daily

I’m madder than a turtle trying to get across the Belt Parkway on a Tuesday morning over the fact that this New Year is hardly original, and is bringing back the same old stories — like my inevitably break from plans to go on a diet.

Look, you all know that every New Years Eve I make a pledge to myself and my lovely wife Sharon that this is the year that I will lose 20 or 100 pounds.

And when I say it, I mean it. Really.

But something happens shortly after that ball drops at Times Square — someone pops open a bottle of bubbly and starts frying up sausage and peppers. And within 15 minutes into the New Year, I break my fast.

But you and I both know that, after pondering the problems of the world today, it becomes obvious that I shouldn’t even bother getting in shape, because it’s the tortoise’s life for me — and those darn things live to be like 450 years old!

You know something? If walking is so good for your health, then the postman would be immortal. And I’ll tell you right now that he is not. And he’s not the only example of how exercising and eating right isn’t the bees’ knees.

Look, a whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water instead of Sprite — and is full of blubber!

So you better believe that I’m sticking to my “re-tired,” lifestyle, which means I’m tired over and over again.

Because the only exercise I get is when I pull on Tornado’s lever to zip pass you whippersnappers on the sidewalk. Oh, and typing these columns for your weekly enjoyment also makes me break a sweat.

And in other news you heard before, the scammers are back, and they are preying on the elderly. How do I know? Because they made the mistake of giving yours truly a call!

The other day the phone rang and my wife beat me to it (which is miraculous, because I am literally waiting by the phone for it to ring so I can tell whoever’s on the other end just what I think). So she says hello, and the guy says he’s calling from the bank, and that our funds have been locked. He gave her a different number to call, and told her she should give the person over there her account information.

Well, I told Sharon that she should of, because the money we have is stored in places much safer than banks — like in mattresses and under floorboards (but that’s a column for a different day!)!

So Sharon did call the bank — to report these scammers!

A couple of days later my mother-in-law received a call from a someone who said he was a U.S. Customs House employee, claiming he had a package addressed to her that had $500,000 cash and a $500,000 check in it. Well, I guess he has some sort of X-ray vision or something, because how else would he know what was in the package? He told her that all she had to do was bring $500 in, and he would release the money to her. Well, not surprisingly, we did not fall for this one, either.

Finally, I heard on the 1010 WINS that there were two guys claiming to be from Con Edison going around Bensonhurst and robbing seniors after lying about a “problem” in their homes. So don’t let anybody in your home that you don’t know.

Lastly, the Bensonhurst West End Community Council which I am the president of, is fighting to get a traffic light on Harway Avenue and Bay 49th Street near PS 212 because the crossing guard there said it is dangerous. Well, the city surveyed it and said it didn’t meet the Federal guidelines that require a traffic light.

I would like to point out that those are just guidelines, and if the city cared about keeping kids safe, it would put a light there. You don’t need the federal government to make this very local decision. Jiminy crickets, will someone at the Department of Transportation open his eyes before a kid gets hurt?

Oh, and last but not least, let me remind you that it is income tax time again. Hey, did you ever notice: when you put the words “the” and “irs” together it spells “theirs?”

Screech at you next week!

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Brooklyn Daily

To the editor,

I decided to go shopping at Stop and Shop early this morning and walked past Sheepshead Bay. I did see a few ducks, which for some time had vanished. On my way home, to my amazement, I saw swans. What a pleasure to see them again. I guess they took a very long vacation, but they didn’t tell me where.

Had the city been smart, instead of building condos and stores, Sheepshead Bay could have been a real tourist attraction with a real fishing village. In the 1970s it was not uncommon to see men and women waiting in the early morning on weekends to go fishing. One major complaint was there was no parking, even though there were many empty lots available. Those same empty lots were given to developers to build condos. Without off-street parking the number of people fishing declined. Another reason was boat-docking fees went up and many fishing boats went to Long Island.

Sheepshead Bay also had popular eating establishments, such as Lundy’s with a capacity for 2,500 patrons, Tappan’s, and Randazzo’s. All of them were packed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. For entertainment there was Pips Comedy Club, which featured Woody Allen, Rodney Dangerfield, Robert Klein, Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, Elayne Boosler, David Brenner, Andrew Dice Clay, Adam Sandler, Joe Piscopo, and Richard Lewis. By 5 pm the crowd started packing Pips, but like everything else, it’s just a memory now. Jerry Sattler

Brighton Beach

Abruzzo’s assault

To the editor,

Shavana Abruzzo is an insult to her column (“A Britisher’s View”). When a person is blinded by racial prejudice, he or she vomits insults against others without using their brain. Abruzzo’s continuous assault against Islam and Muslims forced me to respond to her column, “Christians make the world a better place” (Dec. 25, 2015).

I fully believe that Christianity, as a religion, is a dynamic force for good and its founder, Jesus Christ, is peace and love. However I disagree that the majority of Christians are peaceful people, as Abruzzo claims.

Looking at our past history, we find that Christians are the most violent group of people in the world. We learned the vicious killing and destruction done by the crusades in Palestine during the 11th century. If you want proof just read your history books. The crusaders came to the Middle East to rid Jerusalem of the infidel Muslims. In the process they killed every man, woman, and child. Is that peaceful?

Christians came to America and annihilated millions of native Americans just for who they were. We learned in school of the massacres committed by Christians against native Americans without remorse. Furthermore the enslavement of Africans was done by Christians. Black men, women, and children were sold on the auction block like animals. Africans were separated from the children in chains. They were treated like a piece of property. Is that peaceful?

Christians waged two world wars where tens of millions died, including the Holocaust where six million Jews died. Is that peaceful? The Christians occupied all of the Middle East: Spain in Morocco; France in Algeria, Syria and Lebanon; Italy in Libya; England in Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, and Sudan. They plundered and destroyed the fabric of everything they touched. French Christians slaughtered a million Algerians, England split the whole of the Arab world into a small kingdom and supported every tyrant leader. They planted the State of Israel in a country they did not own. Millions of Palestinians were expelled, killed or jailed because of Christians. Is that peaceful?

President George W. Bush declared a crusader’s war in Iraq, where he slaughtered more than two million Iraqis in an invasion that was based on lies. Is that peaceful? Most of the weapons of mass destruction are invented by Christians. Is that peaceful?

These are only short paragraphs to show how violent most Christians are. I know that Christianity as a religion has nothing to do with what the Christians are doing. If Christ comes now, he will be heartbroken to see what his so-called followers are doing to the rest of the world.

I believe all religions are good — Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and many other beliefs. It is their respective followers who make them look bad. No religion calls its followers to kill and destroy and cause mayhem.

