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O’Bar says that he’s not a hero but he reacted because of the recent spat of sex assaults in Brooklyn. O’Bar and several other Samaritans ran after Flowers even though the suspect was armed. The victim’s purse was recovered.

Read more about it here.

John Youngaitis in the front office of his Cypress Hills taxidermy studio. (Photo: Adrienne Berard/The Brooklyn Ink)

Across the street from a cemetery in East Brooklyn, behind an old storefront window, the perfectly preserved bodies of a South African penguin, a blue shark, a brown bear, a macaw, a poodle, five whitetail deer, a giant striped bass, a spotted seal and a calico housecat keep each other company in the front office of Cypress Hills Taxidermy Studio, as they have for the past 53 years.

The studio’s owner John Youngaitis, 56, is the last commercial taxidermist in New York City and he is leaving his shop. The three-story home and office of Cypress Hills Taxidermy Studio, which Youngaitis inherited from his father in 2005, is on the market.

“I don’t want to sell, but that’s family business,” said Youngaitis about the building he co-owns with his sister. Youngaitis said he plans to reopen the studio in a new building, but the shop where he worked his entire life will go to the highest bidder.

Discussing plans to relocate the business, he leaned against a wooden countertop built by his father, Victor Youngaitis. He smiled, one tattooed arm holding his family scrapbook. Flipping through its pages, he stopped at a black-and-white photograph of himself as a child, crouching over a baby elephant.

Youngaitis explained that when he was a boy, he and his father would collect dead animals from an exotic pet dealer in Lower Manhattan. His childhood memories were filled with lions, tigers, zebras and polar bears. Victor Youngaitis would get a call from his pet dealer, as in the case of the baby elephant, that an animal had died. He would rush out, son in tow, to collect the body.

“I used to have the best show-and-tells,” John Youngaitis said, as he recalled his childhood. “They would send me around to all the other classrooms with the stuff I brought in.”

At the height of taxidermy’s popularity, during the Victorian era late in the 19th century, a dozen taxidermists worked in Brooklyn. Even Theodore Roosevelt, New York City’s police commissioner and later governor of New York and president of the United States, had a taxidermy studio in his home, in which he and his son would dissect lizards.

In 1919, a Dutch immigrant named Milton J. Hofmann opened a taxidermy studio at 989 Gates Ave. in Brooklyn. In 1937, he stuffed an elephant, which he kept in his storefront window and used as the M. J. Hofmann Company’s mascot in advertisements. By 1950, the company had a nationally distributed catalog. Using a yellow and blue form inside the front cover, any animal enthusiast could order skin from an African lioness for $7, a Catalina Island goat for $17, a white swan for $15 or an artificial hummingbird eye for four cents.

Youngaitis said that during the early 1940s, his father became so transfixed by the M. J. Hofmann Company window display that he dropped out of high school and started learning taxidermy. He went on to work for M. J. Hofmann, mounting a polar bear for the famous window display. He later opened up his own studio in 1958 at 964 Jamaica Ave. in Cypress Hills. Youngaitis was four years old.

Fifty-three years later, John Youngaitis has boarded up his father’s shop window to deter local residents from taking target practice at his merchandise.  He said he had to constantly replace the glass because it was littered with bullet holes. When he meets people, he has to assure them that his profession is not illegal, a query he said he has grown to expect.

“I mean, these are people with nothing else to do,” Youngaitis said, laughing as he listened to his answering machine.

“I am calling because I need my girlfriend stuffed,” joked the voice of an adolescent boy. “She’s terrible.”

Youngaitis says most of his business these days comes from buck-hunters upstate. He charges a minimum of $350 per deer, mounting only the head. Even at the peak of hunting season, Youngaitis still has to work part-time as a plumber to make ends meet. He says he doesn’t remember his father ever having to work a second job, but the industry changed over the past 30 years into a niche market rather than a global fad. Maybe, Youngaitis says, it is because the public perception of taxidermy has changed.

Media portrayals like the character of Norman Bates, the amateur taxidermist in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” created an image of taxidermy that does not reflect the actual practice. In reality, it is a painstaking process that requires as much love for living animals as it does respect for the dead, said Melissa Milgrom, author of “Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy.”

Youngaitis explained it takes him at least a day’s work to get an animal in the right position. First, the skin is removed and salted for preservation. Then it has to be sent to a tanner to be tanned. Only then is it ready to be fit to form. Originally, in the 19th century, each mold was made from wood and the animal’s original skeleton. Today, John Youngaitis has only to flip though the Van Dykes Taxidermy Supply catalog to order the forms he needs.

