News: Long Island Beaches Close for Safety

(Long Island, N.Y.) A precaution has been issued for a Long Island beach after potentially toxic levels of bacteria were found in the water. Steers Beach in Northport was closed to swimmers on Thursday, making it one of many beaches across the Island to have been affected by bacteria in recent weeks. This incident also comes after basking sharks were spotted off Long Island shores, closing beaches in the area.

The Suffolk County Department of Health declared that the levels of bacteria were unsafe at Steers Beach. Prior to Thursday’s incident, Fleets Cove in Huntington and the Huntington Beach Community Association in Centerport were closed. Reports stated that the unsafe bacteria levels affected a yacht club, but were later lifted after a more recent batch of samples were taken.

The recent outbreaks of bacteria are miniscule in comparison to the closings of a few years ago. In July of 2008 Long Island officials closed more than two dozen beaches as a precaution, and advised beachgoers to avoid over sixty other beaches. Four South Shore beaches had been closed in Nassau County, and eighteen North Shore beaches off the Long Island Sound were closed the following day.

During the incident in 2008, Suffolk County closed three beaches and advised swimmers to avoid many beaches in eastern Long Island. Flooding was caused by storm water after Long Island experienced a long duration of heavy rains. It is the storm water runoff that causes an unsafe increase in the levels of bacteria across Long Island’s bathing beaches.

Some of the bacteria strains tested by health officials are Enterococci and E. coli. In 2004 New York State adopted the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s criteria concerning bacteria levels. Bathing beaches are affected when storm water travels across roads, yards, and parking lots before entering drains and local waterways. After collecting in such areas, the excessive water gets to the beaches.

A week before unsafe levels of bacteria caused Thursday’s closing of Long Island beaches, officials from the health department in Nassau County closed North Hempstead Beach Park and Laurel Hollow Park. The remnants from heavy storms and recent rains increased the bacteria levels, and residents in the area claimed they approved of the closings. Many stated that they would rather be safe than sorry and would opt to sacrifice recreation over jeopardizing their heath.

Officials dealing with the incident have urged the public to call for questions about beach closings and the dangers of unsafe bacteria levels. Personnel can be reached to answer calls from the Bathing Beach Hotline and departments in the Office of Ecology. One resident said that the beaches adjacent to Steers Beach had remained open, and wondered if such beaches had also been affected by the unsafe levels of bacteria.

News: Reward for Long Island Killer

(Long Island, N.Y.) Authorities determined to solve the case of the Gilgo Beach serial killer have increased the reward money fivefold. Police and investigators dealing with the case have claimed that the latest reward has extended to twenty-five thousand dollars for information leading to the arrest of the man responsible for the killings. The recent news has Long Island residents wondering whether the heightened monetary benefit will prompt people to come forward with anything useful.

The twenty-five thousand dollar reward is the largest ever to be offered by Suffolk County Crime Stoppers. The closest runner up is the reward given to those with information in a prior homicide case. The amount was five thousand dollars, the same figure that was previously offered to catch the Gilgo Beach killer.

Two thousand dollars was paid to those with information leading to the arrest of the guilty party in the previous case. Crime Stoppers accepts private donations to provide the reward money in high stakes cases, such as the heightened reward to catch the latest serial killer. A program called the Crime Stoppers Major Case Special Situation Award has aided in keeping the incentive high to track down the man responsible for the recent string of murders.

Reports stated that there have been no new developments in the case and information about what’s left of the unidentified remains has still not been released. It’s uncertain whether police and authorities are still awaiting identification from the forensics team involved in the case. Since the initial talk of a possible Long Island serial killer, just five of the ten remains found on the shores of Jones Beach and Gilgo Beach have been identified.

Followers of the case have noted that the increase in the reward money offered by Suffolk County Crime Stoppers comes less than a week after a vigil scheduled by the victims’ families. Saturday’s event honored the memories of the departed women in a special tribute from their friends and loved ones. Some believe that it’s the memories of the girls, and not the hefty reward, that should promote more interest in the capturing of a killer.

Reports stated that police and authorities received an estimated thousand tips concerning the case since they released information with reason to believe a single killer was responsible for the first four discovered victims. Some question whether the twenty-five thousand dollar reward will complicate matters by attracting a vast amount of useless information. Others believe that no price tag can be placed upon capturing the person responsible.

The common belief is that the serial killer targets women in beach communities during summer months. Nonetheless, and judging by the regular amount of beach traffic across Long Island, summer 2011 seems to have started with business as usual.

