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, May 06, 2006

Kerhonkson, NY - Catskills Fire Is Out, Officials Say

Kerhonkson, NY - A fire official says the brush fire in the Catskills that ate up almost a thousand acres this week has been contained.

Ulster County Fire Coordinator Charles Mutz said that from his perspective, the fire is out. But he says the state Department of Environmental Conservation will monitor the area.
Mutz said the D-E-C measured 997 acres burnt by the fire, which was first reported Sunday evening about 70 miles north of New York City. Helped by wind and dry brush, the fire pushed into a state forest preserve. No structures were damaged.

Newark, NJ +Feds Detain 5 From Plane+

Newark, NJ +Feds Detain 5 From Plane+ At Newark Liberty International Airport, on the orders of an air marshal an American Airlines Flight 1874 heading to Dallas was diverted to Newark earlier, and 5 men, four from Angolan and one Israeli, were yanked off by the FBI and removed from the plane.


U/D:
Later officials said they determined that the men posed no threat, and released them.

Brooklyn, NY +Shabos Morning House Fire+

Borough Park, Brooklyn +Shabos Morning House Fire+ A fire broke out Shabbos morning on the 2nd floor of a three story 20x60 house at 1033 57th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, NY. The Fire Department transmitted all hands, at arrival and the fire was D/W/H, after they completed the first and secondary searches and were negative they placed the fire as probably will hold and under control.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Manhattan, NY +Unusual MVA+

Manhattan, NY +Unusual MVA+ A serious motor vehicle accident between a vehicle and horse & carriage, with the auto overturned and the aided confirmed pinned inside on 11th Avenue and West 45th Street, NYPD on the scene requesting ESU with the tool, also requesting EMS with a rush.

Brooklyn, NY +Basement Fire+

Brooklyn, NY +Basement Fire+ A small basement fire is knocked down by fire department at the 2 story 20x50 private dwellin 1237 58th Street and 13th Avenue, all hands were transmitted and all special units returned.

Brooklyn, NY +Attempted Abduction+

Brooklyn, NY +Attempted Abduction+ NYPD are calling for a level one mobilization for an attempted abduction by a light blue vehicle occupied with one M/B and one M/H in front of 1091 East 4th Street near Avenue "J", vehicle was last seen on Ocean Parkway.
Perp said that they are PD, but no badge was shown.


U/D: 14:32
Two perps under for investigation.

Washington - +CIA Director Resign+

Washington - +CIA Director Resigns+ CIA Director Porter Goss has resigned.

Manhattan, NY - Manhole Explosion Kills Con Ed Worker

Manhattan, NY - An explosion in a manhole killed a Con Edison worker on the East Side near the intersection of 68th Street and York Avenue, and caused a limited power outage.

Washington, DC - Three Cents Postal Hike

Washington, DC - The U.S. Postal Service wants to raise the price of a first-class stamp by 3 cents to 42 cents, and are also proposing a "forever" stamp that could be used as a hedge against future increases.

The changes, if approved by the Postal Rate Commission, would take effect in the spring of 2007.

Staten Island, NY - Blood Drive At Congregation

Staten Island, NY - Congregation Ahavas Yisroel in Tottenville will sponsor a blood drive on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

A yard sale, featuring a kosher barbecue, will take place from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

West Hartford, CT - Anti-Semitic Flyers Distributed

West Hartford, CT - People are upset over some anti-Semitic flyers distributed in one neighborhood. Neighbors say they came home to find something resembling a community paper rolled up at the end of their driveway. It was titled "The Truth at Last." When they opened it they realized it was Semitic

Mazing to me in this day and age, eith all the problems in the world, and with the divisions in the world that people still believe this stuff and the people who produce this stuff create the divisions," said Laurie Salzberg. This latest incident comes just a few weeks after vandals painted swastikas on a Holocaust Memorial outside a West Hartford synagogue.

Simferopol, Ukraine - Shul Vandalized

Simferopol, Ukraine - The synagogue Ner Tumid Shul of Simferopol was attacked, but no one was hurt, vandals threw stones and stole a security camera but no one was hurt.

A video recording obtained with the shul’s other surveillance camera showed two young men who appeared to be in their late teens who committed the attack.

Anatoly Gendin, president of the Association of Jewish Communities and Organizations of Crimea, informed local police about the incident, and he said that police failed to show up at the scene promptly.

Acts of anti-Semitic vandalism have been occurring in southern Ukraine almost every month for the past year, local Jews said.

Borough Park, Brooklyn - Police Searching For Two Suspects In The Attempted Abductions

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY - Investigators say the suspects are not connected, but are wanted for trying to kidnap children at least four times.
The latest incident happened Thursday when one of the suspects tried to snatch a young girl in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
Police confirm that an incident that occurred Thursday yielded a description that does not match the suspect that police have been after in connection with three other cases.
On the streets of Borough Park, it is the source of concern and fear: A predator on the loose. But on this night, the grim revelation is there may be more than one. "There are two animals on the loose according to the information we have," Assemblyman Dov Hikind said.

City Council member Simcha Felder said that community leaders here have been told to be on the lookout for two predators, who are apparently operating in a similar fashion. We learned about that development as community leaders, several dozen Borough Park school administrators and high ranking police officials emerged from a closed door meeting.
"People in the community are concerned. When we walk the streets this is the issue right now. People are concerned," Hikind said.

Law enforcement sources say the physical description in Thursday morning's case is different from the police sketch. That is prompting Borough Park leaders to once again urge residents here to remain vigilant.
In two of the incidents, young girls were touched after they got into the suspect's car. Police say that the targets of these predators range in age from 10 to 17.

Brooklyn, NY - One Satmar Spritzer Surrenders

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - One man who was caught on videotape spraying a member of a rival faction in the face with a fire extinguisher and breaking his nose, has surrendered to police in Brooklyn on charges stemming from the Satmar spritzing and brawl incident on Oct. 25.

