A shanty shack grows on South End Ave

Please sign up and follow us on Twitter. Click the Twitter icon on the right of the screen.

Update: February 3, 2012

By Steven Greer, MD

BatteryPark.TV delivers results once again. The despised shanty shack that had sprung up is now transformed back into a small fruit stand. It is still illegal and stealing business from the tax-paying Hudson Produce and Gristedes, and the red gas canisters are still there, but at least the eyesore is partially gone.

The First Precinct was the cause for the results. In contrast, the property manager of the nearby ex-Gate House porch, LeFrak, did not adequately act on the matter. This is the same property manager that allows the unsanitary dog urine to accumulate on the sidewalk in front of the Chase bank on South End Ave and fails to properly spray down the sidewalk.

____________________________________________________________________

Update: February 2, 2012

A viewer informed us that the First Precinct stopped by the shanty shack and gave them a warning that the fruit stand can be no larger than eight feet. They will return later. Stay tuned.

___________________________________________________________________

Update: January 31, 2012

One day after our report on the 27th, the boxes disappeared. The First Precinct replied to BatteryPark.TV that they were investigating and we spoke with the building owner of the old Gate House, upon which the illegal storage is taking place.

Now, four days later, the shanty shack has returned and the boxes are once again sprawled over the old Gate House porch. Neither the Gateway Plaza building property manager nor any official from the BPCA has responded to out requests for comment.

January 27, 201

Uptown BPC has the Shake Shack. Downtown BPC’ers have the Shanty Shack. BatteryPark.TV has received several emails complaining about the growing unsightly sloppy tent at the intersection of South End Avenue and Albany. A fruit vendor is expanding onto the empty porch of the closed down Gate House. He is now storing numerous boxes of fruit on the ground, and has an ugly makeshift tarpaulin over his stand. The merchants even have a 24-hour source of electricity from a gasoline generator with fuel canisters sitting on the sidewalk. The Gateway Plaza real estate group is the nearest property owner, and is allowing the storage of the boxes on their porch.

Also, across the street is a permanent, never moving, “Mobile” pastry and coffee cart. It is a favorite spot for tour buses and trucks that park illegally for hours on Albany using the food cart as their excuse for stopping. Brookfield Properties is the nearest property owner.

The nearby Hudson Produce, a legal establishment that loses money to both sidewalk vendors, was enthusiastic when BatteryPark.TV informed them that many in the community want the fruit shack to leave.

Where is the City Department of Health when they are needed? Do they only harass restaurants and collect fees? We asked Gayle Horwitz, CEO of the BPCA, whether they or some other agency is in charge of regulating this site, and she did not reply. We are awaiting replies from the property owners, City Hall, and the First Precinct.

What do you think? Should these unauthorized food vendors be shut down and evicted or do you value their services? Please post comments in the section below. They will be helpful to the community board and others.

Take our survey here.

Update: January 28, 2012

The First precinct community affairs replied to our story and they told us that they would investigate. We noticed that already the vendor has removed the numerous boxes, and the Gate House porch is empty. However, the ugly tarpaulin remains, as does the fuel canisters. The BPCA has still not replied to our questions.

(Click images to enlarge to full screen)

The permanent "mobile" pastry and coffee cart on Albany Street and South End Avenue

Outrage over high salaries of 9/11 Memorial staff amidst budget overruns

January 30, 2012

Construction of the September 11th Memorial has screeched to a halt as the numerous different state, federal, and city bureaucracies fight over the tab of the cost overruns. After rushing out a partially constructed memorial to avoid embarrassment on the tenth anniversary, not much progress has been made since.

Amidst this, we get a better sense today of the bloated number of bureaucrats on the September 11th Memorial staff leading the construction while they also reap huge financial rewards personally. The WSJ is reporting that top executives of the September 11 memorial have been receiving nearly $500,000 salaries. Relatives of those killed on 9/11 are outraged.

