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August 1, 2009
In New York, It Takes More Than Beer to End Feuds
New York Times
By Manny Fernandez
The Times imagines a series of "beer summits", including one between Develop Don't Destroy spokesman Daniel Goldstein and land grabber Bruce Ratner.
It is easier, it seems, to get a Harvard professor and the police officer who arrested him to sit down for a beer at the White House than it is to get two New Yorkers to make peace at the corner bar.
In the spirit of the “beer summit,” in which a feud between the Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police was smoothed out somewhat at the White House on Thursday, some notable New Yorkers were asked if they would be willing to do likewise, to try to resolve their differences with their rivals by sitting down for drinks.
...
Dan Goldstein, who has led protests against the Atlantic Yards project in Downtown Brooklyn as the spokesman for the group Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, nevertheless said he would agree to a beer with the project’s developer, Bruce C. Ratner, at Freddy’s Bar and Backroom, which happens to be the de facto headquarters of Atlantic Yards opponents. A spokesman for Mr. Ratner who had promised to respond was later unavailable.
NoLandGrab: Awww... now isn't that cute? Instead of inserting Atlantic Yards into a puff piece, maybe The Times could give a serious revisit to the project and perhaps even rethink its editorial support of Atlantic Yards. Then again, that might put too big a strain on the relationship between the Times and its business partner, Bruce Ratner.
Posted by steve at August 1, 2009 8:56 AM