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Outrage Over Film Deal For Taconic Wrong Way Driver’s Family

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:42:01 +0000

Photograph of Diane Schuler with her husband Danny, son Bryan and daughter Erin Yesterday, the NY Post reported that a film production company had paid the family of Diane Schuler $100,000 “to exhume her body and test the remains to see whether she suffered a stroke.” Naturally, there’s anger over the deal, because Schuler was, according to toxicology reports , drunk and high when she was driving the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway and ultimately crashed into another car, killing herself, her daughter, her three nieces and three passengers in another car. The son and brother of two victims in the other car said, “It’s pretty pathetic that [Danny Schuler]’s cashing in on his wife — the murderer who killed seven innocent people. It’s disgraceful.” Diane Schuler had been returning to her Long Island home from a camp site when the crash occurred on July 26, 2009 ; the only survivor was her son Bryan. After the tox reports were released, her husband defended her , saying, “She is not an alcoholic and my heart is rested every night when I go to bed,” and insisting she was sober before driving, suggesting instead that she had a stroke or a condition related to her diabetes. Danny Schuler’s lawyer Dominic Barbara confirmed that he brokered the deal with Liz Garbus’s and Rory Kennedy’s Moxie Firecracker Films . Moxie Firecracker told Newsday that the $100,000 figure was incorrect, “A modest stipend was paid for activities related to the making of the film. It is not uncommon to pay for materials and research when making an investigative film.” And Barbara says the money will go into a trust for Bryan. The film is supposedly an investigative documentary that would air on HBO. HBO told the Journal News , “An exhumation could only take place if it’s ordered by a court, next of kin or a legal representative. It’s not something that the filmmakers would be doing.” Danny Schuler had wanted more toxicology reports and an exhumation, but couldn’t afford to do so last year . Michael Bastardi Jr., whose father and brother were killed in an SUV going the right way on the Taconic (their friend was also killed), said, “To give someone the rights to exhume your wife’s body is disgraceful.” And at a memorial for his three daughters, who were 5, 7, and 9 at the time of the crash, Diane Schuler’s brother Warren Hance had a message, which a priest communicated , “Please don’t pray for my children, pray to my children, they’re saints.”

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Outrage Over Film Deal For Taconic Wrong Way Driver’s Family

Baby Delivered At Bowling Green Station

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:35:14 +0000

Surprise delivery! Pregnant mom Kelly Xion was waiting for the Brooklyn-bound train at Bowling Green yesterday afternoon when her contractions began. EMTs Thomas Loggins and Jerry Chatelaim showed up fast, and said “the baby was already crowning” by the time they got there. Xion gave birth to a healthy son on the platform, with many commuters watching on! Xion and her son were quickly brought to New York Downtown Hospital. Perhaps she’ll name him Bowling Green, taking after the parents of Number 16 Bus Shelter .

5 Teens Sickened By Drinking "Blue" Liquid From Fountain

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:39:58 +0000

Photo by Daniel Albanese Around 12:30 this afternoon we received reports that five kids fell ill from drinking blue liquid being dispensed from a water fountain at 75 Broad Street in Manhattan. The teenagers were inside of Millennium High School at the time, and have since been transported to NYU Downtown Hospital. We were sent some photos from the scene, and will update when we receive more information. Last month about 80 students at PS 20 in Flushing were became ill after drinking pink liquid from a fountain, which was contaminated with air conditioning chemicals.

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5 Teens Sickened By Drinking "Blue" Liquid From Fountain

Curbed Hamptons: America’s Oldest Cattle Ranch Hits Market; More Quarterly Stats

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:48:09 +0000

The latest headlines from Curbed Hamptons , our outpost on the East End… 1) What’s reportedly the country’s oldest cattle ranch, the circa 1658 Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk, is on the market . It’s been called the birthplace of the American cowboy and has hosted charity concerts with the likes of Paul Simon and Billy Joel. The price for such a pedigree? Around $13 million. 2) Prudential Douglas Elliman’s latest quarterly Hamptons report has landed , and it shows the market trending upward from this time last year, with prices up 16.9 percent . But things are on the decline from last quarter, with prices down 13.4 percent. 3) Another entry on our list of buildings that light up our lives: the former Gardiner Estate on East Hampton’s Main Street. Fuschia mood lighting . Need we say more? · Curbed Hamptons [hamptons.curbed.com]

