Manhattan Beach Drive In Movie – May 21st – Free
On Sunday, May 21st, The Sound of Music will be shown at Manhattan Beach at 8pm (gates open at 7pm).
Drive your cars in and bring drinks/snacks to watch a drive in movie.
The entrance of Manhattan Beach Park is on Irwin Street and Oriental Blvd.
Free popcorn.
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May 15, 2017Inexpensive Summer Camp – Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst
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May 14, 2017Staten Island Children’s Museum Carnival and Science Spectacular
June 3rd from 1-5 pm The Staten Island Children’s Museum is having a Carnival and Science Spectacular. Tickets – $15. They are $13 if you purchase them online.
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May 14, 2017Bay Ridge Woman Attacked – Attempted Robbery
Update: The woman was going to buy makeup from someone off Craigslist at 10 pm outside of her house. Who does that? Everyone knows there are creeps on Craigslist. If you need makeup go to Sephora, if you want it cheaper, get to the drugstore. The real story did not come out until days later.
The Daily News reported that a 24 year old Bay Ridge woman near 72nd and 7th Avenue was put in a headlock and had a gun put to her stomach.
The woman spoke to AJ Burkett (see video) and said she was afraid because they haven’t been caught. But something doesn’t add up with this story because why would she go on television when they know where she lives. Maybe the news reporters missed part of the story.
The suspects are three Asian men – 25-30 years old. There are two in the pictures below. Here’s what is weird – one of the pictures appears to be from social media, rather than her doorstep or an overhead video camera.
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May 14, 2017The Coop Mother’s Day Special in Bay Ridge
7am – 7pm today at The Coop
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May 13, 2017Two Out of Three of My Elected Leaders Support Charter Schools
Bay Ridge has fantastic public schools. That is the reason why so many people want to live here, pay high rents and will live in illegal apartments. Parents want their children to get the best education.
Of course Marty Golden has been pushing vouchers (also called scholarships) and charter schools for years.
My Assemblywoman also praises Charter Schools – not one in Bay Ridge, but Coney Island Prep which money has been poured into. Here Pamela Harris gushes over Coney Island Prep. Harris is a Democrat and doesn’t understand the majority of students in her district attend public school.
How many schools in Bay Ridge has she even walked into?
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May 11, 2017Bay Ridge Unity Task Force = It’s Really the Bay Ridge Breakfast Club!
The Bay Ridge Community Task Force was established in 2000. Newspapers credit former District Attorney, Charles Hynes for initiating the task force. There is very little information about the Bay Ridge Task Force online – no website, FB page, etc. While the group was started with good intentions to encourage unity across different religions and cultural backgrounds, it appears the group settled on being a “Once a Year Breakfast Club that takes a picture for the paper” rather than a Task Force which takes action and solve problems. It’s obvious the original plan for this Task Force wasn’t to meet ONCE A YEAR and keep unity in the community by eating breakfast – everyone knows that wouldn’t be effective.
The Task Force in the Early Years
In the earlier years, the group held community events as this book referred to a picnic that was held at Owls Head Park to strengthen ties in the community. In the years that followed Vinnie Gentile, Marty Golden and some Bay Ridge store owners continued to hold a Fourth of July picnic in the Shore Road Park. In 2011, there was a dispute over the music being played at that picnic (more here) and some felt unwanted because of the conflict over music. The politician sponsored picnics continued until 2015 (videos here). The Task Force also organized a Community Cleanup Day, but that may have been a one time event.
The Task Force Hasn’t Met for Over a Year!
The last time the Bay Ridge Unity Task Force met was February 2016, at The Bay Ridge Jewish Center. Rabbi Dina Rosenberg concentrated on the community “doing something.” I am not Jewish, but her synagogue does a good job in being welcoming to the community as it shares a lot of cool events they have throughout the year. Rosenberg seems to understand the need to meet people half way and I have seen members of her synagogue running events outside of the synagogue (even at a local store).
Task Forced Evolved into Free Breakfast
The members on Bay Ridge the Task Force seemed to enjoy the free breakfast. I don’t know who the leader is for this group, but they obviously don’t have any leadership skills or they would have served coffee and muffins AND PUT PEOPLE TO WORK! One paper states that the breakfast has traditionally attracted religious leaders, police brass, civic activists and business leaders. Yes, free breakfast does that.
