Brooklyn Today September 7: NY Catholic Dioceses Subpoenaed in Sex Abuse Probe

September 7, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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THE LEDE: Happy Friday! Uber rolls out new safety features, a natural gas pipeline creates concerns, and Mr. Softee racks up the complaints. Plus, New York catholic dioceses are subpoenaed in a sex abuse probe, Peter Luger Steakhouse is still blowing minds, and an Instagramer’s paradise returns toBoerum Hill. Finally, Bill de Blasio points fingers at Michael Bloomberg, a contractor sues Fortis over LICH, and smoked watermelon is all the rage.

IMPRINT: New Zealander model Stella Maxwell poses in pink on the latestcover of Grazia Italia.

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The Rundown

~COMPTROLLER CRIES FOUL ON PROBLEMATIC PIPELINE: A $1 billion natural gas pipeline that would cut across 23 miles of lower New York Bay has pitted those with environmental concerns against the Williams Company, which says the new pipeline would provide much needed natural gas capacity to Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer on Wednesday voiced his opposition to the pipeline. “Allowing the construction of the pipeline risks damage to many of New York’s most precious habitats and natural assets, including New York Harbor, Jamaica Bay, and the Rockaway’s many beaches,” he said. Williams Company, however, said the pipeline is necessary to meet expected growth in the city. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

~THE SOUND OF SOFTEE: NEW YORK COMPLAINS ABOUT ICE CREAM JINGLE: Many New Yorkers are still giving the cold shoulder to Mr. Softee’s familiar tune. Roughly 1,279 complaints were filed throughout NYC between August 2017 and August 2018. The highest complaints were listed in Captain Tilly Park in Queens, with a 200 percent increase since last year. The ice cream franchise has also left a bitter taste in the mouths of families in Sunset Parkand Bedford-Stuyvesant. Localize.city analyzed 311 complaints, however, and found that there has been a 20 percent decrease in discontent since last year. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

~UBER ROLLS OUT SAFETY FEATURES FOR DRIVERS, PASSENGERS:Uber is aiming to boost driver and passenger safety in an effort to rebuild trust in the brand. The ride-hailing company has created a feature on its app to reach out to passengers and drivers if it detects an accident or unplanned stop. Drivers will also have access to a hands-free feature to pick up passengers without touching their phones, and they will no longer see data detailing where they retrieved passengers in the past. “This is just the beginning of the journey for Uber,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said. (AP via Brooklyn Eagle)

~SOURCE: NY CATHOLIC DIOCESES SUBPOENAED IN SEX ABUSE PROBE: New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has subpoenaedall eight Roman Catholic dioceses in the state as part of her office’s investigation into the church’s handling of sex abuse allegations. A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation but not authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press the subpoenas went out Thursday. The subpoenas seek documents relating to sexual abuse allegations, financial payments to possible victims or the findings from internal church investigations. (AP via Brooklyn Eagle)

~OVER 130 YEARS LATER, WILLIAMSBURG STEAKHOUSE STILL BLOWS THE MIND: Peter Luger Steakhouse has been a Brooklyn institution since its opening in 1887. So when Bill Addison, national food critic went in search of restaurants that were “essential to the fiber of the country’s dining culture,” it was a given that he’d end up at the Williamsburg chophouse. He was not disappointed. Addison described the famous dry-aged porterhouse for two as “a monolith to carnivorism,” with a “timeless wallop” of blue cheese and a “perfect foil” in the shape of creamed spinach. “Is Peter Luger essential?” Addison asks himself in his article. “Absolutely.” (Eater via Brooklyn Eagle)

~AN INSTAGRAMER’S PARADISE RETURNS TO BOERUM HILL: 29Rooms, Refinery29’s annual immersive funhouse that takes Instagram by storm year after year, is now open once again in Brooklyn. The exhibition consists of — surprise — 29 rooms, each more colorful than the last, all operating around this year’s theme: “Expand Your Reality.” Visitors have three hours to explore the space, described as a “choose-your-own adventure-style experience.” The rooms span a number of themes, running from an ACLU-meets-game-show space exhibit called “Know! Your! Rights!” to an area where you can converse with your inner child. (Gothamist via Brooklyn Eagle)

