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BROOKLYN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Including The Downtown News, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper and Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Paper Brewmaster tells all Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc at 26 Court St., Brooklyn, New York 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 AD fax 718-834-1713 • NEWS fax 718-834-9278 © 2003 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 20 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol.26, No. 29 BWN • July 21, 2003 • FREE Watchtower may sell several Heights sites
By Patrick Gallahue said Watchtower spokesman Richard The Brooklyn Papers Devine. “We’ll see how the process EXCLUSIVE goes.” The announcement by the He added, however, that Watch- Watchtower Bible and Tract So- tower property in the neighborhood tower had no current plans to dispose ciety of New York, better known that the religious order might want to of its residential properties. as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, that it sell off. Watchtower owns 31 buildings in was looking to sell its high-rise As reported by The Papers in Feb- Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO to- book and video distribution plant ruary, the Watchtower Society is taling approximately 3 million at 360 Furman St. raised a flurry planning to build a dormitory on the square feet. of a local excitement over the pos- second largest undeveloped lot in the The Watchtower Society was pri- sible development opportunities. city (after Ground Zero), on Jay marily driven to develop the three- / Greg Mango / Greg And there could be more to come. Street. With the local population of acre parcel — bounded by Jay, Mango / Greg A tour granted to The Brooklyn Jehovah’s Witnesses remaining Front, Bridge and York streets — be- Papers this week by the Watchtower steady at about 3,000, the new build- cause of a dearth of parking after the Society revealed that various consol- ing could allow several of their Port Authority of New York and idations of their Brooklyn Heights Heights holdings to hit the market. New Jersey declined to extend the The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn buildings could occur in the near fu- “[If built] we’ll look at consolidat- Watchtower’s lease on Pier 5, which Papers The Brooklyn A press at the Watchtower printing facility at 117 Adams St. ture, leading to a surplus of Watch- ing some our residential operations,” See MAY SELL on page 6 The lobby of the Watchtower building at 360 Furman St. / Tom Callan / Tom The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn POT OF GOLD: The hazy weather last Friday, July 11, gave boats in New York Harbor a curious view, a rainbow over Red Hook. The phenomenon, captured here by Brooklyn Papers photographer Tom Callan, only lasted a few minutes. New turf 2 more cruise for old lines eyeing field / Greg Mango / Greg City christens 2 new piers in Hook Parade Grounds fields By Patrick Gallahue The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn By Patrick Gallahue The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn Papers Cyclones pitchers Steve Correa and Matt Lindstrom (kneeling) were on hand to celebrate the opening of the refurbished Parade Grounds fields Tuesday. Joining them (left to right): Prospect Park Alliance Chairman Carnival Cruise Lines is not the Parks Department and elected officials Henry Christensen, Borough President Marty Markowitz, CB14 Chairman Alvin Burke, Councilman Joseph only passenger ship company inter- couldn’t wait Tuesday to try out a newly Addabbo, city Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Independence Community Bank CEO Alan Fishman, ested in the Columbia Street water- renovated Parade Grounds baseball field. Bonnie baseball team manager Jerry Katsky and Prospect Park Administrator Tupper Thomas. front, according to the current oper- Right after cutting the ribbon on the new ators of the South Brooklyn Marine baseball field in Flatbush, Brooklyn Parks Terminal. Commissioner Julius Spiegel and City Council Sal Catucci, owner of American Steve- parks committee chairman Joseph Addabbo, doring and American Warehousing, told rolled up their sleeves, picked up bats and took The Brooklyn Papers this week that he’s a few cuts at some fat pitches tossed by Brook- been approached by two other compa- lyn Cyclones pitchers Matthew Lindstrom and nies, MSC Cruises and an alliance of Steve Correa. smaller cruise line companies, that are in- “[For] these executives … one last chance at terested in setting up docking facilities on making the minor leagues,” quipped Prospect Pier 8, at the foot of Congress Street. Park Administrator Tupper Thomas. “They would be interested in Pier 8,” The officials cut the ribbon on fields 7 and 8 Catucci told The Papers this week. “It / Greg Mango / Greg in the Parade Grounds, one for soccer the other Mango / Greg would look beautiful having two passen- a baseball diamond, on Coney Island Avenue ger piers.” between Caton and Parkside avenues. Carnival Cruise Lines has expressed / Tom The completion represents an ongoing reno- interest in docking at Pier 7 and has put vation on the long-neglected fields. forth a proposal to the city. The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn “The Parade Grounds, once again, are the Papers The Brooklyn Catucci currently leases Piers 6-11 pride of Flatbush,” said Borough President Brooklyn Cyclones pitcher Matt Lindstrom pitches one in as The commissioner of Brooklyn’s parks, from the Port Authority of New York and See PARADE on page 6 mascot Sandy the Seagull looks on. Julius Spiegel, takes a cut. New Jersey. But his lease runs out in April and the Port Authority and city Papers The Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation re- cently obtained a consultant to investi- Market day gate the “best possible uses” for Piers 6- The Fort Greene Greenmarket, in Fort Greene Park 12. Abstract possibilities that have been near the Washington Park and DeKalb Avenue en- mentioned so far include box stores, trance, celebrated its opening Saturday with a per- Going postal? Not on Sunday housing and Carnival’s passenger ship formance by the Bedford-Stuyvesant Dance Ju- See CRUISE on page 6 niors. The market will operate