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Curbed Hamptons: America’s Oldest Cattle Ranch Hits Market; More Quarterly Stats

Coming Soon: We had a pretty good feeling…

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:34:14 +0000

We had a pretty good feeling Two Trees Dumbo residential conversion 25 Washington Street wasn’t going to make its spring 2010 opening date, but now there’s a firmer one: March 2011, the development team tells The Real Deal . Rents will range from $2,000 (studios) to $4,800 (2BRs). Think that’s long enough for the building’s former office tenants to get used to the idea? [Real Deal; previously ]

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Coming Soon: We had a pretty good feeling…

Andres Levin, Producer

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:52:00 +0000

Andres Levin is something of a legend in the world of music production. Having produced and written for a genre-spanning array of greats—from Chaka Khan to Tina Turner, David Byrne to Natalie Merchant, and with the In The Heights cast recording thrown in for good measure—Levin has found the time to lend his golden production touch to ” Field of Dreams ,” the free DIY music and art festival coming to Prospect Park tomorrow. It’s unclear what the promise of “Do It Yourself” will entail, but we’re pretty excited regardless. The festival is put on by Levin with the Bruce High Quality Foundation , that anonymous Brooklyn art collective whose pieces are blatantly snide and brilliant backhands to the art world. The band list is just as unusually paired, with sets by R&B duo Les Nubians , Cuban fusion singer CuCu Diamantes , Levin’s own Afro-beat-meets-tropicalia band Yerba Buena , and a whole host of others. This week Levin took a moment to tell us about “Field of Dreams,” his first joint, and what it will take to get him to dish more diva stories. The list of bands for Saturday is fantastic. Did you handpick them? Is this a compilation of your favorites? Is there one in particular you are especially excited about? Yes, there are a lot of amazing things happening in the New York music scene right now. I wanted to make a musical statement that was about New York as our home and lab beyond any style or scene. Also our coming together (the Bruces and I) for this makes it exponentially more important. I’ve started a new band just for this event called Los Hankey Pankeys. We’re beta testing a new 3-D iPad app as part of the set, as well as inviting lots of good, rare artist friends on stage. Exited about that. All the bands are very different and important. I’ll be shooting a documentary that day that I hope will one day be regarded as an important day in the renaissance of New York’s music and art scene. I just attended the Latin Alternative Music Conference last week, and the work coming from Latin artists is a new breed entirely. What do you think of the direction Latin alt-electro is going in? Who do you have your eye on now whom you see making a big impact on the genre? LAMC brings great bands to NYC but to be honest, I’m thinking and motivated by all great art; whether Latin or otherwise. I don’t like categories and Latin is a category…for now. Bruce High Quality Foundation Is “Field of Dreams” your first venture into the world of festival production? Do you have more planned? Well, I actually did several multi-artist shows before in large venues. One that stood out was the tribute to Fela Kuti at BAM, the Barbican and the Hollywood Bowl. Lots of great energy comes out of these events and so yes I plan to do lots more. This is the first time for an event of this complexity and I know it will not be the last—a public park show where art, music, neighborhood, family, technology & comedy can all exist at once. What exactly does a DIY art festival entail? How will the DIY aspect figure in? DIY: do it yourself! As artists and musicians we must not wait for opportunities, we have to create them. Do you consider producing for your clients to be your profession, and leading/producing/writing for Yerba Buena more of a creative outlet? Or is there more crossover than that? I’ve decided not to have a profession any more. I get involved in projects that inspire me and help inspire others. This year I did Natalie Merchant’s poetry album, produced Field of Dreams, produced a movie as well as several ad campaigns & albums, and learned some new tunings on my guitar. Yerba Buena’s sound is very genre blending. You’ve got Afro-Cuban, you’ve got hip-hop, and there’s plenty of Boricua sound too. How does your Venezuelan background factor in, musically? Interesting, because the most inspiring thing about Venezuela was doing electronic music with my dad in the context of the Caracas Tropicalia-rock music scene. I lived 6 years in Bahia, more than 20 in New York and plan on moving around a lot. So I think Venezuela will continue to creep into my work. Especially the 5/4 merengue! Where does the name Yerba Buena mean for you? How did you all find each other? Well it means “good herb” even though I don’t smoke much anymore. I did smoke my first joint at 13 with my dad making electronic music in Caracas…so go figure. Yerba Buena was really founded by Cucu Diamantes. She was the visionary and spark that jump started the whole thing. I took this and made it into the records. More than a band, it’s a diary of our life experience and collaborations in NYC… and will be a musical someday. As all music for me now is visual. I’m always trying to find universe-bending ideas. You’ve produced and written for quite the list of very high-profile artists—Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Gladys Night and Macy Gray to name a few—who among them did you most enjoy working with? Any production horror stories? There are many—I love producing and squeezing the best out of people. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many and will continue to. I’m not going to talk about horror stories on this one, but maybe over some tequila. You attended both Julliard and Brooklyn College. What was college life in NYC like for you? College was very intense and confusing. I loved some of my teachers, was absolutely bored by others. I think the best lessons I learned on the streets, in the studio, at the clubs and in the subways. That said, I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity. Even though I dropped out several times I got a lot from it and will continue to be studying in or out of school. Do you live in NYC now? I do most of the time. This is my main home and I enjoy every second I putz around the streets of it. Where do you hang out when you’re in the city? Where do you eat? I love Frankies, Ninth Street Espresso, The Box, the dog parks, the bridges, Loisaida, all the American and Irish bars that played the World Cup in Spanish.

