NYS Thruway Travelers Reminded to Drive Safely, Allow Extra Time During Fourth of July Holiday

Thruway Travelers Reminded to Drive Safely, Allow Extra Time During Fourth of July Holiday

Travelers Encouraged to Sign Up For Free TRANSalerts Before Holiday Weekend

ALBANY, NY — New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Michael R. Fleischer reminds motorists preparing to travel during the upcoming Independence Day holiday to drive with care, wear their seat belts and allow for extra time to get to their destinations safely.

“With schools out for the summer and warm weather here, the Authority expects many motorists will take an extended weekend for the Fourth of July holiday, leading to increased traffic volumes on the Thruway,” said Fleischer. “To accommodate the heavy traffic over the long holiday weekend, the Authority will minimize lane restrictions to help alleviate congestion; however, motorists are urged to plan ahead and leave extra time for travel.”

The Authority offers a free email service called TRANSalert to its customers via email or text messaging to inform them of major unscheduled incidents that may affect their travel on the Thruway. Since the system’s inception in August 2006, more than 6,300 subscribers have signed up to receive TRANSalert notifications.

For the most up-to-date information about unscheduled incidents affecting travel on the Thruway, motorists are encouraged to sign up for the TRANSalert service at the Authority’s website at www.nysthruway.gov/tas/.

In 2008, more than 2.5 million vehicles traveled more than 90.9 million miles on the Thruway System over the Fourth of July holiday period (Thursday to Sunday).

Holiday traffic delays are most likely to occur at the Lackawanna and Williamsville toll barriers near Buffalo; at Albany Interchanges 23 and 24; at the Canaan toll barrier and Interchange B1 on the Berkshire section of I-90, which connects the Thruway to the Massachusetts Turnpike; at Newburgh Interchange 17, Harriman Interchange 16, and at the Woodbury, New Rochelle and Tappan Zee Bridge toll barriers near New York City.

The busiest section of the Thruway will most likely be the Tappan Zee Bridge Corridor (Rockland and Westchester counties), particularly northbound at the beginning of the holiday weekend and southbound at the close.

The Thruway Authority will again be taking the following steps during the holiday weekend to facilitate traffic and keep motorists informed:

• Suspend Construction: In an effort to minimize traffic congestion, the Authority will temporarily suspend construction during the following dates and times:New York Division (from Interchange 1 in Yonkers to Interchange 18 in New Paltz) will suspend construction, except for the Tappan Zee Bridge redecking project, from 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, to 10 a.m. on Monday, July 6. Construction on the Tappan Zee Bridge is scheduled from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Thursday night and from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday night.Albany Division (from Interchange 19 in Kingston to Interchange 29 in Canajoharie) will suspend construction from noon on Thursday, July 2, to noon on Monday, July 6. Syracuse Division (from Interchange 29A in Little Falls to Interchange 44 in Canandaigua) will suspend construction from noon on Tuesday, June 30, to 11 p.m. on Monday, July 6. Buffalo Division (from Interchange 45 in Rochester to Interchange 61 at the Pennsylvania line) will suspend construction from noon on Tuesday, June 30, to 1 a.m. on Sunday, July 5.
• Provide Traveler Information: Should major delays occur, motorists will be advised through electronic Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) along the roadway, TRANSalerts and the Thruway’s Highway Advisory Radio (HAR). The HAR stations broadcast traffic advisories, road conditions, weather reports and safety tips to travelers 24 hours a day. Motorists can listen to the traffic information by tuning their vehicle radios to the following frequencies: New York City and Tappan Zee Bridge Corridor – 530 AM; Newburgh, Kingston, Albany, Rochester and Buffalo areas – 1610 AM; Utica area – 540 AM; Syracuse, Lafayette and Geneva/ Waterloo areas – 1620 AM; and in the Ripley area – 98.7 FM. Up-to-date information on road conditions is also available by calling toll-free 1-800-THRUWAY (1-800-847-8929) or by logging on to www.nysthruway.gov
• Monitor Traffic Incidents: In addition to State Police Troop T and maintenance patrols, the Authority will monitor traffic conditions for accidents and incidents by using closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras. By utilizing the Authority’s interactive mapping interface, customers can also check on current, up-to-minute traffic incidents and access cameras along various sections of the Thruway system. There are currently 84 traffic cameras operating. Customers can access those cameras by logging on to the Authority’s website at www.nysthruway.gov/webcams/index.html. Active monitoring facilitates quicker incident detection and response, thereby minimizing delays.

