Friday, Aug. 22, 2008

America’s shame

Editorial: Our editorial board is horrified by the condition of the Prison Ships Martyrs Memorial in Fort Greene Park. Comments (3).

Meet the feebles! Band on the run in G’point eviction saga

By Ben Muessig

The Brooklyn Paper / Allison Bosworth

Greenpoint: The Beatles of Brooklyn glam rock are facing eviction from their smelly apartment. Man, this ain’t right. Comments (1).

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008

Here it is: our print edition!

Page 1: This week’s print edition of The Brooklyn Paper is a juggernaut, packed with stories on this summer’s mosquito invasion, more secrecy at Brooklyn Bridge Park, a panda-filled street riot in Williamsburg, Bruce Ratner’s latest state-subsidized project, censorship of a Brooklyn artist at the Beijing Games, and, of course, a full GO Brooklyn section with ideas for how to get the most out of your leisure time. Man, that Brooklyn Paper — it’s unbelievable.

Buzz off!

By Gersh Kuntzman

Brooklyn Angle: Our columnist makes a big discovery: the mosquito population is booming. Comments (4).

Billyburg artist in China’s big house

By Ben Muessig

Art: Lord knows, we weren’t going to cover the Olympics, but when the Chinese put the squeeze on one of Brooklyn’s best-loved multi-media artists, it was time for The Brooklyn Paper to summon its international bureau. Comments (1).

Stranger than fiction

By Lisa J. Curtis

TV: Three Brooklyn rockers — with a delicious double-life — are proving that there’s a lot to laugh about when you’re in pursuit of a record deal in their debut television series, “Z Rock.” Comment.

Back to school

By Paula Roth

Books: Growing up, Liza Monroy traveled the globe with her diplomat mother, yet the author of the gripping coming-of-age story “Mexican High” now revels in the suburban feel of Prospect Heights. Comment.

More arborcide from art project

By Jessica Firger

Brooklyn Heights: The Waterfalls have claimed another victim. Comments (1).

Hot jazz

By Lisa J. Curtis

Music: Enjoy a free jazz performance by the Charles Sibirsky Trio, while checking out the flavors of Park Slope’s new Aji Bar and Lounge, on Thursday. Comment.

Pandamonium in Williamsburg

By Ben Muessig

Greenpoint: Pandas might be an endangered species, but that didn’t stop cops from capturing four of them in Williamsburg on Aug. 16. Comments (2).

Rockin’ Robins

By Rabiyya Smith

Cinema: We’ve all heard the beating of the drums at the south end of Prospect Park on a Sunday afternoon; now hear the story behind the music in Jeremy Robins’s new documentary, “The Other Side of the Water.” Comment.

Con-don’t!

By Sarah Portlock

Bridge ‘Park’: There must be no housing inside Brooklyn Bridge Park — and the entirety of the 85-acre open space and condo development should be protected by being formally zoned as parkland, a coalition of community leaders said on Tuesday. Comments (4).

Judge race: Insiders out!

By Mike McLaughlin

Downtown: A hotly contested primary race for a local judgeship looks like it will hinge on which candidate is less tarnished by the Kings County Democratic machine’s legendary corruption. Comment.

Towns won’t debate foe — even in The Brooklyn Paper office!

By Ben Muessig

Fort Greene: Rep. Ed Towns is dodging Kevin Powell, refusing to share a stage with his upstart congressional opponent — and even turning down The Brooklyn Paper’s offer to host a debate on neutral territory, our DUMBO offices! Comments (6).

All drawn out

By Cristian Fleming

Cartoon: Each week, award-winning cartoonist Cristian Fleming gives us his take on the issues of the day. This week, Fleming goes National Geographic on us, focussing on this summer’s mosquito invasion. Comment.

Reflect on Mirrors

By Jason Brown

Nightlife: There are no mirrors in Mirrors — yet. The Clinton Hill after-hours spot relies on its clientele for reflection. Comment.

