Page 1: This issue of The Brooklyn Paper is nuts — totally nuts! Check out our huge story about hamburgers (crazy)! Check out our feature story about feral cats (astounding!). And don’t miss our front-page editorial in favor of the Atlantic Yards arena (exclamation deleted!). And of course, every issue is jam packed with the best calendars, columns and features money can buy. Keep hustlin’, Brooklyn! Read more…

Editorial: The Brooklyn Paper editorial board restates its longtime support for the Atlantic Yards arena. Comments (58)

One of Coney Island’s most popular vendors is losing her shirt because she can’t sell her custom tees at the Stillwell Avenue subway stop. Comments (3)

Dining: You heard it here first, nothing is changing at Sam’s restaurant on Court Street, despite a whirlwind of rumors this week that the creator and head pizza chef, Mario Magliaccio, had retired and was moving back to Italy. Comments (19)

McMahon on Line 1: The latest installment of our popular feature chronicling new Bay Ridge Rep. Mike McMahon’s first year in office reports on McMahon’s support for the “Cash for Clunkers” bill. Comments (8)

Bay Ridge: Summer must be coming — because Bay Ridge’s bustling 69th Street pier smells like dead fish. Comments (6)

Dining: You know you want it. The only question is, how. Comments (1)

Red Hook: A city crackdown on livery cab drivers who cruised for furniture-lugging passengers at the remote Ikea in Red Hook has led the Swedish home-furnishings behemoth to create a livery dispatch station for shoppers. Comments (7)

Cartoon: Our cartoonist Cristian Fleming thinks politicians are a bunch of two-faced glad-handers. Comment

Williamsburg: The gruff-but-sometimes-lovable head of Community Board 1 has stepped down after 27 years. Comments (6)

Theater: Park Slope’s best local theater company is set to steal the spotlight from Manhattan’s annual summer Shakespeare festival this July with “King Lear.” And that’s just the beginning. Comment

Music: Borough President Markowitz’s summer concert series lineup is out — and it features some big names…from the past. Comments (2)

Mean Streets: Brooklyn Heights residents: grab your walking shoes! For three Sundays in September, pedestrians will take over Montague Street. Comment

Dining: The calendar waits until June 21, but in Sunset Park, summer actually begins in late March. Comments (2)

DUMBO: The City Council voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to give DUMBO developer Jed Walentas the rezoning that he needs to build a controversial 17-story tower next to the Brooklyn Bridge. Comments (8)

Election: Hopefuls for two hotly contested City Council seats in Brownstone Brooklyn kicked off the primary election season in that most democratic of traditions: standing on street corners asking you to sign your name on their petition to get on the ballot. Comments (4)

Checkin’ in with: Frank Gehry just got fired. It’s a good time to pick up the phone and talk to Brooklyn’s other notorious legend. Comments (4)

Crime: If it’s Wednesday, it’s Police Blotter day on BrooklynPaper.com. Find your neighborhood below or click the link above to get a full list. Read more…

Park Slope: The short, but intense, battle for control of an athletic field in Park Slope was over faster than Gen. George Washington’s defeated troops could retreat across the same hallowed ground during the Revolutionary War. Comment

Downtown: The city signed off on a plan that will allow the fast-food chain Arby’s to open inside the landmarked former Gage and Tollner storefront on the Fulton Mall. Comment

Music: The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival is back — with bigger names and a second stage. Comments (1)

Event: It’s time to get jiggly with it. Comment

Election: The former presidential front-runner (who eventually lost, by the way) has endorsed both Josh Skaller and Brad Lander for the City Council. Wow, that was helpful. Comments (6)

Politicrasher: The former presidential front-runner (who eventually lost, by the way) will endorse City Council candidate Josh Skaller. Comments (2)

Smartmom: If it’s Tuesday, it must be Smartmom day at BrooklynPaper.com. This week, Smartmom tries to help a friend with a troubled teen. Comments (3)

Awesome: David Byrne, the legendary frontman for Talking Heads in the 1980s, opened up the 31st annual “Celebrate Brooklyn” summer festival in Prospect Park in bright white style on Monday night, performing with his Latin-influenced band before a crowd of about 10,000 people. Comments (4)

Atlantic Yards: Atlantic Yards’ biggest foe, Daniel Goldstein, headed to Cleveland this weekend to confront development company officials in the wake of the firing of architect Frank Gehry. Comments (25)