According to the WSJ, “Joan Gerner received $296,565 upon leaving her position as executive vice president of design and construction in May 2010, bringing her total compensation that year to $439,463, recently released tax records show. She was the group’s highest-compensated employee that year….. In 2010, seven other executives with the organization received compensation in excess of $200,000, records show, and four received compensation packages of more than $300,000, including the president, Joseph Daniels, who earned $378,288 in salary and other benefits…. Retired FDNY Deputy Chief Jim Riches, whose son, Jimmy, also a firefighter, died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, called the foundation executives’ salaries, and specifically Ms. Gerner’s severance payment, “totally obscene” and an “insult” to victims and their families. “They shouldn’t be having contracts like they’re professional athletes—it’s totally disgusting,” Mr. Riches said. “It’s a shame, and they have no shame.”"

According to the WSJ, Mayor Bloomberg has been supportive of the high pay and large staff. “But Mr. Bloomberg has long defended the executive compensation at the memorial and other such organizations. Julie Wood, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bloomberg, said the mayor believes the “professionals at the 9/11 memorial are paid only a fraction of what they’re worth, but at a level similar to people at comparable nonprofits.”"

From Wall Street Journal

BatteryPark.TV helps prompt City Council investigation of restaurant letter grading system

(In full screen 1080i HD)

January 13, 2012

Did BatteryPark.TV’s reporting from January 7 (And the much larger New York Post) cause this January 11 email from the City Council? Several restaurant owners seem to think so and forwarded us this email. If you feel you are being “shaked down” by inspectors, email us and we will send cameras over within minutes.

__________________________________________________________________

City Council Launches Restaurant Inspection Survey 

January 11, 2012

From Speaker Christine C. Quinn

Council seeks feedback from restaurant owners on City’s food safety inspection process and new letter grading system.

As part of the City Council’s oversight of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and in response to mounting concerns raised by city restaurateurs regarding the restaurant inspection process, yesterday I, along with Health Committee Chair Maria del Carmen Arroyo announced the launch of a comprehensive restaurant inspection survey. City restaurant owners and operators are urged to participate in this Council effort to gather information on food safety inspections, with particular emphasis on the recently implemented letter grading system and its impact on city restaurants. The survey is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/restaurantinspection and accessible through the Council’s website at www.council.nyc.gov. The questionnaire will also be available in six different languages. The survey results will provide a foundation for an oversight hearing in late February, where the Council intends to further explore the inspection process and possible areas for reform. 

I am troubled by the wave of complaints the Council has received from restaurants – even the ones that get A’s – about the fairness and inconsistency of the food safety inspection process. Any initiative – especially 18 months after establishment – calls for scrutiny. With this survey, we hope to learn more about what is and isn’t working, including whether the grading system has been implemented fairly. The participation of restaurateurs in this analysis is critical, and we look forward to hearing their input.

Divided into two sections, the first part of the survey seeks background information about the food establishment and solicits views on DOHMH’s inspection process and the letter grading system. The second section requests recent historical data about experiences with inspections and adjudication in administrative tribunals. Specifically, this section seeks details about violations issued during each inspection from 2008 to the present, along with costs accrued in connection with the payment of fines, consultants and improvements. Survey participants are encouraged to answer as many questions as possible.

In July 2010, DOHMH began requiring food service establishments to post letter grades corresponding with scores reflecting sanitary inspections during which restaurants receive points for violations. An inspection score of 0-13 violation points is an A, 14-27 violation points is a B, and 28 or more violation points is a C. Grade cards are meant to be clearly visible to the public.

George’s diner closed after owner films health inspector during inspection

(In full screen 1080i HD)

Update: January 9, 2012

George’s diner was re-inspected today by the city health inspector. Two inspectors were sent,  and the restaurant was allowed to re-open. George’s will be open for normal business tomorrow. A letter grade will be assigned after a follow up inspection is made.

Owner Bill Koulmentas said, “It is not common for a restaurant to be re-opened this fast…(we received), a lot of positive verbal feedback (on the BatteryPark.TV story) from throughout Battery Park City. Thank you very much for all that you have done.”

