"Bang A Gong" Paintings by Nancy Drew Opening Saturday in Freddy's "Silver Room"

Artichoke - 2010

Freddy's Bar is extremely proud to announce the launch of its art space "The Silver Room" with an exhibition of paintings by Brooklyn-based artist Nancy Drew, entitled "Bang A Gong".

I have to personally add to this official press release that Nancy's glitter fabulous paintings are a beautiful sight to behold in Freddy's new silver backroom. Nancy Drew's medium is GLITTER and FLOCKING. What is flocking, you may ask? Flocking is soft and fuzzy, sort of like velvet but more like the stuff that carnival prizes are made of. Ms. Drew has also has contributed much to the allover design of the new Freddy's, in addition to this exhibit, she has done a glittering "erotic" wallpaper installation in the back vestibule of the bar as well as many other flourishes in different areas allover the bar and backroom.

Anyway read on about this show from Freddy's press release.

"A group of paintings from both her "Artists Series" and "Porn Series" will be included in this mini-retrospective. Spanning the last ten years of Nancy Drew's production, each year is represented by a single painting. Painted in her signature materials of flock and glitter, imagery culled from 20th Century Ab-Ex masterpieces and contemporary video porn boxes is feminized and beautified beyond easy recognition, into levels of high camp and cultural relevance. The resulting artistic transpositions can't help but turn the aims of their sources on their ear. Rendered in plush flocking and sparkly glitter, the original meanings have been entirely recast and transformed in Drew's works, with equal doses of humor and reverence. Ms. Drew is a veteran of the NY art scene, as well as a few controversies concerning her highly-regarded 'cover versions' of abstract expressionist masterworks.

Drew's artwork has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at many venues both locally and internationally, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Chelsea Museum of Art, Artists Space, Exit Art, Roebling Hall, White Box, NYC; as well as Real Art Ways, Hartford CT; Albright College, Reading, PA; and the Kyrgyzstan National Fine Arts Museum, Kyrgyzstan Republic."

Opening: Saturday, February 12th, 7 to 9 pm
Show will be upFebruary 12th thru March 28th

WHERE: The Silver Room at Freddy's Bar
627 Fifth Avenue (between 17th & 18th Streets)
South Slope, Brooklyn

A Tiny Taste of Freddy's Opening Night

I think I have just about recuperated from last weekend's opening of Freddy's new home on 5th Avenue. My photos came out blurry and all I have is about 13 seconds of spirited dance floor footage during Les Sans Cullotes's set before someone actually took me DOWN. Yes. And I have the scratches down the entire side of my body to prove it!

I also went on Superbowl Sunday and saw a fab all girl punk/metal band called Out of Order from Queens. They played during half time. Wish I thought to recharge my camera that day. The image of them playing with that ridiculous half time show behind them was priceless. Anyway loved them, I'll take them over the Black Eyed Peas any old day.

It's mellowed out since Saturday. They open at 11am, ample time to stop by and hang out without the maddening crowd.

Check out their list of events at the website and make a point of watching Donald O'Finn's new Freddy's video, it's brilliant. All that here.

Freddy's Bar Opens Tonite!

Since today is F.I.B's birthday I am tooting my own horn and showing a bit of my contribution to Freddy's. This is just a portion of one of the 2 bathroom doors.

I don't think there is anyone who loved the old Freddy's that doesn't know this at this point but tonite is the big par-tay. I expect it to be a madhouse but in a good way! The bar actually quietly opened LAST night with The John Pinamonti Band being the first performers to play the backroom. I don't think the new location and newish decor will change the heart of Freddy's. All the love and attention put into the bar to make it unlike any other by staff and friends of Freddy's shines through and I believe will bring them great success. Besides isn't it good luck to open on Chinese New Year? I guess Freddy's horoscope sign is the White Rabbit. Makes sense because the place sort of has an "Alice in Wonderland" vibe, you have to go to see what I mean, I am having trouble verbalizing what I mean!

Also! I just realized today is the 4th Anniversary of F.I.B! I held my first anniversary party at the old Freddy's and Les Sans Cullotes played that too as well as The Susquehanna Tool & Die Co. & the Anabolics! And an "Found in Brooklyn" themed art show on top of it all. Honestly I don't think there was any other place where I could of pulled that off so easily, Freddy's gave me the date and allowed me to run with it. Thanks Donald!

