Month: July 2025

Rakien Figueroa was sentenced to 38 years for brutally attacking his ex-partner twice, including a stabbing at her Downtown Brooklyn job.

The post Brooklyn man sentenced for stabbing former girlfriend at her workplace appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Ample Hills Creamery has unveiled its latest frosty delight: “The Little Dipper” — a 3.5-ounce creation touted as a “tiny scoop of joy with stardust in its swirl.”

The cool treat comes in packs of six pre-packaged cups, each complete with a spoon, and is available in 13 of Ample Hills’ signature flavors, including Banana Pudding, Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, and Underneath the Mango Tree.

Shlomo Birnbaum, owner of Ample Hills and CEO of Single Source Beverage Distribution, told Brooklyn Paper the name “The Little Dipper” is a play on old ice cream language — a “dip” referring to a scoop — and a throwback to the days when ice cream lovers of all ages enjoyed small ice cream cups.

In addition to serving its frozen treats at its four brick-and-mortar shops in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, Ample Hills also brings the “magic of Ample Hills” to weddings, birthdays and graduations through its catering service. The new offering makes catering events more efficient, Birnbaum said.

“It’s a way for us to basically cater more events, because we do a lot of parties, and this is a way where we don’t have to send big tubs of ice cream,” Birnbaum said. “Sometimes, for example, somebody wants 10 different flavors — that’s a lot of tubs of ice cream, a lot of scooping. So we find that ‘The Little Dipper’ is a good way for us to expand that.

“I feel [Little Dippers] are a great way to enjoy Ample Hills at home [and] will allow people to have a much wider selection and really enjoy their favorite ice cream on the go.”

The pre-measured cups may also help customers exercise portion control — instead of polishing off a whole pint in one sitting.

“I go to my freezer and I take out a pint, and then I have to make the decision, ‘Am I finishing the pint [or] am I just having one spoon?’” said Birnbaum, admitting he loves ice cream “too much.”

“So I thought it’d be really nice if there was just something in a freezer where you could just go and [have just] one scoop of ice cream. You don’t need a scoop. There’s no mess,” he said. “Is there such a diet that can be created to have like one little dipper a day of [your] flavor of choice, one little cheat?”

All Ample Hills ice cream is churned in-house at the company’s new creamery and bakery at The Whale, a 500,000-square-foot commercial development in Sunset Park, where mix-ins like butter cake and cookies are hand-folded post-churn to keep each bite “perfectly gooey, chunky, and balanced.”

“So it’s a bakery and an ice cream factory. Because Ample Hills is a creamery, we refer to it as a creamery,” Birnbaum explained.

This summer, the company also launched “Ample University,” a training program where flavor hosts, or “amployees,” learn how to speak more confidently with customers about the ice cream-making process, ingredients, and fun facts about each flavor.

“We’re looking for people who want a little bit more than just a summer job, people who want to learn how to build their confidence,” Birnbaum said. “So we’re trying to give a platform for people as their first job, to teach them a life skill.”

Ample Hills’ mascot — or “Chief Joy Officer” — Walt the Cow, brings “heart, humor, and humanity” to the brand, helping to tell the story behind each flavor.

“Ample Hills is a lot about illustrations, and Walt just makes me smile. He’s everywhere now. He’s on our pints, he’s on the walls, he’s on cups. It’s like 50 shades of Walt,” Birnbaum said.

City environmental officials finished restoring three acres of wetlands in Fort Sparrow Marsh to improve the health of Jamaica Bay, a joint group of city agencies announced Thursday.

The $7 million restoration was the result of efforts from the Department of Environmental Protection, Parks Department and the Department of Design and Construction to preserve the region’s natural environment. Construction crews removed 9,000 tons of dirt and planted native flora, which officials said would encourage wildlife in one of the few parts of New York City where animals can remain undisturbed.

DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala said in a statement that the city’s efforts would ensure the marsh remains healthy long-term.

“Jamaica Bay is one of New York City’s most important natural areas, and restoring wetlands like Four Sparrow Marsh is key to protecting the health of the entire ecosystem,” Aggarwala said. “These efforts strengthen the Bay’s resilience, protect wildlife, support biodiversity and ensure that the Mill Basin community can enjoy the environmental and recreational benefits of this unique landscape.”

DEP provided the funds as part of an agreement with New York state government to replace wetland loss, while DDC undertook the construction work, according to a DDC press release.

The Jamaica Bay ecosystem, which Four Sparrow Marsh helps support, is home to hundreds of unique species of birds, butterflies and fish, and is an important stop for migratory waterfowl.

Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said in a statement that salt marshes are key to protecting the environment.

“Our salt marshes are critical ecosystems that do so much for our city — from protecting our coastline in the face of extreme weather, to offering vital habitats for non-human New Yorkers like salt marsh sparrows and diamondback terrapins,” Rodriguez-Rosa said.

The restored area includes the Four Sparrow Marsh Park, one of three nature preserves on Brooklyn’s southern tip that is home to undisturbed wildlife. The Parks Department has managed the area since 1994, when the city transferred control of the preserve.

While salt marshes are a natural feature of New York City, humans have filled 80% of them through industrial activity, according to a Parks Department webpage. Four Sparrow Marsh is the older and larger of the two remaining salt marshes along Jamaica Bay.

DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley said in a statement that the project shows how city resources can be used to defend the environment.

“Restoring and preserving our wetland ecosystems is another way DDC works to improve the City’s environment,” Foley said. “The $7 million Four Sparrow Marsh project will prevent the declination of the wetland and will protect the wildlife that inhabits that area.”

Rodriguez-Rosa said the $7 million investment in preserving nature will pay off for generations.

“We’re proud to have collaborated with our partners across city government on this work at Four Sparrow Marsh, building on our past projects and complementing ongoing restoration efforts on the east side of the marsh,” Rodriguez-Rosa said. “By caring for our natural areas, we are investing in a more livable and more resilient city for generations to come.”

NEW YORK STATE HAS MANY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, but the Department of Labor needs to improve its oversight

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