Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn

Whole Food Recalling Fresh Ground Beef

This from NY 1:

Whole Foods Market is recalling fresh ground beef from New York and 22 other states because of possible E. coli contamination.

The company received reports of seven shoppers getting sick in Massachusetts and two in Pennsylvania.

Whole Foods is asking customers to toss out any ground beef purchased between June 2 and August 6.

For refunds, take the packaging or receipt to your local store.

Only in New York or Hollywood

I love this story, reported by NY 1, about a transit worker who wrote a screenplay called," Brooklyn's Finest", which is being made into a film with Richard Gere.

Now, Martin is watching his words being turned into a major Hollywood movie called "Brooklyn's Finest." The movie is not about transit workers, but about Brooklyn police officers, with a cast that includes by Don Cheadle, Richard Gere, and Ethan Hawke.

"When they first told me about the guy, you know they were saying he was a transit worker, and he didn't have a car. And he wrote this great script," said the film's director Antoine Fuqua. "And it just goes to show you, in Hollywood, you just never know. If somebody has a story to tell and a passion for it, and of course the skill to do it, then anything's possible."

Amazingly, Martin continued to work as a transit worker even after his screenwriting career took off. He switched to a job as a construction flagger, alerting trains to the presence of track workers, but would often sneak in time to write.

I apologize to anybody that was on the train that got a weird delay, but when I had an idea, I had an idea, and I just had to write it down," said Martin. "So that train that wasn't moving, that was me.

Brookyn Kangaroo Named Riley

New York 1 reports that the baby kangaroo at the Prospect Park Zoo has been named Riley. Names were submitted online by Brooklyn residents and Riley got 208 votes.

Riley it is.

STAYING OPEN ROUND THE CLOCK UNTIL XMAS

I guess the ease of 24-hour shopping on the Internet is causing retailers to change the way they do business. New York 1 reports that Macy's won't be closing until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

'Tis the season when holiday shoppers rush around for that last-minute gift, and stores are staying open longer to help them out.

This year, more and more stores are staying open 24 hours a day, right through Christmas Eve.

Macy's Herald Square opened its doors at 7 a.m. Friday morning and won't close again until 6 p.m. on the 24th.

Macy's is also going 'round the clock in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island...

Read more at NY 1. 

LANDMARKS VOTES TO DESIGNATE 20 BLOCKS OF DUMBO

This from NY 1:

More than 20 blocks of so-called prime real estate in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn are one step closer to being off-limits to developers, after the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously voted to designate the area as the city's 90th historic district.

Ninety-one 19th and 20th century industrial buildings on and around John, York, Bridge and Main Streets will be preserved, pending approval from the City Council.

The Landmarks Preservation Commissioner says the area was essential to Brooklyn's rise as a major manufacturing center and was home to some of America's most important industrial firms.

ROBBERS POSING AS COPS ON 17TH STREET

This from NY 1:

Authorities are looking for two men they say posed as police officers before robbing a home Sunday night on 17th Street in Brooklyn.

The victims told police that the robbers claimed to be police officers and asked to speak with one of the residents of the home.

Police say the robbers then displayed a gun, before making off with money and jewelry.

THE CITY: 132 WAYS TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT

This from NY1:

In an attempt to reduce the city's carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2017, the Bloomberg administration unveiled 132 short-term projects Wednesday aimed at reaching the goal.

Among those projects are replacing police and fire emergency response vehicles with new hybrid SUVs, and replacing the necklace lighting on the Brooklyn Bridge with more efficient lamps to reduce carbon emissions.

"We are not just planning something for the future, we are starting it and we are demonstrating that we can do something about it short term," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "You know, if you do a little bit each day, after a period you will look back and you will be shocked at just how far you have come."

The Bloomberg administration is dedicating ten percent of the city's energy budget, or $80 million, to the initiatives. A comprehensive long-term energy reduction plan is expected to be announced this summer.

BROOKLYN BRIDGE GOING GREEN

This from NY 1:

The Brooklyn Bridge's necklace lights will soon be replaced with energy-efficient bulbs in an effort by the city to reduce carbon emissions.

The project is one of 132 short term initiatives announced by the city, aimed at reducing the city's carbon footprint by 30 percent within the next ten years.

"We are not just planning something for the future, we are starting it and we are demonstrating that we can do something about it short term,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “And, you know, if you do a little bit each day after a period, you will look back and you will be shocked at just how far you have come."

Other projects include putting energy efficient bulbs in 25,000 street lights and replacing police and fire emergency response vehicles with new hybrid SUVs.

SUBWAY OFFICIALS ISSUE SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS

This from New York 1:

Subway officials and workers issued dozens of safety recommendations Tuesday following two deadly accidents on the tracks earlier this year.

NYC Transit teamed up with the Transport Workers Union Local 100 to release 63 safety measures they say should be implemented. This comes in the wake of the April deaths of track workers Daniel Boggs and Marvin Franklin.

Government studies and employee input were considered in making the recommendations.
They include a streamlined flagging system and quieter machines so workers can hear incoming trains.

Labor officials say it's already a good sign that the union and the agency were able to cooperate.

