WIN A HONEYMOON CRUISE — ENTER AT THEBROOKLYNBRIDE.COM BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS Including The Brooklyn Heights Paper, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper, DUMBO Paper, Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Paper and the Downtown News Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington St, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2005 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 18 pages •Vol.28, No. 25 BWN •Saturday, June 18, 2005 • FREE YARDS AWAY Ratner train relocation could affect eminent domain fight NOT JUST NETS THE NEW BROOKLYN By Jess Wisloski retail and as many as 7,300 units The Brooklyn Papers of housing. To build the project, the devel- If he wants to build a new oper will need to purchase air home for his New Jersey rights over roughly 11 acres of Nets basketball team atop MTA rail yard property. The re- rail yards at Atlantic and maining 13 acres are owned or Flatbush avenues, developer controlled by Ratner or else are Bruce Ratner will have to subject to state condemnation for pay for more than air space Ratner’s use under eminent do- over the Long Island Rail main laws. Road tracks — he’s also The MTA did not sign on to the going to have to help pay to memorandum of understanding move those tracks. (MOU) agreed to in March by the According to an agreement city, state and Ratner. The MTA is negotiated among the city, state negotiating separately with the de- and Forest City Ratner Compa- veloper, said Forest City Ratner spokeswoman Lupe Todd. om Callan nies, the developer’s Atlantic T / Yards plan calls for moving the In discussions between Forest Metropolitan Transportation Au- City Ratner and the MTA, the Mayor Michael Bloomberg with supporters on Monday opens his new cam- thority (MTA) train storage developer has agreed to pay for yards. “the entire rail relocation proj- paign office at 7920 Third Ave. in Bay Ridge. Forest City Ratner officials ect,” said Todd. Todd said that under the For- The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn told The Brooklyn Papers that, est City Ratner plan, the rail From left, Pat Downs with Holly, her 2-year-old mixed-breed; Mary Jo Tobin with Monster, according to an agreement being hashed out separately with the yards would be “reconfigured Bloomie opens her 6-year-old Lhasa apso; and Ruth Bedell, with Lili, her 1-year-old papillon. Tobin and state-run MTA, Ratner is being and redesigned to accommodate Downs will host their fifth adopt-athon, which over the years, has paired more than 200 asked to foot the bill. the future needs of the railroad wayward cats and dogs with loving families. Moving the rail yards could on MTA land.” shift the burden of some of the “The rail yards will move potential eminent domain prop- from Atlantic and Pacific, prima- boro stumphouse erty takings to a “public use,” as rily between Fifth and Carlton opposed to Forest City Ratner’s avenues, to primarily between By Jotham Sederstrom to organize the Republican National Con- requesting the condemnation on Sixth Avenue and Vanderbilt Av- The Brooklyn Papers vention last summer, Brennan said. Duo celebrates those blocks for a private hous- enue, shifting down a block,” she “Bay Ridge has traditionally been a ing development — although the said. Mayor Michael Bloomberg opened strong base of support for the mayor,” said public use would be necessitated Then the housing, instead of his first campaign headquarters in Brennan, adding that as many as a dozen by the private development. the arena, would be built over the Brooklyn Monday, in a Bay Ridge volunteers would be stationed at the site to Ratner seeks to build an arena rail yards. storefront that previously housed help with petitioning and other tasks. for the New Jersey Nets basket- Todd could not explain why Things on Third, a gift shop. “None of the other candidates have put dog days with ball team he purchased last sum- the arena could not be built atop The space, at 7920 Third Ave., will be an onus on reaching out to this communi- mer, as well as 17 high-rises — a platform over the rail yards as manned by John Johnston and Michael ty like we have,” he said. including three that would be the was planned for the proposed Allegretti, both of whom formerly worked The same day as Bloomberg’s Brook- borough’s tallest — on a six- New York Jets football stadium in the district office of Republican Bay lyn visit, Council Speaker Gifford Miller square block parcel emanating on Manhattan’s West Side. Ridge state Sen. Marty Golden, according held a press conference at City Hall, an- from the crossroads of Atlantic Todd called the rail-shift plan to Patrick Brennan, a Bloomberg aide nouncing that the council would commit