See you there!
Freddy's Bar: 627 5th Ave,between 17th and 18th Street in the South Slope.

Doors open at 5pm. Bands start at 9pm. The Magpie, Brute Force, Les Sans Cullotes.

Freddy's Bar Re-Opens February 4th!

This time it's official with a date and everything! I have seen the inside and can vouch that it is quite like no other place, it's got elements of the old Freddy's but it's been taken up quite a few notches. Here is the official press release in it's entirety.

"Freddy's Bar is very proud to announce its Re-Opening on Friday Feb 4th.

On this special night the doors will open at 5 pm, and will close at 4 am.

The headline music act of Les Sans Culottes will go on at midnight, with opening acts of Apple recording artist Brute Force and eclectic world roots band The Magpie kicking things off.

An exhibition of glitter and flock paintings by N.Y artist Nancy Drew will be on display.

The new bar is not the old Freddy's, but many items did make the long journey from demolition to re-birth, including the original prohibition era red mahogany bar, the old booths and tables, and a few special items as well. The “Chains of Justice” will still grace our bar as a reminder of our fight against eminent domain abuse and the power of the community bond. The video art of Donald O'Finn will still be prominently featured. The decor is unique and vibrant, a mixture of old and new, antique Hollywood Regency chandeliers, steam punk accents, vintage wallpaper as well as handmade erotic wall-paper and permanent art installations from local art stars like Nancy Drew and Steve Pauley. The stamp of co-owner/artist Donald O'Finn is evident almost everywhere you look, from the fish tank sunk into a wall with giant albino frogs to the barn wood wall constructions and oversized gothic frame mounted to a flatscreen TV.

The entire bar has been created almost exclusively out of re-cycled, found or hand made objects, with next to nothing being purchased “New,” Thus we are “Green.”

We have been built by the community, thus we are for the community. The creation of this bar is owed to the hard work of the new owners (all previous staff members), and especially to the generous efforts of other staff members and many a bar regular, who all pitched in with innumerable hours of contribution. Owned by staff and built by regulars - the old guard is out and the new guard is in, the inmates now run the asylum.

The Music!
LES SANS CULOTTES: "The seven-headed beast from the hardscrabble streets of Menilontant," Brooklyn-based francophonic rockers, LES SANS CULOTTES, made their US debut at Freddy's Bar back when Freddy's was the preeminent domain of a pre-eminent domain Prospect Heights.

BRUTE FORCE: Apple Records recording artist, currently on "Come And Get It, The Best of Apple Records," and Bar None/Sony, Confections of Love, teams up with Steve deSeve, drums, Andy Mattina, bass, Jon Keay, guitar and Daughter of Force, vocals...to perform The Best of Brute Force.

THE MAGPIE: Moody and gritty old world roots music sourcing every corner of the globe for influence.
* See The Magpie at Cafe Steinhof this Wednesday night!

The Artists!
NANCY DREW: NY Artist Nancy Drew has created permanent installations of handmade flocked & glittered wallpaper, a Pollock-esque floor painting, Clyfford Still-esque painted silver walls, as well as an endless video loop "Bill - The Drinking Cat." Bust Magazine said “Nancy Drew caused quite a stir with two NYC solo shows…masterpieces bursting with intriguing tactile surfaces and layered with sparkly girl power.“
“Painted in her trademark glitter and flocking on canvas, Nancy Drew’s painting embrace and amp up the notion of ‘retinal art’ by making it vibrate with familiar if unexpected associations. -- Christian Viveros Faune, Village Voice

STEVE PAULEY: Artist Steve Pauley has made a site-specific granite engraving specifically for Freddy’s. It is a re-construction of the original Freddy's men’s room graffiti, faithfully carved into a wall-mounted 100-pound piece of black granite.
Holland Carter of The N.Y. Times calls Pauley's granite engravings “striking and unorthodox.”

LISANNE McTERNAN (that's me!): Designed and collaged 2 bathroom doors with cult and camp media imagery for the new Fred's. Her work can currently be seen at Proteus Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY.

