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Groom-To-Be's Terrible Fate
NY Post 5/31/2008
Just three weeks before his wedding day, Donald Leo, 30, died in the
cab of the doomed Upper East Side crane because the usual morning
operator was running late, his stunned colleagues told The Post.
"Don was supposed to be up there in the afternoon, but he went up in
the morning, unfortunately for him," one co-worker said. In the
final seconds before the crane toppled and smashed a building, Leo
was trying to wheel around to move a fresh load up the side of the
planned luxury high-rise. Then disaster struck...more>
related...
New York is Built by Men Such as Those Who Died
Crane Probe to Look At Metal Fatigue, Human Error
AM New York 5/30/2008
Metal fatigue and possible operational error are key areas that
investigators will focus on to find out what caused Friday's fatal
crane collapse in Manhattan, construction experts and city officials
said. "Forensic experts will be focusing on a particular weld that
failed and will be fully examining the crane model, Kodiak, which is
no longer in production," acting Buildings Commissioner Robert
LiMandri said. Officials received six complaints about the crane in
the five weeks the equipment was being used at 91st Street and First
Avenue. Twenty-two complaints have been investigated at the site,
the Buildings Department said...more>
related...
Weld May Have Led to East Side Disaster
Investigation Begins in Upper East Side Crane Collapse
Red Cross Opens Center for Evacuees
New York Crane Collapse: Officials Hold Safety Summit
Crane Collapses Prompt Questions on the Mayor's Oversight
NY Times 6/1/2008
...But the deadly crane collapse that killed two people and injured
another on the Upper East Side on Friday morning is now threatening
to tarnish that legacy. It was the latest in a series of
construction-related accidents — including a crane collapse in March
that killed seven people — that have left New Yorkers uneasy, with a
growing concern that Mr. Bloomberg may have let high-rise
construction proliferate without adequate oversight...more>
After NYC Collapse, Experts Say Cranes Aren't Tested Enough
NY Sun 5/31/2008
The towering cranes that build America's skyscrapers are often not
properly inspected for wear, fatigue and other potentially dangerous
structural problems, several construction safety experts said
following a deadly accident in New York...more>
Hundreds Say Goodbye to Firefighter Sean McCarthy
NY Newsday 6/1/2208
The skies opened up as they gathered at firefighter Sean Michael
McCarthy's final resting place yesterday, drenching more than 300
mourners, many sharing umbrellas.
As loved ones began to lay red roses one by one on his coffin at St.
Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, the rain stopped, the air warmed
and traces of sun peeked through the gray sky. "When the rain came,
I think he was laughing at us a little bit," said firefighter Matt
Adee, McCarthy's friend and Engine Co. 280 mate. Ever the jokester,
McCarthy's carefree spirit and likable disposition drew many to him.
Those qualities also made it more difficult for them to comprehend
his untimely death...more>
6 Are Recognized as Firefighters for the Month
SI Advance 5/30/2008
When Fire Lt. Richard Doody arrived at the scene of a grisly car
crash one cold January night, he was certain the driver, whose car
had slammed into a utility pole, would die. Jonathan Adone's face
was ashen gray, one eye was fixed open and the other was closed. The
odds seemed stacked against him. Making matters worse, the 260-pound
Kean University football player from Arden Heights was pinned so
tightly in his car that getting him out, even after the door was
pried open, was a very difficult challenge. But Doody -- joined by
Firefighters Michael Banovich, Fred Wenig, Robert Castelli, Daniel
Castellano and Vincent D'Ovidio -- managed to pull Adone out by
sliding him onto a wooden board and passing him off to ambulance
personnel, in only two minutes...more>
Wildlife Rescuer Horvath Saves Astoria's Red-Tailed Hawk from Poison
NY Daily News 6/1/2008
Athena "was helpless," said Bobby Horvath, a firefighter at Engine
264 in Far Rockaway who was called in to care for the hawk after lab
tests confirmed she was poisoned by an unknown toxin. Horvath, 45,
moonlights as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. He has cared for
hundreds of hawks, falcons and owls out of his Long Island home. He
fed Athena, and gave her antibiotics and fluids. Though it is "very
uncommon" for birds to survive poisoning, Horvath said, the plucky
Athena perked up eight days later. "That bird was very lucky, very
fortunate, that it received care in a quick manner," said the FDNY
veteran, who has spent more than 14 years fighting fires...more>
Con Ed Sues City for Steampipe Explosion
Gothamist 5/31/2008
Figuring that the best legal defense is to be offensive, Con Ed is
suing NYC for the 2007 midtown Manhattan steam pipe explosion that
killed one woman and horribly burned two other people. Dozens more
were injured in the blast that made 41st and Lexington Ave. look
like an erupting volcano, as a plume of steam shot high into the
air. ConEd is on the receiving end of dozens of lawsuits related to
the explosion, many from businesses that were financially affected,
as the blocks around the blast site were a no-go zone for about a
week while people labored around the clock to repair the steam pipe
and clean up debris. Now ConEd is getting in on the action by suing
NYC, and in effect its taxpayers for improperly maintaining the
83-year-old pipe...more>
Fire Claims Fewer Victims Here
SI Advance 5/30/2008
Staten Island has a notably low rate of child fire fatalities -- but
even those few could easily have been prevented, according to a
study released by the city yesterday. Citywide, 43 fires -- four of
them on the Island -- killed children between 2001 and 2006...more>
Fire Widow to Shun Insanity Defense
SI Advance 5/31/2008
The Oakwood woman accused of slaying her fire marshal husband as he
slept in his bed last year will not present an insanity defense and
expects to be vindicated at trial, her lawyer said yesterday. "She
didn't do it, and they can't prove she did it," said Mario F.
