Brandon Sapienza

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • August 5, 2018

Crime in Ridge, Dyker trending downwards

While crime, citywide, is heading down overall, the 68th Precinct in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights is outpacing not only the citywide average in terms of crime reduction but also the rest of the precincts in Patrol Borough Brooklyn South (PBBS).

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • August 5, 2018

NYPD seeks help to find repeat burglar striking in Ridge

The NYPD is asking for help in finding a man it believes has broken into two buildings in Bay Ridge. The first incident was reported on Thursday, May 31 at around 12:33 p.m. in the area of Shore Road and Oliver Street. The suspect forced himself into the building through the front door and went up to the roof before climbing down the fire escape to the victim’s open window and stealing jewelry and electronics. The second incident occurred the next day between 9 a.m and 12 p.m. at a building ne

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • July 30, 2018

Speeding in Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge a Continuing Problem

Denise Cangemi, a stay-at-home mom with an eight-year-old daughter who calls 10th Avenue between 77th and 78th Streets home, contends that the driving near her house has become a danger for her and her family. “If those lights are green, 10th Avenue becomes a raceway,” Cangemi said at a recent meeting of the 68th Precinct Community Council. “I’m pulling my daughter onto the curb to avoid traffic.”

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • July 30, 2018

Bay Ridge and Bath Beach ranked among worst neighborhoods for parking

While parking anywhere in Brooklyn is typically no easy task, residents of Bay Ridge and Bath Beach have an even more difficult time finding the right spot — and there’s a study to prove it. The study by Localize.city found that Bath Beach and Bay Ridge, tied with East Elmhurst, Queens, scored 70 complaints to 311 per every 1,000 residents over the past year, ranking ninth and 10th on a citywide list of neighborhoods whose residents gripe the most about difficulty parking.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 21, 2018

Mermaid Parade returns to Coney Island

Full of flash and fun, the Mermaid Parade, the nation’s largest art parade, celebrated its 36th year in Coney Island on Saturday, June 16.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 18, 2018

Maimonides honors 1,800 volunteers at Paradise Manor

Four hundred guests packed into the Paradise Manor catering hall in Brooklyn on Wednesday, June 6 as Maimonides Medical Center celebrated their work as volunteers. A total of 1,800 people volunteered their time to work at the hospital doing various tasks that helped the operations run more smoothly and efficiently.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 12, 2018

Officers help resuscitate baby in Brighton Beach

Cops out on patrol in Brighton Beach helped save the life of a 15-month-old infant. On Saturday, June 9 at around 7:15 p.m., a pair of officers — who were in their patrol car stopped at a red light — were approached by a panic-stricken mother whose baby was not breathing.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 12, 2018

Missing Mapleton teenage girl sought

The NYPD is asking for help in its efforts to find a missing 17-year-old girl in Mapleton. The missing person in question, Yomaris Castro, was last seen on Thursday, June 7 leaving her home, 2321 65th Street.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 12, 2018

Silver Alert issued for missing elderly woman in Gravesend

The NYPD has issued a Silver Alert after a 72-year-old woman went missing on Tuesday, June 5, at around 9:35 p.m. The woman missing, Khayka Akselman, is described as a white woman 5’5″ tall and weighing approximately 140 pounds with blonde hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a red long sleeve shirt and gray sweatpants with brown shoes.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 6, 2018

Mysterious fish shows up along Belt Parkway

Diana Blasdel and her husband Miguel were walking along the Belt Parkway waterfront, south of the 92nd Street pedestrian bridge, with their dog Remy on Thursday, May 31,  when Diana spied a unique looking fish. What Diana saw was an Atlantic Sturgeon, one of the oldest species of fish in the world according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fishery. The fish can grow up to 14 feet long and weigh 800 pounds. While the size of the fish Diana saw is unclear, it still shocked

