Bay Currents

Bay’s not scary enough for you? Try lower Manhattan...

2011-10-16T22:26:00.002-04:00

Written by Eric Lima

If you happen to be in lower Manhattan – say, around Varick Street – any evening until the end of October, don’t be surprised if you see a screaming crowd running toward you chased by a werewolf or Freddy Krueger and his razor sharp nails.

The monsters from “Blood Manor” are known to occasionally escape and wander the streets at night in search of prey.

After six frighteningly successful seasons, the manor returns for the Halloween season of 2011.

Besides moving to a new location at 163 Varick Street in the Hudson Square district, the this-is-not-your-father’s-haunted-house attraction brings animatronics – robotic creatures that seem eerily real – and a 3D room where you will be convinced that the monsters are on top of you.

Think of your favorite horror film, and then imagine stepping inside of the scariest scene, like maybe the bloodthirsty demons from “Insidious” wandering through the misty bowels of hell.

Or you might enter the Zombie Apocalypse!, the Graveyard of the Doomed, the Killer Klowns, the Wall Crawler in Death Row, and the Cabaret of Death. But before entering the House, visitors first must survive a gauntlet through a graveyard.

“We have 19 different rooms, and every room has a different theme,” says Guy DeMatties, manager and cast director. “It’s like IKEA – one way in and one way out, you walk in from beginning to end. You get to experience the theme of every room. We’ve got a vampire parlor, a couple of mazes, one maze that’s pitch black you won’t even be able to see your hand in front of you, an amazing 3D room, and a few other surprises,”

And he’s assembled the grisliest cast in the history of haunted houses sparing no expense on the strawberry syrup. The creatures range from the bloody grotesque to the most voluptuous and seductive vampires and monsters ever assembled outside of a Hollywood horror flick.

“We even have a couple of nice looking guys for the women,” Dematties said. “We’re open to everybody. We’ve had the elderly come in and we’ve had families come in, but it’s pretty much an adult attraction. We recommend it for children from 14 and up, although we’ve had families that have come in with their six year olds who’ve had a blast.”

There are, though, some rules you should know before entering the Manor. First try to arrive early. Second, when you enter you cannot touch the actors or the props, and no photos are allowed – it’s necessary for everyone’s safety.

“Don’t touch the actors and they won’t touch you,” DeMatties says.

=========================================

When it’s open:

Thursdays 7:30p.m. to midnight

Fridays & Saturdays 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Sundays 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

General admission at the door is $35. Call 212-290-2825 or visit www.bloodmanor.com for information on advance tickets and discounts (including free admission if it’s your birthday!) and about extended hours closer to Halloween.

click here

Bay factoid

2009-07-29T12:17:00.003-04:00

Contrary to what many may think, Floyd Bennett Field was not always a military facility. It was opened in 1931 as New York City’s first municipal air field. During the ‘30s, Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, and Wiley Post used the field in their record-breaking flights. It wasn’t until 1941 that the field became a Navy air station. Today the field -- named in honor of the aviator who flew with Richard Byrd on 1926 over the North Pole for the first time – is part of the National Park Service.

City airs special programs for niños

2009-07-29T12:17:00.001-04:00

The city has launched a new series of Spanish-language educational TV for children.
Mayor Bloomberg, Katherine Oliver, acting president of the NYC Media Group, and “V-me” CEO and President Carmen DiRienzo announced the launching of NYC TV Kids Presents V-me Niños, to be seen from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday on NYC Channel 25.
The content is provided through the city’s partnership with V-me, a national Spanish-language network developed with WNET.ORG, parent of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21
“NYC TV’s airing of this new content brings into focus our continuing efforts to deliver educational and entertaining programming that everyone can enjoy,” said Oliver.
V-me Niños is part of the new NYC TV kids block that includes both animated and live action programming for children 2 to 7 years old.
The V-me Niños schedule includes:
• “Plaza Sésamo” – The Latin American version of “Sesame Street” teaches pre-schoolers, with animation, music and more.
• “LazyTown” – The award-wining international program devoted to kids’ health inspires young viewers to move, play and eat healthy though movement, music, comedy and storytelling in a colorful, high-energy world.
• “ Five Minutes More”/”Cinco Minutos Más” – Innovative shorts promote literacy, story-telling and reading aloud to children, featuring characters from Jim Henson.
• “Pororo” – A curious penguin and his adorable animal friends don’t always agree, but they learn to solve problems, make choices, and help each other when it matters.
• “The Baby Triplets”/ “Las Tres Mellizas Bebés” – Spain’s famous mischievous Baby Triplets combine play with language skills and social development.
• “Bruno & the Banana Bunch”/”Bruno y los Banana Amigos” – A fun-loving monkey’s games and stories teach numbers, colors, shapes, and life lessons.
• “Boowa & Kwala” – A lively dog and a feisty koala bear mix musical antics with gentle humor and a fondness for learning.
4 nabbed in ‘tremendous’ bank fraud
Four Brooklyn men, including a lawyer and a financial advisor, have been arrested on bank-fraud charges for allegedly claiming falsely that their ATM cards were used without their permission and then getting reimbursed by the bank.
The four were charged with stealing $422,000 over five years, by telling various banks that their ATM cards had been lost or stolen, after they emptied their accounts with the same ATM cards, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes announced.
“These defendants corrupted a law created to help fraud victims and used it to facilitate a tremendous fraud,” said Hynes.
The indictment charges that the Eric Manganelli, 36; Lam Dang, 37; John Tluczek, 37; and Marzena Tluczek, 35; made false claims to more than 20 banks that unauthorized transactions were made on their accounts, totaling more than $700,000. The defendants then demanded reimbursement from the banks, which paid them more than $422,000, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors say the men opened accounts and padded them with large deposits, over the course of several months. Later, the indictment charges, they drained the accounts, with withdrawals of $500 to $1,000 per day. Once the accounts were empty, the defendants would contact the bank and say their ATM cards had been stolen or lost and that the withdrawals were unauthorized, the DA said. After the banks reimbursed the “stolen” money, the defendants would close the accounts, according to the indictment.
Occasionally, large purchases were made, instead of withdrawals, but in those cases too, the cards were later reported stolen, Hynes said.
In most cases, surveillance photos show the withdrawals made by people dressed in pants, jackets, and motorcycle helmets – even in the middle of the day in July – but in other cases the faces of the people taking out the cash were obscured in other ways, such as in hoods or covered by masks.
The banking law the defendants are charged with exploiting, known as Regulation E of the Federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act, requires banks to reimburse fraud victims within 10 days of their reporting the fraud. After the stolen money has been reimbursed, the banks investigate the validity of the claim, but in this case, the defendants withdrew the reimbursed funds before the banks could finish their investigations, prosecutors said.
Manganelli is a lawyer, Marzena and John Tluczek have both worked at various banks, and Dang is currently employed as a financial advisor. All four are charged with using their knowledge of the law and the financial industry to further the fraud.
The investigation is continuing and more arrests are possible, Hynes said.

Clean-up at Coney nets dozens of bottles

2009-07-29T12:16:00.004-04:00

To celebrate the signing of the “Bigger Better Bottle Law,” the New York Public Interest Research Group organized a beach clean-up in Coney Island on Friday, July 24, retrieving dozens of discarded bottles from the sand. .
About 40 college students and NYPIRG staffers wore green shirts —“going green”— and picked up soda and water bottles along the boardwalk and on the beach.
Bending and picking up the bottles with his hands, Chris McCall, a second-year student at the Borough of Manhattan Community College said he had been looking forward to this beach clean-up since he first learned about the event in June.
“Not only is this a community service event, we are also raising awareness of the Bigger Better Bottle Law. Very often we think of civic engagement as a very alien concept, removed far from our everyday lives. We don’t realize how easy it is that events like the beach clean-up matters. A few people have asked me since I got here why we are picking up the bottles. I then have the chance to tell them about the new legislation,” McCall said.
The Bigger Better Bottle Law, signed by Gov. David Paterson on April 7, is to add a 5-cent deposit on water bottles, increase the handling fees to 3.5 cents, and return 80 percent of unclaimed deposits to the state’s General Fund. The BBBL is designed to reduce litter by providing financial incentives for recycling, at the same time generating some $115 million for the state.
However, a recent lawsuit filed by Nestle and the International Bottled Water Association has placed the law on hold. The plaintiffs contend that the New York State-specific label requirement is unconstitutional. It is now up to the state legislature and the plaintiffs to come to a compromise in their negotiation.
McCall savors the victory, despite the lawsuit. “This was a seven-year campaign, and we finally won. I know our phone calls and letters made a difference, and I’m just happy that the bill was passed. We all worked really hard on it, and it’s time to celebrate,” McCall said.
The bags of bottles that students and NYPIRG staff picked up showed that the improved recycling law is truly necessary, NYPIRG says. Within five hours, the young people collected some 60 bottles, about half of them water bottles. “The new law will really matter. If it’s true that only a quarter of the bottling market is made up by water bottles, how come we are picking up so many more water bottles than soda bottles?” said Josie Zolkind, the NYPIRG summer project coordinator at the College of Staten Island.
The bottles collected were taken to a redemption center, and the nickels obtained from the soda bottle exchange will be donated to a local homeless shelter, said Jerome Furman, NYPIRG’s project coordinator at Brooklyn College.

Bay factoid

2009-07-29T12:16:00.003-04:00

Do you know where Dead Horse Bay is?
Did you even know we had such a place?
We do. It’s an inlet just southwest of Floyd Bennett Field, named for its use in the 1850s as a site for making glue and other products from dead horses.
Fittingly, the site has been reclaimed by the natural environment.

Bay factoid

2009-07-29T12:16:00.001-04:00

Financial Currents

2009-07-29T12:15:00.003-04:00

Daily Money Managers help seniors handle their finances
By Joseph S Reisman
JSReisman@TaxHelp1040.com.
Daily money managers – part of an emerging profession in financial management --
Are available to help the elderly with day-to-day financial tasks. These include ensuring that Social Security benefits are received, that there is enough money to buy groceries, pay bills, balance the checkbook, ensure that their money is deposited in their bank accounts, fill out insurance claims and ensure that the claims are paid, organize tax records and other financial paperwork, and even negotiate with creditors on their clients’ behalf. Many spend a lot of time organizing medical records for bills and for insurance.
Of course, this help isn’t limited to the elderly. People of all ages don’t have the time, or the confidence, to handle their money well.
But the service is particularly valuable for seniors, especially if their sons or daughters no longer live near them. Even if they’re in the same community, they are busy with their own lives and finances. There’s an added dimension – if parents start failing in their everyday activities, there’s a lot of emotion. A professional helps both the parents and the children by taking away a lot of the stress.
Some seniors may feel it difficult to acknowledge that they need help in handling their basic financial tasks. They feel that it is the beginning of their loss of independence, just as if they would by giving up driving. Actually, it may be the best way to allow seniors to retain their independence.
For some, this is a much less restrictive alternative to guardianship. If, for example, someone suffered a stroke, and they can’t handle numbers as well as before, the money manager might be ideal. When the person recovers, the money manager is no longer needed.
Most daily money managers charge for their services on an hourly basis, with rates ranging from $25 an hour to as much as $65 an hour.
Many of these professionals also help to make sure their clients get to the doctor when they’re supposed to, and in many cases, they accompany them to the doctor. They arrange for transportation for them, and will even pick them up and take them.
However, a money manager isn’t meant to take the place of an accountant or lawyer. Most daily money managers don’t have power of attorney over their clients, and therefore cannot sign checks.
There is no formal training program, but many are members of the American Association of Daily Money Managers (AADMM). This organization helps its members to improve their professionalism through various educational programs. In addition, all members must abide by a code of ethics.
The whole idea is to help people stay independent longer, not to take away their independence.
If you feel you may need these services, thoroughly check out the daily money manager you’re considering hiring. There is a list of questions on the AADMM website, www.aadmm.com, to assist you in your choice. You can never certify anybody’s honesty, only their competence. So check references.
Questions? Contact
Joseph Reisman
at 2751 Coney Island Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11235-5004
Tel: 718.332.1040,
Fax: 718.743.2721
JSReisman@TaxHelp1040.com.

Twice the Advice

2009-07-29T12:15:00.002-04:00

By Jacqueline Donelli and Kerry Donelli
Letter #1
Dear Twins:
I’m a 39-year-old woman who believes to have been fortunate enough to find the love of my life. “Bob” was trapped in a miserable marriage when he and I met. In fact, Bob and his wife stayed in different bedrooms. Bob only stayed in the marriage because he was afraid his wife would be vindictive and wouldn’t allow him to see his kids, though she was just as miserable as he. I suspect she stayed with him mostly because she needed the rent money and any other money he might have to contribute to the household. The point is, while we dated, Bob swore he’d never divorce his wife because he couldn’t stand not being with his children all the time. But I couldn’t take it anymore and I left him. I also immediately started dating someone else. It was then that Bob filed for divorce and separated from his wife. And, surprisingly, it worked out for the better since he was able to spend more quality time with his kids. So here’s the problem: I still want to have a child and Bob absolutely does not. I secretly feel though that I was able to persuade him to finally get a divorce so perhaps if I hang in there long enough he’ll change his mind about having children too. We fight about this constantly and so far he has showed no interest in changing his mind. We both resent this in the other but we’re both devastated when we break up over this fact. The fact is, I want children. I will not change my mind on this fact either. Should I hang in there and pray he changes his mind like he did the divorce? I’m crazy for him and I just can’t live without him.
KERRY says:
Dear Crazy for Him,
I really feel for you and despite having been lucky enough to have found someone you connect with on such a profound level, I don’t envy your position one bit. In fact I feel heartbreaks in general might make the top “three most painful experiences in a life time” list. Fact is you’re almost forty. If you wait much longer you may never be able to bear children. It has been my experience that woman who have waited and missed their chances at having children have been not only despondent but also regretful. It doesn’t help your case either the fact that by the time a man hits his thirties, you pretty much get what you see; there is not going to be a significant amount of personality change. And, for the most part, men are not wishy-washy like women; they actually say what they mean and mean what they say. So I would absolutely take him at face value on this one and trust that he most definitely won’t change his mind. The only small prayer of a chance you might have would depend on YOUR actions and not his. In other words, he needs to be given an ultimatum: if he’s not interested in having a child with you, you will end this relationship and seek out a man whom shares the same desire for children. As it is, Bob is happy as a clam because right now he has his cake and is eating it too. Unless you give him an ultimatum you haven’t a chance. Be brave.
JACQUELINE says:
Dear Crazy,
I agree with Kerry. Look, it’s once, maybe twice in a lifetime that we meet the loves of our lives, and that’s if we’re really lucky. I suppose you could say you are lucky enough to have spent some time rather than no time with this kind of love. (Or is it better to have never eaten chocolate and not know what you are missing?) Whichever the case, here are the facts: You are almost 40 and you still want a baby. And because you are 40, you only have so much time. Also, I can’t help but think that the relationship is doomed over time as you turn to depression and resentment watching Bob experience the joy of raising his children while never having any of your own. I don’t see a choice in the matter but to be strong and leave Bob. You need to find someone who’s on the same page. As for Bob, you can’t control how he will react when you leave him. Maybe (but don’t count on it) he will change his mind and run back in your arms, realizing he would love nothing more then to have children with the love of his life (you are the love of his life too, remember?), or maybe he simply won’t. But if you continue to live on his terms nothing will ever change. Remember, you can live without him. You have for 39 years.
Letter #2
Dear Twins,
My best friend just broke up with a guy that I’ve secretly had a crush on for a long time - and I think he’s kind of interested in me too. But even though my friend broke up with him, she still acts like he belongs to her. (I wouldn’t dare tell her my feelings for him for fear that she might kill me!) She still drives over to his house to see where he is, or calls him to find out what he’s doing, and checks to see if he’s dating anyone, etc., etc. Do you think there’s any chance that I might be able to date this guy, and keep my friendship with my best friend?
Signed,
Split Decision
JACQUELINE says:
Dear Split Decision,
Clearly your best friend is still head over heels over this guy and going after him will surely stifle your relationship with her. How could it not? The questions you need to ask yourself are: How important is she to you?
How important is he? Is this a little schoolgirl crush or do you really dig him? It is very painful to watch someone else date the guy you’re in love with, take it from me, I’ve been there. But what is worse is it is your best friend. If you can stand it,
I would lay low for a while. Wait until your friends love for this guy fizzles, or better yet, that she meets a new guy she really digs. Then make your move.
KERRY says:
Dear Split Decision,
I agree. If you intend on keeping her your best friend then my advice is to stay far away from him. At this point she still has strong feelings for him. The pain of losing him coupled with the idea of you chasing after him will absolutely torment her. And there’s no way she’ll forgive you for it. Should you decide that you’re too madly in love with this guy and you’d rather forfeit the friendship, that’s fine but realize that this will not only crush her but will most definitely damage your friendship with her forever. The best thing you can do is wait it out. When time has past and she appears well over him and is well into another relationship, then and only then, would I pursue him….and with her blessing.
Letter #3
Dear Twins,
I’m a 26-year-old male who recently moved into an apartment. The second I arrived “Sara” brought over a welcoming cake. Sara and I hit it off right away. She is smart, funny and absolutely beautiful. Although, she looks sixteen, Sara is eleven years old. Sara confuses me because she finds little excuses to stop by, like bringing me my paper or asking for help with her homework, for example. Last night, she came over and I was watching TV and she decided to sit right next to me, real close. I could tell, it’s not just me; I know we both immediately felt something. Truth is, I’ve been here 8 months now, and I can’t stop thinking about her. My feelings are growing stronger every time I see her. I am a sensitive person and I know my feelings are all wrong but what do I do about it?
Rob...(bing the cradle)
KERRY says:
Dear Robbing the Cradle
Adults do not have sexual attraction for children. Ones who do are called pedophiles and getting help for these individuals is imminent. Sir, your letter sends chills up my spine. So please, I urge you to read this response carefully because you are not acting like a sensitive person; you are behaving like a monster. And you are one left turn from molesting an innocent child. If you act on your feelings, this child will be ruined for life. And it may take years of therapy trying to right your wrong… if she doesn’t try to kill herself first. Show mercy on that child and get yourself help immediately. Any therapist will help you see that this child is only innocently flirting with you, like little children sometimes do. She has no idea that you take her childish ways seriously and that you intend on acting upon it. She will never enjoy what you are planning to do to her, for you are only fantasizing. Realize too that it is a loose-loose situation because not only will this destroy her but also you will go straight to jail. There IS still time to rectify this, a chance to right this, and some hope to save you if, and only if, you call a professional therapist and make an appointment right away. You do not want to be brandished a child molester.
JACQUELINE says:
Dear Rob,
Jacqueline says: If Kerry hasn’t hit you over your head then I know who will. A therapist. Please don’t take this lightly. I urge you to seek guidance immediately. She has a crush on you like some young children do because she looks up to you. She does not desire you in any way. You, on the other hand, are an adult. Your desires for this child need to be understood by you through the help of a professional. Adults (with the exceptions of a pedophiles) do not have desires for children. And if you act on the “feelings” you are having, you will ruin this child. Please know by seeking professional help, you may enjoy a life with wonderful healthy relationships with other adults but without it, you will surely spend the rest of your life in jail.

An open letter to Mayor Bloomberg

2009-07-29T12:14:00.005-04:00

I wanted to inform you of a complaint I registered with 311. On July 23, a concert featuring the O’Jays and Gladys Knight was held under the sponsorship of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz in Asser Levy Park. Despite a steady rain and slick, dangerous conditions in the park, and a sparse crowd, the concert went on as scheduled. Additionally, a group of rehabilitation patients in wheelchairs was inexplicably brought in for the concert. These vulnerable people were left sitting in their wheelchairs in the rain for several hours during the concert.
Sometimes judgments are difficult to make; however in this case it is was clear that Mr. Markowitz as the sponsor and Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Jules Spiegel should have canceled the show. I ask your office to thoroughly investigate this incident.
Thank you,

Dr. Abraham Fruchter

Brighton Beach

Our schools: How much control?

2009-07-29T12:14:00.003-04:00

Mayor Bloomberg has been spewing insults at the state Senate for stalling and questioning his control of schools. Considering their recent actions, you have to agree they’ve been absolutely despicable. But, in this case, they happen to be right. Bloomberg likes to run things his way with no public input; with the bottom [financial] line taking precedence.
What this means to the education of our children is that they are denied programs that he and his business partners deem too expensive...and parents are being purposely left out of the dialogue. This may be the way to run a business but it is definitely not the way to run an educational system or, for that matter, a city with millions of people dependent on these decisions.
True, the old Board of Education was bogged down in incompetent bureaucracy; too often more concerned with perpetuating itself than fulfilling its mission; but control by Bloomberg’s business model is worse; his real mission being the bottom line rather than educating our children. Those with the means can afford a complete education for their children in the private sector. What about those who can’t?
Which is worse and how can we create a system that truly serves to provide the best free education possible for the children of our city? What do you think?
-- I. Friedin

You don’t have to agree – just think about it

2009-07-29T12:14:00.001-04:00

Often you’ll read something not commonly reported in the mainstream media. Do you simply ignore it? Do you trivialize its content based on its lack of attention by major news sources? Maybe you should read these more carefully and give them a bit of thought. Especially these days of corporate controlled media with its own biases, it is that much more important for the public to seek out information elsewhere and decipher it themselves.
Okay, sometimes it’s one of those “flat earth” stories that you can ignore off the bat. Too often, however, vital issues are kept hidden; not completely out of sight, but in a place where they are off to the side, out of a context where the public is able to place it in proper perspective.
The Bay Currents strives to bring you the truth and how it affects you. Please read and evaluate and let us know how you feel. No one at this paper expects you to be in agreement with everything written. These pieces are meant to be provocative and make you think. In the name of democracy and free thought, we ask you to consider what is presented and submit your thoughts.
An open dialogue is vital to preserve our democratic institutions and keep at bay those who would encroach upon our rights and upon our quality of life.
-- I. Friedin

Bay factoid

2009-07-29T12:13:00.002-04:00

Most people unfamiliar with the Bay area – and even a few who’ve lived here all their lives – usually have trouble spelling Voorhies Avenue. It may be a little easier if you break it down to its Dutch roots: It was named after an early settler, Steven Corte Van Voorhies. “Van” — which was later dropped – means “from,” “voor” is “before,” and “Hees” was the
Old World village from which he came.

Bay Currents is your newspaper -- you count!

2009-07-29T12:13:00.001-04:00

We want to hear from you. Call us at 347.492.4432 e-mail: CountMeIn@baycurrents.net

Opinion

2009-07-29T12:12:00.002-04:00

If we only knew…
By I. Friedin
ifrieden@baycurrents.net
At the last meeting of Community Board 13 local residents came out en masse to protest the proposed amphitheater in Asser Levy Park.
A devastating intrusion upon their neighborhood brought this diverse group together to speak out, one after another, unified against the plan foisted upon them by Borough President Marty Markowitz with support from the mighty powers who rule our city. (Yes rule, where the public is dictated to, rather than govern according to the needs and desires of and input from the people.) It was very gratifying to see a united community working together for common cause; something too often lost these days.
Perhaps most disturbing, however, was the absence of major media. Make no bones about it, this is a very significant story. The Borough President commandeers public parkland, intruding on the peace of the community, spending public money much needed for vital services, simply to fulfill his “personal dream”...while steadfastly ignoring those affected. With the community, almost to the last person, vehemently opposed, this is an issue with possible national repercussions. Shouldn’t it be a headline story throughout the major media in and beyond the metropolitan area? Yet, the only media presence was the Bay Currents and the Bay News; and the only one to give it the emphasis it deserves has been Bay Currents.
Long ago it was recognized that the only way a democratic system can work is when accompanied by a free and independent press. In fact it was considered so vital that the founding fathers made sure to include it in the Bill of Rights as part of the First Amendment to the Constitution. Enforcement has included laws restricting the number of media sources (including today’s electronic media) one could own in a market. Recent years however, have seen our major media taken over by huge conglomerates, interested in their own corporate well being rather than reporting all the unbiased truth to the public. These monstrous entities have influenced the Federal Communications Commission, chipping away at the protections, culminating in the Bush Administration virtually wiping them out. Here in New York, Rupert Murdock’s News Corporation, for example, owns the Fox Network with two regular and several cable TV stations, the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Courier-Life Publications (parent of the Bay News), Brooklyn Papers and the Times-Ledger papers in Queens. It is also reported that he is seeking to purchase the New York Daily News, whose editorial policy is already similar to that of the Post. Even the venerable New York Times tends to be biased when reporting locally. It’s not just what is reported; it’s what is not reported that is of concern, since the Times, as far as we know, does not purposely lie; it simply omits the news it doesn’t find “fit to print,” often news that might be vital to the public interest.
Today, in Mike Bloomberg’s New York, the media has displayed a glaring bias on his behalf, rarely reporting on the injustices perpetrated on the public by him or his political cronies; the Brighton Beach incursion being only one of so many instances. Many local politicos have seemingly learned from Bloomberg how to sidestep public opinion by ignoring protest and keeping unpopular issues out of the public eye. The public is therefore placed in a misinformed or uninformed limbo without the necessary information to make judgments on issues that affect them.
Making matters that much worse are the huge financial resources Bloomberg has placed into misinforming the public with his campaign ads. Those who are knowledgeable can dissect these ads and identify truth from fiction, but the average voter does not have the necessary information at hand. So, for example, when Bloomberg tells you how he is expanding affordable housing, most don’t know that more affordable housing has been lost under his stewardship than under any prior administration and that his proposals are for but a small fraction of what has been lost and not nearly as affordable. And his friend, Mr. Markowitz, gets away with his invasion of Brighton Beach with few outside the area aware.
What this means is that it is up to the public to find additional sources of information. People must be aware of what is going on around them. They have to insist that their local representatives be responsible to them rather than the developers and their cronies at City Hall or the myriad of agencies that seem to operate with impunity. Find the local press and bloggers writing about the city and local communities and check their credibility.
And there is, of course, the Bay Currents; with its limited resources; always striving to report honestly on behalf of the communities it serves.

A ‘clean slate’ a few subway stops away

2009-07-29T12:12:00.001-04:00

By Lara Mondrus
mondrus@baycurrents.net
We’ve got more than our share of aesthetics in the Bay area – the expanse of the ocean, the fishing and cruise boats along the bay, residential streets that look almost like forests with their canopies of trees, the fields of Marine Park, the Nature Center….
But we don’t have much in the way of canvass art – at least not at the current time. So it’s worth a hop on the N or D train from Coney Island to see beautiful art – at the Tabla Rasa art gallery in Sunset Park.
Artists Audrey and Joseph Anastasi, operators of the family business PASCO (Photographic Apparatus Systems), founded the gallery – the first such facility in Sunset Park -- in May 2005
“‘Tabla Rasa.’ means ‘clean slate’ in Latin,” said Joseph, “and every artist can identify with this. Every artist starts off with a clean canvas. Just like in this neighborhood, we were starting off with a clean slate here.”
The gallery has attracted many artists to the area since. “I’ve noticed many artists moving into this area over the last few years,” Audrey said. “Sunset Park is very hospitable to up-and-coming artists.”
The artists are from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels. “We like to mix it up, by exhibiting both new artists and artists who have established careers,” Audrey said.
Even though Tabla Rasa is the Anastasis’ artistic home, the exhibits they hold are usually of other artists, particularly from elsewhere in Brooklyn and from Manhattan. “We don’t normally exhibit ourselves in the gallery,” Audrey said.
This summer, though, since Tabla Rasa is in between shows, the majority of paintings and sculptures on display this summer are Audrey’s and Joseph’s own work.
Visitors entering the gallery immediately notice the pleasant, modern aura. The paintings by Audrey and sculptures by Joseph complement one another perfectly.
In one room, there’s a painting with an explosion above water consisting of captivating deep blues, turquoises, greens, fiery oranges and reds, and black, demonstrating the exotic colors of nature; the painting vividly stands out in both broad daylight and in the darker lights. Audrey said she was inspired by a photograph of a fire across a river, and chose her own colors.
Across the room is a painting expressing the diversity of nature -- a human hand, a bird, a fish, pink flowers, a sunset, and clouds of mysterious, deep colors.
Depicted in another painting are people watching a lava flow. This time Audrey was inspired by a postcard from Sicily. She chose to paint the people as black shadows watching the fire from afar, creating a sense of eeriness and mystery.
Since 1990, Audrey has used an unconventional technique in her work -- using her non-dominant left hand over her right hand when creating larger paintings.
“I still use my right hand for smaller paintings and in smaller spaces, but when I use my left hand, I find that everything flows more, it makes the painting livelier, and it really captures the character of something,” she said.
Joseph’s sculptures are made of natural materials, often with earth tones, which is why they match Audrey’s paintings. One particular sculpture, at the entrance, looks like a room within a room. The outside is a natural wooden brown, and on the inside is shattered glass pieced together, with the addition of a brown ruler. “Ideas just come; sometimes an object will just speak to you,” Joseph said. Another one of Joseph’s sculptures included yellow tape measures, all forming what appeared as an actual bar graph.
In a sculpture by the Bay area’s very own artist Daniel Scheffer, hundreds of small pieces of paper are lined up together -- when this sculpture is looked at sideways, hundreds of profiles of faces can be seen, a creative optical illusion.
The entire gallery gives visitors an insight to our surroundings, showing people, animals, and landscape in a unique, intensified way.
The Anastasis welcome visitors with warm and energetic smiles. “We want people to feel that it was worth a trip,” Audrey said. “People always assume they have to go to Manhattan for art galleries.”
If you’re planning to visit Tabla Rasa during the summer, -- and you should! -- the Anastasis ask you to call 718-833-9100 for summer hours and directions. The next show is set for September.
You don’t have to be art savvy to thoroughly enjoy what Tabla Rasa has to offer. Just one look at the art on display will make it hard to leave.

Health Currents

2009-07-29T12:11:00.002-04:00

Bay residents want health reform
By Amadeo Constanzo
health@baycurrents.net
The debate over reform in health-care insurance has dominated the beginning of President’s Obama term in office – just as it did during Bill Clinton’s first months in the White House.
And some of the same arguments against universal health care are bandied about. It’s socialism. The government can’t handle it. It’s too expensive.
Meanwhile, many in the Bay area as well as the rest of the city, state, and nation have no or little health insurance, and not infrequently have to choose between food and medicine, o face bankruptcy over medical bills.
There has been some progress nonetheless. Obama provided coverage for some 11 million children nationwide under the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which President Bush had vetoed. And he signed the American Recover Reinvestment Act, giving a 65 percent subsidy for people paying for insurance under COBRA (continuing insurance after leaving a job) and $19 billion to improve computerized medical records to reduce long-term health costs.
But perhaps the most significant step taken so far, is the Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200), which a House committee passed by a vote of 23 to 18. Many Republicans, and some Democrats, oppose me the measure, which would significantly expand health-insurance coverage nationwide.
If a random Bay Currents survey is any indication, there is general support for HR 3200 in the Bay area. Joset told Bay currents that she would have benefited from this bill. “Before I was married, I went through a long period without health insurance,” she said. “My job wasn’t offering enough hours for me to have health insurance, and my income wasn’t low enough to qualify for Medicaid.” H.R. 3200 offers a public health insurance option and an expanded Medicaid program which would provide health insurance for individuals like Joset.
Terence said he tried to purchase individual health insurance when he became self-employed. But because he had a pre-existing eye condition, the health insurance companies offered him insurance at a much higher price with a clause excluding coverage of his eye condition (which could lead to blindness). H.R.3200 would have made it illegal for health insurance companies to do this.
Other provisions of H.R. 3200 include adding comprehensive prescription-drug coverage to Medicare (such as eliminating the medication coverage gap known as the “donut hole”); establishing a health- insurance exchange enabling individuals and small businesses to compare health insurance options; placing a cap on patients’ out-of-pocket medical expenses, and prohibiting insurers from placing a cap on the benefits a patient may receive.
Although most Brooklyn residents Bay Currents interviewed support the current health reform efforts of Obama and Democrats, Bay Currents did come across a few opponents.
“We don’t need more government involvement in our lives,” said James. “We don’t want socialist healthcare. This would be another step toward socialism or dictatorship.” He said he believed the quality of healthcare would go down with universal health coverage “Quality and efficiency always go down the drain when our government gets involved,” he said. “With government involvement, we lose our ability to choose.”
Actually, H.R. 3200 would allow currently available private health insurance choices to remain, in addition to the newly available public health insurance. “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor,” Obama emphasized in his speech at the American Medical Association. “If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan.” He reiterated this at his recent press conference on health care.
“We’ve talked this problem to death year after year,” Obama said. “Unless we act and act now, nothing will change. The need for reform is urgent and indisputable.”

Bay Currents Advertorial

2009-07-29T12:11:00.001-04:00

Falls can be life-threatening
The First of a Three-Part Series
By Ben Weinstock PT
Weinstock Physical Therapy, P.C.
There have been many jokes leveled about the old TV commercial featuring a senior who pleads, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” But such falls are not a laughing matter.
To an older person, suffering a serious fall can be life-threatening. It may result in hospitalization, surgery, or nursing home placement. More than 40 percent of those who fall never live independently again. Tragically, more than 13,000 people die as a result of falls each year in the U.S., usually when the fall results in a hip fracture or head trauma.
In this article, we will explore the medical causes of falling and what you and your healthcare providers can do to cut your risk.
Polypharmacy:
Taking four or more medications significantly increases one’s risk of falling, usually due to the effects of drug interactions, which can result in low blood pressure, changes in heart rhythm, or dizziness. It is very important to keep a list of all medications that you are taking. Review the list with your primary care physician and/or pharmacist. Don’t forget to include over-the-counter medications too, as they may also interfere with your prescribed medications.
Urinary incontinence:
The inability to control your bladder may result in “running to the bathroom” which can result in a fall. Do not be embarrassed to discuss your bladder problem with your MD; often a referral to a urologist can be helpful.
Vision problems:
We rely upon vision for our balance. If your vision is worsening, get your eyes checked.
Inner-ear disorders:
In addition to vision, our inner-ears – technically, our vestibular systems -- help us to stabilize. As we age the inner-ear loses the ability to relay normal balance sensations to the brain. It is believed that more than half of all seniors have impaired vestibular systems, which may result in feelings of dizziness or vertigo, which can lead to falls. This is another condition that is usually treatable; consult an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
Joint-position sense:
In addition to vision and the vestibular system, we also balance ourselves based upon sensations from our muscle and joints. Pain, arthritis, muscle weakness, and inactivity contribute to a decrease in this sensation, which normally decreases with aging. Each of these conditions is treatable, which can boost the message from our joints to the brain. A referral to an orthopedist and/or a physical therapist is in order.
Foot problems and improper footwear:
Painful and deformed feet lead to altered walking patterns, which can throw off one’s balance. Contrary to popular opinion, wearing soft “walking shoes” are not for everyone. Excessive cushioning and shock-absorption muffles the forces that our feet should normally feel while walking. Without that normal sensation, balance becomes impaired. A referral to a podiatrist may be helpful.
The positive side to all this is that nearly three-quarters of falls can be reduced if seniors undergo a comprehensive fall-risk assessment. In the next issue, we will discuss how to evaluate your home environment for fall risks.
The Physical Therapy Office that Travels to the Patient™
718.891.0780

Senior Currents

2009-07-29T12:10:00.004-04:00

You don’t have to fall!
Falls are the most common cause of injury for older adults. One out of three people over age 65 fall at least once each year. Half of the people who break a hip do not recover fully. Almost half of the people who enter nursing homes do so because of a fall.
After the fall, they cannot stay at home on their own. Most falls occur in people’s own homes while they do their regular daily activities.
There are many simple ways that seniors can reduce the risk of falling. Here are some suggestions:
Get regular health screening and follow-up care.
Make small, low-cost changes in your
home—such as removing clutter and putting in grab bars.
• Exercise regularly.
Research shows that people who exercise regularly are less likely to fall. In addition, if you do fall, you are less likely to be hurt, and you are better able to get up again. Studies of older men and women show that they can improve their strength and balance with just two days a week of strength training.
• Don’t keep worrying about falling.
A fear of falling can make people more likely to fall. This is because they become less active and then their muscles get weaker.
Home Safety
You can make your home safer with simple, low-cost or free changes.
You may have made some changes already.
The bathroom
The bathroom is where most falls happen. Slippery tubs and wet floors can cause falls. So can getting in and out of the tub.
Think about your own habits. Do you love to take baths? A long rubber tub mat makes the tub safer. Do you drop the soap in the shower? Try liquid soap in a plastic bottle.
More Ideas:
Raised toilet seat
Shower shelf
Soap-on-a-rope
Bath bench
Nightlight
Non-slip tub decals
Sturdy grab bar Sturdy grab bar
Sturdy grab bar
Handheld shower head
Short-pile mat with rubber backing
Bath bench Rubber tub mat
The staircase
Use this checklist to help you take a careful look around your home:
• Repair cracks and gaps in walkways and steps.
• Put up handrails for steps.
• Put a brighter light at my front door.
• Replace a raised threshold with a flat one.
• Paint the raised threshold a different color.
• Paint the edge of the steps a different color or use textured and colored stair tape.
• Clear steps of clutter.
• Make sure the doormat is fastened down
• Consider automatic lighting
• Make sure no objects are on or at the bottom or top of stairways
• The handrail that should be longer than the stairs
• There should be contrasting color on the edge of steps, with non-skid paint.
Carrying a load up or down the stairs
• Leave one hand free to hold on.
• Make sure you can still see where you are going.
• Divide up big loads and make more trips.
• Put an awkward package into a basket that you can carry with one hand.
• Put a heavy package down on a step so you can rest a moment.
• Ask for help!