Gallucci, the attorney for Janet Redmond-Mercereau...more>
Counselors Continue to Help Charleston Pick Up the Pieces Following
Tragedy
Firehouse.com 5/30/2008
Memories of the Charleston 9 will live forever. They were husbands,
fathers, brothers, best friends, neighbors, colleagues. In addition
to being firefighters, they made unique marks on their
communities...more>
New York City to Suspend Crane Construction, Add Safety Experts
Bloomberg News 5/31/2008
New York City will suspend all crane construction until June 2, and
hire 20 new safety engineers to monitor hundreds of construction
sites after two fatal crane accidents since March, the latest
yesterday. Acting Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri said he
ordered the suspensions even though the city hasn't found any
similarities between the cause of yesterday's accident and a March
15 collapse that killed seven. In addition, the city plans to spend
$4 million to hire about 20 ``highly specialized engineers'' who
will have the authority to change practices on ``high-risk'' jobs
involving cranes, concrete pouring and excavation, LiMandri said...more>
Crane Collapses In Upper Manhattan
NY Times 5/30/2008
At a news conference led by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov.
David A. Paterson, the acting commissioner of the New York City
Department of Buildings, Robert LiMandri, gave a summary of the
inspection history involving the crane. The news conference ended
around 11:45 a.m. A meeting was held on April 17 with the developer,
the construction company, the crane operator and city officials, Mr.
LiMandri said. On April 20 and 21, the crane was erected, with
Buildings Department inspectors on the scene to inspect the process.
The crane was then jumped – lengthened – twice, on May 22 and May
27. Each time, Buildings Department engineers were present...more>
Report: Fires 2nd Leading Cause of Preventable Child Deaths
All American Patriots 5/30/2008
One in Four Deaths Caused by Children Playing with Matches or
Lighters
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn,
Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden and Fire Commissioner Nicholas
Scoppetta today released the second annual Child Fatality Report, a
review of preventable fatalities among children ages one to 12 years
that found that fires are the second leading cause of child deaths
from injuries in New York City after motor vehicle accidents...more>
Sean McCarthy, FDNY Firefighter, Dies at 35
NY Newsday 5/30/2008
Sean Michael McCarthy, one of five brothers who followed their
father into the New York City Fire Department, died Tuesday of
complications related to cancer. He was 35 years old and a lifelong
resident of Bellmore. One of McCarthy's 11 siblings, FDNY Lt. James
McCarthy, remembered his brother yesterday as a natural teacher in
his passions: cooking and fishing. "He loved to be in the kitchen
and be able to provide a great meal for his fellow firefighters," he
said. "He didn't ask for a lot, but he gave a lot."...more>
Lawyers Want 9/11 Trial Dismissed
AP 5/30/2008
Defense lawyers accused the government of rushing the Sept. 11
defendants to trial at Guantanamo to influence the U.S. presidential
elections, and asked the military judge to dismiss the case in a
court filing obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The filing
also shows that the former chief prosecutor at Guantanamo, who
resigned in October over alleged political interference, was
sanctioned by the military on May 23 after testifying for the
defense in a Guantanamo hearing...more>
Con Ed Blames City for Blast
NY Daily News 5/30/2008
Con Ed has some people shocked. The utility is blaming the city and
a subcontractor for last year's deadly steam explosion in midtown.
The suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, claims the city's aging
and crumbling streets were big factors in the fatal blast. The
utility said city inspectors failed to notice sewer water had
accumulated outside the steam pipe. Con Ed also sued Team Industrial
Services, Inc., saying the company mistakenly injected sealant into
the steam system while repairing a leak in the 83-year-old pipe,
clogging it before the accident. City lawyer Christopher Murdoch
rejected Con Ed's argument...more>
W vs. Terror: Something's Working
NY Post 5/30/2008
IT'S an article of faith on the left that the Bush administration
has done nothing that has enhanced our security - rather, its
alleged blunders have only contributed to the number of jihadists
who want to attack us. Empirically, however, something
clearly has made us safer since 2001. Successful attacks on the
United States and its interests overseas have not increased,
as had been widely predicted, but instead dwindled to virtually
nothing...more>
9/11 Battle 'Engaged'
NY Post 5/30/2008
The grieving mother of a 9/11 firefighter took the stand yesterday
in a bid to snatch her son's pension benefits from his one-time
fiancée, telling a Brooklyn judge how she and her husband treated
the woman like their own daughter. "Both our families were looking
forward to a wedding, and we were very much aware that this was a
tragedy for Doreen as well as for us," said Marian Prior, whose son
Kevin died in the North Tower 10 months before his planned marriage
to Doreen Noone...more>
9/11 Con Man Mario Mastellone Filmed Doing Limbo
NY Daily News 5/30/2008
A 2002 wedding reception video captured Mario Mastellone - 9/11's
biggest con artist - dancing the limbo at a time when he claimed
he'd been permanently disabled fleeing the collapse of the World
Trade Center's north tower, federal prosecutors say. "During the
wedding reception, Mastellone can be seen vigorously dancing with
the other guests," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Dabbs wrote in
papers filed in Manhattan Federal Court...more>
Cops Up Bounty for Vandal of Bronx 9/11 Mural
NY Daily News 5/30/2008
Cops outraged over the destruction of a 9/11 memorial mural for
Firefighter Peter Bielfeld in the Bronx have opened their own
checkbooks to boost the reward for catching the heartless vandal.
Officer John Telesky and another veteran cop from Brooklyn's 76th
Precinct were joined by Deputy Inspector Kevin Collins of the 49th
Precinct in the Bronx and the precinct's community council to pump
the reward pot up to $6,000. The Daily News already contributed
$5,000 to the fund...more>
Dear Idiot
NY Daily News 5/29/2008
In case you have not been reading the Daily News (assuming you can
read), you should know that New York is aware of and disgusted by
your desecration of the Bronx mural honoring fallen Firefighter
Peter Bielfeld. By "tagging" the artwork with your graffiti, you
have won not fame, but infamy (ask someone what that means). And The
News has upped by $5,000 the reward for nabbing you. You cannot
claim ignorance of what you defaced. It had a portrait of a hero who
died on 9/11, it had an American flag, it had the twin towers. Your
act was malicious and cowardly. The man who had created the mural,
Eddie Rodriguez (a real artist), will restore it, with Peter
Bielfeld's colleagues at Ladder 42/Engine 73 and police from the
49th Precinct chipping in for supplies. That's because Peter
Bielfeld meant something invaluable to them, to the neighborhood and
to the city. If you feel insulted, know that we don't really think
you're an idiot. We'd use a more fitting term, but this is a family
newspaper.
FDNY Response Times Plummet in Queens
Queens Courier 5/28/2008
After the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) implemented a system
aimed at reducing response times in Queens, data for the last three
months confirm response times are plummeting, but some local leaders
believe more must occur. In February of 2008, the FDNY started a
pilot program in which they sent emergency personnel to the scene
immediately after the dispatcher received the call - a difference in
policy when the department waited to send units until they confirmed
the location and emergency...more>
City Overhauls Fire Code
SI Advance 5/29/2008
Steamships transporting cotton to Staten Island piers no longer will
be required to cover their stacks with wire mesh. Residents no
longer will be prohibited from flying kites near telegraph wires.
And then there are the rules that address the docking of zeppelins
and horse-drawn wagons near city structures. Those are just a few of
the antiquated regulations in the New York City Fire Code soon to be
made null and void, after the City Council yesterday approved the
first comprehensive revision of its fire safety standards in nearly
a century...more>
Man Falls Through Floor at Ruby's on Coney Island
Gothamist 5/28/2008
A patron of the Coney Island boardwalk bar Ruby’s got sent on a
shocking detour during a trip to the men’s room over Memorial Day
Weekend. It so happened that Observer Reporter Chris Shott was
having a beer at the bar around 5:30 Saturday when the owner
abruptly pulled the plug on the jukebox and threw everyone out...more>
Financing Woes Could Doom Lower Manhattan Agency
NY Sun 5/29/2008
The agency responsible for overseeing more than $20 billion of
construction in Lower Manhattan is in danger of being disbanded
because financing from the state, the Metropolitan Transportation
Agency, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has not
been forthcoming, according to several sources...more>
Additions Planned for City's Fire/Police Park
Rome Sentinel 5/29/2008
Firefighters and police are planning additions for the city’s Fire
and Police Memorial Park, located on the corner of Black River
Boulevard and the southwest corner of East Court Street. The Fire
and Police Memorial Park Wall with the names of local heroes will
have another 10 to 11 plaques going up during the course of the
summer, Deputy Chief James Kehoe said. Police Sgt. Dominick
Corigliano is leading an effort to have a statue of a police dog
erected at the park dedicated to the working canines of law
enforcement who lost their lives on 9/11. The department is
currently raising the money for the statue, Kehoe said. It will also
contain the names of lost K-9s who served in Rome...more>
Crime-Fighter Focuses on Capital
Baltimore Sun 5/29/2008
He stood in the shadows of one of the country's best-known
politicians, dutifully chipping away at crime in New York City while
largely steering credit to his boss. Howard C. Safir, the grim-faced
police commissioner under former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
whose exceptional crime-cutting record was stained by a series of
police misconduct scandals, is resuming his role as loyal team
player, this time, helping Annapolis' police chief attack crime...more>
The News Puts Up $5G to Catch Vandal Who Desecrated 9/11 Mural
NY Daily News 5/30/2008
Recovering the remains of Firefighter Peter Bielfeld in the ruins of
the World Trade Center took nearly a year. Desecrating his memory
took only a callous vandal and a can of spray paint. The Daily News
revealed the disgusting act of disrespect Tuesday - and is adding
$5,000 to the NYPD's reward for the arrest and conviction of the
graffiti vandal who defaced the memorial mural to the FDNY hero...more>
Vandals Can't Uproot Parents' Memory of Hero Son
NY Daily News 5/27/2008
When the family of Firefighter Michael Lynch planted a tree in his
memory in Ferry Point Park, they never expected to see its roots
again. But a few weeks later, last November, vandals ripped up 15
trees in the park's Sept. 11 memorial grove, including the one the
Lynches planted. Three of the trees were found in the woods nearby.
