Brooklyn’s Real Newspaper BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 834–9350 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2007 WEB EDITION AWP/20 pages • Vol. 30, No. 21 • Saturday, May 26, 2007 • FREE INCLUDING ALL EDITIONS POLS TO YARDS FOES: YER OUT! Councilmen, Beep kick opponents off boards By Ariella Cohen “He got it off his chest pretty loudly, The Brooklyn Paper and more than once,” said one MARTY’S FREE CRUISE Markowitz appointee who was reap- Nine members of Community PAGE 18 pointed, but only after several peace- Board 6 were axed this week in a po- making meetings. litically-motivated purge over their Another appointee said Markowiz opposition to Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic (D–Park Slope), both strong supporters and will look to elected officials on told her last year that he would get rid Yards mega-development. of Ratner’s project. how to vote,” said Peter Flemming, a of all the board members who had vot- And a member of Community Board In Most years, the borough president and longtime member of CB6. Flemming ed against Ratner’s project. 2 who was not reappointed councilmembers review their appoint- was reappointed despite his op- “He pointed at my ‘Develop Don’t might have been the victim ments to the unpaid positions position to the Atlantic Destroy Brooklyn’ button and shout- of her opposition to condo without much fanfare — Yards project. ed at me that all the people who development in Brooklyn but this year, the rules Last year, CB6 voted down the project would be Bridge Park. changed, and some took a strong posi- gone,” said Celia Cacace, whose The nine members of worry about the rami- tion against At- seat on CB6 is not up for reap- CB6, which covers Park fications. lantic Yards — and pointment until next year. Slope, Boerum Hill, Carroll “My fear is that Markowitz made it Athird board member said Gardens, Cobble Hill and board members, who clear to several board Markowitz told him point blank Red Hook, were booted by are supposed to be pro- members that they that “no one is appointed for Borough President Markowitz tecting the interest of the would pay for their vote life,” and that appointees should and Councilman Bill DeBlasio Billcommunity, will be fearful Martyagainst the project. David See PURGE on page 15 Accolades for Bloomy: Not running Mango P. / Gregory The Paper’s Web site (For Borough President, that is) Paper The Brooklyn By Gersh Kuntzman ough president,” he said. The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn Paper “You’ve got a great borough Our first swimsuit issue president in Brooklyn.” Why are you reading this newspaper in print Mayor Bloomberg was in Insectavora, from the famed Coney Island Circus Sideshow, dons a hot two-piece by Malia when you could be reading it on our award- Hear the entire exchange at Brooklyn twice this week — Mills in The Brooklyn Paper’s answer to Sports Illustrated. Flip to GO Brooklyn (page 9) to winning Web site? www.BrooklynPaper.com. see other locals in the hot suits for summer. That’s right, just six months after The Brook- conveniently when Borough lyn Paper’s Web site went live with its redesign, President Markowitz was on it has been named one of the best in the country vacation — leading at least a by the prestigious Suburban Newspapers of few people to speculate why America, an industry trade group. Hizzoner was spending so While we didn’t win the top prize in our much time pressing the flesh highly competitive category — non-daily news- in the borough. This show is for the dogs papers with circulations above 65,000 — we re- Officially, the mayor was on ceived honorable mention from the judges of Court Street on Monday to tout By Dana Rubinstein Madeline Smith, hasn’t been do- Brooklyn Paper. “Maybe they that their animal companions had the “Best Local Community Web site” award. improved high school gradua- The Brooklyn Paper ing her best to publicize the un- can walk on their hind legs, or any talents at all. The award is a tribute to the hard work of our tion rates and at the Borough usual event. Just take a bark out a tune, or maybe Brooklyn pet owners must Phillip Kellogg, a Fort Greene web designer Sylvan Migdal, our art director Leah Hall greenmarket on Tuesday to Em saunter through Fort m [there’s] a cat that can resident and the doting owner of a l Mitch and our Senior Editor Vince DiMiceli. talk about a new nutrition pro- think their animal companions in Greene, and you’re e do something.” Carlton (named for Carlton Av- But you don’t have to believe us. Believe the D gram (and buy four apples from are just talentless slobs. u bound to run into f Of course there is, f y enue, of course), said that his judges: “This paper and Web site, covering a sec- Ted King, a farmer from upstate After