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Pols Rally to Protect Rent Stabilization Benefits
Today State Senator Daniel Squadron, along with other elected officials, including Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, are rallying to protest a court decision that jeopardizes tens of thousands of NYC residents under rent protection. The court decision in question allows landlords with J-51 benefits (a tax-incentive program through HPD for landlords, who in turn have to provide certain benefits to their tenants) to “retroactively” terminate and repay those benefits. In repaying the benefits, landlords can take away rent-stabilized apartments from their tenants, despite a previous court ruling involving Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village that said rent must be stabilized for the full term in exchange for a tax break. This means that about 4,000 apartments in 25 developments across the city in danger of losing rent stabilization. Independence Plaza North (IPN) residents are appealing the court decision threatening the rent in their building. Elected officials will speak to the wide effects of this particular court decision. They will hold the rally today, 11:15am, outside Independence Plaza North, near Greenwich and Duane Street in Tribeca. Check back here later today for photos.
05/03/2012 10:00 AM
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Opening Shots Fired With Bills Involving Landmarks Law
Today the City Council’s land-use committee held a meeting to discuss a number of bills involving Landmarks Preservation Commission operations, including some that preservationists believe could severely damage the very essence of the city’s Landmarks Law. The meeting involved a great deal of political theater, as at least 20 Councilmembers made appearances, and several spoke on the bills that they had sponsored. Near the beginning of the meeting, which lasted more than two-and-a-half hours, the Landmarks Preservation Commission released an official statement on a number of the bills, which read, in part: “[T]hese bills, taken together, would significantly alter the discretionary, flexible and nuanced process that the Charter and the Landmarks Law left in the hands of a capable and expert agency. Establishing rigid timelines and processes with respect to RFEs [Requests for Evaluations] would make it extremely difficult for the Commission to address changing conditions, set and adjust priorities and respond to true emergency situations.” And after that, the fun began! On the jump, commentary given by several of the Councilmembers introducing the bills, including a snipe from Councilmember Jessica Lappin asking the LPC, “how is that going to overwhelm you?” (more…)
05/02/2012 3:03 PM
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Politicians Rally for Rent Guidelines Board Reform
Some local politicians, including State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, held a rally yesterday morning calling for the passage of state legislation to reform the Rent Guidelines Board, which will hold its annual vote on raising rents on rent-stabilized apartments starting this week. From the press release: “The legislation (S741A / A6394B), sponsored by Senator Squadron and Assemblymember Kavanagh, would require City Council confirmation of the Mayor’s appointees to the RGB, bringing necessary checks and balances to the system and making the appointment process more democratic. The bill would also make more New Yorkers eligible to serve as public members and ensure that diversified views are represented on the RGB by including new professions among those qualified for appointment. Qualification for appointment would include experience in public service, philanthropy, social services, urban planning, architecture, social sciences, non-profit, finance, economics, or housing; currently, only experience in finance, economics, or housing qualifies someone for appointment.” Here’s part of Squadron’s statement at the rally: “By requiring Council approval of appointments to the RGB and broadening qualification for membership, we can create necessary accountability, ensure a variety of voices are represented on the board, and better protect the affordability that has made New York the vibrant and diverse city it is today.”
04/17/2012 9:00 AM
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Ed Towns Said to be Retiring After 30 Years in Congress
Representative Edolphus Towns, whose district includes a huge swath of Brooklyn—including Downtown, Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York and Clinton Hill, among many others—is reportedly not seeking a 16th term. According to the Times, there won’t be an official statement on the matter until sometime today, which also notes that Towns was “facing a vigorous primary challenge in Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional District from Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries.” In addition to Jeffries, Councilmember Charles Barron will also be vying for Towns’ seat.
Towns Is Said to Decline to Run Again for Congress [NY Times]
04/16/2012 9:15 AM
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Protest Against Bay Ridge Reality Show
On Friday Councilman Vinnie Gentile organized an event to protest the soon-to-air Oxygen TV show “Brooklyn 11223,” a reality series about three female friends in Bay Ridge. Politicker, which reported on the protest, noted that politicians Carlo Scissura of Marty Markowitz’s office slammed the show for the way it portrays women. As shown in the video above, Gentile notes that the show even has the wrong Zip Code in its name (11223 is Gravesend’s Zip) and says “the producers…degrade all women and certainly denigrate women who call themselves Brooklynites and Bay Ridge-ites.” Here’s the show’s official description: “This ain’t Jersey. It’s Brooklyn. Brooklyn 11223 is a new docu-series taking viewers into the small, close-knit community of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Nothing is more important in this Brooklyn neighborhood than loyalty, respect and family. Vividly shot in a lush documentary style that showcases the urban streetscapes of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn 11223 follows the story of childhood friends Joey Lynn and Christie and their respective group of friends as they spend their summer learning about themselves, the bonds of friendship and the price of betrayal.” Click through to see a trailer for it.
