Brooklyn's LICH On the Verge of Closing - UPDATE: Endowment Drained?

Long Island College Hospital -- LICH -- in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn faces closure -- just two years after SUNY Downstate took it over, the Times, the News, the Post and the Brooklyn Eagle are reporting.

Talk of closure comes a week after state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli issued a "scathing" audit saying that SUNY Downstate was on the verge of bankruptcy. The report said SUNY Downstate's decision to absorb LICH a colossal financial mistake.

As far back as 2008, doctors accused the hospital’s parent body -- which was at that time Continuum Health Partners -- of financial mismanagement and leaving the hospital in a precarious position.

UPDATE:

According to the Brooklyn Eagle:
"While the audit said SUNY Downstate assumed both assets and “substantial” liabilities from LICH, Downstate President Williams asserted that LICH’s assets were higher than previously estimated – from "$280 million to $550 million," reports Crain’s New York.

Further, SUNY won’t be responsible for about $140 million worth of potential LICH medical malpractice claims. A trust set up from LICH endowment funds will cover those payments.

Also, according to DiNapoli’s report, $32.7 million was transferred from LICH’s accounts to SUNY's “Health Science Center at Brooklyn Foundation, Inc.” a not-for-profit corporation. (We notice the management fees for this foundation in 2011 alone are almost $6 million.)


This brings us back to 2008, when it was Continuum who was draining LICH of resources. Dr. Arnold Licht president of LICH medical staff, charged at that time: “Continuum has refused to account for money it has ‘borrowed’ from LICH’s endowment, for millions from the sale of LICH’s property, and even for bills it has imposed on LICH.”

- Unexpected: Head of Brooklyn's LICH Stepping Down
- LICH Is Now UHBLICH
- Donald and Mildred: We're Sorry About Losing All Your Money, and the Hospital, Too
- Gov. Paterson Announced LICH /SUNY Deal in Brooklyn Today 
- Insurance Trouble at Brooklyn's LICH 
- Petition to Save LICH
- Sucking Long Island Collage Hospital Dry?
- Long Island College Hospital In Big Trouble


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NYC Interactive Dog Map Shows 'Lucy' Most Popular Dog Name in Downtown Brooklyn

We knew we've run into a lot of dogs named Lucy lately, and now there's proof:

WNYC’s Data News team has created DOGS OF NYC, an interactive map that illustrates the popularity of names and breeds depending on neighborhood.

There are actually 23 dogs named Lucy living in the 11201 Zip code -- followed by 10 Maggie's and 10 Lulu's.

Meanwhile, in Williamsburg, Milo and Max tie for first.

You can zoom the map and click on dog names for details.



Other interesting tidbits:
*The most popular female dog name is Bella, and Max is the most popular male dog name.
*There are 26 dogs in NYC named Pepsi, but none named Coke or Coca-Cola.
*There are 14 dogs named Kitty and 31 named Tigger.

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Wilhelm Rips 'Girls' in 'Zombie Girls of Brooklyn'

Girls poster from series premier, via Wikipedia.

The media is infatuated with it, but the HBO series Girls is sad, not funny, says Heather Wilhelm in "The Zombie Girls of Brooklyn" in Real Clear Politics.

In case you're not breathlessly watching every episode, here's Wikipedia's description of "Girls":
 "Created by and starring Lena Dunham, Girls is a comedy-drama that follows a close group of twenty-somethings as they chart their lives in New York City."

Here's Wilhelm's description:
Girls "follows the largely depressing, sex-fueled lives of four self-centered, fresh-out-of-college Brooklyn women. Indeed, it is a reintroduction to our old, tired, overworked friend 'Sex and the City,' only dusted off, tossed into Brooklyn, and dipped into a grungy, plastic kiddie pool filled with floating bugs, self-referential 'meta' humor, and ennui."

The Golden Globes? The positive reviews in newspapers and magazines? The media is pushing an agenda, selling a product -- and all the "girls" in the show have famous parents, Wilhelm points out.

Real Clear Politics reader comments include:

* "Just because YOU don't get the joke, doesn't mean it isn't funny..."

* "Since 99.6% of the population aren't watching the show, apparently a lot of people don't get the joke - 0.4% do - about the same percentage that "get" the humor of "bum fight" videos."

* "To a really strong woman, being bold might mean standing tall and dignified. For these characters, boldness means barfing and bad language."

* "The media is throwing awards and praises to a show for nothing more than reaffirming their own philosophy about lifestyle. No one watches it, no one likes it."

