Ker-falafel: The Olive has Fallen From the Vine.

Looks like the Olive Vine Cafe's 15th Street location has closed amongst allegations their employees were not being paid the minimum wage of $7.25 a hour. However, before you swear off the Zaater Bread, you should know the owner of the OV Cafe is currently "negotiating a resolution" in order to pay back those lost wages.
According to this sign on the door, they are still planning on making deliveries to this end of the Slope. Just make sure you tip those delivery men well, preferably in cash.


































NY 1 is reporting The State Labor Department released a report that says 25 Brooklyn restaurants and cafes owe at least $910,000 in unpaid wages to more than 200 workers.

State inspections of Park Slope restaurants during the spring found that some workers made as little as $2.75 an hour, which is far below the state minimum wage of $7.25.

Of the 25 cases involving 207 workers, 12 restaurants paid back the wages while 13 other restaurants are still in negotiations to pay back the wages.

Some of the worst violations involved delivery workers, who earned $210 to $275 a week for 60 to 70 hours of work.

Most of the involved workers were immigrants.

Park Slope Restaurants With Violations

The following restaurants are negotiating a resolution for payment:
Aunt Suzie's Restaurant
Bagel World
Bogota Latin Bistro
Coco Roco
Joe's Pizza
Marcho Corp's Cholita
Olive Vine Cafe (two locations)
Rachel's Taqueria
Sette
Song
Taqueria
Uncle Moe's

The following restaurants have made full or partial payments:
Baluchi's
Mezcali's Mexican (three locations)
Miriam Restaurant
Mr. Wonton
Nana Restaurant
Red Hot Szechuan
Slim Lamb "Miracle Grill"
Sotto Voce
Sweet Melissa Park Slope


























On an upbeat note... South Slopers may only have to wait till this January for the opening of David Massoni and partners' newest creation,
Thistle Hill Tavern.

The new owners are already busy gutting the old Olive Vine space, removing most of that unappetizing, overly polyurethaned wood paneling that seemed to cover every square inch.


For those Olive Vine regulars...

New Demolition Notification Requirements to Start December 2nd.

New Demolition Notification Requirements

On December 2, 2009, contractors must follow new requirements for notifying the Buildings Department before starting full and partial demolition work. These requirements are outlined in Chapter 33 section BC 3306.3 of the 2008 Construction Code. (Click here for PDF)


Full Demolition

The Department has changed the notification requirements for full demolition work. To notify, contractors must call (212) 227-4416 within 24 to 48 hours prior to starting work. The BEST Squad will no longer accept notifications. Callers will be given a confirmation number upon notification.

Partial Demolition

Contractors must notify the Department before starting partial demolition work. In certain cases, adjoining property owners must also be notified before starting work.

• Notification to the Department: To notify, contractors must call (212) 227-4416 within 24 to 48 hours before starting work. Callers will be given a confirmation number upon notification.

• Notification to adjoining owners: If partial demolition work will involve non hand-held mechanical demolition equipment, contractors must notify adjoining property owners. Contractors must also provide proof of notification to the Department by submitting a copy of the notification letter sent to the adjoining property owner along with a certified mail receipt from the mail carrier. The letter and receipt must be submitted when requesting a construction permit.


If full or partial demolition work will not begin as scheduled, contractors must notify the Department by calling (212) 227-4416 and providing the confirmation number that was originally created for the initial notification. Notification of cancellation must be made no later than the day work was scheduled to begin.




Questions?
Email OperationsRedesign@buildings.nyc.gov

Demolition Notification Number: 212-227-4416

"The Man Who Loved Flowers" 16th Street location

South Park Slope: 16th Street's Retro Movie Magic

That's actor Tony Plana sitting out on the front stoop filming a scene for a movie based on Stephen King's short story The Man Who Loved Flowers.

*Click on pictures to enlarge.

"The man who loved flowers" filming on 16th Street circa 1963

Still photos from today's afternoon shoot in front of Sud's Laundromat on Eighth Avenue and 16th Street.

It's an adaptation of the 1977 Stephen King short story "The man who loved flowers" being directed by Juan Pablo Reinoso and producer Wayfinder Films.

Capturing Brooklyn in the sixties... Two nice 'n pregnant ladies chatting out front of the neighborhood laundromat, smoking cigarettes.

Immaculate 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and 1958(?) Ford Edsel brought in for authentic 60's street cred.

Shooting continues Wednesday on and around Bartel- Pritchard Circle and Prospect Park.

What's 21123?

Mad men? Where to send the cleaning bill.
http://www.21123condo.com/email.asp?propertyid=1

South Slope: My Sugar Stoop

South Slope Stoop Series: 16th Street Gummy

My sugar stoop

My sugar stoop.
Where I come from there's a place called heaven

That's the place where all the good children go.
The houses are of silver
the streets of gold.
But there's more where you come from - my sugar stoop.
My sugar stoop
my sugar stoop.


