By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper
State Sen. Marty Golden (R–Bay Ridge) has his platform, an open field, and a fund-raising apparatus — and he may have even found a date to announce his run for mayor.
As we reported last March, Golden has definitely dipped his toe in the Republican-light mayoral waters for 2009, but he hasn’t fully jumped in.
But that may change in a few weeks, when Mayor Bloomberg is the guest of honor at Golden’s Oct. 17 fundraiser at Gargiulo’s in Coney Island. The $500-per-plate fundraiser is Golden’s biggest so far.
Golden confirmed the mayoral appearance, but didn’t commit to saying whether he’d make anything official at the fundraiser.
“All I can tell you that it will be one intense fundraiser,” said Golden with cryptic smile.
He was quick to add that he’s not merely being coy about announcing his run; he simply hasn’t decided yet. “It is a difficult call,” said Golden. “I believe in continuing the 16 years of stewardship of the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations, and a lot of people are pointing me in that direction.”
Getting the nod from Hizzoner would be quite a boost to that end.
A Bloomberg endorsement would be political gold — especially for a state senator virtually unknown beyond his Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights base. Golden is considered a shoe-in to win his Senate district next year, a race that isn’t expected to put much of a dent in his $425,000 war chest. He’d need much, much more to run for mayor, but raising big cash would be easy — if (and it’s a big if!) he remains the only Republican trying to succeed Mayor Mike.
Golden also added that he was in no rush to make a decision.
“Some people have been running for mayor since the day they were born,” said Golden. “I still have some time. I can realistically wait until next year if I need to.”
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Salty Dog honors hero
By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper
A local hero wasn’t in his usual place behind the bar, but he was in everyone’s memories.
Dyker Height’s firefighter Joseph Graffagnino, 33, who died in the Deutsche Bank blaze last month, was honored on Sept. 11 at the Salty Dog, the Bay Ridge tavern where he used to tend bar.
Graffagnino died alongside Robert Beddia in the August fire at the crippled financial building near Ground Zero, which has been empty since the 9-11 attacks and is being taken down piece by piece to minimize the spread of toxins.
Graffagnino had been tending bar at the Salty Dog just hours before he died.
On Tuesday, the bar raised $30,000 for his family, thanks to a Chinese auction, raffles, and t-shirt sales.
Graffagnino, an eight-year veteran, left behind his wife, Linda.
The bar, which caters to firefighters, hung black-and-purple bunting after Graffagnino’s death and even became the scene of an ad-hoc memorial after the Aug. 23 funeral.
On Tuesday, the bar began to fill at around 5 pm, an hour before the benefit was slated to begin.
Rich Serpice, who knew Graffagnino since they were both 14-years-old, gladly handed over his $20 at the door.
“You’ll hear everyone say it, but he really was the freaking greatest guy you could ever meet,” said Serpice. “He always had a kind word for everyone and this is one small way we can give something back.”
Contributions are still being accepted at the Salty Dog, which is on Third Avenue between 75th and 76th streets.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Garden snakes
By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper
A mysterious gang of marauding plant thieves has been yanking flowers and snagging herbs right out of the gardens of some lush homes in Bay Ridge.
At least 12 residents in a seven-block radius awoke two Fridays ago to discover that someone had used clippers to swipe their cherished shrubbery.
Residents were aghast at the sheer barbarism of the act.
“I was crying all morning,” said Fatama Yafei, a resident of 247 79th St. “What kind of people would do something like this?”
The “who” remains a mystery, but the “where” is public knowledge, at least to residents accustomed to the beautifully manicured lawns and gardens of Bay Ridge.
The green-thumbed perps hit the blocks between 79th and 86th Streets from Shore Road to Third Avenue, where stems now wither in front of many homes where green goodness formerly blossomed.
It appears that more than one person is involved due to the sheer scope of the vandalism.
Yafei says she believes the bandits struck her house between 2 and 4 am, when they opened her front gate, walked into the middle of her garden, and cleanly clipped a three-foot high shrub known as a snowball. The perps even left behind an empty beer bottle. A trail of leaves led toward Third Avenue — but then vanished.
