Volume 57, No.
34, FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011
Rally To Save Fire Co. Unites the Heights
First-grader Avery Kim from P.S. 8 reads an original poem saying why he believes Engine
Co. 205 should remain active. With him is former firefighter John Sorrentino, the rally’s MC.
BROOKLYN TODAY
FRIDAY,
MAY 27, 2011
Good morning. Today is the 147th day of the
year. It is the 100th birth anniversary of horror
actor Vincent Price, who at one time lived in a
Victorian house in Flatbush. Price, who graduat-
ed from Yale, originally sought theater work but
was more successful in films. He was best known
for his roles in Roger Corman’s series of Edgar
Allan Poe adaptations in the 1960s. In his later
years, he was a host of the PBS “Mystery” an-
thology series.
Well-known people who were born today in-
clude Brooklyn-born actor Lou Gossett Jr.
(“Roots,” An Officer and a Gentleman), U.S. Sen.
Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut), former U.S.
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former base-
ball player Frank Thomas and writer Herman
Wouk (Marjorie Morningstar, The Winds of War).
Today, the “Cosmorama of the Great Dream-
Please turn to page 2
Green-Wood
Memorial Day
Ceremony Has
Civil War Theme
GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY — If you aren’t
planning on skipping town this Memorial Day
weekend, you may want to celebrate the holiday as
it was originally intended — by giving a shout out
to the soldiers who died fighting for our country.
And if you want to be historically accurate
about it, you should go to Green-Wood Cemetery,
which is hosting an extra special line-up of events
in honor of the 150th anniversary of the start of the
Civil War.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration
Day, started as a tribute specifically to Civil War
soldiers. New York sent more troops to the Civil
War than any other northern state, shipping off
448,850 soldiers to battle. And believe it or not,
Green-Wood Cemetery is the final resting-place of
more Civil War soldiers than any other cemetery in
the North, including Gettysburg.
Green-Wood historian Jeff Richman, along with
a team of volunteers, has been working since 2002
to uncover how many Civil War veterans are in-
terred there. So far they have found 4,600.
This Sunday evening, May 29, candles will be
lit in front of each and every one of those Civil
War veterans’ graves. At 8:15 p.m., you can join
the procession that will wind its way through the
cemetery past the graves, accompanied by cavalry,
uniformed re-enactors and musicians. Meet inside
Please turn to page 2
Hamm Gives $1M
To Botanic Garden
Charles Hamm, former head of the
Brooklyn-based Independence Savings
Bank, which has since been absorbed
into two other banks, and his wife Irene
have contributed $1 million to Brook-
lyn Botanic Garden, according to the
Wall Street Journal. Hamm, who now
lives in Connecticut, was on the board
of the BBG for many years. “We were
lucky enough to make most of our
money in Brooklyn and I’d like to give
it back to really important institutions
in Brooklyn,” he is quoted as saying.
& 50¢ please
WW II, Korean
Veterans Honored
At Ridge Breakfast
Golden’s Annual Event
Salutes Brooklyn Vets
By Harold Egeln
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
BAY RIDGE — Two living heroes of World
War II and the Korean War and a deceased World
War II veteran were honored yesterday at state
Sen. Marty Golden’s Ninth Annual Memorial Day
Breakfast and Awards Ceremony in a salute to
Brooklyn veterans.
In a year that saw the deaths of the last World
War I veterans, one American and one British, 21
Brooklyn veteran groups were honored at the
breakfast, organized by Golden aide Anthony Tes-
taverde. Nearly 230 veterans and family guests,
along with firefighters, police and the Fort Hamil-
ton Army Garrison Command, enjoyed a full hot
breakfast.
“When I was 14 years old and a ninth grader on
a school trip to Washington, D.C., we had a cere-
mony in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
in Arlington, and I thought about who was buried
there,” said Col. Michael Gould, the Army base
commander.
In wondering about the soldier and his sacrifice
“to protect freedom and our way of life,” Gould
said he made a life career decision then. “That’s
what made me do what I have been doing in serv-
ing our country and what I am doing today. Base
Command Sgt. Major Sylvia Laughlin is right
when she says, ‘Freedom is not free.’”
First honored posthumously by Golden was
World War II veteran Nicola Dominick Salomone,
in a proclamation accepted by his daughters and
family. Golden pledged to keep working to ensure
that his family is given his Purple Heart.