Blood races to your private spots
let's me know there's a fire.
You can't fight passion when passion is hot

Temperatures rise inside my sugar stoop.

Let me take you somewhere you've never been

I could show you things you've never seen.
I could make you never wanna fall in love again

Come spend the night upside my sugar stoop.

Take advantage
it's alright

I feel so alive when I'm with you!
Come and feel my presence
it's reigning tonight.
Heaven on earth upside my sugar stoop.
Let me take you somewhere you've never been
. . .

I can tell you want me - my sugar stoop -
it's impossible to hide.
Your body's on fire
admit it! Come inside.
My sugar stoop
my sugar stoop.
Come upside my sugar stoop
my sugar stoop
my sugar stoop.
Come spend the night upside my sugar stoop

My sugar stoop
my sugar stoop.

572 Fifth Avenue plods along after worker's 4 story fall. Hot Karl out, King David in.

572 Fifth Avenue at 16th Street.
Developer HMY PROJECT LLC
7 Story, 18 Dwelling Units, 18,900SF Total Floor Area


POST APPROVAL AMENDMENT FOR NEW BUILDING DOC 01
APPLICATION PROCESSED - ENTIRE 09/21/2009 (D)
Application approved on: 10/05/2006

Comments for PAA Document 03 Modifying Document 01
Description of Amendment:

PAA FILED RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING TO CHANGE OWNER AND APPLICANT INFORMATION OLD - KARL FISHER, LIC.#021282
NEW - DAVID NAGAN, LIC.#205411

DAVID NAGAN
Business Name: KING DAVID ARCHITECTURE PC









































ACCORDING TO MONTHLY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS ACCIDENT REPORTS:
ON JUNE 6TH, 2009 the B.E.S.T. Squad reported

"A WORKER SUPPORTED BY A GUARDRAIL FELL APPROXIMATELY 4 STORIES INTO A SHAFT WHEN THE GUARDRAIL GAVE WAY, 8 ECB VIOLATIONS AND A STOP WORK ORDER WERE ISSUED"

NYC Department of Buildings
ECB Query By Location:
Premises: 572 5 AVENUE
BIN: 3024132 Block: 1052 Lot: 44 CB: 307

ECB VIOL# RESPONDENT NAME DATE FINE

34783374J S & P PIPING & CONST 060909 $8,000
34790525N S & P PIPING & CONST 060909 $5,000
34790526P S & P PIPING & CONST 060909 $12,000
34790527R S & P PIPING & CONST 060909 $8,000
34790528Z S & P PIPING & CONST 060909 $12,000
34790529K S & P PIPING & CONST 060909 $5,000
34790530H S & P PIPING & CONST 060909 $12,000
34790531J S & P PIPING & CONST 060909 $0


ECB Violation Number: 34790528Z
Specific Violation Condition(s) and Remedy:
"FAILURE TO SAFEGUARD ALL PERSONS AND PROPERTY AFFECTED BY CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS, RESPONDED TO 1 ACCIDENT AT ABOVE ACTIVE SITE AS REPORTED BY FOREMAN, IRON WORKER WAS LEANING OR POSSIBLY SITTING ON THE..."


In a related story...

October 28, 2009
Construction Deaths Spike in City
By Patrick McGeehan

More than 30 construction workers died in falls and other events on job sites in New York City last year, the federal Department of Labor reported Wednesday. Chiefly because of that spike, the overall number of workers who died on the job in New York in 2008 was 90.

The toll of on-the-job fatalities, which had been on a downward trend for the past decade, was up 11 percent from 81 in 2007, according to the report, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among the various ways New Yorkers were killed at work, the biggest increase was in falls, which claimed 29 people, up from 23 in 2007. All told, there were 31 fatalities related to construction, up from 24 in 2007.

Murders in the workplace also rose, to 18 from 15 in 2007, the report showed. But the killers used guns less often: the number of workers shot to death declined to 10 from 12.

“Construction clearly remains a dangerous activity,” said Martin Kohli, an economist for the bureau. “It clearly remains the area in the city where we continue to have the most fatalities.”

The national trend was quite different. On-the-job fatalities dropped by more than 10 percent, and the number of fatal falls was down by more than 20 percent, according to the report.

Mr. Kohli said he would not conclude from the figures that construction was less safe in New York than in the rest of the country. Instead, he attributed the divergence to the timing of the slump in building.

“New York City was still having a construction boom in 2008, and you started to see a bust nationally earlier than that,” he said.

Of the 90 people killed at work in the city, all but nine were men and more than half — 47 — were white.