According to the NY Daily News, the NYC Medical examiner says that an accidental overdose caused Heath Ledger’s death:

Actor Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of six
prescription drugs, including painkillers, sleeping pills and
anti-anxiety medication, the medical examiner ruled Wednesday.

The
28-year-old "Brokeback Mountain" star consumed a toxic blend of
medications: oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam
and doxylamine.

"We have concluded that the manner of death is
accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications,"
spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said in a statement.

The drugs are the generic names for the OxyContin painkiller, the
anti-anxiety drug Valium, Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug and the sleep
aids Restoril and Unisom. Hydrocodone is another name for ibuprofen.

Pix by Corkery Service

So now we’re not just the most literary, we’re wordy, too. Here’s an excerpt from the Daily News. Read more here.

Brooklynites have the smartest mouths, especially when it comes to vocabulary.

The
Great American Word Challenge launched an educational video game
earlier this month in Times Square, where 300 participants were quizzed
on vocabulary skills.

Test-takers were shown 10 words, with the help of a Nintendo Wii video game.

Each word had a letter missing from it and its definition on the bottom.

Contestants had to fill in the correct letter that was missing.

Some of the words they used were "sequin," "stock" and "arthritis."

The
results showed that Brooklyn scored the best of all five boroughs, and
they beat a special category for tourists, with an average high score
of 21, the highest possible score being 23.

This from the Daily News:

That’s the simple but effective antidote to the drug-resistant staph superbug – and it’s a message that could soon greet students in New York’s public and private school gyms and bathrooms.

Two Brooklyn Democrats announced legislation Sunday that would require schools to post hand-washing reminders to deter the spread of the worrisome bacteria.

“One of the best ways to prevent the spread of drug-resistant staph is through the simple yet underused hygienic procedure of hand-washing,” said state Sen. Carl Kruger, who is sponsoring the bill with Assemblyman Dov Hikind.

Last week, 10 players on an Iona College sports team were infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. One student athlete was hospitalized.

Since then, outbreaks have been either confirmed or suspected at eight other schools.

In most cases of staph, the body’s immune system or a penicillin-type drug will get rid of the infection. The superbug bacteria cannot be contained with basic antibiotics.

On the heels of the Iona outbreak, the Journal of the American Medical Association released a report showing 90,000 serious MRSA cases in 2005.

A fifth of these cases were fatal – more than the number of AIDS-related deaths.
“This nasty staph bug can prove deadly even for young, healthy individuals,” Hikind said.
“We must take adequate and appropriate action now to protect the health of all New Yorkers.”

The Daily News has an article about Joan Bryson, a Park Slope midwife who helps mothers  give birth in the
comfort of their homes. Here’s an excerpt:

Midwifery, the time-honored profession of helping women through
childbirth, has evolved into a health care profession in which
practitioners offer prenatal and post-partum care and carry malpractice
insurance.

"The more people offer it, the more people will try it," said
Bryson, 58, owner of Park Slope-based Community Midwifery. "It’s not on
everybody’s radar because it’s not something that’s widely known."

Women typically turn to midwives for a more natural and personal
childbirth experience, with one-on-one care and advice before and after
delivery, advocates say.

The New York Daily News reports that BookCourt in Cobble Hill, P.S. Bookshop in DUMBO, A Novel Idea in Bay Ridge and Spoonbill and Sugartown Booksellers in Williamsburg are all thriving despite superstore Barnes & Noble in the area.

The Written Nerd, my new fave New York lit scene blog has a post about the News piece and mentions that the Times’ also had an article about independent bookstores. The Written Nerd works at an ndependent bookstore in New York City’s SoHo
neighborhood. She writes: "Someday I will have a bookstore of my own in Brooklyn. I
love reading books, talking about books, and being where literature
hits the streets. I think independent bookstores can be a source for
culture, community, and social justice. I live in Brooklyn’s Park Slope
neighborhood with the ALP (Adorably Literate Partner), who reads
everything that I don’t."

The big, bad chain stores don’t scare them.