Not your father’s librarians

2009-07-29T12:10:00.003-04:00

By Lara Mondrous
mondrous@baycurrents.net
If you have an image of librarians as dour old ladies with out-of-fashion glasses, get ready for your preconception to be shattered.
Just catch a gig by “Lost in the Stacks,” a group of performers who are Brooklyn Public Library librarians by day but hip musicians by night.
“It was destiny,” said Eileen Kassab, vocalist and guitarist. “We all fell into place and stayed into place.”
“Libraries attract artists,” said Sharon Tidwell, who plays the flute and percussion. “The hours are conducive since we are not open late -- it’s an easy transition from being a librarian.”
“Lost In The Stacks” – with a performance coming up Aug. 4 near KeySpan Park in Coney Island -- started in 2004 with seven members and eventually expanded into its current nine. In addition to Kassab and Tidwell, there are Jack McCleland, guitar, keyboards; Clyde Kerlew, vocals, guitar, and other instruments; James Shanahan, bass guitar, guitar, banjo, and vocals; Stephen Stickney, 6- and 12-string guitar; Richie Araldi, drums, percussion, vocals; Matt Cole, alto and bari sax, percussion; and Harold Stern, trombone and percussion.
The only two members who are not librarians are Shanahan and Araldi. But Shanahan’s wife is a librarian and he’s Kassab’s brother, so they let him in.
Kassab and Shanahan have been involved in music for as long as they can remember. They grew up surrounded by music and that their mother was a musician. “Music was always a natural thing to us,” Shanahan said. “There were always guitars around the house.”
During family events we would have barbeques and we’d always play music,” Shanahan said.
Araldi met “Lost In The Stacks” through Stickney while playing in another band called “Riff Ratz.”
“Richie fit in well when we met him and we just stuck with him,” Kassab said. “He’s also someone we get along with and that means a lot. He’s a wonderful bandmate and fabulous drummer,” Kassab added.
With its full complement of nine performers, the band is able to combine different genres of music together smoothly and successfully. The music is uplifting and energetic – listen for a few minutes and you’ll find it very hard not to dance. There is alternative rock, folk, jazz, blues, and a touch of country in every song.
“We are all so different so we bring different spirits and personalities to the music,” Kassab said. “Everyone adds their flavors to what we’re doing. We have that ‘Stacks’ sound and it becomes a ‘Stacks’ production.”
The musical librarians (or is it book-loving musicians?) said they are currently working on original pieces for the future, heavily influenced by Brooklyn.
The lyrics of “Coney Island Cold Winter Blues,” written by Kassab, tell of a girl who loses her boyfriend to mermaids (don’t you hate when that happens?). “It just kind of came to me on a roller coaster ride,” Kassab said.
Lyrics generally “just come to me, sometimes when I’m driving,” she said. “I’ll bring a tape recorder along so I don’t forget and I’ll sing, and that’s writing the words and the music at the same time.”
McCleland provides the joyful melody to another Stacks original, “Brooklyn Bounce.”
“Brooklyn is like the new place where art happens, artists move to Brooklyn,” McCleland said. “A lot of jazz musicians come out of Brooklyn. We have a great music scene; there are a lot of opportunities here.”
“It’s very diverse, one guy will have blues playing, another will have jazz, and another will have rock,” Shanahan said.
“The senior citizens in the Midwood Senior Center are real partiers, they have so much energy and are really fun to watch,” Kassab said.
A good crowd always makes a difference, they all agreed.
“Lost In The Stacks” performs on Tuesday, August 4, at 6 p.m. as a part of “National Night Out” at the soccer field behind Keyspan Park.

Bay factoid

2009-07-29T12:10:00.001-04:00

Many of our Bay Factoids have shown that the Dutch roots of the area are very prevalent. Van Sicklen Street in Gravesend is no exception. It’s named for the 17th century Van Sicklen family, the earliest Dutch farming dynasty in the Flatbush area.

The Un-Woodstock

2009-07-29T12:09:00.002-04:00

The free Seaside Summer Concerts at Asser Levy Park kicked off July 16 as :”Brooklyn’s Salute to the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock!” and featured Creedence Clearwater (Revisited), Mountain, and John Sebastian. But the scene of mostly middle-aged people sitting on lawn chairs was not exactly a redux of the legendary event of the summer of 1969. Perhaps the concert with The O’Jays and Gladys Knight on July 23 was a more fitting tribute -- a heavy rain provided lots of mud, just like at Yasgur’s Farm (See the open letter to Mayor Bloomberg on Page 12).
Here’s the schedule of the remaining shows
(Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.):
July 30: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Connie Francis, and Stewie Stone
August 6: Daryl Hall and John Oats
August 13: Blondie, Pat Benatar, special guests: The Donnas
August 20: Salsa By The Sea
August 27: Donna Summer

Around the Bay

2009-07-29T12:09:00.001-04:00

Victim mourned, suspect arrested
As the mother and friends of a young murder victim mourned his death at the scene in Sheepshead Bay, a suspect was arrested in the slaying, police said.
Miguel Saavedra, 13, of Sheepshead Bay Road, was repeatedly stabbed in his torso with a screwdriver Wednesday evening, July 15 following an argument with 19-year-old Juan Reyes of Avenue U. Reyes was arrested two days later and charged in the murder.
Police said Reyes rode a bicycle to chase down the Shell Bank Junior High School student and attacked him. Saavedra died later of the wounds.
“This is the worst thing that has ever happened,” one of the dozens of mourners who gathered July 17 at the crime scene on Avenue X and East 15th Street wrote in a note fastened to flowers. “He’s the best, but now he’s in God’s hands.”
Census awareness
The Jewish Community Council of Kings Bay, the Kings Bay YM-YWHA, United States Census 2010 and other groups hold a “Census 2010 Awareness Day” Friday, July 31 from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at the Kings Bay Y, 3495 Nostrand Avenue (between Ave U and Ave V) for the Russian-speaking community.
Participants will learn about the ease and importance of the US 2010 Census, meet community leaders, join in a voter-registration drive, get information about the elections, and receive various publications.
Tech makeover in Gravesend
The Chichester family of Gravesend has received a total home-technology make-over by writing about the “Power to Learn.”
The family’s essay on how technology has helped them in learning at home and in school was selected as the winning submission in Cabelvision’s “Power to Learn Optimum Technology Makeover” contest.
“As both a mother of a special needs child and an educator of special needs children, I witness the power of technology and the positive effect it is having on these children,” Helen Chichester said when her family was awarded a 42” HDTV, an Apple® MacBook, an iPod touch, an AirPort Express Base, a photo printer, a Flip Mino video camera, a Solio Charger, a Blue-Ray DVD player, a 6.0 DECT phone, and a digital camera.
‘Amber Alert’ for seniors
The state Assembly has passed legislation setting up an alert system harnessing federal, state and local resources to assist families of vulnerable adults in locating their missing loved ones, similar to the Amber Alert for children.
“Many of our loved ones are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other cognitive impairments and mental disabilities – which may cause adult individuals to become confused and disoriented, often leaving them susceptible to wandering,” said Assemblyman Alan Maisel. “This legislation provides the families of missing at-risk adults with a valuable resource and support system in their time of need.”
The other concerts in the park
Taking a page from Borough President Marty Markowitz’ book, Councilman Domenic Recchia Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny, the Brooklyn Arts Council and neighborhood organizations are sponsoring free concerts at Asser Levy Park this summer – on Tuesdays, not to conflict with Markowitz’ Thursday night line-ups.
The concerts begin at 7:30 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to bring chairs.
Here’s the he remaining summer schedule:
July 28 Rhapsody Players Mostly Motown
August 11 Eddie & The Starlites Ray Rivera Jazz Sextet
August 18 MAS Swing
August 25 Brawner Brothers Band

Cyclones roller-coaster ride on the upside

2009-07-29T12:08:00.004-04:00

By Patrick Hickey Jr.
sports@baycurrents.net
Quickly amassing a 16-5 record this season, due to a more than healthy combination of hearty hitting and fiery pitching, the Brooklyn Cyclones were riding high atop the NY-Penn League Standings when their first taste of reality began to hit home.
With a 2-7 record over a nine game stretch in mid-July however, the ‘Clones weren’t nearly as dominant as they were earlier in the season.
Nevertheless, they believe the experience has been a productive one and one that will help them find the continuity they need to keep their lead in the McNamara Division with a hot Staten Island Yankees team behind them.
Bouncing back over the past week, winning four out of seven games, it looks like the Clones are back in the driver’s seat.
“We’re human,” said reliever Mike Lynn, who has rebounded marvelously after spending most of last season with arm problems, posting a 2.79 ERA through his first six appearances. “We got off to a great start, but everyone was still getting to know each other. It’s just a matter of how fast we can turn it around.”
Taking the series with the Yankees this past weekend, it seems they may have been doing more than spouting clichés during the week when they were grilled about their lack of production.
Getting quality pitching has always been a trademark of the team and over the past three games, the team’s pitching staff has returned to the form they had earlier in the season.
After giving up 11 earned runs through his last three starts, rotation ace Collin McHugh hurled five shutout innings to lead the team to a 1-0 win last Friday. Despite scattering nine hits the next day, Clones hurler Mark Cohoon gave up just two runs in an 11-3 win. Making just his third start of the season on Sunday, Darin Gorsk threw six innings and gave up just two runs, allowing Brooklyn to sweep the series and get back on track.
“I don’t think it’s too much adversity,” said Cyclones closer Mike Powers, who has five saves and a stellar 1.59 ERA in nine appearances this season. “Things went our way earlier in the season and we’re not getting too caught up in the highs and lows. We have a talented and experienced team and that’s what’s going to shine through in the end.”
The pitching staff hasn’t been the only thing clicking as of late. Despite not being as explosive as they were earlier in the season, Brooklyn has managed more timely hits, resulting in more wins.
Picking up the slack on offense has been the fresh-faced Tyler Vaughn, who has four hits in his first nine at bats with the team. The Clones have also gotten pick-me-ups from former major leaguers Andy Green and 2003 MLB rookie of the year Angel Berroa, who have spent time over the past two weeks with the team on conditioning assignments. While Berroa has only appeared in two games with two hits, Green has been sound, hitting .307 in seven games. Regulars Sam Honeck [.323 BA, 12 RBI] and Luis Rivera [18 RBI, .310 BA] have continued their stellar play as well, giving the team just enough offense to get over the hump.
While the team will obviously need more offense down the stretch if they want to stay in the win column, the timely hitting and excellent pitching are proving to be more than enough to get them by.
You can doubt them all you want, but according to the young team, ‘they told you so.’
“We’re like a family,” said McHugh. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had on a pro team, but it’s baseball; you’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some. We all get along though and we’re going to keep up what we were doing earlier in the season.

Bay Currents special series Growing old in Brooklyn

2009-07-29T12:08:00.003-04:00

“Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64…?”
-- The Beatles
Growing old has been described variously as golden, pitiful, funny, tragic, painful, calming, uplifting, depressing…
Of course, it can be some or all of these things, depending on individual circumstances. But in any case, beginning one’s seventh decade of life is unquestionably a major transition.
As baby-boomers who once may have burned draft cards now fold Medicare cards, and life expectancy in America increases with advances in medical technology, Bay Currents Media, starting with our next issue, will present a special series on senior care. We will explore the details of senior centers, adult day cares, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes in southern Brooklyn.
Whether you’re a senior or the son or daughter of one, you’ll find here essential information on what to look for – and watch out for – in a senior facility and how to navigate the legal and financial mazes.
Tell us what you think of the series as we present it. Your suggestions are important to us.
We want to help you or your loved one make the most of life’s extended postscript.

Publisher's Notebook David J. Glenn

2009-07-29T12:08:00.001-04:00

A summer of anniversaries
There are several quite important anniversaries this summer.
For one thing, it’s the fifth anniversary of the newspaper you are holding in your hands (or reading on a computer screen). We’re very proud of this, and we certainly want your input as we begin our sixth year as oceanfront Brooklyn’s only independent newspaper.
Beyond Brooklyn, this summer also marks the 40th anniversaries of Woodstock, the first moon landing, and, on a less inspiring note, the night when Mary Jo Kopechne, Ted Kennedy’s passenger on a drive in Martha’s Vineyard, drowned off Dike’s Bridge in Chappaquiddick.
All these events really had lasting change. Woodstock changed our consciousness about war, poverty, and all the rest of humankind’s ills (although, as we’ve seen, not really alleviating very much of it).
Three years before Watergate, Chappaquiddick showed us that we do indeed have to pay attention to that man behind the curtain, despite the Wizard’s warnings not to.
But the moon landing, I believe, changed us most profoundly. Even though it was the result of a stupid Cold War rivalry with Russia, the step that Neil Armstrong took on July 20, 1969 was, as Carl Sagan put it, our first wading into the cosmic ocean. We set foot on a truly New World – much more so than Columbus did five centuries earlier, since America was only “new” to him, and Columbus was more interested in brutal conquest than in opening any new chapter in human history.
The moon landing was the first stop in an inevitable journey beyond our little blue cradle in the outskirts of one galaxy among billions. We’re still being detoured by our petty conflicts and social failures on the ground, but these are just that – a detour. It’s only a question of when, not if, we travel to Mars, the other planets, and to other solar systems.
Perhaps, even before this, we may finally make contact with other civilizations that may be teeming throughout the Milky Way.
And, perhaps, they will show us our destiny.

2009-07-29T12:00:00.003-04:00

Our Sixth Year!

Sheepshead Bay • Brighton Beach • Marine Park • Manhattan Beach • Coney Island • Flatlands • Gerritsen Beach • Mill Basin • Bergen BeachIt’s your newspaper -- you count! Vol. 6, No. 1, July 29 - August 12, 2009

Cyclones’ roller-coaster ride on the upswing

Mail: 2966 Avenue U, Suite 108 Brooklyn, New York 11229

Editorial: 347.492.4432

Sales: 718.676.5434

E-mail: Info@baycurrents.net

Web: www.baycurrents.net

Member of the New York Press Association

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Join the family of Bay Currents advertisers! Call 718.676.5434

Write to us at: letters@baycurrents.net or LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Bay Currents 2966 Avenue U, Suite 108 Brooklyn, NY 11229

To continue to be the independent and effective community newspaper we are, we need to hear from you. We want to know your concerns, opinions, suggestions, praises, and criticism.

Issue 14

2009-07-10T02:52:00.000-04:00

Publisher’s Notebook
Marty, are you listening?
There’s not too much I could write here that Brighton Beach residents haven’t already said about Marty Markowitz’ proposed potato-chip amphitheater at Seaside Park. It will greatly disturb the neighborhood. It will destroy the park. There’s hardly any available parking as it is. It’s a ridiculous way to spend $64 million when vital city services are being cut.
But I do have a question: Marty, why aren’t you listening?
You didn’t even show up at the Community Board 13 meeting at which your proposal was discussed. The aide you sent in your stead ludicrously used the June 24 meeting to give out “attendance awards” to the board members – including one for a member who didn’t attend the meeting to pick up his attendance award (sounds something like a Saturday Night Live skit, doesn’t it?)
The aide, Andrew Steininger, Markowitz’ capital budget and policy specialist, then handed out flyers that didn’t even refer to the project as an amphitheater – it was nicely called the “Asser Levy-Seaside Park Rehabilitation Project.”
Asked by Bay Currents why Marty didn’t show up, Steininger said the borough veep didn’t want to come to a meeting where everyone was just going to shout at him.
I’m sorry, Marty, but you’ve got it backwards. The residents are shouting at you because YOU’RE NOT LISTENING! You’re steamrolling ahead with this boondoggle even though no one except you can come up with one thing positive about it. And the so-called positives that you have come up with are as flimsy as a potato chip.
The performers need bathrooms? Give me a break! If that’s a problem, you can install potties at the existing bandshell – and I don’t think it would cost anywhere near $64 million.
It will create jobs? Give me another break! Construction will generate a handful of very temporary jobs, and maybe there will be a few ushering and ticket-selling spots. That’s a $64 million jobs program?
The project will improve the park. No, it will destroy the park. If you want to renovate the benches, playground, and the rest, you can do it for far less than $64 million – and without occupying the green space.
On top of everything else, Marty, you’re thumbing your nose at city law, which specifically bans concerts or other loud events near houses of worship when they’re in session. Friday and Saturday nights are key concert nights – as well as key nights for services at not only one, but two synagogues right across from the site.
If you’re really interested in expanding the existing Summer Concert series, it can be easily done at KeySpan Park. Or, if you really have to build a new theater, you could locate it in the amusement area of Coney Island.
The attendance-award winning members of CB 13 are not helping matters very much, either. At the tumultuous June 24 meeting, with resident after resident stating their disgust, frustration, and fears, the board took no action whatsoever, not so much as a resolution. Sure, the community hoard has no veto power over the project, but it could send a message to Marty and the city that residents don’t need or want this amphitheater.
Maybe then, Marty, you’ll listen.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letters to the Editor letters@baycurrents.net
Is this a priority?
I represent a large non-profit organization: The Russian-American Community Coalition unites a large number of Russian-speaking people, particularly in Brighton Beach.
Currently, the city, state, and nation are in real economic turmoil. There is not enough money to provide for medical care, pensions, education, and all the other vital services.
Let’s think: Is this amphitheater the most important thing we Brooklynites need? Should this be a priority during this economic crisis?
If there is no money to help working people, to improve our schools – even to fix all the potholes on the street –how is the borough rich enough for this amphitheater? If local residents are saying “no” to this project, why is the Markowitz administration so insistent? (By the way, Marty Markowitz could be spending time on the closing of the Brighton post office branch instead of this unneeded and unwanted amphitheater.)
Our borough president has to listen to and follow his constituents.
Alec Litvak
Board member, Russian-American Community Coalition
(Excerpted from presentation at June 24 Community Board meeting)

