Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Julianne Cuba

Brooklyn Daily

He can really hack it!

Mill Basin fencing prodigy Ethan Kushnerik took home gold from the North American Cup in Salt Lake City on March 14, bringing him one step closer to his goal of representing the United States in the Olympics. The 12-year-old is the country’s third-best fencer for his age group — and first on the East Coast, his dad said. But that is not what the swordsman loves most about the sport — it is globe trotting and making new friends, Kushnerik said.

“I like my friends at fencing, and making friends all around the country,” he said. “I see new places, and I travel so much.”

Kushnerik has had a knack for fencing since he first took a stab at it at nine years old. His older brothers got him to try football and horseback riding, but he stuck with fencing, because he discovered it himself, he said.

“I started fencing by myself so that’s why I really liked it,” he said. “If they didn’t like the sports, they just stopped doing it, but I did fencing by myself. I feel happy that I do it, and it’s fun, and it makes me feel good.”

The sport is carved into three disciplines based on the weapon used — foil, epee, and saber — and what parts of the body a contestant may target. Kushnerik fights epee, because the whole body is in play, which makes the game even more exciting, he said.

“I only fence epee,” he said. “I like epee the best because you can hit anywhere, and it’s the weapon that I pretty much started with.”

Kushnerik’s father, Vadim, accompanies his son to every tournament and is always proud of him, whether for practicing daily after school or for winning national competitions, he said.

“He works hard — I really respect him for practicing so hard,” Vadim said.

Next the swordsman will compete against fencers from the world over at a national championship in Dallas this July.

Kushnerik has a few years to sharpen his skills further — fencers don’t typically get a shot at the Olympics until they are pushing 20 years old, his dad said.

“I hope for him that he continues practicing and continues to get better and go to national and international competitions,” he said “And I hope one day that he will qualify for the Olympics. If he continues with this rank, I believe he will.”

Comment on this story.

Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Lauren Gill

Brooklyn Daily

Gowanus is feeling the Bern — and it isn’t from a Canal-related rash!

Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign opened its new New York campaign office in an Eighth Street warehouse on Saturday, throwing with a big block party that attracted hundreds of fans who refuse to throw in the towel on the Kings County-born pol’s run for the oval office.

“It was very motivating,” said Rachel Brown-McLoughlin, a Long Islander who sported a “Bernie is Bae” shirt for the party outside Sanders’ new office on Eighth Street and Third Avenue. “The whole point was we’re still in this.”

Kyp Malone from Brooklyn band TV on the Radio strummed his guitar while supporters signed up for volunteer shifts and donned Bernie garb and sang Bernie-themed songs to proclaim their ballot for the Democratic hopeful, who grew up in Flatbush and owes his famed running form to his time running track for James Madison High School in Madison.

Sanders didn’t show up, as he was campaigning in Oregon instead, but some other area pols came out to stump for the socialist contender.

“Bernie Sanders stands up for my people,” said Councilman Rafael Espinal (D–Bushwick), the only Council member to publicly pledge a vote to Sanders. “I represent East New York and Bushwick, some of the poorest neighborhoods in the state of New York and when Bernie speaks, he speaks for us, for the people that live here.”

Volunteers in the warehouse between Second and Third avenues will hit the phones to spread Bernie’s message to voters ahead of the April 19 New York primary, and Brown-McLoughlin says that folks shouldn’t be so quick to concede the Empire State to Hillary Clinton, even though she is a former New York senator and stationed her entire campaign out of Brooklyn Heights.

“The media is saying that New York is a Hillary state,” she said. “From everything we’ve seen volunteering, there’s a huge amount of support for Bernie.”

Sanders in February challenged Clinton a debate on Kings County turf, offering a mid-April date for the face-off, and threw down the gauntlet again on Sunday — though he expanded the potential venue to anywhere in the state. But his fans say it needs to happen in his home borough so he can show off his Brooklyn bona fides.

“It would be awesome to have Bernie back in Brooklyn,” said Steven Labreu, another Long Islander, who has been volunteering for the campaign. “He stands up to people and has this very New York attitude that he doesn’t really take any BS from anyone, it would be incredible for people to see that.”

There are currently no New York debates scheduled ahead of the primary, although the Democratic Party website lists face-offs in April and May as “to be determined.

Comment on this story.

Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Coney’s rides finally got their day in the sun.

