Staying safe online during the holidays

By Matthew Lysiak | Special to amNewYork

More Americans than ever are expected to congest the information superhighway this holiday in search of that elusive perfect gift, but those looking to play cyber-Santa better may soon discover that even the Web has a Grinch.

That's because online consumers shouldn't expect good will from spammers and viruses whose plan is to decorate computer screens with an unprecedented assault of potentially harmful spam. Of particular concern is phishing, an attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a legitimate message from a trustworthy site. eBay, PayPal and online banks are common targets.

"We typically see an increase in phishing activity before a regular two-day weekend, but the volume of phishing sites and corresponding e-mail in just this past 24 hours (after Black Friday) is quite astounding," said Dean Drako, president and chief executive of Barracuda Networks, an industry leader in e-mail and Web security. "We expect this blitz to continue."

Drako reported a more than 10-times surge in phishing sites created and three times the number of phishing e-mails sent out since the Friday after Thanksgiving. The increase means that scammers and their criminal networks are working feverishly to cash in on the holiday blitz -- at your expense.

But careful shoppers face little risk, so long as they follow the usual virus-protection advice -- meaning don't click on anything you don't recognize, according to Matt Sergeant, an anti-spam technologist at MessageLabs, a market leader in Web security.

"Only shop at stores you know about or have previous knowledge of, or stores that have a well known reputation," Sergeant said. "Don't buy anything from emails you receive, unless they are offers from companies you have a previous relationship with."

And one more thing: Just don't ever, ever, open that Christmas greeting card attachment from an unexpected friend no matter how jolly it may appear.

"Don't open greeting cards from people you don't expect them from," said Sergeant. "The volume of these is likely to remain about the same over the holiday season, but expect them to take on a more Christmas-y feel."

Towering threat over LES supermarket

Pathmark feels ripple effects of shift in NY grocery store scene

By Andrew Lisa and Matthew Lysiak | STAFF WRITER and special to amNewYork
November 29, 2007

Olivia Henderson doesn't know where she'll shop if there's any truth to the speculation that the Lower East Side's Pathmark will soon be demolished for a skyscraper.

"It's not like there's nowhere else to go," she said, motioning to her home at the Rutgers Houses just across from the supermarket's parking lot. "It's just that there's nowhere closer -- and nowhere cheaper."

The blog-fueled talk began when a sales brochure revealed that the site is on the market for $250 million, and detailed the owner's two proposals -- one for a 55-story building to be built atop the Pathmark's current location -- and the other for two towers, each more than 50 stories -- to rise above the grocer's parking lot.

The talk of the latest behemoth building fits a larger pattern of gentrification of the Lower East Side and underscores the changing face of the New York grocery business.

"Throughout the city, smaller grocery stores -- neighborhood stores -- are getting pushed out by stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's," said Stuart Elliott, editor of The Real Deal, a New York real-estate publication. "Gristede's and Pathmark and those types of places are becoming fewer and fewer." And nowhere is the speculation more believable than on the Lower East Side, where enormous shifts have recently occurred.

"The retail mix is changing," Elliott said. "Varvatos replaced CBGB. You're seeing an influx of boutique hotels. What's been happening in the Bowery might affect some of the future of the housing there. Nonprofits are looking to cash out on their holdings there. The Salvation Army has been selling some buildings."

Pathmark had no comment on the future of the site at 227 Cherry St., nor did city officials and the organization behind the brochure, Developer Resource Group. No matter what, the Pathmark may well become the next victim of local stores succumbing to rising rents and intense competition from high-end chains. "There is no information yet," said Susan Stetzer, district manager for Manhattan Community Board 3, which encompasses the Lower East Side, "but it's clear that there is going to be some development."

