From Pipe Dream To Reality!

It looks like the little park that could is getting off the ground!

For those who haven't seen Courier Life's latest edition, the Brigham Street Park Project got a shot in the arm from Councilman Lew Fidler and Borough President Marty Markowitz, who allocated a total of $500,000.00 to the park project.

As leader of this community project, I couldn't be happier! While the money is great, I'm happy because the community won - after years of hard work and dedication, we've reached a milestone!

This money is a LONG time comin' for Brigham Park adovcates. We started out as a rag-tag group of residents fighting "Project: Lighthouse", a conceptual restuarant - parking lot project on undeveloped parkland, and then fighting a draft RFP from parks that closely resembled "Project: Lighthouse".

The whole initiative started with a simple idea - let's not just say no to what's coming forward from developers and politicians and bureaucrats, let's create our own vision.

There were many obstacles along the way. But things fell so neatly into place, it was almost fated that this park would become reality! First, I happened to go with my good friends Ruth Chapman and Mary Galenski - two amazing people for whom none of this would have happened - to a New Yorkers For Parks meeting and learn of their Community Design Program, which we ultimately apply for and win. Then, we get two fantastic design fellows assigned to the project in Melissa Guerrero and Jon Fouskaris.

The rest is history, and can be read here.

There's a lot of people to thank. First and foremost, the community. If you notice on the Brigham St. Park Project site, the banner says "a community initiative". Politicians didn't start this program. Businesses didn't start this program. The people did. The people game their time and energy to this project. The people persevered. The people turned fantasy into reality. For everyone who worked on the Project, I personally am awed by what you accomplished and I am proud to have been out in front representing you.

Also, the member and leadership of Community Board 15 deserve praise. They were the first governmental entity to support the Project, and kept Brigham Park a funding priority for the district. I thank them for their courage and dedication to the Project.

The staff at New Yorkers For Parks did a tremendous service for our community. With their help, the community found direction and focus. Without their help, this project would be dead in the water. We are greatly indebted to them for their contribution.

I want to give special thanks to Pamela Governale, who led the design effort. Pamela is not only a good friend, but a tireless parks advocate. She was the first person to tell me to say "when" the park is built, not "if" the park is built, when talking about Brigham Park. That stayed with me throughout this Project. There is no amount of words I could put on here that will adequately show my appreciation for that and a million other little moments that got us to this moment.

Finally, thanks to our elected officials who are putting the money behind this Project. Assemblyman Maisel has always been a friend to the Project since Day 1 when the community rallied on the parkland to announce their intentions. Borough President Markowitz also deserves praise for his contribution to our efforts.

As does Councilman Fidler.

It took a while to get Councilman Fidler totally on board with this Project (although he never said he was against the Project itself), but I'm glad he did. It may be odd for some to read that, considering that I"m running against him for City Council, but it's true.

Brigham Park isn't about me, it's about the community. Always has been and always will be. While it's been my honor to lead the Project, I will not let any personal pride or ego stand in the way of progress in the community.

I will not let politics taint the purity of what the community has created.

I am so happy to say that the three years involved with this project has been time very well spent - regardless of outcome. The Project has educated many people about the history and natural heritage of Sheepshead Bay, has highlighted current issues of concern in Plumb Beach, and has brought out the best in our community. Not only is the project innovative in design and benefits to the environment, it's a prime example of what a real "grassroots" movement can do.

We've come so far, and we have much to do. I look forward to continuing to lead this effort on behalf of my community.

Lew's A Millionaire? What Else Don't We Know?!?

(Click to Enlarge - Courtesy AM NY)

You know something, I always thought that politicians were hypocrites on some level - but I never thought people had the audacity to go this far.

We all know about Councilman Fidler's schtick on the Mayor - billionaire out of touch with the common folk, like me. Well, it turns out that the Councilman isn't as common as we all were led to believe.

According to Jason Fink of AM NY, our Councilman is doing quite well for himself, thank you very much. In fact, he is cited as one of 7 MILLIONAIRES currently in the Council!

That's right folks.... millionaires.

