Boys & Girls High School’s boys basketball team is celebrating winning its third straight PSAL Championship title and the New York State Championship, both firsts in the school’s history.

The boys track team won city, state and national championships for indoor track, and in one race earned the best time in the nation for this year and the second best time in the history of United States indoor track.

Boys & Girls High School Principal Bernard Gassaway instituted a “Higher Standards, Higher Expectations” policy for student-athletes at the beginning of this year, which requires them to maintain a grade average of at least 70 percent, pass a certain number of Regents Exams, and serve 30 hours of community service to remain eligible for athletic participation.

Located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Boys & Girls High School has graduated basketball greats like Hall of Fame player and coach Lenny Wilkens and NBA player and playground legend Connie Hawkins. Alumni also include historic presidential candidate Rep. Shirley Chisholm, singer/actress Lena Horne and many others.

News that the congressman would not seek another term came just one day before the petitioning deadline, which raised quite a few eyebrows. Speculation that his petitions might not have passed muster came from someone within Towns’ East New York base. The source said the congressman’s petitions from the East New York section of the district looked strong, but while technically having enough signatures from the Bed-Stuy, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill areas, there may not have been enough signatures from those areas to survive a challenge.

Rep. Towns’ position was complicated by his home being drawn outside the new district. He could have proceeded forward. State law only requires that a candidate reside within the county and the state during a campaign. If the incumbent had moved forward defending his seat and survived the primary and general election he would have had to make other arrangements regarding his legal address.

The congressman’s wife might have been another factor. It is said she encouraged him to consider retiring. At age 77, it is not unreasonable for the congressman to enjoy time with his wife, children and five grandchildren.

Another factor might have been the untimely death of Donald Payne, a New Jersey Congressman who served for 23 years. “Donald Payne and I were the same age. Donald Payne and I were very close,” Towns said. “We talked about things we wanted to do after we finished Congress.”

During the campaign, Congressman Ed Towns had been promoting his seniority as an asset. During the 111th Congress, he served as Chair of the House Oversight Committee and to make his point recently brought an Oversight hearing to Borough Hall. During his tenure as Chairman of Oversight, Towns refused to issue subpoena records involving Countrywide Financial, a company that played a major role in contributing to the subprime mortgage crisis. It was later revealed that Towns had two mortgages with Countrywide designated with the company’s V.I.P. preferred customer status.

When Republicans gained control during the 112th Congress, Towns was not asked to become Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee. Instead, the position was given to Rep. Elijah Cummings, who uses high-profile aggressive methods to challenge Chairman Darrell Issa on numerous issues, a sharp contrast to Ed Towns’ low-key style. In particular, Cummings’ persistence found that the ATF Fast and Furious gun-walking program in which guns trafficked into Mexico leading to the deaths of several law enforcement officers was not an initiative conceived by high-ranking Dept. of Justice Obama Administration political appointees. Instead, the reckless operation was limited to ATF’s Phoenix Division and began during the previous administration.

The retiring congressman has not made an endorsement in the race, although there is speculation he will do so. If Rep. Towns does make an endorsement, the likelihood that his choice would be Charles Barron is slim to none. It is common knowledge that there has been an ongoing bitter rivalry between the Towns and Barron camps.

According to the New York City Board of Elections unofficial total, Storobin is leading, 10,756 to 10,636. However, Board of Election officials say they official tally won’t come until the end of the month when all 757 absentee and overseas ballots are counted and allegations of fraud are investigated.

Either way, the race between Storobin, a Russian-Jewish immigrant, and Fidler a Jewish-American who went to high school with Rev. Al Sharpton, brought new meaning to the term, “mudslinging” in a contest where the winner will only serve a few months due to redistricting.

The current district includes Brighton Beach, Borough Park, Gravesend, Midwood and Mill Basin. However, it will be swallowed up for a new “Super Jewish” district that includes mainly Borough Park, southern and western Flatbush, and Kensington – a Mecca (metaphorically speaking) – for ultra-conservative Orthodox Jews.
Among the accusations flying were Fidler’s claim that Storobin’s Internet writings showed that he had “ties to skinheads, neo-Nazis” and that white supremacist groups had linked to the articles on their sites.
Storobin responded he had relatives who fought the Nazis and that Fidler impugned his mother. It got to the point where the front page of the Flatbush Jewish Journal went as far as to state that Jewish law “prohibited to vote for Lew Fidler” because he “wants to teach same-gender marriage to 6-year-old children.”