Hundreds of thrill-seekers took the season’s first goes-around on the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel on March 26 after Old Man Winter spoiled opening ceremonies last week when officials postponed the day for a blizzard that never was. One family made the pilgrimage four hours from upstate to catch the opening ceremony, and it was worth every mile, the mom said.

“We come down every year. I grew up in Sheepshead Bay and always went, so we keep it going,” said Lisa Rodriguez, who brought her 7-year-old daughter Bryanna. “She’s too young for the Cyclone, but she hit just about everything that she could ride. She loved the Clown Coaster.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–Park Slope), Assemblywoman Pamela Harris (D–Coney Island), and Borough President Adams cracked the ceremonial egg cream on the Cyclone before the first 100 thrill-seekers got a free ride on the newly repainted and renovated icon.

The Wonder Wheel’s blessings was dedicated to Debbie Santiago, the founding pastor of the Salt and Sea Mission who died earlier this year. Santiago blessed the rides for 30 years before going to that big amusement park in the sky. The first 96 people — and 300 kids from the Salt and Sea Mission — took free spins on the Ferris wheel.

Not all the egg creams were sacrificed to imbue the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel with good luck — Canarsie fizz barons the Brooklyn Seltzer Boys handed out free egg creams to those first folks who showed up for the event.

Dancers and musicians from Crown Heights’ Brooklyn United Marching Band provided tunes with a repertoire that included classic soul hits from acts such as the Temptations and newer songs like Drake’s “Hotline Bling.”

Comment on this story.

Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Max Jaeger

Brooklyn Daily

He did not play his cards right.

Police arrested a guy who left his identification card at the scene of a crash he allegedly fled on March 26.

A Fire Department ambulance found the guy asleep in his car on Ocean Parkway near Avenue X at 5 am, police said. He reeked of booze and appeared to be drunk, so a medic took his driver’s license and called police, officials said.

The man waited a few minutes and then allegedly sped off, hitting the ambulance in the process, police said.

Cops caught up with him two hours later at the Avenue N address listed on his driver’s license, law enforcement sources said.

Officials are charging the man with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

Talk about a face lift!

Coney Island mainstay Peggy O’Neill’s will reopen in May as a beer garden called Steeplechase Beer Garden that will feature memorabilia from the now-gone amusement mecca — including the creepy “funny face” that park owner George C. Tilyou cooked up and which is still a Coney icon. And that won’t be the only local flavor — they’ll be brewing beer made with hops grown right in the beer garden, the owner said.

“We’ll have multiple varieties of hops — 36 plants in all — growing on trellises outside, and come October each year, we’ll harvest them, make some beer out of them, and serve it at the bar,” said James Quigley, who is no stranger to beer-making. “I grew some on my roof last year and made beer, and it was great.”

Until then, Quigley will serve a dozen other, mostly-local brews, including suds from Coney Island Brewery — which has a brewery right next door — and Brooklyn Brewery.Steeplechase Beer Garden will pay homage to its namesake park and Coney Island’s amusement mastermind Tilyou. Photos of iconic rides and attractions at Steeplechase Park, which once stood where Peggy O’Neill’s and MCU Park are now, will adorn the interior alongside People’s Playground-themed artwork.

Quigley is working with artists to tweak Tilyou’s unmistakable “funny face” logo for the bar, and he plans to sell Steeplechase-themed memorabilia including T-shirts, beer coozies, and beer glasses, he said.

The entrepreneur and pour-man is drawing inspiration from the People’s Playground’s biggest business man, he said.

“We’re focused on channeling the life of George C. Tilyou,” Quigley said. “He was the greatest entrepreneur of Coney Island, and he was all about the experience — the Coney Island experience,” according to Quigley, who said he will channel that experience with live entertainment, an arcade, and outdoor bar games such as corn hole.

The beer will not be the only local fare either — Quigley will source local ingredients for a new, significantly upgraded menu, he said. New grub will include bacon-lettuce-and-tomato sandwiches with lobster, house-made bacon on a stick, hot dogs, and bratwurst, he said.

The news was first reported by the Coney Island Blog.Quigley said he has wanted to open a beer garden since he visited some during a trip to Germany shortly after opening Peggy O’Neill’s in 2002. But now that Coney is experiencing a renaissance — major landmarks are under renovation, the city is expanding the amusement district, and local pols have been holding more festivals there — Quigley is anticipating more tourists with a more discerning palette, he said.

