BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS Including The Bensonhurst Paper 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 • © 2005 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages •Vol. 28, No. 10 BRZ • Saturday, March 5, 2005 • FREE RIDGE STATE SENATOR TO CITY: Ridge rezone could pass this month By Jotham Sederstrom plan next and, if approved, it sioners voted “yes” on the The Brooklyn Papers could be signed into law by plan with almost no discus- Mayor Michael Bloomberg by sion. Quickly and without much the end of this month. One exception was Dolly fanfare, the City Planning As quickly as zoning matter Williams, an appointee of Commission unanimously ap- “C 050314” was introduced at Borough President Marty proved the rezoning of 249 a March 2 meeting at the City Markowitz, who lauded the blocks of Bay Ridge Wed- Planning Commission’s office plan before issuing her own nesday morning. on Reade Street in Lower “OK.” The council will review the Manhattan, the 13 commis- “City Planning and the people in Brooklyn did a fab- ulous job of the rezoning of Bay Ridge,” said Williams. “What we have been seeing in recent years is the destruc- School named tion of this wonderful, won- derful neighborhood.” The hearing marked the penultimate step in the city’s for Grippo Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), a rough- ly seven-month process that By Jotham Sederstrom requires hearings before and The Brooklyn Papers recommendations by Com- Breaking with a policy that munity Board 10, Markowitz, bars the naming of public the City Planning Commis- sion and the City Council. Showtime schools until at least a year Bloomberg has voiced his after a proposed honoree has public support for the effort died, Schools Chancellor Joel Mango / Greg on several occasions and is Klein has approved the re- expected to quickly sign off naming of a Dyker Heights on it. Get ‘The L’ off bus shelters elementary school in honor of “I would say that this zon- the late District 20 Superin- ing in Bay Ridge is probably By Jotham Sederstrom “I’ve never even seen [this many] Jennifer Beals, best known for her star turn work’s first gay hit, “Queer as Folk.” tendent Vincent Grippo. up there among the most sig- The Brooklyn Papers naked women,” said a blushing Golden, in the movie “Flashdance,” strategically But despite heaps of acclaim, resi- While effective immediately, Papers File The Brooklyn nificant things to happen to who sent a Feb. 22 letter to the Depart- crosses her arms to cover her chest while dents in Bay Ridge have doused com- Vincent Grippo. Marty Golden, Brooklyn’s Republi- ment of Transportation calling for the the series name runs just below. Above that plaints on Golden, who said his office See GRIPPO on page 2 See ZONING on page 3 can-Conservative state senator, has his advertisement’s removal. “In communi- is the phrase “Venus Envy.” has received nearly a dozen calls since own L-word for ads promoting a les- ties like ours, it’s not the type of ad that The show also stars ‘70s action film the ads were hoisted in all five bor- bian-themed cable TV show called should be around. Young minds are vul- star Pam Grier. oughs, including at a bus shelter on “The L Word” whose cast of sexy stars nerable and I think these need to be in Afar cry from Ralph and Alice Kram- Third Avenue at 77th Street. bare it all in ads at city bus-stops: Lewd. responsible locations.” den, whose televised love affair in “The His anger over the ads, he contends, Outraged by the sight of nine nude Introduced early last month to coincide Honeymooners” was set in Bensonhurst, stems from a concern that children will women provocatively splashed across with the Feb. 20 premier of the show’s sec- the season premier of “The L Word” elec- take a gander at the voluptuous vixens, bus-stop shelters in his district and else- not the fact that the characters are les- Congress honors ond season, the ad (a portion of which is trified TV sets with talk of suicide, an where, Golden is demanding that the pictured above) reveals a skin-tangled por- adulterous lesbian love triangle and unbri- bians. Golden has consistently chal- city remove advertisements for the hot trait of the series’ stars, whose interlocked dled sex in a public restroom. The gritty lenged businesses and entrepreneurs Showtime drama, which chronicles the legs and arms cleverly conceal body parts realism has garnered widespread praise whose wares he believes are inappropri- sex lives of a gaggle of gorgeous Los that only premium cable can unlock. from critics since the show premiered last ate for children, including a children’s Angeles lesbians. Among