M. Muthana

Bay Ridge

Moving on

To the editor,

Your article “Big wheels keep on turnin’: Checking up on the B44 Select Bus Service” (online Jan. 7) refers to the B44 Select Bus that runs on Nostrand Avenue.

Did you know that the dedicated bus lane it uses is only in effect three hours in either direction during morning or evening hours, and is only about four city blocks long from Avenue X to the Belt Parkway ramps? That is hardly two-thirds of a mile long and makes no impact at all on traffic flow in the neighborhood. However, it is very effective in extracting revenue from unsuspecting motorists. Shirley Ranz

Brooklyn

Sounding Off

To the editor,

I’m one of those “survivors” everyone’s been talking about, and while I didn’t live on fried grasshoppers like my television counterparts, I am a New Yorker and one of those “real survivors” coined by news columnist Cindy Adams who, after moving to Manhattan, missed her old Brooklyn neighborhood, her vegetable garden, and her roomy apartment just a short ride away from Brighton Beach.

What sane person, I asked myself about 17 years ago, would trade Mrs. Stahl’s knishes, the ocean breezes of Sheepshead Bay, and the quiet, tree-lined streets with fabulous views of the clear, blue sky, for the noisy, polluted streets of Manhattan, before I made my own journey across the East River? What finally convinced me to make the move was commuting to my job as a high-school librarian on crowded, dirty, smelly trains, and the long waits on smoky subway platforms. What drew me to the city was the thought of being catapulted into a world of high-rises, health nuts, vitamin shops, joggers, and bars with thin women looking for love. It seemed appealing compared to being held prisoner on trains in underground tunnels with sick passengers and panhandlers who recited bad poetry or assaulted my senses with wild drum solos and Lawrence Welk-like accordion music.

I soon found myself living on the Upper East Side in a shoebox-sized studio with my daughter and a dog, and an air shaft where the window was supposed to be. But for $700 a month, who was I to complain about the lack of space or the paper-thin walls? The big city introduced me to new pleasures, including walks in Central Park, Jackson Hole burgers, thrift-shop bargains, and Mayor Koch’s movie reviews in the New York Spirit, as well as new displeasures, including drug-addicted neighbors who played their stereos all night long, and crazed bus drivers sped across Central Park like ambulance drivers racing to their appointments.

All was well until the mice and roaches arrived, unannounced. I soon discovered the roaches had come to stay. I could tolerate the stream of bag ladies who picked through our garbage, but the armies of roaches played havoc on me. Getting rid of them seemed like a job for Napoleon or Crazy Horse. After several weeks my apartment began to take on a strange new look, with original glue-trap collages and cris-crossed adhesives pointing in various directions decorating walls where no artist had gone before.

I beat back the blues and reinvented myself at every turn, in order to survive roaches in a cold, fragmented world. Now, here I stand like New York’s Finest, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice, first on the trail (with glue traps and more). At night when I dream, in my mind’s eye a note on the door to my apartment reads, “Beware woman warrior, little devils!”

Time has passed and I find myself retired and living in my beloved Brooklyn neighborhood once again, looking back on my roach invasion as the time I found the courage to confront the enemy. Why, I now wonder, do people not rebel against the horrors of oppressive regimes, where people are tortured for expressing their beliefs, where writers and librarians get prison sentences of up to 20 years in some nations for speaking their minds, and for daring to speak through literature, poetry, and editorials about injustice and abuse?

Here in this great nation of ours, where opinions can be heard and diversity rules, I took my place as a librarian, and now armed with a writer’s voice, I, too, am an agent of protest and change.Joan Geller

Bath Beach

Nuke mook

To the editor,

So now it’s the little fat guy with the bad haircut from North Korea trying to shakedown America by pounding his chest like a gorilla to show his strength so he doesn’t have to fight another gorilla. We used to call this “selling woof tickets” when we were kids growing up in Brooklyn — it was all for show.

Obviously President Obama, who is said to be a poker player, probably isn’t a very good one because he can be bluffed over and over again. I doubt Obama ever read Trumps’ book “Art of the Deal” or Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” a book written more than 2,000 years ago, and still used today by generals and leaders all over the world. Obama telegraphs his intentions to our enemies, telling them when we are sending troops and when we are leaving, complete with date and time. He traded five hardened terrorists for Bowe Bergdahl, a deserter whom he praised and who is now being court marshaled.

Obama made a deal with the devils of Iran, a country whose mantra is “Death to America,” giving them billions of dollars and withdrawing sanctions so they won’t continue making a nuclear bomb. They went back on their word and broke the agreement before the ink was even dry. So now the little fat guy with the bad haircut is going to see what he can get from Obama, like some other tyrants will certainly be doing soon because they only have about another year before he leaves office. They have to work fast, but they also know that if the new president has some cojones, like a Trump for instance, they will be out of luck.

Let’s not forget Iran held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days during the Carter administration. Jimmy Carter — a good, decent and very intelligent man, but a poor president in many ways — wasn’t respected at all by the Ayatollah of Iran at the time. Yet only hours after Ronald Reagan was sworn in, the hostages were released. Any guess why?

Maybe Trump is pounding his chest with his fists like the others who have been shaking Obama down, and maybe he isn’t, but either way I really don’t think those who bully Obama will try their crap on a Trump.

Peter G. Orsi

Marine Park

Reader-to-reader

To the editor,

In response to J.J. Lauria (“Elliott Kibosh,” Sound Off to the Editor,” Dec. 18, 2015), I proposed sodium pentothal (truth serum) for terrorists and other violent criminals and suspects because I regard America to be very hypocritical in trying to preach and teach justice abroad when we can’t practice it at home.

Are not the members of the Ku Klux Klan — whose ranks included late President Harry Truman, late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W-Va.), and late Supreme Court Judge Hugo Black — and the American Nazi and Communist parties terrorists? Yet the First Amendment guarantees them the right to speak freely within the confines of reason.

Supreme Court Judge Abe Fortas, who served from 1965 until 1969, was a member of the Community Party, and even his most vocal critics — Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) — did not even bother to bring this issue up during his nomination because he was a hawk on the Vietnam War.

I would also like to point out to J.J. Lauria that if we engage in waterboarding what will our enemies do to our imprisoned soldiers? Remember, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Elliott Abosh

Brighton Beach

Get a grip

To the editor,

There is always an excuse for outrageous behavior. As the years have gone by, the new one is that the perpetrator was off their medication. In a recent case, several women were slashed by someone in and out of hospitals for mental illness. Why was he always released after each episode, only to cause additional mayhem? Same thing in school. Any teacher can tell you which of their students will go on to commit crimes. No one bothers to listen to them as children, when they are literally crying out by acting out for help. Instead, we either play their friend or just pass them on.

Since the family of the slasher knew what he was capable of, it was their responsibility that this individual be looked after. That is what families are all about. Don’t throw your problems on society and expect them to clean up the mess.