~BLOOMBERG, DE BLASIO BOTH TO BLAME IN NYCHA LEAD PAINT SCANDAL: Mayor Bill de Blasio is blaming former Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the growing scandal involving NYC children living in public housing who have tested positive for lead poisoning. “Very, very sadly, had lead inspections continued as they were supposed to in the previous administration, we would not be having this conversation,” de Blasio said. The de Blasio administration, however, hasn’t been forthcoming about the number of children affected, CBS said. When the scandal first surfaced, the mayor said that only 17 children had tested positive. In July, the city said there had been 820 positive lead tests since 2012. Now, the city is saying the number is 1,160.(CBS via Brooklyn Eagle)

~CONTRACTOR SUES FORTIS ON LICH-RELATED CONDO PROJECT: ICS Builders, a New York City contractor, is suing Brooklyn-based Fortis Property Group for $3.4 million, as well as interest, costs and fees, in connection with the conversion of a former Long Island College Hospital building in Cobble Hillinto luxury condos. Fortis hired ICS in July 2016 after LICH had closed its doors. In the lawsuit, ICS said it was supposed to complete the project by Nov. 10, 2017, but was prevented from doing so because of delays caused by Fortis, the architect and other parties to the project. (Construction Dive via Brooklyn Eagle)

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Staff Picks:

LONG READ: Meet Brian McNaughton, a Colorado State chemistry professor who received a raise after telling a big fat lie. He was on track to receive tenure, but instead, his career was ruined. (via The Chronicle of Higher Education)

ANOTHER LONG READ: “The Blind Man Who Taught Himself to See” (via Men’s Journal)

CARTOON: Bob Woodward interviews a few people for his new book. (via New Yorker)

EAT: What’s New York City’s latest fad? Smoked watermelon “ham.” (via Eater)

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NATIONAL BULLETIN: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos donates $10 million to a super PAC…Four people are dead in a Cincinnati bank shooting…And Sen.Cory Booker releases confidential emails on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. (via USA Today, CNBC and The Hill)

FOREIGN FLASH: America will charge a North Korean spy for performing cyberattacks…An earthquake in Japan kills at least nine people…And Florence will now fine tourists $580 for eating in the streets. (via WaPo, NYT and The Telegraph)

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ROYAL WATCH: Want to work for the Queen? The royal family is hiring a housekeeper for Windsor Castle. (via OK!)

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BROOKLYN TONIGHT

10:00AM – 4:00PM — Take a Sick Day for Wellness/One-Day Retreat at Rooftop Reds. Details.

2:00PM – 9:00PM — Sunset Fridays at The Bell House Outpost with DJ Colleen Crumbcake at Industry City. Details.

2:00PM — I Am Not a Witch at BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building. Details.

3:00PM – 6:00PM — For Which it Stands at Old Stone House. Details.

6:00PM – 8:00PM — Pregame Your Brain: Radical Science with Science for the People at Caveat. Details.

6:30PM — They All Dressed for Bill (Cunningham) at New-York Historical Society. Details.

7:00PM — After the Eclipse: Sarah Perry at McNally Jackson Williamsburg.Details.

7:00PM — Lykke Li: Performance & Talk at The TimesCenter. Details.

7:00PM – 9:30PM — Living Room Show at Postmark Cafe. Details.

8:00PM — Godspell at Redeemer St. John. Details.

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EAGLE SPORTS: The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency has approved tax breaks for the New York Islanders’ planned renovations at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum. Newsday says completion of $9.95 million in interior upgrades would allow the hockey team to return to Uniondale for three years while a new arena at Belmont Park is developed. The Islanders plan to split their schedule between the Coliseum and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center over three seasons. (AP via Brooklyn Eagle)

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MILESTONES

Happy birthday to Brooklyn Bowl co-founder Peter Shapiro, Corbin Bernsen, Leslie Jones, Susan Blakely, Michael Emerson, Michael Feinstein, Angela Gheorghiu, Chrissie Hynde, Gloria Gaynor, Julie Kavner, Devon Sawa,Briana Scurry, Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Love and Vera Zvonareva!