GET FREE TICKETS – SEE INSIDE FOR DETAILS Yo u r NeighborhoodYo u r Neighborhood — Yo u r — News Yo u r ® News® BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260–2500 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2011 Serving Brownstone Brooklyn, Williamsburg & Bay Ridge AWP/18 pages • Vol. 34, No. 47 • November 25–December 1, 2011 • FREE YARDS UNION HAUL Ratner’s ‘pre-fabs’ would hurt his labor backers By Daniel Bush per hour when working inside the The Brooklyn Paper Ratner kind of factory where Ratner will Union workers are coming to build the pre-fabricated units. Bruce Ratner’s rescue — again! Construction Many union leaders merely — agreeing to take massive pay shrugged when asked about the cuts to pave the way for the first Update pay cuts, suggesting that if the residential building at Atlantic workers don’t give back, the proj- Yards, a cut-rate, pre-fabricated ect might not go ahead, leaving tower to rise next to the Barclays ers and Ratner, workers would laborers with no work at all. Center. give up millions of dollars in pay “We are attempting to reach Labor unions provided crucial to allow the developer to move an agreement … that will work support for Ratner when his con- forward with the cheaper, mod- for the building trades,” said troversial, $5-billion project was ular building. Gary LaBarbera, president of moving through the approval pro- It is unclear how much money the Building and Construction SHoP ArchitectsSHoP cess five years ago in exchange will be lost to laborers, but car- Trades Council. Bruce Ratner revealed designs for “modular” buildings at Atlantic Yards. The first (far for a promise of high-paying jobs. penters make as much as $90 an A labor union source trans- left) will rise at the corner of Dean Street and Flatbush Avenue and become the world’s But the agreement currently being hour in wages and benefits at real lated LaBarbera for those who tallest pre-fab building. Union workers would bring home far less pay under this plan. negotiated between union lead- ArchitectsSHoP construction sites, but only $30 See YARDS on page 16 Cone rangers City installs barriers to deter Park cyclists By Natalie O’Neill in recent months — to narrow The Brooklyn Paper MEAN the street in hopes of retard- The city has a message for ing cyclists and warn them to bicyclists in Prospect Park Streets brake for pedestrians. in the wake of two near-fatal The cones, which were in- The battle for Brooklyn’s byways stalled last week on West Lake Photo by Stefano Giovannini crashes: Slow down! Drive, are also a symbol of a The city installed traffic cones to slow down cyclists The Department of Trans- sized cones on the park’s pop- heated debate — over hazy on West Lake Drive in Prospect Park, but some are portation has deployed two ular roadway — where two se- right of way issues — that pits still confused about rules. dozen bright orange, barrel- rious collisions have occurred cyclists against walkers on the heavily trafficked street. The city began the “pilot pro- Photo by Elizabeth Graham gram” at the request of park of- Kasia Bednarska’s Italian greyhound Tali is recovering from surgery. ficials to enhance safety on the downhill street, where bikers She wants cash for crash pick up speed, but then can’t see beyond a curve. Pedestrian injured in collision with Park cyclist sues city “It’s a hot spot with poten- Huge hearts tial for conflict,” said Pros- By Natalie O’Neill According to Jacks’s prelim- have long complained about pect Park Alliance president for The Brooklyn Paper inary court documents, which hazy right of way rules. Emily Lloyd. “Everyone us- were first revealed by our sis- “My wife was gravely in- ing the park must be aware of A Windsor Terrace actress the safety of others.” ter paper, The New York Post, jured,” her husband Forrest who was nearly killed in a crash The road change comes two the charismatic 37-year-old suf- Cicogni told a park task force for little dog with a bicyclist in Prospect Park weeks after a 55-year-old park is preparing to sue the city for fered a fractured skull along on Wednesday. “Racing needs volunteer and frequent power $3 million, claiming speeding with face and brain trauma to be limited to very specific walker Linda Cohen was struck Paper story prompts donations two-wheelers put pedestrians that kept her in the hospital hours. You don’t allow cars to by a 61-year-old cyclist in the in danger on the park’s popu- for 25 days. race in the park; you shouldn’t area, leaving her so badly in- By Natalie O’Neill The dog-loving