Moon-sold!

By Sarah Portlock

Brooklyn Heights: A Brooklyn family has gone over the moon — to the tune of $4 million! — for one of the most famous houses in Brooklyn Heights: the mansion where “Moonstruck” was filmed. Comment.

The ‘Ripper’ explained

By Gersh Kuntzman

Park Slope: Leave “The Ripper” alone! That’s what the sister of the so-called “Park Slope Ripper” — the man who tears down people’s stoop sale, “Help Wanted” and “man with van” signs from neighborhood lampposts — is begging the people of Park Slope, some of whom are increasingly angry about the man’s neatnik vigilantism. Comments (10).

Park death: It was MURDER!

By Michael Lipkin

Park Slope: Cops have collared the man who they say brutally murdered a Bensonhurst resident in Prospect Park last month, though his lawyer says that his confession may have been coerced. Comments (1).

The Oisk wins again

By Ed Shakespeare

Play’s the Thing: Our columnist at Carl Erskine Day at Keyspan Park. Comment.

Monumental problem

By Mike McLaughlin

The race to complete renovations of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Fort Greene Park by its November centennial remains delayed by the fallout from an allegedly corrupt former contractor and cost overruns. Comment.

Bridge fixed — ahead of schedule!

By Sarah Portlock

Park Slope: A key bridge over Brooklyn’s most-troubled waters — the fetid Gowanus Canal — is back to nearly full capacity this week, two weeks ahead of schedule. Comments (1).

Mag: Slope is jazz epicenter

By Sarah Portlock

Music: Brooklyn is the city’s new jazz epicenter — and two Park Slope venues are part of the reason why, according to the Utne Reader, a literary journal. Comments (1).

The Brooklyn Paper mailbag

Letters: As always, the mailbag is filled — and this time even includes a letter from the city complaining about our editorial on the Department of Sanitation’s lame new “lawn litter” regulations. Read the letter! You won’t believe that the city had the noive to complain! Comments (1).

Correction

Correction: A minor tweak of our story about the state Senate race pitting incumbent Marty Connor and newcomer Daniel Squadron. Comment.

Family calendar

By Susan Rosenthal Jay

Parenting: All the fun you could be having with your kids. Comment.

Civic Calendar

By Susan Rosenthal Jay

Event: All the meetings and civic events you should be going to! Comment.

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008

Ratner’s first tenants

By Gersh Kuntzman

Fort Greene: He thought it would be Atlantic Yards, but developer Bruce Ratner’s first residential building in Brooklyn will actually be this 34-story rental tower on DeKalb Avenue in Fort Greene. Comments (3).

Can you hear them now? Neighbors fight more Verizon equipment

By Michael Lipkin

The Brooklyn Paper / Michael Lipkin

Bay Ridge: Workers started installing a cellphone transmitter atop a Shore Road building on Monday — the latest cellular tower in a neighborhood that has made antennae installation, and their alleged health risks, a flashpoint. Comment.

Squadron: No housing in ‘Park’

By Sarah Portlock

Bridge ‘Park’: There must be no housing inside Brooklyn Bridge Park — and the entirety of the 85-acre open space and condo development must be protected by being formally zoned as parkland, a state Senate candidate said on Tuesday. Comments (2).

Eternal nightmare of the not-so-spotless crackhouse

By Ben Muessig

Williamsburg: The Williamsburg house that starred in the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” has become an eternal nightmare for neighbors. Comments (4).

Brutal F train mugging!

By Gersh Kuntzman

Park Slope: If it’s Wednesday, it must be “Police Blotter Day” at BrooklynPaper.com. Find your neighborhood below, or begin in Park Slope, where a woman was brutally mugged inside a subway station. Comment.

More break-ins in DUMBO

By Sarah Portlock

DUMBO: Cops are beefing up patrols to stop the mad smasher of DUMBO. Comments (1).