Chaim Roth, 38, and his father Meir, 60, who want Rabbi Zalmen Teitelbaum to succed his father, Grand Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum, said that they were attacked without provocation by Moses Werthimer.
We came in the morning to the synagogue to pray before anybody, they said, and Werthimer they claim, broke down the door, jumped on him, punched and sprayed him full in the face.

But supperters of Werthimer claim he grabbed the extinguisher to take it away from Roth.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn - +Pedestrian Struck+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn - +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident on Marcy Avenue and Penn Street with a pedestrian that was struck, Hatzolah responding.

Record Touches 'Hot Buttons' On Kiryas Joel

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Brooklyn, NY +Williamsburg Bridge Fall Victim+

Brooklyn, NY +Williamsburg Bridge Fall Victim+ NYPD requesting ESU and Harbor to the Brooklyn side under the Williamsburg Bridge for a person that possibly fell off a motorcycle off the bridge into the water after his motorcycle hit the rear of a vehicle and he was ejected over the bridge into the water.

U/D: 22:34
Manhattan bound of the bridge is closed.


U/D: 23:01
Launch 32 reporting they have the body out of the water on the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg Bridge and are taking the body over to the Brooklyn side to Domino Sugar Plant on Kent Avenue, NYPD Highway AIS units are requested for the confirmed A.I. Job, Aided is D.O.A.
Bridge is closed in both directions.

England - Swastikas Scratched On 20 Cars

Spalding, England, UK - Angry residents are putting up a reward to catch yobs who scratched swastika symbols across 20 cars in Spalding, causing thousands of pounds' damage.

People living on Park Close, Cathedral Drive, Woolram Wygate and Georgette Gardens have all contributed reward money after their Spalding neighbourhood was targeted in a late night vandalism attack.
Pc Paul Smith, of Spalding Police, said: "The individuals have caused a considerable amount of distress to the residents. Not only was the mark left on the vehicles offensive, the residents now have the expense and bother of arranging repair work."

Napanoch, NY +Large Brush Fire+

Ulster County, Napanoch, NY +Large Brush Fire+ A large brush fire at Route 55-A and Lakawaxed Road, M/A Gramsville and Woodburne with engine, brush trucks and manpower all to the scene.

Brooklyn, NY - +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY - +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck at 17th Avenue and 42nd Street, Hatzolah ALS and BLS units are all responding.

Brooklyn, NY - Mail Man Burned The Mail

Mail Man Burned The Mail



Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY - A postman assigned to the Vanderveer post office in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn for eight years, was arrested for stealing mail, after firefighters discovered hundreds of undelivered letters smoldering in his boarded-up Brooklyn apartment.

Gregory Mewborn, 47, was nabbed while on his route at around 11 a.m. by federal postal investigators, who questioned him about 10 bags of postmarked mail dating to 2002. Firefighters were called to the building at 4120 Clarendon Road, where police said they found burned mail and lighter fluid.

Brooklyn, NY +Motor Vehicle Accident+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, NY at East 19th Street and Avenue "M" Hatzolah responding.

U/D: 16:34
Hatzolah on the scene canceling the ambulance and additional units.

Goshen, NY - Arden Hill Closing Down Baby Unit

Goshen, NY - The Goshen hospital's birthing unit officially closed down, part of a consolidation by Orange Regional Medical Center.

The number of babies delivered at Arden Hill has been declining for years, and the final straw came this winter, when the largest doctors' group still delivering there - responsible for 400 deliveries a year - decided to shift its work to ORMC's Horton campus.

Queens, NY +Loose Snakes+

Queens, NY +Loose Snakes+ There are two loose snakes in the cargo hold of the J.F.K. Airport at Terminal 4 Gate 20, PAPD on the scene.

Deal NJ - The $25M Bounced Check

Deal NJ - Real estate mogul Solomon Dwek wrote a check for $25,212,076.35 and motored to a drive-up bank window in Eatontown. He handed the check to a teller to deposit in another account he controlled. The check was written on a closed account, the PNC Bank teller told Dwek at 2 p.m. April 24. But Dwek told bank employees he had talked to their corporate office a few minutes earlier to have the account reopened. A wire transfer to cover his millions was occurring that very moment, Dwek asserted. Reassured, the bank allowed Dwek, its customer of five years, to deposit the check. At 8:51 a.m. the next day, Dwek wired away $23 million to pay off loans, using the $25 million deposit. That's the way it happened, according to PNC.
The bank says that was the last it saw of its millions. After the bank's repeated requests for the money, Dwek came up with $2.5 million and $600,000 in more bad checks, according to PNC. When Dwek failed to show at two scheduled meetings with bank officials Wednesday, state Superior Court Judge Alexander D. Lehrer, sitting in Freehold, froze all Dwek's assets pending a court hearing May 12.
That leaves Dwek, who has an interest in more than 60 properties in Monmouth and Ocean counties and owns nearly 10 percent of Central Jersey Bancorp stock, unable to sell any of his assets.

Dwek is vice president in the Deal Yeshiva, it is a Jewish religious education school that provides religious education for more than 300 students. According to the 2004 federal tax report the nonprofit organization filed in November, Dwek is the highest-paid individual at the school, earning $212,000 that year. The next-highest-paid employee was Dwek's wife, Pearl, who received $106,000 as a secretary. The school, which has preschool through high school students and also offers postgraduate studies, reported $9.9 million in 2004 income.

Israel - Cell Phone Service Connects With God

Israel - 'Kosher' phones are stripped of all features but basic service so as not to distract the pious.


In late 2004, an Orthodox rabbi asked Abrasha Burstyn, the chief executive of a small cell phone company, for a phone that could put the secular world on hold.

Cell phone companies, at the time, had started to load their products with entertainment features, and the rabbi wanted none of it. He was in search of a phone without Internet capabilities or text messaging. He didn't want cameras, music downloading, or anything else that could "distract" the pious. He was looking for a device that could make and receive calls. Period.

