The Asbestos Rat Comes to DUMBO's Two Trees

The inflatable union rat was parked outside Two Trees management Company on Washington Street in DUMBO yesterday to protest Two Trees' use of what the union calls the "dangerous company, New York Insulation" to perform asbestos abatement at 350 Kent Avenue.

According to Laborers International Union of North America Local 78, since 2006 New York Insulation and affiliated company Nick’s Insulation (NYI) have been cited at least 110 times for unsafe asbestos abatement by the NYS Department of Labor and dozens more by DEP.

The union filed a lawsuit against the company for failing to pay workers a prevailing wage and overtime, but the company has denied the claims, according to reports.

Whatever the union's beef, according to New York State, New York Insulation has been "debarred and declared ineligible to submit a bid on or be awarded any public work or public building service contract/sub-contract with the state, any municipal corporation or public body in New York State" until 5/16/2017.

New York Insulation was disqualified as well from doing work NYC School Construction Authority Projects until 5/16/2017.

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Brooklyn Bareburger Opening Soon in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Photos: MK Metz

The newest Brooklyn Bareburger -- serving top-rated organic burgers (including wild boar and bison), sandwiches, salads and shakes -- will be opening "spring 2013" at 149 Court Street (at Pacific) in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.

The first Brooklyn Bareburger is already operating on 7th Avenue in Park Slope. The company will be rolling out 14 new Bareburgers over the next year and a half.

We haven't tried the one in Park Slope yet but the menu sounds fantastic, with enough choices for both meat eaters and vegetarians. (Our gluten-free friend will be able to get her burger on a tapioca rice bun, a rarity in a burger joint.)


It does take some doing to read the sign.



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A Birther Doesn't Fare Well in Brooklyn; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Muckrack followed the Tweets at last night's Mayoral Forum in Brooklyn Heights. [also following: BHB]

- Brooklyn judge slams birther and calls his claims: "fanciful, fantastic, delusional, irrational and baseles." [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Police arrest the creep in the violent subway mugging caught on tape. [NY1]

- A 40-year-old man was killed by a tractor trailer at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues in Brooklyn on Wednesday. [Carroll Gardens Patch]

- After months of protests, the controversial Jamaica Bay Pipeline project is now in construction.[Sheepshead Bites]

- Guy walks from Brooklyn to Garden City, has adventures along the way. Reluctant Habits

- There is a thing in Brooklyn called Walleyball, and it has a king. [Brooklyn Eagle]

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Smorgasburg Returns to Williamsburg and DUMBO this Weekend

DUMBO Smorgasburg. Photo: MK Metz

This is a great place to bring friends for some good eating, Brooklyn style: The food festival called Smorgasburg is returning to Williamsburg this Saturday and to DUMBO this Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Note that the Williamsburg location, with about 100 vendors, has moved one block north to East River State Park this season, at Kent Avenue and North 7th St.

In DUMBO, the food festival's roughly 75 vendors will again set up shop in the Tobacco Warehouse.

Previous Posts:
- Smorgasburg a Hit in DUMBO
- Smorgasburg Opens in DUMBO Today
- Smorgasburg Coming to DUMBO On Sundays = 'Smorgumbo?'
- Good Eatin' at Smorgasburg in Williamsburg
- MiMi and CoCo's Teriyaki Balls Crazy Hit at Smorgasburg

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Brooklyn, NYC, Under a 'Fire Weather Watch' All Day Wednesday, April 3

February's Pratt fire. MK Metz

We didn't even know there was such an alert -- but now the National Weather Service is warning Brooklyn, New York City and the surrounding area that a "Fire Weather Watch" remains in effect from 8 a.m. Wednesday through Wednesday evening.

Low humidity combined with "gusty west winds" and "dry fine fuels" will lead to "increased fire spread if ignition occurs."

From NOAA:

* AFFECTED AREA...NEW YORK CITY...LONG ISLAND...THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY...SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT AND NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 21 PERCENT.

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST WINDS AND LOWEST RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL OCCUR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...INCREASED FIRE SPREAD IF IGNITION OCCURS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR.


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Brutal F Train Robbery Video; Bone Selling Doctor Dying of Cancer; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Surveillance cameras captured a brutal robbery in an empty stairway of the 18th Avenue F train station in Borough Park, Brooklyn. [City Room]

- 'Indestructible' touchscreen subway map kiosks coming to select subway stations this summer. [Gizmodo]

- A woman is suing the NYPD for pepper spraying her and her three young children in a Brooklyn subway station last summer. [Gothamist]

- The doctor convicted of masterminding a ghoulish scheme to sell the bones and organs of deceased people is dying of bone cancer in prison. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Artist Lorna Simpson lists Fort Greene townhouse for $3 million. [TRD]

- Columbia Waterfront resident Lou Formisano -- over the objections of the city -- succeeded in cleaning up a vermin-filled park . . . and now that spring is here it looks mighty inviting. [Carroll Gardens Patch]

- The first round of Sandy aid money is finally coming, and the city wants the public’s opinion on the best way to dole it out. [Sheepshead Bites]

- For Britain, global warming may save freezing seniors. [Telegraph]

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Pepper Spray Incident on Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn?

NY Scanner reported at roughly 11 p.m. that the 770 Eastern Pkwy Hatzolah EMS reported a "Pepper Spray incident" with multiple victims.

"Multiple Ambulances staging."

Brooklyn: 770 Eastren Pkwy Hatzolah EMS reporting a Pepper Spray incident with multiple victims Multiple Ambulances staging.

— NY Scanner (@NYScanner) April 3, 2013

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LICH Shutdown on Hold AGAIN; Brooklyn Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order

Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Johnny Lee Baynes issued a temporary restraining order on Monday stopping the NYS Department of Health from shutting down Long Island College Hospital (LICH) -- until at least May 2, the Brooklyn Eagle reports.

Last month, Judge Johnny Lee Haynes said the SUNY Board had violated state Open Meetings law during its first vote to close LICH. The board re-voted to close it a few days later.

Meanwhile Cobble Hill residents have paid for a TV commercial airing later this week which depicts a dying patient and frantic ambulance workers dealing with the aftermath of the closure LICH, the NY Daily News reports.

Previous posts on LICH here.

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Scam Company Dialing Brooklyn Phone Numbers

Photo: KB35

Beware the scam phone calls announcing, "You indicated you were interested in a position in a survey."

The calls originate with a company that often calls itself 'WN Positions' and the purpose may be to acquire your personal information.

If you get a call from 347-669-4973 don't answer. If you do, don't give them any information, just hang up. They have been dialing NYC phone exchanges recently, with a number of them in Brooklyn.

According to 9wsyr, the Better Business Bureau says it couldn’t even locate WN Positions to process the complaints it’s received.

People who receive these scam calls are encouraged to contact the Federal Trade Commission.

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Raynaldo Carmoega, 73, Missing in Brooklyn

The NYPD issued a Silver Alert on Monday night for Raynaldo Carmoega, age 73. Carmoega was last seen in the vicinity of West 33rd Street and Surf Avenue in Brooklyn on March 28 at 5 p.m., wearing blue jeans, a red jersey with white marking, and a white hat.

Carmoega is 5' 5" and weighs 147 lbs with short, brown, frosted hair and gold teeth. He is reported to suffer from dementia and diabetes. If you see him, please call 911.

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