Coney Island: The Cyclone and Parachute Jump aren’t the only landmarks on Coney Island’s skyline anymore! On Friday, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey raised their big top in advance of next Thursday’s opening night. Comments (1)

Fort Greene: A would-be bookseller has moved one step closer to bringing an independent bookstore to Fort Greene. Comments (1)

The Best Thing We Ate This Week: In these troubled times, you need simple pleasures. But the best thing we ate this week — the burger at Building on Bond — proves that simplicity doesn’t means compromise. Comment

Greenwood Heights: Someone is dumping cats in this man’s front yard! Comments (7)

Transit: Ferry service returns. And there was much (or, at least some) rejoicing! Comment

Prospect Heights: Keep checking back during the day for updates on the big story: Bruce Ratner has fired Frank Gehry as the architect for Atlantic Yards. Read more…

Rhythm & News: In his latest “Rhythm and News” feature, the Bard of Bushwick, Frank Hoier, rips a song right out of The Brooklyn Paper police blotter. Comments (1)

Election: Longtime Republican political backroomer Bob Capano will challenge Councilman Vince Gentile for his Bay Ridge seat. Comment

Park Slope: It was the last push for “Stroller Joe.” Comment

Park Slope: A beloved 44-year-old record shop in Park Slope has been saved from eviction, thanks to a lease from another landlord on the same Fifth Avenue block. Comments (2)

Podcast: Evan Gardner, a legend, has moved on. Join us for one last longing look back. Comments (1)

Williamsburg: The New York Junior Tennis League’s annual spring program is offering free tennis to youngsters ages six to 18 at various locations throughout Brooklyn. Trained coaches will provide a comprehensive schedule of instruction, practice and play for all levels. Comment

Williamsburg: Judges closer to winning their raises Comment

Williamsburg: Judges closer to winning their raises Comment

Williamsburg: Hot flashes — they start with a sudden flush, the feeling that your internal thermostat’s been turned up, and spontaneous perspiration. Many women know the sensation all too well. Comment

Williamsburg: Even though a city body upheld a permit allowing the so−called “Finger Building” to rise to 16 stories last December, the structure – a controversial high−rise at 144 N. 8th Street that has been under construction for several years – will not rise to its maximum allowable height, its developer confirmed. Comment

Williamsburg: Just call it Aviator Sports & Recreation−shire! Comment

Williamsburg: Planning for a new baby can be an exciting task for most parents−to−be. Many pregnant women anticipate how the baby will affect the family dynamic or the best ways to save for college tuition. But did you know that some of the most important details for ensuring a healthy baby can be planned even before you get pregnant? Comment

Williamsburg: Organizers hoping to raise the near $2 million needed to convert the former Firehouse 212 into a multi−purpose community center hosted an event last Friday celebrating the money they have raised so far – and showing how much further they still have to go. Comment

Williamsburg: The City Planning Commission held a public hearing this past Wednesday regarding the rezoning of the “inland” portion of Williamsburg and Greenpoint not covered in the area’s waterfront rezoning in 2005. Comment

Williamsburg: Last year, the MetroTech Business Improvement District initiated a college scholarship program, in which they created a fund that provided 25 college scholarships of $1,000 each for high school graduating seniors who were going to attend colleges in Downtown Brooklyn. Comment

Williamsburg: How can you stay healthy after age 50? Here are some tips for women. Comment

Williamsburg: Former President George W. Bush was always fond of saying how much easier governing the United States would be if only it were a dictatorship. Old Number 43 may be history, but that sentiment about our democracy has apparently not faded out with him. Comment

Williamsburg: Last Wednesday, the city’s Department of Transportation unveiled a plan it hoped would quell the unrest surrounding the controversial Kent Avenue bike lanes, which the agency installed last October as a prelude to the Brooklyn Greenway. Comment

Williamsburg: Former President George W. Bush was always fond of saying how much easier governing the United States would be if only it were a dictatorship. Old Number 43 may be history, but that sentiment about our democracy has apparently not faded out with him. Comment

Williamsburg: Celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz offered the lowdown on well−being, while Miss Cyclone provided the eye−candy during a community health fair in Williamburg. Comment

Williamsburg: Test Your Knowledge about Women’s Health Comment

Williamsburg: Financial recessions doesn’t lead to crime −− at least not directly, according to Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes. Comment