Last March, his company, MIRS Communications Ltd., rolled out its first batch of "kosher" phones stripped of all features but basic voice service. The company's phones, which are available only in Israel, have attracted 20,000 subscribers.

The phone, on sale in Europe, recently became available in the United States.

Far Rockaway, Quuens - Couple Robbed And Tiedup

Far Rockaway, Quuens, NY - Three armed men forced their way into a home during a robbery in the Far Rockaway section of Queens.
The perps rushed into a house on Bay 25 Street just before 1:30 a.m. with the married couple and their baby home at that time, bound them with tape and then robbed them.
The NYPD responded quickly, and got one of the perps into custody at the scene, two others are still at large.

It was not known if anything was taken. No family members were seriously injured.

New York - Mayor Demands Convicted Criminals To Submit DNA

New York, NY - Mayor Michael Bloomberg is demanding that state lawmakers adopt a law that requires all convicted criminals to give DNA samples. He says it's a great crime fighting tool, but others say it goes too far.

Hartford, CT - Shabbas Will Keep Lieberman From Democratic Convention

Hartford, CT - State Democratic Party officials confirmed, that the endorsement for U.S. Senate is scheduled for the Friday night opening session of the two-day Democratic State Convention -- meaning incumbent U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman will not be present when delegates vote.

Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew, will be unable to attend the convention, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, because of religious observance of Shabbas preventing him from participating in events from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

The convention is being held at the Expo Center in Hartford May 19 and 20. It is anticipated the Saturday session, which begins at 9 a.m., would likely end before sundown.

Kings Park, NY - Helicopter Crashes At High School

Suffolk County, Kings Park, NY - A private helicopter crashed into a ball field at 200 East Main Street Route 25A between Kings Park Blvd. and Lawrence Road at the Kings Park High School in Kings Park, Long Island, helicopter is leaking fuel FD and EMS are on the scene operating, two with minor injuries.

U/D: 11:33
First aided being taken St Catherines Hospital, the 2nd patient the helicopter pilot is an 84-year-old male and he is being diverted to Stony Brook Trauma Center with facial lacerations in stable condition.

U/D: 11:57
A military official was on the scene reporting the incident, but wasn't involved in the crash.

Brooklyn, NY +Child Predator Search+

Brooklyn, NY +Child Predator Search+ A large police presence of the 66th Pct. in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn on 44th Street and 12th Avenue, ESU and K9 Units are also on the scene for a search of the child predator perp that is posing as a police officer, looking for a male white about 30-40-years-old with a Jeep posing a shield. level one mobilization has been called, Boro Park Shomrim also working the scene.

U/D: 10:41
Perp attemped to abduct again flashing a badge and then fled in a white Jeep Cherokee, special victims unit requested to the scene, Avition is enroute.

Brooklyn, NY - Video Of Melee Inside Williamsburg Synagogue Surface

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Disturbing videos unmasking the raw hostility between warring factions - including shots of a man spraying another with a fire extinguisher - have been handed over to the New York City Police Department and to the Brooklyn DA's office.

The footage was taken Oct. 25 at the Williamsburg synagogue at 152 Rodney Street, of the late Grand Rebbe Moses Teitelbaum, who died last week.
They surfaced as the DA vowed more arrests would follow this week's bust of several men charged with April violence at the synagogue.

According to a close associate of Rabbe Zalmen Teitelbaum - whose followers are fighting those of his older brother Aron for control of the Satmar sect - the October video shows an Aron supporter opening fire with the extinguisher.
Another clip shows bouncers punching and shoving Hasids trying to clamber into the synagogue. Each side claimed the guards were hired by the other.
Still another shows an alleged Aron supporter hurling a prayer book into a roiling crowd, according to the source. "The police have it; the DA has it. These are the things they are investigating and they say they are going to take action," the Zalmen source said. "We'll see."

Aron's supporters say they've provided cops with proof of their innocence.

The video surfaced as District Attorney Charles Hynes laid down the law regarding the religious feud. "It has to be made clear to the leadership of both sides that if you come to commit crime in the county, you will be arrested," he declared.

Brooklyn, NY +Motor Vehicle Accident+

Brooklyn, NY +Motor Vehicle Accident+ A MVA with children in one of the vehicles that have been injured, on Avenue "N" and Ocean Parkway, Hatzolah on the scene with multiple units backing up.

U/D: 08:43
Hatzolah members on the scene are requesting 3 ambulances to respond.

Brooklyn, NY - Two Developers Are Set To Fight Over Blaze Site

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY - With the blaze that destroyed much of a 14-acre site on the Brooklyn waterfront not yet fully extinguished, two developers are set to appear in court next week in their $424 million fight over the property.

Properties controlled by both Joshua Guttman, who owns the Greenpoint site, and Baruch Singer, who was trying to buy it, have been investigated by the city for suspicious events in the past.
Fire officials have suggested the Brooklyn blaze was intentionally set due to the speed in which it engulfed the warehouse buildings that are slated for demolition.

Mr. Singer, a landlord turned developer, is suing Mr. Guttman to resurrect an 8-month-old contract for $424 million to buy the property and develop it into a luxury condominium complex.
According to court documents, Singer and Guttman did not close on the deal by the January deadline because Mr. Singer came up short on financing.
Mr. Guttman then voided the deal, and seized Mr. Singer's $42 million deposit.
In the lawsuit, Mr. Singer contends that Mr. Guttman is trying to wiggle out of an agreement to extend the closing date by six months. He is seeking to reopen the contract or receive a refund of his $42 million deposit.

Mr. Singer, the prospective buyer, has consistently been cited by tenant groups as one of the worst landlords in the city. In 1995, the district attorney of New York County, Robert Morgenthau, conducted an investigation of a six-story Harlem building controlled by Mr. Singer that collapsed and killed three people. Mr. Morgenthau did not file criminal charges against Mr. Singer. Mr. Singer's buildings have reportedly racked up more than 4,000 violations with the city's department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Mr. Guttman, who real estate industry sources say is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, owned a loft building in DUMBO that burned down in 2004, prompting an investigation by the city. Mr. Guttman was never charged.