“As Coney Island is getting a new face, its time for our business as well,” he said. “Customer tastes have changed and bottles of Budweiser and Coors Light doesn’t cut it anymore.”April 30 is the last day to say goodbye to dear old Peggy O’Neills.

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

60th Precinct

Coney Island—Brighton Beach—Seagate

Automated crook

Cops cuffed a man who stole they say $800 from a woman at an automated teller machine on Brighton Beach Avenue on March 23.

The woman told police she was grabbing cash from the machine at Brighton Fifth Street around 7 pm when the guy came up behind her, pushed her aside, and withdrew $800 from her account.

He got away, but police caught up with him about a block away and found him with a knife, two driver’s licenses, six credit cards, and three checks that did not belong to him, according to a police report.

Left out in the cold

Two cold-blooded crooks beat up a guy and stole his jacket on W. 31st Street on March 25, police said.

The victim was outside a building between Mermaid and Surf avenues at 7:30 pm when the two came up from behind him. One put him in a chokehold and the other punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground, police stated. They then grabbed his jacket and fled, according to officials.

Bad deal

Two good-for-nothings beat up a couple of teens on West Avenue on March 25, authorities said.

The victims were outside a high school between Shore Parkway and W. Fifth Street around 9:30 pm when the two approached them and said, “white boys, you know the deal,” before one punched one of the teens in the face.

The brutes then turned their attention to the other kid, demanded money, and one started hitting him with a tree branch, according to police. That teen ran once one of the dastardly duo pulled out a knife, but his phone fell out of his pocket in the process. The pair grabbed it and fled.

Hit twice

Burglars broke into utility shops at a W. 23rd Street housing complex on two separate occasions less than a week apart from each other on March 18 and March 23, police said.

A cat burglar broke into the caretaker’s shop at the complex between Mermaid and Surf avenues on March 18, sometime between 4:30 pm and the next morning. He got in through a front gate and stole some garbage bags and a jacket from the caretaker’s shop, then tried unsuccessfully to pry open the doors of the connected plumber’s and carpenter’s shops. The sneak successfully got into a basement maintenance area, however, and took some copper wire and a ladder, according to a police report.

On March 24, a freebooter broke into a paint shop at the complex sometime between 3:30 pm and the next morning, police said. A worker came in for work that morning to find the door pried open and $220 in cash missing from a locker there.

Hammer time

A sledgehammer-swinging burglar broke into a housing complex storage room on W. 32nd Street on March 26, police said.

A worker building between Sea Place and the Boardwalk locked the doors to the room around 1 pm and returned the next day around 10:30 am to find the lock broken and the door wide open.

Upon entering, the worker found someone had smashed through a cinder block wall leading from the neighboring garbage room. Police did not find anything missing.

— Dennis Lynch

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Julianne Cuba

Brooklyn Daily

61st Precinct

Sheepshead Bay—Homecrest— Manhattan Beach—Gravesend

Four against one

Police cuffed one of four guys who they say stole a teen’s skateboard and beat him up on Avenue W on March 25.

The 17-year-old victim told police he was sitting on the sidewalk outside of his girlfriend’s home on E. 24th Street around 6:20 pm, waiting for her to arrive, when two men came up to him and started making conversation. The teen told police he also noticed a third suspect watching from a distance.

The now-arrested suspect said “nice phone,” according to authorities. The teen started to walk away, but four men caught up to him and began punching him, police stated. They also stole the teen’s board and damaged his cellphone, police said.

The suspects caused injuries to the teen’s hands and head, according to authorities.

Punched and robbed

A marauder punched a guy after stealing his phone on Coney Island Avenue on March 20.

The good-for-nothing took the guy’s Samsung Galaxy Edge S7 right out of his hand on Avenue U at 8:20 pm and then repeatedly punched him, the guy’s girlfriend told police.

The jerk fled down Coney Island Avenue around 8:30 pm, according to authorities.

— Julianne Cuba

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

68th Precinct

Bay Ridge—Dyker Heights

Road rage

Two maniacs smashed a bottle over a man’s head and shattered a window of his fire department-owned vehicle over a parking spot on 73rd Street on March 25, according to a police report.