Williamsburg: The Kane Street Synagogue presents Robert Berman, a pioneering activist and founder of the Halachic Organ Donation Society, who will discuss “Organ Donation: Jewish law and modern needs,” a lecture and discussion during Shabbat morning services, June 13, approximately 11:15 a.m. at 236 Kane Street. Comment

Williamsburg: The Great Coney Island Tug of War held on the sand in front of Deno’s Wonder Wheel went to “Wall Street” this weekend − but no one is feeling ripped off. Comment

Williamsburg: The Broadway Triangle Community Coalition (BTCC), comprising the 40−plus community groups protesting the city’s rezoning plan for the Broadway Triangle, presented its own vision for the Triangle at a raucous meeting this past Monday at Williamsburg’s P.S. 250 (108 Montrose Avenue). Comment

Williamsburg: The machinations of energy companies in upstate New York could have a devastating impact on Brooklyn’s drinking water, a local lawmaker warned last week. Comment

Williamsburg: A North 1st Street resident was nearly crushed to death when his building suffered a partial collapse, officials said this week. Comment

Williamsburg: A walk to work by big−hearted Brooklynites translated into big bucks for disadvantaged youngsters hoping to attend camp this summer when the St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corp. held its annual St. Nick’s benefit walk in Williamsburg. Comment

Williamsburg: Jon and Kate Gosselin created more than a reality show — they created a nightmare, especially for their children. Comment

Williamsburg: Whatever happened to... Comment

Williamsburg: The Brooklyn Cyclones invite fans to show dad he’s MVP this Father’s Day, June 21st at KeySpan Park, 1904 Surf Avenue, by inviting him for a special catch in the outfield grass prior to the team’s 5 p.m. game. Comment

Williamsburg: Dom Scala, who went from the dusty fields of 1960s era McCarren Park all the way to Yankee Stadium as the team’s bullpen coach, will come back to his home community to talk baseball with area children. Comment

High School Sports: Gina Lopez was visibly upset. Her 20th−seeded Grand Street Campus softball team had just lost to No. 13 Bayside, 12−2 in six innings, on Thursday in the first round of the PSAL Class A softball playoffs. Comment

Williamsburg: A Williamsburg party seeks to turn the frown wrought by the current economic climate upside down by bringing the circus to town and sending in the clowns. Comment

Williamsburg: In addition to featuring more established D.I.Y. artists, Artists & Fleas’ “Market in McCarren,” which runs every Saturday through the summer, has the additional benefit of providing a venue for Williamsburg’s more up−and−coming artists. Comment

Williamsburg: Hector Calderon, principal of El Puente Academy of peace and justice, eloquently summed up a central tenet of El Puente, the North Brooklyn community organization. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Cops have rounded up the grocery goons allegedly responsible for a two−month−long robbery spree where six delis were raided. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Ripened fruits and crisp veggies were just the tip of the iceberg for discerning boroughites as they made a beeline for farm−fresh delights on opening day of the Park Slope Farmers’ Market. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Newly coiffed cuties Jordan Pittari (left) and pal Ashley Gallo, both 6, clipped their way into the hearts of underprivileged and ailing peers by lopping off their long tresses and donating their gleaming manes to Locks of Love, which makes hairpieces for children. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: One of the most common affliction affecting women is depression during and after pregnancy. This article will lend some insight into this condition. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: MTA officials confirmed last week that they expect to come to an agreement with developer Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) on the sale of the Vanderbilt Yards section of the 22−acre Atlantic Yards project. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: CCNS St. Charles Jubilee Older Adult Services offers a wide array of services and free activities for seniors. Among their offerings are. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: John Heyer is not going to let his conservative views get in the way of a possible endorsement. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Brooklyn educators delivered a tall tribute to their local supporters during a breakfast forum, presented by the Community Education Council of District 15. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: The transition from analog to digital is quickly approaching, and many consumers are continuing to upgrade their outdated televisions in preparation of the June 12 deadline. While the switch to digital means better sound and picture quality, it also means more electronics entering the waste stream. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: The families preparing to move into Brooklyn’s first cohousing project are not just a group of community−minded folks. They’re environmentally minded, too. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Despite the angst of preservationists, the Army National Guard approved the demolition of nine of the 11 now−derelict houses at the Brooklyn Navy Yard known as Admirals’ Row. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: If they had opposable thumbs and could pull an election booth lever, the borough’s pet population would vote these animals out of office! Comment