Getting to the roots of the mystery has proven to be a thorny proposition, since the bandits do their clipping at night and there have been no reported eyewitnesses. Since there is no known black market for contraband foliage, the case becomes murkier.
Yafei believes it could be a crime of passion.
“It is probably just some kids pulling a prank,” said Yafei. “Maybe someone just wants to give his girlfriend some flowers.”
Regardless of intentions, the perps could find themselves in hot water if this operation gets nipped in the bud.
That’s because clipping plants is vandalism — and convicted vandals can go to prison.
Of course, there is nothing new under the sun; at least as far as plant clippers are concerned.
Only a decade ago, many Brooklyn residents even went to the extent of chaining their plants to the ground, but those days were thought to be behind us. The new band of plant thieves has residents wondering if the time has come to bring back the chains — or maybe even vigilante justice.
“Do I need to chain the rest of my plants?” asked Yafei with a laugh. “I’ll tell you one thing, if I find out who did this I will clip off their hands.”
Officer Jeffery Swain from the 68th Precinct suggested a slightly different punishment.
“Stealing plants is larceny, which means that if you are caught, you could certainly go to jail,” he said. “We encourage everyone whose plants are stolen to report it as soon as it happens.”
Swain says his superiors know that plant theft is a growing problem in Bay Ridge.
“People steal anything that isn’t chained down,” he added.
But the motive remains a mystery.
The manager of Enchanted Florist, a Fifth Avenue plant store, said it’s unlikely that the thieves are re-selling the pilfered plants.
“People who steal plants out of yards to resell them are going to have a problem,” said the manager, who gave his name only as Steve. “Once the plant is established, it is hard to be replanted and in most cases it will die.”
He said the crime is most likely being committed by kids with nothing better to do. But he added that a full grown snowball like the one stolen from Yafei could sell for more than $60.
That’s a lot of green.
Baby-buggy bandit in Ridge
By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper
A new predator is prowling local playgrounds and swimming pools, patiently waiting for the instant a distracted mom turns her head, then, in the blink of an eye — gone!
But don’t call Chris Hanson just yet, because these perps are leaving the kids and snagging the strollers.
That’s right, a serial-stroller thief is on the loose in Bay Ridge and nervous moms are beginning to panic over the newly realized vulnerability of their precious baby-mobiles.
It isn’t exactly the Son of Sam, but stroller-paranoia has hit a crescendo.
“Stroller theft is becoming more and more of a problem,” read a posted warning on ISawYourNanny.com, a national clearinghouse for gossip about, well, you can figure it out from the name of the Web site. “To parents and nannies in Bay Ridge, beware; strollers are being snatched left and right!”
The poster had first-hand knowledge of stroller perils; his was swiped last Wednesday. But that was only half as bad as what happened to January Hagan, who had two strollers stolen in one week last month.
“My jogger stroller was stolen just days after my Maclaren stroller was stolen in broad daylight,” Hagan said. “I had been meaning to buy a bike lock, but hadn’t gotten around to it.”
Hagan, who lives on 80th Street near Fourth Avenue, said she had parked her stroller in a concealed spot by her front door, and it was only out of site for a few minutes when she discovered that the buggy bandit had struck again.
“Perhaps someone has been watching me,” said Hagan. “You think I would have learned the first time around. I am just completely devastated that there is someone in this neighborhood stealing strollers.”
Residents of Bay Ridge should get used to it: these aren’t your mother’s baby buggies. Strollers today are big business (true story, my first stroller purchase, a Prego, cost $20 more than my first car — a 1984 Chevy Cavalier that I bought in 1995 for $300.).
A new stroller can cost up to $1,200, and in today’s affluent Bay Ridge, the site of little Madison in a luxury cruiser strolling down Third Avenue has become commonplace.
This rising cost of buggies has created an instant black market for opportunistic thieves looking to make a quick buck.
Some buggy-bandits may even be hawking their goods on Craigslist, which currently has 76 used strollers on sale ranging in price from $100-$600. Another theory is that some kids steal the strollers for the wheels, which, in some high-end buggies, can be used on motorized mini-bikes popular with teens.
Of course, if you are looking to keep your stroller off the black market, prudence is the best remedy.
