Sheepshead Bay • Brighton Beach • Marine Park • Manhattan Beach • Coney Island • Flatlands • Gerritsen Beach • Mill Basin • Bergen Beach
Highlighting the Best Neighborhoods in Brooklyn
Vol. 5, No. 9, March 16 - 30, 2009
No Magic Pill WARNING:
Page 4
Diet supplements may be hazardous to your health
• Help on the way for Bay businesses • Rezone Coney -- carefully! • Hidden museum in Mill Basin • Local thumbs down for A-Rod • New schools for the Bay • Rabbit ears extinct
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Publisher’s Notebook Stopping the cycle Unlike a noted columnist in these pages, I do not think that Mayor Bloomberg cares only about large corporations and is indifferent to us in the trenches. There are times to criticize our mayor, and there are times to praise him. Right now, it’s time for the latter. The initiatives that he has launched to spur small-business ventures, as we report in this issue, promise to be quite effective in the struggle to restore the city to a solid financial footing. And they soon will have a direct effect on us here in Brooklyn. The
“incubators” that are opening in Manhattan – offering very low-cost office space and business services to entrepreneurs -- will soon be expanded to the other boroughs. There is no way that this cannot help – especially here in the Bay area, where small-business owners are the indisputable backbone of the local economy. It doesn’t take a doctorate in psychology or economics to realize that the core of any financial crisis is a self-fulfilling vicious circle – the more everyone laments how terrible
the economy is, the more terrible it becomes: stockholders sell short, investors close their wallets, consumers buy less, which leads to company cutbacks and layoffs, which means less spending and investing… Mayor Bloomberg is not sitting back crying “Woe is me” and waiting for a redux of the 1970s. He has taken a sensible, promising approach for now. If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, or even just thinking about being one, get ready to grab a piece of this freshly baked pie.
Smoke and mirrors
“The Brooklyn School of Inquiry” “The Academy of Talented Scholars” Sounds rather impressive, doesn’t it? You would be quite proud if your child’s diploma boasted a name like one of these, wouldn’t you? Before you get all excited, these are simply two of the 42 new public schools that the city has announced will open this fall in the five boroughs. These particular two will be housed in
Bay Currents readers may have noticed that in this space I have defended Gov. Paterson against infantile jokes about his vision. I was referring, of course, to his physical vision. As for his metaphorical vision, that’s a different story – he showed a lack of such in selecting Kirsten Gillibrand as our new senator to replace Hillary Clinton, who is now President Obama’s Secretary of State. A recent interview by Newsday showed, if there was any doubt before, that Gillibrand is essentially a not-ready-forprime-time, provincial, NRA poster girl. It was revealed that she kept two rifles under her bed at her rural upstate home, saying, “If I want to protect my family, if I want to have a weapon in the home, that should be my right.” I have no argument with that. People should indeed have the right to protect their homes. But there is nothing preventing her from keeping rifles at home. In fact, rifles don’t even have to be registered. (Of course, it’s stupid to keep them under the bed, since children can easily get to them, and it’s probably the first place a burglar will look -- shortly after the Newsday interview was published, she moved the guns to a different spot in her home.) The problem is, gun fanatics like Gillibrand cry “Protection!” or proclaim some unshakeable right of hunters, as excuses to try to block any kind of gun regulation or restrictions (like keeping firearms from people with criminal or mental-illness records,
the already existing P.S./I.S. 237 at 50 Avenue P -- each with its own highly paid administration. Let’s look at this a second. What does “School of Inquiry” mean, anyway? Aren’t all schools supposed to instill a sense of inquiry into young minds? Is this in contrast to all those other schools of non-inquiry? How about “The Academy of Talented Scholars”? Is that an alternative to “The Academy of
Bad choices or preventing the private sale of, say, armor-piercing weapons.) Gun control is “a false debate,” Gillibrand says. “It’s political rhetoric that’s sucking you in to believe that hunters owning a gun or an American citizen who wants to protect his home owning a gun, somehow increases gun violence.’ To Gillibrand, trying to prevent pistols from being sold at gun shows without any checks, is “political rhetoric.” Trying to keep a submachine gun from the hands of a mentally unbalanced teen, is “political rhetoric.” Tell that to the families of the thousands of gun-violence victims. Couple this with Gillibrand’s antiimmigration (under the guise of decrying “illegal immigration”) and “English only” stances – which she conveniently back-pedaled on after she was chosen by Paterson – and you have someone representing New York State who can bring a smile to Rush Limbaugh’s face. Gov. Paterson, once you finally reached a decision on who would replace Clinton, you made a very wrong one. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until the 2010 election to try to undo it. And speaking of appointments … As I, and millions of other Americans, applaud much of how President Obama is starting to dig us out from the domestic and international damage wrought by the Bush administration, I am disappointed with many of the appointments he has made.
March 16 - 30, 2009
Untalented Scholars”? (In case you’re thinking it’s a school for gifted students, it’s not. “It’s a traditional elementary school,” a Department of Education spokesperson said.) It seems we’ll have in September a school building on Avenue P top-heavy with administrators getting six-figure salaries from tax dollars amid an economic crisis. Maybe the new talented scholars should make an inquiry into this…
First, there’s Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary. If it weren’t so potentially damaging, it would be laughable to appoint someone in charge of the Treasury Department -- which oversees the IRS -- who couldn’t even do his own taxes properly. That’s something like making someone the head of a hospital’s neurology department who couldn’t put a Band-Aid on his 5 –year-old. Then there’s Adolfo Carrion, the Bronx borough president whom Obama appointed as director of the White House on Urban Policy. On the day Carrion’s resignation as Bronx beep became effective, the Daily News reported that during his tenure, he had received several campaign contributions from developers shortly before or after he supported them with tax dollars or zoning changes. And what was Carrion’s response? He refused to answer written questions, and merely released a statement saying that many groups have contributed to his campaign and that he is “proud to have such wide-ranging support.” Obama is quick to say he isn’t perfect. And many of his appointments are far from it. But this does not diminish the hope and promise that Obama holds for this nation. Within two months, he has done much to help restore our standing abroad, to ease divisiveness, and to tackle the economy head-on. It’s just that he has to be a little more careful about who he gets to help him. Visit us at: www.BayCurrents.net
A new ‘Talking Historian’
Jimmy Prince has retired after three decades of owning and operating Major Meats, a fixture on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island. The shop was a country general store in the city – neighborhood residents regularly came in for the gossip as much as for the prime meats. The Coney Island History Project has appointed Prince as “distinguished historian.” His duties will include working at the History Project’s exhibition center under the Cyclone roller coaster, sharing his Coney Island memories with visitors. Prince is also the star of a new documentary by Charles Denson, author of Coney Island Lost and Found, to premiere this summer. Denson has been filming the documentary about Prince and his customers for the past three years, with more than 60 hours of raw footage. Prince began working at Major Meats as a young man in 1949 and became the shop’s proprietor in the 1970s. The storefront is emblazoned with signs that say “Coney Island is Coming back Folks, Let’s Watch it Grow!” and “It’s Major’s for your Barbeque Specials.” Founded in 1932, Coney Island’s oldest butcher shop is a throwback to the days when the entire length of Mermaid Avenue, from Stillwell Avenue to Sea Gate, was a bustling retail strip.
Get wet at the Aquarium
The New York Aquarium at Coney Island offers a series of participatory “get wet” workshops specially designed for families with children of all ages to explore the magic and mystery of the marine world. Reservations are required for all classes. Classes can fill quickly, so make reservations early. For a brochure or to make reservations, call 718-265-3448. Saturday, March 28, 1-2 p.m.: Toddler Tour Bellow like a walrus and slurp like a seahorse as you view our wonderful animals on this interactive tour. Ages 2-3, with adult. $16 members; $24 non-members Advance registration is required for all programs. Contact Maria at 718-265-3448 or visit www.nyaquarium.org.
Aquarium green
In anticipation of Earth day April 22, the Aquarium
holds Green Fest April 13-19.– a celebration of all things “green” (environmentally friendly). Exhibits and vendors will be on hand to help you and your family learn about what you can do to protect our planet. Throughout the week and on April 22, visitors will be offered ways to embrace and support a green and sustainable future. Come and dance to the music and create art from recyclable materials. All daily events run from noon to 4 p.m.
Cell phones don’t grow on trees…but recycling them helps grow trees!
Recycle a cell phone and help a gorilla! By doing this, guests are investing in the planet’s future. Did you know that by recycling cell phones the demand for Coltan, an element required in cell phone manufacturing, can be reduced? Coltan is mined in the forests of the Congo, which destroys the habitat for gorillas and other endangered wildlife. Depositing unneeded cell phones at the Aquarium or one of the World Conservation Society’s other facilities in New York (Bronx, Central Park, Queens and Prospect Park Zoos,) visitors can help save endangered animals and their homes in the wild.
Students to gov: Don’t cut WCS money
Students from the Rachel Carson High School of Coastal Studies joined their peers from schools in the Bronx and Queens to present more than 12,000 petitions, letters of support, and drawings from all five boroughs and Westchester County to representatives at Gov. Paterson’s office in Manhattan. Paterson has proposed elimination of the $9 million state budget for the New York Aquarium at Coney Island and the other facilities of the Wildlife Conservation Society More than 70,000 messages, including petitions and emails, have been sent to Albany asking that the aquariums, zoos, and botanical gardens “get the funding they need as they face dwindling private donations and repercussions due to a volatile
stock market,” the WCS said in a statement.
“Shabbat Across America”
Service and Dinner: Friday, March 20, 6:30p.m. On this weekend, tens of thousands of Jews across America will come to synagogues to celebrate the Sabbath together. In honor of this event, the Bay Ridge Jewish Center, (81 Street & 4th Avenue) will host a Family Service and Dinner. The service includes English readings and transliterations. All are welcome for the service. Dinner is a traditional Shabbat meal, and advance reservations are required. Call 718-836-3103.