News: NYC Woman Attacked By Nephew

(Long Island, N.Y.) A fifty-seven-year-old man was arrested for attacking his eighty-two-year-old aunt by marriage. After entering her home, he allegedly stole about a thousand dollars before fleeing from the area. He also tied up her and her husband, and gagged her to keep her from speaking.

The robbery and attack occurred on Monday morning, just a few days before New York City police offers apprehended the victim’s nephew. While she and her husband were restrained, the attacker searched through her home for money. Reports stated that the eighty-two-year-old was stabbed multiple times in the head, face, and back before her attacker exited the home.

The victim was happy after learning that the fifty-seven-year-old had been taken into custody just two days after the robbery and attack. She allegedly told the press that she desired to see him behind bars and chanted excitedly for the possible legal consequences that would see to her wishes. The search for the wanted man came after a witness placed him at West 137th Street and Lennox Avenue.

At roughly nine-thirty in the morning New York City Police Officers and authorities at the 32nd Precinct Stationhouse spoke to the helpful witness. When they came upon the attacker, he allegedly told them that he was going to turn himself him in once he had identified himself as the man responsible. It didn’t take police officers long to find the perpetrator, and reports stated that the police commissioner had commented about the case.

The eighty-two-year-old victim had been known for helping out in the community and offering help to the neighborhood’s needy. Sources claimed that the generous woman allowed her nephew to enter her home so that she could feed him and provide him with clothing. To her greatest dismay, her nephew makes a mockery of her kindness and allegedly committed the crime to support his drug habit.

The woman was able to escape from her West 139th street Brownstone by somehow managing to free herself from the restraints. She then ran for help and was eventually taken to Harlem Hospital to be treated for her injuries. Reports stated that she required a few days’ stay in the hospital, and had been recovering from the stab wounds.

This incident comes shortly after another senior in the New York City area was mugged and sexually assaulted in a doorway. The woman had been walking during the morning hours in an area with less of a reputation for crime. The woman’s ring was stolen during the attack, and many Manhattan residents have claimed that the similarity between these cases illustrates how there are few places that should be deemed safe in New York City. Some followers of the case have stated that the elderly are especially at risk in these areas of being victims in similar attacks.

News: John ColtraneHome Endangered

(Long Island, N.Y.) The home of late jazz musician John Coltrane was listed as America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The list is determined annually and often targets New York City and Long Island landmarks. The modest home, located in Dix Hills, was once inhabited by Coltrane and his family.

Coltrane lived in the home until his death in 1967, and according to his son, was known to spend days in the bedroom while writing music. His masterpiece hit called “A Love Supreme” is an iconic piece of music for most jazz aficionados. Reports stated that the hit was one of the many songs Coltrane wrote while living in the Dix Hills home during his fascinating rise to stardom.

The son of the jazz legend claimed that he was honored by the level of importance the yearly list gave to his old quarters. The Dix Hills home is one of many landmarks in the area to have made the listing, and joins Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, Fort Gains in Alabama, and Belmead in Virginia. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has attempted to help keep many of the landmarks listed.

Some of the New York City landmarks that have made the list include the World Trade Center, the Brooklyn Waterfront, and the Lower East Side. Reports stated that a local organization known as the Friends of the Coltrane Home purchased the property in 2006. According to sources, the group needed to raise an estimated million dollars to keep the home intact.

The president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation claimed that the home is a great candidate for preservation despite its modesty. It has been described as a typical suburban home that may function by helping inspire residents into believing that dreams can initiate in their own backyards. The National Trust for Historic Preservation urges residents in the area to donate to the organization and aid them in retaining parts of an era.

Reports stated that Coltrane’s home has deteriorated due to lack of funds and despite the efforts of the local group in taking ownership of the property. Some sources claimed that the home would eventually be converted into an education center after being restored to appropriate standards. Nonetheless, it is believed that more support is needed to actualize the group’s plans.

One attempt to raise money to save the historic landmark employed a text-message system, allowing concerned residents to text for their donations. Many Long Islanders claimed that the Coltrane home is one of many timeless places subjected to possible extinction. Months ago, a member of the legendary Gold Coast Mansions on Long Island’s North Shore was demolished due to stiff property taxes and maintenance costs. Some residents tried without success to challenge the demolishment of the dilapidated mansion, which had since depreciated in value.

News: Long Island Man Falls Into Drain

(Long Island, N.Y.) A fifty-year-old street sweeper from Deer Park fell into a storm drain in Uniondale on Monday evening. Unable to attract the attention of any bystanders until Tuesday morning, he spent the night inside the drywell. Authorities on the case stated that it took more than eight hours before the worker was spotted underneath the manhole.