January 7, 2012  By Steven Greer, MD

George’s diner on Greenwich Street and Rector Street, south of the World Trader Center, was shut down by the New York City Health Department on Friday, January 6th. The original restaurant had to be demolished after the WTC disaster of September 11th, 2001, and was reopened in a newly constructed building in 2005.

We interviewed the owner, Bill Koulmentas, to learn why the restaurant was shut down. We could not contact the health department.

According to Mr. Koulmentas, and iPhone video supporting his story, a female health inspector stopped by approximately two weeks ago and found some violations. He felt that the inspector was aggressive and had an agenda to find violations no matter what. On Friday, January 6th, a male inspector arrived unannounced at 9:30 AM and inspected until 2:30 PM.

During the inspection on the 6th, Mr. Koulmentas felt that the inspector was “rigging” the inspection, claiming cockroaches were found that did not exist, that the refrigerator did not work when it did, etc. He pulled out his iPhone and began to videotape the inspector. At this point, the inspector began to become irritated. Mr. Koulmentas believes that the closure of his restaurant was due to his filming the health inspector and disputing his findings.

The health inspector closed the restaurant on the spot, at 2:30 PM, January 6th. It is unknown what will happen next and when the restaurant might be allowed to reopen.

The new letter grading system instituted by Mayor Bloomberg has been very controversial. Newspaper reports have insinuated that the process is rife with corruption, and was adopted simply as a way to increase revenues for the city in the form of fines. Many restaurant owners feel that the grades assigned are completely arbitrary, and Mr. Koulmentas’ filmed experience certainly adds credence to those theories.

If you are a restaurant owner and have experienced similar problems with the health department, BatteryPark.TV wants to know about it. Shoot us an email at info@batterypark.tv

Pier A plans are “A slap in the face to Italian Americans”

Update: June 25, 2011 The oyster bar wins

It appears as if the BPCA is not backing down on it’s subversive plans to turn Pier A into a for-profit bar (see below). John Fratta, leading opponent to the bar plan and champion of the idea to make Pier A an Italian Heritage museum, was rebuffed by the BPCA. His group had requested via Freedom of Information Act the details of how it came to be that the Poulakakos family was awarded the plan to make the pier a restaurant and bar. He organized a small press conference event today at the pier in protest. Based on our sources within the CB1, there seems to be little resistance to the oyster bar plan.

March 29, 2011

John Fratta, CB1 Chairman of the Seaport/Civic Center Committee explain why the CB1 opposes the current BPCA plans to turn over the Pier A to a private restaurant group led by the Poulakakos family. He is leading a drive to convert the Pier A into an Italian American heritage museum to compliment nearby Jewish and Irish museums. Mr. Fratta calls the current plans, “A slap in the face to Italian Americans”.

Niether the BPCA nor the Poulakakos family accepted our offer to be interviewed.

(The video can be viewed in 1080i HD by clicking the YouTube settings)

The Irish Hunger Memorial Mr. Fratta mentioned

Ed Koch discusses homeless and politics

October 29, 2009

In the second part of our interview with Ed Koch, he discussed the growing homeless problem in Battery Park and how it is similar to New York City in the late 70’s when he was Mayor and the City was near bankruptcy. He also discusses the upcoming NY Governor’s election.

The scaffolding scourge

(In full screen 1080iHD)

October 13, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

In case you have not noticed because it is so common that you have become desensitized to it, there is an epidemic of unsightly sidewalk scaffoldings that have sprouted up in Battery Park City recently. Throughout New York City, since the real estate bust of 2007 that still lingers on, more and more buildings seem to have permanent scaffolding. Why?

We first reported on  the new structures at 225 Rector Place. To explain why these expensive structures seem to be embraced by building owners, and indeed kept up long after any work to the building is accomplished, we interviewed real estate lawyer Luigi Rosabianca. In this video, he takes us on a walking tour of the more egregious scaffoldings and explains “Local Law 11″ that mandates scaffolding be erected every five years.

We also interview two local business owner who have been impacted by scaffoldings over their business for five years: Bobby Van’s steak house on Broad Street and Downtown Cellars on Liberty and Nassau.