Brooklyn Courier: “I function day to day on a simple premise,” said Mervis Smith, RN, a post anesthesia care unit nurse at New York Methodist Hospital. “If I take today and live it well, work to the best of my ability, then that day becomes the premise on which tomorrow is built.” Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Suspected swine flu slammed the doors shut on two Red Hook schools this week. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Adam Abraham of First United American Life Insurance Company will present an annuity workshop at the Aviator Sport and Recreation Complex, 5 Hangar Drive in Floyd Bennett Field, June 16 from 12:30−1:30 p.m. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Forget about winning hearts and minds. At this stage of the game, its all about petition signatures. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: At a time when an off−duty cop was shot down by a fellow officer in Harlem, a Park Slope resident picked a poor way to vent his outrage at a police officer who had arrested him on a minor drug charge. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Carroll Gardens activists were caught off guard last week to learn that the city Parks Department has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to put a food vender in Carroll Park. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: A glossy flier urging residents to “just say no” to designating the Gowanus Canal a Superfund site is turning off some of the very people it was created to sway. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: The O’Dovovan Rossa Society will host a talk, “State Terrorism: From Torture to Murder – Lessons Learned from Abu Ghraib to Castlereagh,” with Brigader General Ret. James Cullen at 7:30 p.m., June 10 at Rocky Sullivan’s Pub, 34 Van Dyke Street (at Dwight Street) in Red Hook. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: In a parting message to the candidates in the 39th Councilmanic District, Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND) President Kenn Lowy had one wish: for everyone to play nice together. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Brooklyn Greenway Initiative’s annual benefit, New Views 2009, brings you to another new waterfront destination, June 18 June 18 from 6−9 p.m. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Who says all car services are alike? Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Close to 10,000 runners pounded the wooden warrior at Coney Island, joyously, culminating the New York Road Runners Half−Marathon Grand Prix, which began at Prospect Park and ended at Coney’s famous Riegelmann Boardwalk. Comment

High School Sports: Give them a hand. Comment

High School Sports: In each of Mike Hanrahan’s two seasons as the Bishop Ford baseball coach, he has seen vast improvements. The Falcons have made the playoffs both years, their league record has gotten better and they even beat defending CHSAA Class A intersectional champion Xaverian this spring. Comment

High School Sports: Hannah Berner said she would love to be thought of as a role model for other girls. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Stellar students stole the show when they took to the stage for a rollicking performance of “Grease” at Middle School 51. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: With twice as many vendors, the Sunday Farmers Market in Park Slope, held on Fifth Avenue between Third and Fourth streets every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., will be a one−stop−shop for neighborhood residents this season. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: As part of the monthlong Seventh Annual Russian Heritage Festival, June 1−30, the Russian American Foundation is holding two community events at Asser Levy Seaside Park, Ocean Parkway & Seabreeze Avenue, in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn Comment

Brooklyn Courier: The Police Athletic League (PAL) Miccio Headstart Center will hold its annual health fair for Head Start and other families in Red Hook, June 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pal Miccio Center, 120 West Ninth Street. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: The Urban Assembly Academy of Arts & Letters, a third−year public middle school in Fort Greene, invites families and community members to attend its 2nd Annual SummerFest on June 20th, from 12 to 3 p.m. at the school located at 225 Adelphi Street. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: St. Francis College Head Men’s Basketball Coach Brian Nash announced that Alexander Harrington has signed a national letter−of−intent to join the Terriers for the 2009−2010 season. Comment

Kings Courier: Although two robbery teams made it a point to wend their way through the command during their borough−wide crime sprees, robberies in the 63rd Precinct have been cut in half over the last month, according to recently released NYPD statistics. Comment

Kings Courier: Members of the Midwood Active Adults Program held their breath as they awaited the return of the cousin of one of its members from space. Comment

Kings Courier: Despite the tough state of the economy, the city is showing that not everything needs to be downsized — at least in Gerritsen Beach. Comment

Kings Courier: While felony crime continues to drop in Flatbush, the commanding officer of the 70th Precinct is vowing that now is not the time to rest. Comment

Kings Courier: Starry−eyed students engaged rapt visitors with their showmanship during a spring concert at Public School 207. Comment

Kings Courier: Public School 255’s favorite BookPAL, actor Paul Hecht and fellow musicians brought music and poetry to the school as a culmination to National Poetry Month. Comment

Flatbush: Infighting may be rearing its ugly head once again on Community Board 17. Comment

Flatbush: They go out and address quality−of−life crimes and wind up making a difference. Comment

