Brooklyn Small Biz Feeling The Squeeze

 

Carl Hum from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce says all is not lost for small businesses

 By Edmund DeMarche

 

J.M. De Jesus, a state certified business consultant, recently ate at a client’s Brooklyn bakery. The man was an Iraq war veteran set to begin his career as a pastry shop owner.

Two days ago, De Jesus revisited the store to find it closed.

“I can’t say I’m surprised at the trend,” said De Jesus. “People are just not getting the loans they used to.”

Small Brooklyn businesses borrowed 38 percent less from banks as compared to last year, according to a study released last week by representatives Anthony Weiner and Nydia Velazquez.

 

In the most recent Federal Reserve Senior Loan Officer survey, over 75 percent of lenders said they had tightened lending standards for small firms. Meanwhile, 90 percent of those lenders reported having increased the cost of small business credit.  Under these conditions, even entrepreneurs who have managed to weather the storm thus far are abandoning plans for growth.

 

“Every business is feeling the pinch,” he says. “Unless you have impeccable credit, you’re probably not going to get approved.”

 

Last week, Sens. Charles Schumer and John Kerry asked for $620 million in aid for small businesses, which was considered by many the first sign that small businesses might receive help from the federal government.

 

The federal government injected $600 million into small businesses in the city after the events of Sept. 11, and some see this as a similar crisis. In the city, at least 50 percent of private sector jobs are in small businesses.

 

“When the New York City economy catches a cold, small firms catch pneumonia,” said Weiner. He further stated that access to these loans are often the deciding factor whether a business survives or folds.

 

For small businesses in trouble, economists say to consider obtaining loans from micro-lenders and credit unions.

 

ACCION New York is the city’s largest micro-lender, having disbursed 3,800 loans totaling more than $16 million to 2,100 small business owners (average $7,619 per business loan). ACCION is a non profit organization that relies on government grants and low-interest loans from larger banks under the Community Reinvestment Act.

 

“We have seen more people applying for loans then ever,” said Laura Kozian, the communication director from ACCION. “I think you’re going to see the trend continue with micro lenders taking the lead.”

Community banks are also approving more loans to small businesses than in previous years, said Michael Pappas, the regional director of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Some of these banks have better liquidity than their larger competitors.

 

“I think small businesses looking for a loan are beginning to shop around a little,” said Pappas. “Instead of just sticking with their usual larger bank, smaller banks might be better able to grant a loan request.”

 

Based on empirical evidence and speaking with lenders and borrowers, Pappas says some businesses that have looked for loans in the past, are not trying to seek loans in today’s economy.

 

Carl Hum, the president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce says the decrease in loans for small business is worrisome. He agrees that many small businesses are seeing lenders freezing their credit. But he remains optimistic.

 

“All is not lost,” said Hum. “If you need to borrow money for your business, you might just have to look a little harder.”

 

 

Gerritsen Beach Vols Get Needed Funding

 

 By Fred Friedman

 The city has agreed to pay insurance for all volunteer firehouses throughout the city, saving the Gerritsen Beach Volunteer Department from closing, said Councilman Lew Fidler. The agreement will enable the volunteer companies in the city to continue to operate for another year.

“We are, to say the least, very happy about getting funded,” said John Czap, chief elect of the Gerritsen Beach department. “This is the closest we’ve come to being closed down”

Fidler said the delay was a result of a glitch in processing the paper work on time and said the communities can count on continuing to rely on the volunteer companies serving their respective jurisdictions.

The firehouse is in a small, almost non-descript building that sits on Seba Avenue off Gerritsen Avenue. It is nestled between two modest houses. Inside is a fire truck and an ambulance as well as a small office where Rita White dispatches calls for help.

White has been the dispatcher at the department for 15 years. However, this year, due to the city’s economic troubles, there were lingering concern in the community that the department would have to be closed because of the city’s potential unwillingness to pay for these department’s insurance.

“This department means everything to the community,” said White. Everyone is nice and we run events for people. The neighborhood loves us.”

It costs $30,000 a year to insure the Gerritsen Beach department. The insurance is necessary to protect fireman who may be injured on the job. It is required by state law.

The Gerritsen facility opened in 1922, and maintains 15 to 30 members who respond to alarms that sound in the event of an emergency. The department also trains emergency medical technicians who can potentially save lives while transporting the sick to a local hospital.

The department, the only one of its kind in Brooklyn, was saved from the prospect of having to close its doors due to the failure of the city to renew its insurance coverage for its members.

Earning a Living, 1 Rubik’s Cube At A Time

 

By Edmund DeMarche

 

Braulio Morales slides open the train car door, places a large plastic bag on the ground and announces a blockbuster sale on Rubik’s Cubes.

“We have the classic Rubik’s Cube you remember when you were a kid,” he says, in a rich Puerto Rican accent. “Today, one dollar. Remember all the memories when you were a kid.”