Fire at Totonno’s
The legendary Totonno’s Pizzeria at 1524 Neptune Avenue in Coney Island was seriously damaged by a fire that broke out about 8:45 a.m. Saturday, March 14. The blaze started between the roof and ceiling, the fire department said. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries. It was not known by press time what caused the fire, or when the 65-year-old pizzeria would reopen.
Alzheimer Missing Person Alert
Last Seen : 2 a.m. Tuesday, March 10 on 10th Street in the Park Slope area. Barbara Lucille Marable is a 72-year old African American woman who suffers from Dementia/Alzheimer’s disease and may require help returning home. She is 5’3”, weighs 160 pounds, has brown eyes, a dark complexion, salt and pepper hair, and is wearing a black wig. She was last seen on 10 th Street in the Park Slope areawearing green sweatpants, a green sweatshirt, and black sneakers. She is enrolled in the MedicAlert Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return Program. Her Safe Return# is 268601 and she is wearing her bracelet. Any leads should be called into the MedicAlert Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return Program 1-800-572-1122) or ( 1-800-625-3780 ) or Det. Frank Rodriguez at 1-212-694-7781
Letters to the Editor letters@baycurrents.net No Latino faces
To the Editor: I have lived in Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach and Coney Island neighborhoods for more than 25 years. . These are all listed on your front page. Yet, after viewing all 20 pages of your Vol. 5, No. 8, Feb. 9 -23, 2009 edition I can’t find any hint of the existence of a single Hispanic in these or any other community. You describe yourself as an independent and effective community newspaper while negligently or intentionally ignoring an entire segment of this community. I wonder how your staff has managed to cover Mermaid Avenue, Brighton Beach Avenue, or Ocean Ave. without ever seeing a worthwhile Latino face. Gracias por su atencion. Sinceramente, Hector J. Rios Editor’s reply: We can assure our readers that we do not intentionally ignore any segment of the communities we cover. We invite the letter writer – as well as anyone else – to contact us about news and events that you feel we should cover. Call us at 347-492-4432, e-mail us at editor@ baycurrents.net, or write to us at Editor, Bay Currents, 2966 Avenue U, Suite 108, Brooklyn, NY 11229.
Let’s start, let’s talk
To the Editor: I enjoy reading “Bay Currents” about our local events and news. Usually, people express their opinions without any expectation to be heard. You have published plenty of good proposals, ideas and thoughts. However, it would be mostly not realized. It’s why we created our Russian-American Community Coalition of New York to attract people around the city (particularly in Brooklyn). We are trying to allow these people to realize their expectations and to bring their concerns to elected officials at different levels. Our main approach is to help working people–the tax payers to be heard. Usually, we hear just about affordable living, social support, etc. Nobody cares about working class paying high taxes. Let’s stay together and show to the government that tax payers have to be the highest priority. Just after that, it is possible to discuss about support to anybody else. We invite all of you to share your thoughts and expectations through our website www.raccny.com. Maybe, we are going to invite you to join one of our departments to participate at our actions and festivities. Anyway, this could be a good chance for everyone to realize their dreams. Maybe, you will be a speaker at some public meeting. Let’s start, let’s talk. Alex Litvak
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March 16 - 30, 2009
Exxon/Mobil a Scrooge
To the Editor: Exxon/Mobil, the world’s largest oil company, just posted record profits of $8.3 billion for the fourth quarter of 2008 and $45 billion for all of 2008, and it has not participated in distributing discounted oil to Citizens Energy Corporation. Isn’t it amazing that Joe Kennedy II, CEO of Citizens Energy Corporation, has to rely on Hugo Chavez of Venezuela through Citgo Petroleum, a Venezuelan company, to provide discounted heating oil to Citizens Energy. This oil is then distributed in a number of states to needy homeowners to heat their homes in the winter time. States that participate include all the New England states, NY, NJ, PA, MD, DE, VA, IN, MI, WI, and AK. Exxon/Mobil should stop being a scrooge and give back some of its massive wealth through the distribution of discounted oil to homeowners who cannot afford to purchase heating oil at the regular price. Donald A. Moskowitz Londonderry, New Hampshire WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
To continue to be the independent and effective community newspaper we are, we need to hear from you. We want to know your concerns, opinions, suggestions, praises, and criticism. Write to us at: letters@baycurrents.net or
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bay Currents 2966 Avenue U, Suite 108 Brooklyn, NY 11229
Page 3
Cover Story
Weight-loss pills may be hazardous to your health By Amadeo Constanzo Bay Currents health and science writer The Food and Drug Administration has recently discovered that a number of weight loss supplements sold in the U.S. actually contain drugs, including prescription and unapproved drugs. These products violate the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, which allows supplements to be sold without FDA approval as long as they do not contain pharmaceuticals. . Even without these added drugs, most diet supplements do not have enough scientific proof of effectiveness, despite what the manufacturers claim. For example, hoodia, an ingredient derived from an African plant, has not been scientifically proven to be effective or even safe. “There is no conclusive evidence that hoodia is an effective appetite suppressant or that it contributes to significant, long-term weight loss,” says Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky. But some manufacturers of hoodia products still claim that they are effective and “clinically tested”. Generally, looking for a single pill is the wrong and potentially dangerous approach to weight loss. “There are no magic pills,” said Dr. Mandy Leonard, assistant director of the Drug Information Center at the Cleveland
Clinic. “Everything we know tells us that the only safe and effective way to lose weight is through nutrition and exercise. I strongly advise anyone to talk with his or her doctor before using an over-the-counter weight loss pill. Despite this, sales of weight-loss pills remain quite high. “They are very popular, especially in this culture,” a clerk at a major drug store in Bensonhurst told Bay Currents. Not only are these “supplements generally ineffective, they may be harmful in the long run. Anything that interferes with your metabolism has the potential to cause serious damage,” said Dr. Leonard. The FDA “cannot test and identify all weight loss products on the market that have potentially harmful contaminants in order to assure their safety,” the agency stated in a recent report. The problem is not limited to diet pills -- other types of supplements can be risky. Most manufacturers make enticing, but unproven, claims about their products from treating heart disease to erectile dysfunction. The FDA has not regulated this to any large extent. Take the case of Angioprim, a supplement claimed by the manufacturer to treat heart disease by cleaning out arteries. “Angioprim is a non-FDA approved nutritional intervention,” said Dr. Stanley
Hazen, section director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Lerner Research Institute. “The company makes extraordinary claims about Angioprim and has actually been admonished by the FDA about its unsubstantiated claims. Unfortunately, because it is a supplement, it does not fall under the FDA’s authority to enforce the change needed in their advertising.” Even if the substance in its natural form can be effective, the supplement is over-hyped. Fish oil, for example, has been scientifically shown to help cardiovascular health and boost brain function – but doctors and nutritionists agree that it is better to actually eat fish than to take fish-oil pills. If you are considering using any type of dietary supplements, do not let your personal trainer or the vitamin-store clerk be your source of information. They have a vested interest to recommend products, but they are not experts. Bay Currents asked clerks at a major healthfood chain what to take for various problems; they were quick to recommend specific products. One clerk, though, was candid: “People ask us, but we don’t have the [medical or science] background,” she admitted. “Anybody can work here. People should consult their doctors instead.” health@baycurrents.net
Here’s a list of the many diet supplements that contain potentially dangerous drugs not listed on the labels (products with an asterisk were added to the FDA’s list in January): Undeclared Drug
Sibutramine
Product Name 2 Day Diet *2 Day Diet Slim Advance *2x Powerful Slimming 3 Day Diet *3 Days Fit 3x Slimming Power 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming 7 Day Herbal Slim *7 Days Diet *7 Diet 7 Diet Day/Night Formula 8 Factor Diet *Eight Factor Diet *21 Double Slim 24 Hours Diet 999 Fitness Essence *BioEmagrecim
Rimonabant
Phyto Shape
Phenytoin (trace)
3x Slimming Power Extrim Plus
Phenolphthalein
8 Factor Diet 24 Hours Diet
Bumetanide
Starcaps
*Body Creator *Body Shaping *Body Slimming *Cosmo Slim Extrim Plus *Extrim Plus 24 Hour Reburn *Fasting Diet Fatloss Slimming GMP *Imelda Fat Reducer Imelda Perfect Slim *JM Fat Reducer Lida DaiDaihua *Meili *Meizitang *Miaozi MeiMiaoQianZiJiaoNang Miaozi Slim Capsules
Fatloss Slimming Imelda Perfect Slim
*Natural Model Perfect Slim Perfect Slim 5x *Perfect Slim Up *Powerful Slim ProSlim Plus *Reduce Weight Royal Slimming Formula *Sana Plus Slim 3 in 1 *Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Formula *Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Waist Formula *Slim 3 in 1 M18 Royal Diet *Slim 3 in 1 Slim Formula *Slim Burn *Slim Express 4 in 1
Perfect Slim 5x Royal Slimming Formula
Slim Express 360 *Slim Fast Slim Tech *Slim Up *Slim Waist Formula *Slim Waistline *Sliminate *Slimming Formula Somotrim *Super Fat Burner Superslim *Super Slimming *Trim 2 Plus Triple Slim Venom Hyperdrive 3.0 *Waist Strength Formula Zhen de Shou
Superslim Zhen de Shou
For more information, visit the FDA’s website: www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/weight_loss_products Page 4
March 16 - 30, 2009
Visit us at: www.BayCurrents.net
City offers ‘aggressive steps’ to boost economy By David J. Glenn Bay Currents Publisher Attention Bay area business owners: A conglomeration of city and private agencies and officials, spearheaded by Mayor Bloomberg, has announced 11 initiatives to help spur the economy by focusing on small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and the financial services sector The project has begun in Manhattan, but city officials say it will soon expand to the other boroughs. With the initiatives, Bloomberg said, “we are taking aggressive steps to put the City in the best position to capture growth, and we’re doing it by promoting one thing more than any other: innovation. “New York City is one of the world’s best incubators for innovative businesses, and Google’s success here is living proof,” added Tim Armstrong, president of Google Americas Operations.” Here is an outline of the initiatives: Create incubators for start-up businesses: To help entrepreneurs launch new companies, the city is partnering with academic institutions, property management companies and commercial landlords to set up “high-quality, ready-to-use office space “center of
innovation” is now open at 160 Varick Street at Hudson Square in Manhattan, in a three-year lease between the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and Trinity Real Estate. Start-up companies can sublease office space starting at $200 per person per month for six months, with an option to renew. The space comes with basic business services like telephones, computers, fax machines, copiers, shared conference rooms and other business services, as well as shared kitchen areas, and will accommodate about 100 people. A second incubator is scheduled to open at 90 John Street in April, also accommodating 100 people The New York City Angel Fund: “Angel investors” typically provide funding to small start-up companies before they’re able to get much capital. The city plans to invest $3 million to create several funds totaling between $9 million and $10 million to make angel investments of $20,000 to $250,000 to New York City-based start-up companies. The Annual International Financial Services Business Plan Competition: The city will market and conduct an annual business plan competition with top business and engineering schools throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. Online networking, an online clearing house and a support network for entrepreneurs and startup companies. “FastTrac” for entrepreneurs, a business- training program to help entrepreneurs, including those displaced from the financial services sector. JumpStart NYC, a free job-training and placement
pilot program designed for workers laid off from the financial services sector. JumpStart NYC will offer an entrepreneurial training “boot camp,” followed by a 10week unpaid internship with a start up company with the potential of converting to full-time employment at the end of the internship. Incentives for financial services companies, to deploy more than $30 million in federal incentives to attract new financial services firms and institutions to lower Manhattan, the traditional heart of the industry. Attract new financial-services utilities, to work with established and developing exchanges like the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Green Exchange and SecondMarket to help them capture business in emerging asset classes, such as carbon credits. “Aside from the robust infrastructure, entrepreneurs come to New York for its most abundant resource: smart, ambitious and innovative people,” said SecondMarket Founder and CEO Barry Silbert. International recruitment campaign: The idea is to attract to the city, commercial banks, insurance companies and other firms headquartered in the Middle East, China, India and other developing economies. The Financial Services Advisory Committee: Headed by Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber, the committee is set to meet regularly through 2009 to keep a dialogue between City Hall and the financial services industry, as well as within the industry. Regulatory advocacy: The economic crisis has made the need for reforms in federal regulations “even more urgent” than in 2007 when Bloomberg discussed the issue with Sen. Charles Schumer, the mayor said. For more information, including how to take advantage of the initiatives, visit www.nyc.gov, or call 311 ( 212-NEW YORK outside of the five boroughs).
