James Wins Davis Seat
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I N S BROOKLYN’S ONLY COMPLETE U • What’s new from those W L O P maverick Austrian filmmakers? N • Inside the ‘Pie Hole Comedy Show’ Nightlife Guide • Campaign to save Italian recipes CHOOSE FROM 40 VENUES — MORE THAN 140 EVENTS! 2003 NATIONAL Brooklyn’s Weekly Newspaper AWARD WINNER Including The Downtown News, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper and Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Paper Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications at 26 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 © Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol. 26, No. 45 BWN • November 10, 2003 • FREE James wins Davis seat By Deborah Kolben the council since the 1970’s, trounced the slain The Brooklyn Papers councilman’s brother, Geoffrey Davis, winning by a more than 4-to-1 margin with 76 percent of Letitia James, a Democrat running on the vote, according to unofficial tallies. the Working Families Party line, easily In the end, James, a political rival of James swept to victory Tuesday night in the race Davis with strong ties to the Brooklyn Democratic to replace Fort Greene-Prospect Heights Party establishment, especially the party leader, Councilman James Davis, who was assas- Assemblyman Clarence Norman Jr., proved too sinated in July. knowledgeable, savvy and energetic a candidate James, the first third-party candidate elected to for Geoffrey Davis, a political novice who was at times short with re- porters and evaded ques- tions about his past crim- inal record. Davis became the Democratic candi- PARTY RULES date after being chosen by his brother’s cam- Mango / Greg paign vacancy com- Election reform shot down mittee, headed by their By Justin Glanville litical system through the adop- mother, Thelma Davis, just days after the July Associated Press Writer tion of nonpartisan elections,” he said in a statement. “Tonight, the 23 assassination. Papers The Brooklyn Despite millions of dollars people have spoken, and the vot- James, who narrow- in funding from the mayor’s ers have decided to maintain the ly lost to James Davis personal fortune, an initiative current electoral system.” in the 2001 primary, to adopt nonpartisan elections Voters also rejected by 2-1 ra- was elated as the late Fright-day night was soundly defeated by vot- tios two other ballot measures returns came in Tues- / Tom Callan / Tom ers Tuesday. supported by the mayor — one day night showing her Park Slopers Molly Lubow and her friend Delilah have a ball with some shaving cream during the annu- Mayor Michael Bloomberg that would have changed city leading Geoffrey Davis al Halloween parade along Seventh Avenue Friday evening. For more Halloween photos, see page 6. said he was “disappointed” by purchasing policies, and another by about 76 percent to the outcome, in which 70 per- that would have restructured the 19 percent. cent of voters opposed the meas- duties of some city agencies. Anthony Herbert, a The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn ure and 30 percent were in favor. Bloomberg’s opponents claim- Democrat who sought Letitia James, flanked by state Comptroller “When I first ran for mayor, I ed victory in the failure of the non- to challenge James Dav- Alan Hevesi, cheers her victory Monday promised New Yorkers that I partisan voting initiative, which is in a primary and then night in Clinton Hill. would pursue reforming our po- See PARTY on page 6 See JAMES on page 6 DUMBOs upset over Jehovah apts. By Deborah Kolben ed by Jay, Front and York streets MORE ON DUMBO INSIDE Dem picks hold court The Brooklyn Papers half a block from the Manhattan Bridge overpass — was pur- • DUMBO’s a “no-film” zone A new plan by the Watch- chased by the Watchtower Society • BID under the overpass Slate of judges bests WFP rivals tower Bible and Tract Society, in 1995. See page 4 or Jehovah’s Witnesses, to turn They hope to consolidate resi- By Deborah Kolben slate was posited as an “honest alterna- a lot at 85 Jay St. into a soar- dential quarters and more impor- subcommittee, Watchtower Soci- tantly replace 700 parking spots ety representatives displayed plans The Brooklyn Papers tive,” as party executive director Dan ing, 1,000-unit apartment com- Cantor termed it. the group lost when the Port Au- to build four towers of 14, 16, 18 Tuesday was a bittersweet day plex has DUMBO residents thority of New York and New Jer- and 20 stories and include 700 for the Working Families Party. While that challenge ultimately fuming. parking spaces, according to proved unsuccessful, Cantor seemed sey declined to extend the Watch- The three-acre parcel — bound- tower Society’s lease on Pier 5, members of the DUMBO Neigh- While the fledgling third party sa- elated