SATURDAY • MARCH 13, 2004 Including Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper, Downtown News, DUMBO Paper and Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Paper Published every Saturday by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington Street, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2004 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 18 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol. 27, No. 10 BWN • Saturday, March 13, 2004 • FREE Bishop likens gay weddings to marrying your pet By Michael Gormley In an interview on political reporter lieved same-sex marriage was like a Associated Press Fred Dicker’s Albany radio program “Pandora’s Box,” DiMarzio said, the same day, DiMarzio continued his “There is no end to it unless we really The leader of the Roman Cath- analogy. come back to some common under- olic Church in Brooklyn this “I will give you an example, OK?” standing of our roots as a country,” week compared same-sex mar- the New York Times quoted Di- The Times reported. riages to unions between people Marzio in Wednesday’s edition. “You On Thursday, Park Slope Council- and their pets. man Bill DeBlasio issued a statement Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, leader affirming his support of same-sex of more than 1.5 million Catholics in marriages and criticizing the bishop the Diocese of Brooklyn, made the Boro priest for his comparison of such unions to comments at an Albany lobbying con- animals. ference and on an upstate talk show. “I have a lot of respect for Bishop “Marriage is not just a government to join gays DiMarzio, but his comments were issue,” said DiMarzio, a lead spokes- wrong-headed,” said DeBlasio. “Whe- man in Tuesday’s annual lobbying Page 6 ther or not you support the right of day at the Capitol by the Catholic same-sex couples to marry, and I sup- / Greg Mango / Greg Conference of New York. want to reduce something to the ab- port that right, inflammatory compar- / Mic Smith DiMarzio said allowing gay marriage surd, which is basically rhetorical use isons have proven divisive and un- could lead — if taken to the absurd — of an image: Why can’t we have mar- helpful to the public debate.” to marriage between pets and people riages between people and pets? I DiMarzio, New York Cardinal Ed- and among three or more people. mean, pets really love their masters ward Egan and the state’s other state Associated Press “It could be anything once you say and why can’t we have a marriage so bishops told Albany lawmakers Tues- Duke, a boxer dog (at left), was ring bearer at the wedding of Tess Blake (right) The Brooklyn Papers File The Brooklyn marriage is something other than what they could inherit their money?” day that marriage must remain a bond and Tim McKiernan in Charleston, S.C. Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio won- Diocese of Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. it is,” DiMarzio said. Asked by Dicker whether he be- See GAY WEDS on page 15 dered this week: If gay marriages are allowed, would pets and owners be next? NOT JUST NETS • THE NEW BROOKLYN • NOT JUST NETS The art of politics By Lisa J. Curtis GO Brooklyn Editor THIS WEEKEND This weekend is your last chance to see Fred Harper’s Beep backs humorous parade of caricatures in the “Burning Bush” show, now on display at the DUMBO General Store [111 Front St. at Washington Street, (718) 855-5288]. It is appropriate that the coffee bar/watering hole for the neighborhood’s creative types — whether they’re craving caf- feine, booze or a salad — is the venue around which Harper’s stinging, satirical works hang, including “Bush of Arabia” (pic- tured), the cover illustration for the Feb. 28, 2003 issue of The Week magazine. D’town Plan The editorial illustrations, painted between 2001-2004, “rep- resent the point of view of those publications and not always be razed to create open space to afford better site-lines from Flat- my own,” explains Harper in an artist’s statement. Whether By Deborah Kolben those statements include the Statue of Liberty trying out a set bush Avenue to a 1.5-acre open space over an underground garage. The Brooklyn Papers of breast implants or President George Bush as a taxi The college’s president, Vincent Battista, a vocal opponent of Borough President Marty Markowitz gave his approval driver, turning his head to the passenger to demand a the plan, has testified at several public hearings and pleaded his fare of $87 million [the cost of additional funding this week to the controversial Downtown Brooklyn Plan, a case to the borough president. city proposal that would use the state’s power of eminent for the war in Iraq], they generally hit their target. So has Joe Betesh, the owner of Brooklyn USA, a two-story “Burning Bush” is on