Israel - Pesach Tikva Synagogue Desecrated

Israel - A synagogue in Pesach Tikva was broken into and desecrated and the perpetrators drew swastikas on the walls, on the ark and on the Torah Scrolls.

They also wrote 'Hitler' on the doors of the synagogue and flung the contents of the ark onto the floor, they covered every Jewish symbol with spray paint, and drew the symbol of a known devil worship cult on the synagogue's walls.

Detectives took photographs and fingerprints from the scene and police are investigating the incident.

This was not the first time that vandals had desecrated the 100-year-old synagogue.

Brooklyn, NY - Two Men Turned Themselves In

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Two men - Mendel Epstein and Abe Braun - turned themselves in to the 90th Precinct, in connection with a brawl that happened on April 22. A day earlier, Abe Mendlowitz also surrendered on charges of assault. All three were issued desk appearance tickets and released.

On April 22, a fistfight broke out in the synagogue at 152 Rodney Street in Williamsburg, when - according to Aron supporter Abe Rubin - three Zalmen followers at the congregation Yetev Lev jumped him, broke his finger and stole his fur hat. "I went in to pray," Rubin said. "I went into the synagogue and it didn't take five minutes and I was beaten."

Mendlowitz and Braun are already on probation for assault in a previous rumble with Aron supporters.

But Zalmen supporter Martin Kahan argued Rubin is a "well known troublemaker" and blamed the October brawl on him. Rubin denied the allegation.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Monroe, NY +Brush Fire+

Monroe, NY +Brush Fire+ Kiryas Joel Fire Department and Monroe Fire Department are on the scene of a suspicious brush fire on Seven Springs Mountain Road and Mountain Road, command on the scene requesting NY State Police to respond for investigation.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn +MVA+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident in Williamsburg on Bedford Avenue and Division Avenue, Hatzolah on the scene requesting ALS to respond.

Alexandria, Va. - Verdict Reached In Zacarias Moussaoui Trial

Alexandria, Va. - A federal jury rejected the death penalty for al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, and decided he must spend life in prison for his role in the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history.

Kerhonkson, NY - Wildfire Continues To Burn

Kerhonkson, NY - Firefighting crews continue to battle the wildfire at the Catskill State Forest today that was expected to consume more than 1,000 acres of state park land as reports come in that one firefighter may have suffered a heart attack.

State forest rangers and local firefighters from across Ulster County continue to make a ground assault.

Shortly before 1 p.m. a firefighter was being removed from a mountain near Cherrytown Road in Accord because he may have suffered a heart attack. Fire officials have yet to return our calls to confirm his situation and the progress in fighting the fire, which broke out last Sunday.

Manhattan, NY +West Side Highway Traffic Alert+

Manhattan, NY +West Side Highway Traffic Alert+ Two cars overturned on the northbound of the West Side Highway and 79th Street, north bound of the highway is completely shut down, southbound just one lane is open, no pin but expect major delays.

Chasidim Visit Czech Town

More than 100 Chasidim came to a Czech town to honor Rabbe R' Schmelke of Nikolsburg, as the town of Mikulov was known in the 18th century.
A town historian estimated that it was the largest gathering of Chasidim in the Czech Republic since World War II.

Most of the visitors came from Monsey, N.Y., led by the current Nikolsburg rebbe, a follower of Rabbe R' Schmelke

Mikulov was a major seat of Jewish learning for several centuries. Until the 19th century, about half the population of the town of 7,000 near Vienna was Jewish, and there were 11 synagogues.

The visiting Chasidim celebrated Shabbas in the town’s only surviving synagogue.

Brooklyn, NY - DA Says More Satmar Arrests Coming

Brooklyn, NY - Before Mayor Bloomberg began his afternoon press conference, Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes stood on the sidelines talking arson and Satmar arrests.

While fire marshals are still determining the cause of yesterday's 10-alarm fire, Hynes switched his attention from Greenpoint to Williamsburg, and confirmed the arrest yesterday of a member of the Satmar community for "assault and disorderly conduct" relating to last month's scuffle in the Rodney street Synagogue.

He also said that he suspected "we will have another arrest today" in connection with yet another fight between the supporters of warring brothers Aaron and Zalmen Teitelbaum.

"And there will be more," said Hynes. "It has to be made clear to the leadership of both sides that if you come to commit crime in the county you will be arrested."

Montreal, Canada - Neturei Karta Protesting Against Israeli Independence Day Rally

Neturei Karta


Montreal, Canada - Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews Neturei Karta, will be counter demonstrating the rally celebrating Israeli Independence Day. They will be denouncing the existence of the State of Israel, which is strictly forbidden according to Jewish law

Queens, NY +MVA+

Queens, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident in Queens with some injured on 141st Street and 72nd Avenue, Hatzolah responding.

Bangkok, Thailand +Tsunami Warning+

Bangkok, Thailand +Tsunami Warning+ The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude-8.1 earthquake has struck near the South Pacific nation of Tonga. A tsunami warning has been issued.


U/D: 14:04
New Zealand authorities say that the tsunami threat has passed.

U/D: 17:37
Tonga's tsunami warning system failed, an official said.

Wife OF Founder OF Hatzolah Passed Away

Burech Dayen Emes
H'Rav Reb Hershel Weber's wife, the founder of Hatzolah passed away after being sick for a while with a cardiac condition in Israel

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY - Police Release Sketch Of Man Preying On Children

Man Posing As Cop in Boro Park 2


Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY - Police have released a sketch of the man they say has repeatedly tried to abduct children in parts of Brooklyn.

Police say the man approached three children since April 11th in the Borough Park section. Each time, he told the child he was a police officer and twice he asked for directions.
Police say in the latest incident on Friday, the man lured a 10-year-old girl into his car, the girl was able to escape.

