LOOK FOR BREAKING NEWS EVERY WEEKDAY AT BROOKLYNPAPER.COM Yo u r Neighborhood — Yo u r News® BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260–2500 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2012 Serving Brownstone Brooklyn, Williamsburg & Bay Ridge AWP/12 pages • Vol. 35, No. 7 • February 17–23, 2012 • FREE ‘TRIAL’ ON TRIAL Bike lane opponents: PPW path was temporary By Natalie O’Neill iment” — putting them well nected bike lane opponents The Brooklyn Paper within legal time limits. MEAN claim it only became a fixed Like a bike with no brakes, Cycling path foes working part of the streetscape in Jan- the fight over the Prospect Park under the name Neighbors for Streets uary 2011. West bike lane just keeps go- Better Bike Lanes are reviv- That seemingly small fact The battle for Brooklyn’s byways ing. ing their lawsuit against the could push back a court-man- Opponents of the contro- high-profile bike lane, argu- dated four-month cut-off date versial lane are appealing a ing that last summer’s ruling The city started installing for filing lawsuits against gov- File photo by Noa Cortes judge’s decision to dismiss by a Brooklyn Supreme Court the bright green bike lane in ernment agencies — giving new The Prospect Park West their case because they filed Justice Bert Bunyan was “le- June 2010 and says it began life to a case filed by bike lane Community Newspaper Group / Eli Rosenberg bike lane is one of the it too late , claiming the bicy- gally and factually erroneous” considering the path a perma- critics in March 2011, lawyer Shirley Worcester, 2, takes a sip of her steamed milk baby- world’s most controver- cle route should have been con- because he failed to consider nent street fixture that same Georgia Winston claims. ccino at Sit and Wonder cafe in Prospect Heights. sial pieces of asphalt. sidered a “temporary exper- the lane a “trial project.” month. But politically con- See BIKE LANE on page 3 HOW THE MONEY MOVES AROUND COFFEE … Power ’Point The city paid The state 1 the state $10 2 might give Greenpoint’s cleanup cash could million to settle $2 million of that a lawsuit for violat- cash to National FOR KIDS! ing pollution laws Grid so it can build a fuel controversial ‘gas’ refi nery in Green- power plant point — promising in Greenpoint Cafes offering ‘Babyccinos,’ By Aaron Short build a profit-making plant that turns the money would go that turns sew- The Brooklyn Paper sewage fumes into power, a Depart- to neighborhood age fumes into espresso shots just for tots A power company might turn Brook- ment of Environmental Protection of- environmental energy. lyn’s farts into fuel by using money ficial told Greenpoint residents last projects. By Eli Rosenberg ing their bottles and juice boxes in the state promised to spend cleaning month. The Brooklyn Paper favor of “babyccinos” — mini de- up Greenpoint, a city environmental “The state was looking at the idea of insider revealed. using the environmental funds with the For access to the foul They grow up so fast. caf cappuccinos or frothy cups of Albany officials could give $2 mil- idea that it could be applied to the Na- 3 septic gas, National Grid Brooklyn’s obsessive coffee cul- steamed milk and foam. lion in grants slated for eco-friendly tional Grid pipeline,” Richard Muller, would pay the city $1 million ture is rubbing off on the borough’s Moms and dads in neighbor- projects in the neighborhood to Na- the agency’s legislative affairs direc- per year. youngest cafe-goers, with tots ditch- See COFFEE on page 9 tional Grid so the energy provider can See POWER on page 9 Slope’s ‘parking ring’ exposed eowners on the block allege. Angry Park Slope motorists Doormen accused of hogging precious spots “I don’t want to sound petty — claim the “parking ring” oper- but I can’t take it anymore,” said ates on Monday and Tuesday By Natalie O’Neill triggered a “Seinfeld”-style mini- their cars on street cleaning days neighbor Maura Collins, who is mornings after street cleaning CNG / Natalie O’Neill The Brooklyn Paper war between drivers hunting for — but the doormen intentionally often forced to park around the ends on Montgomery Place at The doormen at 27 Prospect Park West allegedly create The doormen at a posh Park spaces, neighbors say. create un-parkable “half spaces” corner, or further, when alternate around 10:30 am. “half spots” on purpose — then move the cars forward to Slope building are running a park- Residents at 27 Prospect Park on Montgomery Place to save spots side parking hours end. “It’s just A doorman at 27 Prospect Park make room for each other. ing spot-saving scheme that has West pay their doormen to park for other tenants’s vehicles, hom- so galling.” See