I just love when they say that the recalcitrant was in the process of getting his or life together. It is time for individual initiative and responsibility for one’s actions to rest on the individual and family members. Sure, many of these recalcitrant people and family receive welfare benefits and therefore they feel that everything is coming to them.

Ed Greenspan

Sheesphead Bay

****LARRY PENNER****

Tarnished Silver

To the editor,

The legacy of former State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in the area of transportation leaves much to be desired. Consider the schedule, budget, and the cost for four major transportation projects that he took great pride in promoting.

Washington paid twice with your tax dollars for building the new South Ferry subway station. First, for almost $600 million in 9-11 funding, a second time with more than $300 million in Hurricane Sandy funding to rebuild what was damaged. The downtown Manhattan Fulton Street Transit Center was first paid for with 9-11 funding. Cost overruns of several hundred million were covered by American Recovery Reinvestment Act funding.

Fourteen years after 9-11, the Cortland Street World Trade Center subway station is still several years away from being back in service. If there are no new delays, perhaps the station will reopen by December 2018. Transit officials fought for years over budget, funding sources, scope, and schedule. Construction for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority portion of the project just started a few months ago.

There is no funding in the agency’s propose 2015-2019 capital program to initiate construction for the second segment of the Second Avenue subway, north from 96th Street to 125th Street. It will take several decades and $20 billion more for completion of the next three segments of the Second Avenue subway, north to 125th Street and south to Hanover Square downtown in the financial district. The project was originally proposed in 1929!

Silver claimed to be a friend of both commuters and the 99 percent. In reality, he lived the life style of the one percenters. He frequently traveled around town with a personal driver at taxpayers’ expense. I doubt if he ever purchased a MetroCard or rode the subway, like several million New Yorkers do daily.

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

Two-fare drone

To the editor,

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

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

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

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

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

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

MTA delay

To the editor,

No one should be surprised by the recent news from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that the Second Avenue Subway won’t be open by next December. The agency reminds me of Capt. Renault from “Casablanca” when he said, “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on!”

Riders who have been waiting since construction restarted in 2007 with an original service date of 2013 may not be able to pick up their “winnings” until 2017 or 2018. The project was originally proposed in 1929!

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

****ROBERT LOBENSTEIN*****

Crooked pols

To the editor,

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

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

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

Hill-n-Donald

To the editor,

Hillary Clinton was complaining that the Muslim terrorist groups were using Donald Trump for video recruitment purposes. That lie was quickly exposed and Hillary wound up with egg on her face. Then a video surfaced where Muslim terrorists actually were using footage from Trump’s campaign to recruit new terrorists. I wonder how much Hillary paid them to do this?

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

Pie in the $ky

To the editor,

Our dear Gov. Cuomo has been on a media blitz unveiling grandiose building schemes — rebuilding the old Pennsylvania Station to an almost former glory, expanding the Javits Center to house the world’s largest ballroom and exhibit center, and other fantastic municipal works endeavors.

One thing that was silently spoken about, off camera, was the way the multi-billion-dollar projects will be paid for. Yes, it will be you and I, and our children and future grandchildren, who will be paying off his follies for decades to come. To build any project on time and within budget is a pipe dream, knowing the ineptness of state and city governments. After these clowns leave office, we all will be saddled for years with the debt load created by their schemes.

Maybe most of these plans should be voted down until Albany straightens up its own corrupt financial mess though, as these politicians are busy picking our pockets, I doubt it.

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

*****ED GREENSPAN****

Mitt’s a hit

To the editor,

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

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Classroom trenches

To the editor,

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

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

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

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

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

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

‘Demagogue’ Donald

To the editor,

It has become apparent to me that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump would be absolutely perfect in still another remake of the great film, “All the King’s Men.” After all, as demagogue Willie Stark, Broderick Crawford received a well-deserved, best-actor Oscar. Trump could easily pass that, if not do even better in the part. He gives new meaning to the term demagoguery. Hollywood should definitely take notice.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Pledge allegiance

To the editor,

Of course the Pledge of Allegiance should be recited in schools. As a student of public schools in the 1950s, I remember “the lord is my shepherd” being recited from the Bible in the auditorium until someone finally realized that this was a violation of separation of church and state.

Religion does not belong in our public schools. This means that all symbols representing a religion should not be in the school either. After all, by doing this, we are doing a disservice to those students not of a particular religion, as well as students who are atheists.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Bernie Panders

To the editor,

Bernie Sanders, what’s so bad about living in a rent-controlled building? You bemoaned that fact about living in such a building in Brooklyn at the last debate.

The rent-controlled buildings on Kings Highway were, and are still, lovely buildings with affordable rents. Ditto for rent stabilization. You’ve been away so long that you probably don’t know that since 1970, if a rent controlled apartment is vacated, it becomes rent stabilized. May the Lord bless rent control and rent stabilization.

At the first sign of any change, you and so many other phony liberals are the first to move out of neighborhoods. Your remark about rent control shows that you’re a landlord’s man. Without rent control or rent stabilization, rents would be over the roof and this would lead to more homeless.

Apparently in Vermont, where you fled to, no such problems of homelessness exist to the degree we’re facing in New York.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

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By Stanley P. Gershbein

Brooklyn Daily

Who is Debbie Wasserman Schultz? To those of you who do not know because you are busy watching reruns of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” Miss Schultz is the chairwoman of the Democrat National Committee. That makes her one of the most important people in American politics.

A few months ago, when she was being interviewed by motor mouth Chris Matthews on Hardball, the questions included “What is the difference between a Democrat and a Socialist? I used to think there was a big difference? What do you think it is between a Democrat like Hillary Clinton and a socialist like Bernie Sanders?”

Miss Schultz answered the question by not answering the question.

“The more important question is what’s the difference between being a Democrat and being a Republican,” she responded.

Matthews pushed back.

“You’re the chairman of the Democratic Party,” he said, again asking the question

And again, her response was more gobbledygook and doubletalk.

I’m not sure if she purposely avoided the correct response — perhaps because today there is no difference — or if she really didn’t know the answer. Either way, as a chief leader of the party, it is very likely that this important question would pop up again.

An experienced, intelligent leader would have introduced a proper response via the party’s talking points so that when it does, her colleagues would be prepared.

Well she didn’t and they were not. Last week, Chris Matthews was interviewing Hillary Clinton. He asked the presumptive Democrat candidate the same question several times, and each time, Mrs. Clinton did not answer it either. She responded with answers to questions that Matthews didn’t ask.

I would like to think that this very intelligent woman did that on purpose, but as I read and reread the transcript several times, it became apparent that Hillary was also not prepared for this question. Debbie, you didn’t do your job.

