Marty looks bike gift in the mouth
The Brooklyn Paper
December 17, 2010
By Shavana Abruzzo

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/52/all_bb_martybike_2010_12_24_bk.html

Borough President Markowitz turned Scrooge on Thursday by turning down a gift two-wheeler from cycling activists who showed up at Borough Hall to complain — in song! — about his anti-bike lane stance.

It fell to nice guy Chief of Staff Carlo Scissura to put the brakes on their jollity and show the activists the door.

“We were disappointed because he wasn’t taking any notice of an important issue,” said Barbara Ross, one of 10 “Love Your Lane” cyclists from the environmental organization, Time’s Up!, who braved the cold to visit Borough Hall in Santa hats, a song in their hearts, and a donated, gold-painted bike.

“We spent a whole day working on it, it looked very festive,” proudly added the pedaler, who said that her group had hoped to gently prod Marty into supporting the controversial bike lane along Prospect Park West — long a spoke in the side of Markowitz, who sang his own showtune parody at a City Council hearing last week.

Ross said that the group was informed by Scissura that Markowitz already had a bicycle, and instead suggested that the pennyfarthing be donated to a child.

“The borough president appreciated the offer,” said the Beep’s spokesman, Mark Zustovich.