* "The media can't push anything on you. If it offends, or you simply don't like it, don't watch."

"Zombie Girls of Brooklyn" here.

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Developer Buys Entire Block of Williamsburg

A developer has bought an entire block of Williamsburg for a Chelsea-Market style development and possibly a big box store, reports Wall Street Journal via Brownstoner.

The same company, Heritage Equity Partners, announced they'll be putting up a rental building and a hotel at other sites in Williamsburg.

Photo by Google Maps

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'Hazardous Weather Outlook' Issued for Brooklyn, NYC

The National Weather Service issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for all five boroughs of New York City Wednesday morning, warning that the temperature in the lower teens combined with 15 -2- mph winds will result in wind chill values down to 5 below zero this morning.

Wind chill values may drop below zero Thursday morning as well.

Snow flurries are expected this afternoon.

From NOAA:

"THERE IS A THREAT OF FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA WITH PROLONGED OVEREXPOSURE. FOR THOSE VENTURING OUT...WEAR A WARM COAT...GLOVES AND COVER YOUR HEAD TO PROTECT AGAINST FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA. LIMIT AREAS OF EXPOSED SKIN. DRESSING IN LAYERS CAN ALSO HELP PROTECT YOU AGAINST THE COLD. LIMIT TIME OUTDOORS IF POSSIBLE."


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Idiotarod Returns to NYC Saturday, Under New Management

Team Remus; courtesy of Corporation X

A message that may be from the Idiotarod:

"After an apocalyptic 2012," New York City’s annual Idiotarod is re-emerging under the management of the Federal Emergency Racing Agency (FERA), with oversight from the Department of Homeland Absurdity."

We say "may be" because not only do the organizers sometimes deny they are the organizers, but because sabotage  and the spreading of misinformation such as false route information is common.

The Idiotarod consists of costumed teams of (usually) five idiots pushing lavishly decorated shopping carts over a five-mile-long course in the freezing cold, often starting in Manhattan and usually winding up in Brooklyn. 2013 is the 10th annual Idiotarod.

Email Idiotarodnyc@yahoo.com for a registration form. All entry forms must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on the Thursday prior to the race (January 24th). However due to the potential for bureaucratic snafus or outright dumping of forms, earlier completion is highly suggested.

Idiotarod 2013 will commence at 12 noon on January 26, 2013, rain or shine (so we're told). 

The launch location will be announced to registrants on Friday, January 25th (the night before the race). (Again, take this with a grain of salt. It may start somewhere else.)

The race will conclude with an afterparty and mobile art exhibition beginning at 6 p.m. in the Gowanus Ballroom.

Many more details on Facebook. Short web page here.


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Pratt Expands Film School; Valentine Gifts for Guys; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- "Probably not the most artful phrase, but the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir just killed it." -- NBC anchor Brian Williams at yesterday's inauguration in Washington, D.C. Brooklyn Eagle 

- Eat your weight in meat: Fairway is giving away 130 pounds of beef, to one hungry carnivore. Brokelyn

- Stolen car with stolen $30,000 Torah inside found untouched in Brooklyn. NY Magazine

- Pratt Institute plans to quadruple enrollment at its film school after moving to new 17,000-square-foot home, while Brooklyn College will start a graduate film program from scratch. Crain's NY

- Shaving soap, steampunk gears cufflinks, black leather chest harness, vintage black derby: Eatsy has pages of Valentine's gifts for guys. Etsy

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More Brooklyn Victims of Child Abuser Nechemya Weberman Alleged

Nechemya Weberman, the Hasidic "counselor" to be sentenced in Brooklyn Tuesday for sexually abusing a young Williamsburg girl for years, violated at least 10 others, according to the New York Daily News.

Weberman is said to have invoked Kabbalah — a form of Jewish mysticism — to convince his victims that having sex with him was kosher, the News reports.

After coming forward, the woman, now 18, and her husband were the targets of an intimidation campaign.

More than 1,000 Satmar Hasidic (Jewish) men showed up at a Williamsburg hall to raise $500,000 for Weberman’s legal defense. (About a  hundred anti-Weberman supporters showed up as well.)

Following Weberman's conviction, a Hasidic rabbi who campaigns against the sexual abuse of children was attacked in Williamsburg by a man who threw bleach in his face.

Weberman was convicted December 10, 2012. His cousin, who operates an anti-Weberman blog (he calls Weberman a "pig") says Weberman is under a suicide watch -- though he added he wouldn't be surprised if it was a "ploy to win sympathy" from the judge.

