BY MATT LYSIAK and DAVE GOLDINER
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Thursday, January 31st 2008, 4:00 AM
Apowerful wind gustsent a Brooklyn scaffold worker plunging 13 stories to his death Wednesday, authorities said.
Jose Palacios, 43, a big-hearted father who sent money to his wife and daughter in Mexico, was installing stucco at the top of a Clinton Ave. building when the wind knocked over his scaffold. He fell 130 feet to the ground below, witnesses said.
"He was just a screaming blur," said laborer Ben Tee, 49, who was working a few floors down. "To pick a man up and throw him that far is unbelievable."
Another worker escaped with minor injuries when he fell to a landing one floor below just after 10 a.m. A third laborer cheated death when he managed to grab onto a roof bulkhead.
Ricardo Uribe was working on the seventh floor when he heard a "big whoosh" and a crash below. He rushed to help Palacios but found him motionless.
"This is a just a huge tragedy," said Uribe, 35. "That wind was like a whirlwind."
Forecasters said winds gusted up to 39 mphWednesday morning as a winter storm moved north of the city. Buildings Department officials said they issue warning advisories to contractors when forecasters warn of winds over 30 mph.
"This huge gust just tipped the scaffolding right over," said FDNY Chief Joe Woznic.
Buildings Department spokeswoman Kate Lindquist said investigators were looking into whether the scaffold - a type that is installed on the rooftop, instead of suspended from the side of the building - was adequately secured.
Inspectors issued a stop-work order at the site. A condo complex with a glass facade is being built on the property.
Palacios' relatives remembered him as a good father who sent money home every week to his wife, Virginia.
He lived with his niece and doted on her children, and loved chatting on the computer with his teenage daughter, Veronica. "He was very sweet," said Jasmine Solis, 28, Palacios' niece.
Palacios had been working construction jobs in New York for about three years. He planned to move back to Mexico at the end of the year. His body will be sent home for burial, his loved ones said.
The fatal accident was the city's second death plunge in the past two weeks. A worker died Jan. 14 when a floor collapsed at Donald Trump's 42story tower in SoHo.
Amid calls for better safeguards, the city plans to release new construction guidelines next week. At least 43 people died while working construction in the city in 2006, the deadliest year in at least a decade, the most recent federal statistics show. The toll was up 87% from 2005, when 23 people died.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Bay Ridge vets battle Health Dept.
BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Wednesday, January 30th 2008, 4:00 AM
They survived World War II and Korea, but now a group of veterans are making a stand against another formidable foe - the Health Department.
Battle lines have been drawn between a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Bay Ridge, and Health Department agents who the soldiers say are trigger happy when it comes to citations.
"I faced some frightening fascists in my time, but I've never seen anything like this," said Angel Rios, a 79-year-old Korean War vet and post commander. "We served our country with honor - and now this city is spitting in our faces."
The call to arms came after the agency issued more than $4,000 in tickets and forced the vets to expel their beloved feline mascot, Baby, in a series of violations issued over the last 11 months that ranged from not displaying a "smoking permitted" sign to not having a Food Protection Certificate.
The post paid the fines, and members even attended a series of classes to gain certification on proper food handling, but they now say they want the Health Department off their backs and out of their club - permanently.
"They are coming into our home and telling us that ice is a food and that our little kitten is a hazard," said Rios. "Do they go into kitchens and ask people if they know how to use the automatic ice makers on their refrigerators?"
The veterans argued that they did not need the certificate because the 300-member post doesn't have a kitchen and only operates the ice machine for its bar, but the city remained adamant that ice is a food.
"While the establishment may not serve food to the public from a kitchen, ice does constitute food under the health code, because it is something that someone consumes," said Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Sara Markt. "Ice machines have been implicated in foodborne-illness outbreaks elsewhere in the country."
The agency also cited other concerns involved in serving drinks, such as sanitizing glasses, but added that some of the smoking violations were "in the process of being withdrawn."
The news came as little consolation to the vets.
"We are a fraternal organization of dues-paying members and shouldn't be subject to any of these inspections," said Rios. "We earned the right to be left alone and we have the battle scars to prove it."
