CLONES CRY: WAIT ’TIL NEXT YEAR By Gersh Kuntzman full cooler of ice water on their manager, Andy Stewart. of his family in the crowd — had been ineffective in his for The Brooklyn Papers “I’ve seen this on TV all the time, but it’s never hap- three prior at-bats, so he laid down a picture-perfect bunt. After losing 7-2 in Pennsylvania Tuesday, it was pened to me,” Stewart said. “I love it!” He eventually scored on Milver Reyes’ two-out single. do-or-die for the Brooklyn Cyclones Wednesday Many of the Cyclones remained on the top step of the The Cyclones had put themselves in Wednesday night’s night at Keyspan Park — and they died. dugout, watching what a championship looks like. do-or-die situation with a horrible 7-2 loss the night before “Sure, there’s a sour taste in all our mouths right now in Williamsport. The Crosscutters scored five runs in the sec- So it was the Williamsport Crosscutters — not the home- town Cyclones — who were spraying Champagne in cele- because everyone’s goal is to get a ring,” said first-base- ond inning, and the Cyclones were pretty much done for the bration of an 11th-inning, 4-3 victory and a two-game man Ian Bladergroen, who played all but one of the Cy- night. They threatened once, loading the bases in the 7th, but sweep of the New York-Penn League championship series. clones’ games this season only to fracture his thumb on a Brett Harper popped up to end the rally. / Gersh Kuntzman “Man, this feels so great!” said Cutters pitcher Kurt quirky play in the third inning. “But this was a great sea- “Of course we’re all hanging our heads now,” said Cy- Shafer, who’s barely of drinking age, yet was the first man son and in a few days, we’re all going to remember that clones pitcher Tanner Osberg, looking around the somber on the field with Champagne, kicking off a raucous celebra- and feel better about what we accomplished.” Clones locker room. “But those heads will be held high tion. Brooklyn fans initially booed — a bush-league move, The game-winning rally started like so many in a few days. We made it to a place that every other team many observers thought — but quickly cheered the new Williamsport rallies before, with a single by Anthony in the league wishes it could get to. What a great season.” Papers The Brooklyn champs as they whooped it up on the infield and dumped a Bocchino. The Brooklyn native — who had 80 members The week’s complete Cyclones coverage: page 10. Rashad Parker walks off the field after 7-2 Game 1 loss Tuesday night. INSIDE Including The Bensonhurst Paper Fall fashion preview Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications at 26 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 © Brooklyn Paper Publications • 18 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol.26, No. 37 BRZ • September 15, 2003 • FREE Last hero Memorial plans displayed is buried By Patrick Gallahue The Brooklyn Papers A vial of blood donated by Red Hook Firefighter Michael Paul Ragusa was / Greg Mango / Greg buried Monday in place of his remains, which were never recovered from the Mango / Greg World Trade Center site. His was the last of the 343 funerals for firefighters who perished at the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11, 2001. The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn Under a cloud- Papers The Brooklyn less sky and Designs for a Sept. 11 memorial on the 69th Street Pier were put on display this week. Left to right: designs by Alice Aycock, Robert Hickman and Helen Evans Ramsaran against a breeze coming off Ja- By Deborah Kolben communities who died that day. Robert Hickman, Deborah Masters, Helen renderings. maica Bay, in a The Brooklyn Papers Now, two years later, Brooklyn Re- Evans Ramsaran and Robert Ressler — “It’s about trying to find hope and pur- display that has be- selected to submit plans for the monument pose in the future,” Masters said of “Rev- Just weeks after the Sept. 11 terror members, the neighborhood coalition come all too famil- charged with selecting a memorial monu- now have their proposals on display in the elations,” her proposal to install six seated iar since 9-11, but attacks, local politicians and civic lead- ment that will stand at the American Vet- Long Island Commercial Bank branch at figures facing in the direction of where the which has not been ers gathered to decide how the com- erans Memorial Pier, at 69th Street, in 375 86th St. twin towers once stood. seen in some munities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights honor of those men and women, is ready- Rep. Vito Fossella and state Sen. Marty “They’re contemplating their lost loved months, thousands and Bensonhurst would remember the ing itself to make that