all, consider this piece one of her fliers but Brooklyn pet dog “does absolutely nothing — tion of one of the biggest cities of the world, does New York). of evidence: As of this printing, seeking “creative owners don’t have / Julie Rosenberg that’s his talent.” a fine job of providing local news for the residents But The Brooklyn Paper not one dog-owner (or cat- or and fashionable any faith in their of the area,” the judges said in a statement. wondered if there was some- parrot-owner) has signed up his pets, whose owners “best” friends. In- Meanwhile, Sharon Barnes, a The first-place site, plymouth.wickedlocal. thing else. Call it a hunch, but or her pooch for Bedford- can control them in deed, despite Brown- Clinton Hill resident and a self- com, is owned by Gatehouse Media, publisher we went right up to the term- Stuyvesant’s inaugural pet talent a crowded area.” stone Brooklyn’s seem- described pet-show aficionado, of 76 daily newspapers and 260 weeklies in 17 limited mayor to ask whether and fashion show in Fulton Park. And it’s not that the ing love for Mittens and lobbed an inter-species zinger at states. the consecutive visits have in- Paper The Brooklyn And the June 2 show-time is ap- qualifications are all that daunt- Princess (see dog stollers, mono- her dog Ginger (a male), calling A link to all the winners can be found at www. dicate that he was seeking Mayor Bloomberg in Brooklyn on proaching as fast as a greyhound ing. grammed scratching posts, and him a “scaredy cat.” BrooklynPaper.com. — Gersh Kuntzman higher office. Tuesday, where he said he’s not seek- chasing a rabbit. “I’m searching for pets that even pet ice cream), a lot of “He can’t perform,” said “I am not running for bor- ing the borough’s top seat. It’s not that the organizer, can do tricks,” Smith told The Brooklynites scoffed at the notion See PET TALENT on page 15 Jitney jilted! Duffield supporters Only 8 take maiden Hampton voyage ‘Hammer’-ing Jack By Mat Probasco da Eskenas of the Four Boroughs Neighborhood for The Brooklyn Paper Preservation Alliance. “This travesty must be stopped. It undermines our basic rights, stealing About four dozen Downtown residents, his- our property and historic homes.” torians and preservationists roundly slammed a Hammer spent most of the hearing with his city plan to seize 22 lots by eminent domain to head in his hands. make room for a park and underground parking Each of the 50-plus speakers seemed more res- lot — and they focused their anger on an ironi- olutely against the plan than the prior speaker. And cally named city official. many took shots at a controversial $500,000 study / Adrian Kinloch Jack Hammer, director of Brooklyn planning that rejected the claim that houses on Duffield and for the Department of Housing Preservation and Gold streets were part of the fabled fugitive slave Development, had the unenviable job on Tuesday route. of introducing the city’s plan to condemn houses “[The consulting firm] AKRF provided political that many believe were stops on the Underground cover for demolition of a historic site,” said Christa- The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn Railroad and hand them over to developers. bel Gough of the Society for Architecture of the City. Residents and supporters of Duffield Street rallied on Monday The goal of the hearing was to collect public Construction worker Jim Davis called the hear- at City Hall, one day before a hearing to determine whether comment — and there was plenty of it. ing a joke because “city underlings” had no power. the city could seize historic houses through eminent domain. “This is shameful and embarrassing,” said Lin- See DUFFIELD on page 5 / Tom Callan / Tom Williamsburg man winner by a hair! The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn ALL (EIGHT) ABOARD!: Eight people made the maiden voyage of the Hampton Jitney By Harry Cheadle Williams’s follicular feat may be with the Guinness Book’s regula- from Brooklyn to Montauk last weekend. Here, a few Brooklyn Heights residents get on The Brooklyn Paper the greatest on the planet. tions, the hair will be washed and board at Cadman Plaza West, the last stop before the bus is beach-bound. There’ll also be a barbecue. then measured three times by a Some people’s greatest tal- And why not celebrate? Yes, local doctor. Anything over 4.5 By Beethoven Bong Rizzuti and Von Stackelberg were two of ents remain hidden for their en- most people have nipple hairs — inches will break the record — for The Brooklyn Paper three people who got on at the Cadman Plaza tire lives — but this Saturday, but no one has a nipple hair like yes, there is a current record-hold- Doug Williams will put his on A three-quarters-empty Hampton Jitney stop, joining just five people who had boarded Doug Williams.