"The exercise was a joint exercise between labor and management, and the emphasis was on changing culture and behavior rather then ascribing blame," said TWU Local 100 President Roger Toussaint.

Boggs was killed April 24th while crossing the tracks at Columbus Circle. Five days later, Franklin was killed by a G train in Brooklyn.

BROOKLYN HEARTBREAKER INDUCTED INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

This from NY 1:

The man who orchestrated the Brooklyn Dodgers' move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles will be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Walter O'Malley was among five old-time baseball figures elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee Monday.

He assumed control of the Dodgers in 1950, and oversaw the development of a team that won four pennants and its first World Series soon after.

But O'Malley, who passed away in 1979, is best known for moving the team out west when he could not secure funding for a new stadium in Brooklyn.

Among the Brooklynites who are steaming over the news is Borough President Marty Markowitz. He says even 50 years later, the loss of the Dodgers is still a sore subject.

"This is the way the Baseball Hall of Fame shows respect to Brooklyn? I just would say 'fuggetaboutit!'" said Markowitz. "The truth of the matter is that Robert O'Malley along with Robert Moses were the major reasons why our beloved team was taken out of Brooklyn, thereby hurting and breaking the hearts of Brooklynites for generations to come."

As a compromise, Markowitz suggests that the Baseball Hall of fame also admit Gil Hodges, the Dodgers first baseman. Hodges hit at least 30 home runs for five consecutive seasons and played in six World Series with the Dodgers.

BROOKLYN NAVY YARD IS EXPANDING

This from New York 1:

he Brooklyn Navy Yard will be adding four more acres onto its 300 acre area as part of the greatest expansion there since World War II.

The project will happen through a process called dredging, where silt and other sediments will be used to fill an unused basin off Kent Avenue in Kimball.

Officials say the new land – in addition to an adjacent 12 acres used by city agencies – will house space for industrial, commercial and retail space, creating some 3,000 new jobs.

Earlier this month Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Historical Center, which will be housed in the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant's residence.

CITY AGREES TO HIRE ADDITIONAL 1,300 TEACHERS

This from NY 1:

The city has agreed to hire an additional 1,300 teachers in order to cut class size in half across the city.

The deal, reached Monday, means the city will have one teacher for every 16 students.

The move follows a drawn out fight between the teachers union and the schools chancellor. Chancellor Joel Klein had repeatedly said he wouldn’t agree to a citywide cap on class size.

Senate Democrats pushed the measure.

“There are many inputs that make a difference. We think class size is a uniquely important one, but we're working with the mayor with the chancellor to use the money wisely,” said Governor Eliot Spitzer.

The city plans to spend $258 million overall on reducing class size, teacher training, additional classes and longer school day

.

BROOKLYN PLAYGROUND NAMED FOR SLAIN COP

Prospect Park Playground will be named for a Brooklyn police officer who was killed in the line of duty. This from NY 1:

The city will dedicate Prospect Park playground to Officer Dillon Stewart at a ceremony Monday morning.

The five-year veteran of the force grew up in Brooklyn.

He was shot dead while trying to stop a car for a traffic violation in East Flatbush in November 2005.

Allan Cameron was convicted of killing Stewart.

He was sentenced to life without parole earlier this month.

CITY UNVEILS NEW PLAN FOR CONEY ISLAND: SITT IS OUT

This from NY 1:

Under the plan proposed by the mayor, Coney Island would be reborn as a year-round destination with amusements and a comprehensive rezoning of the neighborhood for new housing, hotels, stores and park space.

“We all recognize that Coney Island just isn't what it could be,” said Bloomberg. “Its amusements haven’t kept pace with changing times and tastes, and for much of the year, activity in the area lags badly.”

The plan calls for rezoning the northern end of Coney Island for hotels, residential and retail space, and transforming the streetscape on the west. On the east, the city wants to rezone 21 acres as parkland, much of which is now privately owned. It would be designated as a giant amusement park, with a looping, high-speed roller coaster spanning the area.

The famed cyclone and the parachute jump, as well as the wonder wheel, would stay put.

The city says it is searching for a new developer to lease the amusement area, challenging the role of current developer Joe Sitt of Thor Equities. The city has blocked his mega-proposal because of objections to his plans for time shares and luxury condos.

HISTORICAL CENTER IN BROOKLYN NAVY YARDS

This from New York 1:

The Brooklyn Navy Yards will soon be transformed into a place to learn about the neighborhood's past, Mayor Michael Bloomberg formally announced Wednesday.

Come 2010 the building, which once was a U.S. Marine Corps residence, will be turned into a Historical Center in a $15 million renovation project.

“We felt like the history of the navy yard and what's going on today needed to be better told,” says Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation president Andrew Kimball.

The center will pay tribute to the time between the early 1800s and the 1960s when the navy built ships at the Navy Yard.

There are also plans for an addition that would house non-profit organizations, and meeting rooms for local community groups.

"When this facility opens, we envision bus loads of kids coming through our local partners – the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment and the Brooklyn Historical Center – to learn about naval history, the evolution of manufacturing technology, the integration of our country's workforce, today's use of sustainable building practices and what is fast becoming the nation's greenest industrial park,” said Andrew Kimball, president, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation.