DONALD O'FINN: Donald O’Finn’s cult art videos are the product of re-purposing and re-contextualizing appropriated media samples. They have been shown nationally and internationally and most recently enjoyed a solo exhibition in Berlin Germany.

“Donald O’Finn’s feverishly edited encyclopedically strange video collages…” Village Voice – Best Of 2001 – 2008

“The most tripped out and intelligent re-cuts of movie clips, commercials and various other resources you can imagine.” OpenAchedemic.org

The new Freddy's Bar is located at 627 5th Ave,between 17th and 18th Street in the South Slope. It is one block from the Prospect stop on the R train, and 8 blocks from the 4th Ave and 9th Street stop on multiple trains.

Thank you
Freddy’s Bar
The new owners:
Matt Khun
Matt Kimmett
Donald O’Finn

It's Official. Freddy's Bar & Backroom Is Rising Again!

This will most likely be where the performance area will be.
Bruce Ratner and his Atlantic Yards boondoggle may of physically squashed Freddy's Bar & Backroom in the end but they did not extinguish the will to keep Freddy's Bar going.

I was happy to hear about the new lease signing last week and to also visit the NEW location of Freddy's Bar this past Saturday. It is located in the old Ellis restaurant space at 627 Fifth Avenue between 17th and 18th Streets in the south slope.

Former Manager of the old Freddy's,Donald O'Finn, now part owner of the NEW Freddy's released this statement:

"The lease has been signed, We signed on the evening of Oct. 21, 2010. The opening of the doors is contingent on the speed and accuracy of both the State Liquor Authority and the Department of Buildings, as well as the embrace of Community Board 7.

The inmates now run the asylum."

The space is quite large and plans include a music/performance area with a stage and space for art exhibits. It also has a small backyard and a fully functioning kitchen. The former owner of the original Freddy's is out of the picture and the new Freddy's is a joint partnership between Donald O'Finn, Matt Khun and Matt Kimmett, the two former being previous Freddy’s bartenders.

As Donald O'Finn said before the closing of the old Freddy's, "Freddy's is not an address, it is an idea." And it was my impression on Saturday that the new Freddy's has every intention in continuing to present that idea with free live music and events every night of the week in the same uniquely open and collective manner as the old Freddys. Ideas were being thrown around about how to eradicate the quite hideous metalesque Ellis exterior, where to put the stage and where to have art exhibits. Hopefully the next steps will go quickly as the new owners are antsy to open up and get back behind the bar A.S.A.P!

Stay Tuned!

"Freddy's Bar" Premiers at Brooklyn Film Festival

Oh man, do I miss Freddy's! F.I.B received this note from Donald O'Finn, manager of the former but soon to rise again Freddy's Bar and Backroom which was taken away via eminent domain a few weeks ago, the missive includes words from the filmmaker who is currently living in Madrid.

“Freddy's Bar” The Documentary by Vicente Rodriguez Ortega premiers at the Brooklyn Film Festival:

Announcement:
I recently received this from Vicente Rodriguez Ortega. A film maker and a much loved Freddy’s late Night regular...
_________
"Dear people,

Most of you know that I made a feature-length documentary on "Freddy's", a bar recently, unfairly and illegally destroyed by eminent domain abuse a couple of weeks ago. It was truly a magical and unique place, I will miss forever and ever. Freddy's was a hub of wonderful people, musicians and lovely weirdos. I only managed to scratch the surface what it was, what it is, what it will be because in many ways it's timeless.

The people at the Brooklyn Film Fest decided to accept it and it will premiere in the festival in the beginning of June. It has been edited down to a stream-lined 1h 38h min. Sadly, I cannot make it to the festival due to my obligations in Madrid but Donald O'Finn, Freddy's manager and a fantastic videoartist, will honor me to introduce the film for me. I hope you can make it to one of the screenings.

Well, just to know that i truly miss all of you.... things are good in madrid but one side of my soul is still in Brooklyn...."

The showtimes are:
Wed June 9th at 7pm - Brooklyn Heights theater- 70 Henry Street
Friday June 11th at 6pm - Indiescreen- 285 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn.