The two men had their livery car parked between Fifth and Sixth avenues around 6:45 pm when the fire department employee told them he needed them to move their vehicle. They refused, and the argument turned violent when one of the hotheads hopped out of the car and hit the victim across the head with a bottle, leaving him with a six-inch gash across his forehead, according to a police report.

If that was not enough, the second brute hopped out of the car brandishing a tire iron, and smashed the back window of the official fire department car. The men fled in their car towards Fourth Avenue, but cops say they have one of their cellphones they dropped in the chaos.

Bike bandit

A two-bit thief stole a guy’s two-wheeled ride on Shore Road on the afternoon of March 27, police said.

The guy was biking near 80th Street when the thief came up to him brandishing a knife at least five inches long, demanding his wheels. The biker complied and the thief pedaled away.

Watch your watch

A thief looted an unlocked car on Bay Ridge Avenue on March 21, police said.

The driver parked her car near Ninth Avenue at 4:30 pm and returned the next morning to find her iPad, some baby toys, her backpack, and her Rolex watch missing, according to a police report.

Pan-handled

An oaf trying to rob a 95th Street apartment on March 21 gave himself away when he knocked into a set of kitchen pans and set the owner on his trail.

The burglar made his way into the apartment between Fourth Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway through a ground-floor kitchen window while the owner was in the living room, police said.

But he knocked around some cooking pans, prompting the woman to investigate. She caught the lummox red-handed and screamed, police said. That sent him right back out the window empty-handed.

— Dennis Lynch

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Dennis Lynch

Brooklyn Daily

62nd Precinct

Bensonhurst—Bath Beach

Adding injury to insult

A pair of heartless brutes stabbed a man on Cropsey Avenue on March 26 after demanding and receiving his cellphone, according to a police report.

The victim was near Bay 29th Street around 1:30 am when the duo each flashed blades and demanded his cellphone. The victim handed it over without issue, but then they stabbed him multiple times anyway, according to police.

Teen troubles

A trio of toughs robbed a teen at knifepoint on 70th Street on March 25, according to a police report.

The three approached their target while he was walking home from work near 14th Avenue around 10:15 pm. They each whipped out blades and demanded everything he had, officials reported. They took $60 in cash, some bank cards, and his cellphone, police stated.

Nightmarish burglary

A burglar threatened a woman while robbing her W. Ninth Street home on March 23, police said.

She was in her bedroom at her apartment near Quentin Road just after 11 am when she heard a noise in her living room. She went to investigate and found a guy had forced his way in through the front door and was grabbing her stuff, according to a police report.

He looked at her and said, “get back in your room or I’ll f------ shoot you,” so she did, police said. He got away with some electronics, her cellphone, and some jewelry, police said.

Phone-snatcher cuffed

Police arrested a man who they stole a woman’s phone from her hands in a stairwell at her 63rd Street workplace on March 28.

She was walking down a stairwell at her office between 16th and 17th avenues around 2 pm with her phone in her hand when the guy came up to her. He grabbed the hand she had her cellphone in, twisted it around so she could not move, and snatched took the phone.

Needed another coffee

An opportunistic thief stole a woman’s purse as she dozed off in an 86th Street coffee shop on March 23, police said.

She fell asleep with her head down at the shop near Avenue U around 2 am, according to a police report. The jerk saw his chance and grabbed her bag sitting on the table, then ran out the door. Another customer saw him do it and called police.

— Dennis Lynch

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

What has happened to this country’s collective intelligence?

It is time that we open our eyes and ears, stop depending on news stations to provide us with endless drivel, and put the presidential candidates’ feet to the fire.

Our election process has become a joke. The art of the debate — which should serve as a format for the nominees to discuss issues, plans, and agendas — has deteriorated into a fling-fest of venomous comments about each others’ morals instead of pin-pointing exactly what kind of leadership each brings to the table.

The talking heads in designer suits and perfectly quaffed hair repeat the rhetoric and keep the hate flowing just to keep up the ratings. But all we want is for them to deliver the facts, compile the figures, and let us decide. But instead, we are subjected to hour after hour and day after day of banal “he said, she said.”

One of my friends said the other day, “I’m sick of the count-down clock to the next debate. I want this farce to end already.”

Amen to that!

Let’s take this seriously and hear what the nominees have to say on the burning issues of what really matters to the people. What have they accomplished in the past, and what do they hope to accomplish in the future? Will the president that we elect be able to unite us? Will he or she be able to free us from a losing foreign trade agreement, be a president that will bring manufacturing and industry back to the America, and protect our interests?