The Brooklyn Naval Yard Development Corporation has teamed up with the Brooklyn Historical Society to oversee the creation of exhibits for the center.

TODAY IS ELECTION DAY

This from New York 1:

The polls are open for Election Day in New York, but with most of the races to select judges and three District Attorney races on the ballot, it's shaping up to be a quiet one...

...As for City Council seats, two names New Yorkers heard a lot about in the last special election are back to defend their seats. Republican Vincent Ignizio is running unopposed and Brooklyn Democrat Mathieu Eugene has to win again.

Eugene went through two special elections after questions were raised about his residency status. Now, he'll try to keep his seat, which is being challenged by Republican Clarence John.

Polls will remain open until 9 p.m.

Since it’s Election Day, government offices and public schools are closed.

There is no garbage or recycling pick up or street cleaning and alternate side parking is suspended.

But mail delivery is on a regular schedule.

ANOTHER BROOKLYN CHILD WITH MRSA

This from New York 1:

An informational meeting is being held for parents of students at a Brooklyn elementary school after a student was found to have contracted a drug-resistant staph infection.

A letter was sent home with students at P.S. 3 in Bedford-Stuyvesant yesterday, informing parents that a student at the school had MRSA – the same potentially deadly staph infection that took the life of a 12-year-old in Canarsie earlier this month. The school principal says she learned of the case Monday morning.

The letter says most cases of MRSA aren't fatal, that the bug is treatable and preventable with frequent hand washing.

A NOOSE FOUND IN A BROOKLYN PUBLIC SCHOOL

This from NY 1:

Police say a black administrator at Canarsie High School received a string tied into a hangman's noose in the mail along with a letter containing racist remarks.

Police haven't made any arrests and are continuing to investigate.

The hate crimes unit has their hands full with similar incidents across the city. Last week investigators said copycats are imitating the high profile Columbia University noose incident earlier this month.

In the wake of that incident, lawmakers in both in Albany agreed Monday to make it a felony to display a noose on public property.

DEADLINE FOR TORNADO AID: SOON

This from NY 1:

Time is running out for homeowners and businesses to apply for disaster assistance to repair property that suffered tornado damage earlier this year.

The August 8th storm was particularly strong in Brooklyn and Queens.

FEMA officials say nearly 2,900 businesses and households in Brooklyn and Queens have applied for disaster assistance and over $5 million has already been doled out.

The deadline to register for aid is Tuesday, October 30.

For more information call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585

MORE WATER TAXIS TO BROOKLYN

This from New York 1:

The City's Economic Development Corporation has issued a request for proposals for ferry service to the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfront. The agency is currently reviewing the proposals. New York Water Taxi is one company that wants in.

"The city provides a base level of operating subsidy. Together you can make the system work, at a cost, that will bring people to the water,” says New York Water Taxi President Tom Fox.

The Water Taxi already docks at the Schaefer Landing Condo Complex in South Williamsburg and goes to Midtown and Wall Street. But there is no city subsidy, so a one way ticket to Wall Street is $5.50, to East 34th Street is $4.50, compared to $2 for the subway. One rider says it's still worth the cost.

MAN CONVICTED OF HATE CRIME IN DEATH OF GAY MAN IN 2006

This from New York 1:

John Fox was convicted Friday of robbery and manslaughter as hate crimes for his role in the death of Michael Sandy. The jury, however, stopped short of a murder conviction.

Fox faces up to 25 years behind bars.

Sandy was hit and killed by a car last October while running away from Fox and several other suspects who were chasing him.

Prosecutors said the men used the Internet to lure Sandy to an isolated parking lot near Sheepshead Bay with the promise of a sexual encounter.

But when Sandy arrived he was attacked and chased onto the Belt Parkway, where he was struck and killed by a car.

LOWER LANE OF MANHATTAN BRIDGE RE-OPENS EARLIER THAN EXPECTED

This from New York 1:

Drivers on the Manhattan Bridge got a pleasant surprise Monday morning when the lower roadway reopened today, two weeks earlier than expected.

The reopened lanes will also benefit the upper roadway, which now has the first regular carpool lane into Lower Manhattan over an East River bridge. The carpool lane will be in effect weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.

FIRST WALRUS BORN AT NEW YORK AQUARIUM

This from New York 1:

The Pacific walrus calf was born in June, weighing in at 115 pounds at birth. His weight has more than doubled since then, making him Brooklyn's biggest baby.

"We are very fortunate that two of our walruses, male Ivek, 13 years old, and 13-year-old Kalusik, and who were rescued orphans from Alaska, successfully mated last year,” said Hans Walters of the New York Aquarium.

"Like a lot of Brooklyn babies, this little 269 pound walrus may look cute now, but just wait until he's a teenager, and weighs in at 1,000 pounds. Talk about a Brooklyn attitude, big time!” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

The baby hasn't been named just yet. Instead, the public will get to choose one of four names from a Siberian language.

DEADLY DUMP TRUCK ACCIDENT IN PROSPECT HEIGHTS

This from New York 1:

Two people were killed when they were crushed by a dump truck in Brooklyn early Wednesday morning.