More about the festival at the festival website.

Old News but Freddy's Last Night Was Really on Saturday.....

These boots were made for stomping on Bruce Ratner!!!
I think I am sort of still in the denial stage. Yes I know that Freddy's was on shakey ground. And yes I know most of the neighborhood had left or been knocked down for Atlantic Yard blight but for some reason it was just so hard to imagine Freddy's actually closing down forever. I know I know, it was a "victory" party because they are going to move and continue the "grand idea" of Freddy's but is still unreal to me...probably because Freddy's was so "real". F.I.B had a first anniversary show at Freddy's about 3 years ago. Funny, the next couple years passed with no notice but for some reason that year I was all hot to party. There was a "Found in Brooklyn" art show and a bunch of great bands played (Les Sans Cullotes, The Anabolics, The Susquehanna Tool & Die Co., read my gushing blog post recap here. Y'know Freddy's still had the poster up for that show in the backroom on their last night and it is now hanging in my livingroom. Anway I knew all along that Fred's was really closing on Saturday, the media was all over the story (myself included if you consider "media") and the management wanted a night a little less crazed as a send off. Although "the management" worked their asses off all night and looked utterly worn out, it was a fine retrospective of many of Freddy's best musical acts...anyway I think 24 bands played. I got home at dawn and my camera died at about midnight. Spirited videos to come.

Daniel Goldstein was in the mosh pip for the Spunk Lads that evening..
The Saudi Agenda
This wall will soon be no more.

LONG LIVE FREDDY'S!

*

Last Week To Go To Freddy's Bar & Backroom

The Backroom at Freddy's.
Yes it TOTALLY sucks that Freddy's is going to be knocked down for a hideously stupid basketball stadium, but at least they will continue on in a couple of months in a new location. As Manager Donald O'Finn says, "Freddy's is not merely a building on a street corner, it is a grand idea."


I had a grand time there last Saturday night, where Les sans Cullotes celebrated their, correct me if I'm wrong, their 12th anniversary! This video captured the energy and spirit of the show, who needs steady cam when you can shoot in the round?

P.S-Freddy's is throwing a Victory Party on Friday, April 30th to celebrate the little guys who've been fighting a land-grabbing billionaire and the corrupt New York government agencies that he greatly influences.

Check this schedule for all the info you need about happenings occurring during Freddy's last week.

*Video shot by F.I.B correspondent David Kaplan.

Freddy's Brooklyn Roundhouse Film Screening Saturday

Freddy's Brooklyn Roundhouse (FBR) was conceived at Freddy’s bar as a BCAT and MNN public access TV show in March 2006. The show’s purpose has always been to provide a forum for the community’s voice, which had no say in the Atlantic Yards project in Prospect Heights , Brooklyn, and to win the fight to demand community input for the local Brooklyn neighborhood, businesses and residents, and to s to p dubious, wasteful, & unsustainable over-development and eminent domain abuse. For the past 5 years FBR has strived to turn the train of eminent domain around by focusing on community leaders, artists, musicians and activists from Brooklyn all against Atlantic Yards. Roundhouse refers to a circular building for housing and switching locomotives, and lent itself nicely to the community’s desire to turn things around. Since its conception FBR has grown to cover other local & national issues threatening everyone’s civil liberties. Issues range from the use of Special Administrative Measures (SAM’s) to incarcerate and to rture U.S. citizens here in NYC, to corporate industrial threats to our water supply; bridging borough, city-wide and national to pics that infringe upon everyone’s constitutional rights and threaten our communities placing these to pics in to local his to rical context and tunneling in to action.

We hope you will join us this Saturday as we say farewell to Freddy’s bar and give thanks to our media endeavors that sprang from Freddy's wondrous backroom."

The screening starts at 8:00 pm!

Freddy's is at the corner of 6th Avenue and Dean.

Eminent Domain Standoffs in Brooklyn featuring the Fightin' Freddy's.

Cesse LaGuerre of Freddy's Brooklyn Roundhouse has put together this video covering protest actions which have happened in the last 5 months around the Atlantic Yards area. There is footage of the protests on the day of the "ground breaking" as well as all the events that happened at Freddy's Bar & Backroom.

