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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

His cable car has just come in!

Mayor DeBlasio wants to bring trolley dodging back to Brooklyn for the first time since the 1950s, and no one is more excited about it than legendary Flatbush engineer and transit geek Bob Diamond, who has been trying to get the city to do just that for more than 20 years.

“I think it’s really important for the future growth and prosperity of New York City that the mayor and other elects work to bring back a streetcar network,” said Diamond, who has been laboring to build a streetcar system linking Red Hook with Downtown since 1989.

Diamond’s dream was originally city-sanctioned, and he lay some tracks in Red Hook and purchased several vintage streetcars to ride them, only for the city to cut off funding in 1999.

The Bloomberg administration became interested again in 2009, but put the kibosh on his fantasy altogether in 2011, following a Department of Transportation study — widely circulated online again in recent days — that found the streetcar would serve relatively few people for the price tag and would be difficult to squeeze into Red Hook’s streets.

Diamond believes the study was set up to fail, however, because the city wanted to fund more buses at the time.

“To be perfectly frank, it’s been a laughing stock in the transit community since it came out,” claimed Diamond, who also poured his efforts into running tours through an abandoned train tunnel he found under Atlantic Avenue, until transportation officials killed that dream in 2010 as well.

The armchair transit expert still contends that streetcars exceed busses in every way that matters — creating less pollution, consuming less energy, accommodating more passengers, and promoting development along their routes.

“Streetcars are superior to busses on every level and in every category of metric,” he said.

Now the city has a leader who is enthusiastically on board the streetcar revival, Diamond — who says he has written seven or eight books on the subject — says his one remaining hope is that he is included.

“I’m bored, so if I can help them in any way, I’m all ready to do that,” he said. “I need something to do since the tunnel tours got shut down, and there’s only so many books you can write.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

By Joseph Staszewski

This Buckeye bucked the trend.

Erasmus Hall defensive powerhouse Jahsen Wint signed a National Letter of Intent to play football for Ohio State. The gridiron Goliath will be one of few who rise from the gritty Brooklyn neighborhoods he’s proud to represent, he said.

“From where I am from, people don’t actually make it,” said Wint, who was raised in Crown Heights and now lives in Brownsville. “For me to make it and do it for Brooklyn — it just feels good.”

Mother Claudette Ramos-McKoy and an aunt kept him busy with sports and out of trouble coming up in the hardscrabble neighborhoods. First was karate — but Wint took to it too quickly, and his family scrambled to find something else to occupy his time.

“His aunt was actually the one that came up and said, ‘Let’s put him in football,’ ” said Wint’s mother. “That way he gets to go every week and keeps him busy.”

At 9 years old, Wint joined the Brooklyn Renegades youth program. He fell in love with the sport — it was an outlet.

“I was just a little angry kid, so I had to find something that I could do that I could hit people legally,” Wint said with a smile.

Nearly a decade later, that hard-nosed style caught Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer’s eye — enough to net Wint his first scholarship offer from a Bowl Championship Series program. The recognition was enough to get Wint to de-commit from Philly’s Temple in favor of Columbus and the Buckeyes, where he will join former Dutchman Curtis Samuel.

Then again, Wint always had reservations about Temple.

“Going to different camps and seeing how I matched up with some of the great athletes, I saw I could compete with [Temple], so deep down I knew I deserved more for myself,” he said.

Wint is one of New York City’s top players and Courier Life’s All-Brooklyn First Team selection. He made 69 tackles during the regular season and had two fumble recoveries and an interception to help Erasmus reach its second-straight Public School Athletic League City conference title game. He runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and won a city championship in 2012. Erasmus has sent 11 players to Division-I schools since 2009 (expect a dozen when Darren Wesley heads to Rhode Island or Eastern Illinois soon).

The 5-foot-11, 187-pound Wint played linebacker in high school, but Ohio State is considering moving him to strong safety to fill a spot, he said.

Poor performance nearly limited him to junior college, but Wint buckled down, his coach said.

“The magnitude of the jump was incredible,” said coach Danny Landberg. “That is a tribute to his work ethic. I didn’t expect him to change the way he changed. This time last year we didn’t have any offers.”

And playing college ball while earning a degree isn’t the end for Wint — it’s the beginning.

“I wanted to do better for my family,” he said. “Get them out of Brooklyn.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

This signing was a nail-biter.

Grand Street star receiver Taysir Mack waited until the last second to sign with Indiana over former betrothed Rutgers on Jan. 3.

“I probably made the decision when I was in the seat,” he said. “It was hard.”

Mack committed to Rutgers earlier this year, then backed off when the school fired coach Kyle Flood, because Mack said he didn’t want to wait around while new coach Chris Ash rebuilt the program.