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Andres Levin, Producer

Can You Identify New York City’s Buildings?

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:03:00 +0000

How many buildings in New York City’s famous skyline can you identify? Click through the images to test yourself (answers at the end); the Illuminating Engineering Society of New York created this Nightseeing map , and the Daily News recently tested locals with it. Turns out their sample pool of New Yorkers didn’t test any better than tourists! One woman who has worked in the 75-story CitySpire building for three years couldn’t even identify it on the map (in fact, she could only name 3 of the 26 buildings on the map)—and one man standing in front of the Time Warner Center failed to name it on the map! How did you do?

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Can You Identify New York City’s Buildings?

Georgia CEO Fatally Shot By New Jersey Cop

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:23:35 +0000

DeFarra Gaymon Police are investigating the death of Credit Union of Atlanta CEO Defarra ‘Dean’ Gaymon, who was fatally shot by an undercover New Jersey cop on Friday night. According to a press release from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the undercover detective had been investigating complaints of “public sexual activity” Branch Brook Park in Newark, and had made one arrest with his partner. During the arrest, the detective lost a pair of handcuffs, and retreated into the park to search for them. That’s when he claims he was approached by Gaymon, who was “engaged in a sex act” at the time ( the WSJ says he was masturbating). After the detective flashed his badge, he says Gaymon “assaulted” him and fled, allegedly shouting threats at the officer. The press release says, “Mr. Gaymon then lunged at and attempted to disarm the officer while reaching into his own pocket. Fearing for his life, the officer discharged his service weapon, striking Mr. Gaymon once.” Gaymon, however, was unarmed. The 48-year-old, a father of four in town for his high school reunion, died of a shot to the stomach at University Hospital. The officer was also brought to the hospital to be treated for trauma, and wasn’t able to give an account of what happened until Monday. Because he is the only witness, Gaymon’s family has questioned the validity of his story. The family said in a statement , “We know that the police killed an innocent man, with no history of or disposition towards violence.” Police have asked any other witnesses to step forward. The Credit Union of Atlanta wrote on their website , “Credit Union of Atlanta extends condolences to the family of DeFarra “Dean” Gaymon who passed away suddenly July 16, 2010. We are deeply saddened at the loss of Mr. Gaymon and offer our most sincere sympathy to the Gaymon family.” Another reunion organizer told the Times , “All the people that knew him say you never met a kinder, nicer, more gentle person, and they’re stunned about what happened.”

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Georgia CEO Fatally Shot By New Jersey Cop

Killer Bikes Terrorize NY! Pedestrians, Drivers Under Siege!

