VOS IZ NEIAS

VOS IZ NEIAS Breaking news and community news that might be to your curiosity as it happens, before you get it from your news source.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Manhattan +In The Line Of Duty Cop Collapses And Dies+

Manhattan +In The Line Of Duty Cop Collapses And Dies+ Friday night at 150 East 86th Street and Lexington Avenue, a NYPD officer, who racked up more than 200 arrests during his 10-year career, was in a foot pursuit after 3 perps for a robbery, when the officer suffered a fatal heart attack and was transported in cardiac arrest to Lenox Hill Hospital where he was pronounced DOA on arrival, two of the three perps are in custody.
"We'll take good care of him," Chief of Department Joseph Esposito promised.

U/D: 01/29/06
A third man allegedly involved in the robbery Friday night, was apprehended yesterday, police said.

JERUSALEM - Leading Israeli Kabbalist dies, was older than 104

JERUSALEM - One of the most revered Jewish holy men in Israel Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri, died on Shabbos aged more than 104-years-old.

The Sephardic rabbi was admitted to a Jerusalem hospital earlier this month after contracting pneumonia.

He is believed to have been born before 1900 in what is now Iraq. His personal physician had estimated his age as between 104 and 108.

U/D: 01/29/06 21:14
Almost a quarter of a million mourners from Israel and around the world gathered in Jerusalem for the funeral of Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri.

Friday, January 27, 2006

Brooklyn +Bank Robbery+

Brooklyn +Bank Robbery+ PD are calling for a level one, due to a bank robbery at the Commerce Bank by a 60-year-male white at East 12th Street and Kings Highway, perp fled on foot.

Secaucus, NJ +Car Carrier On Fire+

Secaucus, NJ +Car Carrier On Fire+ On the New Jersey Turnpike northbound at M/M 111.3 a car carrier with multiple cars on it is on fire, FD calling for additional Eng's to the scene.

Manhattan +Miracle Subway Track-Fall+

Manhattan - A 29-year-old Brooklyn stockbroker fell from a downtown subway platform yesterday, but miraculously emerged from underneath a train with just a scratch.

The conductor heard the screams of horrified onlookers when the train roared into the Wall Street station at 5 p.m. and was able to stop the train after only one car passed over the man, who was lying flat in the trough between the rails.

NYPD and FD got him out and he was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was treated for minor head and leg injuries.

Manhattan +Pedestrian Struck+

Manhattan +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck at East 80th Street and 2nd Avenue, Hatzolah on the scene.

U/D: 09:29
All Hatzolah units are being canceled due to EMS handling the scene.

NY - Passing A School Bus May Lead To Tougher Penalties

Drivers who illegally pass school buses may soon be facing tougher penalties.

Under the bill, first-time offenders could be fined 100 to 250 dollars, jailed for 15 days and/or be ordered to perform 15 days of community service.

Currently, the penalty for first-time offenders is a fine of at least 100 dollars and/or up to 15 days in jail.

An Assembly panel endorsed the plan today. It now heads to the full Assembly for its consideration.

Nation's Oldest Existing Synagogue To Reopen

Newport, RI - Touro Synagogue the nation's oldest existing Jewish house of worship will reopen its doors for services next month.

Rockland +Route 59 Road Closed+

Rockland +Route 59 Road Closed+ A serious MVA on Route 59 eastbound near the Palisades Center Mall, involving a car under a truck, PD are requesting Rockland EMS ALS units and the A.I.S. Team to the scene roadway is closed.

U/D: 07:15
Some fatalities on the scene.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

New York - Health Dept. Is Working On Guidelines For Metzitzah B'Peh

New York - For thousands of years, rabbis performed a simple procedure to cleanse the wound left by a ritual circumcision, they quickly sucked blood from the cut and spit it aside, ostensibly disposing of any harmful impurities.
The procedure is the subject of a clash between religion and science in modern-day New York.

Prompting the state health department to develop its first set of safety guidelines on the ritual of oral suction.
The new state guidelines would stop short of a ban, but include precautions that could reduce the chances of infection, said New York State Department of Health spokesman Robert Kenny.
Rabbis will likely be asked to inform their congregations about the potential risks of the procedure and parents advised to seek prompt care from a pediatrician if their baby develops a fever or rash.
Steps would also be taken to "ensure that mohels have full knowledge of their health status" before they perform the ritual.
He declined to discuss details of the guidelines, saying they were still being developed.

Several religious leaders who support metzitzah b'peh have suggested that mohels be asked to rinse their mouths with alcohol, undergo regular testing for disease and refrain from doing circumcisions if they have a cold sore.
"Our priority is to protect the public health, and increase the awareness of the potential health risks associated with this practice," Kenny said.

It is unclear how the Hasidic community will react to the guidelines, which would be voluntary.

Williamsburg +Motor Vehicle Accident+

Williamsburg +Motor Vehicle Accident+ A MVA in Williamsburg with multiple injuries at Kent Avenue and the service road to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway westbound, Hatzolah on the scene requesting more units, and FDNY on a rush.