Motorists with E-ZPass accounts are reminded that E-ZPass can be used in any open toll lanes; however, in staffed lanes, E-ZPass users must come to a complete stop.

Over the holiday weekend, State Police Troop T, which exclusively patrols the Thruway, will be out in full force aiding motorists and enforcing traffic laws. The Thruway Authority and State Police remind all travelers to buckle up and properly secure children under age 4 in a child safety seat.

Passaic, NJ – Yeshiva University Graduate Dentist Treats Patients In His Own Firetruck

Dentist Treats Patients in His Own Firetruck

tweetmeme_url = ‘http://chrisabraham.com/2009/06/28/dentist-treats-patients-in-his-own-firetruck/’;tweetmeme_source = ‘chrisabraham’;

Dr. Robert Grunstein

I am always amazed when I find stories like this.  When I find the sort of story that shows that people like dentists, sadly known for having a high rate of depression and suicide, who are passionate about doing good for those of us who only have Medicaid or who cannot generally afford — or won’t spend for — good dental work. Kudos to Steven Eidman and especially to Dr. Robert Grunstein

May 3, 2009 by Steven Eidman — Dr. Robert Grunstein has always been a car and truck guy. So when he heard that an old municipal fire truck was up for sale (”the holy grail for car guys,” he says), he bought it. The fire truck cost him $5,000; converting it into a mobile dental unit and taking out the water tank set him back $50,000. “It had a new motor and perfect transmission,” Grunstein gushes. It’s the perfect vehicle, he says, for combating the “tsunami of bad teeth.”

For the past five years, Grunstein has hopped on the fire truck — the “Dental Rescue Unit”— two mornings a week and visited local schoolchildren in 60 schools in Paterson, Passaic, Clifton, and other Northern New Jersey towns. The kids join him on the fire truck, where Grunstein’s brother, Gabi, puts on a half-hour puppet show promoting good dental hygiene. Then Grunstein examines each child’s teeth, sending them home with report cards listing the number of cavities they have. The worst offenders — those with more a dozen cavities or more— are brought to the nurse, who phones their parents. Grunstein doesn’t receive a penny for his visits. “It’s worth it,” he says, “because it’s so satisfying.”

Often, the very next morning, Grunstein will find those kids with the most cavities seated in his dental chair. “My patients are really, really grateful,” he says. “Often, parents don’t know that children’s dental care may be covered by Medicaid.”

In fact, only 770 of the 7,000 dentists in New Jersey accept Medicaid. That’s partly because New Jersey’s Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental care are as low as a third of New York rates, Grunstein says. So there aren’t many other dentists willing to accept Medicaid.

“This is where I felt I was needed most as a doctor,” says Grunstein, who claims he took bioethics twice while studying at Yeshiva University. “It’s sort of like how a nurse in the ER looks at triage: you treat those who are most in need first.”

Dentistry runs in the family: Grunstein’s mom is a dental technician and has a home office located next door to his bedroom. “I grew up with the sound of the dental drill in my ear,” he says.

Love fire trucks? Visit the fire truck-shaped front desk at Grunstein’s new Passaic office, which features real tires and hubcaps. Side job: While in dental school, Grunstein rebuilt jeeps to make extra money.