every Saturday. GPO may end East closed on Sundays unless the number of users picks up. Sunday hours “If we do not see a volume change we may choose to keep it closed on By Patrick Gallahue Sunday,” he said. The Brooklyn Papers For the third year in a row, the post office has closed its main Brooklyn The General Post Office in branch on Sundays, from July 1 to La- Downtown Brooklyn, closed on bor Day, to save money on what are Sundays for the summer, may re- historically the slowest days. main that way even after Labor Day, The doors remain open from 9 am to due to declining business, a post 3 pm so the public can access stamp office spokesman said. machines and scales. According to Pat Bellantoni, a “What we noticed is the businesses spokesman for the Postal Service in in Downtown, Cadman Plaza, on Sun- Brooklyn, the agency will look at keep- days, just wasn’t there,” Bellantoni ing the branch at 271 Cadman Plaza said. “That Downtown area practically shuts down on Sunday.” While the businesses do not patronize the Cadman Plaza Branch on Sundays, INSIDE THE PAPER some residents and officials were less
Classifieds ...... last 3 pages than thrilled to hear that their packages Mango / Greg Cyclones ...... page 9 would not be accepted on Sundays. Ed Weintrob ...... page 5 “I was dismayed to hear that the post Home Improvement . . GO 7 and back page office in Downtown Brooklyn was GO Brooklyn 8 pages...... after page 6 considering a decision to stay closed Health, Mind & Body ...... page 6
permanently on Sundays,” said Brook- Papers The Brooklyn Parent ...... page 4 lyn Heights Rep. Nydia Velazquez. “As Police Blotter ...... page 2 Mango / Greg Real Estate ...... page 11 New York City’s most populated bor- ough, Brooklynites deserve nothing Circus on the boardwalk Pull-out and save: What to Recycle less than a post office that is open sev- Winn’s Thrills of the Universe circus came to Coney Island last weekend as part of Circus Day fes- 2-PAGE AD IN THE CENTERSPREAD en days a week.” tivities to wow crowds with their high-wire motorcycle trapeze act (above). Closer to earth, Miss See POSTAL on page 6 Saturn (right) twirled hula hoops. Papers The Brooklyn
©The Brooklyn Papers. Established 1978. Phone 718-834-9350. Celia Weintrob, Publisher (ext 104) • Neil Sloane, Editor (ext 119) • Lisa J. Curtis, GO Brooklyn Editor (ext 131) • Vince DiMiceli, Senior Editor (ext 125) • Ed Weintrob, President (ext 105) 2 PSZ THE BROOKLYN PAPERS • WWW.BROOKLYNPAPERS.COM July 21, 2003 Mugged in P’Park Maimonides Medical Center by man with a badge named one of the nation’s By Patrick Gallahue standing about 6-foot-3, and The Brooklyn Papers weighing 185 pounds. If you’re going to be POLICE BLOTTER Gunpoint mug ” approached by anyone in A 26-year-old Park Slope “TOP 100 HEART HOSPITALS Prospect Park at 3 am, you man was attacked on Park make off with a 14-year-old’s Dentist robbed Place, between Fifth and Sixth — Modern Healthcare and Solucient would hope it was a cop bicycle from a building on — or so you’d think. A burglar was busted trying avenues, on July 11. First Street between Fourth to break into a dentist’s office Two men grabbed the vic- A Clinton Hill man told po- and Fifth avenues. on Eighth Avenue between tim at around 11 pm, police lice he was confronted, frisked After the thief broke in Garfield Place and First Street. said. One of the perpetrators and then robbed by a man We thank and salute our through a cellar door at According to police, the pointed a gun at him and said, who flashed what appeared to around 9 pm, a 62-year-old burglar bent the bars to a secu- “You are not going anywhere. be a police badge. neighbor looked out her win- rity gate and then forced his Empty your pockets.” The victim was walking dow to see him walk out with The victim handed over his Cardiac Team. near the Vale of Cashmere the bicycle. She called police, way through the interior door. The office was closed on July cell phone and credit cards section of Prospect Park, off who searched the area and and the muggers fled. Flatbush Avenue behind the caught the suspect with the 12 at around 8:30 pm and a Brooklyn Museum of Art, on bike in his possession. neighbor, who discovered the Shopping cart July 11, when he was con- According to police, he was bars were bent at 8 am on July picked fronted by three men. One in possession of a hypodermic 14, called police. An inventory of stolen A Park Slope woman’s wal- held up a badge hanging syringe at the time of his ar- let was lifted as she shopped around his neck and then or- rest. items was not included in the police report. at a supermarket on Seventh dered the man to turn around Big mouth Avenue between Carroll Street and place his hands on his A criminal blabbermouth F train snatch and Garfield Place. head. talked a man out of $8,200 A 35-year-old Queens According to police, on The robber then frisked the over the course of a month. woman was robbed on a south- July 9, at 11 am, the victim, victim and, according to the The victim, 33, of Berkeley bound F train as it passed the 41, placed her purse in a shop- police report, took $185 out of Place between Sixth and Sev- Seventh Avenue Station at ping cart. She lined up to pay, Maimonides his pocket. The bandit then or- enth avenues, lost his cell Ninth Street on July 12. and then she felt a shove from MEDICAL CENTER dered the victim to leave the phone on June 11, which was According to police, shortly behind before she realized her park. then picked up by the chatter- before 2 pm, the mugger wallet was gone. The victim 4802 Tenth Avenue The Internal Affairs Bureau box, who racked up a series of grabbed the victim by the lost $60, credit cards and iden- Brooklyn, NY 11219 was notified and police are in- unauthorized charges to his throat and yanked a gold tification. vestigating. Physician Referral: 1-888-MMC-DOCS account totaling $8,200. chain off her neck. The sus- When she called the compa- Cardiac Institute: 1-800-682-5558 Nab bike bandit The victim got his bill on pect then escaped to the street. ny to cancel her cards, the per- Police nabbed a burglar on July 10 and reported the The mugger was described petrator had charged an unlisted www.maimonidesmed.org July 14 as he attempted to phone stolen. as a 25-year-old black male amount worth of MetroCards.
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