WISHING OUR READERS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! Yo u r Neighborhood — Yo u r News® BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260–2500 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2015 Serving Brownstone Brooklyn, Williamsburg & Greenpoint AWP/12 pages • Vol. 38, No. 52 • December 25–31, 2015 • FREE LIMITED SUCCESS District wants ban on controversial charter schools By Lauren Gill The Brooklyn Paper A controversial charter-school network that has been accused of us- ing harsh punishments to weed out difficult students must be banned from opening new outposts in and around Fort Greene until the city in- vestigates the company’s discipline policy, a panel of public-school par- ents demanded last week. Faculty at Success Academy Charter Schools’ three-year-old Fort Greene location came under fire in October when the New York Times reported the school once kept a “got to go” list that singled out trouble- some students, and used frequent Photo by Jason Speakman suspensions and other demands (Left) Romp Family Christmas Trees’ Ellie Bishop. (Right) Adam Parke Trees employee Dy- on parents’ time to push them to lan Peterson. The two lots are battling for customers in Brooklyn Heights. leave. Now, some local parents say they want the city to put a wall up around the school district to keep Success out. “We’re very upset and we think it’s only fair that these allegations are Oy tannenbaum! Photo by Louise Wateridge fully run down and investigated,” said David Goldsmith, president of Success Academy Fort Greene, which is co-located with MS 265. Montague Xmas tree vendors in turf war Community Education Council 13 — a volunteer board that also ad- for such infractions. who are happy with her schools. trict 13 parents, who are demanding By Lauren Gill ing people that our trees have vises the city on schools in Brook- In addition to the moratorium The education council says the high-quality schools,” said Brian The Brooklyn Paper rodents in them.” lyn Heights, Downtown, Prospect on new Success Academies across letter didn’t address many of its con- Whitley. The firs were flying! But the newer pine peddler Heights, Clinton Hill, and parts of claims that simply isn’t true, the district, the council is demand- cerns, which is why it is asking for Many in the neighborhood had A turf war between two rival Park Slope and Bedford–Stuyve- ing the State University of New the review. fought to keep the school from Brooklyn Heights Christmas tree and there is plenty of business sant. York — which is in charge of the The privately run, publicly opening in the first place, as they vendors reached boiling point last to go around. Even before that report came out, funded charter school network were worried the charter school Wednesday night when one of the “I couldn’t get enough trees school’s charter — investigate the Goldsmith claims numerous par- Fort Greene school and close the mostly serves kids from low-in- would take space from MS 265, sellers angrily accused the other of Don’t worry, your tree is vole- and sell enough trees to ev- ents of students at the Fort Greene sap-otage in front of holiday shop- free. Probably. eryone in the whole neigh- operation if the inspection turns come neighborhoods, and claims said Goldsmith. institution, which is co-located with up anything unsavory. it offers kids who would otherwise Parents in other parts of the bor- pers — and witnesses say the sight borhood,” said Ellie Bishop, MS 265 on Park Avenue, had ap- The panel invited the school’s be stuck in crummy public schools a ough have also fought to keep Suc- killed their holiday spirit. talking his trees — telling pass- who took over the six-year-old proached the panel claiming the Romp Family Christmas Trees firebrand founder and former chance at a first-rate education. cess schools from securing space “It is outrageous that this is ersby that they are infested with institution suspended — or threat- stand at Hicks Street in front Manhattan Councilwoman Eva A Success spokesman said that inside local public school buildings going on during this time of the vermin. ened to suspend — their offspring year,” said Brooklyn Heights of Key Foods after her mom Moskowitz to its Dec. 8 meeting the majority of parents in District — critics filed unsuccessful law- “They came in and kind of for minor offenses including put- citizen Jeffrey Smith. “How can passed away last year. “There’s ting their hands in their pockets or to address its concerns, but she in- 13 like the 204-student school and suits to stop it opening branches anything like this be going on at pushed their way into the area,” no way being here hurts their slouching in their chairs. stead wrote a letter noting the list have shown their support at the ed- inside Williamsburg and Cobble Christmas?” said Adam Parke, who has been business” “I’d