Flatbush: Public School 217−The Col. David Marcus School will present “Peter Pan” at 6:30 p.m., June 6 in the school’s auditorium, 1100 Newkirk Avenue. Comment

Flatbush: Wonder Bread has given way to weeds, and Twinkies to trash, at the shuttered Hostess Thrift Store at Albany Avenue and Farragut Road. Comment

Flatbush: Just call it Aviator Sports & Recreation−shire! Comment

Flatbush: Spring spectacles abounded in the nabe when the Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement District held a street fair, featuring fun for the whole family. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: St. John’s Bread & Life (SJB&L), Brooklyn’s largest and likely the nation’s most high−tech soup kitchen, is holding its first “Rush Hour Benefit to Terminate Hunger” at Grand Central Station’s Northeast Balcony, June 24 from 5−8 p.m. by the elevator at Track #23. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: The Department of City Planning this week announced the beginning of the formal review for an 86−block contextual rezoning of the Carroll Gardens and Columbia Street district, an effort to preserve some of the most unique, verdant, low−scale and beautiful blocks in the city, the agency said. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: Capt. John McKenna and the LCPL Glover Foundation will host the New York Honors Her Military Heroes: Third Annual Golf Outing⁄Dinner at the newly renovated Dyker Beach Golf Course, June 15. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: The Red Hook experience could be yours — for the right price. Comment

Brooklyn Courier: The Red Hook experience could be yours — for the right price. Comment

Letters: A fine homecoming Comment

Perspective: In a perfect world, crime would cease to exist, and dedicated NYPD officers, such as Omar Edwards and Andrew Dunton, would not be the victims of yet another act of flagrant lawlessness by yet another flagrant law−breaker. Comment

Canarsie: Hot flashes — they start with a sudden flush, the feeling that your internal thermostat’s been turned up, and spontaneous perspiration. Many women know the sensation all too well. Comment

Canarsie: The transition from analog to digital is quickly approaching, and many consumers are continuing to upgrade their outdated televisions in preparation of the June 12 deadline. While the switch to digital means better sound and picture quality, it also means more electronics entering the waste stream. Comment

Canarsie: Learn NY’s grassroots coalition of 78 education programs, community−based organizations and faith−based institutions kicked−off a five−borough bus tour to highlight the overwhelming public support for mayoral control. With the deadline for renewing the mayoral control law just weeks away, parents and educators came together to thank the State Legislature for enacting mayoral control in 2002 and to call on them to renew the law this June. Comment

Canarsie: A 25−year veteran who helped the city and NYPD on the beat and behind the scenes was honored for her many years of faithful service last week. Comment

Canarsie: A cache of bullets was recovered from an East 89th Street home after a 24−year−old resident allegedly took potshots at a couple passing by his second−floor window and then refused to surrender when the NYPD came calling. Comment

Canarsie: In each of Mike Hanrahan’s two seasons as the Bishop Ford baseball coach, he has seen vast improvements. The Falcons have made the playoffs both years, their league record has gotten better and they even beat defending CHSAA Class A intersectional champion Xaverian this spring. Comment

Canarsie: The Kane Street Synagogue presents Robert Berman, a pioneering activist and founder of the Halachic Organ Donation Society, who will discuss “Organ Donation: Jewish law and modern needs,” a lecture and discussion during Shabbat morning services, June 13, approximately 11:15 a.m. at 236 Kane Street. Comment

Canarsie: The National Park Service invites members of the public to an open house, June 9 from 6−8 p.m. at Brown Memorial Baptist Church, 464 Washington Avenue between Greene & Gates avenues, to share ideas and expectations for the future of the African Burial Ground National Monument. Comment

Canarsie: Brooklyn resident Nathaniel Howard, a senior specialist in Con Edison’s gas engineering department, received Con Edison’s highest honor, the company’s “Living Our Values” award, during a gala held by the 73 year−old utility company. Comment

Canarsie: Following a series of missteps, a fifth−grade student at one local public school reportedly ended up spending the night there undetected, officials confirmed this week. Comment

Canarsie: Last year, the MetroTech Business Improvement District initiated a college scholarship program, in which they created a fund that provided 25 college scholarships of $1,000 each for high school graduating seniors who were going to attend colleges in Downtown Brooklyn. Comment

Canarsie: Sewer−to−sewer dingers wowed the crowd as golden street−warriors squared off against each other during a reunion stickball game in Sheepshead Bay, proving that when it comes to pounding the pavement, all roads lead back to Coyle Street. Comment