The others are missing. The Lynch family returned to replant the
tree...more>
US Terror Attack Seen Apt to Follow '08 Vote
The Washington Times 5/26/2008
When the next president takes office in January, he or she will
likely receive an intelligence brief warning that Islamic terrorists
will attempt to exploit the transition in power by planning an
attack on America, intelligence experts say. After all, that is what
happened to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush at a time
when their national security teams and their counterterrorism plans
were in flux...more>
KEEP ON QUITTIN', AVI
NY Post 5/27/2008
Here's some potentially good news for Lower Manhattan: Avi Schick is
on his way out. Sort of, anyway. The embattled state
economic-development czar - who's overseen Downtown's
bureaucracy-induced paralysis since the early days of the Spitzer
administration - told The New York Times that he was stepping down
as president of the Empire State Development Corp., effective this
September. It's about time. As ESDC president and, concurrently,
chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., Schick is
officially responsible for the inexcusable lack of progress at
Ground Zero and surrounding sites - not to mention the collapse of
such big state projects as the Javits Convention Center expansion...more>
Man Avoids Subway Wheels by Staying Between Tracks
NY Daily News 5/27/2008
A straphanger who fell from a Manhattan subway platform dodged the
wheels of a train by laying in the sunken space between the tracks
as the subway moved over him. The man apparently stumbled and fell
off the northbound platform of the F train at the Delancey St.
station at 1:34 p.m., FDNY officials said...more>
Bronx Neighborhood Shocked by Graffiti on 9/11 Mural
NY Daily News 5/27/2008
Over several nights this month, a graffiti vandal stared into the
face of Firefighter Peter Bielfeld, who lost his life rushing into
the World Trade Center - and coldly spray-painted right over it. Now
the Olinville community where Bielfeld lived, the South Bronx
community where he worked and Bielfeld's family are raging, and out
to punish whoever defaced the memorial wall mural of Bielfeld. "It's
ridiculous. It is very personal," said Bielfeld's father, Ernest,
73, who held memorial services at the mural in memory of his son on
Olinville Ave., before his son's remains were found. "It's such an
emotional thing for us. Angry? I'm pissed off."...more>
Honored Firefighter Left Business Behind
CT Post 5/27/2008
Jeffrey Hilliard tried sitting in a cubicle and didn't like it. Now,
he sits in a firetruck and his grin is as bright as the shiny red
vehicle. One of four new Milford firefighters who graduated last
Thursday from training school, Hilliard, 31, had good reason to
grin: He was chosen from among 49 recruits for an award based on
work ethic, dedication and outstanding performance during 15 weeks
of training. He was stunned when his name was announced as the
winner of the Michael C. Reilly Memorial "Hard Charger" Award at his
graduation from the Connecticut Fire Academy — and he wasn't the
only one. Just as surprised was Monica Reilly, who lost her
25-year-old son, Michael, a former Stratford and New York City
firefighter nicknamed "Hard Charger," in a Bronx fire two years ago.
She now presents the prestigious award twice a year in his name...more>
UFA to Use Reopener to Match PBA Hikes - Seeking 3.5%
Chief-Leader 5/27/2008
The Uniformed Firefighters Association May 20 announced it would
exercise the reopener clause in its last wage pact to pursue the
raises under the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association arbitration
award handed down last week that exceeded by 3.5 percent those it
negotiated...more>
(subscription)
Naked Man Rescued from Hudson River
NY Sun 5/27/2008
Firefighters rescued a naked man as he was floating down the Hudson
River on a log yesterday afternoon, officials said. A TriBeCa
resident looking out of his apartment window noticed the man as he
was bobbing past a pier near Harrison Street at around 3 p.m.,
officials said. The man did not appear to be moving, so the TriBeCa
resident called 911. Firefighters in a boat responded seven minutes
later, and were able to safely pluck the man from the water. He was
not identified by police or fire officials, who said he had been
taken to New York Downtown Hospital for evaluation.
