INSIDE BROOKLYN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Including The Downtown News, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper and Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Paper Disco returns to Bensonhurst Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 26 Court St., Brooklyn 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 AD fax 718-834-1713 • NEWS fax 718-834-9278 © 2003 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 12 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol.26, No. 9 BWN, DTG, PSG, MID • March 3, 2003 • FREE BRIDGE PARTY Span’s 120th birthday bash is May 24 By Deborah Kolben beneath the stars, and a net- But this isn’t the borough ue of Liberty promulgated by Bridge, it is when terrorists The Brooklyn Papers work of buses touring the president’s first attempt at a an al Qaeda detainee. threaten the structure, not the re- Brooklyn Bridge celebration. On his weekly radio show verse.” Borough President Mar- streets of the Borough of Kings to “introduce Brooklyn to Last year Markowitz came last June, Mayor Michael Asked whether this year’s ty Markowitz said this Brooklyn” are just a small part under fire when he cancelled Bloomberg lambasted Mark- festivities would be cancelled week he is going to throw a of Markowitz’s vision for the a June 2 Brooklyn Celebra- owitz, saying “you’ve got to if there was another terrorist borough-wide 120th birth- blow-out on May 24th, the Sat- tion that was to take place on stand up in practice, not just talk threat, Markowitz spokesman day bash for the iconic urday of Memorial Day week- and around the bridge in re- about others standing up. And if Andy Ross would only say, Brooklyn Bridge in May. end, plans for which he will be sponse to unconfirmed threats there was ever a time to hold a “We will be announcing all of A concert at dusk, fireworks finalizing with the mayor. against the bridge and the Stat- ceremony on the Brooklyn our plans shortly.” The last big bash for the bridge was the centennial of its opening, on May 24, 1983. Nearly 1.5 million spectators gathered to watch as an esti- E. River tolls mated 18,000 revelers marched across the bridge’s roadway, many of them dressed in 19th- Drenched century regalia. A commissioned symphony Getting across Adams Street at Joralemon Street Saturday was a bit more difficult under fire and Fourth of July-like fire- than usual, thanks to the heavy rains and melting snow. The Brooklyn Papers / Tom Callan works display capped the By Patrick Gallahue Park Councilman Simcha day’s event. The Brooklyn Papers Felder. For 18 years, Markowitz’s Borough President Marty predecessor, Howard Golden, There has been a lot of Markowitz assembled Brook- threw a “Welcome Back to debate over the notion of lyn city and state legislators to Brooklyn” festival honoring tolling the East River stand firm in their resolution Brooklyn natives who had bridges since Mayor against bridge tolls. achieved renown. It was usual- Condom-mania Michael Bloomberg first “We now impose on our ly held in June, near Brooklyn proposed the idea in last streets on Sundays parking Day. But in his first couple of Pols seek hotel-rubber stamp of approval year’s preliminary budget. fees … we’re imposing an in- months as borough president, On Feb. 20, elected offi- crease in taxes on everything Markowitz proclaimed “Wel- By Patrick Gallahue Just in time for National duced a bill that would require in New York and now this is come Back” dead in the water. The Brooklyn Papers Condom Week, state Sen. Vel- hotels, motels and inns to sup- cials gathered on the being suggested,” Markowitz “I think ‘Welcome Back to manette Montgomery — who ply condoms along with their Brooklyn Bridge to tell the said. “You know what hap- Brooklyn’ had run its course,” State Senate Dem- represents portions of Clinton standard amenities of tooth- mayor to forget it. pens when people get fed up Markowitz said last February. ocrats could soon be Hill, Boerum Hill, Fort paste, soap and Bibles. “If you believe this is a with life being more challeng- He then planned a Brooklyn chanting “hotel, motel, Greene, Prospect Heights, “It seems to me that every good idea, then I have a bridge ing? They leave.” Borough President Marty Markowitz leads rally against celebration based around the Holiday Inn” in the Crown Heights, Red Hook establishment in that category should have available, at their to sell you,” said Borough See TOLLS on page 6 East River tolls on Brooklyn Bridge Thursday. Kathryn Kirk bridge, which was canceled. state capital. and Park Slope — reintro- registration desk, condoms,” Montgomery said. State Sen. Carl Andrews, who represents Park Slope, Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park, has