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 5, 2018

UFT holds protest outside Golden’s office

On Friday, June 1, members of the UFT gathered outside State Sen. Marty Golden’s office to urge Golden to vote in favor of a bill that they contend would improve the system of teacher evaluations that they say currently cripples many New York teachers. The bill, nicknamed, “Let us teach, let them learn” — the words repeated on yellow and black signs carried by the protesters —  allows for school districts and unions to formulate their own systems of evaluation.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 4, 2018

Ground broken at Fort Hamilton High School for new athletic field

On Wednesday, May 30, Councilmember Justin Brannan along with Parks Department officials broke ground at Fort Hamilton High School, where construction will begin on a new track and field. The $4.7 million project was announced last October by then-Councilmember Vincent Gentile.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 4, 2018

Ten students graduate from masonry program

Ten students from all over New York City graduated on Friday, May 24, from the pilot masonry restoration program at Green-Wood Cemetery. The ceremony was held inside the chapel at the cemetery.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 4, 2018

WATCH: NYPD looking for robber in Sunset Park

The NYPD is asking residents to help them find the suspect who robbed a 73-year-old man in Sunset Park. The incident happened in front of 524 48th Street. The suspect approached the elderly victim and attempted to rip the chain off his neck. The victim held on to his chain for a bit but the suspect was eventually able to snatch the necklace and took off, southbound on Fourth Avenue.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 4, 2018

Xaverian student makes his mark on borough’s smallest cemetery

Andrew Contrino is a Xaverian graduating senior and an Eagle Scout hopeful who decided he would fulfill his special project requirement by giving back to those who served and bringing awareness to honoring those who have fought and died for our country. Part of the process that allows a Boy Scout to be promoted to an Eagle Scout involves completing a unique project that demonstrates the person’s ability to plan, budget and organize an event or activity that benefits the community at large.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • June 4, 2018

Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis to host CPR training event

Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis is set to host a CPR training event on Saturday, June 16 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Holy Angels Academy gymnasium. “As we see in the news time and again, lives are saved because their heroes knew CPR and the Heimlich maneuver,” said Malliotakis. “If we could equip one person with these skills, it can make the difference between someone’s life and death and would be well worth it.”

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • May 30, 2018

Owl’s Head Park plays host to Viking Fest 2018

Despite the daylong deluge, the beloved Bay Ridge tradition Viking Fest — now in its 18th year — took place on Saturday, May 19 at Owl’s Head Park, 68th Street and Colonial Road. Viking Fest was sponsored by the Scandinavia East Coast Museum (SECM) which utilizes the festival to celebrate and educate people about Norwegian culture. Viking Fest also served as a prelude to the Norwegian Day Parade which took place on the following day.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • May 30, 2018

WATCH: NYPD looking for suspect in Spiro’s Cafe robbery

Cops are currently searching for a man they believe broke into Spiro’s Cafe, 942 Fourth Avenue, on May 17 at 4:30 a.m. The suspect stole $400 from the cash register after he forcibly entered the restaurant under the cover of night and then escaped in an unknown direction. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • May 30, 2018

Bay Ridge Cares holding design competition

As part of its efforts to continue revitalizing the Fort Hamilton Senior Center, Bay Ridge Cares is holding a design competition, giving local artists, both with and without experience, the opportunity to get their work on the facade of the building. Back in October of 2017, the non-profit organization partnered with businesses and politicians to renovate the kitchen and lobby areas of the center, 9941 Fort Hamilton Parkway.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter • May 30, 2018

Cliffco Mortgage Bankers call Bay Ridge home

On Thursday, May 17, Cliffco Mortgage Bankers opened its doors to home buyers in Brooklyn with the opening of the company’s new Bay Ridge office. A number of the bankers cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the grand opening of Bay Ridge’s newest business, 9016 Third Avenue, at a small ceremony outside the new office. “The specific location we had on Third Avenue allowed us to see the heart of Bay Ridge and we have since fallen in love with it,” said George Diamantakis, sales manager at Cliffco.