never heard of something mentioned in the article was re- ucations ballot box — families of Hill institutions, while some op- The story is a classic case of running his eight stands around The needling erupted on like that before,” said Goldsmith. voked within days — and the prin- more than 800 kids in the district ponents defaced the company’s he-said, tree-said. the borough for 26 years, includ- Wednesday evening, when “It wasn’t just one or two people cipal reprimanded — and claimed entered into its admissions lottery subway ads. One long-time Montague Street ing one at the corner of Montague Parke’s crew confronted coming forward.” other allegations were just “anec- last year, he said. The education department re- vendor claims an upstart has mus- and Clinton streets, outside St. Bishop, demanding she stop A Success spokesman denies dotes” from a handful of families “Success Academy has received fused to comment on the prospect of cled in on his territory, and is trash- Ann’s Church. “They’ve been tell- See TREES on page 10 students would ever be punished that don’t represent the thousands overwhelming support from Dis- a moratorium or investigation. Developers giving Armory a shot Historic C’Heights weapons depot slated for housing, sports center By Allegra Hobbs proposals resembled the communi- The Brooklyn Paper ty’s wishes for the space, according They’re embracing it with open arm- to a city rep. ories! For example, neighbors said they Developers will gut Crown Heights’ did not want any segregation between historic Bedford Union Armory and so-called “affordable” and market-rate fill it with housing, a community cen- housing — and as a result, all the units ter, and sports facilities, city honchos will be mixed in together. announced last Thursday — welcome Local leaders say they are thrilled to news to residents, who say the plan is see the community’s feedback finally in sync with what they told officials put into action after the lengthy nego- they want to see there. tiation period, and hope the city and “I’m pleased to see that the develop- the developers keep listening through a Dog Eat Dog Films ers have taken into consideration what public review process and during con- the community would like to see at the struction. Bedford Union Armory location,” said “The hope is that the developer has MOUTHING OFF Demetrius Lawrence, the chairman of an open and compassionate ear,” said the local community board. Assemblyman Walter Mosley (D– The city tapped developers BFC Part- Crown Heights). Michael Moore joins us on the Radio ners and Slate Property Group for the The munitions depot has been empty long-awaited redevelopment of the va- since 2011, when troops stationed there By Armand Diphthong Kuntzman. “I’ll be the one cry- cant, century-old weapons storage fa- were moved to Fort Hamilton, and then- The Brooklyn Paper ing in his popcorn.” cility at Bedford Avenue and Union Borough President Marty Markowitz Documentary filmmaker Moore confessed to being Street, following two years of nego- began pushing to revitalize the property Michael Moore can blame a longtime “Star Wars” fan — tiations with local residents and pro- Corporation Development Economic York New — inspired by the $16-million redevel- the press for the fact that he even of the prequels, in which spective rebuilders on how to make- The Bedford Union Armory is slated to become a massive develop- opment of the Park Slope armory . had to see “Star Wars: The he noticed an eerie coincidence over the massive property. ment with apartments, condos, stores, and possibly a community The state finally handed the build- Force Awakens” all by him- between the last Republican The real-estate firms’ proposal for pool. ing over to the city in late 2013, and self on Saturday. Moore told OUR EXCLUSIVE administration and the Dark the site includes 24 condominiums and officials have been quietly hammer- Brooklyn Paper Radio that INTERVIEW: Side of the Force. 330 apartments — 166 of which will ing out details ever since. he was all set to geek out to BrooklynPaper.com/radio “I always thought Episode be below-market-rate. One hundred offices, a community event space, and cavernous structure’s iconic castle- In early November, some 5,000 the beloved franchise with a 3 was a great metaphor for of those will be set aside for house- a recreational center — which may in- like brick walls and curved roof, but hasidic rabbis from around the world pal on Friday morning until he had to Bush and Cheney,” he said. “And George holds earning around $85,500 a year clude basketball courts, a swimming will also stick a more modern-look- used the vacant armory for a confer- do an interview to promote his own new Lucas once told me I was right!” — based on a family of three — 48 will pool, and an indoor turf field and will ing addition on top near President and ence.