The other dangerous crossing on Albany St

Update: October 7, 2011

A local paper is reporting that a 3-year-old was struck by a yellow cab on Greenwich and Duane Streets this week. Manhattan Borough President Stringer placed a call to the DOT about the matter. Please refer to our previous reports, below and here, for the details of this very serious problem being neglected by the State DOT.

Update: September 22, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

BatteryPark.TV has previously alerted local police and officials about the dangerous pedestrian crossing on South Albany. On September 14, 2011, according to BPC resident Matt Fenton, a pedestrian was struck by a town car as she crossed South End by Rector Place. She was treated but sustained no life-threatening injuries.

The problem on South End is caused by distracted drivers searching for parking spots and ignoring the road. The crossing guards, like the Murray Street problem, are also very ineffective. The solution is to have full NYPD officers with ticketing power stationed at the intersections. Automated red-light cameras might help as well.

September 30, 2010

There is now a traffic officer stationed at Albany and South End Avenue to address the unsafe pedestrian crossing status that we first mentioned in January. (Full story below)

January 16, 2010

The dangers of the Albany St/West Side Highway crossing have been well documented. Not so well appreciated are the dangers at the other end where Albany meets South End Avenue. Drivers making turns onto Albany are too occupied by looking down South End for other cars that they neglect to yield for pedestrians crossing Albany who have the white walk sign. The problem is particularly bad in the early evening.

BatteryPark.TV spent a mere five minutes filming the problem on a crude cell phone camera. Within that time, numerous cars violated the law and could have run over a pedestrian who was not paying attention.

If the NYPD posted patrol personnel, it could possibly earn more than $100,000 in revenue per year. Rather than ticket parked cars and do nothing to improve safety, perhaps the NYPD should try targeting more dangerous areas where moving violations are concentrated. Just a friendly suggestion: earn revenue and please the community.

Speaker Sheldon Silver and Inspector Winski discuss Night Out

August 2, 2011

(viewable in 1080iHD)

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and First Precinct Commanding Officer Inspector Winski discuss Night Out: The annual community outreach event of the NYPD. This year, Battery Park resident Anthony Notaro received a community achievement award. Speaker Silver also discussed the soon to open September 11th Memorial and Freedom Tower nearby.

The deadly crossing

Construction on Route 9A, also known as The West Side Highway, and closure of the pedestrian bridge south of Albany Street have created a very dangerous situation. The ground-level crossing of The West Side Highway at Albany Street can be a death trap.

In February of 2009, Battery Park City resident Marilyn Feng was killed and her boyfriend seriously injured when a drunk driver struck the couple. Ms. Feng was an intern in Manhattan Borough president Scott Stringer’s office. In late September of 2009, another pedestrian was struck by a motorist, but he survived.

Funding for the permanent pedestrian overpass has been cancelled. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer discusses the problem.

NYPD 9/11 bagpipe parade 2007

Over 118,000 views and counting

(This is the file with the 100,00 views originally posted on YouTube at another location of ours)

Rockrose allows pedophile to move into 41 River Terrace

August 26, 2011

A few weeks ago, a resident of the northern part of Battery Park, a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon with young children, approached BatteryPark.TV with a concern over a registered sex offender

Registered pedophile Phillip Riback, now living in Battery Park

who had been allowed to move into a nearby high-rise condo directly adjacent to Stuyvesant High School: 41 River Terrace. In our preparation to cover the story, we became aware of some nice reporting already made by the Tribeca Tribune. We refer you to their articles for the details.

According to the Tribeca Tribune, Rockrose Development mistakenly allowed the registered sex offender, former pediatric neurologist Phillip Riback, to sign the lease without properly checking his background. The paper updated the story on August 18. Riback’s lawyer, famed defense attorney Paul Shechtman, a Tribeca resident, stated that Rockrose had terminated his lease and that Riback was not contesting he matter. It is unknown when Riback plans to move out, or whether these facts are correct at all.

41 River Terrace, by Carl Glassman

The Tribeca Tribune also reports that the New York City Department of Probation, charged with tracking sex offenders, was not answering any of their questions.

