OBAMATHON Barack Raises Bucks on Hill’S ‘Turf’ by Dana Rubinstein About Kennedy,” Said Alexander
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OUR FIVE GUYS GO TO FIVE GUYS! P.8 Brooklyn’s Real Newspaper BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 834–9350 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2007 BROOKLYN HEIGHTS–DOWNTOWN EDITION AWP/16, 18 pages • Vol. 30, No. 33 • Saturday, Aug. 25, 2007 • FREE INCLUDING DUMBO OBAMATHON Barack raises bucks on Hill’s ‘turf’ By Dana Rubinstein about Kennedy,” said Alexander. “I The Brooklyn Paper DECISION ’08 think he will bring change to the world.” Barack Obama was John F. Gillian Charles, a Prospect Heights Kennedy, Malcolm X and Martin crowd in a call-and-response chant, resident, chose different historical Luther King Jr. all rolled into one for “Are you fired up?” he yelled. predecessors: Martin Luther King Jr. an overflow crowd of supporters at “Fired up!” yelled back the support- and Malcolm X. the junior senator from Illinois’ first ers, each of whom paid $25 to get in. “He has charisma, he’s engaging,” official campaign stop in Brooklyn “Are you ready to go?” he yelled. said Charles. “He has a voice, it’s on Wednesday night. “Ready to go!” screamed the compelling, and people listen.” Standing before the emotional and crowd. Other supporters pointed to Oba- heterogeneous crowd at the Brooklyn Many in the audience were down- ma’s background as one of the primary Marriott in Downtown, Obama gave a right starry-eyed, fanning themselves reasons for their support of him over charismatic stump speech, pacing the with folded paper and rushing the other Democratic contenders. Callan / Tom stage and throwing red meat lines to a stage to get his autograph. Frank Alert, a black resident of hungry audience while touching on Elvia Alexander, of East Flatbush, Bedford-Stuyvesant, said, “Obama is the issues of the day: education (he compared Obama’s charisma to that of someone who looks like me, who is supports it), health care (he wants to John F. Kennedy, who was 43 when he articulate, who has hope.” expand it), and the war in Iraq (he was elected to the presidency, five Even so, Alert was skeptical that Paper The Brooklyn wants American out of it). years younger than Obama would be someone who looks like him could get Illinois Sen. Barack Obama at the Brooklyn Mar- By the end of his 40-minute rally- in 2008. elected. riott on Wednesday night — his second ing-cry, Obama was engaging the “When I think about him, I think See OBAMAMANIA on page 14 fundraiser in the borough in a month. Gov. Spitzer makes house FEMA to ads illegal By Dana Rubinstein B’Ridge: The Brooklyn Paper Gov. Spitzer has signed a bill that would make it illegal to leave menus and circulars Matthew Weinstein A police officer stands at the Department of Education’s Manhattan headquarters, on people’s stoops — but the new law has where protesters rallied on Monday to demand the reinstatement of Khalil Gibran Acad- set off a messy situation of its own for emy principal Debbie Almontaser, who resigned under fire earlier this month. small business owners who depend on Ask Bush such strategies to draw in customers. The so-called Lawn Litter Bill will fine By Matthew Lysiak business owners be- The Brooklyn Paper tween $250 and $1,000 for dropping Federal disaster aid for residents of Bay Ridge who were delivery menus and pummeled by the Aug. 8 tornado is being held up until Presi- STANDING FIRM dent Bush, who is on vacation in Texas for the rest of the circulars on private month, decides whether he wants to release the funds. property if the owner Gov. Spitzer formally requested disaster relief from the Fed- has posted a sign ex- Amid protest, city backs Jewish plicitly stating that no eral Emergency Management Agency on Monday — and such ads are allowed. called for swift action by the principal at new Arabic school It passed both houses federal bureaucracy. of the legislature in FEMA inspectors did make June and Spitzer signed Gibran International Academy, had been quot- Gov. Spitzer their own damage assessments By Dana Rubinstein it into law on Monday. ed in the New York Post earlier this month de- on Aug. 13 and sent a recom- The Brooklyn Paper “For me, it’s litter on my steps,” said Judy fending the T-shirt on the grounds that the word mendation to the president. But A diverse group that included Arab- Stanton, the executive director of the Brook- “intifada” literally translates as “shaking off.” the buck has stopped — and American activists and Jewish educators lyn Heights Association, which already dis- apparently stalled — there, ac- “Debbie should lead this school because / Gary Thomas rallied on the steps of the