Call me crazy, but a millionaire railing against a billionaire in the name of us thousand-aires doesn't exactly sound genuine to me. It sounds more like a way to deceive and get more votes from those who don't know any better.

Well I, as one of the many thousand-aires living in the district, think that this whole "common man" facade is just that - another example of our Councilman waving his right hand at us while the left hand is hiding something totally opposite - and we've seen enough.

- He vocally opposes the Bloomberg administration, yet sides with it on the term limits extension.

- He touts his tax record, stating that he voted against the previous tax increase, yet neglects to mention that he voted for the previous TWO tax increases before the council - totaling 25% in the aggregate!

- Now this "common man" routine of fighting for the little guys has turned into nothing less than a millionaire in pauper's clothing!

Now I would never begrudge anyone success - the Councilman's salary is NOT the issue here.

The issue is deception. You see, facts are shaded in Councilman Fidler's world. There seems to be no such thing as full disclosure. We're always left wondering "what are we missing?"

We deserve representatives interested in full disclosure and total truthfulness with the people. We deserve someone like us, in touch with our concerns, who will not play the misdirection game that has become an art form in South Brooklyn.

If elected, you will never have to worry about the "man behind the curtain" because there will be no curtain. There's only me - a fighter from Sheepshead Bay asking for your trust with the responsibility of restoring YOUR voice - the REAL voice of the common people - in City Hall.

Why I'm Hitting The Trail

In case you haven't been following, the graphic says it all - I have decided to run for City Council for Councilman Fidler's seat.

Some people have been asking me why I'm doing this. If you've read this blog regularly, then you'd know the answer. As this year has gone on, I've grown more and more agitated at our local political scene.

I've been calling for people to step up and take a stand against the politicking down here. After a while, I thought that I should put my money where my mouth is; I've never been one for sitting on the sidelines and watching things happen around me.

Someone needs to point out Councilman Fidler's hypocrisy over the years. Might as well be me.

He touts how he stands up to the Mayor, yet he sided with the Mayor (that's a nice way of putting it -more like he bowed down to Hizzoner) against the people in repealing term limits. His reasoning? His well-documented opposition to term limits. We're meant to believe that it was a principled stance.

So let's get this straight - he sided with his supposed sworn enemy in government to put his personal opinion ahead of all of ours. That is not leadership - it's self-serving.

But speaking of "leadership", the Councilman loves being in the council leadership. Supposedly, it benefits all of us. I think he loves it a bit too much, - to the point where power outweighs principle. Here's a perfect example, straight out of recent headlines:

Councilman Fidler voted "No" on a bill put forth by Councilman Tony Avella requesting that elementary schools generate notices reminding teachers to teach children why cruelty to animals is wrong. Seems innocuous enough, so why did he give it the ol' thumbs down? Apparently, Speaker Quinn was upset that Avella had pushed the legislation without the leadership's blessing. So Lew, being a good political soldier, killed a harmless bill - in the name of politics.

Some of you may be saying "no harm, no foul". It's not like it was something important like, say... term limits. I say that both term limits and his bill is a microcosm of our Councilman's priorities - politics comes first and foremost. Deal with constituents' matters? Whenever he's not politicking. Maybe.

After all, Lincoln Terrace, a small court in Sheepshead Bay, is still waiting for its street sign, months after requesting it from the Councilman.

Councilman Fidler also likes to say how he was against raising taxes in this past vote. True.

He doesn't go around saying that he voted to increase taxes 25% in the aggregate over his terms of office.

Because you don't win elections that way.

You win elections by showing up around election time, shake a few hands, spread some money around, and hope people forget that you haven't been around so much the previous three years - three years that he's been feathering a large nest in Manhattan.

Or so he thinks that's how you win.

I don't want to be this kind of Councilman. I will do what I have always done - put community first. Your priorities will be my priorities, your battles will be my own. Our communities shouldn't be neglected for the sake of party or power. We need a public servant who is actually willing to serve the people - before party. I believe I can be that person.

Over the next few months, you'll hear a lot about what I stand for and what I'm all about. I hope this will be a two-way conversation. I'm looking forward to it.