We deserve a competent, intelligent, president — one who will defend the country instead of apologizing for it. One who will provide protection, guidance, and improve our quality of life. One who will effectively lead us.

I’m not pointing any fingers at any party, because both are at fault. And, as far as I can tell, there doesn’t appear to be one decent apple in the bunch. But for Pete’s sake, let’s get to the heart of the matter.

Let the candidates discuss:

• Our gross national debt, which has more zeroes than Steven Hawkins can compute.

• Reversing corporations fleeing our shores.

• Creating jobs and stopping out-sourcing.

• Eliminating poverty and joblessness.

• Protecting our borders from unlawful immigration.

• Putting a cap on rising taxes.

• Making higher education truly affordable.

• Capping out-of-control governmental spending.

Not for Nuthin™, but this is what should be addressed during the debates and not who has the better looking wife or the biggest hands and feet.

Follow me on Twitter @JDelBuono.

Comment on this story.

Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Allegra Hobbs

Brooklyn Daily

He’s not saving souls — he’s saving the planet!

An anti-consumerist preacher and his choir of activist performance artists will hold an early Earth Day concert and book launch in Bushwick, in order to spread the word about bad shopping habits that are destroying the environment. The group’s charismatic frontman says that a light-hearted song-and-dance is the best way to hammer home a life-and-death message.

“We’re bringing humor and music to the fight for the Earth’s health,” said Reverend Billy Talen of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. “There’s nothing like a good song to open up people’s souls, and a little laughter goes a long way.”

The Windsor Terrace reverend and his choir will perform the show “The Earth Wants You,” at the Market Hotel concert venue on April 10, and also release a new album and a book with the same name.

The multi-media message about the evils of consumerism has a special Mother Earth-theme — cutting down on plastic consumption and curbing gas-guzzling vehicles are important steps towards environmental salvation, said the reverend.

“There is a very short list of primary causes for the Earth’s crisis, but consumption is always one of them,” he said.

The choir’s ultimate mission is to exorcise the insatiable desire to buy and consume, which may give the Earth a fighting chance.

“We’re constantly hypnotized by the incredible marketing of corporate culture,” said Talen. “We’re constantly led to the next product.”

But the anti-shopping advocate says that he has no problem if the next product someone buys is a copy of his book.

“There’s no conflict there. We’ve always used the phrase ‘shopping’ in the sense of supermalls and extravagant consumerism and fossil fuels. The book is $14 and the album is free to most people,” he said.

The choir has brought its religious fervor to the environment of Brooklyn’s parkland, objecting to the use of toxic herbicide spray with protest songs in Prospect Park last August, and meeting twice with department honchos to make its harmonies heard, said Talen.

Another protest from the preacher at Grand Central Terminal last year ended in his arrest by Metropolitan Transit Authority officers, and he later sued the city agency for violating his rights — a suit that was settled for $58,000, said Talens.

“The Earth Wants You” at the Market Hotel (1140 Myrtle Ave. between Jefferson and Troutman Streets in Bushwick, www.markethotel.org). April 10 at 9 pm. $12.

Comment on this story.

Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Max Jaeger

Brooklyn Daily

They’re already warming up.

Officials haven’t announced this summer’s inaugural concert lineup at the still-under-construction Coney Island Amphitheater, but bands are busy selling tickets anyhow. A search of ticket-sellers — including Ticketmaster, which owns the seaside amphitheater’s operating company Live Nation — reveals that at least six acts have signed on to perform.

Perhaps the biggest group slated is classic rock pioneer Boston, which will blow in from Bean Town on Aug. 10, according to the band’s website.

Here’s the fullest lineup we could find:

Staten Island comedians Impractical Jokers, who are no strangers to Coney Island, will yuk it up on July 1, according to a Ticketmaster listing.

Nebraskan funk–rockers 311 (not named for the popular New York complaint line) will take the stage on July 16 alongside Jewish reggae icon Matisyahu, who lived in Crown Heights for years before defecting to the West Coast, a search of Ticketmaster’s website shows.

White-boy stoner reggae act Slightly Stoopid plays July 23, according to artist-tracker SongKick.com

Alt-metal rockers Deftones will set ears ringing on Aug. 5, according to Ticketmaster.

