LOCAL CLASSIFIEDS PAGES 14–15 April 20, 2014 Your Neighborhood — Your News® Apr. 20—26, 2014 Cops crack down on ARBOR dollar vans BY MEGAN RIESZ Park Slope cops have been ticketing and seizing unlicensed dollar vans since January, a move activists are calling a racially mo- tivated blow against drivers try- ABUSE ing to make a living. Prospect Heights’ 78th police precinct has cited nine un-creden- Contractor bolts parking tialed drivers and seized 14 per- mit-less vans, which these days charge $2 for sometimes-wild rides along major thoroughfares signs to Williamsburg trees such as Atlantic and Flatbush av- enues, according to cops. A com- BY DANIELLE FURFARO vice announcement so that people munity organizer argues that the A city contractor, appar- understand how trees can be dam- crackdown is a racist attack on ently short on time or signposts, aged and the cost to replace trees,” black and Caribbean people who screwed metal “No Parking” signs said activist Teresa Toro. “This is are just looking to make a buck. to trees along Meserole Street in not just about aesthetics. Damage “Most drivers are Caribbean Williamsburg, angering neigh- to trees leads or people of color,” said Imani bors and injuring the trees. to sickness Henry, an organizer with the com- Empire Management and Con- and death of munity group Equality for Flat- struction, which asked the city the trees and bush, which is campaigning to for a permit to do construction that is a public stop the anti-van initiative. “This along the block between Graham health issue.” is their income and people are try- and Manhattan avenues, bolted A Depart- ing to feed their families.” three of the transportation- ment of Trans- A longtime dollar-van rider department-issued placards to portation rep said on Wednes- echoed Henry’s concerns, saying A family affair three trees to clear the work area day that the agency inspected that the city is trying to scrub of vehicles, to the consternation the trees on Meserole after a Victor Gelman of EMVI Chocolate with his daughter Mia and their giant Flatbush Avenue of its trademark of area plant-lovers who say a reporter notified it of the situ- conveyances to appease future Easter bunny. The Bensonhurst chocolatier is just one business that’s threat to the air-cleaning fl ora is ation and that it will ticket the residents of luxury developments dishing up tasty treats for, well, today. Photo by Steve Solomonson a threat to them. builder. The rep declined to say Continued on page 12 “Maybe we need a public ser- Continued on page 13 Bank heist blitz! Foodies do battle at Book Slam BY MAX JAEGER on April 14. BY SARAH IANNONE stage readings of their own Housing Works in Manhat- A criminal duo went on The pair started the A battle of words is cook- comestible-centric publica- tan. a larcenous rampage across spree at the Capital One ing in Brooklyn. tions. Each of the culinary au- Southern Brooklyn this Bank on Ralph Avenue and On April 26, the annual “It’s a legitimate compe- thors will have fi ve minutes week, according to cops. Avenue K, where one perp Food Book Fair will turn a tition, but it’s all in fun — to read the most succulent Police are searching for passed a note to a teller book reading into a heated hopefully,” said Kimberly part of their book — which two men believed respon- around 12:30 pm and made competition with its fi rst Wetherell, who is co-orga- can be a juicy recipe, a poi- sible for four bank robber- off with about $1,900, police KNIVES OUT: Butcher and “Food Book Slam” — in nizing the event with David gnant story about a dish, or ies reaching from Bergen said. author Tom Mylan is ready which 10 cookbook authors Gutowski, with whom she even just reciting the blurb, Beach to Gravesend over The two proceeded west to battle at the “Food Book will try to win over a live also runs the food-focused explained Wetherell. The the course of just two hours Continued on page 10 Slam.” audience with the best on- “Dish” reading series at Continued on page 12 A CNG Publication Vol. 3 No. 16 UPDATED EVERY DAY AT BROOKLYNDAILY.COM 2 Pawn Trades | Jewelry Buyers (We Will Pay Immediate Cash) | Bring in your Jewelry Furniture, Old coins & More CASH FOR Bushwick in bloom 20, 2014 PRIL , A YOUR GOLD Big Green Theater Festival grows EEKLY W Turn your jewelry box