Sept 11 Fire Chief to Visit Marco
Marco News 5/27/2008
A New York Fire Department Division commander who directed rescue
and recovery operations after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,
will visit Marco on Sept. 10 this year as a guest of the Marco
Island Fire Rescue Foundation. This was revealed by Foundation
Chairman Jim Curran at a function held recently at Marco Community
Bank to honor foundation members. Hayden, now retired, will speak at
a luncheon Sept. 10 at the Marco Island Marriott Resort, Curran
said...more>
Time Ebbs for the Heroes Who Saved the Harbor
NY Times 5/27/2008
His best day? For Seymour Wittek, it was the day he met the girl he
would marry. There have been other significant days over his 87
years — when children were born and new jobs were begun, when
grandchildren came along. One October day last year, death claimed
Anne Wittek, his wife of 64 years. That was a most important day.
But for altering his life, April 24, 1943, stands out. That was the
day in World War II when a fire aboard an ammunition ship in New
York Harbor threatened to cause a gigantic explosion that could have
cost thousands of lives and destroyed swaths of Lower Manhattan,
Brooklyn, Staten Island and the New Jersey ports of Jersey City and
Bayonne...more>
Monticello FD Wins National Award
Catskills News 5/27/2008
The Monticello Joint Fire District has awarded for the first time in
the nation the Code Fearless Award. This award was given by The
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the New York
Firefighters Burn Center Foundation. Monticello received this award
for demonstration and support of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety
Initiatives. Over the last 1 ½ years we have put into place these
initiatives to stop firefighter fatalities and reduces the possible
injuries. Last year, Monticello FD was awarded the Seal of
Excellence which was also the first time ever in the nation from the
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This year the award went to
the FDNY...photo>
City's 9/11 Protector Back for Fleet Week
NY Daily News 5/23/2008
The last time the warship Leyte Gulf was sent to New York, it was to
defend the city. The twin towers were still burning and the nation
feared another attack. But now the guided missile cruiser has
returned to celebrate Fleet Week and show off to the public. "We
really have a lot of fun with this stuff," said Boatswain's Mate
Troy Riddick, 36, of Centerville, Iowa. The battleship can launch
Tomahawk missiles and has advanced radar that can detect anything in
the air or sea from more than 200 miles away...more>
FDNY Honors Memorial Day as Members Prepare to Deploy with Marines
FDNY Insider 5/24/2008
Members of the 25th Marine Regiment, including 17 FDNY members,
received a touching send-off at the 1st Marine Corps District in
Garden City on May 20, as they prepared to begin their deployment on
Memorial Day. The unit will be first sent to Twentynine Palms,
California, for three months of desert and urban operations
training, before going to Iraq this winter. The FDNY would like to
thank all its members currently serving in the armed services and
hope for their safe return...more>
Ground Zero is Beckoning
NY Post 5/25/2008
WHAT hath Mike wrought? More than is immediately apparent, but much
less than he would have liked. But all is not lost. His mayoralty
maintains for 585 more days, enough time (though barely) to forge a
legacy worthy of the intelligence, energy and imagination of Michael
R. Bloomberg. As it stands, he'll be remembered for rezoning reform
(huh?), the congestion-pricing debacle and a naive reliance on
Albany to keep its word regarding mayoral control of the public
schools. And, yes, he's been a competent keeper of the city's books.
But they don't build monuments to accountants - and, besides,
posterity is beckoning from Ground Zero...more>
In a Democratic District, A Former Firefighter Raises Republican
Hopes
NY Times 5/26/2008
Tim Brown believes a Republican can win in the 26th State Senate
District, which stretches from Gramercy Park to the Upper East Side.