Graphic based on photo by Ernst Moeksis

Previous:
- Accused Rapist Nechemya Weberman Goes to Trial in Brooklyn

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AT&T Says You Can Get the Flu From Your Phone

Photo: APAPF

AT&T's Chief Medical Information Officer -- Dr. Geeta Nayyar -- has sent out a warning that your cell phone may be a disgusting, germ-laden agent of influenza infection:

"We take our phones everywhere we go, from the gym to the bathroom and then to the dinner table and even to bed. Throughout your day, you inevitably shake hands, touch doorknobs and staircase railings – and then you touch your phone and put it against your face. While being connected is invaluable these days – as we grapple with a flu epidemic, your device can become an infection agent."

What to do?

Keep your phone germ-free, says Dr. Nayyar. Here are some of her tips:

1. Don't test or borrow friends' phones right now. This passes germs.

2. Avoid using your phone on the subway, at the gym, in the restroom or at your local coffee place or salad bar – in particular, don't use it and then rest it on public surfaces. Think of how many people touch these surfaces after touching their noses, mouths – or their own devices – in the course of a day. Eww, right?

3. Sanitize and disinfect your phone several times a day – even if you think it has not been in contact with a sick person. ( AT&T stores carry disinfectant.)

4. Try using a Bluetooth device or other hands-free headset, minimizing your keypad-to-face exposure.

5. There ARE cases though where your device can help you out - helpful Apps include the following – (all run on the AT&T network, of course):

A) FluFACTS Fight the Flu: helps you track flu info in your area; assess symptoms, offers helpful tips to fight the flu or ways to stay flu-free.

B) The CDC's app allows you to track treatment and info

C) iPhone apps from Duane Read, CVS and other chain drugstores throughout NYC have apps to track locations nearby and on-hand supplies of shots.


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'FU Sandy' Brew; Bus Drivers; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- A brewer has announced a new brew called FU Sandy; all of the proceeds will benefit hurricane relief. Gawker

- Good start: Miss America's probably going to duck the inauguration. Brooklyn Eagle 

- A former nun who once worked in Brooklyn publishes her first novel. Brooklynmemoriesmostgreen

- Bus drivers are unjustly targeted by Mayor Bloomberg, says Pete Hamill. NY Daily News

- Construction of a $250 million water tunnel between the North Shore of Staten Island and Brooklyn is under water after flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy damaged crucial equipment. SI Live

- Hundreds honor information activist Aaron Swartz, who killed himself in his Crown Heights, Brooklyn, apartment as he faced trial on hacking charges. Brooklyn Eagle

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2013 Martin Luther King Day in Brooklyn: Celebrations and Service

New York City's biggest celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King takes place right here in Brooklyn, at BAM's 27th annual “Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” It starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in Fort Greene.

Harry Belafonte will be delivering the keynote address, and soulful music will be delivered by Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir, R&B duo Kindred the Family Soul, and more.

Many people participate in the day through acts of service. For volunteer opportunities, see The Coalition Against Hunger;  I Love Franklin Avenue; www.nationalservice.gov/; or LIU.

For more MLK Day events see the Brooklyn Eagle.

Photo courtesy of BlatentNews, Creative Commons license

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Rents in Brooklyn Have Gone Up Faster Than Wages. Much Faster.

You could rent this apartment for $10 a month in 1891. Published in The New York Age

Apartment rents in New York City are increasing all out of historical proportion. According to MNS figures from December, 2012, the mean rent for a one bedroom in DUMBO has jumped to $4,238 a month. In Williamsburg, it'll cost you $3,176.

The mean rent for a one bedroom in Brooklyn is $2,556.

It's bad in Manhattan, too. The mean rent for a non-doorman one bedroom in Manhattan is $3,098. (Tribecca is the most expensive Manhattan neighborhood, at $5,349, while Harlem is the cheapest, at $1,820.)

Historically, we're paying much more of our income for rent than we used to.

In 1891, (see the ad above) you could get a decent two-bedroom overlooking Prospect Park for about $10 a month. Salaries ranged from a bit under $30 to more than $100 a month back then, according to Wage Trends, 1800 - 1900. If the average Joe earned $60 a month, they shelled out one sixth of their salary for their apartment.

That same two-bedroom in Park Slope today would cost you around $3,500 a month, according to MNS. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage in Brooklyn today is roughly $3,267 a month. So to rent that same apartment today would cost the average Joe all of his salary, plus what he makes returning soda cans to the store.

While these figures are rough, there's no doubt the average Brooklynite in 1891 had a much easier time making the rent than we do today.

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