Schools for ‘Talented Scholars’ and ‘Inquiry’ coming By David J. Glenn Bay Currents Publisher Touting what he described as the success he has had since taking over the city’s public school system in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg has announced the creation of 42 new schools in the five boroughs to open this September, including two new elementary schools to be housed in the existing P.S./I.S. 237 Magen David School on Avenue P The 42 new schools bring the total number of schools created under Bloomberg’s administration to 333, not including charter schools. The announcement comes as the state legislature considers whether it will re-authorize mayoral control of the city’s schools. Lawmakers have until June to give Bloomberg another green light. The schools were chosen from 118 proposals submitted to the Department of Education by educators, communitybased organizations, elected officials and “intermediary groups” – non-profit educational advocates, Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said. The new schools “give families more choices and create competition that makes all schools better,” Bloomberg said. “These schools are graduating 76 percent of their students, nearly 15 points higher than the city-wide average,” said Klein. “These successes are particularly remarkable given that new schools enroll a higher percentage of high-need and low-performing students than do other schools.” The new elementary schools include “The Brooklyn School of Inquiry” and “The Academy of Talented Scholars,” both to be housed at the existing Magen David School at 50 Avenue P. Even though they will be in an existing building, they are two distinct schools, each with its own principal, faculty, and “educational philosophy,” said Melody Meyer,
a Department of Education spokeswoman. “We want to give parents choices of nearby schools,” Meyer did not specify how the schools would be different from each other or from the existing Magen David School. (Asked if The Academy of Talented Scholars would be for gifted students, Meyer said it would not be. “It’s a traditional elementary school,” she said.) Fourteen of the announced new schools are middle schools; one will serve grades six through twelve, and 13 are high schools. Three of the 13 high schools are transfer schools—high schools that enroll students who are at least two years behind in credit accumulation or who have already dropped out. One of the 13 high schools—The Cinema School—is a selective high school that requires students to meet “rigorous academic criteria” to be considered for admission. Three of the high schools and the school serving grades six through twelve are career and technical education schools. One additional school—the High School for Excellence and Innovation—will serve students who are over-age and under-prepared for ninth grade. Elementary and junior high schools usually are restricted to students living in the district; all city high schools are
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open to any student living in the five boroughs. Bloomberg said his administration also “is committed to supporting new charter schools.” Information on applying to the selective schools is available at schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/High/ Publications/default.htm) Students who have completed at least one year of high school and are considering enrolling in a transfer school should contact their guidance counselor or visit the Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation website at schools.nyc.gov/ Offices/OMPG. Current eighth-grade students who will be entering high school significantly behind grade-level will be notified this spring about enrollment at the High School for Excellence and Innovation. These students will be invited to an information session and have the opportunity to participate in an intake meeting with school staff. Admitted students will participate in a summer orientation. The school is scheduled to open with 81 students in September and will grow each year to a maximum of 324 students. Families interested in enrolling children in a new elementary or middle school should call the enrollment office, 718-758-7687 for Districts 17, 18, and 22, or 718759-4914 for Districts 20 and 21. More information is available at schools.nyc.gov/ ChoicesEnrollment. Page 5
Young people feel wrath of financial storm By Patrick Hickey Jr. Bay Currents writer College kids in the Bay area are quickly discovering that “recession” and “depression” are terms hardly limited to their economics and history books. “I don’t have a job and have been looking for one for about two months now,” said Lauren, Kingsborough Community College freshman. “I even had to go on food stamps to afford food for my house.” She hasn’t found it any easier to pay for her textbooks. “It’s been tough,” Lauren said. “I have to resort to buying my books online because they’re cheaper. The drawback is it takes like a week for them to get to me and by then, I’m behind in my studies. It has a big effect on me.” Things are a little better for John Ruiz, since he has a full-time job while going to KCC part-time, but he knows that everything could change from one day to the next. It’s a feeling he doesn’t like one bit. “It’s still scary,” Ruiz said. “If they cut my hours and I’m forced to balance the cost of living with going to school, it’s not going to be a great situation for me. I don’t even want to think about taking fewer classes to save money. I’d really like to get my degree.” Even the luckiest students understand
how dire the situation is. “Things would be really difficult if my parents didn’t pay for everything,” said KCC freshman Simon Lam. “As a matter of fact, I don’t even want to think about how tough things would be if I had to pay for everything.” Even professors are having problems paying the bills. “I’m only working part-time right now. The only way I was able to pay for my classes was to take out a loan. All my books went straight on my credit card,” said Samantha LoSapio, an adjunct lecturer in literature who is working on her master’s degree at Brooklyn College while tutoring and teaching at KCC during the day. “It’s a trap that I’m going to be stuck in for a while. And since I work in a field that is entirely dependent on students registering in the first place, if they can’t afford to register, the turnout decreases steadily, and eventually it trickles down to me not getting an assignment next term.” LoSapio, however, sees one good thing coming out of the crisis. “In a field like mine,” she said, “you can be sure that some great literature is going to come out of this era.”
Bay residents skeptical about stimulus bill By Robert Brewer Bay Currents writer In his first major move as president, Barack Obama has signed a $787 billion economic stimulus bill and readied a new $50 billion foreclosure rescue plan for Americans in danger of losing their homes. And in his State of the Union-like address to Congress, Obama described his stimulus plan as a mix of spending and tax cuts designed to revive the economy and create or save millions of jobs. “None of this will be easy,” he said. “The road to recovery will not be straight. We will make progress, and there may be some slippage along the way, [but] we have begun the essential work of keeping the American dream alive in our time.” Do Bay area residents believe him? Joe S., for one, doesn’t. “The undertow of this package is to create more government, not free-enterprise,” he said. “This country was founded on ‘We the people,’ not ‘We the government.’ If I’m a business owner and my taxes go up, I’m going to have to lay off. people. That’s one less person pulling the wagon and one more person in the wagon. The U.S. is becoming more socialistic with this package.” Margaret Immel, a retired city teacher, didn’t like that Obama trekked to Colorado and Arizona to discuss and
sign the new bill. “I don’t understand why he has to travel around the country just because he signed this bill. It actually looks like he is still campaigning for the presidency. And by enacting this plan, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be footing the bill for all of this spending.” A local livery driver, who wanted to be called simply Frank the Cabbie, keeps a close eye on the political world every day from his car radio. He believes that Obama is just thinking about re-election in 2012. “This stimulus package isn’t going to stimulate the economy, it’s designed to stimulate more votes,” he said as he drove along Ocean Avenue. “I hope the people that voted for him are happy now, he’s been in office for only a month and he’s already made a huge mistake. The economy is going to get worse with this new plan and the stock market already started to decline as soon as the news broke.” Wall Street stockbroker Jason, a Bay area resident, worries that he may lose his job. “I’m already second-guessing myself for voting for Obama,” he said. “I’m sending out resumes like crazy in anticipation of losing my job, and this plan will do little to help my line of work. It just looks like President Obama is not equipped to make tough economic decisions.”