High School Sports: Katharine Fuentes looked up into the mist as the ball was popped high in the air over the pitching circle. The bases were loaded with two outs in the seventh and Abraham Lincoln was ahead by four. The ball, which was on its way down to her glove, would be the final out of a long and laborious day for the ace senior windmiller. Comment

High School Sports: Consider six Xaverian’s magic number. Comment

High School Sports: Vinny Caiazza was drained, emotionally and physically. He felt worn out. After his Madison baseball team was swept in its best−of−three, semifinal series against Monroe, falling 5−2 Sunday afternoon at KeySpan Park in Coney Island, it ended a long season, that although memorable was arduous. Comment

Canarsie: The Holocaust Memorial Committee’s 25th Annual Gathering & Exhibit will be held at 12 p.m., June 14 at Holocaust Memorial Park, Shore Boulevard and Emmons Avenue at the foot of Sheepshead Bay. Comment

Canarsie: Gridiron gladiators locked friendly horns and wowed the crowd with their skills and showmanship during an alumni football game at Canarsie High School. Comment

Canarsie: Classes will be starting for Bay Ridge residents to join Bethlehem Lutheran Church, one of Brooklyn’s most active and growing Lutheran churches. Comment

PCBs be damned — a local canoe club isn’t fazed enough by the polluted Gowanus Canal to support designating it a Superfund site. Comment

Brooklyn Heights: As this paper went to press, the City Council Land Use Committee was expected to address and possibly vote on the controversial Dock Street DUMBO project under the city’s rezoning process. Comment

Brooklyn Heights: MTA officials confirmed last week that they expect to come to an agreement with developer Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) on the sale of the Vanderbilt Yards section of the 22−acre Atlantic Yards project. Comment

Brooklyn Heights: After several tense months, the stalled renovation of the YWCA on Atlantic Avenue is back on track. Comment

The city is quietly moving away from aspects of its plan to improve public access to the Red Hook waterfront, leaving local residents adrift in a sea of trucks and pollution, critics of the project charged this week. Comment

Brooklyn Heights: Are you coming to the revel? Comment

Bay News: If they had opposable thumbs and could pull an election booth lever, the borough’s pet population would vote these animals out of office! Comment

Bay News: How do Brooklynites ring in the start of summer? Comment

A bill authored by a Brooklyn lawmaker mandating that subway trains that pass underwater be staffed by a train conductor recently passed the state Assembly. But it is uncertain whether the bill will come for vote in the Senate, where it has died in recent years before a vote had even been taken. Comment

A 25−year veteran who helped the city and NYPD on the beat and behind the scenes was honored for her many years of faithful service last week. Comment

A “legendary” trailblazing businessman with the Midas touch, who transformed a single real estate office into the Big Apple’s largest privately−owned and operated real estate firm, was immortalized with tears and cheers when his family and community dedicated the intersection of that first office, “Bill Reinhardt Way.” Comment

Although a recent shooting may be linked to gang violence, cops from the 69th Precinct said that gang activity in Canarsie is at an all−time low. Comment

By Gary Buiso and MichÈle De Meglio Comment

With his fate at the polls five months away, Mayor Mike Bloomberg is courting Brooklynites with a new campaign office in Bay Ridge. Comment

A Hebrew−themed charter school will not be housed in I.S. 278, Marine Park Junior High School — but it could still open in a local public school. Comment

Williamsburg: Before Miss Brooklyn Keelie Sheridan goes off to compete in the Miss New York scholarship pageant later this month, she’s getting some help from her “dream team” of local sponsors, who have been providing the beauty with everything from fitness training to headshots to getting her primped and primed for the pageant. Comment

Four blocks of Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights will be closed to traffic and open to pedestrians for Summer Streets on Vanderbilt Avenue, every Sunday in June (June 7, 14, 21 & 28) from 12−5 p.m. Comment

Troubles against Flatbush State Senator Kevin Parker continue to mount as more and more criminal charges are being filed in connection with last month’s violent exchange with a New York Post photographer. Comment

Following parents’ protests, the city Department of Education (DOE) may nix its plan to house a transfer high school on East 107th Street — and instead place it in another Canarsie school. Comment

Clad in cap and gown at America’s “most beautiful college campus, Internet guardian Lawrence H. Landweber (Class of ‘63) delivered the keynote address in the company of proud grads, distinguished alumni and honored guests on graduation day at Brooklyn College. Comment