“I liked the direction coach Ash was bringing the program — I just wasn’t sure how long it would take for the program to be up and running,” Mack said. “I didn’t want to be waiting until my junior year before the program started running. I want to go somewhere that is stable.”

And so he picked the Hoosiers, flashing a pair of the team’s uniform receiver gloves during the announcement.

The three-star receiver and 247Sports.com’s No. 7-ranked state prospect, was one of three Grand Street players who signed National Letters of Intent. Fellow receiver Ahmed Bah recommitted, picking Rutgers over Buffalo, and defensive back Justin Philip selected North Carolina A&T. All three made up their minds as they closed in on signing day.

“Stressful is not the word,” Wolves coach Bruce Eugene said. “A couple of them were in panic mode. I know, for Ahmed, it was tough coming down the stretch. Everything that went on with Rutgers — the commitment, the de-commitment and everything — was tough on him.”

The 6-foot-4 Mack is the reigning Brooklyn Courier All-Brooklyn Player of the Year after helping Grand Street claim its first Public School Athletic League city championship — and an undefeated season. He had 66 receptions for 1,210 yards and 16 touchdowns, including two in the title game. University of Connecticut, Syracuse, and Penn State were also courting him.

Philip, an All-Brooklyn First Team selection made 73 tackles, collected four interceptions, and scored a defensive touchdown last year. Bah excelled in his first season with the Wolves — after transferring from Holy Cross — with 33 catches for 727 yards and 10 scores. The trio signing was a perfect cap to all of it.

“Unbelievable,” Philip said. “A wonderful feeling. We all put the hard work in from August summertime to here. The hard work pays off. This year has been everything I dreamed of in senior year — winning a championship, going undefeated, able to sign to a D1 college.”

Bah made up his mind to stick with Rutgers the night before, wanting to be a part of what Ash builds there. He struggled to sleep that night, but said he can rest easier now, believing he made the right choice.

“I like the whole vibe that [Ash] brought in — the new coaching staff, the whole new offense,” Bah said. “I see myself doing well at it.”

No one can predict what the future holds for the trio, but Eugene is certain they deserve the good starts.

“They earned it,” the coach said.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

It is a streetcar named quagmire.

A trolley along the Brooklyn waterfront would be a $2.5-billion gift to developers, likely providing a sluggish service that few straphangers will actually use, warns a public transit advocate who was also a top political honcho in Portland, Ore. when a similar service was taking off there.

“Most streetcar projects in the U.S. provide slow, unreliable service that does not serve many people,” said David Bragdon, who served as president of the area’s regional Metro Council from 2003 to 2010, and now heads Transit Center, a foundation that funds and advocates for public transit projects in New York. “We don’t want New York City to repeat the mistakes of other places and spend $2.5 billion if the result is not useful transportation for riders.”

In the days since Mayor DeBlasio announced his plan to construct a streetcar from Sunset Park to Queens, pols and media commentators have repeatedly cited the West Coast hipster enclaves’ tram service — the first modern-day streetcar system in the country when it launched in 2001 — as a model of success.

But Bragdon says the Stumptown cable car — which claims to cart around 15,000 people every day, though its operators have been caught dramatically inflating ridership figures in the past — is regarded by locals as sluggish and erratic, as are many others across the country that have followed in its tracks.

“I lived right on the streetcar line, across the street from a stop, but I rarely rode it because I could walk most places faster,” said Bragdon, who first moved across the country to work for the Bloomberg administration.

DeBlasio claims his so-called Brooklyn-Queens Connector would shuttle 24,500 straphangers along the waterfront every week day — compared to the 125,000 who ride the G train every day. Around 30,000 commuters currently ride waterfront bus services, but those all hook up to Manhattan-bound subway stops — many of which are struggling with rush-hour overcrowding — while the mayor’s vague route appears to connect with only a few, Transit Center said in a recent blog post slamming the idea.

One thing the Portland service has done well is help spur development along its tracks, Bragdon says. The line runs through several formerly industrial areas that developers were turning into Dumbo-esque condo districts when it launched.

But those same developers also made direct financial contributions to the project, he said, unlike the model DeBlasio is proposing, which rests on the assumption that property values will rise along proposed 16-mile line — even though construction and house prices in Red Hook, the Navy Yard, and Greenpoint are already booming.

“Developers in Portland truly did contribute a significant share of the capital cost, not through theoretical tax appreciation, as is talked about here, but through firm commitments,” he said.

But that doesn’t mean allowing developers and businesses to bankroll public transportation is a good idea, says one of Bragdon’s colleagues. Too many of the country’s streetcar projects have been created by politicians and the real-estate industry with the goal of making money, rather than getting people around, and the Brooklyn-Queens Connector — which is being pushed by developer Two Trees and other business interests along the proposed route — would be no different, he said.