signed on as a co- sponsor. Slope affordable The bill, which was first au- thored by Montgomery about 10 years ago, is part of a series of legislative initiatives that she has sponsored, co-spon- sored or advocated that seeks zoning gets boost to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. By Patrick Gallahue housing incentive put forth by lobbied for height limits for more “The only obstacle to this is the ‘head in the sand’ attitude The Brooklyn Papers the Fifth Avenue Committee, a than a decade. Both were critical non-profit affordable housing ad- of the affordable housing amend- towards everything related to Borough President Marty vocacy group, and Park Slope ment, suggesting that it could ul- sex,” Montgomery said. “But Markowitz this week approved Councilman Bill DeBlasio “be timately cost the city housing it just happens to be that HIV and AIDS are sexually trans- a controversial amendment to a thoroughly investigated” by the and possibly hold up a much- building-height-limiting zon- needed zoning plan. mitted diseases. If we don’t do city. Councilman David Yassky, everything possible to prevent ing plan for Park Slope that whose district includes Brooklyn “Our concern is that the rezon- would mandate affordable the transmission of this deadly Heights and a portion of Park ing will get caught up in the poli- disease we’re doing a disserv- housing along Fourth Avenue. Slope, and Councilwoman Sara tics of the day,” said Jerry Armer, ice to our citizens.” In its recommendation report Gonzalez, of Sunset Park, Red chairman of CB6. “If it’s ‘we The bill, she added, would Borough Hall stated, “It is the Hook and Park Slope, also sup- want this and we want that,’ it’s not cost the state or the estab- borough president’s policy to port the proposal. likely to never happen.” lishments a cent, because cus- seek the inclusion of affordable The proposition suggests lim- The Department of City Plan- Mango / Greg tomers would have to pay for housing whenever the purpose of iting proposed development on ning, the lead agency on the the condoms, just like many a ULURP [Uniform Land Use Fourth Avenue, currently al- ULURP application, responded other personal amenities avail- Review Procedure] application lowed up to 120 feet, to 80 feet to Markowitz’s recommendation able for sale at hotels and mo- that comes before him is to facil- unless the developer includes af- by holding a press conference on tels. itate housing development.” fordable housing. President Street, between Fourth Papers The Brooklyn “I think that would be a Markowitz, who lives in Park Community Board 6 and the and Fifth avenues Tuesday to City Planning Director Amanda Burden, Community Board 6 District Manager Craig Hammerman, and CB6 Chair- good idea,” said Jon Kinyon, Slope, urged that the affordable Park Slope Civic Council have See ZONING on page 6 man Jerry Armer at site of Fourth Avenue and Seventh Street construction that new zoning would limit. See CONDOMS on page 5 Nabes seek to shut Atlantic Youth Ctr. By Patrick Gallahue groups that remain unwavering in their the transitional center has been dis- Recently the center was a problem The city’s Administration for Chil- The Brooklyn Papers stance to have the center shut down be- cussed “ad nauseam.” for itself as a resident of the center was dren’s Services (ACS), which runs the center, could not confirm by press time Boerum Hill community groups cause of a rash of violent incidents “There was no point,” Lewis told arrested for assaulting a staff member. over the past few years. The Brooklyn Papers after the meeting. On Dec. 2, a 17-year-old resident why the incident was not reported until say they are done talking with rep- Valerie Gold, the new director of the “We’ve had it up to the chin because got into an argument with staff mem- Jan. 13. resentatives of the Atlantic center, has been a regular presence at we believe they’re not capable of fix- bers and kicked open a door. A five- Gold was unable to comment about Avenue Transitional Center, a 84th Precinct Community Council ing it.” months-pregnant employee of the cen- the center at the community council halfway house for youths who meetings, since taking over late last Heloise Gruneberg, president of the ter was on the other side of the door meeting due to the policy of ACS to re- cannot be returned to their homes year. Boerum Hill Association — who had and was knocked over from the blow, fer questions to the agency’s press de- because of abuse, neglect or aban- But when Gold was introduced at a her purse snatched by a resident of the striking her stomach against a nearby partment. donment that has been a source of precinct council meeting at St. Francis center in June — penned a Jan.