Marty Golden sent his staffer, John Quaglione to represent him. Move the video to 2:43. Quaglione says, “By being together at the number of events, it allows us the opportunity not only to talk about being together, but actually be together.” WHATTTTTTTTTTT? Did you understand that jibber jabber?
Being together with people from other cultures and
religions isn’t hard. Every day this happens in
public schools across the city!
It’s May 2017 and the last time the Task Force met was in February 2016. It’s apparent that the members aren’t that interested in responding to issues in the community (such as this, this, this and this). A few incidents of hate happened this year and the Task Force didn’t do anything about it. How can it be a Task Force if there is no response to the problems in the neighborhood? In July 2016, when an incident from Sunset Park overflowed into our area, the Bay Ridge Unity Task Force did not do anything. The task force was supposed to come together and stomp out hate and mistrust, but it didn’t do anything.
The Task Forces Needs to Restructure and Be a Task Force
What needs to happen is for the group to restructure and become a Task Force rather than a group of adults who like to eat breakfast! Here’s some things that should have changed over the years if the Task Force was to stay viable.
1. It’s odd that the Bay Ridge Task Force has no young adults on it. Their voice is important in our community and the teens will bring a fresh set of eyes, ideas and energy to the community. I’m not talking about adding all honor students to the group, I’m talking about adding students of various cultural and religious backgrounds who are interested in civic service in their community.
2. Someone stated that the Movers and Shakers were on the Task Force. That can’t be correct because anyone moving and shaking is working at the time in the morning. It must be a lot of retired members of the community on the Task Force. Move the meeting to the evening and allow for more people to attend the Task Force – rotate the members of the Task Force so it stays fresh and continues to be a task force that does more than just eat breakfast.
3. One year, the breakfast was sponsored by Maimonides Hospital. Why would anyone from Maimonides be included in the Task Force Breakfast if MAIMO is on 48th Street and far from Bay Ridge? This sounds like a political move as I don’t understand the connection to MAIMO. If the task force had an evening meeting, everyone can bring their own coffee or water so outside businesses don’t need to be present.
Click below to see the History of the Bay Ridge Community Task Force
Read the rest of this entry »
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May 10, 2017Looking at Candidate Khader El-Yateem – Bay Ridge
Pictures, speeches and press releases can hide the truth.
Update: June 2017 – Substance Abuse Center Head To El-Yateem: Where’s the money?
Khader El-Yateem keeps talking about he united people through the Bay Ridge Breakfast Club, oh I mean Unity Task Force. Years ago, the Bay Ridge Unity Task Force did events in the community to encourage people to come together. The Task Force stopped doing the events and only meets for breakfast and to take a picture once a year now. Even Khader El-Yateem doesn’t believe that is beneficial for the community!
I have spoken to many Bay Ridge residents and they have no idea who Pastor El-Yateem is!
People want to know where city council candidates stand on issues and Khader’s website is empty. It’s a bunch of pictures and fluff. Finally someone asked him about it on Twitter:
His answer was that they will be up next week. El-Yateem isn’t running his election alone, so it’s surprising to see that Team El-Yateem doesn’t think the issues are important – For most people in Bay Ridge that’s the most important part of a campaign!
Khader El Yateem boasts that he serves on the board for the St. Nicholas Home. Yet he wasn’t aware that the place had problems and elderly residents couldn’t go to their rooms or shower for three days.
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May 10, 2017Man Shot in Face Near PS 176 – 12th Avenue and 69th Streaet
A 20 year old man was shot in the face across the street from PS 176 in Dyker Heights around 2 pm yesterday. He is in MAIMO Hospital.
Two ambulances and six police cars scared the neighborhood as everyone was worried about the children at the school. Helicopters were flying all over the area looking for the two suspects who were found in a store on 8th Avenue. Story here and here
The police arrested the perps – pic here
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May 8, 2017Bay Ridge GOP Debate – Be Glad You Missed It
Bob Capano, John Quaglione, Liam McCabe Bay Ridge Republicans running for city council
The Bay Ridge GOP Debate started out okay for the first 10 minutes or so, but it’s actually painful to watch. The video is here if you want to see it (Don’t leave comments on the page with the video as it was shared by a teen political club and they don’t need the negativity).
Liam McCabe
McCabe, in his opening remarks said, “A recent study showed that the average family of four in Bay Ridge is paying more in taxes, fees and cost of living than they are in income.”