“Developers, like our friends here behind the Brooklyn-Queens streetcar, feel the need for some transportation in places where it may not be that strong,” said Jon Orcutt, a spokesman for Transit Center and a former policy director at the city’s Department of Transportation. “They want something visible to sell the area, but they don’t know anything about transportation.”

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

It’s across-the-board support.

Council is demanding the city landmark Coney Island’s Reiglemann Boardwalk, even though the Landmarks Preservation Commission previously deemed it unworthy, according to a resolution introduced on Feb. 5. The city must protect relics in the neighborhood poised for growth, according to the councilman leading the charge.

“We have already lost notable historic structures in our community to development because of our city’s sluggish landmarking system,” said Councilman Mark Treyger (D—Coney Island).

The pol pushed the designation in late 2014, trying to block the Parks Department’s efforts to replace the promenade’s storied planks with concrete, but the commission denied him on grounds that the 2.5-mile-long stretch had already been altered too much — and that Coney Island’s most historically significant period was before the city built the boardwalk in 1923.

Parks officials are in the midst of replacing much of walkway’s lumber with plastic planks and a concrete emergency-vehicle lane.

Landmarking could prevent the Boardwalk from becoming a sidewalk, because pouring cement would require public review, a preservationist said.

“There’s nothing that says the city has to restore it to its original state, but there’s still enough of the Boardwalk left where decisions should be made with public input,” said historian Charles Denson.

A total 49 of 50 Council members have signed on to Treyger’s resolution. Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito did not do so as a matter of protocol, but she supports the effort, a spokeswoman said.

Landmark supporters include Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D–Coney Island), Comptroller Scott Stringer, Borough President Adams, state Sen. Diane Savino (D–Coney Island), and Assemblywoman Pam Harris (D–Coney Island).

The commission has designated six landmarks in Coney Island — starting with the Cyclone in 1988, followed by the Wonder Wheel, Parachute Jump, Shore Theater, and two Childs Restaurant buildings.

The landmarks commission agreed last spring to reconsider the Boardwalk, but hasn’t issued a ruling.

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By Julianne Cuba

Brooklyn Daily

Shirley Temples anyone?

Community Board 15 is pushing the state to deny an Oxford Street cafe a wine and beer license, because the coffee-and-pastry parlor is too close to area schools and may encourage underage drinking. An owner began converting the building into a restaurant in 2011, but met fierce opposition amid fears the joint would attract rowdy co-eds from nearby Kingsborough Community College. He finally opened three months ago, and said he doesn’t understand why neighbors are so prudish.

“The board was giving me a hard time — they complain about everything, didn’t want me to build this restaurant,” said Roman Midyany, who owns Chillax Cafe with wife Viktoriya. “I don’t want know why the board is against me.”

But local leaders fear the hypothetical watering hole’s proximity to the college and co-located Leon Goldstein High School will drive pupils to replace Proust with “prost.”

“Why should you put temptation in the face of young people?” said board chairwoman Teresa Scavo.

The Midyanys only plan to break out the booze on weekends and after 6 pm on weekdays — in deference to neighbors worried about underage, under-the-influence undergrads, Viktoriya said.

“We are respectful to our neighbors,” she said. “We are not planning that at all — to sell alcohol during school hours.”

The state prohibits restaurants from selling liquor within 200 feet of schools, but the law doesn’t apply to places that only sell wine and beer, according to the New York State Liquor Authority.

Community groups pledged to battle alcohol license applications back in 2011 when the Midyanys started building the restaurant, and Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D–Manhattan Beach) recently wrote the state a letter opposing the application citing traffic on Oriental Boulevard and proximity to schools.

The owners want to work with the board, Viktoriya said.

“We live here, and we work here, and we want to be part of our community,” she said.

But Roman vowed to keep business chugging along in the face of opposition.

“I will not close out the business,” he said. “I’m not going to give up on my business because the board wants me to.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

The fourth quarter is first in Curtis Smith’s heart.

The unsung Thomas Jefferson senior guard has made a habit of owning the final frame and did so again on Feb. 6 to lead his team to a thrilling, 68–65 win over host Christ the King at the Apparel Challenge. Smith scored all six of his points in the fourth, including a big three-pointer to tie the score at 63–63 with 53 seconds remaining. He collected the game-changing steal and also put his team ahead for good at the free-throw line in the closing seconds.

“I told Curtis we are not going to play him until the fourth quarter,” joked Jefferson coach Lawrence “Bud” Pollard. “I mean the Westinghouse game, the Robeson game, the Lincoln game. We call him Big Shot C.J. He doesn’t show up until the fourth quarter. He made a big steal right there, and he made the big three.”

