According to the Brooklyn Eagle, the Committee to Save the Green Church apparently plans a rally this Saturday at 10am in front of the Bay Ridge United Methodist [Green] Church on 4th avenue and Ovington.

No sooner did news of Bay Ridge’s #2 seat among Brooklyn’s most graffitied nabes ’07 hit the streets – than did local graffitists try to upset top seed, Williamsburg, by claiming the site of the our old Griswold’s Pub.

Comments came flooding in virtually overnight from people panicked over the potential for radioactive fallout from Monday morning’s demolition/collapse of the building at 8715 that housed Leading Edge Radiation Oncology.

anotheranonymous said…
Does anyone know if radiation equipment was destroyed in the collapse and should we be worried about it????

While one commenter defends the developer…

Anonymous said…
If anyone knows the owners of the damaged building they know that they are more than qualified in property development,and there years of experience,and knowledge in buildings will place them back on the map on 5av… They live,eat,and breath property development…

While others are panicked over a building housing a medical facility with radioactive equipment that construction workers at the scene said should have never collapsed under the stress of wind battered cinder block wall less than a month old.

Anonymous said…
“more than qualified in property development”

and now they’re trying their hand at property destruction? beginners luck? take down a medical building containing hazardous materials, put people out of work, and send cancer patients in the middle of treatment/diagnosis scrambling to find alternative providers? Congrats, you’ve hit the triple crown Mr. Bakalis.

These sentiments are echoed by neighbors of the Radiation Oncology center who, in absence of any public information, remain worried as to the extent radiological equipment behind the setback is compromised. And, what steps will be taken to ensure a safe demolition of the site.

More from Right in Bay Ridge

Graffiti complaints in Bay Ridge have risen over 156% in the past year, from 72 in 2006, to 185 in 2007 – according to crime statistics released by the NYPD, and reported in the Daily News.
NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Collins blames the statistical surge on a new policy requiring officers to fill out a written report for each and every graffiti complaint, according to Gothamist.

“We believe the increase in graffiti incidents is due to increased reporting, not an upsurge in the crime itself,” Collins explains.

A sentiment echoed by Bay Ridge’s very own Community Board 10 District Manager, Josephine Beckmann, who says the rise in complaints is ‘the result of fed-up residents finally standing up to graffiti vandals.‘

“There has been a concerted effort here to report graffiti vandalism to rid us of it as soon as it goes up,” Beckmann is reported telling the Daily News.

However, Deanna Rodriguez, head of the Brooklyn district attorney’s gang unit, paints more of a foreboding picture behind the graffiti gains.

According to Rodriguez, gangs of New York are sharpening their communication skills – reminding residents of neighborhoods such as Bay Ridge that tagging is a precursor to other activities: “when we see it, we can pretty much tell when the violence is coming.”

“The only reason people can say they don’t think it’s gangs is because they don’t know what they’re looking at… You can’t identify the problem if you don’t know what you’re looking at,” Rodriguez tells the News.

With gangs such as: Latin Kings, Bloods, the Italian gang ‘Hoodlums Doing Damage,’ Dominicans Don’t Play gang, La Chicanos, and Reyes Locos making their mark – Rodriguez says it’s time for locals to go back to school to learn their ABC’s, 1,2,3′s…

According to Rodriguez – “You can’t identify the problem if you don’t know what you’re looking at.”

Where things such as “187,” California’s penal code designation for murder, along with someone’s name indicate that the Crips gang has marked a rival gang member.

Or, a red letter “B” with an arrow pointing upward indicates the presence of the Bloods gang.

If the “B” is crossed out with a blue-inked “C” or a pitchfork – the Crips gang is trying to muscle into the area and is disrespecting the Bloods’ insignia.

“When you start seeing crossouts, violence comes shortly thereafter,” said Rodriguez.