She conceded that her office has been inundated with calls regarding the demolition of one of Manhattan's last local supermarkets with a full parking lot. The supermarket's popularity was unmistakable on a recent rainy Sunday a few weeks ago, with the lot jammed with cars and more waiting to get in. And the Pathmark's value to residents is also borne out by a startling fact: More than 95 percent of food stores in the city do not qualify as traditional supermarkets, according to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Like many of the shoppers who rely on the Pathmark, Marcus Davis brings his own shopping cart. Although the Cherry Street resident hadn't heard of the plan, he wasn't surprised.

"What's it mean? It means I'll have to pay twice as much at the bodega unless I want to get on a train to go buy food in Brooklyn. But what else is new? They keep building, we keep moving away."

High hopes for high-tech Barbie doll

Mattel aims for status as must-have toy
By Matthew Lysiak | Special to amNewYork
November 28, 2007

Hey, Ken! Get off the laptop already!

That could be the new marketing cry if the virtual world of Mattel¹s new Barbie Girls -- the doll, MP3 player, and interactive computer game rolled into one -- is as big a retail hit this season as the company hopes.

Barbie Girls is a slim, immobile doll that plays music and connects to a computer -- and an online virtual world where girls can create a personalized avatar, design their own apartment, shop at a virtual mall, and chat live with other kids.

It may be getting tagged as this year's hot new Christmas gift, but whether young girls are tech savvy enough to fulfill the marketing hype remains to be seen -- or could be a forgone conclusion, if you ask Barbie Girls marketing rep Rosie O'Neill.

"It will absolutely have appeal," said O'Neill. "Kids this age are already going online and have familiarized themselves with this kind of process." But will it become the hot, must-have toy of the shopping season?

Employees at Toys "R" Us in Times Square said sales were brisk, but a representative said it won¹t be known until a Dec. 12 report if it will be the toy that single-handedly drives traffic into stores, like Tickle Me Elmo and Furby did in years past.

Although its made it to the top five of nearly every "must-have toys of '07" list, including Toys "R" Us' own list and that of the National Retail Federation, Barbie isn¹t exactly a trailblazer for interactive toys.

Bella Sara, Shining Stars, Ty Girlz and the popular Webkinz were all targeting preteens long before Barbie came on the scene, but Mattel¹s entry does raise the bar.

"It distinguishes itself with its richness of play in creating a 3-D character that walks around, talks and lets the girl be the ultimate fashion designer," said O'Neill.

But others aren't so sure that 6 year olds -- or parents -- are ready to be introduced to a new virtual world this Christmas. "It is a very sophisticated doll for a young girl," said Barbie expert Bradley Joseph, of the United Federation of Dolls, an organization devoted to the study and collection of dolls. "It may end up being only a niche item that appeals to really tech-savvy kids."

Its success or failure could serve as a litmus test for the limitations (or lack thereof) of selling previously adult technology to a younger consumer base.

But if early indications are a barometer, then maybe Barbie has a fighting chance at a seat next to Elmo in the pantheon of great Christmas hits, at least according to Kelly Disque Cullen, the public relations manager at Toys "R" Us Times Square.

"The item fits into one of our big trends for this holiday season, Internet connectivity, and it blends the real world with the virtual world for girls who love music," Cullen said.

"That sounds pretty cool, they should have one for boys" said Yanni Gouras, 7, who was eyeing the display at the Times Square Toys "R" Us, where it sells for $49.99. "But I don't really care. I mean, dolls are for girls."

Bay Ridge residents use Internet chat room to crackdown on crack house

BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

Tuesday, November 27th 2007, 4:00 AM

A group of Internet-savvy Bay Ridge residents has punched through the gray world of HTML-code anonymity and is trying to clean up its neighborhood.

Local business owner Jason Miller was joined by a group of fellow cyberactivists in an effort to push officials into action against a suspected crack house allegedly located on quiet, tree-lined 93rd St. between Third and Fourth Aves.

Miller, in a speech at Community Board 10's October meeting, went short of directly naming the location or even calling it a "crack house," as do many in the community, instead spelling out his concerns as a local resident and business owner.