Local Neighborhood Rallies Against ‘Jersey Shore’ Knockoff ‘Brooklyn 11223′ [Politicker] (more…)
02/27/2012 11:30 AM
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Marty to Address High-Tech Manufacturing, Preservation
It’s unclear whether anything newsy will come out of Marty Markowitz’s state of the borough address tonight since the borough president has already leaked details of the speech to several media outlets. According to the articles, Markowitz’s address will touch on bringing high-tech manufacturing to East New York or Brownsville as well as preserving and renovating a couple of high-profile buildings. The Daily News reports that Markowitz will propose a contest a la the one that’s bringing Cornell to Roosevelt Island that would result in a “high-tech manufacturing zone” in an area with a lot of unemployment, such as East New York or Brownsville: “His first choice would be Apple, a company the beep has courted for years with no success. …But even if Apple continues to snub the borough, Markowitz said a contest similar to the one for an applied sciences grad school with city land and cash available could help lure another high-tech company, perhaps Samsung, LG, or Hewlett Packard.” Meanwhile, Markowitz will announce that a dilapidated building from 1786 on the Erasmus Hall High School campus in Flatbush will be preserved and renovated so that the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry can operate out of it, according to NY1. Part of the building will also become a museum. Markowitz will also announce that he’s going to earmark $1 million for the renovation of the Crown Heights armory at Union and Bedford, according to the Post. The borough president made headlines last year for riding a tricycle into his state of the borough address in order to criticize the proliferation of bike lanes in the city.
Markowitz to Propose Contest for High-Tech Manufacturing in Brownsville, East New York [NY Daily News]
Historic Erasmus High School Building To Be Preserved Under New Plan [NY 1]
Markowitz Donating $1M Towards Reviving Crown Heights Armory [NY Post]
Photo by myrtle_avenue_brooklyn
02/01/2012 9:00 AM
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Fort Greene Park Changes Hands in Latest Redistricting
The redistricting action in North Brooklyn may not be as kooky as some other parts of the state (see today’s Observer post for some rich examples) but there were some changes to Joe Lentol’s turf worth mentioning. Most notable, is the loss of Fort Greene Park (as well as a strip of several blocks between Dekalb and Willoughby). Joe Lentol’s loss is Hakeem Jeffries’ gain, but only for a little while, since the 57th District leader now has his sights set on a run for congress. Check out a larger version of the new District 50 map here. And, for comparison’s sake, here’s the old map.
01/27/2012 3:06 PM
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Press Conference Over ‘Broken Promises’ at Atlantic Yards
Yesterday state Senator Eric Adams, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Assemblyman Karim Camara held a press conference at which they criticized Atlantic Yards’ failure to produce promised jobs and housing. The three said they would try to get legislation passed that would result in the creation of a subsidiary body to oversee the development. Atlantic Yards report has an extensive post about the press conference noting that three have had “nuanced and/or supportive positions toward Atlantic Yards” until now and that their about-face likely represents the fact that two are running for office at the moment, as well as representing how many of their constituents feel about the development at this point. Hakeem Jeffries is quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying that Atlantic Yards “was presented as a field of dreams but has turned into a cemetery of broken promises.” Meanwhile,a spokesman for developer Forest City Ratner tells the Journal that the project’s promised jobs and housing have been “impacted” by lawsuits and the economy.
Adams, Jeffries, Camara Cite Lack of Atlantic Yards Jobs and Housing [AY Report]
Brooklyn Arena Criticized on Hiring [WSJ]
Photo by Tracy Collins
01/23/2012 9:00 AM
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Meeting About Possible Uses for Crown Heights Armory
This coming Monday Borough President Marty Markowitz will hold a community meeting regarding the Troop C Armory, at 1579 Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights South. The meeting will center on plans for turning the massive building into a community facility. The building has housed a National Guard unit, a homeless shelter and been used for film shoots. The discussion will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at Medgar Evers College, 1638 Bedford Avenue. There will be an open house at the armory all day Monday, from 8 am to 5pm.GMAP
01/06/2012 11:00 AM
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Marty for Mayor?
