Feuer's Furor
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THIS WEEK IN CLASSIFIEDS: P.7-9 VINNY & MARTY IN POSTER WAR: P.2 WWW.BROOKLYNPAPERS.COM STAR POWER Brooklyn Center Including The Bensonhurst Paper announces fall line up Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications, 26 Court St., Brooklyn 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 AD fax 718-834-1713 • NEWS fax 718-834-9278 © 2002 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 14 pages including 4 pages GO BROOKLYN • Vol. 25, No. 37 BRG • September 23, 2002 • FREE INSIDE FEUER’S FUROR Ridge split over CB11 chief slams ‘Op Dumpster’ Grippo charges By Heather J. Wilson By Heather J. Wilson The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn Papers According to Community Board 11 District Reaction continued to mount Manager Howard Feuer, the city Department of this week to news of a federal Sanitation’s get-tough-on-commercial-trash bins age discrimination complaint restrictions — Operation Dumpster — should against Community School Dis- instead be called “Operation Summons.” trict 20 Superintendent Vincent On Tuesday, Feuer said the decision by the DOS to Grippo, with Grippo’s support- make the initiative a citywide mandate may not sit well ers and detractors speaking out. with area merchants who he says have minimal receptacle One of Grippo’s strongest sup- space near their Bensonhurst properties — and would be porters is School Board 20 Vice unfairly ticketed under the rules. President Carlo Scissura, who said A day earlier, CB11 voted unaimously to ask DOS for a that over the three years he has moratorium on the plan that bans receptacles from being worked with Grippo, the superin- stored on the sidewalk on non-collection days and prohibits tendent has done “a fabulous job.” refuse from being left out over weekends. Grippo has declined all comment. But on Tuesday, DOS responded to the request with a “You can’t just arbitrarily fire a quick and simple “No.” teacher, there is a process,” Scis- “The program has been going on for four years and sura said. “The reasons these teach- we are happy to announce the expansion of the pilot ers are using as to why they have program,” said DOS spokesman John Pampalone. “It been fired, honestly, they have no has been a success and we have confidence merchants merit. We have plenty of teachers Community Board 11 District Manager Howard Feuer stands next to clean, sealed Dump- will make adjustments and comply with the law.” who have been in this district 20 to 25 years. We employ teachers sters outside a McDonalds on 67th Street and Bay Parkway. The Brooklyn Papers / Tom Callan See FUROR on page 4 from every ethnicity. And when you hire new teachers, it is obvious you are going to hire teachers graduating from college who are younger.” Meanwhile, six more teachers Carpet store to fly Old Glory are seeking to join approximately 22 others in a federal age discrimi- nation complaint against Grippo, By Heather J. Wilson borhood Carpet and Flooring at 1864 Brooklyn — a fitting day to fight for pictures of his three flags. Colucci according to the group’s attorney, Community School District 20 Superintendant Vincent Grippo The Brooklyn Papers 86th St., was ticketed by the city De- the right to display patriotism, he said. said he told the judge that he did not Joseph Turco. (left) with new schools Chancellor Joel Klein. BP / Greg Mango know he needed a permit to display A Bensonhurst business own- partment of Sanitation on Aug. 8 for The administrative agency pro- News of the complaint was re- having three American flags on poles vides hearings on notices of viola- the flags, and defended his sidewalk ported two weeks ago by the New lost her assignment and must sit in push out people close to 55 be- er said he will have to wait four in the sidewalk in front of his store tions issued by other city agencies decor with more than one argument, York Post and The Brooklyn Papers. the District 20 office like a student cause 55 is one of the benchmarks to six weeks before a judge — all without a permit. for various infractions of city laws. including the fact that the former One of the original complain- being disciplined, she said. of pension when you can retire,” hands down her ruling that will Colucci, a 51-year-old Vietnam At his hearing, Colucci handed business owner allowed the holes to ants, teacher Katherine Weber- Weber-Wolf said, however, that she said. “But I did not know this determine the fate of his three veteran, attended a hearing at 8:30 Administrative Law Judge Helaine be drilled and flags to be installed Wolf of PS 102 at 72nd Street and her reassignment to the district of- was going around and happening storefront American flags. am, Sept. 11 before the Environmen- Balsam a petition with 500 signa- when the