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Help for the economy not just a toy story By Michael Schlager Bay Currents Marketing Director and writer Every February, the Toy Fair comes to New York. It may seem strange for your local Bay Currents to cover this national event, but we decided to do so this year for a simple reason – although the products are not manufactured here, the brains behind them are still U.S. made! And, children will always want toys, and their parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles will generally buy them, even at higher costs -- which can only be a good thing in our consumer economy. What’s great about the Toy Fair is that many of the key creative people were on the floor -unlike many other shows where companies are too worried about losing good talent to companies that come to recruit or to recruiters dressed up as buyers. Covering the entire fair would have taken a team of people; we did our best on the third day when it was a little quieter. The challenge was that there isn’t any product line in one place -- you have to look thoroughly to get a feeling for what’s out there. But, based on a few walkarounds, here is what caught our eyes: Games. www.senseability.com - I met with the inventor of this game as well as the designer. It caught my interest, since I had never heard of a game that capitalized on each of the senses, with a series of miniinteractions. One minute you’re testing your fellow player for sense of direction, next for response time from a sound or the ability to grab a falling object, then it’s your turn and your balance and coordination are tested by the next opponent. It brings out a good sense of self-awareness, and is great for team-building. www.woodexpressions.com -Although they MUST change their name, they have the greatest collection of wood games, and are right on target with handheld or smaller electronic games as well. Their extensive lines of tiny portable games for travel are hard to go without. www.chh-inc.com - A competitor of the company above, it has some of the newest, coolest products I have seen. One, not on its website yet (and I hope that many of the products I have reviewed will get up online very soon, but maybe it’s some sort of strategy…) is an amazing electronic chess set. It’s modern technology fused with a centuries-old game. With a sleekly designed electronic board and a circuit that only connects its neon lights when the piece touches the board, you can play in the dark I saw this as the ultimate in no-distraction chess for those of you who appreciate the need for that. Puzzles www.serendipitypuzzles.com -. Taking the simple puzzle and creating more of an art form – in effect putting the puzzle on
March 16 - 30, 2009
steroids -- this company selected pictures which conjured up a warm feeling for yesteryear, classic shots of the past and something for everyone, and placed them in one of its lines, “Puzzle Décor,” which also came with a puzzle backdrop, frame and glue to create the perfect wall image. They also offer a smart way to use their website for searching -- you can choose by line, overall size and number of pieces. Musical Instruments www.toypiano.com - This company, Shoenhut, offers quite an amazing toy piano. Now, I’m not an expert, but I grew up with pianos (it’s actually how my parents met, but that’s a story for another time). Here you have the smallest “baby grand” you could ever imagine, with brilliant sound (not their base model, but the one featured in red on their website’s main page.) They take you from the cradle on up with their line of not only pianos but other fine instruments, made with choices of quality wood. It was a pleasure meeting the actual people who blended the woods and created the product... real workmanship and beautiful sound, and designed to fit every budget. Least expensive electric guitar and amp ever seen (but I only heard piano). Dice www.koplowgames.com - Now, I’m not a gambler, but if I were, or even wanted dice in any possible configuration, this is the place to go. They offer dice with words in an array of languages, and different sizes, colors and every combination you could think of. It’s a company filled with people brainstorming new ideas. Novelties www.westminsterinc.com – This company offers just about every conceivable desktop executive toy, as well as the sharpest electronic Sudoko games on the market (I couldn’t resist). Capturing the hearts of children along with adults, they cover the classics as well as the gags and quite a lot more, including table pool and a foosball game I can’t wait to buy when it hits the stores. Bubbles www.littlekidsinc.com - Hands down, this is the best assortment of bubble toys for kids. They also have the rights to “Dora the Explorer,” “Go Diego Go,” “Blue’s Clues” and others to tie into their theme. My favorite was the “Big Bug” machine that illuminates the bug you catch and puts it on your wall (don’t worry, it’s contained). You have to search a little when you get to the website since it doesn’t just come up, but it’s worth looking into, especially if your customers or kids really enjoy... well, being kids. Remote-Control Electronics www.hobbytron.com - If you want to see a company that has taken its workers and products to the next level, you need to see their array of self-made videos on their products. The continued on page 7 company is
Children will always want toys
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The bigotry is now economic after he left office, Wall Street crashed and America By I. Freidin plummeted into the Great Depression. Herbert Hoover, Bay Currents columnist his successor, served to allow the situation to worsen by Even as exhilaration over the inauguration of our first perpetuating the hands-off policy. Afro-American President is swimming in our heads, we In 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected with the should never forget that the struggle is far from over. promise of a New Deal for the American people. Policies True, we’ve come a long way as a society; a major part radically changed the way government did business; for the of the agenda has been accomplished; no longer will first time, the needs of the people were to be considered. institutionalized racial bigotry cast its dark shadow over Bank accounts were insured, social security initiated, our nation. That however, was only part of the battle. work programs instituted and workers afforded the right to The culmination of New Deal policy organize and bargain collectively. These was President Lyndon B. Johnson’s While corporate policies helped to create a booming declared War on Poverty; a struggle higher-ups walk away with middle class after World War II and New that crashed in flames in the great fortunes, the public Deal thought subsequently brought us undeclared war in Vietnam. is once again thrust into civil rights and women’s rights. Earnings As we flounder around over the economic turmoil were becoming more balanced with the disastrous result of the unabashed lower and middle retaining a higher greed which had been gaining percentage of the national income. momentum since the fall of New Deal politics in 1968, we We were on our way toward everyone being capable of find more and more Americans struggling to support their realizing the “American Dream”. families, with so many unable to even provide the basic The beginning of the end came with the election of necessities. In today’s crumbling economy, those already in Richard M. Nixon in 1968. Ronald Reagan, elected in need are the first and hardest hit. 1980, moved even further away with his favored treatment Historically, life had been a struggle for the average of corporations and the rich at the expense of the general American. Workers were at the mercy of their employers, toiling public. His “Reaganomics” claimed to allow wealth to monumentally long hours to earn barely enough to keep a meager “trickle down” to the rest of the population while programs roof over the heads of their families and put food in their bellies. and entitlements for the average American suffered drastic Attempts at organizing labor were harshly suppressed, often cuts and reversed the trend by increasing the percentage of with the help of government. There were no entitlements or the national income to the top end. protections. Most Americans wallowed in poverty. Loosened controls initiated a boom in the economy, The economy itself, with no controls, tended to exhibit justifying these policies and encouraging their extreme highs and lows, with the only stable segment of continuation. As usual however, there were those who the population being the highest end of the economic food were left behind, unable to take advantage while having chain. President Calvin Coolidge declared in the 1920s, their entitlements cut or eliminated. Even the Democrat, “The business of America is business.” Less than a year
The Toy Fair in New York City called “World Tech Toys,” and an Internet search will yield tons of other companies carrying its products. The company has rights to the Silverlit line with remote motorcycles and an exciting “V-Beat” Air Guitar in which you plug in your MP3 player or boom box. They have exclusive license to the “Ed Hardy” line, which is really popular with both kids and adults and has a remote control boat which boasts 22 mph –that’s fast for a toy! Educational www.sciencewiz.com - Whether her name is real or not, Ann Einstein has products that really cook. Starting out with her Energy, Atoms and DNA products, each one has lessons that are fun and extremely educational for both the classroom and at home. They are well thought out, creative, colorful and a great complement to any school. The M. Ruskin Company has an incredible assortment of educational, easily washable placemats for children. They cover the classics – presidents, history and the like -- as well as different cultures and various other subjects. The company offers great learning tools -and they’re inexpensive. We were glad to see that few companies came with unfinished products, and that there were not very many “me too” companies -- those that just copy others but have no real innovation themselves. Creativity was
Bill Clinton, although slowing the process, took a relative hands-off approach to business. And then, George W. Bush, raping the economy by handing everything he possibly could to his corporate cronies while taking everything he possibly could from the American people. The increasing greediness of those on top of the economy became a colossal feeding frenzy. And then the inevitable crash! While corporate higher-ups walk away with great fortunes reaped from years of shady practices, the public is once again thrust into economic turmoil. Despite today’s woes, so many still don’t get it. One of the hallmarks of the New Deal was people working together. Unions flourished and the working person was able to move well beyond simple subsistence. People banded together for common cause, with many groups formed to bring relief to the poor, providing necessary training, child care, food and shelter. New generations don’t seem to understand. Not having experienced the hardships and persecution of those who came before, they’ve forsaken the concept of common cause, leaving policy to self serving power brokers. The middle class has suffered drastically and the war on poverty has often appeared to be a war against the poor. We have come a long way toward eradicating racism and sexism in our institutions and in public life. But bigotry still exists. Today the discrimination is economic; the persecution of those lower on the economic food chain who have become victims of corporate greed with the aid and abetment of their government. It’s time to continue the mission and pick up where we left off in our battle to erase poverty in the richest nation on Earth. It’s time to take America back for the people. We hope that Barack Obama will be successful in making the dream a reality for all Americans. IFreidin@baycurrents.net
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at a high. Due to the economy, some companies will undoubtedly make the great mistake of cutting back on research and development, while those that make the sale actually surge ahead with R&D (no matter how small that department) and will ideally gain market share (although smaller) while their competitors sometimes just about give up. Hopefully many smaller companies will learn to reinvent and bring products to market faster than do larger companies, and take advantage of the open-door policy that Costco, Walmart, Target and others recently started. For some enterprising companies, the only thing holding them back from getting on the shelves is their own ability to get the product as fast as requested! We will offer follow-up stories for inventors in upcoming issues of Bay Currents, as well as further coverage if a few of the other companies get back to us (some were not sure when or if their products were coming out, so I tried not to tease you with them). So, if you are a business owner or consumer – or both -- you can learn from the creativity of others, as we did from the Toy Show. Whether or not the economy recovers, the show will go on next year again. I, for one, will be sure not to miss it. If you have any problem locating or researching any of these companies, feel free to contact us.
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Tech Currents Early switch to DTV a good lesson, says FCC By Bay Currents staff writers If you don’t have cable or satellite TV and are dependent on “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna to watch “Wheel of Fortune” or “American Idol,” you’ve been given a little more time to get ready for digital television. All TV stations had planned to start broadcasting exclusively in digital -- rendering antennas useless – on Feb. 17, but Congress pushed the deadline back to June 17 to give individuals, as well as hospitals, nursing homes, apartment complexes, and other facilities more time to either switch to cable or satellite, or get government-issued coupons for discounts off converter boxes for their TVs. But the Federal Communications Commission permitted more than 600 of the nearly 2,000 TV stations in the U.S. to make the switch in February; 421 reportedly did so.