• • •

I love the taste of dried prunes. I just wish they did not do what they do-do.

• • •

And speaking of being unprepared, what in the world made Hillary Clinton tell the world that women who are sexually assaulted should be believed? Didn’t she realize that by saying that, the names of the women who were assaulted by her husband will be resurrected and become household words again? How many of you recall these names from the past? Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Juanita Broderick. How can these stories help her campaign?

• • •

A Philadelphia police officer was shot while he was on patrol in his squad car. Before the law enforcement officials began their investigation, the mayor of the City of Brotherly Love called a press conference to tell the world that “In no way shape or form does anyone in this room believe that Islam or the teaching of Islam has anything to do with what you’ve seen on the screen.”

Really, Mr. Mayor. Perhaps you should keep your mouth shut and your ears open before you voice your thoughts and make a fool of yourself. It didn’t take much to learn that the shooter is quoted as saying “I follow Allah, and I pledge allegiance to the Islamic State.”

Upon further investigation his own mother admitted that her son became a devout follower of Islam. We are still waiting for mayor Jim Kenney to apologize for his stupidity.

I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net telling you that Philadelphia is now known as The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. How many of you knew that?

• • •

Those of us who watch MSNBC — and whether you believe it or not, I am one — learned this week that 49 percent of Americans are more angry with current events now than they were at this time a year ago. I am StamGershbein@Bellsouth.net asking, does that include you? Why?

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By Max Jaeger

Brooklyn Daily

He was hoping for a shore thing!

Locals recently sounded off on the sorry state of Jamaica Bay after a storm loosened debris lodged in Plumb Beach, inundating Shell Bank Creek boats with a deluge of garbage. Former borough president and then-state senator Marty Markowitz bet in the late 1970s that the Belt Parkway-bisected beach could be a recreation destination with a little tender love and care, but the grand prediction proved to be more of a sand castle — the federally owned park land remains one of Brooklyn’s more perilous public spaces.

A Gerritsen Beach man stumbled on hundreds of needles and other medical waste washed up on Plumb Beach’s shores in November — reminiscent of the Syringe Tide that washed over New York a decade after Markowitz called on Washington to make Plumb Beach the next “it” park. The city’s sanitation department removed the recently discovered needles after pressure from a local pol.

And last year the feds, who supposedly maintain the greensward as part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, threatened to deep-six dozens of feral cats who lived in a colony Brooklyn cat fanatics built there.

The beach lost its biggest booster when presidential candidate Barry Deutsch died in 2012. The retired attorney and anti-globalization T-shirt magnate spent his summers combing the sands for garbage and hanging out in a makeshift Shanggri-la there.

Still, the beach isn’t as bad as it was in the 1970s, when bathers had to contend with discarded tires and mattresses in addition to the still-par-for-the-course needles and Coney Island Whitefish. Here’s a look at the fetid waterfront circa 1977 — and young Markowitz extolling the repulsive strand.

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By Allegra Hobbs

Brooklyn Daily

This show may leave you feeling lost.

A Park Slope dance company will send audiences into a literal labyrinth in order to experience “Capture,” an hour-long interactive performance about identity in the age of technology. The show’s twists and turns will encourage audience to contemplate online and real-life connections, says the show’s choreographer.

“It’s about the digital age, and our own understanding of our connections within the digital age,” said Taylor Donofrio, the founder of the Donofrio Dance Company. “And how our desire for acknowledgement and attention has created a disconnect within ourselves as well as our relationships.”

Audience members must navigate an eight-foot-tall cardboard maze in order to see the dancers, who will perform to a strange mixed score that includes Patsy Cline, opera, and some far-out soundscapes. Sometimes the dancers will appear sometimes directly in front of onlookers, but sometimes they will be viewed behind windows in separate rooms.

The winding nature of the labyrinth and the relative isolation of the dancers from the spectators is a comment on the difficulty of forming and understanding persona at a time when people live online and craft their images on social media, said Donofrio — and the audience gets to explore that disconnect themselves, in a hands-on way.

“The audience is as big a part of it as the dancers are,” she said.

The hour-long experience — which Donofrio developed out from an initial ten-minute performance over the past year and a half — will premiere on Jan. 22 at Fort Greene’s Feature-Length Independent Choreography Fest at the Irondale, a six-day festival that showcases two feature-length dance projects plus a cabaret performance every night.

“Capture” will premiere at FLICfest 2016 at Irondale [85 S. Oxford St. at Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 788–0607, www.irondale.org]. Jan. 22 and Jan. 28 at 7:30 pm. $25 ($20 students).

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

By Colin mixson

Band, school band.

IS 228 student-musicians blew crowds away with a thrilling selection of contemporary compositions including a “James Bond” theme and a Swedish glam-rock song during the school’s winter concert on Jan. 14. Some of the tunes were challenging enough to give much older players a run for their money, according to the Gravesend school’s leader.

“The level of rigor is very high when it comes to everything at IS 228 — all forms of instruction — but especially with the performing arts,” said principal Dominick D’Angelo. “It’s high-school level and beyond, and these are only middle-school students.”

The school’s symphony orchestra, symphony band, and jazz band really hit the proverbial woodshed hard in the months leading up the concert — budding musicians came in an hour early every day to bone up on their chops, according to the principal.

“We have something here called “zero period” where, each morning, they come in at 7 am — an hour before school starts,” he said. “We have that every morning, where all the instrumental players come in throughout the whole school year.”

The kids didn’t play much in the way of classical fare during the show — instead they performed contemporary tunes such as Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” Paul McCartney’s “James Bond” anthem “Live and Let Die,” and a medley of film-music composer John Williams’ themes from “Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars,” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

Students and teachers curated the modern set list, and letting players call their own tunes made it more engaging for the young maestros, according to D’Angelo.

“Everyone has input,” he said. “It makes it a lot of fun.”

Getting kids into school early isn’t always easy, but all the hard work really played off, and parents were thrilled — and a little surprised — to see their kids playing like professionals up on stage, according to one mom.

“It was very good,” said Lodovica Lorenzi, who’s daughter Kayla, 12, played French horn with the symphony orchestra and band. “It feels like being in a theater. It doesn’t seem like it’s children. It seems like professional players playing.”

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By Shavana Abruzzo

Brooklyn Daily

Popular Wicked Monk executive chef Russell Titland, who whipped up elevated pub nosh like lobster mac-and-cheese and leapt on stage on a whim to croon with the bar’s house bands, died of cancer on Jan. 14. He was 47 years old.

The country music buff was a Culinary Institute of America alum with an illustrious resume who picked up flavors at some of the city’s top restaurants, but he spent the better part of his 30-year career in his beloved Bay Ridge, creating tastebud-tinglers and specialty menus at neighborhood institutions such as Griswold’s Pub, Chadwick’s, and the Monk on Third Avenue.