Brooklyn +Graffiti/Bribery+

Brooklyn +Graffiti/Bribery+ At East 49th Street and Avenue M two white perps got stopped by cops from the 63 Pct for spraying graffiti and also possessing graffiti instruments. After being stopped both suspects bribed the cops with money for their release, but they just added additional charges of bribery to their original charge of graffiti.

NYC - Considering More Surveillance Cameras

New York - New York City Police Department is considering installing surveillance cameras that would be pointed at tunnels, bridges and subway stations in Lower Manhattan in its fight against terrorism, similar to London's financial district.

A team of New York Police Department experts visited London in the fall to look at its system of closed-circuit cameras, which are posted at various points in its financial district and near landmarks.
Those cameras helped London police to quickly provide images of suspected bombers during the terror attack in the London Underground last summer.

The city already has 1,000 cameras in its sprawling network of subways and commuter rail facilities, with plans to add another 1,000
surveillance cameras and 3,000 motion sensors over the next three years.

Borough Park +Pedestrian Struck+

Borough Park +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck at 12th Avenue and 41nd Street, Hatzolah on the scene, requesting ALS to respond.

Williamsburg +Bus Accident+

Williamsburg +Bus Accident+ A MVA involving a bus with children on it and a vehicle on Lee Avenue and Williamsburg Street East, PD, FD, EMS are all on the scene, no pin.

Lloyd - +Hostage Situation+

Highland, Ulster County - +Hostage Situation+ The perp in Lloyd a Town of Ulster has robbed a bank at lunch hour, and then has reportedly taken a family member an elderly man hostage in an apt at 200 Blk Of Vineyard Avenue.
NY State Police, Swat Teams and K-9 have blocked off Rt 9W and Blue Point Road, Negotiator is enroute.
Police are moving through back yards as they surround the house, which is situated on Rt 9W.

U/D: 20:12
Gunman gives up.

Jews Are More Likely to Get Parkinson's

In a latest study -- published in New England Journal of Medicine -- researchers link ethnic groups to increased risks of the disease of Parkinson's.

Researchers found that Eastern European Jews and North Africans of Arab descent were far more likely to have a gene mutation linked to the neurological disease than whites and other ethnic or racial groups.

The studies were done by scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and INSERM, the French equivalent of the National Institutes of Health.

If larger studies confirm the findings, it could lead to the offering of genetic testing to high-risk groups, as is done now for breast cancer gene mutations among Eastern European Jewish women.

Kosher Foods Reports Increase In Demand

The Food Marketing Institute has reported a 4.4 percent increase in the sale of kosher foods, and many supermarkets, are increasing their selection of kosher products to keep pace with growing demand.

Crown Heights - Has A Stone From 29 Years Ago

.
Crown Heights Stone From 29 years ago

IL - Student Charged In Hate-Graffiti Case On Campus, Is Scheduled To Appear In Court Today

IL - A Northwestern University freshman accused of scrawling anti-Semitic graffiti on dormitory walls is scheduled to appear in court on felony charges.
Nineteen-year-old Neil N. Gajare, of Kalamazoo, Mich., was charged with institutional vandalism and felony criminal damage to property.
The markings -- found in Sargent Hall, a coeducational dorm at 2245 Sheridan Road -- included swastikas, an anti-Jewish phrase and sketches of a rabbit.
"The graffiti was not on any one student's message board or directed at individual students," said Alan Cubbage, vice president of university relations.

NYPD Community Affairs Bureau To Be Run By Officer For First Time

The New York Police Department's Community Affairs Bureau will be headed up by a uniformed officer for the first time in its history.
Douglas Zeigler, the current chief of the Organized Crime Control Bureau, will take over the bureau starting February 1.
"This added operational responsibility formally recognizes the important relationship between schools and communities and the Police Department," Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly, said in a statement.

Roosevelt - Mayor's Involvement With Yeshiva Plans Reviewed

Roosevelt, NJ - As voters prepare for a Feb. 7 recall election, some people continue to flush out whether there’s proof of potential impropriety and conflict of interest by Mayor Neil Marko's.

Some residents have discussed Neil Marko’s potential conflict of interest as one of the most influential reasons for the recall. Because Marko was serving as the mayor, a Planning Board member, and as a synagogue trustee at a time when a yeshiva decided to open in town.

A branch of Telshe Yeshiva, signed a four-year lease last year with the board of trustees of Congregation Anshei Roosevelt. Yeshiva Me’on Hatorah has since implemented an Orthodox Jewish day school for high-school-age boys in the Homestead Lane synagogue.

New York - Accountant That Helped Taxpayers Cheat, Is Now A Fugitive

New York - One accountant was nowhere to be found after being indicted with his partner on charges of tax evasion and helping hundreds of clients file false tax returns.

David Cohen, 54, and Jeffrey C. Rosner, 52, of Flushing, were accused of filing false returns for themselves and their wives, as well as helping at least 600 clients evade millions in taxes, according to a 21-count indictment filed by Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau.