During our own investigation, Rockrose management completely stonewalled us. Our calls were not returned and the names of the managers, such as Richard Edmonds (listed by the Tribeca Tribune) were withheld from us.

To inquire for yourself as to whether the sex-offender Riback actually moves out, and to where, you can call Rockrose at (212) 847-3700. The Rockrose offices are at 666 5th Avenue if they do not return your calls. Riback’s attorney, Shechtman, can be reached at (212) 223-0200.

Attorney Paul Shechtman

Please send us an email if you have any updates to this story that you think should be covered.

Bloomberg The Big Liar?

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is solidifying his legacy as “Bloomberg the Liar”. In 2011 alone, he lied (in our opinion) about being AWAL in Bermuda for the big blizzard, lied to us about the severity of “Hurricane” Irene (it was not a hurricane when it hit us and he shut down the city nevertheless), and flat out lied about the causes for his deputy Mayor Goldsmith resigning. This is all on top of his biggest lie, which was to exploit the financial catastrophe to bypass the term limits rule and buy himself a third term.

Do you agree? Will Bloomberg’s legacy be one of “The Big Liar”?

Take our survey here

Scammers at the Farmers’ Market?

Update: June 30, 2011 A more genuine farmer’s market already

The farmer’s market at the WFC seems more authentic already, since our first story. Gone are the corn and watermelon in June that were  clearly imported from thousands of miles away rather than from an “organic local farm”.  All that we saw today was genuine locally grown vegetables.

(click images to expand)

June 10, 2011

How to Make Sure You’re Supporting Local Farmers Be educated, be vigilant, know what’s in season!
By Colleen Vanderlinden of Planetgreen.com

Apparently, the popularity of farmers’ markets is just too much temptation for some unscrupulous vendors.

NBC Los Angeles’ news team decided to do some checking around at local farmer’s markets, and paid visits to the farms where the vendors claimed they grew the food they were selling. In some cases, they found fields full of weeds or dry, empty fields. The vendors were selling vegetables and fruit they had bought wholesale, and were selling it at premium prices at local farmer’s markets, claiming it was locally grown and organic.

As to the “organic” claim, NBCLA also sent several items purchased from vendors who claimed not to use pesticides to labs for testing, and the results came back positive for pesticides. One of the “farmers” claimed that the pesticides found on their produce was the result of overspray from nearby farms, but the levels found on the tested produce were too high for it have been mere “drift.”

This particular story was reported in California, but there’s no doubt that it’s happening all over the country. Near my home, for example, there is a “farmer’s market” in a church parking lot every weekend during the summer. How they managed to have perfect-looking “locally grown” watermelons in early May in Detroit is beyond me. Needless to say, I don’t shop there.

How To Make Sure You’re Supporting Local Farmers Rather than Slimy Opportunists

· Research, research, research. Try to get to know a few vendors really well. Ask where their farm is located, how long they’ve been farming, how they handle pest and disease issues. See if they’re listed on sites like LocalHarvest — not all farmers are, but it doesn’t hurt to check. Ask them the specific variety of whatever produce they’re selling. If they really grew it, they should be able to tell you that those are ‘Emerite’ filet beans, not just “green beans.”
· Look over the display. Really look. This is a great tip from Homegrown Evolution. Are all of the tomatoes the exact same shape and size? Do the apples have that waxy supermarket look? Are the cucumbers all perfectly uniform? Are they selling “local” watermelon in Detroit during the first week of May? If so, they probably went to the warehouse club and bought produce to sell at a premium at the farmer’s market. Steer clear.
· Know what’s in season! If you see watermelon in April or peppers in December in Minnesota or Michigan, chances are good that they have not been grown locally. While some farmers have large heated greenhouses to grow produce year-round, not all do, and it pays to ask questions if the vendor is displaying a lot of out-of-season produce.

As with many things when you’re trying to live a more sustainable life, we need to be vigilant and educated. Don’t trust that just because the sign says “farmers’ market,” you’re supporting nothing but local farmers. While the majority of vendors are legitimate, it’s unfortunately up to us to make sure that we’re buying from them, and not some crook who’s trying to take advantage of the situation.