In presenting the honor, Golden, a member of
the state Senate Committee on Homeland Securi-
ty, noted that this week nine bills were passed in
Albany to help veterans. “We owe it to you for
Please turn to page 2
World War II Army Air Force tail-gunner Staff Sgt. George Delianites is honored by state
Senator Marty Golden at his Ninth Annual Memorial Day Breakfast and Award Ceremo-
ny at the Bay Ridge Manor yesterday.
Steve Buscemi, actor and former firefight-
er. Eagle photos by Raanan Geberer
This map has been distributed to neighborhood residents by Forest City Ratner to explain
upcoming traffic changes connected with the Atlantic Yards project.
Traffic Changes Coming to
Area Near Atlantic Yards
Flatbush, Fourth, Atlantic
Avenues Will Be Affected
By Dennis Holt
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — On or about
July 15, to accommodate the Atlantic Yards proj-
ect, the city will put into operation a new traffic
plan affecting a cluster of heavily used intersec-
tions at Atlantic, Flatbush and Fourth avenues.
This plan was first unveiled years ago and be-
came part of the approved environmental impact
Eagle photo by Harold Egeln
Buscemi, Markowitz
Speak at Firehouse
By Raanan Geberer
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Elementary school
kids, college students, teachers, civic leaders,
local businessmen, elected officials and retired
and active firefighters — they all came out yes-
terday afternoon for a rally to save Engine Co.
205 on Middagh Street.
Engine Co. 205, which shares a circa-1929
firehouse with Ladder Co. 118, is one of 20 fire-
houses around the city, and eight in Brooklyn, that
has been targeted for closure by Mayor Michael
Bloomberg.
Many of those at the rally were connected with
the other firehouses that have been targeted — for
example, four off-duty firefighters from Engine
Co. 220. Some of the elected officials, like Public
Advocate Bill de Blasio and Borough President
Marty Markowitz, have appeared at multiple ral-
lies at different firehouses, but have given the
same message at all of them.
Some of the speakers made reference to the
fight eight years ago that closed several other
Brooklyn firehouses, most notably Engine Co.
212 in Williamsburg and Engine Co. 204 in Cob-
ble Hill. Assemblywoman Joan Millman remem-
bered how she, de Blasio, actor Steve Buscemi
and several others were arrested after a sit-in at
the Cobble Hill firehouse. “We’re ready to do it
again,” she said.
Others brought up the names of the eight fire-
fighters from the firehouse who were killed on
9/11. Richie Murray, a retired firefighter who
Please turn to page 2
Courtesy of Forest City Ratner
statement for the project.
The most significant part of the new plan will
be ending northbound traffic on the one block of
Fourth Avenue between Atlantic and Flatbush av-
enues.
To get from Fourth Avenue to Flatbush Avenue,
drivers will either have to turn east at Pacific Street
or turn west on Atlantic Avenue, turn north on
Third Avenue and east on Schermerhorn Street.
Pacific Street between Fourth and Flatbush av-
enues — and only that block of Pacific — will be-
come one-way eastbound. Cars will be able to turn
left or right onto Flatbush, but no through truck
traffic will be permitted on Pacific. There will be a
new traffic light, new crosswalk and a bigger side-
walk at the Pacific-Flatbush intersection to accom-
modate the expected new traffic.
The other way to get to Flatbush from Fourth
Avenue, as we’ve mentioned, will be to turn left
onto Atlantic, right onto Third Avenue and then
take the small jag from Schermerhorn to Flatbush.
Both left and right turns will be permitted. There
will be a dedicated turn lane along Atlantic Avenue
to Third Avenue.
In addition, a new or modified median will be
built on Atlantic Avenue from Fort Greene Place
along the eight blocks to Vanderbilt Avenue, and
new traffic timing patterns will be introduced.
As a result of this plan, vehicles will have more
green time on Flatbush Avenue, and pedestrians
Please turn to page 2
Licenses for
Bike Messengers?
Brooklyn Councilman David Green-
field is introducing legislation that
would require bike license plates for
messengers and food delivery people.
The Daily News reports that the bill
would require businesses that hire cy-
clists to obtain license plates for each
worker’s bike and to show proof of in-
surance.
Businesses that fail to get license
plates for their employees would face a
$1,000 fine.