While this race was mainly about the Jewish vote in Southern Brooklyn, several of the communities such as Brighton Beach and Mill Basin are in the newly formed 8th Congressional District of Ed Towns.
Other communities in this newly created Congressional District such as Sheesphead Bay, Manhattan Beach and Howard Beach were relocated from Republican Congressman Bob Turner’s old district, which was also swallowed up through redistricting.

While Kings County GOP boss Craig Eaton could not be reached at press time, the bets here are the Republicans will put a good deal of money and effort into winning the seat.

Markowitz backs Clarke
Brooklyn Borough President quickly dismissed a Crain’s story last week that he would challenge Congresswoman Yvette Clarke in her Federal Voting Rights district encompassing most of the middle of the borough, and in fact, issued a statement that he supports the incumbent.

“Congresswoman Yvette Clarke has represented Brooklyn and her constituents well, and I wholeheartedly support her bid for re-election,” he said.

Previous to being borough president, Markowitz has long been a favorite in the Caribbean-American community, which he represented in the state senate seat now held by Eric Adams.

Markowitz also dismissed rumors that he would jump into the 8th Congressional District Democratic Primary between incumbent Ed Towns, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and City Councilman Charles Barron.

“I am flattered by all of the encouragement I have received to take my ‘Brooklyn attitude’ to Washington and make sure everyone in our nation’s capital knows that Brooklyn is ‘in the House’” Markowitz said. “However, my dream job has always been Brooklyn Borough President and I intend to make my final 21 months in office the most productive ever.”

The 75th precinct in East New York topped the list, counting the most people stopped – 31,100 – followed by the 73rd precinct in Brownsville with 25,167. The two neighborhoods are also at or near the top of the most crime-plagued communities in the city. According to report only 3 percent of stops in East New York led to an arrest.
Also making the top ten list in Brooklyn was Williamsburg’s 90th precinct, home to Hasidic Jews, hipsters, and Latinos. The neighborhood was fifth with 17,566 stops.

The NYCLU was unable to provide data for the 79th and 81st precincts, which covers Bedford-Stuyvesant, but according to unofficial police statistics not counting housing or transit police, the 79th Precinct made 5,029 stops and the 81st Precinct made 7,458 stops.

According to NYPD documents, reasons for a stop include “carrying a suspicious object” or “casing a victim or location.” A frisk can also occur because of “inappropriate attire off season”

Marcy Plaza under construction
Residents shopping or living along Bed-Stuy’s Fulton Street commercial corridor may have recently noticed the pedestrian roadway on Marcy Avenue between Fulton and MacDonough Street torn up.
The reason for this city workers are constructing a $1.3 million, 8,000 square feet pedestrian space complete with benches, trees and shrubs.

The Plaza is part of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Streetscape Project and run through the Mayor’s Office of Comprehensive Neighborhood Economic Development (CNED).
Funding for the project came from the city’s Office of Management and Budget, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Councilman Albert Vann.

Bed-Stuy Park renamed and renovated
A portion of the Pulaski Playground running from Hart to Pulaski Street between Throop and Marcus Garvey Blvd was renamed the Heritage Row Playground in honor of the nearby 12 Heritage Row Houses built in 2000 by Habitat for Humanity, a not-for-profit organization seeking to create decent and affordable housing for families in need. The project was spear-headed by former President Jimmy Carter as part of his annual ‘Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project’.

In addition to the renaming an additional $1.45 million is being put into the park for the reconstruction of the asphalt multi-purpose play area with color seal coating, as well as a two lane perimeter track and two full-sized basketball courts. A fitness area, bicycle racks, benches, landscaping and perimeter fencing will also be installed, and the handball courts will be refurbished.
Funding for the project comes through the offices of Mayor Bloomberg and local City Councilman Al Vann.
Bill proposed to toughen domestic violence offences
Lawmakers in Albany this week introduced a new bill that would provide district attorneys with the tools to crack down on recurring violence and abuse by establishing the felony-level crime of “aggravated domestic violence” for abusers who commit two or more offenses within five years.