Selectively enforced parking rules on West Thames

October 11

Matt Fenton has an interesting article in the Broadsheet about how State and City employees are parking their cars in no-parking zones on West Thames. The cars post government affiliations on their dashboard to avoid getting ticketed. Some use handicap passes.

The controversy is whether these car operators are really on government jobs and really handicapped or are just abusing the system while regular Joe’s like us get expensive tickets on the other side of the street.

As an update, we did notice this handicapped car was ticketed.

CB1 opposition to Pier A becoming restaurants and bars

March 23

CB1 Chairperson Julie Menin explains the opposition to Pier A in Battery Park becoming a strip of restaurants and bars managed by The Downtown Alliance and the Poulakakos family of restaurants.

“Nazi-like” pattern of behavior by the PEPs

March 1, 2011

The Community Board met tonight to discuss the proposed demolition of the Winter Garden stairs and the alleged assault of BPC resident Adam Pratt, first reported by BatteryPark.TV on January 29th. The Pratt incident was the last topic of the evening. The overwhelming consensus by the 20 or more attendees was that the Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) has been behaving in “Nazi-like” fashion, asking innocent dog owners for their identification without probable cause for any violation. The terms “Nazi” and “Asked for my papers” were used at least five times by different residents.

One 16-year old female attendee testified that she was routinely the recipient of sexual advances by PEP, and when she walked away, they would ask her for her ID. Most of the other residents complaining were dog owners reporting very similar problems of the PEP asking them for ID even though their dogs were on a leash. Recall, this is what Mr. Pratt alleges happened to him.

Of note, after a Supreme Court ruling in 2004, it is now a possible criminal offense for anyone suspected of wrongdoing to refuse to identify themselves to police. However, carrying an ID is not required, and if someone is going to the gym or jogging, for examples, they cannot be arrested for not having an ID card.

Other complaints focused in the inaction of PEPs for serious problems such as violent gangs of skateboarders (known to have struck PEPs officer over the head with a skateboard and filmed assaulting a food vendor), bicyclists riding in the wrong areas of the esplanade, and PEP phone texting messages while on duty.

The new CEO of Battery Park City Authority, Gail Horwitz, promised a “Zero tolerance” to any PEPs acting badly toward residents. She said that offending officers would be relocated to other beats in the city promptly. However, all of the PEP involved in the Adam Pratt incident are still on duty as normal and have not been punished. It is unknown whether this is a defensive legal maneuver by the BPCA or City to deny any wrongdoing by the PEP.

Regarding the Adam Pratt case, the PEP internal investigators have made no attempt to reach out to the numerous witnesses reported on video and in text via the local papers and BatteryPark.TV. The PEP supervisors mentioned that they had reached out to Mr. Pratt’s civil suit lawyer. When asked why they would be contacting civil lawyers, something an NYPD detective would not do, they did not reply.

PEPs still driving at night with no lights on

April 2, 2011

The PEP’s are not supposed to be driving their carts without lights and have been warned. Many weeks after the “Zero tolerance” policy, they continue to do this unsafe practice.  BPC resident Adam Pratt captured this footage.

It is unclear why the PEP prefer to drive without lights given the extreme legal liability in which it places them if an accident should happen. One could speculate that it either preserves battery life on the carts or allows them to be more secretive.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG3t1h4DfVw

The History of BPC by Ed Koch

October 29

Ed Koch, former Mayor of New York City and former U.S. Congressman, now partner at law firm Bryan Cave LLP, was important in the creation of Battery Park City. BPC sits on manmade land created from the bedrock excavated during the World Trade Center construction. BPC was not converted into inhabitable city land with infrastructure until the late 1970’s.

Recently, given the City’s financial woes, there is talk of ending the Battery Park City Authority, which shares revenues between the State and City, and having the City acquire all of BPC. We interviewed Mr. Koch about the history of BPC and the recent issues.

New Schools

March 22, 2011

CB1 Chairperson Julie Menin describes the new schools underway in the CB1 region of Downtown New York.