Cops say that while they have noticed no appreciable rise in reported stroller thefts, common-sense precautions should thwart would-be buggy bandits.
“Keep your eye on your stroller like you would a laptop or any other expensive commodity,” said one officer at the 68th Precinct. “People will steal anything that isn’t tied down.”
Hagan, who replaced both strollers at a net loss of $350, took the advice to heart.
“I have replaced both strollers,” said Hagan. “But now, I either carry my stroller up two flights of stairs every time I return home or I lock it to a pipe with a bike lock and chain.
Lesson learned, but in any case, it appears that the stroller-stealing epidemic will have at least one silver lining. The panic has temporarily cleared doorways of local businesses and apartment buildings of stroller congestion.
Now, if only there would be a serial double-parked car thief!
Matthew Lysiak is a writer who lives in Bay Ridge.
The Kitchen Sink
Is Vito moving towards Hillary? With a showdown with lefty lawyer Steve Harrison looming, it appears that conservative Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Bay Ridge) is once again distancing himself from President Bush. First, he slapped the president for not declaring Bay Ridge a national disaster area after the Aug. 8 tornado. Then he knocked POTUS for changing a rule that would prevent the expansion of state-run health care for kids whose parents earn over $80,000 a year. Then again, the buzz from Staten Island is that Guy Molinari wants Vito to run for mayor next year, not Congress anyway. …
Cowboys in Bay Ridge? A new restaurant, Uncle Buck’s, which is located on 89th Street and Third Avenue, opened last week to rave reviews for a simple, inexpensive, and tasty menu. But to our great dismay, the rumored appearance of a mechanical bull is nothing more than a dream due to, what else, insurance issues. …
Councilman Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) is claiming to have solved, once and for all, the mystery of the mysterious humming noise known as the “Bay Ridge Hum.” Stay tuned next week. …
We have just received the sad news that Gail Topp, who worked for the Brooklyn Democrats for Change, passed away last Monday. She will be missed.
The Brooklyn Paper
A new predator is prowling local playgrounds and swimming pools, patiently waiting for the instant a distracted mom turns her head, then, in the blink of an eye — gone!
But don’t call Chris Hanson just yet, because these perps are leaving the kids and snagging the strollers.
That’s right, a serial-stroller thief is on the loose in Bay Ridge and nervous moms are beginning to panic over the newly realized vulnerability of their precious baby-mobiles.
It isn’t exactly the Son of Sam, but stroller-paranoia has hit a crescendo.
“Stroller theft is becoming more and more of a problem,” read a posted warning on ISawYourNanny.com, a national clearinghouse for gossip about, well, you can figure it out from the name of the Web site. “To parents and nannies in Bay Ridge, beware; strollers are being snatched left and right!”
The poster had first-hand knowledge of stroller perils; his was swiped last Wednesday. But that was only half as bad as what happened to January Hagan, who had two strollers stolen in one week last month.
“My jogger stroller was stolen just days after my Maclaren stroller was stolen in broad daylight,” Hagan said. “I had been meaning to buy a bike lock, but hadn’t gotten around to it.”
Hagan, who lives on 80th Street near Fourth Avenue, said she had parked her stroller in a concealed spot by her front door, and it was only out of site for a few minutes when she discovered that the buggy bandit had struck again.
“Perhaps someone has been watching me,” said Hagan. “You think I would have learned the first time around. I am just completely devastated that there is someone in this neighborhood stealing strollers.”
Residents of Bay Ridge should get used to it: these aren’t your mother’s baby buggies. Strollers today are big business (true story, my first stroller purchase, a Prego, cost $20 more than my first car — a 1984 Chevy Cavalier that I bought in 1995 for $300.).
A new stroller can cost up to $1,200, and in today’s affluent Bay Ridge, the site of little Madison in a luxury cruiser strolling down Third Avenue has become commonplace.
This rising cost of buggies has created an instant black market for opportunistic thieves looking to make a quick buck.
Some buggy-bandits may even be hawking their goods on Craigslist, which currently has 76 used strollers on sale ranging in price from $100-$600. Another theory is that some kids steal the strollers for the wheels, which, in some high-end buggies, can be used on motorized mini-bikes popular with teens.
