By Thomas Tracy
Say hello to Brooklyn’s brightest! Eight local high school seniors are celebrating their win of single-payment $2,500 National Merit Scholarships. Distributed by the National Achievement Scholarship Program (NMSC), the awards were given to 2,500 students nationwide “judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.” NMSC is funding 90 percent of the cost of the awards, with grants from corporate and business sponsors covering the balance. Medicine is the career of choice for both Gloria Sun, who lives in Park Slope and is a student at the New York City Laboratory School of Collaborative Studies, and Lucky Ng. Currently enrolled at the Dalton School, East New York resident Ng is also interested in aerodynamics. “I’d like to be a doctor. I’m thinking of going into surgery or I might go into anesthesiology,” said Sun, 17, who expects to begin her pre-med studies at Columbia University in the fall. When not planning for her future in the medical field, Sun is an avid reader. “I enjoy reading. That’s pretty much what I do in my free time. I’m really into the classics,” she said. A favorite is “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas. Four students from Stuyvesant High School were also declared scholarship winners. Both residents of Bensonhurst, Cindy Cai will use her scholarship to study medicine in college, while Jefferson Lin plans enter the chemical engineering field. After graduating from the prestigious Manhattan high school, Midwood resident Evelyn Ooi hopes to begin a career in medicine. Julia Tse, who lives in Sheepshead Bay, will study biological sciences. In her final year at Polytechnic Preparatory Country Day School, Red Hook resident Laura Mumm is interested in politics. Upon graduating from the Berkeley Carroll School, Park Slope resident Harriet Provine will use her scholarship to study engineering in college. —Michèle De Meglio What could be better about spring than taking a day off from work and going to see a Mets or a Yankees game? Well, maybe seeing the Rangers in the playoffs at the garden – but that’s another story. Perhaps the only thing sweeter than taking in a good game on a warm spring day is walking out of a Brooklyn store with a wide smile of satisfaction on your face knowing that you just got a good deal. Hey, let’s face it, there are a lot of foul balls out there, but you can zero in on the strike zone with a little help from the Consumer Corner. Let’s see what Kings County merchants are pitching this week. ***** Hey, Mother’s Day may be over but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat her to a great manicure. There’s no reason why you can’t treat any of the special ladies in your life to a manicure. Heck, there’s no reason why you can’t treat yourself to a manicure. Nails & More Advanced Nail Care Salon has just opened on the upper level of Kings Plaza near Sears. Quite literally, they will pamper that special person in your life, or they’ll pamper you, from head to toe. In addition to French, paraffin, tips and fill ins, they also specialize in back massage and reflexology. At Nails & More you can start with your finger tips, do some fill in work, maybe move on to some waxing and then indulge in a pedicure. It’s all here. Nails & More even provides gift certificates for almost any occasion – birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, weddings, Thanksgiving, anniversaries, graduation and more. Send someone a Nails & More gift certificate just because you care. And if you come in before the month is out, you can take 20 percent off all services. Call Nails & More at 718-859-8877. ***** HomeChicImports.com is a great place to click on the next time you’re surfing the net. Here you’ll find fine handcrafted glassware direct from Italy that will instantly add elegance to your home. The lovely piece you’re looking at above is only a small fraction of what’s available. Visit HomeChicImports.com and guarantee that mom has a Mother’s Day gift that she’ll enjoy every day of the year for years to come. Candles, flatware, shower gifts – all in lovely and inviting handcrafted glass. This one is not to be missed. Come on down to the store located at 7613 Third Avenue or check ‘em out online at www.HomeChicImports.com. MOTORIST KILLED UNDER “EL”: A 26-year-old Florida resident was killed as the Nissan Pathfinder he was driving slammed into a pillar holding up the El train on McDonald Avenue. Officials said that the 4 a.m. crash on May 6 killed Konstantin Berezouskiy instantly. Police said that Berezouskiy was traveling southbound in his 2002 Nissan Pathfinder when he struck the steel girder in front of 2222 McDonald Avenue. Berezouskiy, police said, was visiting Brooklyn from Zephyr Hills, Florida. As this paper went to press, cops were still trying to determine exactly what led to the fatal accident. