Not on my kid’s school’s block!
That’s what local parents were saying about a huge adult video advertisement that was plastered on a storefront just a few doors up from two Bay Ridge elementary schools.
But its removal this week was seen by some as a welcome, though bittersweet, victory.
Ovington Avenue’s Mr. Video, located on the same street as IS 30 and the Lutheran Elementary School, had employed a giant pink neon poster to advertise its $1.99 skin flicks. To stay afloat against competition from on-demand cable and satellite TV programming, some smaller shops have resorted to include adult-themed content.
Yet such hard-time stories don’t impress local residents in the relatively conservative community.
“I don’t think they should have a sign in the window like that,” said IS 30 mom, Joan Roinestad.
Carlo Scissura, president of the Community Education Council District 20, agreed. “It’s not appropriate for children.”
Repeated attempts by The Brooklyn Paper to contact the store’s owner were frustrated by employees, who claimed they did not even know his name.
But an inquiry into the matter by the 68th Precinct finally led the owner to clean up his act, and the next day the sign was down, replaced with ads for more family oriented holiday films.
Still, some wonder if its removal is enough.
Lorraine Tuccillo, principal of Lutheran Elementary School, said she “[wishes] there were no video stores that rented the type of videos they do.”
“But what the children have access to online is even more of a concern,” she added.
