VOLUME 67 NUMBER 40 • OCTOBER 18-24, 2019 Community News Beacon in South Brooklyn Since 1953 SEE Governor Promises Cabrini Statue PAGE 2 BACK IN BUSINESSLegendary Leske’s reopens to sighs of relief from patrons Councilmember Justin Brannan (left) and Bakery Manager Flo Grande were excited to announce that Leske’s Bakery had reopened after it unex- pectedly shut its doors on Oct. 4. See page 2. ebrooklyn media/Photo by Paula Katinas Columnists’ Corner: Generally Speaking By Ted General Common Sense By Jerry Kassar Marc Minds Matter of Fact Your Business By Jay Brown Halloween is almost here and Focus on Bay Ridge Brooklynites are getting their tricks and treats ready for the big day. Be By Chuck Otey sure to visit Three Guys of Brooklyn for all your Halloween items. Managing Partner and CEO Phil Penta (left) has Columns begin on page 18 stocked in abundance the very best apples for bobbing, bales of hay and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Home Reporter executive Marc Bikers ride for Hibsher took in the spirit of the holiday during a recent visit, as busy employ- breast cancer ees filled large holiday orders for local schools and other groups preparing to have their thrills and chills. awareness, Photo courtesy of Marc Hibsher funding SEE PAGE 6 Former councilmember Vincent Gentile honored • Page 15 2• •EXTRA EXTRA EDITION EDITION HOME HOME REPORTER REPORTER AND SPECTATOR AND BROOKLYN • Week of OctoberSPECTATOR 18 – October • Week 24, 2019of October 11-17, 2019 Governor offers full support for‘Dyker‘Dyker Mother Lights’Lights’ Cabrini vendors vendors statue causingcausing pollution,pollution, BY JOHN ALEXANDER said Cuomo. traffictrafficadvocate Jane Jacobs, andand who Cabrini trash,trash, first ministered to neighbors neighbors saysay JALEXANDER@BROOKLYNEAGLE. “With this statue, I think received 93 votes, and also the poor immigrants of the COM the Italian American and was passed over. Italian community. Catholic communities in On Monday, Oct. 14, Cabrini’s extensive ties to statue honoring New York will feel satisfied Cuomo made it clear that Brooklyn include working Mother Frances that she is being represent- he did not want to wait for at Sacred Heart of Jesus and A Cabrini is just one ed — because we recognize another round of votes to Mary Church located on more thing the governor in this city and in this state determine if Cabrini would President Street in 1892. She and mayor don’t see eye to that our diversity is our receive her statue. Instead, also assisted in the estab- eye on. greatest asset, and every he said he would appoint a lishment of the St. Charles Gov. Andrew Cuomo group has to feel included.” commission comprised of School with Brooklyn is not going to wait for a Cuomo’s announcement Italian-American leaders Bishop McDonnell, to serve second round of voting came after Mayor Bill de Bla- – including DiMarzio from the children of the newly organized by the city’s She sio – whose wife New York the Diocese of Brooklyn and arrived Italian immigrants. Built NYC initiative to see if City First Lady Chirlane Angelo Vivolo from the Co- The school was located on Mother Cabrini gets a statue McCray heads up She Built lumbus Citizens Foundation, Van Brunt Street, around in her honor. Rather, he has NYC – said on “The Brian among others – to identify the corner from the church. offered his full support for Lehrer Show" that the saint an artist and a location for By 1900, with the con- a new memorial honoring is “absolutely worthy of the new statue. centration of Italian immi- Cabrini, an Italian-Amer- being honored and another St. Frances Xavier grants in our area believed AP photo ican nun who came to the round of the statue process Cabrini, the patron saint to be the highest in the Gov. Andrew Cuomo has committed to putting United States as an immi- is about to begin and her of immigrants, arrived United States, SHJM Parish up a statue to honor Mother Cabrini in New grant and dedicated her life name is clearly at the top in New York in 1889 with began plans to build a big- York City. to public service on behalf of the list because she is an the Missionary Sisters of ger church on the corner of of the less fortunate. outstanding figure in New the Sacred Heart. Mother DeGraw and Hicks streets in in erecting a statue for immigrants,” said DiMar- On Columbus Day, the York history and obviously Cabrini Park is located at Cobble Hill. Mother Cabrini, which we zio. “We will work with same day the Diocese of it would mean a lot to a lot the former site of a church “I welcome the assistance hope is a monument to her Gov. Cuomo’s office to make Brooklyn sent a float con- of people.” building where Mother the governor is promising for herA work massive on behalf Dyker of Heights it happen.” holiday display. taining a figure of Mother The mayor’s remarks ebrooklyn media/File photo by Steve Solomonson Cabrini down Fifth Avenue followed a backlash from as part of the annual