Cops have rounded up the grocery goons allegedly responsible for a two−month−long robbery spree where six delis were raided. Comment

“It looks like garbage.” Comment

A surprising rally to endorse City Council candidate John Heyer has caused a massive shake−up in the leadership of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND). Comment

Crime: Judges closer to winning their raises Comment

Ashley Anglade, a senior at Bishop Kearney High School, has earned an incredible list of acceptances, scholarships and awards this year. Comment

Robert T. Reilly, president and CEO of RTR Financial Services, Inc., a health care industry−leading provider of accounts receivable management services, presented Wendy Z. Goldstein, president and CEO of Lutheran HealthCare, with a check for $10,000. Comment

It apparently wasn’t necessary for New York City Comptroller and mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson to put in an appearance at a candidate’s night scheduled by a local political group. Comment

A local activist known for his efforts to promote understanding between different cultures was in the spotlight at Community Board 10’s May meeting. Comment

Students from Visitation Academy participated in and won an essay contest, entitled “WOW, My Library Rocks,” sponsored by Councilman Vincent Gentile, head of the Library Committee for the City Council, through his district. Comment

Eighteen college−bound students from the Bay Ridge⁄Dyker Heights area have been awarded scholarships of between $5,000 and $1,000 based on their records of community service. Comment

There’s a block party in the neighborhood – and you’re all invited. Comment

St. Anselm R.C. Church has a traditional day of praying the St. Anthony Novena every Tuesday after the 11 a.m. Mass. St. Anthony, a Franciscan Religious, is noted for helping the poor, and Brother Robert Duffy, director of Faith Formation at St. Anselm’s, leads the congregation in the praying of the novena. Comment

An pre−summer adventure – and then some – was in store for revelers as they marched to the jaunty beat of one of Brooklyn’s premier parties – the Fifth Avenue Festival in Bay Ridge. Comment

Sal Carbone’s dreams aren’t just a pie in the sky. Comment

Though the end is now in sight, the sewer and water main project that has tied up 86th Street for the past two years continues to drag on. Comment

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Elementary School students walked, ran, hopped, skipped, jumped and showed their school spirit when they participated in the annual OLPH Walkathon in Notre Dame Hall. Comment

Not ready, not there! Comment

In a small library at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School, 763 President St., surrounded by biographies and storybooks of every variety and just beneath a sign that read, “Books – the company your mind keeps,” teens met tweens as part of a program to promote literacy. Comment

St. John’s Bread & Life (SJB&L), Brooklyn’s largest and likely the nation’s most high−tech soup kitchen, is holding its first “Rush Hour Benefit to Terminate Hunger” at Grand Central Station’s Northeast Balcony, June 24 from 5−8 p.m. by the elevator at Track #23. Comment

Parenting: Here’s a list of all the special events and ongoing events this month at Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s favorite greenspace. Comment

Parenting: As part of the monthlong Seventh Annual Russian Heritage Festival, June 1−30, the Russian American Foundation is holding two community events at Asser Levy Seaside Park, Ocean Parkway & Seabreeze Avenue, in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn Comment

Bay News: The academic team from Fontbonne Hall Academy has continued its remarkable winning streak. Comment

Bay News: Brooklyn Cinderellas found the prom dress of their dreams – or close to it – during a gown giveaway in Flatbush. Comment

Bay News: The Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society (ACS) — a gathering of friends, families and co−workers who team up to walk the track in relay fashion in the hope that those lost to cancer will not be forgotten, that those who are battling cancer will be supported and that one day, cancer will be eliminated — will be held all day, June 13 at the Fort Hamilton High School athletic field, 83rd Street & Narrows Avenue. Comment

Bay News: Fond words and misty−eyes recalled a “guardian” of Brooklyn, who established a local organization for neurological disorders while operating a pair of successful local businesses – and whose legacy will live on at the corner of East 27th Street and Avenue Z, now also “Michael Fischetti Way.” Comment

Bay News: The 62nd Precinct Community Council will present The Michael J. Ferraro Community Service Award to graduates of elementary schools within the boundaries of the 62nd Precinct, at 7:30 p.m., June 10 at the St. Finbar Center, 1825 Bath Avenue. Comment

Bay News: An “easily forgotten” copper coin was transformed into a “powerful tool for youth action and service” – plus a pot of gold – when big−hearted students from Intermediate School 14 donated the fruits of their Penny Harvest fundraising labors to the Bay Family Center. Comment