The accident happened around 5:30 a.m. at Atlantic and Washington Avenues in Prospect Heights. Police say a dump truck jack knifed and tipped over on top of a car, crushing it.

The two passengers in the car were killed. No charges have been filed.

LANDMARK STATUS GRANTED TO DOMINO SUGAR: SWEET

This from New York 1:

The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to bestow landmark status on the three connected buildings, which in their prime produced three-million pounds of sugar a day.

The new status will most likely send the site's owner, Community Preservation Corporation Resources, back to the drawing board on their plans to develop the area. The famous Domino sign would also be integrated into the development.

The firm has said it does not see the need to save other buildings on the site.

PEAK AND OFF-PEAK FARES FOR MTA PROPOSED

This from New York 1:

MTA officials on Monday unveiled plans for their proposed fare hike, including one scenario that sounded a lot like congestion pricing for transit riders.

"The policy objective here is to try to spread the peak by getting riders that have some flexibility in their schedule to shift,” said MTA Chief Operating Officer Susan Kupferman of the proposal to raise fares on the city's subways and buses.

Under the plan, which was one of two options proposed, the cost of a single ride would go up to $2.25. But by putting a minimum of $6 on a MetroCard, straphangers could still ride for a discounted rate of $2 at peak hours and an off-peak rate of $1.50.

THOUSANDS OF TAXI DRIVERS EXPECTED TO STRIKE

This from New York 1:

Thousands of the city’s taxi drivers were expected to go on strike at 5 a.m. this morning, causing the city to implement a plan increasing taxi cab fares and encouraging group ridership.

Members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance have planned a 48-hour strike against the Taxi and Limousine Commission's plan to place GPS tracking systems and credit card machines in their 13,000 cabs.

The city and the TLC say the technology will help passengers, but drivers are worried it will be used to monitor their whereabouts.

“Enough is enough,” said one cab driver. “We can’t take any more pressure. We don’t want any GPS.”

As part of the contingency plan, the city is encouraging group rides to and from LaGuardia and JFK airports, where people may be most affected by the strike. The city has also implemented new flat fares to those locations.

The following taxi fare changes were scheduled to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. unless the city deems the plan unnecessary:

Throughout the five boroughs, drivers will be required to pick up any additional passengers who are hailing them. All passengers will be subjected to the same zone charges.

Passengers will be charged $10 per person to take a cab within one zone. Passengers will be charged an additional $5 per each zone travelled through.

The zones are as follows:

Zone A - Manhattan - South of 23rd Street
Zone B - Manhattan - 23rd Street to 60th Street
Zone C - Manhattan - 60th Street to 96th Street
Zone D - Manhattan - North of 96th Street
Zone E - Brooklyn
Zone F - Bronx
Zone G - Queens
Zone H - Staten Island

Flat rate and zone charges include bridge and tunnel tolls.

These modified fares only apply to adults. Children under 12 years old traveling with adults are free.

THOUSANDS OF TAXI DRIVERS THREATEN TO STRIKE

This from New York 1:

A group that represents cab drivers is calling a strike this week over the city's plan to make taxis more high-tech.

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, which claims thousands of members, is set to announce a two-day strike beginning 5 a.m. Wednesday.

The drivers are protesting new technology approved by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, including a GPS tracking system and a television monitor in the backseat. A credit card reader will also be installed – which would charge drivers a 5 percent fee for transactions.

Drivers NY1 spoke with appear to be split on the idea of a strike.

"Very few people use the credit card in response to the cash or credit option. Most people do the cash anyway,” said one driver. “It's miniscule, the 5 percent.”

“I'm going on strike because I'm just aggravated with Taxi and Limousine Commission about this GPS,” said another. “We don't need that and it's not fair."

The TLC says the technology is fair and part of deal made in 2004 when drivers got a 26-percent fare increase.

The city is downplaying the strike threat, and another drivers' group, the Federation of Taxi Drivers, says its members will remain behind the wheel.

DYKER HEIGHTS MOURNS FIREFIGHTER

From New York 1:

At St. Ephram's Church in Brooklyn, the parish of Joseph Graffagnino's family, noon mass took place without their head usher, Graffagnino's father. Instead, the family spent the Sunday after Joseph's death in their home on 78th Street in Dyker Heights, where Pastor Donald Berran consoled them before heading to the church.

“The family are hanging in there – they're all together. It's a large family. They're very close,” said St. Ephram’s Church Pastor Donald Berran. “The mother told me she feels like she lost not just her son, but her best friend. He was always there for her. He was always sharing everything with her. They really are in shock right now.”

Pastor Berran says Monday would have been Joseph's 34th birthday. Now, family, friends and neighbors who grew up with the kid they knew as "Joey" must prepare for his funeral.

“I just feel for the family now, you know. He's in God's hands, but the family's the ones that are going to feel it,” said neighbor Sonny Soave.

PERFORMANCE ART WITH SUBMARINES

New York 1 reports that the submarine was part of a an elaborate art project and not a stunt. Hey, what's the difference?

Read an interview with the artist, Duke Riley, here.