Independently owned bookstores in Brooklyn are thriving, providing bookworms with plenty of cozy places to find a great read.

"We represent a quality environment. It’s homespun; it’s cozy," said
Zack Zook, general manager at BookCourt in Cobble Hill, down the street
from a giant Barnes & Noble that opened seven years ago. "Bigger
bookstores just want to be everywhere."

Apparently, Barnes & Noble’s presence on Court St. hasn’t hurt BookCourt one bit.

I hate to be mean, but the new Daily News website looks, well, bad. When they launched it a couple of weeks ago it looked kinda zippy but now it’s just dull and the homepage looks awful.

What’s going on over there?

This from the Daily News:

Parents of public school children yesterday got a new best friend at City Hall.

Martine Guerrier, an outspoken Brooklyn mom of a fifth-grader, was
tapped as the city’s first parent czar in a move apparently designed to
deflect a barrage of criticism that school officials haven’t been
listening to parents.

Guerrier, 36, wasted no time in taking on the Department of Education,
telling reporters exactly what she thought about last month’s school
bus fiasco that stranded thousands of kids on frigid city streets.

"The department has recognized an error in that, and I don’t know that
that decision would have been made the same way had there been a parent
at the table," Guerrier said. She vowed not to be a pushover or abandon
her independent stance as Chief Family Engagement Officer, which pays
$150,000.

"The only difference is that I’ll probably smile more when I say, ‘No, I don’t agree,’" she said.

The announcement came just hours before a noisy, overflow crowd of
1,000 parents and activists crammed into St. Vartan’s Cathedral on the
East Side to protest the Education Department’s wide-ranging
reorganization plans.

"It’s chaotic and destabilizing for parents, teachers and students,"
shouted Tim Johnson, president of the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory
Council.

Guerrier often challenged the administration as a member of the city’s
Panel for Educational Policy. She voted against the mayor’s policy to
hold back underachieving third-graders and abstained from voting on a
similar measure for fifth-graders.

Klein and Bloomberg both insisted they weren’t bothered by an
independent voice. "Having a diverse range of views is great,"
Bloomberg said. "I value her independence and candor."

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who appointed Guerrier to
the panel and founded Best of Brooklyn Inc., a nonprofit where she
currently works, said Guerrier "has shown … you can be a ‘can-do
person’ without being a ‘yes-person.’"

Some advocates were skeptical of Guerrier’s new role, writing it off as
window dressing and complaining there was no public input in the
selection.

"It unfortunately is another example of what the system’s stakeholders
are angry about, which is lack of consultation before new initiatives
are announced," said Bertha Lewis, co-chairwoman of the Working
Families Party.

New York Post claims that Marty hinted that he may run for Mayor:

February 2, 2007 — Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz hinted last night that he might run for mayor in 2009.

"With term limits looming, what about my future?" he asked during his annual State of the Borough speech.

He then answered his own question: "I guess there’s only one way to find out: If it’s good for Brooklyn, it’s good for New York City."

THIS FROM NY DAILY NEWS:

A promising Manhattan journalist has died of injuries from diving into the water during the annual Polar Bear swim in Coney Island on New Year’s Day.

Mohan Seneviratne, 32, who worked for Esquire magazine, suffered severe neck injuries when his head apparently struck a sandbar beneath the waves in the 48-degree waters. Seneviratne died on Friday at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, said a hospital spokesman.

“The loss of Mohan’s gentle, thoughtful and compassionate ways make the world feel colder and emptier already,” Dave Seligson, a former colleague, wrote in an online tribute.

The son of Sri Lankan immigrants, Seneviratne attended Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and worked for Penguin Books and MSNBC before Esquire.

Seneviratne joined more than 300 thrill-seekers at the annual Polar Bear plunge. He was pulled motionless from the waves after onlookers realized he was seriously hurt. His funeral is tomorrow at Carmon Funeral Home in Avon, Conn.

This from ABC News.

A Brooklyn subway station was evacuated Monday afternoon after two suspicious packages were found on a platform, according to the MTA.

There was no service through the Jay Street-Borough Hall station in Brooklyn Heights.