Rosner appeared in a Manhattan courtroom on numerous charges of grand larceny, fraud and filing false tax returns.
But Cohen, who was expected to surrender to authorities for arraignment alongside Rosner, had seemingly disappeared as authorities searched his office, house and his daughter's Staten Island home.

Cohen's attorney, Joseph DeMatteo, did not return phone messages left at his Manhattan office.

U/D: 07:57
Investigators believe Cohen is in Israel. "We know where he is, and we'll be taking the appropriate steps to bring him back," a source close to the investigation said.

Borough Park +MVA With Overturned+

Borough Park +MVA With Overturned+ A motor vehivle accident in Boro Park at 15th Avenue and 55th Street, NYPD 66th Pct responding, Hatzola on the scene.

West Bank - Palestinian Premier Resigns; Hamas Victory Anticipated

Ramallah, West Bank - Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and his Cabinet ministers submitted their resignations as the Islamic militant group Hamas appeared to have captured a large majority of seats in the Palestinian elections.

U/D: 07:58
An aide to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called to say that the United States will continue to support him and his policies.

U/D: 09:01
Hamas leader says Islamic militans are ready to extend cease-fire if Israel reciprocates.

U/D: 09:28
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says U.S. position on Hamas as a terrorist organization has not changed despite election results.


U/D: 10:12
Hamas supporters clash with Fatah loyalists outside Palestinian parliament, with both sides throwing stones and breaking windows.

U/D: 12:31
Its now confirmed, Islamic militant group Hamas won a majority 76 seats and Fatah has won 43 seats in the 132-member parliament, in the Palestinian general elections, official results confirm.

U/D: 15:59
Israeli government statement says, it will not negotiate with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas members.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Bayonne, NJ +3rd Alarm Fire+

Bayonne, NJ +3rd Alarm Fire+ A large fully involved fire in a one story warehouse at a large fuel tank storage facility at 250 East 22nd Street on plant property, partial collapse of the building. FD with the foam plus 1 master stream, residual oil that surrounds the warehouse has ignited.

Prayers Rose, a Ceiling Fell, and a Rabbi's Hope Endures

ON Sunday afternoon, in an old Lower East Side synagogue whose threshold is inscribed with the Hebrew words for Gates of Heaven, the ceiling of heaven fell. After receiving the prayers and songs of generations, the thankful whispers and atoning mutters, the ceiling just collapsed, as if from exhaustion.

Rabbi Shmuel Spiegel was driving in Williamsburg when his cellphone rang with news: the roof had just caved in at his synagogue, the First Roumanian-American Congregation on Rivington Street. The punch of emotions he felt was so strong that he rocked in his seat; if brick can be like flesh, the synagogue was like family, it elicited emotions ranging from Thank God we took precautions and going for the prayers to another place, to Oh my God, what now? "I grew up here," Rabbi Spiegel said.

City workers retrieved the Torah scrolls from the debris on Monday, the rabbi said, and for this he was grateful. Also, no matter what happens to the building, whether it is salvaged or torn down, a synagogue will continue to exist at this spot on Rivington Street, "It has to be," said the rabbi.

Lake Butler, FL - +Bus Accident+

Lake Butler, FL - +Bus Accident+ Seven people are dead (unkn how many students) and three others critical after a school bus and a truck collide. At State RD 121, near Jacksonville, Florida.

U/D: 01/26/06
All 7 aided are children from the same family.

Spring Valley - High Speed E-ZPass Comes To Thruway

Spring Valley - The New York State Thruway Authority announced that work has begun on the implementation of the first New York State Thruway highway speed E-ZPass lanes at the existing Spring Valley Toll Barrier, Rockland County.
The initiative will allow commercial E-ZPass customers to drive through the area without so much as slowing down to pay a toll by December 2006.

West Bank - Fatach Has Won The Majority

Ramallah, West Bank - A Palestinian exit poll says Fatah has won 42 percent of the parliamentary vote and Hamas at least 35 percent.

U/D: 15:21
A second Palestinian exit poll projects that Fatah will win 63 seats in the new parliament and Hamas 58 seats out of 132.

Borough Park +Missing Person+

Borough Park +Missing Person+ NYPD of the 66th Pct are calling for a level one mobilization for a missing alzheimers patient 81-year-old male.
Person has left the location at 1002 44th Steet about 10:00am this morning and is missing since, ESU and Shomrim are all working the job.

U/D: 21:17
Still searching for the aided who is still missing.

U/D: 01/26/06 11:03
The missing man has been found today in the morning walking the streets at West 17th Street and Neptune Avenue.

Boynton Beach - Synagogue To Rebuild Eruv

Boynton Beach, FL - About three years ago, the Chabad-Lubavitch Synagogue west of Boynton Beach built the area's first "eruv," a man-made perimeter that allows Orthodox Jews to carry things within its boundaries on the Sabbath.

Made of nylon rope and plastic poles, and using power lines and existing walls where available, the eruv allowed observant Jews to push strollers and to carry children, snacks, umbrellas and other supplies as they walked to synagogue.

But when Hurricane Wilma came through in October, its winds destroyed the eruv, which covered 10 square miles west of Boynton Beach.
The project is expected to cost about $15,000, and the temple has asked each family that benefits from the eruv to contribute $100 to its reconstruction.