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MAN WHO FELL OFF A TANKER

This from New York One:

As of Sunday evening, the Coast Guard and the NYPD were still searching for a man who fell off a tanker ship off the coast of Brooklyn Sunday morning.

The incident happened at around 10 a.m. as the ship made its way to the Ambrose Channel in Brooklyn, about 23 miles from the south end of the borough.

Crew members were able to throw the man a life ring and they say he was wearing an inflatable vest.

Authorities have not disclosed the crewmember's name, or how he fell of the ship.

CRIME UP IN PROSPECT AND OTHER CITY PARKS

This from New York 1:

Crime in city parks is on the rise, according to figured released by the NYPD Sunday.

The department looked at figures in 20 parks and found 68 crimes reported during the second quarter of the year. That's compared to 48 last year.

Thirty of the crimes were grand larcenies, or property that was taken when left unattended. There were no murders in the parks during that period, police say.

Flushing Meadows Park had the highest number of crimes, 21, followed by Prospect and Bronx Parks.

Crime citywide is down seven percent compared to 2006.

DOT SAYS NYC BRIDGES ARE A.O.K.

At least they meet Federal safety standards. This from New York 1:

Prompted by Wednesday's dramatic bridge collapse in Minnesota that left at least four people dead and dozens of others missing or injured, city transportation officials reassured New Yorkers Thursday that all crossings within the five boroughs are structurally safe.

Transportation officials say all of the 787 bridges maintained by the city met federal and state safety standards in their most recent inspections last year, however three are considered to be in poor condition, including the 150-year-old Brooklyn Bridge.

DOT officials insist the span itself is safe, and say the problems deal with joints on the ramps leading to the bridge itself.

"The rating could involve different parts of the bridge and it depends what parts we're talking about and how it pertains to the structural integrity to the whole system,” said Michel Ghosn, a professor of civil engineering at the City College of New York. “So if it's just one part, that does not mean the whole bridge is about to collapse."

The city has scheduled renovations on the Brooklyn Bridge for 2010.

The other bridges receiving a poor rating are a pedestrian bridge across the FDR Drive at 78th Street and a crossing in Flushing Meadows Park across Willow Lake at 76th Road.

The state inspects the city's bridges every two years and the city has invested $3 billion in the infrastructure in the last decade, with $2 billion more scheduled to be put into bridge rehabilition in the next few years.

Experts say local bridge safety has improved vastly over the last decade – with a total of 40 bridges in poor condition just 10 years ago.

"This is a once in a lifetime event, hopefully,” said Ghosn. “We don't know what the cause of the accident was, but generally speaking our bridges are very safely designed."

Meanwhile, Minnesota's governor has ordered an immediate inspection of all bridges with a design similar to the one that collapsed in Minneapolis, killing at least four people during the evening rush.

Investigators are treating the site as a crime scene until an exact cause is determined but authorities say it appears to have been a structural collapse. Police fear the final death toll could be much higher.

"This is not a rescue operation any longer,” said Chief Jim Clack of the Minneapolis Fire Department. “It is a recovery operation, which means we move slower and more deliberately."

"We are estimating anywhere from 20 to 30 people that could be unaccounted for, but that's an estimate based on the number of vehicles that we are estimating to be on the bridge,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan. “So that's a lot of estimates."

Surveillance video released today shows the 40-year-old span crumbling into the Mississippi River, taking at least 50 vehicles along with it.

Senator Charles Schumer said Thursday that the incident in Minnesota should serve as a necessary wake-up call as the Senate considers $5 billion for bridge replacement and rehab across the country.

COLE BROTHERS CIRCUS COMES TO CONEY ISLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1938

This from New York 1:

The circus has all the most popular attractions with them, including clowns, animals, jugglers, acrobats and trapeze artists.

"We have performers from the Ukraine, from Brazil, from China, you know we have it all here,” said Cole’s Bros. Ringmaster Chris Connors. “Different cultures – we are a giant melting pot on wheels, just like new York City, and that's what makes us so perfectly wonderful here."

"A lot of people see elephants and all sorts of animals on TV, like on all the animal stations and everything, but when they actually see them in person, it's like an overwhelming experience,” said Cole’s Bros. elephant trainer George Hanneford III. “It's a sensation.”

The circus will be in Coney Island until August 5th

DOMINO IN WILLIAMSBURG: MAKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUT OF SUGAR?

Ths from NY1's Jeanine Ramirez:

The barbed wire fence blocking the Williamsburg waterfront will soon be coming down, giving the community access to this area for the first time in more than a century. The fence sits on the site of the old Domino Sugar Factory – which closed in 2004.

The plant, once one of the world's largest sugar refineries, will now be turned into housing.

"What's best about New York is creating a community where people of diverse backgrounds, of diverse incomes, can live together and prosper as a community,” said Michael Lappin of the Community Preservation Corporation. “And this is what New York City is about. This is what the new Domino will be about."

The not-for-profit Community Preservation Corporation is overseeing the development, along with the Katan Group, a private developer – which bought the factory after it shut down.