Make a list…
When attempting to make an intelligent business decision, take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side list all the positives and on the other side list the negatives. When you look at whichever side outweighs the other, it becomes clear whether the project is viable or not.
Positives
I cannot identify any.
Negatives
Commercial venue in a residential neighborhood – The community and only the community should have the power to authorize or agree to any Zoning changes
Violation of city law prohibiting loud events near a house of worship in session.
Parking – There is none
Major Safety concerns from additional traffic for all the people in the community, especially seniors and children
Air pollution from increased traffic
Construction pollution
Noise pollution
Destruction of the only green area in the community
Cost prohibitive $64,000.000
Suggestion: Rent KeySpan Park. Sell tickets for $5 or $10, leaving any profits in the community for quality of life projects/programs
Why not rehabilitate Seaside Park as a showplace for the community, which would only require a tiny portion of the $64 million? Possibly a Little League Field with stands and programs to entice families and seniors to spend quality time. Possible vendor funding could be a source of income to help with the cost of maintaining this prized community green area.
Restore the projected cut in funds to the Community Boards to ensure they can properly function in addressing quality of life issues and projects in the community.
Markowitz and Recchia are elected officials who work for the people, not their own interests. Isn’t it about time the community sends a clear message that they cannot use our money to negatively impact our quality of life with unconscionable projects?
A proposed charter school in Marine Park was recently stopped by community opposition. The Brighton Beach community can similarly stop this ridiculous project,
The Community Board members tend to be passive on issues of conflict, since they are appointed by and funded by the same elected officials who supposedly work for the people. Marion Cleaver, chair of Community Board 13 and her team are of the highest ethical quality. Let them be independent of the elected officials, appointed by the community and answerable only to the community -- then their voices will be heard.
Simon Belsky
Candidate for City Council, District 48
(Excerpted from presentation at June 24 Community Board meeting)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cover Story
Controversy under the big top
By Olga Privman
privman@baycurrents.net
The bright red big-top at the boardwalk in Coney Island bears the name “Ringling.” Proud, graceful Bengal tigers roam in their cages, languid under the morning sun as observers watch them during an early “animal viewing” hour.
Stodgy, clumsy elephants trump along in an adjoining area before spectators’ eyes. Young men and women, donning glittering frocks, perform death-defying feats on a circular stage.
That’s right, folks. The circus is in town.
Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey’s BOOM A RING performs Wednesday through Sunday this summer, through Sept. 7.
Coney Island’s newest performance is getting quite a bit of attention – and not all of it positive.
The animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has been protesting the circus, handing out leaflets detailing what PETA describes as abusive treatment of the elephants and tigers. “The notorious Ringling Bros. Circus is performing in Coney Island all summer long. PETA will be there to leaflet at every show to let circus attendees know that Ringling’s trainers have been observed hitting and jabbing elephants, including babies, with sharp, steel-tipped rods called ‘bull hooks.’ We know that Ringling causes pain and suffering to animals, but we must share this with others so that they, too, will boycott the circus,” PETA states on its website, www.peta.org.
“Ringling trainers use bull hooks to beat elephants in the most sensitive parts of their bodies -- and footage can be seen at Circuses.com,” said RaeLeann Smith, a Government Affairs specialist at PETA. “Elephants’ skin is so sensitive that they can actually feel the pain of an insect bite.”
The conditions in which the elephants are kept further rouse PETA’s ire.
“In their native habitats, elephant forage for a wide variety of fresh vegetation and walk up to 30 miles a day,” Smith said. “But these elephants [are] chained in one place by two legs in a sweltering New York City parking lot.”
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had taken the circus to court; a formal hearing was held last March.
“The Court was presented with expert testimony showing that the use of elephant husbandry tools -- such as guides and tethers -- are appropriate and commonly used by trained professionals who work around the clock to care for endangered Asian elephants,” Ringling officials state on the company’s website, www.ringling.com and www.ringlingbrostrialinfo.com. “In all aspects of animal care and safety, Ringling Bros. exceeds all federal animal welfare standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act.”
“Animals at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey are healthy and well cared for by a team of full time veterinarians and an animal care staff that works to ensure that the animals have an enriching and safe environment,” Paulina Piekarski, a spokeswoman for Feld Entertainment, Inc., the parent company of Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey, told Bay Currents. “Animal rights groups make false and distorted allegations about Ringling Bros. animal care and we invite people to come see for themselves that our animals are healthy and thriving in our care.”
Of course, the crowds converging on Coney Island to see the circus and take in the other attractions of the summertime destination, do not appear to be thinking about whether the animals are being treated with kindness or cruelty.
We don’t know, however, what the animals are thinking.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
‘Very 21st Century’ library opens
By Lara Mondrus
mondrus@baycurrents.net
The library building on the corner of Kings Highway and Ocean Avenue no longer stands empty and abandoned. After four years of renovation, the Kings Highway Brooklyn Public library branch has re-opened, with an added 2,000 square feet to the library, housing more than 98,000 books, periodicals, DVDs, and other media.
Despite the increase in space, some library patrons feel the library has downsized.
“The music section used to be twice as big,” said Jay Pearlman of Midwood, who says he has been coming to the Kings Highway library branch for 47 years. “The biography section alone is probably one third smaller than what it used to be.”
Pearlman likes the array of new books, but misses the old ones.
“All the books are new, all the old books are gone,” he said.
Actually, they’re only gone from the Kings Highway branch. They’ve been moved to different locations, but any book can be requested and shipped to the branch usually within two days, library officials say.
Veteran library users had to get used to the new tables, too.
“The tables could be longer to accommodate more people,” said Sonia Campbell, also of Midwood.
Overall, most patrons seemed to enjoy the re-furbished library. “I think it’s great,” said Thelma Steinberg. “I like the relaxed reading room, I like that all the magazines are organized on the shelves, the lighting is much better, all the books are new and therefore new editions are easy to find.
“I rate it as the Number One Brooklyn Library, I think everything is perfect.”
Pearlman welcomed the new elevators. “It wasn’t a handicapped-accessible place before,” he said. “If you were in a wheelchair or couldn’t walk, you were out of luck before this.”
“At the old library, I remember how I had to walk down to see the films and reference rooms, and it was hard walking up and down the stairs,” Steinberg said.
The lighting is also better. “I like that it’s bright in here, the lighting has definitely improved,” said Rebecca, who didn’t want her last name used.
“There is good lighting, and that’s very important for senior citizens,” Steinberg said, adding that the information desks were where they should be. “They have the reference and info booths right when you come in so you can find them immediately,” he said.
Whether they complained about the smaller tables or praised the new elevators and lighting, the patrons were quite pleased the library was open again. “It’s good to have it back, it was inconvenient to be without a library for so long,” Pearlman said.
“It has improved a lot, and I don’t miss anything from the old library,” Campbell said.
“It’s very 21st century,” Rebecca. said.
“I’ve lived here for 47 years and this has always been my library,” Pearlman said. “I felt like I achieved something as a kid when I first got my adult Library card. The library here was always a part of my life.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s summer at the library!
By Christina Pisano
pisano@baycurrents.net
For the very many kids in the Bay area who don’t have the chance to go to camp this summer, there’s an array of programs at the neighborhood libraries to keep them involved and interested.
The Summer Reading program, for one, provides free events and services for all ages, including the chance to register for book lists and activities a attend book discussions, and meet and greet authors.
For the really younger set, parents and toddlers can participate in a variety of “Let’s Pretend” games, arts and crafts, painting and dancing, as books for babies and toddlers. Older kids can enjoy a variety of games and activities, including puzzles, arts and crafts, and outdoor activities.
It’s a little outside the Bay area, but the Habana Outpost in Forte Greene offers Kid’s Corner -- eco-based projects and programs including eco-gardening, face painting, human-powered bike blenders (now that’s something to try!), vintage vehicles, and crafts.
Also worth the short trip from the Bay are the Artsy Facts at the Brooklyn Museum, where kids can share a story with a librarian and create artwork with an instructor, and the Talent Show Practice for ages 6 to 18, giving kids the chance to review and practice talent routines for the Windsor Terrace Talent Show set for Friday, Aug. 14
Most Brooklyn Public library branches also offer Family Story Time, Ice Cream Social – where kids are invited to make their own ice cream -- and Round Robin Reading.
“The toddler and kids events have been really well-attended. People understand the importance of children learning to read at a young age, throughout the summer or other times during the year,” said Stefanie Arck, manager of marketing and communications for the Brooklyn Public Library.
Teens are certainly not left out. “They do have a lot of say in the things we do,” said Arck. “We’ll seek input and make changes based on their ideas because we want the teens to come in and have a safe and comfortable place to go to.”
Summer programs for teens include educational online games and an exhibition from the American Museum of the Moving Image that’s certain to get their attention: Computer Space -- a tour of classic video games and downloadable emulators. In addition to booklists compiled for teen reading, Summer Reading hosts Teen Authors and Series, where teens are invited to meet ten authors of novels on their list.
Then there’s Rock Band Battle, a two-day video game battle in which teens can win prizes and see the top scores posted on the library’s MySpace page. Twilight Party and Trivia Contest, Wii Gaming, Teen Time, Playstation Gaming and Manga Mania are other activities for the 13-19 crowd.
For adults, the Public Library also offers Coffee & Current Events, Talking Circle, Feline Photo Contest, Knitting Workshop and Neighborhood Scrapbook Day, art exhibitions, film screenings, music, dance, and more.
With the rise in unemployment, many branches are offering classes for adults in computer and Internet basics, use of the library database, and resume writing, all free of charge.
“With the economy and so many unemployed New Yorkers, we’re seeing record attendance of job search and skills programs,” said Arck. “People are really taking the time to come in and take advantage of all free programs that will help them to build resumes and be strong candidates in the job market. We want to be responsive to our customers needs.”
To find out more, go to www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org, call 718- 230-2100, or just drop by your local branch.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bay factoid
Political battles, such as the current one over a proposed amphitheater, are nothing new to Asser Levy Seaside Park. Its namesake, one of only 23 Jews who first came to New Amsterdam in 1654, brought suit over Gov. Peter Stuyvesant’s refusal to let any Jew serve in the volunteer army, taxing them instead. Levy won.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Women’s Project ‘gets it done’
By Christina Pisano
pisano@baycurrents.net
Neighborhood residents came out in large numbers for the second annual Family Health Street Fair on Friday, June 26 in Coney Island.
The event, coinciding with National HIV Testing Day, brought together public and private health care providers, non-profit organizations, and civic groups to help raise awareness of health care services available to improve family health in the Coney Island area.
“We identified the need of the community, and found a huge prevalence of HIV and lack of medical attention,” said Aida Leon, founder and executive director of the Amethyst Women’s Project, which organized the fair.
The Street Fair offered health screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, Hepatitis-C and HIV, as well as preventative health measures and nutritional information.
“If we can acknowledge HIV Testing Day with a host of different medical facilities, we can provide the opportunity for people to get tested,” said Leon.
Leon started the Amethyst Women’s Project in 1999 in a garage; she would go there each evening after work to provide information, outreach, and prevention to community residents who were in desperate need of medical attention.
“There was a decline in services in the community and it was very evident that people were dying here in the early 80s and mid-90s,” said Leon. “People were scared to come here. The community had a high rate of crime, sex activity and substance involvement. Someone had to do something about it.”
Amethyst has worked its way from a small community space to a multi-service organization providing street outreach and referral services, HIV prevention education and counseling, testing and assessment services.
“Young adults now are not coming from an era of being fearful of contracting HIV and do not get enough clear information,” said Leon. “Schools throughout the area have been really supportive of our project, and though we don’t distribute condoms in schools, we do give out information, facts, and tests to students.”
Honored at the street fair were a number of people actively supporting the work of the Amethyst Women’s Project over the years.
“We’ve gotten some real support in the revitalization of the community, “said Leon. “Many organizations conducted surveys and turned up with numbers that were evidence that this community was in need. Statistics don’t lie.”
Leon and her volunteers plan to continue to build partnerships with nonprofit, government, business, civic, religious, and private foundations to use as many resources as they can to battle the social ills that continue to plague Coney Island and its surrounding neighborhoods.
“We’re all struggling with the impact of the economy, and it’s very clear what the current issues of health and HIV are,” said Leon. “As a collaborative front, we can get it done.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Around the Bay
Belsky wins
Simon Belsky, challenging Mike Nelson for the City Council District 48 seat, has won.
-- his court battle, that is.
He has been fighting the city for three years over a ticket he received for parking “0 feet from a hydrant” at 2909 Avenue U. The hydrant was, in fact, next door at 2911 Avenue U, and Belsky contended he was parked legally at a meter. Despite the wrong address on the ticket, the city would not dismiss the summons. Convinced he had justice on his side – “I had no doubt I would win” – the retired construction manager pushed on, spending countless hours and some $600 in filing fees continuing to fight the $115 ticket.
Finally, on June 19, the New York State Supreme Court, the second highest court in the state, ruled, “Since the ticket did not contain the correct information and is therefore ‘misdescribed,’ the ticket should have been dismissed.” The court also ordered the city to pay Belsky all his costs.
Belsky believes that too many parking tickets are inaccurate or intentionally fraudulent, and that the city counts on the fact that most people not take the time and expense to challenge them. He says that if he’s elected to the city council, he would set up a task force of attorneys to help people fight tickets, for free.
City officials are not saying whether they will pursue any further action on the case.
Come to Rye Playland!
Is Community Board 13 promoting Coney Island rival Rye Playland?
No, it isn’t, but you could hardly blame passersby at its offices on Surf Avenue and West 12th Street for thinking so.
A large billboard promoting the Westchester County amusement park looms atop the building where CB 13 rents office space. Board members aren’t happy about it, but they don’t own the building, and there’s little they can do about it.
Quick-thinking tot
Six-year-old Thomas Etergineoso looks up to comic-book superheroes – now he’s being treated like one.
Officials of his school, P.S. 216 in Sheepshead Bay, and Assemblyman William Colton presented him with a souped-up bicycle and a proclamation.
Thomas had come to the rescue of his mother, Shara, who has low blood pressure and vertigo, when she collapsed shortly after putting him and his younger brother and sister to bed. From lessons he had been given, he knew to turn his mother over, and immediately call 911.
“He’s my little hero,” his mother said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Puppets ‘teach everything’ to kids
By Christina Pisano
pisano@baycurrents.net
Puppetry in Practice officially is a non-profit organization which promotes the use of puppetry arts and storytelling in classrooms as a learning path for special needs and mainstream children.
But Tova Ackerman, founder of the PIP Museum at 3131 Nostrand Ave., has a simpler description: “In my head, I call this a friendship house.”
The Museum, which displays puppets of various shapes and sizes representing an impressive variety of cultures, is the site for PIP’s Summer Workshops, designed around the idea of involving children with the arts to explore cultures and promote learning. Hosting workshops such as Chinese Folk Arts Fridays, children and parents are invited to participate in the art of puppet-making and storytelling.
“Puppets have a kind of zaniness, a silliness, which transforms into language and freedom,” said Ackerman.
Developed in 1980 in collaboration with the Brooklyn College School of Education, PIP now operates from two facilities, The Puppetry in Practice Center at 2900 Bedford Avenue at Brooklyn College, and the Puppetry in Practice Museum on Nostrand Avenue. Recognized by the international educational agency, TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), and the International Union of Puppetry, PIP conducts school residencies and after-school workshops.
PIP developed a series of techniques effective in helping English Language Learners make progress in language skills. By using puppetry, storytelling and folklore, PIP artists can engage ELL students and help them build bridges between cultures. The students are encouraged to develop scripts, build vocabulary and use expressive language.
For many, practicing their new skills behind puppets and masks helps to offset the shyness and fear.
“The arts can be used to teach everything,” said Ackerman. “When kids have an idea-even if they have difficulty expressing it because English is a second language or they have some limitation, the imagination has no limits.”
It’s particularly effective for multiple-handicapped children, Ackerman said. Motivated to consider the way a character might walk or talk, the children can envision a scene and express an idea that they otherwise couldn’t express. Funded by grants, paid residencies at schools, and community-based organizations (including the Mill Basin Civic Association and the Meir Bernstein Foundation), puppetry residencies feature story-building and play-making with puppets. Together with PIP artists, children build puppets, create storyboards and scripts, and stage classroom performances. Popular programs involve Toy Theater, Styrofoam puppets, shadow puppets, mask making and puppets made from found materials. Many puppetry workshops start with a performance.
“It’s a serious message of learning and communication, but the way of portraying it is funny and silly,” said Ackerman.
Focusing on cultural connections and acceptance, PIP operates its programs and classroom work with folktales and characters of a variety of cultures. In collaboration with puppeteers from Puerto Rico, the tale of “Nancy the Spider” was performed in classrooms both in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. “Elle & Eleanor,” a conflict-resolution project based in Israel, is a tale created with the aim of tearing down barriers shared between Israeli and Arab children, as well as here in a public school between Spanish and African American children.
PIP designs projects with the notion that recently arrived immigrant students will learn English more quickly and adjust to their new community if elements of their familiar cultural environment are integrated into their learning program. Early evaluation studies have found that the PIP process challenges ELLs to use more descriptive language than routine classroom activity ordinarily generates, resulting in their greater success in meeting ELA standards.
“Using ideas and images that have cultural resonance, warmth and immediacy, involve students in the learning process more quickly,” said Ackerman.
As a goal to expand their approach to children’s learning, PIP has developed a series of teaching through the arts workshops and graduate courses for educators and ESL specialists. “My lifetime goal is to influence teachers to use this technique because it really makes for interesting teaching,” said Ackerman. “I realized that you can’t rubberstamp teaching methods but have to tailor them to the cultural backgrounds of the learners.”
An important model in a child’s education, PIP encourages teachers to motivate their students and get them interested in learning through the arts. “The biggest problem is not with classroom management in terms of disruptive kids, the problem is bored kids,” Ackerman said. “The best teacher is an exciting teacher.”
Though the goals of PIP focus on bringing artists into classrooms to educate through drama, folklore, music, and puppetry, the organization also has collaborated with Premiere Solutions, which seeks to improve educational opportunities through the Internet.
While the involvement of digital media helps PIP grow, the idea behind the puppets and tales remains within the arts.
“The computer tells them what to do; click on file, open. We ask them to click on the imagination first,” said Ackerman.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sports Currents
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
sports@baycurrents.net
Henriquez is Huskier and Happier
Cyclones switch-hitting backup catcher Ralph Henriquez is best known for his appearance at the plate last season against switch-pitcher Pat Vinditte, which produced national headlines when both of them couldn’t decide which side of the plate they wanted to stay on. Hitting .210 last season in 20 games in Brooklyn, the 22-year-old is focused on making sure that that’s not all the fans at KeySpan remember him for.
Showing up to camp this season in much better shape and 15 pounds heavier, the now bulkier, yet toned backstop is ready to leave his best on the field.
“I’m here to win a championship,” Henriquez, who has a homer and three RBI in just 28 at bats so far this season, said. “The added weight has helped a lot. I feel a lot stronger. In this game, strength means a lot. I feel much better [than he did last year] and I have a lot of confidence.”
Lynn Healthy and Ready to Roll
Spending the majority of last season on the shelf following suffering an arm injury, Clones’ reliever Mike Lynn is ready to get back into the swing of things.
Being used in a seventh inning relief role so far this season, the Louisville-native is happy to have an opportunity to prove himself and has responded marvelously, hurling three scoreless innings in two appearances this season.
With an added confidence and comfort in ‘09, Lynn has set some lofty goals for the team- a NYPL championship.
“I’m healthy and excited to be back here,” Lynn said. “Brooklyn hasn’t won a championship in a while and it’s more important here than anywhere else in the minors. Playing in front of these fans at home, we want to do our best for them. Winning a championship is something we are shooting for.”
McHugh Gets a Present
Cyclones Opening Day starter Collin McHugh pitched well enough for a win in his first appearance with the Clones on June 19, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work.
He had even more of a reason to celebrate though.
It was his birthday.
The 22-year-old McHugh has continued his success, winning his next start on June 25 against the Aberdeen IronBirds, hurling six innings of shutout ball.
“I’ve heard stories about Brooklyn being packed, but it was amazing,” McHugh, who models his game after former Met Tom Glavine, said of his first start at KeySpan. “It was a great experience.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyclones honor Barack
With all the honors and accolades as Barack Obama has received, the Cyclones have provided the one kudo we’re sure the Commander-in-Chief could not be without – his very own bobblehead.
On Tuesday, June 22, the Cyclones gave the first 2,500 fans in attendance a limited edition bobblehead of the nation’s 44th president.
Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the president, the bobblehead was a hot ticket item, as more than a thousand fans waited hours before the game on blankets and in chairs for a chance to pick up one up.
The Cyclones also had an Obama impersonator on hand, who fooled many of the fans.
H, too, was pretty impressed with the quality of the collectible.
“It looks a lot like me,” he said. “Doesn’t it?”
If that weren’t enough, the team also wore red, white jerseys, with stars and stripes, temporarily renaming the team to the “Baracklyn Cyclones.”
From the reception the fans gave the team when they took the field, it was obvious they liked them, but the players seemed to enjoy the name-change, too.
“I like it a lot,” said Cyclones outfielder Seth Williams. “It’s pretty sharp looking.”
The new jerseys and all the fanfare seemed to pay off for Brooklyn, as they coasted to a 7-3 victory.
In an age when the lines between Democrats, Republicans, Liberals and Conservatives are crystal clear, the event brought a sell-out crowd together.
For that reason alone, the event was a success.
“Tonight was an outstanding game,” said Lopez. “The fans were really into it and it played a big part in our success.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyclones dominating through early season
After the Cyclones defeated the Staten Island Yankees on Opening Day, Cyclones skipper Pedro Lopez told the media that he wanted his team to play every game as if it were the playoffs.
A hard notion for a group of young ballplayers to adhere to, but that’s just the kind of guy Lopez is. Despite his care-free demeanor with the media, Lopez is surreptitiously passionate and equally as competitive. Nevertheless, he provides his players with the trust and latitude needed to be successful.
As a result, a ragtag assortment of players, ranging from former Cyclones, draft picks and prospects have taken the New York Penn-League by storm, running off to an 8-2 record through their first 10 games.
“I told these guys that I’d never second guess them,” said Lopez. “Not in front of the media and not in front of the team.”
Having not lost a game at home yet either, with both losses coming on the road.
“We feel comfortable playing here,” Lopez said. “We don’t know if it’s the fans, the city or the ballpark; I couldn’t tell you.”
The team has gotten tremendous contributions from both their bats and pitching staff through the first leg of the season. In just 75 combined at bats, Matt Bouchard and Luis Rivera have nine extra base hits, six stolen bases and 17 RBI. 19-year-old backstop Juan Centeno and 17th round pick Alex Gregory have also provided a spark and have five RBI apiece and are hitting over .300.
On the mound, Brooklyn is also heavily fortified, as four of its five starters, Brandon Moore, James Fuller, Mark Cohoon and Collin McHugh are undefeated with ERA’s under three through their first two starts.
That success, many of the players attribute to Lopez’s coaching style, which has them in position to make a return to the NYPL playoffs after missing out on post season action in 2008.
“He’s an awesome guy,” said Cyclones closer Erik Turgeon, who was coached by Lopez in Kingsport last season. “He makes it fun to come to the park every day. We want to win for him.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senior Currents
Seniors are at risk in sour economy
Evidence is mounting that older adults are cutting everyday expenses to keep up with the economic downturn. The AARP recently reported that “59 percent of seniors 65 and older surveyed said they’d found it more difficult to pay for essential items such as food, gas and medicine.” Nearly half (47 percent) said they found it more difficult to pay for utilities such as heating, cooling or phone service. Forty-six percent have reduced the number of times they eat out, and 45 percent cut back spending on entertainment.
Local senior-care experts warn families to be on alert to make sure seniors aren’t cutting too deeply. Warning signs include skipping medications, pulling the plug on air conditioning and canceling social outings.
Cuts of essential items such as food and medication should be of immediate concern to seniors’ families,” says Paul Hogan, co-founder and CEO of Home Instead Senior Care. “Other reductions in spending can lead to less obvious issues. One of the biggest problems that we see is senior isolation, which has been magnified during this troubled time in our economy with the high price of gas.
“When seniors’ families live a distance from their loved ones, or when Boomer children are busy trying to make ends meet themselves, an older adult can get in trouble very quickly. That’s why it’s so important that someone look out for the well-being of seniors to ensure they are safe in their homes and eating properly, taking their medications and able to maintain their appointments and social life.”
Falling interest rates, fixed incomes and seniors’ fears of past hardships can influence how they react to the current economic slowdown, says Sheryl Garrett, certified financial planner and author of Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies and several other books on financial planning. “Some seniors may be running short on money but, for others, there’s always that fear of running out because they lived through the Depression. They know how ugly it can get.”
It’s also important for seniors to guard against fraud and too-good-to-be-true offers, Garrett advises. “Seniors want to get the best that they can from their investments without falling for scams or overselling tactics,” she said. Older adults also should beware of CDs and fixed annuities that can promise higher interest rates, but force  seniors to lock in their money for longer time periods or otherwise put their investments at risk, Garrett noted. Always get a second opinion, Garrett advises.
“Seniors at all income levels may be facing choices they haven’t had to make in the past,” Hogan said. “They should know where to go for help before they put themselves or their health at risk. Area Agencies on Aging, for instance, offer both food and gas assistance, so seniors should contact their local offices if they can’t make ends meet.”
Families also can play an important role monitoring seniors who have decided to scale back because of the economy. Even seemingly innocent decisions, like cutting back a little on groceries or air conditioning, can have a damaging impact.
From homeinstead.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bay factoid
At 798 acres,
Marine Park is the largest park in Brooklyn (and you thought Prospect Park had that distinction!)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Opinion
Oligarchy: Rule by Small Powerful Elite
By I. Freidin
ifreidin@baycurrents.net
During the economic feeding frenzy, with many making fortunes big and small and markets rising to astronomic levels, businesses were busy downsizing, eliminating jobs and cutting benefits from those still working. More and more people were finding themselves with less, yet the economy kept growing; statistical growth and human suffering. The rich were growing richer at the expense of the general public who could only watch from further and further away from the seats of power as they were being omitted from the economy in ever growing numbers.
Finally, the bubble burst. The market came tumbling down and we saw the error of our ways; the unrestrained greed that had engulfed our nation’s mindset. But now more and more people are feeling the crunch, losing their jobs, their health care, their homes.
I recently sat down to write about the growing number of people in this country left out of our economy* and their increasing numbers as we [presumably] head toward recovery. Before I got very far, I was bombarded by news reports and personal observations of the injustices amassing against the public nationwide; and to an ever greater extent, here in New York.
Each is a story unto itself, but there is one theme running throughout…abuse of power to enhance the wealth and control of a few at the expense of the general public. Oligarchy, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes”.
Historically, this nation has always been governed by an economic elite. The founding fathers were among the wealthiest of the colonists and the primary purpose of their rebellion was to take control of their own economic destiny. Industrialization and expansion in the 19th century brought about the need for cheap labor and people to work the land, opening the doors to mass immigration as well as the robber barons (cutthroat bankers and industrialists), enriching themselves at their expense. The nations infrastructure was built and resources developed by the cruel exploitation of the new labor force. Those not of European background were treated particularly harshly. Blacks, brought here as slaves later became sharecroppers and continued to be disenfranchised and exploited to the ultimate. Asians faced particularly harsh discrimination and how can we forget the Native Americans brutally swept away by ongoing waves of expansion.
Throughout though, there were those who held to the ideals. Many of the founding fathers believed in the principles laid down in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, despite the hypocrisy of slavery being ever present. Throughout the period before the Civil War, abolitionists actively sought to free the slaves and better the lives of the persecuted. Afterwards, the fight continued to try to bring people of color into the mainstream; a battle purged from government when the Republican Party of Lincoln was taken over by moneyed interests, eliminating the Radical Republicans from office and cleansing the party of principles. In reality, these “radicals” were the former abolitionists; the heroes who believed in the American ideal.
Yet, there were still those who struggled on for justice and equality. The fledgling labor movement, brutalized by corporate management with government help, was finding its legs. The Civil Rights movement, although weak, refused to die and women were fighting for their rights. And very slowly, progress was being made.
With the advent of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1933, things started to move ahead at an ever increasing pace. Organized labor was recognized as a viable entity rather than just a bunch of malcontents and after World War II, the concept of equal rights for all began to take hold at an increasingly rapid pace, culminating in the equal rights laws of the 1960’s. Women too, at this time were being seen as more than just domestic partners and the gay rights movement began to take root.
Socially, civil rights have continued to advance, but otherwise the 1960’s, with all its turmoil, was the peak of enlightenment. Economically, it’s been a very different story. Since Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty went down in flames in the jungles of Viet Nam, it’s been a downhill struggle as the forces of ignorance and greed have once again asserted themselves in the “land of the free,” serving to further empower the wealthy at the expense of the rest. Today, as the nation fights to ease its economic woes, the markets have risen well above their lows despite the continuing increase in unemployment. Efforts to create a realistic health policy are resisted by the health industry and their political shills, lest their monumental profits be compromised at the expense of good health coverage at reasonable cost. Banks are able to curtail the strict regulation necessary to prevent their dirty deeds from causing a repeat of our current ills. President Obama seems to be trying to do the right thing but too many in Congress seem to be in the pockets of the bankers, health industry and others who care little beyond increasing the bottom line.
…and in New York
Oligarchy can surely be applied to Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s New York. Refusing to listen to the concerns of the public when they are in conflict with his own, his ear is reserved only for fellow billionaires. Virtual control of the City Council assures him his needed political support and his seeming control of the major media prevents his sins from gaining recognition. His money keeps political opposition at bay.
Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, the most people friendly of our city-wide elected officials, spoke out against the undemocratic extension of term limits. Mayor Bloomberg and Council Speaker Kathleen Quinn didn’t appreciate her resistance and cut her office 40%, making it nearly impossible to operate. But why should the people have an advocate in Bloomberg’s New York?
Devastating cuts have been made to vital services while billions are diverted to Bloomberg’s pet projects. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, elected as a man of the people, seems to have learned from the master. His pet project, an amphitheater in Asser Levy Park will have an extremely negative impact on the surrounding community which just about unanimously opposes it yet the “man of the people” refuses to even appear in public to hear them out; a typical Bloomberg tactic. (see article in this issue)
While transit fares have risen, the MTA has given Bruce Ratner a sweetheart deal for his Atlantic Yards invasion of the surrounding community.
During these times of hardship for so many, the Rent Stabilization Board has seen fit to grant landlords a substantial rent increase.
What we see in what was once the most progressive city in the nation are deals for the rich at the expense of those who can least afford!
So what now?
We have allowed the moneyed interests to divide the American public and take away much of our piece of the economy. Should government take over vital services and exert more control over essential resources? Theoretically, government control should be a good thing; the people we elect looking after things on our behalf; but pandering to lobbyists, self interest and overall incompetence have served to undermine the purpose of serving the public. And how can we change things when the only ones who can pass laws against the legalized bribery that maintains corporate control of our government are the ones who gain the most if things remain the same.
Strictly interpreted, an oligarchy is rule by more organized elite than exists in this country. However, make no bones about it, the economic elite and their political puppets are in charge and if their desires are in conflict with the needs of the people, we know who the losers will be.
*As of the completion of this article, unemployment nationwide had just hit 9.5% -- and this includes only those collecting benefits.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Albany Power Play
By now everyone is aware of the power play by State Senator Pedro Espada placing the State Senate in total disarray. Did you know that one of the bills being held up will expand rent stabilization in the city after years of deteriorating rights for tenants? Did you know that the district Espada represents has an abundance of rent-stabilized apartments while he allegedly lives out of the district? Did you know that he is being investigated for that as well as other incidents of malfeasance?
Landlords and developers make up the largest lobbying group in the state. Could they have gotten to this “rock of integrity?
Why aren’t the voters of his district screaming for a recall?
-- I. Freidin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bay factoid
Residents of Fillmore Street may not realize that their address bears the name of someone who believed that slavery was “an existing evil” that should be granted “such protection as is guaranteed by the Constitution.” It was none other than Millard Fillmore, the 13th president who occupied the White House from 1850 to 1853.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twice the Advice
By Jacqueline Donelli and Kerry Donelli

Letter#1
Dear Twins,
I really hope you can help me. I’ve lost too many loved ones already. I’m a 29-year-old widow. I lost my husband to the war in Iraq five years ago, and thought I’d go out of my mind, I was so devastated. Were it not for his parents who kept it all together, and kept me together, and even in their own grief, they continued to love me and comfort me and treated me like their own. They treated me like the parents I never had -- I was brought up by my wonderful grandparents and never even knew my own parents (won’t go into that story!), but my grandparents now are also gone. So my in-laws are truly like family, and they feel the same way about me. We are extremely close.
Now, here is the problem. Two years ago I met a wonderful man, and it started out as a friendly relationship but it soon turned into much more than that. Well, now we are engaged, and everything would be fine, but he wants me to break my relationship with my in-laws. He doesn’t like the fact that they are the parents of my former husband. He says his parents will be my new “family.” And I can’t possibly do that, but I’m afraid I’ll lose him!
Twins, why can’t I have both? Am I being selfish? Would it be too awkward for him? Please advise ASAP; the wedding’s in three weeks - I hope!
Too Many In-Laws!!
JACQUELINE SAYS:
Dear Too Many Laws
Your fiancé is clearly jealous. He is jealous of the fact that another man and his family won your heart. He wants you all to himself. What he doesn’t realize is your ex-husband’s parents’ act as your parents. You have a special bond and your fiancé’s parents will never cross that boundary. Of course they will love you, but they will never act like parents the way your ex husband’s parents do. Your blockhead fiancé…sorry, that slipped … has to have an understanding, some empathy, and regain composure as you, unfortunately, lost out on a wonderful parent/child relationship your whole life. Tell the blockhead (darn it!) to try to have some compassion as you deserve this wonderful relationship, too. And although you love him and his parents, they will never replace your relationship with your in-laws.
KERRY SAYS:
Dear Me, Oh My
I say you are both seriously insecure. I mean, why in the world would this man care who you consider family? Is he that insecure because you still remain close to your deceased husband’s relatives? Or is he just a territorial meathead? Whichever the case, he’s being totally irrational and unreasonable. And you placating to his ludicrous demands, because you are so insecure about him leaving you, is even sadder. Here’s a concept: Tell him there’s room for both families in your lives.
Letter#2
Dear Twins,
A male co-worker, whom I consider a friend, and I have worked together for many years. I know him and his family quite well. He is an excellent worker, well thought of, has a great personality, but unfortunately, is constantly cheating on his wife. Normally I wouldn’t get involved in this kind of situation, but I am also very friendly with his wife, and it’s gotten to the point that he’s asking me to lie for him and say that he had to stay later at the office than he actually did, and she’s asking me why is he always staying at the office so late! There are other times when he is supposedly at lunch, but I know he is meeting his girlfriend briefly. I don’t want to get involved in this, and I would hate to see their marriage fall apart. I know deep down that he really loves his wife. There are children involved, too. What should I do?
Torn in Toledo
JACQUELINE SAYS:
Dear T in T,
MYOB….because he knows what he is doing and he knows it is wrong. And you aren’t going to be the one to set off the light bulb in his head and change things. If he asks you to lie to his wife for him again, say, “I like and respect your wife and I am uncomfortable lying to her for you. I’m sure you understand.”
KERRY SAYS:
Dear Torn,
I agree with Jackie. Look, if his wife was a close family member or best friend, I’d say spill the beans, but in this case I would mind my own business. “Cheating Tom” has been an amiable and competent co-worker for many years and will probably remain one. There’s no point in causing any waves and risking a negative work environment. You are only friendly with his wife and I suggest you keep it that way. As far as covering up for Tom, tell him you wish to stay out of his business.
Letter #3
Dear Twins,
My sister calls or texts me at least 15 times a day. I dread them. She is always stressed out and the calls/ texts usually require something for me to do or fix. It is unbearable. It doesn’t matter if she is walking the dog, buying lunch or if there’s a fire, she is always angst, stressed and angry about the situation and then ... at me. This, in turn, stresses me out to no end. We are adults, I’ve recently moved out and yet she still manages to make me miserable. I’ve asked her to get therapy but she doesn’t think she has a problem. She is my sister -- I can’t take her out of my life. Please, twin sisters, help!
Angst by Sis
KERRY SAYS:
Dear Angst
Wow. This sounds suspiciously like Jackie! Seriously though...first, have you ever tried discussing this with her in an amicable way? Assuming you have, the only option left is to simply ignore her. Why allow yourself to get worked up and victimized by her childish behavior? I suggest you remain unaffected and calmly hit the delete button. When she learns she no longer gets a rise out of you she will eventually back off. Remember, it’s all in the way you handle the fire.
JACQUELINE SAYS:
Dear Doormat,
Well that’s what you are, isn’t it? A doormat! You have complete control of the way you are handled by your sister. You say your sister places equal stress on who walks the dog as she does the house burning down. It sounds like she has a problem, an adrenaline addiction is what I believe they call it. Nonetheless, this is her problem, not yours. The best advice I can tell you is you need to control your half of the situation. You should answer only two calls a day and two texts. There should be no reason she needs to contact you more then four times a day, don’t you think? I believe this will stop perpetuating all her nonsense on you and you could live your life a bit more easily. As far as her anxiety, there is nothing you can do but ask her to only call when she is calm. You are not her doormat. Stop acting like one.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bay factoid
Avenue N, Avenue O,  Avenue P …. Avenue R – what happened to  “Avenue Q”?  Actually, we used to have an Avenue Q; it was renamed Quentin Road after World War I in honor of Quentin Roosevelt,  the youngest son of the 26th president.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial Currents
Need Money?
By Joseph S. Reisman
JSReisman@TaxHelp1040.com
Aren’t you glad another tax season is over? Another tax return filed. Now it’s summer, and the last thing that comes to mind is that dreaded tax return.
Actually, now is the best time to make sure that you took advantage of all the deductions you were entitled to take. Most tax offices are slow during the summer, and have the time to review your prior returns. Many preparers are willing to review those returns for free, because if they find a mistake, they’ll prepare the amended return (for a fee), and hopefully keep you as a customer for next tax season.
In case you didn’t know, you have up to three years to tell the IRS you forgot a deduction and receive a refund – plus interest!
For Year 2006 returns originally due April 15, 2007 -- you have until April 15, 2010 to file a correction, and for Year 2007 returns originally due April 15, 2008 -- you have until April 15, 2011 to file a correction.
Why should you have the IRS look at your return? Isn’t it better to let a sleeping dog lie? No! It’s your money, and unless you have something to hide, you will not be audited because of the amended return.
Is it worth it? If you find additional deductions of $2,000, with the federal, state, and city returns, you’re ahead $500, less the cost of the preparation.
Oh, and there’s a good chance that if there are additional deductions on one return, the same situation exists for the other “open” years. And, those deductions may also be available to you in the coming tax seasons.
It’s a win-win situation. You have nothing to lose.
Questions/Comments? Contact  Joseph Reisman at 718-332-1040 E-mail: JSReisman@TaxHelp1040.com Office: 2751 Coney Island Avenue
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Issue 11

2009-04-29T15:34:00.001-04:00

David J. Glenn
Publisher’s Notebook
A no-brainer
I don’t usually welcome government intervention in private business. After all, the last thing I would want, and the first thing I would vehemently fight, would be the city, state, or federal government telling me what I could print or not print in this newspaper.
But if a business acts in a manner that is harmful to the health of the public, it’s putting out a “Come on in” sign to the bureaucrats.
Such is the case with pharmacies selling cigarettes. As we report in this issue, the state legislature is considering a bill to ban such sales.
The bill makes perfect sense, simply because it makes no sense for drug stores, which are supposed to help people get well and stay healthy, to concurrently sell a product which does nothing but make them sick.
Owners of many independent, neighborhood pharmacies have been smart enough to voluntarily refuse to sell tobacco.
But the large chains, which make profound statements about being concerned about their customers’ well-being, think nothing of vending a highly addictive, disease-causing substance – a dangerous drug -- to these very same customers.
They defend the practice by stressing that they take pains not to sell tobacco to anyone under age 18. But the only reason they do that, is because it’s against the law! I think it’s a safe bet that if it were legal, the chains would make smokes available to the toddler set.
It’s a shame that the legislature even has to introduce a bill like this. It’s a no-brainer that pharmacies, in particular, should not sell a hazardous chemical.
It seems, though, that a quest for profit regardless of method, dulls the brain.
NOTE: In case you’re wondering, Bay Currents never accepts any tobacco advertising.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor letters@baycurrents.net
To the Editor:
There is a lot of press about the rezoning, revitalization, and restructuring of Coney Island, but there is close to no news about reducing crime, housing issues, and poverty in this area. The problems that plague this neighborhood need to get attention so that they can be solved. Are the problems so unmentionable that the zoning and amusement park closings are used to take up the space of the bad news?
L.A. Le
Coney Island

To the Editor:
Crafting this year’s state budget was extremely difficult because we found ourselves with a $17.7 billion budget gap – the largest ever in state history. Part of the fiscal challenge we face is the $12 billion in anticipated revenue based on annual growth that simply evaporated. We could not have predicted the magnitude of the financial collapse on Wall Street or foreseen the billions that unexpectedly left our state’s treasury. The lost revenue is what the state relies on to fund schools and hospitals, and to balance the budget.
I want to thank the residents of my district for the numerous letters, phone calls and e-mails they sent regarding issues in the budget. Your input was invaluable and helped shape a budget with better choices.
This year’s budget process was not a perfect one, but I can assure you your collective voices were heard. In addition to the testimony gathered by the Assembly in open, public budget hearings held in January and February, I was continually involved in the budget process as I made your input known at meetings, hearings and in budget correspondence.
This budget:
• enacted more recurring spending cuts than any other budget in the history of our state – over $6 billion in cuts. That’s on top of the largest mid-year spending cuts ever made – something I voted in favor of last fall and again in February;
• rejected $2.1 billion in nuisance taxes that would have burdened working families – including rejecting higher taxes on gas, clothes and haircuts;
• replaced these taxes on working families by having the wealthiest New Yorkers pay their fair share. By reforming our tax system, a family earning $40,000 a year will no longer pay the same tax rate as a family earning $4 million;
• blocked the cut to the Tuition Assistance Program, stopped the year-to-year cut to school aid and reversed the cut to SUNY/CUNY;
• preserved EPIC for seniors and guaranteed there are no health recipient cuts this year; and
• preserved $3.5 billion to continue STAR property tax relief.
An important part of the budget process for a number of years has been the meeting of joint Budget Conference Committees to reconcile policy differences between the Senate and Assembly. In fact, I was a strong supporter of the comprehensive budget reform legislation of 2007 that codified this practice. The Conference Committees are convened when different versions of legislation pass both houses as a way to come to agreement on the language of the bill. I have participated in these proceedings, and believe it is a good process. However, Conference Committees were not needed this year because the Assembly and Senate did not have different legislation and were able to pass the same bills in both houses.
This year’s budget was based on tough decisions made during a harsh economy. With your input, the Assembly was able to pass the budget on-time with virtually all the budget bills aging the three full days required before voting – ensuring the public and legislators have time to review the legislation.
If you have any questions about this year’s budget, call my office at 718-968-2770.
Alan Maisel
Assemblyman, District 59
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Around the Bay
Fears of swine flu
No cases of swine flu were reported by press time in the Bay area or anywhere else in Brooklyn, but city health officials are worried about a possible citywide outbreak
Eight students at St. Francis High School in Queens likely had contracted the virus in late April, Dr. Thomas Frieden, the city’s health commissioner, reported.
“All the cases were mild, no child was hospitalized, no child was seriously ill,” Frieden said.
Several St. Francis students recently had visited Mexico, where officials believe the outbreak started. The epidemic there has killed at least 81 people and infected about 1,300 others. All public gatherings have been banned, including concerts, sports, and bicycle events. The situation in Mexico, where President Felipe Calderon has assumed some emergency powers in response to the crisis, is described by the World Health Organization as “a public health emergency of international concern.”
Officials urge everyone to wash their hands with soap often, and keep a distance from anyone coughing or sneezing.
Stay healthy
The sixth annual Lena Cymbrowitz Community Health Fair, in conjunction with Maimonides Medical Center, is set for Sunday, May 17, from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Emmons Avenue from Sheepshead Bay Road to Ocean Avenue. The event features free health screenings, health information, NYU’s Smiling Faces Dental Van and give-aways. Children can explore a functioning ambulance and be entertained with magic, a clown, face painting and caricaturists. Local schools are scheduled to perform and there will be live music plus a DJ to keep things lively. For more information, call Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz’ office at 718-743-4078. In case of rain, the fair will be held inside Bay Academy, 1401 Emmons Ave.
The Amethyst Women’s Project, 1907 Mermaid Ave. in Coney Island, holds its
Second Street Health Fair in commemoration of National HIV/AIDS Testing Day on June 26. The event is open to the community in efforts to promote HIV prevention, treatment and education. Food, music and entertainment will be offered as attendees can be tested for blood pressure, cholesterol, HIV, Hep-C and more.
For more information call 718-333-2067
Arrive Alive
Assemblyman Alan Maisel is joining other officials in encouraging teens and their parents to sign the “Arrive Alive” pledge for prom night.
“A fun and exciting time can quickly turn tragic when drugs or alcohol become involved,” said the District 59 Democrat. “The heightened pressure to drink before and after the prom can be hard to resist. That’s why I’m strongly advocating every family of a prom-going teen to sign the pledge.”
When signing “Arrive Alive,” parents or guardians pledge to provide a ride at anytime during the night – no questions asked – while teens promise not to drink and drive, nor accept a ride from anyone who has been drinking.
“It’s important that teens feel comfortable discussing their plans for prom night, and that they know there are alternative options to drinking alcohol or getting into a car with an intoxicated driver,” Maisel said. “Signing the pledge can mean the difference between life and death.”
Mothers Against Drunk Driving has reported that during weekends around prom, graduation and homecoming in 2004, nearly half of traffic fatalities of drivers 15 to 20 years old were alcohol-related.
To receive a copy of the Arrive Alive pledge, contact Maisel’s office at 2424 Ralph Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234, or call (718) 968-2770
The big 101
Samuel Schanzer, a Holocaust survivor, commemorated his 101st birthday on April 22 at the Metropolitan Jewish Adult Day Health Center, located on the Borough Park and Bensonhurst-Borough Park border. Schanzer celebrated the milestone with his wife, Pola – also a Holocaust survivor -- friends; and extended family.
Sam, born in Krakow, Poland, and Pola immigrated to the Bronx in 1950 from Germany, where they lived after World War II. The couple settled in Bensonhurst in 1962.
Sam and Pola were married in 1948 and have a son, daughter and a granddaughter. They will celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary in May.
‘…and children of all ages!’
The circus is coming to Coney Island.
Of course, what with the character of Coney, it might be hard to tell the difference. But the famous Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus plans to haul in an assortment of acrobats, clowns, and the requisite elephants and tigers into a big top specially set up next to the Abe Stark Ice Skating Rink, for performances from June 16 through Sept. 7
‘Be Proud’ of accomplishments
From fallen NYPD officer Russel Timoshenko to14-year-old Broadway actor Kiril Kulish, the Be Proud Foundation, with the New York City Council will recognize the accomplishments of Russian-Americans at the eighth annual Russian Heritage and Culture Day on May 7 at City Hall.
Capt. Jack to the rescue!
Seven passengers aboard a burning boat needed a superhero – and they just about got one in the presence of “Captain Jack.”
Captain Jack Schachner of the White Cap Chaser was on duty Saturday evening April 18 when he received a distress call from the Luhrs pleasure-boat which had stalled out at the Mill Basin drawbridge. As Schachner prepared to tow the boat, flames started spewing from the Luhrs engine. He helped the passengers – ranging in age from 16 to 60, none of whom could swim – into his boat and brought them to safety.
Marine Park braniac
The Answer: Kadeem Cooper of Marine Park
The Question: Who is competing with 14 other bright college kids in the 2009 Jeopardy! College Championship?
The 20-year-old junior at the University of Virginia has a shot at the $100,000 grand prize, $50,000 second prize, and $20,000 third prize in the championship.
The competition airs May 4-15 on ABC (locally on Channel 7).
aroundthebay@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cover Story
State may put out the smoke at drug stores
By David J. Glenn
Bay Currents Publisher
Should your local pharmacy, which sells products designed to make you well, be allowed to also sell you a product which likely will make you sick?
No, say at least some of New York State’s lawmakers, who have introduced a bill to ban the sale of cigarettes at pharmacies.
Some cities – San Francisco and Boston, to name two – have already imposed such a ban, but if the bill proposed in the Assembly and state Senate becomes law, it would be the first such restriction statewide.
It would mean you could no longer buy a pack of smokes at Duane Reade, CVS, Walgreens, or the corner drug store.
“Health care and cigarettes don’t mix,” Russ Sciandra of the Center for a Tobacco Free New York, told the Associated Press.
He predicted, “Obviously it’s going to provoke opposition from some powerful forces.”
He was right. “It’s socialism,” declared Audrey Silk of New York City Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment. She contended such a law would not reduce tobacco sales, but instead would prompt smokers to get their cigarettes at gas stations or other outlets that don’t also sell quit-smoking products, as most pharmacies do.
David Sutton of Altria Client Services, a subsidiary of the mega-tobacco company Philip Morris , complained the bill unfairly focuses on tobacco. “We’re being singled out as a class,” he said. “It’s a legal product.”
Bay Currents contacted several drug-store chains that have outlets in the Bay area. Only one, CVS, responded, and only by e-mail:
“A percentage of CVS customers voluntarily choose to use tobacco products, and they are legal for adults to purchase. CVS makes such products available for the convenience of its adult customers, but we do not advertise them or post marketing signs that would encourage sales. Cigarettes are placed behind the counter so customers must ask for them and they are generally stocked alongside smoking cessation products. At our MinuteClinic retail health clinics, we offer smoking cessation as one of our services.”
The bill – introduced by Buffalo Democrats Antoine Thompson in the Senate and Sam Hoyt in the Assembly – includes a reason for such a ban:
“The United States surgeon general has found that smoking of cigarettes and the use of other tobacco products are harmful to one’s health. Therefore the sale of such products in any establishment whose purpose is to provide remedies to health problems is contradictory. In addition, unlike convenience stores that sell alcoholic beverages along with tobacco products, pharmacies are allowed to hire individuals younger than 18 years of age because of the prohibited sale of alcohol in such settings. The availability of cigarettes and tobacco products to minors would be hindered if this amendment becomes law because in many instances the minor employed at the pharmacy counter is more likely to sell tobacco products to a classmate not eighteen years of age.”
The CVS spokesman told Bay Currents that “CVS/pharmacy has long had policies and procedures intended to prevent tobacco products from being sold to minors, which are evidence of the seriousness with which we take our responsibility.”
Neither Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein nor state Senator Carl Kruger returned calls for comment on the proposed bill by press time.
publisher@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
‘The only home’ we have
By Olga Privman
Bay Currents writer
For many, Earth Day on April 22 simply means finally buying a recycling bin for paper or watching Captain Planet reruns.
“The power is yours,” the spandex-clad superhero would say, and it was with this level of campiness that most would approach this sole day dedicated to our permanent home.
At Kingsborough Community College, however, an Eco-Festival takes place each April for a full four days, honoring the planet and raising ecological awareness to help promote the sustainability of and respect for its resources – the original purpose of the first Earth Day of 1970.
“The overarching goal is to raise ecological consciousness,” said co-founder Dr. Tara Weiss. “We really want students to understand what it means to be a living organism on this planet.”
The yearly event was begun in 2005 by Weiss and Professor Betsy McCully; this year’s theme was “Living on Earth.”
Each day of the festival focused on a separate but equally relevant issue: Energy and Water, Sustainability, Conservations, and Oceans.
Events included an address by Dr. Wayne Martin, an environmental scientist from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a lecture on the “Environmental Destruction of the Niger Delta of Nigeria” by Professor Adeline Apena, “Humanity is Green: Eco-Experiences and Philosophy” by Professors Kevin Kolkmeyer and Joe Terry, performances by several bands, and films.
This year included more multimedia than the Eco-Festivals of the past. The college’s Art Gallery featured an exhibition of contemporary painters entitled “Different at Every Turn: Contemporary Painters of the Hudson River.”
“This Earth is for everyone,” said Weiss. “We have to think not only locally, but also globally.
“It’s the only home that we have.”
privman@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Work stopped at Lundy’s site – again
By Julian Davis
Bay Currents writer
Opponents of the Cherry Hill Market at the historic Lundy Bros. site on Emmons Avenue have gotten what they wanted – for now.
Officials of the city’s Buildings Department issued a stop-work order on the market, just days before the new gourmet restaurant and market was to have its grand opening in mid-April. They said the new facility would include a grocery store at the historic site, not solely a restaurant as permitted by zoning.
The Department had issued a stop-work order in October for the same reason, but rescinded it after developer David Isaev offered new plans for a restaurant.
But those plans were “a fantasy,” said state Senator Carl Kruger, who has been leading the opposition to Cherry Hill. “They just choose to ignore every rule and regulation. The individuals who have sought to develop this site has been given ample opportunity to demonstrate that they capable of being good neighbors. The only thing the developer has succeeded at, unfortunately, is continuing his pattern of deception and underhanded behavior, and thumbing his nose at the community.”
Project manager Anthony Kelley said the plans submitted to the Department were accurate. He said sales of groceries would be simply “ancillary use” and that Cherry Hill would offer a 400-seat restaurant, creating 100 new jobs.
Kelley said opponents were just harassing the project developers. “We just want to bring Lundy’s back to its original luster,” he said.
davis@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
City law: Amphitheater would be dark on key nights
By David J. Glenn
Bay Currents Publisher
Borough President Marty Markowitz’s plans for a multi-million-dollar concert hall at Asser Levy Park may have run smack into a city law banning amplified music near houses of worship during services.
Two synagogues, Seacrest Jewish Center and Temple Beth Abraham, right across the street from the site of the proposed amphitheater, hold key services on Friday and Saturday nights – the choicest times for any concert promoter.
Ida Sarnoff, who is leading many area residents in opposition to the project – which looks remarkably like a giant potato chip -- doubted that the $64 million, 8,000-seat amphitheater could be feasible without Friday or Saturday night concerts.
“How could it be viable if they can’t run events at the most popular time?” she said. “Doesn’t anyone have any consideration? He (Markowitz) wants to build an amphitheater larger than Radio City Music Hall – without walls!” She said she and other area residents are “looking into legal angles right now” to stop the project.
The city’s “500-foot rule” bans concerts or other amplified-sound events within 500 feet of a house of worship, school, or courthouse when they are in session.
Al Turk, president of Temple Beth Abraham, described the project as an “atrocious waste of taxpayer money,” especially amid cutbacks of essential city services.
A spokeswoman for Markowitz reiterated the borough president’s previously stated contention that there are always opponents to any new project. She said permits would be obtained for all performances.
However, the restriction is stated clearly on the permit application, a Community Affairs officer with the 60th Precinct stressed to Bay Currents. Asked if permits have ever been given locally to allow amplified sound near in-session houses of worship, schools, or courts, he said simply, “No.”
publisher@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twice the Advice
By Jacqueline Donelli and Kerry Donelli
Letter #1
Dear Twins:
My husband has his weekly poker game at our house with his male, rowdy friends, and they usually meet on a week night. They are way too loud for the kids to get to sleep, eat everything in the house (not to mention the things I’ve prepared for them), and drink beer until they’re obliterated. When his friends have left, the house is in total disarray, which I have to clean up, and I never complain about it. Now I, on the other hand, have my bridge club over once a month to play cards, which is very quiet, and my husband acts like an overgrown child by turning up the TV, interrupting our games with questions, eating the hors d’oeuvres, and being a general nuisance, which is both disruptive and humiliating. When I complain to him about it, he denies it. Twins, what can I do with this inconsiderate, insensitive, overgrown kid?!
KERRY says:
Dear Pushover, (Need I say more?)
The obnoxious, inconsiderate husband concerns me less than WHY you put up with his behavior in the first place. Did it ever occur to you that you’re a respectable, honorable person who deserves a husband to treat her, at the very least, with respect and dignity? It’s hard to pretend a sentence or two here and there is going to undo a lifetime of personality traits in which you suffer from low self esteem and he a self centered brat, but let’s try. Here’s what I’d do. First, give him the benefit of the doubt. Try a sit down conversation with him where you kindly explain that your place is in not a frat house, nor are you his live-in maid. Explain if he wants to remain in a healthy functioning marriage he must live up to his end of the bargain and be a considerate husband. The deal is he’s to bring the party to another house or rent a cheap room for his weekly keg parties but you will absolutely no longer tolerate poker night in your own home, and there will be negative consequences to pay if he doesn’t respect your very reasonable request. If being fair and rational doesn’t get through to his thick skull then go to plan B. Collect all the garbage he left sitting all over the place in one trash bag, this includes pizza boxes, beer cans, bags of potato chips, and dump all of it on his side of the bed. If that doesn’t reach him, I then seriously suggest marriage counseling for the both of you or even go solo. You need to figure out why you allow your husband to walk all over you like a doormat.
JACQUELINE says:
Dear Doormat
Couldn’t have said it better. I’m leaving this one alone.