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact officials at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. *** TOW TRUCK DRIVER ROBBED: A tow truck driver making his rounds through Bensonhurst was punched and robbed of his cell phone, officials said. Police said that they are currently looking for the thief, although they don’t have an adequate description of the suspect. The 45-year-old victim said that he was rolling by the corner of 86th Street and 15th Avenue at 7:15 p.m. on May 8 when the thug ran up to him and punched him. The suspect took the driver’s cell phone and ran off, said officials. *** “THE PLACE” TO BRAWL: A 34-year-old man told police that he was attacked by a group of men standing outside The Place on East 13th Street between Avenues Y and Z. The victim said that he and friend were leaving the Secrets bar at 3:40 a.m. on May 1 and were passing the other neighborhood watering hole when two men standing outside started arguing with them. The argument soon became heated with opponents throwing punches at each other, officials said. During the skirmish, one of the suspects struck the 34-year-old in the head with a blunt object, causing a bloody gash. Despite the deep cut, the victim was not seriously hurt, said officials. Cops are investigating. *** ROBBED IN LOBBY: An 87-year-old woman was followed into the lobby of her Bensonhurst apartment building, where she was shoved to the ground and robbed of her purse. Cops are currently looking for the thief, described only as a white male. Police said that the woman entered her building, located on the 2200 block of 84th Street, just before 7 p.m. on May 8 when the suspect threw her to the ground. The suspect scooped up her purse, which contained some bills and a benefit card, and ran off, officials said. *** GUNMEN TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER: A 60-year-old resident had an interesting suggestion for police in Sheepshead Bay last week – sometimes all you have to say is “no.” The victim said that he and a 61-year-old woman were walking past the corner of East 23rd Street and Shore Parkway at 10:30 p.m. on May 7 when they heard footsteps behind him. The 60-year-old man turned and was confronted by three black males, two of who were wearing masks, officials said. One of the men had a gun and demanded the couple’s money, police said. When the victim refused, the suspect put his gun away and ran off, officials said. Cops are currently looking for the would-be muggers. *** WAS HE SET UP TO BE ROBBED? Police are looking for a gun-totting mugger, who may have set up a Chinese food deliveryman to be robbed in a 21st Drive apartment building Thursday, officials said. Police were told that an unidentified white male entered a Bath Beach Chinese restaurant sometime before 7 p.m. on May 5 and made an order. The customer said that he wanted the delivery to go to an address on the 2000 block of 21st Drive. When the deliveryman arrived at the 6th floor of the building he was confronted by a man in a mask armed with a gun, demanding his money. The gunman robbed the deliveryman of $100 and ran off, officials said. *** COURTEOUS BURGLAR SOUGHT: Cops are looking for a burglar who broke into a Sheepshead Bay home, stole a computer and then proceeded to close the window he had just forced open, officials said. Police said that they are hoping to get some evidence to use against this courteous burglar, who broke into a home on the 2000 block of East 7th Street sometime after 7:30 a.m. on May 6. The victim said that when she returned home from work that evening, she noticed that someone had broken the lock to her window. The window, however, was closed. Police said that the thief took a laptop computer, a printer and a designer dress before fleeing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call the 61st Precinct at (718) 627-6611. All calls will be kept confidential. *** THREE NABBED BREAKING INTO BRAGG STREET HOME: Three teenagers were taken into custody last week after they allegedly broke into an 80-year-old woman’s Bragg Street home, surprising the senior in her own bedroom, officials said. Police said that the three suspects, identified as Christopher Garcia, 19, and John White, 16, both of 2965 Avenue Z, and Daniel Rivera, 19, of 430 Dumont Avenue, were all arrested on burglary charges on May 6. Officials allege that Garcia broke into the home, located on the 2100 block of Bragg Street, through a bedroom window. Garcia scrambled out of the home when he realized that the 80-year-old homeowner was also in the bedroom, officials alleged. Police shortly caught up with Garcia as well as White and Rivera, who were allegedly acting as lookouts, forwarding information to Garcia with walkie-talkies. The woman was not harmed, officials said. *** KINGSBOROUGH CON COLLEGE: A student at Kingsborough Community College in Manhattan Beach was arrested on aggravated harassment charges Saturday for allegedly threatening the life of a college employee. Police allege that 25-year-old Vitaly Davidov of 7602 21st Avenue had called his female victim on several occasions, claiming that he was going to kill her. During the last call, which took place on May 7, Davidov alleged that he was a student at Kingsborough, which distressed the victim, who works on the campus. Davidov was taken into custody at 9:15 p.m. that night, officials said. Cops did not disclose what the victim’s position is on campus. *** STABBED OUTSIDE LOUNGE: A 19-year-old man was stabbed in the side as he stood outside Sheepshead Bay’s Hollywood Lounge last week, officials said. The victim, who was listed in stable condition at Coney Island Hospital, said that he was standing outside the nightspot, located at the corner of West 2nd Street and Avenue X, just before 11:30 p.m. on April 29 when he was attacked. Police were told that a 5’9” black male sporting an Afro plunged a knife into the victim’s torso and ran off. As of this writing, cops had not released a motive. The alleged assailant is still at large. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call the 61st Precinct at (718) 627-6611. All calls will be kept confidential. *** SAMARITAN STEALER: A young man is being sought for pretending to be a Good Samaritan helping an 82-year-old man with car trouble, but then showing his true self – a thief looking for an open opportunity. Police said that the thief, described only as a 19-year-old white male, saw his opportunity just after 11 a.m. on April 29 when he spotted his victim changing a tire on his car on Avenue Z between East 26th and East 27th streets. The teen reportedly offered his help, but when the victim was engrossed in changing the tire, he reached into the car, grabbing the proceeds from a $1300 business check that the victim had just cashed. The suspect took the cash and fled, said officials. *** ARRESTED FOR ROBBING CORRECTIONS OFFICER: A 16-year-old was arrested for allegedly robbing an off-duty corrections officer as he entered his Bergen Beach home last week. Officials alleged that Jamel Rosa and an accomplice held up their victim the afternoon of May 1 on East 70th Street. Police alleged that Rosa’s accomplice trained a gun on the corrections officer while Rosa demanded his money. The officer handed over his cash, but refused Rosa when the teen allegedly demanded his bank card. Rosa allegedly told his accomplice to “shoot” the victim. Instead of following the orders, the suspect allegedly fled with Rosa in tow. The corrections officer called police, said officials. Cops from the 63rd Precinct tracked down and arrested Rosa a short time later, charging him with robbery. As of this writing, his accomplice remains at large. *** CUNNING CLEANING JOB: Police are looking for three hooligans who robbed an area laundromat at gunpoint last week. Police said that the suspects, described only as dark-skinned males, fled the store with over $700 in receipts following the brazen May 3 robbery. The victim, an employee at the laundry, located at 2948 Avenue R, said that he was about to close at 7 p.m. when one of the three suspects came in, asking how much it would cost to have his jacket cleaned. When the employee quoted a price, the suspect said that he lived nearby and would return in a few minutes with the money. A few minutes later, three men barged in, threw the employee against the wall and put a gun to his head. The suspects grabbed whatever money they could find and ran off, said police, who believe hat the “customer” was a scout for the robbery team. *** COURT CUTTING: A 14-year-old hoops player was attacked during a disagreement on the sidelines of an Avenue U basketball court, officials. The victim said that he was playing with his friends at 9:45 p.m. May 4 when an 18-year-old male approached, demanding to know why the victim had hit his girlfriend with the basketball. During the argument, the suspect threw the victim onto the floor, pulled a knife, and cut him with it, officials said. The teen was not seriously harmed, officials said. *** ROBBED OF DADDY’S CAR: A 23-year-old man said that he was knocked unconscious and car-jacked as he sat in his father’s 2000 Mitsubishi Diamante, enjoying a smoke, police were told last week. Cops are currently looking for the car. The victim claimed that he was at the corner of Avenue R and Coney Island Avenue, taking a drag from his cigarette when a stranger walked up to him and asked for a light. The stranger then slammed his fist into the victim’s face — knocking him out — dragged him out of the Mitsubishi and fled with the vehicle. *** LEFT BURNED: Cops are looking for a thief who broke into an area tanning salon, taking over $1000 in receipts. Police said that someone entered the Hollywood Tans at 1219 Quentin Road sometime after midnight on May 8. The thief entered the business by forcing open a bathroom window. The suspect reportedly removed $1366 from the store and fled, sometime before 2:30 a.m., when the burglary was first reported. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call police at (718) 627-6611. All calls will be kept confidential. *** ROBBED OF BIKE: A 12-year-old boy came home to tell his parents that someone robbed him of his bike as he pedaled through Kelly Park in Midwood, officials said. The victim said that he was in the park, located at the corner of Avenue S and East 16th Street at 7 p.m. on May 1 when the unidentified suspect knocked him off his wheels. The thief jumped onto the bike, a Real line BMX, valued at $270, and sped off with it, officials said. Police are investigating. *** HAIRY SITUATION: Thieves broke into Fettan’s Hair Salon, 1221 Quentin Road, last week, taking $730 in receipts, officials said. Police said that the break in took place sometime after the salon closed at 10:30 p.m. on May 6 and 8:20 the following morning. Cops did not disclose just how the thief entered the premises. *** THIEVES BREAK INTO AVE. T HOME: Over $700 in jewelry was removed from an apartment on the 1600 block of Avenue T last week, police said. The 33-year-old victim claimed that she left her home at 6 a.m. on May 6. When she returned, she noticed that someone had come in through the rear window, fleeing with the jewelry, as well as $350 in cash. Cops are currently looking for the culprit. Anyone with information regarding the burglar’s whereabouts is urged to contact the 61st Precinct at (718) 627-6611. All calls will be kept confidential. ***