He calls himself  “we,” to create the illusion that he is more than a one-man operation, as if behind him stands the entire Rubik’s Cube Company. He speaks loudly and forcefully, with a twinge of humor. He’s one part standup comedian and one part pitchman, the kind you’d see selling lettuce choppers on TV at three in the morning.  

His initial pitch inspires no response from the 15 passengers used to seeing panhandlers and Sunday morning preachers. But unfailingly he continues, “One at a time please—please don’t push.”  Some passengers crack a smile. “We have one for everybody.”

He had no takers and sits down and begins to fiddle with a cube.

Anyone who takes the Q-train from Sheepshead Bay into the city with any kind of regularity is familiar with two people. There’s the battery guy, who sells “top of the line” Duracell batteries for $1 and lugs them around in a black backpack. And there’s the Rubik’s Cube guy.  

Morales, 40 the Rubik’s Cube guy, has a slight stubble. He is wearing a small black knit hat and a small black vest stretched by his heft. He complains that the slow economy has hurt business. The Rubik’s Cube manufacturers, due to the increase in plastic prices, are skimping with cube quality. People riding trains are also not as likely to buy from him.

“You can see the change,” he says, with the large bag by his feet. He’s out here this morning because, he says, people are prone to spend money on the weekend since most commuters get paid at the end of the week.

“It’s a challenge for me because I don’t have a memorized line,” he says. “Whenever I enter a train, I just say what feels right.”

Morales has been a subway salesman, an activity which has been prohibited by the MTA, for the past 10 years. Born in Manhattan, he was raised in Puerto Rico until he moved to an apartment in Sunset Park he shares with his wife Alba. The two do not have children.

He began his career selling small bikes and scooters in busy train stations throughout the city. But he found Rubik’s Cubes appealing because they are light, hence easier to move from point A to point B.

Once a week, he buys a bulk set of Rubik’s Cubes from a retailer in the city and in turn sells them for $1. He works six days a week, about four hours a day.The hours vary, but he makes sure he sells his entire bag—100 pieces.

So far, he’s never been assaulted by a passenger but says he’s laughed at and mocked at times.

“I really don’t let the stuff like that get to me,” he says. “I’m a professional and I’ve been doing it for a long time. If someone wants to make fun of me, I’m fine with that.”

He enjoys his vocation and considers himself a true salesman. “I know who my customers are,” he says. “I understand that if you appeal to kids, their parents usually buy it.”

Charles Hynes Picks Fight With Wife Beaters

By Amy Larson

 

Brooklyn’s number one prosecutor, Charles J. Hynes, has gone after a lot of bad guys.

As Kings County District Attorney he is in charge of locking up people ranging from Nixzmary Brown’s murderous stepfather, corrupt former head of Brooklyn’s Democratic Party Clarence Norman, and the parking meter-stealing guy.

But the fiends he most revels in catching are wife-beaters.

Three years ago, Hynes created the New York City Family Justice Center to go after batterers and get help to victims mentally and physically terrorized by their intimate partners. The center houses one of the first specialized domestic violence bureaus in the country, and has become a national model for district attorneys in handling these difficult cases.

Hynes first saw his father hitting his mother when he was five.

“It was the dark secret of the family, and I was humiliated by it,” Hynes said, while sitting in his 19^th-floor office with soaring Manhattan skyscrapers behind him. 

Hynes said his father was a drunk who beat his mother during his childhood in Flatbush and Marine Park.

When Hynes was elected as District Attorney in 1990, he went after wife abusers with a vengeance.

“I was getting even,” Hynes said. “My philosophy was real simple: lock them up.”

Hynes’ answer to domestic violence became more refined and effective after consulting with scholars in the field. The justice center and prosecuting bureau that resulted helps victims navigate through a complex and intimidating court system. 

Every day, about 1,000 people in New York City call the police to report domestic violence, according to the center.

Brooklyn has the most family related murders in the city. Of the 48 domestic homicides committed in 2007, 16 victims were killed in Brooklyn, compared to four in Manhattan and eight in the Bronx, according to the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence.

The justice center, at 350 Jay Street, has a fleet of 44 assistant district attorneys dedicated solely to prosecuting domestic violence cases.

Down the hall from the prosecutors are two laid-back police officers dressed in plain clothes. Victims can report crimes to these officers in a quiet setting that is less intimidating than bustling station houses.

In addition, there are 20 social workers on staff who act as a bridge between the victims and the prosecutors. They give victims suits to wear in court and cell phones to use if they are in danger at home.

While mothers get help, their children are kept busy in a toy-packed playroom, Margaret’s Place, with art projects, stuffed animals and games.

The number of domestic violence cases in recent years has risen, said the DA. In south Brooklyn, Canarsie and Flatlands had the most domestic violence arrests, with 695 in 2007. Bensonhurst had the least, at 383 arrests. 