Of course, if you are looking to keep your stroller off the black market, prudence is the best remedy.
Cops say that while they have noticed no appreciable rise in reported stroller thefts, common-sense precautions should thwart would-be buggy bandits.
“Keep your eye on your stroller like you would a laptop or any other expensive commodity,” said one officer at the 68th Precinct. “People will steal anything that isn’t tied down.”
Hagan, who replaced both strollers at a net loss of $350, took the advice to heart.
“I have replaced both strollers,” said Hagan. “But now, I either carry my stroller up two flights of stairs every time I return home or I lock it to a pipe with a bike lock and chain.
Lesson learned, but in any case, it appears that the stroller-stealing epidemic will have at least one silver lining. The panic has temporarily cleared doorways of local businesses and apartment buildings of stroller congestion.
Now, if only there would be a serial double-parked car thief!
Matthew Lysiak is a writer who lives in Bay Ridge.
The Kitchen Sink
Is Vito moving towards Hillary? With a showdown with lefty lawyer Steve Harrison looming, it appears that conservative Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Bay Ridge) is once again distancing himself from President Bush. First, he slapped the president for not declaring Bay Ridge a national disaster area after the Aug. 8 tornado. Then he knocked POTUS for changing a rule that would prevent the expansion of state-run health care for kids whose parents earn over $80,000 a year. Then again, the buzz from Staten Island is that Guy Molinari wants Vito to run for mayor next year, not Congress anyway. …
Cowboys in Bay Ridge? A new restaurant, Uncle Buck’s, which is located on 89th Street and Third Avenue, opened last week to rave reviews for a simple, inexpensive, and tasty menu. But to our great dismay, the rumored appearance of a mechanical bull is nothing more than a dream due to, what else, insurance issues. …
Councilman Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) is claiming to have solved, once and for all, the mystery of the mysterious humming noise known as the “Bay Ridge Hum.” Stay tuned next week. …
We have just received the sad news that Gail Topp, who worked for the Brooklyn Democrats for Change, passed away last Monday. She will be missed.
Bush’s tornado aid goes to Queens, not Brooklyn
By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper
President Bush will send disaster relief funds to victims of the Aug. 8 storm that unleashed a tornado on Bay Ridge — but the White House is only sending money to Queens, not Brooklyn.
As you might imagine, local officials in Bay Ridge are buzzing like a Category 1 twister.
“People are having difficulty recovering from the tornado because the process for making a decision has been too slow,” said Rep. Vito Fossella (R–Bay Ridge), who had urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency — and his fellow Republican at the head of the executive branch — to do the right thing by Bay Ridge.
Hundreds of cars, houses and roofs were damaged or destroyed by the tornado’s 136-mile-per-hour winds that touched down around 67th Street between Fourth and Seventh avenues.
The tornado may have touched down in Bay Ridge, but Queens, not Brooklyn, bore the brunt of the damage, said FEMA spokeswoman Barbara Lynch.
“The borough of Queens was really in a lot worse shape,” said Lynch. “That’s why residents of Queens will be the only ones eligible for the aid at this time.”
Indeed, news coverage of the storm did focus on the first-ever tornado in Bay Ridge, but in Queens, more than 1,300 homes were damaged, compared to 80 in Brooklyn. There was also extensive flooding in Queens.
Lynch said that Brooklyn could still get a piece of the federal relief pie, but as in the Sept. 1 relief announcement, that decision must be made by the president.
Fossella met with FEMA officials last Friday and demanded a recount.
“I spoke with top officials to express the community’s frustration,” said Fossella.
The agency agreed to Fossella’s request to re-examine how and where the relief money was allocated.
The Brooklyn Paper
President Bush will send disaster relief funds to victims of the Aug. 8 storm that unleashed a tornado on Bay Ridge — but the White House is only sending money to Queens, not Brooklyn.
As you might imagine, local officials in Bay Ridge are buzzing like a Category 1 twister.
“People are having difficulty recovering from the tornado because the process for making a decision has been too slow,” said Rep. Vito Fossella (R–Bay Ridge), who had urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency — and his fellow Republican at the head of the executive branch — to do the right thing by Bay Ridge.
