SCUM RUSH Invasive Species No Good for fi Sh, Birds, Turtles, Park Advocates Say
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Yo u r Neighborhood — Yo u r News® BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260–2500 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2012 Serving Brownstone Brooklyn and Williamsburg AWP/12 pages • Vol. 35, No. 27 • July 13–19, 2012 • FREE SCUM RUSH Invasive species no good for fi sh, birds, turtles, park advocates say By Natalie O’Neill house in the past few weeks — po- The Brooklyn Paper Meadows of tentially hogging oxygen and block- An invasive pond fern has taken ing sunlight, according to Cornell over the Prospect Park lake, and University’s Chuck O’Neill. nature lovers fear the verdant gunk “It has a tendency to crowd out will choke out aquatic life and make other plants and cause mortality in turtles blind. fish,” said O’Neill, who special- A rapidly growing species called izes in the study of invasive spe- azolla caroliniana has formed a cies. “It’s a nuisance.” Photo by Bryan Bruchman sprawling green and red sheen on SHAME The researcher says contam- Prospect Park’s lake is coated in a thick layer of the surface of the lake by the boat- See LAKE on page 3 aquatic plantlife. ‘Redeemer’ redevelopment Photo by Elizabeth Graham Church near arena to be demolished, rebuilt with retail or housing Bicycle teacher Eddie Carmona shows adults how to ride. By Natalie O’Neill ner with a private developer to con- The Brooklyn Paper struct a building with a church on the Religious leaders will bulldoze a ground floor and either residential or crumbling-but-historic church a few commercial space above it. steps from the Barclays Center to con- Duncan said no details about the size Pedaling 101 struct a new house of worship — and or aesthetics of the building have been a shopping or living space above it, confirmed — but city zoning permits a church officials say. structure up to 120 feet tall, or roughly Bklyn’s adult cycling instructor Congregation leaders at the Church 10 stories, at the site. of the Redeemer — a 150-year-old brick Neighbors mourned the loss of the teaches grown-ups how to bike building on Pacific Street and Fourth charming structure, which sits on a Avenue — say the aging edifice must piece of real estate near the soon-to- By Natalie O’Neill “independent cycling instructor” — be demolished because it’s structur- open arena, saying several other old The Brooklyn Paper comes in. ally unsafe. and beautiful houses of worship have They say you never forget how to With Prospect Park as his training “We want to take something con- been demolished in recent years in the ride a bike, unless you never learned ground, the bike mechanic–cum–cy- demned and turn it into something so-called Borough of Churches. in the first place. cling guru has taught dozens of grown- beautiful,” said congregation spokes- “It’s sad,” said Howard Kollins, a That’s where Eddie Carmona — ups (so far, all of them women) to let man Shawn Duncan. Photo by Elizabeth Graham Boerum Hill resident. the borough’s only adult-focused See BIKES on page 9 The Episcopal church plans to part- The Church of the Redeemer on Fourth Avenue will be demolished. See CHURCH on page 9 DOG STARS ‘Jaws’ and ‘Black Widow’ Unleaded! come out on top at Nathan’s Slope shop stops selling potentially toxic furniture By Alfred Ng Competition with 45 HDBs (hot for The Brooklyn Paper dogs and buns), giving the famed By Natalie O’Neill “The Black Widow” could not athlete her second-straight Coney The Brooklyn Paper be squashed. Island women’s victory. A Park Slope shop owner Photo by Paul Martinka Legendary competitive eater So- “I’m going to be 45, and I wanted is pulling salvaged-wood fur- First comes the gluttony nya Thomas smashed the female to eat my age,” Thomas said. niture off the shelves after — then comes the glory for world record at the Nathan’s Fa- The Virginia resident and Burger parents claimed it contained Joey “Jaws” Chestnut. mous International Hot Dog Eating See NATHAN’S on page 9 lead-based paint that’s dan- Penman Jill Courtesy of gerous to kids. ulations limited the use of the Chris Houghton — owner heavy metal. of the rustic home furnishing “This is a big deal to me,” Recount for Kobayashi store Trailer Park on Sterling Place near Sixth Avenue — he said. “I don’t want to hurt By Alfred Ng versy again on July 4 when record- says he will no longer sell kids — I have kids.” for The Brooklyn Paper keepers at a first-ever Bushwick furniture made from recycled Houghton is now work- Talk about a disappointing meal. frankfurter fest announced he de- Photo by Paul Martinka barn wood that was slathered ing with a consumer safety Hot dog eating legend Takeru Ko- voured 68.5 HDBs (hot dogs and buns) Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas broke the female with lead-based paint decades group, which may recall the bayashi chewed his way into contro- See KOBAYASHI on page 9 world record and won her second women’s belt at the ago, before public health reg- See LEAD on page 9 2012 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Competition. ‘Last call’ for bar getting arena makeover By Daniel Solomon prep for Barclays Center crowds. He says the July 11 shindig, which home game just blocks away. were famously feuding watering holes, for The Brooklyn Paper Donald O’Finn, the owner of the starts at 8 pm and goes until closing “You do a last call,” said O’Finn, O’Finn said. They competed to see A Prohibition-era dive bar that got newly relocated Freddy’s Bar, is or- time, will be a chance for regulars and who once worked as a bartender at which could stay open the latest, and booted to make room for the Atlantic ganizing a “last call” for O’Connor’s, former employees of O’Connor’s to cele- O’Connor’s before finding a gig at their patrons would square off in an an- Yards mega-project will toast a rival a Fifth Avenue Irish pub in the midst brate the bar’s past iteration now that it’s Freddy’s. “I was sad that I didn’t get nual softball game in Prospect Park. File photo Callan by Tom pub that’s at risk of losing its old-timey of a major renovation its owner has shuttered for rehab work in the months to say goodbye.” Sometimes tchotchkes from one bar Freddy’s Bar will toast the old charm as it undergoes a makeover to said will “ modernize it a bit .” before the Brooklyn Nets play their first For decades, Freddy’s and O’Connor’s See BAR on page 9 O’Connor’s (above) on July 11. A skyline swim Stars in their eyes Pool with a view opens on Pier 2 Brooklyn designers building spacesuits By Ben Muessig By Eli Rosenberg resident with a background as a The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn Paper costume engineer for Broadway The McCarren Park Pool isn’t the A theatrical costume designer productions like “The Little Mer- only new aquatic attraction that’s mak- and a former Russian space pro- maid” and “Equus.” “They’re wor- ing waves this summer — Brooklyn gram employee are aiming for ried about people stealing ideas. Bridge Park debuted it’s much-antici- the stars by building low-cost Kickstarter is open-sourced, but pated “pop-up pool” last Friday. spacesuits that they hope will that’s a risk we’re taking — we Swimmers now have the chance to best NASA’s current design. wanted to be a part of the com- take a daily dip in Pier 2’s 50-foot long, Ted Southern and Nikolay munity and not hide.” 3.5-foot-deep water feature from 10 Moiseev have constructed two Southern, who won $100,000 am to 6 pm through Labor Day. prototype spacesuits in their Gow- from NASA in 2009 for designing The pool offers five 75-minute anus studio and they’re currently an astronaut glove , and Moiseev, swim sessions on weekdays and four working on a third that’s ready to who worked for the Russian Fed- on weekends in an attempt to cycle go into orbit — but before they can eral Space Agency for about two visitors into and out of the swim- blast off, they need your help. raising: Kickstarter.com. decades and recently relocated ming spot , which can accommodate Community Newspaper Group / Eli Rosenberg In search of funding, the duo “Not that many people are from Moscow, are perfecting a Photo by Bryan Bruchman 60 paddlers at a time. Designer and innovator Ted Southern is working has cast aside the secrecy of the making spacesuits — and those form of outerspace garb called an Brooklyn Bridge Park’s new pool The watering hole will be an on a spacesuit from his studio on Seventh Street space–race–era by using a more who are, are very secretive about intra-vehicular activity suit. opened last week. See POOL on page 9 that he hopes will be space-ready by early 2013. contemporary approach to fund- it,” said Southern, a Park Slope See SPACE on page 9 east 34th street long island city greenpoint north williamsburg south williamsburg brooklyn bridge park/dumbo wall street governors island Explore. Experience. Enjoy. 1.800.53FERRY eastriverferry.com FACEBOOK.COM/eastriverferry TWITTER.COM/eastriverferry Funding provided by NYS Dept. of State Environmental Protection Fund 2 AWP The Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 July 13–19, 2012 BROUGHT TO YOU BY MUNICIPAL CREDIT UNION THE WORLD’S BEST EYE OF THE STORM CYCLONES COVERAGE Attack of Facing trouble at home Williamsport Crosscutters 5 Jamestown Jammers 5 Cyclones 4 Cyclones 2 July 5 at MCU Park The July 8 at MCU Park A controversial call at the plate in The Cyclones fell to the Jammers for the Clone the seventh let the Crosscutters score the second game in a row despite a strong the crucial run that snapped the Cy- Ride showing by first baseman Jayce Boyd.