However, Hynes said that this is actually a positive trend. More women feel empowered enough to report their abuser to the police instead of feeling ashamed and covering for their batterers.

For people terrorized by domestic violence, washing your dirty laundry in public is the right thing to do, Hynes said.   

Since the justice center’s opening in July 2005, nearly 12,200 adults, mainly women, have walked into the center seeking help.

“It’s amazing how resilient people are in overcoming these traumas,” said Sarah McGrath, Senior Clinical Supervisor for the Victim Services Unit.

Domestic violence cases are even more serious than they appear on the surface, said Hynes, because of the long-term emotional and behavioral damage it has.

On the justice center’s front entrance hangs a photograph of Hynes and his mother. The District Attorney said his mother’s steadfast support throughout his childhood got him to where he is today. He did not have such kind words for his father.

“I never talked to my father for the last 19 years of his life,” Hynes said. “He lost a son, I lost a father.” 

 

Marty Forced To Cut Jobs, Say Staffers

By Helen Pointer

Workers in the affable Brooklyn Beep’s office are preparing for staff cuts, according to a staffer who contacted the Brooklyn View. He heard eight workers may be on the chopping block. This comes after Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement of budget cuts ranging from the Department of Buildings to the NYPD.

The layoffs would significantly cut into the $4.2 million Borough Hall staffer’s price tag. Approximately $108,000 would be saved. Beside that, Markowitz’s discretionary funds were cut. Last year, the city gave him a wallet with $2.1 million on projects in the borough, but that amount has dropped to $302,000 this year.

 

“I don’t have to remind anyone that these are challenging economic times that require all of us to make tough decisions and do some ‘belt tightening’ to close the growing city and state budget shortfalls,” Markowitz said in a statement.

 

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion recently laid off 16 of his 77 staffers.

 

The Post in August reported the lavish lifestyles these borough presidents had. Carrion and Staten Island President James Molinaro had 11 official cars each, while Brooklyn’s Marty Markowitz had seven.

 

“Over the next several weeks we’ll be reviewing our budget from top to bottom, and the hard truth is everything is on the table — including the very real possibility of additional layoffs,” Markowitz said.

 

On Nov. 10, a Post Op-Ed said,So, let’s be frank: Borough presidents were a useless annoyance back when times were flush. Now, wasting one more cent on them is a scandal.

 

Why We Love Our Pets

By Edmund DeMarche

Rick Halper loves his dog. He has the bills to prove it.

Samantha is a fluffy white Samoyed, and she’s cost Halper well over $40,000 due to various medical complications.

“She’s family,” said Halper, sitting at his dining room table. “If you can help family, you do it.”

 

At seven, she suffered hip dysplasia, a degenerative joint disease seen in larger dogs where the hip joint forms the attachment of the hind leg to the body. It can be painful to dogs.

She soon developed glaucoma in both eyes. Veterinarians from the Animal Medical Center on the Upper East Side attempted to steady her declining vision, but eventually recommended eye removal surgery. They realized treatment, which included Halper injecting the dog medication directly in her eyes, was ineffective. She would soon be in excruciating pain.

Glaucoma in dogs is common. Like humans, fluid build up is excessively high in the eyeball, destroying the internal structures.

Faced with a decision that would leave Samantha permanently blind, Halper agreed to the operation. For the past five years, he has been caring for a blind dog. Her eyelids are sewn shut.

“Sometimes kids approach her and compliment what a cute dog she is,” said David Ressel, a friend of Halper who watches Samantha when they are away. “Then they realize she has no eyes and they get a little scared.”

Treating a pet like family is becoming commonplace.

 

Treatments available for people, from chemotherapy to kidney transplants, are available for pets. That means once-fatal conditions are now treatable at costs ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,000.

In a country where 47 million Americans go to sleep without health insurance, an increasing number of pets are covered. Veterinary Pet Insurance, the oldest pet insurance company, has seen revenue climb at a 26.8 percent annual rate since 1998. The company, which has about 71 percent of the U.S. pet insurance market, had gross sales of $149 million in 2007.

Halper had the insurance, but said it only paid for a fraction of the bills.

His apartment is a large space in an Upper East Side building that receives fresh flowers in the lobby once a week. Samantha laid in her favorite spot, right between the living room and the foyer.

In the apartment building, some people like dogs– others not so much.

“He’s so good to that dog,” said Besim Hereni, the building’s doorman. “He takes her to get haircuts and shampooed. People in the building admire what he does for her.”

Halper was surprised to hear people appreciate his compassion for Samantha.

“Some people in the building seem to like her, others seem to keep their distance,” he said.

Halper walks her three times a day. The walks are short. He puts the leash on her, ambles to the elevator and leads her to the front of the building.

Once outside, Samantha faces the direction of the wind and breathes in the fresh air. The walks go no farther than the tree in front of his building.  