The Katan Group says it plans to invest more than a billion dollars to turn the former factory into 2,200 apartments, both rentals and condos. It says 30 percent of the apartments will be affordable for people making as little as $21,000 a year. Others will be set aside for seniors, moderate income earners, and those who can pay market rate.

Community activists say they are pleased with this news.

"This is the last hope of our community for affordable housing,” said community activist Luis Garden Acosta. “We've been under assault by the kind of development that only, practically speaking, responds to market forces."

COUNCILMAN CHARLES BARRON TO RUN FOR BOROUGH PREZ

This from New York 1:

Standing with a crowd of supporters that included the Reverend Al Sharpton, City Councilman Charles Barron announced his campaign for Brooklyn borough president yesterday.

Barron says one of his priorities would be keeping housing affordable in the borough, and if elected he vowed to take care of the black community.

"Am I gonna be a borough president for all the people? Absolutely. But I'm letting you all know now. I'm taking care of black folk,” said Barron.

Barron has recently taken jabs at current borough president Marty Markowitz, dismissing him as a "cheerleader for Brooklyn."

Markowitz's term ends in 2009, and he can't run again due to term limits.

SERIAL RAPIST WAS AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE

New York 1 reports that an Olympic athlete has confessed to raping five women in city parks, including Prospect Park, over the last four years.

Police arrested 30-year-old Alvin Henry of Springfield Gardens Sunday.

According to the Associated Press, Henry admitted to attacking two women in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. 

The former sprinter for Trinidad and Tobago's national Olympic team was brought in after police matched him to a composite sketch.

"It did have something to do with contact that this individual had with a victim," said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. "After he victimized this young woman he did contact her, there was an exchange of phone numbers."

Henry faces several charges, including rape and sexual abuse.

The latest happened on June 15th in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, when he allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint. Police say he managed to separate the victim from a male friend.

POLICE ARREST SERIAL RAPIST AFTER PROSPECT PARK ATTACK

This from New York 1:

                                                   Police have arrested a Queens man they say is a serial rapist who has struck five times in the last four years.

Alvin Henry, 30, of Springfield Gardens faces several charges, including rape and sexual abuse.
He was arrested Sunday after police linked a recent rape to four others.

Police say they were able to link Henry to five attacks on women – the latest happened on June 15th in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, when he allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint. Police say he managed to separate the victim from a male friend and attacked her.

Henry is accused of raping a teenager in the park back in April. Investigators say he also committed three rapes in two Queens parks. Two happened in Roy Wilkins Park – one last month and one in August of 2003.

Another rape happened in Baisley Park in June of 2003.

CITY FIGHTING INFESTATION OF LONGHORNED BEETLES

This from NY1:

The city has put some new guidelines in place to help fight the infestation of the Asian Longhorned Beetle.

Any residents of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan who want to dispose of tree branches or firewood will now have to schedule a pickup by the Parks Department.

The Department of Sanitation will no longer be disposing of those items. Officials hope it will slow the spread of the beetle, which kills trees.

Residents in parts of Staten Island will also have to call for a pickup if their property has been quarantined.

To schedule a pick up, call 311 or log on to www.nyc.gov/parks.

VIRGINA TECH PROFESSOR'S BODY COMES TO BOROUGH PARK FOR FUNERAL

This story by Luis Perez for Newsday:

Liviu Librescu's coffin came Wednesday afternoon to a place he had never been.

In the heart of Borough Park, Brooklyn, the unadorned wooden coffin was shouldered by Jewish men who had not known the science professor, but whose fathers and grandfathers were, like Librescu, Holocaust survivors.

A community leader called Librescu a "hero of the Jewish people" and a former Virginia Tech student living in Manhattan arrived unannounced and said her former professor's stand against a campus gunman on Monday did not surprise her.

Here, Librescu's wife, far from her Virginia home, spoke to those who had never met him.

"He was a very human person. He was a hard man also. He wanted everybody to be 100 percent," said Marlena Librescu, 72, a small woman in a colorful knit sweater. "His life was only his family and his students."

Mourners inside the nondescript hall of Shomrei Hachomos Orthodox Chapels spoke in awe of Librescu's reported efforts to block a gunman from entering his classroom, allowing an untold number of students to flee.

"We all know in our community that to save one life is to save the world," said City Councilman Dov Hikind, a frequent spokesman for the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, the largest in the nation. "Look at the final act of Professor Librescu."

Outside the building, the kaddish, the Jewish prayer of mourning, was hummed by hundreds as the coffin was placed into a black car. Some noted that the professor was killed on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

His body arrived in Brooklyn at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, a process facilitated by Rabbi Edgar Gluck, a member of the non-profit organization Chesed Shel Emes, which conducts burials for Jews around the world. Gluck said Librescu's body was to be flown out of Kennedy Airport on Wednesday night and would be buried in a cemetery near Ranana, Israel, by sundown Thursday.

JUDGE ALLOWS MATHIEU EUGENE TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL AGAIN

This from New York 1:

                                                   Mathieu Eugene will remain on the ballot to fill the vacant City Council seat in Brooklyn.

A State judge rejected a lawsuit that called for Eugene to be removed from the race.

The lawsuit had claimed Eugene is ineligible to run again for the seat that he won in a special election. He was never sworn in because he failed to show documents proving he lived in the district at the time of the election.