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:59:08 +0000

Jamie NYC’s Flickr Everybody knows bicycle riders have turned our city’s streets and sidewalks into utter death traps , but most New Yorkers have meekly submitted to the two-wheeled tyranny of cyclists and their leader, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. Most, but not all —The New York Post has mounted a courageous counterattack against bike riders and their precious lanes , which have taken over 200 miles of street space (and counting) that used to be the exclusive property of motorists. In an editorial entitled “Attack of the Killer Bikes!,” Post columnist Matt Harvey rants thus: The rise of bikes is almost always framed by the pollution impact of cars. But New York already has an environmentally friendly commuter system: the subway. The city is a great place to walk, made less so by bicycles that threaten to take you out every time you step outside… Kate Sullivan, a 28-year-old book editor who lives in the East Village, used to bike through Brooklyn all the time. Repeating a variation on an all too familiar story, she explains that one night, “passing too closely to a car,” the driver accidentally opened his door on her. A broken collarbone and “many months of physical therapy” resulted. “New York won’t ever be a great bike city like Amsterdam or Portland,” she says. “It’s going to be a dangerous city to bike in no matter how many bike lanes we put in.” But contrary to the Post’s “expert”-on-the-street, cyclist fatalities, on average, have remained flat in the past few years, despite a massive increase in bike riders . And we can safely assume that the increase in cyclists is at least in part attributable to the DOT’s bike lane infrastructure improvements. Earlier this year a city report revealed that traffic fatalities in 2009 were down to the lowest they’ve been in a century, and 50 percent fewer cyclists were killed last year than in 2008—12 died last year, down from 26 in ‘08, according to the DOT. After getting bike lanes, road injuries were down roughly 30% on Grand Street, down 56% on Ninth Avenue, and down 50% on the new Broadway Boulevard between 42nd to 35th Streets. Wiley Norvell at Transportation Alternatives tells us, “NYC streets are hardly a walk in the park, but they’re getting safer and bike lanes have a lot to do with it. Where protected bike lanes have been installed here in NYC, they’ve cut down on road injuries to all street users—cyclists, drivers and pedestrians—by roughly half.” For their part, Transportation Alternatives has been working to encourage cyclists to always give pedestrians the right of way and obey other ” Biking Rules .”

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Killer Bikes Terrorize NY! Pedestrians, Drivers Under Siege!

EMT Accused Of Ignoring Dying Woman Killed In Soho Shooting

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:50:28 +0000

Jason Green, one of the EMTs accused of ignoring a dying pregnant woman last December, was fatally shot earlier this morning in Soho. The Daily News reports , “Jason Green, 32 – who was suspended by the FDNY for 30 days for abandoning Au Bon Pain worker Eutisha Rennix in December – was shot in the face outside of Greenhouse club in Soho about 5 a.m., police said. He was off duty at the time.” Apparently Green and a friend were trying to enter the club, but his friend was turned away for not being dressed appropriately. According to the Post , “Moments later, about a block away from the club, Green and his friend got into a dispute with an armed man who stepped out of a car at Vandam and Hudson streets and fired at least two shots, police said. Green was hit two times in the torso and later died at New York Downtown Hospital.” One resident told the Post she wasn’t surprised about the incident stemming from Greenhouse, ” I hate to say it, but we’ve been waiting for something like this to happen. I’ve had numerous complaints filed with 311 and they never got back to us. It starts usually at 11 or 12 at night and they don’t leave until 1 in the afternoon the next day.” Last year, Greenhouse was hit with a $1 billion class action lawsuit and a $1.5 billion lawsuit , both accusing the establishment of discriminating against black patrons. Green had denied the allegations that he and EMT colleague Melissa Jackson did not help Euthisa Rennix , who was six months pregnant and dying of an asthma attack . They claimed that they never saw Rennix and even if they did, they didn’t have the proper medical equipment to treat her. Green also told the NY Times , “You’re telling me that at 9:13 in the morning somebody is going to drop dead in front of us, turn blue, and we’re just going to sit there and say, ‘We’re drinking coffee and eating bagels, there’s nothing we can do, we’re trainees?’” and called the claims “all bogus lies and fabrication.”

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EMT Accused Of Ignoring Dying Woman Killed In Soho Shooting