"I have personally witnessed suspicious activity," said Miller. "Not only does this alleged activity pose a direct threat to the safety of community members, but local businesses in our area have had to tolerate acts of vandalism, panhandling and customer harassment from the people who frequent the location."

The group, who met several months ago on chat site www.Bayridgetalk.com, has used the chat room as a launching off point in hopes of instigating real world change.

But residents of the house in question have a different story and say they are the ones being harassed. A man named Joe, who says he owns the property, dismissed the chat- room-group-turned-activists' talk as cyberbluster.

"There are rumors going around about everyone's house, I don't know what to tell you," he said. "We're not bothering anyone."

The inside of the house, which is currently for rent, appeared orderly during a recent visit, with no outward signs of drug use; the few people there appeared affable. The owner added that he is currently in transition and hopes to sell the house shortly.

Tax records list the owner as A. Terrone and show the property as three years behind in its taxes, a total debt of about $24,000.

The police wouldn't discuss any ongoing investigations, but CB 10 Chairman Dean Rasinya made clear that officials are addressing the issue.

"We are aware that this has been an ongoing problem," said Rasinya. "This board has been speaking to the 68th Precinct and they are taking this matter very seriously."

Miller's speech was months or maybe even years in the making, he said, and came as a culmination of local frustrations over the often-speculated-about crack house.

Miller, who lives directly behind the house, said he got the ball rolling several weeks ago after realizing that many others on the local chat board shared his concerns.

A neighbor of the home applauded the group's effort.

"This house has been a nuisance for over a year now," said one neighbor. "Everyone on the block knows what's going on. Someone needs to step in before somebody gets hurt."

Holiday tree again called Christmas tree in Bay Ridge

BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

Tuesday, November 20th 2007, 4:00 AM

'Christmas' tree on Shore Parkway and 90th St. State Sen. Martin Golden refuses to rename 'holiday tree'.
The Christmas is back in Christmas tree - at least in Bay Ridge.

After demoting its evergreen to just a "holiday tree" a year ago, Bay Ridge will let a 17-foot Brooklyn evergreen regain the lofty title after snowballing criticism.

State Sen. Marty Golden, who last year blasted the decision by a local group to eradicate Christmas, rejoiced.

"The people spoke last year, urging that in the future this tree-lighting event be known as a Christmas tree-lighting event, and the Shore Road Garden Council heard this message and willingly changed the event's name," Golden spokesman John Quaglione said.

The holiday jeer began last November, after hundreds gathered at the city-owned Shore Road Gardens Park for a tree-lighting ceremony - complete with a Santa Claus and signs announcing the "holiday tree" lighting.

"It is ridiculous and absolutely unacceptable," huffed Golden, an Irish-Catholic Republican, at last year's scene. "There is no such thing as a holiday tree."

Shore Road Garden Council Vice President Linda Allegretti said her group wasn't trying to play the Grinch - it was only intending to be considerate of the multiethnic neighborhood's Jewish and Islamic communities.

"We're trying to be inclusive," Allegretti said at the time.

Allegretti didn't offer an explanation for the retreat.

"After what happened last year, I don't think I want to make a comment," she said yesterday.

This year's celebration, advertised as a Christmas tree lighting, as part of a broader "holiday festival," appears to cover all bases, said Community Board 10 Chairman Dean Rasanya.

"If they wanted to try to widen the envelope a little bit and call it a holiday tree to be a little more inclusive, that's fine," Rasanya said. "If they want to call it a Christmas tree, that's fine, too."

Golden celebrated the switch as a victory.

"You cannot take away the fact that a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree and not a holiday tree. This neighborhood wants a Christmas tree to be called a Christmas tree - that is not too much to ask," he said.

Amid community unrest, American Place clothing store cleans up its act

BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
SPECIAL TO NEWS

Tuesday, November 20th 2007, 4:00 AM

Now, that's an American Place.

The community spoke, and American Place, a bargain clothing store that opened last month in Bay Ridge and is preparing to set up shop in Bensonhurst, listened.