Titland came aboard the lounge and restaurant, designed to look like a cathedral with stained-glass and pew-type seating, three years ago when it moved to the old Bally Bunion location between 95th and 96th streets. The haute hash slinger quickly put the Monk on the map with uniquely flavored comfort foods, such as Guinness-braised short ribs, reuben spring rolls stuffed with corned beef and cabbage, and Dublin crab cakes that made it onto a television cooking show.

Patrons appreciated the finger-licking fare.

“Russell’s food was the best when you were looking for something different in Bay Ridge,” said Laura Cangiano, an ad sales representative for Community News Group who often drops by the pub for mini shepherd’s pies and Gaelic steak.

A dyed-in-the-wool Mets fan, Russell was also a smorgasbord of knowledge outside the kitchen with an encyclopedic memory for local lore, the Monk’s general manager recalled.

“Whenever anybody wanted to find out about a place in the neighborhood, they would ask Russell, and he would know exactly what block it was on,” said Billy DeLuca. “He really touched everybody he worked or came into contact with.”

Titland was inspired to attend the Culinary Institute of Arts — the alma mater of celebrity chef Bobby Flay — after landing his first gig at the now-defunct Grisworld’s, impressing owner Bill Eisenhardt.

“Russell began his career working for us,” Eisenhardt said. “He was a creative and talented chef who loved the food industry, and a good friend who will be missed very much.”

Titland continued working at the Monk until about three months ago, when he began hospice care, leaving co-workers with food for thought.

“Russell put up an amazing fight,” said DeLuca. “He was a super-strong man who will live on through his incredible food.”

Russell Titland is survived by his parents and a brother.

His wake will be held Jan. 18 at Colonial Funeral Home on Staten Island (2819 Hylan Blvd. between Reno Avenue and Tysens Lane), 7–9 pm. He will be laid to rest at Ocean View Cemetery on Staten Island.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Call it their subway platform.

Straphangers and pols are demanding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority provide shuttle busses as it closes seven Brooklyn N train stations for two years of upgrades. Transit officials closed the stations’ Manhattan-bound platforms for 14 months on Jan. 18 and plan on closing Coney Island-bound stations for 14 months in 2017.

Gravesend commuters who get to the city via the line’s Kings Highway, Avenue U, or 86th Street stations will have to double-back to Stillwell Avenue to catch a Manhattan-bound train, adding as many as three stops to their morning commutes, and the transit authority should make up for the inconvenience by at least providing busses, one stranded straphanger said.

“Put in shuttle buses, or express buses, or something,” said Gail Bartone, who catches an N to the city at Kings Highway every morning. “And make it free, because we’re being inconvenienced.”

Assemblyman Bill Colton (D–Bensonhurst) collected petition signatures outside the station demanding transit officials provide shuttle buses last week. Elderly folks who rely on Manhattan-bound service need a better option, he said.

“A senior citizen can’t go all the way to Stillwell Avenue and back — or walk up to Bay Parkway from here,” he said at the Kings Highway station. “It’s a big, negative impact on their lives. If they are going to shut down a service they have an moral and legal obligation to provide an alternative.”

Buses could run to neighboring F, Q, or D stations — or follow the N train’s route, he said. The latter scheme would allow commuters at stations like King’s Highway, which is just one stop closer to Coney Island than the still-open Bay Parkway station, to take a short ride there instead of a longer ride down to Stillwell Avenue and back, Colton said.

The buses could also ease potential bottlenecking at the open Manhattan-bound platforms, Colton said. N trains are already more crowded than the citywide average during rush hour, and commuters wait about a minute and a half longer for trains than the citywide average, according to the Straphangers Campaign.

The authority would not comment on the possibility of shuttle buses, and a spokesman said it would respond to Colton directly. The agency was not receptive to Community Board 11’s suggestion it provide shuttle buses when it presented the station-closure plan in September, according to the district manager, who said the authority was skimping at riders’ expense.

“It’s probably a cost issue — they’re thinking of their bottom line and not taking into consideration the needs of the community,” Marnee Elias-Paiva said.

The transit authority set aside $395 million to overhaul seven of the eight stations between the Eighth Avenue and Stillwell Avenue. Workers will replace platforms, repair canopies and columns, rehab entranceways, install new public address systems, and restore historic decorative elements, plans show.

The work inconvenient, but it is also necessary, Elias-Paiva said.

“We’ve received complaints of leaking walls, mold, stairs crumbling — it’s all very much needed,” she said. “We said it over and over — there’s going to be a tremendous amount of disruption to people traveling, but they desperately need these upgrades.”

Workers cannot complete repairs on active stations, so officials decided to suspend service in one direction at multiple stations simultaneously and finish them all in one swoop, an authority engineer said in September.

The authority will also add ramps for disabled riders at the Eighth Avenue station and elevators at the New Utrecht Avenue station.

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

St. Francis College got the bounce-back win it needed thanks a stellar effort from Tyreek Jewell.

The senior dropped in a career-best 23 points and dished out five assists to power the surging Terriers men’s basketball team to an 85–67 win over Sacred Heart at the Pope Center on Jan. 16. St. Francis, which shot a season-high 55.1 percent from the floor, got strong contributions around Jewell also.

“The ball moved, and I thought Tyreek and Yunus [Hopkinson] were outstanding,” Terriers coach Glenn Braica told reporters. “I thought Chris [Hooper] was very good. I thought Amdy [Fall] was fantastic. I thought Keon [Williams] did a good job. I like Jon [Doss] in his role of coming off the bench. I thought they were all good today.”

St. Francis has won three of its last four Northeast Conference games after dropping its first two during a four-game losing streak. A 61–59 loss at Bryant on Jan. 14 was the lone blemish during the recent surge. Bryant guard Shane McLaughlin connected on a tough game-winning jumper with just 1.3 seconds remaining in the second half.

Jewell followed up 20 points against Bryant with an even bigger night versus Sacred Heart (3–14, 2–4). He was all the Terriers needed to move past the tough defeat. Jewell scored in double figures for the 10th time in the last 11 games. He shot seven of 10 from the field and went four-for-six from three-point range. Jewell, who is averaging a team-leading 13.3 points per game this season, has shown an uptick because his shot selection has improved.

“I’ve always been a scorer, but I’ve just gained more confidence,” Jewell said. “Coach always preaches to us to be patient on offense — and about not jacking up shots. He tells us to move the ball and get good shots. I think everyone on the team is realizing that we have to put defense as our No. 1 priority.”