!!!PROTEST EMINENT DOMAIN at Atlantic Yards "Groundbreaking" Ceremony!!! Thursday @12:30!!!

From a message from the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods:

"PROTEST! SHOW UP! BE HEARD!

The Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods today called on its dozens of member organizations and the tens of thousands of community residents of Prospect Heights, Ft. Greene, Park Slope, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant and Boerum Hill, and all citizens disgusted with the abuse of public process that is called Atlantic Yards, to show up for a protest to the “groundbreaking” scheduled for March 11, 2010.

From the Call To Action message:

“To all CBN members, Brooklyn residents, NYC residents, fellow advocates for good government, and everyone disgusted by taxpayer abuse, corporate welfare, and sham politics:

The poster child for everything wrong with development in New York State today, Forest City Ratner’s disastrous Atlantic Yards project, is scheduled for a sham groundbreaking tomorrow. We must ALL show up to protest this

The Shams and the Shame
The AY process has been a sham since before day one.

Sham #1: Six years ago, in violation of every development requirement for an open bidding process, Mayor Bloomberg, Boro President Markowitz, and then Governor George Pataki announced a development to be called Atlantic Yards. After the first howls of protest at this dismissal of process, a sham Request for Proposals was circulated. The winner? The previously annointed Forest City Ratner.
Sham #2: The Starchitect. In an attempted gloss on the mostly hideous buildings previously inflicted on Brooklyn, FCR announces the miraculous Frank Gehry would be the sole architect. Gehry, who had never engineered a single skyscraper, designed at least four iterations of his unworkable designs before being canned.
Sham #3: FCR announces significant community support with the unveiling of a document signed by 8 organizations, 5 of them formed by FCR and all of them receiving payments from FCR. This was called a Community Benefits Agreement. All good government groups have already labeled this sham a SHAM, earning Atlantic Yards another star on its Poster Child of Bad Development scoreboard.
(…Skipping ahead…)

Sham #167: Politicians and prosecutors ignore FCR’s involvement as what some have describes as an unindicted co-conspirator in Yonkers’ Ridge Hill (a development by Forest City Ratner) bribery scandal which has resulted in FBI indictments of Yonkers city councilmembers for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes from “Developer #2,” identified as Forest City Ratner.
Sham #168: FCR maintains it will break ground on another building in addition to the George Foreman Grill-like arena during the current year, even though no architect has been contracted and no designs exist, a process that generally takes a minimum of 2 years. In a related Sham, the new head of the Municipal Art Society blesses the arena and says his firm would be happy to be considered to design towers for Atlantic Yards.
Sham #169: Governor Paterson defends continuing the money pit of the public subsidy sucking Atlantic Yards project, despite his own warnings of imminent Depression status for New York. He said we wouldn’t be able to see if it was a good project or a bad project until we wait another 10 years!

Is that a good enough evaluation to close schools and hospitals to balance a budget that showers public subsidies on a billionaire from Cleveland, and a Russian billionaire-“oligarch”, for an unnecessary arena and NO PUBLIC BENEFITS?

THIS CANNOT CONTINUE!
THE PUBLIC MUST TAKE BACK THE PUBLIC PROCESS!
MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD!
SHOW UP!
PROTEST! "

March 11, 2010
12:30 PM
Gather at 6th Avenue and Dean Street, (in front of Freddy’s)

Brooklyn Documentary Night @ Freddy's Wednesday* 8:30 Sharp!

On the eve of Ratner's ceremonial groundbreaking, the Kings County Cinema Society, "an informal organization devoted to the unfettered, unbiased love of film and the moving image in the borough of Brooklyn , and occasionally beyond" presents:

Locally-made docs at Freddy's, screening 3 Brooklyn made docs which include footage and clips from "Battle of Brooklyn" a doc about the Atlantic Yards.

Michael Galinsky will be on hand with interview footage and clips from a rough cut of their investigation into the politics of the massive Atlantic Yards/ Barclays Center development, Battle of Brooklyn.

Wednesday, March 10
Wed. 3/10, 8:30pm SHARP.

Freddy’s Bar & Backroom, 485 Dean St. @ 6th Ave , 2/3 to Bergen , any train to Atlantic Pacific.
Freddy's Backroom.