Rios said he wants to cooperate with the city, but is just looking for a little recognition.
"Little do they know that there wouldn't be a Department of Health without these brave men who fought for this country," he said.
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Wednesday, January 30th 2008, 4:00 AM
They survived World War II and Korea, but now a group of veterans are making a stand against another formidable foe - the Health Department.
Battle lines have been drawn between a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Bay Ridge, and Health Department agents who the soldiers say are trigger happy when it comes to citations.
"I faced some frightening fascists in my time, but I've never seen anything like this," said Angel Rios, a 79-year-old Korean War vet and post commander. "We served our country with honor - and now this city is spitting in our faces."
The call to arms came after the agency issued more than $4,000 in tickets and forced the vets to expel their beloved feline mascot, Baby, in a series of violations issued over the last 11 months that ranged from not displaying a "smoking permitted" sign to not having a Food Protection Certificate.
The post paid the fines, and members even attended a series of classes to gain certification on proper food handling, but they now say they want the Health Department off their backs and out of their club - permanently.
"They are coming into our home and telling us that ice is a food and that our little kitten is a hazard," said Rios. "Do they go into kitchens and ask people if they know how to use the automatic ice makers on their refrigerators?"
The veterans argued that they did not need the certificate because the 300-member post doesn't have a kitchen and only operates the ice machine for its bar, but the city remained adamant that ice is a food.
"While the establishment may not serve food to the public from a kitchen, ice does constitute food under the health code, because it is something that someone consumes," said Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Sara Markt. "Ice machines have been implicated in foodborne-illness outbreaks elsewhere in the country."
The agency also cited other concerns involved in serving drinks, such as sanitizing glasses, but added that some of the smoking violations were "in the process of being withdrawn."
The news came as little consolation to the vets.
"We are a fraternal organization of dues-paying members and shouldn't be subject to any of these inspections," said Rios. "We earned the right to be left alone and we have the battle scars to prove it."
Rios said he wants to cooperate with the city, but is just looking for a little recognition.
"Little do they know that there wouldn't be a Department of Health without these brave men who fought for this country," he said.
Bay Ridge rage as cell phone towers rise near school
BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Call it reading, writing and radiation.
Parents at Public School 185 in Bay Ridge are outraged that six cell phone towers were erected directly across the street from the school over a recent weekend.
"I'm scared of what we don't know," said Elizabeth Juliano, whose 5-year-old son attends the school. "Without evidence either way, we should err on the side of caution. This is just stupid."
Calls from concerned parents flooded the local community board only hours after the towers were erected.
"They installed them when no one was around in hopes of falling under the radar," said Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann of the towers, which appeared on the rooftops at 8701 Ridge Blvd. "Within hours, my phone was ringing off the hook with angry parents afraid that radiation . . . was going to give their kids cancer."
Scientists have said health risks from cell phone towers are slight because of low radiation levels - but that hasn't stopped people from being wary.
This most recent uprising could radiate throughout the five boroughs as state Sen. Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge) may push legislation that would ban tower installation within 500 feet of schools.
"I strongly denounce the installation of a cell phone tower directly across from PS 185 and am reviewing my options legislatively," Golden said.
Golden first introduced the legislation almost two years ago, after parents of St. Anselm's School fought the construction of a Sprint/Nextel tower to be placed atop a nearby building at 8300 Fourth Ave. St.
Anselm parents also didn't know the tower was coming until a crane showed up late one night.
The legislation failed but the accompanying public relations were successful in halting the construction. Golden said the new towers across from PS 185 - two of which are pointed directly at classrooms - may be the final straw.
But the science on cell towers shows that signals emitted are no more likely to cause cancer than a television set. That's because the type of radiation emitted from the towers, which is more like radio waves than X-rays, is harmless, said Verizon spokesman David Samberg.
"[The cell phone industry] has been around for over 20 years, and no one has ever found that these signals can hurt people," Samberg said. "As for notification, we work transparently with the building owner, and if they request that we speak to the community, we do so gladly."
