Tomorrow: Parents and children are invited to trade in fears of local bogeymen making off with their 42inch plasma TVs, for some ghostly prospects of a more friendly variety – at the 2008 Halloween Walk at Owls Head Park, off Bliss Terrace.
The event, sponsored every year by State Senator Golden and local merchants, is touted as a ’safe alternative to trick or treating,’ while incorporating such amenities as a full service food court (yes, you probably have to pay), pumpkin patch, haunted walk (4:30-8pm), Costume Contest (6-7pm), entertainers, and more.

If the haunted walk isn’t scary enough for some of the older folks – the stink coming off the Owls Head plant sure as hell will be.

Last year’s runners up included State Senator Marty Golden, as crazy Bay Ridge Super Richard Martin.

Yesterday, the Bay Ridge Rover surpassed the 100,000 unique visitor mark – far sooner than any of us could have imagined.
When this property was launched some 14 months ago, it had one purpose: to be an independent voice for local news and information outside the traditional local media establishment.

Well, give us time – we’re working on it.

Via Green Brooklyn: tonight, the fledgling Bay Ridge Food Coop is hosting a new member orientation, for all those interested in getting in on the ground floor of our neighborhood’s latest foray into affordable, quality marketing.
Tonight’s meeting will be held on the second floor of the public library, corner of 73rd street and Ridge Boulevard – 6:30pm.

With no ebb in sight to the tide that is the much talked about Bay Ridge crime wave; whom better for local law enforcement to enlist in helping calm the fears of a jittery public than Jeff Goldblum.
Neighbors report that Tuesday, October 28th, one of the newest properties in the legendary New York crime drama franchise, Law and Order Criminal Intent, will be shooting on location in Bay Ridge.

Production crews are commandeering parking in preparation for tomorrow’s shoot – which will reportedly take place between Marine and 3rd avenues, from 99th street to Shore Rd.

In June, Goldblum replaced on again/off again Law and Order star Chris Noth in the role of senior detective.

Goldblum brings the experience of being both a veteran on-screen punk, such as in 1974’s Death Wish; shallow and rudderless in 1983’s The Big Chill; and full of shit as the party guest/actor in 1977’s Annie Hall.

Yesterday afternoon, Councilman Vincent Gentile joined colleagues such as: Councilman Joe Addobbo of Queens, Charles Barron of Brooklyn, and Michael McMahon of Staten Island in voting yes for an amendment to the bill put before the city council calling for a referendum on term limits.

Councilman Gentile said: “The amendment will let the public know that their voices are being heard as clearly as ever.”

The amendment calling for a referendum on term limits was defeated – 28-22 – before the council voted on extending term limits for New York City elected officials from two terms to three. That vote passed 29-22.

According to the NYTimes: Council members Letitia James and Vincent J. Gentile of Brooklyn argued that extending term limits would damage the body’s legitimacy. “From the very beginning, the process has been the problem,” Mr. Gentile said. “The amendment will let the public know that their voices are being heard as clearly as ever.”

Gentile joined a fiery chorus of dissenters this afternoon, one that included controversial firebrand Councilman, Charles Barron, who denounced changing term limits without public notice; and James Oddo – who ketp his remarks limited citing his ‘youtube‘ exposure.

The question remains: does the Councilman’s vote for the ammendment in support of a referendum, and against the bill without the refferendum, better position the councilman to explain or justify a 3rd term run – should he feel he can win.

(Photo courtesy: NYObserver)

Since last Thursday’s town-hall style meeting where Senator Golden, and 68 Precinct Captain Eric Rodriguez addressed scores of angry Bay Ridge residents over a marked spike in home invasion/robberies – fear is still palpable among local residents, who complain that the 68 command has been “lathargic.”

Police were really lax here and things have gotten terrible,” said one local resident to the Brooklyn Paper; in a sentiment that jibes with such long held stigmas casting the 68 Precinct as everything from a “country club”- to any number of other uncomplimentary pseudonyms.

Indeed: NYPD’s weekly COMPSTAT report does confirm a 21% spike in robberies from this week last year, despite an overall drop in crime for the entire year – reports Gowanus Lounge.

A statistic that undoubtedly doesn’t assuage the fears of a community that, in years past, has been accused of being everything from ‘alarmist,’ to ‘complainers.’

A week later, however, local cops have responded – as Captain Rodriguez promised – by saturating the streets of Bay Ridge with an almost unprecedented uniformed presence, possibly turning the long-held characterization of an inept and ‘lethargic’ precinct on its head; while importing officers from neighboring precincts for a full scale impact war on what the 68 Captain has dubbed a series of “rear entry push-in robberies.”

(photo courtesy: Home Reporter)

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Gothamist newsmap is reporting an early morning perp search at 71st street and 4th avenue, possibly in connection to what residents are saying was an early morning home invasion/robbery of a private residence.

Which, if the case, is consistent with exactly the type of robbery that has come to embody the ‘Bay Ridge crime wave’ – a series of ‘push-in, rear entry’ robberies, as described by Captain Eric Rodriguez.

8305 3rd avenue nears its summer long transformation into Bay Ridge’s first ‘international tapas” house.

No word yet on a firm opening date.

As of today, the much beloved Bay Ridge United Methodist Church is officially history: according to witnesses – the Brooklyn Eagle now confirms – the corner lot on which the 108 yr old church once stood is now a ’smoldering pile of rubble.’
Witnesses report that the church was ‘ripped and clawed’ apart early this morning at sun up; thus writing the final chapter in what was a particularity caustic battle between local preservationist group “Committee to Save the Green Church,” and the congregation of Methodists, who’ve repeatedly said that the structure was too costly to continue to maintain.

The congregation went into hard contract with a real estate developer Abe Betesh earlier this year for 9 million dollars.

While Betesh plans on constructing a condo development on the property once the church, school, and parsonage are razed – the Congregation has plans to build a smaller church more suited to their dwindling congregation.

(photos courtesy: Georgine Benvenuto, Brooklyn Eagle)

Responding to an abrupt surge in residential burglaries: State Senator Marty Golden addressed a crowd of concerned (but mostly ornery) local residents at last Thursday night’s town hall meeting on crime, alongside Deputy Inspector Eric Rodriguez of Bay Ridge’s 68th Precinct.
According to Rodriguez, the areas most affected by the recent spat of burglaries – four of which happened with the victims still home – are 65th to 86th streets, between 3rd and seventh avenues – between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.

After praising officers for doing an ‘outstanding job,’Rodriguez said crime was down overall fom this time last year by 3%, with burglaries only up by 2 from last year, according to the brooklyn Eagle – who’s dubbing this the ‘Bay Ridge crime wave.’

Rodriguez took questions, and issued common sense tips homeowners can take to protect themselves from what he described as mostly ‘backyard rear-window crimes’ such as: locking windows; securing air conditioners; and illuminating darkly lit, easily concealable approaches.

This was not enough to assuage fears of local residents, however, particular those of former Giuliani commish, Rosemarie O’Keef, who asked: “why can’t we have foot patrols? We are begging you to show your presence! You should be out there every day.”

The lack in feasibility of a ‘foot patrol’ approach to stop burglaries aside – Senator Golden was on board with more scooter patrols, while Rodriguez encouraged people to get involved with the 68th Precinct Community Council.

Golden also said meetings on those interested in forming neighborhood watches would be forthcoming.

(photo courtesy: Georgine Benvenuto, The Brooklyn Eagle; photo of Senator Golden, courtesy: GerittsenBeach.net)