Under current law, only those who cause serious physical injury or kill their victims face felony-level charges. Even those who repeatedly commit domestic violence offenses can only be charged with a low-level misdemeanor — allowing them to cycle through the system and putting them back out on the streets again and again.

“Domestic violence is not a one-time occurrence. Nearly 40% of battered women will be victimized again within 6 months,” said Laurel W. Eisner, the Executive Director of Sanctuary for Families. “Under current law, an abuser can be arrested and prosecuted for dozens of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses, confident that he will serve little or no time in jail. The consequences are severe.”

Paging Annette Robinson

“I saw her and asked her about it, and she said, ‘Vito, I’m not leaving and I’m running,” said Lopez, the longtime Assemblyman representing neighboring Bushwick.

Lopez also chastised the rumors that she is retiring, as first broken in this column, saying someone should have asked Robinson.
For the record, KCP has been calling Robinson’s office for the past three weeks and the lawmaker alleged to be representing Bedford-Stuyvesant has yet to return a call to the local press.

Additionally, the most recently posted state news on her website is a two-month old press release regarding a $1 million state allocation for a Foreclosure Prevention Services program.

In any event, if what Lopez says is true, it will put a big dent into plans for a possible open primary with new community leaders.
Towns shows the money
The re-elect Congressman Ed Towns’ campaign committee raised $233,472 in the last three months dispelling any lingering rumors that the 76-year-old veteran lawmaker, who’s in great physical shape, is going out on his stool in the upcoming June 26th Congressional primary.

Towns faces Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, who has $235,962 in his campaign war chest and City Councilman Charles Barron, who has $15,860.
Meanwhile Democratic Party boss Vito Lopez confirmed he’s backing Jeffries contingent on if these are indeed the three candidates and the soon-to-be redrawn congressional district lines remain roughly the same.

This comes as no surprise to KCP as Lopez has long feuded with Towns.
The congressional race also opens Jeffries current 57th Assembly District seat, and both Democratic District Leaders Olanike (Ola) Alabi and Walter Mosley III are vying for it.
A close source to Lopez said the Democratic boss will endorse one of the two district leaders, and most likely it will be Jeffries protégé Mosley.

Race to replace Reyna
Although it’s still nearly two years away the race to replace term-limited City Councilwoman Diana Reyna is already heating up between three insiders.

This includes Reyna’s chief of staff Antonio Reynoso, Borough President Marty Markowitz’s former legal counsel Jason Otaño and Vito Lopez protégé Maritza Davila, who’s also the female district leader.
Reynoso was born and raised in the district, going to the local schools and working for local business. Otano’s a lifelong Brooklynite, whose father was one of the city’s first Latino firefighters. Both have solid political experience.

Davila couldn’t be reached, but Lopez indicated she’ll probably be ready when the race kicks in gear.

Ms. Johnson stated, “The Center’s goal is to be urban America’s leader in creating community awareness of ecology, horticulture and environmental justice that fosters urban beautification, earth stewardship and community sustainability. With the template already established, I am ready to do the work that needs to be done.”

Magnolia Tree Earth Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The three brownstones that house the center at 677-679 Lafayette Ave., in Brooklyn, are officially landmarked, and the Magnolia Grandiflora, planted in the front yard of 679 in the 1880’s, is now designated New York City’s only living landmark.

Community activist Hattie Carthan, a Bedford Stuyvesant resident, established the Magnolia Tree Earth Center after she prevented the great tree from being destroyed by Model Cities wrecking crews some 50 years ago. As a result of Ms. Carthan’s efforts, the brown-stones also were preserved so that the tree, itself, could maintain stability; an ecology center for the community created; and the City’s first “Green Movement” established. Over the course of the years that followed, she aggressively enlisted community groups, schools, politicians, other activists, and neighbors in her green crusade, which has culminated in one of the most widely known community based organizations.

“Ms. Carthan challenged the powers that be, on the one hand; and enlisted their support on the other,” said Ms. Johnson. “In the process, she developed an umbrella organization that planted 1,500 new trees in Bedford-Stuyvesant; as well as transforming rubbish-filled vacant lots into lavish gardens, in desolate, debris laden areas of Brooklyn. I am proud to plant new seeds for Magnolia Tree.”