decision. Golden joined civic leaders and several of ones, why somebody would do such a / Greg Mango / Greg of firefighters approximately 130 people from their Five prominent artists — Alice Aycock, the artists Sept. 8 at the unveiling of the formed an honor See FIRST VIEW on page 9 guard outside the Church of St. Bernard, in Bergen Beach. Hundreds The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn more friends, fam- Firefighters stand in silence as Ragusa’s Engine 279 ily and city offi- drives past on East 69th Street. cials came to pay Street namings still on hold their respects to Ragusa, 29, who was raised just blocks away. By Deborah Kolben Community Board 10 in June, when Harrison told her that renam- Despite the two years that have passed since 9-11, the memories of the tragedy The Brooklyn Papers when at the behest of it’s chairman, ings were not to be used as memo- weighed heavily on the ceremony. Stephen Harrison, the board tabled rials but as an honor for “achieve- Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fire As the city pauses to all requests for street and park ments in life.” Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta at the Sept. 8 ceremony, recalled the moment remember the lives lost in the namings for civilians killed on 9- “Our goal is consistency and when the two buildings collapsed and he was told that as many as 600 or 700 fire- terror attacks on the World 11. fairness,” Harrison told The Bay fighters and police officers may have been killed. Trade Center, the battle in Bay While other parts of the city, in- Ridge Paper in April. “The concept “The numbers were staggering, and I thought how can we do this?” he said at the Ridge over how to memorial- cluding neighboring Bensonhurst is to put a review procedure in funeral. “How can we bury so many people?” ize the more than 100 commu- and Staten Island have named place to assure that the person or Since the attacks, he, Bloomberg and both their commissioners have attended hun- nity members who died that streets after any victim whose fam- organization being memorialized dreds of funerals for the emergency workers and some of the civilians lost on 9-11. ily has made a request, under Bay truly earned the high honor to be “I remember them in the rain, in the snow,” Giuliani said of the countless memori- day rages on. / Greg Mango / Greg Ridge’s community board guide- bestowed.” als. For the past five months, Eileen lines police officers and firefighters “It was a real slap in the face,” Three days before the commemoration of the terror attacks, a vial of blood that Geraty has been fighting to have a are entitled to street namings but Geraty said. Ragusa had donated to a bone marrow center was placed in a casket in place of his stretch of Gelston Avenue named civilian 9-11 victims are not. With an unusual number of pro- remains. for her daughter, Suzanne Geraty, a “It doesn’t go away,” said Ger- posals to rename streets, parks and Bloomberg said it was a “cathartic moment” to many New Yorkers to see the last Cantor-Fitzgerald employee who aty, 63. “It’s a death in your family other public places, the community firefighter honored. Papers The Brooklyn was on the 103rd floor of the that you cannot mourn just within board stopped reviewing applica- “One is too many,” he said. “Three hundred and forty-three is almost too much to Eileen Geraty holds a photo of her daughter, Suzanne, North Tower when it collapsed. your family, it’s the whole world.” tions last summer until it could See FUNERAL on page 9 who died in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. But that effort was stymied by Geraty said she was devastated See NAMES on page 9 Schools lose vend contracts By Deborah Kolben the money will now go directly to the sports team will continue,” said cating and not on administrative or The Brooklyn Papers the department. Fort Hamilton High School PTA business issues,” Klein said. “Princi- This news came as a blow to offi- President Albert Asfazadour. pals are no longer responsible for ne- Kids can kiss that junk food cials at Fort Hamilton High School, “I’m hopeful that the Snapple deal goodbye — and maybe money gotiating operating and collecting in Bay Ridge, where for years the will replace in full what has been revenues for vending agreements for their school’s sports teams as school has raised upwards of taken from the school, because that well. and freeing them to focus on educat- $50,000 annually for its sports teams was a significant amount of revenue ing children.” A new city contract with the by selling juice and iced tea in its for extracurricular and sports activi- Snapple and the city have entered Snapple beverage company means vending machines.