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Call it reading, writing and radiation.
Parents at Public School 185 in Bay Ridge are outraged that six cell phone towers were erected directly across the street from the school over a recent weekend.
"I'm scared of what we don't know," said Elizabeth Juliano, whose 5-year-old son attends the school. "Without evidence either way, we should err on the side of caution. This is just stupid."
Calls from concerned parents flooded the local community board only hours after the towers were erected.
"They installed them when no one was around in hopes of falling under the radar," said Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann of the towers, which appeared on the rooftops at 8701 Ridge Blvd. "Within hours, my phone was ringing off the hook with angry parents afraid that radiation . . . was going to give their kids cancer."
Scientists have said health risks from cell phone towers are slight because of low radiation levels - but that hasn't stopped people from being wary.
This most recent uprising could radiate throughout the five boroughs as state Sen. Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge) may push legislation that would ban tower installation within 500 feet of schools.
"I strongly denounce the installation of a cell phone tower directly across from PS 185 and am reviewing my options legislatively," Golden said.
Golden first introduced the legislation almost two years ago, after parents of St. Anselm's School fought the construction of a Sprint/Nextel tower to be placed atop a nearby building at 8300 Fourth Ave. St.
Anselm parents also didn't know the tower was coming until a crane showed up late one night.
The legislation failed but the accompanying public relations were successful in halting the construction. Golden said the new towers across from PS 185 - two of which are pointed directly at classrooms - may be the final straw.
But the science on cell towers shows that signals emitted are no more likely to cause cancer than a television set. That's because the type of radiation emitted from the towers, which is more like radio waves than X-rays, is harmless, said Verizon spokesman David Samberg.
"[The cell phone industry] has been around for over 20 years, and no one has ever found that these signals can hurt people," Samberg said. "As for notification, we work transparently with the building owner, and if they request that we speak to the community, we do so gladly."
Fatal hit-run suspect delivered to cops
BY MATTHEW LYSIAK, KERRY BURKE and MICHAEL WHITE
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Saturday, December 29th 2007, 4:00 AM
Four witnesses to a deadly hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn chased the cowardly driver for a block - then hauled him back to the scene in a cab, police said Friday.
Witnesses watched helplessly as the driver mowed down Francisco Guerrero, 73, while making an illegal U-turn at 52nd St. and Fourth Ave. in Sunset Park, cops said.
Lawrence Meyers, 38, who was dressed in a black suit and driving a blue minivan, attempted to flee the 3:30 p.m. crash, police said.
As he sped off, Meyers, who lived nearby, sideswiped a van driven by Chris Blake, 41, who began chasing the minivan. A gutsy city bus driver also helped, using the bus to corner the escaping minivan.
"[The bus driver] boxed him in from the front and I got him boxed in from behind," said Blake, of Bay Ridge. "He jumped out and tried to run. We grabbed him and held him. He slipped out of his jacket and two other guys grabbed him.
"I was glad we got the bastard. He killed a guy. He was meant to get caught. He deserves to go to jail."
The two good Samaritans piled into a cab with Meyers and returned to the scene, where cops arrested him.
Witness Efrain Santos, 26, who works with one of the brave men at Nuevo Estillo barbershop, said everyone in the shop was watching the drama unfold. "The taxi pulled out front. They put the cuffs on him and he looked real nervous," Santos said.
Early this morning, as he was led out of a police precinct, Meyers told reporters, "It was an accident. It was just an accident."
The victim, who lived nearby, died at Lutheran Medical Center, officials said.
"He's a nice guy. I can't believe that happened to him," said Daniel Feliciano, who owns a beer distributor company where Guerrero often redeemed empty cans and bottles.
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Saturday, December 29th 2007, 4:00 AM
Four witnesses to a deadly hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn chased the cowardly driver for a block - then hauled him back to the scene in a cab, police said Friday.
Witnesses watched helplessly as the driver mowed down Francisco Guerrero, 73, while making an illegal U-turn at 52nd St. and Fourth Ave. in Sunset Park, cops said.