Sources tell The Post that our borough president, Marty Markowitz, is “strongly considering” a run for mayor. On the one hand, the story notes that while Markowitz has “enormous popularity” in Brooklyn, he’s also pissed off opponents of Atlantic Yards and bike activists over his stance against the Prospect Park West bike lane. On the other, the article says that in “2008, before term limits were extended so Mayor Bloomberg could capture a third term, Markowitz in early polls led all potential Democratic mayoral candidates—including Weiner, Quinn and Thompson. A March 2008 Quinnipiac poll even had black voters favoring Markowitz over Thompson, who, unlike Markowitz, eventually ran for mayor before losing to Bloomberg in 2009.” How do you like his chances?
Marty Eyes Mayor Run [NY Post]
Photo by reclaimedhome
06/13/2011 10:30 AM
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Cuomo Calls for Strengthening Rent Reg Laws
Governor Cuomo released the video above yesterday saying that if rent-regulation laws are allowed to expire next month, it would be a “crisis” for the state and that the laws need to be extended and strengthened. Cuomo says that “by current standards, it is estimated that over 130,000 more apartments could be lost to decontrol in the next few years.” City Room notes that the though the Assembly approved legislation last month that would extend rent regulations through 2016 and shift the luxury decontrol ceiling from $2,000 to $3,000 a month, “the issue has drawn little interest in the Senate.”
Cuomo Releases Message Urging Stronger Rent Laws [City Room]
05/18/2011 9:00 AM
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Closing Bell: Corcoran Shifts Some Borders
Today Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, who has been in the news for trying to curtail the practice of real estate agents making up names for neighborhoods, sent out a press release commending the Corcoran Group for “changing their advertising practices by moving the eastern boundary of the Prospect Heights community back to its proper border, and correcting several listings that had improperly marketed Crown Heights properties as located in Prospect Heights.” According to the release, Jeffries sent a letter to Corcoran asking the brokerage to recognize the traditional boundaries of Prospect and Crown Heights in its ads so as not to “inflate housing prices in the Crown Heights community to the detriment of both working families who reside in the neighborhood and the prospective residents who are being deceived.” (While he’s at it, the assemblyman may want to look into Corcoran’s borders for Clinton Hill, which evidently stretches to Bedford Avenue.) Jeffries still plans to intro legislation requiring the city to set up an official process for renaming neighborhoods, so “Pro-Cro” is safe for the moment.
05/09/2011 4:00 PM
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Navy Yard Fires Developer Tied to Kruger Scandal
On Friday The Real Deal reported that the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp had canned PA Associates, which was supposed to develop Admiral’s Row, after the firm’s founder was accused of “funneling $472,500 in bribes to State Senator Carl Kruger.” A Navy Yard spokesperson and Councilwoman Letitia James both said the project would still move forward, albeit with a different, unspecified developer. In other Kruger fallout news, The Post reported that a shopping complex in Mill Basin that Forest City Ratner is developing was held up for three years by the state senator because Kruger didn’t want the city to begin a public review on a non-FCR section of the site “and [FCR] was concerned that segmenting the project could hurt its plans, sources said.” Kruger and Bruce Bender, a vice president for government relations at FCR, “are longtime allies,” according to the article, though neither Bender or FCR were charged in the Kruger corruption suit.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Fires Development Firm Linked to Bribery Scheme [TRD]
03/14/2011 9:00 AM
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Kruger Allegations Involve Deal-Making on Several Brooklyn Projects…
As Atlantic Yards Report first posted about yesterday, the corruption charges against State Senator Carl Kruger “portray a chummy relationship between Kruger and FCR Executive VP Bruce Bender, who not only tried to get money for Atlantic Yards–for the Carlton Avenue Bridge the developer is supposed to fund– but for the Lakeside Center project in Prospect Park. (Bender’s wife is on the Board of Directors of the Prospect Park Alliance and the Benders, like many others, have raised money for Prospect Park.)” The Times’ story on the matter today says the complaint against Kruger alleges he took “at least $1 million in bribes in exchange for help on state matters, including bribes from Richard Lipsky, a lobbyist for Forest City Ratner, and other clients.” An FCR spokesman tells the paper it ended its relationship with Lipsky on Wednesday but that the complaint “does not suggest that Forest City Ratner behaved in any way that’s inappropriate. The Real Deal, finally, has a story about how developer Aaron Malinsky, who is a principal with PA Associates, is accused of improperly funneling money to Kruger: “Prosecutors say that payments from Malinsky affected the outcome of various real estate developments, including what appears to be Canarsie Plaza at 8925 Avenue D in Brooklyn.” PA Associates is the firm that’s been chosen to build a ShopRite at the Navy Yard and is part of the City Point development team.
Corruption Charges Against Kruger Involve Atlantic Yards [AY Report]
Developer at Navy Yard Charged in Federal Bribery Case [TRD]
Developer Among Cast of Characters in Kruger Case [NY Times]
03/11/2011 9:15 AM
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Hope for Notorious Slope Building?