“What that’s telling us is that two gangs are about to fight over that territory, and there’s only that much space,” she said. “They’re making criminality a business. You’re seeing gangs selling drugs and guns in specific areas, specializing in certain crimes.”

more from Left in Bay Ridge

[first two photos courtesy Brooklyn Paper]

The Leading Edge Radiation Oncology Center on 5th avenue between 88th and 87th, which is so far the only casualty of last nights collapse of a cinderblock retaining wall, is being supported with a Caterpillar as workers say the structure could fall at any time.

There were no casualties or injuries reported as a result of last night’s incident, workers are reportedly seen evacuating records and computers out of the offices located at 8715 5th avenue.

Construction workers eying the scene say the month old cinder-block wall could have failed as a result of the strees created by last night’s high winds and poor ‘footing.’

‘How would anyone know you left, if you’ve never arrived?’

Well, Bay Ridge has finally arrived as it joins the illustrious club of highly sought-after, priced-out over night New York neighborhoods to be the centerpiece of Craigslist real-estate scammers.

Today’s Daily News reports that Bay Ridge apartment hunters are the newest pawns in this latest twist on the ‘Spanish Prisoner,’ with one woman, a serial-check bouncer and con-artist, posting adds for 2K+ Bay Ridge apartments for 950.00 sight unseen – must western union cash.

The scam targets mainly out-of-towners, and those desperate for a good deal who loath to go through what have long since been considered the real crooks – apartment brokers.

more from Gothamist

Leading Edge Radiation Oncology of 8715 5th avenue was officially rubble at approximately 10am this morning, according to crews at the scene who declined to comment further.

Passersby observed the unstable structure carted away in a matter of hours in containers.

The only visible reminder of its previous tenant, a sink and towel dispenser affixed to a back wall.

Right in Bay Ridge asks what the potential for radioactive fallout is amid today’s demolition at Leading Edge Radiation Oncology.

AG: La Cosa Nostra alive and well

Posted by The Bay Ridge Rover

Last December, Eugene Iannicelli was issued a $115 summons for double parking while assisting his 85 yr old wife back from her Ft. Hamilton parkway dialysis treatment center.
Since word spread of the outrageous fine, Councilman Gentile’s office has been ‘flooded’ with calls, and has since lambasted the NYC Parking Enforcement agents for lack of discretion, much less – heart.

NYC department of Finance, relying on ‘statutory language,’ has since refused Gentile’s request to vacate the fine. [photo courtesy of Jimmy justice]

Despite the councilman’s protests having gone unheeded -

Gentile has since responded to the Iannicelli’s plight by showing the Department of Finance, Parking Enforcement and City Hall who’s really boss – by electing to dig [probably not too deep] into his own pocket, along with a few ‘concerned residents’ to pay the Iannicelli’s monster $115 ticket.

After initial fears of tracking dirt inside were allayed, the group gathered outside the Iannicelli’s home on Thursday, Feb. 7 to present them with the necessary funds to pay the municipal extortion – where Gentile also took the opportunity to announce that, despite being unable to fix the 115 ticket, he’d have the entire parking configuration outside the Dialysis center changed.

In the meantime forward all tickets to the following address:

Attn: Councilman Vincent Gentile
8703 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11209

An animal groomer in the employ of a Bay Ridge pet retailer was arrested and faces a year in jail if convicted of abusing Nusha, a 3lb Burmese cat, according to an article in today’s Daily News.

Bechir Bejaoui, who is accused of returning the battered and bloodied cat in a plastic bag last its plastic pet carrier (seen above) this summer, reportedly told owner Igor Kisil the cat was ‘bad.’

Local Bay Ridge veterinarian Dr. Roy Appel, is quoted as saying it was the worst case of animal treatment he’s seen in 30 years.

According to the Daily News, Nusha suffered “severe trauma, internal injuries and hemorrhaging. She was in the hospital for two weeks and fought off two infections.”

The pet store located at 93rd street and 4th avenue has not commented, and reportedly doesn’t remember the incident.