Bay Ridge

A reader emails this photo of Rep. Anthony Weiner at a St. Patrick's Day parade yesterday in Bay Ridge, just outside his district.

In case you thought 2009 hadn't started yet.

-- Azi Paybarah

Tonight, the Brooklyn Young Republican Club hosts Bill Weld (his first stop in Bay Ridge).

Tomorrow morning, Christine Quinn addresses the Crain's NY Business Breakfast Forum at the Grand Hyatt.

Then, Riverkeeper announces their intent to file suit against Entergy Nuclear Northeast because of an alleged radioactive leak at Indian Point.

In the afternoon, Local 32BJ workers march from 79th Street and Fifth Avenue to 83rd Street and Park Avenue for a contract.

In the evening, Democracy for NYC holds a Monthly Mixer, and Stonewall Dems and Drinking Liberally present Drinking Liberally Steps Out.

—Nicole Brydson

The City Council rejected the Landmarks Preservation Commission's recommendation to grant landmark status to the Austin, Nichols Warehouse at 184 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, reports The Times City Council member Yasskey, who lead the anti-landmarking effort, said the $2,000 he received from the family of the developer of the building had nothing to do with anything. O.K.

Bay Ridge is losing its last remaining theater, the Alpine Cinema. It's going on the chopping block for $10 million, says the Daily News.  read more »

-Matthew Grace

The Daily Gotham reprints a missive from a Working Families Party organizer about the Bay Ridge City Council race:

"This race is the only truly contested seat in Brooklyn and is a major priority for the WFP. That's why we are mobilizing phonebanks in downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan as well as sending people to help with activities in the district...

"This race is awfully close. It could come down to a handful of votes. We are very worried because of the major Republican and Conservative resources being mobilized against Vinnie. In order to keep this ally in City Hall and to stop the Republicans in their tracks, WE NEED YOUR HELP!"

That doesn't sound good for Gentile. But the rallying cry seems a bit of a stretch: "The way I see it, losing this seat would have a negative impact on national politics. It would aid the re-election efforts of Republican Congressman Vito Fossella, since Vito's congressional district encompasses a large part of Vinnie's council district. Defeating Republican members of Congress is extremely important to all of us next year."  read more »

Also in the post, Freddy plans a Flatbush motorcade.

Politicker Intern David Greenhouse rode out to Bay Ridge last night for a debate between City Councilman Vinnie Gentile and his challenger, Pat Russo.

He writes:

If there's one thing Vinny Gentile and Pat Russo can agree on, it's that New York's cross-endorsement system opens up great lines of attack. Russo took a beating for being on the Republican/Liberal, Conservative, and Independence lines simultaneously.

"It makes no sense how [Russo] is running," Gentile said. "A militant activist, a hardcore conservative, and a Republican liberal. ... [He] will say anything or do anything to get his name on the ballot as many times as possible."

But when the very next question asked Gentile about his own cross-endorsement by the Working Families Party, his tone changed abruptly.

"I don't agree with every position, and I will stand up when I don't agree with a position.... I don't have a problem taking the WFP's designation."  read more »

Russo said essentially the same thing, that he had "agree[d] to disagree" with Mike on taxes and senior services, among other issues, and he equated Gentile's WFP support with illegal immigration and non-citizen voting, neither of which plays well in southwest Brooklyn.

Politicker intern David Greenhouse will be keeping track of the handful of competitive City Council races in November -- Upper East Side, Bay Ridge, and maybe the north Bronx -- so if you're involved in one of those contests, please keep him in the loop at dlg2103(at)columbia.edu.

He recently spent some time in Bay Ridge, and filed this report:

It's been a rough season for Vinny Gentile, what with the publicized sexual harassment allegations, and here's another one to chew on: Bay Ridge residents have been going to his opponent's campaign to get help with city services.

Republican candidate Pat Russo told the Politicker on Sunday that his office volunteers have been been fielding complaints about noise and potholes. The Politicker was skeptical, but as if on cue, a middle-aged woman emerged from a nearby church and let Pat know she'd called his office about noxious odors from the Owl's Head wastewater treatment plant. Pat said he was on the case.  read more »

For legislators at any level, leverage with the bureaucracy is one of the pillars in the so-called incumbent protection program. We're not saying Vinny doesn't have it, but if voters think Pat does, it certainly means his challenger candidacy is more credible.

Reached later, Gentile campaign manager Chris Lanier said defended his boss's pothole operation and added, "Pat Russo appears magically on the scene whenever an election is coming. People know that. When there isn't an election imminent, he's nowhere to be found."

Another apparently unsolicited bit of support for Freddy popped up in the latest edition of the Irish Echo, a print ad (.pdf) from "The Ginsberg Family and Friends" (yes, the Irish Echo) that nobody would call a perfect example of political targetting.

Freddy, the ad tells us: "is consistently progressive," "lacks the arrogance and self-righteousness of so many other politicians" and "will represent all of us: white, black, brown, red, and yellow; Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and others...."  read more »

Not exactly salsa trucks in Bay Ridge (a famous dirty trick played against Herman Badillo), but the Ferrer campaign must hope the Campaign Finance Board doesn't decide this is a campaign expense.

Relatedly, Democrats are smiling at a rare unforced error by team Bloomberg: a print ad focusing on crime in the latest West Side Spirit has Bloomberg's name in Hebrew letters and list the Borough Park Office. Because Jews on the Upper West Side like being grouped with Borough Park's Chasids. Really.

Keith Miller and Christine Pala Met: 1997

Engaged: Aug. 1, 2004  read more »

Michael Bloomberg, surrounded by sharply dressed advisers, strode into a small restaurant on Third A  read more »

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani jabbed a long finger toward a group of scruffy cameramen standing on a platfo  read more »