Police describe the man as olive-skinned being between 20 and 25 years old, with a large frame and black hair. He was driving a dark colored Jeep or S.U.V.

Brooklyn, NY - Suspicious Warehouse Fire Largest In NYC Since 9/11

Greenpoint WAREHOUSEBIG Fire



Brooklyn, NY - The largest city fire in more than a decade - a raging inferno believed to be intentionally lit - devoured 15 vacant buildings on Brooklyn's waterfront yesterday, sending plumes of black smoke across the city.

Hundreds of firefighters battled the monstrous 10-alarm blaze by land and river for more than 11 hours as rolling flames ravaged the old Greenpoint Terminal Market, billows of acrid smoke could be seen as far as Long Island.

The fire was spotted at 5:40 a.m. and rapidly grew. Nearly eight hours later, with the flames still out of control, fire officials declared a 10-alarm blaze in the complex, which was once the site of shipbuilding and other manufacturing.
The fire swept through 15 buildings over 6 square blocks along the Greenpoint waterfront on West St. Sudden collapses of walls and ceilings sent piles of broken bricks, concrete and wood tumbling into the streets.

The fire was the city's biggest - not including the World Trade Center attacks - since a 19-alarm fire at Brooklyn's St. George Hotel in 1995. The 9/11 attacks were so large that the FDNY quit counting alarms.
More than 400 firefighters were forced to fight yesterday's blaze from the perimeter of the warehouses, using nine tower ladders and five boats in the river, dumping about 6 million gallons of water on the inferno.
Fourteen firefighters suffered minor injuries but no civilians were hurt.

Fire marshals found accelerant poured in five separate spots in the back of the 21-acre site, sources said. Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said the blaze was being probed as arson.
"The buildings were fully involved with fire when the first units arrived," Scoppetta said. "That plus the fact that it started early in the morning are indications of a suspicious fire."

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - Subdivision Streets Could Keep Names For Now

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - A housing developer who resisted efforts to name five streets he built after local victims of Sept. 11 has won in court.

State Supreme Court Justice John McGuirk has ruled that developer Sol Ekstein can use the golf-themed street names he picked for 60-home Prestwick Gardens because he owns the roads until they're turned over to the village.
Ekstein, a Kiryas Joel builder, sued the village because village trustees had chosen to use the last names of five Monroe residents who died in the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center: Massella, Marino, Barnes, Asher and Dowd.
In response to McGuirk's April 26 ruling, Ekstein's lawyer, Jim Sweeney, said that "honoring the memory of the Sept. 11 victims is a worthy objective. However, to do so at the expense of the rights of private citizens is wrong."
Mayor John Karl III, who had suggested the Sept. 11 road names and received approval from the victims' families, said yesterday that the village won't appeal the decision. It will simply rename the roads once Ekstein finishes his upscale development and turns over the roads to the village.
"It's just going to be an inconvenience for the people buying there," Karl said.

Ekstein's suit had also named Orange County's emergency services, since the 911 center enters new road names in its computer system to direct firefighters and other emergency responders. McGuirk ruled that the emergency service department weren't involved in the naming dispute.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn - Arrest Made in Rabbi Feud

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - The police said a Brooklyn man was arrested yesterday and charged with assault in the continuing feud over who will succeed late Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum, the leader of the Satmar Hasidim sect of Orthodox Jews, who died last month.

The attack, which took place on April 22 in a Williamsburg synagogue, was one of a number of violent encounters that have occurred over the years between supporters of two of the rabbi's rival sons, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum and Rabbi Zalmen Teitelbaum.

The police said the man charged, Abraham Mendlowitz, a supporter of Zalmen, attacked Abe Rubin, a supporter of Aaron, breaking one of Mr. Rubin's fingers and dislocating another. Mr. Mendlowitz was released and given a desk appearance ticket.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Williamsburg, Brooklyn - Satmar Hasidim Considering A Protest Against The NYPD

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Police officers at the 90th precinct in Brooklyn are looking at a man picked up this morning in connection with an alleged fight last month at the synagogue at 152 Rodney street in Williamsburg, according to Michael Levoff a spokesman for the police department.

Mr. Levoff stressed that as of now, no charges have been filed, but supporters of Aaron Teitelbaum, the eldest son of the late Grand Rebbe Moses Teitelbaum, claim that the man in the precinct is responsible for the broken finger of one of Aaron's supporters.

Scott E. Mollen, a lawyer who represents Zalmen Teitelbaum, counters that the supporters of Aaron were responsible for any disturbance, and noted that the Zalmen supporter in the station was only being questioned about that. If anything, he said, the aggressors were in Aaron's camp.
"The guard he hired could have easily helped the New York Giants front line," he said.

Now there are rumors of a protest planned by Zalmen supporters outside the 90th precinct, but Mr. Mollen said he had heard similar rumors about a protest there before, and that never happened.

Armenian Airlines Plane Disappears

Armenian Airlines passenger jet plane with over 100 people on board, has disappears over Black Sea.

U/D: 21:16
The wreckage of the plane has been found off the coast.

U/D: 23:11
Russian emergency officials say all 112 people aboard the Armenian airliner that crashed off Russia's Black Sea coast are dead.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident on Ocean Parkway and Foster Avenue with a pedestrian that was struck Hatzolah requested on a rush.

Brooklyn, NY +Fire At Multiple Dwelling+

Brooklyn, NY +Fire At Multiple Dwelling+ A fire at 564 East 3rd Street between Avenue "C" and Cortelyou Road in the top floor of a 4 story 80x80 multiple dwelling, FD on the scene searches are in progress, Hatzolah responding.

U/D: 11:36
Main body of fire has been knocked down, fire has been placed as P/W/H.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn +Large 5 Alarm Fire In Warehouse+

Greenpoint, Brooklyn +Large 5 Alarm Fire In Warehouse+ FD transmitting the 5th Alarm for a fire throughout a 3 story vacant 200x600 warehouse and spreading to several warehouses in an industrial complex along the waterfront on West Street and Noel Street, fire extended into other exposures, 3 tower ladders and one marine unit on the scene and requesting additional tower ladders and add'l marine units, fire remains D/W/H with heavy smoke showing all over the area.