“Thanks to the movement of the deadline, we did not have anything like the extent of disruption we would have experienced had every station in the country gone completely digital on Tuesday (Feb. 17),” said acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps. Extending the deadline “gave the FCC, broadcasters and our other partners in industry and the communities a chance to test, on a broader scale, the mechanisms we have in place to help consumers,” Copps said. “Everyone needs to remember that this is just the end of the beginning of the DTV transition,” Copps added. “The commission is working full-time to learn the lessons of what happened.” For more information on digital TV and how to get a coupon worth $40 toward the purchase of a converter box (generally retailing for $40 to $70), go to www.dtv.gov.
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Sports Currents From the Cyclones to the Mets By Patrick Hickey Jr. Bay Currents Sports Editor Despite a slow start and battling injuries for most for most of the season, second baseman and Mets 2008 sixthround pick Josh Satin hit a combined .303 with five homers and 15 RBI between Kingsport and Brooklyn last season, proving that he has the ability to be a promising prospect in the organization when given an opportunity. Chatting with Bay Currents on the phone from California, Satin talks about his off-season and tells us what it was like playing Brooklyn last season and what he expects from himself in 2009. Bay Currents: This was your first off-season as a professional ballplayer. What was it like? Josh Satin: It was kind of interesting because there were so many times when I felt like I could be doing so much more. I’ve never had this much free time in my life and I’m still not used to it. I went to instructional leagues after Brooklyn and got back in the middle of October. After that I’ve made a habit of getting ready for the season. A bunch of guys from the area, minor leaguers and even some big leaguers, go to this work out facility in Santa Barbra, it’s about an hour from my house. I’ve been going there about three times a week since I got back. I also go to Pepperdine University twice a week and work out there too. It’s been a real big help to me. I feel like I’m in great shape right now.
over the past few years. I was relaxed and was seeing the BC: Considering all this work you’ve done, what do you ball well. It’s hard your first year out because you want to think is the biggest difference in your game physically? show everyone why your there. Once I Satin: I think I’ll be much had some success, I started to relax and more athletic this season. I thrive. In the beginning, I wasn’t myself, I was banged up last season and wasn’t taking pitches and I was swinging I wasn’t really running well. at garbage. I’ve learned a lot from that Last year, my hips weren’t experience. very strong and my hamstrings BC: There were a lot of young guys weren’t very flexible. It was all drafted the same year on the Cyclones kind of holding me back. I think last season that went through the same this year, I’ll be a much better struggles as you. Do you think it made fielder and base runner because things easier? of all the work I’ve put in. Satin: Yes. All of us really stuck BC: Towards the end of last together through everything and I really season, you really started to hope they can keep as many of us together come into your own offensively. for as long as they can. It would be fun to How did you feel and how keep the band together. have you developed your game BC: What was your favorite part of further? Bay Currrents Photo / Patrick Hickey Jr. Josh Satin playing in Brooklyn? Satin: Hitting is an Satin: The fans. They made me and the interesting thing. I was hitting rest of the guys feel like major leaguers. so well out of college and once When we played hard, they rewarded us and when we I went pro and put a wood bat in my hands, all those good fouled up, they let us know too. Not many guys at our level things went away. It took me a good month to get back to can say they experienced something like that. my game and to learn to do it with a wood bat. The last sports@baycurrents.net 15 games, I felt as comfortable at the plate as I ever have
Bay fans put in their 2 cents on A-Rod By Robert Brewer Bay Currents writer New York Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, probably among the most polarizing figure in all of sports, recently met with Major League Baseball in what was dubbed an “information-gathering project” about his recent admission to using performance-enhancing drugs. In exchange for his cooperation, Rodriguez will likely avoid any severe punishment from Major League Baseball. But it’s anyone’s guess as to how A-Rod will be received by fans this season. In his spring-training at-bat at Dunedin Stadium against the Toronto Blue Jays, he got a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd. It was the first time Rodriguez had stepped onto a baseball diamond since admitting to ESPN’s Peter Gammons that he has taken performance-enhancing drugs. However, the boos quickly turned into cheers once A-Rod hit a fourth-inning home run as the Yankees defeated its division rival 6-1. How do the Yankee fans of southern Brooklyn feel about
A-Rod? Stevie J. of Sheepshead Bay, for one, is not very concerned about A-Rod taking something that the slugger called “not Tic-Tacs.” “As long as he hits homeruns, I don’t care,” Stevie said, adding with tongue firmly in cheek, “If anything, I think A-Rod should take more steroids, because we all know he needs a little boost in the post-season.” Stevie J. believes his disinterest in the situation represents what most sporting fans feel about the steroid scandal in professional baseball. “I’m a construction worker, you think it affects my life if some million-dollar ball player is taking illegal drugs? I don’t care, and nobody I know cares about it, either. We’ve all got our own stuff to deal with. It’s just a stupid soap-opera.” Carl, also from the Bay, feels that the three-time American League MVP should be punished. He says he will not watch another baseball game until Rodriguez suffers some sort of consequences for his actions. “I’m sick and tired of seeing these athletes getting special treatment,” Carl said. ”They all get away with murder -- nothing ever
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happens to them. There’s a different set of rules for people who can hit homeruns, and it’s really not fair.” Danny from 21st Street feels that A-Rod’s credibility should come into question. “He lied to (CBS correspondent) Katie Couric when she asked him last year about steroids, so why should we believe him when he says that he never took steroids as a member of the Yankees? They never caught him using steroids, so why would he just stop using all of a sudden? [Rodriguez] was hitting 50 home-runs a season, so the juice was obviously working. This guy can’t even keep track of all the lies he is telling us.” Not every fan has lost faith in A-Rod. Eric from Midwood thinks that Rodriguez should get some credit for admitting his mistakes. “At least he didn’t act like a jerk the way Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens did. He took responsibility for the situation, and that should keep him in the Hall of Fame as long as he doesn’t do it again. I will cheer for him this year and I think all Yankee fans should, too.” brewer@baycurrents.net
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A Secret Museum in Mill Basin By Olga Privman Bay Currents writer “He’s been such a bad boy lately,” said a slight woman in gentle anguish as she reached for her slim, black cat, who quickly ran for the door to greet customers. “Sasha went exploring last night and I almost had a heart attack. I had neighbors looking for him,” she added fondly in her native Russian, stroking the lithe feline affectionately. Curiosity isn’t confined to the cat in Flowers Symphony, a floral shop in Mill Basin, for it contains some of the most fascinating pieces of authentic memorabilia in the neighborhood, if not the entire borough. The ambiance in Anna Tabachnikova’s shop is that of a very active museum. She has photographs; Soviet New Year ornaments; pottery; newspapers; magazines; toys; a record player and a phonograph player, all of which are authentic relics of particularly interesting times in history. “This one was taken in 1919, of mechanics aiding in the war effort,” she said, gesturing to one of a series of photographs adorning her walls. All of them are original. She absolutely detests copies. Tabachnikova is as likely to play the sounds of Rosemary Clooney on her stereo system as it is for her to listen to Nabokov’s books on tape, or the Amos Brothers on her aforementioned antique phonograph player. A slender woman of petite stature and keen, intelligent
disposition, Tabachnikova “I have another one of has been collecting these an insurance company that pieces for the last 19 years, celebrated Christmas each year,” ever since her first year in she continued, approaching a the United States. picture hanging on the wall. She prefers pictures of “I once had a group of groups of people, rather girls come in to look at this than single shots, because photograph, who told me that “they are of a collection their grandmother used to of strangers united by work there. The next day, their something – schools or grandmother came in on a military units, perhaps.” wheelchair and recognized her Among these are those former colleagues. She was close taken of the U.S. and the to 100 years old.” Soviet militaries; a group of She has had several offers to Anna Tabachnikova shows some of the items purchase her vast and unique European children who she theorizes were rescued from of history in her “museum.” collection, but has declined them Nazi-occupied territories all – she’s more interested in a love during World War II, a German Women’s Kegel team in of history and the human condition, than in whatever money 1922, a desegregated American school in 1955, a group of the collection could bring. sailors, the founders of the organization that would help She has ornaments of Soviet cosmonauts released the form the state of Israel, and a group of American school year Yuri Gagarin made his historic flight to space. children during the Great Depression. By her desk rests a framed copy of the original Daily “There is a very romantic moment associated with this News announcing the end of World War II in Europe picture of schoolgirls, taken when boys and girls were not –which she says still gives her goose bumps – and behind yet integrated in schools,” she laughed amiably. “It was it, one illustrating the Nuremberg trials. In her desk, she taken in St. Petersburg. When I received this photograph, has aged issues of Esquire magazine from the 1950s, and with it came a silk handkerchief wrapped around the those of an Iron-curtain era Soviet joke magazine called picture of a boy. Who that boy was, I don’t know, and it’s “Krokodil.” doubtful that anyone does now.” “These are not just things or rags to be thrown away – Tabachnikova still has that picture of the mysterious here lie the stories of people’s lives,” Tabachnikova said. “It young boy, effectively immortalizing a clandestine, young is entirely possible to study history through this.” love of yesteryear. privman@baycurrents.net
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Page 11
Bay Currents Advertorial
Conquering Depression Now Some disorders get a lot more press than others. It’s impossible to watch TV or read a magazine without seeing ads claiming treatments for erectile dysfunction, high cholesterol, or insomnia. But with the exception of an occasional public service announcement or ads for expensive, potentially dangerous drugs, depression, particularly in the elderly, is hardly mentioned. This is why Dr. Valentin Bragin’s new book, Conquering Depression in the Golden Years, is important. “When left untreated, depression becomes a deadly disease,” says Bragin, M.D., PhD., founder and director of the Stress Relief and Memory Training Center in Brighton Beach. The elderly are especially vulnerable to depression since they may suffer from reduced concentration and memory, be in chronic pain, have lost much contact with their children, and be under financial stress. And, common medical problems of the elderly can affect blood flow to the
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March 16 - 30, 2009
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Health Currents Childhood obesity, foot pain locked in ‘vicious cycle’ worse. Being overweight may also cause stress fractures, or childhood weight loss equation. hairline fractures (breaks) in a child’s heel bone. “As foot and ankle surgeons, we can reduce the Some overweight children suffer foot pain from aches and pains so these children can run around and congenital or inherited foot conditions, such as bunions, play like all the other kids, but parents need to take hammertoes, pediatric flatfoot and tarsal coalition, an responsibility for watching their children’s’ lifestyles abnormal connection between two or more bones in the and diets,” says Dr. Donovan. back of the foot. Children with these deformities may be health@baycurrents.net less active because of pain. Sometimes a child will complain of calf or arch OF pain. This results from a flatfoot that is flexible. The collapsing of the arch You are invited to a Free Consultation with the can require more energy, Lenox Hill Hospital Plastic Surgery Teaching Service making it more difficult for Meet with a surgeon to discuss your expectations about face lifts, liposuction, nose a child to walk and run. surgery and breast surgery. Foot and ankle surgeons treat many overweight Get your questions answered about safety, procedures and cost. children with custom Plastic surgery is performed by experienced plastic surgeons working under the orthotic devices (shoe supervision of the world’s leading practitioners at fees that are affordable. inserts), physical therapy Tuesday, March 31, 2009 // 9:30 am - 1:00 pm and other conservative measures to reduce Aron Board Room (Enter at 130 East 77th Street near the corner of Lexington Avenue) or eliminate pain. But treating painful feet and ankles is only part of the