Hundreds of cars, houses and roofs were damaged or destroyed by the tornado’s 136-mile-per-hour winds that touched down around 67th Street between Fourth and Seventh avenues.
The tornado may have touched down in Bay Ridge, but Queens, not Brooklyn, bore the brunt of the damage, said FEMA spokeswoman Barbara Lynch.
“The borough of Queens was really in a lot worse shape,” said Lynch. “That’s why residents of Queens will be the only ones eligible for the aid at this time.”
Indeed, news coverage of the storm did focus on the first-ever tornado in Bay Ridge, but in Queens, more than 1,300 homes were damaged, compared to 80 in Brooklyn. There was also extensive flooding in Queens.
Lynch said that Brooklyn could still get a piece of the federal relief pie, but as in the Sept. 1 relief announcement, that decision must be made by the president.
Fossella met with FEMA officials last Friday and demanded a recount.
“I spoke with top officials to express the community’s frustration,” said Fossella.
The agency agreed to Fossella’s request to re-examine how and where the relief money was allocated.
Buckeye’s fighting back
By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper
Threat? What threat?
That’s what officials of the Buckeye Pipe Line Company will soon be telling terror-fearing Bay Ridge residents in a new public initiative designed to explain that its controversial fuel pipeline — an apparent terror target earlier this year — is safe.
The latest fears about the pipeline, which runs in the train cut near 65th Street in Bay Ridge, stemmed from the June arrest of four men who supposedly plotted to blow up the jet fuel tanks — and the pipelines that supply them — at JFK Airport.
But Buckeye Vice President of Field Operations Brian Jury said fear is just a media creation.
“Safety … is our top priority and our pipelines are well-protected,” said Jury. “Unfortunately, distortions regarding pipeline operations and safety have been widely reported.”
To combat this misinformation, Buckeye will be hitting the local community board circuit and sending out mailings. The campaign will explain that “an attack on the pipeline involving explosives, even if it ruptured the pipeline and ignited the escaping fuel, would be localized,” said Jury.
But it won’t be an easy sell.
The arrests in June ignited fears in Bay Ridge about the 40-year-old pipeline, which runs from Linden, New Jersey to JFK — via Bay Ridge.
“Of course, we are on edge,” said Avery Greene, a resident of the Towers of Bay Ridge, which is on 65th Street between Ridge and Third avenues. “It is hard to imagine how many people could die if that pipeline got into the wrong hands.”
Pipeline fears were the subject of an Aug. 15 public hearing at Fort Hamilton.
“The reason the alleged terrorists targeted the pipeline is because it represents an efficient way to massacre thousands of people in one attack,” Rep. Vito Fossella said at the hearing. “We don’t have enough answers.”
Wait a few weeks, and some answers will soon be in your mailbox and at your local community board meeting room.
The Brooklyn Paper
Threat? What threat?
That’s what officials of the Buckeye Pipe Line Company will soon be telling terror-fearing Bay Ridge residents in a new public initiative designed to explain that its controversial fuel pipeline — an apparent terror target earlier this year — is safe.
The latest fears about the pipeline, which runs in the train cut near 65th Street in Bay Ridge, stemmed from the June arrest of four men who supposedly plotted to blow up the jet fuel tanks — and the pipelines that supply them — at JFK Airport.
But Buckeye Vice President of Field Operations Brian Jury said fear is just a media creation.
“Safety … is our top priority and our pipelines are well-protected,” said Jury. “Unfortunately, distortions regarding pipeline operations and safety have been widely reported.”
To combat this misinformation, Buckeye will be hitting the local community board circuit and sending out mailings. The campaign will explain that “an attack on the pipeline involving explosives, even if it ruptured the pipeline and ignited the escaping fuel, would be localized,” said Jury.
But it won’t be an easy sell.
The arrests in June ignited fears in Bay Ridge about the 40-year-old pipeline, which runs from Linden, New Jersey to JFK — via Bay Ridge.
“Of course, we are on edge,” said Avery Greene, a resident of the Towers of Bay Ridge, which is on 65th Street between Ridge and Third avenues. “It is hard to imagine how many people could die if that pipeline got into the wrong hands.”