In addition to housing the MTEC headquarters, Magnolia Tree Center is home to several community organizations, includingBrooklyn/Queens Land Trust, Green Guerillas, and DBG Media/Our Time Press, to mention a few. In addition, MTEC is located a block from the Hattie Carthan Community Gardens two Farmers Markets; and across the street from the Herbert Von King Park — all comprising the largest green cultural oasis in Bedford Stuyvesant.

Nancy Wolf, long time board member stated, “ Our concepts for the Tree Corps, Landscape Training, Bio-Med Program, GreenEnterprise, Garden Restoration Programs, and the Africare Tree Planting Project, were all ahead of their time. Our programs always have stressed community service, values and skills development as they encourage and inspire, and they are replicated throughout New York City and other cities nationwide.”

“We’re ecstatic about the possibilities Ms. Johnson brings to Magnolia and the work, begun so many years ago, on which she will continue to build,” stated Ms. Marcia Goldman, former president, and previous board chair of the Center.

Ms. Johnson is an accomplished executive, who has delivered mission-critical results; has solid experience in managing all levels of multiple projects, including budgeting and administration. With nearly 30 years of experience in higher education, fund raising,marketing, event planning, recruitment and outreach, as well handling multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, she brings agreat deal of value to the table. She has a passion for maintaining interpersonal relationships, and an astute business sense, all positiveassets in the management of a non-profit agency that has set its goals on becoming the premiere eco-action community basedorganization in New York.

She has spent a considerable amount of time mentoring new students, helping them identify linkages in the real world with their own skills and abilities; and has reached across to provide even greater access internationally, via her travels to Japan, China, Thailand,Malaysia, and other areas meeting with and recruiting students from various cultures and belief systems.

On Thursday, February 9, 2012 (5:00pm-9:00pm), Ms. Johnson and the Board will roll out their overall vision for Magnolia’s future and immediate plans for Winter-Spring green programs leading up to annual awards gala and fundraising drive in June – when the tree itself is in full and Ms. Johnson’s appointment formally celebrated.

“In addition to the return of Magnolia’s Central Brooklyn Project Green initiative for the fifth year during 2012 April Earth Month,” says Mr. Greaves, “Ms. Johnson will announce the resurrection of Ms. Carthan’s ‘Tree Corps’ program and other innovative projects designed to advance knowledge of the ecological sciences, while encouraging youth from all over the city to become involved in green movements and the art of community service.”

Rev. Samuel Boykin, the court-appointed administrator for the late Judge John L. Phillips who owned the theater, said the city’s Department of Buildings posted a vacate order on the theater following the accident forcing out its two alleged squatters.

“We won’t have any problems selling the Slave Theater now that it’s empty,” said Boykin. “Potential buyers weren’t able to see the whole building and wanted to know when it would be emptied out.”

The accident occurred on Saturday, Feb. 4 when alleged squatter Clarence Hardy rented the first floor out for a party and four people were injured after the floor of the makeshift outdoor smoking area collapsed into the cellar.

The next day, the other alleged squatter, Dr. Paul Lewis, who runs the Messengers of Christ World Healing Center on the second floor, allegedly tore off the vacate order on the front door to hold services in the building.

Police were called, who allowed the church to finish the service before ushering the pastor and all the congregants out before shuttering the building again with a new lock.
Boykin, who lives in Ohio, said he has been trying to get both Hardy and the church evicted from the property for several years and spending in excess of $100,000 in doing it.

The estate first went to Brooklyn’s Surrogate Court and then to the State Supreme Court before finally being steered to the tenant/landlord court which has the jurisdiction to evict both Hardy and the church, he said.

Hardy responded that the party was merely a gathering of white people who came out on a Saturday night to help the Slave Theater.
“The building is only locked up until the building inspector has a look and then we expect to be back in there,” Hardy said.

But Boykin said he is already speaking to one church and three different organizations about selling the building and expects it to fetch about $3 million and be in contract with a buyer within 60 days.
Judge Phillips, a longtime Bedford-Stuyvesant resident, bought the Slave Theater in 1982 originally to screen films. Soon, it became a meeting place for activists like the Reverend Al Sharpton, Attorney Alton Maddox and Scholar Amos Wilson.