Special to Bay Currents from Coney Island Hospital Glenn J. Donovan, DPM, FACFAS, a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) and chief of Podiatry at Coney Island Hospital, is noticing more and more overweight and obese children with foot and ankle pain in his examining room, mirroring a national epidemic of childhood obesity. An estimated 16 percent of U.S. children ages six to 19 are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Poor diet, lack of exercise and genetics all can play a role. A “vicious cycle’ of foot pain and obesity traps some children. “You want overweight children to exercise and lose weight, but because of their weight, their feet hurt and they can’t exercise,” says Dr. Donovan. The foot is a complex structure consisting of 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. Last November, researchers in Britain reported “alarming new evidence that childhood obesity changes foot structure and results in instability when walking.” Being overweight flattens the foot, straining the plantar fascia, a band of tissue which runs from the heel to the base of the toes, causing heel pain. Because the heel bone is not fully developed until age 14 or older, overweight children are more prone to Sever’s disease. Although not an actual disease, this disorder involves an inflammation of the heel’s growth plate due to muscle strain and repetitive stress. Walking makes the pain Bay Currents
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B.I.G.: ‘Cherry Hill’ doesn’t belong in Bay
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To advertise call 718.676.5434
By Julian Davis Bay Currents writer What’s so terrible about a gourmet market in Sheepshead Bay, anyway? Nothing, contends the Bay Improvement Group, except when it’s planned for the landmarked Lundy Bros. site and violates special-use zoning. “The zoning law is very specific,” said Steven Barrison, president of B.I.G. “In keeping with ‘the unique character’ of Sheepshead Bay, as the regulations say, you can’t have a supermarket, no matter how fancy it might be.” The legendary Lundy Bros., a nationally known seafood restaurant which opened at the Emmons Avenue site in 1934, was shuttered in 1977after Irving Lundy’s death. It was reopened as a smaller restaurant in 1997 by Tam Restaurant Group, was acquired by restaurateur Afrodite Dimitroulakos in December 2004, only to close down again in early 2007 The site is now set to become Cherry Hill Market, a gourmet establishment. Theresa Scavo, chairwoman of Community Board 15, agrees with Barrison that Cherry Hill is violating the zoning regulations. “A supermarket is not an allowable use, “ said Scavo, who has announced a run for City Council against incumbent Michael Nelson and new contender Simon Belsky. Scavo said that if the owners of the new market were to apply for and receive
March 16 - 30, 2009
a zoning variance, she would have no problem, but, she says, they haven’t done so. “You can’t just circumvent the law and open anything you want to in the Bay,” she said. David Isacoff, a principal of Cherry Hill, didn’t return a call for comment by press time. Cherry Hill already operates a gourmet market on 86th Street in Bath Beach. The company has set up offices in the Lundy’s building, but has not yet announced an opening date. The company plans to open a restaurant on the second floor of the Lundy’s building, and contends it is not in violation of the zoning laws. Barrison fears that if Cherry Hill is allowed to open without a variance, it would set a bad precedent. ”We’re already seeing all the condos going up all over Sheepshead Bay,” he said. “If anyone with enough money can come in and just ignore the zoning, things will go completely out of control.” Sheepshead Bay was designated as a “special district” in 1973 “to promote and strengthen the unique character of the area as a prime location for waterfrontrelated commercial and recreational development and to help attract a useful cluster of shops, restaurants and related activities, which will complement and enhance the area…” “It doesn’t say anything about a supermarket,” said Barrison. davis@baycurrents.net Page 13
Senior Currents Beware of scams aimed at seniors Seniors aren’t necessarily more vulnerable to scams, says AARP’s Sally Hurme of the American Association of Retired Persons, but they are at a different point in their financial lives than other generations, and that can bring
some special challenges. “Scams that can really hurt seniors will target their savings, which can be more significant as a person grows older. Or they might exploit a senior’s worries about living on a fixed income,” Hurme said. . The elderly tend to be more trusting of lottery scam artists, says Hurme. The lottery scam often begins with a telephone call from a stranger who excitedly tells you that you have won a contest. You can’t believe your good fortune. Then the caller explains that there will be some fees you have to pay -- taxes or a courier fee -- to collect your winnings. You send the money, but the winnings never arrive. “The reason older people want to believe this scam is because it sounds like it will be all the money they need to solve all of their financial problems,” said Hurme. Worse, if you fall for it, the scam artist may do what is known as re-loading. “You might send $2,000. Then they tell you there’s another fee you have to pay,” she said. “They string you along to see how much money they can get out of you.” Lottery scams have two signature traits, Hurme said: • The caller makes exaggerated claims of the amount of money that will have to come out of your winnings, and • They tell you that you have to pre-pay to get those winnings. “It’s illegal to ask for money to collect winnings. That’s a key signal it’s illegitimate,” Hurme said. And you can find a lot more about lottery scams at the link above. Seniors need to protect and sometimes even grow their life savings. Reputable advisors are trained to help them find the best investments to do so. But beware. Not all investments are appropriate for elderly people, and others may be too uncertain to risk your nest egg with. Increasingly, untrained and even unlicensed agents are selling seniors “investments” that offer little or no benefit while lining the agent’s pockets with fat commissions. A September 2007 U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing reviewed the growing problem of “free Page 14
lunch” seminars. At these, seniors enjoy a free meal in a resort-type setting, as part of an “educational” seminar offering investment advice. Some of these seminars are legitimate, and investment advisors pick up new customers at them. But the scam seminars have detectable differences. “The seminar’s main purpose typically is to get an appointment to come into the person’s home,” said Hurme. There seniors are pressured with high sales tactics to purchase unsuitable investment products, like variable annuities, she said. “Variable annuities, with something like a 20-year payout, are not appropriate for an 85-year-old. Most of these come with a high commission, which is not revealed,” Hurme said. A hybrid between a life insurance policy and an investment product, variable annuities often charge hefty penalties when money is withdrawn early. This makes it inappropriate for an elderly person, who might need access to the cash earlier for health or other reasons. Hurme says to watch out for free lunch invitations that hype you with exaggerated problems or claims, like those that tell you to invest $10,000 and you will make $1 million tomorrow. The Ponzi Investment Scam As hurtful as inappropriate high-fee investments may be, Ponzi scams are worse. A Ponzi scam may appear to be a real investment deal. But upon closer examination it turns out to be a complete fraud – as recently came to widespread attention with investor Bernard Madoff, accused of swindling clients out of a total of $40 billion, leaving many individuals and organizations in financial ruin. The scam artist usually organizes the Ponzi scam as a pyramid scheme in which early investors appear to be earning “returns,” but they are actually being paid off by later investors. “These are the biggest scams that hurt seniors,” said Hurme. “They have the opportunity to totally wipe you out.” Many Ponzi scams are March 16 - 30, 2009
made to sound like enticing, exciting and sophisticated investments that promise to pay high returns. Some common examples are: - Mortgage deals - Real estate deals - Oil and gas leases - Promissory notes in startup companies - Housing for the homeless “They make it sound like it’s really logical and plausible” said Hurme, “but there’s nothing really there. It’s not even a leaky bucket. It’s a bucket with no bottom.” Be especially suspicious of a company that claims to be registered in one state, physically exists in a second state and sells to investors in a third. It’s likely that the company does not exist at all and the scam artist is counting on investors living too far away to check out the facts. If you think you may be a victim of a Ponzi scam, contact New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo by phone: 800-771-7755 , by mail: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224, or through his website: www.oag.state.ny.us To find out more about scams targeting seniors, contact AARP at 888-OUR-AARP (888-687-2277) Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – midnight, by mail: 601 E Street NW Washington, DC 20049, or through its website: www. aarp.org. -- From scambusters.org
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Bay Currents Advertorial
Wine shop offers a unique experience Imagine for a moment: You walk through an inviting entranceway into the elegance of an Old World winery, with aged-wood shelves along the walls proudly displaying wines from all over the globe. As the scent of the seasoned wood mingles with the aromas
of the delicately prepared wines, you’re invited to sample some of the bottles. You don’t have to imagine it. As thousands from Brooklyn and beyond
already regularly do, you can simply visit Liquors Galore at 1212 Avenue J in Flatbush. Owner Aaron Zimmerman, who first opened the establishment 11 years ago at a different site on the avenue, has managed to fuse a millennia-old product – wine -- with 21st century technology, all the while holding to timehonored traditions of customer service. When Zimmerman readied the new location at 1212, “the designers were instructed to fully focus solely on the customer’s needs,” he said. “Wine shopping would be the enjoyable experience it was meant to be.” It all makes for a perfect destination to find just the right wine for Passover, or to add a touch of class to any occasion. To make buying wine as pleasant as tasting it, Liquors Galore has a fully temperature-controlled wine room and an
electronic tasting bar. But it’s not just equipment that makes shopping at Liquors Galore a unique experience. Zimmerman and his staff are ready and eager to help each customer individually, whether novice or connoisseur. “We put great emphasis on wine education,” Zimmerman said. He brings in noted wine experts to hold free seminars on the intricacies of wine. Even the way in which the wines and other spirits are displayed is quite user-friendly. The several hundred quality, yet inexpensive wines -$10 or less – are stocked in the center of the store. Along the walls in attractive display is an array of wines from around the world, categorized not only by country of origin, but also by region within the particular nation – a library of wine. These bottles hail from France, Italy, Spain, Israel, the
U.S. and many other countries. “I want to offer my customers premium wines with the same affordable discount pricing as the value-oriented wines,” Zimmerman said. Every Friday and often on Sundays, customers have the opportunity to taste the wine before buying it. Customers can sample open bottles, and a state-of-the-art electronic tasting bar – which only a handful of wine shops in the U.S. have -- dispenses small samples of rarer wines. An adjacent room, controlled at 58 degrees, stores vintage wines. Zimmerman hasn’t forgotten about distilled spirits. He’s devoted one of the walls to an encyclopedic collection of hundreds of different vodkas, bourbons, and single-malt Scotch whiskies. Whether you’re a connoisseur or are just looking for a nice bottle of wine to go with dinner, Zimmerman and his staff are ready to welcome you. LIQUORS GALORE 1212 Avenue J (at East 12th Street) 718-338-4166
Here are just a few of the places to pick up Bay Currents -- and some great coffee!