Letter #2
Dear Twins:
My ex-boyfriend told me that I was his soul mate. He works as a psychic and I feel like he can really see into the future based on other things that have come true that he has told me. I recently broke up with him because he cheated on me but now I’m wondering if I have made a mistake and he really is my soul mate and I won’t meet anyone else. He said he cheated on me because he wasn’t feeling appreciated because I travel for business a lot and I could kind of see his point. He said that just because we are soul mates doesn’t mean our relationship will always be perfect but that we are in this relationship to grow and learn from one another. I do love him and I know he loves me but I’m really confused about this.
KERRY says:
Dear Confused
This guy is manipulating you up one side and down the other. He’s got you right in the palm of his hand and he’s playing you like a flute. “He cheated on you because he wasn’t feeling appreciated”…that might be the biggest load of nonsense I’ve ever heard. Sure, why don’t we all rationalize our evil deeds because, oh I don’t know, maybe we’re feeling “rejected” or “unloved” that day. Then he continues to justify his lying, cheating ways by making it some sort of spiritual forum where you’re “learning and growing from one another”. Nonsense. Come on, you’re far too savvy to buy into that. Fact is, you’re living in denial, and closing a blind eye doesn’t serve anyone but him. I mean, really, what part of that situation makes you feel soft and fuzzy, pegging him as some sort of soul mate? And since your ex is so completely full of deceit, it makes me really question his “psychic abilities.” I would stay away from this clown; he’s bad news.
JACQUELINE says:
I agree, he’s a real piece’o work, and he’s doing a major snow job on you. This is where that expression, “wake up and smell the coffee,” really applies. If you can muster the strength to see him for what he really is, a lying cheat, and remain his ex, then this is where I would suggest you need to work on you. You need to figure out why you choose to live in denial, coughing it up under the guise of something loving and pure, like a soul mate…because you’re kidding yourself.

Letter #3
Dear Twins:
This is going to sound bad but here it is. My boyfriend pushed me down the stairs. Let me just say that I was drunk when it happened and can’t deny I was a bit antagonistic towards him to say the least. Before you say dump him, please just hear me out. First, I want you to know that I am not the type of woman to take any abuse, particularly physical abuse. I saw it happen to my mother from her boyfriend and it sickened me. I vowed never to let this happen to me. Secondly, my boyfriend has bipolar. He’s on medication but it doesn’t always do the trick. I’m not making excuses for him but he does have a very serious and real mental illness that is mostly under control but not always. Lastly, he is 20 years sober. He hates it when I drink as he claims I change, even after one drink. Needless to say he gets very frustrated with me. He claims what really happened is he tried to push me away and I came after him and pushed him back. He also claims, that I being drunk, fell down the stairs and was not, in fact, pushed. To wrap this up nicely, I sent him to jail for the night and honestly feel he got his punishment. I love him dearly just as he loves me. I don’t want to break up with him but it’s hard to not hate him when I look at the black and blues on my body.
Distraught and angry
KERRY says:
Dear Distraught
Please educate me: who actually is “the type” to accept physical abuse? Fact is you did, so I guess that now makes you “the type”. And though I admit I can overlook many faults, in my book, physical abuse is a deal breaker. I agree bipolar is a serious illness. Nonetheless, one can not walk around beating people up and then cough it up to an imbalance. What he should be is responsible and recognize that he CAN do harm to himself, or worse, to others if he doesn’t properly regulate his medication. For it is not your job to guess from one day to the next whether you should steer clear of him. A raw deal he was handed I admit, but nonetheless, it is his baggage to manage and not yours. Also, you don’t mention whether he’s in therapy or not. So while I would normally tell a woman to run from any abusive situation, I do admit yours has other unique factors playing a part here. And while he did get punishment (though not nearly as severe as it could have been nor should have been, since he could’ve broken your neck! Ever consider that?!) I still believe he needs to seriously and quickly rectify the situation, mostly for your sake. So this is what I suggest you do (and may I preface this by saying that I’m being far more fair than I thought I had in me). The deal is your boyfriend is to see a therapist at LEAST once a week, including correctly modifying his medication, immediately. This is without compromise, without fail. If he doesn’t comply with this very reasonable request, walk away… as fast as you can. Because if he doesn’t abide, I’ll bet the farm this won’t be the last time you are physically abused. Consider this his last chance.
JACQUELINE says:
Dear Should be Angry
I’m starting to think Kerry fell on her head, too. Because both of you are out of your minds. This man is an adult. He should be responsible and run, not walk, to his nearest therapist and get help immediately. Instead he makes a slew of lame, ridiculous excuses. My dear, you’re lucky you’re still alive and not seriously hurt. How would you have liked to have been wheeled around and sponge bathed for the rest of your life? And I make no joke out of it. I recommend you take this case to the furthest extent of the law and get this creep permanently out of your life.

Letter #4
Dear Twins,
I’m engaged to a wonderful man, and we plan to marry in three months. Even though we are very young, sadly both my parents have passed away, and we’re dependent on his parents to pay for the wedding. However, my fiancé comes from a very wealthy family, and that is where the problem arises. His mother (bless her heart) wants to pay for the wedding, a very elaborate wedding (which we don’t want) with everyone SHE knows attending. She’s very domineering when it comes to money, events and my fiancé. She’s already planned our honeymoon, where we’ll live afterward, and all the furnishings; all of which she is financing. She makes all sorts of decisions for us without our consent - all in the name of generosity. And, yes, it’s hard to turn down some of the beautiful gifts, honeymoon, etc., but frankly, I’d prefer that she back off and let us do it ourselves with whatever funds we can muster. We’ve both tried to tell her in a nice way that we want to start our new life together by choosing our own things (and personally I feel she is taking a lot of the fun out of it for us when she takes it upon herself to make all these decisions!) but she immediately bursts into tears, and insists we are trying to cut her out of our lives. And it takes DAYS, and apologies, and practically begging to get her to accept us. Please help! This isn’t normal! I know my fiancé loves his mother - and I know he loves me too - and he’s caught between a rock and a hard place. What can we do?
-- Mom or Me?
KERRY says:
Dear Me,
It would say “manipulation” is the operative word here. Essentially Mother takes all control or she breaks down and cries like a baby. Sounds like my three-year old niece. Look, just because she’s his mother, it does not give her the license or the liberty to do whatever she pleases. And while I do think she is being extremely generous, and may even have good intentions, she is nonetheless doing so conditionally; the conditions being that “I will pay for everything only if I get my way”. I suggest you tell her that while you really appreciate all her gifts and generosity, you and your husband would prefer to do it all yourselves. Then include her in on all the details, the wedding, where you’ll be honeymooning and invite her along while shopping for furnishings. This way she won’t feel left out. Always remember, no one can walk all over you unless you let him.
JACQUELINE says:
Dear You,
Understandably, you are ready to explore your independence as well as make these grown-up decisions for yourself. These decisions should make you, not her, feel proud. Is she being generous? I’m not so sure. It’s pretty apparent that she is manipulating her son with money, vacations and all sorts of worldly pleasures so she can stay in control of her son and his new bride. She (like many parents) may be having a hard time letting her son go. But what bothers me is not this, it’s that you both have already nicely told her that you want to take responsibility for your decisions and that she is robbing this very important, grown-up, leaving-the-nest, experience for you two. Instead of backing off, she tries to guilt you back with her sobbing to maintain control over her son and you. You have already approached your mother-in law, more than one time, about how grateful you are of her generosity. And it is clear she chooses to ignore your feelings over hers. I would, therefore, gently but firmly tell her that you can think of no better way of keeping the close family unit than by continuing her generosity by donating all her wonderful money and presents to charity. See if the presents keep on coming. I think she’ll back off and get the hint.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a problem?
Maybe Kerry and Jacqueline can help.
Contact them by writing to:
Mail: TWICE THE ADVICE Bay Currents 2966 Avenue U Suite 108 Brooklyn, NY 11229
E-mail: advice@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sports Currents
Getting to know Kyle Suire
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
Bay Currents Sports Editor
Hitting .296 with nine home runs and 36 RBI for the Kingsport Mets last season, second baseman Kyle Suire was supposed to be a young bat that could help the Mets Single-A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones, reach the postseason for the second consecutive season. Getting into only three games over the last few weeks of the season however, after the resurgence of the team’s starting second baseman, Josh Satin, Suire was relegated to backup duty. Nevertheless, he’s an interesting prospect to watch in the future who has solid range on defense and an even better bat.
At 23 years of age and only one year of pro baseball under his belt, Suire is someone fans may see back again next year as well, as he tries to move up the long ladder of the organization. Who knows, looking into next season, he should be someone Brooklyn fans grow attached to quite quickly. A 35th round pick in the 2008 draft, Suire has already shown the drive and moxie to make himself more than just a filler prospect.
Talking with Bay Currents the day he was called up last season, Suire was excited to make the jump to Single-A and was more than happy to talk about his game.
BAY CURRENTS- How do you feel being in Brooklyn?
Kyle Suire- It feels good every time you get called up, but to be here in Brooklyn and help this team win their division, or even a championship is really exciting. While I’m here, I’m going to everything I can to help this team win.
BC- To be frank, you were hitting the stuffing out of the ball in Kingsport. What do you think you bring to this team?
Suire- I play the game hard. I’m a gamer. I give it everything I got. I look out for my teammates and I’m always there when they need me. I’m here to be a part of this team. That’s what I offer.
BC- Do you compare yourself to anyone at the major league level?
BC- No. You can’t really do that if you want to be successful. Those guys are at a different level. All I can do is go out there and do my best when I’m on the field and just be myself. That’s all I can do.
BC- Do you consider yourself more of a power hitter or a contact guy?
Suire- I would say I’m more of a gap-to-gap hitter, but everyone in a while I get lucky and take a ball deep.
BC- What about your play on defense?
Suire- I’m kind of banged up now with my hamstring and my range isn’t what it’s supposed to be, but I’m feeling better every day. When I’m healthy, I think I’m solid on defense. I’m very dependable.
sports@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fotiu still a fan favorite
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
Bay Currents Sports Editor
In the late 1970s through the ’80s, , the New York Hockey scene was flourishing, thanks in part to big-name players like Phil Esposito, Mike Bossy, Rod Gilbert and Bryan Trottier, who put smiles on tens of thousands of hockey fans’ faces. However, in spite of those enigmatic stars, a gritty hard-worker like Nick Fotiu is not to be underestimated. Amassing 1, 362 PIM and 137 points over 646 games in the NHL, Fotiu was a fan favorite in his own right who always made sure his teammates were protected on the ice.
He also made sure his opponents were the victim of his bone-crushing hits.
Chatting with Bay Currents, Fotiu talked about his life in hockey as both a player and coach.
BAY CURRENTS- When someone thinks of tough and gritty hockey players in New York in the 70s and 80s, your name frequently comes up. However, newer fans of the game may not know much about you. For them, can you tell us a bit about how you played the game?
Nick Fotiu- I was an aggressive player that used to get on the defensemen right away. I used to try and rock Madison Square Garden with a check every night I played there. I really tried to get the fans into the game. I loved getting them going and my teammates going.
BC- Because of the Internet, many of your fights are still available for hockey fans to see today, which has kept your legend alive so to speak. How does that make you feel?
Fotiu- I wasn’t a huge penalty minute guy. I had a little over 1,300 in 13 years. I always made sure I stuck up for my teammates though. I did it whenever I could because I was a team player. It was a huge part of the game for me. It’s nice that people can still see that.
BC- You’ve spent several seasons as a coach. How rewarding has that been?
Fotiu- I coached for 14 years in various levels and I’ve developed 31 players that have made it to the National Hockey League. It was a great experience.
BC- Any names that fans at home might know?
Fotiu- Oh sure. Jonathan Cheechoo, Mikael Samuelsson, Vesa Toskala, Evgeni Nabakov, Mikka Kiprusoft, Mark Streit, Matt Bradley, Dan Boyle, Fedor Tyutin and Andy Sutton are just a few. There’s been a whole bunch of them.
BC- Is there a player at the NHL level today that you feel best personifies what you did when you were on the ice?
Fotiu- Colton Orr.
BC- You played for the Rangers when the Islanders rivalry was at it’s All-Time high. Was there a player on the Islanders that you couldn’t wait to get in a scrap with or lay a big hit on?
Fotiu- Not really. I actually really had a lot of respect for those guys. Bobby Nystrom and Clark Gillies especially were really tough players that you had to work your hardest against if you were going to be successful. Actually, the team’s coach now, Scotty Gordon, I coached in Nashville, Tennessee.
BC- What was it like to be a part of that rivalry?
Fotiu- It was really tough hockey. It was a war. A lot of hard-hitting and great goaltending. Every time the Islanders and Rangers played it was like the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
sports@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Way it Was
By I. Freidin
Bay Currents columnist
As an early baby boomer, I’ve experienced quite a bit of change in my lifetime. The post World War II years saw drastic transformations in our nation and our city as pre-war institutions and habits adjusted to the new world. New and improved technology has allowed us to live longer and, in many ways, easier lives. But as the world was becoming more complex many things have been lost along the way; some looked back on with gentle nostalgia; others sorely missed.
In those simpler times, mornings saw milk and other dairy products waiting in an insulated box by our front door. And who can forget the clang of the grinder’s bell as he drove down the block offering to sharpen our knives and scissors? Horses still had regular jobs as vendors could be found parked by the curb, offering their produce or wares for sale as the kids bravely approached to stroke the docile beast. In the summer, tingling bells of Good Humor, Bungalow Bar or one of the many independent ice cream trucks would attract the attention of all the children on the block.
Relatively few women drove cars and those families fortunate enough owned one rather than the one per driver as today. Needless to say, traffic was much calmer. You never had to worry about street cleaning rules or parking meters; just pull your car to the curb and walk away. Men in white uniforms pushing large garbage cans on wheels and wielding huge brooms kept the streets clean. Sharing the streets with cars were trolleys; rapidly disappearing from the scene but still plying their way through the streets of Brooklyn, home of the legendary Trolley Dodgers.
The airlines were beginning to come into their own after the war as the drone of propellers could be heard overhead from the last generation prop planes that served the major routes. Domestic travel was dominated by railroads though and going abroad meant days on the high seas. New York was served by two spectacular palaces of transportation in the still extant Grand Central Terminal and the ruefully destroyed Pennsylvania Station as travelers hustled to ride the rails to points throughout the continent. Those who couldn’t afford the railroad could count on long haul bus service, primarily on Greyhound and Trailways. Luxurious ocean liners could be seen one after the other lining the Hudson River piers in Manhattan. The advent of the jet age in the late 1950’s signaled the end as the once invincible railroads and steamship lines surrendered to the airlines.
Throughout our history, New York had been the port of entry for most goods entering the country, a tradition carried on in the post war period as the Port of New York handled more cargo than all other ports in the nation combined. And a savvy New Yorker could always find the ultimate bargain that “fell of the truck” between ship and market.
Baseball was still our only true national pastime with all other sports taking a back seat. There were but sixteen major league teams; none south of Washington D.C. or west of St. Louis. Designated hitters and interleague play were not even a notion. Among those teams, of course, were the Brooklyn Dodgers where Jackie Robinson had just broken the “color barrier”, playing in Ebbets Field, that wonderful ball park right in the middle of residential Flatbush (actually the edge of Crown Heights). And who can forget cross town rival New York Giants in the horseshoe shaped Polo Grounds, which ended its life as the first home of the New York Mets. In those days, the fans didn’t subsidize the stadiums; they were owned and paid for by the teams. And just about anyone could afford the price of admission! (What a difference from today when we pay for the ballparks and can’t afford to get in!!!)
At home, the early post-war years still saw people huddled around their radios to listen to the dramas and comedies that had not yet transitioned to the fledgling television stations. Although television was starting to make inroads, putting a major scare into the studios, people still flocked to see their favorite stars at the local movie theater. Every shopping strip had at least one; some several; showing double features, newsreels and a couple of cartoons along with the coming attractions, providing a full afternoon or evening of entertainment. For the kids, Saturday afternoon would often include at least ten cartoons in addition to the above.
For a curious youngster, New York was a wealth of places to explore, even if there was only a bit of change in your pocket. The greatest museums in the world were free and just a subway ride away. Each neighborhood had its own character with shopping to match. Mom and pop stores dominated the scene outside the main shopping districts and, even there, each had its distinguishing panache. Downtown was S. Klein on the Square (Union Square), the great bargain department store; midtown, Macy’s vs. Gimbels, with Saks 34th Street sandwiched in between; Brooklyn’s Fulton Street was anchored by A & S. If you knew where to shop, bargains abounded in what is now called Tribeca, the electronics district, a short walk south or the garment center midtown.
And, of course, for recreation in the summer, there was Coney Island, America’s Playground, mostly intact and in full swing, where millions went for fun, sun and inexpensive amusement and excitement. (And, rather than be restored and resurrected, soon to be sacrificed to the Lords of Greed!)
Science has answered countless questions and prolonged life and its quality immeasurably. Despite setbacks in social progress in recent years, we are a much more tolerant society with equal rights and greater opportunity for all and, it appears that we are now on track to continue in that direction. But so much has been lost; some simply becoming outdated and others because of the blindness of ignorance or greed. Why don’t we learn from past mistakes? We should work to preserve our heritage and pass our inheritance on to future generations.
What you remember from bygone days? Write or email and tell us what you miss…or what you don’t.
IFreidin@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How Gullible Are We, New York?
Everyone must have seen the campaign ads for Mayor Bloomberg by now. In his attempts to bury the competition he has spent millions before the campaign season even gets close. He claims he has a plan to protect jobs and keep the city affordable yet his actions tell a very different story as he has ignored infrastructure concerns and cut vital services drastically while reserving huge sums for his pet projects.
Mayor Bloomberg has subverted the democratic process in running for a third term. He has excused the bankers’ tactics that brought us the recession in which we are now mired and justified their enormous bonuses. Of course, theirs are his tactics too. The only ones favored with his policies are those worth a billion dollars and up yet he currently holds a double digit lead over his competition. Are you worth over a billion dollars? How about a hundred million? How gullible are we, New York?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How Gullible Are We, Coney Island?
Having an interest in Coney Island, both as America’s Playground and as a vibrant residential community, I am constantly amazed at how some of the people, claiming to be community leaders, represent themselves in regard to the planned redevelopment. In one breath, they list all the community needs and tell us how they will fight for them and in the next, they tell us how wonderful the Coney Island Development Corporation’s plan is. If you haven’t been paying attention, the plan is totally destructive to the concept of the “People’s Playground” and will serve to ultimately displace most of the current residents.
Are we that gullible to believe those who flagrantly display two faces to us? Is there anyone who has the true interest of Coney Island at heart?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The views of Bay Currents columnists are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the newspaper’s editors and managers.
Editor’s Note: Due to space requirements, I. Freidin’s column in the last issue was shortened. It will be published in its entirety in a future edition of Bay Currents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bay Currents Advertorial
Brain Gymnastics for seniors
By Dr. Valentin Bragin
How often do we complain about memory? Very often, especially when we are under the stress, or experience frustration, anxiety, and depression. Understandably, we all fear losing our memory. It’s scary to admit to ourselves, let alone anyone else. Many of us keep forgetfulness a secret from family members and loved ones, until it becomes more visible and we can’t hide it.
For many seniors, the problems with memory often grow to the point that dementia starts to develop. When forgetfulness begins to take its toll on everyday life activities, such as forgetting your car or home keys and then goes further to forgetting simple tasks such as taking a bath, preparing food and eating – it means that dementia is developing. About 5 million people suffer from dementia in the U.S. today. Half of them never go to a doctor. Of the people who are diagnosed with dementia, fifty percent do not receive any treatment. People often hear that dementia is an irreversible disease; they believe that nothing can be done about it so don’t seek help or pursue any treatment options.
This widely accepted attitude about dementia was justified many years ago, when our knowledge about brain function was extremely limited. Today, this is totally inaccurate. The strong, growing body of data supports notions about arresting memory decline in people who already have dementia, and, even further, actually preventing dementia.
Two recent international conferences on preventing dementia in Washington D.C. in 2005 and 2007 demonstrated that scientists and doctors are more open now to discussing ideas related to improving brain functions and preventing dementia. These ideas were unthinkable only thirty years ago. After the decade of the brain (1991-2000) our knowledge about brain functions and the brain’s capacity for self repair expanded significantly. Today we can work more successfully with aging or disabled brain. In short, brain gymnastics for seniors has become a reality!
In the basic sense, brain gymnastics consist mostly of different mental exercises such as doing crossword or Sudoku puzzles, playing chess or cards, and using computer programs. This strategy works for many people. However, the real brain gymnastic, in my opinion, has to be a combination of mental and physical exercise. Only a combination of physical and mental activities can help the brain to become active in order to effectively to fight stress, depression and memory decline.
So, which activities do you start first: mental or physical? While there is no definitive answer to this question, my experience suggests that physical movements should be the first, followed by memory training. The reason for this is very simple. Brain functions develop through movement in the early stages of our life. Developmentally, this is how we grow and learn. Similarly, brain functions can be reactivated at any age through movement as well, following this same pathway.
Specific physical activities involving the hands and face improve brain blood circulation and increase the flow of oxygen and nutrients into the brain cells. To illustrate this statement, imagine yourself squeezing rubber ball with one hand. The blood flow increases almost immediately in that hand. At the same time, the blood flow increases in the places in the brain that are neurologically related to this hand. Therefore, after this physical warm up, our brain is ready for mental exercises.
Why the hands and face? The hands and face occupy much more space in the sensory-motor parts of the brain compared with the rest of the body. The hands and face become active immediately after birth. The newborn sucks milk, expresses facial emotions, and grabs at his or her surroundings with hands. This unequal hands-and-face occupancy in the brain, compared to the rest of our body, continues all our life. They are the key to brain repair. In short, hand and face movements for seniors are aerobic exercises for their brains.
To increase brain blood circulation, you don’t need special equipment. The only things you need are your fingers, hands, face and larynx along with some basic objects such as a pencil, an empty water bottle, and a tennis ball. For example, the tennis ball exercise is very simple. Each element has to be done for two minutes.
First, you roll the tennis ball between your palms.
Then, holding the ball with one hand, you tap your palm of the opposite hand.
Next, you place the ball between your palms, touching each other in V shape. You touch the ball, alternately with your fingers from your right and left hands.
Last, you slightly squeeze the tennis ball as if you are preparing a snow ball.
The other techniques are described in my book How to Activate the Brain and are demonstrated for patients in our office. The movements are coupled with attention-training. The more you concentrate on the movements, the better your concentration.
You can do brain gymnastics at home. You learn simple techniques that, along with the physical movements, fight stress and improve blood and nutrient flow into the brain. Brain exercises train your attention and concentration, and pen and paper exercises train your memory. Good luck! You are on your way!
Valentin Bragin, M.D.
718 946-2481
www.howtoactivateyourbrain.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Food co-op offers meals with a side order of hope
By Olga Privman
Bay Currents writer
Can you imagine paying $30 for a week’s supply of quality meals for four?
“Put me in a time machine and I’ll go back to 1950,” you’ll probably say.
Actually, all you have to do is go to 2114 Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island. For several days each month, the Lighthouse Mission holds a food co-op, representing the south Brooklyn branch of Project Angel Food, an organization founded by Marianne Williamson to provide good food at affordable prices. The Coney Island branch has been open since January.
“There’s no limit on how much somebody wants to purchase,” said Rev. Vincent Fusco, executive director of the mission. “It’s really for anybody, especially with the economy the way it is. We’re trying to help people – help them stretch their budget a little bit.”
Specials for senior citizens and allergen-free boxes are also available, as are seafood mixes and holiday specials.
Anyone is eligible -- there are no restrictions or income tests. “If somebody says, ‘Here’s a $30 coupon. Go to Pathmark, put $60 worth of food in your basket but pay only $30,’ would you do it? Of course you would. I would do it. My wife would throw me out if I put that coupon away,” said Fusco.
With the purchase of one standard, $30 box, a customer has the option of buying a “special box,” including the “All Premium Fresh Fruit and Veggie Box,” containing more than 12 types of fruit.
Food stamps are also an acceptable form of payment, providing assistance to those who need it most.
“We have this one lady who comes in and spends $186 for her entire food stamp budget, so she’s going home with $400 worth of food,” the reverend said.
You can even place orders online at AngelFoodMinistries.com, though deadlines do apply and purchases must be picked up in person. Orders must be placed by May 18 for this month’s delivery, with distribution taking place on May 30, with a Seafood Box premiering this month as a standard at $35.
With this kind of deal, you might expect poor quality, but Fusco was quick to dispel that impression. “We have top-name products – Amish Farms, Perdue, Kraft. The frozen stuff comes in frozen, the others fresh – once a month.”
Lighthouse Mission’s services are not limited to Project Angel Food. The reverend and his staff and volunteers help with housing and vocational training, hold English as a Second Language and G.E.D. courses, provide a soup kitchen, and offer an after-school program, which holds recitals for major holidays and even provides backpacks full of school supplies every September. They also run a women’s shelter in Midwood.
All these programs are free.
“It lines up with what our mission is,” said Fusco. “We’re a community development corporation that specializes in meeting people’s needs.”
The church is seeking funding to expand. Fusco hopes to spread awareness of the Lighthouse Mission, especially amid the economic crisis affecting just about everyone.
“I think it’s a good asset to the community because it helps make ends meet in this time when we’re having difficulties,” said Carolyn Anderson, who has been a customer for more than a year. “Thank God that there is a place like this.”
privman@baycurrents.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech Currents
The mobile high-tech threat: Smishing
From Buzzup.com
What’s the best way to disguise a phishing attempt so no one can tell where a request for personal information or a password really came from? Easy: Send it via text message.
“Smishing” is the name being given to the not-entirely-new but growing practice of sending phishing come-ons and scams via SMS message. And spammers are apparently finding it an increasingly easier proposition to text a phishing message to you rather than to email it traditionally.
Why’s that? You’ve probably received hundreds or thousands of phishing emails and immediately saw through the ruse: Images were broken, the “from” address was wrong, words were misspelled, or links in the message were obviously directing you to phony websites. There are dozens of things that phishers have to get right for an email scam to fool anyone, and that’s apparently quite difficult to do. Making things even tougher, many of those emails are now blocked by ISPs and spam filters and never make it to their intended targets.
Those problems don’t really exist at the SMS level: Very few SMS messages are blocked, and since they are composed entirely of text, no images required, it’s often impossible at a glance to determine if a message is real or fake.
One popular smish threatens the user that he is about to be charged for something unless he cancels it, with a message like: “We’re confirming you’ve signed up for our dating service. You will be charged $2/day unless you cancel your order by clicking here: phonysite.com.” Of course there are no pending charges, and the site you’re directed to is completely fake, its goal being to collect your credit card number (which you will helpfully enter in order to “cancel” the charges), or install a bit of malware on your computer (or even, someday, on your phone).
Smishing messages may instead direct you to call a toll-free number in order to complete or cancel some financial transaction, the only difference being that a human operator will handily take down your credit card or bank account number for you, to save you the trouble of typing it online. Of course, the number you called is phony, too.
What should you do if you receive a message you fear is a smish attack? The answer should be pretty obvious but bears repeating: Virtually no credible financial institution, utility, or other business will communicate with you via SMS with the exception of your cell phone provider. Don’t recognize the website or phone number being sent to you? Don’t call it. If you’re worried about an upcoming charge, contact the service provider or bank directly via means you know are legitimate and ask them directly about the message. They’ll likely tell you what you already know: Just ignore it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete Coney
By Julian Davis
Bay Currents writer
First, tons of sand were used to fill in the legendary “under the boardwalk” of Brighton Beach and Coney Island.
Now, city officials are considering getting rid of the boards altogether, replacing them with simulated planks made out of colored concrete.
“Why don’t they just call it a sidewalk?” said Dennis Thomas, president of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club.
Parks Department officials say the faux planks can last some 40 years with little upkeep, about twice as long as wood. They stress that it would also stop the use of wood from tropical rain forests, which was used when the boardwalk was first erected nearly nine decades ago.
Last year city officials talked about using a petroleum-based plastic to replace the wood.
Some Coney Island merchants say they wouldn’t mind the new material if it would replace the deteriorating wood and repair the hazardous holes and protruding planks along the boardwalk.
davis@baycurrents.net

Search engines can power small business

2009-04-28T19:58:00.000-04:00

By Michael Schlager
Bay Currents Marketing Director and writer

“Search Engine Optimization” may sound like something only a dedicated webmaster would be excited about, but when I visited the Search Engine Strategies New York conference last month in Manhattan, it didn’t take long to see that it’s relevant to most of us Web-minded people.

The most successful businesses all have websites. There is more money being made in websites than in most other segments of the economy today – but if you own or manage a business, you have to be able to find the right vendors who can tailor your website for your and your customers’ specific needs. Conferences such as SES New York – which come a few times a year in the metro area – are a good way to sift through the array of Internet products and services to find what’s best for you.

The 2,300-person SES New York is considered to be one of the top events of the entire industry. The most creative, innovative and dynamic people involved with the Internet were all there, interacting with people like you and me.

Just deciding what level of the conference to participate in was a job in itself. I took the beginner’s route -- I visited the small-business seminars as well as the blog and new release from Google Adwords.