Even with technological advances, the trade still requires an acute attention to detail and the patience to work on a specimen for hours on end. The goal has remained the same since the early days of the craft–to flawlessly render a biological narrative–a window into the natural world. Sadly, even talented taxidermists like John Youngaitis, have had to work second jobs to make ends meet.

“It’s really a profession that’s anachronistic,” said Milgrom. “The public wants robotic dinosaurs and Imax theaters. Taxidermy is such a laborious process and there’s no way around it. Everything else in our culture is getting faster and faster. Taxidermy is the tactile opposite of a world that communicates in bits and bytes.”

Despite a modern desire for high-tech animatronics, taxidermy is making a comeback in small enclaves of Brooklyn. The Observatory in Gowanus offers mummification classes on Sunday afternoons in which each student crafts their own animal mummy. The same gallery hosted an anthropomorphic taxidermy class last Valentine’s Day which sold out. Nearly every bar in Williamsburg, or so it seems, has some form of taxidermy on its walls. Last December, Brooklyn’s Secret Science Club hosted its fifth annual taxidermy contest at the Bell House. Black Gold Records, which opened last year in Carroll Gardens has a record store, coffee shop and taxidermy museum.

Youngaitis says he’s been able to tap into a new taxidermy market for what he calls, “the yuppie types.” He offers restorations at a low cost for customers who want to preserve their antique taxidermy or perfect their homemade mummies.

Milgrom believes this resurgence of taxidermy is due to biological scarcity.

“The Victorians were fascinated by nature because it was exotic,” she said. “Now we have this mass extinction going on, animals have become exotic again.  We are acting very much like Victorians only we aren’t totally aware of it yet.”

Youngaitis says people hire him because they want to retain memories. Signaling to a taxidermied pet poodle, he explained that some people build very strong relationships with animals. Taxidermy, he says, allows people to reminisce.

“It brings you back to the moment,” he said. “That’s the whole idea of it.”

Darrell Issa (R-CA) current ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is taking over the chairmanship from Edolphus Towns (D - NY) as part of the new Republican congressional leadership. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By Miranda Neubauer

Brooklyn’s clout in the new U.S. Congress will be greatly diminished come January. Despite easy victories in November, the borough’s three most powerful congressional representatives will be removed from leadership posts in three House committees when the new Republican majority is sworn in.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D), who represents Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick and Sunset Park, among other areas, will lose her chairmanship of the House Committee on Small Business that she has held since 2007.

One organization that is set to receive $750,000 in federal funding this year through Congresswoman Velazquez’s position is the Brooklyn Kings County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The money will fund a not-for-profit business incubator program.

The loss of her position on the committee “will be a detriment to the aspiring entrepreneurs and to the small business community in general, ” said its President Rick Miranda.

The organization, which has existed since 2005, also offers loans through the Small Business Administration, helps minority owned businesses obtain certification to do work for the city and hosts educational and networking forums.

“Someone like Congresswoman Velazquez, who came from a pretty poor background herself, … she realizes that the middle-class citizens that contemplate and dream about opening up a business can never take the plunge because they never have the money or the savvy or the education,” said Miranda. Miranda also pointed out that the group’s business incubator could sponsor six businesses per quarter, amounting to 24 a year. “A huge mouthful in this economy.”

Without Velazquez, said Miranda, he fears such funding for small business might dry up. The new Republican majority “should take a real hard look at what is available and continue to assist those programs that are doing well and not just say we need to cut our spending on these programs.” The new majority should not “choke us in our ability to execute services to the small business community.”

The weakening of the power of other Brooklyn congressmen will have more national effect.

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D), who represents Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville and East New York, among other areas, will lose his position as chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee—a position he has held since 2009.

The change in chairmanship of the committee has a national impact, Julian Phillips, Towns’ spokesperson said. “The congressman was such a strong ally for the president … now that he will more than likely be taking a lesser role, obviously the kind of power and influence he was able to wield as chairman will no longer be the case.” Over the summer, Towns held a hearing in Brooklyn to examine a case of fraud at a Brooklyn census office, after two managers were fired for fraudulently filling out census forms.

As chairman of an investigative committee with subpoena power, Towns has also investigated the BP oil spill and the Toyota recall, among other major issues. “The new chairman may have a different agenda,” Phillips said. While Towns will be able to serve the community as Congressman and as ranking minority member, “his powers will be less than what they were.”

In fall 2009, Director of the National Urban League Marc Morial testified at an Oversight Committee hearing about the impact of the economic crisis on minority communities. With the change in leadership, Morial said, “you’re not going to have as much of an examination of policies and solutions [related to] the disparities of the recession and the disparities of the subprime crisis.”  Foreclosure rates have been highest in areas with high minority populations, such as Bushwick.

Jerrold Nadler (D), representing Coney Island, Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge, will go from high ranking to minority status in the Judiciary and Transportation and Infrastructure committees.