“It’s a district where people vote for the person, not along party
lines,” Mr. Brown says. He had better hope so. Mr. Brown, a
45-year-old retired firefighter and sometime actor, is taking on the
Democratic incumbent, Senator Liz Krueger, in a district where there
are 2.54 Democrats for every Republican, according to enrollment
records. Yet before Senator Krueger was elected in 2002, the
district was represented for three decades by Roy Goodman, a
Republican...more>
Firefighters at Pentagon Get Their Due
The Modesto Bee 5/26/2008
Remember the Pentagon. It burned, too, dismembered by the same
terrorists who brought down the twin towers of New York's World
Trade Center. Circumstances, though, have rendered the Pentagon a
Sept. 11 afterthought. It's the place that survived. At the World
Trade Center, 343 New York City firefighters died. At the Pentagon,
every firefighter returned home. But not all came back safe and
sound. The Arlington County Fire Department subsequently lost 9
percent of its force to health-related retirements...more>
Construction Halted At Goldman Sachs NYC Site
WCBS-TV 5/26/2008
Goldman Sachs said it will not resume construction at its new lower
Manhattan headquarters until new safety measures are in place. State
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced Sunday that Goldman has
promised safety provisions beyond what the city building code
requires. The stepped-up safety efforts come after a piece of metal
fell 18 stories off the building May 17. The chunk of steel landed
on a field where Little League games were being played. Goldman
Sachs and contractor Tishman Construction Corp. said there won't be
any more weekend work on the 43-story tower during Little League
season...more>
Sept. 11 License Plate Could Be Well-Designed
Times-Union 5/25/2008
I'm writing in response to the Capitol Confidential article "State:
Not everything is plate material." This is in regard to the state
Department of Motor Vehicles' refusal to issue World Trade Center or
9/11 memorial license plates, or vanity plates relating to 9/11 or
the WTC. Instead of a stubborn refusal to produce a 9/11 memorial
plate, the state should be thinking of a beautiful design to place
on such a plate. It would only honor the victims of the tragic
event, not adversely refer to it in any way. Such a plate could also
be a fundraiser for the WTC memorial at ground zero...more>
Mohammed Prepares for 9/11 Trial
UPI 5/25/2008
The case of the self-described leader of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
on the United States could shape the rules of the U.S. war on
terrorism, his lawyer says. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a U.S. educated
engineer is held at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba. He has spent the last five years fielding questions from U.S.
security forces and other officials, the Los Angeles Times reported
Sunday. Navy Reserve Judge Advocate General Prescott Prince has been
named to lead the defense team for Mohammed, who is charged with
murder in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people in the 2001 attacks...more>
Petraeus's Next Job: Finish Hunt for Bin Laden
NY Sun 5/23/2008
The general whose successful counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq
reshaped the Republican primary, David Petraeus, will now turn his
attention to hunting down Osama Bin Laden in the mountains of
Pakistan. General Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee
here that is weighing President Bush's proposal to promote him to
head of the Central Command that one of his first actions would be
to visit Pakistan and meet with leaders there to discuss strategies
for taking back control of the tribal border provinces where Osama
bin Laden and his deputies lurk...more>
Cruise Ship Strikes Manhattan Pier; No Injuries Reported
NY Newsday 5/25/2008
Firefighters say a cruise ship has hit a column at a Manhattan pier,
but no one has been hurt. The Fire Department says the accident
happened shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday at a Hudson River pier near
West 50th Street. The passenger ship's name isn't immediately
available. Inspectors are checking on the pier, and the city
Buildings Department has no immediate information on their findings.
Manhattan Water Pipe Breaks, Floods Streets
NY Newsday 5/25/2008
A ruptured water pipe has flooded streets in Manhattan and has led
to the evacuation of several buildings. Firefighters say the
20-inch-wide water main in the West Village neighborhood broke
around 11 o'clock Saturday night. They say the water flooded
basements and was a few inches deep on sidewalks...more>
Docs at City Hospital Using New Techniques to Save Veteran's Foot
NY Daily News 5/25/2008
...Last autumn he found the Wounded Warrior Project and met retired
FDNY Firefighter Flip Mullen, whose compassion and tireless care for
veterans is legendary. Mullen contacted Kennedy, and Guerin came
down in January for surgery. Kennedy created little canals in the
ankle bone to hold stem cells, which came from bone marrow he took
from Guerin's hip...more>
Trial Process to Begin for Accused 9-11 Plotters
AFP 5/25/2008
In the first step towards trying the alleged plotters behind the
devastating September 11, 2001 attacks, five men including the
accused mastermind will be arraigned June 5 before a US military
judge in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Nearly seven years after the attacks
and at least five years after their capture, Pakistan-born Kuwaiti
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the purported key 9/11 planner, and four
others will formally be charged with murder, terrorism and other war
crimes, launching the process of trying them under special military
commissions at the US naval prison at Guantanamo...more>
US Military Judge Denies Request to Delay Trial of Accused 9/11
Conspirators
Jurist 5/23/2008
US military judge Col Ralph Kohlmann Thursday denied a request by
military-appointed defense lawyers to postpone the arraignment of
the five Guantanamo Bay detainees charged with plotting the Sept. 11
attacks. The lawyers had asked for more time to mount defenses for
their clients, but the arraignments are still scheduled for June 5.