Matt Van Wagner, a principal of www.findmefaster.com, showed how his local bakery in New Hampshire, www.patisseriebleu.com , was able to transform its identity from an average bakery with a mediocre presence on the Web, to a specialty bakery. This was done after careful research based on feedback from customers and Web visitors alike. After going into detail with interested customers who came via the Web, one idea after another started to click -- Wagner found a niche for the bakery, which became a solution for all who had allergies to certain foods. It became an allergen-free bakery of choice, and they are now looking to make unique mixes (much more practical for shipping) and other products for business out of their region. Business soared, and they have never looked back. The research and Website redo brought an increase in in-store as well as Web traffic and phone orders.

David Mihm, of www.getlisted.org focused on the need to create pages for each of the neighborhoods a business serves, and the value that this creates. David was on the small business panel with Matt.

Google Adwords
Ariel Bardin, a product management director for Google, introduced the new interface of Google Adwords. He did say it will take some time to get use to, but it’s much more clickable than before, offering up many new features that customers had asked for. For example, you can run a query report and it will easily label what you have changed, visually letting you know what you have done in one eye span. Also, your data is configurable with Excel at many more points. Another nice upgrade is that you can change the CPC (cost per click) for all your choices by amount or percent. One of his tips for the general Web developer is to have a link on every page to ask for feedback, a ‘Send Feedback’ button, for example. It can make a big difference.

Not just the speakers

A good conference is not only about the speakers. The people you meet there can also be most impressive. Two of the companies that I heard about, which seem to be on the cutting edge, are www.vitals.com -- used by hospitals to monitor the success of physicians and can give you an instant, free checkup on your doctor – and www.reprelations.com, the backbone of many public relations firms, focusing on “reputation control” for celebrities, athletes, and corporations.

The training
Bruce Clay, a definite rock star in the Internet world, is the think-tank behind companies such as CNN which manage 1 million -- yes, 1 million -- pages of new content per month. He’s the wizard who makes it all come true for hundreds of companies world-wide. His sidekick, Chris Hart jumped in to elaborate on things which Bruce touched on and emphasized those he felt would help the attendees Chris is probably the next Bruce-in-the-making. He took the time out to learn where each attendee was coming from, and was able to fine-tune the experience for each individual.

The Top Ten
I came away from the conference with a host of new perspectives and ideas to follow up on -- here are the Top Ten, emphasized by Chris:
Running a “~” (tilda) search is one of the best ways to find what is natural in the index of those words most closely associated to what you need for your own SEO campaign.
Use other forms of natural stemming words in your content like “smile, smiles, smiled and smiling.” The emphasis is in using the words that come up in natural conversation which make sense.
Behavioral or personalized search based on your IP address will become more popular, and ‘private searches’ will also stem up as a result
Because of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Code 508, each released version of flash (non-animated text is all that is searchable currently) will continue to get more searchable (of course you need to put contextual information around your flash object).
In January and February Google didn’t notify people that it was experimenting to see how weighted averages for established sites worked, thus many went up and down in rankings in an indefinable way. Things went back to normal after that, with authoritative sites become more valuable (not a known spammer, known audience, trusted resource).
Sites are defined as either research or e-commerce and the more your e-commerce site slides towards the research site, the higher the rankings. Integrating engagement objects such as video, images, blogs, maps, books, and music make the difference.
FYI: Google has an estimated 150,000 servers to study billions of pages in the indexing cycle. Google will look at every page at least every 90 days (and then if changes they will spider), but the more often you update the site, the more you will get spidered. Case in point: CNN has got to the point of being spidered every two minutes.
www.youtube.com ‘s “Dove Evolution” has had 8 million views, and another one describing the social gravitas is the “Battle at Kruger” video, which was eventually made into a Discovery TV show.
Omniture is something like Google Analytics on steroids

Here are three more…
The value of having keyword contextual terms in the URL, is only valuable when a link is made to your pages when the person linking to you uses the URL as the anchor text.
Link to a Non-profit and you also want to link to experts, but you don’t want someone lame to link to you (or back to them).
Link Begging is very low return on investment. Maybe find a reason for them to edit that page and that might just tempt them to move forwards with you. Think about them before you make your presentation.

If you have any questions or comments, let us know. We’ll have more about the many ways the Internet can build your business, but we need your feedback.
Contact us at 718-676-5434, michaelschlager@hotmail.com

2009-04-21T02:00:00.001-04:00

http://issuu.com/baycurrents/docs/issue10

Issue 10

2009-04-12T12:47:00.000-04:00

David J. Glenn
Publisher’s Notebook
A sudden perspective
On a recent, drizzly Wednesday night, I was walking along Avenue U after getting some late-night groceries, when I noticed a man, probably in his 30s, slowly sit down on the wet pavement in front of a gated storefront, placing an empty coffee cup at his right foot. He looked like he was settling in for the night, although I wondered how many coins he expected to get on a rainy night on an all but deserted sidewalk.
I had spent just about all the money I had had in my pocket on the groceries, so I offered him a package of mini hoagies that I had just bought.
As I continued on my way, it occurred to me: Here I was on a chilly, wet night, with my usual concerns about personal and business expenses in the souring economy, while this guy sits down on a damp street hoping to get a few coins in his paper cup.
I have no idea whether he was in this situation because of the current economic crisis. For all I know, he may have been homeless for years, and just happened to pick this spot on Avenue U that night.
It doesn’t matter. Whether the Dow Jones goes up or down, whether AIG goes bankrupt or prospers, whether there’s a bear or a bull on Wall Street, there is no reason I can think of why any human being, in Brooklyn, in New York City, in America, should spend the night on a wet sidewalk.
If we finally find Osama Bin Laden, if we finally pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan, even if we finally provide health care coverage for everyone, we’ll still be something other than a successful nation if this man, or anyone else, sits down with a paper cup in front of a closed store on a wet street.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letters to the Editor letters@baycurrents.net

Easy targets
To the Editor:
I am writing as a longtime resident of the Sheepshead Bay area to express my concern over the governor’s recently proposed budget cuts.
In targeting healthcare and education for his cuts, he will be impacting our most vulnerable populations, namely, the elderly (who frequently have only Medicare and/or Medicaid) and children in our public school system. These are the easiest targets because they don’t have the resources that those who are better off have to fight back.
Tell Albany to spread these cuts out more even-handedly and raise taxes on those who can afford it!
Timothy Leahy
Sheepshead Bay

Sheep’s clothing
To the Editor:
My mother lives in Coney Island and feels very threatened by what is going on there with the mayor’s plan and the developers. I see that ACORN and the construction unions are there too. I live in Prospect Heights and as someone whose neighborhood has been victimized by this kind of plan (Atlantic Yards), I can tell you that they are up to no good. As in my neighborhood, the unions are there for the jobs and want to see as much construction as possible no matter what the cost to the community. ACORN claimed to be for the community but acted against it by negotiating a community benefits agreement without the support of the community. For their efforts showing (false) community support, ACORN was paid by the developer.
We were lucky to have a real community group fighting for our rights and with the bad economy the Atlantic Yards Project looks to be dead. I pray that it is and that my mother and other people in Coney Island are saved from the mayor, the developers, the unions and ACORN.
Adrienne Johnson
Prospect Heights

Shotgun approach
To The Editor:
The recently enacted $787 billion economic stimulus plan designed to create jobs includes about $300 billion in tax cuts for individuals and businesses, which will not create jobs because companies are not hiring and consumers are saving their money, not making purchases they can postpone. The Commerce Department recently reported a U.S. savings rate of 5%, which is the highest since 1995.
A significant portion of the remaining $487 billion goes to social programs, which will help the needy in some instances, but will not create jobs in the private sector where they are needed. Examples are $50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts; $380 million for Women, Infants & Children’s welfare; $2.4 billion for neighborhood stabilization; $160 million for “paid volunteers” (???) for Community Service; $20 billion for food stamps; $150 million for the Smithsonian; and $55 million for the Historic Preservation Funds.
The Administration’s projection of creating 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010 is optimistically off target because it is based on an average unemployment rate of 8.1% for 2009, which was hit in February, and it is rising. It now appears the economic stimulus plan will create about 2.5 million jobs, which doesn’t come close to replacing the 4.4 million jobs lost in this recession, plus the 500,000 to 600,000 more jobs lost each passing month.
For 2009 the Obama Administration predicts a 1.2% decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but a majority of economists predict a 2.0% decrease in GDP; and in 2010 it’s a 3.2% projected increase by the Administration, but a 2.0% increase predicted by the economists. For the 4th quarter of 2008 the Bush Administration projected a 3.8% decrease in GDP, but the actual decrease was 6.2%. Essentially, the Administrations are generating economic policies based on optimistic projections of our GDP, but prudence might dictate more conservative projections.
Maybe the President should end his ongoing campaign mode of governing, curtail his continuous campaign and media appearances, start operating as the chief executive of this country, and concentrate on creating good paying American jobs as his primary objective.
Donald A. Moskowitz
Londonderry, NH
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Around the Bay
CB 13: No Brighton skyline
Community Board 13 has made it clear to the city that Brighton Beach should not be rezoned unless any new construction is limited in height to that of existing structures, and if owners of the small-lot bungalows are able to increase the space around their houses.
At its March 30 meeting, the board rejected the proposed rezoning by a vote of 23-9 (with 2 abstentions) for fear that it would allow towering new condos or other buildings in the seaside community.
Any rezoning is ultimately up to the City Council.
Residents had been pressing the board for months to head off surges in high-rise construction in Brighton. Jeannette LoSciuto, 75, who has lived in Brighton for a half-century, told the board at an earlier meeting that she and other long-time residents feared being forced out of the area by new development. “They don’t want to leave here,” she said. “They don’t want to leave home. They grew up here.”
Winston Von Engel, deputy director of the Brooklyn office of the city’s Planning Department, had urged the members to support the proposal with the size limitations and bungalow amendments. But the members feared that the City Council would simply ignore the added stipulations.
T. Mong
Clinic to close
The Bay Primary Clinic at Ocean Avenue and Shore Parkway will no longer be available for area residents needing medical treatment.
The city’s Health and Hospitals Corporation plans to close down the facility, which serves some 4,000 patients. More than 20 jobs will be eliminated.
The HHC also expects to close four school-based mental-health programs at P.S. 90 on West 12th Street, P.S. 225 on Oceanview Avenue, I.S. 96 on Avenue P, and P.S. 229 on Benson Avenue.
In the Country of Brooklyn’
Long Island University Prof. Joseph Dorinson discusses “In the Country of Brooklyn” at the Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association’s meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16 at the King’s Chapel, Quentin Road and East 27 Street. Prof. Dorinson frequently writes and speaks on urban politics, life in Brooklyn, sports history (especially the Brooklyn Dodgers), Jewish history and humorists.
For more information, call 718-934-8214.
Easter egg hunt
BookMark Shoppe owners Christine Fleglette and Bina Valenzano plan to give away nearly 2,000 items in their “goodie bags” planted in the park for the Bay Ridge Egg Hunt from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 11 at. McKinley Park at 75th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway.
Eco-Fest at KCC
Kingsborough Community College hosts its fourth annual Eco-Festival on April 21-24, with the theme, “Living on Earth.” The event, free and open to the public, features speakers, films, lectures, workshops, and other events. “We never thought that from acorns, something like this would grow,” said KCC English Prof. Tara Weiss, who, with Prof. Betsy McCully, started the project. “This year’s Eco-Fest promises to be just as big as ever. It’ll be a jazzy, multimedia event. We’re going to open up people’s minds.”
Well-known environmental scientist, Dr. Wayne J. Martin is slated as the keynote speaker.
We want these individuals to walk away with a deeper appreciation of planet Earth,” said Prof. Joseph Terry, who will co-chair a panel with fellow professor Kevin Kolkmeyer, “Humanity is Green: Eco-Experiences and Philosophies.”
ÒWe want them to be ambassadors for Planet Earth,” he said.
Patrick Hickey Jr.
Eco-Fest at the museum
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum offers a “Spring Break Eco Fest” from 10 am to 5pm each day from Thursday, April 9, through Sunday, April 18.
Program highlights include:
Nectar to Honey, Flower to Fruit: Visitors will examine the environmental and ethnobotanical uses of various flowers. They will also explore the life and anatomy of a bee, and “the hive life,” including pollination and honey production.
A Different Kind of Garden Party: Get down and dirty during National Gardening Month in the Museum’s Greenhouse and Garden, and find out all about dirt, composting, and planting seeds.
Earth Day Art: Get ready for Earth Day! Create your own “Planet Earth” to take home.
Green Construction Junction: Enjoy an entire day of construction-related programs for kids.
For more information and registration (required for some events) call 718- 735-4400
or visit www.brooklynkids.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cover Story

Tenants are ‘silent victims’ of foreclosure
By David J. Glenn
Bay Currents Publisher
Celia has been paying rent, on time, for about six months for her apartment in a multi-family house on a local tree-lined street.
She now has two weeks to get out.
I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” she said, trying to hold back tears. “Where am I going to live now?”
Celia (not her real name) is being evicted only because her landlord was foreclosed upon. She is among the thousands of what a housing advocate calls the “silent victims” of the current epidemic of home foreclosures.
The tenants are stuck in the middle,’ said Michael Hickey, executive director of the non-profit Center for New York City Neighborhoods. “It’s an ugly situation.”
Hickey said a solid half of the yearly average of 15,000 foreclosures in the five boroughs involve tenants, who are dragged into housing court if they don’t leave – even if they’ve paid their rent faithfully. The judge can give them three or four months to find a new place to live, but they still have the stigma of being taken to housing court – a matter of public information that could cause the tenant to be unofficially blacklisted among landlords. “It’s terribly unfair,” said Hickey.
Queens City Councilman Tom White has introduced a bill -- co-sponsored by District 46 Councilman Lew Fidler, who had been active in founding the Center -- requiring the bank or other agent foreclosing on a property with up to five units, to notify all the tenants of the building within 10 days of filing the action.
The tenant would now be a part of the foreclosure process,” said White aide Yvonne Williamson, which would avoid the situation like what happened to Celia.
The legislation currently is in committee. It’s expected to go before the full council by June. The bill will likely be re-worked to include a requirement that the tenant is also told whether to continue paying rent to the landlord, or to the foreclosing agent, Williamson said, to avoid the landlord simply running off with the rent money on a foreclosed property.
The new law wouldn’t apply to “any governmental entity” bringing foreclosure. A White spokesman said that’s routine with new legislation.
Whether you’re a homeowner or tenant, if you ere facing foreclosure, call the Center’s foreclosure hotline,  646-786-0888, or call 311.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Center for New York City Neighborhood’s mission statement

The Center for New York City Neighborhoods, Inc. was created to address the local repercussions of the national foreclosure crisis. Through comprehensive citywide programming that includes legal services, housing counseling, and consumer education, CNYCN pursues multiple strategies to assist those at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure - both homeowners and renters alike. CNYCN seeks to support distressed homeowners retain their equity, and preserve New York City neighborhoods by limiting the negative impacts of foreclosure, property flipping, and abandonment. CNYCN is funded through grants from government agencies, foundations, and financial institutions
CNYCN grew out of efforts by local leaders to create a systemic response to rapidly rising mortgage defaults and foreclosure filings, particularly in communities hardest hit by subprime and other unconventional loan products. The City of New York has a strong track record of successful government and nonprofit interventions to address pressing community needs, and worked in partnership with non-profit organizations, financial institutions, and private foundations to create a vision for what CNYCN could be.
CNYCN’s activities include:
Raising over $7 million to support housing counseling, legal service and consumer education nonprofit throughout New York City to expand and enhance their programs.
Creating a process to award, support, train, and coordinate many nonprofit partners to act as a single system in responding to this crisis
Coordinating with 311 to create a streamlined process for those seeking support to find free, local foreclosure prevention advice and counsel.
Developing strategies to acquire foreclosed properties from lenders and servicers, rehabilitate them, and sell them again as affordable homeownership opportunities for qualified owner occupants.
Initiating a pilot program in the Queens court system with the Office of Court Administration to support homeowners in preparing to meet with lenders and servicers in “settlement conferences” to negotiate a resolution to a pending foreclosure action.
Seeking to create a nonprofit mortgage brokerage in partnership with Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City so that homeowners who choose to sell their homes can have the benefits of better consumer protection and reduced costs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scam Alert
In the interests of helping our readers avoid becoming victims of Internet scams, we like to share with you from time to time some of the many e-mails we get promising everything from millions of dollars in lottery winnings to hefty inheritances from recently deceased “relatives.”
We’d like to present here an example of a puppy scam that we recently received. These may be particularly nefarious, since who can resist the prospect of getting an adorable little puppy? But many e-mail recipients don’t realize that they have a better chance of landing on Mars than actually getting a puppy, and that even if the e-mailer were to really ship a puppy, it’s of questionable legality to do so, not to mention the cruelty to the animal.
Here is our back-and-forth correspondence with “Hazel Stanfield” (we’re keeping all her grammatical and spelling mistakes intact).  We used the address of the 61st Police Precinct in our responses:

Hello,
Thanks for your interest, I only have one left and is female puppy available for adoption,Name Lacy is still very much available adoption. she is 12 weeks old,This puppy health is %100 OK!, 1st shots, AKC registered,Baby is so animated and will keep you entertained for hours. She really had her own distinct personality.Loving and very affectionate personalities are standard with other animals. She is very affectionate and like to give kisses all the time. This Female pup presently weighs about 2.1 lb .live here in Jasper,Alabama (USA) with the baby .Am going to ship to you via express delivery on same day delivery, so if you are interested in having the puppy, i want you to get back to me with your full name,address,phone number including the nearest airport to you. Please if you know that you are not going to take very good care of my baby, do not reply me because i am not giving because of bad condition or anything i am only giving this puppy out because we don’t have time to take care of the puppy again due to my work here.She is priceless therefore she will be going for free, so i will like you to get back to me with your full name and full address including your nearest airport so that we proceed with the adoption process and also find out shipping cost,I want you to know that you are paying for the shipping cost.
i will like you to get back to me with your full name and full address including your nearest airport so that we proceed with the adoption process and also find out shipping cost,I want you to know that you are paying for the shipping cost.
Best Regards. Thanks

The name and address is: (fake name) 2575 Coney Island Ave Brooklyn, NY 11223. The nearest airport is JFK.

Hello,
Thanks for conversation I really appreciate it,I will have the puppy ship along with her certified health certificate, vaccination and worming record, copy of USDA paper, AKC registration application for the puppy, its pedigree and your puppy’s guarantee.also the airline ticket, an approved carrier with a soft, comfortable bed, health certificate from my vet, a puppy pack including sample food your pup has been eating, a tube of nutri-cal,I also include a special gift to your puppy from me.Everything you will need will be taped to the top of your puppy’s carrier.I want you to confirm your shipping info below: Julian Davis 2575 Coney Island Ave Brooklyn, NY 11223. The nearest airport is JFK.
Shipping of the puppy is $300 and $80 For care/feeding the total amount is $380,All the papers will be coming with the puppy,I will be very happy if you can promise to update me with her picture every month.This baby is very good with registered/registrable (AKC, NKC, etc.), Current vaccinations, Veterinarian examination, Health certificate Additional information,I will be looking forward to hear from you. Thanks

What is the procedure now? And, how can I be assured that I will receive the puppy once I send the money?

Below is the information you need to wire the payment ,carefully put down the correct receiver details :-
Receiver’s name : Hazel Stanfield Address: 801 Viking Dr City: Jasper State: Alabama Zip: 35501 Country : USA
Test Question : XXXXX Test Answer: XXXXXX
As soon as i confirm the payment i will send you the booking info which you can confirm via American airline and also get back to me with the Western Union details Sender’s name: ________________________ Sender’s address:________________________ Sender’s city:________________________ Sender’s Zip code:________________________ Sender’s state:________________________ Amount sent:_______________________ MTCN: _____________ (money transfer control number)
Go to any nearby (GROCERY) store around you and have the payment made via Western Union to the information above, I await your reply with the MTCN(# ) and sender information exactly as it’s on western union form filled , As soon as the payment is confirmed i will have the baby schedule for shipping and get back to you with the airway bill number so as to enable you to track the shipment status .
I expect to read from you soon.
My regards
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial Currents
Nannies and the IRS: A taxing situation
If you have a cleaning lady, housekeeper, nanny, babysitter, health aide, private nurse, caregiver, house cleaner, yard worker or similar domestic worker, and
If you control the work that is performed (how the work is done, what work is to be done, when, you provide the tools), and if you pay them $1,500 or more during the year, then
You are a household employer. Congratulations.
The main tax issue is the amount of control you exercise – what is done, and how it is done. The pay frequency is not important (hourly, daily, or weekly), and it makes not difference whether the job is full-time, or part-time.
Example 1: A family hires Victoria, a caregiver, for their elderly mother 4 days a week in their home, for a total of 25 hours. The family gives Victoria instructions about the caring, needs, and other household duties. In addition, the family provides all of the supplies Victoria uses to do her work. Victoria is a household employee.
Example 2: A family hires Lenny to care for their lawn. Lenny works for other homeowners as well, and provides his own tools and supplies. He also hires and pays any helpers he needs. Lenny is considered an independent contractor, not an employee of the family. Lenny is responsible for all employment taxes.
Even if you consider Victoria an ‘independent contractor’ and give her a 1099 form at the end of the year, she is still considered to be YOUR employee.
What taxes and related expenses are involved?
For you, the employer:
Social Security and Medicare: 7.65% of the Gross
Federal Unemployment Insurance: up to $56 a year.
State Unemployment: up to $349 a year (first year).
Worker’s Disability Insurance: About $200 a year.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance: About $400 a year.
For your employee:
Social Security and Medicare: 7.65% of the Gross.
Federal, State, Local Income Tax (Based on Marital Status and allowances.)
Are there exceptions? (Is this the Government?)
Your Spouse.
Children under age 21.
Your parent, if: (1) You have a child (under 18) living with you, who has a physical or mental condition that requires the personal care of an adult for at least four continuous weeks in a calendar quarter; and (2) You are divorced (not remarried), or you are a widow/er, or you are married and living with a person whose physical and mental condition prevents him or her from caring for your child for at least four continuous weeks in a calendar quarter.
An employee under 18 at any time during the year. For example, a student’s “principal occupation” is not providing household services, so you would not have to pay FICA and Social Security taxes for a high school student who is working for you as a babysitter, even if the wages exceeded $1,500.
Tax Implications:
Possible child-care credit,
Possible medical deduction,
Reduced possibility of vacation at Club-Fed.
For more information:
1.IRS http://www.irs.gov/publications/p926/index.html
2.NY State http://www.tax.state.ny.us/pdf/publications/multi/pub27_1207.pdf
3.Your tax preparer.
Accountant Joseph Reisman  2751 Coney Island Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11235
Phone 718.332.1040
Fax 718.743.2721
JSReisman@TaxHelp1040.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OP-ED

Cherry Hill vital to community
By Simon Belksy
What’s so terrible about the revival of a quality seafood restaurant at the Lundy Bros. site, and the addition of a gourmet market with quality offerings of deli, cooked and cold foods, bakery items and gelato, to be enjoyed in a café atmosphere as well as taken home for dinner? What is so terrible about having organic foods and a quality bakery where none exist?
What is wrong with trying to resurrect an area in Sheepshead Bay which has been deteriorating for the past 30-plus years?
Ever since the demise of the original Lundy Bros. restaurant in 1977, the landmark building has been vacant for the last three decades except for two short-term failed attempts to open a seafood restaurant on a much smaller scale. It is clear that just a restaurant in this massive building cannot survive, as the clientele that filled Lundy Bros. no longer exists.
In 1973, with all of the best intentions for the community Sheepshead Bay was designated as a “special district” to promote and strengthen the unique character of the area as a prime location for waterfront and recreational development and to help attract a useful cluster of shops, restaurants and related activities.
Unfortunately, whether it was due to the changing makeup of our diverse community or the changes in the economy, it appears that the “special district” zoning in some instances have been more of a hindrance than a help to the community.
Vacant lots and vacant buildings only led to an abundance of garbage, rodent infestation and crime further deteriorating the community.
A July 9, 1995 article in The New York Times it states, it was clear to Mr. John E. Nikas, Community Board 15 Chairman and Mitchell Corby, Director of the City Planning Department’s Brooklyn Office that “We’ve just got to accept that the district’s goals were never realized.”
Why can’t the few complaining pundits wake up to the reality of history and the existing situation and help Cherry Hill resolve the zoning issue?
Recently my wife and I spent two hours with David Isaev, president of Cherry Hill Gourmet ,discussing his plans and objectives in detail regarding the new Lundy Bros. Restaurant and Cherry Hill Gourmet. I have come away with an understanding:
• The exterior of the building will be completely restored to conform to the Landmark Preservation requirements.
• The original Lundy Bros. lettering and awnings will also be restored to its original condition even though the lettering is not part of the façade and not a requirement of Landmark Preservation.
• The restaurant part of the business will be promoted and marketed to make every effort to revitalize the Lundy Bros. name and restaurant stature.
• The restaurant will be opened approximately 4-5 months later, due to construction timetable.
• Baskets in the gourmet area will only be allowed to exit the rear of the building into the parking lot. No baskets will be allowed on Emmons or Ocean Avenues.
Isaev has invested an enormous amount of money rebuilding a structure in shambles with the hope of building a successful business and revitalizing an area which is in desperate need of help. The work he has done in the parking lot appears to be a bigger investment that most businesses in the area have made.
Almost everyone I have spoken to that has seen the interior and had a preview of the plans are extremely positive and are eagerly awaiting the Grand Opening of the Cherry Hill Gourmet and Lundy’s New 4* Restaurant.
The battle needs to end for the benefit of the community. The issues regarding Landmark Preservation appear to be resolved. With Loehmann’s and condos already on Emmons Avenue, I believe, the zoning has changed dramatically from its original intent. It is time to sit down and together move forward with a solution instead of pointing fingers for politics or personal desires.
The community should also immediately address possible solutions for additional parking areas and a multitude of promotions to bolster the viability of our fishing/cruising fleet.
Simon Belsky is a candidate for City Council in District 48
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Legitimization of Ignorance
By I. Friedin
Bay Currents columnist
The movie Inherit the Wind made a huge impression on me as a youngster. Based on the 1925 “monkey trial” in Tennessee, the 1960 film dramatized the true story of the trial of John Scopes, a small town teacher arrested for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in violation of state law. How medieval! This is 1960; today we live in a far more enlightened world…I thought!

The naiveté of youth tends to place things in a very different perspective. The movie was released only 35 years after the event, a mere flash in the passage of time. And, as I found out as I spread my wings and traveled beyond my little universe, many Americans still refused to accept scientific reality. Their seemingly outdated beliefs were just not being given much exposure outside their communities.

In the world of 1960 society was moving ahead rapidly. Technology and progressive thought were the order of the day as we were moving forward in an ever more enlightened direction. New Deal thinking prevailed as lessons learned from the recent calamities of the Great Depression, World War II and the Holocaust dominated the national psyche. Planning for a bright future via the scientific method was the national discussion as equal rights and the eradication of poverty were the battlegrounds of the day. America was curing its ills and working toward creating the “perfect society”.

The original New Deal administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, elected at the height of the Great Depression in 1932, included those from the field of business as one would expect, as well as more intellectuals than any that had preceded it. President Roosevelt, having come from old money, was considered a “traitor to his class” for even thinking of allowing any sort of empowerment for the general public or such open-minded thought to take precedence in the national capital; heretofore the realm of the financial elite. The least corrupt administration in our history, it took a small but significant step toward the American ideal of “government of the people, by the people and for the people”.

After World War II, impetus in fulfilling the American ideal accelerated. Fledgling television networks brought the news into our homes where we watched as issues played out before us; a major element in the movement for civil rights and later, the movement against the War in Viet Nam. Aah, but there was the catch; that war; the quagmire in Southeast Asia. The country became aroused, polarized and completely distracted from the mission. The evils of our government were displayed for all to see. Believers in the mission were completely turned off while ultra-patriots, those who accepted policy without question, stood up against them. The nation was divided along political as well as racial lines. The assassinations of charismatic leaders Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, and earlier of John Kennedy, decimated progressive leadership. Enter Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew.

1968 was a year of turmoil. The war in Viet Nam raged, Americans rose up and the inner cities continued to explode as the civil rights movement turned more and more violent. Young men wore their hair long; girls wore their skirts short. To those who opposed the war, an American flag on a lapel branded one an enemy of peace, truth and justice. America was at war with itself.

Outside the Democratic convention in Chicago, police bashed the heads of youthful protesters as the cameras rolled. Americans were sickened at the sight…and this was the party of progressives, of the New Deal, of civil rights, of the war on poverty. The candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, an old New Dealer, was the nominee and made it one of the closest elections in history. But Nixon prevailed.

Before personal corruption doomed the entire ticket, irreparable damage had been done. Nixon kept an “enemies list” consisting of his political opponents and New Deal legislators, who he purged from office by pouring money against their campaigns. Perhaps the greatest harm was done to the American mindset however, by Vice President Agnew. His speeches, legitimizing “the silent majority” and condemning progressive thinkers as “effete snobs”, served to encourage the simple, those of backward thought, those steeped in ignorance, to literally come out of the closet. And the wheels were set in motion for the usurpation of our nation by the forces of ignorance and greed.

Ronald Reagan capitalized on this thinking by supporting the religious right and opening wide the doors for the exploitation of the public by corporate greed. More and more, encouragement was given to right wing fundamentalists. The Moral Majority, founded by Jerry Falwell in 1979 as an organ for right wing Christian fundamentalists to advance this agenda further legitimized those who would usurp the separation of church and state and impress their beliefs on others. Cultural battles became the norm, distracting from real issues while the economy was raped by corporate gluttony and entitlements for the people drastically reduced.

The Moral Majority’s agenda was anything but moral, advocating a right wing political agenda that denied the needy as well as the rights of women and gays. Preaching their brand of morality, many televangelists took advantage of naïve believers to solicit money for their lavish lifestyles. Much of this came crashing down as many became embroiled in scandals. Yet, although greatly diminished, they still exist, preying on ignorance and giving false hope.

Another phenomenon created in the Reagan years was right wing talk radio. Throughout this period, media was becoming more consolidated under corporate ownership and mindset as the FCC became more and more lax. The repeal, in 1987, of the Fairness Doctrine, which provided for equal time for opposing opinions on TV and radio stations, saw a deluge of commentators with right wing agendas flooding the airwaves. Disregarding the truth to further their agendas, Rush Limbaugh and others of like mind raised fiction to a level equal to fact as truth and falsehood blurred into simply differences of opinion. If the truth hurts, people could take comfort in believing the lie. After all, they heard it on the radio!

Among the greatest political disservices perpetrated on the American public to that point was the “Gingrich Revolution” of 1994. Bill Clinton was elected in 1992 with the promise of creating a health plan for all Americans. Newt Gingrich, Congressman from Georgia, led the Republicans and the health industry in confusing the public and convincing them to defeat the plan and its advocates in government. A former history professor, he lectured on the radio, purposely distorting historical fact to prove his points, contributing directly to the Republicans gaining a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years with Gingrich as Speaker. Need we mention the resulting fiasco?

The worst was yet to come however. George W. Bush promoted ignorance to the extreme to fulfill the excessive self-indulgence. Already diverted from pressing realities by cultural issues that should never have been part of the national political agenda, ignorance and greed was taken to the ultimate. The rights of women and gays were threatened further, medical research stifled in the name of religion and we were sent to war on a pack of lies.

The world was turned upside down as the “conservative” administration ran up a national debt of record proportions and financial institutions and corporations operated with little, if any, restraint creating a financial feeding frenzy among the haves at the expense of the nation. Whereas true conservatives believe in a balanced budget the Bush administration appears to have been simply a horde of thieves out to rob the national economy. And now we suffer the results!

Most who lived through and learned the very harsh but extremely valuable lessons of the Great Depression, World War II and the Holocaust are dwindling rapidly in numbers and are long removed from occupying the seats of power. As these lessons have dimmed with the passage of time, new generations have increasingly embraced the concept of “me”. The New Deal creed of education, enlightenment and working together for common cause has been subverted to ignorance, greed and me, me, me! Knowledge has been downplayed while emphasis has been placed on the quest for financial gain.

In 1960 we saw a brilliant future before us in a world ruled by science and enlightened thought. John F. Kennedy had said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” And people believed.

Can we believe again? Can we overcome the ignorance that created the mindset of “me”? Can the damage to the American psyche be repaired?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is Coney Island doomed?

In the years since Coney Island has fallen from grace, the city government had held on to the concept of “America’s Playground,” refusing to buckle under to developers by maintaining C7 (amusements only) zoning. Now the greed that permeates our society has caught up with the iconic amusement area.

The Coney Island Development Corporation came to Coney Island with a plan to revitalize the area by rezoning and upgrading. Its plan, catering to much more upscale patronage, encouraged major developers to speculate on the land with Thor Equities buying up a large part of the amusement area and Taconic Investment Partners planning a number of high rise condominiums on the periphery. This not only dooms the amusement area but threatens the existing community in western Coney Island as well.

Since the CIDC has been in Coney Island, the attractions that formerly lined Stillwell Avenue as well as Astroland Amusement Park and several other concessions and attractions have been lost. Is this how the mayor is trying to convince us that his plan is an improvement? After driving out most of the amusement owners, the residents of western Coney Island are sure to follow in the (unstated but obvious) effort to transform the area into a luxury residential resort.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Atlantic Yards project is dead

According to a report, the Atlantic Yards Project is dead.
The monster development Downtown Brooklyn with an arena and huge office and apartment complexes would have created chaos in the quiet residential neighborhood and create more congestion in the already overburdened area. Despite the best efforts of developer Forest City Ratner, much of the city government and outside groups rushing in to partake of the multi-billion dollar project, the efforts of Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB), the actual community group fighting the project, along with the failing economy, will not allow the project to proceed.

In addition to fighting the developer and the city, DDDB had to contend with outside organizations claiming to represent the community while, in reality, there to benefit themselves. (Sound familiar Coney Island?)

A salute to DDDB and those elected officials with the courage to support their community!

We hope that Forest City Ratner’s threats to resurrect the project will go unfulfilled.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Passing of a Giant
A salute to the life of John Hope Franklin

We are all aware of Jackie Robinson breaking the color line in major league baseball right here in Brooklyn. In 1956, with Jackie playing his final year and integration well under way in the majors, Brooklyn was the site of another barrier coming down. John Hope Franklin was appointed Chairman of the History Department at Brooklyn College, the first African-American department chair in the nation outside a primarily black college or university.

There is one thing to be remembered however, lest we forget the times. Although many Brooklynites were very proud of being the home to these progressive events, Professor Franklin, despite his stature in academia, was unable to find a home in the vicinity of Brooklyn College because of his race.

A noted academic, author and participant in the civil rights movement, Professor Franklin continued his career at several other institutions.