Fact Check: Where did that statistic for Bay Ridge came from?
Liam said he was going to get illegal home conversion legislation passed. McCabe worked at Donovan’s office and never did anything about illegal home conversions when he worked there. McCabe isn’t in any of the stories, photos or fundraisers for the illegal home conversions.
Liam kept going on and on about the a town hall meeting that Bay Ridge Fight Back held. At the meeting, McCabe got up so he could be seen/heard at the Town Hall, but he shouldn’t have. He should have offered to help them on the day of the event. McCabe knows Donovan and could have helped fact check or answered people’s questions. Heck, he could have walked in with Donovan and been the hero, but he doesn’t know how to do that. Instead he just keeps talking about it – Let it go Liam!
McCabe told Capano that he is a small business owner – he owns a consulting company. On his profile he states he is a Juno, Uber and Lyft Driver.
McCabe spoke about Gentile being a photo op councilman. Fact Check: McCabe takes a picture of EVERYTHING.
Bob Capano
Capano wasted no time after going after Deblasio and Melissa Mark Vivierto. The crowd clapped hard.
Capano told the audience to look at the civil involvement from way back to 1990, rather than now (LOL). Capano moved to Staten Island and hasn’t been involved in Bay Ridge in many years so he reminisced about the good old days of being involved in the community.
Uncomfortable at the podium, Capano kept shifting as he was talking about radicals blah, blah, blah.
Capano said working as a supermarket manager enables him to understand the impact of taxes on businesses.
Capano pointed out that he was the only real Republican as the other two belonged to other parties before becoming Republicans. The real Republicans marched as Republicans in the Bay Ridge St. Patty’s Day Parade and you can see Teddy isn’t marching with Capano, McCabe or Quaglione. (Seen here too). McCabe was behind the Conservative banner being pulled down the avenue by his dog.
John Quaglione
Quaglione took credit for B37 bus returning……FACT CHECK: Golden, Malliotakis and Gentile got the B37 back. Just because Quaglione worked at Marty Golden’s Office when it happened, doesn’t mean John Quaglione made it happen. How do I know? Because we asked Marty Golden for help and we had to deal with John Quaglione. He was disorganized, forgetful and had no follow up – see here.
Quaglione said he wants to get more police officers for the 68th Precinct. It’s so strange that Marty Golden, a former police man hasn’t done this.
Eyes on the Street Program – Bring your photo/video files to the precinct and they should review it and upload it. Fact Check – We keep being told that the 68th Precinct is short staffed. Take a walk into the station and you will see there are plenty of officers and detectives too. But they aren’t going to want to do ONE MORE THING.
Quaglione complained about the city doing away with Night Court to fight tickets.
Quaglione said that stores on 13th Avenue are empty and City Council needs to get rid of the Commercial Rent Tax which in turn can lower property taxes. Quaglione believes City Council can do it now and hasn’t.
Quaglione went on and on about DeBlasio – blah, blah, blah Filibuster of the Night,
Quaglione wants money to go to charter schools (Vouchers are illegal) and to give tax credits.
On November 14th, Quaglione wants to stand outside the Bay Ridge Manor with the winner and other loser to unite the GOP. Ted Ghorra agreed to meet them
Quaglione ended the night saying there wasn’t a disabled swing for children at a park in Bay Ridge. Why hasn’t Senator Golden purchased one? A swing is not that expensive – how much money has Golden thrown to the golf course?
The best candidate for Bay Ridge City Council isn’t in this group.
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May 7, 2017Two New Preschools for Bay Ridge
Bay One Preschool opened at 7106 -3rd Avenue. Before it was a preschool, this store front was a Tex/Mex Take Out place (if you are an old timer, it’s next door to a bar called The Ridge which was TJ Bentleys). The preschool has photos on FB.
I saw the new dual language preschool, World Tots opened at 6813-8th Avenue – it’s across the street from Spartan Greek Restaurant. The building used to look like this:
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May 7, 2017Staten Island MakerSpace
This week, we headed over to the Staten Island MakerSpace to learn how to do plasma cutting. It’s a quick ride from Bay Ridge as it’s only a five minute drive after the bridge.
The Makerspace is a building with two large rooms divided into several sections. In the first room, there is woodworking and metal classes. The other room has a large room for sewing classes and other art classes like screen printing t-shirts.
Here’s Lee using the plasma cutter while Scott Van Campen, the instructor looks on.
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