As of 4 p.m., A and C train service was suspended in both directions between the Utica Avenue Station and the Chambers Street Station. F train service was suspended in both directions between 2nd Avenue Station on the Lower East Side and the 4th Avenue-9th Street Station in Brooklyn.

The US population is set to hit the 300 Million mark tomorrow at 7:46 a.m. Here’s the story from the New York Daily News.

No one, of course, knows for certain who that baby will be, but all eyes will be on the clock in New York delivery rooms.

"There will be an extra sentiment of excitement in the air as we watch
to see if we are the lucky ones who happen to usher in that 300
millionth individual," said Dr.George Mussalli, chairman of the
department of obstetrics and gynecology at St. Vincent’s Hospital
Manhattan.

Still, the baby likely to claim the distinction will be a Latino boy in
Los Angeles County, said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings
Institution.

Half the growth in the U.S. is among Hispanics, and within that group,
most of the increase is in Los Angeles County, Frey said. More boys are
born each year than girls, he added.

"We’re coming back to a new American melting pot. We’ll infuse our
population with people whose parents are from Latin America, from Asia,
who are going to change the mix," Frey said.

As it did in 1967, when the U.S. population reached 200 million, the
new high has ushered in warnings that producing too many people will
have drastic consequences.

Thirty-nine years ago, forecasters predicted mass starvation.

Today, they warn that land is being developed twice as fast as the
population is growing, especially in Southern and Western states with
vulnerable ecosystems, according to a recent report by the Center for
Environment and Population.

Tomorrow’s projection stems from the expectation that one person will
be born every seven seconds and one will die every 13 seconds.
Immigration adds one person every 31 seconds.

Do the math, and the U.S. population grows by one person every 11 seconds, according to the census formula.

The U.S. population will clock in at 400million in 2043, Frey said.

The census population clock is at:

www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html

I didn’t know about the new Aviator Sports and Recreation Center at Floyd Bennett Field. Now I do thanks to the Daily News.

As winter approaches, so do sports involving plenty of ice.

And devotees can find it at Floyd Bennett Field, of all places.

At the brand new Aviator Sports and Recreation Center there – which
will eventually be open nearly ’round the clock – visitors can skate on
one of two NHL regulation-sized rinks, rock climb on a 35-foot wall,
work out in a gymnastics and dance training center, make purchases at a
pro shop and enjoy food court snacks.

Even Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn) took a spin on the ice,
surrounded by "future [hockey] stars" to celebrate the opening of the
facility last week.

The new rink scored a perfect 10 with just about everybody braving the ice the other day.

Elena Pipko of Manhattan said she liked the rink so much, she plans
regular commutes. Her daughter Elizabeth, 11, is a competitive figure
skater. "It’s a long drive," Pipko said, "but worth it. They offer ice
skating and training, and we’re going to come here every week."

Hunter Marciano, an 11-year-old hockey player from Sheepshead Bay, said he wants to come to the rink all the time.

His mother, Karen Marciano, added, "I’ve been waiting 25 years for
something like this. It’s great. I’m taking skating lessons with my
kids."

Annmarie Cariello of Bergen Beach said she used to take her two daughters to Prospect Park for lessons.

"It’s about time there was something on this end of Brooklyn," Cariello said.

After watching his 3-year-old daughter Hagan try the ice, John Carlin,
40, of Rockaway Beach, Queens, said, "The staff is more than
hospitable. They calmed my daughter, who was a nervous wreck on the
ice."

The rink charges adults $8 to skate for 2-1/2 hours. Kids 12 and under
pay $6. Skate rentals are $4 and family plans are available.

When the facility is totally completed in mid-November, hours will be 5
a.m. to 1 a.m. Presently, hours are 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Call (718)
758-9800 for more information.

Here are some other places in Brooklyn where you can ice skate:

 

Abe Stark Skating Rink, W. 19th St. between Surf Ave. and the Boardwalk, Coney Island:

Includes group instruction for ice hockey or figure skating. Now open
on Saturday and Sunday from 1:30-4 p.m. and during the week on school
holidays. Admission is $8 for everyone and skate rentals are $4. For
more information, call (718) 946-6536.