My Weekend Trip Back in Time... Huzzah!

This weekend, I made my annual time travel excursion - circa 1864, to be exact.

Yes, friends, this weekend marked the 4th Annual Gotham Cup Vintage Base Ball gathering! To those who don't know, Gotham Sports Media and the Gothams Base Ball Club of New York sponsor a weekend long tournament of "vintage base ball". Teams from all over the northeast gather in Central Park to pay America's Pastime by rules not seen on any ballfield in over 100 years.

(Before we go any further, MAJOR credit for this festival go to Ken "Trolley Car" Schlapp, Captain of the NY Gothams, who majorly picked up my slack in organizing this year's event, and thanks once again go out to Danni Caynor at the Dive Bar on Amsterdam Ave. and W. 96th St.)

As a simple shorthand, I tell people to think of a civil war re-enactment without knowing who is going to win.

Back in its infancy, the game we now know as baseball went through an evolution of rule changes. Let me give you a taste of some rules seen at the Gotham Cup:

• Fielders could catch a ball on one bound, and the batter would be out.


• If a batter was walked, every runner would advance even if not forced.


• Batters had choice of strike zone between a high zone and a low zone.


• No gloves were used in the field, no helmets for batters, no protective gear for catchers and bats were bigger and heavier.


• There was no such thing as a "free back" - if you were caught off base at any time, you could be called out


• Pitcher were much closer - and pitched underhand until the 1880s!

Maybe the coolest thing about the game - everyone gets a nickname. It's not Tom, Dick and Harry, it's "Pigtail", "Brooklyn" and "Express". And everyone - from age 17 to 71 - are playing for the love of the game.

The best part of the Gotham Cup is the look on people's faces when they see this game, come over and ask questions. Maybe even pick up the orange peel balls or tree trunk-like bats and feel the history. Parents love to show their kids the crack of the bat - it's a nice change from the ping of the little league games nearby

This is, by far, my most favorite weekend event. I can't say enough about the guys who participate in it - they're great to pal around with, knock back a few and swap stories about baseball or anything for that matter. I have tons of photos and links from the past four years that I'm going to add to this post, so check back soon!.

If you have the opportunity to catch a game in Central Park, or in Flemington or in Old Bethpage, then do it! If you're any kind of baseball fan, I promise you that it's an experience you'll enjoy.

A Spot Of Tea That Really Hit The Spot

(Photo shamelessly stolen from http://brooklynyr.com!)

Probably the best thing to come out of Bloomberg's latest flirtation with the Republican party is that NYC Republicans are active. They're talking online and in person, debating the pros and cons of this issue and others. And it's great to be part of.

Prime example: I walked out of work this past Wednesday heading towards the City Hall station as is my usual practice when I became a part of the Tax Day Tea Party at City Hall - one of many events organized all over the nation by Newt Gingrich and his new PAC in response to government taxing the life out of all of us.

Anyways, in the crowd, I spotted Jonathan Judge, the President of the Brooklyn Young Republicans. Jonathan is someone I would classify as a "true believer" in Republican ideals - his passion for the Republican party is matched by few. We were on the opposite side of the mayoral debate at the March meeting, and had only talked in formal settings and online.

I thought that this would be a good time to formally introduce myself, and break the ice a little.

Well, what started as a quick chat on my way to the train turned into a half-hour chat about different political issues that affect New Yorkers. And all the while, we were inundated with people handing out flyers about their cause, people trading email addresses, or even just meeting up to say "hello" to one another.

We didn't agree with everything the other said, but the dialogue was its own reward. We both left off with an understanding that we're both on the same side, and that there was a lot of work to be done. We made no plans for the future, but made a commitment to keep working together, even if from opposite sides of an issue. Agreement and conformity should never be a goal. I'm a firm believer that honest disagreement is the fertile soil form which great ideas grow. On this evening, I believe Jonathan and I planted a few of those first seeds.

But here we were, outside of City Hall within this mass of humanity, having a civil discourse about all things New York politics. It was a beautiful thing. It was energizing - an energy I hadn't felt since back in college when all I did was hang out, talk politics and have fun.