P.S- There is going to be a rally on Thursday during the groundbreaking, gather at 12:30 at Freddy's, read about it here.

Art Show at Freddy's this Sunday

This could very well be the last art show held at Freddy's Backroom as the wrecking ball of Bruce Ratner looms over their roof. Please come and show your support for this neighborhood institution which is not only a bar but a place that has been host to a plethora of creative artists.

Freddy's you shall be missed!

From Freddy's press release:

13 Years of Art in Freddy’s Backroom:
What is Gone is Not Forgotten
Sunday, March 7th 6pm.

Freddy’s Bar and backroom responds to New York State Supreme Court Justice Abraham Gerges ruling that will allow the condemnations to move forward on the building that houses Freddy’s Bar on Dean Street by holding an art retrospective of 13 Years of international as well as local art exhibited in Freddy’s backroom. (This will still give us months to continue the fight, we will never die.)

From Painting to Video to the Museum of Drunken Art, this show will exhibit a wide variety of Fine Art from Freddy’s finest artists. Proceeds will go the “Hand Cuff Fund” for the Chains of Justice that were installed into the physical Bar at Freddy’s on 12/20/09.

Artists: Katie Welty, Margot Spindelman, Steve Pauley, Nancy Drew, Lisanne McTernan, Donald O’Finn, Steve DeSeve, Dirk Richarson, Dan Sagarin, Peter Teraberry, David Strome, Andy Friedman, Haynes Atkins, and Tim Harrod.

Freddys Bar & Backroom
485 Dean St. @ 6th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 622-7035

EPA Meeting Recap Addressing the Superfund Nomination of the Gowanus

It was a long meeting and I took tons of notes, the usually things were discussed except this time it is actually going to go forward! This is an abbreviated version in layman's terms.

The steps are first for a remedial investigation which will be done by the end of 2010. Then a feasibility study, where they basically analyse data and come up with costs hopefully by the end of 2011. Then they announce a proposal with another comment period until the middle of 2012, pick their final choice or "record of decision" based off of comments and data. Then they design the chosen option and figure out how much sediment to dig out (it's risen 3 feet in the last 7 years!) They have already started their studies and basically it's all about how to dredge all that coal tar out of there and figure out where to transport it (i told you layman's terms!). They did say that they are going to try to do as much as possible by barge so not to create major new traffic in the area. OK, so I figure in 2015 they will start construction. Many of the PRP's or "Potentially Responsible Parties" are big companies with "deep pockets" like National Grid, Kraft, DuPont, Chevron who will be paying for the cleanup in their areas. The best part was after the meeting and many activists in the neighborhood could FINALLY celebrate something!


Read more about it at Pardon Me For Asking.

Atlantic Yards Update: Land Grab Delayed. Keep on Calling and Writing thru Monday.

New York State's planned seizure of the property slated for the Atlantic Yards was put on hold at yesterday's condemnation hearing. Go to The Atlantic Yards Report and No Land Grab for detailed information.

I also received a missive from Fightin' Freddy stating that the call-a-thon and letter writing campaign has gotten to Judge Gerges and will continue thru Monday.

Info at the bottom on where to send and where to call.

Excerpts from the latest press release:

Subject: Surprisingly Great Day In Court Today! To WIN we need YOUR DIRECT ACTION: CALLS AND LETTER WRITING


"Today Judge Gerges DID NOT bang the gavel and give everything to Ratner. He read about the homeless shelter closing in the papers, he showed 85 letters to the court. These things are having an effect. The other side will write letters, too, and we need to have way more than them if we are going to save the Family Shelter, Freddy's Bar, and the neighborhood. so . . . . .

Calls: Ratner provided evidence used in an indictment by the feds that he bribed a city councilmember in Yonkers through a conspiracy. THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BEEN CHARGED AND IS STANDING TRIAL YET RATNER HAS NOT YET BEEN INDICTED. We need to make it clear to the Attorney General, the Westchester D.A. and the US Court that the delay in indictment is going to have an adverse affect on the NY State Supreme Court Eminent Domain Case that will tear down the Pacific Dean Family Homeless Shelter and much of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood. Call Today, and Monday. But start Today. We WILL save the shelter!