Smith jumped a Jose Alvarado inbound pass to Tyron Cohen, took it the length of the court, and drew a foul. He missed the first free throw — but made the second to put the Orange Wave up 66–65 with nine seconds remaining.

“I figured out why I missed it,” Smith said. “I didn’t bend my knees. The second one, I just followed through on my free throw, and it went in.”

Christ the King looked to run the same play with 3.6 remaining, but St. John’s-bound guard Shamorie Ponds stole Alvarado’s inbound pass and drew a foul. He made both free throws to seal a win that gives top-seeded Jefferson (17–7) plenty of momentum heading into the Public School Athletic League Brooklyn Borough playoffs this week.

“This is a big one,” Ponds said. “It builds our confidence a lot going into the borough playoffs.”

He scored 17 of his game-high 29 points the first half, but his driving layup with 28 seconds tied the score at 65–65 to set up Jefferson’s last-minute defensive stand. Junior forward Malachi Faison added 15 points and was a force on the offensive glass. Both had big games, but the Orange Wave’s defense ultimately decided the match.

The Royals (13–7) managed to keep pace in the back-and-forth game — no team led by more than six throughout the match. Jefferson countered by slowing down Alvarado (13 points) and kept shooting guard Jared Rivers in check. Forwards Tracy Cleckley (18 points) and Tyrone Cohen (16 points) both hurt the Orange Wave on the offensive glass, but Pollard was pleased overall.

“We ran a few schemes at those guys, and it worked out great,” the coach said. “We took Jose out of the game and we rotated. We followed the defensive strategies, and we played it to a tee in the late four minutes.”

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By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Milicia “Mimi” Reid shed her slump in Bishop Loughlin’s most complete performance of the season.

Lions coach Chez Williams challenged the struggling star junior to bounce back against Mary Louis a day after her lackluster performance in a loss to Archbishop Molly — and she rose to the occasion during the team’s 78–67 Jan. 3 win.

“We had a long talk: ‘Today I need you to make good decisions, if it is scoring you got to do, if it is dishing you got to do — whatever you got to do for us to win is what I need you do,’ ” Williams said.

Reid did all of it. She poured in game-high 30 points, dished out 10 assists, and grabbed five rebounds. She dropped in 17 of those in the second half and was instrumental in transition during a 14–4 run early in the fourth quarter.

“As a point guard, he wants me to run the team,” Reid said. “I think we pulled it out really well.”

The win keeps the Lions in the hunt for second place in their division — Loughlin, Molloy, and Mary Louis all have three league losses. The victory also sent seniors Bryanna Brown, Elease Billings-Harrison, Skydajah Patterson, and Ahyana Green out with a win on their Senior Day.

“It was a little bit emotional, but it was a good win,” said Patterson, who scored 12 points. “I feel like we played great.”

Uninspired play in a loss to Briarwood last Monday motivated Loughlin’s more aggressive and emotional performance at home, Williams said.

“Sometimes you’ve got to lose in order to understand what is to win,” the coach said.

An active and physical Lions defense made Hilltoppers stars Danielle Patterson and Jasmine Brunson work for each of their 26 and 23 respective points. Mary Louis (12–6, 3–3) went more than five minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter. The 14–4 run put the Lions up 64–50 with 5:12 to play in the game.

“We limited Danielle’s touches,” Williams said.

Lynette Taitt had 15 points, seven rebounds, and five steals for Loughlin (16–6, 5–3), and Billings-Harrison chipped in 10 points. Courtney McCool added 13 points for Mary Louis, which has lost its last three league games. Loughlin believes it has righted its ship, and the Hilltoppers are still looking to do the same.

“We need to get come momentum going,” Patterson said. “It’s a loss. You got to learn from it, but also you have to learn to move on from it.”

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

An 85-year-old East Flatbush man died after a 25-year-old plowed his car into the man on Feb. 6.

The driver was heading towards Brownsville along a Linden Boulevard service road near E. 95th Street shortly after 10 pm when he smashed into Joseph Hippole as the oldster attempted to cross the street, police said.

The victim clung to life when paramedics arrived the scene, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at Brookdale Hospital, according to police.

Two of the victim’s family members broke into tears when police asked them to identify the victim’s clothing, which was strewn over the street.

The driver remained at the scene of the accident, and police have not charged him with any crime, cops said.

The investigation is ongoing, law enforcement sources said.

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Brooklyn Daily

Brooklyn is where the art is!

A prestigious monthly discussion of contemporary art has vacated its home in Manhattan in favor of Brooklyn, the city’s creative center. After a decade at Manhattan’s National Academy of Art and Design, the Review Panel will have its first discussion tonight at its new home in the Brooklyn Public Library’s Dweck Center. The move brings the panel closer to the makers that fuel New York City’s vibrant art scene, said its founder.