http://chrisabraham.com/2009/06/28/dentist-treats-patients-in-his-own-firetruck/

Life term sought for accused killer of French Jew Ilan Halimi

PARIS (AP) The prosecuting counsel in the trial of a gang of French youth accused of brutally murdering a young Jew recommended a sentence of life imprisonment Tuesday for the group’s ringleader and 20 years each for his two closest accomplices.
Ilan Halimi, 23, was entrapped, sequestered, tortured and finally died before he could reach hospital as a result of his 2006 ordeal – allegedly at the hands of a gang led by Youssef Fofana, a French citizen of Ivorian descent.
Halimi’s horrific death revived old worries in France about lingering anti-Semitism and led to deep anxiety in France’s Jewish community, the largest in western Europe.
French authorities found Halimi naked, handcuffed and his body covered with burn marks near railroad tracks in the Essonne region south of Paris. The young man died on the way to the hospital after being held prisoner for more than three weeks.
If convicted, Fofana’s two prime accomplices face 20 years each, according to a court spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case was held behind closed doors.
The victim’s family says Halimi was killed because he was Jewish, which the prosecuting counsel supported in the summing up Tuesday, said one of their lawyers, Francis Szpiner.
The family also believes that the sentences requested were not severe enough, given the gravity of the crime.
“The state, by the voice of the state counsel’s office, did not respond to the challenge that this crime posed. The case has been banalized,” said Szpiner, urging the court to hand down heavier sentences. He said Halimi’s mother was feeling “bitter and let down.”
Fofana fled to Ivory Coast after the killing. He was arrested there and extradited to France.
Most of the 29 people charged in the case were tried in youth court because they were minors at the time.
As for the six jailers who kept guard over Halimi, the counsel for the prosecutor, Phillipe Bilger, requested jail terms of 12 to 15 years. One minor received such a recommended sentence for having burned the victim with a cigarette.
Bilger recommended between 10 and 12 years for the young woman – a minor at the time of the crime – who lured Halimi to his captors. Others face lesser terms. Bilger recommended that two be acquitted.
The gruesome treatment of Halimi came out during the trial. Fofana admitted having poured an inflammable liquid on Halimi and burned and slashed him with a knife.
The defense begins its final arguments Wednesday.

100-year-old Upper West Side apartment building owned by Africa Israel undergoes a $30 million conversion to luxury condos.

The 100-year-old Upper West Side apartment building that Cyndi Lauper, Al Pacino, Sidney Poitier, Conan O’Brien and Nora Ephron have all called home has turned into an archeological dig as it undergoes a $30 million conversion to luxury condos.

Construction workers renovating the historic apartments at the Apthorp on Broadway at West 78th Street are unearthing yellowed newspapers from World War II, ornate hand-carved chestnut doors and original icemakers dating to 1908 buried in the building’s thick terra-cotta walls.

A 300-pound, 9-foot-tall chestnut door unearthed in Apartment 9B was buried for more than 70 years because it was too big to be moved out, said architect Fernando Papal.

“You can’t find that kind of wood anywhere anymore,” Papal said. “It’s priceless.”

Building manager Gilbert Rodriguez said he has found about 12 of the buried doors.

“We restored them and kept them in place,” he said. “The contractors used to use the cavities in the walls to throw stuff away. One hundred years later, we have a backed-up sink, we open the wall and we get surprises.”

In 9E, which has not been renovated in a century, contractors found 1908 refrigerators and 8-foot-tall iceboxes.

A Daily Mirror newspaper, dated Oct. 23, 1943, and headlined with news from World War II’s Italian campaign, seems to have been purposefully buried as a time capsule in a wall in 2F.

The building’s first renovation is now under way as the building owners scramble to sell apartments in a down market.

Africa Israel Investments and Mann Realty bought the Apthorp for $426 million in March 2007 and must sell 25 apartments by Sept. 15 — otherwise the $30 million condo conversion reverts to being a rental.

“We have 10 deals in the works now, but there’s always concern when you have a finite date,” said Prudential Douglas Elliman Executive Chairman Howard Lorber.

So far, only two apartments have been sold.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06282009/news/regionalnews/manhattan/the_walls_have_eras_176564.htm

Egged compensates passenger who lost tefillin he kept in the undercarriage of the bus

We were always taught to never check in our tefillin in our luggage when flying, but to take them in our carry-on luggage.

Now, it seems, this lesson must be taught regarding traveling by bus as well. Not just by airplane.

