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Fireworks, music, theater The Brooklyn Papers is closed for its Happy annual Independence Week vacation and more! Look for The Papers again July 15 TURN TO P 9 Fourth! BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS Including The Brooklyn Heights Paper, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper, DUMBO Paper and the Downtown News Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington St, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2006 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 20 pages •Vol. 29, No. 26 AWP • Saturday, July 1/8, 2006 • FREE FOES LODGE COMPLAINT IT’S NOT APARK! Hotel driveway in greenspace By Ariella Cohen Supreme Court last week that the John The Brooklyn Papers Street hotel — and other buildings with- in the “park” footprint — shouldn’t be Supporters of a park along the considered a part of the publicly funded Brooklyn waterfront this week “park” at all. blasted the state’s proposed com- Empire State Development Corpora- mercial, residential and greenspace tion lawyer David Paget argued that re- development known as Brooklyn gardless of their joint use of the name Bridge Park after new renderings “Brooklyn Bridge Park” — and shared showed a hotel driveway inside geography along the Brooklyn waterfront / Joshua Janke one entrance. — the “development” and the “parkland” Under the current state proposal, the are distinct entities. so-called Brooklyn Bridge Park will in- “They are not the same thing,” he clude more and more private develop- told Justice Lawrence Knipel at the first ment within its Brooklyn Heights and hearing in the landmark case. Papers The Brooklyn DUMBO footprint, opponents charge. Park opponents weren’t impressed by “The planners are catering to income- Paget’s linguistic legerdemain. producing venues and now land that “It’s all a little glib,” said Jo Anne Si- Mermaids ascend on Coney Island was supposed to be park is becoming mon, a Downtown lawyer and Democrat- Of course Saturday’s wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of hundreds of mermaids who showed up for their annual parade in Coney Island. The march down service areas for the development,” said ic district leader. “The fact is, the buildings Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk featured the usual suspects of bare-chested sea goddesses and the landlubbers who adore them. DUMBO resident Lucy Wilner, follow- are part of the park because they are on ing a public meeting with project plan- land that was supposed to be park.” ners last Thursday at Metrotech. Robert Chiara, the attorney for the pro- “They make a driveway for a hotel and ject’s opponents, argued that the state must call it a park drop-off,” she fumed. divulge all agreements made between the Wilner’s complaint underscored the park planners and developers of the con- ongoing debate surrounding the 1.3- dos and commercial spaces within it. “There may be deals with other devel- For Vito, fact-finding pays well mile-long project. Opponents — including the Sierra opers,” he said, according to court papers Club — have sued, claiming that it is il- obtained by The Brooklyn Papers. legal to put private development within Developers have sought to be included News: Ridge Rep. misused campaign cash — and Muppets! a public park. in the park zone because such projecs cir- But a state lawyer argued in Brooklyn cumvent local review and tax assessments. By Dana Rubinstein from political consultants and corporate tiny in the wake of corruption scandals that The Brooklyn Papers sponsors for “fact-finding missions,” in- have rocked the national GOP, including cluding a $5,000 stay at Turnberry Isle Re- the fall of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and House Bay Ridge’s four-term Republican sort near Miami, which he charged to a po- Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). congressman has been dipping into litical consultant’s credit card. Clear links between Abramoff and Fos- ICE BREAKER campaign funds to finance pleasure Fossella also failed to disclose a free sella were previously reported. Records roundtrip to Miami on the private jet of the show that Abramoff hosted a 2002 Cyclones finally win a game! trips to exclusive resorts in Florida, Colorado, Nevada and California, late Richard Adeo, cited by federal author- fundraiser for Fossella at a Yankees/Ori- TRIPLE-THREAT coverage P15 according to published reports. ities as a Gambino crime family associate. oles game in Baltimore that raked in He even sent out a taxpayer-funded $1,000 a ticket. Fossella has denied that Rep. Vito Fossella violated federal law mailing in which it appeared that Muppets Abramoff was involved in the