On March 25, at age 94, the great man died of congestive heart failure. We remember his accomplishments as well as his travails as we salute his life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bay Currents Factoid
Bergen Beach in brief
Though originally intended to serve as a resort area, Bergen Beach maintains much of the serenity and natural beauty experienced by the Canarsie Indians and early European settlers.
In the early 1600s the Dutch West India Company set up a trading post on nearby land, then called Mentelaer’s Island. During the American Revolution, British officers used the island and the Bergen House as an outpost. In the 1850s, the land officially received the name Bergen Island. In the 1890s, developers Percy Williams and Thomas Adams Jr. transformed the Bergen House into a resort. In 1905, Williams added an amusement park to the island. The resort and amusement park, accessible by the Flatbush Avenue streetcar, featured a casino, roller-skating rink, boardwalk, and Vaudeville Theater. In 1918, a landfill project connected the island to the mainland.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ha’Ohr
PASSOVER 2009
The Fragility of Freedom
By Rabbi Berel Wein
In the measured cadence and soaring beauty of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (a speech that American students were once required to commit to memory) there appears a phrase at the end -- “a new birth of freedom.” Lincoln hit upon a basic value in Jewish life and in the Torah.
Freedom, rather than being a permanent and expected state of being, is fragile and rather rare in human history. Because of its very fragility and scarcity, freedom has to be treasured, appreciated and constantly renewed – it requires, as Thomas Jefferson observed, “constant vigilance.” Every person and every society regularly requires a new birth of freedom to maintain its hard-won liberty.
This is a key message of Passover. The Haggadah teaches that “in each and every generation the Jew has to envision himself or herself as though he or she just left Egypt and its bondage.” Passover is not merely a commemorative holiday, though it is that as well, but more importantly, it is a holiday of constant rebirth and renewal.
In our prayers, we refer to Passover as zman cheruteinu -- the time of our freedom. This implies not only past freedom but current freedom as well. Passover demands from us that we continue to struggle and appreciate our freedom. It is not without dangers and weaknesses. It must therefore be zealously guarded and always renewed.
The question naturally arises: “What is the true definition of freedom?” Where is the line between anarchy and licentiousness on the one hand, and responsible exercise of free rights on the other? All free societies grapple with these questions and issues. Freedom is undoubtedly limited by values, public concerns, other people’s rights and a sense of choosing between right and wrong, justice and corruption.
Even if a consensus is reached as to the best definition of responsible freedom, who is to enforce that decision? The police? The courts? Personal conscience alone?
The rabbis of the Talmud defined freedom in conjunction with Torah and its laws and values. The concept of freedom according to the Talmud is engraved on the very stones of the Ten Commandments. But in being so engraved, it is also circumscribed by those commandments and the Torah. “There is no free person without the study and discipline of the Torah,” was the motto of the Talmud.
Physical freedom without spiritual strength and its necessary limitations on human behavior becomes narcissism, addiction and dangerous foolishness. Thus supposed freedom can turn into a bitter case of self-tyranny, the worst form of slavery. One of the understandings in interpreting the words of the rabbis of the Mishna -- “a good heart” and “a bad heart” -- is precisely that point. A “good heart” knows limitations and discipline. A bad heart” is wild, uncontrollable, capricious and ultimately self-destructive. The Torah warns against following the dictates of such a heart.
There is a thread that runs through many of the books of memoirs written by Prisoners of Zion regarding their experiences in the gulag and under Soviet persecution. That thread of similarity relates to their spiritual highs even in jails and punishment cells. The inner serenity of knowing one is right and morally upright ennobles a person to strive to be truly free -- free of one’s desires and pressures, and free to view life and one’s holy role in it in a clear and unbiased fashion. This is truly a gift of freedom. It is the new birth of freedom that we all crave.
Our bad habits, our lack of discipline in speech and behavior all combine to make us addicts and slaves. We all know that merely telling an addict to stop does not bear positive results. The addict has to want to stop more than he or she wants to continue his or her addictive behavior. Passover provides the forum for us to stop our addictive behavior and to refashion ourselves for the good. It helps inject within us the new birth of freedom that can alone guarantee our future success in life, family, community and work.
So at the Seder table this Passover, we should truly see ourselves as being newly freed not only from the ancient Pharaoh but from our own modern selves as well. How spiritually uplifting and delightful that feeling of freedom will be!
Rabbi Berel Wein, founder and director of The Destiny Foundation, has been identified for more than 20 years with the popularization of Jewish history through lectures worldwide, his more than 1,000 audiotapes, books, seminars, educational tours and, most recently dramatic and documentary films.
From Aish.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Seder: A Spiritual Journey

By Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller
From Rebbetzin Heller’s website, www.tziporahheller.com
The Passover Seder is God’s order for how to proceed from spiritual slavery to spiritual freedom.
The Seder, or “order,” is a journey from darkness to light. The Seder is our window into G-d’s order.
KADESH
As the first step of the Seder, Kadesh, we recite the Kiddush over a cup of wine.
There is a profound principle that states: In spiritual reality, you get what you want. In physical reality, you get what G-d thinks is good for you.
The first step in spiritual growth is to want to live a holy life. This is expressed through Kadesh, through committing yourself to holiness.
Maimonides warns, “Don’t drown in materialism.” Why does he use the word, “drown”? The Hebrew word for the material world is gashmiut. Gashmiut is derived from the word geshem, which means “rain.” G-d vivifies the world through rainfall. If you dedicate your awareness to the world and not to its Source, you drown. You’re inundated by all of God’s giving to the point that you loose track of Him completely. So holiness means being aware of G-d.
URCHATZ
The next step of the Seder is urchatz, or “washing.” It involves washing your hands from a cup, pouring water twice over each hand. No blessing is recited.
Washing at this point in the Seder is very artificial. After all, the karpas (green vegetable) could have been eaten with the meal, in which case there would be no necessity for washing twice. This would be more convenient. But again, this isn’t our order, which has to do with convenience and efficiency. This is God’s seder.
The statement here is that if you want holiness, your hands have to be clean. A verse in Psalms proclaims: “Lift up your hands in holiness and bless God.” What does this mean?
KARPAS
The third step, karpas, is eating a simple green vegetable, such as celery or parsley, after reciting a blessing.
Karpas suggests the simplicity that the first humans were forced into after the sin in the Garden of Eden. Before the sin, the food in the Garden of Eden was essentially different from what we know food as today. The physical manifestation of the fruit in the Garden of Eden was the same as its spiritual root. An apple in Eden, for example, was an expression of Godliness, and it was perceived as such. The joy that the first humans had when eating that fruit was qualitatively different than the pleasure we get from eating.
The Maharal of Prague, the 16th century mystic, explains that G-d created this world in order to give us the ability to be conscious recipients. When we say a blessing over food, thereby becoming conscious recipients, we have validated G-d’s entire purpose for creating the world.
YACHATZ
For Yachatz we take the middle matzah of the three matzahs on the Seder table, and breaking it into two uneven pieces. The larger half is put away for the Afikomen; we recite the entire Hagaddah over the smaller piece.
Yachatz shows us that in order for us to truly move toward redemption, some aspect of ourselves has to be broken. A verse in Psalms declares: “God is close to those who are brokenhearted.”
MAGGID
Maggid, or “telling,” is the main part of the Seder, the recitation of the story of the Exodus as it is told in the Hagaddah.
“Telling” is different from “saying.” “Telling” implies telling a story. A story, by definition, has a beginning, a middle, and an end. If you could see the events in your life all the way from their true beginning until their true end, you would observe the way God directs the world. The purpose of Maggid is to give us the long view, the wide perspective that starts generations before the Exodus with our ancestor Jacob and goes through the decades of suffering until the redemption, which so many of the Israelite slaves never lived to see.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Blessing of the Sun
G-d made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. And it was evening and it was morning, a fourth day.
Genesis 1:16, 19
Every 28 years the sun returns to the same position, at the same time of the week, which the Torah relates it occupied at the time of its birth — on the fourth day of Creation. A special blessing –Birkat Hachamah, “the blessing of the sun” – is recited. Since this occurs only once every 28 years, the prayer is customarily recited amid large public gatherings of men, women and children.
In its apparent motion of the sun in the ecliptic, the sun has four ”’turning points” which mark the beginnings of the four seasons. The sun crosses the equator at the beginning of spring and autumn respectively, and ”’turns” from one side of the equator to the other; and the two solstices, when the sun is at its maximum distance, or declination, from the equator, at one or other side of it, at the beginning of summer and winter respectively, and instead of progressively increasing its declination it “turns” to decrease it progressively. This year, Birkat Hachamah begins as the sun rises on April 8 -- right before Passover, which begins when it sets.
The blessing is traditionally preceded and followed by a short selection of Psalms and prayers.
“Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who reenacts the works of creation.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Inner Meaning of Matzah
By Rabbi Pinchas Stolper
Eating matzah is an act of defying the laws of nature, time and history.
Why is matzah so basic to the celebration of Passover? Why is Passover called Chag HaMatzos, “the Holiday of Matzos”? Why is this simple food a foundation of Jewish experience and ideology? Why has matzah come to symbolize human freedom?
Matzah has many aspects. It is the “bread of affliction,” poor man’s bread, eaten by slaves. It is also the bread of liberation and freedom.
Bread is the staff of life, but matzah is the most basic bread, the simplest food made by man. Matzah involves the amalgamation of the three basic elements that define civilized man: grain, water and fire. No external element beyond flour and water is permitted to define or influence its form. Matzah is made of flour and cold water -- nothing more. If the mixture of flour and water was allowed to stand for more than 18 minutes, the process of fermentation has already begun to take place. Yeast bacteria, found in the air, invade the dough, multiply by the millions and cause fermentation. The yeast microorganisms are an uninvited invading army, intruding on the flour and water mixture, helping themselves to a delicious meal of sugar molecules. As the yeast microorganisms multiply by the billions, they release the carbon dioxide gas that sours the dough, causing it to rise and become airy and light.
The intervention of this outside force is a symbolic expression of the intrusion of outside forces on man; forces that sway people from their chosen determined path and entice them to sin, compromising human independence, autonomy and choice. Yeast microorganisms begin their work independent of human will, independent of the person who combined the flour and water which constitutes the dough mix. Fermentation, i.e. chametz, represents these negative forces. It represents the inclination to evil, the urge to sin, the influence of alien ideas, pleasures and forces. It is the uninvited voice that sways us to ignore the presence and power of evil, until it is too late.
What is the difference between chametz (leaven) and matzah? Time. Nothing else. The ingredients are the same. By definition, dough made of flour and water that stands for more than 18 minutes before it is fully baked becomes chametz, leaven. Because matzah is bread that is not leavened, it represents man in control of his passions -- exercising his independent, disciplined will, uninfluenced by external forces. Matzah is the opposite of chametz.
To paraphrase Rabbi Chaim Friedlander, a leader of Jewish thought in our generation, fermentation demonstrates cause and effect in the world of nature. When we witness nature at work -- apparently doing things by itself, without any outside intervention -- we see how natural processes have the effect of concealing the Hand of G-d.
Matzah is baked quickly, in an effort to overcome the influences and limitations of time. We bake flat, crisp matzah in order to reenact the Exodus, when the Children of Israel fled Egypt in a hurry, as the Torah says: “You shall eat matzah during seven days...bread of suffering, for you departed Egypt in great haste.” This mitzvah teaches that God’s control of nature and history is above and beyond the constraints and limitations of time. G-d does not require cause and effect. He does not need time in order to accomplish His goals. On Passover, we too must emulate G-d and become creative spiritually by hurrying time, by acting with zeal and speed, by living life beyond time, in partnership with God who is above time and is timeless. We respond to God’s Will by acting in defiance of nature, by breaking the limits imposed by time and nature.
The hasty departure of the Jews from Egypt was due to the Plague of the Deaths of Firstborn Egyptians, which convinced Pharaoh that if he did not respond to God’s pressures without an additional moment’s delay, all of Egypt faced immediate collapse and destruction. For Egypt to survive, Israel must leave immediately.
And for Israel to survive, Israel had to flee immediately. G-d forced Pharaoh’s hand. He did this to teach Pharaoh and all of mankind that behind the normal course of events, which can be described as the workings of cause and effect, God’s Hand compels the forces of history and nature to conform to His agenda. As the Maharal (Rabbi Yehuda Loewe ben Bezalel, a seminal figure in Jewish thought) explains, it was necessary that mankind become aware of the fact that the Exodus was the direct result of the Will and intervention of God.
What was the hurry? Why, after 210 years of slavery, did G-d finally decide to press the Egyptians to eject the Jews with speed and force? The Sages teach that the Jews had reached the 49th degree of decadence. As soon as they would enter the 50th degree, a development that was imminent, they would have reached the point of no return and would be beyond redemption. Once they would succumb to the infamous immorality, materialism, decadence and paganism of the Egyptians, their Abrahamic origins would become unrecognizable and they would sink into the morass of Egyptian society and disappear.
The Sages explain that each additional degree of decadence involved a geometric progression, something like the Richter scale where each number is ten times as great as the previous number. So long as Israel had not passed the 50th degree of impurity, their Abrahamic origins were still recognizable, though sullied. The Sages teach that during their 210 years of enslavement, the “Israelites, to their credit, had not changed their names, their culture, their language or their dress,” clearly indicating that despite unremitting pressures and taunts they remained Jews in every way. The Hebrew names of the Jews as reported by the Bible demonstrate that they had continuously worshipped the true God of Israel and remained true to their heritage.
But after 210 years they were close to losing this heritage. They had to overcome the pressures of time by becoming a timeless, eternal people. This necessitated Divine intervention; God snatched His People from the jaws of history, by liberating them in such a way as to telescope time. Their miraculous liberation therefore defied the laws of nature, time and history.
The Maharal explains that it is for this reason that they were commanded to eat matzah when they observed the Passover of their liberation and for every subsequent Passover throughout all eternity. Matzah is the only food whose manufacture demands that it be created without time -- beyond time as quickly as possible. The prohibition of leaven also teaches us that nature does not operate independently but is controlled by G-d. Nature is the Will of G-d concealed in the natural world.
Where applied to the human being himself, the Sages teach that the “puffed up” nature of chametz symbolizes the character trait of arrogance and conceit. The flat, unleavened matzah represents total humility. Humility is the beginning of liberation and the foundation of spiritual growth. Only a person who can acknowledge his shortcomings and submit to a higher wisdom can free himself from his own limitations. When we eat matzah, we internalize the quality of humility as the essence of faith. By not eating chametz, we rid ourselves of arrogance and self-centeredness.
We see in this way that, the words “mitzvah” and “matzah” are analogous. Our Sages teach, “mitzvah she’haba’ah leyadcha al tachmitzena, when a mitzvah comes your way, do not allow it to ferment” -- when the opportunity to do a mitzvah arises, do it quickly. This teaching applies the urgency of baking Passover matzah with alacrity to all mitzvot. The Jew is expected to conquer time, to live beyond time, to associate his life with G-d, Who is timeless and eternal. The Jew never wastes time; the present is now -- this is why it is so precious. The Jew employs time to bend this time-bound world to the goals of eternity. This is done by making time a precious commodity -- by filling it with Torah, mitzvot and chessed (goodness).
From “Living Beyond Time”, Artscroll Publications.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why is this Passover different from all others?
By Olga Privman
Bay Currents writer
The warm aroma of grandma’s matzo ball soup, the sweet, tantalizing taste of Seder wine and an inviting, familial atmosphere are all stalwart symbols of Passover for many American Jews.
For many residents and frequenters of Brooklyn’s Bay area, however, a long tenure of life in the former Soviet Union had nearly robbed them of such rich cultural gems.
“The Soviet Union was atheistic, but it wasn’t like [religion] was completely shattered,” said Igor Ostrovskyi, 37, a first-generation immigrant from Belarus, who runs an ambulette service in Sheepshead Bay. “We had synagogues, but they weren’t popular.”
Holding any religion went directly against the doctrines of communism, which often led to social, political or financial penalties for the practitioner.
“If you were religious in the Soviet Union, you couldn’t get promoted. If you were in the Communist Party, then you know that you’re going to get promoted and move up. It was not a good thing to be religious. My grandparents celebrated it secretly,” said Ostrovskyi, to whom Passover is more of a family holiday than a spiritual celebration, much like New Year’s Eve is for many post-Soviet residents.
Although many older generations of Soviet immigrants remember the religiously-restrictive lifestyle in the communist dictatorship, their offspring were raised in an environment conducive to religion, often leading to a renewal of the celebration, if not always of faith.
“Even my non-religious siblings celebrate,” said 20-year-old Berryl Tyetelbaum. “Usually my family gets together for the first Passover Seder, but this year my parents are traveling to England for Passover and six of my siblings will be celebrating at my sister’s home in Brooklyn.”
The Kingsborough Community College student’s grandmother continues to tell the story of her father, who often risked his life to uphold the tenets of Judaism.
“My great grandfather hid my great grandmother and their children in a synagogue so that they could freely practice the Jewish religion,” he said. “This eventually led to my great grandfather being shot in the head by the KGB.”
For many descendants of Soviet Jews, the decision to adhere to Jewish practice is wrought from hardship and sacrifice.
“My grandparents upped their religious practices after the Holocaust,” said KCC tutor Esther Michelle Gabay, 27, part of whose family comes from Poland. “I think it was because they were so thankful for getting out alive. After going through something like that, I’m sure you have no idea who to thank and can’t imagine how or who spared your life.”
For KCC-graduate Julia Fishenfeld, 25, religious interest rose out of the spiritual deprivation in Soviet Poland.
“I think that the reason Passover, or any other Jewish holiday, is important to my family is that it wasn’t part of their childhood,” Fishenfeld said. “It’s after they came here that it became more a part of their lives. When my grandparents died 12 years ago, my mother and uncle became more observant – particularly my uncle. He was the head of the family now and as such felt that it was his duty to maintain the Jewish traditions and legacy.”
Fishenfeld’s family augments the children’s hunt for Afikomen, the hidden matzo, with puzzles and riddles, courtesy of her father being his “wonderfully creative, playful self,” while Tyetelbaum’s makes a unique egg soup, composed of mashed, hard-boiled eggs mixed with cold salt water.
“I, personally, am not religious,” said Tyetelbaum. “But I think the fact that my grandmother and parents fought so hard to keep their Jewish traditions has had a major impact on my family as a whole.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a happy, no-tech Passover
By Rabbi Yerachmiel Milstein
This Passover, break free from ruthless hi-tech servitude.
I’ve noticed that every new hi-tech contrivance, ostensibly meant to make our lives easier, instead seems to place yet another new demand on our rapidly declining available time.
A case in point: my new smart phone. It’s a calculator, camcorder, digital camera, game console, global positioning satellite navigation system, internet surfer, mobile telephone, mp3 player and personal information manager (PIM). But mostly, it drops e-mail right into my pocket, so that I am available 24/6 to be contacted, queried, corresponded to, criticized and spammed.
Tethered as we are to the multiple leashes of work, relationships and social obligations, when are we supposed to catch our breath? Whatever happened to the notion of setting aside time to pay attention to our spiritual selves, our families and our friends? Where is self-actualization and fulfillment supposed to fit in?
I got the answer when my adult son was rushed to the hospital suffering from acute appendicitis. He’s a strapping 6 feet tall, and when he’s not studying Torah, he can more than hold his own on the basketball court. To see him doubled over, holding his belly in agony and writhing in pain was more than my wife and I could handle. As the emergency unfolded, my cell phone rang, flashed and vibrated merrily on, oblivious that I had more important matters on my mind.
It took the better part of three days before my son would leave the hospital, during which time I all but completely ignored my trusty Treo. To my great surprise, the world survived completely intact.
When I was finally back to my normal, out-of-breath and out-of-my-mind self, it struck me like an epiphany: I needed to do this more often! I needed to free myself from the shackles of 21st century servitude and tend to the really important matters of life.
Then it dawned on me that I had just discovered Passover.
The Torah paints a rather bleak picture of Jewish existence in ancient Egypt. They were forced into slavery, starved, beaten, had their children taken from them and they were compelled to do “avodat perach,” -- ruthless work. Some rabbis explain ruthless work as being descriptive not just of the quality of the labor they performed, but also the quantity. They were not only worked hard, but also constantly, to such an extent that they weren’t even provided the time to allow themselves the luxury of thought. They were too busy to think straight. Worse still, they became accustomed to their pitiful existence, accepted it and thought their miserable lives to be “normal.”
Perhaps, had they been able to contemplate their own terrible conditions, they could have cried out in heartfelt prayer to the Almighty who may have hastened their redemption. Pharaoh violated the very humanity of the Jews by taking away their ability to introspect, the first required step of spiritual growth and self-actualization.
The 21st century is certainly a marvelous time in which to live. Space exploration, computerization, the taming of vicious diseases are all truly amazing feats. But we also suffer more burnout, mental exhaustion, attention deficit disorders and high blood pressure than ever before. They are no doubt the effects of our own hi-tech servitude. Like it or not, we’re ruthlessly on call to someone for something all the time. And, we call it “normal.”
Well, on Passover everything comes to a halt. It begins with the destruction of the chametz, leavened foodstuffs, our daily bread. What could be more symbolic of the mundane, ordinary and routine than a piece of bread? We scour our homes and clear every morsel. The “normal” is simply unacceptable for eight days each year. Then we turn off our cell phones, close our places of business and sit down to a Seder with all the time in the world to discuss the Exodus experience. And, while many of us cringe at the seeming never-ending questions our kids can annoyingly ask the rest of the year, on this night they’re encouraged to ask the four questions, along with any others they might have.
As for the rest of Passover, the simple commandment prohibiting us from eating leavened foods automatically creates a huge paradigm shift for a whole eight days whereby our regular routines go out the window. We are free of fast food restaurants. Free from the mundane obligations and vicissitudes of life. Passover is freedom indeed, from the spirit-stunting routines of modern life.
The fact is that each and every week we’ve simply got to take a day off just to catch our breath. That day is Shabbat. But in order to “clean house” and truly free our inner selves from the overwhelming clutter of life lived in the fast lane, we need the extra-strength, paradigm shifting power of Passover.
Rabbi Yerachmiel Milstein is a senior lecturer for Discovery Productions and is the executive vice president of Project Chazon, which offers workshops in 186 high schools in the U.S., Canada and England designed to prevent self-destructive behaviors in teens.
From Aish.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senior Currents
Is your loved one abused in a nursing home?
Watching our grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles grow older has its own set of stresses. As those we love fall victim to the ailments of aging, we worry about our lives without them, all the while struggling to provide care for them. We look to medicines, doctors, diets, vitamins—anything we can find—in hopes of keeping them healthy and happy and able to live as independently as they wish to. When finally the complications get too great, we turn to an assisted living, nursing home, or other long-term care facility to continue the care we are no longer able to provide.
Many of these facilities provide excellent care, however, far too many do not. Often understaffed with underpaid and poorly trained employees, many nursing homes push the bottom line so far that they endanger the lives of their patients.
Neglected, abused, and threatened, nursing home residents may suffer physically and emotionally. Painful bedsores, broken bones, or even premature death can result from neglectful and outright abusive treatment.
Physical abuse
Some of the more commonly observed signs include:
Assault
Battery
Sexual Assault
Sexual Battery
Rape
Unreasonable physical restraint
Prolonged or continual deprivation of food or water
Use of a physical or chemical restraint or psychotropic medication for any purpose not consistent with that authorized by the physician
Giving too much medication
Not giving needed medication
Unexplained injuries
Caretaker cannot adequately explain condition
Open wounds, cuts, bruises or welts
Elder reports of being slapped or mistreated
Slapping, pushing, shaking, beating
Forcing an older person to stay in a room
Neglect
Some of the more commonly observed signs include:
Physical neglect: disregard for the necessities of daily living
Medical neglect: lack of care for existing medical problems
Failure to prevent dehydration, malnutrition, and bed sores
Failure to assist in personal hygiene, or in the provision of food, clothing, or shelter
Unsanitary and unclean conditions
Infections
Failure to protect from health and safety hazards
Poor access to medical services
Verbal and emotional abuse
Creating situations harmful to the resident’s self-esteem.
Possible signs of verbal or emotional abuse may include resident behavior such as:
Emotionally upset or agitated
Extremely withdrawn and non-communicative
Unusual behavior (sucking, biting, rocking)
Humiliating, insulting, frightening, threatening or ignoring behavior towards family and friends
Wanting to be isolated from other people
Other warning signs
Other signs to look for if you suspect nursing home abuse or negligence include:
Injuries requiring emergency treatment or hospitalization
Any incident involving broken bones, especially a fractured hip
Any injury or death occurring during or shortly after an episode of wandering (including outside the facility) when the staff is not aware that the resident is missing for some period of time
Heavy medication or sedation
Rapid weight loss or weight gain without physician or family notification and a change in treatment being provided
Unexplained or unexpected death of the resident
One nursing home resident injures another resident
Resident is frequently ill, and the illnesses are not promptly reported to the physician and family
Some useful websites:
www.nursinghomeabuseresourcecenter.com/
nursinghomealert.com
www.elderly-abuse.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Choosing a nursing home is one of the most important decisions
Choosing a nursing home is one of the most important decisions you will have to make for a loved one. Here are some guidelines:
Talk with others
Get a recommendation from someone who has a friend or relative in a nursing home and ask them about their experience. If they have had problems, chances are you will have the same problems with that particular facility.
Visit at different times of day
Visit the facility at different times of day -- morning, afternoon, evening, weekends. Nursing homes tend to have more staff on duty in the morning -- if you only visit at that time, you will get a sense that there is better staffing than might otherwise be the case. This is very important because one of the biggest problems in the nursing home industry is adequate staffing. This is due to: a shortage of qualified nurses and assistants, low pay, and cost cutting to minimize overhead and maximize income. Since nursing homes are in business to make money, it pays to keep staffing to a minimum regardless if the facility is owned by a large conglomerate or whether it is owned by a single owner.
The staff
Pay close attention to the staff. Do they seem to be in a hurry, scurrying about with no time for the residents? Do they take the time to talk with the residents, answer questions, watch a few minutes of a TV show with them, or ask how they are doing? A nursing home is only as good as the people working there. If they don’t seem to be interested in the residents and only want to put their time in and go home, look for a different facility.
The residents
Observe the residents. Do they seem to be uptight, not talkative, glum? Or are they singing, humming, talking to each other, interacting with each other and, overall, happy? It will be difficult for the residents to be happy and upbeat if they are in a facility where they are ignored, talked down to and neglected. Talk to the residents. They might be reluctant to tell you if they are experiencing problems, but you should be able to get a sense of whether they are happy.
Look past the sales pitch
Don’t be swayed by the guided tour. The tour guide is a salesperson and has been carefully taught what to say and what to show you. Look past the fancy plants, wood on the walls and pretty furniture and pay attention to the residents and the staff.
Cleanliness
Do the hallways seem to be cluttered and smell like urine, feces or mildew? Examine the nurse’s station. Is it cluttered and disorganized? Sit and observe the nursing staff. Do they sit at the station, eat, talk, and complain or do they seem to be helping the residents?
Food and dining
At mealtime, do the residents seem to interact while they eat or do they sit by themselves? Ask to taste the food. Do the residents seem to eat all of the food or do a large number of people leave most of the food on the tray? Do the residents appear to be well nourished or do they all look thin? Visit the facility and observe several different meals. Do they all seem to be the same or is their some variety? For those residents who are bedridden, are their trays collected promptly or are dirty trays still sitting in the room several hours after the meal was served?
Further Questions
Do the residents smell and look clean?
Look in some of the rooms. Do the residents have soap, shampoo, toothpaste? Is their hair brushed?
Is the facility warm enough in the winter and cool enough in the summer?
Can the windows be opened to let in fresh air?
Does every room have pitchers of water?
Does the staff offer water to those residents who are bedridden or who are confined to wheelchairs?
Ask how long the various members of the staff have worked at the nursing home. It’s a good situation if there are many long term employees. On the other hand, it’s a bad sign if most people have been employed there for less than a year. A high turnover rate usually means that staff members are overworked, underpaid or are under a good deal of stress. This is not the type of environment in which you want to leave your loved one. If the nursing home seems to be a good one but there are no long term employees, ask the administrator about the situation.
Ask whether the nurses are members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Members of this union are well trained and can offer better quality health care.
Ask to see the latest survey by the state. Medicare requires that nursing homes make the latest state survey available for review. If you are told that there is nothing significant in the report or that the report is misplaced, warning bells should sound. Don’t take “no” for an answer; insist on your right to review the report or remove the facility from consideration if you continue to be refused.
The bottom line: Keep your eyes, ears, and nose open. What you observe in the facility should give you a “gut” feeling as to what it’s like to live there. These observations are much more important than the guided tour by the salesperson whose job it is to get you to commit to the facility.
From www.elderly-abuse.com, a site maintained by a law firm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech Currents
Finding the perfect search engine
By Michael Schlager
Bay Currents Marketing Director and writer
“Search Engine Optimization” may sound like something only a life-long techie could be excited about, but when I visited the Search Engine Strategies New York conference last month in Manhattan, it didn’t take long to see that it’s relevant to just about everyone.
The most successful businesses all have websites. There is more money being made in websites than in most other segments of the economy today – but if you own or manage a business, you have to be able to find the right vendors who can tailor your website for your and your customers’ specific needs. Conferences such as SES New York – which are frequent in Brooklyn and Manhattan – are a good way to sift through the array of Internet products and services to find what’s best for you.
The 2,300-person SES New York is considered to be one of the top events of the entire industry. The most creative, innovative and dynamic people involved with the Internet were all there, interacting with people like me and you.
Just deciding what level of the conference to participate in was a job in itself. I took the beginner’s route -- I visited the small-business seminars as well as the blog and new release from Google Adwords.
Matt Van Wagner, a principal of www.findmefaster.com, showed how his local bakery in New Hampshire, www.patisseriebleu.com , was able to transform its identity from an average bakery with a mediocre presence on the Web, to a specialty bakery. This was done after careful research based on feedback from customers and Web visitors alike. After going into detail with interested customers who came via the Web, one idea after another started to click -- Wagner found a niche for the bakery, which became a solution for all who had allergies to certain foods. It became an allergen-free bakery of choice, and they are now looking to make unique mixes (much more practical for shipping) and other products for business out of their region. Business soared, and they have never looked back. The research and Website redo brought an increase in in-store as well as Web traffic and phone orders.
David Mihm, of www.getlisted.org focused on the need to create pages for each of the neighborhoods a business serves, and the value that this creates. David was on the small business panel with Matt.
Google Adwords
Ariel Bardin, a product management director for Google, introduced the new interface of Google Adwords. He did say it will take some time to get use to, but it’s much more clickable than before, offering up many new features that customers had asked for. For example, you can run a query report and it will easily label what you have changed, visually letting you know what you have done in one eye span. Also, your data is configurable with Excel at many more points. Another nice upgrade is that you can change the CPC (cost per click) for all your choices by amount or percent. One of his tips for the general Web developer is to have a link on every page to ask for feedback, a ‘Send Feedback’ button, for example. It can make a big difference.
A good conference also is not only about the speakers. The people you meet there can also be most impressive. A few of the companies that I heard about, which seem to be on the cutting edge, are www.reprelations.com, and www.vitals.com . It turns out that Reprelations is the backbone of many public relations firms, focusing on “reputation control” for celebrities, athletes, and corporations. .
The Training
Bruce Clay, a definite rock star in the Internet world, is the think-tank behind companies such as CNN which manage 1 million -- yes, 1 million -- pages of new content per month. He’s the wizard who makes it all come true for hundreds of companies world-wide. His sidekick, Chris Hart jumped in to elaborate on things which Bruce touched on and emphasized those he felt would help the attendees Chris is probably the next Bruce-in-the-making.
The Top Ten
I came away from the conference with a host of new information and perspectives on SEO.  Here are the Top Ten:
Running a “~” (tilda) search is one of the best ways to find what is natural in the index of those words most closely associated to what you need for your own SEO campaign.
Use other forms of natural stemming words in your content like “smile, smiles, smiled and smiling.” The emphasis is in using the words that come up in natural conversation which make sense.
Behavioral or personalized search based on your IP address will become more popular, and ‘private searches’ will also stem up as a result
Because of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Code 508, each released version of flash (non-animated text is all that is searchable currently) will continue to get more searchable (of course you need to put contextual information around your flash object).
In January and February Google didn’t notify people that it was experimenting to see how weighted averages for established sites worked, thus many went up and down in rankings in an indefinable way. Things went back to normal after that, with authoritative sites become more valuable (not a known spammer, known audience, trusted resource).
Sites are defined as either research or e-commerce and the more your e-commerce site slides towards the research site, the higher the rankings. Integrating engagement objects such as video, images, blogs, maps, books, and music make the difference.
FYI Google has an estimated 150,000 servers to study billions of pages (some say over 5, changes every day) in the indexing cycle.
Google will look at every page at least every 90 days (and then if changes they will spider), but the more often you update the site, the more you will get spidered. Case in point: CNN has got to the point of being spidered every 2 minutes.
www.youtube.com ‘s “Dove Evolution” has had 8 million views, and another one describing the social gravitas is the “Battle at Kruger” video, which was eventually made into a Discovery TV show.
Google Analytics on steroids
I had to add three more…
The value of having keyword contextual terms in the URL, is only valuable when a link is made to your pages when the person linking to you uses the URL as the anchor text.
Link to a Non-profit and you also want to link to experts, but you don’t want someone lame to link to you (or back to them).
Link Begging is very low return on investment. Maybe find a reason for them to edit that page and that might just tempt them to move forwards with you. Think about them before you make your presentation.
If you have any questions  or comments, let us know.
We’ll have more about the many ways the Internet can help build your business, and
we need your feedback.
Contact us at 718.676.5434
michaelschlager@hotmail.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Currents
He’s Still Got it: Ron Duguay Gives Ranger Fans One Last Hurrah
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
Bay Currents Sports Editor
Despite possessing an surreptitious shot and excellent skating ability through a stellar 12-year NHL career that produced 274 goals, former New York Ranger center Ron Duguay will always be remembered for captivating the women wherever he played, with his trademark Jon Bon Jovi-esque long hair, earing and designer sasson jeans.
Oo- La-La.
On March 21, Duguay made his return to pro hockey, playing a game for the Brooklyn Aces to benefit the Garden of Dreams charity and just like the days of yesteryear, Duguay had a huge contingent of female fans screaming every time he touched the puck.
Almost 27-years since his last 40-goal season, Duguay has found a way to slow down father time and has maintained his almost devilish good looks.
At 51 however, he acknowledged his game isn’t what it used to be.
“This is not a comeback,” said Duguay with a laugh. “The idea was that I’d come out of retirement for a game or two when I was over 50 for the Garden of Dreams charity. Would I do it again? I don’t know. I’m learning now, that you have to be in great shape in order to play this game today. I don’t train that hard anymore; I just train hard enough to be healthy and tonight was definitely an eye-opener. I’ll be sleeping with ice-packs tonight.”
Nevertheless, his former teammate and pal, Aces captain, Rob Miller, who ironically was coached and played with Duguay in his rookie season with the Jacksonville Barracudas of the ACHL in 2002,doesn’t see too much of a difference in his game since the last time they skated together.
“When we played together, it was only six games, but he worked really hard,” said Miller. “He was in good shape then and he’s in good shape now. He’s still pretty much the same guy.”
Duguay sees things quite differently though.
“It’s funny how things worked out,” he said. “I told him before the game if he’d like a Miller from Duguay. It didn’t work out that way though.”
With a succesful playing career, a pro championship under his belt as a coach and now a successful gig on MSG as an analyst, Duguay doesn’t have much left to prove in the sport.
In spite of that though, he was willing to put his body on the line for a few nights in order to become better at his newest endeavor.
“One reason why I wanted to do this was because I don’t want to lose touch with the game,” Duguay said. “If I’m going to analyze it, it helps that I’ve done it [recently].”
After 60 minutes of hockey, about 12 of which Duguay spent on the ice, taking key face-offs at both ends of the ice and playing on the powerplay, it was obvious he still knew what he was doing.
He even drew an assist on a C.J. Tozzo goal with 37 seconds left in the game, forcing it into overtime.
“At that point, I was barely standing up,” he said. “It was hard for me to almost celebrate. I did have a few opportunities tonight though.”
When it was all said and done, dozens of his still dedicated female fans, donned in leather that most likely hasn’t touched their skin since the last time he played in the NHL, waited patiently outside the Aces locker room to catch one last glimpse of the former heart throb.
Inside, Duguay spoke with reporters and looked much less than the playboy he was 25 years ago, as his hair and undershirt were encompassed with sweat.
It was obvious his days of scoring on Billy Smith and adventuring at Studio 54 were long gone.
Nonetheless, for those 12 minutes he was on the ice in Brooklyn, his earing shined brightly and his hair was still rockin’.
The legend of Ron Duguay is still alive and well.
Oo-La-La.
Even if it isn’t quite as most of us remember it.
“He said he was a bit surprised by the pace of the game,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “But he held his own out there and played a smart game.”
sports@baycurrents.net
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyclones get new coaching staff
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
Bay Currents Sports Editor
Leading the Brooklyn Cyclones to the New York Penn-League playoffs two of the three seasons he coached the team, Edgar Alfonzo got a well deserved promotion to the Savannah Sand Gnats, the Single-A affiliate of the Mets, last month, where he will serve as the team’s manager.
With his departure, the Brooklyn Cyclones made Julio Lopez, who ironically a coach last season with the Gnats, their new skipper.
The team also brought in new pitching coach Rick Tomlin, hitting coach Jack Voigt and coach Joel Fuentes to round out the rest of the staff.
“We are excited to welcome a new staff to Brooklyn,” said Cyclones’ General Manager Steve Cohen on the team’s official website.
For longtime Cyclones fans, seeing a coaching staff or even a player roster without an Alfonzo present [Alfonzo’s son, Edgar Jr., played with the team in 2004 and 2005] may take a bit of time to get adjusted to, but in time, they should feel comfortable in the hands of Lopez.
Last managing in the Texas Rangers system in 2007, Lopez also has an impressive minor league playing resume under his belt. A .249 career hitter over 877 games in the San Diego, Houston and Milwaukee systems as a player, Perez has plenty of first hand experience at the level to be an adequate teacher to whoever the Cyclones bring to Keyspan this summer. His best season came in 1991 when he hit .284 with eight homers and 57 RBI in 102 games at the A-level Waterloo Diamonds. During his 12-year minor league career, the catcher was also a teammate of big leaguers such as Tim Worrell, Lance Painter, Joey Hamilton, Keith Lockhart and former Yankee slugger Kevin Maas.
Tomlin joins the organization and replaces Brooklyn favorite Hector Berrios, after spending 20 years in the systems of the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins.
Jack Voigt, who was originally supposed to be the team’s hitting instructor in 2006 joins the team after three seasons in the Mets organization. Voight is also the only member of the coaching staff to have spent time in the big leagues [92-97, 99] . His best season came in 1997, when he hit eight homers and 22 RBI in 72 games with the Brewers. He was so popular during his time in Milwaukee that he got a drink named after him, which consists of Amaretto, banana liqueur and spiced rum.
Fuentes joins the club after coaching in St. Lucie last season. As a player, he spent seven seasons in the San Francisco Giants organization before retiring in 2003.
With these changes, the Brooklyn front office is enthusiastic about the new season.
“Each year, we have been fortunate to have coaches who work tirelessly, both on the field and in the community,” said Cohen. “We look forward to continuing that tradition.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lincoln wins 4th consecutive  PSAL Title, falls at state tourney
Just a week after winning their fourth consecutive PSAL Championship behind a 24-point night from their star player, Lance Stephenson, the Lincoln Railsplitters, the two-time defending state champions, came up empty against the Rice Raiders at the State Tournament in Glen Falls on March 28, falling 77-50.
This time around, Stephenson, a McDonald’s All-American and the all-time leading scorer in New York State high school basketball history, ahead of Brooklyn greats and NBA stars Chris Mullin, Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, was limited to just 14 points in the game after averaging 37 points a game and nearly 13 rebounds during the playoffs.
On the other side of the court, Rice had three players, James Strukes, Jermaine Sanders and Durand Scott with at least 14 points and never trailed in the contest, going on a 12-2 run to start the game.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bay united in anger by fare hikes
By Olga Privman
Bay Currents writer
Few things get resilient New Yorkers -- who rallied together in the wake of 9-11 and during the blackout of ’03 – as riled as a collective blow to their stability, be it political, structural or even financial.
On March 25, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority met to discuss its budget deficit and ultimately voted for a proposal so unpopular that it may have effectively unified the city yet again in angst – to raise fares and reduce service.
“We don’t need another fare hike,” said Destiny Ton, 21, a performing arts major at Kingsborough Community College. “The subway is the main mode of transportation for most New Yorkers because we can’t afford anything else. That alone should say something about most people’s financial situations.”
Should the proposed plan go through, subway and bus fare increases will be effective May 31, raising it to $2.25 per ride. The 30-day unlimited pass will climb to $103.
We will also see a service decrease during peak hours as well as total elimination of 35 bus routes and two train lines – the W and Z.
“I feel that the fare hike is a terrible idea,” said Brett Allen, 25, of Marine Park. “I already have trouble getting to work and paying $30 extra a month for less service is criminal.”
With the economy in its current state, many are already suffering, and simply paying the bills is becoming an increasingly greater concern.
“I’m a student who’s trying to make a life for myself and I’m responsible for my own finances,” Ton said. “And I know that if it is difficult for me, I can’t imagine how this change would affect a single mother who’s already struggling financially to provide for herself and her kids to have to get another financial setback.”
Alternate solutions were under consideration, such as imposing a $2 toll on the East River and Harlem River bridges, currently free to cross. This project was rejected, however.
MTA officials say the draconian measures could be avoided if money comes from Albany.
With state budget still in flux by press time, that may be a long wait.
The MTA’s budget statements are available on its website, www.mta.info/mta/budget.