This time, however, they plan to build an upgraded eruv that should be able to withstand up to a Category 3 hurricane. Changes include redesigning the way the eruv attaches to utility poles.

Trafic Final Call From Philanthropist Bronfman

New York - Philanthropist Andrea Bronfman, unaware that she had been mortally injured being hit by a black livery cab Monday morning in a traffic accident, called her husband from the ambulance to say she was fine.
"Everything is OK. It will be all right," Bronfman told her billionaire husband, Charles Bronfman, former co-chairman of the Seagram liquor empire, from her cellphone as she was being rushed to New York Hospital.

She complained only that her shoulder hurt.
But Bronfman had sustained pelvic injuries, a lacerated liver and broken ribs.
She suffered heavy internal bleeding - requiring more than a dozen units of blood - and died on the operating table.

U/D: 21:37
Twist in Bronfman death:
Sources say detectives are looking for a second driver in the accidental death of the philanthropist.

Manhattan Booms, But Inflation Squeezes Rest of New York

As income in Manhattan moved higher and higher, incomes in all four of the boroughs outside Manhattan have trailed inflation over the last few years, in a stark example of the increasing income disparity in New York City.

In terms of wages, Manhattan families are doing better on average than those in the rest of the nation, while families that live and work in Brooklyn, where wages have trailed inflation over the last few years, are doing worse, while those of Manhattan residents have risen.

New York - House Homeland Security Chairman Warns Rockland-Orange Region To Remain Alert

New York - House of Representatives Homeland Security Chairman met with law enforcement personnel from Orange, Rockland and Putnam counties, and told them that while the region is far better than it was pre-9/11, the police and the pubic must remain vigilant.

The Mid-Hudson Valley needs to keep on its toes beacuse “You are in the line of fire,” he said. Also because of the electric grid, Indian Point nuclear power plants, the US Military Academy at West Point, shopping centers and the large Jewish population.

Police officers at the Rockland-Orange session expressed concern about security of schools, malls and the ability to evacuate people northward should New York City be the target of another, more serious attack.

Newport, RI. - Touro Synagogue Gets Gift To Restore Building

Newport, R.I.- The oldest synagogue in the country has received an important donation.
The gift gives the Touro Synagogue in Newport the two-point-eight million dollars it needs to restore the building.The donation came recently from the family of David Bazarsky, a former president at the synagogue.The amount of the gift is not being disclosed.The synagogue is still raising money for a larger ten (m) million dollar campaign that calls for creating a visitors center and education center.The Touro Synagogue was decicated in 1763 and is a major Rhode Island attraction. Copyright 2006

New York - Lieberman Holds 'Outreach' Session At Home Of Rabbi Known For Fundraising

New York - U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman gathered with Jewish Orthodox leaders in New York in a meeting arranged by one of the senator's fundraisers at the home of a controversial rabbi known as a prolific campaign contributor, Lieberman's communications director confirmed.
But the spokesperson, insisted the gathering was not a fundraiser but rather an "outreach" event hosted by the rabbi, Milton Balkany.

Balkany contributed $2,000 in 2003 to Lieberman's presidential campaign and $500 in 1999 to Lieberman's senatorial campaign committee, Federal Election Commission records show.

Balkany in 2003 was charged in a federal complaint alleging theft of government property, filing a false claim, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice in connection with a $700,000 school grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Department.
President Bush, as well as several other federal and city candidates, subsequently returned thousands of dollars in contributions from or linked to Balkany.
The charges against the rabbi, however, later were dropped under a deferred prosecution agreement that reportedly permitted Balkany to return the money after acknowledging that he had violated an "understanding" with the government.

Tenafly - Town Votes for Marker Used by Jews

Tenafly, NJ - After five years of legal battles, the leaders of Tenafly, N.J. approved an agreement that enables an eruv.

For Orthodox Jews, the eruv extends the realm of the home, allowing them to do some work on the Sabbath within its boundaries, like pushing a stroller or carrying keys. Eruvin have been placed in other communities with Orthodox populations, including Englewood, Teaneck, Paramus, Fair Lawn and Fort Lee in New Jersey; Park Slope and Williamsburg in Brooklyn; and even in the neighborhood that includes the White House in Washington. Many are next to impossible to spot, and have been set up without protest.

The agreement, which the Borough Council approved by a vote of 5 to 0, with one abstention, reimburses the Tenafly Eruv Association for $325,000 in court costs.

New York City - Many Pedestrian Injured at Site Where Famous Jewish Philanthropist, Was Killed In Accident

New York - The Upper East Side street where Andrea Bronfman, wife of former Seagrams chairman Charles Bronfman, was fatally struck by a livery, is the site of four pedestrian injuries between 1995 and 2001, data from the group Transportation Alternatives shows.

