“Fire that ravaged 7-story B'klyn apartment building leaves dozens with nothing but clothes they wore - New York Daily News” plus 1 more |
| Posted:  Egan-Chin/News Myralda Lewis sits with daughters Keahla (r.) and Keahly (l.). Their home was destroyed in an apartment fire over the weekend.A Brooklyn mother sat in a motel room with her four children Monday - contemplating an uncertain future after a weekend fire tore through their home. "Everything was lost forever," said Myralda Lewis, who lived one floor below the apartment where the deadly fire erupted Saturday evening. The American Red Cross gave Lewis $135 and put her family up at a Super 8 on a gritty stretch of Third Ave. in Gowanus. Just three days ago, she was cooking a meal when she saw smoke coming through an outlet in her living room. Her children were playing nearby. "I thought it was an electrical fire," she thought before frantically getting her kids to safety. She got her children - 18 months to 12 years old - dressed and they ran for their lives. "I saw smoke, people yelling, big flames," she recalled. "Barefoot people, people freezing." Dozens of residents at 346 E. 29th St. in Flatbush escaped the burning building. Some had just a few dollars and the clothes on their backs. Like Lewis, they'll have to face the grim task of rebuilding. "We have to wait and see what will happen," said Lewis, 25, who is from Haiti. "I don't know yet." Lewis and her husband, Patrick, had lived in the one-bedroom apartment in Flatbush about five years. The roof collapsed. Their beds, stereo and television sustained heavy water damage. None of their belongings was insured. Among the treasures lost were the couple's wedding photographs and baby pictures of each of the kids - girls Kristelle, 12, Keahly, 4, and Keahla, 18 months, and a boy, Kindersley, 12. "We have a big family [and] we can't stay at a friend's house with the six of us," Lewis said. "No one wants to have four kids running around. I hope they don't put us in a shelter." Her husband is a limo driver who moved to the city from Haiti in 1999. She's a stay-at-home mom. Their future has been rattled, but the family is still optimistic. "Thank God we're alive," Lewis said. "We're lucky we can start over." The wind-whipped fire killed Mary Feagin, 64, a retired teacher. Twenty firefighters and 11 residents were injured in the five-alarm blaze, which took more than 200 Bravest to control. The FDNY and Buildings Department officials declared the waterlogged seven-story building unsafe and said it was unclear how soon residents could return. Not only does Lewis have to find a place to live, she may also have to put plans to start classes next week at Kingsborough Community College on hold. She intends to study nursing. Some answers for the building's exiles could come Tuesday, when residents are scheduled to meet with Red Cross and city officials. "I have no other clothes, and my kids don't, either," said Marie Dennis, 36, who lives in the building with her husband and two kids. Things also looked bleak for Isaac Donker, an airline ticket agent. "Everything is gone," said Donker, who was at work when the fire started. "We don't have insurance." Then he paused. "All I have is the clothes on my back," he whispered. "That's it." With John Lauinger jmartinez@edit.nydailynews.com This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Fayette-Mom: Social networking and kids - WRAL Posted: Posted: 8:56 p.m. yesterday In this age of social networking, what are the rules? I mean, I can't imagine my kids, ages 7 and 5, having a Facebook page. Their internet use is limited to educational sites and the occasional viewing of iCarly episodes. They don't even know what Facebook or Twitter is, thank goodness. It's not that I don't like social network sites. I love the way Facebook has reunited me with old friends, and the fact that I am more in tune to what everyone is doing. (Although I must say, it's a little disconcerting when a Facebook message replaces an actual phone call about important events — are we headed toward getting rid of our phones altogether? Alas, that's a different post). What concerns me a bit is when I get friend requests from a 10-year-old neighbor or an 11-year-old niece. On the one hand, I am delighted to keep up with them and what's going on in their lives. But I'm horrified when they change their status to "In a Relationship". A relationship? At 11 years old? My word, I am not ready for this. I accept these requests, but then I find myself censoring my posts. Not that my updates are all that tawdry, mind you; some of them are just meant to be enjoyed by people of a certain age. Ahem. So, what are the rules? Do you allow your kids to have a Facebook page? Do you monitor their updates? I know one mom who regularly logs on as her son and takes a look at everything he's done. This sounds logical to me, but I'd love to know what you think about kids and social networks. I've got a few years before I have to worry about this as a parent. But then again, who knows what will be the hot trend when my kids become teenagers. It makes me shudder to think of the possibilites. Jennifer is a mom of two and WRAL-TV assignment editor in Fayetteville. Her food obsession memoir, "Designated Fat Girl," came out in September. Read more about Jennifer and her book on her website. Find her here on Go Ask Mom on Tuesdays.
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