Issue #5

2008-11-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

Publisher’s Notebook
Save two birds with one stone
Barack Obama’s ascension to the presidency has been widely described as historic.
It certainly is.
But if Obama wants to have a historical impact besides being the first African-American to be Chief Executive, he can do so by solving two key crises of the nation -- the economy and the environment -- with one set goal. You might say he can save two birds with one stone.
Just as John F. Kennedy successfully declared we would put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, the new president should proclaim that we will be energy independent by 2018.
Solar panels, wind farms, water power -- all these clean, renewable, domestic alternatives to oil, coal, or nuclear are quite doable. We have, or soon will have, the technology to do all this on a large scale. It will take the will, and the manpower to manufacture and install solar panels, wind farms, and the like. That means millions -- tens of millions -- of new jobs, at every skill level from manual labor to engineering.
I wish I could take credit for this idea, but that goes to the various clean-energy advocates.
President-elect Obama, please Google “clean energy,” “renewable energy,” or other applicable key words, and find out more. Consult with environmental advisors.
You don’t even have to reach for the moon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Economic crisis strikes Bay area, too
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
Bay Currents writer
The economic storm that has hit the nation may not be officially labeled a recession – yet -- but Bay area merchants and shoppers, as well as college students staring into an uncertain future, can tell you: It sure feels like one.
Although many feel – actually, hope -- that the $700 billion bailout will revive the economy and forestall a depression, small businesses, the mainstay of the Bay economy, have already begun to feel the sting.
“Overall, we have felt things slow up,” said Sal Taormina, owner of Pizza Boulevard, a popular eatery at the end of Oriental Boulevard in Manhattan Beach that could be doubly affected by an economic slowdown, since it heavily depends on hungry Kingsborough Community College students. “People aren’t spending as much money as they used and the cost of food is very high, so that affects things a lot.”
Taormina believes his business will survive in the long run, but he said that if things continued to get worse, he eventually would have to lay off one or two of his employees. “I’d have to let somebody go. That’s just the way it is,” he said.
It may be the way it is for large businesses as well. The coffeehouse giant Starbucks closed 600 stores and sent home more than 10,000 workers in July. Locally, though, the situation may have the opposite effect – perhaps Bay area residents are drowning their worries in caffeine.
“The sales at my store in particular have been better this year than the year before,” said an employee at a Starbucks outlet in Midwood. “People come in and complain about the economy, but then they go spend five dollars on a cup of coffee.”
The Slavyanskiy Bazaar diner at 354 Kings Highway at East 4th Street opened its doors just last month. “We feel like we have an opportunity to grow, but because of the way things are right now, things have been slower than expected,” said manager Dianna Bortnikova. “To counteract this, we’ve had to lower prices.”
“I’m not spending as much as I did before,” John Schiavone said while shopping on Kings Highway. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next, so I’m going to be very careful with my money.”
The economic crisis has not only affected buying habits, but apparently is influencing, at least in part, young people’s decisions about their futures. Some have turned from fields they’re passionate about, to what they view as more stable.
Kingsborough Community College student Olga Privman said she really wants to teach philosophy, but “I was told a few years ago that the hiring market was terrible then, and the economic situation has since gotten even worse. I only hope that it improves soon. Otherwise, I’ll have to get a degree in something dependable -- and boring, like accounting.”
Amid all this, one industry seems to remain strong, mainly because of a dramatic downturn in prices. Asked how the economy was affecting his job, an attendant at the BP gas station on Coney Island Avenue and Lancaster Avenue, said, “I really don’t want to say anything. I can’t.”
He was too busy to talk, anyway. Every pump in the station was being used.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HONK if you want to help kids
By David J. Glenn
Bay Currents Publisher
Ray Fiore – more commonly known as Rockin’ Ray – has no degree in social work or counseling, but he really doesn’t need one.
He and his sister, Brenda, have already given several teens the self-confidence and discipline they need to get their lives on a better track, through the HONK – Help Our Neighborhood Kids – program they’ve started in Sheepshead Bay.
The 45-year-old retired carpenter and amateur-boxing advisor, and his sister, a postal worker from Bay Ridge, have set up punching bags, workout equipment, and a lounge area with a pool table, foozeball, and couches to offer area kids a place to go after school or on weekends to channel their energy – which otherwise might be directed to getting into fights.
“It keeps them out of trouble, away from fights and joining street gangs,” Fiore said as he hung up posters of famous and not-so-famous amateur and pro boxers in the basement store space he rents at 2461 East 16th Street off Avenue Y.
He knows of what he speaks. He grew up in “The Junction,” the area at the intersection of Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, which he said was “a very poor neighborhood. I always wished I had someplace to go – I couldn’t afford camp or the YMCA.”
When he came upon amateur boxing, “it made me not want to fight other kids. It’s really the anti-punk drug.”
The physicality of boxing and working out is particularly important for kids today, Fiore said. “Nowadays they’re in front of a computer all the time. There are so many obese kids now.”
The world of gangs and violence can lure any young person, he said. “White, black, Hispanic – it doesn’t matter,” Fiore said as his 4-year-old daughter Amelia handed him a poster of Muhammad Ali to hang up.
Is HONK effective? Just ask the kids.
“It keeps me in shape, out of trouble,” said 16-year-old Bryan Gonzales, a junior at Sheepshead Bay High School. “It makes you know what you’re capable of.”
He’s planning to go to college – an avenue he might not be pursuing had he not hooked up with Rockin’ Ray, he said.
Sam Nuzdrokh, 17, a senior at Brooklyn Tech, also plans to go to college, and likewise gives a lot of the credit to HONK. “Before, I didn’t have much confidence,” he said. “The main thing is the sportsmanship, and the discipline.”
Fiore currently has to charge $120 a month to kids who can afford it; he’s hoping to get grants or other funding to be able to take in more boys and, yes, girls, from the Sheepshead Bay, Mill Basin, and Coney Island areas.
Anyone who can help with money, equipment, or fundraising ideas, can call Rockin’ Ray at 347-439-2397.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health Currents
Health coverage is early casualty of economic crisis
By Amadeo Constanzo
Bay Currents writer
With any economic storm come the inevitable layoffs.
And that often means loss of health coverage.
“Given the financial damage to date, I cannot see how we can avoid a significant rise in layoffs and unemployment,” said Alan Greenspan told the House Oversight Committee on Oct. 13.
“Our company hasn’t laid off anyone yet but they will,” a local employee of American Express told Bay Currents. “Everybody [in American Express] knows it.”
Another local worker, employed by Showtime Networks said, “They’ve laid off people earlier this year already and they’ll probably do it again.”
When asked what they would do about health insurance if they lost their job, most we interviewed said they didn’t know.
So, what should you do if you’re among the walking wounded? First, you should ask the human resources representative of the company you’re about to depart from, about health coverage under COBRA – the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. If you’re shown the door, COBRA allows you to continue with the same insurance -- but you have to pay the monthly premium yourself.
Resist the usual first reaction, “ I can’t afford that!” – it’s important to keep the insurance any way you can, at least until you find another job or cheaper insurance. The last thing you should have to worry about while job-hunting is what would happen if you get sick.
In the meantime, you should look into New York State--sponsored health programs, such as Medicaid, Family Health Plus, Healthy New York, and Child Health Plus. Many unemployed New Yorkers are eligible for at least one of the three programs.
Most part-time workers don’t get health care insurance, anyway, but some do, particularly par-timers who put in at least 19 hours a week at the City University of New York or at Starbucks. But these organizations are financially struggling, too, and employees may face layoffs. “They closed the Starbucks on 84th Street and 3rd Avenue [in Brooklyn] last month because of lack of business,” said a Starbucks employee in Bensonhurst. The chain already has left some 600 workers nationwide with empty cups.
If you lose your health insurance due to reduction of work hours, you may be eligible for Healthy New York.
Even if you are rejected by any of these programs, your children may still be eligible for Child Medicaid or Child Health Plus. Governor Paterson recently signed legislation expanding the eligibility criteria of Child Health Plus in New York. Your children may now be covered up to their 19th birthday even if you still have a full-time job with an income of as much as $84,000 a year.
If you currently are employed, take the preventive approach by trying to increase your value to your organization to keep your job in the first place. If you are laid off, keep a clear head; before doing anything else, make sure you and your family have at least some kind of health coverage.
To determine which state and/or city health insurance programs for which you may be eligible: 
Medicaid 1-877-472-8411.
Family Health Plus 1-877-9FHPLUS
Healthy NY 1-866-432-5849
Child Medicaid and Child Health Plus 1-800-698-4543
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAY CURRENTS ADVERTORIAL
Doctor, Doctor?
Questions I’ve Often Been Asked

Bladder Stones and Prostate Enlargement
The treatment of bladder stones has been described since antiquity. Even the Hippocratic Oath admonishes the physician not to “Cut for Stone” unless specifically trained in the art.
Cutting for stone referred to a technique first developed in India in ancient times of using a sharp blade to cut through the narrow area between a man’s anus and scrotum to enter the bladder and extract the stones. Imagine how much agony a man would have to endure before agreeing to undergo without anesthesia to such a barbaric procedure, which carried a high mortality rate from hemorrhage and infection and was often followed, if the patient survived, by permanent complications including incontinence.
A small kidney stone or gravel can travel silently without pain, from the kidney into the bladder. From there it will most often pass out on urination. However, if the prostate is enlarged, the stone often is blocked from exiting the bladder. Then the small stone, trapped within the bladder grows to many times it original size by the precipitation of urinary salts on its surface until it can no longer fit through the outflow urinary pathway of the prostate. The stone lies undetected in the bladder until a cascade of painful symptoms with or without bleeding and infection occurs caused by the stone either obstructing the outflow of urine through the prostate or by irritation of the bladder wall.
Of historical interest is that Benjamin Franklin suffered with gout, which can cause uric acid stones to form in the kidneys and bladder and also with urinary retention related to prostate obstruction. The practice at the time was to pass a stiff straight hollow reed, well lubricated with butter through the penis into the bladder to drain out the urine. Ben Franklin, of necessity, invented a new device, still in use today, called the flexible silk woven catheter.
This smooth flexible hollow tube was the forerunner of today’s modern catheters. While not exactly a panacea, it did relieve the excruciating pains of thousands of men, who had been suffering with the agony of bladder stones. Today of course, we know that uric acid stones are one of the few types of stone that can be completely dissolved by making the urine alkaline with proper medication. When bladder stones are made of calcium rather than uric acid, they cannot be dissolved but may be safely and comfortably removed under anesthesia by the urologist. When a patient has symptomatic prostate enlargement and microwave thermotherapy is being considered as a possible treatment, the urologist will first make sure that there are no bladder stones. The presence of prostate stones however, which are not in contact with urine, is no contraindication to the use of microwave treatment. As a matter of fact, painful chronic prostatitis with prostate stones often responds very well to microwave thermotherapy.
If you have a question you would like answered in this column, call Dr. Okun at 718-241-6767 or E-mail Herbert@Okun.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Around the Bay
Murder in Sheepshead Bay
In a neighborhood unaccustomed to very many instances of violent crime, a man identified as a 32-year-old Turkish immigrant was stabbed to death on East 16th near Avenue Z in Sheepshead Bay at about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, police said.
The victim, identified as Gokce Kurkcu, suffered several stab wounds to his stomach, and was found dead by a passerby, police said.
His wallet and cell phone reportedly were still on him.
Police found no suspects nor determined a motive by press time.
 City buys chunk of Coney
The city has paid $11 million for a one-acre portion of the Wonder Wheel Amusement Park in Coney Island, a purchase that Mayor Bloomberg says is to preserve the amusement mecca’s character amid competing plans for development.
The historic Wonder Wheel itself remains in the private hands of the Vourderis family.
The city already has bought the famous Cyclone roller coaster and Steeplechase Park for a total of four acres of Coney Island. Bloomberg says the city plans to acquire nine acres altogether to designate as protected parkland.
IMAX comes to the Bay
If you can’t fully enjoy a new movie unless it’s in the IMAX format, you no longer have to travel to Manhattan to find one.
UA Movies at Sheepshead Bay has launched the first IMAX in Brooklyn. The cutting-edge technology offers a massive screen, enveloping sound, and digital crispness.
Buying or selling?
The Bay Ridge Jewish Center presents an indoor Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23. Flea Market Holiday gifts, old and new treasures, hand-made crafts, household items. The center is at 81 Street and 4th Avenue (“R” train to 77 Street). Free admission, refreshments. For more information or to sell,  call 718-836-3103 or  e-mail: brjc11209@aol.com.
Civic association meeting
The next Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Beth-El Jewish Center of Flatbush, at the corner of Avenue T and Homecrest Avenue, with Rabbi Pearl discussing “A Neighborhood Uniting for Preservation. Also scheduled are representatives of the 61st Precinct, and an update on community issues. For more information about the meeting or joining the civic group,  call 718- 934-8214
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Senior Currents
By Gisele Strauch
Don’t let the economy get you down!
No one, except perhaps the likes of Bill Gates or Mayor Bloomberg, has been spared the effects of the financial crisis.
Bay area seniors, most of them on fixed incomes, are likely the most worried.
But seniors who are dependent on government programs to help pay their essential bills, should not be overly anxious. No matter how many billions are given to bail out Wall Street companies, or whether John McCain or Barak Obama is our new president (this is being written before Election Day), Medicare, the “STAR” real estate rebates, the “HEAP” assistance with utility bills, and other programs for seniors, as far as we can tell now, remain solid.
And, seniors will still get a $63 raise in their Social Security benefits starting in January.
Of course, it’s still difficult for all of us to get by right now. Here are some tips to save money:
1. Go to senior centers so you can have nutritious meals at very low cost -- and enjoy the socializing and activities. (See our list of neighborhood centers)
2. Clip coupons, and stock up on sale items that you use. Keep track of new stores coming into your neighborhood, since they likely will offer attractive sales. Know the difference between your wants, and needs.
3. Make a precise grocery list – keep track of items that are running out. Always have at least two of each item in your cupboard. Try to stick to the list – make a weekly menu for yourself based on the list.
4. Buy energy-saving items, such as refillable cleaning products. Return soda or other drink bottles for the deposit.
5. Do not eat out too often.
8. Do your hair based on how it looks, not on any regular schedule. Also, see if your beauty parlor has a special on certain days, and make your appointment accordingly.
9. Shut off lights and appliances when not in use. Unplug what you can when not in use (Appliances use a surprisingly large amount of electricity even when not on). If you are buying a new appliance, make sure it’s energy-efficient.
10. Buy clothes at discount stores. Keep track of the condition of your clothes from season to season -- have separate sections in your closets and draws, so you can see what it is still good and what needs to be thrown out or donated.
11. Try to walk more if it’s not too far instead of using the bus. Maybe walk with a friend.
12. Go to the library instead of buying books. Also, there are many bookstores at which you can trade in your old books and videos for new (or different) ones.
13. Share cost-cutting tips with others, and look some up on the Internet (if you don’t have your own computer, you can use one for free at the library).
I hope this list helps you save a little. If you have any further suggestions, let me know at seniors@baycurrents.com

There’s a senior center near you!
1. JAY/ HARAMA Center 2600 Ocean Avenue  718- 891- 1110 • 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  Risa Erps, director
This center is sponsored by the JCC of Greater Coney Island and the city Department of Aging. The center is known for the Holocaust Club that meets monthly.
JAY/HARAMA offers very low-cost breakfast and lunch, as well as monthly birthday parties. There is an array of activities and trips, and counseling, health screenings, assistance with filling out forms, and other services are offered at no charge.
2. KINGSBAY Y Senior Center  3495 Nostrand Avenue 718- 648-7703
The center offers an Alzheimer’s program, trips, lectures, and counseling. Social Service help is provided
3. National Council Of Jewish Women  1001 Quentin Road 718- 376- 8169
Four floors of activities and places to eat. Parties, drama groups, choral groups, dancing, exercise, card games, health screenings, social services, and support groups.
4. YOUNG ISRAEL OF BEDFORD BAY SENIOR CENTER  2114 Brown Street Myrna Newman, director.
Lunch, lectures, trips, parties. Health and social services provided.
5. JASA MAHATTAN BEACH  60 West End Avenue 718- 646- 1118
standard activities and meals, social services, and health screenings
6. SHOREFRONT Y 3300 Coney Island Avenue
The center offers many programs for the Russian immigrant community of Brighton Beach, along with the standard activities and meals.
7. YOUNG ISRAEL OF MIDWOOD  1694 Ocean Avenue 718- 253- 7800 Sarah Klein, director
In addition to the standard activities, the center offers painting, Oneg Shabbat, chair aerobics, Rabbi’s torah portion of the week. The center is known for its red and white van transportation service.
8. SENIOR LEAGUE OF FLATBUSH MIDWOOD BRANCH  1625 Ocean Avenue 718- 253- 0508 Lenore Friedman, executive director; Robin Di Lullo, site director
Best known for ballroom dancing, blood pressure screenings, arts and crafts, parities with large attendance, book reviews, current events, and hotel trips along with standard activities.
9. SENIOR LEAGUE OF FLATBUSH  550 Ocean Parkway
The center is known for it hearing-impaired group and English as a Second language programs for the Russian community.
I hope this list will help you find the center that’s just right for you. Bring a friend!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bedbugs strike again at special-ed school
By David J. Glenn
Bay Currents Publisher
Teachers at the special-education complex at 2525 Haring Street in Marine Park may have to greet their students with, “Good morning, don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
In late October, bedbugs were found on a student and on his wheelchair, the school’s PTA president, Gloria Smith, told Bay Currents. The school sent a letter to parents notifying them of the problem, she said.
“The bedbugs reproduce incredibly quickly,” Smith said. “It really can be a problem.”
“It’s something that spreads,” a mother of a 16-year-old autistic boy at the school told Bay Currents. “I’m worried that nothing is being done.”
“We don’t have a bedbug situation,” the school’s new principal, Annette Rose, told Bay Currents on Oct. 31. Asked about the letter home, Rose declined any further comment and referred Bay Currents to the Department of Education’s press office.
Calls there were not returned by press time.
Smith said there was a similar problem last year, and that the DOE sent in a physician. “He said the bugs were coming in from the outside,” Smith said.
“He told us there was nothing we could do about it.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Profile of a bedbug
Bedbugs Cimex lectularius (Cimicidae) are not confined to beds. They’ve become an increasing problem of late in New York City, and can be in houses, apartments, hotels, cruise ships, dormitories, shelters, and, as we’ve seen, in schools.
Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feed solely upon the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. Certain kinds even inhabit bird nests and bat roosts and await the return of their hosts; others have adapted well to living in human residences.
The hatchlings are about the size of a poppy seed, and adults are about a quarter-inch in length. They are oval in shape and flattened from top to bottom.
Because they never develop wings, bedbugs cannot fly. When disturbed, bed bugs actively seek shelter in dark cracks and crevices.
Bedbugs seek out people and animals, generally at night while these hosts are asleep, and painlessly sip a few drops of blood. While feeding, they inject a tiny amount of their saliva into the skin. Repeated exposures to bedbug bites during a period of several weeks or more causes people to become sensitized to the saliva of these bugs; additional bites may then result in mild to intense allergic responses.
The affected person should resist the urge to scratch the bites, since this may intensify the irritation and itching, and may lead to secondary infection. Patients usually are treated with antihistamines and corticosteroids to reduce allergic reactions and inflammation. Bedbugs are not known to transmit any infectious agents.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bush and Bloomberg are two of a kind
By I. Freidin
Bay Currents columnist
Corruption of our democratic principles; a deadly, destabilizing invasion and prolonged occupation distracting from the real war on terror; condoning of further damage to our environment; creation of chaos in the world economy: all results of policies of the current administration in Washington. Deregulation of the economy, begun long before but significantly advanced under Bush-Cheney, has now proven once and for all that allowing the elite few at the top of the economic food chain to operate free of rules and regulations does not work.
Here in New York, things are not very different, as Mayor Mike Bloomberg has allowed his fellow billionaires to profiteer at the expense of the public. Condoning the destruction of our middle class way of life and denying the poor, he has allowed services and infrastructure to go wanting while money flows into the pockets of the ultra rich. And now he wants to subvert the voice of the people by extending mandated term limits to allow him to continue in office. “I enjoy the job”, he says and seems to feel that he has the right to purchase it for four more years. The greatest irony is his claim that he is the only one with the expertise to guide the city in this time of economic crisis – which calamity policies such as his “up-flow economics” helped to create.
Among the greatest outrages is the deal Bloomberg made with fellow billionaire Ron Lauder in order to secure another term. This is oligarchy (rule by elite, generally at the expense of the majority), plain and simple. It has been reported that those involved in charities and institutions Bloomberg supports were pressured into supporting his political ambitions, and extra pressure had been placed on members of the City Council who voted to allow him, and themselves, to run for another term.
Compounding this further is the unprecedented influence he seems to have on the major media, controlled by corporate moguls with similar interests. When he and his cronies remind us that it’s up to the voters, remember that other candidates have to spend so much of their time seeking funding while he just plunks down his $100 million to outspend them all and purchase the election. He runs the city like a business; balance sheet first; anything but democratic.
So much for democracy in New York!
The Bush-Bloomberg system works only for the few
The current financial crisis is the biggest since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Prior to that, the economy was mostly unregulated and suffered extreme fluctuations. During the catastrophic downturn precipitated by the Crash of 1929, the Republican Hoover administration, committed to the historical hands-off policy, watched from the sidelines as the nation, and the world, sunk deeper and deeper into depression and despair. The election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, with his New Deal, created policy, radical for the time, which helped those on the bottom. Rather than count on the wealth of a few trickling down, it would now, in part at least, have direct benefit to those on the bottom and middle in support of the economy. At the same time, regulations were enacted to prevent another such catastrophe. The super rich called the wealthy Roosevelt a “traitor to his class”, considering these policies to be socialism. In reality, it was capitalism with a conscience, or humanistic capitalism.
The New Deal focused on public works, education and the arts as well as enacting protective measures for the public with social security and insurance for bank accounts. It created much of the infrastructure in the nation, providing numerous jobs. Setting the table for the enormous growth of the American middle class after World War II, New Deal thought dominated our national consciousness until the War in Viet Nam discredited Lyndon Johnson, the last New Dealer in the White House. Contributions during this period of relative enlightenment included Medicare, civil rights for minorities and women and numerous other entitlements. Hunger was mostly eliminated in this country and relative income for the middle and lower classes rose steadily against that of the wealthy.
The beginning of the end of humanism in our system was the election of Richard Nixon in 1968, as he purged most of the remaining New Dealers out of government, continued under Ronald Reagan, and brought to its present state by Bush-Cheney. Now, while our government has been placing money before people, just about every other industrial nation has far surpassed us in providing for the well being of its citizens.
New Deal policies created no panacea. It was rife with problems. But when weighed against the alternative deregulated free for all, it is the system by which society can better serve the needs of the many. And despite the common misconception, freewheeling deregulation appropriates more money from the middle class for the rich than humanistic capitalism does for the poor as evidenced by the balance of wealth shifted to a greater degree toward the top end today while the middle sinks lower and lower. Whereas humanistic capitalism on its downside can often create frustration for the average citizen, an unregulated economy without entitlements, ala Bush and Bloomberg, will too often create extreme suffering for a wide range of the population.
In addition to the economic crisis, we now face political challenges in both nation and city. Isn’t it time our society returned humanity back into the mix? Isn’t it time to set our goals to serve all the people? Isn’t capitalism with a conscience better than the ruthless, self-indulgence that has caused the chaos we now face? Let us hope that people will get wise to what has been going on and reject the greed that has been motivating our government for much too long. Let us once again make our nation the world leader and our city the national leader in creating the best quality of life possible for every member of society.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How the City Council Voted on Extending Term Limits
Don’t forget the friends of democracy and those who sold it out -- save the thought through next year’s election!
YES (For shame!)
Maria del Carmen Arroyo (D-Bronx)
Maria Baez (D-Bronx)
Leroy G. Comrie, Jr. (D-Queens)
Inez E. Dickens (D-Manhattan)
Erik Martin Dilan (D-Brooklyn)
Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn)
Lewis A. Fidler (D-Brooklyn)
Helen D. Foster (D-Bronx)
Alan J. Gerson (D-Manhattan)
Sara M. Gonzalez (D-Brooklyn)
Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan)
Melinda R. Katz (D-Queens)
G. Oliver Koppell (D-Bronx)
Miguel Martinez (D-Manhattan)
Darlene Mealy (D-Brooklyn)
Michael C. Nelson (D-Brooklyn)
Christine C. Quinn (D-Manhattan)
Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. (D-Brooklyn)
Diana Reyna (D-Brooklyn)
Joel Rivera (D-Bronx)
James Sanders, Jr. (D-Queens)
Larry B. Seabrook (D-Bronx)
Helen Sears (D-Queens)
Kendall Stewart (D-Brooklyn)
James Vacca (D-Bronx)
Peter F. Vallone, Jr. (D-Queens)
Albert Vann (D-Brooklyn)
Thomas White, Jr. (D-Queens)
David Yassky (D-Brooklyn)
NO (Heroes of the day!)
Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens)
Tony Avella (D-Queens)
Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn)
Gale A. Brewer (D-Manhattan)
Anthony Como (R-Queens)
Bill de Blasio (D-Brooklyn)
Mathieu Eugene (D-Brooklyn)
Daniel R. Garodnick (D-Manhattan)
James F. Gennaro (D-Queens)
Vincent J. Gentile (D-Brooklyn)
Eric N. Gioia (D-Queens)
Vincent Ignizio (R-S.I.)
Letitia James (D-Brooklyn)
Jessica S. Lappin (D-Manhattan)
John C. Liu (D-Queens)
Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan)
Michael E. McMahon (D-S.I.)
Rosie Mendez (D-Manhattan)
Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens)
James S. Oddo (R-S.I.)
Annabel Palma (D-Bronx)
David I. Weprin (D-Queen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greenspan says “Oops!”
Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan admitted his mistake in allowing financial markets to operate virtually free of regulation, leading to the current collapse.
Appointed by the Deregulation Republican Ronald Reagan in 1987, he served over 18 years, through all or parts of four administrations. This hands-off policy usually allows for an immediate rise that can last for several years, at least for the top segments of the economy. Therefore, no one, including the Democratic Clinton administration, would make a change based on the concept that a good economy is good for the incumbent, which it surely is. We see now however, what this short sightedness inevitably leads to.
We can equate this anarchy in the market to a society with no laws or rules; everyone doing whatever they please. Needless to say, things would be rather chaotic and very dangerous. And this is just what occurred with our financial system.
With all the suffering this has caused for people worldwide, Greenspan says, “Oops!”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our columnists’ views do not necessarily reflect those  of the editors and management of Bay Currents.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sports Currents
Brooklyn hockey ACE makes hometown debut
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
Bay Currents Sports Editor
If you think about, it was probably inevitable.
As pro-hockey comes to Brooklyn this month – specifically, at the Aviator Sports Center in Floyd Bennett Field – in the form of the Aces, it’s really no surprise that a key player will be a Brooklyn boy.
Forged on the Abe Stark hockey rink in Coney Island and solidified in the youth hockey leagues of Long Island, James Brannigan’s game is somewhat of legend in Brooklyn.
Turning down an opportunity to play in the Central Hockey League this season, Brannigan signed with the team a few weeks ago and is thrilled to come home where his career-- and life -- started.
“It feels really good to be able to play in front of the city I grew up in,” Brannigan told Bay Currents. “It’s very exciting.”
At 24 years old, Brannigan already has a year of pro hockey under his belt, splitting last season with the Augusta Lynx and Columbia Inferno in the East Coast Hockey League. Before that, Brannigan spent three seasons as a full-scholarship athlete at Colorado College. However, Brannigan’s star power was dimmed at Colorado, playing behind future American Hockey League stars Marty Sertich and Brett Sterling and former Rangers draft pick Joey Crabb. Limited to fourth-line duty while in college, Brannigan knows he has the chance to prove himself in Brooklyn this season.
“I’m used to high pressure situations,” Brannigan, who scored 23 goals in the United States Hockey League before going to Colorado in 2004, said. “In college, my team made the frozen four and we played on ESPN. When I was in the USHL, I was like a local celebrity. I was in the newspaper and on TV all the time, so I’m ready for the atmosphere here. In college, I was hit with a bunch of injuries and I had to play behind some great players. It was tough for me, but it was the way things work out. Here, I feel like I can contribute more than I did before. I want to show how successful I can be here this season.”
Comparing his game to that of Calgary Flames star Jarome Iginla, Brannigan seems himself fitting in perfectly with Aces coach Chris Firriolo’s high-puck pursuit game as well.
“I’m a speedy winger and a shooter,” Brannigan, whose father owns B & A Pork store on 13th Avenue in Dyker Heights, said, “I try and model my game after Alexander Ovechkin, he’s sick. I love watching him and trying to do what he does. I’m always the first fore checker in as well, the aggressor, so I think I’m going to be very comfortable here.”
It doesn’t hurt, either, that Brannigan lives just a 10-minute drive from Aviator Sports Center.
“I’m home,” said Brannigan, who grew up a Rangers fan and idolized Brian Leetch as a youngster. “I know I’m going to get a great opportunity to show what I’m made of. It’s surreal. It hasn’t really hit me yet.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player’s family support is no tall order
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
Bay Currents Sports Editor
Edon Molic isn’t your typical 14-year-old.
As a matter of fact, he’s not your typical anyone.
For starters, he’s already close to 6’4 and is looking to nab a spot on Xaverian’s highly competitive varsity basketball team, with many thinking he has what it takes to thrive with players up to four years older than him. Armed with a killer work ethic and a supportive family behind him, Molic may have a bright future in professional basketball ahead of him.
Nevertheless, even his family are still getting used to his ever-growing frame and reputation on the court.
“I’m a tall kid, so it doesn’t make me feel so bad,” his 18-year-old brother Admir, who is 6’2, said with a chuckle. “But some of my friends that he’s six or seven years younger than, he just towers over them. At least I know I can sleep at night. He’s only got a few inches on me.”
Playing through various youth leagues in Brooklyn over the past few years, Molic has gained notice for playing through some difficult injuries, including a fractured skull that required him to wear a facemask and an injured hand that limited his ability to shoot. Today, however, Molic is healthy and ready to prove himself in the high school basketball scene.
“I see a lot of raw talent, but he has a great work ethic,” said Molic’s former youth league coach Pat Lawler. “He’s very polite in the gym as well. That’s the first thing I noticed about him. He’s very mature. He’s a natural leader and will lead the group huddles. On offense, he’s great. He has an amazing jump shot and can lay up from either side and uses both hands naturally. His defense is something that he needs to work on, but it’s something I see improving as he gets older. That’s his only weakness now.”
Knowing that he’ll have to change his game this season in order to be successful, Molic isn’t above asking for help. In a show of perseverance and dedication, Molic has pledged to become a better defender this season and has done everything from watching tapes of Xaverian’s opponent this season to working on his own every day.
“I’ve been practicing a lot,” Molic said. “I asked the point guard on the team, who’s the best defensive player Xaverian has, to help me after practice. I think I’ve gotten a lot quicker because of that and I’m ready for the season.”
While this type of dedication at such a young age may surprise many, the Molic family is used to Edon’s work ethic. Often playing in more than one league at once, Edon’s mother never complained when the family had to take several buses a day to make practices and games on opposite sides of the borough. His older brother also served as a boot camp instructor at times as well, forcing his brother to not waste his talent and go out on the court, rather than play video games.
Now, a few years and a few inches later, Molic sees his true potential and doesn’t have to be told to practice every day.
His family’s support hasn’t hurt.
“The older kids in the neighborhood saw him playing when he was in the first grade and they really made him a better player,” his big brother said. “My mother and father really motivated him when he was younger and instilled a good work ethic in him. I think he’s going to be great at Xaverian.”
“People have helped me get to where I am today,” said Molic, who noted that he wants to eventually be a doctor as well as a pro basketball player. “I’m going to help them back when I can. My brother forced me to practice when I was younger and my mom gave me an opportunity to fall in love with the game. My father really helped me work on my technique. I owe them everything. I’d really like to buy them houses one day.”