Another three injuries occurred during that period one block away, at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, and there were four at 66th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Bensonhurst - Community Leader In Furor With Traffic Agent

Bensonhurst - Community Education Council President Santa Maria double-parked his car in front of an 86th Street bakery so his wife, Sharon who workes in City Hall, could pick up bagels, when traffic agent Erik Shaw, who is black, issued a $115 ticket as Santa Maria sat in the car waiting for his wife.

When Sharon got out, she contacted "a friend" in the Transportation Department, but the plea to that friend fell on deaf ears, because traffic agents are part of the Police Department.

Thats when Santa Maria wrote a column in a local Brooklyn newspaper saying "Boy, this gorilla dressed in a Traffic Enforcement Agent's suit must do Billionaire Bloomberg proud," I guss Kong only understood Gorilla grunts and didn't understan English," he wrote.
The remarks drew ire from Community Board 11 District Manager, and Local 1182, the union representing the city's 2,400 traffic agents.
"To me, a gorilla is black, right? Our workers black. So, without a doubt it's racist. He's just ignorant."

U/D: 01/26/06
Maria apologized for calling a black NYPD traffic agent a "orilla".

New York City - Police Commissioner Kelly's Cousin Complains Against Police

New York City - Arthur Heller is among the 3,000 New Yorkers a year who formally complain about police brutality or misconduct, but his case stands out because Mr. Heller's cousin is the city's police commissioner, Raymond Kelly.

Mr. Heller claims he was beaten by two plainclothes officers after his MetroCard didn't work properly two weeks ago.

A civil rights claim filed by Mr. Heller, 27, seeks $1 million in damages, and in a separate "excessive force" complaint filed with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, Mr. Heller claims he repeatedly told police officers he was related to Mr. Kelly and wished to speak with him. Mr. Heller claims police held for him four hours without charging him with any crime.

Bronx - Holocaust Survivor Killed By Bus

Bronx - An elderly woman who survived the Holocaust was killed yesterday while trying to catch a moving bus in The Bronx.
Eva Schweitzer, 82, was killed near East Gun Hill Road and Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood as she chased a bus that had just pulled out, banging on the side to get the driver to open the door.
She slipped underneath the rear wheel and her head was crushed.
The Hungarian-born Schweitzer, who friends said persevered through the terrors of Nazi concentration camps, leaves behind four children, said her neighbor Simon Lowy, 81.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

New York City - Simcha Felder Gets Promoted In Council

New York City - The new City Council Speaker Christine Quinn doles out some surprising assignments for committee appointments.
Like the designation of Brooklyn's Simcha Felder as head of the Governmental Operations Committee.
Under its former chair, Bill Perkins of Harlem, the committee took on everyone from the police commissioner, over civil liberties violations, to the mayor, over diversity in hiring. Those are unlikely targets for Felder, whose Borough Park district is so conservative with his heavily Orthodox Jewish constituents.

New York - Accountants Helped Taxpayers Cheat

New York - Two accountants have been indicted on charges of tax evasion and helping hundreds of their clients file false city and state tax returns, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars.

A 21-count indictment accuses Jeffrey C. Rosner, 52, of Queens, and David E. Cohen, 54, of Staten Island, of filing false returns for themselves and their wives from 1999 through 2003, District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Tuesday.

In those five years, Rosner and Cohen -- who had offices in the Empire State Building -- also helped at least 600 clients evade millions in taxes, charging up to $500 to prepare a tax return, the prosecutor said.

"This is a massive tax fraud," he said. "This case is one of the largest we've ever brought," the case could lead to the recovery of at least $7.5 million in state and city income, business and sales taxes.

Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark, warned that taxpayers cannot say they simply relied on an expert's advice. "That excuse is not valid," Stark said. "Tax cheats cost all of us."

Assistant District Attorney Gilda Mariani, head of Morgenthau's tax crimes unit, said investigators had audited "several hundred" returns prepared by Rosner and Cohen and every one contained false information.

Flatbush +Car On Fire+

Flatbush +Car On Fire+ A major motor vehicle accident at Avenue J and East 3rd Street with a car engulfed in fire, aided is seriously injured, FD and Hatzolah on the scene, requesting Medics and back-up Medics to respond with a rush.

U/D: 16:21
Aided is likely.
Traffic in the area, expect delays due to the investigation.

Flatbush +MVA With A Pedestrian Serious Struck+

Flatbush +MVA MVA With A Pedestrian Serious Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was seriously struck at East 14th Street and Avenue P, Hatzolah on the scene requesting Medics.

U/D: 15:28
Aided removed to Kings County Hospital, PD requesting Highway A.I.S. Team for the poss job.

Manhattan +Suspicious Powder At Federal Plaza+

Manhattan +Suspicious Powder At Federal Plaza+ A suspicious white powder was found in an envelop on the 21st floor at 26 Federal Plaza, the powder is now in a garbage can on that floor which has been isolated, two people that were exposed to the unknown powder are also isolated. Bomb Squad, Hazmat are on the scene, command is reporting that this is going to be a prolonged operation.

ESU reporting its a confirmed suspicious substance,PD are calling for a level one mobilization.