“I’m conscious of the fact that much of our audience is made up of artists who live and or work in Brooklyn,” said David Cohen, who is also the editor and publisher of artcritical.com. “It dovetails the desire to be closer to a younger and more creative audience and wanting to be in a public library.”

Brooklyn galleries are getting increased attention from the critical establishment, he said.

“Bushwick and exciting points south in Red Hook and downtown Brooklyn constitute quite a vital scene these days,” said Cohen.

The Review Panel brings together artists and critics to examine current exhibits at galleries and museums around the city. The first panel in Brooklyn will cover the “Flood” exhibit by Charlie Harlan at Pioneer Works in Red Hook; Glenn Ligon’s “We Need to Wake Up Cause That’s What Time it Is” at Luhring Augustine gallery in Bushwick; and two exhibits in Manhattan.

Cohen will discuss the shows with author Siri Hustvedt, artist and critic Alexi Worth, and New York Times art critic Roberta Smith, a group that offers varied strengths and approaches.

“I do love to have one really well-known art person on each panel, and Roberta is the most stalwart of our panelists,” said Cohen. “Siri seemed a natural because I wanted someone with a strong Brooklyn identification.”

Changing the location also gave Cohen a chance to tinker with the night’s format at bit, in this case adding a novelist to the panel.

“One of the things in rethinking the panel is seeking greater diversity in terms of the demographics of panels,” he said, “but also tapping the expertise of people beyond the art world.”

The Review Panel had a loyal following at its Manhattan location, but Cohen believes the move can attract a new audience without alienating its regular attendees.

“I find Manhattanites are happy to have an excuse to get to Brooklyn,” he said.

The Review Panel at the Brooklyn Public Library [10 Grand Army Plaza at Eastern Parkway in Prospect Heights (718) 230–2100, www.bklynlibrary.org]. Feb. 9 at 7 pm. Free.

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By Allegra Hobbs

Brooklyn Daily

They have kicked Jesus out of the band.

A merry band of Williamsburg heathens are taking the gospel out of gospel music with their soulful, secular riff on the holy harmonies. Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution, who will play at the Bell House on Feb. 13, are attempting to wrest the genre from its religious origins and make it accessible to all walks of life, said the group’s frontman.

“If you’re not down with the Jesus, the gospel music is pretty exclusionary I think,” said David Mendelsohn, who will take to the Bell House stage as Brother Joscephus. “I thought, why can’t music like this be a little more universal and just about love and that type of thing?”

Mendelsohn, who was raised in a Reform Jewish home, said the upbeat tone of the gospel tunes really jived with him, but the Christian message was a huge turn-off for someone just trying to have a good time — so he and his fellow funky secular humanists decided to set an all-inclusive message to the spiritual sounds they loved.

The profane performance group — which has a rotating cast of between 10 and 12 musical members, depending on what city they are in — will give a special holiday performance at the Saturday night show, which happens the night before Valentine’s Day and a few days after Fat Tuesday, adding some bonus New Orleans street music to its usual horn- and vocals-heavy music.

“It will be a true Mardi Gras–Valentine’s Day love fest,” said Mendelsohn.

The message of the anti-gospel group’s love revolution is one Mendelsohn hopes everyone can get on board with. The band is pedalling a secular kind of righteousness, he said, with the high calling of spreading the love.

“I think ‘righteous’ is a word that means being the best type of person you can be,” he said. “Being really good to other people is being righteous.”

Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643–6510, www.thebellhouseny.com]. Feb. 13 at 9 pm. $12 ($10 in advance).

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Larry Morrish, the Bay Ridgite who helped found the Bravo volunteer ambulance and the neighborhood’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, died on Feb. 8 at the age of 71.

Morrish spearheaded volunteer projects that forever changed Bay Ridge and left behind scores of neighbors who will not forget him, a friend of 45 years said.

“All of the civic work he did — that was a spirit that he helped bring and preserve here,” said Chuck Otey. “Nobody wants to see that kind of volunteerism and community involvement fade, so I’ll tell you that we won’t let Larry go — we will remember him.”

Morrish, graduated Fort Hamilton High School and wasted no time embedding himself in local issues — in 1974 he helped found the Bay Ridge Ambulance Volunteer Organization at a time when the city’s emergency responders were stretched too thin to effectively serve residents. It is now the state’s largest volunteer service and a favorite volunteer outlet for local activists.

He also helped found the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in 1990s and the Bay Ridge Unity Task Force to promote interfaith peace following the 9-11 attacks. He was a regular among local civic associations and community board meetings, and a day rarely passed when Moorish could not be seen talking with neighbors on a Fifth Avenue bench near his home, one local official said.