St. Francis (7–12, 3–3) used an 11–1 run to grab a 33–12 lead with 5:07 left to play in the first half. It forced 12 turnovers and led 41–18 at the break. Hooper had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Terriers, and Hopkinson chipped in 18 points. Cane Broome led the way for Sacred Heart with 18 points and five boards.

Blackbirds fly past Bryant

Sophomore Trevin Woods scored a career-high 20 points, including six three-pointers, to push the Long Island University men’s basketball team to a 79–61 win over Bryant at the Wellness Center on Jan. 16.

It was the Blackbirds’ second-straight victory in conference, following a rally from 17 points down to beat Wagner 71–70 on Jan. 14. Long Island University (9–8, 3–3) used a 25–6 run to take a 44–25 lead late in the first half.

Aakim Saintil had 16 points and four assists, and Joel Hernandez added 15 points for Long Island University, which had five players in double figures. Jerome Frink tallied 12 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Martin Hermannsson chipped 11 points with a career-high eight assists. Marcel Pettway paced Bryant (7–12, 4–2) with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Their connection transcends words.

South Shore point guard Keyanna Glover only needed to see the look on teammate Destiny Philoxy’s face late in a game against Truman earlier this month to know she needed to step up during a city final rematch against Grand Street on Jan. 13. The players’ ability to communicate without words — the synchrony required — made them a force to reckon with during the South Shore girls’ 51–35 victory last Wednesday.

The sophomore Glover was not playing up to her potential, discouraged with her previous play and reduced minutes. That placed added strain on Philoxy, who had to score more and defend harder — and Glover saw it taking a toll during the team’s match-up with Truman earlier this month.

“Sometimes she gets tired and looks at me like, ‘Key we need you,’ ” Glover said.

The look reminded Glover how much her teammates need her and Philoxy to click.

“I realized they needed me, so does my point guard,” Glover said. “It just pushed me to play harder.”

Then the pair gave everyone a glimpse of what South Shore can do when they’re in sync. The duo combined for 15 of South Shore’s 20 points during a decisive third quarter that set the tone for the Vikings’ win.

Glover scored a game-high 15 points and had a personal 7–0 run during a Vikings 16–0 spurt ending the third quarter. Philoxy chipped in 13 points. The effort is exactly what Gladden hoped to see.

“That’s a hard backcourt to stop,” he said. “They both can create shots. They both can create shots for other teammates. If Glover picks it up and gets going, that is a tough backcourt to deal with it.”

The pair cut short a Wolves rally and gave defending champion South Shore (13–1, 10–0) control for good. Grand Street (8–6, 6–2) trailed 23–11 at the half but brought the deficit to 27–18 after a three-point play from Shanice Graves with 3:04 in the third. It took South Shore a little more than a minute and a half to score 16 points — mostly off Grand Street turnovers — and take 43–18 lead into the fourth.

“They opened it up,” Gladden said.

The loss marks Grand Street’s second-straight in league play — both without Syracuse-bound forward Shanique Edwards. The junior forward is ineligible to play. She hasn’t met minimum school-attendance requirements, because her mother has been in and out of the hospital over the last two weeks, according to Wolves coach Corey McFarlane. In his eyes, her absence wasn’t the reason for the losses.

“Shanique not being there is not an excuse to lose to South Shore,” McFarlane said.

Senior guard Kasiah Lucky scored 14 points for Grand Street. South Shore held the Wolves’s top forward, Star Fitzgerald-Greer, to five fourth-quarter points.

The defensive effort pulled South Shore through a difficult — but undefeated — four-game stretch away from home. It looks more and more like a team capable of defending its crown, but it knows Grand Street will try to ususrp that position.

“We are just as good as last year, because we have the same chemistry,” Philoxy said. “We know each other more, and we got heart. It means a lot, but it doesn’t mean we are not going to see them again.”

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By Stephen Zitolo

Brooklyn Daily

Basketball hasn’t been at the forefront of Paul Robeson players’ minds since teammate Rikky Degale’s shocking stroke.

But the team fended off a potential losing streak after rallying a 67–53 victory over South Shore on Jan. 15 — and it was all for Degale, one player said.

“Our prayers are with him — he is always in our heart,” said junior guard Keith Swinton. “We are playing for him. As soon as our friend gets better, we would like to bring the championship trophy to him.”

Degale played in the team’s loss at Benjamin Cardozo on Jan. 10 before the stroke. The group played with heavy hearts after visiting their teammate in the hospital on Jan. 12, only to lose to last-place Bedford Academy. And Robeson players, determined not to lose three straight, still had reserve junior guard Degale on their minds when they hosted South Shore on Jan. 15.

Robeson is a team that can compose itself and finish off a sloppy game strong.

“In the fourth quarter, they played their behinds off,” Myles said. “For three quarters they were in mud.”

The Eagles’ offense was unstoppable in the final eight minutes of play. Robeson (7–3) outscored the Vikings 20–9 in the quarter, which included a 17–0 run.

And the squad put the defensive pressure on South Shore, staving off any Vikings field goals until there was 2:20 left and the game was already sealed.

“This is a very important win for us, because now we are tied for second with Westinghouse,” forward Issac Konte said. “We got to beat Lincoln, Jefferson, and Brooklyn Collegiate.”

Swinton led Robeson with a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds. Konte scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high 17 boards. Senior Ziare Mateen and junior Shevon Anisca, who scored 15 points apiece, led South Shore (4–6).

It looked like South Shore was the better team early on in the contest, because its offense started the game on fire. The Vikings went on a 13–0 run in the opening quarter. Five different players scored in the frame, and South Shore took its largest lead of the game at 19–8 with 3:42 left in the first.

Robeson took away some of the South Shore momentum and lowered the deficit to 24–19 going into the second quarter.

Neither team scored much, though, because of turnovers, and South Shore went into the half leading 33–28.

Eagles players were able to shake off their first-half struggles by locking down on defense.

Swinton scored seven points in the frame where the Eagles outscored the Vikings 19–11 and taking a 47–44 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We weren’t prepared on defense [in the first half].” he said. “Once we got the feel of their offense than we were able to put our defense into full effect.”

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

Now he needs a bath — and a lawyer.

A man drove his car into the fetid waters of the Gowanus Canal on Monday morning — allegedly in a desperate bid to flee the scene of a crash, in which he hit a woman and possibly an infant girl, police said.

The driver was heading down Court Street when he allegedly smashed his car into a Camry parked near Degraw Street at around 11:10 am, injuring a woman’s foot as she attempted to place the 1-year-old girl in the car, according to an officer at the scene who only identified himself as a police chief.

The motorist did not stick around and own up to the havoc, the officer claimed — instead, he took a sharp left on Degraw, put his foot to the floor, and fled — directly into Brooklyn’ Nautical Purgatory,

The 36-year-old man sent his car barreling through the guardrail that separates Degraw Street from the Canal, and his vehicle plunged up to its windows in the canal’s gonorrhea-corrupted waters, the officer said.