American Legion Post Ridge Boulevard, this week told fice, at Fourth Avenue and 89th to this many people until some- Vito Colucci, the owner of Neigh- tal Control Board in Downtown tures in support of the flagpoles and No. 791 asked the merchants to par- The Papers particulars of her case. Street, was less than a surprise. body brought it up to me.” ticipate in their “Show Your Colors A letter from Grippo was await- She alleges that two years ago, at Attorney Turco said Weber- America” campaign in June 2001. ing her arrival on the first day of the onset of Theresa Dovi’s ap- Wolf’s case is interesting because Finance Officer Howard Dunn school, stating she would not be pointment as principal by Grippo, she filed her complaint in June, at of Legion Post No. 791 also attend- teaching her third grade class, she Dovi began harassing her and rat- the end of the last school year, be- ed the hearing with Colucci, and said. Three weeks later, the 15-year, ing her teaching as “Unsatisfacto- fore she was removed from the said the “Show Your Colors” cam- 53-year-old veteran of District 20 ry,” also known as a U rating. classroom in September. paign was initiated and carried out said, she has yet to hear why she “I heard they were trying to See SUIT on page 7 under the impression that a permit was not required. That initiative installed more than 10,000 flagpoles in Brooklyn and Queens, Colucci said, and the city said then that it would not re- quire permits. Zen garden for 9-11 The judge could uphold or waive Colucci’s fine, but will require By Heather J. Wilson According to Narrows Botanical that intimacy is what we want at the Colucci to get a permit. The Brooklyn Papers Garden President Joan Regan, the Zen memorial. It is not political, “If they tell us we cannot keep memorial is a simple, yet beautiful, and it is not about the war. It is the flags, I am going to find out At 2 pm on Sunday, Sept. 22, Zen garden. about how people we cared about how to change the law,” Colucci the Narrows Botanical Garden The Zen garden is located with- and loved were murdered.” said. “I am keeping the flags. They will unveil its own Sept. 11 in the Narrows Botanical Garden Johnson said a Zen garden, “is are up for now.” memorial to remember those — on Shore Road between 69th about contemplation and what bet- Colucci points out that Dunn local residents lost in the World Street and 72nd Street. ter place to contemplate than in a even sent a thank you letter and Trade Center tragedy. A Zen garden, according to head garden,” he said. certificate of appreciation to the Civic leaders of Bay Ridge and gardener James Johnson, consists of The memorial stands in an area former owner of his carpet store, Dyker Heights began laying earthy, natural elements such as approximately 50-feet by 15-feet. It Chris Razzino, noting his display of groundwork for the memorial be- rocks, plants or sand — each with includes gravel, which represents the flag, “Is an inspiration to all.” ginning in September 2001. At the meaning and special placement. the ocean, a lantern which repre- “They never said anything about time, it was the first concept of a “It looks beautiful,” Johnson sents the Statue of Liberty, stone pil- permit,” Razzino said in August, re- garding the American Legion mem- memorial in Brooklyn to commem- said. “A lot of things happened with lars which represent the Twin Tow- Associated Press / Bebeto Matthews bers who asked that he join the orate the Sept. 11 tragedy. Sept. 11, politically, financially … ers, and a large stone which Sight unseen campaign. “It’s the American Le- But this memorial may look dif- but the core thing that happened is represents Manhattan, Johnson said. Jill Fairchild views the Lower Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn Heights promenade last week, standing gion, so I thought they would know ferent than others that have been 2,800 or so people were killed and Sunday’s event will include per- next to a photo of how the skyline looked before the collapse of the Twin Towers. See FLAG on page 7 dedicated throughout the city since. their families were devastated, and formances by local musicians and the reading of the poem, “The Names,” by Billy Collins. The names of those lost on Sept. 11 will be read by Borough President Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Julius Spiegel, and Papers’ Rosemarie O’Keefe, founder of Arabs slam cops the Bay Ridge Alliance of Block Associations. By Patrick Gallahue responsibility to respond.” “We will be handing out Zen garden pebbles and each person photog The Brooklyn Papers The exchange became more combative as Emira will get to drop theirs back into Police Commissioner Habiby Browne, executive di- the garden as each name of a per- Ray Kelly Tuesday night rector of the Arab American son lost in the Sept.