display through domain to condemn private property and rezone the area to 25,000-square-foot jeans and sneakers store at 245 Duffield St., March 15, Saturday and Sunday, 9 am-5 allow for taller buildings. just off Fulton Mall. At a five- pm, and Monday, 8 am-6 pm. The Downtown Plan’s ad- hour pubic hearing at Borough vocates say they envision a Hall on Feb. 18, Betesh asked BEGINSPAGE ON 7 24-7 commercial and residen- Markowitz to reject the plan. tial hub with skyscraping Those pleadings have appar- office and residential towers. ently paid off, at least to the The plan overlaps, but is sep- extent that Markowitz’s rec- arate from, developer Bruce ommendations are considered Ratner’s Atlantic Yards proj- by the City Planning Commis- OK Tubman Avenue ect that could include a pro- sion, the next reviewing au- fessional basketball arena as thority in the city’s Uniform well as office towers and Land Use Review Procedure, housing. which will also put the appli- CB2 paves way for Along with his thumbs-up, cation before the City Council. Markowitz delivered a laundry The City Planning Commis- Tubman-Fulton street list of conditions he would like sion will hold a public hearing to see attached to the Depart- at 10 am on March 24, in the By Deborah Kolben Klitgord Auditorium at New ment of City Planning propos- The Brooklyn Papers al, addressing everything from York City College of Technol- traffic to preservation to af- ogy, 285 Jay St., Downtown. Abolitionist Harriet Tubman may have freed hun- fordable housing concerns. Community Board 2 failed dreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad, “I believe we can grow and to make a recommendation but her name will not replace that of inventor Robert maintain our uniqueness. I don’t when the complex proposal Fulton, who brought a ferry connection to Brooklyn. believe they have to be mutu- came before it last month. City Councilman Albert Vann introduced legislation this ally exclusive,” Markowitz In his recommendations, week recommending that the city co-name, rather than re- told reporters Wednesday as he Markowitz calls on the city to / Tom Callan / Tom name, Fulton Street, which stretches from Downtown released his recommendation. work closely with the owner of Brooklyn to the Queens border. Signs would be added to the He stressed the importance of Brooklyn USA to find an nine-mile thoroughfare reading “Harriet Tubman Avenue.” what he called “smart develop- equivalent location nearby. Vann announced the legislation Wednesday during a day- ment” in the Downtown Plan. In the course of exercising long remembrance of the March 10 anniversary of Tub- The Downtown Brooklyn its right of eminent domain to man’s death. Two of Tubman’s oldest living descendents Plan would allow for the con- Papers The Brooklyn condemn properties for public also joined in the festivities. struction of at least 6.7 million Borough President Marty Markowitz announces his Down- benefit the city is required to The street renaming motion passed in Community square feet of office space, 1 town Plan recommendations at Borough Hall Tuesday. hire an independent appraiser Boards 3, 5 and 16, whose communities are largely black million square feet of retail, to determine the market value and which also share the majority of the nine-mile thor- 1,000 units of housing and of a property, according to a oughfare. 2,500 parking spaces. spokeswoman for the city Department of Housing Preservation But Community Board 2 voted down a proposal last No- As part of the plan the city intends to condemn seven acres of and Development, the agency that would be involved in assisting vember to rename Fulton Street from Classon Avenue to private property including 130 residential units and 100 business- business and residential property owners in relocating. Market val- Flatbush Avenue and coname the portion from Flatbush Av- Papers The Brooklyn es in the downtown area. ue is generally lower, however, than what brokers often term fair enue to Adams Street. Among their ranks are a college of architecture and a clothing market value, which tends to be a truer indicator of what a proper- While the issue has been tearing at the seams of the al- store, both of which Markowitz is asking the city spare. ty can bring on the open market. ready contentious Downtown community board for the past The Institute of Design and Construction, a 57-year-old college The spokeswoman, Carol Abrams, said businesses that lease three years, this week there was finally some consensus. Chief rabbi on Willoughby Street at Flatbush Avenue Extension, is slated to space would be assisted by the agency and that the Economic De- With a vote of 40-1 in favor of conaming the strip the Rabbi Aaron Raskin and his wife, Shternie, celebrate be among the first properties to go.