adopt-athon and Flatbush avenues. The plan an “upgrade” that would turn who attended the opening. A third em- $1.15 million to keep weekend express includes a mix of office space, See YARDS on page 12 ployee will be Dan McNeil, who helped See RIDGE on page 12 By Jotham Sederstrom Ridge, the pair began scouting for locations. The Brooklyn Papers Agrassroots effort from head to tail, the pro- gram began humbly last November, when sym- Bringing new meaning to the phrase pathetic co-workers at Prudential opened their “dog days of summer,” two animal-loving doors to nearly three dozen frisky cats and dogs. Bay Ridge residents plan to unleash a day- Despite the impromptu setting, however, animal long “adopt-athon” next weekend that lovers adopted each and every kitten only one Dumped hopes to do for wayward pets what eBay hour after the event began. By the end of the does for throwaway collectibles. day, roughly 30 pets had found new homes. Mary Jo Tobin and Patricia Downs, both area “We had dogs running all over the office and real estate agents, plan to unroll the fifth install- cats curled up at the window,” said Downs, the ment of their popular “Adopt-a-Pet” program on owner of three cats and a dog. “But everybody by beep, Saturday, June 25, at Christ Church, on Ridge who showed up stuck around all day, just play- Boulevard at 73rd Street. Since November, the ing with them.” effort has united nearly 200 cats and dogs with Since then, the women have helped house ex- families throughout the five boroughs. actly 164 animals, even as they continue to “We’ve had so many people come in just to search for a permanent location to host their tell us how happy they are with their new pet — event, which occurs irregularly, whenever the member people from all over the city and especially pair is able to make time. They also have a Brooklyn. Canarsie, Sunset Park, Flatbush, group of about 20 volunteers, most of them Sheepshead Bay — you name it,” said Downs, from Bay Ridge, who have donated their time at who founded the event with Tobin last year after the events. the two bonded while working at Prudential Ap- And even as it struggles to expand, the pro- is back pleseed Realty, on Fifth Avenue at 80th Street. gram continues to produce a bevy of satisfied Like previous engagements, the event on Sat- pet owners, some who claim the adopt-a-thon By Jess Wisloski urday will showcase 30 or more pets, all angling gave them a new lease on life. The Brooklyn Papers for new homes while residing at a city Animal Ruth Bedell, a lifelong Bay Ridgite, counts Care and Control center in East New York, herself among the throngs who have gained new It’s a hard battle, fighting the man. Especially where they landed after being stranded by neg- friends thanks to the program. After a visit in if that man has veto power, and many of your lectful owners. From calicos and Persians to November, in which her adoption of a miniature opinions are diametrically opposed to his. om Callan poodles and rottweilers, the potential pets, said pinscher was blocked due to the need for vacci- T That is a lesson Ken Diamondstone — a briefly for- Downs, are ready to be swooped up that day, as nations, Bedell united with a papillon, a rare / mer, and now reinstated, Community Board 2 member long as they aren’t awaiting outstanding shots. spaniel breed, which she named Lili. — learned this week. The initiative is a labor of love, made possible Nearly seven months later, Bedell and Lili are Diamondstone, whose appointment was tenuously after the pair began sharing stories about their inseparable. Named after the 1953 film of the renewed for one year June 9, less than a week after unequivocal love for pets. Even after Tobin left same name, Lili enjoys hearing tunes from her Borough President Marty Markowitz discharged him Prudential to establish her own agency — Tobin owner, who whispers on occasion, “Hi Lili, Hi Papers The Brooklyn from his 11-year tenure on the community board, held Katzos Realty at 9303 Third Ave. — the pals Lili, Hi low,” after a song from the movie. a press conference Monday to shed light on what he continued their plan to provide homes for their “Life is more exciting with Lili,” said Bedell, characterized as an epidemic of shutting out dissenters. four-legged friends. who adopted the dog on Feb. 12. “She was my Doggone proud Diamondstone said he was dismissed for disagreeing Following negotiations between the Animal valentine, and we’re a match made in heaven. with Markowitz over developer Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Care and Control shelter, which now provides She’s the cutest thing you’ll ever see.” Evette Casiano with her dog Meco, at the Brooklyn Pride Festival in Prospect Park last Sat- Yards plan.