It makes us sad to note that our friend Ariella Cohen, who has been a superb reporter at the Brooklyn Paper for the last two years, is leaving. We are happy for Ariella–she is moving to New Orleans to pursue new professional challenges in a town that is full of them. Yet, Ariella’s departure will leave a void here. We’ve greatly respected her work in Brooklyn and she brought a passion for urban issues and a knowledge of urban planning to the table. She is a terrific reporter and, more importantly, a very nice person. Check out a couple of her stories and columns this week to see why she will be missed:

• Lawsuit Against Atlantic Yards is Losing Its Plaintiffs One by One
• Crime Ain’t New but It Hits Hard
• Red Hook is Turning Green