Wednesday at the showing. which the organization used as a borhood Association (DNA) who vored the election of its first City Coun- “We’re thrilled that so many people cil member, Letitia James, none of the parking lot. That pier is part of the attended the meeting in Brooklyn and Staten Island voted slate of five judicial candidates put for- INSIDE THE PAPER plan for a Brooklyn Bridge Park Regina Myer, City Planning’s ward by the party came close to being for judicial reform, that’s what this along the Brooklyn Heights wa- Brooklyn director, told The was,” said Cantor, calling the 33,000 Classifieds . GO 6-8 terfront. Brooklyn Papers that the environ- elected. Not even the most high-profile GO Brooklyn 8 pages . follows page 4 judicial candidate on the entire ballot, votes that went to Lopez Torres, the Just this week the religious or- mental assessment for the project / Tom Callan / Tom Home Improvement . GO 8 the Democratic Party-shunned civil top vote-getter on the slate, “an amaz- Health, Mind & Body. page 2 der took its first steps towards get- had been received “and was cur- court judge, Margarita Lopez Torres. ing feat in six weeks.” Parent . page 7 ting the lot rezoned from light rently under review.” The plan Following a highly publicized ongo- Still, she was more than 37,000 Police . back page manufacturing to residential use must pass through the city’s Uni- ing investigation into the alleged buy- votes off the weakest Democrat. Real Estate . GO 6 and plans to submit a complete form Land Use Review Proce- ing and selling of judgeships in Brook- Democrats Theodore Jones, Herbert application to the Department of dure, which requires public hear- lyn and accusations of judges being Kramer, Bruce Balter, Martin Solomon, Papers The Brooklyn Online at City Planning next week. ings before the community board, handpicked by the Democratic Party Michael Pesce, Arthur Schack, Ray- Judge Margarita Lopez Torres and Democratic leader Clar- www.BrooklynPapers.com At a presentation before a borough president, City Planning bosses, the Working Families Party See DEMS HOLD on page 6 ence Norman exchange a tense handshake Tuesday night. Hear our editors and reporters discuss the news Community Board 2 land use See DUMBOS on page 6 every week in EDITORIAL ROUNDTABLE Keep sweeps once-a-week Cricket field for park Sanitation won’t make Slopers move cars twice By Deborah Kolben President Marianna Koval, who hopes the communities. field will encourage interim use of the The idea stemmed from talks with East forcement of alternate-side of the street they had it go to two days a week. The The Brooklyn Papers By Deborah Kolben planned Brooklyn Bridge Park, the com- Flatbush Councilman Kendall Stewart, who The Brooklyn Papers parking rules, are much maligned by resi- congestion would be unbelievable,” said Get out your wickets and balls and dents. Jeffrey Blustein, a longtime Park Slope mercial and recreational development represents a large West Indian population. Park Slope residents who have brush up on bowlers and batsmen, planned to span the waterfront between At- The portable field, known as “Game- When residents learned of the Sanita- resident and medical ethicist who uses his because cricket is coming to town. long bemoaned the thought of hav- tion Department’s plan back in April, car to commute to Montefiore Medical lantic Avenue and the Manhattan Bridge plex,” is made up of locking blocks that ing to move their cars twice-a-week they banded together and along with Center in the Bronx. With $200,000 in funds allocated by when it is completed in about 10 years. can be assembled like Legos and covered rejoiced this week when the De- elected officials told the agency just how “It was not needed, not wanted and ba- the City Council, the Brooklyn Bridge The coalition decided on cricket specif- in Astro Turf. At its largest, the fenced-in partment of Sanitation agreed to they felt. sically was being done just so the depart- Park Coalition (BBPC) is going forward ically to attract children from other parts field would measure 186 feet by 86 feet back off its proposal to increase In a meeting with City Council mem- ment could protect its ability to write with plans to purchase a moveable play- of Brooklyn. and could be assembled in a variety of street sweeping requirements. bers Bill DeBlasio and David Yassky, the tickets and raise revenues,” fumed Com- ing field for soccer and little league crick- “This is not a neighborhood park, this configurations. Unlike increased garbage pickups, agency agreed to rescind the proposal and munity Board 6 district manager Craig et starting as early as next summer. is a citywide park,” Koval said, explain- Because regulation cricket is played on which are met with open arms, street maintain street sweepings once a week.