Lawrence Meyers, 38, who was dressed in a black suit and driving a blue minivan, attempted to flee the 3:30 p.m. crash, police said.
As he sped off, Meyers, who lived nearby, sideswiped a van driven by Chris Blake, 41, who began chasing the minivan. A gutsy city bus driver also helped, using the bus to corner the escaping minivan.
"[The bus driver] boxed him in from the front and I got him boxed in from behind," said Blake, of Bay Ridge. "He jumped out and tried to run. We grabbed him and held him. He slipped out of his jacket and two other guys grabbed him.
"I was glad we got the bastard. He killed a guy. He was meant to get caught. He deserves to go to jail."
The two good Samaritans piled into a cab with Meyers and returned to the scene, where cops arrested him.
Witness Efrain Santos, 26, who works with one of the brave men at Nuevo Estillo barbershop, said everyone in the shop was watching the drama unfold. "The taxi pulled out front. They put the cuffs on him and he looked real nervous," Santos said.
Early this morning, as he was led out of a police precinct, Meyers told reporters, "It was an accident. It was just an accident."
The victim, who lived nearby, died at Lutheran Medical Center, officials said.
"He's a nice guy. I can't believe that happened to him," said Daniel Feliciano, who owns a beer distributor company where Guerrero often redeemed empty cans and bottles.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Nathan's being sued over 'Not Dogs'
BY MATTHEW LYSIAK and ADAM NICHOLS
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERs
Nathan's may be famous, but an upstate firm says it's top dog when it comes to "Not Dogs."
Rochester-based Northern Soy is suing the New York institution for selling rolls filled with clams, lobster, chicken or steak and calling them "Not Dogs."
Northern Soy's tofu-frankfurters have been marketed as Not Dogs for years - and it owns the name.
"We have been making Not Dogs for a very long time and our product is known as an excellent-tasting, healthy dog," Northern Soy Vice President Andrew Schecter said Tuesday.
"Our Not Dogs look like a hot dog, get put in a bun like a hot dog and get topped off like a hot dog, but they are Not Dogs.
"There is a huge difference between our Not Dog and the Nathan's 'Not Dog.'"
Nathan's frank alternatives are served in a hot dog bun, but they are more like sandwiches and come with lettuce and tomato.
Northern Soy, which trademarked the Not Dog logo in 1987, sued the downstate behemoth this month after a customer tipped the company that Nathan's was using the same name.
"Our customers were led to believe that we endorsed [Nathan's] product, which isn't the case," said Northern Soy's attorney, Stephen Salai.
A manager at a Nathan's restaurant on 86th St. in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, said Tuesday he'd been told to stop serving the rolls.
"I had to take it off the menu until they came up with a new name," he said.
Nathan's president, Wayne Norbitz, said only, "We've been making hot dogs for 92 years.
"We are confident it will be resolved."
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERs
Nathan's may be famous, but an upstate firm says it's top dog when it comes to "Not Dogs."
Rochester-based Northern Soy is suing the New York institution for selling rolls filled with clams, lobster, chicken or steak and calling them "Not Dogs."
Northern Soy's tofu-frankfurters have been marketed as Not Dogs for years - and it owns the name.
"We have been making Not Dogs for a very long time and our product is known as an excellent-tasting, healthy dog," Northern Soy Vice President Andrew Schecter said Tuesday.
"Our Not Dogs look like a hot dog, get put in a bun like a hot dog and get topped off like a hot dog, but they are Not Dogs.
"There is a huge difference between our Not Dog and the Nathan's 'Not Dog.'"
Nathan's frank alternatives are served in a hot dog bun, but they are more like sandwiches and come with lettuce and tomato.
Northern Soy, which trademarked the Not Dog logo in 1987, sued the downstate behemoth this month after a customer tipped the company that Nathan's was using the same name.
"Our customers were led to believe that we endorsed [Nathan's] product, which isn't the case," said Northern Soy's attorney, Stephen Salai.
A manager at a Nathan's restaurant on 86th St. in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, said Tuesday he'd been told to stop serving the rolls.