PARKING on page 4 SCHOOL’S OUT FOREVER City closes W’burg’s MS 103 PS 19 axed By Kate Briquelet By Aaron Short The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn Paper Teachers in Clinton Hill are fu- The city is closing the book rious that the city will close their on PS 19. Gates Avenue middle school and A Department of Education replace it with a brand new mid- panel voted 9–4 to close the Ro- dle school — claiming the De- berto Clemente School during a partment of Education allowed highly charged five-hour meet- them to fail instead of answer- ing at Brooklyn Technical High ing their pleas for help. School last Thursday, ending the A city panel voted 9–4 last run of a primary school that served week to phase out MS 103 and Community Newspaper Group / Kate Briquelet Williamsburg’s Latino popula- create a new school for sixth, sev- MS 103 students (from left) Alexis Pascall, Tatyana Pacheco, tion for generations. Frizzell Sanders, and Najee Scott are heartbroken over the enth and eighth graders called MS Paymon Rouhanifard, of the Photo by Stefano Giovannini 351, which will take its place in Department of Education’s vote to close their school. Department of Education, justi- the building it shares with the el- fied the panel’s decision to shut- ementary school PS 56. but parents say the city never gave “We don’t deserve what we’re ter the S. Third Street elementary Put your paws up Officials cited MS 103’s inabil- their school a fighting chance by getting,” said PTA member Mo- because it was the “lowest rank- ity to turn around its poor grades , failing to provide the administra- nique Small. “Other schools are ing school in the entire city,” but Marley, a 5-year-old French bulldog, gets her nails done by pet pedicurist Marta Antil low attendance and lack of safety, tive support it needed. See MS 103 on page 9 See PS 19 on page 9 at the Wag Club’s “Valentine Doggy Spa Day” on Sunday in Brooklyn Heights. Landmarking Mustard, relish, condoms Williamsburg hot dog shop hands out prophylactics By Kate Briquelet promote his restaurant, and safe sex. got one high profile taker. their territory The Brooklyn Paper “This is for the greater good of all,” The sausage seller says “Jersey Williamsburg’s hot dog king is dol- he said. “The condoms are fun, the outer Shore” starlet Snooki was his first ing out a different kind of sausage cas- wrapper is hysterical and safe sex is a customer after he spotted her emerg- Slopers hope historic district will ing. good thing to practice.” ing from the Meatball Shop on Bedford The wiener aficionados at Crif Dogs This isn’t the first time kielbasa and Avenue with co-star Deena Nicole. curb development near arena are promoting their Driggs Avenue lo- contraception have come together. Af- Holding a handful of the new rub- cation by handing out custom condoms ter all, German immigrant and sau- bers, Shebairo claims he flagged down By Natalie O’Neill adorned with an eyecatching logo fea- sage-skin maker Julius Schmid cre- the pint-sized prima donna. The Brooklyn Paper Barclays Community Newspaper Group / Kate Briquelet turing a scantily clad woman hugging a ated America’s first reliable form of “I was the creepy weird dude next to Preservationists and elected of- Center Crif Dogs employee Alina Pride giant frankfurter that says “eat me.” birth control using animal intestines her and said, ‘Hey these are for you,’” ficials are pushing to expand Park says that the wiener joint’s free Crif Dogs owner Brian Shebairo is in the 1880s. said Shebairo. Slope’s historic district — a move condoms have been flying off giving away the rubbers — which come Shebairo doesn’t have such huge am- The gal pals thanked him but denied that could protect the neighborhood’s the counter. inside a matchbook cover — for free to bitions — but he claims he’s already See CONDOMS on page 3 charm amidst a predicted wave of FLATBUSH AVE development sparked by the soon- to-open Barclays Center. Councilmen Steve Levin (D–Park Slope) and Brad Lander (D–Park Slope) FIFTH AVE Drivers crying ‘Fowl’ are throwing their weight behind a longstanding Park Slope Civic Council effort to extend the community’s al- Blast Fowler Square pedestrian plaza plan ready substantial landmark district to PRESIDENT ST include 12 blocks of buildings between By Kate Briquelet to get to Fulton Street. Fowler Square currently Fifth and Sixth avenues bounded by The Brooklyn Paper “This isn’t Amsterdam — we houses a statue of Fort Greene’s SIXTH AVE Flatbush Avenue and President Street A tiny Fort Greene street is need our street!” said longtime famous Civil War general Ed- — effectively barring non-contextual becoming a battlefield for pe- resident Joe Napoli.