 “It kind of works out because between work and all, I don’t have the time to take her for long walks anyway,” said Halper.

Halper is a Harvard-trained lawyer who works for the firm of Davis, Polk and Wardwell. He lives with his wife, Jen, a photo editor for US Weekly, and their 3-year-old son, Dylan.

Samantha has been with Halper almost as long as he’s been with his wife. He bought her from a breeder during his senior year at Duke University, where he earned his undergraduate degree and fell in love with his wife.

Growing up, his family never owned a dog, yet he always wanted one. He was attracted to Samoyeds because of their mild temperament and energy outside.

“She’s been with me through a lot, law school and all,” said Halper. “If I saw Samantha suffering, that’s when I would have considered other options. But that was never the case, she’s has the same personality she always had.”

Halper considers the amount of money he spent on his dog unremarkable. He said “playing home vet” and injecting her eyes with medication was the most difficult part of the entire ordeal.

Life has not changed all that much for Samantha. Even though she had her share of health issues, she never was a problem in the apartment.

During the blackout in the summer of 2003, Halper was away on business and his wife was alone with the dog. She remembered laying out newspapers in the apartment and telling Samantha she won’t be able to go for a walk because it would require Jen Halper to carry a 90-pound dog down seven flights of stairs.

But a day passed and Samantha held it in.

“I ended up having to carry her down,” said Jen Halper.

Mike Schaffer wrote a book that is being published in March called, “One Nation Under Dog.” He investigated the country’s evolving relationship with pets.

 

While doing research for the book, Schaffer spent time in pet cemeteries. There, he would watch people mourning the death of a pet and observe people leave flowers over a pet’s grave.

He also noticed a trend. Pets that died in the 20s often had gravestones that read, for example: Here lies Spot, faithful servant.” In the 50s and 60s, it changed to: “Here lies Spot, my pal.” And pets being buried since the 90s, have gravestones with remarks such as: “Here lies Spot, my son.”

“You see the relationship growing closer and closer,” said Schaffer, a City Hall reporter for The Philadelphia Enquirer who took time off to write the book. “You don’t see dog houses anymore, because now pets live in your house.”

Pets’ roles in ads generated by advertising companies have also changed. Ads in the 20s show dogs outdoors. Ads in the 50s and 60s show dogs next to fireplaces. Today, companies show dogs sleeping next to their owners in bed, said Schaffer.

The trend began in the 60s. People began to move farther away from home, work longer hours and unions grew weaker.

Society needed something to hold onto and looked to pets, Schaffer said.

Dr. Lawrence A. Kurdek, a behavioral psychologist from Wright State University, has conducted a study that is under editorial review focusing on pet dogs’ roles as attachment figures. An attachment figure is considered a mother, father, brother or significant other.

The study took a sample of the student population from Wright State and paired them with a pet dog for one year.

The conclusion of the study revealed that the majority of students preferred the dogs to their father.

Kurdek was not surprised by the outcome because he said during college, most students have a shaky relationship with their fathers.

Kurdek was diagnosed with colon cancer two years ago and during his battle formed a close bond with his cocker spaniel-poodle mixes Lilly and Gretta.

“A lot of people diagnosed with a serious disease or are going through difficult times, look to pets as a calming presence,” said Kurdek.

The study showed that extroverts fare no better in forming relationships with pets than introverts.

In instances where pet owners shun people in favor of pets, Kurdek admitted those are times when the relationship tips the scale as being “unhealthy.” Kurdek said more money will be put to research pets and their emotional bonds with owners.

Some companies have already begun to spend money on this trend.

IAMS, a pet food manufacturing company, which sold $118.3 million in pet food last year, maintains a pet loss hotline for pet owners who’ve recently lost a pet.

“Sometimes people may feel embarrassed to talk about grieving the loss of a pet and need to vent to someone,” said Sandy, an employee at IAMS support center. “I think it’s easier to talk about these things with a stranger sometimes.”

Sandy, who did not give her last name because she was unclear of company policy, said she worked at the center for a year.

“Most calls I get are from friends of people who lost pets and are concerned they may be grieving longer than normal,” said Sandy. “But other times, I’ll be getting emotional on the phone with them.”

Sandy has two dogs and three cats, and said this makes the caller feel at ease. “I know what people are going through, I’ve been lucky, and I’ve only lost one dog.”

Workers at the center receive one training session from a social worker on how to handle an emotional person.

“We learn to listen,” said Sandy. “We’re not trained psychiatrists, but we can be a shoulder to cry on.”

Stephanie LaFarge, the senior director of Counseling Services for the ASPCA, said there are clear similarities between the stresses felt by losing family members and pets.

When a loved one dies, the religious find comfort in believing that they will be reunited together in Heaven. However, it is widely believed that animals are without souls, hence losing one is final.

“People have a hard time saying goodbye forever,” said LaFarge, whose job includes consoling people who have just lost a pet.