We stumbled across an interesting tidbit of information browsing last month’s CB6 minutes: “Chairperson Kummer informed that Board that he recently met with Council Member Steven Levin…He was very pleased to hear that the Council Member was most receptive to our need to put our heads together to come up with a way to motivate property owners and developers to make their properties safe and remove blighted conditions from our community. It was reassuring to hear that their office was already in touch with the owner of 187 7th Avenue at the corner of 2nd Street, which has sadly become a poster child for exactly this type of challenging situation.” We spoke with Council Member Levin’s rep Hope Reichbach, who confirmed she’s been in touch with the property owners. Reichbach said the “owners seem open to start a conversation and move forward with the site.” Right now talks are very preliminary and no action has been taken thus far. Options with the long-blighted property include assistance for the owners to make necessary repairs or marketing it to a private buyer. These options, however, are entirely dependent on how discussions go with CB6, local politicians, the community, and the owners of 187 7th. Last month a listing popped up advertising the availability of the building’s ground-floor space.
Will Infamous Slope Ruin be Reborn? [Brownstoner]
Doings at the Dilapidated 7th Ave & 2nd St Building? [Brownstoner] GMAP
03/09/2011 10:30 AM
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Marty Talks Development, Etc.
While Borough President Marty Markowitz’s entrance last night for his State of the Borough address is likely to be the most discussed aspect of the shebang, Brooklyn the Borough has reprinted his speech in full, and here are a few parts of it that stand out:
-”Fourth Avenue, which runs from Downtown Brooklyn to Bay Ridge, remains under-utilized…I have been promoting the transformation of the street into a livable, walkable, tree-lined avenue that I have dubbed ‘Brooklyn Boulevard.’ We’re just about to kick off the first in what will be many steps toward that goal by refurbishing the 4th Avenue-9th Street subway station and the surrounding streetscape.”
-”For many years, we’ve been talking about improving the Gowanus Expressway, and it’s time to act!” [More details, please!]
-”…I’m setting aside over one million dollars in capital funds and working with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and its president, Seth Pinsky, to develop a ‘business incubator’ in one of Brooklyn’s economically challenged areas.”
-”Beginning in the fall of 2012, the Barclays Center will not only be the home of the Brooklyn Nets…But it’s not just about the arena; the affordable housing built nearby will help make sure that Brooklyn remains proud home to everyone from everywhere.” [AY report has a bit to say on this.]
-”I’ve supported a $15 million streetscape project for Fulton Mall that includes repairing sidewalks, adding new public seating and repaving roads, because I believe we can once again make it New York City’s most prized shopping district, an eclectic and dynamic commercial strip that reflects the diversity of Brooklyn.”
-”Across from Borough Hall, we have a dream for the Municipal Building at 210 Joralemon Street. The building’s ground floor will soon be available for retail, and I know what store would truly be the ‘apple’ of my eye.” [Yes, let this happen so we can stop blogging "Apple-is-coming rumors"!]
Click through for quotes on Williamsburg and Coney development, bicycling, and Prospect Park. (more…)
02/04/2011 10:00 AM
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Bloomberg Opines on Atantic Yards, Coney Island
Mayor Bloomberg spoke with reporters from the Community Newspaper Group, the parent company of The Brooklyn Paper, on Monday as part of his campaign tour, where they discussed everything from overzealous ticketing agents to Atlantic Yards. Concerning the latter, he hopes that developer Forest City Ratner can use the Frank Gehry designs for the arena and skyscrapers, as originally planned but later abandoned due to cost. It would make the arena—and Brooklyn—even more of an international draw, he reasoned: “Simon and Garfunkel on their tour would go to Brooklyn in a second before they go to Madison Square Garden. They’re New Yorkers.” (Has MSG been airlifted out of NYC recently?) Concerning the epic legal battles and financial concerns behind the massive development, the mayor sided with Ratner. “One of the great sins here is this small group of people stalled it so long [that] the economy is different,” he said. (AY Report disputes this view here.) Also of note, Mayor Bloomberg touched upon another hot-button development topic, Coney Island. Last month, City Council approved his plan for a new amusement park, hotels, theaters, a water park, and apartments. The last step is to purchase all or some of the land owned by developer Joe Sitt of Thor Equities. “Fundamentally, the deal with him is done,” the mayor said. He also insisted that Sitt will not develop the land himself, ominously adding that “He needs sewers; he needs water; he needs streets … If the city doesn’t want to cooperate, [Sitt's] going to spend a lot of time with a lot of money tied up.”