the bevy of bunched-up beauties, year building on the premium cable net- See ‘L’ on page 15 Dodgers’ Jackie By Erica Werner er, Jackie Robinson was America to account to its Associated Press posthumously awarded founding promise of freedom WASHINGTON — More Congress’ highest honor, a and equality,” Bush said. “It’s a than a half-century after Congressional Gold Medal. lesson for people coming up to breaking sport’s color barri- On Wednesday, President see. One person can make a big Bush gave the medal difference in setting the tone of Fortway theater closing this country.” to Robinson’s wi- PAGE 7 When Robinson joined the dow, Rachel Ro- By Jotham Sederstrom expected to close later this tial buyers have expressed in- Deneroff would not say Both Deneroff and Baffuto Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he binson, in a stately was the first black player on a The Brooklyn Papers year, according to a real terest in converting the prop- why he had decided to sell the believe the theater was built in ceremony in the estate firm handling the sale erty, either to residential or property now and would not 1929, just as silent movies major league team. He died in ADyker Heights movie Capitol Rotunda. The 1972 and his No. 42 was retired of the movie house. other commercial space, no- say whether he would give were giving way to “talkies.” theater that opened the body has committed to a bid, Loews Cineplex an opportu- Later, in 1979, Catholics Democratic and Re- throughout baseball in 1997. same year as the first Philip Baffuto, director of said Baffuto. nity to renew its lease. protested outside of the the- publican leaders of “This medal confirms what Hollywood musical “The sales for Massey Knakal Re- Jeffrey Deneroff, the owner A spokeswoman for ater when it chose to screen the House and Senate we know,” Rachel Robinson alty, said that the Fortway, a Broadway Melody” and of the building, confirmed that Loews, which leases the “Life of Brian,” a controver- and baseball com- said. “Jackie Robinson stands five-screen theater at 6720 missioner Bud Selig as a heroic role model for all survived protests in 1979 he was selling his property, but space, issued an initial com- sial Monty Python comedy in Fort Hamilton Parkway, was said that despite a number of in- ment stating, “The theater is which the main character is Art from Captain looked on. Americans who believe in jus- after screening the then- put on the block in January terested buyers none had com- not closing,” before retracting confused for a messiah. “His story is one tice and equality.” controversial Monty Py- with an asking price of $4.5 mitted. He said he would fur- the statement and simply say- The movie’s tagline was Cook’s voyage that shows what one Speakers extolled Robinson thon film “Life of Brian,” is million. Although most poten- ther elaborate later this month. ing, “No comment.” See FORTWAY on page 4 person can do to hold See HERO on page 4 Charges dropped as Roper pays fee But foe of DA Hynes could still be disbarred By Jotham Sederstrom The Brooklyn Papers Embattled district attorney candidate Sandra Roper has agreed to pay nearly $9,000 to the elderly woman accusing her of fraud in an unorthodox deal that will clear the attorney of all charges but may leave her vul- nerable to political jabs. While emphasizing that the agreement was neither an admission of guilt nor the result of a plea, Roper said that she would compensate $8,829 to Mary Lee Ward, the for- mer client whose accusations of fraud led to Roper being tried for grand larceny. A trial ended in a hung jury in No- vember and she was about to be retried when the special prosecutor handling the case made Roper an offer she couldn’t refuse. Although she still faces possible disciplinary action, Roper is now free to focus on her campaign against Kings Callan / Tom County District Attorney Charles Hynes. / Tom Callan / Tom “I am truly thankful that these false charges against me have been dismissed, finally,” said Roper, flanked by sup- porters on the steps of Brooklyn Supreme Court Monday. “Indeed, these charges never should have been brought,” Papers The Brooklyn she said. “Our courts, one of the best of institutions, are fair, but not infallible. As the next Brooklyn district attorney, I’ll al- The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn ways remember that the purpose of American courts is to pro- Sandra Roper announces deal at state Supreme tect society and protect the rights of the individual accused.” Enough? I snow what you mean! Court on Court Street Monday. See ROPER on page 14 Brooklyn was hit with another half a foot of snow overnight Monday.