The motorist was lucky on a few counts, according to the chief, who said if it wasn’t for the railing and the fact that the Gowanus was at low tide, there might not have been anyone left to arrest.

“If it wasn’t for the guardrails, he probably would have went further and been completely submerged,” he said.

The 36-year-old man was able to pull himself out of the car through a window, and clamor up onto his vehicle’s roof, when a group of teamsters working on the television series “The Americans,” which was filming nearby, appeared to lend a hand and haul him out of the canal, according to a truck driver with the production.

The driver went on to say that the suspect was given a checkup inside an ambulance, before cops slapped him in cuffs and led him into a squad car.

It is unclear if the woman who was injured received medical care, but the police boss said the young girl was taken to Lutheran Hospital as a precautionary measure, even though, at a glance, the child didn’t appear to be suffering any injuries.

— with Jason Speakman

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

Call it Ish-meal.

A Park Slope foodie will host a literary supper featuring dishes inspired by Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby-Dick” at a Carroll Gardens gallery on Jan. 22. But the night’s adventurous eaters should not expect any whale meat to grace their plates during the whaling-inspired feast, says the organizer.

“There’s a pretty descriptive passage about eating whale meat in the book, but I wasn’t about to go there,” said Mackensie Griffin. “I didn’t even look into it.”

Griffin has created two other literary dinners with her Table of Contents Supper Club, including one with food inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises.” She was shopping around for the club’s next classic when a friend mentioned Melville’s delectable description of clam chowder in “Moby-Dick,” she said.

“It’s a very detailed, mouth-watering description,” said Griffin.

After reading Melville’s opus, the self-described foodie cobbled together a menu featuring squid with balsamic syrup, broiling fowl and dumplings, and beefsteak served rare, just like Ishmael’s pal Queequeg likes it, according to Griffin.

“He prefers them rare for breakfast,” said Griffin.

For those who have not read “Moby-Dick,” or who need a refresher on Melville’s notoriously dense classic, Griffin will provide place mats featuring passages from the novel that served as inspiration for the dishes.

The literary inspiration does not stop with the food — the Moby-Dick Dinner will also feature some period-inspired drinks, including a molasses and gin cocktail briefly mentioned in the book as a health remedy.“I always try to do at least one cocktail,” said Griffin. “The cocktail I made up was based on a brief reference to one of the characters drinking molasses mixed with gin, which apparently used to be a health remedy back in the 1800s, which they thought cured colds.”

“Moby-Dick Dinner” at Court Tree Collective [371 Court St. between Carroll Street and First Place in Carroll Gardens, (718) 422–7806, www.courttree.com]. Jan. 22 at 7:30 pm. $60.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

They’ve preached an understanding!

Bay Ridgites marched in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, responding to Islamophobic tension locals say grips the neighborhood.

A high-profile terror attack in California and borderline hate-speech certain right-wing presidential candidates espouse has whipped xenophobic Ridgites into a frenzy, one marcher said.

“People are stirred up,” Jen Kruger said. “When we have people running for president on anti-Muslim platforms, then that is going to stir people up and make them feel free to lash out physically and vocally against things they are frightened of.”

The 200-strong crowd stepped off from the corner of 86th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway, where a man allegedly kicked and spit at a Muslim woman while she waited for a bus about a month ago. Demonstrators started there to reclaim the site, an organizer said.

“We wanted to send a message that the people who hate can be loud, but they’re not the majority, and they’re definitely not us,” Teri Brennan said.

But some Ridgites have been more aggressive toward neighbors that they perceive to be Muslim since a pair of terrorists pledging allegiance to the so-called “Islamic State” killed 14 and hurt 22 in California on Dec. 2, a community leader said. Seven Ridge Muslim women have reported harassment to the Arab-American Association of New York since the Dec. 2 tragedy, according to executive director Linda Sarsour.

Monday’s march ended at Salaam Arabic Lutheran Church on 80th Street and Fourth Avenue, where aplurality of faiths and ethnicities took part in an age-old tradition — they broke bread, the church’s pastor said.

“This is a wonderful community, yet there is hate rhetoric, and we try to address this by coming together, knowing our neighbor, breaking bread together, and bringing our children so they can see who is the other,” the Rev. Khader El-Yateem said.

A complex debate over immigration and foreign policy is fueling Bay Ridge’s fire, but something much simpler can quench it, Sarsour said.

“I think people don’t do the basics,” she said. “We don’t need to do any political education — just say ‘Good morning.’ ”

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By Lauren Gill

Brooklyn Daily

The investigation must have hit a wall.

A driver apparently fled the scene after plowing his ride through a Bay Ridge brick wall and residential yard early Sunday morning, but police officials say they have no record of the crash — despite photos showing patrol cars on the scene.

The guy smashed a Mercedes sport utility vehicle through a brick wall and careened over a front yard near the corner of Narrows Avenue and 78th Street around 4 am Sunday, startling locals, one neighbor said.

“I heard the crash, because it was right near my driveway,” said Theresa Filetto, who lives next door to the crash site and was jolted awake by the ruckus at 4:10 am. “I was a little frightened to go look, but when I did, I saw the car on the neighbor’s lawn and half of the tire was over on my side.”

The driver talked on the phone for nearly twenty minutes before ditching the car and disappearing from the scene, Filetto said. She thought he was contacting the police about the incident, but he was evidently gabbing to someone else — police did not respond to the scene until a half-hour after the accident when a neighbor across the street called 911, she said.

Police retreived the car at 6 pm on Sunday, Filetto said.

But cops say they have no record of the accident.

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

The Medgar Evers girls’ basketball team started the season strong — and then lost its steam.

Slow beginnings have kept the Cougars from building any momentum since a lopsided loss to Public School Athletic League favorite South Shore earlier this month. The problem reared its ugly head again in a 61–45 loss to Cardinal Spellman at the Rose Classic Super Jam on Jan. 18 at Nazareth.

“It’s frustrating because you go so far and then you take two steps back,” Medgar Evers coach Mike Toro said.

Poor shooting mixed with lackluster defense put Medgar Evers behind 22–4 after the first quarter and 28–15 at the half. Spellman ripped off a 13–0 run to begin the third and push its lead to 35–15 with five minutes left in the quarter. Getting out of the gate slow cost them two non-league loses by a combined 10 points.

“We need to learn how to start both halves stronger,” Toro said.

Senior guard Mikala Casimir (8 points) had seen enough. Spellman went to its bench early, so she began attacking the basket and picked up her defensive intensity. It is the type of leadership Toro expects from her and needs more of.

