BROOKLYN Your Neighborhood – Your News Now Including Park Slope Courier, Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill Courier, Brooklyn Heights Courier & Williamsburg Courier Aug. 3-9, 2012 SERVING GOWANUS, PARK SLOPE, PROSPECT HEIGHTS, WINDSOR TERRACE, BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, DUMBO, METROTECH, BOERUM HILL, CARROLL GARDENS, COBBLE HILL, RED HOOK, WILLIAMSBURG & GREENPOINT The ‘Lost SPECIAL Free The Boro’s Circus’ is coupons ultimate in town READER to save$ classified See 24/Seven BONUS you cash section Windsor’s war with STRAPHANGER Walgreens BY NATALIE O’NEILL Windsor Terrace residents have a less-than welcoming mes- MINDS THE GAP sage for their neighborhood’s new- est business: feed us or leave! More than 100 protesters ral- lied outside the former home of the Says ‘accessible’ community’s only grocery store on Wednesday to demand that the new tenant — the drugstore chain stations aren’t Walgreens — offer fresh food or back out of the deal. so accessible “You’re not welcome here — and we’re not taking this laying BY ALFRED NG down,” said protest organizer Michele Kaplan often gets Steve Levine. stuck on the train, but unlike Neighbors last month began many commuters, it’s not delays fi ghting the nation’s largest phar- or track work that slow her down macy chain after it announced its — it’s the space between the sub- plans to replace the Key Foods at way car and the platform. Prospect and 11th avenues, say- Kaplan, who uses a wheelchair, ing it would create a food desert says too-steep gaps at certain sta- that would force families and old tions purported to be “ accessible ” people to trek more than a mile to to disabled passengers — including Park Slope for sustenance. many in Downtown — are actually More than 3,000 people — impassible, leaving her trapped roughly one third of all house- part-way over the tracks if she isn’t holds in the neighborhood — have careful. since signed petitions pledging to “It is an incredibly scary ex- boycott the pharmacy, according perience, and I am pretty fearless the movement’s organizers. in my chair,” said Kaplan, who Protesters urged the chain to documents her struggles commut- open a full-service food market or ing at her blog MindTheGapMTA. give up the space to a grocer that tumblr.com . will, waving signs reading “Green Kaplan is one of 60,000 handi- beans, not Walgreens!” and “If capped straphangers who she you build it, we won’t come!” in claims are constantly inconve- front of the now-graffi tied-cov- LEFT AT THE STATION: Michele Kaplan says she struggles to get her wheelchair over the large gap between trains and nienced by the inconsistent spac- Continued on Page 16 platforms — even at so-called “accessible” stations. Photo by Elizabeth Graham Continued on Page 16 A CNG Publication • Vol. 32 No. 31 UPDATED EVERY DAY AT BROOKLYNDAILY.COM 2 INSIDE Kings against Queens NNN%9IFFBCPE;8@CP%:FD GL9C@J?<;9P:E>(D<KIFK<:?:<EK<IEFIK?('K?=CFFI9IFFBCPE#EP(()'( . 3-8, 2012 An interborough water balloon battle pitted Brooklynites against their UG rivals from the north in an epic splash contest at Astoria Park in Queens. , A There were no clear victors in the July 28 confl ict, where Queens com- IFE L batant Peter Chanwent went on the attack (left) and Brooklyn fi ghters Frequent flyer: Performing her risky rope dances, Dana Abrassart is back this year for Gemino & Scorpio’s Lost Circus. Photo by Linus Gelber Hayley Swinburne and Ariel Gonzalez sought cover (below). OURIER OUTSIDERS ON THE INSIDE C Circus welcomes weirdos and wild to join in on the acts By Danielle Furfaro face painting, and photo booths. bring together elements of from all t would be a pity to let those jug- “We couldn’t find the kind of events corners of the New York City perfor- gling skills get rusty. in New York City that we wanted to go mance world. I Instead of practicing by them- to,” said Fuchs. “So we made them “Larisa is great because she puts selves, stilt walkers, contortionists, and ourselves.” artists in touch with each other and jugglers can join Gemini & Scorpio’s The goal is to entertain, more so in says, ‘Why don’t you do something Lost Circus for a night of spectacles the sense of a dinner party than a show, together?’” said James. “She has great and specialties where the audience isn’t so there are some rules including an vision.” just sitting holding their breaths, they’re elaborate dress code that encourages Though there will be plenty of wearing costumes and makeup, too, and dark cabaret, funky formal, Tim Burton- planned and unplanned performances showing off their inner circus freaks. esque looks, and welcomes “stilts and by circus aficionados and sideshow “Lost Circus is a party. It’s not a