It was his do-more, hands-on approach to community-building that warmed his widow Phillippa to him when they first met in 1995. Morrish called it an early night on their first date, because he and some friends were waking up early the next day to clean up Owls Head Park. Phillippa almost did not believe it, but she saw for herself the next morning, she said.

“When I saw them there, I said to myself, ‘This is a man with a heart,’ ” Philippa said. “That more than anything was what drew me to him — the largeness of heart.”

Moorish had a reputation among local pols as a straight-shooting activist who would work with or campaign for anyone on both sides of the proverbial aisle if it benefitted his neighbors. A score of federal, state, and city officials lauded Morrish’s wide body of civic work following news of his death on Monday, many calling him the epitome of a community activist. A former congresswoman remembered how Morrish “adopted” her during her 1990 campaign and always kept spirits high with his can-do attitude.

“He approached life with a sunny side and a joke, and for people who were privileged enough to know him, he had a very serious and responsible side — that’s why he was such an asset,” said former Rep. Susan Molinari. “He was the heart and soul. He was really the No. 1 cheerleader for Bay Ridge.”

Morrish died of an short-term illness caused by an intestinal issue. He is survived by his wife, brother, a niece, two nephews, and a sister.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

It’s Brooklyn’s Iditarod!

Kings County Cub and Boy scouts strapped themselves to harnesses and pulled hand-made sleighs — not unlike Alaska’s iconic Iditarod dog-sled race — across Coney Island’s beach for the organization’s annual Klondike Derby competition on Feb. 6. The young makers’ sleds showed great craftsmanship, but at the end of the day, winning the race came down to good old-fashioned kid power, according to the winning pack’s cub master.

“I guess our boys were just faster this year,” said Anthony Seal, cub master of Pack 933, which won the race in its bracket and took home overall first prize among cub scout teams. “It’s mostly a test of strength and speed.”

Each cub pack (that’s ages 5–11) and Boy Scout troop (11–18) entered the event with its own handcrafted sleigh, he said. Six kids pulled, one pushed, and one lucky scout rode the sled, according to Seal.

But the race wasn’t the only challenge waiting for the kids — organizers with Boy Scouts of America arranged a slew of competitive tasks for the young adventurers.

Boy Scouts competed in trials testing first-aid, water-rescue, knot-tying, and shelter-construction skills, according to Boy Scouts of America Breukelen District activities chairman Milton Davis. Their junior counterparts had it a little easier, and competed in a harpoon toss, a penguin walk, and memory tests, he said.

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By Zach Jones

Brooklyn Daily

You have questions, and today, a rolling law office has answers — for free.

The Mobile Legal Help Center will be in Flatbush until 3 pom today. Attorneys onboard will provide advice and counseling on topics such as consumer credit, health care benefits, disability benefits, and divorce. Anyone is eligible for services, regardless of immigration status, organizers said.

Mobile Legal Help Center at 123 Linden Blvd. 10 am–3 pm. To make an appointment, contact Councilman Mathieu Eugene’s (D–Flatbush) office at (718) 287–8762.

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

A quick-thinking Sea Gate police officer saved a five-month-old’s life when the infant had an allergic reaction to baby formula.

A grateful father said the officer who saved his daughter’s life two weeks ago is far more than a hero now.

“I told him ‘You are family now,’ ” Victor Tatarkin said.

Sgt. Fred Manney walked into a harrowing situation when responded to a call that a five-month-old having difficulty breathing at 9:44 am on Jan. 25, he said. The child was completely unresponsive when Manney arrived, and that’s when the former corrections officer’s years of training kicked in, he said.

“You just know what to do,” said Manney. “I’ve never had to work on anyone this young, but you’re trained so many times that all the training falls into place and you get positive results.”

An initial attempt to resuscitate the youth failed, so Manney called an ambulance, put an ice pack under the baby’s back, and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation again — a method he said he learned during time in the Army — according to a police report.

“The ice pack will stimulate the system,” Manney said. “It’s not normal, so the hope is it will shock the person into breathing — and it worked.”

But they were not out of the woods yet — Manney radioed the rest of Sea Gate’s on-duty officers to keep Neptune Avenue clear for the responding ambulance.

Two cops kept the stairs clear and grabbed all of the food and medication the baby took in the last day so doctors could test for allergens, he said. The baby arrived at the hospital without incident and Manney attributes that to the Sea Gate force’s teamwork more than his own heroism, he said.

“Each of the five officers on duty that day outdid themselves — the teamwork was so crisp and coordinated,” he said. “This chief has pushed training, training, training, and it all paid off that day.”