Day laborers duped, beaten and robbed

By Michael Lipkin

Bensonhurst: It was a bad time to be a day laborer in Bensonhurst — besides the long hours, tough work and low pay, they were targeted as robbery victims on Aug. 18. Here’s a roundup. Comment.

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008

Workers of the co-op unite!

By Mike McLaughlin

Shopping: Members of a fledgling food co-op in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill voted overwhelmingly last week to require that every member toil in their eventual communal store in order to earn the privilege of purchasing farm-fresh produce and organic goodies at a discount. Comments (2).

Handout photo of the week!

By The Politicrasher

Office of Assemblyman Vito Lopez

Politicrasher: Take a good look at the usual suspects gathered in this handout photo and you’ll have a pretty good idea of which local pols will enjoy the support of the Satmar community in Williamsburg. Comments (6).

Teen Spirit catches Dylan fever

By Louise Crawford

Smartmom: If it’s Tuesday, it’s Smartmom Day at BrooklynPaper.com. This week, our columnist sends her teenage son to the Dylan concert. Comments (3).

From booth to field

By Ed Shakespeare

Ups & Downs: It may be the New York-Penn League All-Star break, but that doesn’t mean The Brooklyn Paper’s “Eye of the Storm” coverage is taking a break. Here, Ed Shakespeare tells us about how the Cyclones’ video booth operator ended up as a fill-in umpire — and how the Cyclones ended up winning! Just a coincidence? Actually, yes! Comment.

Monday, Aug. 18, 2008

Marty’s movie night! ‘Hairspray’ is nod to diversity

By Gersh Kuntzman

Awesome: This just in: Borough President Markowitz will celebrate Brooklyn’s diversity by inviting everyone in Brooklyn to see the movie “Hairspray” on Wednesday night in Prospect Park. Comment.

Toren! Toren! Toren!

By Sarah Portlock

The Brooklyn Paper / Sarah Portlock

Downtown plan: Downtown’s hottest new skyscraper is getting its outer skin. Let’s take a look. Comment.

The ‘Park’ will never be built

Editorial: Our editorial board is outraged over more incompetence — and yet another delay — at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Comments (3).

Whitney in Bay Ridge? Houston: ‘We have a problem’

By Ben Muessig

Bay Ridge: Breaking news! Whitney Houston will not — we repeat, not! — be playing an obscure bar in Bay Ridge next month. Comments (4).

Antiques get old on Atlantic Avenue

By Sarah Portlock

Boerum Hill: A look at the decline of Brooklyn’s fabled “Antiques Row.” Comments (4).

Clones take two of three — and stay in the fight

By Gersh Kuntzman

Cyclones: The Cyclones came back to snatch a victory away from the Tri City Valley Cats, a win that kept them in the hunt for a wild-card berth. Comment.

Friday, Aug. 15, 2008

Boss Kuntzman stymies Mike’s ‘Search’

By Mike McLaughlin

The Search: Our columnist’s search for love and an apartment (not necessarily in that order!) is already butting up against his boss’s demands for copy. Watch as award-winning Editor Gersh Kuntzman and award-nominated Senior Reporter Mike McLaughlin battle it out. With video … Comments (3).

‘Golden’ rule on Green Church

By Ben Muessig

Bay Ridge: Preservationists intent on saving Fourth Avenue’s so-called “Green Church” were praying for help from state Sen. Marty Golden — but even after they showed him 1,179 signatures in support of rescuing the 109-year-old house of worship, they couldn’t convert the influential politician. Comments (4).

Clones take series — but gain no ground

By Gersh Kuntzman

Cyclones: Another Cyclone win coupled with another Staten Island Yankee win means the Brooks remain four games back. Comment.

Windows We Are: ‘Windows We Will Be’

By Ben Muessig

Bay Ridge: The glass shop Windows We Are is finally in the clear now that the city is eyeballing a new site for a proposed public school that would have displaced the Fifth Avenue pane peddler. Comments (1).