characters.” enthusiasts, there’s no limit to the oddi- show,” said curator Larisa Fuchs, who “We require costuming at every ties and whimsies guests can bring, as is a co-founder of Gemini & Scorpio. event,” said Fuchs. “We have to feel long as everyone is excited to be there “There are no assigned seats. The audi- they are part of the event. We want to — and be weird. ence is not required to sit and behave.” see that you read the invite and you “If people want to show up with Billed as “circus and dark cabaret want to be here.” hoola hoops or flags, they are welcome with a steampunk twist,” the Lost And like any good party, there’s to,” said Fuchs. “We want everyone to Circus is one of the many social plenty of steampunk marching band bring their own elements.” performance extravaganzas hosted music, gypsy punk accordions, and Gemini and Scorpio’s Lost Circus by Gemini & Scorpio, originally an slapstick curmudgeons performing at the Irondale Center (85 S. Oxford online dating service for creative, skits. St., between Lafayette Avenue and artistic young people. It quickly mor- Shayfer James, who plays dark, Fulton Street in Fort Greene, gemin- phed into an events company that put theatrical music, and is planning an iandscorpio.com) Saturday, Aug. 11, 8 Steamy punks: Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, billed as riotous on inventive activities for singles and act that will come complete with a fire pm–9 pm, VIP tea salon $35, 9pm–late steampunk brass, will be one of the acts in the upcoming Lost Circus. couples alike, such as art installations, dancer, said Gemini & Scorpio events party $25, after 1 am $10. Photo by Michael Crockett Your entertainment guide Page 17 DT Police Blotter ....................8 Letters ...............................14 Sports ...............................25 Community Newspaper Group / Christina Santucci Community Newspaper Group / Christina Santucci HOW TO REACH US Bookstore will get you lit-faced Mail: Courier Life Molasses Books in Bushwick plans to serve coffee, beer, and wine Publications, Inc., 1 Metrotech Center North BY DANIELLE FURFARO store on consignment. So far, much likely stay open until midnight. 10th Floor, Brooklyn, If they won’t come for the books, of the collection is used books, but Winn built his book collection N.Y. 11201 they might come for the coffee. the shop is building up its new of- during a year of selling literature General Phone: And if they don’t come for the cof- ferings as well. on the street in places like Kensing- fee, they’ll defi nitely come for the Winn is optimistic about the ton and Park Slope and he’s ecstatic (718) 260-2500 booze. business, but he isn’t delusional. to fi nally have a brick-and-mortar News Fax: That’s the business model at “When people want a specifi c store in his neighborhood — in (718) 260-2592 Molasses Books — Bushwick’s fi rst book, they are probably going to or- part because he’ll no longer need to News E-Mail: purveyor of literature in recent der online,” he said. “I know that.” rely on his car-driving girlfriend [email protected] memory. But he believes bookstores of- to ferry himself and his inventory Even though opening a book- fer something shoppers will never around the borough. Display Ad Phone: store in 2012 might seem as fi scally encounter when they order books “Lugging around crates of books (718) 260-8302 prudent as penning a novel in a online. based on someone else’s schedule Display Ad E-Mail: notebook made of $100 bills, entre- “There is something communal isn’t very sustainable,” he said. [email protected] preneur Matthew Winn has taken about a bookstore, something tac- The bookstore isn’t the only new Display Ad Fax: the leap after padding the landing tile about it,” said Winn. “People Bushwick business to attempt to with a big coffee bar and a pending go to a bookstore to go somewhere. draw customers with suds as well (718) 260-2579 license to serve beer and wine. And they want a reason to stick as services: the yoga studio Cobra Classified Phone: “It’s proven that it’s still possi- around after they’ve bought the Club shocked the meditative world (718) 260-2555 ble to maintain a bookstore if you book.” when it opened with an adjoining Classified Fax: subsidize it with other things,” said That’s where the drinks come bar weeks ago. Photo by Stefano Giovannini (718) 260-2549 Winn. in. Molasses Books [770 Hart St. Molasses Books sells fi ction, THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND: Matt Winn, For now, Molasses will sell only between Knickerbocker and Wil- Classified E-Mail: non-fi ction, and poetry — and Winn the owner of a new Bushwick bookstore, coffee and soft drinks until 8 pm six son avenues, (631) 882–5188].