U/D: 08:48
FD now calling for 6th Alarm, fire bldg. has collapsed, other bldg fully involved.
Satellite is in operation with 7 T/L's and 2 marine units.

NYPD is calling for a level 3 mobilization.

U/D: 09:16
Field Comm has just transmitted a 7th Alarm.

U/D: 12:04
8th Alarm has been transmitted for relief purposes, fire is P/W/H now.

U/D: 15:31
FD raising it to a 10th Alarm, 6 T/L's and 3 boats working, Air Recon also on the scene, fire remains D/W/H.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Borough Park, Brooklyn +Perp Search Poss Abduction+

Borough Park, Brooklyn +Perp Search Poss Abduction+ Level one mobilization by 66th Pct cops for a perp search this perp is wanted for multiple attempted abduction in the Boro Park area of Brooklyn, NY posing a PD shield, mobilization is at 55th Street and 14th Avenue, NYPD Aviation and ESU on scene, major crime scene.

U/D: 21:27
PD has two M/H possible suspect in custody in regards to the possible abductions and to lure kids into his vehicle the last 2 weeks by offering candies.

New York, NY - Empire State Building Turns 75

Empire State Building turns 75
New York, NY - One of the city's most famous landmarks, the Empire State Building, is celebrating It opened in 1931 during America's Great Depression and took just 13 months to construct.

For 40 years, it was the world's tallest building until the World Trade Center was built and is once again New York City's highest structure.

More than 3,000 workers were employed in its construction which provided jobs during a time of great unemployment.

Fourteen immigrant workers were killed during the operation.

The building's spire was originally supposed to be a mooring point for air ships, but the idea was quickly abandoned as dangerous.

The building was in the headlines just last week after a man attempted to parachute from the 86th floor.

Tonight, the lights will be white just as they were when the building first opened for business.

South African - Double Murder Stuns Jewish Community

South African - The Jewish community is still reeling in shock after the bodies of two young men were found with their hands tied behind their backs, shot execution-style - one bullet each at the back of the head - in Cape Town last month.

Police said Brett Goldin, 27, and Richard Bloom, 26, had simply been in the wrong place, at the wrong time. They noted that the first three suspects who were arrested hours after the two were reported missing, had been under the influence of drugs.

Goldin and Bloom were both from well-established Johannesburg families. Goldin attended a prestigious local Jewish day school in Johannesburg, while Bloom had been at a state school with a high number of Jewish students.

Police are tight-lipped about the case and while the motive remains unclear, the Jewish community has ruled out anti-Semitism.

Fallsburg, NY +Bungalows On Fire+

Sullivan County, Fallsburg, NY +Bungalows On Fire+ A fully involved working fire in multiple bungalows on Elm Drive and Laurel Avenue at the Beverly Garden Apartments, FD on the scene calling for a 3 alarm M/A requested to the scene.

Brooklyn, NY +Military Device Found+

Brooklyn, NY +Military Device Found+ NYPD are on the scene with ESU and requesting the Bomb Squad, EMS and FD to respond in for a suspicious military device that was found on Franklin Avenue and Lincoln Place, area is shut down.

U/D: 15:47
Bomb Squad has properly id'ed the suspicious device.

Satmar - +Hats On, Gloves Off+

Rabbe Aron Teitelbaum

The death of the rebbe frees his sons Aaron and Zalmen to go to war. But is the prize--all of Hasidic Williamsburg--a poisoned chalice?

Spring Valley, NY +Immigration Protest+

Rockland County, Spring Valley, NY +Immigration Protest+ Traffic Alert on Route 59 for crowd control due to about 100 people protesting immigration and blocking traffic, PD on the scene.

Staten Island, NY - University Hospital Honors Bikur Cholim

Staten Island, NY - Staten Island University Hospital honored its valued volunteers during a recognition ceremony held in the Renaissance, Grant City. More than 220 volunteers were feted for their unending commitment in assisting the hospital medical staff and in providing care to patients.

Anthony C. Ferreri, University Hospital president and CEO, said the hospital would be unable to perform its duties in the face of so many needs to meet in the community without the hard work and dedication of its volunteers.

Special Recognition Awards were presented to Bikur Cholim, an organization that assists Jewish patients by continuing to connect them to their heritage and religious practices.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Mourning Rituals Deepen Satmar Community Divide

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - In the week since Grand Rebbe Moses Teitelbaum died, even the mourning rituals are deepening the fracture that divides the Satmar community.

Custom demands that the grieving chasidim pay their respects to the family of the deceased. But in Williamsburg, where the Satmar movement is centered, the family in mourning has not met under one roof to receive its visitors.

Followers say that the headquarters each brother chose to receive visitors have emerged as the centers of the two rival camps. The eldest son, Rabbi Aaron, who, his supporters say, will permanently move to Williamsburg from his congregation in Orange County to succeed his late father, receives visitors at 152 Hewes St., the site of his father's first synagogue. Rabbi Zalmen, who has been at the helm of the central Williamsburg congregation since 1999, has moved into his late father's home on 550 Bedford Ave., where his father's former personal attendants now surround him.

"Aaron has come to fight with his brother," Joseph Landay, 19, said as he waited outside of Rabbi Zalmen's home. "But we will have one rabbi and we will ignore Aaron always."

Outside Rabbi Aaron's current stronghold on Hewes Street, his followers speak of the thousands upon thousands who turned out this Sabbath for the services that Rabbi Aaron delivered under a tent on Lee Avenue.

As the customary week-long period of mourning draws to a close, the discord between the brothers has given rise to two scenes that are strikingly similar. As they receive visitors, the two brothers, both in their mid-50s, are nearly indistinguishable. Both wear glasses with black plastic frames and have the same amount of gray in their respective beards. Each sits at a table largely bare except for tape recorders that serve to capture memories about the late grand rebbe that community members come to tell. Each man is flanked, at times, by more than 100 supporters, who press close, sometimes standing on tables or even on benches that have been placed on tables to catch a glimpse of their favored rabbi.