event. BROOKLYN when he took $53,142 from his campaign Elmo and Rosita were endorsing him — a Steve Harrison, Fossella’s Democratic CONEY BARD’S P5 war chest to pay for fun-filled trips to the no-no in the public TV world (see photo). opponent in November’s election, said: HOT DOG ODE Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas A Federal Election Commission spokes- takes have been made,” but attributed the “There seem to be some legs to [the and the Lodge at Vail, according to the man would not confirm whether Fossella confusion to poor bookkeeping. charges], by virtue of the fact that he has ad- BRIEFS SEE PAGE 2 FIREWORKS Daily News. is under investigation, saying “enforce- “Everything we’ve done has been con- mitted that he made some mistakes and has The trips often included his wife and ment matters are confidential under law.” sistent with rules and regulations,” he said. had to amend 18 forms over the years, two children, the News reported. If found guilty, Fossella would, at He did not return calls from The Brook- which seems to an awful lot.” P6 In addition to the alleged misuse of cam- most, face a fine, the spokesman said. lyn Papers. “This hurts his chances for re-election — BRING ON WAL-MART! paign funds, the congressman took $11,000 Fossella told the Daily News that “mis- Fossella has been under increased scru- he’s clearly out of touch with the people.” As far as hot dogs go, this could be our year HIS COULD BE the year ashi, on July 4 at Coney Island. an exclusive interview (“exclusive” Hot Dog,” and, more recently, “The downing all those hot dogs and all and spit, bun, bits of mystery meat 2. The fear factor: Kobayashi when I get to see a grown Can Chestnut — who never even because I once stole his cellphone Breslin of the Bowel.” those buns. and sweat — I know a bona-fide has never been challenged. In fact, TJapanese man cry. That’s competed in the Nathan’s contest un- number off my caller ID, “interview” But you newbies should know And before Kobayashi, it was phenom when I see one. Chestnut is no one has even come within a right, sports fans, it all grills down til last year, when he ate a mere 32 because he picked up the phone). that for the past five years, I have sat Kazutoyo “The Rabbit” Arai. And the real deal. dozen HDBs of beating him. A to this: Joey Chestnut — a new- hot dogs and buns — beat Koba- Who am I to make such an out- inches below Kobayashi as he masti- before him, Steve “Ralph” Keiner. And there are at least three factors dozen. comer who ate 50 hot dogs and yashi, whose personal best is more landish claim that Chestnut can beat cated his way into history. And before him, Hirofumi “The playing in his favor next week: But this time, Kobayashi is look- buns in May — is poised and than 20 HDBs better? Kobayashi? This columnist certainly It’s a dirty job — no, it’s a really Tokyo Terror” Nakajima. And before 1. Age before booty: At 27, ing fear in the face — not the tem- ready to defeat the greatest athlete In a word, yes. needs no introduction among the dirty job — but somebody has to him, Ed “The Maspeth Monster” Kobayashi is practically ancient by porary fear that comes from eating of all time, five-time world hot- “I do feel I’m getting stronger,” frankagencia, who know me as “The crouch below the table of champions Krachie. competitive-eating standards. By age a few pounds of pan-seared cow dog-eating champ Takeru Kobay- Chestnut told The Brooklyn Angle in Bard of Bull,” “The Homer of the to verify that Kobayashi is indeed Covering myself in such glory — 25, Frank “Hollywood” Dellarosa — brains or downing bowl after bowl unforgettable after his then-record- of mayonnaise. This time, setting “21 in ’91” performance — Kobayashi is facing a challenger had already moved to LaLa Land for who could actually beat him. his staring “I think role in “Kiss that’s the big- Tail of the tape Me, Guido” THE BROOKLYN gest thing,” (he played Chestnut said. By Gersh Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi* CONTESTANT Joey “Jaws” Chestnut one of the Kuntzman “He’s never guidos). Hi- ANGLE been pushed Nagano, Japan Hometown San Jose, Calif. rofumi “The before.” Tokyo Terror” Nakajima — who did Chestnut knows how to do that, 27 Age 22 more for the sport of competitive eat- pushing Kobayashi for seven min- ing than anyone since the Roman utes of the eight-minute Krystal 132 Weight 230 gladiator Vomitus Minimus — was hamburger-eating competition re- finished in his mid-20s. cently. True, Kobayashi munched Competitive eater Full-time job College student As former champion Ed “The ahead in the last few seconds to Maspeth Monster” Krachie used to pluck victory from the jaws of de- 53 1/2 Personal best (in HDBs) 50 say, “I just want one more contest.