2019 REVIEW
cerns, the city’s Parks Department
days later added a layer
of clear paint mixed with silica
sand after local ballers
complained that the paint job
— a public-private partnership
with cartoon studio Warner
Bros. — created a slipping
hazard. The city also widened
the court, repainted its lines
to better suit the court, and
replaced its backboards from
distracting cartoon-covered
surfaces to clear boards.
Not O-KKK: Borough
President Eric Adams put
his foot in it when he compared
a critic on social media
to the Ku Klux Klan. Twitter
user CorruptBrooklyn had
slammed the beep and local
Councilman Stephen Levin
for their weak stance on the
rampant placard parking
abuse in Downtown Brooklyn
on Aug. 27. Adams shot
back, likening his detractor
to people who “hid themselves
with white hoods,” and the internet
reacted swiftly to condemn
the Beep’s bone headed
move.
Bridging the gap: The
Kosciuszko Bridge’s decadesin
the-works second span
opened on Aug. 29. The cablestayed
bridge for the Brooklyn
bound side of the Brooklyn
Queens Expressway was
ready for a fresh stream of
traffi c, more than two years
after the grand opening of its
Queens-bound side. The $873
million state project also included
a pedestrian and bike
path, and replaced the original
1939 built span, which was
dismantled after the fi rst section’s
completion in 2017.
Pond rescue: The NYPD
brought out the big guns to
rescue an allegedly “emotionally
disturbed” man from
Prospect Park’s shallow lake.
Scuba cops rappelled into the
water from a helicopter to
reach the lone swimmer, who
was cast away in the manmade
lake that reaches a maximum
depth of about 7 feet. The huge
police presence brought a
summers day in Brooklyn’s
Backyard to a standstill as
the man was hauled ashore
before being rushed to Methodist
Hospital for a psychiatric
evaluation.
Staff infection: Assemblyman
Felix Ortiz’ chief-of-staff
was arrested for allegedly embezzling
funds from the Sunset
Park pol’s campaign in
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COURIER LIFE,8 DEC. 27, 2019-JAN. 2, 2020
August, before a jury found
him guilty in September. The
staffer, Maruf Alam, served
Ortiz’s offi ce in several different
roles, including chief
of staff. According to a federal
complaint, Alam fi led false
disclosure forms with the
New York State Board of Elections,
and cut several checks
for himself while serving as
the campaigns treasurer.
September
Pickleball: The paper
shed light on the athletic sensation
sweeping southern
Brooklyn — pickleball! The
senior friendly sport was introduced
to the area by Mill
Basin resident Bob Spieler,
who picked up the racket sport
while spending time in Florida.
Upon his return to Brooklyn,
Spieler claimed he was
surprised the snowbird state’s
sport of choice hadn’t made
it’s way to Kings County, so he
joined forces with the Marine
Park Active Adults and Senior
Center to begin hosting
pickleball matches at Marine
Park’s paddleboard courts every
Friday morning.
Child Victims Act:
Eighty-seven victims of childhood
sex abuse fi led suits in
Brooklyn Supreme Court in
the fi rst month since state
lawmakers open up a yearlong
lookback window — known as
the Child Victims Act. The
law enacted on Aug. 14 gives
child sex abuse victims a renewed
chance to seek justice
against their abusers regardless
of statute of limitations.
In September, 10 victims fi led
separate lawsuits against the
Catholic Church’s Brooklyn
Diocese and multiple Brooklyn
based clergyman, claiming
they were abused between
1950 and 1980.
Fast as F: The Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
debuted a controversial
express version the F-train on
Sept. 16. The agency scheduled
two Manhattan-bound and two
Coney Island-bound express
trains in the mornings and
evenings, respectively, skipping
six stations between Jay
Street-MetroTech and Church
Avenue. The move divided the
borough along north-south
lines, with southern residents
happy to have a quicker commute
to the distant Isle and
their northern counterparts
angry because the speedier
shuttles skip many stops in
Continued from Page 6
Continued on Page 10
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