Cases like Halper’s are familiar to LaFarge because of the emotional attachment people have with their pets. Most of her day involves speaking with people who are coming to grips that an aging pet is failing.

“Pets and people go through a lot together,” said LaFarge. “Pets might be the only link with a dead family member. Friends might leave, but pets are there through it all.”

Dogs have what some people call “unconditional love” because no matter how poorly a dog is treated, it seldom abandons its owner, said LaFarge.

“A dog basically tells his owner, ‘No matter what you do to me or how grumpy you are, I’m going to love you,’” said LaFarge.

She once dealt with a park ranger who lived and worked in a desolate area in Yellowstone National Park. The woman was anticipating her 17-year-old cat’s death and was distraught. The woman swore she would never get another pet because of the intense emotional connection.

This reaction is normal in the grieving process. But LaFarge warns people not to become selfish when it comes to the animal’s health.

Every time veterinarians face telling a pet owner the best option is euthanasia, the owner’s response can vary.

“I once told an elderly woman that I think her dog should be put to sleep,” said Dr. Aaron Lochak, a veterinarian at Brooklyn’s Animal Hospital. “She told me she thinks I should be put to sleep.”

When Lochak tells owners about euthanasia, he reads their expression. If the owner looks upset, he proceeds with the options; if the owner looks angry, he simply tells him it’s his decision.

“An animal does not need to be crying to be in severe pain,” said Lochak. “And sometimes people keep very sick animals going for selfish reasons.”

Nearly two-thirds – 63 percent – of households have a pet, and pet lovers spent $38.5 billion on their pets in 2006, up from $21 billion a decade earlier. According to the Census Bureau, in the last decade, the percentage of homes with pets has remained relatively stable, but the amount of money people spend on pets has doubled.

According to a recent American Kennel Club study, eight in 10 dog owners consider pets “family.” Americans are expected to spend nearly $11 billion on veterinary care in 2008, according to the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association. That would be an 8.5 percent increase from 2007.

John Grogan wrote a memoir about his Labrador, called “Marley and Me.” In the book, Grogan wrote about the bond people form with their pets.

“Dogs are pack animals,” said Grogan. “They are hardwired to find a place in the family and blend perfectly with its role.”

Grogan said he receives a lot of feedback on his New York Times bestseller.

“I think there’s people in the middle who love their dogs and treat them like family,” said Grogan. “But I also get some people who take it to the extreme.”

Mark Levin, a syndicated conservative radio host, wrote “Rescuing Sprite,” after his dog died of old age. There were times during his radio broadcast where he would need a moment to collect himself after talking about his dog.

“A true dog and cat lover doesn’t consider his dog or cat to be a pet but a family member,” wrote Levin, in an email response.  “And most of us would do anything to help or save our family members.”

“Writing “Rescuing Sprite” was actually a very difficult experience. I relived the wonderful times with Sprite, but also spent a considerable amount of time discussing his last weeks,” wrote Levin.

Levin has donated a “significant percentage” of the proceeds to animal shelters across the country.

Jennifer Kwasniewski, 44, an environmental planner who lives in Boulder, Colo., lost her dog Mushka on June 25, and has a different way to grieve the loss of her pet.

She bought a puppy when Mushka, who had heart disease, took a turn for the worse when she was 12.

“I think that helped the grieving process,” said Kwasniewski. “I can’t picture not having a dog in my life.”

“I took it hard,” said Kwasniewski, who bought Mushka while she was living in Cleveland, Ohio. “She used to go running with me when I’d go for jogs at night and protect me.”

“I spent about $400 a month for a little over a year on vet visits,” said Kwasniewski. “I felt like I owed her health for all the joy she brought into my life.”

LaFarge does not recommend replacing a dog with a puppy right away.

“Animals are not a commodity,” said LaFarge. “Getting an animal to replace another one is seldom a good idea.” Lafarge recommends waiting a month and visiting a local animal shelter and see if there’s an animal you connect with.

Every other Tuesday, the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan offers a pet loss support group. The meeting consists of pet owners who feel compelled to share their emotions and experiences in losing a pet.

 

The group’s size varies, but is generally in the eight to 10 member range.

The policy is no food and you must bring a picture of your deceased pet. Most members pass around the pictures and gush over, say, how cute the small dog looked in a stocking at Christmastime.

“When I lost my pet, I lost a part of me,” said Gail Staiti whose 14-year-old Yorkie, Theo, died from an unexpected blood clot about two months earlier. “I lived for that dog. I remember being afraid that if I were to die before him, nobody would ever be able to give him as much love as I did.”

Staiti said she would never get a pet again. She sat in the meeting with about 20 email messages printed out from friends and family consoling her about Theo. She received about the same number of mass cards as she did emails.

“At first I couldn’t even read the letters because I couldn’t stop sobbing,” said Staiti. “People see me and they still, two months later, say sorry about Theo, and that just tears my heart.”