Department of Ed- tributes its own placards asking merchants to cording to FEMA spokes- ucation on Monday to demand the reinstate- she founded it, and it’s her vision,” said Mona refrain from leaving ads on the stoop. Eldahry, founding director of Arab Women woman Barbara Lynch, who ment of Debbie Almontaser to the helm of “It goes straight from my front door to my said the rare tornado may not the city’s first Arabic language and culture Active in the Arts and Media (AWAAM), the recycling can,” continued Stanton. “And organization that sells the “Intifada NYC” T- have generated enough media academy. sometimes I have to wash my hands because coverage to get the president’s shirts and shares an office with another organ- Paper The Brooklyn The rally came less than two weeks after there’s dirt on there.” limited attention. ization associated with Almontaser. Eldahry Almontaser resigned amid an uproar over her The litany of complaints about circulars “Higher-profile cases seem defense of a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Intifa- was one of the organizers of the rally, which extends far beyond dirty hands. Residents Here’s the pitch to move a lot faster,” said da NYC,” and a Jewish, non-Arabic-speaking drew close to 200 people. from Brooklyn Heights to Bensonhurst com- Lynch. “This situation didn’t educator was appointed in her place to run the “Debbie attempted to educate the public plain of getting tickets for fliers that blow Brooklyn Paper ad sales rep Eric Ross shows off the get the media attention it war- Associated Press school, which is slated to begin its first school about the word ‘intifada’ [by using] a defini- onto their sidewalk, and many fear that while form that makes him a great ad rep during Brook- ranted.” year next month in a Dean Street middle- and tion you’ll find in any dictionary.” they’re on vacation, piles of circulars make lyn Paper Night at Keyspan Park on Aug. 16. The Lynch said agency inspectors were “just flabbergasted” by high-school building. Almontaser later condemned the use of “in- their homes targets for burglars. first-place Cyclones won 7–1. For complete, Triple- the millions of dollars of damage caused by the tornado — Almontaser, the founder of the Khalil See GIBRAN on page 12 See SPITZER on page 14 Threat Cyclones coverage, See Page 6. See BUSH on page 14 What the ’Nell is going on? Citing high rents here, Hook merchant eyes Manhattan By Juliana Bunim wants to open a bar in addition to the geous rent that’s not realistic for Red for The Brooklyn Paper liquor store, and is concerned that Hook, or [are] on a side street with no Red Hook might not generate enough foot traffic.” Could legendary Red Hook heat. It’s not “Red Hot Red Hook” Manhattan might provide more foot booze baroness LeNell Smothers’s like so many bulls—t articles would traffic, but it comes at a premium. new signature drink be a — gasp! have folks believe,” said Smothers. “Retail rent in lower Manhattan is — Manhattan? “There’s just not that many services easily double that of Red Hook, espe- “Yes, I’m looking outside of Red around like banks and restaurants.” cially for a liquor store,” said Soli- Hook — mostly in Lower Manhat- And that could prose a problem for taire Macfoy of Fillmore Real Estate tan,” said the owner of LeNell’s, Van a fledgling bar. in Brooklyn Heights. Brunt Street’s renowned bourbon and But local residents are not ready And finding retail space that will wine shop. for LeNell to pack up her specialty welcome a liquor store — even an up- Ever since Smothers told The bourbons and bitters. In only four scale one — can be tricky. “It can be a Brooklyn Paper last month that her years, her store has become a com- long process to find a space that is not landlord is reclaiming the space, the LeNell Smothers munity favorite for its kitschy atmos- near schools, places of worship and rumor mill has been churning over phere, quality stock and service. other liquor stores,” said Smothers. where her esteemed LeNell’s Wine “LeNell’s is a neighborhood jewel,” For now, Smothers has a full and Spirit Boutique would end up. to print that we are closing. We are said Georgia Kral, a neighbor. “LeNell schedule of events planned for the But Smothers has had with all the not closing down.” really makes you feel at home. It is lit- fall, including an Old Portrero rye Callan / Tom gossip, so she again turned to The Next summer, when her current erally like no other liquor store.” tasting, a fourth anniversary party and Brooklyn Paper to explain what is re- five-year lease expires, Smothers But finding space is difficult in the Brooklyn Bourbon festival. ally happening with her store. As al- must open a new store within 1,000 Red Hook.