“I’m trying to be a leader,” Casimir said. “Mike has been telling me somebody has to step up, and I am trying to be that person.

The team’s effort level grew, and it ripped off a 15–3 run to help pull within 13 points in the game’s final three minutes, but it could not get closer. Brianna Rudolph, Alisia Machado, and Gabriela Moore each scored 10 points for the Cougars. Leah Pinilli paced Spellman with 18 points and Diamond Christian added 14.

The Cougars, who are 4–5 in league play, still have time do get things together with five division games left. Medgar Evers has to face Francis Lewis and will get a second chance at Grand Street, which beat it by just four points.

“We have had a rocky road lately,” Casimir said. “We just have to keep our heads up.”

Boys & Girls rally falls short against Molloy

The Kangaroos squad turned up its full-court pressure to cut a 15-point to six deficit in the third quarter, but it couldn’t complete the rally in a 67–61 loss at the Rose Classic Super Jam.

A Kalima Daniels three-pointer made it 56–52 at the 5:28 mark and a Fatoumata Konare put-back cut the Molloy lead to 59–53 with 4:07 to go. Molloy’s Jenna Mastellone answered with a three and an Emily Johnson put-back kept the Kangaroos at bay.

Daniels (19 points) led four Boys & Girls players in double figures, including Kania Pollock, who chipped in 14. Kathryn Kanhoye scored 11 points and Konare added 10. Mastellone led Molloy, scoring 12 of her 22 points in the second half, and Kathryn Gibson had 18.

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Hometown hero Rawle Alkins made a stop home in New York on his journey to greatness.

The Brooklyn native and former Christ the King star, who currently plays for North Carolina’s Word of God Academy, is entering the last leg of the college-recruitment process, and he was back in New York City for two games at the Big Apple Basketball Invitational at Baruch College over Martin Luther King weekend. The Canarsie native received his Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and will begin scheduling official visits to his numerous college suitors, he announced after an 86–78 loss to Genesis Prep on Saturday night.

Alkins, Rivals.com’s No. 9-ranked senior in the country, has narrowed the list down to North Carolina, St. John’s, North Carolina State, Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Louisville, and Indiana — now he just has to whittle that down to one, he said.

“From there, it is picking a school,” Alkins said.

He will have to miss some of Word of God’s games to visit the schools and hasn’t set his itinerary yet, he said. Alkins texted every school on his list, and they want him on their campus as soon as possible, he said.

But one thing is certain after he spent a year away at school: Distance will not be a factor in his decision.

“I know the life that I want to choose — I’m going to be away from home regardless,” Alkins said. “College — I am going to travel everywhere. I’m not going to be home even if I go to a local school.”

The 6-foot-4 Alkins, who is playing in the five boroughs for the second time this year, rebounded from a slow start and foul trouble against Genesis. He scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half and grabbed 10 rebounds. His best sequence came midway through the fourth quarter, when he buried a three from the right side and converted a beautiful spin move for a layup, pulling his team within 72–66 with 4:17 to play. But his best efforts weren’t enough.

“I would have liked to have won the game, but unfortunately it didn’t happen,” Alkins said.

He did not return to Christ the King, because he was not eligible to play his fifth high-school season in the CHSAA after playing varsity games in Florida before returning home.

Alkins helped Christ the King produce an unprecedented era of winning. He is the only player in school history to win three Catholic High School Athletic Association Intersectional titles and also win two state-level, Federation Class AA crowns. Last season, Alkins became the first boys player at Christ the King to record a triple-double.

In some ways, he misses playing with Christ the King — and in front of in packed gyms. Word of God enrolled just 230 students compared to Christ the King’s 900.

“I miss the people, some of my friends,” Alkins said.

He is enjoying the simple things during the short stay in New York City — a night in his family’s Brooklyn home, pizza, and a chat with local reporters.

Alkins’s return has been a homecoming, mother Derline Zephir said.

“Everyone is screaming out his name, jumping on him, hugging him, kissing him,” she said.

Alkins has adjusted to life in North Carolina in more isolation than he is use to, but he is still a city kid at heart. His family has made the trip down a few times to watch him play and check in. But here are times that there really is nothing to do down there, and Alkins gets bored, he said. His mother bnelieves the time away will ease his college transition, she said.

“It’s a start of being responsible,” Zephir said. “As much as it is hard not having him around, it’s showing him how focus.”

Alkins’s attention, when he is not on the court, can now fully focus on finding his next destination — his recruitment’s final phase is a go.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

60th Precinct

Coney Island—Brighton Beach—Seagate

The People’s Slay-ground

A gunman shot a 37-year-old man — execution style — on W. 33rd Street on Jan. 17.

The victim was between Neptune and Mermaid avenues at around 8:30 pm when his assassin put two bullets into the back of his head, cops said.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at 9:27 pm, according to police.

School of hard knocks

Some schoolyard bullies attempted to rob a 16-year-old boy as he was waiting for the bus home on West Avenue on Jan. 8.

The victim told police that he was near Ocean Parkway at 1 pm when another group of kids jumped him. One of his underage attackers hurled him against a parked car before yelping, “give me what you have in your pockets!”

Fortunately, the kid’s pockets were empty, and his would-be robbers fled empty-handed, cops said.

Registry error

A thief looted a Harway Avenue store on Jan. 9, taking a register filled with cash.

The snake slithered into the shop between Bay 47th Street and 28th Avenue at 8 pm through an unlocked bathroom window in the building’s rear, cops said. Once inside, the invader simply snatched the register, along with the $3,000 it contained, and exited the store through a hallway leading outside, according to police.

Surveillance footage showed the crook pause for a moment on his way out as a neighbor came into view, but, lucky for him, the passerby took him for a worker, and went about his business, cops said.

Hubbard heist

A raider ransacked a man’s Hubbard Avenue home on Jan. 17, taking cash and jewels.

The victim told police he walked into his home between Avenue Z and Shore Parkway at 5:45 pm, only to find he was short $15,000 and a small fortune in jewels. He later discovered that the crook likely entered through a second-floor window above an awning, cops said.

When tykes attack

Two teenage delinquents nabbed a phone from the hands of a 55-year-old woman on Brighton Sixth Court on Jan. 11.

The victim told police she was near Brighton Beach Avenue at 3:30 pm, when the pint-sized punks ran up and snatched her phone.

Handsy man

Cops busted a 47-year-old man man who they say reached into a man’s pocket and took his phone on Brighton Sixth Court on Jan. 12.

The victim, a 50-year-old man, told police he was near Brighton Beach Avenue at 2 am when the suspect waltzed up and barked, “what’s in your pocket?”

Without further ado, the man allegedly thrust his hands into the victim’s pocket, and came away with his phone before fleeing, cops said.

— Colin Mixson

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