Holocaust Reparations Settlement Makes Its Way To South Jersey

Within the next few weeks, Barbara Principe, a 73-year-old South Jersey woman who still lives near the chicken farm where she grew up, will begin receiving payments from millions of dollars in real estate, in which her father was a partner in the family-owned department store chain, A. Wertheim, a leading high-end retailer, in the former East Berlin.

Last month, Germany's restitution court, validated the claim of the Wertheim heirs, Ms. Principe and about 24 others, to a number of properties owned by her father's department store chain.
Those properties are now valued at about $350 million, making her family's restitution award one of the largest since the Holocaust.

Carlsbad - +Small Plane Crash+

Carlsbad, CA - +Small Plane Crash+ Federal officials say four people have been killed in the twin-engine plane crash north of San Diego at the McClellan-Palomar Airport when their plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a building, busting into flames.

Washington - Judge Alito Nomination

Washington - The Judiciary Committee voting along party lines, has recommended Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito's confirmation to the full Senate today on a 10-8 vote.

Danvers - Vandals Drive Over Gravestones In Old Cemetery

Danvers, Massachusetts - Vandals crashed into about 20 gravestones in an old Jewish cemetery of Congregation Sons of Jacob, off Route 114, toppling and smashing family markers that date back more than a century.

According to Dave McKenna, superintendent of the cemetery complex, the estimated damage is at $10,000 to $15,000.

Congregation Sons of Jacob, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation, and was formed in 1898 in Salem by immigrants from Lithuania, Poland and Russia.

U/D: 01/26/06 14:01
Police say that the damage to the cemetery, was not a hate crime.

White Lake - Propane Leak Causes Elusive House Blaze

White Lake - A weekend getaway home in the gated community of Black Lake Estates blew up and burned because of a propane leak.

Fire Chief Bob Yakin said when firefighters got into the gated community, the road signs were missing or hard to read. Many of the homes were set back in the woods, hidden from the development's private roads and few drives were marked with 911 street numbers. It took a good 20 minutes for White Lake and Kauneonga Lake firefighters to find the burning house. By then, the roof had collapsed and fire was blowing out the windows.

Orlando - Judge Says Rabbi Can Continue Home Services

Florida - An Orlando rabbi held a celebratory prayer meeting at his house Monday after winning a court battle over neighbors who complained the meetings caused traffic congestion.
A judge ruled that the rabbi could continue services at his home despite a county policy prohibiting such gatherings.
"My grandfather ran away from communist Russia for doing the exact same thing we were doing, praying in his home. It was chilling," the rabbi said. "But we had faith in our Constitution and in our Torah and the Bible and we know in our country we're allowed to practice our religions freely."

Flatbush +MVA/Pedestrian Struck+

Flatbush +MVA/Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck Avenue P and Ocean Avenue, Hatzolah on the scene.

New York - Downtown Congregation Vows To Repair Roof Or Build Anew

New York - A day after its roof collapsed into a sanctuary long renowned as the Cantors' Carnegie Hall, members of a Lower East Side synagogue at 87 Rivington Street vowed yesterday to repair their badly damaged, 150-year-old building, or else build anew in the same spot.

Flatbush +Pedestrian Struck+

Flatbush +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck in front of 3018 Avenue R, Hatzolah on the scene.

Suffern - No Welcome For Jews Staying At The Bikur Cholim Near Good Samaritan Hospital

Suffern - Village officials and neighbors, call the yellow two-story Bikur Cholim house at 5 Hillcrest Road an illegal transient motel and say it should be shuttered.
But in response, Bikur Cholim has filed a federal lawsuit, claiming its religious rights are being violated.
The village denied a zoning variance for the home in November on the grounds that it was located on a residential block. Village Attorney Terry Rice said nowhere in the village is there zoning that would allow the Monsey-based nonprofit group Bikur Cholim, a house.

Dr. Michael Lippe, director of emergency services at Good Samaritan, told the village Zoning Board that without a place to stay on the Shabbas, he feared Orthodox Jews might forgo coming to the hospital if it means breaking Shabbas laws.

Staten Island +Verrazano Bridge Traffic Advisory+

Staten Island +Verrazano Bridge Traffic Advisory+ A multi-vehicle mva on the Brooklyn bound upper level of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge has all traffic diverted to the lower level of the bridge, expect heavy delays off the eastbound Staten Island Expressway.

Rockland +Palisades Pkwy Closed+

Rockland +Palisades Pkwy Traffic Alert+ A serious MVA on the southbound of the Palisades Interstate Parkway M/M 29 at the visitors center in Stony Point with one vehicle overturned and fully involved in fire both victims are pulled from the auto but have serious injuries major trauma, EMS requested on a rush, NY State Police on the scene closing down southbound of the parkway.

U/D: 06:41
EMS Command is requesting Stat-Flight Medivac.

U/D: 07:31
Southbound of the Parkway remains closed, one aided has been removed by EMS ground transport with a serious chest injury.