The City Council has called for another special election later this month to fill the seat.

Eugene is once again running and will face Harry Schiffman, a director at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.

SECOND ATTEMPT TO BUY STARRETT CITY BLOCKED

This from NY1:

The state's housing chief rejected Clipper Equities' second attempt to buy Starrett City in Brooklyn.

The Housing Commissioner Deborah Van Amerongen says her office rejected the developer's proposal Saturday, saying it does not protect the residents.

The original $1.3 billion plan to purchase Starrett City came under fire from advocates concerned over losing affordable housing in the neighborhood.

The commissioner says her agency believes Clipper wants to obtain market rates for almost 6,000 apartments, meaning rents would also go up for the subsidized housing.

Last month, federal officials rejected the deal over fears the new owners would not be able to keep the complex affordable.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO HEAD A NYC PUBLIC LIBRARY SYTEM

This from New York 1:

For the first time in the city's history, an African-American woman was appointed as the head of a major public library system Thursday. Dionne Mack-Harvin will serve as executive director of the Brooklyn Public Library, the fifth largest system in the country. She was voted in unanimously by the board of trustees earlier this week. "I have to tell you Dionne earned her position the old fashioned way: she earned it, very, very simple," said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “My vision for Brooklyn Public Library is that every Brooklyn library will be the center of the community,” said Mack-Harvin. “We will increase access so that the library doors are open at all 60 of our locations when they should be." Mack-Harvin started her career as a librarian at the Crown Heights branch more than a decade ago.

SUNSET RESIDENTS BLOCK HIGH-RISE

This from New York 1:

Residents rejoiced Sunday after blocking the construction of a high-rise apartment building in their low-rise neighborhood in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.

After pressure from the Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors, a proposed 12-story building that was to go up on a former parking lot on 42nd Street will instead be trimmed down to five and half stories.

The group calls it the first of many victories.

"We created an organization, Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors, to mobilize this effort and push our elected officials to make that change, and it worked,” said Ivette Cabrea.

"I think that when the community come united and unified against a project with the same objectives they know they can accomplish a lot,” said Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz.

The group says it plans to keep fighting what it calls "out of context development" in Sunset Park.

CLARENCE NORMAN FOUND GUILTY

This from NY1:

A one time powerful political leader was found guilty Thursday of planning to solicit and then pocket contributions.

Clarence Norman Junior, the former head of the Democratic Party in Brooklyn, was found guilty of one count of grand larceny, but was acquitted of five other counts.

The jury deliberated for three days at Brooklyn Supreme Court before reaching the verdict.

This is the last of four criminal cases against Norman. In two of those trials, he was found guilty of stealing funds from his own re-election campaign and concealing contributions made to him.

He had been sentenced to two to six years in prison, but was out on bail fighting the remaining charges.

ATLANTIC YARDS BEGINS CONSTRUCTION

This from New York 1:

The Atlantic Yards redevelopment project has been the subject of a lot of debate, but it is now finally the subject of some construction.

The first stages of construction began Tuesday.

The first stage of the Forest City Ratner project includes decontaminating a bus depot, which will be demolished and then replaced by a temporary Long Island Rail Road yard. A giant platform will then be built on top of it, which will support much of the new development.

"[We need to] get the site graded to begin some of the infrastructure work on a temporary yards, to start demolishing structures that's on our property, and to also to begin to move utilities," said James Stuckey, the president of the project.

Thirteen people who live or work within the project site have filed a lawsuit in federal court in an attempt to prevent their properties from being taken through eminent domain, but the lawsuit that has yet to be heard.

Those who have fought the planned Nets arena construction project were surprised to see work has begun at the site.

"What today is doing is making it clear to us that Forrest City Ratner wants to use scare tactics against the people who live here and send a signal to their investors that they are moving forward," said Daniel Goldstein, a community activist.

"They have a license agreement to start some preparatory work, but their agreement to own the rail yards is contingent on whether or not they win the suit we brought against them," continued Goldstein. "And we expect to win it, and if we win it, they cannot build the arena, the super blocks, and they can't build the towers.”

Construction of the new arena for the NBA's Nets is scheduled to begin in the fall.

"[Forest City Ratner] cannot just come in and kick people and businesses out of a well established neighborhood,” said another community activist, Patti Hagan. “I mean right across the street here is on the National Register of Historic Places. This is an historic neighborhood."

But Mayor Michael Bloomberg says there's no reason to wait to build the $4 billion arena.

"[I think it’s] good that construction is starting,” said Bloomberg. “Some people are in favor, others aren't. Brooklyn needs housing, and jobs, and stores."

Stuckey would not comment on the lawsuits, but pointed out that Forest City Ratner is abiding by the agreement it made to the community to use a number of women or minority-owned contracting firms.

Stuckey also said 50 percent of the union workers come from the surrounding neighborhood.

The city and state have both given the project the go-ahead.                                  

NEW JERSEY BECOMES THIRD STATE TO OFFER CIVIL UNIONS FOR GAY COUPLES

This from AM New York:

For gay couples and gay rights activists, it figures to be a day of celebration and lament. With the law in place, New Jersey is becoming one of just five states to offer all the legal benefits of marriage to gay partners.