"I had to take it off the menu until they came up with a new name," he said.
Nathan's president, Wayne Norbitz, said only, "We've been making hot dogs for 92 years.
"We are confident it will be resolved."
Bay Ridge church to be torn down
BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Wednesday, January 16th 2008, 4:00 AM
Congregants of a 108-year-old Bay Ridge church are asking the public to help tear it down - literally.
The clock is now ticking on the landmarked Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, which is slated to be razed and replaced with a smaller church and a big apartment building in the next four months, church officials said.
"We should have the church demolished by May," said the Rev. Robert Emerick."We are going to take this crumbling building, which has become a financial albatross, and use the resources to continue our mission to work for God."
For residents looking to preserve a piece of the Green Church, the Rev. has a message: Step right up and grab a hunk.
"Everyone is welcome to come here and pull a chunk of rock off the church to save as a memento," said Emerick. "Come over and take as much as you want. The stones are literally crumbling right off."
The pending demolition comes despite a push by area preservationists to save the beloved structure, pitting them against church congregants.
"No one in this community wants to see this church demolished, except the congregants," said Bay Ridge preservationist Victoria Hofmo. "Another piece of our past is going to be demolished, and when it happens this community is going to be absolutely devastated."
The apartment building will include at least 50 units, said Abeco Management Corp. developer Abe Betesh.
"We are not going to build $900,000 luxury condos," said Betesh, who is in contract to buy the property and expects the building to be completed within two years of the demolition. "These will be affordable...with a lot of recreation room."
The old, 650-seat church may be coming down, but the new 150-seat "green church" will at least be preserving the trademark nickname it earned for its distinct green limestone facade.
"We are going to do everything in our power to reduce our dependency on oil in our new church," said Emerick. "This church will be truly green."
Church officials aren't releasing the amount of the sale, but did say it was under the $12 million asking price.
The money will be put into a trust with the accrued interest going towards charity organizations committed to helping the needy, said Emerick, who is expecting the sale to be approved this week. New York requires court approval for the sale of nonprofit properties.
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Wednesday, January 16th 2008, 4:00 AM
Congregants of a 108-year-old Bay Ridge church are asking the public to help tear it down - literally.
The clock is now ticking on the landmarked Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, which is slated to be razed and replaced with a smaller church and a big apartment building in the next four months, church officials said.
"We should have the church demolished by May," said the Rev. Robert Emerick."We are going to take this crumbling building, which has become a financial albatross, and use the resources to continue our mission to work for God."
For residents looking to preserve a piece of the Green Church, the Rev. has a message: Step right up and grab a hunk.
"Everyone is welcome to come here and pull a chunk of rock off the church to save as a memento," said Emerick. "Come over and take as much as you want. The stones are literally crumbling right off."
The pending demolition comes despite a push by area preservationists to save the beloved structure, pitting them against church congregants.
"No one in this community wants to see this church demolished, except the congregants," said Bay Ridge preservationist Victoria Hofmo. "Another piece of our past is going to be demolished, and when it happens this community is going to be absolutely devastated."
The apartment building will include at least 50 units, said Abeco Management Corp. developer Abe Betesh.
"We are not going to build $900,000 luxury condos," said Betesh, who is in contract to buy the property and expects the building to be completed within two years of the demolition. "These will be affordable...with a lot of recreation room."
The old, 650-seat church may be coming down, but the new 150-seat "green church" will at least be preserving the trademark nickname it earned for its distinct green limestone facade.
"We are going to do everything in our power to reduce our dependency on oil in our new church," said Emerick. "This church will be truly green."
Church officials aren't releasing the amount of the sale, but did say it was under the $12 million asking price.
The money will be put into a trust with the accrued interest going towards charity organizations committed to helping the needy, said Emerick, who is expecting the sale to be approved this week. New York requires court approval for the sale of nonprofit properties.
Fear over Gravesend waste station plan
BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Tuesday, January 15th 2008, 4:00 AM
Assemblyman William Colton calls plans for a waste station in Gravesend 'unthinkable.'
A proposed waste-transfer station in Gravesend is dredging up bad memories from the past - and maybe a whole lot more.