According to reports, the man fell into the drain at around eleven-thirty Monday night and wasn’t discovered until six-thirty on Tuesday morning. A man riding his bicycle in the area heard the sweeper’s cries from below the ground. The trapped worker had been yelling “help me, help me” when he detected signs of a passerby.

It’s uncertain how long the street sweeper attempted to attract attention, or if his initial pleas for help could reach anyone in the nearby region. Nonetheless, the cries from the panic-stricken worker caused the bicyclist to immediately call emergency services from his cell phone. Rescuers and volunteers at the Uniondale Fire Department quickly responded to the call and attempted to pull the street sweeper to safety.

Local police and members of the Nassau County Police Department also arrived at the scene and helped assist firefighters with the struggling worker. Reports stated that rescuers took less than an hour to retrieve the man from the twenty-five-foot manhole. The depth of the well caused the fifty-year-old to suffer considerable injuries after falling.

The street sweeper was immediately taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow and was treated for two possible broken wrists. He also sustained fractured ribs and bruises. Reports stated that he suffered contusions and cuts to the face and was listed in fair condition.

The incident occurred after the street sweeper, who was privately contracted, arrived at the scene to help clean a parking lot. He removed a piece of plywood from the area and fell into the twenty-five-foot hole over the street drain. The plywood had been covering the manhole across from a Shoprite Shopping Center on Jerusalem Avenue in Uniondale.

Prior to approaching the plywood, the man got out of his sweeper vehicle. Reports stated that there was not a steel grate on top of the hole, but that one normally covered the area. Police and authorities on the case have reason to believe that the steel grate fell into the hole at an earlier time.

Followers of the story have questioned whether the county may be responsible for the man’s fall, and what potential lawsuits might result from the case. The incident occurs just a little over a week after two teenagers in Farmingville fell into a cesspool and later died. The older teen had jumped into the cesspool when his sixteen-year-old friend fell, and both were quickly taken by the toxic fumes.

News: Recent Shootings on Long Island

(Long Island, N.Y.) A man was arrested yesterday in connection with a massive shooting that erupted on a crowded Boardwalk in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, killing a sixteen-year-old girl. The girl was rushed to Coney Island Hospital in critical condition, but later succumbed to her wounds. The girl’s mother claims that authorities at the scene were too preoccupied with enforcing New York City’s recent outdoor smoking bans to ensure that none of the beachgoers were carrying guns.

The incident also left four others injured, some of whom were rushed to Coney Island Hospital and Lutheran Hospital. The boardwalk had been packed with teenagers because schools had let out for “Brooklyn-Queens Day.” The sweltering weather also attracted many to the beach who attempted to cool off, and some have blamed the heat for the fighting that followed.

Followers of the case claimed that the fighting is not unusual for the area and that many teens don’t come to the beach to swim, and would rather look to fight. Reports stated that the four injured in the shooting were men between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-six. At least one of them was listed as being in critical condition days after the shooting.

Reports stated that bullets were fired at close range toward a group of five people sitting on a bench. The area quickly turned into absolute chaos, as panicked mothers rushed to get their children to safety. Many claimed their immediate reaction was to run in the opposite direction, while others stayed in the area after shots went off and some took footage of the aftermath.

One witness claimed that he saw the sixteen-year-old get hit in the leg and a man holding his chest after shots were fired. Police and authorities on the case have wondered if the victims of the shooting were intended targets or innocent bystanders. Reports stated that the violence occurred after a fight had broken out, and at least two gunmen had been firing bullets.

It’s uncertain whether the incident was gang-related and whether other shooters responsible for the victims’ injuries are still at large. There were plenty of witnesses to the shooting and police returned to the beach the following day for a thorough search of the area. They had been looking for the weapons used and any possible evidence that could be tied to the gunmen.

The incident occurred at roughly five-thirty that evening across from Tatiana’s Restaurant on Brighton 6th Street. Similar incidents have occurred in Long Island towns, and the boardwalk in Long Beach has a history of being the scene of gang-related violence. Reports have also stated that a stabbing occurred hours after the Brighton Beach incident in the same area of the shooting.

News: Man Rescues Stepson From LI Sound

(Long Island, N.Y.) A thirty-five-year-old man from Bellport became a hero this weekend when he rescued his ten-year-old stepson from the fierce undertow of the Long Island Sound. In an act of self-sacrifice, the man ensured his stepson’s safety at the expense of his own life. His body was found roughly a day after he disappeared underneath the waters this past Friday evening.

The man’s body was discovered early Saturday morning on a beach in Wading River. Police and authorities on the case claimed that he was found just west of where he was last seen. Investigators have stated that the man was chest-deep in water when he slipped underneath the surface and was taken by the current.