Staiti lived alone with Theo for his entire life. She said her one-bedroom apartment feels like a two-bedroom apartment with her dog. She remembers everything about her dog: from veterinary visits and special diets Theo was put on to taking him for walks early in the morning and faces Theo would make at her during the day. 

Don DiMarco first started to attend the meetings years ago, after his dogs Sasha and Sheba, two Boarder-Collie mixes died. He found the meetings helpful.

Recently, he has begun to take care of stray cats in the neighborhood, by feeding them and paying to have them neutered and spayed. He has grown attached to these animals.

“I wish animals could just look at you and tell you that they are in pain,” said DiMarco. “So in many ways, you play the role of God and I think that is a huge role in the guilt people feel after losing a pet. You know, you’re left wondering if you acted too soon.”

DiMarco is one of the most experienced people at the meeting because he has been going on and off for years. He helps Laurie Sine, the grief counselor, talk with some of the newer members.

“I don’t want to say it gets easier, because your pet is always with you,” said DiMarco. “But groups like these help, because you know you’re not alone.”

This meeting is not intended to be religious, but members seemed to believe there was an afterlife for their pets, where they will once again be united.

There is a poem called, “The Rainbow Bridge” suggests that when a pet dies, they play with other pets in a vast, beautiful field. And once their owner passes on, they are reunited. The pet is not the same age as it was when it died, according to the poem, the pet is youthful again.

Every member at the meeting chose to have their pet cremated and is deciding what to do with the ashes. The main reason in the group for not opting for an animal cemetery was that their animal didn’t know any pet in there and they didn’t want their pet feeling awkward around the other pets in the other life.

Sean Robinson works for Pet Haven Cemetery and Crematory in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. When a person loses a pet and wants it cremated or buried, it’s his job to remove the dead animal from the house.

“I feel like a social worker almost,” said Robinson. “Some people take it pretty good and stay strong while others take it hard.”

Robinson just collected the carcass of a dead cat. The owner was sobbing uncontrollably. The woman had just beaten cancer, and through her four-year ordeal two of her three cats died. This cat was her last remaining.

“I probably stayed with her for two hours,” said Robinson, who drives to homes with his two and a half year old pit-bull mix. “She was divorced and lonely. She told me that she went through a lot with those cats and they were all she had.”

Animals have a sixth sense about them, in their ability to “know” when humans are not feeling well,” wrote Marty Tousley, a bereavement counselor and author of “The Final Farewell: Preparing For and Mourning the Loss of Your Pet.” “When the human and the animal are very closely bonded, they’re able to communicate with each other on a non-verbal, intuitive level.”

“I can also tell you that many people who’ve lost their partners find that the physical touch of a companion animal is priceless to them,” wrote Tousley, who is hearing impaired and responded to questions via email.

Robinson recently picked up the remains of eight dead pets at a veterinary clinic in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

When a pet dies and its owner does not know what to do with the body, they often leave it at a veterinary office.

He drives a blue Rav 4 because he doesn’t want to come across as an industrial “white van” driver.  And he loads the trunk with black plastic bags filled with the animals.

“Sometimes, if it’s hot and the animal just died, it may stink, but they’re usually frozen,” said Robinson.

Robinson picks up the animals in Manhattan and Brooklyn and drives them to Pennsylvania for cremation.

He walked into the clinic, past the front desk and down to the basement. Two women, both in their 30s, were scrubbing a Sheepdog. He passed them and opened a large, white freezer, like the ones fishermen use for bait storage on boats. He lifted a small bag and placed it on the ground.

Clunk.

It sounded like he put down a bowling ball.

“Frozen hard,” Robinson said. The bags vary in sizes, from mastiffs to small stray kittens.

When he picks up animals at clinics, it’s not too emotional. But when he visits homes, he sometimes grieves with the family.

Earlier that week, a family lost their Shih Tzu. Family members congregated around the dog’s body and told stories about him.

“I felt myself start to get emotional,” said Robinson, while he lifted a warm, dead dog out of the freezer. “This one must have just died.”

The Halpers may be able to afford pet care, but some families need to make hard choices whether or not treating a pet is feasible.

“The reaction people had in New Orleans when they refused to leave their pets behind, really highlighted the strong relationships,” said Jane Hoffman, the president of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals. “As a society, our relationships with pets have changed.”

Sherry Decan, a sales manager at a Brooklyn newspaper, is on the opposite end of the financial spectrum to Rick Halper.

She works a job near home as a sales manager at the Brooklyn View. She makes a bit more than minimum wage and lives off commission.

“It’s hard,” said Decan, who has an 18-year-old daughter with lupus that requires her to work near her home.

Decan has a Maltese named Little Lady that weighs 8.6 pounds. Due to lack of muscle in her hindquarters, she suffered a hernia that will require surgery for $450.