The state, though, stopped short of calling the institutions marriage.

Civil unions emerged in New Jersey out of four years of litigation and a whirlwind few weeks of political dealmaking late last year.

In October, the state Supreme Court ruled that gay couples in the state were constitutionally entitled to all the benefits of marriage, but left it up to lawmakers to decide the details.

Instead of following Massachusetts, the only state that now allows gay couples to marry, the state Legislature chose to offer civil unions, as Vermont and Connecticut permit.

At least few hundred of the state's estimated 20,000 gay couples _ those who have civil unions or marriages from other states or nations that allow them _ were automatically considered to be in civil unions in New Jersey at 12:01 a.m. Monday.

Joan Hervey and Linda Geczi of Plainfield went to Canada to get married. For them, the recognition in New Jersey is mixed _ Hervey was glad to be getting the benefits of marriage, but is disappointed that New Jersey doesn't consider them married.

"It's just weird," Hervey said. "It's a weird place to be."

The first civil union ceremonies were scheduled for the first minutes of Monday morning, when couples who have civil unions or marriages from elsewhere could reaffirm them in New Jersey.

At least one couple was planning such a ceremony. Steven Goldstein, the chairman of the gay political group Garden State Equality, and his partner Daniel Gross became the first gay couple featured on the wedding pages of The New York Times.

In 2002, the Teaneck couple had a wedding ceremony in Canada and a civil union ceremony in Vermont.

Goldstein said that even though he and Gross would have the benefits of a civil union in New Jersey because of their Vermont union, it might simplify matters in an emergency to have a certificate from New Jersey as well.

For couples who are not already in civil unions, there is a 72-hour waiting period after applying for a license _ just like with weddings.

Town halls in Asbury Park and Lambertville _ both communities known for welcoming gay residents _ were planning to open at midnight Sunday so couples could apply for licenses in time for ceremonies scheduled for early Thursday.

"It doesn't necessarily matter to be first," said Thomas Mannix of Asbury Park, who was planning one of the early morning ceremonies for Thursday with Kevin Pilla, his partner since 1983. "What is important is we want to take advantage of what's being offered."

The arrival of civil unions does not figure to end the debate over whether New Jersey should allow gay couples to marry, or even all the implications of civil unions themselves.

Some mayors, including Steve Lonegan of Bogota, have said they won't perform civil union ceremonies. The state Attorney General's Office says mayors can get out of performing the ceremonies if they don't do any weddings, but if they take all wedding requests, they must take them from gay couples as well. Those who are picky about which weddings they perform are in a legal gray area, the state says.

Gay rights advocates say that making civil unions marriages would alleviate much of that confusion.

Conservative activists, though, are circulating petitions aimed at persuading lawmakers to amend the state constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Voters would be required to have a say before the constitution can be amended.

Gay rights advocates, meanwhile, are promising to push the Legislature to allow gay couples to marry. Some are also considering filing lawsuits asking state courts to find that civil unions do not go far enough toward ensuring equal treatment for gay couples

STARRETT CITY RESIDENTS RALLY

This from NY1:

Residents of a massive Brooklyn apartment complex are rallying today to demand that it be kept affordable.

Starrett City – also known as Spring Creek Towers – went up for sale in December. Final bids are due in a few days.

Residents are calling on the city and state to stop any new owner from raising rents to market rate.

About 90 percent of the complex's 12,000 residents are rent-stabilized. A spokesperson for the current owners says the sale won't change that.

Starrett City is the country's largest federally-subsidized rental housing complex.

DON'T GET SCARED: IT'S JUST A MOVIE

This from New York 1:

The mayor's office of film, theatre and broadcasting is warning residents that live around the Brooklyn Bridge not to be alarmed this week when military vehicles, army helicopters and a flood of people swarm the area for a film shoot.

Officials say a scene from the movie "I am Legend" will be filmed near the span.

The office says Army and Coast Guard helicopters, mock police and military vehicles, and more than a thousand extras will be used for the film's evacuation scene.

The action is set to get underway at around 4 p.m. Tuesday and continue on weekdays through the rest of the month.

CITIES OF THE FUTURE: COMPETITION FOR 7th and 8th Graders

The Future City Competition is this weekend in Brooklyn at Polytechnic University located at Six Metro Tech Center. Here's an excerpt from the story in New York 1:

Dozens of seventh and eighth graders are taking part in the Future City Competition, an engineering program that lets students create miniature models of what they imagine the city will look like in the next century.

The 15-year-old contest is designed to foster teamwork and teach students that their actions are connected with the future...

The kids have been working on the projects every day after school and on Saturdays since September, learning some real world lessons.

"You have to do it to scale and you have to make sure it's not too big, not too small,” said Empire City team member, Galina Espineo. “People are always putting in new buildings."

Forty-four teams from 20 different schools, 15 from in the city, are competing in the regional competition, which takes place this weekend in Brooklyn at Polytechnic University.

The winning team will represent New York at the national finals next month in Washington, D.C., where the championship team will be awarded with a trip to Space Camp.