Monday, January 23, 2006

NY State Police and County Sheriff Attended 'Appreciation Party' That's Under Investigation, To Strengthen Relations With The Village Of Kiryas Joel

New York State Police Superintendent Wayne Bennett and Orange County Sheriff Carl DuBois were among scores of law enforcement officers to attend a so-called "appreciation party" in New York City last year that's now reportedly the subject of an internal probe by the New York City Police Department.
The party, which featured free dinner and drinks at Manhattan's Prime Grill, was hosted by an orthodox Jewish leader from the South Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
Among the issues in question is whether select cops "won" electronic devices in rigged raffles.
But both Bennett and DuBois, who confirmed they attended the dinner, deny taking part in any raffle.
"The people who were hosting the party were people that they have been friends with for quite some time." DuBois said he attended the party to strengthen relations with that Orange County village of nearly 18,000. And the person that hosted the party, he said, is an NYPD liaison to the orthodox community.
"That's how it was explained to me, as an NYPD function," DuBois said. "If it was something different, then it was misrepresented to me."

Fort Lauderdale - Man Jumps From Commercial Plane Onto Tarmac

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - A passenger on a Continental commercial flight getting ready to take off from Florida to Newark has been detained after the passenger ran up the aisle, banged on the cockpit door and then jumped out a door.
The man was detained on the tarmac and was transported to a hospital.
He was not identified by authorities, and will be arrested once he leaves the hospital.

New York City - Famous Jewish Philanthropist Killed In Accident

New York City - Andrea Bronfman, wife of former Seagrams chairman Charles Bronfman, has reportedly been killed in a traffic accident in New York City.

The Bronfmans, whose father Sam founded the Seagrams empire, now live in New York.

A spokesperson at the United Jewish Federation in Toronto says Bronfman's funeral will be held in New York and her family plans to bury her in Israel.

Extreme Real Estate, Brooklyn Style

Brooklyn - Two rival developers in the fast-gentrifying Dumbo neighborhood in Brooklyn have gone to battle across the lot line of their properties. On one side is David Walentas, the tenacious visionary who helped remake Dumbo as a residential hot spot. On the other is Shaya Boymelgreen, a relative newcomer with deep pockets who has become a major player in the neighborhood in only the last few years.

The two have clashed over projects before, but now their feud has blocked condo buyers in a converted industrial building at Front Street, owned by Mr. Boymelgreen, from closing on their apartments. And even if they do close soon, some of them may find something else is blocked - their views - because Mr. Walentas has vowed to erect a steel barrier in front of the windows in his rival's building.

New York - Historic Synagogue May Be Demolished

New York - Yesterdays part of the roof collapse at the historic Lower East Side synagogue at 87 Rivington Street -The First Roumanian-American Congregation-, has created the possibility that the 19th-century building might have to be demolished.

The synagogue's red brick facade remained intact but the floor of the main chamber was covered with large pieces of roofing.

Since the building lacks city landmark designation, it could be leveled if the congregation is unable to repair it, D.O.B. Spokesperson said. But the Rabbi of the Synagogue said he was hopeful the building could be saved.
''I believe God will help,'' he said.

New York - UN To Hold Series Of Events In Memory Of Holocaust Victims

New York - Over six decades after the liberation of the Nazi death camps began, the United Nations this week will hold a series of solemn events culminating on Friday with the first universal observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

Pedestrian Dies in Car Crash Police Link to Alcohol

New York - 25-year-old graduate student Hannah Engle was struck and killed by a drunken driver early yesterday in a hit-and run accident as she was crossing 14th Street and 2nd Avenue with friends in Manhattan.

The police said that the driver, Wole Parks, ran away. Four hours later and while still intoxicated, Mr. Parks showed up at the 94th Precinct station house in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to turn himself in.
Ms. Engle was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center, where she died about 2 a.m.
A neighbor said Ms. Engle was taking classes in Judaic studies at the Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning and had worked with a program that sends volunteers to Jewish communities around the world for yearlong stints.

Deaborn, Mich. - Ford Announces New Cuts

Deaborn, Mich. - Ford Motor announced a revamping plan today that will cut at least 25,000 jobs and close 14 plants and other facilities by 2012.

Manhattan +Major Delivery On F.D.R. Drive, Causing Traffic Delays+

Manhattan +Major Delivery On F.D.R. Drive, Causing Traffic Delays+ At the F.D.R. Drive at 96th Street near the exit ramp, a woman is giving birth in an auto on the ramp, PD and EMS are on the scene, expect delays.

Tribourgh Bridge +All Lanes Subject To Closure+

Tribourgh Bridge +All Lanes Subject To Closure+ A vehicle on fire at the Tribourgh Bridge Manhattan/Bronx bound is causing heavy traffic delays on the span out of Queens, and all lanes are subject to closure.

Baby Boom In Borough Park

Borough Park is the baby-boom capital of the New York.
The heavily Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn neighdorhood recorded 4,523 births in 2004, by far the most in the city. The birth rate was 24.4 per 1000 residents.
Boro Park had 1,414 more babies than Williamsburg-Greenpoint.

Staten Island - Woman And Kids Saved From Major Accidernt.