According to Ladaat.net, some guy from Ashdod put his tefillin with his bags in the undercarriage of the bus. He got off the bus and realized his bag was missing. He convinced the driver to go to the various stops to look for it. They could not find it.

The guy wrote a letter to Egged. They said bags in the under-carriage are the passengers responsibility, and something so valuable like tefillin should always be kept by the passenger and never placed below.

After getting a lawyer, and sending letters to Egged showing that legally Egged is responsible for all bags in the under-carriage just like they are responsible for the passengers themselves, Egged decided to compensate the fellow for his loss with 6400NIS.

http://lifeinisrael.blogspot.com/2009/06/always-carry-on-your-tefillin.html

Statement From Attorney General Andrew Cuomo On The Sale Of J. Ezra Merkin’s $310 million Art Collection

STATEMENT FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL ANDREW CUOMO ON THE SALE OF J. EZRA MERKIN’S ART COLLECTION

“Earlier this morning in New York State Supreme Court, my Office submitted a stipulation and order regarding the impending sale of J. Ezra Merkin’s art collection for $310 million. The art was owned by Mr. Merkin and his wife. This sale will yield, after liens, taxes, and fees, approximately $191 million that will be restrained and frozen in an escrow account pending resolution of the case against Mr. Merkin. This will preserve assets that, if our litigation is successful, will provide restitution to victims of Mr. Merkin’s alleged fraud.

The art sale order submitted today was the product of weeks of extensive negotiation. Based on an appraisal performed by Christie’s at the request of my Office, we believe the sale price of $310 million is fair, appropriate, and in the best interests of investors. I want to thank Christie’s for their work on this matter.

We believe it is only fair that Mr. Merkin liquidate his valuable art collection, which he purchased with the fees he earned from his investors, and keep the proceeds in escrow pending resolution of our lawsuit. The $191 million that will be preserved in this way will not by itself make investors whole, but this is an important step in the right direction for investors.

We will continue to seek full recovery for investors’ losses through the ongoing action against Mr. Merkin, which charges him with concealing from his clients the investment of more than $2.4 billion with Bernard L. Madoff. As detailed in the 54-page complaint we previously filed, investors, including several prominent charities and non-profits, entrusted their investments to Mr. Merkin, who then steered the money to Madoff without their permission, in exchange for $470 million in management and incentive fees.”

Accused Holocaust museum shooter still can’t come to court

WASHINGTON (AP) Prosecutors say a white supremacist accused of fatally shooting a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is in no condition to come to court.
Prosecutor Nicole Waid said at a hearing Tuesday that a D.C. Department of Corrections doctor told her that 88-year-old James von Brunn would not be able to come to court this week or next.
Magistrate John Facciola scheduled another hearing on von Brunn’s health for July 10.
Von Brunn faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of museum guard Stephen T. Johns. Von Brunn was shot in the face by other guards and remains at Greater Southeast Community Hospital.
Defense attorney A.J. Kramer says von Brunn is able to respond and understand him.

Miami, FL – 7 Story Lubavitch Education Center faces foreclosure

A Jewish education center in Miami faces foreclosure by Regions Bank.

The Lubavitch Education Centers 84,020-square-foot, seven-story building on seven acres, along with two other properties, is named in the $8 million foreclosure lawsuit filed on June 23 by the Birmingham, Ala-based bank in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.

The nonprofit center is affiliated with the Chabad Lubavitch, an orthodox Jewish movement that has temples and education centers throughout the world.

The foreclosure names the nonprofit Friends of Lubavitch of Florida and the for-profit 17330 NW 7 LLC. Rabbi Bentzion Korf, who is listed on the Lubavitch Education Centers Web site as the director, manages both entities, which took an $8 million loan from the bank in 2004.

Korf didnt immediately return a call seeking comment.

The center was founded in 1973 as the first rabbinical college, or yeshiva, in the southeastern U.S. Orthodox Jews from throughout South Florida send their children there for religious education.

In addition to the main campus, which is located near Golden Glades, the foreclosure targets the 30,750-square-foot education center at 1114 Alton Road in Miami Beach and a 3,363-square-foot apartment building at 1231 13th St. in Miami Beach.