And similar-veined Shinedown is set to play two days later on Aug. 7, SongKick reports.

Celtic punks Flogging Molly are having a seis?n on Aug. 26, according to ticket purveyor VividSeats.com

Amphitheater management did not return a request for comment, but the full concert schedule is due out mid-April, a representative said.

Tickets for the shows range from about $35 to upwards of $70. None of the acts appear to be part of the free, Seaside Summer Concerts Series that the borough president’s office puts on — organizers have not released the series’s schedule.

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Julianne Cuba

Brooklyn Daily

It paints a bad picture for the neighborhood.

Marine Parkers woke up to a distasteful surprise on March 27 when they found that someone had vandalized private homes, vehicles, and storefronts along Avenue S. And one neighborhood watchdog — who is a coordinator with the volunteer neighborhood watch group New York Safety Patrol — said that in order to quell future vandalism, law enforcers must impose harsher punishments for nogoodniks who illicitly tag city streets.

“There needs to be better punishment,” said Avi Fleisher, whose synagogue on the corner of E. 36th Street and Avenue S was one of the buildings tagged. “Often times they get a slap on the wrist, and then they are out doing it again. If there is a greater penalty, then maybe they won’t do it again.”

Fleisher commended officers from the 63rd Precinct for their neighborhood surveillance and acknowledged how difficult it is to catch a vandal in the act. But it’s the prosecutors who need to hand down stricter punishments — something more than spending the night in jail and then walking out with just a fine, he said.

“It’s a pretty minor thing,” he said. “You get arrested for it, and they hold you overnight. They let you off with a ticket.”

Victims’ reactions to the vandalism were mixed.

It appears to be an isolated incident, and a little spray paint isn’t the end of the world, one local said.

“I was surprised, but thank goodness nothing worse than just a little graffiti,” said Mitch Kaufman of Marine Park Family Vision, whose business was hit and who said he hasn’t seen much graffiti in the neighborhood.

But a longtime resident who was also targeted thinks the tags indicate a larger slide toward chaos.

“The area is getting kind of crazy,” said Avenue S resident Marie, who declined to give her last name. “I’ve been living here since I was four years old. I’m 43 now, and never heard all of this. It’s so disgusting.”

Locals lodged 183 complaints to the city for graffiti in Community Board 18, which includes Marine Park, between April 1, 2015 and press time — compared to 135 between April 1, 2014 through April 1, 2015, city records show.

The New York Safety Patrol is working with the 63rd Precinct to catch the individuals involved, and anyone with information about the recent vandalism should contact the New York Safety Patrol at (877) SAFER–NY, Fleisher said.

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Julianne Cuba

Brooklyn Daily

They’re calling it a bait-and-switch.

Community Board members are demanding the city reject a Homecrest building owner’s application to expand a medical building and take away parking. Owner Yossi Fischler wants a waiver from the city allowing him to replace a first-floor parking garage with a medical office in an eight-story mixed-use building on Quentin Road and E. Ninth Street. Fischler’s attorney conducted a study proving the existing parking is under-used. But the garage was designed to purposely deter people from parking there — so the study is a sham, board members claim.

“It’s hidden for a reason — they’re trying to do away with the parking,” said member Ira Teper. “They are trying to lessen the parking to grab the extra floor for medical usage. It’s a money grab. That’s all it is.”

The garage door is always closed, and it looks more like a commercial storefront than a garage entrance, Teper said. There are no signs advertising parking, photos show.

But the design wasn’t meant to confuse people, according to Fischler’s attorney.

“It was built as of right in its current configuration,” said zoning lawyer Eric Palatnik.

The building has 98 parking spaces — and the city would require a total 114 if Fischler expanded office space — but the developer wants a pass to offer only 71 spots, Palatnik said.

Parking is already too tough to find in the car-loving neighborhood, another board member said.

“It’s very congested,” said member Maurice Kolodin, who called the developer’s plan a “bait-and-switch.” “If this area were a chest cold, it would need a lot of Mucinex.”

Board members voted 32–3 on March 22 to not support the proposal.

Comment on this story.

Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Zach Jones

Brooklyn Daily

Shock waves from Sunday’s Pakistan terror attack reverberated all the way to Brooklyn’s “Little Pakistan.”