CALLS - Go here and here for info on writing a letter.

Homeless Advocates Attempt to Arrest Bruce Ratner this Wednesday at Noon

Singer Crystal Waters, Councilmember Letitia James, Develop Don't Destroy founder Daniel Goldstein and Senator Velmanette Montgomery at Freddy's last week. (Click here for FIB's coverage on that.)

The fight continues to keep the Pacific Dean family shelter (located in the footprint of the Atlantic Yards) open with a community groups, homeless advocates and political leaders going directly to Bruce Ratner's office on Wednesday at noon.

All are welcome to participate.

Excerpts from the official press release.

Subject: Homeless Family Advocates to Arrest Atlantic Yards/Barclays Center Developer Bruce Ratner. Will Bring Ratner to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Office for Indictment on Bribery Charges, Coumo Will Also Be Asked to Return All Campaign Contributions From Ratner and Indict By Friday, January 29th.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

What: Homeless Family Advocates to Arrest Atlantic Yards/Barclays Center Developer Bruce Ratner. Will Bring Ratner to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Office for Indictment on Bribery Charges, Coumo Will Also Be Asked to Return All Campaign Contributions From Ratner and Indict By Friday, January 29th.

When: Wednesday, January 27th 12:00 Noon, 2nd location at 1PM Where: Forest City Ratner Headquarters, 1 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY

Who: Homeless Family Advocates as detailed in copy

"A number of community groups, homeless advocates and political leaders will go to Bruce Ratner's office on Wednesday, January 27th at high noon to perform a citizen's arrest of Mr. Ratner. While we would rather arrest Ratner for the moral crime of closing a desperately needed family homeless shelter on Martin Luther King's birthday, and during Haiti relief efforts, we will instead be arresting him to stand charges of bribing a public official in the State of New York, where such activity is against the law. Our aim is to get the Pacific Dean Family Homeless Shelter re-opened until Spring. To this end we intend to see Ratner charged before this coming Friday's hearing that could give Ratner control of the facility, which he plans to tear down to make a parking lot for the Barclays Center stadium. This is possible because of a loophole created in New York State's eminent domain law by the Supreme Court's Kelo Case that allows states to take property from one person and give it to another. 43 states have changed their laws to prevent person-to-person transfer by the state, which is a type of eminent domain employed by the Soviet Union and wartime Germany, and which was illegal in the U.S. until 2005. We believe it is important that Judge Gerges, the man who will make the decision whether or not Ratner gets the shelter and the neighborhood, know what kind of heartless and shady person he is dealing with. The lack of an indictment by Attorney General Cuomo will have a clear influence on Friday's hearing, and it must be corrected. Nobody is going to physically abduct Mr. Ratner. We are informing him that we expect him to surrender to a police officer, in our presence, and go with us to be charged by Attorney General Cuomo. We will also be asking the Attorney General, who is now running for Governor, to give back the campaign contributions he has received from Ratner so that there is no appearance of impropriety associated with the delay in bringing an indictment. Should Ratner elude us we will request that a warrant be issued immediately for his arrest, and that he be extradited from any place in the world that he may choose to run to. "

Councilwoman Letitia James "Speaks Truth to Power" in the spirit of MLK.

F.I.B attended the press conference held at eminent domain central otherwise known as Freddy's Bar which has become the community gathering place to organize against the Atlantic Yards Project. Councilmember Letitia James gave a rousing speech denouncing the priorities of Michael Bloomberg, Govenor Patterson, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and "other elected officials" (Bill DiBlaso anyone?) who's work with real estate developers has cummulated to this...the eviction of 88 homeless families in the dead of winter for a parking lot. And for a project that will not start for several years.

Tish James was followed by Senator Velmanette Montgomery who also spoke eloquently against the project and made a point of saying that this housing is being built for people who don't even live in Brooklyn and noted that all the luxury condos that went up in the last few years are mostly vacant. That this project will not bring jobs to the community, it will just force the community out.