Miami-based attorney Elizabeth Dombovary, who represents Regions Bank in the lawsuit, didnt immediately return a call seeking comment.

Source

Jewish News via SMS
——————-
Jewish Breaking News Blog via Twitter | Comment & Discuss the News, Tweets via Email, IM Friendfeed | Jewish Related Incidents

Buffalo, NY – Elmwood shul struggles to get enough participants for minyan

The humble shul on Elmwood Avenue sometimes struggles to get enough participants for minyan, a formal worship service that under Jewish law requires at least 10 adults.

Congregation Beth Abraham, sandwiched between two successful restaurants near the corner of Bird Avenue, is barely noticeable on the bustling Elmwood strip. Its congregation presses on anyway, as it has for generations.

Each week, with or without a minyan, members pray and sing together and keep the place together as best they can.

“The bottom line is, it must be that somebody wants it to be here,” said synagogue President and longtime member Harry Weinrib.

The aging congregation is trying to plant the seeds of a revival.

It recently introduced a once-a-month Friday evening service that’s heavy on music and singing and easy on theology and doctrine.

So far, the popularity of the new services— led by Irwin H. Gelman in the style of the “Friday Night Live” celebrations that became renowned in New York City’s Congregation B’nai Jeshurun — has surprised even longtime members.

The first service in May attracted about 60 people. Nearly 100 people showed up for the June service.

“It went over even bigger than the first one,” said Oscar Smukler, a longtime member.

The Kabbalat Shabbat services, followed by oneg kiddush — a blessing, social time and small meal — are a departure for the unaffiliated but traditionally Orthodox-leaning shul, which at one time kept separate seating arrangements for men and women.

The synagogue still draws decent crowds for high holiday services, but not so much during the rest of the year.

“It’s a very sweet old place,” said Gelman, who moved to Buffalo about six years ago for a post at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Gelman stumbled upon the shul after the death of his father. The synagogue was close to his home, so he showed up for a Sabbath service to recite the Kaddish prayer, per Jewish tradition.

“Many times, they didn’t have a minyan, so if I wanted to say Kaddish I had to go somewhere else,” said Gelman, who had served as a cantor in a New York City synagogue for many years and is still a member of the Cantorial Assembly. “I came here first because it was close. They did have a minyan, but not every Friday night and Saturday morning.”

The congregation doesn’t have a rabbi or a cantor, so Gelman agreed to lead the special Friday services, which feature upbeat Hassidic melodies in the style of the charismatic Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, who was known for songs that include clapping, stomping and humming.

The congregation hopes to attract unaffiliated Jews in the city to replenish its dwindling ranks and stave off closure.

Neighboring Pano’s restaurant and Mister Pizza already have expressed interest in the property should the shul shut down, said Weinrib and Smukler.

“Both restaurants would like us to sell the building so they could knock it down for parking,” said Smukler, whose father was one of the shul’s founding members more than 80 years ago.

Tony Colicchia, owner of Mister Pizza, acknowledged that the property, as an empty lot, could be useful for his business.

“Of course, I could use the parking. But push comes to shove, I don’t think they’d sell it,” said Colicchia.

Smukler and Weinrib are both in their 80s, but neither of them plans on giving up on the place.

“I know as long as Harry and I are alive it won’t close,” said Smukler. “I think there’s nothing worse than closing a place of worship, regardless of what religion it is. So it’s SOS — save our shul.”

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/718273.html

Haifa University researchers : “Self-Watering” Plant Discovered

(IsraelNN.com) Haifa University researchers succeeded in discovering how a “self-irrigating” plant, known as Rheum palaestinum (desert rhubarb), allows it to take advantage of a large quantity of water 16 times more than the expected rainfall in the desert. It is assumed to be the only plant that could self-irrigate itself.

The plant grows on a hill in the Negev, in an especially arid area that receives only 75 mm. of rain annually. In contrast to the majority of desert plants that have small leaves that reduce water loss, this plant is unique in that its leaves are very large and its lily-like leaves can grow to a diameter of up to a meter. Each leaf has a surface covered with a smooth protective surface that aids in collecting the rainwater.