The Riverhead Police Department joined local firefighter volunteers and members of the Suffolk County Police Department in the overnight search for the man’s body. According to reports, the US Coast Guard also aided in the search, which lasted until midnight and began at roughly nine that evening. The boy was rescued near Creek Road in waters that were allegedly known to be calm.

Prior to his rescue, the boy struggled in the water while his mother took photos from the shore and his stepfather fished nearby. Reports stated that the boy’s mother turned to see her son drowning and screamed for help at around eight that night. The heroic stepfather then grabbed a small inflatable pool and jumped into the water to save the boy.

After swimming to the boy with the pool in hand, the stepfather was able to use it as a makeshift flotation device. Reports stated that the pool was hardly capable of supporting the ten-year-old, and witnesses guessed that the stepfather had to let go to keep the boy afloat. Shortly after, neighbors became alerted of the emergency and entered the water in a canoe.

The neighbors claimed that they searched for the stepfather but returned to the shore thirty minutes later. They said that they had rowed around while calling his name without any success in finding him, and claimed that the undertow was unbelievably strong. Reports stated that they also regretted losing sight of the stepfather while they were pulling the boy to safety and attempting to calm him down.

The boy had been playing close to the shore at the time of the incident, and the neighbors claimed that he kept blaming himself for his stepfather’s tragedy. Some reports stated that the tide had shifted suddenly, dragging the boy farther out. It’s uncertain whether the stepfather knew how to swim, and the boy was later hospitalized for exposure.

Police have not released the names of the mother and child in an effort to protect their identities. It’s also uncertain why the family was out by the water so late. Authorities on the case expect to obtain more information pending further investigation.

News: Vigil for Victims at Oak Beach

(Long Island, N.Y.) Saturday’s stormy skies and overcast didn’t keep the families of the Gilgo Beach victims from gathering in their honor. The families had scheduled a candlelight vigil for June 11th, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of the first victim to be identified. While the strong winds prevented the family members and loved ones from holding candles, the elements did not stop them from putting together a touching service.

The mother of one of the victims claimed that the grieving friends and family members won’t rest until they have justice. Along with the other mothers, she went on to say that they need to catch the killer before another girl loses her life, and that the only way to achieve justice is by showing people who the victims are. Reports stated that some of the family members came as far as Oregon and Buffalo to participate in the vigil.

The team of grieving loved ones held posters of the departed women, dressed in t-shirts with their faces, and joined together in a group hug. They read poems and played music, including the song “Never Be Forgotten” by country singer Jessica Andrews. They also discussed the details of the case and shared stories about the happy memories they cherish of the girls.

Family members and friends of the victims also held colorful balloons with each of their names and released them in the rain. They regarded one another as members of one big family, and many believe that the camaraderie has helped make the grieving processes a little bit easier to bear. They see each of the victims as angels taken too soon.

Mothers of the victims expressed that they are honoring their daughters regardless of what they did when they were alive, and that the girls should be remembered for who they were, not what they’ve done. They claimed that they will pursue the killer with every breath they take, and that they are grieving the loss of a part of themselves as well as the lives of the victims. Reports have stated that there are still no leads or developments in the case.

The family of one of the victims received notification that more of her remains were discovered. Reports stated that the family was later given the upper part of an arm bone from personnel at the office of the New York City Medical Examiner. The victim’s stepfather carried it in a box and has stated that the family plans to place it with the rest of her remains in Buffalo.

Most family members and friends of the victims have claimed that they want the search to end in the form of answers and closure. Saturday’s vigil was designed to be a final goodbye, but the loved ones of missing person Shannan Gilbert remind the pubic that they plan on returning to the site while Gilbert is still missing. One mother claimed that the killer is a weak man who preys on small, innocent girls and that he will be captured.

Reports stated that a dozen family members showed for the event and members of the press were there to talk with loved ones. Many wept as the family of one victim planted a wooden cross in the sand, marking the spot where her remains were first discovered. Police and authorities are asking anyone with information in the ongoing investigation to come forward anonymously.

News: Vigil for Gilgo Beach Victims

(Long Island, N.Y.) The family members and friends of the Gilgo Beach victims will honor them in a candlelight vigil tomorrow near the location where their remains were discovered. While it has been nearly a year since the last known victim disappeared, tomorrow’s vigil will bring the grieving families together. The service will also be designed as a tribute to the girls who were taken at the hand of a serial killer during summer months.

The mother and brother of twenty-two-year-old Megan Waterman, one of the first four victims to be discovered, have helped organize the event. Waterman was the first victim to be identified after being found by a Suffolk County Police Department canine unit in December of last year. She was last seen in Hauppauge on June 6th, 2010 while on a trip to Long Island from Scarborough, Maine.