parade elected officials, civic lead- honoringBy Meaghan Italian-Americans, McGoldrick ersand and13th the Avenue, general from public 81st Shuttered bakery gets new lease on life Cuomobrooklyneagle.com announced that a thatStreet aroseto 86th Street,after thethe heart She of state commission would Builtholiday-light NYC initiative country. (which BY PAULA KATINAS entity known as Bread Firefighters had to abandon Since the late 1980s, those worktheir truck with and the walk Diocese to the siteof operatesfrom neighboring under communitiesthe auspic- [email protected] Depo Inc. Brooklyn,of a 911 call. the Catholic eshave of madethe city’sthe trek Economic by foot, Bay Ridge residents CitizensA resident Foundation with asthma and was Developmentbike, subway and Corporation) car to Dyker t’s icing on the cake! reacted with shock and otherchoked groups by the fumes to fund of an the idle announcedHeights to marvel that, at despitethe dis- Leske’s, the beloved sadness to the sudden clo- ice cream truck. plays, many exhibited as early newThese statue. were just two of the havingas Thanksgiving come weekend.in first in I bakery on Fifth Avenue sure of the local landmark stories“Mother told CabriniThursday wasas thea a citywideToday, spectators vote, travel Mother from that shut its doors on Oct. where generations of greatCity Council’sNew Yorker Consumer and a Cabriniother states had and not countries been chosen to the 4, breaking the hearts of sweet-toothed customers greatAffairs CommitteeItalian-American heard testi- asneighborhood one of six Thewomen New to York be cookie fans everywhere, bought their desserts. mony on the notorious Dyker Times has called the “undisputed immigrantLights holiday who display came and to a honoredcapital of withChristmas a statue. pageantry” reopened on Wednesday, News of the closure of thebill citythat andwould helped ban scoresvendors —Following a number anof themopen usingcall Oct. 16. Leske’s was quickly shared offrom immigrants clogging up and the opened annual fororganized nominations bus tours that,that havethe “We’ll be open 5 a.m. and on Facebook, as customers dozensend-of-year of institutions. affair. She Sheonly Builtgrown NYC in popularity website said,since we’ll have our regular lamented the sudden The legislation — introduced the famed lights first made head- isthis certainly summer by deserving Councilmember of a “drewlines. over 2,000 nomina- hours. departure of the bakery statue,Justin Brannan, and we whowill representsbe work- tions“Local from residents the public,” who for the so We can’t wait to see and expressed hope that it ingthe areawith and Bishop is a member DiMarzio of the saintmany yearsreceived have loved 219 viewingvotes, Barbaraeverybody,” Vellucci, Flo LoriGrande Willis and Josephine Beckmann. Photo courtesy of New Yorkcould City Council reopen. Flickr by Emil Cohen andcommittee the Columbus — seeks to Citizens ban food considerablythe Christmas more light thandisplays the told the Home Reporter on The legendary shop, trucks, souvenir sellers and now feel completely over- Foundationother types ofto vendorsget it done,” from secondwhelmed vote-getter,by these tour urban buses sandsTuesday. of tourists and a parade of least put an end to the vending. enforce them. The bill, Brannan whichsaid that first while openedhe admires its the operating between 10th Avenue that bring hundreds of thou- ice creamGrande trucks told and thisstreet paper ven- Aside from prohibiting said, would make clear that pre- doors“entrepreneurial in 1961, offers spirit” aof widestreet dorson that Tuesday combine that to the cause bakery, a vendors, the bill would also viously “gray area.” selectionvendors (they of breads, are crucial cakes, to the trafficlocated congestion at 7612 FifthChristmas Ave., help the community manage It would also help curb pastriescity, he said), and somethingdoughnuts, must as be nightmare,” Brannan said the event, supporters said. other hazardous situations, done to help Dyker Heights resi- Thursday.was getting “This readycreates to rea - “It must be understood that like those recounted at the welldents as reclaim brownies, some Black sense andof nor- monthlongopen at 5street a.m. Wednesday.festival-like this is an organic event, occur-ebrooklynhearing media/Photo by leaders by Paula of CB10. Katinas Whitemalcy throughoutcookies andthe holidays. other atmosphereCouncilmember in this quaint Justin resi- ringCouncilmember as a result of homeowners Justin Brannan“The vendors and Bakery idle in front of delectableBrannan desserts. agreed. dentialBrannan, neighborhood.” who worked expressingManager their Flo faith Grande and joy are homesexcited for 12that hours Leske’s per day for The“Look, bakery’s it’s fantastic delicious that Local residents for the most for the season, that has turned the 40-day duration,” CB10 hundreds of thousands of partbehind welcome the the scenes tourists, to but get intoBakery a full-blown will reopen.