Brooklynites mourned the more-than 70 people killed in Sunday’s terror bombing in Pakistan during a candlelight vigil at Makki Masjid Muslim Community Center in Midwood on March 28. Radical Islamic terror group the Pakistani Taliban claimed credit for the horrific attack and was reportedly targeting families celebrating the Christian holiday Easter. But in Brooklyn, the vigil unified the two faith communities, one mourner said.

“I think the vigil definitely brought together the Muslim and Christian community,” said Coney Islander Tayab Iftikhar, who was born in Pakistan and still has family there. “We were there to show respect to the victims, and not only them, but the victims of all recent acts of terror.”

The Coney Island Avenue corridor boasts one of the highest concentrations of Pakistani-Americans in the country, earning it the informal nickname “Little Pakistan.”

Borough President Adams organized the vigil and called for the county’s many religious communities to unite against hatred — a struggle Iftikhar was more than ready to get behind.

“I believe every religion should come together to protest these acts of terror,” he said.

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Spring is upon us, and as Major League Baseball gets set to celebrate its opening day, baseball and softball season in Brooklyn is about kick into high gear. Can’t make it to Citi Field or Yankee Stadium for a game? Here is your guide to the top high-school players to come out and watch right here in Kings County this spring:

Nick Storz, Poly Prep

There may not be a better baseball prospect in all of New York City this season than the Louisiana State University-bound junior. Storz is the total package. He is a fireballer on the mound and an extra base hit threat each time he steps to the plate. The Courier’s reigning All-Brooklyn Player of the Year posted a 3–1 record with 52 strikeouts in 33 innings and hit the low 90s on the radar gun. He also hit .389 with 26 runs batted in — and a .907 slugging percentage.

Marcus Chavez, Grand Street

The Michigan-bound senior is arguably the best defensive catcher in the five boroughs. His experience behind the plate will be even more paramount with a young and inexperienced Grand Street pitching staff. Chavez, a Courier All-Brooklyn First Team selection last season, is also an extremely tough out with a bat in his hands. He hit .489 with 19 runs batted in, 18 runs scored, and 10 extra base hits. The Wolves will go as far as he takes them.

Isabella Gerone, James Madison

The Hartford-bound senior has pitched Madison to back-to-back Public School Athletic League Class AA semifinals and will try to get a deep and talented team over the hump this season. Gerone, the Courier’s reigning All-Brooklyn Softball Player of the Year, pitched a 14–2 record with a 1.35 earned run average as a junior in the regular season. She fanned 161 batters in 110 innings. At the plate, Gerone hit .568 with 29 runs batted in, 30 runs scored and 11 extra base hits.

Bianca Marletta, Fontbonne Hall

Marletta stepped right in for the graduated Nicolette Trapani in the circle — and the Bonnies didn’t miss a beat. She is big reason why they will again be a threat to challenge for a diocesan title. The All-Brooklyn First Team selection went 11–4 with a 1.78 earned run average. She struck out 110 while walking just 10. At the plate, Marletta hit .397 with 28 runs batted in and five homers.

Shawn James, James Madison

Graduated Christopher Karnbach was the story of the postseason, but James was Madison’s best overall player throughout the year. He went 4–0 and had two saves while posting a 0.21 earned run average. James is now the team’s clear ace as the Golden Knights look to compete for a city title. The All-Brooklyn First Team selection also posted a .458 average with 13 runs batted in during the regular season.

Those are the fab five for the spring season, but try not to miss out on Xaverian baseball’s Phoenix Hernandez. Telecommunication softball’s Thalia Santiago, Poly Prep windmiller Eva O’Mara, and Abraham baseball slugger Travis Buckmon.

Enjoy the games — and the stars. I know I will.

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

Brooklyn Daily

It was fun for everybunny!

Ridge kids and families had an egg-citing and fun-filled afternoon for during Crossroads Christian Church’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Owl’s Head Park on March 26. The yearly festivity celebrating Spring and renewal even drew in some newcomers, one egg-hunter’s dad said.

“It was our first time being there and I’ve been living in the neighborhood for 10 years,” said Ridgite Joanne Chan, who brought 6-year-old daughter Elyse. “My daughter told me her friends are going, so I brought them to play together.”

Aside from scrambling to collect eggs, kids got to play carnival games, get their faces painted, and pose for photos with the Easter Bunny.

Comment on this story.

Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Bill Roundy

Brooklyn Daily

They are Poe little boys.