Boykin said the estate owes about $2 million in back taxes on the property and the vacant lot behind it on Herkimer Street.
Among those interested are major retailers and the property is zoned to go up to 10 stories, he said.

Witnesses said Mr. Davis did not take a sedative and made a final statement while strapped to the gurney. Looking directly at the family of officer MacPhail, the policeman he is accused of killing in 1989, the witness reported that Davis said, “Despite the situation that we’re in, I was not the one who did it.” “He said that he was not personally responsible for what happened that night. That he did not have a gun. He said to the family that he was sorry for their loss. But he also said he ‘did not take their son, father, brother’. He said to them to dig deeper into this case to find out the truth.

He asked his family and friends to keep praying, keep working and keep the faith.” And then speaking to the jailers, the witnesses reported Davis saying, “To the people who are about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls. And God bless your souls.” “Then he put his head back down, the procedure began, and fifteen minutes later it was over.”

This is more than class-warfare we’re seeing in America. It is the conflict between civilization and barbarism. At the recent CNN/Tea Party debate of Republican presidential candidates, the Tea Party true-believers gave a standing ovation to Texas Governor Rick Perry’s record of 254 executions, and shouted a resounding “Yes!” to the question of whether a 30-year-old, having refused to buy health coverage, should be left to die if he became ill. Do not be shocked by these responses.

After all, these are the descendents of those “good Christians” who used to gather around lynchings as a spectator sport, full of laughter at the torture and suffering they were part of. This mentality did not pass away with those generations. It was passed down and we see it in both the Troy Davis case of coerced testimony, as well as in the Tea Party mantra to cut every social program they can.

What to do now? Robert Rooks, director of the NAACP Criminal Justice Department reported on Democracy Now! That he and his team visited Troy Davis the day before the execution. He said Davis told them that whatever happens, “You have a choice. Either fold up your bags and go home or continue the fight.”

The Tea Partiers, the executioners, the bankers and corporate avarice will not stop, they must face constant opposition or they will win. We have to take Troy’s words to heart and do as we have always done, continue the fight.

It is easy to see why Jesus Gonzalez, 26, has so many endorsements in his campaign for the Brooklyn’s NYS 54th Assembly District special election.
As a son of Bushwick and the candidate of the Working Families Party, his history in the community is a breath of fresh air.
The Special Election to fill Darryl Towns’ seat will be held on Tuesday, September 13.
Not connected to any power broker or political family, he rose from the streets of Bushwick where he lived with his hard-working family to become a compassionate,  self-motivated community organizer — which is what is needed for a new beginning in the 54th Assembly District, which covers areas of Bushwick, Brownsville, East New York and parts of northeast Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Neither of his opponents in the Democratic primary, Deidra Towns or Raphael Espinal, appear to have the independence and strong record of community-centered activism which is the core of Gonzalez’s campaign, and a quality much-needed in these shaky economic times.
Our Time Press supports Gonzalez’s run, joining a growing list of endorsers who are urging voters to remember that a single vote can make a difference, particularly in these special elections in a district with a history of low turnouts.

ENDORSED BY:
POLITICAL LEADERS:
US Rep. Nydia Velazquez  • Assemblywoman Inez Barron  • Council Member Charles Barron  •  Council Member Letitia James • Council Member Brad Lander • Council Member Diana Reyna • Lincoln Restler, District Leader and Democratic State Committee Member of the 50th Assembly District  •  Hon. Chris Owens, District Leader/Democratic State Committee Member, 52nd Assembly District.
COMMUNITY:
100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care  •  Luis Garden Acosta  •  Democracy for NYC  • Equal Justice Political Action Committee • Mark Winston Griffith  •  Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn  •  New Kings Democrats  •  New York Communities for  Change  •  Monsignor John Powis  •  Tenants Political Action Committee  •  Working Families Party • Freedom Party
CULTURE:
Willie Perdomo  •  Lemon Anderson  •  Tony Touch
LABOR:
Service Employees International Union, Local 1199 • Communications Workers of America, District 1  •  Communications Workers of America, Local 1180  • Laundry, Distribution and Food Service Joint Board, Workers United  •  New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council  •  New York-New Jersey Regional Joint Board, Workers United  •  Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union  •  Transport Workers Union, Local 100  •  United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1500