Bay News: Angry critics of the new $64 million amphitheater planned for Asser Levy Seaside Park are steaming mad this week, wondering why Community Board 13 did not bother to record their opposition to the project. Comment

Bay News: The machinations of energy companies in upstate New York could have a devastating impact on Brooklyn’s drinking water, a local lawmaker warned last week. Comment

Bay News: Nearly five months into 2009, crime in Bensonhurst continues to plummet. Comment

Bay News: Police officers affiliated with the Brooklyn South Task Force, as well as the 62nd Precinct, were in the spotlight, honored as the precinct’s “Cops of the Month” for May. Comment

Bay News: State Senator Martin J. Golden will host a community town hall meeting for the residents of Gravesend and Bensonhurst at 7 p.m., June 11 at the David A. Boody School−IS 228, 228 Avenue S. Comment

Bay News: The subjects ranged from animal cruelty to the atrocity of children compelled to serve as soldiers as area students demonstrated the “write stuff” during an essay contest sponsored by the Bay Ridge Community Council (BRCC). Comment

Bay News: The Most Precious Blood Parish will celebrate 65 years of priesthood for their Pastor Emeritus, Father Vincent Termine, at the El Caribe Country Club, 5945 Strickland Avenue in Mill Basin, June 14 from 2−6 p.m. Comment

Bay News: Whenever he gets the opportunity, it seems, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles “Joe” Hynes makes a point of talking up his office’s Family Justice Center. Comment

Bay News: Four community notables were recognized for their support of a local emerald empire when Friends Of Kaiser Park (FOKP) held its annual awards dinner at Paradise Caterers. Comment

Bay News: “The Caring School,” Joseph B. Cavallaro MS−IS 281 has lived up to its name. Comment

Bay News: The Great Coney Island Tug of War held on the sand in front of Deno’s Wonder Wheel went to “Wall Street” this weekend − but no one is feeling ripped off. Comment

Bay News: Fore! The South Brooklyn Lions Club is hosting their annual Memorial Golf Outting, on June 12 at the Dyker Beach Golf Course. Comment

Bay News: The Good Shepherd Sports 10th Annual 5K Run⁄Walk in memory of Jimmy McElroy will be held June 20, rain or shine. Comment

Bay News: Va−va−va−vroom. Comment

Bay News: Sheepshead Bay overflowed with family−friendly fun as spring revelers celebrated the borough’s liquid jewel by heading for Bay Fest 2009. Comment

Bay News: The Brooklyn Chorus, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, is hosting open house rehearsals at 7:45 p.m., June 22. Comment

Transit: Ferry service returns. And there was much (or, at least some) rejoicing! Comments (1)

Editor’s Picks: Once again, the invaluable Brooklyn Paper is back with some tips for a great weekend. Keep hustlin’, Brooklyn! Comment

Atlantic Yards: Chronic financial problems at Atlantic Yards have caused another casualty on the embattled project — Frank Gehry’s ambitious design for both the arena and the rest of the 16-building project has been scrapped for a cheaper and widely criticized blueprint. Comments (11)

DUMBO: A key City Council committee this afternoon backed — by a surprisingly wide margin — DUMBO developer Jed Walentas’s controversial bid to build a 17-story tower next to the Brooklyn Bridge, hours after Speaker Christine Quinn reportedly had given her OK. Comments (68)

Michael McGuinness had seen it before. In James Madison’s semifinal game against No. 4 Stuyvesant, Jesse Banham came flying around the back of the net and scored to the far side post to give the Knights an overtime win. Comment

Vinny Caiazza was drained, emotionally and physically. He felt worn out. After his Madison baseball team was swept in its best-of-three, semifinal series against Monroe, falling 5-2 Sunday afternoon at KeySpan Park in Coney Island, it ended a long season, that although memorable was arduous. Comment

Gina Lopez was visibly upset. Her 20th-seeded Grand Street Campus softball team had just lost to No. 13 Bayside, 12-2 in six innings, on Thursday in the first round of the PSAL Class A softball playoffs. Comment

Katharine Fuentes looked up into the mist as the ball was popped high in the air over the pitching circle. The bases were loaded with two outs in the seventh and Abraham Lincoln was ahead by four. The ball, which was on its way down to her glove, would be the final out of a long and laborious day for the ace senior windmiller. Comment

Normal Comment

Normal Comment