While I'm probably too old for all the hangin' out and can't afford to just have fun all the time, I sincerely hope that this was the first of many conversations that I have with Mr. Judge and others both here online and in person.

After weeks of talking about the ugly underbelly of NYC politics, specifically in my neighborhood, I finally have something positive to write about politically.

Thanks, Jonathan.

Playing "The Game"

In case you haven't been following Gerritsen Beach.net, you've missed the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of Cherry Hill Gourmet Restaurant & Market and the political gang down here in Sheepshead Bay. Check it out so you know what i"m talking about.

It's just amazing the games people - especially politicians - play. To briefly recap:

• We have a deputy commissioner inspecting a building (kind of a downgrade in job description, I would think), then revoking plan approval, on a construction job that had already been signed off as completed by his superior,
  

• Politicians claiming that they had nothing to do with the city agency's schitzo decision, and doing so while posing for pictures outside of the construction job that they had nothing to do with shutting down - even while the neighborhood's Good Friday Processional, which they completely ignored and refused to acknowledge, was walking right by them.

Welcome to South Brooklyn Politics - at its worst.

(Kudos to Dan at GerritsenBeach.net. This is the kind of news that flies below the radar and that no one ever finds out. We need more people like him!)

It's a world gone mad in Sheepshead Bay. The inmates run the asylum. This area is the victim of selective representation and selective enforcement. Politicians pick and choose which fight they will most benefit from, not fighting for the communities they represent.

Where was the outrage when Sheepshead Bay was overbuilt on Emmons Avenue, with violations ranging from breaking zoning regulations, to illegal dumping into the Bay? Could it be that the politician's personal interests were against advocating for the community's best interests? I leave you to check the 2005 Campaign Finance disclosures to answer that question.

Our politicians aren't working for their constituents - they're in business for themselves. And it sucks for us all.

Case in point - let's look at the news-breaking events that "our" Senator, Carl Kruger (pictured here with his despicable "Gang of Three") has been associated with recently:

(1) Fighting against a business that invested millions into a dilapidated Sheepshead Bay landmark with the promise of high-quality food and creation of over 100 jobs,

(2) "Shaking down" the Legislature with the "Gang of Three" in order to be named Finance Committee Chair, and

(3) Betraying all New Yorkers by blocking any hope of relief for the MTA and its riders.

Helleva record, Carl.

How do any of these actions benefit our district? They don't - they only benefit Carl Kruger.

I hate to throw Terry Scavo and Mike Nelson into the same boat - I have worked with both and genuinely like them. But, they're guilty of the same hubris. Getting elected is more important than doing the right thing, I guess.

Terry isn't an elected official, although there are rumblings that she may want to be someday. I'd like to know what authority she had to stand there for the "photo opp". Was she there representing the Community Board? If so, when did the Community Board approve of such action? I know it wasn't at the last meeting - I was there!

If she had no such approval, then she is abusing the trust of our Community Board - and the trust of our community. It's a shame, because she started as CB15 chair with the best of intentions, but she is slowly turning into just another south Brooklyn bottom-feeder.

I seem to view Mike Nelson as the least culpable party here. The Councilman has always seem more like a victim whenever the Senator gets involved. I recall during the Sheepshead Bay re-zoning that Mike was standing next to the Senator and his pro-developer friends, looking miserable. When Kruger lift, it looked like a weight had been lifted off of him, and he was back to being himself again. I saw that same look outside of Lundy's this week. It truly is sad.

So why haven't politicians like the good Senator been voted out of office? Well, there's lots of reasons, and none of them are good for democracy. There has been no credible challenger because the Republican Party couldn't get its act together (a problem I hope to help remedy in the future!) There is also the "power of the incumbent" - who can remember when a newcomer unseated an incumbent in this area? Hopefully, the new Republican leadership will change that as well. Finally, the wheelin' and dealin' of politics has been, for the most part, done in the dark - maybe blogs like GB.net can remedy that with more stories that this one that he broke.

Whatever the reason, this vicious "game" and others like it has got to end. These are serious times and we need serious people to step up and get involved.