The Sea Gate Police Department — a private, New York Police Department-sanctioned force of state peace officers — will honor Manney and officers Nick Shwartz, Tommy Shulz, Vincent Giadiello, Joe Pascone Jr., and cadet Elijah Santos at a ceremony on Feb. 15.

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By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

60th Precinct

Coney Island—Brighton Beach—Seagate

Delayed reaction

Someone fired off a round of bullets on W. 32nd Street on Feb. 4 — hitting a man in the leg.

The victim told police he was near Mermaid Avenue on his way back from the corner store at 6:30 pm when gun shots suddenly rang out. Not wanting to stick around, the victim booked it to his upstairs apartment on the same street, only to realize he’d have to head back out and seek treatment for the gunshot wound he discovered in his left thigh.

The man went off the Lutheran Medical Center for treatment, while investigators managed to recover a shell casing from the scene of the shooting, cops said.

App for that

Cops busted two men who they say robbed a pair of kids at gunpoint on Cropsey Avenue on Feb. 6.

The victims told police they were near Bay 46th Street at 12:25 pm when the duo pulled a gun on them and grabbed their phones. After the suspects had left, however, the boys went straight for the cops, who were able to use an iPhone application called Track My Phone to trace the alleged crooks to a B74 line bus, according to police.

After pulling over the bus, and collaring their suspects, the cops found them in possession of the victims’ phones, along with a Crosman Vigilante BB gun, police said.

Amazing graze

A pistol-packing maniac grazed a man in a drive-by shooting on Avenue W on Feb. 1.

The victim told police he was in the passenger-side seat of a car near Stillwell Avenue at 12:20 am when the wacko rolled up in a black Seven-Series German luxury car and started blasting.

Fortunately, the shooter only managed to graze the suspect, leaving him with a nasty, but superficial wound on his left arm, cops said.

Low-comotive

A thief snatched a phone from a teenager’s hand aboard a Coney Island-bound D train on Feb. 2.

The victim told police that he had just left school and boarded the train at the Bay 50th Street stop near Stillwell Avenue at 12:29 pm when the crook walked over and asked for the time. After the teen answered his question, the guy asked the 17-year-old kid, “How much does your phone cost?”

That’s when the thief showed his true colors and snatched the phone, before growling, “stay on the train, or else,” and fleeing, cops said.

Locker looted

A burglar looted painting equipment from a man’s locker inside a Surf Avenue building on Jan. 29.

The victim told police that he left his locker secured inside the building between W. 31st and W. 32nd streets at 3:25 pm, and returned three days later to find the lock had been busted off and his painting equipment nabbed.

Jewel heist

A thief ransacked a 63-year-old woman’s E. First Street apartment on Feb. 6, taking jewelry.

The victim told police the crook busted into her abode between Avenues Y and Z at 8:15 pm, gaining entrance by breaking through a window. The crook trashed the place before finding the victim’s jewelry, which he absconded with through a rear bedroom window, cops said.

— Colin Mixson

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

61st Precinct

Sheepshead Bay—Homecrest— Manhattan Beach—Gravesend

Snow’s coming

Someone anticipating a lot of shoveling stole a snow plow from a business on E. 12th Street on Feb. 2, according to police.

The plow’s rightful owner left the business near Avenue Y around 5 pm and returned at 9 pm to find someone had clipped a lock that safeguarded a plow and made off with it, police said.

Teens arrested

Police arrested a trio of teens who they say sent another adolescent to the hospital by beating him on Avenue X on Feb. 4 for nothing more than his cellphone.

The victim was on his way near Brown Street around 6 pm when the three approached him, police said. They punched him until he fell to the ground, then kicked him repeatedly in the face, knocking one of his teeth loose, officials allege.

One then grabbed his phone and the three fled, but police later cuffed all three, according to the police report.

Failed cab grab

Three conniving would-be thieves tried and failed to rob a cabbie on Coney Island Avenue on Feb. 5, police said.

The cab driver picked up the three around Mill Avenue and Avenue U around 2 am, but the trouble started near Kings Higheway, police said.

One of the three brutes pulled a knife out and tried to grab the cab driver’s cellphone, but must have been spooked because he broke a window and then all three fled.

Hamburglar

A thief stole an air conditioner from a kosher burger joint on E. Fourth Street sometime between Feb. 3 and 7, police said.

The owner left his eatery near Avenue R around 9 pm on Feb. 3 and returned a few days later to find an air conditioner installed there was missing. He later found someone had popped the pins on a door to get access to his business.

— Dennis Lynch

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By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

68th Precinct

Bay Ridge—Dyker Heights

Cup of d’oh!

A carjacker stole a man’s car from a Fifth Avenue donut shop parking lot on Feb. 5, police said.

The owner left his keys in the ignition and the car running while he ran in for coffee at the shop near 68th Street around 6:30 am, but when he came out he found his 2014 Ford was nowhere in sight, according to police.