A creepy new musical inspired by the life and writing of Edgar Allan Poe will offer an unusual double-take on the spooky author. “Edgar Allan,” which starts a three-night run at Cloud City in Williamsburg on April 8, presents the 19th-Century writer as a 10-year-old boy at boarding school who must confront an eerily-similar rival boy — also named Edgar Allan.

One of the show’s two creators says that using two Allans solved a problem they had while writing the show.

“We both wanted to play Edgar Allan Poe,” said Katie Hartman. “We didn’t know how that was going to work.”

Hartman and her partner Nick Ryan make up the Coldharts, a Crown Heights theater company that has created a series of Gothic-inspired musicals. For the company’s new project, they wanted to deal with issues of addiction and obsession, and to work with Poe, considered the father of American Gothic literature. But when the pair began researching the author of “The Raven” and “The Masque of Red Death,” they discovered an unexpected side to his character.

“We knew what was in the zeitgeist — that he’s a melancholy figure who is obsessed with dying women,” said Hartman. “We wanted to explore a different aspect of Edgar Allan Poe that people might not know. He was vigorous. He wasn’t eccentric as much as he was competitive. He was very athletic.”

In “Edgar Allan,” Hartman brings out the competitive aspect of the writer, who is “intent on dominating the class and being the most remarkable boy at the school.”

The story is loosely inspired by Poe’s little-known short story “William Wilson,” said Hartman, but it also draws on elements of the writer’s life, and on some of his better-known horror stories.

“It’s by Edgar Allan Poe, and it’s about Edgar Allan Poe,” she said. “There are definitely funny parts, but I would be hard-pressed to call it a comedy. I call it a dark play with music.”

Hartman also drew on Poe’s stories for lyrics to some of the songs, for which she sings while accompanying herself on the ukulele. Ryan, who plays the Allan rival, also plays the coronet.

The show, which is slightly less than an hour long, will be presented along with the play “Petunia and Chicken,” a prairie love story inspired by the work of writer Willa Cather.

“Edgar Allan” and “Petunia and Chicken” at Cloud City (85 N. First St. between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, www.cloudcity.nyc). April 8–10 at 7 pm. $20.

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Bensonhurst

Sis-boom-bah!

Cheers to the Kearney Cheerleaders for winning the coveted Spirit Award.

The Kearney Step Team won the Brooklyn-Queens Championship for the first time in 10 years, and coach and social studies teacher Brianne Rogers couldn’t hold in her excitement when she expressed her pride and admiration for the hard-working team.

“I am very proud,” she said. “They put their hearts into this competition and were unbelievably creative — their teamwork was admirable and truly exemplified what it means to be ‘Kearney Strong.’ ”

Co-captain Neesha Isaac credited her coach and the team on their success.

“We faced many obstacles throughout the season, but with the help of each other, and Ms. Rogers, and Ms. Reinfeld, we overcame those challenges and excelled,” she said.

Guidance counselor and cheer coach Jessica Parker commended the cheerleaders on their Kearney Spirit.

“These young women embody our school’s mission,” she said. “Their dedication to the school community and each other was evident in their spirited presentation.”

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

Comment on this story.

See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Joanna DelBuono

Brooklyn Daily

Bay Ridge

The Guild for Exceptional Children held its annual luncheon and gift egg-stravaganza auction at Gargiulo’s Restaurant in Coney Island on March 13.

A local who’s who attended the gala, including co-chairwomen Margaret DeVincenzo, Mary Dory, and Celeste Sena, the three Standing O amigos who put the whole shebang together. Also on the receiving line and celebrating festivities were Bay Ridge civic activist and business woman Arlene Rutelo, and Paul Cassone, executive director and chief executive officer at the guild.

Our roving photog Georgine Benvenuto was on hand to capture the Kodak moments, as more than 500 attendees donned elaborate hats, cute bunny ears, and huge grins to support the event’s Easter bonnet theme. The group feasted on fabulous food, and enjoyed raffles and great prizes.

The guild helps children and adults living with developmental disabilities lead satisfying lives through residential care, educational training, jobs, and therapeutic services, and assists families in their journeys.

Standing O gives the gala a thumbs up and 10 bunny ears.

The Guild for Exceptional Children [260 68th St. between Third Avenue and Ridge Boulevard in Bay Ridge, (718) 833–6633].

Comment on this story.