Nadler’s spokesman Ilan Kayatsky also said it is too early to tell how the new majority will play out. “We will still be fighting for the same transportation reforms, such as seeking more funding for mass transit and high speed rail.”

Kayatsky added that “more debates and disagreement on how much and where and why” would be expected with Republicans in the majority. Democrats, he said, will no longer be “driving the house agenda” as negotiations get underway. With a new six year transportation up for reauthorization, Kayatsky said that for Nadler, “it’s really about funding mass transit as much as possible.” The congressman’s priority, he went on to say, was increasing sustainable transportation options and expanding rail freight with “less focus on cars and roads.”

Last July, Nadler helped to secure $ 450,000 for a Brooklyn Waterfront Transportation Study, which will explore the transportation improvements necessary to develop a container port at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Sunset Park. According to the congressman’s summer press release, “the development of deep water port facilities in New York Harbor will create tens of thousands of jobs in New York City and the region, and will protect New York’s position as the East Coast’s major gateway to global trade.”

The incident occurred around 2:30 am in East New York when the unidentified officer heard suspicious noises in the alley behind his apartment near Blake Avenue and Tapscott Street, according to NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. He exited his apartment to find a man pushing the vehicle out of the alley, the Journal reports.

The officer identified himself and drew his weapon. The suspect complied, according to Journal but a second man emerged who did not obey the officer’s orders to freeze, according to the Journal. The officer let off four shots, wounding one man. Both suspects fled and the wounded suspect, Lucius Welcome, was later picked up and is in stable condition at Brookdale Hospital. Welcome has been placed under arrest but no charges have been made

Throughout most of Brooklyn, the housing market has rebounded from the slump that followed the economic collapse of 2008. While the number of new properties being sold in America is currently the lowest in recorded history, Brooklyn has seen an increase in total sales and sales prices in the past year. But the health of the housing market depends on that familiar variable: location, location, location. While western and southern Brooklyn have seen a steady increase in sales and prices, some neighborhoods east of Flatbush Avenue, such as Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant and East New York, are still mired in the mess of foreclosures that have swept America over the past two years.

Williamsburg/Greenpoint: Rebounding

The party only lasted for a year, and by 2002, the prices in Williamsburg were on par with the rest of Brooklyn.

Since then, the market has climbed steadily, although not particularly steeply.

For the last 8 years, the median sales price in both Williamsburg and Greenpoint have been significantly lower than the Brooklyn average, but the price per square foot has been much higher, indicating a market for smaller apartments.

The kind of properties dominating the market in Williamsburg and Greenpoint —new, and relatively luxurious— have been hit hard by the recession nationally but numbers indicate that these neighborhoods have made a relatively speedy recovery.

Dave Behin, who works as a consultant for The Developer’s Group, a company offering consulting and brokering services to developers, says that in the eight or nine months following the failure of Lehman Brothers the market slowed down, but that by 2009 it was already recovering. “We are not yet at the price points of 2007, but people recognize a good deal,” Behin says.

The Developer’s Group is behind massive, up-scale developments all over Brooklyn, such as The Edge in Williamsburg and 315 Gates in Clinton Hill. Behin said some customers offer him significantly less than asking price for a new condo, but that these customers misunderstand the housing market and believe that the situation in New York is similar to that in Arizona and Nevada. But it’s not.

“In 2003 the market was very strong. We could sell incomplete buildings based on drawings. The sellers couldn’t keep up with the buyers. Now we have to work harder to sell,” Behin says. “But if the developer has built a good project and the price is right, it will sell.”

Crown Heights/Bedford-Stuyvesant/East New York: A whiff of panic

While the housing market on the west side of Flatbush Avenue appears stable or on the rebound, east of the avenue it’s “bordering on depression,” according to Michael Corley, a real estate broker and resident of Crown Heights. “We’re seeing broadly that there is no demand consuming the amount of inventory coming on board,” Corley said. “People are still very skittish.”

The median home sales price decreased 16.8 percent in Bedford-Stuyvesant and 14.1 percent in East New York, respectively, compared to a year ago, while the number of sales rose in both neighborhoods. While both home prices and the numbers of sales in Crown Heights are up since last year, Corley said most of the buyers in central Brooklyn are investors or developers, not families. There are more short sales than regular sales taking place in central Brooklyn, which shows that homeowners continue to default on their mortgages. Residents are desperate and choose to short sell as an alternative to foreclosing. Meanwhile, the sharp drop in home values that began in Jan. 2008 continues in this area of Brooklyn. Home values dropped by about 19 percent in Crown Heights and 12 percent in Bedford-Stuyvesant, respectively.