"Putting a waste station at this site would dredge up 30 years of toxins to the surface," said Assemblyman William Colton (D-Bensonhurst). "To take such a blatantly hazardous path is unthinkable."
Many residents agree that it is a bad idea to stir up the mud.
"This is going to screw up my fishing," said James Carbonarow, 65, a war veteran and life-long Gravesend resident. "That spot was spewing out all kinds of awful gook."
But the Sanitation Department, which would operate the new facility, has said the construction would be safe and that any impact from dredging up the dirt would be immediately handled before it could be released into the community.
Like many things Brooklyn, this one is all about location.
To construct the marine transfer station, which would be on Shore Parkway at the foot of 26th Ave., Gravesend Bay would have to be dredged to permit bigger barges. Such dredging would release lead, PCBs, mercury, toxic ash and other contaminants into the water, spoiling boating and fishing in the bay and creating a health risk, Colton charged.
That's because it's also the same site as the former Southwest Brooklyn incinerator, which operated at the spot for more than 30 years.
The incinerator's debris has been blamed for everything from cancer to asthma, allegedly caused by the numerous pollutants still deep within the mud, according to Colton.
"It's only common sense to say that this could be a disaster," said Michael Picarello, who has owned La Casa Bella pizzeria, which is two blocks away from the site, for 14 years. "I am worried that the smells could cause people to move out and hurt my business."
But the proposed waste station, which is one of several included in Mayor Bloomberg's waste-management plan, was approved by the City Council - and Sanitation Department officials said the site has already passed all the environmental tests.
"The Department has conducted a thorough environmental review of the proposed facility and found that there are no significant impacts that cannot be mitigated," said Sanitation Department spokesman Matthew Lipani.
For one life-long resident, it was a practical matter.
"We live in a city and unfortunately people make a lot of garbage," said Gravesend resident Louis Santa, 71.
"It has to go somewhere."
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Tuesday, January 15th 2008, 4:00 AM
Assemblyman William Colton calls plans for a waste station in Gravesend 'unthinkable.'
A proposed waste-transfer station in Gravesend is dredging up bad memories from the past - and maybe a whole lot more.
"Putting a waste station at this site would dredge up 30 years of toxins to the surface," said Assemblyman William Colton (D-Bensonhurst). "To take such a blatantly hazardous path is unthinkable."
Many residents agree that it is a bad idea to stir up the mud.
"This is going to screw up my fishing," said James Carbonarow, 65, a war veteran and life-long Gravesend resident. "That spot was spewing out all kinds of awful gook."
But the Sanitation Department, which would operate the new facility, has said the construction would be safe and that any impact from dredging up the dirt would be immediately handled before it could be released into the community.
Like many things Brooklyn, this one is all about location.
To construct the marine transfer station, which would be on Shore Parkway at the foot of 26th Ave., Gravesend Bay would have to be dredged to permit bigger barges. Such dredging would release lead, PCBs, mercury, toxic ash and other contaminants into the water, spoiling boating and fishing in the bay and creating a health risk, Colton charged.
That's because it's also the same site as the former Southwest Brooklyn incinerator, which operated at the spot for more than 30 years.
The incinerator's debris has been blamed for everything from cancer to asthma, allegedly caused by the numerous pollutants still deep within the mud, according to Colton.
"It's only common sense to say that this could be a disaster," said Michael Picarello, who has owned La Casa Bella pizzeria, which is two blocks away from the site, for 14 years. "I am worried that the smells could cause people to move out and hurt my business."
But the proposed waste station, which is one of several included in Mayor Bloomberg's waste-management plan, was approved by the City Council - and Sanitation Department officials said the site has already passed all the environmental tests.
"The Department has conducted a thorough environmental review of the proposed facility and found that there are no significant impacts that cannot be mitigated," said Sanitation Department spokesman Matthew Lipani.
For one life-long resident, it was a practical matter.
"We live in a city and unfortunately people make a lot of garbage," said Gravesend resident Louis Santa, 71.
"It has to go somewhere."
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