Pipeline fears were the subject of an Aug. 15 public hearing at Fort Hamilton.
“The reason the alleged terrorists targeted the pipeline is because it represents an efficient way to massacre thousands of people in one attack,” Rep. Vito Fossella said at the hearing. “We don’t have enough answers.”
Wait a few weeks, and some answers will soon be in your mailbox and at your local community board meeting room.
Last call for Club Shadows?
By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper
This may be the last dance for Club Shadows.
On Aug. 22, the embattled Fourth Avenue nightclub’s plea offer was rejected by the State Liquor Authority, which came back with an offer of its own — give up your liquor license or go to trial.
Shadows had offered the authority $10,000 and a 15-day suspension of its liquor license to settle charges dating back to Nov. 30, 2006— which included a serious count of not having a proper liquor license.
But “the plea offer was not enough to satisfy the board,” said Liquor Authority spokesman Bill Crowley.
The latest setback for the controversial club comes after two brawls — one on June 5 and another on Aug. 10, cops said — and both incidents hurt the bar’s chance of retaining its liquor license.
“Obviously, there are serious questions about whether Shadows can responsibly hold this license,” Crowley said. “Anytime the police have to be called and there is violence, the board takes it very seriously.”
The latest charges — stemming from the violent incidents — are separate matters, which mean two more trials, Crowley said.
Club Shadows, which is between 90th and 91st streets, got on the community radar screen last November, when a sign featuring the silhouette of a curvy woman was installed. The sign also promised “exotic dancers” at the Nov. 30 opening.
The strippers never materialized. In fact, inside Club Shadows, there isn’t a hint of the controversy that local officials feared. When a Brooklyn Paper reporter visited this week, he found a club scene not too different than others in New York.
The lighting was dark and the drinks pricey, but the business was clean and the crowd of twentysomethings were well-controlled by two large security guards who made their presence obvious.
Aside from people smoking in the bathroom (a common club nuisance), there were no noticeable problems — and no naked woman.
That’s a far cry from what local officials expected when Councilman Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) brought SLA inspectors to the Club Shadows opening, and the agency hit the establishment with the four original violations.
Shadows lawyer William Spanakos could not be reached for comment.
The Brooklyn Paper
This may be the last dance for Club Shadows.
On Aug. 22, the embattled Fourth Avenue nightclub’s plea offer was rejected by the State Liquor Authority, which came back with an offer of its own — give up your liquor license or go to trial.
Shadows had offered the authority $10,000 and a 15-day suspension of its liquor license to settle charges dating back to Nov. 30, 2006— which included a serious count of not having a proper liquor license.
But “the plea offer was not enough to satisfy the board,” said Liquor Authority spokesman Bill Crowley.
The latest setback for the controversial club comes after two brawls — one on June 5 and another on Aug. 10, cops said — and both incidents hurt the bar’s chance of retaining its liquor license.
“Obviously, there are serious questions about whether Shadows can responsibly hold this license,” Crowley said. “Anytime the police have to be called and there is violence, the board takes it very seriously.”
The latest charges — stemming from the violent incidents — are separate matters, which mean two more trials, Crowley said.
Club Shadows, which is between 90th and 91st streets, got on the community radar screen last November, when a sign featuring the silhouette of a curvy woman was installed. The sign also promised “exotic dancers” at the Nov. 30 opening.
The strippers never materialized. In fact, inside Club Shadows, there isn’t a hint of the controversy that local officials feared. When a Brooklyn Paper reporter visited this week, he found a club scene not too different than others in New York.
The lighting was dark and the drinks pricey, but the business was clean and the crowd of twentysomethings were well-controlled by two large security guards who made their presence obvious.
Aside from people smoking in the bathroom (a common club nuisance), there were no noticeable problems — and no naked woman.
That’s a far cry from what local officials expected when Councilman Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) brought SLA inspectors to the Club Shadows opening, and the agency hit the establishment with the four original violations.
Shadows lawyer William Spanakos could not be reached for comment.
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Lysiak exposing the lack of security at the Towers pipeline