Corley also said central Brooklyn east of Flatbush Avenue will see more foreclosures in 2011. Real estate search engine Trulia shows there are 654 homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction, or bank-owned stages of the foreclosure process in Bedford-Stuyvesant, and 381 in East New York, respectively.

Dumbo/Downtown Brooklyn: Little neighborhoods, big prices

The Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn neighborhoods have remained stable through the recession. Like other neighborhoods, sales are up but prices are down. According to Trulia.com, at the end of October the average listing price for Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn was $593,959, while the median sales price this fall was $548,056. Last year the median sales price was $747,975 and five years ago it was $476,580. This shows that prices boomed and then fell in 2009, but then leveled out higher than 2005’s average.

As for sales, both areas were recently rezoned for residency, which has put these once commercial neighborhoods at the forefront of Brooklyn real estate.

Asher Abehsera, executive vice president of residential properties for Two Trees, describes Dumbo as a small, charming enclave. He thinks that the market in Dumbo is ruled by supply and demand. “It’s a couple of buildings tucked in between two bridges and there hasn’t been a new condo built since 2006 or 2007,” he said. So most of the real estate activity that happens in Dumbo is due to resales in which everyone buys from the developer and the market remains stable.

In Downtown Brooklyn Abehsera said that the neighborhood’s value changes block by block. The Two Trees building at Court and Atlantic has no vacancies and a wait list, while near Flatbush Avenue, there is lots of construction and the area is still getting established for residences. Abehsera cites the area’s lack of grocery stores and neighborhood amenities.

Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights: Steady as she goes

Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, unlike most of the borough, were only marginally affected by the recession. Home values in each area have actually increased from Aug. 2009 to Aug. 2010, according to Zillow.com. Bay Ridge’s average home values have gone up 7.8 percent, to $648,000, and Dyker Heights’ average values have increased 9.8 percent, to $610,000.

In August 2010, the median sales prices for Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights were $645,000 and $566,000, respectively.

Real estate agents said the housing market is generally steady, and that families who can’t afford housing in a neighborhood like Park Slope often choose to settle in Bay Ridge instead.

Frank DeSantis of New Spirit Realty said Bay Ridge is unique because of its location. It is only accessible by the “R” train and a handful of bus lines, and it can take residents almost an hour to travel to Manhattan. As a result, the area has become very family-oriented and communal.

“Bay Ridge is a solid community,” DeSantis said. “Some people say the R train, the slowest train in the west, keeps it that way. It’s like a hidden secret.” DeSantis also said rentals have been particularly strong this year.

Cliff Venturini of Ben Ray Real Estate Company in Dyker Heights said his business is up 18 percent this year. He attributed that to an increase in advertising, which he said is crucial for agencies even during tough economic times. “At this office, we’re spending more money than ever on advertising,” he said. “You have to spend money in this business.”

Becky Bratu, Evan MacDonald, Vegas Tenold, and Cambrey Thomas contributed to this report.

Continue reading Part III “Growing Up Ain’t Cheap.”

A Long Island 17-year-old who the authorities say shot a police officer three times in a fire exchange in a Brooklyn building on Sunday night has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer and criminal use of a weapon, The New York Times reports.

The officer and the suspect, who was also shot three times, were in stable condition.

The teenager, Elijah Foster-Bey, 17, of Port Washington, Nassau County, had been staying with an uncle in East New York for the last five months to commute more efficiently to his job as a bicycle messenger in Manhattan.

On Sunday night, Foster-Bey was riding a bicycle southbound on Bradford Street in East New York. As an unmarked police car approached him for reportedly riding his bicycle on the sidewalk, Foster-Bey ran into a three-story row house at 454 Bradford St., ignoring the officers’ orders to stop, police said. Three plainclothes officers jumped out of the car and followed him into the building.

Paul Browne, the department’s chief spokesman, told the Times that the plainclothes officers were members of the 75th Precinct’s anticrime unit and they had been investigating a series of robberies on bikes in the neighborhood.

On the second floor of the building, Foster-Bey turned and fired at least twice, Browne said. He ran up to the third floor and turned to shoot again as the officers fired back. Officer Richard Ramirez, 29, was struck twice in the right leg and once in the lower-right abdomen as he reached the top of the third-floor landing. His bullet-proof vest blocked the abdomen shot, police said. Foster-Bey fired six rounds until he ran out of bullets, then threw the gun down the steps, according to the police. Ramirez’s partner and a fourth officer subdued him and handcuffed him, the police said.

Ramirez was recovering at Kings County Hospital Center. The teenager was at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center.

Ellen Cross, the boy’s mother, said her son never had a gun or a criminal record. She said the 17-year-old had been previously issued four tickets for riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. According to the police, he also had one previous arrest, which was sealed.