benefactors have lar roadway. In her notice of claim, Jacks allow bikes to race.” jured that doctors kept her in The Brooklyn Paper funded a $5,000 bone graft surgery Dana Jacks — who starred blames the Parks Department Neither he nor Jacks re- a medically induced coma to Six generous donors have covered to repair the leg that was broken by a in an off-Broadway production and the NYPD for a “careless Actress Dana Jacks is turned calls. aid recovery. the expensive veterinary bill of an Ital- pit bull-mix, who pounced on Kasia of “Our Town” and frequently and reckless” lack of traffic poised to sue the city for News of the coming law- Cohen wasn’t the first vic- ian greyhound who became front page Bednarska’s skinny little pup, Tali, last walked her dog, Scout, in the enforcement on what should $3 million after she was suit comes two weeks after be- tim: In June, 37-year-old ac- news in this paper after he was was Monday near the boathouse . park — was struck by a cyclist be a serene street, where cy- hit by a cyclist in Pros- loved park volunteer and avid tress Dana Jacks, who fre- mangled by another pooch in Pros- “It’s a happy ending,” said Bed- on West Lake Drive in June. clist, pedestrians and drivers pect Park. See SUIT on page 7 See CONES on page 7 pect Park. See DOG on page 14 City: Vito’s charity boss cooked the books OK’d the pay raises — but return stated that executive CEO gave herself, others big pay raises — then forged records the document did not have pay had been reviewed, de- any board member signa- liberated, and approved by By Aaron Short raises — and then lied about 2008, bumping her already Board documents show until nearly two years later, tures on it. its board and an independent The Brooklyn Paper it, a bombshell city investi- lavish $336,000 salary to that the sky-high salary hikes when Fisher sent them to be Three weeks later, Fisher committee — but several The top official hand- gation charges. $782,000, while Ridgewood — plus a lump-sum payment prepared with the group’s fed- faxed another copy of that board members cast some picked by Assemblyman Christiana Fisher, the Bushwick’s housing director, to Fisher of $218,659 — were eral tax returns. document, which suddenly doubt on that. Vito Lopez to run his Bush- CEO of the Lopez-founded Angela Battaglia, collected a approved on Feb. 4, 2008. In August, 2010, Fisher contained signatures of all Ridgewood Bushwick’s Community Newspaper Group / Aaron Short wick charity forged docu- Ridgewood Bushwick Se- $145,000 raise in 2008, jump- But executives at Ridgewood faxed a copy of a key tax doc- eight board members, to then-chairwoman Lucy Cusi- Christiana Fisher gave ments to give her and Lo- nior Citizens Council, re- ing her salary from $198,000 Bushwick testified they did ument to her accountant that the city. mano told city investigators herself a raise. pez’s girlfriend massive pay ceived a $446,000 raise in to $343,000. not see the board documents showed that the board had The charity’s federal tax See LOPEZ on page 7 Coal’d comfort Ice creamed Grimaldi’s loses oven in move Dime found in the Häagen-Dazs By Kate Briquelet The Brooklyn Paper By Aaron Short Grimaldi’s, regarded by many 68p10.038 The Brooklyn Paper as the best pizzeria in the city, is This pint of ice cream came moving to a new DUMBO loca- with cash back. tion, but leaving behind the key A Hasidic woman’s Shabbat to its success: its coal oven. was spoiled after she bit into a The iconic Old Fulton Street frozen dime buried inside a con- pie shop will serve its final pie tainer of Häagen-Dazs choco- late at her Williamsburg home at its current location on Nov. 28, Photo by Stefano Giovannini then open one day later open in Co-owner Gina Ciolli shows on Nov. 11. 1 Front St., as first reported on off the goods with waiter Sara Abraham purchased BrooklynPaper.com. Roman Sidorsky at Grimal- two containers of the delecta- But its coal-fired oven — one of di’s, the legendary pizzeria ble confection from a Kent Av- only a few dozen left in a city once that will move up the block. Photo by Stefano Giovannini enue Duane Reade store on Nov. teeming with them — will remain “Occupier” Jenny Formerlyfone rallied at Borough Hall before heading underground. 11, as she has done once a week behind, a huge home field advan- since the pharmacy opened sev- tage to the space’s incoming, but last August, but a judge forced eral months ago. still unnamed, restaurant. Waxman to accept back payments, But by the fifth spoonful, she “I love competition,” Grimal- staving off the eviction .