 

Prospect Park’s Kate Wollman Rink, Parkside Ave. and Ocean Ave. entrance:

Opening in late November, this rink has a snack bar, a skate shop and
free lockers. Lessons and classes are available. Admission is $5 for
adults, $3 for seniors and children under the age of 14. For hours,
call (718) 282-1226 or visit www.prospectpark.org for more information.

Seems that there’s been racial profiling by the police a the Seventh Avenue F-train station on Ninth Street and Seventh Avenue. Here’s the story from the Daily News.

Five cops who heard an NYPD captain give a controversial order told the Daily News yesterday the message was crystal clear: Stop and frisk every black man at a robbery-plagued Brooklyn subway station.

"The captain said the descriptions of the [suspects] vary a lot, so we were to stop all black males at the station, stop and frisk them because ‘they have no reason being there,’" said one white officer who was outraged by the command.

Capt. Michael Vanchieri, commander of Brooklyn Transit District 30, gave the orders at Thursday’s 7 a.m. roll call, the cops said.

A sergeant and a lieutenant opened the meeting, then turned the meeting over to Vanchieri, who described a series of robberies on the F line in Brooklyn, concentrated near the Seventh Ave.-Park Slope station.

"All black men were to be stopped – no description other than that," the white officer said. "So some 30- to 40-year-old man who had every right to be at the station – he’d get frisked too."

The Daily News interviewed five of the 12 to 15 officers at the 7 a.m. briefing. All five – a mix of black and white, male and female cops, who spoke on condition of anonymity – gave consistent accounts.

"Everybody was totally shocked," said a black officer who was present. "It was very clear. Stop and question and frisk. But no description of who we were looking for – just male blacks," he said.

Vanchieri could not be reached.

But Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Vanchieri has denied making any inappropriate comments, claiming any discussion of race was part of a broader description of the suspects.

"He gave a description of those individuals and asked if anybody sees them, if anyone matched that description, to stop and speak to them," Kelly said.

Kelly noted that the NYPD is the only major police department in the country to ban profiling.

"All indications are that there was some sort of misunderstanding as to what his directions were," Kelly added.

Victor Swinton, president of the Guardians Association, an association of black NYPD officers, said Vanchieri has offered to meet with him about the roll call order

This from the New York Daily News.

A Brooklyn teen was missing and presumed drowned
after he was thrown from his Jet Ski in a Mill Basin collision
yesterday afternoon.
The victim, identified by sources as Paul Zaccaria, 17, of Mill Island,
was riding in the waters off Brooklyn about 4:30 p.m. when he
apparently crashed into another Jet Ski.

Paul catapulted off his craft and went under. An intense search by NYPD
harbor and aviation units, firefighters, park police and the Coast
Guard was suspended at 8:30 p.m. because of darkness.

"There were about six Jet Skis out there," said 13-year-old Nicolas
Grabowski, who was on one himself. "They were fishtailing – driving
real close, driving real fast. None of them had life jackets on."

"He went up in the air, and he went down in the water," said another witness, Tom Jones, 75, of Marine Park.

Nicolas’ mother, 37-year-old Natalie Zalloughi, heard the crash and ran into the water to try to save Paul.

"He vanished. I never saw anything like it," she said. "I just jumped in and swam across with a life jacket and a pole."

She said she was saying to herself, "Please God, let me find him. Let him come up."

The 16-year-old driver of the other watercraft and his 20-year-old
passenger, who were uninjured, ran ashore and called 911. Police were
interviewing them, but said no charges were expected.

The crash occurred in water 15 to 40 feet deep.

"What do you say about a 17-year-old?" said Paul’s uncle, Larry
Guarnieri of California, who is in New York for a family wedding. "He’s
got a lot of friends. He’s got a lot of family, and he has his whole
life ahead of him."

Relatives gathered at Paul’s nearby home to comfort his mother, Joann Zaccaria.

"This was her only son," said a next-door neighbor. "She’s devastated."