This month marks the year anniversary since Waterman’s disappearance, and some of her loved ones are using it as an opportunity to say a final goodbye. The vigil is also designed to bring attention to the Gilgo Beach/Jones Beach investigation during weeks when no new developments have been made in the case. Tomorrow’s event will mark the first trip Waterman’s mother will make to the Gilgo Beach site.

The family members and friends of some of the other victims are expected to attend Saturday’s vigil along the beach highway where the remains were discovered. While Waterman’s mother was unable to attend a similar event held by members of the other victims’ families, she hopes to receive a turnout of fifty people. It was Waterman’s mother who had chosen the June 11th date, and reports stated that all are welcome to attend.

A candlelight vigil was also held on June 25th of last year, just weeks after Waterman’s disappearance. The event, which took place in Portland, Maine, was open to the public. Waterman’s friends and family members spoke in her honor with the message of hope in receiving further knowledge about her fate and whereabouts.

Last year’s event attracted an estimated hundred people and was sponsored by LostNMissing, Inc. The corporation, along with Waterman’s mother, helped design a webpage with photographs and news links created in her honor. Some of the images show Waterman in a loving pose with her young daughter.

Friends and family members of Waterman claimed they knew something was wrong when she didn’t call to check on her daughter. Waterman had a habit of calling multiple times a day to speak with the girl, and had always been a concerned parent. Notification of Waterman’s disappearance was issued shortly after she went missing.

Like the other Gilgo Beach victims, Waterman’s remains were discovered during an investigation for missing New Jersey woman Shannan Gilbert. Six more sets of remains were found in the Gilgo Beach/Jones Beach area since Waterman and the three other original victims were discovered in December. Jessica Taylor, a twenty-year-old woman who was initially found in Manorville, is now among the identified victims.

News: New York City Family Gets $1.6M

(Long Island, N.Y.) A family from Harlem will receive $1.6 million from the city in a settlement that came after their twelve-year-old daughter drowned during a school trip. The incident occurred last summer, and the settlement was issued about a year after the tragedy. The young girl, who was accompanied by her sixth-grade classmates, was unable to fight an Atlantic Ocean riptide off the shores of Long Beach.

The incident occurred during the early beach season when lifeguards were not on duty. There were posted warnings on various areas of the beach claiming that swimming was prohibited. Nonetheless, a teacher and two other chaperones gave twenty-four sixth-graders consent to take a dip in the ocean despite the warnings to stay out of the water.

The students came from the Columbia Secondary School For Math, Science, and Engineering on West 123rd Street. The group of sixth-graders were being rewarded with the trip after having raised money to promote academics in a walkathon. The twelve-year-old drowning victim had previously attended the New York City Public School 161.

Two other students had to be rescued by beach patrol and emergency responders. Reports stated that the teacher nearly drowned after learning of the girl’s disappearance and had to be assisted by rescue workers. Witnesses claimed that she was screaming, and that the beach quickly turned into a scene of chaos.

The twelve-year-old was missing for over an hour, and in that time the beach filled with firefighters, police boats, and rescuers on jet skis. The search pursued by air and sea, and it was noontime when the girl had been located. A few people attempted a rescue, one of whom was able to grab her by the wrist, before she was ultimately brought to shore on a board and taken to Long Beach Medical Center.

The girl’s father claimed that he wouldn’t have given his consent if he knew no lifeguards had been on duty. Reports stated that none of the parents had signed consent forms, which were required for trips involving swimming. The grieving father claimed that the popular young girl, known for writing poetry in the school paper, loved the beach but never learned to swim.

Reports also stated that the trip was poorly planned and last minute, and that the students had been studying water at the end of the school year. One witness claimed that the girl was spotted alone near the jetty and that many wondered what she was doing by herself. An investigation was conducted to determine whether the school was criminally responsible for endangering the welfare of a child. Reports stated that the students were permitted to enter the water in a certain area up to their thighs and waists.

Since the incident, new safety policies for public school field trips have been issued. Field trips require superintendent approval and more chaperones, and trips that involve the water have to follow specific guidelines. The teacher chaperoning the trip was fired, the assistant principal was demoted, and the principal was removed for having romantic relations with a staff member. He was placed on a two-year probation for the incident and later investigated by the Department of Education.

The family claimed that they will use the $1.6 million settlement for scholarships. The girl’s wake was held in Washington Heights and she is survived by younger siblings. Each summer, fatalities occur in Long Beach without the presence of lifeguards. Many involve inexperienced swimmers from out-of-town who don’t realize the dangers of the waters near jetties, which are a series of rocks that divide the beaches.