Yesterday, as they have been doing for several days, various leaders from outside the Satmar community came to pay their respects to both sons, traversing easily from one camp to the other. Senator Schumer made his visits yesterday, and took the time to tell the followers of Rabbi Aaron that he is descended from a leading disciple of a renowned Eastern European rabbi. As Mr. Schumer pressed through the crowd when leaving, he crossed paths with the grand rebbe of the Skver Chasidim, David Twersky, who is based in Rockland County.

Borough Park, Brooklyn - Councilman Simcha Felder Near-Perfect Record In Council Meetings

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY - City councilman from Brooklyn Simcha Felder has near-perfect attendance record of all meetings last year.

Council members are paid $90,000 a year, and the job is considered part-time, and overall nearly 35 percent of the 51 council members dodged one of every five meetings they were required to attend. Worse than that, nine lawmakers had an absentee rate of 30 percent or higher, councilman Al Vann (D-Brooklyn) was absent 38 percent of the time.
"If you're absent, you have to have an excuse," former Council Speaker Peter Vallone said. "The speaker's office must know where you are."

The council has also members who earned gold stars for attendance. Among those with near-perfect records last year were Tony Avella (D-Queens) at 2.6 percent; Melinda Katz (D-Queens) 2.8 percent; Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) 6.25 percent; Helen Sears (D-Queens) 6.6 percent; and Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan), who is now speaker, 7.5 percent.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn - Eliot Spitzer Skips One Rebbe's Shiva

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer got his signals mixed when he made a shiva call to only one of the feuding sons of late Satmar Grand Rebbe Moses Teitelbaum, snubbing the son from Orange County, NY.

Spitzer's representatives said the state attorney general wasn't trying to slight Aron Teitelbaum - he just didn't realize the rabbi was in Brooklyn, he simply thought Aron was still in Monroe, NY with his Kiryas Joel flock.
Spitzer visited Zalmen Teitelbaum at his Williamsburg home. But he didn't stop to see Aron, who is based in Orange County, but was at a Williamsburg residence as well.
Sen. Chuck Schumer and City Controller William Thompson visited both brothers.

"Eliot paid his respects to the great work and leadership of the deceased grand rabbi," said a Spitzer aide. "This was not a political event, and no greater meaning should be read into it."
Last night, Spitzer's representatives were scrambling to set up a shiva call to Aron Teitelbaum, to fix the political miscue. The shiva period of mourning for the late grand rebbe, who died last Monday, ends at 10 a.m. today.

Aron Teitelbaum, 58, head of the Satmar congregation in Kiryas Joel, Orange County, accepted the mantel of new grand rebbe last week, claiming he had the backing of 75% of the sect's members.
But Zalmen Teitelbaum, 53, also claimed to be the new grand rebbe, citing his father's will naming him successor to the post.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Brooklyn, NY +Explosions On Roof OF Building+

Brooklyn, NY +Explosions On Roof OF Building+ Three explosions on the roof of 301 Gold Street and Tillary Street from five 100lb propane tanks belonging to roofers working on the roof of the 84th Pct Station House, FDNY on the scene requesting Haz-Mat units to respond, and ESU has been requested as well, FD has three line stretched, building is next to Eng. 207 firehouse, Pct house has been evacuated, Hatzolah BLS and ALS also on the scene, fire is D/W/H, 2nd alarm has been called and a 500 foot perimeter set up around the 84th Pct

U/D: 15:33
All workers and NYPD personal are accounted for. Fire Marshals are requested forthwith.

U/D: 15:41
Fire is P/W/H, NYPD are calling for a level one mobilization.

U/D: 16:01
Three of the cylinders are down on the street, fire was on both roofs of the station house and of the firehouse, fire is now under control.

Major delays in the area, Tillary Street and Flatbush Avenue are completely closed, on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway expect major delays.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident on 60th Street and 21st Avenue, Hatzolah on the scene.

Sliedrecht, Netherlands - Vandalization Of Dutch Synagogue Thwarted

Sliedrecht, Netherlands - A neighbour noticed three young men dressed in black, their faces covered, behaving suspiciously in the vicinity of the synagogue.

The neighbour alarmed the police, who subsequently came and apprehended the men described them as “skinheads” and likely members of an extreme-right organisation.

The building has been the target of similar attempts in recent months, including an incident where stones were thrown through the windows of the monumental building.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn - Rabbe Aron's Hasidim Head Home

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Sect-based sibling rivalry subsided into a quiet Saturday night as seething Satmars parted ways.
Although there was no resolution to the conflict over which of two brothers vying for control of the Hasidic sect would lead it in to the future, the threat of violence diminished as more than 1,000 members, who had come to the city for a fight, returned home.

The out-of-towners are followers of Orange County-based Aaron Teitelbaum, the eldest son of Grand Rebbe Moses Teitelbaum, who died Monday.

Backers of younger brother Zalman Teitelbaum, whose synagogue is in Williamsburg, declared a victory of sorts yesterday, as Aaron's people left in buses.

Despite predictions of violent conflict on an epic scale, Brooklyn has enjoyed a surprising peace in the days since Rabbe Teitelbaum died - but it's been expensive.

Aron's side claims it spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of the congregation's assets for the massive Shabbas ceremonies and the Friday night "crowning" of the rabbe's eldest son, as his successor as leader of the Satmar sect.

Zalman, who was chosen by his father to lead the Williamsburg congregation in a will, held services and its own "crowning" ceremony at their Rodney Street synagogue. Members of the Zalman group said they didn't have any extra costs.