Bloomy Still Wants Gehry—and Other Tidbits [Brooklyn Paper]
Bloomberg Blames AY Opponents for Loss of Gehry [AY Report]
Photo by David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons
08/26/2009 11:15 AM
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John Catsimatidis: Tough Guy For Tough Times
John Catsimatidis: Self-made billionaire; owner of the Gristedes supermarket chain; developer of a planned, 660-unit project on Myrtle Avenue; potential mayoral candidate who says only he is tough enough to carry this city through the tough times ahead. In an interview with Brownstoner at his modest office in Hell’s Kitchen (not the trendy part), he describes a bleak future for Brooklyn and beyond. He’s not even positive the first phase of his Myrtle Avenue project is a “slam-dunk” because he hasn’t closed on the loan and “the banks are being a little more onerous than they used to be.” But Catsimatidis says the foundation was poured just in time for the 100 units to fall under the old 421-a rules that give him a tax breaks without providing any affordable units. Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) just happens to be planning a protest outside his development site today, furious he reneged on his pledge to build 215 below-market apartments there. The group will also release a report on the displacement of residents and businesses as a result of the Downtown Brooklyn rezoning. Catsimatidis responds to our question about displacement: “There’s no displacement of residents that I know of. There’s no residential buildings that are really being torn down that I know of, and it’s just like I said, people have to stay where they are during a possible recession period.” We’ll find out in the coming months if he plans to officially throw his hat in the ring. Click through to read the interview, edited for length. (more…)
07/17/2008 10:04 AM
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Pols Say They Want an Atlantic Yards ‘Trust’
The Real Estate and Atlantic Yards Report have pieces about a rally held yesterday at City Hall calling for the formation of an Atlantic Yards trust that would, theoretically, allow for more community input/involvement in Forest City Ratner’s development. The trust would be comprised of 15 members, eight appointed by the governor, two each by the Assembly speaker, Senate president, and mayor, and one by the Brooklyn borough president. A non-voting member would represent the community. Councilmembers Tish James and David Yassky, and Assemblymembers Hakim Jeffries and James Brennan are all supporting the trust’s creation. “Atlantic Yards is a public project built on public land using public money overseen by a public entity for a public purpose,” said Jeffries at the rally. “It therefore deserves maximum public participation during the life of this project.” And Yassky said that AY bypassed typical land-use review mechanisms. The fundamental mistake that was made here, really the original of this project, is that it was approved in a way that went around all the usual process for approving a big project,” he said. “We never had a chance to fix all the problems… I believe there is, somewhere buried underneath all the… special treatment, very deep in there, there is a good project, but the process never had a chance to find it. AY Report notes that “while such an organization—common with other large projects and thus a glaring weakness of the AY plan—certainly might channel public input, it would be unlikely to fundamentally change power dynamics.”
Brooklyn Politicos Call for Trust to Oversee Atlantic Yards [The Real Estate]
Push for AY Development Trust Begins [AY Report]
Photo by threecee.
06/17/2008 8:56 AM
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Tony Avella, the Anti-Overdevelopment Candidate
City Councilman Tony Avella has been making himself known around Brooklyn lately, showing up at a community meeting about Gowanus and supporting other politicians who’ve called for a moratorium on Atlantic Yards demolitions. The common thread is also Avella’s main talking point in his (longshot) bid to become our next mayor: Namely, that the Bloomberg administration has sold out to real estate interests, disrupting the fabric of neighborhoods and turning a deaf ear to community concerns. Voice blog Runnin’ Scared has an interview with the man who wants to replace Mike. Here are some choice quotes:
“You have so many communities throughout the entire City that need to be protected from overdevelopment. You have the Department of Buildings, which is in a shambles. And it has been such a huge effort to get even the smallest rezoning, even the smallest change done within the City Council. It’s bizarre.”
“Listen, a lot of my fellow councilmen seem to be more interested, along with the Speaker, in getting money from the real estate industry than stepping up and doing the right thing. I don’t need to tell you, there’s very little independence in the City Council. It’s amazing to me how nobody speaks up.”
“In my opinion the one campaign that you can draw from is the Obama campaign. In terms of somebody coming from nowhere. Really, he had no name recognition beyond his own state, to in effect get the Democratic nomination at this point. People want change, and I think that’s what my campaign is all about.”
Underdog Mayoral Hopeful on Quinn, Bloomberg and Obama [Runnin' Scared]
Legislation To Boost Community-Based Planning [Brownstoner]
Photo by No Land Grab.
06/06/2008 10:02 AM
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466 dad
May 21, 2012 | 02:16 PM