CAMERA SHY Suit: Ratner Had Me Arrested When I Took His Spy Cam Off My Building
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Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2006 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 18 pages •Vol. 29, No. 40 AWP • Saturday, October 14, 2006 • FREE CAMERA SHY Suit: Ratner had me arrested when I took his spy cam off my building By Dana Rubinstein The Brooklyn Papers One of the remaining property owners in the footprint of the proposed Atlantic Yards project is suing developer Bruce Ratner for mounting a surveillance camera in his building, and then having him arrested for taking it down. “They took me out in handcuffs, put me in the back of a police car and took me to the station,” said Lars Williams, who lives with his sis- ter in a building on GARGANO’S Sixth Avenue between OUR VIEW Pacific and Dean streets SHAME PAGE 6 that he co-owns with / Dennis Ho his dad. “I spent a night in jail for taking a camera off [our] build- ing,” said Williams in disbelief. The Williams family sued last week in Manhattan Supreme Court charging that Ratner’s company had no right to install a video camera on the premises. The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn The suit — which names Bruce Ratner, his vice president, A feral cat in a parking lot in Park Slope approaches a meal placed there by Jesse Oldham of Slope Street Cats. James Stuckey, and their company, Forest City Ratner — also claims that a man named Michael Machuch, an “agent and/or employee” of Ratner’s, had Williams arrested on Oct. 1 for burglary by wrongly telling cops that the camera had been on Ratner-owned property. Williams was booked, but released on his own recogni- On the prowl with zance pending a court date next month. / Gersh Kuntzman Despite repeated attempts by The Brooklyn Papers, a For- est City Ratner spokesperson refused to comment. When a re- porter called FCR directly asking for Machuch, she was told that there was no employee by that name. Security cameras have been sprouting up all over the foot- Papers The Brooklyn print for the proposed $4.2-billion office, residential, hotel Lars Williams points to the spot in his home where Bruce Rat- Brooklyn’s cat lady and arena mega-project, but this is the first time anyone has ner's company had installed a surveillance camera. Williams See SPY CAM on page 15 tore it down and was later arrested. By Dana Rubinstein her “cat colonies” (as groups of wild fe- er to feed the cats and give them shelter The Brooklyn Papers lines are known in the feral cat world). in the cold. This particular colony has about 11 It’s not just any neighborhood “As cute as they look, they will just kitties and sits in a parking lot between jack you up,” said Oldham of the where people can swipe a cat off the two houses. Before Oldham began car- street, have his or her genitals surgi- pussies lazing about the parking lot. Lawmaker: Give us A’Yards info! ing for them, the cats had been keeping “There’s a feral cat saying, ‘A friend- cally removed, and be declared a neighbors up at night with their notori- hero. ly cat is a dead cat.’” By Gersh Kuntzman tor is making the same claim. the state agency because elected of- ously loud mating. Oldham struggled to open a reluctant But in Park Slope, a group of men “The neighbors called me in,” said Assemblyman Jim Brennan (D- ficials — who earlier this year rub- sardine can, when she was interrupted and Ariella Cohen and women doing just that has been Oldham. The Brooklyn Papers Park Slope) said that his office had ber-stamped $100 million for the gaining supporters — and not just be- And in she swooped, trapping the cats, by a middle-aged man picking up his car been forced to file a formal “Free- project with little debate — have not cause next Monday is National Feral neutering them, and putting the better-be- from the lot. Journalists and opponents of dom of Information Law” request been given “complete information.” Cat Day. haved cats up for adoption. “Catwoman!” he cried, and intro- the Atlantic Yards aren’t the this week to force the Empire State Such information is vital, Bren- With that holiday approaching, The But not all wild cats can, after all, be- duced himself as Robert. only ones complaining that the Development Corporation to re- nan said, so the public and elected Brooklyn Papers accompanied Jesse Old- come cuddly lap-sitters. The less-social- “It’s a nice thing you’re doing. Now mega-project’s lead state agency lease “all financial information re- officials can determine whether the ham, the executive director of Slope ized of the kitties returned to the