The surgery has to be put on hold because Decan needs to raise money.

“It’s not life or death, but I do want to get it over with,” said Decan, who pampers Little Lady by getting her groomed once a month. “But most people can’t just pull out $450 for their dog.”

Photo: Flickr

 

 

Obama’s 30 Gun Salute

By Helen Pointer

Crowds thronged the streets, people leaned out of cars exchanging high fives with each other and American flags were waved into the wee-small hours of the morning after Barack Hussein Obama was elected the first black president of the United States.

Renee Samuels, having voted for Barack Obama, anticipated a celebratory atmosphere outside her apartment on Albemarle Road in Central Brooklyn. When she watched Barack Obama win Pennsylvania she “knew he was in.”

Her night continued until it was disrupted by what she called “loud bangs.” At 11:33 p.m. she heard her first blast. She remembered looking at her alarm clock. Then another. Then another. Then another.

“I heard about 30 shot from midnight to about two in the morning,” said Samuels. “They were shooting from the roofs.” She said she heard the rat-a-tat from an automatic weapon. “I was calm, you know, I knew people were celebrating,” she continued.

A neighbor, Jerome Shaw, also heard the gunshots and saw the red glare from gun barrels, he assumed it was to celebrate the Obama victory. “I knew nobody was getting hurt or anything,” he said.

Police from the 70^th Precincts on Election Night, had to contend with about 600 revelers taking to the streets, said Shaw. “It was a wild night.”

Police officials contacted by this paper to confirm the reports said they were unaware of the shots. However, eyewitnesses said Brooklyn South’s Task Force was brought in, because of the unruly atmosphere. Shaw, who knows police in the 71^st Precinct, was informed that police were told to stay away from Albemarle Road while shots were fired in fears for police safety.

“I think this is the exact reason Obama wants to limit who can own a gun,” said Fred Vaughn, who lives on Rugby Road in the area.

Celebratory gunshots can often be heard in this section during the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve. Some gunshots were heard in other cities including Flint, MI, and Miami, FL.

Police officers across the borough remained cautious. “The cops knew they weren’t shots aimed at people, but they also know there are some nuts out there that might do something stupid,” said Shaw.

A police office from the 63^rd Precinct who spoke on terms of anonymity, said two shots were reportedly fired in his precinct during Election night and police were informed to stay alert. Photo by The Flatbush Gardener

Election Season? In Marine Park You Wouldn’t Know It

By Edmund DeMarche

 Marine Park residents seldom, at least outwardly, exhibited political opinion with the zeal bordering neighborhoods display. This year’s presidential election was no different: mum was the word.

For some, the election neutrality points to the area’s diversity. Republicans and Democrats live in close proximity. Placing a large McCain sign on a front lawn, facing a home for Obama might be considered “neighborly.”

Noreen Gorry, who works in Marine Park, says showcasing s sign favoring either candidate could create tension in the community. She says during the campaign, people are already emotional, and signs may turn friends into enemies.

“We live so close together,” said Gorry, from behind the counter of McGuiness, an Irish gift store. “People just want to get along with each other.”

Marine Park is largely a blue-collar section of the borough, made up of firemen and cops. These workers are generally socially conservative. A viable Republican candidate is rare in the borough, but in 2002, State Senator Marty Golden, a Republican and retired cop, was elected to represent the community.

Brooklyn is overwhelmingly Democratic. In 2004, about 75 percent of the population voted for Senator John Kerry, the Democratic nominee, and the borough has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate in more than 50 years.

Can one assume Marine Park is simply lacking political fervor this year, uninspired by either candidate?

“I think people in Marine Park don’t want to be labeled racists,” said Jim, who worked for 10 years in Bubbles II, a Laundromat in the area. “They probably figured if they support John McCain, some people would question why.”

Jim, who did not give his last name for publication, has an Assemblyman Alan Maisel, a Democrat, headshot in the store’s front window. He said he supports Barack Obama. “I think I saw one Obama sign on E. 38^th St., but that’s it.”

 

Other residents did not want to provoke acts of violence. On Oct. 18, in the city, a man–without provocation–grabbed the woman’s McCain sign, ripped it up, and hit her with it, bruising her face, according to thesilentmajority.com, a conservative blog.

“I have a fear of violence,” said Marie Basselini, an Old Mill Basin resident who works in Marine Park. “You don’t know if some kids see a McCain sign and decide to break your window.”

Basselini said young children have become more involved in this election than previous years. She said when a teenager sees a sign for an opposing candidate, it may provoke him to damage the property in some way.

Getting a hold of McCain signs also proved difficult for some residents in the area.

“It seems like they were handing out Obama posters on welfare lines and unemployment,” said Andrew Hetzler, a resident of Atlantic Beach who works at a delicatessen on Ave. S. “If someone came into my store with a McCain poster, I would have put it in my window.”

Another resident said he would have proudly put a McCain sign in his yard.