A week after residents outraged by cartons of cheap clothing on the sidewalk outside the store said "not in my neighborhood," the retailer has changed course and cleaned up its act.

"The outside bins were just a promotion to let everyone know we arrived, but everything is cleaned up now," said American Place owner Raymond Smour. "We like to open with a big bang."

If creating a stir was the goal, mission accomplished. Residents flooded Community Board 10 with complaints after American Place Bay Ridge's Oct. 16 opening, saying that large cardboard cartons with clothing, bedding and footwear overflowed onto the store's sidewalk.

Smour said he was shocked by the uproar, especially since when he had opened his other five stores in the city, there weren't complaints, only consumers flocking to his 99-cent shirts and heavily discounted merchandise.

"I've never gotten a reaction like this before, but now that I know, I have made some changes."

But the timing is far from coincidental. The merchant's concession comes ahead of another anxiety-riddled American Place opening, this one on the site of what had been an 86th St. catering institution, the Oriental Manor.

To fend off problems at the Bensonhurst store, Councilman Vince Gentile (D-Bay Ridge) intervened to let Smour know that South Brooklyn residents don't appreciate a mess.

"They have already taken all their clothing inside, painted the walls and promised to continue to keep everything orderly," Gentile said after meeting with Smour. "They just needed to be brought in line with our community's expectations."

The victory was long and grueling, especially for residents hoping the Bay Ridge spot would become a grocery.

The store, at Senator St. and Fourth Ave., originally was rumored to become a Waldbaum's after a Duane Reade pharmacy closed in August, but when the store's doors reopened, shoppers were instead greeted by the large cardboard bins that quickly became the talk of the town.

But now that American Place is taking its business inside, at least one resident, who called the new store an "abomination" is warming up to the new retailer, albeit with some reservations.

"That's beautiful news, I'm so glad they finally got all that stuff off the sidewalk," said Diane Hunt, 62, who lives down the street. "But I'm still not sure what made them think that was an acceptable way to sell merchandise in Bay Ridge."

Teachers at PS 185 in Bay Ridge fight unfair parking tickets

BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

Monday, November 19th 2007, 4:00 AM


Some Bay Ridge educators just got schooled in the ABCs of unfair parking violations.

A number of teachers from Public School 185 whose legally parked cars were towed by city workers into illegal spots, then later slapped with $60 fines, are vowing to fight the "outrageous" violations.

"I am so upset at the unfairness of the situation," said teacher Lillian Turrugiano, who was in the middle of a lesson when she was notified her car had been towed and ticketed.

"This whole thing is one big annoying nuisance."

The trouble began Oct. 26 about 8 a.m., when four teachers thought they had lucked out in finding some open parking spots on 86th St. between Ridge Blvd. and Third Ave.

Parking has been tight on heavily congested 86th St. since May, when a sewer repair project began.

"There were no signs or workers, nothing to indicate you couldn't park," said Turrugiano.

But 45 minutes later, a crossing guard told the teachers their cars had been towed and ticketed without warning after construction crews got city workers to move the cars across the street - where they violated alternate-side parking rules and were issued citations.

Now the teachers are crying foul and vowing not to pay the violations.

"This is completely unacceptable because all of these cars were parked legally, and the staff was engaged in full activity with our children," wrote PS 185 Principal Kenneth Llinas in an angry letter to the city's Parking Violations Bureau unit on behalf of the teachers.

The steamed faculty then took their case to Councilman Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge) - who gave the city's bureaucracy a failing grade in communication skills.

"This is another case of one hand not knowing what the other one is doing," said Gentile, referring to a lack of coordination between employees of the Department of Design and Construction, who had the cars moved, and law enforcement personnel, who fined them.

"It's a sad commentary that I wasn't surprised to learn that DDC personnel had knowingly moved these four teachers' cars into illegal parking spaces. It would be almost humorous if real money weren't involved."

The 18-month renovation of 86th St. is slated to be completed by next fall.