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ABS DISCOUNT GROCERY 2713 Ave. U (between East 27th and 28th Streets)
SICILY NEWS 2155 Utica Ave. (between Avenues M and N
APPLE NEWSSTAND 4404 18th Avenue 718-633-5722
JOSEPH’S CARDS & GIFTS 3042 Avenue U (at Coyle Street) 718-648-0105
LAUNDROMAT & CAFE 1244 Avenue U (between 11th and 12th St)
MILL BASIN STOP 61-22 Avenue U at Mill Avenue
CORNER MINIMART 2423 Ave. U (at Bedford Avenue)
CAFE VERTORIS More Than a Bagel 2803 Ave. U (at East 28th St
BAY STOP GROCERY 2970 Ocean Ave. (Ocean Avenue at Avenue Z)
Quick Stop Mini Mart & Deli, Coney Island Avenue at Avenue U
QUIZNOS 37 Hillel Place (at Brooklyn College)
RAJ NEWSSTAND 2811 Glenwood Road (off Flatbush Avenue)
SHAKESPEARE & CO. 14 Hillel Place (at Brooklyn College) 718-434-5326)
STARBUCKS 33 Hillel Place (at Brooklyn College)
Bay Currents in Coney Island: Key Food – 505 Neptune Ave. Walgreens Drug Store – 532 Neptune Ave. CVS – 512 Neptune Ave. Peggy O’Neill’s -- 1904 Surf Ave. American Suds Laundromat – 2915 Surf Ave. Community Care Pharmacy – 2913 Surf Ave. Saul’s Pharmacy & Surgical Supply – 3514 Mermaid Ave. Major Meats – 1516 Mermaid Ave.
To advertise call 718.676.5434
AVENIUE U SUPERMARKET 1701 Ave. U (at East 17th Street)
March 16 - 30, 2009
Brooklyn Public Library– 1901 Mermaid Ave. Sunshine of Coney Island Deli – 2120 Mermaid Ave. Rite Aid – 3001 Mermaid Ave. Key Food – 3485 Neptune Ave. Madeleine Jones Day Care – 3415 Neptune Ave. Circles Bistro – 2801 Coney Island Ave. Surf & Turf Grill – 1315 Surf Ave.
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CB 13 to city: Rezone Coney -- carefully By David J. Glenn Bay Currents Publisher Following a tumultuous public hearing at which many residents railed against the city’s plans to rezone Coney Island to allow for development of hotels, condos, and tourist sites, Community Board 13 voted 32 to 1, with three recusals, to allow rezoning of the oceanside community -- but with 20 stipulations. The question now goes before Borough President Marty Markowitz, then the Planning Commission, and finally the City Council, which will make the final decision. CB 13, as all the local community boards, has only an advisory role – the City Council has no legal obligation to go along with any of its recommendations. Mayor Bloomberg wasted little time in reacting to the CB 13 action -- within an hour after the Wednesday night, March 11 meeting, Mayor Bloomberg’s office sent an e-mail to Bay Currents and other media, saying in part: “Tonight the local Community Board voted to approve the City’s plan to capitalize on Coney Island’s existing assets, preserve its character and spur investments that will restore its heyday.” State Sen. Charles Kruger, (D–District 27) chairman of the senate’s finance committee, does not agree, to put it mildly. In an e-mail earlier Wednesday, he said the plans were “no more than a Manhattan-centric pipe dream that should be off the table while the city is in the throes of a fiscal meltdown. Without a plan for infrastructure, without
a developer in place, without the properties assembled, now is not the time for the city to be buying $200 million worth of dirt in Coney Island under a far-fetched scheme.” The stipulations – which CB 13’s zoning committee had compiled before the Wednesday vote – included: Erect a multi-level parking lot on the existing KeySpan Stadium parking lot to accommodate the increased traffic that new development would bring in. The city should create a “Special Amusement Zone,” and not designate any of Coney Island as parkland “unless it owns all of the property involved.” Stop any use of “eminent domain” – the power of government to seize property for public projects – to allow existing businesses and rides “to continue operating without threats or anxiety over the future.” Reconstruct the boardwalk, which currently is replete with broken boards and holes. There should be no more than three hotels built, with one of them a water-park hotel, and they should be located on the north side of Surf Avenue. Bloomberg said some of the CB 13 recommendations “are counter to the plan’s goals, such as doing without the designation of parkland, which would prevent the amusement district from being permanent and reduce the amount of housing, retail and open space we can create outside of it. But the overall message the Community Board has sent by voting to approve the City’s plan is clear: Coney Island needs comprehensive revitalization and the
“The needs of the many should be placed ahead of the greed of the few.”
Bay Crossword
By Yitzchak Relkin
time to do it is now.” The stipulations notwithstanding, many Coney Island residents and advocates were frustrated by the board’s overwhelming vote in favor of the plan. “They’re selling a bill of goods,” said Coney Island historian Charles Denson, author of “Coney Island Lost and Found” (who now is working on a new documentary about Jimmy Prince, retiring after 60 years at Major Meats, a fixture on Mermaid Avenue). The plan “compromises why people go to Coney Island,” said Juan Rivero, active in the organization, Save Coney Island. It will “threaten the unlimited potential” of Coney Island, said Jasper Goldman, senior policy analyst for the Municipal Arts Society, by reducing the size of the amusement area, erecting high-rise buildings, and failing to protect historic buildings. The non-profit MAS is spearheading an “ImagineConey” plan, which it describes as “a global initiative to seek new ideas for activities, designs, events and interim uses for Coney Island.” “The needs of the many should be placed ahead of the greed of the few,” said Arthur Melnick, an advocate for revitalizing the infrastructure and city services for Coney Island but retaining its carnival traditions and its affordable housing. Thor Equities, which has already bought up large swaths of Coney Island property -- including the famed Astroland amusement park – has its own plans for a seaside tourist destination at Coney. Critics fear that if Coney is rezoned, Thor principal John Sitt might “flip” the properties to another developer who could destroy Coney Island’s character altogether. They stress that Sitt has done continued on page 17 that sort of thing before,
Yitzchak Relkin is a crossword puzzle editor living in Brooklyn. To contact Yitzchak about customized crossword puzzles (for birthdays, anniversaries), email: crossword@relkin.com.
Vowel Language Across
1. Chip away at 6. Donut, mathematically 11. Craze 14. Old photo tone 15. Major mess (Army acronym) 16. In the past 17. Conjecture 19. Let go, as a worker 20. The Emerald Isle 21. It may be in the fire 22. Look after 24. Some drums 26. Metal-refining machine 28. Elects 31. Needle case 32. Colorado ski resort 36. Bring in, as a paycheck 38. “Stop procrastinating! Just ___” 41. Fish in a can 42. Common link between theme words (but not necessarily in this order) 43. Prefix with dollar & Disney 44. Run into 45. Travelers’ stopovers 46. Test ore 47. Manipulated 49. Blue hue 51. A fan Page 16
March 16 - 30, 2009
54. Pekoe server 59. Witchy woman 60. Hops oven (for making beer) 63. Insult 64. Chickened out 65. Talk 68. A crowd, to 53 Down 69. The LIRR, for example 70. Catches forty winks 71. Watson and Crick’s study 72. Drops in the mailbox 73. General’s insignia
Down
1. Twisty turns 2. Adjust a brooch 3. Where a diva sings an aria 4. Kitchen gizmo 5. ___ de Cologne 6. Ivan the Terrible was the first 7. Savvy about 8. Frequent springtime events 9. Debatable sky phenom 10. Evening event 11. Playfully humorous 12. Shooting marble 13. Generous one 18. Why does this word have an “S”? 23. Dodges
25. Ages and ages 27. Drop down computer list 29. New driver, often 30. Holy one 32. Dough dispenser? 33. Seek damages 34. Complication of the f lu, perhaps 35. Gets takeout, for example 37. Thorny bloom 39. 401(k) relative 40. Plaything 42. White House gofer 46. Beer relative 48. Raises 50. Memo abbr. 51. Bitter tasting 52. Sink feature 53. Caesar or Antony, e.g. 55. Fancy tie 56. Public square 57. Kind of space 58. Hair lock 61. In the center of 62. Catches some rays, with“oneself” 66. Bauxite, for example 67. Driver’s lic., Soc. Sec card, etc.