Montgomery was followed by Develop Don't Destroy founder, Daniel Goldstein, who asked "where's A.C.O.R.N today? Goldstein said that this shelter is being closed prematurely as the court date for the takeover of the 22 acres of land which includes the shelter, Freddy's Bar and his own home has been pushed back to March 17th rather than next week. He also noted that there has been warehoused housing sitting vacant OWNED by Ratner for the last 6 years.

Daniel was followed by a speaker from F.U.R.E.E (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality), a woman representing the homeless and then the events organisor Steve DeSeve and the messages were all united in the belief that we need to keep fighting even though it would seem all sign point to Ratner plowing it all down and destroying the neighborhood. Barclays Bank is involved and the world needs to know what their money is going towards, displacing a community for the worst basketball team in the country. (It was also noted that Barclay's gave money to the nazi's and contributed to the funding of the slave trade.)

It all cummulated in a spirited live performance by Crystal Waters. It was amazing and bless her for coming out and singing up about this.

There is going to be a vigil in front of the Pacific Dean Homeless Shelter on Monday at 10pm, the community is counting on Govenor Patterson to do right on this and reopen the shelter.

*Ratner to Evict Homeless on MLK Day (for a parking lot!)*Crystal Waters (She's Homeless) Performs at Freddy's this Saturday at 2pm* Please Come!

Remember this song? "She's homeless (la da di la di la"")or the proper name "Gypsy Woman"?

From City Councilmember Letitia James:

"I don't know which is colder, Brooklyn in January, or what the Barclays Center/Atlantic Yards project and the City and State of New York are doing to the homeless families on January 15. Keep this shelter open till it's warm out."

"The Barclays Center is having the city close the shelter, and having the state take it by eminent domain in the dead of winter, and on Martin Luther King's Birthday. This is wrong and unnecessary. Nothing will be built in place of the homeless shelter for decades…if ever. Replacing beds for our city’s most vulnerable -- with a parking lot-- is simply unconscionable,”

Yes it is unconscionable...

The Pacific Dean shelter has beds for 88 families ranging from couples to families with small children. It is scheduled to be shut down by the City of New York, and condemned by Eminent Domain by New York State at the request of Barclays Bank's Barclays Center basketball arena and its developer Bruce Ratner on January 15. Since Barclays is in England, and has no branches in New York, she is asking Barclays to have a heart and ask the City and State of New York to keep the shelter open, at least until spring so families that become homeless in New York's cold winter will have an indoor place to sleep. We need to think of all the homeless, and especially the kids out there in the cold this year.

Crystal Waters will perform her song, Gypsy Woman (She's homeless), with local homeless people to raise awareness of what the Barclays Center is doing, and to encourage the bank to ask the City and State to keep the shelter open till Spring, when the weather warms up.

Read more about the shelter here.

The press conference and performance will be at Freddy's Bar, this Saturday at 2pm.

Freddy's Bar is located at the corner of 6th Avenue and Dean Streets, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

Please come and show your support.

Freddy's Bar on Fox News

I think I am still in shock that Fox News is sympathetic to Freddy's cause hence the delay on posting this from yesterday morning's Fox & Friends morning show where bar manager Donald O'Finn and film maker/Freddy's regular Steve DeSeve eloquently state the case. Eminent Domain is wrong!

Go to Eminent Domain Revolt to see videos of recent happenings at Freddy's.

P.S-Can't wait to hoist a few with Judge Neopolitano!

Freddy's "Toast to George Will" Recap *and* F.I.B's 600th Post!

F.I.B attended the toast to George Will at Freddy's Sunday afternoon. Patron turnout was high in support for the boycott on Barclay's Bank and the belief that Bruce Ratner may end up behind bars for his involvement in a development project in Yonkers where bribery played a role. Click here to read coverage on that in the New York Observer.

Go to Eminent Domain Revolt to see lots of video coverage Sunday's event at Freddy's.

Also! Bar Manager Donald O'Finn and film maker Steve DeSeve will appear on Fox TV tomorrow morning (Monday)to let the world know about this land grab(amongst others) that should be made illegal. The duo will appear on Fox & Friends between 7 and 10 am. Strange times when a conservative writer such as George Will and a conservative television station such as Fox are taking an interest in our fair borough. (and why shouldn't they?)