“I would never support a Muslim running for president,” said Joe Napoli, a Marine Park resident and retired firefighter. “He is friends with terrorists and he has a racist preacher.”

Napoli said he has an incurable eye injury that can be deadly as the result of Sept. 11, 2001.

Joan Griffin, who moved to Brooklyn from New Hampshire in 2002, has an Obama sign in a large concrete flower pot in front of her home near Prospect Park—the one that has the ubiquitous Obama sign of a sun rising over a plain in red, white and blue.

“Newspaper have their opinion pages, celebrities have the media and we have our window,” said Joan Griffin, a Park Slope resident for Obama. Griffin said she only knows one person in Prospect Park with a McCain sign.

“She told me sometimes people call her crazy,” said Griffin, who could not recall the woman’s name because the relationship usually consists of a “Hi” and “Bye.” “But I would be kind of worried having a McCain sign, your house would stand out.”

Holy Sheitels

By Elmer Hassan

The first time Esther Goldman watched Governor Sarah Palin address the crowd at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, MN., she knew what kind of wig she wanted.

“At first I was going to go with the standard Jennifer Anniston-type wig,” she said. “But when I saw Palin, I was like—“Oh, there it is.”

Goldman is a housewife who lives in Borough Park. She refused to say who she is voting for, but said she admires Palin’s sense of style.

“It’s nice to see a woman be sexy and beautiful at the same time,” she continued.

Georgie Wigs, a store patronized by many Orthodox Jewish women in Borough Park, has seen a spike in sales of wigs called the Sarah P’s. The company has sold about 50 Palin wigs (or Sheitels) since the Alaska governor joined John McCain on the GOP ticket, according to its vice president, Shlomo Klein. The all-human hair wigs can fetch $700.

According to Klein, the store has sold Jennifer Anniston, Princess Diana and Hillary Clinton wigs this past year, but Palin is by far the biggest seller.

“If you don’t think it sends a political message you’re nuts,” said Moeshe Freedman, a merchant near Georgie’s. “Most Orthodox women are definitely in Palin’s corner, because of her pro-Israel stance.”

Other residents see it differently. “Look, she (Palin) is an attractive woman and it’s a stylish look,” said Steve Levy, who was in the store with his wife. “But I’m not sure you can suggest it conveys political support. I mean, most of these women just wouldn’t look good in an Obama wig.”

Wigs worn by Orthodox women can vary in prices. Modest income women may spend less than $100 on a wig, while moneyed women can spend up to $1,500 per wig.

“One of our stylists thought it would make a good style, so we produced it,” said Boruch Shlanger, one of Sheitel.com’s owners, in an e-mail to The Shmooze. “It is very easy to maintain, and is a very classic look, yet fashion forward!”

 

After marriage, an Orthodox woman must cover her hair because hair is considered sexual.

Halloween costume stores across the country are also reporting a high demand on wigs with her distinctive combination of her something of a beehive top and cascading waves. However, that may be people trying to imitate her, a la Tina Fey from “Saturday Night Live.”

Large Immigration Turnout At Flatbush Polls

By Fred Friedman

The scene at Floyd Bennett Elementary School in Flatbush was peaceful and quiet. Voters were sparse but nevertheless enthusiastic.

“You should have been here this morning,” said Valerie Pinckney, a poll watcher. “Lines around the block.”

She said it felt gratifying to vote and be a part of something important. She admitted she doesn’t always vote but says this election is important. She also admits that she and her daughter voted for different candidates but is happy to be part of the process.

Krishina, a first time voter, said she had trouble voting because she just moved into the area and wasn’t certain she was eligible. She was told to fill out a paper ballot and produce some recent identification. She was happy to oblige.

A woman who gave her name by her initials, “AP,” said voting meant getting rid of the big shots on Wall Street. She was also concerned about better jobs and the cost of health care. “Voting means change and we need some change,” she said with a smile and conviction.

Khan, an immigrant from Trinidad, was happy to have the right to choose the president. Expressing pride in her American citizenship, she said she was concerned about education, health and jobs. She showed great respect for her country and is thankful to be living in a country that allows and encourages freedom. Huet, a perky woman who came to this country from Dutch Guiana 19 years ago, said she never knew what freedom was like until she came to America.

She professed a strong belief in God and believes that he will have a hand in choosing the next president.

“I believe God has preordained Obama to become the next president and that God has a hand in everything that happens in life.”

Huet has a very sophisticated understanding of the economic crisis. She reads widely and knows that no one individual is responsible for the current state of the economy.

She realizes the world is interconnected and that what happens in the economy is the result of hundreds of thousands of decisions made by people all over the world everyday.

Still she expresses hope that the next president will be a man of faith and not pretend to do more than is humanly possible and not make promises he cannot keep.

The people I spoke to were civil and decent as well as thoughtful and a wonderful example of self-government at work.