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CB 13 to city: Rezone Coney
continued from page 16
Come study the Torah with us Tuesday evenings at
particularly in downtown Brooklyn, although with the sour economy, Sitt may not find it very easy to sell any property this time. Whether Sitt or the city ultimately redevelops Coney Island, the historic summertime destination would become a “Times Square South” and lose its legendary carney character, community advocates warn. On the same night it cast the Coney Island vote, CB 13 voted on whether to rezone Brighton Beach to allow higher-story buildings. As residents and advocates crowded into the auditorium, many holding signs declaring “Save Brighton,” the board became snagged in convoluted procedures on what exactly it was voting on. The zoning committee had passed, 23-1, a Brighton rezoning plan, including the stipulation that a proposal to allow increased development in the area of the bungalows in Brighton be revised, and that the infrastructure be “evaluated and corrected where needed.” After about an hour of wrangling over whether to vote yes or no with or without stipulations – with periodic shouts from the audience -- the board finally voted against any rezoning, which CB chairwoman Marion Cleaver lamented as “leaving Brighton unprotected.” “Brighton Beach is a trolley car town made up of very narrow streets,” she said. “We have a number of high-rise buildings already built – many are standing empty. Parking has become an endangered species. It is now critical. Our infrastructure on those blocks cannot support any more high rises.” She said she hoped the City Council would eventually rezone Brighton Beach “in the way it should be.”
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March 16 - 30, 2009
Page 17
Financial Currents Use a prior IRA for a deduction now! By Joseph Reisman Special to Bay Currents Did you know you can use your previously funded IRA to fund the current year’s deductible contribution? You can! If you don’t have enough cash to make a deducible contribution to your IRA by April 15, you can still take the tax deduction and have until June 12 to make the full $5,000 contribution. To get started, all you need is an IRA funded in previous years. Start by having $6,250 distributed to you from your IRA on April 15. Your bank is required to hold 20% (income tax withholding), so you’ll actually receive $5,000. Once you have the $5,000, immediately deposit it back into your IRA. If you do this on April 15, this counts as your deductible contribution for the current income tax year. The best part of this is that you have 59 days to “make up” the withdrawal-or to be taxed. Simply redeposit $6,250 into the same IRA account by June 12. This “rollback” deposit lets you avoid the tax on the original distribution made to you. This is a type of short-term loan from your IRA to make this year’s deductible contribution before the April 15th due date.
Facts on dependents, exemptions
1. Dependents may be required to file their own tax return. Even though you are a dependent on someone else’s tax return, you may still have to file your own tax return. Whether or not you must file a return depends on several factors, including: the amount of your unearned, earned or gross income, your marital status, any special taxes you owe and any advance Earned Income Credit payments you received. 2. Exemptions reduce your taxable income. There are two types of exemptions: personal exemptions and exemptions for dependents. For each exemption you can deduct $3,500 on your 2008 tax return. Exemptions amounts are reduced for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is above certain levels, which is determined by your filing status. 3. Dependents may not claim an exemption. If you claim someone as a dependent, such as your child, that dependent may not claim a personal exemption on their own tax return. 4. Your spouse is never considered your dependent. On a joint return, you may claim one exemption for yourself and one for your spouse. If you’re filing a separate return, you
may claim the exemption for your spouse only if they had no gross income, are not filing a joint return and were not the dependent of another taxpayer. 5. Some people cannot be claimed as your dependent. Generally, you may not claim a married person as a dependent if they file a joint return with their spouse. Also, to claim someone as a dependent, that person must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national or resident of Canada or Mexico for some part of the year. There is an exception to this rule for certain adopted children. For more information on dependents and exemptions, including whether or not you or your dependent needs to file a tax return, see IRS Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information. financial@baycurrents.net
Accountant Joseph Reisman 2751 Coney Island Ave.,
phone 718-332-1040,
email: JSReisman@TaxHelp1040.com
Say ‘no’ to refund anticipation loans Instant tax refunds cost taxpayers millions annually Americans in 2007, costing them $833 million in loan fees and $68 million in related costs. That means about 1 in 15 tax returns involved a RAL. Families who earn little are particularly targeted. Nearly two-thirds of RAL borrowers receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, a special tax break for low-income workers. Tax preparation companies push RALs to low-income families, promising immediate access to their desperately needed refund. But RALs benefit the tax preparer because you pay a high amount of interest to a third party. It’s unnecessary. To get your tax refund quickly, all you need to do is file electronically or e-file and have your tax refund directly deposited in your bank account. For information on electronic filing, visit the Internal Revenue Service Web site at www.irs.gov or the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance at www.tax.state.ny.us.
Call 347-587-7987 Page 18
Answers to the Bay Crossword from page 12
Do you need Internet Marketing? Website Redesign? Help Online?
Both New York State’s Commissioner of Taxation and Finance and the Chairperson of the New York State Consumer Protection Board caution about signing up for instant tax refunds, which are really high-interest loans. To offer a measure of protection, under state law all tax preparers are now prohibited from advertising RALs as refunds, and must state in a conspicuous place that a RAL is a loan and that a fee or interest will be charged. When a family feels it has nowhere to turn and needs money to pay overdue bills, RALs seem like the perfect fix. But they aren’t. The high interest rates and various fees charged for these loans take money out of your pocket and may cause additional credit problems down the road. Today, the government processes tax returns much more quickly than even a few years ago. Be patient and don’t pay needlessly to get money that is rightfully yours.
Bay crossword
By Assemblyman Alan Maisel Special to Bay Currents In the midst of the country’s worst recession since the Great Depression, many New Yorkers are having trouble making ends meet. Given this tough economic climate, it is especially tempting to want your tax refund instantly. But think twice before falling prey to refund anticipation loans, commonly called RALs, which provide you money up front, for a very steep fee. RALs are short-term loans made by banks through tax preparers and secured against the taxpayer’s expected tax refund. The annual percentage rate tax preparers charge for RALs can range anywhere from 50-700 percent. Taxpayers can also face additional charges if their refunds don’t arrive when expected. According to the non-profit National Consumer Law Center, RALs drained the refunds of almost 9 million
March 16 - 30, 2009
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Broker/Owner
BYOB- bring your own boat! This lovely home features 2 boat slips, a beautiful new deck over a concrete seawall, new oak eat-in kitchen, a gorgeous master bdrm with architectural windows, ceramic and hardwood flooring, 3 skylights. Stand up storage in the attic. BB1367 Asking Low $600’s.
PRIVACY PREVAILS in this sweet 1 family waterfront home offering three bedrooms, granite floors and new kitchen with stainless steel appliances. All on glorious grounds! Two and a half lots and water lot, six boat slips. Unique, quiet and rarely available, this beauty is a must see and priced to sell! BB1324 $779,000 WALK TO THE PARK! 2 bedroom co op, hardwood floors, full bath, 2 laundry rooms, pool, large living room & dinette. Close to shopping and transportation. Near Houses of Worship! Possible parking! BB1286 $161,000
DOUBLE LOT! One family located in the "new" section offers new siding, new windows, two car garage, utilities and laundry area in bsmt plus plenty of storage and nice rear deck off lovely eat in kitchen. Take a look at this beauty!BB1370 $439,000
Most beautiful detached ranch on the market boasting 2 new custom kitchens, luxury baths, hardwood and ceramic tile floors, stucco exterior and 2 car private drive. Must see! BB1350, Asking $1,199,000
CUSTOM WATER FRONT MINI MANSION - 6 bedrooms, master suite with luxury spa, European kitchen, Banquet size formal dining room, formal living room, parquet inlaid floors, granite 2nd story entrance, maid's quarters, 2 car garage, radiant heated driveway, security gates, in ground pool and dock. EXCLUSIVELY OURS! BB1311 $3,999,000
PRIME 1 family detached water front home boasting 4 bedrooms, 2 kitchens, 3 baths, this Royal Manor style home's special features include new dock, deck, jet ski ramp, in ground pool, 1 car garage, and private drive. Best location! BB1320, $1,879,000
OVERSIZED WATERFRONT property offering a custom split level home featuring three King sized bedrooms, marble jacuzzi bath, over sized family room, summer kitchen, wet bar, country club backyard, cabana, in ground pool, dock, deck and much more! Must see this beauty! BB1289 $2,499,000
ROCKAWAY - WALK TO THE BEACH! New Construction! 2 -3 bedroom units offering 2 baths, 954 - 1,327 square feet, central AC, terraces, kitchens w/granite countertops, Frigidaire appliances, lots of closets, parking included for the first 5 buyers! Asking $279,000 - $349,000 SHEEPSHEAD BAY - FULLY DETACHED legal two family being used as a one family, R4 zoned (can extend), private drive, 30 x 100 lot and large yard. Great block! House is vacant! First time on market! Must see! Created by trial version, http://www.pdf-convert.com BB1354 Asking $659,000
To advertise call 718.676.5434
March 16 - 30, 2009
MIDWOOD – ULTRA CONTEMPORARY, New Construction! 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,041 sq ft of living space, desirable location, walking distance to transport, cafes and shopping. Some units available for rent too! OA2A Low $400’s
MARINE PARK - VERY LARGE – 2 family 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, lg LR & DR, new kitchen w/new appliances, main floor has 2 BRs & 2 baths, new kitchen w/original details, full lg finished basement w/ 2 entrances, pvt drive, 2 car garage, oak floors, recessed lighting, lg walk in closets, front porch and 2 terraces. Most desirable block! BB1332 $769,000
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March 16 - 30, 2009
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