Staten Island - Two moms and their three babies narrowly avoided tragedy yesterday when their car crashed on the Staten Island Expressway.
Rachel Boyer, 23, of Lakewood, N.J., was driving with her two boys, and a neighbor and her girl, when she swerved and hit a guardrail, police said.
"A cop car was hiding to clock speeds and five cars ahead of me stopped short. I didn't want to hit anyone so I changed lanes and instead hit the guardrail," said a shaken Boyer.
The moms and kids were rushed to Staten Island University Hospital but quickly given the all-clear by medics. "I want the police to know it's dangerous. The cop was there to stop speeders, but instead of making it safe, the cop was endangering our lives because the cars put on their breaks and that causes pileups," she said. Police acknowledged doing spot speed checks.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

New Hempstead +Working Fire+

New Hempstead +Working Fire+ A fire in the basment of a large 2 story 60x40 unkn type structure at 6 Red Oak Lane, has heavy smoke showing from the eves, FD checking for extension, fast team from Thiells.

New York +Winter Storm Warning+

New York +Winter Storm Warning+ A winter weather warning has been issued for Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Sullivan Counties for later tonight through monday, a few inches of snow along with some ice.

Manhattan +Synagogue Structure Collapse+

Manhattan +Synagogue Structure Collapse+ FD calling a 10-60 -major emergency response- in regards to a roof that collapsed of the 4 story 25x60 building on the Lower East Side at 87 Rivington Street near Orchard Street and a secondary collapse to the adjacent vacant synagogue under renovation - The First Romanian Shuel - a 3 story 75x100 building, where the heavy truss roof collapsed, FD switching to exterior operation only, NYPD of the 7th Pct are calling for a level one mobilization, ESU, DOB, OEM, and all special units are all on the scene.

U/D: 16:49
FD calling for a 2nd alarm, and requesting Con-Ed with additional units, also the Collapse TF is on the scene.

U/D: 17:34
FD and OEM for extended operation, Car-5 reporting they have the surrounding bldgs evacuated with 100 displaced onto MTA buses as shelter, ESU with tower lights to light up the street, incident is now P/W/H.

Manhattan +Plane Down East River+

Manhattan +Plane Down The Water+ A small plane is down in Manhattan in the water of the East River at 23rd Street.
NYPD ESU, aviation and Harbor units are all enroute.

U/D: 11:08
ESU on the scene reports this is a sea plane that made a normal landing in the water, all occupants are ok and not in distress.

NYC - Mayor Bloomberg Insisted, The City Does Not Impose Ticket-Writing Quotas

NYC - Mayor Bloomberg, insisted that the city does not impose ticket-writing quotas on its cops - just "performance standards" - despite a contrary ruling by a city arbitrator this week.

"There are not ticket quotas, but there are performance standards," said Bloomberg.

Bloomberg's careful phrasing came a day after a city arbitrator found that 75th Precinct brass in Brooklyn forced cops to meet monthly ticket quotas.

Internal memos showed that cops in the East New York precinct were expected to write four parking tickets, three moving violations, three quality-of-life summonses and two stop-and-frisks every month - or face "poor annual evaluations" from their bosses.

NYC Mayoral Aide Weighs Race Against State Senator, And Has Backing Of Brooklyn Conservatives

A potential candidate to oppose state Sen. Diane Savino has scooped up support from Brooklyn Conservatives but has yet to touch base with Staten Island party leaders.
Brooklynite Fred Kreizman, 28, citywide coordinator for the Mayor's Community Assistance Unit (CAU), has been feeling out supporters for a possible run this year against Ms. Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn).
"He's a serious candidate," said Brooklyn Conservative Party chairman Jerry Kassar.
"We were extremely pleased when he came to us."
But Island Conservative chairman Carmine Ragucci said he hadn't heard from Kreizman yet, "He hasn't surfaced at all," Ragucci said.
"We certainly would welcome contact from him."
Kreizman is also said to have reached out to Brooklyn Republicans, including state Sen. Martin Golden, for support.

Woodbury - Home Sales Boom By Hasidic And Orthodox Buyers

Woodbury - A continuing wave of Hasidic and Orthodox families and investors are buying homes in the tree-lined neighborhoods of Woodbury, that surrounds the much more urban and densely populated Village of Kiryas Joel.

The neat lawns of a yard and some privacy, and the quiet streets instead of the congested, condo lifestyle of Kiryas Yoel, offers a delightful contrast to a city lifestyle. And the houses are affordable by Brooklyn and Kiryas Yoel standards. Plus, Kiryas Joel's religious schools are a short bus ride away - an essential ingredient for a Hasidic family.

Property records show that Hasidic and Orthodox buyers have purchased at least 35 houses in Kiryas Joel's periphery during 19 months.

Williamsburg +Youngster Gets Beaten By Perps+

Williamsburg +Youngster Gets Beaten By Perps+ Early Sunday about 3:00 in the morning, while 2 young boys were walking on Ross Street between Lee and Bedford Avenu's, two perps jumped from a vehicle and hit repeatrdly one of them hitting and screaming at him several times, they fled the scene it their vehicle.
Hatzolah, Shomrim Patrol and NYPD responded immediately, and still working the cace.

 
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