lot, that they’re fixed, they don’t spray my is withholding public informa- lated to the Atlantic Yards project.” project needs to comprise eight Street Cats, as she checked up on one of where volunteers work with the lot own- See CAT LADY on page 14 Jim Brennan tion — now a local state legisla- Brennan said he had to take on See YARDS INFO on page 15 Vito’s Foley linked to Mark By Dana Rubinstein for the seat that covers Staten Island abruptly two weeks ago after ABC return Hastert’s donation as a sign of The Brooklyn Papers and Bay Ridge. news aired his raunchy instant-mes- his blind obedience to the Republican Rep. Vito Fossella has donated Hastert has been engulfed in accusa- sages to House pages. party and to President Bush. tions that he knew about Foley’s sexu- Fossella has received $7,000 from “What we have is a congressman $1,000 he received from disgraced al harassment of male pages, but took Hastert’s Keep our Majority PAC since who says he is an independent, but will ex-Rep. Mark Foley to a Staten no action against Foley, who resigned 1997 — but a $5,000 contribution always rally around the Republicans, Island charity for abused children, came in June 2005, after the Clerk of rather than do the right thing,” Harri- P6 and now, Fossella’s Democratic rival the House says he told Hastert’s chief son said. for Congress is demanding that he P7 of staff about Foley’s behavior. The harsh tone of Harrison’s rheto- return the $7,000 he’s gotten over the “Hastert was aware there were prob- ric echoes the tone of the first two of years from embattled House Speaker lems for months,” said Harrison. “He his debates with Fossella. MAGGIE Dennis Hastert. should have investigated and done At a forum this week at St. Philip’s / J. Pat Carter “You don’t want to show support for something about it.” Church hosted by the Dyker Heights someone who has not been diligent in But Fossella is standing firm. Civic Association, Harrison dispensed MAYHEM his duties as Speaker of the House,” “He is not returning Hastert’s mon- with the usual introductory speech to said Stephen Harrison, the Bay Ridge ey,” said campaign manager Matthew talk instead about what he termed a “de- Associated Press Photo draws readers’ wrath. attorney running against Fossella, New Mika. ception,” pointing to a piece of Fossella Rep. Vito Fossella (left) and disgraced ex-Rep. Mark The Papers apologizes. York’s only Republican congressman, Slope’s ‘Urinetown’ Harrison paints Fossella’s refusal to See FOSSELLA on page 14 Foley shared a stage in Miami earlier this year. Aquarium designs are Coney’s latest freak show Cast your vote: The city is choosing a new look for the New York Aquarium in Coney Island from three final designs created by (left to right), the big-mouth bass by WRT; the sand-dune panorama by Smith-Miller & Hawkinson; and the jellyfish of West 8 Urban Design and Weisz & Yoes. Vote for your favorite at www.brooklynpapers.com and we’ll tell the city Economic Development Corporation which design our readers preferred. By Ariella Cohen select one of the three sea-themed visitors to Coney Island and its oft- activist hoped city officials would Zigun favored the “comic jelly- only 750,000 people visit it annual- welcomed its three-millionth ad- The Brooklyn Papers design proposals as the new exteri- forgotten attraction. choose a design freaky enough for fish” — his nickname for Weisz & ly, most of them coming from the mission-paying tourist. or of the New York Aquarium, a The final designs were drafted Coney Island, once the honky-tonk Yoes’s 16-tendril tower — and dis- five boroughs. Planners hope to finish the Will the next freak in the drab concrete-walled compound by West 8 Urban Design with playground of the Western world. missed WRT’s canopy as “ a blob” Yet nationally, aquariums do big aquarium facelift around the same Coney Island be a 50-foot jelly- just beyond the boardwalk on Surf Weisz and Yoes Architecture; “Give us something loud. Give us and Smith-Miller & Hawkinson’s business. time as developer Joe Sitt finishes fish, a phosphorescent whale Avenue and West Eighth Street. WRT; and Smith-Miller & something comic,” said Dick Zigun, design as “a conceptual prison The Monterey Bay Aquarium, his Las Vegas-style “amusement with a gaping mouth or the The renovation — the first since Hawkinson — and each touted its the founder of the Coney Island Cir- fence.” for instance, draws an average of mall” — $1-billion retail, architectural love child of a the aquarium opened in 1957 — is scheme at a Community Board 13 cus Sideshow and a member of the Whichever design is chosen, the 1.8 million people per year.