Fast cash

A cat burglar raided a Fourth Avenue fast food joint’s register on Feb. 4, police said.

The owners locked up the eatery near 68th Street around 11:40 pm and returned the next morning to find someone had cleared out $2,683 from the register.

Spending spree

A fraudster opened a credit card in the name of a woman who lives on 14th Avenue back in December, and has run up a hefty bill since, police said.

The woman, who lives near 84th Street, reported the fraud this week, but damage had already been done. Whoever took out the phony plastic on Dec. 18 charged $1,373 before anyone caught on.

— Dennis Lynch

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By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Watching Super Bowl 50 was like watching two elks, antlers locked in battle, for two hours on National Geographic — it was sleep-inducing. I was hoping for halftime before the first quarter was done.

One of the few high points — besides the minute the game ended — was Lady Gaga singing the National Anthem. I don’t even like her, and I loved it. She was fantastic.

Now back to the disappointment. Coldplay gave us an oldie, Beyoncé shook her expansive posterior as per usual, and what the heck did Bruno Mars do to his hair? I thought he was Michael Jackson returned from the dead.

Okay, enough of the game and halftime. The ads, which are why I watch (besides the food), kept me longing.

Gone was the tear-jerking Budweiser Clydesdales. GoDaddy.com got up and went. Celebrities excessively loved themselves.

But I ask you: How many drugs do we really need to combat those dreaded bowl issues? Constipation caused by opioid pain medication and diarrhea because of Irritable Bowel Syndrome — either we are not going enough or going too much. Here’s a thought: Give up the opioids and you won’t have irritable bowels.

Now the ads that tickled my fancy.

Doritos. Giving birth. Clever. Nachos rule!

Doritos. Dogs in the supermarket. More clever. You can’t pull the leash over those dogs.

Wiener dogs dressed up as hot dogs. How can you not love that?

Christopher Walken and his sock puppets. Where is Shari Lewis?

Monkey babies. Need I say more?

Horse whisperer. The most confusing. Whaaat?

Antioxidant infusions. I don’t even know what an antioxidant infusion is let alone why I need it. Maybe it will help with constipation and diarrhea.

Not for Nuthin,™ but the rest of the public service ads (thank you, Helen Mirren — it needed to be said) cleverly hidden in cheeky, expensive spots left me constipated. Maybe they should add the roman numerals back, this way when you get bored, you can kill time figuring out what all those Ls, Xs, Cs and Ms mean.

Oh well, there is always Superbowl LI.

Follow me on Twitter @JDelBuono.

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By Allegra Hobbs

Brooklyn Daily

Cheer up, lonely hearts! There are plenty of other cat collectors and unsuccessful Tinder swipers looking for something to do the most lovey-dovey day of the year. Join forces to bask in bitterness together, instead of feeling like a third-wheel to the entire city’s romantic evening.

Mope with Moz

Definitive Smiths tribute band the Sons and Heirs will host their annual Feb. 14 misery bash at the Bell House in Gowanus. So if you’re feeling the pangs of existential despair as you drift towards the grave alone, as we all are, just come dance it out to some truly great tunes about isolation and numbness on the banks of Brooklyn’s nautical purgatory — and remember, in the end, none of it matters.

“Unloveable: A Smiths and Morrissey Valentines Day” at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. at Second Avenue in Gowanus, (718) 643–6510, www.thebellhouseny.com]. Feb. 14 at 7 pm. $20 ($15 in advance).

Field in gloom

The Gowanus venue Littlefield has you covered both before and during Valentine’s Day — first, you can dress in all black and dance by yourself to Depeche Mode at its Feb. 12 Anti-Valentine’s Party. And on Feb. 14, come back and have a laugh about your romantic failures at the Rejection Show, where comics will tell their best stories about breakups, while you enjoy live music and booze.

“It’s Friday, I’m (Not) in Love” on Feb. 12 at 10 pm, $8, and “The Rejection Show Valentine’s Day Heartbreak Haven” on Feb. 14 at 7 pm, $10–$12, at Littlefield [622 Degraw Street between Third and Fourth Avenues, www.littlefieldnyc.com].

Bitter Bites

Come raise your lighter, pump your fist, and sing your heart out to wrenching power ballads from Guns ’N’ Roses, Bryan Adams, and Poison at Union Hall’s ’80s-themed “Love Bites” show on Feb. 13. Prepare to display your anguish in an air-guitar solo competition while sipping on cocktails like “More than Words.”

“Love Bites: The Power Ballads Sing-Along” at Union Hall [702 Union St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues, (718) 638–4400, www.unionhallny.com]. Feb. 13 at 9:30 pm. $10.

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