If convicted, the five men, including the alleged lead conspirator
behind the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, could be sentenced to
death...more>
'The Bin Ladens'
NY Times 5/25/2008
Is Osama Bin Laden a rebel against the Saudi Arabian ruling class or
a model member of it? That question lurks behind “The Bin Ladens,”
by the Pulitzer-Prize-winning New Yorker writer Steve Coll. The
world’s most famous terrorist owes his fortune and his standing to a
family business that Coll calls “the kingdom’s Halliburton.” Like
Halliburton, the Saudi Binladin Group specializes in gigantic
infrastructure projects. Government connections are the key to the
family’s wealth. So you would assume they would react with unmixed
horror to a radical son, like the duchess in the Noel Coward song:..more>
FDNY: No Beach Patrols for NYC Beaches
Gothamist 5/24/2008
In a startling coincidence with the unofficial beginning of summer
and the official opening of NYC beaches on Memorial Day weekend, the
FDNY says that it can no longer affored to have special patrols by
emergency medical technicians to come to the aid of the ailing and
injured at the beach. Budget cuts apparently necessitated the
curtailment. The EMT union told WCBS news that the FDNY is cutting
patrols on city beaches on the days when they're most likely needed
and that the department's special sand-roving beach vehicles will be
a rare, if not nonexistent, sight this summer...more>
Big Apples Team Signs Up for 08 Firefighter Games
Liverpool Daily Post 5/23/2008
THE World Firefighter Games being held this year in Liverpool have
been given another boost with the announcement that the New York
Fire Department is sending a squad. The games are taking place as
part of the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations and this week a
crew of 25 from the Big Apple has signed up...more>
Firemen Go It Alone in Unofficial Calendar After the FDNY Scrubs Its
Own
NY Daily News 5/24/2008
Ladies, no need to call 911: You've got another way to bring a
scorching hot firefighter into your home. Though the FDNY will not
be releasing a new firefighter calendar after the scandal that
erupted last year when it was revealed the cover boy had appeared in
an erotic video, another calendar featuring buff Bravest has hit
stores. The New York Firefighters Calendar - its cover featuring a
smiling, shirtless firefighter posed in front of the Empire State
Building - could see a surge in sales now that the official version
won't be printed...more>
Hi-Rise Building Fire Causes Problems for FDNY
WCBS-TV 5/23/2008
A fire led to some intense moments Friday morning for residents on
an Upper West Side hi-rise. The 33-story building was evacuated, but
the conditions were tough for firefighters...video>
Cheers: You Do Know Jack
TV Guide 5/22/2008
Cheers to Jack McGee for resuscitating his career post-Rescue Me.
The fireplug character actor killed himself as Chief Jerry Reilly on
FX's drama — then committed potential career suicide by publicly
trashing costar-cocreator Denis Leary for the plot twist. Yet McGee
has continued working steadily with guest shots on CSI, CSI: Miami
and now Criminal Minds' season finale. As a hard-nosed NYPD
detective, the real-life FDNY vet proved he's equally adept at
playing New York's Finest as well as New York's Bravest. He's truly
a Jack of all trades...more>
Hot to Indict In Deutsche Fire
Prosecutors are pushing to indict those responsible for the Deutsche
Bank fire before the anniversary of the tragic August blaze,
Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau said yesterday. Morgenthau stayed mum
on who might face charges in the case, but indicated the indictment
would be a lengthy one, with multiple defendants and numerous
charges...more>
Delay Refused for Alleged September 11 Plotters
A U.S. military judge refused on Thursday to delay the June 5
arraignment of five Guantanamo prisoners who could face execution if
convicted of plotting the September 11 attacks. The ruling cleared
the way to begin hearings in the first Guantanamo war crimes court
case alleging a direct link to the hijacked plane attacks that
triggered the Bush administration's war on terrorism...more>
Beacon Author Honors 'Bravest'
Beacon author and artist Sharon Watts will participate in
Poughkeepsie Barnes & Noble's Local Author Weekend event Saturday
beginning at 1 p.m. She will sign copies of "Miss You, Pat:
Collected Memories of NY's Bravest of the Brave, Captain Patrick J.
Brown." Brown, captain of FDNY's Ladder 3, died on Sept. 11, 2001,
surrounded by dozens of severely burned victims he hoped to evacuate
from Tower One of the World Trade Center. His last recorded words to
the dispatcher were, "OK, 3 Truck and we're still heading up. OK?
Thank you."...more>
Hello, Sailor, You're No. 500,000!
No matter whether he was technically visitor No. 499,999 or No.
500,001 to the Tribute WTC Visitor Center opposite ground zero, Lt.
Jeremy E. Vellón, an assistant air officer on the USS Kearsarge was
officially designated this morning as the half-millionth person to
attend the center since it opened in September 2006...more>
Colleagues Call Firefighter's Efforts to Help Typical
Around his Brooklyn firehouse, Philip Scarfi is known for being late
to work because he stops for anyone who needs help. So when his
colleagues learned a New York City firefighter had run across the
highway to rescue a Nassau police officer crushed in his cruiser
Sunday, they weren't surprised it was Scarfi...more>
Port Authority to Spend $5 Million on WTC Security Center
The new office towers and Sept. 11 memorial being built at ground
zero should get a state-of-the-art security center and a radio
system that would open up 20 radio frequencies to police,
firefighters and other officials during an emergency, officials said
Thursday. Planners are still deciding whether to locate the World
Trade Center operation command center on the site, or above or below
ground, said Steve Plate, director of World Trade Center
construction for the site's owner, the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey...more>
Nation's Longest Continuously Run Memorial Day Parade in Bay Ridge
...The grand marshal is chief of department Salvatore Cassano, FDNY.