Issue #4

2008-10-03T15:33:00.000-04:00

Publisher’s Notebook
Absence of trust
The classic cry of the 1960s, “Don’t trust anyone over 30” can be easily revised in the early 21st century to say, “Don’t trust anyone over there in government.”
We’ve already learned over the past few years that we couldn’t trust the first President Bush when he said, “Read my lips,” or President Clinton when he said, “I didn’t have sex with that woman,” or the second President Bush when he said – well, when he said just about anything.
More recently, though, we’ve found that we can’t trust the federal agencies, either. I’m thinking specifically of the Food and Drug Administration, which, as we show in our cover story, has failed to protect babies from the clear danger of an estrogen-like chemical, BPA, used in the manufacture of most plastic baby bottles.
But this shouldn’t be surprising. Last April, the Reader’s Digest – hardly a lefty, radical, anti-establishment publication -- offered an investigative report, “Strong Medicine: What’s Ailing the FDA?” In the piece, writer Alexis Jetter reported that there’s “pressure from the [pharmaceutical] industry to speed decisions, and there’s pressure to soft-pedal problems. That means drugs may go on the market without adequate vetting – or follow-up.” A key problem is “the growing chunk of the agency’s budget that comes directly from drug companies,” Jetter reported. She quotes former FDA associate commissioner William Hubbard: “Think your pacemaker, heart valve, microwave oven or morning vitamin was inspected? Dream on.”
We commend retailers who have taken baby bottles containing BPA off their shelves, manufacturers who have stopped using the chemical, and most of all, parents who have used common sense and have avoided BPA bottles.
Go away, FDA, you bother us.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Is your baby’s bottle dangerous?
By Amadeo Constanzo
Bay Currents writer
If you have a baby, you likely are constantly careful about what you’re feeding him or her.
Just as likely, you haven’t given much thought to the bottle you’re using. But now parents in the Bay area and beyond have some cause for concern. The Work Group for Safe Markets – a coalition of environmental scientists – and other groups have reported potential dangers from the chemical bisphenol A – a hormone that mimics estrogen -- which is used in the manufacture of many plastic containers, including most baby bottles
The Work Group said in a recent report, “We conclude that the amount [of BPA] leaching from heated bottles is within the range shown to cause harm in animal studies and is therefore a health concern for infants.”
The group warned that levels of BPA even lower than that considered “acceptable” by the federal Environmental Protection Agency could lead to health problems including prostate and breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, and an altered immune system.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has concluded that BPA in baby bottles is safe. The federal Food and Drug Administration recently relied on the NIEHS studies to declare that there would be no governmental ban on the use of BPA in baby bottles.
But Bay area mothers are not taking any chances. Enkeleida Abazi of Bensonhurst, mother of an infant son, said she couldn’t be 100 percent sure the FDA won’t change its position in the future if new scientific evidence shows harmful effects from plastic bottles. In that case, any damage to her son’s health already would have been done.
Another young mother, who didn’t want her name used, agreed: “They [the FDA] always change their minds. It’s harmful, it’s not harmful, it’s harmful...”
Said another mother: “I don’t trust the FDA. They want to help the bottle companies. They don’t help us.”
In a report to the NIEHS, Dr. Sarah Janssen, a Science Fellow with the National Resource Defense Council, denounced the Institute for being “too dismissive” of what she said were possible dangers of BPA leading to cancer. She added that there were several flaws in the studies on which the FDA’s decision was based.
Reacting to mothers’ concerns, many major retailers have stopped carrying baby bottles with BPA, and several manufacturers have stopped using it, even labeling their products “No BPA.”
Adults worried about using plastic food containers with BPA should avoid any containers that bear the number 7 or 3 in the recycling sign on the bottom of the container.
E-mail: health@baycurrents.net
-------------------------------------------------------------
Twice the Advice
By Jacqueline Donelli and Kerry Donelli

Dear Twins,
I’m a 34-year-old man and I’m seeing a wonderful 36-year-old woman. We spend all our free time together and we have a great time together. The problem is she won’t commit to me. I know she’s not involved with anyone else, so that isn’t the issue. She says she just needs some more time to be free -- but we’ve been seeing each other now for seven months! While I want to exclusively be with her, she refuses to refer to me as her boyfriend, and introduces us to people as her “friend.”
Other things bother me too. For instance, she refuses to partake in gestures like hand-holding. And when she leaves, she gives me a quick peck on the cheek. I really love this woman but I’m having a hard time with her aloofness. I’m crazy for her -- what should I do?
Hopelessly in love
Jacqueline says:
Dear Hopeless,
Stop the presses now, because here it is: She’s just not that into you. I know this sounds a little harsh, but it’s the hard, cold truth. It appears you are more of a “boy toy” then anything. If that works for you, then great, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. You need to think of your needs first. You deserve a woman who wants to hold your hand, and who doesn’t refer to you as “a friend.” If she does not want to step up the relationship after seven months and you do, now is the time to get out.

Kerry says:
Dear Hopeless,
I agree with Jacqueline; you should walk away from this situation. This woman does not feel for you in any way like you feel for her -- that’s pretty evident when she refers to you as her “friend.” Besides, action speaks louder than words. The fact that she is unable to partake in meaningful gestures like handholding and goodbye kisses is a huge red flag. And while I’m sure she truly enjoys your companionship, that is exactly what it amounts to her companionship. Instead of being alone, she is bidding time with you until she finds someone else. Sounds like she’s having her cake and eating it, too -- but at your emotional expense. At your age it’s pointless to waste time on each other if you’re not on the same page. And it doesn’t appear like things are going to take a turn for her -- it’s already been seven months. As the song goes, “You can’t make them love you if they don’t.” I know it hurts, which is why you need to nip it in the bud sooner than later.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Drug rehab center ‘does not belong’ in Coney
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
Bay Currents writer
More than 150 residents of western Coney Island left their homes on Sept. 24 to protest the future home of the Project Esteem chemical-dependency center at 3114 Mermaid Avenue.
Holding signs in English, Chinese and Spanish, and chanting “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Project Esteem must go,” the residents were furious that their community, already host to a plethora of mental and physical health centers, was subject to what they called “the dumping on of Coney Island.”
“This does not belong in our community,” said Queenie Huling, an ACORN Political Action Committee representative. “It has to go.”
Unlike the other centers in the area, Project Esteem is not non-profit, fueling the perception that the center’s operators are more interested in simply making money than serving the community. And, the center, according to the proposal given to Community Board 13 and ACORN, is to cater to the Russian immigrant community – not a particularly large population in Coney Island, which, based on the latest census, is 42 percent African-American, 26 percent Hispanic, and 4 percent Asian.
“It belongs in Brighton Beach,” said Huling. “Not here. We don’t need this in our area.”
After the rally, protesters headed to the Community Board 13 meeting at Coney Island Hospital. They were hardly reticent there, either.
“This isn’t necessary in this particular area,” said resident John Cherry. “We have enough chemical-dependency centers in this area to address our needs. No one thought we were going to raise our voice in opposition to this. It’s great that all these diverse backgrounds in the community getting together and letting these people know they aren’t going to do this to us.”
Project esteem’s owner, Dr. Oleg Gutnik, wasn’t at the rally or meeting, Project spokesman C.J. Zelossce was at the meeting, and said, “Project Esteem wants you to know that they want to be a working part of this community. They are really looking to interact with individuals and families. I know there’s always a stigma when it comes to substance-abuse rehabilitation centers, but anyone who walks the street in this community knows that there are plenty of addicts walking around. As a matter of fact, the levels are 40 percent higher here than the nation’s average.”
He cited a recent city survey reporting that Brooklyn is only at 65 percent of its potential capacity for substance-abuse centers. He did not emphasize, though, that the survey was based on all of Brooklyn, and neither did he define what “capacity” actually meant in the borough.
T he crowd of protesters at the meeting clearly was not buying what Zelossce was selling -- they chanted against Project Esteem as he walked back to his seat in the audience.
A woman at the meeting who didn’t give her name voiced support for Gutnik’s proposed center, calling him “a great man.”
“My husband is a heroin addict and this doctor has provided us with counseling so we can get on with our lives,” she said. “He can help all of you. It’s easy to knock something when you don’t know all the facts. This man deserves a chance.”
CB 13 chairwoman Marion Cleaver announced the board was against the proposed project, but the board didn’t take a formal vote.
“Why would they [Project Esteem] do this?” resident Linda Smith said. “With this in the middle of our community and the economy the way it is, this isn’t good news. We are all hard-working people that want something better for ourselves and our families.
“We need things built here that will improve our community, not bring it down more.”
-------------------------------------------------------------
Kid Currents
The Snow Queen
Continuing our quest to introduce classic children’s tales to kids whose imagination has been largely supplanted by images on a TV or computer screen, we present here Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.”
By Hans Christian Andersen
Illustrated by Edmund Dulac
There is a legend that, once upon a time, a beautiful fairy, the Snow Queen, lived on the highest, most solitary peaks of the Alps. The mountain folk and shepherds climbed to the summits to admire her, and everyone fell head over heels in love with her.
Every man would have given anything, including his life, to marry her. Indeed, their lives are just what they did give, for Fate had decided that no mortal would every marry the Snow Queen. But in spite of that, many brave souls did their best to approach her, hoping always to persuade her.
Each suitor was allowed to enter the great ice palace with the crystal roof, where the Queen’s throne stood. But the second he declared his love and asked for her hand, thousands of goblins appeared to grasp him and push him over the rocks, down into bottomless abysses.
Without the slightest emotion, the Queen would watch the scene, her heart of ice unable to feel anything at all. The legend of the crystal palace and the beautiful heartless Queen spread as far as the most distant alpine valley, the home of a fearless chamois hunter. Fascinated by the tale, he decided to set out and try his luck. Leaving his valley, he journeyed for days on end, climbing the snow clad mountain faces, scaling icebound peaks and defying the bitterly cold wind that swept through the alpine gullies.
More than once he felt all was lost, but the thought of the lovely Snow Queen gave him new strength and kept him moving onwards. At last, after many days climbing, he saw glinting in the sunshine before him, the tall transparent spires of the ice palace.
Summoning all his courage, the young man entered the Throne Room. But he was so struck by the Snow Queen’s beauty that he could not utter a word. Shy and timid, he did not dare speak. So he knelt in admiration before the Queen for hours on end, without opening his mouth. The Queen looked at him silently, thinking all the while that, provided he did not ask her hand in marriage, there was no need to call the goblins.
Then, to her great surprise, she discovered that his behavior touched her heart. She realized she was becoming quite fond of this hunter, much younger and more handsome than her other suitors. Time passed and the Snow Queen dared not admit, not even to herself, that she would actually like to marry the young man.
In the meantime, the goblins kept watch over their mistress; first they were astonished, then they became more and more upset. For they rightly feared that their Queen might be on the point of breaking the Law and bringing down on the heads of all the Mountain People the fury of Fate.
Seeing that the Queen was slow to give the order to get rid of her suitor, the goblins decided to take matters into their own hands. One night, as dusk fell, they slipped out of the cracks in the rock and clustered round the young chamois hunter. Then they hurled him into the abyss. The Snow Queen watched the whole scene from the window, but there was nothing she could do to stop them. However, her icy heart melted, and the beautiful cruel fairy suddenly became a woman.
A tear dropped from her eye, the first she had ever shed. And the Snow Queen’s tear fell on to a stone where it turned into a little silvery star.
This was the first edelweiss ... the flower that grows only on the highest, most inaccessible peaks in the Alps, on the edge of the abyss and precipice.
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Washington to Wall Street to Coney Island, greed prevails
By I. Friedin
Bay Currents columnist
The Vietnam war signaled the end of the greatest period of enlightenment in American history since the Founding Fathers devised our system of “checks and balances” and the Bill of Rights. From that fateful election of 1968, when Richard Nixon squeaked into the White House by a nosehair, the average American has been losing ground at an ever greater pace to the forces of ignorance and greed. Too many Americans are diverted by relatively inconsequential social issues while entitlements are diminished or lost and regulations enacted to protect us from the excesses of big business watered down or eliminated.
Whereas common sense dictates regulation for industry, utilities and markets to assure that all members of society be dealt with evenhandedly, greed has prevailed, utilizing ignorance and bigotry as the tools to shepherd the masses to act against their own best interests. The Bush-Cheney Administration has taken a giant step in this direction as we observe corporate CEO’s rake in eight and nine figure bonuses while their employees lose benefits, pensions and often, their jobs. Virtual carte blanche is provided those on top of the economic food chain to rape the economy at our expense. But, without the safeguards provided by proper regulation, whatever goes up must ultimately come crashing back down.
The bailout of our financial institutions will, as usual, harm those who can least afford it. The debt incurred will mean further cuts in services and entitlements as well as the prevention of necessary infrastructure improvements throughout the nation. Most agree that some form of bailout is necessary lest we face the possible collapse of our economy. But is covering the sins of those who have profiteered by preying on the weak the answer? We would hope that any bailout plan will be as fair as possible, taking hardships of victims into account, and that provisions are made to punish, rather than reward, the predators.
But as the consequences of the Bush-Cheney economic policies are further inflicted on the American public, we face the possibility of a certain Democratic victory for the White House being subverted by the ugliest of many Americans’ ignorant prejudices; that of racial bigotry. The polls show a much closer race than it should be with McCain and his Miss America candidate for Vice President neck and neck with Obama; and this doesn’t account for those not admitting to voting their prejudice. As disastrous as another “Deregulation” Republican administration would be for the country, what if something happened to McCain himself? Foreign Policy is far from Sarah Palin’s only weak point. She doesn’t seem to know very much about anything relevant; indicative of the ignorance that elected Bush in the first place.
But here in New York, it’s business as usual as our businessman mayor mimics the policies of Bush-Cheney, feeding the top of the economic food chain at the expense of the rest of us. Neighborhoods in Bloomberg’s New York are invaded by billionaire developers, squeezing residents and businesses out in favor of those who will pay the most. Stadiums are erected with admission unaffordable to most of the taxpayers subsidizing their construction. And now he’s dictating drastic cuts that will most affect: who else?: those who can least afford it!
The invaders intruding into communities before the onset of the economic turndown are still attempting to lift their heads above the carnage and move forward.
Atlantic Yards appears dead for lack of tenants, yet Bruce Ratner persists despite the efforts of the heroes in Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, the group fighting to save their neighborhood. Losing case after case in the courts to Ratner’s high priced legal team, they were able to stall long enough for the economy to take over. Other like projects also seem doomed, despite a lack of acknowledgment from the mayor and developers.
And back in Coney Island, the battle of the titans continues as Mayor Bloomberg’s CIDC battles Joseph Sitt’s Thor Equities for control of the amusement district while other operators and the residential community suffer utter neglect. Strictly a land grab, with neither side having a viable plan, Thor owns the real estate while the city controls the zoning. Zoning changes planned by the city must therefore be at least partially placed on hold to prevent Thor from moving ahead. Both though, want to remake the area into yet another destination for those of greater means.
A new mayor, with an almost completely new City Council, will be seated in little over a year. Do you think they will give Sitt what he wants, abide by Bloomberg’s almost equally repugnant plan or do the right thing for the people by maintaining current zoning and allowing Coney Island to retain its cultural heritage as America’s Playground? And do you think that with the current state of the economy anything is going to be done in the near future? In their zeal however, to replace those who can enjoy Coney Island as it has been with a wealthier clientele, they have managed to destroy much of what was left.
We will see how these events play out, but meanwhile, ignorance and greed continue to pervade our society, leading to the same mistakes repeated over and over and over...
Will we ever learn?
(The views of our columnists are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher or editors of Bay Currents)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Sports Currents
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
‘It’s about how you finish’
If looks could tell the whole story, then it’s safe to say that the 2008 NY-Penn League season took its toll on Brooklyn Cyclones manager Edgar Alfonzo.
Despite finishing with an impressive 45-30 record this season, the Mets Single-A affiliate failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005 -- and the first time in Alfonzo’s three years as skipper.
Dealing with injuries to stars Zach Lutz and Reese Havens and the ineffectiveness of 2008 top pick Ike Davis, Alfonzo’s high-energy style as coach seemed to be wearing thin by season’s end. Usually jovial to reporters in his customary post-game press conferences, Alfonzo looked emotionally exhausted by September.
However, in typical Alfonzo fashion, the former NY-Penn League manager of the year has been outspoken about his team’s play this off-season, saying that he was pleased with the fortitude his young team showed on the field and was ultimately proud of the way they performed down the stretch.
“I told these guys all season that it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish,” said Alfonzo via telephone from the Mets Instructional League in Florida. “We had so many injuries to deal with and they really came together in the end. We had the Wild Card spot until the last day of the season; we were right there. I was frustrated at times because of the injuries, but I know that these guys gave me everything they had.”
After the team’s last game of the season on September 5, Alfonzo joked that he needed a break from coaching, saying that he told Mets fielding coordinator Kevin Morgan he needed a month off. Three weeks after that statement and ten months from the start of the 2009 NY-Penn League season however, Alfonzo is back at it, coaching various prospects in the organization, most of them from Brooklyn.
“These guys are working very hard and are learning a lot,” Alfonzo, who has served at several different positions in the organization over the past decade, said. “I’ve had a lot of fun with them here. Guys like [Cyclones outfielder] Sean Ratliff and [Cyclones first baseman] Ike Davis have shown me a lot. They are absorbing all the information and are playing very well.”
Before Alfonzo’s return in 2007, the team had a different manager every season of their history and since then, has become a fan favorite in Brooklyn and is synonymous with the team’s success.
In spite of that, Alfonzo himself said that he doesn’t know if the organization will ask him to come back to Brooklyn and while he refused to say what his own intentions are for next season, he did say that he’s loved every minute of his time at Keyspan Park.
“Aside from the big leagues, Brooklyn is the best place to manage in the Mets organization,” said Alfonzo. “I don’t know what the organizations plans are for me next season, but I know that I’ve really enjoyed my time there.”
Players to watch
Even though this year the Brooklyn Cyclones failed to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, they still boasted the best pitching staff in the New York-Penn League, holding down a stellar 2.76 ERA and a mind-boggling 752 strikeouts in only 679 innings pitched. Chatting with the team’s pitching coach, Hector Berrios, after the season finale, Bay Currents gets the inside scoop on the young and talented staff.
First up, the Starting Rotation:
Brad Holt: “Holt has a power arm. He hit 100 miles per hour on the radar gun in Aberdeen and it was the first time I saw it live. That was impressive. We had a report on him that he threw 147 fastballs out of 152 pitches in a start in college. In the beginning, he told me, ‘I don’t even know what I throw.’ I told him, just throw whatever you have and we’ll take it from there. It turns out he has a power curve, 79-81 miles per hour with a big break. He also started to incorporate his change up. He’s very athletic and he’s constantly learning. He’s got a world of talent and with that type of power, especially considering how far he’s come with his secondary pitches in such a short amount of time, the sky is the limit. I think in two or three years, he’ll be a guy on the front end of the Mets rotation.”
Scott Shaw and Chris Schwinden: “These guys are both tacticians on the mound and they rely on spotting the ball. Their game is being able to locate their pitches and change speeds. They did an impressive job of that this season. I think Shaw was one of our most underrated pitchers and if you take two or three bad innings away from him, he was the best pitcher in the league this season.”
Pedro P. Martinez: “He was in the top 10 in the New York-Penn league up to his last few starts. But because of his youth, he was unable to sustain it. He still had a heck of a year though.”
Jenrry Mejia: “To be here at 18 and playing so well at this level is really impressive. He sits on 94 miles per hour and can get up to 97. He doesn’t quite have the extension of a guy like Holt has, but considering how young he is, I think he has a lot of potential.”
Now, the Bullpen:
Jimmy Johnson: “At one point, he tried to shy away from contact, but after a while he looked like a veteran out there. He has three pitches he can throw for strikes. He started the season as more of a lefty specialist, but ended it as someone who is very dependable in late innings.”
Roy Merritt: “He came down to his arm angle and really took to it. He was probably the biggest surprise we had here all year. He’s got good movement and has the same thing Joe Smith had when he was here. His pitch speed fluctuates to the point where you’ll see a fastball at 84 and then one at 89. That’s why it seems why hitters have trouble with the same pitches every night. He’s very good at what he does. Remember he was a center fielder a few years ago; he just picked this up and ran with it.”
Wendy Rosa: “He wasn’t anywhere near the strike zone and wasn’t on a team out of spring training. But through hard work at Extended Spring Training, he got called up to Savannah and then back here and he was a different pitcher. He’s another guy that just went out and surpassed our expectations. He can throw three pitches for a strike and is another one that can find himself in the big leagues with that plus slider and plus curve ball that he has.”
Mattias Carrillo: “He’s more of a specialty guy who has to change speeds and be where he wants to be in the strike zone. He has a good changeup to the lefties and a good curve ball to the righties. With that being said, he has to really rely on his command to be good. He did it this season.”
Jim Fuller: “To me, it’s a little disappointing that we didn’t get to see him very much, because he has so much talent. A really small guy with a power arm that can hit 91,92 and 93 miles per hour. He gets a lot of swings and misses at this level and is a guy to keep your eye on. He may be a special guy in the big leagues one day. He’s one of our best workers too and has been a pleasure to coach.”
Eric Turgeon: “He was a position player at UConn and came here with minimal experience, but he worked hard. He was one of those guys that was always pulling at my coat and wanted to work with me. He ended up giving us some tremendous outings that bridged us into the eighth and ninth innings.”
Stephen Clyne and Yury Santana: “We had Clyne’s experience on the mound and Yury’s ability to throw a secondary pitch for strikes this season and it helped us a lot. Santana’s slider scored a 65 out of 80 on our rating scale. It gets up to 84-85 miles per hour at times and that’s why you saw all those swings and misses.”
York-Penn league up to his last few starts. But because of his youth, he was unable to sustain it. He still had a heck of a year though.”
Jenrry Mejia: “To be here at 18 and playing so well at this level is really impressive. He sits on 94 miles per hour and can get up to 97. He doesn’t quite have the extension of a guy like Holt has, but considering how young he is, I think he has a lot of potential.”
E-mail: sports@baycurrents.net
Bay Currents Photos by Ron Hatcher
-------------------------------------------------------------
Around the Bay
‘A Man of Words and Action’
Family, friends, and colleagues gathered at Brooklyn College Sept. 23 for the opening reception of “Reverend Dr. William Augustus Jones: A Man of Words and Action.” The collection, donated to the college by the Jones family after his death in February 2006, includes photos, manuscripts, diaries, sermons and audio and video tapes from and about Jones, who served for 43 years as pastor of Brooklyn’s Bethany Baptist Church in Bedford Stuyvesant. He was a leading voice in the coalition between the black and the Jewish communities in the civil rights movement.
The exhibit will be on display in the Brooklyn College Library through Nov. 30.

Buses unwelcome
Many Bergen Beach residents would like Atlantic Express to be bused out of their neighborhood.
The school-bus company last month turned a lot on East 69th Street between Avenues X and Y into a depot for some 150 yellow buses. Residents complain that the buses coming and going cause traffic jams and air pollution in the residential neighborhood.
An Atlantic Express spokeswoman said the company is “working to beautify the neighborhood and address all the concerns.”

Hard cell for Marine Park
If Marine Park residents look up at the roof of a two-story building at 3623 Quentin Road, many might have the reaction, “Oh no, not again!”
Still seething from the installation of a cell-phone tower atop another two-story building, on Avenue S, in 2005, residents are miffed over a new cell tower just placed atop the Quentin Road building. Highway Locksmiths occupies the first floor of the building, with apartments on the second floor.
Residents are worried about possible health effects from radio frequency waves from the cell towers.

Breaker, breaker, it’s a convoy!
Nearly 300 trucks spelled out “NEW YORK” at Floyd Bennett Field on Sept. 20, following a convoy across Queens and Brooklyn to set the Guinness World Record for “Largest Tow Truck Parade.” The Metropolitan New York Towing Association staged the parade.
-------------------------------------------------------------
BAY FACTOID
Two Bay area high schools, Erasmus Hall and Lincoln, are the alma maters of two superstars.

Barbra Streisand graduated in 1959 third in her class at Erasmus, where she sang in the school choir with Neil Diamond. She was also friendly there with future World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer.

Diamond, the son of a dry-goods merchant, grew up in several homes in Brooklyn, attending Erasmus and then graduating from Lincoln.
-------------------------------------------------------------

BAY CURRENTS ADVERTORIAL
Doctor, Doctor?
Questions I’ve Often Been Asked
Important facts about Microwave treatment
Microwave treatment of the prostate to relieve the annoying symptoms of prostate enlargement is rapidly replacing the use of surgery throughout the USA. When a man comes to realize that his urinary stream has become weaker despite sometimes having to push, that he has to empty his bladder more often both day and night, that he doesn’t always feel empty after urination and that the stream has become interrupted and at times he is caught in the unfortunate position of having to find a toilet before urgency forces him to wet himself, he knows that something is surely wrong. These symptoms don’t all occur together at the same time every time a man has to relieve himself. They come in any and every possible combination with different degrees of severity at different times. These days, your first line of defense is always to see your own doctor. He or she may decide to try a medical approach first by using any of a number of excellent medications, which have been found effective in treating this condition. Avodart is one such drug that can, over time shrink the prostate and relieve the symptoms. Another drug, Flomax, works by relaxing the muscles within the prostate and permitting the passage of urine running through the prostate to flow more freely. Sometimes a man, for a wide variety of reasons cannot or will not take these medications. In the past, such patients were most often considered for surgical treatment, whether by open surgery or by TURP (Roto-Rooter), TUNA or LASER.
The pendulum has now swung to the use of microwave therapy before resorting to surgery. This modern non-surgical treatment performed in the office, requires no hospitalization or general anesthesia and involves no cutting or removal of tissue and no blood loss. Even patients not in good enough condition to undergo anesthesia or prostate surgery can easily tolerate the microwave treatment. Since the treatment is not surgical and the results are so beneficial, many patients have commented that, “It’s like having an operation but without the operation.” One of the first questions I’ve been asked on suggesting microwave therapy is whether or not this treatment would prevent the use of any other treatments in the future -- the answer is “absolutely not.” The internal and external anatomy of the genitals and prostate are kept intact, so there is no interference with the patient’s sex life. Following the treatment, there follows a steady and gradual improvement in the patient’s urinary pattern. Whatever the patient may need in the years ahead, whether of a medical or a surgical nature for whatever condition he may develop, there is no concern whatsoever that having first undergone a microwave treatment will interfere with whatever proper, appropriate and timely care may be required by his condition at some time in the future.
If you have a question you would like answered in this column, call Dr. Okun at 718-241-6767 or E-mail Herbert@Okun.com
-------------------------------------------------------------
Bay resident takes love of cats really seriously
By David J. Glenn
Bay Currents Publisher
You could say that Rudy Farano of Sheepshead Bay has six cats.
Actually, though, it would be more accurate to say he has about 75, and counting.
The 81-year-old retired antique-car dealer and his wife Diane, 79 care for six felines at home, but for the past three years he has taken it upon himself to feed the dozens of stray cats and kittens on Emmons Avenue, Haring Street, Knapp Street, East 22nd Street, and Kings Highway.
He feeds them every evening, seven days a week, no matter how bad the weather, or his health, may be any particular day.
If anyone is to blame for the presence of so many hungry, stray cats on the street, it’s cat owners, Farano said. “Many people will adopt a kitten, then grow tired of it when it grows, and they’ll toss the poor thing on the street.”
Farano said New York should follow some other cities that have enacted laws requiring anyone taking in a cat to have it spayed or neutered. “It’s just common sense,” he said.
Diane has trouble walking, but she accompanies her husband on most of his nightly runs in their SUV. “She loves cats as much as I do,” he said.
In true Pavlovian fashion, the cats identify the sound of the SUV from any other car that may pass by, and come out ready for dinner when he pulls up.
Farano makes sure to leave the food – dry food as well as moist, and special treats like honeyed turkey for those cats who wait -- at fences or other public areas, away from homes. “I don’t want to bother anyone,” he said.
Not all neighborhood residents share Farano’s love for the strays. He has been threatened with everything from the police being called (although he’s not doing anything illegal) to physical violence. In fact, “one time I got into a fistfight with a man – at my age!” he said.
Farano’s self-imposed responsibility is not cheap. He spends about $30 a day on cat food – more than $900 a month. To anyone who might say that this money should be better spent on feeding hungry people in the neighborhood, Farano is quick to say, “I donate to that, too” – to City Harvest and other relief programs.
And the cats really need him. “Many of them, especially the little ones, would starve to death if I didn’t do this,” he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Senior Currents
By Gisele Strauch
Elder abuse – often it’s all in the family
There’s a common misconception about elder abuse. Many think it’s mainly a problem of home-health aides hitting or neglecting their clients.
In actuality, such incidents are very rare. If a senior is abused, it’s more likely to be at the hands of the elder’s family – the grown children or the spouse, who may try to shift the blame to the home aide – or in nursing homes. Also, the accountant or lawyer handling the senior’s money may siphon off funds.
Very often, the senior is too ashamed, or frightened, to tell anyone, or just thinks no one can help.
Here are some common  signs of elder abuse:
1. Wounds on the body.
2. Senior has unexplained medical problems, and appears underfed
3. He or she shows a sudden change in personality, becoming withdrawn and reluctant to talk.
4. Money is missing from the senior’s bank account.
If you or someone you know is a victim of elder abuse, immediately tell someone you trust, contact a senior center near you, or call the city at 311.

We received a considerable response to last issue’s “A Day at a Senior Center.”
Many readers wanted to know which center we highlighted, and where they could find a senior center near them.
We purposely did not identify the center where “Sadie” went, since we did not want to implicitly endorse one center over another. But here is a list of some of the senior centers in the Bay area. When choosing one, you might want to consider the religious affiliation, if any, how close it is to you, whether transportation is offered, and the kind of activities offered.
•Jay/Harama Center, 2600 Ocean Ave.,
718- 891- 1110 Risa Erps, Director

•Young Israel of Bedford Bay, 2114 Brown Street,
718-332-4120 Myrna Newman, Director

•Kings Bay YM-YWHA Senior Center, 3495
Nostrand Ave., 718-648-7703

•JASA Manhattan Beach Senior Center,
60 West End Ave., 718-891-8700

•Shorefront YM-YWHA in Brighton Beach,
3300 Coney Island Ave., 718-646-1444

•Young Israel of Midwood 1694 Ocean Ave.,
718-253-7800 Sarah Klein, Director

•Senior League of Flatbush Midwood Branch,
1625 Ocean Ave., 718- 253-0508,
Lenore Freidman Executive Director

•Senior League of Flatbush 550 Ocean Parkway,
718- 438- 7775 Lenore Freidman, Executive Director

•National Council of Jewish Women 1001
Quentin Road, 718-627-7680
------
Site of Lundy’s Restaurant ‘desecrated’
By David J. Glenn
Bay Currents Publisher
As the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission considers issuing a stop-work order, developers are continuing what one local lawmaker calls “the desecration” of the historic Lundy’s building on Emmons Avenue.
The famous “LUNDY BROS” lettering has been removed, and scaffolding has been in place. Developers are planning to turn the site into a Cherry Hill Gourmet Market.
State Sen. Carl Kruger said the removal of the signs, awnings, ornamental lanterns, shrubbery and sidewalks outside Lundy’s “is a clear violation of its landmark status and an attack on the entire Sheepshead Bay waterfront community.”
One of the city’s most famous seafood houses, Lundy’s could hold 2,500 people for dinner at its heyday. Following a six-year community battle, it was declared a landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in the mid 1990s.
“Lundy’s is one of the most recognizable sites in our borough – a major attraction that was given long-overdue protection by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission to keep its familiar exterior intact and maintain it for future generations to enjoy. Now the location is being desecrated and destroyed,” Kruger said.
Theresa Scavo, chairwoman of Community Board 15, who joined Kruger at a Sept. 29 press conference in front of the shuttered Spanish Mission-style building at 1901Emmons Avenue, called the removal of the Lundy’s sign “a despicable act and an assault on our community.”
Landmarks officials visited the site late last month and issued a warning giving the owner 60 days to respond. “This is an impractical and potentially heartbreaking solution given the speed with which bulldozers can effectively decimate this New York City landmark,’ Kruger said.
He said the “so-called gourmet market has turned out to be nothing more than a low-end fruit store, complete with outdoor stands to display fruits and vegetables,” Kruger added.
Officials of Cherry Hill could not be reached by press time.
Lundy’s opened its doors in the mid-1930s, and served its signature dishes until the late 1970s. It re-opened with new owners in 1997, but closed again in early 2007.
---------
Let me get this straight...
(currently making the rounds on the Internet, author unknown)
I’m a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.
If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re “exotic,  different.”
Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers – it’s a quintessential American story.
If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
Name your kids Willow, Trig, and Track, you’re a maverick.
Graduate from Harvard Law School and you are unstable.
Attend five different small colleges before graduating, you’re well-grounded.
If you spend three years as a community organizer, become the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend eight years as a state senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend four years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works, and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you don’t have any real leadership experience.
If your resume is: local TV weather girl/sportscaster, four years on the city council and six years as the mayor of a town with fewer than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with a population the size of Baltimore, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking executive.
If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising two daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.
If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.
If you teach responsible, age-appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant by a guy who brags on the Internet that he’s a “redneck” who doesn’t want kids, you’re a model parent.
If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.
If your husband is nicknamed “First Dude,” with at least one DUI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is a model for all Americans.
OK, much clearer now.