2 JULY 21 - JULY 27, 2017 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
SEVEN CONEY-BOUND N
PLATFORMS TO CLOSE JULY 31
According to the MTA, beginning 5 a.m. on Monday,
July 31, the Coney Island-bound platforms at seven N
stations will close until late 2018 for the final phase
of a major, nearly-$400 billion renovation project to
modernize the century-old stations and upgrade track
infrastructure along the corridor.
During the renovations, southbound N trains will
run express from Eighth Avenue to Coney Island-Stillwell
Avenue, making just three stops at Eighth Avenue,
Bay Parkway and Coney.
For southbound service to Fort Hamilton Parkway,
New Utrecht Avenue, 18th Avenue, 20th Avenue, Kings
Highway, Avenue U and 86th Street, commuters can
transfer to northbound trains at either of the three operating
stations or use nearby stations on the D and F lines.
WATER BILL CREDIT COMING
TO SENIORS, LOW-INCOME
HOMEOWNERS
Nearly 17,000 Brooklynites will receive an automatic
$115 credit on their water and sewer bill.
Furthermore, the New York City Water Board has
authorized the extension of the credit to approximately
12,000 more senior citizens in Fiscal Year ’18. The
board has also approved a new $250 per residential
unit credit, to begin next year, for multi-family buildings
that meet certain affordability, conservation and
performance criteria.
This new credit will provide a total of $10 million of
assistance to properties citywide, and serve as many
as 40,000 units.
CONEY MAN, INDICTED IN
DEATH OF 16-MONTH-OLD
DAUGHTER
A 19-year-old Coney Island man was indicted on murder
and assault charges on Monday, July 17, following
the death of his infant daughter Nylah in June.
The 10-count indictment charged Shaquan Taylor
with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter,
among other charges.
According to the investigation, Taylor took custody
of the young girl on June 16. Two days later, he asked
the toddler’s 17-year-old mother to pick her up from
his home.
When she arrived, the mother found the child unresponsive.
Furthermore, Taylor allegedly assaulted the
mother, who had an order of protection against him.
Nylah was on life support until June 23, when she
died from her injuries.
Taylor claims the infant fell from her bed, though
officials have declared her injuries inconsistent with
such a fall.
Taylor faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted
of the top count.
—Meaghan McGoldrick
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photo by Jonathan Sperling
Shore Road Park faces
wave of trash trouble
BY JONATHAN SPERLING
EDITORIAL@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Shore Road Park is in the midst of a garbage
epidemic, according to local residents.
Ridgeites living along Shore Road have
noticed that garbage pickup along the perimeter
of the beloved Bay Ridge park has been occurring
at a sluggish pace recently, causing loose
garbage and garbage bags to accumulate on the
sidewalk and inside the park itself.
“We started noticing it a couple weeks ago.
This is not just one weekend of garbage, this
is over a week. It’s not being picked up,” said
Maryanne Santomauro, who lives across from
the park near 95th Street. “There are currently
eight garbage bags across from my apartment
building. It started with two bags but it’s been
accumulating for over a week.”
During a short walk through her area,
Santomauro took note of garbage piles by the
entrance to the park at Oliver Street and Shore
Road, Vinland Playground at 95th Street and
Shore Road, and an enclosed baseball field,
among other places.
In an attempt to sort out the issue, Santomauro
contacted 311, as well as a bevy of local leaders
and groups, including Community Board 10.
“We have had many complaints district-wide
about garbage pickup at the local parks,” said
Josephine Beckmann, district manager of CB 10
which includes Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and
Fort Hamilton. “The Parks Department did have
some pickup issues, but they are being diligent
in having the problems resolved. Residents are
right. That garbage is being picked up once a
week, and it become unsightly and has an odor.”
Beckmann said she had received dozens
of complaints from constituents over the last
three weeks, with the most recent one coming on
Wednesday, June 12. In her talks with the Parks
Department, Beckmann was informed that a
lack of manpower coupled with recent route
changes and fleet issues were to blame for the
lack of garbage pickup.
According to the Parks Department, the sheer
amount of garbage produced at city parks contributes
to pickup difficulties. Summer weather
attracts larger crowds to parks, bringing with
them higher volumes of trash and illegal dumping.
According to the Parks Department, 120 tons
of garbage is left behind at city beaches, baseball
fields and picnic areas around the city. Despite
this, the Parks Department has stated that garbage
at Shore Road Park is disposed of regularly.
“NYC Parks shares the community’s concern
about litter in our parks, and as such, our crews
work very hard to keep Shore Park and Parkway
as clean as possible,” said Parks Department
spokesperson Maeri Ferguson. “It looks like
this is more of an illegal dumping situation
than a standard littering/overflowing trash can.
Like all of our parks, Shore Parkway is cleaned
regularly.”
Garbage alongside Shore Road Park.