Brooklyn, NY - Gowanus Village By Powerful Jewish Real-Estate Developer

Brooklyn, NY - A powerful real-estate developer has bought the Jewish Press building near the Gowanus Canal - the latest in a series of moves that could transform the industrial area into a village of housing, stores, art galleries and waterfront esplanades. “We are very excited about the acquisition of the JP site,” said Sara Mirski, spokeswoman for developer Shaya Boymelgreen. “The site provides improved access opportunities to a proposed waterfront esplanade and park” along the canal.

The sale of the building, on Third Avenue between First and Third streets, coupled with construction of a Whole Foods market one block south and development along Fourth Avenue one block east, accelerates the perception that Park Slope is expanding through the old Gowanus neighborhood all the way to the canal.

Boymelgreen has coveted the massive, windowless building since he began snapping up canal-area land two years ago, according to property owners nearby.

With the Jewish Press building in his portfolio, Boymelgreen now controls more than two acres surrounding the canal - land he wants to turn into “Gowanus Village,” a mixed-use neighborhood designed by a glamorous international architect, Enrique Norten.

Boymelgreen would transform the industrial area bounded by the canal, Third Avenue, and Carroll and Third streets into a neighborhood of four- to six-story townhouses and 10-story loft buildings.

Threat to artists

Caught in the middle are the artists who have adopted the neighborhood after being priced out of other creative, low-cost communities.
Down the block from the Jewish Press building and across Third Street from the Whole Foods site, 140 artists rent studios in The Can Factory, a former thermometer factory. The owner of the massive brick building has said he will keep artists there, but artists worry about their colleagues with less-committed landlords.

Ramapo, NY - Yeshiva To Challenge Town Decision

Ramapo, NY - The developer of a yeshiva with adult-student housing this week will challenge a citation issued by the town for illegally operating a preschool out of a construction trailer.
Mosdos Chofetz Chaim, which was ordered by the state to close its preschool on the Grandview Avenue site for operating without a license, also will be before the town's Zoning Board of Appeals to question an increase in building fees.

The town issued a violation to the developer after Ramapo inspectors saw children in the trailer Feb. 17. The violation states that the trailer had been occupied by children without a certificate of occupancy or site plan approval from the town's Planning Board.
In a letter to the zoning board, Rabbi Aryeh Zaks argued that a certificate of occupancy was not needed for the site because "we are grandfathered for use at the site as an educational center and we have an approved site plan for our ongoing development project."
The town's citation prompted the state's Office of Children and Family Services to conduct an investigation.
In March, the state ordered the preschool closed because operating an unlicensed day-care center violates social services law.

The developer has not allowed state inspectors on-site so they could not determine what services were being provided or at what time of the day. A meeting with the developer would allow the state to find out what services are provided and if a license or registration is needed.

If a judge rules in the state's favor, a $500-a-day fine could be imposed on the developer and the state could seek a court order barring the preschool from operating.
Town officials have said that if the developer were found guilty of the violation, it could face a $5,000 fine for each of the six counts.
Town Attorney Michael Klein said the developer also was asking the zoning board to review a complaint regarding an increase in construction fees. After complaints from a resident critical of the project, the construction estimate was raised to $8.4 million from $6 million, and the town's fee was increased to $75,617 from $54,046. While the $54,046 permit fee was paid, the increased amount was not.

Why Would Two Brothers Fight For Such A Demanding Position, To Become The Next Rebbe?

New York - Wondering if so-and-so will make a suitable spouse? Ask the rebbe. Anxious that the business venture you're considering might not succeed? Ask the rebbe. Need help resolving a thorny ethical question? Rebbe.

Thanks to the flood of news coverage last week, people who had never before heard the term "Satmar grand rebbe" now know that the 91-year-old man who held that title for more than a quarter-century was buried in Kiryas Joel on Tuesday, and that two sons are fighting bitterly to succeed him as leader of their Hasidic movement.

But what might have been lost in the obituaries for Moses Teitelbaum and in the campaign-style succession stories was a clear sense of just what a rebbe means to the estimated 120,000 Satmar Hasidim living in this Orange County village, Brooklyn, Jerusalem and other places around the world.

Samuel Heilman, a Queens College professor and expert on ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups like the Satmar Hasidim, describes the Hasidic rebbe as a father to thousands, someone whose ability to consult directly with God makes him the supreme authority on any and all questions posed by his flock, whatever the subject.

"It's a very difficult job, actually," Heilman says. "He's like a father to a huge extended family."

When a rebbe is not engaged in study or prayer, he is often greeting visitors and bestowing blessings. His assistant, or gabbai, screens callers and decides who will be granted an audience.

Visitors often come to ask for their leader's blessing on an impending marriage, an operation, a business venture - on almost any important event or decision. "There isn't a realm of life that the rebbe can't insert himself into," says Heilman, comparing a rebbe, in that respect, to a Muslim imam or mullah.

So why would two brothers fight for such a demanding position? Heilman says that aspiring rebbes in any Hasidic sect are probably motivated both by the sense of a divine mission and by the same desires that kindle presidential ambitions.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Police Search For Child Predator, Posing As Police Officer+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY - Police are investigating three separate incidents of a man posing as a police officer and trying to pick up young girls in Borough Park.

Two of the incidents happened around 15th avenue. People who live along 15th avenue said they're stunned by the crimes.

Police say a man who looked to be 25-years-old, driving a dark colored car, approached a 10-year-old girl, told her he was a police officer and asked her to get in his car to show him how to get to his destination. The girl refused and ran away.
About 45 minutes later in the same area, a man fitting a similar description showed a 10-year-old girl a badge and said he was a Cleveland police officer. The man asked for directions and asked the girl to get in his car. She agreed. Police said that as the man was driving, he started touching the girl. She was able to escape the car and run away.
Police reported a third incident near 11th avenue two-and-a-half weeks ago. A man who appeared to be 30-years-old, driving a dark colored jeep, showed an 11-year-old girl police paraphernalia, exposed himself and asked the girl to get in his car. She refused.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn +MVA+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident with some injuries on Wythe Avenue and Clymer Street, Hatzolah on the scene, FD also responding.

 
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