Chief Cassano has been with the FDNY for over 39 years. He is an
Army veteran and served a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1966-67. The
Honorary Grand Marshals are Borough President Marty Markowitz and
state Senator Marty Golden. “Wounded Warriors” from Walter Reed Army
Medical Center are the honored guests. The reviewing officer is Lt.
Col. Paul Cook, commander of the US Army New York City Recruiting
Battalion; and the Memorial Day speaker is Lee Burch, a member of
the Brooklyn “Key” Chapter American ex-prisoners of War, the lead
organization this year...more>
Fest Fire Alarm
SoHo fire companies would not have the necessary manpower if a blaze
were to break out on a block obstructed by a street festival, FDNY
sources warned yesterday. Mulberry Street, between Broome and
Spring, is blocked by food carts for the Feast of St. Anthony,
creating the need for an extra man to operate longer hoses, the
sources said...more>
Construction Debris Tumbles onto Harlem Market
Firefighters say construction debris from a luxury condominium
building has plummeted onto a Harlem market. The Fire Department
says no one was hurt in the mishap Thursday afternoon at the
Kalahari Harlem, an environmentally conscious condo building under
construction on West 116th Street...more>
9/11 Families Sue for Right to Religious Burials
After the memorial Mass on Oct. 26, 2001, for her son Christian, a
probationary firefighter who died in the Sept. 11 attacks on the
World Trade Center, Sally Regenhard didn't proceed to a cemetery.
There was no cemetery because there was no body. Christian's remains
were never found. Now, more than six years later, Regenhard is part
of a civil lawsuit against New York City by the group World Trade
Center Families for Proper Burial, which was founded in 2003 to
retrieve the remains of family members in hopes of providing a
proper burial...more>
Firefighter Touts Leadership - Salka a 9/11 Veteran
Was it more difficult for the firefighters on Sept. 11, 2001, to
climb the stairs into the World Trade Center than it was for others
to climb into a Bronx house fire earlier that morning. Not a lick,
New York Fire Department Battalion Chief John Salka told
firefighters gathered Wednesday in an auditorium at Brescia
University. The 28-year veteran
officer, who led firefighters through the catastrophic rescues in
2001, talked about the importance leadership training can have on
all levels of fire department responses, from small house fires to
large-scale attacks...more>
I Want the Truth
The heartbroken parents of a firefighter killed on 9/11 yesterday
defended the lawsuit they've filed to stop their son's fiancée from
collecting a share of his pension. Marian Prior, the mother of
fallen Bravest Kevin Prior, denied that the dispute with fiancée
Doreen Noone was about money - but instead insisted it was about
setting the record straight about her young son's relationship...more>
Seeking Raise, Firefighters Will Reopen Contract
Now the firefighters want their
retroactive raise of nearly 10 percent, too. One day after an
arbitration panel awarded New York City’s police officers a raise
amounting to 9.7 percent over two years, the Uniformed Firefighters
Association said on Tuesday that it would exercise its option to
reopen its contract covering the same two years — 2004 to 2006. The
firefighters received raises of less than 3 percent the first year
and 3.15 percent the second year in that now-expired contract...more>
Ex-Firefighter Receives Honor for Fundraising
A transplanted New York firefighter instrumental in one of the
largest golf tournaments on the Grand Strand each year received one
of the city's highest honors Wednesday night. City spokesman Mark
Kruea - standing in for Mayor John Rhodes, whose meetings with
legislators in Columbia on Wednesday ran late - surprised retired
New York Fire Department member Kevin O'Brien with a key to the city
to thank him for the work he puts in organizing the annual FDNY 9-11
Memorial Golf Outing...more>
Tragic $plit of 9/11 Kin and Bride
The grieving parents of a 9/11 firefighter are battling to stop the
woman they expected to call their daughter- in-law from collecting
the hero's pension benefits, and will try today to convince a
Brooklyn judge to freeze the annual payout. "Before this happened,
we were very, very, very close, to the point where I called them mom
and dad," said the fianc�e, 36-year-old Doreen Noone, who only
three years later married the firefighter's close friend and best
man...more>
Building Where Crane Killed 7 May Have to Come Down
An East Side real-estate developer has until June 4 to convince city
officials to allow him to continue construction of the 40-story
residential tower where a crane collapse killed seven people in
March. Department of Buildings officials yesterday listed 28 ways in
which James Kennelly's project at 303 E. 51st St. violates zoning
rules...more>
Finding Space and Quiet in SI's Westerly
Anthony Wolk, 91, moved to Westerleigh in 1971 after he was
carjacked in his neighborhood of East Flatbush. "It was very bad in
that neighborhood so I came here," said Wolk, a member of the
American Legion from Canarsie and VFW post 7172. "It's better for
veterans and good for families here. It's nice, what can I say?"...more>
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