into a cash machine... BY MAX JAEGER This festival is growing We’ll pay top dollar on the spot for your unwanted or broken gold like a weed! ROOKLYN B jewelry and scrap gold, no appointment necessary! The Big Green Theater WE DO BUY WE DO Festival, an annual event REPAIRS where professional actors PAWN perform plays written by WE ACCEPT APPRAISALS Bushwick fi fth-graders, is WE putting on a bigger-than-ever SELL (alex_sh62) ORDERS FOR show this year, with more sJewelry sGold sPlatinum Engagement imaginative staging and the sDiamonds sCoins sWatches addition of live music, ac- Rings sAntiques sSterling Silver cording to the organizers. “We did some exciting $ WE MAKE HOUSE CALLS! PAY CASH IMMEDIATELY! $AVE 50 spend If you have any inquiries concerning buying, new things this year,” said Spend $100 selling or appraisal contact our expert: director Jeremy Pickard. & get $20 off; “There are some original Spend $200 $ at (718) 942-5693, (718) 627-1514 & get $40 off; 10 songs in the production Spend $300 get that the kids wrote.” & get $60 off off your purchase A.S. & Son’s The festival is part Valid on in-store purchases only. Your discount will be deduct- ed at time of purchase. Cannot be combined with any other play-writing workshop, discount, coupon or promotion. Coupon must be presented prior to purchase. Offer expires October 31, 2013. 2015 CONEY ISLAND AVE. part environmental jus- tice primer. Each year, the THE LADDDER TO FAME: Actor Flako Jimenez hams it up while OPEN 6 Days 11am (bet. Quentin Road and Ave. P) Bushwick Starr theater Katey Parker practices her puppet work, in preperation for this Brooklyn, NY 11223 and theatrical group Su- year’s Big Green Theater Festival. Photo by Stefano Giovannini Closed Saturday 718-942-5693 ALEX & 718-627-1514 perhero Clubhouse partner [email protected] with Bushwick’s PS 123 to cast portrays the everyday tion that the kids wrote,” WE SPEAK www.jewelryex.info stage student-written plays lives of people on an Earth- he said. RUSSIAN & HEBREW while teaching kids envi- like planet just before its en- And for the fi rst time, facebook.com/jewelryex @jewelryexcorp ronmentally conscious the- vironmental collapse, Pick- the theater is taking its 11 ater practices, such as re- ard said — the audience is student playwrights on fi eld cycling sets and costumes. at once participating in the trips — fi rst to Colombia The groups also bring ex- play and the subject of its University’s Lamont–Do- pert speakers to school satire. herty Earth Observatory in LOANS MADE EASY... students on environmental In addition to getting Palisades, and then to the conservation. meta with this year’s pro- New York Harbor School on ... AND THAT’S THE TRUTH! This year’s production duction, the group also in- Governor’s Island. draws the audience into the troduced students to set- The Big Green Theater action in new ways, imag- and costume-design, as was conceived as a way to Borrow ining onlookers as a tour well as songwriting, Pick- give back to the neighbor- $10,000 group in a futuristic mu- ard said. hood in which the Bush- seum. Under the guise of “There are some origi- wick Starr has operated for for as low as $300 per month historical re-enactors, the nal songs in the produc- Continued on page 9 t Loan Rates Lower Than Credit Card Rates t Installment Loans Raise Prescription for smiles Your Credit Score t Apply Online, By Phone, Med students redo patient’s bedroom or Stop In BY MAX JAEGER cardo Cantave. bean bag chair. A Canarsie kid battling Each year, the med-stu- Organizers say the cancer got a big surprise dent club sends a young student-run project helps when he came home to his cancer patient’s family out them get out of the library room to fi nd that the Heat for a day on the town to mu- and connect with people. was on — his walls. seums, movies, and restau- “It’s easy to get lost in Students from State Uni- rants — but the real sur- school work, and this is versity of New York Down- prise is when the patients a great way to see the hu- state’s Oncology Club redec- get home and fi nd that man side of things,” said orated the bedroom of an their bedrooms have been club member Lance Ly- MAIN OFFICE:TH3TREETs"ROOKLYN .9s0HONE 11-year-old cancer patient completely transformed. ons. 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